#the lights went out that night and there was an unsuccessful assassination attempt on one bartemius crouch senior

[one-awesome-beetle]

'me and the devil' by soap&skin but its barty having to attend a ball with his father, where the prestigious Black and Rosier families will be present - except he's under the imperious curse

[omgrachwrites]

After Forever - Prince Hal

Pairing: Prince Hal x Reader

Summary: A year after your marriage to Hal, you reflect on all the adventures you’ve had together and wonder whether his abdicating of the Throne was the right thing to do.

Warnings: fluff, lil bit of angst, mentions of death

Words: 1342

A/N: This is the sequel to 'Her Prince', thank you so much @emmamooney for requesting! Hope you guys enjoy this and please let me know what you think, I love you all! xxx

Soft perfect light filtered through the thicket of trees as you waded through the long grass with your husband to reach the top of the hill. The light washed over Hal’s handsome profile, causing him to glow like a fallen angel and it caused you to gape at him as your chest filled with love and awe. He must have felt your gaze burn into his profile because he looked at you, trying and failing to hide the smile on his face.

“What are you thinking of my love?” he chuckled as he pulled you close and kissed your cheek.

You smiled up at him, “you, I’m always thinking of you,” it was true, even for that year that he’d been away from you, you had thought of almost nothing else.

A few months after Hal had abdicated the Throne for you, he had had an attempt made on his life, which made you feel extremely guilty. The would be assassin was angry that Hal had given up the Throne and thrown England into disarray. As a result of this assassination attempt, the both of you stowed away on a ship headed for Italy. The people of Italy didn’t much care that an English prince had given up his rule, so the both of you were quite safe.

Shortly after, you and Hal got married and after a few unsuccessful tries, you discovered that you were expecting your first child. You and Hal were able to live a comfortable life due to the money you had earned in England and Hal was able to make off with some of his inheritance.

Hal cupped your cheek and kissed you lovingly before he sat with his back against a tree trunk, pulling you in between his legs. He wrapped his strong arms around you, resting a protective hand on your round stomach, “I love you, Y/N,” he kissed your cheek and you could feel his smile.

“I love you too, my darling,” you beamed as you watched the sun set over the hill, turning the sky from a perfect, cloudless blue to a misty pink colour.

Hal’s soft fingers weaved through your hair, gently untangling the knots, “is everything alright, Y/N? You’re quiet today, what’s on your mind?”

With a sigh, you turned to face him and found his gorgeous blue eyes looking into yours, you smiled at him as you cupped his cheeks, feeling the roughness of his growing stubble beneath the pads of your fingertips.

“I’m just thinking that it was over a year ago that you abdicated the Throne for me.”

Hal nodded, polite interest on his handsome face, “yes, my love. What’s your point?”

You busied yourself with pulling up blades of grass, “if it wasn’t for me, you’d be the King of England right now, instead the Throne is being passed around Europe like a collection plate. Was this whole thing worth it?” a couple of months ago, you’d gotten word that Hal’s father had died and despite the fact that he hadn’t been close to his father, Hal didn’t talk for days.

Hal rested a gentle hand on your chin, “Y/N, look at me,” he whispered lovingly and you glanced up at him, your eyes filling up with tears, “my angel, you and our child are the best things to ever happen to me. If I could go back in time, I wouldn’t do a thing differently. I love you, Y/N, I would never want to be King if you weren’t beside me as my Queen. We’ve got a good life here and I wouldn’t change a thing.”

You sniffed, your cheeks feeling wet, you had no idea when you had started crying, Hal kissed your forehead as he wiped the tears from your cheeks, “I love you too, Hal.”

Hal grinned and pulled you into his chest, “then let’s talk no more of the past, I brought you here so we could watch the stars, it’s a clear night, my love,” and so you did, you threw your arm across Hal’s stomach and watched the stars, listening with delight as Hal told you every story he knew behind each constellation.

Years Later….

The tension was so thick in the bumpy carriage that you could cut it with a knife as you glared over at Hal. You couldn’t believe him; he could be putting your whole family in danger.

“Is everything alright, mother?” your beautiful 17-year-old daughter, Isabella asked as she glanced up at you from the book she was reading.

With a tight smile, you nodded at Isabella, “everything is well, my darling.”

That was a horrific lie, you and Hal had argued awfully the previous night. The King of France - and now England – had heard talk of you and Hal being alive and he somehow found where you were living. It seemed that in the past 15 years, there was a full scale rebellion in England. The common folk were calling for the daughter of their once beloved Prince Henry, even if you were a peasant.

As a good King should, he listened to his people and had sent for you and Hal to bring Isabella to court to meet his son, Francis. The King wanted to make a love match. You had been very much against it but Hal quickly agreed, his reasoning was that if you rejected the invitation, the King would come after you.

Isabella nodded at you with a small smile as she went back to her book, she was so excited to meet the Prince, blissfully unaware of the possible dangers. Hal had a sorrowful guilty look on his beautiful face that you couldn’t bear to look at. You settled on gazing out of the window at the rolling English countryside. You felt Hal take your hand and he lifted it to his lips to press a warm kiss to your knuckles. You were angry with Hal but you still loved him, you loved him more than anything.

Finally, you arrived in the courtyard of the Palace. As you got out of the carriage, you glanced over at Hal to see him looking up at his old home with a saddened look on his face. You felt awful that he never got the chance to say goodbye to his father.

“Are you alright, Hal?” you muttered to him as you were escorted to the Throne Room by a guard.

A muscle fluttered in Hal’s jaw as he smiled tightly at you, a glimmer of sadness in his eyes, “of course.”

The Throne Room was more beautiful now, there was gold everywhere and portraits lined the walls. Where there was once a wooden floor there was now a wine coloured velvet carpet, leading up to a golden Throne where a smiling handsome older man sat. The sun beamed through the windows, creating tiny little rainbows in the air. The sweet perfume of incense filled the room.

Hal nodded at you and Isabella, and as one you begrudgingly bowed before the King. The King chuckled jovially as he got to his feet and made his way over to the three of you, “please, you need not do that,” he shook Hal’s hand, “welcome back,” he smiled at you and Isabella as he kissed your cheeks and gestured over his shoulder, “may I introduce my son? Prince Francis.”

As you glanced over at the handsome young man, you heard Isabella gasp with delight as the Prince strode towards her and kissed the top of her hand, “charmed, Mademoiselle.”

