#spies and gods chapter 12 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

sihtricfedaraaahvicius · 2 months

Text

Mechanic chapter 13

Note: follow up to chapter 12.

Warnings: same as previous chapters.

pairing: Modern!Sihtric x you (f) x modern!Masema

summary: Masema took you to church while you stayed in touch with Sihtric.

wordcount: 4,3k

Masterlist

You'd been going to church with Masema for a few weeks now, although you couldn't really call the building a church. It was an abandoned farm on the outskirts of town and it looked like it could collapse any second. One stormy night and you were sure the farm would be gone the morning after. The inside of the church didn't look great either, but at least there was electricity and a bit of warmth by candles. Dirty looking blankets covered the concrete floors you sat upon while you listened to Masema with the other church goers. Masema was apparently some self-proclaimed prophet, whatever that may mean, and at first you thought he was absolutely batshit crazy by the way he was preaching about the end of the world. Masema said the end of times was approaching and he promised that those who followed him would die with honour and march into Heaven like warriors of the Light, and a good afterlife would be waiting. Masema had a way of being very convincing, and he convinced you to keep coming to the church even when you weren't so sure yourself. He'd persuade you by kissing you and telling you how important your presence was. And so you kept going, and after a few church sessions you started to think that there might be some truth in his words. You weren't sure about the end of the world, but you started to believe that following Masema might mean you did something for the greater good eventually.

You had also kept in touch with Sihtric, texting him every day to let him know you were doing okay. And you couldn't lie, you missed your mechanic a lot. Masema gave you that thrill of being alive, because he had only eyes for you when he took you for a ride on his motorcycle. But you began to see that in the church he seemed to have eyes for all the other ladies present too, who all believed they were special to him. It made you insecure, but Masema had a power over you that you couldn't seem to defeat, and you even entertained the idea of marrying Masema when he asked if you wanted to be one of his wives.

You didn't know that Sihtric was still keeping track of you through your phone. You had never deleted the app he had installed, and Sihtric also never deleted it off his own phone. He had fought the urge to use the app at first, but he just couldn't help himself and often checked where you were, just to get some peace of mind. But that peace he longed for was nowhere to be found once he began to notice you spent a lot of time in some near deserted area in the the weekends, late at night. Once again Sihtric had fought another urge, but he still loved you and wanted you to be safe. He just had to know what you were doing out there, so one evening he rode to your location and found the abandoned farm after he'd passed a bunch of large cornfields. When he saw lights burning inside the farm from a distance, as he approached the building, he shut down his motor engine and got off his bike. He carefully walked towards the farm, quietly pushing his brand new bike through the mud and puddles, cursing internally that it would be a pain to clean his bike after this. Once he was close enough he parked his bike and spied by peeking through one of the cracked windows. Sihtric was appalled when he saw Masema standing on an improvised platform, spewing words of damnation and God and the end of the world. And then Sihtric found you sitting on the floor, amongst Masema's other followers, looking up at him and listening carefully like he was some sort of… prophet. Sihtric slowly began to understand that Masema probably stalked people, mainly women, and simply persuaded them to join him to whatever this place was, but what exactly Masema was preaching about was beyond him as it made no sense at all.

Sihtric paced back and forth outside the farm, contemplating his next move. He could simply ram the door and run in, punching Masema in the face and picking you up in his arms to take you home. But you looked rather comfortable, Sihtric thought, and there were too many people. It would be at least thirty to one if Sihtric would pick a fight. Sihtric saw some men too and, even though they didn't look very intimidating, he knew getting into a fight now was a bad idea as he only just healed from the wounds he had gained during the crash. He then decided to push his motorcycle away from the farm and hide it behind a few trees further up the dirt road. Sihtric then walked back, his leather boots collecting more dirt and mud, and he waited behind one of the smaller abandoned buildings across the farm, until people began to leave the wreckage of a building you were inside of. Sihtric waited and waited, and then he finally saw you. You left the farm alone and you walked up to a seemingly random car. Sihtric then snuck up behind you and covered your mouth as he circled his arm around your waist, preventing you from screaming, and he pulled you with him behind the farm, hidden away in the shadows.

'It's me,' Sihtric said quickly when you tried to fight his grip, 'I'm not here to scare you, I'm sorry I had to get you like this.'

You stared at him with big eyes, taking in his appearance. His half shaved hair was a little messy from the helmet he had been wearing, and he was dressed in a black leather jacket and black jeans. Sihtric then slowly removed his hand when you understood who had just grabbed you.

'What the fuck!' you hissed and punched his chest, 'what the fuck are you doing! Why are you here-'

'What is this place?' Sihtric cut you off and cornered you, 'and Masema?' he scoffed, 'you're really out here with your stalker? What the fuck does he want from you?'

'This is a church!' you snarled, quietly, not wanting to alarm anyone.

'A church?' Sihtric frowned and looked up at the building that looked like it came straight from Hell, 'I didn't know you were religious.'

'I'm not… at least not really,' you mumbled, 'Masema asked me-'

'When did… why-' Sihtric stammered, 'how the fuck did you get in contact with this guy? You do know the cops are looking for him, right?'

'I walked into him after our fight at the repair shop,' you confessed, 'he's not… he never tried to hurt me, Siht. He took me on a few dates and-'

'Dates?' Sihtric almost shouted, then lowered his voice again, 'you're dating that psycho?!'

'No! I mean… I… I… we kissed, yes, but that's it. We never did anything else.'

'You kissed?' he scoffed, 'so… what about us?'

'We're on a break,' you mumbled, knowing you were the one who screwed up.

'On a break my ass,' Sihtric shook his head, 'we are not Ross and Rachel, sweetheart. You said you needed some space, which I gave you, and now I find out you've been happily seeing that freak of a guy!'

'It's not like that! We're not dating, we're not exclusive or whatever, we're not even together! He has like five wives or something and asked me to be his wife too!'

'What?!'

'The others,' you cocked your head towards the barn, 'all the ladies are like… like… his wives or girlfriends, whatever.'

'Oh, great,' Sihtric scoffed and then threw his hands up, 'so you're part of a cult now.'

'What? No, Sihtric-'

'This is exactly what this guy does then, stalking women and sweet talking them to join his cult. Fucking ridiculous,' Sihtric huffed and kicked at the sand, 'you're a perfect example of stockholm syndrom, lady.'

'No, I…,' you sighed, 'I'm here out of free will.'

'You're not,' Sihtric argued, 'but you can't even think straight anymore. You know, whatever, I don't want to hear about this anymore. I just want to know where this leaves us then. Because if you decide you want to be a sister wife then I can't stop you. I've tried everything to protect you from this maniac but it seems I pushed you right into his web. So I guess that's on me then. So what about us, princess, what about you and me?'

Sihtric stared at you, his mismatched eyes and scarred face illuminated in the silver light of the moon, and he had never looked more handsome, you thought, it left you breathless for a moment.

'I don't know,' you whispered after a long silence and sniffled, 'but I know I miss you.'

Sihtric's stern look softened and he exhaled sharply, regretting for going off at you like that.

'I miss you too,' he whispered and fought his tears, 'a lot.'

'I'm not… I don't think I'm in love with Masema,' you said, 'because I still love you, I really do. I can't forget you,' you lightly touched his hand, 'but… something keeps pulling me here.'

'You need to leave this guy,' Sihtric urged and took your hand, 'I'm serious, you have to leave this place and that freak. Come with me, I'll take you home, please,' he pleaded, 'just come home with me, we can leave right now.'

'I can't,' you whispered and pulled your hand away, 'I can't just leave. These people are like… depending on me to be here. I… I have to go, I'm sorry.'

'Hey,' Sihtric called after you when you turned to walk away, 'just… promise to stay in touch.'

'I will. I always will.'

'And be safe,' Sihtric looked at you with big, pleading eyes that broke your heart, 'I- I love you.'

'I know,' you smiled weakly, 'and I love you too.'

Sihtric felt hopeless when he watched you walk to the car and unlocked it to take out a large bag, and then walked away around the corner, disappearing back into the farm again. He left on his bike with a heavy heart, knowing he was leaving you behind with a psychopath. But he didn't stand a chance against him right now. And you both didn't know that Masema had gone through your phone already days ago, finding the texts between you and Sihtric and finding out you still had photos of Sihtric on your phone, and you both didn't know that Masema had heard you talk outside the farm.

The uneasy feeling never left Sihtric in the days after he had confronted you at the farm. It had unsettled him so greatly that he decided to go back one afternoon to check out the place in daylight, and it was even more haunting during the day than it had been at night. The huge cornfields surrounding the farm were even larger than they had seemed in the dark, completely secluding the building from the outside world. Sihtric wanted to call the cops to warn them about Masema's whereabouts, but when he peeked through the cracked window again he saw the place simply looked abandoned and there wasn't a trace to find of the sermons Masema held there. He only saw the large bag you had taken out of the random car and it looked like it was stuffed with the blankets that had been on the floor, making it look like a homeless person lived there and nothing more. Sihtric was torn, because also knew that if he'd alarm the cops you would know it had been him, and he was afraid he'd completely lose you if he did, and you were also there out of "free will", so what could he possibly tell the cops? All he could do was wait for you to come back to your senses and keep track of you through the app.

You kept going to church in the weeks after your encounter with Sihtric. You had shrugged off the mechanic's concerns at first, but when Masema began to teach you and his followers how to use guns and make improvised hand grenades, because Masema was afraid that the non-believers would want to harm his church and his people, you slowly began feel and realise that Sihtric had been right. This indeed was a cult, and Masema was the cult leader, preaching how everyone who is against his word should be either converted or killed, and his followers blindly believed him and felt he was right.

You slowly began to snap out of the state you were in, and every time you saw Masema preach you realised how deranged he was and everyone who believed him. Msema himself truly believed he was a prophet and he had everyone who followed him under his power. And the men, you later understood, who were part of his following were actually the husbands of the ladies Masema had taken as his wives. The husbands were so blinded by Masema's charm and the convincing power of his words that they had just let their wives share a bed with their leader and let them marry him. And you started to see that this was not something you wanted to be a part of, at all. You began to feign your interest in Masema and his cult, pretending to be a good member and a potential new wife to him, but after a few more preaching sessions you knew you had to get out of there, especially because the training of how to work with weapons and his intentions to seriously harm people intensified every week.

One night, after you had attended yet another sermon where Masema raged on and on about how he was spreading the word of God of how everyone but his followers was doomed, you secretly texted Sihtric while Masema drove you home, as you were absolutely frightened.

You: hey, are you home?

Sihtric: at work x

You: this late?

Sihtric: I couldn't sleep… why?

You: can I see you? I need to see you…

'Who are you writing?' Masema asked sweetly, but a threatening tone lingered after he had caught you texting.

'Oh, just a friend,' you lied, 'maybe, eh, I found someone who wants to come to the church too next week.'

'Really?' Masema glanced at you and placed his hand on your knee as he drove his car, 'that would be great,' he said and squeezed your knee, a little too hard to be flirty.

'So,' Masema continued, 'have you heard from your ex?'

'What? Oh, no,' you said, nervously, 'no, he's out of my life.'

'Is he?' he squeezed your knee again, harder this time, and it was painful.

'Yes,' you chuckled anxiously and tried to pull away from his grip, to no avail, 'why are you asking?'

'Just making sure you're all mine. I'm not the type who shares.'

'But,' you chuckled, 'your wives-'

'Are my wives,' Masema said curtly, 'I do not share them with their husbands. They are my wives. And you will be my wife too. And if you try to leave,' he chuckled to make it come off as a joke, 'I'll find you.'

You feigned a smile and nodded, then looked out the window and tried to keep your cool as the drive continued. Once you were home you reluctantly kissed Masema good night and you closed the front door behind you. You waited until he drove off in his car and then you took out your phone again.

Sihtric: of course. Do I need to pick you up?

You: no, it's fine, I have a new car now

Sihtric: you know you don't have to wreck it again to see me, right? ;)

You: I know ;)

You smiled at your phone and told Sihtric you'd be at the repair shop shortly. But your emotions took over before you could even start your car. Your new car. The stupid brand new car that Masema had bought for you. You were overwhelmed with a sudden fear when you felt your knee hurt. The bruise Masema left was clearly visible once you rolled up your jeans to check your knee, and you wanted to get to the mechanic as fast as possible.

—-

You found Sihtric at the repair shop in the middle of the night, fixing up his new motorcycle after dirt had gotten stuck in all the wrong places because of his visits to the farm. His overall was dirty but his face was remarkably clean, because he had cleaned himself up as best as he could when you told him you were on your way, and he had fixed up the curls on the one side of his head. Sihtric looked tired, but the dark circles around his eyes and his pale face didn't make him any less handsome, and he listened carefully while leaning back against his bike when you told him everything that had happened after the last time you had seen him, and you showed him the bruise on your knee.

'He what?!' Sihtric raised his voice, 'do you even hear yourself? Can't you see he is brainwashing you! He's literally hurting you!' he threw the dirty rag he had cleaned his bike with onto the floor, 'that guy is abusing you!' he snarled with wild and fury filled eyes, 'and you're letting him!'

You froze at his sudden anger and you shut down. Sihtric stared at you, realising he frightened you with his outburst, and he felt his heart break inside his chest when your lower lip trembled as your eyes welled up.

'I- I'm sorry,' Sihtric said, 'I'm sorry, come here,' he whispered and pulled you in his arms, your face pressed against his chest, into his dirty work overall, 'I'm sorry I snapped. You have to understand that I'm not mad at you, I promise. I'm just mad at this entire situation and that piece of shit you keep seeing, who is clearly not good for you.'

'He won't let me leave him,' you said with a sob, 'Masema… he said he'll find me. He didn't specify what he meant with that and he said it almost sweetly, but-'

'That is just what he does,' Sihtric said as he held you in his arms, 'he wraps his followers around his finger and if they try to leave he'll wrap them even tighter, suffocating them. And I just handed him the rope to tie you with by becoming obsessed with your safety and pushing you away, right into his arms. And I'm sorry, princess, I'm so sorry.'

