Daily Adventures

Ah ha!!

2008-05-17T21:25:37Z

rasetsunyo has been so kind as to point out that in an earlier chapter, Ukitake's eyes are *brown*, rather decisively so, too. Hee. No wonder so many people are so confused!! Yay! It's not just me!

Tea!!

2008-05-17T21:12:55Z

There is nothing quite like fresh tea.

I have a collection several dozen kinds of tea, and I am sometimes hard-pressed to drink it all before it gets too old to really be good anymore. I've evolved to the point where all greens, and especially the ground matchas, I'll only buy if it's under 10 grams in weight, because I just can't drink it all. And I throw out quite a lot into the compost as it's just not worth keeping the stuff that's too old, mostly because I'm probably avoiding it for a reason.

But I have lots of blacks, oolongs, whites, greens, and one or two yellow teas, and probably more ways to brew tea than most people even know exists.

So just the other day I got 4 grams of an organic, high grade matcha, a few grams of a genma I really wanted, and a few ounces of Irish Breakfast CCT (yes, rmd, it's the Upton wake up call) because I've been using it to wake up ever since I went off regular coffee. They sent a few grams of Ceylon, which is good for making clear iced tea, but I don't really like bright Ceylons that much.

Then I got a treasure chest today. flit and amberley sent me a chest of tea from Chaikhana Tea Culture, which resides in Santa Cruz. When I went to visit them a few months ago, the shop was closed when we got there, so I wasn't able to indulge. And they sent me some beauties!! A Osmanthus Flower tea, a Yellow Emperor's Dream, and a Green Bamboo that smells and looks like a type of Dragon's well. And they also sent a whole brick of Puerh, from 2006, one of the teas that does do better with oxidation and aging. It smells wonderful, all earthy and solid.

So I have a *lot* of good, fresh tea. Plus, since I dug out the Jon Singer ware, I've also dug out my old Yixing pots and some pouring ware, and I'm very happy again to indulge in teas.

A Peek In The Garden

2008-05-17T04:32:01Z

This is a companion piece to A Peek Under the Hat, and is a small fic cameo of Ukitake as the other was a small cameo of Kyouraku. This is mildly out of my Twin Souls continuity, but more inline with the backstory arc. Both are tiny, just a glimpse...

Title: A Peek In The Garden
Fandom: Bleach
Beta: incandescens Thank you.
Character: Ukitake
Rating: G
Spoils: Parts of the Soul Society arc.
Summary: Ukitake gardens by the koi pond.
Word Count: 468

To everyone else in Soul Society, Ukitake Jyuushiro gardened by the koi ponds in the compound of the Thirteenth Division.

To Jyuushiro, that sentence conveyed nearly nothing of what his experience was on the ground.

His reiatsu, honed and grown for two thousand years, spread quietly out from him, bringing back the positions and detailed emotional states of hundreds of souls. The Thirteenth Division was running smoothly, dynamically, shifting with the circumstances around it. Each soul so unique and different from the others, each in the place he'd put them to develop their best capacities into something even stronger. He would never equate his Division to a clockwork: it was more like his garden.

The bamboo, from the garden of his old long-gone mentor, provided shade for the mossy rocks and shade-loving irises and violets, as cool and strong as Rukia. The spreading trees Shunsui loved napping in overshadowed and cooled the stream, giving the koi comfort in the heat of summer. The purple wisteria, as strong and unruly as Kaien, fell in sweet-smelling cascades of flowers, entwining the bridge that crossed the water to the island, where the white chrysanthemums that Miyaku had so loved survived deep into the winter. The weeping golden bell flowers bloomed beneath the sakura, the play of deep gold against white making both colors stand out. The gold reminded Jyuushiro of the color of the eyes of the last three Shihouin heirs. The wild orchids, with their hidden message of defiance of unjust authority, would grow only on the rockiest of faces, so they filled the stylized mountains of the rock garden with their blatant come-hither.

Each in its place. Each left to its own strengths. Each trailing its own ghosts.

Jyuushiro weeded out everything that did not belong with the same ease of decision-making he brought to the battlefield. The two sides of his soul, weighted by two thousand years of such decisions, made deciding as feather-light as the consequences. He decided between these small lives and deaths far more easily than he breathed; for his breathing was one of those factors he had to consider when the consequences were much greater.

