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xreaderbooks · 10 months

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The Shadows of Our Love |11|

Chapter 11 | In the Shadow of Duels

Pair: Sebastian Sallow x Reader

Summary: Y/n and Sebastian are on speaking terms, finally, but at what cost?

Warnings: language, violence

Word Count: 3k

Links: Wattpad - AO3 - Playlist

Chapter 10 - Series Masterlist - Navigation - Chapter 12

“You seriously believe your parents are behind this?” Ominis nods his head slowly in response to you.

“Behind what, exactly, in case you both forgot I was late to whatever this is.” Sebastian inquires with a bitter tone. You share the details you told Ominis and not a shred more in front of the boy who sits in the middle of the both of you in clear distress. You didn't linger on the fact that you once would have trusted Sebastian with the full story.

Sebastian lets out a rather hearty laugh, you beheld a bewildered expression on your face. This wasn't a joke. “Would the Gaunts really go that far?”

“You haven’t met them, Sebastian, from your knowledge of my family that ought to give you a well-versed idea of their ethics.” Responded Ominis gravely. You then asked what he proposed you all do. “We alert the authorities.”

“Already done, I’ve sent a letter to Officer Singer anonymously- she can’t know I’ve been out of Hogwarts grounds.”

“Then we wait and see how she responds.”

Sebastian raises his hand like he’s in a class, “May I just say, that this isn’t the first time something like this has happened. I’m sure this is just a phase those purebloods are going through and once they’ve had their fill, all will be as it once was.”

“I’m not going to just sit around to find out whether or not the Aurors are going to do something about this,” You exasperated. Sebastian wasn’t affected by this, it wasn’t his problem therefore he doesn’t care but you made a promise. “I’m going to do what I can to help the Hamlets.”

Ominis suspired with a hand to his forehead, “I sometimes wonder if you’ve been placed in the right house with your lack of self-preservation.”

“I’m clever enough to be where I am and obviously ambitious, no need for self-preservation when I’m confident.” Fake it 'til you make it and all that, it was a new philosophy you adopted in order to overcome the serious imposter syndrome you feel.

Sebastian snorted.

"Amused?" Not like there weren't people's lives at stake.

"Very."

~~~

You are up the steps of the DADA tower steps and in the hallway with portraits, two knight armor statues placed on both sides of the small alcove where a cat lay behind a plant, gazing at the stained glass window when you heard an obvious cough meant to grasp your attention.

Your look over your shoulder and to your surprise it was Sebastian. You fully turn to face him, waiting for whatever abusive comment he was surely about to make. When in the next second he didn’t speak you opened your mouth, “Talking to me now, are we?”

He scowls, “Were we not earlier?”

“I assumed that was for Ominis’ sake not to vex him any further.”

“Seeing as you are persistent in engaging in conversation with me, I see no point in keeping my mouth shut when you are around.”

You attempt to bite back your bitter laugh and fail, “You truly are arrogant. It is you who intrudes on my every venture, Sallow, you followed me out of the Undercroft.”

“Do not fret, this will not last long,” He flattens his green vest and corrects his posture. “Lucan has given me the task of informing you about the Crossed Wands meeting.”

You gaze up at him with a fiery attitude, “When exactly is it being held?”

“Wednesday at 6.” Tomorrow. Brilliant.

“You can tell him I’ll be there.”

He gives you a curt nod, “You can tell him at the meeting how he can inform you about future meetings himself after tomorrow, good day, Ms. L/n.”

Lucan had owled you before, you weren’t sure why he didn’t just do that now, and what did he just call you?

“Ms. L/n?” Your face scrunched at how he addressed you, and you had to admit that it stung.

“That is the proper way to address each other,” He replied with indifference.

“With formalities?” You said still in disbelief and wondered if he can hear the hurt in your voice. “Sebastian, please.”

You note how he winces lightly at the sound of his name, “Witches and Wizards, especially at our age are not confined to those rules and after all we’ve been through?”

“Need I remind you that last year meant nothing, that we are nothing.”

A complete and absolute tosser, you thought “You’ve made that quite clear, however, if you are to speak to me from now on, I do not wish to be called by my last name.”

“Good day, Ms. L/n.” He said with finality and walked away to leave you with your thoughts in the middle of the hall.

“Awkward,” You heard the Knight statue sing behind your back. The other knight left its post and swung its sword, beheading the one who spoke. It bowed before returning to its stand.

You were unsure if it could see you but gave the Knight who defended you a half-hearted smile, “Thanks.”

~~~

It was Wednesday half past 5 when you began walking to the clock tower courtyard. It was a fairly peaceful day, transfiguration was interesting, Beasts class always made you feel better when interacting with the creatures, and in potions, you learned the wound-cleaning potion that would certainly come in handy.

Despite the new status of now talking to Sebastian, there was no conversation. You had nothing to say to him, and if you did it was kept short, you didn’t want or need his rancorous attitude. Especially since you were going to see him at Crossed Wands.

You met Natty outside of the faculty tower where the bridge leads to the Clock Tower courtyard. She greets you with a grin as you walk down the steps, the doors open to an abundance of Samhain decorations.

Pumpkins with faces carved in them were placed in the corner of the interior of the courtyard, torches and floating candles lit as the evening grew darker. Most of the castle has been decorated to fit the season, especially as Samhain was this Saturday.

The group organizer, Lucan, who was newly a fourth year still hasn’t shredded his boyish face but grew to be your height- an inch taller, you realize as you come closer.

A couple of members in the club are spread out in their preferred groups, only a few new students have joined but there were mostly familiar faces. No sign of Sebastian yet.

Spectators sat close to the gate that was still open to students.

“Excited?” Natty asked, observing the crowd. “First match of the year for you.”

“For me?” You peered at her quizzically, as far as you were concerned this was the first match of the year.

Natty appeared puzzled by your question, “The first meeting was last week. The Brattleby boy said he sent someone to tell you, I thought you wanted a break from fighting so I thought nothing of it when you weren’t here.”

You ground your teeth together as you pieced what could have happened together. Sebastian must have conveniently forgotten to tell you, so why did he tell you now? “I never received the message.”

“How odd, you are here now which is what matters,” She bumped her shoulder against yours. You gave her a side smile as you stretched your arms and neck, beside you she did the same.

“We could be a team if you’d like?” Natty offered, you considered for a second but told her that you wanted to go solo. Internally you had something to prove to someone in specific. You didn’t care to win this time, you had your victory being the Dueling Champion. Unfortunately, that was one you had shared with Sebastian as your partner.

This time you only cared to beat him.

As soon as you saw Lucan had ended his last conversation with Leander, you went in to tell him how you’d duel this round.

“Hello, Y/n!” He immediately brightened as he saw you approach.

You gave him a warm smile, “Lucan. Quite a lineup you have this year.”

“Oh, yes, it’s amazing isn’t it.” He nodded eagerly, “Tons of bets have been put in, loads have been on you. Shame you weren’t here for the first of the season.”

“I’m afraid your message got lost somehow, but I’m ready now.”

He hissed, “Merlin, I- You see since you weren’t here for the first, you don’t qualify for the competition.”

Fuck.

“But,” You held onto your hope as he spoke. “You are allowed to duel against other competitors, your win is yours, it just won’t count for the title.”

You breathed a sigh of relief and hugged the boy, “Thank you.”

“Will you be dueling with Sebastian?” He patted your back in the hug, his cheeks flushed.

You released him and stepped back firmly on your feet, “No. I’d actually like to compete against him.”

He blinked in surprise, “Oh. Well, alright then.”

“Does that interfere with the way you have it set up?” You didn’t want to inconvenience him. “I can back out if anything, we just haven’t been… in sync as of late.”

You knew that your dueling against Sebastian would fuel the rumors of drama between you and him but frankly, you didn’t care.

“No, it’s not a problem, singles duel last so you have time to prepare.” He gave you a look you couldn’t decipher, “Good luck. Not that you need it, you’re bloody amazing, Sebastian’s a formidable opponent. Ruthless if I’m being honest, you’ve only fought with him, being on the other side of his wand.”

He took a second to think and shivered, “Good luck, Y/n. I’m rooting for you.”

So much for that, you caught a glimpse of red and short brown hair, both in their casual clothing. You turned your head to spot where Natty was and saw she was prepping with Nellie. You went over to the pair that was cornered to the right door that leads up to the clock tower, this was a safe zone, for now.

“Come to see the show?” You placed your hands on your hips as you stood behind Garreth who whirled around at the sound of your voice.

He picked you up and wrapped you in a tight hug, “Y/n/n!”

You giggled, hugging him back, he set you down next to Poppy who asked you if you were dueling.

“I go on later.”

“Solo,” Poppy stated more than asked. “Against…”

“Take a wild guess,” You told her.

“Sallow?” Garreth chimed, suddenly gone pale. “Sebastian Sallow?”

“Well him and a few others of course but yes, he’s one of them.”

Poppy gave you a concerned stare but said nothing of it, “Best of luck then.”

Garreth gulped, “Prayers. Lots and lots of prayers.”

Poppy gave him a stab in the ribs to which he winced and switched spots with you, now standing next to her as you backed away from them.

“Never been the religious sort but since you insist on getting killed,” He muttered. That earned him a smack in the back of his head from your Hufflepuff friend.

You rolled your eyes at his dramatics but kissed his cheek affectionately as a way to cheer him up and gave his cheek a slap, “Chin up lad, I’m the bloody Hero of Hogwarts.” The title you didn’t care for slipped from your tongue and though it didn’t give you extra powers for being named that, it did give people hope.

Sallow wasn’t that good.

Okay, maybe he was. However that didn’t mean shite, you could also be ruthless when you fought. Granted, this had not been your lucky year so far, but when you won this it would surely give you that boost of confidence you so desperately needed.

“Alright, everyone!” Lucan's voice paused everyone's conversations. Once he got everyone’s attention he explained that groups will go first, those who lose are out and the remaining with duel in pairs, pairs will end in singles. Winners of the second round will go on to the final where they will be crowned champion.

And so it went, until there were 4 left, not including yourself and Sebastian who had shown up just as Charlotte Morrison had finished Natty off with a swift speed of spells. Oh, how she agitated you. Charlotte had a sickly sweet tone in her voice every time she bested people, and had the audacity to pretend to be humble when it was obvious that she was not.

You disliked her the way Ominis dislikes Duncan Hobhouse. Natty took her loss amiably, she strode over to you after they had shook hands, slightly out of breath.

“Natty,” You drawled out her name sympathetically.

She shook her head, “No, no. It is alright, it was a fair game.”

You grumbled for her with arms crossed, the entrance of Sebastian had whispers and bets going around. It started as soon as they had heard that you would be dueling against him. You wondered how many people betted for you and how many shared Garreth and Lucan's sentiments.

Lucan announced your name, then Sebastian, informing you both to step in the middle. He counted down, telling you both to get into position and begin.

Sebastian had a twinkle in his eye and a smirk that pulled his dimple out of hiding. You swiped your wand left then right, and finally pulled back your arm as if you were holding a bow.

Quiet conversation and deep stares were heard and felt as you and Sebastian circled each other. Neither of you struck first.