With a smile, you watched your daughter and the Prince gaze at each other with longing in their eyes. It seemed to be love at first sight, the dread in your heart seemed to evaporate.

Hal pulled you close and whispered into your ear, “are you still angry with me, my love?” he chuckled, pressing a kiss just below your ear.

“You are so lucky I love you,” you laughed, gazing up at him. It seemed like the perfect happy ending to your family’s story.

@ladyblablabla @smiithys

[mightymorphingayagenda]

Nessian assassin au???? X

Much like a circle, or the opinions of men on women’s reproductive rights; this date was pointless.

The reasons for this inescapable fact were listless, but included the following:

1. In Nesta Archeron’s line of work, dating, was like trying to watch the news without getting pissed of. An admiral thing to attempt, but equally misguided and inevitably unsuccessful.

2. Nesta’s suitor was Rhysand brother; meaning he would no doubt be an arrogant, preening idiot with indecently good looks and a whole lot of nothing else going for him by blood.

3. Nesta was already hopelessly and disastrously in love.

Of course Nesta hadn’t been able to use any of these as valid excuses to get out of the date. “Hey Feyre, just calling to say that I know you want me to go on this blind date, but I actually can’t because you see, I’m a gun for hire, which as you can imagine makes dating rather tricky. Also I’m absolutely gone for my latest target’s bodyguard, who I’ve never actually spoken to but in the month and a half I’ve been stalking him has somehow managed to make me fall head over heels for him. Anyway, we still on for brunch on Thursday?”

It truly was a tragic set of circumstances.

Nesta thanked the door-man as he slipped her coat from her frame. Carefully and expertly folding the garment over his forearm and heading to the cloakroom. She’d made sure to give him a considerable tip, knowing her coat was probably worth more than what he made in a month.

Nesta wasn’t ashamed of her money, as far as she was concerned all currency was blood money. Every dollar in America was built on colonialism and funded by a corrupt economic system, she didn’t see why her cash was any dirtier just because she earned it by putting bullets in the backs of people’s heads. But she’d made it practice to always leave generous tips where she could.

Nesta would always remember Friday nights spent counting pennies on a dirty windowsill because it meant they could use the light of the street lamps when their own electricity had been cut off. Her hollow stomach ringing out along side the metallic song of coins with an ache like she’d been punched in the gut.

Now she was rolling in it.

“Comfortable” as Feyre would say.

The Archeron sisters had made good; Feyre having married into the richest family in the west of the globe, Elain with a clientele of elitists gagging to throw their wealth at the most extravagant weddings her sister could plan and Nesta cashing in a six figure transaction ever time she pulled a trigger.

But she wasn’t flashy. Nesta found something grossly immature in wearing wealth obtusely and without taste. This evening she’d opted for a simple dress, a dark emerald thing that reached her mid thigh and hugged her full form with a lethal softness. Bare of any jewellery and hair like dark chocolate loose and softly curled, her makeup had been applied minimally save for her mouth which she had painted a red like cracking blood, leaving her lips like a brutal bruise against her soft complexion.

It was the perfect ensemble for Le Divinità, tastefully expensive so that she did not look out of place in the architecturally exquisite building, the warm glow of the soaring room warming her bare arms and gold detailing and chandeliers with dripping, diamonte glass offset against the kenia cream marble.

While Nesta was set on finding fault in her date, his taste was undeniable. Le Divinità had never prioritised fad-like trend and a costly ambience over good food and a legendary bar.

Heels clipping quietly against the stone floor, Nesta made her way over to said bar, fingers already restless for a cigarette to still her agitated dread at what was to come. She ordered a gin, straight, and checked her phone for the time. She’d made sure to arrive early, primarily to ensure she had time to neck back some liquor before her date arrived, but also because she’d find some small joy in making him uncomfortable having seemingly left her waiting.

Slinking into a bar stool, she tucked her ankle behind the another and taking a long sip of her gin, she couldn’t help where her mind wondered like a cheated lover back to their betrayer. Sickened with her own besotted crush as though it were a thick spoon of honey she were gagging on, Nesta still couldn’t help but think of him.

She’d spent this afternoon atop a rooftop, tortured by the unfolding Friday ritual she could now confirm went unaltered each week.

From noon till four in the afternoon Helion Day would work out in his private gym, located on the top floor of his more frequented office building, with his oh so gorgeous bodyguard.

The soaring glass windows meant Nesta had been entirely unobstructed as the only audience member to a truly delicious show of both men’s physiques. Her binoculars trembling slightly in her hands as she’d watched the CEO’s companion begin completing a gruelling regime of pull ups, bench pressing and combat instruction, all without a shirt. The expanse of his powerfully built upper body was the stuff of Nesta’s dreams. Tan flesh slick with sweat and dusted with fine hair over the broad panes of his defined chest and running in a darkening trail down his chiselled abdomen to disappear beneath the low slung waistband of his sweatpants that made a profuse Adonis belt visible to Nesta. With his thick hair tied back in a bun, intricate tattoos mapping his left pectoral and creeping over his arms and an obvious stubble creeping up his jaw, Nesta hadn’t known where to keep her eyes for longer than a hot moment of agonising appreciation. She knew where her eyes were should have been, but while her client also had his own physical appeal, Nesta only had eyes for one man.

He was so impossibly broad and large it gave Nesta a primal thrill to think of how he could use that brute strength to fuck her as hard and rough as she craved. The impression of his cock through those sweat pants had left Nesta staring at one of her largest vibrators once she’d got home and telling herself that there was no way he could have been bigger, despite what she’d seen implied.

She’d closed her eyes and pictured him beneath her as she’d then rode the pink toy, her cunt throbbing with wet arousal from the hours of visual foreplay. She burned to know what his voice sounded like. Whether he would groan as he fucked her throat with his thick cock, or if he’d murmur filthy words or encouragement and praise. She’d almost given herself a headache trying to fabricate in her mind the noises escaping his mouth as he’d worked out. That rugged jaw clenching in moments of intense exertion and handsome face often appearing as though he were grunting through a movement that Nesta swore would snap any other man in half.

“Nesta?”

A purely male and deep voice sounded from beside her.

She turned, and almost shattered the half empty glass in her hand.

Had it been spiked?

The gin has to have been laced with some hallucinogenic- that was literally the only reality that she would accept being any part of. Because standing before her, was Helion Day’s body guard.

Fuck.

“Do I know you?” she drawled boredly.