That he had, in the past, decided wrongly didn't deter him. There were always the storms of events, ripping and destroying all his careful work; and all he could do was that which was right in front of him. There was always another year, another century: with or without him, the wheel would turn again. But the fact that he would not always be there for his people defined how he acted, and he built his Division so that it could function, would function, without him.

He took comfort in sensing his Division thriving, growing, and working all around him as he gardened alone. So Ukitake Jyuushiro gardened not just in the dirt, but in the lives of those around him, and no one else was the wiser.

Movie Love

2008-05-17T03:58:08Z

We got to see Iron Man last week and really, really loved it. I especially loved how Stark tests things out. *laughter* I was very glad everyone said to stay through the credits. And it was definitely not a movie to take Jet to, he would not have enjoyed it. So it was good that John and I did it on our own.

Jet, early this week had said that he wanted nothing to do with Speed Racer; but then, later in the week, his friend Jack raved about the movie, so Jet changed his mind. So John and I took advantage of the change in heart and went to see it with Jet tonight.

I loved it. The Wachowski brothers held it very very close to the old TV series. The whole look and feel of "The Future According To The 60's" look was really fun. I *especially* loved Trixie and the fact that the Mom knew how to arc weld. *laughter* That was really cool. I enjoyed the effects the way they "should have been". It was a blast. Not a *great* movie, but with all the emotional stuff I have about the original series, the very, very first anime I'd ever seen, it was cool to watch.

Jet enjoyed it, too! Especially once we told him to spot the floomfy balls that flew out of the wreckage every time there was a crash. He was worried about how many people were killed in the crashes until we told him to spot the safety pods. That helped him immensely. And then he could just sit back and enjoy the crazy driving. He decided he'd never drive like that "Because I'd crack my head!" *giggles*

I got my allergy shot again today, after a very long consultation between the nurses and my doctor. I'd had a really bad reaction last week, which was probably contributing to my breathing problems early this week. So we stepped back a bunch, but it's still at a high enough level it's just wiping my brain out, now, even on the meds. So it's all a balancing act...

Woah...

2008-05-16T16:22:37Z

Going through the color scans of the Bleach manga, chapter 172 when they face Yamamoto, and Ukitake's eyes are palest green. Just like the color of frothed matcha.

My Son

2008-05-15T15:16:40Z

So... when in Kindergarten, Jet sold like $250 worth of stuff, wrapping paper, candy, etc... he just went out and started selling and didn't stop. Just hit up everyone he saw.

So he won 1st place in the whole of the kindergarten for his selling skills, and he got a ride in a limo to Bounce Town and a bouncing party. He sat and talked with the principal and made quite an impression. The vice-principal, the next time I saw her, said, "Hm. He's going to be a CEO someday."

I didn't disagree. But I think it would be more fun if he does what he says he really wants to do, now, which is be an architect.

BUT... this year. There was a Jog-a-thon. And he went out and got pledges and hit up everyone he could and the envelope said that the average runner would run 8 laps, and then he ran 18 laps. He collected over $400 for the school. So he's getting another limo ride, a CD player, a high end scooter, and some other toy. But the thing he really wanted was one of the raffled iPods. For each $50 he got an entry into the raffle.

And he *won* an iPod today.

He's so happy. *laughter* And I'm like wow. It's very cool that he's happy, and that he worked darned hard to get his happiness. It's cool when the world and chance reinforces that kind of lesson.

Gah...

2008-05-15T07:13:13Z

It... amuses me. That when I type "Liralen Li" into Google that there are over 4000 hits and the first eight pages of hits really are about me. Man... The Guru of News is STILL UP and someone actually refers to my old Faith pages in a religious debate...

And when I put in "Liralen Li" into Google image, the first two pages of images are either mine, my friends, or of things I've reviewed on Amazon or pictures I've taken.

I am SO not doing the image meme. Besides not knowing my favorites on anything... it would be weird.

Birthday!!

2008-05-14T21:12:46Z

Happy birthday kjc007!!!!

Whew

2008-05-14T19:57:21Z

I'm finally on top of the meds instead of them being on top of me.

Took a good ride this morning, and it felt odd, as I could tell the lungs are tight or weird, but I was getting plenty of air. No panics, but it sure felt different. I need to build back up again... and the massage therapist yesterday was like, "Your whole right shoulder is just locked down tight. I can't even get in there to help loosen it."

