#and then later on killing all those brides and burning down temples to get his attention?😷

[lovelysanx]

i mean sure xuan ji deserved better but some ppl forget how freaking crazy and manipulative she is😭

[jessiebanethedragon]

White Sands Warm the Cold Sea

Star Wars, The Bad Batch Pirate!au (Hunter x Reader

Summary: the reader, betrothed to a disgusting Coruscanti Lord flees her home world and lands herself in a plethora of trouble, a ship of clones, and one pirate captain whose cold exterior needs much more than the tropical seaside sun.

Warnings: Swearing, takes place in time periods where women have dowery's and suchlike. The readers dad and bothered are asses.

chapter one Chapter Two

Chapter Three: The Pirate

Hondo Ohnaka is a very simple man. What doesn’t make him money doesn’t belong in his life and anything other than that does not concern him, nor does it take up much of his time. And while some of his business ventures have earned him a less than savoury reputation the Lords of Coruscant still knew he was the only pirate tolerable to do trade with. Provided you could put up with the boisterous personality for a measurable length of time.

And so when the household had woken to your missing presence and your father had finished retching in the privy, (from shock or his nights endeavours no one could be sure) Volim Nython had already sent word to have Hondo Ohnaka found. At first, he’d laughed.

“My friend, my friend, I am a pirate! Not a bounty hunter, if you want the lass found you’re going to need to stoop lower than folks like me!”

“My own personal guard will be in charge of finding her. What I want is for you to scuttle away to whatever backwater hole you crawled out of and send a message.” The Lord had said ever so calmly.

“So send a letter!” Hondo exclaimed before frowning when his feet were not so calmly pushed from their resting spot upon the table.

“Will you do it or not?” your father asked, rubbing his temples.

“Of course!” He laughed, “for the right amount of credits.”

And thus he found himself tracking down any and all associates of his that participated in smuggling, transportation or escapes of any kind.

“Hunter!” He calls to the sergeant with open arms, pointedly ignoring the cold exterior he is greeted with. It had been a chore to even get the man to allow him to board the Havoc Marauder, let alone agree to talk with him. But standing on the deck of the ship, in the middle of the day, he can see the disdain on the ex-GAR soldier’s face.

“It’s been far too long! Last I saw you boys, you were on a campaign on geonosis and short far too many weapons.” He recalls happily.

“What do you want Hondo.” Hunter demands, and for the first time in a long time the pirate falters, the man in front of him is very different from the one in his memory. It would appear the war had killed the loving, kind hearted sergeant after all.

“Message from Coruscant.” Hondo says eyeing Hunter suspiciously. “A womans gone missing.”

“What's it to us?” He asks, placing his hand on the hilt of his trusty sword.

“Tis the bride of one Volim Nython.” The ship is silent save for the crashing of waves against the hull.

“What’s that got to do with me and my crew? We aren’t bodies for hire anymore.” Hunter seethes.

“Worry not my friend, Nython has his personal guard scouring every surface as we speak. His highness wishes only to convey a message.” Hondo says with a flourish. “Any person found to be harbouring or holding said bride, will be hanged for conspiracies to treason against the Empire. Should the person or persons involved bring forward either the living bride or sufficiently identified body of the aforementioned woman a lesser penalty will be considered at the lord's discretion.”

The group of clones bristle, they’ve been at the mercy of the Lord's discretion before, and dread to think what will happen to the poor bastard should they bring the woman in.

“I still don’t see how this concerns us.” Hunter says, unimpressed.

“Well, i figured something like this would be right up your alley-”

“We are not bounty hunters.” He interrupts.

“I mean hiding the poor lass,” Hondo corrects with a frown, always so touchy these clones. “If you happen to find yourselves in the business of sanctuary I would not recommend you find yourself in that business for long.” He pauses and looks at Tech, Wrecker and Crosshair before leaning in and lowering his voice.

“They’ve already killed half of the household.” He tells the captain with a solemn voice. And for a moment, Hunter is not on the deck of the Havoc Marauder, and the sound of waves becomes the wind whistling around artillery cannon fire.

He pushed himself and the young Wookie child further into the mud, Kashyyyk had become one big trench in dirty, bloody warfare. The child calls out in fear and Hunter closes his eyes, the barrage never ended, it never ceased, not for a moment. He would be buried in the flying rocks and dirt. Heart pounding and breaths that never seemed to catch up. It feels like years later when a batch of shinies pry his taut muscles from the ledge of ground he found solace in.

“Kriffing hells, he did it. He actually did it.” one of them murmurs as various start relaying the news and one shiny pulls the kid out of his grasp.

“It’s alright sergeant, you’re alright.”

“My Vode…” he croaks.

“Force 99 is all accounted for, waiting for you at the base.”

“And the others, the jetii -”

“General is in bacta, the legion, the survivors have been taken back to Coruscant for shore leave.”

“How many?”

“You know better than to ask those kinds of questions, sergeant…”

“How many.”

“47 total, some injured some… less injured.”

Forty seven out of ten thousand, a whole legion reduced to forty seven clones.

Hunter rips off his bucket as he reteches.

“We don’t know anything about the girl. Nython’s issues are something we tend to steer clear from.” Hunter says pushing a firm finger into his temple where the sun seems to be burning a hole.

“Well!” Hondo says, clapping his hands together, “i’d considered the message delivered and received, my work here is done!” Hunter turns his back to the pirate.

“Say why don’t we celebrate over some Spotchka!”

“Get off my ship Hondo.” Hunter says over his shoulder. Before retreating once more to the captain's quarters.

It is far too soon that there is a knock on the door. And it is just when the headache starts to clear and he can bear standing again that Hunter hears it.

“What is it?” He grunts out, placing his hat back atop his head. And he sees crosshair push the door open, allowing Tech to walk in before him. Hunter already knows this’ll be bad news, anytime the two of them conspired together and failed to include their noisey older brother, it usually resulted in some disastrous sneaking plan.

“Sarge…” tech starts, pushing the goggles over his head. “You don’t think…” Hunter raises his eyebrows daring him to continue.

“The woman.” Crosshair cuts in. moving a toothpick around. “Well, what are the chances this woman…”

“Has she been found?”

“No.” Tech responds before adding “not yet.” Watching as the captain of the ship stands and looks out the thick glass, following the viscous waves crash together at the back of the vessel.

“I guess i’ll have to do it myself then.”

Tags: @the-mandalorian-clone-lover @peacefulwizardfox @rex-meshla @s1st37 @and-claudia @kamino-mermaid @thelambandthewolffe @starwarsmeninhelmets

@bronvin @myeternalsin @sweetsunflowerkisses @loverofclones @beizm @gunsmoke-blu

[tennessoui]

omgggg yes number 45 gimme some number 45 obikin PLEASE

ok,,,,,,this is no. 1 Soulmates + no.45 in love with best friend's partner but it kinda got away from me so it's almost 2k and also like there's world-building im awful at snippets. This is obikin but also mentions of qui-gon/anakin BUT it's a fake relationship. it's not in the story, but the premise obi-wan doesn't know is that anakin needed coruscanti citizenship to get their healthcare for his mom, and qui-gon decides to help him out by marrying him to give him automatic citizenship i uh might continue this if people like it because it was fun to write whoops

“We met at the spaceport three days ago,” Anakin says with a demure little smile, curling further into Qui-Gon’s outstretched arm. The soft lamplight glints off the golden band Anakin’s wearing on his finger. Obi-Wan has had a hard time looking anywhere else since arriving in his old master’s quarters, has had a hard time thinking of anything else except that he’d always imagined Anakin wearing a more bronzed shade of gold.

It had been a shock to hear that while Obi-Wan had been out on a mission, Qui-Gon had returned to Coruscant with a husband in tow. Yes, alright, short courtships aren’t rare anywhere in the galaxy, especially between soulmates.

But Obi-Wan knows intimately well--better than anyone else in this room--that Anakin and Qui-Gon aren’t, in fact, soulmates.

Mace seems to be thinking the same thing because he states, with a slight question in his voice, “I was under the impression that your soulmate had passed into the Force, Qui-Gon.”

“We’re not soulmates,” Qui-Gon corrects placidly, arm moving away from Anakin’s shoulders--Obi-Wan can breathe again--so he can fiddle with the cuff around his wrist, which hides the faded name of his mate. “But now that the Jedi Order has lifted its marriage ban for non-Soulmate couples, I thought, why spend the rest of my life alone?”

Anakin catches Qui-Gon’s hand and places a kiss on the back of his fingers. Obi-Wan is going to scream.

When Anakin looks up to the assembled Jedi watching, he doesn’t look at Obi-Wan once. It’s the worst thing in the galaxy, the fact that other than very briefly an hour ago, Anakin hasn’t looked at him at all. It’s been five years. “And I’ve met my soulmate, but they…decided they didn’t want to stay with me, that they didn’t want me.”

Obi-Wan inhales sharply at this and forgets to bite his tongue. “Maybe your soulmate had other obligations that they had to fulfill,” Obi-Wan bites out.

He’d thought Anakin ignoring him had been awful, but that’s nothing compared to the pain of having him look at him with eyes as cold as Hoth. “I think I’d know more about my soulmate than you would, master Jedi. Ah, I’m sorry, I’ve forgotten your name.”

Obi-Wan almost tells him to check his wrist if he needs a reminder about Obi-Wan’s name, but the words get stuck in his throat.

It’s probably for the best.

Obi-Wan’s spent five years and the duration of a war hiding the name of his soulmate from the Jedi Order, and he can’t say it now. His other half has made it quite clear that he can’t say it now.

“Excuse me,” Obi-Wan says, standing suddenly. He knows he should stay, should sit through the rest of the intake interview the Council gives to all non-Jedi sentients that marry a Jedi, soulmates or no, but he can’t. He’s the youngest person to sit on the Council in written history, he’s survived a war, trained the stubbornest Padawan of her generation, and this--this--looking across the table at Anakin Skywalker, dolled up and petty and full of hatred for him as he wears another man’s ring, Obi-Wan’s former master’s ring--this is going to be the thing that kills him.

Luckily, no one tries to stop him as he leaves. Maybe they think he’s just reacting to the fact that his fifty-eight year old master came home with a twenty-five year old husband. Maybe everything he’s feeling is written out on his face. Maybe he should never have tried to hide Anakin away. Maybe he should have called for extraction from his deep cover mission as soon as their hands had touched and their soulmarks had appeared. Maybe these past seven years should never have happened.

Force knows Obi-Wan would sleep easier if he had never walked into that Tatooine bar. If he had never met Anakin Skywalker.

He tries to meditate in his favorite spot in the Room of A Thousand Fountains, but it’s an impossible task. Mostly, he sits in a classic lotus position and broods.

A few hours later, when Obi-Wan thinks he’s recovered some of his composure, the person who’s always been able to ruin it sits himself down in front of him with a lot of unnecessary noise.

“When you talked about this place, I thought it sounded like the biggest waste of water in the entire galaxy,” Anakin’s voice sounds...normal. Like they’re picking up the thread of a conversation they had just dropped a moment ago, as if five years and a wedding and a war don’t stretch between them.

But if Anakin wants to talk to Obi-Wan like they had before, he’ll try his hardest to meet him there. Slowly, he opens his eyes. Anakin’s lounging back, still wearing the ceremonial robes of a Jedi’s bride, the loose blue silk barely hanging onto one of his shoulders. Obi-Wan wants to close his eyes again, immediately. “The greenery wouldn’t be able to survive without the water.”

Anakin nods, looking around as if slightly disinterested by it all. When he’d been eighteen, he’d soaked up every story Obi-Wan could tell him about the Temple, about the Jedi. Those piercing blue eyes find him again. It’s as if he knows Obi-Wan’s thoughts, because he smiles in the most humorless way. “I used to think I’d live here, and then I could see for myself if the beauty was worth the excess.”

“And?” Obi-Wan asks. It’s all he can get out of his throat. It’s very clear what Anakin isn’t saying. That he used to think he’d live here with Obi-Wan. That they'd be--that they'd be.

“Now I understand that there’s no winning that argument. What one man sees as a waste, another might see as a treasure.”

Obi-Wan can’t do this. He thought--maybe he could--but. He can’t. “I’m sorry,” he says quietly, moving to stand on his feet. “I hate to leave, but I must attend to--”

Anakin scrambles to his feet and latches onto Obi-Wan’s covered wrist. “Do you?” he asks intently, his hold tightening. “Did you?”

“This--this is most inappropriate, Chosen Skywalker, please remove yourself from my person.”

Anakin, blast him, moves even closer. Obi-Wan wonders if he can hear his heartbeat from that far away or if it’s just in Obi-Wan’s ears. “You have to tell me,” he demands. He’s always demanded things from Obi-Wan. Stories, and kisses, and comfort, and promises. Obi-Wan had given him everything he’d asked for, up until the very end.

Unsurprisingly, nothing has changed.

“Tell you what,” Obi-Wan snaps, yanking his wrist away from Anakin’s touch. Even through the covering, his skin feels burned. “Tell you that I hated having to leave you? Tell you that I’ve thought about you every night since then? Tell you that there was a war, that I had to fight, that I didn’t choose to go? That I had a duty to the galaxy, to the Jedi, to my family?”

“You had a duty to me!” Anakin snarls back, squaring his shoulders and shoving forward into Obi-Wan’s space. “I was your soulmate and you left me and I waited and you never once called me, never once tried to visit! And then the war ended and you never came back!” His voice breaks and the flood of words Obi-Wan desperately does not want to hear breaks with it for just a second. “Why didn’t you come back? I don’t...I don’t care that you had to fight. I knew I couldn’t leave with you, not until I had freed my mom. But you just. You left.”

“I’m not the same man I was, Anakin,” Obi-Wan says softly. His voice shakes and he has to turn his head away from his soulmate’s watery blue eyes. “The war--it changed me. It hurt, to fight and kill and strategize on how to more effectively fight and kill the next day. Four years of that, and I knew at the end I wasn’t fit to be anyone’s soulmate, least of all yours.”

When Obi-Wan had first met him, Anakin had been laughing. His head had been tipped back, curls falling over his shoulders. The noise had been loud and honest. He’d been radiant in the Force. It had taken weeks for Obi-Wan to really believe something so bright could be the other half of his soul.

