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emptymasks · 6 years ago

Text

I Won't Rest Until I Find You

Pairing: Alucard | Adrian Tepes / Trevor Belmont

Words: 3208

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Read on Ao3

Notes: This is set during Curse of Darkness, but in my mind it could continue on with the show’s continuity as well.

So I guess I want to start with a disclaimer if Trevor seems out of character to some people: I haven't watched the Netflix show yet. I know Castlevania from the games. But I do plan on watching the show.

I’m making Castlevania art too, and if you’re interested in fan-merch and pins, I’m going to be starting a Kickstarter soon for some Castlevania pins.

I've been loving these games and characters more and more and have been wanting to create content. I also make art (@emptymasks on social media and on my Etsy shop) and I am soon going to launch a Castlevania pin Kickstarter.

I also want to say something about kins, so if that isn't your thing or makes you uncomfortable then please stop reading. I'm @emptymasks on tumblr, but I just made a side-blog (which is also a kin-blog) for Castlevania @princeadriantepes.

Also, also! I have a Castlevania Discord server! DM me or send me an ask for the link Sever is LGBT and kin friendly.

Phew, thank you so much if you read all of that text. Now onto the story...

“Why did you attack me?” Hector’s shout echoed through the empty castle.

Trevor shook his head and sighs.

“The place to which Isaac has gone can only be entered by those who possess very advanced powers; I had to test you.” He explained.

“I see.” Hector moved forward. “Meaning you would have me pursue him?”

“Indeed, but first you shall need my help. Come.”

Trevor led them throughout the castle. He hated that he remembered the layout. Everywhere he looked there were memories. Fights and injuries and screams. He had fought Grant along that corridor not too far into the castle. The poor man still awoke in screams, fearing he was in a body that wasn't his own. He’d been working hard to rebuild the villages and houses. And then Sypha, having to hide her magic from the world. Trevor had seen his fair share of dark magic and monsters before facing Dracula, but despite that had not been so blind to think magic could only be evil.

Trevor slowed his walking as they entered the main hall. The place of their final battle, and unfortunately it seemed, for future final battles as well. They had made a great team, his ‘legendary three warriors’ as people had already begun calling them. Grant, Sypha and…

Trevor’s feet halted.

“It’s for the best.” Alucard had said.

“Who for? Because it certainly isn’t for us. It isn’t for the people who you could help protect.” Trevor yelled.

Sypha had put a hand on his arm, wanting to calm him.

“Trevor, after everything I have done… I cannot risk becoming like my father.”

“You won’t.”

“You cannot know that!”

Trevor had never seen Alucard shout before. He looked so distraught.

“Cursed blood flows throughout me. It is only a matter of time that it turns sour, or some dark powers try to turn me into him, or use me for his resurrection.”

“You are stronger than them, Alucard.” Trevor tried to reach out his hand, but Alucard stepped back.

“We cannot know what the future holds. I cannot take the chance that I will hurt others…”

“And what of the chance that you could help them? You’re reasoning makes no sense, are you truly so blind that-”

“I killed my own father!” Alucard turned to face him, tears streamed down his face. “Do you not understand that! I know what he did, I know he was deserving of such a fate… But that does not ease the pain in my soul…”

“Adrian…”

“Let us help you.” Sypha said.

“I care about you both greatly. Thank you for being my friends… But this is something I must do. I will not ask permission, nor seek approval. But please do not think badly of me, and do not blame yourselves.”

Alucard turned to look at them one last time.

“I love you.” He stared at Trevor as he spoke.

Trevor lunged forwards, but Alucard had already transformed had flown into the shadows of the night.

“Belmont? Are you alright?” Hector’s voice cut through his memories.

“Ah, yes. My apologies, I was simply remembering exactly where…” Trevor trailed off as he walked towards the centre of the room.

He pulled off a glove and reached for his knife. He didn’t wince as he pulled the blade through his closed fist. His nails dug into the cut as he squeezed, and the blood dripped out and mingled with the red carpet.

The stains glowed for a second, before a seal grew out from below them.

“There. ‘Tis done.”

“So, the Belmont blood acts as a key…” Hector mused. “And what lies beyond this point?”

“Do not ask. If you knew your heart might waver. For now, hold the image of Isaac in your mind, think only of defeating him.”

“Very well.” Hector said and stepped onto the seal.

“Hector, hunt him down. And when you have him, show him no mercy.”

He watched Hector’s body disappear into the light, and his feet started to move backwards.

He knew Alucard was here… Or rather, his body was. Sypha had knocked him out that night as nothing could console him. Sypha had been trying her best, but she could see his heart was not whole anymore.

“I miss him too, Trevor.” She had said one night. “But he made his choice, we have to respect it.”

“Why must we?” He bit back.

She signed.

“I heard Grant was asking after you again today.” Trevor was aware his voice sounded distant.

“Yes… He hasn’t given up on me yet.” She made her voice sound light, as if she was wanting Trevor to laugh.

Trevor shifted, unsure if he should face her.

“Would you… Are you considering taking him up on his offer?”

He saw her eyes widen slightly. He thought for a second she was going to slap him.

Instead she sighed.

“Do you want me to take him up on his offer?”

“I just want you to be happy Sypha… I fear that your happiness cannot be found with me.”

She stood up walked across the room.

“You loved him back?” She mumbled.

“Didn’t we both?”

She chuckled, but she sounded sad.

“Perhaps you should look for him?”

“And what happened to leaving him with his choices?”

She walked back over and pushed his longer hair away from his face, her fingers grazing over his scar.

“Because I want for you to be happy too. I do not think I can stand one more day of you sulking.” She smiled. “I try and reach for him sometimes… There’s something of him in the castle’s ruins. Whether it’s just memories or it’s him I cannot tell but…”

“It’s the only place I have to start…”

“You’re not mad I didn’t tell you sooner?”

“Sypha… Love, you have only ever tried to protect me from my own stupidity. I do not blame you for protecting yourself from it too.”

Trevor glanced back at the seal. It can only be closed from the inside, which meant Hector should have no trouble leaving (unless he fails), but… if he leaves it does mean something could follow Hector inside… The castle was rather empty though…

Before Hector had arrived, he’d sworn he was close. There was something amidst the ruins behind Dracula’s accursed throne. The presence of another entering the castle caused him to cease his search for he feared Isaac was entering.

He wouldn’t be leaving the room… He would only be taking his eyes off the portal for a short while…

Well it didn’t seem to matter what his brain thought the right thing to do was, because his body was already doing the selfish thing. He dug through the rocks until he found a hole. He ran back to grab one of the candles from the wall and gave one last glance to the seal, before he jumped down.

The candle didn’t provide much light, but that combined with the small rays coming in from the entrance to pit revealed more stone. Parts of pillars and archways and cracking gargoyles. None of them seemed to have life in them, but Trevor brought his whip out all the same. He held the candle up to the back wall, hoping to see something there, when his foot become wedged. More stone, Trevor assumed, until he felt his knee resting against the same object. He brought the candle to scan the shape. It was far darker than the rocks, and it stretched out beyond where the candle could see. Trevor kept himself along its side as he manoeuvred around it. The edges seemed to get wider as it went up and Trevor’s breath caught in his throat as they become thinner again almost at the top. He kept his whip in his hand as he reached a finger out and sure enough there was a lip, an opening.

