#zero fables my beloved...
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Over a year ago, I drew my first Rain World fanart! This is Zero Fables: The Superstructure in all its uhh... mouse-scribbled glory. Some of this is outdated of course, like the multiple chambers probably aren't a thing anymore, etc...
Shortly after drawing their structure, I'd give them a puppet design -
(on the left is one of their local group, Reflections of Drifting Light, or Drift for short.)
A headshot of the second picture used to be my icon! I almost named my blog zerofables as well, but I didn't want to use them as a mascot or anything like that, so I ended up going with Flicker instead.
Zero Fables is a part of an experimental local group stationed across an archipelago. They're an old, cryptic iterator who speaks in loops and tangents. In contrast to common teachings, Fables believes that the cycle is to be celebrated, and the true answer to the Great Problem - the ultimate escape from suffering - is to love existence itself.
Fables was dressed as an echo due to their relation with void fluid experimentation. It was a bleak warning for their possible end. But they didn't care, and they were pretty blasé about their opinions. Many of Fables' citizens hated that Fables did not fear becoming an echo like they did.
There's also the Mystic, a descendant of slugcats Fables purposed many years before. It and Fables have a special bond. Mystic has been my banner image this entire year actually...
Can't believe it's been this long already~
#zero fables my beloved...#oh my god mystic has three toes instead of two#i forgot i ever drew slugcat feet that way#I meant to post this a few weeks ago on fables' actual creation date but I had to muster my courage first lol#flickerdoodles#art#text#ocs#zero fables#long post#no id#undescribed
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"I have some questions for you..."
guess who discovered a new brush~! i wanted to do something painterly for this one because i love atlantis so so so much! I'd also lagged behind a little in Volotober things so i gave this one the love it deserved (❁´◡`❁)
that said, theres not a lot of story behind this one - maybe akari and the galaxy expedition team go to find the fabled Celestica and volo is thrilled to meet someone from the outside world
based on this shot from disney's atlantis ofc
hmmm.... kamado=rourke (ignore that area zero post lmao), cyllene=helga (my beloved), laventon=whitmore except he comes with of course, adaman=dr sweet (swoon), irida=aubrey, cogita=old king.... :3c
(every week is self-indulgent au week in my house)
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You're doing NaNo?! Can you tell us anything about what you'll be doing???
SPOILERS FOR SANJUNO’S NANO 2020 PROJECT
No Evil Abolishing Resentment System
Transmigrator!Madara meets Reincarnator!Tobirama (… 55 times in a row.)
For NaNoWriMo 2020 – How Many AUs Can I Fit In One Fic?
· 0 Tails Interlude
o Meet Sanzan-han
o Introduction to System driven Quick-Transmigration isekai plot
o “The seeds of evil are as follows, to hear of evil and take no action against it, to see evil and take no action against it, to speak of evil and take no action against it.”
o “To do nothing in the face of evil is not a neutral act.”
o “The only thing required for evil to flourish is for good people to do nothing.”
· 1st World:
o Crystal Nuclei Zombie Apocalypse with Ability Users and levelling up AU
o Politician!Madara ended up being shoved into a zombie tide by people who thought he was too strong/disliked him before the apocalypse
o Scientist!Tobirama really regrets not preventing that when Zombie Emperor Madara breaks through the city walls and kills everyone in Konoha Base
o Reborn!Tobirama is determined to complete the vaccine he was working on in his first life – also keep Madara alive so he can’t become a super zombie
§ Tobirama would like to say he is surprised by Madara’s competency in zombie annihilation but he remembers how terrifying Zombie King Madara was so he really isn’t shocked that Empowered Human Madara is just as much the living embodiment of Nightmare Fuel
o Madara as evolved Zombie catnip with a mouthy pet fish
§ Madara is absolutely disgusted by the Z-poc Virus undead they are gross, rotting, and go squelchwhen he hits them.
§ Some zombie bits get stuck in Madara’s hair. He has a screaming tantrum and promptly sets the entire horde on fire.
§ Pro-tip: Career politicians should avoid indulging in a crying fit over getting their precious beautiful hair dirty during a fight if they want to be taken seriously by their military escort even if they areso hilariously OP they can indulge in whiny hysterics and not die horribly as a result
o The Zombies are Zetsu
o Oh look Madara’s blood has the key component to creating the zombie vaccine who would have thought
o There is so much angry sex for stress relief, just… so much
o
· 1 Tail Interlude
o Madara is pissed off that he accidently ended up in a relationship with Tobirama
o Madara wants a refund on this System
o Sanzan-han explains the fine print of “No Evils Abolishing Resentment System” – the Target must have resentment both towards Madara and from Madara
o Madara’s first world was intended to lock his target
o Switching targets will result in a full reset of his karma to level 1 – no cheating by using his previous incarnations accumulated points to get a head start any more
o Madara’s only other valid targets approaching Tobirama’s stats were Hashirama and Mito
o Madara could target someone else but without the heavy accumulation of karma like the Senju-Uchiha bloodfeud situation it would take thousands of lifetimes to accrue 10 tails
o Madara is so mad ^_^
· 2nd World
o Japanese Classic Fable AU
o Crane Wife!Madara being Tsundere with his husband
o Madara is accused of theft and Scholar!Tobirama is convinced to spy on his wife’s weaving
o Madara gets caught ripping out feathers to weave into silks that are sold to pay for Tobirama’s exams
o Madara flies away and is shot down by hunters
o Reborn!Tobirama who is more than a little obsessed with making sure his wife doesn’t have a reason to fly off again
o Madara doesn’t really understand why Tobirama is trying to prevent him from doing anything productive this is weird
o Zetsu is a corrupted monk trying to capture Madara for his feathers/demon core
· 3rd World
o Galactic Empire Mecha Pilots with psychic powers and enhanced bodies versus the Zerg Horde
o Arranged Marriages for the noble class occur based on genetic advantages rather than affection
o Ace Pilot/Mecha Engineer!Tobirama pays less than zero attention to his nominal spouse and heir in favour of developing weapons to fight against the Zerg
o SSS Ace Pilot!Madara resigned to being ignored by spouse, makes friends with in-laws for sheer spite
o Madara framed for sabotage – dies holding off a Zerg swarm
o Science child!Kagami killed by kidnappers
o Reborn!Tobirama pays better attention to his spouse and child while fighting to end the Zerg threat
o The Zerg are Zetsu
o Madara rolls his eyes and sets the Zerg Queen (Kaguya) on fire – Tobirama confused and aroused by his spouse
· 2 Tails Interlude
o Madara wants to know if he’s going to be required to save the world every single time he’s due to earn a new tail
o Sanzan-han: Sources say “probably”
o Madara would question the heavy-handed implication that Zetsu was just using him but he’s still super pissed off about being trapped in a cave for 50 years and then possessed by a demon goddess thing so he’s more than willing the blame Zetsu for all the horrible things that happened
· 4th World
o Japanese Mythical Creature AU
o Kitsune!Madara saves the life of War General/Prince!Tobirama from Yin poisoning
o There’s a snowstorm and Madara has to warm Tobirama up
o Madara is a Calamitous Beauty and killed by cultists who wanted his demon core
o Reborn!Tobirama is doing his best to take responsibility
o Zetsu is the cultists who poisoned Tobirama and killed Madara
o Madara is super pissed off but the shrine and the garden Tobirama builds for him are really nice so maybe he won’t claw the pasty bastard’s face off
· 5th World
o Super Heroes and Villains in a Megamind AU
o Pyromaniacal Villain!Madara “Moon Eye” is obviously an alien and the arch nemesis of the city’s most beloved Hero, Treeman
o Aquatic Hero “Flying Thunder”!Tobirama’s civilian-marine biologist ID keeps getting kidnapped
o Reborn!Tobirama needs to keep Madara sane and honestly that’s easier than it sounds because Madara gets adorably flustered when given sincere compliments and is hilariously easy to distract with questions about his obviously-also-alien pet fish
o #I accidently started dating my brother’s arch nemesis #what do I do? #waiting online for answers
o Sanzan-han is Minion and really likes the exo-suit
o Zetsu is an evil shadow organization trying to take control of the heroes for world domination reasons
o Madara has an invisible Susanoo and as ridiculous as this world can be he’s having fun in it
o “PRESENTATION!”
· 6th World
o Immortal Cultivators AU
o Borderline-demonic/Unorthodox Sect Leader!Madara is getting chased around by Righteous Sect Inner Disciple!Tobirama because Madara keeps nabbing all the good secret treasures that Tobirama needs to prevent the demon realm from breaking free and invading
o Reborn!Tobirama realizes in hindsight that Original Goods!Madara was also trying to prevent the Demon Realm invasion because the Righteous Sects didn’t listen to his initial warnings
o Tobirama eventually pins Madara down as his Dao companion to get access to the booty loot Madara has collected/protect Madara from being targeted by unscrupulous treasure hunters
o The demons/demonic spirits are Zetsu
o Madara is playing whack-a-Zetsu and doesn’t have time for Tobirama’s nonsense
· 3 Tails Interlude
o Sanzan-han praises Madara for his top-notch seduction skillz
o Madara is So Done with this stupid godsdamned fish
o Sanzan-han mentions but doesn’t explain that the accumulation of “affection points” will start having a notable effect on Tobirama soon – so gambatte, Mada-sama!
o Madara tries to ignore the constant hooking up in favour of plotting new ways to kill Zetsu – seeing as the creature is the only thing he can kill in the Other-Worlds without losing the “ExP” that will allow his return home
· 7th World
o Geode Betting Modern AU
o Carver!Madara is a picky spoiled artiste who got blamed for ruining Tobirama’s family
o Reborn-with-Treasure-Senses Appraiser!Tobirama is determined to “get revenge in advance” on Madara only to realize what a dork Madara is
o Tobirama frantically backs off on his face-slapping plot only to overcompensate his way into dating a crazy artist
o #oops
o Zetsu are the yakuza involved in rigging the Geode betting
o Madara is confused by the lack of open warfare but thinks this is a nice vacation
· 8th World
o Greek Monsters AU
o Gorgon!Madara has the strongest stone-gaze in History
o Heroic Demigod!Tobirama arrives to take off Madara’s head for prophecy reasons
o Tobirama’s Quest ends in tragedy – turns out ghosts/guardians of the Underworld don’t turn to stone so Tobirama can’t bring his little brothers out using Madara’s decapitated head
o Madara is hiding from Reborn!Tobirama because he wants to keep in head on his neck, fuckdammit and accidently interrupts the murder of Kawarama and Itama via even more accidental kidnapping
o Tobirama just wants to apologize for overreacting to a very ambiguously worded prophecy that he self-fulfilled – Tobirama is really, really very sorry, really – also wtf give him back his baby brothers
o Zetsu is the Oracle of Kaguya who killed Tobirama’s little brothers and wanted Tobirama/Madara cursed/dead
· 9th World
o Sentinels and Guides are Known AU
o SSS Guide!Madara is 100% going to cut a bitch if these special fucking snowflake godsdamned Sentinels don’t piss off and leave him alone
o 6-sense Alpha Sentinel Prime!Tobirama does not want a Guide who will only slow him down with their coddling nature
o Tobirama rejects Madara/doesn’t acknowledge their nascent connection
o Reborn!Tobirama wakes up out of a zone – wakes up after pulling the Guide he recognized far too late as his own out of the depths of the bay – and promptly terrifies his entire family by going hyper-focused and borderline feral as he takes off to hunt down his Guide
o Tobirama’s Guide – his Guide who is still alive – still alive and not drowned
o Reborn!Tobirama has some lingering trauma to work through btw
o Madara terrifies so many people when he starts inducing hallucinations as a defense mechanism
o Zetsu are dark Sentinel cult masquerading as a shady government organization
· 10th World
o Classic D&D AU
o Harpy Queen!Madara is being plotted against
o Necromancer!Tobirama regrets killing Madara and keeping his soul in a jar when he finds out the truth
o Tobirama let’s Izuna “mete justice” – protip: Uchiha Harpies are actually Furies
o Reborn!Tobirama decides he quite enjoys being Madara’s concubine
o Madara lays an egg
o The Demon Gods trying to break loose and destroy all life get kicked back into the Underworld – insert Zetsu smiting here
o Hashirama is traumatized by his little brother’s loincloth
· 4 Tails Interlude
o Madara throws an epic tantrum over the egg-laying thing
o Sanzan-han doesn’t understand his deal but obligingly flees screaming in terror anyway
· 11th World
o Imperial Court AU
o Fire Priest!Madara is given as a “bride” to Imperial Prince Tobirama to remove Tobirama from the line of succession
o Tobirama considered a “holy child” by the Fire devotees due to his red eyes
o Tobirama realizes too late that his opinion of his “wife” was manipulated so that he wouldn’t be able to gather his full strength to compete with his enemies
o Reborn!Tobirama has goals to 1. Be gay, and; 2. Commit Treason
o Zetsu as the scheming Minister who is actually the bastard child of Empress Dowager Kaguya
o Madara turns the court upside down and shakes because he’s bored and vindictive
· 12th World
o Beastmen in Space AU
o The Tribes are even more stupidly competitive than shinobi Clans but have more space (lol) to spread out so they aren’t at full war with each other
o Snow Leopard!Madara has a female beast form as most Uchiha males do – Uchiha females tend to have male Beast Forms
o Uchiha Do Not switch forms in Public/on the Battlefield and also the Uchiha don’t gender the way the other Tribes do
o White Tiger!Tobirama only discovers this after the Uchiha are destroyed by hostile invasion of Borg-type enemies
o Zetsu are the Borg knockoffs
o Reborn!Tobirama starts courting Madara because rowr and peace happens because kittens – yay!
o Madara uses his carving skills to create power stones that allow High Level Beasts to control themselves
· 13th World
o Castlevania-esque Vampire AU
o Vampires and Humans share a world but live in different realities thanks to magic sub-dimensions
o Vampire Prince!Madara is lazy and hedonistic
o Vampire Prince!Tobirama is disdainful of Madara’s magpie brain
o Zetsu is the Religious extremist Vampire cult that realizes that Madara is the key to tearing down the veil and bleeds him dry to shatter the barrier separating the worlds and free the first vampire Kaguya
o Reborn!Tobirama absolutely refuses to allow the Veil to get torn down again so he gets stupidly “devoted and jealous” over his previously despised betrothed
o Madara is rather offended that the blood drinking is sexy and also that Tobirama is a tasty snack
· 14th World
o Merfolk AU
o Devil Firefish Mer!Madara always knew that the merfolk from the deeper waters would only visit the Volcanic Reef to mate and leave, especially the sharks – but he had still wanted to hope for something more…
o Great White Mer!Tobirama only ever left the Kelp Forest to guard his more hormone driven kin when the pod headed to shallower waters to spawn and let the fry gather strength in the protection of the cove before heading back home
o Tangling with the pretty, poisonous leader of the Uchiha pod was a mistake that could be entirely blamed on his brother’s tendency to overindulge in urchin-spines and share his vices with every mer in the vicinity
o Someone (see: Zetsu) fucks up and pisses off the Ocean
o Seaquakes and the resulting tsunami’s drive all the mer to the deepest-water cities to wait out the disasters
o Madara gets eaten by a giant kraken while defending the fry – Tobirama arrives just in time to see Madara and their son get torn in half
o Reborn!Tobirama courts Madara properly and the Uchiha pod moves into the sea-caves because the coral as too fragile for Tobirama’s peace of mind
o Zetsu are creepy seaweed/anglerfish things
· 15th World
o Virtual Reality Game AU
o Code-writer!Tobirama develops Kenjutsu Mania Online in an attempt to revive his comatose little brothers
o Overworked Detective!Madara gets suckered into the VR game with his little brothers
o Crazy Person (Kaguya) traps all the players in a death game – as you do
o Tobirama gets exposed as a game designer and PK’d
o Reborn!Tobirama parties with Madara and gets married for the ExP bonus
o Zetsu are a computer virus AI like Agent Smith
o Madara uses IRL weapon skills to break the game and his character build before he smashes the Crazy Person open like an overripe melon
o All the little brothers wake up
· 5 Tails Interlude
o Sanzan-han is very proud! Mada-sama is halfway there!
o Madara is throwing a huge fit over giving birth in 2 out of 5 worlds
o But Mada-sama, the massive amount of affection points!
o Fuck your affection points!
o That’s the spirit, Mada-sama!
