#2 Samuel 22:19

[drshermaines-wisdomnuggets]

"THERE'S DANGER IN TWISTING SCRIPTURE!"

Deuteronomy 4:2, “Now listen, Israel, listen carefully to the rules and regulations that I am teaching you to follow so that you may live and enter and take possession of the land that God, the God-of-Your-Fathers, is giving to you. DON’T ADD A WORD TO WHAT I COMMAND YOU, AND DON’T REMOVE A WORD FROM IT. Keep the commands of God, your God, that I am commanding you.” (MSG) Ecclesiastes 3:14-15,…

[upstatechristian]

Verse of the Day 12-3-22

Verse of the Day 12-3-22

Jesus: The Light of the World Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; the one who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” John 8:12 In this verse Jesus declares himself to be “the light of the world.” This is the second of Jesus’ seven “I am” statements1. While the expression appears simple and straightforward on the outside, the…

[thaoworra]

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry Association recently released the poems that made it to the finalist stage for consideration for the 2024 Rhysling Awards for Short and Long Speculative Poems of the year. Congratulations to all of the nominees! This will be the 46th year these awards have been conferred!

Short Poems (50 finalists)

Attn: Prime Real Estate Opportunity!, Emily Ruth Verona, Under Her Eye: A Women in Horror Poetry Collection Volume II

The Beauty of Monsters, Angela Liu, Small Wonders 1

The Blight of Kezia, Patricia Gomes, HWA Poetry Showcase X

The Day We All Died, A Little, Lisa Timpf, Radon 5

Deadweight, Jack Cooper, Propel 7

Dear Mars, Susan L. Lin, The Sprawl Mag 1.2

Dispatches from the Dragon's Den, Mary Soon Lee, Star*Line 46.2

Dr. Jekyll, West Ambrose, Thin Veil Press December

First Eclipse: Chang-O and the Jade Hare, Emily Jiang, Uncanny 53

Five of Cups Considers Forgiveness, Ali Trotta, The Deadlands 31

Gods of the Garden, Steven Withrow, Spectral Realms 19

The Goth Girls' Gun Gang, Marisca Pichette, The Dread Machine 3.2

Guiding Star, Tim Jones, Remains to be Told: Dark Tales of Aotearoa, ed. Lee Murray (Clan Destine Press)

Hallucinations Gifted to Me by Heatstroke, Morgan L. Ventura, Banshee 15

hemiplegic migraine as willing human sacrifice, Ennis Rook Bashe, Eternal Haunted Summer Winter Solstice

Hi! I am your Cortical Update!, Mahaila Smith, Star*Line 46.3

How to Make the Animal Perfect?, Linda D. Addison, Weird Tales 100

I Dreamt They Cast a Trans Girl to Give Birth to the Demon, Jennessa Hester, HAD October

Invasive, Marcie Lynn Tentchoff, Polar Starlight 9

kan-da-ka, Nadaa Hussein, Apparition Lit 23

Language as a Form of Breath, Angel Leal, Apparition Lit October

The Lantern of September, Scott Couturier, Spectral Realms 19

Let Us Dream, Myna Chang, Small Wonders 3

The Magician's Foundling, Angel Leal, Heartlines Spec 2

The Man with the Stone Flute, Joshua St. Claire, Abyss & Apex 87

Mass-Market Affair, Casey Aimer, Star*Line 46.4

Mom's Surprise, Francis W. Alexander, Tales from the Moonlit Path June

A Murder of Crows, Alicia Hilton, Ice Queen 11

No One Now Remembers, Geoffrey Landis, Fantasy and Science Fiction Nov./Dec.

orion conquers the sky, Maria Zoccula, On Spec 33.2

Pines in the Wind, Karen Greenbaum-Maya, The Beautiful Leaves (Bamboo Dart Press)

The Poet Responds to an Invitation from the AI on the Moon, T.D. Walker, Radon Journal 5

A Prayer for the Surviving, Marisca Pichette, Haven Speculative 9

Pre-Nuptial, F. J. Bergmann, The Vampiricon (Mind's Eye Publications)

The Problem of Pain, Anna Cates, Eye on the Telescope 49

The Return of the Sauceress, F. J. Bergmann, The Flying Saucer Poetry Review February

Sea Change, David C. Kopaska-Merkel and Ann K. Schwader, Scifaikuest May

Seed of Power, Linda D. Addison, The Book of Witches ed. Jonathan Strahan (Harper Collins)

Sleeping Beauties, Carina Bissett, HWA Poetry Showcase X

Solar Punks, J. D. Harlock, The Dread Machine 3.1

Song of the Last Hour, Samuel A. Betiku, The Deadlands 22

Sphinx, Mary Soon Lee, Asimov's September/October

Storm Watchers (a drabbun), Terrie Leigh Relf, Space & Time

Sunflower Astronaut, Charlie Espinosa, Strange Horizons July

Three Hearts as One, G. O. Clark, Asimov's May/June

Troy, Carolyn Clink, Polar Starlight 12

Twenty-Fifth Wedding Anniversary, John Grey, Medusa's Kitchen September

Under World, Jacqueline West, Carmina Magazine September

Walking in the Starry World, John Philip Johnson, Orion's Belt May

Whispers in Ink, Angela Yuriko Smith, Whispers from Beyond (Crystal Lake Publishing)

Long Poems (25 finalists)

Archivist of a Lost World, Gerri Leen, Eccentric Orbits 4

As the witch burns, Marisca Pichette, Fantasy 87

Brigid the Poet, Adele Gardner, Eternal Haunted Summer Summer Solstice

Coding a Demi-griot (An Olivian Measure), Armoni “Monihymn” Boone, Fiyah 26

Cradling Fish, Laura Ma, Strange Horizons May

Dream Visions, Melissa Ridley Elmes, Eccentric Orbits 4

Eight Dwarfs on Planet X, Avra Margariti, Radon Journal 3

The Giants of Kandahar, Anna Cates, Abyss & Apex 88

How to Haunt a Northern Lake, Lora Gray, Uncanny 55

Impostor Syndrome, Robert Borski, Dreams and Nightmares 124

The Incessant Rain, Rhiannon Owens, Evermore 3

Interrogation About A Monster During Sleep Paralysis, Angela Liu, Strange Horizons November

Little Brown Changeling, Lauren Scharhag, Aphelion 283

A Mere Million Miles from Earth, John C. Mannone, Altered Reality April

Pilot, Akua Lezli Hope, Black Joy Unbound eds. Stephanie Andrea Allen & Lauren Cherelle (BLF Press)

Protocol, Jamie Simpher, Small Wonders 5

Sleep Dragon, Herb Kauderer, The Book of Sleep (Written Image Press)

Slow Dreaming, Herb Kauderer, The Book of Sleep (Written Image Press)

St. Sebastian Goes To Confession, West Ambrose, Mouthfeel 1

Value Measure, Joseph Halden and Rhonda Parrish, Dreams and Nightmares 125

A Weather of My Own Making, Nnadi Samuel, Silver Blade 56

Welcoming the New Girl, Beth Cato, Penumbric October

What You Find at the Center, Elizabeth R McClellan, Haven Spec Magazine 12

The Witch Makes Her To-Do List, Theodora Goss, Uncanny 50

The Year It Changed, David C. Kopaska-Merkel, Star*Line 46.4

Voting for the Rhysling Award begins July 1; a link to the ballot will be sent with the Rhysling Anthology, as well as with the July issue of Star*Line. More information on the Rhysling Award can be found here.

[lesfruitsdores]

Who are the hostages still held by Hamas?

On October 7, 2023, 253 Israelis and foreign nationals were kidnapped to Gaza by Hamas and gazan civilians. Since then, 105 were released in a prisioner exchange deal, 4 were released by Hamas and 3 were rescued.

