#makes me think of how Paul said he had to step back because John had a new relationship and therefore couldn’t continue theirs

[paulic]

Paul married Linda without another Beatle being present, John and Yoko were recording together. 8 days later John married Yoko. No other Beatle was present. Anyway

[thecoleopterawithana]

Now and Then

1977

Now and Then: I know it's true / It's all because of you

And if I make it through / It's all because of you / And now and then / If we must start again / Well, we will know for sure / That I love you

I don't wanna lose you, oh no / Abuse you or confuse you / Oh no, no, sweet darlin' / But if you have to go away / If you have to go, well you the reason [?]

Now and then / I miss you / Oh, now and then / I want you to return to me / 'Til you return to me / I know it's true / It's all because of you / And if you go away / I know you could never stay

.

1978

Love Awake: Love awake to the day / When we can make our love awake / Lord knows we need it any time we can get it / But we forget it every now and then / But if you don't feel it, later on, you'll regret it / And if we let it we could set it free, you and me

.

1981

My Old Friend: If I told you how I feel / Oh, it wouldn’t sound so real / ‘Cause emotions, they are just now settin’ in / But it sure is great to know / That wherever we may go / We can always be the best of friends

My old friend, / Thanks for inviting me in / My old friend, / May this goodbye never mean the end / If we never meet again this side of life / In a little while, over yonder, / Where it’s peace and quiet / My old friend, / Won’t you think about me every now and then

.

Well, it was something that I’ll never live long enough to forget. It happened in February of 1981 and as the world all knows, and never will forget, in December of 1980 when John Lennon was taken away from us, and so this was the following year, in February. I wrote the song about and for Paul McCartney. I did it because he was so kind to invite me down to this beautiful island of Montserrat with Stevie Wonder. Ringo was there, just had a wonderful time. I flew down by myself. Paul and Linda met me with a jeep on the (center) airfield with a little single engine plane and took me across the mountains we were like kids again, and it was a wonderful time, and I wanted to do… I didn’t want to cry when I left after staying down there, and I’m a big crybaby! If something moves me, I’ll just choke up… I talk about it. I thought that would happen, so the night before, I just wrote how I felt on the isle of Montserrat on every shell, forget a country boy with a guitar and a song you invited me, and you treated me like kin, and you’ve given me a reason to go on. So my old friend, think about me every now and then. I sang it for Paul, at about 10:00 the next morning. I was scheduled to leave flying again in the little single engine aircraft to the island of Antigua where I was flying commercial back to Atlanta and on to Nashville and back to Jackson, where I live here. I sang it, he said “Carl, it’s beautiful… would you sing it again?” and I said. “Sure, man.” He said “wait just a minute,” and he got Linda in there, and they sat on the floor, I sat on his old Fender twin reverb amplifier, with a guitar, I did however notice a microphone over there. I didn’t pay that much attention to it, but George Martin recorded it and after I finished singing the song to Paul, he was crying, tears were rolling down his pretty cheeks, and they’re pretty to me just like they are to the rest of the world. I think he’s a very handsome boy and always did. He’s even handsomer when he’s crying. And Linda said, “Carl, thank you so much.” I said, “Linda, I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to make you cry.” She said, “But he’s crying and he needed to. He hasn’t been able to really break down since that happened to John.” I mean he stepped outside of the room, out by the pool, and he just had his handkerchief out, and he was going at it. And she put her arm around me and said, “But how did you know?” I said, “Know what, Linda? I don’t know what you’re talking about?” She said “There’s two people in the world that know what John Lennon said to Paul, the last thing he said to him. Me and Paul are the only two that know that, but now there’s three and one of you… you know it. I said, “Girl, you’re freaking me out! I don’t know what you’re talking about!” She said the last words that John Lennon said to Paul in the hallway of the Dakota building were… he patted him on the shoulder, and said, ‘Think about me every now and then, old friend.’ Q: That’s just amazing… And she said, here you are, that’s what you just sang, and how did you know? And I said I didn’t know it, gosh, I didn’t know it. But McCartney really feels that Lennon sent me that song, he really does.

— Carl Perkins, interviewed for Goldmine (September 26, 1986).

.

1994

Paul had gone to Yoko to ask if she had any of John’s songs kicking around. The deal was that Paul would induct John into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in return. Yoko’s a generous person in that respect, so she actually gave him three songs – 'Free As A Bird' and 'Real Love' were worked up and released, the last one wasn’t.

— Source close to the Anthology project, quoted in the Sunday Express (April 29, 2007).

.

1995

It was one day – one afternoon, really – messing with it. The song had a chorus but is almost totally lacking in verses. We did the backing track, a rough go that we really didn’t finish. It was sort of a bluesy sort of ballad, I suppose, in A minor. It was a very sweet song. I liked it a lot. Should it ever be completed it would probably end up as either ‘Now And Then’ or ‘Miss You’. I wished we could have finished it.

— Jeff Lynne, quoted in the Sunday Express (April 29, 2007).

It didn’t have a very good title, it needed a bit of reworking, but it had a beautiful verse and it had John singing it. [But] George didn’t like it. The Beatles being a democracy, we didn’t do it.

— Paul McCartney, interviewed for Q Magazine (November 2006).

.

2007

There are a couple of things which may surface at some point. You see, with the Beatles, there’s always a surprise somewhere along the line. We did ‘Free As A Bird’ and ‘Real Love’, those two songs of John’s, and that was very exciting, very moving for me and very comfortable having his voice in my headphones in the studio again. And there was a third track, another song we had our eyes on called ‘Now And Then’. l actually wanted to do it on Anthology 3, but we didn’t all agree. But things change and the thing is that it might not go away. There was only one of us who didn’t want to do it. lt would have meant a lot of hard work, the song would have needed a lot of re-writing and people would have had to be very patient with us. But there are these one or two things lurking in the bushes. The Beatles might just raise their ugly little heads again…

— Paul McCartney, quoted in the Sunday Express (April 29, 2007).

.

2012

And there was another one we started working on, but George went off it. We were like, ‘No George, this is John’. He said, ‘It’s still rubbish’. ‘Ok, then’. So that one is still lingering around. I’m gonna nick it with Jeff and do it. Finish it, one of these days.

— Paul McCartney, interviewed for the “Mr Blue Sky: The Story of Jeff Lynne & ELO” documentary (2012).

.

2018

Get Enough: It was a time when we walked by the docks / I told you, "I need you all of my life" / And watching the tugs rolling by together / Do you remember? / Do you remember the lights on the shore? / How they reflected the rain on the road? / I believed that you love me alone / It was real / Do you remember? / Now and then I see your face / I've been wanting a lovin’ embrace / I've been looking for love, but it gets me nowhere / Oh, yeah, yeah

Get enough, get enough, get enough of (Your love) (x2) / I can't get enough of / Of you

It was a time we were all full of hope / Saw the future burning bright / As we watched the moon rollin’ out to sea / Do you remember? / But those days are erased from my mind / Yeah, I've left all those old days behind / But still I remember your face forever, forever

.

If I'm going to see a face in a painting, it's highly likely to be his.

— Paul McCartney, interviewed by Diane Sawyer for ABC News (November 2, 2000).

.

2022

And then 'Now and Then’ just kind of languished in a cupboard and we didn’t do anything with it. I kept saying, “You know, maybe we should do something with this, seems a bit—” “Hm, I don’t know…” There wasn’t a great desire to do anything with it. So it hung around for a while. Years! And every so often, I’d kind of go to the cupboard and think, “There’s a new song in there! We should do it! We gotta do it!” But it’d go back in the cupboard.

— Paul McCartney, in BBC Sounds Eras: The Beatles (November 2, 2023).

I got a phone call from Paul saying, “Is it possible to use that [MAL] technology for another project I’ve been thinking about? […] Would it be possible to take John’s vocal and clean it up and get rid of everything else? Because that would allow us to finish this Beatles song.” And absolutely, it didn’t take me more than about a second to get back to him and say, “Of course we can do it!”

— Peter Jackson, in BBC Sounds Eras: The Beatles (November 2, 2023).

.

2023

Now and Then: I know it’s true / It’s all because of you / And if I make it through / It’s all because of you

And now and then / If we must start again / Well we will know for sure / That I will love you

Now and then / I miss you / Oh now and then / I want you to be there for me / Always to return to me

I know it’s true / It’s all because of you / And if you go away / I know you’ll never stay

Now and then / I miss you / Oh now and then / I want you to be there for me

I know it’s true / It’s all because of you / And if I make it through / It’s all because of you

.

I do feel as though ‘Now and Then’ is a love letter to Paul written by John. I mean, I've never really asked Paul about it, and I'm not sure whether Paul would say, ‘Oh, that's definitely it,' because he wouldn't want to second guess John. But that's the sense I get. And I get the feeling that's why Paul was so determined to finish it.

— Giles Martin, interviewed for PEOPLE magazine (October 26, 2023).

When you say you enjoy 'Now and Then', that’s really nice, because that’s why we do it. We do it so people can listen to stuff and not just hear it. 'Now and Then' sounds like a love song. It sounds like a song that John wrote for Paul, and the other Beatles: “I miss you/ Now and then.” It sounds like Paul has gone there, which I think he did. You know, no one told Paul to go and do it, and Paul didn’t go, This would be a great exercise for the Red and Blue Album. He was at home in the studio. He dug on the record and started working on it, because it’s his mate. And he really misses John. I mean, that’s the truth. They broke up, and John died nine years later. It really isn’t very long.

— Giles Martin, interviewed for GRAMMYS (October 26, 2023).

.

When I remember the Beatles, I remember the joy, the talent, the humor, the love. And I think, if people remembered us for that — for those things — I’d be very happy.

— Paul McCartney, in BBC Sounds Eras: The Beatles (November 2, 2023).

[m1ssunderstanding]

Get Back Rewatch 55 Years On: Day Eight

So Ringo walks in first thing in the morning carrying not one, but two drinks. Either he’s being very gentlemanly to MLH (likely) or we’re getting a peek at his alcohol problem (also likely)

Ringo your boooots! Ugh, I want them so bad. And paired with the shiny red shirt and jeans? Like if Dorothy was rodeo royalty.

Paul’s defense-mechanism overdone charm coming in strong today. Playfighting with some random old man, winking at someone else as he walks by, all chipper and bouncy, boyish and cute.

“If it came to a push . . . between Yoko and the Beatles, it’s Yoko, you know . . . ‘Why do you build me up, build me up, buttercup baby, just to let me down?” Linda grabs his hand and he shuts up. Another on my list of covers with *meaning* and if this one isn’t obvious, I don’t know what is. Even Linda was embarrassed for him. But here’s the thing. He’s so sure that if he pushed John to choose between Yoko and the band, that John’d choose Yoko. And he’s probably right there. But what John wants, IMO, whether he knows it or not, is for Paul to push him to choose between Yoko and HIM. Not the band. I really do think that’s what John wants and the fact that Paul’s not doing that confirms John’s belief that Paul doesn’t love him.

“Permanently engaged?” *literally starts to vibrate with anxiety* *whistles to self-soothe*

Okay, but, if I’m remembering correctly, actually in the nagras Paul’s answer to MLH’s “Do you think if you put any pressure on him that he’d go your way a bit more?” is actually “I don’t know, you know . . . can’t be bothered.” Not. “I don’t know, you know . . . and then there were two.” As AKOM said in one of their Get Back episodes, that line is actually a joke not even from that moment. So the tears? Real. The line? No.

Ringo is Not a fan of Paul just casually planning ways to announce the breakup.

Couldn’t even get a picture of Paul jumping out of his chair to talk to John because he moves so fast. Poor baby.

I wonder how early on Linda and Paul developed the “she says what he can’t say while he’s gone” play? You know? I definitely don’t think this early, but this moment does remind me of that little strategy of theirs.

“He’s coming in.” Just now takes his coat off. Meaning he's just now decided to stay? Or he's just now remembered he's still got it on? Either way, Paul's suddenly all easy smiles, relaxed, joking. John’s coming in. What could be wrong?

I was literally so pissed when I first watched this lunchroom conversation. I won’t claim to be a nagras expert or anything, but I was very familiar with the secretly-taped conversation, and it was just so butchered and spliced. Also, even if it was just them talking, it’s still not a private conversation. They’re in a crowded public space. So it’s still coded and veiled and layered etc. MLH you should’ve bugged their coats for the meeting at George’s if you’d wanted a private convo. (obvs I don’t condone that sort of thing don’t come at me)

Paul and John invite Ringo to go see George. Ringo: I was going anyway. Of course you were. Ringo’s the glue, everyone. Lewisohn can think it’s John that everyone had their closest relationship with in the group, but actually, it’s Ringo.

Ringo and Mal’s little two-step. Adorable!

See, and Ringo being the one to suggest they rehearse. It’s not just Paul being bossy all the time, kids, and it’s not just John being a leader all the time, kids. Sometimes it’s Ringo.

“Why don’t I leave my favorite guitar here as a sign?” “Look, look, what greater faith could a man have than to leave his list?” You know, like when that mean teacher makes you give them a shoe or your phone or something when they let you borrow a pencil just to make sure you won’t steal it?

[okwritingandpain]

Penny Lane's Getting Better (The Beatles x Reader)

Epilogue: The End

Date: 2/9/78

Dear John, 

I wish I could have told you how much I loved you. From the first moment our eyes met, to the last shaky breath. I don't know if you remember me anymore, it's been so long since you went off with Paul, George, and Ringo on your grand adventure. I hope everything is going well for you. 

It's been, what, 20 years? More than that at this point, I know...