Hm. So more exercise, and a lot more stretching. It's helping, but...

The writing is flowing again. It's sweet...

Custom Tea Cup Collection

2008-05-14T19:53:46Z

jonsinger had a long-time request in to me to take pictures of his really early attempts at tea cups back in the late 80's as I commissioned, back then, a set of rough and ready Asian-style teaware. He's gotten a lot better at it since, but he wanted to see pictures of his first, baby steps... so I finally got pictures today and have loaded 'em up on Flickr. These little guys have really helped make my tea obsession all that more pleasurable.

I'll start with the early stuff and move onto the more recent stuff...

I love the glaze work on this little guy... and the next pic is the same one right side up.

Then Pink! of the same generation...

You can see I've used it from the tea stains in the crackle glaze...

First of the taller ones, but the green always gets me.

I love that the same glaze shows up differently on the inside than on the outside. This is later work by a bit, as the shape is more traditional in some ways and smoother.

This one is now my pride and joy, and I use it a lot when doing old-man Chinese style tea service with my tiny Yixing pots. It's the most recent of my pieces by Jon.

Chapter 5: Giving Grace

2008-05-14T01:54:34Z

Here is the conclusion to my and stark_black’s RP. We greatly appreciate all the comments and reviews we got for this piece. Thank you so much for your support! Love you guys!

Note: We don’t own Bleach.

Title: Giving Grace (Chapter 5)
Fandom: Bleach
Paring: Hisagi Shuuhei/Ukitake Jyuushiro
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Language, BDSM, yaoi
Word Count: 4237
Summary: Hisagi’s collar sparks Ukitake’s interest and the conversation leads to an exploration for both of them.
Hisagi played by stark_black Ukitake played by liralen

( Read the story on stark_black's lj )

Medicines are Good

2008-05-13T23:59:29Z

Got to see the asthma/allergy folks today. They now have me on three meds plus my emergency med and whoooieee, I'm breathing!

And exertion isn't pushing me into scary shortness of breath. I couldn't do the allergy shot today because my reaction scared the nurses badly enough they're consulting with the doctor again on Thursday.

Thing is... my inner adrenaline junkie, now fed on various adaptations of... well... adrenaline and steroids, is occasionally jumping into my brain and going, "Oh oh oh oh come on, Come On, COME ON. Why the F-- are you GOING SO SLOW!!!"

Ahem.

I am now very glad that I did not buy the Z3 M roadster or even the other M series cars I was looking at while in the midst of my upper management high a few years ago. I am glad I did not take up a friend's offer on a good deal on an AMG series Mercedes. I am even more glad I do not have a Tesla or a motorcycle.

Because it makes the temptation mostly moot. Even as it was I was forcibly taking my foot off the accelerator of the Passat as I would just blow by everyone from the stop lights.

I now understand Jyuushiro's calm control just a little more. *laughter*

Chapter 4: Giving Grace

2008-05-13T06:34:54Z

Chapter four is ready! Thank you so much to everyone who read commented! We love you guys! Sorry for the horrible cliffhangers but we love a little begging, lol. Enjoy xD

Note: We do not own Bleach.

Title: Chapter 4: Giving Grace
Fandom: Bleach
Paring: Hisagi Shuuhei/Ukitake Jyuushiro
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Language, BDSM themes, yaoi
Word Count: 4032
Summary: Hisagi’s collar sparks Ukitake’s interest and the conversation leads to an exploration for both of them.
Hisagi played by stark_black Ukitake played by liralen

( Read on stark_black's journal. )

A Random Box of Fics

2008-05-13T03:32:32Z

These were written for various people for the April Showers Meme. Thought I'd gather them all up in one place. A little like a box of chocolates, but all little drabbles. Some are bitter, some are sweet, some are a little smoky. All are pretty much PG.

For mysocalledhell -
Mayuri in jail before Kisuke lets him out - this unwanted existence

The stone cave echoed. The screams, the rants, the quiet mutterings of people locked away forever for their potential, drifted unimpeded through the metal bars. Mayuri sat and thought.

He couldn't turn off his thinking. Unwanted, unnecessary, useless, his thoughts continued to flow. Thoughts of what it would be like to take apart those screamers, those mutterers, to see what it was in them that caused them to be locked in here apart from him. Procedures for experiments flowed through his mind like the frames of a movie, each precisely so far apart from the next step, dissecting time into bloody wet chunks of useless conjecture.