However, 60 remain in captivity [as of 02/09/24] (4 of those were kidnapped prior to 2023). A recent investigation has concluded that more than a fifth of the hostages are dead and the fate of some other hostages remains unknown. This video explains how doctors determine which hostages are dead, based on the nature of their injury and by analyising footage and the victims' last phone calls. Additionally, during the operation in Gaza, the IDF has recovered the bodies of a few victims and returned to their families for burial.

Since I couldn't find this all in one place, I've compiled a list of: 1) hostages who are presumed alive; 2) hostaged whose death has been reported/confirmed; 3) hostages who were released or rescued. In the group of hostages presumed to be alive who haven't been released, the youngest is 1-year-old Kfir Bibas and the oldest hostage is Iraqi-born 85-year old Shlomo Mansour.

As we learn more information, I'll continue to update this post.

They need to come back home. I'm hoping for more successful rescue operations soon. Keep them in your thoughts.

Hostages still held by Hamas (presumed alive or fate unknown):

(1) (2) (3)

Abraham Eitan Mor (23)

Agam Berger (19)

Alexander (Sasha) Trupanob (28)

Alon Ohel (22)

Arbel Yehoud (28)

Ariel Bibas (4)

Ariel Cunio (26)

Avera Mengistu (37) – Has been held hostage since 2014

Avinathan Or (30)

Bar Kupershtein (22)

Bipin Joshi (23)

Daniel Gilboa (19)

David Cunio (33)

Doron Steinbrecher (30)

Edan Alexander (20)

Eitan Horn (37)

Eli Sharabi (51)

Eliya Cohen (26)

Elkana Bohbot (34)

Evytar David (23)

Gadi Moses (79)

Gali Berman (26)

Guy Gilboa-Dalal (22)

Hamzah Al-Zayadni (22)

Hisham al-Sayed (35) - Has been held hostage since 2015

Yair Horn (45)

Idan Shivi (28)

Itzhk Elgarat (68)

Karina Ariev (19)

Kfir Bibas (1)

Liri Albag (18)

Matan Angrest (21)

Matan Zangauker (24)

Maxim Herkin (35)

Naama Levy (19)

Nimrod Cohen (19)

Oded Lifshitz (83)

Ofer Kalderon (53)

Ohad Ben Ami (55)

Ohad Yahalomi (49)

Omer Neutra (22)

Omer Shem Tov (21)

Omer Wenkert (22)

Omri Miran (46)

Or Levy (33)

Rom Braslavski (19)

Romi Gonen (23)

Sagui Dekel-Chen (35)

Samuel Keith Siegel (64)

Segev Kalfon (25)

Shiri Bibas (32)

Shlomo Mansour (85)

Tal Shoham (38)

Tamir Nimrod (19)

Tsachi Idan (51)

Yagev Kirsht (34)

Yarden Bibas (34)

Yosef Al-Zayadni (53)

Yosef Ohana (23)

Ziv Berman (26)

Hostages confirmed/reported dead:

(Note: I couldn't find a report with the full list, but if you google each individual name you can find sources.)

Abraham Munder (79) - Body recovered on 20/08/24.

Alex Danzig (75) - Body recovered on 20/08/24.

Alexander Lobanov (32)

Almog Sarusi (26)

Alon Shamriz (26) – Mistakenly killed by the IDF

Amit Buskila (28) - Likely killed on Oct. 7. Body recovered on 17/05/24.

Amiram Cooper (84) - Status updated on 03/06/24.

Arye Zalmanovich (85) - Death reported by Hamas. He was forced to appear in a propaganda video.

Asaf Hamami (41)

Aviv Atzili (49)

Carmel Gat (39) - Body recovered on 31/08/24.

Chaim Peri (79) - Status updated on 03/06/24.

Daniel Oz (19) - Killed on Oct. 7. Status updated on 25/02/24

Daniel Perez (22) - Killed on Oct. 7. Status updated on 17/03/24

Dolev Yehoud (35) - Killed on Oct. 7. He was presumed to be a hostage, but his remains were found in Israel after months. Status updated on 03/06/24.

Dror Kaplun (68)

Dror Or (48) - Killed on Oct. 7. Status updated on 02/05/24.

Eden Yerushalmi (24) - Body recovered on 31/08/24.

Eden Zecharya (28)

Eitan Levy (53)

Elad Katzir (47) - Murdered by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. His body was recovered in Khan Yunis. Status updated on 06/04/24.

Eliyahu Margalit (75)

Elyakim Libman (23) - Killed on Oct. 7. It was presumed he was a hostage because his body wasn't found, but it was later discovered his remains were accidentally buried with another victim. Status updated on 03/05/24.

Gad Haggai (73)

Guy Iluz (26)

Hadar Goldin (32) - Body held hostage since 2014

Hanan Yablonka (42) - Killed on Oct. 7. Body recovered on 24/05/24.

Hersh Goldberg-Polin (23) - Body recovered on 31/08/24.

Ilan Weiss (56)

Inbar Haiman (27)

Itay Chen (19) - Killed on Oct. 7. Status updated on 12/03/24.

Itay Svirsky (35) – Killed by Hamas in captivity. His body was shown in a propaganda video

Itzik Gelenter (58) - Likely killed on Oct. 7. Body recovered on 17/05/24.

Joshua Loitu Mollel (21) – A released video shows how he was brutally murdered by a group of men on October 7

Judy Weinstein (70)

Kiril Brodski (19)

Lior Rudaeff (61) - Killed on Oct. 7. His body was taken to Gaza. Status updated on 07/05/24.

Maya Goren (56)

Mordechai Yonathan Samerano (21) - Killed on Oct. 7. His body was taken to Gaza.

Nadav Popplewell (51) - Status updated on 03/06/24.

Nik Beizer (19)

Noa Marciano (19) – Her body was found near the Al-Shifa hospital

Michel Nisenbaum (59) - Killed on Oct. 7. Body recovered on 24/05/24.

Muhammed Alatrash (40) - Killed on Oct. 7. Status updated on 24/06/24.

Ofir Tzarfati (27)

Ofra Keider (70)

Oren Goldin (34)

Ori Danino (24) - Body recovered on 31/08/24.

Orión Hernandez (30) - Killed on Oct. 7. Body recovered on 24/05/24.

Oron Shaul (30) – Body held hostage since 2014

Ran Gvlli (24)

Ravid Katz (41)

Ron Benjamin (53) - Killed on Oct. 7 and his body was taken to Gaza. Body recovered on 18/05/24.

Ron Scherman (19)

Ronen Engel (54)

Sahar Baruch (24) – Killed by Hamas during a failed hostage rescue operation

Samer Talalka (22) – Mistakenly killed by the IDF

Shay Levinson (19)

Shani Louk (22) - Body taken to Gaza. Her body was recovered on 17/05/24.

Sonthaya Oakkharasr - Killed on Oct. 7. Body taken to Gaza. Status updated on 16/05/24.

Sudthisak Rinthalak - Killed on Oct. 7. Body taken to Gaza. Status updated on 16/05/24.

Tal Chaim (42)

Tamir Adar (38)

Tomer Ahimas (20)

Uriel Baruch (35) - Status updated on 26/03/24

Yagev Buchshtab (34)

Yair Yaakov (59) – Killed on Oct. 7. Sons and girlfriend were released. Status updated on 15/02/24.

Yehudit Weiss (65) – Her body was found near the Al-Shifa hospital

Yossi Sharabi (53) – His dead body was shown in a propaganda video

Yoram Metzer (80) - Status updated on 03/06/24.