I tried reaching out a few years ago, but I couldn't get ahold of you because you had stepped away from the public eye. I hope you're happy with your family, and that you release some new music soon. 

Imagine has to be one of my new favorites, keep working away! I miss you, I'll be sure to reach out again soon. 

Love, 

the girl you showed around Liverpool over 20 years ago

Date: 4/16/78

Dear my best friend, 

It's been awhile since our last talk. Nearly 7 years now...how's your family? I hope they're doing well...

John, I, don't know what to say, how we can come together again. I know we are split apart, really and even our music is starting to reflect that. 

But you'll always be my best friend, you'll always be the person who inspired me the most. I love you, John. 

Highest regards, 

the boy you found in Liverpool 

Date 6/26/78 

Dear friend, 

I find your boldness endearing. The words you speak to the world are strong and noble like those of my own. I sometimes wonder how things could have been different, if we hadn't disbanded, but even you know that I wanted out of there more than anyone...more than you. 

Things have been fine over here. I've been soul searching, figuring out myself...especially in these times. I hope you and your family are well. I wish my own was. 

Notify me when you drop that next album will you? I'd appreciate a chance to listen to something that reminds me of better times. 

Signed, 

who they considered quiet 

8/30/78

Dearest friend of friends, 

Recording with you has been the best thing I've done in awhile. The albums aren't doing very well right now. I'm just glad for your contributions. If you need anything, I'm always here so just send a word. 

I haven't seen either George or Paul for awhile, the pretty girl from Liverpool reached out to me and she said she sent you a message a few months back. 

We've been wondering about you John...

Peace and Love, 

Your Drummer

20 years earlier 

"We won't be gone too long," John says, adjusting his cap. You raise your eyebrow as you fluff up his hairs that sticks out. 

"I know, but when you make it big, don't feel compelled to come back too soon, alright?" You reply, stepping away from him.

The train was nearing the station, your heart swelled, seeing your beloved friends going off into the world.

"I'm going to miss you," John whispers to you. He kisses your hand with a slight smirk. You chuckle to yourself, this feeling that he's going to forge his own path...you know that he will have bigger things to think about than you.

At least that's what you thought...

10/9/80

Dear Y/N,

I know it's been a long time since I've written you. My life has changed in so many ways, I can't even explain it. I admit that I wanted to reach out in the past and didn't have the courage too. I really missed you, but I felt I left you behind...

I see that now that I should have just written you. 

I still love you, and always will...

I really do miss you, maybe we can meet up again sometime. It would be nice to meet up again after all these years. I heard you're getting a name for yourself in England. 

Thank you for the birthday card, by the way, you've sent me one every year. 

I hope to see another one next year, 

I love you, 

John Lennon

@sabrielka-133

[harknessxo]

Chapter I ✧ Acknowledge Me

Pairing: Rhea Ripley x Roman Reigns, Rhea Ripley x Dominik Mysterio

Summary: Rhea has a one night stand with the tribal chief or was it just one?

Warnings; Cussing, hate sex, blowjob, angst

Word Count: 2.3k

Masterlist

A/n: This is my first ever chapter fanfic. I am not doing this alone, me and my friend @tonuitekan are collaborating for this. Hope you enjoy. 😋

“Paul, acknowledge me,” Rhea smirked at the wiseman’s reaction. He looked appalled at her boldness to say the Tribal Chief’s phrase in his own locker room.

“Ms. Ripley, I think you’re in the wrong locker room to say something like that.”

“Am I? Ever since your boy Jey Uso ran away from home, the ‘bloodline’ has fallen and the judgment day has risen. You and your ‘Tribal chief’ are going to acknowledge me. You know you need my help more than I need yours. Now you’re authorized to make your little phone call,” Rhea smiled sarcastically before leaving the bloodline locker room. As soon as she was out the door the wiseman called Roman.

“My tribal chief-”

“It’s authorized. And I will make my return next week.” Roman hung up right after.

Roman slammed his phone on his coffee table and clenched his fist. Who did Rhea Ripley think she is? Roman thought. He couldn't believe Rhea's audacity to imply that he, the Tribal chief, the backbone of the bloodline, needed her help. He only agreed because the deal could come in handy but he didn’t actually need their help, right?

Smackdown had begun. Roman sat backstage watching John Cena run his mouth until he decided it was enough and finally made his entrance. He slowly made his way into the ring, taking his time, getting used to the crowd after being out for a month and a half. He stands in front of John Cena, staring him down and establishing his dominance before taking the mic from the wiseman.

“John, I think you forgot whose ring you’re in. You go around calling yourself ‘the greatest of all time’ when the greatest of all time is standing right in front of you. Now you can leave this ring on your own or we’ll make you leave,” Roman spoke with a cocky smirk.

“Roman, I am not here to challenge you for your title because I don't deserve it, but he does.” On queue LA Knight’s music hit and he made his way into the ring while John stepped back into a corner of the ring to watch. LA stood in front of Roman and introduced himself as the fastest rising superstar in smackdown history and stated he wanted a title match but before he could finish his speech, Jimmy attacked him from behind. Roman was not surprised, what did surprise him was how quickly LA was able to recover and threw Jimmy out of the ring. LA got all up in Roman’s face demanding a title match but once again he was interrupted this time by the judgment day taking both him and John out of the ring.

By Roman’s demand, Solo also joined the brawl, helping Dom beat down LA. Of course, Cody came out to help. He came to John’s aid first, helping him fight off Damian and Finn. Roman just stood in the ring watching all the chaos unfold. Roman being distracted gave Jey an opportunity to come out and try to sneak up on him but before he could touch a hair out of Roman’s head, he was pulled back by someone and slammed onto the mat. The movement of the ring made Roman turn around. Once he turned, he frowned at the scene displayed in front of him, little Jey on the floor wincing in pain while a certain woman stood above him.

Rhea ‘Bloody’ Ripley.

She slowly looked up at Roman with a smirk on her face, doing her little wave while walking closer to him standing face-to-face with the tribal chief.

“You’re welcome,” she said with a mocking smile and a wink before walking backstage with the rest of the judgment day.

Shortly after, the bloodline retreated backstage as well. As soon as Roman got backstage he took off his belt, shoved it into the wiseman’s chest, and began his search for the Women’s World Champion to have a little chat. His sudden outburst left the wiseman and Jimmy looking at each other confused.

“Yo uce, where are you going?” Jimmy asked but Roman just ignored him and kept walking.

Roman had been looking all over the place and there was no trace of the champion. He was about to turn around a corner when he heard a voice.

“I’ll meet you guys at the hotel, I’ve got some unfinished business with Pearce…Yes Dom Dom I’ll drive safely, I promise. Alright bye.” It was Rhea Ripley once again, just the person he was looking for. He quickly turned the corner and called out her name, determined to confront Rhea Ripley and finally settle the score.

“Ripley, we need to talk.” Rhea turned around with a smirk on her face.

“Roman, what a nice surprise, but I can’t talk right now I have things to do-”

“I said we need to talk,” Roman said sternly, firmly grabbing her arm before she could walk past him. Rhea roughly pulled her arm from his hold and gave him a death glare.

“Don’t ever grab me like that again or you will regret it. Now, what is so important that you need to talk to me about that can't wait?"

“I didn’t ask for your or the rest of the judgment day’s help out there. I had it under control.”

“Did you? Your boy Jimmy got taken out in seconds and if it wasn’t for me, little Jey would have taken you out. You made yourself an easy target when you sent Solo to help my boys. You got distracted, Jey knew that and he took advantage. So if anything, you should be thanking me for saving your tribal ass.”

“Listen closely, you are to acknowledge me. I'm the tribal chief around here. I call the shots,” he said while backing her into a wall, trapping her by placing his hands on the wall on each side of her head.

“That’s where you’re wrong. You see, you are the tribal chief of the bloodline not the judgment day, therefore I don’t have to listen or ‘acknowledge’ you. Is that all you wanted to talk about or is there something else you want to complain about-” Roman roughly pulled her into a heated kiss. Rhea kissed him back for a few seconds before pushing him away and slapping him across the face. Roman was stunned but didn’t say anything; he just stared back at her deeply.

At that moment, the tension between them was so thick it could be cut with a knife. Suddenly it was Rhea who pulled Roman into a rough kiss. Rhea then pulled his head back by his bun to make him look at her.

“Take me to your locker room.”

Rhea pushed Roman onto his couch and straddled him. Rhea started to take her shirt off, Roman was not far behind. When she was done, he took the opportunity and flipped them over with Roman now on top and held her wrist down above her head. He softly grabbed her jaw with his free hand to make her look at him.

“You are going to acknowledge me, understand?”

“In your dreams, Reigns,” Rhea chuckled. He just smiled at her before he leaned down leaving kisses down her jaw and neck.

“Be careful, don’t leave any marks or I promise I will kill you.”

“Why? You don’t want your little boy toy to find out?” he said, mocking her.

“Reigns,” she said in a warning tone.

“Relax, he will never know.” With that he continued his way down her perfect body, admiring every inch of it. Roman took off her jeans along with her underwear and tossed them somewhere in the locker room. He brought one of her legs to his shoulder and began to kiss down to her thighs.

“Roman stop with the teasing or i’ll- hmm,” Rhea was cut off mid sentence when Roman finally licked a stripe up her glistening folds. He buried his face in between her thighs, determined to make her scream. Rhea brought her hand to his hair and untied his bun to have a better grip. With her other hand she covered her mouth when her moans started to get too loud.

“Where’s all the back talk now, huh Rhea?” Roman mocked once again.

“Shut up and put your mouth to good use.” Rhea pushed Roman’s head deeper into her core to shut him up. Soon her legs started to shake around Roman’s head letting him know that she was close.

“Acknowledge me,” he stated.

“No,” she refused.

“Do it Ripley or I'll stop.”

“Fine! I acknowledge you my tribal chief,” Rhea said through her gritted teeth. Roman, now satisfied, sucked harder on her clit and used his fingers to get her over the edge. Rhea bit her fist to hold back the scream she let out and she rode her high. Roman stopped and was about to make a smart remark but was cut off by Rhea flipping them over once again.

“Now you are going to acknowledge me, is that clear?” Roman didn’t have time to answer before Rhea was already working on his belt. She slid his jeans and boxers off, discarding them somewhere before she started to stroke his already rock hard member. She took it in her mouth and started to suck him off. She then lifted her hips and aligned her entrance with his cock and lowered herself down, slowly being filled inch by inch. Roman put his hand on her waist to help her move up and down with ease. Her movements got faster and rougher and she once again gripped into his hair.

“Acknowledge me my tribal chief,” Rhea said into his ear.

“I acknowledge you,” Roman groaned.

“Good boy,” Rhea smiled and sped up her movements. She felt him twitch inside her and knew he was close. For the last time of night Roman flipped them over.

“Where do you want me?”

“On my stomach.” Roman pulled out and stroked his cock until he came all over her stomach. After some heavy panting and recovering, Roman went to the bathroom and got a clean cloth for Rhea. Once she was done they both started to put their clothes back on. Rhea had her bra and shirt on but she couldn’t find her panties.

“Are you looking for these?” Roman asked, smirking with the pair of panties in his hand. Rhea rolled her eyes and reached for them but Roman pulled them back before she could.

“Roman, give me my damn underwear,” Rhea said, running out of patience.

“I mean I could just stay with these but I’m sure you wouldn’t like that idea now would you?” Roman chuckled mischievously, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

“You know what, you can keep 'em as a souvenir because this is the last time this will ever happen.” Rhea finished putting her jeans on while Roman shoved her panties into his pocket.

Rhea left the locker room without another word but not before making sure nobody was around to witness her leaving the tribal chief’s locker room. What Rhea didn’t know was that Charlotte Flair witnessed the whole thing and snapped a quick picture.

It was smackdown once again and TJD had a promo with the bloodline where Dom had made his return after being out for 3 weeks due to an injury. After the promo was said and done, Dom went backstage to get some water when he heard someone call his name.

“Hey Dom Dom, can I talk to you really quick?” It was Charlotte Flair. What was she up to? Dom wondered. He went up to her confused yet intrigued by what he had to say to him.

“What do you want, Flair?”

“Well I just wanted to know if you and Rhea are over?”

“What? No. Why would we be over?”

“Really? Because I saw her sneaking out of Roman’s locker room last Friday. Look,” Charlotte pulled out her phone and showed Dom the picture.

“That doesn’t mean anything, she could have been having a conversation about the deal we made with the bloodline.”

“Wouldn’t she have told you? I mean by the looks of it you had no idea about this encounter.”

Dom didn’t say anything and just left to look for Rhea and ask her what happened. On his way down the hall he heard hushed voices and low moans. When he turned the corner he froze at the sight in front of him.

Rhea sitting on a chest with Roman in between her legs making out. He stood there for a few seconds before he found his voice to say something.

“Rhea?”

Rhea’s head shot towards the direction of the voice. Her eyes widened when she realized who it was.

“Dom?” Dom’s eyes started to water and he ran away before Rhea could see the tears spill.

“Dom! Dom, wait please! Let me explain!” Rhea tried to catch up to him but it was too late. Rhea looked back at Roman with anger in her eyes.

“See what you did?!”

“Me? All of this is on you Ripley. You know damn well if you didn’t want anything to actually happen, you could have stopped it.” Rhea just scoffed and ran after Dom. She reached the parking lot and looked around for any signs of Dom when she saw him leaning against the judgment day’s rental car.

“Dom! Thank god, please let me explain,” she said while jogging towards him.

“I don’t want to hear it Rhea, I can’t believe you would do this to me. Were you just using me this whole time?” Rhea felt a pang in her heart when he called her by her actual name and not ‘mami’ like he usually does.

