#he knows how copyright works bless him

[onlyzhuyilong]

Zhu YiLong being adorably made to sing 花心 ( lit. playful)

[monzabee]

the first monday in may – dr3

masterlist || part 1 ||

Summary: The one where you and Daniel make your first outing as a couple at this year's Met Gala.

Pairing: daniel ricciardo x actress!reader

Word Count: 4288

Warnings: cursing, mentions of anxiety and medication, apart from that none?? fluffity fluff fluff

Author’s Note: hi, hey, hello!! i wrote this on a train and a plane, so if you see any grammar issues or typos or a sentence which doesn’t make any sense, no you didn’t. after mr daniel blessing us with his met look, i just knew i had to write something for it, so i really hope you guys enjoy this as much as i enjoyed writing it! please know that feedback is always appreciated and my inbox is always open for you guys!! good morning, noon or night wherever you are, xoxobee

Please also note that all of my works are protected under copyright, and not available for reposting on other platforms. 

A loud groan leaves your lips at the sound of the alarm, your hand reaching out to get a hold of your phone, but accidentally hitting something someone else. Daniel groans as you repeatedly try to hit the snooze button on his chest, and he tries to stop you by grabbing your wrist which is moving too quickly for his morning reflexes. 

“Sweetheart– ow– Y/N,” he lets out a frustrated groan as he tries to turn away from you, “please stop hitting me.” 

Thankfully for him, you choose to listen to his request as you roll away from him in an attempt to cover your ears with your pillow. “Make it stop, Danny.” 

“Okay, just– gimme a second.” His voice is still thick from sleep, coming off more as a mumble than anything else, and his moves are sluggish as he reaches over you to turn off the alarm you’ve set the night before. “Here, done,” he breathes out as he lets himself fall back to his side of the bed, sideways, and breathy from moving quickly while still half-asleep. “Sweetheart, take your head out of there, you’re going to suffocate yourself.” Daniel mumbles, trying to coax you with this fingers leaving feathery touches on your arm and his lips leaving small kisses on the exposed skin of your neck. A lazy grin forms on his lips as you mumble something incoherent underneath your pillow, “I can’t understand you; you know.”

Your moves are almost jerky as you lift your head up and turn your body backwards to shoot him a sleepy glare, “I don’t want to wake up, let me sleep.” You go back to hugging your pillow as you close your eyes, your whiny voice making Daniel chuckle. “Stop laughing at me!”

“I can’t help it, you’re so grumpy in the mornings.” He continues to chuckle and proceed to sit up on the bed with his back against the headboard. “Pass me the phone?” 

“You’re evil,” you mumble, reaching to the bedside table to retrieve his phone and turn towards him to hand it, “what time is it anyway?”

Daniel turns the phone on, his eyes burning due to the brightness of the screen as he recites, “6.30.”

“What kind of a person, in their right mind, would want to wake up in this damn hour?” You groan, hand reaching out to touch him in any way possible. 

“You said you wanted to work out before all the commotion, sweetheart.” 

You can hear his smile through his voice, which makes you finally open your eyes in irritation – though all your grumpiness disappears when your eyes level with his thigh. Your fingers move without their own volition as they start tracing through the helmet design of his tattoo, “Don’t listen to me, I’m crazy.” 

“I thought I was the crazy one,” he reminds you, moving his eyes from the screen of his phone and flexing the muscles on his upper thigh to draw out an appreciative sigh from you, “eyes up here, Y/LN.” 

You push your bottom lip out in a pout as you meet his eyes. “You know how it makes me feel like when you call me by my last name.” 

“Your libido honestly concerns me.” He shakes his head, satisfied when he sees a small smile snaking its way on your lips, his voice is warm as he says, “Good morning, sweetheart.” 

Pressing a soft kiss to the skin of his upper thigh, which is exposed thanks to his habit of sleeping without pants. You keep your eyes on his as you straighten up and press another kiss to his lips, resting your chin against his shoulder afterwards. “Good morning to you too, honey.” 

He smiles, leaning down to give you a full bodied kiss which leaves you yearning for more; you seek him out as you follow his retreating form, which makes him smile wider as he gives into your wish. The kiss you share might be sweet starting out, but he knows better than to let you keep on going when you nip at his bottom lip. So, being the gentleman he is, he pulls back and rests his forehead against yours as he mumbles, “I take it back, you are very sweet in the mornings.” 

The giggle he hears back from you is enough for him to know that this is the window he needs to take advantage of to get you out of bed, knowing that there is absolutely no way you’ll actually work out this morning. He successfully coxes you out of bed with promises of breakfast and morning coffee, directing you to the en-suite attached to your bedroom to help you with your morning routine. He holds your hair as you brush your teeth when it makes you frustrated because of the way it keeps getting in front of your face, and he watches you as you wash and apply numerous products on your face; moisturiser, eye cream, sun screen, and even stays still as you apply some on his face because “You should be treating yourself, especially today, Danny.” You hug him from behind and rest your face against his back as he brushes his own teeth, rambling about the day ahead of both of you. He makes sure to put on sweatpants and a t-shirt before going downstairs with you into the kitchen to make you breakfast and coffee as he promised, not in that order. You sit on the counter next to his work station as sip on your coffee and watch him prepare breakfast; he sings an old eighties song in an awfully off pitch, which makes you smile into the cup and let him steal some of the coffee from it. The two of you have your breakfast against the view of New York City, which is starting to become more and more alive as the time goes on. 