“Scared, Sallow?” You taunted him.

He didn’t budge, “L/n, we both know that you haven’t been a threat since the beginning of the year. You even need your boyfriend here for moral support.”

You sent three casts his way, all of which he blocked with ease. “I seem to be doing just fine.” Though you missed, you knew that he had to use some strength to block the spells you used. You have been practicing after all.

“A bit defensive don’t you think?” Confringo was shot at you, blast after blast, you didn’t have time to retaliate.

You blocked and blocked and blocked until you were almost backed into the metal gate that held stored items. You took your chance and cast Depulso, rolling away and bouncing back up to your feet. While he was down you hit him with one of his favorite, Incendio.

He got back up with a singed shirt and attacked, it was never-ending, the duel had to have been longer than 30 minutes. Neither of you had given up, it was an intense dance that both of you were used to doing side-by-side. This was the first time your wands were pointed at each other.

“Is that all you’ve got?”

You couldn’t remember the moment when you’d heard him say that before, but you knew it infuriated you. You wouldn’t admit it but Sebastian was tiring you out a little- only a little.

You pushed and struck, swiped, and jabbed. He mirrored as if he was only playing along like he wasn’t even trying. Was he?

“Sallow,” You growled. “What are you doing?”

“Whatever do you mean?” He parried and slashed Diffindo. He was caught, he was putting on a show and he was going easy on you. Sebastian knew you were catching onto his game and upped his ante. “You can do better than that, actually, can you?"

You performed a spell combo that you had been practicing on but he just laughed it off even as it hit him.

“It’s like you’re not even trying,” He then spoke to the crowd. “Is this your hero?”

“You’re getting weaker, L/n, you realize you come to school to actually learn.”

Your nostrils flared, his comments awoke something animalistic inside you that only wanted violence. “I’ve had enough!”

He sent a barrel, after barrel your way, you used the vanishing spell to wave them away with your wand.

You were fed up, you abandon your wand letting it fall to the ground as you pounce. You charge forward, tackling Sebastian to the ground, letting your hands punch and slap wherever they land. Not once did he stop you.

“Fight back!” You yell, “Fight back, you bastard, fight back, fight back, fight back!”

He didn’t block a single blow, it pissed you off even more. Your fist went in on his face and you heard a crack. You knew you felt pain in your knuckles where they landed but you were almost positive that it was just your hand that crunched from the impact.

This was absolutely not allowed in the dueling club, muggle fighting was seemingly more violent and frowned upon but you couldn’t find it in yourself to care. This was much more satisfying.

You saw red, not feeling the arms that attempted to pry you off of the boy who lay under you. It wasn’t until strong arms had listed you off, along with the others who had struggled to get you off themselves.

Nellie and Natty were on either side of you with arms hooked around your elbows, the only other person you can think of that would lift you like this had to be Garreth. He lets you go once you were done kicking and screaming.

Sebastian got up and touched his fingertips to his nose where blood had dripped onto his lip.

“You're the foulest loathsome being that I’ve ever had the displeasure of meeting” You shout. You pick up your wand from the ground and in your fury, you conjure 12 birds with the spell Avis and send them spiraling his way, “Oppugno!”

“Ms. L/n!” The tone of a strong male authoritative figure came up from the left door that goes up to the clock tower. The crowd, you now noticed, was scattered. Someone must have alerted him, Professor Sharp. Lucan ran the moment he saw Sharp, as did the other members of the club. “What is the meaning of this?”

No one spoke, Nellie, Natty, Garreth, Poppy who was just around the corner and as quiet as a mouse. You and Sebastian stood staring each other down with silent words you only knew that in your mind you were shouting how much you despised him.

