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bitletsanddrabbles · 3 years

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WIP Wednesday: Working on that ‘focus’ thing

Right. So. I’ve mentioned that I’m trying to focus on just one or two things and actually clear out the WIP folder a bit. One of those things is, and probably will be for the next three years, the Thomas-as-heir novel. I mean, even once I get my research done and pound out a rough draft, that bastard’s gonna need editing up the ying yang and not to put too fine a point on it, I’ve never edited a novel before. It’s going to be more like a complete re-write.

But. It is a thing I am working on, actively, so while I sit and wait for the interlibrary loan system to deliver my books - something I am being very patient about, especially the one I ordered last week which is in system, was marked as ‘available’, and my father could have checked out and delivered to me the next day but oh no, I’ll just order it - have a small snippet of Thomas and his new fuck buddy upper crust friend at a party where they’ve just run into Thomas’s absolute bastard ex the Duke of Crowborough.

Thomas frowned into the night, not really seeing the lights of London. Looking back at it, that was when he’d really fallen for the other man. The weeks of slipping out whenever he could, of covert meetings and passionate abandon, they’d been nice, but no different than any other affair. It was that first letter that had worked its way past the armor he’d already started constructing for himself. The sound of wool against stone as Simon shifted next to him brought him back to the present. “When the Titanic sank and I thought Lady Mary would inherit, my first instinct was to write Phillip,” he continued. “It just…it seemed like such a neat solution to everything. He’d get his heiress; I’d get to be valet, and we’d have each other. It would be perfect.”

“I didn’t hear anything about Lady Mary in that,” Simon noted, his tone somewhat dry. A sideways glance showed Thomas that he was smirking.

With a soft chuckle, Thomas looked away, only slightly ashamed by his past indifference to his employer’s daughter. “Yes, well, she was Lady Mary, wasn’t she? Didn’t really care about her, back then. If I had thought about it, I’d have said she’d have gotten to be a Duchess. What more does a woman like that want?” He looked askance at the other man. Simon thought about it a moment, then shrugged, indicating that he didn’t know either. After all, it was well acknowledged that, in many regards, the London Season had only slightly more to do with romance than a horse auction. “Anyway, Mary wasn’t the point. The point was, I wrote Phillip because I wanted to be with him. I thought he wanted to be with me.

“Thing is, while we’d written, we’d not seen each other in a year. More than that. Despite the letters, I did wonder if, when he got there, if he’d still feel the same. I told myself that he would, of course he would, and if he didn’t when he first arrived…well, he’d fallen for me once, hadn’t he? Shouldn’t take much to remind him why. And if he still didn’t…well…” He trailed off, taking another drag off his cigarette. They said a burden shared was a burden halved, but poking through his old wounds didn’t make them feel any more healed. Quite the opposite. And why should he feel obligated to put Simon’s mind at ease? He hadn’t asked the other man to take him under his wing and show him around the shady corners of the aristocracy.

“If he still didn’t,” Simon supplied, “Then you had the letters.”

With a heartfelt sigh, Thomas closed his eyes and rested his head against the stone behind him. “Right. I just never really believed…” His closed eyes meant that he didn’t see the touch coming. There was just the soft feel of a finger against his cheek, running down the line of his jaw to his neck and then sliding around to the back of his head, shifting into a comforting massage at the base of his skull. He smiled and opened his eyes again, turning to find the other man watching him with open sympathy. Somehow it was easier to take from Simon, from another man like him, than it would have from anyone back at Downton. It still made his stomach do that uncomfortable little twist.

Reaching up, he gently pushed the hand away. “Please don’t think I’ve been pining over him all of these years,” he insisted, forcing himself to smile. “Really. I’ve not thought about him since before the war.” That wasn’t quite true. There had been a few times, when he’d been cowering in the trenches, listening to the sound of distant shelling, that he’d wondered where his former lover was. If he was near by, in another battle field; buried in a hole, or back home in England. If, at some point, he was going to be the one on the stretcher Thomas was carrying. “It’s only, seeing him again, now that everyone knows who I really am and having him treat me like I’m still a servant, still a footman at that… Well. I suppose it’s just a sharp reminder that there are people who will never see me as anything worthwhile is all. Even if I were the long lost crown prince.”

#downton abbey #downton abbey fanfiction #thomas barrow #original character #alternate universe #wip wednesday

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adevotedappraisal · 3 years

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The Carter Trilogy, part five of five

Conclusion: We know the pain is real, but you can’t heal what you never reveal

"Marriage,” Joseph Campbell, Professor of Literature at Sarah Lawrence College, once said in an interview with former White House Press Secretary and journalist Bill Moyers, “is not a love affair, it is an ordeal, the sacrifice of the ego to the twoness, which becomes the one,” and anyone can see that sobering, bone-dry realization in the mahogany roots of any failed marriage.

But that realization can come hot and stinging from a reckoning within the marriage too, one that comes out usually some mournful evening, with a mumbled greeting and then slow, prowling questions, until a lie justifying a confession comes, and then shaking hands and voices would report, hitting on shoulders in the same tempo as the judge's gavel one dodged all those years.

In our grandparents time, they got about three or so reckonings before the thing was up and done with, some of them ol' union-man unions kept on after that, but they got all heavy and colossal the more wet transgressions were uncovered. Nowadays, who knows how many you get, so everyone I know is walking around with their nose all clean, and their fist all balled up.

Well, here we had presented to us in real time, a marriage of black royalty that survived such a reckoning. An under-reported yet typical three act play for marriages that usually played out in hushed, violently whispered conversations behind closed doors.

But remember, these aren’t diary entries, this is a years-spanning narrative, told over numerous time zones and of course, numerous UPC bar codes. These aren’t your friends, but instead are black entertainers that slotted themselves into the black consciousness as the couple of note, the way Nat King and Maria Cole, Ozzie and Ruby Davis, or Will and Jada Pinket-Smith did over the generations. They presented themselves as something larger and blacker than they themselves were, the same way we have to continually present ourselves to the eternal pyre of our own marriages.

Meaning, they won’t always get that expression out right in the studio, the same way we won’t always get the words out right during the anniversary night at the island hotel or whatever. Because that feeling you feel in the song is a feeling they took take after take to get right, that beat after beat was forded towards.

Jay Z and Beyonce ultimately monetized their best talents, and created a national conversation on the nature and shape of American marriages, but at the same time left some of their wisened observations and most iconic moments ensconced in dated production, like with 4:44s “Moonlight,” and Lemonade's “Sorry." And let’s not forget that Love Is Everything is as mid as their Bonnie and Clyde collaborations throughout the years promised it would've been.

That’s said, I like how pro-black the two first singles from their albums were. “Formation" got your black noses and fists raised, and commanded you into a shucking, trap jive, while “Story of OJ" was a downbeat groove, a chopped-up, Nina Simone-led basement afterparty to Queen Bey's Black Broadway parade.

And I like the duo on the foot-stomping testimony of “Family Feud,” where Jay reaches across hip-hop generations over Beyonce’s swaying harmonies, Jay accenting his “and old niggas, let’s stop acting brand new/ like Tupac ain’t had a nose ring too,” among the ringing piano.

Later on the song, Jay not only struggles with his household crown, he relates his troubles to Michael Corleone in the opening scene of 1974s The Godfather Part II. “My consciousness was Michael’s common sense, I missed the karma that came as a consequence/ niggas bussing off in the curtain cuz she hurtin', Kay losing the baby with the future’s uncertain,” he says, with unencumbered eyes, while Bey's recurring “higher, higher” swirl around him like curling affirmations. They reconcile the song at the end, reminding you of this black cultural wonder they are, the thing we wanted Whitney and Bobby to be throughout the nineties, these stewards to a possible black renaissance if we can all keep the weight up.

But there’s something that’s missing here across this trilogy. There’s this lack of clarity in the narrative, and that lies mostly with the mercurial Beyoncé. Jay Z is baring his guts here, confessing to affairs, neglect and a lack of empathy from his cold, cold heart, while on the songs across Lemonade and Everything Is Love, there’s a lightness in the confession department, a lack of that one softly thrown line from her that could bare all on the floor.

But you know, maybe I’m being too hard on the Queen, after all, this is just some story being played out of a box by characters that we treat as a couple in the family. When the glowing screen shows me other scenes from a marriage I don't get all constructive and demanding, I just sit back and take it all in. I mean I never really demanded any of this clarity or confession from The Godfather’s Kay Adams, so I shouldn’t from Beyonce Knowles-Carter either.

Although, come to think of it, in those first scenes of The Godfather I always thought it was strange that Kay still fell for Michael after he told her that Johnny Fontane story at the table all calm-like while sipping his drink. She knew he wasn’t gonna go straight right? She knew she was going for a cool ride with this Mafioso didn’t she? I mean why wasn’t she dating one of the other teachers at that school she taught at when he showed up all of a sudden? What was her whole deal in this game? What was she steering Michael to become? Wouldn’t it have been cool to get a couple scenes of her whole side of the plot? I’m just saying though, wouldn’t that have made that classic drama even more grand, even more ill?

#music #rnb #soul #pop #rap #hip-hop #r&b #music review #long read #beyonce #black music #jay z #essay

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eastonia-blog · 4 years

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I’m going to do a weird.

I know a whole lot of us are stuck at home due to the COVID19 outbreak and all our respective governments attempting to flatten the curve. So I’m going to break out my VAST library of fanfiction recommendations for you to read! Please bear in mind that my tastes in fics are not necessarily like yours so the following 15 Fandom reccs might be hit or miss. All ships and above T ratings will be tagged with brackets, all crossovers will be mentioned in those same brackets. Also, if I mention it’s part of a series, I’m not just recommending the fic I mentioned, I’m recommending the whole series. I’ve tried to recommend a different author’s fic each time. So! Let’s start with the 3 fandoms I mention in my blog description.

1) ATLA Fate Deferred (Zutara) Aang remains in the iceberg ten years longer. Sozin’s comet comes, the world keeps turning with no Avatar to save it, and by the time he’s finally found by a waterbender and her Fire Nation husband, a lot has changed. [Zutara established relationship full series rewrite; Now on Book II: Earth] Cheating at Pai Sho (Canon Divergence) “You said you were the Avatar!” “…I lied?” Aang doesn’t get rescued in episode two, and no one’s seen him go glowy yet… so he starts bluffing. Hard. Or: “The Avatar joins Zuko’s quest to find the Avatar.” In which Zuko doesn’t join the Gaang, the Gaang joins Zuko. The Undying Fire: Blood and Fire (First in the Undying Fire Series, eventual Zutara) Book 1. In which rescuing the Avatar from Pohuai Stronghold doesn’t end so well. It’s a tough life being a banished prince trying to get home, especially when the Avatar just wants to be your friend and keeps making everything confusing. Oh, and did Zuko mention he somehow healed the kid? Yeah, that happened. Stalking Zuko (First in the Stalking Zuko Series, eventual Zutara) Katara has developed a new hobby. At the Western Air Temple she takes to stalking Zuko. Much silliness and shenanigans follow. In chapter 20: Katara and Zuko return home to the others. Katara hates the F word and she comes to a decision regarding Zuko. Embers (Canon divergence) Dragon’s fire is not so easily extinguished; when Zuko rediscovers a lost firebending technique, shifting flames can shift the world… 2) Percy Jackson and the Olympians The Father (Percabeth in the GFFA, eventual Anidala) It all started with a wish, but because it was Percy Jackson it couldn’t have been a friendly goddess granting him a wish. No, it had to be Nemesis, goddess of revenge and balance. Now Percy and Annabeth are stuck in a strange new galaxy right when an ancient and powerful darkness finally begins to stir. Glass Figures (MCU Mashup) I lifted my gun, pointing it towards the minefield of shattered fragments, and kicked the small coffee table out of the way.Only to stare down at an awfully familiar face, which split into a somewhat lopsided grin. The intruder raised his hands in a mocking surrender. //“Long time no see, dude.” //I lowered the gun. “What the hell are you doing in South Peru?” //Or in which Clint Barton and Percy Jackson have a long personal history that starts in high school. All Together, Cousins (Canon divergence) When Thalia ran away with her toddler brother, Jason, she slowly gathered her cousins: she and her cousins being Big Three children. As Jason gets older and their motley group expands to six, Thalia resigns herself to the fact that she won’t always be the leader of the pack. As she accepts that, something more is coming, able to challenge even the gods above. A Crown of Golden Leaves (Historical AU) Annabeth, a Lady from the declining polis of Athens, must marry the Heir Apparent of Rome to save the rapidly expanding world from a threat even the gods couldn’t foresee. Deluge (Percy in the Arrowverse) Barry has to deal with yet another Metahuman that Zoom has pitted against him. But this ‘Metahuman’ is an unwilling pawn in Zoom’s plan and really wants to find a way around killing the Scarlet Speester. But how can he when Zoom is holding something against him?

3) DC Firework (First in the Sparks in the Dark Series) Orphaned and removed from the only life he’s ever known, Dick feels like there’s no light left for him in the world. His new benefactor, however, still sees something worth saving… Chronological beginning of the Spark in the Dark series. Iron, Fire, Mirror-Glass After a brutal confrontation with Bane, Bruce comes away with a broken spine and the certainty that his days as Batman are over. An unexpected discovery offers him another chance—but at what price? The story of a man who risks his soul for the sake of his mission, the dangerous creature he names Robin, and the unlikely partnership that will shape the legend of Gotham’s Dark Knight. Get Back Up There was a mole, one who played a long game. The team was betrayed, crushed. Robin nearly died. What are they going to do now? Only one chirped the answer. Get back up. WARNING: lots of talking, little action, many follow ups Five Times …Five times Damian thought of Dick Grayson as his father, and the one time Dick thought of Damian as his son. Future-fic. YJ characters will show up later. Batman!Dick and Damian as Robin. With guest appearances from Jason, Tim, Cass, and Steph. Unveiling the Mystery Series of one-shots about the team learning a little about Robin (Dick Grayson). With all the fics, I heavily suggest you also read what else these authors have to offer in their archive.

And now here’s the plethora of other fandoms I read fics in under the cut!

4) Harry Potter The Horse (Mature) Looking after a Muggle animal should be easy compared to saving Hogwarts from Voldemort. Harry and Draco might disagree with that. Featuring Luna, Marauders, peppermints and, of course, a tall, black, badtempered horse named Simon. The Potions Master’s Nephew An accident occurs and Professor Snape finds himself trapped in his fifteen-year-old body. Enrolled into Harry Potter’s fifth year, he is forced to hide his true identity. Girls, drama and teenage angst do not bode well with Severus. Keeping Up with the Grangers (Dramione, Mature) Mr. Malfoy, I invite you and your mother to tea next Tuesday, May 25th at 2o’clock to discuss recent events. Dr. Helen Granger //… …// He glances at the boxy too-uniform numbers flashing on the face of Richard’s radio. It’s nearly noon, and he should be getting ready to leave; but there is still a harsh tension in his shoulders and neck that he wants to work out before Hermione finds him. It is, after all, Tuesday; and while his Tuesdays were designated ‘tea with Helen’ days previously, they are now ‘lunch with Granger’ days, ever since the chance meet-up with the Weasel’s wife and the insufferable swot herself. Faceless (Dramione, Mature) New year. New love. New threat. A powerful enemy is on the rise, and Hermione Granger finds herself intertwined in a relationship with Draco Malfoy – only she doesn’t know it’s him. / / RUNNER-UP: Enchanted Awards Summer 2017 for Best Relationship Development

5) Devil May Cry And the Rest is Silence (Mature) The destruction of the Saviour wasn’t the end. Too many people had too much invested. An Uncle’s Thoughts Dante’s thoughts and feelings regarding one particular quarter-demon kid. Vignettes that span from the start of Devil May Cry 4 through Devil May Cry 5, and beyond. Fortuna’s Fool Events after DMC5 with flashbacks to the events we briefly see in DMC4SE only with Vergil telling Dante all about Nero’s mother. Family ties are so complicated, aren’t they? Family of Happenstance Some orphans have happy endings, getting adopted or finding their family. Having a demon slaying half devil for a father tends to throw a tiny monkey wrench in the process. AU Father!Dante, Son!Nero. Rated because hunters don’t exactly have clean mouths.