“Are you excited for today?” He asks you, leaning against the back of the couch – the two of you are seated on the floor behind it to watch the city scape. 

“Honestly?” You take a pause to try to choose the right words. “The only reason I’m remotely excited about it is because I know you’re going to be there. Are you excited?” You nudge him with your shoulder as you give him a playful grin. “The Daniel Ricciardo is making his Met Gala debut; how does it feel to be a rookie again?”

“Ha-fucking-ha,” he mockingly laughs, rolling his eyes at the sound of your laugh getting louder with a small smile forming on his lips, “I am excited, and I think we’re both going to have a lovely night.” 

Your laughter continues as you poke him on his cheek repeatedly, making him join you as he starts laughing. “Look at you, being all optimistic and stuff.” 

He pulls you over his lap, which ends you half-way straddling his thighs as you rest your hands on his shirt clad chest. “I’m the personification of sunshine, and don’t you ever forget it.” 

The rest of the morning is spent with hushed whispers shared between you two, lazily cleaning up the kitchen to the sounds of an old record you found in your parents’ attic and took it back with you to your apartment in New York. Daniel still tries to keep up with the lyrics of the sound in his awfully off-pitched voice, claiming that he is not hearing what you claim would make “the Phantom of the Opera cry.” It’s an awfully domestic scene, a routine the two of you have been perfecting for a while since meeting each other, but it’s interrupted when the two of you hear the front door open, followed by a; “You better be awake and ready to go because I am not dealing with traffic today.” 

You smile knowingly at Daniel before calling out, “In the kitchen!” 

“Hi, Rosa, you want some coffee?” Daniel asks the woman, who enters into the kitchen with an angry look on her face. He gives you a peck on your forehead and moves towards the coffee machine without waiting for her answer, since he anticipates it’s going to be affirmative. 

“Oh, he’s good.” Rosa mumbles, pointing to the man who hands her the cup. 

The two of you share another laugh as Daniel returns to his position behind you, wrapping his arms around you. “Are you okay, Rosa?” You ask her as you try to get some of the pastries you had earlier ready for her. 

“People are particularly stupid this morning, it must be in the air.” Your assistant mutters as she digs into the croissant, sighing as she takes her first bite. “You are an angel; they should consider you for the Nobel prize at some point in the future.”

“The least I can do is feed you,” you shrug, jumping slightly when Daniel squeezes your waist ever so slightly as a reminder to take the compliment – you turn to give him a look which makes it very clear for him to see you rolling your eyes. “How many photographers are there downstairs?”

“I love it when she refers to them as photographers, don’t you?” Rosa asks Daniel, and then turns her attention to you to answer your question, “A lot, which is why I need you to go get dressed so we can be early for your last fitting.” 

You begrudgingly leave Daniel’s arms as you make your way towards the stairs and warning the two, “Do not gossip about me when I’m gone.” 

“Wouldn’t dare dream of it, sweetheart.” Daniel nods with fake seriousness, laughing as you roll your eyes at him and poke your tongue before running up the stairs to get ready. 

After managing to get ready in record time and making sure you have all the necessities for the day, you go back downstairs to say goodbye to your boyfriend for the day. There is a heavy look in his eyes as he cups your cheeks between his hands and tilts your head back to take a good look in your eyes. 

“Don’t forget to call me if you’re feeling overwhelmed, okay?” Daniel asks, which comes off more as an assurance rather than a question. “Do you have everything you need?” 

“I do, Danny.” You assure him, hands gripping the front of his shirt. “I’ll see you at the carpet, right?” 

“Yeah,” his whisper hitting your lips as he repeats, “I’ll see you at the carpet.” After he gives you a final sweet kiss on the lips, which is interrupted by Rosa screaming for you to be quick, there is a dopey grin on his lips as he watches you walk away. “Who are you going to be wearing, again?” He asks, leaning against the counter. 

You roll your eyes at his attempt to learn more about your dress – both of you having agreed not to show each other what you’re going to be dressed in just to enjoy the mystery of it all, you only know the designers both of you are going to be dressed in. “I’ll be the one in Chanel!” You call out to him as you walk out the door. 

It’s not that you hate getting ready, not at all. In fact, you love sitting in a chair for three consecutive hours without having to make any moves as the light is shining in your eye. You’re glad to endure the entire process with your team, though, who manage to make the time go faster by continuously talking to you and helping you take your mind off of the anxiety starting to form at the back of your mind. Not only do you have to get ready for one of the most publicly scrutinised events of the year, you’re going to be wearing a dress which you cannot, under any circumstances, spill something on or harm in any way – and the top it all off, your entire process of getting ready is being filmed for one of the most watched YouTube channels of the most famous fashion magazine. So yes, the anxiety you’re starting to feel is not displaced at all. 

The makeup-hair-nail extravaganza is interrupted by a delivery, which Rosa doesn’t allow you to go receive at the door in your robe, so while she handles the delivery, you’re stuck with three pairs of curious eyes.

“I wonder who it could be from.” Rosa smiles covertly as she hands you the flowers and the small package that is wrapped up in a bag. 