While Dom and Rhea were arguing, the rest of the judgment day and Jimmy were heading out and noticed all the commotion.

“Que carajo esta pasando?” Damian said to himself.

[mebemilena]

Every breath you take. Every move you make

A/N: I'm trying to organize it. I'm enjoying it so far and  I must practice my writing. I'm a comic book artist (writer and illustrator), and i'm slowly getting back on using Tumblr and writing fanfiction, english is not my first language. Feedback is welcome and THANK YOU so much for reading me <3

i think this would be between Bodyguard and We fight and breakup, We kiss and make up. it's a bit complicated to insert Reader on the episodes, sorry if it's a little messy. I prefer it much more whe we have more dialogues.

if you havent noticed, i love taking the titles from songs. This here is Every Breath you Take, by The Police.

pairing: maya lopez x reader AFAB reader

-

Arriving at Tamaha was the easy part. All you needed was a map and follow the track you put on Maya's prosthetic leg. You took the risk of her changing it, getting another. But you thought it'd be easy for her to steal another motorbike, or get a new phone than getting a prosthetic leg that fit her just right. Though you thought you could just put it on her favorite boots, you'd still pick the prosthetic leg. Something she couldn't just get rid of in a second.

As you drove an old Honda you'd keep yourself distant, the last thing you'd want now would be for Maya to find out you were following her. The only reason you knew about Tamaha at all was because she had told you before, when you were closer and she hadn't tried to kill Fisk yet. Before she broke your heart by running away without saying goodbye.

- - -

Watching Maya from afar was not difficult for you, as a Black Widow, you knew how to become invisible. But it hurt to see her so close yet so far from what you once had. You held yourself back as you watched stupid Vickie and those girls kidnap her, your blood boiling in your veins. But you knew better than to stop them at it,  curious at what the hell they were trying to do.

As you followed Maya's steps for the past few days, you took notes of your date ideas. "Her uncle owns a skating park!", you said

to yourself, way too excited for the possibility of skating with Maya, holding her hand at the sound of Love is in the Air by John Paul Young. Your fantasy came to an end when you saw Boonie being taken. You couldn't help a smile though. "Not like I wanted to meet you. But we have a girl's night some day, yeah?', you thought.

Temptation ate your insides. You wanted to help Maya, to give her some support and beat Vicky until he begged you to stop and apologized to your Maya. But you couldn't risk much more than you had already. If leaving New York wasn't an indication your relationship was on the line, taking her as a princess and fighting her dragons would set fire to it all.

You kept tracking Maya on your phone, watching her wander around the room through your phone screen. When Zane arrived with his gang you couldn't help but rolling your eyes at him. You hated him, he seemed to think too high of himself and you didn't like the way he chewed on toothpicks, stinking like testosterone. 

You took the time to enter the place and watch Maya from a tiny bit closer. You understood Vickies plan and it didn't take a genius to put two and two: he wouldn't get out of it alive. Stupid Vickie.

Zane's group filled the skating area, talking to Henry and Boonie. When Vickie got shot you rolled your eyes again. "Such a mess", you thought. "Where is Maya Lopez?", stupid Zane asked and Dragula by Rob Zombie screamed from the sound system all of a sudden. 

You had to hold yourself not to cheer aloud, trying to keep softly headbanging your head through the music. You loved that song, Maya knew.

You started wondering if she chose that one because she knew you liked it and it made her think of you. Were you being delusional? Also, wasn't it too loud?

Oh, right. It doesn't bother her. 

You got in the laser tag maze enjoying the music,  taking a few man down cautiously so that Maya wouldn't find out you were there. You wore a mask in case one of them recognized you decided to tell on you, if they survived. You caugth her kicking their asses by the corner of your eye and almost ran to her, to tell her how great she looked while fighting, how you missed her and how much of a wimp you were for her. But that'd ruin your plans and instead of a heart-eyes Maya, you'd get broken ribs or a broken heart. Again.

The fight was getting fun but they seemed like ants around a sugarcane, always coming for more. Maya threw herself and one of those man through the wall and you felt the urge to kiss her. She fought all of them, with guns first and the with her own wrists. It made you gawk at her, your heart beating faster. You were flustered. She used the pistol wires as a whip and you moaned in your mind. "That's kinda sexy.", you thought, taking a mental note of how much of Catwoman she resembled. You'd tell her later.

The jacket trick got you biting your lip, and you almost aplaused her flawless aim.

But then Zane brought Boonie and you grunted. "Asswhole.", you mumbled.

They gathered again, around Maya and Henry, guns on their heads. But you were ready too. With your gun in hand and your eyes on them, it'd take Zane down with a buttlet to the head in no time.

 But his phone rang and his plans changed. And so did yours.

You watched Boonie leave and had to stop yourself from offering some ice to put on her face. Poor girl, getting punched like that for free.  When Maya went back inside, you made up your mind about what to do next. After tonight's events, you had to talk to her.

-

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toss a coin to your artist (me) at ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/mebemilena

[idontwanttospoiltheparty]

I’m also a "Paul is not meaningfully attracted to men" person. He just reads so so straight to me (although I do think his relationship to other men in general is odd!). What did Paul think his relationship with John was exactly? What a great question, and I’ll give you my feelings which is I definitely DONT think Paul ever thought about it while they were together. I truly believe P+J were in an emotional relationship (I.e. they were basically on the dating level but without the romantic aspect) because Paul was doing so much emotional managing of John and John gave Paul emotional support. They both put a ton of unqualified emotional labor in to an each other that’s usually reserved for a romantic relationship (for men). (But I also don’t think either of them were super aware of that while it was happening. I think John knew there was an exchange there but didn’t really understand it till later). I think in the 80s directly after John died Paul went on a journey to figure out what happened in their relationship and I think he found things out that really shook him. I think he maybe realized there was a romantic element to their relationship (especially from johns pov) but then I also think he kinda rejected it after realizing it brought up so much guilt within him. I think he has slowly realized over time John wasn’t such a great partner to him but then he hates thinking about that so he vacillates wildly between love and anger and grief. I think he went through a period in the 80s were he genuinely thought “maybe I should’ve just … “ but can’t quite let himself think about it. I think he thinks I could’ve loved him enough to make him stay I wish I had but it was too scary he wanted too much from me. I think now as an old man he thinks I love him that much now it doesn’t scare me anymore I could’ve hugged him and kissed him easily I wish I hadn’t been so uptight (and I don’t mean that romantically). I think he romanticizes the times they laid in bed together because there was an intimacy there he deeply misses. I think John was the first love of his life and I think he’s realized it now (like now now) but it took him 20/30 years post him dying to kinda realize that. Again I don’t mean romantically I think in the sense of I put as much emotional labor in to John as I did in to Linda (although obviously much more with Linda). While they were in their relationship I think Paul only thought of it as like.. natural?? This is just how we naturally are. We legally own a piece of each other and so it’s natural I take this much interest and care. I think Jane forced him to question his relationship with John many times and mostly he dodged it but there definitely came a time where it scared him that people could think of them as queer which is kinda like step one in to their fractured relationship. Now I think he looks back on it like so what? So what if I loved him and he loved me (once again this is like a recent thing). I don’t think it was sexual for Paul but was it sexual for John? I think johns sense of sex was wildly distorted so any deep feeling was entangled with sex and certainly intimacy was entangled with sex (that’s probably also an era thing so Paul falls in to that as well) so I think John in particular struggled with sexual desire and intimacy desire being intermixed. Anyway that’s my analysis

(Cont.)

I know I said SO MUCH in that last ask sorry but also I just thought what about Paul and Sex? And I have to say I do think Paul’s relationship with John wildly effected his sexuality and sense of sex especially since they met so young I think John had a huge impact on how Paul relates to sex so to say it’s completely detached from their relationship? Err I can’t quite dismiss it! But I think it mostly comes across in Paul’s relationships with women than in with John. I just look at the dynamics Between Paul and Francie and Jane and Heather in particular and I think there’s echoes of John here. Idk what that means for Paul but!! Sex definitely plays a part but I don’t see it as Sex and Romance combined it’s definitely different quadrants.

Wow! What an insightful ask to wake up to!

I find myself agreeing with a lot of it, though I'm slightly unclear what you mean by emotional labour. I do see Paul as taking on somewhat of a role of John's carer, though more in an almost parental way, but while I think John loved Paul a lot I'm not sure what labour he was doing? He does seem to have played a role in calming Paul's nerves, as that one scene in Get Back shows, but it's hard for me to gauge how often stuff like that occurred.

Anyways! Here's stuff I really really like/want to emphasize from your take: (under the cut to not clog everyone's dash):

"I definitely DONT think Paul ever thought about it while they were together. […] While they were in their relationship I think Paul only thought of it as like.. natural?? This is just how we naturally are. We legally own a piece of each other and so it’s natural I take this much interest and care."

This! I also think it wouldn't be technically wrong to call the way they were natural. Personally, I think it kind of was. They spent an insane amount of time together, went through the one-way-door of fame together, worked on art together – which IS intimate in my opinion – plus there was that whole mother dying bond. So, I sort of get it, if Paul looked at his atypically close relationship to John and didn't feel like it was out of the ordinary in that way. Also great point re:"we legally own a piece of each other". I think it's kind of fascinating the way their names were legally tied to each other in a way that echoes real marriages. It plays a huge part in Paul's "claim" on John during the post-1980 Widow Wars.

"I think in the 80s directly after John died Paul went on a journey to figure out what happened in their relationship and I think he found things out that really shook him. I think he maybe realized there was a romantic element to their relationship (especially from johns pov) but then I also think he kinda rejected it after realizing it brought up so much guilt within him."

I definitely think this is possible, though I'm very on the fence about whether it happened. Either way, the amount of guilt that realization could bring about seems insurmountable to me. If I found out something like that it would be soul-crushing to be honest.

"I think he has slowly realized over time John wasn’t such a great partner to him but then he hates thinking about that so he vacillates wildly between love and anger and grief. I think he went through a period in the 80s were he genuinely thought “maybe I should’ve just … “ but can’t quite let himself think about it. I think he thinks I could’ve loved him enough to make him stay I wish I had but it was too scary he wanted too much from me."

I think this is a great point, though I feel a lot of that anger must have already come to the forefront when the breakup happened. What does seem to have happened since is Paul trying to understand John's mental health problems, in his own, kind of problematic way. I think this is the place his whole bringing up John's family situation shtick originates from: a misguided attempt to contextualize John's less savoury behaviour. And of course, the fact that John was deeply troubled, did struggle immensely with his own self-image, did have major abandonment issues does in the end make the guilt of not being able to help him more (by "loving him enough" or by getting him professional help that wasn't really available at the time) at odds with the justified anger Paul felt at the hurt John caused him. I think this is a seriously under-explored piece of Paul's post-1980 feelings for John, and I get why: Paul downplays it massively because it's a dark road.

There's also an inherent trade-off between Paul finally internalizing that John did in fact genuinely care about him and him subsequently realizing that perhaps John wanted more. It's deeply sad however you choose to spin it :(

And lastly, yeah, I've wondered if, if Paul knew John had harboured romantic feelings for him, would he think "well... I could have done that". Not because he necessarily genuinely desired it, but because it's so hard to imagine post-hoc anyways, and he just wants something that will fix it, and in the world of hypotheticals, anything is better than the reality we're living in.

"I think now as an old man he thinks I love him that much now it doesn’t scare me anymore I could’ve hugged him and kissed him easily I wish I hadn’t been so uptight (and I don’t mean that romantically)."

Yeah… Yeah. Again, this makes perfect sense to me. It honestly makes me kind of sad to see how tactile he is with Ringo these days. Like he'll give him a cheek kiss as a greeting and I just mourn the carefree intimacy That Could Have Been, y'know, that clearly he regrets not having with John.

"I think John was the first love of his life and I think he’s realized it now (like now now) but it took him 20/30 years post him dying to kinda realize that."

I do kind of wonder if him realizing that after the fact might also mean that it may in fact be somewhat revisionist of him to think of it that way. And that isn't to say that John didn't mean an immense amount to him at the time, but I guess the idea of a "love of one's life" is somewhat constructed if that makes sense. Like part of someone being the love of your life is that you think of them that way. So if he only began thinking of it that way after John died, is that the same as if he had realized it while they were together? I think this is an interesting question. In a way, Paul continues to shape the reality of his relationship to John to this day – which is not the same as lying or delusion in my opinion! It's simply that as he ages the lens with which he looks back inevitably keeps changing with him.

I think Jane forced him to question his relationship with John many times and mostly he dodged it but there definitely came a time where it scared him that people could think of them as queer which is kinda like step one in to their fractured relationship.

Could you elaborate on this? I agree that Jane probably called his relationship to John into question, but I've never seen anything indicating directly that Paul was worried people thought him and John were in a romantic relationship at the time (clearly, the rumours that cropped up after the fact have bothered him). I know there's that Apple Scruff report where just, after telling the groupies who hung around Cavendish that he would be marrying Linda soon and receiving blank stares in response, he exploded like "what??? you think I'm some queer who'll never get married???" but that particular story isn't directly linked to his relation to John. Is there another story I've missed?

That being said, I think Paul felt self-conscious about how John took it, thinking back to Paul being afraid dying George would swat him away for holding his hand. And we know John used to regularly disparage Paul for being "sissy" in various ways.

I think johns sense of sex was wildly distorted so any deep feeling was entangled with sex and certainly intimacy was entangled with sex […] so I think John in particular struggled with sexual desire and intimacy desire being intermixed.