“I wanted to,” Obi-Wan whispers. “Every night I wanted to, and it only got harder after the war ended. I never stopped wanting to. Wanting you.”

“How am I supposed to believe you?” Anakin asks. Obi-Wan wants to ask him why it matters if he believes him or not, but Anakin’s words from earlier float back to him. They decided they didn’t want to stay with me, that they didn’t want me. He can’t let Anakin continue to think Obi-Wan didn’t want him, not when he wanted him so badly he ached from it.

With shaking fingers, he moves to pull down the collar of his robes, just far enough that he can pull out the japor snippet he’s worn around his neck since the day Anakin gave it to him. He slowly lifts it over his head and presents it to his soulmate. Anakin’s eyes are wide with wonder as he stares down at the necklace, worm almost smooth by how often Obi-Wan had rubbed the carving with his thumb. “Always, Anakin,” Obi-Wan murmurs, reaching out to grab Anakin’s hand and dropping the wood carving into his palm. He carefully folds the man’s lax fingers around the necklace.

Hating himself for doing it, but needing to do it anyway, he brushes his lips over his fingers in a ghost of a kiss. Beneath his mouth, the wedding band feels warm from Anakin’s body heat. It’s a shockingly cold reminder.

“May the Force bless you and your Chosen, and reunite you at every end of your every day,” Obi-Wan whispers the Council’s official blessings for newly-wed couples into Anakin’s skin.This is the last time he’s ever going to touch him. He doesn’t want to let go.

He must. He does.

[noladyme]

La Cuervo - Chapter 10

She is used to the biker-life, having grown into a woman in the familiar embrace of SAMCRO. A bad decision and a gun-shot later, she gets whisked off to Santo Padre, and put under the protection of another club. What is supposed to be a short stint in the Mayan headquarters just north of the border to Mexico, turns into something more; when la quervo begins to develop feelings for el angel - and he seems to return them in kind...

TW: violence, blood, drug use, alcohol, smut, fluff, angst

In the spirit of "The Crown Princess of Charming", this is a story about O.C. Nina and Angel Reyes. It is obviously non-canon, as characters who have passed on on Mayans M.C. are present in it, and others have been excluded completely. Nina is written as a cis-female, but I have tried to keep her race and looks as ambigous as possible. Should you find any of this story offensive, please let me know.

10.

Angel brought Nina by the drug-store on the way to the clubhouse. She got herself a new inhaler, but was still confused about where her last one had disappeared to.

They went straight to the scrap-yard afterwards. While Angel went ahead of her into the clubhouse; she decided to do one last check in the trailer, just in case her old inhaler might be there. Opening the door, she found Tig sleeping it off on one cot, and Quinn cleaning his gun on the other. “Have you seen my inhaler in here?”. “No… Do you need it?”, he asked worriedly. “Nah… I got a new one. It’s just weird”. “You shouldn’t leave it laying around, doll. You might need it”, Quinn scolded. Tig jostled in his sleep. “But baby; I wanted sprinkles… It’ll bite you in the ass…”, he mumbled. Nina chuckled, and shook her head. “Chibs?”, she asked Quinn. “Inside. We’ll be there in a minute. I just have to wake sleeping beauty first”, Quinn said. “Keep that gun on hand. You know how he gets”, Nina smiled, and walked out the door again.

Chucky met her in the doorway with a mug of steamy caffeine. She smiled in thanks. “Where were you last night?”. “I don’t like parties like that. It gets noisy”, Chucky replied, and ran off to make a fresh pot of coffee. He seemed – just like her – to be happy, surrounded by both his families. Happy came over, and wrapped an arm around her for a half hug, and a kiss to the top of her head. “’Morning, princess”, he said. “Get some food in you. It looks like you got worked over last night”. “I did”, Nina sighed. Happy laughed, and led her over to the bar, where Chucky had set up breakfast for the hungover Mayans and Sons. “Does he treat you good?”, Happy asked, a warning tone to his voice. He looked over his shoulder at Angel, who was seated by a table with Gilly and Coco. “Yes, Hap’. You don’t have to kill him”, Nina smiled, and began filling a plate of food. It seemed Gabby had been by with some goodies, and Nina quickly took her fair share of leftover mole. “I wasn’t gonna kill him… Just cut a few toes off”, Happy muttered. “Maybe break his arm”. Nina laughed, and patted his shoulder. “I love you, Happy”, she said, and went over to sit by Angel and the rest.

Gilly had a mouth full of bacon and eggs. “You not eating?”, he asked Angel. “Nah, I had cereal”, Angel replied, and shot Nina a panty-ruining look. She felt her cheeks burn, and kicked him over the leg. He grabbed her thigh, and squeezed it teasingly. Sipping her coffee, Nina sat quietly and listened to the tales of debauchery the bikers had gotten in to after she and Angel had left the night before. Angel didn’t seem remorseful about having missed out, simply laughed at the stories, and stole food off Nina’s plate.

The door to the clubhouse opened, and Quinn and EZ came in; dragging Tig between them. Creeper slipped in behind them, ready to catch Tig if he fell backwards. “We need coffee. STAT!”, Quinn laughed. Tig moaned in discomfort as he was deposited on a bar-stool. EZ poured him a mug, and went around to do refills for everyone else, before getting himself a plate of food, and joining Nina’s table. Ratboy arrived soon after, nodding politely at everyone in the room. He swallowed thickly when he locked eyes with Coco, but the Mayan simply gave him a forgiving smile in return. “He was sleeping on my couch when I got home”, he said. “Letty?”, Angel asked. “Nah… I don’t think anything happened. She was out cold on her bed”.

Creeper came over to join them, a displeased expression on his face. “What’s up, bro’?”, Gilly asked. “Did any of you see Camille leave last night?”, he asked. “Who’s Camille?”, Coco asked. “The redhead…”, Gilly said, and smirked at his friend. Coco chuckled embarrassedly. “My bad… She give you the slip?”. Creeper frowned. “We were… getting acquainted in the trailer, and she went to get a rubber from one of her friends; but she didn’t come back”, he said. “When I went out to look for her, she was gone”. Angel sputtered with laughter. “Aw… Did she leave you with blue balls?”. Creeper shrugged. “Nah… I mean, she gave me an hj; but it’s just weird. None of her friends saw her leave”.

Gilly leaned back in his seat and smiled. “Well, except for Creep’s runaway bride, all in all, it was a somewhat successful night. The food was good, the cagefight was good… Letty didn’t get pregnant”, he said. Coco punched him hard in the shoulder, and Gilly laughed. “Even the Vatos seemed happy when they left”. “What about that deal they wanted to make?”, Nina asked, almost afraid of the answer. “On hold for now”, Coco said. “They decided to check out that other lead before using our services”. “Yeah. What was that about?”, Angel asked. “They didn’t say”, EZ shrugged. “Just took off”. Nina frowned to herself, and began poking at her food with her fork. Coco met her eyes. “You good, niña?”. “You think Palo… is he gonna kill some woman…?”, she began. “Nah… You don’t have to worry”, Angel said, trying to calm her. It didn’t work. “I don’t want anyone…”.

“I am not joking, brother. Do not let her cook. I’ve never been more constipated in my life!”. Bishop roared with laughter at Filip’s proclamation, as the two entered the clubhouse. The SAMCRO-president locked eyes with Nina, and grinned. “Speaking of the she-devil… Good morning my love!”. He walked over, and pressed a kiss to her cheek, before accepting a mug of coffee from Chucky. “Chibs was just telling me about the lasagna-incident”, Bishop said. Happy, almost choked on his coffee, and Tig looked like he was looking for the nearest trashcan to barf in. “This I gotta hear”, EZ smiled. “Shut up! Just because your girlfriend is a five-star chef…”, Nina frowned.

They spent the next hour enjoying the food and the good company. Filip took a moment to share some friendly words with Chucky. Through the noise of all the men laughing and talking in the room, all Nina could make out of their conversation was Chucky saying something along the lines of; “I’m happy here…”, and smiling. Chibs nodded, and went to pat Tig’s shoulder. “We need to roll out, boys. T.O.’s waiting for us in Oaktown”. The Sons all got to their feet, and began collecting their belongings to head out. Nina felt her heart sink, and once noticing it, Angel took her hand, and squeezed it encouragingly.

They got up to follow Filip and the rest outside. Tig slipped an arm around her as they walked; holding her tightly, and kissing her temple. “I’m gonna miss you, sweetheart”, he said. “Shit… This wasn’t what we planned for, when we decided to send you down here”. “I know… But it’s the way it has to be”, Nina replied. “Stay in touch, ok?”, Tig said, and pulled her closer for a warm hug. He turned to face Angel. “Get her to quit smoking, would you? It’s not good for her asthma”. Angel gave him a sly smile. Happy nabbed her from behind, and swung her around for a hug, and only grudgingly released her into the arms of first Quinn and then Ratboy. While the rest of the Sons all said goodbye to the Mayans and then got on their bikes, Filip wrapped his arms around Nina, and kissed the corner of her lips. “I love you, little sister”, he said. “I love you, big brother”, Nina croaked. Filip released her, quickly wiped his eyes, and put on his sunglasses, before getting on his bike. Nina took a step backwards, and was immediately caught in the grasp of Angel, who held her close, as she bit her lips to keep from crying. “I got you”, he whispered into her ear. “Let's get the fuck out of this heat!”, Filip called out, and the Sons all rolled out.

Unable to hold it in anymore, Nina let her tears fall. The Mayans all discretely slipped away, to let her fall apart in Angel’s arms. “It’s ok, querida. Let it out”, he said. She wrapped her arms around his waist, and buried her face in his chest, while he rubbed calming circles on her back, and kissed the top of her head. “This ain’t goodbye”. “I know…”, Nina rasped. “It just feels like I’m turning my back on them. No one’s ever taken care of me like they have”. Angel lifted her face with a finger under her chin. “I’d like to try…”.

Nina wiped her eyes. “I’m sorry. I know you’ve put yourself on the line for me; and all I’m doing is whining about it”. Angel shook his head, and stroked her cheek. “Nah… You’re just hurting”, he said, and began leading her back towards the porch. “You love them, and they love you back; that’s obvious. And I get it”. “What do you mean?”, Nina asked. He smiled, and halted her before she could open the door to the clubhouse. “You keep saying how they took care of you, and how Teller did…”, he began. “Yeah, but you all do as well…”, Nina said. Angel kissed her softly to shut her up. “Let me finish… We take care of you, because you take care of us”. “I serve beers and pick up papers that Chucky drops”, she muttered. “Yeah”, Angel said and nodded vigorously. “You know everyone’s favorite beer before they ask for it. You put those nice smelling sticks in the bathroom...You fucking killed it with that party last night. That wouldn’t have happened without you”. “Yeah, I know how to run a clubhouse… But…”. Angel groaned and rolled his eyes. “But, but, but… Cállate!”, he chuckled. “You take care of us, ma’. You don’t think Tranq noticed how you organized his dyes…? Riz keeps talking about that stupid ass hair product you recommended for him… Taza told me about…”. “Stop…”, Nina said. Her cheeks were burning. Angel chuckled. “You’re amazing, Nina”. She shrugged embarrassedly. “What do I do for you?”, she asked. “Don’t start, mami”, Angel grinned. He moved his hands down to cup her bottom. “You know what you do for me”. “Is that all?”, Nina scoffed in mock offence. Angel shrugged. “Well, you can’t cook”, he shrugged. Nina frowned at him; and when he leaned in for a kiss, she pulled away, teasingly avoiding his kiss. “Are you gonna make me hold you down?”, Angel asked. “You can try…”, Nina replied. He smirked at her, and was about to make his move, when Nina took a step back. “I have to go clean up after the party”. Angel narrowed his eyes at her, and pulled her back into his arms. “Skip it. The prospect’s got it”, he said. “What kind of den mother would I be if I did that?”. “Are you calling us boy-scouts now?”, Angel scoffed. Nina shrugged with a smile. “I dunno… You’ve got the uniforms”.

She literally had to jump over the railing of the porch to get away.

---

After having changed in to a Romero Bros. shirt – needed after having been sprayed down with a hose by Angel; for, apparently, being a brat – Nina was back to work.

Cleaning up after a biker party was nothing new to her; but due of the success of the event, the state the yard and clubhouse had been left in, meant it took her, EZ and Chucky most of the morning to get it back to normal. While his brothers where busy doing important biker shit – Gilly’s exact words, as Nina had tried handing him a mop – Creeper helped out some, but seemed to be deep in thought, and frowned his way through the work. Nina put a hand on his shoulder as he threw a trash bag in a dumpster. “Are you ok?”, she asked. He seemed surprised at her gesture. “Yeah. I’m… Fuck. I liked Camille. We were talking about taking a ride to the ocean next weekend”. Nina smiled as comfortingly as she could. “I’m sure she just too much to drink… Went home. Try calling her”. “I did”, Creeper sighed. “She’s not picking up”. “Then, give her a few hours. She’s probably sleeping it off”. Creeper sighed. “Yeah… Thanks”, he smiled sadly.

She went to head back into the clubhouse, when Creeper halted her with a hand on her shoulder. “Nina… Look, I’m sorry about how hard I’ve been riding you about that tequila story, and everything else”. Nina shrugged. “Like I said; we’re good”, she smiled. “Besides, my old man kicked your ass for it last night. It’s history”. “So Angel’s your old man, now?”, Creeper grinned. Nina’s face dropped in realization of what she’d just said. “I mean… I don’t… Yeah?”, she croaked. Creeper chuckled and nodded. “I’m just fucking with you… again”, he said. Nina smiled, and felt heat spread through her body; letting the thought of Angel being hers settle in her heart.

