#repentant thieves

[abstractstew]

Beware of Greeks Bearing Gifts

[kidsomeday]

I have been a fan of Trigun for over twenty years and just today realized that Nicholas is the PATRON SAINT OF CHILDREN. You know what else he was the saint of? Repentant thieves.

Well played, Nightow, well played. If you need me just follow the sound of screaming.

[lord-here-i-am]

Prayer Request

Dear friends, please pray for a friend’s neighbor whose newly purchased car was stolen. The insurance company is still demanding that the neighbor continue to pay. To make matters worse, another neighbor's vehicle has now been stolen as well! The police have been unable to help.

Please, God, in the name of our precious Jesus, let justice prevail!

Let us also pray for those who committed this crime, that they may repent and feel true regret.

[briars-by-any-other-name]

I'm always stealing people's shit and wanting to see their animals,

Have I been a Christmas elf this whole time??

[mcscused]

The kamoshida arc of persona is one of the best in my opinion for several reasons, how much more involved kamoshida is in the story, how ann, ryuji, the protag and Morgana come together, but my favourite bit is the "morally grey" feel of it all. Later in the game it's still a good story, and the feeling is still there to a degree but...it's not quite as sharp, especially with how they end up developing a no kill rule, which starts out as "they can't repent if they're dead" but slowly degrades into "killing makes us just as bad as they are".

The kamoshida arc has none of that, Morgana clearly explains that he doesn't know the full extent of the consequences of taking someone's desires, it could just make a person good or it could end up removing the entirety of what drives a person to exist, or just cause them to flat out die.

And ann, ryuji, and the protag all decide that that's something they're willing to accept. That if kamoshida dies, then he dies. And then like...that never happens again- it's like the Devs went "oh shit age ratings" and dialed it back, again I'm not saying persona 5 is terrible or anything, but I just wonder what it would be like if that morally grey feeling, of the thieves putting their own justice first come no matter what, stayed in the game

Thanks for coming to my ted talk, idk how to end these posts

[portraitsofsaints]

Happy Feast Day

Saint Nicholas

270 - 343

Feast Day: December 6

Patronage: Children, sailors, fishermen, merchants, broadcasters, the falsely accused, prostitutes, repentant thieves

Known for his secret generosity, St. Nicholas would do things such as leaving coins in the shoes people left outside. He would thus serve as the prototype for the character Santa Claus. Nicholas was said to have helped a desperately poor father planning on selling his daughters into prostitution. He gave the family three bags of gold, symbolized by three large golden balls, which with he is often portrayed.

Prints, plaques & holy cards available for purchase here. (website)

[ghurab-alzilal]

Taste of Vengeance

Raven, holding a huge bowl of noodles in sauce : Alright, let's all eat!

Jaime: Isn't that the bowl that Damian specifically told us not to take or we would cry like faggots in repentance?

Garfield: I don't think he'll hurt us when he finds out Raven took them.

Tara: I second that. Damian's a whipped boy.

Donna, rubbing her hands : Thanks for making dinner for us, Rae!

Kon: Yeah! We really appreciate it!

*some minutes later *

Damian, returning with Jason from buying his favorite soda at the store : Alright, it's time to... *look bewildered as the dining room is in chaos * What the hell happened here? Were we attacked?

Garfield, unconscious on the floor next to the table that is turned upside down : *whole body is crimson and his skin burns with fever while is foaming from his mouth*

Donna: *with the face completely submerged in the full sink *

Damian, rushing to the other side of the table : Raven! RAVEN! WHAT HAPPENED? RESPOND TO ME!

Raven, in demon mode with her eyes rolling and sweating profusely : *intelligible words *

Jaime, unable to speak : *squirms due to an uncontrollable cough *

Tara: *catatonic on the floor with tongue sticking out *

Kon, crawling on the floor to grab Damian by the leg, tears welling in his eyes : Agh... Why?

Damian, dumbfounded : SOMEONE WANTS TO EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!

Jason, who made Damian's favorite dish for their video game night : I bet my life they ate our harissa noodles.

Damian, shaking Kon off his leg with disdain : Ah... Then perish, you damned thieves.

Inspired by @kaizukoahit

[anamericangirl]

Uhhh hey you know queer folk are marginalized? Disabled queer here, and I’m aok coexisting with xtians and such as long as they are all coexsisting w me. But when ppl wish for my existence to be erased and for me to not marry my fiancé… that’s where there’s issues. I will always preach love, I adore churches. I anually go to xtian masses with my mother’s parents. I understand the message Jesus gave. And that was that all ppl should be allowed to exsist. At the end of the day Jesus was a probably queer poc Jewish man who hung out with prostitutes, disabled folk, queer folk, beggars? abd other impoverished down trodden and marginalized ppl.

I’m sorry you feel that we are not marginalized and that we are infringing on your rights. I’m sorry you look and see a mirror of actions on to us.

And I want you to do as Jesus would. And forgive you. Because all ppl are capable of compassion and understanding. And I hope that one day you will understand that too my friend

Hey so you actually don't understand the message Jesus gave at all and it sounds like you've never read the Bible. No offense but you're just objectively wrong about what Jesus preached and who he was.

His message was not "all people should be allowed to exist." His message was that we are all sinners and we are all living in sin and we need to repent from our sins and give our lives to him and follow him and accept his forgiveness and gift of eternal life that he paid for with his own blood on the cross and endeavor to no longer live in sin. Yes, even you.

His message was not co-existence.

However, no one, not even Christians, are actively trying to keep you from existing. People disagreeing with something you do with your life is not even remotely the same as trying to say you should not be allowed to exist and it's time to stop trying to conflate those things.

Jesus was not a "queer poc" man and that's blasphemous tbh.

Jesus also wasn't hanging out with thieves, beggars, the poor, prostitutes and the disabled because they were "marginalized" he hung out with them because they needed to hear the truth of his word and they needed to be saved and to repent of their sins.

He said himself why he hung out with them when he was confronted about it.

"And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance." - Luke 3:31-32

So for you to try and rewrite that to fit your modern day narrative is, again, blasphemous.

I don't have a problem with you existing and I love you as a fellow human being and Jesus loves you but that does not mean everything you do is ok and that there is nothing God wants you to repent of and leave behind. In order to follow God, like we need to do, we all have things we have to abandon because they are sinful.

And you need to read the Bible and seek God's guidance to discover what aspects of your life are going against God's commandments and leave them behind.

