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layce2015 · 4 years

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The Last of Us Part 2 (Joel x Reader)

Chapter 10: I Know You Wish Things Were Different

Chapter 9

*2 Years Earlier*

"She hasn't changed the strings." Joel said as he looks over the guitar. "I'm sure she didn't know." I said as I stir the stew in the pot, keeping it from burning. "Hmm, maybe..." he mutters and I give a small smile at him.

We were out in a cabin, just for lookout and patrol. It was just me, Joel, Tommy and Ellie out here, Aiden and Ethan were back at Jackson with Maria, who wanted to watch over them. Right now, Tommy took Ellie out to find any infected around while Joel and I got back in the cabin from our patrol and I decided to cook dinner as it seemed we might be out here for awhile.

"I just don't know about her." He said and I look back at him. "It just...it seems she doesn't want to talk to me anymore. Has she talked to you?" Joel asked me. "No, she hasn't. But in all honesty, honey, she's at that age where kids don't want to be around us old people anymore." I explained then we heard some gunshots off in the distance and both of us look out the window, towards the mountain.

"Must've found some infected nearby." I remarked and I lower the heat on the small portable stove and let the stew simmer. I look over at him as he looks a bit sad while he strums his guitar.

I go over to him then placed an arm around his shoulder, lean down and kissed the top of his head. "She'll come around. I promise." I said then he looks up at me and gives me a small smile. I smiled back at him then I lean in and kiss him on the lips, he places his right hand on my neck then he slides it to the back of my head so he could hold my head in place as our kiss became deeper and passionate.

"I love you. You know that, right?" Joel said, softly, once I pull back from the kiss. "Of course I do. I love you as well." I said as I smiled, gently. I stand up and he removes his hand off of me and I make my way over back to the food.

"I mean, who else is gonna deal with your grumpy ass." I said, teasingly, and Joel chuckles as he strums the guitar. I went back to stirring the stew again when Joel starts to play a song that I recognized. A song that I remembered we danced to so many years ago at our wedding.

I turn to him and see him smirking at me as he starts to sing the song.

You may think that I'm talking foolish

You've heard that I'm wild and I'm free

You may wonder how I can promise you now

This love that I feel for you always will be

But you're not just time that I'm killin'

I'm no longer one of those guys

As sure as I live, this love that I give

Is gonna be yours until the day that I die

Oh, baby, I'm gonna love you forever

Forever and ever, amen

As long as old men sit and talk about the weather

As long as old women sit and talk about old men

If you wonder how long I'll be faithful

I'll be happy to tell you again

I'm gonna love you forever and ever

Forever and ever, amen

"Joel..." I said, my eyes tearing up a bit, and his smile grew wider at me when we heard footsteps and voices. I wipe away the oncoming tears, just as Tommy and Ellie come in. "That was y'all shooting out there, right?" Joel asked them. "Oh, just some stragglers. Ellie got to try out my scope." Tommy said as he and Ellie go to sit down at a table near us.

"Really? How'd you like it?" I asked Ellie. "Yeah. Feels good." She said, rushed. She sits there and looks away while Tommy sits down and starts to kick back.

"I see you, uh...haven't got around changing the strings yet." Joel said as he stands up and walks over to Ellie, still holding the guitar. "I didn't know I was supposed to." Ellie said as she looks up and chuckles, awkwardly. "See? I told ya, Joel." I said. "Well, we'll get you some new ones." Joel said and he leans the guitar against the table and walks over next to me as Tommy picks the guitar up.

"There's that music store down there. I bet they got guitar stuff." Tommy suggests and Joel, Ellie and I all exchange awkward looks. "I mean that area is long overdue for a sweep anyway. I can keep watch." Tommy said as he looks over at us and Joel looks over at Ellie.

"What do you say, kiddo?" He asked her. "Sure." She said, shrugging, then Tommy begins to play the guitar. "And that's our que." I said as Joel and I walk out while Tommy chuckles.

Joel and I go to one horse while Ellie follows us. "Alright. Let's go." She said. "Okay. Follow us, kiddo." I said and Joel gets on his horse and helps me up as I sit behind him and Ellie mounts her horse. Then we began to gallop away.

"So, you and Tommy cross anything when you was out?" I asked her. "Just a few we saw from the ridge. You?" She said. "Uh, you know....found two runners in a house." Joel said to her then it went silent again.

"Jesse tells us you're handling your own quite well on the group patrol. He's even recommended you for paired patrols." I said. "Though I still think you're a bit young for it." Joel said. "I'm a better shot than almost all of them. And I have more experience than most of the new recruits who've..." Ellie started to argue but Joel talks over her.

"Look...if you think you're ready, (y/n) and I trust you." He said. "Okay. Thanks." Ellie said, a sound of relief in her voice. "Just do us a favor and start with the shorter routes for awhile, Y'know. See how you handle them." I said to her as I turn to her and see her smile. "Alright." She said and we keep trotting on.

"You remember those Savage Starlight comic books that you're into?" Joel asked her. "Yeah?" Ellie said. "Tommy, (y/n) and I found some when we were moving through that school the other day." Joel said.

"Did you guys like 'em?" Ellie asked us, curiously. "Oh, you know, it's not really my cup of tea. But (y/n) seemed to enjoy them." Joel said and I rolled my eyes. "Hey, what can I say? My inner child came out when I read those books." I said.

"I didn't know you were into that kind've stuff, (y/n)." Ellie said, shocked. "Oh yeah. When I was a kid, a bit younger than you, I was really into reading comic books, science fiction being the big thing for me." I explained.

"Really? What made you stop reading them?" Ellie asked. "Life, honestly. It just started to get really hectic once I hit 18. Got a job, having to help my mom out while my brother was in the army, trying to decide whether I wanted to go to college or not, went out with a few friends." I explained and Ellie nods.

"Then I met this weird guy, who came in at my workplace one day, fell in love and married him." I said and Ellie chuckles a bit. "Yeah and I married a clumsy waitress that spilled iced tea on me." Joel said and my face heats up in embarrassment. "That was one time!" I exclaimed while Ellie laughs outloud at this and I hear Joel chuckling.

"Anyway...Dr. Daniella Star, I mean, she's pretty..." Joel started to say before Ellie talks over him, after recovering from laughing. "She's a savage." She said. "Yeah, what she does to Captain Ryan in that Death Match..." I said, chuckling, and Joel nods at this.

"Yeah, I mean, he definitely deserved it but..." Ellie started to say but she stops before Joel talks. "Well, it was a nice twist on how they escape, though." He said and Ellie giggles. "You're funny." She said and I smiled at her just as we make up to a fence and the old motel building.

"Music story's up that way...we're gonna have to leave the horses here." Joel said as we come up to the fence. "Yeah...sounds good." Ellie said and we stopped then got off of the horses and jumped the fence.

"There's that music store." I said, pointing at the tall sign a few miles up ahead. We walk up to two large vehicles blocking the road before Joel turns to Ellie. "Need a boost?" He asked her. "I got it." She said and she climbs up the old moving truck and gets on top of it then gets on the other side.

"Uh, I don't think we can go this way." We hear her say. "What?" We said, confused, and Joel and I climb up on top of the truck and see that the area was dried out and the road was sunken in. "Well, damn. Used to be able to swim across this...." Joel said, disappointed. "So now what?" Ellie asked us and I looked at the motel building next to us.

"Well, if you're up for it, we can try cutting through that hotel." I said and Ellie nods. "I'm up for it." She said as she climbs back up on the truck then we head over to the hotel building.

We make it to the front door and Ellie tries to open it but it wouldn't budge. "Damn it." She grumbles and I sighed. "Of course." I said. "Oh, that might be something." Joel said and we turned and see him staring at a crawlspace under what looks like a collapsed roof.

"Think that you girls could fit in there?" Joel asked as I kneel down to look at it. "Hmmm...maybe. Worth a shot, though. I'll go first and then Ellie can follow me." I said and Joel nods then picks up part of the collapsed rubble and I crawled through into a room then looked around.

"I'm through, come on, Ellie." I said then I hear her crawling through and I turned and hold my hand out to her to help her up. She takes my hand and I help her stand up. "Made it!" She said. "Hang on, big guy. We'll let you in." I called out. "All right." He said and both of us walk out of the room and look around to make sure no infected were nearby then I see the front door.

"Ellie, keep an eye out. I'll go let him in." I tell her and she nods as I head to door and began to unlock it. I open the door to see Joel standing there, leaning to the side as his left hand was braced against the doorframe. "Well, hey there." I say to him and he gives me a small grin. "Howdy." He said, making my heart flutter.

Even after all these years, he still knows how to make me feel this way. Make me feel like that young woman he met all those years ago. Then an old memory came to me and an idea popped in my head and I smiled.

"Damn, if being sexy was a crime, you'd be guilty as charged!" I said and Joel lowered his head and shook it as he chuckles. "Cheesy pick up lines? Really?" He asked me as he raises his head up to me, but with a smile still on his face and his cheeks were turning a bit red.

"Why not? I mean...we used to share cheesy lines when we first got together." I said and he chuckles then he starts to walk pass me. "I'm too old for this cheesy shit..." he mutters and I rolled my eyes. "Uh-huh...sure you are." I said, sarcastically, and he chuckles then he pushes a strand of hair away from my face, leans in, then kisses me.

"Hey, guys. I think I've found a way through. But there are spores". Ellie said as Joel and I break the kiss. We smiled then we head over to Ellie as she stands in front of a snack machine, that was covering a giant hole.

"Okay, well girls, put your masks on." Joel said and we started to put ours on but Ellie looks over at us, annoyed. "Do I have to? It's just us." She said. "What if we run into someone?" I pointed out to her and she sighs. "Okay. Fine." She said and she pulls out her mask and puts it in while Joel pushes the machine aside.

He goes through the hole in the wall then me and finally Ellie. "You gotta be smart about this. You stop wearing that mask, kiddo, and eventually you're gonna slip up in front of someone you shouldn't." Joel tells her. "I never slipped." Ellie said, firmly, as we walked through some rooms. "You haven't told anyone new, have you? Like Jesse or Dina or --" Joel started to asked but Ellie shakes her head. "Of course not!" She said. "Okay, good." Joel and I said and we continue on.

"You guys ever been in here before?" Ellie asked us after climbing through a hole and landing into another room. "No. We've just patrolled the streets." I replied. "Feeling like a bit of an oversight now..." Joel said. "Maybe." Ellie mutters and we see a dead Clicker that's stuck to the wall.

"Looks like it was shot here awhile back." Joel pointed out as he looks at the Clicker. "When'd did the last patrol go through here?" Ellie asked us and I shrug as Joel said. "Not sure."

"Is it one of us?" Ellie asked and I sighed. "Only people went missing from Jackson are them teenagers from last year. This one's too old. Probably just roamed in." I pointed out then Joel stands up and we continued through until we come up to these large double doors.

Joel opens the door, slowly, and we could hear some infected and Clickers inside. "We are on patrol, right?" Ellie said and Joel and I share a look before I nod. "Alright. Let's take 'em out." He said and we head in what is the lobby area and, quietly, take out the few infected and Clickers inside.

"Guys, I think we did it." Ellie said after a few moments of silence. "Yeah, I think so, too." I said, breathless, and Joel nods. "Good job, kiddo." Joel congrats and Ellie nods. "Yeah, you too." She said. "So, what do you guys say we give up on those strings for today?"

"Couldn't said it better myself." Joel said as I look around the room. "I think our only way out is forward now." I said and we go through another set of doors then through some more rooms.

"This looks like something." Joel said as he comes up to a crawl space in the walls. "Following you." Ellie said and Joel squeezes throught then me and Ellie. Joel and I duck down under this pipe and kept going when we heard something break.

We look over and see that the pipe broke and Ellie stared at it for a moment and we stopped moving, looking towards the wall. We could hear a noise and then a roar before there was a crash and a Bloater burst throught the wall and grabs Ellie. "Ellie!" Joel and I screamed and we get out of the crawl space just as the Bloater tossed Ellie on the floor.

Joel and I pull out our shotguns and fired at the monsters. "Leave her alone, you sonuvabitch!" I shouted and the monster started coming at us but we back away. Ellie threw a molotov at it and it roars in pain then turned to her. The flames died down in it and more infected started coming at us.

I went and shot at them while Joel shot at the Bloater until it grabbed Ellie. It pulled off her mask and tried to grab her face until Joel pulls out his machete and sliced at it's arm, making it let Ellie go, then stabbed it, repeatedly, until it died. I run over to Ellie and help her up to her feet.

"Shit." She whispered, shocked. "You okay?" I asked her and she nods. "That was too close." Joel said. "Sure....but we fucking did it." Ellie said and Joel and I chuckle a bit. "We sure did." Joel said and we started to continue on. "You guys good?" Ellie asked. "Other than being really old, ain't nothing a solid night of sleep won't shake off." I said and Joel nods. "I wanna get outta here." Ellie said, exasperated, and we agreed and continued on.

We make it to another set of doors and Joel and I move the couch that was barricading the door. "Wait, what if there's like two Bloaters on the other side?" Ellie asked, worried. "It'll be fine." Joel assured her as we move the couch out of the way then we opened the door, our guns drawn and we look around to see nothing, not even spores.

"Spores are clear." Joel said and Ellie shuts the door behind us as Joel and I take off our masks. "Quiet the fight we had back there, huh?" Ellie said as we walked down the hallway. "Not often we get a Bloater around these parts." Joel said.

"Yeah. Jesse and Dina are going to lose their shit when they hear about this." Ellie said. "What's the deal with them two, anyway? They're dating, right?" Joel asked her as walked through the old kitchen area. "Uh, on and off. Why?" Ellie asked. "(Y/n) and I hear the way Jesse talks about you." Joel said to her.

"No. Jesse and I are just friends." Ellie said. "Now, now, now, I've got a pretty keen eye for these sort of things." Joel said and I rolled my eyes. "Not so keen with this one." Ellie said and Joel chuckles. "We'll see." He said and I scoff.

"Keen eye, huh? Remind me again, honey, who was the one that took months to ask who out?" I asked him. "Well, I had to make sure...get you warmed up to me and then I'd ask you out." Joel said and I snorted. "Really? That was the plan? And not, Sarah coaxing you to ask me out after you were too nervous to ask?" I asked and I hear Ellie chuckling under her breath. "Yeah, that's exactly right." Joel said and I scoffed. "Mmmhmm, okay....Whatever floats your boat." I said, sarcastically, and we head up to this door and Joel goes to open it but it only opens a few inches.

"Think you can squeeze through there?" Joel asked Ellie and she nods and goes through the door. "See what it is?" I asked her. "Yeah." She said and I hear her move something. "Okay." She said and Joel opens the door wider and we walk into an old coffee shop as Ellie walks to the middle of the room and sees a dead body.

I hear a noise then look over to see a Clicker, with no legs, start crawling towards Ellie. "Ellie!" I shout and I run over to the Clicker, put my foot on it's back and shoot it in the head, killing it. "Thanks." Ellie said and I nod at her as Joel comes up to me. "You okay?" He asked me. "Yeah." I said.

"Hey, guys. I think it's them. The couple that ran away last year." Ellie said as she points at the dead body. Joel and I kneel down to the body and look it over. "Think you're right." Joel said.

"Jackson is a wonderful place....but we got tired of hearing the stories of people suffering everywhere else..." Ellie said and we look up to her to see her holding a note. "We wanted to save lives, we had good intentions...we didn't make it an hour before running into a horde. Now we're bitten. We've decided we're gonna end our lives instead of turning. Please tell our family and friends that we're sorry. Love Adam and Sidney." Ellie said and I lowered my head, closed my eyes and shook my head at this.

Joel and I stand up and look back at Ellie as she flips the note to the back and reads some more. "I shot her. I can't take my own life I'm a fucking coward. Adam." She reads and I place my hand over my mouth in shock. "Jesus." Joel mutters, horrified.

"If only they were immune, right?" Ellie said as she sets the note down and looks at the body. I lower my hand and Joel and I exchange a nervous look before Joel clears his throat. "Well, let's...let's go get Tommy, and we can take thse bodies back to Jackson." He said and he pats my arm and we start to walk towards the front door.

"After you guys took me out of the Firefly hospital...you two said that there were dozens of people like me." Ellie said, making us stop in our tracks then turn to her. "Yeah. Yeah, that's what they told us." Joel said to her. "I've never met another immune person before. Have you?" She asked us then Joel and I share a quick look before I turn to Ellie.

"They could be hiding it. You do." I said, shrugging. "Do you guys believe that?" Ellie asked, questioning, and I raise an eyebrow at her. "Is now really the time for this?" Joel asked her. "We traveled across the entire country to bring me to the Fireflies....I had so many questions for them." She said and I could tell she was getting angry.

"Why did you guys pull me out of there while I was still unconscious?!" She asked, loudly. "Because we let them run their tests, and when (y/n) and I saw that they were useless, both of us got all three of us out of there...." Joel said.

"How do you know they were useless? Maybe if you guys woulda given them more time, they could have figured something out--" Ellie yells as Joel walks over to her and stands in front of her while I was standing behind him.

"Ellie. There was no cure." Joel said to her, firmly. "There's nothing that could've helped these people or anybody else. I know you wish things were different--(y/n) and I--we wish things were different. But they ain't." He said and the two stare at each other, my heart beating like a jackhammer, before Ellie, her eyes welling up, looks away then down.

"We need to get these kids back to their families." I said and they look over at the bodies before Joel looks back at Ellie. "Is there something else you like to rehash?" Joel asked her and Ellie looks back at him. "No." She said. "Good. C'mon." Joel said and we start to head out.

That night, we made it back to Jackson and brought those bodies back for the families, which of course they were sad about, then we made it back home. Ellie was in her little shed in the backyard and I had already tucked Aiden and Ethan into bed for the night.

Joel was already passed out but I couldn't sleep so I sat up on the edge of the bed and ran my hands through my hair.

This lie we keep telling Ellie just tears me up inside the more time goes on and the more times she keeps questioning it; I know she knows that we're lying, she just doesn't know exactly what it is.

"(Y/n), honey?" I hear Joel groan behind me and I turn to him to see him waking up. "Everything okay?" He asked, softly, as he rubs the sleep out of his eyes. "Yeah...just couldn't sleep." I said and he starts to sit up then sits down next to me and places an arm around me. "What's wrong?" He asked me and I sigh.

"I'm...I'm just thinking..." I replied. "About what?" He asked and I bite my lips. "This lie we're telling Ellie." I replied and I hear him sigh, heavily, at this. "Oh Lord, not this again." He grumbles. "Joel, she's already questioning our story. Whether you like it or not, she's gonna find out. She's a really smart girl..." I said and Joel looks down.

"She's not gonna find out." He grumbles. "Yes, she will. And that's what's heartbreaking, Joel. Cause I can see this go either way. Either we tell her and she has her heart broken about it, maybe lose her trust or she finds out herself, still has her heart broken and not only we lose her trust, but also we lose her forever." I said.

Joel frowns at this, knowing I'm right about the potential consequences of holding back the truth from Ellie. He sighs and pull me close, resting his chin on my shoulder. “I know honey...but it’s for her own good.” he said and I frown then sigh as he kisses my shoulder.

"I know it's for her own good...it's just...I'm just worried and scared of what's to come. I don't want to lose her." I said. He pulls me closer to him, his arms wrapped around my shoulders, and I place my hands on his arm as tears rolled down my face. "Neither do I." He mutters and we sit like this for awhile before both of us get tired and fall asleep.

@fangirl-inthe-us

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mefd19 · 4 years

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Failing Forward PT 2

PT1

Two days out from Port Zoon they paused in the route to hunt and fix a broken wheel. It was good timing, according to Caduceus.

“We should probably make a plan.” Caduceus ladled soup into bowls. Caleb tasted his politely before reaching for the salts. “There are children involved, so we should be extra careful.”

“I think Beau is good with kids,” Jester grinned, “Remember how she was with her brother? It was so sweet, Beau.”

Beau shrugged and tilted her head. “I could help with gathering information I guess. And I mean, I am your first mate, so I’m happy to go in there for you.”

“Yeah, something tells me the Matron won’t be as receptive to your brand of charm.” Fjord made an apologetic face. “At least from what I know of her she’s very protective of the children, and who she lets near them.”

“Oh!” Veth popped her head up from her bowl. “What if I pretend to be an orphan! I can change my shape and-”

Everyone shook their heads with varying degrees of intensity.

“The kids aren’t allowed in the business areas,” Fjord explained.

At the same time Caleb said, “It would be incredibly taxing to keep you in character long enough.”

“Listen,” Fjord held up a hand. “I appreciate everyone wanting to help me, but this should be relatively easy. I walk in, I ask about business details as if I’m interested in adopting, find out what Sabien’s interest is. If he’s just trying to pay it forward, so be it and we walk away.”

Caleb set his bowl aside and rubbed his mouth. “You said the Matron is protective?”

“Yes, bless her. One of the good ones, from what I’ve heard. I hope that's true.” There’s a shadow there, under Fjord’s words and behind his eyes. A shadow Caleb recognizes when he looks in the mirror.

Yasha tilted her head. “Wait, what if Sabien is there? Will he try to kill you again?”

Fjord shook his head. “He’s not in Zoon right now. At least as far as Kotho could tell.”

“So the plan is; you walk into the orphanage and ask about adopting.” Caleb asked.

“Yes, that’s about the long and short of it.”

“And the Matron will be amenable to that?”

For a moment Fjord paused. “Well, alright, maybe she will say no, but-”

“Oh,” Caduceus nodded, “I see what Mister Caleb means.”

“What’s wrong with me asking to adopt a child?” Fjord drew his eyebrows down and spread his hands wide, confused. “I was an orphan myself once, it makes sense I would come back to help another.”

“There’s nothing wrong with it,” Caleb held a hand out. “Nothing at all. It’s very in character. I just think it might be better if you had a partner. Two parents are better than one, are better than none.”

“That’s very good Caleb,” Caduceus smiled and nodded. “I’m sure you’ll be able to find any important information too.”

“Wait,” Caleb stilled, eyes going a bit wide. “I didn’t mean-”

“Suddenly I’m marrying Caleb?!” Fjord yelped, looking between Caleb and Caduceus. “Hold on just a-”

“-figured someone else would-”

“Ok ok ok!” Jester held her hands up. “We get it! Jeez. You guys don’t like each other enough to go undercover together, fine.”

Without missing a beat they both instantly started talking again.

“That’s not what I meant Caleb, I didn’t-”

“-wasn’t trying to push myself into the middle of-”

“-obviously you’re the most qualified because-”

Yasha whistled, low and drawn out. “Anyone else think they’re being weird about this?”

“Definitely.” Beau raised an eyebrow. “You two do make the most sense though, so maybe stow the panic for a second. Fjord’s got the know-how, and he talks good. Caleb talks good when he has to and he can find damn near anything that’s written down.”

“Plus he can pass messages with me,” Veth twirled the copper wire between her fingers before vanishing it back into her dress. “And it makes sense they would be at an orphanage. Newlyweds looking to start their family.”

“You can even use some of your real history in your cover!” Jester grinned and clasped her hands under her chin. “Oh how sweet, a teacher falling for his student!”

Beau grinned as she caught on. “That’s great Jess! Caleb was a teacher in, I don’t know, maybe Alfield? And Fjord went to learn magic after he got burned out working the docks.”

“And they’re coming back here to escape the war.” Caduceus nodded. “Nice and simple, I like it.”

“Great,” Fjord snapped. His cheeks were darker green than normal and he was avoiding looking at Caleb. “Now that you have my life re-written to suit your fantasy-”

“I’m sorry, Fjord.”

Caleb’s voice was so quiet, his face turned away, that it was surprising Fjord heard him at all. But he stopped and looked at the ground between his feet.