Harrrrd agree on this. I think the Julia stuff really indicates this and it's just the general vibe I get from the way he talked about relationships as an all-or-nothing thing.

(that’s probably also an era thing so Paul falls in to that as well) […] And I have to say I do think Paul’s relationship with John wildly effected his sexuality and sense of sex especially since they met so young I think John had a huge impact on how Paul relates to sex so to say it’s completely detached from their relationship? Err I can’t quite dismiss it! But I think it mostly comes across in Paul’s relationships with women than in with John.

Also agree with this a lot actually! Both that the way they both put marriage on a pedestal is definitely a historical thing and it's true that makes the atypicalness of their friendship more ""questionable"" in that sense; it's one of the reasons I've never wholly dismissed Full Reciprocated McLennon™, because this aspect is somewhat better accounted for by that version of events. And yes, it's undeniable they experienced sex together, if not necessarily with each other.

(But Fiona! Confirmed circlejerks??? – Again, this is a fair point, but I do think this falls into the ambiguous of category of "could be gay – could not be" where it just kind of depends how the participants think of it plus how much they're actively thinking about everyone else involved and if so, in what way. If you personally consider it gay no matter what, then congrats, John and Paul had sex, but I don't know that Paul agrees with you and if he doesn't I don't think that would necessarily constitute denial.)

I just look at the dynamics Between Paul and Francie and Jane and Heather in particular and I think there’s echoes of John here.

Could you maybe elaborate on this? I find myself in partial agreement but I'm also not sure how much of that is just because Paul has an MO for operating with people in general. Also for the John/Heather Mills parallels, please refer to my Friend Hannah (@royaltyisshe64) and her pipeline theory lol. (Literally bless my tagging system for helping me track this down again)

All in all, thank you so much for your long thoughtful message!

[kaepop-trash]

Johnny+ "On Friday" for your now event please

Very late but can we just give me a free pass? I love you all.

This reminded me of one of my favourite movies, "His Girl Friday" so it is kind of inspired by that. Re-watched it thanks to this ask and I can see where the roots of my dialogue style lie.

Edit: About a week into writing this, I realised that this was probably a mean girl reference Sorry it's too late now. For what it's worth, I think Johnny would be the ideal candidate for high school mean girl.

__

Exes to Lovers Trope, Politics au

Summary: There were many things you let go of during a low point in your life. To live with that loss, you have pretty much convinced yourself that it was never meant to be. But when two of those show up in a package, you have to consider if one of those is worth the risk of the other. Alternatively, Johnny tests the limits of his convincing personality.

WC: 2.6

__

"Where are you going?" Paul pulled the phone receiver away from his ear, giving Johnny an incredulous look. "We have to prepare for the morning show tomorrow." He pointed at a pile of papers that probably meant something to him.

"We can do it later. I have an important meeting." Johnny spoke as he donned his outerwear.

"With who?" He asked.

"Whom." Johnny wrapped his scarf around his neck.

"Senator." Paul was exasperated, tired of the burden of his position. And because he was up since 3am trying to book a slot on local tv.

"(Y/N) (Y/L/N)" Johnny slid his coat on.

For a moment, Paul said nothing. There was a deceptive silence that settled between them before a crackle sounded. Whoever was on the phone asked Paul if he was still there. He answered a brisk no before hanging up and walking towards Johnny.

"Your ex, (Y/N) (Y/L/N)?" Paul questioned like there was anybody else.

"One and the same." Johnny finally slipped on his gloves, giving Paul a pursed smile, already uncomfortable.

"John." Paul tried to reason but Johnny shot him an impatient look.

"This wasn't supposed to be a negotiation. I'm going to be late." His words were curt, making his campaign manager take a step back.

"Just let me know when you'll be back." Paul sighed, dragging himself back to the phones.

_

Johnny walked into his old favourite diner, breathing out a sigh of relief once the warm heated air inside hit him. He squinted and browsed the joint, empty enough that he spotted (Y/N) easily. She was busy typing something into her phone while a cup of coffee steamed in front of her.

Johnny removed the hands in his coat and the growing smile on his face, stopping in front of her booth while he unwrapped his scarf.

“Ordered anything yet?” He questioned.

“I want chicken and waffles.” She answered while continuing to draft what he could now see was an email.

“Alright.” Johnny nodded, turning to spot the waiter and beckon him. After catching the boy’s eye, Johnny slid into the booth and seated himself. Only after that did (Y/N) look at him.

“How’s the campaign going?” She asked, lips pursed with impersonal neutrality.

“Fine.” Johnny answered absent-mindedly.

“Fine?” She winced, “Is that why you flew me down here?” She scoffed with a kind of haughty arrogance that would have amused him had she not been right.

“In a manner of speaking.” Johnny avoided her gaze, turning to the approaching waiter.

“Long time no see.” The boy smiled at (Y/N) before turning to Johnny. “The usual?” He questioned. 

“Yes,” Johnny smiled back, “For both of us.” The boy wrote down the order and made his way towards the kitchen.

There was a momentary pause when Johnny sneaked a look at her. Brows gathered, she was grinding her teeth— deep in thought.

“You know what your problem areas are?” She finally spoke after breaking out from her thoughts. Johnny couldn’t stop his emerging smile, feeling hopeful for the first time in months.

He put his hands under his chin, smile lingering on his face as he asked, “Why don’t you tell me.”

“Your campaign manager is an idiot with no people skills. Smart on paper, but he doesn't understand the reality of campaigning to people." She waved the coffee stirrer in her hand like she was conducting a symphony.

"I thought smart on paper would balance me out." Johnny shrugged. "Worked well with you, didn't it?" He rested his cheek in his palm, "A little too well." His eyes gleamed, spreading over his tired features when her cheeks burner red.

"You still need someone to meet you halfway." She clicked her tongue, looking away from him to keep her reins in.

Johnny crossed his arms, sitting back and humming.

"You should have started your campaign in the rural areas since the city was already in the bag." She added like she was recalling the things off the top of her head. "You’ve always been good with improvised speeches so I don’t know why you waste time giving stiffly delivered soundbites on cable shows nobody watches anymore."

Johnny couldn't help his growing smile. She was clearly angry. There was the matter that his early run at catching eyes before the campaign cycle began was disastrous enough to warrant that anger. But Johnny didn't care when it was about to give him what he really wanted when he kept saying yes to morning shows.

You need to fire your campaign manager and hire somebody else immediately.” She finished just in time for their food to arrive.

Johnny didn’t say anything for long enough that she frowned, giving him an impatient look.

“Why are you smiling?” She asked.

“You made a list.” He bit his inner cheek this time.

She looked at him incredulously, “I’m telling you that you’ll lose and that’s what you say?”

Johnny nodded, “I’m not going to lose.” There was utter confidence in his tone. Before she could ask, Johnny spoke up again, “Not when you prepared a pitch to be his replacement.” He sat back, crossing his arms over his chest. The twitch of his lips was impossible to hide, something warm and familiar blooming in his chest.

Her forehead creased more than before, confusion mixing with flushed embarrassment.

“No.” She scoffed. "That's not what this is."

"Is it not?" His voice raised, looking relaxed.

"No. I just can't watch you in those awkward interviews where they ask you if you'll get a dog first or a wife." Her forehead creased with so much disgust that Johnny couldn't help but laugh.

"This isn't a fucking joke." She snapped before composing herself.

"I think the dog needs to come first." He kept it up.

"Or you could just get a little lap bitch and call her your wife." She mumbled.

The statement leeched the light hearted mood Johnny had tried to play up. His eyes lost it's glimmering smile, lips curling down, looking on the edge of anger. She sat back, crossing her arms over her chest and trying to feign ignorance.

"Of course I can't be your campaign manager. The optics would ruin you if people caught on." She looked away from him, suddenly detached. Yet she changed the topic swiftly.

"Caught on to what?" He questioned, almost amused at how she was avoiding the elephant in the room.

"Johnny." She sighed, sounding ready to reason.

"How's it going with being a press correspondence? I couldn't believe my ears when I heard that you work for the news.

She couldn't help her ensuing smile, acknowledging the irony of it. "It's nice actually. Something therapeutic about condemning politics without being at the center of it."

"Don't you miss it?"

"No." She spoke to soon.

Johnny smiled with a shake of his head. "Liar."

From late nights of exhausting crying to quick texts in the middle of the workday mocking their respective senators. Johnny had been the wall that had made it bearable to be backed into the corner by her career all those years ago.

"My job was thankless and tiring, and my boss was an absolute tyrant." She reminded him of it like he wasn't the person who knew that better than everyone.

"Do you miss it?" He asked again, unwavering in his belief.

She ground her teeth together, a habit Johnny hated above all else.

"Yes," She answered after giving in to the truth.

"Come back." His voice turned taut and he had to clear his throat to avoid the infiltration of sentiment.

"It's a terrible idea, Johnny." She sighed, a lot more regrettable this time. "You deserve to win and signing me on will just give the press the narrative they were looking for." She looked down at her plate to avoid his unfettered attention.

"Fuck them." He dismissed.

She looked up prepared to give more excuses.

"You said it yourself, didn't you? My image is too clean to hit the national cycle." He pursed his lips, eyes suddenly gleaming with some thought. "If they'll talk, we'll use it. Let's make headlines together, baby."

(Y/N) felt like someone punched her lungs from inside her stomach. While she tried her best to remain looking unaffected, she distantly wondered if it was worth the trouble when the man in front of her knew her too well— much to her horror.

"It won't be enough if that's what you're hoping for. It will be like petty gossip for the reporters in D.C. who knows us. They will try to involve the country in that gossip for a few news cycles. We will be mocked, then the country will get bored. All before the election." She urged him to understand her explanation.

"That's exactly what I figured. That's why I've started off a little early. We give them enough time and once they move on, the real campaigning can begin.

(Y/N) was speechless. A rare condition for anybody in her line of expertise.

Timidly, she found the words she needed to explain, "Look. It's not worth it. I have my strengths, but you can find a handful of people who can do a better job," She sighed, looking over to the window. The sun fell on her face, showing the unmistakable signs of woes.

"People without the looming threat of the baggage we have. I know someone who could really shake your campaign up. He was Senator Do–" She rummaged through her bag to look for something.

"Listen to me." Johnny cut her off. She looked up at him, visibly nervous now. "Your speeches got a man elected president."

"It wasn't just my speeches." She scoffed, still digging through her purse.

"Look at me." He demanded. To that tone, her body would listen without protest. "Look into my eyes and tell me that you don't know that you single-handedly got that man elected." He dared her.

She had no answer. Partially because he looked like he believed himself. And partially because she could clearly remember the last time they looked into each other's eyes this way.

"That's what you are, the kind of skill you possess. And you want to waste it writing puff pieces on bipartisanship and making podcasts?" He sounded, at the same time, confused and offended. "You are a force to be reckoned with and every single person who will cover my campaign will be compelled to see that."

Johnny felt a little winded after letting out his carefully worded statement. He had been waiting for this for months.

"I have the voice for podcasts I think." She tried to joke despite the deep red now coloring her cheeks.

"Take the job, (Y/N). You always told me that you wanted to make decisions."

"I don't want to decide on what tie is the best for an Illinois morning show." She matched the impatient frown on his face, "I've campaigned once, it's all promises before the election hands you bureaucracy."

"When I win," Johnny began.

"If you win," She interrupted.

"When I win," he repeated with a heavy exhale. "You can run my office."

She sat up and leaned closer, speechless and not knowing if it was in her to refuse that offer. In his eyes, she could see clearly that he knew that too. Bastard.

"Chief of staff?" She asked, not wanting to be sure till she heard him say the words.

"Is that enough to get you out of retirement?" He leaned closer. For a moment he was close enough to feel his breath.

Her eyes struggled to stay on his brows but it didn't matter when he dropped his gaze to her lips. Something sharp crawled down her spine and she sat back with a jolt.

"What's in it for you?" She asked while adjusting her pants, trying to hide her hot cheeks.

"You."

Her cheeks only turned hotter, fingers freezing on her thigh.

"I want to get elected and I know only you can do it." He added before the word lingered for too long.

"I know nothing about this state." She reminded him.

"You know how to play people's strengths. That's what I care about." He shrugged, still so certain that it was excruciating.

She hummed, not sure how to respond.

Johnny finally sat back, running his fingers over the lapel of his jacket. "And I want you back." He spoke like he was asking for something routine. Like a pair of keys before leaving the house.

"Excuse me?" She choked on her words, heart pounding loud enough to deafen her to all sounds but his voice.

"I want you back, (Y/N)." He repeated himself, unfazed by the weight of his confession.

She reached for her coffee, the room temperature drink unpleasant. With her throat coated, she felt okay to speak. "What are you talking about? Why?"

"What do you mean why?" He squinted at her, "Because I still love you." Johnny looked like she should have known that already, like it was apparent.

Her hand frooze with her cup against her lip, her fingers gripping the rim. The words had, it seemed, robbed (Y/N) of normal functions. She choked on her coffee, sitting back while hacking up a fit. After a second of indulging in laughter, Johnny got up to rub her back.

"That's not funny." She spoke after drinking down her entire glass of water, voice hoarse.

"There has never been a time when I said those words to you and didn't mean them. I don't plan on starting now." He nudged her in, sitting down beside her.

She watched him sit down, "Now that you've said that, what makes you think I'll say yes?" Her voice was heavy with caution.

Johnny smiled, "Because I know you, (Y/N). Like the back of my hand. The only thing you crave more than a challenge is to win." His brow raised, as if daring her to deny it.

His hand moved and she thought he would reach for her. Instead he stretched across the table to grab his own coffee. Distracted by his presence now, she couldn't process his bid.

