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lananiscorner · 2 years

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The Sandman rewatch - episode 9

So I like to do this thing where, if I didn’t consider a show a complete waste of time and if it does have an actual arc spanning the season, I watch the season twice–once as a binge watch and then once more episode by episode, because it helps me notice things I didn’t notice at first, especially in cases like this where I’m almost entirely unfamiliar with the source material.

Anyway, any and all chronological thoughts and ramblings about episode 9 of The Sandman beneath the cut, because spoilers.

“I don’t know how she did it, but I think Rose just got Lyta pregnant.” That’s a good way to start a convo, Matthew lol.

I love Lucienne’s malicious compliance with her “new” old role. And Matthew is so offended on her behalf. XD

Okay, so we can expand the list of “people the Corinthian is good with and let’s live” from “like-minded serial killers and gays” to “like-minded serial killers, gays and kids” lol.

This “cereal convention” is honestly the best fictional idea ever. Like, it crosses more lines than a bunch of hopscotching kids. Also, as an avid pun lover myself, I appreciate all the murder puns when Jed and the Corinthian arrive at the convention.

The Good Doctor looking at a fellow criminal chatting up Jed: “You may want to advise him to stay clear of the convention areas” lol.

“Where we’re going, we won’t need to defend ourselves” says Rose heading towards a convention of serial killers XDDDD.

Okay… so Lyta’s pregnancy advanced a couple of months in her dreams…

Hector: “Does this look like a nightmare to you?” Lyta: “Not at all.” Giant cracks in the ground: *looming ominously*

Omg, Dream is so fish-out-of-water asking Lucienne for advice/help lol.

Omg, Unity is so sweet it’s heartbreaking. “I’m going to have a life after all.” You’re killing me here, Unity.

Awww, Rose is worried she and her brother may have changed too much to get along. Understandable. That cut to Jed eating chicken fingers in his bathrobe is gold though.

And of course Jed goes looking for trouble the second he’s unsupervised. This is why I will never have kids.

Alright so, taking Hector out of the dreaming after giving him a chance to say goodbye? Fair. Immediately aftwards telling Lyta that you’ll take away her baby eventually? Kind of a dick move, Dream.

Not gonna lie, Rose this-dream-is-over-ing Dream was kind of badass.

Damn, Rose just casually swiping those tags…

I just LOVE this entire montage of Gilbert checking in on those convention panels. You can see he’s mildly confused in the first one (“Make it pay”, which, if you don’t yet know that they are serial killers, sounds like it could be about animal hunting), somewhat perplexed in the second one (“Woman’s Work”, which sounds mostly innocuous until the mention of “brute force” in the end), and then finally the shoe drops in the last one (“Religion”) and he just has a massive “oh crap” moment.

Oh my god, Philip Sitz has to be THE worst ultra-fan ever. Seriously? Promoting your own blog with your own photo and your own RL name on it when you’re trying to infiltrate a serial killer convention? He couldn’t be more set up to get killed if he was called Leeroy Jenkins and wearing a red shirt.

Also, Gilbert’s look of absolute horror when he sees the Corinthian makes sense when you know that Gilbert is also part of the Dreaming.

Awww, Dream admitting to Lucienne that he was wrong… these two melt my heart. In a strictly platonic way, but still, melting.

So Gilbert left because he wanted to experience life in the human world. Can’t blame him, honestly.

Of course Jed walks in on the Corinthian just as he’s about to kill Philip… and runs straight into Fun Land. Talk about the fish jumping from the frying pan into the fire.

Poor Gilbert learning about Rose being a vortex and that he’s now made it easier for Dream to find and kill her.

#The Sandman #episode 9 rewatch #rest in pieces Philip Sitz #you were too dumb to live

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dailychapel · 1 year

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[Matthew 18:1–35 NLT] About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?" Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, "I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. "And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me. But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea. "What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting. So if your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It's better to enter eternal life with only one hand or one foot than to be thrown into eternal fire with both of your hands and feet. And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It's better to enter eternal life with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. "Beware that you don't look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels are always in the presence of my heavenly Father. "If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won't he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn't wander away! In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father's will that even one of these little ones should perish. "If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won't accept the church's decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector. "I tell you the truth, whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven. "I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them." Then Peter came to him and asked, "Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?" "No, not seven times," Jesus replied, "but seventy times seven! "Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. He couldn't pay, so his master ordered that he be sold--along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned--to pay the debt. "But the man fell down before his master and begged him, 'Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.' Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt. "But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment. "His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. 'Be patient with me, and I will pay it,' he pleaded. But his creditor wouldn't wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full. "When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened. Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, 'You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. Shouldn't you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?' Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt. "That's what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart."

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legendarycollectorprincess · 1 year

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Hot take, but I think that Christopher's death was made on behalf of Grace's character arc.

"WHAT??? THE F*CK IS THIS PERSON TALKING ABOUT??!!

I know. Let me explain. But first, let me say that I'm not a Gracetopher shipper.

I neither hate this fictional couple nor do I think that the people who do ship them are in the wrong or anything like that (I'm part of the “Christopher being aro” squad, though). Also, I am not writing this to change anyone's mind. This is simply an observation of mine, and I would like to know if anyone else shares it (it's okay if no one does! Just don't send hate😔). So, if you like this couple, then please be aware that this post may not be for you.

All right! Now that we got this out of the way, let me begin:

I love Christopher. He, as a member of the Merry Thieves and as his own person, was one of my favorite characters of this trilogy. So, of course, I was sad with his death. But I didn't think it was meaningless, or a last minute kind of thing. I believe it had a purpose: not to reduce Grace's character, and her incredibly complex journey, to a romantic relationship.

“Oh look, Grace is good now! I mean, she did end up with Christopher, right?” PLEASE NO.

I seriously wish I was joking, but I promise you, I've come across enough posts and comments to think that some fans of the books decided that they liked Grace only because Christopher was her potential love interest. An idea that was only prompted by the family tree, before Cassie Clare decided to change it.

Because, let's be real, how many times did these characters interact so that they could develop a romantic attraction for each other? There was a mutual understanding between the two of them over science? Of course! Christopher's sympathy for Grace's situation? Absolutely! This boy was a kind soul. Grace's gratitude towards the one person who didn't see her as Tatiana's blade? It existed and it always will.

But Christopher didn't know Grace completely (didn't know of the unwanted kisses that she forced upon James and Matthew, or the horrible truth she revealed to Malcolm Fade). And Grace knew nothing about love (the romantic type, at least). She only knew the twisted and manipulative version that Tatiana showed her. She said it herself in Chain of Thorns: Tatiana made her hard and cold.

“But Christopher could have been the person to teach her about true love” AGAIN, PLEASE NO.

This is just like the “she could fix him” trope. And only because this time the female character was the “broken one”, and the male character was her “savior”, it still isn't right or makes it any better. I mean, this is practically the same issue some people had about Matthew and Cordelia, and the reason they didn't want them to end up together.

Besides, Christopher already WAS Grace's savior. He showed her kindness and patience when she was at the most hopeless point in her life, when she was locked up in the Silent City. He gave her the opportunity to help him with the creation of the fire messages, and helped her to rectify some of the damage she had done to people (like Cordelia).

But most importantly, he showed her that she was worthy of a second chance. In fact, before he died, he made sure to make his friends understand that they should no longer treat Grace with resentment, or else they would be just like Tatiana. In doing so, Christopher also gave Grace the opportunity to continue to improve as a person, and learn to love herself, without fear of further judgment.

Grace is now free to walk her own path. The actions she takes from now on will allow her to find the peace she so desperately needs. And she couldn't have had that by fulfilling her role as Christopher's wife in the misleading family tree. And I think that's for the best. I think the author saw that several people weren't getting this message, so she made a reminder that being in a romantic relationship shouldn't be grounds for your past mistakes to be forgiven. Or the only reason for you to feel worthy of a second chance. Sometimes, all you need is someone who believes in you, like Christopher believed in Grace. Like he believed in all his friends.

#chain of thorns #chain of iron #chain of gold #grace blackthorn #christopher lightwood #the last hours #the shadowhunter chronicles #cassandra clare #shadowhunters

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bllsbailey · 2 months

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What Happened to Catherine Herridge's Files: Sources Dish, CBS Responds

Americans were shocked when CBS fired one of their best journalists, Catherine Herridge,

as part of hundreds of blood bath layoffs.

That was bad enough. But then when the news broke that they'd seized her files, records and computers, the concern hit an even higher pitch as this not only put her sources at risk, but the precedent it was setting was very troubling for all journalists contemplating the consequences of a company doing something like this.

Many suspected there was more to the Herridge layoff than just money because of her Biden investigations.