Yotam Haim – Mistakenly killed by the IDF

Ziv Dado (36)

Released/rescued hostages:

(1) (2)

Abigail Edan, 4, American citizen

Ada Sagi, 75

Adi Shoham, 38

Adina Moshe, 72

Agam Goldstein-Almog, 17

Aisha Ziyadne, 17

Alma Avraham, 84

Alma Or, 13

Almog Meir Jan (21) - Rescued by the IDF on 08/06/24.

Amit Shani, 15

Amit Soussana, 40

Andrey Zozlov (27) - Rescued by The IDF on 08/06/24.

Anucha Angkaew

Aviv Asher, 2, German citizen

Aviva Adrienne Siegel, 62

Bancha Kongmanee, Thai national

Bilal Ziyadne, 18

Boonthom Phankhong, Thai national

Buddee Saengboon, Thai national

Chalermchai Sangkaew

Channa Peri, 79

Chen Goldstein-Almog, 48

Clara Marman, 63, Argentine citizen

Daniel Aloni, 44

Dafna Elyakim, 15

Doron Katz Asher, 34, German citizen

Ditza Heiman, 84

Emilia Aloni, 5

Emily Toni Kornberg Hand, 8

Emma Cunio, 3, Argentine citizen

Erez Calderon, 12, French citizen

Eitan Yahalomi, 12, French citizen

Ela Elyakim, 8

Fernando Marman – Rescued by the IDF

Gabriela Leimberg, 59, Argentine citizen

Gal Goldstein-Almog, 11

Gal Tarshansky, 13

Gelienor (Jimmy) Pacheco, 37, Filipino national

Hagar Brodetz, 40

Hanna Katzir, 77

Hila Rotem Shoshani, 12

Ilana Gritzewsky Kimchi, 30

Irena Tati, 73, a Russian citizen, was included on the list but released separately from the exchange deal.

Itay Regev Jerbi, 18

Juckapan Sikena

Judith Raanan, 59 [Released 22/10/23]

Kaid Farhan Alkadi (52) - Rescued by the IDF on 27/08/24.

Karina Engel-Bart, 51, Argentine citizen

Keren Munder, 54

Komkrit Chombua

Kong Saelao

Liam Or, 18

Liat Beinin Atzili, 49, American citizen

Luis Har – Rescued by the IDF

Manee Jirachart

Margalit Mozes, 78, German citizen

Maya Regev Jirbi, 21

Meirav Tal, 53

Mia Leimberg, 17, Argentine citizen

Mia Shem, 21, French citizen

Mika Engel, 18, Argentine citizen

Mongkhol Phajuabboon, Thai national

Moran Stela Yanai, 40

Natalie Raanan, 17 [Released 22/10/23]

Nattaporn Onkaew

Natthawaree Moonkan, Thai national

Naveh Shoham, 8

Nili Margalit, 41

Noa Argamani (26) - Rescued by the IDF on 08/06/24.

Noam Avigdori, 12

Noga Weiss, 18

Noam Or, 17

Noralin Babadilla, 60, born in the Philippines

Nurit Cooper [Released 24/10/23]

Ofri Brodetz, 10

Ohad Munder, 9

Or Yaakov, 16, German citizen

Ori Megidish – Rescued by the IDF

Oriya Brodetz, 4

Owat Suriyasri, 40, father of two

Ofelia Adit Roitman, 77, born in Argentina

Ofir Engel, 17, Dutch citizen

Paiboon Rattanin

Pattanayut Tonsakree

Phonsawan Pinakalo

Ra’aya Rotem, 54

Raz Ben-Ami, 56, German citizen

Rimon Kirsht Buchshtav, 36

Raz Asher, 4, German citizen

Ron Krivoi, 25, an Israeli-Russian citizen, was included on the list, although he was released separately from the exchange deal.

Ruth Munder, 78

Sahar Calderon, 16, French citizen

Santi Boonphrom, Thai national

Sapir Cohen, 29

Shani Goren, 29

Sharon Aloni-Cunio, 34, Argentine citizen

Sharon Hertzman Avigdori, 52

Shlomi Ziv (40) - Rescued by the IDF on 08/06/24.

Shiri Weiss, 53

Shoshan Haran, 67

Surin Kesungnoen

Tal Goldstein-Almog, 8

Tamar Metzger, 78

Uthai Sangnuan, Thai national

Uthai Thunsri, Thai national

Wichai Kalapat, 28, Thai national

Wichian Temthon

Withoon Phumee, 33, Thai national

Yaffa Adar, 85

Yagil Yaakov, 12, German citizen

Yahel Shoham, 3

Yarden Roman-Gat, 35, German citizen

Yelena Trupanov, 50, a Russian citizen, was included on the list but released separately from the exchange deal.

Yocheved Lifshitz [Released 24/10/23]

Yuli Cunio, 3, Argentine citizen

Yuval Brodetz, 8

Yuval Engel, 12, Argentine citizen

[starry-eyed-wild-child]

🌻🌿 rory culkin kinktober masterlist 2024 🌿🌻

a/n: whoooo! since this was highly requested, I'm going to be doing the rory kinktober this year! 🤭 I'm going to be starting tomorrow, and try and catch up on the missed days!

Requests for one shots would be appreciated, if there's any particular characters you'd like to see with a specific prompt!! Enjoy pookies 🫶

1. Soft Dom/ Sub with Ollie Sway

2. Choking with Kappa

3. Knife Kink with Euronymous

4. Thigh Riding with Mike

5. Overstimulation with Danny Cooper

6. Mutual Masturbation with Clyde

7. Breeding with Samuel Lafferty

8. Orgasm Denial with Jack Thurlow

9. Exhibitionism with Kappa

10. Costumes with Charlie Walker

11. Cockwarming with Clay Roach

12. Blowjob with Possum

13. Aftercare with Gabriel

14. Pillow Humping with Samuel Lafferty

15. Corruption Kink with Euronymous

16. Body Worship with Danny Cooper

17. Filming with Charlie Walker

18. Praise Kink with Gabriel

19. Degradation with Jack Thurlow

20. Hair Pulling with Marcus

21. Premature Ejaculation with Ollie Sway

22. Somnophilia with Kappa

23. Fingering with Possum

24. Mirror Sex with Clyde

25. Size Kink with Mike

26. Lap Dance with Euronymous

27. Phone Sex with Jack Thurlow

28. Spanking with Samuel Lafferty

29. Squirting with Clay Roach

30. Begging with Marcus

31. Happy Halloween Surprise

[nerdygaymormon]

Unfortunately, we have a tendency to look for differences and to classify people in categories, we determine who isn't worthy to participate in church or to receive God's blessings. This is the opposite of what we're called to do.

————————————————————

"For the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart."--Samuel (1 Samuel 16:7 KJV)

"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."--Christ (Matthew 19:14 NIV)

"Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."--Christ (Matthew 22:39 KJV)

"Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."--Christ (Matthew 25:40 KJV)

"By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."--Christ (John 13:35 KJV)

"Love does no wrong to others"--Paul (Romans 13:10 New Living Translation)

"There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."--Paul (Galatians 3:28 NIV)

"he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile"--Nephi (2 Nephi 26:33)

"We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men;"--Joseph Smith (Articles of Faith 13)

[creativewaygrace]

Bible Verses About Witchcraft

1 Chronicles 10:13- Saul died for his unfaithfulness to the Lord because he did not keep the Lord's word He even consulted a medium for guidance.

1 Samuel 15:23- For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and defiance is like wickedness and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.

1 Samuel 22:23- Stay with me. Don't be afraid, for the one who wants to take my life wants to take your life. You will be safe with me.

2 Chronicles 33:6- He passed his sons through the fire in Ben Hinnom Valley. He practiced witchcraft, divination, and sorcery, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did a huge amount of evil in the Lord's sight, angering him.