Inside the clubhouse, Bishop, Taza and Hank were going over plans for a gun-run. Apparently, Bishop and Filip had agreed on an expanded deal, which could potentially bring both clubs more money in the long run, and the Mayan president was in a good mood. When he locked eyes with Nina, who’d gone behind the bar, he sent her a sly wink. “He likes you”, EZ muttered bellow his breath. “We all do. We’re happy you’re here”. He nudged her with his shoulder, and set down a box of lost and found items he’d gathered around the area. “Yeah… I don’t hate it here either. It was just tough saying goodbye”. “I get that”, EZ said. “Shit, I almost forgot. You dropped this”. He held out an inhaler. Nina frowned in confusion, and patted her pocket, where her new inhaler was still laying. “No, I got…”, she began, before looking at the small plastic container in the prospects hand. Picking it up, she noticed that doses had been taken of it, and it had a small dent from where she’d dropped it on the trailer floor the night before. This was her old inhaler. “Did you take this from the trailer?”. EZ shook his head. “No… I found it in the garage while we were cleaning up”. “I haven’t been in the garage since yesterday morning…”, Nina muttered. “I left it in the trailer, after I used it. Bishop told me to keep it there”. EZ furrowed his brows, and looked as confused as she felt. “Didn’t you go in there with Angel to get on his bike?”. “No, he parked by the gate”, Nina replied. “Right, we all did; to make room for the SAMCRO and VM bikes”, EZ said. “Weird…”. Nina chewed her lips, trying to make sense of the reappearing inhaler.

While she crouched down behind the bar to tie up the last trash bag, the door to the clubhouse opened; and Coco peeked inside. “Are you finished?”, he asked. “Yeah”, EZ replied. All three men stepped inside. “Dodged a fucking bullet”, Angel laughed. EZ shot Nina a look. “You were just trying to get out of clean-up duty, weren’t you…”, he said. “Well, yeah”, Gilly said. “You know she would have made us work, if we stayed”, Angel said. Nina stood back up, and raised a disapproving eyebrow at the three Mayans. “Yeah. I would have…”. Bishop, Taza, Hank and EZ tried to stifle grins. Gilly literally ran over to Nina, and took the full trash bag, muttering apologies under his breath; before moving towards the back door, and the dumpsters. Coco simply bolted for the exit. “Gotta pick up Letty from school…”, he said over his shoulder. “It’s Sunday!”, Taza called after him. “Sunday-school”, Coco yelled, and let the door close after him

Angel tried for a wry smile; but Nina simply rolled her eyes. “Your dad needs his containers back, and EZ needs a break. You take them”, she ordered, and nodded her head in the direction of the back room. “Out back”. EZ threw a set of keys to his brother. “You can take the van”, he grinned. Angel smiled sarcastically at EZ, and went to load up the containers.

After wiping down the bar-counter one last time, Nina went to the back room to check it; and saw that Angel had left behind one of the containers. She picked it up, and ran after him. Outside, Angel was grumpily huffing away on a cigarette, and loading the van. Nina was about to call his name, when she saw Daniella come around the car. The blonde went straight up to Angel, and put a hand on his arm, as if squeezing his bicep; and seemed to be chatting him up. Nina began walking towards them. “It’s just styrofoam”, Angel said, once Nina was within earshot. “Still. Looks heavy… It’s kind of hot”, Daniella smiled, and bit her lip flirtatiously. “Angel… You forgot one”, Nina called out.

Daniella looked dumbfounded. “What are you doing here?”, she asked. Nina shook her head confusedly. “Where else would I be?”, she said, and handed Angel the container. He put it in the van, and turned towards Daniella. “Did you need something, Dani?”, he asked casually. Nina decided to try for politeness. “Did you lose something last night? EZ made a lost and found box”. Daniella looked like she’d been slapped, before a halfhearted smile spread across her face. “I’m… No. I just came by to see if you needed help with the clean-up. I know I haven’t been around so much lately”. “We just finished. But thanks”, Nina said. “But if you wanna help, I guess you can go check if the guys inside need drinks”. The blonde’s eyes were wide, and something unreadable ghosted her face. “Actually, I’m just gonna go”, she said, but didn’t move. Nina and Angel looked confusedly at her for a moment, and Nina suspected Daniella was fishing for a ride from Angel; who either didn’t catch on, or just didn’t care. “I’m gonna call a cab”, she finally said. “Well go inside anyway; while you wait for it. It’s hot as all hell out here”, Nina smiled friendlily. Daniella nodded, and walked towards the clubhouse.

Angel went to get in the driver’s seat. “I’m gonna go drop these off at pap’s”, he said. Nina walked over to him, and linked her pinky with his. “Do you want me to come?”, Nina asked quietly. “On the way there you can apologize for ditching clean-up…”. He smirked slightly. “It’s a ten-minute drive. There isn’t much we can do with ten minutes” “Fine…”, Nina sighed. “But you could buy me a cup of coffee afterwards. Take me on an actual date that doesn’t include beers, babes and bikes”. “But you like beer”, he said, and slipped an arm around her. “And you are a babe”. He pressed a warm kiss to her lips. Nina giggled, and tugged at his beard. “You’re still not forgiven for bailing on me today”, she smiled. Angel sighed. “Alright; what do I have to do, cuervo?”. “Bring me back some of that chorizo from your pap’s, that you didn’t let me have yesterday”, Nina replied. “Then I’ll think about forgiving you”. He kissed her one more time, and gave her butt cheek a quick squeeze; before getting behind the wheel, and driving off the lot.

As Nina walked towards the clubhouse again, Daniella came rushing out the door. Nina was tired of the coldness between them, and decided to try to mend fences. “Hey, Daniella…?”, she said, as the blonde went to pass her. She held her phone in her hand, and looked like she was in a rush. “Yeah?”, she said, an edge to her tone. “I just wanted to apologize for that night…”, Nina said. “You know, your arm. I hope I didn’t…”. “Oh, it’s fine!”, Daniella said with a sugary smile. “Everything’s fine. Don’t worry about it. You just go… do whatever it is you do around here”. Without another word, she quickly walked towards the gate. “So much for trying to kiss and make up”, Nina muttered to herself, and went back inside the clubhouse, to get a cool drink.

It wasn’t long, before Coco stepped through the door, a somber expression on his face, and carrying a net of fresh apricots. He handed them to Nina. “Instead of that dried shit…”, he muttered. “I forgive you”, she smirked. “How was Sunday-school?”. Coco smirked embarrassedly.

Gilly came over to the table, in the process of hanging up a phone call; and looked at Coco. “We gotta roll”, he said. “What’s wrong?”, Coco asked. “Trouble in Vicky’s tunnel. She didn’t say what”, Gilly said over his shoulder, already on his way out of the door”. Coco went after him. “Call Angel!”, Bishop yelled. “Have him meet you there…”.

---

About an hour later, Nina was seated with Hank, EZ and Creeper, discussing tattoos. “I like the concept…”, Creeper said, after Nina described her idea. “Wouldn’t get one myself, but it’s your skin”. “You know, I could do that on your ribs, but it might hurt less on your thigh”, Hank said. “You think I’m afraid of a little pain?”, Nina chuckled. Hank grinned at her. “No, you strike me as someone who takes pain well. You drink that battery-acid Chucky calls coffee”, he said. Nina, EZ and Creeper laughed out loud.

Taza came over to them, his phone in hand. “That was Gilly. They’re crossing to go see the doc”. Nina’s heart dropped. “What happened?”, she said, trying to keep her voice level. “Is someone hurt?”. Hank nodded. “The guys are fine, but that girl… Camille. Vicky found her beat up just inside the tunnel by her place”, he said. “It’s not good. She’s pretty banged up, and she won’t talk.”. Nina felt ashamed for the sigh in relief she let out, at hearing Angel was ok. EZ – who’d tensed up at what Hank had said – also relaxed somewhat. Creeper, on the other hand, almost ran for the door. “Tell them I’m on my way”, he said. “No, man. We need you here”, Bishop called after him. He walked over and patted Creeper’s shoulder. “They’ll get her taken care of down south. She’ll be ok”. Creeper looked like he wanted to punch something or someone, but went to sit by the table the plans for the run were laying on.

Nina grabbed a cigarette, and went outside to sit on the porch. Something undefinable was bothering her, and she was frowning deeply when Letty arrived in Coco’s car, and got out to greet her. “Have you seen my dad?”, she asked. “He’s crossing to see the doc. A girl who was at the party last night got hurt”, Nina said, and took a draw from her smoke. Something felt terribly wrong – beyond Camille getting hurt. “Who”, Letty said, and sat down next to her. “Camille”, Nina said. Leticia looked confused. “Your wannabe stepmom”. “Oh… I guess she shouldn’t have taken off with that Vato”, Letty said. “What are you talking about?”, Nina asked. Letty shrugged disinterestedly. “I saw her coming out of EZ’s trailer, and then that Sala guy and her talked for a while”. Nina swallowed thickly. “What happened?”. “I don’t know. I was busy getting yelled at by Coco for my top, but I saw them talk, and then they drove off on his bike”, Letty said. “The rest of the Vatos left just after”.

Nina almost tripped over her own feet, running in to the clubhouse. She slammed the door open. “Vatos Malditos took Camille last night! I think they thought she was me…”.

---

After Letty had relayed what she’d seen the night before, Taza called for Angel, Coco and Gilly to get back to the clubhouse as soon as possible. Nina explained how her inhaler had been lost, but showed up in the garage where the Vato’s bikes had been parked, and Bishop pulled Taza into a corner for a private conversation. The two men looked towards Nina a few times, and she was beginning to feel increasingly uneasy. The VM’s had taken Camille at a Mayan party, which could only mean that either they didn’t give a shit about club decorum, and the unwritten rules about not hurting anyone connected to a club they were at peace with; or they rightfully suspected the Mayans of double-crossing them.

She was chain-smoking and pacing the ground in front of the clubhouse, when – after what seemed like forever – Angel and the rest finally pulled into the yard. Without shame, Nina sprang into his arms. He cupped her face and examined her expression. “Nina, what’s wrong?”. Nina didn’t reply, simply pressed her lips to his; desperately needing to feel his closeness.

“Templo!”, Bishop called from the door. EZ came out behind him, and walked up to Nina and Angel. “We should get out of here”, he said to Nina, before looking at his brother. Angel frowned. “What’s going on? Taza didn’t say anything over the phone”. “It’s bad”, EZ said. “We’ll go to pap’s”. “Just take her to mine”, Angel said. “It looks like you’re gonna take a while in there”, EZ said. Nina frowned in confusion. “But…”. “Angel!”, Bishop growled from the porch. Angel cursed bellow his breath, pressed a kiss to Nina’s temple, and went to join the others in templo.

Nina was shaking as he walked off, and almost jumped when EZ tugged at her arm. “Come on, hermanita. Let’s go”. He pulled her over to his bike, and they drove off the lot.

---

[6rookie-writer0110]

Welcome to the team?

Kara Danvers x Reader x Lena Luthor

Summary- Reader is worry that Kara and Lena won't like Wade.

You are in a polyamorous relationship with Lena Luthor and Kara Danvers. You have been dating them three years now, not many support the relationship but you don't care about them. Alex and the others do support the relationship which is great.

You do help Kara save people together, you two are known for being the power couple. You know everything about Kara and Lena’s family and their history. But they never met your brother, Wade, because you don't know if they will get along with him or he will piss them off. You just don't know how they will react to Wade. Because you and Wade are two completely different people.

”Who are you texting?” Lena asked.

”My brother Wade. We mostly send each other memes” You said.

”You know everything about my family and Kara’s both families but we never met your family. Are you ashamed of us?” Lena said.

You put your phone away. You hold her hands.

”Babe, please believe me that I am not ashamed of our relationship. I love you and Kara so much. I'm worried that you and Kara won't like Wade because well um... He is wade” You said.

”We will like him because he is your brother. He can't be worse than my brother” Lena said.

”I will tell Wade to come so you and Kara can meet him,” You said.

”Great, I will let Kara know. Now, go save those people” Lena said.

”I will,” You said.

”Be safe” Lena said.

Lena kissed you then you used your speed to leave. Before fighting the bad guys, you sent a quick text to Wade.

After all day, from saving people you and Kara are finally resting at home. Lena came home and she told Kara about your brother visiting.

”Finally, we get to meet him. So, when he is coming?” Kara said.

”I don't know, yet. He hasn't told when he is coming” You said.

”I really hope he will come. The others are coming bit for game night, in a little bit” Lena said.

Wade is happy about your text. He wants to surprise you and he tracked your cell phone. Wade knocks on the door and he has on his suit. You got up to to see who is knocking on the door.

”Who?” You asked.

”Housekeeping” Wade said in a female voice.

Once you opened the door, Wade jumped on you and you fell down. Kara used her strength to pick up Wade and slam him against the wall. She thought he was going to kill since he has swords and the red suit on. You stood up fast

”Kara, don't hurt him. He is my brother, Wade” You said.

”Brother? Oh, I thought he was going to kill” Kara said.

She let's go of him. You introduced Wade to everyone

”Y/N, you have two girlfriends! Wow, impressive. They couldn't resist your charm” Wade said.

”Why are you wearing that?” Lena asked.

”i want to be a hero. Like Supergirl and Y/N,” Wade said.

”I’m sure Supergirl will be happy to-”

Wade farted and it smelled really bad.

”Oh my God, Wade what did you eat? A baby skunk” You said.

”I shouldn't have eaten food from the gas station. I need a bathroom right now” Wade said.

”Down the hall on the right,” Kara said.

Wade ran to the bathroom.

Minutes later~

”Y/N, I need more paper toilet! And more Febreze spray! It smells so bad here, I don't know what they put in the food but oh my God my ass is burning!” Wade said.

”Wow,” Lena said.

”Sorry, but Wade doesn't have a mute button. He says anything that is on his mind” You said.

”Y/N, more paper toilet!” Wade yelled.

”I’m coming!” You yelled.

Lena and Kara are speechless, because of how the first impression of Wade and how it's going.

------------

Since Wade came to National City, you haven't had alone time with Lena and Kara. You took to the DEO, to show him around and he really can't wait to be a hero.

”Where is your brother?” Alex asked.

”Bathroom,” You said.

”Kara is going to kill him” Alex laughed.

Wade has on Kara’s cape, boots, and skirt.

”I always wanted to have a cape. Now, I see why you have a cape, Y/N. But I didn't like your color so I took Kara’s cape. So, let's kick some ass!” Wade said.

Everyone is staring at him.

”Supergirl, won't be happy. But we have to go now” Alex said.

”Our first mission!” Wade said.

Alex saw Wade jumped into your arms but you didn't catch him.

”You asshole! I wanted you to catch me” Wade said.

”You could have said that!” You said.

You and Wade start to call each other names. You and Wade always make fun of each other but don't mean it.

”Guys! Supergirl needs us now!” Alex yelled.

You picked up Wade bride style and used your flight to leave.

Arriving at the scene, you let go of Wade because he wanted to do a superhero landing.