"I'll think about it." She offered after trying for another stretch. Johnny rolled his eyes and sat back, making her frown.

“Just tell me now. Whether you want to take it or not, you already know what you'll do.” He sat back, clearly trying to hide how her dismissal provoked him.

He was right. But she wanted time because she currently wanted to say yes. And that to her felt like a hasty decision.

She missed her old life more than she expected. She missed the urgency of every task, how people spoke about her, to her. While it was minimal, (Y/N) knew a time when she had power in the Capital.

But perhaps most importantly, she missed him. Sitting here in front of him in his favourite diner, the one he'd bought her too plenty of times. She missed the way he was the only person who would look directly at her while she spoke. She still couldn't tell if he was just not one of the people unnerved by her, or if he knew how to hide it.

She missed him so much that she could not be certain that it wasn't clouding her current judgment.

"Just let me think about it for a moment." She tried again. When it looked like he would insist she snapped, "Away from you." She specified.

Johnny's face fell. Clear as day, disappointment coated his pupils just as he averted his gaze. He looked like a puppy.

(Y/N) tried to swallow the guilt that stuck in her throat, shuffling in her seat and crossing her arms. "Why do you want to work with me anyway? It's historically been a terrible idea."

Johnny's lips twitched, fingers flexing to reach for his glass. "We make a good team despite our differences, (Y/N). I respect your ability to cut through bullshit and I know you have a soft spot for my convictions." His face softened, finally halting his wandering eyes to meet her gaze.

Johnny reached over the table, placing his hand just short of over hers. Despite not looking, her focus remained stuck in the gap between their fingers. "Look." He sighed, "This is a re-election, and I know you don't think it's challenging because I will win. But this isn't about this election. It's about getting my corner ready."

Her gaze narrowed, confused by his cryptic words. "What are we doing in the corner?" 

Johnny's lips twitched again, a devious glint lighting his eyes, "Anything before the others show up." He licked his lips.

She rolled her eyes at the implication, hoping it would conceal the way she felt breathless and flustered at the words.

"What are you planning?" She questioned.

"A dream team. Much like the one you were in all those years ago. I need all the help I can get if I want to run one day."

She sat up, suddenly very serious. "Run for?" She asked carefully.

"You know." He played it off, yet keeping his gaze fixed on hers.

(Y/N) sighed, sitting back with defeat. "Fine, I'll do it." She picked up her coffee looking rather angry at herself. But they both knew that Johnny had just given her a challenge she could not refuse. Johnny smiled.

[meljwrites]

I was thinking it would be Dillon that says it first! Lucas goes round there and says everything he said to John Paul and Dillon reassures him and tells him he loves him

oooh that would be interesting. Like Lucas is rambling and basically saying that he loves him without saying the words and Dillon says "I love you, too." that would be sooo cute.

We had a conversation like a week ago about who would say it next, and I think the consensus was that Dillon wouldn't say it first again because of the trauma of what happened last time and the fact that he doesn't know that Lucas loves him back, and he has stopped himself from saying it relatively recently (during their first kiss) -- so it makes sense for Lucas to step up and say it this time. Especially after how he hurt Dillon.

It makes a lot of sense if he's going to go and see Dillon that he would say something like "I'm really sorry. The only reason I lied to you was because I love you and was scared that I would do something wrong, and you would leave me."

[thisweekinfandomhistory]

Just dropping in to say that this week's episode was an absolute delight and it also made me think for the first time in years about another 2000s MLM soap couple who I was super not normal about as a teenager lol

John Paul Mcqueen and Craig Dean, from the British soap hollyoaks. A brief summary which may get the details wrong but probably not because this is imprinted on my brain: they were best friends in college, JP came out as gay and confessed he was in love with Craig, Craig initially denied he felt the same but got super jealous once JP got a boyfriend and they eventually started hooking up. Craig still denied being in any way queer, and was in a relationship with a woman who he got engaged to but continued to see JP. JP eventually had enough and at Craig's engagement party engineered a situation where his fiancée caught them together. After everything came out, they decided to make a proper go of it as a couple and decided to move away together (because Craig's fiancée and her family were rightfully fuming lol), but at the airport Craig still wouldn't hold JPs hand in public and JP realised he wasn't ready.

Like a year later JP was now engaged to another man (who was also a Catholic priest because soap) and then there was a whole shenanigans with JPs secret long lost brother who was a serial killer who: blew up a church with JPs whole family in it, murdered JPs priest fiancé, and kidnapped Craig's sister to the Scottish Highlands after killing her husband. Craig came back because of the whole brother-in-law death/sister kidnap incident, they reunited and decided to give it another go and the final shot of them was them holding hands on a train. (Until JP came back without Craig in like 2015 but we don't talk about that)

The whole thing was ridiculous and honestly they were poorly written characters and pretty terrible representation, but I sobbed during their last scene and still remember them so fondly now. I was growing up in a small English town in the 2000s and had only just really learnt that queer people were a thing, still years off realising that I was also queer. But I remember watching the episode where they first kissed with my older sister and being instantly entranced with their story, to the point where from that day on I watched hollyoaks religiously despite previously complaining any time my sister had it on haha. It was a long journey to me realising I was queer but I would honestly put this as one of the first steps. Representation in soaps was so important in the 2000s and they were really the only mainstream media at the time where we saw that representation. Although I'm glad we've progressed in terms of queer stories in media, I will always look back so so fondly on mcdean and other queer soap relationships for what they meant to me at the time

I (V) love this so much! Like I said on the episode, researching this made me remember how formative Bianca/Maggie were for me on the American ABC soap "All My Children" in 2003, too. I don't think soaps ever necessarily set out to be, like, affirming and formative in their queer representation (or any other representation) but man, in the 2000s, when it was hard to find anything else, it felt like so much.

[measuredoutinyears]

hello there! if you’re still open for requests, could you possibly write something about touch-starved ringo with hurt/comfort? no worries if not!! love your fics :)

hi anon! it took me a while, but here's a little something under the cut! It's up on my ao3 as well. I hope what I wrote is what you wanted. as you hadn't specified a pairing, I kept it platonic and wrote some paul & ringo friendship. I hope you like it!

Ringo liked it better when they all used to share rooms. This era of the band's night accommodations suited him much better. Sharing a bed with any of the other three wasn’t so bad either (Ringo secretly relished it). Nor weren’t the few times when they collectively had to pile up in order to try and keep some warmth. Admittedly, none of them got much sleep on nights like these, but. Tonight it isn’t half as cold, and Ringo still isn't likely to fall asleep anytime soon.

Which, if he were to ask his bandmates' opinion, would be deemed stupid. There’s no way they could see what the problem with this hotel room is, like Ringo does.

It is a good hotel room.

There's a good bed right in the middle of it, for starters. John said earlier that the mattress in his own room was divine, that he couldn't wait to pass out on it. Even better, this room isn't cold in the least; on the contrary, the air is pleasantly warm. Ringo only has a short-sleeved t-shirt and pyjama pants on, and no chill forcing him to add another layer. Past him would have been thrilled by this – an actually good hotel. What else could he possibly wish for?

And it’s a hotel he doesn’t have to pay himself – not directly at least – and which is a five-minutes ride away from the concert venue.

A hotel that's littered with soft carpets and which was, indeed, booked just for them.

Ringo tries to feel grateful for what life's giving him.

But he's sad and tired, and he’s feeling – oh, the point is, he's feeling weird tonight.

Weird like when he’d give anything (a nice hotel room) to get a hug. Even a short, barely there one. Just something that’d reassure him enough until morning comes, something that'd allow him to fall asleep with as little intrusive thoughts as possible, lest he's shaken awake by a nightmare within the next few hours.

It seems, though, that a couple nightmares is where he's headed at. That, or no sleep at all.

If Ringo could, he'd leave this forlorn and desolate but warm room, he'd venture across cold corridors, and he'd knock on one of his bandmates' doors.

But that's not what a grown man should do, right? This isn't even nowhere close to what a grown man should be thinking about in the first place. Ringo shrugs, tries no to add guilt on top of the feelings he's going through. He needs to push away these misconstructions. They're wrong, he got told that

Ringo takes a deep breath. That's when he notices how weirdly he's standing. It's simple: he's been holding his own hand for god knows how long.

It's just him with himself. Holding hands – but it’s no use, it’s no making him feel better in the least. His hands are desperately warm, not even cold.

He doesn’t need the cuddle pile anymore. Exit the Beatle sandwich and his friends’ groans of annoyance amidst gentle snoring.

Ringo doesn't need anything, because this well-furnished hotel room has everything he should need.

Yet it’s not enough. Without thinking, Ringo takes a step forward before stilling with one foot mid-air. What is he doing? He can't go beg for a hug.

His knuckles are white, the blood gone because of how tight his grip on his own hands is.

Somewhere, in the back of his throat, Ringo feels like crying. He won't, but he could – it would be so easy to give in. Everyone feels like crying sometimes, he reasons himself. So, sometimes he cries, sometimes he doesn't. The possibility is right there.

Except that, once more, there's no reason for crying. The travel went well. The show was as good as can be when your bloody fans love you too much to listen to your music. There was no argument between him and any of his bandmates, nothing to mention from the crew around them.

And this hell of a hotel room is beyond reproach.

There's a knock on his door. It's so unexpected that Ringo just gapes at it for a second, until he gathers himself and answers.

“Come in! It's open.”

“You shouldn't leave your door open like this, you know?” Paul says he gets in.

Ringo shrugs.

As someone who's aching for a hug, he isn't going to lock the door. Nope. He’s not going to tell Paul that either.

“The hotel's empty anyway,” he mumbles, but Paul isn't interested in his answer anymore.

“What are you doing?”

Ringo blinks. Not only does he look like he's trying to demonstrate what shaking hands is, but he's also standing awkwardly in the middle of the room.

“How long have you been standing there?” Paul asks, perceptive and unrelenting. “You look like you've been caught.”

“Guess I just zoned out,” Ringo shrugs again.

Paul, bless him, lets it slide.

“Can I stay with you for a while? I tried John on my way here, but I think he's asleep. And George cursed at me when I knocked on his door. I think he's writing a song.”

Ringo considers his words. Anyone else would conclude that he was only Paul’s third choice. But Ringo noticed the apologetic tone that sometimes makes Paul's voice feel softer. Especially in the middle of the night. Paul is assuming he's disturbing Ringo's plans, whatever they were.

“You’re fine, you can stay,” Ringo says with a small smile that doesn't really hide the relief on his face.

It must be blatant really, as Paul picks up on it right away. Ringo sees the way his shoulders relax.

“Alright,” Paul is grinning now, teasing him, “am I supposed to stand in the middle of the room with you?”

“Let’s just–” Ringo looks around them. There's nothing to sit on but a chair that doesn't look quite comfortable (finally, this room does have a flaw) “ –let's just sit on the bed, yeah?”

“Fine with me,” Paul says.

Without more ceremony, his bandmate drops onto the mattress. It squeaks, disturbing the peaceful atmosphere. All it does is make Paul giggle.

“Ritch, come on,” he calls him as he sits up and rests his back against the wooden headboard. “You’re not rooted in that spot, are you?”

But he kind of is, Ringo reflects. He really must have been standing there for longer than he thought. And there's another thing – he doesn't know what he'll be like when he finally moves.

It could be anything, from breaking down in front of Paul to snapping angrily at him out of frustration. Because he really needs a hug, and when he dares move … who knows what will become of him.

Carefully, he joins Paul on the bed. Nothing happens. Ringo wraps his hands around his sides as he sits next to him.

“Everything alright?” Paul raises an eyebrow.

He's eyeing Ringo from the other side of the obvious, too big distance Ringo left between them.

“I told you,” Ringo says patiently. “Yeah.”

He's fine, or at least he's feeling better since Paul came in. There's someone with him. A friend. Sure, Ringo would commit fraud to get a hug, but Paul’s mere presence is already soothing. It quells his worried thoughts.

“Okay,” Paul says, with a look of disbelief, and then he's asking about tomorrow’s program, and what Ringo thought of this and that, little bits from their day which Ringo sometimes remembers and sometimes doesn't.

This is one thing he can say about Paul. Paul knows how to distract Ringo from his thoughts. Whether he's helping consciously or not, it works.

The room isn't too big anymore. It’s decently suited now, with Paul talking quietly, sprawled on the bed now as he sometimes moves his hands above his head for added emphasis.

They've turned off the big lamp and only kept the smaller one on Paul’s side of the bed. After some time, tiredness combined to the soft lighting causes Ringo to yawn.

“Oh, so you think I’m boring now?” Paul asks, interrupting himself in the middle of a very long rant about the true meaning behind these song lyrics that he hasn't even written yet. The cheek of this man.

“’m just sleepy.”

“Would you tell me why you were so weird earlier?”

“Mm? Oh, yeah. I was ... feeling off. It's gone now, though,” Ringo says.

His eyes are closing by themselves.

“Thanks to me?” Paul clarifies.

“Don’t let it go to your head,” Ringo retorts, failing to stifle the yawn that makes his words barely understandable.

“I’ll let you sleep, I think we both need it,” Paul chuckles, “but I’ll stay here with you. Just to make sure you don't feel off again.”

Ringo isn't sure whether he manages to mutter a thank you before passing out. Finally, he's fallen asleep.

What he's certain of, however, is how he feels upon waking up.

Warm, comforted. The opposite from yesterday, thanks to Paul’s late night talk and also to the weight of Paul’s arm across his stomach. They must have shifted in their sleep, Ringo thinks dazedly.