'I'm sorry too. I'm sorry we fought, I never meant to explode like that but I felt trapped and I panicked. But now I'm really trapped.'

'I know,' Sihtric hushed you, 'I'm not mad, sweetheart. I could never be mad at you. I just… I've been trying to understand why Masema? Why did you fall for him? You knew he was bad news.'

'Because he… Masema made me feel alive again,' you sniffled, 'like the way you used to make me feel alive before the accident,' you pulled slightly away and looked up at him with tear stained cheeks, 'you changed, Sihtric, after that crash.'

'I almost died,' Sihtric murmured as he pulled you back in again, 'and you almost died because I crashed. Of course I changed, darling,' he said and began to cry, 'you don't understand what it did to me.'

'Then talk to me,' you sobbed.

'I'm just terrified to lose you,' he whispered, 'I'm terrified you'll get hurt again and taken away from me. And that is why I became so overprotective.'

'I understand that, I do,' you sniffled, 'but you can't trap me like that. You built this… this fort around me, to protect me, but in reality you trapped me. I understand it was never your intention to make me feel trapped, but you did, and it changed me too. I started to long for excitement. I wanted to feel alive again and feel the thrill of being alive after that accident, while you trapped me in a boring life. It changed me and it changed you. It changed us, Sihtric. I miss the sweet boy who was disguised as a bad boy when we met. I miss that flirty and slightly cocky mechanic who made me feel so alive when he kissed me endlessly on my driveway at night, and who took me on exhilarating bike rides. I miss him, Sihtric. I miss you, the guy I fell in love with.'

Sihtric looked down into your eyes and wiped the tears off his face, then took a deep breath.

'The guy you fell in love with died that night,' he said in a broken whisper.

'Did he?' you looked up at him with hopeful eyes, 'because sometimes I get glimpses of him. I've gotten glimpses of him after the crash, before you pushed me away. And even after that, when you found me at the church… that thrilling and adventurous part of you, it's still there,' you poked his chest, 'I know it's still in there.'

Sihtric swallowed hard and shrugged lightly.

'Maybe, little lady,' he said, 'but maybe he's afraid he'll get you hurt again.'

'You don't get to live your life without getting hurt in one way or another. And I would choose to get hurt every day if it meant I could have that slightly cocky and cheeky part of you back again,' you chuckled through your tears.

'Is that really why you went with Masema?' Sihtric asked after a moment, 'because he made you feel alive? Because he was dangerous?'

You nodded and wiped a tear off your cheek.

'I needed that thrill to feel alive, and it felt like you couldn't give it to me anymore.'

'Only because I have your best interest and want you to be safe. You had to safely heal.'

'I know… but I… I need some kind of excitement in a relationship.'

'What kind of excitement?' Sihtric furrowed his brow, 'you want me to be a cult leader?'

'No,' you snorted, and Sihtric smiled, 'not like that.'

'Like what then?' he asked and took your hand, pulling you to sit on his lap as he sat down on the chair next to his messy work desk, which had all kinds of tools piled up on each other.

'I don't know… just… something,' you sighed, 'I don't want a boring and safe relationship. I mean I want a safe relationship, but not a standard one. I need a… a thrill of sorts. You kept me on my toes at first, you know? All the teasing you did. Even in the hospital, you were always so cheeky but then after everything with Masema became known, you know…'

'Who said I want a boring relationship?' Sihtric frowned, 'you never really gave me a shot. We were both healing and recovering from the crash, of course our relationship was different. We had a lot to deal with, there was no time to be cheeky when a psycho suddenly forced his way into our lives. I don't want a boring relationship, trust me, I don't like that either.'

'What do you like then?'

Sihtric chuckled and shook his head lightly, then looked at you with a soft smile and he bit down on his lip.

'I'm a dom, princess,' he explained with the hint of his cheeky smile, 'a soft dom.'

'Oh,' you breathed and your eyes widened, then you smiled, 'but… you're too sweet to be a dom?'

'Don't be fooled by the soft part,' Sihtric smiled slyly, 'I don't want boring either, trust me. Listen,' he sighed softly and buried his face in your neck for a moment, 'I'm sorry I pushed you away and that I installed that app without telling you.'

'I'm sorry for my behaviour too,' you said and cupped his cheeks, 'I don't know what I was thinking. How I could be so foolish to listen to him and push you away.'

'You weren't thinking. Masema had you wrapped around his finger like he does to everyone he has his mind set on. It's not your fault.'

'I'm scared,' you suddenly whispered, 'he… he's not going to let me leave like this. He'll come looking for me when I don't show up at church-'

'I know, baby,' Sihtric hushed you and pecked your cheek, 'but you're here, with me. You're safe now and we'll figure it out.'

'I'm sorry I fucked up.'

'We both did.'

'I'm sorry,' you said again.

'I'm sorry too.'

'I… I love you,' you whispered and slowly moved your fingers through his dark curls.

'I know,' Sihtric smiled sweetly, 'and I love you too.'

'I only want you… I really do.'

'And I only want you,' he said and took your chin gently, 'you're my girl.'

You nodded shyly. 'Yours only, I promise.'

'Good,' Sihtric smiled, 'because I'm yours only too. And with that I should confess,' he cleared his throat, 'that tracking app still works.'

'I know,' you smiled, 'I never deleted it. I wasn't aware of it anymore at first, but when you found me at the church I later understood the only way you knew I was there was because of that app. And because Masema started to frighten me lately I kept the app, and I hoped that maybe you would check it sometimes.'

'You knew I would check it, little lady.'

'I knew.'

You both smiled and leaned in for a kiss, but you were stopped when a sudden clattering sound startled you both. And when you both looked into the direction the sound had come from, you saw the shadowy figure of a man standing in the door of the repair shop.

taglist: @foxyanon @alexagirlie @sihtricsafin @neonhairspray @gemini-mama @lexwolfhale @sigtryggrswifey @skyofficialxx @djarinsgirl27 @m-a-s-h-k-a @verenahx @mrsarnasdelicious @diiickbrainn @little-diable @maii777 @urmomsgirlfriend1 @dixie-elocin @elle4404 @bubblyabs @ylvie50 @succnfuccubus @hb8301 @willowbrookesblog @apolloanddaphnis @jennifer0305 @carnationworld @justanother-sihtricgirlie

If you want to be added/removed from the taglist, message me 🖤

#sihtric kjartansson #the last kingdom #sihtric #tlk #sihtric x reader #sihtric x you #the last kingdom fic #sihtric fic #modern!sihtric #masema dagar #modern!masema #sihtric au

68 notes · View notes

fireemblems24 · 4 months

Text

Azure Gleam Ch 12

It shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that this is, by far, my favorite route. Spoilers below.

MAIN STORY

I forgot we had Claude on our "side" here.

Oh, here comes Byleth. This is AG's chapter for Byleth, right? And ugh, this time I need to actually recruit Byleth or else someone I love will die bc someone from Faerghus will die.

Oh, there's Randolph. Ready to die again. I swear to God this man is allergic to life.

He's hiring Jeralt, so yeah, this is the recruit Byleth chapter.

Adrestian nobles are real peaches. They're burning villages and looting, or a good handful of them are. I swear they have the worst nobility. Only Faerghus Western lords rival them.

If Randolph dies, than Jeralt's contract is terminated. So that means I have to trade Randolph for Jeralt and Byleth? Deal.

Man, that mint hair is a CHOICE. Whyyyyy. The darker blue hair is much better.

I like Byleth more after Hopes. I liked Byleth before, but Hopes has helped me see the characterization easier. It also makes the whole "one man army"/Ashen Demon seem more real.

And yep here's the sword again from the other routes.

I'm just so happy they gave Felix the high ponytail look.

Time to make Adrestia sweat.

Jeralt scars the Blue Lions way more than Randolph.

Leave it to Sylvain to strategize. Haha, Rodrigue says Sylvain reminds him of his dad, Sylvain isn't sure if that's a compliment.

I love how much you can tell all these people have known each other for so long.

OMG, there's so many side battles.

ANNETTE & FELIX B

Weird to only give them on support and it's only B given how popular their ship is.

Another support about Annette's songs lol. They really increased that in this game, but it's adorable so I'm good.

Dorothea and the church are performing operas for Faerghus.

Annette's "opera" song is about taking a hot bath when she's already hot. Felix is impressed with her mental fortitude. Lol.

Annette's flustered because it's supposed to be serious, not about bathing lol.

They basically set up a date to go see an opera together.

YURI & SHEZ C

I saw this in another route already (but forgot), so I unlocked it here too! But not going to write about it twice.

YURI & SYLVAIN B

These two rooted out spies together. Well, mostly Yuri lol.

Yuri's impressed with Sylvain's layers.

Neither of them are going to let Dimitri know what they're up to until after it's done lol.

Yuri's earned Sylvain's trust, but still threatens Yuri if he switches sides.

Yuri calls Sylvain out for being super loyal, which, yes, he is and that's often so overlooked part of his character.

Wait . . . Sylvain hit on Yuri with a bad pickup line? Lamo.

Sylvain mistook Yuri for a girl. Yuri is going to blackmail Sylvain with his back pickup lines for life lamo.

Yuri's open to a date with Sylvain though. Sylvain is into Yuri's flirting.

That would be a nightmare couple.

MERCEDES & SHEZ A

Mercedes looks at the little things and it reminds her of what it was like before the war - like tea parties with Shez and kids determined to get stronger.

Mercedes hates the war and wishes she could go back to those days. Getting really sentimental.

Mercedes used to just accept whatever happened and didn't realize how much she valued the past until peace got destroyed.

I had Shez be nice and tell Mercie that it's ok to get sentimental.

Mercie was happy with that.

Shez says she's always there to listen to Mercedes if she needs it.

So Mercie's like, let's tea party now! She bought new ingredients.

DEDUE & FELIX B

Their only support

Ohhh, Dimitri's in it too. They're talking strategy. Dimitri wants a head-on approach, Felix wants a sneaky one, Dedue withholds his opinion.

Dimitri tells Felix to stop pestering Dedue lamo.

Dimitri wants to head the mission, but Felix is like no, let me. Strategy resolved and Felix confronts Dedue.

Dedue values Felix's input and recognizes his unique role with Dimitri.

Dedue just stays amused the whole time and doesn't let Felix get to him.

Felix will not spit it out that he's so worried about Dimitri.

Dimitri returns and is about to tell Dimitri what went on but Felix cuts him off, which I'm sure just amuses Dedue.

I love how it's pretty much cannon that the vast majority of the cast never take Felix seriously when he's spouting his tsundere.

INGRID & MARIANNE C

MY HORSE GIRLS GET A SUPPORT CHAIN!!!!

OMG I'm so happy with this.

Ingrid's worried because her horse didn't eat all the feed. Marianne recommends hay and explains why.

Ingrid is happy and compliments Marianne, who of course downplays it and tries to get out of Ingrid asking more questions (likely about horses).

Of course, later Marianne tells Ingrid her horse (or pegasus?) is probably scared after acting up after being on the battlefield the first time. Marianne goes full horse whisperer and fixes the problem.

Then leaks that she's talking to the horse lamo. Ingrid catches it. Ingrid thinks it's awesome though.

Ingrid tries to give Marianne confidence; it doesn't work.

As a fellow horse-girl, I love this.

DIMITRI & BERNADETTA A

Dimitri catches Bernadetta out again, and ofc she gets scared, but Dimitri just wants food bc he's working too hard and missed dinner.

Haha, Dimitri hates being shut in all the time.

Bernedetta thinks Dimitri's work is spying on her, but Dimitri assures her that's not it bc he has too much work to spy lamo.

Bernadetta is amazed at what Dimitri puts on his plate because it'll taste awful, but like he can tell :(

So they cook together. And she tries to cook something he likes, which is kind of sweet actually.

She got too flustered and messed up the dish. I know where this is going lol . . . Dimitri and his iron stomach.

Yep, she's shocked that Dimitri just . . . eats it.

Oh, God, she's going try it, but of course she hates it.

Bernedetta thinks he'll have her executed now, and Dimitri's like "do you seriously think I do that?"

So I guess this is his Hopes "Dimitri can't taste anything" support.

I love how he seems immune to Bernedetta's antics though. He just calmly explains that her fears aren't true and moves on.

SYLVAIN & IGNATZ B

Ignatz figured out a general time period that Sylvain's painting came from.

Oh, geeze, it's a color made from crushed gemstones? That must've been $$$$. Geeze.

Sylain was reading up on saints to get more info on the picture and might've figured out who it was. An archbishop (was it one of Rhea's fake personas?)

Ah, they think she looks like Rhea. So I'm right. Hahaha.

They're confused about that. Never in a million years . . . .

So this does confirm that Rhea just keeps faking her death.

I'm pleasantly surprised by this support. I love Sylvain, but Ignatz is . . . not interesting, but I like how it expanded on Sylvain's studious side, and he's an art fan! Now I like him even more.

ASHE & FLAYN C

Ashe is fishing to feed the army. Ashe, sweetie, one fish is . . . not going to make a difference.

Naturally, though, Flayn is very interested. Because fish.

Does Ashe place well in the fishing tournament in 3H? Would be interesting to see if the lore stayed the same about Ashe's skills.

Poor Flayn isn't allowed to fish bc Seteth gets too nervous with her around water, but Ashe lets her fish like she used to.

Honestly, Flayn looks too young for most of the guys, but she fits Ashe's look (and personality) really well.

Flayn almost catches a large fish but fails to catch it. B support will be about her catching it, I'm betting.

DEDUE & CATHERINE B

Catherine comments that Faerghus now trusts Dedue and Dimitri more. Dedue gives all credit to Dimitri, lamo.

Apparently people gave Dimitri crap for choosing Dedue over everyone else.

