#3 people with excellent taste did indeed suggest the same character)

[izanori]

these were drawn for a "send me a character + facial expression and i'll draw them" type deal on cohost (rip beautiful)

[hellishvu]

Way Down We Go;

— after all that, i’m glad to post this to clear my feed! remember everyone it is fan fiction and there are many other amazing writers out there! thank you requesting this, i had much fun writing this! i really love jimin’s character in this! like hes sweet but like he knows and wants to learn how to stand up for himself. precious... anyway enjoy it ! also plot planning tried something new so very glad it came out well.

☆彡  where jimin learns how to get under your skin but also couldn’t help seeing a clearer picture of how protective you are.

words: 2,466

“You’re not listening to me are you?” Chuckling you see Jimin get out of his dreamland. Sitting with you on the roof of the high school. The obvious differences of you two, Jimin had his uniform cleanly made and perfectly fitted while you had your uniform barely attached and rolled up to your pleasure.

“Nope!” Jimin snickers looking at you, your eyes glistening by the sunrise. You two always met up early before school started even though you couldn't always arrive on time you tried your best.

“Ass. Why I feel like this is going to be regular?” Flicking a toothpick hitting the concrete ground. Jimin lifting his head up once he finally saw the toothpick hit the ground.

“Well it’s because of that smile you gave me that one night.”

“Really that night? What are you talking about?”

“You were probably too drunk to remember but you were beautiful. Never seen you smile before.” Chuckling you leaned back on the roof top staring at Jimin to check if he was serious. Knowing you got drunk to help burden with the inner insecurities you were probably the last person Jimin should be hanging out with.

“Whatever smile you saw, it was probably not worth it. You lost all your friends because you hung out with me. You’re getting hurt from hanging out with me.”

“They aren’t real friends if they would hurt me, are they?” Jimin was resting his head on your shoulders, taking in the sunset. The colors of yellow, orange, and the sky all beautifully mixed.

“God why are you always right?” Jimin grinned studying your face of annoyance.

I guess the friendship started if you could call it that was after you remember blacking out drunk waking up to Jimin sitting on a bed. The cloudy vision couldn’t make it out to be him so you first thought you had to fight your way out of this house but you reconsidered when you saw him. Jimin... like Park Jimin the goodie, boy next door, and the person to get awarded “next president” in kindergarten class. He was sitting next to you.

“What the hell happened?” Rubbing your eye hoping to find answers of where you were. You didn’t question how you felt you wanted to throw up your entire intestines because at this point of your life this was just normal.

“You passed out while you were walking and I was biking back to my house and I helped you.”

“Jesus you bike to a party?” Standing up too quickly from the bed you held onto a shelf to keep yourself from collapsing in Park Jimin’s bedroom.

I mean yeah you experienced black outs often... more then you would like to admit but this was Park Jimin. You were not going to let yourself have a mental breakdown in front of him, everyone else? No problem let everyone see your shit and trash but Jimin? Never.

“I mean I had to leave it at the party. Couldn’t take it and help you at the same time.” Jimin explains, you looked around his bedroom. The photo frame of his friends and the plants around the end table of his bedroom. Squeaky clean image while you just represent the dirt of it all.

“I don’t think I’m worth losing your bike Jimin.” Grabbing your jacket from his desk chair. Seems like he took it off because of the heat your body generated due to all the booze.

“What are you worth then Y/N?” Jimin stops you by grabbing your wrist seeing you turn to him. The look of curiosity while you look him up and down.

“Not this that’s for damn sure.” You pulled your wrist away from his grip causing Jimin to take his hand back. The force of you shutting his door stepping down his stairs hoping you wouldn’t see his family. Last thing you needed right now was explaining why you were here and why you looked like shit.

School next day you couldn’t help but see stares all over. The halls were filled with students that you either got in conflicts with or random students that just gave you a nasty look. Pulling your hood up you continued to walk through the hall trying to ignore the stares.

“Jimin! We saw you! What are you doing with him?” The echo of the voice when you turn to a quieter place. Remembering the location of Jimin’s locker.

“You guys just judge him by the cover. You know he can be sweet.”

“Getting wasted on whatever he does? That’s sweet?” Closer they put their face into Jimin’s.Their voice deep with hatred.

“That’s enough.” Standing near Jimin you placed a hand on his shoulder. The tension slowly releasing when he sees you stand in front of him.

“I can hang out with whoever I want.” Jimin smiles towards them almost mocking them. The person tried to jump through you to get to Jimin. You pulled him off shoving him into the locker.

“That’s not very nice is it?” Tilting your head you slammed your fist towards the locker seeing the flinch. Throwing the idiot on the ground covering their face.

“Who taught you manners?” Jimin knees down to the person’s level. Maybe the goodie Jimin had something up his sleeves. A sense of aggression he’s been hiding for people that feed on the weak.

You pulled Jimin basically dragging him up the stairs. Hearing him yell at you for what you were doing before you pushed through the roof top. Jimin standing before you, wondering why you were doing this.

“You can’t just do that Jimin. You can’t mock people if you can’t beat the shit out of them. If they attack you do you know—do you know what they can do?” You cross your hand trying to help him understand as best you could. This person could have a gang of people that can or even will attack him.

“So I’m supposed to just shut my mouth? Not stand up for myself?”

“You know that isn’t what I’m saying Jimin. It’s complicated.” Sighing into your hand trying to cover your worry about him.

“You know what? You’re a complicated person Y/N.” Jimin says. The thing was that it stung when he said that. You took beating before but they never hurt like that.

The weekend came and you didn’t feel nor want to go out. Just wanted to spend your day in cheap junk food and sick-coms that you’ve probably seen a million times. That was till you heard a knock on the door, groaning out you didn’t want to take it before the knock came back on. It was gentle that made you sense it was maybe an ubereats forgot an appetizer.

“Hello?” You opened the door seeing Jimin holding a cake. The bright white icing covering the cake and the tint of blue delicately placed on the boarder of the cake. The cake was obviously home-made. Most likely made from a store bought package but the thought is what mattered.

“I realized I was mean and I wanted to apologize. I made you a cake.” The sloppy icing that spelled out “I’m sorry <3 - Jimin”. You took the cake from his hands opening the door to invite him inside.

“Thank you?” You took the cake placing it on your counter top. Seeing Jimin take in his surroundings of your home, the walls filled with things you enjoy. The small knickknacks you put on the shelves.