[secretmellowblog]

I've said this before but the funny thing about the Cosette adoption chapters is that, from Cosette's perspective, she literally just got adopted by Santa Claus. Valjean is a mysterious kind semi-magical white-haired figure who arrives on Christmas eve to give Cosette her dream gifts, and then drops a coin in her shoe as is a Christmas tradition! And then he gives Cosette the best Christmas gift of taking her away to the North Pole Paris. Even outside of the Cosette stuff, all the parallels between Valjean and the historical Saint Nicholas of Myra are really funny...The fact that he breaks into people's houses to secretly give them money, for example, is a very St Nick Thing(tm). He also makes toys out of straw for children in M-Sur-M! But the interesting thing is that the historical St Nicholas was, among other things, the patron saint of repented thieves and children. He was known for saving people from poverty, execution, and unjust prison sentences, which are thematically relevant. But yeah. Good on Cosette for getting swept away by Convict Santa. Sadly i don't think the sleigh and reindeer were part of the legend yet and that's super sad, bc they couldve helped against Javert later u_u

[potterandpromises]

Names as Clues

Except for (to my knowledge) the second Dudenoff one, this has all been said by others individually, I'm simply compiling it all in one place.

Teddy and Theo Dimas: Saint Dimas in the bible was the thief who died with Jesus, patron of condemned prisoners, funeral directors, and repentant thieves.

Jan Bellows: Bellows are a part of an instrument, and a synonym for yelling/screaming.

Poppy White: Poppies are poisonous.

Donna and Cliff DeMeo: Pushed off a; demeo is Latin for "to descend."

Milton Dudenoff: Dude, enough; or perhaps a reference to "offing" himself.

Marshall P. Pope: Fire Marshall.

Edit: I can’t believe I forgot one of the best ones. Becky Butler. The butler did it!

[inej-ruination-ghafa]

SUGAR - T.M

previous chapter | next chapter | masterlist

Warnings: children, pregnancy, mentions of murder, guns, mention of character death

Pairing: tommy miller x fem!reader

Summary: the man who you never thought you'd see again turned up with some random child to your home with your husband and child

Wordcount: 6.5k

The cold weather was getting harsher and harsher every day and although you loved the town of Jackson, you missed the Texas winters from before the outbreak.

You looked around the town. Sometimes you didn't appreciate everything that you had but as you looked around, you realised how lucky you were to have him and to have this safe haven.

The world was full of criminals and thieves and murderers, titles that you had once held the mantle of, but now you just wanted to settle down in your little slice of paradise.

You and Tommy had been best friends since you were 18 and he was 22, the two of you having met through mutual friends but not really becoming friends until you were 19 and 23.

When the world as you knew it ended, you found comfort in one another and eventually in the fireflies. When that didn’t work out, you ended up here in Jackson where you could finally

You looked up, watching as he worked on the construction of a new building. He looked down at you, his face lighting up at the sight of you, waving in your direction. He flashed you that infamous smile, the one that made you smile even on the darkest days and you fell in love with him all over again.

You waved back at him before walking towards the gate when all of a sudden, you saw a huge crowd of patrolmen riding into town. Everyone watched and they stopped as they saw you standing in the middle of the street.

Maria stepped off the horse, looking at the

“Give me the gun,” one of the men, Richard, said, holding his hand out as he looked at the girl, his gun steady in his hand.

Her eyes flicked between the his gun and her gun and she scoffed, “Fuck no, why do you get one?” She asked, holding it tight.

Joel reprimanded the girl, you assumed that he had already given his weapons over, and she turned to him with a scowl, repeating her statement in anger.

Richard raised his weapon, repeating his statement with the same aggression and you stepped in between them, the barrel of his pistol too close to your forehead, “Why don’t we put the weapon down Richard, Tommy won’t like it if you blow a bullet through my skull,” you said, knowing the leverage you had.

Joel’s heart sped up at the sound of his brother's name, he was here and he was alive and that’s all that mattered. He felt guilty for the way that he had treated his brother, and you, back in the QZ and now it was time for him to repent.

You turned your back to Richard as he lowered his gun, holding your hand out and stating your name, “I’m sorry about him, now can you give me the gun. I promise one day you’ll get it back,” you said.

She nodded, not many people stood up for her like you had just down, ready to take the short end of a bullet for her. She handed her gun over and you thanked her, placing it in the empty holster on your side.

When you looked at Joel, you saw his elated smile, “Where’s Tommy?” He asked and you smiled at him, looking over at where your husband was working. Joel's eyes followed your gaze and when he noticed Tommy, you saw the visible joy on his face,

"Tommy!" Joel called out and the man turned around abruptly at the sound. He hadn’t heard that voice in years but as he turned and looked at his brother, you watched as his face lit up.

The two quarrelled constantly back when you three lived in the QZ and that was one of the reasons why you two left but as you watched Tommy scrambling to get off of the scaffolding, you saw that all of the anger dissipated as he rushed to his big brother.

He ran over to him, pulling him in for a hug. You knew how Tommy felt about Joel, how he wished things had been different with his brother but now he was here and you saw all of his anger go out of the window. Family meant everything to Tommy and finally, after years, his family was intact again.

He pulled away, that wide charming grin that you loved so much present on his face as he chuckled to himself, "The fuck you doing here?” He asked, hands on his brother's shoulders.

"I came here to save you," Joel said with that matching Miller smile that reached his eyes, crows feet turned up.

You missed them being this happy together, like it was before the outbreak. You missed the infamous Miller barbecues where Joel and Tommy would bicker and laugh and just have fun together. And you missed Sarah too.

Joel had this wide smile on his face as he turned around, one hand still on his brother's shoulder as he looked at Ellie on the horse.

"This is my brother Tommy and his best friend for the last 30 years?" He said, stating your name to Ellie, the biggest smile on his face.

The last time you had seen Joel, he had stormed into the apartment that you and Tommy shared in the QZ, arguing with his brother over your decisions to go with the fireflies to a different QZ. You had made a mistake that day by leaving but it had allowed you and Tommy to come here so it was all worth it in the end.

"We already met," you said, a smile on your face as you helped Ellie down from her horse.

The girl wiped her hands on her trousers before looking up at you, eyes narrowed at you, "Thanks for saving my ass" she said.

"He was never going to shoot you, I would have had his ass for it,” you said, looking back at Maria who was getting off of her horse.

“You should come into the tavern, we will get you a meal,” Maria said, leading the group inside and Joel marvelled at the look of it.

