#also I imagine they both have a language barrier and hardly would understand each other in English

[tamiisnthere]

A random AU where Tami somehow ended up in the 12th century in the Holy Land or in AC1 game idk (part 1?)

Altaïr originally thought she was a witch or something because of her clothes, but when he found out Tami was actually from the 21st century, he got the idea that she would be useful to the Brotherhood with her knowledge of the future. But instead it was just facts about animals and prehistoric creatures + stupid memes he didn't understand at all.

(↓ Credits under Keep reading)

Programs: XNALara, AC Viewer (for backgrounds) & Fire Alpaca

Assassin's Creed © Ubisoft 

The Sims © Electronic Arts Games

Tami © Me (TamiIsntHere) Note: I don’t own the most Custom Content. These belong to their creators.

Altaïr’s Robes Model © LorisC93 (DeviantArt)

Lower part of Altaïr’s Robes © milance941 (DeviantArt)

Eye Textures of Alty & Malik © XXLife-Starts-NowXx (DeviantArt) Note: After a few years, I realized that the eye textures are actually from the Retexture of ACR Altaïr Model. My apologies. 😥

“Altaïr’s” Head Model © ItalianUtent (DeviantArt) Note: This is AC3 Desmond’s model, which I edited textures on it.

Altaïr’s Weapons Models © DecanAndersen (DeviantArt; deactivated)

Thorton’s Hair © deexie (DeviantArt)

Pillows, Carpet & Wall Models © raccooncitizen (DeviantArt)

[bitchlessdino]

as my favorite dinonara, how do u feel abt chan fucking you to i don't understand but ily AND also murmuring the lyrics in your ear as he's thrusting into you???

An: Just read the eng lyrics and in accurate fashion, imagined it happening in Korean �� Personally, I’d walk into a burning building bc I’m already feeling hot from Chan 🥲🥲 (First instinct: why are you being unoriginal and using your lyrics at me???) Also these lyrics are roughly translated and restructured to make sense and annotated for my amusement

DNI INTERACT MINORS

When I saw you, the room stopped and my senses heighten. Only seeing you made my insides jealous of what I was seeing (And not feeling stgdhfjf)

*thrust* lol.

(Zoom) on your heavy scent, I'm more afraid that it will get erased in between thе dizzy words (yeah bc it’s such a good fuck 😭)

Biting your ear, caressing your body, plunging himself inside you. Already drunk on the power you held over him. He’s afraid to slur the words you already couldn’t understand.

No matter languages or times, you don't have to understand any of it. Just the password between us. It’ll open us both (literally and figuratively)(having a secret language with your partner whom speaks another language. Fuck )

Hands smoothing over your hot cheeks, drinking in your whimpers, your moans, his name of your lips but that sinfully beautiful way that made him want to fuck inside you deeper, harder. He catches the shedding tears under his thumb. (His name just happened to be one of the passwords)

With all the words that exists in the world its enough for just the two of us to know my greed for you. My growing feelings for you. (The way I would fucking collapse)

He'd pin you back on the bed, momentarily in control of you and his senses, until they slid over your palms and fingers are laced through yours. His grunts and moans embedded between each thick and intoxicating phrase was the only thing you could understand, but like he said, it was enough.

You know, there are more important things than words between us, right? (The way I would be alive and crying out of my p—)

The way it’s phrased as a question makes you impulsively nod. You could be signing a slave deal but it’d be fine also as it’d be with Chan and only Chan.

Look at it with your eyes closed. Feel you and me. Not bound by time or day…Us both together anywhere. (Anywhere anytime Chan I am here 👁️👁️)

Chan could hardly understand what he was saying but in the moment it’s how he felt, how you felt, how the world around you felt. He grinds down on hips, digging into and fragility of you slowing but surely coming apart for him. Liquid gold seeped through both you crevices, sweat of your skin sweet and salt as their stripped from his tongue gingerly. You whine a mess, throat flexing in real time as you tried staying focus on him, only him.

Even though I don't understand, I can know you

Somehow you know it too. His kisses sometimes delicate then turning ravenously, and you feel his teeth scrap over your pebbles skin before they create uneven grooves shaping into the perfect mark. For you, only you.

The language barrier is just an illusion. (This lmao gives me love talk vibes ‘ I can hear you calling’) You know that I also don't believe myself but you still believed in me

There was a time where you thought you were from two different worlds and didn’t expect to build a connection, yet here you were. Languages exchanged. Foreign words going to one ear and out the other. But somehow, someway, it all couldn’t be more crystal clear. The support system you found in one another what’s all you need to understand. And you found that clear hearing him, feeling him, tasting him tend to your to your every need.

Only inside of you I can bloom spreading my fire (EXCUSE MEEEE THE SAY I SCREAMED BTW ‘only inside you’ is a direct translation WTF)

You’re mumbling at this point, mind in a haze from tsunami of your climax, contorting you in his long, rooted thrusts as he’s bottoming out in you. His body crushes your body and your soul, aching to giving yourself to him in its entirety. There wasn’t a damn thing in the world that could tell you otherwise. His hands against you were pure magic, unattainable anywhere else, and his sweet lower timber touches every patch of your skin, making you hot with need. Even after you’ve succumb to one orgasm. He’s ready for another, and plentiful to give you until your body gives out for days just as he’s felt starved for days, weeks, years.

Chan’s not sure if you’re speaking in your language or if you were just that fucked by his raging, warmth inside you. He leans in again, face close, kissing you as desperate as you feel and finally in a language you do comprehend,

I don’t understand but I love you…I love you (there’s so much to unpack here, but yes, I’ll marry you)

This was so much fun!!! I’ve never done this before but I’m down to do it again! Also he’ll is especially hot for elv that put these rot thots in my head.

[askthewvba]

Don. What is you opinion on some of the other boxers?

Glass Joe: “A romantic, ahaha. We speak a similar language in this way, do we not? A lover and a… fighter, we are of a similar kind he and I. I suggest the occasional film for him to watch and he’ll occasionally entice me with a book gripping enough to sit down with. Si, si, we love Joe as we worry for his being.”

Don and Joe get along quite well! They’re friendly, bond over romantic media and the idea of love as a whole, and will occasionally hit one another up for coffee. Don’s tried more than once to goad Joe into pursuing someone on these outings, but alas Joe’s hesitant. While they are friendly, there is a small buried part of Don that wishes Joe would retire for his own sake. This is a sentiment he believes to be unique to him, as most everyone encourages Joe’s seemingly fruitless pursuit of victory. On the surface Don will support Joe, but deep down he just can’t see having faith in him. Even now he doesn’t believe Joe’s victory against Blue Jey was entirely legitimate.

Von Kaiser: “Ah, him. Make no mistake, there is no ire between us that I am aware of, just… There is also very little common ground. What we share is a friendship with Glass Joe, and beyond that there is not much we have to converse about. I have nothing but the highest respect for him. I cannot imagine what he’s been through…”

Don and Von Kaiser aren’t exactly friends, but they aren’t on bad terms either. Don is a bit much for Kaiser, but there is an unspoken sense that they’re there for one another should a situation call for it. They’ve both been there for Glass Joe and have seen each other in the act of helping him through some of his own dark moments and should the occasion arise they would offer each other that same grounding and aid.

Disco Kid: “Ah, my knight in shining armor! Disco Kid, a man after my own heart! Mi primer amigo and easily the one dearest to my heart. When I was new and still putting the polish on my English it was he who reached out to me first. We bonded over drinks, too many even, and by putting on many a show at that club he loves so much. I don’t believe there is a single one of us at the WVBA who has a bad thing to say about him.”

Don said almost everything, but it’s true! Disco Kid is one of Don’s closest friends. While there was a brief awkward stint in their friendship when Disco developed feelings for Don it wasn’t long before it passed. Some people confuse them for a couple even now, Don being naturally flirtatious and Disco playfully feeding into it. Disco is one of a select few who knows Don in and out, with not a secret between them! Don cherishes this, for while he does have one or two others he may be similarly close with, Disco is a purely judgement free zone where Don can completely drop his facade and be emotional.

King Hippo: “It is a whole new world now that we have a means of better understanding the King. He is… surprisingly generous and well-worded of a man. It is still relatively new but I think we are all a bit closer to him now that the language barrier has started to crack some, no?”

There’s not too much of a friendship here, but Hippo loves Don’s cooking and regards him as fondly as he does Disco Kid (though Disco Kid is loved by the King a bit more than Don.) Don is helping King Hippo with a small favor though, so like everyone else the bonds he has have come a long way (I will draw the favor out eventually, but it’s nothing to fuss about regardless.)

Piston Hondo: “Ayyyy… he is good, there is perhaps not an unkind bone in that man’s body but… how do I put this. He is a bit… stiff? Mono...tonous? Eh, what I mean is he could stand to liven up every now and again. We all have our personas in front of the people but with Hondo? I wonder if he ever drops his or… is this even a persona to begin with? Strange how we have been in the same circuit for some time now yet I can hardly think of a thing to say about him.”