Leviticus 19:31- Do not turn to mediums, or consult spiritists, or you will be defiled by them, I am the Lord your God.

Leviticus 20:6- Whoever turns to mediums or spiritists and prostitutes' himself with them, I will turn against that person and cut him off from his people.

Leviticus 20:27- A man or a woman who is a medium or a spiritists must be put to death. They are to be stoned; their death is their own fault.

Revelation 18:23- The light of a lamp will never shine in you again and the voice of a groom and bride will never be heard in you again. All this will happen because your merchants were the nobility of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery.

Revelation 21:8- But the cowards, faithless, detestable, murderers, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their share will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.

Galatians 5:19-20- Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions.

Galatians 5:19-21- Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing and anything similar. I am warning you about these things, as I warned you before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Micha 5:10-12- In that day, this is the Lord's declaration, I will remove your horses from you and wreck your chariots. I will remove the cities of your land and tear down all your fortresses. I will remove sorceries from your hands, and you will not have any more fortune tellers.

Acts 19:17-20- When this became known to everyone who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks, they became afraid, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high esteem. And many who had become believers came confessing and disclosing their practices, while many of those who had practiced magic collected their books and burned them in front of everyone. So they calculated their value and found it to be fifty thousand pieces of silver, in this way the word of the Lord flourished and prevailed.

Isaiah 8:19-22- When they say to you, "Inquire of the mediums and the spiritists who chirp and mutter, shouldn't a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead, on behalf of the living? Go to God's instruction and testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, there will be no dawn for them. They will wander through the land, dejected and hungry. When they are famished, they will become enraged, and looking upward, will curse their king and their God. They will look toward the earth and see only distress, darkness, and the gloom of affliction, and they will be driven into thick darkness.

Isaiah 19: 1-4- A pronouncement concerning Egypt: Look, the Lord rides on a swift cloud and is coming to Egypt. Egypt's idols will tremble before him, and Egypt will loose heart. I will provoke Egyptians against Egyptians, each will fight against his brother and each against his friend, city against city, kingdom against kingdom. Egypt's spirit will be disturbed within it, and I will frustrate it's plans. Then they will inquire of idols, ghosts, and spiritists. I will hand over Egypt to harsh masters, and a strong king will rule it. This is the declaration of the Lord of Armies.

Acts 8:9-13- A man named Simon had previously practiced sorcery in that city and amazed the Samaritan people, while calming to be somebody great. They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest and they said, "This man is called the Great Power of God". They were attentive to him because he had amazed them with his sorceries for a long time, but when they believed Philip, as he proclaimed

Deuteronomy 18:10-14- No one among you is to sacrifice his son or daughter in the fire, practice divination, tell fortunes, interpret omens, practice sorcery, cast spells, consult a medium or spiritists, or inquire of the dead. Everyone who does these acts is detestable to the Lord, and the Lord your God is driving out the nations before you because of these detestable acts. You must be blameless before the Lord your God. Though these nations you are about to drive out listen to fortune-tellers and diviners, the Lord your God has not permitted you to do this.

Isaiah 47: 8-14- So now hear this, lover of luxury, who sits securely, who says to herself, I am, and there is no one else. I will never be a widow or know the loss of children. These two things will happen to you suddenly, in one day, loss of children and widowhood. They will happen to you in their entirety, in spite of your many sorceries and potency of your spells. You were secure in your wickedness, you said No one sees me. Your wisdom and knowledge led astray. You said it yourself, I am, and there is no one else. But disaster will happen to you, you will not know how to avert it. And it will fall on you, but you will be unable to ward it off . Devastation will happen to you suddenly and unexpectedly. So take your stand with your spells and your many sorceries, which you have wearied yourself with from your youth. Perhaps you will be able to succeed, perhaps you will inspire terror! You are worn out with your many consultations. So let the astrologers stand and save you, those who observe the stars, those predict monthly what will happen to you. Look, they are like stubble, fire burns them. They cannot rescue themselves from the power of the flame. This is not a coal for warming themselves, or a fire to sit beside!

[littlemagicalstardust]

AEW All Atlantic -- AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy (Every challenger he successfully defeated in both reigns) First Reign: 31 Defenses Second Reign: 12 Defenses Total: Orange defended the title 43 times He currently holds the longest reign and second longest reign for the International title in AEW First Reign: October 12, 2022 - September 3, 2023 1. Three Way: Rush & Ten 2. Three Way: Luchasaurus & Rey Fenix 3. Katsuyori Shibata 4. Lee Johnson 5. Jake Hager 6. Lumberjack: QT Marshall 7. Trent Seven 8. Trent Beretta 9. Kip Sabian 10. Jay Lethal 11. Lee Moriarty 12. Wheeler Yuta 13. Big Bill 14. Jay Lethal 15. Jeff Jarett (The name changed to International) 16. The Butcher 17. Dralistico 18. Buddy Matthews 19. Gabriel (Gabe) Kidd 20. Bandido 21. Daniel Garcia 22. Kyle Fletcher 23. 21 Man Blackjack Battle Royale: Ari Daivari, Bandido, Big Bill, Brian Cage, Chuck Taylor, Dustin Rhodes, Jay White, Juice Robinson, Keith Lee, Kip Sabian, Komander, Lee Moriarty, Penta El Zero Miedo, Rey Fenix, Ricky Starks, Swerve Strickland, The Blade, The Butcher, Tony Nese & Trent Beretta 24. Swerve Strickland 25. Four Way: Daniel Garcia, Katsuyori Shibata & Zack Sabre Jr 26. Lance Archer 27. AR Fox 28. Johnny TV 29. Wheeler Yuta 30. Aaron Solo 31. Penta El Zero Miedo Longest Timed Defense: 21 Man Blackjack Battle Royale Second Longest Timed Defense: Penta El Zero Miedo Shortest Timed Defense: The Butcher Second Reign: October 10, 2023 - March 3, 2024 1. John Silver 2. Claudio Castagnoli 3. Jon Moxley 4. Angelico 5. Bryan Keith 6. Rocky Romero 7. Dante Martin 8. Preston Vance 9. Komander 10. Tomohiro Ishii 11. Seven Way Scramble at RevPro UK: Cameron Khai, Flash Morgan Webster, Richard Holliday, Sha Samuels, Shigehiro Irie & Spike Trivet 12. Nick Wayne Longest Timed Defense: Claudio Castagnoli Second Longest Timed Defense: Tomohiro Ishii Shortest Timed Defense: Seven Way Scramble at RevPro UK

[hunn1e-bunn1e]

Written & Received Asks!

🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.

If you sent me an ask, it's most definitely in this list. Asks are (usually) written from oldest to newest (top to bottom) with the exception of emoji'd anons; so if if you sent me an ask just recently, its not likely to be posted soon. However, there are other asks you can read while you wait for your own.

Second List!