Caleb is good at something, after all.

Fucking up.

---

Caleb’s spell components were exactly as he left them. He ran his fingers over the strange assortment of things, counting and recounting, looking for any sign that they would not perform. Satisfied, he began tucking them away again, updating his internal list of things he should purchase when the opportunity arose. Each small pouch was filled, patted. The drawstring was drawn tight, bringing the smaller compartments together and cinching the top.

“All set?”

Despite what Fjord liked to claim, Caleb did not spontaneously levitate. He was startled, because he thought his traveling companions were polite, and polite people do not sneak up and startle their friends.

When Fjord stopped cackling to himself he leaned against the back of the cart Caleb was seated in. “Jester said you had some paperwork for us?”

“Yes.” Caleb had to lean to pull his bag out from under himself, muttering under his breath about sneaky green folk making his life harder. “Here, sign this one, make sure it looks alright.”

Fjord took the paper and his hand brushed against Caleb’s for a moment, eyes already flicking over the paper's contents. Caleb clenched his fingers and swallowed.

“This is uncharacteristically brazen of you, Caleb.”

His head whipped up to look at Fjord, eyes wide and throat tight. Did he think- did he know that-

But Fjord’s eyes were soft and teasing, and he tilted the paper at Caleb. “Also wholly unromantic. A marriage proposal by thrusting a certificate for me to sign? My dear we are going to have to work on your acts of love.”

“Oh.” Caleb’s mind was blank. “Er…”

Fjord rolled his eyes and turned back to the paper. “Relax, Caleb, I’m joking.” Then he frowned and tapped near the bottom. “What’s this about?”

Caleb leaned forward and peeked over the edge of the sheaf. “Those are our names, Fjord.”

In response Fjord threw him a look. “Yes, thank you master wizard. Except you took my last name.”

Looking up at Fjord’s face Caleb realized he made a mistake. Or maybe two. But one was definitely thinking it was a good idea to lean into Fjord’s space to look at the paper. He was too close to Fjord, who was looking down at him intensely. It made it hard to focus.

“Is that a problem?” He managed. Fjord’s eyes tightened and he chewed his lip for a moment.

“I mean…” Fjord thought for a moment. “I suppose it isn’t. Not really? But also, I don’t think we should use my real name. I mean, something Sabien would recognize. Or could be traced back to us later.”

Of course. “Of course. I should have thought of that.”

Fjord slid down so he was at Caleb’s eye level, resting on the back step of the cart. “Well, I don’t mind taking the name Widogast, but you’ve been using it for a while now haven’t you? That might be getting recognizable too.”

Caleb suddenly thought Fjord Ermendrud unbidden and inhaled sharply. “Probably,” he got out. “We could pick something new?”

“Hmm.” Fjord squinted out, across the fields. “Likely something Zemnian.”

“Why Zemnian?” Caleb frowned at Fjord. Did he think he needed to conform or something? Fjord had a habit of feeling inadequate, he didn’t even reveal his last name out of shame for months. Caleb had thought taking ‘Stone’ for his name would be appreciated, and now Fjord was turning things around on him. Again.

“Well my dear,” Fjord flourished a hand, cluing Caleb in that he was putting on airs. “We planned on staying in the Empire before this dreadful war started. Of course I would take a proper Zemnian name to help me fit in, so I wouldn’t draw so much attention to my beloved.”

“Hmm,” Caleb scratched his chin idly. “I appreciate that you were willing to give up your love of the ocean to be with me. But I think I was secretly thrilled to leave. We probably fought quite a bit about who got to be the martyr.”

Fjord barked out another laugh and Caduceus paused in walking by to turn and watch them. “Too true. But still- when we married we planned to stay in the Empire. A Zemnian name?”

“Gebirge?” Caleb tried. “Caleb and Fjord Gebirge? Or if you would rather have some alliteration, perhaps Felsen?”

“I like Felsen,” Caduceus said with a smile. He walked over to peer at the paper. “Fjord Felsen. Rolls off the tongue.”

After a moment in thought Fjord nodded. “It does sound rather Zemnian.”

“Here,” Caleb flipped through his papers and pulled out another, unsigned. “Let me just-” as he scribbled his new signature. Caleb Felsen

He blew on the ink for a moment, narrowed his eyes as he scanned the rest of the page, and handed it to Fjord. “Your turn.”

This time Caleb tried to keep their hands from touching, but the quill was small and delicate. Fjord’s hand covered his entirely as he slipped the instrument from his fingers.

Fjord Felsen

“Wonderful,” Caleb pulled the paper away and rolled it up. “Now you are bound to me, my condolences.”

At that Fjord grinned again and rubbed his palm. “Does Felsen mean anything or is it an old Zemnian name?”

“Stone, rock.”

Caduceus’ laugh was loud, startled out of him, and Fjord narrowed his eyes at Caleb. “You sneak.”

Caleb ducked his head, cheeks slightly flushed. Entirely too pleased with himself.

#critical role #widofjord #WIP #man idk if i should bother making this an actual WORK #and put it on AO3 #fake married #pining #im mostly just trying to get better at banter

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dailyaudiobible · 4 years

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08/18/2020 DAB Transcript

Esther 1:1-3:15, 1 Corinthians 11:17-34, Psalms 35:17-28, Proverbs 21:19-20

Today is the 18th day of August welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I'm Brian it is joy and an honor to be here with you today around the Global Campfire taking the next step forward on our journey through the Bible this year. And yesterday we concluded the book of Nehemiah, which now brings us one of the great stories of the Bible, kind of an oasis. We’ve been through a lot in our lives like in this year presently is in the last months, but we’ve been through a lot in the Bible too. We’ve experienced just a lot of things including the complete disintegration of ancient Israel and the carrying away of these people into exile.

Introduction to the Book of Esther:

And, so, now we reach this story. It’s another story from exile for. In fact, this story couldn't have happened had they not been, had the children of Israel not been in exile. But this is a story where the Jewish people, there was a plot to completely annihilate them. And it's odd because this story is ancient, thousands of years old and yet there have been these kinds of plots throughout history, including the story of World War II and the extermination of the Jews. So, it's…it's on that kind of level that this plot is hatched in this book that we’re gonna read. And, so, that gives us a little kind of a backdrop at least to understand and this book is called Esther. And it's not a long book we’ll…we’ll read through this entire book in three days but it's full of drama. And it's the story of a Hebrew girl and her name is Hadassah and she's orphaned while she's in exile in Persia, which is where…where we…where we've been in the book of Nehemiah. We’ve been in Jerusalem, but Nehemiah was coming from Persia, from Persian king Artaxerxes. And, so, Hadassah was orphaned, and her cousin Mordecai takes her and embraces her like…like his daughter and they’re from the tribe of Benjamin. And exiled Hebrews often would localize their name or take on a localized name. And, so, Hadassah was given the name Esther and that translates to star or…or morning star in the Hebrew tradition. And as we’ll find out from this book, she is gorgeous, like stunningly beautiful and has a quiet character. And, so, when King Ahasuerus who is thought to be Xerxes wanted to find a replacement queen from the queen that he had banished whose name is Vashti. And we’ll get to that story. He ends up…he ended up choosing Esther, but she kept the fact that she was a Jew secret. And that proved providential because there's another person in Haman and this is the person who wants to annihilate, literally destroy the Jewish people. He was a descendent of King Agag Amalek and the Hebrews and the Amalekites, they were hostile to one another all the way back to….well…all the way back to Jacob and Esau and the prophet Samuel had executed king Agag, if you’ll remember, right, after King Saul defeated the Amalekites in battle. So, there is hatred here and it shows up in Haman's life and in his plot. And it becomes kind of “against all odds”, that kind of a story, kind of an “against all odds” sort of situation. And Esther, the book of Esther, is the basis for the festival of Purim for the Hebrew people, which is still observed and celebrated until this…this very day. So, the story itself, like if we just absorb the story itself, it's a beautiful encouraging story. But as we begin to look at some of the details of the story and apply them to our own lives we begin to see that there is stuff for our lives there, that everyone has an important role to play, that nobody knows that they're not here for such time as this. And such a time as this may be like saving an entire nation, but it also might be like saving your marriage or having the right thing to say at the right time. And, so, let's…let's dive in. We’re reading from the expanded Bible this week. Esther chapters 1, 2 and 3 today.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You for Your word and we thank You for bringing us into new territory today as we come into the book of Esther. And as we just kind of begin to get the backdrop of the story, we certainly invite You to lead and guide our thoughts and hearts as we contemplate what we've read. And as this story unfolds may we once again see what we have seen so many times in the Scriptures, against all odds when it seems like all is lost You rescue. And, so, we trust in You, we put our faith in You, and we love You and we worship You and we pray these things in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is home base, it is the…it is the website, it is where the Global Campfire is in a community like ours. And, so, be sure to stay tuned and stay connected.

Check out the Community section, that's where the Prayer Wall is, that's where there are different links to get connected.

Check out the Daily Audio Bible Shop, that's where resources are for the journey that we are on.

Check out the Initiatives, that’s where some the things that are going on around here. So, yeah, stay connected as we continue this journey, day by day step-by-step. But we are so far into this year now that it should rhythm of our lives as we…as we continue this, but there's so much out in front of us and we need each other so much. And, so, let's stay connected.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible you can do that dailyaudiobible.com. There is a link on the homepage. I thank you humbly and profoundly for your partnership. We wouldn't be here if we weren't in this together. It’s the beauty of community. And, so, I thank you. Thank you for your partnership. So, there's a link on the homepage. If using the app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or the mailing address, if that is your preference, is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

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

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

Community Prayer and Praise:

My beloved DAB family I just want you, each and every one of you to know that I am praying for you and as you call in and you request prayer I’m always listening and praying for your needs. May the Lord bless you richly. I would like to answer Jesse from Washington state. He called in and asked for prayer for his employee, Yami, who witnessed a stabbing and he’s asking for divine protection for his family as well as the victim’s family. And Jesse I just want you to know that I am praying for you my brother and I am praying for your request. And I pray Psalm 91 and that’s the Psalm of divine protection upon this family I’m praying. And, so, God bless you my brother and keep calling…calling in. This is Angel from California.

Good morning everybody it’s Barb calling from Alberta Canada. I am just calling in again to ask for prayer for my kids but for all kids, I guess. My kids aren’t kids, they’re…they have kids of their own already of course but, you know, I just really see this struggle within them, this pulling away and I know that it’s an attack from the devil but they are being pulled away by questions and wrong thoughts I guess or…or wrong ideas and just so many things come against them, you know. And I feel like that I could have laid a better foundation when they were growing up and I am just so sorry about that, that I didn’t. And I often pray God just please don’t make them pay for my mistakes. But I also know that God is faithful and that He hears our prayers and I just feel like if I have this family praying for them too that there’s nothing that can come up against that. So, I really appreciate any help that you guys can give me on this.

Good morning Daily Audio Bible family I’m about a five-year listener first-time caller and I’m calling to ask for your prayer for my sister Joanne who is suffering from a severe liver problem. She has not turned the corner toward recovery yet and she’s suffering greatly. And in addition, her husband also is currently being diagnosed with a potentially life-threatening problem. She has three grandsons, one of which can manage to keep his life going. The other two would…would need help. But anyways, I live 600 miles away so I’m here visiting to see everything that’s going on and…and try to help as much as I can. It’s a dire situation and I know that prayer works. So, I’m asking you to pray for Joanne and Bob and her sons and for God’s will to be done because He’s a good God and He’s a loving God and He will make all things new. I appreciate this community and it’s been really lifesaving for me and I ask and thank you all and I did want to mention I know there’s lots of healthcare…I’m a healthcare provider myself and I know there’s lots of them working hard for COVID patients, but there’s lots of other patients out there that need prayer. And, so, thank you all so much and God bless you.

Hi DAB family this is Truly Thankful Taylor from the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex. Val from Vegas today is August 15th so you may be calling in to give us an update. I just wanted to tell you that I am thinking about you my sister and praying for you and just be…stay strong and know that God is with you and that you’ve just been on my heart. And also Running Desperately to Jesus, I heard your call in again and I am praying for you. You have constantly been on my heart. I’m praying for your relationship with your grandson and everything going on but especially when you’re reaching out about your fleshly desires and your sinful desires to want to give into temptation. So, I want to pray for you now. I also want to encourage you to pour into God’s word, read it, let it wash over you. Even more, listen to our podcast here at the DAB over and over if you have to. Put worship music on and just soak in God’s presence. And then also James chapter 4, just really read on that and especially just submit yourself then to God, resist the devil he will flee from you. Come near to God and He will come near to you. Let me pray for you sister. Dear heavenly Father God we just come to You now. God, I pray for my sister Running Desperately to Jesus. I pray over her life Lord Jesus. I pray right now God that You would give her strength, give her endurance Lord to resist the enemy, that in Jesus name he has no authority, that her fleshly desires Lord would put to rest, that she would only long for You, that You would be desperate for You, needing You at every place and completely submerging herself in her relationship with You Lord Jesus. Put Your angels around her to protect her and keep her safe, keep her away from those thoughts, away from those desires and give her strength. We love You Jesus we thank You. We pray all this in Your name. Amen.

Hi, my name is Sonny I just wanted to call in to ask for prayer. My wife and I are missionaries in Italy and we’re currently in furlough. And during our furlough, my wife, we found out that she had cancer Hodgkin’s lymphoma, so we are dealing with that now. We’re currently staying in Florida right now. The…yeah…if you guys could just pray for us that we would continue to have wisdom on how to move forward, but also just deity in our marriage, that Satan and all demonic principalities would be kept at bay from our marriage, and…yeah…just for healing, that my wife Amanda would be healed. So, thank you. Thank you for this community. I listen to you guys…well…Brian I listen to you every day and it’s…it’s very encouraging. I thank God for your guys ministry and this community. Love you guys. Bye.

Hi, DABbers what’s going on? It’s Val in Vegas. I just wanted to say I love you guys. Keep rolling. Please don’t give up. Keep pushing forward. God’s got this.

I want to thank you father for all that you’ve done the gift of your word your spirit your son for still waters green pastures and restoring my soul and for giving me this opportunity to gracefully grow old and even though giants still inhabit the land you’ve made room for me __ and allowed me to stand and even though I’m completely surrounded by terror I’m also at peace in spite of all error you’ve stretched out my tent cords and smoothed out the riffs enlarged my territory and showered me with gifts I want to thank you father for all that you do and for giving me this opportunity to live life anew

[email protected]

I’d like to give a shout out to Michelle Cole from Los Angeles, know that you are thought of often and prayed for daily. And also wanna you know that I recently read the article that was done on you in the New York Times about the wonderful work you do on the blackish show. I pray that this year will be the year where you will receive final receive the worldwide…worldwide recognition that you deserve for the many fine shows that you costume work on especially blackish. And once again Brian and the Hardin family thank you for this wonderful podcast for God’s Holy Spirit to flow. Keep it flowin’ y’all. All right bye-bye.

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svucarisiaddict · 5 years

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Beckett

I can’t do this. It’s just too much. I know I’ve let you down again big brother. Tell Y/N thank you for giving me yet another chance I didn’t deserve. Tell Beckett I love him but I just can’t be the father he needs right now. Not sure I ever will be. Beckett’s birth certificate and other important papers are in his diaper bag. I want you and Y/N to take custody of Beckett.

His signature appeared under with the date.

Peter read the letter. He frowned and furrowed his brow. “My wife’s friend is a great family law attorney. I’ll give her a call and figure out what you guys need to do next. I’ll be in touch.” Peter nodded then showed himself out.

“Son. I just don’t understand why you let him in again. Why you trusted him.” William stood in the living room. “This time he’s really messed up.”

Mike crossed his arms, his mouth was a thin line. “Wasn’t exactly my idea.” He shot a look at you.

“Don’t start again Mike. I know it’s all my fault. I’m too nice, too trusting, give people too many chances, which usually comes back to bite me in the ass. If he hadn’t been here, who knows where or with who he would have left Beckett with.” With your hands on your hips, you drew yourself taller. No way you were backing down. You feel angry tears threatening your resolve.

Anne stood beside you. “This is not Y/N’s fault. This rests solely on Matt. The only thing that matters right now is making sure that baby knows he is loved and will never be abandoned again.” Anne turned to you. “I’ll help you make some lunch. Maybe everyone will be a bit more amenable after they’ve eaten.”

William and Mike exchanged looks. Mike’s face softened and William looked at his feet.

“Right behind you, Anne.” You shook your head. “Both of you are unbelievable you know that. This is about Beckett, not me, not Matt or you William. This isn’t about placing blame if it is I’ll shoulder it. I’m a big girl because I know in my heart we did the right thing.” You started to follow Anne but turned back around. “Mike, you of all people should be thankful I’m forgiving and give multiple chances.” Mike gave you a wounded look as you went to the kitchen.

Later that evening after the kids had been given a bath and put to bed, you put on the tea kettle. While you waited for the kettle to heat up, you readied your mug with your tea bag and took the honey from the cabinet.

“Hey. Enough for two cups?” Mike shuffled into the kitchen. The two of you had barely talked to one another since earlier that afternoon.

“Yep.”

Mike hopped up to sit on the counter. “Hey. Stop for a second. Please look at me.” Mike took your hands and drew you to stand between his legs. “I’m sorry about this afternoon. I hate to see people take advantage of your good heart. I was angry but not with you. But I took my frustrations out on you and I apologize. ”

“ I do give people too many chances. I just, I saw Matt with Beckett and thought if anything can change a person, it’s becoming a parent.”

“You know one of the reasons I fell in love with you was your big heart and your ability to forgive. You always see the good in people.”

“I try.” You sighed heavily.

“We are here to discuss the matter of the minor child Beckett Sawyer Dodds, age three months. From statements, it looks like Matthew Dodds and his infant son began staying at the residence of Michael and Y/N Dodds on or about August 10. On October 13 he left without taking his son with him leaving a note requesting you and your wife take custody. Mother, Sarah Barnes, whereabouts are unknown.”

“That is correct your honor. The mother left shortly after Beckett was born and has made no contact since that time. Neither has Matthew, his whereabouts are also unknown. We request Beckett be placed in temporary custody ” The attorney that Peter introduced you to was amazing. She got an emergency hearing on Monday morning.

“I agree with the council. Sergeant Dodds. Mrs. Dodds. Do you agree to take temporary custody of said infant until any other family is found and if any other living relatives are not found, you are willing to take permanent custody?”

“Yes, your honor,” Mike responded.

Beckett was sleeping in your arms. “Yes, your honor. I agree.”

Judge Linden smiled. “We’ll schedule a permanent custody hearing at a later date. Barring any issues with home visits, which I don’t foresee, and if no other family members are found, you will be granted permanent custody at that time. Please see the court register. There are documents to sign. Good luck.”

“I can’t believe he’s a year old,” Mike held to a giggling Beckett who was covered in icing. Your home was filled with family and friends to celebrate his birthday.

The transition had been smooth. No other family members had come forward. Matt was in rehab in Mexico for the hundredth time and signed away rights. Sarah, Beckett’s mom had not been located. The adoption process was started three months ago and would be finalized next month.

“I know.” He had been such a delight. It was nice to have a baby in the house again. “I-uh-I’m going to refill the punch.”

Mike passed Beckett to Anne, who gave Mike a sad smile as you left the room. Mike watched you from the kitchen doorway. When you were unable to reach the extra punch bowl in the top cabinet, he easily passed it down to you.

“Thanks.”

He didn’t miss the tears that were in your eyes. “Hey. Talk to me.” He gently stopped your gait.

“I-I feel-,” you shook your head. “Nevermind. It’s not important.”

Mike brushed the tears from your cheeks. “It is important. Tell me. Please.”

“I-”

“Mom!” Isaac, Noah, and Julian came racing into the kitchen. “The girls just knocked down our castle.”

Cora, Jesse, and Audra were hot on their heels. “I not mean it!” Cora exclaimed through tears.

“You did it on purpose.” Isaac countered.

“Sorry,” Mike mouthed to you. “Okay. Everyone calm down. Out of the kitchen,” Mike said calmly and took charge of the situation. “We’ll talk tonight. Promise.”

“Sure,” you nodded and gave him a small smile.

“What a mess,” you muttered to yourself as you surveyed the damage after everyone had left. Paper plates, cups, and napkins were scattered around the house. Half ate cupcakes left behind, wrapping paper strewn around the room and balloons both inflated and flat rounded out the mess.

“Once the kids came down from their sugar high they crashed,” Mike said as he came into the family room. He passed you a hot cup of coffee, which you accepted gratefully. “Wow. Looks like a bomb went off in here.”

You chuckled. “Remind of today the next time I want to host a birthday party at home.” You sighed. “I guess I’ll grab some garbage bags so we can get started with the cleanup.”

Mike took your hand. “I thought we could talk. We got interrupted earlier.” Mike nodded to the couch. “Let’s sit,” Mike patted the seat beside him.

You placed your mug on the coffee table and wrapped your arms around yourself as you walked to the window. “I still struggle some days. Beckett and our baby would be close to the same age.” You swallowed the lump in your throat.

Mike rose from the couch and joined you at the window. He wrapped his arms around you pulling you against his chest. “I think about that too.”

“I love him so much. It’s just hard. I can’t imagine not having him. And that’s the other thing…” You took a steadying breath. “What if Matt or Sarah come back and try to take him. I know it sounds selfish but he’s ours, not theirs. These are the thoughts that keep me awake at night and that make hypervigilant when I’m out with the kids. The adoption isn’t final-”

Mike turned you in his arms and cupped your face in his hands. “Hey. I would never let that happen. There is no way they could get him back even if they tried. Sarah abandoned him one week after he was born, Matt three months and he signed away all parental rights. Both are addicts and have made no attempt to check on his well being.” He pulled you to his chest and kissed your temple.

You just let him hold you for a couple minutes. “Yeah. I know you’re right,” you finally acknowledged.

Mike pulled back and looked down at you. His brows shot up in surprise and he put a hand over his heart. “Did-did you say I’m right? I’ve dreamed of this day and it’s here. And it’s just as wonderful as I hoped.” Mike fell onto the couch in a faux faint.

“What am I going to do with you?Hmmm?”

He grabbed your hand and pulled on top of him. “I can.” He placed a kiss to your lips. “Think.” A kiss to your jaw. “Of a few.” Kiss to your neck. “Things.”

#mike dodds #mike dodds x reader #beckett #william and anne #birthday

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t-urbulence · 5 years

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Best Singles of 2018 but it’s chill this year

This category should speak for itself but I just tacked so many amendments onto the description that it’s like... it just makes no fucking sense anymore. Technically this is a list for any single that was released this year or last year December (since I write these lists in December it’s easier for songs to slip under my radar so I sometimes count them for the next year, like the Grammy’s eh? But then sometimes I let a November 30th release date slide as well... or maybe the single was released earlier but the video would qualify or just... any dumb fucking reason. If you see a song that shouldn’t qualify just trust me to find a loophole so... lezzgo.

Also hey, I guess I’ll just straight up say it then, there’s no best covers, best collaborations OR best pop songs list either, I just kinda threw them all on here. With a good portion of this list being kpop I’d have to make a whole different kpop list too? No sir, no thank you, I’ll just dump it all on here especially since the past few years most of the pop songs list was already featured on the singles list so like... why make the extra effort? Enjoy All Songs.

Also the order is just ugh, it’s 200 songs, get off my weenie.

