#and expects you to whole heartedly believe that is his profession

[gilear-core]

I love dio zero escape because you meet him and think ‘this man is comically unlikable’ and ‘surely he can’t be one of the bad guys. this must be some sort of aggressive and intentional red herring’ and ‘perhaps there is a twist coming that will reveal this to be an unconvincing act put on for his own safety’

and then not only is he one of the bad guys, but he is literally a terrorist and in a cult. he is here to explicitly be annoying and get in the way and also kill you with bombs. acting cartoonishly villainous and saying fuck are just his hobbies I guess

[kolour-me-kourt]

Chapter ten: Just talk to me

Jayson had lost the last three games and it's been weighing on him so he hasn't been talking to YN which made her feel neglected. But it wasnt about her right now she was just trying to be understanding. Basketball is his profession and he and everybody else knows what he is capable of but when the team loses he puts all of that on his back. She couldn't do much through the phone she just tried to let him know she was around.

"Hey baby sorry it's been tough for you I'm gonna go to sleep but call me if you wanna talk"

He glanced at the message but just sat the phone down turning his music up trying to relax as the bus rushed to airport. He was just ready to get back to winning. Soon enough he'll be seeing YN again and that's when he can deal with her but until he saw her in person he didn't have enough energy.

Playing against the bulls and having them completely blow them out of the water made him believe he couldn't be completely focused on the game because too many people were focused on his personal life because YN was now a trending topic. Basketball wives and girlfriends wanted to know if she would be around long enough to be apart of the circle. Others were just trying to figure out if she was a gold digger or not and ..... what did she want from Jayson. How did they meet? How long has it been going on? Is it really dating or just messing around?

If anybody asked her she would clearly say she just wanted Jayson to love her properly she didn't want anything else from him because when he gave her that it felt like she was given the world the moon and the stars. The love the passion the experiences the sex it was all amazing to her it had only been four months but they were four amazing months and she loved every second of them until now. She guess the honeymoon phase was over now. The bright side of that was they were in their relationship fully and whole heartedly so she no longer wanted to be in a relationship with his representative she was glad she was getting the real him still sweet still kind just going through something.

*the next morning*

It was ten am on a beautiful Saturday and she was convinced she wouldn't be leaving her home again today. She got up early went to the gym ran some errands and after her shower she was now trying to figure out what to do with her free time. She was caught up at work and had no cases or notes to do. She didn't have plans with any of her friends and her boyfriend was still in limbo. She thought to reach out again but she didn't know how to handle these moments with him yet.

With Melo he had a girlfriend so she didn't have to deal with these things with Jayson she is the girlfriend and she cared and she just wanted him to feel better. Hopefully it's his turn to see Deuce that'll brighten him up.

YN was sitting on her couch online shopping when she heard her doorbell she lifted an eyebrow walking cautiously to her phone to check her ring doorbell. She wasn't expecting anybody so she low key was scared. She looked at the camera and saw her boyfriend immediately she got happy and went and opened the door wide letting him in.

"Don't be mad at me" he reaches beside him bringing in a lovely bouquet.

"These are beautiful" she smelled them out of habit bringing them into the house sitting it in a unused vase. "I still don't feel like talking too much but I needed to be around warmth and ... my moms busy and I don't have Deuce until Wednesday and I wanted to see you but I know I haven't been doing my part.So for that I'm sorry I didn't want you to see me like this" "You're sad I get it you're getting Grace from me because I'm sure I'm gonna need it too at some point" he smiled

"well kiss me then" she walked over to him and he picked her so their lips can met. "That's what I missed" he said softly "so what you wanna do?" "If I'm being honest I'm tired" "okay go to my room ... go to sleep" she kissed his lips again "you sure?" "Mhm it's still early we have the rest of the day to get into something I'm just glad you're here" "okay come up with me and get me settled" he smiled she laughed "you not giving me a choice you still holding me" "that's my point" he carried her up to her room and then softly sat her on the bed.

"You brought other clothes?" "I still had that bag here.... Didn't I?" "Oh yeah I forgot let me grab it" she goes into her closet grabbing his luggage. "Alright ima take a shower and then head to bed and when I get up we can do something ... okay?" "Okay just don't push yourself I'm content with you being here"

he kissed her forehead stripping and heading to the shower she sat him some basketball shorts out on the bed to sleep in. And she grabbed a towel and handed him a wash cloth and a bar of soap. "I'm heading back to the living room" "okay" she shut the door going back to her computer sitting down "add to cart" she smiled about fifteen minutes later he was back in her face wet with her rubber duck towel wrapped around his waist

"yes bae?" "Where your lotion and stuff" she smiled going up with him "there's lotion,coconut oil and Vaseline" "coconut oil is edible ima use that" she smiled "mmm okay.... Anything else Bae?" "Set the room for me ... like I like" "after you put your clothes in the hamper Jayson" "my bad my bad" he grabbed his dirty clothes placing them in the hamper she turned her humidifier on "it's eucalyptus in the humidifier and I'll burn a lavender candle" "thank you Bae" "Mhm" she lights her candle as he gets into bed "anything else" "no go enjoy yourself while I'm sleep" she kissed his lips quickly and then walked back into the living room.

He slept for about three hours he got up immediately feeling relaxed he loved her energy he was able to just soak it all in.

He blows out the candle walking out to see her. "Hey sleepy you were snoring loud" "damn was I? I haven't been sleeping so ... that makes sense.... You bring me rest" "come sit down bae" she moved her computer and he sits down on the couch and she cuddled next to him as he plays in her hair pulling her curls and watching them bounce back into place.

"So what you been doing?" He asked glancing down at her "shopping ... looking at hair tutorials and new exercises... doing a little writing" "writing? Hmm that's new" "I have to be in the mood for it I haven't written in a long time but it was time... I got inspired" "by what?" "You" she said simply. "You know I love you and I love how far we come and once again I do wanna apologize I still have to get adjusted too being in a relationship and not doing well in my profession... cause it's no reason I should've lost one game but I damn sure shouldn't have lost three"

"can I ask you something that might seem like a stupid question" "yeah go ahead" "Basketball is a team sport right? And when you win you say we win as in your team so why is it when the teams loses that's the only time you put I in team" "it's simple really I'm the leader I've been the leader for years and the core team has been the same for years we shouldn't be playing like we just getting to know eachother... so as the leader that's on me"

"wish you would give yourself more credit" "that's giving myself a lot of credit bae when my teammates cost a game I tell them but it's still on me" "okay I get your point of view" "I respect your opinion it's just not accurate In this situation In any other situation it would be" "I get it Bae ... I really do" tensions were high and he felt it

"switching the subject real quick where did you get that candle I need one" "somebody got it for me" "oh can you ask them where they got it from?" "Uh ... I don't really talk to them anymore" "why?" YN got quiet Jayson started to get even more annoyed "who got it for you?" He asked sternly making her nervous "uh I think that's one of the ones Melo got me" it got deadly silent in her apartment "you still have gifts he got you?" "I was supposed to throw them out?" "How many things do I use at your place that came from another nigga" "look bae calm down you getting so upset for no reason " she sits up turning to face him

"just answer me that's all you gotta do" "he knew I like those candles so he got me a few " "so just candles" "I mean other stuff too but not around the house" "like what" "whyyy" "I just wanna know what I look at that came from him" "um the two tone Cuban and the matching necklace" "you wear that shit all the time" "it has nothing to do with me being tied to him though" "it kinda does we four months in and he still being brought up ... why?" "You asked me a question and I answered it truthfully"

"well maybe you should've lied" "okay next time I will!" She raised her voice cause she got upset. "I can't continue to live in another man's shadow" "you in his shadow cause you don't wanna step into the sun ... you wanted me to stop talking to him I did I don't think about that man ever anytime he's come up with us it's because you bring him up if you're still feeling insecure about my situation with Melo we got bigger issues. Issues bigger than what I can handle it's on you" she stood up as she was talking getting into his face.

"YN calm down" "no! Because I'm tired of this conversation are you mad I have a past or not!!! Like what more do you want from me Jayson I've been here loyal to you since we started loyal to having this relationship and being happy and having a future but until you accept that's all I want for you were not gonna go much further and that's just the truth."

He pulls her down on the couch roughly kissing her passionately so she would shutup  "no we need to talk about this" she moans in between kisses "maybe .... but we not about to" he slides her panties to the side and he then he slides his shorts down enough for his dick to come out. "Jayson ...." "What?you want me to stop?" "I wanna talk" he rolled his eyes "what!"

She remained quiet staring at him waiting for him to come to his senses and get himself together. He kissed her lips softly "I'm sorry" she couldn't help but glance down at his dick slowly getting hard waiting for her .... She wanted him bad  "I get you're stressed and maybe some people have gave you a reason to not trust them but I'm not those people"

"I know....you so rare and I stress not because I don't trust you but because it's just in me I guess" she stared into his eyes "and how are we gonna fix that?" She lifts her hips sliding down on him making them both moan.

"Oh it's okay for you to stick it in but you tried to act like I was doing something wrong" "you gon fuck me or complain?"  She smirks licking her lips He smiles standing up holding her tightly taking her to the bedroom. "I'm gonna fuck you.... Only cause I miss you" she laughed "and why else?" "Cause I love you"  he lays her down on the bed.

"You so damn beautiful" he brings her to the edge of the bed slowly thrusting his hips. She moans softly "so are you" "beautiful?" "Mhm ...inside and out" "you right" he pulls out kissing down her body she shivers when she feels his tongue run over her clit "ohhhhh my gosh" "baby you be moaning I ain't even done nothing yet" he slides two fingers inside of her deeply. "You ... mmmmm" he kissed all around her teasing her "Hm? You just be hyping me or it's really good?" "It's really good ... and the anticipation" "cause my baby like to be teased ... I know that" "but not this much..." he kisses her clit licking slowly.

"Yes this much" "how you gon tell me Jayson?" "Shutup" he laughed and then completely started to devour her "keep your legs spread for me" "okayyy" her eyes rolled into the back of her head as he continued to take his time with her. "You just really taste like...." he groaned making her shiver never finishing his sentence but his actions spoke louder than words she bit her lip watching him slowly take over her body. Grabbing the sheets moaning softly she fully relaxed as he blessed her with his tongue. "Oooou" she said loudly "hmm?" She shook her head no "please don't stop.... I'm so mmmmm" "yeah? You gon cum for me?" "Uhhhhh" "tell me... you wanna cum?"

"Yessss please" "please what?" "I wanna cum" "mmmm" her eyes closed as he continued his patterns his groans sent vibrations through her body and that shortly made her cum. "Fuckkk" while she was still shaking she grabbed his face pulling him up to her own and kissed him hard grabbing his dick sliding it inside of her "yes please fuck me " she moaned pushing his hips when he started to move his hips

"you didn't give me much of choice bae" he kissed her hard as he continued to stroke deeply she struggled to kiss back but tried to anyway. "It feel good right here?" "Yesss" "you sure?" "Ughhh" "shut up and take this dick stop whining" "nooo" he smiled "what you mean no?" The pace of his strokes started to increase "Uhhh" "huh? Fuck you mean?" Her hand shaking pushes at his hips "ooou nothin..." "huh" "mmm" he kisses her slowly never stoping his hips as they moan in eachother mouths his grip on her neck gets tighter. "Look at me" she opened her eyes her slide his thumb in her mouth keeping eye contact with her.... Her legs were damn near behind her head.

