Inspiration comes from those around me.

By no stretch have I experienced much in this world. I've only lived in one state, in one city. This 'disadvantage' aside, I have been blessed in knowing some of the most amazing people on the big blue and green ball we call home.

I have decided to do a few posts on people who have come into my life and changed it. When I say I have been blessed, I have no other word to describe the miraculous luck I have had. Not only do I have a family that loves me in spite of all my dithering mistakes and faults, I have met and grown close to people who astound and mesmerize me every day.

I could go on for hours in looping tangents, but it might be best if I start with two people. Over three years ago, during an anime club meeting, I met these two. At the time, neither they nor anyone else knew that one day, they'd be married before their friends and family in a two day long ceremony, to become Mr. and Mrs. Donald Slauson.

My earliest and strongest memory of Jaya Prasad-Slauson is of her in cosplay. To those who are unfamiliar with that term, cosplaying is dressing up as your favorite character from a show or movie. I remember seeing her, swathed in a large Akatsuki cloak, her visible skin painted a striking blue, with a giant wrapped sword propped strapped to her back. I think I might still have a picture floating around somewhere of it. Short black slashes were painted across both cheeks, reflecting the gills on the character, Kisame. I barely knew Jaya at this point, only knowing she was of the Hindu religion. For some reason, I felt brave enough to make a tongue in cheek joke about her dressing up as Krishna. She took the joke well and forgave me, thankfully.

My first impression of Donald was not in costume, but as a Zombie Apocalypse Enthusiast. He was the man with the plan, and a crowbar. Not to mention an impossibly large collection of Magic: The Gathering cards. I remember him most from the circles we'd form on the lawn during Anime club, doing round robin discussions of shows and characters.

Sometime between meeting these two and when Donald got hired at my workplace, the best thing in the world happened between these two friends. Donald mustered his courage and asked Jaya out on a date. My happiness for them then has only exponentially grown, as I have had a front row seat to a deep and abiding love story.

I had the pleasure of living with Donald and Jaya for a year in a cute two bedroom apartment here in Ocala. That year is remembered in midnight Wal-Mart trips, Denny's runs after work, and silly games. Donald would let me borrow his car if I closed when he wasn't scheduled, or if I had to go help my Dad at his house after he lost his car. I lost count of how many different ways they helped me in that year.

My respect for these two people is only rivaled by my envy of their happiness. I've seen Donald go from spitting mad from idiocy at work, to the most jovial, from just a phone call from Jaya. When Jaya would stay the night at my first apartment, I fell asleep more than once hearing the soft sound of her talking to her beau. I can only hope on day to have what they have, a partner who respects and completes me in the same way.

This post isn't meant to be all mushy and bleh. Its a thank you and a promise, because recently Jaya has moved back in with me, as her husband is going on his first 8 month tour on an air craft carrier as an engineer in the United States Navy. I've been entrusted with the most important aspect of Donald's life, tasked with keeping her company and cheering up my good friend when her spirits are low.

The inspiration for this post is just that. Jaya called to me when she needed nothing more than a hug. I dragged her downstairs for a cup of my awesome homemade hot chocolate. The rest of the evening passed with my customary horrible jokes and silliness, a sure fire way to make Jaya laugh, and a good movie. I consider it a job well done when Jaya asked me to make her this hot chocolate again if she was down again. I even got a full fledged laugh out of her. 

I thought I'd include a copy of the recipe for my hot chocolate below, as well as my brownie recipe, to bulk up on the chocolateness of the post.

"Bad Day, All Better" Hot Chocolate

1 1/2 c whole milk
1 c heavy cream
2 tbsp. sweetened condensed milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp. cocoa powder
1/2 c dark chocolate chips

You will need a whisk and a medium sauce pan.

In a separate bowl, mix cocoa powder and cinnamon into the sweetened condensed milk until it is smooth. This will help the powder mix smoothly into the liquid mixture.

In the sauce pan, heat the milk and heavy cream on medium heat. If you have a numbered dial like I do, I'd suggest between 4 and 5. You don't want to scald the milk, but bring it to a low heat, just enough to melt chocolate.