Trevor took a deep breath and hoped Isaac wasn’t about to jump out at him.

In one motion Trevor threw the lid of the coffin open and jumped back with his whip ready to strike.

But nothing jumped out.

He kept his arm outstretched as he neared the coffin and peered over. Despite the low light, there was no mistaking the pale skin and golden hair. Trevor had to fight the urge to reach out and touch him. He placed the candle down in order to reach for a vial Sypha had given him.

“Once people hear you’re searching for someone, it might not take some long to realise who it is. And you know how those succubi like to transform into loved ones to lure people in. Throw this onto them and any illusion like that will be displaced. If you pour this on him and nothing happens, then its him.”

Alucard was going to kill him for drenching him… Not that he wasn’t going to kill him for stealing him away either but… that was something he could deal with later.

He splashed the potion onto Alucard’s chest, remembering Alucard throwing a fit anytime Trevor got his hair wet. He watched the potion soak through the shirt and… into his binding. Trevor was going to have to tell him off for that later… But if this was a random monster, it wouldn’t know to wear binding… Trevor hoped and waited, made himself count to twenty just to be certain, and Alucard’s body didn’t change.

Trevor reached out a shaking hand to cup Alucard’s sleeping face. He looked so peaceful… Trevor could feel the guilt welling up, but… This wasn’t just for him. He hoped he could help Alucard too. He shouldn’t have locked himself away because he thought the world was better off without him… He needed help… He needed to allow himself to be helped.

Trevor felt the rumbling beneath his feet before he heard it. Rocks started to fall into the pit and it felt as though the ground was moving upwards…

Not again…

He grabbed Alucard’s limp body and slung him over his shoulder. Jumping on top of the coffin he flung his arm up so that the whip latched onto a pillar above them. He carefully removed a hand from Alucard, letting him angle his body up to support the weight, and used both hands to climb the whip. He was lucky that despite his height, Alucard didn’t weight very much. He carried Alucard out from the ruins and into the hall, before setting him down and going to inspect the seal, which was now glowing brighter.

Shit.

He could see the spires raising up past the windows and could hear the storm more clearly. The castle was once again flowing with power. The seal seemed to be pulsing now and Trevor could feel the power coming from it. The castle was waking up and it wouldn’t be long before everything inside it would too.

Wait… Everything…

Trevor heard a groan and the whip was ready to lash out before he had even turned around.

He gasped.

“Alucard…?”

Trevor watched as Alucard brought himself to his feet. The dhampir seemed to come to his senses at the sound of his name, his head shooting up and pale eyes locking onto Trevor’s. His eyes scanned across Trevor’s body, taking in the new clothing and hair… And his ageing, Trevor thought as he felt a little self-conscious.

“Did something happen? Is there some emergency?” Alcuard's voice was dry.

“Not exactly… That is to say, there is a fight going on, but not one we need take part in…”

“Then… Why am I…?”

“Need I repeat what I said before? You deserve to live, Alucard. You deserve to stay alive, and you deserve a chance to be happy.”

“I was.” Alucard spat. “You couldn’t be satisfied could you?”

Trevor walked towards him, but Alucard stumbled back. His strength clearly hadn’t returned to him yet.

“Why, Trevor? Why did you have to wake me up? Why did you have to bring me back?” Alucard’s voice was breaking.

“Perhaps because I couldn’t live with myself.” Trevor continued to walk towards him. “Perhaps because you told me you loved me and then ran away. Perhaps because you gave up and left to go and die for no-”

“I wanted to die!”

Alucard’s voice rang out throughout the castle. The storm seemed too quiet. Alucard was shaking and he bent his head down and clutched at it as he cried.

“No one should feel like that…” Trevor whispered. “Let me help you, Adrian. Let me take care of you. I love you too-”

Trevor groaned. Why did this shit always happen?

He saw red hair out of the corner of his eye, and glanced down at the blade sticking out of his chest. He was dimly aware of Alucard lunging up and Isaac easily pushing hem out of the way.

“Fiend. What are you doing here?” Trevor tried not to move too much around the dagger.

“I can’t have you interfering beyond this point.” Isaac kicked Alucard as he tried to stand. “Only just awoken, little lord? You haven’t any strength in you at all yet. As for the seal, I left that to Hector.”

Trevor tried to reach out to Alucard, but Isaac pulled him back against the dagger.

“Impossible. The seal can only be undone by a torrent of demonic energy, Hector could not know that.”

He felt Isaac move back and prepared for another blow, when Isaac fell and Trevor grabbed onto the dagger to stop it leaving his chest, wincing is it cut into his hands through his gloves. Now wouldn’t be a good time to die of blood loss. He stumbled onto his knees and leant forwards.

“Fools!” Isaac picked himself up from where Alucard had tripped him. “Do not equate a devil-forgemaster’s power with that of an ordinary sorcerer. For a seal like that, the magic produced in battle is more than enough. Placing a guard there proved to be your downfall… But enough talk.”

Isaac reached for the dagger’s handle, still sticking out of Trevor’s back. Alucard pulled himself upwards and tried to beat Isaac to it. Isaac’s hand was grasped around the handle when a sudden burst of light knocked both of them backwards.

Trevor cried and fell to the floor, and Alucard crawled over to him.

“Julia! You still insist to side with them?” Isaac wiped the blood off the dagger with his hand.

“You may not realise it yet, but I am trying to help you brother.” She said.

Isaac stared down at the fallen Belmont and laughed.

“I would stay and chat, but Hector is waiting for me.” He cackled as he teleported away.

Julia rushed to Trevor’s side and started to push him onto his back, only for Alucard to grab her wrist.

“I’m trying to save his life. You would do well to help me.” She urged, pushing his hands aside and getting to work.

“Am I supposed to know who you are?” Alucard slumped back, tiredness and confusion overtaking him.

“I’m Julia.”

“…Right”

Trevor was dimly aware of Julia’s hands pushing his clothes open as she murmured incantations. Whatever she was saying seemed to be helping as his vision came more into focus and the pain lessened.

He cast his eyes over to Alucard. He seemed to be staring at Julia as if he wanted his eyes to burn through her. Trevor chuckled, and in an instant those pale eyes were on him instead.

“I see age hasn’t made you any less overzealous.” Alucard said.

Trevor could have wept again if he wasn’t so tired.

“Come here,” Julia turned her head to Alucard as she stood up. “You both need taking somewhere safe to rest and heal.”

Alucard dragged himself over to them. Julia tapped her staff on the ground and after the light engulfing them faded, Trevor looked upon a familiar building.

“Should I be worried that you know where I live?” He questioned Julia.

“You should be thankful, I just saved your life.” She put an arm around him to help him up.

Alucard came around his other side to help as well, but he still seemed as if he might collapse at any moment and so Trevor tried to not put too much weight on him.

“Thank you, Julia, truly… What will you do about your brother?” Trevor asked.

“Isaac has been lost to me for many years now. All I can do is aid Hector and hope he frees my brother from this curse.”

