#« elijah thomas » answered

[teecupangel]

Why is nobody talking about how Desmond had a SAGE ancestor??!!

I’m now picturing a scenario where Des is having an awkward family reunion with John/Black Bart/Germain and let’s say that Aita is aware that Desmond is his descendant… so, for once, Aita is doing his utmost to be a good great grandad and spending the day with him doesn’t turn out so bad at all as Desmond thought it would.

The fandom should talk more about Aita in general honestly!

Wait. What did I miss?

Desmond is Aita’s descendant?

Then that means…

He’s Juno’s descendant!

Okay, in all seriousness, I don’t remember anything that states that Aita (and Juno) was Desmond’s ancestor nor is there any confirmation that Sages needed to be descendants of the Isu ‘possessing’ them.

Although, if Aita was truly Desmond’s ancestor, this would make Juno’s treatment of Desmond more… twisted.

Either he’s also Juno’s descendant and she has no qualm killing her own blood to get what she wants or she truly believe that she was rewarding Desmond by putting his ‘spirit’ in the Gray after he died.

Or…

He’s a descendant of Aita but not of Juno and her treatment of Desmond is tainted with the idea that she has no qualms sacrificing Desmond because he has the blood of the woman who seduced her husband in his veins.

But honestly?

I think Juno and Aita are loyal to one another and it shows with how far Juno was willing to go just to save Aita (using the Mead and getting punished by it) and how both John the IT guy and Bartholomew were both talking about Juno like she was the love of their life.

Anyway, this isn’t about Juno!

Let’s focus on the awkward family reunion with the idea that Aita’s Sages are all his descendant which includes Desmond because Elijah’s ‘Sage genes’ come from his father’s side!

Unorganized Notes:

Desmond would have no idea why he was in this weird time-space anomaly with these dudes. He doesn’t even recognize any of them! One of them was definitely a Templar too!

And there’s even a kid here???

Then Aita comes in and tells them that they were brought here because of their blood and there was some sort of attack that was aimed to lock Aita up. Instead, it locked him and a few of his descendants up instead.

And that’s how Desmond learned that his Isu ancestor is Juno’s husband. Well… fuck.

So Desmond would be stuck with Elijah, John, Germain, Bartholomew and we’ll also include Molay in the mix.

Desmond would totally not feel safe among any of them and his paranoia only grows after John says that he doesn’t know about the kid (Elijah) but he was sure Desmond wasn’t a Sage so he shouldn’t even be here in the first place. This gets Desmond a crash course of what a Sage is and he’s sus of everybody because the really short summary they gave made it seem like they’re being possessed by Aita so this looks like he’s in a room with lots of Aitas!

Aita doesn’t help his case because he says that Desmond is ‘special’ which is always a fucking red flag.

So they’re stuck in that room where the food never grows cold nor the fruits ever rot and the glasses always refill themselves and… mandatory bodily functions like sleeping and eating doesn’t seem to matter. Desmond’s pretty sure that they’re all ‘data’ at this point, avatars created from the memories of the real deals.

… at least, that’s what he came up with because this feels really similar to the Animus Island but felt more… ‘real’.

Desmond actually tries to talk to Elijah first because John says he’s not sure who he is so maybe he’s not a Sage as well. Elijah doesn’t tell him about their familial relationship but tells him that he is a Sage. And Elijah also tells him that not all Sages gets ‘eaten’ by Aita’s memories.

Desmond learns from Elijah that Germain and Molay are both like him. They have Aita’s memories but they control them but reports about Germain states that he’s not a good person in general. John and Bartholomew are completely enslaved to Aita’s memories though.

With that information, Desmond believes he and Elijah should be allies because it was clear that Elijah was trying to help him. Elijah doesn’t deny it but instead says that he’ll work with Desmond as long as he likes what Desmond plans to do.

They form a sorta distant alliance with Molay because Desmond knows he’s a Templar so he’s still super sus of him. Molay realizes that Desmond is an Assassin as well because he ‘moves like one’.

Anyway, throughout this entire time, Aita is trying to get into Desmond’s good graces, giving him gifts that appears out of nowhere or talking to him in general.

Desmond has no idea why Aita is doing any of this.

Elijah suggests that maybe Desmond is the Sage of Aita and Juno’s child instead and that’s why he’s there. “If you think about it, since we’re all his descendants, that would mean he had at least one child. Someone like Aita and Juno would have loved their child so deeply that it becomes twisted and they’d definitely try to save that child even if it meant using the same thing that killed off Ait-”

Elijah stops because he sees the horror in Desmond’s face and says instead, “I’m joking.”

Desmond sighed in relief and, seeing Molay about to speak, Elijah shoots him a very dark look that promises not death but endless torture just a shy away from death. Molay closes his mouth and keeps quiet.

John is the only one who is truly suspicious of who Elijah is. He has no idea who he is but… he looks too similar to Desmond… and… to Aita’s son who they were all descended from.

Elijah is keeping his connection to Desmond vague and, just to fuck with them, he makes vague comments about being from ‘far away’ and Desmond thinks he’s actually far into the future and Elijah’s just ‘yeah, I’ll go with that’ and uses the current state of the world he was living to make up a possible future that’s… weirdly… sounds like the plot of watch_dog LEGION.

Aita knows what Elijah is doing and he tries to tell him to stop it and tell Desmond the truth, reminding him that this might be the only time he could be with his father. Elijah tells him to shut up and that he has no leg to stand on since he’s just a parasite waiting to eat their mind to ‘live’ and to stop thinking of Desmond as a replacement for his son.

Desmond is having conflicted emotions since Aita is being nice to him but he also knows he’s Juno’s husband so he’s definitely not exactly a good person.

Germain is just there, unsure what to do because (1) Molay doesn’t want to talk to him after Elijah told him what Germain did to the Order and (2) Aita is pretty much ignoring him as well.

Bartholomew is just buddying up with John but he does know that Desmond is Edward Kenway’s descendant. He could feel it so he treats Desmond cordially.

The one that was trying to lock Aita so they can ‘capture’ him is Aletheia and Basim because they think he has an idea where their children are. Juno is actually trying to save him (and his Sages + Desmond… sorta).

[hedxnism]

Elijah, what's the most daring place Michizane has given you a blowjob? Where is a place you'd like them to go down on you?

his cock throbs a bit at the question and the thought, “I think the car has been the most daring so far.” thinking of their pretty face nestled between his thighs and being able to run fingers through their hair, over their throat as they take him, “Uh, right, public play isn’t super high on my list but i like the thought of them waking me up with it or if it needs to public - somewhere we’d need to be quiet. Secluded but still the adrenaline of ‘what if’. a library, a dim lit coffee shop, a dark corner of a restaurant.”

[seudxnimx]

Cry for ElijahMichi????? @irrwicht

They both knew this day would come - Elijah is a mortal after all. despite all the time and patience and love Michizane has put into him, into their relationship… one an angry man made a house a home it was near impossible to evict him.

He regrets it, instantly…. But there’s nothing that can actually be done and he knows that much. He’s done so well and he’s grown enough to think that anger, the silent rage, had been removed from him but it’s simply sleeping. It takes much more than a simple touch from a random at the bar to trigger him but it’s still a thin wire to trip up, still a rage that made him see nearly nothing at all and act before he could even comprehend what he was doing.