"You feel so fuckin good" "I know" he laughed kissing her lips again "you so cocky" "just like you" "shhhh you talking to much" she smiled "I usually can't talk by now..." "so what you trying to say?" He goes deeper she gasps "huh? What you saying?" He repeats himself while smirking "no-noth-nothing" she stutters softly "thought so" her eyes slowly close as her back arched and her legs begin to shake he kisses her neck slowly stoping to suck which pushed her over the edge "you know if you cumming for me I want everybody to hear you... tell them who making you cum"

"Jaysonnnn Ple——" "fuck....Say....it" "I'm cummingggg Jayson I'm cummingggg" he loved watching her break fully "yeah for me?" "Yesss alll for you goshhhhh" she completely lost herself in the moment as he watched. He kisses her forehead softly "you bout to make me..." he says on her lips. "Please?" He kissed her lips as she continues to shake his hands grip her hips tighter "fuckk" he said in a deep growl she looked into his eyes deeply "cum for me" "right now?" She nodded her head "yes right now" "what if I don't want to right now" "mmmmmm" "huh?" "Please" "why" "cause I want it" "only if it's inside you" "yessss" he kissed her again deeply as he starts to release deep inside of her only stoping when he was completely empty. They sit there together in complete silence trying to catch their breaths. He slowly pulled out of her laying down she exhaled he grabs her body bringing her closer to him

"back to what we were talking about" he says his voice still riddled with passion and sexual desire "And what was that?" "You asked me how are we going to fix the issue with trust " "You don't trust me?" "I guess if I'm being honest ... not fully just due to what I've seen other women do with nba players but it's not because of you specifically" YN throws her leg across his hips placing her hand on his chest rubbing in circular motion while staring up at him. "So it's nothing I really can do.... If it's not me" "you right" "you trust me?" "With my whole heart so don't fuck it up" she smiled he kissed her forehead "I won't baby I won't"

[graceisinthelibrary]

S&A Kissing prompt

42. Out of pride ♥️

It took a while, but here it is...

Pride, as Audrey had been taught from an early age, was a sin. It wasn’t right to feel superior to others and it was certainly wrong to be egotistical and arrogant. She whole-heartedly agreed with all of this and yet sometimes she felt she didn’t quite live up to those standards. She had always done her best to be humble and grateful for the good things in her life while she had never been one to believe that every hardship she had experienced during her forty-what years was a punishment from above. Siegfried used to call her a patron saint of lost causes, because she always saw the good in people even if they didn’t deserve it. When he was in one of his better moods he insisted he should be on top of the list and they laughed about it.  

This morning she had watched him from a safe distance as he was dealing with a young boy and his sick rabbit and she saw no way he could make it on top of the list. She saw a man who deeply cared and used his profession to help those who had no voice. Animals in need and in this case a small boy with freckles and ginger hair, whose parents didn’t see the need to take the rabbit to a vet. The lad had been sitting on the stairs at the front door since the early morning hours before Audrey had found him and had asked him in. 

For a man who used to be highly suspicious and impatient with most adults, Siegfried had an admirable abundance of patience with children. He took his time to examine the rabbit and ignored those who had been waiting far longer than the boy and explained to him what the cause of the inflamed ear was and how to treat it. He added a small lecture about how to avoid it in the future and about basic hygiene. When the boy insisted on paying with a bob and some candy, Siegfried refused to take it and insisted the boy organised some good hay for his rabbit and made sure he drank clean water and fed him regularly, not to mention that exercise was important and a clean cage.  

“Come back in two days and let me see if he’s better.” 

The boy obediently promised to be back and left under the watchful eyes of the others sitting in the waiting area. 

Audrey’s heart was swelling when she saw the smile on Siegfried’s face as the boy rushed out, the rabbit pressed tightly against his chest. She didn’t know how to describe the feeling that was filling up her chest. Was it love? Or pride? She was indeed proud of the man he was. The way he poured his heart into his profession without expecting anything in return from those who couldn’t afford it. Could this feeling be a sin? She had no answer to that question, but maybe she should bring it up the next time they discussed the subject in a meeting for bible studies. 

In between two appointments Audrey slipped from the first examination room into the second with a cup of tea for him. She had placed two pieces of shortbread on the saucer and put it on a pile of books. As always the desk was a mess and she had given up on bringing order to his professional chaos. 

“Brought you a brew,” she said and their eyes met as he looked over his shoulder while washing his hands. 

“Marvellous.” 

“It’s been some morning,” she mused as she leaned against the examination table. “I’ve seen you with the boy.” 

“He’s lucky, because he came in time,” he said as he dried his hands in a towel. “The little chap should be better soon.” 

“When I found him he told me he needed the best,” she recalled with a loving smile.  

Siegfried smirked, exposing his teeth. “Well, he found the best. Well done him!” She chuckled and shook her head. “You can be so daft.” 

“Do you want to deny it?” he asked as he disposed of the towel and closed the distance between them. He stopped right in front of her and took the tea cup. With delicious small sips he drank from his tea while she watching him. “So, what now? Did the cat eat your tongue?” 

“Oh no,” she answered. “Just wondering…” 

“About what?” 

“Why can't I be mad at you for being such a smug fool? Pride’s a sin, you know.” 

“Well, the last time you asked that question the answer was, because you love me,” he reminded her. “Maybe that’s changed.” 

“Wouldn’t you like that…” she mocked him. 

“My only pride and joy is having you as my wife. As for the rest, I'm simply enjoying the fruits of my hard labour in college.” 

“Is that the new humble Siegfried?” she wondered and took the cup away from him. “What about my shortbread?” he protested when she placed it out of his reach. 

“I’ve got something better for you,” she promised and wrapped her arms around his neck. 

“I wonder what that could be,” he said daringly and ran his hands down her back and over her bottom cheeks. A smile curled around her lips when she leaned in to kiss him. The longer the kiss went on the more he intensified the pressure on her bum and she chuckled when she felt the effect their secretive rendezvous had on him.

“Maybe it’s best you vanish the way you came in, before I embarrass us. The blinds may be shut, but I’m afraid this room isn’t sound proofed.” 

To her regret she had to agree and gently wiped a trace of her lip gloss from his lips. “I love you and I’m proud to be your wife.” 

“Promise me to show me later how proud you really are?” He wondered, his eyebrow crooked in a way that left no doubts about his wishes. 

“Don’t be naughty,” she said with a soft chuckle. 

She let her hand linger on his chest while she moved slowly to the door. He got hold of her hand and kissed it, before he let her go. 

Back in the kitchen she kept smiling to herself and turned on the radio. There had only been two customers left and then she intended to show him how proud she really was.

[pandawriterstuff]

Pinehallow Summary & Character List

This is my main WIP, if I'm complaining about characters doing whatever they want, this is them.

Pinehallow Summary-Monty, an eleven year old boy who has spent most of his life traveling from place to place with his in-demand lawyer mother, Irene, is sent to live at his uncle's horse ranch because she thinks he needs roots. Used to nearly everyone but his mother not being around long enough to get to know, Monty is more than a bit uncertain about this. But in scrambling to find his place in a town different to anything he's ever known, he finds friends, both human and animal, makes discoveries, and even manages to foil a plot against Pinehallow Ranch itself.

Character List

Monty (Montgomery) Cade Waller- Main character, 11, white. Monty is curious, bright, and more than a little awkward. He has a tendency to state the obvious, which can be endearing or annoying depending on your perspective. Big vocabulary and grown-up way of speaking because he’s spent more time around grown-ups than other kids. He’s quietly stubborn, particularly when it comes to being told he’s wrong when he knows he’s right. Insecure about socializing and friendships because of constant moving and traveling. Can’t hold a grudge for the life of him, even when he likely should. He likes bugs, birds and turtles, would rather read nonfiction than a story. Fills lonely afternoons with sketching, nature sketching on the ranch.

Irene Waller- Monty’s mother, 36, white. Irene is a powerful corporate lawyer, either full of energy or exhausted, never in between. She loves using words to sway minds and deciphering documents to find exactly what the opposition doesn’t want her to find. Sometimes Irene wishes she was using her skills in more meaningful ways, but also really likes the money, the traveling, and the competition. Has an almost encyclopedic knowledge of show tunes from musicals. She has a hard time letting people get close. Would stab someone for her baby, but knows it’s better to teach him to stab for himself. Only partially joking. Dolly Parton is her hero, and as much as she loves her music, it’s Dolly the business woman and Dolly the philanthropist that she strives to emulate.

Keith Waller- Monty’s uncle, 34, white. Horse Rancher. Keith loves working hard and getting dirty, and if he’s not exhausted at the end of the day he’ll be looking for something else to push him there. Otherwise he gets antsy. Loves animals and absolutely will not tolerate anyone mistreating any of the animals on his ranch-ordinarily he’s very careful of his size and strength, in that situation, all bets are off. Times that by about ten for any of the ‘barn rats’ that help around the ranch for riding lessons/time. Loves romantic comedies and telanovas and doesn’t care who knows it. Keith doesn’t read a lot, it never came easy to him, but if he’s taking a long trip he’ll always check an audio book or two out of the library instead of just relying on the radio.

Juniper - Keith’s goddaughter, 15, white. She has a calm, confident personality with a smile for most everyone she meets. If she doesn’t have a smile for you and it isn’t because her head is in the clouds over a girl, you’ve probably earned her scorn and will be ignored as much as possible. Juniper raises rabbits and it’s taught her patience, and a lot about unfairness when a kit doesn’t make it. She helps out with riding lessons at the ranch in exchange for riding time of her own, and has become a fixture, spending more time there than she does at home, and when she can get away with it, school. Loves sunflowers and her sunflower comforter is probably her most prized possession.

Nell - Caretaker/cook for the ranch house(would cooking lunch for the workers still be a thing on a modern ranch?). 38, white(?). Not about to put up with nonsense. Will make you cookies if she doesn’t have to put up with nonsense. Please. At one point she wanted to be a chef and has a year of culinary school under her belt, but quickly decided the super fast paced and competitive environment wasn’t for her. Anything that was making her hate one of her favorite things that fast could not be good for a person. She intends to live a long, long life and that kind of stress can just walk right out of the door. Loves to go on long walks, often into the hills (BLM land) behind the ranch. (maybe she was taught/took a class on foraging, and teaches Monty to find wild onions and stuff? But this would mean *I* have to learn about foraging in Idaho.) This leads to a contented, if often silent, companionship between her and Monty, who desperately wants to explore/record/sketch everything about the natural world of his new home, particularly the parts that are off limits to him without an adult along.

Ray- Family Friend/Co-Owner of R & M General (designed to feel vintage, but shiny. Bit of a tourist stop now, they decided to lean into it.), 50, Black. He uses his background in chemistry to make amazing looking candies and chocolates, using that to deal with a time he used it in less pleasant ways when he was in the military. He never expected anybody outside of his small town, or maybe the folks at the county fair to make so much fuss over them. This might embarrass him, if he weren’t so delighted. A cheerful man with a dreamer’s heart, a magazine once referred to him as a small town Willy Wonka. He dotes on his wife, often making and gifting her small surprises. An amputee in honor of my Grandpa (missing left leg at the knee, possibly missing one arm as well, but I’m not sure how that would affect candy making.). Has certain parts of his past he just doesn’t talk about.

Mavis- Co-Owner of ____ with Ray, 48, Black. Fierce and kind in equal measures, Mavis believes in protecting what’s hers, and as far as she’s concerned the entire town of (oh my god, it needs a name) is included in that. Mavis is very selective about the battles she fights, but when she chooses one she throws herself in whole-heartedly. On several committees around town, she’d be on more, but then she wouldn’t have enough time to really get into the work of the ones she loves. She knits in her limited free time, often while listening to the news, but sometimes opera. Has started knitting stuffies in the shapes of the more unusual candies Ray makes, it’s silly, but fun, and tourists and the local kids love it. Still head over heels for Ray, even though his often dreaming about things for ages instead of just doing them is also still baffling to her.

Leanna - Juniper’s sort-of girlfriend, 15, Vietnamese. Quiet, a little cynical, but very empathetic. She avoids the news because it’s that or be mad and want to cry all the time-until she hears about something she can’t not research, and goes on a 24 hour google search and learns far more than is probably good for her about a species going extinct due to logging in prohibited areas, or genocide being covered up by claims of violent uprisings. She loves manga and comics. Leanna sometimes tries for a cottagecore* type aesthetic, but mostly thinks it's too much work. She’s starting to worry about what she’s going to do with her future, and people telling her that she’s only 15 and doesn’t have to worry about it yet is NOT HELPING.

*even though cottagecore isn’t a thing in the early-mid 2000s this is maybe/vaguely set in. Shh, let me have this. Anne of Green Gablesesque maybe?

