#this is JAMES' friend group agenda

[loverboyjamespotter]

ive said this before but i dont really think remus and sirius would have gotten on THAT well during their hogwarts years mainly bc the marauders is a dynamic that is characterised by sirius, remus and peter all revolving around JAMES. like james is the central figure to that friendship group and i think theyre all trying to get his attention. i genuinely believe that if remus was going to have a crush on any of the maurauders it would be james absolutely. like james is the one cheerfully calling one of the most traumatising experiences in remus' life his 'furry little problem' which, considering hope and lyall isolated him from all other children HIS WHOLE LIFE, would be a RELIEF. the fact that it was james who stepped in during the whomping willow incident with snape whereas sirius was the one instigating it. the fact that remus has such fond memories of james, the fact that james paid for remus' expenses after hogwarts, etc etc. like i completely believe remus had an unrequited crush on james which knowing james being as like emotionally clueless as he is probably wouldnt even have FIGURED THAT OUT. but this is all a long winded way of saying i really dont think sirius would be the one that remus would have romantic feelings for during their hogwarts years. part of that also is sirius' personality which is quite aloof and cold when he wants it to be. we're canonically told that the only person sirius really opened up to was james so i automatically think remus wouldn't even go there because of who HE is too. like i think growing up so isolated and alone like he did and being worried that no one would accept him for who he is then he meets the veritable whirlwind that is james potter who not only TURNED INTO AN ANIMAGUS FOR HIM but tries to normalise his experiences as much as possible this would critically inform who he would have a crush on. i think sirius' personality is too ... distant for remus to ever actually consider having a crush on him. for lack of better phrasing .... sirius is Too Traumatised. remus is proven time and time again to be an incredibly selfish character. i really dont think his idea of a crush would include trying to piece together a SEVERELY broken person (sirius). i think to him someone like james (or someone who james APPEARS to be) would be highly attractive. the golden boy, ridiculously clever and arrogant and silly and friendly and loyal and mean too. i think james' openness and capability to be extremely warm would be very thrilling for someone like remus whereas sirius' moodiness and mystery and closed-off nature would be exactly what remus is trying to escape FROM. this is exactly why we're canonically told that remus and sirius mistrusted each other during the war years which was not said of remus and james' relationship. i think in having a crush on james potter, captain of the quidditch team, the most popular boy in school, remus gets to live out his fantasy. james with his easy and loving parents, his great childhood, his spoilt naivety ... would all be what remus craves. so again.... this is all to say i think thats the fundamental reason why i think remus would be more likely to have a crush on james than on sirius and i dont know why theres not more fics of this/why this idea isnt more popular.

[justagirlwholikesadam]

Their Favorite Show

Remus Lupin x Fem! Reader

Summary: Sirius and James have a secret. They love watching Remus fucking his girlfriend, you. Without both of you knowing.

Warning: SMUT SMUT SMUT, Remus is a gentleman in the streets but a freak in the sheets, rough sex, masturbating, everyone is of age!!

Word Count: 1.6K

It all started when Sirius and James ran down the hallway to their dorm room. They were running late to quidditch practice, they didn’t want to get an earful about their tardiness. James was captain which meant more pressure in attending practice on time. Barging into the room, they quickly grabbed their stuff and was about to head out when a voice called out, a girl’s voice. They froze in mid step when they heard giggling followed by the sound of Remus’ voice, “Need you so bad, love.”

Even though they were running late, they were pranksters after all. They didn’t want to waste a good moment like this to prank their dear friend and his girl. They've been waiting for an opportunity like this. They were fond of you and accepted you into their little friend’s group. Sirius and James wouldn’t tell Remus this, but they had a small crush on you when they first met you. Which ended when Remus and you came out as a couple but once in a while, James and Sirius’ gaze would linger a little bit too long on you whenever you spoke or when doing something.

Running into the bathroom to hide, they left the door ajar. They had a clear view of Remus' bed. They held their breath when they heard the knob of the door jiggling.

“Remus.” Sirius’ ears perked up at your voice as both of you came walking in.

Sirius sees Remus leaning down to kiss you. Remus’ hands cups your face as he makes out with you. The boys freeze when they witness the sight of tenderness between Remus and you. Remus is mumbling your nickname to you as he lays his forehead against yours. His lips meets yours again before pulling away to lay you down on his bed, you’re on your back.

About to jump out and scare both of you. You began to moan when Remus started to nip on your neck, planting wet open kisses.

It takes a lot to make playboy, Sirius blush like a school girl but seeing Remus kiss you like that flipped something in him. Remus’ fingers were working quickly to unbutton your shirt. James gulped when Remus took your shirt off, showing your bralette.

“Prettiest fucking tits, I swear.” Remus says as he pulls them down, showing your bare breasts.

Sirius and James’ eyes grew wide as they saw Remus sucked your nipple while squeezing the other. They were practically salivating when they saw your wet hard nipple when Remus pops it out of his mouth.

“Don’t forget to lock the door.” You tell him as Remus quickly removes his sweater and throws it across the room.

“Don’t worry. Peter is in the library with Lily. James and Sirius are at practice. They won’t be back until a few hours.” Sirius and James glance at each at the word practice.

Practice will not be on the agenda today that was for sure especially when they saw you removing the rest of your clothes. Remus follows you and it is not the first time they have seen Remus naked. All the years they have helped him with his transformations. They were always amazed by his body. His tall frame was something out of a painting. His fair skin looked so soft even with the scars. His hair was getting longer, and his piercing eyes peeked behind the strands of hair as he leans over you.

Their cocks grew hard when they saw you riding Remus. The sound of skin slapping together, your wet cunt and Remus groans were so arousing to them. Your breasts were bouncing up and down as you rode Remus’ cock. James rubs the back of his neck as he hears Remus calling you his pretty slut. Sirius starts to play with the belt around his waist when you cried out that you were going cum.

Remus brings his hand to your neck and Sirius is hard when he sees you, go crossed eyes for a sec and a grin appears on your pretty flushed face when you cum on Remus’ cock.

It’s been three weeks since James and Sirius saw Remus fucking you. After watching Remus and you, they had to go their separate ways and deal with themselves. They felt bad afterwards, the guilt was eating them up every day. Jacking off to the thought of their best mate fucking his girlfriend.

They vowed to never tell Remus or you about this. Not even a living soul, they couldn’t tell anyone that they enjoyed it. Remus and you had ruined porn for them completely, nothing was exciting them like before. They had to hear Remus and your moans. They had to see your cunt gushing all over Remus’ cock to cum. It had gotten to the point that Sirius and James would pretend to forget some details. The boys would “recall” how your ass looked or how Remus’ cock slid into you. They wanted to talk about you and Remus in order for them to cum.

“Remember that face she made?” James nods at Sirius.

“When he started to choke her..fuck.” Sirius says as he cups himself through his trousers.

Remus and you never suspected a thing and they kept doing it. James and Sirius would hide in the closet, bathroom again, and use the cloak of invisibility. James and Sirius thought they were close before but nothing was like being close with each other like being under the cloak with their cocks out in their hands as they watched Remus fucking you from behind.

They had front row seats to their favorite show.

Remus had you on your hands and knees on his bed. He’s panting above you as he holds your hips while thrusting into you.

Sirius bites the inside of his cheek as he squeezes the head of his cock gently. James is breathing heavily, his round glasses start to fog up a bit as he strokes himself.

“Remus!” You cry out as he pushes the side of your face down on the mattress, you are facing James and Sirius now and they see a smile on your face when Remus holds your neck down. You love this just as much as Remus did.

Your moans become louder as Remus slams himself inside of you. The mattress springs creak so loudly by his rough thrusts. Your cheek is squished against the blankets. You hold on for dear life, your pussy pulse around Remus’ cock as he praises you for being a good girl with her ass in the air and head down.