Catherine isn't religious either. But I thought Rhea was a tyrant who only allowed religious people near her??? /s

Neither Dimitri nor Rhea get too wrapped up in their own titles.

Both spend their free time helping people out.

Catherine is like, maybe Dimitri is rested by helping people out like that. Something Rhea, Dimitri, and Byleth have in common.

Catherine and Dedue think they could be friends, as long as Rhea and Dimitri stay on the same side.

DIMITRI & RODRIGUE A

Not ready for this, guys.

Dimitri wants to know how Rodrigue felt when Lambert died. :(

Rodrigue didn't believe it at first, but accepted reality eventually and remembered the promise he made.

Dimitri then asks what if he'd died in Duscur too?

Dimitri also thinks Rodrigue intended to die with Lambert, but Rodrigue confirms that he never wanted to die, but wouldn't mind dying to protect Dimitri/keep him in line.

(hahahah, no)

Dimitri says losing Rodrigue would be like losing another father :( confirmation that Rodrigue is like a father.

Rodrigue calls Dimitri out for not valuing his own life enough :( (or that he doesn't even value it at all :( ) saying that he's only following his king's example then.

And Dimitri's response is like, yeah, guess you're right, I have no excuse - probably . . . not what Rodrigue was looking for :(

He's like, yeah, that was probably too harsh, but thinks Dimitri sounded a lot like Lambert :(

Rodrigue always wanted to tell Lambert that.

Dimitri's emotional about sounding like his father :(

Sounds like Faerghus people are always telling each other not to throw their lives away.

Haha, Dimitri's like, I'm jealous of your bond with your friends, and Rodrigue implies that Felix wouldn't like hearing Dimitri imply he's not close with his, lamo. Rodrigue is such a dad to Felix, like that teasing king, which is just perfect for Felix being so prickly lamo.

MAP & SIDE BATTLES

Sylvain would rather turn enemies into allies than attack them. He's talking about Jeralt's mercenaries, but it's just more proof that he disliked resolving conflict with violence.

The common folk find Dimitri more approachable now. He's working on being more relaxed lol.

Dedue and Ashe talked about how Dimitri broke a pen during a war council. Shez suggests they name the pens so Dimitri's more attached to them and is less likely to break them. I cannot with these people. (also, can you imagine how put out Dimitri would be breaking a pen he named?) They also talk about how some people are scared of Dimitri because of his freakish strength :(

Seteth is impressed with Dimitri, who asks him about tactics a lot (which, side note, I'm so happy to see this game heap more praise on Dimitri, I get that AM's plot structure didn't really allow it as much, but it's nice to hear. Also, that it's Seteth is so cool, because he's by far one of the most wise characters).

Back to Seteth though, he explains he knows so much because he's studied this military genius Saint Cichol and really recommends his book. No bias at all there, guys.

And the saga of Balthus being obsessed with fighting Dimitri continues, lamo. (nobody blames you, Balthus, because, same, how can you not be a little obsessed with Dimitri's body after seeing it).

Mercedes and Constance were friends! That's cool. Also, not two braincells between them. (and I say that with affection)

I love how the game is going out of it's way now to show that Dimitri is asking for advice from experts, then making a decision based on what he's learned. His FEH support was about that, and I always liked that, so I like seeing him do it here.

Also, it seems I can't use Rodrigue again :( Actually, here's here for the side battles, so maybe I can?

MAIN BATTLE

OK, guys, time to get Byleth. Please let this be easy.

Someone very kindly wrote up a guide for me in a message. I never posted it so I could reference it, so let's hope I get it right the first time.

We're in the weird dimension with Arval, who's on high alert bc Byleth. But this time we recruit Byleth.

"Defeat Randolph" - Don't mind if I do!

Ok, so step 1 is selecting "Locate Ambushers." But I don't see that?

Kidding. I picked it.

I can't use Dimitri??? Oh, shit. He's BY FAR, my strongest unit. This is a shitty battle to lose him for. And Rodrigue. So I'm down 2 of my actually trained units. This sucks.

No Felix either?? This is really bullshit at this point. I basically only have Shez, Sylvain, Ingrid, Dedue, and Mercedes and Mercedes can't do shit, Dedue is also pretty awful, and Ingrid always dies. Ugh. This is going to be impossible. So basically just Shez and Sylvain.

Honestly, if this is too hard, I'm just going to let Byleth die because, to be honest, I'm really sick of playing this game. This route IS the only one I actually care about finishing though.

Ugh, I knew I'd hate this chapter, but taking away 3 units with no warning is just total bullshit.

Dimitri following me around is kinda cute though. And I forget how good Shez is. It's just, Dimitri's so strong I'm used to one-shotting at this point, lamo.

I also love how when Dimitri's a green unit, he's still fighting and not getting protected like the other 2. He's also . . . not someone I have to worry about dying. He's, uh, level 57 and suggested level is 44 so um.

Ok, so far so good. I got Fleche to show up, which is the next step. Now I just have to kill her quick.

Defeated Fleche. Now I need to see a command to defeat a dude, and a side command I ignore (guessing either defeat Byleth or Jeralt, the side one that I ignore).

So pretty sure I messed up and I need to "kill" all the mercenaries attacking the base BEFORE Fleche.

Ok, got Alois before he invaded. Just got Fleche. Pretty sure what's left is to not engage Byleth and rush kill Randolph.

Took Randolph out because I saved up all my warrior gauges.

OMG, I finished Randolph before the side mission was even announced lol.

I DID IT!!!! I got Byleth and Jeralt 😭

And I did it without Felix OR Dimitri 😭

So Jeralt surrendered after defeating everyone bc they decided to use logic and know they couldn't win. Plus, they want new clients.

Jeralt doesn't care about the conviction with the Empire, only coin. But he wants to avoid Rhea because of their past, but Dimitri sets conditions to make sure that Jeralt and co avoid her.

Guys, I can't believe I'm seeing the recruitment and not character death (I know it's Rodrigue, I couldn't let him die, no matter what)

I just saw the Byleth is playable card 😭

Guys, I saved Rodrigue.

Most of the Blue Lions are like, this is weird, but good. And they want to bond by sparing bc that's what the Blue Lions do lamo.

Shez ran off though. She's talking to Shez and figured that's best done not with people around.

Arval is way more chill about it than I thought.

Shez still has a goal though, to win the war and bring peace with Dimitri and co.

Getting ready to attack the monastery. Still kinda wish Claude was our enemy like the other 2 routes.

Everyone is standing by Dimitri.

Oh . . . Mercedes thinking about Death Knight? Betting she'll run into him soon. Can you recruit him in AG?

xxx

#azure gleam #fire emblem #fire emblem three hopes #three hopes #three hopes spoilers #azure gleam spoilers

20 notes · View notes

aloneinthehellfire · 7 months

Note

saw my tumblr notification for your previous anon and OH MY FUCKING HELL I WOULD LOOOOOVE TO GET THE BATHROOM SCENE FROM STEVE’S POV 💖💖💖

I’ve already told you before that your writing is STELLAR and I know that no matter what you write, it’ll be absolute gold. *chef’s kiss* 🤌🏻

I have to say also that GOH is absolutely KILLING ME in the best ways. love love love the slow burn and the mystery behind what’s been happening in the latest chapters, aaaaa. :’) keep up the amazing work, my friend, and please make sure that you take breaks should you need them!! 💕

I got a lot of requests for this so I hope my anons find this one <3

RAINING HELLFIRE (READER'S VERSION)

Word Count: 3672

Warnings: swearing, mentions of drugs, mentions of torture

Set in RH3: Chapter 12: Uncle Jack

Find all Raining Hellfire works here <3

Summary: While you try and find your previously abandoned radio in hopes of contacting help, Steve and Robin slip away from their cinema experience to end up in the bathroom, sharing truths about their lives they never admitted before.

[A/N: Welcome to our new little series I am calling 'Raining Hellfire (Reader's Version)' where you can request a scene that I either hadn't written into RH originally or a POV of a different character :) shout out to the nonnie that suggested this <3]

RH3: STEVE'S EPIPHANY

“The ceiling stopped spinning for me.”

Robin’s voice echoed out as Steve flushes away his latest creation, stomach lurching while he wipes away the clinging spit.

“Is it still spinning for you?”

Steve rests his back against a ceramic tiled wall and tilts his head upwards. He focuses for a second.

“Holy shit.” He sounds, still feeling light-headed. “No. You think we puked it all up?”

“Maybe.” Robin says from the cubicle beside his. “Ask me something. Interrogate me.”

“Okay. Interrogate you, sure.” He tries to straighten himself a little, ignoring the dull pain in his face. “Um… When was the last time you, uh… peed your pants?”

“Today.” She responds quickly, voice airy.

“What?” Steve smirks.

“When the Russian doctor took out the bone saw.”

“Oh my god.” Steve chuckles and Robin laughs.

“It was just a little bit though.” She giggles and Steve shakes his head in amusement.

“Yeah, it’s definitely still in her system.” He mutters, rubbing the eye that hadn’t been battered by Russian spies. Of course Dustin’s brilliant plan involved yet another concussion.

“All right, my turn.” Robin announces after her laughter died down, a smile in her voice.

“Okay, hit me.” His head was starting to throb and he was seriously missing his truth serum right about now.

“Have you… ever been in love?”

“Yep. Nancy Wheeler. First semester, senior year.” He says, not really putting much thought into the answer. He imitates a gun with his fingers and shoots at his heart.

“Oh my god.” He could practically hear Robin’s eye roll. “She’s such a priss.”

“Hm.” Steve nods, remembering a time when he thought the same. “Turns out, not really.”

“Are you still in love with Nancy?”

“No.”

A wave of shock struck him when he answered without a thought, reeling in his own response. Was he really over her?

“Why not?”

This time, his thoughts are swirling around like the ice-cream machine they rarely ever used, clouding his eyes with one image. One very specific image. And he smiles.

“I think it’s because I found someone who’s a little bit better for me.” He chuckles. “It’s crazy. Ever since Dustin got home, he’s been saying, you know, you gotta find your Suzie, you gotta find your Suzie...”

Steve blinks and the image reappears again. Dustin’s rant about Steve finding love had never left his mind.

“Uh, I guess I don’t totally know what I’m looking for.” Steve states, staring through the binoculars and being anything but covert. But Dustin could be on to something and he desperately needed a break from slinging ice-creams all day.

“Evil Russians.” Dustin replies simply and he roll his eyes.

“Yeah, exactly.” Steve nods, “I don’t know what an evil Russian looks like.”

“Tall. Blonde. Not smiling.” Dustin offers as Steve continues to navigate the binoculars. “Also, look for earpieces, camo, duffel bags, that sort of thing.”

“Right, duffel bags.” Steve repeats. He takes another moment before letting out a breath. “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.”

“What?”

“Anna Jacobi’s talking with that meathead Mark Lewinsky.” Steve complains, staring as she cosies up to the worst player he ever teamed with in his life.

“Dude, if you’re not gonna focus, just gimme the binoculars.”

“Aw, Jesus Christ,” Steve continues, ignoring the boy next to him, “Whatever happened to standards? I mean, Lewinsky never even came off the bench.”

“Dude, you are the worst spy in history, you know that?” Dustin reaches out and snatches away the binoculars, resulting in a small fight as Steve struggled with the strap around his neck.

When Dustin won the binocular war, he places the binoculars in front of his eyes. “I don’t get why you’re looking at girls, anyway. You have the perfect one in front of you.”

“Seriously,” Steve sighs, already knowing where he’s going, “If you say Y/n again-”

“Y/n.” Dustin says anyway.

“No, don’t. No.”

“Y/n, Y/n, Y/n.”

“Stop, no.”

“Y/n.” Dustin repeats over and over before throwing a curveball. “Robin?”

“No- Robin?” Steve raises his eyebrow. “Really?”

“Right.” Dustin nods. “‘Cause you like Y/n.”

“I don’t-” Steve takes a breath, noticing Dustin’s unimpressed look. “No, man, she’s not my type. She’s not even… in the ballpark of what my type is, all right?”

“What’s your type again?” Dustin asks with a side-eye. “Not awesome?”

“Thank you.” Steve sarcastically smiles, suddenly wondering where you were right now. You had said something about spending the day with Max and El, but that was all he had heard from you since last night. He remembered that smile you had given him before you drove off, a small wave as you promised to catch up on the ‘little Russian espionage’ later.

“Hm, right.” Dustin smirked and Steve looked back to him. “That lovesick face says it all.”

“I’m not-” Steve lets out a frustrated sigh. “She’s not my type, okay? Just friends.”

“Let’s see.” Dustin lowers the binoculars to count on his fingers. “Funny? Check. Smart? Check. Pretty? Double check.”

“Still in love with her ex? Check.” Steve says and Dustin’s face falls.

“What? No.” He pouts and Steve nods.

“Yeah, well. Good for him.” He looks ahead, trying not to think about how much that hurt him.

“At least you’re not in high school anymore.” Dustin shrugs and Steve looks at him.

“How has that got anything to do with anything?”

“Look, Steve.” Dustin gestures to the mall in front of them and Steve looks… confused. Dustin sighs. “There’s a whole world of girls out there. Instead of dating somebody you think’s gonna make you cooler, why not date somebody you actually enjoy being around? Like me and Suzie.”

“Yeah, you mean, ‘hotter than Phoebe Cates’. Yeah, that Suzie.” Steve recalls with a snarky tone, “And, uh, let’s think about- how exactly did you score that beautiful girlfriend? Oh, yeah. With my advice. Because that’s how this works, Henderson. I give you the advice, you follow through. Not the other way around, all right, pea-brain?”

“And how’s your advice working for you?” Dustin challenges, his eyes narrowing in his own amusement.

“Wait, who’s Suzie?” Robin asks and snaps him back into the moment. He blinks, running a hand through his hair.

“It’s some girl from camp, I guess his girlfriend.” He shakes his head, trying to push away the growing beating of his brain against his skull. “To be honest with you, I’m not 100% sure she’s even real.”