Winnie - Leanna’s mom, 45, Vietnamese. Widow? A little ditzy, but a lot loving. Everyone in town is convinced she’s the stoner type of hippy, but no one minds as she’s someone who truly wants to know how you’re doing when she asks and strangely almost always has very spot on advice. She’s rarely on time anywhere, but that’s because she’ll have stopped to talk, and often to help, whoever she’s run into. Leanna and her bicker over this when she’s late picking her up. Always wears bright colors. Loves Agatha Christie books. Calls everyone, even people 50 years older than her, hon.

Logan - Juniper’s stepdad, 40, white. Kind of a jerk, but most of the jerky things he says are actually jokes that fall flat or have simply gotten old. Tries really hard, like *really* hard, but has a tendency to get annoyed if people don’t appreciate his efforts right away-more in his personal life than professional, possibly because of his profession. A contractor, hard worker, loyal, has worked for the same company since he was twenty even though they don’t often treat him right. Sometimes tries to buy people’s affections. Wants to have better communication with Juniper, but it’s gotten really hard the last few years and he’s never quite sure why.

Candice - Juniper’s Mom, 39, white, works at a nursery that sells seedlings and baby fruit trees, has a cheerful, calm personality, but a lot softer and more lowkey than Juniper’s version. Very house proud, but has a ‘maximalist’ approach to decorating-everything is in its place, but there are places for lots of things. Loves spending time outdoors, but would rather spend it tending her garden than hiking or riding, preferably with a cup of tea by her side. On the weekends, a fruity beer or wine instead. Wants to go on one of those train rides where you get to drink wine, eat canapes and try to solve a mystery, thinks Winnie might be a good candidate for someone to go with her.

Ura - a ‘barn rat’, 12 and a half, white(maybe a Czech immigrant? 2nd generation?) . A cheerful, rough and tumble boy who is always climbing things, and often being told to stop when he gets too high for other people's comfort. Ura is fearless when it comes to physical feats, but has a fear of ‘slimy’ things like worms and frogs. He has a thick layer of pudge and a big appetite, but is athletic and strong enough that anyone bullying him over it would be doing it at their own peril. Not that he’s the type to start fights, or even finish them most of the time. Doesn’t feel he quite fits in with his family, who are all more serious, reserved people. Redwood is his favorite of the horses, and Keith has all but given up on telling him that sitting on the floor of Red’s stall to talk to the horse isn’t exactly safe.

Elliot - Ray and Mavis’s son, Black, 19 and a college student-maybe/probably at U of I. Lives on campus, but comes home at least a couple weekends a month. Has an older car that he and Ray fixed up together, that is his pride and joy. Quiet, with an irreverent sense of humor that he unleashes somewhat at random. Interested in robotics, engines and mechanics and generally has some project he’s working on, a piece of which may or may not be in his pocket. Often has oil, grease, or ink on his hands, either from working on or designing a new project. A bit of an overachiever, he can spread himself thin trying to live up to all his responsibilities at once. He’s best friends with Randy, a friendship his parents want to disapprove of, because the few times Elliot’s gotten into trouble not only was Randy there, but 99% of the time whatever it was is Randy’s idea, but never quite manage too.

Randy - Handyman at the ranch, mixed race Hispanic and white, 21. Technically head handyman, because the old head retired six months ago, and is a little young/inexperienced for the job, but he’s not the type to back away from a challenge and has risen to the occasion beautifully. Loves rock and metal music, and spends a lot of his free weekends at concerts, the ones crammed into little venues and bars where people are practically on top of each other and the beat is so loud and solid it throbs through you, connecting you to everyone even before you hit the mosh pit, are his preference. He’s been working at the ranch since he was 16, and feels like he has a claim on it, not afraid to speak up if he thinks a decision Keith is making isn’t right or that he isn’t taking something important into consideration. Can be a bit wild when he’s not being the responsible one, definitely doesn’t always think before he acts.

Alma - Local artist/worker at R & M’s, Hispanic, 25. Alma is a painter and poet, a confident young woman who’s figured out that half of surviving as an artist is being your own agent/a salesperson as well, and in addition to several shelves at the R & M that hold postcard prints of many of her pieces, both the coffee shop and cafe have some of her larger paintings displayed, and she always has a booth at the Saturday market, though the majority of her sales come from her website. Alma is cheerful, and likes to tease, and growing up the middle child of four brothers, is very able to hold her own in verbal sparring. She’s close with her family, still living with her parents, and while at first her father was dismayed at her choice of career, he now hands out her business card to basically everyone he talks to.

Miriam - Nell’s Mom, white, 71, a little deaf, speaks loudly, partially because of the deafness, partially because she spent too long letting other people push her around and when she hit about 50 decided she was going to be the one talking over people now. She’s earned it. Age has made her more delicate than she likes, bruising and scraping easily, but she’s determined to do most things for herself. Those that are beyond her she has no problem loudly ordering someone else to take care of. Volunteers a lot, often fosters kittens for the local animal shelter. Used to chain smoke, quit when Nell was a teenager because she kept leaving pictures of diseased lungs everywhere. Still uses the candy ones as a substitute.

Places

Unnamed Town- Somewhere in Latah County, Idaho, where there is not already a town in the way. Around 200 years old and has grown and shrunk and grown again, and currently has a population of about 12,000. Having grown out from a traditional mainstreet, _______ no longer has the western style boardwalk seen in old pictures, but it does have a large cluster of local businesses and ‘hot spots’ still along that old main street, a coffee shop, a diner, a combination bookshop and independent library, a hardware store, a bar, a few places I haven’t thought of yet, and of course R & M General. There is a historical barn half a mile or so away from mainstreet that has been converted into a theater/meeting hall/dance hall, and a community center was added onto it in the early 90’s. During the summer there is a farmer’s market on the property every Saturday. The elementary school and junior high are all on one property, several miles out of town, because the majority of families live on farms, ranches or small rural properties rather than in one of the neighborhood clusters in the town itself. The junior high is 7th, 8th and 9th graders, in a newer two story building, and the elementary school is divided into lower and upper elementary with the bracket shaped building basically being cut in half, K-3 on one side and 4-6 on the other. The high school is outside of town on the other side by several miles, and actually serves kids from another town(s) as well. There is also a trailer park with about forty units, not exactly sure where it is yet, but Miriam(Nell’s Mom) lives there. There is also an animal shelter, a vet’s office, a cemetery, and a couple churches, and I’m sure more things to come.

R & M General (working title?)- Ray and Mavis’s store, a general store with a candy focused twist. A vintage Pepsi sign, neon still bright, and a charming green glass juke-box filled with hits from the 1940’s onward grace the front porch of the R & M, along with a long bench that locals are encouraged to use for a spell or to listen to a couple songs, provided they can behave themselves (teenagers arguing over who their favorite member of the rat pack is might be amusing, considering they were already ‘mom and dad’, or at least older brother and sister, music by the time Mavis and Ray were teenagers, but when they get loud it also gets annoying.). The store itself still has the original wooden counter up front and built-in shelves along the walls, but all refinished and polished to a high shine. A mixture of display types going down the middle of the store, barrels and baskets filled with skeins of colorful yarn and cloth or Mavis’s knitted stuffies(and during winter sometimes socks and mittens), other sewing and craft supplies, display racks with local arts, postcards and carvings, sometimes wind up toys made by Elliot, and of course many, many displays of candies and chocolates. They also have a lot of dry goods, and some of the simpler candy types have little instruction booklets and the ingredients it takes to try out making them yourself stocked in the same display, drink coolers, and sometimes have local produce available. Basically, they have a bit of everything, except for building equipment/home repair supplies, and that’s because of the hardware store across the street.

Pinehallow Ranch-A sprawling 100 acre ranch in Latah County, Idaho where the Waller family has been doing something or other with horses for four generations now. Originally it was a horse breeding ranch, but Keith and Irene’s grandfather felt the money was in training horses, and offered boarding as well, and Keith has continued to build that up, offering lessons for a variety of styles, ages, and skill levels. Butting up against BLM land that allows additional grazing and trail riding, the ranch has four pastures, a large corral, a medium sized indoor arena and two horse barns, one for boarded horses and one for the ranch's own stock, and an equipment barn, an old bunkhouse that is mostly used to store feed-though Randy has slept there when in between places, mostly unbeknownst to Keith-and some smaller equipment sheds, placed where they’re needed. The main house is an L-shaped ranch house with a porch that goes around the entire long front of the house with a large herb/kitchen and rock garden arranged around that. There are treed pockets scattered here and there, left alone as the rest of the ranch was developed, but the creek Monty and Juniper sometimes hang out at is on BLM land, as is most of the forested area around the ranch.

Pinehallow Taglist @sleepysera @enchanted-lightning-aes @odysseywritings @thegreatobsesso @writing-is-a-martial-art and @hiitsolivia If anyone else wants to be added just interact with the post :) (My more advanced tumblr knowledge has led me to believe this is better than asking people to reblog/comment to be added, but if I'm wrong just let me know.)

[seasidewriter1-writes]

For the fluff ask, I would love to see an Obi-lara regency confession scene. I have a little headcanon where Obi-wan uses the line "You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope."

Finally, a chance to delve into the Regency AU! I’ve had a lot of fun with this, and that line you gave? *chef’s kiss!* I need more Regency Obi-Lara, it’s official!

P.S. I’m sorry this is so long, I got... REALLY carried away with this one...

There was much that could be said about Mr. Obi-Wan Kenobi. He was a master of fencing. An excellent mentor. Level headed to the point he almost came off as impertinent. And, in the opinion of Miss Elara Skywalker, absolutely insufferable. Insufferable in the way that he smiled, roguish and charming. Insufferably handsome, with a face the classic sculptors would only have dreamed of creating. Insufferable in his impressive intellect and his ability to make every sentence sound like one of Shakespeare’s sonnets. Insufferable because she was helplessly, hopelessly in love with him, and that was a torture.

For Mr. Kenobi was steadfast in his ways. He’d been many years a bachelor, and found the life quite suitable. A long passed father had insisted he was duty bound to marry for the good of the family estate. That he must marry for money, not love. This idea, drilled into him for so many years, had turned him off from the idea of romance entirely. He was considered to be one of the most eligible bachelors in the county––but he was entirely unattainable.

Elara would not have met Obi-Wan had it not been for her brother. Anakin was a fencing protégé and had flourished under the tutelage of Master Kenobi. There had been a time where Elara had known him only by name; he was the mysterious mentor whom her brother spoke so highly of. Nothing but words of praise would be spoken about him—and then, as was proper, Anakin introduced his sister and his mentor one night at a ball. Much to everyone’s surprise, the two got along smashingly. They bandied words as though they played tennis, kept up with one another intellectually. Elara was a learned, well-read woman; Obi-Wan was a learned well-read man. They discussed Shakespeare and Socrates, debated on the best authors of the day.

Gossip started to circulate and speculations were made––Mr. Kenobi and Miss Skywalker would surely be engaged by the end of the summer.

And then they weren’t.

Which was most confusing, as it was often observed they were in one another’s company. At balls, the first name on Elara’s dance card was always Obi-Wan’s. At parties, they were always seated beside or across from one another. They took turns about the room together. It confounded local gossips that the two were not engaged. And though Anakin did not consider himself a gossip, he, too was confounded. Though he was younger than his sister, propriety required him to be her chaperone if the situation called for it. He had bore witness to the insufferable flirtations, which he tried to ignore by hiding the display behind the pages of a book.

It was in one of the many books in the Skywalkers’ generous collection that Elara had chosen to lose herself in. It was a dreary day, with slate grey skies and an air that foretold an afternoon of rain. It perfectly reflected her mood. She felt positively dreadful. She lay half-reclined on their sofa, head propped up by a brocaded pillow. One hand held the book before her face, and the other picked at the elegant stitching on the front of her dress. And though she was reading the words on the page, she was not absorbing them. She had read several pages, but had no knowledge of what had transpired.

As Elara turned the fifth page, she sighed.

“If you keep sighing that way, you shall forget how to speak entirely,” Anakin commented on the opposite side of the room.