“Saturday, Detention.” His words broke you and Sallow out of your hate-induced trance. “All of you, including you Ms. Sweeting.”

~~~

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Chapter 12

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@vanivivs - @aqueennia - @wt-fxck - @therealppboy - @boysmedia - @stuffyownswrld - @maddsinthemoon - @dreamshot - @lostgirl-28 - @scrambled-eggs-y

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blueteller · 2 years

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The Issue of TBOAH's Narration – was it wrong??

As those who finished reading TCF Part 1 know (spoiler alert); Cale Henituse got his knowledge about the world he got transmigrated into from a series of books called "The Birth of a Hero", by "Nelan Barrow" – aka. Choi Jung Gun, Choi Han's uncle.

CJG wrote them as a "guide" for Choi Jung Soo, Kim Rok Soo's friend, who was originally supposed to be the one transported into that world to help Choi Han defeat the White Star. Plans changed, however, when he and Lee Soo Hyuk altered fate and saved KRS's life, at the cost of their own. So KRS-turned-Cale took CJS's place and the TBOAH series served as a guide for him, instead.

There are still many questions unanswered about this whole thing. For example: how did CJG know all the things he did? The novel was supposedly from TBOAH!Choi Han's point of view, and yet, it had some inexplicable details… like how to earn the Indestructible Shield (which supposedly was never gotten by anyone), or Harol Kodiang parentage – why mention such a thing at all? Was Harol somehow important in the TBOAH verse later on?

Or another example: why didn't the books mention the White Star at all? Surely, if past-volume-5 Choi Han's knowledge was given to CJG to write about, shouldn't he first and foremost explain to CJS who the Final Boss is and how to defeat him??

Or another: why was it so important for CJG to tell his grand-nephew just how pretty the Whale People are???

So many unanswered questions!!

Today, however, I will be focusing on topic of them in particular:

Was TBOAH's narration actually, 100% correct?

Here's the thing: I was re-reading one of my favorite fanfics recently, "In an Instant" by Messy_haired_bum on AO3. I got to the chapter where a certain part of TBOAH came up – namely, "the Last Survivor of the Wolf Tribe", the Wolf King Lock. The characters in the fic discuss a particular problem with that title: Lock wasn't the last Wolf.

Or, well, he wasn't supposed to be.

Arm's goal in attacking the Wolf Tribes wasn't exterminating them at all – it was abduction of their children. Lock's siblings, by all account, should have gotten kidnapped in TBOAH verse, not assassinated. It is important, because later on the races "abandoned by the gods" – like the Wolf Tribe, Vampires and Dark Elves – were meant to be used as sacrifices to the God of Despair, to summon the 8 Unranked Monsters from the demonic statues in Endable, as well as the Temple of the Sealed God in Puzzle City. Lock was part of the team who managed to rescue some of the abducted Wolves, himself.

The problem is this: did the TBOAH!Lock not know about the abduction somehow, only assuming he was the last one when that wasn't the case… or was the TBOAH's narration wrong, for some reason?

The characters in the fic are torn on the issue – neither argument supported by the omniscient narration (which was a clever move on the author, that's why the writing's so great in this) – and the two Locks despise each other: TBOAH!Lock believes his counterpart to be weak, while TCF!Lock thinks the other him was blind and failed to notice his siblings getting abducted.

However, there is a third option. Which is a theory I've had for a long time.

I do not believe that CJG's writing could actually be 100% correct – especially where it comes to subjective stuff, such as beauty or people's personal beliefs. He clearly has some idea of his character's motivations and personalities, and yet he had no idea about OG Cale throwing his reputation for the sake of his step-brother Basen.

On the other hand… I think CJG got his objective facts right, such as the order of events. Even if the timeline wasn't explained to Cale as clearly as he would have wished – causing him to encounter the Whales in the Ubarr Territory, despite visiting the shore way earlier than the events of TBOAH's volume 5… Still, CJG never wrote any lies. Sure, TBOAH!Lock believed to himself to be the last member of the Wolf Tribe when that clearly wasn't the case. However, I think the attack on his village could have been a complete assassination after all.

How, do you answer? One word: Redika.

Redika was the one who attacked Lock's Wolf Village in both TBOAH and TCF, but his actions could have been different in the two timelines. Why...?

...Because of Raon, of course.

Think about it: Cale's actions caused massive differences from the very beginning. From Choi Han's relationships, to the survival of the nameless village where Raon was being tortured at. However, most people forget that there was an important link between Raon and Redika. Redika was the one who sold the Black Dragon Egg to Marquis Stan – and the thing is? He wasn't supposed to do it!

No, in fact, the Black Dragon going on a rampage and dying at Choi Han's hands? It probably gave Redika a lot of trouble! Because he was never supposed to sell that egg!! It never should have been in his posession at all!!!

The Dragon-Half Blood, which was presumably Redika's teacher in magic, gave him the Black Egg in secret in order to "dispose of it" – aka. protect it. Redika agreed, then double-crossed him by selling it to a random low-ranked Arm member (because let's be honest, the Stans couldn't have been high in that hierarchy) for some BIG CASH. Everything went down well under the table of course, so he was pretty confident there would be no bad consequences for him.

...Except, he Dragon escaping and revealing himself in such a public way?? No way he could have covered it up! Redika was probably sweating bullets when he found out! If someone connected the dots about him being involved… oh boy. If the Dragon Half-Blood heard about it, Redika would be good as dead. If the White Star heard about it… he'd be worse than dead.

And I bet the news reached him juuust around the time he got the mission to abduct some Wolf Tribe children. What would a psychopath do in such a stressful situation?

Why, murder a bunch of children, of course!

It makes 100% sense. Maybe Redika didn't kill all the children in TBOAH – maybe it was just some of them. But it was enough to make Lock and others convinced that Arm's goal was assassination. Redika went on a rampage to let off some steam, and probably killed more of the "seeds" than he should have on this mission. He'd probably get even more in trouble because of that, but hey – YOLO, am I right?? 😂

I mean c'mon, it's not like Redika was a particularly restrained guy.

Of course, there were other factors: such as Choi Han and Rosalyn arriving earlier than in TBOAH, thus saving more lives. But I'm pretty sure that Redika's actions were different in TBOAH, as well. There's no way he would be unaffected when he about the Black Dragon escaping in TBOAH. The butterfly effect in TCF is super strong. If tiny differences like Choi Han not beating up Cale resulted in his actions being different, why wouldn't the same apply to other characters? We all know the moment Cale transmigrated, the whole thing went of the rails.

Basically: I think CJG was right in TBOAH, mostly. Except Cale's actions caused such huge waves of changes, the situation changed drastically. Lock believed to be the last of his kind because for all he knew, that was the case. But the attack on his village probably went differently in TBOAH from the start, not just because of Choi Han and Rosalyn.

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astarlow · 7 months

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Could you write some HCs for the Talon girls x a mtf trans s/o?

Characters: Widowmaker, Sombra, Moira Form: Headcanons Warning: Some bigotry coming from strangers Word count: 680 A/n: I did my best to search on the subject but if there are any mistakes remaining, feel free to correct me!

Sombra

💻Sombra's definitely her s/o biggest supporter

💻She's going to be with her through all the steps

💻She might be a little uninformed at the beginning but she quickly catches on. After all, she has the whole web at the tip of her fingers so she has many knowledge

💻She makes sure to listen to her s/o though, after all, nothing's more true than the experience of her loved one

💻If she needs any help to change legally her name, Sombra's here and in a snap of a finger, all the procedure is done

💻She is the best hacker in the world, after all, she ought to make the best use out of it, right?

💻If anyone deadnames her s/o, suddenly all their information is spread wide and far on the internet

💻Ooops, surely a mistake right? (It definitely isn't and Sombra will do it again if she has to)

💻A ton of outfit recommendations from Sombra for her s/o new looks!

Widowmaker

🕷Out of the three, Widowmaker is definitely the one having the hardest time to grasp around the concept of trans people and everything it involves

🕷As an assassin, she's asked to only remember the crucial details and to forget everything else

🕷She might have heard about it when she was still Amélie Lacroix, but now it's all forgotten

🕷That's why she makes a certain effort on her brain to remember everything her s/o tells her about the subject

🕷Of course, she's going to respect her new name and pronouns. She's a villain but not that kind of villain

🕷Just like any gals in Talon, if she hears someone deadname her s/o, that person's never gonna be heard of again

🕷Disappeared mysteriously, if someone asks her about it, she certainly never heard of them ever

🕷If her s/o needs any help in terms of clothing and/or makeup, she can give a few advices. Given, she might not know much but what she knows about is certainly on point

🕷She's certainly not the best if her s/o ever wants to have a shoulder to cry on or someone to comfort her

🕷She lost that ability many years ago but she's going to try. It might be through pats on the head when she notices her s/o in distress or a little word of encouragement

🕷"You're doing good ma chère," she'll say while passing next to her. It's almost taken away by the breeze because of how quiet she said it. S/o knows why, people are observing her and she cannot slip in front of them

🕷And maybe that's one way for s/o to know as well that Widowmaker cares, the fact that her lover would risk to be spoted by her superiors and yet still go out her way to reassure her s/o

Moira

🧪Moira is the definitely the most well versed in this domain out of the three

🧪If her s/o needs any help in more tangible matters, she's more happy to help

🧪Like any side effects of certain medications or what her s/o can expect if she wishes for a medical transition

"We need to make sure the process is safe and goes well, don't we darling?"

🧪Not sure if it's entirely for s/o she does it, maybe she sees it as another experience to test. S/o trusts her enough to let her help her through the entire process though

🧪Moira checks any medical treatment her s/o takes. If it's not deem safe enough or efficient, she's going to offer her another alternative or even make one of her one if she has enough time

🧪If her s/o seeks medically transition, she's going to recommend friends of hers that can help her with this step in her journey

🧪Unlike the two other Talon ladies, she doesn't have advice to give her s/o in terms of clothing or advice

"Wear what you wish and what you're comfortable in," is all she's going to say

🧪If she has a little bit of free time and if she's in the mood, she's going to go shopping with her s/o for her new wardrobes

#overwatch x reader #ow writing #asked and answered #moira x reader #widowmaker x reader #sombra x reader #moira o'deorain x reader #amélie lacroix x reader #olivia colomar x reader

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essayofthoughts · 1 year

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Relevant to our convo: wedding HCs for the AUs? Do any AUs result in the Perc'ahlia elopement and/or wedding changes? Elope earlier or later, or actually spill the secret deliberately, or Sylas not crashing Dalen's Closet, etc.?

I haven't decided for all of the AUs yet! And some are.... complicated in various ways and by various things. I'm going to be ignoring the ones which are entire new universes or significantly altered timelines and instead stick to the ones which maintain some semblance of the canon timeline and tell you what changes in the Perc'ahlia's for each.

Ghost Cass - So. We all remember when and how Perc'ahlia got together, right? Namely, after slaying Vorugal. And, as we recall, they put off fighting Vorugal for a day because Percy had very recently died. He was still recovering from resurrection.

So uh. In this AU, Cass flatly refuses to let Percy go fight Vorugal and he isn't there after that fight. Percy and Vex don't even get together til the year break. I'm not sure when they get married - I don't think they elope over the year break in this AU, and I'm inclined to say they get married after Vecna. As I've still not decided every detail of the end of the final arc of this, I have no idea if Sylas makes it to Dalen's Closet or not.

Soulmate AU - So. In Soulmate AU, for various reasons, Percy and Vex get together shortly before the Briarwood Arc really kick off and then break up at the end of the Briarwood Arc for Reasons (No, I Will Not Explain; sufficeth to say, there is Angst and Irony in play).

They nonetheless get back together after Vorugal. Given that they'd broken up earlier and actually cleared the air, there is no year break break up in this AU and I'm inclined to say they don't elope? They've rushed things before, they're more willing to take their time.

Evilest AU - So uh. I'm not entirely set on how things go in this AU yet, but the leading idea currently is that they get together on their first trip to Marquet. Given events after the Briarwood Arc in this AU, they may not? Break up during the year off? But they also just as easily might, but for different reasons than I posit in my Year Break Break-Up Fic. I suspect they do still elope in this AU, however, though it still isn't fully determined.

Happier Evilest - They actually get together and start figuring things out way earlier in this AU which ... in this specific circumstance makes me inclined to say that they do elope or come very close to it in this AU?