>> YOU CAN LISTEN TO ALL OF THIS IN THIS ORDER HERE I SPENT TWO HOURS PUTTING THESE SONGS IN ORDER WHY DID I DO THAT <<

200 Seventeen: Oh My! 199 Nicky Jam: Live It Up (feat. Will Smith, Era Istrefi) 198 Ariana Grande: imagine 197 Mona: Not Alone 196 The Lumineers: Pretty Paper 195 James Bay: Pink Lemonade 194 Lily Kershaw: Moonlight 193 GOT7: Lullaby 192 Bishop Briggs: Baby 191 Zara Larsson: Ruin My Life 190 (G)I-DLE: Hann (Alone) 189 Matt Simons: We Can Do Better 188 Cardi B: I Like It (feat. Bad Bunny, J Balvin) 187 Apink: I’m So Sick 186 Pentagon: Shine 185 Moon Byul & Seulgi: Selfish 184 FOURS: Sweet Reality 183 The Tallest Man on Earth: An Ocean 182 LSD: Audio (feat. Sia, Diplo, Labrinth) 181 David Guetta: Flames (feat. Sia) 180 The Strumbellas: Salvation 179 Wanna One: Boomerang 178 White Lies: Finish Line 177 Gabrielle Aplin: My Mistake 176 Lykke Li: hard rain

175 Poets of the Fall: False Kings 174 Netta: Toy 173 Highlight: Loved 172 Dua Lipa: IDGAF 171 Christina Aguilera: Accelarate (feat. Ty Dolla $ign, 2 Chainz) 170 Tom Walker: Angels 169 Astro: Always You 168 Craig David: I Know You (feat. Bastille) 167 Vance Joy: Call If You Need Me 166 Years & Years: Sanctify 165 Imagine Dragons: Machine 164 LSD: Genius (feat. Sia, Diplo, Labrinth) 163 Jennie: Solo 162 Wanna One: Spring Breeze 161 Mumford & Sons: If I Say 160 Alle Farben: H.O.L.Y. (feat. RHODES) 159 Vance Joy: Saturday Sun 158 Eric Nally: Spirits 157 Gabbie Hanna: Monster 156 Sunmi: Heroine 155 Amy Shark: I Said Hi 154 Taemin: Eclipse 153 Scenic Route to Alaska: How It Feels 152 Sam Fender: Friday Fighting 151 The Score: Glory

150 Sloes: Misunderstood 149 Ina Wroldsen: Mother 148 Dan Owen: Icarus 147 Amber Run: Heaven Is A Place 146 Cosmos & Creature: I Am Free 145 Echosmith: Over My Head 144 NONONO: Friends 143 Grizfolk: Endless Summer 142 Retro Video Club: Chemistry 141 Sam Smith: Fire On Fire 140 flor: get behind this 139 FOURS: Even In My Dreams 138 X Ambassadors: Don’t Stay 137 Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness: Ohio 136 (G)I-DLE: LATATA 135 Clean Bandit: Solo (feat. Demi Lovato) 134 Momoland: BAAM 133 Momoland: BBoom BBoom 132 Florence + the Machine: Hunger 131 Demi Lovato: Sober 130 Loïc Nottet: Go to Sleep 129 The Mowgli’s: Real Good Life 128 Twice: What Is Love? 127 Imagine Dragons: Bad Liar 126 Muse: Thought Contagion

125 Shinedown: Devil 124 Three Days Grace: The Mountain 123 Imagine Dragons: Natural 122 iKON: Love Scenario 121 Snow Patrol: Empress 120 Sigrid: Sucker Punch 119 Will Jay: Never Been In Love 118 YUNGBLUD: Medication 117 Monsta X: Shoot Out 116 The Carters: Apeshit 115 Jess Glynne: I’ll Be There 114 Florence + the Machine: Big God 113 OneRepublic: Connection 112 Vance Joy: I’m With You 111 The Boyz: No Air 110 Vance Joy: We’re Going Home 109 Imagine Dragons: Next to Me 108 Alexander Oscar: Number 107 flor: heart 106 HAUS: Shameless 105 888: Are You Out? 104 Pop Evil: A Crime to Remember 103 The Collier: I’m Older 102 YUNGBLUD: Psychotic Kids 101 The Record Company: Life to Fix

100 The New Pacific: Anchor 099 The Midnight: Scream 098 Modern Me: Dead to Me 097 Layup: Whole New Level 096 Jack & Jack: No One Compares to You 095 FRENSHIP: Mi Amore 094 Bebe Rexha: I’m a Mess 093 IU: BBIBBI 092 dodie: Human (feat. Tom Walker) 091 FOURS: Snap Out of It 090 dodie: If I’m Being Honest 089 Walking On Cars: Monster 088 Tessa Violet: Bad Ideas 087 dodie: Party Tattoos 086 Tessa Violet: Crush 085 Years & Years: Palo Santo 084 Janelle Monáe: Pynk (feat. Grimes) 083 Rudimental: These Days (feat. Jess Glynne, Macklemore, Dan Caplen) 082 OneRepublic: Start Again (feat. Vegas Jones) 081 EXO: Tempo 080 Ariana Grande: God Is a Woman 079 Ariana Grande: no tears left to cry 078 Christina Aguilera: Fall In Line (feat. Demi Lovato) 077 Iz*One: La Vie en Rose 076 Mamamoo: Starry Night

075 Gabbie Hanna: Honestly 074 American Authors: Do My Own Thing 073 AJR: Sober Up 072 The Wombats: Cheetah Tongue 071 Hayley Kiyoko: Curious 070 Bastille: Quarter Past Midnight 069 Jess Glynne: Thursday 068 AJR: Burn the House Down 067 Matt Maeson: The Mask 066 Shawn Mendes: In My Blood 065 Bill Wurtz: And the Day Goes On 064 Shawn Mendes: Nervous 063 Hozier: Movement 062 The Chainsmokers: Sick Boy 061 Kendrick Lamar: All the Stars (feat. SZA) 060 NCT 127: Regular 059 Zendaya & Zac Efron: Rewrite the Stars 058 Mamamoo: Wind Flower 057 Cö Shu Nie: Asphyxia 056 The Faim: Saints of the Sinners 055 Loïc Nottet: On Fire 054 Mamamoo: Egotistic 053 Avril Lavigne: Head Above Water 052 Céline Dion: Ashes 051 Billie Eilish: lovely (feat. Khalid)

050 Bastille & Seeb: Grip 049 Snow Patrol: Life on Earth 048 Mumford & Sons: Guiding Light 047 Imagine Dragons: Zero 046 Childish Gambino: This Is America 045 Blackpink: Ddu-Du Ddu-Du 044 Bruno Mars: Finesse (feat. Cardi B) 043 Matt Maeson: The Hearse 042 Banners: Let Go 041 Kodaline: Follow Your Fire 040 K/DA: POP/STARS 039 Keala Settle: This Is Me 038 Fall Out Boy: Wilson (Expensive Mistakes) 037 Panic! at the Disco: Say Amen (Saturday Night) 036 Twenty One Pilots: Nico and the Niners 035 Bishop Briggs: White Flag 034 Sunmi: Siren 033 YUNGBLUD: 21st Century Liability 032 SIgrid: High Five 031 YUNGBLUD: California 030 Nothing But Thieves: Forever & Ever More 029 j-hope: Daydream 028 Zedd: The Middle (feat. Maren Morris, Grey) 027 j-hope: Airplane 026 BTS: Airplane pt.2 - japanese ver.

025 NEEDTOBREATHE: Bullets 024 Hozier: Nina Cried Power 023 Janelle Monáe: Make Me Feel 022 Panic! at the Disco: Hey Look Ma, I Made It 021 Twenty One Pilots: Jumpsuit 020 X Ambassadors: Amen (feat. Billy Raffoul) 019 BTS: Fake Love 018 Snow Patrol: What If This Is All the Love You Ever Get 017 Matt Maeson: Hallucinogenics 016 Mother Mother: So Down 015 Steve Aoki: Waste It On Me (feat. BTS) 014 BTS: Idol 013 American Authors: Deep Water 012 Editors: Darkness at the Door 011 Twenty One Pilots: My Blood 010 Mamamoo: Paint Me 009 Amber Run: Carousel 008 Editors: Hallelujah (So Low) 007 Years & Years: All For You 006 Snow Patrol: Don’t Give In 005 Panic! at the Disco: High Hopes 004 Editors: Magazine 003 Years & Years: If You’re Over Me 002 Editors: Cold 001 X Ambassadors: Joyful

I mean I was also surprised a little but in the same time they (they) only have three like, official singles this year as far as I’m aware? And they’re not among my most favouritest songs they released this year so... thaaaaaat’s politics!

#listen idol and fake love are good but like #arent joyful levels of good i mean #alright lets calm down and not be ridiculous #long post for ts #best of 2018 #tia's best of 2018

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semirahrose · 6 years

Note

[1/2]Sam: “… my family helped me through that.” Me: … *footage not found* Sam: “You saved me!” Me: … *footage not found* okay a) can we take a moment to consider how messed up and wounded Sam really is? “My brother did not execute me like my father told him to” is an actual legit thing Sam is grateful for in his life. Like … just … *dissolves into Niagara Falls of tears* and b) S2 Dean definitely made a genuine and thoughtful effort to be there for Sam, it wasn’t perfect but it was still …

[2/2]… heartfelt and human while himself dealing with a lot of crap. And post-hell Dean was dealing with unimaginable baggage. I have plenty of sympathy and empathy and love and sorrow for that Dean BUT the shit that went down in S4 & 5 cannot by any stretch of the imagination be described as “saving” Sam! No! Sam saved Sam! AND the whole damn world while he was at it!

Bolded for emphasis…. but I honestly would bold it all if I could. Amen, amazing Anon! And you are not alone.

From another thoughtful and wonderful Anon:

So here is my issue (okay, one of many). It was kind of Sam to say it, but…Dean did not save Sam. At least not in any material way I can think of. Sam literally went through hell and back, with the demon blood and his connection to Azazel and Lucifer and everything else. No one saved him, not from the blood dripped in his mouth when he was 6 months old, not from the consequences small and large of his listening to Ruby and killing Lilith, not from the connection to Lucifer when he was (1)

(2) completely on his own at times, not from going to hell/the cage once he realized it was the only way. I am just failing to see what Dean saved Sam from. It’s a nice sentiment but not reality.

And another, my sweet bitter Anon:

Am I the only one who think Sam telling Dean “You saved me.” is such a JOKE? And not even a funny one. What a way to glorify Dean’s horrendous treatment to Sam. I love that Sam finally stood up to Dean but that line pissed me to no end. I know you love him Sam, but Dean didn’t save you, you did.

I do recognize that in trying to support Sam in seasons 1 and 2, Dean was running up against things he’d been taught to believe his whole life. Dean made a “genuine and thoughtful effort” (thanks anon for the perfect description!) to help Sam, but in the end, he still feared Sam. Still made decisions for Sam about Sam, even in early season two, where he couldn’t even entertain the idea that Sam could choose whether or not he “went darkside.” In season 4, even though Sam on demon blood was considerably less violent than pretty much any hunter we know of, Dean tricked Sam into a room for a forced detox and, when Sam’s health took a turn for the worse, could only think to say, “At least he dies human.”

At times, when he was in a stable enough state to think of offering support to others, Dean did what he could to support Sam, but as you said… all the things about Sam’s powers, all the progress he’s made…

Sam made that progress, often against great resistance. Cas and Dean and Bobby and a few others made a handful of steps along that road smoother, but Sam has clawed his way (mostly alone, thanks to the prevailing ideology in the hunting world) to where he is.

Dean says pretty words a lot of the time, but before killing Amy, he said, “You are what you are, you will kill again. […] The other shoe always drops.”

People are quick to mention that Dean is grieving, and they’re right. Being angry at Jack is largely due to his losses. But the way he’s expressing his anger, that’s habit formed over years of experience. He’s saying more or less the same things about Jack as he did about Amy (and Jesse the antichrist in season 5, and Lenore’s nest in s2, and Max in season 1). He has seen great forward movement and then taken just as many steps back in his growth.

But as all of you lovely and articulate Anons observed, Sam’s growth has been slow and painful and hard-won… and he has gained it mostly alone, and almost entirely off-screen.

In fact, the first time we finally heard him talk about himself and say he wasn’t evil was in 12.04, and we didn’t see a shred of how he got there. (I suppose the episode needed him to be at that point of development and so they just kind of fast-forwarded him there without any on-screen development.)

But of course

Sam’s words are 10,000% in character. Of course he’d attribute any positive growth not to himself but to his family and friends. Of course he’d do so in order to help Jack feel more comfortable around Dean. Of course he would.

#;________; anons i am crying you all said it perfectly #spnsamwinchester #sam winchester #wank for ts #ish #narrative bias #sam and shame #sam and mental health #not my meta #for all of anons' wonderful thoughts #with a smidge of my rambling #dean negative #fandom negative #s13 #spn spoilers #13.03 #anonymous #semirah replies

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supergirlimaginesfic-blog · 7 years

Text

Lena x reader (I could use a little bit of you right now)

Request: Lena x reader : where you're kara's sibling and lena has a crush on you

a/n: this prompt was so fun to mess around with, so thank you for that!!! I feel like there was so much potential for ALL the dumb ideas and I just got so excited. Also, just assume you’re Alex’s biological sibling or something, nothing too deep. You’re a fam and it’s happy, that’s it LOL. I just absolutely love the Danvers sisters dynamic, and how much better is it if you get a little part in it too?

I’m a really big fan of Lena falling for someone who has pretty much the most Mundane daily routine. Like, her entire life is so full of Greatness and Legacy and constant threats of being killed, but really? Imagine being the person who gives Lena that so very desired sense of normalcy, and being the one to balance her life out like that. Imagine her coming home from L-Corp and just being able to be ordinary. I like that a lot, I think Lena deserves that

- - - - -

There are two facts you can rely on in life and it follows as such: 1. you’re about as adorably oblivious as your older sister, Kara. 2. Your other sister, Alex, will stop at absolutely nothing to constantly remind you of that aforementioned fact.

You weren’t the prone to getting hit by errant cars or finding yourself dealing with shady people type of clueless - you would in fact say you are a bit too aware of your surroundings for that, a lot in part having to do with having an alien and also a special forces secret agent in the family. But that’s all technicalities.

You wouldn’t even argue with your annoying big sister, Alex, if she’d ever say you were oblivious when it came to taking a hint and realizing that people were hitting on you - it seemingly took a lot for you to realize that, and that left for a plethora of laughable situations in retrospect whenever the three of you went out together.

For her part, Alex is owning the big shot, totally hot shit role really well and as the oldest sister, you figure she deserves that title. You’re loath to resist reminding her of how equally useless she was in the beginning stages of her relationship with Maggie - you’d get a very dark look in return and a noogie when you’d least expect it, and Alex has a killer headlock.

In the grand scheme of all things romantic, the Danvers siblings are a humble species of their own. It seemed that no one in your family had the time or the energy to spare for dating and delving into the world thereof. You would consider yourself a bit of a serial dater as well, not really convinced by the excitement and thrill which casual dating seemed to bring for a handful of your friends.

You’d had your fair share of love and heartbreak in your plentiful years of living, and by now you’d learned that if something was bound to happen, it would happen, and you’ve resigned to letting love or whatever else find you.

These are the thoughts you’d seemed to have when you were at work, a line cook job at a combined pizza bistro and music lounge you’d kept since high school.

It was a particularly slow lunch service, even for a restaurant at the heart of downtown National City, and this allowed you certain freedoms like connecting your phone to the speakers and letting your invariably questionable music taste blast throughout the kitchen - your coworkers won’t ever stop giving you shit for your immeasurably vast taste in music. You have music for all moods, damn it, and so help you if your playlist reflects your equally unpredictable shifts in mood.

Seeing as you had nothing else to do, and your boss was way too lax about really everything that could involve his business, you open your text messages and finally give yourself the chance to reply to some messages you’d gotten in the morning.

you: “lol work is so dead right now, I love being the normal sibling”

You chuckle to yourself as you reread your text message, totally honest in your self-evaluation. There weren’t many people in your life who would have reason to compare you to your big sisters - at least, not in the way one usually would find themselves when dealing with two other successful older siblings.

Sure, in civilian eyes Alex may be a doctor and Kara might be a journalist at a highly infamous media company, but you were and always will be the baby of the group, and you enjoyed certain liberties because of it.

Who cared if Alex was a special forces agent of a secret government organization, and who cared if Kara was literally Supergirl? You developed a comical nonchalance so early in your childhood to deal with having a new alien sister sprung on you, and you’ve brought your humour as a necessary coping mechanism with you into your adulthood.

When you were much younger, Alex might have been worrying about the very serious social conundrums a teenager could face and was preoccupied with not being too weird in school, but who really had the time for that? You certainly did not have time for Alex’s teenage foolishness - you enforced your weekly routine of visiting the public library to get your stack of books, it was all you asked for after all.

When you got older, you stayed very much a sensible young adult, begging Kara to play with wood and matches and setting things on fire with her eyes whenever Alex had to babysit you two.

And now, in your twenties, you were ever the same, content in your simplicity. Whenever Alex and Kara were worrying about the next threat to security, you waited in tense anticipation for the next big AAA game on your video game console to become available in National City.

You had modest concerns; when would you fix your broken guitar? When would you find the time to read that book you started years ago? You lived a simple life compared to your older sisters, and none of you have said it, but you all know it balanced everyone out.

Lena: “Normal, but not any less wonderful, surely? Though I’m certain Alex and Kara would have some choice words to say about your gloating ;) I’m just about to head off for my designated hour and a half of lunch. Jess is really starting to put her foot down regarding that.”

you: “I am absolutely the greatest Danvers, you are so right. All that genius of yours and I’ve never once doubted it, you should let Alex know this too”

you: “But good for Jess that she is, at least someone is using all that power for good...”

Lena: “Here I was about to ask for your recommendation of a stellar restaurant establishment with the most agreeable staff, one in which I could enjoy my lunch break in peace, but it seems as though you’re busy lecturing someone at the present moment...”

you: “Lecturing a certain someone for their inhumane workaholic tendencies?? it’s a sacrifice I make for the greater good”

you: “Come down and visit me? I’m bored :(”

Lena: “Well, since you asked so nicely. I will be seeing you in twenty minutes.”

You smile to yourself, chuckling at how amenable Lena is with you. For all that you’ve seen of her scary CEO facade, you’ve also seen so much of casual Lena Luthor - someone just as easygoing as you are.

You pity much of the world who are so set in their beliefs that she’s nothing more than the inherent evil that comes with her family name, but you’re also glad you’re one of the very few people who get to see her for who she really is - a wonderful, supremely intelligent, beautiful woman who, you’d eventually come to learn, has the very attractive ability of being able to laugh at herself.

It’s about fifteen minutes or so since you got Lena’s text message when the chit printer hums to life and notifies you of an order. You see that an order has been placed under the name of L. Luthor, and you grin at the paper.

You move to make the pizza and when you’re finished the order, you yell into the direction of the office - you don’t actually know where your boss went off to.

“Thomas, I’m taking my thirty!”

A muffled voice replies back from his office, “Go wild, kid.”

You don’t bother to wait for the morning server, Tarah, to come in to take the food, instead opting to wipe your hand quickly on the rag you’ve stuck in your back pocket before you’re moving into the dining area with the pizza in hand.

You see Lena sitting at a table closest to the wall, the elevated portion of the dining room faces the small music stage cozily. She smiles when she sees you make your way to her and she stands up to meet you.

You put the pizza down on the table and hesitate in front of her.

“Don’t be ridiculous, darling,” she takes quick note of your reluctance to touch her with your messy work clothes but she takes you in a hug anyway, smiling as you let yourself into her embrace.

“Must be a great day if you don’t care about flour getting all over you,” you smile when you see her fond exasperation.

“Do you really believe I’d come all this way to see your lovely face and not get my hug from you?”

You hum in contemplation. “Why, Miss Luthor, if I didn’t know any better I’d say you’ve missed me.”

She smiles, a slight blush colouring her cheeks. “A most bold assumption, but not entirely untrue.”

You both sit down and you lean back into your chair.

“Well, for what it’s worth you didn’t have to order my favourite, you could have just gotten what you wanted,” you say, eyeing the food quizzically.

“Oh, it’s fine, I wouldn’t finish it anyway. If I understand correctly, this is your break too. It’s only fair since you’re using it to spend it with me.”

“Lena, not everything is a business deal. I like spending time with you. I love that you come to visit me whenever I whine about being bored, and I absolutely love this pizza.”

You grab a slice and barely managed to drop it onto your plate, seeming to forget that a hot pizza means it just came out of the oven. You shake out your hand and blow on it to ease the slight burn on your fingers.

Lena smiles softly at your words, her eyes crinkle with amusement at your clumsiness.

“My compliments to the chef,” she says cheekily.

“Thank you,” you reply after a bite of pizza, not caring about the burn you’ll get on the roof of your mouth.

“So, (Y/N), how has your life been lately? Spare no details.”

“In the last few hours since we texted this morning? Nothing particularly exciting, I wasn’t kidding about the utter normalcy on my end.”

“Ah, well, simplicity is desirable isn’t it?” She tilts her head at you in question.

“Oh, yeah, I’m really not complaining. Life’s great as it is. I like where I’m at. I’ve got enough money to do what I want, a job that lets me get away with all the tattoos and piercings I could possibly want, my sisters are awesome, I’m sharing a pizza with Lena Luthor,” you grin as you take note of her raised eyebrow and the smirk she’s giving you.

“You love bugging me, don’t you?”

“Yes, but I’m not entirely joking.” Suddenly, you remember the conversation you had earlier with your boss.

“Right, I forgot! Thomas said the usual act that plays here, apparently their guitarist is out of commission. So I get to play with them for a few nights, I’ll get my usual wage and some band money on the side for it too!”

“That’s so exciting! I would love to see you play, I know you’ve mentioned often how much you miss playing the guitar. Would you be getting your own fixed at some point then?”

You smile at her enthusiasm. You feel the slight dip in your chest and have no time to ponder the new level of excitement you feel at Lena watching you on stage.

“Uh, yeah- yes! Yes, that would actually be so awesome, I’d love it if you came, if you had the time, of course. I know L-Corp gets really busy sometimes so if it’s really late, you don’t need to worry about-”

“(Y/N),” she interrupts your rambling. She’s pointed out in the past how very much like Kara you are in that aspect, something she’s never failed to mention how adorable it is. “I will make time for you, if you would like me there.”

“You know I would love you there.”

“So, it’s settled. Just give me the time and I’ll be there, front row cheering and all.”

She winks at you and your eyes widen slightly as you feel the heat rushing to your cheeks. You hope she doesn’t notice the sudden gulp you have to take for your suddenly dry throat.

“Uh- also,” you say hoarsely, and you cringe at your failing voice. You clear your throat hastily before you continue.

“Also, tonight, the superfriends are going out for drinks. You should come with, so far it’d just be us, Kara, Alex is bringing Maggie I think, and Winn will be there too. We won’t actually be out too late this time, if that makes a difference for you.”

She tilts her head in question, regarding you in silence. You begin to feel slightly uneasy after a few moments without an answer before she smiles softly at you.

“Would the others be okay with that?”

You stare dumbly at her, blinking several times as if to process whether she was joking or not.

“Of course they would, why wouldn’t they?”

Lena hums in answer and takes a sip of her water. You lean across the table to grab her hand, feeling the softness of it under your slightly calloused hands and you’re pleased when she doesn’t move away.

“Lena, they would be delighted if you were there. If you aren’t comfortable, I totally understand, and we can have a rain check for whenever you’d like-”

“Thank you, (Y/N).” She smiles earnestly at you and flips her hand in yours, intertwining her fingers with yours. “I’d love to join you tonight.”

“Excellent.” Your eyes light up in excitement. “Can’t wait to see how soon you’ll get sick of me with all these plans of ours.”

Her expression shifts in admonition, “I don’t think I could get sick of you.”

“Don’t challenge the gods like that, Luthor.”