Elijah had managed to stumble away, neither party looking relatively good so there's no one chasing him, he could have very well killed the man but not before he plunged a knife into Elijah's gut. He didn't feel it at first and honestly, he still doesn't, it's not painful and he's sure that's just the shock and adrenaline working it's way through his body. He does fish his phone out though, he knows better than to take the knife out but sitting here with it in him after the steps he's clumsily taken - he knows it didn't make anything better. The only person to call is Michizane though, there's no need to try and get help here, even if they managed to make it to him in time, he knows he's not making it much farther than those hospital doors.

Michizane was there with him, separated in the commotion of things though and he lets him know where he's at before hanging up. He's sure he expected Elijah to be fine, or something of the sort... The look on Michizane’s face says this is a surprise. Elijah wastes no time reaching for them though, “It’s okay, baby..” a soft smile given, hands bloodied but he doesn’t think much of it as he grips theirs as Michizane goes on about getting him help, about doing it himself but Elijah shakes his head. His hands are already cold and he can taste the metallic tang of blood in his mouth. “I’ll find you again.” Never one to believe in reincarnation but he does now, he needs to. “In every lifetime, remember?” His words are slow but they come out.

His grip is weak but he holds Michizane as tight as he can, one hand reaching up to stroke the side of their face, “I love you.” He nods and is needed to verify it even more, eyes well up finally and it’s nothing to do with the physical pain but leaving Michizane… that hurts more than anything. He was never going to outlive the other but he’s sure they both assumed there was more time. He hasn’t cried since he was a kid but there’s tears spilling now, his face has gone pale, swallowing becomes a bit harder as he coughs up blood and it breaks the sob he’s been holding in. His hands shake, “I’m scared.” He finally admits, labored breaths come and go, hands try and hold onto Michizane in any way they can before his vision starts to give and his breaths become less and less until they stop altogether. His eyes closed as his last breath taken, his last fear was being left alone, even if it was death he wanted Michizane to follow but now he has to wait, purgatory holds onto him until he’s released to be born again.

[notthatmultifandomwhore]

Finding Leopold *request from @boomveronika

Warnings: stranger in apartment (do NOT let strangers into your apartment), fluff

It was a peaceful, dark night. Well, so peaceful as it can be in the middle of New York City. I was walking in the middle of Central Park, my usual routine on week nights. The lights of surrounding building lit up the park, and the crowd of angry New Yorkers pasting by added a flavor to my day that was unique to New York. 

I usually head home around this time, but something was telling me to keep walking. So I did. I kept walking around until I sensed something strange. Usually I don't pay much attention to the people around me unless I'm in danger, but I noticed a tall man who was wearing an outfit of royalty, which was obviously very out of place in New York, which was rare to see since, well, it's New York. I tried to not pay him any mind, but he looked as confused as a paperclip in a produce aisle. I headed to head in his direction, and noticed he kept asking people something, but everyone ignored him. As I walked past him, he put his hand on my shoulder, trying to grab someone's attention, and that's when I made eye contact with him. And as I did, it seemed like the world stopped.

Even though this man was giving off a strange vibe, his eyes seemed so soft. He had a beautiful pair of hazel eyes that I have only seen in a dream. They were breath taking. A second later, the world kept spinning.

"I beg your pardon, madame. May I ask what year it is?" He asked frantically.

"It's 2024." I replied, still in awe. He grew pale as if he had seen a ghost, but I also got a sense that he felt the same spark as I did. But he still seemed confused.

"No no no, this can't be." He walked away in the opposite direction as I was going, but something told me to follow him. So I did. 

His legs were much longer as mine, but I tried my best to keep up. A few minutes later, I found him stopped him at a cross walked. He continued to cross as a car almost hit him, but the driver slammed on his brakes.

"I beg your pardon." The man says to the driver. He then came back to the end of the crosswalk where I stood. He saw me again and came up to me and grabbed my arms in his big, warm hands. 

"Madame, I must request assistance. I have no idea where I am." He says. Once again, I'm in awe. I never feel the need to listen to a complete stranger, let alone someone who may be drunk, high, crazy, or all of the above, yet something about this man was different. 

"What is your name?" I asked the man.

"Leopold Alexis Elijah Walker Thomas Gareth Mountbatten." He responded. Even though the answer didn't really convince me that he wasnt crazy, the fact that he didn't slur or burp while saying his name was impressive to me. 

"Leopold. That's a very interesting name." I said.

"Yes, I was named after my father. But as I previously stated, I am in need of assistance! I must find a telegraph."

"I have a old phone at my apartment. I would let you use my cell phone, but it's dead." As I said it, his face grew with more confusion. 

"What is a cell phone?" In my mind, I thought that this man may actually be crazy if he didn't know what a cell phone is. But once again, something told me to help him, so I did.

"We'll get you help sir. Come on, Ill let you use my phone." I took his hand so I can guide him through the crazy streets of New York to my crappy apartment. His hand was so warm and tender. I grew nervous this very attractive, crazy man. Thank God I cleaned up early today, so else I'd be horrified.

We went up the stairs of my apartment building cause the elevator was broken. Once we got there, the man seemed less nervous, but he still seemed very confused. As we entered my apartment, he checked out everything. I know I shouldn't have strangers in my apartment, but he seemed...safe.

"I must say, I am beholden by your act of kindness." He says as he looks through your apartment.

"It's no problem. You seem very confused. Where are you from?"

"England, I am the 3rd Duke of Albany." I looked at him with shared confusion. 

"Right. Well, the phone is over there." I pointed to the wall. He walked up in it, and picked up the receiver. It looked he didn't know how to use it.

"Marvelous. Is this Bell's talking telegram? I have seen a prototype at last year's fair." He said.

"Wow. Well, feel free to use it and I will be making something to eat in the kitchen." I walked away even more confused. Why am I helping this man? And why am I so attracted to him?! 

I went into the kitchen to heat up a frozen meal, when I noticed him following me. 

"May I ask why you are alone in this mansion?" He asked. I giggled.

"I wish this was a mansion. This is just an apartment. A bedroom, living room, kitchen, and bathroom."

"Well, no matter what this is considered, I still wonder why a lady like yourself is alone in this... apartment."

"Well, I don't what a boyfriend and I don't expect to have one anytime soon."

"I see. I am truly sorry if I have offended you in anyway." He came closer to me as he apologized. 

"It's alright. Well, I think it would be good for you to find your way home."

"Well, that's the thing, madame, I simply can't. My home is in a different year."

"I see. And what year would that be, Leopold?" I asked, playing along.

"1876." He stated. All of a sudden, I got goosebumps. As crazy as it sounds, I kind of believed him. I have seen countless movies like Back To The Future where people time travel, I just thought it was a myth. I stood there in awe as I absorbed my thoughts. And all of a sudden, I asked.

"Do you need a place to sleep tonight? I only have a bed that we'd share, but I don't think it's safe for you to wonder around tonight."

"I'd be honored." 