You try to appear cool in front of everyone – but fail miserably as you mumble, “I wouldn’t know, I haven’t read the card yet.” After placing the vase full of colourful flowers onto the table, you spot a card attached which you take off and hold it close to your chest in a playful manner as you read it out loud, “‘You’re my celebrity girl crush’”.

“Is that supposed to be an inside joke?” Mark whispers loudly to Rosa who’s standing next to him as he peruses his make-up bag to find the right colour for your blush. 

“Oh who cares?” Your hair artist, Miranda, sighs behind you. “He sent her flowers! Open the box, open the box.” 

You roll your eyes at their antics as you open the small box that was in the bag, revealing three thin gold bands, which are decorated by small diamonds. A gasp comes from the man next to you, who is shaking his head in approval as he points to the ring box. “Oh he’s good, they are gorgeous!”

“You know what they say,” you mumble, smiling softly, “all good things come in three’s.” 

Rosa gives you a mischievous look, “Isn’t Daniel’s driver’s number three, Y/N?” 

You can feel the blush coming onto your cheeks as you wave your assistant off and duck your head slightly to get away from the amused looks of your colleagues, “Stop it.” 

After hours of preparation and shooting, followed by the task of getting you into your dress for the evening (which involved lacing up a very stubborn corset) and a round of  “Should the hair be up or down”, you’re finally leave after completing the last touches of your look. You try your best at standing still as you let Miranda fasten the headpiece onto your hairdo, which she manages to complete pretty quickly. The trek to the car is chaotic to say the very least, but you manage to do your best as you walk through the doors of your hotel and smile at the flashing cameras and shouting fans while you walk to the van. Having to stand in the van in order not to damage the form of the dress you’re wearing, you think the worse part of the night is over – the only thing you have to do is meet Daniel on the carpet, pose, go up the stairs and enjoy the rest of the night; easy. Which is exactly why you end up close to losing your mind when the car suddenly stops moving. 

“Oh my god, please tell me we didn’t just stop in the middle of the road.” Rosa mumbles from her seat. 

You take a deep breath as you answer, “I’m sure we didn’t stop in the middle of the road–”

“There are protestors on the street, in front of the other car.” The driver replies from the front seat. 

“Wh-who’s in the car front?” You ask Rosa, confused, as she furiously types away on her phone. 

“Paris Hilton,” she mumbles, looking up at you, “I’m sure we’ll be there on time, just a bit delayed. I need you to keep calm, okay?”

The whine that leaves your lips has her looking at you worried, “I need– can you please give me my phone?” 

She hands you your phone from her bag per your request, watching you struggle with your phone. “Y/N, do you need to take your medicine? Just to calm your nerves down a little bit?” 

“No, they make me sleepy.” You mumble, finally finding his contact and calling him, “I’m fine I just need to tell Daniel.” 

“Sweetheart.” His voice filling your ears as you take a deep breath. “Oh my god, you didn’t tell me how crazy it was in here!”

The excitement in his voice is enough to calm some of your nerves, “Yeah, you’re having fun?” 

“Fun?” He exclaims, “I just saw Jared Leto come out of a cat suit, Y/N!”

“What?” You let out a breathy laughter, your eyes are on Rosa who is trying to talk to the driver. “That is crazy.”

“I know, I wish you were here to see it, too. Where are you anyway?” 

“I– I’m stuck.” You confess, hand gripping the seat you’ve been using as support tighter. 

“Stuck?” He asks, his voice conveying how confused he is. “Is everything okay? Where is Rosa?” 

“She is here, Danny, there are protestors on the street so it looks like I’m going to be late.” Your eyes keep watching the scene around you with you trying to see whether the people are moving as your voice wavers at the end. “Paris Hilton is also late though, so at least we’ll be fashionably late together.”

“Oh, sweetheart,” Daniel coos, his voice sounding so soothing to you, “don’t worry, okay? I’ll just wait for you down here.” 

You let out a disagreeing hum. “They won’t let you; they need to have people move along so they can stick to the schedule.” 

“Then I’ll just wait for you at the top of the stairs,” Daniel announces, “Kris Jenner did it for her kids, didn’t she?”

“I– What– ” You scramble to put the words together, making Rosa frown at you. “How do you even know that?”

“You obviously doubt my ability to keep up with the Kardashians, sweetheart. Now breath for me, will you?” 

Daniel ends up staying with you on the phone until he is called up. You can tell he is hesitant to leave you, but you assure him that you’ll see him when you get there. Lucky for you, the crowd end up scattering and the car starts moving once again. You let out a relieved breath, but pray that no other complications arise until you make it to the Met. When the car stops again and Rosa informs you that you’ve made it to the location, you feel as if there is a big weight being lifted off your shoulders. You don’t even remember getting off the van and going inside or even stepping on to the carpet, but your short-lived dissociation is cut in half when you hear your name being shouted over and over again. You do your best to pose for every single camera even if the flashes are hurting your eyes once Rosa gently moves you along to help you onto the stairs, and you follow her as you pose for the las time looking over your shoulder with a wide smile – a pose you give every year, which the media dubbed as being yours and your mother manages to find new places to hang around the house after every year’s gala. You shoot Rosa a grateful look as she helps you move up the stairs by linking her arm with yours and lifting your dress for you to move more freely. 