She laughs at your dramatics and moves to leave. “I suppose I’ll let you go now, I’m sure your boss is wondering where you’ve gone off to.”

“No way, he really doesn’t care, plus he loves me too much. He’s probably doing important things anyway.” You make an exaggerated gesture of smoking an invisible blunt.

“Oh, of course.” Lena replies in sage understanding. “Alright, darling. It is always such a pleasure to see you. Thank you for this.”

You stand up to hug Lena and you sigh contently at the feel of her in your arms. She pulls away and kisses you on the cheek, gathers her belongings and leaves you reeling at the touch.

You barely manage to wave goodbye to her when she’s walking out the door, and you smile at her newly developed habit. It’s only recently she’d started doing that - kissing you on the cheek - and you don’t think you’ll ever get used to it if your reaction is anything to go by.

You finish the last few hours of your shift and wait in anticipation for the night’s activities. Kara comes home just half an hour after you and even without her super speed, the way she rushes into the apartment, drops her belongings at the door, and flops dramatically onto the couch face first all in one motion tells you enough about her day.

“Aliens or asshole people?”

“Being a total jerk is a universal problem, apparently.”

You smile at her evaluation. “Such is the greatest downfall of the galaxy! And as someone who’s been to twelve different planets, you mean that literally.”

She grins at your parroted words - she’d said the same exact thing about chocolate pecan pie being the best dessert ever last Thanksgiving.

“You always were the smarter one.”

You sigh extravagantly and wave your arm in a flourish meant to whack her. “Oh, dear sister, you flatter me so!”

You both laugh at your theatrics and Kara moves to rest her head in your lap. You’ve turned the TV on to something that isn’t the news and she sighs happily; you’d never admit it but your sister always made you so soft whenever she did this, and you loved it when she did.

“Thomas is letting me play for the band at work and he’s paying me double for it.”

“Whoa! Superstar!” She looks up and grins proudly at you.

“Lena said a similar thing.”

“Oh, Lena! I got to interview her today. She looks a lot happier these days.”

“It seems that way. I managed to convince her to sneak out of work today, maybe it’s just getting slower at L-Corp and she can actually breathe again.”

Kara looks up at you again, tilts her head in consideration. “Is that so?”

“Yeah, we got to have a quick conversation during my break. She might drop by for one of the nights I’m playing the gig. And I’ve also invited her to go drinking tonight, is that cool?”

Kara looks at you with a strange smile on her face. “(Y/N), of course it’s cool,” is all she says.

You squint your eyes at her and ignore her strange look. “Sweet, thanks.”

“She’s our friend, in fact we could even say she’s family.”

“Okay, weirdo.”

You smirk at what you know is Kara’s deeply affronted look, you can practically hear the offense her expression is taking and your eyes never leave the TV screen.

You’re about forty minutes into an obscure talk show and Kara is deeply interested in the food making portion of the show when you hear the rattle of a doorknob working.

Alex walks in to the apartment and, like clockwork, Kara yells for your sister like a puppy who’s been waiting for its people to come home, and Alex just slightly cringes at the excessive volume of her welcome.

“Hello, crew,” she announces into the room.

You lift your arm lazily above your head in greeting, letting it fall back down so the impact thumps near Kara’s head. She grunts at the action and you grin at the reaction.

“Lena’s coming with us tonight,” Kara calls to Alex, who’s already rifling through the kitchen for something to eat and surprisingly, doesn’t find anything worth eating in Kara’s fully stocked fridge.

“Oh? That will be fun.”

“(Y/N) invited her. Apparently they had a nice conversation today at lunch.”

“Kara, I’m right here, I could just tell Alex myself.”

“Oh, sorry! Stealing your thunder, go ahead and tell her.”

You squint your eyes in confusion at her, only vaguely suspicious by her exceedingly bizarre behaviour.

“There’s nothing to tell, I don’t know why this is such a story.”

“Are you gonna tell Alex about your new job?” Kara supplies excitedly.

You roll your eyes at Kara but are interrupted by Alex ruffling your hair as she comes around the couch. She sits herself on top of Kara’s legs and drops unceremoniously, grinning mischievously when Kara whines at having to make room.

“So what’s this? What new job?” Alex asks when Kara finally relents.

“It’s not a job, but thank you for your helpful recollection, Kara. The boss is letting me fill in for one of the guitarists since our usual band’s dude is out for a while.”

“That’s so great, (Y/N). That’ll be awesome for you. Are we gonna make a party out of it? Want us to bring the fanfare?”

Before you can say anything, Kara butts in again. “Lena’s already invited. Apparently she’s got first dibs.”

You click your tongue at her and smack her with a pillow. You’re beginning to become aware of the space around you - or lack thereof - when Kara shifts and everybody groans in protest. The couch has always been too full of Danvers siblings, but it’s a well loved couch because of it.

“Lena does not have first dibs of anything, I just happened to tell her first.”

“Right, okay.” Alex smirks at you and Kara is giving her a look. You decide it’s best to ignore them both, dismissing it as their mysterious older sister connection.

Alex persists though. “Anything else you want to share with us? Lena’s doing great these days?”

“No, nothing else that is worth mentioning despite what you two gossip-hounds might think. Why are you both so keen about my life all of a sudden anyway? Why don’t we interrogate Alex for once? Alex, how are you and Maggie?”

“Oh? You wanna know? It’s just the best. Our sex life? You would not believe-”

“Jesus, nevermind!” You backtrack immediately and groan in protest, Kara singing some made-up song to drone out Alex’s voice. Alex talks through the noise easily and Kara keeps singing louder, you grumble and resign to wait valiantly for one of them to give up.

You hear a notification coming from your phone and move to pick it up from the table, not entirely caring whether the movement will shove Kara to the floor or not. You’re a mixture of staring in a daze and a silly smile plastered on your face when you see the message Lena has sent you.

Lena: “Your advice would be much appreciated, is 1 or 2 more suitable?”

Lena: DSC_09281.jpg

Lena: DSC_09282.jpg

You look at the message and your curiosity gets the best of you. You open up the first image and your eyes widen at the picture. Lena’s taken a mirror selfie, her pose showing off a backless black dress that falls just over her mid thigh.

When you open the second attachment, your eyes gravitate where they shouldn’t when you take in Lena’s low-cut white shirt and the tight-fitting black slacks that fit snugly to her legs.

Taking in every detail, you’ve effectively forgotten that you’re supposed to actually give an answer, and you must be quiet a long time because your sisters snap you out of your reverie.

“Hot date?” Alex’s voice cuts into your daze.

“No, I think it’s Lena,” Kara says.

You hear Alex muttering something that sounds suspiciously like same shit but you’re too focused on Lena’s new distraction and how she’s so easily rendered you useless. Somehow, you find the will to text back.

you: “You’re a marvel, Miss Luthor. I must say, I am always a sucker for a black dress but... stay casual. It’s your night out, you can forget the CEO theatrics for one night, right? ;) it could get colder later anyway, who knows what the gang could get up to tonight”

Lena: “Charming and chivalrous, how ever can you say no one has scooped you up yet? I will take your advice. Thank you, darling. See you tonight :)”

“Are you done sexting your girlfriend?” Alex asks cheekily and Kara actually admonishes her this time. Still, it doesn’t stop the blush rushing to your cheeks.

“We are definitely not sexting.”

Alex scoffs incredulously. “You sure as hell could have fooled me.”

You make a pointed effort to ignore Alex’s snickering and Kara’s amused smile.

“If you two are done, we should probably get ready soon.”

“What? It’s only 6, are you that excited?” Alex remarks, a grin still plastered on her face.

“Well, Kara here takes her sweet time getting ready when we’re going out, you know this.”

“Hey!” Kara butts in, “How am I supposed to enjoy the process if I use my super speed all the time?”

“The process of singing your obnoxious 2000s era pop music while we wait for you to hurry up? The kid’s actually right for once, Kara.” Alex retorts.

You drum your hands on Kara’s arm and Alex stands up to free Kara from her captivity on the couch. She slowly slides off of you onto the floor and you nudge her annoyingly with your foot until she starts moving.

With all the bickering and your various degrees of sassy attitudes, the three of you eventually pile out of the apartment at a reasonable hour.

Maggie and Winn are the first ones at the bar and have saved a booth with a small table. You greet your friends who have just ordered their drinks when you get a text from Lena that lets you know she’s on her way.

Still, it was as if nothing could have prepared you for when you glanced around and saw her approaching from the corner of your eye.

You’re probably caught staring for a socially unacceptable amount of time because Alex has lightly punched you in the arm, smirking as she inconspicuously drinks her beer in mock innocence.

You don’t have time to cuss her out when you feel the soft touch of a hand on your back and feel your skin light up suddenly - the entirety of your side that is touching Lena might as well have been on fire.

Lena is greeting the table easily and even high fives Winn, who’s sticking his tongue out at Alex who rolls her eyes at his nerdy tendencies.

“Hello, darling. Long time no see,” she whispers into your ear and waits for you to turn to her.

When you face her, she pauses momentarily before she kisses your cheek in greeting and you feel yourself combust again.

“Hey, Lena.” You’re relieved the music in the bar is loud enough to veil your hoarse voice. Maggie’s eyebrows are raised to her hairline. She gives a knowing look to Alex who’s watching your interaction with a smirk.

Everyone moves to settle into the table again and you can feel her sit close to you. You ponder the idea of accidentally spilling water on yourself to douse the fire that’s currently consuming you from Lena’s closeness.

“Have you all ordered already? The next one’s on my tab.”

“Uh, actually, I went ahead and got your usual for you with our order, if that’s alright. I just presumed, you can get something else if you want, it’d be my fault anyway if-”

“(Y/N),” you can hear her how deliciously your name sounds in that melodiously low voice of hers, “you’re fine. Thank you.”

She smirks at you, places a hand on your forearm that’s resting on the table. You have a suspicion Lena Luthor is going to be the death of you tonight.

The rest of the drinks come to the table and you’re all sorting yourselves out when Alex speaks up.

“So, have you all heard yet? There’s a rockstar in the family.” She announces loudly to the table, and despite the slight embarrassment you feel from her zealous enthusiasm, you know deep down she’s genuinely happy for you.

“What’s this all about?” Maggie turns to look at you.

“The bossman’s letting me play some gigs with the band. I’ll be the filler guitarist for a while at the restaurant.”

“Hey, no way! That is wicked, are we allowed to watch?” Winn asks excitedly, clutching his drink close to him since he’s sitting right beside Kara - she is notorious for her extra level of clumsiness in a close proximity setting, for whatever reason.

“Lena’s already got front row and VIP, backstage too.” Alex remarks, and you know she’s on a mission to push your buttons from the mischief that’s evident in her eyes.

Lena merely smiles at the group, raises her drink, “I’ll cheers to that.”

Everyone whoops and hollers noisily, Kara and Winn banging their hands on the table as Alex takes a swig of her beer, Maggie leaning in to say something to her.

“Remember me when you become famous,” Lena winks at you.

“Of course, we could give the tabloids something to talk about all the time.” Your eyes widen dramatically, and you smile at her laughter.

The better part of the night is spent in an increasingly buzzed haze. The conversation between the group flows steadily and at some point, Kara has convinced Winn to dance with her and you’re nearly in hysterics when you catch his pained expression.

Maggie and Lena are standing near the bar and have fallen into an engaging discussion, apparently regarding some sci-fi TV show called Dark Matter, if you recall correctly.

You feel Alex slip into the seat beside you.

“I’m tired,” is all she says.

“Oh, did you wanna go now? Were you going to leave with Maggie or something? We could-”

“Of watching you and Lena tiptoeing around the large elephant in this room that is so aptly called why are you two not dating yet.”

You stare dumbfounded at her. “Why would I do that?”

Alex gives you a look that very clearly says, are you kidding me?, and she doesn’t need to say anything for you to get it. Despite that, she presses on.

“Okay, you know what, that’s fair, if you’re not into her like that I don’t want to pressure you. I’m just saying if you’re feeling it, you have nothing to lose, in my eyes.”

“I like Lena, and I love spending time with her, and seeing her makes my day all the time. She’s a really great friend and such an incredible person, and I really think I see a lot of her that nobody else gets to see. But I don’t really know if she’d be into that and I don’t want to ruin what we have going on by making her uncomfortable with whatever feelings I think I have-”

“(Y/N), are you serious?”

You look at your sister and realize there’s a telling lack of ulterior motive in her expression. She’s being serious, and that makes you pay attention.

She sighs deeply, dramatically throws an arm over your shoulder when your silence answers for itself.

“I can’t believe it, I think I’ve failed you as a sister. This is such a sad moment in my life.” She brings you in close to her so you can hear her clearly.

“Alright, here are the facts, these are actual things that have occurred and I’m not making them up. These are things that you know, but are also things you don’t actually know if you really do believe Lena wouldn’t be more than okay if you asked her out. She kisses you on the cheek-”

“She does that all the time.”

“With you, yes.”

You have no rebuttal to that.

“She always makes time to see you.”

“She sees Kara too...”

“For work, idiot. Even then Kara has to go to her.”

“What if I just happen to get her whenever she’s free?”

“She’s free all the time for you, kid. That’s the point. She’ll make time for you.”

You can’t seem to argue with that fact. You’re considering Alex’s observations when Kara slides up to your other side, seemingly out of nowhere and already cognizant of the conversation you’re having with Alex.

“You know, Lena asks about you all the time during our interviews.”

You nearly choke on your own breath when you hear her voice close to your ear - you swear she’s some sort of ninja sometimes, and she’s going to scare you to near death one of these days.

“See, Kara wouldn’t lie to you,” Alex nods her exaggeratedly.

“She has this faraway look in her eyes too. She loves hearing about all the things we’d get up to as kids. Oh, like just a few days ago I told her the one time about you and the peanut butter incident when you were eight-”

“Kara!” You interrupt her rambling, the only thing you got from her rambling comment was that she’s brought up the peanut butter incident with Lena, and you’re just a little bit mortified.

Kara continues anyway, and it’s becoming apparent that neither of your sisters can be stopped tonight.

“She always brings you up somehow, it’s so cute,” her nose scrunches in delight. “It’s like you’re constantly on her mind, the way you always manage to get into our conversations.”

Alex adds on to the tail end of Kara’s comment, “just look at the way she acts around you as opposed to when she’s with Maggie or Winn for example. She’s different with you. You talk often and you’ve become some comfortable part of each other’s lives. You’re both pretty much already there, just without the label.”

You’ve been listening carefully to Alex and Kara’s admissions. You consider their words and think back in retrospect, looking for any hints in your interactions with Lena that your sisters could be right - you know deep down that they are, but that doesn’t mean you’re any less apprehensive.

“Just think about it, think about taking the risk that’s pretty much already a win. We’re your big sisters, we know these things,” Alex smirks confidently and pats you roughly on the shoulder, taking her arm away to reach for her drink.

Then, she adds as an afterthought, “But really, no matter how much we bug you, that doesn’t mean we’re out to actually hurt you. I think if I, and even Kara can see that you and Lena getting together doesn’t have to stay some pointless dream, there’s some basis in what we’re telling you. I think you don’t need to worry about Lena’s feelings in this, kiddo.”

Just then, your gaze wanders to Lena and she looks up and catches your eye. She smiles softly at you and focuses her attention back to Maggie.

Alex effectively destroys the last lingering moments of the emotional intimacy that’s been shared in your impromptu sibling bonding, true to her trademark way, “I really can’t believe that you can’t see Lena having the biggest ladycrush on you.”

“Ask her to watch a movie, I think she’d like that,” Kara adds encouragingly.

You decide to take her word on the entire matter just slightly more than you’ll take Alex’s - you know that Kara has had more deep talks with Lena and could probably give you plenty of helpful hints.

You decide then and there you’re going to do something about all your newfound information. You’ve got your intel and pretty much your sisters’ blessings, and you know if you don’t do this now, you’re probably going to wait another few months for the next wave of confidence to inspire you.

Alex is nodding her head approvingly at you and Kara’s got the biggest smile on her face, both thumbs up like a dork in her own supportive way.

Maggie turns to look at you when she sees you walk up to Lena. She winks at you and pats you on the back as she leaves, a sudden wave of who the hell else is in on the woes of my lovelife? overcomes you in that brief moment but you have no time to contemplate it.

“Hey, stranger.” Lena smiles when she sees you taking in her figure.

She’s leaning up against the bar, looking so relaxed and confident. She wore the outfit you suggested earlier and you almost forget why you walked up to her in the first place. No need to worry, however - you got this.

“Alex and Kara said we should make plans,” you blurt out.

Somewhere in your mind, you can hear the imperceptible sound of something that sounds much like a farting noise in response to your utter lack of cool - no doubt indicative of your very obvious inability to form coherent thoughts whenever Lena made you nervous, which was precisely what was occurring at this very moment. Maybe you don’t “got this”.

Lena’s lips twist into an amused smirk, she tilts her head at you in good nature. “What plans did you have in mind?”

“Things we could do together? I guess?” Your voice takes on a high pitch as your sentence trails off, your eyes widen at your rapid decline in behaving in a way that won’t scare Lena off.

“I mean, like- did you want a movie or something? To go to a movie, did you want to go to a movie, and watch one? At my place? Or yours? It’s all up to you, if you’re even interested at all-”

You shut yourself up when Lena comes up close to you, nearly chest to chest as you watch her gaze trail from your eyes to your lips, and then back again. Your hand is clenched into a fist on the bar - you can’t move it now, not when Lena is standing so close and really, nothing but your clothes would be in the way-

“(Y/N),” you can feel the ghost of her breath on your lips. You inhale sharply, but somehow you still feel breathless. “Are you asking me out on a date?”

“Yeah- yes! Alone? We could do things, like a date? With me?”

The tension between you and Lena is so palpable and in those few moments of silence where it’s just you two staring at each other, you can feel the vague sense of rejection only start to manifest before she speaks up.

“I would love to do things like a date, alone, with you.” She smiles and puts a hand on your other arm, running her hand gently to soothe your obvious nervousness.

You let out a long breath you didn’t realize you were holding, jaw slightly slack with disbelief at what you’ve just accomplished.

“Oh, alright- yeah, that’s- just like that then? That’s it?”

Suddenly, she has an eyebrow raised in a slight challenge. “Is there anything else you wanted?” she asks teasingly.

The expression on your face makes her laugh, and you flush instantly when you catch the implication. You think then, maybe you should just stop talking.

In some small mercy to spare you from your embarrassment, Lena closes what’s left of the distance between you, moves her arms so they rest gently on your shoulders and brings you in easily.

Your hands find their way naturally onto her waist as she presses herself flush against you, and you feel relief at the contact you’ve been craving. She slowly pulls you in and waits to see if you want to move away. When you’re stock still and watching wide-eyed in anticipation, she brings her lips to the corner of your mouth and gives you the softest, just barely there kiss.

Some whispered “holy shit” escapes you in that momentary explosion of sensation, but you’ve lost all inhibitions to care about your pride at this very moment.

Lena laughs at your reaction, biting her lip in fond amusement when she watches your happy grin.

“I think you should know, I’ve found myself to be rather enamoured with you for quite the long while,” she says.

“Wait, really?”

“Yes, I might daresay I was even beginning to grow a little impatient with you.”

“What, at me? How-”

“Shall we discuss it all over brunch? I’ve plenty of things to say about you taking your sweet time with me.”

She smiles at your stuttering protests, she’s really got you for a spin. “Would tomorrow be too soon for you?”

“No! No, not at all- brunch tomorrow, that is great, yes. All good on my end.” You’re a bit of a hasty mess right now, but you’ll worry about your lack of composure another day.

For a moment, she looks like she’s going to go back in for a kiss. You think you see her eyes flutter down to your lips, you can just feel the feather-light touch of her lips again and frankly, you crave it.

“I do think we should head back to the others, though.”

You resist every compulsion in your body to groan, and you think the sentiment is shared when Lena laughs softly. “We’ll have all the time in the world to spend with each other, darling. I promise you that.”

For all that you’ve achieved tonight and for the new, exciting turn your relationship with Lena has taken, you still feel like you’re going to burst into flames when she puts her hand on your knee under the table and keeps it there, squeezing in laughter when Maggie makes a sassy remark about Winn, rubbing it gently in the middle of Kara’s long-winded retelling of her superhero adventures.

You figure the Danvers siblings all ended up being right - Alex and Kara had great advice that paid off in the end, and you? You knew Lena Luthor would be the death of you tonight, and you realize you’ll never quite get used to her; her touches that set your skin ablaze, her easy smiles that inspired a newfound strength in you, the light feeling of flying you get whenever you look at her.

#lena luthor x reader #lena luthor #lena luthor imagine #lena luthor fic #katie mcgrath #lena luthor fanfic #dating lena luthor #supercorp #supercorp fic #supercorp fan fic #supergirl imagine #kara danvers imagine

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almighty-avenger · 7 years

Text

Waiting - Peter Parker

Relationship: Peter Parker x Reader

Summary: The reader is concerned about Peter coming back to her after fighting crime all day. This causes her to think of the night they started talking and forming their bond.

Warnings: Swearing, drinking, a sweet kiss

Words: 4480

A/N: This is my first imagine so please be kind. It is a bit long but PLEASE bear with me. I worked hard on it.

KEEP IN MIND:

The regular writing is present time

The slanted writing is a flashback

Enjoy my loves <3

+++

Waiting. It’s an agonizing feeling. To expect outcomes of situations that you have no idea how to decipher or understand.

You weren’t patient, you never were and you couldn’t be now. Especially not now, at a moment like this.

But, yet, here you were, still waiting.

The remaining question: How will this all end?

11:37 p.m. the clock presented.

Exhaling a frustrated sigh of defeat, you roll over on your mattress, eyes burning of fatigue. Your body craved desperately to drift off, into the land of slumber where you could escape your thoughts, your worries, your fears but your stubbornness remained tall and strong-like a cement wall.

How could you sleep when he was still out there?

You gaze out the tall window that was feet away from your bed, its glass sprinkled with raindrops from earlier precipitation. Outside, it led right out to the fire escape where he would usually arrive to slip into your room. Gazing out the window now, you reminded yourself to buy some plants and flowers to add some beauty outside your window. You’ve been meaning to do it for weeks now.

As you kept staring, you search for a looming shadow or listen for a delicate tap against the glass, anything that signaled that he was here. That he had come back to you, that he was safe. You could never truly sleep soundly unless you knew for certain that he was okay.

Who were you waiting for?

Peter Parker, that’s who.

A.K.A Spiderman

A.K.A your best friend

A.K.A the love of your life

Your head buries itself into your soft pillow as you think of him, your cheeks warming as you picture his tousled chocolate locks, sparkling brown eyes and heart thumping smile. The damn kid made you feel like the zoo escaped in your stomach whenever you locked eyes and you hated/loved him for it.

You both met last year, when you moved to Queens as a sophomore. At the time, Peter was identified as “The Dude You Had 30 Second Small Talk with in Chemistry Class” and those “conversations” you two shared were rare, usually right before your teacher started her lecture.

Like, the occasional: “Hey, did you read the chapters last night for Chem?”

Or: “Your poem in the literary magazine was real good, Y/N!”

Or, ironically: “I saw Spiderman swing above me on my way to school… coolest thing I’ve seen all week!”

But, sadly, you both merely classified as acquaintances to one another.

Until…

+++

Last Year, Halloween at 11:37 p.m.

Your eyes bore into the back of your friend, Jess, her lengthy golden hair whipping from side to side as she sprints to the door ahead. You didn’t bother to keep up with her, no matter how freezing your body felt in the frigid wind. The brisk air whips against your stockings in a brutal manner and it was then, that you wish you wore pants to this party instead of your moderately short black dress. It was practically November. You trudge through the decaying grass as you cut through the lawn, arms crossed over your chest, crunching leaves under your Doc Martins.

