#ch: edward the elder

[kingsroad]

Edward the Elder of The Last Kingdom. ⌜ 2 - ∞ ⸥

#the last kingdom #tlk #tlkedit #thelastkingdomedit #edward the elder #tlk edward #edward tlk #timothy innes #type: gifs #show: the last kingdom #ch: edward the elder #mine: edits #mine: edward

[my-emily-gilmore-era]

Gilmores prove life doesn’t end after 40

By Deseret News Feb 7, 2005

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. — There's a certain irony in the fact that the WB — the network that targets teens and twentysomethings — has the two most believable, most well-rounded characters in their 60s on television.

And Richard and Emily Gilmore, as portrayed by 61-year-old Edward Herrmann and 60-year-old Kelly Bishop, have been an integral part of "The Gilmore Girls" since the show began 100 episodes ago.

"I know the WB is known as a young network and viewed, I think, a little bit too much that way," Bishop said. "This show is multigenerational. And, frankly, it's not about my own ego, but I wouldn't be inclined to watch this show as a viewer if it weren't for us, because I'm going to identify with an older person. I'm not going to be watching shows about teenagers because I've been there, done that."

In a medium that places such a high value on youth, the elder Gilmores are such an anomaly they're almost alone.

Herrmann replied with humor to questions about his "elder" status. "Let me get out of my wheelchair and dance," he said, affecting a truly elderly voice.

"That's kind of wonderful, too, that we're still alive," Bishop said. "And, what, 60 is the new 30, right?"

Well, maybe, but Richard and Emily have never had to act like teenagers to get airtime on "Gilmore Girls." They're not simply saccharin grandparents, they're complicated people living imperfect lives.

"It's interesting. It's wonderful," Herrmann said. "I mean, these people are lively. You don't die after the age of 40."

The Emmy-winning actor said the show's writers have "done a wonderful job with Richard."

"He's a fellow who's gone through a number of changes. . . . There have been a lot of plot lines for him, which I find true to life. So I haven't been bored at all."

The premise of the show is that their daughter, Lorelai (Lauren Graham), got pregnant when she was 16 and decided to keep and raise the baby on her own. Which, not surprisingly, drove a wedge between her and her parents.

A wedge that remained until Lorelai's daughter, Rory (Alexis Bledel), was a teenager and Lorelai had to turn to her wealthy parents for financial help to send Rory to private school. That reopened the daughter-parents relationship and gave Richard and Emily their first chance to really get to know their granddaughter, but it's a rift that's never been entirely healed.

"What I look for at the end of the tunnel is the reconciliation between (Richard and Lorelai) in some way," Herrmann said. But when he has raised the issue with creator/executive producer Amy Sherman-Palladino, "She said, 'Not yet. We can't. There's a wonderful tension between the two that you want to try to maintain.'

"So it's great fun. And, actually, (executive producers) Amy (Sherman-Palladino) and Dan (Palladino) have given us really good stuff to do this year."

Good stuff that culminates Tuesday (7 p.m., Ch. 30) as Richard and Emily renew their wedding vows. The couple, married almost four decades, have been separated since last season. Not separated by much — Richard moved into the pool house — but their relationship had deteriorated badly.

"I love the idea because I think that those of you who are in long-term relationships will realize that you have, of course, that initial love/lust and all that," Bishop said, "and then it settles down. And then it kind of hits a point sometimes in a relationship where you're really bored with the other person and kind of think, hmmmm.

"And then out of no place and for no particular reason . . . you look at the person one day and you are so in love with them all over again."

It made for some great material for Bishop and Herrmann. Over the 99 previous episodes, they've done comedy, they've done drama, they've had surprises and they've always come across as real.

"The palette is rich. There's a lot of stuff to talk about," Herrmann said.

"I mean, almost to slapstick," Bishop said. "I finally got to do physical comedy climbing out of the basement window. (Richard accidentally locked Emily in.) That was so much fun."

And she loves playing a woman who's not exactly a caring, nurturing mother/grandmother. Emily Gilmore loves Lorelai and Rory, but she expresses that love in a manipulative way that drives her daughter crazy.

She's at it again in the 100th episode, using Rory's father, Christopher (David Sutcliffe), to try to end Lorelai's romance with Luke (Scott Patterson) — a relationship she doesn't approve of.

"I've gotten some really nice, vicious things to say to people," Bishop said, "which I always enjoy. . . . She's a piece of work, but, yeah, I had a lot of fun this year. Amy gave me some really nasty things to say."

Sherman-Palladino is amused at how Bishop — "one of the nicest people in the world" — takes so much joy in playing Emily, who is not. "I just love that she's so excited that she gets to be horrible to people."

But Bishop said she doesn't always understand viewers' reactions to the character.

"I'm surprised. People seem to really like her. And I haven't figured that out yet, because I think she's just horrible," she said. "I love playing her because she's so mean.

"And every once in a while people say they identify with her and I say, 'Why? I'm glad you're enjoying my performance, but you don't have to like Emily. Because I don't particularly like her. I like playing her.' "

#Gilmore girls #emily gilmore #kelly bishop #richard gilmore #edward herrmann #amy sherman palladino #lauren graham #lorelai gilmore #stars hollow #article #interview #personal

[hazzoranstories]

THE WHITE SUN AT MIDNIGHT | J.BLACK  Ch. 42

The door to the Cullen's house creaked open as Jacob cut the ignition of his motorcycle, and both he and Paige jumped off. They saw Carlisle standing near the door as he let him in, knowing the wolves were irritated and not wanting to push them.

"Is it true?" Jake barked out as the two pushed past the vampire.

"Hello, Jacob, Paige, how are you?" he replied with sarcasm, hardly ever heard from the ancient vampire.

"Listen, just give it to us straight," Jake stressed, and Carlisle sighed.

"Jake, is that you?" Bella's voice rang across the house, causing everyone to snap alert.

Paige turned around to face Carlisle with a scowl. "She's here?"

"They came home two weeks ago," he answered, and Paige wasted no time in running up the stairs. "Paige," Carlisle called after her. Both men raced after the tempered Alpha as she stormed into the Cullen's living room. There they were met with the other vampires.

Paige could barely see past Rosalie, who was guarding Bella as she tried to see her sister. "I'm glad you came," Bella croaked from behind the blonde. Jake walked up to Paige, who kept taking steps towards the couch Bella rested on.

"Close enough," Rosalie snickered.

"What's your problem?" Jake said, tilting his head to the side.

The entire room went stiff. "Rose, it's okay," Bella granted, and Rosalie stepped aside. What the imprints saw almost made Paige gasp. Bella looked absolutely horrible. Her eyes were sunken with bags under them, her hair split and greasy. With grey dead-looking skin, she resembled a dying corpse.

"You look terrible," Paige laughed, and Bella sent her a half-smile.

"Yeah, it's nice to see you, too."

"So, are you gonna tell us what's wrong with you?" Jacob asked. Bella sighed and glanced towards Rosalie.

"Rose, you wanna help me up?" Bella was then lifted from the couch, and the werewolves rose with her. The first thing Paige saw was her huge and bruised stomach. Just like the rest of her body, it was dull and grey. Both Paige and Jake's mouths dropped.

Once their shock was over, Jake's fury kicked in. They looked over to Edward, who didn't look happy himself either. "You did this!" Jake spat, about to tackle Edward but Emmett held him back.

"We didn't know it was even possible," Carlile stated.

"What is it?" Paige questioned, being more controlled than her lover.

"I'm not sure. Ultrasounds and needles won't penetrate the embryonic sac."

"I can't see it, either. And I can't see Bella's future anymore," Alice frowned.

"We've been researching legends, but there isn't much to go on. What we do know is that it's strong. And fast-growing," Carlisle said.

"Why haven't you done anything? Take it out of her!" Jacob yelled.

"This is none of your business, dog," Rosalie interrupted.

"Rose!" Esme snapped.

"All this fighting isn't good for Bella," Paige added, and everyone looked over to her. Jake's expression showed a sign of defeat while everyone else was in pure astonishment.

"The fetus isn't good for Bella," Alice announced sharply.

"Say the word, Alice. "Baby." It's just a little baby," Rosalie fought.

"Possibly," Jasper stepped forward, placing a hand on Alice's shoulder.

Jacob's face fell as he gazed at Carlisle in desperation. "Carlisle, you've gotta do something."

"No," Bella spoke. "It's not his decision. It's not any of yours."

"Jacob, I need to talk to you," Edward said hoarsely. He hadn't said anything about the matter since either of the wolves arrived. It took a lot of visible incentives from Paige for Jake to follow Edward outside.

With the fight now out of the house, for now, everyone looked to the one person they still hadn't heard an official opinion from. Paige sat on the coffee table where Jake had previously sat and huffed, leering into her sister's hopeful eyes.

"You're an idiot, you know that?" the shifter joked, and Bella's lips perked up a touch. "But my loved ones have never been known to be the brightest. So I guess I can attempt to help my sister."

"Thank you," the sisters engulfed in an embrace, and Paige kissed the side of Bella's hair.

"Don't make me regret this, Bells."

~:*:~

Paige and Bella talked for the past fifteen minutes about the child inside the elder sister. All the Cullens had left to give them privacy, even if Rosalie had wanted to begin a riot again. "Oh! How about Lennix if it's a boy and Rory if it's a girl," the Claymore suggested. She had been doing this for the past five minutes.

Bella grimaced. "No. I want the name to mean something."

"Rory means something. She's one of the main characters from Gilmore Girls, and I love that show," the wolf gleamed, and Bella shook her head.

"I want him named after someone I love."

"Okay. How about Rosalice. It's a mix between Alice and Rosalie," Bella gave her sister a look that knew she hated it. "CJ for Charlie-Jacob? Isabella-Renée? Rossica? This is a lot harder than I'm making it look," Paige raised her hands in defeat as her sister chuckled.

"They're all . . . . interesting names, but I think I'll stick to that task on my own," Bella said, and Paige nodded, saying she had a point. A groan from the stairs made Paige look up to see Jake walking up to them. As Bella noticed his presence, the air became thick, but Paige still stood from her spot next to her sister.

"Don't say anything stupid, Jacob," she advised and walked up to her imprint. She kissed his cheek and whispered, "I'll be back at Billy's."

#twilight #twilightsaga #fanfic #fanfiction #love #story #twilight fanfic #twilight fanfiction #jacob black #jacob black fanfiction #jacob black x reader #jacob black love story #jacob black fanfic #edward cullen #lucy hale #taylor lautner #robert pattinson #kristen stewart #Bella Swan

[jilyyall]

Animal Magnetism - Ch 2. Jacob Black.

Edward Cullen was not a normal teenager; of that I was certain. But knowing that did nothing to stop the pull I felt towards him. And if what he was saying was any indication, he felt some strange pull towards me, too. It was like we were magnets struggling against hope to stay apart. I only wondered what would happen when we inevitably collided.

Chapter 2. Jacob Black. Fanfiction.net / AO3 Intro/1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12/

"Are there any cute boys in Forks?"

I made a face at my phone and had the benefit of watching my best friend Madison laugh at me. It was Friday, which made it a whole entire week since Renee and I had shipped out from Phoenix to Forks.

She clearly took my reaction to mean that there weren't any cute boys around but, in all honesty, a certain face came to mind at her question. Edward Cullen, who had looked ready to murder me at lunch on Monday, wasn't in school for the rest of the week. I was beginning to think he had transferred out, but I figured something like that wouldn't stay secret for long in a town this small. His siblings were all at school every day, sitting at that same lunch table. I knew because I had made a habit of checking. Purely for my own physical wellbeing, I tried to tell myself. Because I needed to know if I was going to have to spend Biology next to a boy who hated me for no reason.

In reality, I just wanted to see him. There was something about him… I looked at the eerily lifelike sketch of his face I had made on my Government syllabus on that first day. He was beautiful. He was alluring. Apparently, he wanted to kill me. I wanted only to see if that was true. Maybe I had imagined the whole thing. Maybe he was just a normal boy who had gotten ill and left school early and was still recovering. His father was a doctor… maybe he was just a very thorough doctor.

"Hello? Bella?" Madison sang, drawing out the words in a pretty, taunting melody. "Don't tell me you're already crushing on someone."

"No!" I insisted, my face going bright red. "I was just thinking… there are a couple guys at school who I think like me."

"Nice. And which one will you be dating?" she asked.

"None of them!" I laughed just picturing it. "There's this guy named Mike… super boyish looks… blond hair, blue eyes… he's pretty popular. I don't know, maybe he's kind of cute… not my type. Anyway, this girl Jessica, I guess we're kind of friends now… she's half in love with him. He keeps walking me to class and going out of his way to talk to me and be on my team in Gym."

"Wow, he really does like you if he's willing to put himself in harm's way just to be near you," she snickered.

I ignored her, and quickly continued. "Every time he comes to talk to me, I bring the conversation around to Jess. If she's around, I try to just shove them together."

"Ultimate wing woman, as ever," Madison said with a giggle.

"Speaking of, how's Conner?" I asked. Conner was a good friend of mine back in Phoenix. His best friend Dylan was dating Alana, one of the girls we hung out with and at first they had tried to set me up with Conner, but there was nothing there but friendship. My last few months in Phoenix, I was working on getting Conner to ask out Madison, who thought he was really cute.