“I probably would have cleaned if I knew.” You muttered under your breath, seeing Jimin nod no grabbing onto your arms.

“No! Don’t worry, it’s not that. I just never been over to someone’s house.”

“You got to be kidding me.”

“I’m more focused on studying? Just trying to make my parents proud.” Jimin sat down on the table turning the chair towards you while you leaned on the counter.

“Well welcome to my humble abode.” You smiled seeing Jimin point at your smile.

“That’s the smile!” Jimin jumps up from his seat looking at you with a glint of wonders. Why did you only smile like that around him? Why do you always say you weren’t worth it? What are you hiding?

“What smile?”

“Uh nothing. You know your smile reminds me of those french fries with the smile faces on them. You cooked some.” Jimin pointing behind you, the large metal plate full of the large smiling faces fries.

“Oh yeah, my friend gave me them as leftovers. Help yourself.” You grabbed the plate passing it to Jimin. I mean he had to eat them now, he couldn’t just put them down at this point.

The night was spent Jimin stuffing his face full of smily face fries and watching you try to pick a movie that you two could agree on. Jimin stares at you while you rant about a movie you watched that was indeed horrible in your opinion but while you were ranting like your soul was depending on it Jimin stares at you. Almost like you were a painting full of unknown beauty.

“So yes that is why I hate that film. I’m doing you a favor!” Shutting off the tv you decided making conversation with Jimin would be a better idea. Get to know him rather the rumors of him. Throwing the remote on the other side of the couch. Jimin setting down the tray of fries on the coffee table.

“Yeah. You know. Horrible.”

“You weren’t paying attention to me were you?”

“Just got distracted by... the french fries. They are so good. Excellent seasoning.” Jimin shoves another in his mouth, his mouth cringing at the taste of them. Too much of a good thing can turn into a bad thing.

“Jimin they are frozen.” You took the tray from Jimin deciding he should eat actual food. Sighing while you put the pan into the sink deciding to wash it later.

“Let’s go out.” Jimin suggests, you looking down at your lazy attire.

Now those hang outs became regular. Whether Jimin wanted to study at your place because it was nice and you were always there when he needed a break to the most random adventures that you dragged Jimin along. The glares you two get at lunch didn’t mind Jimin because at the end of the day he knew you were going to protect him from anyone.

You always gave your smiley face fries to him every time you guys had them for lunch. Jimin accepting them even if they now taste like cardboard to him. Now the roof tops became normal due to Jimin’s parents seeing you drop him off. Your whole persona didn’t set well with them so they basically tried to cancel all communications with you. Till Jimin caught you in the hall declaring you don’t give up on the friendship. The rooftops become a famous meeting spot, the spot where you two share your problems. Which is now setting back into the present.

“God why are you always right?”

“Just a genius I am.” Jimin pulling his beanie back into place, the wind breezing faster. The silence before the storm.

“We should get inside. Last thing I need is you being sick.” Jimin stopped you from getting up, pulling you back down to sit next to him.

“Jimin we see the sunset everyday”

“You’re not going to ruin my plan.” Jimin bumps his shoulder against yours, pointing at the rising sunrise.

“A plan? What are you going to do? Kiss me under the beautiful sunrise?.” You always asked yourself if it was okay to look at Jimin like that. Like he was the entire planet of stars that are filled with graceful moments of pure happiness. Jimin got up from the step you two sat at.

“Get up.” You got up without asking questions seeing Jimin crossing his hands. Stepping towards you raising his eyebrow.

“How did you know?” Jimin searched through your body by tapping it seeing if you found his phone because he was for damn sure he only shared it with one of his best friends.

“What? I was just guessing!” You raised your hands up letting Jimin search you before he signaled you to put them down. You both kinda stood still when the plan was exposed. He was gonna kiss you? And you wanted it to happen?

“If you don’t want me to kiss you. Now is your time to leave.” Jimin says being uncertain if you were going to stay.

“I am going to stay.” You patted the back of Jimin, sitting back down seeing the sunrise leaving Jimin stunned. At this moment he didn't know what to do I mean Yoongi says that when the time will be right he’ll just want to kiss you. Like your lips will just be magnet and do the work itself.

Jimin cleared his throat sitting down next to you. The air blowing a little more fierce, he straighten his posture wrapping his arm around your shoulder. Snorting you noticed his shy blush across his face.

“I am not going to leave without my kiss Jimin.”

“Why don’t you do it?” Jimin was glad you wanted to kiss, at least you confirmed it for him instead of him worrying about you leaving him. His biggest fear was your smile turning into a stranger’s smile.

“It was your plan!” The sunrise was starting to rise. There was nothing that would stand between Jimin’s plan and mother nature is not going to ruin it by making the sunrise 10x faster then usual.

“Okay but you know you can beat up people can’t you just kiss me!?” Jimin scoots closer to you while you look over your shoulder to him. Jimin punches you lightly when you didn’t respond back to him.

“Don’t act like you don’t read novels on-” Jimin presses his lips on you quickly before pulling away seeing your mouth staying open after. The sunrise finally ending the bright yellow tone on your face while Jimin smiles.

“I’m going to k-”

“Kill me?”

“Kiss you again. Maybe more then once.” You wrap your hands around his waist pulling him in. The scent was your favorite and that fact that Jimin remember made you want to kiss the man 100% more.You pecked him all over causing him to giggle and the cute stops as he was ticklish.

All the moments of Jimin leaving his bike at the party (to this day it is still lost) to the aftermath of his parents (you never had parents yell at you that much... sure they mean well or they hate you) it all just worked out and you knew that you would never regret eating all of Jimin’s cake till you felt like exploding.  

[jesatria]

Fic: Simple Pleasures, Chap 4

Title: Simple Pleasures Fandom: Kushiel’s Legacy Characters: Isidore d’Aiglemort, Anne Livet Pairings: Isidore/Anne Word Count: 3,026 Rating: NC-17 Summary: The story of Isidore d’Aiglemort & the gardener’s daughter of Lombelon. WIP. Disclaimer: I do not own Kushiel’s Legacy. This is only for fun & no profit is being made from it.

I finally got this chapter done–it only took me over 6 months! I will try to not go so long without updating again.

Previous Chapters:

1. The Visit

2. Desire

3. The Harvest Festival

Chapter 4: The Triumph

         “That was some triumph!” Baudoin declared. He took a large gulp of wine. “Everything was perfect. I do believe I could get used to this.”