Elara dropped her book to her chest and glared at him half-heartedly. Anakin sat half-slouched out of his armchair, a book of his own open in his hands. His stock had been removed and discarded the table beside him, and the collar of his shirt slouched open at the neck. The position in which he sat did not look comfortable in the least bit, but it was one he often found himself relaxing into at his leisure. He shot her a sideways glance and smirked with a brotherly snark.

“If you keep sitting like that your neck will grow as crooked as an oak branch,” she countered.

Anakin let out an ungentlemanly snort and shook his head, eyes once more returning to his book. “A spat is not the end of the world, sister.”

The spat of which he spoke occurred the night prior at the most recent ball. Elara was unsure it could even be called a spat; it had been more of a heated encounter. Whilst they were dancing, Elara had made a comment about Obi-Wan’s opposition to marriage. Something in him had smarted and an indignance had washed over him. He had launched into a lecture of sorts, commenting on the monetary politics of marriage, which, in turn had caused Elara to prickle. She and Anakin were not badly off by any means, but they were not considered particularly wealthy. His comment had been taken as a direct insult. The dance ended with them parting ways for the evening, ignoring the two other dances Obi-Wan had claimed on her card.

Hence was why Elara had been in such a vial mood. It was difficult to be in love with a man who abhorred the notion.

Elara lifted the book and hid her face behind it. “The end of the world, no. The end of possibilities, yes.”

There was a knock at the front door.

Simultaneously, both Elara and Anakin lowered their books and met one another’s gazes. Neither of them were expecting any callers that day.

Anakin closed his book, snatched up his stock, and started to haphazardly wind it about his neck. He hauled himself out of his chair and disappeared from the room, tucking the ends of his neck-wear into his vest. Once he was gone, Elara righted herself. The parlor was, for all intents and purposes, their receiving room. If whoever had arrived was there to stay, they would be ushered in here. A couple moments passed before Anakin poked his head back into the room.

“You have a visitor, Elara,” he told her. He arched his eyebrows pointedly and stepped aside, gesturing someone in from the hall.

Elara rose to her feet in order to greet her impromptu visitor. The confused pinch of her expression melted away as none other than Obi-Wan Kenobi stepped into the room. There was a hat and a pair of gloves clutched in his hands and his cheeks were flushed from riding. Behind him, Anakin reached into the room, grabbed the handle of the door and pulled it closed as he exited the room.

The silence that filled the room was stifling. It was all Elara could do to stare at her visitor. Obi-Wan stood before her, handsomely harried. Blue eyes wide, blonde hair ruffled, mud spattered up across his boots. He had arrived unplanned and unannounced, with absolutely no pretense. He had a reason for coming; and she was waiting on him to tell her what it was. But in that waiting, Elara could not deny that her heart was thrumming like the beating wings of a terrified bird.

“Miss Skywalker...” Obi-Wan breathed. He shifted the brim of his hat around in his hands, rotating it slowly. “I... fear I have made a grievous error.”

Breath caught in Elara’s throat, hitching so hard that her chest physically and visibly jumped. She watched Obi-Wan wet his lips, tongue darting out between them. He took a tentative step forward, and when she did not protest his further entering the room, he continued. He placed his hat on their sideboard without looking, moving as though he were entranced. Elara folded her hands in front of her stomach, and squeezed them tightly.

“And what error might that be, Mr. Kenobi?”

“The error of my words. I believe I misspoke last night. That is, I let my self-righteousness speak for me.” Obi-Wan stopped before her at a respectable distance. He swept his hands behind his back and did her the courtesy of meeting her eyes. “I did not mean to offend you when I spoke of the politics of marriage. It was not my intent to make you believe that I looked down on you due to monetary standing. I... find it difficult to even conceive looking down on you in any possible way.” For a long, still moment, all Obi-Wan did was stare at her. The guardedness that so often made him appear lofty had disappeared. A vulnerable tenderness had overcome him, and it softened his whole demeanor. “You pierce my soul. It is unexplainable. In your presence... I find that I am half agony, half hope.”

Elara felt as though he had stolen all words from her mouth, all thought from her head, and all air from her lungs. It took a moment for her to gather herself, and when she did, she asked,

“Why agony?”

Obi-Wan chanced a step forward and his hands dropped from behind his back. A shuddering breath passed between his lips before a confession spilled forth. “I love you so wholly... so completely... that my fear that you do not feel the same tears me apart.”

“And hope?” The question had been murmured so softly, it had come out in a whisper.

“The hope that you reciprocate these feelings is incandescently bright; it has guided me through the darkness of my idiocy and led me back to you. And should you find this profession offensive,” Obi-Wan bowed his head in deference, “then I shall excuse myself from your presence.”

Silence once more overcame the room. Obi-Wan remained with his head bowed, waiting for her reply. His confession clung to the corners of the quaint parlor like the most delicate cobwebs. It tickled the air like a pleasant, relieving breeze. Boldly––or brazenly, perhaps––Elara stepped forward and reached for his hands. For the first time, the skin of their hands met. It was breathtaking. His skin was warm, and it was calloused in spots from practicing with his saber. The minute their skin touched, Obi-Wan’s head snapped up. Breath visibly caught in his chest, which stuttered beneath the layers of his clothes.

“I, too, am at fault in this misunderstanding. In my inquiring of your aversion to marriage, I did not mean to offend you. I took offense quickly, and for that you must forgive me.” Elara swept her thumbs across his knuckles. “I will take away your agony. I will share in your hope. I will share in anything you allow me to... if you will have me.”

A stunned flutter of Obi-Wan’s eyelids dashed his lashes over the tops of his cheeks. His lips parted and a soft breath passed between them in a single word. In a name. “Elara...”

A thrilled shudder rolled along her spine at the sound of her name falling from his lips. It was the first time he’d ever spoken it; and she wanted to hear him say it again, and again, and again.

“Obi-Wan...” she breathed in return.

A breath fled from his mouth the moment his name left her lips. Slowly, his hands started to glide up her arms. They danced lightly over the skin of her forearms and paused at her elbows. Elara reached out and grasped the front of his riding jacket. One of Obi-Wan’s hands then rose to hover by her cheek. The tips of his fingers grazed against her skin as he tucked a curl of hair behind her ear. That hand then retreated back to her cheek, which it cupped tenderly. Simultaneously, Elara tiled her head back as Obi-Wan craned his forward. Their movements were achingly slow––but then their lips met in the sweetest, softest kiss. In that moment, everything was perfect. It was harmonious again.

There was no agony; only hope.

[cloudaintfair]

Lost Shinobi - C2

Shisui Uchiha didn’t expect to wake up once more. He certainly didn’t expect to have both of his eyes. Here he is, living among Auradon’s evillest and cruelest of villains in the isle of the lost.

[C1]

[FFN] [AO3]

"What's going on?" I muttered to myself as I looked around my surroundings. "What is this place?"

I was so disoriented when I first woke up in the prison island. I thought I was hallucinating when I saw a horned female shouting at things and another was flailing her mirror around. There was also a man flaunting his muscles around like he was the most interesting specimen in the island.

That's when I remembered: I was supposed to be dead.

I remembered the sensation of drowning at the Naka River after plucking my remaining eye and gave it to my best friend, Itachi.

"I-I can see?" I muttered to myself as I gently caressed my eyelids. "What is going on?" I questioned everything as the realization of being alive was finally processed in my brain.

I noticed that everything I wore when I died was what I was wearing. The signature turtle-neck Uchiha shirt, my brown tanto harness on my right shoulder, my black shin-length pants, the bandages around my shins and the standard shinobi sandals.

As my hands travelled along my waist and shoulder, I realized that I still have my tanto and the limited supply of kunai knives and shurikens inside my holster, along with some blank sealing paper and scrolls.

Suddenly, the surrounding became chaotic than it was, people shouting and flailing around.

"This is going to get real ugly fast." I said to myself as I fled the scene.

In an act of self-preservation, I immediately took off towards a lush forest nearby and hid myself there.

In there, I made a wooden house to myself and I improvised so much that even the nails were made of wood.

As a member of the Hidden Leaves' ANBU, I am quite adept at making simple houses, tables and chairs as we were often dispatched on long-term missions. If there was a time I appreciated those mundane ANBU tasks and those D-ranked missions during my time as a genin, this was the time.

The chores I did, the building of houses and the repair of fences, chairs and tables sure came in handy.

I just finished my simple house in the middle of the woods after a few days of building it. A thought suddenly came to me.

"Can I still use them?" I questioned out loud as I removed my shirt as they were drenched in my sweat.

By them, I meant my jutsus.

"Sharingan!" I whispered forcefully as I tried to redirect my chakra to my eyes and formed the tiger seal.

The sensation I haven't felt in a while filled my eyes as my vision improved. It improved to a point that the swaying of the trees looked like they were moving in slow-motion from my perspective.

"Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu." I shouted as I had gone through the necessary hand seals and released a breath of fire.

Suffice to say, my Ninjutsu and Ocular jutsus still worked and things just got a whole lot easier.

Years passed, and the people here in this island came up of the same idea I had, settling in. Not before long, the forest that I claimed for myself was completely bald and barren as every single tree was cut down to be a house or castle.

Trees can no longer grow because of the clouds that were stationary above the island. Plant life certainly can't thrive without sunlight, let alone trees.

Luckily since I had discovered that my ninjutsus were usable, I dabbled in the art of sealing. With my meager knowledge of the sealing arts, I was able to make a seal that made my house hidden from view and make it so that only I can locate it.

In the years that I've been in this island, I learned that this was an island prison filled to the brim of criminals, as they call themselves villains, from the different kingdoms of this world. The island had a transparent dome around it making what they call 'magic', impossible.

What is magic?

I haven't got a clue.

I also learned of the de-facto leader of this chaotic and anarchic island. The horned witch I saw shouting at things back when I first woke up, she was named Maleficent, the evilest of them all.

Somehow I doubt that. If she can manage to gouge my eyes to become a village ruler then maybe I can believe that, but as far as I'm concerned, Danzo is still the evilest Son of a Bitch I've ever had the displeasure of meeting.

Hopefully Itachi was able to save both the clan and the village.

"So that's how you use those?" Shisui muttered to himself as he listened to the old man blab about the things unfamiliar to him. "Microwave was it?" He muttered to himself.

Everyone in the room was under the illusion that I'm not there with them as I listened to the old man, named Yen Sid, blab about things.

I had recently got myself a working microwave set, a refrigerator set and a working TV set from the barge of junk goods that has been coming to the isle.

Apparently the people of Auradon saw to it to be charitable and donated us their used appliances and foods, some were blatant leftovers and half-eaten goods. This should've bothered me but it didn't. I can survive by catching fish in the nearby pond and at the shores and cook it with my fire style jutsus.

But I'm not above stealing a few stale fruits and loaves of bread from the barge and eat them for myself.

As to how I got my supply of electricity when I was completely off the grid and totally hidden from everyone. I used the sealing arts. I stored lightning release chakra to a piece of metal and adjust it to produce the right amount of output.

Let's just say the amount of tries I did to perfect this method was staggering. The amount of busted appliances in my backyard was evidence enough.

"I really need to dispose them." I chuckled to myself as I remembered the pile of busted appliances in my backyard.

A few more years passed and the island was now filled with children. Schools were even established to teach these children in the art of villainy and schemes and how to be evil.

"Selfishness 101? Advanced Vanities? Evil Schemes?" I chuckled good heartedly to myself as I toured the newly built school. "What's this? How to be Danzo 101?" I got a good laugh at the name of the classes in the school.

Frankly every villain here were so full of themselves. They were even forcing their plans for revenge and even their insecurities upon their offsprings.

Even with all this and after all these years, I kept myself hidden from everyone. I was pretty contented on how I lived my life. Spying on everyone in the mornings, stealing some fruits during barge days and even steal some clothes from any unsuspecting fellow.

My means of spying to everyone here was by either transforming myself into someone forgettable or by casting a widespread illusion on everyone on the isle and make me invisible to them.

While I was at school, trying to learn everything in this strange world, I was wearing a sleeveless shirt, some short pants and my standard shinobi sandals.

"You know you can just ask me." I was startled and immediately punched the person behind me who spoke but only met with air. "There are ways to learn of your predicament without resorting to spying other people." An old man chided at me as he made himself visible in my line of sight.