When the milk is warm to the touch, whisk the condensed milk mixture into the pan, stirring constantly to keep everything smooth. Bring the heat to just above medium.

When you can see the milk starting to steam just a little, add in the chocolate chips, 1/4 c at a time. Whisk until all of the chips have melted, then add the next 1/4 cup.

Keep whisking for about 5 minutes on the heat, constantly stirring. When all of the chocolate has been melted and mixed in, remove from heat and pour into your favorite mug. If you like mint, add a peppermint stick as a stirrer.

Enjoy!

"Take a Moment" Brownies

1 box chocolate pudding mix
2 c sugar
1 c butter (or two sticks)
1/2 c cocoa powder
2 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
1 1/2 c All Purp flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 bag dark chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk

for the ganache topping:
1 cup heavy cream
3 cups dark chocolate chips

you will need a 9x13 baking pan, a whisk, bowl, plastic straw, and a spoon. I suggest cracking the eggs into a bowl before beginning. Preheat the oven to 350 and don't forget to liberally grease your baking pan.

Combine the salt, cocoa, pudding mix, and baking soda and set aside.

Warm the butter to room temperature and cream together with the sugar.

Add the vanilla

Mix in the combined dry ingrediants, still leaving the flour aside.

Add in the eggs, a little at a time.  Mix until smooth.

Slowly add in the flour, by 1/2 c measures. Be careful to avoid over mixing, or your brownies will come out tough.

When the flour is completely incorporated, add in your bag of chocolate chips. This is where you take charge of your own destiny. If you chose a big 1 lb bag or a 12 oz bag, the choice is yours. Fold in chips with a few as possible strokes.

Pour the batter into the greased pan. Smooth the top a little and bake for about 25 minutes.

While the brownies are baking. start your ganache topping.

In a small sauce pan, heat the heavy cream on medium heat until bubbles just being to form around the edge, but DO NOT BOIL IT.

Add in chocolate chips slowly, stirring constantly.

After all the chips are added, keep whisking the chocolate to create a smooth velvety texture. If you happen to see your chocolate has a slightly grainy texture, whisk in 1 tbsp. of heavy cream in. Take the ganache off the heat and set aside.

When the brownies are out of the oven, take your straw and poke holes all over it. Have at least 1 hole per square inch. When the holes are complete, pour the can of sweetened condensed milk over top the brownies, letting it soak into the holes. Cover the pan with tin foil and let it rest for 10 mins.

Take this time to re whisk your ganache.

Remove the cover to your brownies and pour the ganache over the brownies. Smooth carefully with a spoon or icing spatula if you have one.