He wanted to not want to know anymore, to just be a part of the rock, the stone, the steel that locked him into useless nothingness. Easier to just not be than to want something that can never be, again.

For zangetsugirl -
Bleach + Ichigo/Byakuya + family

Byakuya's concept of family was shaped by his grandfather, a captain and a noble. His parents had been shaped by that grandfather as well, so when they died, his transfer to the Byakuya mansion was seamless, as cool and clean as his own visage. He spoke out, fought against the rules, the dry rock of tradition.

His marriage to Hisana was an extension of that fickleness, that passion he raised against the iceberg. But with Hisana's slow dying, the iceberg ground him down, honed him into nothing more than a sword for the Laws of Soul Society. And he made his promise to his parents, his grandfather, to uphold the Laws and the traditions he'd broken.

Ichigo's passion for the individuals of his family surprised Byakuya, he'd never thought of family that way. Family was the whole edifice of law, honoring ones elders, rules to be followed, things expected of you, something fought against or fought for. Not this raw anger at simply not having protected ones younger sister. It was never that simple, was it?

Or was it?

When Gin's zanpakutou entered his chest, cutting through skin, bone, and into flesh; Byakuya found his answer.

Maybe it was just that simple.

For shadowgirl1605 -
xxxholic + Doumeki's Grandfather/Watanuki + 'I close my eyes and you're all I see'

Watanuki read quietly for a few hours. Maru and Moru crept in with tea and sweets, and he nibbled and sipped half-heartedly. He was still trying to recover from all the wounds he had from falling out the window of the high school. His body still ached, the hard, hot pain from the sewn cuts was blunted by drugs and familiarity.

Eventually, exhausted, he lay back and closed his eyes.

Cool fingertips slid gently against his jaw. Startled he opened his eyes. Smoke drifted before dark eyes, "How are you doing, Kimihiro-kun?"

Watanuke took a deep, slow breath, relieved that in this dream the pain was all gone. "Much better now, sir." He smiled quietly and leaned gently towards Haruka, who slid his quiet, calming touch to rub against the back of Watanuke's neck. Watanuke leaned, trusting, against Haruka's shoulder.

"I am glad," Haruka said softly and took another long, slow pull from his cigarette.

For bellumina -
Zombie Powder | Gamma/Angelle | candy

"Ten of the pink ones, five of the blue ones striped with lavender, and eight of the green, please!" Angelle counted out her change, and when the man gave her her bag of candy she gave him a big smile.

"Looking for me in candy stores, again, are you?" Gamma leaned against the wall watching Angelle carefully.

She squealed and lept for Gamma's lean form. He had to catch her or else she'd have crashed into a display of a thousand jaw breakers. "Well, you're so sweet!" she said happily. "Of course I look for you in candy stores. Can I have my kiss now?"

Gamma laughed. "Well, sure, I'll give you a kiss."

Startled her eyes widened. "Reaaaally?"

"Sure! Really."

"Okay! Give!" Angelle puckered up.

And Gamma deftly tucked an unwrapped chocolate kiss between her lips. "There... a kiss."

And the one I'm least certain about, but I tried. *grin*
For rasetsunyo -
One Piece's Pell and Chaka, or Pell/Chaka whichever takes your fancy, prompt: purple

Chaka has always loved watching his friend Pell fly. The great wings that can blot out the sun, the powerful shoulders and chest muscles moving so gracefully, the wide eyes seeing all near and far. And the breathtaking swoop as Pell seemed to just fall from the sun to the earth, big wings snapping out at just the last instant, slowing and then landing him, feather light, on the earth.

Chaka walked over to Pell. The desert winds blew his straight black hair over his eyes, and he admired Pel's turban arrangement anew, it certainly kept the hair from his eyes.

He walked up to the shorter, slighter man and, once again marveled at the lines of dark purple over the white alabaster skin of his face. He'd always wondered why they were purple, though, perhaps, with the Devil's Fruit there was no real way to know. Instead Chaka just smiled, lightly traced the dark line down Pell's cheek.

Pell cocked an eyebrow at his fighting companion. "What?"

"Just admiring the color. It's the same as the royal purple." Chaka said quietly.

"Mmm... I guess I don't see myself often enough to do the comparison," Pell said as he turned towards the barracks on his way to another training exercise.