Sylas Briarwood Gets To Live Bitches - This probably treads the closest to canon... though I don't know that they break up the same way/for the same reasons as I posit in the Year Break Break-Up Fic. I think they realise just how Briarwoods-y they can be and take a break from each other just to be sure, and I think, having confronted it, they pace themselves a bit more and possibly discuss with others (Vax for Vex, I'm inclined to say Keyleth for Percy?) their worries about the similarities. So if they do get married over the year break, I don't think they elope. And of course, in this AU, the Briarwoods are working to be better people, so no Sylas crashing any fancy re-wedding at Dalen's Closet!

Fem!Percy AU - So. Due to various things they have a really really solid friendship as a basis for their relationship here? It's not just trust it's that Vex made an active effort to reach out and make Persy feel welcome from relatively early on, and to comfort her with regards to what she saw as lingering anxieties from trauma (she was correct; Vex is very perceptive). Consequently, when they get together they've got an awful lot of trust in each other and an extremely good understanding of each other; I don't think they'd break-up over the year break. I do think that they'd get married, but it wouldn't be an elopement: I think they'd inform and invite the others.

Masc!Vex AU - Hey. Hey @blorbologist. You remember that delicious piece of angst you wrote me for my birthday? Well-versed in wishing? I am almost inclined to say that happens in this AU, though I'm not certain. It's just that Percy has a lot of baggage to unpack about certain things and while he gets with Vex on the same timeline as canon in this AU, I think Vex is perceptive enough to register his hesitancy and personal issues regarding other things and so their break up may last uh. Longer? I don't want it to; that feels very angsty and kind of unfair in this AU, so I'd like them to get back together before the decades long pause of your lovely fic, but what exactly causes-

Oh no. Oh Blorb, you give me the best ideas. *runs away cackling*

Wolf Siblings AU - So on the one hand: Percy knows he's into Vex and is in a much better place mentally and emotionally! Plus, I don't particularly want to play out like. The Vecna arc or even necessarily the whole of the Conclave Arc for this AU? I may do things like the Tomb but with a different plot? Undecided. No Glintshore because Ripley gets ripped apart by the wolf siblings. But anyway, so in this AU, Percy is being wingmanned by Vesper and is generally doing better so on the one hand some things go more smoothly!

On the other hand, having his siblings involved and invested in his romance stalls him a lot, so it ends up being on about the same timeline. There is no elopement: Percy's siblings are both nosy and all have had five years of being extremely nosy in his life - if anything, they figure out Percy and Vex are planning to get married before the two even manage to propose to each other.

Of course, given I don't intend to do the Vecna Arc in this AU, no Dalen's closet crashing for Sylas. If Percy and Vex do elope, Vesper is dragging them back to Whitestone for a formal wedding as soon as she finds where the hell they've gone.

Tiefling!Percy AU - So. Percy has some issues with the fact he's a tiefling? And one thing I have actually written ahead is him and Vex having a conversation about the possibility of children and Percy specifically asking that they wait because... well. He's a tiefling and he's not sure how he feels about that basically ever. And. Given he's a tiefling, that means good odds that their children will be tieflings - and the last thing he wants to do is have those same conflicted feelings about his own children, or for them to feel unloved.

So I think because of that they might well impulse-propose to each other, but I think they wouldn't elope. Percy's wedding to Vex ends up being the first time Whitestone's citizens get to see him fully decked out in all the shiny horn rings and such that Vox Machina give him.

Sylas may still crash Dalen's Closet, though, and now I'm wondering what impact Percy's tiefling spells might have on that.

Elaina Lives AU - You know what? Good damn question. I actually have no idea? This story is told primarily from Elaina's POV with a possible dip into Vax's - no Vex or Percy planned thus far. I genuinely have no idea.

Canon Vampercy AU - Likewise genuinely no idea. I've only got a couple of scenes down for this AU and it's more vibes than anything. I don't even know if this would end up as more than a oneshot.

Werewolf’s Soulmate AU Continuation - Reasonable odds they try to elope in this AU - however how secret that remains... I don't know. Thanks to @rightpastnowhere I had the idea that they would at some point each get half-bracelet tattoos, each getting one half that matches to the other, so it shows as a full bracelet between them? I'm wondering if, as soulmates, this ends up part of their marriage ceremony, in which case everyone finds out pretty quickly. That said, I may do it as just... something they get at some other point as a mark of their commitment to each other so - yet to be determined!

Daemon AU - I have not plotted this one far enough ahead to be sure yet. That said, you asking this has given me the delightful image of Vex's magpie daemon shattering into Dust over the ocean at Dalen's Closet so uh.

Enjoy that!

PercyRipley Soulmate AU - Percy has so many fucking hangups in this AU. After all, if even his soulmate would reject him, what kind of a person does that make him? (An infinitely better person, obviously, Ripley is the worst.)

Anyway, I think Percy's issues may fuel a year break break-up in this AU, though I'm not 100% sure on that yet. That said, seeing how much it hurts Vex would absolutely buck Percy up and they could well elope after that. I'm not certain though: I've only really got an outline down for this so far.

Syldor Isn’t A Dick AU - Vex has so many fewer issues in this AU. On the one hand this means she's in a much better place! On the other hand it means it takes her and Percy a bit longer to get together, I feel? An awful lot of Percy's actions in canon that seed their love for each other are things that remind Vex of her worth, both as an individual and to him specifically, and in this AU she doesn't need that so much? So they get together much more based on personal connection and shared interests.

That said, I think that means 1. They're less likely to break up during the year break and 2. There's good odds she and Percy elope almost as soon as possible in the year break and then end up spilling the beans to just about everyone in their thrilled-ness about it and end up getting married again during the break.

Sylas may still crash some other event at Dalen's Closet a year on though.

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captainofthetidesbreath · 2 years

Text

Thoughts on the Critical Role Oracle of the Moon deck

This is a commentary on the deck as a physical item, particularly geared toward anyone who is wondering about the cards as a deck as a physical item and may be considering using it as an actual oracle deck and are concerned about its physicality.

The cards themselves are of a good size for oracle cards (about 4.7" H x 2.7" W) and have what seems to be the same soft touch matte finish as the book. As I'm not well-versed in art materials, I'm not quite sure how this type of finish would interact with materials while trying to illustrate the blank cards.

The cardstock is great for an oracle deck. If one is familiar with The Fountain tarot, I'd say they're similar. It's firm enough to retain its shape and resist folding but flexible enough for a bit of a riffle shuffle, though not really for a bridge. (Maybe one can bridge it after some wear and use, not sure). At twenty cards, the deck isn't really large enough for an overhand shuffle, but that's expected. I haven't personally found the cards to stick to one another nor are they too slippery. They fan well and easily. The cardstock seems to be sturdy, and I don't feel as if there's any risk of splitting or separating the faces from the stock. I feel as if it'll stand up to wear and regular use. I can't definitely say that as I only received mine today, but that's how I feel.

The color of the print is much closer to the colors seen in the photos modeled by Taliesin and Laura than it is the bolder studio white images. If you're a fan of especially Caemiel Lilium's (@caemidraws) work, you'll be pleased since the toned tan base is a signature of hers. The print retains some lovely color details, such as a subtle halo on Jester for "Joy" and faint detailwork on Caduceus' sleeve.

Also, this is visible in the shop listing images, but I do want to point out: the backs have an sort of galaxy nebula or weathering-type print on the back (just as on the box and booklet cover). It's not a solid color. I think this is a lovely detail given the deck's "lore" as a previously used deck, but some may mistake this for a printing error or that the card / booklet / box is dirty. That's how it's meant to be.

The box is designed well with considerations for regular use. It has little cutouts on the sides of the lid to make opening easier, which I like very much. Like many oracle and tarot deck boxes, this one also has a ribbon in the card bed to help lift the cards out of the box. The cards also fit perfectly into the bed. Perfect height, none of the cards easily slide over the top to be loose into the rest of the box under the booklet.

The booklet is minimal in the way of guidance on interpretations. If you've played around with the Instagram filter, you've seen some of them already. (I have a post listing those right here). The given suggestions (and titles given to each card) are evocative enough in their brevity to work with the deck as an oracle deck, if such is your intention, but if you're someone who likes significant and at-length meanings for a card to perform your readings, you will find it too brief. I will note, the font used for Jester's commentary can be difficult to read and feels somewhat small. As noted in the listing, there are two of booklets; as far as I can tell, they're identical outside of a misprinted copyright notice inside the box that is corrected in the printing outside the box. You can actually snugly fit both booklets into the box, if you wanted to keep both.

Overall, in my opinion, a very lovely and well-made deck, especially in the cards and the box, and I'm very pleased both as a fan and someone who sometimes uses oracle and tarot decks.

The deck's listing in the US Critical Role shop is here.

#Critical Role #Critical Role things #long post for ts

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tortoisesshells · 9 months

Note

23. Is writing the beginning, middle, or end of the story easiest? Hardest? 38. What is your most self-indulgent posted story? 80. Free space! Okay, be honest. What's your writing ego like? How does it manifest?

23. Is writing the beginning, middle, or end of the story easiest? Hardest?

Despite my scrap file for Customs having about 10,000 words of trash from the first 5,000 word chapter, I really do find the beginning the easiest part of writing: you already know what the plot is going to be, you know what characters are involved, you just need to get it all on the board. It's like a tableaux vivant. It's when stuff starts moving that it gets hard. Endings are impossible, for me. I don't do a very good job tidying up the loose ends, and my preferred method for finishing out a story, either of 100 words or 100K+ is "and the adventure continues!" more-or-less. I've been stuck on Chapter 31 of Customs because we're very much getting into the last quarter of the game and I really have no faith that I can stick the landing, and Chapter 31 really is, if I may mix my sport metaphors, the gymnast running down the balance beam towards the dismount. I'm spooked.

38. What is your most self-indulgent posted story?

Answered here, but I should also plug yet apt the verse, a slice of life drama which contains 100% more doggerel poetry, as well as general naval history, compared to Mercy Street's baseline. Given that it's a show about a Union Army hospital in the American Civil War, the baseline of naval history is nil, for reference. I just like boats.

80. Free space! Okay, be honest. What's your writing ego like? How does it manifest?

I've been sitting with this (and talked to you briefly!) and it's been a little mortifying to reflect on. It's easier to admit to my insecurities as a writer than it is to admit to what I'm perhaps too proud of - admitting to the latter really does feel like taping a "Kick Me!" sign over my kidneys - that I'm inviting people to think, either to themselves or out loud, "christ, she's not that good." And, in a way, I feel particularly goofy for having an opinion about my ability to write fanfic - and goofy for saying I feel goofy, because at the end of the day, it's just a hobby like cross-stitching or running. I'm allowed to be proud of my stitch work, even if it's not to everyone's taste. The obvious answer is I'm a little prideful about research. I can be a little (a lot) self indulgent about it, but generally speaking, I think I do a good job of navigating incorporating historical detail as a part of the plot and characterization without totally overwhelming the whole. I'm sure the fact that of the fandoms I've written the most for (Mercy Street, PotC, and 1899) the fact that two of them are only loosely period dramas actually makes this look like a stupid hill to die on. Yeah, I wrote a neat little tidbit about Edward J. Smith's career at the White Star Line into the endnotes, but considering 1899's strained relationship with reality ... like. What have I accomplished other than preening about my ability to disappear down rabbitholes? It's self-congratulatory. And yet. The other thing is that I can be immensely convinced that I have the right of it, especially in terms of characterization. I can tell myself that it's a preference, that all characters have a little leeway for interpretation in some way or another, but there's certainly some pride in my own judgment being the correct one, and the one I'm the most interested in humoring as a writer. I was writing about my favorite parts of the writing process being the parts with the greatest chance of socialization (brainstorming and outlining with friends/co-conspirators, responding to comments) and there's something sort of ... striking? in how one's writer's ego - my writer's ego - tends to be the least sociable part of me. I know what I'm doing - I'm such a clever little retriever of facts - it's all about me.

Fanfiction Writing Asks!

#thank you for the ask kind friend!!#ask meme #polkaknox talks #I'm still thinking about writers' egos - and mine. It's hard to admit to and like. I'm so inclined to shame personally that this is like;#pulling teeth because I'm inured to feeling ashamed of myself but shame is not the absence of ego; just a different manifestation;#in a way. i think.#anyway. hopefully this goes a way towards thinking about ego and the fandom writer.

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purplefangirl42 · 1 year

Text

Plant Yourself in My Heart