“Then I wish you luck. But be careful inside that castle.”

“I will be.” She nodded goodbye and transported herself away.

“So… Who is she?” Alucard asked.

“I have no idea.” Trevor replied.

He looked over at Alucard and smiled, a smile which grew wider when he saw Alucard fighting against his lips twitching upwards.

Trevor moved himself closer and groaned

“You’re supposed to be resting.” Alucard’s hands were on his shoulders.

“So should you.”

Trevor’s hands moved upwards and pushed the coat off Alucard’s shoulders. Alucard seemed too tired to fight him. He moved his hands up to cup Alucard’s face, his thumbs gliding over the pale skin.

He let out a shaky breath. He was crying again, but he wasn’t ashamed. He’d done it. He’d found him.

“Please, stay. I know you wanted to be asleep, but I promise you I can help you. I can make you feel better, closer to whole… And if I’m allowed to be selfish, then please don’t leave me. Alucard, Adrian please, please I can’t lose you again, I won’t survive it, so please…” Trevor was aware that he was rambling and saying the same things over and over but he couldn’t seem to stop.

He didn’t want to stop begging until he heard Alucard’s reply.

He watched Alucard’s eyes widen and his hands come to grip at Trevor’s coat.

“You missed me this much…?” He said in wonder.

“Of course I did. How could I not? Please… Say you’ll stay… Stay with me…”

“You make it sound so easy.”

“It is. It is easy. We’ll deal with trouble as it comes. I can’t imagine what you’ve been through, but I promise I can help ease the pain of it. I promise. I promise I’ll take care of you.” Trevor’s hands were moving backwards and grasping around Alucard’s neck.

He sobbed when he felt Alucard’s arms come around him. He was aware that Alucard was crying too.

“Please…”

“I can’t promise that I’ll get better.”

“I know. But give yourself a chance. Let yourself try.”

“…And you’ll stay with me.”

“After everything that just happened, does it seem like I’m going to let you out of my sight.”

He heard Alucard let out a choked laugh and held him tighter.

“I’m not going anywhere, Adrian. And neither are you, agreed?”

“Agreed… I suppose I should say thank you…”

“You don’t have to say anything. Let’s just get some rest. And you better be here when I wake up Adrian Tepes because I swear to god-” Trevor cut himself off as Alucard started laughing.

He shuffled back and pulled Alucard down with him onto the bed.

“Rest, Adrian. I’ll be here when you wake.”

“As will I.”

#trevor belmont #trevorcard #castlevania #castlevania netflix #adrian tepes #idk if thats the most popular tag for alucard but eh #my writing #mine #my fics

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stereksummerexchange · 7 years ago

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Fixer-Upper

Clotpolesonly - A bit of a throwback fic! I tried to put in stuff you mentioned enjoying, so fingers crossed it hits the spot :)

by @troubleiwant

Explicit - no warnings

Post-S2 divergence with no Alpha Pack and nobody dead, just rebuilding the Hale House and with a little bit of pining and maybe some kissing! Also, minor Lydia/Stiles and Erica/Stiles friendships

Stiles scrubs a hand through his spiky-short hair. It needs a trim, but fuck it. Summer means he doesn’t have to worry about shit like that. He’s beyond glad to be done with the year, not least because he was getting sick of the wary looks cast his way on account of the damage Gerard’s beating had left on his face. The split lip is long healed by now, but the bruise across his cheekbone is still a tender reminder, reflected in the bathroom mirror and in the gentle tone his dad takes with him at breakfast.

It’s not so bad, though, Stiles thinks sternly at himself. So he got knocked around, so Boyd and Erica were tortured, so Jackson almost died. Nobody’s actually got killed, except for Matt, who deserved it, and…. and what is his life that that’s supposed to be a reassurance? No, Stiles corrects himself. Things are not great in ye olde Beacon HIlls. Not great at all. They’re supposed to be enjoying a carefree break like the kids they are, but instead there’s so much bad blood lingering around town that you could drown in it.

Even Scott, usually so optimistic about everything, has been knocked down a few pegs what with the breakup with Allison in the wake of her realizing how shitty her hunter family really was. He’s taking singledom a little better than Stiles though he might, honestly, but that means he’s alternating between calm assurance that he and Allison will get back together in the end, and weirdly obsessive focus on a tattoo he wants. Stiles is glad he has goals besides winning her back, but he isn’t at all excited about the specifics. Needles, man. Ugh. He’s not sure what kind of emotional pain a dude needs to be in to think that’s a good idea.

The Hale pack seems equally adrift after the events of the school year. Derek isn’t talking to Scott, on account of the whole “using you as a key element of a plan that I kind of forgot to tell you existed whoops” and new beta Jackson would try the patience of a saint, which Derek certainly is not. On top of that, Erica is handling the trauma of her kidnapping the same way she’d dealt with her frustrations about being bullied when she was first turned - with sex.

She’s flirty with Stiles, who does his best to ignore it, and with Isaac, who doesn’t quite understand that it’s only teasing. Apparently she even kissed Derek at training one day, according Boyd. Fuck if that isn’t a surreal (and, okay, kind of hot) thought. Wost, she keeps hitting on Jackson just to rile Lydia, who takes it just about as well as you’d expect. Isaac, hung up on Erica and already feeling pushed aside with Jackson’s entrance into the pack, takes it worse than that.

Add in all the normal hormonal disagreements between a bunch of teenagers trying to live together in an old abandoned house, and the Hale pack is basically a powderkeg.

All the same, the Hale house is where Stiles is heading now, tromping through the forest because the Jeep is in the shop yet again. He tries to spend a good amount of time here, half to keep them from tearing themselves apart and half because Scott is going to need all the allies he can get. If the awfulness with Gerard showed them anything, it’s that supernatural folks need to stick together. Scott is certainly not in a place to appeal to Derek’s good graces, for the time being, so Stiles’ efforts will have to do.

At least the task almost takes his mind off of Lydia. She and Jackson have been some version of “together” for years, sure, but Jackson’s always been such an ass it was easy for Stiles to tell himself their relationship was unhealthy and he needed to save Lydia from it (and then claim her for his deserving self, obviously). Now, that fantasy doesn’t quite fly. Like, epic healing transformations and a possible resurrection because of her declaration of love? Yeah, all that pretty much put him out of the “one true love” running. It’s strangely painful to realize that Lydia’s relationship is not and maybe never was an obstacle to overcome on his quest to win her heart. In the meantime, Jackson isn’t making things any easier by actively, visibly trying to be better. Stiles can’t even hate the guy properly.

Then again, maybe Jackson trying is mostly because Derek would rip his throat out if he wasn’t. Derek, Stiles thinks, could convince anyone to behave through some combo of those fangs and those cheekbones. Or eyes. Or his perfectly symmetrical scruff. Theres alot going on with his face that could be used for positive reinforcement, basically. Beacon Hills has way too many hot people, but Derek’s up there with Lydia in terms of blinding perfection…. and Stiles has just about the same shot with both of them, which is zero.