“But that’s not- that’s not really the point. The point is this girl, you know, the one that I like, it’s somebody that I… I lost touch with in school. And I don’t even know why.” Steve continues, sighing. “Maybe ‘cause Tommy H. would’ve made fun of me or… I wouldn’t be… prom king. It’s stupid. I mean, Dustin’s right, it’s all a bunch of bullshit anyways. Because when I think about it, I should have been hanging out with this girl the whole time. First of all she’s hilarious. She’s so funny. I feel like ever since last November, I have laughed harder than I have laughed… in a really long time. And- and she’s the only person in this whole world I feel like will understand me, you know? Not judge me.”

“Really?” Robin chirps up with a smile in her voice. “Sounds like she loves being around you.”

“Yeah...” Steve’s face slowly falls.

Steve closes the space, resting his head against your forehead. His heart raced faster as he pushed aside his fear. “I love you, Y/n.”

When you don’t respond, he moves his body closer, lifting his head to search your face for something to give him hope. “Please, say something.”

Every second you didn’t react was agony. He could see the tear trickling down your cheek, his brows furrowing.

And then you reached out, placing your hands over his. That little jolt of electricity, the one that give him hope, the one that never failed.

Until now.

You gently unclasp his hand and take your keys, never raising your head, never meeting his eyes.

“I..” You start, lips squeezing together. “I don’t feel the same way about you. Never have. Never… never will.”

Steve feels his entire soul shatter into a thousand pieces.

“I’m sorry.” You whisper as you turn from him, getting in your car without so much as a second glance.

He’s stood there, paralysed in his own heartbreak. He thought… you and him…

How could he have been so stupid?

“Steve?” Robin calls out and he clears his throat.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m here.” He nods, rubbing his eye. “It’s just… I thought, you know, this girl was… everything. And…”

“And?”

“And she wasn’t even real.” He spoke, lowering his head. “I really should have taken Dustin’s advice. The kid knows zilch about love but… but he knows people better than I do sometimes. Told me Nancy was out of my league. Not in a bad way just, like…”

“Like you weren’t meant to be together?” She suggests and Steve hums.

“Yeah, exactly.” He laughs after a moment, “You ever… you ever had that?”

He rubs his face again, looking to the cubicle wall that separated them. She’s being quiet and he frowns, tapping on the plastic. “Robin? Robin, did you just OD in there?”

“No.” She finally says, sighing. “I… am still alive.”

“Did I say something wrong?” He asks and she lets out another sigh.

After another block of silence, he can’t take it anymore and scoots over to the wall, gripping onto the underside and pulling himself through, slow enough to avoid crashing into Robin on the other side. He decided it best to ignore how wet the floor felt on his back.

“The floor’s disgusting.” She comments as he sits back up, facing his friend.

“Yeah, well, I already got a bunch of blood and puke on my shirt, so…” He waves his hands, brushing it away. “What do you think?”

“About?” She blinks, but he knows she’s aware.

“Destined to fail romances?” He chuckles, shaking his head. “You ever had that with a guy before?”

“Something like that.” She says and he groans.

“Come on, you don’t have to be all mysterious.” He laughs, nudging her knee with his. “I can tell when you’re being weird, I’ve known you-”

“That’s it. You don’t.” She interrupts, brows knitted. When he frowns, she bites her lip and leans forward. “Look… you don’t really know me. And if you did, like – like really know me… I don’t think you’d even want to be my friend.”

“No, that’s not true, no way is that true-”

“Listen to me, Steve. It’s shocked me to my core, but I like you. I really like you. But I’m not like your other friends.” She shakes her head. “I’m not even… I don’t…”

Steve leans forward, “What’s going on?”

“Do you remember what I said about Click’s class? About me being jealous and, like, obsessed?” Robin questions and he slowly nods. “It isn’t because I had a crush on you.”

He blinks, holding his breath. Now he felt really foolish for even thinking it.

“It’s because…” She continues, and he keeps his silence. “She wouldn’t stop staring at you.”

“Mrs Click?” He frowns in confusion and she laughs, squeezing her eyes shut.

“Tammy Thompson.” She finally says, nodding. “I wanted her to look at me. But… she couldn’t pull her eyes away from you and your stupid hair. And I didn’t understand, because you would get bagel crumbs all over the floor. And you asked dumb questions. And I watched you fall in love Freshman year with a girl you ended up treating like shit because you wanted to be a douchebag. And- And you didn’t even like Tammy Thompson and… and I would go home and just scream into my pillow.��

“But Tammy Thompson’s a girl.” Steve shook his head, the drug still wavy in his brain.

“Steve.” Robin says softly and he slowly feels his face fall, realisation finally hitting him in a moment of clarity.

“Oh.” He finally sounds, blinking.

“Oh.” She repeats, laughing sadly.

“Holy shit.” He leans back. Talk about deja vu.

Steve didn’t realise how silent he was being. It wasn’t because of shock or hatred or anything like that. It was because he was taken back to Skull Rock all over again. Sat beside you. Your fingers nervously fiddling with the hem of your sweatshirt, a scared look in your eye. The relief on your face when he said he didn’t care who you liked, just who you were. A happiness in your trust.

That shattered image when you found out he had taken that trust for granted.

He didn’t want it to be like that this time. No wrong words, no broken promises. He didn’t want to make anyone feel that destroyed ever again.

“Steve… did you OD over there?”

“No, I just, uh… just thinking.” He slowly nods, “I mean, yeah. Tammy Thompson, you know, she’s cute and all, but… I mean, she’s a total dud.”

“She is not.”

“Yes she is. She wants to be, like, a singer. She wants to move to, like, Nashville and shit.”

“She has dreams.” Robin tries but he’s shaking his head.

“She can’t even hold a tune.” He expresses, trying to think of a descriptor. “She’s practically tone-deaf. Have you heard her?”

As Robin laughs, he mimics Tammy’s voice in the school choir, making it as nasally as he could.

“She does not sound like that-”

“She sounds exactly like that. That’s a great impression of her.”

“You sound like a Muppet.” Robin comments and Steve laughs.

“She sounds like a Muppet. She sounds like a Muppet giving birth.” Steve chuckles and Robin can’t help but agree, giggling. “Literally ask anyone, ask Y/n, she was there. It was an hour of torture, like, even the Russians couldn’t beat that.”

“Okay, okay.” Robin clutches her stomach, shaking her head. “You’re right, okay? She sounds horrible.”

“Thank you.” He grins, head resting against the wall, “You could do so much better.”

“Like Y/n?”

Steve practically jolts, eyes wide. How did she know? Did he tell her? Was he rambling about it and didn’t realise? When did-

“Steve.” She smiles, tilting her head. “I know who ‘the girl’ is, I’m not dumb.”

He mentally lets out a sigh of relief before focusing on her comment. “It’s not… I don’t know.”

“God, you two are in love with eachother.” She scoffs, meeting his unconvinced eyes. “Seriously. It’s suffocating being around you two, it’s flirt city.”

“Well, you don’t have to worry about that anymore.” Steve sighs.

“No shit, there’s no way I’m going back to work after that, they don’t pay me enough to be interrogated by secret-”

“No, Robin, I mean me and Y/n.” He says quickly and she stops, frowning. He sighs again. “It… there wasn’t…”

When he couldn’t find the words, Robin leaned forward.

“What happened between you two anyway?” Robin prompts and he furrows his brows, shaking his head.

“What-”

“Last night. Or… heck, I don’t know how long it’s been.” She shrugs. “When Y/n ran out. After that really intense moment of her talking about being taken advantage of – which I totally agree with her by the way- but... she was clearly upset about something. And you followed her. But when you came back…”

She takes a breath.

“You looked…”

“I looked?” He asks, stomach churning.

“Heart-broken.”

“I don’t feel the same way about you. Never have. Never… never will.”

“There.” She points at his face and he bats her finger away. “Right there. That look.”

He covers his face with a groan, resting his head in his hands.

“I mean… if there would be any time to open up to me, it would definitely be after I just told you I’m a lesbian.” She snickers and he can’t resist the laugh, “Don’t tell me… you’re also gay?”

“No.” He chuckles and she smiles, leaning back. “But I am definitely going to be alone for the rest of my life.”

“I don’t believe that.” She scrunches her face as if the thought was stupid. “You’re Steve Harrington. Any girl would be fantasising about spending their life with you.”

“Not the one that matters.” He admits quietly and she straightens, her eyes wide. Steve takes a breath. “When I caught up to her…”

“Please, say something.”

“… I…” He sighs, rubbing his face. “God, I am an idiot.”

“Why?”

“I told her I loved her.” He finally blurts, wincing at the silence that ensued.

“Woah.” She comments, nodding slowly. He simply nods with her, eyes fixed on the black mark staining the wall behind her. “And I’m guessing she didn’t…”

“No.” He purses his lips, sniffing. “It’s fine, though. At least I know now, right? Won’t be… won’t be wondering that for the rest of my life.”

“She lied.”

His head whips up. “Uh, what?”

“She lied.” Robin repeats, looking serious. “I may have only just met her at the beginning of summer, but I like to think I know her. I see how she looks at you. I can even hear it in her voice when she talks about you and… and there’s a reason she hasn’t been dating anyone.”

“Because she’s still hung up about Eddie.” He sighs and she whacks his knee. “Ow!”

“No, dingus! Because she’s hung up about you!” She exclaims, “God, you are both so oblivious, it actually hurts.”

Steve rubs his knee, shaking his head. “She still likes Eddie.”

“And yet, she chose you.” Robin expresses with her hands and he frowns.

“What do you mean she chose me?”

“Because of the-” Her face falls. Either she was going to puke again or she had just realised something important because her skin started to pale a shade. “Nothing. Forget I said anything.”

“No, Robin, tell me.” He inches forward slightly, eyes wide. “Because of what?”

She bites her lips, obviously trying to hold something in.

“She told you something, didn’t she?” He interrogates, watching her face go paler from the strain of keeping a secret. “What didn’t she tell me? Robin. Robin!”

And with that, she snaps.

“You’re kinda maybe one of the reasons she and Eddie aren’t together anymore but it’s also not your fault ‘cause there was no trust between them in the end anyway, and she was never going to let your friendship die again especially since you guys apparently went through so much together last year and she’s already lost you twice because of some petty arguments or something like that so she decided to let Eddie go so she could keep you because out of everyone, you make her feel the happiest she has in a really long time.”

Robin takes a long breath as she physically deflates against the wall, chest rising heavily.

“If she ever asks… it took a lot more than that to get me to spill.” She grimaces, waiting for his reaction.

You had never told him why you and Eddie broke up. Not truly. He remembers the first time you told him, sat on a bench outside the high school, your eyes threatening tears. You told him that you think you broke Eddie’s heart, but you weren’t ready to talk then. Ever since, you just alluded to the idea that you weren’t right for eachother, that it was better for you both to be apart. Never did you admit it was because of Steve.

And now he was conflicted. How should he be feeling about this? Angry? Confused? Sad?

“How am I… the reason?” He asks softly, fixated on his shoelaces.

“I don’t know the full details.” Robin says, “But I know that she has to love you too.”

“Rob-”

“No, just listen.” She interrupts and he takes a breath, meeting her eyes. “Don’t give up. Considering all the weird shit that just happened back there, and the fact that neither of you seem at all phased by the fact we were tortured by Russians living underneath us, I can only assume that she had a lot going on. Give her time, okay? Take it from someone who has an exceptionally sad life of watching other people fall in love, you two are made for eachother.”

“Right.” Steve nods before shaking his head again. “What if she meant it? That she didn’t… what if-”

Robin lets out a groan. “Just stop being a dingus and take my advice.”

“Not sure how I feel about taking advice from someone who had a crush on Tammy Thompson.” He retorts and she looks offended.

“Wha- hey!”

“We’ll be holding on forever!” Steve imitates Kermit the Frog and she buries her face in her hands, laughing.

The bathroom door bursts open and two kids walk in, one looking severely pissed at Steve.

“Okay, what the hell?!” Dustin frowns, hands on hips.

Steve draws his eyes back to Robin’s and they burst into laughter again, uncontrollably.

“It’s not funny!” Dustin stresses, only making them laugh harder. He shoots a glare at Steve before Erica steps forward.

“Y/n is missing!” She shouts and the two finally quit their giggling.

“What?” Steve chuckles, unsure if he heard her right.

“Y/n went looking for help about twenty minutes ago.” Dustin explains, and Steve’s heart races faster. “And she hasn’t come back.”

“So we better stop chit-chatting like little girls at a sleepover and get the hell out of here before the Russians find us.” Erica remarks, rolling her eyes when nobody moves. “Now.”

“Wait.” Steve scrambles to his feet, Robin slowly but surely following his action. “Y/n-where- where did she go?”

“Her radio.” Dustin sighs, pulling a face when Steve shakes his head. “Jesus Christ, we don’t have time to explain everything to you, she went out to get her radio but she hasn’t come back.”

“Let’s go, we’ll find her later.” Erica stresses, already opening the door and motioning for them to get out.

“I’m not leaving this mall without her.” Steve promises, wiping his lip and heading for the door, more determined than ever.

if you would like to request a new pov scene for the Raining Hellfire universe, please feel free to put it into my ask box and I'll get to it when I am available :)

#stranger things x reader #stranger things #fanfic #steve harrington #raining hellfire #steve harrington x reader #robin buckley #platonic stobin #dustin henderson #erica sinclair #stranger things imagine #stranger things reader insert #st3 #steve harrington x fem!reader #steve harrington imagine #steve harrington fic #steve harrington fanfic

41 notes · View notes

musingongoodness · 17 hours

Text

Joshua 2:2 Bible Study Verse Reflection

Joshua 2:2 Chapter Summary:

Two Israelite spies sent by Joshua enter the city of Jericho and stay with Rahab, a prostitute. She hides them from the king of Jericho in return for their promise of protection for her and her family during the Israelite invasion.