They never would have thought Remus as a dom, he was too bashful and too respectful towards you. This was the same Remus that blushes when you call him baby and kisses his cheeks in the hallways. The same Remus that would walk you to class, carrying your books and even your bag.

That Remus is gone, this Remus is using your pussy as his personal pocket pussy and you’re just loving it. Even with his rough strokes, Remus leans down close to your face pushing his cock deeper inside of you.

Remus is muttering sweet words to you. Pushing your hair back, as he coos about your pretty face. He kisses your shoulders, as he calls you his.

“Mine. All mine.” He says before continuing ramming his hips against your ass.

James was the first to cum, he always is. He just couldn’t help it. You looked so fucking good with teary eyes taking a pounding from Remus. Sirius cums when you cry out for Remus to cum in you.

You are begging your boyfriend to fill you and Remus whines when he holds you in place. He leans over you and pulls your hair back, almost making your upper body fold back. He pulls you back by your hair and you look up at him with a pout, he kisses you.

Remus cries your name when he fills you to the hilt and paints your wall with his cum. James and Sirius just stare at both of you as Remus rolls you carefully on to your back. He’s gentle with you as he opens your legs and makes room for himself. He goes on you to lay there with you. Caging your head with his forearms as he kisses you. You wrap your legs around his waist.

They liked watching the aftercare, something so sweet and tender. Remus kisses you so gently, it leaves you out of breath. They would watch Remus stare down at you with so much intensity and love.

“You okay, love?” You nod at your boyfriend’s soft voice. Remus holds you until your breathing is back to normal. James whines softly at the sight of it and Sirius glances over at him. It’s hot and humid under the cloak.

James and Sirius give each other the same look after every time they watched Remus and you. They always say this will be the last time. That’s what they tell themselves but the moment they see you pulling Remus into another room during a party or whispering in his ear during lunches and breaks. They see the look on Remus’ face and he grabs your hand telling his friends something had come up. Sometimes they know by the way Remus walks up to you.

They watch him walk up behind you when they see you talking to your friends in the courtyard. He politely greets your friends with a smile as he grabs your waist, hugging you from behind and kisses your forehead. He grabs your bag, telling you a lady shouldn’t be carrying a heavy thing. Your friends are all in awe of his gentleman nature. You say goodbye to them as you walk with Remus who’s hiding his hard on with your bag. Both of you are off to the nearest empty classroom. James and Sirius are quick to make an excuse to leave. They always leave Lily, Peter and Marlene baffle by their sudden departure.

[casurlaub]

Can we please agree that liking a character doesn't mean you have to explain away their every bad call? And that disliking a character doesn't mean you have to overlook their good qualities to have them fit your narrative? No one is just this or that. It's always a range.

The lack of nuance in parts of this fandom annoys me so much. And let's please drop the double standards - finding excuses for every 'bad' thing character A does while demonizing character B.

Dumbledore is no super villain. Yes, he put defeating Voldemort over Harry's (emotional) needs. He isn't some supportive father figure, but he's not responsible for the war nor everyone's decision to join in. 'He raised an army of children' - um no? Because if so, he, the greatest wizard of the age, did a shitty job. In both wizarding wars it was just one group of friends joining the Order, not a huge number of former students. So either super-smart Dumbledore seriously sucked at recruiting, or maybe he didn't try all that hard?

James wasn't some prime example of social justice warrior from the very beginning. Yes, he had - to some extent - a set moral code, he hated the Dark Arts, and he certainly never used dark curses on others. But he found it entertaining to hex students at random. He was a classic bully; he did it because he could and because he found it funny. He enjoyed it. But that doesn't mean he had no good traits - he cared for his friends, befriended Remus (practically an outcast), and later he changed. I can't get over the people who find excuses for Snape's bullying of his students, of literal children when he's an adult, but seem to think James was the worst person to ever exist.

Sirius has a ton of good qualities; I could write an essay about it. But guess what, that doesn't make the prank thing okay (no matter if Remus cared about it). The same goes for the Snape bullying and his condescending (cruel) behavior towards Peter. And his treatment of Kreacher, who was oppressed, not the oppressor. And why do we applaud him for 'forgiving' Remus in PoA for not trying to get him out of Azkaban? What's there to applaud? He was in Azkaban because he thought Remus was the spy, did we forget that? How do we expect Remus to suss out that Sirius thought himself clever enough to outsmart not only Voldemort but also Dumbledore? Sirius isn't on some moral high ground here. He wasn't in Azkaban because of Remus but because of his own arrogance and lapse of judgement.

Remus isn't some impersonated moral code. He isn't 'the sensible one' by default. He makes a ton of shitty, truly awful decisions (roaming Hogsmeade while a werewolf, not telling Dumbledore about the secret passages or Sirius's animagus form in PoA even after Sirius, the alleged mass murderer with an agenda of killing Harry, broke into Harry's dorm, abandoning Tonks...). But he isn't some master manipulator with a hidden agenda either. He was driven by his self-loathing first and foremost. And when did it become worse to be a bystander than to participate in the actual bullying? (I'm not saying it's okay, but how can we find excuses for James and Sirius, but Remus is super evil for doing... nothing? When it's stated that Snape was following him and trying to uncover his secret to get him expelled? Shocking he didn't feel all that sympathetic.) Of course he is passive-aggressive, of course he was selfish/cowardish, I don't know, but he isn't evil? He's usually kind (ffs, he even felt pity for Greyback), and his issues are in the end all rooted in his endless self-loathing. That doesn't excuse it. It doesn't. But it doesn't mean he's acting like he does because he's an inherently bad person. This idea of inherently 'bad' or 'good' people is naive and harmful anyhow. Besides - I feel some standards imposed on him are impossible to meet, when the same people are quick to explain away James's/Sirius's/Snape's flaws. Remus is suffering from massive childhood trauma that he's forced to relive every month, he's stigmatized for it by society his whole life, but he himself is supposed to just 'let it go'? Without therapy or anything? Right...

And even Lily isn't a saint. She's fighting back a smile when James is bullying her (supposedly) best friend?

Snape is no tragic hero whose every wrong is justified because he turned around and sacrificed himself. Of course, he was brave. Of course, he had a shitty childhood. That doesn't give him a free pass. He was up to his eyes in the Dark Arts when he arrived at Hogwarts already, he invented curses like Sectumsempra while at Hogwarts, he sold the 'love of his life' to Voldemort. And even after he 'changed' and overcame his fascist views, he bullied children he was supposed to take care of - as a grown man. Not only Harry, but also Neville, Hermione, Ron, who knows how many others. So, yeah, cool, he protected their lives 'when it counted' - 'when it counted'??? You don't belittle your students, you don't insult them, you don't threaten to poison their pets no matter what happened to you when you were a kid. You're an adult, take responsibility. Easy as that. What happened to you may be an explanation, but not an excuse. And do we really think he didn't strike back at James and Sirius? That it was just James and Sirius and him taking it lying down without doing anything himself? I don't.

It's entirely natural to relate more to one character than another and to feel more sympathetic towards them. But let's move away from this 'all or nothing' way of thinking.

To me, they're all beautiful because they're flawed. It makes them real. I don't want them to be stripped of their flaws, not even my favorite characters.

Don't take Sirius's darkness away, don't turn Remus into the ever gentle voice of reason or the super selfish master manipulator (same goes for Dumbledore) and ffs don't excuse Snape's fascist views and bullying of children.

[forestdeath1]

🧡: What is a popular (serious) theory you disagree with?

Thank you 🫶

1.The Prank was a hurtful episode in the Marauders’ friendship. I think it was never a big deal for the Marauders. James wasn’t upset with Sirius, etc etc. The fandom made up cheap drama where there wasn’t any. “James was the moral compass of the group,” “James was angry with Sirius for two weeks/six months/a hundred years,” “James thought it was the height of dishonour to betray his friends and he thought Sirius betrayed Remus” – no. James was always on Sirius’s side, and that’s one more reason why Sirius was so fixated on James. James was the only person who fully accepted Sirius, with all his flaws and strengths, which no one else did.