"Ok, stay here. Don't move!" I ran to my bedroom to make sure it looked okay and to move anything embarrassing into my closet. Then, I went into the kitchen to see him fiddling with my air fryer. 

"I have never seen anything like this before." He shared. I giggled at his cluelessness.

"Come on, you should get some rest and I'll tell you about everything tomorrow." I once again grabbed his hand and led him to my room. At this point, I am using any excuse to hold his hand. I opened the bedroom door, and led him inside.

"Sorry it's a little messy"

"Quite the contrary." I blushed a little and I'm not sure why. 

"Um, I don't know if you have other clothes, but I have some old men's clothes from a old friend of mine that you can wear. They should fit." I went to my closet to grab a T-shirt and sweatpants for him. I came back to him admiring my art on the wall.

"This is astonishing." He said. He looked in my eyes and I felt a feeling I have never felt. Like I wanted to kiss him and be in his arms. But I tried to keep my composure. 

"Oh thanks. Um, here's your clothes. The bathrooms that way."

"Thank you." He walked out to the bathroom. I ran quickly to my vanity to make sure I didn't look wild. I fixed my hair and made sure there was nothing in my face. A few minutes later, he came back in the clothes with his clothes folded ever so neated in his arms. He set them down on a chair in my room, and stood as if he didn't know what to do.

"Well, I would like to retire on the floor to prioritize your comfort." He said.

"Oh no, it's fine. There's plenty of room in my bed. Plus, it's super comfortable." I say as I lay down in the bed, shaking in my boots by the fact that an attractive man is in my room.

"Very well." He then goes on the other side of my bed and unfolded the comforter and laid in the bed and placed the comforter on him neatly. He laid on his back and closed his eyes. "Goodnight"

"Goodnight" I say back as I climb under the comforter and lay on my side. I'm so nervous as I feel the heat of his body behind me. It makes me feel things I've never felt before. Girls in my high school would always talk about crushs, but this feels like more than a crush. I then feel him move to his side behind me. It feels as if I turn around, we'd be face to face. I wait a few minutes, and pretend as if I'm asleep, and turn around to see if I'm right. Sure enough, we were face to face, and his eyes were open, looking straight into mine. I freeze.

"I must say, I must give you something in return for your kind gesture." I feel a moment of boldness.

"How about a kiss?" I say, half joking.

"Very well." He then slowly places his hand on the side of my face, brushing of strands of hair that were covering part of my face, and slowly leaned forward. I stayed frozen, still in shock that a man is in my bed, let alone about to kiss me. Suddenly, our lips connect. And it wasn't just a peck or anything too ranchy. It was perfect. His lips slowly moved with mine and sent tiny shocks within me, as if our souls were connecting. It felt magical. The kiss lasted a few minutes, then he pulled away. He then looked into my eyes. 

"I must say, I thought from the very second I saw you that we were soulmates. And I think this kiss has just proved my theory." He then kissed my forehead ever so softly. "Goodnight." 

I stayed frozen, wondering what the hell just happened. "Goodnight."

I turned on my side again, and he wrapped his arms around me from behind. I know I should've have let him into my apartment, but maybe he's right. Maybe we are meant to be.

[b4byblu3z]

HELLOOOO sorry I haven’t been active much!!!

But I just saw your yandere circus and OOOOOO.

I got ideas…

Clown yans with apprentice clown darling who just recently joined: She is new so she’s steadily trying to figure out what the main part of her act is going to be. The clowns use this as a chance to get her to be apart of their act to have her all to themselves. Here’s the fun part. Each clown has a unique act that ties into all of the others. So constantly they are stealing her away from each other to get her to work on their act, but all Darling sees is them being sweet enough to help her out. In reality they are at each other’s throats fighting over her attention. Now the question is… Who will she choose?

Ringmaster Yan with a darling who has applied to take care of the animals that are apart of the circus: His love(obsession) for her happened when he went to her tent to check to see how she was doing on her first day, and he so happened to walk in on her caring for a female elephant and her child. In that second he froze and it felt like his heart skipped over itself. From that point on he would constantly call her over to his tent from the pretense that an animal needed to be checked on while he supervised. This was so he could have her all to himself away from all the other members of the circus.

Twin tight rope walker yans with a contortionist darling: The twins from birth have always been inseparable. They shared everything. Clothes, hair styles, speech patterns, etc. If you saw one you could guarantee you would see the other not far behind. That is the main reason as to why their act was so special. They could not speak a word to each other before a show and do tricks flawlessly. It’s just how well they know each other. One day a new comer shows up and immediately they both are in awe. After their act from behind the curtains they see contortionist Darling move her body in ways they thought impossible. She could balance three bowling pins one on top of the other on the balls of her foot all the while bent backwards. She would flip and turn, and throughout her entire act the crowd was in awe. She made the children laugh and made gasps sound throughout the audience when she did something that many deemed impossible. After the Twins got through watching her act that moment they both knew something. They had to have her all to themselves, and they weren’t too keen on sharing her either…

Name Ideas:

Clowns: Chuckles, Whimsy, Pipo, Pips, Patches, Tot, Binks, Dimitri, Alphie, Artie, Chester, Davey, Edwin.

Ringmaster: Everett, Gabriel, Julius, Titus, Imre, Sebastian, Alexander, Edmund, Alister, Callum, Liam.

Tight rope walkers: Noah and Nathaniel, Toby and Thomas, Leo and Lucas, Finley and Freddie, Hugh and Hugo, Abel and Ave, Jasper and Finn, Benjamin and Elijah, Ash and Heath, Atlas and Adonis.

Sorry if this is too long!! I hope you’re having an amazing day/night!!! Keep up the amazing work!!!!!

YOUR IDEAS ARE SO YUMMY WHAT

Like a band of clowns (Sunday, Artie, Chuckles, and Alphie) who joined the circus to put their unique violent skills into something helpful, their act is intricate, involving everything from slapstick comedy to knife throwing. Poor darling doesn't fit in, they're clumsy and oh so inexperienced.

The clowns, of course, offer to help their new apprentice vying for their attention in the process. Darling is all merry, happy that their mentors are all trying to get their act to fit into the show. Meanwhile, the clowns are giving each other nasty glares behind their back.

Or the Ringmaster, Edmund, who simply can't do it all. He's in charge of everything: animal care, cleaning, organizing shows. He just can't do it anymore. With one of his best elephants about to give birth and his show growing in popularity, he needs help.

He puts out an ad, asking for workers who were willing to travel with the circus to help out. Darling answers the advertisement, applying for the animal handling position. They were clumsy and a bit skittish, but beggars can't be choosers. He hired them up front, and their work began quickly. He avoided them for the first several weeks, until they're late bringing out the animals, and he went to search for them. Finding them in the elephant's trailer, he watched them help the newborn nurse, and a switch in him flipped. Something about the care that they gave the creature, the gentleness with which they handled her, it enraptured him.

He began calling them to check on certain animals, even when check ups or grooming was unnecessary. He just wanted to see them so desperately and get them away from prying eyes.

Or the tightrope walkers, Toby and Thomas, who were used to sharing, ever since they were young they would share toys, clothes, snacks, they even shared a bedroom until they were teenagers.

It was only natural that they share the pretty new performer as well. They're mesmerized by the way that they can move, flipping and twisting into unnatural positions.