You’re almost out of breath when you reach the top of the stairs, but there is a smile on your face as you hear, “We have another bride, ladies and gentleman, another one!” You look around to the source of the voice a loud laugh escaping you when you locate it. Emma hums the Wedding March as you make your way over to her, also singing, “Here comes the bride.”

“It’s so good to see you again!” You smile at her, quickly giving her a hug. “Three years in a row? I’m so proud of you!”

“Oh stop it, I’m never going to keep this gig if I blush on camera!” Emma laughs, pointing to your outfit. “Obviously, we have another Chanel Bride here, but what can you tell us about your look today?” 

“Well, it’s Bridal Chanel –  from my mother’s collection actually. She decided to buy this for me before I was even born, so than you mom,” you tip your head to the camera and lift your fingers up in a mock salute, “sorry for not wearing it for my actual wedding.” 

“Oh, no!” Emma gasps, “Was she angry with you for not saving it for your wedding?” 

“I don’t think so?” You wave her off, laughing as you assure her, “We were looking at different looks to pull from the archives, and I always ask her opinion on these things, actually she was the one suggested it.” 

She nods in understanding, smiling as she tips her microphone. “Well that’s a relief! What are your thoughts about this year’s theme for the Met Gala?”

You widen your eyes playfully, taking a moment to choose your words very wisely. “Yeah, I mean Karl was such a big influence in the fashion industry, but I think the important part about tonight’s theme is that creativity and fashion brings people together, and when people do come together beautiful things happen; that’s what I’m choosing to focus on.”

“That’s a beautiful way to put it actually,” Emma praises your answer, pointing to your hands as she asks, “And as a last question, what can you tell us about your jewellery? I mean I love all the bling you have on you right now.” 

That manages to pull another laugh out of you, and you show the camera your hands for a moment as you answer her question. “The necklace was a wedding gift from my father to my mother, which is why it makes it so special; I think. As for the rings, most of them are mine but my boyfriend got me the gold ones, so they are very special as well”

“Well, thank you for answering a few questions for us tonight, and I hope you have a wonderful night!”

Right as you turn back to leave after saying goodbye to Emma and her team, your eyes lock with a very familiar set of brown eyes. The breath is knocked out of your lungs when you take in his attire, your legs taking you to his waiting arms in no time. You can’t help the giggle sneaking out of your mouth as you look up to him with a wide smile to match the one on his own face, “I am sending Thom Browne a thank-you card, and a fruit basket.” 

“You like?” Daniel asks, raising a brow and wrapping his arms around your waist. 

You let your fingers toy with the bowtie resting on his neck, “Oh, I love.” 

His voice is smug as he lowers his voice, “I’m glad, sweetheart.”

“You in tweed does something to me,” you mumble, hands going over to feel the fabric of his jacket, “and don’t even get me started on the damn bowtie.” 

“The bowtie is doing it for you?” Daniel laughs, and it is a full-bodied one where he throws his head back. “Are you being serious right now?”

“Do I look like I’m joking, honey?” You ask him in a deadpan voice. “I love this, I want you to wear this around the house, please.”

“Well, since you asked nicely.” Daniel nods. He takes your hands in his as he makes you twirl around for him to see your whole outfit, smiling at you boyishly when you face him again, “I was not expecting you to see you in a wedding dress when I woke up this morning.” 

“Well, it’s Chanel.” You emphasise what you’ve told him earlier this morning, which he responds to by attempting to tickle you by your waist through the corset of your dress. 

He tilts his head as he looks at you without any hint of joking, but his voice is the opposite as he asks, “Hey, you wanna get married after this?” 

“Yeah sure, can I still take you home tonight afterwards?” 

“You can always take me home, sweetheart.” He wiggles his eyebrows, pulling get another giggle from you. “Now, before we go inside and lose ourselves in all the food and the alcohol, is it going to ruin your makeup if I kiss you?” 

You raise your eyebrows as you playfully smile at him. “I might not make it through tonight if you don’t kiss me right now, honey.”

“Well, when you say it like that,” he murmurs, pulling you towards himself with the help of his hands on your waist, and capturing your lips in a long awaited kiss. His lips are unbelievably soft, you realise, as your eyes close and suddenly all you care about the man in your eyes. The camera flashes doesn’t slow down the way Daniel kisses you, it’s one of those kisses he gives you when the two of you see each other after it’s been a while. A groan rumbles from the back of your throat when he scrapes his teeth against your lower lip, the pad of his thumb and his pointer finger angling your chin to give him a better access. You can hear the smirk in his voice as he pulls away, leaving you chasing after his lips while they touch yours as he speaks in a low voice, “I told you; you shouldn’t have doubted my ability to keep up with the Kardashians.” 

You let out a breathy chuckle as you mumble, “Just kiss me, idiot,” and pull him in another kiss by his neck. 

[scarletwinterxx]

sunshine and midnight rain - mark lee scenario

hello! so i'm back and yes i'm still on my mark lee brain rot era😅 it's like whenever i see this guy i completely forget about the rest of male population haha anyways I hope you like this one🤍

if you have a request or scenario you want me to do, just send me a message I'll see what I can do😊💌

For my other works you can check them out here, and for my other story series’ you can check them out here.

and if you want, u can buy me coffee(totally optional but any donation is very much appreciated!) thank you🥺💛

All works are copyrighted ©scarletwinterxx 2023 . Do not repost, re-write without the permission of author.