What startled me was not the fact that the old man was behind me, but rather the fact that I was seen. I thought I had already cast an illusion on everyone and made it certain that I was invisible to the people here on the island.

"Can you really blame me?" I questioned the old man before me as I calmed down and stood up straight. "The last time I remember before waking up here was drowning in a river." I admitted. "Suddenly I found myself in another world, resurrected." I finished.

"No." The old wizard replied to me." I suppose I cannot." He nodded.

The man before me was Yen Sid, or so he called himself. I inquired the old wizard of everything he knew of this world, of this place and of this island prison. I soon found out that a magical event merged different timelines and worlds together and formed the world and the Kingdom of Auradon it was today.

Yen Sid also explained how the barrier worked. In his words, a huge invisible dome was erected in the island to prevent escape and prevent the use of magic.

"Basically, the same magical event, only a smaller scale than what happened before, was what caused my resurrection?" I proposed to the old wizard.

"Could be." The Wizard nodded. "But if you weren't a villain in your world, why were you sent to the isle?" He questioned.

So I spilled everything about my profession to the Wizard. I basically told him that almost everyone in my world would be sent to the isle as we have killed, tortured and made people suffer as a profession. Especially after the three world wars our world has gone through.

"Hmmm." Yen Sid hummed. "I can see why those circumstances can be the reason for your incarceration." The Wizard nodded.

For a few days, I had witnessed something out of the ordinary. I saw two girls hanging out as if they were friends, which was odd considering how the populace viewed friendship, or any sort of affection.

Unless it was some ploy to manipulate the other party.

The way I saw it, both girls were really enjoying each other's company, like the way most friendships start. The purple haired girl was enjoying her time with the braided girl. It'd almost seem that the both of them relish each other's company

One time, I decided to follow the girls once they separated during that day. I conjured up a shadow clone and let the clone follow the girl with braids and I followed the purple haired girl. My reason for doing so would be to see if the girl was really genuine for her feelings.

It was disheartening to witness and hear that the girl, Mal, the horned witch's daughter, was ordered to stop from hanging out with the girl with braids, Uma. They really enjoyed each other's company.

The next thing I knew was witnessing a shrimp-covered Uma being laughed at by Mal and by everyone else who witnessed the event, it looked like a prank from where I stood.

It was a mean prank, sure, but it was just a harmless prank so went on my way and thought nothing of it.

For many years, I always went to the Wizard Yen Sid and ask how things work, so far he has taught me about washing machines, bread toasters, coffee makers, hair dryers, blenders and whatnot. I learned so much about these so called Techs courtesy of the Wizard Yen Sid that, I feel a little bit guilty that I haven't given Yen Sid something in return for the information, his hospitality and his understanding of my situation.

Apart from that, I've always been hidden from the population of incarcerated individuals.

When I saw a certain white haired mother yell at her white haired son and watched in horror as she beat him up.

I secretly dressed the boy's wounds, else they would get infected in this polluted isle. Ever since Itachi had the displeasure of seeing a teammate die, I took Itachi to the hospital make him learn a few more things about first aid and wound dressing apart from the things we learned from the academy. Not to mention learn a few medical ninjutsus.

For a few months, that has been my life, secretly dressing the wounds of children who had the unfortunate circumstance to be born from their parents, who were abusive and being born in this unfair place, filled with bullies and whatnot.

"I don't know if Danzo was better or worse." I muttered to myself as I found myself dressing the first boy's wounds again for the umpteenth time. "On one hand he'd properly give physical care to these children." I continued to talk to myself. "But on the other, he'd train these children to be void of emotion and use them for his ends." I sighed. "He certainly used me and I'm not even part of his organization."

Another great thing about the Sharingan is that I can copy ninjutsu from other people. It may sound cheating but no one can deny the practicality of it. I certainly found use for it when I copied medical ninjutsus from other villages, including my own village, and used them for Hidden Leaves' benefit. And I certainly found use for it here as I became the invisible nurse of the children here on the isle.

As soon as treatment was done, I carefully brought the boy to his treehouse and let him sleep there. I was just not comfortable brining the boy back to his house where his mother would just beat him senseless, but I still can't risk revealing myself to the population.

"Yen Sid." I started as I approached the Wizard in his quarters. "Can't you do something for these children?" I asked the Wizard as sat on the chair that's near to the old man. "Sooner or later, they will die from the abuse of their parents and peers."

"I've already sent the King of Auradon a few letters about the children of villains." Yen Sid reassured me. "I have yet to receive a single reply from the esteemed King."

"Is it possible that the King, no matter how benevolent he is, is ignoring your letters?" I proposed the hypothesis to the Wizard before me. "As you said, everyone here, apart from me, was an enemy to someone in the mainland." I explained my line of thinking. "The only reason that these people were resurrected was because even after death some these people," I stated as I gestured towards the door. "Wouldn't stop terrorizing their enemies." I finished.

"That certainly is a possibility." I heard the old man agree with me. "Let me see what I can do."

As soon as I showed my way out, I found a mirror my reflection caught my attention. I admit that being invisible to the populace has made me neglectful of my appearance. I was definitely more untidy than I was before, my hair was certainly longer than I remembered it.

"You haven't aged one bit." I heard Yen Sid comment. "Ever since I saw you attending some seminars about technology, you haven't displayed physical signs of aging." The Wizard stated as he ran his finger through his beard.

Apart from the longer hair and untidy appearance, I definitely noticed that I still looked the same as I did on the day I died.

"Probably one of the many side effects of me being from another world." I shrugged as I retrieved a kunai from my holster.

With the kunai knife in my hands, I unceremoniously shortened the length of my hair to the same way I remembered them.

"Let me even that out for you." The Wizard offered.

I was hesitant to accept Yen Sid's offer. I mean, you'd think that someone who hasn't shortened his beard didn't do so because he doesn't know how.

In the end, I accepted his offer and got a proper haircut.

[volklana]

What Do You Say When Words Are Not Enough (Part Two)

Read Part One Here:

Part Two: El Gitano del Amor

This chapter is very Tony based. Some sexual undertones that you might not be used to seeing on this blog, so very interested to see what you make of that, as always please let me know x

The scene where Tony and Reader go dancing was heavily influenced by this scene from the Ugly Truth (2009) and the song I imagined them dancing to, and which this chapter is named after, is the same from that scene which can be found here if you’d like to listen as you’re reading. 

Summary: Bucky broke your heart completely, and though you never thought you could love someone like that ever again, after Tony confesses he has carried feelings for you for a long time, could you find it in you to take another chance on love? Will Bucky let you?

Warnings: Sexual undertones between reader and Tony.

Words: c. 2,282

You spent the next few days keeping out of Tony’s way, you really weren’t trying to be cruel but you were so utterly confused, when just a few days ago you had been slowly trying to come to terms with the fact that you were alone and now someone you had known for years, someone you trusted implicitly was professing his love for you.

But yet, you couldn’t seem to get him off your mind, you found yourself remembering that kiss, how it had made you feel, and then the what ifs would creep in.

What if you gave it a go and he left you, just like Bucky?

Or what if after a few weeks he realised that the real you was very different to the one he thought he was in love with?

What if? What if? What if?

What if he was the love of your life and you just had to give him a chance?

You threw the covers off you and got out of bed, you couldn’t sleep with all the ‘what ifs’ swimming around your brain, so you decided there was only one thing you could do and that was go talk to him.

As you climbed down the stairs towards his lab, your heart was in your mouth, and as he appeared before you it seemed to stop altogether. He was working on a machine of some sort, black rings under his eyes and looking like he hadn’t slept properly in years.

He hadn’t.

At first he didn’t notice you and you watched him work silently for a few moments until he caught you out of the corner of his eye, and momentarily stilled.

“You’ve been avoiding me,” he stated simply.

“I have,” you admitted picking at a loose thread on your shorts “It’s not excusable, but I’ve been trying to figure it all out.”

“You’ve thought about what I said?” he asked in a way that he believed masked the insecurity behind the question.

It didn’t.

“It’s all I’ve thought about since,” you answered honestly, hoping that he would turn around and look at you, and smiling gently when he finally did, and you watched a little smile flutter across his face.

“I’ve been going crazy trying to figure it all out on my own and I guess I thought that maybe I didn’t need to, that maybe I could come to you?”

“Y/n, you know you can. C’mon you know me!”

“I thought I did Tony, but how could I have missed your feelings. How was I so blind?”

He placed his tools down and wiped his hands with a rag before coming closer and taking your hand in his and placing a kiss to your knuckles, “You were in love y/n. How could you have possibly seen?”

You hung your head and he hooked his finger under your chin making you look up at him.

“Talk to me, tell me what’s going on in that beautiful head of yours.”

“Ever since we kissed I can’t stop thinking about you, I can’t stop replaying moments in my head, before Bucky, I thought we were just friends then but if I’m honest there was always something else underlying it wasn’t there?” to this he nodded with a soft smile “but I’m still healing, he really hurt me Tony and I’m not sure I’m completely over that just yet.”

“You think I don’t know that sweetheart?” he soothed “I’m not expecting you to forget about him, I know what you had, all I’m saying is that you deserve a chance to be happy and I think, I think I could make you happy eventually. But I will never push you, anything we do or don’t do would be completely at the pace you want to go.”

You smiled, feeling like the weight of worlds had been lifted from your shoulders, and felt yourself blush a little at the fact that he was still holding your hand.

“Look leave aside my feelings,” Tony smirked “let’s just go out and have some fun, enjoy each other’s company, whatever happens happens and whatever doesn’t, well I’ll be sorry but I won’t regret trying, not with you.”

You smiled shyly and nodded “Ok.”

He silently celebrated and then spun you around and dipped you, “Does madam by any chance like dancing?”  he enquired over your shocked giggles and as he pulled you back up you felt a spark ignite in your stomach.

“She likes it very much,” you replied tone teasing.

“Good, I’m taking you dancing tomorrow night,” he announced and you felt genuine excitement for the first time in months.

As Nat was walking out of the gym that morning you approached her timidly.

“I need your help,” you told her and she immediately dropped her bag and was by your side in an instant.

“It’s nothing serious but I need you to not ask me any questions I just need you to help.”

“Anything!” she promised.

“I need you to make me look good tonight,”

She gasped and put her hands over her mouth “You have a date?”

You looked like a deer caught in headlights as you hushed her “Please Nat, you promised, no questions.”

“No questions!” she promised quieting down “But I am going to make you look bomb, trust me!”

“So where exactly are you heading?” she asked as you emerged from the shower and she raised her hands to claim innocence “I’m not asking to be nosy, I’m asking so I can guess what to do with your hair.”

“I’m going dancing,” you confessed and you watched Nat mask the excitement on her face extremely well, “I know just the dress for you, sit down and we’ll start on your hair.”

“Ok you can look now,” She said turning you around to look in the floor length mirror, and your jaw fell open as you gasped.

“Nat what did you do?” you asked smile so wide it hurt as you shamelessly checked yourself out in the mirror. The little black dress she gave you hugged your figure in all the right places and you couldn’t help but run your hands down your sides.

“Oh honey that’s all you, all I did was bring it out,” she teased with a light smack to your butt.

You spun around and pulled her into a hug and she laughed easily against you, “You’re welcome,” she laughed, “Now go get him…whoever he is.”

You were meeting Tony at the venue because you didn’t want to arise suspicions by leaving together and even though his driver tried to make small talk with you on the ride you were ridiculously nervous, you hadn’t been on a date since, well Bucky and before Bucky it had been years, but mostly it was good nerves with a hint of excitement.

Tony had refused to tell you where you were going and so the whole night was going to be a surprise for you and you’d never done anything like this before.

The doorman led you to the table where Tony was seated and as soon as he saw you he rose to his feet. You watched him visibly swallow as he looked you up and down, biting on his bottom lip and you decided you definitely owed Nat a few drinks just for that reaction alone.

As you came to a stop in front of Tony he came forward to give you a kiss on the cheek.

“Y/n you look…I can’t even begin to tell you how beautiful you look,”

“Well if it’s made Tony Stark speechless I’m going to guess that Nat did good?”