6) Power Rangers (Focus on Might Morphin’ and Dino Thunder teams) Of Love and Bunnies Set just after Dino Thunder. When Angel Grove announces another Power Rangers Day, Tommy takes the Dino Rangers to Angel Grove for a reunion with the original team… including Kimberly. TommyKim, JasonTrini, KiraTrent. The Reason (Part 1 of eclyptyk neo‘s Dino Thunder AU) COMPLETED. DT. AU. Years go by as Tommy Oliver becomes accustomed to his job as a teacher. A person from his past returns. The new ranger team grows interested in its outcome. How will these new changes between rangers young and old be? Sequel: Ordinary World Change of Hearts (Wild Force) PRWF: When Jindrax and Toxica set out to find themselves, they had no idea that their greatest adventure was only beginning. Chronology Conundrum DT/MMPR - After a strange mutation is released in Reefside, the five Dino Thunder Ranges find themselves thrown back into the past, circa 1995 Angel Grove. Somehow, they have to figure out how to make it back to their present without destroying it or themselves. And if they succeed, they must navigate the consequences of their actions in the past, while still protecting Reefside. 7) Merlin (Mergana leaning) The Other Version of Events What if Merlin and Arthur had met when they were children? What if a mysterious illness fell over Ealdor and Merlin was blamed? What if Arthur had actually felt sorry for him? What if destiny was thrown at them in a whole new way? AU, no slash, Bromance, A/G M/M… You get the idea. Flipping the Coin, Part 2 of Coins (2nd story in the Coins Sage but 1st multichapter) Merlin and Gwaine are sent on an adventure to discover their past and stay one step ahead of Morgana. Fearing for them, Arthur and the other knights set out to find them, but soon discover much more than they bargained for. Alt version Season 5. Sequel to “Two Sides of the Coin” Angst, Adventure, BAMF, Bromance, Redemption, Twists on Arthurian Legends. The King’s Legacy “I hope you are rolling in your grave brother, I will find your son, and I hope he is like you. I will ruin him and gain a lovely weapon in the process.” Cenred spat on the grave, “I win Balinor.” .Sequel posted. The Warlock’s Quickening (First in the Albion Cycle) Merlin might have come to Camelot to master his magic, not to end the Purge, but he’s not going to sit idly by while his kin suffer. Oh no. Whether it’s releasing a chained dragon, smuggling sorcerers out of the city, or trying to change Arthur’s mind, he’s fighting back. Now. Series rewrite beginning after 1X02 featuring Proactive!Merlin. AU.

8) Dragon Ball Under the Radar (Gohan/Videl) Gohan is living life as a secret superhero, but Videl is making it her business to find him out! How will Gohan manage her and Saiyan hormones? Will he fess up? Or will he try to live his life -puts on sunglasses- “Under the Radar”? *applause* Thank you! Thank you! And GOODNIGHT! G/V obviously. Rated T because adult situations and language in later chapters. COMPLETE! Golden God (Mature) To save the lives of millions, Gohan is forced to expose himself as a Super Saiyan, proving that his tricks are indeed very real. And it drives the whole world to insanity. Warning; becomes a little graphic goes as it on. Walking Towards the Sunset Bardock’s curse sends him to a mysterious place where weaklings are abundant and an odd trio claim to be his family. Eventually giving in, he stays with them to discover that Earth is more unlucky than Planet Vegeta. Impatiently waiting for his son’s arrival, Bardock has to survive a new life with his estranged family and a certain girl set on finding the truth. (Saiyaman-Buu Saga) Plus One (Gohan/Videl, Mature) Tired of being pursued by the gold-digging, glory-seeking, Satan obsessed freaks of the world, Videl will resort to the only method open to a celebrity like her to find Mr. Right. 9) Sailor Moon (Mainly SenshiShitennou) The Crystal Age (Rewritten) In an alternate version of Season 1, as a result of Beryl’s curse at the end of the Silver Age, Tuxedo Mask and the reincarnated Shitennou are fighting a losing battle to save the city and find the lost princess. Sailor Moon has disappeared, Sailor V is working on her own, and the other Senshi are still just ordinary girls. Sequel to The Silver Age. MxU, SxS. Please R&R. Hooligans It’s after Galaxia and time for University. The Senshi and Mamoru settle into life in Great Britain and meet some old friends. Inner Senshi x Shitennou and Usagi x Mamoru. Modern Timeline. Strong language, crude humour, hilarity and sexual situations abound, be warned, there will be some heavy angst later on too. Never Gone R A single choice can change the course of Fate: a choice, say, like waking up on time. If that choice were made, Chiba Mamoru would never meet Tsukino Usagi; but, he WOULD meet Unami Seiya and the burden of Terra’s future would fall onto his shoulders. Never Gone AU. The Dinner Hour (Part of The Dinner Series) It can be hard to be patient in the face of eternity. But good things come to those who search and refuse to give up on their dreams. R/J. (Sequels: Dinner And Again, Dinner at Last completed!)

10) Les Miserables (Warning: Enjonine ahead) When Apollo Met Persephone (1st of the 1830s AU) The revolution, or at least the first part of it succeeds. Enjolras confronts political and personal realities. Eponine is suddenly faced with more opportunities than she ever thought. Can they guide each other in a world that needs them as much as they need it? Les Choses Qui Sont Arrivées Après “You must flee Paris at once.” Enjolras and Eponine. The thief and the leader, the marble Apollo and the dark street girl… two wholly different survivors of the Revolution are forced together under a dangerous circumstance. Can they successfully fight their demons as well as each other? Neither of them knows quite what is going on, or what will happen when they figure it out. Teacher of Man The first time Enjolras and Éponine meet, it is their wedding day. (arranged marriage AU) My Best Friend’s Wedding Éponine Thenardiér always thought that Marius would eventually come back to her, until the wedding invitation came in the mail. Now she is going to do everything that she can to get him back from that blonde tart Cosette. Nothing goes according to plan and even her partner in crime Enjolras is becoming an obstacle. E/E. 11) Naruto Beginnings Naruto was six years old when he met the man who changed his life. …Now he’s kind of just hoping he survives it. An Inch of Gold (Part of the Legacy of Fire series) Team 7 is sent on a mission to investigate a disturbance outside of the village, where they encounter an unconscious girl in a crater. The mysterious Sarada insists she’s a shinobi from the Hidden Leaf trying to rescue her teammates. When the team discovers she possesses a Sharingan, things become even more unbelievable. [Part of the Legacy of Fire Series] Guilt of Innocence Uchiha Sasuke abandoned Konoha in his persute of power to join Orochimaru. However, this was only a cover story. In fact, on Tsunade’s orders, Sasuke is to act as Konoha’s spy within Otogakure. One agreement and his path had changed forever… Blind (SasuSaku) It was almost time, Orochimaru was going to take his body as a vessel. He hated being used…he refused to be used. With that thought, he took the kunai in his hand and slashed across his eyes.

12) Legend of Zelda (Zelink) The Conviction to Save The princess is dead. Those are the words being whispered in the streets. A great shudder sweeps across the land of Hyrule as news of its beloved monarch’s passing spreads like wildfire. In the midst of the ensuing chaos, a humble village doctor happens upon the body of a gravely injured young woman on the road. Legend of the Miraculous (Concepts taken from Miraculous Ladybug) A legend retold through many a tale, but when a darkness resurfaces after so long, Athena and Sheikhan Wolf must return again! Will Link and Zelda be able to combat this threat? and will they figure out each others’ identities? Come inside and take a look! Hit List AU. It all started as a typical day at Ordon High, until a sudden school shooting turns the life of Link Hero upside down. Now, surrounded by enemies, can Link save his friends and escape the school alive? (Edit 10/2015) Counting Stars Link finds himself caught in the middle of an elaborate gang war. Lucky for him, being a B-list superhero makes that predicament a tiny bit easier. / Modern AU ZeLink, inspired by Spider-Man. Under Revision! 13) Hunger Games Vox Libertas Due to things playing out a bit differently in the last few minutes of the Quell, the rescue also goes a bit differently than expected. Now Peeta has the responsibility of representing the Rebellion thrust upon him. No pressure. *AU Mockingjay. Part I of Dandelion in the Storm AU. Mainly Peeta POV.* Someone To Watch Over Me (Everlark, 1st in the Series) A HG rewrite. What would happen if Peeta was just a little bit bolder, and Katniss a little less emotionally confused? You’d be surprised. Let the Games begin. This is an AU, but I’ve tried to stay as canon as possible. Rated T to be safe. Enthralled (Everlark, Gadge, Mature) Thrall (þræll), n., a slave or serf in Viking Age Scandinavia. After a successful raid, Gale is rewarded with a slave girl: the Saxon noblewoman Madge. Meanwhile, shieldmaiden Katniss grows closer to captive monk Peeta. Gadge/Everlark historical AU with background Odesta and other pairings. Katniss, Vampire Slayer (Mature) “Into every generation a slayer is born.” the man droned out slowly, quietly, in a way that made her think he was quoting something. “One girl in all the world. A chosen one. She alone will wield the strength and skill to fight the vampires, demons, and the forces of darkness; to stop the spread of their evil and the swell of their number. She is the Slayer.” // Haymitch mocked. “One girl in all the world. Ain’t I just lucky it had to be you.” 14) How To Train Your Dragon Becoming Lífþrasir (Hiccstrid) People often wondered what kept Hiccup going during those early years. When that single, most-treasured thing is taken from him, there is little left to keep him on Berk. The day Stoick returns, and the day before the best recruit is finally chosen, Hiccup leaves Berk; little knowing that he would one day return under … strange circumstances. H/A, R/F, rated for violence. HTTYD Easter Special Sequel to “The Unholy Offspring,” set after the season finale. When Alvin the Treacherous threatens Asgard with a rogue demigod’s help, Hiccup and Berk’s Dragon Riders must prevent an early Ragnorak. It doesn’t help that Alvin has learned to tame dragons, and that the only god that can help Hiccup is a sullen, suspicious boy named Mud. Happy Eos week, Hiccup! The Blacksmith’s Apprentice (Hiccstrid) AU. Hiccup never took the shot on that fateful night-and the war continued. Three years later, Berk is beset by dragon raids and hostile tribes while the boy who should have saved the island is merely the assistant in the forge. With only Astrid as his friend, fate gives Hiccup one more chance to end the war and become the hero he was meant to be. Hiccstrid. Snap (Hiccstrid, Mature) He was just supposed to fix her back, and she doubted that at first. She definitely didn’t expect to get dragged into the ethics of a girlish crush. Modern AU. 15) Star Wars Double Agent Vader The one where Vader turned double agent for the Rebellion about three years after ROTS, and Leia is now his primary contact with the Rebellion. Or, a man attempts to escape slavery by turning into one of his culture heroes, teaching his daughter how to do magic, killing people, and flower arranging. A New History During a heated battle, Dooku escaped into the past! Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker follow to stop him, but discover that Dooku went to the past where Obi-Wan is a young padawan to a very much alive Qui-Gon Jinn. Now, the two must go undercover to stop Dooku’s plans from coming to fruition in order to save not only the future, but also young Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn. Pulse AU for ROTS. As Padme’s life hangs in the balance on Mustafar, a stream of brilliant light causes Anakin to reconsider his choices. Jedi Shmi AU Shmi leaves Tatooine with Anakin and goes to the Jedi Temple.

#Stuff to do #while youre stuck inside #due to coronavirus #eastonia reccs #fanfiction recommendation

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gemder · 4 years

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a bubbline wip, featuring a dissociative episode by our fave punk rock vamp. set shortly after Stakes.

She doesn't know how long she's been hovering over the couch like this, with her gaze trained on the bumps and dips on the ceiling and her bass planted in her arms. How many times has she sung that old song, so old and resilient it survived the death and rebirth of the world (and the both of hers twice over, now) just by hiding in the corner of her mind she doesn't like to visit? She can't see the sun or moon rise through the entrance to her hideaway from this part of the house, and the cave-imposed darkness tells her nothing of the time or how much of it has passed.

She doesn't dare budge from her spot. She's been turned twice now; she knows from experience that any sudden action, anything to startle her base thought process, could spark that bloodlust from last time. That was some ugly biz, if she remembers correctly. It's been a while, but something like an uncontrollable urge to drain the lifeforce of every living creature within 30 miles sticks to you. She's just going to have to wait it out, until the itch in the back of her throat dies down and she doesn't worry it'll become an insatiable burning for hot blood, no matter how long it takes.

Marceline has had an excessive amount of time to learn how to be alone; 1003 years, in fact. So why does it never get any easier? Why does being left never hurt any less? Why does she seem to be so completely destined for eternal loneliness? What asshat decided she deserved to spend the entirety of her neverending life without a single constant presence?

Mom went out with promises of keeping safe and finding food and I love you so much, sweetie, that alone is strong enough to bring me back to you. It took two weeks before little Marcy came to the conclusion that her mom wasn't coming back with food or supplies, or even returning empty handed. Simon let a stupid magical crown take over every single cell of his brain and wrote a bunch of scattered letters about it while it happened instead of, you know, telling the frightened 7 year old she was going to be left soon. Dad just up and left to go back to running the Nightosphere after a few weeks, with nary a parting word nor any notice. Her post-apocalyptic comrades had no choice but to flee from an otherwise inevitable extinction. Bonnie had to go and grow up, and in the process decide that her 900-something year old girlfriend wasn't mature enough.

(She checked that old, busted up camper as often as she could over the following months. There was never another life in that thing after she hopped down the little steps and let the screen door slam back with the carelessness of a 6 year old.)

(She found a decomposed corpse months later that just happened to be wearing some torn up rags that looked like her mom’s old sweater and jeans. It must have just been a coincidence, though; there were a lot of recently dead back then, and even more moth-eaten sweaters in the world.)

(“I’m trying to save you, but who's going to save me?” ‘I don't know, old man, maybe you could have saved yourself? You could have not purposely used the magical relic that was making you go bananas?’ If a 7 year old could make it through the apocalypse without magic then so could a fully grown man.)

(He left her to survive on her own in the name of being executive manager of hell and he still wonders why she wants nothing to do with him, why she used to have such a hard time so much as calling him “dad” when he’s never been anything like what she was lead to believe dads were supposed to be like.)

(She’s 1000 years old, how in the name of the nightosphere could she not be mature enough?)

(Over the years she’s replaced the world “hell” with “Nightosphere” the same way the being once referred to as “God,” back when even she was young, is now called by their proper name of Glob. The Nightosphere really is hell, so it fits.)

(Sometimes she takes the time to think about how she's the heir apparent to the actual, literal, real life hell, and how she's one of the oldest beings around these days, maybe the oldest to still really be sane, but still a messed up teen.)