         I sipped my own wine. “That makes two of us. The entire scheme worked out perfectly.”

         “It was a good idea. We ought to do it again sometime.”

         “I’d be happy to assist you on your path to this throne,” I replied. That had been the reason for the entire scheme. I’d let the Skaldi through the passes at his suggestion, allowing him to conveniently swoop in and defeat them while visiting me at Aiglemort. Baudoin had always been ambitious and no longer bothered to hide his designs for the throne. The guilt I felt over betraying Camael’s sacred trust for his sake was quick to disappear in the aftermath of our victory. My father would never have approved, but he was dead. Baudoin becoming King would only be to my benefit.

         He put an arm around my shoulders. “I’m so lucky to have you for a friend! Never could’ve done it without you.” No, you couldn’t have, I thought but declined to mention. He took another swig of wine. “How about we head to the Night Court to celebrate?”

         I started at my glass, considering his offer. It had indeed been some time since I’d visited the Night Court or bedded any woman at all. My duties, along with the fighting and subsequent triumph, made it impossible to visit Lombelon. I’d been too busy to dwell on it much, though in quieter moments I thought of Anne. Could word of my victories have reached her at Lombelon? I’d not had time to write her during the madness of the preparations for it. “All right,” I said, “a visit to the Night Court sounds like the perfect way to celebrate. Which house did you have in mind?”

         Baudoin smiled. “I’ll let you choose this time.”

         I pondered the choices for a moment. I had only visited half of the thirteen houses and didn’t have a particular favorite. After brief consideration, I elected to visit one of the houses I hadn’t been to before. “I believe I’m up for a visit to Jasmine,” I answered with a grin.

         Baudoin chortled and squeezed my arm. “An excellent choice. Let’s see if we can outlast a Jasmine adept, eh Izzy?”

         I frowned at the nickname—Baudoin had an extremely irritating tendency to call me that when drunk. He never seemed to remember it afterward, because I told him not to use that obnoxious nickname more than once. Eventually I just gave up and tolerated it. Baudoin wasn’t exactly the most considerate person. One grew used to it after spending a great deal of time around him.

         We were greeted quite enthusiastically in Jasmine House. The Prince and the Duc d’Aiglemort would’ve been welcome any day, but today the entire city was fairly buzzing with excitement over our triumph. The adepts flocked to us and tried their best to earn our attention. Baudoin positively basked in their attentions as he always did on these occasions. I wished I could get used to such treatment, but instead I sat stiffly on one of their couches while adepts paraded themselves before me. I ultimately selected a woman with a figure like Anne’s, though she didn’t resemble her at all otherwise. I was not at all sorry to leave Baudoin behind when she led me to her room. Lying on a sofa with his arms around two adepts while a third sat on his lap, he’d be well-occupied for a while.

         The night proved to be a very satisfying one. I soon learned that all the rumors about the stamina of Jasmine adepts were true. When we were done, I went looking for Baudoin. I found him in a well-appointed bedchamber, reclining on a bed with the same three adepts from earlier draped over him. A flagon of wine stood on the nightstand. “Izzy?” he slurred drunkenly. “Done already? Don’t you want another go?”

         “I’m well-satisfied. I thought I’d return to my chambers in the palace.”

         “Why not stay here?” Baudoin retorted. “The company’s so… pleasant.” He punctuated his statement by patting the arse of one of his companions.

         “I’d rather return to my own bed, by your leave.”

         Baudoin waved a hand. “Very well. You can take the carriage back. I’ll be spending the night here.”

         I smiled. “In that case, enjoy yourself.” With those words, I took my leave of him and returned to the palace. I collapsed into bed immediately after undressing, my mind filled with thoughts of glory. They had cheered me at the triumph, as much as they had Baudoin. That was a new experience, as most people immediately focused on Baudoin and paid me little mind, even after I became Duc d’Aiglemort. No, they noticed me now, and I liked it.

         The next few days only proved that point. Crowds of admirers clustered around me wherever I went in the palace. Many were filled with admiration, but quite a few of them were obviously interested in me for other reasons. All of that was still somewhat unfamiliar territory for me. I supposed I would never get used to it.

         “Oh, you’re so much more handsome up close,” cooed a Namarrese baroness I’d seen at court before.

         “Thank you,” I replied, giving her a polite smile.

         “It must’ve been so dangerous, facing all those savage Skaldi,” she continued, moving closer to me. “You and Prince Baudoin are so brave.”

         “I am a Camaeline. It is my duty to fight the Skaldi.”

         “Of course.” She laid a hand on my arm. “But surely war isn’t the only thing you’re skilled in.”

         I moved my arm out of her grasp. I had no particular desire to take any new lovers. “I’m afraid I’m not giving any demonstrations.” I’d never been one for playing the game of courtship and sleeping with a good portion of the court, and I was not inclined to start now. The Namarrese baroness took my meaning and pouted. It did nothing whatsoever to alter my decision.

         “There he is! The man of the hour!” Marmion Shahrizai’s voice cut through the crowd in the noisy salon. He made his way through my cluster of admirers, followed by several of his kin. The Shahrizai always moved in packs. Melisande was among them. I’d thought she’d be with Baudoin, but on second thought he was probably still sleeping off last night’s indulgences. Marmion put an arm around my shoulders. “Well done Isidore! We’re all proud of you.”

         “Thank you, Marmion,” I said with a small grin. “I’m beginning to get used to the attention.”

         He laughed. “Never thought I’d hear you say something like that. When you were fostering with us, you were always more content to stay in the background.”

         It was true—when I was sent off to the Shahrizai, I’d preferred to avoid attracting much attention to myself. It had been hard enough fitting in with them when I already stuck out like a sore thumb. But that had changed in the time since. Victory in war brought with it fame and glory and I was beginning to realize I had a taste for both. “I’ve changed since then,” I said to Marmion.

         He laughed. “Come back with us to the lodge tonight. We want to properly celebrate your victory.”

         I’d been around them long enough to know exactly how a Shahrizai party typically went—a night of debauchery culminating in an orgy at Valerian House. One visit with them had been enough for me. “What do you have in mind? Baudoin and I already celebrated in Jasmine House last night.”

         “Oh, just a nice, small fête at the lodge, you and the family only. Does that suit you?”

         That was somewhat of a relief. “It would suit me very well.”

         “Then I’ll see you there tonight.” Marmion clasped my arm briefly, then took his leave. Most of his kin followed after him, pausing to offer me brief congratulations before leaving.