It was strange that after twenty years living in a QZ, he was in a bar that looked just like one from back home. You could see the awe on both of their faces as they sat down at a table, Tommy and yourself sitting opposite them.

Once they got the food out, they both started eating rapidly, glad that they had some food. Joel looked up between bites at the two of you and Maria who sat at the head of the table.

"There's more if you need it," Maria said. She was basically the leader of the patrols even though there wasn’t a status quo and Joel had noticed.

He looked up at her, spoon still in hand, "Thank you ma'am, it's been a while since we've had a proper meal,"

"Actually I don't think I've ever had a proper meal, this is fucking amazing," Ellie said, her mouth slightly full of food, a smile on her face.

"Sorry, Ellie, let's mind our manners," he said, turning to the girl. It reminded you of when he would scold Sarah and it sent a pain through your chest as you thought about her.

"I want my gun back," Ellie stated, narrowing her eyes at the three of you. She was a mistrusting child and although you respected that, she had to learn that you weren’t bad people.

Maria looked at you and Tommy before turning her attention back to the girl, "I think maybe y'all got off on the wrong foot," Tommy stated.

"Maria was going to have her guys kill us, that douche bag had a gun pointed at me, she managed to save me" Ellie said, once again believing that you had somehow saved her.

"They were always going to let you in if you weren’t infected, and Richard never would’ve shot you or me," you reassured and Maria nodded.

“Richard was going to shoot you?” Tommy asked, brows furrowed in worry as he thought about it.

You chuckled, hand patting his shoulder lightly, “It was nothing, I’ll explain it later,” you said, not wanting to bother poor Richard getting beaten up by your husband.

"We've got to be real careful who we let in this place, we're just trying to scare off those who want to hurt us," Maria explained, looking at Joel. She had heard stories about the man and she didn't trust him already and it showed.

Ellie's eyes went wide as she spotted the ring on your finger, "That's one big diamond," Ellie said, reaching forward to get a closer look at it and you extended your hand, a blush on your face as you allowed her to look at it.

"Thanks, my husband always had a knack for finding things, this just so happened to be his best find," you said, a smile on your face as you felt Tommys hand rubbing against your knee reassuringly.

"Who are you married to? I'd love to meet him," Joel said with a smile and yours vanished as you narrowed your eyes at him, unsure of how he had never noticed it before.

You and your husband shared a look before you turned back to him, "Joel, we're married, me and Tommy," You stated and he just looked at you, almost like he had frozen in place.

"Oh shit, congrats," Ellie said, her eyes also going wide as she looked at you two, Tommys hand reaching for yours and squeezing it, "Say congrats,"

"Congrats," Joel said absentmindedly and you could tell that he was happy for you but there was something holding him back. You didn't know whether it was the shock or if something had happened that they didn't know about but he seemed distant after that.

"I know it's weird seeing us like that but we've been together for over a decade now Joel, have you never noticed?" Tommy said, his brows furrowed as he looked at his brother.

It was true, you had first realised you loved him around 8 or 9 years after it all started and after that, you kept your relationship under wraps. Not because either of you were ashamed of it but because in the fireflies, you decided that it would be too dangerous in case something happened to advertise it so freely.

"You never mentioned it," Joel said, his grip on the glass tightening as he looked at the two of you. What you didn't know was that the person that mattered to him most, Tess, had died only a few months ago and he never got to tell her how he felt.

There was a guilt weighing heavily on his chest as he thought about Tess, the look on her face when she admitted to being bitten burned into his memory. There were so many things that he wished that he could have said to her but it was too late. That explained the bitter taste in his mouth as he looked at the two of you, happy.

Joel turned to Maria as he listened to her talk to Ellie about not having guns in the area, "Ma'am, we're grateful for your hospitality but do you mind if we have some time just for family," he asked.

"It's okay, how about a tour instead and then Maria can be on her way, yeah," You said, standing up and looking at the group.

You stood up, feeling Tommys hand slip into yours as you walked out of the door together. Joel looked at the two of you, confused as to how he never noticed the way the two of you acted together.

There was this heavy weight in his chest at the sight of you being happy. It wasn’t because he was jealous, it was because it pained him to see how much had changed since the outbreak, it pained him that Sarah wasn’t here to see her uncle and the closest thing she ever had to a mother end up together

As they walked back into the cold, Maria led them around, gesturing to the town around them that flourished with all the people around. It was a real community,

"Me and a few friends settled here a few years ago, just a handful of us. We built the rest of the wall out from there. It stops most raiding parties but we still find pockets of them," she explained.

Joel looked at her, brows furrowed, "No infection?" He questioned.

"Usually smaller colonies that have wandered off from the cities, all this open country makes it like Turkey shooting," Tommy said with a smirk before imitating shooting a turkey.

You hit him on the shoulder, scolding his joke and he just smiled at you. You purse your lips together in an attempt to hold back a smile but like usual, he managed to pass your defences and make you smile too.

"How do you keep this place quiet?" Joel questioned, noticing how there really were no infected.

"Being in the middle of nowhere helps, we don't advertise what we have, we stay off the radio," Maria explained.

That comment made Joel tense up. He had been worried sick about the two of you, you were really the only family he had left, and all this time he could have reached you but this woman had been stopping him. It made him mad.

He was pulled out of his train of thought by you listing the places in town, "House of worship, multi faith, school, that's where I work," you said.

Joel smiled at you, "Your degree is coming in handy," he said, remembering the days that you would come to his and Tommy's house, arms stacked with work.

"Was hoping it would one day," you said, chuckling at the end before continuing to list the places in town, "That's laundry, old bank is the jail but we don't really need it,"

"We drew electricity from the dam, we got sewers, heaters, and light," Tommy explained, proud of everything they'd achieved here.

Joel scoffed in disbelief, "This place actually fucking works," he said, shocked that this was a real functioning town.

They walked towards the outskirts of town, away from the bustling life and towards the farms and the stables.

Ellie broke the silence in the group by turning to Maria "So, you're like in charge?" She questioned.

The woman looked back at her, shaking her head, "No one person is in charge, I'm on the council and so is Mrs Miller here," she said, looking over at you.

You smiled to yourself. You may have been married for just over three years but to hear someone call you Mrs Miller was still a bit of a shock to the system. You could also tell that it shocked Joel just by the way he flinched slightly at the words.

"It's democratically elected and there's about three hundred people here including children. Everyone pitches in and we rotate work except for specialist roles like teaching or doctors," you explained.

Tommy nodded, his hand still in yours as he used the other hand to gesture to the scenery, "Everything you see, everyone pitches in and it's all shared," he explained, nodding his head.