(She doesn't know how old she was when she was turned; years and months and all that are hard to keep track of when the species that invented it is all but extinct. Is she old enough to drive? Probably. She does and can regardless, because screw the old ways. Old enough to drink, smoke, vote? Debatable. The point is that she’s 1000 years old but actually, like, 18. What the fuck.)

She drifts, both mentally and physically. She's had plenty of time and isolation to ponder the Big Things about life and the world and why and how things happened the way they did, and what it means. She will have an abundance of opportunities in the future to think about these things, too. Some day she'll reflect on this part of her life in the far away, nostalgia-filtered sepia tones she currently thinks of her childhood and adolescence. She'll remember when Finn and Jake were the heroes of Ooo, when Simon used to chase after princesses who will have long since passed, when she couldn't get over her ex-girlfriend who happened to be sentient candy. It will be distant and she will miss it terribly, the same way she misses her mother, and Simon when he was Simon, and fries in a long-abandoned diner. But it will be a wound long since closed and numbed, like the deep scar she got on her calf sometime in her early teens that still exists today, preserved in her immortality and a sentimentality that prevented her from insta-healing it away, sting and blood long gone.

She has forever to reminisce, but only right now to live in the present. She makes mental patterns in the bumps on the ceiling, and slowly loses grip on her body. She is a million miles upwards, where the sky holds no oxygen and the stars are still pinpricks in a sea of indigo construction paper. Like a kid poking holes in the top of a jar of lightning bugs, equipped with a fork and enthusiasm at being able to destroy something for the sake of encapturing something else. She is, at the same time, hovering above her uncomfortably hard couch. One of her hands slips from its place atop her bass, and Shwabl licks it from his spot next to her on the dusty carpet.

She doesn't hear the knock at the door. She is right there, but she is centuries back and in a different part of the continent entirely. She doesn't hear Bonnie getting increasingly agitated, trying and failing not to raise her voice at her through the door. She doesn't notice when Bonnie lets herself in regardless of Marceline’s lack of response, or when Shwabl jumps up to attention at the guest.

It's the “Marceline, what -” that breaks her dissociative spell. That tone of exasperation in that particular voice is a very familiar one, especially within the last decade. She comes to to find that there are fresh tears in the corner of one eye and the words to a song as old as her youth on her lips.

“Oh, hey Bombòn. How goes it girl?” Marceline has had a millennium to convince the world that she's chill and totally not a big mess, and it shows in the lilt to her voice that screams ‘I'm just chillin’’ and not ‘I've been dissociating and crying and probably singing for who-knows-how-long and I'm really messed up’. She still doesn't dare move from her spot, because moving around could still trigger what she's trying to wait out.

“It's been three weeks, Marcy. Three weeks, and all that heavy biz, and no one's heard from you since. Doesn't that seem even a little bit irresponsible to you? Didn't you think people would worry? Or even wonder ‘hey, what happened to that girl who saved all our butts and got revampified?’”

“Dude, I've just been chilling. You know how it is; jams, games, pets, it keeps a girl busy. It’s cool. Ice cold, in fact.”

Bonnie sighs. Marceline has heard that sigh a million and three times over by now, and she's learned to like that particular sound from the pink girl; it's the one thing about herself that she can't manage to sweeten to the point of oversaturation, until it (like the rest of her) is practically dripping sugar. Marceline likes to deal with the authentic rather than the idealized versions of people, because the latter rarely ever means anything good is coming her way.

(She rationalizes that the Ice King component of Simon, while not idealized, is not authentic in the least; the products of full humans getting mixed up with magic seldom are. The authentic Simon Petrikov is the one who found a 6 year old girl in the ruins of a suburban New Mexico town and still had enough selflessness in the aftermath of the apocalypse to comfort her and take care of her.)

The sigh doesn't lead to the reprimanding the vampire expects. Instead, she watches as Bonnie leans down in her peripheral vision to pet Shwabl, expression focused intently on the dog. She's doing that same schooled neutrality shit she used to do during those globawful trade meetings - the ones Marcy used to steal her away from the go gallivanting through the rock candy mines.

“What kind of sweet tunes have you whipped up, then? Lay it on me girl.”

Marceline lets her face adopt a smirk - the expression has become a reflexive habit after centuries of being a bitter undead loner - even as something in her stomach drops. Bonnie rarely asks about her music because she knows so much of it is personal, and that which isn't is vulgar or morbid and prone to being shared regardless, not to mention the fact that Bonnie’s interests definitely don't lie in the arts, or punk rock music, or most of the uglier parts of Marceline.

“You know my latest album is the epitome of personal mush, Bons. It's so personal I'd have to kill you if you heard any of it. But, I do have a new demo about a fisherman.”

Bonnibel definitely wants something out of her; she has that smile she reserves for Cinnamon Bun and Finn when he's going on about dumb 13 year old boy things, the one that's polite and reservedly encouraging, the one that Marcy has always found to be condescending although it always looks as sweet as its wearer who is literally made out of candy, almost as sweet as the girl’s public persona.

The thing about being 1000 years old and also a teenage girl is that you spend forever being a socially-minded person on some level or another, because back in the day that's how girls were socialized to be - social-driven creatures who cared more about what Allyson wore on Tuesday or what Theresa said about Serena in math class than anything practical. So Marceline has had a long time to notice the tells and ticks of the select few she surrounds herself with often enough to care about. PB smiles like her kindergarten teacher used to on particularly trying days when she thinks the people she's with are idiots but can't call them out for it. Her eyebrows droop when she's so tired that sheer willpower will no longer keep them up. She plays with her hands when she's nervous. She used to chew on her hair when she was younger and in the process of creating her kingdom, when stress was a new feeling she hadn't yet made a feedback loop out of.

This is totally, completely because of the sexist socialization of the old world, and nothing else. Totally not because they dated for a good chunk of time, or because one or the other might, maybe be having rose-coloured thoughts about the other again.

“Everyone and their granny has heard that one, Marcy. If you've had all this time to do nothing but groove and game then I wanna hear some tunes! Don't be a butt about it.” She's trying to gode the older girl, but Marceline is itching to get out of this particular conversation. Somewhere in her cursed, mostly re-dried blood she knows this is a test.

“I don't bust into your lab and start interrogating you about your experiments - can you just lay off, man?” she says it more harshly than she had meant to, but being yanked back to reality and immediately questioned over every move will do that to a person. “Tell me what's been going on in Candyland. You finally get all the earwax off of your junk?”

“You know if you did ask about my science experiments I would be happy to tell you all about them - well, the ones that aren't classified. It's called caring, Marce, it's a thing that friends do.”

A tense silence follows as Marceline thinks of something biting (but not petty!) to throw back at her.

“And yeah, actually, I did. The dingus left a huge mess but there's nothing my purple cleaner can't get rid of.”

Bonnie can't leave a single box unticked, can she?

“Glob, that stuff is nasty. The fumes make me gag, and I don't even need to breathe!”

The princess raises a brow at her. The queen furrows both of hers in frustration and fixes her gaze back on the bumps on the ceiling. When she was younger she used to make images out of the dips and dots in the kindergarten room ceiling; the RV’s was smoothed and didn't allow that particular part of her imagination to play around.

“And I think the expression you're looking for is sharing is caring, Bubs. It's a thing they used to say waaaaaaaay back in the day whenever the old people got tired of little kids fighting over toys.”

*******

this was gonna be a longfic feat. mutual pining by our fave disaster gays and more references to marcy’s life pre- and during the apocalypse bc i have a lot of feelings about Stakes. might come back to it, who knows!!!

#ash talks #ash writes #bubbline #bubbline fanfic #writing wip

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richincolor · 5 years

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We have five new books on our radar this week, plus one we missed earlier in the month! Are any of these on your TBR list?

Jackpot by Nic Stone Crown Books for Young Readers

From the author of the New York Times bestseller Dear Martin –which Angie Thomas, the bestselling author of The Hate U Give, called “a must read”–comes a pitch-perfect romance that examines class, privilege, and how a stroke of good luck can change an entire life.

Meet Rico: high school senior and afternoon-shift cashier at the Gas ‘n’ Go, who after school and work races home to take care of her younger brother. Every. Single. Day. When Rico sells a jackpot-winning lotto ticket, she thinks maybe her luck will finally change, but only if she–with some assistance from her popular and wildly rich classmate Zan–can find the ticket holder who hasn’t claimed the prize. But what happens when have and have-nots collide? Will this investigative duo unite…or divide?

Nic Stone, the New York Times bestselling author of Dear Martin and Odd One Out, creates two unforgettable characters in one hard-hitting story about class, money–both too little and too much–and how you make your own luck in the world.

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker/Artist Wendy Xu Lion Forge

A story of love and demons, family and witchcraft.

Nova Huang knows more about magic than your average teen witch. She works at her grandmothers’ bookshop, where she helps them loan out spell books and investigate any supernatural occurrences in their New England town.

One fateful night, she follows reports of a white wolf into the woods, and she comes across the unexpected: her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon in the woods. As a werewolf, Tam has been wandering from place to place for years, unable to call any town home.

Pursued by dark forces eager to claim the magic of wolves and out of options, Tam turns to Nova for help. Their latent feelings are rekindled against the backdrop of witchcraft, untested magic, occult rituals, and family ties both new and old in this enchanting tale of self-discovery.

The Never Tilting World (The Never Tilting World #1) by Rin Chupeco HarperTeen

Frozen meets Mad Max in this epic teen fantasy duology bursting with star-crossed romance, immortal heroines, and elemental magic, perfect for fans of Furyborn.

Generations of twin goddesses have long ruled Aeon. But seventeen years ago, one sister’s betrayal defied an ancient prophecy and split their world in two. The planet ceased to spin, and a Great Abyss now divides two realms: one cloaked in perpetual night, the other scorched by an unrelenting sun.

While one sister rules Aranth—a frozen city surrounded by a storm-wracked sea —her twin inhabits the sand-locked Golden City. Each goddess has raised a daughter, and each keeps her own secrets about her sister’s betrayal.

But when shadowy forces begin to call their daughters, Odessa and Haidee, back to the site of the Breaking, the two young goddesses —along with a powerful healer from Aranth, and a mouthy desert scavenger —set out on separate journeys across treacherous wastelands, desperate to heal their broken world. No matter the sacrifice it demands.

Our Wayward Fate by Gloria Chao Simon Pulse

Seventeen-year-old Ali Chu knows that as the only Asian person at her school in middle-of-nowhere Indiana, she must be bland as white toast to survive. This means swapping her congee lunch for PB&Js, ignoring the clueless racism from her classmates and teachers, and keeping her mouth shut when people wrongly call her Allie instead of her actual name, pronounced Āh-lěe, after the mountain in Taiwan.

Her autopilot existence is disrupted when she finds out that Chase Yu, the new kid in school, is also Taiwanese. Despite some initial resistance due to the “they belong together” whispers, Ali and Chase soon spark a chemistry rooted in competitive martial arts, joking in two languages, and, most importantly, pushing back against the discrimination they face.

But when Ali’s mom finds out about the relationship, she forces Ali to end it. As Ali covertly digs into the why behind her mother’s disapproval, she uncovers secrets about her family and Chase that force her to question everything she thought she knew about life, love, and her unknowable future.

Snippets of a love story from nineteenth-century China (a retelling of the Chinese folktale The Butterfly Lovers) are interspersed with Ali’s narrative and intertwined with her fate.

War Girls (War Girls #1) by Tochi Onyebuchi Razorbill

Two sisters are torn apart by war and must fight their way back to each other in a futuristic, Black Panther–inspired Nigeria.

The year is 2172. Climate change and nuclear disasters have rendered much of earth unlivable. Only the lucky ones have escaped to space colonies in the sky.

In a war-torn Nigeria, battles are fought using flying, deadly mechs and soldiers are outfitted with bionic limbs and artificial organs meant to protect them from the harsh, radiation-heavy climate. Across the nation, as the years-long civil war wages on, survival becomes the only way of life.

Two sisters, Onyii and Ify, dream of more. Their lives have been marked by violence and political unrest. Still, they dream of peace, of hope, of a future together.

And they’re willing to fight an entire war to get there.

Acclaimed author Tochi Onyebuchi has written an immersive, action-packed, deeply personal novel perfect for fans of Nnedi Okorafor, Marie Lu, and Paolo Bacigalupi.

Rebel (Legend #4) by Marie Lu Roaring Book Press

Respect the Legend. Idolize the Prodigy. Celebrate the Champion. But never underestimate the Rebel.

With unmatched suspense and her signature cinematic storytelling, #1 New York Times–bestselling author Marie Lu plunges readers back into the unforgettable world of Legend for a truly grand finale.

Eden Wing has been living in his brother’s shadow for years. Even though he’s a top student at his academy in Ross City, Antarctica, and a brilliant inventor, most people know him only as Daniel Wing’s little brother.

A decade ago, Daniel was known as Day, the boy from the streets who led a revolution that saved the Republic of America. But Day is no longer the same young man who was once a national hero. These days he’d rather hide out from the world and leave his past behind. All that matters to him now is keeping Eden safe―even if that also means giving up June, the great love of Daniel’s life.

As the two brothers struggle to accept who they’ve each become since their time in the Republic, a new danger creeps into the distance that’s grown between them. Eden soon finds himself drawn so far into Ross City’s dark side, even his legendary brother can’t save him. At least not on his own . . .

#nic stone #wendy xu #rin chupeco #gloria chao #tochi onyebuchi #marie lu #suzanne walker #new releases

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ttime42 · 5 years

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2018 Fic Roundup

This is a list of fics (in no particular order) I read last year. Many of these I finished. Some of them I started and didn't finish because it turned out they weren't for me. Others are rereads. Thanks to all the wonderful authors who fill fandom with life.

Watson's Folly by Diana Williams

John Watson, the new Earl of Saughton, is madly in love with the beautiful Mary Morstan. But he has returned from the Peninsular War to find his family on the brink of ruin and his ancestral home mortgaged to the hilt. He has little choice when he is introduced to Mycroft Holmes, a civil servant of apparently unlimited wealth and no social ambitions for himself - but with his eyes firmly fixed on a suitable match for his only brother, the unorthodox and irascible Omega Sherlock Holmes. Can John forget the woman he loved and find happiness with a man so very different from his lost love?

To the Sticking Place by blueink3

Renowned Shakespearean actor Sherlock Holmes has finally burned all of his bridges in the theatre industry save for his constant director, Greg Lestrade. John Watson has made a name for himself in the musical theatre circuit, but age and injury are working against him. Can they reinvent themselves for an all-male Macbeth without killing one another?

The Yellow Poppies by SilentAuror

Sherlock is threatened and assaulted in the hospital immediately after having been shot in the heart, first by Mary, then by Magnussen. As he recovers at Baker Street with John and plans the attack on Appledore with Mycroft, he fights to work through the trauma caused by these two visits. Set during His Last Vow.

The Vapor Variant by 88thParallel

They stood face to face in the middle of a clearing. The dim light of the moon barely allowed Sherlock to see the glassy terror in John’s eyes and the sweat that glistened off his forehead. His nose was bleeding again, blood dripping in a slow stream from his right nostril.

They were both gasping for air, John’s eyes locked on Sherlock’s. There was no recognition there, just wild animal fear.

Time stood still for an eternal few seconds, and Sherlock took a shaky breath. “John—”

Spell broken, John spun and bolted back into the woods.

Still heaving for air, Sherlock took off after him.