”Nice,” You said.

”Who the hell are you!?” The criminal asked.

”My name is Deadpool and I'm a supergirl,” Wade said.

”Trainee,” Alex said.

”We are working out the names! Back to us, give up and we will go easy on you” Wade said.

He takes out his guns and aims at the criminal.

”You have a gun!? We don't kill people good or bad!” Kara yelled at Wade.

”I'm trying to scare them,” Wade said.

Wade and Kara start to argue back and forth. You and Alex worked together to stop the criminals.

Eventually, Wade took off the cape, boots, and skirt. Kara doesn't like Wade style of killing bad guys and you don't know how to calm the situation.

”Alex, I don't know what to do,” You said.

”They don't like him?” Alex asked.

”Kara is trying but it's not working. Lena well, we will go to see her for lunch and hope it will go fine” You said.

”Good luck. I like him and he is kinda funny. But you and Wade are definitely two different people, I would have never guessed that he is your brother” Alex said.

”I get that a lot,” You said.

J’onn called you because he needs your help with something. Kara is talking Lena, telling her what happened.

”Mr. pool needs to talk,” Wade said.

He put his arms around their shoulders and Kara rolled her eyes at him.

”About what?” Lena asked.

”Well, as the older brother of Y/N. If you break their heart, well I will come to your house and piss on everything you love then I will torture you” Wade said.

”You know, I can break you in half,” Kara said.

Wade starts to laugh hard.

”That is so cute... Boop *he touched her nose* I know you are strong, no doubt about that. But I haven't seen Y/N this happy in a long time. So don't hurt Y/N or else” Wade said.

Lena raised her eyebrow and stare at him. And thinks to herself, wow he is literally insane.

”We will never hurt Y/N. You don't have to worry about that, trust us. We love, Y/N and we are happy in the relationship” Lena said.

”Good. Mr. Pool is happy. Now let's eat” Wade said.

Kara shakes her head.

-----------

You and Wade are eating chimichanga at the DEO. You and Wade really missed each other a lot and you are happy he is here.

”So, do you like Lena and Kara?” You asked.

”Yes. They make you very happy. I'm glad you are happy since what happened to your last relationship” Wade said.

You nod.

”I’m in love with them. I want you to get along with them because it will mean a lot to me” You said.

”Don’t worry, they love me and we are best friends we go together like Wham!” Wade said and you laughed.

----------

You, Kara, Alex, and Wade see the Juggernaut destroying the city.

”The Juggernaut! He is one of my favorite villains” Wade said

Kara and Alex looked at Wade strange.

”I’m going to tear you apart” Juggernaut said.

”Oh, my God. Do you think I can get a picture? -” Wade said.

”Deadpool! No time to act like a fanboy. We have to stop him now” Kara told him.

”Ugh, fine” Wade said.

You ran toward him to punch him but he punched you and you hit the car. Then Kara starts to fight him. Wade took out his gun and start to shoot at Juggernaut.

”I said no we don't kill!” Kara yelled.

Juggernaut starts to run towards Alex, but Wade pushed Alex out of the way. Juggernaut grabbed Wade and throw him against the building that caused a hole in the wall.

Alex used her gun to tase him then you and Kara fight him together.

After stopping him, then you went to check on Wade. Alex and Kara think Wade is dead because he is head is backward.

”I’m sorry for your loss,” Alex said.

”What?” You said.

”You don't seem sad that he is dead,” Kara said.

”Because he isn't dead,” You said.

Wade sat up, Alex and Kara’s eyes opened wide. He starts to touch his head

”Motherfucker this hurts. You think, Juggernaut will give me an autograph” Wade said.

He snapped his head back and you helped him stood up.

”He can't die,” You said.

Back at the DEO, Alex, and Kara found out that Wade took pictures with the prisoners. Now Kara is yelling at Wade

”Babe, try to calm down. Wade is just having fun” You said.

”If he wants to have fun then he shouldn't be here. What he did was childish and unprofessional” Kara said.

”We just took pictures. But next time they are out then we will go to the bar. Y/N, how come you didn't tell me there was an alien bar! Take me there now or else” Wade said.

”Or else what?” You asked.

Wade formed his hand into a gun.

”Phew,” Wade said.

”Don’t you phew me” You said.

He did it again.

”Phew” Wade said.

Now you and Wade are saying phew as if you two have laser guns. Everyone in the DEO is watching, you and Wade aiming at each other with fingers and saying phew. Kara sighed and rubbed temples and Alex is watching. Even Lena is seeing what is going on.

-------------

Tonight, it's game night only for you, Kara, Wade, and Lena. Lena does get along with Wade and she is happy that he isn't like her brother Lex. The more plays all of you played, Kara and Wade start to get along a little better. Wade will stick around for a while and he is still a hero in training.

”Wade you are officially a part of the super friend's group,” Kara said.

”I thought you didn't like him?” You asked.

”His heart is in the right place. It's not my to place to say who can be a hero, but I know he will do it for the right reasons” Kara said.

”Now we are best friends,” Wade said.

”I’m just glad you are not like my brother. That would have ended differently” Lena said.

”You are my best friend too. Y/N, don't you steal money from the bank!” Wade said.

All of you are playing monopoly.

”I didn't steal! You always steal the money that's why we never finish playing the game” You said.

You and Wade go back and forth arguing.

Lena and Kara just watched and laughed. They drink their wine, Kara has her arm around Lena.

”They definitely are like kids when they are together,” Lena said.

”At least they are spending time together” Kara said.

[ghostofviperwrites]

Suzuki Gunz Crime Family - Chapter 13

Word Count: 1868

Warnings:  Language, light violence

CHAPTER 13

March 1, 2003

“Obviously our relationship is tenuous at best,” Naito admitted as he strolled casually around Minoru’s conference table.  The two groups had gone underground to Minoru’s meeting room which was located just down the hall from his office and the room where the kobun met.  “We need something to tie us together and cement us as family.” 

“What exactly are you proposing?” Kanemaru asked skeptically following the man’s movements around the room. 

“An answer as old as time.”  Naito said flashing a grin.  “Marriage.” 

Shouts erupted from the Guns filling the room with their contentious responses to his proposition.  

“Quiet.”  Minoru shouted making a hush immediately fall over the room.  “You do realize we are rather in a time crunch don’t you?  How to you propose we pull off a marriage and all it entails when we���re gearing up for a war.  We need guns yesterday.  Not months from now.” 

“Marriages Suzuki-san.  Plural.”  Naito said with a grin.  “We marry one of yours. You marry one of ours. As for the time frame, there will be no big weddings.  One officiant, two brides, two grooms.  We’ve told you Minoru, we are ghosts and we plan on staying that way.  There will be no big weddings or announcements or anything of the sort.” 

“Arranged marriages are a bit antiquated aren’t they?”  Iizuka asked.  “This seems rather, barbaric.” 

“We are barbaric men.”  Hiromu said with a lackadaisical shrug of his shoulder.  “This is kill or be killed for your family.  You wish to strengthen our bond and get your greedy little hands on our guns, then you meet our terms.” 

“Just who are you proposing gets married?”  Taichi asked Naito who looked at Sanada who gave an almost imperceptible nod to his leader.

“Sanada has a sister.  She’s young and hot and knows her place.  Of course as she is his little sister Sanada gets the ultimate approval.”  Naito said.  “As for our side same rules apply.” 

The two groups separated, the Guns moving over to their conference room to discuss Naito’s proposal. 

“I know this is a rather unexpected development,” Minoru told his men as they sat around the table.  “But I can’t deny that it is the quickest way to seal our families together.  Things will remain as they are, none of them will be joining our kobun.” He reassured them.  “I believe Naito wishes to keep his family off the radar and will stay out of our way.  Do you agree Taichi?” 

Taichi lit a cigar and took a deep drag off it blowing the smoke towards the ceiling as he contemplated his response. 

“It makes sense.”  He finally said.  “If they were just wanting our side to commit I’d be a little more concerned, but they seem to be making effort to equalize things.”  He took another drag.  “And at the end of the day they have the upper hand.  They have the guns we want and it seems there is no other way to get it then to go through the Ingobernables.” 

“Does everyone agree?” Minoru asked, looking at his men one by one and gaining their tacit approval for this undertaking.

“That’s settled then.  Now the hard part.  Whose sister is on the table?”  Taichi said leaning back in his chair and looking over the table. 

“Chie is really the only choice.”  Minoru said speaking of his sister.  “Taichi doesn’t have one, Lance and Davey have no family, Taka has no family, Desperado has no family, and Zack’s is estranged.  Would have to be either Chie or Nobu’s sister. Or Iizuka’s though she’s a bit old.”

“You sure about giving over your sister?”  Kanemaru asked.  “Might need her for later negotiations.” 

“No, MiSu’s right.” Taichi said.  “This is the strongest allegiance we need.  We need those guns.  That’s our future.” 

“Alright so we’re turning over Chie.”  Iizuka said.  “Who’s getting hitched?  And don’t you dare say you Minoru.”  He said sternly.  “They don’t get the boss.”  Minoru’s protests died on his lips as he saw the mutinous expressions on the faces of his family giving a reluctant nod of agreement.

“I’ll do it.”  Taka said.  “It’s my fault we’re in this mess.”

Various chorus of denial and exclamations of it’s not your fault rang out.

“Not happening Taka.” Minoru said firmly.  “You’re not ready for marriage just yet.”  

“Better pick someone who’s going to meet pretty boy’s standards.”  Lance said with a laugh. “I mean does nobody find it odd they’re going to be marrying the sister of a guy who hasn’t spoken a single word in the time we’ve known him?”

“Let’s not worry about that right now Lance.”  Minoru said. 

“I’ll marry her.  I mean she’s gotta be hot. Look at her brother.”  Desperado said with a smirk.  Minoru nodded in acceptance of his offer, casting his glance around the table for any other volunteers. 

“I’ll step up.  Give pretty boy some options.”  Kanemaru said with a smirk.

“You know I’ll do it for you.”  Taichi added. 

Decisions made the Guns filed back to where LIJ were waiting.  Naito leaning back in his chair, eyes closed as if catching a nap while Bushi and Hiromu sat on either side of him carrying out a hushed conversation around him.   Evil and Sanada sat silently next to each other, eyeing the Guns as they entered and took their seats. 

Naito lowered his arms, eyes opening and looking at Minoru.

“My sister Chie is our offering.”  Minoru said smirking as he made the generally unflappable Naito look surprised, which he quickly covered.

“Okay. Pick whoever you want. We’re all on the table.”  Naito said.  “Though I would suggest avoiding Evil if you care for your sister’s wellbeing in the slightest.”  Naito grinned at Evil who simply smirked in response as the rest of them shared knowing smiles. 

Minoru templed his fingers looking over the Ingobernables.  He honestly didn’t care.  His sister was little more than an accessory in his life.  Never seeing her more often than every couple of months.  He could thank his father for that.  Minoru had never formed an emotional connection with either his mother or sister.  His gaze lingered on Sanada for a moment before moving on.  The man was already giving up his sister, he would let him be.  

“Bushi.”  Minoru pronounced after several long moments of introspection.  Bushi nodded in acceptance.   “On our end they’ve decreed I’m off limits but anyone else is available to you.  Desperado, Kanemaru and Taichi have all volunteered.”

“I’m agreeable to Desperado.  Marry off both our masked men.”  Naito said.  “Sanada?  Does that suit you?”  Sanada looked up from his phone heaving a sigh of annoyance at having been interrupted. Nodding without even glancing in Desperado’s direction making Naito laugh.  “Don’t know why I bothered to ask. He doesn’t give a shit.” 

As one Los Ingobernables rose to their feet and headed towards the doorway.

“Weddings will be in three days.  12:00 here.”  Naito said as they walked out.  “Hope you don’t mind if we borrow your car to get home Taka.  No hard feelings.”  He laughed as they walked out of Minoru’s home and in to the crisp night air.

The next morning Minoru woke early, enjoying a peaceful breakfast while his family slept in the home around him.  He had a feeling this little interlude was going to be his only peace for a while.  Pushing aside his plates Minoru grabbed his jacket and headed to his car.   In the fifteen minute ride to his mother’s home, which up until a few years ago had been his home, Minoru contemplated the reactions he was going to get from both his mother and sister when he imparted the news.  His mother he was rather sure was going to accept his decision.  It was the way she was raised and she had been in an arranged marriage with his father, so she knew the way things were.  His sister was a wild card.  He didn’t know her that well, hadn’t bothered to spend much time with her.  The two were practically strangers. 

As soon as he was inside Minoru accepted the barrage of affection his mother laid on him with a grimace, letting her kiss his cheek and hug him until he disengaged and stepped away his discomfort clearly evident.

“Oh Minoru, what your father did to you I will never forgive.”  Asako lamented shaking her head sadly.

“We’re not discussing this.  I need to see Chie.” Minoru said shortly straightening his jacket. 

“Why Chie?” Asako asked, her heart sinking as she realized the implication of his words.  “No Minoru. You can’t do this.”  She said softly, casting pleading eyes at her son.

“Just get her.”  Minoru demanded heading towards the study.  

He was sipping from a tumbler of scotch when Chie made her appearance.  Minoru ran a critical gaze over her frowning at her trendy jeans with holes ripped up the legs to her crotch and a crop top that was revealing entirely too much cleavage. 

“Okaa-san said you needed to see me.”  Chie said flopping down in the chair across from Minoru without invitation making him frown. 

“You look like a stripper.” He said coldly. If she was under his care she would never be so blatantly disrespectful he thought as she rolled her eyes and flipped him off.  His mother was weak allowing her to behave and dress like this.  This marriage would only benefit her.  He had a feeling Bushi was not the type to allow his wife to run wild. 

“Are you a virgin?”  He asked making her gasp and blush.

“How dare you Minoru!  That’s none of your business.”  Chie shouted started to rise and run from the room. 

“It is my business.”  He snapped.  “Now sit down and shut up.”  Chie felt chilled as Minoru stared at her coldly, challenging her to not listen to him.  Hesitantly she sat watching her brother as he drank.  “In three days you will be married.  My driver will pick you up at 11:00 to drive you to my home where you will marry to secure a family allegiance.” 