“She did good!” he agreed “Hi sweetheart,”

“Hi,” you smiled shyly and took your seat, as he moved to sit back on his one across from you.

Soon drinks were flowing and you were leaned close to each other to hear over the Latin-American music playing in the background.

You laughed loudly as Tony was in the middle of a tall tale about he had set Rhodes up for a date with a super model, and as his story wound down he looked you fondly in the eyes, reaching for your hand across the table he smiled more so to himself than you “I love making you laugh, you have such a great laugh.”

Your smile slipped off your face, remembering some of Bucky’s parting words to you, as Tony’s face suddenly looked panicked.

“Did I say something wrong?”

“No. No,” you shook your head reaching across the table to brush the pad of your thumb across his cheek “No you didn’t.”

His hand immediately flew up to catch your hand as you moved it away from his face, and he spent a few seconds just looking into your eyes.

“I’m not used to this,” he told you finally looking away.

“Used to what?” you coaxed gently.

“Being nervous around a lady,” he confessed and you laughed light-heartedly again.

“That’s because you’re Tony Stark, playboy extraordinaire.”

“I was,” he agreed.

“Not anymore?” you wondered with a cock of your head. You were teasing and he knew so he relaxed back into his chair.

“Not anymore,” he confirmed with a wink “At least I don’t want to be like that anymore.”

You played with the olive in your martini as you shyly answered “I don’t want you to be like that anymore either.”

“Oh yeah and what Tony Stark would you like me to be?” he asked with a smirk.

“The real one, not the one you pretend to be for the rest of the world.,” you answered so truthfully he had to take a swig of his drink.

You laughed to yourself as he downed the rest of his drink and urged you to do the same.

“I believe I promised the lady a dance,” he smirked taking your hand and pulling you out onto the dance floor.

Tony took the lead, pulling you close to his body and then spinning you away, dipping you low and then pulling you flush against his chest again.

You found yourself biting down profusely on your bottom lip because who on earth could have predicted that he would know how to dance like this?

You turned your body away from him and he pulled your hips back until you were rubbing against him as he attached his lips to your neck, and you began to grind against him, and he groaned gutturally in your ear, you moved your hand up to rest in his hair and his hands roamed up the sides of your body and across the soft fabric against your stomach.

You had no idea where this spark of sexual electricity had come from, but it made you wonder why you had never noticed it with Tony before, especially when he finally turned you back around to face him and it looked like he wanted to eat you alive.

His hands moved down to your lower back as he pulled you impossibly closer and you almost shrieked when he dipped you low and pressed a kiss to the exposed skin of your neck, he laughed and it was the goddamn sexiest thing you had ever seen.

As he pulled you back up, you flipped you hair over one shoulder, and allowed him to turn you around again, pulling your hips back against him, and he placed quick kisses down your bare shoulder.

“Tonight, the way you look,” he was almost panting “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

You turned in his arms, snaking your arms around his neck and pressing your lips to his, and feeling a fire burning in your stomach when he responded, by grasping the hair at the nape of your neck, forcing you to lift your head so he could kiss you deeper.

On the car ride back to the tower, you didn’t speak a word and the tension in the air could literally be cut with a knife, you were afraid to even look his way for fear of your actions.

“Remember, not a word of seeing us tonight!” he ordered his driver and he swore his silence.

You walked slightly ahead, carrying your heels in your hand and head slightly fuzzy.

As soon as he stepped into the elevator beside you, it was like a magnetic field of energy as you came together, and he pushed you against the wall of the elevator, completely ignoring when the doors opened and closed on your floor and the elevator continued up to his floor.

“Wait, wait y/n,” he urged softly placing his hands on your shoulders breaking the kiss, “Believe me I never ever say things like this, but are you sure?” You looked like you were about to argue and he kissed your forehead “If it’s too soon for you, if we’re moving too fast we don’t have to do this. You can come in and we can have a few more drinks before we go to sleep. I’d love for you to stay with me tonight but nothing needs to happen.”

He was right, you knew he was right, you’d both had a lot to drink and you were so caught up in him at the moment that you could have easily rushed straight in, you were thankful he was thinking clearly.

“You’re right,” you agreed and he dropped his head to your chest and you stroked his hair.

“I can’t believe I talked us out of mind-blowing drunken sex. Me… I did that.”

You couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief either as the elevator doors opened and he took you by the hand leading you into his apartment.

Tagging: @creideamhgradochas @sydsyd1874 @ifoundlove-x0vanessa0x @markandjackaremysuperheros @ravens-2nd-blog @knittingknerdy @shamvictoria11 @buckysberrie @assembletheimagines @jennifers-bread @dearthofequanimity @sneakingpixiejutsu @bovaria @fvckingavengers @angryschnauzer @beccaanne814-blog @wellthatsrandomkek @3brosangel @palaiasaurus64​ @hellomissmabel ​​ @mitra-k-w @nikkitia7​ @fantasticimpaladoctor @angel34jolly-blog @feelmyroarrrr @marvelingatthewonder @james-bionic-barnes @fabulous-dani @voidjillybean @candyrogers @sebseyesandbuckysthighs @pimpaladestiel @tinaferraldo @andhiseyesweregreen @frickin-bats @britishrogue24​ @alwayssmilepretty @buckyywiththegoodhair  @pandarosita @iiharu-kunii  @givemethatgold @fandom-hoe101 @moreinfinite @lilasiannerd @buckyb-avengers @avengerofyourheart @flowercrownsandmetallicarms @littlemissglassgirl @mytasterpeculiar @angel34jolly-blog @movingonto-betterthings @captain-amelia-bradley

[leodottavioleandrodottavio-blog]

Leandro Dottavio | Leo Dottavio | Athletics: It's Greater than Simply A Video game

If a person were to assess a football, basketball, or softball video game, they may be thrilled with an athletic play or support on a specific team. Eventually, they would involve the final thought that the point is to win the video game. Still, win or lose, it is just a game. Although winning is the objective all athletes want to get to, sports is far more than just a game. Athletics, specifically at the collegiate degree, is a laboratory for the development of future A-player workers. An A-player is a top-level staff member who is a fantastic leader, role model, and achieves success. Hiring one A-player will certainly change an organisation substantially as well as with appropriate tactics to retain valued staff members, A-players will certainly attract much more excellent quality workers.

  According to the National Collegiate Athletic Organization (NCAA) the percent of athletes who continue their athletic jobs skillfully is tiny. 1.6% of all NCAA football players will play in the NFL, 0.9% of all ladies's basketball players get the opportunity to play in the WNBA, as well as 1.4% of guys football gamers continue their university profession at the specialist level. In the 2013-2014 university year, 472,625 athletes participated in 23 NCAA sports throughout the country. However, the possibility of playing skillfully are extremely slim and numerous skilled athletes need to carry on from sports and also enter the workplace after finishing from college.

Leo Dottavio

The bright side for lots of businesses is that professional athletes are elevated to be exceptional workers. I believe a businessman needs to employ an athlete as his next worker because:

  1. Professional athletes are accomplishment oriented

2. Professional athletes are durable

3. Professional athletes are strong communicators

4. Athletes are group oriented

5. Athletes are outstanding with time monitoring

  Most professional athletes have a burning desire to be affordable. A professional athlete not just contends versus an opponent, but they also fight for a setting on the team with other colleagues. Collegiate athletics is an organisation as well as each professional athlete is expected to produce or playing time and/or spot on the group can be in jeopardy. Success oriented people decline to be contented as well as have a tendency to never be satisfied. It is essential to constantly offer professional athletes goals to pursue in the workplace. Contending is enjoyable for them and a business will benefit greatly from a professional athlete's competition.

  Sports promote resiliency and overcoming adversity in order to come to be successful. Conquering misfortunes emerge in different types throughout an athletic career. Athletes are anticipated to manage injuries, adapt to uncontrollables like an umpire's strike zone as well as compete to the conclusion of a game also if it feels like a victory is out of reach. Those that are durable attain success. As an example, in 2004, the Boston Red Sox were down three games to the Yankees for the American Organization Championship Series. It would have been very easy to surrender but the Boston Red Sox declined to surrender and the baseball group revealed their resilience by winning four games straight and afterwards onto win the World Series. Athletes decline to let the uncontrollables bring them down; they will certainly deal with, scratch, and also claw to reach their goals. A worker with this mindset will certainly be an impactful participant of business and will certainly contribute to developing a culture of success.

Leandro Dottavio

Particularly in a group sporting activity, an athlete is required to have solid interaction skills. On the area, their work is to interact with teammates in order to perform plays and also motivate favorable actions with helpful cheering, therefore creating a combined ambience. Interaction is not restricted to spoken messages but is any info that is traded from someone to an additional. Effective athletes are coachable and interact continually with their coaches and also employee. Coachability is essential because without buy-in from both the coaching personnel and also colleagues, communication comes to be vulnerable or damaged creating indecisiveness, absence of count on, as well as an uncertainty. As a supervisor, you desire your staff members to whole-heartedly trust the process, be open to useful criticism, and communicate with behavior, comments, and permitting oneself to be coachable. Because an athlete is achievement oriented and affordable, they often tend to be one action in advance of non-athletes and will comply for the success of the business.

  The advantage of becoming part of a team is most likely the biggest attribute a professional athlete can offer the work environment. Being group oriented motivates altruism, factor to consider of others' society as well as feelings, and represents something a lot larger than one person. Professional athletes function well with others and realize that their actions are a straight reflection of the group and organization. Problems constantly develop in a group, however when you are around the very same people more than you hang around with family, you find out to handle and also communicate with others as you pursue an usual objective.

  Last but not least, a college athlete would certainly be a great possession to a company due to their experience handling time sensibly. The NCAA mandates all professional athletes enroll in at the very least twelve debt hours as well as preserve a 2.0 or greater grade point average. Professional athletes are additionally required to have a specific percent towards their degree completed annually in order to participate in their sport. Depending upon the Division (I, II, or III) and also the college, a professional athlete is additionally anticipated to excel in a toughness as well as conditioning program along with attend technique. Juggling academics, practice, as well as stamina and also conditioning is a job most fresher battle with their first year, yet by the end of an athlete's occupation, they end up being a master of time monitoring. The capability to manage time eases stress and anxiety and also protects against being bewildered as well as reduces drop-offs in efficiency.

  To conclude, a former student-athlete is an excellent prospect for a company' next A-player. It might look different while they are contending in their sporting activity, however college professional athletes make an effect on as well as off the field. Athletics construct personality and the sporting activity will press a gamer's beyond their perceived limitations. Athletes are constantly provided a selection and those that persist with a grueling yet gratifying four-year career progress people, far better professional athletes, and also have the devices to be contributing participants of culture. Venture Rent-A-Car is one of the most well known supporter in the hiring of college professional athletes. In April 2012, they signed a collaboration with Job Athletes LLC to widen recruitment of former student-athletes. Various other firms connected with Profession Athletes LLC include Urban Educator Facility, Northwestern Mutual, Stryker, as well as Federated Insurance coverage.

[pastordorry-blog]

John 3:16

“Let’s Talk about Believing"

John 6:16-29

John Week 4

August 5, 201

            I brought in something to show you this morning.  My mother cross-stitched this for me many years ago.  It's the King James Version of John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life."  This piece is one of my favorite things in the whole house, in part because my mom made it for me, but also because I love this verse. For God so loved the world—the Greek here is “ha cosmos”.  Cosmos, as in the universe.  Cosmos, as in cosmopolitan. God loves the whole wide, populated world!  He offers new and eternal life to all people, not just an exclusive group.  As often as I have preached and taught that, I still kind of marvel that I am part of God’s beloved!  

But to really take hold of this new life, we have to believe.  What does that mean, to believe?  Do people just need to sign on the dotted line for Jesus, and they're good?  Christianity has been deeply marred by people who claim to be Christians yet whose actions do not reflect Christ at all.  We put as our key verse this morning, "The work of God is this:  to believe in the one he has sent." Our key task is to BELIEVE, and we will have everlasting life.  We will eat of that food that endures for eternal life, as we read in our gospel lesson this morning.  But what does it mean to believe in Jesus?