2.James and Sirius were like brothers and treated each other as such. It’s clear to me that Sirius loved James and didn’t even realise it. Sorry for my Prongsfoot agenda, it’s not me, it’s canon. It’s just a fact, as much as the sky is blue, and the grass is green.🫶

3.Wolfstar is canon. I love Wolfstar and it can fit into the canon (I write Wolfstar myself), but it’s as canon as my grandmother being the Queen of the UK.

4.Dumbledore is a manipulative power-hungry evil. I’ve already written about this.

5.Of course, there’s a popular theory that Regulus was forced to become a Death Eater. BS.

And so on.

[flusteredmoonn]

all of the girls you've loved before

summary: "but i love you more," in which the song provides insight into how their previous experiences with love have shaped the way they are in a relationship.

tags: (SFW), fluff, drabble?, headcanons?, slightly canon divergent, mentions of abuse; no descriptions, ooc!marauders, afab!reader, x reader.

words: 1.0k+

discography. request.

james potter

james grew up surrounded by love, particularly from his parents. for him, this was a fundamental part in shaping the way he views romantic love, and the way he approaches romance through the duration of his time at hogwarts. the boy was so loved growing up that he doesn't quite understand when his friends don't experience the same thing or feel the same way towards love, at first, but then quickly comes to the realisation that he can step into the roll his parents served in loving him as he grew up. this makes him fill in the emotional roll of a parent within his friend group, which is why he becomes so full on toward lily in their second year.

he becomes persistent in his want to impress her and have her validation. in his second year of schooling, she teaches him to validate himself, even if that lesson came from her lack of attention toward him and her friendship with severus snape.

however, over the course of the next four years, for better or for worse, he wore lily down, eventually getting into a relationship with her. their relationship was the definition of healthy, until it wasn't. in the beginning, they were inseparable, they could be mistaken for almost the same person. though that was very quick to fade out as the intensity of their final exams began to weigh on them.

this breakup hit him hard, because of the idea of her he had in his head for almost the entirety of his schooling. he was forced to let that go, and so he grieved the relationship and his attachment to her. though, she did teach him lots about love, and the importance of communication in relationships, especially romantically, which he carried later into his life. this is why his next relationship is probably one of the healthiest relationships that anyone around him had ever seen.

sirius black

on the entirely opposite end of the spectrum, sirius never had a good role model of a relationship in his youth. his parents' marriage was one of convenience, it was loveless, which was expected because they were cousins. as a child, it was the kind of relationship he expected to find himself in when he became an adult. he expected to be married off, probably to one of his cousins, before he had even finished his schooling at hogwarts.

he hated the idea of being in a relationship just like his parents' one. they seemed to loathe each other, but because of their allegiance to voldemort, they had to constantly be in each other's corner. they had taken their indifference and dislike for one another out on both sirius and regulus, which was formative to their perception of a healthy relationship. though, this was until sirius had met james, and then had met his parents. his world was flipped upside down, his perception of what love looked like was completely changed.

so, in his aspiration for rebellion, he had decided to become a heartbreaker. and he did. part of him felt bad about the girl's he had lead on. but he knew it made his parents upset. he absolutely didn't, he just hoped when he returned during half term that he had reeked of mischief. although, he was changed when he had his first serious something with mary macdonald. she had taught him to be patient, and that not all relationships are as upsetting and distressing as his parents. that love can be something exciting and that is isn't meant to be heart wrenching.

unfortunately, as the war began to rage on, they were dawn apart. the order's agenda was rigorous, they were more frequently than not sent on opposing missions, especially because sirius was promised to voldemort by his parents, and eventually it drove them apart. and he descended into madness, suddenly he had no one he could trust. trust had become so important to him, but when he loves next, he loves ten times as hard. because he doesn't want to feel so alone again.

remus lupin

similarly to sirius, remus never had a solid example of what a healthy relationship looked like. especially not with his condition. and as a result of this, his relationship with his parents was strained, to say the least. though he never outwardly said it, from a young age, remus had known that his father feared him. he grew up surrounded by people in relationships, but none of them seemed truly happy. and he could feel the contempt both of his parents had for him, of course, his mother did love him, before the attack, and he held on to that, it's what got him through his years prior to hogwarts.

at hogwarts, this boy was very quickly loved, and frankly adored, by those around him. particularly, from james and sirius, these two boys showed remus, for the first time in a long time, what it was to be loved. and he cherished the feeling that the knowledge provided. they had taught him how to be a regular kid, a revealing revelation for remus. james and sirius taught remus the joy of causing mischief, how he felt like a normal kid after watching his friends at quidditch practice, and then they'd play fight and roll through the mud.

romantically, this boy had only observed that sort of love. he saw the admiration in his friend's eyes when someone they fancied walked past, or the hushed whispers of some of the girl's in the common room gushing over which boys they found the most attractive. he knew that love was delicate, but ultimately, in a romantic sense, he never had someone to directly show him how to feel it. though, he supposed it wasn't all that different to the love he felt for his friends, or when he thought he fancied one of his classmates.

this man loves in such a wise, and committed sense. truly beyond his years with how mature of a relationship he desires, and in the way he loves.

[lvrcpid]

front stage center - modern!au

includes: fem!reader. implied neteyamxreader. implied aonungxreader. dad tsu’tey agenda. i had so much fun writing this. the play is hamilton btw.

imagine being in the school play with modern!avatar.

——————————————————————————————

in the beginning!

— you’re a theater kid!

— your schools annual play was hamilton this year

— you just needed more people to audition with you

— you were lowkey scared

— who else better to turn to than your friends

— lo’ak only did it because tsireya agreed off the bat

— neteyam said yes because he actually enjoyed watching the play on disney+

— you had to bribe ao’nung with a date

— kiri is behind the scenes (lights and stage hands)

— spider was in earshot and did it just to be around y’all

— rotxo did it cause he’s also in theater with you!

after auditions!

— lo’ak got the part of james madison and hercules mulligan

— tsireya got the part of angelica

— you got the part of eliza

— ao’nung got the part of thomas jefferson and lafayette

— neteyam got the part of hamilton??? (ooo yuh get it i guess)

— spider got phillip and laurens

— don’t play with spider that boy can SING.

— roxto GOT AARON BURR??

— ao’nung wanted hamilton but the theater teacher said he fit perfectly for thomas…genuinely think it’s cause of the curly hair… OH WELL

opening night

— why was your dad already tearing up???

— you didn’t even get on stage yet

— THE PARENTS GETTING FLOWERS FOR YOU GUYSSSS

— tuk having a special flower just for you

— jake probably gave her candy to hold her over since you guys were doing the whole show which was 2 HOURS LONG

— kiri is stressed out cause she’s literally doing all the work HERSELF

— well she made herself do all the work

— it’s her friends and her siblings for crying out loud

— neteyam and you practicing together

— ao’nung arguing with hair and makeup

— lo’ak and tsireya taking pics

— rotxo is PANICKING WITH KIRI FOR SOME REASON??

— the whole cast is either freaking out or creepily calm

during the show!

— neteyam definitely is going on broadway

— he was made for this???

— jake and neytiri are so PROUD OF HIM

— being shocked because it’s going really good just for act one

— ao’nung being salty cause you and him have no scenes together while you and neteyam LITERALLY GET MARRIED

— you singing your ass off during helpless and that would be enough

— no literally your mom had to bring tissues for your dad

— spider eating the girls up with his vocals

— lo’ak spicing it up with humor that goes off script a bit

— kiri smiling at all of you from backstage but probably still stressed out

— she ate with the stage hands though don’t play with her

— the audience loves it so why not

— tsireya definitely is made for this cause she portrays angelica so well ??