“You have got to be fucking kidding me!”  Chie shouted forgetting her fear and pushing out of her chair.  “I don’t belong to you Minoru.  You can’t order me around. I don’t give a fuck what kind of badass mob boss you think you are.” 

Fury burned through his veins as she carried on and Minoru stalked around the desk backing Chie across the study until her back hit the wall.  His hand wrapped around her throat and he squeezed threateningly. 

“You will do as you’re told.”   Minoru hissed.  “You will be ready when my driver gets here.  You will be pretty and compliant.  Do you understand?”  Chie nodded her face turning red as Minoru kept his grip firmly on her neck.  “And you better pray that you managed to keep your legs closed and preserved what belongs to your husband.” 

Minoru released her and watched with disdain as she fell to the floor gasping, looking up at him with fear in her eyes. 

“I’ll see you Tuesday.”  He said walking out without a further glance. 

[tatticstudio55]

DREAMFYRE, DAENERYS AND…

Let’s talk about the dragons in Fire and Blood, especially the dragons of the Dance.

On the night Rhaenyra fled King’s Landing, ten thousand men (and women), at least, broke inside the Dragonpit to slaughter the four remaining dragons inside. One of those dragons was Dreamfyre, and she made a lot of damage before she died.

At the time, Dreamfyre must’ve been the oldest dragon in the world, at least if we don’t count the wild ones on Dragonstone. She was only ever ridden by women: the “queen in the West” Rhaena was the first, and queen Helaena Targaryen the second (and the last). When Helaena died, Dreamfyre “rose suddenly with a roar that shook the Dragonpit, snapping two of the chains that bound her” (F&B, 506). Dreamfyre herself was half-blinded by a crossbow bolt moments before her own death, two nights later. Although it wasn’t the crossbow that killed her. But I’ll get to that in a bit, after I’ve listed all the dragons who died from, because, or shortly after an eye injury:

Meraxes, Queen Rhaenys’s dragon, was struck in the eye by an iron bolt in Dorne.

Aemond One-Eye, riding Vhagar, fought and killed his half-brother Luke (who was riding Arrax), for Luke had taken one of Aemond’s eyes in a fight a few years earlier.

Urrax took a spear in the eye during the “Butcher’s Ball”

The final battle between Daemon (on Caraxes) and Aemond One-Eye (on Vhagar): it’s not mentioned that the dragons themselves were clawing at each others’ eyes, but Daemon killed Aegon by shoving his sword into Aemond’s blind eye. Then there’s also the fact that the fight took place above the Gods Eye.

Morghul died after being speared in the eye repeatedly.

Dreamfyre, half-blinded by a crossbow bolt on the same night.

Moondancer, blinded by the brightness of Sunfyre’s fires.

Mere days before he died from his wounds, it was said of Sunfyre that “where his right eye should have been was only an empty whole, crusted with black blood” (F&B, 540)

Digging a bit on the side of the metaphorical, maester Aemon, who renounced his dragon heritage, died blind.

And, on the other end of the spectrum, when Daenerys gave life to her dragons, sight intertwined itself with the magic happening:

The fire is mine. I am Daenerys Stormborn, daughter of dragons, bride of dragons, mother of dragons, don't you see? Don't you SEE? – Daenerys, AGOT

On the night of the bloody riot in King’s Landing, Dreamfyre crashed against the pit’s dome in one last attempt to escape her slayers. The dome came crumbling down and it killed everyone beneath, including Dreamfyre, in a very Samson-esque fashion.

For a bit of context, Samson was a character from the Ancient Testament, possessed of a surhuman strength that was bestowed to him by God. Samson couldn’t cut his hairs, however, for if he did, he’d lose his strength. Samson’s secret was eventually discovered by his enemies, who cut his hairs while he slept, then gouged out his eyes (this is important!) and carried him in chains inside a stone temple. What did Samson do next?

Samson prayed God for his strength to be restored one last time, so he could destroy the temple and kill everyone inside, himself included. Which is exactly what happened.

Samson’s story is also reminding of the dothraki custom to cut their hairs when defeated in battle. Long hairs (or braids) mean strength. That doesn’t relate to Dreamfyre per say, but the dothraki are related to Dany (who braid her hairs in the dothraki fashion). On the matter of eyesight, it might be that eyes are to dragons what long hairs were to Samson, that a blind dragon is like a short-haired Samson. Daenerys is an inverted case when it comes to hairs and magical empowerment. Her hairs burn when her dragons are born, and again when she mounts Drogon for the first time. Yet if Dany were to die like Samson and Dreamfyre (as many are theorizing that she’ll sacrifice herself in the “Big Battle”), it would make for interesting parallels… not that I’m sold on this entirely.

I am, however, sold on a few other things. Setting aside endgame predictions, Dany’s beginning roughly evoke the fates of Dreamfyre and Samson. She’s a dragon in chains in A Game of Thrones: no agency, treated as property by her brother, who keeps talking about “waking the dragon”. Daenerys starts pushing on the temple’s pillars and crashing against the pit’s dome the moment she takes a step toward Drogo’s pyre. Viserys couldn’t wake dragons, but Dany woke from her own “dreamfire” after miscarrying Rhaego, and we all know what happened next:

She heard a crack, the sound of shattering stone. The platform of wood and brush and grass began to shift and collapse in upon itself. Bits of burning wood slid down at her, and Dany was showered with ash and cinders. And something else came crashing down, bouncing and rolling, to land at her feet; a chunk of curved rock, pale and veined with gold, broken and smoking. The roaring filled the world, yet dimly through the firefall Dany heard women shriek and children cry out in wonder. – Daenerys, AGOT

God gave Samson his strength back because Samson was willing to die crushed beneath the stones and rubble of the temple alongside Gods’ “enemies”. And, as pointed out by @turtle-paced before, the magic behind the hatching of the dragons probably came from Dany’s willingness to walk into the fire.

(I’ll put the pic reference in the comment 👇)

[dfroza]

(Anew, genesis)

is what the pure hope of Love is. to erase the past (tense) and all the mistakes of mankind who were created as free beings, to choose between right and wrong behavior.

but our Creator knew this. that we would fail. and yet, we still were made free to choose to be in Love (in Light), or not.

to be, or not to be: (?)

Today’s reading of the Scriptures reveals a heavenly vision given to John to write down nearly 2,000 years ago that later became known as the 21st chapter of the book of Revelation in the Holy Bible that reveals (A new covenant of grace) in the True illumination of the Son:

I looked again and could hardly believe my eyes. Everything above me was new. Everything below me was new. Everything around me was new because the heaven and earth that had been passed away, and the sea was gone, completely. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride on her wedding day, adorned for her husband and for His eyes only. And I heard a great voice, coming from the throne.

A Voice: See, the home of God is with His people.

He will live among them;

They will be His people,

And God Himself will be with them.

The prophecies are fulfilled:

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

Death will be no more;

Mourning no more, crying no more, pain no more,

For the first things have gone away.

And the One who sat on the throne announced to His creation,

The One: See, I am making all things new. (turning to me) Write what you hear and see, for these words are faithful and true. It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will see to it that the thirsty drink freely from the fountain of the water of life. To the victors will go this inheritance: I will be their God, and they will be My children. It will not be so for the cowards, the faithless, the sacrilegious, the murderers, the sexually immoral, the sorcerers, the idolaters, and all those who deal in deception. They will inherit an eternity in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.

And then one of the seven messengers in charge of the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came over to me.

Heavenly Messenger: Come with me, and I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.

He took me away in the Spirit and set me on top of a great, high mountain. As I waited for what I thought was a bride, he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. It gleamed and shined with the glory of God; its radiance was like the most precious of jewels, like jasper, and it was as clear as crystal. It was surrounded with a wall, great and high. There were twelve gates. Assigned to each gate was a messenger, twelve in all. And on the gates were inscribed the names of the twelve tribes of Israel’s sons. On the east wall were three gates. On the north wall were three gates. On the south wall were three gates. On the west wall were three gates. And the city wall sat perfectly on twelve foundation stones, and on them were inscribed the names of the twelve emissaries of the Lamb.

My guide held a golden measuring rod. With it he measured the city and the gates and the walls. And the city is laid out with four corners in a perfect square, the length the same as its width. He measured the city with his measuring rod, and the result was that its length and width and height are equal: 1,444 miles, a perfect cube. And my guide measured the wall; it was nearly 72 yards high, in human measurements, which was the instrument the guide was using. The wall was made of jasper, while the city itself was made of pure gold, yet it was as clear as glass. The foundation stones of the wall of the city were decorated with every kind of jewel: the first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate expertly crafted from a single beautiful pearl. And the city street was pure gold, yet it was as transparent as glass.

And in the city, I found no temple because the Lord God, the All Powerful, and the Lamb are the temple. And in the city, there is no need for the sun to light the day or moon the night because the resplendent glory of the Lord provides the city with warm, beautiful light and the Lamb illumines every corner of the new Jerusalem. And all peoples of all the nations will walk by its unfailing light, and the rulers of the earth will stream into the city bringing with them the symbols of their grandeur and power. During the day, its gates will not be closed; the darkness of night will never settle in. The glory and grandeur of the nations will be on display there, carried to the holy city by people from every corner of the world. Nothing that defiles or is defiled can enter into its glorious gates. Those who practice sacrilege or deception will never walk its streets. Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life can enter.

The Book of Revelation, Chapter 21 (The Voice)

Today’s paired chapter of the Testaments is the 32nd chapter of 2nd Chronicles that documents the rest of King Hezekiah’s life along with God’s victory over the prideful threats of the king of Assyria:

And then, after this exemplary track record, this: Sennacherib king of Assyria came and attacked Judah. He put the fortified cities under siege, determined to take them.

When Hezekiah realized that Sennacherib’s strategy was to take Jerusalem, he talked to his advisors and military leaders about eliminating all the water supplies outside the city; they thought it was a good idea. There was a great turnout of people to plug the springs and tear down the aqueduct. They said, “Why should the kings of Assyria march in and be furnished with running water?”

Hezekiah also went to work repairing every part of the city wall that was damaged, built defensive towers on it, built another wall of defense further out, and reinforced the defensive rampart (the Millo) of the old City of David. He also built up a large store of armaments—spears and shields. He then appointed military officers to be responsible for the people and got them all together at the public square in front of the city gate.

Hezekiah rallied the people, saying, “Be strong! Take courage! Don’t be intimidated by the king of Assyria and his troops—there are more on our side than on their side. He only has a bunch of mere men; we have our God to help us and fight for us!”

Morale surged. Hezekiah’s words put steel in their spines.

Later on, Sennacherib, who had set up camp a few miles away at Lachish, sent messengers to Jerusalem, addressing Judah through Hezekiah: “A proclamation of Sennacherib king of Assyria: You poor people—do you think you’re safe in that so-called fortress of Jerusalem? You’re sitting ducks. Do you think Hezekiah will save you? Don’t be stupid—Hezekiah has fed you a pack of lies. When he says, ‘God will save us from the power of the king of Assyria,’ he’s lying—you’re all going to end up dead. Wasn’t it Hezekiah who cleared out all the neighborhood worship shrines and told you, ‘There is only one legitimate place to worship’? Do you have any idea what I and my ancestors have done to all the countries around here? Has there been a single god anywhere strong enough to stand up against me? Can you name one god among all the nations that either I or my ancestors have ravaged that so much as lifted a finger against me? So what makes you think you’ll make out any better with your god? Don’t let Hezekiah fool you; don’t let him get by with his barefaced lies; don’t trust him. No god of any country or kingdom ever has been one bit of help against me or my ancestors—what kind of odds does that give your god?”

The messengers felt free to throw in their personal comments, putting down both God and God’s servant Hezekiah.

Sennacherib continued to send letters insulting the God of Israel: “The gods of the nations were powerless to help their people; the god of Hezekiah is no better, probably worse.”

The messengers would come up to the wall of Jerusalem and shout up to the people standing on the wall, shouting their propaganda in Hebrew, trying to scare them into demoralized submission. They contemptuously lumped the God of Jerusalem in with the handmade gods of other peoples.

King Hezekiah, joined by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz, responded by praying, calling up to heaven. God answered by sending an angel who wiped out everyone in the Assyrian camp, both warriors and officers. Sennacherib was forced to return home in disgrace, tail between his legs. When he went into the temple of his god, his own sons killed him.

God saved Hezekiah and the citizens of Jerusalem from Sennacherib king of Assyria and everyone else. And he continued to take good care of them. People streamed into Jerusalem bringing offerings for the worship of God and expensive presents to Hezekiah king of Judah. All the surrounding nations were impressed—Hezekiah’s stock soared.

* * *

Some time later Hezekiah became deathly sick. He prayed to God and was given a reassuring sign.

But the sign, instead of making Hezekiah grateful, made him arrogant. This made God angry, and his anger spilled over on Judah and Jerusalem. But then Hezekiah, and Jerusalem with him, repented of his arrogance, and God withdrew his anger while Hezekiah lived.

Hezekiah ended up very wealthy and much honored. He built treasuries for all his silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields, and valuables, barns for the grain, new wine, and olive oil, stalls for his various breeds of cattle, and pens for his flocks. He founded royal cities for himself and built up huge stocks of sheep and cattle. God saw to it that he was extravagantly rich. Hezekiah was also responsible for diverting the upper outlet of the Gihon spring and rerouting the water to the west side of the City of David. Hezekiah succeeded in everything he did. But when the rulers of Babylon sent emissaries to find out about the sign from God that had taken place earlier, God left him on his own to see what he would do; he wanted to test his heart.

* * *

The rest of the history of Hezekiah and his life of loyal service, you can read for yourself—it’s written in the vision of the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz in the Royal Annals of the Kings of Judah and Israel. When Hezekiah died, they buried him in the upper part of the King David cemetery. Everyone in Judah and Jerusalem came to the funeral. He was buried in great honor.

Manasseh his son was the next king.