(gif not mine, credits to rightful owner)

"Why are you so mad right now?"

"Because I asked you to do one thing and you didn't" Mark says, still avoiding your gaze.

This was not how you envisioned your morning, when you woke up Mark's side of the bed was already empty. When you went to look for him he was gone, no note, no text of his possible whereabouts. And when he got back, he was clearly and very obviously mad at you.

"I got home just fine" you say with your arms out. Mark still hasn't look at you and it's bugging you. You follow him out the living room. He's going round and round, trying to tidy the place just to avoid having a conversation with you.

"Mark, can you please look at me" you tell him, this made him stop and look over at you. A clear look of disappointment on his face, "I swear I was going to call you but the girls and I were talking and drinking. It slipped my mind, I already booked a cab home when I remembered"

"You went home, way past midnight alone and drunk. Do you know dangerous that is?"

"But I got home safe"

"And what if you didn't? What if something happened? God forbid I get upset about that, I was worried I'm sorry. Is that what you want to hear?"

You say nothing for a while, thinking of something to say back. You really are at fault here, you should be the one saying sorry right now.

"I'm sorry, I should've called" you tell him, now avoiding his eyes just as you feel the tears fill yours. Mark sighs, crossing the room until he's right in front of you. He hooks his finger under your chin, making you look at him.

"I'm mad because I care. I don't trust the world when it comes to you, I just want you to be safe always. I'm not going to stop you living your best life, but I want to know you're safe" he whispers, anger already disappearing.

He wipes the few tears that escaped, cradling your face between his hands.

"Are you still mad?" you mumble, this made Mark smile and shake his head.

"We're okay. I'm sorry for raising my voice at you"

"And I'm sorry for making you worry"

He kisses your forehead before pulling you in for a hug, "I don't like arguing with you, but I'd do it in every universe as long as we make up and end up like this. I love you, always. Okay?"

You hug him tighter, answering him without saying any words.

Just like that you're okay again.

Bless this universe for giving you such an understanding, loving, mature man to love. You'd be stupid to ever let him go which is why no matter what argument, the two of you always make sure to solve it together.

Mark never lets you go to sleep upset, he'll ask you what's wrong or if he's done anything to upset you. At first it was hard for you to admit your feelings that easily, you learned that you don't like being vulnerable, you don't like sharing your true feelings. You bottle it up. But ever since you started dating Mark, all of that changed.

He's there to listen, even when words aren't being spoken. He knows when to give you space, he knows when to chase after you and hold you tight. He knows you in a way you didn't want to know yourself, you used to be scared of these feeling but not anymore.

It's obvious who's the serious one and the jokester in you and Mark's relationship. The best thing about it is the fact that your boyfriend, no matter how serious he is, will always play along.

"Mark, you busy?" you ask, walking inside the office to see him on his computer

He looks over at you with a smile, "No, what's up?"

"I was wondering..." you say while walking towards him, he waits for you to continue. You got to where he was sitting, smiling cheekily at your boyfriend

He knows you're up to something, he grabs you by the waist sitting you squarely on his lap.

"Do you know how to whistle?"

"Do I know how to whistle?" he asks back,

"Yea like you know, like this" you pout, but before you can whistle Mark closes the gap between the two of you. Kissing you gently, he grabs the back of your head to deepen the kiss. Suddenly you forgot what you were doing in the first place.

After a few minutes of exchanging kisses, you broke apart. Looking dazed and in love, "Hey! I was suppose to do that! Did you know I was going to do that?" you asked

"Maybe" he mumbles, looking at you with pure adoration

"I'll pretend I didn't know" he adds, making you roll your eyes.

"You just want to make out"

"You're not wrong there, now come here I need your kisses"

The first time it happened, Mark thought it really was just coincidence.

You just started to decorate around the house, the tree was halfway done and a few other decorations scattered here and there. He was just walking to the kitchen doorway when suddenly you stop him

"What?" your boyfriend blinks back at you confused, instead of answering him you just point up making Mark look at where you're pointing. There hanging by the doorway was a mistletoe.

"When did you put that there?" he asks with a smile, finding the tradition cute. Even cuter when you're looking at him with the biggest smile, ready to receive your kiss

"I just put it up today, now where's my kiss" you say, pursing your lips at him making Mark chuckle. He grabs you by the waist, leaning down to kiss you. It was short but sweet, enough to leave you smiling like an idiot.

A few months ago, the two of you finally decided to move in together. It's been years since you got together, and most times you spend your nights together whether his place or yours. At some point you realized that it would make more sense to just move in together, so you did.

"Love, did you do laundry last time?" you asked him, walking inside your shared bedroom to see him resting on the bed

"I did"

"Oh thanks, love the fabric softener you used. Now all my clothes smells like you" you smile at him, jumping on the bed to cuddle him. Immediately he hugs you close.

"Then will you stop stealing of my clothes now?" he asks

"Negative, I like your hoodies better"

He chuckles at your answer, "Knew it"

"What were you doing?"

"Just checking my phone, I wanted to order this pan for making omelet. Should we get one?"

You love how his sentence now say "we" or "our" instead of his and yours. Of course you still respect each other's boundaries and individuality, but on things like deciding what to paint your home or what furniture to buy or groceries to stock up on it's always the two of you.