Hondo and Don are… not close. They have a mutual respect for one another, but Don finds Hondo somewhat unapproachable and even exasperating sometimes. In all their time shared in the WVBA Don has never seen Hondo relax. Even his meditation seems tense. They could bond over a love of the culinary arts, but truthfully Don doesn’t even realize it’s something Hondo likes because they simply don’t talk much despite their exposure to one another.

Bear Hugger: “A good man. No, to call him just that is not enough. One should seek to be the kind of friend that Bear Hugger is to us all. Truth be told the WVBA should be paying him more for his place as our mediator. So many times he has broken up a fight, myself and Aran Ryan included. That was in fact the first time we talked if memory serves…”

Don and Bear Hugger bond over a shared love of nature (Don the flora to Hugger’s fauna) and a nearly equal love of cooking. Bear Hugger takes the entire Major Circuit crew on weekend hiking retreats from time to time, and the responsibility of cooking falls on the two of them. They’re very comfortable in their relationship, though that’s true of Hugger and nearly everyone in Branch A.

Great Tiger: “A true master of magics! I confess I find myself humbled to share a circuit with him. To watch his matches is sight to behold, so much so it is true he nearly had me when first we faced one another in the ring. Captivating, and so plain it is to see how the crowds love him, as well they should.”

Don secretly looks up to Tiger. He thrives with eyes on him much like Don does, but unlike Don Tiger doesn’t rely on his audience for validation. Great Tiger basks in the attention, enjoys himself unabashedly, but his self-confidence and worth come from within in ways Don could only dream. Don also wonders if Tiger has any opinion on his own miniscule plant magic but is too proud to risk coming off as insecure.

Aran Ryan: “Tonto del culo.”

Hostile rivalry. Hates that the only thing separating him from the World Circuit is this antagonistic, cheating, dumbass Irishman. Aran, as mentioned previously, loves bothering everyone to an extent but few are more fun than Don. Stealing his toupee is a regular occurrence when someone doesn’t break up their fight soon enough. Don wishes death on nobody, not even Aran, but many a time he’ll think to himself how nice it would be if he’s just to strangle himself with his own flail. Truly, he just wants Aran to fuck off and leave him alone.

Soda Popinski: “Ah, he is truly a gentleman. A bit… strange. And I do not trust the men who back him, but Soda himself had been a pleasure. It is a wonder he finds himself so comfortably in the company of that *pendejo.*”

Don finds it hard to dislike Soda at all, though at first like many others he found Soda intimidating and even scary. Soda dispelled the initial impression by whipping out the Kazotsky Kick one night during a dance off wherein he blew Disco, Don, and Heike out of the water and has had their respect and admiration ever since. He wonders if Soda is all there and is concerned about him, but all in all, the doofy man is his friend.

Bald Bull: “I’ve made a career of besting beasts such as he! Haha, of course I kid. Is just a joke between he and I! I proposed we have a bit of fun with our roles. He is Bald Bull, and I am the handsome matador there to put him down… err, in a manner of speaking. I have never killed a bull in my life and just as well I have yet to officially *defeat* Bald Bull…”

They get along just fine. Don playfully picks on Bull for not coming up with a better nickname for him other than Flower Boy, but they’ll treat one another to coffee now and again. Their rivalry is purely for the fanfare and they both enjoy it in their own way, acting out these roles.

Super Macho Man: “I have my… tension with Macho as of late, to be sure. Nevertheless I would consider him a friend. He knows how to thrill the crowd as I do, and for the better part I do enjoy his company from time to time… he, eh. He is a friend best taken in small doses. Joooooder…”

Don does find camaraderie in Super Macho Man as sort of a fellow showman, though unlike Tiger there’s no such admiration. He finds Macho’s method of wowing the crowd comparatively shallow and unimpressive as it’s less to do with talent and finesse as much as it is about his brand and his money. There’s no ill will! They get along fine and have a healthy relationship as rivals when it comes to seeking attention. Though Don is reasonably uncomfortable with Macho’s interest in his lady friend.

Mr. Sandman: “Make no mistake; while I am pleased to be the holder of the Major Circuit Belt that does not mean I am satisfied with this alone. He may have bested me in the past, but know this: I am coming for his title.”

Yeah, no. Don keeps up a bravado, but for all his promises he knows he has no chance at ever defeating Mr. Sandman. On a personal level, Don’s intimidated by him and generally doesn’t talk to him very much. Sandman can be a bit of an island among the close knit friendships of the WVBA but there is no real ill will.

Little Mac: Snorts. “Hijo de puta…”

Don does not like Little Mac. At all. He’s a sore loser and even though Mac’s been cleared of any potential cheating, Don still passive aggressively takes out his losses on Little Mac in petty but ultimately harmless ways. Truthfully it’s not even Little Mac himself that Don despises, but more so he’s too far away from home to get in his folks’ faces for degrading him for Little Mac’s victory so Don’s rage is terribly misdirected. No one’s been able to dissuade his crappy attitude.

Don Flamenco doesn’t have a particularly close bond with many of Branch B, but here are two bonuses:

Heike Kagero: They first properly met and began bonding back during the brief period when Heike and Disco Kid were dating. The trio bond through a shared love of dance, picking on one another lightheartedly at each other’s failed attempts at their dance style of choice. Don is definitely envious of Heike’s long flowing locks, and beyond that he enjoys just how kind and forthcoming Heike is in comparison to the WVBA’s other Japanese boxer… though maybe Heike could provide some context for Don so that that relationship could actually go somewhere.

Mad Clown: Not a friendship you’d expect, however these two bond over being fierce opera enthusiasts! While most find Mad Clown unsettling (and rightly so), Don was captivated when he heard an impromptu display of the former’s talent as a singer. From that moment Don was immediately drawn to him, absolutely adoring that he finally has someone to share this interest with. Don is seemingly unfazed by Mad Clown’s more manic tendencies, and the two regularly attend shows together (occasionally accompanied by a certain aforementioned lady friend who might be closer to Clown than Don is.)

[heathenarmyimagines]

Title: A Different Time

Summary: (Y/N) and Ivar were having a moment until Sigurd interrupted.

Pairing: Ivar x Reader

Taglist: @ubbesgirl, @shewolf2000, @tis-itheapplepie, @atequila, @demoncrypt1066, @greennightspider, @badbitsh13, @fireismysaftey, @minarawr, @laketaj24, @hvitserksgirl, @blahblahcookiesdoma, @fabulous-peasent, @sforsammmmmi, @minmiin1d, @courtrae89, @letsloveimagines, @tomarisela, @titty-teetee, @beyond-the-ashes@elenawrit, @mblaqgi, @whenimaunicorn, @chuflisworld, @mystruggledlife, @moose-squirrel-asstiel, @syreni-dea, @trashqueenbitch, @alykatv, @mbaku-babygirl, @perfectus-in-morte, @beyond-the-ashes, @neeadinghugs, @readsalot73, @triumphantreturnofpies, @anarchy-is-coming, @tephi101, @alicedopey, @ivarslittlebadgirl, @jtrstp, @nejijjeoroo, @charlylama, @ivartheblessed, @captstefanbrandt, @fabulouschrissi, @ivarsrideordie, @3x5gurl, @the-writer-appreciation-blog, @lolabee9, @captainfoxy22, @young-ugly-god, @im5ftbutmythroat66, @bribyyy, @irishhiggins, @cadetomlinson, @keclleon101, @slutforragnarssons, @ltkeke, @meeeeeeeeeps, @lille-kanin, @opalscarab, @ssraven7, @ivarandersen, @concretewaywardangel, @funmadnessandbadassvikings, @sharon-is-tired, @cadetomlinson, @mystruggledlife, @chuflisworld, @justmarissa97, @lol-haha-joke, @weirdly-randomly-awesome, @inlovewithmakeupcomicsanim, @idonthavehusbandsihavelovers, @alexa040004, @buckythetinman , @burntmythroatskullingmytea,@jorunnravenslayer, @two-unbeatable-beaters, @buffy-the-vampire-blogger, @arses21434, @ltkeke, @captainfoxy22, @chinduda @letsshamelessqueen-m @my-soul-is-the-moon @we-are-transcendent, @sparklemichele

Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven, Part Eight, Part Nine, Part Ten, Part Eleven, Part Twelve, Part Thirteen, Part Fourteen, Part Fifteen

Your neck hurt like hell and your head wasn’t in much better shape, it felt like you could physically feel your brain throbbing in your skull.

‘Ugh!’ you groaned in pain as you sat up and looked around.

The others had also fallen asleep on the couch, they looked like a puppy pile the way they all curled around each other.

You stood up and stretched, listening to your old lady bones snap crackle and pop like a bowl of Rice Krispies.

With a sigh you cut off the TV and went to your room to get your laptop.

You nearly jumped out of your skin when you turned on the light and saw Ivar sitting straight up in the bed.

‘How long have you been up?’ you asked.

‘I don’t know, a while.’ he answered.

‘Are you sleepy?’

‘No, I slept already, are you tired?’ Ivar asked.