Joel's nose scrunched up as he turned to look at his brother, "So uh, communism?" He questioned.

Tommy made a sound in disbelief, something half between choking and a scoff, "It's not like that," he said, a smile on his face as he chuckled at the absurdity of it.

"It is like that, literally. This is a commune, it's communism," Maria said, looking back at him.

He froze in his spot for a second, his entire life flashing before his eyes as his entire belief system was flipped on its head. He looked like he was going through a hundred emotions in a minute as he comprehended the statement.

You laughed to yourself, hitting your husband's arm jokingly, "Imagine if 29 year old you could see yourself now Mr Desert Storm," you teased.

You started to walk away and he shook his head, trying not to think about the way he lived and started to follow you, arm wrapping around your waist as you stopped at the stables.

Maria showed Ellie the horses and you watched as she grinned at them, petting the horse like she'd never seen one before.

"I've got to go do some work but could you get them settled in?" Maria asked, normally it was her job to do that but it had been really busy recently and you understood.

"Yeah, of course," you said with a smile, "And could you bring Lizzy back, she's over at Linda's,"

"Of course," she said, placing a hand on your shoulder before turning to Joel and Ellie who were still standing by the horses, "I'm glad you guys are here"

Maria walked away and Joel watched her, eyes narrowed. You could tell that he still didn't trust her completely and though it was understandable, Maria was a good person and he needed to learn to trust her.

"So you can all get set up in the house across the street from ours, two bedrooms, it's nice," Tommy said, and Joel nodded.

You looked at him, "I can take Ellie over there if you two want to catch up," you said.

Joel looked at Ellie, the girl's eyes wide almost like she was scared to be separated from him.

"Yeah, okay, you'll be fine," Joel said, nodding his head. After years apart, he was glad to be able to spend some time with his brother.

You chuckled, "Come on kid, I'm not that bad," you said and she smiled at the joke, nodding her head.

You quickly walked over to Tommy, pressing a kiss to his cheek before walking towards Ellie again, the two of you walking away in conversation.

Tommy smiled to himself and Joel watched as his brother pressed a hand to the spot where she had kissed him, almost like a little child who'd been kissed for the first time.

It was the first moment where Joel really saw the love between the two and he smiled to himself, patting his brother on the back as they walked towards the bar.

It was empty when they got there, like it normally was at midday, and Joel sat down at the bar, still marvelling at the fact that it was all real.

Tommy stood behind the bar, pouring a glass of whiskey for his brother, watching as Joel's eyes went wide at the taste of fresh and real alcohol.

'It doesn't seem like you or sugar aged much," Joel stated and Tommy smiled at the nickname. The gang of smugglers you were running with back in the early years of the outbreak had labelled you with it after a series of events that lead to you being branded the nicest person in the gang.

"You on the other hand," Tommy joked as he walked around the bar to get to his brother, sitting down on the stool and taking a sip from his drink.

"How long have you two been a thing?" Joel questioned. He had always assumed that the two of you had feelings for each other but it was never confirmed to him.

He had always seen the way that you’d sleep in the same bed, holding each other after nightmares, going partying in your early twenties before the world collapsed, laughing even when the world was crumbling around you.

"Since 2010 probably, that's when I realised I loved her you know. Then obviously we were in the fireflies so we hid that from them and we've been married since we got here so about four years," he explained, a smile on his face as he reminisced.

He couldn’t imagine a life without you. When the world got too dark, you were the light that brought him back. You were the one who made him smile when the world seemed to be dull and boring, killing all the joy. You were the one who saved him from himself when he got too far into that hole of darkness.

"I'm glad you're happy," Joel said, a half hearted smile on his face. He meant it but there was something in his heart that burned at the idea of Tommy being happy in a world where he wasn't.

"Thanks for still giving a shit about me," Tommy said, raising his glass and the two men cheered to the alcohol.

Tommy watched as his older brother walked around the empty pub as it had not opened yet, he looked around at the decoration, being taken back to the time before the outbreak where this was normal, "How's Tess?” He asked. He knew you would want to see her again because you were both so close before the fireflies and he knew you regretted what you had said to her before you left.

Joel turned around, a vacant look in his eyes but a smile on his face, "She's fine, alright," he said, not mentioning the fact that she was dead because it was too hard. Joel Miller had always avoided the hard conversations.

"Good, you’ll have to bring her here, I know Sugar would like it. Who's the kid?” He asked and Joel shook his head, walking back over.

He shrugged his shoulders, feeling the weight being taken away for just a second, "Some fireflies daughter and she's trying to find her family. I was heading in this direction," he said and Tommy smiled, not noticing how he ignored the mention of bringing Tess here.

For the first time in years, he saw the good man that was his brother before the outbreak, the one that wanted to help, "Good to see your heart," he said, hoping his brother could stay. If he was able to stay then they could be a family again and his children could have an uncle and maybe it would bring some joy back to Joel's life.

"You know where they might be?” Joel asked, taking another sip from his drink as he sat back down.

"There's a base at the University of Eastern colorado but it's a bit fucked up in the weeks ride there," he explained, he knew how dangerous that trek can be with the raiders and the infected, "It's not an easy trip,"

"I made it across the country, the two of us can make it from here to Colorado," Joel said, a smile on his face. He wanted to spend more time with his brother and this was a perfect opportunity to have him back.

"I can't go," Tommy said, staring at the glass, his finger tracing the rim of it. He had too many things waiting for him here and he couldn’t risk his life, he couldn’t let his daughter grow up fatherless.

Joel scoffed, angry that his brother wasn't going to come, "Why, cause Maria won't let you? Is she the one who kept you off the radio, is that why you stopped messaging me back?' He questioned and Tommy could feel his disdain for the woman.

"After me and Sugar left the fireflies, she was in bad shape. I didn't think she'd make it and Maria saved us, that's when I realised that I wanted a normal life with her," he explained as he thought back to it.

You had been shot in a bad fight and he had stumbled across the group of men patrolling and Maria had offered to bring you two back in and help you out after they had determined that you were not infected. Her best doctors had saved your life and Tommy would be forever indebted to them for that.

"They didn't have to take us in and all we had to do was follow the rules," he said as he looked at his brother who stood up, an angry tone to his voice.

"I'm your brother," he exclaimed, looking at him,

"I'm aware, they're very protective of this place and for a good reason," Tommy said, standing up as well to look at his brother.