The Book of 2nd Chronicles, Chapter 32 (The Message)

my personal reading of the Scriptures for monday, march 1 of 2021 with a paired chapter from each Testament of the Bible, along with Today’s Psalms and Proverbs

A post by John Parsons that takes a look at the significance of the Red Heifer sacrificial law as it relates to the Son:

The Sabbath that immediately follows Purim is called Shabbat Parah - the "Sabbath of the [red] Cow." In traditional synagogue services, two Torah scrolls will be removed from the ark, and from the first scroll will be read the Torah portion for the week (e.g., Ki Tisa), and from the second will be read the chapter regarding the laws of the sacrifice of the “Red Heifer” (Num. 19:1-22). The early sages decided to recite the laws of the Red Heifer at this time to recall the remedy of the sin of the Golden Calf, and to remind the people to purify themselves before coming to Jerusalem for the pilgrimage festival of Passover. It is thought that since the sprinkling of the “waters of separation” cleanses from the uncleanness of death, reading this portion will help prepare our hearts for the time of Passover when we celebrate deliverance from death.

The Red Heifer offering is considered a paradox to most Jewish thinkers, though it can be seen as a revelation of the Yeshua our Messiah. The paradox is that the one who offers this sacrifice becomes ritually impure, while the sprinkling of the ashes is used to make people clean... The ritual is considered chok within the Jewish tradition, meaning that it makes no rational sense. The Talmud states that of all the 613 commandments given in the Torah, even King Solomon with all his wisdom could not fathom this decee. However, the sacrifice of Yeshua the Messiah can be understood as the fulfillment of the symbolism of the parah adumah. Both were entirely rare and without defect (sin); both were sacrificed “outside the camp”; both made the one who offered the sacrifice unclean but made the one who was sprinkled by it clean; and finally, both sacrifices cleanse people for priestly service.

The parah adumah had to be a perfect specimen that was completely red, “without blemish, in which there is no defect (mum).” The rabbis interpreted “without blemish” as referring to the color, that is, without having so much as a single white or black hair. This is the only sacrifice in the Torah where the color of the animal is explicitly required. Moreover, the parah adumah was never to have had a yoke upon it, meaning that it must never have been used for any profane purposes.

Unlike all other sacrifices offered at the altar, the parah adumah was taken outside the camp and there slaughtered before the priest, who then took some of its blood and sprinkled it seven times before the Mishkan (thereby designating it as a purification offering). [During the Second Temple period, the High Priest performed this ceremony facing the Temple while atop the Mount of Olives.] Then the red heifer would be burned in its entirety: its hide, flesh, blood, and even dung were to be burned (unlike other Levitical korbanot). Unlike other offerings, all the blood of the sacrifice was to be burned in the fire.

Hyssop, scarlet yarn, and a cedar stick would then be thrown upon the burning parah adumah (these same items were used to cleanse from tzara’at, skin disease). In other words, the blood was assimilated into the ashes of the sacrifice, which were then gathered and mixed with water to create the “water of separation” (mei niddah) for the Israelite community. Note that the word “separation” (niddah) refers to menstrual impurity and harkens to Zech. 13:1: “On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and from niddah.”

Anyone (or anything) that came into contact with a corpse (the embodiment of sin and death) was required to be purified using the mei niddah. The purification procedure took seven days, using stalks of hyssop dipped into the water and shaken over the ritually defiled person on the third day and then again on the seventh day. After the second sprinkling, the person undergoing the purification process would be immersed in a mikvah and then be unclean until the following evening.

According to Jewish tradition, the Red Heifer sacrifice was to atone for the sin of the Golden Calf, though the Torah itself does not make this association. The LORD Yeshua, our High Priest of the New Covenant, is the perfect fulfillment of the Parah Adumah, since he was completely without sin or defect (2 Cor 5:21; John 8:46); he was sacrificed outside the camp (Heb 13:13); he made himself sin for us (2 Cor 5:21); his sprinkling makes us clean (1 Pet 1:2; Heb 12:24; Rev 1:5); and the “water of separation” that his sacrifice created is the means by which we are made clean from the impurity of sin (Eph 5:25-6; Heb 10:22). [Hebrew for Christians]

https://hebrew4christians.com/

2.28.21 • Facebook

Today’s message from the Institute for Creation Research

March 1, 2021

The Daily Cross

“And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)

This same conversation and challenge is also recorded in Matthew 16:24 and Mark 8:34, except that only Luke included the term “daily.” Except for one brief reference in Matthew 10:38, this conversation marks the first explicit reference in the Bible to the practice of crucifixion, and it apparently assumes that the disciples were already well aware of this typically Roman method of execution.

“Taking up the cross” referred to the usual requirement that each condemned man haul his own cross to the place of execution. Jesus knew that He would soon have to be doing this Himself (John 19:16-17).

Christians sometimes use this phrase without appreciation of its true meaning, thinking of some burden (such as sickness or poverty) as “the cross” they must bear. Such things can be serious problems, but they are not instruments of execution, such as a cross. In effect, the Lord was telling His disciples that following Him must mean nothing less than a daily willingness to die for Him if need be. As Paul would say: “I am crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20); “I die daily” (1 Corinthians 15:31).

Many disciples have indeed suffered martyrdom for Christ’s sake, but all should at least be willing to deny themselves daily. “Taking up the cross” does not necessarily mean dying as Christ did, but it does mean consciously dying each day to the world and living unto Him. For “they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts” (Galatians 5:24) and gladly affirm this testimony: “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Galatians 6:14). HMM

[drpaulmacdonaldrnma]

Things You Didn’t Know About Samson

Dr Paul MacDonald RN MA Dipl

Samson’s Father Had Major Doubt Issues

In Judges 13, we read of the angel of the Lord who came and visited Samson’s mother, informing her that she would bear a son, despite her barren womb. The angel went on to give her specific instructions for how to raise her son as a Nazirite.

Her husband had such a hard time hearing this news from her that he prayed to God and asked Him to send the an-gel again so he could hear these instructions for himself.

God actually did send the angel again and after the angel re-fused to eat any food they offered; Samson’s parents offered a burnt offering to the Yahweh—as an alternative to preparing a meal for the angel.

After the angel left them by ascending into heaven in the rising flames, Samson’s father thought they had seen God and were therefore “doomed to die.” His wife had to talk some sense back into him, saying “If the Lord had meant to kill us, he would not have accepted a burnt offering and grain offering from our hands, nor shown us all these things or now told us this.”

God Actually Condoned Samson’s First Marriage to a Philistine Woman

In Judges 14, Samson declares his desire to take a young Philistine girl as his wife. Despite his parents urging him to reconsider and marry within his own people, he insisted on marrying this Philistine. The Bible actually goes on to say that “His parents did not know that this was from the Lord, who was seeking an occasion to confront the Philistines; for at that time they were ruling over Israel.”

Samson Took Riddles Way Too Seriously

We’ve all told riddles to people who didn’t understand them. Normally, when asked to explain the riddle, most people will eventually just do it. No big deal, right? Well, not Samson. He took his riddles very seriously. Take this example. One day, on his way to visit the girl he was courting, he was approached by a roaring lion. God allowed him to easily kill this lion, which he tossed aside and went on his merry way.

However, when he was making this journey again, this time on his way to marry the Philistine girl, he noticed the dead lion’s carcass filled with beehives and honey. A normal person would have kept walking at this point, but not Sam-son. He took a bunch of honey, ate some, and gave some to his parents.

At the customary feast with the Philistines later that evening, he proposed a riddle-based bet with them: “If you can give me the answer within the seven days of the feast, I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes. If you can’t tell me the answer, you must give me thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes.”

They agreed and Samson went on: “Out of the eater, some-thing to eat; out of the strong, something sweet.”

His new bride’s friends, after being unsuccessful in deciphering Samson’s riddle for several days, approached her and asked her to get the answer from Samson. After begging him for seven, he finally told her, and she in turn, told her Philistine friends. When Samson learned this, he went and “struck down” (which we can assume means killed) 30 Philistines, stripped them, and gave their clothes to those who had explained the riddle.

So, he didn’t even strike down the people who cheated to learn the answer to his riddle, he struck down 30 OTHER Philistines and actually honored the bet. Even more interesting to consider, the Bible says that “the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him” as he went down to strike down these people. It would appear that even though Samson was killing them for seemingly trivial reasons, God gave him the strength to do it.

Samson Took Wedding Drama to a Whole New Level

To make the wedding riddle story even crazier, after all of this was said and done, the Bible says, “Samson’s wife was given [by her father] to one of his companions who had at-tended him at the feast.” When Samson went to visit his wife (apparently, he remained in Israel and she remained with the Philistine’s even after their wedding), her father informed him that he had given her in marriage to somebody else be-cause he assumed Samson hated her by now (see Judges 15:2).

Her father then tries to convince Samson to take her younger sister instead. He even throws Samson’s original wife under the bus by saying her sister is more attractive anyway. “Isn’t her younger sister more attractive? Take her instead.”

Samson gets so mad at this point that he goes out and catch-es 300 (yes, 300) foxes and ties their tails together in pairs, secures burning torches to their tails, and sets them free to run for their lives in the Philistine’s fields. They took down everything in their path, including vineyards and olive groves.

It’s interesting to note that, unlike in earlier moments of extreme behavior in Samson’s life, nowhere in scripture does it say that the Spirit of God came upon Samson during this time. He did this completely out of his own power and free will.

Not to be outdone, when the Philistines learned that Samson was responsible for their burnt fields, they went and burned his father-in-law and his wife to death.

It’s no surprise that the same person who killed 30 people for cheating to answer a riddle wouldn’t take very well to his wife being killed. Samson vowed at this point, “Since you’ve acted like this, I swear I won’t stop until I get my revenge.”

Samson then slaughtered many of them. Remember, all this stemmed from wedding drama. Basically, you won’t like Samson when he’s angry.

The Tribe of Judah Betrayed Samson

Everybody remembers Delilah and how she betrayed Sam-son, but did you realize that it was Samson’s own people who first betrayed him? And after only a brief conversation they had with the Philistines at that.

After the wedding drama, you could say that tensions were pretty high between Judah and Philistia.

So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that neither group of people were too supportive of Samson at this point in time.

After the Philistines confronted the armies of Judah because of Samson (Judges 15:9), the people of Judah decided to give in to their demands and hand over Samson. Three thousand of the men from Judah went and politely asked Samson if they could capture him and turn him over to the Philistines. Instead of resisting the idea, Samson was ok with it under one condition—that they wouldn’t kill him themselves. After they agreed, he let them tie him up and they delivered him to the Philistines.

So essentially, Samson was the original “Trojan Horse” and the men inside it – all as one person. He ripped through the ropes, grabbed the jawbone of a donkey, and slaughtered a thousand Philistines. One. Thousand. Philistines.

Keep in mind, the men of Judah who delivered Samson to the Philistines weren’t in on this. They thought they were re-ally turning him over to his execution. They probably didn’t expect him to be back home in time for dinner.

Between His Tragic Marriage and His Time With Delilah, Samson Went to a Prostitute

We all remember how at one point in Samson’s story, he tore the doors off the gate of the city of Gaza, but did you know why he was in Gaza in the first place?

According to Judges 16:1, the Bible just says that he went there, but whatever his initial intentions were, he ended up seeing a prostitute instead. You don’t really hear about that part of the story, but usually skip right to the next part of his story.

After the Gazites realized he was there, they planned to kill him at daybreak. Instead, Samson “took hold of the doors of the city gate, together with the two posts, and tore them loose, bar and all. He lifted them to his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that faces Hebron” (see Judges 16).

Samson’s Patience With Riddles Didn’t Carry Over to More Important Secrets

The Bible says that when Samson started seeing a Philistine woman named Delilah, the Philistines convinced her to try to get him to reveal the secret to his incredible strength. We all know this part of the story. He tells her fake reasons over and over, and over and over she tells the Philistines, who proceed to try to overtake him each time using their newly dis-covered information.

According to Judges 16:16, Delilah prodded Samson with nagging “day after day until he was sick to death of it.” The Bible doesn’t say how long “day after day” was, but if you remember from earlier in the story, Samson was able to withhold the answer to a silly riddle for an entire week. While we don’t know exactly how long he was able to keep this secret from Delilah, “day after day” seems a little short for a life and death matter such as his strength. “Month after month” or even “year after year” might have been more understandable.

Sadly, he eventually gave in, Delilah had his head shaved, and the Philistines captured him. In the end, God gives him his strength back one last time, allowing Samson to topple a large Philistine temple onto three thousand Philistines, a feat that took the life of Samson himself. But as the Bible says, “Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived.”

Dr Paul MacDonald RN MA Dipl ©

Israel Institute of Biblical Studies

[delicatefury]

I’m doing a belated Evil Author Day

Because of work and family I missed it on February 15th, but I’ve got a few days off pretty much in a row, so I’m doing it now instead.

So what’s Evil Author Day? I give you a list of all my various WIPs, headcanons, plot-bunnies, and original works. You, from that list, give me a request for what you want to see written/expanded upon/explained, etc. I will then attempt to fill said request.

Why is it evil? There’s no promise of a follow-up. It’s read at your own risk. That’s right. There are no guarantees here. The scene I write may never make it into the finished work. I may never write a follow up. It may linger there in writer’s block hell for all time.

But still, it may also inspire me to write even more (or return to an au you’re interested in). So please, ask away!

Here’s the list of Star Wars fics and original works for you to choose from:

I tried to make them pretty. Fairly certain I failed.

Star Wars

The Dark Path Lit by Sun and Stars - if you’re following me and don’t know what this is... why are you following me? Go! Read it! It’s on AO3 and it’s Time Travel with Obi-Wan and the OT trio and it’s angsty and fluffy and adventure-y and it’s set in the clone wars and it’s most of what I write about so I’m frankly impressed that you don’t know what it is.

The Other Time Travel AU - I know people love this, but I’ve got very little written for it. Which makes it perfect evil author day fodder. The Other Time Travel AU (which I am not working on/which I am apparently working on) is another Time Travel story. This time featuring post-council chamber scene, pre-return-to-Naboo Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Anakin meeting up with Master Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Ahsoka from the Clone Wars. Cue Anakin getting his head out of his ass (think of how many times he unfavorably compared Obi-Wan to QGJ when they fought), Ahsoka giving Qui-Gon the evil eye (”Who treats their padawan that way? Especially Obi-Wan?”), and a panicking Padawan Kenobi who is terrified at the prospect of what he’s supposed to accomplish in 10 years time. 