Joshua 2:2 in context:

1 Then Joshua secretly sent out two spies from the Israelite camp at Acacia Grove. He instructed them, “Scout out the land on the other side of the Jordan River, especially around Jericho.” So the two men set out and came to the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there that night.

2 But someone told the king of Jericho, “Some Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.” 3 So the king of Jericho sent orders to Rahab: “Bring out the men who have come into your house, for they have come here to spy out the whole land.”

4 Rahab had hidden the two men...

Joshua 2:2 Verse Reflection:

Who is this "someone" and why does God let "someone" act against his people?

Sometimes God will use "someone(s)" who can do actions against you to test your motives and save others (ex: Rahab, Job among others and Cross-Refs: Proverbs 16:2, Proverbs 21:2, Proverbs 24:12, 1 Samuel 16:7, Luke 16:15, Jeremiah 17:10, Romans 8:27, Revelation 2:23)

In this verse, this "someone" could have been a jealous Israelite, or a random lover or hater of Rahab, or even someone extremely patriotic since only a strong emotion caused them to risk going all the way to the king of Jericho to share this news confidently. This could even have been an angel of God though this theory is most unlikely since it would have been made clear in bible.

What can we learn about God: There are likely plenty of people who are readily available for God and Satan to use for their purposes and such people in terms of morality could be willing to do immoral or unwise actions, or even moral actions that still negatively impact you but praise God since ultimately they are still under the control of God's sovereign power. (Romans 8:28)

Questions for ourselves: If you are aware of such "someone(s)" in your life, are you willing to trust in God's sovereignty that they are still under God's plan (like Judas Iscariot was under God's plan by betraying Jesus Christ intentionally)? Are you willing to forgive and pray for this person(s) like Jesus prayed "Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing?" (Luke 23:34)

Praise God for everything He has planned for us to make us more Christ-like on this earth. (Romans 8:29)

2 notes · View notes

walkswithmyfather · 1 year

Text

Numbers in the Bible are significant! Over the next few weeks I'm going to share the meaning of some of them. (Although, this is just what we humans think they mean. Only God really knows what He means by all the numbers in the Bible. Amen!)

“The Meaning of Numbers in the Bible: The Number 40” By Kevin Halloran:

“Mentioned 146 times in Scripture, the number 40 generally symbolizes a period of testing, trial or probation. During Moses' life, he lived forty years in Egypt and forty years in the desert before God selected him to lead his people out of slavery.

Moses was also on Mount Sinai for 40 days and nights, on two separate occasions (Exodus 24:18, 34:1 - 28), receiving God's laws. He also sent spies, for forty days, to investigate the land God promised the Israelites as an inheritance (Numbers 13:25, 14:34).

The prophet Jonah powerfully warned ancient Nineveh, for forty days, that its destruction would come because of its many sins. The prophet Ezekiel laid on His right side for 40 days to symbolize Judah's sins (Ezekiel 4:6).

Elijah went 40 days without food or water at Mount Horeb. Jesus was tempted by the devil many times during the 40 complete days he fasted just before his ministry began. He also appeared to his disciples and others for 40 days after his resurrection from the dead.

The number forty can also represent a generation of man. Because of their sins after leaving Egypt, God swore that the generation of Israelites who left Egyptian bondage would not enter their inheritance in Canaan (Deuteronomy 1). The children of Israel were punished by wandering the wilderness for 40 years before a new generation was allowed to possess the Promised Land.

Jesus, just days before his crucifixion, prophesied the total destruction of Jerusalem (Matthew 24:1 - 2, Mark 13:1 - 2). Forty years after his crucifixion in 30 A.D., the mighty Roman Empire destroyed the city and burned its beloved temple to the ground.

Appearances of the number forty: The book of Exodus, with its 40 chapters and 1,213 verses, is the seventh longest book. The longest is the Psalms.

From the time they entered the Promised Land, to the time of King Saul, Israel was sporadically governed by a number of individuals known as Judges. Though they did not rule like a king, they nevertheless had a tremendous influence on the people, as they represented God and were inspired to execute his will. Judges who served 40 years include Othniel, Deborah and Barak, Eli and Gideon.

The first three human kings over the children of Israel, Saul, David and Solomon, each ruled for forty years (1050 to 930 B.C.). After the united kingdom split into two separate pieces, King Joash served forty official years (39 actual years) as one of Judah's better kings.

Abraham tried to bargain with God to not destroy Sodom and Gomorrah if forty righteous people were found (Genesis 18:29). Both Isaac and Esau were forty years old when they were first married (Genesis 25:20, 26:34).

God flooded the earth by having it rain for forty days and nights (Genesis 7:12). After the patriarch Jacob (Israel) died in Egypt, the Egyptians spent forty days embalming his body (Genesis 50:3).”

These are just some of the examples of the number 40 in the Bible. And the Bible was written by forty different people! Now, none of this is “coincidence.” Amen!

21 notes · View notes

psalmonesermons · 2 months

Text

Reflections leading up to Resurrection Sunday

Hebrews 12:1-3

by Guest Blogger Jacky Wilson

Scripture reference Hebrews 12:1-3 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” The Race of faith! Our Scripture from Hebrews 12:1-3 says - we are in a race, but not a race in the sense of racing to work or to the shops to get that item we forgot to complete the meal, or racing home to cook that dinner.

The race we are running is the race of faith that began the moment we asked Jesus into our lives, whom the author of Hebrews calls both “the pioneer and perfecter of our faith”. So the race we are running has:

✓a starting line, where Jesus is present (coaching us for the race ahead / firing the starting gun) as the pioneer of our faith

✓and a finish line, where Jesus is waiting for us (cheering us on) as the perfecter of our faith. ✓And on top of all that there is a prize that will help us be serious in running our race in order to finish it well.

So like any athlete, we will need to be disciplined, to stay focused and to make sacrifices in order to finish the race in the way Jesus intends us to.

Obstacles on the way

As we all know too well, life itself will provide us with plenty of obstacles along the way, distracting us with all that the world wants to offer us - things that seem more appealing and alluring.

And then there’s sin - the sin in our lives holding us back, entangling us as if somebody had tied the shoelaces of our running shoes together when we weren’t looking, it's sin that comes to entice us with the promise of something more gratifying or rewarding, but in the end it’s real aim is to disqualify us completely and take us out of the race.

In the meantime, perhaps some of us will not have even realised we are actually in a race, wondering why everything is so tiring and why we haven’t progressed in our faith as we would have hoped to; others will be running at a good pace, calm, focused and in for the distance.

Encouragement on the way: the cloud of witnesses

The writer of Hebrews in 12:1 tells us that “… since we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses …" What does that mean? - Have you ever wondered who this great cloud of witnesses might be? People today assume, I think, generally speaking that in this cloud are those who have died who we all know: family, friends, and acquaintances, and they are watching us from above ... but this is not what the Bible tells us. The "great cloud of witnesses" mentioned here are actually those first introduced to us in Chapter 11 of Hebrews. The ones who have run the race before us, living lives of faith and dependence on God, until they crossed the promised finish line.

Runners like Moses, Joseph, and David, Sarah, Rahab, Esther and Mary - those who triumphed in reaching their goal through their focused faith and trust in God. Their faith was shown in what they did, not only in what they said: Noah built the ark; Abraham dwelt in a tent; Rahab hid the Israelite spies; Sarah gave birth in her old age. Not one these heroes was perfect, all had their flaws and weaknesses (read their stories in the Bible) because all were just like you and me.

Why were they mentioned in Scripture? Because they all put their trust in God and watched Him do amazing things - in God’s eyes they’re all champions! Yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. We are running that same race now, in whatever way God has called us to serve Him, so let us stay faithful as they stayed faithful!

Run the race of faith like Jesus! The scripture says Jesus went to the cross for you and for me, despite the shame and humiliation he chose to run His race, He kept His eyes on the prize.

“WHY?” the Word says “for the joy set before Him” He saw the prize!

His prize - He completed His mission to save us sinners and to accomplish the will of His Father, and He is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

In James 1:2-4, we as followers of Jesus in the race are encouraged to stay the course: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

Look to Jesus … and win the prize! Let us make Jesus our only prize, our aim, our life. Colossians 1:18 says that He is to have first place in everything. We are to set our eyes on Jesus always - confident in the knowledge that there’s no better trainer who could have prepared us, no better coach who could be egging us on, and no better champion gone before us and waiting for us at the finish line, than Jesus himself.

1 Corinthians 10:13 exhorts us as we go the distance:

“No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”

” So with the help of the Holy Spirit let us stand on this truth - God does not abandon us because we have weaknesses. He works through our weaknesses because He knows we are a work in progress.

In other words, the longer the race goes, the better we get!

“Wow, what a prize!”

And let us pray that we will not grow weary, we know we run this race as individuals but along the way let us encourage those who are struggling, both those starting the race and those tiring midway, remembering always to fortify, comfort and build up in Christ.

So this Lent, as we reflect on what Jesus endured for each and every one of us individually on the cross let us keep reminding ourselves of the prize, and that Jesus is both the Author and Finisher of our faith. In Him we live and move and have our being and, as one more great reminder of who He is: He will not start something He will not finish.

Amen

Prayer

#christianity #bible study #bibletruth #blog post #blessings #psalmonesermons #faith #victory #devotional #cloud of witnesses #easter reflection

2 notes · View notes

freebiblestudies · 10 months

Text

Plagues in the Bible Lesson 04: Plagues in the Wilderness

After the ten plagues of Egypt, the people of Israel were led out of Egypt by Moses. After such an experience, one would think the people of Israel had more than their fair share of plagues. However, they went through at least four more plagues in their wilderness journey? What happened and why?

Let’s read together Exodus 16:1-16; Numbers 11:1-6, 18-20, 31-33; and Psalms 78:17-32, 105:40, 106:13-15.

The Bible records two times where the people of Israel were asking for meat. Both times God responded by giving them quail. Why did God send a plague upon the people of Israel the second time?

God showed mercy towards the people of Israel the first time they asked for meat. However, the people of Israel demonstrated distrust of God when they asked for meat the second time. God had already provided them food daily by giving them manna. He also gave them water when they needed it. Yet, the people of Israel were tired of manna and craving meat. They even went so far as to crave the food they had when they were slaves in Egypt.

Interestingly, the name “Kibroth Hattaavah” can be translated as “graves of craving” or “graves of lust.” God punished the people of Israel for giving into their carnal cravings.

Let’s read together Numbers chapters 13 and 14.

Moses sent twelve spies to check out the land of Canaan. They returned after forty days and confirmed that land was indeed bountiful. However, ten of the spies told the people of Israel that they would not be able to conquer the inhabitants of the land, who were simply too large and powerful.

Joshua and Caleb begged the people of Israel to follow the word of the Lord in faith to enter the promised land in faith. However, the people murmured against Moses and Aaron, wanting to choose new leaders to take them back to Egypt.

In response to the people’s rebellion, God sent a plague that killed the ten spies. The people of Israel would also not be allowed to enter the promised land for another forty years. They would all die in the wilderness, except for Joshua and Caleb. Thus, the people of Israel were punished for blatantly doubting God’s promises and seeking to make their own way.

Let’s read together Number 16:46-50; Romans 8:34; and Hebrews 7:25.

Korah, Dathan, and Abiram led a rebellion against Moses and Aaron. They contended for the leadership of Israel, but they failed to acknowledge that it was God who appointed Moses and Aaron to be leaders. Korah, Dathan, and Abiram were killed by God for their presumption.

However, the rebellion did not end there. The next day the people of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, siding with Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. God sent a plague upon the people of Israel. Aaron rushed into the camp with a censer to atone for the people of Israel. He literally stood between the living and the dead to end the plague.

Aaron’s intercessory action pointed to Jesus, who would stand between us and the plague of sin.

Let’s read together Numbers 21:4-9; John 3:13-15; and John 12:30-36.

Once again, the people of Israel murmured against Moses. God sent poisonous fiery serpents to plague them in response. God instructed Moses to make a bronze snake and set it upon a pole. Anyone bit by a fiery serpent would live if they looked upon the bronze snake. However, if they refused to look up at the bronze snake, they would die.

This incident foreshadowed Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Jesus died bearing all the sins of humanity. Everyone who repents of their sins and accepts Jesus as their Lord and Savior will be saved. However, anyone who refuses to accept Jesus will die in their own sins.

Let’s read together Isaiah 45:22; John 14:6; 1 John 2:1; and Hebrews 12:2.

What can we learn from these plagues in the wilderness? We will die in our sins if we rely upon ourselves. Instead, we need to look upon Jesus and accept His infinite sacrifice on the cross. Jesus is the only One who can save us from the plague of sin.

Friend, will you confess and repent of your sins and accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior?