Let chill over night then cut and serve.

~~~~~~

It's been a while since I took the time to post here. I've been fretting and worrying about posting something on here. Some of the reasoning was "Oh, I'll do it tomorrow", or "I can't write anything good, so I'll just forgo posting tonight.".

I'm sorry.

I'll be trying to get back to my regular schedule of posting 5 nights a week.

Don't overdose on chocolate and cocoa if you try these recipes, lovelies.

Sleep well and Sweet Dreams.

I should be canonized as the Saint of Stupid, You Buggered that One Up.

Originally, the title of this post was going to be "Should and Shouldn't are just words". During the process of typing this little thing, I typed the phrase that is now the title. It made me giggle, even though it really isn't that complementary. The point is, I feel like this a lot. Mostly, because I worry so much about should and shouldn't; What people tell me and what I think.

There are a lot of things I know I shouldn't do, for various reasons. I also know there are things I should do, that I can't seem to get past the conceptual stage.

There are things like I shouldn't eat junk food, or I should budget my money better. I think for the purposes of improving myself, these are too over simplified. If I were to attempt to improve myself.

I know I shouldn't take criticism personally. Most of the time, the person talking to me wants to see me do well, instead of trying to trip me up. I know I should take a deep breath when I am stressed and think for just a moment. The answer will come. I shouldn't make a unpromoted blog just to whine about how mean people are to me or how much I let my paranoia take over. I should talk to the person I am feeling frustrated or alienated by.

I shouldn't let the perceived opinions of those around me rule my every though. I should realize the people who matter don't think I'm ugly or stupid. I should keep living my life like I don't need someone to validate my existence.

I should stop I shouldn't focus so much on sentence structure vs intent when it comes to typing that text message or email. Sometimes, a period is just a period, not an implication of anger or disappointment. I shouldn't delete this entire post, just because I am nervous at not being understood. Nor should I chicken out just because someone might just be reading this to make fun of me. I should remember that these thoughts are more universal than those damn shampoo and cat food commercials make it seem.

I should take a moment out of my day off to drive to Summerfield and say hi to my mom. For no good reason. I should take the time to send a personal text to people I adore but just don't hear from any more. I shouldn't expect them to text me back. It shouldn't be about the return, only the giving.

I shouldn't contradict myself. I dislike it but I do. I say one thing, then when it comes to light I am so radically, so perfectly wrong, in such a way I should be canonized as the Saint of Stupid, You Buggered that One Up. At this moment, my pride kicks in and I pop out with that anthem of stupidity. That glowing song of "I didn't say that" or "I don't remember doing that." I shouldn't hate myself for those moments. I should forgive myself and let it pass. I shouldn't dwell on my mistakes as much as I do. The last person to forgive me is always me.

I should let it go when I am hurt or insulted by others. Just take another deep breath. Its never worth it. What is losing my temper or running off at the mouth going to accomplish? Say it with me: Absolutely nothing.

I guess the biggest thing I should do is remember that I can do anything if I just slow down and focus. I shouldn't get impatient or rush through, because that just invites me to mess up and get discouraged. Even if I mess up, I shouldn't give up. Even if I keep messing up, I will eventually get it right and every mess up is a lesson. Not that I have the grace to know that in the moment.

Just the above portion of this post took me almost 2 hours to write. It is deceptively difficult to take yourself apart and say honestly what you should and shouldn't do in life. At points, I thought I would have to stop, because I was afraid I was going to cry.

I've rather burned myself out tonight for anything else for this post, so I am sorry if anyone considers this a waste of time. I do want to get back into writing actual stories and poems. I'm going to focus more on posting something small every day. Even if I only post a couplet poem about the flatulence of ducks, I'm going to post something.

Thanks for putting up with me, lovelies.

Stuck on the melody.

Its been in my head since I saw it.

No matter what I do, where I am, this song has been rattling around in my mind. It starts with a tap, tap, tap, eraser to keep the beat. My fingers go next, wiggling and tickling in the air, conducting an orchestra of intangible instruments, catching my wrists and elbows into the madness. This sets off my shoulders, who just cannot be upstaged. They start a simple one-two, one-two, pulling my spine into the swaying motion. Not to be the last one in on the fun, my head starts to nod and bob to the notes whirling madly around my mind, while my lips start to play with the shapes of the words. My vocal chords will have none of this nonsense, and for good reason, and stay silent for the most part but they can't hide all of it. My breath slides out my nose in a soft hum, bringing the music back outside, to float around my head, on over to my ears. Those guys just get the whole mess started again, loving the sounds of the song, no matter how bad the collective of myself recreates it. My legs and feet haven't quite figured out what the great fun is all about up there and I hope they don't any time soon. No one would want to see me try to dance.

I actually just got home from watching the new Wolverine movie. I have to say, though I am a self proclaimed nerd, I was very confused by the movie. Main question I had? When did adamantium suddenly become less awesome than steal? In the origins movie, those claws cut through a good four inch thick steel plate, to escape the compound at Alkalai Lake. It isn't until very late in the movie that Logan cuts even one katana in half, and even then it seemed to be more of a chore. Other parts I liked, quite a lot. I quite enjoyed the fight on the bullet train, and watching Logan try to figure out why he isn't healing as fast. I'll even admit the love hotel joke was kind of funny. Expected, but funny.

Ok, nerd rant is done.

I should mention I love going to the movies. Its not just the movie, its sitting there with friends, the social aspect of experiencing the same thing at the same time. I also love seeing the trailers. I have a whole spectrum of movies I want to see now. On top of Kickass 2, This is the End, and Thor: Dark World, I am now quite excited to see Elysium, Frozen, and Catching Fire.