‘I just woke up, I was going to try and find something that could help us find a way to get you all home.’ you said as you picked up your laptop from your desk and sat beside Ivar.

‘How?’

‘With the help of this magical thing called the internet.’ you replied as you opened the computer and opened up chrome.

‘Internet?’ Ivar repeated.

‘Yeah, it’s the biggest source of information in the world, its where I learned everything I know about you and your people.’

‘This box is a teacher?’

‘This box is almost everything in the world.’ you said, going straight to google.

Ivar moved closer to you and looked at the screen curiously and a thought crossed your mind.

'Can you read this?’ you asked.

‘No.’ he said shaking his head.

‘And when I talk to you what language do you hear?’

‘Norse.’ Ivar answered simply.

You hummed at that, you figured that whatever Norse God had snatched them up from forever ago decided to take care of the language barrier.

Brushing it off you went back to what you were doing, typing in “what is a true sacrifice”

‘How do you understand these strange things?’ Ivar asked in confusion.

‘Well we learn how to read and write when we are little, so I can’t really explain it too well.’ you answer.

‘I would like to learn.’

‘What?’ you asked in surprise.

‘These marks look like the ones on a piece of paper that was given to me and my brothers. We can’t read it and I want to make sure it says what he promised.’ Ivar explained.

‘Well I don’t see anything wrong with teaching you how to read, but for now let me see if I can find out what a true sacrifice is.’ you said as you scrolled down and looked at a few of the links.

You and Ivar fell into a comfortable silence as you searched through the sites, mostly they were motivational crap and sob stories.

So you changed the search to “Viking true sacrifice”.

At some point Ivar had laid down and placed his head in your lap and you moved the laptop a bit so you could still use it while he rested his head on your thighs.

‘(Y/N)...can I tell you something private? I mean can I trust you never to speak this to the others?’ Ivar asked suddenly.

‘Of course.’ you replied instantly, without a thought.

‘There is a part of me...that doesn’t want to go back.’ he said softly.

By some miracle you manage to hold back a gasp of shock. From what you had read you always imagined Ivar the Boneless as a very ambitious man who was eager to see and conquer everything he could.

Even now that you had actually met him and seen that he was younger and much less terrifying than you imagined but his personality, as far as you could tell, was what you had assumed.

To hear him say he didn’t want to go back and keep on taking over was shocking.

‘Can you tell me why?’

‘...you will not come with us.’ he said softly.

Now you were simply stunned into silence as you looked down at Ivar and noticed Ivar was putting in all his effort to not look up at you.

‘When we go back it will go back to what it was; wars, dirt, blood...and loneliness.’ Ivar continued.

‘Ivar.’ you sighed as you began running your fingers through his hair, practically petting him.

‘I don’t want to go back to having no one. I don’t want to go back to a world where I always have to be angry and untrusting because no one cares for me and nothing is safe. I like it here, where you are.’ he said, finally he looked up at you with honest and nervous eyes.

‘You jumped into the water and saved me, you gave me the chair and you made me realize that I was the one destroying the bond between my brothers. You look at me without pity or disgust.’

‘Those things I did were the right things to do, maybe not then but a lot of morals have changed since then. People are nicer and more caring now, no one would have let you drown or leave you to crawl around.’

‘People back home will, and when I am hurt I will have to hurt alone because I can not let my guard down. I haven’t let it down since my mother died...she was the only one in my world who loved me. Despite all my broken bones, tantrums and violence she loved me; she smothered me and tried to keep me away from things but she loved me.’ Ivar reminisced.

‘Around you I relax, I never feel like you will suddenly attack me.’

‘I won’t and I would never let someone else. Ivar I care about you...and there is a small part of me that doesn’t want you and the others to leave either.’ you confessed.

With a sigh you closed the laptop, giving up on your search for the moment.

'I have six little siblings, three I hardly see and another three I helped raise in this house with my mom. Your room was my sister's, Ubbe and Hvitserk are in brothers’ rooms and Lagertha is my mom's.’ you started.

'Then one day I looked up and everyone was gone and I lived in this big family house alone. Yes you all were unexpected and a bit hard to handle but at least you were people.’ you said.

Ivar sat up looked at you.

‘If you do not wish for us to leave then why are you trying to find a way to make us leave?’ he asked almost accusingly.

‘I’m not trying to make you go anywhere, but Bjorn is right Ivar. You all have lives back in your time and very important ones that greatly affect the way things are now. I don’t know a damn thing about time travel but I know that if you guys don’t go back and do the thing you have to then eventually that’s gonna bite us in the ass.’ you explained.

‘Please believe me Ivar, I am not sending you away, I am not trying to get rid of you. If I had my way you all would stay here and I’d never be in this stupid big empty house alone again, but it can’t be that way.’

‘I know, there are far too many reasons why we must go, but why must you stay? If you are alone here why can’t you come with us?’

‘Just because no one is here doesn’t mean they don’t need me Ivar; I have to manage our money, keep up the house, if I left my family…’ you trailed off, not even wanting to continue that thought.

He looked very disappointed but did not complain or argue with your reasoning.

‘Ivar.’ you said as a feeling suddenly gripped your heart.

When Ivar look up at you he looked surprised when you gently touched his cheek and looked into his eyes.

‘I really don’t want you to leave.’ you whispered before you placed a small chaste kiss on his lips.

You were too drunk the last time you had kissed him, so the soft plump feeling of his lips against yours felt completely new.

When you pulled back you couldn’t even look at Ivar, you were sure if you hadn’t been blessed with melanin that you’d be a tomato.

‘I’m sorry.’ you said awkwardly.

’Why are you apologizing?’

‘Because I- I shouldn’t have kissed you like that. It was completely inappropria-’ before you could finish Ivar’s lips were back on yours.

His kiss was slow but sure, not at all rough but firm.

You found yourself giving into the kiss in an instant, bringing your hand up to tangle your fingers through his hair.

Through the haze of your mind you feel him move the laptop from your lap before he pulled himself to lay on top of you.

All the while never breaking the kiss.

You wanted this kiss to last forever but your lungs were on fire and screaming for air so you pulled away, with the kiss broken you and Ivar both seemed to catch your breath.

‘If I didn’t tell you when I was drunk, I just want you to know you are a really good kisser Ivar.’ you panted.

‘Thank you.’ Ivar blushed.

‘...’

‘...’

‘Do you...want to kiss more?’ Ivar asked.

‘We uh we have a lot to do tomorrow so we should really…’ you tried to reason but it was hard to focus when all you could think about was how good of a kisser Ivar was.

This time it was you who pulled Ivar down into a deep kiss, giving yourself fully into the kiss, spreading your legs so he could settle between them.

You and Ivar had officially upgraded from innocent kissing to full on making out, exploring each other.

Once again you pulled away to breath, this time Ivar began kissing at your neck that was still covered in hickeys that he and his brothers had left that drunk night.

Apparently hickeys are hella sensitive.

‘Mmm Ivar.’ you hissed in pleasure.

‘(Y/N) did you have anything to drink?’ Ivar asked as he sat up a bit.

‘No.’

‘Are you doing this with me because you want to? Will you regret this?’

You looked up at him, really looked; you saw his his swollen lips, cute little nose and his perfect jawline. Then you saw his eyes, his blue eyes that were the most beautiful thing you’d ever seen.

There was so much emotion in his eyes; they were wide with excitement, pupils dilated in his lust, but mostly they were nervous. You have no clue how to explain it but it was a gut feeling, something was telling you that Ivar was afraid of your answer.

‘I am not drunk and this isn’t something that I will ever regret.’ you said.

Still he looked unsure so you take his face both your hands.

‘I will not ever regret kissing you Ivar the Boneless.’ you promised.

He sighed in relief before he leaned down and kissed you.

The two of you kept going at it, kissing each other like repressed teenagers, both of you excited and eager.

You felt Ivar’s hand slide down your body and his fingers hooked on the waistband of your pants and you immediately broke the kiss and grabbed his hand.

‘Wait, Ivar don’t.’ you said beggingly as you looked up at him.

He was panting trying to calm down, and he looked disappointed.

‘It-it’s not you, it is so not you Ivar, you are doing great, like seriously...but I’ve never done this before and as much as we hate it you will leave.’ you said.

The sudden realization that you had been reminding Ivar of all night hit you like a ton of bricks.

Ivar was going to leave, the guy you felt the most comfortable with in a long time was going to leave. He had to, there was nothing either of you could do to change that fact and it broke your heart.

You felt like you could finally be comfortable with someone and maybe you could finally let go of your fear and just let another person see ALL of you and trust them not to hurt you.

Ivar was that person and he was going to leave you.

‘(Y/N)? You’re crying.’ Ivar said, wiping away your tears.

‘Ivar...this is the first time in my life that I have ever said this, but I want this, but I want to keep going.’ you said as your tears kept falling.

‘Then why are your so sad?’  he asked gently.

‘Because even though I finally want to I can’t. Not when I know you can’t stay, not when I know I can’t have you the way I would need you after.’ you cried.

Ivar sighed sadly and  placed a kiss on your forehead, moving to lay down beside you so that you could cuddle into him while you sobbed.