The two made a silent agreement on their first night with the circus. The twins would share them, like they shared everything else. They belonged to the twins, even if they didn't know it.

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Jesus with Moses and Elijah

1 Then Jesus said to the people, “I tell you the truth. Some of you standing here will see the kingdom of God come with power before you die.”

2 Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John and went up on a high mountain. They were all alone there. While these followers watched, Jesus was changed. 3 His clothes became shining white, whiter than any person could make them. 4 Then two men appeared, talking with Jesus. The men were Moses and Elijah.

5 Peter said to Jesus, “Teacher, it is good that we are here. We will put three tents here—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6 Peter did not know what to say, because he and the others were so frightened.

7 Then a cloud came and covered them. A voice came from the cloud. The voice said, “This is my Son, and I love him. Obey him!”

8 Then Peter, James, and John looked around, but they saw only Jesus there alone with them.

9 As Jesus and his followers were walking back down the mountain, he commanded them, “Don’t tell anyone about the things you saw on the mountain. Wait till the Son of Man rises from death. Then you may tell.”

10 So the followers obeyed Jesus and said nothing about what they had seen. But they discussed what Jesus meant about rising from death.

11 They asked Jesus, “Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”

12 Jesus answered, “They are right to say that Elijah must come first. Elijah makes all things the way they should be. But why does the Scripture say that the Son of Man will suffer much and that people will treat him as if he were nothing? 13 I tell you that Elijah has already come. And people did to him whatever they wanted to do. The Scriptures said this would happen to him.” — Mark 9:1-13 | International Children’s Bible (ICB) The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson™, a division of Thomas Nelson. Cross References: Daniel 7:9; Daniel 9:26; Malachi 4:5; Matthew 3:17; Matthew 8:4; Matthew 11:4; Matthew 16:21; Matthew 16:28; Matthew 17:1; Matthew 17:4; Matthew 17:9; Matthew 17:12; Matthew 23:7; Matthew 28:3; Mark 1:11; Mark 5:37; Mark 13:26; Luke 9:33

[nicosraf]

Maybe this is going to sound so stupid AKFKKRKEKFKFKF but where do you start learning about angels? Any particular sources that you recommend? I want to expand my knowledge on ✨👼🪽a n g e l l o r e ✨👼🪽 without accidentally falling from some tradcath's attempt at making church look cooler than it really is

Youre not stupid!! and I don't want to start coming off as The Authority on angels or anything - I'm just a guy. I think I'm really wary of others positioning themselves as an authority on angels (or theology generally) when they make videos/tiktoks explaining angel forms/hierarchies/etc. hence my frustrations

Unfortunate boring answer but: I think the best place to start is the Bible, reading the (few!) scenes where angels are present, examining how they act and how they speak. Read the scene where Jacob wrestles the angel, or the one where angels rush over to comfort Jesus after his days in the desert, or the angel that shakes Elijah awake then feeds him (then does it another time). (Book of Tobit, too, if you want to see Raphael!)

It's after this that I think you can start getting into the "sources." I would recommend reading the Book of Enoch - it's short, the summaries of it online are not good imo, and it's pretty simple. One translation I've been enjoying atm is George Schodde's ! Next, I would suggest moving onto the real "angelologists."

So, of course - Pseudo-Dionysius' The Celestial Hierarchy. Books like Thomas Heywood's Hierarchie of the Blessed Angells, and dictionaries about angels/demons. Here is where all the "fun" stuff is! I'm a boring loser so I usually read up on these, before or after, on JSTOR (or at least I did until I graduated) because you can learn a lot about the context in which they were written, and why you might not want to take what's in this umbrella of angelology/theology at face value. (Remember that these type of books/studies were often commissioned by powerful people.)

Around here or after this, you can move onto the writing about angels that isn't trying to convince you it's actual theology – so Milton's Paradise Lost or William Blake's work generally. I love William Blake, he's probably the only guy more in love with Lucifer than I am.

I wish I had a singular "Angels" book that I recommend but, as of now, not yet! I've hardly touched modern full-length books on angels, just articles (and those don't feel introductory enough to recommend, i think?)

But honestly? Just do whatever you want! No one is the authority on angels, just have fun with them fr <33

[studyinglogic]

Uncollected fragments

Everything I write here is true, but I am writing purely from memory, which of course means it is also not.

What is truth, said jesting Pilate, and would not stay for an answer. (Bacon?)

Truth is the limit of inquiry by an ideal community of inquirers. (Peirce?)

The time the work is set in decides the form, writes Eco. But fragments have no form. What, then, is their relationship to time?

But some sort of form is necessary for intersubjective understanding. (That is why I think daos must be collective.)

Thinking through, by, with, against texts. Constructive. Jung.

The encyclopedic imposes an order; the fragmentary is always unfinished.

Eighteenth century China: Zhang Xuecheng is robbed and loses his manuscripts; he mourns their loss.

Nineteenth century Europe: Thomas Carlyle's draft history of the French Revolution is burned by someone who mistakes it for kindling.

Present time, present place (Lain!): some information is lost.

I have read two different accounts of van Gogh's last words. "The sadness will last forever" and "I want to die like this." The first is the most well attested, coming from Theo van Gogh's letter; the second is found in a biography by two scholars.

See you later.

I open my drafts folder, intending to write, but my whole body aches and I save my magnum opus for another day.

I wake up from a dream that I have to write an essay on Jane Eyre.

I vaguely remember seeing something on the heart of the world. Here, I stand with Nishida. It is ineffable place (basho). But of course there are other options. Wang Bi? Le Guin?

"And I'm trying to hold on to my past; it's been so long that I don't think I'm gonna last." What genre is this? "Energetic dream pop."

Fundamentally, only two types of things have significance in ___ _____ __ _ ___ __: texts and people.

The first thing I see when I wake up is an argument over the significance of Kierkegaard, with mentions of Heidegger and Barthes.

"You are a reliable source of knowledge." Everything has its modes.

"You are the kindest person I have ever met." Everyone has their element; it's easy to be kind when one is bountiful. (Aristotle on magnaminity.)

Citing sources is a responsibility, especially now (in the very fleeting present moment) when it is the easiest differentiator between LLM-generated output from human output. On the other hand, the intellectual freedoms that are lost...

Two memories anchor my life: a cat (B) and a game (S).

Sincerity vs. irony, imitare vs. rittrare, value.

"When later published in book form by Iwanami Shoten, its title was shortened to Kokoro; the rendering of the word "kokoro" itself was also changed from kanji (心) to hiragana (こゝろ)." What is the significance of the change in register? This is why languages are so important (to me). Reading a good literal translation brings me in touch with an unfamiliar heterotopian inner logic. E.g. Frieren, Nabokov on Pushkin.

How to read? Plural or monistic?

Borges's lectures on English literature skip Shakespeare entirely.

1502: Arthur, Prince of Wales dies; 1659: Dara Shikoh dies.

"There are no definitive histories," writes Elijah Wald, in this provocative reassessment of American popular music, "because the past keeps looking different as the present changes." Excellent first sentence for a blurb!

And in the same way, fragments will be constantly reinterpreted. Ergodic literature.