There is this one part of the experience of the movies I enjoy more than I should really. Just after the theater sponsored First Look and before the trailers start, is this old animatic, designed to signal the movie is starting. Its less than a minute long, of a roller coaster set in space, racing around sodas, candy, popcorn and trash, before heading into the station.

When I was younger, one of my friends told me to sit there and only look at the screen. He told me to cup my hands around my eyes like an old viewfinder toy and look straight ahead. When the picture tilted, I was to tilt with it, just a little, and pretend that what is on the screen is really happening. I will be completely honest when I say that the first time I tried it, it felt like a real roller coaster! My heart started to race and I even jumped at this point when a popcorn kernel pops 'in front of' the car.

I still do that, to this day. Minus the hands around my eyes of course. I'm strange and out there, but even I don't want to be laughed at by strangers. It has become almost a tradition to me, to sit in that plush seat, waiting for the roller coaster animatic. As it starts, I take a deep, deep breath, as the camera ascends the roller coaster's track, before shooting out to the turns and curls on the track. Whoosh, past the giant Coca Cola cups and straws, zipping past the Raisinettes and Snowcaps. Down and then up again, rising before coming to the floating kernels of popcorn exploding all around, bam! Then dropping down and around to the left, twisting and turning before sliding into the station, transitioning into a side shot of the car smoothly. I always end up holding my breath as I watch this, my equilibrium protesting my immersion into the illusion. My heart rate still rises a little every time I watch it.

All that talk about a 30 to 45 second animation? I really am odd. Oh well.

The movies weren't the only part of my day. I paid a bill, so I can keep texting people, which is something I like to do a lot. I washed my car and both of my comforters I use year round, in addition to my plethora of pillows and bed accessories.

Seriously, my bed barely has room for me some days and I love it that way.

I've gone and started a no carb diet. I have learned I hate splenda. The only thing I like it in is coffee and my employees at work have taken to cutting me off after 4 large iced coffees. That's over 100 ounces of coffee. It has yielded some results though. I've been having less stomach problems and I've lost 5 lbs in a week and a half, combined with the light workouts and portion control. My long term goal is to get down to 150, with a short term goal of 20 lbs by Halloween.

Wish me luck lovelies!

Also... September 20th, IMAX theaters will be showing a special one week engagement of the original Wizard of Oz for the 75th anniversary celebration at locations all over the country. I NEED to be at one of those. I remember the tape I wore out as a child was a 30th anniversary edition, with a booklet and fancy cover. I'll be purchasing the 75th Anniversary Blu-ray Dvd combo for sure!

I think its high time I come out to the Internet and the world as Cumbercookie. Yes, I am a fan of Benedict Cumberbatch, specifically as Sherlock Holmes. This being said, I cannot wait for November and will be arranging a viewing party for the first episode of the 4th season premiere.

In my trek through the Oz books, I am currently on The Lost Princess of Oz, which is around three books from the end of the original canonical books by Baum. I'll be sad when I have finished them but will be moving onto other books soon. Fun fact, L. Frank Baum's granddaughter was given the middle name Ozma! I think that's amazing.

I will not get started on other plans right now, as they are even more nerdy than items previously mentioned and I think I've rambled enough this evening. Coming Friday: "So Tasty its Rude!" Brownies.

Sleep Well and Sweet Dreams, Lovelies.

When the dog bites... when the bee stings...

I've been doing a lot of heavy thinking lately. About where I am, where I wanted to be, and where I could go. I have some plans for today, which might have some far reaching effects.

In other news, I have a plan for today's post that will be rambling and stupid, but it will make me happy. If for no other reason, than just because I get to talk about the little things that make me happy.

I was inspired by this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syR_NinJ2B0

The little things that make me happy don't have to make sense to you but I'll share them with you.

I love the feeling of wriggling my fingers deep inside a bin of soft yarn at a craft store, feeling the plush fibers around my hands.

I love playing with my cat's paws, spreading Punk's tiny pink paw pads, and petting the super soft fur between his toes.

I love spraying my perfume on my favorite blanket and snuggling deep inside my nest of pillows.

I love pillows, for that matter. Big, soft, fluffy, firm, and huggable.

I can never get enough of that first sip of cold water after I've been running around work.

That moment when I've gotten home and finally unpin my hair and let lay loose down my back.

Red pandas. They're so cute.

I love the soft whisper of paper on paper as I turn the page on a new book.

I love the creaks and crackles of a new paperback that hasn't had the spine cracked yet.

The first time I use a new pen on clean fresh paper. It just breathes creative hope.

Arranging money so the bills all face the same way, heads facing  the same way, with ends all matched up.

Making patterns with numbers, like my Mom and StepDad's house number.

Popping ice cold pomegranate seeds in my mouth and lighting up my tongue with the sharp, tart, sweet tang of the crimson juice.

Every shade of red.

When my cats curl up beside me to sleep.

The feel of fabric in my hands.

Laughing until I can't breathe, because my best friend told a poop joke.

Driving down the road, with the radio over 20, belting out the lyrics to my favorite songs, all by myself.

Tracing my fingers over the swirling pink and blue of the spun wire keychain my twin made me.

Chasing and getting chased by Ama's puppies.

Getting giggly and stupid with my friends, then having a heartfelt conversation two minutes later.

Giving my mom a hug.

Having someone play with my hair.

Pulling a towel straight out of the dryer and wrapping it around my shoulders, even when I'm dry.

The entire three minutes of breathless excitement on a roller coaster.

Opening a brand new pack of socks.

Seeing the look on my sister's face when I hand her a Triple Shot Mocha Cookie Crumble from Starbucks at 6 pm when she's working.

Opening a pack of Pokémon Cards, just to see what's inside.

Going to the comic shop to pick up my favorite titles.

Baking a batch of cupcakes and icing them by hand, making flat little swirls of icing.

Peeling the stickers off a new laptop or cell phone.

The click of keys when I type.

The Wizard of Oz, in just about any way.

Hearing from an old friend I haven't hear from in too long.

Getting a text out of the blue that just says "Hi!"

The weight of two blankets in the winter.

Owls.

Making my friends smile.