Reaching the door, were are welcomed with a gust of warmth along with the scent of sweat and weed.

“Ah, refreshing…” you mutter under your breath, while rolling your eyes.

Scanning the perimeter for Jess, you spot her by the stairs, many feet away, chatting with her other friends. Anxiety kept your feet planted by the entrance as you watched them speak to one another. Her friends were not your own, only strangers that you glanced at politely in the in the hallways or had exchanged three words with during your month at Midtown. Despite your discomfort, you walked on toward them, mentally giving your anxiety the middle finger since it had kept you from doing so many other things in your life.

You’re only two steps into walking forward until Jess turns and dashes up the stairs, as if she were the roadrunner and you were the coyote.

What the fuck…

Huffing out in frustration, you make a beeline to the snack table close by, not in the mood to follow her again. You didn’t even want to be here in the first place, you weren’t going to follow her around like a lost puppy.

She’ll be back. She can’t leave me alone at a time like this…

Your mind attempts to reassure you but it didn’t ease the rapid thud of your heart.

You could do this, but not alone.

Fifteen minutes later, you were still attached to the table as if it were your best friend. You occupied your time by looking down at your phone, chomping on chocolate pretzels and frowning at anyone who gave you an amused smirk.

Right then, a group of upperclassmen made agonizing eye contact with you a few feet away. The girls attempted to be discreet about their staring but failed, the giggles they tried to hide with their hands giving them away. You glare into their posse circle until they get intimidated and look away, embarrassed.

You sigh out sadly as the last stare glances away. The brave face you masked on before the party was faltering into a look of pure insecurity.

You thought you could be brave.

You thought you could handle this but the anxiety was overpowering you.

Why the hell where you still here? What was the point?

You had your doubts coming here but Jess had begged you to come, had encouraged you, had basically dragged you here and then left you alone. Alone. At a party. After she promised to stay with you all night. It was social suicide, especially due to the situation you were in now. Clenching your fists in anger, you started for the door until a familiar face stopped you.

Sweet relief seeped within your chest.

“Hey! Curly Twirly!” you call, grinning, as you spot Michelle’s curly, wild hair from afar. That was the nickname you had given her yourself. She was the first friend you made at school, having been assigned together for an activity in one of your classes. She always managed to make you laugh in the dullest situations and although she’d never admit it, the walls she built over her exterior seemed to crumble whenever you two spoke.

She was wearing an orange shirt with the word ‘COSTUME’ printed on the front. You smirk at her irrefutable wittiness. Why the hell didn’t you think of that?

Her head turned toward you at the sound of her nickname and that was when you noticed the unsettling look of agony in her eyes. You only caught a slim glimpse of that look until she masked it with a plastered smirk. Something was up, you knew because the smile didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“Y/N, thank the Black Widow you came to this lame ass party…” she calls.

You widen your eyes at her sentence, getting caught off guard. Even though you two were friends, M.J. never said something like that to you before or…anyone really.

She approaches you, gazing at your outfit with extreme focus.

“Spectacular costume, Wednesday Adams is one of my role models.” she smirks.

You were dressed in a black dress with a peter-pan collar, black stockings, Doc Martins and had tied your hair into two braids. Boom. Behold, your costume.

“Shocker…” you say, the sarcasm clear in your voice. If Wednesday Adams were a real person, she and M.J. would be BFF’s.

“I’m surprised you’re here…” she admits, swiping a plastic cup from the beverage table and filling it with punch. The punch was obviously spiked, the cup she filled reeked of alcohol- vodka probably. You cringe as the cup comes too close to your nose for comfort, the intense scent still making you sick to your stomach.

“I thought people were still giving you shit?” she asks, sipping her beverage.

“They are,” you admit. You roll your eyes but not at her, at the assholes around you who continued to talk about you in front of your face.

“Yet, you still came?” one of her perfectly plucked eyebrows arch.

“I wanted to prove that they couldn’t get to me, but I don’t think I’m fooling anyone…” you truthfully confess.

You wished so badly to not give a shit, but you did.

“Hey…” she nudges her shoulder into yours. “You fooled me…”

You smile graciously. She had been one of the few people who didn’t judge you based on that stupid video.

“Besides,” she huffs, frowning. “Fuck what other people think. They don’t know jack-shit about you…” she continues. “This is just another ‘Midtown Mini Drama’. It’ll be forgotten in a week.”

“Thanks M.J…” you mumble. “God, I’d so rather be in bed with a book right now…” you admit, shamelessly to her. You knew she would understand, the girl had her nose in a book 24/7.

“Amen, sister.” she mutters as she tips her face back, draining her drink down in a one gulp. You cringe instantaneously, again, nearly tasting the bitterness in your mouth as you watch her. You were glad you were sticking to you lemonade and pretzels tonight.

“What the damn hell?” M.J. bluntly utters, causing you to snort in amusement. Your eyes followed to where hers were fixated- the entrance of the party to where Ned Leeds and Peter Parker were standing.

WTF?

“Twice in one month? That’s monumental.” you murmured in her ear as you both continue to gaze at the spot the two boys were standing. It was true that they didn’t come to many parties, only attending one bash weeks ahead of time that a girl named Liz had hosted.

You study the costumes of the two boys and notice both dressed as Star Wars characters. You recognize Ned to be Obi Wan Kenobi with his white tunic, white pants, belt and brown robe along with Peter as Darth Vader, dressed black from the neck downward and the iconic mask he held in his hands.

You smirked at their choice of attire, these dudes where hella cool.

As they linger throughout the monumental house, they came upon the snack table several minutes later where M.J. and you were still standing. They approached you as M.J. was gulping down the spiked punch as if she were dying of monumental thirst while you were inhaling the snack table like you were a vacuum on supersonic mode. (Especially the chocolate covered pretzels. Yum.)

Peter locks eyes with you and graciously delivers a soft smile when you have about six pretzels in your mouth. Embarrassed, you cover your mouth with the back of your hand and give him a wave with the other. You realized at that moment, under the neon flickering lights how cute he really was. Why you noticed now? You had no idea.

“Evening, ladies…” Ned suavely greets as he approaches MJ and you with Peter by his side. You swallow the pretzels painfully, not having the chance to chew every single one as you prepare to speak.

“Hey guys,” you smile, brightly. “Having fun?”

As the two boys begin to reply, M.J. cut them off.

“I wouldn’t decipher this party with the word ‘fun’.” she quips, her tone laced with boredom.

“That’s because you’re still sober…” you tease, mimicking her past action by bumping your shoulder with hers.

“This is why I keep you around…” she smirks, once again.

She turns away from you and the boys, back to the table to refill her cup, yet again. You stare at her, growing even more worried and mentally cursing yourself for the sentence you had just said. This was already her fifth cup. Why was she drowning herself in alcohol? You wouldn’t be as concerned if she was a regular partier but this behavior wasn’t normal.

“What are you doing?” you ask, stepping slightly closer and setting a hand on her shoulder.

“Getting shit-faced.” she responds, blankly. “Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do at parties?”

“She has a point…” Ned adds, from the side. You spot Peter hit him in the arm with your peripheral vision.

“You know what I mean…” you whisper in her face. “Why are you drinking so much? Are you okay?”

“Fine,” she bites, her eyes narrowing. “Leave it alone.” she harshly whispers.

“MJ, talk to-”

“I don’t need a babysitter, Y/N.” she barks at you over the music, glaring at you with so much intimidation it made you feel small and insecure. “Just, leave me alone.” she continues, the same cold tone latched within her words. She never spoke to you that harshly before.

Usually, for you, whenever you got into an argument with someone, you were quick witted and decently sly but as for right now, you were speechless.

It was harder to stand up to your friends rather than your enemies.

Before you had the chance to regain the strength to argue back, she whips around and stalks away to another room, taking her drink with her. You watch her back until it disappears and release a sigh. You desperately wanted to go after her but you didn’t want to smother her and possibly get her even angrier at you. She obviously didn’t want to be near you, hence her walking away…

The music begun to kick in to a louder beat, muffling the voices of other party-goers surrounding you. You could barely hear yourself think, the pounding music thumping throughout the walls was distracting. The room felt even more clustered and full, causing you to sweat and pull at the collar of your dress.

“–Okay?”

You whip your head to your right to where Peter was standing, closer than he was before. He was staring at you, pure curiosity swimming in his orbs. His eyes- so gentle and welcoming, looking at them had you feeling calmer. He was the warm fire in a rainstorm.

“What?” you dumbly utter. The damn music was causing your hearing to dysfunction, it was drowning everything out, even your own damn thoughts.

“You–Okay?”

The words were hard to understand over the bumping but you could read his lips. You smile sadly at him. He was such a sweet guy, he barely even knew you and here he was, asking that question. He could have easily walked off moments ago, escaping the awkward banter between you and Michelle but here he was.

“Yeah, thanks.” You nod, smiling gratefully. “I should probably just give her space…”

He mimics your nod, agreeing with you. You glance at your surroundings and realize Ned was nowhere to be seen. Huh, where the hell did the dude go?

“–Seventy three?” You heard the number he mumbled but once again, you didn’t hear the full sentence.

“Sorry, what?” you laugh, awkwardly.

“Did–? Seventy three?”

Ugh, this fucking music. It wasn’t even a good song either…

Clenching your jaw in frustration, you exhale. You wanted to chop the DJ’s head off.

“WHAT?” you yell, leaning in closer toward him, so close that you could see the purple and pink hue of his lips. (They looked soft…)

“DID. YOU. DO. CHEM. YET?” he bellows. His voice and face was still friendly even when he was screaming in your face. He was talking about the chemistry homework that had been assigned. You were to read page seventy-three in your textbook and complete the five paged packet that was due Monday. You haven’t even started yet.

“Oh!” you realize. “Uh…no, not yet.” you confess, yelling, slightly ashamed since Peter probably already finished it. That kid was an absolute wizard with anything science related. He had the highest grade in class, no doubt. He nods in understanding, looking away then back to you again, as if he wanted to say something.

“I–I can give it to–”

“Do you want to go outside?!” you yell, interrupting him. You would be able to hear everything he said to you out there. Besides, the pot in the air was getting stronger, giving you a headache.

He only stares at you, blankly.

“WHAT?” he shrieks.

You already get the answer you need. You turn around, latching onto his wrist and lead him out the door with you. You felt your cheeks grow hot at the sudden gesture, you just grabbing him and leading him away but you couldn’t deny the giddy pound in your chest.

+++

Lifting your head up from the pillow with sonic speed, your eyes blink rapidly. You zero in on the time displayed on your cable box that rested on your dresser.

2:34 a.m.

Shit.

You had fallen asleep.

Breathing heavily, you struggle to remain calm. You stumble out of bed to your window, leaning your head against the cool glass. You gaze out, scanning the fire escape as if he would magically appear in that moment. Peter has never been this late, ever.

What if something happened?

You stand motionless for a moment, the light patter of rain against the roof and the pounding drum of your heart the only noises you could hear. Scrambling for your phone seconds later, you dial the digits you have ingrained in your brain.

+++

Last Year, Halloween at 12:41 p.m.

“So?” you ask, leaning in slightly closer towards him in curiosity. “How was your first drink?”

“Terrible…” Peter winces, scrunching his face up in the cutest way possible as he crumples the plastic cup in is fist. He gulped down the whole drink in one sitting and you were impressed since this was his first time drinking. He had gotten some punch in the house before coming outside with you.

“Tastes like piss, right?” you ask.

“Like piss…” he agrees.

You giggle like a child as he stares off into space, blinking slowly and gazing off in wonder, a dazed look on his face. One of your eyebrows arch.

“Oh my god…” you breathe. “Are you already buzzed?”

Silence.

“Maaaybe?” he gets out, his voice slightly high-pitched at the end, making you cackle like a hyena.

“You are such a lightweight, you’re adorable.” you gush.

The words sprang out of you and it caused a small blush to ignite across his cheeks. Peter glances down at his high-tops bashfully, a tiny grin lacing his lips. While looking at him, you painfully resist the urge to leap in front of him and squish his cheeks with your fingers. God, he was so cute.

“Um–I–I…uh…” he stutters.

“Peter, calm down.” You smile. “I’m just teasing.” Your body shakes with laughter again at his painfully awkward stuttering.

You and Peter were currently sitting side by side against a tree outside the house. Although there was still a slight chill in the air, the temperature outside had gotten slightly warmer, leaving you refreshed and cool.

Some others from the party even came outside as well, one pair came out to lay on the lawn to stare at the stars or some came just to walk around in the cool air and drink with their fellow friends.

It had been about half an hour since you two had been hanging out with each other. You talked about school or the randomness of your daily lives. During those 30 minutes, you came to learn that Peter was a total cinnamon roll and you adored the way he talked to you.

As you glance toward the monumental home, you are reminded of M.J. The agony in her eyes, her strange behavior, the excessive drinking.

“I should check on M.J…” you say, out loud.

“Good idea,” Peter nods. “I’ll come with.”

You rise from the grass quickly and look down at Peter in amusement, who seemed to be struggling to stand. You giggle painfully to yourself as you help him up, both of your hands gripping on his surprisingly muscular biceps. Damn, what was he hiding under all those layers?

You steady him as he rises.

“Thanks, Y/N…” he flushes.

“Anytime,” you grin.

As you start to walk up the lawn, toward the door, a heavy arm slings over your shoulder, halting you. The monstrous weight nearly pushes half of your body downward and a horrid stench of body odor slaps you like whiplash as it emits from the strangers armpit.

“What the fu-” you speak out, scrunching your face up in annoyance and disgust. You nudge the body off you and turn to face the unknown male.

He’s stocky and much taller than you, with dark hair and a lazy smile. He held a beer bottle in his big fingers and was dressed as a Yankee baseball player.

“Can I help you?” you angrily spit. You didn’t like being touched by guys you didn’t know. Who the hell does?

“You don’t remember me?” the tall boy grins, taking a step closer toward you.

You take a grand step back, too grand however, because you collide into Peter’s chest. With this amount of proximity, you get a whiff of Peter’s scent- laundry detergent, pine and deodorant.

Sweet mama, you could sniff that boy all day like a flower.

“You really don’t remember me?” the random tall boy asks again, snapping you back to reality.

“Clearly.” you snarl, not in the mood to deal with any self-righteous pigs tonight.

“Y/NNNNNN!” a girl shrieks into the air in excitement, causing you, Peter and the stranger to jump in horror. Seconds later, two arms sling over your shoulders in a crushing hug, forcing Peter to back away from you. Hot vodka breath fans in your face and you shut your eyes painfully, cringing.

“Where have you been?” Jess laughs in your ear while she squeezes you painfully.

“You tell me,” you flatly reply, frowning at your friend that had abandoned you all night. You shrug her arms off your shoulder. “You’re the one who ditched me.”

Her eyes roll in annoyance, making you even angrier. “Don’t be so dramatic…” she mocks.

More people linger around the tree that you and Peter once occupied alone. Most of these people were Jess’s friends and some were random strangers. They all circulate around you, making you uncomfortable. You catch Peter standing side by side among them, looking timid himself.

“Whatever,” you huff. “I’m leaving.”

“What? No!” she begs, her manicured fingers latching onto your arm. “I got Brandon to come and see you!” she explains, excitedly.

“Who the hell is Brandon?”

“That’s me, Hot Stuff.”

You glance over to the stranger who had put his arm around you. Brandon gives you a wink as he nudges Peter to the side as he steps closer to you and Jess. You only stare at him, unfazed by his comment but suddenly able to recognize him.

You remember who he was and it made you want to slap yourself with a cactus.

Because you were such a drunk idiot last weekend.

“What are you anyway?” he utters, looking at your costume up and down. “Some goth bitch?”

You don’t even try to hide the irritable glare on your face.

“I’m Wednesday Adams, you moron.” you bite.

You see Peter grin shamelessly behind Brandon. In attempt to hide the laughter that lingers behind his smile, he covers his mouth with his sleeve.

“Woah, chill.” Brandon’s thick eyebrows raise in shock. His stunned reaction only lasts a fraction of a second until that annoying, careless smirk appears on his face again. He stares down at you with interest, giving you the impression he’s most likely wondering what you look like without your clothes on.

“You’re kinda feisty, aren’t you?” he slurs.

“To self-absorbed assholes? Yeah.” you swiftly reply. “Keep testing me and I’ll get even meaner.”

Everyone around you snickers at your snark. From the sidelines, you see Peter’s eyes nearly pop out of their sockets in flabbergasted shock. He doesn’t care to hide the laugh as he lets it out with ease. It was a lovely sight to him, watching you roast this drunk buffoon in front of you. You were so sassy, so…irresistible.

“Y/N!” Jess bellows.

“What?” you ask, innocently.

“Stop embarrassing Brandon…” she scolds.

“He’s embarrassing himself, I’m just mocking his stupidity.”

Holy shit, you needed to be stopped.

“Um, okay…” Peter pipes up, stepping to the side of you. Everyone in the group whips their head towards him in shock, they didn’t even notice he was there.

“We should get going…” he mumbles as he grabs onto you elbow and leads you away from everyone and to the house.

“She’s my DD!” Peter awkwardly calls toward the group.

As the two of you walk across the lawn to the door ahead, you realize Peter still hasn’t let go of your elbow. His face leans in close to yours.

“You’re dangerous…” Peter whispers into your face, only he’s smiling when you look over to him.

“Am I scaring you, Parker?” you beam, unable to hide the amused smirk from spreading across your face.

“A little.”

“You still have time to run away, right now.” you teasingly warn.

“I–I don’t want to…” he manages to reply, fumbling with his thumbs as he looks down toward the ground.

The two of you stop in front of the entrance of the party, both of you standing on the doormat, your shoulders touching.

“So,” you start, “We grab M.J. and I drive you both home? Sound like a plan?”

You don’t bother for a reply from him, your fingers latch onto the door handle but his voice calling your name stops you.

“Y/N…” he sighs, finally making eye contact with you.

“Peter…” you tease, breathing out his name like he did yours.

“If–If…I wasn’t drunk right now…” he states, slowly, looking down at his feet. “I’d kiss you.”

“O–Oh!” you squeak, squeezing the door handle in bewilderment. That was absolutely the last thing you expected him to say. You knew it may be true because there was no way in hell Peter Parker would say something like that to you sober.

“W–Would you?” you attempt to joke, grinning ear to ear in excitement and closing your eyes, making sure this wasn’t a dream.

“Yes…” he breathes next to your ear, you could practically hear the soft smile in his voice.

Without thinking, you lean in, capturing Peter Parker’s lips in a sweet peck.

+++

“Hey,” you speak shakily into the phone, your voice trembling erratically and embarrassingly. “Call me as soon as you get this, okay?” You squeeze the phone in a deathly grip as you struggle to keep breathing. You hang up before you get pathetic and start crying like a goddamn baby on the phone.

The tears start to roll down your cheeks with speed, similar to how the rain slides down the glass of your window outside.

Maybe you were getting worked up for nothing but how were you supposed to know? How were you to know what happened out there?What happened to him?

You stare outside the glass motionless, blankly, numbly.

There was nothing you could do now, only wait.

+++

Part 2???

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as-of-no-worth · 7 years

Text

Nice Hat, Kid

Of course Jesse McCree knew who Strike Commander Jack Morrison was. You’d have to have been living under a rock to not know him on sight. He was only the most famous hero of the Omnic Crisis, the leader of the world’s most influential organization after the UN, his face on TV every day, on every poster, in every tabloid.

So when Jesse McCree first met Jack Morrison, he couldn’t help but be a little... starstruck.

Mc76 Week: Past

Jesse had finally been left to his own devices for the first time since he’d arrived on base, and of course the first thing he’d done was get lost.

He was wandering a hallway in who knew what building anymore, he’d lost track, trying to find the showers that Reyes had mentioned when he’d rattled off the list of amenities before leaving. The last person he had expected to run into in this empty corridor at eleven o’clock at night had been Strike Commander Jack Morrison himself.

“Hey,” Strike Commander Morrison said when he saw Jesse, raising a casual hand in greeting and flashing him a dazzling smile with perfect white teeth.

Holy shit that was Jack Morrison, that was actually Jack Morrison standing there like any other person had any reason to be and not like he was one of the most powerful men on the planet, larger than life and looking at him, at Jesse, with eyes that were far too blue. And if Morrison looked good on TV, he was devastatingly handsome up close—chiseled jaw, tall and broad-chested, with golden hair and the trademark Overwatch coat that draped behind him like a cape.

Jesse realized that he had been staring openly, and that he should probably say something.

“Hi,” Jesse managed to choke, lamely. He tried to tip his hat but missed and only hit the brim with his hand, nearly knocking it off his head and forcing him to seize it by the top and shove it back down over his eyes.

But Morrison was smiling at him anyway.

“Nice hat, kid,” he said.

Nice hat kid nice hat kid nice hat kid—

Jesse realized his face was heating up, and the realization just made it even warmer.

“Th-thanks,” he stammered. “—Sir,” he added hastily. Wow, those eyes were way too blue to be allowed.

“McCree, right?” Morrison asked and did Jack Morrison know his name and when Jesse didn’t answer but didn’t correct him, Morrison went on; “Reyes told me about you. The kid from Deadlock with the cowboy hat and the six shots that never miss?”

Holy shit Strike Commander Jack Morrison knew who he was, Strike Commander Jack Morrison just complimented him—

“Y-yeah—Thanks, sir,” Jesse managed to croak. Oh jeez, his blush was probably incredibly obvious by now. He ducked his head a little, hoping the brim of his hat would hide the worst of it.

“Say,” said Morrison, “you ever seen any of those old westerns?”

“Old westerns, sir?” Jesse repeated in confusion, looking back up.

“You know," Morrison continued, "like ‘A Fistful of Dollars’? ‘The Good the Bad the Ugly’? ‘Pale Rider’? ‘The Outlaw Josey Wales’?”

“No, sir?”

Morrison’s face lit up and he grinned and oh Jesus, if he had looked handsome before, that was nothing compared to now—“Oh, I love them, you really need to—We do a movie night every Saturday, I could have us watch an Eastwood; I can ask Reyes to give you that evening off if you wanted to come?”

Strike Commander Jack Morrison just invited him to watch a movie with his friends, Strike Commander Jack Morrison just invited him to watch a movie with him, Strike Commander Jack Morrison just—

“Yes—“ Jesse blurted out, before trying to control himself as he added, “I mean—Can I? Sir?”

“Of course!” Morrison actually looked excited and holy shit he could blind someone with that grin if he wasn’t careful. “I’ll look forward to seeing you there.”

“Thank you! Sir,” Jesse said, not sure this was really happening.

Morrison gave him a clap on the shoulder with one of his big hands. “I think you’ll really enjoy it.”

And just like that Morrison was gone, down the hallway the way Jesse had came, disappearing from view around the corner, and Jesse stared at where he had gone before realizing that he still had no idea where the showers were.

AO3!

#mc76 #mc76week #mc76 week #jesse mccree #jack morrison #soldier: 76 #pre-canon #first meeting #fanfic #mine

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frederickwiddowson · 6 years

Text

An Implacable Spirit- sermon notes

In the religious history of the world given to Paul by the Holy Spirit he lists many things that God gave men and women over to because they turned their backs on Him. One section of this list, one verse, says;

Romans 1:31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

What does implacable mean sandwiched as it is between without natural affection and unmerciful?

The word is only used once in the Bible but the Lexicons of Early Modern English Database online informs us that in 1611 it meant obstinate, can’t be appeased, can’t be pacified, can’t be reconciled, and cannot be pleased. Do we know someone in our personal lives, perhaps even ourselves, who is possessed of an implacable spirit?