Scott has sympathy for Stiles’ perpetual loner-hood, but it seems focused on the sexual aspect. His best friend actually had his lady love before he lost her. “Had” in every sense of the word. He talks about their love life in generalities out of respect, but the mere idea of sex gets him all starry eyed. Which, okay, Stiles would be totally down to cash that v-card and join the adult club already, but that isn’t why he wanted Lydia. He’s not exactly sure why he did want her, really. Maybe it had been primarily about, like, getting something right. Winning a prize, proving he was worthwhile.

Whatever it was, he thinks sourly, it isn’t happening now.

“Hey,” says a voice right at his ear.

Stiles yelps and flails, and Erica shoots him an odd look as she comes up in front of him up on the path.

“Didn’t you hear me catching up?” she asks.

“No! Fuck!” Stiles presses a hand to his chest, willing his heart to calm down. “We are not all supernatural. Did Lydia tell you I was coming?”

Erica gives him a sultry smile. “I’m a wolf, Batman. I could smell you.”

“Great, yeah, that’s not creepy at all,” Stiles mutters

“Oh, let it go already,” she snips, suddenly dropping the sex-kitten act for a much more natural, sisterly irritation. “Look, Derek is being insane, it’s just train train train over here. I’m dying. We’re all dying. Also, Jackson is ignoring me, and Lydia is being a total bitch. Even more than Isaac, which is saying something.”

“Totally unrelated to how you you keep riling him up with innuendo and then looking at him like he’s grown a third head when he tries to flirt back?”

She pouts, but doesn’t deny it. “You need to fix things.”

Stiles snorts. “What can I fix?”

“I don’t know, less training would be a great start. Derek likes you. Get him to calm down.”

“Derek does not like me,” Stiles corrects as they come up to the old house. It’s partially renovated, or at least there are tarps over the worst of the holes. They literally live like animals, hand to God. Where are their parents? he wonders, not for the first time.

Derek wrenches the door open as Stiles and Erica step onto the porch. He’s already scowling because, like Erica, he must have smelled Stiles from a mile away. What an uncomfortable thought. What does he smell like, anyways? Stiles wonders. Would it be weird to ask Scott?

“What’s he doing here?” Derek barks, pointing at Stiles. “It’s time for the pack’s training, you know that. He’s human, he can’t fight.”

Stiles shoots a significant look at Erica. “Wow, thanks for the warm welcome, but I have no intention of intruding. I’m here to hang out with Lydia while you wolves do your whole Battle Royale thing.”

“Fine,” Derek seethes after a moment of weighing silence. “Boyd! Jackson! Training!” He yells as he brushes by Stiles to head to the yard. The point of contact on Stiles’ shoulder seems to buzz. He looks back and finds that Derek’s refocused on him, gazing steadily with those light colored eyes. Hazel? Green? Stiles’ heartbeat ticks up, and not only in fear. “Keep out of my things,” the Alpha growls.

“Don’t need to tell me twice,” Stiles quips. He lets himself into the house as Boyd and Jackson tromp out, looking as if they had at least three puppies that Derek has just run over with his car.

Stiles finds Lydia is in the living room. She’s the cleanest thing there by a wide enough stretch that she looks out of place reclining on the newest couch, feet crossed at the ankle and an Elle magazine in her hands.

“Hi, Stiles,” she says without looking up.

“Yo,” he answers. “So, what’s crawled up Derek’s ass today?”

Lydia shrugs, and sets her magazine down with a sigh. “Same thing as always. Hunter stuff, Scott not trusting him stuff, being used like a pawn for the upteenth time. But his obsessive training schedule is cutting into Jackson and my Notebook time. Plus he needs to take a firmer hand with Erica,” she adds darkly. “Somebody needs to tell her that her tits aren’t the best solution to wanting attention.”

Stiles doesn’t point out that Lydia might be both the worst and best bearer of that little piece of advice. “Why do people keep asking me to help?” he grouches instead. “I don’t know what makes Derek tick. What am I supposed to do about fixing his issues?”

“I think we need to get Allison and Derek together.”

“What? No, fuck! That’s an awful idea!” Stiles sputters. Scott would kill him, for starters, and the idea of Derek in a relationship is… its weird is all.

“Not like that!” Lydia snaps. “I just mean we need them to be friendly. Allison should apologize for the misunderstanding about her mother, but Derek needs to learn that not all hunters are monsters. He knows I’m best friends with her, and it’s making him treat me like a probationary member of this pack. I don’t like it. Plus, once Allison and Derek make up, you know Scott will follow their lead and come make nice, too. One happy pack against whatever thing comes for us next.”

“That’s… actually kind of a good plan,” Stiles admits.

“I know,” Lydia tosses out. “So, I’ll work on Allison. You get Derek to agree to a meeting.”

“Why does everyone think I have some special power over Derek!” Stiles demands. “He doesn’t even like me!”

“Don’t make me explain everything,” Lydia huffs with a roll of her eyes.

Okay, so, Stiles might be in a little bit of “doth protest too much” denial about Derek liking him. There’s some mutual texting (who knew Derek actually understood modern technology!) and Stiles gets away with jokes at Derek’s expense that nobody else would even try to voice. They actually do, in their way, get along. Or so Stiles thinks on his good days.

Then again, the last thing Stiles wants to do is overstate the situation. He’s still trying to get over Lydia, God damn it, and an impossible crush on the not-so-friendly neighborhood Alpha is honestly the last thing he needs. Derek probably puts up with Stiles because they’re both misanthropes who expect the worst in people, and because Stiles is interested in his knowledge and expertise while none of the other teens seem to have time for anything but interpersonal drama and like, lacrosse. The reasons Stiles puts up with Derek include those things… but also how Derek dips his chin when he smiles, and his sense of humor.

Whatever, fine, he just needs to remember that Derek doesn’t feel the same way.

Still, Lydia’s right that it’s only a matter of time before something else comes for their fractured pack, and Stiles has a responsibility to get Derek on board with the “Allison and by extension Scott are ok people who can be trusted” idea. For that, he needs to spend time with Derek, make himself useful. Not really a forte of his, unfortunately, he thinks with a wince.

Enter the Hale House Renovation Project. Derek clearly doesn’t need any help drilling his pack with fighting technique, or with pack lore. Home improvement, however? He’s quite obviously a novice, while weekend warrioring is right up Stiles’s alley. Growing up with just him and his busy dad in the house it had often fallen to him to take care of stuff, so he’s surprisingly handy. He knows how to find a stud and do some basic wiring, anyways. For the rest, well, he researches the hell out of it. Nobody’s ever accused him of doing things half-heartedly.

Or, well, maybe with schoolwork. Or lacrosse. But not, Stiles thinks with a very small pang, things that he actually cares about. Things like Derek, apparently.

So, the next time he’s hanging around with Lyda after a training session and Derek snarls at his latest project going awry, Stiles is able to pop up and, oh so casually, explain that he really needs a staple-gun if he expects to get that insulation to stay put between the studs.

Derek says, “thank you,” in a distinctly icy tone, and then ignores Stiles’ advice. Of course he does. Stiles has no idea why he’s surprised; what in his past experience would make him think Derek had any idea how to accept help?