‘(Y/N) my first love, I do understand your heartache. I do not know how I would be able to go back home if I’d had you. ‘ Ivar said softly as he held you in his arms.

‘It’s not fair is it? Finally ready for something you’ve been waiting on forever and you can’t have it.’ you said once you’d calmed down.

‘No it’s not, but the Gods I serve are not known for being fair, they are prideful and spiteful. Maybe that is why they brought us here, for me to find a woman just to lose her...simply out of spite.’ he sighed.

You hummed in though as you enjoyed the comfort Ivar was providing.

‘Tell me (Y/N)...is your Christian god fair?’

At that you had to arch your own brow.

‘Well my god is...very forgiving, I can’t really call him fair. He is honest though, he said that life would be full of hardships and I’ll be damned if that ain’t the truth. But he promised eternal life to those who confessed he was their lord and savior.’ you answered.

You almost felt Ivar rolling his eyes.

‘Sounds like one desperate God to me, do whatever you want all your life then say I’m your savior and I’ll give you everything eternal happiness.’ he scoffed.

‘Well at least with him the rules are clear, he doesn’t snatch you out of time to teach you a lesson.’ you grinned up at him.

Ivar let out an amused chuckle.

‘Maybe my Gods are too harsh and yours is too soft.’ he agreed.

‘Either way they brought us together just to tear us apart.’ you said sadly.

‘That they did, if I were an ungodly man I’d curse them.’

‘Don’t you dare. If they snatched you through a timeline to help you I’d hate to see them angry.’ you warned.

‘I guess you are right...I wish things were different. That I could make a great sacrifice to please the Gods and stay by your side, I do not care if it’s here or back in Kattegat.’

‘Sacrifice?’ you asked as you sat up and looked at Ivar with wide eyes.

‘What?’

'A sacrifice! That is what Sigurd meant! Not killing some animal he meant me!’ you shouted.

'Sigurd wants you to be sacrificed?’ Ivar asked in disgust.

'No! I mean I hope not, but I think he wants you to leave me...willingly.’

'Right you are darling.’

You nearly jump out of your skin as you turn around and see Sigurd standing at the foot of your bed.

Just as dead as he was in the kitchen.

'Sigurd.’ Ivar said, completely stunned and in disbelief.

'Hello Ivar.’ Sigurd said looking at his killer with cold hateful eyes.

'I-I am sorry...I did not mean to.’ Ivar managed to say with a shaking voice.

'I do not believe you...Boneless, and deep in your heart I know you don't believe it either.’ Sigurd said harshly.

You were about to step in when Sigurd looked over at you.

‘This is the girl Odin chose for you Ivar...your one and only love.’ he said as he looked over you more than he had in the kitchen earlier.

‘How did you speak with the All Father?’ Ivar asked.

‘He came to me and spoke of how I died and asked if I want to avenge myself when he saw my brothers would not. For all the hate I have for you killing you is not my wish, but I wanted you to hurt, to find love and lose it...the way I felt for Margrethe.’

‘Margrethe? You didn’t love her, you poured the ale for her and Ubbe’s woman, you knew that he shared her with Hvitserk.’ Ivar argued.

‘I did love her, but Ubbe married her first and if I couldn’t have her wholly to myself then I would not have her at all.’ Sigurd replied as he walked around the room.

Without meaning to you find yourself moving closer to Ivar when Sigurd got to your side of the bed.

‘When I told Odin that I didn’t want you dead, because despite my hate for you I knew it would break father’s heart...mother’s too. I just wanted to hurt you he told me physical is nothing. Real pain is the pain in your chest, the ache of loss...the hole that only a woman can leave in a man’s heart.’ Sigurd continued as he picked up a skull shaped paperweight from your bedside table.

‘When Hvitserk sacrificed to Odin he told me he would send you all to a woman that would work out your ridiculous war, and as no woman in our time would ever love a man like you Ivar I asked him to find a woman that would love you.’

‘Are you serious?’ you asked in complete shock.

‘Deadly serious I’m afraid.’ Sigurd grinned.

‘That is not funny, did you or Odin think about the woman on the other end of time? Or was I just some secondary thought?’ you asked in complete offense.

‘Do not be angry-’

‘Fuck that, don’t tell me not to be angry Casper the douchey ghost. If you wanted me to help them talk things out without violence then fine, if you wanted to hurt Ivar then that’s your own business, but you had no right involving my feelings.’ you said angrily as you sat up more confidently.

‘Trust me love, you will find another man...a better one.’ Sigurd said as he looked at Ivar.

‘She is right Sigurd, she has nothing to do with the hate you have for me. It isn’t fair to her, she doesn’t deserve it.’ Ivar agreed.

‘I know it is not, and to you miss I am sorry, but it still remains. None of them to go home until he is ready to hold the ax he killed me with and sacrifice his own happiness.’

You were so ready to hit this guy.

‘Sigurd…’

‘Make your sacrifice Boneless.’ Sigurd said before he vanished before your eyes.

You stared at the place where he was just standing in awe, you even leaned forward waved your hand in the now empty space just to be sure he was actually gone.

‘I don’t mean to insult you Ivar, but that brother of yours is kind of a dick.’ you said as you sat back down on the mattress.

‘He always was.’ Ivar agreed.

[mistress-imagines]

Do you think we could get something with The Plague x Doctor! Reader, cleaning her wounds properly perhaps leading onto something more ;) shsbsjsj I’ve never requested before this is awkward

This took a long time and didn’t really take a Spicy turn but is more something sweet. It also came out longer than I anticipated. I hope you enjoy it

She never knew how to take you, when you came to her. Your briefcourting had been odd, to say the least, but in this world, in thisNightmare, everything was odd. So, you both seemed to embracethe language barrier between you and enjoy the attempts to communewithout words.

The Plague as she was known had clearly been a woman of power beforegetting stuck in here, and you had come to understand from her domainand garb that she was a Priestess who worshiped some ancient god orgods you could hardly fathom. You would find her praying many times,and sometimes you would even kneel beside her, head bowed silently.You could feel her eyes glance over you briefly with a glint ofsatisfaction in them.

This quickly became your normal ritual when you started to visit her;a session of prayer, though you didn’t know what you were prayingto, or who you would even want to pray to. Despite the devotion ofthe plague ridden priestess, you couldn’t fathom a god who caredabout you was listening.

Today, you had brought a special item. Typically, you hoarded thesemed kits, the case sporting a purple hue and a big white plus sign onit. In trials, this kind of item offered the best chance at healingyourself – or others – with minimal detriment. It came the mostwell equipped of the first-aid kits one could find in this realm offog and shadow and you, as a someone who had once been a doctorbefore the Fog consumed you, could use it to its fullest ability.

As you crossed into the fog laden forest, feeling the droplets of theomnipresent rain of this realm dampen your hair, you wondered whatyou hoped to accomplish. If the Entity pulled her in like this,rotting and sick, did you really think you could heal her? No,clearly that was a foolish hope. But… But part of you urgedyourself to try. The least that could come of this would be an easeto her clear suffering. The most? Well, you weren’t quite thathopeful.

As expected, you walked in without interruption or attack, makingyour way to the massive stone tower that seemed to stretch into theoblivion sky. You found her within, not praying as you expected, butwalking around the raised edge of the circular room checking theflames of the candles. They never expired, not as long as you hadseen them, but she seemed to pay special attention to each flickeringflame. Her incense wafted around her in a phantom like cloud, thesmell hitting you as soon as you entered the inner sanctum. It wassweet and savory smelling, heavy and only just masquerading the smellof rotting flesh and infected pustules.

As you entered she turned to you, her pale eye wide as her crownedhead whipped to face you. She visibly calmed seeing it was just you,though the line of her lips didn’t dare curve into a smile. Youknew from experience a smile was rare. Much akin to a cat, you had todeduce from her body language how she was feeling. Her eyes, hershoulders, how stiffly she held herself up. Right now, you noticedthe calm in her eye as her brow settled into a line, her shouldersdropping from her normally uptight appearance, as she made her waytowards you.

She glanced down at the med kit you had brought with you, browknitting in confusion. You smiled, wishing you had the words to tellher.

This close, you could smell the ferment of her skin more powerfully,as well as the acrid hint of bile. You were accustomed to that, too,the desire to be close to her overpowering the revulsion that suchsmells and sights would inspire. And you were a doctor, of course.You had dealt with far worse.

You raised the med kit and pointed to her. She had seen the survivorsuse them before, mending the gashes from her incense burner and fromthe hooks. Her head tilted slightly, the chains of her headdresstinkling as she raised a golden clawed hand and pressed it to herchest.

‘Me?’ she seemed to ask with the action.

You merely nodded, wishing you could expand. She could easily refuse,but instead she glanced away in brief pensive thought before giving asingular nod. The flutter of anxiety in your chest left almostinstantly, the way it did when she gave you some form of approval.