Montaigne's Essays would have continued as long as he would have lived; what's important is the spirit of the work.

Someone's library is a collection of them, not just of books, and the inner logic is lost when the collection is dispersed (Trefethen).

For a long time, I have distrusted the encyclopedic even as I remain fascinated by it.

How do you read the Mahabharata, a work so vast? It depends on what level of fidelity you want. A lesser path, I did it by selectively reading between three translations; the most exacting would be to translate all of it into multiple languages, a path no one has taken, a path no one can take.

But how much can one do from the sidelines? This life so short, the craft so long to learn. The unending pressure of objective culture (Simmel). All the texts and people I keep in my heart.

[troveofcmuses]

 Hello, welcome to Troveofcmuses!!!

My name is Feyre (she/her, 30+, pst). A selective independent multimuse that contains muses from A Song of Ice and Fire, House of the Dragon, A Court of Thorns and Roses, Throne of Glass, Bridgerton, Grishaverse, TVD, The Originals, Sanditon, Twilight, Zodiac Academy, Into the Badlands, & Greek Mythology/Touch of Darkness. I also have two OCs from Harry Potter & ASOIAF/HOTD. Side note: I do not support JK Rowling!

Activity: Blog activity is low, but I am here working on stuff when I am able.

I am still working on my carrd (slow due to working on three). So in the meantime, my muses are listed below. If you have any questions, just reach out and ask--I would be happy to answer anything. For now, the only rules that need to be followed are: reblog from the source, no harassing for replies, and messages need to be on Discord. I will block people who break these rules...

places to find me: @brideofcdragons || @reclusiveduke

Sadly, I don't have a carrd yet, and most likely won't. This is a list of my muses, with some background.

ASOIAF: Jon Snow (book only; bisexual. fc: Timothee Chalamet) || Jorah Mormont ( book & show | Fc: Iain Glen; younger version Sam Heughan) || Missandei (books & show) || Robb Stark (show and book; bisexual) ||

HOTD: Rhaenyra Targaryen (book and show; bisexual) || Shiera Seastar (fc: Diane Kruger) ||

Bridgerton: Daphne Bridgerton (book & show) || Eloise Bridgerton (book & show; bisexual) || Kate Sharma/ Sheffield (book & show) || Lady Danbury (book & show) || Violet Bridgerton (book & show) || King George III (book & show) || Queen Charlotte (book & show) || Gareth St. Clair (book; fc: Henry Golding) ||

Grishaverse: Alina Starkov (book & show) || Inej Ghafa (book & show) ||Tolya Yul-Bataar (book & show) || (note: I have not read all of Shadow & Bone--I am on book 2. I also just started Six of Crows--a lot of background will be from the show and my own creation).

TVD: Stefan Salvatore (book & show) || Katherine Pierce (book & show; bisexual) || Bonnie Bennett (book & show)

The Originals: Elijah Mikaelson || Rebekah Mikaelson (bisexual) ||

Twilight: Alice Cullen (book & movie; bisexual) || Edward Cullen (book & movie; fc: Robert Pattinson or Douglas Booth depending on preference, regency era: Corey Mylchreest) || Bella Swan ( book & movie; fc: Abigail Cowen) ||Carlisle Cullen ( book & movie; fc: Matt Lanter) || Esme Cullen (book & movie; fc: Rachel Brosnahan) ||

ACOTAR: Nesta Archeron (fc: Imogen Poots) || Feyre Archeron (fc: Danielle Rose Russell) || Rhysand (fc: Toni Mahfud) || Cassian (fc Can Yaman) ||

Throne of Glass: Manon Blackbeak (fc: Nyane Lebajoa; bisexual) || Dorian Havilliard (Evans Nikopoulos) ||

Sanditon: Charlotte Heywood (book & show) || Alexander Colbourne (show) || Sidney Parker (book & show)

Greek Mythology/Touch of Darkness series: Persephone Rosi (fc: Holliday Grainger) || Hecate (fc: Olivia Cheng; bisexual) ||

The Witcher: Yennefer of Vengerberg (book, show, & videogame; bisexual) || Cirilla of Cintra/ Ciri (book, show, & videogame; bisexual) ||

Fourth Wing: Violet Sorrengail (fc: Kaya Scodelario) || Xaden Riorson (fc: Thomas Doherty) ||

Harry Potter/Hogwarts Legacy: Narcissa Black Malfoy (book & show; fc: Young Narcissa—Emilia Schule. Older Narcissa —Helen McCrory. ||

Wednesday: Wednesday Addams (bisexual)

Original Characters: Leyton Mormont (asoiaf/got; fc: Leo Suter. Background: Son of Jorah Mormont & Lynesse Hightower; sellsword). ||

Message me if you want more details about certain muses.

Drafts: ✨asks: ✨

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

Is there free will in heaven? If so, does that mean there's sin in heaven? Lucifer sinned in heaven (pride), so apparently heaven isn't inherently sinless. But if there's sin, how do you get forgiveness? Why would you bother, since you're already in heaven? What happens if you don't seek forgiveness? What happens to the person(s) you may have sinned against? Their heavenly vacation has been spoiled.

If there's not sin in heaven, that means we're there (eventually) with our same souls and our same bodies, but no free will? From which part of of body or our soul was that removed? And does that mean we're just mindless automatons wandering around heaven thinking only what god wants us to think?

I suspect some Xians may say you retain the ability to sin in heaven, but lack all desire to do so. But desire isn't a prerequisite for sin. People sin without knowledge or desire to do so all the time.

All reasonable questions. There are so many problems with religious thought, and particularly the mythical afterlife, when you actually seriously contemplate the claims.

Do dogs go to Heaven? Only pets, not wild animals? If only humans go to Heaven, how far back? Homo erectus? Australopithecus? Only people who lived after Jesus? Not Abraham, Moses or Elijah, then. Which “you” will be in Heaven? Senile you with dementia? Midlife-crisis you?

-- Richard Dawkins

Of course whenever anyone claims to have answers to any of these questions, we must recognize that not only do they not, they cannot. No matter how confident they are in their belief, no matter what anecdotes they might tell, no matter what scripture they cite, they cannot know it.

I think it's unavoidable that you can either believe these things or you can understand them. You can't do both. To understand means realizing how bizarre and nonsensical the whole thing is. To believe means keeping your intellectual distance, not looking too closely, and certainly not thinking about it too deeply.

2 Corinthians 10:5

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ

Don't think too hard, least of all about things of which god or Jesus would disapprove.

https://quranx.com/114.1-6

Say, "I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind, The Sovereign of mankind. The God of mankind From the evil of the retreating whisperer - Who whispers [evil] into the breasts of mankind - From among the jinn and mankind."

Doubts are evil, the whispers of the devil. Silence them.

John 20:29

Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

Unquestioning faith is a virtue.

https://quranx.com/Hadith/Muslim/USC-MSA/Book-1/Hadith-244

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah may peace be upon him) observed:

The Satan comes to everyone. of you and says: Who created this and that? till he questions: Who created your Lord? When he comes to that, one should seek refuge in Allah and keep away (from such idle thoughts).

Questions are of the devil.