"Should we? If we're using it then why not, I love eggs for breakfast" you tell him, looking at his phone screen to check

"I know, that's why I'm getting it. Okay, I'll order it now then" you watch him as he do so.

"This is fun" you mumble

"Hm?"

"This, buying things for our place. I like it" you smile

"Me too"

"Do you want to marry me?"

Your question took him by surprise. Not because he didn't want to marry you, it's just when he thinks of that big question he's the one doing the asking and not the other way around.

"Mark? Sorry forget I said anything" you mumble, moving to rest your head on the pillow instead

"Remember when we first started dating or way before that?" he asks you

"Huh?"

"I was shy, I wasn't as confident as the other guys. People think I'm aloof and too serious. You never thought of me that way, you entered in my life like you were meant to be there all along and maybe you are. Scratch that, I know you are. You're meant to be in my life. When I knew I was falling in love with you I didn't know how to say it without scaring you away, so I did it slowly. I did it in a way that won't overwhelm you. Because to you it doesn't have to be a loud confession or a grand gesture. i loved you they way i knew you would understand. i loved you the way i know how. i just loved you. I know you, your mind is a wonder. You doubt, you question and you worry your pretty mind to no ends. I didn’t want to disrupt that"

By now you're face to face again, he's speaking so softly like he's afraid you'll float away of he's too loud.

"You said I was your peace, and back then that was more than enough for me. By some miracle, you fell in love with me too. And now we're here. So to answer your question, yes I want to marry you. One day I want to get down on one knee and ask you that question, I'm still working on being the man worthy to ask that" he continues, and you soak each and every word he speaks like he's already saying his vows.

Because you know, you know he is a man of words. If Mark says it, then it's true. He will never say such things to deceive you.

"Do you have any more questions for me, pretty girl?" he whispers, waiting for you to speak

You shake your head, scooting until you're on his side again. Tucking yourself as close to him as you can.

He tilts your head so you're looking at him, leaning down to kiss you on your nose, your cheeks and last your lips.

"I'll love you over and over again, just like when we met"

[rabbittwinrithings]

Why I revoiced Kaidan for Cary Interactions

  So, I didn't really want to bring this up as I feel almost, foolish, I guess, I'm not sure of the right word. This isn't something I wanted to bring up, but I've been hearing confusions at to why I hired a new VA to voice Kaidan in the Caryalind interactions and people talking about me because I would revoice Dan. I will place a TLDR at the end of this post for those that don't want to read the whole thing. But I do hope to make this mostly quick as the whole situation makes me icky and don't want to type about it for too long.

   Originally, I made the Caryalind interactions through spliced dialogue. However, after some thought, decided that there's a chance it could be like AI voice acting and didn't seem fair keeping it up unless I got Dan's blessing. Seeing as this dialogue was made with old dialogue, I didn't see a reason to email the EE team and just Dan for a simple "Can I use this since it's your voice?" (I also know the EE team doesn't like me and I feared I wouldn't get a response from them.)

   After a few days with no response from Dan, I got the lines revoiced. It wasn't until after talks of an entire revoice came up that I got an email back from Dan stating that he owns Kaidan's IP and dialogue and that I was infringing on his copyright by revocing the spliced dialogue. After receiving the email I asked him if he could clarify which lines are his so that I could make sure I wasn't using any, in which he clarified that he is "the voice of Kaidan in a literal and legal sense."

   This threat hung around for a week until someone was able to talk to Dan about the situation. While I never heard back from Dan, I did get confirmation that my interactions were in the clear.

   In all honesty, this situation really has ruined Kaidan alot for me. But since the character was such a big part of how I experienced Skyrim, I don't want to give up on the character.

   Due to all this, and that he isn't open to being hired outside of the EE team, I rather not work with Dan as he's made me super uncomfortable with this situation and the legal threat.

   I'm sorry about posting this, I really didn't want to. But I've been told my name is being dragged about for not messaging the EE team and not wanting to work with Dan. I feel icky, and stupid, and... I'm not sure. This situation did leave me scared for a bit as I'm just a college student. I'm 23. I don't know about all this legal stuff. But I'm thankful I had friends to help me get through it and give advice. If I didn't, I don't what I would have done about Dan intimidating me with this...

   Sorry once again... I hope this clears some things up.

   TLDR; I didn't message EE team because the email I sent was about old lines and none of their work, and I don't feel comfortable working with Dan because he sent me a legal threat.

[itsyourchoicedevotionals]

The Great Exchange

“A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Luke 18:18NIV

Salvation— You can’t get to heaven without it. How to obtain salvation is the question asked by this “certain ruler” and many people today. The common thing is— they desire to work for their salvation— anything but believe in the work of the cross and the salvation through Christ’s death, burial, resurrection and blood.

As the “certain ruler” conversed with Jesus, he called Jesus ‘good Master.’ When Jesus told him, only God was good, the “certain ruler” replied by addressing Jesus only as ‘Master.’ Proving he didn’t believe Jesus to be God, but a teacher or prophet. Christianity is the only religion with a Savior, and which recognizes Jesus in His rightful role as the a part of Godhead. Amazingly, all the religions recognize Jesus— like the “certain ruler” did— as a prophet.