He wore a crisp, white dress shirt which hugged his upper body in a way that was doing things for Nesta, and a simple pair of slacks that had clearly been tailored to his powerfully built legs.

She was utterly, truly and absolutely fucked.

What the hell was she meant to do? She’d been made, she’d been fucking made. Three years and Nesta had never made one mistake, hadn’t slipped up once, she hadn’t just done everything by the book she’d all but written the new bloody testament on assassination, so how the fuck had this guy caught her?

“Well you know of me, Sweetheart” his smile was like watching chocolate melt, warm, rich and decadent. A five o’clock shadow was cast across his jaw and an entirely unfair dimple kissed the corner of his mouth as he smirked with a dangerous combination of pure male arrogance and sincere attention.

She played at looking him up and down with a dismissive flick of her eyes. “Unlikely,” she said absently, taking a sip of her gin, her lashes fluttering shut as though she were physically pained by the boredom this interaction caused her. Should she smash the glass and get a deep swipe at his gut, going for the face as he’d lunge at her and then try and make a break for the door? He was at least six foot, and Nesta knew exactly how toned he was, but she was quick.

He clutched a hand to his chest playfully, his eyes still dangerously assured “you wound me” he said, before leaning in ever so slightly so that Nesta swore she could taste the echo of an aged cigar on his breath. “And to think I was arrogant enough to believe it was me you’d got all dolled up for this evening” he winked, plucking a cube of brown sugar from a tiny dish on the bar and popping it between his perfect teeth, a smooth and swoon-worthy smugness set in his jaw that Nesta couldn’t work out if she wanted to punch or kiss off of his stupidly gorgeous face.

“And to think,” she purred sweetly, “I was naïve enough to think I would be able to get all dolled up this evening without an entitled asshole bothering me” Nesta’s glare was cool as the ice that swirled in glossy cubes at the bottom of her glass.

He was toying with her, like she were some amusing doll he’d found and watching her try to wriggle out of this with nothing but a sharp tongue was his new favourite game.

“Well thank god I’m not an entitled asshole, just the very good looking one your sister set you up with. However, if any such individuals approach you, let me know and I will defend both your honour and right to look as lovely as you do without the unsolicited advances of men”

Nesta felt like a party popper had gone off in her rib cage and she was choking on the streams of confetti in her throat, heartbeat off kilter.

There was no way.

Nesta’s life had taught her that the universe did not have a sense of humour, and the only way that her bodyguard heart-throb also happened to be Rhysand’s brother, was if she were the metaphorical punchline of some cosmic joke. An assassin and a bodyguard walk into a bar… god it even sounded like a shitty joke.

“Cassian Velarys” he extended a large hand to her, which Nesta took, slightly entranced by the unfolding madness. He pressed a brief kiss to the back of her palm which Nesta had not been expecting.

“You look nothing like Rhysand” she said.

A light chuckle escaped him and Nesta thought he might need to hold her upright if he kept being so damned sexy.

Rhysand was what Nesta would describe as pretty, with piercing eyes that she refused to admit we’re actually violet, and sharp features cut with classical beauty, while Cassian was a far more devastating kind of handsome where Nesta was concerned. Wilder, throbbing with power and unrefined, rough charm. And older as well she’d guess, but not by much. They couldn’t be related, this could not be happening.

“I’m adopted” he explained.

Nesta could not believe the absolute insanity of this. It was a coincidence of Shakespearean plot; throw in some inadvertent incest or cannibalism and it would have been a Greek bloody myth.

She took a sweeping swig of her gin, chin tossed back delicately enough but still allowing the rest of the liquor to empty into her system.

The most infuriating part of this entire bullshit scenario was that it made total sense. Feyre has told her that Rhysand’s brother ran a security firm, but that at the moment he was doing some private hire work for a friend. Hell she’d even mentioned in passing a few months ago how Helion was an old friend of the Velarys brothers.

Okay, okay so this was happening.

The bartender had appeared again to take Cassian’s order and Nesta couldn’t help but take the opportunity to fawn over that handsome face up close at last. A doe like softness to her eyes that the bartender definitely noticed even if Cassian didn’t, his attention on the wine list as he asked about a Portuguese red. At work he’d always worn black Ts and trousers, the fitted fabric hugging at his chiselled upper body. The man cleaned up nice. Which was saying a lot when his comparatively unkept state was enough to have Nesta worried she might literally be drooling as she observed him. With her cheek propped on her curled fist, elbow against the bar, Nesta couldn’t have dragged her gaze away if she’d had a gun to her head as she watched him finish up his order and added, “And vodka” flicking her eyes to the man behind the bar. “Lots, and lots or vodka”.

[webwingalpha]

23, 77, and/or 162?

Okay! I love that all the ones I’ve gotten have requested multiples :’3

As per the last one, under a read more!

Gods though, #23 is Zaith! This is the one I was referring to earlier as being one of my favourites. I adore this boy oh my gosh.

Zaith’s true parents are unknown, for they both died not long after his egg hatched. Even after scouring years later for information on them, he never got much in the way on information about them or how/why they died, or if he had any siblings, even ones older than him. All he got was that the clan he was born in had gotten into a war of sorts with another clan, and that they were among the casualties due to the clan being nearly wiped out. He was one of the few lucky ones who was spared, along with the dragon who had grabbed him and another hatchling and fled (though really, he has never thought of himself as lucky. Not ever.). He also learned of their appearances, although vaguely. Dark-coloured Skydancers, much like himself.

His life was never really easy, not even when he was little. He always had problems, hardships, and for the most part, not many other dragons to be around. He had Cergha, who he considers his sister even though they’re not blood-related, who he grew up beside since they were adopted together, while he grew up, while they both had to deal with a nasty adoptive father. One who didn’t like them for one reason or another, though Cergha at least was suspicious that it may have been due to them not being blood-related to him, especially since the pair had no kids of their own; the mother wanted to adopt instead. There was also the fact he was a quiet, reclusive being, from a kid to current, which could have also been a factor. It definitely was when it came to bullies. He was bullied a lot, first mildly when younger, but it got worse as he grew into a teenager, where mocking words turned into pushes and shoves.

Cergha also suspects that their “father” also wasn’t fond of Light dragons, which makes that another likely factor.