It is sin and wickedness, not just a personality quirk. It is listed in a long line of things mankind is given over to by God for their rejection of Him. It is something we who are implacable need to repent of, not something that you who are not need to walk around on eggshells because of lest you incur our unreasonable and unrighteous wrath. Let’s read the entire history of mankind’s self-worshipping religious impulses carefully to get a better understanding of what we are talking about in context of unrighteousness.

Romans 1:16 ¶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

19 ¶ Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

1 ¶ Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.

Paul noted that someone who is implacable is worthy of death. Does that underscore the seriousness of this sin mentioned in context with murder and homosexual behavior?

An example of an implacable person in the Bible is the churlish fool, Nabal, who died of a heart attack of some kind. You can read about him in 1Samuel 25 starting in verse 2 up until his heart died and he became as a stone in 38, dying ten days later.

David did Nabal’s sheepshearers a kindness but Nabal was not only ungrateful he insulted David and would have suffered for his indiscretion had not his wife, Abigail, intervened on his behalf. His response to David’s kindness was the following.

1Samuel 25:10 And Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master.11 Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be?

We can call him ungrateful, ungracious, arrogant, stupid, and even self-righteous, all symptoms of implacability.

Nebuchadnezzar shows us another side of implacability when he gives his magicians an impossible task, recorded in Daniel, chapter 2, which he knows is impossible and then commands their deaths when they cannot perform. The implacable person you know, perhaps it is you, sets up conditions that cannot be met and no reasonable person expects them to be met. You have no chance of pleasing them and they know this.

In these two examples we have clues as to what an implacable nature is like. It is ungrateful, ungracious, even arrogant, stupid, self-righteousness, and sets up conditions that it knows cannot and will not be met thereby making it impossible to please them, to gain their approval.

Some of us have had experience with a parent who would never be pleased. Nothing you could do ever satisfied them. A child living under those conditions has no foundation in what is acceptable behavior as nothing he or she can do will ever please that parent. It can become a lifetime pain in that child’s heart. It can give them a lifetime filled with anxiety and the doubting of every decision they make with a constant nagging in their hearts that nothing they ever do will ever be good enough. Or, they will just grow to hate that parent and do everything possible to avoid them.

Fundamentalist preachers often misrepresent God as in implacable parent. If you aren’t doing what that preacher wants you to do they will say you are cold towards God and need revival regardless of your relationship with God. They will call you worldly if you don’t have their convictions. They’ll say that you need to ‘get right’ with God when they have no idea of your prayer life or your time in God’s word or how you treat others.

The fact is, while we all need to draw closer to God, He loves us. We can do nothing to earn our salvation or to pay for it as we go. We’re not renting God’s love and in danger of being evicted from His kingdom for not paying. God has already performed all the parts of the drama and we are justified by what He has done not by anything we can do.

Romans 8:31 ¶ What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. 34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Now, I am certain we disappoint God at times. It is certain that we can grieve the Holy Spirit and dampen its influence in us.

Ephesians 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

1Thessalonians 5:19 Quench not the Spirit.

And while God, who often covers our debts keeping us from the consequences of our sins we commit after becoming a Christian sometimes leaves us to have to deal with our unfaithfulness to Him. But, that doesn’t mean He isn’t joyful when we sing a hymn to Him, pray to Him, or read His word believing. God is not an implacable being. He has placated Himself for His righteous wrath at our sin and He delights in our seeking a relationship with Him. Our faith pleases God. Propitiation is the act of appeasing God for His wrath at sins against Him.

Romans 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

1John 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

1John 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

God delights in showing mercy to us.

Micah 7:18 Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.

God wants to show you mercy and He wants to show you His love.

But, the person possessed of an implacable spirit only wants to show you judgment. And this, in spite of;

James 2:13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

An implacable spirit is a prideful spirit. The world revolves around them. In fact, the more helpless they seem, the more victimized they act, the more egotistical they are. This is evident in an implacable person who is dominant and oppressive and demanding as it is in one who seems weak and a victim. You cannot please them so they will hurt you physically or you cannot please them so they will hurt you emotionally.

Every glance, every word, every failed action reveals your disrespect for them or an attempt to hurt them. There is no winning with the implacable person.

King Ahab sought counsel from so-called prophets in 1Kings 22. The only condition was that they say what he wanted to hear. He even demanded of a prophet to tell him the truth and then punished him for doing so because it was not what he wanted to hear. This is another trait of the implacable spirit. They only want to hear what approves of their opinion, bigotry, hatred, and prejudice. Any information to the contrary is met with anger and wrath. You can’t win with these people. They are never satisfied with your response unless it is exactly what they wanted to hear. They will demand the truth and then lash out when the truth contradicts their own fantasy.

A person might be engaged in sin or dancing recklessly close to the edge. They will ask you about what they are doing or want to do and even though you might say it is none of your business they make it your business by demanding your opinion. But, when you call them on their sin they attack you for sticking your nose in their business, judging them, or being a hypocrite. It is impossible to satisfy their perverted need for self-justification.

A consequence of an implacable spirit is the infecting of others with the same. A parent, a spouse, or an employer even for that matter, can be so unreasonable that their victim becomes so suspicious and so wary of their dealings with them that they themselves start to doubt everything that is said or done. Everything begins to have a hidden motive represent an unseen agenda. This is a grave result of being oppressed by an implacable spirit.

Now, how do you deal with this implacable, unappeasable spirit?

Some people simply ignore the implacable person. But, you can’t do that if it’s a parent or an employer and you are dependent on them. And it takes a mighty thick skin to keep being told what you are doing or saying is not good enough, never good enough, or worse an attack on their importance, their dignity, or their authority.

Remember before how I said that in Paul’s letter to the Romans, in chapter 1, that implacable was sandwiched between without natural affection and unmerciful?

A person without natural affection shows contempt for those they should love and cherish, for instance, their own family. We don’t need an explanation of what unmerciful is and I’ve spoken at length about how damaging being unmerciful can be. The implacable person is between those two, lacking in the natural care and love they should feel and being unmerciful.

An implacable spirit is caused by an angry heart, a wrathful disposition, and even envy. What has God said about those things?

We are warned not to dwell on our anger, that it surrenders us to the Devil.

Ephesians 4:26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 27 Neither give place to the devil.

We have been warned about the twisted power of envy.

Proverbs 27:4 Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?

These things can rise up from a root of bitterness that we let fester in our hearts. There are warnings about bitterness, the disappointment and anger that comes from frustrated and usually false and unreasonable expectations.

Colossians 3:19 Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.

Continuing in Ephesians, chapter 4 we find;

Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 30 And grieve

not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

Part of the problem is pride, the ultimate sin of Satan. The tyranny of the weak or the dominant personality is that the entire universe revolves around them, their needs, and their desires, their expectations, their frustrations, their disappointments.

Proverbs 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

“Who do they think they are? Not showing me the respect I deserve! After all, I’ve worked so hard, given so much, had to put up with so much. I’ll show them.”

Now, that we’ve laid the groundwork let’s take this airplane out of the hangar.

You cannot honestly consider your behavior as glorifying to Christ and evidence of your faith with an implacable spirit.

Are you possessed of an implacable spirit? Are you possessed by it? What does it take to please you? What do other people have to do to satisfy you that their words or behavior are not threatening, insulting, or filled with contempt?

If it is a matter of just showing decent respect and consideration for you then most people are going to fall short. For instance, I hate surprises; surprise parties, surprise visits, surprise anything. But, a lot of people love surprises. They might want to throw a party to show their affection or stop by unannounced when they are in the neighborhood. It is not meant to be insulting or demeaning or controlling or disrespectful even if it makes you feel dreadful. I don’t handle surprises well but go into fight or flight mode.

We who have an implacable spirit tend to be paranoid, ascribing mean motives to people around us. The implacable employer has contempt for his employees. The implacable mother has contempt for her children, sons and daughters in-law, and husband. The implacable father can never be pleased by any action his children or wife take, any words they say, as they all fall short of his expectations, which are always moving away from them.

The implacable pastor is always telling you that you don’t measure up and that you are a big disappointment to God.

So, the next time you feel righteously indignant because someone didn’t show you what you consider proper respect or even just decent consideration or the next time you feel your spouse didn’t show you the respect that even a roommate deserves think about it. Are your feelings truthful, the true result of a hateful and mean-spirited action by another? Or are they a consequence of your own inability to be pleased, appeased, and satisfied?

The next time your employer makes a decision that impacts you negatively was it an effort directed at making you want to quit? Or was it just something he felt was necessary based on the information he had that you didn’t and wasn’t even thinking about you when he decided it?

The next time your neighbor’s dog relieves himself in your yard was it an expression of contempt by your neighbor through his dog or was it just one of those things that really had nothing to do with you at all?

The next time a child spills a glass of milk in the living room was it them showing their rebellious spirit in defiance of you or was it simply a matter of you allowing things in your home that are a disaster waiting to happen and the child wasn’t even thinking of you or anything else, for that matter.

Examine yourself. Then, plead with God for deliverance from the sin that so easily controls you and hinders your relationship with Christ and with those around you.

If you live with a person possessed of an implacable they need your prayers. But, they do not need your acquiescence. Don’t be an enabler. Don’t encourage them in their sin. You wouldn’t encourage them to lie or commit adultery so why help them in their festering implacable spirit that leads to bitterness, envy, and contempt for others? When that implacable spirit rises up it is imperative that you stand against it.

There are many more things that can be said about the implacable spirit having to do with the sins of envy and wrath and other things that God has condemned in our lives but each of them merit a separate discussion. So, please consider this rough outline. Consider what I’ve said and ask God to deal with it in your life.

0 notes

rootofjesse · 6 years

Link

Jesse’s The Complete Track Spoken Word Selection Series

SoundCloud Player Version One

Music, Lyrics and Spoken Words by Leslie aka Jesse Hughes ©

The provided lyrics for Jesse’s ‘The Complete Track Spoken Word Selection Series’

Come from Jesse’s Spoken Word and Song Versions of: ‘Everlasting Chains in the

Blackest Darkness for the Wandering Star Sinning Angels’:

Chorus:

Everlasting chains in the blackest darkness has been reserved forever

For the wandering star sinning angels (Jude, 2Pt Chapter Two)

Who are the wild waves of the sea that are foaming up their own shame (Jude)

And who are the godless men that change the grace of our God

Into a license for immorality to deny Jesus Christ is our only Sovereign and Lord

And that are the liars to, and enemies of, the Holy Spirit they hate

With their hearts filled with Satan (Acts 5:1-11, Dt 32:15-43)

Who deny the Sovereign Lord they hide from, to do their deeds in darkness

(Isa 29:13-21, Isa 28:9-22, 2Pt Chapter Two)

By carrying out plans that are not mine, declares the Sovereign Lord (Isa 30:1-17)

And by forming alliances but not by my Spirit, declares the Holy Spirit, who is the Lord

Because they are a generation of perverse, unfaithful, obstinate, rebellious

And deceitful children, unwilling to listen to the Lord’s instruction

(Isa 30:1-17, Dt 32:15-43)

Who are the self-seeking Sodom and Gomorrah scoundrel wandering star sinning angels

(Ro 2:4-8, Jude, Isa 32:1-8, 2Pt Chapter Two)

Who oppose Moses to reject the truth and follow evil (Ro 2:4-8, 2Ti 3:1-9)

And they are the godless, ungodly sinners who worship no gods

And worthless detestable idols (Dt 32:15-43, Jude)

That make the Holy Spirit and his chosen High priest jealous and angry

By their foreign gods and worthless detestable idols

These wandering star sinning angel adversaries of the Holy Spirit

Sacrifice to demons, which are not God

And God does not spare wandering star sinning angels (2Pt Chapter Two)

Who are liars to, and enemies of, the Holy Spirit they hate

With their hearts filled with Satan (Acts 5:1-11, Dt 32:15-43)

Who deny the Sovereign Lord they hide from, to do their deeds in darkness

(Isa 29:13-21, Isa 28:9-22, 2Pt Chapter Two)

Who oppose Moses to reject the truth and follow evil (Ro 2:4-8, 2Ti 3:1-9)

And who are the perverse, unfaithful, obstinate, rebellious, deceitful

Sodom and Gomorrah self-seeking scoundrel sinning angel wandering stars

Who are unwilling to listen to the Lord’s instruction

(Isa 30:1-17, Dt 32:15-43, Ro 2:4-8, Jude, Isa 32:1-8, 2Pt Chapter Two)

By carrying out plans that are not mine, declares the Sovereign Lord (Isa 30:1-17)

And by forming alliances but not by my Spirit, declares the Holy Spirit, who is the Lord

Who have abused their power and violated scroll for the sake of their own dishonest gain

By committing felony robbery followed by entrapment, falsehoods, lies and extortion

In an attempt to force their hand of murder on the chosen High Priest, the Holy Spirit

And the fulfillment of the New Covenant and New Order in the Gospel

Because the message they heard was of no value to them

(Jn 8:31-58, Dt 32:15-43, Isa 30:1-17, Heb Chapters 3 and 4, Ps 107)

And because they are nations without sense and discernment what their end will be

(Dt 32:15-43, Rev 21:8, Jude)

For cowardly, unbelieving, vile, murdering, sexually immoral perverts

That are witches who practice magic arts, idolaters and liars (Rev 21:8)

Do not receive the protection of Noah because their condemnation is deserved

They are to be held accountable and responsible for being full awareness

Scripture since infancy sinning angels that God does not spare but sends to hell

Putting them into gloomy dungeons, to be kept in the blackest darkness

Where they will be bound in everlasting chains

Until these ungodly sinning angels are judged, convicted and destroyed

For all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way

And they are paid back with harm for the harm they have done

When these Sodom and Gomorrah self-seeking scoundrel wandering star sinning angels

Finally understand and discern that their end will be what their actions deserve

(Dt 32:15-43 Jn 8:31-58, 2Pt 2:1-4, Jude, Ro 2:5-11, Ro 1:18-32, 1Ti 3:1-9, Titus 1:10-16,

2Co 11:13-15, Isa 32;1-8)

And they serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire (Jude)

On the Great Day of Judgment spoken of in the Book of Jude

Verse One:

(Jude 1-7)

Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James

To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father

And kept by Jesus Christ

Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance

Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you

About the salvation we share

I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith

That was once for all entrusted to the saints

For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago

Have secretly slipped in among you

They are godless men, who change the grace of our God

Into a license for immorality

And deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord

Though you already know all this

I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt

But later destroyed those who did not believe

And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority

But abandoned their own home

These he has kept in darkness

Bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day

In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns

Gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion

They serve as an example of those who suffer

The punishment of eternal fire

(From Jesse’s Spoken Word and Song Versions of:

‘The New Order of Melchizedek V1 Part One’)

For these self-seeking Sodom and Gomorrah scoundrel

Wandering star sinning angels

Are the sexually immoral men who commit adultery

With God Almighty’s bride New Jerusalem

(Jn 3:26-36, Jn 4:7-26, Jn 8:31-58, Jn 1:1-34, 1Jn 2:18-27, 2Pt Chapter Two, The Book of Jude, Rev 21:8, Gal 4:21-31, Mt 14:3-5, Mk 6:17-18, Lk 3:19, Ro 1:18-32, 1Ti 1:8-11, Ge 5:3, Ge 20:12, Heb 11:13-16, Rev Chapters 21 and 22)

By breeding men in the image of men

And by putting aliens and strangers

At the gates of Stephen, Stephanie, Philip and Phillis (Ro 1:18-32, Heb 11:13-16, Ge 5:3)

When Herodias is our Brother Philip’s wife

(Mt 14:3-5, Mk 6:17-18, Lk 3:19, Ro 1:18-32, Ge 20:12, 1Ti 1:8-11, Ge 5:3)

For with eyes full of adultery, these wandering star sinning angels (2Pt Chapter Two, Jude)

Never stop sinning, heaping sin upon sin (2Pt Chapter Two, Isa 30:1-17)

They seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed

An accursed brood!

For although they knew God (Ro 1:18-32)

They neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him

But their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened

Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools

And exchanged the glory of the immortal God

For images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles

Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts

To sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another

They exchanged the truth of God for a lie

And worshiped and served created things

Rather than the Creator, who is forever praised, Amen

For there are many false prophets among the people (2Pt Chapter Two)

Just as there will be false teachers among you

They will secretly introduce destructive heresies

Even denying the Sovereign Lord who bought them

Bringing swift destruction on themselves

Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute

In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up

For they mouth empty, boastful words (2Pt Chapter Two)

And, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature

They entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error

For their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight

And they are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you

And these vile wandering star sinning angels speak abusively

Against whatever they do not understand (Jude)

And what things they do understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals

These are the very things that destroy them

For these vile wandering star sinning angels blaspheme in matters

They do not understand (2Pt Chapter Two)

And they are like brute beasts, and creatures of instinct

Born only to be caught and destroyed, and like beasts they too will perish

And they will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done

For their condemnation has long been hanging over them

And their destruction has not been sleeping

For God does not spare wandering star sinning angels

But sends them to hell

Putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment

And these wandering star sinning angels are like springs without water

And mists driven by a storm

For whom the blackest darkness is reserved for them

(Song Chorus)

Verse Two:

(Jude 11-25)

Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain

They have rushed for profit into Balaam's error

They have been destroyed in Korah's rebellion

These men are blemishes at your love feasts

Eating with you without the slightest qualm

Shepherds who feed only themselves

They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind

Autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted-twice dead

They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame

Wandering stars

For whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever

Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men

"See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands

Of his holy ones

To judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly

Of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way

And of every abusive, dirty word they have spewed out of their pious filth

(Message Version of Jude)

That these ungodly sinners have spoken against him."

These men are grumblers and faultfinders

They follow their own evil desires

They boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage

But, dear friends, remember what the apostles

Of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold

They said to you, "In the last times there will be scoffers

Who will follow their own ungodly desires”

These are the men who divide you

Who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit

But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith

And pray in the Holy Spirit

Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy

Of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life

Be merciful to those who doubt

Snatch others from the fire and save them

To others show mercy, mixed with fear

Hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh

To him who is able to keep you from falling

And to present you before his glorious presence

Without fault and with great joy

To the only God our Savior

Be glory, majesty, power and authority

Through Jesus Christ our Lord

Before all ages, now and forevermore!

Amen

(From Jesse’s Spoken Word and Song Versions of:

‘The New Order of Melchizedek V1 Part One’)

And the archangel Michael (Jude)

When he is disputing with devils and demons about the body of Moses

Saying "The Lord rebuke you!"

Does not need to bring slanderous accusations against them

He will simply read scripture to devils, demons, Lucifer and Satan

(Mic 1:6-7)

"Therefore I will make Samaria a heap of rubble

A place for planting vineyards

I will pour her stones into the valley and lay bare her foundations

All her idols will be broken to pieces

All her temple gifts will be burned with fire

I will destroy all her images

Since she gathered her gifts from the wages of prostitutes

As the wages of prostitutes they will again be used"

And there will be a war in heaven (Rev 12:7-10)

Michael and his angels from the Order of Melchizedek, will fight against the dragon

And if the dragon and his angels fight back, they will not be strong enough

To fight against both the Holy Spirit they lied with their hearts filled with Satan

(Acts 5:1-11)

And the thousands upon thousands of Holy Ones from the armies of Heaven Above

From the order of Melchizedek

(Jude, Rev 19:11-21)

And they will lose their place in heaven (Rev 12:7-10)

And the great dragon will be hurled down

That ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray

He will be hurled to the earth, and his angels with him

Then a loud voice in heaven will say:

"Now have come the salvation and the power, and the kingdom of our God

And the authority of his Christ

For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night

Has been hurled down”

And they will be slaughtered and swept away by a broom of destruction (Isa 14:1-23)

When fire will comes down from Heaven Above and devours them (Rev 20:9-10)

And the devil, who deceived them, will be thrown into the lake of burning sulfur

Where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown

And they will be tormented day and night, for ever and ever

(Song Chorus)

Verse Three

(Isa 30:1-18)

Woe to the obstinate children, declares the Lord

To those who carry out plans that are not mine

Forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit

Heaping sin upon sin

Who go down to Egypt without consulting me

Who look for help to Pharaoh's protection, to Egypt's shade for refuge

But Pharaoh's protection will be to your shame

Egypt's shade will bring you disgrace

Though they have officials in Zoan, and their envoys have arrived in Hanes

Everyone will be put to shame because of a people useless to them

Who bring neither help nor advantage, but only shame and disgrace

An oracle concerning the animals of the Negev:

Through a land of hardship and distress

Of lions and lionesses, of adders and darting snakes

The envoys carry their riches on donkeys' backs

Their treasures on the humps of camels, to that unprofitable nation

To Egypt, whose help is utterly useless

Therefore I call her Rahab the Do-Nothing

Go now, write it on a tablet for them, inscribe it on a scroll

That for the days to come it may be an everlasting witness

These are rebellious people, deceitful children

Children unwilling to listen to the Lord’s instruction

They say to the seers, "See no more visions!"

And to the prophets, "Give us no more visions of what is right!

Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions

Leave this way, get off this path, and stop confronting us with the Holy One of Israel!"

Therefore, this is what the Holy One of Israel says:

"Because you have rejected this message, relied on oppression and depended on deceit

This sin will become for you like a high wall, cracked and bulging

That collapses suddenly, in an instant

It will break in pieces like pottery

Shattered so mercilessly that among its pieces not a fragment will be found

For taking coals from a hearth or scooping water out of a cistern"

This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says:

"In repentance and rest is your salvation

In quietness and trust is your strength

But you would have none of it

You said, 'No, we will flee on horses'

Therefore you will flee!

You said, 'We will ride off on swift horses.'

Therefore your pursuers will be swift!

A thousand will flee at the threat of one

At the threat of five you will all flee away

Till you are left like a flagstaff on a mountaintop, like a banner on a hill"

Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion

For the Lord is a God of justice, blessed are all who wait for him!