         “At last you have the recognition you deserve,” Melisande purred after we exchanged the kiss of greeting.

**

         The Shahrizai fête was subdued, as far as Shahrizai fêtes went anyway. It was a pleasant evening of dining and drinking and passed without any of them heading to the pleasure chamber. When it started to wind down, I took my leave before any of them suggested a visit to the Night Court. The attention I was receiving was certainly appreciated, but I found myself longing to return to Lombelon and see Anne. Had she heard about the triumph? Lombelon wasn’t far from the City and word spread very quickly. I hoped she hadn’t so I might tell her myself. That I’d let the Skaldi in the passes deliberately was irrelevant. I resolved to keep that bit of information secret. Only Baudoin and I needed to know the truth.

         Another week passed before I was able to get away. Ganelon summoned me more than once to discuss shoring up the border defences. During the conversation I had the distinct impression that he knew exactly what Baudoin and I had done, though he said nothing openly. He dared not take action against Houses Aiglemort and Trevalion. Our houses were too powerful and Baudoin and I too popular right now. The realm thought us heroes. Besides that, I had my own personal army in the form of the Allies of Camlach. No, the King would not target me openly, no matter what his suspicions were.

         I was glad to finally leave the City. Though I had enjoyed some of the attention and praise I’d received, I found myself eager to be away. It was, in many ways, the complete opposite of the City. As we grew close to the estate, I sent a rider ahead to give them some warning that I’d be arriving shortly.

         Sure enough, Anne was waiting at the front door when I arrived, along with a handful of others. She wore a fawn-brown cloak, which covered her from head-to-toe. Her face brightened as I rode up to the door and dismounted. This time I didn’t bother exchanging pleasantries with Bargot or anyone else; I made straight for Anne.

         “Your Grace,” she breathed. I noticed then that her cheeks were flushed pink from the cold. It was a very appealing effect. “You are most welcome to Lombelon.”

         “I am very glad to be here,” I replied. “I’ve been away too long. There has been increased activity on the border as of late.”

         Her eyes widened and she tensed. “The Skaldi?”

         I nodded. “They came through the passes of Camlach, but Prince Baudoin and I were able to drive them back.”

         “Thank Camael you were able to do so.”

         I smiled. “I’ll tell you all the details later, when we dine together.”

         A broad smile came across her face. “You’d like me to… dine with you? Actually sit at the table and eat instead of serving you?”

         “I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t desire it. It feels somehow wrong for you to continue serving me at meals. I’d like you to eat with me.”

         “I would be honored to accept your request,” she replied with a smile, stepping forward to wrap her arms around me.

         Later, I seated myself in the dining room and waited for Anne to join me. It didn’t surprise me in the least that she was not already present when I arrived—it was unlikely she’d be excused from her usual duties to dine with me unless I specifically requested it. Even so, I did not have to wait long for her to appear. The doors opened and Anne entered, accompanied by our dinner. “What is this? Did you forget we’ll be dining together tonight?”

         “I didn’t forget,” she answered, “I simply insisted that I handle the serving.”

         “Why?” I honestly couldn’t understand why she wouldn’t want some time away from her servant duties.

         “Well, there’s always jealousy directed at me from the others whenever you are here. They were hoping they might catch your eye,” she explained.

         “I see. I was unaware that I was the subject of such attention.” It was true—I’ve never been particularly good at noticing such things.

         “Oh, you were. Still are, in fact. A significant portion of the staff here are jealous of me for earning your attentions. I didn’t want to endure the stares from the other ladies any more than I already do every day, so I offered to do the serving myself.”

         I chuckled lightly. “Very well. We might as well begin then.”

         “So what was it like?” Anne asked after we began to eat. “The battle, I mean.”

         I had to pause for a moment and consider my response. How exactly to describe battle to someone who’d never even come close to experiencing it? I did not think Anne the sort of woman who’d want to hear all about the glories of war and less about its unpleasant realities. I’d dealt with plenty of the former in the City after my triumph and I’d had quite enough of them. The truth, then. “Bloody,” I answered earnestly. “War is an ugly, messy business. In this case there was little contest—my forces and Prince Baudoin’s fell upon the Skaldi after they broke through the passes. We were able to defeat them easily.”

         Anne’s eyebrows rose. “The Skaldi are fierce fighters, are they not?”

         I nodded. “They’re barbarians who live for blood and battle. Fortunately, strategy is not a strength they possess. They lack cohesive leadership.”

         “What do you mean by that?”

         “I mean they aren’t ruled by a single king the way we are in Terre d’Ange. The Skaldi are a bunch of disorganized tribes, not a united people. Their loyalty is to their own chieftains. Sometimes one of the stronger chieftains will manage to unite a couple of tribes, but it never lasts long.”

         She watched me with wide, fascinated eyes. I suppose no one spoke of the dynamics of Skaldi society to L��Agnacite gardeners as a rule. “That’s all very fortunate for us if they are as fierce as you say, but what if they did find a leader who could unite them?”

         It took me a moment to decide how to answer her. Should I tell her that there were rumors of such a figure emerging? No, best not to trouble her unnecessarily. Here in L’Agnace any threat from the Skaldi seemed far away. “It is… unlikely that any single leader could unify the Skaldi for long. They are a fractious people who place loyalty to their tribe above all else.” She relaxed slightly at that. “As Camaelines, it is our sacred duty to protect Terre d’Ange. We are more than capable of dealing with the Skaldi,” I assured her. The role I played in deliberately letting them through the passes so Baudoin could play at being Prince Rolande I kept to myself. It was better that she not know these things.

         When the meal was over, we retired to my bedchamber. Both of us were quite hungry for each other, this being our first night together after some time apart. Later, after we were sated, Anne lay in my arms, her head resting on my chest. I pressed her body tightly against mine, savoring the feel of her. In that moment I found myself feeling more grateful for her than ever before. It was an entirely different life in Lombelon with her, as far as possible from the life I had in the City. It was more like to Camlach than to the City, but there were several key differences, the lack of warfare being the most significant one. Yet despite the differences, there was a certain similarity as well. When the border was quiet, life in Camlach could be a country idyll, perhaps even moreso than Lombelon due to its remoteness. Anne and I were alike in that we were both creatures of the countryside. Of course she’d never been to the City, despite living only a short distance from it. I couldn’t imagine her fitting in well at all there. It had been that way for me when my father brought me to the City as a child. I was overwhelmed by the crowds, the sights, the smells—but most of all the crowds. Camlach is sparsely-populated compared to the rest of Terre d’Ange and lacks any large cities. Aiglemort might’ve been the ducal seat, but the number of people there was small in comparison to the population of the palace. Time had helped me grow used to these differences, but my preferences remained the same.