         It certainly must mean more than simply declaring, "I am a believer." After all, the devil himself believes in Jesus whole-heartedly!  The book of James tells us that the lower demons "believe and tremble".  They are believers in Jesus--but they are hell-bent on evil.  They understand perfectly well who Jesus is.  What is missing is not in their brains but in their hearts.  They have absolutely no relationship with the love and grace of God.

         This past school year I taught a confirmation class at Newtown UMC. One of the things we focused on is the Apostles’ Creed.  This is one of the oldest summaries of what Christians “believe.” We wanted the confirmands to not only memorize it, but to understand it.  You may remember memorizing it yourself in your confirmation class.  But of course, we hope it will go way beyond just memorizing and understanding!  We hope our confirmands will give their hearts to God.  This is what we the word “believe” really means to Christians.

This is quite a bit different from how the world defines the word “believe.”   For modern people like us, believing usually means giving our mental assent to the truth of a claim.  We associate believing with being able to prove that something is factually true. When we say the Apostles Creed or other affirmations of faith, we stand as an act of worship.  I always assumed we stood because these are the beliefs we stand for, this is what we accept as true.

         But it turns out, this is a very new meaning to the world believe.  The basic meaning of the word credo, which we translate as I believe, is "I give my heart to."  Until the 1600's, when Christians recited the Apostles or Nicene Creeds, they understood that by saying, "I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord..." They were really saying, "I give my heart to God the Father Almighty". I give my heart to Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord.  I give my heart to the Holy Spirit.  

         So if we apply that understanding of the word believe to John 3:16, it's not people who simply profess an intellectual agreement that Jesus is the Son of God that will inherit eternal life.  It's the people who GIVE THEIR HEARTS to Jesus who receive everlasting life. It's not the people who can accept as literally true every word in the gospels who get to enjoy the bread of life. It's the people who give their hearts to Jesus.  That is the work God calls us to do.  To give our hearts to the one he has sent.

         That is why we stand, if we are able, when we affirm our faith in worship.  It is not unlike how we stand to say our marriage vows.  We don’t stand and say profess our faith from our intellect.  We profess it from the heart.  Which makes me wonder, then:  how good of a job am I doing, giving my heart to God?  Am I truly in love with God?  

This is a hard question.  First of all, is it truly Jesus we are in love with—or do we see only what we want to see?  Jesus had some blunt words for the people who were there for the miracle feeding, and then came looking for him the next day.  I think Jesus knew they were following him because they wanted him to be like Moses:  give them food and overthrow the Romans.  But Jesus came to do a lot more than that!  He came not to just give us food that would feed us for a day.  He came to give us HIMSELF:  food that will feed us forever.  And so it becomes a question not only of quality—is it really Christ I’m seeking?—as well as quantity.  There is always more of Christ for us to take in and share.

Methodists, of course, have METHODS for doing this.  John Wesley called them the “means of grace”—those spiritual practices that help us receive and leverage God’s prevenient, justifying, and sanctifying grace.  Worshipping together is certainly one method for getting to know Jesus better.  So is studying alone and in groups. Serving.  Fasting.  Giving. Prayer.  All of these are means of grace, ways, we can accept Jesus' invitation, sit ourselves down at God's table, and get to know him.  Our goal is not to get our own needs met, but to build a love relationship with him.  To see what makes him tick, and share what matters most to us, and develop a bond of love that lasts into eternity.  

Believing is not a once and done thing.  As we have talked about recently, there is no such thing as a spiritual plateau. Either we are growing in love and grace—or we are sliding away from God.  But growth, as we talked about last week, is risky.  You’ve got to crack some eggs to make an omelet, which means it’s not always easy to tell if we are growing toward God—or in a chaos that is taking us away from God.

Believing is all about relationship, and the real test is what happens over time. In my relationship with God, there have been many messy times.  Many dark times.  But looking back over it, the trajectory has always been moving me toward more love for neighbor, more love for self, more love for God.  Ultimately that is why I “believe” in Jesus.  As I have gotten to know him better, I am happier.  I find I feel more loved, more loving, more grateful, more alive, and more like my best self.  I am becoming a new creation.  We call that transformation.  That is the bread Jesus wants us to work for!  

Last year at annual conference, I was supposed to be paying attention, but I will admit, I got distracted and found myself reading an article on how many older people in America are searching for a romantic partner.  The article was written by an American psychologist, Dr. Ian Kerner, and he said he meets a lot of people looking for love who are very frustrated.  He thinks that is mostly because they are looking for the wrong thing.  They have a list, and they are looking for someone who meets their criteria.  Instead of a checklist, he said, "Dating should be like buying art:  You want to find someone that moves you--that you want to take home and frame.  But so many of us already walk around with our fames, seeing the world through narrow expectations of what a partner should be."

         No one buys art for the frame.  We buy art because what is inside the frame moves us.  It brings us joy or peace or hope or comfort or challenge.  This piece I brought in for your today, it's not special to me because of the frame.  The frame is just a structure for holding the love in place.  While Jesus was engaged in his earthly ministry, he met many people who were so obsessed with the frame, they couldn't see the artistry inside. The crowd ate the food Jesus gave them, and put him in the frame of "meal ticket".  The disciples saw Jesus walk on water and put him in the frame of "miracle worker".  They wanted to put him in the frame of “overthrower of those mean Romans”.  But did they see the love Jesus had for them?  Did they see how Jesus was willing to sacrifice for them?  Did they see how Jesus gave up everything for them?  Did they allow the truth of who Jesus was to MOVE them?

         There is so much in this one chapter of the Bible.  Jesus feeds the people, he challenges the people, and in the middle, he walks on water!  Wow! We could spend a month just in this chapter alone.  What does it mean to you, that Jesus would travel into Gentile territory to share the good news? What does it mean to you that Jesus would walk on water to be near his disciples and comfort them? What does it mean to you that Jesus would essentially walk across the cosmos to be near us?  

What it means to me is, Jesus really loves us. All of us!  And we get to love him back.  We get to come to the communion table and pledge our love to God. But, amazingly, we get to come to the communion table and receive the grace we need to love God more.  This table is an extension of that very same love, that very same power, that moved people to give their hearts to Jesus 2,000 years ago.  Helping us BELIEVE—helping us give our hearts to Jesus--that is the purpose of communion in a nutshell.  Belief—the ability to love God more fully--gets made for us, through the power of the Holy Spirit, at work in this meal, in our congregation, and in our hearts.

         For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosever believeth in him, should not perish but have everlasting life.  This is the work God calls us to:  to believe. To give our hearts to Jesus and receive the bread that lasts forever.  Come to the table, and commune with Christ.  Allow the truth of his love to move you, and believe.  Amen.

[itesfashion]

The Indisputable Truth About Economical Essay Composing System That No One Is Giving On You

The Indisputable Truth About Economical Essay Composing System That No One Is Giving On You

If you ever haven’t lots of time to write an essay, next the whole gang of pro authors from our essay posting services are geared up to help you to herein. It isn’t not difficult to prepare an essay that is excellent from any point of view. In the case of university students, it’s the tailored essay producing system which assists to absolutely describe and create the comprehensive essay.

The Biggest Thought You Will Need To Seek out Low priced Essay Composing Service

Stop by 2015 cause and effect essay topics unique essay writing provider for receiving a unique tactics to generate your essay good one. In addition, this is a mix of artistic and publicistic styles. To guarantee your essay is very primary, your individualized essay publishing solution should be in a position to provide you with a plagiarism state free of charge. Some good methods are essential where by it may well help out with seeking the finest essay writing assistance that might wind up being much beneficial to you with the correct mode. Most of the time, it can get too difficult to post essay for cheap. In addition to that, it should guarantee that the essay is suitably prepared. An amazing error-100 % free essay is important to speak your message clearly.

If you purchase a personalized essay and it has to be a enticing essay and also you retrieve a crucial essay, you may be given an awful level. By executing a little deliver the results, you quite often take the suitable custom essay formulating services. Custom made essay creating products and services need to be removed from the optimum business.

The Standard Info of Low-priced Essay Producing Service

An essay will need to incorporate all things in the right formatting. For that reason, it’s incredibly significant for any university students to upload an essay that meets a very good quality. The essay composing services are something which will write your essays as outlined by your unique operating instructions. In addition, the specialized essay formulating service providers have experts who have got a in depth information about the time and hence they don’t have to deal with any obstacle about the issue selection.

Cheaper Essay Creating Service Strategies That No One Else Knows About

If you’re trying to find a great-superior but economical essay posting system, United states Essay is really what you require. If you are looking for top essay writing businesses, try the already mentioned. If you go through many of the prominent essay writing program critical reviews online, you will know why our service is thought to be on the list of finest in the domain name of college essay composing system. On the internet essays are expensiveIf you are interested in good essays on the net, you have got to be prepared to element with decent money. Deciding on the perfect essay formulating company is capable of keep your requirements satisfied in the best system.

If you’re not certain of solutions to wring an essay or require anyone to assist you, examine phoning a pro service due to the very finest essay writing service, available on the web. A highly effective essay wants the writer to jolt reduced the entire critical items in such a method the fact that the reader wouldn’t be getting rid of his attention. Filtering reputable and economical essay publishing program isn’t a fairly easy errand.

Affordable Essay Crafting Services – Useless or In existence?

For a few many people, creating essays is considered the most aggravating duties on the earth. For anyone who is working to get enable on very best essay creating solution, think of speaking to knowledgeable agency as it. There are several points to consider in choosing the suitable essay authoring providers you aquired online because of rip-offs and incorrect advertising. If you’re seeking the optimal essay posting provider in British then Uniresearchers will be the treatment. Assessing the publishing varieties Only you might actually assistance all by yourself to uncover the most beneficial essay publishing firm. The right publishing essay producing system will even assign the actual exact same publisher to everyone your essays in order that every one of your essays are set up in the same sculpt.

To decide on a provider for the greatest essay formulating provider, you will need to observe several behaviors and guidelines. If you’re not happy with our services or perhaps you demand a revision, we’re at all times on this website that may help you whole-heartedly. The solution really should include a complimentary proofreading feature far too. You can’t just heart on finding the most cost effective essay provider hunting for anyone to create my essay for affordable and expect to have an amazing thing.

Don’t go with the most cost effective essay authoring service you might find. If you’re thrilled with this companies, you may also assemble the get for exactly the same blogger. You might consider absolutely require the companies supplied by our qualified authors and trainees know that they’ll find a very good deal in your very difficult claimed hard earned cash. The solution will need to provide the essay inside of time constraint with faultless distribution clear of bargain about them. The essay information businesses offer you a plagiarism 100 % free information and that means you don’t really need to be concerned about your marks.

The low-cost essay writing isn’t a fantasy but a nice truth that will deliver your goal. Essay posting is reasonably dissimilar to claim posting. This is a very important aspect of a young people academic programs and contains an important effects on the transcript also. Reflective essay formulating is one thing which you will perform all through your education and learning. Project essay creating is a sort of producing that you have to excel at. Technological advances essay publishing is not any numerous to numerous different essays when it respect the general procedures you need to comply with.

All posting products and services market their firm, even so the most effective way for the best is observing their samples. The producing system offers an online world service for seven days and 1 day. The world-wide-web research assignment guidance agencies stick a strict plagiarism insurance policy and do not includes anything that’s been replicated from totally different sources. Many of the companies present an very affordable essay producing services, rendering it cost effective for most learners. It happens to be easy to entirely count on the services provided by our professional writers and individuals can be certain they are going to find the best agreement on your tough triumphed money. If you wish to investment our essay assistance on the net, you should know our authors enjoy the up coming functionality. The essay suggestions service providers give you a plagiarism complimentary articles so you don’t need to be concerned about your levels.

Anything you within your essay needs to be sensible and dependant upon the knowledge that you simply have compiled. In addition to that, it need to ensure the fact that essay is appropriately prepared. Specialized essay publishing services currently is a particularly frequent company among the college students.

Observe the good spelling after you proofread your essay. Example essays can even be extremely tricky if there is a demand to have an illustration due to the fact in some cases student ignore the notion of the example and prepare some contradictory phrases in the long term. As a result, it’s well-advised that you choose to decide upon any on the list of previous example essay case then its of course to offer the capability to fetch exceptional levels for yourself.