Reports were that she had roadblocks from higher-ups over her Hunter Biden coverage and had also clashed with CBS News President Ingrid-Ciprian Matthews,

On Thursday, Catherine Herridge posted an update from SAG-AFTRA who represents broadcast journalists and who condemned CBS' actions. SAG-AFTRA said that CBS was responding to them so they hoped that this could be resolved and she could get her files back.

Catherine Herridge Posts Important Update on CBS' Seizure of Her Files

CBS Blasted for Seizing Catherine Herridge's Files, 'Information From Privileged Sources' After Firing

I don't think that CBS thought that there was going to be such a huge backlash to their actions.

But now sources are dishing on what happened to Herridge's things.

“It’s so extraordinary,” a source familiar with the situation told The Post, noting that the files — which are presumptively now the property of CBS News — most likely contain confidential material from Herridge’s stints at both Fox and CBS. The source said the network boxed up all her personal belongings except for Herridge’s notes and files and informed her that it would decide what — if anything — would be returned to her. “They never seize documents [when you’re let go],” a second source close to the network said. “They want to see what damaging documents she has.”

The speculation runs from Biden documents to anything that she might have on her sources in her First Amendment court fight. Or perhaps as one of the sources speculated that she might have information that could be relevant to a wrongful termination action.

Meanwhile, CBS is weighing in with a statement of their own, hoping to calm the anger.

We have respected her request to not go through the files, and out of our concern for confidential sources, the office she occupied has remained secure since her departure,” the rep told The Post. “We are prepared to pack up the rest of her files immediately on her behalf – with her representative present as she requested.”

Now if I compare what the sources say to what CBS is saying, the obvious question to me is that, assuming what the sources are saying is true, how do you determine what her "personal belongings" are unless you're going through her office/things? And forgive me if I don't feel too assured by CBS' statement that they haven't gone through her files. Why do this to begin with? They haven't explained why they took such an unprecedented action.

The thing is they just made everything worse with this action and threw whatever reputation they may have had left down the trash heap. They put more focus on the whole question. And they also might have just put themselves in the middle of the First Amendment case.

Insiders said that there are concerns that CBS could be subpoenaed to reveal her source’s identity, which would threaten free press principles. “This is a company that only plays checkers. They don’t play chess,” the second source said. “They don’t understand the ramifications of their actions.”

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theprayerfulword · 6 months

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November 10

Psalm 139:2-3 [O Lord,] You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You discern my thoughts from far away. 3 You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.

Matthew 10:32-33 Jesus said, “Everyone therefore who acknowledges Me before others, I also will acknowledge before My Father in heaven; 33 but whoever denies Me before others, I will also deny before My Father in heaven.”

2 Corinthians 5:17 So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!

2 Corinthians 4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.

Psalm 42:1 As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for Thee, O God.

Colossians 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

May you understand beforehand, and realize prior to the occurrence, that the time of testing will surely come, and it will come upon the righteous and unrighteous alike, causing every heart to melt and every hand go limp, every spirit to faint and every knee to be as weak as water, for what the Sovereign Lord declares will surely take place, so that all people will know that the Lord is the one doing it; but do not forget that though the sins of the land must be punished, His reward is with Him and the exalted shall be brought low and the lowly shall be exalted – those whom He brings home will be received with joy and those who continue in His harvest field will be strengthened. Ezekiel 21

May you walk in the honesty and integrity of the Lord, not using your strength or reputation or connections to treat others with contempt, ignoring their needs, oppressing the weak, despising the holy things of the Lord, but remembering Who the Lord is, and searching out His will in humility, sorrowing over the violence done in His name, sharing the joy of His promises with others, strengthening the hands of the weak that they may endure and see the salvation of God. Ezekiel 22

May you set your sights on the high promise of God, not settling for the achievements of your own strength and wisdom, just as men refine ore to get the silver from the rock, leaving behind the copper, lead, tin and iron; although the other metals are good, useful, and have value, they pale in comparison to the precious value and incomparable worth of silver, just as the redemptive work of Christ is beyond compare to any wealth or power man can achieve. Ezekiel 22

May you distinguish between the holy and the common in all you do and say, teaching and demonstrating the difference between the clean and the unclean, not white-washing the unjust deeds of the rich and powerful, but making a distinction between the Word of God and the words of men, however noble, giving honor to the ways of God over the ways of the world, for then the Lord will have the person He looks for to build up the wall and stand in the gap before Him with intercession. Ezekiel 22

This is My desire: to see you draw near with a hunger and a desperation inside that burns like a fire in your bones and gives you no rest until you hear from Me. Give Me no rest until I answer you; I delight in My children pursuing Me relentlessly, persistently, determinedly, refusing to release Me until they have My answer. I will answer the heart that approaches Me like this, coming in boldness, asking in confidence, receiving with thankfulness, and sharing in humility, for those who walk in My Spirit, and those who express My nature, will be asking on behalf of others, knowing that their own needs have already been met by My willing, abundant, compassionate provision.

May you walk in the knowledge that sacrifices and offerings are not, in themselves, what God wants, nor are they sufficient in themselves to meet the needs of your shortcomings, but rather seek to do God's will, gladly, joyfully, eagerly, humbly, obeying Him in all He leads you, for at times you will have abundance to share and at times you will receive from others, but neither abundance or want, action or stillness, speech or quiet are important, but only your obedience to the will of God. Hebrews 10

May you wake the dawn with your praise to the Lord, singing and making music with all your soul and with a steadfast heart before the nations and among the peoples, for the love of God is great, higher than the heavens and His faithfulness reaches to the skies. Psalm 108

May you exalt God, Who is above the heavens, Whose glory is over all the earth, for He saves you and helps you with His right hand, that those He loves may be delivered when He speaks from His sanctuary, giving you aid against the enemy and trampling down His foe, as you gain the victory with God, disregarding the help of man, which is worthless. Psalm 108

May you walk in prudence and take refuge when you see danger lest, like the simple, you keep going and suffer for it. Proverbs 27:12

#blessings #daily #prayers #scripture

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lilieths · 1 year

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Interview: Lilith Gaumond

Dossier:

Name: Lilith Gaumond

Age:

Species: Undead ( Human formerly— Wizard )

Circle: Night

Known Relationships: Carmen Blakely ( ‘Sister’; Best-Friend ), Abernathy Talbot ( Ex-Husband ), Connor Henry Talbot II & Clifford Austin Talbot ( Grandsons ), Connor Talbot I & Kenneth Talbot ( Sons ), Catherine Talbot ( Daughter-in-Law ), Cameron Kiskadden ( Son-in-Law ), Esmeray Talbot ( Granddaughter-in-Law ), Chloe Li ( Date, Close Friend, Partner-in-Crime ), Nora Lucas ( Apprentice, Close Friend ), Sebastian Harker, Matthew Coleman-Reyes and Elias Hart ( NYE Party Crew ), Henry Jones ( Close Friend, Study Buddy ), Juno Williams ( fellow Undead ) etc. etc., she’s been around so long, the list goes on.

Interview:

What's your name?

For all intents and purposes, the Archives are the perfect place for these little interviews. Besides the privacy, the acoustics could rival any one of those Catholic churches littered around the world. “Lilith Rhian Talbot— well, no actually, strike that from the record or whatever Carmen says with these court things,” Lili was divorced now anyhow. She’d best get into the habit of using her maiden name again. “Lilith Rhian Gaumond.”

How do you know Tabitha Spencer?

“I know everyone— kind of. Many people in passing, but otherwise I never forget a face. Tabitha I know on behalf of her brother, Sebastian. He tends to ask me a lot of magic-related things. Sometimes I knit like hats or vests for the shelter animals and then Tibby uses that for the shelter’s social media. She’s a good kid. Both of them are.” And perhaps it was the fact that the girl was a wolf, and that her own children, though born, had been that age before, has her worrying.

How do you know Jose Alves Cruz?

She shrugs at first, a voiceless answer...it only registers after that this is a recorded audio and not some federal deposition they’re getting on camera. “Honestly honestly, I’ve never been very good at keeping up with current events where the Unaware are concerned. So like if he was your average mayor, he’s lost to me...that being said, he comes from a family of thralls, one of which is thralled to me. So that’s two things I know for certain. And besides that I don’t have the best impression of him, though that’s my opinion. Saw him giving a...a waitress a hard time.” Rosie. Though she’s not too sure she should involve the girl anymore than she is. Instead, Lilith writes the bitten wolf’s name on a piece of paper.

How do you know Hollis Fiala?

“Yeah. Wild Circle Leader. Heir to the Seelie Court...” ex-flame/rebound of her grandson and holder of one of Lili’s debts, but that one would stay off the record. “They’re interesting but like, aren’t all Faeries interesting in some way? That being said I don’t think their poor attitude is a cultural thing.”