Make no mistake— JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD— not a prophet. “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” John 14:6ESV. Only the Son is the doorway to God.

Peter repeated this— Acts 4:12NIV “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

Always before, I’ve heard salvation described as ‘accepting Jesus into your heart and life as your Lord and Savior.’ That’s only partial truth, salvation is realizing you’ve been accepted and loved by God, in the midst of all your unpleasantness and filth; and believing in Him. You don’t have to ‘clean up your act’ to meet Jesus. Accepted—just as you are. Isn’t that exciting?

Before Christ, God dealt with us through the Law. After thoroughly studying the Law, I can tell you— not breaking the Law is impossible. Only two things aren’t considered breaking a law— breathing and praising God. Everything else breaks God’s laws. Andrew Womack says the law is like glass. Shoot a BB, [little infraction] through it or throw a boulder, [huge infraction]— it’s broken. And someone has to pay for the glass. Salvation is the great exchange— our sinfulness for Christ Jesus’ sinlessness. He pays for it all.

Breaking the Law is called ‘sin.’ Paul declares in Romans 6:23KJV “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Salvation is called “gift of God.” A ‘gift’ is a free, undeserved blessing. Jehovah God didn’t think it was enough to just accept and love us humans. He wanted to give us undeserved gifts— mercy and grace— to erase our filthy sins.

Paul told us how to be saved in Romans 10:9-10ESV “…if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one BELIEVES and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” (Emphasis mine)

Then Paul proceeds to tell where the faith to believe for salvation comes from, Ephesians 2:8NIV. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, IT IS A GIFT OF GOD—” (Emphasis mine.) Faith is His gift to us as well.

Knowing the how and why of our salvation is very important. When the lie comes to tell us— ‘You have to obey this rule and that rule to be saved,’ we can lean on the foundation of truth in faith. Saying— ‘No devil! I believed in Jesus with the faith God gifted to me. I believe and I’m saved.’ Or you can be a Galatian, falling for the lie and trying to earn your eternal life. It’s your choice. You choose.

LET’S PRAY: Papa God please lead these readers out of bondage and into the truth of grace, in the name of Jesus Christ I pray.

by Debbie Veilleux Copyright 2024 You have my permission to reblog this devotional for others. Please keep my name with this devotional, as author. Thank you.

[thepringlesofblood]

fun little reference sheet for all the confused taz balance hoes out there

so you listened to all of taz balance and now you’re reading the graphic novel and whhaaaa these names are all different! or you started out reading the graphic novels and decided to give the podcast a try and are mixed up by who is what. have no fear.

This is a list of every difference and change in wording/names I could find in all of the graphic novels out so far - Here There Be Gerblins to Crystal Kingdom.

in case you didn’t know, the reason for all the changes is because when they started out the podcast, they were playing a pre-written campaign by Wizards of the Coast (the people who make the official DND stuff). It’s like, the basic starter kit campaign. They diverted from it pretty quickly, but the world they established in the podcast is basically the world of DND. and so, all of those names and places and spells belong to Wizards of the Coast.

So, they’re using alternate names for any official DND 5e material so they don’t get sued.

Sometimes the name is vague enough that they decide it’s fine to leave as is. e.g. levitate is still levitate. The only big one they break this rule on is zone of truth, and that’s for very good reason. I try to put when they keep the name the same for spells, since spells are the most common things that change.

Hence, I shall bring forth the list under the cut! Please let me know if you find any more!

UPDATE: now including mentions from The Eleventh Hour!

the format we’re going with is

graphic novel name = podcast name

I’m trying to put the most important stuff near the top but no promises

People/places

G’nash = Klaarg

Eversummer = Neverwinter

Haverdale = Phandalin

Bogard Stoneseeker = Gundren Rockseeker

Caggle Stoneseeker = Tharden Rockseeker

Dorb Stoneseeker = Nundro Rockseeker

Yahvvie = yeemick

Queen Morior = the raven queen (I miss this I love the raven queen so much)

Cavern of dangling death = wave echo cave

The black spider is still just the black spider - I guess its vague enough that it works

fun fact: Barry Bluejeans starts out as just Sildar Hallwinter from the box campaign but they give him a better name first episode, bc they didn’t like how Sildar Hallwinter sounded. Obvs there’s no mention of Sildar in the book.

Sazed = Philippe (from 11th hr - not a copyright change, but a name change nonetheless. I don’t know why it’s not Sazed anymore, Glamour Springs is the same and both are original creations, not WoC property)

Spells

ouch ray = magic missile (they acknowledge this one in the book)

zone of truth is still zone of truth

 idk how they got away with that one


shield of faith  = shield of faith 


strike divine = divine strike

slowfall = feather fall

 later on in 11th hour gn, taako casts “Featherfall” with no issue (???)

celestial protector = guardian of faith

self-disguise = disguise self

dispel the dead = turn undead/destroy undead

the shattering = shatter

banish = banishment

shuffle jump = blink

dampen elements = absorb elements

blast of fire = scorching ray

later on in 11th hour gn, taako (or at least the umbrastaff) casts “Scorching Ray” with no issue (???)

magic rope = rope trick

sleepy-time = sleep

clair-vision = clairvoyance

diminish size = reduce

the spell is enlarge/reduce, and later on they use “enlarge” with no trouble - why is it “diminish size” here???

spirit steed = phantom steed

ethereal weapon = spiritual weapon

in 11th hr gn, it’s also called “armory of spirit”

gout of flames = fireball

blessings of the cherubim = prayer of healing

concussive force = concussive blast(?)