He did eventually break free of the place, although not intentionally, and without Cergha at his side. It started as an accident that happened when he went outside to cool off from something that happened, to a series of unfortunate events that landed him in a very dark place that he wasn’t able to escape for years, trapped and not having anyone there for him. Alone and helpless. He has not given anyone many details on what he went through there; all that’s known is that he got involved with a group of assassins, and they didn’t treat him well at all, hence the scars that mar his body, most obvious being a jagged one across his face. They are the reason he dislikes being touched for the most part, they are the reason for the nightmares he gets fairly often, and they are the reason why he’s more skittish and reclusive than he was originally.

The nightmares that he gets, the ones caused by his experiences with the assassin group vary greatly. He can get ones so minor he barely remembers them the next day, and he can also get ones so bad that they make him fear sleeping the next night, in case he gets another. Thankfully, he hasn’t gotten two really bad ones in a row yet, and also thankfully, he doesn’t get nightmares every night, either. He does have nights of uninterrupted sleep, and he’s very thankful of those. Nights like that, he’ll sleep in more just to take advantage of the fact he got sleep without nightmares. He also has a small tendency to get insomnia, which worsens when he’s stressed. And it’s not hard to stress him out. He also hopes he doesn’t ever experience sleep paralysis. In fact, he’s scared of it eventually happening to him.

One of the most common themes in his nightmares is him losing his weapons, a pair of long, serrated daggers, due to how much he relies on them and the fact he doesn’t feel safe without them. He usually has them with him at all times, except when he’s bathing and sleeping. But even then, they’re still near.

He’s not physically strong, and due to that, he was taught a way of fighting by the assassin group that doesn’t rely on physical strength. Basically, he knows how to make his hits count, and where his hits would be more effective. He hits where it hurts the most. This was probably the one good thing that came from him having to be there for years.

He’s also ashamed and unhappy with the scars that cover his body, which is why he has a tendency to cover himself up almost completely. He doesn’t like showing them, especially certain ones, and they’re kept under clothing and black wraps. He hates that he can’t cover the one on his face especially. All this also means that if he willingly shows any of his scars to anyone, it means he really does trust them a lot, since it’s not something he does lightly. He doesn’t trust easily though.

He has always been quiet, even when he was very young, with a tendency to hardly express emotion. Any emotion, unless there’s a situation that gets him to express more, is hardly shown on his face and gestures, including his crest. He shows emotion subtly, just barely enough sometimes to show what emotion he’s feeling. This combined with the fact that even other Skydancers have difficulty detecting emotions from him, this often makes him hard to read as a whole. It’s currently unknown why he’s even difficult for other Skydancers, but it’s been confirmed by Cergha that he doesn’t take anything to help hide that, since he was like that since he was little; she grew up with him after all. On the other end, his own Skydancer gem is more sensitive than average, making it so he can pick up on others’ emotions and all very easily, though sometimes he wishes he could dull it or make it so he can’t sense for a while. It’s not hard to get to him or overwhelm him due to it.

His subdued demeanor also likely is a factor of why no one, other than Cergha when they were younger, has seen him smile. Even when he’s obviously amused he just doesn’t smile; not even a fake one ever crosses his lips. His mate Ormat has tried multiple times to get him to smile, but so far, the attempts have been unsuccessful.

Honestly though, he had never expected to end up finding a mate in the end. Not just because he was not actively looking, but also due to the fact that he never thought he would be worthy of someone’s attention in that way. But somehow, thanks to unexpected interactions, he and Ormat ended up as a pair, and he can’t imagine life without the younger dragon. Ormat overall has helped him a lot, and Zaith’s very glad that Ormat doesn’t mind that he’s a bit… clingy, just like he often is with Cergha as well. He still doesn’t know what he did to deserve Ormat.

#77 is Maria!

So. She’s a scientist, who mostly dabbles in things like alchemy and chemistry. The weirder it is, the better, for she has an affinity for weird science as a whole. This would involve things like mutations and things out of the ordinary, the weirder, the better. She’s hugely fascinated with weird things, and will go out of her way in order to get a hold of strange things she can study and research. She won’t do anything drastic or harmful to get a hold of something; she hasn’t been that desperate so far.

Part of this is likely because even though she was born in the Shifting Expanse, she was put up for adoption and taken in by a pair who moved to the Starfall Isles. Needless to say, she was outright fascinated by some of the things there. It might have also helped influence the obvious curiosity she has overall.

She’s very reclusive, not really into interacting with others or even really being around with others, so she tends to keep herself locked up by herself in her home, often doing research and work. Though, her science expertise has been needed by others before, so sometimes, unfortunately, interaction is necessary. As a whole she’s quite and doesn’t talk much unless needed, or if she’s explaining something, and if it’s the latter, she can come off as long winded sometimes. She does try to make sure not to use too many obscure terms or words so others can understand what she’s talking about more easily.

She also tends to come off as creepy, there’s just something about her appearance that does that, that makes it so many don’t want to interact for her for long if at all, anyways. There’s just something about her… perhaps it’s due to the white skeletal markings on her dark skin, or the way she can come off as a bit shifty (she often cannot look others in the eye, even when she has nothing to hide), or even the fact she has been occasionally seen carrying around something strange. Her personality tends to give others a surprise, because it’s only her looks and her passion that makes her seem creepy; she’s more focused, quiet, and more of a bookworm, otherwise. She can even come off as a little awkward at times, due to her not being good at interacting.

She has absolutely no interest in romance of any kind, or anything even further. It’s not something that she wants to really deal with or anything, and it’s unlikely that she’ll ever feel that deeply about anyone. She’s fine with her small handful of friends.

She really does like animals though, and keeps a few around, including a pair of ferrets, a kitten, and of course, her familiars. Unbeknownst to most, she also has a unique ability when it comes to animals; she can talk with them inside their heads.

She also never seems to really sleep, at least, no one has seen her sleep or seen her tired. The truth is that she has a widely varying schedule and she doesn’t actually sleep much at all, for she is actually a caffeine addict. She often has something with caffeine in it near her, in fact, no one has seen her without any. From certain teas to coffee, if it has caffeine, it’s something she really enjoys. She’s tried going without caffeine for long periods of time before, but the backlash she had received from doing that was enough to make her stop trying to be so reliant on it after a couple tries. It’s unknown if it affects her sleep badly, but seeing that she rarely ever has dark circles under her eyes, it’s likely not.

#162 is Etarr!

This is a dude I don’t have much on quite yet so lemme see..

He works at one of the taverns in Iron-Forged, the Golden Sword. It’s one of the biggest and most prosperous of the taverns residing there. The location of it, since it’s somewhat close to the main gates, is a good factor in its popularity, along with the fact that, yes, a lot of the things they serve are very loved and enjoyed.