"Oh, you know… we're going out tomorrow," she said nonchalantly.

I gaped at her. "Wow. Way to bury the lead."

"I know! I've been choking it back ever since you called!" she squealed.

"When did he ask you?" I said.

"Yesterday!" Even if I couldn't hear the excitement in her voice, it was plain as day on her face. "I wanted to call you right away, but I decided to let it marinate."

"Wow," I said. "That's great."

"Bella, what's wrong?" Madison reined in her excitement with some effort, to study my face closely.

"I just miss you guys," I said with a weak smile. "I miss the sun."

"Even though it burns the crap out of you in three seconds?" She said, referencing the reason for my alabaster skin.

"It's better than being wet constantly," I grumbled.

"Well, at least it sounds like you're making friends!" Madison said, trying to cheer me up. "Hey, who's the other guy?"

My mind immediately went to my mysterious, handsome Biology lab partner, who I had yet to actually meet, but I knew she couldn't be talking about him. "What other guy?"

"You said there were two boys who liked you, but you only mentioned Mike," Madison said.

"Oh. Well, there's this other guy named Eric. We only have one class together, and lunch. He and Mike are friends… only the kind of friends who seem like they hate each other half the time? I don't even really sit near him in English, but he always tries to walk with me to class, and then he started sitting with us at lunch on Wednesday," I told her.

"Is he cute?" Madison asked.

"He's uh… Well, Eric is very… nice. He's a very nice guy," I said diplomatically, but Madison laughed, clearly understanding that I meant no, Eric is not cute. At least, not in my opinion.

"Bells!" Charlie called loudly up the stairs. "Billy and Jacob will be here soon!"

"Do you have to go?" Madison asked, pouting.

"I guess so. Sorry," I smiled sadly. "Dad's friend and his son are coming over."

"Ooh, cute son?" Madison asked.

"Mads!" I laughed, shaking my head. "There are more important things than cute boys!"

"That has yet to be proven," Madison said primly, then raised an expectant eyebrow. "Is he?"

"Um. I haven't seen Jacob Black since we were both kids, so how would I know?" I said, and then frowned. "I think he's only fifteen."

"What's two years, if the boy is cute?" Madison said.

I rolled my eyes.

"Bella!" Renee called.

"Go," Madison said. "I have to start getting ready anyway."

"I thought your date was tomorrow."

"It is," she said, and I could see that she was standing up from her bed now, starting to move around her room. "We're all going to that state fair tonight, remember?"

I did remember. It had originally been my idea to all go together as a group. Then my parents had sprung the move on me. I forced myself to smile by the time Madison turned her attention back to me.

"Oh, yeah," I said. "Have fun!"

I could see by her frown that I hadn't fooled her. "Bella…"

"I should go before my parents yell at me again!" I said. "I'll talk to you later!"

With the click of a button, her face disappeared from my screen. Suddenly, I was feeling more depressed than ever about this move. All of my friends back in Phoenix were going off tonight to have fun at the fair that I had wanted to go to.

"Bella!" Renee called from just outside my door. "If you're not down here in five minutes…"

I tossed my phone on the bed and crossed my room to fling the door open before my mother could think of a suitable threat. It probably would have been another generic 'you will regret it' anyway.

"Oh, honey," she said, her expression fading from stern to sympathetic when she saw my face. "What happened?"

"We moved to Forks," I said, trying for deadpan, but even I could hear the slight venom in my tone. Knowing I should apologize and explain myself, but not really wanting to, I slipped past Renee and down the stairs.

Jacob Black, as it turned out, was a pretty cool kid. He lived with his dad, Billy, down in La Push on the Quileute Reservation. Billy was one of the tribe elders, and he was also Charlie's best friend. Apparently, they used to go fishing a lot, but as far as I could tell, this was the first time they had gotten together in a while.

Jacob was nice, and sweet, and effortlessly funny. He acted like we were old friends instead of two teens thrust together by their fathers. Really, we kind of were old friends, but when you hadn't seen a guy since we was eleven and you were thirteen and your clearest memory of him was the two of you making mud pies together, you could be forgiven for thinking the reunion could be a little awkward.

"Hey, Jacob?" I said.

We were washing dishes together after dinner while our parents were catching up in the living room with a few cans of beer.

"Yeah?" he asked.

He was two years younger than me, but he was maybe an inch or so taller than me, and his thick black hair about as long as mine and hung in a long, straight ponytail down his back; the end of it swished as he moved around the kitchen putting away dishes after I'd washed and he'd dried them.

"How come Billy and my dad haven't seen each other in a while?" I asked.

"Caught that, did you?" he said with an embarrassed laugh. He sighed and shook his head when I only nodded and watched him expectantly. "Well, it's kind of a weird story."

"I can handle weird," I said, more curious than ever.

"Ah. Well, have you met the Cullens yet?" he asked as he rearranged the dishes in a cabinet so that he could fit another bowl. "They're a family who moved here a couple years ago."

"Yeah, I know them. Well, sort of. I go to school with the kids," I said awkwardly, wondering why everything had to circle back to Edward Cullen. "Haven't actually met them yet."

"Well. There's this legend. Down on the Res," he said haltingly. "It's stupid, I'm not supposed to talk about it."

I saw that the back of his neck and the tips of his ears were flushed and considered. Was this yet another boy who might like me? Or was this just a kid embarrassed by his tribe's superstition?

"I can keep a secret," I said, trying for the flirtatious tone that Sasha, a friend of Madison's, used often to get boys to do her bidding. It sounded awkward on my lips, forced and unnatural and horribly fake, but Jacob turned to me with slightly wide eyes. I looked back down at what my hands were doing in the soapy water, partly to hide my face from Jacob and also partly so that I didn't accidentally cut myself or break anything.

"Okay, well… the Cullens just don't have a very good reputation down on the Res," he said carefully. I could tell he was leaving something out, but I didn't trust myself to be able to pull off that flirtatious tone again. "People think they're strange."

"Well, can't argue with that," I said quietly. I dried my hands when I was finished washing the dishes, and leaned against the counter to watch Jacob finish drying and putting them away. "But what does that have to do with Billy and my dad?"

"Well, I guess my dad warned Charlie about them," Jacob said slowly, and I got the feeling he was measuring each word carefully. "Said they might be dangerous, and that he ought to keep an eye on them."

"Are they dangerous?" I whispered, thinking of Edward's murderous black glare and unprovoked hatred.

Jacob shrugged and shot me a pained grimace. "I don't know, Bella. Not in Charlie's opinion, and he's police chief, so it's his job to know if someone's dangerous."

"Jake, you ready to go?" Billy said from the doorway. I could tell by the way he was looking at us from his wheelchair that he had heard enough of our conversation to think his son had already said too much.

"Sure, sure," Jacob said, hurriedly putting away the last plate. I could see that he knew his father had caught him, but he didn't seem too worried about it as he smiled at me and said goodnight.

"Don't be a stranger, Billy," Renee said, leaning into Charlie's side when he wrapped his arm around her on the front porch. "And you, Jacob. You're welcome over for dinner anytime."

"Thanks, Mrs. Swan," Jacob grinned.

"Renee," she corrected.

"Careful what you offer. Jake here could eat a whole horse," Billy warned as Jacob lifted him into the passenger's seat with more ease than any fifteen year-old should, and folded up his wheelchair to stow in the back of the car. Charlie pretended not to notice when Jacob climbed in behind the steering wheel.

"Yeah, well, maybe Jake needs to be careful too," Charlie joked. "Renee has a knack for making some really inedible meals."

I smirked at that, and Renee elbowed him in the side with a scoff. He was right; Renee couldn't cook to save her life. Jacob and Billy only laughed and drove away as we waved them off.

The weekend passed slowly. Renee and Charlie went into town to look at a few properties to rent that Renee could use as an art studio on Saturday because there wasn't any room in our house for her to work. I spent much of the day texting my friends in Phoenix, and catching up on some reading for English. On Sunday, I woke up to a phone call from Madison, who wanted to walk me through her date with Conner. She went over every minute detail of the night, from her outfit to the cologne he was wearing, to the nervous kind of smile he sent her as he walked her to her door, right before he kissed her. After she finally let me off the phone, I texted Conner to congratulate him on finally taking my advice, and got back an emoji rolling his eyes in response.

And on Sunday afternoon, I headed out to the porch to see what the commotion was when I heard a monstrous rumbling outside. There, in the driveway sat a behemoth of a truck. It was red and solidly built, and in the driver's seat was Jacob Black. He jumped out quickly, probably so that Charlie couldn't actually see him behind the wheel again, though it was pretty clear who had driven as he went to retrieve the wheelchair from the bed of the truck and helped his dad out of the passenger's seat.

"Hey, Jacob, Billy. What's up?" I asked as my parents came to the door behind me.

"Bella," Charlie said, and he sounded excited. I glanced back at him over my shoulder to see him grinning at me. "This is your new truck."

"Loose interpretation of the word 'new,' Charlie," Jacob said, laughing, probably at the look of disbelief on my face.

He wasn't wrong. The truck was ancient, probably older than I was, and the paint job was nonexistent. It was red, sure, but so faded and uneven that it was almost pink in some spots, and a very light almost orange in others. And boy was it loud, but I didn't really care. It was a truck, and it was mine. It meant that I didn't have to get Renee to drive me to and from school every day, and I would never have to be dropped off in Charlie's police cruiser.

"Are you serious?" I asked. "You bought it for me?"

I knew that this was just one more thing to mark how permanent this move was, but I couldn't help but be excited. It would be nice to be able to drive myself to school every day. And I could go into town whenever I wanted, if I ever wanted. I could go to the grocery store for myself. I could even drive up to Seattle, just to get away from Forks for a day.

"Yes, Bella, it's yours," Renee said. When I turned around, she was beaming and I knew it was because it was the first time she'd seen me smile since we came to Forks. I didn't think twice as I hugged my parents, thanking them profusely, before I ran down the walkway to inspect. I slipped when my foot hit the concrete and Jacob caught me, very gallantly deciding not to tease me as he began to give me a tour of the truck.

Before they left to head back to the Reservation with Charlie in his cruiser, Jacob warned me not take the truck over fifty. When I laughed, he told me he was serious.

"I rebuilt that engine. It's sturdy, but it will die if you drive over fifty," he reiterated.

"Good thing I know a good mechanic," I told him, and pretended to ignore his pleased flush.

On Monday, I drove my new truck to school, high on the freedom of being alone. I parked in front of a silver Volvo, by far the nicest car in the lot, and hopped cheerfully out of my truck. I wasn't even annoyed when Mike and Eric both walked with me to English, and joined in on their conversation about the weekend.

The day was smooth sailing until lunch.

I had just sat down with my tray of food at my usual table with all of my new friends when Jessica leaned over, her face right in front of Mike's, to hiss at me.

"Edward Cullen is staring at you."

I paused, my bottle of water halfway to my lips, and felt terror clawing in the pit of my stomach. "What?"

"He is," Mike confirmed, frowning. "I wonder why."

I was too much a coward to look, to confirm that he was back. After an entire week, I had gotten used to his absence. It was an absurd thing, really, to be used to the absence of someone I hadn't even met. But I knew who he was, and I knew that for some reason I couldn't grasp, he hated me. Fervently.

"Does he look mad?" I whispered.

Mike and Jessica gave me twin odd looks.

"No," Mike said slowly.

"Should he?" Jessica asked with a small, confused giggle. "I mean, how badly could you have offended him? You never even met him."

"Oh, yeah," Mike said. "He was out all last week. He's probably curious about the new girl."

His grin was teasing, and he waggled his eyebrows at me so I rolled my eyes if only because I knew I should react in some way.

"He's still staring," Jessica informed us a few minutes later.

Mike went sullen again, and stopped in the middle of what I was sure was an inflated story about the last time he went surfing. When he looked in the direction of the table I knew the Cullens occupied every day, I rammed an elbow in his side none-too-gently.

"Stop looking at him!" I hissed at them both.

Jessica giggled at my reaction, but did as I asked, her gaze dropping to the table. Mike frowned, clearly not liking that another boy was giving me attention, or that I was so affected by it. I saw the moment Jessica noticed Mike's mood: the smirk slid off her face and she propped her chin up on her fist as she pushed a pile of corn indolently around her plate.

I sighed, and pushed back my chair. I didn't have the energy for this. "I'll see you guys later," I said, and walked away.

I was dreading going to Biology and having to endure the most uncomfortable hour of my life with Edward Cullen for a lab partner. Idly, I wandered the school. Lunch had only just begun, so I had a lot of time to kill. I stopped when I came to a building I'd never been in. I didn't have any classes in Building two; I didn't even know what kind of classes were held here.

Curious, I pushed open the door and walked down the hall. I peeked in the door of the first room I passed and saw a few easels set up with paint still drying on canvas. So this building held art classes. It was comforting in a way, to be surrounded by all of the things that used to litter Renee's cramped little in-home studio back in Phoenix. I walked a little further down the hall until I came to another door. Peering inside, I was surprised to find that this was clearly the music classroom.