· 16th World
o Modern Wizards AU
o Dragon Keeper!Madara trips over poachers/dark wizards who kidnapped Ancient Runes Master!Tobirama for evil-ritual-sacrifice purposes
o They accidently end up in a Marriage Bond
o Tobirama suspects Madara of being a Dark Wizard
o Madara is framed and executed – only for the real culprit to be exposed a few months later
o The real culprit is Kaguya and Zetsu natch
o Tobirama explodes a Time Turner
o Reborn!Tobirama drags his new spouse Dark Wizard hunting
o Couple Therapy for dumb Wizards go
· 17th World
o ID Porn in a Miraculous AU
o Masked Hero Phoenix is consistently pursued and wooed by his partner in crime fighting, Dragon
o PoliSci TA!Madara has a raging brain crush on Bio-Chem Doctorate Student!Tobirama
o An ill-advised insult/rejection causes Phoenix to darken and self-destruct
o A grief-stricken Dragon “teleports” his mind back in time
o Madara is so confused by Tobirama and his new stalker tendencies
o Kaguya is RabbitMoth and Zetsu are the Akuma
· 18th World
o Really Cheap Silmarillion Knockoff AU
o Spell-Singer!Madara is driven mad by an Oath that was forced on him by a Messenger done Dark
o Kaguya as the evil god and Zetsu as her evil Messenger
o Forger!Tobirama doesn’t pay attention to extenuating circumstances until it’s too late and the bodies are buried
o The World goes to shit for 3 ages because Tobirama’s shinies are the shiniest
o Reborn!Tobirama devotes himself to fucking over Zetsu’s evil schemes and making pretty baubles for Madara
o The fact that Madara’s new hairpin can level a mountain range is incidental and has nothing to do with Tobirama’s paranoia
o An ancient mystery re. parentage is solved when Madara sings Kagami into being right on schedule – Tobirama is delighted to assist this time
· 19th World
o Steampunk AU a la FF flavour
o Enemy Nation!Madara is the Prince/General who goes crazy due to infection from alien viral lifeform
o HoL Companion!Tobirama as a Prince of the protag Nation who are prophesized to save the world from Calamity
o World goes to shit
o Zetsu is the Scourge and Kaguya is Jenova/the Accursed
o Tobirama is too impatient to wait out the “time-skip”
o Reborn!Tobirama sneaks into the enemy stronghold – finds pre-infection!Madara imprisoned with tiny clone-child Kagami and steals them both
o Cue roadtrip shenanigans as both sides try to track them down
o Madara gets to one-man-army the forces of evil – Tobirama is very impressed
· 20th World
o Demon Hunter AU
o Incubus!Madara has a “food allergy” and has been stuck at the physical age of 13 being fed energy by his family members for the last 200 years
o Functionally Ace Demon Hunter!Tobirama pegs Madara for a sex demon on sight because the lust whammy is legit the most distracting thing to ever happen to him and that incubus looks like a child ew
o Tobirama sets a trap for Madara and is mean about it because he doesn’t appreciate the second-hand bad-touch feelings – trigger warning: allusions to non-con gangbang
o Madara kills the “bait” and Tobirama bursts into the room
o Tobirama sees adult!Madara in the aftermath of the carnage and is horrified to recognize his soulmate
o Madara proceeds to vomit blood and dies at Tobirama’s feet – the allergy is no joke
o Tobirama learns about Madara’s “allergy” from revenge rampage Izuna – recognizes that Izuna is Touka’s soulmate and doesn’t fight back
o Tobirama regrets so hard he magics his soul back in time to the day he first saw Madara
o The most awkward dating adventure begins
o Zetsu are the actually evil demons who eat people for real – and not in the fun way Uchiha do
· 21st World
o Gods AU
o Ocean Kami!Tobirama realizes too late that he loved Volcano!Kami Madara and was unable to rescue him from the Underworld – that trick never works
o Reborn!Tobirama starts bringing Madara tributes, averts the Twilight of the Gods via shameless debauchery, and accidently builds a tropical island honeymoon palace to spoil Madara in
o Zetsu are the evil servants of the “god-eating Titan” Kaguya
· 6 Tails Interlude
o Lots of Madara screaming about how the Powers That Be are far too fucking obsessed with seeing Madara get railed
o Sanzan-han goes no-duh, most lifeforms devote about 99% of their spare life energy towards reproductive efforts
o Madara is very grumpy about being a SSS Class Ninja Nightmare reduced to pillow-book wish-fulfillment fantasy fodder
· 22nd World
o Noodle Dragon AU
o Dragon King of the Northern Ocean!Tobirama and Quetzalcoatl!Madara courting shenanigans
o OTL!Tobirama fucked up and led Hunters (Zetsu) to OTL!Madara’s nest and they stole his heart for black magic doomsday ritual
o Madara ended up a stone statue curled around the shattered remains of his first egg
o Reborn!Tobirama is determined to be a properly attentive mate
o Madara is resigned to laying eggs again
· 23rd World
o GoT-knockoff Medieval AU
o Madara gets burned at the stake as a witch, doesn’t die, and then gets torn apart by a terrified mob
o Northern Lord!Tobirama realizes that he done fucked up and needs Madara to beat the evil ice zombies
o Reborn!Tobirama starts wooing an extremely cranky pyro-prince while trying to give the Uchiha Crown Prince more positive PR with the peasantry to avoid another riot
o Zetsu are the Others, Kaguya as the Night Queen
· 24th World
o ‘Taur AU – Tribal Setting
o Leopard-Taur!Madara lives high up in the Mountains
o Tiger-Taur!Tobirama is poisoned and delirious during a fated encounter – he doesn’t learn what happened or who saved him until after both prides are mostly destroyed
o Reborn!Tobirama manages to avoid delirium induced amnesia and starts stalking Madara with the intent to make love not war
o Zetsu are corrupted from using radioactive/poisonous Power Stones to boost strength, Kaguya is actually parasite queen
· 25th World
o Exorcists and Ghosts AU
o Cursed Ghost!Madara lingers in the courtyard he called home while he was alive
o Kagami wanders in during the ghost hour and Madara shoves him into a cabinet to protect him
o Exorcist!Tobirama finds out that Madara was still protecting Kagami from the devil spirits – not haunting him – only after the devils grow stronger and get free after ghost!Madara is destroyed
o Reborn!Tobirama needs to figure out a way to woo his past incarnation’s very justifiably angry murdered consort before Madara denies Tobirama visitation rights
o Zetsu are devil spirits who cursed Madara to death, Kaguya wants to consume Kagami for power
· 26th World
o Midsummer Night’s Dream AU
o Fairy Prince!Tobirama gets dosed with love potion
o Meets Dark Forest King!Madara
o Falls in potion induced love – which gets Tobirama invested enough to forget his previous prejudices and fall in True Love
o Then Madara dies
o Reborn!Tobirama is now immune to Love Potions because he is in True Love with Madara – fuck you, cheating bastard traitors to the Fairy Crown
o Tobirama runs off into the Dark Forest to snag himself a Goblin King (and break Hashirama out of Love Potion induced insanity, natch)
o Zetsu as the dirtbag fiancée, Kaguya as the dark fairy trying to take over both kingdoms
· 27th World
o Naga AU
o Banded Sea Kriat!Tobirama tangles with in-heat Black Hooded Tiger Snake!Madara and doesn’t realize until later that the whole situation was a bloodmage trap
o Zetsu are the bloodmages
o Tobirama finds Madara’s still bleeding skinned body a few weeks after they tangle – manages to get Madara’s skin and their still-curing egg back from the hunting team
o Tobirama tries to save their egg and fails – it was taken from Madara too soon
o Tobirama hunts down the bloodmage and dies in killing them
o Reborn!Tobirama gives Madara proper aftercare – notes the bloody wound from the unwanted heat inducing potion – and hauls Madara back to his den for proper nesting
· 28th World
o Magical Knight AU
o Storm Knight!Tobirama damages Evil General!Madara’s control seal during the battle of the week
o Tobirama then runs into amnesiac in civilian ID Madara after the fight and goes on a date
o Tobirama still end up killing Madara when the brainwashing is reapplied – prolonged death scene reveals that Madara was mind-controlled not committing betrayal
o Reborn!Tobirama puts significantly more effort into ensuring that the control seal is completely removed from “General Indra”
o Madara helps defeat the Ancient Evil while wearing leather booty shorts
o Kaguya as Mettalia, Zetsu as the Youma
· 7 Tails Interlude
o Forget about the indignity of being Tobirama’s go-to baby incubator – Madara is absolutely flipping his shit over the booty shorts
o Sanzan-han thought they were quite flattering on you, Mada-sama!
· 29th World
o Blood Magic AU
o Demon Lord!Madara gets honeytrapped by Blood Mage!Tobirama and stabbed from behind by Hashirama
o Tobirama turns Madara’s body into a scrying gem to steal his powers and secrets
o Snooping through Madara’s memories of their courtship lets Tobirama discover that Madara’s “evil plot” was a baby Kagami now cold in his cradle
o Reborn!Tobirama is doing everything in his power to keep his family from finding out about Madara because the Senju’s whole “thing” is demon hunting and stealing their magic
o Kaguya as the creepy Ancestor of the Senju clan who started the demon killing habit, Zetsu as the twisted remains of Senju elders who cursed themselves due to magic addiction
· 30th World
o Phantom Thief AU
o Kaito!Tobirama has to watch as his dear Detective!Madara gets gunned down by the Black Organization
o Reborn!Tobirama first tries to send Madara away for his own safety – has a control freak panic attack when he can’t see Madara
o Tobirama proceeds to go full disclosure overcompensation trying to keep Madara safe
o Madara is a Sigh and steals all nine bijuu tama while Tobirama is sorting himself out
o … Tobirama would like to know when his dear Detective learned to pick locks but before that there is a very serious problem that has arisen in Tobirama’s pants that needs to be dealt with because that was the smoothest heist Tobirama has ever borne witness to holy shit
o Zetsu as the Black Organization looking for the magic gem Kaguya
· 31st World
o Transformers AU
o Decepticon!Madara is Sunspot and Autobot!Tobirama is Whitespace
o The Great War happens – Kaguya-as-Unicron wakes up and eats most of the planet and population
o “That’s no moon.”
o Whitespace yeets his spark back in time and attempts to if not stop then at least delay the start of the Great War
o Reborn!Whitespace ends up pair-bonding with Sunspot to rob the Decepticons of their Air Commander
o A 3rd faction forms separate from the High Council versus Violent Terrorist Extremists options
· 32nd World
o Beauty and the Beast meets Hanahaki Tragedy AU
o Imprisoned Guest!Tobirama heads home for The Visit and stays away too long – not longer than he promised, but Beast!Madara was days away from suffocation
o Tobirama comes back to a silent castle and finds Madara on his bed surrounded by blood and the flowers that had burst out from under his skin
o Reborn!Tobirama is determined to break the curse – Madara is just really tired and in pain
o What kind of fucking sadist curses a kid with roses growing inside their body – Madara was 13 when this shit started and his body knows it
o True Loves Kiss ensues (and also Itama and Kawarama beat the shit out of Zetsu for cursing their new brother in law)
· 33rd World
o ABO ElfQuest-ish AU
o Alpha!Tobirama thinks he was tricked into marriage hunting Omega!Madara as part of a plot against the Senju Kingdom – everyone knows that you can’t trust Dark Elves
o Tobirama finds out too late that there are evil forces on the loose that only the Uchiha are aware of – that’s why the Dark Elves are called Dark Elves, because they hunt evil in the dark
o Madara is caught and left mutilated for Tobirama to come across just as he made up his mind to treat his mate better
o Reborn!Tobirama misses his cue from the original setup – but he still finds Madara hiding in a waterfall cave because fuck no, no more fucking fucking
o Spoiler: Madara gets fucked good and hard
o Tobirama and Madara go demon hunting together
o Zetsu are the Madkin demons created by Kaguya’s twisted flesh-shaping
· 34th World
o Wonderland AU
o Evil Dictatorship ruling family Uchiha Clan are actually held captive by their Palace – it’s a seal keeping a demon asleep and powered by the Uchiha who live inside the castle – the Uchiha don’t actually do much ruling, the Council of Elders is where the majority of the corruption is
o Revolutionary!Tobirama kidnaps Crown Prince of Hearts!Madara during the siege to “free” Wonderland which lets the demon loose so Tobirama is forced to marry Madara and have kids quick due to being responsible for the plan that killed off 99% of the Uchiha
o Also people born with red eyes get married to the Uchiha in the Kingdom of Hearts – those with red eyes have hearts that cannot be fooled or controlled (meaning they’re able to see through the demon’s tricks)
o Reborn!Tobirama has just enough time to alter his plan for the attack on the Palace of Hearts – then he walks in on the turncoat guards who gave the Revolution entry to the Palace making comments about sexually assaulting Madara
o Tobirama bursts in before Madara can break their skulls and “saves” his future husband
o Most of the Uchiha survive this time – only the Elders get killed
o Tobirama marries Madara again and gets to work on revamping the bad laws
o Zetsu is the Jabberwocky
· 35th World
o Werewolf Fighting Ring AU
o Alpha Werewolf!Tobirama was unwillingly mated to Alpha Werewolf!Madara when he was caught and held prisoner by slave traffickers
o Tobirama rejects Madara once they’re free of the arena but makes sure to “payback” Madara for his “humiliation” first
o Madara had been given heat drugs the entire time and didn’t remember what Tobirama resented him for
o Madara ends up dying from mate-loss
o Tobirama is focused on bringing down the slavery ring and doesn’t know Madara died – until Hashirama sends him a letter about how his mate “didn’t make it through the birth” and asking him to get back for the funeral
o Tobirama finally slows down – reads the file on Madara he has been ignoring since he found it – and breaks
o Reborn!Tobirama is focused on treating Madara as a proper mate while also getting revenge on the Slavers
o Madara is going to rip out so many throats out over being pregnant again
o Zetsu as the warlocks running the slave rings to feed Kaguya power
· 36th World
o Star Wars AU
o By-the-Code Jedi!Tobirama tends to bisect all the “darksiders” he runs into – kills Izuna during a mission
o Madara does full dark-side rage and Empress Kaguya takes over
o Zetsu as the Darkside clone army
o Reborn!Tobirama is a lot less saber-happy and has learned that the Uchiha are not dark – more wild/grey
o Ends up Force Bonded to Madara to bring Balance
· 8 Tails Interlude
o Madara has a screaming breakdown to the tune of “why fucking Tobirama?!?!?!”