Because, you know. When you sleep on top of the comforter instead of using it ... even in fancy, warm hotel rooms, cuddling your friends is required.

[jdgo51]

The Living Water

Today's inspiration comes from:

Like a River

by Granger Smith

Editor’s note: Country Music artist and podcaster Granger Smith lays a path through grief in his book Like a River. Granger and his wife, Amber lost their son, River, to drowning in 2019 and in his book he shares the bereavement and faith journey he went through with Jesus. Enjoy this excerpt:

"'Living with struggles today gives us another reason to worship God.

Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ — John 7:38

Red, purple, blue, orange, and gold streaked across a canvas sky like a marvelous painting as the creaky chains of the porch swing gently rocked back and forth. London and Lincoln giggled and danced barefoot on the green lawn as Amber sat cross-legged on the steps. As I kept up the rhythm of the sway with my foot, baby Mav slept nuzzled in the bend of my elbow.

Soak in this moment because it won’t last forever.

I’ve thought that several times in my life, and it was always right, but I had never fully understood what it meant until now. Nothing lasts forever, but that’s exactly what makes life so beautiful, so meaningful. In fact, nothing matters at all until we finally realize that all things are temporary on this earth. When we understand that, we see these things for exactly what they are — small glimpses of the greatest gift: an eternal dwelling in the presence of the river’s Source. If His gifts are so good, and it hurts so much to miss them, what would it be like to meet the Giver of these gifts? I can’t even imagine.

Is it really too hard to believe that difficult times can bring about joy?

Loss Is a Necessary Part of Life

Consider this. If we never lost any of the gifts of life, how could we really understand how precious they are? How could we possibly know about the brilliance of light if there were no darkness to contrast it?

This is a perspective that I’ve had to learn.

It’s also the contrast presented by the age-old question, How could a good God allow terrible things to happen?

Look, I get it.

Many things in this world seem unfair, or depressing, or demoralizing, or disturbing, or just plain tragic. By design, we live in a world that desperately needs someone to come rescue it. And someone did — Jesus!

When we dive into the Bible, we see a purposefully strong connection between joy and suffering. We’re going to have problems on this earth. In fact, we’re told it’s not just a possibility, it’s a given.

Take John 16:33, for instance, where Jesus said,

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation.

Jesus continued with a resolution for us:

But take heart; I have overcome the world.

Read that last part again. That’s an incredible promise!

When we are finally redeemed from this broken world and join the ranks in Heaven, we will spend the rest of forever, literal eternity, in awe of God for delivering us from all heartache and pain.

Living with struggles today gives us another reason to worship God

— the One who came to take away the sting of those struggles — because we know they are not the final word. And when we do look to Him, we experience joy. That’s how we’re designed.

The men and women we read about in the Bible actually rejoiced in their suffering. Consider Paul, who was beaten and thrown in jail multiple times, or how Mary, the mother of Jesus, responded when she realized she was pregnant — something that would disgrace her in her society. Neither one considered themselves worthy for the task but faced it, looking to God, finding that joy doesn’t come from one’s circumstances but from where one is focused.

So I ask, is it really too hard to believe that difficult times can bring about joy?

Think of your favorite movie. Now remove the antagonist. Is it still a good movie? No. If there were no evil, how would we ever see what is good? It would just be — empty.

I can make an example with my favorite sport. Do you wonder why football players cry tears of joy when they hold up a Super Bowl trophy? It’s because they remember how difficult it was to win and know how temporary it is to possess. Those players endured a challenging season. Maybe there was a terrible loss in game two. Or someone had a season-ending injury in game five. Possibly a locker room dispute in game six. In game eight they might have fought from behind and barely won in overtime. And game ten was lost to a team that they were supposed to beat. I could come up with many examples, but the bottom line is that if a season or football career were perfect with zero adversity and loss, then the trophy ceremony wouldn’t be as sweet.

The tears of joy come through the pain of suffering. Loss is not only a part of our lives, it’s also necessary for us to truly understand joy. Trusting that God has a plan for His people allows us to not be surprised when the fiery trial comes but instead to rest in the joy that coexists with the suffering. That’s my view from the porch today."'

Excerpted with permission from Like a River by Granger Smith, copyright Granger Smith.

[thedalatribune]

© Paolo Dala

Wor[k]ship

“Can you tell me whether our work today is a blessing or a curse? Much of our work seems to be cursed, based on Genesis 3. But a lot of our work also seems to be a God-given blessing, according to Ecclesiastes. According to the Bible, is my nine-to-five job a blessing, or is it a curse?”

From the beginning, work was not a curse. It was a God-like gift, a blessing. The essence of work, as God designed it before the fall into sin, was creativity: creative, productive doing, arranging, making. When God did his primal work, he created the world. Now, that’s the essence of work. Then he created us in his image to put us in a world that he had made...

Now, what the fall did, what sin did when it came into the world (Genesis 3), was to make this glorious reality of satisfying work become futile, burdensome, frustrating.

“In pain [Adam] you shall eat of [the earth] all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you. . . . By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground.” (Genesis 3:17-19)

It’s not accurate to say that work is a curse. What’s accurate is to say that the futility and frustration and burdensomeness and painfulness of work is a curse. Paul said in Romans 8:20–21, “The creation was subjected to futility.” When sin came into the world, God subjected creation to futility, “not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself would be set free from its bondage to [futility].” The futility and burdensomeness of work, therefore, is part of the curse of creation, and it won’t always be this way. He said, “There’s a hope coming,” and God put the world under this curse temporarily to show the exceeding sinfulness of sin.

But Christ has come to redeem the world from the curse, and that happens in stages, not all at once. This is true for work as well. It is really significant, when you think about it, that the gospel - the good news of Jesus’s salvation - does not stipulate that work is how you earn it. You can’t earn it; it’s free. Work is not assigned that impossible, hopeless, burdensome role in salvation. This is really good news.

...First, work does not bear the weight of having to save us. Christ saves us; he does it by faith. Second, God steps in and does the work. He makes us new, and he does everything required to make us new creatures in Christ. We are his workmanship. Third, now that we are loved and forgiven and accepted and adopted, we are created for good works. We were created the first time - that is, brought into being as human people - for good work, way back in the beginning. That was our original intent as human beings, and we are recreated in Christ for good work...

When Paul calls us to do lots of work as Christians, he’s not calling us to a burdened, frustrated, cursed life. He’s calling us to our glory and our joy. First Corinthians 15:58: “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord” - I think that means doing lots of it - “knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” It’s not futile. I think that applies to any work done in the name of Jesus, for the glory of Jesus, in reliance upon the power of Jesus - not just church work, all work...

I’ll say it again. From the beginning, we were made for work - shaping, creating, subduing the world according to the wisdom and goodness and beauty of God. This was not - it is not - a curse; it is a blessing. And I think it will last happily forever.

John Piper Is Work a Blessing or a Curse?

[lesfeldickbiblestudy]

  Through the Bible with Les Feldick LESSON 2 * PART 3 * BOOK 59 REVELATION 1:11-2:10 All right, we’re going to get right back where we left off, Revelation chapter 2, and verse 1. We’re just a non-denominational, independent Bible study, and the only one I have to report to is the Lord of Glory. I don’t take the responsibility of teaching the Word lightly, as you know by now. We just depend on His leading and His guidance, and I don’t purposely try to step on people’s toes, but if in the process of teaching the Word we do, well so be it. Then they’ve just got to pay attention to what the Book says, as well as what the Book doesn’t say. But above all, while studying the Scriptures keep the Word of God divided. What was said to Israel, for example was said under the Law, and what Paul said to the Body of Christ believers was said under grace, and you cannot mix the two. Paul calls that "rightly dividing the Word of Truth," which makes everything fit so beautifully. All right, Revelation chapter 2. Now remember, we’re dealing with seven Jewish congregations in Western Turkey, who have more or less taken the place of God’s dealing in preparation for the wrath and vexation that at this point in time is still right out in front of them. We, in the Age of Grace we’re living in, know that God opened up the timeline. He did not bring in the wrath and vexation, it’s still out in the future, but these Jewish believers didn’t know that. They thought the whole Old Testament program was just going to keep right on flowing, and that they would, in due time, be in the midst of the wrath and vexation. So, now the Lord is dealing with these seven congregations in a particular, unique way. As I mentioned in the last program, the importance of the temple was losing its clout, and by 70 A.D. it would be totally destroyed, and Jerusalem would be destroyed, and the Jews would be dispersed throughout the whole world. So, if John is writing, as I think he is, in probably the 50’s, 55 to 60, somewhere in there, they are only about 10 or 12 years before the temple would be destroyed, and consequently God is using these seven lamp stands as a final testimony of His power and His glory and His coming judgment. Revelation 2:1a "Unto the angel (or minister, or the leader) of the church (assembly) of Ephesus write;…" Now, I’m going to quit using the word church if we’re not using Paul’s writings, because I’ve explained why I don’t like it. It comes from the Greek word "ecclesia" which is a called out assembly, but these were mostly synagogues. So you can either use assembly or synagogues. Revelation 2:1 …"These things saith he that holdeth the seven starts in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;" Or we’ve been calling them the lamp stands. They were the last real source of spiritual light in the darkening clouds of that time leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem. Now verse 2, and remember this is the Lord Jesus Himself speaking. If you have a red-letter edition Bible, it’ll all be in red. And Jesus says to this synagogue of believing Jews - Now when I say believing Jews, I trust you all know what I’m talking about. These are Jews who are still under the Law, but they have recognized and believed for salvation that Jesus of Nazareth was their Messiah. And that was the whole crux of their belief system. They knew that Jesus was that promised Messiah. Yes, He had died, He’d been raised. He’d gone back to glory, but in short order He’d be returning to set up the Kingdom. Now, maybe this is a good time to go back and look at just one or two Old Testament references to that. Come back with me to Zechariah, chapter 14. This is just exactly what they’re looking forward to. This is prophecy. Zechariah is writing about 400 and some years, almost 500 B.C. And how graphically he lays it out, as to what we’re seeing in the Book of Revelation. These are the events at the last part of the Tribulation; this is the battle of Armageddon as you’ve all heard of it.

Zechariah 14:1-2a "Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, (well, this is the closing days of those first seven years) and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. 2. For I (God says) will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle;…" That’s what we refer to as the Battle of Armageddon; when all the nations of the world that are left, will be brought to the nation of Israel by the anti-Christ in one great final push to destroy the Jewish nation, and it ends up in a battle against Israel’s Christ. Now today we can see that so vividly. What is the whole core of the hatred in the Middle East? The Jew. Oh, they hate them. They hate them like you and I cannot believe they hate them. They’re willing to send their little ten and eleven-year old kids with bombs wrapped around them; you know Israel’s picked up a couple of them just a couple of weeks ago. One little eleven-year old chickened out. He was too afraid to go and pull the trigger. Why would people do this?Because they hate the Jew. I just read one of their clichés last night. "The Arab world loves death more than the Jews loves life." I think I quoted it. That’s exactly what they figure. Well why? Because they want to get rid of the Jew. They want every semblance of him off the planet. All right, so here it comes. Consequently the anti-Christ is going to bring all the nations of the world against Jerusalem to have the final solution brought to an end. Zechariah 14:2b-3 "…and the city (Jerusalem) shall be taken, and the houses rifled, (they’re going ravage the city) the women ravished; (raped,) and half the city shall go forth into captivity, (it will be overrun) and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. (Then, when it looks like it’s almost to the place that the world wants; that the Jews are gone.) Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle." That would be back in Israel’s history. Now in verse 4, here’s the Second Coming as we saw in Acts chapter 1, when the angel told the eleven: "…why stand you gazing up into heaven, this same Jesus in like manner will come in…" Zechariah 14:4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, (the Second Coming when He returns) which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave(separate) in the midst thereof toward the east (where Christ will now establish His throne, the capital of His world government) and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south." And then from that valley will come a great river of water from out of the Throne room in Jerusalem. Zechariah 14:8 "And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem, half of them toward the former sea, (the Mediterranean) and half of them toward the hinder sea: (the Dead Sea) in the summer and in winter shall it be." And we know from Ezekiel that because of that fresh water flowing into the Dead Sea, the Dead Sea will become a fresh water lake, and all the species of fish that are in the Mediterranean will also be in what is now the Dead Sea. Now, verse 9, and it will all culminate in this great prophecy. Zechariah 14:9 "And the LORD (Jehovah, God the Son) shall be king over all the earth: (not just Israel. Israel will simply be the vortex of it all.) and in that day (when He has established His Kingdom) there shall be one LORD, and his name one." Alright, that’s what all of prophecy is looking forward to, and that’s what Israel down through the ages has been anticipating, and even today the heart cry of every Jew that has any spiritual concern at all is what? "Next year Jerusalem" Well, why Jerusalem? Because they’re hoping the Lord will return and yet give them the Kingdom. So that’s the hope that keeps the Jewish people going. All right, back to Revelation, and the very first verse of chapter 2; he’s dealing with the congregation there at Ephesus.