Hello Again (name is WIP) - when Anakin Skywalker is born, Obi-Wan Kenobi is flooded with dreams-memories-visions of a life already lived. One where the order falls (terrifying on it’s own), but where he’s also a Jedi Master, teacher of the fabled “Chosen One”, top negotiator, Council member, and High General. Only 15 and barely accepted back to the Jedi Order, he’s not sure if these are symptoms or signs. Honestly, given his track record up to this point, it’s possible he’s merely gone insane. Unwilling to risk his fragile place in the order, and convinced they may be just delusions of grandeur, Obi-Wan determines to keep this to himself and search for proof one way or the other. For the next three years, his confidence wanes, his saber ability falters as he finds himself conflicted between what Qui-Gon is teaching him and what his (maybe real, maybe delusional) future experience tells him. After the Mandalore mission, hope has returned. 1. Even if he coincidentally imagined a year-long mission in his delusion, there’s no way he could have coincidentally made up a woman like her. 2. Satine, convinced of Obi-Wan’s visions (and caring enough about him to promise to help regardless) has agreed to look into Anakin’s existence on Tatooine for his peace of mind. However, a newly arrived crecheling is determined to find his “very sad, very important person” who he has told Yoda, with all the strength and conviction of prophecy, is also “The Best Jedi Ever!”

The gaggle of other time travel au’s

TDPL but Anakin with Obi-Wan - a lot the same but a lot more snarking, a more confused Ahsoka, a lot of guilt, a lot of Leia passive (and overtly) aggressively making Anakin’s life a living hell, Artoo hovering protectively between twins and father, and a lot more throwing canon right out the window. Probably Obikin.

TDPL but Anakin instead of Obi-Wan - a lot more panicking. A very concerned Obi-Wan being brought up to speed (”but Father, it’s Ben. You have to trust him. Please?”). Watching Obi-Wan being slowly wound around the twins’ fingers. Confused Padme. Both droids being brought back. Ahsoka just kinda going along for the ride because of course her new master has children from the future. Why not? It’s not like anything else about her apprenticeship is normal.

JA meets Clone Wars. Bandomeer!Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon, with a few other temple initiates/junior padawans are swiped up by a Sith artifact. Anakin and Ahsoka do not know what to do with tiny, heart-broken Obi-Wan while Master Kenobi realizes that Qui-Gon was an ass to him as a child.

Alternate Paths - In one world the Master died, in another the apprentice. This difference greatly impacts the way the chosen one is raised. But there’s no way to tell how much it changes things. Until the two Chosen Ones swap places. Now Obi-Wan has to get his Anakin back, while Qui-Gon is baffled at his student’s newfound obsession with his lost padawan.

Another Qui-Gon lives! AU - he does, but the Council is not impressed with Qui-Gon’s track record with padawan’s. Sure, Obi-Wan turned out fine, better than fine, but can you really trust a man who, in order to free himself to take on a more talented student, dismisses the first Jedi to kill a Sith in a millennia as simply “capable” to train “The Chosen One”? Yeah, not risking it. So Anakin goes to the creche to await a better option, Obi-Wan goes on with his knighthood, and the Force is going to make these two become Master-and-Student no matter what it takes.

Original Works (I’m trusting you people):

Cold Iron - A steampunk, weird west faerie tale. Matthias is a lot of things. He’s the eldest child of five. He’s a talented mechanist. He’s a likely candidate to be a Champion of Light. He’s also a changeling child. A fae prince cursed (or blessed) with a soul, the two halves of his life are quickly coming to a head when his younger brother steps into a fae circle and is whisked away. Does he follow his newly formed conscience, his ties to his human family, or the power and loyalty of his court and fae siblings?

The Troll’s Wife - slow-burn romantic tale. When her town’s good fortune attracts goblin attention, “blessed child” Helen is offered up as a bride to secure the good favor of the Underland Court’s intermediary, a nameless troll. Gradually, the two come to care for each other, and when their union bears fruit, her “Eerie little husband” makes a deal of his own. He’ll return to the Underland Court in exchange for his wife and child surviving childbirth. Half a year later, Helen wakes up homeless, husbandless, childless. Failing to see the “blessing” of her missing family, Helen journeys to the kingdom of the fair folk, determined to win back her husband and child and to keep them once and for all.

Wild Song (placeholder name) - Last year’s NaNo. The life songs are leaving Griet. Rivers are turning sluggish, wildlife is fleeing, and the rich soil of heartland farms is turning into a dustbowl, slowly expanding to the kingdom’s borders. In this disaster, an unlikely duo escape from a private “facility” where the powers of channelers and maestros are investigated. Uriah is a caravaner, a member of a specialized clan who travel from village to village, helping to concentrate the green growing Song for planting and harvesting seasons during biannual festivals. Eli is his elderly, mute companion to whom he owes a lifedebt for helping him escape. But hidden in Eli’s past and his mysterious connection to the song may just be the key to Griet’s salvation.

Demon’s and Curses (placeholder name)  -  A native of modern Lighdvar, Sephie thought that she understood the rules of Skraan: 1. Don’t use your true name. 2. Don’t get too attached to the people. 3. Don’t ever give demons any quarter. The first rule was because you never knew who was an agent of Skraan, and you kept the happenings of this world separate from those of Lighdvar. The second was because time passes too differently between the worlds. It was nice that months-long campaigns only took days, but if you stayed at home for two weeks straight, you were suddenly dealing with a new generation of freedom fighters. The third was, welll…led by the evil Ishtari, demons were invading the human kingdoms, enslaving their people, and hunting down every Sorcerer and Druid, humanity’s best bet. It was up to travelers like Sephie to act as the Lighvarian Sorcerer’s agents in Skraan and to purge the demons from the land. Good plan, until the portal home opened in the middle of a climactic battle with Ishtari himself. Trapped back in Lighdvar for the time being, with a Demon Lord in tow, Sephie finds her understanding of the war in Skraan challenged on every front.

[innistrahd]

Curse of Strahd, Episode 10

AKA My Throat Hurts From Doing All These Voices

Recap, with Pre-game Messages

Our heroes and their allies all arrived in Barovia in their own time and eventually met up and traveled together. They’ve all had some pretty crazy dreams, with some of them dreaming in the past of this terrifying temple made of amber, where some kinds of secrets seemed to lie. Our current group consists of Claris the wizard from Candlekeep, Ileana the druid and stealer of swords, Nyx the werewolf rogue who looks eerily similar to the Krezk Abbot’s crafted flesh golem, and Buck the tiefling gunslinger seeking revenge for the death of an old lover. Mike, a previous traveling companion, found his dog and has decided to retire from adventuring. Our party is also joined by Magdala the wereraven, Laise the familiar of Claris, Frederick the animated armor, Ash and Thorn the wood woads set to guard Ileana, and Ezmerelda the vistana seeking her mentor Van Richten. 

We left off shortly after the group arrived in the town of Krezk and met the Abbot on the hill. They learned of the Abbot’s true identity as an angel, as well as learning that he’d crafted a flesh golem to serve as the bride of Strahd, and that Nyx looked suspiciously like this golem. In between that session and this one, the party all spent some time in and around Krezk and the Abbey, during which time Ileana and the Abbot had a long discussion about fighting Strahd (with the Abbot saying it was impossible since Strahd was something more than just a normal vampire), amongst a few other events that might not be as noteworthy. Those between-session things ended with the group all laying down for some rest for the night, planning to gather their supplies and head out the next morning. 

The Amber Temple

After a long and arduous hike through the frozen mountain paths, our four heroes arrived at the facade to an ancient temple built into a mountainside- the Amber Temple, the destination they’d been seeking. The wind was bitingly cold and the snow blew into their faces and down their coats. As they descended into the dark and cold depths of the temple, they heard strange and maddening whispers calling to them from all around, and as Buck led them down he was hit by arrows coming from arrow slits hidden in the walls around. The arrows dealt enough damage to not only knock Buck unconscious but to also cause him to die. Shortly thereafter the stress of the incessant whispering caused Ileana and Claris to fall unconscious on the spot, but Nyx continued on through the temple. She explored a bit, but soon thereafter fell into her own form of madness, and soon the three maddened explorers froze to death... 

The Abbot Turned Good?

They woke up from their crazy, collective, temple-dream to find themselves back in the Abbey’s barracks where they’d laid up for the night. Banging at the door was one of the Abbot’s servants, who seemed frantic because the Abbot had somehow gone missing this morning, as had Vasilka, the golem that the Abbot had crafted. The party decided to help in the search and headed down into town, where they found that the Abbot was helping in the birthing of a new child to the town of Krezk. The birth was successful and the mothers seemed pleased, yet the baby itself didn’t cry, which was explained by one of the mothers to be because the baby was born without a soul- a truly sad, but commonplace, situation in Barovia.

The Abbot explained that he thought a lot about his and Ileana’s discussion the night before and decided that he should be doing more to help the people, not just trying to appease Strahd, and so he destroyed the abomination Vasilka and came down to town to help out, where he found out that the baby was being born that day. He then brought Ileana and the others to the house of the Burgomaster, where he used his innate magic to raise the young Ilya Krezkhov from his recent death. 

Later, as the party scattered around Krezk to do their own things for awhile, Ileana and Nyx traveled to a beautiful pool in the north side of town, where she was greeted by a figure in the water. The figure seemed to recognize her as Tatyana, his love, and he stretched a hand out of the water towards Nyx, but Ileana ensured that Nyx did not take that hand. Moments later, thunder pealed the sky as a booming voice cried out “SHE IS MINE”, and lightning struck the pool, destroying the visage of this figure and the nearby gazebo.

Our Good Friend Strahd’s Back -- With Wolves

After leaving Krezk, the group decided to take a brief stop at the werewolf den to speak with their good friend Zuleika (the current leader of the wolves) and to get the sword hilt that Claris believed to be the useful weapon from Madam Eva’s fortune telling way back in session 1. When they arrived, they found a surprising lack of werewolves- or, living ones at least. Most of the wolves were dead that they passed on their way to the shrine where the hilt lay, and when they arrived at the shrine they saw the vampire lord Strahd Von Zarovich sitting in a chair between them and the shrine, a werewolf on either of his sides and one laying on the ground under his feet. Additionally, two other wolves revealed themselves from their hiding places behind the party, effectively blocking their escape. 

Strahd expressed that he wasn’t really there to fight at the time; that he just wanted to talk. He invited Ileana forward, thanked her for helping to sow some seeds of chaos in the land but also trying to make the request that she stop her foolish attempts at revolution. She didn’t seem too into it. Strahd spoke with Buck, offering up the still-living Zuleika (the werewolf under Strahd’s foot, and the one who Strahd claimed to have killed Buck’s old love), who Buck gladly killed in a single shot. Strahd then spoke with Claris, warning her to stay away from the Amber Temple as it’s a dangerous place, which Claris seemed amenable to. Strahd then spoke with Nyx, whom he referred to as Tatyana, saying that he recognized this body as a new incarnation of her soul and asking that she come to trust him- in time. With Zuleika’s death, Strahd declared "Tatyana” as the new leader of the werewolves, and set the remaining four lycanthropes as bodyguards and packmates for her. Strahd then stood and drew his rapier as he approached Ezmerelda, but the others stood in the way, preventing Strahd’s approach. Strahd backed off and left, saying that they’d continue this at a later time.

Claris grabbed the hilt from the treasure pile and cast a Remove Curse upon herself, then the group headed out away from the den. On their way out, they felt a presence standing behind them and turned just in time for Claris to cast a Counterspell to shut down Strahd as he attempted to cast a spell at the group. His spell halted, Strahd leapt into the center of the group, drawing his rapier and attacking Ezmerelda. It was a long fight, with Ileana casting a daylight spell which began to burn Strahd’s flesh, Buck firing off many rounds of his gun all at once, and Nyx and Magdala being held by the werewolves who tried to prevent the group from fighting Strahd. Strahd was able to kill Ezmerelda and he then fled carrying her body, but it did look as though the group dealt a few good blows to the vampire and damaged him significantly before he left. 

On The Road Again

After that, the group got back on the road, heading towards the ruined village of Berez, to which the figure Baba Lysaga had invited Nyx to have a conversation. Along the road, they met with a man in a heavy, dark cloak and carrying a huge backpack, who described himself as a trader who bartered not in gold, but in items of sentimental value. The members of the group asked for items to help them fight or hide from Strahd, and the trader seemed agreeable to this. Buck traded his old father’s tinker’s tools for a mask shaped to look like an angel. Claris traded an inkwell from her parents, a research note from her old friend, her map of Barovia, the page of Van Richten’s journal she’d found recently, and the ability to cast the Mage Hand cantrip in exchange for a spellbook of an ancient and powerful wizard. Nyx traded a staff her mother had carved for her and the skull of her first rabbit kill for a cloak that would guard her from magical scrying. And Ileana traded her wolf pelt, a mistletoe kiss, and her gnome music box trinket for a stake inlaid with silver and mistletoe. Magdala asked the trader for something, but had nothing to offer in return and so he denied her request. After hearing all their offers, the trader vanished. 

The group decided to head back to Vallaki since it was nearby and Claris wanted a new map. As they walked to the cartographer Alek’s shop, they noticed that the church of Vallaki had been burnt down since they were last here, but that didn’t stop them from focusing on their goal. Claris bought a map, and the group headed back towards Berez, with Claris (being carried by Frederick) identifying the magic on some of the group’s new items on the way. 

Baba Lysaga’s Here in Berez

The ground underfoot became swamplands as the road winded down beside the river to the ruins of Berez. There, the group met with the old hag Baba Lysaga, who wished to speak with Nyx. They spoke, during which time Nyx learned about a deal her mother had struck but then backed out of, a deal where Baba Lysaga would help allow Nyx to live a normal life in exchange for her mother’s life. Baba Lysaga also called Strahd her son, and told Nyx that she seemed like she’d be a good bride for the handsome young fella. 

While in Berez, Nyx also spoke with a ghost who expressed that she looked a lot like the ghost’s late daughter, a girl called Marina. The ghost told Nyx of Marina’s story- that Strahd had become enamored with her, that the ghost (the burgomaster of Berez) and the village’s priest killed Marina to prevent her from being turned by Strahd, and how the village was then swallowed up by the sea in Strahd’s wrath. Ileana meanwhile spoke with a wereraven across the river at a sacred site, who tried to warn Ileana not to speak with the hag Baba Lysaga. And that was where we left off. 

DM Notes

Generally, just... wow, there are a lot of plot threads I have to be weaving together right now. I’m glad I’m able to keep most of them in check most of the time, but boy howdy is it getting to be a lot. Some of them may be reaching natural conclusions soon, though, although others will also be showing up soon too, so... But, I enjoy DMing nonetheless. 