There was a piano in the front of the room, and several guitars and other various instruments in cases I couldn't identify. I was surprised that Forks High offered music classes; it seemed like a small town high school with only four hundred students wouldn't be the type of school to support the arts.

I stepped inside, cautiously glancing around to make sure there was no one in the room, and walked to the piano. I couldn't play very well. Aside from the embarrassingly basic Happy Birthday to You and Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star, I only knew how to play a few notes. My mother enrolled me in classes back in Reno when I was about eight or nine. I made it through four lessons before I threw such a tantrum that she caved and allowed me to quit. She played a bit, but not very well. Better than me, at least. It was something that calmed her busy mind, she'd told me once. She bought a cheap, used upright when I was ten and used to sit and play poorly at night. I would tease her for her clumsy mishaps, but secretly I enjoyed sitting and listening to her play.

I sat on the bench and laid my fingers on the keys, splayed out as if I actually knew what I was doing. Quietly, I laughed to myself. What was I going to do? Play Happy Birthday? I shook my head and let my fingers smash a few keys at random, discordant notes filling the room for a split second.

A movement caught my eye and I looked up, embarrassed, ready to apologize to some teacher I hadn't met yet.

And my heart began to race when I saw him.

There, in the doorway was the bronze-haired boy from last week. Edward Cullen. I stared at him, wide-eyed, terrified, waiting to see that inexplicable hatred on his face. He stepped into the room, looked around cautiously and kept a safe distance between us. He didn't look angry. He looked confused and almost concerned.

"Hello," he said slowly. His voice was velvet on the air, soft and smooth and luxurious and as melodic as anything I'd ever heard.

Wordless, too afraid to speak, I nodded.

"I apologize. Am I interrupting?" He asked, standing rigid against the wall as far from me as he could be in this room. His guarded, almost pained expression did not match his dulcet tone.

"No," I said slowly, wondering why he was behaving so strangely.

He nodded his head and took several slow steps into the room, towards the piano and me. He looked poised to turn and flee even as he came to a halt so close to the piano that he could reach out and stroke the propped-up cover if he felt like.

The sudden return of my tension that his presence had wrought made me uncomfortable. I was sure my heart had never raced so fast. I was impossibly aware of every small movement of his body. I realized I was holding my breath, so forced myself to exhale. When I cleared my throat, he looked at me like he was concentrating really hard.

"I was just leaving," I lied.

His expression was almost completely neutral, but I sensed just the slightest edge of frustration in his gaze as he studied me. Finally, one corner of his mouth turned up, just slightly, as if he was forcing himself to smile at me. Heart pounding and hands trembling slightly, and trying to pretend I was completely unaffected by his presence, I stood, then bent to pick up the bag I'd dropped at my feet.

"Goodbye, Bella," he said as I walked carefully past him, willing myself not to trip over my own feet. I paused at the door and glanced over my shoulder. How did he know my name? Probably, I reasoned internally, he'd heard it from a classmate. He was already seated on the bench, right where I had just been, and his fingers began to move across the keys, slowly, tenderly, coaxing the most beautiful notes I had ever heard.

I looked at his face, wondering what I would see there. With a jolt, I realized he was watching me as he played, a small, accomplished smile on his lips. Flushing, I smiled weakly, and walked away.

FFN / AO3

#twilight fanfiction #edward cullen #bella swan #jacob black #edward x bella #bellaxedward

[onouryuu]

Chapters: 25/? Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga, Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Greed/Ling Yao, Lan Fan & Ling Yao, Greed & Ling Yao Characters: Ling Yao, Greed (Fullmetal Alchemist), Lan Fan, Mei Chan | May Chang, Xiao Mei (Fullmetal Alchemist), Alphonse Elric, Original Xingese Character(s), Jerso (Fullmetal Alchemist), Zampano (Fullmetal Alchemist), Edward Elric, Winry Rockbell, Roy Mustang, Riza Hawkeye, Grumman (Fullmetal Alchemist) Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Xingese politics, Slow Burn, Ling's siblings are assholes, most of them - Freeform, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Action, Lots of chinese traditions, lots of politics, may be boring to some, I mean it, It's very slow, Slow Build, Slow Romance, everything is slow, You Have Been Warned, Friends to Lovers Summary:

"An Emperor needs to be benevolent and righteous, he must know how to discern right from wrong, he must have integrity, be polite and well-mannered, he must never look down on tradition and he must respect his elders."

Greed is brought back by Truth under mysterious conditions and ends up in Xing, where he's caught in it's turbulent political scene – from rebel princes to corrupt officials trying to manipulate the young Emperor, he sees it all. Ling, on the other hand, continues to build on his plan of saving his decadent country on the verge of collapse, unaware of the growing shadows lurking on his seemingly stable rule.

And the flames of war may have sparked.

#fma #fullmetal alchemist #fullmetal alchemist brotherhood #greed the avaricious #greed fma #ling yao #greedling #greedxling #ao3 #fanfic

[pamphletstoinspire]

Book Of Genesis - From The Latin Vulgate - Chapter 10

INTRODUCTION.

The Hebrews now entitle all the Five Books of Moses, from the initial words, which originally were written like one continued word or verse; but the Sept. have preferred to give the titles the most memorable occurrences of each work. On this occasion, the Creation of all things out of nothing, strikes us with peculiar force. We find a refutation of all the heathenish mythology, and of the world's eternity, which Aristotle endeavoured to establish. We behold the short reign of innocence, and the origin of sin and misery, the dispersion of nations, and the providence of God watching over his chosen people, till the death of Joseph, about the year 2369 (Usher) 2399 (Sal. and Tirin) B.C. 1631. We shall witness the same care in the other Books of Scripture, and adore his wisdom and goodness in preserving to himself faithful witnesses, and a true Holy Catholic Church, in all ages, even when the greatest corruption seemed to overspread the land. H.

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

This Book is so called from its treating of the Generation, that is, of the Creation and the beginning of the world. The Hebrews call it Bereshith, from the word with which it begins. It contains not only the History of the Creation of the World, but also an account of its progress during the space of 2369 years, that is, until the death of Joseph.

The additional Notes in this Edition of the New Testament will be marked with the letter A. Such as are taken from various Interpreters and Commentators, will be marked as in the Old Testament. B. Bristow, C. Calmet, Ch. Challoner, D. Du Hamel, E. Estius, J. Jansenius, M. Menochius, Po. Polus, P. Pastorini, T. Tirinus, V. Bible de Vence, W. Worthington, Wi. Witham. — The names of other authors, who may be occasionally consulted, will be given at full length.

Verses are in English and Latin. HAYDOCK CATHOLIC BIBLE COMMENTARY

This Catholic commentary on the Old Testament, following the Douay-Rheims Bible text, was originally compiled by Catholic priest and biblical scholar Rev. George Leo Haydock (1774-1849). This transcription is based on Haydock's notes as they appear in the 1859 edition of Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary printed by Edward Dunigan and Brother, New York, New York.

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES

Changes made to the original text for this transcription include the following:

Greek letters. The original text sometimes includes Greek expressions spelled out in Greek letters. In this transcription, those expressions have been transliterated from Greek letters to English letters, put in italics, and underlined. The following substitution scheme has been used: A for Alpha; B for Beta; G for Gamma; D for Delta; E for Epsilon; Z for Zeta; E for Eta; Th for Theta; I for Iota; K for Kappa; L for Lamda; M for Mu; N for Nu; X for Xi; O for Omicron; P for Pi; R for Rho; S for Sigma; T for Tau; U for Upsilon; Ph for Phi; Ch for Chi; Ps for Psi; O for Omega. For example, where the name, Jesus, is spelled out in the original text in Greek letters, Iota-eta-sigma-omicron-upsilon-sigma, it is transliterated in this transcription as, Iesous. Greek diacritical marks have not been represented in this transcription.

Footnotes. The original text indicates footnotes with special characters, including the astrisk (*) and printers' marks, such as the dagger mark, the double dagger mark, the section mark, the parallels mark, and the paragraph mark. In this transcription all these special characters have been replaced by numbers in square brackets, such as [1], [2], [3], etc.

Accent marks. The original text contains some English letters represented with accent marks. In this transcription, those letters have been rendered in this transcription without their accent marks.

Other special characters.

Solid horizontal lines of various lengths that appear in the original text have been represented as a series of consecutive hyphens of approximately the same length, such as .

Ligatures, single characters containing two letters united, in the original text in some Latin expressions have been represented in this transcription as separate letters. The ligature formed by uniting A and E is represented as Ae, that of a and e as ae, that of O and E as Oe, and that of o and e as oe.

Monetary sums in the original text represented with a preceding British pound sterling symbol (a stylized L, transected by a short horizontal line) are represented in this transcription with a following pound symbol, l.

The half symbol (1/2) and three-quarters symbol (3/4) in the original text have been represented in this transcription with their decimal equivalent, (.5) and (.75) respectively.

Unreadable text. Places where the transcriber's copy of the original text is unreadable have been indicated in this transcription by an empty set of square brackets, [].

Chapter 10

The genealogy of the children of Noe, by whom the world was peopled after the flood.

[1] These are the generations of the sons of Noe: Sem, Cham, and Japheth: and unto them sons were born after the flood. Hae sunt generationes filiorum Noe, Sem, Cham et Japheth : natique sunt eis filii post diluvium.

[2] The sons of Japheth: Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Thubal, and Mosoch, and Thiras. Filii Japheth : Gomer, et Magog, et Madai, et Javan, et Thubal, et Mosoch, et Thiras.

[3] And the sons of Gomer: Ascenez and Riphath and Thogorma. Porro filii Gomer : Ascenez et Riphath et Thogorma.

[4] And the sons of Javan: Elisa and Tharsis, Cetthim and Dodanim. Filii autem Javan : Elisa et Tharsis, Cetthim et Dodanim.

[5] By these were divided the islands of the Gentiles in their lands, every one according to his tongue and their families in their nations. Ab his divisae sunt insulae gentium in regionibus suis, unusquisque secundum linguam suam et familias suas in nationibus suis.

[6] And the sons of Cham: Chus, and Mesram, and Phuth, and Chanaan. Filii autem Cham : Chus, et Mesraim, et Phuth, et Chanaan.

[7] And the sons of Chus: Saba, and Hevila, and Sabatha, and Regma, and Sabatacha. The sons of Regma: Saba and Dadan. Filii Chus : Saba, et Hevila, et Sabatha, et Regma, et Sabatacha. Filii Regma : Saba et Dadan.

[8] Now Chus begot Nemrod: he began to be mighty on the earth. Porro Chus genuit Nemrod : ipse coepit esse potens in terra,

[9] And he was a stout hunter before the Lord. Hence came a proverb: Even as Nemrod the stout hunter before the Lord. et erat robustus venator coram Domino. Ob hoc exivit proverbium : Quasi Nemrod robustus venator coram Domino.

[10] And the beginning of his kingdom was Babylon, and Arach, and Achad, and Chalanne in the land of Sennaar. Fuit autem principium regni ejus Babylon, et Arach et Achad, et Chalanne, in terra Sennaar.

[11] Out of that land came forth Assur, and built Ninive, and the streets of the city, and Chale. De terra illa egressus est Assur, et aedificavit Niniven, et plateas civitatis, et Chale.

[12] Resen also between Ninive and Chale: this is the great city. Resen quoque inter Niniven et Chale : haec est civitas magna.

[13] And Mesraim begot Ludim, and Anamim, and Laabim, Nepthuim, At vero Mesraim genuit Ludim, et Anamim et Laabim, Nephthuim,

[14] And Phetrusim, and Chasluim; of whom came forth the Philistines, and the Capthorim. et Phetrusim, et Chasluim : de quibus egressi sunt Philisthiim et Caphtorim.

[15] And Chanaan begot Sidon, his firstborn, the Hethite, Chanaan autem genuit Sidonem primogenitum suum. Hethaeum,

[16] And the Jebusite, and the Amorrhite, and the Gergesite, et Jebusaeum, et Amorrhaeum, Gergesaeum,

[17] The Hevite and the Aracite: the Sinite, Hevaeum, et Aracaeum : Sinaeum,

[18] And the Aradian, the Samarite, and the Hamathite: and afterwards the families of the Chanaanites were spread abroad. et Aradium, Samaraeum, et Amathaeum : et post haec disseminati sunt populi Chananaeorum.

[19] And the limits of Chanaan were from Sidon as one comes to Gerara even to Gaza, until thou enter Sodom and Gomorrha, and Adama, and Seboim even to Lesa. Factique sunt termini Chanaan venientibus a Sidone Geraram usque Gazam, donec ingrediaris Sodomam et Gomorrham, et Adamam, et Seboim usque Lesa.

[20] These are the children of Cham in their kindreds, and tongues, and generations, and lands, and nations. Hi sunt filii Cham in cognationibus, et linguis, et generationibus, terrisque et gentibus suis.

[21] Of Sem also, the father of all the children of Heber, the elder brother of Japheth, sons were born. De Sem quoque nati sunt, patre omnium filiorum Heber, fratre Japheth majore.

[22] The sons of Sem: Elam and Assur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram. Filii Sem : Aelam, et Assur, et Arphaxad, et Lud, et Aram.