She instantly sat down, her claws tapping the stone beside her. Youtook her hint and sat down next to her, popping open the purplemedkit. Her breath was warm against your head as she looked down atwhat you were doing, whistling through the exposed teeth of her face.She observed the inside of the box without interrupting, expressing atrust in your actions.

You took her hand in yours and began to remove the golden fingergauntlets. The task wasn’t easy, as rotting flesh clung to themetal. Part of you longed for your world of sanitized medicine, ofblue gloves and a face mask. But you didn’t have that at yourdisposal, not even in the med kit. The Plague didn’t flinch, noteven as half healed scabs tore and oozed as the instruments werepeeled off. You made a mental note to clean them off before she putthem back on, later. The rest came off in a similar fashion, herblackened hand oozing a yellowish liquid from the now exposed wounds.

It wasn’t until you took an alcohol wipe to the open wound that thePlague reacted. She hissed in her long dead tongue, flinching butresisting the urge to pull her hand from your own. Instead she glareddown at her hand and you, as if offended.

“I’m sorry.” you apologized with a shrug. Her lips were pursedand her shoulders tense, and she watched with scrutiny as you slowlyinched the wipe towards her flesh again. She didn’t react asviolently this time, face twitching as you cleaned each of herfingers. You could only imagine how it felt, how living, undead andinfected flesh could react to a purifying agent like alcohol. Fromthe way The Plagues nostrils flared, you could tell it was unpleasantat minimum.

You grabbed the gauze roll next, having the killer spread her fingersand wrapping each of them in clean white. She seemed entranced by themethodical wrapping of her fingers, spreading them out once all fivedigits were reliably cared for.

Then, you looked up her arm. You had picked the starting point, whichwas an easy place to start… But there was so much more to her thanrot. The pustules on her arm were yellow and ringed in angry red, herflesh black at points and peeling at others to reveal angryinfection. You pursed your lips, unable to hide the look ofdisappointment in your own overwhelming.

In the world as you knew it, this would be a case where the womanwould be told she was nearly beyond saving. The infected wounds fullof pus that oozed would be drained, the old flesh carefully removedwith plans for skin grafts to save her sensitive inner workings fromexposure. She would arguably lose all her limbs, the magic of theEntity the only thing keeping her together…

A med kit, even the best one, wasn’t going to save her now.

For a moment you sat there, The Plague picking up on your distress.She murmured something softly, raising her bandaged hand and strokingdown your cheek. She raised your head to catch her eye; it was softand mournful. She understood.

“I’m sorry.” you repeat once more. This time, she nods slowly,leaning down and placing a kiss on your forehead.

[heyyyyadora]

No one wants to be Kyle.

But someone, at least, has his back, a silent saviour.

A quick one-shot for these gay bois!

Proud to present everyone’s fave buff lizard/useless twink pairing!!!

So I have to explain my headcanon for Rogelio’s muteness - the She-Ra staff were the ones to confirm Rogelio’s name on twitter, mentioning that because he has no voice lines in Season One, he doesn’t appear in the voice credits. They also mentioned that they think someone says his name in Season Two, which will be the first time his name is confirmed in canon…

…which in my head suggested, “Oh, I guess he still doesn’t get credited for any voice lines then?” which lead to, “Wait, so Rogelio doesn’t speak at ALL for two whole seasons?” and so, boom. Mute Rogelio headcanon.

I really liked the idea of playing with this, as lizards obviously communicate in a variety of ways that differ from us - lots of cues in touch and body language, with a smattering of audio cues such as huffing or hissing.

Kyle, on the other hand, just wants someone who’ll listen to him… so who better than someone who won’t interrupt, who will just sit there calmly and let him get things off his chest; having a big buff lizard bf is a pretty sweet bonus tho.

Whole fic posted under cut!

“Ugh, seriously, Kyle?!”

He wasn’t cut out for this. He knew that. But having everyone yell at him for it didn’t. Help.

“Come on! That one wasn’t my fault!”

It was no good protesting. Adora and the others had already scattered, further laser fire blasting around them. He sighed, pulling himself up to sitting position and rubbing his now probably bruised chest. Great. If he took a hit then all of their grades suffered. Team marking meant that he dragged them all down.

Ughhh. He should be taking those extra drills, but the drill sergeants were terrifying enough to spend regular hours around and all he could imagine was Shadow Weaver’s glowing, judgemental eyes glaring at him the whole time.

Maybe he should just… keep lying here.

There was a shuffle to his side and Kyle immediately snapped upright, “I-I was just leaving, I- Oh,”

A clawed green hand had taken him by the wrist, pulling him up. Rogelio’s placid eyes looked him up and down, before dusting him off.

“Rogelio… ah, you shouldn’t hang around for me, you don’t wanna lose any more marks…”

Rogelio’s head shook slowly, a claw pointing to his chest and tapping on the display there. Kyle’s eyes were drawn down to the flashing red X that marked him. “Ah… you too? Too bad, huh?” Broad scaly shoulders shrugged up and down slowly, then the lizard man simply gestured over his shoulder. Time to go.

“Yeah, yeah… I guess,” Kyle grumbled, sighing. “It’s gonna be a long week to make up for that.”

A heavy arm thudded over his back, about as comforting as a thump from a guy probably three times your body mass could manage. “Ahah, hey, ow- geez, I’m banged up enough as it is!”

A yellow eye was tilted in his direction and Kyle managed to picture a rough brow being raised teasingly at him. “Hey, I’m trying, you know? I don’t got the biological advantage here. And Adora, Lonnie, all those guys, I dunno… I’m just not built for this stuff.” The eye blinked slowly. “Ahh, I know, I know… It’s just like, I don’t have the mental strength to work up the courage to train more – and then it’s like, it cycles around, ‘cause then I get beaten around for being weak and it all goes on in a circle… ahh, I don’t know, whatever.”

The blink he got that time was longer, slower. Rogelio had no idea what he was trying to say. But Kyle got another pat on the shoulder, which he took as some sort of encouragement.

“Yeah… just gotta deal with how it is for now.”

As they each packed away their training gear in their lockers, Kyle paused for a second to look over at the lizard boy from across the room. He didn’t know why Rogelio chose to hang out with him… or, uh, well, he didn’t know whether to call it hanging out, more that he just lingered in proximity from time to time. Truthfully he wasn’t ever sure what was on the other cadet’s mind, he only ever got a general feeling for it. It was obvious that Rogelio could understand them, but if he was ever trying to communicate back it was in some way they couldn’t consciously recognise. Though, they never got the impression that he went misunderstood, so there could be something there. He hardly seemed simple-minded, either.

Rogelio was kind of a loner, though, all the same. Maybe because of the communication barrier. Or maybe that was just the way he was. Reptiles were all pretty solitary, weren’t they? Not that he’d dare to ask, it sounded pretty… risky. Presumptive. And he didn’t want to ruin what they had going; whatever that was. It mostly boiled down to that whole, being in proximity thing.

Kyle had actually been the one to initiate contact, hard as it would be for anyone to believe! Well, he’d seen Rogelio in action in the early days of training – as impressive then as he was now, sleeker than you’d expect for his build, quick on his feet and well-balanced, too! Their teams had just been assigned and hey, you were supposed to be working with these guys for the next what, eight years of your life, so he’d figured might as well make friends and all! And Rogelio had just sat there for half an hour as Kyle had gone on and on in a nervous mess, managing a whole conversation by himself without ever getting a word back in response.

It was only then that someone had alerted him that Rogelio was, in fact, mute.

In retrospect he had been extremely polite about it, or at least hadn’t punched him in the gut or taped his mouth shut as were uncommon responses to trying to interact with Kyle. He just had a tendency to get nervous and start carrying himself on his own momentum…

Oh! There was a tap on his shoulder-

“Cadet Kyle. We need to talk.”

Oh, shoot.

A tongue-lashing from Shadow Weaver was more than enough to shake anyone to their core. As much as Kyle tried to get accustomed to these consequences of failure, he was never ready. She surely made that impossible. He didn’t cry, daren’t cry, because that would make it all the worse for him. Instead he’d sat there, bolt upright, giving the appropriate “Yes Shadow Weaver,” and “No Shadow Weaver,” on cue. A good little drone taking his punishment on the chin.

Then, when he was out of sight, he rushed for the bathroom and threw up.

He pressed his forehead against the rim and just moaned, letting the floodgates open. He whined, he sobbed. Five minutes. Five minutes he’d allow himself. Then he had to put that mask back on. No weakness in the horde.

There was another touch to his back and he bolted. Was it Shadow Weaver again?

“I wasn’t-”

Those calm yellow eyes pierced him again. He swallowed. “S-sorry, I…” A cough. He grabbed a tissue to wipe his mouth. As he did so, something cool and leathery nudged into his cheek. He turned slightly to see what it was – and found Rogelio nosing him in the face. He blinked once, twice. He wasn’t sure what to do. Was he… worried? Or was this sympathy?