~~~
I could go on for hours, lovelies, but I have some big plans for tomorrow, so I'd best be getting off to sleep.

Sleep Well and Sweet Dreams/

Sometimes, you just have to write and write.

So I am forcing myself to post today. I've gotten into a terrible habit of skipping days.

A professor once told me that a good way to warm up writing is just to put whatever comes to mind on paper and don't edit it. Just let it flow out, onto the page, without plan or judgement. I find it really useful, in order to get all the sticky, icky bluh out of my head from the day and clear my mind for concentration.

I find that the best way for me to do that is to just choose a topic and type on it until I am feeling more comfortable in my writing. I love to do quick writing challenges from friends, based on a picture or have them doodle something at the same time I am writing, if they are an artist.

A couple of days ago, I posted a creation story for a deity set I created. I wanted to continue in that vein for a little bit, just to have something to write.

After the flood and recreation of Man, the gods Rhae and Quista nurtured the land and oceans, bringing life back to the realm with careful steps. When the earth began to flourish again, Quista found herself to be pregnant. She gave birth first to twin boys, Archae and Trarchae. Soon after, Quista again gave birth to two daughters, Ballad and Rheath.

Archae became the god of Husbandry and Farming, who mortals prayed to for healthy stock and crops.  In his protection, crops are safe from blight and pests, nor do they rot on the vine. His season of power is late spring, early summer, with his influence waning around autumn, with the harvest. During the winter, he is said to pass over the earth, helping the forests survive harsh winters. His power does not come back in full force until well after spring as begun. Newly born animals are dedicated to him in a simple ceremony. Worship of him does not require sacrifice of animals but a tithe is given to the priesthood, which in turn is turned over to the poor. He is married to Ballad and together they have one daughter, the goddess Orala.