(Isa 28:14-22)

“Therefore, hear the word of the Lord you scoffers

Who rule this people in Jerusalem

You boast, ‘We have entered into a covenant with death

With the grave we have made an agreement

When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by us, it cannot touch us

For we have made a lie our refuge, and falsehood our hiding place’

So this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone

A precious cornerstone for a sure foundation

The one who trusts will never be dismayed

I will make justice the measuring line, and righteousness the plumb line

Hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie

And water will overflow your hiding place

Your covenant will death will be annulled

And your agreement with the grave will not stand

When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by, you will be beaten down by it

As often as it comes it will carry you away

Morning after morning, by day and by night, it will sweep through”

The understanding of this message will bring sheer terror

The bed is too short for you to stretch out on

The blanket too narrow to wrap around you

The Lord will rise up as he did at Mount Perazim

He will rouse himself as in the Valley of Gibeon

To do his work, his strange work

And perform his task, his alien task

Now stop your mocking, or your chains will become heavier

The Lord, the Lord Almighty, has told me

Of the destruction decreed against the whole land

(Song Chorus)

Verse Four:

(Ro 1:18-32)

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven

Against all the godlessness and wickedness

Of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness

Since what may be known about God is plain to them

Because God has made it plain to them

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities

His eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen

Being understood from what has been made

So that men are without excuse

For although they knew God

They neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him

But their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened

Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools

And exchanged the glory of the immortal God

For images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles

Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts

To sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another

They exchanged the truth of God for a lie

And worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator

Who is forever praised, Amen

Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts

Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones

In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women

And were inflamed with lust for one another

Men committed indecent acts with other men

And received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion

Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile

To retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind

To do what ought not to be done

They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity

They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice

They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful

They invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents

They are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless

Although they know God's righteous decree

That those who do such things deserve death

They not only continue to do these very things

But also approve of those who practice them”

(Ro 2:4-8)

And these godless wicked men who suppress the truth by their wickedness (Ro 1:18)

Show contempt for the riches of God Almighty’s kindness

Tolerance and patience

Not realizing that God’s kindness leads them toward repentance

But because of their stubbornness and their unrepentant heart

They are storing up wrath against themselves for the day of God’s wrath

When God Almighty’s righteous judgments are revealed

For God "will give to each person according to what he has done"

To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality

He will give eternal life

But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil

There will be wrath and anger

(2Ti 3:1-9)

And these wandering star sinning angels are the lovers of themselves

The lovers of money, who are boastful, proud, abusive, and disobedient to their parents

The ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, and the slanderous

Those without self-control, who accuse and mock celestial beings

The brutal men who are not lovers of the good, but treacherous, rash, and conceited

The lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God

Having a form of godliness but denying its power

And we will have nothing to do with them

For they are the kind who worm their way into homes

And gain control over weak-willed women

Who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires

Always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth

Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses

So also these men oppose the truth, for they are men of depraved minds

Who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected

But they will not get very far because, as in the case of these men

Their folly will be clear to everyone, they are merely demons

(Titus 1:10-16)

For there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers

Especially those of the circumcision group

They must be silenced, because they are ruining whole households

By teaching things they ought not to teach, and that for the sake of dishonest gain

It was one of themselves, one of their own prophets, who said

Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, and lazy gluttons

This testimony is true

Therefore, rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith

And will pay no attention to Jewish myths

Or to the commands of those who reject the truth

For to the pure, all things are pure

But to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure

In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted

They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him

They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good

(Song Chorus)

Verse Five:

(From Jesse’s Spoken Word and Song Versions of:

‘The New Order of Melchizedek V1 Part One’)

For Jesus is the Lord, and Jesus is the Christ

(Lk 9:18-20, Mt 16:13-16, Mk 8:27-29, 1Jn 2:22, Ro 10: 6-9, 1Co 3:21-22)

Not an idol image of God’s Word in an accusing conscience or condemning heart

And we do not need the scorching sun of an accusing conscience to be our guide

(2Th 2:4, Rev 13:11-18, Rev 12:1-12, Rev 16:13-14, Rev 17:8-11, 2Co 11:13-15, Ex 6:2-4)

For we will muzzle the ox when we are treading out the grain

And we do not need the moon of a condemning heart

(2Th 2:4, Rev 13:11-18, Rev 12:1-12, Rev 16:13-14, Rev 17:8-11, 2Co 11:13-15, Ex 6:2-4)

Keeping our people in the darkness of the Sea of Galilee (Mt 3:15-16)

For no longer will a tent be spread over our people (Rev 17:13-17, 2Pt 1: 13-14)

Keeping them in the old kingdom of heaven and earth

(Mt 16:13-23, Mt 19:28, Rev Chapter 4, Rev 17:13-17, 2Pt 1: 13-14, Rev Chapters 21 & 22)

And we will get back our keys and deposit (Rev 15:7, Rev 17:14, Rev 19:11-21)

They will be reclaimed as God Almighty’s possession (Eph 1:14)

For the first heaven and the first earth will pass away

And there will no longer be any sea (Rev Chapters 21 and 22, 2Pe 3:13)

For New Jerusalem will not have the sun or the moon to shine upon it

For the glory of God will provide the light

And there will be a New Heaven, a New Earth and a New Jerusalem

And the Lamb, that is the Word of God, will be its lamp

For there will be no temple in the city

Because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb will be the temple

(Rev Chapters 21 & 22, 2Th 2:4, Rev 16:13-14, Rev 17:8-11, Rev 19:11-21)

And not the jealous idol image son of man lord of the Sabbath eighth king

(2Th 2:4, Ex 6:2-4, Rev 17:8-11, Rev 20:9-10, 2Co 11:13-15, Rev 13:11-18,

Rev 16:13-14, Rev 17:14, Rev 19:11-21, Rev 21:22-26, Mt 12:1-32, Mk 2:23-27, Lk 6:1-11)

And that eighth king devil Canaan lord gog frog will return to the seven kings

When he goes to his destruction in the book of Revelation (Rev 17:8-11)

For Noah was a man of the soil and curses that devil Canaan gog frog (Ge 9:20-27)

And John speaks from the earth below and confesses he is not the Christ (Jn 3:27-36)

And it is God who is the heir of all things (Heb 1:1-5, 1Co 3:11, 1Co 3:21-23)

For God Almighty is the heir of the righteousness that comes by faith, not Noah

And God Almighty is the heir of the world, not Abraham

And that eighth day Canaan son of man lord of the Sabbath

(2Th 2:4, Ex 6:2-4, Rev 17:8-11, Rev 20:9-10, 2Co 11:13-15, Rev 13:11-18,

Rev 16:13-14, Rev 17:14, Rev 19:11-21, Rev 21:22-26, Mt 12:1-32, Mk 2:23-27, Lk 6:1-11))

Who is the El-Shaddai copycat gog frog identity thief of God Almighty’s name

And who is merely a shadow, copy and image of the word of God

(Footnote Ex 6:2-4, and 2Th 2:4, Rev 17:8-11, Heb 8:1-13, Heb 10:1-7)

And who is an idol of jealousy that gives us statutes that are not good

And laws we cannot live by (Eze 8:3-5, Eze 20:25)

Will no longer enter the House of the Holy One of Israel who is God Almighty

To accuse our brothers and sisters before our God day and night (Rev 12:10)

For the Sovereign Lord says the gate is to remain shut

Upon this jealous idol image of the beast in the House of Israel (Eze 44:2)

It must not be opened; and no one may enter through it

It is to remain shut because that accusing Ishmaelite slave son of Hagar El-Shaddai

Who is the eighth king devil lord son of man gog frog of Israel has entered through it

Who mocks, slanders, accuses and persecutes the free Son of God (Gal 4:21-31)

That is born by the power of the Spirit from our mother Jerusalem above

And who is greater than any jealous idol son of man images of the Word of God in Israel

For only the Holy One of Israel is the Son of God, you who are and who were (Rev 16:5)

And the jealous idol son of man lord of the Sabbath eighth king devil El-Shaddai

(2Th 2:4, Ex 6:2-4, Rev 17:8-11, Rev 20:9-10, 2Co 11:13-15, Rev 13:11-18,

Rev 16:13-14, Rev 17:14, Rev 19:11-21, Rev 21:22-26, Mt 12:1-32, Mk 2:23-27, Lk 6:1-11)

Is a confessed identity thief of God Almighty’s name (Footnote Ex 6:2-4)

And archers will attack, will shoot, will remain and will stay (Footnote Ge 49:22-24)

Until wild donkey accusing Ishmaelites (Footnote Ge 49:22, and Gal 4;21-31, Ge 21:9-10)

Return back to the city of God like Enoch (Heb 11:13-16, Heb 11:5, Jude 1:14, Ge 5:24)

And you godless, ungodly sinners from the synagogue of Satan (Jude, Rev 3:9)

Are the unfaithful Levites who go far away from the Sovereign Lord

And wander after your idols of jealousy by making laws we cannot live by

And statures that are not good (Eze 44:10, Eze 8:3-5, Eze 20:25, Eze 44:2 )

Who bow down at incense altars with your detestable offerings

That you sacrifice to your idols of Canaan (Ps 106:37-39)

And the Sovereign Lord says:

“The Levites who went far away from me when Israel went astray (Exe 44:10)

And who wandered from me after their idols

Must bear the consequences of their sin”

“Because they served them in the presence of their idols (Eze 44:12-14)

And made the house of Israel fall into sin

Therefore I have sworn with uplifted hand

They must bear the consequences of their sin

Declares the Sovereign Lord

They are not to come near to serve me as priests

Or come near any of my holy things, or my most holy offerings

They must bear the shame of their detestable practices”

(Song Chorus)

Verse Six:

(From Jesse’s Spoken Word and Song Versions of:

‘The One From Heaven Above Is Above All’)

The scroll clearly says that Jacob himself curses both Levi and Simeon (Ge 49:5-7 NIV)

He says they are two of a kind (Ge 49:5-7 NLT Version)

Equally headstrong, deceitful, vindictive and cruel (Ge 49:5-7 AMP Version)

They are men of violence and injustice (Ge 49:5-7 TLB Version)

Both carrying out their malicious plans (Ge 49:5-7 ‘New Jerusalem’ Version)

That are secret designs of deceit and force (Ge 49:5-7 BBE Version)

Describing their swords as weapons of violence (Ge 49:5-7 NIV)

Their knives as vicious weapons (Gen 49:5-7 HCSB Version)

That are instruments of cruelty in their dwelling place (Ge 49:5-7 NKJV)

They use as weapons to commit violence (Ge 49:5-7 TEV)

Therefore Jacob declares he will take no part in their secret designs of deceit and violence

(Ge 49:5-7 BBE Version)

And that his soul will not enter their council (Ge 49:5-7 ‘New Jerusalem’ Version)

Nor his heart join their company

Nor his honor be united with headstrong, deceitful, vindictive and cruel men

(Ge 49:5-7 Webster Version, Ge 49:5-7 AMP Version)

For he will never join their secret talks, or ever meet with them to plan evil

(Ge 49:5-7 NCV)

Pronouncing O my soul stay away from them (Ge 49:5-7 TLB Version)

For Jacob makes it clear he will never join the company of malicious wicked men

Whose secret designs are deceit, force, violence and injustice

(Ge 49:5-7 TLB Version, Ge 49:5-7 ‘New Jerusalem’ Version, Ge 49:5-7 BBE Version)

For he does not want anything to do with their vendettas (Ge 49:5-7 ‘The Message’ Version)

And will take no part in their bitter feuds

For in their anger they murdered men (Ge 49:5-7 NLT Version)

And they crippled oxen just for sport

Then in fits of temper they slashed those same oxen on a whim

(Ge 49:5-7 ‘The Message’ Version)

And for dishonest gain ransomed their slain souls

Under an altar that their selfwill digged down a wall

(Ge 49:5-7 KJV, Rev 6:9-11, Titus 1:1-10)

Therefore Jacob curses their uncontrolled anger (Ge 49:5-7 ‘The Message’ Version)

And their indiscriminate wrath

He curses their anger so fierce it was violent, and their rage so furious it was cruel

(Ge 49:5-7 NIV and Ge 49:5-7 Darby Version)

Proclaiming their heritage in Jacob will be broken up (Ge 49:5-7 BBE Version)

And he will drive them from their places in Israel

Ultimately deciding to throw them out with the trash (Ge 49:5-7 ‘The Message’ Version)

And shred and scatter them like confetti throughout Israel

“In that day, the Lord will punish with his sword (Isa 27:1)

His fierce, great and powerful sword

Leviathan the gliding serpent

Leviathan the coiling serpent; he will slay the monster of the sea”

For the covenant of circumcision is null and void

It was never made by the authentic God Almighty (Footnote Ge 17:1 and Ex 6:2-4)

But by the identity thief of God Almighty’s name that is the El-Shaddai copycat image idol

And our people are given rest from accusing slave son Ishmaelites (Heb 4:4, Gal 4:21-31)

When we reclaim the salvation and the power (Rev 12:10)

And the kingdom of our God

And the authority of his Christ

On the day we reclaim God Almighty’s throne, and our faithful good Lord’s name

From the beast of the earth and his false prophet John (Rev 19:10, Rev 22:8-9)

For Sabbath eighth day son of man jealous idol image lords

(2Th 2:4, Ex 6:2-4, Rev 17:8-11, Rev 20:9-10, 2Co 11:13-15, Rev 13:11-18,

Rev 16:13-14, Rev 17:14, Rev 19:11-21, Rev 21:22-26, Mt 12:1-32, Mk 2:23-27, Lk 6:1-11)

Will no longer circumcise John as a ransomed lamb

(Rev 1:17, Gal 5:2-6, Gal 6:11-18, Titus 1:10-16)

And John will be freed from his sins (Rev 1:5)

For we will no longer put aside the wrath of God

(Gospel Footnotes: 1Jn 2:2, 1Jn 4:10, Ro 3:25, Heb 2:17 and Rev 15:7, Rev 16:1,

Ro 2:4-11, Ro 1;18-25)

For it is God over all that is forever praised (Ro 1:25 and footnote Ro 9:5)

You who are and who were, the Holy One (Rev 16:5)

Not the beast who once was, now is not and yet will come (Rev 17:8-11)

Out of the Abyss and go to his destruction

And it is God Almighty who is the Alpha and Omega

The Beginning and the End

The First and the Last

The Holy One of Israel who is, who was, and who is to come

(Rev 1:8, Rev 12:10, Rev 16:5, Rev 21:6 and Rev 22:13)

And the Lamb will be victorious (Rev 17:14, Rev 19:11-21)

For the Lamb is the new creation of the Word of God (Rev 21 5-7, Gal 6:11-18)

And he is the Lord of lords, and the King of kings (Rev 17:14, Rev 19:11-21)

And with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers

(Song Chorus)

Verse Seven:

(From Jesse’s Spoken Word and Song Versions of: ‘The Vengeance Kept in Reserve’)

And this is what the Sovereign Lord says (Dt 32:15-43)

To these godless ungodly sinning men who worship a no god (Dt 32:21, Jude)

Who make the Spirit who is the Lord jealous by their not god, non-god, no god

(Dt 32:21, 2Co 3:17, Isa 11)

And who anger the Holy Ghost who is the Lord with their worthless, detestable idols

(Dt 32:21, 2Co 3:17, Isa 11)

That they sacrifice to demons, which are not God (Dt 32:16-17)

Have I not kept this in reserve and sealed it in my vaults?

It is mine to avenge; I will repay

In due time the devils foot will slip; their day of disaster is near

And their doom rushes upon them

I will make justice the measuring line, and righteousness the plumb line (Isa 28:9-22)

And hail will sweep away the devils refuge and lies

And water will overflow their hiding place

Their covenant with death will be annulled

Their agreement with the grave will not stand

When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by

The devils will be beaten down by it

As often as it comes it will sweep the devils away

For morning after morning, by day and by night

It will sweep on through the synagogue of Satan

And the understanding of this message will bring sheer terror

To the devil enemy leaders who made a lie their refuge

And falsehood their hiding place that are staying there

For this is what the Sovereign Lord says (Dt 32:15-43)

To the detestable, disobedient, unfit for doing anything good (Titus 1:10-16)

Do nothing, useless devils

Whose only work has been to bring the way of truth into disrepute (2Pt 2:1-4)

With their shameful ways and their minds always busy doing evil (2Pt 2:1-4, Isa 32:1-8)

Who practice ungodliness, and spread error concerning the Lord

Who are the false teachers secretly introducing destructive heresies

Even denying the Sovereign Lord who bought them

Bringing swift destruction upon themselves

Who in their greed have exploited our people with foreign gods

And stories they have made up

Who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality (Jude)

And deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord

Who lie to the Holy Spirit the God of Gods and Lord of Lords (Acts 5:1-11)

With their hearts filled with Satan

Who are the godless, ungodly sinning men who worship no gods (Dt 32:15-43)

And make Christ a detestable idol muffin

They sacrifice to demons and witches that are not God

And their condemnation has long been hanging over them (2Pt 2:1-4)

And their destruction has not been sleeping

For God does not spare angels when they sin

But sends them to hell, putting them in gloomy dungeons

To be held for judgment

Therefore this is what the Holy Spirit who is the Sovereign Lord says (Dt 32:15-43)

See now that I myself am He! There is no god besides me

I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal

And no one can deliver out of my hand

I lift my hand to heaven and declare: As surely as I live forever

When I sharpen my flashing sword and my hand grasps it in judgment

I will take vengeance on my adversaries and repay those who hate me

I will make my arrows drunk with blood, while my sword devours flesh

And I will avenge the blood of the souls of my servants under the altar slain

(Revelation, Dt 32:15-43)

Because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained

Who call out in a loud voice to the Sovereign Lord’s name

And I will take vengeance upon the murderers since the beginning of time

Who worship the father of lies, worthless idols and a no god (Jn 8:31-58, Dt 32:15-43)

Who lie to the Holy Spirit, men, and God Almighty with their hearts filled with Satan

(Acts 5:1-11, Isa 14:1-23)

And these sinning angels will be put in gloomy dungeons of darkness (Jude)

And bound with everlasting chains

To then serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire

Until I blot out these sinning angels from the memory of mankind (Dt 32:15-43, 2Pt 2:1-4)

And have the heads of their enemy leaders with a sharpened flashing sword

Therefore, rejoice, O nations, with his people

For the Sovereign Lord will avenge the blood of his servants

He will take vengeance on his enemies

And make atonement for his land and people

(Full Extended Song Chorus)

I am a New Order, New Age and New Covenant Gospel Rock and Roller preaching the Gospel to the world in the tradition of Dylan and Springsteen. My songs and spoken words metaphorically interpret the Bible and book of Revelation, helping to shine a light upon Bob Dylan’s lyrical clues. I serve the Spirit of the Lord, and dedicate my eternal Star to serving my King the Holy Spirit of Truth (Isaiah chapter 11 and 2 Corinthians 3:17) and proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor the day of the Vengeance of our God, and the New Covenant and New Order (Luke 4:18-19, Isaiah chapter 61, 2 Corinthians 6:1-2, Jeremiah 31:31-34, Hebrews 8:7-13) by measuring the temple, unsealing the scroll in the book of Revelation and preaching the true metaphoric interpretation of the Gospel to the world inspired by Mt 13:35 and Ps 78:2 that states “I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world." Visit my home pages to view my complete lyrics, Gospel references, notes and sketches. Thank-you to all my friends who listen to my songs and spoken words, and read my notes. Your friend and brother, Leslie aka Jesse Hughes

Revelation Timeline references include:

God Almighty and Son of God Revelation timeline references: Rev 1:8, Rev 12:10, Rev 16:5, Rev 21:6 and Rev 22:13.

John and Son of Man Revelation timeline references: Rev 1:4, Rev 1:17, Rev 4:8, Rev 11:17, Rev 17:8, Rev 17:11, Rev 19:10, Rev 22:8-9

Significant Gospel references:

2Co 3:17 “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom”

Gal 5:14 “The entire law is summed in a single command “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Ro 10:1-13, 1Jn 2:18-27, 1Co 8:4-6, 2Co 3:17-18 Jesus is the Lord and Jesus is the Christ, and the Holy Spirit is the Lord

Acts 13:20-23 Saul’s kingdom removed

Ro 1:18-25 The wicked men who suppress the truth

Mt 16:23, Mk 8:33 Jesus rebukes Peter and says “Get behind me, Satan!”

Isa 32:1-8, 2Pt 2:1-4 Scoundrels no longer respected who bring the way of truth into disrepute and spread error concerning our Lord

Jn 8:31-58 children of the devil and father of lies

2Co 11:13-15 Satan masquerades as an angel of light

Acts 4:36-5:1-11 Joseph’s property stolen by the devil and liar to the Holy Spirit

Acts 23:1-3 Paul struck down by a whitewashed wall

Ge 41:41-43 Joseph rides a chariot in front of Pharaoh

Ge 42:24 Simeon bound

Ge 42:36, Ge 44:2, Ge 47:21, Ge 46:4, Ex 6:2-4, Jacob and Benjamin deceived

Acts 12: 1-3 James slain and Peter seized

Mt 14:1-12, Mk 6:14-29, Lk 3:19-20 John beheaded

Acts 8:30-31, 2Ti 3:15, Philip’s who never had Bible since infancy

Acts 22:12, Ro 2:13 Devout observers and those who obey the law

2Ti 3:8 Jannes and Jambres oppose Moses and the truth

Ge 9:25, Ex 6:2-4 Noah curses Canaan

Deut 32:15-43, 1Co 10:1-5, Heb 3:1 to 4:16, Heb 11:13-16 God displeased with the disobedient images of God’s word in the human ancestry of Christ that do not return like Enoch to the city of God

The Books of Romans, Galatians, Jude, 2Pe 2:1-4, Titus 1:10-16, Isa 14:1-23

Further Gospel References: Ezekiel Chapters 29-32, Isaiah Chapters 11, 14, 28, 44 and 61, Jeremiah Chapter 46, and Jer 31:31-34, Heb 8:7-13, Rev 6:1-9, Rev 6:9-11, Rev 7:2-8, Rev 7:13-17, Rev 12:1-12, Rev 13, Mt 19:28, Rev 4 & 5, Rev 16:4-16, Rev 17:1-18, Rev 19:11-21 Rev 21 & 22, Dt 32:15-17, Jn 16:5-15, Lk 10:18, Mt 16:23, Mk 8:33, Mt 24:27, Lk 17:22-24, Rev 4:5, Rev 19:10, Rev 22:8-9, 2Th 2:4, Rev 15:7 to Rev 16:16, Rev 12:1 to Rev 13:18, Mt 14:1-12, Mk 6:14-12, Lk 3:19-20, Heb 3:1 to Heb 5:10, Heb 9:9-10, Zec chapter 3, Heb 8:7-13, Jer 31:31-34, Heb 10:15-18, Gal 5:14, 2Co chapter 3, the book of Jude, Tit 1:10-16, 2Pe chapter 2, Mt chapter 23, Heb 11:13-16, Ex 6:2-4, Jn 3:27-31, Jn chapter 1, 2Cor 4:4, Col 1:15, 1Co 11:3, Ro 1:18-23, Ro 10:6-9, Ro 9:5, Acts 23:1-3, Acts 24:24, Acts 5:1-10, Isa 14:3-23, 2Co 11:13-15, 1Sa 8:4-18, Isa 28:9-22, Mk 7:1-23, Ro 14:1-4, Col 2:8-23, 1Ti 4:1-7, Mt 21:24-27, Mk 11:27-33, Lk 20:1-8, Phm1:1, Phm 1:9, Phm 1:23, Acts 8:29-31, Jn 14:8-16, 1Jn 2:22-27, 2Co 3:17, Lk 4:19, 2Co 6:2, Lk 20:41-47, Mt 22:41-46, Mk 12:35-37, Gal 3:16-20, Jn 8:31-58, Rev 3:9, Ro 2:17-29, Heb 10:1-9, Heb chapter 7, Gal 5:2-14, Acts 13:20-23 and most importantly by the Holy Spirit 2Co 3:17 “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom”, and as Gal 5:14 says “The entire law is summed in a single command “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

(Please note also that a Jew and Israelite in a metaphoric interpretation of the Gospel is not a person of Jewish heritage, it is a metaphor for a part of all of us that is a Jew within and another part of us that is a Gentile within -see Romans 2:28-29- and how these two parts become one in Ephesians 2:14-22, Ezekiel 37:15-17 and Romans 3:27-31, also how there are those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars- see Revelations 3:9)

Here are some links to my songs, complete lyrics, Gospel references, notes and sketches:

http://www.facebook.com/rootofjessesongs

http://www.facebook.com/jesserootof

https://www.soundcloud.com/rootofjesse

https://twitter.com/JesseRootof

rootofjesse.tumblr.com

http://www.myspace.com/jessesongproductions

www.pinterest.com/JesseRootof

https://goo.gl/K98kcr

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dailyaudiobible · 5 years

Text

09/12/2019 DAB Transcript

Isaiah 10:1-11:16, 2 Corinthians 12:11-21, Psalms 56:1-13, Proverbs 23:6-8

Today is the 12th day of September. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. It is great to be here with you today. Ah…busy, busy, busy. Let's take a deep breath and let’s just blow it out. I’m coming in here. I'm doing it with you. We’re just coming in here around the global campfire, it’s crackling and we’re here together and it's warm and it's serene and peaceful. And like yesterday, we were talking about casting our cares on the Lord. So, we release those things, we let them go and we center ourselves and allow God's word to take the focus of our attention right now. As we say all the time, whatever it is we were doing, whatever it is we needed to step away from, or whatever it is we gotta do today or whatever it is that’s happening, it'll still be there. It's just interesting how walking back into life after letting God's word wash into our hearts changes the way that we look at things, which is such…such the beauty of the Scriptures. So, we’re reading from the English Standard Version this week. And today, Isaiah chapter 10 and 11.