"They seem fitting."

"Why?"

"Royal colors on the royal falcon, the protector of the Royal Family."

Pell looked amused. "Then why didn't you turn out with purple markings, too?"

"Too common, perhaps?"

"Ha." Pell whirled, as graceful on the ground as he was in the air. "Idiot. They're just markings to cut the glare from the desert and the sun. Since you're all black when you change, you don't need them."

"Hmph. I like my explanation better."

"You're a romantic."

Chaka laughed. "Yes. Perhaps I am." He grabbed the slighter man, knowing he might get hit, but doing it nonetheless. And Pell acquiesced, allowing himself to be gathered close and then kissed. "Yes," Chaka breathed against lips as purple as berries, as heart's blood. "I guess I am."

Good Stuffs

2008-05-12T23:05:58Z

Jet came off the bus dancing and making noises like a duck into his fist. Just because it was fun.

I can breathe. That's good.

Blueberry muffins. I finally made some and they are Good.

I did get the raspberries transplanted. I have more tomato seedlings. The OUR center garden is doing just fine without me. There will be twenty ladies planting plants on the last weekend of May because of me. And, even with lung stuffs I can write. That is good, too.

So. Since I said I'd write a bit about the class. I shall do so now.

And to start, THIS IS NOT WHAT ALL or even many CHRISTIANS BELIEVE. In fact, many would take offense at what is being spoken of in this class, and probably rightfully so as it's at the heart of some denomination's theologies. Just so that no one reading this goes up to someone that's Christian and goes, "Well you believe this, huh?" Cause, likely, they don't.

So the first class materials pretty much presented why the Roman Empire, as the established civilization of the day, pretty much had to kill Jesus and the Jews of the times were a ready scapegoat.

Part of it was that the books were written at about 100 C.E. (common epoch, the non-Christ-centric way of dennoting the dates), which was when the Romans were in power (and therefore pretty dangerous to antagonize), and the Jews were starting to push the Christians out as a dangerous edge group that was too different from the norm of Judism. So both groups were trying to differentiate themselves, and it was both more useful and safer to make the Jews the Bad Guys than the Romans. This is probably why Pilate was shown as a kind of wimp.

It's Augustus' time. The golden time of the Ceasar Augustus, when the Empire was built, and Pax Romana is the by-word of civilization. Where over 1000 times is carved, "I conquered X, I brought peace to X" over most of the known world. The model of the day was that one has to defeat, conquer an area in order to bring peace. Jesus' idea was new and dangerous, that the way to peace as through justice, not through force. The Romans and Pilate had ways of dealing with violent protest, they had troops to deal with violent protest, but they couldn't deal with Jesus non-violent protest. As one of the speakers in the video said, "Pilate got it right. He got it absolutely right. He killed Jesus and just Jesus and left his followers alone."

The basic idea of the first class was that the Roman's had to execute Jesus to keep the State stable. So they did. Pilate could have pull the strings anyway he needed to, but Jesus, because he was promoting an idea that was actively dangerous to the state, had to be dealt with. Like Martin Luther King, like Socrates. Ideas are more dangerous to the State than simple violence. There was also a whole section on the pre-mediated, cold violence by the State of a real execution by the lady that wrote Dead Man Walking.

It really rattled the way I'd always seen Pilate, and the whole way in the gospel of John that the Jews are the Bad Guys. And there was a whole section of the video by a Jewish scholar of the New Testament (yes, she studies the New Testament) about how she first ran across anti-Semitism as a result of those very passages.

The second part examined the whole idea of the Doctrine of Atonement. Bad shorthand for it is that Jesus suffered and died for our sins, and that God wanted it that way. It was really pushed by Anselm nearly 1000 years ago, in the Middle Ages because at that time he couldn't conceive of a God that could forgive sin, that *someone* had to pay. And, as one speaker put it, Anselm was a terrible historian, so he had no idea why the Roman Empire would have killed Jesus for practical reasons. So Jesus became the payer, and it was through not just the blood of the lamb but the suffering on the way to and on the cross. Or, as some put it, "You've got a credit card and Daddy's paying the bill." Which just makes me shake my head for different reasons.

Some clergy have used this in ways that make me cringe. One of the segments in the video was about a woman who, twenty years ago, went to her priest because she was being beaten by her husband. The priest said that she should just endure it, and rejoice as her suffering brought her closer to Christ. And twenty years later, the husband was starting to beat the kids, too, so she went to this woman priest to ask if the other one had been right. GAH!!