He’s one of the ones who helps make sure everything’s stocked up right, even if that’s not his main job, along with making/mixing the drinks. He even has some of his very own recipes that he enjoys serving, that are unique to the Golden Sword and cannot be found elsewhere. He adores the reactions he gets to some of them, especially the strong ones or the ones that seem to be hot and spicy in a way. His specialty overall though, are ales. He loves brewing up different types of ales for others to try.

He also has a love for specifically, apple flavoured things. Both in creating and consuming them. His favourite fruit.

He’s also been there since the beginning of the creation of the tavern. He may have been involved in it, but it’s not known for certain.

The swords, cloth, and jewelry accent there on his dragon are all tattoo’ing, magically done so no amount of shedding or molting can ruin it.

He has a tendency to appear stoic and serious to most individuals, but when you get closer to him, or catch him at the right times, you’ll be able to see that he’s not as serious as he appears to be; he definitely has a sense of humor and he doesn’t mind poking at and teasing others. One of his targets is his good friend Alden, an androgynous Coatl male who also works at the tavern as a server of drinks. Etarr is one of the few who can tease him and play around with him about certain things and not get something thrown at him. Even then though, he doesn’t push his luck with the younger dragon; he doesn’t want to hurt his feelings or anything. He does apologize rather quickly if he feels he might have crossed a line.

Once he’s loosened up and knows someone well enough, he can be quite the talkative fellow. He also has no problem gossiping, though that’s another place where he tries not to cross any lies. Doesn’t want to spread anything harmful, after all!

Has been asked if he has used his Capsule liquid in his drinks before, and his answer is always along the lines of “No, it’s impossible.”. Some just likely don’t get that the Capsule liquid cannot be extracted just like that. He enjoys a good joke, but after a while, comments like that get just a little old.

Can also seriously hold his liquor; it’s very hard to get him actually drunk, and hardly anyone has seen him that way. Also, he drinks less than some would expect. He enjoys alcohol every now and then, as opposed to often.

Unbeknownst to most, he’s also immune/resistant to most poisons. As to why? That’s not known at all, except maybe himself.

[valkyrie-echo]

Project Echo, Part 2: Chapter 14 (What Comes Next)

Part 2 Summary: A new enemy surfaces with a team of the Avengers’ greatest foes, hand-picked for their destruction. Meanwhile, Inessa’s pre-Hydra past begins to surface, casting doubt on where her loyalties truly lie.

Chapter 14: What Comes Next

"You didn't do this? You honestly expect me to believe that?" Bucky shouted as he pulled dozens of tiny magnets off his metal arm.

Tony couldn't stop laughing long enough to muster up his own defense. He just held his hands in surrender. In an endless, winding loop someone had used tiny strips of word-magnets to spell out a very naughty joke indeed. Banner just shook his head, content to stay out of the line of fire, "I warned you against napping near this guy, it's your own fault."

Bucky looked around, glaring into every corner of the room looking for evidence. Tony was the obvious choice for a culprit, too obvious maybe? It would have taken a very long time to put the words in order, then constantly lift his arm and turn it to attach the phrases. Maybe Tony was the wrong one. Steve? No, Steve's sense of humor was still frozen in the Arctic. Thor? Thor knew dirty jokes, that was for sure, but this sounded like one from this era, not the 1400s, so probably not. Natasha, Clint, or Sam seemed like the most obvious choices. It had to be one of the assassins- they could move carefully and quietly enough to keep from waking him. Clint liked dirty jokes, but Natasha had more finesse. "Dammit, which one of you did this?"

"Which one of who did what?" Steve came in from the front porch, soaked. He saw the magnets on Bucky's arm and looked to Tony, confused.

"Don't worry, I had JARVIS do a full scan of it, I'll print the joke off for you later."

"What are you, three?" There was no venom in Steve's voice when he spoke to Tony- for once.

"I didn't do it!" Tony laughed again and tried to force his face into a more serious expression (with limited success), "Scout's honor!"

Natasha was drying her hands on a towel when she came into the living room, "Any luck finding her?"

Steve shook his head, "Couldn't get far though, most of the farm is mud right now. I went out far enough to see the buildings are still dark. Wherever Inessa is hiding, she doesn't want to be found."

"I'm sorry," Mallory came out from the study, "I really thought she'd come around by now."

"WHICH ONE OF YOU FUCKERS TURNED OFF THE HOT WATER IN THE MIDDLE OF MY SHOWER?" Clint's roar drifted down the stairs.

Everyone looked to Natasha. "What?" she shrugged, "How was I supposed to know that if you turn on the kitchen sink, the dishwasher, and flush the downstairs toilet at the same time it screws with the upstairs shower?"

"Did you do this then?" Bucky demanded. He was halfway up his forearm, and the joke continued all the way to the edge of his shoulder plate. It would take forever to peel off the magnets one by one.

Natasha frowned, "I'd use stickers. You're dealing with an amateur."

"We shouldn't be screwing around, we should be finding Inessa," Bucky grumbled, "especially in this weather."

"If there's anything Nadi was always good at, it's finding a way to get by. She's somewhere safe and dry and warm. I just hope she gets back here soon, our Director needs me back at HQ. I leave tomorrow evening and I want to see her before I leave."

Steve walked over and hit Tony on the shoulder, "You said we could track her with the implant, what's the deal?"

"The deal is," his glance to Mallory was so subtle even Natasha didn't catch it, "I agree with the decision to let her find her way back. She knows where we are. Just keep the windows open when you cook dinner- if the wind isn't blowing in rain. She'll smell food and come home. She can't hold out forever."

Banner disagreed on this point, "What if she's injured or the toxin is building up again? She was closer to getting a refill than she was to when you installed it."

"JARVIS?"

"Toxin levels are reading as minute. Miss Inessa has another three days before levels become dangerous."

"I'm not fighting this battle again," Steve threw up his hands and went upstairs to find fresh clothes. Mallory glanced up as Clint came down.

"I'm going to write another letter to Nadi, in case she doesn't get back in time."

Natasha raised an eyebrow, "You write a lot of letters."

"I haven't even known my best friend was alive for seven years. We've got catching up to do." Mallory jogged up the steps before Natasha could pry any further. Tony knew, but only because she needed him to keep JARVIS from reporting Nadya's location. Her excuse to spend so much time in Inessa's room was thin, but it worked. Natasha wasn't on the pre-approved list, so she had to be kept out of it.