[23] The sons of Aram: Us and Hull, and Gether, and Mess. Filii Aram : Us, et Hul, et Gether, et Mes.

[24] But Arphaxad begot Sale, of whom was born Heber. At vero Arphaxad genuit Sale, de quo ortus est Heber.

[25] And to Heber were born two sons: the name of the one was Phaleg, because in his days the earth was divided: and his brother's name Jectan. Natique sunt Heber filii duo : nomen uni Phaleg, eo quod in diebus ejus divisa sit terra : et nomen fratris ejus Jectan.

[26] Which Jectan begot Elmodad, and Saleph, and Asarmoth, Jare, Qui Jectan genuit Elmodad, et Saleph, et Asarmoth, Jare,

[27] And Aduram, and Uzal, and Decla, et Aduram, et Uzal, et Decla,

[28] And Ebal, and Abimael, Saba, et Ebal, et Abimael, Saba,

[29] And Ophir, and Hevila, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Jectan. et Ophir, et Hevila, et Jobab : omnes isti, filii Jectan.

[30] And their dwelling was from Messa as we go on as far as Sephar, a mountain in the east. Et facta est habitatio eorum de Messa pergentibus usque Sephar montem orientalem.

[31] These are the children of Sem according to their kindreds and tongues, and countries in their nations. Isti filii Sem secundum cognationes, et linguas, et regiones in gentibus suis.

[32] These are the families of Noe, according to their peoples and nations. By these were the nations divided on the earth after the flood. Hae familiae Noe juxta populos et nationes suas. Ab his divisae sunt gentes in terra post diluvium.

Commentary:

Ver. 2. Japheth. From his being placed first, some conclude that he was the eldest; and perhaps the famed Japetus of the Greeks is the same person. D. --- Sem comes last, though elder than Cham, that the history of the true Church may be more connected. Though it would be a work of great labour to discover what nations sprung from the people here mentioned, yet some are sufficiently obvious; and the learned Bochart has given very plausible applications of the different names to the respective nations, in his Phaleg. or sacred Geography. Gomer is supposed to be the father of the Cimbri in Germany, from whom the French and English also probably sprung. H. --- Magog, father of the Scythians, &c. Ezec. xxvi. Madai of the Medes, Javan of the Ionians in Greece, Thubal of the Iberians and Spaniards, Mosoch of the Muscovites, Thiras of the Thracians.

Ver. 3. Ascenez father of the Germans, Thogorma father of the Turks. M.

Ver. 5. The islands. So the Hebrews called all the remote countries, to which they went by ships to Judea, as Greece, Italy, Spain, &c. (Ch.) whether they were surrounded with water or not. Jer. xxv. 22. M.

Ver. 9. A stout hunter. Not of beasts, but of men; whom by violence and tyranny he brought under his dominion. And such he was, not only in the opinion of men, but before the Lord; that is, in his sight who cannot be deceived. Ch. --- The Sept. call him a giant; that is, a violent man. According to Josephus, he stirred up men to rebel against the Lord, maintaining that all their happiness must come from themselves, &c. Ant. i. 4. Thus he broached the first heresy after the deluge. W. --- He seems to have been the same as Bel, father of Ninus, and the author of idolatry. M.

Ver. 11. That land, of Sennaar, near the city of Babylon. Assur, or Ninus, who founded the Assyrian empire. M. --- But many understand this of Nemrod, who, in his progress from Babylonia to conquer the world, and oppress the rest of his brethren, came forth into Assyria, as if it were written Assurah; the He signifying motion towards, being often omitted in names of places. See 2 Kings, vi. 10. Bochart. There he built Ninive, on the Tigris. But the exact situation of this vast city is not even known. C. --- And the streets, &c. which were amazingly extensive. Jonas iii. 3. It may also signify the city Rohoboth. Pagnin. --- Chale perhaps of Halah. 4 Kings xvii. 6. on the banks, or near the source of the river Chaboras.

Ver. 12. Resen, perhaps Larissa, here written without the La; as 1 Par. v. 26. Hala has the preposition, and is written Lahela. Bochart. --- This, &c. It is doubtful which of these three cities is meant: but as we know that Ninive was remarkable for size and magnificence, we may suppose this is designated. C. M.

Ver. 19. To Lesa, or Laisa, to the north, on the Jordan, as Sodom was on the southern extremity of that river. Sidon and Gaza were on the Mediterranean sea, north and south; so that these four cities are like four points, determining the extent of the promised land, which, as it was important for the Israelites to know, Moses descends to these particulars in speaking of the Chanaanites.

Ver. 21. Of Heber. That is, of the nations beyond the Euphrates. Hebrews, &c. C. --- The elder brother, fratre Japheth majore, may be rendered as well "Japheth being his elder brother," which, as we have already observed, was probably the case. By mentioning him alone, we may gather that Sem was elder than Cham, who is called the less or younger son. H. --- The Hebrew may be translated either way. But the Chald. Liran. and many excellent interpreters, make Jepheth the eldest. C.

Ver. 24. Begot Sale; either his son, or his grandson, by Cainan. See Luke iii. 36. where we shall examine this question; also C. xi. 12. The copies of the Sept. now extant, all assert that Cainan was the son of Arphaxad, in all the places where they are mentioned, both in Gen. and Chronicles; and though some endeavour to prove that this is an interpolation, inserted by a later hand, it is certain it was found in the Sept. in the days of S. Luke, who confirms it by his authority, as all the copies both Greek and Latin, except a very faulty one which belonged to Beza, and is now at Cambridge, testify. Beza was so bold as to expunge the name. But before we allow of this freedom, we must be informed how S. Luke could adopt such an error, being, as he was, under the guidance of the Holy Ghost! See Salien, &c. H. --- Mariana asserts, that the Hebrew copies have been vitiated.

Ver. 29. Sons of Jectan; though not perhaps all born before the dispersion of nations, which may be said of some others, whom Moses here mentions, that he may not have to interrupt his narration. C.

#book of genesis

[frederickwiddowson]

The writings of Luke the physician starting with his version of the gospel - Luke 22:54-62 comments: Peter denies he knew Christ

Luke 22:54 ¶  Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest’s house. And Peter followed afar off. 55  And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them. 56  But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him. 57 And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not. 58  And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not. 59  And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilaean. 60  And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew. 61  And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. 62  And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.

 Here is a moment that probably stayed imbedded in Peter’s mind for the rest of his life. As Christ said he would, Peter denies that he knew Christ. It is a sorrowful moment for Peter and probably resulted in the “conversion” that Christ prayed for him to receive.

 As Matthew Henry noted in his commentary, “It is well for us that Christ does not deal with us as we deal with him.” How many of us, when placed in a situation that wasn’t even dangerous for us denied, even if only by our inaction or our lack of speaking on His behalf, our Lord. We might do this for fear of rejection by peers or family. We might do this in fear of loss of employment or position.

 The important thing is that Christ had a plan to restore Peter and for Peter to provide the leadership he does as represented in Acts. Christ has a purpose for Peter’s life and does not dispose of him in this most awful moment of his life to this point.

 The act of denying Christ for whatever reason carries big weight in the Bible. Here, it is defined as a conscious refusing to admit one’s association and familiarity with Christ. Remember this passage in Luke, chapter 12;

 Luke 12:8  Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: 9  But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.

 The importance of holding onto one’s faith in the face of fear or persecution or the hardening of sin, temptations as they are to deny Christ, is underscored by Paul.

 2Timothy 2:12  If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:

 Enduring until the end is spoken of in Matthew 24 and Mark 13 and as Paul also says in Hebrews in regard to sin itself hardening our hearts;

 Hebrews 3:13  But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14  For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; 15  While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

 Hebrews 10:38  Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. 39  But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

 Sometimes atheists will reveal that they believed at one time but stopped and if you examine their life a little closer you will see that the desires of the flesh paid some part in their apostasy. I will post again something I noted earlier about one notable atheist scientist.

 Many people, especially young people, have abandoned their faith when the lusts of youth demanded their attention. A noted evolutionary biologist, Edward O. Wilson, wrote a book entitled Consilience in which he writes in chapter one about the joy he felt when he found and believed in the theory of evolution and the unity of all sciences with that atheistic determinism as their foundation, well unquestionable fact more than theory to him with the following as part of his journey to what I call atheism;

On a far more modest scale, I found it a wonderful feeling not just to taste the unification metaphysics but also to be released from the confinement of fundamentalist religion. I had been raised a Southern Baptist, laid backward under the water on the sturdy arm of a pastor, been born again. I knew the healing power of redemption. Faith, hope, and charity were in my bones, and with millions of others I knew that my savior Jesus Christ would grant me eternal life. More pious than the average teenager, I read the Bible cover to cover, twice. But now at college, steroid-driven into moods of adolescent rebellion, I chose to doubt.

It can also be suffering that puts pressure on your faith and, if you are not grounded in God’s word, can lead you away from Him in your pain and anguish.

 Galatians 4:14  And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.

 And it can be persecution that forces you, in order to be accepted by people or to keep from losing life, liberty, family, employment, or property, to consider turning your back on God.

 For Wilson, unlike Peter, there appears to be no second chance as his heart was hardened beyond all redemption even though he insists he is not an atheist while simply stating that belief is part of evolution and should be studied as a byproduct of man’s evolving thought processes from an ape-like creature. But, for Peter and others, God left a door open and there was a way back. Hopefully there is for Wilson as time is running out for him.

 There were many movements in the early church that did not want to allow those who had repudiated their faith under persecution or handing in their scriptures to the Roman authorities to return to the faith. With names given to them like Novatianism or Donatism these movements did not accept those who had renounced their faith under fear or pain.

 And truthfully, Paul wrote in Hebrews something that can be considered as a warning that it is impossible to return under certain circumstances.

 Hebrews 6:4  For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5  And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6  If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

 However, another way of looking at that passage is considering how Jesus dealt with Peter, understanding that there can be a way home in these circumstances for the repentant denier. If that is so then the passage in Hebrews 6 merely points out the absurdity of thinking you can lose your salvation. Christ was crucified once and that is sufficient for all.

 Hebrews 9:12  Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us…26  For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27  And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28  So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

 Hebrews 10:10  By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

 Peter’s realization of what he has done and the fact that he wept bitterly shows us that he was deeply repentant over his betrayal. Compare this with Judas’ betrayal for which repentance was not expressed in bitter tears but worldly sorrow expressed in self-harm.

 Matthew 27:3  Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,

4  Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. 5  And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.

 I suppose one lesson that can be learned from this passage is that Godly repentance, in guilt, seeks God’s forgiveness acknowledging His authority while worldly sorrow, though still an act of sorrow over what you have done, is expressed not in glorifying Christ but in self-hatred or shame, a sort of reverse glorification of one’s self making self not Christ of the most importance.

 2Corinthians 7:10  For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

 One of the most notorious ways modern so-called Christians deny Christ is to call Him a liar. Christ said;

 John 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

 John also wrote this about believing what Jesus said about Himself.

 John 3:36  He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

 So, it is amazing to me how many people today call themselves Christians but, not wanting to offend anyone and not wanting to appear not inclusive, they call Christ a liar and say that it doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you believe in something or that everyone has to choose what is right for them. How can Christ overlook such a hateful rejection of His own words?

 As Peter so famously said;

 Acts 4:12  Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

 And yet, curiously, I have met even people who claim “the Golden Rule” as their motto, who do works of charity that are exemplary, but who, in the end call Christ a liar and deny Him.

[anghraine]

I have a very, very vague memory of there being more of Subsequent Connections than show up on AO3 -- am I totally wrong? It's a delightful series that definitely shows how two very different people deal with finding a birth family -- and in their case, it wasn't something they'd sought for themselves. I was rereading it today and really enjoying it, and thought I'd ask.

Oh, thank you very much! 

It’s such a weird concept for a P&P fic—I would never have thought of it on my own, but I read a couple with the idea of Jane and Elizabeth as Fitzwilliams, and was like “well, if I wrote it, I’d do x and y to make it less painful and then z to make it MORE painful and wouldn’t it be interesting if…” Therein lies the path to hell.

I thiiiiiink the eleventh chapter of SC on AO3 is as far as that particular version of the story ever got, though I had some “missing scene” side pieces that it doesn’t look like I crossposted. I’ve been catching up on crossposting anyway, so I could move those over.

Also, there was an original (substantially different) version of the story that might be what you’re thinking of? With this one, I really wanted to focus more on exactly what you mentioned—the discovery as more than a plot device, the profound effects of Jane having memories of her birth family where Elizabeth doesn’t coupled with differences in personality/situation, the really bizarre position that Darcy ends up in, a more subtle take on the Elizabeth vs Eleanor tension, Milton’s melodramas, and so forth. It’s a lot more gradual.

Bearing in mind that I last updated in *squints* 2009, I dug up my folder for the fic (I save everything), and it looks like I actually was working on something in 2010! And… oh hey, it says Ch 12. I genuinely have no memory of working on this, so this is about as new to me as to anyone else, but … here is what I’d written:

ChapterTwelve

“Goodmorning, Miss Fitzwilliam.”

Elizabethsmiled. “Good morning. How is my grandmother?”

“Herladyship is … she will be pleased to see you, madam.”