“U-um, I… were you waiting for me?” A blink in response. Kyle looked back in surprise, before a little smile came to his face. “Uh… thanks.” He paused, looking over to where he’d just been squatting and vomiting. “I uh, I just needed to uh, recover. You know. God- I don’t- I wish, I just wish I could do better, you know? I don’t want to fail. I’m not like, like Catra, just treating it like some joke or something. I want to be someone. But I can’t! It’s just not me. It feels like that. I dunno. I just- ah, hey!”

For the first time, Rogelio had interrupted – by scooping him up and turning about, beginning a straight march down the corridor. Kyle locked up for a second, then cried out a protest. “H-hey! Hold up! Don’t- you can’t just- what if someone- this is so embarrassing! Rogelio! Put me-”

He heard footsteps coming their way and froze, shutting up, turning to hide his face in his hands. This was humiliating, what was Rogelio thinking, they could both be in trouble for fooling around like this-

“Hold up Cadet, whatcha got there?”

Rogelio stopped. Turned. Kyle’s breath caught in his throat. What was he thinking?

“Hm? Oh, hey, is that… hah, Cadet Kyle, is it? What’d he do, piss off Octavia or something?” Rogelio’s weight shifted, like he was shrugging a shoulder, then he made some sort of sigh-hissing noise, air huffing out of his nostrils.

“Heh. Figures she’d have had enough of his whiny little face. Serves the kid right, might learn something the more he gets knocked about. Alright, get him back to dorms before he comes to and has a cry about it.”

The footsteps carried on. Rogelio moved on. Kyle, now gripping on tightly to the front of the boy’s shirt, was stunned. Any other time he would have been harassed, jeered at, spat on, driven further into the dirt while he shuffled meekly through the rest of his day. Now Rogelio was carting him away from all of that, back to his dorm where he could gather up his strength, take some rest, get some respite from the bullying and beatings and foul treatment…

He pressed his face into his companion’s chest, letting out a slow breath. “T..thanks.”

Rogelio huffed again. He took that as a “Don’t mention it.”

[mrlnsfrt]

Love is... (part 2)

Recap

Before we continue our journey through the book of Ruth in search for a deeper understanding of love, let us briefly review.

The very last verse of chapter one sets the stage for the second act by summarizing the critical information.

So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. Now they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest. Ruth 1:22 NKJV

At this point the story seems to be all about Naomi, Ruth is merely a tagalong. Naomi has returned, and by the way, Ruth is also with her. 

And by the way, Ruth, she is a Moabitess.

She is not an Israelite, she is an alien and her alien status will cause much tension the story. As a Moabite in an Israelite world she can hardly expect any acceptance with the locals.

Ruth is Naomi’s daughter-in-law so she is related by marriage, but her husband is dead, and she had no children. Meaning she needs help and has no way of getting it and no claim to it.

Also her mother-in-law, Naomi, is someone who fled to Moab during the famine, so she might not be the best Israelite to be associated with if you expect to find grace in the eyes of the locals. Also, her mother in law is also a widow, and has no sons. It would not be a far stretch of the imagination to imagine how the locals might consider her cursed by God.

Naomi has returned empty, except for her daughter-in-law, Ruth, who is both a widow and a foreigner. Things are not looking good, but at least these two women have each other.

Nevertheless, when we consider the season, the time of the year, we catch a glimmer of hope. Naomi and Ruth arrive in Bethlehem in the beginning of the barley harvest. Naomi and Ruth arrived at the house of bread (Bethlehem) just as the grain is ready to be cut. The time period was likely April or early March (by our western calendar).

Since barley was the first crop to be harvested each year their arrival time could not have been more perfect, for they will be settling in during a time when there is plenty of food available for them to store for the dry season. (Block, Daniel Isaac. Judges, Ruth. Broadman & Holman, 1999. p650)

Introducing Boaz

With the new chapter, Ruth chapter 2, we also get a new character.

Boaz.

There are four very importants details about Boaz that we learn from this brief introduction.

1 Boaz is a relative of Naomi’s husband. It is important for us to note that this does not mean that Boaz is an acquaintance of Naomi, but a relative of her husband. If you happen to be familiar with Israelite family law and custom this details will give you hope. But we will not talk about it in more detail just yet.

2 Boaz is described by an ambiguous Hebrew expression. The same expression used to describe Gideon in Judges 6:12. In reference to Gideon the expression is translated as “mighty man of valor, noble warrior, military hero.” (Block, 651) But will Boaz be like Gideon in this sense, a warrior?

Another way of interpreting this phrase would be “man of substance, wealth” (Block, 651) a man of standing in the community. This would mean that Boaz is not just an average Israelite. This will need to be confirmed later on in the story.

Finally this ambiguous phrase could also be interpreted “noble with respect to character” (Block, 651). You would expect this man to be heroic, to save…

The narrator is hinting at something positive about Boaz, but we will have to wait and see which definition will better fit him once we witness him in action.

3 As we already mentioned earlier, Boaz is from the clan of Elimelech. A clan is a subdivision of a tribe. This confirms how Boaz is a relative of Naomi’s husband.

4 The name Boaz could mean “strength is in him” (Andrews Study Bible note) or “In the strength of YHWH [I will rejoice/trust].” (Block, 651)

Ruth takes action

For the first time Ruth is portrayed as the primary actor and Naomi now becomes the reactor. Ruth seizes the initiative. Even though Ruth is an alien in a  foreign land she is determined to make something of her life and she goes to find work in order to provide both for herself and for her mother-in-law.

Ruth politely requests that she may go an glean or “gather scraps.” This is not to be confused with harvesting. Ruth would be picking up ears of grain that were inadvertently dropped or left standing.

Mosaic law displayed particular compassion for the alien, the orphan, and the widow by prescribing that the harvesters deliberately leave the grain in the corners of their fields for these economically vulnerable classes and not go back to gather the ears of grain they might have dropped. (Leviticus 19:9,10; 23:22; Deut. 24:19) 

As a Moabite and as a widow Ruth more than qualified to glean. But she could not count on the goodwill of the locals. Moses had given the people of Israel the law, but the people did not always follow the law. That is why Ruth mentions that she will glean behind someone who will look upon her with favor.

The expression to “find favor in the eyes of” means one person acknowledges her/his dependence upon and need for mercy at the hand of a superior. Usually this would take place in the court of a king. The favor of the superior cannot be taken for granted. (Block, 652)

Ruth is dependent upon the mercy of the men in the field. Keep this in mind for this is one of the key points in this story.

The next part of the story is really interesting. 

"Lucky" Ruth

Ruth 2:3 is best appreciated in the original language. A literal translation would go something like,

"...and her chance chanced upon the allotted portion of Boaz..." 

The narrator intentionally draws attention to Ruth’s luck. What are the chances of her arriving exactly int he field of Boaz?

What an incredible stroke of luck right? 

Or is it?

Either Ruth is extremely lucky, or God cares and guides and blesses her.

This awkward and redundant phrase is one of the key statements in the book. The book of Ruth can be seen as just a love story. But that would make Ruth one extremely lucky woman. Or, perhaps, the book of Ruth is teaching us about God. 

To the devout Israelite, there is no such thing as luck, or chance.

When the writer of the book of Ruth excessively attributes these events in Ruth’s life to chance he is intentionally forcing the reader to disagree with him. The attentive reader is forced to sit up and disagree, especially in light of everything that follows this “chance” encounter. The writer is using irony to drive home a theological truth.

This statement does the opposite of what it says. Instead of interpreting these events in Ruth’s life as mere chance it undermines such an interpretation and undermines the search for purely rational explanations for human experiences. This statement and the entire story in the book of Ruth refine the reader’s understanding of providence.

The writer is actually screaming “See the hand of God at work here!” (Block, 653)

God provided and guided, but Ruth had to decide to go out and glean. Ruth did not stay home feeling sorry for herself and fearing how she might be treated if she tried to glean. She did not wait at home for God to drop food on her lap. She went out there and "lucky" her, she went straight to Boaz’s field.

God’s hand allowed the famine and the death of Naomi’s husbands and sons. The hand of the same God also guided Naomi and Ruth back to Bethlehem at the exact time of the wheat harvest, and it is the same hand that guided Ruth to the field of Boaz. But the "coincidences" don't end here.

Behold Boaz

The attention now shifts from Ruth to Boaz who arrived at the field where Ruth is, while she is still there. The writer seems surprised that Boaz "happened" to show up at the right place at the right time.

Look who’s here! Its Boaz! The guy briefly mentioned at the introduction! Nobody saw that coming right!?

In the providence of God, Ruth went to the right field, on the right day, and at the right time.

Boaz arrives with a blessing on his lips.

Now Boaz was seen coming from Bethlehem. He said to the people gathering the grain, “May the Lord be with you.” And they said to him, “May the Lord bring good to you.”  Ruth 2:4 New Life Version

We see right from the get-go that Boaz provides  a positive work environment for his people. Boaz is a model of true covenant “hesed.” 

Boaz’s speech is characterized from beginning to end by grace. (Block, 655)

When Boaz asks, "whose young woman is this?" (Ruth 2:5) it may sound harsh to our modern western ears, but this question is the equivalent of “Whose daughter or wife is she?” or “To which clan or tribe does she belong?” I know it can still sound chauvinistic to the modern reader, but in its cultural context that information was important. 