But my own take on this is that this is a separate Jewish congregation, removed from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. Just like we have today. We can certainly have a protestant denomination of some sort, and maybe down the street a a few places is a Jewish synagogue, which is Messianic believers, and for salvation they have believed that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, but they are not part and parcel of what we would call a main stream denomination. So, my personal take is that Paul’s Gentile believers were in a separate congregation from these Jewish believers. Now, I can’t prove that, but I have got my reasons for thinking that. Verse 2. This is the Lord Jesus commenting on this particular congregation. Now remember, as I said at the beginning of this afternoon’s program, these seven letters were written in one book, and the whole book was sent to all seven Jewish assemblies. So what does that mean? That every one of the seven congregations could feed on all seven letters. Well, it’s just like for you and me. Paul writes to the Corinthians, he writes to the Galatians, he writes the Ephesians, the Thessalonians, all different letters, but what do we do? We feed on every one of them. They have become a composite. Well, that’s the way these little letters were meant to deal with these Jewish congregations. So, now he says to the Ephesian congregation: Revelation 2:2a "I know thy works…" Now what does that tell you? That smacks of Law, doesn’t it? Law is works, works, works and Jesus knew that their works were according to the Law. Absolutely they were. These believing Jews were never told not to keep the Law. Revelation 2:2b "…and thy labor, and thy patience, and how thou cannot bear them who are evil;…" Well, that’s understandable isn’t it? If they were Law-keeping Jews, could they condone wickedness? Of course not. That’s obvious and so they were right on with their understanding of the Mosaic Law; that would not bear with adultery and corruption and coveting and idolatry - all those things. No, they couldn’t handle that. Revelation 2:2c "…who are evil; thou hast tried (or tested) them who say they are apostles, and are not, and hath found them liars:" All right, back up a few pages. Let’s see how John puts it in his little epistle. I John chapter 4, and they were practicing this and the Lord is commending them for it. I John 4:1-2 "Beloved, (so he’s writing to again these Jewish believers) believe not every spirit, but try (or test) the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2. Hereby know you the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:" Now you remember, as we’ve been looking at these little epistles over the last year, that was right in line with Peter’s confession back in Matthew 16. And what was Peter’s confession? "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God!" In John 11 we have Martha’s confession: John 11:24-27 "Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the last day. 25. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? 27. She (Martha) saith unto him, Yea, Lord, I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world." All right, John carries it on here to these little Jewish congregations; that if you confess that Jesus is the Christ and that He’s the Son of God, then you have the Spirit of God. All right verse 3: I John 4:3a "And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God:…" In other words, if someone can’t believe that Jesus was God manifested in the flesh, he has no hope of eternal life until he has a change of heart on that. I John 4:3b "…and this is that spirit of anti-Christ, whereof you have heard that it should come; and even now is already in the world." See how John is admonishing these believers, and now he can quote the Lord Jesus.

Come back now to Revelation 2, and that’s exactly what they’ve been doing. Just exactly like John had instructed. They have held these men up against the Word of God and they claim to be apostles but they weren’t and the Ephesian people had enough wherewithal to see that they were what? Liars! They were false teachers. And the Lord continues to commend them. Revelation 2:3-4 "And (You) have borne, (or you have been able to bear these burdens) and, (you) have patience, and for my name’s sake ye have labored (there’s works again) and have not fainted. 4. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love." All right now, stop and think a minute. Is there anything in those three verses that smacks of any of Paul’s teaching? Not a word! Not a word about the resurrection. Not a word about Christ having died for our sin. Not a word about being in the Body of Christ. See where I’m coming from? This is all Jewish, just as if Paul’s letters had never yet been written, and that’s the way it should be, because Paul’s letters were completely separated from the Jewish program. After having said, in verse 4, that they had left their first love; in fact they’re energized spiritual life all of a sudden was running out of steam. Revelation 2:5a "Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, (what was happening? They were losing their zeal. They were losing their heart in the face of Tribulation and testing. So Jesus writes through the pen of John,) repent,…" Now, I maintain that the word repent in the New Testament Greek is not a groveling in the dirt being sorrow and begging for mercy, but it’s a change of direction. It’s just simply 180 degrees. Instead of going that way, you go this way. So what have we got here? These Jews were going further and further from Christ and their love for Him and they were getting more lackadaisical; they were probably getting more tolerant of evil and what were they to do? So, He’s saying, "Turn around and go back the other direction". Revelation 2:5b "…and do the first works; (get back to where you were at the beginning) or else I will come unto thee quickly, and I will remove thy candlestick out of his place except thou repent." Or turn around. And did it happen? Yeah, it did. Before very many years went by, these Jewish synagogue congregations totally disappeared. And of course with them, so also went Paul’s congregations. Now it’s amazing, how that part of the world became so destitute of anything concerning the Word of God when they had had so much. Back up with me if you will to Timothy, back to II Timothy chapter 1. The same thing that happened to Paul and his little Gentile congregations happened to the seven Jewish congregations in that same area of the world. And remember where is it? Turkey! How much of Christianity is left in Turkey? Some of you people have been there, practically nothing. Now, you can go across the Aegean Sea to Greece, and you’ll still see evidence everywhere of Paul’s ministry and so forth. But this part of the world that we now call Turkey, or what in Scripture was Asia and Asia Minor, is destitute. II Timothy 1:13-14a "Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. 14. That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Spirit which dwelleth in us. (Here’s why Paul is admonishing Timothy – "Don’t do as the rest of those folks are doing") For this thou knowest, that all they who are in Asia (now remember that’s not China and India, that’s Turkey) be turned away from me:…" Isn’t that awful? Before the man has even ended his life here on earth, that whole area of what we call Asia Minor, or the land of Turkey, had already abandoned Paul and his teachings. And it’s almost like that today. About the same thing is happening to the Jewish synagogue. Now back to Revelation. So the Lord Jesus is telling this synagogue in Ephesus to turn around from their lackadaisical careless lack of love and get back with it.

And God says, "I will remove your lamp stand unless you do." And like I said, history shows that that’s exactly what happened. All right verse 6, but He still had something that He could give them credit for and that is: Revelation 2:6 "But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate." Now, there’s more than one take on who the Nicolaitans were. I think the Scofield depicts it as an over-coming of the laity, a clergy. Other commentaries I’ve read have had various others, but the other one I read just again last night was the Nicolaitans were worshippers of a particular pagan goddess. And these Jews, of course, would naturally hate any kind of pagan idolatry, and so they were still up enough on what they believed to hate the Nicolaitans, whichever it was. It was something that was totally false and they hated it, but the Lord said, so do I. Revelation 2:7a "He that hath an ear, (now this is unusual because here again I think this is strictly a Jewish term of language) let him hear what the Spirit (that is the Holy Spirit) saith to the churches; (congregations. Not singular, plural, so it’s a message to all seven of them. And here it is) To him that overcometh…" Now again, I think I’ve made mention of it earlier, I don’t think that the Apostle Paul ever speaks of you and I as Grace Age believers as being over comers. But here, these Jews are constantly being reminded to be over comers. And then God says: Revelation 2:7b "…will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God." Well, with that we can make a comment. Tell me, where does the Tree of Life first appear? Back in Genesis, in the Garden of Eden. And after the fall and after the flood, it disappears. Now it seems, from Scripture, that the Tree of Life continued on even after the expulsion because God put angelic creatures in front of the gate to the Tree of Life so that no one would partake of it. But anyway, it disappears from human experience, but here we have it popping up again in eternity as revealed in Revelation. And so he tells these Jewish believers, that if they would overcome all the things that were working against them and restore to where they were at the beginning, then they would have the promise of eternal life in that world that is to come, that new heaven and new earth. Now, let’s just move on into verse 8 and the second letter, which is to Smyrna. Now of course, you have to realize that the Jewish believers, as well as Paul’s believers, were under intense persecution at this time. It was dependant quite often on the particular Roman Emperor, some were worse than others, but this was a period of time leading up to the destruction of the temple, where the Romans were intense in their persecution against believers. And so Smyrna speaks of that. In fact, the very name Smyrna comes, I think, as a root of the word Myrrh. And Myrrh, of course, was that perfume which was brought about by the crushing of a little seed. The more that little seed was crushed, the more odor would come from it. And so the indication, of course, is that they were in a place of intense persecution. Revelation 2:8 "And unto the angel (or leader) of the church (assembly) in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, (in other words, again, the Alpha and the Omega,) the one who was dead, (as a result of His crucifixion) and is alive." Now stop a minute and think. Is Jesus associating salvation with their believing that? No! Not at all. He’s just simply making it known that the One they’re dealing with is the One who was alive from eternity past, He had gone through death, He had been brought back to life. But He doesn’t associate it any iota with salvation with these Jewish believers. This is the point I’m trying to make. Just because they mention the fact that He was dead and risen from the dead, unless it’s promoted as a means of salvation, then they had no connection that it was for them to enjoy salvation.

Now with Paul, of course, it’s the other way around. He emphasizes that because He died for our sins, He was buried, and He rose from the dead for our justification, here in this Church Age, and that is what we must believe in our heart for salvation. Revelation 2:9a "I know thy works,… (Now, I’m going to make the point. Do you realize in every one of these seven letters works is the preeminent word, because it’s a legalistic religion. They are still under the Law.) Even though the temple is several hundred miles away and they probably still have to try to get to a feast day, yet these believers that had believed for salvation that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God, are for all practical purposes Law-keeping Jews. And in order to be a Law-keeper, I know we’ve got some of you in here that have come out of those kinds of religions; if you are under a Law-keeping religion, what do you have to do? Works! Works, in one way or another, either by opening up your billfold, or doing this, or doing that. Whenever you have a works religion, it is work, work, work. And that’s why a works religion can never be sure of their eternal destiny. Why? Because you don’t know if you’ve worked enough.

[rmtndew]

The Beauty of Thorns

(A ‘Beauty and The Beast’ AU)

Part 2

Summary: Belle lives in a cursed village and those who live there are forbidden to leave. Every year a Drawing is held and a man is chosen to be a sacrifice for the Beast. It’s the only life Belle has ever known but as her friendship with August Walker begins to bloom, she realizes that the Beast can be cruel and that life is far from predictable.

Pairings: August Walker X Belle

Warnings: Mentions of blood, curses, sacrifices. It’s not gory but very in line with darker fairytales.

Word count: 3,400+

Part 1

A/N: This was inspired by a post @littlefreya​ shared several months back about the Beast and Gaston and a conversation ensuing from it. She encouraged me to try my hand at writing this AU, so thank you Freya!

A week before the Drawing, there was always a great feast. I could never understand the merriment knowing that it would be the last week for one of the men in our town, but I understood it even less the year after August gave his own life. The night of the feast, I could barely eat. Once it was over, the tables were cleared and the dancing began. I had never been one for dancing but August had been the only one to ever ask me to dance with him. Some great swell of pity he must have felt for me to allow me to stomp all over his feet with my two left ones but without him there, no one asked. I sat just outside of the tents on the stone steps that led to our town hall and watched everyone else as they danced and laughed. But I couldn’t swallow down the lump in my throat. 

Marybeth was smiling and laughing as she ran over to me. “There you are, Belle!” She took my hand and tried to pull me up. “Why are you hiding? Come dance!” 

“I don’t feel like it.” 

“Why? Do you fear you won’t have a partner?” she asked. “John Paul will dance with you.”

“I don’t want to dance with John Paul.” 

She continued to pull on my hand. “Come on. He’s a fabulous dancer. And you should try to get to know him better. He’s your brother now.” 

“I’ve never understood how that worked,” I said. “How is he my brother if he’s married to you? Siblings don’t wed. It doesn’t make sense.”

She sighed and released my hand. “I don’t know. I don’t spend much time thinking about it. I just know that I am gloriously happy,” she said. “Why can’t you be happy for me?”

“I am happy for you, Marybeth. Truly. But…I cannot go a single day without thinking of August Walker and his sacrifice and yet you, who claimed to be in love with him, moved on so easily. You mourned for less than a month before you agreed to court John Paul and now you’re married.”

“Would you rather I have spent my time crying over a man who’s dead?” 

“I don’t know!” I snapped. “All I know is that I’m angry. I’m angry at those stupid boys who caused this. I’m angry at that horrible beast who controls our whole lives. I’m angry that there is nothing I can do simply because I’m a woman. I’m unfit for the Drawing but I am also unfit for marriage because there is not a man alive that would stoop so low as to marry someone like me. I am constantly filled with so much rage I fear a single spark is all it would take to ignite me and I can’t even fathom the amount of damage I might do because of it.” 

She sat on the step next to me. “Do you think I don’t get angry?” she asked. “Because I do. I’m just as angry at those stupid boys and that horrid beast as you are. I’m angry that I’m married to a wonderful, loving man that I very well may lose in three years' time when he must enter the Drawing again.” She shook her head. “You are not the only one who is weary and resentful but you must understand that we’re all doing what we can to claim what freedoms we do have in this town. For your own sanity, you need to find something that is yours, Belle.”

“I’m trying. It’s far more complicated than I would like to admit.” 

She put her hand on my shoulder. “You will find it one day,” she said. “I truly believe that.” 

“And for that, you have more faith than I ever have.” 

She smiled. “I do have faith in you. You are destined for wonderful things.”

The following week, I prepared for the Drawing with a heavy feeling in my gut. I hated attending them but knew it was my duty. Not just to support Father as a town elder but to show respect for whoever was chosen. However, since losing August to the Beast the year before, the Drawing felt more real than it ever had. In a town where a dwindling number of people could leave, those of us who were cursed to remain there knew everyone else. We grew up together, went to school together, played with one another. There wasn’t a stranger among us. So I had known every single man that had been chosen in the Drawing since I could remember attending as a child. But August was the one that struck my heart the most and I wasn’t sure why. 

Once we arrived at the hall, we took our seats and waited for the rest of the town to join us. But I watched as Elder Green locked the door, barring any more of the town from entering aside from Mother, Marybeth, John Paul and me. That heavy feeling in my gut from earlier returned as the hair on the back of my neck stood up.

Something wasn’t right. 

“Harold, what are you doing?” Elder Abbot asked. “The townspeople will be arriving soon.” 