Did you see the shot/what happened that night from your perspective?

Funny the way these things unfolded; she’d mentioned something weeks ago about being too prepared, how that itself was fatal in the right circumstances and now, “well...no. We were anticipating this; a gun fired around midnight, during the fireworks display or somewhere in that timeframe. So when that first shot rang out, or the mimicry of it, you’re not thinking oh that’s a fake gunshot, you’re thinking hey we might need to fall into formation to keep my circle leader from embracing Artemis herself. I looked in her direction but there wasn’t any blood on her dress and that second gunshot rings out, or first, whatever, and Hollis is the one with a bullet wound. Jose’s on the floor in pain, which yikes, and some guards have Tibby restrained. Jose accusing her.” It all happened so fast. These things usually do, don’t they. “I tended to Hollis after. Henry came prepared for anything, ”

When did you get the invitation for the party/know you were going to work it?

“The invitation I got at the same time as everyone else I’m sure...as far as knowing when I was going? I wasn’t sure if I was going to go. I didn’t feel too much like celebrating the end of the year, and then Clem announced her party and that was something else I could have attended instead,” she’d been to so many of Thaddeus’ parties, trying to call her husband each year whenever the clock struck twelve. Always unsuccessful. And well, now she was getting divorced. It didn’t seem like a smart idea to attend; she hadn’t even told her son about it. But then things don’t ever go as planned, “Chloe basically recruited me into this little Code Name: Kids Next Door thing. She had a vision, I’m sure she would’ve mentioned it in her interview...and we were hoping to mitigate an unfortunate outcome.”

Did you go with someone?

“Yeah, I went with Chloe. And a group but basically, Chloe was my date. We were at the same table, we arrived together, all of those things.” The book she was currently adding to her inventory was in simplified latin— easy enough to understand. “As far as the group en masse though, there was Cameron, Henry, Sebastian, Elias. Matthew. But everyone was sat at their own little tables anyhow...oh and Kellan. Our third wheel, for Chloe and I.”

Do you own a gun/have you ever owned a gun?

“This is where I tell you something corny like, Connor, we wizards are the gun, and blah blah, but I wasn’t that type of wizard...my mom was though, could’ve burned an entire building to the ground without breaking a sweat, but I could only ever scorch the Earth for controlled burning, never a raging wildfire.” For all the woman’s softness, her own fire burned blue. If Lili ever tried to call the flame, hers was a warmer yellow, sometimes red. Her mother was told not to nurture that magic in her children and later in life, it left Lilith operating on a learning curve. “Definitely not the question though...Reno is what it is and my mom thought I should be armed, but with Levi— I didn’t keep guns in the apartment because I thought it’d be more dangerous for him than it would be for some dumbass pushing their luck...long story short...I was gifted a gun by my mom, magically enhanced, might I add, but it’s in Reno. Tell Tale Heart style.”

#mu:the trial of tabitha spencer #— the trying times of tabitha spencer #— note to self #— note to self: an interview with wolfenstein

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thotsonthebible · 1 year

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The Law

Exodus 20.1-2

Then God spoke all these words, saying, 'I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me.'

When I think of the Law of Moses, the picture that springs to mind is of Moses descending Mount Sinai, after having communed with God, carrying in his arms the stone slabs on which the hand of God Himself had written the Ten Commandments. But is that accurate?

Read those verses again. 'And God spoke all these words…' God didn't simply engrave His Law on stone tablets, He spoke to the people. He instructed Moses to tell the people to wash their clothes and consecrate themselves (Exodus 19.10), and then to gather at the foot of the mountain, where God Himself would speak to them.

The Law of Moses isn't Moses' Law; it's God's Law. The people of Israel didn't get the Law second-hand; they heard God speak to them audibly and clearly. There could be no confusion about what God said or what He meant.

God Himself descended upon the mountain, in smoke and fire, and His presence was announced by a great trumpet blast. I assume this sound was like a blast from a ram's horn, one that increased in volume until He had their attention. Quite frankly, they were terrified, and begged Moses to speak to God on their behalf afterwards and relay His words to them.

What does God have to do in order to get our attention?

Today, we are fortunate enough not to have to face a smoking, thundering mountain to approach God, for He has provided a Mediator, a great High Priest to intervene/intercede on our behalf. The Law was a precursor, something to guide us and make us aware of our sin.

Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. —Galatians 3.24-26

Are we still expected to obey the Law? We are not bound by the letter of the Law, for we live in the newness of the Spirit. However, I think we need to honor the spirit of the Law, for it expresses God's heart.

But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter. —Romans 7.6

The teachers of Jesus' day tried to trip Him up with questions, one of which was a challenge to name the greatest commandment. This is how our Lord answered:

And He said to him, ' "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind." This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.' —Matthew 22.36-40

Think about it. If you truly love and reverence the Most High God, and if you love others as much as you love yourself, your actions will reflect those beliefs and nothing you do will violate any of God's Laws.

____________________________________________________

Note: Unless otherwise noted, all Scriptures are taken from the NASB.

#Bible #Bible study #Christianity #religion #God #Jesus #Messiah #Law of Moses #Moses #Mt Sinai

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ourcrazyrvlife · 2 years

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About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?” Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. “And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me. But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea. “What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting. So if your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand or one foot than to be thrown into eternal fire with both of your hands and feet. And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. “Beware that you don’t look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels are always in the presence of my heavenly Father. Matthew 18:1‭-‬10 NLT https://bible.com/bible/116/mat.18.1-10.NLT #believe #camping #RV #livinginanrv #rvlife #rvtravel #ourcrazyrvlife #rvfulltime #fulltimerving #Christian #blessings #lifeontheroad #rvadventures #rvlivingfulltime #rvcamping #traveltrailerlife #rvcouple #prayer #pray #Bible #God #Jesus #love #faith #rvlifestyle #Christ #sharethelove https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd-1s_dOoYC/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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cassandraclare · 3 years

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The Whispering Room: James’ POV

Here it is finally — James’ POV of the Whispering Room scene from Chain of Gold. I wanted to wait until Chain of Iron was released to give more people a chance to read the book, and also because what we learn in COI does inform the scene. I hope you enjoy!

*art by Cassandra Jean

Cortana wove with her words, underlining each one with steel. She turned as her sword turned, and her body curved and moved like water or fire, like a river under an infinity of stars. It was beautiful—she was beautiful, but it was not a distant beauty. It was a beauty that lived and breathed and reached out with its hands to crush James’s chest and make him breathless. — Chain of Gold

James had felt a strange emotion when Daisy first took the stage at the Hell Ruelle. It was a mix of several feelings...

worry on her behalf, annoyance at Kellington, curiosity, and admiration for her bravery and poise. It was unfair of these Bohemians to force her to caper for them, and, he thought, a bit insulting to Shadowhunters in general. He supposed that Matthew had given them a rather unusual view of what the Nephilim were like in such circumstances.

And then she had begun to dance. And suddenly she was not Daisy, his old friend. She was Cordelia, whose name meant heart, whose every gesture was fire. Every earthly worry he’d had had been swept out of his mind. He was conscious only of Cordelia, whirling back and forth across the small stage. Cortana danced around her, shedding light like embers. The dull glow of the lamps illuminated her body, describing her every movement, her every curve as she danced. Her scarlet hair whipped around her in time to the music, and the golden light of the lamps in the Ruelle slipped across her skin, slow and hot, like beads of honey. The cadences of her voice, rising and falling, seemed to weave a cage of silken thread about her audience, and James was no exception.

Later, James would think it was odd that he had not compared her to Grace. Grace had never entered his mind at all. Cordelia danced, and by the end of her performance, James’s entire life had been disassembled and put back together in a new and different shape. He was conscious of Matthew, beside him, also staring as the crowd cheered, his sharp cheekbones flushed. He looked dazed; James couldn’t blame him.

Cordelia descended the stage and slipped through the crowd to come back to them, blushing at the looks and murmured comments she was drawing from the audience now. James could see the desire in the eyes that followed her. Everyone wanted her. He felt a dull fury. They had no right. They did not know Cordelia. She was more than just that dance.

When she reached them she let out a long breath of relief and smiled. She glowed with the exercise of dancing. Sweat beaded along her collarbones, shimmered between her breasts. Her eyes were bright as Cortana’s blade, strapped to her back.

“Bloody hell,” Matthew exclaimed. “What was that?”

A look of uncertainty crossed Cordelia’s face. James said, “It was a fairy tale, Math,” and Matthew nodded. His dark green eyes searched Cordelia’s face, as if looking for the key to a locked room he had only just discovered.