The focus of the story returns to Ruth, and the reader begins to wonder about her status as an alien and as a widow.

But Ruth is not only described by her status as a foreigner, but also by her actions, she accompanied her mother-in-law, she had been working hard all morning, except for a short break (verse 7). Ruth is not a passive victim of her lot in life, she is a fighter, she gets things done, she makes things happen, she does not sit idly by the sidelines.

Boaz is also an incredible man, but in a different way. From the moment he first opens his mouth until the last words he speaks his tone exudes compassion, grace and generosity.

“In the man who speaks to this Moabite field worker biblical hesed becomes flesh and dwells among humankind.” -Block, Daniel Isaac. Judges, Ruth. Broadman & Holman, 1999. p659 (emphasis mine)

Boaz refers to Ruth as “my daughter” intentionally breaking down barriers that separate her from him. Like a loving father Boaz offers this foreigner his protection and his resources. Boaz knows she is from Moab, but he treats her with respect, with dignity, with love. There is no hint of physical attraction or anything romantic. This is a love that we are not used to encountering. This is hesed in action. 

Boaz also commands his men not to bother Ruth, the verb used here includes not to strike, harass, take advantage of, or mistreat. (Block, 659-660) Boaz just instituted the first anti-sexual-harassment policy in the workplace recorded in the Bible!

Because Boaz is so in tune with the biblical notion of hesed he is way ahead of his times, and those who work for him are privileged to have such a great leader.

Boaz even allows Ruth to drink from the water his men had drawn. This is extraordinary! The water would usually be drawn in the cool morning, a large container would be filled than brought to the field where the workers would drink from throughout the day. Not only that, the cultural context would expect foreigners to draw water for Israelites and women to draw water for men. (Block, 660)

Ruth cannot believe how gracious Boaz has been to her, a foreigner.

Then she fell with her face to the ground and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes? Why do you care about me? I am a stranger from another land.” Ruth 2:10 New Life Translation

Even though we are not sure if Boaz even knew Ruth’s name at this point, she was just the Moabitess who came with Naomi, he acknowledged her. Boaz has dignified this destitute widow from a foreign land and treated her as a significant person. Ruth is aware of her social status, as not only a widow, but also an alien, from Moab to make matters worse.

Boaz is aware of Ruth’s actions, his extraordinary kindness towards her mother-in-law and her courage in accompanying her in her travels to a foreign land. Later her actions will be characterized as hesed but not yet. (Block, 661) Ruth’s faith in leaving her home and family behind could be compared to Abraham’s faith. Ruth left her gods for Israel’s God.

Boaz is a great example of a good man, a man of noble character as described in Ruth 2:1. Boaz is a genuine member of the community of faith, he is a true believer who embodies the standards of covenant faithfulness (hesed). He spontaneously utters words of encouragement and naturally performs deed of kindness (hesed).

In the beginning of the chapter, Ruth had expressed to Naomi her desire to to glean behind someone in whose eyes she might find favor, although she was not praying at the time, God heard her wish.

Boaz is kind to Ruth because Yahweh has prepared his heart for her!” - Block, Daniel Isaac. Judges, Ruth. Broadman & Holman, 1999. p662

God had been working preparing Boaz, developing him into the man that he is. God was preparing Boaz to bless Ruth. Do you realize that God could is preparing you to bless someone? If you don't fight and rebell against God's will and His plan for your life, He will use you like He used Boaz, to bring great blessings to someone. 

Or perhaps you identify as Ruth, doing your best to help and follow God. God has someone who will bless you.

After all this, Boaz does not believe he has done enough for Ruth, so he blesses her as well. He calls upon the LORD to repay Ruth for her actions.

May the Lord reward you for your work. May full pay be given to you from the Lord, the God of Israel. It is under His wings that you have come to be safe.” - Boaz (Ruth 2:12 New Life Version)

Boaz’s blessing illustrates the principle stated in Proverbs 19:17; 14:31; 17:5.

"Giving help to the poor is like loaning money to the Lord. He will pay you back for your kindness." (Proverbs 19:17 Easy-to-Read Version)

"Whoever takes advantage of the poor insults their Maker, but whoever is kind to them honors him." (Proverbs 14:31 Easy-to-Read Version)

"Whoever makes fun of beggars insults their Maker. Whoever laughs at someone else’s trouble will be punished." (Proverbs 17:5 Easy-to-Read Version)

Ruth, by her acts of kindness to Naomi has not only indebted her mother-in-law but also The LORD. So Boaz prays that the LORD will repay her for her work. In coming to Israel Ruth had turned to the God of Israel for protection. So Boaz introduces one of the most beautiful pictures of divine care in all of Scripture. He describes God as a mother bird who offers he wings to protect her defenseless young. (Block, 663)

Ruth has found relief under the protection of Boaz.

“Like a young chick frightened by the pouring rain, she has come out of her fears and found comfort and security under the wings of God. Those wings are embodied in the person of Boaz.” (Block, 665)

 Ruth is amazed that differences of race and class do not stifle Boaz’ compassion towards her. 

But he was not done.

Meal Time

Social realities were expressed at meal time.

But this meal time was not what one would expect in its cultural context.

For one thing, Boaz, the landowner, is eating with his harvesters. That was already unusual for the time, but Boaz goes beyond that and invites Ruth, an outsider, a Moabitess, to join him and his workers. 

The fact that Boaz has to call her to come closer shows that she had deliberately, and appropriately (according to the customs of her time) kept her distance.

Not only does Boaz invite her to join him and his workers for the meal, he invites her to share the food prepared for his workers.

Boaz does not even allow her to eat dry bread while he enjoyed more pleasant food, but invites her to dip her bread in a sauce or condiment used to moisten and spice up dry bread.

Not only that Boaz served her roasted grain himself. He gave her with his hand, a word used only here in the entire Old Testament.

Boaz is so generous, Ruth eats and has food left over. The writer makes sure to mention this detail to help us grasp Boaz’ generosity. Boaz did not just feed the hungry, but he took an ordinary occasion and transformed it into a glorious demonstration of compassion, generosity, and acceptance — that is exactly the biblical understanding of hesed. (Block, 667)

This chapter, this story, these dialogues, teach and develop a theology of love. In this story we learn that

“The wings of God are not only comforting to Israelites; they offer protection even for despised Boabites.” - Block, 667.

Back to gleaning

 After the meal, Boaz tells his workers to pull out some of the stalks and leave them lying on the stubble for Ruth. His workers are not to humiliate or insult her. Boaz's workers will not threaten Ruth physically or shame her psychologically because of her alien status or the low class she represents just because of her current situation, having to go begging to be allowed to glean in the fields.

Boaz made provisions for Ruth to work in peace and to have enough to support her and her mother-in-law. (Block, 669)

After a long day’s work Ruth gleaned and threshed one ephah of grain. This is the equivalent of roughly 6 gallons which could have weighed from thirty to fifty pounds. The harvesters must have listened to Boaz and allowed Ruth to glean liberally.

Naomi is surprised by Ruth’s productivity and utters a blessing upon the man who took notice of her daughter-in-law.

Her mother-in-law said to her, “Where did you gather grain today? Where did you work? May good come to the man who showed you favor.” So Ruth told her mother-in-law, “The name of the man I worked with today is Boaz.” - Ruth 2:19 New Life Version (emphasis mine)

Once Naomi finds out its Boaz and she realizes Ruth's “luck” Naomi spontaneously erupts with a second blessing for him.

Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he receive good from the Lord, Who has not kept His kindness from the living and the dead.” Then Naomi said to her, “The man is near to us. He is of our family.” - Ruth 2:20 NLV

Ruth stays in Boaz’s field not only until the end of the barley harvest but the end of the wheat harvest as well (Ruth 2:23). Ruth must have been out in the fields 6-7 weeks from late April until early June (by our western calendar).

Conclusion

Boaz has been introduced as an extremely kind and gracious man and as one who qualifies to rescue the line of Elimelech. Though Boaz has helped Ruth and Naomi economically, there are no hints that he is doing anything about the real crisis created by the death of all the male member of the family.

Will this situation be resolved?

How will it be resolved?

For that, you have to come back next week.

Application

For now I hope that we can be like Boaz.

I hope we can live as a personification of God’s love.

Boaz does not shame Ruth, but respects her. He does not judge her by her origin or her current condition or social status, but praises her for her kindness admiring her determination and courage. 

Boaz allows her to provide for herself and her mother-in-law without fear of abuse in any form. He respects her and grants her dignity.

He goes above and beyond the social norms of the time, he breaks the prejudice and crosses lines that the society and culture of his time had erected. 

Boaz was a true Israelite and did what was right. He embodied the love of God. He was blessed by God and blessed those around him.

It is my prayer, that you will also be a blessing wherever you go, breaking down barriers and walls that prejudice builds up. Let us live by God’s standards. Let us teach the world the true meaning of love by how we work and how we treat those around us. Because that is more powerful than any theological truth that might come out of your lips. 