The Sock Index by distantstarlight

John and Sherlock live at 221 B Baker Street. Everything is back to normal with the long-time friends....or is it?

The Shop Boy by EventHorizon

Sometimes, taking care of Sherlock had its benefits...

The School Boy by EventHorizon

As Mycroft and Lestrade pursue their own relationship, Sherlock learns the meaning of friendship with the new boy in his school, John Watson.

The Science of Musicality by circ_bamboo

Classical musician AU: Sherlock is a professional solo violinist, and John is his new accompanist collaborator. They've got a recital in three months, and someone doesn't want them to do it.

The Riven Crown by The_Kingmaker

‘We may have won the battle, but I fear the war with winter is just beginning.’

The aftermath of war is no laughing matter. Those who died must be honoured, those who are wounded must be healed, and those who remain need food and clothing, peace and sanctuary. With Thorin's life hanging in the balance, it is up to Bilbo and the rest of the Company to rule the rag-tag remnants of Erebor in his place.

Then there is the matter of the gold...

Can Bilbo save both king and kingdom, or is Erebor destined to fall deeper into ruin?

The Men Who Talked Between the Words by Odamaki (locked to Ao3)

John expected to be a father some day; he expected to have the house, and the wife and the nice suburban job. Sherlock never expected to have children, in part because he never expected to make it past 30. As it turns out, you don't get a choice. Crammed into Baker Street with a baby, John struggles with single-parenthood and his own fears, while Sherlock treads the fine line between doing too little and saying too much.

The Guarded Secret by mycapeisplaid

After his war injury, John feels broken, small, and useless. On a whim, he takes a position as a security guard of sorts at the gorgeous Holmes Hall in Yorkshire. As it turns out, he is not as broken, small, or useless as he thinks. A story of beauty and blossom, murder and mystery, loss and love.

The Clash of Storm and Sea by QuinnAnderson

Music School AU. The first time John heard Sherlock play, he knew he was done for. Johnlock.

The Burning Heart by May_Shepard

When Sherlock dies, John Watson feels like his life is over too. He’s completely shut down, until Mark Morstan, a new nurse at John’s medical clinic, catches his attention, and helps him uncover the long buried truth of his attraction to men.

Although he’s certain he’ll never get over Sherlock, John plans to move on, and build a new life with Mark, unaware that Sherlock is not quite as dead as he appears, and that Mark is hiding secrets of his own.

The Bluest of Blue by SinceWhenDoYouCallMe_John

John Watson's 10th season as a Denali National Park Ranger was shaping up to look like all the years before.

Until a special team from Europe was flown into the Park for a summer-long wolf-tracking research project, and the head of that research team was wearing a perfectly tailored suit.

Gimme Shelter by SinceWhenDoYouCallMe_John

All John Watson wants is the feeling of a freshly waxed surfboard under his feet and the hot California sun baking down onto his back. To finally go pro in the newly formed world of professional surfing and leave the dark memories of his past behind him as he rips across the face of a towering blue barrel. To lounge beside the beach bonfire every evening with an ice cold beer tucked into the cool sand beside him and listen to Pink Floyd and the Doors while the saltwater dries in his sun bleached hair.

That's all he wants, that is, until the hot young phenom taking Oahu and the Hawaiian shores by storm steps up next to him in the sand in the second round of the 1976 International Surf Competition.

A Further Sea by i_ship_an_armada and ShinySherlock (locked to Ao3)

Here be a tale of adventure for both body and soul, but beware if ye be not of stout heart, for this be piratelock, ya savvy? Luckless ship's surgeon John Watson takes a chance, and finds himself eye to eye with The Ghost, the scourge of the seven seas and a definite thorn in the side of the blaggard, James Moriarty. But when John finds there's more to this most cunning pirate than be meetin' the eye, he has to choose--is it a pirate's life for him?

The Bells of King’s College by SilentAuror

It's only been two weeks since Eurus Holmes disrupted their lives when Mycroft sends John and Sherlock to Cambridge to pose as an engaged couple at a wedding show in the hopes of solving six unsolved deaths...

Summit Fever by J_Baillier

After graduating from medical school, John Watson followed his heart to the Himalayas. Ten years later, he's a haunted cynic working for his ex-lover's trekking and mountaineering company. Will leading an expedition to Annapurna I—the most lethal of all the world's highest mountains—shake John out of his reverie, and who is the mystery client added to the group at the last minute?

Share the Stars with You by EventHorizon

Set in Victorian times, we find Mycroft as a sedentary man of wealth and power and Greg as an explorer, a true man of action. Given their opposite natures, could it be these two might actually achieve the one thing neither has ever thought possible - finding someone to love?

School for Scandal by rubberbird

Sherlock lusts from afar. John tries to fool himself.

Saving Sherlock Holmes by earlgreytea68

Sherlock Holmes, schoolboy. Yeah, that basically sums it up.

Performance in a Leading Role by Mad_Lori

Sherlock Holmes is an Oscar winner in the midst of a career slump. John Watson is an Everyman actor trapped in the rom-com ghetto. When they are cast as a gay couple in a new independent drama, will they surprise each other? Will their on-screen romance make its way into the real world?

Paradigm Shift by distantstarlight

Sherlock Holmes is the world's only consulting detective. He's also a virgin, and has staunchly remained that way. One night he's on a case like normal but he sees someone who after a single glance turns everything Sherlock thought he knew about himself completely around. Enter one John Watson, doctor, soldier....stripper?

In the Still of the Night by SilentAuror

As locals on the Northeastern coast begin to report UFO sightings, life at Baker Street becomes significantly awkward as John brings up his desire for more than friendship and Sherlock refuses him. They embark on the investigation from the confines of the tiny cottage Mycroft has rented for them, attempting to navigate both the clues of the case as well as their own inability to communicate...

In Search of a Word: A Symphony of First Times by queenfanfiction

There is a new concertmaster at the London Symphony, and John Watson is starting to fall a little bit in love with both the music and the man making it.

How Long? by TheBritishBourbon

Sherlock never got to jump off the roof of St. Barts, he never got the chance. Sherlock was abducted and held for 5 years, but now he has escaped. What awaits him as he returns to reality?

Every Star in the Sky Knows Your Name by Jaune_Chat

Mal's latest pair of passengers slowly reveals they have more of a connection to the crew than anyone would have thought, when Simon discovers that Sherlock and his sister had been in the same government program over a decade and a half apart. Sherlock's friend John, his rescuer and keeper, tells the crew the story of living a life on the run, something that is both less and more familiar than anyone expects.

Enigma by khorazir

It’s the autumn of 1941, war is raging in Europe, German U-boats are raiding Allied convoys in the Atlantic, the Luftwaffe is bombing English cities, and the cryptographers at Bletchley Park are working feverishly to decode their enemies' encrypted communications. One should consider this challenge and distraction enough for capricious codebreaker Sherlock Holmes. But the true enigmas are yet waiting to be deciphered: an unbreakable code, a strange murder, and the arrival of Surgeon Captain John H. Watson of the Royal Navy.

Electric Pink Hand Grenade by BeautifulFiction

"If Sherlock's brain is a hard drive, then these attacks are an electro-magnetic pulse." Sherlock Holmes does not do anything by half, not even a migraine. It falls to John to witness one of the greatest minds he has ever known tear itself apart, and he must do his best to help Sherlock pick up the pieces.

Butterbeer by green_violin_bow

One of very few students left at Hogwarts over the Christmas holiday, final-year Slytherin student Mycroft Holmes finds himself thrown together with Gryffindor Quidditch team captain Greg Lestrade. An unlikely friendship, but one that blossoms in the huge, mostly-empty castle.

Boyfriend Material by PoppyAlexander

Boston Brawlers' team captain John Watson longs for two things: a championship before he retires, and a boyfriend. Assigned to room with goaltender Sherlock Holmes--known around the league as both a genius and a "weird dude"--on Brawlers' roadtrips, John discovers the things they have in common that lead to an easy friendship and a convenient arrangement.

Slow-burn, adversaries-to-friends-to-lovers, romantic comedy.

Alternate Universe - Sports/Ice Hockey

Babylon by BeautifulFiction_FMA

Two years after retrieving his brother's body from the Gate of Truth Edward Elric is still paying the price. Will his debt ever be repaid, or will it finally cost him everything? (Originally published 2007 on fanfiction.net and livejournal)

An improbable love by slowroad

Sherlock is a famous violinist who is going through a bit of a slump. He's lonely and miserable. It has been three years since John was invalided home from Afghanistan. He's slowly getting his life together, but he's lonelier than he's ever been. And then, the the two of them meet…

Albion and the Woodsman by Glenmore

Post Series 3. Sherlock and John are devastated after Mary Morstan makes her final moves. Sherlock relapses at the crack house, John walks around the world ...and a lot happens in between. Parentlock, in the good way.

A Hundred Crimson Sols by elldotsee

Will Holmes is a chemical researcher recognized widely for his contributions to the new Mars exploration program. Thanks to his ground-breaking developments, the IMMC (International Mars Mission Corporation) is one step closer to Martian colonization. Will and his team of scientists are headed out on the first of three manned missions before the first group of settlers arrive. Three days before launch, one of the crew has to be replaced. Will panics because...new people. The replacement is of course one John Watson, biomedical engineer and space hottie who was pretty sure he had retired from actual space exploration and was now content to work in the nice, quiet research lab.

Can the crew survive this TOTALLY ROUTINE trip? Will they be able to endure each other for the looooooong trip in close quarters?

{SPOILER: Of course not. That would be boring.}

Guarantee there will be drama. And explosions. And Will is gonna do something cocky and stupid. Really good chance for some zero-gravity boinking (bet ya didn't even know you needed that in your life).

Gonna be a wild ride... prepare for blast off.

A Fold in the Universe by darkest_bird

Alpha Sherlock and Omega John are in a relationship. Prime Sherlock and Prime John are not. So what happens when a freak fold in the universe switches one John for the other?

#fanfic #fanfiction #ficrec #fic rec #bbc sherlock fanfic

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adorealeclightwood · 6 years

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Alec in 3x10.

It took me forever to get around to actually doing this because a bitch was hurt, okay? Fuck. This whole episode was rough. Plus, I thought I had this in the queue, but it’s actually been sitting in my drafts since Thursday, so forgive me for being a temporary dumbass lol.

Let’s get started.

I’m going to begin with the scene we were all waiting for.

Right off the bat, I loved that Magnus told Alec more about his history with Asmodeus. He may be a greater demon, but he took Magnus in when he had no one else, and was the only person in the world he could relate to for a very long time. I think it was super important for Alec to know that, and to know that Magnus turning to his father for help after all this time was no easy choice.

Then, he finds out Magnus is going to Edom, and he can’t be the understanding boyfriend anymore. He can’t just stand there and nod, because there’s no fucking way he’d ever be okay with this.

Magnus cracks a joke about the cell service being terrible there (which I thought was interesting - more on that later), and Alec doesn’t find it funny, because “this is insane”.

Last week, I said I had a problem with Magnus asking Alec to tell him that Jace wasn’t worth it, but now that I’ve had the chance to watch the whole episode a few times over, the line wasn’t nearly as bad as we thought it would be. Magnus wasn’t “forcing” Alec to make a choice - he’d already made the choice for him, because he knows how much Jace means to him. He also knows that while Alec cares for Jace, he’d never bring himself to ask Magnus to do anything that would put him in danger. By stepping up and making his own decisions (like the grown ass, powerful ass man he is), he was giving Alec one less thing to worry about.

On top of that, we have to give Magnus a lot more credit, especially where Alec is concerned. While a lot of the choices he makes have a lot of connections to Alec, ultimately, Magnus makes decisions for himself. Deep down, I’m sure Alec understands that, but he’s got a one track mind, remember? He has a tendency to jump to conclusions when it comes to people he loves, and right now, Magnus is about to descent into hell to save his parabatai, and stop Lilith. That’s a lot to process within a couple of minutes.

(I’m horrible with explanations right now because I’m running off three hours of sleep, so forgive me if I’m confusing you.)

Then, we get the iconic scene we’ve been quoting for months.

Magnus is ready to go, but Alec isn’t quite ready to watch him leave.

“You’re gonna make it back, you hear me?”

The way Alec’s eyes move up and down Magnus’ face? As if he were committing every last detail to memory on the off chance that Magnus didn’t make it back?

Bitch, I almost passed out.

“Why wouldn’t I? Look what I have waiting for me.”

And Alec can’t do anything but kiss him, almost like he’s memorizing that too. Then, they pull away, but keep their eyes closed; they’re savoring that moment, because there’s a very real possibility it’ll be their last.

That got to me.

I want everyone to know that nothing about this was forced. Nothing.

Magnus did what he did because he chose to do it. He’s allowed to.

Remember that.

Moving on.

WE GET TO SEE ALEC WITH HIS BOW AND ARROW.

I may be the weakest Alec Lightwood stan in existence, but when I see my man with his favorite weapon, my Alec-is-about-to-commit-some-badassery senses start tingling, and I start yelling. I also turn my TV up dramatically, because you know I love dramatics.

Not only is he back in archer mode, but he’s talking to my newly crowned dynamic duo: Luke and Maryse.

Luke asks if he’s heard from Magnus, and for a minute, it’s like everything comes rushing back. He hesitates, but not for too long, because he can’t let them know that there’s anything wrong. I know it was Magnus’ choice to go to Edom, and there’s still a part of Alec that wants to save Jace no matter what, but it doesn’t change the fact that in Alec’s mind, Magnus being in hell and not right there by his side feels very wrong, in a way. Maryse makes that extremely gif worthy quote about Magnus waiting to make a dramatic entrance, and Alec does what he’s been doing since season one.

He takes every bit of the worry and anxiety he’s feeling, and locks it away to focus on the mission. A very dangerous mission that his mother is ready to take part in.

And of course, protective Alec makes an appearance to ask Maryse to sit this one out. I feel like it’s important to mention how seamless of a transition they seem to be making. Not too long ago, Maryse probably would’ve been the one calling the shots, and Alec would’ve made sure everything went according to plan. Now, he has to tell her to stay out of it, because it’s dangerous for everyone involved, let alone a woman who just recently lost her shadow hunting abilities.

Life comes at you fast, dude.

Next up, we get a little impatient Alec, who is also one of my faves. (Right up there with salty Alec.)

“Simon’s been in the building forever, what’s taking him so long?”

“Alec, it’s a high rise.”

I screamed because that is so Alec. Like, he doesn’t care if it’s two stories or twenty - hurry the hell up.

Izzy takes a look at the magic Lilith is using, and once again, Alec shows us how much he’s grown.

“With or without Magnus, we have to get Clary out of there.”

I’ve been saying I want their friendship to prosper, but THIS IS PEAK FRIENDSHIP. Clary’s in trouble, and Alec wants to save her. Not because of Jace, Izzy, Magnus, or even Luke. Alec wants to save Clary because she’s a friend.

Excuse me while I kick and scream in excitement over that, as well as that little exchange between Simon and Alec, who also need to join the BFFs club.

Okay. On to the hard shit.

[Note: Have any of you guys seen Deadpool? The first one, not the new one. Deadpool makes a comment about a superhero landing, and the Owl totally nailed it, only he’s not a superhero. He’s a villainous demon, but I thought I’d point it out anyway.]

As soon as the Owl lands in front of Alec, it takes him all of two seconds to get his bow ready. The last time he saw Jace, he was in tears, scared out of his mind. The time before that, he was in Magnus’ loft, talking shit to everybody.