         “Would you like to see the City, Anne?” I inquired, curious.

         She stirred and lifted her head from its resting place on my chest. “The City of Elua?”

         “Yes. Have you ever thought about it?”

         “A few times. My father told me about it—he’s been a handful of times. He always said it was a sight worth seeing, but he would never want to live there. I think I would likely feel the same if I ever visited it,” she answered.

         “I see you take after your father in that regard. Both of you are far more comfortable here among your country gardens.”

         “And are you not also a creature of the countryside, your grace?” she asked, almost as if she’d read my earlier thoughts. “Your words about Camlach indicate as much.”

         “Guilty as charged,” I replied. “I suppose this shared disposition makes us suitable for each other.”

         That marked the end of our conversation, as she soon fell asleep and I followed not long after.

**

         My visits to Lombelon took on a familiar routine after that. I went whenever my duties permitted, which never seemed to be often enough. You might say it was turning into something of an addiction for me. The entire thing had taken me somewhat by surprise, as I never thought I’d take such a liking to the place, or to a certain woman who lived there.

Note

I’m back! I’m sorry I took so long to update this fic. I never actually forgot about it--this chapter has been written for a while, but I was too lazy to type & edit it. I don’t intend to go so long between updates again. I’m in a Kushiel mood right now & feeling motivated to write fic in this fandom again.

[beaniegender]

Fandom Fic Rec Days - My Personal Favorites Fic Rec List!

In honor of #ficrecdays (happening Feb. 10th, 11th, and 12th), and my stupidly long ao3 bookmarks page which is a pain to go through, I want to make this list of the best of the the best of my favorite fics - the ones that make me gasp or laugh or cry and just generally ache at their beauty each time I read them. I hope you’ll read and enjoy them too! I encourage you to try something even outside a fandom you know well because all of these works are great fiction in their own right.

This list includes a total of 24 fics or series from nine fandoms: James Bond (3 works), The Martian (1 work), Marvel which is mostly Captain America (5 works/series), Soccer RPF which is all FC Barcelona RPF (4 works/series), Star Trek (2 works), Star Wars (1 work), Supernatural (2 works/series), True Blood (1 work), and The West Wing (5 works).

Some of these fics are already wildly popular, but in order to promote less popular fic a bit more, within a fandom works are sorted from least to most ao3 kudos. Read on and discover my absolute favorite fanfics!

James Bond

Search and Seizure by @kryptaria00q and @stephrc79 (16670 words, James Bond/Q/Alec Trevelyan) - After two assassination attempts on MI6 executives, the British Secret Service now requires self-defence training for all high level employees. Bond and Alec have taken it upon themselves to help keep their lover safe, no matter how much Q might hate them for it. Too bad they never seem to be able to stay on track. (a.k.a. frisking porn with plot)

basically trust porn along with being real porn. everyone’s POV gets shown off and it’s just so much fun watching these boys interact when they so obviously care for each other!

Treasons, Traitors, and Treachery by kryptaria and @zooeyscigar (63245 words, James Bond/Q) - All James Bond wanted was a quiet holiday on his luxury motoryacht on the Costa del Sol. Time to recuperate and think about his future with MI6. But his plans get hijacked when a traitor to the crown returns, bringing news of an even greater threat to MI6. And the traitor isn’t working alone. Thankfully, neither is James.

every single character in here is written flawlessly, and the OC is one of the BEST OCs to ever OC. There’s sass and hilarity, believably written government intrigue, and a very realistic level of depth in all the characters.

so you were never a saint. by @paperclipbitch (12319 words, gen) - “I think Bond’s trying to be your friend,” Eve tells him. “…well,” Q says slowly, “this is a new and disturbing development.”

the asexual!Q epic that defined a lot of my Q headcanons. also a lot of my MONEYPENNY IS AMAZING headcanons! it’s sort of an ensemble fic and sort of a character study and it just makes me like MI6 so much.

The Martian

You Know You Have a Permanent Piece of My Medium-Sized American Heart by tricatular [on tumblr but I’m not able to tag them, sorry!] (9151 words, gen) - “Hey Hermes!” The ambient suspicion level in the Rec ratcheted up significantly. Kapoor was disturbingly cheerful. “We’ve sent you some mission updates in the data dump, but Mitch and I wanted to personally let you know—” Mitch visibly rolled his eyes in the background. “—That thanks to some…strong suggestions from the White House, and on Annie and Director Sanders’ recommendation, we’ve started releasing Watney’s Mars logs to the public.”

deftly mixes standard narration, transcripts of recordings, and social media posts to show what Mark’s journal back to Earth would have been like both for him and for everyone who cared about his story (ie. the whole planet).

Marvel / Captain America

Walking Far From Home by TaleWorthTelling (6222 words, various Sam-centric pairings) - Sam’s relationship with birds starts early and inexplicably.

basically, Sam Wilson’s whole life. as the author’s note says, “Sam is the only person with his shit together, but he got there the hard way.” and then we’re treated to 6000 words of what that path was like, including stellar input from Sam’s OC family and the familiar MCU favorites. and Sam can talk to birds!

The Murder Ballads by BetteNoire (160839 words, 3 works, Steve/Bucky) - Something wicked is coming for Steve Rogers. Luckily for him, something even more wicked stands in its way: the unrepentant, unbroken Bucky Barnes. A murder-mystery/action thriller with violence, magic, and several big MCU guest stars.

like most CA fans I’ve read a stupid amount of post-winter soldier fic, so the first praise for this series is that it has a completely original take on that subject. and that take - the plot complexity, the multi-layered characterizations, the sequel - made me fall in love with Bucky all over again and permanently changed the way I think of him.

your blue-eyed boys by Feather (123233 words, 4 works, Steve/Bucky with sides of Pepper/Tony, Bruce/Betty, and Clint/Natasha) - Steve has no plan. Not because he hadn’t tried to make one. He’d tried to make lots of plans. Plan, adapt, plan again, tried to think of every contingency. And then he’d thrown them away, because there wasn’t much point. What could you plan for? He couldn’t guess the possible contingencies, the situations, the potentials. And he sure as sure hadn’t figured on what’s happened now, on coming back to his place and finding Bucky here. He hadn’t even hoped for that. He hadn’t realized he could. [post-Winter Soldier recovery fic]

if you’d like a slightly more typically-plotted approach to your post-WS fic than “The Murder Ballads” you absolutely can’t go wrong with “your blue-eyed boys”. it’s the most realistic version of Bucky’s recovery that I can imagine - heartbreaking and sickening and real. and the love between Steve and him and the team as a whole is obvious. DON’T MISS the associated verse, which is 450000 words (and growing) of shortfic in the same timeline, and which incidentally has the best OCs in the entire fandom.