"I know, the wrong people may show up. Is that what I am? The wrong people?" He questioned, clearly feeling threatened. He knew what his brother did when he felt backed into a corner.

Joel scoffed, "The things you judge me for, I did those things to keep you alive, to keep your wife alive," he said, spitting out the second to last word almost like he was judging him for what he had to do.

"We did those things, they weren't just things. We murdered people and I don't judge you for it. We survived the only way we knew how but there were other ways,” Tommy explained. That was exactly why he had joined the fireflies, because that was another way and when they didn’t work out he came here and he was never planning on leaving.

"If you knew the shit I've been through the last few months-" Joel said and Tommy cut him off,

"I'm a father now," he stated, looking over at the man. He knew how that was going to affect his brother because he knew how much he suffered when Sarah died.

He had wanted to tell him from the start, tell him about his little girl and how amazing she was, how she reminded him of Sarah when she was a baby but he didn’t want to trigger Joel, he was witness to his anger when it all happened. "We've got a little girl, she's two and the missus is a few months along now, we think it's gonna be another girl but she wants to keep trying till its a boy,"

Joel had never seen his brother smile that wide, like there was nothing else in the world that he could ever want. Tommy was genuinely happy. You had given him everything that he didn’t think he deserved, a home, a family, somewhere that he didn’t have to be scared of.

"I gotta be more careful," he said, his voice breaking slightly as he thought about it. He had to stay because he couldn’t bare seeing his little girl like Sarah, bleeding in his arms, "I'm still scared of being a bad father but I feel like I'm doing well so far,"

Joel poured himself another drink as all of the thoughts ran through his head. He felt like he had failed as a father. His daughter should be 32 this year but she wasn’t because he had failed and it scared him that now his younger brother was in his position and he was making the choice he should have made, he should have protected his family better.

"Guess we'll see," Joel said, taking out his anger and frustration in the only way he knew, at his brother.

"Guess we'll see? That's all you got?" Tommy said with a scoff, angry that his brother wasn’t proud of him and that he didn’t care, "I want you to meet your niece, stay around to see the other kid and any more we might have,"

Tommy wanted to be upset that his brother was letting him down again but he had been letting him down since they entered the QZ and it wasn’t going to change now.

"Just because life stopped for you doesn't mean it has to stop for me," Tommy spat out, getting closer to his brother.

"I'll grab some supplies and be out of your hair by the morning," Joel said before storming out of the bar, leaving Tommy there.

The man reached up to a chain on his neck that had a locket, a picture of you and him and your little girl in there, the only picture he had. It was all he needed to remind himself of what he had built here with you, what he was risking even considering going with Joel.

You took your jacket off, watching as Ellie went upstairs to get changed into some of the clothes that you had gotten ready for her as well as some things that you thought would be useful.

As you walked to the kitchen, grabbing two glasses and waiting for Ellie, you looked down at your stomach.

You were five months along now. You had never imagined yourself as a mother when you had met Tommy and you never imagined it when the outbreak started. Now you had this white picket fence life that seemed like something plucked out of a daydream - as long as that fantasy included infected and constant raiders.

Ellie was upstairs, looking at the spare room. You had given her some new clothes and a warm jacket for her to wear and she was grateful thaat you were giving this all to her.

As she looked at the house, she wondered if this was what people lived like back before the outbreak, if this is what her life would’ve looked like if she would have had a family before it all.

Once she was changed, she walked downstairs, looking at the living room. Ellie had never seen a real house before and this one felt like a home, with art on the walls and a comfy looking sofa and kids toys thrown on the sofa - she wasnt quite sure what that was about yet though.

That’s when she noticed the placard on the top of the mantelpiece. It was a sign that had two names of people on it, Sarah and Eliza, the two having died months apart at the start of the outbreak.

She watched as you walked around the kitchen, cleaning up small things on the side as you waited and that’s when she noticed the baby bump that hadn’t been evident before under your jacket.

"You're pregnant," she stated. Now that the girl was thinking about it, she had never seen a pregnant woman before.

"5 months," you confirmed, watching as she came in and sat down at the table, “Me and Tommy have another kid, a little girl, she’s two,”

She nodded her head, “That’s why there’s kids toys in the other room,” she stated ad you nodded, chuckling slightly.

“Yeah, I havent had time to tidy that up yet,” you said, looking at the other room and then at the girl at the table, "Did you get what I gave you?"

Her nose scrunched up as she remembered the menstrual cup that you had left her - Maria had been the one to find the extraordinary invention, "Weirdest gift ever," she stated.

You chuckled at her reaction, "You'll thank me for it one day," you promised, asking if she wanted a drink and then proceeding to pour her a glass of water, handing it to her, "Maria can cut your hair later if you like, she's really good at it,"

"Did she used to be a hairdresser?" Ellie questioned, having assume that she was just working on the patrols.

"No, she used to be a lawyer basically," you stated, sitting down next to her.

She looked at you, watching as you took a sip from your water, "What did you used to do?" She asked and you noticed that the girl was very inquisitive.

"I had just graduated university to be a teacher, I was 25 and then it all went to shit," you explained, remembering it all.

There was a part of you that missed the world before, the partying with Tommy at night and the laughing as you ran through the park, drunk off of your asses, and the laughs at the library even as the librarian scolded you. Now that you thought about it, you two were always destined to end up together.

As silence fell between you two, you looked into the other room, eyes falling on the memorial placard that you had seen Ellie looking at and brought it up, "You were looking at the memorial,"

She nodded, face softening as she remembered seeing it. The kids had been 12 and 22 when they had died, "I'm sorry about the kids," she said.

Your face scrunched up as you thought about it, hoping she didnt think you were old enough to have had a 22 year old in 2003, "They're not mine, Eliza was my little sister. Sarah was Joel's daughter," you stated, “I’m only 45,”

You thought that the shocked look on her face was from your age and before you could be too offended, you realised that she probably didnt know about Sarah and everything that had happened in Joels past.

"You didn't know, shit," you swore as you looked at her. You didnt mean to overstep, you knew how private he was and how he never wanted to discuss Sarah, hell, he didnt want to ever discuss life before the outbreak because it was that difficult and whilst you understand, you also believed he needed to talk about it.

She shook her head, "No, it's okay. I guess that explains him a little," she said, a half smile on her face that was almost apologetic.

"He's a good man even though we did bad stuff together," you said, recalling the smuggling missions that you went on with Joel.

Before the outbreak, he had been one of the kindest men that you had ever met, rough around the edges but soft when he got to know you. After Sarah died, you realised that she was the only thing that stopped him from losing faith in humanity and without her, lost a part of himself.