If you wish to compose an essay, and then there are specific points you have to want to know. Thus, it’s highly important for those learners to post an essay that meets a extremely high high quality. Set merely, precisely what motive do you desire to communicate in the essay. A good essay demands the author to jolt reduced the various crucial issues in such a process the fact that the viewer wouldn’t be losing his fascination. In many cases, it can get too much to publish essay for affordable. Yet another type of commencing this essay is to discuss some occasion and investigate its results. Looking for a good essay formulating company has brought actually tricky.

When you’re all set to write an essay to have a individual, it is possible to remain faithful to a listing so that you can ensure your essay can be really worth the energy. It isn’t not hard to write an essay that you will find great from every position. Any person can order tailored essays and written documents as a result of stuffing in your needed style on its blog. Employing a tailor made reports crafting support can be a profession then one really should be somewhat thorough while you are carrying this out. Authoring a term pieces of paper is known as a employment which may perhaps deal with simply and they’re visiting supply prompt service to you. Our newspapers aren’t only enlightening and imaginative but also grammatically ideal and uncomplicated to study. For one more thing, ensure that you acquire reused newspapers on your business office use.

If you’re doing an essay, try to find the expertise of a relatively inexpensive essay publishing assistance to provide you with a example of their get the job done. As with every other essay, the story essay should start with deciding upon a good area. Authoring narrative essay is believed to be the easiest and a lot of exciting sort of essay to create. While you obtain low cost paper essays on line, you may be totally certain that it’ll be 100% unique.

Your essay may well be a rather simple detailed description of any technology or it could be argumentative or simply just a critique of any engineering aspect. Entire, essays have come as a significant an element of the educational background strategy on the huge volume of areas. A enticing essay is commonly used to tell the site visitors to acknowledge to particular standpoint. A way to the most suitable essay is by WritePaperFor.Me. Eventually, posting a concise essay will allow people to come back and clear up any glitches you could have made. Could very well be required to create British AP essay, Historical past AP essay, Biology AP essay and many more, regardless of what this issue is, you solely must stick to the furnished suggestions.

The post The Indisputable Truth About Economical Essay Composing System That No One Is Giving On You appeared first on Guest Blogging Platform for Jewelry & Fashion.

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The Indisputable Truth About Economical Essay Composing System That No One Is Giving On You

The Indisputable Truth About Economical Essay Composing System That No One Is Giving On You

If you ever haven’t lots of time to write an essay, next the whole gang of pro authors from our essay posting services are geared up to help you to herein. It isn’t not difficult to prepare an essay that is excellent from any point of view. In the case of university students, it’s the tailored essay producing system which assists to absolutely describe and create the comprehensive essay.

The Biggest Thought You Will Need To Seek out Low priced Essay Composing Service

Stop by 2015 cause and effect essay topics unique essay writing provider for receiving a unique tactics to generate your essay good one. In addition, this is a mix of artistic and publicistic styles. To guarantee your essay is very primary, your individualized essay publishing solution should be in a position to provide you with a plagiarism state free of charge. Some good methods are essential where by it may well help out with seeking the finest essay writing assistance that might wind up being much beneficial to you with the correct mode. Most of the time, it can get too difficult to post essay for cheap. In addition to that, it should guarantee that the essay is suitably prepared. An amazing error-100 % free essay is important to speak your message clearly.

If you purchase a personalized essay and it has to be a enticing essay and also you retrieve a crucial essay, you may be given an awful level. By executing a little deliver the results, you quite often take the suitable custom essay formulating services. Custom made essay creating products and services need to be removed from the optimum business.

The Standard Info of Low-priced Essay Producing Service

An essay will need to incorporate all things in the right formatting. For that reason, it’s incredibly significant for any university students to upload an essay that meets a very good quality. The essay composing services are something which will write your essays as outlined by your unique operating instructions. In addition, the specialized essay formulating service providers have experts who have got a in depth information about the time and hence they don’t have to deal with any obstacle about the issue selection.

Cheaper Essay Creating Service Strategies That No One Else Knows About

If you’re trying to find a great-superior but economical essay posting system, United states Essay is really what you require. If you are looking for top essay writing businesses, try the already mentioned. If you go through many of the prominent essay writing program critical reviews online, you will know why our service is thought to be on the list of finest in the domain name of college essay composing system. On the internet essays are expensiveIf you are interested in good essays on the net, you have got to be prepared to element with decent money. Deciding on the perfect essay formulating company is capable of keep your requirements satisfied in the best system.

If you’re not certain of solutions to wring an essay or require anyone to assist you, examine phoning a pro service due to the very finest essay writing service, available on the web. A highly effective essay wants the writer to jolt reduced the entire critical items in such a method the fact that the reader wouldn’t be getting rid of his attention. Filtering reputable and economical essay publishing program isn’t a fairly easy errand.

Affordable Essay Crafting Services – Useless or In existence?

For a few many people, creating essays is considered the most aggravating duties on the earth. For anyone who is working to get enable on very best essay creating solution, think of speaking to knowledgeable agency as it. There are several points to consider in choosing the suitable essay authoring providers you aquired online because of rip-offs and incorrect advertising. If you’re seeking the optimal essay posting provider in British then Uniresearchers will be the treatment. Assessing the publishing varieties Only you might actually assistance all by yourself to uncover the most beneficial essay publishing firm. The right publishing essay producing system will even assign the actual exact same publisher to everyone your essays in order that every one of your essays are set up in the same sculpt.

To decide on a provider for the greatest essay formulating provider, you will need to observe several behaviors and guidelines. If you’re not happy with our services or perhaps you demand a revision, we’re at all times on this website that may help you whole-heartedly. The solution really should include a complimentary proofreading feature far too. You can’t just heart on finding the most cost effective essay provider hunting for anyone to create my essay for affordable and expect to have an amazing thing.

Don’t go with the most cost effective essay authoring service you might find. If you’re thrilled with this companies, you may also assemble the get for exactly the same blogger. You might consider absolutely require the companies supplied by our qualified authors and trainees know that they’ll find a very good deal in your very difficult claimed hard earned cash. The solution will need to provide the essay inside of time constraint with faultless distribution clear of bargain about them. The essay information businesses offer you a plagiarism 100 % free information and that means you don’t really need to be concerned about your marks.

The low-cost essay writing isn’t a fantasy but a nice truth that will deliver your goal. Essay posting is reasonably dissimilar to claim posting. This is a very important aspect of a young people academic programs and contains an important effects on the transcript also. Reflective essay formulating is one thing which you will perform all through your education and learning. Project essay creating is a sort of producing that you have to excel at. Technological advances essay publishing is not any numerous to numerous different essays when it respect the general procedures you need to comply with.

All posting products and services market their firm, even so the most effective way for the best is observing their samples. The producing system offers an online world service for seven days and 1 day. The world-wide-web research assignment guidance agencies stick a strict plagiarism insurance policy and do not includes anything that’s been replicated from totally different sources. Many of the companies present an very affordable essay producing services, rendering it cost effective for most learners. It happens to be easy to entirely count on the services provided by our professional writers and individuals can be certain they are going to find the best agreement on your tough triumphed money. If you wish to investment our essay assistance on the net, you should know our authors enjoy the up coming functionality. The essay suggestions service providers give you a plagiarism complimentary articles so you don’t need to be concerned about your levels.

Anything you within your essay needs to be sensible and dependant upon the knowledge that you simply have compiled. In addition to that, it need to ensure the fact that essay is appropriately prepared. Specialized essay publishing services currently is a particularly frequent company among the college students.

Observe the good spelling after you proofread your essay. Example essays can even be extremely tricky if there is a demand to have an illustration due to the fact in some cases student ignore the notion of the example and prepare some contradictory phrases in the long term. As a result, it’s well-advised that you choose to decide upon any on the list of previous example essay case then its of course to offer the capability to fetch exceptional levels for yourself.

If you wish to compose an essay, and then there are specific points you have to want to know. Thus, it’s highly important for those learners to post an essay that meets a extremely high high quality. Set merely, precisely what motive do you desire to communicate in the essay. A good essay demands the author to jolt reduced the various crucial issues in such a process the fact that the viewer wouldn’t be losing his fascination. In many cases, it can get too much to publish essay for affordable. Yet another type of commencing this essay is to discuss some occasion and investigate its results. Looking for a good essay formulating company has brought actually tricky.

When you’re all set to write an essay to have a individual, it is possible to remain faithful to a listing so that you can ensure your essay can be really worth the energy. It isn’t not hard to write an essay that you will find great from every position. Any person can order tailored essays and written documents as a result of stuffing in your needed style on its blog. Employing a tailor made reports crafting support can be a profession then one really should be somewhat thorough while you are carrying this out. Authoring a term pieces of paper is known as a employment which may perhaps deal with simply and they’re visiting supply prompt service to you. Our newspapers aren’t only enlightening and imaginative but also grammatically ideal and uncomplicated to study. For one more thing, ensure that you acquire reused newspapers on your business office use.

If you’re doing an essay, try to find the expertise of a relatively inexpensive essay publishing assistance to provide you with a example of their get the job done. As with every other essay, the story essay should start with deciding upon a good area. Authoring narrative essay is believed to be the easiest and a lot of exciting sort of essay to create. While you obtain low cost paper essays on line, you may be totally certain that it’ll be 100% unique.

Your essay may well be a rather simple detailed description of any technology or it could be argumentative or simply just a critique of any engineering aspect. Entire, essays have come as a significant an element of the educational background strategy on the huge volume of areas. A enticing essay is commonly used to tell the site visitors to acknowledge to particular standpoint. A way to the most suitable essay is by WritePaperFor.Me. Eventually, posting a concise essay will allow people to come back and clear up any glitches you could have made. Could very well be required to create British AP essay, Historical past AP essay, Biology AP essay and many more, regardless of what this issue is, you solely must stick to the furnished suggestions.

The post The Indisputable Truth About Economical Essay Composing System That No One Is Giving On You appeared first on Guest Blogging Platform for Jewelry & Fashion.

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The rich young man

A few days back me and my friend Paul was going through the scripture of Mathew 19:16-30( The story of rich young man)and we were into a serious discussion on this !!!.... it was hard for the rich young man to follow Jesus and he got upset , when Jesus told him to give all what he had to the poor and follow him,....and later on verse 29 it says " it's more easy for a camel to get through the needle eye than a rich to enter the kingdom of heaven .

Folks!!!! What do you think ???Does that mean the rich will never get into the kingdom heaven🤔!!

ABSOLUTELY NOT.

Well , in this context money was a barrier that stood between him and Christ ,it was something that kept holding him from following Christ whole heartedly ,infact the rich guy was so good that he followed all the rules that were meant to be followed by jews.

Biblically it's the idle you fall on . Now what is an idle ?? Apostle Paul says , an idle is anything that you seem to prioritise more than your GOD your Lord.

So I believe it's "ANYTHING "that you find equal or more important than God is an IDLE.

For some it is Money - I've seen people skipping a Sunday worship for a bussiness deal , for others it's cellphone-there are people who skip the service in the middle for attending a cellphone call some at least peep into their cellphone to see the Facebook or Twitter notifications , I have!! . For some it Studies - youngsters cut a Sunday service for tuition and study purposes ,at least in India. For some it is their profession, for others it's a PREMIUM LEAGUE- I'VE SEEN MY FRIENDS skipping the day time mass for IPL n FIFA..... it's alll CRAZY!!!!!!! So it's" ANYTHING" you find it hard to QUIT for God's sake.....

Let me tell you friends even if YOU give your entire money "THERE'S STILL SOME IDLE YOU HOLD ON UNKNOWINGLY " it is all the same before the ALMIGHTY GOD.

How could you expect God to bless you when you do all these . Get washed by his blood .

I'm sure if ,we were in place of the Rich young man ,Jesus would have definitely told to STOP USING YOUR CELLPHONE AND FOLLOW ME!!!! hahahaha 🤣🤣😄🤣

FREE COPYRIGHTS.

And forgive if I'm wrong before the. Lord's sight