Not to be deterred, he starts to just buy the tools and supplies that will be needed and leaves the stuff on surfaces where it’s easy to find, just sitting innocently by and waiting to be useful. Even Derek’s pride can only hold out so long he figures.

And lo and behold, one day the supplies that had been left aside start to go missing… just as parts of the house miraculously start improving. After a week of that, Derek offhandedly asks the room at large about what kind of switchplates should be used for the light switches downstairs, and Stiles is the one who answers. Derek just grunts and nods, like the answer came to him from on high. But still, after that, Stiles is tacitly accepted as the home improvement guru.

It starts to be almost a routine, their little home improvement powwows. After training, the baby betas all run off to do whatever the fuck it is they do, leaving and just Stiles and Derek to putter around the house. The training starts to get shorter as Derek’s attention turns to the frankly massive amount of work to be done; Erica mouths “I owe you one” at Stiles that Thursday, and he sticks out his tongue.

It’s a serious project. The bones of the house are there, but not much else in some rooms. They need insulation, drywall, wiring, paint… everything. It’s daunting, and Stiles considers once or twice just asking Derek if it wouldn’t be easier to start over fresh on a different chunk of land, or maybe to just buy a place downtown. But he always stops himself. Clearly rebuilding is important to Derek, or he wouldn’t be trying to damn hard.

Derek’s werewolf strength is a boon with the more physical tasks, like hanging the drywall, so the improvements go quickly over the next couple months. Stiles jokes around as they work, not sure how to bring up Allison and the hunters no matter how many times Lydia prods him about his progress. He hasn’t forgotten his real purpose helping Derek out, he just… kind of wishes he could. It’s unexpectedly fun to just hang out with Derek one on one.

Derek teases him about his terrible taste in junk food, but buys the stuff anyways. He spends a full afternoon bitching that the pack doesn’t need a TV, but caves in the end and brings home the largest one that Stiles had picked out - half as a joke. He goes with Stiles’ suggestions on fucking curtain colors. Well, shit. Stiles really can’t deny that he’s replaced one stupid impossible crush with another one.

Still, it’s not the end of the world, he tells himself morosely. Lydia is a great friend now, right? So maybe in eight years or so can expect that with Derek, too. Maybe some day his soft laugh when Stiles amuses him won’t send his heart pounding, maybe he’ll learn to be unaffected by his intense way of focusing on a problem, the bright crinkled-eyed smile reserved for when he’s truly happy. Sure. A likely story.

Finally, the house is done. While the project of getting Derek to accept Allison’s apology (of course Lydia got her side of things done) isn’t really making progress, Stiles thinks that his own side quest has done some good. Derek is calmer now, with his home base properly restored, which means less training and happier puppies. It also means that Derek has the patience to tell Erica to leave Isaac alone, and to actually praise the kid enough he stops looking like he’d knife Jackson to get some attention. Erica and Boyd of all people are the ones who start to date; the one person she never hit on was apparently the one person she actually gets blushy and flustered with. Things are actually good, Stiles thinks on particularly nice afternoon. Not just “nobody is actively bleeding” good, but honestly relaxed and happy.

Erica and Boyd are out on a date, Jackson and Lydia are upstairs decorating his bedroom to her tastes. Isaac is playing videogames on the huge TV in the den, and Stiles and Derek are in the kitchen making lunch, Derek listening in to Jackson and Lydia’s arguments and relaying the juicy bits to Stiles. Bits like “Erica agrees with me,” for example, a phrase he’d never imagine Lydia of two weeks ago voicing.

“Well, well, seems like your pack’s all finally getting along,” Stiles says to Derek, teasing. And then he can’t help himself. “Seriously, you’re a really good Alpha.”

Derek gives him a wince of a smile, ducking his chin. “Don’t know if I am. Certainly wasn’t last year.”

“Hey,” Stiles says, not willing to let the tentative moment of trust pass unmarked. He reaches out to tip Derek’s face up and look him in the eye. “You were doing your best.”

“Thank you,” Derek says, honest and warm. For a moment afterwards they just look at each other, sitting so close on the couch that Stiles can feel Derek’s body heat. It feels like a moment ripe with potential, but Stiles isn’t sure, can’t let himself think it… until, yes, Derek leans in, eyes dropping shut, and kisses him.

Stiles kisses back, heart thundering in his ears. It’s sweet and almost chaste, perfect. Derek scoops Stiles up and sits him on the kitchen counter for a better angle, runs his hands through Stiles’ hair and then nuzzles their noses together with a cute little smile.

The moment is perfection, which of course means Stiles has to ruin it. “So uh, wow! Are we like, boyfriends, then?” he blurts.

Derek gives him his crinkle-eyed smile, and tries to sound irritated when he says, “Yes, Stiles, we’re like, boyfriends.” He doesn’t sound irritated, though. He sounds impossibly fond.

“That means you trust me, right?” Stiles asks, looking down and picking at Derek’s tee-shirt nervously.

“I do,” Derek says with such a calm surety that Stiles looks up and meets his eyes again. Derek looks back, even and open.

“You should meet with Allison,” Stiles says gently. “She gets that she fucked up, okay? Lydia’s told you that she wants to say sorry, and you… you deserve to hear that. So, just give her a shot. Alright?”

Derek’s face has gone tense at Stiles suggestion, but he doesn’t shoot it down right away, which Stiles is willing to consider a victory. “I’ll listen,” he says finally. “If she’s really going to apologize for what happened with Boyd and Erica, and if you think it’s a good idea, then… okay. I’ll do it.”

Stiles takes Derek’s face in both palms and kisses him soundly. It feels like the start of something good in Beacon Hills.

(+ small coda with Allison and ace!Derek to come this weekend!)

#stereksummerexchange17 #sse17 #sterek #submission #fic

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unluckyadept · 7 years ago

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Writer Journal Entry

//I think at this point, it’s only fair to devote a little time to a lecture regarding Felix’s relationship with Isaac.

When they were younger, they were good friends. In truth, at that point _Garet_ (of all people) was more of the “center” of their group of friends: his family was always very wealthy, and privileges granted to Isaac and Felix (and by extension, his little sister Jenna) were always because they were friends with the mayor’s kin.

Isaac and Felix always got along pretty well because they were both the most powerful Venus Adepts of their generation—the result of being the last of the descendants of the Venus Clan patriarchs whose children had settled into Vale at the end of the Alchemy Wars.

When Felix was taken north to Prox with Kyle, it consistently kept Isaac on his mind as well as his family. He really missed his friends—and really, really missed having another Venus Adept his age around. He wanted to help keep everyone safe—and was really distressed when it came up as the years went by that Isaac had probably/would probably take the standard vow to protect Sol Sanctum “by his life”, meaning that he would be duty bound to go so far as to kill Felix for it.

He tried very hard to keep Isaac out of it—that was one of his terms to agree to travel south with Saturos and Mendari before he had come of age. When Isaac failed to recognize him at the inn in Vale, he was kinda heartbroken. Some part of him had really been hoping that he, Isaac, and Garet could do something to work together to try and talk it all out with Vale’s elders.