Inessa's Room

Mallory flipped on the lights and closed the door behind her. She locked it, picked up a pillow from the bed, and set it carefully at the bottom of the door to block any curious eyes peeping under it (not that any of the Avengers were likely to try that). Just in case Natasha came snooping, Mallory sat down with her back against the door. She could explain away the pillow (a back cushion) and the locked door (to keep anyone from opening it into her). She cleared her throat twice, and Nadya came out of the bathroom.

When Steve pronounced the "grounding" and they stripped her of her powers, Nadya had been determined to hide and never come back- the first night of torrential, icy rain had brought her back. As far as the others knew, she was still in the wind, but Mallory helped keep her hidden upstairs. At least for now- until she was ready to face the rest of the group. Nadya was of the same mind as Mallory- they hadn't seen one another in so long, she was willing to forgive Mallory's compliance with the Avengers plan if only to have time to spend with her friend. Mallory pulled from her pocket a new Stark invention- lovingly dubbed the "Cone of silence". When she activated it, it sealed her and Inessa in a bubble, cut off from everyone else- they could hear the Avengers in the hall (if they made enough noise), but Natasha could have an ear against the door itself and not hear them.

"They're worried about you, you know." Inessa just shrugged and looked away. Around Mallory, her improvement was massive, most conversations were now done fully-spoken and with eye contact. "Nadi-"

"Inessa." when she spoke, it was still in a harsh whisper, even without the added temper.

Mallory shook her head, "I can't get in the habit of calling you that, sorry. You're still Little Nadi to me."

"Then Nessie."

"Little Nessie. Fine. Hey- I learned something about you today. Sam said they were trying to get you to practice being in this form again, you keep taking strolls out-of-body. Do you remember when you first learned to do that? What grade were we in? Fourth? It used to give you migraines for days. You hated doing that."

"Like being cross-eyed. Headache still."

"Then there's another reason you should just go with this," Mallory pointed out. "By the end of it you'll stop falling out of your body, and you'll stop getting headaches. Two years isn't so long, really. It just feels like it at your age, youngin."

"I know exactly how long two years is." Inessa's whisper silenced Mallory for a time. She couldn't argue with her there.

"Changing topics- someone used those little cut-out word magnets to write a dirty joke on Bucky's arm. They wrapped them all the way from the fingertips to the shoulder plate. Every bit of metal is covered, just about. They're trying to figure out which one did it. Oh, and Natasha pranked Clint, but you probably heard that shout. I'm willing to bet you're on the edge of a full-on prank war. You used to kick ass at those. That damn poker-face of yours."

Inessa remained quiet and looked at the floor. She rubbed the back of her neck, around where the implant was. Her skin was gouged and gashed around it- the results of her unsuccessful first through fourth attempts to remove it before the shock knocked her out. Mallory leaned to the side to get a look, "Does it need more medicine? You shouldn't mess with it, you'll get an infection."

"Thanks mom."

Mallory laughed, "Did I ever tell you I found out my mom wanted to adopt you?" Inessa glanced up at that, interested, "Yeah! No joke- she had a lawyer advising her and she'd filled out all this paperwork to sue to have you taken away from Dimitri. She wanted to get your permission to go forward. Apparently she was planning on taking you aside at my birthday party the week after you vanished. If we didn't have Hydra to worry about now, I'm sure she'd be more than happy to get that ball rolling again."

"I have to- have to stay here. Here I get revenge. In two years." It was a contender for the longest speech she'd given.

"Then get your ass in gear, girl," Mallory kept her tone light, Inessa still didn't respond well to any kind of tough act. "No one is asking you to piss away two years sitting in here. As soon as you go through that door, Natasha will start training you to spar. You can learn fighting, how to be a super-spy, how to be awesome. They're on the phone with SHIELD constantly- trying to find a good shrink to help clear up your head. Look at how much power you've got now- how many more things can you do than before? When you're stable- when you can focus without jumping at everything- how much more powerful will you be? And you have to train for two years, but if you can prove to them you're willing to work on it and be patient? They might turn off that speaker and let you have your powers back sooner!"

Inessa just shook her head, "And next time? They turn my power off when they want. They lock me here when they want."

"Until you're 18? Yes. But once you hit that age they'll remove the implant entirely. You'll be completely free to do what you want. To use your powers day in and day out, if that's what makes you happy. Sitting around feeling sorry for yourself won't get you there though."

"Let me think. Change topic."

She'd said all she could on the subject, so Mallory gave in to Inessa's legendary stubborn-streak, "Fine. What should we change topic to? Oh, hey, remember Kelsey Schmidt? That little skank who always acted like she was so superior just because her father was a lawyer?" Inessa nodded, "Well guess who got knocked up junior year of high school."

Mallory kept Inessa entertained with idle gossip and caught her up on seven years worth of stories and adventures. She knew her audience wasn't entirely paying attention to what she was saying, but it felt good to act like a schoolgirl again with her best friend.

The Loft

"Wait, I do not understand," Thor frowned, "does she not know the man is the Phantom?"

"No," Banner was the only one who'd read the book, "she thinks the Phantom and the Angel are two different people."

Natasha shook her head, "But they just did a whole song where she was talking about the Phantom being the one who's been stalking her."

"Pedo alert," Clint grabbed a handful of popcorn and started working his way through it.

With the rain showing no sign of stopping, the Avengers were forced to make their semi-nightly fire-pit meeting an indoor movie night. Each Avenger suggested one movie, then they drew from a hat- no one would admit to requesting "The Phantom of the Opera"- but Thor agreed to the choice with the most enthusiasm. Apparently Asgard, while having epic poems sung before large gatherings, had no concept of musical or operatic theater, so he was very keen on the movie.

"What is a 'pedo'? And I still don't understand if she knows he is the Phantom or not." Thor made a mental note to request the novel from Banner later.

"I'm not explaining that one," Natasha put her hand on her nose and the others rapidly followed suit- childish, but effective. The honors went to Tony.

In the movie, the Phantom was chasing after a backstage man. They struggled above the performance, the Phantom slipped the nose around his neck-

Inessa slumped into the empty seat next to Bucky and Clint jumped just as the man's body was thrown from the rafters and the music reached it's climax. He spun around to see who'd sat down but Mallory put a hand on his shoulder and shook her head. With the rain thundering outside, no one had heard the two enter.