Last time, he begged for death, and Alec refused to kill him. He isn’t going to make that mistake again, no matter what the Owl says to throw him off.

Then, the fighting starts, and the struggle is real, because the Owl knows him. He’s tapped into every corner of Jace’s mind, so he’s learned a lot, including Alec’s fighting style. They’re parabatai; they’re meant to be fighting together, letting one’s strengths cover for the other’s weaknesses. They’re not supposed to fight each other for real. For training purposes, yes, but not with the intent to kill.

Alec does that sexy ass backflip move and gets his arrows ready, and the Owl gets Jace’s blades out. I’ve mentioned Alec fighting defensively instead of offensively, and every time I spoke on it, I was thinking of this particular scene.

The Owl starts doing all these extra spin moves, and Alec dodges him every single time. He waits for an opportunity to present itself, and when it does, he takes it, stabbing the Owl in the knee with one of his arrows.

So not only is Alec the equivalent of a sniper with his bow and arrow, he can also use them up close and personal in hand-to-hand combat. I love a man with multiple skills!

Back to the fighting. They’re both kicking, swinging, and doing a whole lot of grunting, but nothing really happens until Alec stabs him again, this time in the arm. The Owl gets slash happy with the blades, but of course, he never cuts Alec, and Alec stabs him for the third time.

At this point, Alec is clearly tired of fighting this bitch, and then I started thinking: maybe that was the Owl’s plan all along. Say some stuff about tearing him apart with Jace’s hands, make him think he’s got the upper hand for a little bit, then pounce at the first sign of weakness. It’s rude, yet effective.

Then, the Owl does something to Alec that fucked me up mentally. I talked about it here. He broke Alec’s hand, and I felt it through the screen.

Anyone who’s ever broken a bone knows what I’m talking about.

Alec screams, and the pain is both physical and mental, because the bones in his wrist just made a noise no one ever wants to hear, and also because it’s his hand. An archer with a broken hand is like a car with no engine. It just doesn’t work.

The Owl gets Alec on the ground and starts talking shit (as usual), but this time, he’s holding one of Alec’s arrows, and he’s ready to kill him. Alec stops him, and starts talking to Jace, because he knows he’s still in there, and he’s crying, because his worst nightmare is playing out in front of his eyes.

Alec is on his back with one of his own arrows being shoved into his chest, and the only thing he wants is for Jace to know that it’s okay; he forgives him, and he’s sorry they couldn’t save him.

Selfless men just break my heart in the most exquisite of ways.

Then, Magnus king-of-saving-the-day Bane shows up, and we all breathe a little easier.

After he blasts the Owl back to whatever hellhole he crawled out of, he goes straight to Alec, who’s still lying there with an arrow in his chest, making jokes.

Earlier in the episode, when Magnus was preparing to go to Edom, he did the same thing, because he was trying to hide how terrified he was. Now, Alec is trying to hide his pain.

Literally everyone on this show picks up little things from one another.

Jace is finally back to himself, and runs over to active one of Alec’s runes. It could’ve been an iratze (you know, the magical rune that can apparently heal everything from a tiny cut to a broken spine), or maybe another rune to make him comfortable so he doesn’t hurt himself with every breath.

Magnus tells Jace he’ll take care of Alec, but before he leaves, he looks down at him, and Alec nods. He’s already reminded Jace that it wasn’t his fault, and now, he’s got the love of his life by his side. Even in the midst of a crisis, Alec hasn’t forgotten the mission. Their whole reason for being at that building.

Clary.

He was only meant to kill the Owl while Luke and Izzy went in to get Clary, and now that Jace is back, they still need to save her. So he nods, because even though it’s a shitty situation, they aren’t finished yet.

This episode just...ugh. My heart.

Alexander Lightwood deserves a thousand hugs and kisses, and all the love and protection this world has to offer.

Thanks for coming to my final Ted Talk for 3A. I can’t wait for August.

#Shadowhunters #SH 3x10 #Erchomai #Alec Lightwood #Matthew Daddario #Malec #Jalec #Character Analysis

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eddycurrents · 6 years

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For the week of 7 May 2018

Quick Bits:

Accell #10 begins the next arc, largely focusing this issue on Danny trying to get back on his feet, and assess damage and reparations of his personal life. Joe Casey and Damion Scott are still giving us the most traditional superhero book of the line here.

| Published by Lion Forge / Catalyst Prime

Analog #2 is an interesting throwback. I like how Gerry Duggan, in creating this future, has effectively tossed us back to the stylistic action and intrigue of 70s and 80s thrillers.

| Published by Image

Backways #5 is the explosive conclusion to the first arc. The story reveals some of the extremes that Anna can go to with her powers as she attempts to save Sylvia. Eleonora Carlini and Silvia Tidei really shine with the art.

| Published by AfterShock

Despicable Deadpool #300 is a bit of a mess, but I get that was intentional. All of the “Marvel Universe Kills Deadpool” arc has been one failure after another as the assorted heroes and villains of Marvel have been unable to stop Deadpool. The ultimate solution leads to an opportunity for Gerry Duggan to travel through many of the highlights of his run on the series.

| Published by Marvel

Domino #2 continues the fun, action, and weird moments of self-reflection showing the true vulnerabilities and insecurities of tough-as-nails mercenaries of the first issue. Gail Simone is doing a great job at bringing out the depth of Domino’s character and the art from David Baldeón and Jesus Aburtov is gorgeous. I had pretty high hopes for this series, given how entertaining Simone’s previous work on Agent X and Deadpool were, and she’s exceeded expectations.

| Published by Marvel

Exiles #3 is still following the whirlwind pace set by the first two issues as the team continues racing through the multiverse, gathering new and old allies, as they try to come up with a plan to stop the Time Eater. This, of course, allows Javier Rodríguez to really step up with his designs and layouts for the weird and crazy worlds the team is travelling to.

| Published by Marvel

The Highest House #4 is consistently some of the best art and storytelling in comics right now, with beautiful artwork from Peter Gross and Fabien Alquier, as the intrigue in Mike Carey’s script hits a fever pitch.

| Published by IDW

Hungry Ghosts #4 ends the series on a high note, with stories illustrated by Irene Koh and Francesco Francavilla. Like the previous issues, the stories from Anthony Bourdain and Joel Rose are likely to be familiar to you, especially the Snow Woman as variants of it have been told and retold multiple times, but they’re well told here. And with wonderful artwork, all deftly elevated by José Villarrubia’s colours.

| Published by Dark Horse

Hunt for Wolverine: Adamantium Agenda #1 is the second of these mini-series, this one following a handful of Logan’s New Avengers compatriots. That remit at least makes more sense than the Weapon Lost premise, and leads to a flashback of Wolverine selflessly taking one for the team and thus having Iron Man, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and Spider-Man start chasing down a lead for a DNA sequence sale in the present. Tom Taylor’s story gets more interesting from there and I look forward to seeing where this goes. Also, some really nice artwork from RB Silva, Andriano di Benedetto, and Jesus Aburtov. If given the chance, I wouldn’t mind seeing this creative team do more New Avengers, or even Defenders, material once this is over.

| Published by Marvel

Isola #2 is probably the most beautiful thing you’re going to find on the shelves this week, which is saying something since there’s also an issue of Monstress. Karl Kerschl and Msassyk are just raising the bar higher and higher on how gorgeous the comics page can look in the span of two simple issues. Apart from being a visual treat, the story is also captivating. Kerschl and Brenden Fletcher have a fable here that taps into the same kind of magical realism, whimsy, and ephemeral beauty of a Hayao Miyazaki film and it’s incredibly engrossing.

| Published by Image

Medieval Spawn & Witchblade #1 is some decent dark fantasy. Brian Holguin, Brian Haberlin, and Geirrod Van Dyke set up a pretty bleak, undead tainted past to throw what appears to be a new Medieval Spawn into, as much of this issue works to flesh out the mystery of his past and the blight that currently besets the land. No sign of a Witchblade yet. Some nice dark and moody art from Haberlin and Van Dyke.

| Published by Image

New Mutants: Dead Souls #3 is a turning point for the story, giving us essentially a reason for why all of this weird stuff is going on and more particularly why at least some of these former members of different incarnations of the New Mutants are present. All while the team starts turning on itself as Matthew Rosenberg begins to deal with some of the continuity and history of the team members. It’s good. If you’re a long time reader of these characters, you should love this. If you’re not and you’re a newcomer with this series, it’s still fun, with some great Adam Gorham art.

| Published by Marvel

Oblivion Song #3 raises some interesting questions about the people who were transported over into Oblivion. How living through that nightmare for ten years could have changed them, possibly made them go feral, and how troublesome it might be to have them readjust to life in a safe and sane world. Obviously the answer would seem to be to bring them back anyway, but it’s still an interesting question.

| Published by Image / Skybound

Old Man Logan #39 actually has a pretty clever play on one of the X-Men’s most prestigious stories in the title as “Glob Loves, Man Kills”. That should give you an idea as to the content of this issue, but I won’t spoil the surprise if you’re unsure. That said, we get more development on Old Man Logan’s problems with his healing factor, and Glob has a date. Nice artwork from Ibraim Roberson and Carlos Lopez, and it’s welcome again, like his run on Cable, that Ed Brisson is playing with the wider world of X-characters.

| Published by Marvel

Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #304 reminds you not to mess with the past, even if it’s ostensibly for a good reason. It never works out. Except in the art department. Adam Kubert gets to show off some nice redesigns for the heroes here and a really nice new version of a somewhat surprising villain.

| Published by Marvel

Port of Earth #5 returns us to Mac and Rice’s plight, with Rice not only dealing with the loss of his girlfriend, but finally figuring out what the alien was up to with his stolen badge. This is still a relatively slow moving series, with the issues fairly systematically broken down into an opening section that focuses on a documentary style analysis of the Port, the contract with the aliens, and the ESA and then the action following Mac and Rice, but it’s entertaining.

| Published by Image / Top Cow

Punks Not Dead #4 is still somehow raising the bar on how inexplicably strange this series can get, even as it’s making more and more sense.

| Published by IDW / Black Crown

Resident Alien: An Alien in New York #2 unfurls the mystery further as Harry and Dan try to figure out who wrote an NYC phone number in alien script. Steve Parkhouse’s art, as usual, really draws you in.

| Published by Dark Horse

Rough Riders: Ride or Die #4 is a fitting conclusion to the adventures of Teddy Roosevelt and his band of luminaries, even if we may see a different incarnation somewhere down the line. Adam Glass and Patrick Olliffe created a worthwhile real life analogue to literary supergroups like League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and the three series are worth picking up.

| Published by AfterShock

The Spider King #4 brings an end to this excellent mix of Viking action and weird science. It’s been a great story with amazing art, highly recommended.

| Published by IDW

Venom #1 is pretty damn good. The story from Donny Cates is compelling, building up a mystery for strange behaviour from the symbiote and expanding upon the Venom history, but stealing the spotlight is the art. Ryan Stegman was a good artist, with this issue he’s laying claim to being a great artist. With JP Mayer providing inks over Stegman’s pencils and Frank Martin delivering on the colour work, this is a damn fine looking comic. A great debut.

| Published by Marvel

World of Tanks: Citadel #1 is somewhere between Garth Ennis’ two usual war story extremes; the deeply serious realistic tales of historical war battles and incidents of series like War Stories and the over-the-top dark humour of Adventures in the Rifle Brigade. As such, it’s all right. Most of it is set up, allowing the tank drivers and gunners to get acquainted with their vehicles and crew. The art from PJ Holden and Michael Atiyeh is fairly nice.

| Published by Dark Horse

Other Highlights: Astonisher #7, Barbarella #6, Betrothed #3, Betty & Veronica: Vixens #6, Black Cloud #9, Calexit #3, Dejah Thoris #4, Dissonance #3, Ghostbusters: Answer the Call #5, Ghost Money #10, Green Hornet #3, Incredible Hulk #716, Jim Henson’s Fraggle Rock #1, Maestros #6, Monstress #16, Outcast #35, Planet of the Apes: Ursus #5, Prism Stalker #3, Pumpkinhead #3, ROM & The Micronauts #5, Rose #11, Runaways #9, Savage Tales: Vampirella, Sleepless #6, Southern Bastards #20, Spider-Man vs. Deadpool #32, Star Trek: The Next Generation - Through the Mirror #2, Star Wars: Darth Vader #16, Star Wars: The Last Jedi #1, Star Wars Adventures #10, Star Wars: Thrawn #4, Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #32, Xena: Warrior Princess #4, X-Men Blue #27, You Are Deadpool #2

Recommended Collections: Accell - Volume 2: Pop Quiz, Amazing Spider-Man: Venom Inc., Angelic - Volume 1: Heirs & Graces, Beasts of Burden: Animal Rights, Dark Fang - Volume 1: Earth Calling, Death of Wolverine - Complete Collection, Despicable Deadpool - Volume 2: Bucket List, Hawkeye - Volume 3: Family Reunion, The Shadow: Leviathan, Sheena: Queen of the Jungle - Volume 1, Sherlock Frankenstein and the Legion of Evil

d. emerson eddy cannot be disassembled and reassembled like a Mr. Potato Head. So, please, stop trying.

#This Week in Comics

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awakendreamersworld · 3 years

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Chapter 3 is a go! Lost Runaway

It was the big day, The Defender Trials, every soldier was ready and geared up for what was about to come. All of the Murine kingdoms' people came to watch which new soldier will be the new protector of their home, all the sirens were coming inside the entrances of the Emperor Leviathans' colosseum, or as the Emperor would call it: 'Emperor Containment Facility,' and was seated in the back to watch the soldiers risk their lives to help the Emperor's children hatch and be the new defender. Maria entered the place with her mother, "Ok sweetheart, go sit by one of your friends up their on the risers, ok?" Firtha said pointing at Maria's classmates, Maria looked down in worry "Are you gonna be ok, Mama?" Maria said with worried eyes, "I'm gonna be just fine, Maria. Remember, I'm the siren that stabbed a shark through the eye." Firtha said with a wink joking with Maria. Maria went and sat by Emily who was with her dad,

"Hey Emily!" She said,

"Oh, Hey Maria!" Emily greeted back,

"Hey, guess what? My mom said I can come with you!" Maria said knowing very well what she was doing,

"Oh really? Um, ok. Just let me tell my Papa." Emily said and turned to her dad, "Hey Papa?"

"Hm?" Emily's father said, he looked middle aged, like either in his 40's or 50's, he had wrinkles on the side of his eyes and mouth, and he looked like he was tired.

"My friend, Maria, is gonna be coming with us to see Mama! Is that ok?" Emily said with a small smile.

"Did her parents agree that this is ok?" He asked

"Yes, err... at least that's what she says they said..." Emily said

"Ok, as long as you follow my rules when we cross into another kingdoms oceans, understand young lady?" Emily's father said

"Mhmm!" Maria nodded in agreement

"Hey, wait! How come SHE gets to go with you across oceans!?" Alice complained

"Uhh, because she asked permission?" Emily said

Alice looked at Maria angrily then sat back down to watch the trial.