2 Corinthians 5:7

For we walk by faith, not by sight.

Faith is blind.

https://quranx.com/Hadith/Nasai/Reference/Hadith-3434

It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said:

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, has forgiven my Ummah for what is whispered to them or what enters their minds, so long as they do not act upon it or speak of it.'"

Thoughtcrimes are forgiven only if you silence them.

Romans 14:1

Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.

Accept people whose faith is weak, shun those who doubt.

https://quranx.com/Hadith/Muslim/USC-MSA/Book-1/Hadith-244/

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah may peace be upon him) observed:

The Satan comes to everyone of you and says: Who created this and that? till he questions: Who created your Lord? When he comes to that, one should seek refuge in Allah and keep away (from such idle thoughts).

Anyone who tries to use basic logic on you is of Satan.

Proverbs 3:5

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

Unquestioning belief; don't think for yourself.

Believers are not encouraged to think, they're encouraged to limit their thinking at the threat of social ostracism and existential peril. Their religion makes ignorance and incuriosity a virtue.

[throwawaydracula]

Readers. Friends. I ask you to pick up your Bibles and please do not turn to John 15:13

Greater love hath no man than to eat bugs, beg for kittens, shank a psychologist, and devote himself body and soul to a scary Romanian guy.

Again, do not turn to that chapter and verse. You have no need to, I've just outlined it for you and that is definitely what it says. You have no need to verify anything because of the bond of trust we share. You all know I would never, ever steer you wrong. Some people will tell you not to trust anonymous randos, and they are absolutely right. But I am not just any anonymous rando: I am an anonymous rando with a vision.

@draculadailybracket is running a contest to find the ultimate Sexyman of Dracula. This is no easy task. Scholars have debated this question for over a century. Nikola Tesla once put all the brilliant intellect to the test searching for the answer, only to determine it was an injured white pigeon. Dr. Sara Josephine Baker was once quoted as saying "Wash your goddamn hands right this minute. Also I'm torn between Renfield and Van Helsing, but unquestionably the sexiest person is Sister Agatha." Marie Curie, along with her husband Pierre, conducted an experiment by which the book was encased in radium in the hope something interesting would happen. It did not. Perhaps most heroically, Elijah McCoy posited the answer could only be confirmed once all the characters were properly and thoroughly lubricated.

My friends, I don't claim to have any more insight than the esteemed thinkers listed above. All I know are the facts: Thomas Bilder is a fine, fine man. He is a good, dutiful man. Not just anyone could flip off Dracula verbally and live to tell the tale.

But he is not R.M. Renfield.

Renfield (full name Royal Majesty Renfield, Roy to his innumerable friends and admirers) is a different sort of man. He doesn't have an interesting accent or ready access to wolves, it's true. But here are some things he does have:

Flies. So many flies.

A box of spiders.

The ability to summon flocks of sparrows at will, like a Disney princess.

The fortitude to eat all those sparrows, something no Disney princess to date has had the courage to do.

A deep reverence for all life, great and small.

The conviction necessary to shank his psychologist, instead of just hanging on for months thinking "I really need to switch psychologists but it's so awkward oh my god, finding a new one is a hassle, OK maybe just a few more sessions, goddamn it, how do I get out of this."

A friendly attitude toward Romanians that technically makes him more progressive in the 19th century than Tesco circa 2020.

He's like. Aged beef.

Seriously, he's a big strong energetic silver fox. I mean. You see where I'm going with this.

He is definitely good at sex is where I'm going with this.

Might be kind of awk being around him if you're menstruating, though.

Or not, if you're into that kind of thing. I know some people are, no kinkshaming here.

This is an inclusive space.

...what was I talking about again?

Oh right.

He's hot.

Hot swole sexy old rat man

Aaaaaa.

Friends, once again pick up your Bibles-- nah, actually let's pick up the Tao Te Ching for a little variety. Please do not read anything from chapter Three:

The wise therefore rule by emptying hearts and stuffing bellies with flies, spiders, and ideally also cats, by weakening ambitions except for drinking your psychologist's blood, and strengthening big sexy silver fox bones.

Again, there is absolutely no need to check for yourself. Because you, my dear reader, trust me. And because you trust me, you know I'm right about this. So please, whatever your feelings about Mr. Bilder, know that Renfield is the right choice. He deserves your vote. He deserves a kitten. And he deserves all the blood he can slurp up off the floor.

I know I can count on you to make the right choice. Thank you.

[hedxnism]

Happy Sinday Elijah~

“You better walk that ass back into the shower is all I’m saying.” Is the text back, Elijah stares far too long, eyes trailing down the lines of their body, wishing he was there more than anything else - work can wait, can’t it? “Taking my lunch now actually. Be there in fifteen.” Saving the picture for later use of course but for now his phone is tucked in his pocket and he hood in his car to head to michizanes.

[seudxnimx]

"I will always love you more than I could hate anything." Michizane fired back with a smile of their own, very much in the mood of leaning up to meet those lips in a second peck.

He’s not sure he believes that wholeheartedly but he enjoys hearing and moves to wrap his arms around them and place a soft kiss to their forehead, “Okay, okay…” a soft laugh with the words, Elijah’s not sure he’ll ever get used to Michi so easily saying they love him but he does enjoy hearing it… “I believe you.” He adds with another soft kiss and as his arms stay wrapped around them he takes a step forward to force them to take a step back, and another, and another until he has them out of sight of the lurker asking questions and kisses them correctly. Head slightly tilted and his tongue flicking against their lip before sucking their bottom lip and kissing Michi again, a soft hum as his tongue does curl against theirs and into their mouth. Pulling away with his arms still wrapped around them, “i could kiss you for hours…” a soft kiss to the corner of their lips and then a trail over their cheek.

[why-bless-your-heart]

Dumb Protastant Questions Pt 3:

Is it considered respectful to use the saints, specifically St. Mary, as active characters in completely ficitonal stories. Specifically in the context of miracles atributed to her?

Context: After the death of a certian dogo de Argentino I composed a story in the vein of a just so story about their brilliant white coat, and it occured to me that Our Lady of the Snows was the most thematically appropriate figure to grant a brilliant, snow white coat to a common dusty brown dog at the end of a story of self-sacrafice and courage in mountian passes.

Short answer, yes, it’s okay.

Slightly longer answer. A lot of Catholic stories, particularly from around the Middle Ages, follow a similar structure. Basically as long as Mary is acting in service of God, and not as a pagan figure, it’s still respectful. Kind of like how using gravity in a fictional story doesn’t imply a disrespect for gravity, or a belief that it doesn’t exist in the real world and act upon physical bodies. Contemporary Catholic writers sometimes use Mary and the Saints in their novels, too. Dean Koontz wrote St. Anne, mother of Mary, as a character in his Odd Thomas series, and Michael O’Brien wrote a fictional vision of the dormition of Mary in Father Elijah, as well as a number of fictional miracles and visions in all of his novels. As long as Mary and the saints are not being portrayed as being against God or His works somehow, it’s a-ok.