"Nessie, for what it's worth, I'm s-"

Mallory cut Steve off with a whisper, "-it's OK. Don't push her." her tone was not unkind.

Natasha was sitting on the floor in front of Clint. She reached over and patted Inessa's knee, but said nothing. Bucky held the bowl of popcorn to her. She ignored it. Steve glanced back at Mallory and mouthed a simple thank you. As she walked around the couch to grab a seat, Sam and Banner both held up a hand for a quiet high-five.

After a few moments Thor broke the silence once again, "Well does she know the Angel and the Phantom are the same person or doesn't she?!"

Four out of eight Avengers threw popcorn at him.

Chapter 15: The Prank War

[mewwile]

made a writeup for coco’s(corona) backstory and general lore fluff that i ended up kinda liking, so i put it under a cut. its a very clinical rundown of an event that happened.

Velach was a bustling port town, a center of trade situated on the delta where many rivers met the sea. Prior to the queen's death and for many decades, Velach had been the leading merchant haven for miles around- It offered an ideal location for the neighboring city-states and the distant lands across the sea to meet and conduct business. Notably, though the royal line was almost purely chirons, the actual racial makeup of the city was more varied than commonly seen in chiron-led cities- Likely due to the position of being a bustling trade town.

Royal lineage in the kingdom was very strictly traced- All of the bloodline contained an innate gift for magic and usually found themselves pursuing predominantly healing magic. There had been many years of peace and economic growth, with only minor border conflicts that were usually resolved fairly quickly, which created an environment of complacency that led to Queen Rosica eventually taking the throne. Accounts from castle servants who served during Rosica's childhood (with her sister Lora) described the girl as very meek and helpful, almost unable to speak harshly of anyone. Lora, frustrated with her position as 'spare', had commonly been the more rebellious and wild of the two when they were young, having no fondness for her fawned-upon and overly accomodating sister. This dynamic is believed to have contributed greatly to the eventual assassination of Rosica.

For the first 10 years of her reign, Queen Rosica was met with few troubles save for a slight dissatisfaction at her position on the nation's need for self defense- Though the nobles often urged her to keep the borders tightly controlled and to respond harshly to small inter-kingdom conflicts, she held fast to the conviction that Velach had no place for a significant army nor a strong weaponised presence. The public's opinion of her remained mostly positive throughout her reign- Rosica was known to often interact with the common man and assist in healing any who were harmed in service of the throne. Lora, meanwhile, having left the castle as soon as her age allowed, married General Weyland of the royal army. Rumors and speculation posited that Lora had concocted plans to usurp her sister long before the assassination, considering her decision to marry a notable military officer and thus be in close contact with the disenfranchised army presence whom Rosica had deemed unnecessary. Such claims were never confirmed, but Lora was noted to conduct trips to the many provinces where border conflicts often erupted and the local nobles were more receptive to the more radical views of the younger royal sister.

Queen Rosica, during the 5th year of her reign, ended up falling in love with and marrying a traveling desert chiron scholar named Tiras. Considering the many heirs and nobles of neighboring nations were pursuing her hand in marriage, this act was seen as an affront and there was a brief increase in border conflicts, most of which were settled through trade agreements over the following years. Two years later, during the 7th year of her reign, she gave birth to the young princess Corona. Despite urging from her staff, Rosica again defied normal tradition and refused to have a second or third child, instead focusing on raising Corona. The princess was granted much freedom in her education, being allowed to choose what she wished to pursue, which was notable only in that she chose not to nurture her innate magical abilities in any way. This was a stark contrast to almost every previous Velach monarch, who were taught healing and damaging spells equally as a requirement of ascending to the throne- another exception granted by Rosica's loose approach to her station.

In (insert year here durr, 21st year of rosica's reign), Lora made her move against her sister. Lora gained intelligence by means of an unknown palace worker that revealed a habit of Queen Rosica's to take late night walks throughout the castle, often requesting her personal retinue hang back as she was known to have been irritated at the lack of personal time her position put upon her. With this intel, Lora hired an accomplished assassin from the ifreeti kingdom who was able to infiltrate the castle unnoticed- ambushing Queen Rosica in an empty room and successfully killing her. Though Rosica was said to have screamed and a scuffle broke out, her personal guards were too far to make it in time to see the assassin. Attempts at a resurrection were made almost immediately, but after several accomplished clerics tried to bring back the Queen, it became apparent that the assassin had used an enchanted weapon to capture Rosica's spirit, this making her unrevivable.

The kingdom fell into mourning, and shortly thereafter Corona was crowned the new queen as she had just turned 14- the acceptable age at which a princess could become ruler. Though some hoped Tiras would step up to ruling, the king consort denied any appeals and cited Velach tradition that only those possessing of royal blood and the magical affinity of the ruling family were allowed to govern. Queen Corona's reign was shortlived but eventful. Lora did not give up on her quest for the throne, it is believed she pursued many unsuccessful endeavors to likewise assassinate the new monarch. Most notably there was an attempt at a local festival which Corona made a speech in. Luckily Tiras was standing by and, having been a very successful wizard, killed the assassin before any harm could come to the queen. Due to the repeated assassination attempts and the knowledge of her mother's death, Corona's reign had her focus on internal affairs and intelligence within the kingdom. Many of the castle staff had been hired specifically for their ability as spies- a much more cautious and mistrustful approach than her late mother. Keeping track on the nobles was her primary objective, and locating the source of the attacks against herself and presumably her mother was often the driving motivator behind Corona's actions. Noting the chance to sieze some portion of power, the noble houses of Velach immediately set about appealing to Corona with their sons, often plaguing the queen with requests that she host more functions and quickly choose a husband to secure the royal lineage.

The pressure of the nobles and the queen's plans to locate the source of the treasonous element in the kingdom created the perfect environment for the ambitious Sisean Empire across the sea to make a move to capture the trading hub. The emporer of Sisea, Lorathe, was known for his insatiable powerlust and his habit of leading his army in conquering most the notable neighboring cities. Reports show he had been seeking a foothold across the sea for quite a while- even before Queen Rosica took the throne. The chaos of the late queen's death had been the opportunity he had been waiting for, and a fleet was prepared almost immediately.

Having spent almost no time communicating with her distant contacts, Queen Corona was caught unawares when almost a year into her rule she recieved word that a fleet of warships was seen enroute to Velach. Chaos erupted in the castle as Corona with Tiras as her advisor began gathering the meager army of Velach to the capital city and preparing the aged battleships for a conflict. With only two days to prepare, Velach was easily overrun by the Sisean fleet despite their battleships' best efforts at fending them off. Led by Emporer Lorathe himself, the army surrounded the castle and gathered Corona, Tiras, and the staff of the castle into the throne room.