The trials was about to begin, The Sea Emperor came in and sat by her eggs, there were 12 Murine sirens including Maria's mother standing there waiting for their orders. The Sea Emperor then announced their tasks, "You need to find various flora for my children to hatch, first you need a bulb bush sample, they're located to the Northeast beyond the mushroom forest..." She said and them all a map, "Go through these ancient portals... they'll give you all the time you need, but for us... just one minute. And remember, only a few may be accepted... some will be neglected." The Emperor said and the sirens swam ahead through the green glowing door, each one vanishing as they enter, including Maria's mom, she looked back at Maria and smiled then went through the green light and the timer began. After a few hours of the Murine soldier's to collect the necessary, some were unlucky along the trip, some ran into a Reaper Leviathan and got eaten, other's accidentally disturbed the Sea Dragon and got boiled alive in the lava pits, but the few that survived had collected what was needed: Gabe's Feather Seed, Sea Crown seed, Membrain tree seed, and a Rogue Cradle seed. Then they went to the hidden base and created some Hatching Enzymes. Once the minute was up, the Murine soldiers came back but only four survived, Firtha, Doria, Simon and another member of Maria's mom's team. The crowd cheered the brave souls' that survived the horrible and deadly trial, then it was time to hatch the eggs. The four Murines swam up to the incubator and put in the remains, after putting in the enzymes, the eggs began to hatch. The Juvenile Emperors swam up to their mother as if they were saying 'Hello and Goodbye,' then they began to swim for the green door and enter so they can come back grown up. The Sea Emperor began to tremble and fall to the ground, "My young are heading for the shallows... their beginning is my end... I thank you... Perhaps the next we meet I will be an ocean current, I will carry seeds to new lands... or a creature so small... It sees the gaps between the grains of sand... Farewell, friends." She said before laying flat on the sand and died, her body then began to decompose and wither away deep into the sand.

After a few moments, the Sea Emperor's babies come back, but they're no longer juveniles, they're fully grown up and began to sit at the very same spot their mother was just at. "Thank you, Mother." They all said in unison, "Now its time for us to choose a new defender to protect our home..." The Sea Emperors said and looked down on the four Murines. "Firtha, you've yet to have complete the trial and so have some of your companions, and for that, we chose you..." They said, "Thank you, but I'm afraid I must decline the offer, my time of protecting you all has come to an end, so therefor, I wish for my job to be replaced by my dear sister, Doria." Firtha said and handed her spear to Doria. Doria was shocked usually her sister would be taking on the job but, this was new entirely, "But, Firtha... I'm not really like you!' She said nervous about this whole arrangement, "It'll be fine! You battled sharks with me! So your totally like me!" Firtha said trying to cheer up her sister, Doria smiled and took the spear then swam up the Emperors. "Very well, Doria Spencer, we here by award you the new protector of our kingdom." They said. The crowd cheered and applauded as they began exiting the colosseum, Firtha began to look for Maria, but was nowhere to be found, "Maria? MARIA!?" She said panicking "WHERE IS MARIA!? WHERE'S MY DAUGHTER!?" she yelled to Doria who swam to her sisters side, they both began looking through the crowd for her but then Firtha got a horrible idea where exactly Maria is.

Maria was with Emily and her father swimming up to the midsurface. "Your going to love my mother, Maria! She's so kind and gentle! And has the sweetest voice ever!" Emily said excitedly, "Wow, she sounds amazing!" Maria said "Ok you two." Emily's father stopped them and in front of them was a current. "We take this to take us across ocean, its the fastest way." He said, then he grabbed their hands and began to swim inside "Hold on tight!" He told the girls when all of a sudden... "MARIA!" Maria turned around and saw her mother and her aunt swimming towards her, she quickly pushed Emily and her father into the current and it took them away quickly carrying them over to the Arctic. "How could I have been so stupid to leave her by herself!" Firtha cried "We can still go after her, did she say where she was going?" Doria said trying to help her distressed sister, "She said she's going the Dorms' kingdom to meet her friends mother, but its too cold over there, she'll freeze!" Firtha said with worry "Well, maybe we can hurry and swim after them before they get there!" Doria said. Firtha nodded and they both went into the current and began to swim a bit more quickly in order to catch up with Maria. "Ok Maria, here's how the trip goes." Emily's father said, "We have to travel to multiple ocean currents in order to get to the Arctic, so just follow my rules and we'll get there safely, understand?" Emily's father said, "Okay!" Maria said with excitement, this was her very first time in the ocean surface, she couldn't believed what she's seeing! Fish with very different and vibrant colors travelling together in a pack, other medium sized fish like the dolphins she found, it was truly amazing! This was gonna be smooth sailing! Or at least that's what she thought. Firtha was travelling a lot faster than the current itself, soon she was able to see Maria and her friend, "MARIA!" She shouted again and began to swim towards them. Maria looked down and saw something shiny swim outside the current, "Ooh! What's that?" She said and swam towards it, going outside the current. "MARIA, STOP!" Her mother shouted again, Emily and her father turned around and saw Firtha and Doria swimming up behind, Firtha began to swim after Maria who was going too close to the 'shiny' object.

Once Maria was at the 'shiny' thing, a great white battle-scared shark began to come up with its mouth open ready to chomp down on Maria. Maria looked down and saw the shark and screamed, she began to swim back to the current when her mother dove in to defend her daughters life. She dove right in between the shark and Maria and instead of sinking its teeth into Maria, it caught Firtha, Doria came down to help her sister kill the man-eating beast as it was swaying Firtha side to side to rip her apart, but then Firtha brought her spear down into its head and the shark let go of her in pain as it was trying to get the spear out of its head. "FIRTHA!" Doria shouted and swam up to her, "MAMA!" Maria joined in and swam towards her. "M-Maria? Are you okay? I told you not to do this- AAH!" She said in pain, losing too much blood "Firtha, don't speak! I'm gonna try and heal you!" Doria said and put her hands on her sisters wounds and began to use her powers to hopefully 'heal' her sister, "Mama, I-I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for this to happen! I just wanted to see more of the ocean and-" "No, Maria... Its my fault... I kept you hidden from what you needed to learn, from what you wanted see... There is more to the ocean than what we know... you wanted see that, but I kept you from it." Firtha said starting to lose her breathe, "No, Mama, I-" Maria cried "Shh, its okay... your already up here close to the surface so... heh..." Firtha said while putting her hand on Maria's cheek. "Maria... Your growing up into a brave, adventurous, beautiful young girl... and your right, we can't just stay down there all of our lives..." Firtha said while looking up towards the surface "We need to explore more, discover... and learn, otherwise... how are we prepared?" She said and kissed Maria's head, "I want to you to be free, to explore more of what's out there, like what we were supposed to do instead of hiding... and be careful...!" Firtha said laughing a little bit. "Mama... Please don't go... I'm sorry, I promise I'll fix this!" Maria said trying to hold back her tears of bubbles. "Ah, Mio Caro... it'll be okay... if you want to 'fix this'... then go on out there and discover... you don't have to stay stuck at the bottom of the ocean anymore..." She said giving Maria one last kiss and hug before finally letting go of her life and passing away. Maria held her mother's corpse crying, Doria was trying to comfort her,

"Shh, its ok Maria" Doria said putting her hand on Maria's back

"No! Its all my fault!" Maria said crying

"No its not, its OUR fault, we didn't let you go and now..." Doria said looking at her sisters corpse

"C'mon... lets go bury her body so she'll be in peace..." Doria said picking up and carrying Firtha's body and swimming back down

"Maria?" She said before looking up behind to see that Maria was swimming away

"MARIA! WAIT!" She yelled

"Maria...!" Emily shouted, but her friend ignored her and continued to swim away further up the current and going above sea level.

Back at the Murine Kingdom, Doria hosted a memorial for her deceased sister as the soldier Murines wrapped her body in seaweed and carried her corpse to a bottomless pit, it was a giant gap that separated their home from the other side, which you couldn't see, and there were tombstone rocks all around the edge. The soldiers went to the edge and dump Firtha's body into the abyss, everyone held their heads down in a moment of silence for Firtha in respect. After the funeral, Doria went and grabbed some extra weapons and armor so she could go and find Maria when all of a sudden, Simon caught her, "Hey, what are you doing?" He asked "I have to find my niece, she's out there somewhere, she thinks this is her fault, its not, but-" Doria stuttered, Simon put his hand on Doria's shoulder, "Hey, its ok..." He said with a small smile. Doria sighed, "I have to go find her before she ends up like her mother. I need you to stay and defend the kingdom with everything you've got, ok?" She said giving Simon the spear and leaving up to the ocean's Mesopelagic zone, where she last saw Maria.

"Emily? What are you doing? What's all of this?" Emily's mother asked, she was entering her daughter's room, it was covered with gold curtains surrounding her bed and the walls were made of seashells and the ground was made of clams , her mother's scales were golden and her hair a bright blonde along with sapphire blue pierced oval eyes, curvy cheeks and a small pointed nose,

"Mom I-I have to find my friend, she could be in danger, or hurt! I'm supposed to be her friend... I can't leave her to her own guilt! I wasn't there to help her mother so..." Emily said with tears beginning to form from her eyes.

Emily's mother swam up by her side and placed her hand on her back and asked, "What does your friend look like?"

Emily pulled out a school photo of them on the first day and pointed to where Maria was, "Here, this is what she looks like..." Emily said to her mother.

Her mom then swam outside to her fellow Dorm sirens holding up the picture, "Mom? What are you doing?" Emily asked "Helping you find your friend." She said with a smile. Emily swam up to her mom and hugged her, "Tell Papa that I'm going to the surface to look for Maria, ok?" Emily said "Ok dear, be careful!" Her mother said and Emily began to swim out of the kingdom towards the current so she could travel faster. And the search for Maria began.

Chapters: Chapter 1, Chapter 2

#pixar luca #luca movie #luca 2021 #Luca Paguro #Alberto Scorfano #Giulia Marcovaldo #massimo marcovaldo #Maria Rose #Through The Ocean Currents #fanfic #ercole visconti #Malberto #Alberto x Maria

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dfroza · 5 years

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An innocent man

betrayed.

His innocence revealed in an ancient dream such as read in Today’s chapter of the New Testament (Matthew 27) that is paired with Ezekiel 34

numbers that remind me of the alphabetic number 27 of the letters AKO on the Oklahoma license plate of my former Saturn Vue and the alphabetic number 34 of the word “grace”

and we see the True Shepherd revealed in chapter 34 of Ezekiel who declares freedom from bullying toward His sheep and who in the New Covenant has declared our innocence by a sacred act of grace on the cross that we read in Today’s chapter of Matthew

to be followed by the lines of Psalm 26 and Psalm 34 that reflect the same.

the writing of the ancient book of Matthew, Chapter 27:

Eventually the chief priests and the elders looked around and saw that it was morning. They convened a council meeting whose sole purpose was to hand down Jesus’ death sentence. They tied Jesus up, took Him away, and handed Him over to the governor of Judea, a man called Pilate.

Judas—the one who had betrayed Him with a kiss for 30 pieces of silver—saw that Jesus had been condemned, and suddenly Judas regretted what he had done. He took the silver back to the chief priests and elders and tried to return it to them.

Judas Iscariot: I can’t keep this money! I’ve sinned! I’ve betrayed an innocent man! His blood will be on my hands.

Chief Priests and Elders: We’re through with you, friend. The state of your soul is really none of our affair.

Judas threw down the money in the temple, went off, and hanged himself.

The chief priests looked at the silver coins and picked them up.

Chief Priests and Elders: You know, according to the law, we can’t put blood money in the temple treasury.

After some deliberation, they took the money and bought a plot of land called Potter’s Field; they would use it to bury foreigners, suicides, and others who were unfit for a full Jewish burial. (To this day, the field is called Blood Field, because it was bought with blood money.) And when the priests bought Potter’s Field, they unwittingly fulfilled a prophecy made long ago by the prophet Jeremiah: “They took 30 pieces of silver, the price set on the head of the man by the children of Israel, and they gave them for the Potter’s Field as the Eternal One instructed.”

Jesus was standing before the governor, Pilate.

Pilate: Are You the King of the Jews?

Jesus: So you say.

The chief priests and the elders stood and poured out their accusations: that Jesus was a traitor, a seditious rebel, a crazy, a would-be Savior, and a would-be king. Jesus stood in the stream of accusations, but He did not respond.

Pilate: Do You hear these accusations they are making against You?

Still Jesus said nothing, which Pilate found rather astounding—no protests, no defense, nothing.

Now the governor had a custom. During the great Jewish festival of Passover, he would allow the crowd to pick one of the condemned men, and he, Pilate, would set the man free. Just like that. Gratuitous, gracious freedom. At this time, they had a notorious prisoner named Barabbas. So when the crowd gathered, Pilate offered them a choice:

Pilate: Whom do you want me to free? Barabbas or Jesus, whom some call the Anointed One?

Pilate knew the chief priests and elders hated Jesus and had delivered Him up because they envied Him.

Then Pilate sat down on his judgment seat, and he received a message from his wife: “Distance yourself utterly from the proceedings against this righteous man. I have had a dream about Him, a dream full of twisted sufferings—He is innocent, I know it, and we should have nothing to do with Him.”

But the chief priests and the elders convinced the crowd to demand that Barabbas, not Jesus, whom-some-call-the-Anointed-One, be freed and that Jesus be put to death.

Pilate (standing before the crowd): Which of these men would you have me free?

Crowd (shouting): Barabbas!

Pilate: What would you have me do with this Jesus, whom some call the Anointed One?

Crowd (shouting): Crucify Him!

Pilate: Why? What crime has this man committed?

Crowd (responding with a shout): Crucify Him!

Pilate saw that unless he wanted a riot on his hands, he now had to bow to their wishes. So he took a pitcher of water, stood before the crowd, and washed his hands.

Pilate: You will see to this crucifixion, for this man’s blood will be upon you and not upon me. I wash myself of it.

Crowd: Indeed, let His blood be upon us—upon us and our children!

So Pilate released Barabbas, and he had Jesus flogged and handed over to be crucified.

The governor’s soldiers took Jesus into a great hall, gathered a great crowd, and stripped Jesus of His clothes, draping Him in a bold scarlet cloak, the kind that soldiers sometimes wore. They gathered some thorny vines, wove them into a crown, and perched that crown upon His head. They stuck a reed in His right hand, and then they knelt before Him, this inside-out, upside-down King. They mocked Him with catcalls.

Soldiers: Hail, the King of the Jews!

They spat on Him and whipped Him on the head with His scepter of reeds, and when they had their fill, they pulled off the bold scarlet cloak, dressed Him in His own simple clothes, and led Him off to be crucified.

As they were walking, they found a man called Simon of Cyrene and forced him to carry the cross. Eventually they came to a place called Golgotha, which means “Place of the Skull.” There they gave Him a drink—wine mixed with bitter herbs. He tasted it but refused to drink it.

And so they had Him crucified. They divided the clothes off His back by drawing lots, and they sat on the ground and watched Him hang. They placed a sign over His head: “This is Jesus, King of the Jews.” And then they crucified two thieves next to Him, one at His right hand and one at His left hand.

Passersby shouted curses and blasphemies at Jesus. They wagged their heads at Him and hissed.

Passersby: You’re going to destroy the temple and then rebuild it in three days? Why don’t You start with saving Yourself? Come down from the cross if You can, if You’re God’s Son.

Chief Priests, Scribes, and Elders (mocking Him): He saved others, but He can’t save Himself. If He’s really the King of Israel, then let Him climb down from the cross—then we’ll believe Him. He claimed communion with God—well, let God save Him, if He’s God’s beloved Son.

Even the thieves hanging to His right and left poured insults upon Him. And then, starting at noon, the entire land became dark. It was dark for three hours. In the middle of the dark afternoon, Jesus cried out in a loud voice.

Jesus: Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani—My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?