So when everything at Sol Sanctum went down—first of all, he was very, very concerned for Isaac’s well being. He was very worried as to whether Isaac had survived. He wanted Isaac to live—and he rather thought (or repeatedly tried to convince himself, anyway) that someone else would be set out to stop the Proxans.

When Isaac turned up at Mercury Lighthouse, he was both VERY relieved, and also somewhat bitter. He warned Isaac to go away if he knew what was good for him—

But rather than take the time to so much as ask what was going on, Isaac was incredibly antagonistic. Remember, Isaac was the leader of his group—he could have kept Garet in line if he really made an effort. Alternatively—from Felix’s perspective—Isaac just simply didn’t bother to think for himself and enforce a strict standard of behavior on the others.

Felix had to flee the Lighthouse while leaving both his friends AND his party leader behind. You know what happened as a result of being forced to flee Imil because of Isaac?

Even with Mendari at their side, Jenna and Felix nearly froze to death.

Remember—Mercury Lighthouse had been lit, and it was winter. In the tundra. (Or at least the taiga.) ONLY Mercury Lighthouse had been lit. Felix wasn’t a Mars Adept.

He very nearly died.

The journey south was constantly stained by concern, especially as Isaac had proven capable of surviving—even severely injuring—the most powerful Warrior of Prox.

Things at Venus Lighthouse… really, really damaged Felix’s relationship with Isaac. He killed Felix’s leaders—the people who had saved his life, who had trained him, who had started to teach him how to be a leader and Warrior of his own—

His childhood friend (who he had known as a pacifist) had killed them, and stated he was coming after Felix next.

For the next several years, Felix was as much running for his life FROM Isaac as he was running TO the Western Sea. The spats he had with Jenna on the matter didn’t help things; disagreements about Isaac, his intentions, and what he was (im?)morally capable of put a strain on Felix’s relationship with his sister. At (at least) one point, she even said (in the heat of anger, of course) that she wished she were traveling with Isaac, instead. Given the sacrifices Felix made for Jenna, and his love for his sister, he really resented Isaac for “turning her against him”. (Which admittedly, isn’t fair to Isaac.)

Jupiter Lighthouse…

Man, that was rough. Just as he had at Venus Lighthouse, Felix stepped in to save Isaac—even though he knew Isaac wanted to stop him… and would probably do so by killing him.

He wasn’t really able to do anything, though; once they got to the aerie…

(Formatting omitted because these are just excerpts, and so don’t yet have a set formatting re: font effects, and I feel a bit pressed for time.)

-*-*-*-*-

“We simply can't trust you anymore…”

��Karst—“

“And now that Jupiter Lighthouse is lit, I'm afraid we have little use for traitors.”

“{Karst! How dare you!?}”

“What madness is this?”

“Poor thin-skinned sailor dear... You look puzzled. Would you like to know why we don't need you?”

[A grinding noise. I turned, just as she was speaking to Piers.]

“I’d be happy to tell you. Mars Lighthouse… is. In. Prox.”

[A blinding light filled the world around me, and I knew nothing but agonizing pain. It was even worse than when I had held the Star in my hand, worse than when the wellspring had come forth—a pierce, sharp, and to the heart—!]

“FELIX!”

[While Piers was distracted by this new information, I heard Karst dash forward. There were rough hands upon me, and I could feel the flame of life within the Mars Star leaving my person, drawing that strength away… leaving me cold, and weak…

Piers cried out in alarm once more at this.]

“What are you doing!?”

(They stole the Mars Star!)

“Your job is done now.”

[Piers was healing me—the world was coming back into view…]

“We're not done yet…”

[Agatio snarled in a patronizing way.]

“We've got the Mars Star! We don't need you anymore!”

[Karst spoke in that soothing tone of hers, just before a kill.]

“You know what that means, of course, don't you?”

I was filled with despair…

“Karst…”

“Exactly! That means it's time to die, Felix!”

The sound of steel rang forth. Piers held them at bay yet a moment longer with his icy gaze and chilling sword.

“But what will happen to Felix's parents?”

Agatio was not moved.

“We keep our promises! Once all four lighthouses have been lit, we shall release them!”

“We would never do anything as terrible as breaking our word... as you have done so casually.”

My world was pain. I staggered to my feet, despite Piers’s attempt to keep me still. He did not know the danger he was about to face.

Agatio laughed at this.

“You seek even now to betray us further? You shall never leave the aerie! But if you're dead... Who will come to take them home from Prox?”

“{You can’t…}”

Karst took a step forward.

“I guess they'll just have to spend their remaining years in the frozen wastelands of the north!”

“{Karst, you can’t—!}”

Agatio began closing in. They were forcing us back toward the edge of the well—just as Isaac had done to Saturos and Mendari!

“Don't worry! They'll be fine! Now… prepare for the end!”

[…]

[Piers drops his sword. It clatters to the ground as he falls to his knees, using his sword hand to try and stop the heavy bleeding from Agatio's last blow. Felix is laying on the ground, covered in heavy scythe cuts and burns. His vision is starting to become spotty, but he can still see the massive gathering of Jupiter Psynergy above him.

A reddish blur steps into his vision, and he feels something cold against his neck. A feminine voice murmurs, echoing.]

“{Oh, Felix. You little fool. But don't worry your pretty head… it'll be over very soon…}”

(Karst…)

[She seems to turn and call out to Agatio.]

”{This one moved... I can't believe they're still alive! The pests!}”

”{If we stay here much longer, Isaac and the others will come! We should leave!}”

({Karst… no, don't do this…})

“{I know... But treason deserves death! We must finish them!}”

[His vision fades entirely. The voices are becoming more and more distant, and he blacks out.]

-*-*-*-*-

…Felix didn’t recover from this for several weeks. Remember, Jupiter is antagonistic to Venus: he was incredibly (and painfully) weakened to start with, nearly killed by a Jupiter pierce to the heart, and then brought to the brink of death by other means… while still being exposed to raw Jupiter energy. If Alex (and then Mia) hadn’t been there and stepped in to heal him, he would have died.

By the time they woke, Weyard had been in the process of freezing for several months. Felix was in too weakened of a state to argue with Isaac, and he was not in the mood to fight anymore. He never WAS in the mood to fight in the first place.

He agreed to bring Isaac along, but he didn’t trust him.

And then, at Mars Lighthouse…?

Well.

More on that later.

As for what happened after…

He went home to Angara, and had to deal for quite a while with Isaac being the hero people constantly talked about—despite the fact that Isaac had put the whole thing at risk to begin with for nearly _four whole years,_ and narrowly doomed the world several times during that process. Felix, on the other hand, was shunned at best: mistreatment was more common.

And then—

Then, Isaac had to go and do the one thing he was explicitly warned (while in Prox, after the Golden Sun event) NOT to do—

He told the elders of Vale that not only had Felix actually been a willing and active participant in the operation (as opposed to a hostage)…

…but that he had also lit two beacons personally as part of it.

Felix’s life was forfeit. Sheba came bursting into the house in the middle of the night in quite a state because she could foresee/Mind Read that a mob was gathering nearby to kill him, and that it was Isaac’s fault.

This was the last straw for Felix… who was still psychologically trying to come to terms with Mars Lighthouse.