                                                                                                   

1.) Hitachin Hikaru & Hitachin Kaoru - Giving Male Reader A Collar As A Prank, But Male Reader Likes It

2.) Grim, Ace Trappola, Deuce Spade, Jack Howl, Epel Felmier, Sebek Zigvolt & Yuu - Silly & Strong Male Reader

3.) Venti, Diluc Ragnvindr, Zhongli, Baizhu, Kamisato Ayato, Al'haitham & Kaveh - Mammon-Like Male Reader

4.) Baizhu - Hawks-Like Geo Vision User Gn Reader

5.) Zhongli - Gojo Satoru-Like Archon Male Reader

6.) 🫓Bonten - Debbie Jelinsky-Like Male Reader, 7.) Part 2

8.) Divus Crewel, Riddle Rosehearts, Leona Kingscholar, Ruggie Bucci, Vil Schoenheit, Rook Hunt, Epel Felmier, Malleus Draconia & Lilia Vanrouge - Strong, Understanding & Teasing Male Reader

9.) Demiurge - Fair & Just Supreme Being Gn Reader 10.) 🥕Part 2

11.) Sebastian Michaelis & Company - Riddle Rosehearts-Lile Male Reader

12.) (OM!) Leviathan, Riddle Rosehearts & Idia Shroud - Male Reader Who Cheated On Their Past Partner

13.) Dorm Heads - Male Reader Who Has A Collection

14.) 🫓Bonten - Morticia Addams-Like Male Reader

15.) 🐀Demiurge - Gn Supreme Being Reader Falls Asleep On His Lap, Panic Ensues

16.) #0747 Shina - Idol Male Reader Who Ended Up In Nanba

17.) Guy Crimson & Diablo - Flirty Hombo Male Reader

18.) Dorm Heads - (Magi) Sinbad-Like Male Reader 19.) Part 2 Part 3

20.) Malleus Draconia - Cyno-Like Male Reader

21.) Kalim Al Asim - Roughhousing With Male Reader

22.) #0382 Honey - Teaching Male Reader How To Throw Darts

23.) Demon Brothers - Flirty Male Reader

24.) Dorm Heads - Zhongli-Like Male Reader

25.) Fairy King Harlequin - Touch Starved Gn Reader

26.) Ego Jinpachi - Assistant Gn Reader Makes Him Take A Nap

27.) 🌾(OM!) Solomon - Magic Blacksmith Male Reader

28.) 🦈Hayakawa Denji - "Half Your Melon Bread" Part 2

29.) Leona Kingscholar & Ruggie Bucci - Helping (Masc Leaning) Gender Fluid Reader With Gender Envy

30.) Samon Gokuu - Inmate Male Reader With A Mischievous Monkey Companion

31.) Gojo Satoru - Gn Reader Falls Asleep Mid-Conversation With Him

32.) Sesshoumaru - Neuvillette-Like Male Reader

33.) Terano 'South' Minami, Kurokawa Izana & Sano 'Mikey' Manjirou - Sweet & Gentle Gn Reader Who Is Ruthless In Fights

34.) Azul Ashengrotto - Sesshoumaru-Like Male Reader

35.) (T) Sano 'Mikey' Manjirou - Chifuyu's Older Brother Male Reader

36.) Arashi 'Benkei' Keizou - Cuddling With Male Reader

37.) Haitani Ran - Attacked By Turkeys, Male Reader

38.) Haitani Ran - "Bitch, What's For Dinner" Tiktok, Male Reader

39.) Samuel Seo, Sinu Han, Eli Jang, Jinguji Jakurai, Baizhu & Caelus - Beig Bridal Carried By Male Reader

40.) Suguro 'Bon' Ryuuji - Very Affectionate & Supportive Male Reader

41.) Orochi Yamada, Sanzou Houzuki & #0689489 Hakushaku - Bubbly, Naive & Friendly Gn Reader

42.) Sebek Zigvolt - Having A Crush On Male Reader Who's Malleus' Younger Brother

43.) #0944 Sith - Talking About Beliefs, Male Reader

44.) Joseph Joestar & Ceasar Zeppeli - Male Reader Who's Suzie Q's Older Brother

45.) Luka - "Biggest Fan", Bottom Male Reader

46.) Welt Yang - Vidyadhara Male Reader

47.) Al'haitham - Tartaglia-Like Matra Male Reader

48.) Dazai Osamu - Jessica Rabbit-Like Male Reader 49.) Part 2 50.) Part 3

51.)🎨Kirishima Ayato - Ghoul Male Reader Who Can't Control His Kagune

52.) Terano 'South' Minami, Haitani Ran & Kurokawa Izana - Trying To Make Male Reader Fail NNN

53.) 🍬Gaara of the Sand, Kalim Al Asim, Idia Shroud, #1325 Nico, Cyno & Suzuya Juzou - Hanging Out & Snuggling With Male Reader

54.) Demon Brothers - Wednesday Addams-Like Gn Reader

55.) Albedo, Xiao, Baizhu, Kaedehara Kazuha, Tighnari & Cyno - General Fluff, Male Reader

56.) 🕸Dorm Heads - Male Reader Who's Clingy & Flirty To Hide Their Insecurity

57.) Enel - Raiden Shogun-Like Male Reader

58.) 🌾Argenti - General Fluff, knight Of Beauty Male Reader

59.) Jack Howl - Gorou-Lile Male Reader

60.) Lilia Vanrouge - "Holding Hands Before Marriage" Prompt With Male Reader

61.) 🦊Kawasumi Itsuki, Amaki Ren, & Iwatani Naofumi - General Fluff + Kicking Kitamura Motoyasu Down A Well, Gn Reader

62.) Julius Novachrono, William Vangeance, Nozel Silva, Fuegoleon Vermillion & Leopold Vermillion - Flare Corona-Like Crimsom Lions Gn Reader

63.) Leona Kingscholar - Being Spooked By A Cucumber, Gn Reader

64.) Poly? #0737 Mina & #0727 Nina - Reacting To Their Partner Ending Up In Nanba For Trespassing, Gn Reader

65.) Jircniv Rune Farlord El Nix - Celestial Supreme Being Male Reader

66.) (WHB) Satan, Mammon, Beelzebub, Leviathan & Lucifer - Getting Matching Rings With Gn Reader

67.) 🍁(AFTERL!FE) Day - Calm & Supportive Male Reader

68.) (WHB) Satan, Mammon, Beelzebub, Leviathan & Lucifer - Kissing Headcanons With Gn Reader

69.) Eli Jang (+Yelena) - Very Protective Male Reader, Leads To Smut

70.) 🍁Demon Brothers - Reacting To Male Reader Who's Manipulative & Sadistic Towards Mammon

71.) 🥕Gazef Stronoff - Patron God Male Reader Who Used To Be A Yggdrasil Player

72.) (WHB) Minhyeok - Being Pampered By Male Reader During A Quiet Night In

73.) Hatake Kakashi - Male Reader Teases Him By Reading His Erotic Novel Out Loud

74.) (WHB) Belphegor, Asmodeus, Bimet, Astaroth, Ronove & Bael - Getting Matching Rings With Gn Reader

75.) (WHB) Belphegor, Asmodeus, Bimet, Astaroth, Ronove & Bael - Kissing Headcanons With Gn Reader

76.) (WHB) Valefor - Getting Matching Rings With Gn Reader

77.) (WHB) Valefor - Kissing Headcanons With Gn Reader

78.) (Secretary Anon) Wriothesley - Seductive Secretary Male Reader

79.) (Secretary Anon) (OM!) Uriel - Treating Male Reader Like A Pet

80.) Diasomnia Dorm - Chuunibyou Male Reader, Fluffy Headcannons

81.) (WHB) Satan, Mammon, Beelzebub, Leviathan & Lucifer - Being Carried Bridal Style By Caring Tsundere Male Reader, Leads To Smut

82.) 🍁Eiden (+ Aster, Morvay, Quincy & Kuya) - Cold Gemstone Dragon Male Reader

83.) Jamil Viper - Sinbad Reader Takes Him Back To Sindria And The Two Get Married, Male Reader

84.) Edmond - Overprotective Yushirou-Like Knight Marshal Male Reader Follows Him & The Other Clan Members

85.) 🫧Shigaraki Tomura - L.O.V. Member Gn Reader Is His Infatuation

86.) Lancelot (Saber) - Gn Reader Feels Insecure After Finding Out About His Past Relationship With Guinevere

87.) 👻Riddle Rosehearts, Leona Kingscholar, Azul Ashengrotto, Malleus Draconia & Dire Crowley - Cheating With A Friend Prank, Gn Reader 88.) 👻Part 2

89.) Mitsuba Kiji, Yozakura Kenshirou, Gokuu Samon & Sugoroku Hajime - Shy & Antisocial Building 11 Supervisor Male Reader Who Shows His Kindness Through Small But Thoughtful Actions

90.) Sawamura Daichi, Oikawa Tooru, Kuuro Tetsurou, Bokuto Koutarou, Ushijima Wakatoshi & Miya Osamu - Pretty Manager Male Reader Who's Easily Flustered

91.) Jircniv Rune Farlord El Nix - Gn Supreme Being Reader Who Is Like Ashlesh (L.O.L)

92.) Malleus Draconia - Meeting Male Readers Based on the Various Dragons in Genshin Impact

93.) Demon Brothers - Tattooed Male Reader Coincidentally Has Tattoos Of Their Figurative/Respective Animals

94.) Mitsuba Kiji, Yozakura Kenshirou, Gokuu Samon & Sugoroku Hajime - Anxious & Timid Vice Warden Male Reader Who's Filling In For Hyakushiki

95.) Saitama/Caped Baldy - Monster Housespouse Male Reader

🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.