Hollow Your Bones Like a Bird’s by @scifigrl47 (95514 words, Clint/Phil) - In the wake of the Chitauri invasion, Clint Barton wakes up in a world that he very nearly had a hand in destroying. And confronting a loss he might not be able to cope with. The Avengers always needed something to avenge, but once the crisis is past, what keeps them together?

I have yet to see a better representation of grief in fanfic, and that’s only maybe half of Clint’s problems in this fic. maybe you’ve noticed I like realism when fic deals with hard topics, and this shies away from nothing - and Clint will treat you to excellent analyses of his friends, as well as many bird facts, along the way!

Ain’t No Grave (Can Keep My Body Down) by spitandvinegar [on tumblr but I’m not able to tag them, sorry!] (107076 words, Steve/Bucky) - It’s six in the morning, and Steve is heading out on a run when he nearly trips over a bouquet of sunflowers on the front steps of his brownstone. For a second paranoia takes over, and he kicks the flowers a little, waiting for them to explode. They don’t. They also came with a card, which he picks up. The front of the card has a tasteful picture of the Brooklyn bridge at sunset. It’s very nice and sedate, like the kind of card you would buy to give to your boss. On the inside someone has written a short message in big, shaky block letters. I AM SORRY FOR SHOOTING YOU. Steve sits down hard on the steps.

ok yet more wonderfully detailed post-ws Bucky trying to recover fic, except in this one Bucky is homeless and a drug addict and ADOPTS THE BEST OCS with the BEST POVS EVER, oh my GOD. also Steve is smart and kind, Sam is long-suffering (and smart and kind), and the whole thing is hilarious.

Soccer / FC Barcelona RPF

only the children (know what they’re looking for) by therestisdetail (7253 words, gen) - I drew a picture of him, later, but I shall not show it to you for it is a sad demonstration of what will happen if you stop drawing when you are six, and certainly much less charming than its model. He wore a shirt that was too large and had soft dark eyes hiding beneath dark, indecisive hair; it did not seem to know if it was short or long, or what shape it wanted to be. He was very pale, very slight, had no shoes, and held a battered football beneath one arm with an air of pride. (Le Petit Prince redone feat. FC Barcelona)

a young Andrés Iniesta meets an even younger Leo Messi, and they quite simply tear my heart in two. no knowledge of The Little Prince required, but the fic is just as understatedly beautiful as the original.

Like a Hand Grenade by @meretricula (20430 words, 2 works, Cesc/Messi) - Cesc Fabregas is born a girl. She still loves football.

full disclosure, I do not care about Cesc Fabregas. I didn’t care about Cesc Fabregas even before his career got, frankly, weird and dispiriting. but BY GOD these works make me care about genderbent!Cesc and everything she could have been. the sequel is particularly nice for some cameos from other well-loved players!

Go Gentle by @ferritin4​ (20977 words, eventually Xaviesta) - Things change, but only some things. In which Barça is indeed més que un club, no one stays on top forever, and it all comes back to Andrés in the end.

hands down my favorite football rpf. uses the A/B/O trope and the idea of pack dynamics to tell the story of the last decade of Barcelona football, which makes a hell of a lot of sense, and although Andrés is quietly the star, the different POVs let a lot of people shine.

It’s Going to Take a Lot to Drag Me Away from You by meretricula (31296 words, 10 works, Xaviesta, Fabregas/Messi/Pique, and Messilla) -  Everybody knows Barcelona’s midfielders are psychic anyway. (Soulbonding AU)

try to tell me that a soulbonding AU isn’t the most logical thing in the world for Xavi and Iniesta, just try to tell me that! there’s also a good look at how the politics of this system could get messy quick, which, let’s be real, just makes sense for barça-centric fic.

Star Trek

How Many Roads? or, 27 Times Jim Kirk hit on Nyota Uhura by Deastar (8806 words, Uhura/Spock) - After the bar fight, Nyota thinks to herself that if this is what being hit on by Jim Kirk leads to, she’s very glad she’s never going to have to see him again.

Uhura and Kirk’s relationship goes from the dumpster fire it was in Iowa to the professional respect we get throughout the movies, but we never really see how it happens. this fic shows all of that and much more, and oh my god, I just like these characters so much.

Counteractive Measures by rikke_leonhart (9159 words, loosely Kirk/Spock) - The thing is – giving Jim Kirk a dare will never ever work. “Enlist,” she repeats to herself as Pike’s back disappears out the door. She snorts. It’s one of those things that just keep getting funnier.

Jim Kirk’s whole life - if Jim Kirk were a girl, and slightly less cliche about her motivations and psychology. and if Spock and especially McCoy were just as awesome as ever, because of course they are!

Star Wars

The Last Poem of Jedha by @schweinsty (15486 words, gen) - How Bodhi Rook temporarily misplaced the two most important things in the galaxy, and how he found them again (with a little help).

literally every fic on this list is amazing, I promise, but this one is my favorite out of them all. if you’ve ever cared about star wars for five seconds, please read this. the world-building, the characterizations, the plot structure, the family and team relationships: all stellar!

Supernatural

In His Image by @whitmerule (153067 words, Gabriel/Sam and Castiel/Dean) - Kali can breathe life back into a corpse, but what exactly is Gabriel now? Gabriel flits around various centuries trying to work that out, Dean has another powered-down angel and a little brother to look out for, Castiel has forgotten how to trust, and someone keeps sending Sam annoying little notes on his laptop. Oh, and Bobby would like to remind you all that there’s an Apocalypse still going on. Covers season 5 from Gabriel’s death to the finale.

half season 5 AU, half historical fiction, it feels like one story thread should distract from the other but instead it all works together to make the definitive Gabriel-centric story!