Cordelia looked uncertain. James couldn’t bear that. She’d been magnificent; she should know it. But he couldn’t say that, of course. It would only make her self-conscious.

“Well done, Cordelia,” James said instead; when he unfolded his arms; his wrist hurt and he wondered if he’d been clenching his hands.

Cordelia. He hadn’t called her Daisy, and she looked a little surprised. It seemed inappropriate, somehow. Daisy was Lucie’s friend, the Merry Thieves’ compatriot; he found it a smaller name than she deserved. Cordelia, though—she had been a queen, hadn’t she? Queen Cordelia, daughter of Leir, ruler of Britain before the Romans had ever landed on those shores. Like Boadicea, a legendary warrior queen. A blazing white fire behind fathomless black eyes.

“Anna has disappeared with Hypatia,” James said, noting the empty settee, “so I would call your distraction a success.”

Cordelia’s lips twitched into a smile. “How long does a seduction usually last?”

“Depends if you do it properly,” Matthew said, with a wink. James felt it as a spark of relief, a bit of lightness amid the feeling that something heavy was sitting on his chest.

“Well, I hope for Hypatia’s sake Anna does it properly,” James said. He registered, with the reflexes of a parabatai, that Matthew had gone still next to him, and wondered what was wrong. “Yet for our sake, I hope she hurries it up.”

All hint of Matthew’s jocular tone from before was gone. “Both of you,” he said urgently. “Listen.”

Did he mean all the muttering about Shadowhunters? Was he only noticing it now? It had followed them since they came into the place. But when James followed Matthew’s gaze, he found Kellington staring with an expression of vexation, not at them but at the door. All questions were answered as through the door came Charles Fairchild, looking around him with a haughty expression. He looked like was about to raid the place; so much for whatever work Matthew and Anna had done for Downworlder-Shadowhunter relations here.

Matthew narrowed his eyes. “Charles,” he sighed. “By the Angel, what is he doing here?”

Charles was, James thought, probably looking for them. He was making his way through the crowd and gazing around him. Luckily for them, the crowd was not interested in letting him through, and he was moving very slowly.

“We should go,” James said. “But we can’t leave Anna.”

In one way, at least, Charles’s arrival was helpful; it threw a bucket of cold water on the roiling heat that had gripped James’s heart since Cordelia had begun her dance. Back to the matter at hand: a demon, a Pyxis, a plan.

“You two run and hide yourselves,” Matthew said, still keeping his eyes on his brother. “Charles will go off his head if he sees you here.”

“But what about you?” said Cordelia.

Matthew shrugged, but James could see the tension in his jaw and his shoulders. “He’s used to this kind of thing from me. I’ll deal with Charles.”

Not for the first time, James wished that his parabatai wasn’t in such a hurry to sacrifice his own reputation. He exchanged a long look with Matthew, but Matthew was sure, and determined, and his desire to rush into his own humiliation was an issue that would have to wait. Nodding, he turned and caught Cordelia’s hand with his own. “This way,” he said, and she nodded back in acknowledgement. As he pulled them into the crowd he heard Matthew’s voice calling, “Charles!” in a hearty tone of pleasant, if entirely false, welcome.

James didn’t know his way around the place, and the crowd made orientating himself even more difficult, but after some trial and error he and Cordelia managed to get behind Kellington and slip into a corridor leading away. This wasn’t safe in itself, since from the main chamber one would have a clear view down the entire corridor. In fact, they were temporarily more exposed than before, and James’s hope for the hallway to take a quick turn or to contain large statuary to hide behind was quickly dashed. He continued to hold onto Cordelia’s hand, not that he needed to; she seemed to know her way better than he did.

Partway down the corridor, James caught sight of an open door — its silver plaque labeling it the entrance to THE WHISPERING ROOM. Swiftly he drew Cordelia inside, out of sight. He slammed the door behind them, causing a loud noise, but he thought it couldn’t possibly be heard over the crowd in the main chamber. Only then did he release Cordelia’s hand and take stock of their surroundings.

The room was dimly lit, but not cold: a scented fire burned in the grate, filling the space with the smell of sandalwood and roses. It was a study, he guessed, based on the gigantic walnut desk against the wall and the bookshelves opposite, but it was too richly decorated to be solely a place for studious contemplation. Phoenix feathers and dragon scales danced across the gilded wallpaper; there were no windows, but the walls were hung with patterned tapestries, the floor covered with a rug so thick James felt his boots sink into it as he moved further into the room.

Cordelia had leaned her back against the wall next to the door. Her eyes were closed and she was taking deep, full breaths, calming herself down. Cortana gleamed gold over her shoulder; the firelight gleamed a deeper gold on her skin, which seemed to take and hold its warmth. James curled his fingers in against his palm.

He wanted to touch her. He half-turned away, pretending to study the books on the wall. Any other time, he would have been fascinated by the titles. Now they seemed distant, neither immediate nor imporant. He could have sworn he heard his own heart hammering. He said, “Where did you learn to dance like that?” surprising himself with the roughness of his own voice.

His gaze snapped back to Cordelia as she opened her eyes and gave a little shrug. There was something magical about the dress she wore: it followed the shape of her own body rather than the shape of corsetry or whalebone petticoats. It slid softly against her skin as she moved, just as her dark red hair tickled the bare skin of her throat, her shoulders. “I had a dance instructor in Paris. My mother believed that learning to dance aided in learning grace in battle.”

The word grace pierced James like an icicle. He could not quite picture Grace at the moment, it was true; could not quite envision her face. He had given Grace his heart — that was an immutable fact, something he knew as he knew that two plus two equaled four. But he had to admit that at the moment his heart did not feel given. It felt like a thrumming machine inside his chest, pumping blood and heat.

“That dance,” Cordelia added with a quirk of her soft mouth that struck James like a blow to the stomach, “was forbidden to be taught to unmarried ladies. But my dance instructor did not care.”

“Well,” James said, keeping his voice steady with practiced control, “thank the Angel you were there. Matthew and I could certainly not have pulled off that dance on our own.”

Cordelia turned away from him, the smile still on her face, as though she were keeping it secret from him. She trailed her hand along the top of Hypatia’s desk. At one end was a stack of papers held down by a large copper bowl of fruit, and she brought her hand up to trace its rim.

James may have been distracted beyond the capacity for distraction he’d known before, but he was still a Shadowhunter. “Be careful,” he said warningly. “I suspect that is faerie fruit. It has no effect on warlocks—no magical effect, at least. But on humans…”

Cordelia pulled her hand back as though stung. “Surely it does not harm you if you do not eat it.”

“Oh, it does not. But I have met those who have tasted it. The say the more you have of it, the more you want, and the more you ache when you can…have no more.”

Cordelia was looking at him now, and though it took a great summoning of courage, he returned her gaze. In her dark eyes the silver and blue flames of the fireplace danced. James could not catch his breath. He had never felt this before, this breathlessness. It was like pain, but with a sweet, sharp edge. Like licking honey from a knife. He said, in a low voice, “And yet. I have always thought…is not knowing what it tastes like just another form of torture? The torture of wondering?”

The door shook on his hinges suddenly, making a clatter that made both he and Cordelia jerk their heads around to look at it. The knob was starting to turn.

Cordelia paled. “We’re not meant to be in here —“

James’s world closed down to just this: Cordelia was here, she was with him, and she looked frightened. He would do anything to stop that look on her face. He caught her in his arms, and the relief was incredible — he had not realized how much he wanted to be touching her until he was. Until he was holding her, and her strength and warmth and softness were all pressed against him, and her face was so beautiful it hurt, and her lips were parted in surprise and without another thought he kissed them.

He could feel her sharp intake of breath with his hands, clasped together at her lower back. She gasped, but did not draw back, or away — he thought he would have died if she had — she leaned into him, her full lips opening under his. She was kissing him back. He tasted honey, smelled jasmine and smoke. His hand slid up her warm cheek and into the soft fall of her hair.

Time stopped.

Cordelia’s arms were around his neck. Her lush mouth opened a little against his, and the kiss deepened. He moved his hand to the back of her neck to bring her closer. Her teeth grazed his lower lip, and he couldn’t help it; he moaned, and felt her tremble against him.

Very far away, a voice chuckled and the door closed with a soft click. This whole thing had been intended as a ruse, he knew, for the benefit of whomever was trying to get into the Whispering Room. Probably some Ruelle attendees, Downworlders most likely, who had snuck off for a rendez-vous.

Ruse accomplished, then. With intense regret, James drew back from Cordelia. Her hand, warm and soft and wonderful, was against his neck; her fingers stroked his pale white scar. Her eyes were fixed at the level of his shoulder. He could hear himself say her name — Daisy, my Daisy — instead of responding, she whispered, “I think more people are coming.”