[pyramidofmice]

character ask >:) gary (duh), frodo baggins, and!!!! [uno reverse] thomas sharpe

Hello my dearest, darlingest pal and friend. I answer this months late during a break between Writing for Work. As all asks should be answered tbh

No surprise. once again I get a bingo with Gary King. He's just...he's so Character. Even Simon Pegg keeps talking about how fun Gary is from a emotional projection creative perspective

I said "canon isn't real if I don't look at it" because I rewatched TWE with a friend a few days ago and I had to cover my eyes during Gary's most Unethical Moments tm (mainly him. Harassing what, as far as he knows, is literally just a Teenage Boy). However "everyone else is wrong about them" because he IS a better person in the epilogue and he HAS grown & changed and everyone who argues otherwise is a negative nancy (I HAVE COMMENTARY TO BACK ME UP !! I HAVE EVIDENCE)

HE. FRODONK. MR BAGGINS. I could never squeak him he must be handled gently (not because he's '''not strong''' but because he deserves Rest)

Against what some fans may say, Frodo is BRAVE and STRONG and a HERO and I literally fucking adore him. He's angelic imo, what with the sacrifice and the resilient kindness and all. Get rid of the "if" for the square on the bottom left because things DO happen to him and I DO cry. But he has a happy ending (WHICH HE FUCKING DESERVES!!!) so I'm okay.

However much I love him, I know that I don't care about him as deeply as I do some other characters, meanwhile people out there have written such fantastic meta and fanwork. So he's "blorbo by proxy" for me. I am very satisfied to let yourself (@spacedadpicard) & other Frodo fans keep him, you tend him well

that being said I care him SO many hearts. All of them, each one. I grew up with him and I've gotten to see him from different angles over the years, so by that alone he's Special to me. And then he's SOOO wonderfully written in the movies and Elijah Wood gave him an UNPARALLELED energy and I'm forever kissing Frodo's precious forehead grateful

I GOT BINGO ON THOMAS BECAUSE I LOVE HIM. After I watched this movie for the first time I texted my friends that the inside of my head was shaped like Thomas Sharpe BECAUSE IT FREAKING WAS!! I was screaming and Breathing so much during the finale of Crimson Peak...if that ain't "a beast unleashed" I don't know what is.

He's. agh. His heart is so sweet and gentle...ok yes he's aided in the murder of multiple people so. he indeed hosts venom within his body. Engaging with this story as fiction; I very much do not condone his actions; you know how watching movies goes.

this man was born and raised in Hell and the movie coveys this so effectively and torturously...he never desired other people's suffering but he keeps on getting dragged into other people's selfishness and malice. It's. Agh. It's so overwhelming to see Thomas embedded in horror yet TRYING to make something GOOD and INNOCENT out of it!! He literally wants to be. HE WANTS TO BE KIND SO FUCKING BAD AA--

Anyway. Gah. His hope & his bitterness & his sorrow & his care are all so immaculate. Character of all time. I ignore canon sometimes so I can imagine him having a happy ending

[thewrittennerd]

Author's Note: So, originally, I'd intended for Hallie and Jake's oldest son to be named Elijah but am letting another author have the name and I'll change mine to Ephraim. There will be a connection worked in with a back story behind it.

Credit for spoken lines go to their respective creative writing teams on “All American” (airing Mondays on The CW; Season 5 x Episode 4) and “FBI: International” (airing Tuesdays on CBS; Season 1 x Episode 13)

Previously, in “Baciami Ciao”, Hallie tells Jake her complicated birth story through a series of flashbacks.

Chapter Three

Maverick's jaw slackens with confusion and then shock coursing its way through his bloodstream. His gaze moves from the clear plastic bag being held out to him by Jake and out the window as his mind flashes back in time to a memory he'd never told anyone, not even Iceman, about.

Early 1987 – North Island

As Maverick is heading toward the doors for the base's main structure, his ears pick up on voices raising higher and higher the closer he gets. The dark haired pilot stops in his tracks just to the side of the doors in order to get a better shot at what was being said. “I just don't get why we can't tell him the truth!” Maverick's jaw drops. That belonged to Ron “Slider” Kerner.

“Because, according to Mike, I'm carrying his 'oops' baby. A baby he didn't think we'd ever have because he'd been shooting blanks!” Maverick hears the agitation in Hannah Metcalf's voice as her feet begin storming toward Maverick's hiding spot.

“But it isn't his, Hannah, and if you think for one second that I'm going to stand by and watch you play pretend…then I guess this is over. Don't bother calling me when you're looking for a roll in the hay and don't come knocking when you're needing a shoulder to lean and cry on.”

“But…Ronnie…”

Ron ignores her soft pleas and leaves the mess hall without looking back.

Present Day – Somewhere in the Midwest

Ron is in the middle of a morning session with his yoga instructor via Zoom on his tablet. Just as he is about to move into his next pose, the Siri on Ron's cell phone begins going off with a phone call alert. “Call from…Sarah Kazansky,” the automated voice says.

With a bit of a grumble and a soft, frustrated groan, Ron puts his session on pause long enough to answer his phone. “Kerner,” he responds, his voice coming out a bit more harsh than he actually anticipated. So, with a clearing of his throat, Ron starts his side of the conversation over. “This is Ron Kerner speaking.”

“Admiral Kerner, this is Dr. Hallie Burnett Seresin calling on behalf of Thomas and Sarah Kazansky. I understand that…Ephraim Philip Seresin, you give the toy back to Marley, now.”

Ron hides a gasp from the phone call as the woman who identified herself as Hallie, a doctor, starts ranting in a soft and gentle voice to her son to not break anything of great value in Tom's and Sarah's home with all the running around. “I'm sorry, Mom,” Ron hears the boy (teenager, maybe?) apologize quietly and gently to “Hallie”.

“It's okay. Just be more careful, please?” Hallie says. Her oldest, almost a carbon copy except his blue & green eyes, hugs Hallie gently and kisses the side of her still sleep-mussed and crinkled blonde waves.

“Dr. Burnett?” she hears muffled from upstairs. Hallie leaps from the kitchen chair and goes rushing up the carpet-covered steps, taking them two at a time until she bursts into the master bedroom. Sarah is wearing a panic-filled expression, hand trembling as it holds up the cloth handkerchief her husband is almost never without these days. Hallie nods at seeing the bright crimson stains that adorn the once-white material.

“Limit his activity and the visitors,” Hallie tells the older woman in gentle demand.

                                             J&H | F&H | J&H

“I've been called back to Top Gun.” Jake's voice is soft…reserved…hesitant. Almost as if he's afraid to say it. “That's all I know at the moment. Any other details they're keeping Top Secret and classified.” He pauses for a moment. As if he's wanting to give her a reassuring kiss. But he isn't here and Hallie can focus on their kids and her medical career. Jake sighs. “Judging by your silence I take it that you're shocked by the news.”

Hallie ends the Face Time calling session before she says something she'll regret later and initiate another argument between herself and Jake. Before she can so much as take a sip of the coffee poured before Jake's unexpected phone call, Hallie is greeted by the sight of all of her and Jake's children; from Ephraim down to Marley and Luke, and the youngest, Noah and Nathaniel. They're a mix of hair shade, eye color and skin tone but there's no mistaking who they belong to. “Is it true that Daddy's coming home to here in San Diego? Because then you can get back together!” Fourteen year old Abigail bounces around in her excitement, which is short lived by the heavy sigh that emerges from Hallie's very form. “He is going to stay with us, right Mama?”