Sammyverse by shangrilada (249230 words, 42 works, gen) - It’s an AU, but not a deep one, until season 4 or thereabouts, where it starts to get kind of weird. Basically, Sam has really hideous asthma, and the boys are both pretty excellent at dealing with it and each other. They’re [not] all from Dean’s POV, and even though I’m branching now into later stuff, I’m going to keep doing pre-Stanford–Season 2 for a long time because that makes me happy. Honestly it’s a lot of H/C porn of the boys just being friendly and affectionate towards each other, because that’s how I like them. It is, to put it simply, gen. To put it more honestly, it’s as fucked up as I see it in canon and not a bit more or less. You can read into it as much or as little as you like.

it’s just like the show, except Sam is chronically ill and also the boys like each other. based on the show you might think the boys already like each other, but my friends, this ‘verse will show you just how much was missing. Dean’s internal monologues are things of beauty, and I love how much Jess is featured in the Stanford-era fics. (note: this master list includes most but not all of the fic in the verse, so if you’d like the rest be sure to check the author’s page or ask me for links!)

True Blood

We Who Are Alive And Remain by @branwyn-says (10448 words, Sookie/Eric) - Terrified by changes she witnesses in herself, Sookie hides from the world and everyone in it. When Eric finds out her secret, she will either find that he is worthy of her trust-or she’ll be dead.

the non-linear timeline makes this fic shine, and from the very beginning the plot is intriguing. before the plot is resolved we get to see a lot about who Sookie is who Eric is to her, and the dynamics between Sookie and nearly everyone in her life.

The West Wing

We Don’t Notice Time Pass by pene (1304 words, gen) -  “I’d no idea you’d even met her.” It’s friendship and it’s women.

focusing on female friendship within The West Wing is annoyingly difficult, but this story focuses on what relationships among women can be. Mrs. Landingham acts as a bit of a mentor to Ainsley, and Ainsley’s relationship with her childhood best friend is achingly and heartwarmingly true to life.

Define Your Terms by candle_beck (4443 words, Josh/Sam) -  It’s very complicated inside Josh’s head.

Josh is manic and about five conversations ahead of Sam. it works out because these two idiots care about each other very, very strongly. I love Josh’s mental voice in this one!

Vidui by Marguerite (7358 words, gen) - In the fall of 2001, Toby went to shul. In past years he had carried sins enough to confess, sins both petty and great, transgressions against God’s ordinances and those of men.

a beautiful meditation on Toby’s relationship with the people he works with/calls his family, through an explicitly Jewish lense. Toby is the person, and the Jew, that I wish I could be <3</p>

The Thinner the Skin by Jane St Clair (2149 words, Josh/Sam) - Of couches and expensive suits, with some mention of madness.

if you’re going to write a Josh/Sam post-Noel fic, this is unquestionably the way to do it! nothing is shied away from but there’s all the best kind of comfort that h/c can offer, and nice backstory details that make the characters seem realer.

highways and byways and roads in between by @greatestheights​ (10456 words, Josh/Donna) - “Maps are for losers. Maps are for people with no sense of adventure, like you, and…I don’t know. Toby, probably.” Josh, Donna, the open road, five states, and some of the things they said while they were driving.

Josh and Donna and, just, everything that they are (that is, a well-meaning idiot and better than you, respectively), with a healthy dose of Donna/career. everyone is characterized spotlessly, the dialogue is episode-caliber, and there’s fun local geography/culture!

[add-salt-shed-light]

Don't Whine About Wine

For the past 4 or 5 weeks, my professional life has had me spending more time in hotels than at home with my family.  As a consequence, it has been some time since I have had opportunity to put ink to paper…that no longer works does it?  What is the appropriate idiom for today…digitized font to digitized paper?  (It doesn’t matter.  Focus.)  Given that it has been some time since I have written an article, I thought I would make my return with a controversial and perhaps offensive topic.  Why not?

I don’t believe this topic should be either of those two things, but long held traditions have been (for many) solidified into dogmatism.  I wish to address the topic of alcohol and the biblical teaching regarding its consumption.  There are many Christians who enjoy alcoholic beverages without the slightest pang of conscience.  There are others who frown completely upon such behavior and deem it un-Christian and even contrary to scripture.  There are even some that practice teetotalism because of the concern that they may be somehow predisposed to alcoholism.

I am writing this article having just finished cutting my lawn on a very hot day.  For purposes of full disclosure, I should let you know, that on the table to my right is an open can of beer.  Now, it could be because it is great bait for fruit flies, which will buzz around the delicious beer, and not around my face.  The other possible reason is that I find nothing to be more refreshing after hot strenuous work than a cold crisp beer.  I do confess it to be for the second reason.  I am drinking beer and am enjoying it immensely.

Hey, don’t go anywhere!  Please keep reading.  It is not too late for me to rescue this article and steer it back in a direction that will cause those shocked individuals (currently sitting wide-eyed, with hand over mouth) to relax their tense muscles, and allow their blood pressure to return to normal levels.  I am not writing this article to encourage anyone to start or continue drinking alcoholic beverages.  You must follow your own conscience.  I would simply like to turn to scripture, and from its inspired pages determine what God has to say on this topic. 

I know, having grown up within a brethren assembly, that there is a stigma attached to the consumption of alcohol.  From a young age, I assumed it to be a moral sin.  I do not believe that this is simply a brethren ‘thing’.  I grew up with many teetotaler Baptist friends, who held a similar position.  As I matured and began studying the scripture for myself, I soon recognized that alcohol itself was not sinful.  However, there still is a great amount of judgment expressed against those who, with a clear conscience, enjoy alcohol in moderation.  It is also my hope that through this article, I can gently suggest to those who hold others in such judgement to ponder what the scripture says and to be gracious.

I should be very clear from the start: the bible does contain many warnings related to the use of wine and strong drink, and it clearly lists drunkenness as a sin. 

For example:

Proverbs 20:1  “Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, And whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise (NASB).”

1 Corinthians 6:10  “Nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God (NASB).”

There are many other verses I could list that provide the same or similar instruction.  Over indulgence to the point of drunkenness is clearly a sin.  In fact, when it comes to the joys and pleasures of this earthly scene, we should not pursue anything to the point of excess.  The Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6:12 “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything (NASB)”.  Although we may have freedom to partake of the things that God has provided for us to enjoy, we should not allow ourselves to become enslaved by anything.  I have an insatiable love for ice cream, however, I know that over indulgence is not only unhealthy but the bible warns me to avoid gluttony.