He argued very loudly (more like monologued) with Isaac while he and Jenna frantically gathered supplies so he could escape with his life, without harming anyone else in the process. As part of this, he forced Isaac to fork over all his inventory as a means of a sliver of an apology for sealing his fate unto certain death. This inventory included ALL of The Broken Seal’s Utility Psynergy items… and also the black orb to control Isaac’s Lemurian ship.

Since then, Felix has been forced to live in exile. It’s not just that he can’t go home anymore.

He can’t even go ANYWHERE in Angara; the news of this spread, and Felix was already a wanted man in the Tolbi Empire.

He might not have minded as much if it hadn’t meant abstaining from seeing his family ever again.

He’s all alone, now, hated for making incredibly difficult sacrifices—with Isaac getting all of the credit despite having done the exact opposite.

Over the years, he’s come to soften his view on the situation. He recognizes that it must have been difficult on Isaac to lose both his father and one of his best friends. And while he also thinks that Isaac probably tried to carry out orders he thought were made by people who meant well… he still feels that Isaac didn’t have the willpower and/or spine to think for himself and make his own decisions.

As he currently stands, five years later—he would make peace with Isaac if he had the chance, but also would rather Isaac leave him alone. He doesn’t want Isaac’s pity: he wants Isaac to fix the situation in Angara by dealing with Tolbi and righting the wrongs of the lies/misconceptions that were spread regarding Felix and his role in the whole matter.

As far as Dark Dawn goes, that clearly never happened as of 25 years later. But until and unless Golden Sun 4 tells us what happened to Felix, whether he moved on with his life—or even if he survived at all to begin with—there is still the possibility that the Sun Saga’s bit about “no one” seeing Felix in 30 years is a lie, one which Jenna, Sheba, and Piers maintained in Angara for Felix’s safety.

So what happened at Mars Lighthouse that makes Felix so bitter and resentful?

The short version is that he felt he was betrayed by someone he hadn’t trusted in the first place.

The long version, well…

Mmmmm….

It’s going to take a lot of time to format correctly. Even taking screenshots to “shortcut” would take a very long time. That will be posted separately as a teaser excerpt if enough people ask.

#OOC #unluckyadept #cje #Golden Sun #Golden Sun: The Lost Age #Golden Sun: The Broken Seal #Golden Sun: Dark Dawn #Golden Sun 4

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thomasgmcelwain · 6 years ago

Text

Genesis 46

1 So Israel took his journey with

All that he had, both kin and kith,

And came to Beersheba, and there

Offered his sacrifices bare

To his father Isaac's God's care.

2 Then Ælohim spoke to Israel

In the night visions for a while

And said "Jacob, Jacob!" And he

Said "Here I am and here I be."

3 So He said "I am El God El,

God of your father, in this spell,

Do not fear now to go down there

To Egypt, for I'll make your share

A great nation while you are there.

4 "I'll surely go down with you to

Egypt, and I'll bring you up too,

And Joseph shall lay his hand on

Your eyes at evening and at dawn."

I lay the evening sacrifice and bow

Toward Your house, Beloved, and make my vow.

The universe is empty, silent, and

Meaningless until You state the command.

Your word in song makes darkness filled with light

And blindnesses' wrong disappear with sight.

The divine dream beyond the eye and ear

Awakens heart, makes disappear the fear

Of flight. For promises I step head high

Across Egyptian sands and let the sky

Take me above the worries in my breast.

Beloved, make food and shelter not the quest

Forever of these children. Let the place

Where they are always be before Your face.

5 Then Jacob arose from Beersheba,

And Israel's sons from their zareba

And carried their father Jacob,

Their little ones, and wives in mob,

In the wagons which Pharaoh'd sent

To carry him and desert tent.

6 So they took their livestock and goods,

Which they'd acquired around the woods

In Canaan's land, and went down to

Egypt, Jacob and not a few

With all his descendants with him.

7 His sons and his sons' sons, and slim

His daughters and his sons' daughters,

And all his descendants and curs,

He brought to Egypt all that stirs.

What happened to the captives they had taken

When Simeon and Levi'd gone and shaken

The city Shechem to its roots, killed all

The men and taken children with the fall

And mothers too, and made them Jacob's slaves?

Had these been freed or were they laid in graves,

Or left to scrounge the Negev for a bite

Of honey, weed or anything in sight

That might save life? Or did they go along

To Egypt as servants without a count

To disappear without a trace or mount

Among the seething, breathing river throng?

Beloved, what nameless ones of these knew You,

Who walked the way to Egypt, sought the dew?

8 Now these were the names of the sons

Of Israel, Jacob and his sons,

Who went to Egypt: Reuben first

Of Jacob's, perhaps not the worst.

9 The sons of Reuben were Hanoch,

Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi's stock.

10 The sons of Simeon were Jemuel,

Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, for fuel

Zohar, and then Shaul, the son

Of nameless Canaanite woman.

11 The sons of Levi were Gershon,

Kohath, and Merari alone.

12 The sons of Judah were Er, and

Onan, and Shelah, Perez, and

Zerah (but Er and Onan died

In Canaan's land since they defied).

The sons of Perez were Hezron

And Hamul. 13 And the sons alone

Of Issachar were Tola and

Puvah, Job, and the last Shimron.

14 Zebulon's sons Sered, Elon,

And Jahleel. 15 These were the sons

Of Leah, whom she bore by runs

To Jacob in Padan Aram,

With his daughter Dinah and lamb.

All the persons, his sons and daughters,

Were thirty-three and without slaughters.

16 The sons of Gad were Ziphion,

Haggi, Shuni, and then Ezbon,

Eri, Arodi, Areli.

17 The sons of Asher, one plus three

Were Jimnah, Ishuah, Isui,

Beriah, and Serah, their sister.

Beriah, who was no persister,

Had two sons: Heber, Malchiel.

18 These were sons of Zilpah, who fell

To Leah Laban's daughter, and

These she bore to Jacob well-manned:

Sixteen souls all, counted and scanned.

19 The sons of Rachel, Jacob's wife,

Joseph and Benjamin for life.

20 And to Joseph in Egypt's land

Were born Manasseh's brother and

Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter

Of Poti-Pherah priest of On,

Bore to him by the Nile's broad water,

To be two sons not just his own.

21 The sons of Benjamin were Belah,

Becher, Ashbel, another fellow

Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim,

And Ard younger brother of Huppim.

22 These were the sons of Rachel, who

Were born to Jacob: fourteen few.

23 The son of Dan was Hushim. 24 And

The sons of Naphtali that stand

Were Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer,

And Shillem too at last was there.

25 These were the sons of Bilhah, whom

Laban gave to his daughter's room,

Rachel's, and she bore these to Jacob:

Seven souls all each morn to wake up.

26 All the souls who went to Egypt

With Jacob, who came and equipped

From his loins, besides his sons' wives,

Were sixty-six souls in all lives.

27 And the sons of Joseph who were

Born to him in Egypt's land were

Two souls. All the souls of the house

Of Jacob who went down to browse

In Egypt were seventy's transfer.

The whole, Beloved, was seventy by count,

But at the bottom of the pecking score

There was only one tenth of that amount:

The seven souls of Bilhah and no more.