Bystanders: He’s calling on Elijah.

One bystander grabbed a sponge, steeped it in vinegar, stuck it on a reed, and gave Jesus the vinegar to drink.

Others: We’ll see—we’ll see if Elijah is going to come and rescue Him.

And then Jesus cried out once more, loudly, and then He breathed His last breath. At that instant, the temple curtain was torn in half, from top to bottom. The earth shook; rocks split in two; tombs burst open, and bodies of many sleeping holy women and men were raised up. After Jesus’ resurrection, they came out of their tombs, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and showed themselves to people.

When the Centurion and soldiers who had been charged with guarding Jesus felt the earthquake and saw the rocks splitting and the tombs opening, they were, of course, terrified.

Soldiers: He really was God’s Son.

A number of women, who had been devoted to Jesus and followed Him from Galilee, were present, too, watching from a distance. Mary Magdalene was there, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

At evening time, a rich man from Arimathea arrived. His name was Joseph, and he had become a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked to be given Jesus’ body; Pilate assented and ordered his servants to turn Jesus’ body over to Joseph. So Joseph took the body, wrapped Jesus in a clean sheath of white linen, and laid Jesus in his own new tomb, which he had carved from a rock. Then he rolled a great stone in front of the tomb’s opening, and he went away. Mary Magdalene was there, and so was the other Mary. They sat across from the tomb, watching, remembering.

The next day, which is the day after the Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went together to Pilate. They reminded him that when Jesus was alive He had claimed that He would be raised from the dead after three days.

Chief Priests and Pharisees: So please order someone to secure the tomb for at least three days. Otherwise His disciples might sneak in and steal His body away, and then claim that He has been raised from the dead. If that happens, then we would have been better off just leaving Him alive.

Pilate: You have a guard. Go and secure the grave.

So they went to the tomb, sealed the stone in its mouth, and left the guard to keep watch.

The Book of Matthew, Chapter 27 (The Voice)

and the 31 verses of Ezekiel 34:

[When the Sheep Get Scattered]

God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherd-leaders of Israel. Yes, prophesy! Tell those shepherds, ‘God, the Master, says: Doom to you shepherds of Israel, feeding your own mouths! Aren’t shepherds supposed to feed sheep? You drink the milk, you make clothes from the wool, you roast the lambs, but you don’t feed the sheep. You don’t build up the weak ones, don’t heal the sick, don’t doctor the injured, don’t go after the strays, don’t look for the lost. You bully and badger them. And now they’re scattered every which way because there was no shepherd—scattered and easy pickings for wolves and coyotes. Scattered—my sheep!—exposed and vulnerable across mountains and hills. My sheep scattered all over the world, and no one out looking for them!

“‘Therefore, shepherds, listen to the Message of God: As sure as I am the living God—Decree of God, the Master—because my sheep have been turned into mere prey, into easy meals for wolves because you shepherds ignored them and only fed yourselves, listen to what God has to say:

“‘Watch out! I’m coming down on the shepherds and taking my sheep back. They’re fired as shepherds of my sheep. No more shepherds who just feed themselves! I’ll rescue my sheep from their greed. They’re not going to feed off my sheep any longer!

“‘God, the Master, says: From now on, I myself am the shepherd. I’m going looking for them. As shepherds go after their flocks when they get scattered, I’m going after my sheep. I’ll rescue them from all the places they’ve been scattered to in the storms. I’ll bring them back from foreign peoples, gather them from foreign countries, and bring them back to their home country. I’ll feed them on the mountains of Israel, along the streams, among their own people. I’ll lead them into lush pasture so they can roam the mountain pastures of Israel, graze at leisure, feed in the rich pastures on the mountains of Israel. And I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep. I myself will make sure they get plenty of rest. I’ll go after the lost, I’ll collect the strays, I’ll doctor the injured, I’ll build up the weak ones and oversee the strong ones so they’re not exploited.

“‘And as for you, my dear flock, I’m stepping in and judging between one sheep and another, between rams and goats. Aren’t you satisfied to feed in good pasture without taking over the whole place? Can’t you be satisfied to drink from the clear stream without muddying the water with your feet? Why do the rest of my sheep have to make do with grass that’s trampled down and water that’s been muddied?

“‘Therefore, God, the Master, says: I myself am stepping in and making things right between the plump sheep and the skinny sheep. Because you forced your way with shoulder and rump and butted at all the weaker animals with your horns till you scattered them all over the hills, I’ll come in and save my dear flock, no longer let them be pushed around. I’ll step in and set things right between one sheep and another.

“‘I’ll appoint one shepherd over them all: my servant David. He’ll feed them. He’ll be their shepherd. And I, God, will be their God. My servant David will be their prince. I, God, have spoken.

“‘I’ll make a covenant of peace with them. I’ll banish fierce animals from the country so the sheep can live safely in the wilderness and sleep in the forest. I’ll make them and everything around my hill a blessing. I’ll send down plenty of rain in season—showers of blessing! The trees in the orchards will bear fruit, the ground will produce, they’ll feel content and safe on their land, and they’ll realize that I am God when I break them out of their slavery and rescue them from their slave masters.

“‘No longer will they be exploited by outsiders and ravaged by fierce beasts. They’ll live safe and sound, fearless and free. I’ll give them rich gardens, lavish in vegetables—no more living half-starved, no longer taunted by outsiders.

“‘They’ll know, beyond doubting, that I, God, am their God, that I’m with them and that they, the people Israel, are my people. Decree of God, the Master:

You are my dear flock,

the flock of my pasture, my human flock,

And I am your God.

Decree of God, the Master.’”

The Book of Ezekiel, Chapter 34 (The Message)

to be continued by lines of Psalm 26 and Psalm 34:

[Psalm 26]

A song of David.

Declare my innocence, O Eternal One!

I have walked blamelessly down this path.

I placed my trust in the Eternal and have yet to stumble.

Put me on trial and examine me, O Eternal One!

Search me through and through—from my deepest longings to every thought that crosses my mind.

Your unfailing love is always before me;

I have journeyed down Your path of truth.

My life is not wasted among liars;

my days are not spent among cheaters.

I despise every crowd intent on evil;

I do not commune with the wicked.

I wash my hands in the fountain of innocence

so that I might join the gathering that surrounds Your altar, O Eternal One.

From my soul, I will join the songs of thanksgiving;

I will sing and proclaim Your wonder and mystery.

Your house, home to Your glory, O Eternal One, radiates its light.

I am fixed on this place and long to be nowhere else.

When Your wrath pursues those who oppose You,

those swift to sin and thirsty for blood,

spare my soul and grant me life.

These men hold deceit in their left hands,

and in their right hands, bribery and lies.

But God, I have walked blamelessly down this path,

and this is my plea for redemption.

This is my cry for Your mercy.

Here I stand secure and confident

before all the people; I will praise the Eternal.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 26 (The Voice)

Revere the Eternal, you His saints,

for those who worship Him will possess everything important in life.

Young lions may grow tired and hungry,

but those intent on knowing the Eternal God will have everything they need.

Gather around, children, listen to what I’m saying;

I will teach you how to revere the Eternal.

If you love life

and want to live a good, long time,

Take care with the things you say.

Don’t lie or spread gossip or talk about improper things.

Walk away from the evil things of the world,

and always seek peace and pursue it.

For the Eternal watches over the righteous,

and His ears are attuned to their prayers. He is always listening.

But He will punish evildoers,

and nothing they do will last. They will soon be forgotten.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 34:9-16 (The Voice)

and concluded by these lines from chapter 26 of the book of Proverbs about the significance of the words we choose:

[Watch Your Words]

The one who is caught lying to his friend

and says, “I didn’t mean it, I was only joking,”

can be compared to a madman

randomly shooting off deadly weapons.

It takes fuel to have a fire—

a fire dies down when you run out of fuel.

So quarrels disappear when the gossip ends.

Add fuel to the fire and the blaze goes on.

So add an argumentative man to the mix

and you’ll keep strife alive.

Gossip is so delicious, and how we love to swallow it!

For slander is easily absorbed into our innermost being.

Smooth talk can hide a corrupt heart

just like a pretty glaze covers a cheap clay pot.

Kind words can be a cover to conceal hatred of others,

for hypocrisy loves to hide behind flattery.

So don’t be drawn in by the hypocrite,

for his gracious speech is a charade,

nothing but a masquerade covering his hatred and evil on parade.

Don’t worry—he can’t keep the mask on for long.

One day his hypocrisy will be exposed before all the world.

Go ahead, set a trap for others—

and then watch as it snaps back on you!

Start a landslide and you’ll be the one who gets crushed.

Hatred is the root of slander

and insecurity the root of flattery.

The Book of Proverbs, Chapter 26:18-28 (The Passion Translation)

my personal reading of the Scriptures for October 26, the 34th day of Autumn and day 299 of the year:

accompanied by a psalm sung by Zach Winters as the closing track #13 on Love is a Garden

youtube

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sikenly · 5 years

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How much do we love the Lord?

How much do we love the Lord? (John 21:17)

“He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.”

1. Do we love Him because of the gifts we receive from Him?

In our daily lives, God has been faithful to us by continuously providing us our daily needs & wants; good food, nice bed, health, cars, entertainment, good weather. All of these comes from Him. When God created us, He is fully aware of our needs (Genesis 2:18 - And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.)

- Do we see God is a mere provider only?

- How often have we thanked Him for all of these? Are we fully satisfied on what He is providing to us?

- Are we contented with what we presently have?

- Or do we seek more and more to the point that our need for material gains becomes our ultimate & sole purpose why we work and thus becomes the apple of our eyes & not the Lord?

- What if we lose all these things? Do we continue still in worshipping & thanking Him in the same manner as we have been doing while we are at plenty?

Habakkuk 3:17-18

Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:

Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

What if Christ is poor, will we still consider Him as King?

Since God is our creator, we are under His mercy… meaning we are at His disposal, if He chooses to bless us, that is His prerogative, if we suffer because He is trying us, that is His prerogative. Our job is to thank Him all the time, no matter what our circumstances are. Our gratitude to Him should not be solely based on the merits of what He gave to us, but should be entirely based on His character, that is Him being our GOD. (Consider a slave who remains obedient to

His master.)

If you love Him more than the gifts he gives, OBEY HIM. (Matthew 16:27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.)

2. Do we love Him because of what heaven promises?

1 Corinthians 2:9 - But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

Again, it is like the first point on loving God because of the material things He provides to us. This time, it is heaven that we are talking about. Most often, I am asking myself this single question… Will I still want to be in heaven if Christ isn’t there?

a. Do we love Christ more than the streets of golds?

b. Do we love Christ more than the mansion He has prepared for us?

c. Do we love Christ more than the crown that He will give the saints?

It is good to imagine and think of how heaven looks like, how the angels speak or fly. It is exciting to gaze on God’s glory from His throne. But most of all, isn’t it more than exciting to just imagine the day, that very important day, when we finally see Jesus, face to face. Are we that excited to see Him? (Psalm 27:4 - One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.) The source of true love. (Romans 5:8, John 3:16)

If you are excited to see Him, FOLLOW HIM. (Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.)

3. Do we love Him because of who He is?

Just like the very first gift we have received from our parents and/or best friend, despite of it being too old and obsolete, the amount of effort that we put in keeping and preserving it is beyond measure. Why? Because it is so dear to us, right? But behind that object that we give some much importance at is the “giver of the gift”. That despite of the fact that the object we got is old and rusting, we still give so much value to it. Because its giver is very important to us, because we love them.

Nowadays, many are seeking the Lord, because He can heal the sick, give sight to the blind, rise up the dead… many are calling Him Lord and Saviour… but not as the supreme Lord and Saviour of their lives, they make Him Lord but of their possessions, their stature, their security… but not of their hearts.

Now here’s the challenge…

Where is Jesus in your heart? How much space does He occupy in your heart? How much portion of your brain that you use in keeping thoughts about Him?

If you believe that He alone is enough in your life, then LOVE HIM. (Matthew 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.)

The present world that we live in is stealing and trying its best to divert our focus to the LORD, injecting new ideas and “wisdom” that is all man made. Its prime objective is to satisfy one thing, i.e., SELF GRATIFICATION & SELF PROMOTION. This is exactly what the devil wants, to see in ourselves that we can be like GOD, that the most important of all is to love ourselves… not GOD.

*ctto*

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araitsume · 4 years

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The Desire of Ages, pp. 557-568: Chapter (62) The Feast at Simon's House

This chapter is based on Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-11; Luke 7:36-50; John 11:55-57; John 12:1-11.

Simon of Bethany was accounted a disciple of Jesus. He was one of the few Pharisees who had openly joined Christ's followers. He acknowledged Jesus as a teacher, and hoped that He might be the Messiah, but he had not accepted Him as a Saviour. His character was not transformed; his principles were unchanged.

Simon had been healed of the leprosy, and it was this that had drawn him to Jesus. He desired to show his gratitude, and at Christ's last visit to Bethany he made a feast for the Saviour and His disciples. This feast brought together many of the Jews. There was at this time much excitement at Jerusalem. Christ and His mission were attracting greater attention than ever before. Those who had come to the feast closely watched His movements, and some of them with unfriendly eyes.

The Saviour had reached Bethany only six days before the Passover, and according to His custom had sought rest at the home of Lazarus. The crowds of travelers who passed on to the city spread the tidings that He was on His way to Jerusalem, and that He would rest over the Sabbath at Bethany. Among the people there was great enthusiasm. Many flocked to Bethany, some out of sympathy with Jesus, and others from curiosity to see one who had been raised from the dead.

Many expected to hear from Lazarus a wonderful account of scenes witnessed after death. They were surprised that he told them nothing. He had nothing of this kind to tell. Inspiration declares, “The dead know not anything.... Their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished.” Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6. But Lazarus did have a wonderful testimony to bear in regard to the work of Christ. He had been raised from the dead for this purpose. With assurance and power he declared that Jesus was the Son of God.

The reports carried back to Jerusalem by the visitors to Bethany increased the excitement. The people were eager to see and hear Jesus. There was a general inquiry as to whether Lazarus would accompany Him to Jerusalem, and if the prophet would be crowned king at the Passover. The priests and rulers saw that their hold upon the people was still weakening, and their rage against Jesus grew more bitter. They could hardly wait for the opportunity of removing Him forever from their way. As time passed, they began to fear that after all He might not come to Jerusalem. They remembered how often He had baffled their murderous designs, and they were fearful that He had now read their purposes against Him, and would remain away. They could ill conceal their anxiety, and questioned among themselves, “What think ye, that He will not come to the feast?”

A council of the priests and Pharisees was called. Since the raising of Lazarus the sympathies of the people were so fully with Christ that it would be dangerous to seize upon Him openly. So the authorities determined to take Him secretly, and carry on the trial as quietly as possible. They hoped that when His condemnation became known, the fickle tide of public opinion would set in their favor.

Thus they proposed to destroy Jesus. But so long as Lazarus lived, the priests and rabbis knew that they were not secure. The very existence of a man who had been four days in the grave, and who had been restored by a word from Jesus, would sooner or later cause a reaction. The people would be avenged on their leaders for taking the life of One who could perform such a miracle. The Sanhedrin therefore decided that Lazarus also must die. To such lengths do envy and prejudice lead their slaves. The hatred and unbelief of the Jewish leaders had increased until they would even take the life of one whom infinite power had rescued from the grave.