Commentary:

Okay. So, when we started the book of Isaiah a few days ago we talked about how it's one of the most quoted…it’s one of the most quoted books in the new testament…okay…let me say this again…it’s one of the most quoted Old Testament books in the New Testament, and this is largely because Isaiah gives clear prophetic promises of a coming deliverer or a Messiah. And, so, the writers of the New Testament reveal Jesus as this…as the promised Savior, in part, by showing the ways that he fulfills prophecies, which is the centerpiece, one of the main reasons or intentions of the gospel of Matthew. So, we just read today, we just read in the book of Isaiah some of those prophecies that allude to this coming Messiah that refer to Jesus, but we just read through it and did you catch it? Like, write? We can move right by it and be like, “What? How does this…? Like how does what we read today have anything to do with Jesus? How did these connections made by the New Testament writers? Like, how is it that Jesus even became a contender?” So, we see some of that today. So, we began reading from Isaiah chapter 10 and we read, “woe to those who do decree iniquitous decrees and the writers who keep writing oppression to turn aside the needy from justice and to rob the poor of my people of their right, that widows may be there spoil and that they may make the fatherless their prey.” Okay, so essentially Isaiah is naming a pattern that had been happening long before Isaiah and continues all the way until today, right? So, this this pattern of justice and the denying of justice and the taking advantage of people so that certain people, certain parts of society feel marginalized, suppressed, oppressed. And this was for sure going on when Jesus was around because this is who Jesus went to to do his ministry, but the hope that is found in the prophetic writings was that one day a redeemer would come and make things right. So, in our reading today, Isaiah foretold the Assyrian invasion of the northern kingdom, which we read all of this, which happened and would carry away 10 of the 12 tribes of Israel and then threaten Jerusalem. And like I said, we read the stories, so we know that it happened. And we also know that the Babylonian empire conquered the remaining southern kingdom of Judah. But what Isaiah foretold was that all would not be lost, right? So, Isaiah says, “in that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no more, lean on him who struck them but will lean on the Lord, the holy one of Israel in truth. A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob to the mighty God. Okay, so the Hebrew people, the Jewish people in the first century, which is the time of Jesus. Those people were the descendants of this foretold remnant. So, the prophecy had become a reality, but the problem was they were back in their homeland after exile, but it wasn't there land. In the first century at the time of Jesus the land was controlled by the Roman empire. Actually, it was considered a part of the Roman Empire, the province of Syria. And, so, the Hebrew people who were back in the land that was promised to them were back in the land, but it was not their land and they were being marginalized and they were experiencing the oppression and the injustice that Isaiah and written about and they were longing for a redeemer. They were longing for the land to be restored to them under their control. So, when we read Isaiah's prophecies as it relates to Jesus, now we can kinda see where they're coming from. We can see why they were expecting a redeemer and for that matter, how they were looking at what this person would be like because Isaiah gives a description. “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit and the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord and his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see or decide disputes by what his ears here” and that is very true of Jesus, “but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth, and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist and faithfulness the belt of his loins”. So, there's a description of this redeemer that is foretold to come. And, so, people are looking for this Redeemer because there's a description and we can see that Jesus fit this criteria. So, in the first century, when Jesus was performing his ministry whether or not he was the foretold Messiah was a topic of discussion about and among the people that were hearing him mostly because these prophecies were known, they were woven into the culture. So, then later the New Testament writers would use the Old Testament prophets extensively...extensively using the book of Isaiah that we’re reading to further reveal what people had missed…a redeemer did come. And then God's work of restoring all things was absolutely at work in the world through Jesus. And, so, that's, in part, how we get from here to there.

Prayer:

Father, we love You and we love Your word and we love the many facets of Your word and we love what it does to us and how things come clear in our lives, like how, like yesterday, how it became clear that we have to collaborate if we want to cast our burdens on You, we have to do that, we have to let them go and that snaps things clear in our lives. And then in the book of Isaiah today, we begin to see how the dots connected between old and New Testament and it snaps those kinds of things clear for us. So, we thank You for…for how You are removing the veil so that we can see clearly. Come Holy Spirit we pray. In the name of Jesus, we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is the website, it is home base, it is where you find out what's going on around here and there's something going on around here today to talk about and I'm excited because it's exciting when we get to a day to talk about something that's been being worked on for a long time.

A good portion of this year we’ve been kinda working forward towards this and this was all revealed that the Daily Audio Bible Family Reunion a couple weeks ago but…so last week we talked about our new journal 2.0's. Those came in and we’re excited about those and the steeped coffee, the portable coffee solution for the Windfarm brand of coffee. Finally found a solution to keep its fresh so we can have a fresh coffee experience even if we’re traveling or on the go or are not in a place we can make a nice cup of coffee. So, those were last week.

And now I want to talk to you about the Global Campfire. And you might be like, “well, you say that all the time, that’s our community, right? Like…that's what we kinda…that’s what we do every day is come around the global campfire.” That's all true. And the idea for the Global Campfire is one of those things that just sort of happened like in the day by day flow of things…just sort of happened one day a couple years ago. I'm just reading the Daily Audio Bible and talking and…and it…I just saw this giant bonfire in my mind, and I saw us from all angles kinda coming in out of the dark into the light into the fire glow where we could just kind of sit around this campfire together and allow God's word to speak. It just became this metaphor for what we do every day and the rhythm of what we do every day and the community aspect of what we do every day and the prayers that we pray for one another and the ways that we reach out in the heart and mind and yeah…it’s just the community experience of the Daily Audio Bible. So, we’ve been kinda calling it that for a while. We had the Global Campfire initiative that we did a couple years ago to help launch this new app and this new experience that will ever…ever grow forward. So, for example, like the new Hotline button, there’s a lot of development and that's part of part of creating community around the rhythm of the Scriptures. So, anyway, here's where things start to converge. Yeah know, we’ve had resources in the Daily Audio Bible Shop since we’ve had a Daily Audio Bible Shop but earlier this year, I was looking at all that going, “Okay. We really haven't even tended this garden for several years now. What resources would we put in here that would be like lifestyle kinds of resources, the kinds of things that you have because they remind you of something because they make you feel close to something or because they say something that you agree with and that you want to be reminded of, like those kinds of things, what could we do? And, so, first had to start with, “well, what would that even look like?” And, so, we went into design mode and kind of looked at our Daily Audio Bible marks, our logo and etc. And, so, we created a global campfire logo that represents the community aspect of what we do here. And then we began creating those kinds of pieces, those kinds of things that we use, but then when we use them, they can remind us that we’re not alone and can be that constant reminder. And, so, we got about the business of creating some items like that and they are now in the Daily Audio Bible shop. There's a whole Global Campfire section in the Daily Audio Bible shop now where you can see these. And I don't spend a ton of time trying to unpack every single one of those items. There’s a dozen of these items that we kind of considered. All of these things can be used in this way - as a reminder of our journey through the Bible, as a reminder that we’re not on this journey alone, and as an invitation to those who are feeling very alone in this world. And, so, we’ve created these and I’ll try to unpack a few of them each day for the next couple of days but I just wanted you know they're all available and I think I only have one item to highlight today and I would expect this particular item of all the items to probably not be in stock by tomorrow. And, so, I have five words to describe this - Klean Canteen Global Campfire edition. So, we have brand-new Klean Canteen's in stock. Currently the very brand-new ones. So, they have this new lid on them that as a little carrier, you can clip it to things, I’ve been using it for a little bit. Believe it or not, I had my perfect fire engine red Daily Audio Bible Klean Canteen, I had that for…well…since the first edition of the red one, so a couple years and I lost it…I left it somewhere and I’m pretty…pretty careful about my Klean Canteen. And, you know, I was without…like so many of you are like, “there’s only so many of them…we just keep trying to get them.” I was without my Klean Canteen for a couple of months knowing that these would be coming in and they are in now. And, so, the brand-new ones, they have a little bit of a different lid, which is an improvement and they will keep your coffee hot all day long. At least they keep my coffee or tea, which I drink several days a week warm all day. So, I’m sipping a hot coffee all day long. So, you can see them in the Daily Audio Bible Shop in the Global Campfire section. And this time we ordered double what we normally order expecting these are probably gonna be pretty popular and go within a couple of days. So, there you go. To launch our Global Campfire mark, logo, thing that sort of represents what it is that we do as a community every day, we’re launching these Klean Canteen's along with all of the other lifestyle items in the Daily Audio Bible Shop. So, check it out, especially with a Klean Canteen's. Get them while you can.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible in this mission that we share together that sort of encapsulates all of it, including the Global Campfire, including our community experience. If what we’re doing bringing God's spoken word to whoever is willing to listen anytime, anywhere, and to keep building community around that so that we do know we’re not walking through this journey alone, if that is life for you, then thank you for your partnership and being life to it. We can't do this if we don't do this together. That has always been true. And, so, thank you for your partnership. There's a link on the homepage, at dailyaudiobible.com. If you are using the Daily Audio Bible app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or, if you prefer, the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

And as always if you have a prayer request or comment you can press the Hotline button in the app, the little red button that will connect you right away or you can dial 877-942-4253.

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

Community Prayer and Praise:

This message is for Stephanie the RN from Oklahoma. Stephanie, this is Reba the RN from Nebraska. My heart goes out to you with your panic attacks and having to switch where you’re giving care. And us nurses, we take care of everybody else and then by the time we realize that we need to take care of ourselves it’s pretty extensive sometimes. I myself been kind of taking a break from work. I resigned from my position…oh…on the 20th of August and part of it is to take care of myself and then also to take care of my father whose health is failing. So, as I go through my changes in my situation, I will be praying for you Stephanie that you take the time you need to take care of yourself so that if ER and ICU and those intensive places are where you are to serve that God will grant you the calmness that you need. And I encourage you just…just take some time to take care of yourself. Sometimes God just has to stop us so we realize how valuable we are, especially when we are called to care. So, I’ll be praying for you Stephanie in the coming months. Thank you.

Good morning DAB it’s Xavier from Cameroon. I would love to let you know that I…though I have some personal problems as far as things that make my mind not to be stable my countries in need…my countries in need of prayers because in the past 3 to 4 years we’ve been experiencing disable unrest. __ has taking the lives of thousands of people and I’ve been working as a tribe protection assistant for the past year now, struggling to restore some dignity in the life of the vulnerable, you know, carrying out psychosocial activities with children to ensure that their emotional mind and their well-being is being restored and there’s a lot of challenges that we’re faced with. You know, lots and lots of days of lockdown where people cannot move and it’s occurring affects in our activities. And, so, I would like you to put us in our prayers. The children with whom we work with, they have parents and caregivers as well. You know sometimes it’s not easy for a child to see how parents are being maltreated by, you know, some senseless individuals. But I just want Christ to touch the lives of the leaders of this country so that, you know, this war comes to an end, people can go back to their daily activities. There hasn’t been a community that has seen the best yet to come. There’s all these communities are struggling to get on their feet and upright themselves. __ you have houses that have been burnt, homeless people, people have been separated from their families, children have experienced lots and lots of violence. I just want the DAB family to put us in prayers and that God bless the lives of the leaders.

Hello, my brothers and sisters, fellow DABbers, this is Randy from rocket city. I wrote a poem inspired at the Labor Day DAB 2019 Family Reunion camping that captures our unique DAB community centered around the reading of God’s word. It’s titled, The Beautiful Gathering. Some gather around causes to save and protect some gather politically to promote and elect some gather to cheer to spur their teams on some gather to protest and say it’s not fair desiring freedom like at Tiananmen Square but we are the people who gather online we gather together time after time we gather around Jesus the word made flesh we listen to truth the life and the way we as a community every day then moved by the spirit through what Brian may say we get to the task we call in and we pray we love one another in the spiritual realm we care for one another when we are overwhelmed we praise we encourage we weep and we cry how noble our desire how global this campfire how noble our fee how great when we meet how sweet when we gather on air as a DABber praise God this revival the Daily Audio Bible

Hello Daily Audio Bible family this is Teresa from Indiana. Hello, Brian and Jill thank you so much for this forum. I just want to ask God today to bless all of us all over the world and just help us, keep us, give us strength to continue to move forward. I’m a longtime listener, call in every once in a while. The new red button is very exciting. I’m glad to be using it today. I want to pray for our children who are prodigal’s. Just want to lift them up and ask God to give them strength, give them courage, give them what they need to get back and to be strong. So many of our children have been blessed by teaching early in life and they know the right way but for whatever reason have been led astray. So, God we’re asking You today to create in our children a clean heart and renew a right spirit within them that they maybe get back to You. As the deer panteth for the water, Lord let their souls long after You. I particularly ask that You would lift up my son Jonathan. He said to me just the other day, “mom I fight every day with myself to do the right thing.” So, I’m praying for courage for him and all our children. In Jesus’ name. I love you. Amen.

Hi family this is his little Cherry in Canada. And when Brian read in the Song of Solomon today, “you are my private garden”, I remembered something that happened to me recently and I wanted to share it with you. There’s a lady down the street from me whose entire front yard is a flower garden and she spends a lot of time in it. Everyone in the community admires it as they walk by including me. And I got to know her just by saying hello when I walked by. And sometimes we chat. And over time we became friends. But recently she did something that took our friendship to a whole new level. She asked me, “would you like to see my private garden?” And I could tell she was offering me something really sacred and I said, “oh yes, I’d love too.” So, everyone can see her front garden but in the back yard, there is another garden that is her private sanctuary and there’s a tall fence around it, so I had no idea it was even there. But it was magical. The front yard can’t compare because she’s been working on her private garden for years and there are hundreds of different plants and flowers. She pointed them out to me, and her face was absolutely glowing as she told me all about them. She led me to little looks and crannies where we sat and had flower tea and fruit. It was really obvious that this beautiful place was her passion. She spent so much time and energy on it, and I felt so honored to be there. So, today when Brian read, “you are my private garden” I had a new understanding of how God feels about us and also a new understanding of what an honor it is to be invited into his feelings as we pray for each other because each one of us is His private garden.

Hey everybody this is Pelham from a Arab Alabama or A-RAB Alabama if you ask Siri, that’s what I’ve heard because I don’t have a cell phone right now because I’m in a recovery program. I’m calling to touch base with everybody. Just…well, I’ll dive right into it. So, Jesus has been so active in my day today. I mean, without Him I couldn’t make it through a day of where I am. I live in a beat-up house with 20 guys. It’s…it’s…I don’t think the health department would approve of it to be honest with you. And the guy who’s the head of it almost got into a fight with another guy the other day and beat the door off the hinges, literally. The door to my room that I’ve taken about 18 to 20 different scriptures, literally. I write them down so that I can memorize Scripture through the day while I’m working in the chicken plant that I work in and I go over them when I get home. I tape it on my door. If I…you know…I don’t do it every day but I try too. Sometimes the job that I’m doing’s so busy I can’t do it. Sometimes it’s not. And it’s funny because I was thinking…when I put the Scripture on there…I was thinking, “this is one powerful door” because it’s got so many scriptures on it. And that very night, the administrator of the program, the director of the program literally punched the door off the hinges. I had to go out of my way to get it back on. So, yesterday on my way home something put me under attack, and I was miserably sad on the way home. And I got in and I had a package and the package turned out to be a notebook that had been written by the DAB family at the reunion to me. I just want to thank you guys from the bottom of my heart. That reached out and pulled me out of that place that I was in. If I had longer, I’d say more but I’m running out of time. I love you guys. Hope everybody’s doing well. Goodbye.

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andrewdburton · 6 years

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What Really Goes on at MMM Headquarters

First an announcement: The Pop-up Business school is returning to Longmont this year for two golden weeks in September. Although the free in-person tickets are sold out, we are running a free daily live stream of the highlights, and you should definitely sign up here to join us.

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I’d love to retire early, but then what?

…

Although I retired about thirteen years ago, and continue to be retired, about one year ago I opened up a little business on Main Street here in Longmont, Colorado. It is a multi-purpose gathering space, under the guise of a coworking space, with the typical-for-me grandiose name of “Mr. Money Mustache Headquarters”. Or, MMM-HQ for short.

At the time, I wrote a blog post about it, and promised to keep you updated on how it was going. Since then, many people have been asking for updates. Approximately one group of random roadtripping Mustachian tourists has stopped by each day to peer in the windows*. And several people are considering opening their own coworking spaces in other cities, if the case for it looks good.

Although this HQ is a small scale thing (we are hovering at about 50 members and I’d love to get to 80), it has provided me with some great lessons in both life and business, which are long overdue for sharing.

Plus, I can now fully vouch for the idea as a good one for other people to pursue, given the right situation. Owning a coworking or other community-oriented space can be both a good business and a great life choice, for people before or after the early retirement stage.

So, here’s what I’ve learned after launching into the most unexpected business of my life so far:

1: Owning a business can be like a having mental health therapist that pays YOU:

As I always say, early retirement is great, but it doesn’t mean you’re allowed to stop working. You need to accomplish something meaningful with almost every one of your days, whatever “accomplish” and “meaningful” mean to you. You also need to get out of your house, strain your muscles, have positive interactions with other humans, and experience at least a bit of hardship. These are simply parts of the recipe for Human happiness, like a series of buttons you can press to get more of it.

A therapeutic January morning in the Prisonyard Gym with special guest Jesse Mecham

So in my case, adding HQ to my life has been a very nice way to press more of those buttons. Almost every morning, I walk or bike or jog the 1.2 miles down to the building bright and early, open up all the doors for some fresh air, put on some music, and sweep the floors or make coffee or set things straight in preparation for the day. Then I head out to the patio and the “Prisonyard” outdoor gym beyond to do some basic weight training before I get sucked too deeply into computer work or any to-do lists.

As the day goes on, there will be a random stream of members and conversations and tasks and meetings and errands around town, which is just unpredictable enough to keep each day fun.

And the best part of it all is that it’s completely optional work. I can choose not to visit, and the members take up the slack and care for the place themselves. I can go on vacation and nothing blows up while I’m gone.

Owning a coworking space has all the benefits of having a really good office job where you like all of your coworkers, except without the accompanying obligations or politics. I refer to it as my therapist because a visit never fails to put me in a good mood, no matter how I felt before deciding to head down there. And a healthy and reliable way to make yourself feel great is an important part of any life.

2: It’s easy to arrange big events, but slower to create a consistently buzzing daily scene.

The year started big, with about 90 people crammed in for the first pop-up business school. Then, the vibe flipped around completely as we moved on to just a few people hanging around during normal days, working on laptops or perhaps the squat rack. But there have also been a pretty good series of after-hours events including barbecues, potlucks, regular meetups of the Northern Colorado Mustachians Group, a visit and Q/A session with YNAB founder Jesse Mecham, a Virtual Reality demo night, a music jam or two, and various charity and learning events and markets.

The annual Beer Club charitable meeting, comprised mostly of my neighborhood Dad friends.

On the down side, it takes more work to meet and sign up each new member than I expected, and we tend to lose more than expected, as people who signed up early but realized they don’t really need a coworking space have dropped out. And in the classic Blogger’s Dilemma where the demographic of the audience often reflects that of the writer, we end up with quite a high percentage of well-to-do white males in our 30s and 40s, which could lead to the term “Broworking Space”. But I’m trying to break this trend!

On the upside, the community side has been just as good as I had hoped. Thanks to the magic of our private Slack group, Members of HQ have been helping each other with both business and leisure pursuits on a daily basis and the connection has helped all of us including me. I often joke that my primary purpose for this coworking space is as a “Friend Harvesting Machine”, and it is living up to that promise.

3: The Money Side of Things

In principle, coworking is a good business model because it works a bit like a gym: you can have a large number of members sharing a common space because not everyone is there every day. This is why there are so many companies expanding into the business like WeWork, Regus, Proximity, Galvanize, and a zillion more.

But like any business, your income and spending need to be balanced. I’ve deliberately gone low on both sides, by starting with an affordable building and subsidizing it with my own mostly-unpaid labor. Because of this, the $2500 per month income (50 members at $50 each) is enough to sustain the place including property taxes, utilities, maintenance, beer (and artisinal coffee from one of our own members!) The downside of this approach is that our space is smaller and less fancy than other coworking spots. It was really just one big room until I opened the Tinyhouse conference room in June. Since the space is still way underused on any given workday, we could easily double this to 100 members, which would bring the business up to $60,000 of gross annual income – more than enough to sustain any reasonable lifestyle with very part-time hours.

Normal coworking spaces will tend to have a much larger building, with hundreds of members paying between $150 and $300+ per month for semi-private working spaces, or more for fully dedicated offices. This leads to higher rent and utility costs, plus the need for at least one full-time administrator and even a receptionist (although both can be the same person, which could be you if you are motivated.) The end result is a good income stream, at the expense of a business that requires real work on a fixed schedule.

So you can see why MMM-HQ is taking the slower paced road, for now.

4: So, should I start my own? (or join one?)

If you’ve got the time and energy, hell yes!

If you are thinking of opening a space in roughly the MMM-HQ model (or already have one), feel free to give me the details by dropping me an email via my about->contact form. If you start by putting up a good website with your proposed building/location, amenities, monthly cost and your contact info, I will link to it from my own HQ page, which will then become a directory for a network of community-oriented Mustachian coworking spaces. You can gather interested parties first before taking the plunge, although I would suggest that you only do this if you are financially well established and not overly dependent on the whims of bank financing.

Although I would (of course) charge no franchise fees, we could still set up an informal sharing arrangement where members of any Mustachian Headquarters affiliate location would be free to visit any other one.

And if you are wondering if joining a club like this is a worthwhile use of your own fifty bucks a month, I have to say it’s hard to see the downside as long as you use the amenities and like socializing with other people. If free coffee, beer, work space, an outdoor gym, tool library/workshop and access to fifty local entrepreneurs is not worth it to you, then I’m not sure what is!

—

In The Comments: Do you have any questions or comments about this or any other lifestyle or post-retirement business ideas? I’d be happy to answer them, and hopefully many other entrepreneur-readers will be willing to share their own knowledge and experience as well.

And Once Again: sign up for next week’s live stream series on how to open a Mustachian business, here!

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*Out of respect to the members who are in there trying to get real work done, please don’t show up unannounced – instead, join one of our public meetups if you happen to be in the area, which I always announce on Twitter and usually Facebook too.

from Finance http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2018/09/05/what-really-goes-on-at-mmm-headquarters/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

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damonbation · 6 years

Text

What Really Goes on at MMM Headquarters

…

I’d love to retire early, but then what?

…

So, here’s what I’ve learned after launching into the most unexpected business of my life so far:

1: Owning a business can be like a having mental health therapist that pays YOU:

A therapeutic January morning in the Prisonyard Gym with special guest Jesse Mecham

As the day goes on, there will be a random stream of members and conversations and tasks and meetings and errands around town, which is just unpredictable enough to keep each day fun.

2: It’s easy to arrange big events, but slower to create a consistently buzzing daily scene.

The annual Beer Club charitable meeting, comprised mostly of my neighborhood Dad friends.

3: The Money Side of Things

So you can see why MMM-HQ is taking the slower paced road, for now.

4: So, should I start my own? (or join one?)

If you’ve got the time and energy, hell yes!

—

And Once Again: sign up for next week’s live stream series on how to open a Mustachian business, here!

—

from Money 101 http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2018/09/05/what-really-goes-on-at-mmm-headquarters/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

0 notes