#bible study #plagues in the Bible #korah #dathan #abiram #moses #fiery serpents #bronze serpent

9 notes · View notes

faeriexqueen · 4 months

Text

Songbirds in Winter (Update: 12/25/2023)

Title: Songbirds in Winter. Fandom: D. Gray-Man. Pairings: Alma Karma/Tyki Mikk, Kanda Yuu & Alma Karma (One-Sided/Unrequited Yulma), Lavi Bookman/Allen Walker. Rated: Explicit. Words: 173.4K+. Tags: Romeo and Juliet AU, Omegaverse, Alpha/Omega, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Royalty/Nobility, Renaissance/Renaissance Era, Medieval, Slowburn, Romance, Drama, Angst, Forbidden Romance, Secret Relationship, Eventual Romance, Pregnancy, Hints of Incestuous Feelings/Incest, Family Drama, NSFW, Lemon/Eventual Lemons (Please see AO3 for full list of tags and warnings). Chapters: 22/?. Summary: They had always known that their lives would be planned out for them. For Tyki, it is to eventually become the head of his family as the next alpha in line, despite his wishes for otherwise. For Alma, it is to be married off for the benefit of his kin — to be bred for political gain, regardless of his own feelings on the matter. The stage is set, and they have their parts to play. But being in the crossfire of a dangerous rivalry among noble families is never easy — not when the person you love is the very one you’re forbidden from being with. Chapter 22 Excerpt — A Balcony Window:

Tyki exhaled, stopping briefly. He wasn’t sure what had come over him. He hadn’t claimed Alma during their coupling, yet he couldn’t ignore the compulsive urge to find the omega. The last few days, he had thought of Alma nonstop. Thinking of him. Wondering how he was. God, when had he ever acted so clingy? He was more pathetic than he had ever realized. He wandered a bit farther through the back of the Epstains’ property, Tyki looking around. There were some more gardens, most dormant due to the cold, a few windows alight. Tyki was careful to stick to the shadows so that he wouldn’t be seen, keeping his hood up as he attempted to remain discreet. Movement caught in his peripheral, Tyki stopping just as he passed a veranda leading into one of the back gardens. He swiftly got behind one of the pillars, Tyki keeping still as his gaze shifted to where he could see a few more windows. On the second level, he spied a balcony, rounded and leading to a pair of double doors that had been cracked open, someone walking out— ‘Alma.’ Tyki froze. He watched as Alma approached the balcony railing, the omega dressed in what must have been his nightclothes. He seemed unbothered by the frigid cold, though, the omega folding his arms as he leaned onto the railing as he gazed outward. Tyki could only stare. From where he was, he could just make out Alma’s features: hair a little disheveled, expression thoughtful. The warm light from behind him casted a soft glow, drawing Tyki in; he looked just as beautiful as the last time Tyki had seen him.

Read on AO3.

#dgm #dgrayman #tyki mikk #alma karma #tyki x alma #d gray man #fanfiction #romeo and juliet au #fanfic #update #writing update #songbirds in winter #siw

2 notes · View notes

jackalope-with-a-pen · 5 months

Text

ok hi! pinned post time, since I'm finally using this blog a bit!

I'm Jack (or JT, or Jackalope) and I've been writing for most of my life but I really haven't shared much yet. hoping to change that soon, though! hence this blog. :]

I have WAY too many ideas and WIPs to list 'em all, but here are a few of the writing projects I am currently focusing on...

A Tale Of Two Spies (And Some Other People) (Many Of Whom Are Also Spies)

...or ATOTS(ASOP)(MOWAAS) for short, lmao. It's the first fanfic I ever started writing; I was lowkey too intimidated to try writing fanfic for a long time, but this idea sank its teeth into me and I had to give it a shot. It's an alternate version of the Tin Can Brothers' epic musical Spies Are Forever. I've been working on it for a good while now and it has ballooned into quite a massive undertaking because I am... deranged. <3

Part one, The World's Greatest Spies, is a prequel. It will cover the span of time & our favorite agents' changing relationship from their first meeting to the beginning of the musical. I have MOST of it outlined, and I'm really having a lot of fun with it!!!

111 Waylon

Another fanfic, but this one is for Starkid's Hatchetfield universe! It's heavily inspired by I The Mighty's song "111 Winchester."

111 Waylon is just about fully outlined with 12 chapters, and it will be much shorter and quicker to write than ATOTS, lol. I'm actually going to start writing the first draft very soon! (like... tomorrow. 👁)

This story is about the night some of the popular teens from Hatchetfield High decided to hang out at an old creepy house that definitely isn't haunted and definitely isn't dangerous. Everything is gonna be fine, no need to worry. <3

The Necromancer & The Musician

This is an original work! It also doesn't have a real title yet, even though I've been working on it for almost a year lmao. help. I've done SO MUCH worldbuilding, including designing an entire glyph alphabet for my sneaky secretive necromancers to write all their sneaky secrets in, and I've been having an absolute blast with it all.

The characters in this story mean the world to me, especially the two leads: Zadock Severine (the antisocial necromancer who is Perfectly Content with their life as it is, thankyouverymuch) and Everett Flair (the overly friendly musician who likes to wander and is always on the look for his next fun experience). The two are brought together through the meddling of the nosy god Death (who gave Zadock their magic and is a little too invested in their social life) and become unlikely traveling companions. Oh, and they're both trans and aromantic. 😎

If you'd like to know more about my stories, feel free to send me some asks about 'em!

No guarantees I'll answer every question (gotta keep some things to myself! 😘) but I'd love to share what I can.

#jackalope with a pen

2 notes · View notes

ao3feed-stevebucky · 1 year

Text

GHOSTED by the Winter Soldier

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/U9O3wfR

by cpt_winniethepooh

Local farmboy Steve is reluctant to sell living plants to presumed Plant Killer Bucky. However, they soon find common ground and spend a lovely night together before Bucky ghosts Steve. When Steve decides to find him, he gets more than what he bargained for: spies, bounty hunters, and criminals in an underworld that mistake Steve to be the Winter Soldier, infamous and ruthless agent on a mission… Bucky, who isn’t what he seemed, rescues him, but will they be able to save to world and their relationship? Stay tuned to find out!

AKA the fic nobody asked for: while I do see the appeal of shipping Chris Evans’ Cole with SebStan’s God from Ghosted, I see the appeal of shipping Steve as Cole and Bucky as Sadie even more - hence a round of crack, humor and mild action told in five chapters!

Words: 3912, Chapters: 1/5, Language: English

Series: Part 12 of Stucky Bingo fills, Part 13 of Bucky Barnes Bingo fills, Part 5 of All Caps Bingo fills

Fandoms: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Ghosted (2023)

Rating: Mature

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes, Sam Wilson (Marvel), Sarah Rogers (Marvel), Sharon Carter (Marvel), Wanda Maximoff

Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers

Additional Tags: Humor, Action & Romance, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Crack, Spies & Secret Agents, Movie Retelling, Bickering, Action/Adventure, Mistaken Identity, Alternate Universe - Spies & Secret Agents, farm boy steve rogers, POV Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson is a Gift, maybe even considered flowershop au if you squint, Meet-Cute, Meet-Ugly

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/U9O3wfR

#ao3feed #steve rogers #bucky barnes #stevebucky #stucky #steve/bucky #stevexbucky #fanfic

3 notes · View notes

yahwehscholar · 1 year

Text

I’ve would like to write about Cain and Abel. The story is in Genesis chapter 4. It is about the first murder. It was probably the first human death as well, since Adam and Eve didn’t die from eating the fruit quite yet.

I would like to compare the two sins here. The first one was eating the fruit, the second one was killing his brother. Eating fruit, even if you’re told not to, but you think it is good to do so before you did it, is not intrinsically a bad thing. We all have to eat to survive. Killing another human being though? That’s serious. That is a huge violation against another person. Yahweh God hadn’t yet told the not to kill anyone else. This comes later, at the end of the flood.

Cain’s reaction to Yahweh’s punishment was to say his “punishment is greater than he can bear.” He was afraid someone would kill him, after he had done just that. What did Yahweh say and do?

Genesis 4:15 “Yahweh said to him, “Therefore whoever slays Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.” Yahweh appointed a sign for Cain, so that anyone finding him would not strike him.”

This time period is important. Sevenfold, or seven times. But seven times of what? And who killed Cain, if Yahweh put this sign on him?

I believe killed Cain Yahweh during the flood, or when he limited the lifespan of man to 120 years after the flood. I don’t believe people died until then. We live such short lives now, in Genesis chapter 5 it says Adam living 800 years after he fathered Seth. That is nothing like how long humans live today. I sure don’t know of anyone who has lived 120 years.

I believe Yahweh himself was the bringer of death of Cain, and spoke the punishment that he himself would have to suffer. Yahweh would experience vengeance sevenfold.

This is because Cain talked back to Yahweh. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” “The punishment is too great for me to bear.” We all talk back to our parents. It’s part of growing up. But hopefully we mature and move beyond that kind of talk, and the feelings behind it.

I believe the sevenfold vengeance is had been against Yahweh and his Kingship. Yahweh is the one true God and King, and will continue to be once his creation realises that is best for everyone. The angels, however, are holding Yahweh prisoner until the sevenfold vengeance is taken out. Yahweh can’t be God again until this time has passed an daring about righteous vengeance and rewards to those who are loved.

It talks about the seven times in Daniel. These angels, or watchers as they are called in the book of Daniel, are originally taken out on the king of Babylon, but I believe this prophecy shadows what has been done to our one true God and King. He will be neither one until the sevenfold vengeance against him for bringing the death of Cain.

Daniel 4:16-17 “Let his heart be changed from man’s, and let an animal’s heart be given to him. Then let seven times pass over him. “‘The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones; to the intent that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever he will, and sets up over it the lowest of men.’”

Daniel 4:23 “”Whereas the king saw a watcher and a holy one coming down from the sky, and saying, ‘Cut down the tree, and destroy it; nevertheless leave the stump of its roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field, and let it be wet with the dew of the sky. Let his portion be with the animals of the field, until seven times pass over him.”

Daniel and the king both understood the seven times to be seven years. But all of this is prophecy, and it needs to be considered how Yahweh has felt with Israel in the past. When they first spied out the promised land, the 12 spies stayed in Canaan for 40 days and when 10 brought back the bad report that doubted Yahweh and his abilities, they were punished by spending 40 years in the wilderness before they entered the Promised Land. A year for each day.

Also telling is the last prophecy given to Daniel. Angels whom Daniel calls men are sent to him to tell him of a great battle, but at the very end tell of the time.

Daniel 12:11-13 “From the time that the continual burnt offering is taken away, and the abomination that makes desolate set up, there will be one thousand two hundred ninety days. Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred thirty-five days. “But go you your way until the end; for you will rest, and will stand in your inheritance at the end of the days.”

The time spoken of is 1,290 days and 1,335 days. I believe that these times don’t overlap but are two halves of one week. And these days have a literal fulfilment I am sure, but the larger fulfilment is going to take years instead of days. It started with the downfall of the original nation of Israel and destruction of the original temple in Jerusalem. This nation represents Yahweh’s kingship through his anointed king. It started with fulfilment of prophecy from Isaiah upon Daniel himself and his fellow princes who were taken to Babylon and made eunuchs.

This was so long ago. We are told by Jesus that we will not know the day or the hour, but we will be able to observe the season. When I first started this line of thinking about the 1,290 days and 1,335 days being years that were added together. There are so many places in prophecy that talk about a time, times, and half a time, adding together to make 3 1/2 times. But these three and a half years, counting a year for each day, happen twice.

I first used the starting point of 607 BCE that the Jehovah’s Witnesses calculated by counting the prophesied 70 years of desolations backward from when the new temple construction began. This brought me to 2019 CE, and that was a few years ago now. But this prophecy is so long, stretching millennia. There has to be room for Yahweh God to work. A tolerance is what we call it in the engineering world. Yes, your blueprints have to have an amount the thing built can vary in measurement. In this case, we have 2,625 years so we must give Yahweh God a few years’ tolerance.

What is so funny is that the Jehovah’s Witnesses cling on so tight to the year 1914 ce as the start of this “time of the end.” They will not listen to me about this time. The JW’s are so stuck in being humble they have forgotten to think for themselves. I also think the temple was not destroyed in 607 bce, but that was yhw year king Nebuchadnezzar first came to Jerusalem, subjugated Israel, and took back to Babylon the princes.

Daniel 1:1 “In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.”

That was when this sevenfold vengeance that is taken out on Yahweh started. Jehoiakim started reigning in 609 bce according to the Jewish Virtual Library. This would make his third year 607 or 606 bce. And are we supposed to subtract one yet because there is no year zero? Tolerance, I tell you that Yahweh love and Yahweh chaos need room to work.

I’ve been having this thought since 2015 or before. COVID-19 sure came on time, but it was not the fulfilment, only the start. I don’t know what the real fulfilment of this prophecy is goi my to look like, but mankind will be changed for good. In Daniel chapter 2, the world governments were represented by an idol, an image of a man that was struck on the feet by a “stone cut not by hands” that smashed the whole image and blew away as chaff, while the stone that struck the mountain filled the whole earth. I can’t wait for that.

Yahweh awesome!

#yahweh #יהוה #bible #bible study #cain and abel

2 notes · View notes

dailyaudiobible · 1 year

Text

4/10/2023 DAB Transcript

Deuteronomy 34:1 - Joshua 2:24, Luke 13:22-14:6, Psalm 79:1-13, Proverbs 12:26

Today is the 10th day of April, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I'm Brian, it’s great to be here with you today, as we move forward taking the next step together. And our next step actually leads us to the end of a book. We've been working through the Book of Deuteronomy for a while now. The last discourses of Moses and we have one short chapter left in the Book of Deuteronomy, which we’ll read today. And then we will transition into a new book, the Book of Joshua. And we will read the first couple of chapters of Joshua. And we’ll talk about Joshua when we get there, but let's dive in and read this final chapter of the Book of Deuteronomy which is chapter 34.