While this plotting was going on at Jerusalem, Jesus and His friends were invited to Simon's feast. At the table the Saviour sat with Simon, whom He had cured of a loathsome disease, on one side, and Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead, on the other. Martha served at the table, but Mary was earnestly listening to every word from the lips of Jesus. In His mercy, Jesus had pardoned her sins, He had called forth her beloved brother from the grave, and Mary's heart was filled with gratitude. She had heard Jesus speak of His approaching death, and in her deep love and sorrow she had longed to show Him honor. At great personal sacrifice she had purchased an alabaster box of “ointment of spikenard, very costly,” with which to anoint His body. But now many were declaring that He was about to be crowned king. Her grief was turned to joy, and she was eager to be first in honoring her Lord. Breaking her box of ointment, she poured its contents upon the head and feet of Jesus; then, as she knelt weeping, moistening them with her tears, she wiped His feet with her long, flowing hair.

She had sought to avoid observation, and her movements might have passed unnoticed, but the ointment filled the room with its fragrance, and published her act to all present. Judas looked upon this act with great displeasure. Instead of waiting to hear what Christ would say of the matter, he began to whisper his complaints to those near him, throwing reproach upon Christ for suffering such waste. Craftily he made suggestions that would be likely to cause disaffection.

Judas was treasurer for the disciples, and from their little store he had secretly drawn for his own use, thus narrowing down their resources to a meager pittance. He was eager to put into the bag all that he could obtain. The treasure in the bag was often drawn upon to relieve the poor; and when something that Judas did not think essential was bought, he would say, Why is this waste? why was not the cost of this put into the bag that I carry for the poor? Now the act of Mary was in such marked contrast to his selfishness that he was put to shame; and according to his custom, he sought to assign a worthy motive for his objection to her gift. Turning to the disciples, he asked, “Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.” Judas had no heart for the poor. Had Mary's ointment been sold, and the proceeds fallen into his possession, the poor would have received no benefit.

Judas had a high opinion of his own executive ability. As a financier he thought himself greatly superior to his fellow disciples, and he had led them to regard him in the same light. He had gained their confidence, and had a strong influence over them. His professed sympathy for the poor deceived them, and his artful insinuation caused them to look distrustfully upon Mary's devotion. The murmur passed round the table, “To what purpose is this waste? For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor.”

Mary heard the words of criticism. Her heart trembled within her. She feared that her sister would reproach her for extravagance. The Master, too, might think her improvident. Without apology or excuse she was about to shrink away, when the voice of her Lord was heard, “Let her alone; why trouble ye her?” He saw that she was embarrassed and distressed. He knew that in this act of service she had expressed her gratitude for the forgiveness of her sins, and He brought relief to her mind. Lifting His voice above the murmur of criticism, He said, “She hath wrought a good work on Me. For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but Me ye have not always. She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint My body to the burying.”

The fragrant gift which Mary had thought to lavish upon the dead body of the Saviour she poured upon His living form. At the burial its sweetness could only have pervaded the tomb; now it gladdened His heart with the assurance of her faith and love. Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus offered not their gift of love to Jesus in His life. With bitter tears they brought their costly spices for His cold, unconscious form. The women who bore spices to the tomb found their errand in vain, for He had risen. But Mary, pouring out her love upon the Saviour while He was conscious of her devotion, was anointing Him for the burial. And as He went down into the darkness of His great trial, He carried with Him the memory of that deed, an earnest of the love that would be His from His redeemed ones forever.

Many there are who bring their precious gifts for the dead. As they stand about the cold, silent form, words of love are freely spoken. Tenderness, appreciation, devotion, all are lavished upon one who sees not nor hears. Had these words been spoken when the weary spirit needed them so much, when the ear could hear and the heart could feel, how precious would have been their fragrance!

Mary knew not the full significance of her deed of love. She could not answer her accusers. She could not explain why she had chosen that occasion for anointing Jesus. The Holy Spirit had planned for her, and she had obeyed His promptings. Inspiration stoops to give no reason. An unseen presence, it speaks to mind and soul, and moves the heart to action. It is its own justification. Christ told Mary the meaning of her act, and in this He gave her more than He had received. “In that she hath poured this ointment on My body,” He said, “she did it for My burial.” As the alabaster box was broken, and filled the whole house with its fragrance, so Christ was to die, His body was to be broken; but He was to rise from the tomb, and the fragrance of His life was to fill the earth. Christ “hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor.” Ephesians 5:2.

“Verily I say unto you,” Christ declared, “Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.” Looking into the future, the Saviour spoke with certainty concerning His gospel. It was to be preached throughout the world. And as far as the gospel extended, Mary's gift would shed its fragrance, and hearts would be blessed through her unstudied act. Kingdoms would rise and fall; the names of monarchs and conquerors would be forgotten; but this woman's deed would be immortalized upon the pages of sacred history. Until time should be no more, that broken alabaster box would tell the story of the abundant love of God for a fallen race.

Mary's act was in marked contrast with that which Judas was about to do. What a sharp lesson Christ might have given him who had dropped the seed of criticism and evil thinking into the minds of the disciples! How justly the accuser might have been accused! He who reads the motives of every heart, and understands every action, might have opened before those at the feast dark chapters in the experience of Judas. The hollow pretense on which the traitor based his words might have been laid bare; for, instead of sympathizing with the poor, he was robbing them of the money intended for their relief. Indignation might have been excited against him for his oppression of the widow, the orphan, and the hireling. But had Christ unmasked Judas, this would have been urged as a reason for the betrayal. And though charged with being a thief, Judas would have gained sympathy, even among the disciples. The Saviour reproached him not, and thus avoided giving him an excuse for his treachery.

But the look which Jesus cast upon Judas convinced him that the Saviour penetrated his hypocrisy, and read his base, contemptible character. And in commending Mary's action, which had been so severely condemned, Christ had rebuked Judas. Prior to this, the Saviour had never given him a direct rebuke. Now the reproof rankled in his heart. He determined to be revenged. From the supper he went directly to the palace of the high priest, where he found the council assembled, and he offered to betray Jesus into their hands.

The priests were greatly rejoiced. These leaders of Israel had been given the privilege of receiving Christ as their Saviour, without money and without price. But they refused the precious gift offered them in the most tender spirit of constraining love. They refused to accept that salvation which is of more value than gold, and bought their Lord for thirty pieces of silver.

Judas had indulged avarice until it overpowered every good trait of his character. He grudged the offering made to Jesus. His heart burned with envy that the Saviour should be the recipient of a gift suitable for the monarchs of the earth. For a sum far less than the box of ointment cost, he betrayed his Lord.

The disciples were not like Judas. They loved the Saviour. But they did not rightly appreciate His exalted character. Had they realized what He had done for them, they would have felt that nothing bestowed upon Him was wasted. The wise men from the East, who knew so little of Jesus, had shown a truer appreciation of the honor due Him. They brought precious gifts to the Saviour, and bowed in homage before Him when He was but a babe, and cradled in a manger.

Christ values acts of heartfelt courtesy. When anyone did Him a favor, with heavenly politeness He blessed the actor. He did not refuse the simplest flower plucked by the hand of a child, and offered to Him in love. He accepted the offerings of children, and blessed the givers, inscribing their names in the book of life. In the Scriptures, Mary's anointing of Jesus is mentioned as distinguishing her from the other Marys. Acts of love and reverence for Jesus are an evidence of faith in Him as the Son of God. And the Holy Spirit mentions, as evidences of woman's loyalty to Christ: “If she have washed the saints’ feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work.” 1 Timothy 5:10.

Christ delighted in the earnest desire of Mary to do the will of her Lord. He accepted the wealth of pure affection which His disciples did not, would not, understand. The desire that Mary had to do this service for her Lord was of more value to Christ than all the precious ointment in the world, because it expressed her appreciation of the world's Redeemer. It was the love of Christ that constrained her. The matchless excellence of the character of Christ filled her soul. That ointment was a symbol of the heart of the giver. It was the outward demonstration of a love fed by heavenly streams until it overflowed.

The work of Mary was just the lesson the disciples needed to show them that the expression of their love for Him would be pleasing to Christ. He had been everything to them, and they did not realize that soon they would be deprived of His presence, that soon they could offer Him no token of their gratitude for His great love. The loneliness of Christ, separated from the heavenly courts, living the life of humanity, was never understood or appreciated by the disciples as it should have been. He was often grieved because His disciples did not give Him that which He should have received from them. He knew that if they were under the influence of the heavenly angels that accompanied Him, they too would think no offering of sufficient value to declare the heart's spiritual affection.

Their afterknowledge gave them a true sense of the many things they might have done for Jesus expressive of the love and gratitude of their hearts, while they were near Him. When Jesus was no longer with them, and they felt indeed as sheep without a shepherd, they began to see how they might have shown Him attentions that would have brought gladness to His heart. They no longer cast blame upon Mary, but upon themselves. Oh, if they could have taken back their censuring, their presenting the poor as more worthy of the gift than was Christ! They felt the reproof keenly as they took from the cross the bruised body of their Lord.

The same want is evident in our world today. But few appreciate all that Christ is to them. If they did, the great love of Mary would be expressed, the anointing would be freely bestowed. The expensive ointment would not be called a waste. Nothing would be thought too costly to give for Christ, no self-denial or self-sacrifice too great to be endured for His sake.

The words spoken in indignation, “To what purpose is this waste?” brought vividly before Christ the greatest sacrifice ever made,—the gift of Himself as the propitiation for a lost world. The Lord would be so bountiful to His human family that it could not be said of Him that He could do more. In the gift of Jesus, God gave all heaven. From a human point of view, such a sacrifice was a wanton waste. To human reasoning the whole plan of salvation is a waste of mercies and resources. Self-denial and wholehearted sacrifice meet us everywhere. Well may the heavenly host look with amazement upon the human family who refuse to be uplifted and enriched with the boundless love expressed in Christ. Well may they exclaim, Why this great waste?

But the atonement for a lost world was to be full, abundant, and complete. Christ's offering was exceedingly abundant to reach every soul that God had created. It could not be restricted so as not to exceed the number who would accept the great Gift. All men are not saved; yet the plan of redemption is not a waste because it does not accomplish all that its liberality has provided for. There must be enough and to spare.

Simon the host had been influenced by the criticism of Judas upon Mary's gift, and he was surprised at the conduct of Jesus. His Pharisaic pride was offended. He knew that many of his guests were looking upon Christ with distrust and displeasure. Simon said in his heart, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth Him: for she is a sinner.”

By curing Simon of leprosy, Christ had saved him from a living death. But now Simon questioned whether the Saviour were a prophet. Because Christ allowed this woman to approach Him, because He did not indignantly spurn her as one whose sins were too great to be forgiven, because He did not show that He realized she had fallen, Simon was tempted to think that He was not a prophet. Jesus knows nothing of this woman who is so free in her demonstrations, he thought, or He would not allow her to touch Him.

But it was Simon's ignorance of God and of Christ that led him to think as he did. He did not realize that God's Son must act in God's way, with compassion, tenderness, and mercy. Simon's way was to take no notice of Mary's penitent service. Her act of kissing Christ's feet and anointing them with ointment was exasperating to his hardheartedness. He thought that if Christ were a prophet, He would recognize sinners and rebuke them.

To this unspoken thought the Saviour answered: “Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee.... There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell Me therefore, which of them will love him most? Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And He said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.”

As did Nathan with David, Christ concealed His home thrust under the veil of a parable. He threw upon His host the burden of pronouncing sentence upon himself. Simon had led into sin the woman he now despised. She had been deeply wronged by him. By the two debtors of the parable, Simon and the woman were represented. Jesus did not design to teach that different degrees of obligation should be felt by the two persons, for each owed a debt of gratitude that never could be repaid. But Simon felt himself more righteous than Mary, and Jesus desired him to see how great his guilt really was. He would show him that his sin was greater than hers, as much greater as a debt of five hundred pence exceeds a debt of fifty pence.

Simon now began to see himself in a new light. He saw how Mary was regarded by One who was more than a prophet. He saw that with keen prophetic eye Christ read her heart of love and devotion. Shame seized upon him, and he realized that he was in the presence of One superior to himself.

“I entered into thine house,” Christ continued, “thou gavest Me no water for My feet;” but with tears of repentance, prompted by love, Mary hath washed My feet, and wiped them with the hair of her head. “Thou gavest Me no kiss: but this woman,” whom you despise, “since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss My feet.” Christ recounted the opportunities Simon had had to show his love for his Lord, and his appreciation of what had been done for him. Plainly, yet with delicate politeness, the Saviour assured His disciples that His heart is grieved when His children neglect to show their gratitude to Him by words and deeds of love.

The Heart Searcher read the motive that led to Mary's action, and He saw also the spirit that prompted Simon's words. “Seest thou this woman?” He said to him. She is a sinner. “I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.”

Simon's coldness and neglect toward the Saviour showed how little he appreciated the mercy he had received. He had thought he honored Jesus by inviting Him to his house. But he now saw himself as he really was. While he thought himself reading his Guest, his Guest had been reading him. He saw how true Christ's judgment of him was. His religion had been a robe of Pharisaism. He had despised the compassion of Jesus. He had not recognized Him as the representative of God. While Mary was a sinner pardoned, he was a sinner unpardoned. The rigid rule of justice he had desired to enforce against her condemned him.

Simon was touched by the kindness of Jesus in not openly rebuking him before the guests. He had not been treated as he desired Mary to be treated. He saw that Jesus did not wish to expose his guilt to others, but sought by a true statement of the case to convince his mind, and by pitying kindness to subdue his heart. Stern denunciation would have hardened Simon against repentance, but patient admonition convinced him of his error. He saw the magnitude of the debt which he owed his Lord. His pride was humbled, he repented, and the proud Pharisee became a lowly, self-sacrificing disciple.

Mary had been looked upon as a great sinner, but Christ knew the circumstances that had shaped her life. He might have extinguished every spark of hope in her soul, but He did not. It was He who had lifted her from despair and ruin. Seven times she had heard His rebuke of the demons that controlled her heart and mind. She had heard His strong cries to the Father in her behalf. She knew how offensive is sin to His unsullied purity, and in His strength she had overcome.

When to human eyes her case appeared hopeless, Christ saw in Mary capabilities for good. He saw the better traits of her character. The plan of redemption has invested humanity with great possibilities, and in Mary these possibilities were to be realized. Through His grace she became a partaker of the divine nature. The one who had fallen, and whose mind had been a habitation of demons, was brought very near to the Saviour in fellowship and ministry. It was Mary who sat at His feet and learned of Him. It was Mary who poured upon His head the precious anointing oil, and bathed His feet with her tears. Mary stood beside the cross, and followed Him to the sepulcher. Mary was first at the tomb after His resurrection. It was Mary who first proclaimed a risen Saviour.

Jesus knows the circumstances of every soul. You may say, I am sinful, very sinful. You may be; but the worse you are, the more you need Jesus. He turns no weeping, contrite one away. He does not tell to any all that He might reveal, but He bids every trembling soul take courage. Freely will He pardon all who come to Him for forgiveness and restoration.

Christ might commission the angels of heaven to pour out the vials of His wrath on our world, to destroy those who are filled with hatred of God. He might wipe this dark spot from His universe. But He does not do this. He is today standing at the altar of incense, presenting before God the prayers of those who desire His help.

The souls that turn to Him for refuge, Jesus lifts above the accusing and the strife of tongues. No man or evil angel can impeach these souls. Christ unites them to His own divine-human nature. They stand beside the great Sin Bearer, in the light proceeding from the throne of God. “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” Romans 8:33, 34.

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