Ellie looked at you confused, "You were in the gang that killed people?" She questioned, having heard all about Joels escapades.

You nodded, you had done bad things to make your way through the apocalypse, "Yeah, Tommy saved me that night, brought me with him and Joel and Sarah," you explained, “I had to do what i had to do to survive, and that meant hurting people,”

It was difficult to think about that time but since then, you’d grown and tried to find a way to make the world better and when that failed, you ended up here where you managed to make your world better, your world with Tommy.

Tommy had told you that Joel had asked him to take the girl to the fireflies, that he wasn't able to do it yourself and as much as he protested, he agreed. You knew that it was the right thing for him to do, that it was in his nature to help someone and you knew that Ellie would be in good hands with him.

He had said his goodbyes that night, holding you until the sun came up and he had said goodbye to his daughter in the morning, trying not to cry as he walked out of that door. You had sat there for a few minutes, trying to hold back the worry but you knew that you had to go and see your husband one more time.

So as you rushed to the stables, hoping to see him one more time before he left, you saw Joel and Ellie also standing there, “What are you doing here, sugar?” Your husband questioned, looking at you.

You looked between the group who were looking at you and your daughter as she rested on your hip, “I wanted to say goodbye, again,” you said, feeling a little stupid now that you said it out loud.

“Joels going to take her now,” Tommy stated and you nodded, the weight falling from your shoulders as you knew he would be staying with you again.

When you looked over at Joel, he was staring at your daughter with those wide eyes that you had only seen a handful of times. He seemed in shock as he looked at Lizzy, at the way that she looked just like Tommy, the deep brown eyes, the quirk to her little smile.

“She’s ours Joel,” Tommy stated and he nodded, pursing his lips as if he was trying to hold his tears in

You looked down at the girl who was hiding in your shoulder, not looking at the other man, “Baby, this is your uncle Joel. Joel, this is your niece, Elizabeth Sarah Miller,” you explained.

His eyes went wide, you’d both named her after Sarah, “Elizabeth?” He questioned. That was Sarah's middle name as well as your younger sisters full name and he tried to keep in the tears as he thought about it. And the fact that she had been named after Sarah made the tears well up in his eyes.

“Do you want to hold her?” Tommy asked and the man nodded, allowing his brother to hand him the little girl.

Joel held her in his arms, a smile on his face as she babbled to herself, hand coming up to his hair and tugging on it slightly. Tommy apologised, stating that she was on the stage and Joel didn’t care, gently removing the girl's hands and smiling at her.

“She’s named after those we lost,” you said, listening to the girl talk to Joel in broken sentences. He nodded, looking over at you.

Ellie watched the interaction; she’d never seen Joel’s smile be that wide before. That's when the little girl reached her arms out for Ellie, “You can hold her if you want,” you said and her eyes went wide.

She questioned you and you nodded, watching as Joel passed her over, “She’s adorable,” Ellie said, starting an easy little conversation with the girl.

You turned to Joel. Last night, Tommy had told you that Tess wasnt actually waiting back at the QZ, she had died. She had been a good friend to you back in the day and it hurt to imagine the infected finally taking hold of her, but at least she died fighting.

“I heard about Tess, was it fast?” You asked and he nodded.

“Fast enough, she didn't turn so,” he stated. It was the first time he had really discussed her death and maybe that was a step for him.

He was ready to let go of the past and to have this new family, a new start to his life that he didnt have before and that Ellie gave him.

“I’m glad,” you said, placing a hand on his shoulder, “Joel, if you want to come back here, the house is available for you,”

He smiled, “We might have to take you up on that offer,” he said and you nodded, looking over at Ellie who you assumed was the other half of the ‘we’.

You were glad that he finally had another start at having a family and as you and Tommy watched Ellie and Joel ride off into the distance, your husband wrapped a hand around your waist, the two of you knowing that he was going to be okay.

A/N, so as of releasing this, it is not a series yet but i definitely have so many ideas for Tommy and Sugar so if anyone is interested, I was going to write some prequel chapters like outbreak day or them leaving the fireflies. Also, this isn't my greatest work but I wanted to finally finish it and publish it because I love the idea so much <3

[the-kirbe-anon]

I personally believe that God loves LGBT people, I just wanted to ask what you thought because I've met some really good Christians and some really bad "Christians", too.

Yes, God does love LGBT people (and so do I). However, LGBT lifestyles, like "marrying" or dating someone of the same sex, is sinful. And so is transgender/nonbinary lifestyles.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11

9 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men

10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God

Romans 1:26-28 ~ For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done

There is hope for those living in LGBT lifestyles. Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God and is God in the flesh, came to Earth and lived a sinless life, was crucified, and resurrected on the third day after His death. All you need to do is repent and believe this and you will be saved.

This might not feel pleasant, but it is the truth. That said, LGBT lifestyles are no bigger sins than others. ALL sin is against God and will send people to hell if they don't repent. Though my blog looks cheerful and happy most of the time, I struggle with sin daily. I don't have it all figured out either, but I know Jesus has done everything necessary to be saved and hope to live for Him the best I can. Christians sin daily, not just non-Christians. There will be struggle, but also there will be growth over time.

You may still struggle with same-sex attraction, as we all experience temptation, but God is faithful and full of grace.

I'm also going to refer you to people who were ex-gay and some who are side b (who experience same sex attraction, but do not commit homosexual activity), as they'll probably be better than me at explaining things.

@darknesscannotsaveyou

@in-christalone

@my--darling--dear2

@sidebaxolotl

@spacekrakens

If you wanna talk (about anything, not just religion) I'm still here as well. I still love you regardless of sexuality, religion, or anything else. I hope the Lord speaks to you (and anyone reading this)through this answer.

[angeltreasure]

Thieves repent, sacramentally confess, and return stolen objects to chapel in Spain

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Devotional Hours Within the Bible by J.R. Miller

The Crucifixion of Christ (John 19:17-30)

An old legend said that Calvary was at the center of the earth. So it was, really, for the cross was the meeting place of two eternities a past eternity of grace and hope, and a future eternity of faith, gratitude, love and devotion. It is the center of the earth, too, because toward it the eyes of all believers turn for pardon, comfort, light, joy, hope. As from all sections of the ancient camp, the bitten people looked toward the brazen serpent on the pole at the center of the camp so from all lands sin-stricken ones look in their penitence, and sorrow-stricken ones in their grief, toward the cross.

“Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha).” The first picture we see is Jesus leaving Pilate’s judgment hall bearing His cross. The custom was that a criminal should carry to the place of execution, the cross, on which he should be fastened. The cross was heavy. Yet, as heavy as it was, the wooden cross was not all the load Jesus carried that day. We know there was another still heavier, for He bore the burden of the world’s sin. The old prophet said, “All we like sheep have gone astray … and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). It would seem that none of the apostles were with Jesus as He went out to Calvary. John was caring for Mary, whom Jesus had committed to His care. She, with John and other friends, were presently watching by the cross. Certain other women were in the crowd, lamenting with Jesus. These He comforted even in His own great-sorrow.

When He staggered under His cross, a passer-by was seized and compelled to carry His load. It would have indeed been a strange irony had the man who carried the cross missed the salvation whereof it is the instrument and the symbol.

The next picture shows us Jesus being nailed upon the cross. He was not alone, for two others were crucified with Him, although this was contrary to Jewish law. These were criminals, men suffering justly for their sin. Thus He was “numbered with the transgressors” (Mark 15:28, cf. Isaiah 53:12). They put Jesus on the middle cross, as if He had been the greatest of the criminals. This was the place of the deepest dishonor. As He hung there, He was at the lowest point of shame in the world, in the place of the worst sinner. This tells us that there is no known stage of sin or guilt possible on earth, down to which Jesus cannot, will not, go as Savior.

One of the criminals beside Him was saved that day, lifted up by Him out of his guilt and sin, and borne in His arms to Paradise. This shows us that no sinner is so low in degradation or condemnation, that Jesus cannot lift him up to glory.

But while we are looking at this one sinner who was saved that Good Friday, we must not fail to glance in sadness at his companion. He had the same opportunity for salvation that the other had, for he was equally close to Jesus, could hear His gracious words, see the blood dropping from His wounds, and behold His patience and compassion. Yet this man was not saved. He remained impenitent, though so close to the dying Redeemer. When people say they will take the chance of the dying thief on the cross, repenting at the last hour, they must remember that there were two dying thieves, equally close to Christ’s cross, and that one of them was lost.

The next picture we see shows us Jesus Christ on His cross. “Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.” Jesus was indeed the King of the Jews, their own Messiah. He was also the King of the world. After He arose, He said that all authority was given unto Him in heaven and on earth. In the visions of the Apocalypse we see Him in glory as King of kings. He did not seem kingly that hour on the cross. It was a strange throne for a king to occupy. Yet it was His throne, and the crucifixion was the point of His highest earthly honor. There His glory streamed out as at no other time in all His life. The love of God shone from the cross. It is the power of the cross that is changing the world today and drawing lives to the Savior!

The rulers asked Pilate to change the title he had put over the cross. They wanted him to write only that Jesus said He was King of the Jews. They did not themselves wish to have it suggested that He was indeed in any sense their king. But Pilate refused to make any change in the superscription. “What I have written I have written,” he declared. He spoke a deeper truth than he knew. He was making a record which would stand forever, and which in spite of all the injustice and dishonor of the day was true.

Just so we are all writing, all the while, ineffaceably. What we have written, we have written. Every act we perform, every word we speak, every thought we think and every influence we give out goes down to stay on the page. This is well when the things we do are good, right and beautiful things; but it is just as true when they are sinful and unholy things. We should lay this truth to heart and should live so that we shall write down in the inexpungible record of our lives only things we shall be glad to meet a thousand years hence. We never have the opportunity to go over our records to correct the mistakes we have made. As we write the words, so will they stand.

The next picture we see shows us the soldiers dividing the garments of Jesus among themselves. We can think of these men going about at their duty after that day, wearing the garments which Jesus had worn during His beautiful and holy life. We may carry the illustration farther, and think of ourselves and all redeemed ones as wearing the garments which Jesus prepared for us that day on the cross.

The scene of the soldiers gambling for the scant possessions of Jesus, while the most stupendous event of all time was being enacted above their heads, suggests to us how indifferent the world is to the glory of God and the glorious things that God does. Men are irreverent and are unmoved by even the holiest things!

The next picture shows us a little group of the dearest friends of Jesus, standing near the cross, while He was enduring His unfathomable sorrows. His mother was there, and John, the beloved disciple. When Jesus saw His mother, His heart was touched with compassion for her, and He commended her to the beloved disciple, who from that time became as a son to her, taking her to his own home. In this scene we have a beautiful commentary on the Fifth Commandment.

Even on His cross, in the midst of the anguish of this terrible hour, He did not forget her who had borne Him, who had blessed His tender infancy and defenseless childhood with her rich, self-forgetful love. Every young person, or older one with parents living, who reads this fragment of the story of the cross, should remember the lesson and pay love’s highest honor to the father or the mother to whom he owes so much.

The next picture shows us Jesus in His anguish of thirst. In response to His cry, “I am thirsty!” one of the soldiers dipped a sponge in the sour wine that was provided for the watchers and held it up on a reed, that it might moisten His lips. This is the only one of the seven sayings on the cross in which Jesus referred to His own suffering. It is pleasant to think that one of the soldiers gave a kindly response to His cry. This is the only gleam of humanity in all the dark story of cruelty and hardness enacted around the cross. It is a comfort to us to know that even so small a kindness was wrought for Him who has filled the world with the fragrance of His love, blessing so many millions of suffering ones.

For us the lesson is that we should train ourselves to deeds of thoughtful gentleness to all who are in distress. We remember that beautiful word of our Lord, that the giving of even a cup of cold water to a disciple in His name will not go unrewarded (see Matthew 10:42). There are thirsty ones coming to us continually, and countless are the opportunities of doing good to them in Christ’s name. We should not fail to put the cup to lips that are burning with life’s fever. Since Jesus thirsted on the cross and was refreshed, if only by so much as the moisture of a sponge filled with sour wine, He is quick to recognize and reward any kindness to one of His that thirsts.

The last picture shows us Jesus dying. He said, “It is finished!” Then He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. It was a cry of victory which fell from His lips. His work was finished. He had done each day the work given Him to do that day, and when the last hour of the day came there was nothing that He had left undone. We should learn the lesson and live as He lived, so as to have every part of our work finished when our end comes.

But what was it that was finished when Jesus bowed His head on the cross? A famous picture represents Christ lifted up, and beneath Him an innumerable procession of the saints, advancing out of the darkness and coming into the light of His cross. There can be no doubt that He had such a vision of redemption while He hung there, for we are told that He endured the cross, despising the shame, because of the joy set before Him. “It is finished!” was therefore a shout of victory as He completed the work of suffering and sacrificing that the world might be saved.