Sheis always pleased to see me, Elizabeththought, with more than a trace of regret. Lady Ancaster, haughty,whimsical, and often disordered in her mind, was regarded withvarying degrees of trepidation by all the others.

Eleanor,usually fearless, would greet her with a white face and icy,trembling hands, and turn paler and colder until she fled. Elizabethfelt not the smallest surprise that Eleanor’s brash sort ofcourage, if courage it could be called—all good nerves and boldspirits—would desert her in such a matter as this, and disliked herall the more for it. Yet even Cecily could endure only a few minuteswithout palpable discomfort. Edward refused to come without hisbrother or sister, correcting Lady Ancaster in a flat, humourlessvoice nothing like his own, while loquacious Richard rarely spoke.

Elizabethherself neither felt nor understood any of this. She sat with LadyAncaster almost every day, and treasured thequiet hours she spent with her, away from the rest of the world—reading novels aloud or eagerly listening to her reminiscences. Itwas such a relief to escape from everything,just for a little while; the troubles and irritations of her lifeseemed to weigh much less on her mind, when she could confide them insomeone who listened evenwhen she did not understand.

It helped, too,that Lady Ancaster always loved her, whether she knew her or not. Elizabeth found it strangely easy to accustom herself to being called“Catherine” or “Laura” or even “Cassandra,” often in thecourse of a single conversation.

“Good morning,Grandmama,” she said gaily, kissing her forehead. “How are youtoday?”

“Very well.” Lady Ancaster cast her a sly look. “I heard that you danced thricewith Lord Bertie. I hope you are not thinking seriously of him.”

Elizabethhad never heard of him in her life. She laughed. “Indeed not. Idid go to an assemblylast night, however; we all did. I did not sit down once.”

“Youhave always enjoyed dancing,” Lady Ancaster remarked. Elizabethchose to believe this was true—true for her,not one of the phantoms of her ladyship’s memory.

“I expect so. Icannot remember a time when I did not—so I enjoyed the assembly. Perhaps you do not know, but it was my first since my f—since Icame to Houghton. I cannot remember all the people I met, but theywere all pleasant to me.”

Lady Ancaster casther a sharp look. “Only to you, Phylly?”

“ ‘Tis Elizabeth,not Philadelphia,” she said easily, “and of course they were not. At least—well, everybody was very deferential to my uncle,naturally, and people always seem to like Edward for some reason.”

“Charm andcharity do not always have very much to say to one another.”

Elizabeth’sbrow furrowed. “Er, quite so. Then there is Richard; he makeshimself agreeable everywhere. Eleanor, I suppose, intimidates theworld into fearful awe, but Cecily—I could not help overhearing—”

“Do you refer to the elder MissFitzwilliam?” Sir George looked incredulous. He was abaronet, Elizabeth had been reliably informed—a young, attractivebaronet of good family—four thousand a-year—and expectationsof a doting godmother, too—

“The younger is, er, dancing with,er, Mr Talbot, I believe.”

“I believe,” he saidicily, “that a man of family and refinement, such as myself, mightaim a little higherthan a witless, penniless girl with no greater claims than those shealready makes on the earl’s charity. Forgive me if my requirementsare too nice.”

Elizabeth,scarcely able to believe her ears, turned to Cecily in astonishment. She immediately wished she had not; Cecily’s bloodless face crumpled—in humiliation, misery—in everything but surprise, then wentblank.  Elizabeth was strongly reminded of a kicked puppy.  

“I know you are fond of Cecilia, and her circumstances certainlyattract an undesirable degree of attention,” Lady Ancaster said,“but Laura, dear, you must know by now that your cousin is quitecapable of managing her own concerns.”

Elizabethpressed her lips together. “Forgive me, madam, but Cecilyis nothing of the kind.”

Something flickered in her grandmother’s eyes. “Cecily?” sherepeated. “It was not Henry’s Cecilia, then? I never heard thatshe was called—oh!  'Twas little Cecilia, then?”

“Yes, Grandmama.”

“Ohdear.”

Elizabeth snatched at the moment of lucidity. “Sir George Pelham—I don’t know if you are acquainted with him, but he declined to dancewith her in very uncivil terms. No; I believe it was more than awant of consideration, but active cruelty. Poor Cecily heard everyword.”

“I detest all the race of Pelhams,” said Lady Ancaster.

“I certainly detest him.” Elizabeth sprang up, unable to remainquiescent in her chair, and paced furiously before the window. “Heasked to dance with me later. I am no handsomer than Cecily and wehave all the same connections, so I cannot think what made thedifference.”

“I trust, my dear, that you managed to refuse the compliment in thespirit it deserved.”

Elizabeth laughed. “I persuaded him that he must have mistaken mefor Eleanor.”

“Theresemblance is not thatstrong.” Lady Ancaster gave her a sharp look. “You must havebeen very persuasive, Elizabeth.”

Sheopened her eyes very wide. “Oh, but Sir George could not haveintended such a great compliment to me, a mere poor relation of LordAncaster’s. He made that perfectlyclear when he disparagedmy cousin to half the room; only the earl’s daughtercould possibly be worthy of such a discriminating taste.”

“I see,” murmured the countess.

“Naturally,” Elizabeth added, her tone sharpening, “I alwayswish to be of use to my superiors, so I explained his error to himbefore I returned to my proper place. He must have understood, forhe asked Eleanor to dance immediately afterward.”

“Did she accept?”

“Eleanor? Of course not.” And her brusque refusal had expressedall the astonishment and contempt that Elizabeth could have hopedfor. Sir George had been humiliated before everyone in earshot.

Hergrandmother laughed, then fell silent; Elizabeth remained at thewindow, staring at the dirty, melting snow. In retrospect,she supposed she should not have done it. Polite set-downs were onething; with her sharp tongue and quick temper, and even a sort ofinnocent vanity, she had certainly delivered more than one of those. But this was not an intemperate remark. Spur-of-the-momentthough it had been, she had contrived—schemed.  

Elizabeth shut hereyes. She had been so angry, the blazing fury blinding her toeverything but herself and that stupid, self-important littlepopinjay. Since her father’s death, apathy seemed to have consumedevery slice of rage she ought to have felt, until that moment. Thenall at once, she felt it all.

Mr and Mrs Bennet—and Mr and Mrs Fitzwilliam—were gone. She could hardly returnEleanor’s abrasive manners or Edward’s caustic insouciance in kind,not without descending to their level of incivility. James and Janedeserved nothing less than the gentle kindness they dispensed to all. As for Darcy, she could not say with any certainty what she thoughtof him, or felt toward him. He was clever, interesting; hehad not thought her handsome enough to dance with; he had started allof this; he was at Pemberley.

In some fashion oranother, they were all beyond the reach of her anger; but Sir George,standing before her—smiling—

“Goodmorning,” whispered Cecily, her smile bright and brittle. “How is she today?”“Well enough,”Elizabeth said. “She had a few lucid moments, atleast.”Cecily bit her lip. “I—I washoping I could steal you away, Elizabeth. The snow is nearlyall melted, and my uncle says we may walk out again.”“Oh! I should very much enjoy that—just permit me a moment to put apillow under—thank you, Theodore.” She bent to kiss LadyAncaster’s wrinkled cheek, then hurried after Cecily.“Thankyou,” she said. “You see, Sir George called; SirGeorge Pelham, who—you remember? He—Ella refused to dancewith him last night. Apparently he has some business withEdward.”Elizabeth laughed. “I did notknow anybody had business with Edward.”“Hedoesn’t.” Cecily quickened her steps. “Ofcourse he came to see Ella. Brown thinks so, at any rate; Ididn’t see him myself—did not even know he was here, until she toldme. Then I went down to Lord Ancaster’s study, and found you,and—well. I would rather not see him, and it is a niceday.”“It is a very nice day,” Elizabethagreed, uncertain whether she felt more pity at Cecily’s quandary, oramusement at Eleanor’s.“That is exactly what Ithought! And—and perhaps you would like to see Gulliver? I am sure you haven’t.”Elizabeth, though lighter andseveral inches taller than her cousin, almost ran to keep up withher. “Who is Gulliver?” she asked breathlessly,blinking when they stepped outside, into the daylight.“Mydog,” said Cecily, smiling more genuinely. “Oh, I amglad to be outside again. Are not the gardens pretty?—He’s twelve years old; Fitzwilliam gave him to me when he was justa puppy. He said it was a favour, that Gulliver was sougly that nobody else would take him, and he certainly didn’t wanthim, but I knew better. It was my birthday, and boys—youknow how they are.” “Oh, yes,” saidElizabeth.“Edward and Richard’s dogs frightened him,poor thing, so he doesn’t sleep in the house any more. EvenAunt Milton’s pug terrified him. It was ridiculous,really, to see Gulliver cowering before a little dog like that.”“Ishould like to see him very much,” Elizabeth said, rememberingJane’s account of her early quarrels with Pugsy. “I adoredogs. Where do you keep him, Cecily?”Cecilyhesitated, then grinned up at her, her usual manner entirelyrestored. “I shan’t tell you until we get there,” shesaid airily.  “It will be a surprise.—Do not worry,it isn’t far.”They talked lightly as they walked,somewhere between enjoyment and relief. Cecily spotted a bunchof chrysanthemums with a cry of delight, promptly picking them all. Elizabeth only shook her head and asked about their second cousins ontheir mothers’ side.Within a few minutes, she foundherself staring at a small, square, ridiculously picturesque house. It was built on a small eminence, backed by three stands of trees,and looked out upon all the splendour and elegance of Houghtonproper.  Snow still adorned the roof, cheerful yellow curtainshung in the windows—windows undoubtedly covered by honeysuckle inthe summer. Gilpin himself could not have improved upon it.

“Is it notpretty?”

“Very,” saidElizabeth. “Is this the parsonage?”

#leafstranger #respuestas #fic talk #subsequent connections #gosh now i am Feeling It again #it is /such/ a weird fic (for me) and yet..... #also the sc folder is extremely well-organized and it turns out i had two outlines for each half of the story #and notes on cecily that filled in the blanks of that #and little scraps here and there #AND a darcy/elizabeth futurefic #and none of that including the original sc #which i had a separate folder for #i now remember everything i was going to go do! thanks past self #austen blogging #nice things people say to me #i changed nothing but the spaces because ahfdk;lfjadh i was still using double spaces after periods when i was writing ch 12 #wow

[cielizzydefencesquad]

The Laws of Inheritance (2CT edition)

So I saw a post that said Our Ciel took on his brother’s name because he (as the second son) wouldn’t have been able to inherit their father’s earldom. Now, I’m going to have to disagree here—I believe the reason Our Ciel took his brother’s identity was because Real Ciel was already respected and venerated in polite society. He was the elder child, destined to inherit the earldom and Funtom, and he was also a lot healthier than his inconsequential younger twin. I believe Our Ciel took on his brother’s name to better enhance/strengthen his role as the Queen’s Watchdog because people would’ve already known Ciel, the firstborn twin of Vincent Phantomhive. Few would have known—or cared to know—about his fragile younger brother, a second son destined for either the clergy or the military. 

But getting to the issue at hand here, the rules of inheritance made it necessary for wealthy families to have a second son just in case anything happened to the intended heir. That was why Consuelo Vanderbilt, wife to the 9th duke of Marlborough, nicknamed her sons the heir and the spare. Second born sons were a safety net for the immediate family (dad, mom, offspring) to fall back on if the heir suddenly died or was incapable of carrying out his duties. It’s why King Henry VIII so desperately wanted a second son even after he had his heir (Prince Edward with third wife Jane Seymour) because he wanted a continuation of the Tudor line through his immediate family (i.e. his children, not his nephews).

To draw from the wisdom of Sir William Blackstone, who outlined the laws of inheritance in Book 2 of his Commentaries on the Laws of England published between 1765 - 1769: “If John Stiles has two sons, Matthew and Gilbert…and [John] dies, first Matthew, and (in case of his death without issue) then Gilbert, shall be admitted to the succession.” (Blackstone Commentaries, Ch 14). This is an example Blackstone gives to illustrate the second rule of inheritance regarding second sons; if we apply this to Our Ciel then by all means: Vincent’s dead and Real Ciel (for all intents and purposes) has also died, thereby making Our Ciel—the younger son—heir to Vincent’s earldom.

The only way Our Ciel wouldn’t have been able to inherit the earldom was if Real Ciel married and had children—then his children (Our Ciel’s nephews and nieces) would be next in line to inherit, not Our Ciel. Blackstone actually emphasizes this point the most in his treatise on the laws of inheritance because it was common practice for uncles to try and steal away their young nephew’s inheritances (a la Richard III). He underscores this point, noting “…the lineal descendants, in infinitum, of any person deceased shall represent their ancestor; that is, shall stand in the same place as the person himself would have done, had he been living.” He’s basically saying: if the firstborn son died and left behind a son, that child inherits his father’s possessions. (When Blackstone says “ancestor” he means father, not some great distant grandfather.) The laws of primogeniture explicitly state: brothers succeed, individually, to the inheritance by seniority of age which means that because Real Ciel died, Our Ciel through the laws of inheritance was, by legal right, able to claim the title of Earl Phantomhive since Real Ciel left behind no living children.