[sketchysaniwa]

Halfway Saniwa (Ch.4)

Halfway Saniwa (Ch.4)

{Chapter 4: Speak Your Mind}

 <Japanese>

“English”

‘thoughts’

For the following 2 weeks Kaiita was brought into contact with the outside world; the new and digitally tangible one as well as beginning her introduction courses. Firstly, her studies of the Japanese language took the forefront along with her basic introduction to the Saniwa and the Grid of Transient Time Channels.  This was the system in which most of her power over her mission would be intimately integrated. It was late evening and Kaiita was sitting on the floor in a new room in a different wing of the E.S.C. HQ with a clear stylus brush hovering over a large plate on a low table.  She was practicing her hiragana and katanana, when Konnosuke came padding into the room. It was one of the rare times he ever left her side- but it was important due to the fact he was clarifying something that had arrived for her. “ Here it is!” he announced with no shortage of pride in his voice, which made Kaiita look up from her work. “Hm?” “Your ID and citizenship papers.” ‘Citizenship papers?’ this irked her eye brow with a bit of concern.  “But- I’m Canadian, right?” she agreed to joining their army- no one said anything about giving up her citizenship. Konnosuke shook his head and pushed the envelope he’d brought in closer to her.  “Of course you are, but since around a few years before the war began, everyone became a dual citizen of the planet or United Countries Sovereign.  It was a sign of the world’s unification under a common cause of restoration and collaboration. It is considered a sign of progress of this era, one of our finest achievements!“  Kaiita could only imagine what impact this had on immigration, but she had enough politics to worry about.  For now she took a look at her card which slid out smoothly into her open palm along with a small folder of documentation papers. Everything seemed to be in order; it signified her as Canadian in origin and alliance, and – sure enough- a dual citizen of the UCS. It showed her sex, height, weight, skin and natural hair color-… biological age? This was actually marked down as Early 20’s but then in brackets – unspecified. ‘Perhaps they couldn’t gauge exactly how long I was frozen for?’ There was that odd shudder again. Every time she encountered something that nailed it into her that she had lost everything, it left an unsettling weight in her stomach. It scared her. In some strange way perhaps Kaiita was still in denial. She was still refusing to admit what happened- even when staring at her own picture on the glassy surface of her ID card. “Ah! You’re rather good at this.” Konnosuke commented, having crossed behind the girl and now stood with his front paws sitting on top the table. He- it- they, where looking over her hand writing. “You think so? It can use some improvement, I think my hand shakes too much and makes some of the loops too small.” She replied placing the documents down beside the sheet of scribbled words. 

“ – Now you are officially in the roster of Saniwa , if you searched up your name, your basic stats will appear on a simple web browser search.” “W- what wait?! That’s public knowledge?!” she was joining the army- Not wanting to become an internet presence! “Hardly, “ Konnosuke said, holding out his paw in a gesture for her to calm down, “ It’s not what you think. Saniwa are privy to a lot more information than the common public. Your name will pop up in a basic search, but not your photograph, just a few simple details, that’s what’s available to the public, but as for specifics- if YOU- yourself looked up your name you would get a much more in-depth profile result. While other saniwa may have something in the middle- depending on what you wish to share. “ ‘I suppose that make sense’ she thought, “ If I wanted to search up allies or team mates I’d get a rough overview of a saniwa in question right?” “Exactly!” the fox confirmed.

“Now how about we do a few practice phrases- introduce yourself Kaiita-sama?” the fox situated himself across from her and Kaiita swerved around to face him with her text book on her lap. For the next 2 hours they went over basic phrases of introduction, some key situation things and words she could really use in emergencies before breaking for dinner. Japanese was a dense language, and she was having trouble remembering similar looking symbols. Kaiita only hoped with usage in real life the meanings would stick eventually. For now she could relax and eat her dinner- which was found down stairs in a cafeteria. 

What Kaiita eventually came to understand was the science and research wing- where she was originally kept, this was the main center. People came and went from all branches of the government in regards to the war on the world history. She saw people dressed in various military garb and regalia- and most of all- saniwa. It was easier to pick them out in fact- what she had initially felt with Keiko was a saniwas aura. A natural barrier or space in which their presence fills a space around them. Konnosuke explained that a saniwa  was a shorter word for sayaniwa which was originally what a purified site was called. Specifically it referred to a place where a deity was worshiped and its divine will was received- eventually this translated over to people who fulfilled a similar function, receiving the name of the location itself as a literal title. So like a shaman or a priest- but something a bit more intrinsically connected to ‘space’ itself. This space seemed to follow saniwa wherever they went. It was a core attribute of their powers. Kaiita wandered into the mess hall where a plethora of people milled about their business, grabbing a snack, taking a break or just passing through on their own business. What was so interesting, was the clash of old and new right before her eyes. People clearly dressed for battle, would don combinations of modern and ancient clothing! It was rather an interesting sight to see. It proved to her quickly that a saniwa could be literally- anyone! Men or women, adults and even children! CHILDREN! What sort of branch of an army hired children?!

 Kaiita gawked in the middle of eating her food at a girl standing no taller than maybe 4 feet ! She short brown hair brushed over one eye in the company of a man who… had pink hair? They also wore a very ornate and flashy golden kimono. In fact all those she could tell where saniwa were rare ever alone. They have an attendant of some sort at any given time usually. Kaiita couldn’t figure out who they were exactly, for now she had a lot to memorize simply in terms of how people got around now a day. From learning basic transit, language and customs, it was a lot to take in and get straight. At the very least people were not to unforgiving to someone who just didn’t get it right away- even more so- she wasn’t the only foreigner there. Not by a long shot.

As she bit into a piece of tuna she could see a blonde across the mess hall with the ugliest jacket she’d ever seen! He followed by a much more refined individual wearing a rather artistic attire and what she could tell was purple hair. Purple hair- so many colors. At least she guessed that about the future correctly- she imagined once upon a time a future where people could look however they wished- including normally impossible shades of hair. Another thing she did notice about every single saniwa’s attendant was each carried some kind of weapon on their person. Usually this weapon was some sort of Japanese blade. In fact- she could tell the difference between the types- because Konnosuke made her memorize them. The fox told her this was also very important to her line of work- which would become clear once the first initial hurdles of her training where done. 

‘One of the most important parts-‘they had said.

She must have mouthed that perhaps whilst eating for suddenly- “Hm? Did you say something Kaiita-sama?” the fox who had been eating some stuffed inari sushi- something she was surprised an synthetic organism was able to- was not looking at her. “Oh!” she put her chop sticks down a moment, sipping her tea to clear her throat. “I was actually wondering- about what you said regarding the study of swords.” She gestured to yet another saniwa who stood up across from another table, a small girl in a very flowery military attire following them with a ‘tantou’ on their hip made to follow. “Oh? You’re curious about them huh? Well worry not- your introduction to the toudan danshi is tomorrow.” They declared with an excited swish of their tail.  The fox pointed with a paw, “ –every saniwa as you can observe has a person following them yes? Those armored people are called toudan danshi. They are very important, to us, and to you. You’ll see, I am quite looking forward to this myself- I am curious who will be called to your side first!” “ -called? you mean, someone is going to volunteer? One of them?” she straightened up, watching them more closely- and for a moment she could have sworn she’d seen the SAME person pass by a second time. The one with the purple hair- but the saniwa they followed was different! Did they switch charges here too? “ Tommorow, Kaiita-sama, now that you have clearance to leave since your ID has arrived-… we shall be leaving this place. But not before you learn who and what toudan danshi are.” That made her stand up in shock- “ I’m leaving?!” So soon?! Or was it? Maybe she was just becoming used to this place… when did the time creep up? 

“Calm down- calm down- sit sit-  everything will be fine.” Konnosuke said once again doing their best to settle her down. And how could it not work- with those adorable paws waving at her? The girl resumed her seat and waited for her partner to explain. “ I understand you perhaps are nervous, but you need to go somewhere more… home-like. As much as I’m sure you have adjusted to this place, it is both part of your training, your job, but also as another positive contribution to your health. You need to go somewhere more domestic now. Your home, your citadel awaits. It waits for you to open the door to it and take shape. It’s going to be quite the sight- I know you’ll be happy there.”

Konnosuke sounded so sure- “I’m not so sure.” Kaiita blurted out. Realizing how rude it must have sounded- she apologized.  “ I mean- “ words died in her throat. How could she feel at home in such an alien place? As much as it was nice, wonderful even-..this wasn’t home. How could it ever be? It shamed her to think this way, but she was homesick. An irrational part of her felt guilty of some kind of betrayal, to simply replace her –home- with another. It was perfectly juvenile! As she mentally admonished herself the fox padded closer until they were nearly nose to nose- and Kaiita straightened up in surprise.

“….?” What did they want? Eventually the creatures face softened into an unmistakable smile.

“It is going to be okay Kaiita-sama. You will be fine. You can do this. You’re ready.” Convincing herself was one this- but hearing someone say that, with such conviction, was another. And it slammed hard in her chest- resulting in her shoulders feeling just a bit lighter.