Proverbs 23:2  “And put a knife to your throat, if you are a man of great appetite. (NASB).”

Proverbs 23:20-21  “Do not be with heavy drinkers of wine, Or with gluttonous eaters of meat; For the heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe one with rags (NASB).”

Proverbs 28:7  “He who keeps the law is a discerning son, But he who is a companion of gluttons humiliates his father (NASB).”

The Apostle Peter instructs us to apply self-control:

2 Peter 1:5-8  “Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, 7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (NASB).”

As I read these verses, the word ‘moderation’ comes to mind.  We have seen that alcohol consumed in excess, that is, to the point of drunkenness, is a sin.  Is it a sin to drink alcohol in moderation? 

In this article, I intend to turn to scripture to determine what it teaches regarding the consumption of alcohol in moderation. Next week, I will dive deeper and introduce the Hebrew and Greek words for wine, strong drink, and even grape juice.  (That’s right, ancient Hebrew and Koine Greek allow for a clear distinction between varieties of alcohol drinks and between alcoholic wine and grape juice.)

A brief review of a few New Testament passages will suffice to answer the question before us.  Let’s begin with 1 Timothy 5:

1 Timothy 5:23  “No longer drink water exclusively, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments (NASB).”

I was in a reading meeting recently where a well-intentioned brother insisted that the Apostle Paul was telling Timothy to drink grape juice.  The brother then spoke of the many health benefits of grape juice.  It was very difficult for me to remain quiet but I managed to resist the temptation to turn his attention to 1 Timothy 3 and ask if over indulgence in grape juice was a real problem in those days.

1 Timothy 3:2-3, 8  “2 An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money…8 Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain (NASB).”

Replace the word ‘wine’ in those verses with ‘grape juice’ and you will immediately recognize the complete absurdity of the claim that Paul was advising Timothy to drink a non-alcoholic wine.  Notice that Paul does not say that an overseer or deacon should drink no wine rather he gives instruction that they should not drink much wine.  That is, they should not over-indulge.  (By the way, each usage of the word ‘wine’ in these passages in Timothy is translated from the same original Greek word – ‘oinos’.)

Now let’s turn to Luke 10 and the story of the Good Samaritan.

Luke 10:33-34  “But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, 34 and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him (NASB).”

The same Greek word ‘oinos’ is translated as ‘wine’ in this passage.  I doubt that grape juice would have the same antiseptic properties as an alcoholic wine.  In each case that ‘oinos’ is used in the New Testament, it refers to alcoholic wine.  On what basis do I make that claim?  Because that’s what the word means!!

Oinos:  “A beverage made from fermented juice of the grape, wine” (A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd Edition - Danker, Frederick William; Bauer, Walter).

If you are still with me at this point, you may say “all you’ve proven is that wine is good for medicinal purposes.  None of those verses speak to the moral character of alcohol consumption”. 

Fair enough.  Let me address that now.  Please turn with me to John 2, and read of Jesus’ first miracle; the turning of water into wine.  Now ask yourself this: if consuming alcohol is a sin, would Jesus have aided and abetted this behavior by providing the wedding guests with more wine?  Of course not!  Jesus was sinless and He could not have provided anyone with a means to sin nor could He have associated with the appearance of evil.  This is where many people pull out the grape juice argument.  For fun I could ignore the actual definition of the word ‘oinos’ and grant the possibility that it was grape juice…but the Apostle John actually provides the answer for us.  It was indeed alcoholic wine.  Read verses 9 and 10 of John 2.

John 2:9-10 “When the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom, 10 and said to him, “Every man serves the good wine first, and when the people have drunk freely, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now (NASB).”

How is this proof that the wedding guests were enjoying alcohol?  Notice what the headwaiter says: “Everyman serves the good wine first, and when the people have drunken freely, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now”.  You see, then, like today, a wedding feast was an expensive affair and cost the host of the party a great deal of money and goods.  A common practice at such a feast was to show off your good wine by serving it first.  Once your guests “had drunken freely” and their taste buds and powers of discernment were affected by the alcohol, the host would switch to the cheap wine.  The guests no doubt knew the custom but were enjoying themselves too much to care. 

Read back through the passage, again replacing each occurrence of ‘wine’ with ‘grape juice’.  If you do so, then you will need to remove verses 9 and 10 from John 2, because these verses make no sense if the wine was non-alcoholic.

To this point, we have seen wine recommended as a stomach remedy, as an antiseptic, and as something that overseers and deacons should not over indulge in.  I’ve also provide a definition of the Greek word ‘oinos’ (there is, by the way, a Greek word that denotes non-alcoholic wine or grape-juice).  We have also read in John 2, that Jesus turned water into wine for the wedding guests, and the Apostle John under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit provided confirmation that it was alcoholic.  I will end this article with one final passage of scripture and then take the topic to conclusion in next week’s article.

Turn to Matthew 11 for our next passage of scripture.  In this chapter, our Lord Jesus Christ reveals that He, Himself, did not abstain from alcohol.

Matthew 11:16-19  “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places, who call out to the other children, 17 and say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’ 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds (NASB).”

If you have read Luke 1, you will remember how the angel appeared to Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist.  The angel told Zacharias that John would “drink no wine or liquor” (Luke 1:15).  Here in Matthew 11, Jesus points out that “they were like petulant children who would not be persuaded to join in the play. There had been a note of severity in John's ministry, but they showed no sign of lamenting in repentance: Jesus had come full of grace and of the joy of deliverance, yet they manifested no real signs of gladness. Instead they discovered ways of discrediting both (Commentary on Matthew, by F. B. Hole)”.  When they saw John abstaining from alcohol, they said he had a demon and when they saw Jesus drinking wine, they accused Him of being a drunkard. 

While the accusation of Jesus being a drunkard was unfounded (impossible even, given that He was without sin), He clearly highlights the contrast between Himself and John: John abstained from alcohol, and the Son of Man did not.  The Lord Jesus could not be guilty of drunkenness, as it was impossible for Him to sin.  He also would have lived in perfect consistency with the Word of God.  Consider the instruction given in 1 Thessalonians 5:22 to “abstain from every form of evil”.

Given that the Lord did not abstain from the consumption of alcohol, I can only conclude that it is not sinful.  Over-indulgence resulting in drunkenness is sinful, but it is possible to enjoy alcohol in moderation with freedom of conscience – our Lord and Savior did.

Now please go enjoy a cold refreshing glass of grape juice.