— it was a one night only show since it’s two hours long and y’all are kids…

— THE TURN OUT WAS GREAT

— the chemistry yall all had was to die for , you guys looked like naturals!

after the show!

— you guys all screaming like little girls cause y’all are so proud of yourselves

— neteyam got you flowers and hid them till after the show :(

— tonowari hugging ALL OF YOU

— bear hug anyone?

— tsu’tey still crying cause of who lives who dies who tells your story

— your mom handing you the flowers HE was supposed to give you

— lo’ak was still in character for like a week afterwards

— tsireya was so proud of herself and everyone that she made little gift bags for everyone

— she’s such a cutie i love her

— tuk probably fell asleep, not cause it was boring she actually really enjoyed seeing it , it was just past her bedtime LMAO

— AONUNG WANTS TO JOIN THEATER NOW.

— i can just see him actually having the time of his life on stage

— she was sad she missed it when she woke up

— kiri is probably so relieved that it’s over now she can go home and sleep

— you guys took a group picture that you all got framed the next day

— y’all went to dinner afterwards in your costumes since the theater director said y’all can keep them 🤭

[destieltropecollection]

DESTIEL TROPE COLLECTION 2023 | DAY 27 | Omegaverse

The Ruse (WIP) | Destielshipper4Cas (AO3)

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 3,533 Main Tags/Warnings: Prince Dean, Commoner Cas, Falling In Love, Strangers to Lovers, False Identity, Mistaken Identity, Omega Castiel, Alpha Dean, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Bottom Castiel, Top Dean, Happy Ending Summary: Castiel, a lowly commoner, is supposed to travel to the Winchester kingdom as a decoy, posing as Prince James who is to mate Prince Samuel of Winchester. On the way, he gets kidnapped by a group of bandits, led by a rugged alpha outlaw with an alluring scent. He has no idea that ‘Dean’ is actually the elder Winchester prince, heir to the throne, who has his own agenda.

south by | @sharkfish​

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 4,367 Main Tags/Warnings: Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Omega Dean, Omega Castiel, Trans Omega Castiel, Gender Euphoria, Gender politics, Sharing a Bed, Coworkers Summary: “We have one king ready for you through Saturday night,” the beta says, starting to pull out keycards for them. “Wait,” Dean says. “There’s supposed to be two rooms.” She checks the computer again, frowning. “I’m sorry, sir, but there’s only one reservation here.”

The Rut Pact | Destielshipper4Cas (AO3)

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 16,113 Main Tags/Warnings: Best Friends, Bisexual Disaster Dean Winchester, Dean Winchester in Denial About Sexuality, Internalized Homophobia, Porn with Feelings, Bottom Cas, Top Dean, Alpha Dean, Alpha Cas, Happy Ending Summary: When Dean finds out that his best friend Cas is alphasexual, he comes up with a great plan that means neither of them will have to spend their ruts alone anymore. Just alpha buds helping each other out. Good thing Dean is straight. Otherwise, he might fall in love with his best friend.

boombox & cookies | @sharkfish​

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 16,659 Main Tags/Warnings: Alpha Dean Winchester, Omega Castiel, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Non-explicit references to past abuse, Non-explicit references to alcoholism, Gender politics, Tooth-Rotting Fluff Summary: “I think I misjudged you,” Castiel says. Dean shuts and then opens his mouth like an idiot fish. “What do you mean?” “I don’t do well with alphas and I’m not interested in being flirted with.” “Hey,” Dean interrupts, “I swear that’s not —” “Dean.” Castiel’s voice is deep and firm enough to shut Dean up. “I understand that now, but my original assumption was that you’re the kind of aggressive alpha who just wants to get his knot wet. You're not like that."

On Breeding Vacation | Destielshipper4Cas (AO3)

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 23,345 Main Tags/Warnings: Mutual Pining, Strangers to Lovers, Breeding Kink, Mpreg, Bottom Castiel, Top Dean, Happy Ending, Porn with Feelingsm Fluff and Smut, Dorks in Love, Cuddling & Snuggling, Bottom Castiel, Top Dean, Omega Castiel, Alpha Dean, Mating Cycles/In Heat Summary: Cas wants pups, but without an alpha, that dream seems out of reach. Luckily, fertility ranches have long since specialized in giving omegas who are incapable of being loved the family they so desperately desire.

Wrapped Up In You | @roobear68

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 28,030 Main Tags/Warnings: True Mates, Alpha Castiel/Omega Dean Winchester, Secret Admirer, Begging, Knotting, Slick, Rimming, Oral sex, Castiel/Dean, Gabriel/Sam, Castiel & Gabriel, Dean & Sam, Toby (the Chihuahua), Castiel, Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester, Gabriel, Benny L., Balthazar, Bobby Singer, Ellen Harvelle, Alfie (supernatural) Summary: Cas was intrigued by the delectable scent left on these anonymous gifts. The alpha was determined to find this mysterious omega. He was unaware that his little dog, Toby, had decided that very same thing.

Entre Nous | @pleasetakethis​

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 33,840 Main Tags/Warnings: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha Castiel/Omega Dean Winchester, True Mates, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Porn with Feelings, Pining, Oblivious Dean, Self-Sacrificing Castiel, Scenting, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Top/Bottom Versatile Castiel/Dean Winchester, Oral Sex, Knotting, Anal Sex, Mating Bond, Recreational Drug Use Summary: Dean Winchester didn't consider himself much of an omega. He avoided dating alphas and he'd taken heat suppressants since he'd presented, so it wasn't an issue--until he learned suppressants were affecting his heart and he'd have to stop taking them. His doctor recommended a medical match website to solicit an alpha's assistance during his breakthrough heats to minimize stress on his heart, and that was how he met Castiel Novak. Castiel wasn't a typical alpha. He had hypothyroidism, a low hormone disorder that left him with mild ruts and a scent many found unsettling. He'd long written off the idea of finding a compatible mate, though his doctor had begun to push services that matched alphas and omegas to help combat the progression of his disorder. Castiel's brother showed up one night carrying the scent of mate, and that was how his relationship with Dean Winchester started. ...or Not Relationship. Because Dean made it clear he didn't date alphas, and Castiel wouldn't tell Dean they scent bonded during the first shared heat because they were true mates. Castiel isn't like any alpha Dean has known, but Dean isn't ready to let his guard down until his heart makes it clear he has no other choice.

You're The One That I Want | @roobear68

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 36,620 Main Tags/Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Graphic Depictions of Violence,True Mates, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mating Bites, Knotting, Angel Babies, Past Rape/Non-Con, Tiny Amount of angst, John Winchester A+ parenting, BAMF Mary Winchester, BAMF Castiel, BAMF Dean Winchester, Fallen Angel, Protective Dean Winchester, Protective Sam Winchester, Protective Castiel, Protective Gabriel, Emmie, Past violence, Past child abuse, Past violence, Castiel/Dean, Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester, Mary Winchester, Archangel Michael Summary: Dean is an Alpha Angel who was ready to be mated. Cas is an Omega Human who wanted the same. Cas wanted to have his own family with lots of pups. Dean wanted the same thing. Dean knew he was about to meet his True Mate. Cas knew he was about to be murdered.

Unwritten | @porcupine-girl

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 75,784 Main Tags/Warnings: No Archive Warnings, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Bookstore Owner Dean, Writer Castiel, Alpha/Alpha, Alpha Dean, Alpha Castiel, True Mates, Medical Procedures, Denial of Feelings, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Mating Bond, Mating Bites, top Cas/bottom Dean Summary: A spontaneous scent bond is the stuff of romance novels: an alpha and an omega meet by chance, and they happen to be so compatible that their pheromones are perfectly aligned, drawing them irresistibly together to mate and bond for life. Neither bookstore owner Dean Winchester nor science fiction novelist Castiel Novak have ever thought it sounded romantic. Your hormones going nuts and tricking you into tying yourself to a complete stranger for the rest of your life? No thanks. But when Castiel comes to Dean's store for a signing, they feel an inexplicable pull toward each other, and into a powerful bond that neither of them wants. A bond that shouldn't even be possible for two alphas. At least they agree on one thing: they will not let biology determine their fate.