Also, for those thinking Edward might inherit the earldom because Real Ciel is dead…that would be possible ONLY IF Our Ciel renounced his claim. With all other immediate male relatives dead, the earldom is HIS, not Edward’s. Francis was Vincent’s younger sister meaning that Edward’s chances of inheriting the Phantomhive estate would only come to pass once all of Vincent’s immediate heirs (i.e. children or grandchildren from his firstborn son) were exhausted. Blackstone actually spends pages and pages writing (in painstaking detail) the laws of consanguinity—in the 18th and 19th centuries, children of immediate blood (i.e. the sons of the deceased) were to be first considered for the inheritance. If the deceased left behind no children, then the attorneys/estate handlers could begin looking at the deceased’s immediate relatives—first, his brother(s), then his nephews from that brother, then his sister, and finally his sister’s children. Basically, the only way Edward could have inherited the Phantomhive estate was if Real Ciel and Our Ciel both died.

Thus, I am of the firm belief that the reason Our Ciel took on his older twin’s identity was to both enhance his social standing and downplay his own frail health. It would have caused considerable difficulty for Our Ciel to enter into the position as Watchdog to the queen while the world stood watching, conscious of his ill health, status as a second son (i.e. his “unpreparedness” since Real Ciel should’ve been the one getting trained), and knowledge that he—the spare child—had lived while his cherished older twin, Real Ciel, the true heir, had died.

(For those interested in reading Blackstone’s commentary on the rules of inheritance, here is a link to Book 2 Chapter 14: http://lonang.com/library/reference/blackstone-commentaries-law-england/bla-214/) 

#ciel phantomhive #vincent phantomhive #francis midford #edward midford #2ct #analysis #black butler #kuroshitsuji #inheritance

[eidolon-zephyr]

A Flight of Fancy Ch 2

Fandom: Twilight Pairing: Aro/Bella Rating: M

Intro: Here Previous: Here Next: Here

Chapter Summary: In which Aro informs his brothers of his plans or In which Alice extends an invitation

“How soon can we depart?” Aro asked as he walked, the vampire behind him trailing just a step behind.

“Within, the hour, Lord Aro,” came the swift reply.

“Most excellent!” he responded cheerfully.

He promptly dismissed the other vampire and made his way to the throne room. A light push of his hands sent the heavy double-doors swinging open and his brothers immediately honed in on him.

“Where have you been?” hissed Caius.

Aro glanced around him, then waved a hand in a flippant gesture to the members of the Guard positioned around the walls.

“Leave us.” he commanded airily.

A brief whisper of air and the clicking of the doors told him that they were alone.

“I have received wonderful news that my dear friend Carlisle is in Forks, Washington. I will be leaving shortly to see him.”

“What!?” Caius exploded. “Aro, you cannot simply leave the castle whenever it suits you. You have responsibilities here with the rest of us!”

Aro blinked, his cheerful expression in danger of slipping. Marcus said nothing, simply staring at him…or through him, he wasn’t entirely certain.

“Why, dear Caius, I am perfectly aware of my position here in Volterra – you need not remind me of that.”

“Then what makes you think that it is perfectly acceptable to leave at any time?”

He felt his eyes begin to narrow, his friendly disposition morphing to something more mocking.

“Brother, surely you would not be hindered by my absence?” he began in a placating tone that to Caius would surely sound condescending. “You and Marcus are perfectly capable of running Volterra for a short while.”

He paused, watching Caius and knowing that the blonde vampire would take the comment as a backhanded insult, despite it obviously being a compliment. When the vampire leaned forward, his lip beginning to curve into a snarl, he knew he’d been right. He continued.

“If you so chose to visit a friend of your own, I would not stop you. As long as you were to return to us, there would be no objection from me. If you have never thought of this, it is simply because you have never asked.”

His eyes narrowed further, and he took a step forward, his tone becoming dangerous.

“There is a friend that I dearly wish to see, and I will be going.”

His voice dropped low, a hint of a growl coming through.

“You will not chain me here.”

Caius leaned back in his chair, clearly uncomfortable. He turned his head toward Marcus, looking for support.

“Marcus? What say you about this?”

For a long moment, Marcus was silent, staring intensely at Aro as if he were a puzzle to solve. A hint of amusement shone in his dull eyes for a split moment before vanishing and he shook his head.

“I see no reason to prevent Aro from going. We are his brothers, not his caretakers,” he stated flatly.

Caius looked like he was going to protest again, but clenched his jaw and sat up straight, one hand nearly cracking the arm of his throne.

“Very well. And when shall we expect your return?”

The jovial look was back on Aro’s face, and Caius desperately wished he could rip it off with his hands, then spit on it good measure. Aro acted like a spoiled child trapped in the body of a powerful elder vampire, and he seemingly tried to fit into both roles, vacillating wildly between the two. It was unpredictable, dangerous, and despite Aro’s ambition gaining the Volturi several powerful members, he felt it was hardly worth the effort if they were subject to the whimsy of an eccentric – if not entirely insane – vampire. He held back the sneer as Aro began speaking again.

“No longer than a week, my dear brothers! I simply wish to catch up with Carlisle, and then I shall be on my way,” he said cheerfully with a clap of his hands.

Caius leaned back, rudely dismissing Aro by turning his head and scowling petulantly. Marcus remained mute, nodding in acknowledgment but also not looking at him. Aro wanted to laugh as he made his way to his quarters to gather his belongings. Marcus hardly cared enough about his personal matters to want to interfere, and Caius was behaving like a child. He knew he could be the same way, but at least it was not over petty matters such as this. Although…perhaps it would not be so petty if Caius knew the real reason behind his departure. Carlisle was a friend, yes – quite possibly his only friend, in fact – and he fully intended to catch up with him as he said he would, but he had other priorities. The words of the report flashed in his mind, and he smiled. This was a golden opportunity to see little Isabella, to see how she had grown over the years.

“Soon, mia stellina. Soon we shall see what you have become.”

Bella frowned to herself as the bronze-haired boy nearly sprinted out of their Biology classroom. What was his problem? She couldn’t be that repulsive, could she? Whatever, she thought to herself sourly. She hadn’t come here to make friends, anyway. She just wanted to give Renee the wiggle room she needed, even if it meant staying in a bleak place like this. It had been a long time ago that she had promised herself that she would never be a burden to anyone, and she was going to keep that promise as long as she had the ability to do so. Sighing softly, she stood and began making her way to the front of the school, staring at her feet. A tug in her chest made her frown and she squashed it down.

She was not lonely.

Charlie was there to keep her company, even if they didn’t really talk to each other and didn’t spend a lot of time together. It would be enough, she affirmed mentally with a nod.

“Bella!”

She jumped, looking up into the bright gold eyes of one of the Cullen kids. What was her name? Alice?

“Uh, yeah?”

The girl stuck out her hand and Bella stared at it as if it was going to bite her.

“I’m Alice, you’re Chief Swan’s daughter, right?”

Bella nodded, slowly reaching forward to grab the offered hand and shaking it uneasily. A shock raced up the arm of the hand that was shaking Alice’s.

“You’re freezing.”

Alice laughed, and Bella was mesmerized by the sound, similar to tinkling bells.

“Oh, sorry about that! I can’t really stay warm, no matter how hard I try!”

“It’s fine…” she said softly, then thought back to the boy in her class. “Hey, your brother seemed kind of off in class today. Was there something I did to make him mad?”

The girl laughed again, and this time Bella wasn’t quite so enchanted by the sound. What was so funny?

“Don’t worry about it, Bella. He was just having a bad day and isn’t exactly the best at keeping it to himself.”

That was putting it lightly. The look on his face had been murderous. And what had been with him covering his nose? She didn’t stink, she’d washed her hair that morning! If he had a problem with strawberries, that was his problem, not hers. All she wanted was for her junior and senior year to pass peacefully so she could leave and go somewhere warmer, somewhere she wouldn’t stick out like a sore thumb.

But that had never been the case for her, had it? No matter where she went, she stood out for some reason, and she hated it. She didn’t fit in anywhere, and no matter how hard she’d tried to ignore it, the weight of that statement almost crushed her sometimes. What was so different about her? Why couldn’t she just…belong?

“…ella? Bella!”

She blinked, and realized she was glaring at the door handle of her truck. When had she moved? Alice stood behind her, and she saw the girl’s look of concern on the reflection of her window. She turned, sighing.

“Sorry, I guess I just kinda…got lost in thought? It happens a lot.”

Alice smiled in an understanding manner.

“That’s okay, I do that too sometimes. But hey, since we’re going to be great friends, how about you come over tomorrow? It’ll be a way to apologize for Edward’s rude behavior and to get to know you better! My mom is a great cook, I promise you won’t regret it.”

“Friends…?” Bella muttered, looking down.

“Yup! I just know it. Trust me, Bella, when I get a feeling, I’m usually never wrong.”

It was tempting. She felt a little off-balance from the sudden attention, but what valid reason did she have to say no? One of her arms gripped the other, her posture closing off.

“Yeah, I guess I can.”

“Great!” Alice said cheerily, turning around and heading to where her siblings stood waiting. The blonde girl, Rosalie, was scowling in their direction, and the blonde guy – Jasper, was it? – was staring her down with an intense look on his face. Great. Bella didn’t know if she had the energy to win all of them over one by one. “We’ll see you tomorrow, then!”

“Yeah, tomorrow…” she trailed off, scrunching her brows a little.

It wouldn’t be that bad. Right?

#twilight #twilight fanfiction #my work #aro volturi #bella swan #caius volturi #marcus volturi #demetri volturi #alice cullen #AFoF

[kingsroad]

i don't know what to say or do. on again, off again — love you like oxygen.       you don't know what I'd do for you. ❝ habits ❞ by genevieve stokes | edward x wynnflaed.

#the last kingdom #tlk #tlk edward #tlk oc #the last kingdom oc #type: gifs #show: the last kingdom #ch: edward the elder #oc: wynnflaed #ship: edward x wynnflaed #mine: edits #holy shit this took me forever for something that's gonna MAYBE get 10 notes #but i do it for the love of the game so

[msby]

Lady(doesn’t)like.

by: Ana Pamintuan

“Don’t sit like that, it’s not ladylike.” 

“Don’t whistle, it’s not very ladylike.”

“It’s not ladylike to laugh like that.”

“Ladylike.”

Good manners and proper decorum are things parents usually want their children to practice. I have been being told to sit straight (with my knees together!), to control my mouth movements (and make them as demure as possible) and to tone down my guffaws into mere giggles, for as long as I remember. It is not just me who is subject to this kind of upbringing, with my sisters also being advised on how to act by our parents, our titos and titas, and even our household help. I suppose what all these people have in common is how they grew up in different times, and how they are of an older generation.

Without putting much thought into it, I would associate words such as “demure,” “feminine” and “decorous” with “ladylike.” If I had to define it off the top of my head, being ladylike would have to do with a woman conducting herself with good manners. But further reflection on this word I had constantly heard while growing up, I started wondering why these specific traits had to be associated with the ideal girl’s demeanor. Why was it alright for men to sit with their legs apart, but the same cannot be said for a woman who is clothed in trousers? Why was it acceptable for my male peers to talk loudly, while I had to speak in a refined manner?

 THE LADY AS “CULTURED” 

If all women were expected to act in a ladylike manner, would this sort of behavior become feminine culture? Would it direct how any and all women should live their lives? Sir Edward Burnett Tylor argued over a century ago that culture is learned and it develops over time. It happens through enculturation through our parents while we are young, and acculturation when culture diffuses through our socialization with our peers. The anthropologist argued that culture involves acquired capabilities from being a member of a society.

This, in turn, leads me to ask, what sort of society presents these “guidelines” or prescribes this specific way of life for women? Culture is not only seen in a society’s language or beliefs, but its norms as well (Henslin, 2007). And in our society as people living in the modern age, the expectation for women to act in a ladylike manner has become a norm. Society teaches women to be modest and proper, and any behavior that doesn’t match that is considered deviant. Any deviance results in being called things such as “coarse” or “uncouth,” despite only slouching, cursing or failing to conceal one’s belch.

Personally, these norms society has imposed on women, as well as those taught to me by my elders are deeply ingrained in how I conduct myself. I feel self-conscious when I accidentally speak too loudly, and I lament when my posture does not look good in pictures. I do understand that the path to creating my own definition of what it is to be a “lady” takes time, especially when dealing with a patriarchal culture and its norms. Although, it has been much easier after realizing that docility and (traditional) femininity do not determine how much of a woman I am. I, with my tendency to curse and dislike of sitting up straight, can define what it means to be a woman.

 THE LADY AS “CULTIVATED”

Cultivated refers to two things; one as a synonym of the word, “ladylike,” and the other as a product of development. Erving Goffman’s dramaturgy, as explained in The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life (1991), involves a front stage (where people act or present themselves in a less sincere manner), a backstage (where people present themselves in a certain way to those who know of their front stage persona), and the offstage (where a person can truly be themselves). Over time, we cultivate our own stages; they change and adapt based on the kind of society we live in and what it expects from us.