Summary: While doing research at the Jedi Temple, Tech meets someone that makes him realize that he is not alone in his passion for knowledge.

Pairing: Tech/Jedi! OC (Anaj Rotz)

Warnings/Tags: First Meetings, Plant Related Adventures, Mentions of a Bar Fight

A/N: This is the Star Wars half of my follower celebration, which was voted to be the Tech/OC piece by my lovely followers. This takes place within the same fic verse as all the rest of my Star Wars fics, sometime after chapter 8 of Bad Timing. Thank you to @juniper-sunny for beta-reading! Divider by @djarrex.

AO3 Link

“You would think the holonet would have more information on things you should avoid,” Tech grumbled as he scrolled through the limited results his datapad had given him. “It is essential for people to know these things.”

“Most people probably just stay away from the jungle,” Hunter offered, twirling his knife in a circle.

“Can’t say I’m too fond of them myself,” Crosshair said, not looking up from his rifle cleaning project. “Hard to get a good vantage point with all the vines hanging in the way.”

“Especially when you’re hanging from them!” Wrecker shouted from the back of the Marauder.

Crosshair shot a glare towards his larger brother before focusing on his rifle again. Tech threw his datapad onto the co-pilot set in disgust before turning to the control panel in front of him. They were nearly to Coruscant after spending many hours in hyperspace. He needed to get access to a place that would have information on the plant life he was researching. Surely there would be somewhere on Coruscant that would hold the knowledge, or at least someone that could point him in the right direction.

Just as they exited hyperspace, the indicator light on the control panel lit up, telling them they had a message. Tech pressed the button to acknowledge it, starting a hologram of Commander Cody. Hunter sheathed his knife and walked to the front of the cockpit.

“What can we do for you, Commander?” he asked.

“I was calling to let you know that your mission details have been finalized and to see what your ETA was.”

“We have just arrived in the space above Coruscant,” Tech said. “We will begin our landing as soon as we are given clearance.”

“I guess I’ll see you when you arrive then,” Cody said. “See you soon boys.”

The transmission cut off and was replaced by the call for landing clearance from one of the towers near the military port. Tech entered the correct code and then followed the directions he was given to an open hangar. Once the landing cycle was complete, he shut everything down and gathered his datapad off the seat, placing it back in its correct location in his pack.

“Maybe Cody can tell you where to look for that information you need,” Hunter suggested. “We aren’t supposed to leave for our mission until tomorrow, so I’m sure you’ll have time to find it.”

Tech made a humming sound and adjusted his goggles.

“It’s not likely that Cody would know where to find it, but I’ll ask anyway.”

The four of them descended the ramp from the ship and made their way across the hangar. Cody would be waiting for them in the briefing room he had sent his transmission from. When they arrived, they found not only Cody waiting for them, but also General Kenobi.

“Gentlemen,” the Jedi said in greeting. “It’s been a while.

“General,” Hunter said, bowing his head respectfully. “Always a pleasure.”

“Speak for yourself,” Tech heard Crosshair mutter quietly behind him.

Tech glanced over his shoulder, giving Crosshair a warning look. Ever since their mission with General Orim and their chance encounter with her afterwards, Crosshair had been sour towards General Kenobi. He hadn’t offered any explanation other than “I don’t have a good feeling about him”. Tech had a feeling it had to do with how upset Lena had seemed in the hallway that day. She seemed to be the main thing on his brother’s mind as of late.

Crosshair being smitten was unexpected, and his bitterness towards Kenobi even more so.

Tech shook his head in annoyance and focused his attention back on Cody and Kenobi. They were talking to Hunter about the mission they had just completed.

“You won’t be leaving for your next mission until the day after tomorrow. I trust you got the mission brief I sent you?” Cody asked.

Teche grabbed his datapad and held it up, indicating that he had the information.

“There are a few things that will require some research before we depart,” he said. “I understand there is some flora that would be best to avoid, but I could not find sufficient information on it on the holonet.”

Kenobi rubbed his hand over his beard, as if he was thinking deeply about what Tech had said. “There is a rather extensive research division into plantlife at the Jedi temple that may have the information you require,” he said. “I can grant you access to the Temple so you can consult with them.”

Tech was surprised and excited by the General’s offer. Having access to the vast stores of knowledge within the Jedi temple was something that he longed for. There were things compiled there that not even the greatest academies in the galaxy had access to.

“I would greatly appreciate it, General.”

“I will give Cody the clearance codes and have him pass them along to you,” Kenobi said. “I will leave you gentlemen to the rest of your briefing.”

With a final goodbye to the Commander, General Kenobi left the briefing room. Cody turned his full attention to the men before him.

“Since Tech already has the mission brief, I’ll only summarize and add the things that have been added since it was issued. Then, you are free to go until your departure time. Hopefully, you’ll be able to have some fun while you’re here on Coruscant.”

Tech knew that he would enjoy himself at the Temple and he had no doubts his brothers would take the time to visit 79’s for some drinks.

Later in the afternoon, Tech was ready to head for the Jedi temple. Cody had given him the necessary clearance codes and had made a list of things that he intended to research. As he exited the cockpit and headed for the ramp, Wrecker called out his name.

“Where you goin’? Aren’t you gonna come to 79’s with us?” he asked.

“First of all, it’s the middle of the afternoon. A bit early to be going to a bar. Secondly, as much as I’d love to spend time dragging you back home after you’ve had entirely too much to drink, I have more important things to do.”

“Like what?”

“He’s got research to do, remember?” Hunter cut in.

“Boring!” Wrecker shouted before returning to lifting their helpless GNK droid onto his arm.

Tech rolled his eyes and descended the ramp, Hunter following close behind. Crosshair stood outside, leaning against the side of the Marauder.

“Off on your plant mission?” he asked.

“Unless you would like to be digested by an unknown plant rather than just hanging from one like last time, it is vital that I know what we’re getting into.”

“It’s not my fault I fell into the vines,” Crosshair said, pointing his toothpick at Tech. “The tree branch already wasn’t stable before the herd of whatevers stampeded by.”

“Keep telling yourself that, Cross,” Hunter said before patting Tech on the shoulder. “Enjoy yourself, but don’t get buried too deep. We might need you later.”

“Do try to keep Wrecker from getting into another drinking match with any regs. I know he can drink a lot, but he can still get hungover.”

Hunter let out a soft laugh and shrugged.

“I’ll try my best, but you know what he’s like.”

Tech shook his head as he thought of the mess that he would likely have to deal with in the morning. He walked away from his brothers in the direction of the speeder bikes at the edge of the hangar, stopping when he heard Crosshair call his name. He looked up and saw him walking towards him, looking over his shoulder at Hunter as if to see if he could hear him or not.

“If you see Lena…” he started.

“If I happened to run into a specific Jedi in a giant building full of them, I will be sure to tell her you said hello. The chances of that happening are low, but I will keep it in mind.”

Crosshair scowled at him for a few seconds before turning around and heading back to the Marauder.

He could at least say thank you.

Tech climbed on the speeder bike and started in the direction of the temple, following the instructions he was given to the hangar when he arrived. He proved his clearance codes and flew into an empty spot. As he turned off the bike, his attention was grabbed by the presence of a person he knew across the room.

Apparently the cosmic forces of the universe are aiming to prove me wrong.

Despite only knowing her for a short time, he would recognize the long, orange, striped lekku of Lena’s padawan, Keebo, anywhere. He crossed the hangar in her direction, calling out her name as he approached. She turned at the sound of his voice and gave him a wide smile.

“Tech? What are you doing here?” she asked.

“General Kenobi gave me permission to come speak with the members of the research division about plant life from a planet we are heading to.”

“Oh! I can take you to where you need to go!” she said, gesturing for him to follow her.

Tech and Keebo walked together down the hall, passing many Jedi. Some of them gave him strange looks as he passed, while others simply smiled or bowed their heads in greeting. Keebo talked to him as they walked, asking after the well-being of his brothers and if they had been on any interesting missions lately.

Tech was pleased that someone actually wanted to talk to him for longer than a minute and listened to him when he spoke. Keebo had been kind to him before, but it was still nice to experience. He could understand why the 394th valued their Jedi COs.

Eventually, they came to a door that consisted mostly of a frosted window. He could see quite a bit of light coming through, which led him to believe they had reached a greenhouse of sorts. Keebo turned to look at him, gesturing toward the door.

“This is where most of the plant study happens. I’m not sure who’s around right now, as things have been a little mixed up with the war, but I’m sure whoever is here would be happy to help you.”

“Thank you, Commander.”

Keebo gave him another wide smile and turned to walk away.

“It was good to see you, Tech!”

Tech turned to face the door, but suddenly remembered his other mission. He quickly turned around again and called out to Keebo. She paused, giving him a questioning head tilt.

“When you see your master, could you pass along a message?”

Keebo smirked at him in response.

“Let me guess, Crosshair says hello?”

Tech felt his eyes widen. He cleared his throat before speaking again.

“How did you know what I was going to say?”

“Lucky guess. I’ll pass along the message,” she said. “I hope you find what you’re looking for in there!”

Tech watched as she walked away, her long lekku swaying behind her. He wondered if she had read his mind and known what he was going to say or if his brother’s infatuation with her master was just that obvious. It must be if Tech had noticed it himself. He shook his head and moved to swipe his hand across the entry pad.

As soon as the door opened, Tech was hit by a blast of warm air. He stepped into the room, allowing the door to slide closed behind him. He found himself in a small entry, which held a few desks with chairs placed haphazardly around them. Datapads and plant pots were scattered over the surfaces of the desks.

Would think Jedi scholars would be a bit more organized.

Tech walked further into the room, his eyes scanning the immediate area for any people that could offer him assistance. He saw another door, this one transparent as the windowed walls around it. The room beyond was a riot of colors and foliage. He crossed the space to open the door, wondering if there was someone in the main greenhouse. As soon as he entered, he heard someone shout.

“Close the door!”

Tech rushed to follow the instructions, stepping through and closing it. Just as he did, a small furry creature appeared in front of him. The top of its head was just below his knees, and it was covered in brown fur. Big black eyes stared up at him as the large ears above them twitched nervously. The creature squeaked at him and flicked its fluffy tail.

“Hello there little one,” Tech said, remaining very still so as to not spook the creature.

With the creature focused on him, it didn’t see the person sneaking up behind it with a net. A woman with dark skin and a head full of braids appeared from the nearby row of plants and scooped up the creature before it could escape again.

“Aha! Got you!” she exclaimed.

The creature squeaked loudly as it thrashed about in the net. The woman that had caught it smiled triumphantly and nodded at Tech.

“Thank you for distracting it so I could capture it.”

“My pleasure,” Tech replied.

“I caught the Bogling!” she yelled to someone else further down the row of plants.

“Oh, thank the Force,” a second feminine voice said. “I was afraid it would eat something it shouldn’t.”

A second woman appeared from behind the plants, a tall Nautolan with purple skin and yellow markings. Some of her long head tendrils were twisted together in front of her, held together with braided bands of red, green, and white that matched a larger one resting above her forehead. As Tech scanned her form with his eyes, his gaze drifted to her feet, which were bare.

“Hello,” she said, causing his gaze to lift back to her face. “I wasn’t aware I had another visitor.”

“I’ll leave you two to your business,” the other woman said. “Sorry about the Bogling. I’ll be sure to talk to Master Cordova about it.”

“See you later, Cere!” the Nautolan woman called after her departing companion.

Once the door closed behind the woman named Cere, she turned to look at him again. Her large dark blue eyes crinkled at the corners as she smiled at him. She extended her hand to him for him to shake, but Tech didn’t return the gesture. She simply shrugged and lowered her hand.

“Welcome to my sanctuary,” she said. “I’m afraid you came in a rare moment of chaos. My name is Anaj. What can I help you with, trooper?”

“My name is Tech. I was given permission by General Kenobi to make use of your vast knowledge of plant life from different planets.”

“What were you hoping to learn about?” she asked.

Tech pulled out his datapad and tapped on the screen. He brought up his previous search results that hadn’t gotten him very far before handing it to Anaj. She took a quick look at the screen before handing it back to him.

“I know exactly what plant you are looking for. They can be quite dangerous and are known for eating unsuspecting victims if they get too close.”

“That is exactly what my squad hopes to avoid. I thought that if I was able to thoroughly research them and the surrounding flora, I could be more prepared.”

“Wise choice,” she said. “I’m afraid that I won’t have much more information for you on the plant itself as they are very difficult to study as they are so dangerous. But I can help you learn what to avoid.”

“That would be sufficient.”