Introduction to the Book of Joshua:

Okay so, that concludes the book of Deuteronomy, which also means we have concluded the Torah or the Pentateuch, which are the first five books of the Bible. And if you're kind of checking off your days in the Daily Audio Bible app, then you'll get a badge that tells you, you have read through the Torah, that we have moved through the Torah this year. And as we did that, we said goodbye to Moses. And so, this is the moment we’ve finished the Torah, and we said goodbye to Moses. So, as we move forward, we’re moving forward into a new generation and a new era, a new part of the story. Almost since the beginning of the year, like all the way back into the Book of Genesis, we started this journey toward a Land of Promise. In fact, we were there when it was promised. We followed the children of Israel all the way through their slavery in Egypt. Their freedom, their wilderness journey, their first attempt when they sent spies into the land, their further wandering in the wilderness, all the way to this point. And now, we are at the point where they're ready again to cross the Jordan River into the Promised Land. And we'll see that as we begin the book of Joshua, God won't waste time affirming the promise to Joshua and Joshua won't waste time in preparing the people to do what they’ve come to do, which is cross the Jordan into the Promised Land. And at this point in the story, the children of Israel, it's been centuries and so this promise for this land, for this people, who are chosen by God to reveal Him to the nations, it is centuries old. So, it's like mythic at this point and they’re right at the threshold, about to cross in. And as they cross over the Jordan River into the Promised Land, they have to remember everything that they learned in the wilderness. Because it was the wilderness that changed their identity from slaves, to chosen ones. They learned who God was, then how to obey God and how to organize themselves in such a way that would reveal God to the neighboring nations around them. And now they have to go into this land with the absolute faith that they haven't had previously, that God will go before them and that He will give them the land. But we’ll see pretty quickly that they don’t just walk into the land and move in, they will have to contend for this promise, and they will have to be utterly dependent upon God to do it. They will have to collaborate in obedience to God. And in some cases, they will be collaborating with God against all the odds. And we’ll see God give instructions that seem counterintuitive, which happens in our lives, sometimes. They would need to be sensitive, and they would need to be obedient, just like we do. Nevertheless, we are about to cross the Jordan River with the children of Israel. Everyone is on the same page, and we will see a glorious era of the children of Israel as they cross into the Promised Land. Of course, we’ll also see that there are some hiccups along the way and some stumbles. This glorious era isn't the only era, there are other things that happen, and we’ll watch them move into the Promised Land and begin to slide away in the very ways that they were absolutely, very clearly warned not to walk. But we’ll get to that soon enough. Now, let's enjoy the journey as we begin, the Book of Joshua and we will read chapters 1 and 2, today.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You for Your word and this special day of completing the first five books in the Scriptures, the Torah, and moving into the Book of Joshua. We invite Your Holy Spirit to come, lead us into all truth, guide our steps, comfort us, correct us, lead us as Jesus was saying in the Gospels today, to the narrow door to God's kingdom, lead us on the narrow path that leads to life. We pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com that is home base and that is where to get connected and find out what's happening around here, so certainly be aware of that. Be familiar with the website. The Daily Audio Bible app will put all that in the palm of your hand or on your tablet or whatever device that you may be using, and you can find that and download it free from whatever app store works with your device. And so, check that out. Check out the different sections like the Community Section. This is important, an important place, different links to the different social media channels that we participate in are, but it is also where the Prayer Wall lives, and that is always there for us. There is never a time that we don't have a place that we can reach out and so that's good to know, and that can be found in the Community Section, whether using, using the app or the website, so be familiar with that.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible. Thank you, humbly, our mission has always been to, to read the word of God fresh every day and offer it to anybody who will listen, anywhere, anytime any, any circumstances, anything that's going on, the word of God coming into our lives is an important thing and to build community around that, because it's something that we need in our lives every day. So, we show up, we show up for the Scriptures, we show up for each other. That's what being a family is like, and so, if that has been life-giving thing to you then thank you, humbly for your partnership. There is a link on the homepage at dailyaudiobible.com. If you're using the app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or the mailing address is P.O. Box 1996 Springhill, Tennessee 37174.

And as always, if you have a prayer request or encouragement, you can hit the Hotline button in the app, that's the little red button up at the top or you can dial 877-942 4253.

And that's it for today, I'm Brian, I love you and I will be waiting for you here, tomorrow.

Prayer and Encouragements:

Hey DAB, this is my first-time calling in. I want to lift up Your Little Songbird who had ear surgery and complained of tinnitus in her ears. Sister that is very real thing. And I too have some ringing in my ears. I'm a musician and enjoy making music to God's glory. I ask that He would give you grace. Would He remind you any time your, you notice the ringing in your ears, remind you of His presence and His mercy. Lord, please remind Your Little Songbird that You were cursed for us, You are cursed and hung on a tree in our place. The chastisement that brought us peace was laid on You. We thank You for taking our sin upon Yourself. Thank You for Your abiding continued presence. Would You make it louder in our years than any other distraction in our world. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Hey DAB family, this is Justin in Memphis. If you were listening in 2017, 18 you might remember Justin in Southern California that's, that's me now. I'm back. I haven’t been listening for several years. I started up again at the beginning of this year and glad to have this community back again. Please pray for me. My faith and my assurance has been on a downward slide ever since 2018. And lately I'm not really sure what I believe anymore, other than there’s a God who created me and loves me. I don't know about any other, anything else. I don’t know about Jesus. I don't know. I miss Jesus though. And so, just pray for me to find God again, to find truth, wherever that may be. But I can’t tell you have to pray but not pray that I come back to where I was, just that I find God's truths wherever He leads me to it. So, thanks for listening.

Hello, DAB, this is New Envisioned Growth out of New York. I am calling because I just heard Beloved. She gave herself a name, she just gave herself a name, Beloved and I love it, Beloved. And your prayer at the end, on things you were saying at the end just resonated with mine right now on how we, you know, just make mistakes that we put ourselves in and that we go to God, knowing full and well that we, you know, put ourselves there. In your case you were saying you don’t really want to go to the Father, I am shameless, and I am the one who’s like help me. Help. Knowing good and well that I put myself in there. And it reminds me of like, little babies when they get toys in their head and then they drop and then they cry. And we pick it up for them and they drop it and now it’s a game. It becomes a game now. But I am so grateful that God is not like us because we’ll stop playing that game after a while and we’ll figure a way to kind of make it work for us. Or we’ll just have the baby cry. Right, so, now my prayer, when I go to God is just to help me change me. Because when I look at the situations that I put myself in, it’ll be the same type of spirit or thing that I’m dealing with in a different form. So, I’m still going to God, even though I make the mistake myself, but now I’m just asking for direction for God to pinpoint the common denominator in me and what the things that I’m dealing with. And I just pray that you find yours. So, thanks Belove, love the name, love you guys. Have a great day. Bye.

Hey guys, my names Garrett. It’s been a while since I’ve called in. Having some issues in my life lately and could really use your prayers. I’m dealing with some alcoholism and depression and just relationships that have failed. So, I really need some prayers and I need the Lord back in my life. I feel really guilty and just wanna be back and proud of the life that I’m living. I really would appreciate some prayers from you guys. Thank you. God bless.

3 notes · View notes

thnxforknowingme · 2 years

Text

Miles To Go (1/12)

Written for the Klaine 3-2-1 Prompt Bang 2022, art by @datshitrandom

Pairing: Kurt Hummel/Blaine Anderson

Rating: Mature

Notes: More info about the fic here. I have been to some of the places that Kurt and Blaine travel in this story, but not the majority of them. Thank god for Google Maps and Street View, as well as the tourist board websites of all the cities and national parks mentioned. While much of this story is based in reality, I’ve also taken artistic liberties when necessary for the plot. I apologize for any accidental inaccuracies or mistakes in portraying these varied places. Also, I’m sorry specifically to Kansas. I’ve been to your state and had a perfectly nice time. That’s not the case for Kurt, unfortunately. You can generally assume that things in this story are based on canon through season 4, with the following major exceptions: Kurt never spied at Dalton, so he and Blaine never met, and neither of them transferred schools. Also, Kurt was accepted to NYADA on his first try, so he and Rachel have been attending the school for the same amount of time, and Blaine is the same age/grade as them.

All Chapters | Read on AO3

Chapter 1: Embarking

The water was cold, much colder than Kurt anticipated, and the shock of it made him minutely aware of his physical form - freezing water lapping at his ankles, sand pressing between his toes, wind whipping his hair and stinging his eyes. He was reminded that he was his body, and nothing else; that if he were pulled under by the waves and dragged out to sea, Kurt Hummel would cease to exist entirely.

But even if he were gone, he knew he would be remembered - he had someone on the beach waiting for him, and friends on both sides of this strange, beautiful, massive country. He had a family who loved him, a family that he’d helped to build.

He clutched the container in his hands against his chest, feeling the vital thump of his heart, and looked out towards the endless horizon. He’d reached his destination at last, and after months of feeling like he was drowning, he thought that maybe now he could finally take a breath again.

This was another goodbye, but like all things in life, it wasn’t really over. Finn had changed Kurt. This trip had changed Kurt. And so they would live on in him, and in everyone he changed.

He could taste the salty air as he blinked through the tears in his eyes.

It was time.

- / / -

Somehow March stuttered into April, which melted into May. It didn’t seem right to Kurt that time should continue to move forward after Finn died. Concerts and movies and birthday parties shouldn’t still be happening when Finn was dead. Flowers shouldn’t continue to bloom, seasons shouldn’t continue to change. People shouldn’t be expected to go to school or work, to pay bills, to buy groceries. Kurt wanted to freeze everything, to staunch the flow of time like a leaking pipe, so that he could just grieve, without the rest of life getting in the way.

However, the world kept spinning. The sun rose anew each day, every sunrise representing a day Finn didn’t get to see. The dates on the calendar ticked by, stores opening and closing, holidays coming and going, weather steadily changing. The universe didn’t care that a tragedy had occurred, that the whole world was suffering from the loss of kind goofy talented clueless wonderful Finn Hudson.

Kurt did his best to retreat from this unsympathetic world. He went to class and to work most of the time, but moved through his responsibilities like a zombie. His shifts at the diner were performed in a fugue state, repeating the same stock phrases to customers over and over, methodically bussing tables and punching orders into the register, his attention never fully there. When he went to class he made clumsy attempts at following the professors’ instructions, but he couldn’t muster the passion or discipline necessary to do any valuable work. He wasn’t becoming a better actor, singer, or dancer. He just did the bare minimum to scrape by, gazing blankly ahead while his classmates put their whole heart into performances. Kurt couldn’t do that anymore. He wasn’t sure he still had a heart.

Any time he wasn’t obligated to be somewhere he was at home, typically in sweatpants, eating comfort food and watching Sex and the City or The Real Housewives. He craved the soothing routine of trashy television, the familiar patterns of each narrative arc, the knowledge that the stakes were never actually that high. It offered a predictability and stability that he now knew didn’t exist in reality.

When he’d been worrying about his dad’s cancer, he’d constantly felt like a tightly-wound spring. His fear and anxiety choked him like a noose, and the only way he could find relief was by exerting small bits of control over arbitrary things - sticking to routines and relying on superstitions and making up comforting rituals.

Finn’s death seemed to break that instinct in him, though. He’d been shown that there was no way for him to control anything. He’d experienced the elation of discovering his dad had a clean bill of health, only for his stepbrother to die unexpectedly soon after. Life was cruel and senseless, and Kurt didn’t have any power to influence it. No amount of meaningless tics could bring Finn back.

Rachel seemed to react in the opposite way. Kurt rarely saw her anymore - her every waking moment was spent outside of the loft. Balancing NYADA coursework and a waitressing job and rehearsals as the lead of a Broadway play was an immense challenge, and Rachel was throwing herself into it wholeheartedly. In some moments, Kurt resented her dedication. How could she care so much about school and her career, things that paled in importance to Finn? How could she seek the attention and approval of a world that allowed Finn to die, and then kept on going without him?

Santana fell somewhere in the middle - not as apathetic as Kurt, nor as work-obsessed as Rachel. She was just a sadder, sharper version of her usual self. She spent a fair amount of time with Dani, the Spotlight waitress who had shown an interest in her. Under other circumstances, Kurt would have badgered her for details, teasing her about her new relationship. As it was, he just waved her off vaguely whenever she left the apartment, calling out that she’d be at Dani’s for the night.

Whatever camaraderie they’d built up, the three of them taking on New York together, had been shattered. They retreated into their grief in their own ways, facing it alone, no longer a united front.

“You need to clean up your act,” Carmen Tibideaux said, staring at Kurt over her glasses, “or you will not be invited back to NYADA next semester.”

Kurt was sure that this was a very dire warning, but he felt detached from the whole situation. He was sitting in Madam Tibideaux’s office, her chairs just hard enough that he could never feel comfortable in them. He’d received an email demanding that he attend a meeting with her to discuss his academic future. He’d always felt intimidated when in her presence before, but now he couldn’t find it in himself to worry about what she thought of him. “I’m sorry,” he said automatically.

“Your attendance has been slipping,” she went on, her disapproval easily apparent in her tone. “Your professors say you have not been engaged during classes, and have performed unsatisfactorily on assignments. This is not behavior befitting of a NYADA student. We accept very few applicants, Mr. Hummel. We expect you to honor the privilege of being at this school by putting in your best work.”

Kurt swallowed. He knew he had to stand up for himself, but he hated having to tell other people about this. “I…I’ve had a recent…I’m grieving a loss in my family.”

Madam Tibideaux looked at him, her face impassive. He should have known she wouldn’t immediately give him a free pass just because his brother died. She had never been a sympathetic person, and at NYADA, the show must always go on.

Finally, she spoke. “I’m very sorry to hear that, Kurt.” She sounded genuine, at least. “You have the right to grieve in whatever way is best for you. But if this is getting in the way of your schoolwork, then it is not the best situation for your education or your emotional well-being for you to be at NYADA right now.” She opened a drawer in her desk and pulled out a few sheets of paper. “If you want to take a leave of absence, that’s a possibility we can discuss. However, you should know that with the competitive nature of our school, deferment can lead to a loss in financial aid funds and a longer path to graduation. Alternatively, if you want to continue your education as it stands, you will need to make significant changes in your current performance. If you cannot achieve sufficient passing grades in your current classes - which I suspect will be challenging, considering how late in the semester it is - then some of your professors may be able to give you Incompletes, and you can make up or retake the classes later. Taking classes over the summer may be beneficial if you want to stay on track for your current expected graduation date.”

Kurt listened numbly as she listed off the things he’d have to do to arrange for these plans, and took the papers she handed him. He managed to offer her a small smile when she dismissed him. “Thank you, madam,” he said, although he didn’t feel any gratitude.

Kurt found the loft empty when he got back, so he lay down in bed and dialed his dad’s phone number.

He was going to tell him about the issues at school and ask for advice - that was the plan. But then they started talking about the trip to Los Angeles that his dad and Carole had just returned from, where they’d accompanied the New Directions to Nationals. Burt put the call on speakerphone so Carole could join in too - she was much better at recounting the experience and remembering important details.