Elder Green rattled the doors, making sure they were locked, then began walking back towards the other men. “We will not be having a Drawing this evening,” he said. “There’s been a change of plans.” 

“How so?” Elder Abbot asked. 

“The Beast has made a demand. Not for a chosen sacrifice but for someone…specific,” Elder Green said. 

I turned to Mother. “Can the Beast do that?” I whispered to her. 

She shook her head. “I don’t know. He never has before.” 

“Who did he demand?” Elder Monroe asked. 

All eyes turned to Elder Green but when he looked at Father, ice ran through my veins. “He has demanded…Marybeth.” 

“What?” Father shook his head. “No. The deal is that we offer up one of our men. Women have never been part of the treaty. He cannot break that and demand my daughter!” 

“And yet he has,” Elder Green said. 

“There must be some mistake!” Mother spoke out. 

“There is no mistake. the Beast demanded Marybeth by name.”

I looked at Marybeth and saw the terror in her eyes as they pooled with tears. She shook her head but didn’t speak. I felt like a hand reached into my chest and started choking my heart as Elder Green’s words began to sink in. I couldn’t envision my life without her. I had never known a day where she hadn’t been there and I couldn’t imagine living in a world where she was gone. 

John Paul wrapped his arm around her protectively. “I don’t care. He can’t have her!” he said. 

“We do not get to decide that,” Elder Green said firmly. 

“Appeal to him. Ask him for a pardon!” John Paul insisted. 

“It’s out of my hands -” 

“Please! I can’t go!” Marybeth’s voice shook as she sobbed. “I don’t want to die. Please!”

I stood and faced Elder Green. My throat tightened as I fought back tears. “She’s not going. You can’t have her,” I said. 

“I understand that this is difficult for you, Belle. I myself lost a sibling in the Drawing when I was around your age. But I also know that denying a request will not be met kindly. It will undoubtedly be met with further bloodshed. Bloodshed of innocent people.”

“She is innocent!” I shouted. “My sister has never harmed anyone. She’s kind and smart and caring. You cannot stand there as an elder of this town and behave as if your hands are tied behind your back and send my sister off to the Beast!” 

“Lower your voice,” Elder Green said. “I know that you’re angry but you will still show respect.” 

“You will not speak to my daughter in such a manner. She is allowed to raise her voice as loudly as she wants,” Father said. “And how dare you speak of respect when you, as the town leader, kept hidden a demand from the Beast? You lied to and misled myself and the other elders and I will not stand idly by and allow you to belittle one of my children and sacrifice the other.” 

“Your feelings very well may be hurt, Norman, but I did not do any of this from a place of malice. If I had informed you earlier, you would have attempted to hide Marybeth. the Beast would have been denied and would come tonight to take as many as he pleases. Just because he took five men the last time he came into our town does not mean that that is all he would take again,” Elder Green said. “He could very well take half the town. He could slaughter us all in our houses. We simply have no way of knowing what the Beast will choose. All we do know is that somehow he knows Marybeth’s name and if you do not give her up, you very well may lose her this night anyway along with Belle and your wife.”

He was right. Not sending a sacrifice would put the whole town in danger, particularly my family. The fear that inspired in me was like none I’d ever felt before. I couldn’t allow that to happen. I glanced at Father’s hand and saw that he was still holding the white cloth that contained the rose for the Drawing ceremony. Slowly I slipped out into the aisle and moved towards him while he and the other elders were speaking. I was able to stand at his side without drawing any attention. My hand dropped next to his. And when he turned his head to listen to Elder Birch speak, I was able to reach out and take the cloth. Once I grabbed it, I moved quickly, putting distance between Father and me. 

He turned and looked at me with wide eyes. “Belle, what are you doing?” 

“I’m taking Marybeth’s place.” 

“Stop it! Neither of you are going anywhere,” Mother said. 

“the Beast will come for all of us if one of us doesn’t go. If I take her place, then this can be put to rest.”

“Put to rest? I will lose my daughter!” Father said. “There will be no rest if that happens.” 

“Then what do you propose? What can be done?”

“I don’t know. But we’ll figure something out. Do not make this decision now.” 

“If I don’t make it now, then I never will. I know the moment this rose leaves my hand, that either our town will be put in danger or the elders will take Marybeth without consent to protect us,” I said. “And if that were to happen…I couldn’t bear it. I have such anger in me already, if they were to take one of the few sources of love I have and cast it to the Beast then I will lose all humanity I have left.” 

“Your bravery is not taken lightly Belle but the Beast requires your sister,” Elder Green said to me. 

“How will he know the difference? She’s never gone into the forest, he’s never seen her,” I argued. 

“I don’t know but we will not tempt him or make it seem as if we’re mocking him by sending the wrong person.” 

I looked at Elder Green. “I already told you; you can’t have my sister.” 

“You do not have a say in the matter,” he said, taking a step towards me. “Now give me the rose.” 

I looked him in the eye as I opened the cloth instead. There was panic in his face as he took another step but before he could reach me, I grabbed the rose by the stem and squeezed it tight. I felt the thorns pierce my skin, cutting into my flesh with an itching sting. I didn’t dare release it until blood began dripping from my tight fist. Then I let go and held up my hand. Blood covered the palm and dripped down my wrist. Marybeth and Mother sobbed loudly. 

“Oh, Belle, what have you done?” Father asked, distraught. 

“I’ve taken Marybeth’s place,” I said. “Blood has been spilt. I’m the sacrifice.” 

“You foolish girl,” Elder Green said. “You may very well have damned us all.”

“You already did that with your inaction,” I said. “And should the Beast allow me any words before he kills me, I will make sure that my final ones are of exposing you.”

 Love makes people brave. Those were the last words August ever said to me. At the time, I thought he was foolish. But as I stood at the edge of the woods with the elders surrounding me, I understood. I wouldn’t have volunteered to be in that position had Elder Green not given in to the Beast’s request for Marybeth. But I stood there terrified and trembling and without a single regret. 

Normally each sacrifice chosen in the Drawing would have four chains around their waist, each held by an elder as Elder Green led them into the forest. Because I was much smaller and had no intentions of running, there was only one chain and Father held it as he walked beside me. 

“Do not let Marybeth feel responsible for this,” I said to Father as he led me into the woods for the first time in my life. “Make sure she knows that she did nothing to bring this upon herself. She didn’t do anything to tempt the Beast.”

“I will try my best,” he said, his voice shaking. 

I kept my eyes trained on the path in the forest floor that was lit only by the torches the other men carried. “Let her know that I loved her deeply and that I know she feels the same.” My throat tightened with emotion. “I couldn’t have wished for a better sister than her. Please tell her that.”

“I will.”

“And Mother…don’t let her grieve herself to death. Let her know that she taught her daughters to be strong and to stand up for what was right and to love each other. That’s why I’m here,” I said. “Please let her know that. I’m doing this because of the love she instilled in us.”

“I…I will try,” he said, crying. 

“And Father…let your grief first be anger and aim it towards the one who has caused this,” I said quietly so that Elder Green couldn’t hear me. “Make sure that he is held responsible. Had I a softer heart, I might ask you to forgive him, but he tried to put Marybeth in my position and for that, I want him to pay dearly.” I ventured a glance at him. His face was wet but the look in his eye was determined. “I do not believe he did all that he could to save her.”

“I don’t believe so, either,” he said. “But rest assured; I will hold him accountable.” 

It wasn’t a far walk to the clearing where the sacrifices were presented and when I saw it, I knew what it was. There was a rock that served as a platform and around it hooks where the chains would be latched. My knees grew weak and nearly gave way as reality began to sink in: 

I was going to die. 

I tried to put on a brave face so that Father wouldn’t see my fear but I couldn’t hide it. I shook as I was led up onto the stone. Father relinquished the chain to another elder so that they could secure me while he gave me a hug. I clung to him tightly. 

“I love you. I love you so much,” I said to him through my sobs. 

“I love you, too, Belle.” His crying was as violent as mine, if not more so as he held me. 

“It’s time,” Elder Abbott said. 

Father released me reluctantly and took my face in his hands. I tried to smile at him. “I always dreamed of someday having an adventure,” I said, my bottom lip quivering. “Perhaps death will bring me one.” 

“I hope so, my darling girl,” he said, then kissed my forehead. 

He stepped down from the rock but made sure that he stood in front of me so that I could see him as the other elders used their torches to set the pyre before me ablaze. The fire grew quickly, lighting up the forest. 

Elder Green stepped towards the fire. “Belle, you stand here not because you were chosen in the Drawing, nor because you were demanded of by the Beast, but because you refused to let your sister be a sacrifice. I hope that the Beast sees your intentions and will accept you in Marybeth’s stead. But if not, may he have mercy on us all for your decision.” 

“No. May he not have mercy on you all, Elder Green,” I said. “Just those that were innocent in this.” 

He didn’t speak to me again. He simply looked me in the eye as he took the rose that was covered in my blood and tossed it into the fire in front of him. The flames shot up around it, swallowing the flower in orange and yellow light. 

“It’s done,��� he said to the other elders. “We must go.” 

I looked at Father. It was the last time we’d ever see one another. I kept my eyes on him for as long as I could before at last he walked away. Then I listened to their footsteps as they retreated back down the path from which we’d come until there was no humanly sound left except my own crying. 

My hands and knees shook and my head snapped round every time I heard an animal moving about in the woods. I wasn’t used to the sounds they made. I’d never been close enough to truly hear them. But when I heard a branch snap behind me I looked straight ahead and screwed my eyes shut tight. Nothing so loud could have been caused by a deer. My teeth clattered together as I listened to the heavy footsteps of something much bigger than me approaching the back of the rock altar.

The Beast had found me. 

I could feel his presence and the heat from his body against my back. Tears streamed from my closed eyes and I bit my lip, trying not to make a sound. But my body trembled, rattling the chain that secured me in place. I had wanted so much to be brave in that moment but I wasn’t. I was terrified.  

The Beast stopped. He leaned closer. I felt his breath on my neck and then heard him inhale. “What are you doing here?” he demanded. 

“I-I’m your sacrifice,” I stammered, my voice barely audible. 

“No. You are not my sacrifice. You are not meant to be here.” His voice was a deep rumble that sent shivers down my spine. He circled around me, his fur brushing against my arm as he moved to look at my face. “I ask once again: What. Are. You. Doing. Here?” 

“I know that I’m not Marybeth, but - but I beg of you…please accept me instead.” 

“Do the elders think I’m foolish? Do they think that they can deceive me?” He growled and I began trembling once more. “No,” he said. “Your father wouldn’t go along with that, would he, Belle?” 

At the sound of my name, my eyes snapped open. They were still cast downward and I saw the feet of the Beast before me. I had expected four paws but instead found two. Two massive paws. My whole life I thought the Beast was more of an animal but he stood before me like a man.  

“How…how do you know my name?” I asked. 

“Because I know you.” 

There was movement and then a hand came to my face, each finger with a claw. He put it under my chin and forced me to look up at him. I trembled as I took in his massive bearlike frame before finally raising my eyes to his face. Tusks jutted from his mouth and horns grew forward from the top of his head. And every inch of him was covered in dark brown fur. 

“Belle. Youngest daughter of Elder Haywood. Sister to Marybeth.” I recoiled as he bent his face closer to me, but he held me still. “But not the sacrifice I demanded.” 

“I’m here. My blood was spilled,” I said, holding up my hand for him to see the marks. “So you must accept me.” 

He grasped my hand with his and examined the marks. “So be it,” he said. “We will have two sacrifices tonight.” 

[underthecitysky]

I’ve just read the excerpts from Peggy Lipton’s book about Paul and this description of meeting him made me lol

“"Well, move on. Next person," said a dis-embodied voice from hell. I went to the next person who was George Harrison or whomever. I couldn't have cared less.”

Peggy is a Paul girl, she dgaf about anything else. I feel this. 💁🏻‍♀️

Paul excerpt synopsis: Throughout she’s horny for him in a relatable teenage girl way. She pines for him and plans how to meet him for a year. Then she GETS him for a 2 nighter (or let’s just say twice) and is devastated that it’s just sex to him and not going to be love.

A year later, the Beatles are back in LA and they get high and sleep together again but she’s sad (again) that it’s just sex to him. Also John’s pattern of being horrible to women that Paul is sleeping with continues with Peggy. 👀

Then 2 years later he gives her a booty call when he’s in LA and she sneaks out of the house she’s living in with her boyfriend to make it over to Paul’s bungalow (bc she wanted “to feel his kisses and burn in the very hot, unpredictable cauldron of love” 👀) .. but the road manager won’t let her in because “he’s sleeping” (with Linda). She can’t let it go so talks up the road manager who tells her they’re going to go sailing in the morning and invites her so she SITS ON THE STEPS OUTSIDE for 4 hours (from 4am-8am) until Paul comes out with Linda and then they run away from her. She writes in lipstick on a mirror in the bungalow “you’ve made your choice!”

Another version to add to the version of events pile. Why have one reality when you can have six or seven??

And then! 18 years later (lol) Paul’s doing the girl is mine single with Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones is producing and keeps asking her to come say hello, they (Paul and Linda) want to see her and she has full on breakdown, has to smoke a joint to be able to face him, thinks Quincy believes she’s not over him. She seems unsure, if she is.

Paul kisses her on the cheek and says “Oh hello Mrs Jones” and Linda says “it’s nice to see you again” and Peggy is panicking that she’s referencing seeing her standing there when they ran away from her. She’s overhwhelmed and cries her eyes out that night ..but she comes to like Linda and spends time with her and the kids ..and seems to have had some talks with her about Paul 👀.

Anyway, that’s it but it was a full meal. Thanks Peggy!