Anaj gestured for him to leave the greenhouse and return to the office space. Once they were back in the cluttered room, she grabbed one of her multitude of datapads and began scrolling through its contents. Once she found what she was looking for, she handed it to him to look at.

“This is what the roots look like. They are usually exposed and rest on the surface of the ground. You would be wise to avoid touching them, as that would alert the plant to your presence.”

“Much like certain vines on Umbara and Felucia,” Tech said as he scanned the information she had shown him.

“Precisely. It is possible the plants could be related,” Anaj said. “From what we’ve gathered, it seems that the plant is not native to some of the planets it has been found on. We think that some spores had been transported from other planets and taken root.”

Tech looked up from the datapad and met her gaze. While her smile remained, he could hear an annoyed tone in her voice.

“I imagine that is not a good thing?”

“The invasion of non-native plant life is never a good thing, no matter the planet. It leads to so many local species dying out as they compete for resources with the invaders. Not to mention the effect it has on animals that come across it…”

Tech watched Anaj’s face as she animatedly talked about the dangers of invasive species, both flora and fauna. The way her nose scrunched up in annoyance as she spoke of the irresponsible actions of the ones that transported the invaders made the corner of his mouth tick up in a half smile.

“I’m sorry, I’m rambling,” Anaj said, stopping mid tirade.

“That’s quite alright. You seem to care a great deal for life of all forms.”

The smile she had before returned to her face and she nodded.

“Yes, I do. I have a strong connection to all kinds of life, sentient or not. The Force flows through it all.”

“I’m afraid my experience with the force is limited,” Tech said. Until very recently, the only Jedi I knew personally were General Kenobi and General Shaak Ti.”

Anaj placed her hand on her chest and sighed softly.

“Shaak Ti was my master,” she said. “I don’t get a chance to see her often with her placement on Kamino.”

“She is well respected by everyone on Kamino, I assure you,” Tech said. “She has always been kind to us. Something that you have in common, I see.”

Anaj looked down, a shy giggle escaping her. Tech could see her cheeks darken to a deep shade of purple as she blushed. He felt a light flutter in his stomach at the sight, which he didn’t understand.

“Do you have any more information that could be useful?” he asked, trying to avoid thinking about the strange feeling.

“I can send you pictures of the plant life that can usually be found in the areas the dangerous ones grow. They like dark shady areas with a lot of tree cover, so those would be your first sign that you may come across them.”

“That would be appreciated.”

Anaj sent him the information, pointing at his screen to a small message that accompanied it.

“I included my comm frequency. If you have any questions about anything plant or animal related that you can’t find on the holonet, you can call me.”

“I will be sure to make use of that should the need arise.”

Tech stood from his seat and returned his datapad to its home in his pack.

“Thank you for your assistance, Master Jedi.”

Anaj stuck out her hand again for him to shake. This time Tech reciprocated and gently shook her hand.

“It was nice to meet you, Tech. I hope I see you again some time.”

Tech released her hand and left the room after bidding her farewell. He followed the path he had previously traveled with Keebo until he reached the hangar. Only once he arrived beside his speeder bike did he realize that he had been hoping to visit the library as well while he was in the temple.

Perhaps I can ask Cody to get me permission to use the library another time. It would make sense for me to have access to knowledge that could help us on our missions.

Tech filed that thought away, making a mental note to ask the Commander next time he saw him. He climbed on his bike and flew out of the hangar, heading back to where the Marauder was parked. The sky overhead had turned dark, the city around him full of bright lights. Tech had no doubt that his brothers would be gone when he returned, so he would have the ship to himself.

As he descended towards the hangar bay, he could see no lights coming from the Marauder and the ramp wasn’t extended, which confirmed his suspicions. Just as he landed, his wrist comm beeped, indicating that someone wanted to speak with him.

“Yes?” he answered.

“Can you swing by 79’s?” Hunter’s voice said from his wrist. “We need a pickup.”

Tech lowered the screen on his helmet to check the time.

“It’s still early. What could have happened so soon?”

“Crosshair…”Hunter started.

Tech sighed, interrupting his brother before he could say anything else.

“Say no more. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

Tech hung up on Hunter and climbed off the bike. He made his way over to a bigger speeder that could hold all of his brothers.

“Typical,” he muttered as he took off.

Leave it to Crosshair to start a fight less than an hour into the evening.

Soon enough, he arrived outside the bar to find his brothers waiting for him. Wrecker was holding Crosshair steady as the man in question held a wad of napkins to his bleeding nose.

“What did you do now?” Tech asked.

Crosshair’s response was muffled by the napkins, prompting Tech to turn to Hunter for a clearer answer.

“A reg said something rather crude about a short Jedi with a long braid. Crosshair felt it was his duty to get in said reg’s face. When he was told that ‘he had less chance than an ice cube on Mustafar’ when it came to having a shot with someone like her, Crosshair took it personally.”

Tech saw Hunter give Crosshair a look that was half disappointment and half pity. They all knew the reg was right, but no one wanted to say it.

“Just take us back to the ship,” Hunter said tiredly.

Tech did as he was told, bringing them all home. As he flew he thought about the Jedi he had met. Before, he hadn’t truly understood why Crosshair had been so besotted with Lena, having never experienced something like that himself. As he pictured Anaj’s smile and the way she had talked so passionately about the thing she cared about, he felt like he could possibly understand.

Even though he hadn’t been around to hear the reg speak the words that had riled Crosshair up so badly, Tech could still hear them in his head. They screamed at him loud and clear.

You would never have a shot with someone like her.

A/N: Give this a like, comment, and reblog and let me know what you think!

Tags: @monako-jinn-stories

#tbb tech #tech #tech x jedi oc #tbb tech x jedi oc #tech x oc #tbb tech x oc #fanfiction #star wars fanfiction #star wars #star wars: the clone wars #star wars:the bad batch #the bad batch #tbb #original characters #50 follower celebration

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xemonchi · 2 years

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Hello hello I have been reading Saturation by @greentrickster and without a doubt I love this fanfic

I absolutely love reading this and had been speeding through it for a week, I love the story telling and the world building and it makes me super inspired to make my own fanfics more rounded (if that's the correct saying).

I love how all the little pieces fall into one big overall one, how little details connect throughout the story like Miles Edgeworth and his sleeping problem (which I heavily related to, just ask my girlfriend haha she has to deal with it alot) anyway I love particular detail turns into a lovely arc or fluffy scene and I love how realistic it is (given it's still an anime/game logic rules all type), like with the bets and the whole nicknames and teasing about crushes at work

The language side of it is amazing, I simply loved it and the important parts of keeping in character with every single character like Edgybaby and his very formal speaking verses Larry's high on a Monday night type.

I could go on and on about it and I absolutely would but one thing is for sure, I'm definitely interested and looking forward to more.

- Daniel :)

P.S I'm definitely gonna do fanart of this (as soon as the brain goes art mode /j)

#ace attorney #phoenix wright #aa edgeworth #edgeworth ace attorney #phoenix x edgeworth #miles edgeworth

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carnivorarium · 2 years

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Massive infodump about Yamai that’s been waaaaay overdue for like, a year now since I did a major rework of him. Most of this information covers where he is currently and a broad overview of how he got there. Content warning for: drug abuse, body horror, mutilation, and cannibalism.

Yamai is neither living nor dead.

He’s on a spectrum that can teeter closer to one than the other, but he’s never fully alive or fully dead. If he gets too close to one end of the spectrum, his body will go through extreme measures to correct its precarious, odd homeostasis. When he was a child, it wasn’t as bad. He was susceptible to catching illnesses, and this was chalked him to him having a weak immune system-- which to an extent was true, as his immune system was purposely weakening itself to keep him from veering too far off onto the “living” side of the spectrum.

During his preteens and well into his teenage years, though, he became violently ill due to how much he was thriving as a “living being”. Years 14-16 were spent in and out of a hospital room. His adoptive mother and half-brother, Aoki, held a funeral for him shortly before his seventeenth birthday. Naturally, he didn’t stay dead. Since it was his first time dying, though, it took him a while to come back around. Roughly a month. He died several more times clawing his way back to the surface. Confused, unable to remember much about himself or his background, and still half dead, he wandered out of town and (canonically), found his way to Roefall [or insert whichever other place threads take place in].

Currently, he works as a crime cleaner for Zippermouth / a bartender with crime cleaning as a second, unmarketed job (this is verse dependent, but defaults to bartending unless specified otherwise).

To put things very bluntly: the guy can hoover up a bloody explosion of a murder after all needed evidence has been secured in like, an hour or two at the most. A touch from his bare fingers disintegrates things into clusters of fungi that turn to powder. Simply put, he’s the best of the best when it comes to making the nastiest of crimes disappear. But his services don’t come cheap or without proper vetting of the client, either.

He used to be involved with organized crime as a sort of info broker- not the kind you’d think of, though. When he found himself in the middle of a strange city, surrounded by strange people, a stranger to himself, legally dead and nothing to offer except his own body, he didn’t have very many options but to sell what he was good at: playing possum. You pick up on a lot of interesting little details when people think you’re dying or dead. Never the full story, but enough to shift the tides for whoever was paying. His detachment from everyone else around him made it easier for his monstrous capabilities to be a resource when things went south, too; he preferred it that way, at least until he met a then-much-younger Lenore who reminded him an awful lot of his little brother. He came into contact with Zippermouth shortly after reuniting with Aoki, but organizing a way to get himself, Aoki, and Lenore clean was messy. Further detail will be given in a bio post, but for now we’ll leave it at that.

He needs to keep balance by consuming both living and dead things.

His diet’s pretty normal, for the most part. He eats his fruits and veggies, he’s especially fond of caramel-drizzled flan, and he hates artificial strawberry flavors. Oh, and he has to eat living flesh to help maintain his homeostasis properly. He can regulate off smaller mammals, but eventually he has to get a bigger bite. He has methods for making sure he’s not grabbing some random off the street and turning them into a screaming buffet. He’s not a vigilante by any means. No, it’s all about personal vendettas for him, wounds he didn’t let heal for this exact purpose. And he gets some extra cash slipped his way if he gets the right person at the right time. He knows he’s not a good person for doing this. It’s just easier finding scummy people that make for a good meal and washing the leftover guilt down with a drink and a relaxing night in than it would be to brutalize some average Joe for a quick bite.

Yamai’s left leg is missing from just above the kneecap.

His leg was cut off in the aftermath of his previous employer becoming privy to his plans to skip town. Again, a story for later (or maybe never, it’s not like he talks about it often). While he is capable of mild regeneration, he cannot permanently regrow limbs; it would consume too much of his energy, and lead to him needing to eat living tissue too often for his personal liking. Instead, he wears a prosthetic leg. Said prosthetic is comprised his own weird fungi tissue that’s been ossified and semi-responds to neurotransmissions, but doesn’t move exactly like his intact leg and is prone to stiffening up. On days where it does, he uses a cane to help with mobility and balance. At home, he has crutches for when he takes his prosthetic off.

When he’s in his other form, he does have constructs that grow over his legs. But, again, for him to constantly maintain them would be counterproductive and just downright impossible for him.

He’s an ex-addict who’s been fully sober for close to a year and a half.

In terms of full sobriety from drugs (namely heroin): he started weaning off it 3-ish years ago from the present, shortly after being taken under Zip’s wing, and has been fully sober for close to a year and a half. He became dangerously close to getting addicted to the painkillers he took while he was fighting through the intense bone and muscle pains that came from withdrawals. He still drinks alcohol, but only socially. He picked up the habits of smoking cigarettes and drinking caffeine even when he doesn’t really need it. Aside from that, his substance vices have waned to a minimum-- though not without a painful struggle towards achieving sobriety and maintaining it. He takes care not to expose himself to anything that might reinforce old habits.

Best way to describe his personality is ‘slightly distant but still invested older brother.’