[gsstories]

I don’t like church

I never liked church as a kid because it was cold, boring and long as Hell. One day, we stopped going and never went for years and I was actually happy with that. Recently, my mom for some reason decided to go back there on Sundays and I had to tag along. I’m more patient now so I don’t really care about how long it takes because now I know it’s only like 2 hours long. Still cold but it’s fine, I have a jacket. Still boring but I manage. What I now dislike about the church we go to happened today.

While listening to the sermon, the LGBTQ+ community topic came up. For that bit, I paid attention and I was highly disappointed. The priest spoke about how the homosexuals and lesbians needed to be saved, how they would not be saved if they kept going like this, and more bullshit. I was surprised, I had never heard such things come from the priest’s mouth before. I hated that. He even said ‘There are politicians who claim they are Christians but support them!’ and I am sitting there thinking ‘Gee, what a tragedy!’ I couldn’t look him in the eye when he shook my hand after it was over.

I have witnessed jokes about the community, nothing bad, just poking a lil bit of fun, actually funny. But this was just disappointing. When did love become a bad thing? How the hell does a community that loves the same gender or love more than one affect you? If God really loves everyone, which includes liars and thieves, then why would he not love those who love in different ways?

I am not religious at all but I believe in God to an extent. I am bisexual and most likely on the ace spectrum. Does that mean I am not to be saved if I don’t repent for my ‘sins’, aka conform to society’s heteronormative views? Am I really going to burn in Hell because I am not following the so called rules you find in the Bible? The first time I heard such slander and it came from a priest who is so respected. What a joke.

Religion disappoints me but I know not everyone is like this. If you are seeing this, know that you are valid no matter what. No matter your gender, sexuality, anything, you are still loved and acknowledged. To be loved is to be accepted and embraced, to be protected and saved. Happy end of pride to everyone. Stay proud, stay safe.

[goodqueenaly]

Do you think Tywin was being honest when he said to Tyrion that he was going to send him to the Wall? Or do you think he intended to sentence him to death?

I do, specifically because of what Kevan told Tyrion while the latter was imprisoned:

“Perhaps the time has come for you to confess.” Even through the thick stone walls of the Red Keep, Tyrion could hear the steady wash of rain. “Say that again, Uncle? I could swear you urged me to confess.” “If you were to admit your guilt before the throne and repent of your crime, your father would withhold the sword. You would be permitted to take the black.” Tyrion laughed in his face. “Those were the same terms Cersei offered Eddard Stark. We all know how that ended.” “Your father had no part in that.” That much was true, at least. “Castle Black teems with murderers, thieves and rapists,” Tyrion said, “but I don’t recall meeting many regicides while I was there. You expect me to believe that if I admit to being a kinslayer and kingslayer, my father will simply nod, forgive me, and pack me off to the Wall with some warm woolen smallclothes.” He hooted rudely. “Naught was said of forgiveness,” Ser Kevan said sternly. “A confession would put this matter to rest. It is for that reason your father sends me with this offer.”

And then:

“Tyrion, if you are guilty of this enormity, the Wall is a kinder fate than you deserve. And if you are blameless ... [sic] there is fighting in the north, I know, but even so it will be a safer place for you than King’s Landing, whatever the outcome of this trial. The mob is convinced of your guilt. Were you so foolish as to venture out into the streets, they would tear you limb from limb.” “I can see how much that prospect upsets you.” “You are my brother’s son.” “You might remind him of that.” “Do you think he would allow you to take the black if you were not his own blood, and Joanna’s?["]

I don't think there was any reason for Tywin to specifically send Kevan, the family member he perhaps (at least at that point) most trusted and treated as his loyal lieutenant, with the offer of taking the black if Tywin was always planning to tell Tyrion "Ha ha, just kidding, I'm going to execute you anyway". Tyrion might have been the very lowest and least of the Lannisters in Tywin's eyes, and Tywin might have deeply personally hated him (for what I think Tywin saw as Tyrion's cruelty in being born a "monster" who also killed his wife), but Tywin I think still recognized that Tyrion was a Lannister, which made him worth more than any other, non-Lannister person; the same grim acceptance of that fact that had caused Tywin to raise Tyrion as his son and a Lannister of the Rock now, I believe, also motivated Tywin to allow Tyrion the mercy of spending his remaining years on the Wall. Indeed, Kevan reiterated the lack of love coming from Tywin in this decision: he specifically dispelled the notion that a judicial pardon from Tywin would have been equivalent to personal forgiveness, and couched the decision in purely familial-dynasty terms - Tywin was allowing such an offer because Tyrion was "his [i.e. Tywin's] own blood, and Joanna's", and Kevan wanted to see Tyrion accept the offer because Tyrion was "my brother's son". Tyrion confessing and heading to the Night's Watch would, I think, have been seen by Tywin as the best case scenario in the circumstances: Tyrion would have publicly accepted the guilt which his farcical trial had been specifically designed to produce, he would have been permanently exiled such that his presence could no longer remind Tywin (or anyone else) of what Tywin saw as an aberration of Lannister perfection, and either he would have himself of use (that is, to the Lannister cause) at the Wall or would have died a quick and meaningless death there (and paradoxically, Tywin may even have been satisfied that Tyrion's acceptance of a black cloak would end any pretensions the latter had to the inheritance Tywin always believed belonged to Jaime).

Likewise, look at how Tywin reacted when Tyrion demanded a trial by combat:

“No, I’ve found them. I demand trial by battle!” His sweet sister could not have been more pleased. “He has that right, my lords,” she reminded the judges. “Let the gods judge. Ser Gregor Clegane will stand for Joffrey. He returned to the city the night before last, to put his sword at my service.” Lord Tywin’s face was so dark that for half a heartbeat Tyrion wondered if he’d drunk some poisoned wine as well. He slammed his fist down on the table, too angry to speak.”

Tywin, the man always who prided himself on cool, reserved, absolute rule, was so publicly and visibly furious at Tyrion's demand for a trial by combat that he could not even manage to answer him. That incredibly emotional reaction I think underlines how much Tywin wanted the exact opposite to happen - that is, for Tyrion to accept what Tywin might have seen as a merciful Lannister-to-Lannister offer without condition or rebuttal, acknowledging both his own guilt (so Tywin saw it) and Tywin's power over House Lannister, the realm, and Tyrion himself.