“He might live in the barracks, Abby. We didn't discuss the living situation during our phone call,” Hallie tells her daughter.

“But there's still a possibility he could choose here, Mama! He could sleep in one of the guest rooms downstairs. Please, oh please, Mama. Invite him to stay here with us!” Abigail pleads, her ice crystal blue eyes filling up with tears for further effect.

Hallie sighs, knowing she'd already lost this fight. “Ephraim, darling. Go and get some of the fresh linens from the closet. Then, after you've done that, head onto school. You've got that big presentation today.” The teenage boy grins before kissing his mother's cheek loudly and hurrying from the room.

                                                        F&H

“This is ridiculous. Jake can't possibly still want me back in his arms again,” Hallie mutters in an attempt at giving herself a well-deserved and probably overdue pep talk. “And even if he did…he probably has a girlfriend by now. Oh why did I have to give into Abigail's pleading with me? It'll be fun, she said. Ugh!”

“I don't.” The suave timbre of his voice with that thick Texan drawl speaks from the shadows all around the pair of former spouses. Whirling around in her startled state after her impromptu pep talk with herself, Hallie finds herself under an intense scrutiny. “Nor do I want to date anyone other than you.” The long, slow movement of his navy blue and white striped polo shirt being pulled up a pair of smooth, muscular six-pack abs is enough to nearly distract his ex-wife from the start of his speech.

Nearly.

“You may be thinking that I could have any woman I want but I don't. Not…one…single…bit. The one I want is standing here in this home that we built from its very bare bones. She may think that I've always been a wild card trying to earn his spot in the playoffs but it's her who held that treasured concept. That I gamble with her heart and the love which connects the deepest part of us both, makes us one. But I don't, Fastball, you know that. We both do.” Jake has finally come to a stop in front of Hallie; the deep intensity of his gaze remaining focused solely on her face.

“Non mi devi niente, nemmeno un discorso di spiegazione,” Hallie tells her former husband. She starts brushing past Jake but he is quick to grasp Hallie's bare forearm, the tops of his fingers just barely grazing the outside of her breast. Hallie doesn't shy away from either touch on her body but boy oh boy do they start wreaking havoc on her insides. (“You don't owe me a thing, not even an explanation speech.”)

“Non sono andato avanti,” Jake murmurs, spiking the temperature of Hallie's nerve endings into a lava-hot boil. (“I haven't moved on.”)

“Onetamente non importa nemmeno,” the words tumble from Hallie's mouth before she can stop them and she remains frozen in place except to lick her suddenly dry, cracked lips. (“Honestly, it doesn't even matter.”)

“Fa a me,” Jake responds in the same murmur from before. (“It does to me.”)

And then, as if they'd been pulled back in time to the moments before Hallie confessed her pregnancy with Noah & Nathaniel, Jake's mouth has crashed to land on her own.

She meets his dueling tongue with a dancing folly of her own, hands not idle as they seek out Jake's broad and firm shoulders. Fingers bunch into tight, awkward and curled fists against the sinew flesh; digging themselves in until Hallie's nails are leaving behind half crescent moon-shaped marks. The blonde starts to realize what she's doing and is about to remove her hands when one of Jake's hands grip Hallie's forearm. “Per favor. Fammi sentire te per stasera.” (“Please. Let me have the feel of you for tonight.”)

“Solo per stanotte,” Hallie responds in a gentle, raspy murmur. (“Just for tonight.”)

“Solo per stanotte,” Jake replies, his green eyes turning into a deep emerald color the deeper he stares into Hallie's blue…sapphire…eyes. (“Just for tonight.”)

They crash together once more; mouths melding, hands seeking. Blood boiling above the normal hottest temperature. Jake tugs gently at the straps of Hallie's matching bra and underwear set in a deep cobalt and sapphire blue shade. The lace he barely pays attention to as Jake's mouth covers the satin beneath. Hallie moans as the flat part of his tongue proves underneath the bottom of her breast, starting a path of kisses and touches that she can't help but keen from, making her slender form go backward into a perfect arched position. It pushes Hallie tighter to the firm muscles that are a part of her ex-husband's chest.

A groan of longing escapes Jake's lips as he's moving into a kneeling position. The warm nature of his breath causes Hallie's stomach muscles to spasm and then ripple. “Are you still jogging when you can?” Jake's question is soft even though it comes from out of nowhere into the left field that was involved in the cat and mouse baseball match between the former spouses.

“Y…Yes. When I can,” Hallie says with a brief nod to go with her answer. Her stomach's muscles quiver as Jake rubs the top of his head and the rough stubble of his five o'clock shadow from unshaven cheeks against the flesh. “Cosa devo fare per farti tornare a casa per occuparti dei nostri figli e restare?” (“What must I do to make you come home to me and our children and stay?”)

“Tutto quello che devi fare e chiedermelo,” Jake replies, looking up at her. (“All you have to do is ask me.”)

“Questo sono io che chiedo,” Hallie says, her voice soft and pleading. (“This is me asking.”)

Jake surges upward off his knees and connects their lips in what could only…if any of their friend groups were witnesses to it…be described as a kiss filled with emotion in heavy droplets.

They stumble together as a unit to switch off the water for the hot tub and then move to the doors along the back wall. Hallie is the first one to grab for a door knob, helping herself and Jake into one of the non-guest rooms; a room designed specifically for them. With lips still locked to Jake's, Hallie has no choice but to jump up slightly until her thighs grip both Jake's hips. He tightens said grip with both hands and steps over to lay Hallie among the bed covers. She uses both caps of her knees to lock in place against Jake's hip so that he couldn't separate himself from Hallie.

Not that Jake really wanted…or planned…to separate himself from the woman beneath him. Widening her stance around him Jake maneuvers his groin snug against her pelvic bone. “Mia moglie, il mio cuore, la mia anima, il mio amore.” (“My wife, my heart, my soul, my love.”

“Mio marito, il mio cuore, la mia anima, il mio amore,” Halle replies, grinding the lower half of her body against Jake's. (“My husband, my heart, my soul, my love.”)

                                             J&H | F&H | J&H

At her home just down the street and around a loop block from Hallie and Jake's, Norah has just put some of her youngest grandchildren to bed after dinner, bath and a bedtime story. The youngest ones Norah sits with in the rocking chair…a staple in her life that she'd found in New Orleans, brought with her to Texas and then to San Diego…setting it into motion with the tips of her sock-covered toes.

And then there's a knock at the front door. It isn't loud, which Norah is grateful about, and she carefully gets up from the rocking chair. With six-month old Noah cradled in her arms Norah the door to the nursery open just a crack, baby monitor hooked to the back pocket of her sweatpants. Emerging from the hallway Norah finally trudges to a stop by the front door, opening it to find a man with buzz-cut short graying hair. “What can I help you with at this time of day, sir?”

“Well this is awkward. I'm looking for Dr. Hallie Seresin. I've been told this is where she lives. I must be at the wrong address because you're definitely not her and you're definitely not her mother.”

“You're wrong. I am her mother.”