They told Kurt about the performance, how it had been dedicated to Finn, how the choir sang some of his favorite songs. Carole and Kurt were both crying by the end of her description, but this was to be expected - they’d shed so many tears in each other’s presence over the past few months that it was no longer remarkable, just a typical part of conversation.

“Finn was so excited to go to LA, too,” Carole said, her voice thick. “As soon as they won Regionals, he started making plans…doing all the Hollywood tourist stuff, you know, asking Puck for suggestions.” She laughed, in a wet half-crying way. “He really wanted to swim in the Pacific. When he was a kid he was obsessed with that for a while - I think he’d seen something on Animal Planet about swimming with dolphins and got that in his head. I don’t even know if there are dolphins on the coast of California, but when he was little he had a phase where he wouldn’t stop talking about it.”

Kurt stared at the wooden beams of the ceiling, smiling sadly. He could picture a child-aged Finn daydreaming of dolphins. It was odd, the experience of losing someone, and learning new things about them after they were gone. He’d never be able to ask Finn about this, never be able to tease him about his childhood dream.

But he suddenly realized that maybe, in some way, he could help Finn achieve it.

He sat up, his heart rate accelerating abruptly as the idea overtook him. “Carole,” he said urgently. “Have you thought about - what you might want to…do, uh, with Finn?”

It was an absolutely unintelligible sentence, but Kurt was confident Carole would know what he meant.

After Finn died, his body had been cremated, a second urn joining the shelf in the Hummel-Hudson house where Finn’s father’s ashes were displayed. Carole had simply decided to follow the same steps that she’d taken for Christopher’s remains, not having any other guidance. It’s not like they knew what Finn wanted. A nineteen-year-old shouldn’t have to plan for this kind of thing.

“Oh,” Carole said after a moment. “Uh, no. I don’t have any plans.”

Kurt propped himself up with his free hand, palm pressing hard into his bedspread. He bit the inside of his lip. How did one ask this question tactfully? How to ask it at all?

He inhaled. “What do you think of - I mean. Um. Of the Pacific Ocean? Is that - do you think he would have wanted that?”

In the silence that followed, Kurt worried that he’d overstepped, that Carole would be offended by the suggestion of giving what remained of Finn up to the elements.

But then she said, “Oh, Kurt, that’s - I really like that idea. That would be - really beautiful.”

Kurt let out his breath. “It doesn’t have to - it’s just an idea.”

“Is that something you would want to do?” Carole asked. “Take him there?”

Kurt stared at the bookshelves on the other side of his room, at the carefully-arranged decorations that he’d once cared so much about. “I think I would,” he said softly.

He’d felt so helpless and powerless for so long. Finally, this was something he could do about losing Finn. Screw taking summer classes. He was going to bring Finn to LA.

A few weeks later, Kurt stood in his parents’ driveway in Lima, the Navigator crammed full of everything he might need for a cross-country road trip.

There had been a lot of logistical planning since he first had the idea to bring Finn’s ashes to the Pacific. He’d finished out his semester at NYADA and then quit his job, with the understanding that if they still needed a server when he came back he could be re-hired. His academics had still been pretty lackluster, but he hadn’t been kicked out of school yet, so he was waiting to deal with whatever the consequences of his poor grades would be until the fall.

He’d stayed up late many nights researching gas prices, poring over Google Maps, and budgeting. He didn’t have much in his savings, but his dad was going to give him a chunk of money for the trip. His biggest money-saving strategy was to not rely on motels for lodging. Instead, once he got back to Ohio, his dad pulled a tent out of the garage. Kurt practiced setting it up and taking it down over and over, until he could do it precisely and consistently, and then he spent a few nights sleeping in it in the backyard to acclimate himself.

Then there was the most crucial factor. Carole had gone to the mortuary to have Finn’s ashes split. Half of them remained in the house, next to his father’s. She provided Kurt with a black, airtight container that held the other half of what remained of his brother. He was used to thinking of Finn as such a big presence - always towering over him physically, but also huge in his personality. It was odd that he could be reduced to something so small, fitting into the palm of Kurt’s hand. Carole had shown him how to remove the lid, revealing the opening through which the ashes could be scattered.

He was as ready to leave as he was ever going to be. It was pleasantly cool on the morning that he began his journey west.

“You call me if anything goes wrong, okay?” Kurt’s dad said, pulling him into a tight hug. “Actually, call me every few days anyway.”

“Okay,” Kurt said into his dad’s shoulder. He thought about pointing out that he’d been living in New York for most of a year without parental supervision, but he held his tongue. This was different, after all.

Carole’s embrace wasn’t as familiar as his father’s, but it was something Kurt had gotten used to over the past few years. Carole would never be his mother, but she was his family in a true, unassailable way. The same way Finn had been.

“Thank you,” she whispered as they hugged goodbye. “Good luck.”

Kurt nodded, his throat tight, and pulled back.

He got into the Navigator and started the engine. He mentally ran through his packing list one last time, ensuring that he had everything he needed. He glanced over his shoulder to see the cardboard box placed securely on the floor of the backseat - the box that contained a bag, that contained an urn, that contained Finn.

He switched the car into drive and took his foot off the brake, his parents looking on in the rearview mirror as he drove away.

#fic: miles to go #mtg chapter #my fic

12 notes · View notes

questionsonislam · 2 years

Note

What is the sin of listening behind the door? What are the verses related to this issue?

It is not permissible to peep in order to find out about the sin of a person who commits a sin secretly in his house and keeps his door closed; it is not permissible to swoop on such a person or to tell others about his sin.

Allah states the following:

"O ye who believe! Avoid suspicion as much (as possible): for suspicion in some cases is a sin: And spy not on each other behind their backs. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Nay, ye would abhor it...But fear Allah: For Allah is Oft-Returning, Most Merciful." (al-Hujurat, 49/12)

When Hz. Umar was the caliph, he heard sounds coming from a house. He climbed the wall, looked inside and saw the host doing something bad. When he wanted to prevent the host from that bad deed, the man said,

"O leader of the believers! I have committed one sin, but you have committed three sins." Hz. Umar asked, “What are they?” The man answered as follows:

"Allah said, ‘Spy not on each other behind their backs.’ (al-Hujurat, 49/12) However, you have spied. Allah said, ‘It is no virtue if ye enter your houses from the back’ (al-Baqara, 2/189) but you entered by climbing the wall. God Almighty said, ‘O ye who believe! Enter not houses other than your own, until ye have asked permission and saluted those in them: that is best for you, in order that ye may heed (what is seemly).’ (an-Nur, 24/27) "

In the face of this defense, Hz. Umar did not apply a penalty but laid it as a condition for the man to repent to be forgiven. Therefore, Hz. Umar asked the Companions for consultation while delivering a sermon on the pulpit if the caliph or a judge could apply a penalty if he himself sees a crime without looking for witnesses, Hz. Ali said two just witnesses were necessary even in such a case.

Verses between twenty-seven and thirty-three of the chapter of an-Nur states the manners and rules of house visits by believers and the principles of dressing for women. The religion of Islam protects the wealth, life, home and workplace of everybody from violation. Therefore, it prohibits entering a house without greeting, getting permission and having an acquaintance with the owner of the house. On the other hand, it regards peeping a house through the door and windows a sin. However, it is stated that desolate houses can be entered without permission if it is necessary:

"O ye who believe! Enter not houses other than your own, until ye have asked permission and saluted those in them: that is best for you, in order that ye may heed (what is seemly). If ye find no one in the house, enter not until permission is given to you: if ye are asked to go back, go back: that makes for greater purity for yourselves: and Allah knows well all that ye do. It is no fault on your part to enter houses not used for living in, which serve some (other) use for you: And Allah has knowledge of what ye reveal and what ye conceal." (Nur, 24/27-29).

TAJASSUS (SPYING)

It means searching the inside, hidden parts of an affair and mistakes of a person; curiosity to search.

The word tajassus is an Arabic word derived from the verb jassa. The word jasus (spy/agent) is derived from the same verb.

Tajassus is generally used for searching bad deeds and mistakes. The word tahassus is generally used for good deeds. As a matter of fact, Allah states that Hz. Yaqub addressed his sons as follows using the word tahassus: “O my sons! Go ye and enquire about Joseph and his brother, and never give up hope of Allah´s Soothing Mercy...” (Yusuf, 12/87). However, both words can be used in the sense of searching bad deeds and mistakes. Awzai states that tajassus means searching anything and that tahassus means eavesdropping or listening behind the door.

The word tajassus is mentioned only once in the Quran:

Allah addresses believers in the verse above and wants them to keep away from three harmful things. Those three harmful things are suspicion (having bad thoughts about others), spying and backbiting.

As it is seen, tajassus is one of the things forbidden, prohibited by the Quran. The verse also describes the attributes of a believer. Accordingly, believers keep away from suspicion (having bad thoughts about others), spying and backbiting. They differ from others with those nice qualities.

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) prohibited tajassus and advised people to keep away from it. Thus, he informed us that tajassus was something harmful and bad. The hadiths narrated regarding the issue are as follows:

"Keep away from having bad thoughts about others because it is the worst lie. Do not spy on one another and do not search the secret affairs of one another; do not eavesdrop; do not compete one another; do not be jealous of one another; do not hate one another; do not turn your backs to one another. O slaves of Allah! Be brothers." (Ibn Kathir, Tafsir VII, 357)

"If you search people’s mistakes, you will cause mischief." (Ibn Kathir, Tafsir, VII, 358)

"O community of people, who believed by their tongue and whose hearts belief did not enter! Do not backbite Muslims. Do not search for their faults. If anyone searches for their faults, Allah will search for his fault. If Allah searches for the fault of anyone, He disgraces him in his house." (Abu Dawud, Adab, 40; see also Tirmidhi, Birr, 84)

"If a person does not help a Muslim in a place where he will be disgraced and leaves him alone, Allah will leave him alone in a place where he will ask for help. If a person helps a Muslim in a place where he will be disgraced, Allah will help him in a place where he will ask for help" (Abu Dawud, Adab, 41)

A man went to Ibn Mas'ud and said, "raki (alcoholic drink) drips from the beard of such and such a man." Ibn Mas'ud answered him as follows: "We were prohibited from spying. However, we can catch him when he drinks openly." Mujahid made the following explanation regarding the issue: What is meant by the verse “spy not on each other” is "take what is revealed and leave what is kept secret". (Sayyid Qutub, Fi Zilalil-Quran, Beirut 1971)

As it is understood from the hadiths above, man has inviolable and untouchable things: honor, dignity, rights and freedom. One of them is searching secret affairs. Thus, Islam orders showing respect to the rights of individuals perfectly. In Islam, man is ordered to act in a way that fits human honor and he is not allowed to be harassed.

2 notes · View notes

craftylovegentlemen · 2 days

Text

Numbers

Chapter 21

1 And when king Arad the Canaanite, which dwelt in the south, heard tell that Israel came by the way of the spies; then he fought against Israel, and took some of them prisoners. 2 And Israel vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities. 3 And the LORD hearkened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities: and he called the name of the place Hormah. 4 And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. 5 And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. 6 And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. 7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. 8 And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. 9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. 10 And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in Oboth.

11 And they journeyed from Oboth, and pitched at Ijeabarim, in the wilderness which is before Moab, toward the sunrising. 12 From thence they removed, and pitched in the valley of Zared. 13 From thence they removed, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, which is in the wilderness that cometh out of the coasts of the Amorites: for Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites. 14 Wherefore it is said in the book of the wars of the LORD, What he did in the Red sea, and in the brooks of Arnon, 15 And at the stream of the brooks that goeth down to the dwelling of Ar, and lieth upon the border of Moab. 16 And from thence they went to Beer: that is the well whereof the LORD spake unto Moses, Gather the people together, and I will give them water. 17 Then Israel sang this song, Spring up, O well; sing ye unto it: 18 The princes digged the well, the nobles of the people digged it, by the direction of the lawgiver, with their staves. And from the wilderness they went to Mattanah: 19 And from Mattanah to Nahaliel: and from Nahaliel to Bamoth: 20 And from Bamoth in the valley, that is in the country of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, which looketh toward Jeshimon.

And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, 22 Let me pass through thy land: we will not turn into the fields, or into the vineyards; we will not drink of the waters of the well: but we will go along by the king's high way, until we be past thy borders. 23 And Sihon would not suffer Israel to pass through his border: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and went out against Israel into the wilderness: and he came to Jahaz, and fought against Israel. 24 And Israel smote him with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land from Arnon unto Jabbok, even unto the children of Ammon: for the border of the children of Ammon was strong. 25 And Israel took all these cities: and Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all the villages thereof. 26 For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab, and taken all his land out of his hand, even unto Arnon. 27 Wherefore they that speak in proverbs say, Come into Heshbon, let the city of Sihon be built and prepared: 28 For there is a fire gone out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon: it hath consumed Ar of Moab, and the lords of the high places of Arnon. 29 Woe to thee, Moab! thou art undone, O people of Chemosh: he hath given his sons that escaped, and his daughters, into captivity unto Sihon king of the Amorites. 30 We have shot at them; Heshbon is perished even unto Dibon, and we have laid them waste even unto Nophah, which reacheth unto Medeba.

31 Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites. 32 And Moses sent to spy out Jaazer, and they took the villages thereof, and drove out the Amorites that were there. 33 And they turned and went up by the way of Bashan: and Og the king of Bashan went out against them, he, and all his people, to the battle at Edrei. 34 And the LORD said unto Moses, Fear him not: for I have delivered him into thy hand, and all his people, and his land; and thou shalt do to him as thou didst unto Sihon king of the Amorites, which dwelt at Heshbon. 35 So they smote him, and his sons, and all his people, until there was none left him alive: and they possessed his land.

Numbers 21

Diane Beauford

0 notes