o Sanzan-han is like “He resented you the most? Duh? No Evil Abolishing Resentment System?”
o Madara tries his best to fry the stupid gods-be-damned-twice fish
· 37th World
o Sex Slave Soulmate AU
o War-Mage!Tobirama uses borderline-forbidden magic to make Kagami – shatters his soulmate link to do so, which is what makes the magic unpopular but not illegal as nobody is actually “harmed” by the spell
o Note: Kagami is now the living embodiment of the link
o Kagami finds Courtesan!Madara in a high-end brothel that is a front for nobles to buy magically bound sex-slaves – this is actually super forbidden magic, btw
o Tobirama saves Madara and the other enslaved thralls while rescuing Kagami
o Madara had enough magic to fight against the enchantment and managed to get Kagami out of the brothel – that’s how Tobirama knew where to attack
o No follow through after the rescue – Madara and the others are left under the enslavement seals
o Madara ends up assaulted/dead/silenced by the nobles who used to patronize the brothel and slave market
o Reborn!Tobirama moves faster and has already figured out how to break the enslavement curse – gets to the brothel before Madara manages to get Kagami out again
o Mexican standoff ensues – Tobirama rescues his soulmate and kid
o Madara gets freed from the curse
o Courting ensues when their soulmark repairs when they touch after the curse is broken
o Kaguya as the evil mage who was using the brothels as a power source, Zetsu as her simulacrum servants
· 38th World
o Mythos AU
o Dragon!Tobirama is married to Phoenix!Madara and resents it
o Madara has bad PR and Tobirama listens to rumours so he ignores Madara as much as he can
o Civil War erupts – Madara hides Kagami when their Palace is attacked and is a distraction
o Tobirama finds his spouse ritually violated to steal his “fire”
o Reborn!Tobirama is a much more enthusiastic spouse and realizes that Madara is a fluffy sap
o Zetsu as the invading horde of magic thieves
· 39th World
o Angels AU
o Angel!Tobirama is “tempted” by Fallen!Madara
o Tobirama kills Madara and kicks off a new War In Heaven
o Regret hits when Tobirama finds Kagami’s body after Danzo kills him… in an exact mirror of how Tobirama tricked Madara
o Reborn!Tobirama decides to “prove” that Madara is “evil” before killing him this time to keep the War from happening again
o Tobirama gets his nose rubbed in Madara’s ability to love his family
o Zetsu as actual demons who are trying to kill off both Angels and Fallen
· 40th World
o Fae Marriage Hunt AU
o Winter Fae!Tobirama was a petty bastard and resisted his betrothal to the point a Marriage Hunt was the only option
o Skinchanger!Madara wins the Hunt
o The peace between the High Court and the Wild Hunt collapses after Madara is killed during a diplomatic meeting
o Reborn!Tobirama decides to play along/use his “marriage” to make the peace permanent
o Tobirama gets his misconceptions challenged when Madara rides his cooperative “willing” bride into the ground
o Kaguya as an evil Fairy Queen with Zetsu as her Greymalkin
· 41st World
o The Mummy AU
o Archeologist!Tobirama accidently triggers mummy!Madara’s awakening and the crazy demon cultists take advantage
o Madara lets Tobirama kill him rather than let the cultists sacrifice Tobirama
o Tobirama gets an info dump on Madara’s trauma
o Reborn!Tobirama uses the evil cult to resurrect Madara properly and woos the ancient shogun like a boss
o Kaguya as even more ancient evil Mummy and Zetsu as obsessed cultists
· 42nd World
o Labyrinth AU
o Adventurer!Tobirama keeps meeting a mysterious “king” in his dreams – King of the Labyrinth!Madara keeps a veil over his head and his hands covered by extra-long fluttery sleeves
o Tobirama has to beat the Labyrinth to rescue his little brothers
o Paranoid Tobirama gets tricked into betraying Madara by goblin Zetsu – the Labyrinth collapses
o Tobirama’s little brothers are killed along with all the other kidnapped children – the energy from their deaths and the destruction of the Labyrinth is used to fuel the resurrection of a Demon God Kaguya
o Tobirama dies taking his revenge after learning the full story
o Reborn!Tobirama is much more willing to “dance” with Madara now that he knows Madara is as much or more a prisoner than the stolen children
o Madara was used as a lure – his fingers bound in wire and his eyes sewn shut – but they miscalculated because Madara was still the King and wouldn’t let anyone who can’t complete his Labyrinth reach the children
o Tobirama completes the Labyrinth… after he frees Madara
o Yay romantic dance sequences
· 43rd World
o Four Kings AU
o Byakko!Tobirama gets trapped in a blood-and-wine seal
o Suzaku!Madara runs afoul of Tobirama’s enemies, kills them all in a rage, and trips into Tobirama’s trap with him
o Violent coitus ensues
o Madara breaks the seal once the trap’s power has been exhausted and runs away
o Tobirama wakes up with a blank memory as a result of the seal
o Madara lays an egg – Kagami hatches
o Zetsu as Minions of the God-Eater Kaguya catch Madara while he’s weak and sacrifice him thinking he still contains the combined essence of Byakko and Suzaku
o Hey but actually Madara’s power was at a low ebb because he spent it all on Kagami so no resurrections for you, stupid doomsday cult
o Tobirama rescues Kagami – baby bird begs the tiger to save his mama – is too late
o Reborn!Tobirama gets to watch his past!self deflower the avatar of Suzaku and oh shit that means Kagami is my son? Tobirama is a scream
o Time to gather the Four Kings and destroy a Demon Cult! Mito is Seiryuu and Hashirama is Genbu.
· 44th World
o Warprize Ger AU
o Imperial Prince!Tobirama is given as a consort to Ger Emperor Madara as part of a Senju plot
o Tobirama is unaware that his attendants are using him to poison Madara but is super pissed at his father for giving him away as a treaty gift
o Madara dies birthing Kagami but reveals to Tobirama that he was glad to marry him – Kagami is worth it and Tobirama was the only man to ever give Madara flowers
o Kagami learns that it was a Senju plot that killed his mother and hates Tobirama for his part in it
o War erupts between the Uchiha Empire and the Senju Kingdom again and destroys both countries
o Reborn!Tobirama decides to overturn all his father’s plan and dotes on his Imperial Spouse – so manyflowers are given
o Madara is an amazing Emperor and newly crowned Emperor Hashirama is super thrilled to have such peaceful relations with his neighbour thanks to Tobirama’s beautiful love story
· 45th World
o Buddy-cop StarTrek Federation AU
o Senju-With-Tentacles, Psychic!Uchiha-With-Horns
o PHEREMONE MARKERS~!!
o Zetsu are the Borg
o Kagami is a Tube Baby
· 9 Tails Interlude
o Madara is freaking the fuck out the last set of worlds were uniquely traumatizing – especially the Labyrinth one
· 46th World
o Loveless AU
o Sacrifice!Madara has learned to fight on auto – the first Sacrifice to figure out how to do so, and he doesn’t stop fighting even when his Fighter shows up
o Fighter!Tobirama never wanted a Sacrifice because he didn’t want them to get hurt and he sees Madara acting as a Fighter so he doesn’t believe that Madara is a Sacrifice
o The name of their Bond is Devotion
o Madara gets targeted by a swarm of Dr. Kaguya’s fake-bonded Zetsu
o Tobirama finds Madara’s body in Kaguya’s lab and uncovers the Bond too late to save his Sacrifice
o Reborn!Tobirama is hyper overprotective and Madara trounces his Fighter’s ass up and down the street until he feels better about living in a reality with a world-wide virginity fetish
· 47th World
o Witch Madara and Magical Creature Tobirama
o Tobirama is cursed into a human form
o Tricked into thinking that he has to kill Madara/a Witch to get the curse broken?
o It was all a lie
o Tobirama twisting the curse to go back in time instead of dying
o Madara is too gods-be-damned-again tired for this nonsense
o
· 48th World
o Stargate AU
o Head Scientist of the Expedition Tobirama
o Leader of the surviving “Ancients” Madara
· 49th World
o Welcome to Nightvale AU
o Tobirama, the Scientist
o Madara, the Sherriff of the Secret Police
o
· 50th World
o BDSM AU
o Tobirama IDS as a Switch but he’s service oriented non-dynamic instead
o Madara thinks toys/scenes are silly – demi-romantic/grey-ace Madara rides again
o Tobirama has cultural dissonance meeting a “Dom” who likes being the one fucked
· 51st World
o TRON?
· 52nd World
o Tyrant CEO/Entertainment Circle
· 53rd World
o From another world AU
o Tobirama drops into Fantasy Land from a Modern-ish Naruto World
o Madara as the Villainous Noble who was “jealous” of Tobirama’s magic power
· 54th World
o Last Unicorn AU
o Madara is the Kirin
o Tobirama as a Wizard who likes Science more
· 55th World
o Dragon Raja AU
· 10 Tails Interlude
o Sanzan-han reveals why they were helping Madara – and fade to black
· Return to the Warring Clans Era
o Canon is About to Be Diverted
o Madara is back on the battlefield where Izuna died
o Promptly summons Sanzan-han to stop this fucking bullshit – Sanzan-han has ascended and become a massive dragon so yeah the battle is definitely over now
o Tobirama appears to be having a migraine – whoops looks like the arrival of Sanzan-han has started the data-dump of all Tobirama’s System-generated memories into canon!Tobirama
o Peace and Konoha happen
· Epilogue/Extras
o Tobirama has Suspicions regarding his shiny new memories – especially because he remembers seeing that fish. Everywhere. All the time. Stupid fish.
o Everyone is very confused by how fast Tobirama and Madara get over the war and hook up but yay peace? Also Madara and Tobirama somehow make a baby and everyone is too busy trying to figure out how that works to complain anymore.
o
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#Sanjuno's ficwork#NEARS#No Evil Abolishing Resentment System#MadaTobi#TobiMada#Pray for me friends this is how I die#Transmigrator meets Reincarnator#In which Sanjuno gets to be pretentious about how her MC hooking up with the ML is required for plot larger purposes than mere romance#NaNoWriMo 2020
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When Past and Present meet Chapter 3
There was so much to say, and yet she couldn't find the words for any of it. Her thoughts were an ever-repeating loop of "He's back, he's here", and for the first time in hundreds of years, she felt true joy.
Jack of Blades, her beloved hero, was back.
„It has been a long time, my dear", he spoke again. „How has life been treating you in these past few centuries?"
She swallowed the lump in her throat so she could answer. It was very much like him to treat this all so casually. „Life was pretty empty without you."
„Well, I'm here now. So no tears anymore."
She wiped the last remaining tears from her eyes, and suddenly found herself overcome with exhaustion.
„Tired?", Jack asked, ever perceptive. „Then sleep, my dear. I won't go anywhere."
That was all the permission she needed. She let herself drop onto her pillow, wrapping herself and the mask in the covers. As sleep enveloped her, her mind was flooded with memories. And this time, she welcomed them with open arms.
It was the middle of winter, and she has insisted on visiting her uncle, who lived in the middle of Witchwood, far away from her family's comfortable home in Knothole Glade, worried that he might not find enough food during this time.
The blizzard had caught her off guard on her way back home; and with the masses of snow whipping into her eyes, she hadn't seen herself stray from the path. Her clothes were enough to keep her warm in normal weather conditions, but with the snow and wind, she was soon so drenched that they clung to her skin like she had been swimming. A sudden gust made her stumble and fall to her knees. This wasn't good. Getting lost in a blizzard was bad news even in the less dangerous parts of Albion. But this was Witchwood, the most Balverine-infested region of the whole country, and she doubted that a bit of wind and snow would stop these creatures. She wrapped her arms around herself, holding back tears. Every breath she took felt like it filled her lungs with tiny icicles, each intake of air meant pain.
A miracle, that's what she needed. Otherwise, her chances of finding shelter before the cold or a pack of hungry Balverines took her was pretty much zero.
She faintly remembered someone once telling her that freezing to death was actually one of the easier ways to go. The cold was uncomfortable at first, but eventually, one would stop feeling it, and just get tired… and then fall asleep, never to wake up again. A good, quiet, pleasant death. She could accept that, sad as it was to die so young. But just when she was about to accept her fate, he appeared out of the frozen haze; dark armor and red cowl covered in a thin layer of snow. Only few people could claim to have met the legendary Jack of Blades. Mostly because few lived to tell the tale. Though in the sudden appearance of the fabled hero, she found an unexpected ray of hope. Maybe he would give her an even quicker death than the howling winds.
His golden, bloodshot eyes met hers.
He has pretty eyes, she thought in her freezing delirium. I think I'll die happy if these eyes are the last thing I see.
Said eyes widened for a moment, almost a hint of recognition in them, though with the rest of his face covered by the mask, his exact expression was nigh impossible to read. He looked around, then back at her… and extended his hand. She stared at it for a moment, both because the cold made it hard to think and because she hadn‘t expected that. Did he want to… help her? Did it even matter at this point? It didn't, of course.
So she reached out to his offered hand, agonizingly slow, as if she had to force every single muscle to move individually. His gauntlet felt even colder than the wind and snow, frost biting into her skin. But once she had given this sign of accepting his help, he came closer, grabbing her waist, pulling her out of the snowdrift that had formed around her and finally throwing her over his shoulder. The last thing she felt before passing out was him walking… she knew not where.
She had no idea if she had really slept or just spent the night lost in sweet memories, but when she woke up, it was just before sunrise; her usual time to get up. With a protesting groan, she untangled herself from the bedsheets and gathered up her uniform.
„I rememer you loving to stay in bed with me in the morning", Jack commented. „You'd sometimes not let me get up until noon."
She slowed down in her movement, a small smile blooming on her face. „Yes, I remember. But I can't do that now; Reaver will be furious if I don't start working on time, and I don't feel like being beaten today." She had spoken without thinking; something she only noticed when the air in the room grew noticably colder.
„He… beats you. Am I understanding this correctly?"
„He beats all of his servants", she added, as if that would make him any less angry.
„...Servants?" His voice was soft and quiet, but she knew him well enough to feel the seething rage behind it. „I cannot wait to have a body again. I'll make him pay for every single bump and bruise he ever gave you. I will strip his skin from his flesh and then his flesh from his bones. I will-"
A knock at the door interrupted him.
„Are you awake? Come on, the cooks are almost done making Master Reaver's breakfast. We need to get the silverware ready."
„Coming!", she called before quickly fastening the mask to her garter and rushing out.
Jack remained silent throughout the day, but she could feel the mask buzzing with anger every time Reaver gave her an order or the other servants made jokes about beatings. Feeling his rage made her realize just how used she had gotten to this atrocious treatment, and she felt appalled with herself for letting it get that far. But it also caused her to formulate a plan to put an end to all of this… and fully reunite her with Jack.
Good thing that she used to have trouble sleeping; a few sleeping pills, powderized and mixed into Reaver‘s supper, should have him pretty reliably knocked out by now. That would hopefully buy her enough time to go through with her plan.
The bedroom door opened with a quiet creak. She froze and listened, but the sound was answered by nothing but Reaver‘s quiet snoring.
Slowly, one step at a time, she crept up to his bedside. Still no reaction. Then she carefully unfastened the mask under her dress and leaned over him.
Every heartbeat seemed to be an eternity. The mask approached his face, slowly…
Reaver could only open his eyes for a split second before she pressed the cold material fully onto his face. He quickly reached under his pillow, for his gun, but by the time his fingers touched it, it was already too late.
His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her into a crushing hug.