[girlbloggercher]

how to read the Bible

this is in order!

1. John

2. Mark

3. Matthew

4. Luke

5. Genesis

6. Exodus

7. Leviticus

8. Numbers

9. Dueteronomy

10. Romans

11. Galatians

12. Colossians

13. Proverbs

14. Ecclesiastes

15. Job

16. 1 Peter

17. 1 Corinthians

18. 2 Corinthians

19. Ephesians

20. Philippians

21. 1 Thessalonians

22. 2 Thessalonians

23. 1 Timothy

24. 2 Timothy

25. James

26. 2 Peter

27. 1 John

28. 2 John

29. 3 John

30. Jude

31. Psalms

32. Joshua

33. Judges

34. 1 Samuel

35. 2 Samuel

36. 1 Kings

37. 2 Kings

38. 1 Chronicles

39. 2 Chronicles

40. Ezra

41. Nehemiah

42. Jeremiah

43. Lamentations

44. Ezekiel

45. Joel

46. Amos

47. Obadiah

48. Nahum

49. Habakkuk

50. Zephaniah

51. Haggai

52. Zechariah

53. Malachi

54. Micah

55. Hosea

56. Luke

57. Esther

58. Jonah

59. Song of Solomon

60. Acts

61. Titus

62. Philemon

63. Hebrew

64. Isaiah

65. Daniel

66. Revelation

[drshermaines-wisdomnuggets]

"YES, GOD CAN STILL USE YOU!"

Ephesians 2:10, “For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above – spiritually transformed, renewed, READY TO BE USED] for good words, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us].” (AMP) When David first arrived at…

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

The Lord is My Shepherd

1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul; He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. — Psalm 23 | Third Millennium Bible (TMB) Third Millennium Bible, New Authorized Version, Copyright 1998 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. Cross References: Deuteronomy 20:1; 2 Samuel 22:19; Psalm 5:8; Psalm 16:5; Psalm 19:7; Psalm 25:7; Psalm 25:10; Psalm 36:8; Luke 7:46; John 10:11; Philippians 4:19; Revelation 7:17

Psalm 23 Meaning: Analysis of This Powerful Scripture

[arcadiabaytornado]

Assigning You A LIS Character Based On Your Date Of Birth:

1 - Max Caulfield

2 - Samuel Taylor

3 - Finn McNamara

4 - Pompidou

5- Brody Holloway

6 - Victoria Chase

7 - Stella Hill

8 - Valkyrie

9 - Cassidy

10 - Drew North

Rest Of The Birthdays Undercut

11 - Mark Jefferson

12 - Sean Diaz

13 - William Price

14 - Ethan Lambert

15 - Ryan Lucan

16- Dana Ward

17 - Gabe Chen

18 - Daniel Diaz

19 - Hot Dawg Man

20 - Steph Gingrich

21 - Nathan Prescott

22 - Alyssa Anderson

23 - Rachel Amber

24 - Chris Erickson

25 - Kate Marsh

26 - Mikey North

27 - David Madison

28 - Lyla Park

29 - Alex Chen

30 - Warren Graham

31 - Chloe Price

[vigilxnte-shit]

i can see you || matt murdock x éliette de castillon || one-shot

summary: éliette de castillon is 19 years old and engaged to a 22-year-old law student. as far as everyone is concerned, she’s eager to marry and lead a god-fearing life, but a certain blind classmate of her fiancé can’t help the way she takes over his senses.

word count: 2,993

warnings: angsty kind of?? STEAMY. MAKING OUUUUUT. no smut but it gets kind of close, el is engaged to another guy while making out with matt. mentions of emotional abuse. also not edited and its 2:30 AM as i’m starting this

a/n: I DO NOT CONDONE CHEATING this is a one-off instance where it’s lowkey kind of hot and also el’s fiancé sucks ass. once again thanks to yuna for the inspo <3

this is an 18+ blog. minors dni. || masterlist

matt murdock saw the world in a different way than most. he had lived without his sight since he was nine, moving through a world on fire with as much grace as one could muster. he smelled every tear leaking from an eye somewhere in the room, heard each cry and moan and shout as he walked the streets at night. matt murdock couldn’t see, but he could feel, a reality that often made the world seem loud and undefeatable and evil.

and then he met el.

el smelled like vanilla and cashmere wood, a scent matt had picked up on half the girls in his classes- clearly, it had to be sold out at the mall right now. despite that, despite it’s overuse, it smelled different on el, unique, warm and soft and scrumptious. it was the first thing his senses picked up on when she sat next to him on the clubhouse fireplace. he’d smelled the exact fragrance on foggy’s date from last friday, but this time it was intoxicating. this time it was enticing.

he turned to face her then, ready to make a move based on scent alone. he didn’t need anything else, he wanted his lips on her skin, but as he turned to her he paused.

her heartbeat was racing. her breath was jagged and raspy, choppy, uneven, a sensation that he knew too well. her temperature was rising, he could taste the salt in the budding tears, and he knew he had to say something.

“hey, are you okay?” he asked. he sensed the turn, could tell she was facing him now, but she remained speechless for the shortest moment. she was taking him in. he was used to that. 

“your breath picked up,” he explained softly. the last thing he wanted was to raise her anxieties, to spike that precious heartbeat even more- he just wanted to explain himself. “it sounded like you were about to hyperventilate.”

he heard her heartbeat begin to slow, the milliseconds between beats starting to lose their numbers and her lungs taking in their oxygen more slowly. he didn’t let himself smile on the outside, but he felt it internally. he’d done something to help.

“i…i’m okay, thank you.”

in that moment, matt could have sworn the floor had given out and sent him straight to heaven. her voice was soft and warm, laced with the smallest hints of a foreign accent on the end of the words- french, he would later learn. in the moment, though, he didn’t care. god himself could not have bestowed a damn about the origin of her accent, all that matt knew was he wanted her to start talking and never stop.