The weakest one is hidden at the core,

The secret of Ismail who disappeared

Before his father and the folk who feared.

Dan's set for judgement with a single son,

Hushim, the hasters, know the judgement's done

At every Sabbath eve. While Naphtali

Has four sons for four gates beneath the sky.

Jahzeel for God divides obedience,

Guni, coloured with love, Jezer the sense

Of form, Shillem in peace a recompense.

28 Then he sent Judah before him

To Joseph, to point before him

To Goshen. And they came into

The land of Goshen with its dew.

29 So Joseph made ready his car,

His chariot and went up and far

To Goshen to meet his father

Israel, where he and his sons were,

And he presented himself to

Him, and fell on his neck anew

And wept on his neck a good while,

While his brothers stood rank and file.

I rush to You, Beloved and Father, where

You wait in Goshen in the fresh sea air,

And fall upon Your neck as though the time

That separated me from You in mime

Had been a score of years, and yet one breath

Alone between my tender soul and death

Extends infinities of veils that rend

In one fell sound and then come to an end.

I rush to You, Beloved, and in that rush

I find straight footsteps turning in the hush

To whirl about since you are never found

At end of bourne nor at the break of bound,

But at the centre of all life and being,

Beyond and yet within both ear and seeing.

30 And Israel said to Joseph, "Now

Let me die, since I've any how

Seen your face, and you're still alive,

How you managed so to contrive."

Let me die then, Beloved, since I have found

Your face beside the river and the sound

Where the great Nile from Ethiopian strand

Comes once and all to meet the bright sea-sand.

Let me die then, since I have seen Your face

That none can see and live in any place,

Though in your presence there can only be

One face, one name and one eternity.

Let me die then and wake to the grand whole

That always was the psalter of my soul,

Where one voice still repeats the solemn rhymes

Upon whose walls Your living ivy climbs.

Let me die then, Beloved, and wake anew

More than I ever was embraced in You.

31 Then Joseph told his brothers and

His father's household, "By command

I will go up and tell Pharaoh,

And say to him, 'My brothers show

And those of my father's house, who

Were in the land of Canaan, do

Come down to Egypt and to me.

32 'And the men are shepherds, for their

Work's always been to feed and care

For livestock, and they've brought their flocks,

Their herds, and all they've got in stocks.'

33 "So it shall be, when Pharaoh calls

You and says, 'What is your profession?'

34 "That you shall say and make confession,

'Your servants' occupation's been

With livestock from our youth and in

Our lives till now, both we and all

Our fathers have followed that call,'

That you may live in Goshen's land,

For every shepherd and his band

Is an abomination to

Egyptians whether much or few."

No man among my fathers has kept sheep

Four hundred years since in the Scottish keep

Of fell and grassland the ancestors ploughed

The lowlands doubtless with an ovine crowd.

I do not say I'm so Egyptian that

Sheep are abomination where I'm at.

I only say I do not know the room,

And closer to my life and to my doom

May well be sheep stealer than shepherd fair.

Beloved, I shall keep sheep if only there

Can I find place to be within Your care.

I'll give up my wild ways in forest glade

And follow any sheep you wish or made,

I shall even become straight-laced and staid.

#the beloved and i

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the-christian-walk · 8 years ago

Text

NEVER OUT OF REACH

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to [email protected]. In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

The vision of Obadiah.

“This is what the Sovereign Lord says about Edom—We have heard a message from the Lord: An envoy was sent to the nations to say, ‘Rise, let us go against her for battle—See, I will make you small among the nations; you will be utterly despised.’”

“The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks and make your home on the heights, you who say to yourself, ‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’ Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down,” declares the Lord.

“If thieves came to you, if robbers in the night—oh, what a disaster awaits you!—would they not steal only as much as they wanted? If grape pickers came to you, would they not leave a few grapes? But how Esau will be ransacked, his hidden treasures pillaged! All your allies will force you to the border; your friends will deceive and overpower you; those who eat your bread will set a trap for you, but you will not detect it.”

Obadiah 1-7

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Today we begin to look at the Book of Obadiah who, as we see within the mere 21 verses in this book, received a vision from the Lord pertaining specifically to the nation of Edom. Look at the first seven verses here:

The vision of Obadiah.

Unfortunately, we don’t get to know a whole lot about Obadiah but it’s believed he either lived during the time of Elisha or Jeremiah. We do know that God thought enough of this man to give him an oracle of what was to come regarding the nation of Edom. And while the Lord does give us details about the nation in Obadiah’s day, it’s important to first revisit Edom’s origins as it directly associates to Israel and provides us insight as to why God was sending judgment on it.

To find a clue as to where Edom was rooted, we look at our scripture passage and find it also referred to as Esau, yes, the same Esau who was born to Isaac and Rebekah, the same Esau who had a brother named Jacob.

You remember the story, right?

Rebekah was carrying twins and Esau was the firstborn followed closely by Jacob who emerged from the womb clasping his brother’s heel. It would become an omen of things to come for Rebekah, favoring her younger son Jacob, devised a ruse that tricked a nearly blind Isaac to give Jacob his birthright, the birthright that rightfully belonged to Esau. Jacob would go on to bear the name Israel and have twelve sons who would represent the twelve tribes of Israel. Esau, after first wanting to kill his brother but then choosing reconciliation instead, Esau settled in the hill country of Seir, southeast of Israel proper, and the nation became known as Edom because it was Esau’s nickname as he was known for making a delicious red stew.

From that point on, there were consistent conflicts that happened between the Israelites and Edomites, as the Edomites could not get past their historical heritage and the fact that Israel had taken the birthright their founding father rightfully deserved. Further, and a point critical to our passage from Obadiah, the Edomites refused to come to the aid of the Israelites as the southern kingdom was attacked by the Babylonians. In fact, they gloated over the misfortune of God’s people, even though they were related to them.

So God was going to send judgment on Edom. We know so because the first seven verses of Obadiah tell us so, revealing that “an envoy was sent to the nations”, calling them to rise up for battle against Edom who the Lord planned to make “small among the nations” and “utterly despised”.

Of course, Edom thought they were bulletproof, that they were protected from attack because they lived among the “clefts of the rocks” and made homes “on the heights”. Their pride deceived them into thinking they were untouchable, even being so bold to ask:

“Who can bring me down to the ground?”

Soon they would learn that the Lord Almighty can reach wherever and whoever He wants. They would discover that no one is ever out of reach of the hand of the Lord. For even though they believed they could soar like the eagles and nest among the stars, the Lord promised He would bring them down. He would see to it that they were ransacked just as Judah was with all their hidden treasures pillaged (it’s believed the Edomites concealed their treasures within the rocky crags).

In the end, Edom would be deceived and overpowered, victimized and trapped before being ultimately destroyed, finding themselves forcibly related to their kin to the north through judgment.

Today, I think we have a lot of people who adopt the same attitude as Edom. These people feel they can do whatever they want to do and violate whoever they choose to without consequence. Perhaps they would be well served to take a look at this small book in the Bible that packs a big message, a message that says no one is beyond the judgment of God, no one who is ever out of His reach.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to [email protected]

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