„Finally“, Jack purred in his soft voice. „It‘s been so long.“
She exhaled the air she hadn‘t realized she‘d been holding in a long, relieved sigh.
Jack was back, and Reaver was no more.
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been thinking a lot. about video games here r my faves as of right now
control
horizon zero dawn
mass efect 2+3
prey
fable 2
pikmin my best friend pikmin
lemmings i miss her every day
ratchet and clank like all of em slap
spyro remastered trilogy
zelda (wind waker, spirit tracks, phantom hourglass i havent played botw yet im slow)
super mario sunshine
digimon story: cyber sleuth (this is my pokemon sorry)
persona 5
saints row 4
half life 2
every professor layton. my beloved
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Review: The Silence of the Girls
Author: Pat Barker
Genre: Fiction, revisionism, mythology
Revisionist fiction or retellings still fill bookshelves to the brim these days—old fables pop up with shocking twists, we see fairytales shed their Disney-fied formula to give newer nods to their darker roots, and we even come to know stories of antiquity thrown in with “cyber” sensibilities. With the unremitting creativity of writers today, the possibilities are endless. Readers may clamor for something “original”, of course, but I find that there is charm in revisiting familiar narratives refashioned for the modern eyes.
Personally, I enjoy reading reimaginings of classic myths. I was rapt, for instance, while leafing through the story of the tragic Greek hero Achilles and his bosom companion Patroclus in Madeline Miller’s The Song of Achilles. I devoured Circe, a feminist take on a classic character from Homer’s The Odyssey by the same author, with equal fascination. There is also Margaret Atwood’s The Penelopiad, spun from the decades-long wait of Penelope for her husband Odysseus from the Trojan War. None of these felt old to me. In fact, they gave substantial and refreshing heft to the original materials. Since then, I’ve been on the prowl for modern narrations of old legends.
That’s why when I heard about Pat Barker’s The Silence of the Girls—events of The Iliad, but told from the perspective of a significant female character—I just know I have to grab a copy.
The Silence of the Girls gives a #MeToo voice to the women of Homer’s epic poem, particularly to Briseis, who becomes the “war prize” of Achilles after the Greeks sacked their kingdom. Hark back to your high school required reading days and you may remember that in the story, as a prize of honour, Briseis is the linchpin of the quarrel between Achilles and Agamemnon. The feud resulted to the former withdrawing from the battle against the Trojans, almost bringing defeat to their side. No more than a “status symbol,” Briseis is virtually voiceless there; we are deaf to what she feels, or what any woman in the story (who isn’t a goddess, for the immortals have a lot to say regardless of gender) has to convey other than grief and sorrow.
In this book, she introduces the readers to the margins of the largely masculine framework of the Homeric poem, swinging the spotlight from swift-footed, angry halfgods and bouts for glory to the harrowing truths that the war’s “collateral damages” must suffer. Barker’s pen made their lives palpable on the pages: we get to take a peek at the “rape camp,” we meet bed-slaves, former queens made to scrub dirt, young girls who get their throats slit to appease the dead or some wrathful deity, mothers who’ve helplessly watched their husbands and children get butchered. There’s blood and spit and sweat and tears, and not just in the battlefield. Barker truly doesn’t pull any punches here.
But true to its title, Briseis’ thoughts remain either in her head only, with the readers as the only witness, or with their small circle of bed-girls. “Silence becomes a woman,” a character reminds her of an adage twinned with their fates for all their lives. The book, in effect, becomes a psychological journey of individuals “muted” by their male-dominated society. “They were men, and free,” Briseis says. “I was a woman, and a slave. And that’s a chasm no amount of sentimental chit-chat about shared imprisonment should be allowed to obscure.”
Surprisingly, the novel is not told from Briseis’ perspective alone. We get brief chapters of Achilles’ thoughts, too, starting in the second volume. The first shift of voices was jarring, and my initial thought is that this defeats the very purpose of the book, which is to give a platform to her experiences. But I think this change is understandable and necessary, as Briseis is absent at the turning point of The Iliad that made Achilles go back to war again: the death of Patroclus, Achilles’ beloved friend. The inserts also provide a helpful crutch to the portrayal of these men, where we see them get fleshed out past the observing eyes of the sidelined victims—they are characters, too, after all, and not just one-dimensional, violent caricatures. Scenes in the battlefield are a welcome change as well. Barker’s descriptive writing is magic, and the readers get treated with vivid images such as this:
“On the battlefield, the Greeks fighting to save Patroclus’s corpse recognize the cry and run towards it. What do they see? A tall man standing on a parapet with the golden light of early evening catching his hair? No, of course they don’t. They see the goddess Athena wrap her glittering aegis round [Achilles’s] shoulders: they see flames thirty feet high springing from the top of his head. What the Trojans saw isn’t recorded. The defeated go down in history and disappear, and their stories die with them.”
While most of the iconic scenes are recreated well (Achilles’ howling grief as he receives news of Patroclus’ demise at the hands of Hector, his berserker’s wrath while dragging Hector’s dead body around the gates of Troy, Priam’s visit to Achilles to retrieve his son’s dishonored corpse), I wished that Barker zeroed in more on the lives of the women at the camp. While reading the book, the Bechdel Test came to mind—will this even pass it? The lives of these girls maybe forever entwined with men, but they have their pasts to speak of, to make them rounder as characters. When Nestor tells Briseis to forget her past, I was hoping for a silent revolt. “Forget,” Briseis thinks of the order. “So there was my duty laid out in front of me, as simple and clear as a bowl of water: remember.” The rebellion seemed to have petered out early.
The writing style would have been impeccable if it weren’t for the anachronisms strewn across the whole thing, modern phrases that stick out. I’ve heard that Barker said this is deliberate on her part to emphasize the tale’s timelessness, but some of them just don’t fit, like pieces squeezed into the wrong puzzle. Still, for the most part, the narrative is a magnificent treat.
Unflinchingly honest, The Silence of the Girls is a significant work of fiction that would be best read right after The Iliad itself.
#The Silence of the Girls#Greek#Greek mythology#review#book review#literature#literary#The Iliad#Briseis#Achilles#Patroclus#Homer#Odyssey#retelling#revisionism#Feminist#Me too#Iliad with a MeToo voice#The Song of Achilles#Circe#The Penelopiad
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Evidence #57384 this story has always been about Jaime and Brienne no matter what D&D say
“He told me the moon was an egg, Khaleesi,” the Lysene girl said. “Once there were two moons in the sky, but one wandered too close to the sun and cracked from the heat. (Azor Ahai and Nissa Nissa?) A thousand thousand dragons poured forth, and drank the fire of the sun. That is why dragons breathe flame. One day the other moon will kiss the sun too, and then it will crack and the dragons will return. (Reborn, history repeats?)”
The two Dothraki girls giggled and laughed. “You are foolish strawhead slave,” Irri said. “Moon is no egg. Moon is god, woman wife of sun. It is known.” (Daenerys III, AGoT)
That evening Daenerys chooses to sleep with Khal Drogo under the stars and gets pregnant, the chapter obviously hinting that Dany believed that legend was about her (”Moon of my life”, “My sun and stars” and all).
Here’s the thing though:
Shoutout to @ginmo ‘s post for the next clue because I haven��t read that book yet and maybe I wouldn’t have made the connection if I hadn’t read this first:
Jaime lay on his back afterward, staring at the night sky(...) The night was strangely beautiful. The moon was a graceful crescent, and it seemed as though he had never seen so many stars. The King’s Crown was at the zenith, and he could see the Stallion rearing, and there the Swan. The Moonmaid, shy as ever, was half-hidden behind a pine tree. (...) “Jaime,” Brienne whispered, so faintly he thought he was dreaming it. (Jaime IV, ASoS)
and here’s another:
The ground was closer now, still far far away, a thousand miles away, but closer than it had been. It was cold here in the darkness. There was no sun, no stars, only the ground below coming up to smash him, and the grey mists, and the whispering voice.
(...)
Bran was staring at his arms, his legs. He was so skinny, just skin stretched taut over bones. Had he always been so thin? He tried to remember. A face swam up at him out of the grey mist, shining with light, golden. “The things I do for love”, it said. (Bran III, AGoT)
and we’re not done:
The Lannisters were an old family, tracing their descent back to Lann the Clever, a trickster from the Age of Heroes who was no doubt as legendary as Bran the Builder, though far more beloved of singers and taletellers. In the songs, Lann was the fellow who winkled the Casterlys out of Casterly Rock with no weapon but his wits, and stole gold from the sun to brighten his curly hair. (Eddard VI, AGoT)
But here’s the most juiciest one of them all that seems to confirm the legend Irri was describing to Dany:
She looks as if they caught us fucking instead of fighting . (...) Armed men lined both sides of the brook. Small wonder, we were making enough noise to wake a dragon . (Jaime III, ASoS)
So, let’s bring all the pieces together, when the Sun (Jaime?) and the Moon (Brienne?) get close, the Moon cracks and Dragons come out of it and return to the world. Azor Ahai is the fabled hero who is expected to be reborn and after great sacrifices (the biggest of them involving his sword (...?) and dear wife Nissa Nissa) and as @ahandwithoutahand pointed in an older reblog (as this last paragraph is added later): “ Nissa Nissa’s cry of anguish and ecstasy left a crack across the face of the moon”... Ecstacy... then Azor Ahai managed to forge Lightbringer and wake dragons out of stone.
Now let’s go back to Jaime’s impressively unnecessary thoughts in the aforementioned part: as he’s been fighting Brienne for what seems hours and then is caught by many Bolton men, the first insane thought Jaime makes out of nowhere is that Brienne looks like they were fucking instead of fighting. This is a really unlikely timing for such a thought and it is obvious that all Bolton men who were watching could tell the difference between fucking and sword fighting rather well. And as Jaime keeps holding the impression that they looked like they were having sex he thinks that they were making enough noise to wake a dragon. If taken at face value, this seems like such an inexplicable and pointless thought. Why would he phrase it like that inside his mind? Why wake a dragon? Is it known that dragons are heavy sleepers? Does he mean “wake” as in “resurrect, bring back to the world”? Does Jaime frequently measure things by comparing the effects they would have on a dragon? So many questions for such a peculiar and nonsensical thought. The sexual connotations behind the second thought is still obvious. So, what Jaime recollects from this entire difficult situation, is that their fighting was more like love-making that would even wake dragons. What if this paragraph that makes zero sense is another delicate attempt at foreshadowing by dear George?
The evidence is just piling up, wouldn’t you think?
#jaime x brienne#braime#asoiaf#brienne of tarth#jaime lannister#got#there's no way grrm will not focus on the prophecies#once again them being for jaime is all i can see#at least so far the first book hasn't changed that#except many are also indeed for bran#more
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Ocarina of Time - Dec 1998
It took me a while to get over the anger of my beloved PS1 being stolen, after all when you lend someone an expensive games console you expect to get it back but time heals all wounds so they say.
Now in my second year at university and enjoying my new student house with a good bunch of friends all seemed well in the world. During the final months of 1998 I had been enjoying watching two new television shows, a sitcom called That 70’s Show and the phenomenon which was Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Both shows had come over from the US and were a staple part of our weekly television watching routine.
As far as video games were concerned Goldeneye was still getting plenty of attention on my N64, often dipping in and spending an hour or so shooting up the the Facility level to let off some steam. The only new game which I had purchased around this time was Mission: Impossible which had been released in September of 98. With such great titles available at the time including Mario Kart 64, F Zero X and Lylat Wars 64 I’m not sure why I opted for this particular title, I wasn’t even a big fan of the movie? Whatever the reason for this unusual purchase it helped tide me over until the December of that year when a game which I had been patiently waiting for was finally released.
It was way back in the early 90’s whilst reading an issue of Super Play Magazine that I first discovered Nintendo was working on a new Zelda game. Already a massive fan of the franchise after playing A Link to the Past on my Super Nintendo I could barely contain my excitement when I heard a new adventure was on its way. For years there had been a rumoured sequel set for the SNES but as more details of the fabled N64 console started to emerge it became obvious this would be the new platform for the next Zelda game. Accompanying the article was a small photo of the alleged game featuring a fully rendered Link fighting a silver knight. This image would later turn out to be a tech demo for the Ultra 64 as it was known back then.
If nothing else it was this article which sealed my decision to one day own a Nintendo 64 console solely to play the new Zelda game. Over the next few years Nintendo would slowly leak out information and early screenshots to entice its loyal fans, keeping us on our toes until the game would ultimately be revealed to the world. Finally on December 11th 1998 The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was released in the UK just in time for Christmas. Gaming magazines at the time had scored it extremely high stating it was one of the best games ever created and praising Nintendo. At last I could finally play the next Zelda instalment.
I remember the day in question very clearly. Knowing full well I would be getting Ocarina of Time that Christmas I had already packed up my N64 console along with suitcase and was waiting for my parents to take me home from university for the Christmas break. Around midday my luggage was in the car and we were ready to travel back home for three weeks of catching up with mates and plenty of festive merriment. On the way home we stopped off at Derby city centre for a spot of lunch but more importantly to pick up my copy of Ocarina of Time from HMV which would be put away until Christmas Day.
The next few weeks were spent celebrating the festive season with friends and family, hanging out at the local night club, dancing to the obligatory cheesy Christmas tunes and eating and drinking way too much. Finally Christmas Day arrived and I would get to enjoy the splendour which was The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
Since that initial experience with A Link to the Past my love of both action and JRPG’s had persisted to grow. Some of my past favourites included Final Fantasy 3, Secret of Mana and Breath of Fire but this was the game which had been at the top of my wish list to play.
Once again I found myself in the mystical land of Hyrule but with a big difference. Unlike my previous Zelda encounter this world was completely 3D. Just like they did with Super Mario 64 Nintendo had pushed the boundaries of gaming creating a fully immersive world where the player was free to traverse a rich landscape. Buildings and towns way off in the distance could now be explored either by foot or horseback. Main objectives and side quests could be attempted in multiple orders, so could acquiring certain items throughout the adventure giving the game a real sense of freedom.
I must have spent most of that Christmas Day lost in the world of of Hyrule. Starting off in Kokiri Gillage I soon found myself sneaking into Hyrule Castle for a secret meeting with Princess Zelda before being sent on my quest to gather the three spiritual stones.
To say Ocarina of Time blew my mind was an understatement, this game had it all. From it’s amazing 3D graphics to the beautiful music which accompanied the epic gameplay. The introduction of the Ocarina which allowed players to learn different melodies in order solve puzzles and help your progress was an ingenious touch. So was the moment I first learnt I could travel forward in time and become adult Link which opened up the game just as the Dark World had done in A Link to the Past years earlier.
Over the coming months I would slowly chip away at Ocarina of Time, progressing the main story, completing its side quests and gathering new weapons. Eventually one evening during the February of 1999 I managed to defeat Ganon. As the credits rolled I remember sitting back in the bedroom of my student house sipping a beer and feeling a little sad that this awesome adventure had finally come to a close.
The game would later be traded in for cash at a local video games store without a replay. It’s only now, twenty years later that I’ve gotten around to start a fresh game once again. So with my N64 control pad in hand it’s time to relive those nostalgic Zelda memories, let’s hope it still holds up.
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The Core Message of D.Gray-Man
In my opinion, every story has something to tell. So what is D.Gray-Man actually trying to show us beneath the layers of all this tragedy and deaths?
This is my wild guess!
P.S. This is just my opinion, everyone! Every story conveys several messages and we are all free to interpret what the core message is in each work of literature...or whether they have a message at all...(I believe they all do, though!)