And the woman priest said, "No. He was wrong." There are dozens of stories of Jesus standing up against abuse, of saying "No, you cannot continue this, this is wrong." Dozens of incidents of non-violent protest, of calling people on what they were doing that was evil. And the church was made to support those who would stand for the right against abuse, against evil, against wrong. Not just endure it. It's the same sinkhole as "Jesus meek and mild."

Ahem. Uhm.. that last bit about the sinkhole is my opinion anyway.

One speaker really clarified it for me by separating sacrifice from suffering from substitution. In Jesus' time, blood sacrifice was an outgrowth of simple human need to right relationships. If you fought with someone, the best way to make it up was through either a gift or a meal. And in rural times, a meal, or a feast with another basically meant an animal had to die to provide the meal. So if you wanted to right your relationship with God, you took an animal to the Temple (to make it official), and spilled its blood on the alter (to make it sacred). Then you were given the sacred animal back in order to take it home, prepare it, and feast with God. It would be obscene at that time to even *think* that you had to make the animal *SUFFER* for it to be sacred. The animal had to die to make it food for the holy meal; but suffer???

And no one, at that time, would have thought, Well, I'M the one that's supposed to die, so I'll use a goat or a sheep instead and let them die for me. It's just with time and Anselm's doctrine that it's all warped into something very different than the words would have been understood as 2000 years ago.

That was the speaker who said that the whole doctrine of atonement was a crime against divinity.

I tend to agree. I could see, however, how others would not. So it is.

But the whole class brought to light a lot of things I hadn't known about the historical context of the whole death of Jesus.

So that's the scrambled gist of what I got. *grin*

Elf Meme

2008-05-12T21:35:10Z

What type of Fae are you?

Sigh

2008-05-12T20:15:55Z

Had, had, had to do some gardening today... the raspberries were taking over the whole of their bed, and leaving no room for the carrots or onions. So I had to pull up the wanderers and replant them. And then replant all the plants I wanted to keep in their places from where I had to upset the others.

John's been great and got the watering system in, got the support system up for the sugar snap peas and the raspberries, and I just had to do a few things to get everything else together. But in the midst of it I just couldn't breathe again. I had to use the damned emergency inhaler and while it worked, I just... I really hate not being able to breathe. And when I woke up this morning, I had a huge three inch by three inch patch of hives and really upset skin where my shot was LAST WEEK. So something's up in the air. The clinic recommended I take my other meds, too, which I had, as it seemed the wise thing to do, so I'm breathing again, but I'm half afraid to push it any more than that.

I had to call the OUR center manager and just tell him I just... well... *can't* work in the garden this year. He understands. I still feel terrible about it in some ways; but it was the sane thing to do. John says he wishes I didn't have to deal with these allergies and the asthma. I agree. But it's a lot easier when we're doing it together.

Well, and THEN I broke like four or five of my tomato seedlings and that made me very sad. It got really windy out and I dropped one of the trays. *sniffle*

Unexpected Fruit

2008-05-12T16:24:50Z

Warms me to the bottom of my old bdsm heart, but someone actually wants to use the first two chapters of Giving Grace as an example to introduce the concepts of negotiating a scene.

I'm... glad. Deeply glad if there's someone out there, because of stark_black's and my story, that might actually gain themselves a safer, more fun experience, and avoid various types of possible abuse by just doing the sane thing and going to a public area to talk first. And, maybe, having a better idea of what to talk about.

Happy Mothers' Day!

2008-05-12T05:37:05Z

I hope everyone had a good Mothers' Day!!

I did. *grin*

It started with a pancake breakfast given to me by my two boys, and it was very, very good. They enjoyed it, too. Jet made me a card and a Crackpots hand painted mirror that is just beautiful. John got me a wonderful card.

And I was teasing Jet a little about little boys being made of snakes and snails and puppy dog tails and girls being made of sugar and spice and everything nice. And he looked at me and said, "No, Mom, they're made out of *cells*". I had to admit that he was right.

Church was church. I taught my second class on Jesus's death. Lots of interesting concepts there. I'll have to expand later.

Then during church we had the Disciples finishing ceremony and my friend Jennifer came up with this most astonishing summary of the class that I've ever, ever heard. I'm going to get a copy and post that when I get it.