His brother, Trarchae, had power over the wild beasts and was the god of hunting and foraging. Hunter pray to him to keep their arrows and slings true, with soldiers also praying to him for the same effect. While he is not a god of battle and is not worshiped in that manner, he is considered a god of marksmanship. He is worshiped year round with a steady following, unlike his brother's, which fades some in winter. The sacred holiday of his power is at the height of summer, when animals are growing strong and the forest is full of life. During this period, it is considered blasphemy to shoot and kill any females with young. Trarchae has one child, a demigod named Yelaine, the keeper of ways and patron travelers, with Rheath.

Rheath is the older of the first two daughters, with dominion over home and hearth. Mothers after the children are born pray to Rheath for wisdom and guidance to be good to their children. Rheath protects the hearth from sparks and destructive fire, as well as keeping timbers sound and dry. To attract the protection of Rheath's servants, tiny spirits, one must leave out a dish of tea brewed with mint, her sacred plant. These spirits will help protect your home and family from household disaster.

Ballad is the masked goddess of beauty and inspiration. She wears a mask so no mortal may see her face at any time. This is because beauty cannot be defined by any one culture, but instead is fluid, changing for each person. Her mask is beaten gold, covering her whole face, save her purple eyes. Inventors and artists alike pray to her as a muse and she visits them in dreams, in forms numerous and varied. Out of her generation of gods and goddesses, Ballad has the most power over mortal and wields it carefully.

 Quista gave birth to one more child, her last and youngest, Lalelea. This goddess is the patron deity of children and first time mothers, until they give birth. She is also the goddess of mischief and gaiety. She gets into quite a bit of trouble due to this but is capable of handling it. Her festival is set in early spring, when children are happiest to be out and about, free of winter's prison. She has a simple stringed instrument she plays, a gift from Ballad, which she used to tame an ancient flying serpent. This serpent became her constant companion and the symbol of her worship. She is next in line to become the queen of the gods, after the mortal turned god Dunath steps down to go into the final sleep. She has the potential to be the strongest goddess.

~~~~~

It's 4 am lovelies. I'm gonna hit that bag of fluff and springs I call a mattress.

I don't intend to sound desperate, but send me a comment! I want to know what I could be doing better!

Sleep well and sweet dreams!

Accidents and musings

I accidentally made some delicious fudge today. And have delectable cupcakes planned for the morning. I'll post pictures of them when complete.

So its my Friday post! That means recipe sharing time. And as serendipity so graciously provided, I have a cute little fudge recipe for you.

I used Smucker's Strawberry-Blackberry preserves and Raspberry extract for my fudge, but you can really use any kind of preserves and complimentary extract.

Ingredients:

White chocolate chips, 2 bags
Heavy whipping cream, 1/2 cup
Preserves, 1/4 cup
Extract, 1 tbsp
 8x8 baking pan
Plastic wrap

Cook time: 15 minutes or so; 1 hour to chill
Prep: line the baking pan with plastic wrap

In a seperate bowl, mix your preserves and extract to loosen up the preserves some, so it's easier to blend in.

Take your cream and heat it in a pan over low to medium heat. When bubbles just begin to come up around the edges, start adding the white chocolate chips. Do this a little at a time, about half a cup or so, to avoid the chunky mess of chips and liquid splashing around in your pan.

When the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth, blend in your preserves/extract mixture. Once the mixture is mixed well, pour it into your lined pan. Place this in the freezer to chill for an hour.

Cut and serve chilled!

P.S.:  Try putting the fudge it microwave for 15 to 20 seconds, then pour over ice cream!

One of my employees suggested taking two fresh cookies and laying a square of this between them.


~~~~

If you try the recipe, lemme know lovelies! Send me pics, give me a shout.

Throw me a comment!

Sleep well and Sweet Dreams!

Come along, come along you'll see...

I really like using song lyrics as titles. It's just fun.