éliette de castillon became his own phantom that night. he went to bed with her voice echoing in his head, with the scent of her vanilla perfume stuck in his nostrils that he hoped would never leave. the sound of her slowed, peaceful heartbeat, the gentle warmth in her cheeks- she was a walking lullaby, a fresh cup of chamomile tea on a chilly winter’s night. and sure, he couldn’t tell what she looked like. he had no clue what her skin tone was, what shade of hair she had or the color of those undoubtedly gorgeous eyes. but matt could see éliette de castillon, and that vision was enough to make her his very own patron saint.

he spoke with her three more times before she married samuel joseph. two more parties; both garish and loud and overstimulating, leading to them heading outside to talk on the local playground for hours; and one fateful five-o-clock in a maintenance closet. 

it was an icy december evening, three days before the end of the semester. the last party they had been to was a fortnight prior, and el had been haunting him since. he’d learned to zero in on her scent amongst the hundreds of girls wearing the same one: she paired it with a caramel body wash and the natural fragrance of her skin, just defined enough she stood out in the overcrowded smellscape, and he knew she passed by him at least once a day. her heartbeat varied in an out, and he usually heard her humming to herself- musicals, pop songs, classic rock. anything. she could have hummed to a sports broadcast, and he would have listened with the fascination of a child in a space museum.

she’d told him at that party she didn’t want to marry sam. that she was desperate and terrified of him, that he mocked her smallest mistakes and encouraged his friends to do the same. she was only marrying him to get away from her foster parents, to escape the life she’d lived in italian catholic purgatory ever since frank had left for the military. she had let matt hug her, and he’d spent each of those fourteen days dreaming of the day he could experience that again. her body was perfect, everything he’d dreamed of. she’d felt like she was made for his arms, the way her waist dipped in right at his arms’ height, her head perfectly on his shoulder and that irresistible vanilla signature strong in his nose. she’d only pulled away after a second too long, and she’d stared at his lips after- he felt her hesitation, the wheels turning in her head as she debated and then shut down the second sam announced his arrival.

he hadn’t been able to focus in class. he’d barely even updated foggy on his love life, too busy thinking about the chances of talking her into breaking it off. he could not care less about preserving his friendship with sam, about keeping things in line with the future district attorney, as he gratuitously called himself. no, matt only cared about taking the dove clean out of sam’s hands before he could clip her wings. 

even now, walking down the hallway from the library, matt thought of it. he felt around with the cane he didn’t need, almost swinging it as he dreamed of their embrace and her heartbeat and her voice and the way she spoke french. his heart had been dropped in her backpack, carried around with her all day, and matt didn’t care to get it back. she could keep it, she could stomp on it, she could toss it out the window and run it over with her car- it was hers to keep and destroy if she wanted. 

he made it almost to the entrance, head in the clouds and feet about to join it, when his nose picked it up. he froze in his tracks and his cane with him, sniffing around, trying to figure out it’s direction. that was el’s perfume. undeniably, definitively el’s.

before he knew what he was doing, he followed it. he had the thought to fold up his cane and toss it in his bag, to drop the act of needing it and just find her, but in the end he didn’t even need it. the smell got stronger, and he paused as his fingers brushed another’s.

“hi, matt.”

it was like sunshine on a spring morning, a fresh-baked cookie after a long day. he couldn’t think straight, all he could muster was vanilla warm sweet as he reached for her hand. 

“el, we need to talk.” 

he couldn’t see her furrowed brow, but she didn’t protest, letting him drag her back up the hallway. she asked for an explanation, checked to make sure he was okay, but he didn’t answer. he walked to the closest supply closet as fast as his feet would carry him, following the closest smell of bleach to get him there.

when he pulled her into the closet, she hesitated. he couldn’t blame her- this was sudden and so shocking, even he didn’t fully process what was happening. he couldn’t give her an answer, though, just pulled her in and locked the door behind them. 

in the tiny closet, he barely remembered to switch on the lights. he hung his backpack on the hook and took el’s messenger bag off her shoulders, not answering her questions. once both bags were safely hanging on the back of the door, he pulled his glasses from the bridge of his nose, tucking the rectangular lenses into the water bottle pocket on the side of his bag. 

“matt, what is going on,” she demanded. “you’re acting so strange, we’re in a supply-”

her mouth stopped the second his hands touched her face. she froze completely, and he couldn’t help but pause to take in the entire sensation. her stunned silence, the sensation of her cheeks heating, her speeding heartbeat and that damned perfume. the silence was a perfect backdrop as he slowly traced his thumbs over his cheekbones, the bridge of her nose, her lips.

“don’t marry sam.” it was whispered, reverent, a sign of worship. a show of devotion. 

he heard her breath catch and felt her eyes searching his. the whole room felt like it was rising in temperature, like at any second foundation would collapse and the ceiling would cave in on them from the sheer tension in the room. 

“matt.” her voice was near silent, quiet as a dandelion seed, it would have carried away on the wind had they been outside. her soft, fragile fingers covered his, a second frame for the beauty he held between his hands. “matt, you…i can’t just…”

“you can.” he nodded, biting his lip with an air of certainty. “you can. you can tell him no. you can take it back, tell him you’ve changed your mind, and leave him behind.” one hand dropped from her face, taking hers and kissing each of her knuckles. “el, he isn’t good for you. your sparkle fades the second you hear his voice.”

“what would i tell him?!” she squeezed his interlaced hand, never taking her eyes from his intense, gorgeous, unseeing gaze. “what would i say? i can’t- i can’t just leave-”

“it’s your life, el.” the sentence lingered, hung in the air and stagnated. he had fired the bullet. “it’s not his.” 

verbal lightning had struck the room. all that remained was stillness and electricity and static, two people and their frazzled minds and a life-changing decision.

she wasn’t saying she loved sam. that was what matt kept saying to himself, that in the midst of it all, in the silence and the conversation and the nights at parties, she had never once declared that she loved sam. 

and now el was silent. quieter than a nun during the eucharist, than the falling snow on the night they’d first met. no words escaped her lips, and he could taste her strawberry lip balm even with the distance. he sensed it as her eyes dropped to his own lips, her focus undivided and her heart rate slowly climbing. he could hear the blood rushing, imagined the pink in her cheeks.

slowly, he released her left hand. he moved his right forward to hold her waist, his fingers brushing the soft polyester of her shirt. his left pinkie and ring finger curled just under her jaw, a gentle tug, a silent request.

“tell me to stop,” he whispered.

“no,” she answered.

the distance between them was closed in seconds. el’s lip were the softest paradise he’d ever experienced, soft and hydrated, coated with a strawberry flavor that could have been candy. he stole kiss after kiss from her lips, her breath escaping in delicate whimpers between lips and touches and emotions. his right hand found its way slowly up her side, his languid fingers coming to her neck- not to squeeze, just to hold. 

“can i go further?” matt whispered. his free hand migrated from her cheek to her hair, lightly gripping a handful and pressing his forehead to hers. “tell me if you don’t want this, el.”

she nodded. he smiled at the feeling of her hair as she did, still holding it gently.

“words, el.”

“i do.”

he didn’t know it at the time, but he’d think of those two words for years. he’d spend days agonizing over them, weeks on his knees in the church, begging god to bring his el back so she could repeat it over the altar this time. he’d spend five years wondering how she was doing, if she was okay, if she’d lost her sense of flight. 

but for now, it was enough. it was enough for him to tighten his grip in her hair and slip his tongue past her lips, kissing her as though she was the only thing he had ever wanted, the only prize he could ever dream of winning. 

he had to press her against the wall, press one hand to the wall next to her head to stabilize himself. she tasted like summer breezes and cozy nights, like a strawberry shortcake on a blanket in the middle of june. each breath stolen was a treasure for his collection, a moment to add to the track for each time he felt unmotivated or lonely or sad. she giggled when he bit her lip, tugging the bottom between his teeth with a slightly harsh nibble. 

“you’re an angel, el,” he whispered, fastening his hold in her hair to pull her head to the side. “you’re a goddess. too heavenly to be on this earth.” with his newfound angel, matt’s lips trailed to her jawline. he left open-mouhted, sloppy, and passionate kisses down her features and onto her neck, nipping at the skin and sucking a bruise to her collarbone.

a mistake that would haunt him for the next half a decade. 

suddenly, el’s eyes snapped open. “matt, stop. i can’t.” 

without hesitating, he pulled away. his stomach dropped, his sightless eyes blown wide and beautiful despite the panic rushing over him. had he done something wrong? had he upset her?

he waited in agonizing silence, listening as she straightened her clothes and fixed her hair. there was a sadness in her movements, a slowness and hesitation that he began ignoring as soon as she picked up her bag and stopped his world from spinning. 