Then the confirmands did their thing, and I'll have to do something about that too. The UCC doesn't have a creed. It only has a Statement of Faith, no test of it. And I actually cried while I read it, it's so good.

So I was all emotional and stuff, and we went home and had tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch. And then Jet and I got to play Crash Team Racing for fun. It was *great*, and exactly what I needed. Then I got to do a few online things.

John made cheeseburgers with the last of our Tommy's Chili for dinner, and we all had dinner together. We shared an actually ripe mango, and some tiny, frozen eclairs that John bought me for my treat. It was a really great dinner. I called my Mom and John called his Mom and it was all good.

So I had a really, really good Mothers' Day. I hope yours were as fun.

Chapter 3: Giving Grace

2008-05-12T01:03:18Z

Here is Chapter Three. It's getting a little hotter and heavier now. Thank you, very much, to everyone who commented, we've enjoyed the encouragement immensely. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Neither does Stark_black, but I sure she would get Shuuhei more screen time and more of those great fights. *laughter* And it's all fictional, really.

Title: Chapter 3: Giving Grace
Fandom: Bleach
Paring: Hisagi Shuuhei/Ukitake Jyuushiro
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Language, BDSM themes, yaoi
Word Count: 3632
Summary: Hisagi’s collar sparks Ukitake’s interest and the conversation leads to an exploration for both of them.
Hisagi played by stark_black Ukitake played by liralen

( Read the story on stark_black's journal. )

Chapter 2: Giving Grace

2008-05-11T00:00:42Z

This is the second chapter of mine and stark_black 's collaboration/RP. This fic can be looked at as a continuation of my one-shot Strange Tortures, but it can also stand alone. This Shuuhei is also pretty much the same Shuuhei as the one in stark_black's fic I Come To You In Pieces. Enjoy! xD

Title: Chapter 2: Giving Grace
Fandom: Bleach
Paring: Hisagi Shuuhei/Ukitake Jyuushiro
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Language, BDSM themes, yaoi
Word Count: 3345
Players: stark_black played Shuuhei and I played Jyuushiro
Summary: Hisagi’s collar sparks Ukitake’s interest and the conversation leads to an exploration for both of them.

( Read the story on stark_black's journal. )

Chapter 1: Giving Grace

2008-05-10T23:47:08Z

This is a collaboration/RP between myself and the amazing stark_black . This fic can be looked at as a continuation of my Kira/Ukitake one-shot "Strange Tortures", but it can also stand alone. This Shuuhei is also pretty much the same Shuuhei as the one in stark_black 's Pieces multi-chapter fic. We had WAY too much fun doing this, so I hope you guys enjoy it as much as we did writing it! xD

Title: Chapter 1: Giving Grace
Fandom: Bleach
Pairing: Hisagi Shuuhei/Ukitake Jyuushiro
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Language, BDSM themes, yaoi
Word Count: 3214
Players: stark_black played Shuuhei and I played Jyuushiro
Summary: Hisagi’s collar sparks Ukitake’s interest and the conversation leads to an exploration for both of them.

( Read the story on stark_black's journal. )

An Amusing Thing

2008-05-10T17:15:24Z

This is mostly for zangetsugirl and a bunch of folks whom I know are starting an RP. I know zangetsugirl writes Dresden Files fics, but I just remembered that quite a few folks on my flist were on Amber MUSH with Jim Butcher, and he basically used a lot of their characters in the Dresden Files books. Most of the White Court, Summer Court, and Winter Court and other groups were from that game. I know that, at least one player, if not more, was upset about finding their character in someone else's book without accreditation, too.

But it's kind of interesting to see where an RP can go.

And, yeah, it does amuse me far too much to be on the email list for the Dresden File RPG. *giggles*

Seven-Year-Old Theology

2008-05-10T15:50:13Z

I like candles, 'cause they're a bit of the Light of God.

They're not GOD, but even when all the candles look different, they're all a part of the Light of God. So if you put all the candles together, you'd get something that looks like the Light of God. They're all different colors, sizes, and shapes, but they all have the light of God in 'em.

-----------------

I could believe that...

Aloof

2008-05-10T01:28:24Z

bryant, do you remember when we used to play Windward and Liward on TooMUSH?

I just found out that you were aloof when I was alee.

It amused me unduly.