Life of young omega Dean | A-heller-cockles-truther

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 77,247 Main Tags/Warnings: Omegaverse, domestic, ptsd, alpha castiel, omega dean Summary: Story of Dean, he was born as omega in a world that sees them mostly as walking wombs, he was born to an alpha dad that had hate for omegas but mostly not stable emotionally using alcohol as cure while neglecting Dean and Sam. All his life he hid him being omega until he couldn't anymore but Bobby was there, he learned to accept who he is and true love it is. Dean's life was not easy but he got his brother Sam Bobby who like his dad and new friends he found in the new life he built away from the toxic environment of his dad and hunter life. Dean journey where he realize people love him, the world not always bad and horrible and he never be like his dad John

The Lord of Amara (WIP) | @diminuel​​

Rating: Mature Word Count: 92,143 Main Tags/Warnings: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Arranged Marriage, Omega Castiel/Alpha Dean Winchester, Cas pretending to be an alpha, Past Abuse, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn Summary: The people of Amara cherished tradition and stability. For 700 years the Novak alphas have ruled the country. As the young Lord of Amara, Castiel understands the burden of duty he owes to his blood, his country and his allies even if it means a life of secrecy and sacrifice. Their neighboring Kingdom of Winchester is struggling with a secret of its own regarding crown prince Dean. When Sam, on a desperate quest to find help for his brother, accidentally uncovers a truth about the Lord of Amara, he has no other choice but to ask Castiel to put his signature on a marriage contract to Dean Winchester. Castiel has to leave Amara behind to go to a country on the brink of ruin and a husband that wants nothing more than to be left alone.

Big Alpha Energy (BAE) | @valandrawrites​

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 97,401 Main Tags/Warnings: Prostitution, Sex Worker Castiel, Alphas who Bottom, Alpha Dean/Omega Cas, secondary gender dysphoria, Discussion of Past Suicide Attempt, Suicidal Thoughts, Sam Winchester Takes Care of Dean Winchester, Dom Castiel, Castiel and Dean Winchester Need to Use Their Words, Sexual Identity, Charlie is Sus, Mechanic Dean, PhD Student Castiel, Explicit Sexual Content, Anal Sex, Fisting, BEWARE SPOILERS AHEAD, Mpreg, Pregnant Castiel Summary: Alpha/Alpha relationships are illegal under Great Plains Nation Pack Law. With plummeting birth rates and discrimination against Omegas, the worst thing an Alpha can be is a bottom. Afraid of designation re-eduation, if he’s found out Dean has resisted acting on his most basic, primal need. Until now. With one failed suicide attempt already under his belt, Dean can’t take it anymore, which is how he finds himself at The Queen of Moondoor’s underground brothel, asking for the one thing he knows he shouldn’t want, but can’t live without.

[storkmuffin]

VOGUE US March 2024

On His Terms

by Sarah Crompton

With his red cap pulled down over horn-rimmed glasses, Tobias Menzies walks into a London hotel with the wariness of a man who might just be recognized. It's his face that would catch him out, those deep lines running from eyes to chin. "He had those even as a young man," says his friend the theater director Rupert Goold. "It's like someone has taken a knife and carved them. And I feel those lines run deep inside him as well. He's grown into his face like a lot of actors do."

Menzies's smile is warm and his handshake firm, and though he lives not far from here in north London's Crouch End, he is dressed more as a country dweller than a man-about-town, in jeans and blue gilet zipped over a soft mustard-and-red-checked shirt. Only his Grenson trainers, white and red and with flashes of the same yellow, suggest he might belong to an artier milieu.

"I don't get recognized on any intrusive level, but it's not a part of [the job] that I love," he admits as we settle down to talk. "I like to watch people—I don't like them to watch me." I've asked him about the experience he's having at 49—that of a talent stepping into his prime. Blame it on The Crown, in which he played the second incarnation of Prince Philip across two seasons (a role that won him an Emmy), and last year's wry, acclaimed comedy You Hurt My Feelings, in which he starred opposite Julia Louis-Dreyfus ("He's one of the most warm and present actors I've worked with," says its director, Nicole Holofcener). And now, he's appearing in two leading-man roles, as Edwin Stanton, Abraham Lincoln's secretary of war, in Apple TV+'s series Manhunt in March, and he's currently onstage in The Hunt, an adaptation of the 2012 Thomas Vinterberg film directed by Goold, playing at St. Ann's Warehouse in Brooklyn five years after its London premiere.

"I've got to be honest, I really liked it," Menzies says of the status he enjoyed in Manhunt. "Being in the engine room of it and part of the storytelling decisions." The series is part thriller and part history lesson, set over the 12 days following Lincoln's assassination in 1865 as Stanton attempts to track down the president's killer, John Wilkes Booth (it's based on historian James L. Swanson's 2006 bestseller). Episodes skip forward and backward, tracing the story of a tumultuous time and the ideological schisms that caused the Civil War and continued long after it. Stanton, a brilliant lawyer and strategist, is at the center of everything, clashing with Lincoln's successor, President Andrew Johnson, as he attempts to preserve the late president's legacy.

As gripping as any detective story, Manhunt addresses painful facts of America's past: "The implications of losing Lincoln and what that meant for African American people," says showrunner Monica Beletsky, who spent four years developing the project and who has followed Menzies's career since they overlapped as students at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London (she on a stint studying there from the US). "You could argue in a way that the Confederates won the peace," Menzies points out. "What is important about Monica making the show is that she is a person of color, and arguably the big fallout from Lincoln's assassination was that Reconstruction was lost until 100 years later and the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Voting rights, land rights—they didn't happen. A lot of the things that African Americans have been fighting so hard for, for so long, were on Stanton's agenda."

Menzies studied carefully for the role ("He prepares months in advance," says Beletsky), working to find Stanton's voice and make his accent seem effortless, but also reading widely about the Civil War and its aftermath. Doris Kearns Goodwin's classic history Team of Rivals was a particularly rich source: "It takes you into this very disparate group Lincoln collected around him," Menzies says. "There was such a diversity of opinion and a lot of antagonism, but that was part of the power of it." Menzies also studied Gregory Peck's towering performance as Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird. "I was thinking of those archetypes that American literature and film are full of," he says. "Because it's such a whirlwind story with so many different characters floating through it—so you need a moral compass."

The key to the character became a combination of "stoicism and radicalism," Menzies says—and as an actor, he's exceptionally good at playing men who are fighting such opposing impulses, with strong currents of feeling running beneath an impassive surface. "He is one of those rare actors who does a lot with silence," Beletsky says. "He makes you believe you can feel what he is thinking, and he can do those things without saying a word."

Goold, who has directed Menzies many times onstage—including as Hamlet, as Valentine in Tom Stoppard's Arcadia, and as Edgar in King Lear—thinks this quality has become stronger as Menzies has grown older. "He's got this wonderful physical expressiveness, but there's a slightly remote quality to him, I suppose," Goold says. "The quality I find really compelling in him is his committed curiosity. It's quite rare, especially for British actors, to keep their craft developing, to become more rigorous and investigative, and I think Tobias is an outlier on that."

Menzies is attracted to roles that conceal depths. "There is a certain magic about that. Part of the maths is that there is more on the inside than on the outside"

Their most recent collaboration is The Hunt, a haunting story in which a small-town teacher becomes ostracized when a six-year-old child accuses him of abuse. Menzies will be reprising his devastatingly observed performance from the play's 2019 London premiere. "When we put it on, we felt it to be about false accusations and the way that cancel culture was creating pariahs," says Goold. "But it is as much about someone who is shut out from their community because they choose to live apart. There is part of Tobias that is like that."