What is the core message of a story? A very clear example would be Aesop’s fables, which all end with “The moral of this tale is...”.
Most stories don’t just shove the message right into our faces from the get-go. In fact, most stories didn’t set out to preach at all, and the authorーsometimes even unknowinglyーdevelops the core theme and message as the story progresses. And part of the fun for me as I read novels and manga is figuring out the core message stories are trying to convey.
As D.Gray-Man is still ongoing, there are possibilities of plot-twists and new revelations, so I’ll state my guess for the story as of now (Chapter 230).
And most importantly, if you’re an optimist like me, this core message might have already ensured that D.Gray-Man will have a HAPPY ENDING.
Though it does not necessarily mean Allen will survive, though...
1. Denying the Fate of an Exorcist
The message is there from the very beginning.
Yes, the bomb dropped pretty fast. Too darned fast most peeps including me wouldn’t notice. I’m talking waaay back into the first volume. Over a decade ago. We folks might not recall much, but we'll definitely remember this signature quote from Allen:
"Fate has got nothing to do with this. This is the path I chose by my own free will."
Yes, folks! The BIG SPOILER BOMB has dropped. This whole manga is all about....
Fate Versus Choice
In this scene, Allen is denying what the Grand Generals and Cross Marian have told him: that by being born with Innocence, his fate had been set in stone by God himself, and to fight to the death as an Exorcist is his destiny.
Allen, however, assures Mana that he walks this path for he himself had chosen it. To atone for Mana. To save the suffering souls only he could see.
He's not doing this because Godーbecause Fate forces him to. It’s his own choice.
Allen's choice to become an Exorcist is what sets him apart from most ーif not allーExorcists from the very beginning. Other Exorcists usually joined through pure necessity or by being forced to fight by the Black Order. It’s more like can’t help it and I’m born to do this rather than I chose this. And this, as Dumbledore would put it, makes all the difference in the world.
And though some of them, like Lenalee and Kanda, later embraced their fate bound by Innocence, it's only due to having no other choice; Lenalee knows she can't keep living her daydream of a world without Akuma, and finally accepts that the only way she could protect her world is to fight.
Meanwhile Kanda first accepts his Innocence solely in order to survive and find his lost love, then later to repay Allen for his kindness. After he's done with that, then he can finally get his long-overdue rest in peace. Krory destroys Akuma to make sure Eliade didn’t die in vain. Miranda can’t make herself useful otherwise. Timothy has to leave the orphanage due to the danger Innocence brought to those around him. And so on and so forth.
Allen, on the other hand, probably could have gone on living normally even with his arm activated; Cross had simply asked him whether he would like to be an Exorcist. Despite all his misfortunes, Allen had what the other Exorcists-to-be don’t: a choice. And he made it: He decided on his own to become one and atone for Mana, then later to save the Akuma, and eventually to fight alongside his friends. That is his sole purpose. Allen will not choose another path even if it is open to him, as I will talk about in the next point.
Had they not possess Innocence, Lenalee would have chosen a normal life in China with Komui even after her parents had died. Kanda would have chosen to run away with Alma and Marie and start a new life. Lavi would have gone on training to be a Bookman. Krory stated himself that he would be content to stay locked up in that castle with Eliade forever. Miranda would have chosen anything else, any job she could do well. Timothy would have chosen to stay on at the orphanage with Mother Superior and Emilia, etc.
2. Denying the Fate of the Fallen One.
When Allen's left arm was destroyed, everyone thought his fate had been sealed. It's over. He's not an Exorcist anymore. He’s fallen. Bak Chang offered him many choices: he could walk a different path, become a Finder or some other support staff. I think he could even leave the Order, actually, seeing as nothing else binds him to the place, and be whatever he wants.
But Allen instead chooses to stubbornly walk forward on this road, even with no hope of regaining his arm, refusing to bow down to fate.
Later when he faces the destroyer of his arm, Tyki Mikk, once again in Noah’s Ark, he states that one does not cease to be an Exorcist when one’s Innocence is destroyed. He then demonstrates this by repairing his broken Innocence using nothing but his own willpower. Nothing, even destroying his arm, will stop him from pursuing his goal as an Exorcist.
3. Denying the Fate of the Host
Yes, Allen never seems to get a friggin’ break. Right after the Invasion, he starts to learn that his beloved Mana might not be what he thought he was at all.
This is a very, very devastating blow to Allen’s personality and development. His whole life had been built around this illusion, this mask of Mana he cherishes.
He chose to walk this path primarily because he wants to atone for Mana, after all. He hates the idea of succumbing to fate, so he chose to be an Exorcist that fights with his own free will, instead of bowing down to the Innocence’s (or, in other words, God) will (that’s why he won’t let Suman’s Innocence kill its host).
Allen soon learns of his true fate: his fate is to disappear and make way for the 14th Noah to use his body to reincarnate.
But still he refuses to surrender and go quietly into the night. When Link brought him some porridge in jail and confesses to him about the Thirds, Allen said this one sentence that deeply moves Link:
“If only I knew, then I would be able to change something, wouldn’t I?”
Exactly, by trying to learn more about it all, Allen hopes to change his fate. Yet again he does not obediently accept his fate. He then leaves the Order to do so, vowing to Lenalee that no matter what fate throws at him, he will always remain an Exorcist, as he has finally found his home amongst his comrades in the Order. He also refuses to accept his fate and disappear even at Cross’s insistence, as he believes that if he continues to walk he might be able to change his fate, or at the least inspire those who walk the same path as him to fight.
Don’t stand still. Keep walking has always been the words Allen lived by, and may actually translates to Never stop fighting against fate. By coming to a stop on your path, you are accepting that fate no longer has a future laid out for you, and you simply await your end: your chance to change things is zero. By going on, walking on even when the end looms ahead, there is still hope for a better tomorrow.
And as Cross most wisely and beautifully put it: Our path is not laid out before us from the start; but the earth hardens and forms into our road after we have walked upon it. He is saying that there is no such thing as fate; our lives are decided solely by our own choices.
Really, the Hallow OP said it all:
「誰一人邪魔をさせるか。初めて自分で選んだ道だ」
I won’t let anyone stand in the way...of this path I first chose for myself.
4. Link’s confession to Kanda
This recent(?) piece of evidence is what seals the deal for me, actually. The penny drops in this scene Link confessed he fervently hopes Allen will be able to win against the fate of the host:
"There’s someone I want to save...
If heーif Allen Walker could really triumph against his fate as the host...then I want to be there to see him make it.
If it’s true that people could choose any future they want simply by following their hearts, then I want to know the source of their strength."
In my opinion, when Link said there's a person he wants to rescue, he is talking about Tewaku. He's hoping to see Allen win against such a hopeless fate, so he could finally believe in the power of choice himself, and use that inspiration to spur himself to save Tewaku and his remaining Third friends. Link, though he had started to have doubts about Lvellie, is still too weak-willed to openly defy his fate as Lvellie's dog, and relies on Allen to make him believe in himself. And if my noobie writer's sixth sense is to be trusted, THIS scene confirms that the core message of D.Gray-Man is indeed trumping fate, against all the odds.
And this is why I say DGM would probably have a happyーor at least bittersweet ーending: Even though DGM has always been a very tragic manga, the message of friendship, love, sacrifice and perseverance in the face of impossible adversity is always portrayed as having an optimistic outcome. Characters may die or suffer a lot throughout the series, but every arc ends on a positive note.
This is what sets DGM apart from stories like Attack on Titan, whose message is cynical and pessimistic, and if any dude starts spouting idealistic crap you might as well just stick a death flag on his head, and not a single arc ends positively.
Hoshino-sensei herself said that no matter what happens, Allen will always have friends by his side. You won't see that kind of heartwarming note with AoT. So if the core message of DGM is winning against fate, you can be quite sure DGM won't betray it and will show Allen winning against fate in the end.
5. Even his personal motto confirms it.
The latest guidebook, Gray Log, has revealed Allen's personal motto: To wait for fate is to wait for death.
Exactly, Allen. Literally.
6. Even his fate as the host is something he chose by himself
Yes, this is the real deal. This is why I say that there is no such thing as fate for Allen; even the so-called fate he is fighting to change right now is actually brought about by his own choice.
Other reincarnations of the Noah have been doomed by random; no-one knowingly becomes one (pretty much like the Exorcists, come to think of it!), but in the case of Allen (if that past!Allen really is him) he willingly chose to become one. Why? I’d guess that maybe he believed that by doing so he could help Neah save the world...help change fate.
The Allen of then already knew the Earl is the enemy of mankind, with his soul-sucking powers. His purpose has not changed, be it 35 years ago or now; he wants to save the world from the Earl, and now he’s going to learn why he brought this fate upon himself.
In the end, after he has learned the Truth, Allen may no longer be an Exorcist in the sense that he fights on behalf of the Order and dons the black coat, but in the sense that he fights to save Akuma and mankind alike, just as he had decided when he regained his Innocence.
Allen’s journey, from the time when he was Red the circus errand boy, has always been one of finding his true home and family. Now that he has found his second true home amongst his Exorcist comrades, he will not let his fickle fate tear it away from him.
(NEW!)
7. The Mask of Allen and Red’s determination
I stumbled across this one while finishing my translation of Lost Fragment of Snow.
As I mentioned earlier in Number Three, we now know that Allen’s current personality and motivations are mostly shaped by his determination to atone for Mana: The Mask of Mana. He doesn’t care that much for God or the Holy War or whether the Order wins this war; Remember, he refused to help the Order’s cause by being just any support staff; he just wants to save souls (and later humans) as an Exorcist. In this way, Allen’s worldview is perhaps just as particular and narrow as Lenalee, and that is why during his training to restore his arm, Lenalee’s question of “When you close your eyes and think of the world, what do you see?” constantly had him thinking hard, and finally adding humans to his world as well.
Back to the Mask of Mana. We now know that Cross despises that mask and torments Allen because 1) It’s payback for having him mopping up his two icky Ps and nursing him for months 2) He’s a d-head and d-bag 3) Because he likes his share of booze and boobs and 4) Because he wants Allen to drop that mask and be The Boy With A Red Arm once more.
(Why do I not simply say Red? Because actually in the Japanese text of LFS and D.Gray-Man, Red is actually just “The Boy with A Red Arm”. It’s in BRACKETS. Yes. He has NO NAME AT ALL. For the sake of convenience I’ll go back to calling him Red for now, but we must keep in mind that Red is not a proper name.)
In Lost Fragment of Snow, Red is initially a silent, traumatized yet unusually perceptive kid. But his true personality shines out when he starts befriending Mana after Allen the Dog’s death. Just like how Allen gets frustrated by the irresponsible, improbable Cross and yells at him occasionally, Red also loses his temper with and bossily mothers the distracted, naive, slightly amnesiac Mana. The more I read LFS, the more I notice the similarity between the rant-mode Allen to little Red, and normal Allen to Mana back then.
But Allen’s mask has existed long before Allen turned Mana into an Akuma. His first mask was the Mask of Allen.
After a fiasco in the circus during which Red lost his temper with Mana and pummels him on the head with his dormant, Innocence-embedded arm, Mana became entirely amnesiac, forgetting even his purpose of searching for Neah, and even confusing Red for his dog.
After an enraged Cross blames Red for Mana’s plight, an extremely guilty Red decides to play along as Mana’s dead dog Allen in order to payback to Mana and Allen for the simple love and happiness they showed him. That is how Red donned his first mask and adopted his first name: Allen Walker.
Why is all this important?
Back when Red faced impending death, thrown into a lion cage, Red was thinking in frustration and despair about how his life is meaningless, his existence pointless, that he is helpless and powerless, simply waiting to be killed. During his childhood in the circus, Allen/Red repeatedly lamented having no power to change his own fate. He yearned to escape the hellish circus and make a better life somewhere, but with his disabled arm he was unable to do so.
Evicted from the circus, and with the circus later destroyed by the Millennium Earl, for a while there Red had no clue how to proceed with his life. This is no different from the time Allen lost his arm and had no clue how to keep walking on. But then Red saw the amnesiac Mana and remembered how he destroyed him, and decided that atoning for Mana will be his new reason to live on.
Yes, Redーnow Allenーhas always lived to fight fate when it dropped him into terrible spots, to find meaning for his life. And that journey has led him through THREE turning points on his road, after all of which he still chooses to live to atone for Mana Walker.
But then, along came Neah’s resurrection and the unfurling truth behind Mana. And now that (in the latest chapter) this Boy With The Red Arm has returned to Eddystone (which is actually Edinburgh according to lots of our dissatisfied readers XD), where he had first donned his mask of Allen Walker, he must question his reason for living and take action one last time to change his fateーand perhaps finally live for himself.
After listening to the theme song for D.Gray-Man Hallow, I must say that though the anime’s quality (and decision to replace Ms. Kobayashi) might be up for debate, this is the best and most relevant theme song for Allen.
Key-Bring it on, My Destiny mainly talks about the Path of One’s life, of choosing between crossroads and keep walking on with free will. Once I was researching suicide in Japanese culture, and I came across an interesting explanation of the importance of The Life Path for Japanese people. The Japanese of old seem to view life as one single path set out for them. Once they came to a standstill or hit a wall in their way, they feel as if their life is over, and thus many chose to end their lives. Unlike western culture, the Japanese do not seek an alternate path.
In my opinion, the concept of walking on one’s road and challenging that road is becoming more and more significant in D.Gray-Man. Allen has always been very fixated on one goal. He viewed his life as one road he cannot deviate from, and falls easily to despair whenever it seemed he could no longer live as he had chosen to. Cross reminds him that his life path is not straightforward but meandering. One’s fate and life goal can change during the course of one’s life. And understanding that, Allen finally sets out to face the truth behind Mana so he can decide what he should do next with his life.
The concept of living on by yourself after the death of your loved one has always been another central theme, obviously, of D.Gray-Man. Allen early on said he came to understand that the tears of Akuma are not tears of hatred, but love and grief for the bereaved who could not find the strength to live on alone. But Allen himself is still unable to move on from Mana. In a sense, with Mana living inside of him as his Akuma eye, with Allen “wearing” Mana like a human suit, Allen is an Akuma himself. And thus his story might end with him exorcising himselfーby finally stepping out of Mana’s shadow, putting the past to rest, and freely choosing his own future.
End of uber long rant. Will add more when I could think of more XD
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four PPC Myths To Let Go for Paid Search Success
New Post has been published on https://tiptopreview.com/4-ppc-myths-to-let-go-for-paid-search-success/
four PPC Myths To Let Go for Paid Search Success
For so long as paid search has been round (and it’s been some time now!), sure cussed PPC myths have plagued the channel.
These myths lead folks to method PPC with incorrect assumptions that trigger their packages and campaigns to undergo.
To not point out, it simply offers PPC a foul rap.
Let’s dispel these myths as soon as and for all so you possibly can see past them and method your PPC technique with clear eyes.
PPC Delusion #1: Paid Search Doesn’t Work When the Resolution-Making Course of Is Lengthy and/or Emotional
I noticed this fable in motion just lately when an company that focuses on the eldercare market requested for assist with their Google Adverts.
Their PPC wasn’t changing in any respect, they usually needed particular suggestions to show issues round.
Upon inspection, it was obvious that the issue didn’t lie with PPC in any respect however of their general marketing technique.
The company was utilizing advertisements and touchdown pages to try to get folks to finish an software type to have their beloved one admitted to one among their care houses.