He knew it wasn’t true. He didn’t care. He knew what she was saying: that she was asking and giving permission at once. All James’ life, he had struggled for control: control over his sudden falls into shadow, control over the dark world he could see, that was invisible to everyone else. He had worked and fought and trained for control every day, and for the first time in as long as he could remember it deserted him.

The walls he had put up burned to the ground in an instant as he caught Cordelia to him. He groaned against her mouth, his hands slipping over the silk of her dress, the hot satin of her skin. He undid the strap that held Cortana, got rid of it somehow — carefully, he hoped — and let himself fall back into delirium.

He did not ask himself why he had never felt desire like this before. He could not. He was lost in the feel of her, the incline of her waist, the flare of her hips, the rise and fall of her chest as she gasped. They were kissing wildly, uncontrolled; they fetched up against the desk, Cordelia’s back to it.

Her body bent backward in an impossible arch, her hands going behind her to brace herself. Her eyes half-closed, her head fell back, revealing the bare column of her throat. He pressed his lips there, eliciting a gasp of surprised pleasure.

His hands trailed up the sleek material of her dress — he could feel the heat of her skin through it — from her waist to the neckline of her gown. His palms followed her curves until the tips of his fingers were pressing into the bare bronze skin just above the neckline of her dress. She was sleek and soft and hot all at the same time, like nothing else he’d ever touched. He heard her whimper; she was saying his name, and his heart beat in time with her words: James, James, Jamie please.

The please undid him; shrugging off his frock coat, he caught hold of her around the waist, lifting her until she was perched on the edge of the desk. The material of her dress bunched around her knees, her thighs, as she took hold of his shirt by the starched front and kissed him. His mouth drove against hers, hot and demanding, even as he clambered onto the desk after her. She reached up her arms for him and he sank down on top of her, bracing his weight with a hand above her head.

He paused, just for a moment, looking down at her. Her scarlet hair fanned out across the desk, her eyes glazed, her full lips red from kissing. He was cradled by her body, her legs on either side of his hips, her skirt rucked up nearly to her waist. She wrapped her long, bare legs around him and he shuddered. What was in him, what he wanted, was inchoate but insistant, a force he’d never known. A yearning like hot wires in his blood, the pain-pleasurable ache of unbearable wanting that drove him to kiss her again, kiss her harder. She tangled her hands in his hair, pulling at it as he kissed her breasts, flicking his tongue over the sensitive skin until she gave a low scream and clutched at him with desperate hands.

He sank down against her and kissed her, hot and deep and hard. She arched into the kiss, her breath coming in gasps. He felt her through the thinner material of his shirt: the heat of her, the swell of her breasts against his chest, her hands smoothing over his chest, his sides.

His hands aching to touch her in kind, to find out what she liked, what made her gasp, and do it again and again . . . Nothing had ever felt like this, nothing. He’d known desire before; so he remembered, so he had believed. It turned out he had stepped into a puddle and thought it was the sea. As Cordelia moved in his arms, as her lips, he realized there was a depth to desire he hadn’t even guessed at: that it was more than just desperation, but joy and need and wanting and being wanted back. It was a fever dream, his hands sliding up under the heavy satin of her skirts, the salt-sweet taste of her skin, the soft sounds of her pleasure as she urged him closer, urged him onward, the desk seeming to spin beneath them.

He heard, as if at a great distance, the sound of the door opening. He lifted his head, saw the slim fair-hared figure in the doorway. Ice washed through his veins. Cordelia stiffened, began to scramble to sit up. No, he thought, but he couldn’t stop her, couldn’t blame her. It — whatever it had been — was over.

He slid off the desk. Already the fever was vanishing, that feeling —the glorious freedom from the burden of his own will — receding. Grasping at his control, he drew it around himself, reaching for his coat, turning to calmly meet the gaze of his parabatai.

“James?” Matthew said.

#the whispering room #james herondale #cordelia carstairs #the last hours #cassandra clare #cassandra jean #chain of gold

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sepublic · 3 years

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Through the Looking Glass Ruins!!!!!

…

SO! Onto other things first…

WRATH IS BRAXAS’ FATHER!??!!? HOLY SHIT, Wrath is a canonical dad, I’d always expressed my… OH MY GOD WRATH IS DAD! And of BRAXAS, that sweetie… How is Braxas such a sweetie with a father like HIM, also-

Wrath was in casual wear? Either he has a day off, or he got fired by Belos/Kikimora after drawing Luz a map to Eda in Young Blood, Old Souls! Either way this guy has a sudden new level of NUANCE that I am reeling from, and yes I checked, that really is Wrath according to the credits! Dang this puts everything in a WHOLE new light…!

AMITY HAIR OHMIGOD IT LOOKS SO ADORABLE SHE’S SELF-ACTUALIZING I AM FUCKING SCREAMING HOLY SHIT OH MY GOD!!! OH MY GOD OH MY GOD, it’s PINK and not green… They acknowledged it, Emira did! And they CHANGED IT I AM LOSING MY FUCKING MIND OVER THIS-

She looks so BEAUTIFUL and I love the kind of foreshadowing with the bookends of our first shot of Amity having her hair down, and now it’s changed! And she looks adorable and EMIRA AND EDRIC BEING GREAT SIBLINGS I LOVE IT SO MUCH! This… THIS is everything I wanted! I was resigned to not much of them but HELL YEAH they’re being good siblings and we get a look at their rooms, we see them doing MAKEOVERS together this is everything from my favorite fanon content and MORE,

Also Edric has a date?! Emira says ‘their’ mom… Unless the Golden Guard has a mom, DARN! Not gonna lie, I half-expected a big twist at the end that Edric was dating the Golden Guard, who was doing some sort of reconnaissance as his unrecognized normal self and/or screwing around with the Blights even further, but in a GENUINE sense… But then who knows Kikimora could be posing as GG’s ‘mom’, this is a stretch anyhow-

JUST HELL YEAH Blight Twins! Blight Twins being sweet and mischievous and supportive of each other, Blight SIBLINGS being siblings, Emira being an older sister and giving advice! And AMITY, Amity mentioning how much Luz has changed stuff, I love that they acknowledge it openly how her life has completely shifted, and now… NOW…!

No necklace! Red leggings! PINK HAIR?! Is this why Amity in the intro hasn’t been updated yet… She was getting TWO updates, so the animators decided to only animate a change after this final update?!

King and Gus are also friends it seems, and they even recorded some fun together! I’m surprised at how much Bria and the others mock Gus’ illusion skills… Obviously Belos is kinda terrible but like; I don’t think he’d set aside an entire subset of magic into Illusions without reason! Also that nightmare trip… I LOVE IT, I love Gus applying the creativity of illusions in their ability to completely warp and distort someone’s sense of reality! And I called that dragon-thing being an illusion!

A graveyard… I wonder if the Gallderstones (is that how it’s spelled) have any relevance or if they’re just neat? I hope Mattholomule and Gus help hide the Looking Glass Graveyard… Damn, that’s another Death reference with Gus, huh! Is it culminating in his respect for the dead, or will it continue further with Gus being a necromancer, or an Oracle who can commune with the deceased, and he has their respect as someone who treats them properly?!

Also not to get dark but… What if all those Illusionists are dead because of Belos? I’m JUST SAYING…! And not gonna lie, every time someone insulted Illusions, I kept imagining the Illusion Head just suddenly waking up and feeling like there’s a disturbance in the force, as well as a weird compulsion to beat up some Glandus kids. It’d be even funnier if he had beef with the Construction, Plant, and Abomination Heads as well!

Speaking of which, more confirmation on Construction Magic being related to earth! Glad to see Bria give us a look into that, which furthers my idea of Belos using construction magic… Also dang, Bria and the Glandus Kids really are the parallels/foils to the Detention kids! You’ve got the short ‘nice’ girl, the tall lanky kid, the furry… But the Glandus Kids start off looking nice and cool, but turn out to be rather nasty!

Meanwhile the Detention Kids seem like bad news and delinquents, but no! They’re just demonized and actually very kind and chill! The Detention Kids are looked down upon, the Glandus Kids are appraised… The Detention Kids are dual-track, the Glandus Kids are singular; Glandus Kids from, well, GLANDUS, Detention Kids from Hexside… One’s ‘mischief’ is actually very neat and cool, the other’s is literal grave robbing.