Menzies acknowledges that he is attracted to roles that conceal depths. "It's partly a taste thing," he says. "I like the kind of acting where I can't see the performance, I can't see how it is happening. There is a certain magic about that. Part of the maths is that there is more on the inside than on the outside, there's a kind of mystery there."

Menzies was born in London, his father a radio producer for the BBC, but after his parents separated when he was six, he lived with his mother, a drama teacher, and his brother in Kent. On their regular cultural outings, he was inspired by contemporary dance and the experimental theater companies he saw: Pina Bausch, Complicité, Shared Experience, Cheek by Jowl. "I was interested in companies that were making their own work," he says, "and I tried to go to train with [the radical movement coach] Jacques Lecoq in Paris; but I didn't have the money for that, so I went to RADA."

He never dreamed of being a famous actor. "My obsession as a kid was tennis," he says, with a grin. He was good enough to be on the fringes of the team for the county of Kent but gave it up when he realized he would never be truly first-class. He stopped playing for a long time. "Periodically I would pick up a racket and try to play a bit, and my game had completely fallen apart and it made me so angry. It was so frustrating. A few years ago I thought, Let's start again, do my 10,000 hours, and let's fix it." He approached the task with "monomaniacal" intent, working for a year on his forehand, and a year on his backhand, then adding his serve. Now he plays three times a week at a local tennis club, either with a coach or taking on other members in clay court matches. "I'm pretty obsessive about it," he says. "I just find it fascinating. It is such a mental game—a very interesting microcosm of one's brain."

His hero is Novak Djokovic. "He has less natural flair than Nadal or Federer but there is an epic quality to his tennis. He is able to endure and suffer, and so he can do it all in some way. There is a sort of purity to what he is doing. I think only if you have struggled with tennis do you realize that even though it looks plain, what's going on, the footwork, the ability to get to that ball and then hit it—it's just rather remarkable."

Menzies admits that his attitude to life mirrors his tennis. "I am probably on the methodical end of things, yeah," he says, with another low laugh. I ask about his film roles, which have been getting bigger and richer of late. He loved filming in New York with Holofcener on You Hurt My Feelings—"It was definitely bucket list"—and is currently appearing alongside Brad Pitt in the as-yet-untitled Formula 1 drama directed by Joseph Kosinski, which is filming scenes at Grand Prix around the world.

Before the actors' strike interrupted production, they had shot two scenes at Silverstone in the UK. "It was bonkers because we are in amongst everything else. So we did this scene on the grid before the race and the grid is live: real drivers, real cars, celebrities wandering around." He pauses, then adds: "It was like theater on steroids—really, really fun." He has nothing but praise for Pitt—"a lovely, lovely person, very collaborative, very nice to act with, and supersmart"—but working with him brought Menzies face-to-face with a level of fame that he doesn't aspire to. "How does he go out? It is very constraining to have that level of visibility."

Partly from a desire to preserve his anonymity as much as he can, Menzies took an early decision never to talk about his private life. "Is that old-fashioned of me?" he asks. "I'm going to stick to my guns. It's partly natural shyness on my part. But to be a bit more grandiose about it, the idea of celebrity moving into the arts and acting does have an effect on how we watch."

Through it all Menzies is genial and engaged, asking a lot of questions, yet there is something formal about him too. This is someone who is deeply serious about acting, pursuing projects that interest him and then immersing himself in them. I ask if being able to choose work of quality and interest is part of this new level of success, and Menzies says that it has come at a good time. "The question for me would have been whether as a younger person I would have handled it very well," he tells me. "I just think at some base level, it has taken me time to get really good." He laughs gently. "If I'd had a lot of exposure early on, I don't think I'd have been ready. I know I am a lot better now than I was 10 years ago. Acting keeps you very humble because you never quite know day-to-day. You can do all the work in the world and try the best you can, and sometimes it just lifts off and sometimes it doesn't."

[tealeafgrimm]

Mission Completed

Remus Lupin x Reader Words: 622 Summary: During an undercovre mission for the Order, Remus and you must make a quick decision to avoid being exposed.

"I still don't understand why we, of all people, have to do the tailing. The way Sirius is acting over there, a blind man with a cane can see he's trying to find out information. And you're just too tall! Even when you're sitting down, you still stand out," you hissed to Remus while you waited at the bar for your drinks.

Sirius was waiting for you on the other side of the shabby accommodation and kept looking around the room in a conspicuous, inconspicuous manner.

Dumbledore had received information that small groups supporting Voldemort's agenda were meeting regularly in this run-down pub. According to your information, they were not exactly Death Eaters, but sympathizers nonetheless. For this reason, he had given you the order to check out the bar, but to draw as little attention to yourselves as possible. While Remus and you more or less found your way around in your clearly worn clothes, it was obvious that Sirius had never worn anything dirtier in his life. He kept tugging at his clothes, trying to knock off dirt and grime, and running his hands through his thick dark curls.

"Sorry I got too tall," Remus grumbled, but smiled at you.

"You know I like tall men," you winked at him as you accepted the glass the bartender handed you with a nod. The contents didn't look like you really wanted to drink the brew, but you had to at least pretend that you had something to do here. You had already turned your back to Remus, so you couldn't see the blush that was creeping up his face.

Just as you were about to make your way to Sirius' table, the front door to your right opened. Panic set in as you saw the familiar faces of several Death Eaters standing there. Out of the corner of your eye, you could see Sirius pull up a copy of the Daily Prophet to hide behind. Without thinking, you turned to Remus, who was looking down at you with an equally terrified expression.

Before you could react in any way, he had already pulled you to him and pressed his lips to yours.

As if it was the most natural thing in the world, his hands found their way to your waist. Though caught off guard, you couldn't say you didn't like it. You had had a crush on Remus for years, but never felt like he returned your feelings. Your hair moved to the back of his neck and you pulled him even closer to you.

You didn't know how long you stood like that at the bar. By now you had already forgotten that the reason for the kiss was the sudden appearance of Death Eaters.

After what felt like an eternity, Remus' hands disappeared from your waist and you disengaged from each other.

"Sorry...I shouldn't have...I just thought...distraction... well, not that I didn't... I mean...", Remus stammered to himself, blushing bright red.

"I wasn't complaining, was I?" you smiled at him, pulling him down to you again.

A clearing of your throat behind you, made you jump up. "As nice as I think it is that you two are finally making a move. The Death Eaters have been gone for ten minutes. We should get out of here." Sirius stood in front of you with his arms crossed, looking from one to the other.

"And actually, I deserve compensation for having to watch this. Next time James can come with us," he grumbled, turning toward the front door. Shrugging your shoulders, you looked at Remus mischievously and held out your hand to him. With a grin he took it and together you followed your friend out of the bar.

[hiswordsarekisses]

This is so good and so true:

DO WE NEED MULTIPLE BIBLE TRANSLATIONS? WHAT TRANSLATIONS SHOULD WE USE? By Lynette Hughes:

I am writing this in response to several Facebook friends who have questioned my reasons for using various Bible translations rather than exclusively using the King James Bible. If you are convinced that the King James Version is the only legitimate English Bible and that all other translations are false then please don’t waste your time reading this article because nothing I can say will convince you otherwise. If you love and enjoy your KJV, then by all means, you should continue to use and enjoy it. For myself, I believe multiple versions of the Bible can actually be an aid in understanding the message of the Bible, although, I personally like to go back to my primary study Bible [NIV], to compare scriptures.

Since the King James version was translated in 1611 many Bible transcripts have been discovered that are older and more accurate. When Bible scholars research through these older manuscripts they have discovered that some words, phrases, and sentences were added to the Bible either intentionally or accidentally. The verses that you see missing are simply not found in the oldest and most reliable manuscripts and the translators have removed these verses and placed them in footnotes or in the margin because they do not believe they were part of the original manuscripts of the Bible. Bible translators do not compare a translation against another translation, but against the manuscripts that were used.