Lorathe confronted Corona and offered a deal- If she could best him in magical combat, he would allow her to live and be a figurehead in her kingdom. The queen's reign had been short enough that intel of her lack in magical abilites had not had time to reach across the sea, and the magical acumen of her predecessors was assumed of her. Lorathe was noted to be an accomplished battlemage and often required such duels of conquered kingdoms, believing his opponents were most entertaining when they fought with their lives on the line. Having no magical training whatsoever, Corona was unable to duel. However, her father Tiras stepped forward and offered himself as a substitute in the duel- a condition which was accepted by Emporer Lorathe.

According to the few surviving staff who escaped, the duel was hard fought and Tiras showed a remarkable expertise with teleportation. Unfortunately, Emporer Lorathe was skilled enough that eventually he was able to catch Tiras unawares with an enchanted sword strike, killing him. Having lost the duel, Corona's life was also forfeit, but during the scuffle, the castle staff who were with the queen had concocted a plan. As soon as the king consort fell in battle, the staff began to attack the soldiers around them and flee enmasse, using bright light cantrips to create a distraction enough for many to escape into the castle at large and spread out to various routes. The staff had split off into pairs of taller races and chirons, thus making it difficult to track the queen from afar. During the escape, Corona was disguised and swapped into a two-chiron pair, which was one of the few who managed to exit the castle. Her escort was a court musician hired for her spying abilities and thus was able to escape the city with Corona safely.

In the aftermath of the coup, Emporer Lorathe ordered for the musician and Corona to be searched for in the entirety of the kingdom, but was unsuccessful in locating them and after a few months gave up the search. Now a part of the Sisean empire, Velach's economy changed overnight. Most trade ships belonging to the local merchants were siezed for transporting supplies from across the sea, and almost all resources of the kingdom went straight to the army. Lora, General Weyland, and many of the noble houses were killed or exiled from the country so as to better control the minor provinces, and a mandatory draft for any able citizens above puberty was instated, leaving most of the farming and crafting jobs to the young or old. Emperor Lorathe did not remain long in the kingdom, opting instead to accompany the newly enlarged army in conquering the nearby city of Farin. Conflicts across the sea in his homeland prompted a return after that, taking with him the large army and leaving Velach economically crippled. In the proceeding decade, Velach's trade has suffered immensely and nearby cities and villages have felt the consequences, some being abandoned outright. The majority of the farms in the kingdom send their crops overseas to support Emperor Lorathe's growing armies, and the capital city itself has been suffering a food shortage and a lack of able workers for most jobs. 3 significant attempts at rebellion were made, but the captain who was stationed as temporary leader of the kingdom was able to overturn all resistance with ease. Current estimations lead many to believe Velach will be unable to sustain itself in a few short years, and many have fled the city to escape the growing poverty. Queen Corona, though she was able to leave the kingdom safely, was not heard of in the 11 years since the coup, and is assumed dead.

[gracedman]

Shame!!!

John 8:3–12

The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So, what do you say?” This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” Again, Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”

 I happened upon a video of Monica Lewinsky last night. It is on YouTube, should you care to watch it. I was struck by her candor and description of how her sin brought about a universal onslaught of condemnation and character assassination from the media and the internet. She had an affair with the President of the United States while he was in office. And once caught, everyone took up stones, and hurled them at her. The shame was so deep that she retreated from public exposure for over ten years. Politically, the president’s opponents sought to remove him through the impeachment process. It was unsuccessful. But both parties have branded ever since. Their sin has led to shame. For Monica Lewinsky this emotion has scarred her and never left her. The things said about her in the media and on the internet have affected her deeply.

 Her video is her attempt to create an awareness of the impact that accompanies such exposure online and in the media. She would hope to stop the accusers with their stones and words. But her analysis is woefully inadequate and only skims the human element to the problem. She has no real solution. She stands only as a survivor and not as a real victor. She has been through a hell of sorts, but she is still victimized.

 When Jesus faced such a woman, his response is remarkable. First, he does not soft-pedal the issue of her behavior: “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” He doesn’t say: “We need to change the rules here. We need to be less rigid in our definition of sinfulness.” No, he agrees with the law and with those who call sin for what it is, sin. In our modern society, where godliness is mocked and ridiculed, we are called continuously to have no standards. There is no fear of God in the eyes of many and the herd mentality is to do what is right in one’s own eyes or from our individual perspective. And so, we see a lowering of the bar, legally and morally, in our modern godless society. The only problem is that it doesn’t work. Sin is called sin for a reason: sin is destructive. It destroys the heart and soul of the individual, the family, the church, and the society. God has not called us away from sinfulness because he is a cosmic killjoy. He does so because sin destroys and weakens us as people. Satan as the author and promoter of sin has this said about him. He weakens and destroys the nations:

  Isaiah 14:12–17

“How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit. “Those who see you will gaze at you, And consider you, saying: ‘Is this the one who made the earth tremble, Who shook kingdoms, Who made the world as a wilderness And destroyed its cities, Who did not open the house of his prisoners?’

 The woman caught in adultery in John 8, met the God of all grace and the source of all mercy. Jesus told her: your accusers are gone, silenced. God does not condemn you. So, go and sin no more. Stay away from what got you here in the first place. God has made a provision in his son for us to be forgiven and fully recover from every effect of sin in our lives. He will remove even the memory of the shame, the guilt, and the horror that accompanies sin. He silences the spiritual voices that come to exploit the presence of sin in our lives. No wonder the devil is called the accuser of the brethren:

  Revelation 12:9–10

So, the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.

 Note: Now salvation and strength through the kingdom of God and the power of His Christ have come. Weakness is being replaced by God’s strength in our lives. Shame is being cast out and down. The accusations of our own conscience and the projections from the air, the media and the internet can be cast down as we go forward to possess what God has made available for us in Christ. For Christ fulfills these promises for and in us.

  Malachi 4:2–3

But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings; And you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves. You shall trample the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet. On the day that I do this,” Says the Lord of hosts.

 Lord Jesus, thank you that we can get beyond our personal shame. We can see the deep-seated guilt removed. You have finished the work of redemption for us and will finish the work of redemption in us. We can trample upon our enemies because of your power. Amen!!!