He rarely takes things personally and he’s developed a very thick skin, though he is prone to internalizing things. Very laid back and a little too into pins and bad humor. He keeps things easy going and barely gives anything about himself away while making others feel comfortable sharing about themselves. Sometimes even described as being “the mom friend”, which always gets a laugh out of him. Not the kind of guy to be the life of the party, but he is the guy further off from the crowd you’d chill and (maybe drunkenly) chat with, or who you’d find smoking outside and either get a cig from or just sit and get into a surprisingly in depth convo with. He has plenty of pet peeves and gets prone to overstimulated irritation (he’s more of friendly introvert than anything else), but it’s fairly difficult to actually get him angry. Handles confrontation way better than his little brother Aoki as he rarely takes things personally. One of his biggest flaws is dressing up his self doubt as overconfidence. Another major one is refusing the same help and advice he’ll give to others. A major strength is his resilience and being ready to admit when he IS afraid of something.

#about | yamai #* idk if i worded everything quite right BUT i'm tired and it's 10 PM and i have to be awake at 6 #* weeeeeee into unspeakable horrors we go!#* also i think mai's the only oc i have that's like. in the crime genre #* but only barely bc of his past #* hm i will now continue to think about him until my brain explodes #* i'll update his page tho!#* also figured out that after writing him for like 7+ years and him never showing-#* -any attraction to any women he might be... U Know #* good for u buddy

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mindmapoffice · 2 months

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Dialogue with my readers. The party is over!! Go home! It's the End of the Card Game.

Them: "Why don't you entertain us?"

Me: "Ask the liars and plagiarists to entertain you! They are claiming they are the writers and not me, so go ahead and ask them to entertain you, if they can. Also, do not forget to ask them for directions too, that way they will give you the correct guidance. Hopefully, you will find yourself lost in a distant land and you'll wonder what the fuck was I thinking listening to these plagiarists and liars."

Them: "What is happening? Why are you refusing to entertain us?"

Me: "Because you refuse to acknowledge my skills as an entertainer and you expect me to keep entertaining you. Well, guess what? I refuse. I quit! I will sit in my home and work on my Novels and Screenplays. I will get paid as an author and screenwriter but this Tumblr page doesn't get me paid, plus they don't acknowledge me as the original writer, they let clowns plagiarists steal my work and claim to be the writers, they lie to you but yet, you still believe their lies. It's your fault, you love the company of frauds and liars, you can not blame me, blame yourselves for being lazy and refusing to verify who is the real author of this blog."

Them: "So it's like that huh?"

Me: "Oh yeah! it's like that!! Tell the plagiarists to kick that hot shit that I be spittin,' I bet they can't."

Them: "Wow, you are pissed off! I would be angry too."

Me: "Yeah, yeah, you act like you care but you don't, GTFOH!"

Them: "So, you're telling me, it's the end of the show!"

Me: "Yeah, if you want my bars from now on, you have to see them in the Movie theaters, I'm signing a deal with my boy Elon Musk, we will make money and stop giving y'all free entertainment. You have to pay now."

Them: "Are you the black screenwriter who is held hostage by the Ku Klux Klan? And you live in Elsau, HLM, Strasbourg, Alsace, correct?"

Me: "Yep, I'm a hostage-screenwriter and I live in Elsau, HLM, Strasbourg, Alsace, it is correct and I laugh at illiterate people who claim they wrote my shit, no one can spit hot fire like me, I'm challenging you right now, don't you get it? I'm at war with plagiarists and liars who steal my work and take all the credit instead of me, the real author and screenwriter is THIS GUY!! No more free shit, my intellectual property is not given freely anymore, those days are over."

Them: "You won and the plagiarists lost. Now they have to come up with their own bars, their own verses, their own jokes, their own music playlists, their own memes, their own poems, their own lame screenplays, their own weak screenplays, the days of getting free bars from this black kid in Elsau are over. You have to go home and write your own shit. Good luck with that."

Me: "I'm done entertaining y'all for free. You have to go to the Movie theaters now to watch my movies. It's over. See you in a Cinema near your town. Bye, bye!!"

Them: "Where can we find your work, your upcoming projects? I mean, your screenplays and your books? Give us the details."

Me: "I'm loyal to Blumhouse. I'm working with Jason Blum's Blumhouse Productions right now, so I suggest you keep an eye on the new upcoming movies that will be produced by my friend Jason Blum, I encourage you to call Jason and ask him to give you more details about my upcoming screenplays. I'm sure he will have all the answers."

Here is the IG page of Blumhouse, click the link: https://www.instagram.com/blumhouse/

Here is the IG page of Jason Blum, click the link: https://www.instagram.com/itsjasonblum/

Here is the wiki page of Blumhouse Productions, click the link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blumhouse_Productions

Them: "But how will we recognize your screenplays? How do we know who wrote it? Are you going to write your name on the screenplays? Tell us, we deserve to know dammit!! Who will take credit for your screenplays? Tell us!!"

Me: "It's Tracey Edmonds, I forgive her, she is a good friend and I will let her sign all my screenplays. So in the future, when you see a screenplay written by Tracey Edmonds, you will know that it was actually written by me. I'm loyal to Tracey Edmonds."

Them: "Okay, thanks this information helps! From now on, when we see a screenplay written by Tracey Edmonds, it means it was written by you, correct?'

Me: "Yep, Correctamundo!!" "Screenplays written by: Tracey Edmonds"

Them: "What if Tracey Edmonds refuses. What if she says no."

Me: "It's funny, do you know why it's so funny? Because her movies and TV series suck-donkey-balls!! She needs my skills. I don't think she will refuse, her entire Hollywood career depends on my screenwriting skills, so trust me when I tell you, she will accept, she is yearning for an Oscar since she was a little girl, so you understand why I'm so sure she will say yes and accept this deal. Tracey wants an Oscar Statuette in her home, so she will do whatever it takes to get that Oscar. I know she will accept this deal."

Fun Fact: Did you know? The Judges at The Motion Picture Academy said this about my screenplays: "Angelo's AREA 51 screenplay is my PRECIOUS!! **Gollum's voice** -- There are no screenplays with proven Alien creativity, Angelo is the only man who can provide us with Alien creativity."

Fun Fact: Did you know? Elon Musk is building a brand new movie studio just to own Angelo's intellectual property. Elon will be the owner of the Alien Creativity. The brand new movie studio will be called "Space X film company." and guess who'll run the company? The King of Sitcoms himself, Chuck Lorre will be honored to be appointed as the only movie executive and CEO of "Space X Film company."

Here is an Important reminder for Elon Musk: "Don't forget to call Tyler Perry and ask him about the Atlanta Georgia state's tax laws, he will help you get all the information you need to settle your new film company in Atlanta, Georgia, good luck with your new start-up company, Space X Film Company headquarters in Georgia."

Don't forget to hire our good friend Michael Douglas, he is a good friend.

Chuck Lorre and Elon Musk are allies in Hollywood.

End of the dialogue.

If you need to contact me, don't hestitate, my email is in my bio. It's as simple as that. I'm open for any collaborations with Movie studios and Film production companies. Send me an email and we'll talk business.

Bye, bye! Tell the plagiarists and liars that this writer said: "I quit!"

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archangels-bible-annotations · 6 months

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Genesis 16

16:1-2 Sarai and Abram could not have any children, so Sarai asked Abram to have a child with Sarai's maidservant. Why would they want to have children through the maidservant? Wouldn't that directly go against God's command, especially considering the last chapter? In the last chapter, it mentioned that Abram's offspring would be his heir, so technically this isn't going against what God said. Also important to notice "Abram obeyed the voice of Sarai." It sounds like he is trusting Sarai more than he is trusting in God's will. The last time this happened was with Adam and Eve.

16:3-4 Hagar, the maidservant, had conceived a child. She then believed that Sarai had despised her.

16:5-6 Because Hagar thought she was despised, Sarai knew she had made a mistake. This is exemplified when she says "My wrong be upon you!" Hagar was then "dealt harshly" and she fled. If she flees, then what becomes of Abram's child?

16:7 We see another appearance of an angel in the Bible. Before was during the creation and the guarding of the Garden of Eden.

16:8 The angel asks Hagar where she is going and where she comes from. Why would an angel sent from the Lord not know these details, especially considering that they live in a higher plane than mankind? You would think that if they were sent from the Lord they would have been debriefed about their mission. It is different than when God asks what is going on. When God asks, He is offering an opportunity of repentance; there is no repentance that can be granted by an angel. If anything, the benefit of the angel asking allows Hagar to acknowledge her wrongdoing rather than going as far as repentance. This verse may show that angels are not omniscient like God. Also note that when referring to the angel, a capital "He" is used rather than lowercase, signifying that angels are greater than man.

16:9-10 The Angel encourages Hagar to exemplify humility. This further signifies that the nature of the God the Angel serves is one that smiles upon these characteristics. He reassures her that her seed shall be countless. Why does the Angel state, "I will surely multiply your seed exceedingly"? Shouldn't the correct message be "The Lord will surely multiply..."? What power does this Angel have to prosper humanity? This shows that even the Angels are given authority by God to manage the course of humanity.

16:11 The Angel states that the child shall be called Ishmael due to her humiliation. The name "Ishmael" translates to "God listens," this is a sign of God seeing His children. So should have Hagar be punished in the first place? Was she not wrong for bearing false beliefs about her mistress?

16:12 Ishmael is described to be a "rustic man" who essentially will be enemies against all men. However, he shall "dwell in the presence of all his brethren." Why would be enemies of everyone and stay in their presence? Or is this verse saying that he will dwell with those who respect him?

16:13 Hagar gives the Angel a name "You Are the God Who Sees Me." This translates to "El Roi." Hagar describes her encounter as if it were with God directly rather than through an Angel. If she claims that the Angel was God, the Hagar had seen God "face to face"

16:14 The translation of the name of the well Hagar gave was from "Well of Him I Saw Before Me" translated to "Beer-lahay-roi."

16:15 Hagar bore Ishmael. It is stated that Abram named his son Ishmael, meaning that Hagar did return to Abram.

Other Remarks:

Sarai telling Abram to have a child with her maidservant seems to be out of Sarai's own volition, and not inspired by God. It was interesting to note that it states, "Abram obeyed the voice of Sarai." This is parallel to the story of Adam and Eve. The parallels of both stories show a sign of rebellion, an opportunity for repentance, and potentially a return. (v.1-2)

There might be enough evidence to point to God taking the form of an Angel to appear to Hagar rather than just having a messenger angel talk to Hagar. When an angel was mentioned to guard the Garden of Eden, "cherubim" was not capitalized. Also, the angels that got with the human women were not capitalized either. Lastly, Hagar even states that she saw "the One" face to face. This proof is also furthered by the Angel stating that "I" will multiply her seed; this states a direct action and will of the Angel, rather than of God.

If the Angel that appears to Hagar is not God, then it tells us about certain characteristics of the angels. Angels would have direct authority to change the course of mankind. Angels would have the power to do the will of God. Angels can appear before man. Angels can also direct man toward the characteristics pleasing to God, such as humility. (v.8-10)

God recognizes those who are lost. This is seen when God sees Hagar's humiliation. (v.11)

The OSB remarks the "Angel" to be the Son and the "Lord" to be the Father. This follows along with the reading and the power dynamics seen. The OSB also states as evidence that the Son is the only one that reveals the Father. This would mean that this is the second/third appearance of the Son in the Bible. First being at Creation, second being Melchizedek, and third being an Angel.

Questions:

Is it a sin to believe that someone despises you? What did Hagar do with the idea of being despised that got her kicked out of the house of Abram? (v.5-6)

What is the fate of Ishmael? Shall he be the one who God makes the entire earth prosper?

Why should Ishmael be against every man? (v.12)

Things to Add to Prayer:

Recognize us and pick us up Lord when we are lost and rejected.

-Mikhael

#Genesis #Angel #Son #Hagar #Ishmael #Abram #Sarai #bible reading #bible study #God #Humility

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revivingthegospel · 1 year

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Is Water Baptism Required for Salvation?

Baptism in water. Is it necessary for salvation? In the world of Christianity, this is another highly debated topic. According to many, baptism in water is essential for salvation. Others believe baptism is important, but not a requirement for heaven. But what does the Bible have to say about baptism? Is it required for eternal life?

What is Baptism?

Since the word itself is a great source of confusion, let’s first examine the word baptize. The word baptize is not a translation, but a transliteration of the Greek word baptizō (βαπτίζω), and baptizō itself has nothing to do with water. It means to “dip”, “plunge”, “soak”, “drench”, “flood”, and can take place in anything, including vinegar solutions as in this ancient recipe.

As with the Ethiopian eunuch, baptism can refer to dipping the body in water (Acts 8:36-40). Mark chapter 7 verse 4 uses a form of baptizō to refer to the ceremonial washing of dishes. Also, in Luke 11:38, a Pharisee is amazed that Jesus didn’t wash (εβαπτισθη) before eating. Some translations interpret this to mean he didn’t “wash his hands,” though it’s not explicitly stated in the original text. Assuming their interpretation is correct, this would refer to ritual hand washing before eating, especially before consuming meals with bread. This Jewish ritual involved pouring water over the hand.