It is nothing but myth that the King James Version is perfect. A 1611 King James version is virtually unreadable by the average person today, and there have been over thousands of corrections in the KJV from 1611 through 1769 edition, which is the version we use. And, although I believe that the KJV remains an excellent translation, yet today this 400-year-old version remains difficult to comprehend in all too many passages. Everything from the spelling, to syntax, to grammar, to phraseology is very different from what we speak today.

To complicate things, the KJV uses many archaic and obsolete words which have changed in meaning over time and do not convey what the original translators intended to express.. If you were brought up on the King James Version or you have been reading it for years, you might not quite realize how totally foreign sounding the King James Version is to modern readers. Estimates are that the King James Version uses 827 words and phrases that have since changed their meaning or are not used at all. When the Bible is translated, it should be translated into how a people/language group speaks. We understand the written Word of God best when we can read it in our own language – in the vernacular of the day – not how it was spoken hundreds of years ago.

I do realize many people have gotten used to a particular Bible version and resist any attempts to update or revise it, but fierce loyalty to a particular version of the Bible is illogical and for some advocates idolatrous. No doctrine essential for salvation is affected by translations, modern or ancient—unless done by a particular cult to promote its liberal agenda or belief system. There is no perfect translation of the English Bible, as the Scriptures were originally written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, not English. Each translation has its own strengths and weaknesses, and I am not arguing for any specific version.

Hand a KJV to a young person, or even an older person, and ask them to read 1 Thess. 4:5 and then explain to you what "concupiscence" means. Here is another one: "Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may WITHOUT the word be won by the CONVERSATION of the wives;"1 Peter 3:1. That sounds like a total contradiction until one learns that CONVERSATION in that verse does not mean speech, but behavior. The meaning of the word in English is no longer the same. A prime example of words taking on a different meaning because of culture is the Christmas song "Don we now our gay apparel, Fa la la, la la, la la la, la." That would have a totally different connotation today.

I certainly concede that the KJV is virtually unsurpassed in poetic beauty and literary elegance. But literary beauty and elegance are not substitutes for clarity. We read the Bible in an effort to know what it’s saying. Reading several translations based on different manuscripts can unlock different shades of meaning that you may have previously missed. It can clarify passages of Scripture, and help you see a verse in a different way.

For those trying to choose a Bible, I would encourage each of you to pick a word-for-word, literal translation [such as, NASB, HCSB, KJV, NKJV, MEV, ESV, or the less literal Bible translations, such as the NIV and NLT (a combination of word for word and thought for thought'), as your primary study Bible, then use other paraphrased versions that may be easier to read to help you wrestle through difficult passages and compare them with your primary Bible translation. If there are distinct differences between versions, you may find it helpful from time to time to utilize the Greek and Hebrew lexicon to verify biblical definitions.

Some Bible versions translate less literally, and should not be used as a Christian’s primary Bible. Bibles, such as The Living Bible, GNT, TLB, NEB, the Amplified Bible and God’s Word are paraphrased to reflect what the author thinks the Bible says, not necessarily what the Bible actually says. A paraphrase of the Bible should be used more as a commentary, a way to get another perspective, but should not be viewed as accurate as it is an author’s idea of what the Bible says. A paraphrased Bible allows the greatest degree of liberty in translation and leaves too much room for personal interpretation [2 Peter 1:20].

Some Bibles, such as The New World Translation [used by Jehovah’s Witnesses], the Message, the Passion Bible, as well as feminist and homosexual versions, are doctrinally corrupt mistranslations that have the specific purpose of altering Scripture to agree with their beliefs; they have an agenda all their own.

The Message Bible promotes the mystical New Age message with a boldness that's never been seen in a mainstream Bible. “Lord” occurs 7,970 times in the King James Bible and the Message contains the Lord only 71 times. I could go on and on but let me clarify one thing.... The amputation of these words, of which there are many more, are no accident. It is not an issue in translation or Greek manuscripts. It's also not a matter of updating archaic words or making it easier to understand. It was a deliberate and intentional doctrinal decision to remove the "Lord" and the use of the "Lord Jesus".

Above all, when we are choosing a Bible and/or comparing scriptures, we must ask God for wisdom and discernment. The Spirit of God will enlighten us to hear and understand the truth of God’s written Word and apply it to our lives. It is every Christians privilege to ask and expect the teaching and guidance of the Holy Spirit. We are not left to be absolutely dependent on any interpretation of man. 1 Corinthians 2:5 KJV says “That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men. But in the power of God.”

[aster1sque]

ohhh hello pls gimme lullaby of arsonists thats such a title im !!!!!

Heyy!! <3

So LOA is my baby that i have so many plans for. For context, it’s a sort of creature au where the world has been taken over by the 5 major mythical creatures that call themselves the Divines (vampires, werewolves, sirens, veela and witches) and humans have been imprisoned into camps following a war.

The fic follows, james potter, a training hunter hiding underground with a rebel group. Remus lupin, a werewolf assassin who kills to survive. Sirius and regulus black, vampires who have their own agenda. There’s a whole lot of plot of the governing system, magic, history, lore and a building war that had been lost before.

As for a little unedited snippet:

The dreams grew fangs and in the darkness the stars turned red, blinking in hungry delight. Cottage living rooms with floating lanterns for light turned into explosions of jades and twilights, imprisoning him in a circle of soaring flames. He felt vines like scales growing up his ankles to his shoulder blades until he couldn't even twitch. Needle like spears tearing into his skin as blood trickled down his tongue that tasted like sweet wine. Chains around his throat bearing a furious pressure on his heart and a timeless drop of an unmoving body.

Until it stopped like a final breath. Death rushing in like an inhale of a scream. Each nightmare alternating between fear, anger and pleasure each night. It was a heavy weight his shoulders were refined to carry, lest he wish the crumble under the yearning. And so James Potter doesn't tell a soul about what he sees when the lights go off and his mind conjures beasts he almost became the dinner of had he not been rescued. He keeps his lips locked when deja vu comes in the form of a vampire built like his dreams and he hesitates to kill. He keeps his head down when his running mind of tangled yarn pins photographs to his board of who? Where? Why?

Alas, his friends could hear his unspoken words, see the red string and feel the tension when he carves wooden stake after wooden stake after wooden stake.

His dream self couldn't drive a weapon into the chest of the monster with angel eyes, but the fangs of his dreams and the fangs just centimetres from puncturing his collarbone, were very very different.

Weren’t they?

[lovelylusts]

cloud nine // csb // 00 - profiles

summary: a group of friends form on nsfw twitter, and hijinks ensue. but when jisu starts catching feelings for soobin after filming with him, she has to grapple with her feelings while assuring her close bond with him doesn’t die.

general warnings: choi soobin x oc (moon jisu), smau, smut, fluff, angst, crack, the rest of txt is here too, aespa is also here just bc they serve, no relationships or events in this story reflect real ships and are just for the story, this is a pro sex-work story obv, lowkey probably gonna be filthy as hell considering it’s a sex work au, vague relationships lmao, she/they oc because i’m projecting, genderfluid yeonjun agenda, oc has a not-so-secret thing for soobin’s hands, they use fake names on twt :)

chapter warnings: tiny reference to the tati westbrook x james charles drama

series masterlist // general masterlist

⋆⛧*┈┈┈┈﹤୨♡୧﹥ ┈┈┈┈*⛧⋆

⋆⛧*┈┈┈┈﹤୨♡୧﹥ ┈┈┈┈*⛧⋆

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

Evangelical figures who previously supported Donald Trump are backing off now that he’s announced his third bid for the presidency.

“Donald Trump can’t save America,” Mike Evans told The Washington Post. “He can’t even save himself.”