In my personal “performance” of being ladylike, I still find myself acting according to the manners and habits I was taught; I tend to speak softly and avoid strong language when I am around elders. My backstage self would be the peers who know of my tendencies to slouch or laugh loudly, but are still exposed to how I repress these tendencies when “performing” for others. Lastly, my offstage self would refer to my true, personal definition of myself as a woman, where I can unapologetically reject society’s expectations for me and choose to be my truest self. I need not be cultivated by my parents’ expectations of me as a “proper lady,” but I can cultivate the way I conduct myself towards others and to myself. 

 THE LADY AS “POLISHED”

Despite everything I have said up until this point, I physically present myself in a stereotypically “ladylike” way; I wear makeup almost everyday and I take into great consideration each outfit I wear. It is something I see as a privilege; a cisgendered female who does not need to worry about the way society sees her as deviant from the “typical” image of a woman. What I do resent about placing importance on my appearance is how this can come off as something I do for others, not myself.

The stereotypical gender role of a woman involves her appeasing the male gaze with her appearance. My own interest in makeup and clothes subverts this traditional point of view; I wear makeup and nice clothes because it makes me feel good about myself. Similarly, a woman’s traditional role as the appearance-concerned, subservient sex does not dictate the way she can live the rest of her life. Especially in society’s understanding of SOGIE (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression) becoming more and more widespread, women need not be subject to archaic, patriarchal standards for women (being limited to household and child-rearing work). That is not to say that women who choose to stay at home are any less empowered than those who do not. Rather, empowerment as women and as human beings, in general, comes from the ability to choose the way we live. The fluidity of our individual identities cannot be contained to a male-versus-female binary and its traditional roles. Gender ideologies are constantly changing, and with this, our own manifestations of how we understand and express our identities are also changing.

With all of this being said, I try not to cringe as much when I hear the word “ladylike,” or when I am being reprimanded that I am anything but. To understand my own identity means to understand how I define myself. I can choose, or at least learn, to affirm myself by my own standards, not the ladylike standards society has imposed on its women.

References:

Goffman, E. (1991). The presentation of self in everyday life. In J. Henslin (Ed.), Down to Earth Sociology (pp. 98-108). New York, NY: The Free Press. 


Henslin, J. (2007). Down to Earth Sociology (14th ed., pp. 259-268). New York, NY: The Free Press.

Moore, S. & Rosenthal, D. (2007). Gender, sexuality and romance. In Sexuality in Adolescence: Current Trends (Ch. 6 pp. 132-155). New York, NY: Routledge.

#ana

[kingsroad]

Edward the Elder of The Last Kingdom. ⌜ 1 - ∞ ⸥

#the last kingdom #tlk #tlk edward #tlkedit #thelastkingdomedit #dailytlk #edward the elder #timothy innes #type: gifs #show: the last kingdom #ch: edward the elder #mine: edits #mine: edward #am i planning on giffing every single scene with edward in three seasons of tlk? #yes. #i started here because it was already in my drafts lmao

[kingsroad]

❛  you'll always have a place in my heart.  ❜

wynflaed going back home OR post engagement to aelflaed. give me SINCERITY AND LONGING thanks

oops. i angsted. tw for light self-harm.

For as long as she could remember, Wynnflaed watched a woman with worn calluses on her hands pack her life away in late fall. The women were always different, but the act remained the same, even as she aged.

When the days grew shorter and shorter still in Wintanceaster, she knew that it wouldn't be long before every dress was folded and stored in the big oaken chest that was Edward's favored summertime seat. On the morning of final day in the city, only one dress remained. The fabric was soft, but fit for riding long distances, warm enough to keep her from shivering when the wind bit at her ears.

That changed on her eighteenth year.

Bent over the same oaken chest with her knees aching against the stone beneath them, Wynnflaed sniffed and shoved another halfway folded dress to lay among the others. The colors clashed. Ribbons tangled. The garments would be littered with wrinkles by the time they reached Somerset. She could see the disappointed furrow in her mother's expression without even trying.

Good, she thought, bitterness trailing up the back of her throat from the tumult in her chest. Everyone deserves a taste of it.

Wynnflaed reached for another dress, thinking only of her own disappointment. Only when the gown was in her hands did she pause, only then did she stop in her tracks and feel her breath catch in her lungs. The fabric was pale blue linen and embroidered with diamonds and primroses. At the wrists of the dress were patches of brown, dried blood. Her palms still burned where her nails had bitten into the skin.

In the blood, she saw Edward. She saw his glassy eyes and the tremble in his jaw. She saw the two of them, hidden away in some corner of the garden where he could deliver the terrible news in peace, hidden away so that she could cry when he humbled her and not be an inconvenience to anyone.

For seveneen years, she watched one of her mother's ladies pack her chest full of dresses and ribbons and light, summertime cloaks. Now, on her eighteenth, she packed her first.

And her last.

Edward would be married in the throes of winter. Such was fitting. She hoped that the bride slipped in mud. She hoped it rained; she hoped the rain turned to sleet. She hoped that their bedding was always cold.

She hoped –

I will pray for your every happiness, Edward. What sort of friend would I be if I did not hope for that?

Wynnflaed's knuckles flared white as she gripped the dress into a painful bundle. Then, rather than tossing it into the chest, she set it aside. The gown was light for travel, but she didn't care. Heartbreak would keep her warm, as well as the look on Edward's face when she said farewell to him in the dress she'd worn when the future she'd longed for had been set aflame.

In the midst of her rising fury, the chest fell shut on an errant orange curl. She snapped her teeth shut to keep from letting go of a bellow that would shake the fort's foundation.

Tugging the lock of hair free from its mouth did not hurt half as much as slapping her hand down against the curved lid of the chest in retaliation. Only when she felt the sharp pain radiate down into her fingers did she feel a flicker of regret.

She would be away from Wintanceaster on the morrow, and she would never return, not even when her father was called by the king. Her life would become what King Alfred so badly wanted for her – unmarried and unwanted, untouched by his son and left to live on horseback, smelling of naught but sweat and clean air. She would never be queen. She would never be a wife or a mother.

Her shoulders trembled, and she shoved her knuckle into her mouth, biting down to keep from wailing. All the tears she'd shed had been enough. Every pain was another disappointment.

The door shut.

Wynnflaed's hand snapped down from her mouth to find solace in being hidden by the one in her lap. Compressing the tender skin made her squirm, but there was little else for her to do to conceal the bright pink bite marks she'd left behind.

The corners of her eyes went rigid as they darted in the direction of the intruder. There, she did not find her father or one of the ladies sent to mind her, but Edward.

Weary Edward, looking so much older than eighteen years.

His swiftly approaching marriage to Aelflaed had sent them sprawling in opposite directions. While she rebelled and bit and cried, he withdrew. He quieted. He aged. He looked too much like his father, she realized. She hated his father.

Scrambling up onto her feet, Wynnflaed hid her hands behind her back and lifted her chin high.

“What is it?” she asked, her words half-plea and half-snarl. “You... should have knocked before letting yourself in. I might have—”

“I've never knocked.”

He wasn't wrong. How often had Edward stolen into her room to spend hours talking to her around a patch of moonlight on the floor? How many times had he slipped in only to coax her out with some dastardly plan of escape? Not once had he ever knocked before entering her room, and never before had she demanded it of him.

“You...”

“Are you hurting yourself again?” he snapped at her.

He moved quicker than she ever expected him to move. Before she could put the necessary distance between them, he was there, standing directly in front of her, grabbing for her forearm to pull it around and get a glimpse of her hand. Her hand, with its bitten finger and the red half-moons carved out by her nails.

“Wynnflaed, I asked – I begged you to –”

This time, she interrupted him, but not with words.

Sinking in against him was the easiest and most regretful thing she'd ever done. She exhaled slowly and felt herself pulled forward against his chest, her nose tucking into the curve of his throat.

Her lips parted to speak, but caught on the collar of his tunic. Only when she lifted her head to rest her chin against his shoulder was she able to put a voice to her words.

“I do not want to go,” she whispered. “I do not want to leave you.”

Edward dropped her hand. His arms wound around her in the next breath, squeezing her soft frame in an embrace that would have choked any other. But even if her ribs popped and splintered, she would not move away from him. The ribbon that had always tied them together was not a brilliant red, but the rust of dried blood, like a stain on a dress's long sleeves.

“Then... do not go,” Wynnflaed heard him whisper. As her lips pressed to the warm skin of his throat, his found purchase against the top of her head, lost among rampant orange curls. “Remain here. My mother would happily keep you.”

Lady Aelswith carried as much love for her as the king. None.

“I must go. It is what is expected of us.”

Every fall, she and her father packed their lives – and their hearts – into massive, oaken chests before making the trek from Wintanceaster to Somerset. They gave Somerset their winters and their springs, but the months were cold and empty until they returned to the king and the aethling and remembered what it was like to live.

Edward's eyes softened as the fist in her chest tightened and tightened, until she felt as if she could no longer breathe. It was not the embrace that suffocated, but the pleading in his eyes and the way he stroked the curve of her cheek with his thumb.

“Then, I will say that... even though you will be far away from me, you will always have a place in my heart,” he whispered, as if that was better than goodbye.

Wynnflaed sniffed.

At her sides, her hands curled into fists, and her nails nestled into the marks she'd left behind days prior.

Before long, she would not have any dresses that her heart had not been broken in. The fabric would carry black memories like rain clouds on the horizon, and every morning, she would remember.

#type: fic #show: the last kingdom #ch: edward the elder #oc: wynnflaed #ship: edward x wynnflaed #mine: writing #oh god i'm so sorry jkjlkjfs

[onouryuu]

Chapters: 21/? Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga, Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Greed/Ling Yao, Lan Fan & Ling Yao, Greed & Ling Yao Characters: Ling Yao, Greed (Fullmetal Alchemist), Lan Fan, Mei Chan | May Chang, Xiao Mei (Fullmetal Alchemist), Alphonse Elric, Original Xingese Character(s), Jerso (Fullmetal Alchemist), Zampano (Fullmetal Alchemist), Edward Elric, Winry Rockbell, Roy Mustang, Riza Hawkeye, Grumman (Fullmetal Alchemist) Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Xingese politics, Slow Burn, Ling's siblings are assholes, most of them - Freeform, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Action, Lots of chinese traditions Summary:

"An Emperor needs to be benevolent and righteous, he must know how to discern right from wrong, he must have integrity, be polite and well-mannered, he must never look down on tradition and he must respect his elders."

Greed is brought back by Truth under mysterious conditions and ends up in Xing, where he's caught in it's turbulent political scene – from rebel princes to corrupt officials trying to manipulate the young Emperor, he sees it all. Ling, on the other hand, continues to build on his plan of saving his decadent country on the verge of collapse, unaware of the growing shadows lurking on his seemingly stable rule.

And the flames of war may have sparked.

#fma #fullmetal alchemist #fullmetal alchemist brotherhood #ao3 #ling yao #greed fma #greed the avaricious #greedling

[pamphletstoinspire]

THE BOOK OF TOBIAS Or Tobit* - From The Douay-Rheims Bible - Latin Vulgate

Chapter 5

INTRODUCTION.

This Book takes its name from the holy man Tobias, whose wonderful virtues are herein recorded. It contains most excellent documents of great piety, extraordinary patience, and of perfect resignation to the will of God. His humble prayer was heard, and the angel Raphael was sent to relieve him: he is thankful, and praises the Lord, calling on the children of Israel to do the same. Having lived to the age of one hundred and two years, he exhorts his son and grandsons to piety, foretells the destruction of Ninive, and the rebuilding of Jerusalem: he dies happily. Ch. --- The Jews themselves have a great regard for the book of Tobias; (Grot. Sixtus Senens. viii.) which Origen (ad Afric.) says they "read in Hebrew," meaning probably the Chaldee, (C.) out of which language S. Jerom translated it, preferring to displease the Pharisaical Jews, rather than not to satisfy the desires of the holy bishops Chromatius and Heliodorus. Ep. t. iii. W. --- The Greek version seems to have been taken from another copy, or it has been executed with greater liberty by the Hellenist Jews, between the times of the Sept. and of Theodotion. C. --- Huet and Prideaux esteem it more original; and Houbigant has translated it in his Bible, as the Council of Trent only spoke of the Latin editions then extant; and S. Jerom followed in his version the Hebrew one of a Jew, as he did not understand the Chaldee. H. --- The Syriac and the modern Hebrew edition of Fagius, agree mostly with the Greek, as that of Munster and another Heb. copy of Huet, and the Arabic version, both unpublished, are more conformable to the Vulgate. The most ancient Latin version used before S. Jerom, was taken from the Greek; and the Fathers who lived in those ages, speak of it when they call the book of Tobias canonical. S. Aug. leaves it, however, to adopt S. Jerom's version, in his Mirrour. The copies of all these versions vary greatly, (C.) though the substance of the history is still the same; and in all we discover the virtues of a good parent, of a dutiful son, and virtuous husband, beautifully described. H. --- "The servant of God, holy Tobias, is given to us after the law for an example, that we might know how to practise what we read; and that if temptations assail us, we may not depart from the fear of God, nor expect help from any other." S. Aug. q. 119. ex utroque Test. --- The four first chapters exhibit the holy life of old Tobias, and the eight following, the journey and affairs of his son, directed by Raphael. In the two last chapters they praise God, and the elder Tobias foretells the better state of the commonwealth. W. --- It is probable that both left records, from which this work has been compiled, with a few additional observations. It was written during (C.) or after the captivity of Babylon. E. --- The Jews had then little communication with each other, in different kingdoms. Tobias was not allowed to go into Media, under Sennacherib; and it is probable that the captives at Babylon would be under similar restrictions; so that we do not need to wonder that they were unacquainted with this history of a private family, the records of which seem to have been kept at Ecbatana. The original Chaldee is entirely lost, so that it is impossible to ascertain whether the Greek or the Vulg. be more conformable to it. The chronology of the latter seems however more accurate, as the elder Tobias foretold the destruction of Ninive, twenty-three years before the event, which his son just beheld verified, dying in the 18th year of king Josias. The accounts which appear to sectaries to be fabulous, may easily be explained. Houbigant. --- Josephus and Philo omit this history. C.