I guess that’s how the bleeding statues got past the censors- It’s technically just an illusion! Also more insight into how Glandus works with its Survival of the Fittest mentality, I wonder if we’ll get confirmation on which coven heads came from there, how that might influence them as adults…

What is Glandus like, is it more whole-heartedly accepting of Belos’ rule, hence its harsh ideals? Was it made after Hexside? Does Bump hate it for being so cruel like that, or is it just school bias? And dang poor Mattholomule, I always had a feeling he sort of felt and knew that he wasn’t much, so he accepted and compensated by deliberately doing whatever he can for power…

They confirmed he’s from Glandus, and I appreciate this new look at him! This new leaf turned… Hot take but he’s honestly not as bad as Boscha, his stint with Gus was a one-time thing that Gus was able to live with! And that seems pretty good to set them up as friends! Speaking of Boscha, Willow was injured by pixies? And the last time we heard of pixies, they belonged to Boscha and caused the school to get shut down… Did BOSCHA DO THIS I SWEAR SHE IS DEAD TO ME-

(Also she’s mentioned in the credits for this episode but I don’t remember hearing her? I might’ve gotten distracted with so much other things.)

Gus! I like the insight into his relationship with Illusions, and I appreciate how he’s considering other forms of magic… But this hesitation might just serve to reaffirm his believe in Illusions, which is okay! It’s all about choice… And yeah, it seems Gus also has a case of impostor syndrome like King, no wonder they get along so well! I love the glimpses into Gus’ house and the confirmation that he has a library card, no Perry though alas…!

I appreciate how Gus feels overlooked, like he has no real substance, which is how his Illusions reflect a desire to draw attention, but also the idea that there’s nothing real beneath them… Again, very much like King! And Gus, he’s not a powerhouse like the rest, he’s SKILLED and smart, but strength isn’t his forte, it’s not brute force he operates on, but cleverness! Trickery, I like it…! It’s a nice callback to his last A-plot episode, SVSF, where instead of fighting Mattholomule physically, Gus’ solution is to think outside the box and pull the alarm!

You go kid, not relying on brute strength but showing that some clever tricks and thinking are just as valid! Kinda wonder if this episode is lowkey a discussion on masculinity for young boys, especially with Gus growing older with puberty, though the latter is mostly because his actual VA grew… But maybe the writers rolled with that and incorporated it, or it’s just a very neat coincidence! Also, it is me or did Mattholomule’s voice change? And the gag that Gavin’s dad looks identical to him, even moreso because he’s NOT supposed to have a moustache… That’s great!

Malphas! Love this reference to a classic demon, I wasn’t sure if Malphas was the librarian with glasses whom I’ve always headcanoned as a father figure to Amity… But maybe it’s actually this bird dude! He seems adept in Bard magic, and I love the reveal of his true crow appearance… Guess those theorists were right that the one-eyed figure is from the Forbidden Stacks! Also Malphas NOT COOL with Amity, but I’m glad Luz changed his mind, and I wonder how that adventure looked…

Which- DAMN, the RSD with Luz! She looks so UTTERLY BROKEN when Amity mentions doing stupid things, and she didn’t mean it like that, but Luz just looks so completely shattered and you can tell she wants to cry but instead she bottles it up and tries to take it in stride, and that plays into her trying to overcompensate for her mistakes AGAIN… SOMEONE GET IT TO HER HEAD that she doesn’t need to! I’m scared for Luz, and I was SO scared this episode would end on a bad note…

BUT DOAHLDdFAEONDKFHN LUMITY KISS LUMITY KISS! ONE-SIDED BUT THEY FINALLY FUCKING KNOW AND AMITY IS LIKE WHAAAAT AND I WAS WAITING FOR IT AND I COULD FEEL IT HAPPEN AND GAY KISS! GAY KISS ON-SCREEN!!! And the way Luz just FLOPS to the ground on her knees AAHJJFFKHGGK and no Alador nor Odalia to ruin this, UTTERLY PERFECT and the twins WATCHING OOOHHHHGGGG YYYEEAAAAHHH-

This is EVERYTHING I ever wanted!

What an AMAZING episode with wonderful characer beats and reveals! Again, Amity’s growth as a character, that brief insight into how Luz as a person is very chaotic and sometimes frustrating for Amity and forces her to reevaluate, but ultimately it’s good and Luz DOES try her best, and Amity clearly wanted to make things up for Luz and apologize, they’re BOTH doing things, just the little moments!

Also, Alex Lawther voices Philip Wittebane! He has long hair and a vaguely british accent, he’s… He’s Belos isn’t he? And they got a new VA because having him voiced by Matthew Rhys would be really spoiler-y right? He’s got the long hair and he’s a nerd… And with how he talks of finding a way back home, maybe Belos really DOES just want to return home, after all? He talks of making a way back home…

And we see a glimpse of the Portal, so it might’ve brought him there? Or did Philip succeed in making it, and that was his blueprint designs? Did he arrive by Titan’s Blood? What happened to the portal if it brought him there, or if he made it? Why the scar, why near Eda’s house, partially buried?

Was it lost before he could finish his work, and Philip got side-tracked into something else… Perhaps going on a crusade, on behalf of a curse/demon that possessed him? A demon that killed King’s father…? Was the portal broken and he had to discard it, but then it naturally healed- Or did it just need to recharge, maybe Philip DID make it back home, WHAT IS THE ANSWER?! Is there some sort of doppelganger for Philip, is BELOS his doppelganger?! What is THIS WHAT-

WHAT AN EPISODE!

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orymsbich · 2 years

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Critical role campaign 3 episode 21

Ashley no I hope she's safe and well

THUMB

How did everyone roll so bad

Imogen is still blue

Sam: Oh what is that, that's chetney that, monster there

Travis: You mean that sex icon

Lauras impression of Ashley hdjsjxj

Matt: if you guys want to start engaging in some piggyback

Sam: First I'm gonna cast yassify

Marisha rolling a natural 20 on Laura's behalf

NO THE ROD OF UNMOVING ARE YOU SERIOUS EVERYONE GETTING SO MAD AT MATT AND HES ALL LIKE .....you left it behind??!!

LIAM NAT 20

Yassify again

Travis: YOU ARE UNHINGED MATTHEW

THERE KILLING THEM WITH THE FIRE OH FUCK

I'm living for Chetneys deep wolf voice

Chetney: Give me some space hi-ya

The LENTILS

Laudna: Are you alright Ashton ive never seen you so-

Ashton: no

Fcg: Does it feel better this way?

Chetney: You know it's actually hot both ways

Fcg: Smiley night to you

Liam: At least in the book does it end in a period

Matt: No it ends in three

Chetney getting to talk wood I'm CRyïnG

ARE THEY GONNA FIGHT??!???!

*Putting bread on the ground to feed the birds*

Chetney: *bends to pick up the bread* you dropped this

Travis: That's what happens when you get covid your shit gets stolen

Chetney threating the horses

The conversation about marishas boobs lmao

#critical role #critical role campaign 3 #campaign 3 #cr campaign 3 #orym #dorian storm #ashton greymoore #bertrand bell #fearne #laudna #imogen #fcg #fresh cut grass

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osleyakomwonkru · 3 years

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Octavia as The 100′s Jesus Figure, Part 4: Bardo, The Crucifixion and Second Coming of Octavia Blake

So we’re back for a fourth part of this series, which I started after season 6, because wouldn’t you know it - there’s more to be said.

In Part 1, Origin Story and the Meeting of Two Saviours, I discussed Octavia’s origin story as the Dark Saviour and her relationship with the show’s other Saviour Lincoln, and how with his death he invested her with the mission to save all of their people.

In Part 2, Saving Humanity and the First Passion of Octavia Blake, I talked about Octavia finally accepting and understanding her mission as the Saviour, redeeming the sins of humanity, and her first Passion narrative, which was left incomplete, and thus she lived.

In Part 3, Planet Alpha and the Second Passion of Octavia Blake, I wrote about Octavia’s second Passion narrative on Planet Alpha, which led to her road to Golgotha at the Anomaly, from which she is resurrected (the Crucifixion narrative still remaining a mystery) and then meets those she knew once again, before her ascension as the Anomaly reclaimed her in the last seconds of the S6 finale.

So now, Part 4 - Here we will get into that missing Crucifixion narrative, as well as the events that come to pass with Octavia’s Second Coming, the Judgment of Humanity, and how things may have played out differently had it been Octavia who walked into the glowy ball of light instead of Cadogan, Clarke and Raven.

From Dark to Light

Before we return to that missing Crucifixion narrative, which takes place on Bardo, Octavia, along with Diyoza and Hope, land on a different planet for ten years. This planet also has its purpose in our Saviour narrative, because while the show starts on dark themes, and thus needed Octavia as a Dark Saviour, in season 7 it began to shift to a theme of light and transcendence.

Enter the appropriately named Penance.