“matt, you’re amazing,” she said softly. he recognized the edge of tears in her voice. he had no clue how to fix that. 

“you’re kind, and you’re smart, and you’re so handsome.” matt felt his heart sinking. he didn’t care for the compliments, he didn’t care for the praise- he wanted her. he wanted her in his life, in his house, in his bed. he couldn’t move as he heard her swallow.

“and i really hope you find a girl even have as spectacular as you.”

with those words, el stepped out into the hallway, shutting the door behind her. at first, matt thought to follow her. chase her down, get on his knees if he had to, tell her he would take her to the courthouse tomorrow and make her a murdock if it would get her out of this. 

he didn’t, though. he listened as her steps synced up with the cracks in his breaking heart, waiting for her to leave the building, to get to her dorm. he never moved the entire time, just sat and listened and thought. 

he pushed the thoughts out of his head- of her, miserable and afraid, living on the whims of an idiot lawyer and his pastor paychecks. he thought of how she said sam had never hugged her like that, never held her or listened to her thoughts, and how she had just walked right back into that fate. how she had stared freedom in the eyes and been too scared to step forward. 

matt couldn’t sleep that night. he tossed and turned, replaying el’s whimpers in his head, touching his lips and wishing it was her. he knew he couldn’t do it. he couldn’t just let her accept such a loveless destiny, leave her to a shadow of loneliness and way too many kids on an upstate farmhouse.

he got out of bed at 6am, the morning sun fresh in the sky as he ran to her dorm. he’d never been before, only been told the address, and after much trial and error he arrived at #96. he cleared his throat and made the sign of the cross before reaching forward, his fist balled to knock, when he heard someone clear his throat.

“don’t bother.” it was a neighbor down the street, just returned from grocery shopping. “they moved out last night. not sticking around for winter, so they headed out early.” 

matt tilted his head, his heart dropping. “...they?

the neighbor nodded. “yeah, the pastor’s kid and his fiance. gone like magic this morning. didn’t give us much warning, either.”

matt just nodded. “thank you.” he stared at the door for minutes as the neighbor walked away, desperate, listening for any signs of life from the other side- nothing but buzzing electricity and the occasional mouse. 

matt spent the next five years thinking about her. she came to mind every time he dated someone new, each time he went to church and smelled vanilla perfume. he tried to find a facebook, an instagram, a linkedin- anything that might tip him off to where she went, how she was doing. it didn’t work. she may as well have vanished from the earth…or so he thought. everything changed one rainy day in hell’s kitchen, when éliette joseph stepped off the c-train. she walked fifteen minutes in the pouring rain, the scent of the city and the petrichor so strong that matt couldn’t even pick out her familiar vanilla perfume. he couldn’t pick up anything about her- the flushed cheeks or the beating heart or the humming of a broadway showtune. he had nothing to tip him off, nothing to prepare him for the moment the door to Nelson & Murdock swung open and his angel walked right back into his life.

[segretecose]

list (alphabetical) under the cut

William-Adolphe Bouguereau, Dante and Virgil (1850) [5]

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, The Incredulity of Saint Thomas (1601) [18]

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (attributed to), Judith and Holofernes (1607) [11]

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, Tooth Puller (1609) [22]

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, David with the Head of Goliath (1610) [13]

Jan de Baen, The Corpses of the De Witt Brothers (1672-75) [25]

Valentin de Boulogne, Martyrdom of Saint Processus and Martinian (1629) [6]

Thomas Eakins, Portrait of Dr. Samuel D. Gross/ The Gross Clinic (1875) [30]

Artemisia Gentileschi, Judith Slaying Holofernes (Florence, 1614-21) [10]

Théodore Géricault, Arms and Legs: Anatomical Study (1818) [9]

Théodore Géricault, The Raft of Medusa (1818-19) [8]

Théodore Géricault, Anatomical Pieces (1819) [27]

Genoese School, Judith with the Head of Holofernes (17th century) [15]

Francisco de Goya, The Third of May 1808 (1814) [24]

Francisco de Goya, Saturn Devouring His Son (1819-23) [4]

Simon Marmion, Christ of Pity (1480) [17]

Caspar Netscher (attributed to), Slaughtered Pig (1660-62) [26]

Nicolas Poussin, Martyrdom of Saint Erasmus (1628) [7]

Nicolas Régnier, Saint Sebastian Tended by Saint Irene (1625) [20]

Ilya Repin, Ivan the Terrible and His Son Ivan (1883-85) [23]

Salvator Rosa, The Torture of Prometheus (1646-48) [2]

Pieter Paul Rubens, Prometheus Bound (1611-12) [1]

Pieter Paul Rubens, The Entombment (1612) [16]

Pieter Paul Rubens, Head of Medusa (1617-18) [29]

Pieter Paul Rubens, Saturn Devouring His Son (1636) [3]

Francesco Rustici, Saint Sebastian Tended by Saint Irene (1610-25) [21]

Chaim Soutine, Beef Carcass (1923) [28]

Eugène Trigoulet, The Precursor (1894) [14]

Rembrandt Van Rijn, Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp (1632) [31]

Rembrandt Van Rijn, Salome Receives the Head of John the Baptist (1640-45) [12]

Rembrandt Van Rijn, Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Dejman (1656) [32]

François-André Vincent, Saint Sebastian (1789) [19]

[nichecomicstournament]

The final lineup has been decided! 64 unknowns will compete for the title of "Most Underrated Superhero (or Villain!)" beginning on Sunday!

All matchups will be tagged with #actual polls for easy finding!

Transcript under the cut

Match 1: Kubark vs. Dr. Yahya Badr

Match 2: Fernanda Rodriguez vs. Karla Sofen

Match 3: Martha Johansson vs. Arizona Annie

Match 4: Christopher Kent vs. Jimmy Hudson Jr.

Match 5: John Butcher vs. Theresa “Trixie” Collins

Match 6: Lorena Marquez vs. Henry King Jr.

Match 7: Hobie Brown (prowler) vs. Rose Forrest

Match 8: Matthew Hawk vs. Gavin King

Match 9: Lana Baumgartner vs. Koryak

Match 10: Nathaniel Carver vs. Jules Jourdain

Match 11: Gwen Lou Sabuki vs. Blaine "Kid" Colt

Match 12: Frank Payne/Schlichting vs. ForgetMeNot

Match 13: Toni Monetti vs. Larry Trask

Match 14: Laura Broadbahr vs. Raphael Arce

Match 15: Derek James vs. Mae Kent/matrix

Match 16: Nick Kovak vs. Ren Kemura

Match 17: Johnny Bart vs. Augustus Freeman

Match 18: Brigid O'Reilly vs. shortpack

Match 19: Blindspot (x-men) vs. Robbie Baldwin

Match 20: Joel Weinberg vs. Samuel Chung

Match 21: Lottie Person vs. Jack Ryder

Match 22: Stained Glass Scarlet vs. Sarah Vale

Match 23: Bellona Kinney vs. Steve Harmon

Match 24: Hector Ayala vs. Git Hoskins

Match 25: Maria Aracely Penalba vs. Verity Willis

Match 26: Talia Josephine "TJ" Wagner vs. David Zavimbi

Match 27: Tom Raymond vs. Otis flannegan

Match 28: Chance vs.Tao

Match 29: Karl Valley vs. Colin Wilkes

Match 30: Kristoff Vernard vs. Isabella Ortiz

Match 31: Jennifer Kale vs. Jonas Graymalkin

Match 32: Kahina Eskandari vs. Humberto Lopez