So as I have a bit of an writer's block going on, I thought I might just chatter a bit about one of my story worlds. One of my more persistent "bored and trying to amuse myself" stories I idly play out in my head involves a set of deities I created for my Critical Thinking class in my senior year of high school.

The class was more of a study in mythology and story telling than critical thinking. Luckily, we had a great group of students who got along well with Mrs. Edwards style of teaching. After a year of studying mythologies and pantheons, we were assigned our final projects. We had to create and flesh out our own pantheon of gods.

With mine, I started with the idea that the gods as we see them are more beings of great power who stopped on our plane. I also used certain themes, like sibling marriages, and deities with specialties, commonly seen in polytheistic religions. Some of the names I created from scratch, while others I went with simpler ideas. The first and foremost of the gods was Elder. He and his wife Cassisa had three children, two boys, one girl. Cassisa was pregant with the fourth child when the earth was created.

When Cassisa was heavy with child and close to birth, Elder reached out his hand and created the Earth. Elder could see that she was having a tough labor and created the land for her to rest.  He named this place Casis, after his beloved wife. On the newly formed land, Cassisa gave birth to her third child, Apolico. With the last breath in her body, Cassisa prophesied that this child would be the end of creation, as well as life.

Elder took his son and held him, as he gathered the tears of his daughter, Quista, to create the deep, flowing waters of the world. He gave dominion of these to Quista. To his son, Rhae, he gave power over the land and the soil. To his third, Umre, he gave the spirits and souls of the world, to lead them to reincarnation, or the realm of the dead. Apolico, filled with madness from the pain of his mother dying as she brought him into the world, was not given a realm or area of divinity as his siblings were but instead.

Elder then set out to create beings to live in this world. From the heat deep in the earth, he spun fire and sand into a molten haze, cooling and shaping it into Man and Woman. He went on to create every animal and plant, painting each with colors as vibrant as the sun. The other animals, Elder painted their eyes, so that they would not grow curious. But with Man, Elder left their eyes unpainted, as to see everything around them with the crystal clear glass.

Humans filled the earth with their offspring and grew strong. During this time, Apolico also grew. From birth, he was filled with madness, from the pain of his mother when she brought him into this world. He began to believe the only way to end his madness was to bring the planet to darkness and silence. While not given dominion or divinity over any aspect of humanity, Apolico was a master of whispering into the thoughts of humans, urging them to go to war with each other.

The war lasted for many of the human generations. Apolico continued to sew his seeds of madness among the humans, so much so that they became tainted by it. When all traces of sanity in humans disappeared, Rhae commanded his wife to flood the earth completely. Quista raised the levels of the oceans and rivers so that the waters mingled and drowned the earth. Apolico fled to the mountains to avoid the rising waters. He became stranded on the top of a mountain as the waters chased him higher and higher.

Umre threw a chain about Apolico's neck and dragged him to the center of the earth, winding the chains tight around him. He then cast a spell on the chains, that they should not be broken until the end of the earth is near. Umre took the number of days to the earth and cast them into the sky, where each day held a light of its own. So the stars were formed. When the last star was to fall, then Apolico would be unleashed to complete the work of destruction.

Quista commanded the waters to recede and separate. Rhae ran his hand over the land, feeling the earth healing and mending itself. Trees sprang up at his bidding, filling the lands with mighty forests and plains. Rhae took the seeds of a great tree, with sturdy limbs and bright leaves, and from them grew the new people of the earth. In the chest of each Man and Woman, Elder placed a single red flower. This flower would bloom and grow with every good deed that they did, and whither with every bad deed. To these flowers Umre affixed a soul and immortal spirit, so if the flesh should perish, the spirit might return to another life.

~~~~~

I think that's enough for tonight, honestly. I might use this as a place holder. I have a lot of stories about these characters, as well as a whole mess of others to pop in there. The first generation has nothing compared to the second generation's stories.

Well, lovelies, I'll be off to bed I think. Pop a comment in there, down in the little box, with the clicky clicky spot.

Or tweet at me! Please. @Alscye

Sleep well, and Sweet Dreams