Octavia spends ten years on Skyring/Penance/Planet Beta, healing from her pain and darkness, and thus is no longer the Dark Saviour the narrative needed her to be before to bring salvation to her people, now she can be the Light Saviour who will save all of humanity.

Her new demeanour - though I hesitate to say new because it was born of ten years of peace, plenty, family, and healing, it wasn’t new to her, merely to those who used to know her for whom time had been much shorter - is evidence of her new Light. It confuses many, because they hadn’t had the same time and healing as she had, but it is evident in every move she makes. Rather than the tornado of righteous fury that she used to be, now Octavia is the steady and calm voice of reason - to Echo, to Hope, and especially to Clarke.

But back to that crucifixion narrative.

Every Noble Crown will be a Crown of Thorns

Her peaceful world torn asunder, Octavia is taken to Bardo, and thrown into M-Cap at the first opportunity. Others have mentioned how the M-Cap headcap looks like a crown of thorns, and they’re quite right - this is where Octavia’s Crucifixion narrative comes to fruition. No one spends as much time in that crown of thorns as she does.

She fights it, at first, but when acceptance is what will provide salvation to her people (or person, in this case, being Hope), she accepts her fate and faces her past - brutal days of reliving her history as the Dark Saviour, to firmly close that chapter of her life (a symbolic death rather than just her regular baptism-rebirth cycle).

She’s freed from her crown of thorns when Hope comes. Hope, the symbol of her new Light, and the Light that she will carry with her as she returns to Sanctum to be resurrected among those she once knew, those who had believed her to be lost, but who dearly needed the Light she was to bring them.

Revelation and The Second Coming

There are a lot of different moving pieces involved in the apocalyptic scenarios of Revelation, and how these come to play in season 7 of The 100 isn’t any different. So let’s take a look at some of the other key players and how they connect to Octavia’s story.

The False Prophet, The Dragon and The Beast

Now, in my Part 3 of this series (written after the S6 finale), I predicted that Bellamy would have a large part in the revelation of Octavia’s Saviour narrative. Obviously, that part didn’t come to pass, because of Bob’s absence from the show, but you can still see hints within the narrative that suggest he would have been a part of it before Bob pulled out (most notably, the Hesperides flashback in 7x04 - this flashback is pretty pointless in the context of Hope telling Echo and Gabriel that story, but if you imagine Bellamy being there to hear about how his sister raised Hope in much the same way he raised her - then it becomes way more meaningful).

But the narrative as it played out also presents interesting Biblical allusions, by casting Bellamy in the role of false prophet, fighting on the side of the Beast (Cadogan), instead of on the side of Christ (his sister).

The false prophet is said to be the second beast to rise in Revelation 13, who has “two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon” (Revelation 13:11) who is given the authority to speak on behalf of the first Beast (Cadogan), to deceive the people so that they will worship this Beast. The false prophet having the appearance of a lamb is relevant here, because Jesus is often referred to as the Lamb of God - thus, the false prophet (Bellamy) resembles the true Saviour (Octavia), not coincidental since they are in fact siblings and thus do bear some physical resemblances.

So who is The Dragon - that is, Satan? It is easy to say that the Dragon is Sheidheda, for it is the Dragon who is imprisoned, only to be released to deceive and wage war before being finally defeated. But it goes deeper than that - The Dragon is the dark side of the Flame itself, Sheidheda’s only the last prophet of that darkness. It is the Flame that gives Cadogan, the Beast, the power he needs to rule over his people - the glimpse of the idea of Judgment Day as something for the Disciples to work towards - “The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority” (Revelation 13:2) - even when the good side of the Flame, the Humanity that Becca believed so vital, wanted to keep it from him.

The Children of the Kingdom of Heaven

Jesus says “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3). Octavia’s always been tied to different children throughout The 100 narrative, first as the child herself, and then others such as Gavriel, Ethan, Madi, Rose and Hope. But the important children for the purpose of this post are the three that are the “next generation” so to speak of the leading trio of the show, and their important roles in the final battle.

There’s Jordan, the Head-centered, who takes over Clarke’s role as John the Baptist, the prophet who bore witness to the Light (Jesus) so that others would believe. His testimony shows that the Final War is instead a Test, and he’s instrumental in making sure that Octavia can stop the war and pass the test to grant humanity eternal life instead.

There’s Hope, the Heart-centered, who takes over Bellamy’s role as Saint Peter, the disciple who becomes the leader of the church after Jesus’ ascension. Hope is Octavia’s grounding force, her new rock, and her love gives her strength to continue her journey.

And then there’s Madi, the Soul-centered, who is Octavia’s next generation counterpart. It’s made clear from the start of Madi’s introduction in season 5 that Octavia is her favourite, that Octavia is the one she looked up to, and even in season 7, these parallels are there, as Madi is ready to sacrifice herself to save the others, and in more peaceful ways too, like when she’s hiding in the reactor with her two new friends, reminiscent of season 1 Octavia and her friendship with Monty and Jasper. Madi, too, meets her Crucifixion in the M-Cap chair, in an even crueler and more vicious manner than Octavia did. But when Octavia saves humanity, this liberates Madi’s soul and grants her eternal life as well.

I am the Way, The Truth and the Life

Wonkru falls apart in Octavia’s absence. There’s no other way to say it. Wonkru crumbling in 7x03 is made even more conspicuous by the fact that they don’t even mention Octavia, because they’re still denying her, despite everything she brought them. They don’t realize that she’s the one to save them all, they don’t realize that, as Jesus says, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 4:16) - something that they will finally come to understand in the climax of the final episode.

But it isn’t time for that story yet. First we must turn to Revelation to see what happens to Wonkru and the others on Sanctum while they’ve chosen to deny her and follow the Dragon and the Beast instead.

Here we see the different plagues that strike the unbelievers - both in Revelation 8-9 and 16.

The first to come are “ugly, festering sores [that] broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast” (Revelation 16:2) - the radiation sickness that is a marker of the broken nuclear reactor in 7x03, which claims as James as one of its first victims. If you don’t remember who he was while watching that episode, look back to 6x02, where he’s one of the people attacking Octavia in the Eligius IV mess hall. He breaks faith with her, and here suffers the consequences of that.

The second and third plagues speak of both the seas and the rivers turning to blood - references to the rivers of blood created by Sheidheda’s massacres, first of the Faithful and then of the Children of Gabriel.

The fourth plague, the sun scorching people with fire, takes us to the eclipse in 7x13, where the sky is red with the eclipse. This leads to the fifth and sixth plagues - the kingdom being plunged into darkness as Emori kills power to the reactor to bring down the shield, which makes it possible for “locusts [to come] down on the earth” (Revelation 9:3) and devour those “who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads” (Revelation 9:5).

It is only the final plague - “rumblings… and a severe earthquake… [where] the great city split into three parts” (Revelation 16:18-19) - that strikes where Octavia is, with “a loud voice from the throne, saying ‘It is done!’” (Revelation 16:17). This line from Revelation calls back to what Octavia says to Hope in 6x13 before her Ascension - “Be brave, tell him it is done” - a sign that Octavia is needed elsewhere again. And soon enough she does depart to Bardo, alongside Clarke. Meanwhile, the survivors remaining on Earth have to reunite the three groups split in the bunker - those in the rotunda (Hope, Jordan, Gaia, Indra, Miller), those in the rec room (Raven, Murphy, Emori, Jackson) and those in the bunkrooms (Echo, Niylah) - to prepare for the final war and judgment.

The Fall of Babylon

Before Octavia can bring light to the world and grant humanity transcendence, there is still one more key part of Revelation that must come to pass, and that is the fall of Babylon: That is, in this ‘verse, Clarke.

Throughout Biblical narrative, Babylon stands in opposition to Jerusalem and its righteousness, just how in The 100 narrative Clarke and Octavia have always been set as foils to each other. Now, Clarke isn’t evil per se, but she’s always been set in her ways and doubles down when questioned about her past deeds - as we see both in how she faces the Primes in 6x03 and the Judge in 7x16. She doesn’t learn, and so she fails. Clarke, like Babylon, is locked out of heaven for not learning the patience and humility that Octavia did: “For her sins are piled up to Heaven, and God has remembered her sins. Give back to her as she has given, pay her back double for what she has done.” (Revelation 18:5-6).

With Clarke fallen, it is now time to begin the Final Judgment.

Final Test and Judgment

After Clarke’s fall, someone must step in to advocate for humanity, to guide the Judge’s gaze to the righteous, to the Saviour - Raven steps through the glowing orb to do so. So which figure in Revelation is most suited here? None other than the writer of Revelation themselves, historically considered to be John of Patmos, who is given these visions by the angels as a warning for humanity.