The word baptizō has been used to describe sinking ships, drownings, and in figurative language, to refer to being overwhelmed by alcohol (aka drunkenness), or debt. Baptizō had a variety of uses in Ancient Greek, but in the New Testament, it often refers to washing, namely ritual washing, by dipping or plunging.

Where Does Water Baptism Come From?

Why does water baptism exist in the first place? Let’s take a moment to explore the origins of Christian baptism. Many Christians believe it originated with John the Baptist. This is incorrect. This wasn’t a new thing instituted by John as some claim. In fact, before Jesus, some groups, including John himself, were said to have baptized frequently, or even daily. That’s probably why the biblical authors didn’t feel the need to go into detail to explain it to the original audience. Since water immersion for purification had been part of their culture since the Torah was given, they would have already been familiar with the practice.

The Torah, for instance, commands people to wash after discharge. Women are to wash after their menstrual impurity, and men after ejaculation of semen (Leviticus 15). When any person ate an animal which died or was torn by beasts, they were to wash their clothes and bathe in water (Lev. 17:15). These are a few of many ritual washings prescribed by God to pronounce one ritually clean after being in a state of uncleanness.

Later, the Jews adopted the practice of full body immersion for other events such as before weddings, during pregnancy, before entering the temple, and when converting a foreigner to Judaism. These immersions were, and still are, performed in what is called a mikveh. A mikveh refers to a collection, or gathering, of natural flowing water as is described in the Hebrew Bible (Gen. 1:10). In the beginning, a mikveh may have been limited to a natural body of water such as a lake or ocean, but it eventually evolved into a stepped pool. The pools of Siloam and Bethesda are believed to have been among these mikva’ot (plural form of mikveh).

Christian baptism comes from the Jewish custom of immersing in a mikveh. The two practices, however, have several differences. A notable difference is that Jews dip themselves in the mikveh. A person may supervise the immersion to prevent drowning or to make sure the one immersing goes all the way under, but no one is flipped over into a pool as in Christian baptism. It’s likely that John “performed” baptisms this way. In other words, he oversaw the immersions. No mention is made of him dipping Jesus or anyone else in water.

Jesus would have dipped himself in the water as did all the Jews, but under John’s supervision. Additionally, we read that Jesus went up out of the water as soon as he was immersed (Matt. 3:16). No one lifted him out. He dipped and then immediately came up on his own. This is how immersions were done. This would explain the “mysterious” question of “Who baptized John the Baptist?” since the obvious answer would be “himself.” Furthermore, John’s head was cut off, so he wasn’t superhuman. He couldn’t have dunked all those people without losing an arm.

The truth is, before Christian baptism existed, water immersion for ritual purity was performed in Judaism, the religion that gave rise to Christianity. Therefore, there’s no reason to believe that baptism was performed in any other way and for any other purpose than that found in Judaism. So, in answering the question, Is water baptism required for salvation? It’s important to first recognize that baptism didn’t originate with John, Jesus, or Christianity, and is therefore not exclusive to Christians.

Spirit Baptism vs. Water Baptism

The second and probably most important thing to remember is that just because we see the word baptize in Scripture, it doesn’t automatically mean it refers to water baptism.

After Saul lost his sight on the road to Damascus, Ananias told him, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength” (Acts 9:17-19).

These verses are often used to claim that Paul was baptized in water. But nothing in the passage indicates that that’s what happened. It’s just an assumption people make because it’s easy. Ananias himself stated that he came to Saul for two purposes: first, for Saul to receive his sight, and second, for him to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Paul received his sight, but it appears God dropped the ball when it came to filling him with the Spirit. At least it seems that way when we rely on our own understanding.

The most plausible explanation is that Ananias, with the Lord’s authority, laid hands on Saul, and because of Saul’s faith and submission, he was baptized, or immersed, in the power of Christ. This caused him to receive his sight and to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:17; Acts 19:6). The same way a ship submerged in the ocean will eventually fill with water, so will those immersed in Christ and submitted under his authority be filled with the Spirit. That was the reason Ananias came. God didn’t send Ananias to perform a water baptism, so there’s no reason to believe that’s what he did.

Christians have completely misunderstood baptism because of false teachings fueled by ignorance. Some preach a different gospel than Christ prescribed, because they automatically associate baptism with water, leading to misunderstandings of Scripture. For a better understanding of God and his teachings, we must learn to separate truth from tradition, and part ways with our own beliefs as needed.

Why Was Jesus Water Baptized?

The next question that usually arises is: Why did Jesus baptize? Considering that Jesus was Jewish and was raised among Jews, it’s unlikely that this was his first rodeo. He would have regularly practiced Jewish customs, including ritual immersion. Although Jesus probably immersed many times before, there was something unique about this time. There are some practical reasons as to why Jesus might have dipped in the Jordan, and they have nothing to do with repentance or forgiveness of sin.

Perhaps, the most likely explanation is that Christ immersed because he is the ultimate High Priest (Heb. 4:14-15). Jesus is said to have begun His ministry at 30 years old. This was the starting age mentioned in the Torah for priests to begin serving. Numbers 4:1-3 says: “Adonai said to Moshe and Aharon, “Take a census of the descendants of K’hat, who are among the descendants of Levi, by clans and families, all those from thirty to fifty years old; these will enter the corps doing the work in the tent of meeting.” (CJB)

Additionally, a new priest would have been anointed with oil on his head to demonstrate that God had chosen him. (Lev. 8:10-12; Ex. 40:12-13) Christ, at the age of thirty, preparing to take on his priestly duties, which would include offering himself as the final sacrifice for sin, would have ritually washed and been anointed by God; not with oil but with the Holy Spirit, which descended upon him like a dove at his baptism (Jn. 1:32; Acts 10:38; Lk. 4:18).

When John tried to prevent Jesus from immersing, “Jesus replied, ‘Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then John consented.” (Matt 3:15 NIV) The righteousness he had in mind may have been fulfilling this Torah command—the righteousness of the Law.

Putting speculation aside, what we know for certain is that Jesus didn’t baptize for forgiveness of sins, therefore he couldn’t have been our example so that we would get baptized and be forgiven of sins. That would be “comparing apples to oranges as we’re in two different categories: We are sinful ,but Christ is sinless.

There may be other reasons why he did it, but regardless of external reasons why Jesus was baptized, God had an ultimate purpose for his immersion.

What Is The Purpose Of Water Baptism?

Scripture never commands water baptism for the purposes of spiritual salvation, forgiveness of sins, or joining God’s people. Therefore, water baptism is not a requirement for eternal salvation. So, why is it mentioned throughout Acts and the Gospels if it isn’t a requirement? As with today, tradition is the reason. There is nothing wrong with water baptism, and as part of Jewish tradition, it was expected.

A Jewish person would immerse for an important event or to signify some change in their status. The decision to turn to Christ is certainly a major change in status and is an important event. Therefore, the water immersions we see in Scripture for this purpose would have been appropriate.

As a reminder, baptism in the Bible is not necessarily a reference to water immersion unless explicitly stated. The New Testament emphasizes Jesus and Spirit baptism. Therefore, placing such a high emphasis on water immersion takes the focus off Christ and his divine baptism, and places it on our own works which is the opposite of what John intended.

Acts 19:3-5… “So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied. Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.”

Acts 11:16… “And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’”

In Matthew 3:11, John tells the people, “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire “(NIV). By using the familiar concept of water immersion, John connected a new message to an old idea to point the people to the one who would come after Him – Jesus the Christ. This is how God used prophets in the Old Testament. To convey a spiritual message, he instructed them to use real-life situations as symbols (Is. 20:1-4; Jer. 27; Hos. 1:2; Ezek. 4-5).

So, in other words, John says, “Just as I baptize with water, one is coming after me who will baptize, but in a spiritual sense. As you now immerse in water, he will immerse you in the power of God. Through him, the kingdom of heaven will manifest here on earth through all kinds of signs, miracles, and wonders.

Don’t ask yourselves, “How can this be?” Just as you’re surrounded by powerful currents when you dip into the water, so will you be surrounded by his power and glory when you submit yourself under his authority. As water streams from your mouth, nose, and ears when you emerge from the lake, so will you rise to new life with living water flowing from out of you (Jn. 7:38). I’m telling you this now, so you’ll remember my words when all of this happens and will put your faith in the Messiah.”

In those days, others claimed to be a messiah or an “anointed one.” How were the people to know who to trust? How would they know who to follow unless God clearly revealed his identity? Scripture says of John: “He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world” (John 1:7-9 NIV).

In case that was misunderstood, John clearly states the reason for his baptism. He says, “I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.” (Jn. 1:31 NIV) As a prophet of the Lord, John was sent to bear witness to the Messiah (Is. 40:3-5, Jn. 1:23). This was done through the method of baptism. As people came to baptize, God used the opportunity to identify the Christ. His identity was unknown to John, but John was told that the one who would baptize with the Spirit would be revealed to him in a specific way.

John said, “And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’” (Jn. 1:33)

Matthew 3:16-17 reads, “As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Is. 42:1-4)

God wasn’t simply bragging about his Son. It’s as if he pointed a giant finger down from heaven saying: “In case you missed the sign, this is the man! This is my beloved Son, the one I have chosen! He’s the one I told you about. Obey Him!” After witnessing this foretold event, and receiving confirmation of Christ’s identity, John began to testify that Jesus was God’s Chosen One and encouraged the people to believe in him.

John 1:32… “Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him.”

John 1:34… “I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”

The Bottom Line

It wasn’t for salvation that John immersed, but rather to point the people of Israel to the Messiah. Asserting any other purpose adds words to God’s mouth, which can cause believers to stumble in their faith. Certainly, John’s baptism was for the sake of repentance, but not for “turning away from sin” as many define repentance. Rather its purpose was to turn people to Jesus, and therefore to God, which is what repentance is.

As we see later in John’s Gospel, this purpose was somewhat fulfilled. After a dispute with Jewish opponents, we read that “…Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. There he stayed, and many people came to him. They said, “Though John never performed a sign, all that John said about this man was true.” And in that place many believed in Jesus “(Jn. 10:41-42).

Despite the disbelievers, many believed in Christ through John’s testimony. That was the goal of his baptism—Identify Christ and testify about him, so that Israel would turn and trust in him. Therefore, John’s immersion was a special event, and there’s no need for this baptism today. So, for what reasons might one immerse?

Baptism was done in the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, and early Judaism for ritual purity or to indicate a change in physical or spiritual status. This should be the purpose for which we encourage Christian baptism today. Outwardly, it symbolizes a turning from rebellion to submission to the one true God. For some, it’s symbolic of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, and of their new life produced by the Spirit. There’s no right or wrong reason to immerse. What’s important is that it’s done from the heart, with a good conscience toward God.

Those who’ve never been water baptized should know that it’s not a requirement for salvation. Water baptism is simply not used for this purpose in Scripture. Salvation can only be obtained through repentance and trust in the Lord, who is the God of Abraham and of Jesus Christ.

Nevertheless, there’s nothing wrong with water immersion, as our Lord himself practiced it, and there’s no denying that it’s good for us spiritually and mentally. Additionally, baptism can encourage believers in their new walk with Christ, energizing them for the journey that lies ahead. In my opinion, God smiles upon our public expression of faith through water baptism. Therefore, I encourage you to get water baptized if you can. It’s indeed an experience of a lifetime, and one you’ll not want to miss!

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**Unless otherwise noted, the thoughts expressed in this post are my own, and are intended to guide, not replace one’s own conviction and study of Scripture.

Bibliography

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “mikvah”. Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2008, https://www.britannica.com/topic/mikvah. Accessed 20 February 2023.

Perseus Digital Library. Ed. Gregory R. Crane. Tufts University. http://www.perseus.tufts.edu (accessed January 13, 2023)

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