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Is it any marvel that this technique wasn’t working?
Would you be satisfied and all of a sudden convert from a, “Come have your Mom live with us…” advert?
As an alternative of recognizing that their technique was off, they blamed PPC.
Deciding on a care dwelling for a mother or father is an extended course of fraught with emotion.
You gained’t make that call primarily based on an advert, regardless of how properly it’s constructed.
However that doesn’t imply PPC doesn’t have an vital position to play right here.
You would use PPC to introduce your care dwelling to caregivers contemplating their choices.
Use GDN advertising to focus on readers of associated articles. Or, use remarketing to serve advertisements to people who find themselves actively on the lookout for data.
Attempting to get folks to finish an software type for admission is just too formidable. As an alternative, attempt asking folks to join a tour of your care dwelling to begin.
You possibly can’t fairly count on to go from zero to 100 with one PPC advert, which is why PPC have to be half of a bigger marketing technique.
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Any marketing initiative that’s poorly executed gained’t work, whether or not it’s PPC or every other kind of marketing campaign.
PPC Delusion #2: Paid Search Is Greatest Used Get to the High of SERPs within the Brief Time period
Many startups plan to make use of PPC to get to the highest of SERPs till their website positioning “kicks in.”
Companies launching new merchandise usually have the identical concept.
And sure, you usually can use PPC to get you on that entrance web page of Google search outcomes.
However once more, that is flawed considering.
First, there’s no assure that website positioning will ultimately get you to the highest of SERPs, regardless of how nice your technique. Lots of our purchasers by no means attain the primary web page, they usually work with a few of the prime website positioning businesses!
Second, even when website positioning does get you on the primary web page, there’s no assure you’ll keep there.
If Google has to do is regulate their search algorithm, and you might end up buried in a single day.
Third, and most significantly, SEO and PPC work best when they’re used together.
You shouldn’t have to decide on one or the opposite.
Right here’s a state of affairs the place website positioning and PPC work collectively. A consumer wants a product, realizing nothing about your model.
They search for the product and see your advert.
They click on by to your touchdown web page.
Now, you’re on their radar.
Later, they do some extra analysis.
They search to your model by title and each your natural itemizing and paid search advert show, additional solidifying your model standing.
They click on in your natural itemizing and make a purchase order.
On this case, each website positioning and PPC performed an vital position in pulling the shopper alongside your conversion path.
Take both one away, and also you undermine the efforts of the opposite.
That’s why many companies find yourself persevering with with both PPC and SEO – even once they intend PPC to be non permanent.
They acknowledge that PPC is driving invaluable leads and gross sales, they usually don’t need to danger shedding these by stopping paid search.
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In spite of everything, there’s completely no assure that website positioning will choose up the slack (and in my expertise, it usually doesn’t).
It could possibly be that when your model reaches the big-time, you gained’t must run search advertisements anymore.
So far as I can inform, manufacturers like Tesla, Twitter and Pepsi don’t have paid search campaigns.
However till you attain that standing, you’d do finest to proceed with each PPC and website positioning.
PPC #three: If a Marketing campaign, Advert Group or Key phrase Isn’t Changing as Effectively as Others, You Ought to Pause It
This fable appears logical on the floor.
Nobody has a vast price range, so prioritizing and choosing your prime performers appears to make sense.
Nonetheless, when you assume holistically about your PPC program, you’ll acknowledge it ought to encompass a mixture of marketing campaign sorts with a wide range of targets.
You need to cater to all components of the purchasers’ journey and set your self up for even higher outcomes sooner or later.
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To position all of your bets in your top-performing campaigns, advert teams and key phrases is like investing all of your money within the top-performing inventory of the day.
Certain, you may do nice within the brief time period.
However when issues change (they usually all the time do), you may end up in a monetary gap with no strategy to dig your self out.
PPC Delusion #four: It’s Too Costly
This previous yarn!
I feel this fable comes from inexperienced PPC managers who bounce into Google Adverts with each toes with out realizing what they’re doing and are shocked once they deplete their price range too shortly.
When your account is managed by an skilled PPC professional, your spending shouldn’t catch you without warning.
Nonetheless, I’ll admit that you just generally need to be prepared to assign an affordable share of marketing price range to PPC to get a superb return.
For instance, I just lately talked to an organization that gives a posh service that prices about $eight,000 per thirty days.
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Most of its prospects signal on for 2 years.
But, this firm was spending solely $500 per thirty days on PPC.
They usually had been questioning why they weren’t getting huge outcomes.
The large discrepancy between the price of their service and PPC spend is a giant a part of the issue.
You possibly can’t count on to market one thing this costly and complicated with a tiny share of your income.
I believe that if this firm introduced their PPC spending extra according to their income, they might expertise a lot better outcomes.
On the finish of the day, PPC spend isn’t the metric that issues probably the most.
PPC ROI is what actually counts.
In case your PPC program is driving leads and gross sales which are larger than what you’re placing in, then all of a sudden PPC doesn’t appear so costly in any case.
It’s Time to Let Go of These PPC Myths
I perceive why these myths persist. They might have even been true at one time!
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However as PPC, and online promoting as an entire, has developed, none of those myths maintain true anymore.
It’s time to allow them to go and have a look at your PPC program with recent eyes.
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Limited Run Games — Here’s Every New Physical Release Announced in the #LRG3 Showcase
July 8, 2020 4:05 PM EST
Retailer Limited Run Games revealed their lineup of new titles that we can expect to see in physical form for 2020 and beyond.
When it comes to physical releases of beloved indie games and recent hits, Limited Run Games has always been one of the retailers that comes to mind. For several years, Limited Run has had the motto of “forever physical” by bringing indie games and other digital releases to physical game lovers everywhere, with the company once again showcasing its lineup of upcoming release to look forward to this year and beyond.
Today, Limited Run Games aired its “#LRG3 Showcase,” its third annual press conference (which was supposed to take place during E3 2020) that revealed new titles that the company will be offering physical releases for in the near future. During the showcase, Limited Run highlighted several titles from some of its longtime partners such as WayForward and Devolver Digital, while also revealing some brand new titles and surprises. You can check out the full Limited Run Games #LRG3 showcase below:
youtube
Overall, the show offered a little bit of something for everyone, such as upcoming physical releases of hit indie games like Return of the Obra Dinn and Katana Zero, to long-requested physical releases like The Mummy Demastered and A Boy and His Blob. However, some of the biggest surprises that came out of Limited Run Games’ presentation included the Castlevania: Anniversary Collection for PS4 and Switch later this year, along with a new PC anthology collection for The Secret of Monkey Island to celebrate the series’ 30th anniversary. Additionally, Game Boy Color fans had a lot to be excited about with new GBC releases for the original Shantae and Xtreme Sports, which are coming later this year.
For a full rundown of all the new physical releases that Limited Run Games announced during its #LRG3 showcase, you can check out the list below. All of the physical game announcements are organized by their release date/window – for more information and where and when you can purchase or pre-order these titles, you can follow Limited Run Games on Twitter and check out their official website:
Garou: Mark of the Wolves (PS4 and PS Vita physical, July 2020)
Kunai (Nintendo Switch physical, July 8, 2020)
Ys Origin (Nintendo Switch physical, July 8, 2020)
The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa (Nintendo Switch physical, July 21, 2020)
Papers, Please (PlayStation Vita physical, July 24, 2020)
Return of the Obra Dinn (PS4 and Nintendo Switch physical, July 24, 2020)
Mega Dimension Neptunia VII (Nintendo Switch physical, July 28, 2020)
The Mummy Demastered (PS4 and Switch physical, July 31, 2020)
Space Channel 5 VR: Kinda Funky New Flash! (PlayStation VR, July 31, 2020)
Grandia 1 + 2 HD Collection (Nintendo Switch physical, August 7, 2020)
Mighty Gunvolt Burst (PS4 and Nintendo Switch physical, August 28, 2020)
Shantae (Game Boy Color and Nintendo Switch physical, September 2020)
Shantae: Risky’s Revenge – Director’s Cut (Nintendo Switch physical, September 2020)
A Boy and His Blob (PS4 physical, September 2020)
The Secret of Monkey Island: 30th Anniversary Collection (PC, October 2020)
Xtreme Sports (Game Boy Color and Nintendo Switch physical, October 2020)
Katana Zero (Nintendo Switch physical, November 2020)
Castlevania: Anniversary Collection (PS4 and Nintendo Switch physical, Q3 2020)
TowerFall Ascension (Nintendo Switch physical, Q3 2020)
To the Moon (Nintendo Switch physical, Q4 2020)
Bloodstained: Circle of the Moon 2 (PS4 and Nintendo Switch physical, TBA)
Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling (PS4 and Nintendo physical, TBA)
Carrion (Nintendo Switch physical, TBA)
Demon Turf (Nintendo Switch physical, TBA)
Gris (Nintendo Switch physical, TBA)
My Friend Pedro (PS4 physical, TBA)
Observer (Nintendo Switch physical, TBA)
PixelJunk Eden 2 (Nintendo Switch physical, TBA)
Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time (PS4 and Nintendo Switch physical, TBA)
Super Meat Boy Forever (PS4 and Nintendo Switch physical, TBA)
Trover Saves the Universe (Nintendo Switch physical, TBA)
Where the Water Tastes Like Wine (Nintendo Switch physical, TBA)
Jay and Silent Bob: Mall Brawl (Nintendo Switch physical, available now)
Outer Wilds (PS4 physical, available now)
Samurai Shodown Neo Geo Collection (PS4 and Nintendo Switch physical, available now)
Star Wars: Episode 1 Racer (PS4 and Nintendo Switch physical, available now)
Wizard of Legend (PS4 and Nintendo Switch physical, available now)
July 8, 2020 4:05 PM EST
from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2020/07/limited-run-games-heres-every-new-physical-release-announced-in-the-lrg3-showcase/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=limited-run-games-heres-every-new-physical-release-announced-in-the-lrg3-showcase
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Intro to Speculative Fiction by People of Color adapted from The Fantasy Inn
Classics
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Mythic Fantasy
The Epic Crush of Genie Lo by F.C. Yee
Fire Boy by Sami Shah
Urban Fantasy
The House of Shattered Wings by Aliette de Bodard
Cast in Shadow by Michelle Sagara
Bad Blood by L.A. Banks
Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older
Jade City by Fonda Lee
Zero Sum Game by SL Huang
Last Call at the Nightshade Lounge by Paul Kreuger
Paranormal Romance
Bearly a Lady by Cassandra Khaw
Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh
Better off Red by Rebekah Weatherspoon
Erotic Science Fiction
The Stars Change by Mary Anne Mohanraj
Space Opera
Ascension by Jacqueline Koyanagi
An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon
Ragamuffin by Tobias S. Buckell
Science Fiction
Mirage by Somaiya Daud
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
Want by Cindy Pon
Dhalgren by Samuel R. Delany
Science Fantasy
Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee
Star Wars: Finn’s Story by Jesse J. Holland
Gemsigns by Stephanie Saulter
Dystopian
Ink by Sabrina Vourvoulias
The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline
An Excess Male by Maggie Shen King
Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich
Legend by Marie Lu
Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor
Apocalyptic
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
Robopocalypse by Daniel H. Wilson
Orleans by Sherri L. Smith
Killer of Enemies by Joseph Bruchac
Brown Girl in the Ring by Nalo Hopkinson
Steampunk
The Sea is Ours edited by Jaymee Goh & Joyce Chng
The Dream of Perpetual Motion by Dexter Palmer
Everfair by Nisi Shawl
Buffalo Soldier by Maurice Broaddus
Zombie Fiction
Zone One by Colson Whitehead
Dread Nation by Justina Ireland
Alternate History
Lion’s Blood by Steven Barnes
Wild Seed by Octavia Butler
Historical Fantasy
The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo
Redwood and Wildfire by Andrea Hairston
Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie
Witchmark by C.L. Polk
Mother of the Sea by Zetta Elliot
Fantasy of Manners
Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho
Time Travel
Time Salvager by Wesley Chu
An Ocean of Minutes by Thea Lim
Here and Now and Then by Mike Chen
Comedic Science Fiction
High Aztech by Ernest Hogan
The Brothers Jetstream: Leviathan by Zig Zag Claybourne
Young Adult
The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf by Ambelin Kwaymulina
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh
Middle Grade
Spirit Hunters by Ellen Oh
The Gauntlet by Karuna Riazi
Love Sugar Magic: A Dash of Trouble by Anna Meriano
Fairy Tale Fantasy
Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi
Huntress by Malinda Lo
Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao
Dark Fantasy
Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
The Gilda Stories by Jewelle Gomez
My Soul to Keep by Tananarive Due
Mythology
The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Sword & Sorcery
Imaro by Charles R. Saunders
Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed
Romantic Fantasy
Song of Blood and Stone by L. Penelope
The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi
The Island of Eternal Love by Daína Chaviano
Literary
The Winged Histories by Sofia Samatar
Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James
Almanac of the Dead by Leslie Marmon Silko
The Temple of My Familiar by Alice Walker
Magical Realism
Mumbo Jumbo by Ishmael Reed
The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
When Fox is a Thousand by Larissa Lai
Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore
So Far From God by Ana Castillo
Fifteen Dogs by André Alexis
LitRPG
Changing Faces by Sarah Lin
Epic Fantasy
Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri
The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu
The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
The Tiger’s Daughter by K. Arsenault Rivera
The Dragon Songs Saga by JC Kang
The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter
The Wolf of Oren-yaro by K.S. Villoso
Graphic Novels
Storm: Make it Rain by Greg Pak, Victor Ibanez, Scott Hepburn, & Matteo Buffagni
Monstress by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda
Black by Kwanza Osajyefo, Jamal Igle, Robin Riggs, Tim Smith III, & Sarah Stern
Legend of the Mantamaji by Eric Dean Seaton, David Ellis Dickerson, & Brandon Palas
Webcomic
The Meek by Der-shing Helmer
Audio Drama
The Glass Appeal by Elijah Gabriel | Website
Here Be Dragons by Jordan Cobb | Website
Redwing by JV Hampton-VanSant | Website
Flyest Fables by Morgan Givens | Website
Kalila Stormfire’s Economical Magick Services by Lisette Alvarez | Website
Standalone Novel
Under the Pendulum Sun by Jeannette Ng
Severance by Ling Ma
She Weeps Each Time You’re Born by Quan Barry
Smoketown by Tenea D. Johnson
The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna
Novella
The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor Lavalle
The Sorcerer of Wildeeps by Kai Ashante Wilson
Novelette
Hell is the Absence of God by Ted Chiang
Short Story
Seasons of Glass and Iron by Amal El-Mohtar | Read for Free Now
A Fist of Permutations in Lightning and Wildflowers by Alyssa Wong | Read for Free Now
The Water That Falls On You From Nowhere by John Chu | Read for Free Now
Anthology
Futureland by Walter Mosley
Dark Matter by Sheree R. Thomas
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Happy Thursday everyone!
Today is a bank holiday, so I get to enjoy being off work! It will be strange going back for one day tomorrow, mind. How are you all?
I’ve had a happy couple of days as I have just watched my sister graduate from University with a 1st honours degree. I am a very proud sister right now!
Today I am putting together another Down the TBR hole post, to make sure the list doesn’t become unruly. I’ve accepted it’s going to remain long… and it will always be added to, but I can try, right? For anyone unfamiliar with how this post works, here are the rules: –
The meme was created by Lia @ Lost in a Story:
Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf.
Order on ascending date added.
Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books.
Read the synopses of the books
Decide: keep it or should it go?
So, shall we review the next ten books on my list?
The Secret Library – Oliver Tearle
Goodreads – The Secret Library
As well as leafing through the well-known titles that have helped shape the world in which we live, Oliver Tearle also dusts off some of the more neglected items to be found hidden among the bookshelves of the past. You’ll learn about the forgotten Victorian novelist who outsold Dickens, the woman who became the first published poet in America and the eccentric traveller who introduced the table-fork to England. Through exploring a variety of books—novels, plays, travel books, science books, cookbooks, joke books and sports almanacs—The Secret Library highlights some of the most fascinating aspects of our history. It also reveals the surprising connections between various works and historical figures. What links Homer’s Iliad to Aesop’s Fables? Or Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack to the creator of Sherlock Holmes? The Secret Library brings these little-known stories to light, exploring the intersections between books of all kinds and the history of the Western world over 3,000 years.
This is pretty much a no-brainer for me. It also guarantees that my TBR will get a lot longer after I’ve read it! I am always looking for new ways to discover new books… and I think this book will do just that for me!
Verdict: Keep
Because You’ll Never Meet Me – Leah Thomas
Goodreads – Because You’ll Never Meet Me
Ollie and Moritz are best friends, but they can never meet. Ollie is allergic to electricity. Contact with it causes debilitating seizures. Moritz’s weak heart is kept pumping by an electronic pacemaker. If they ever did meet, Ollie would seize. But Moritz would die without his pacemaker. Both hermits from society, the boys develop a fierce bond through letters that become a lifeline during dark times—as Ollie loses his only friend, Liz, to the normalcy of high school and Moritz deals with a bully set on destroying him.
A story of impossible friendship and hope under strange circumstances, this debut is powerful, dark and humorous in equal measure. These extraordinary voices bring readers into the hearts and minds of two special boys who, like many teens, are just waiting for their moment to shine.
This book and the sadness of the near impossible friendship between these two boys make me want to read this book. I think we have all experienced similar feelings of confusion or isolations during our teenage years, so I am hoping to relate to these characters in one way or another.
Verdict: Keep
The Iron Ship – K. M. McKinley
Goodreads – The Iron Ship
An incredible epic fantasy begins!
The order of the world is in turmoil. An age of industry is beginning, an age of machines fuelled by magic. Sprawling cities rise, strange devices stalk the land. New money brings new power. The balance between the Hundred Kingdoms is upset. For the first time in generations the threat of war looms.
In these turbulent days, fortunes can be won. Magic runs strong in the Kressind family. Six siblings strive – one to triumph in a world of men, one to survive murderous intrigue, one to master forbidden sorcery, one to wash away his sins, one to contain the terrible energies of his soul.
And one will do the impossible, by marrying the might of magic and iron in the heart of a great ship, to cross an ocean that cannot be crossed.
I was won over by “epic fantasy” if I’m honest. It is my favourite genre of all time and I am intrigued by the combination of magic and the industrial revolution. By all means, this is not a slight book; at 650 pages, but I am up for the challenge. This is a keeper.
Verdict: Keep
Nevernight – Jay Kristoff
Goodreads – Nevernight
In a land where three suns almost never set, a fledgling killer joins a school of assassins, seeking vengeance against the powers who destroyed her family.
Daughter of an executed traitor, Mia Corvere is barely able to escape her father’s failed rebellion with her life. Alone and friendless, she hides in a city built from the bones of a dead god, hunted by the Senate and her father’s former comrades. But her gift for speaking with the shadows leads her to the door of a retired killer, and a future she never imagined.
Now, Mia is apprenticed to the deadliest flock of assassins in the entire Republic—the Red Church. If she bests her fellow students in contests of steel, poison and the subtle arts, she’ll be inducted among the Blades of the Lady of Blessed Murder, and one step closer to the vengeance she desires. But a killer is loose within the Church’s halls, the bloody secrets of Mia’s past return to haunt her, and a plot to bring down the entire congregation is unfolding in the shadows she so loves.
Will she even survive to initiation, let alone have her revenge?
This isn’t a case of does it stay… rather, it should be on my current reads list.
Technically, I’m listening to it via Audible, and it���s so fantastic that I have already purchased Godsgrave with my next credit. I’m already two-thirds of the way through and I cannot wait for the first book to come to its conclusion!
Verdict: Keep
Streets of Darkness & Girl Zero – A. A. Dhand
Goodreads – Streets of Darkness
Goodreads – Girl Zero
There are some surprises that no-one should ever have to experience. Standing over the body of your beloved – and murdered – niece is one of them. For Detective Inspector Harry Virdee, a man perilously close to the edge, it feels like the beginning of the end.
His boss may be telling him he’s too close to work the case, but this isn’t something that Harry can just let lie. He needs to dive into the murky depths of the Bradford underworld and find the monster that lurks there who killed his flesh and blood.
But before he can, he must tell his brother, Ron, the terrible news. And there is no predicting how he will react. Impulsive, dangerous and alarmingly well connected, Ron will act first and think later. Harry may have a murderer to find but if he isn’t careful, he may also have a murder to prevent.
I originally added these books when the author was featured in Writers Magazine. Whilst they do sound interesting, I’m not sure I want to read them as much as I did when I added them originally.
Verdict: Bin
The Best Kind of People – Zoe Whittall
Goodreads – The Best Kind of People
What if someone you trusted was accused of the unthinkable?
George Woodbury, an affable teacher and beloved husband and father, is arrested for sexual impropriety at a prestigious prep school. His wife, Joan, vaults between denial and rage as the community she loved turns on her. Their daughter, Sadie, a popular over-achieving high school senior, becomes a social pariah. Their son, Andrew, assists in his father’s defense, while wrestling with his own unhappy memories of his teen years. A local author tries to exploit their story, while an unlikely men’s rights activist attempts to get Sadie onside their cause. With George locked up, how do the members of his family pick up the pieces and keep living their lives? How do they defend someone they love while wrestling with the possibility of his guilt?
With exquisite emotional precision, award-winning author Zoe Whittall explores issues of loyalty, truth, and the meaning of happiness through the lens of an all-American family on the brink of collapse.
I had forgotten I added this to the TBR; to be honest, a part of me wonders why. You think it would never happen near you.
One of the teachers at my school was arrested and charged for a sexual crime.
Whilst I was no more involved than being taught by him, the story is close to the bone. Guilty or not, I don’t think I would be comfortable reading and trying to sympathise with the accused based on what has happened here.
Verdict: Bin
Shantaram – David Gregory Roberts
Goodreads – Shantaram
“It took me a long time and most of the world to learn what I know about love and fate and the choices we make, but the heart of it came to me in an instant, while I was chained to a wall and being tortured.”
So begins this epic, mesmerizing first novel set in the underworld of contemporary Bombay. Shantaram is narrated by Lin, an escaped convict with a false passport who flees maximum security prison in Australia for the teeming streets of a city where he can disappear.
Accompanied by his guide and faithful friend, Prabaker, the two enter Bombay’s hidden society of beggars and gangsters, prostitutes and holy men, soldiers and actors, and Indians and exiles from other countries, who seek in this remarkable place what they cannot find elsewhere.
As a hunted man without a home, family, or identity, Lin searches for love and meaning while running a clinic in one of the city’s poorest slums, and serving his apprenticeship in the dark arts of the Bombay mafia. The search leads him to war, prison torture, murder, and a series of enigmatic and bloody betrayals. The keys to unlock the mysteries and intrigues that bind Lin are held by two people. The first is Khader Khan: mafia godfather, criminal-philosopher-saint, and mentor to Lin in the underworld of the Golden City. The second is Karla: elusive, dangerous, and beautiful, whose passions are driven by secrets that torment her and yet give her a terrible power.
Burning slums and five-star hotels, romantic love and prison agonies, criminal wars and Bollywood films, spiritual gurus and mujaheddin guerrillas – this huge novel has the world of human experience in its reach, and a passionate love for India at its heart. Based on the life of the author, it is by any measure the debut of an extraordinary voice in literature.
I think this was an impulse addition to the TBR as well. Not sure why and I can’t even justify it.
Verdict: Bin
Red Rising – Pierce Brown
Goodreads – Red Rising
Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations.
Yet he spends his life willingly, knowing that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children.
But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity already reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and sprawling parks spread across the planet. Darrow—and Reds like him—are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class.
Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity’s overlords struggle for power. He will be forced to compete for his life and the very future of civilization against the best and most brutal of Society’s ruling class. There, he will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies… even if it means he has to become one of them to do so.
This sounds like the perfect blend of Fantasy and Science Fiction. When it comes to technical sci-fi, I get a bit lost. Red Rising and the plot is one I think and hope I can really get behind. I love the idea of rebellion against oppression!
Verdict: Keep
If We Were Villians – M. L. Rio
Goodreads – If We Were Villians
On the day Oliver Marks is released from jail, the man who put him there is waiting at the door. Detective Colborne wants to know the truth, and after ten years, Oliver is finally ready to tell it.
Ten years ago: Oliver is one of seven young Shakespearean actors at Dellecher Classical Conservatory, a place of keen ambition and fierce competition. In this secluded world of firelight and leather-bound books, Oliver and his friends play the same roles onstage and off: hero, villain, tyrant, temptress, ingénue, extra. But in their fourth and final year, the balance of power begins to shift, good-natured rivalries turn ugly, and on opening night real violence invades the students’ world of make believe. In the morning, the fourth-years find themselves facing their very own tragedy, and their greatest acting challenge yet: convincing the police, each other, and themselves that they are innocent.
Part coming-of-age story, part confession, If We Were Villains explores the magical and dangerous boundary between art and life. In this tale of loyalty and betrayal, madness and ecstasy, the players must choose what roles to play before the curtain falls.
It involves crime, theatre and Shakespeare. Need I say more? I absolutely love anything that centres around the stage and I am truly hooked by this synopsis.
Verdict: Keep
So there you have it! I decided to bin 4 out of 10 books, so that isn’t too bad!
Have you read any of the books I’ve mentioned and want me to change my mind? Let me know in the comments!
Until next time,
The next instalment of Down the TBR Hole #11 - in which I review the books on my list and decide what stays and what goes #bookworm #bookblogger #TBR #amreading Happy Thursday everyone! Today is a bank holiday, so I get to enjoy being off work! It will be strange going back for one day tomorrow, mind.
#amreading#Because You&039;ll Never Meet Me#bookblog#books#bookworm#downthetbrhole#fantasy#nevernight#science fiction
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Stasis Is the Membrane That Keeps the Yeasts Together
If it's not funny enough already that the protagonists of Yeast Nation are literally single-celled yeasts, or that our musical is set three billion years ago on the floor of the ocean, or that these yeasts have emotion, community, history, and power struggles, or that the two central plot lines of our show parallel Antigone and Macbeth...
If all that isn't enough... There's yet another very funny element that will probably pass right by most of our audience. What may be the craziest aspect of this epic, twisted fable is that all the weirdest details of our story are biologically accurate.
Several times during the story, we witness a yeast die by "popping open" (or being popped open) and having their "jellies" spill out. We found out the process of cell death is called apoptosis. We've also learned that single-celled organisms don't die naturally; they just keep splitting and making new cells. But they can die by being "eaten" by other cells. Which happens in our show.
On the website LiveScience, I found this: "Researchers at Rockefeller University have discovered that some cells rip themselves apart bit-by-bit in order to attract certain specialized proteins in phagocytes that will gobble them up and carry them away."
Late in Act I of Yeast Nation, in an attempt to drive a wedge between the King and his son Jan-the-Second-Oldest, the King's counselor Jan-the-Wise, and the King's daughter Jan-the-Sly make a (disingenuous) plea for conservatism:
Stasis is the membrane
That keeps the yeasts together,
Through all kinds of weather,
In storm as well as calm.
With harmony our bedrock,
And brotherhood our basis,
Stasis is our membrane!
Stasis is our balm!
Weird lyric, no?
Well, keep in mind these are yeasts singing this. For these single-celled creatures, stasis is the inhibition of cell growth and reproduction. And for these particular yeasts in our story, more yeasts mean less food, so no increase in population is important. (Like Urinetown, this is another story about resources!) It's not just important; it's a matter of life and death. A static population is their protection; or if you were a yeast speaking metaphorically, you might say it's their membrane, since the membrane is a cell's outer layer of protection, which keeps all their "jellies" from spilling out (that's their form of death).
As one guy on Quora put it, "As to how death looks like for unicellular organisms, really, we don’t know. The best measure we have is whether they are able to maintain their membrane integrity. It takes an active effort to keep water from leaking into the cell, so when they can’t do that anymore, they 'blow up' and die."
So yes, literally, the membrane "keeps the yeasts together," and here it's also a yeasty metaphor for the protection of zero population growth, which helps the food not run out, so the community can stay together. "Harmony" is literally their bedrock, because when the yeasts all sing that line, they sing it in harmony; in fact, they sing in harmony throughout the show. And actual brotherhood is literally their "basis" since they are all children of Jan-the-Elder.
Earlier in the show the King, Jan-the-Elder, complains, "Once my rules were adhered to without question. Now we must butcher our own kind to maintain my beloved stasis. I only want things to stay more or less the same for all eternity! Is that too much to ask?!" He sounds like American conservatives longing for a return to the 1950s.
What I love about Greg Kotis and Mark Hollmann's writing is that the crazy dialogue and lyrics really do come from the point of view of yeasts. The metaphors are metaphors yeasts would use. You can just picture "Stasis Is the Membrane That Keeps the Yeasts Together" embroidered on a yeast sampler hanging over a yeast mantelpiece.
And sure, that's what writers are supposed to do, write in the character's voice, right? But did I mention these characters are all single-celled yeasts? It's a good thing Kotis and Hollmann are as crazy as they are, or this would be a much less interesting, less engaging piece of theatre. Their fierce protection of their story's interior logic makes this ancient, microscopic world both real and somehow weirdly familiar to us.
After all, parents and children are still parents and children, even if they're microscopic yeasts. Okay, that's not really true at all. But it's true in our story.
Back in the song, Jan-the-Famished is already in some yeastly trouble herself, so of course she joins in Sly's creepy yeast patriotism, singing:
Stasis is a feeling,
A powerful sensation,
That all things in creation
Know deep down to the core.
When life gets too uncertain,
Without a firm oasis,
Stasis gives the sense that
We’ll live forever more!
Which is literally true, since single-celled organisms don't die naturally. Then Sly and Famished sing the chorus together, and it starts to remind me of a funhouse mirror of "Tomorrow Belongs to Me" in Cabaret. Then Jan-the-Wise joins in on the propaganda/philosophy/patriotism:
We’re a simple life form,
A fragile bag of jelly.
Without salt in our belly
We simply cease to be.
So let’s obey the strictures,
And listen to our betters.
Fretters are repugnant
To those who rule the sea!
In other words, do what you're told and shut up. It's what every oppressed minority throughout history has been told. We know better, the authorities tell them.
Later in the show, two of our yeast heroes bond together and create the first multi-celled organism. The LiveScience website says, "The first transition from simple, single-celled organisms to cooperating groups of cells is believed to have occurred a little over 2 billion years ago. This multicellular arrangement was a step toward more complex organisms, like us, who possess different types of cells for different functions, such as red blood cells capable of carrying oxygen around our bodies."
Who knew this crazy musical-tragedy-political-thriller-satire is also a stealth biology lesson? I can't really say I'm surprised. I'm sure there are plenty more delicious, fucked-up surprises awaiting us. We start blocking next week! So much fun ahead...