Raven bore witness to a number of the plagues, and while not always a believer in Octavia - in fact, out of all characters around for all seven seasons, they’ve shared the least screentime with each other - but they’ve still fought on the same side. Also of relevance here is that Raven’s been granted visions in the narrative of the show, like John of Patmos has in Revelation - though hers came as a result of ALIE.

While the Judge takes Raven to the battlefield in Bardo to prove humanity to be unworthy, this battlefield is instead where Octavia proves humanity to be worthy. Indra and Wonkru follow Octavia’s lead, finally recognizing that their only way to salvation was through her (see John 4:16 above), and after the Disciples too laid down their weapons, humanity is deemed worthy and the Judge grants them eternal life in the form of transcendence - rising to the heavens in the manner of the Rapture, “We who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

Where is the Judgment of the Dead?

Now, one thing missing in season 7 compared to the Book of Revelation and Jesus’ Second Coming is the Judgment of the Dead and welcoming those worthy into the domain of Heaven.

A longstanding phrase in The 100 has been “May We Meet Again”. This is part of the Traveler’s Blessing of Skaikru, and one that they use frequently with one another even in non-death contexts. So with that phrase, a lot of people expected that the dead would also be able to be part of transcendence somehow, and that beloved characters would then also be present on the beach in the final scene as they rejected transcendence to live mortal lives.

I believe, given everything in the past posts about Octavia, that had she been the one to go into the ball of light to face the Judge personally, rather than saving humanity on the battlefield, that this would have happened.

While logically I believe the best form for the Judge to take for Octavia would have been Diyoza, since Diyoza was her greatest teacher, her mind would be more likely to choose her greatest love, Lincoln - who, if we go back to Part 1 of this series, we remember is the other Saviour of this show’s narrative.

That would have been a reunion even more epic than the Clarke and Lexa reunion that the show gave us, for Lincoln and Octavia were far closer and together for far longer. And if the Transcendents possessed the powers that they do - instant genocide by crystallization at the wave of an arm, transcendence through the blink of an eye, restoration of healthy and whole bodies if those souls reject transcendence - then surely raising the dead would’ve been a simple task.

The only reason that couldn’t happen was extratextual - there was no way Ricky would work with JRoth again, and so this extra dimension, this aspect of the narrative that could have made things so much sweeter and less bitter, had to be put aside.

Now, that doesn’t diminish Octavia’s Saviour narrative in the least - she did still save humanity. She did still bear the sins of the human race, she was still mocked, cast out and sent to her crucifixion by those who denied her. She did still return from that symbolic death, resurrected, then ascended. When she faced Wonkru again - remember, that battlefield in 7x16 is the first time the bulk of Wonkru has seen her since 5x13 - it was in her Second Coming to bring the Final Judgment to them. The trials they’d faced in Sanctum in her absence showed them the truth - that they had to believe in her again to achieve their salvation.

She was the Way, the Truth and the Life of The 100 universe, and no one would have reached transcendence except through her.

#the 100 #the 100 meta #octavia blake #clarke griffin #bellamy blake #raven reyes #biblical parallels #saving humanity #saviour narrative #bill cadogan #sheidheda #jordan jasper green #hope diyoza #madi griffin

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newtonsheffield · 3 years

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I was waiting the whole week for Spicy Sunday! Any chance Eddie x Goose can make it on Spicy Sunday this week? And maybe a quick conversation between Kate and Eddie afterwards? I recently read the one where Eddie grilled Kate after the Insufferable date night and I can’t resist asking haha. Thanks for all you do!

Can Goose and Eddie Make it on Spicy Sunday? Of course they can. I was kinda hoping someone was gonna request these two, (I’m lowkey hoping someone eventually asks for Lucy and Gregory as well) Is it weird to hope for specific things to be requested for Spicy Sunday? Probably. I don’t know.

Anyway! After Edwina forced Kate to admit how satisfactory Anthony was It seems only fair that Kate puts her through the same embarrassment No? Kate definitely had some follow up questions after their little conversation in the bathroom of the restaurant, Unfortunately they were joined in the tiny bathroom by a very pious looking elderly woman and so left soon after.

Let’s check in.

Edwina Sheffield had obviously slept with men before, she was 27 and she had a healthy belief that women shouldn’t be embarrassed of their sexuality. It was a normal part of life, and the idea that women should remain chaste and pure seemed, honestly a little ridiculous to her. She’d even thought she’d had good sex before, but honestly looking back maybe she hadn’t.

She had been on four dates with Matthew Bagwell, and he had been very... respectful. He’d opened doors for her, and pulled out seats, and kissed her when he left her at the door of her flat, his hands planted firmly on her waist, never wandering. And honestly, it was starting to get a little confusing. Men she’d been with before had been so eager to touch her, to feel everything for their own benefit more so than hers admittedly, and yet Matthew kept his hands firmly on her sides, even though she could feel his eyes wander over her, could feel in the urgency of his lips against hers that he wanted more, he hadn’t asked for it. He always groaned a little, pulled back and said “I should go.” Kissing her on the cheek lightly as he went, While Edwina stood there stunned, and more than a little flustered.

But tonight, when he stood at the door, his eyes burning into hers and said, very nervously, “I’d really like it if you would consider being my girlfriend.” Her heart had wanted to burst with the sweetness of it. And then He’d looked so happy when she’d agreed so absolutely thrilled, that she hadn’t been able to help herself from swinging the door open and tugging him inside roughly by the front of the sweater. His body toppling against hers as she sealed their lips together, his tongue tangling with hers had heat pooling in the pit of her stomach, his hair slipping through her finger tips and then, abruptly, he pulled back. His blue eyes darker then she’d ever seen them, his breath coming in short pants, mouth open as he tried to form words. She beat him to it. “Matt, if you say you should go, I’ll scream. I don’t want you to go anywhere.” The roughness of her voice surprisingly her, and Matthew stayed frozen, his eyes burning into hers, and then his lips cocked upwards in a crooked grin that made her knees nearly buckle. “If I stay, Can I still make you scream?” His voice was like velvet in her ear, his hands wandering down to her hips, setting her on fire as she said “God, I hope so.” Tugging him down the hallway, pausing in the living room her eyes flicking to the sofa, as his lips trailed down her neck “Bedroom, Eddie. Couches are for quickies, and I promise you, I’m not going to be quick.” And Jesus fucking christ she felt like she couldn’t breathe. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected from this man, but it certainly hadn’t been this smooth confidence, his voice lightly commanding, but still giving her plenty of opportunity to push back.

As soon as she pushed open the bedroom door, Matthew was on her, his lips trailing down her neck as he undid her dress, forcing her to step out of it, his hands lifting her thighs until she was forced to wrap her legs around him and everything about it was intoxicating, she could barely breathe as he pushed her against the mattress his hands inching up her thigh, her own hands fiddling with his belt buckle. and Then he stilled, she groaned at the loss of contact as his hands met hers, tugging them away. “We can do that later, but I want you to feel really really good first. Okay?” His eyes felt like fire against hers, his voice rough as he assessed her, waiting for her consent before he went any further, And when she nodded, he didn’t wait anymore. His lips and hands trailing up her thighs, their moans mingling together in the darkness, and then she fell apart altogether, and still he didn’t stop, it was relentless, the room felt like it was spinning, so much contact, too much contact, his arm across her hips holding her firmly in place. “I.. fuck Matt...I can’t.” She stuttered out, her breath coming in painful gasps And Mathew chuckled “Yes. You. Can. Again. Eddie.” And god help her. This time she screamed.

_________

“So, just how many arrivals does Matthew Schedule for you?” Kate’s amused said across the kitchen counter, and Edwina stilled, a blush rising to her cheeks. “Kate, that’s private.” She said primly, taking a sip of her tea, avoiding her sister’s eyes as she gasped indignantly. “No, No, No! You made me tell you about Anthony! Eddie, our Mum heard it!” Kate said, indignantly, “Would you like me to call Matthew and ask him instead? Jesus, at least tell me he’s better than David! Please for the love of god, at least tell me he knows where-” And maybe it was the fact that Kate seemed so instant or maybe it was the ridiculous need to defend Matthew but Edwina snapped.

“Jesus Kate fine, his record is 5.” She said, her cheeks burning with embarrassment, though she did get a little thrill of satisfaction when Kate’s mouth dropped open in surprise, scoffing a little with amazement. “Well, I might need to call Matthew after all. Give him my thanks on behalf of the female population for his fine work.” Kate said a smirk on her face.

“Oh don’t worry. He certainly receives plenty of thanks.”

#bridgerton and sons au #edwina x matthew #edwina sheffield #edwina sharma #matthew goose bagwell #we stan a respectful king who knows what to do #spicy sunday 🌶#molly's asks and answers

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