* One of the seven Deutero-Canonical books, missing from most non-Catholic Bibles.

The additional Notes in this Edition of the New Testament will be marked with the letter A. Such as are taken from various Interpreters and Commentators, will be marked as in the Old Testament. B. Bristow, C. Calmet, Ch. Challoner, D. Du Hamel, E. Estius, J. Jansenius, M. Menochius, Po. Polus, P. Pastorini, T. Tirinus, V. Bible de Vence, W. Worthington, Wi. Witham. — The names of other authors, who may be occasionally consulted, will be given at full length.

Verses are in English and Latin. HAYDOCK CATHOLIC BIBLE COMMENTARY

This Catholic commentary on the Old Testament, following the Douay-Rheims Bible text, was originally compiled by Catholic priest and biblical scholar Rev. George Leo Haydock (1774-1849). This transcription is based on Haydock's notes as they appear in the 1859 edition of Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary printed by Edward Dunigan and Brother, New York, New York.

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES

Changes made to the original text for this transcription include the following:

Greek letters. The original text sometimes includes Greek expressions spelled out in Greek letters. In this transcription, those expressions have been transliterated from Greek letters to English letters, put in italics, and underlined. The following substitution scheme has been used: A for Alpha; B for Beta; G for Gamma; D for Delta; E for Epsilon; Z for Zeta; E for Eta; Th for Theta; I for Iota; K for Kappa; L for Lamda; M for Mu; N for Nu; X for Xi; O for Omicron; P for Pi; R for Rho; S for Sigma; T for Tau; U for Upsilon; Ph for Phi; Ch for Chi; Ps for Psi; O for Omega. For example, where the name, Jesus, is spelled out in the original text in Greek letters, Iota-eta-sigma-omicron-upsilon-sigma, it is transliterated in this transcription as, Iesous. Greek diacritical marks have not been represented in this transcription.

Footnotes. The original text indicates footnotes with special characters, including the astrisk (*) and printers' marks, such as the dagger mark, the double dagger mark, the section mark, the parallels mark, and the paragraph mark. In this transcription all these special characters have been replaced by numbers in square brackets, such as [1], [2], [3], etc.

Accent marks. The original text contains some English letters represented with accent marks. In this transcription, those letters have been rendered in this transcription without their accent marks.

Other special characters.

Solid horizontal lines of various lengths that appear in the original text have been represented as a series of consecutive hyphens of approximately the same length, such as ---.

Ligatures, single characters containing two letters united, in the original text in some Latin expressions have been represented in this transcription as separate letters. The ligature formed by uniting A and E is represented as Ae, that of a and e as ae, that of O and E as Oe, and that of o and e as oe.

Monetary sums in the original text represented with a preceding British pound sterling symbol (a stylized L, transected by a short horizontal line) are represented in this transcription with a following pound symbol, l.

The half symbol (1/2) and three-quarters symbol (3/4) in the original text have been represented in this transcription with their decimal equivalent, (.5) and (.75) respectively.

Unreadable text. Places where the transcriber's copy of the original text is unreadable have been indicated in this transcription by an empty set of square brackets, [].

Chapter 5

Young Tobias seeking a guide for his journey, the angel Raphael, in shape of a man, undertaketh this office.

[1] Then Tobias answered his father, and said: I will do all things, father, which thou hast commanded me.

Tunc respondit Tobias patri suo, et dixit : Omnia quaecumque praecepisti mihi faciam, pater.

[2] But how I shall get this money, I cannot tell; he knoweth me not, and I know not him: what token shall I give him? nor did I ever know the way which leadeth thither.

Quomodo autem pecuniam hanc requiram, ignoro : ille me nescit, et ego eum ignoro : quod signum dabo ei? sed neque viam, per quam pergatur illuc, aliquando cognovi.

[3] Then his father answered him, and said: I have a note of his hand with me, which when thou shalt shew him, he will presently pay it.

Tunc pater suus respondit illi, et dixit : Chirographum quidem illius penes me habeo : quod dum illi ostenderis, statim restituet.

[4] But go now, and seek thee out some faithful man, to go with thee for his hire: that thou mayst receive it, while I yet live.

Sed perge nunc, et inquire tibi aliquem fidelem virum, qui eat tecum salva mercede sua : ut, dum adhuc vivo, recipias eam.

[5] Then Tobias going forth, found a beautiful young man, standing girded, and as it were ready to walk.

Tunc egressus Tobias, invenit juvenem splendidum, stantem praecinctum, et quasi paratum ad ambulandum.

[6] And not knowing that he was an angel of God, he saluted him, and said: From whence art thou, good young man?

Et ignorans quod angelus Dei esset, salutavit eum, et dixit : Unde te habemus, bone juvenis?

[7] But he answered: Of the children of Israel. And Tobias said to him: Knowest thou the way that leadeth to the country of the Medes?

At ille respondit : Ex filiis Israel. Et Tobias dixit ei : Nosti viam, quae ducit in regionem Medorum?

[8] And he answered: I know it: and I have often walked through all the ways thereof, and I have abode with Gabelus our brother, who dwelleth at Rages a city of the Medes, which is situate in the mount of Ecbatana.

Cui respondit : Novi : et omnia itinera ejus frequenter ambulavi, et mansi apud Gabelum fratrem nostrum : qui moratur in Rages civitate Medorum, quae posita est in monte Ecbatanis.

[9] And Tobias said to him: Stay for me, I beseech thee, till I tell these same things to my father.

Cui Tobias ait : Sustine me obsecro, donec haec ipsa nuntiem patri meo.

[10] Then Tobias going in told all these things to his father. Upon which his father being in admiration, desired that he would come in unto him.

Tunc ingressus Tobias, indicavit universa haec patri suo. Super quae admiratus pater, rogavit ut introiret ad eum.

[11] So going in he saluted him, and said: Joy be to thee always.

Ingressus itaque salutavit eum, et dixit : Gaudium tibi sit semper.

[12] And Tobias said: What manner of joy shall be to me, who sit in darkness, and see not the light of heaven?

Et ait Tobias : Quale gaudium mihi erit, qui in tenebris sedeo, et lumen caeli non video?

[13] And the young man said to him: Be of good courage, thy cure from God is at hand.

Cui ait juvenis : Forti animo esto : in proximo est ut a Deo cureris.

[14] And Tobias said to him: Canst thou conduct my son to Gabelus at Rages, a city of the Medes? and when thou shalt return, I will pay thee thy hire.

Dixit itaque illi Tobias : Numquid poteris perducere filium meum ad Gabelum in Rages civitatem Medorum? et cum redieris, restituam tibi mercedem tuam.

[15] And the angel said to him: I will conduct him thither, and bring him back to thee.

Et dixit ei angelus : Ego ducam, et reducam eum ad te.

[16] And Tobias said to him: I pray thee, tell me, of what family, or what tribe art thou?

Cui Tobias respondit : Rogo te, indica mihi de qua domo, aut de qua tribu es tu.

[17] And Raphael the angel answered: Dost thou seek the family of him thou hirest, or the hired servant himself to go with thy son?

Cui Raphael angelus dixit : Genus quaeris mercenarii, an ipsum mercenarium, qui cum filio tuo eat?

[18] But lest I should make thee uneasy, I am Azarias the son of the great Ananias.

Sed ne forte sollicitum te reddam, ego sum Azarias Ananiae magni filius.

[19] And Tobias answered: Thou art of a great family. But I pray thee be not angry that I desired to know thy family.

Et Tobias respondit : Ex magno genere es tu. Sed peto ne irascaris quod voluerim cognoscere genus tuum.

[20] And the angel said to him: I will lead thy son safe, and bring him to thee again safe.

Dixit autem illi angelus : Ego sanum ducam, et sanum tibi reducam filium tuum.

[21] And Tobias answering, said: May you have a good journey, and God be with you in your way, and his angel accompany you.

Respondens autem Tobias, ait : Bene ambuletis, et sit Deus in itinere vestro, et angelus ejus comitetur vobiscum.

[22] Then all things being ready, that were to be carried in their journey, Tobias bade his father and his mother farewell, and they set out both together.

Tunc paratis omnibus, quae erant in via portanda, fecit Tobias vale patri suo et matri suae, et ambulaverunt ambo simul.

[23] And when they were departed, his mother began to weep, and to say: Thou hast taken the staff of our old age, and sent him away from us.

Cumque profecti essent, coepit mater ejus flere, et dicere : Baculum senectutis nostrae tulisti, et transmisisti a nobis.

[24] I wish the money for which thou hast sent him, had never been.

Numquam fuisset ipsa pecunia, pro qua misisti eum.

[25] For poverty was sufficient for us, that we might account it as riches, that we saw our son.

Sufficiebat enim nobis paupertas nostra, ut divitias computaremus hoc, quod videbamus filium nostrum.

[26] And Tobias said to her: Weep not, our son will arrive thither safe, and will return safe to us, and thy eyes shall see him.

Dixitque ei Tobias : Noli flere : salvus perveniet filius noster, et salvus revertetur ad nos, et oculi tui videbunt illum.

[27] For I believe that the good angel of God doth accompany him, and doth order all things well that are done about him, so that he shall return to us with joy.

Credo enim quod angelus Dei bonus comitetur ei, et bene disponat omnia, quae circa eum geruntur, ita ut cum gaudio revertatur ad nos.

[28] At these words his mother ceased weeping, and held her peace.

Ad hanc vocem cessavit mater ejus flere, et tacuit.

Commentary:

Ver. 2. I cannot. Gr. "as I know him not; and he gave him the handwriting, and said to him: Seek," &c. H. --- The Gr. &c. had not before noticed this token. C. --- Hitherto Tobit had spoken in the first person. H.

Ver. 5. Beautiful; resplendent with celestial majesty. C. --- Gr. "he found Raphael, who was an angel, and he knew it not, and said to him: Canst thou go with me to Rages, of Media, and art thou acquainted with the places?" H. --- This angel prefigured Jesus Christ, who took indeed Our human nature. V. Bede. W.

Ver. 7. Israel. This is not in Greek, &c. But the old Vulg. has, "Raphael answered, of the children of Israel, thy brethren, I am come hither for work," (H.) or employment. C.

Ver. 8. Often. Gr. "lodged with Gabael, our brother, and Tobias," &c.

Ver. 11. He saluted. Gr. "they saluted each other." H. --- The rest till v. 16, is omitted also in Syr. and Fagius. But the Heb. of Munster nearly agrees with the Vulg. C.

Ver. 18. But lest. Gr. Comp. "and Tobit said, brother, I wish to know thy race and thy name. But he replied, I am of the race of Azarias, and of Ananias, who is also thy brother." Whitaker would have this to be a lie. H. --- But the apparitions of angels are not to be examined by the ordinary rules of life. They take the name of God without scruple, as they acted in his name. Gen. xxxi. 11. C. M. T. --- Azarias. The angel took the form of Azarias; and therefore might call himself by the name of the man whom he personated. Azarias, in Hebrew, signifies the help of God; and Ananias, the grace of God. Ch. --- Tobias had not inquired whether he was a man or an angel, as Houbigant answers the objection of Prideaux. H. --- The "help and medicine of God" nearly correspond. W.

Ver. 19. Thy family. Gr. Syr. &c. add, "Thou art my brother, of a noble and good race. For I know Ananias and Jonathan, sons of the great Semei, as we went together to Jerusalem to adore, carrying the first-born, and tithes of the produce; and they did not join in the error of their brethren. Thou art of a great stock, brother. But tell me what reward I shall give thee? A drachm a day, and what may be requisite for thee and for my son. And I will give more than the hire if you return in health. And they agreed; and he said to Tobias, Be in readiness for the journey, and may you be directed: and his son prepared the requisites for the journey," &c. H.

Ver. 22. Then all. It was not easy to procure provisions on the road. --- Together. Gr. and Syr. add, (C.) "and the dog of the child with them."

Ver. 27. Angel. This was the persuasion of the ancient Hebrews, approved by the gospel. Mat. xviii. 10. Some of the fathers also believed that each person had an evil angel tempting him to sin. Orig. S. Greg. Nys. Vit. Mosis. Cassian, col. viii. 17. C. - But this opinion is discarded. H.

#book of tobias