Long Live the Musical!
Scott
from The Bad Boy of Musical Theatre http://newlinetheatre.blogspot.com/2018/04/stasis-is-membrane-that-keeps-yeasts.html
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Spirited Away
Spirited Away is the greatest anime film of all time. Its accolades stretch to astonishing heights; it won the Japan Academy Award for Best Picture, is the only foreign film to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, and has been widely acclaimed by film critics as one of the finest animated films of the century. It smashed box office records in Japan, overtaking James Cameron’s fabled Titanic. It enjoyed robust box office drawings in the United States and worldwide as well. To this day, it is the most famous work from Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli, and one of the most beloved and iconic animated features to ever grace the screen.
If there is any work that invites immediate comparisons, it is MGM’s classic The Wizard of Oz. Like that film, Spirited Away has plenty going on beneath the surface, but is celebrated most for the sheer scope of its imagination, bursts of color, and visual inventiveness. Miyazaki literally births a whole new world, limitless in its possibilities and bizarre to our normal expectations, and utterly rich in wonder. There are absurdly large babies, talking frogs, pieces of soot performing menial labor, and a 6-handed man working a furnace. The principal setting is one of the all-time greats; a dazzling, ritzy bathhouse for wayward spirits where humans are not welcome.
Into this strange new environment drops Chihiro, a girl still struggling to deal with an impending move. A new home and school end up seeming pretty mild by the time the girl’s parents turn into pigs and she is stuck wiling with an unscrupulous witch and a horde of wacky creatures for her freedom and survival. Spirited Away is a growing-up story, and a great one at that. Critics and audience have marveled at the way Chihiro progresses through the movie from apathetic, weak, and frightened to a newly self-reliant and strong person. The movie has also been lauded for its cleverly submerged themes. The problems faced by Haku, one of the resident spirits, and an appallingly gooped-up “stink spirit” are concerned nods at pollution and environmental concerns, while the workers’ lust for gold and Chihiro’s parents’ rude advances at a food stand are condemnations of greed.
The characters are some of Miyazaki’s best, and oh so memorable. Yubaba is a manipulative and opportunistic witch, whom you might hate if she were not so damn good at running that bathhouse. Haku is an amnesiac, whose current condition has him struggling to do good as he grows increasingly cold. Lin is a hilariously sour woman who takes Chihiro on as her protégé. But the best of all is No-Face, a sprite who goes from sad and lonely outcast to absolute blood-curdling nightmare in about zero to sixty, then somehow manages to reverse course again.
Leading and anchoring everything is Chihiro. Surely one of Miyazaki’s finest heroines, Chihiro was reportedly fashioned after the daughter of a friend who visited the director on occasion. As stated previously, her personal growth is remarkable characterization and a true joy. However, I have always been bothered by reviewers’ initial assertions of Chihiro. “Lazy”, “cowardly”, and “whiny” are common adjectives; even Miyazaki seemed to share the sentiment, referring to her and real-life girls her age as “lazy bums.” It is worth noting that the people Chihiro was a stand-in for are now roughly my age. That’s right; Miyazaki, a Baby Boomer, was trashing Millennials before it was cool (joking, of course). It is interesting that my assertion of Chihiro is so much different…and perhaps that is because I identify with Chihiro so much. Kids fear differently than adults do. Irrational fears predominate, and are often not given serious credence by adult figures…such as Chihiro’s parents. Childhood fears are often more deeply intense as well; catastrophic, paralyzing events made worse by the fact that children have not yet developed the emotional maturity and skills to manage them. To me, it is not at all unnatural for Chihiro to be depressed and upset by such an upending life event. I had difficulty managing my various fears well past her age. Chihiro’s apparent apathy may be a side-effect of her emotional struggles; alternatively, they may also simply represent a relative inexperience with work which is not out of place for someone of her years and maturity.
Moreover, Chihiro has a good heart. She consistently acts with sensitivity, compassion, and generosity throughout the movie, letting in No-Face when he is left outside in the rain, pursuing friendship and meaningful relationships over wealth, and risking her own safety and comfort repeatedly to help loved ones and strangers alike. This is in marked opposition to the characters around her, who manage to be far more efficient, resilient, and self-reliant than her, but are also motivated by empty capital (gold), are consistently self-serving, and lack emotional warmth and compassion. When Miyazaki criticized girls like Chihiro as “lazy bums”, he also added that he knew they had tremendous potential as well. Notice that when the “stink spirit” enters the bathhouse, it is Chihiro who recognizes the problem instead of just trying to get the job over with and the unwanted guest out. Her removal of tangles of garbage from the spirit’s side is symbolic of environmental clean-up; suggesting Miyazaki believes Chihiro and her kind will bring greater emphasis and effort towards meaningful environmental protection. Extrapolate further, and you can say the same for social empathy and non-materialism. If we truly take this analysis to the extreme and consider Chihiro to be a surrogate for Millennials and the bathhouse workers to be a surrogate for Baby Boomers, an interesting dynamic emerges. Chihiro learns from her stewards’ tough love to become an independent, resilient, and confident actor so that she can bring her inner disposition forth to do good in the world. At the same time, Chihiro gradually thaws her teachers, so that they can act more empathetically and selflessly. This successful generational interplay helps both parties to better themselves; perhaps, an applicable lesson for today’s divided society.
One of the finest aspects of Spirited Away is in that it refuses to sugarcoat the process of growing up. There are a lot of joys to be had, for sure; Chihiro has a grand adventure, after all, making new friends, overcoming obstacles, and opening her horizon to beautiful new things. However, there is definitely a darker side towards becoming an adult. Fear and uncertainty are an easy observation in her maturation and in ours; the only way to improve one’s mettle is to test it. Less apparent to me, at least the first time around, was Miyazaki’s less-than-flattering critique of the modern workplace. Essentially, once Chihiro becomes employed at the bathhouse she is treated as an adult, and we become proxy to a fascinating array of observations. First, there is the perception of being trapped. Whether it is Yubaba’s contract, Chihiro’s obligations to her now-pig family, Lin’s lamentations that she would love to leave the place, or the liberation presented by a train ticket away, the bathhouse’s oppressive atmosphere is an easy stand-in for many modern workplaces. There is also notably an aspect of distance and isolation to everyone who works there; in Haku’s case, the longer he has worked there, the colder and more aloof he has become. The necessity to watch out for one’s self as an adult separates us from one another, Miyazaki argues. That effect is a mere trickle into the core vein running throughout the movie: loneliness.
Notice the water which surrounds the bathhouse. On my second viewing, it struck me that the supernatural flooding is not merely a plot device to prevent Chihiro from escaping her situation; it is also a visual representation of the world as viewed by an adult. The infinite horizon of its waters provokes the vast expansion of worldview that comes with growing up, but also an increasing sense of solitude, emptiness, and personal reflection. Joe Hisaishi’s wonderfully sensitive score frequently adopts a longing, minimalist tone, and we feel a certain absence and sadness in the events happening onscreen. Of all Chihiro’s various trials, the impact of loneliness strikes most devastating and realistic of all. Miyazaki’s solution to this common adult malady is friendship. The essential nature of friends to a normal and healthy adult life is driven home by Chihiro’s experiences. Fear, threats, and harsh treatment do not significantly transform Chihiro. It is only when she is approached from a place of support and caring that she finds courage and stability to act with decision, and the confidence in herself to succeed and respond to failures. Even as relationships with family fade, the relationships we form with others can help us reform a socially abundant life so that we can thrive and be happy.
Growing up is a process. Fraught with peril and difficulties, chock-full of excitement and rewards, it is as tumultuous and constant throughout life as it is necessary. The fear we have as children towards change may mute somewhat as we grow older, but it is still ever-present, accompanied by a second, sharper note…nostalgia. The takeaway message of Spirited Away is that we don’t really have to be afraid, because we’ve been there before. By the end of the film, it is not entirely clear what Chihiro will be facing next. She has no guarantee of ever revisiting her friends at the bathhouse, or her friend from her former school. But she has stopped looking backward towards what has been, and is looking down the road to whatever comes next, reassured by the fact that whatever happens, she can handle it. That is what matters.
That is what growing up is all about.
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How To Overcome Doubt
No one is immune to doubt. It can and does happen to us all. You’ve just got to know how to handle it when it comes. Even the greatest men and women of God recorded in the Bible had to deal with doubt. Jesus said of John the Baptist,
“Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist” (Matt. 11:11).
That means John was greater in the sight of Jesus than Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David, or any Old Testament character you can name. Yet John doubted the most important thing of all by questioning whether Jesus was really the Christ.
John the Baptist had been cast into prison for criticizing Herod about marrying his brother’s wife, an incestuous relationship. He had been there sometime between six months and two years and became so discouraged that he asked two of his disciples to go to Jesus and ask Him if He really was the Christ. It’s easy to read that and not think much about it, but the truth is, it was nothing but unbelief on the part of John the Baptist.
Think about who John was. He was separated unto God and filled with the Holy Spirit while he was still in the womb. Even Jesus wasn’t filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb. It is believed he lived in the desert near the Dead Sea with the Essens, the writers of the Dead Sea Scrolls. They were a people who were super-legalistic who dogmatically practiced many rituals of self denial. He certainly had not lived what we would call an easy life. John was separated and focused on his purpose.
His entire life was committed to preparing the way for the Christ. He spent thirty years preparing for a ministry that would only last six short months. John is the one who saw Jesus and said, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world”(John 1:29). The anointing on his life had to be exceptionally powerful because his ministry defied logic. Thousands of people from many nations came to the middle of nowhere to hear this man preach, “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” And God had revealed to him that through a visible sign from heaven he would know who the Christ was. He would see the Spirit of God descending upon the Messiah in bodily shape as a dove. That came to pass when John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River.
At that time, John was absolutely certain that Jesus was the Christ. He had zero doubt. He was so adamant about it that he said
“I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God” in John 1:34. In Luke 3:16 he said, “One mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose.” And in John 3:30 he said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
However, after being imprisoned for a period of time, he began to doubt. This says a number of things, but an important one is the fact that anyone can doubt. How did Jesus respond to John’s doubt? Well, He certainly didn’t respond the way most of us do. He told John’s disciples to go back and tell him of the miracles they had witnessed and that John would be blessed if he would just believe. That’s it. Jesus didn’t try and make John feel better by letting him know He understood his pain or by making a few complimentary comments. Jesus reserved those comments till after John’s disciples left (Luke 7:24-28).
This puzzled me for many years. Why didn’t Jesus say these things about John the Baptist in the hearing of John’s disciples so they could have brought him that word? It seemed to me like that would have helped John more than just telling him to look at the miracles, and he’ll be blessed if he believes.
Years after I first had these questions, I was reading from Isaiah 35 and came across the passage that says,
“Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert” (Is. 35:5-6).
It suddenly struck me that this was exactly the answer that Jesus gave to John’s messengers. Look at what Jesus said in Matthew 11:4-6:
“Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.”
Jesus performed all the miracles Isaiah prophesied He would do, and threw in the healing of a leper and raising someone from the dead just for good measure. What Jesus did was He perfectly fulfilled the prophecy about Himself, and then referred John the Baptist back to that word. Jesus reminded John of the scriptures, to deal with his doubts. That’s Jesus’ method of dealing with our doubts.
Many of us have Bibles lying around gathering dust. Some of us even carry one. But when we’re struggling with unbelief, we don’t want a scripture; we want something tangible, something emotional that we can feel. We would rather have Jesus just put His arm around us and say something about how everything will be all right. That would make us feel better. But overcoming doubt isn’t just about feeling better; it’s about getting back into faith that only comes from the Word of God (Rom. 10:17).
Jesus sent the Word back with John’s disciples. He knew this would stir up John’s spirit to overcome the doubt. Peter understood this about faith when he wrote about it in 2 Peter 1:12-15, which says,
“Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me. Moreover I will endeavor that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.”
Peter was stating how important it was for his words to be received, as they were, in truth, the Word of God (1 Thess. 2:13). To prove to them that these were not just fables he made up, Peter refers to the time they were with Jesus on the mountain. They saw Jesus shine as the brightness of the sun. The Shekinah glory cloud of God overshadowed them all, and they heard an audible voice out of heaven say, “This is my beloved Son: hear him” (Mark 9:7). They also saw Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus. That is pretty impressive!
But Peter went on to say in 2 Peter 1:19, “We have also a more sure word of prophecy.” What could possibly be more sure than all these supernatural signs? Peter gives that answer in the next verse when he talks about the Scriptures (2 Pet. 1:20). The Scriptures are more sure and more faith building and doubt destroying than seeing Jesus transfigured or hearing an audible voice from heaven. Hallelujah!
The only sure way to overcome doubt is to place your faith in the Word of God and depend on that more sure word of prophecy. Don’t allow your five senses to dominate your thinking. You must come to a place to where God’s Word is more real to you than anything you can see, taste, hear, smell, or feel. When you’re in doubt, refer back to the Word of God just the way Jesus told John the Baptist to do. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word.
There are only two times recorded in the Bible when Jesus marveled at anything. Once He marveled at the people’s great unbelief (Mark 6:6), and in Matthew 8:10 He marveled at a Gentile soldier’s great faith. A faith that made Jesus marvel is worth examining. What was different about it? The number one difference was what the centurion said,
“But speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.” (Matt. 8:8-9)
The centurion had a faith that was in God’s Word alone. He didn’t have to have Jesus come to his house and wave His hand over the sick servant. If Jesus would just give him a word, that was all he needed.
Contrast this centurion’s faith with the little faith of Thomas, who was one of Jesus’ twelve disciples. The first time the risen Christ appeared to His disciples, Thomas wasn’t present. The other ten disciples told Thomas that Jesus was resurrected, but it was eight more days before Jesus appeared to His disciples with Thomas present.
“But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.” (John 20:25)
Jesus walked up to Thomas and told him to put his finger into the print of the nails and thrust his hand into Jesus’ side and to not be faithless but believing. Thomas fell on his knees and confessed Jesus as his Lord and God.
“Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” (John 20:29)
Jesus placed a greater blessing on those who believe without seeing than those who believe because they have seen. In other words, there is a greater anointing on believing the Word than believing signs and wonders. Don’t get me wrong. I believe in signs and wonders. Jesus used them like a bell to draw people unto Himself and so should we. But the ultimate, the more sure word of prophecy, is the written Word of God. There is a greater blessing on just believing God’s Word than there is on believing because of supernatural circumstances. Those who are looking for circumstances to confirm their faith will fail when the strong battles of unbelief come. We have to get our faith so rooted in God’s Word alone that we can withstand a hurricane.
The reason Jesus didn’t try to make John feel better with a few kind words, an emotional touch, was not because He didn’t care. He cared for John so much that He gave John His best — the written Word of God. That’s how Jesus dealt with own His temptations (Matt. 4), and that was and still is God’s best way for us to deal with our temptations to not believe.
Maybe there’s a reason the Lord hasn’t used an emotional touch to deliver you from unbelief. Maybe it’s because He loves you so much that He’s trying to help you operate in the highest form of faith — faith that takes Him at His Word. If the least of the saints today are greater than John the Baptist was then (Matt. 11:11), surely the Lord is wanting us to operate on at least the same level in which He dealt with John’s unbelief.
From Andrew Wommack Ministries
#andrew wommack#andrew wommack ministies#doubt#how to overcome doubt#how to overcome#resources#articles
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