Evans was part of a group of evangelicals who met with Trump at the White House, and at one point gave him an award.

Now, he says he’s done with Trump.

“He used us to win the White House. We had to close our mouths and eyes when he said things that horrified us,” Evans told the newspaper. “I cannot do that anymore.”

Robert Jeffress, one of Trump’s evangelical advisers during the 2016 campaign and a longtime supporter, said he’s not ready to endorse him again.

“The Republican Party is headed toward a civil war that I have no desire or need to be part of,” Jeffress told Newsweek, adding that he would “happily” support Trump again if he wins the nomination.

That’s not a given, considering Trump’s plunging poll numbers among Republican voters. Jeffress also seemed to subtweet Trump on the day of his 2024 announcement by urging people to buy Mike Pence’s book:

Jeffress added on Twitter that he still considers Trump “a great friend and our greatest president since Reagan.”

Another onetime faith adviser to Trump, James Robison of Life Outreach International, said in a speech this week that Trump’s ego is getting in the way of the agenda.

“If Mr. Trump can’t stop his little petty issues, how does he expect people to stop major issues?” Robison said, according to The Washington Post.

He said he told Trump: “Sir, you act like a little elementary schoolchild and you shoot yourself in the foot every morning you get up and open your mouth! The more you keep your mouth closed, the more successful you’re gonna be!”

Robison did not say if he was planning to support Trump in 2024.

Another evangelical figure who previously endorsed Trump was even more blunt, with Washington Times columnist Everett Piper writing that Trump cost the GOP big in the midterms and could hurt them even more in two years.

“The take-home of this past week is simple: Donald Trump has to go,” Piper wrote. “If he‘s our nominee in 2024, we will get destroyed.”

[swiftlythebest]

I would truly like to hear about all of them but that would be cheating, so please tell me more about either Asexual Agenda or Heartstopper D&D? Dealer's choice. Thank you!

Okay so Asexual Agenda is a misleading title; it’s a group project with my lovely friends, @schitthappens and @kindofspecificstore. We have a a group chat called the Asexual Agenda because we’re all ace and are going to push our agenda.

But the fic came from me constantly talking about wanting to write a celebrity AU but never actually doing it. Then the idea came about to collaborate on it and have one of us write Nick’s POV and the other write Charlie’s. It’s heavily inspired by the Andrew Garfield/Amelia TikTok from the Golden Globes. And I wrote James Bond!Nick before the newest Kit photos!

D&D but Heartstopper is basically where I project onto Nick (what?! So out of left field for me!) and make him love D&D actual play. Then he finds a poster asking for new players in an ongoing campaign and guess who’s in that campaign!

Here’s some WIPs, ask me about them!

[friendlyfoxpal]

Hi again, chocked full of questions here! If you can answer, how does Nole and Kelan make friends with the other humans and mini giants that are seen in some of the group pictures?

Oh that's alright. And those are friends Nole and Kelan made overtime. One of the humans James, had a crush on Nole. But eventually came to terms that he wasn't for her, and is now fine being friends and part of the group.

And some like Liza the red head. Made friends with them fairly quickly. Even if they were wary at first some minis just doing that to try and get close to Kelan or whatever their agenda is. Kelan being considered popular among their peers, he being a jock and really tall for a mini.

But either then some bad seeds the friends that stuck with them are legit and good.

[flusteredmoonn]

the story of us; james potter

summary: "and the story of us looks a lot like a tragedy now," in which he betrays her trust in order to raise his own agenda.

tags: (SFW), angsty, drabble??, fast paced, war-time fic, implied gryffindor!reader, implied ordermember!reader, implied pre-existing relationship, platonic! x reader, not x reader centric, she/her pronouns, third person y/n.

words: 800+

speak now tracklist. request.

war was on the horizon. it loomed threateningly in the air. they had known as much when they had volunteered to join the order, they had been made aware of the risks well before they had been sworn in.

james had jumped on the opportunity to help the wizarding world, it had felt like his calling when he magically signed the contract. that feeling was further enforced when he had met her, y/n, who had handled herself which such composure and compassion, when even some of the greatest witches and wizards faltered under the pressure from the death eaters.

the pair very rarely crossed paths outside of their time at school and even less since they had both graduated at the end of their seventh year, and more often then not worked opposing shifts which further minimised their interactions. the only time the two really interacted were during the meetings.

at first, their interactions remained concise, and professional. however, at the whispers of the dark lord's defeat in sight, they soon developed a banter filled friendship. they had really gotten to known each other. and everyone could see it.

many order members shared looks amongst themselves at the sudden shift in air between james and the girl.

to the boy, she had some sort of magnetic pull to her. it was something he had never felt with anyone before. not his other friends. not even with lily. and everyone could see it.

lily had taken to mentioning it to the boy, only to be brushed off with the excuse that it only seemed different because he was openly friendly with a girl, a contrast to his typically masculine centric friend group. to her, it seemed as though his priorities, if not his loyalties, had entirely shifted. he had changed.

y/n stood in the kitchen of headquarters. busying herself with cleaning out the cupboards and restocking it with freshly acquired ingredients that one of the house elves had fetched from within town. she hummed quietly as she did so.

the curly haired boy bounced into the room, immediately taking to helping her with the task, completely ignoring kingsley and remus who were quietly conversing in the corner of the room.

"oh, hey james," the girl spoke sweetly, stopping momentarily to greet him.

"hey," he reciprocated, reaching above her to put something on a higher shelf which remained out of reach.

the task itself was strange, for the boy, who more often than not relied on magic to lift everything into the cupboards for him.

"have you received your new mission yet?" he asked her curiously, watching her face contort as she thought.

"uhmm, no, not yet. i think dumbledore is waiting for marlene to get back from her mission in london before he assigns me to a new post," y/n said, brushing her hands together as they finished packing groceries away.

a beat of silence hovered between them.

"oh. do you think you're getting a promotion then?" he moved away from her slightly, running his hands down his front before ruffling his hair.

"i mean, i'd hope so. i've worked quite hard, i think," she confessed, eyes darting to the chatting pair at the end of the room, "plus, kingsley's sort of hinted at it," the boy's eyebrows raised in surprised.

"oh, well congratulations," he gently clapped her shoulder, before darting away, and loudly greeting his girlfriend.

the girl, however, was confused at the interaction. he seemed as if he were on a mission of his own as he questioned her, before suddenly dashing off and somewhat prematurely ending the conversation. it had left her confused, to say the least. but surely, it wasn't anything sinister, james was too loyal to the girl for it to be anything other than well-intentioned.

weeks had passed since the strange interaction took place, and the entirety of the organisation surrounded the lengthy table in the middle of the kitchen. subsequently, the girl had been promoted to a position where she had more inherent responsibilities. on of which had been to keep tabs over a small team of members.

james was more than eager to volunteer himself as part of the ensemble. even after it was revealed how far away the location was from headquarters. despite lily's silent protests, especially when the gravity of the mission was revealed.

after the meeting had concluded, james approached y/n apprehensively,

"hey, uhh, can i ask something of you?" his voice was uncharacteristically hesitant.

"of course, james, what's up," she turned around, stopping in her tracks.

"i was wondering if you could, uhh, maybe could you write me a recommendation for madeye, he said i was in consideration for something similar to what you're now doing," he rubbed his hands together hopefully, his tone knowing.

his eyes revealed his agenda to her. he had known that she had been in the running for her recent promotion for a while. he had been up against her. part of her knew it, as she watched his features swam with truth.

she put together the pieces slowly, as words of agreement left her mouth subconsciously. when he congratulated her, he had already known. surely.

he was meant to be better than that. he was loyal. he had to be. that's why they were friends. surely there couldn't have been some ulterior motive. she had to have been mistaken. but as she watched him turn to his friends and silently express his joy, she knew she was mistaken.