-The Amber Temple: I have made some huge changes to the temple so far, as I have with a lot of things from the CoS adventure module, and I LOVE IT. I don’t want to say too much about the specific changes to the temple until they’re all revealed in the game, but suffice it to say they intrigue me very much, and the temple has only been shown in dreams so far...

-Different Ambiance: I tried something new this time with my auditory aids to the game. For past sessions, I’ve been using music to help create certain moods during the game. This time, I used a few different ambient tracks made up of sounds like wolves howling, wind blowing, and the like, and I feel like the ambiance was mostly unnoticeable during the session. It might have just been too quiet, but it seemed like it could only be heard at all when all the conversation quieted out, although I guess in a certain way that helps a lot too. 

-Boosting the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind: Normally the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind is only attunable by clerics and paladins, who can use its powers to boost their turn undead attempts and the like. However, since our party doesn’t have any clerics or paladins, I decided to allow attunement by any kind of character, and I decided that the symbol granted its users turn undead attempts instead of boosting the ones they already had. I don’t know if it’s “balanced” in any way, but it seems to have been appreciated so far, and it was used a few times this session to mixed success.

-Nyx + Tatyana - too much? : Another of the brand new things I added to Curse of Strahd for this campaign was to make our PC Nyx the reincarnation of Strahd’s old love Tatyana. Normally in the Curse of Strahd book there is a character who is Tatyana’s reincarnation, and she is likely to travel with the party for awhile before they’re able to put her in a safe place and leave. But, with Nyx being a party member, all this information is suddenly about a member of their group, and it’s a little to a lot harder for her to leave. I’m definitely concerned both whether it’s too much information for the players or just for the one player in particular, but the general response I’m getting seems to be that it’s still fairly interesting and feels natural. At least, so far

[dfroza]

we have to protect the spiritual truth of rebirth, love.

we have to stand for something while here in this world. we have to choose what to “believe...”

and if we keep focus on the genesis, on what is pure & good, then we are able to change the atmosphere for the better, to infuse it with hope. because this world bears a broken heart, yet grace is its only True healing.

and someday our True King will make all things on earth new, just as now exists in Heaven.

A set of lines from Today’s reading that illuminates this:

Jesus: My kingdom is not recognized in this world. If this were My kingdom, My servants would be fighting for My freedom. But My kingdom is not in this physical realm.

Pilate: So You are a king?

Jesus: You say that I am king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the cosmos: to demonstrate the power of truth. Everyone who seeks truth hears My voice.

Pilate (to Jesus): What is truth?

The Book of John, Chapter 18:36-38 (The Voice)

and the whole chapter about the Lord willingly laying down His Heart to be arrested, wrongfully accused by men. yet, this was done in our place, for our wrongdoing. for our sin and its consequent death sentence.

(i’ve personally laid my own heart down to be wrongfully accused and arrested, willingly keeping it open as a friend, to become the pages of a book that in hope is befriended by a heart that gently opens to its words)

[John 18]

When Jesus finished praying, He began a brief journey with His disciples to the other side of the Kidron Valley, a deep ravine that floods in the winter rains, then farther on to a garden where He gathered His disciples.

Judas Iscariot (who had already set his betrayal in motion and knew that Jesus often met with the disciples in this olive grove) entered the garden with an entourage of Roman soldiers and officials sent by the chief priests and Pharisees. They brandished their weapons under the light of torches and lamps. Jesus stepped forward. It was clear He was not surprised because He knew all things.

Jesus: Whom are you looking for?

Judas’s Entourage: Jesus the Nazarene.

Jesus: I am the One.

Judas, the betrayer, stood with the military force. As Jesus spoke “I am the One,” the forces fell back on the ground. Jesus asked them a second time:

Jesus: Whom are you searching for?

Judas’s Entourage: Jesus the Nazarene.

Jesus: I have already said that I am the One. If you are looking for Me, then let these men go free.

This happened to fulfill the promise He made that none of those entrusted to Him will be lost. Suddenly Peter lunged toward Malchus, one of the high priest’s servants; and with his sword, Peter severed the man’s right ear.

Jesus (to Peter): Put down your sword, and return it to the sheath. Am I to turn away from the cup the Father has given Me to drink?

So the Roman commander, soldiers, and Jewish officials arrested Jesus, cuffed His hands and feet, and brought Him to Annas (the father-in-law of Caiaphas the high priest). You may remember that Caiaphas counseled the Jews that one should die for all people. Simon Peter and another disciple followed behind Jesus. When they arrived, Peter waited in the doorway while the other disciple was granted access because of his relationship with the high priest. That disciple spoke to the woman at the door, and Peter was allowed inside.

Servant Girl (to Peter): You are one of this man’s disciples, aren’t you?

Peter: I am not.

All the servants and officers gathered around a charcoal fire to keep warm. It was a cold day, and Peter made his way into the circle to warm himself.

Annas (to Jesus): Who are Your disciples, and what do You teach?

Jesus: I have spoken in public where the world can hear, always teaching in the synagogue and in the temple where the Jewish people gather. I have never spoken in secret. So why would you need to interrogate Me? Many have heard Me teach. Why don’t you question them? They know what I have taught.

While Jesus offered His response, an officer standing nearby struck Jesus with his hand.

Officer: Is that how You speak to the high priest?

Jesus: If I have spoken incorrectly, why don’t you point out the untruths that I speak? Why do you hit Me if what I have said is correct?

Annas sent Jesus to Caiaphas bound as a prisoner. As this was happening, Peter was still warming himself by the fire.

Servants and Officers: You, too, are one of His disciples, aren’t you?

Peter: No, I am not.

One of the high priest’s servants who was related to Malchus—the person Peter attacked and cut off his ear—recognized Peter.

High Priest’s Servant: Didn’t I see you in the garden with Him?

Peter denied it again, and instantly a rooster crowed.

Before the sun had risen, Jesus was taken from Caiaphas to the governor’s palace. The Jewish leaders would not enter the palace because their presence in a Roman office would defile them and cause them to miss the Passover feast. Pilate, the governor, met them outside.

Pilate: What charges do you bring against this man?

Priests and Officials: If He weren’t a lawbreaker, we wouldn’t have brought Him to you.

Pilate: Then judge Him yourselves, by your own law.

Jews: Our authority does not allow us to give Him the death penalty.

All these things were a fulfillment of the words Jesus had spoken indicating the way that He would die. So Pilate reentered the governor’s palace and called for Jesus to follow him.

Pilate: Are You the King of the Jews?

Jesus: Are you asking Me because you believe this is true, or have others said this about Me?

Pilate: I’m not a Jew, am I? Your people, including the chief priests, have arrested You and placed You in my custody. What have You done?

Jesus: My kingdom is not recognized in this world. If this were My kingdom, My servants would be fighting for My freedom. But My kingdom is not in this physical realm.

Pilate: So You are a king?

Jesus: You say that I am king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the cosmos: to demonstrate the power of truth. Everyone who seeks truth hears My voice.

Pilate (to Jesus): What is truth?

Pilate left Jesus to go and speak to the Jewish people.

Pilate (to the Jews): I have not found any cause for charges to be brought against this man. Your custom is that I should release a prisoner to you each year in honor of the Passover celebration; shall I release the King of the Jews to you?

Jews: No, not this man! Give us Barabbas!

You should know that Barabbas was a terrorist.

The Book of John, Chapter 18 (The Voice)

Today’s paired chapter of the Testaments is Judges 15 continuing with the story of Samson:

Later on—it was during the wheat harvest—Samson visited his bride, bringing a young goat. He said, “Let me see my wife—show me her bedroom.”

But her father wouldn’t let him in. He said, “I concluded that by now you hated her with a passion, so I gave her to your best man. But her little sister is even more beautiful. Why not take her instead?”

Samson said, “That does it. This time when I wreak havoc on the Philistines, I’m blameless.”

Samson then went out and caught three hundred jackals. He lashed the jackals’ tails together in pairs and tied a torch between each pair of tails. He then set fire to the torches and let them loose in the Philistine fields of ripe grain. Everything burned, both stacked and standing grain, vineyards and olive orchards—everything.

The Philistines said, “Who did this?”

They were told, “Samson, son-in-law of the Timnite who took his bride and gave her to his best man.”

The Philistines went up and burned both her and her father to death.

Samson then said, “If this is the way you’re going to act, I swear I’ll get even with you. And I’m not quitting till the job’s done!”

With that he tore into them, ripping them limb from limb—a huge slaughter. Then he went down and stayed in a cave at Etam Rock.

The Philistines set out and made camp in Judah, preparing to attack Lehi (Jawbone). When the men of Judah asked, “Why have you come up against us?” they said, “We’re out to get Samson. We’re going after Samson to do to him what he did to us.”

Three companies of men from Judah went down to the cave at Etam Rock and said to Samson, “Don’t you realize that the Philistines already bully and lord it over us? So what’s going on with you, making things even worse?”

He said, “It was tit for tat. I only did to them what they did to me.”

They said, “Well, we’ve come down here to tie you up and turn you over to the Philistines.”

Samson said, “Just promise not to hurt me.”

“We promise,” they said. “We will tie you up and surrender you to them but, believe us, we won’t kill you.” They proceeded to tie him with new ropes and led him up from the Rock.

As he approached Lehi, the Philistines came to meet him, shouting in triumph. And then the Spirit of God came on him with great power. The ropes on his arms fell apart like flax on fire; the thongs slipped off his hands. He spotted a fresh donkey jawbone, reached down and grabbed it, and with it killed the whole company. And Samson said,

With a donkey’s jawbone

I made heaps of donkeys of them.

With a donkey’s jawbone

I killed an entire company.

When he finished speaking, he threw away the jawbone. He named that place Ramath Lehi (Jawbone Hill).

Now he was suddenly very thirsty. He called out to God, “You have given your servant this great victory. Are you going to abandon me to die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?” So God split open the rock basin in Lehi; water gushed out and Samson drank. His spirit revived���he was alive again! That’s why it’s called En Hakkore (Caller’s Spring). It’s still there at Lehi today.

Samson judged Israel for twenty years in the days of the Philistines.

The Book of Judges, Chapter 15 (The Message)

my personal reading of the Scriptures for Wednesday, September 9 of 2020 with a paired chapter from each Testament along with Today’s Psalms and Proverbs

A post from John Parsons about the sacrificial Love of God and another about finding purpose:

In the Torah we find that the word “love” (i.e., ahavah) first appears regarding Abraham’s passion for his son: “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love (אֲשֶׁר־אָהַבְתָּ), and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you” (Gen. 22:2). After journeying to the place, Abraham told his child that God would provide a lamb (אֱלהִים יִרְאֶה־לּוֹ הַשֶּׂה), and then bound Isaac, laid him upon an altar, and raised his knife to slay him (Gen. 22:8-10). At the very last moment, the Angel of the Lord called out: “Abraham! Abraham! Do not lay your hand on the lad or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son (בֵּן יָחִיד), from me” (Gen. 22:11-12). Abraham then “lifted up his eyes” and saw a ram “caught in a thicket” which he offered in place of his son. Abraham then named the place Adonai-Yireh (יהוה יִרְאֶה), "the LORD who provides" (Gen. 22:14). The sacrifice of the lamb for Isaac portrayed the coming sacrifice of Yeshua, the great “Lamb of God” (שֵׂה הָאֱלהִים) who would be offered in exchange for the trusting sinner (John 1:29). Indeed the story of how God provided the lamb at Moriah (and later during the Passover in Egypt) foreshadowed the greater redemption given in Messiah at the "Passover cross," and may be understood as the “Gospel according to Moses” (Luke 24:27; John 5:46). . Therefore, Rosh Hashanah, or the Day of Judgment (יוֹם הַדִּין), is all about our Messiah, and we listen to the sound of the shofar to remind us of the provision of Lamb of God given in our place... . [Hebrew for Christians]

9.8.20 • Facebook

The purpose or “goal” of life is to learn to be loved by God, to accept our place within his heart, and to “live, move, and have our being” rightly related to Divine Truth revealed in Messiah. The first lesson, then, is to know who we are and how much we are loved. Learning this is often a struggle, however. We are easily distracted. We forget why we are here. Because of this we must constantly remind ourselves of our true identity, of our high calling, and the reason for our lives... Much of our trouble comes from “disordered love,” by elevating what is finite to the status of the infinite. Indeed idolatry is the substitution of not-god (לא־אֵל) for the sacred, absolutizing the present and worshiping the temporal. We find lasting inner peace only after we surrender to God's will for our lives...

Often we are slow to realize our desperate need and God therefore allows us to revisit the various "waste places" of our own lusts and fears until we have become sick of ourselves -- sick "to the bones." We have to be willing "to give up our sickness." Usually that means that we must experience repeated failures until we have "learned from the heart" that the LORD alone is our Healer and Deliverer (2 Cor. 7:10). Ironically it is only after we have abandoned teshuvah in our strength that we are enabled to truly turn.

God knows that we are unable to overcome our inner corruption - that we are unable to help ourselves - apart from his miraculous intervention, and therefore he creates a new heart and puts a new spirit within us (Ezek. 36:26). In this way the Lord makes us direct witnesses of his transforming power and glory... Our changed lives are made testimonies sent out to impart hope, to raise the dead of heart, and to bind up the bruised of spirit. [Hebrew for Christians]

9.9.20 • Facebook

Today’s message by the ICR:

September 9, 2020

To Be or Not to Be

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

The verb “to be,” in its various forms and tenses, enjoys wide usage throughout Scripture. Verses employing it, as it relates to us, contain many of the greatest and most precious truths. Consider the following sampling.

Past tense: “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). “When we were enemies, we were reconciled to God” (v. 10). “You hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1). “You, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled” (Colossians 1:21).

Present tense: “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven” (Romans 4:7). “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God?” (1 Corinthians 3:16). “Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation” (1 Peter 1:5). “By the grace of God I am what I am” (1 Corinthians 15:10). “Beloved, now are we the sons of God” (1 John 3:2). “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him” (Colossians 2:9-10). Note also our text verse.

Future tense: “It doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2). “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). “And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads....and they shall reign for ever and ever” (Revelation 22:3-5). JDM