Taako uses this in the battlewagon race, but he just magic missiles the boar in the podcast

they probably wanted to spice things up a bit since magic missile kind of has a Brand.

Concussive blast is a real 3rd level evocation spell that taako would’ve been able to cast, it just doesn’t actually happen in the podcast

levitate is still levitate

how is that one ok but “sleep” has to be “sleepy-time”??

word of healing = healing word

ray of scorching oil = scorching ray(?)

we did already have that one but I can’t think of a better fit

discernment of magicks = detect magic

object location = locate object

flames of holiness = sacred flame

fire mitts = burning hands

wave of thunder = thunderwave

mystic analysis = probably meant as a stand-in for “identify”, but in the podcast he just does an arcana check.

burgle = knock

Spells cast that they don’t name in the book but are real 5e spells!

Taako uses mage hand on HTBG pg 135

Killian uses the feather duster to cast feather fall on HTBG pg 148

Merle casts light on HTBG pg 160

it doesn’t say the name, but in PTTM pg 123 taako casts “crown of madness” on the gerbil guy, which is a Horrifying spell

the crickets cast “dominate person” to control taako in PTTM in case anyone’s interested.

I can’t fucking figure out what he meant by “ghostly voice” as a spell Jenkins used. My best guess is a modified use of magic mouth, or maybe minor illusion. Makes sense, magic mouth is only 2nd level and minor illusion is a cantrip, and Jenkins is a shitty wizard.

Feats + other shit

CK - Pg 188 magnus says “berserker blitz!” which is probably a translation of “reckless attack”

Know thy enemy = know your enemy (a feat magnus gets for being a battle master archetype fighter)

Transmutation mastery = transmuter’s stone (a feat taako gets @ 6th level for being a transmutation wizard) (probably bc one dangerous rock is enough lol)

destroy undead is a toughie

it’s technically not a spell (not in the way merle is using it), it’s a use of channel divinity, and while at first it’s called turn undead, when you reach level 5 you get to automatically destroy any low-level undead (each time you level up you can destroy one level up of undead), so the ability is called destroy undead from that point onward, but you still do the turning bit too.

Ring of chilling frost = ring of frost

Loafers of leaping and springing = boots of striding and springing

Uncanny dodge (a rogue feat) is mentioned when Magnus is doing rogue training with Carey in the 11th hr gn

on their little ‘level up’ pages in the 11th hour gn, it says magnus is a 10th lvl fighter and 1st lvl rogue, then lists merle and taako as a 10th level cleric and a 10th level wizard. that would mean magnus is an 11th level character, while taako and merle are still 10th level. I don’t think that’s the case in the podcast but i could be wrong. not super important.

just a whole separate god damn paragraph for this one:

Murder on the rockport limited Pg 189 - much going on here.

The text suggests that the spell is “spare the dying” but that’s a cantrip which merle should have for free and griffin says its a “5th level spell” but he means that merle is only 4th level and he needs to be 5th level to cast this spell, not that the level of spell is 5.

At 5th level, clerics gain access to 3rd level spells, so I think he means that merle can’t cast 3rd lvl spells since he’s only 4th level. So we’re looking for a 3rd level spell that clerics can use.

It could be two spells, and I’m pretty sure I know which one it is - revivify. Technically it could also be mass healing word but I think he’d have healed taako too if that was the case, and if magnus was Dead Dead (which I don’t think he was) it wouldn’t do anything.

death in dnd is weird. If you drop to 0 hit points, you are knocked unconscious (though colloquially this is often referred to as death). You then have to make death saving throws - 3 successes you are stable, 3 fails you’re Dead Dead.

BUT

You die immediately if the damage you take minus the health you have left is more than your hit point total. So, if you go farther into the negatives than your hit point maximum, it’s insta death.

I don’t think this happened to magnus. angus survived the jump just fine. I think the boys misunderstood how death works bc it’s confusing. fair.

But the gist is merle wants to cast revivify, griffin says he’s not high enough level, they convince him, even though it wasn’t really necessary in the first place.

this exchange does not occur in the podcast. magnus falls unconscious and is healed with no problem.

a pattern I’ve noticed is as they go on, more and more things have their normal dnd names. lmk if you know why that is - maybe bc of the whole OGL/dnd one drama?

[resowrites]

What We Do In The Shadows - From Russia With Love (oneshot).

Summary: Laszlo discovers Nadja’s long kept secret and Guillermo has to dissuade Nandor from going on a treasure hunt (this oneshot predates the events of season 4).

Characters: WWDITS cast.

Warnings: NSFW, 18+only MINORS DNI, language, allusions to smut, mention of a homophobic slur, adult themes/humour, Laszlo being Laszlo, lovelorn Guillermo, lightly beta’d.

WC: 2835

My work must not be copied, reposted, or translated elsewhere. Likes, follows, reblogs and comments are thoroughly welcome and appreciated! No copyright infringement intended, gifs/pics not my own. I hope you all enjoy and thanks for visiting!

From Russia With Love - a What We Do In The Shadows oneshot.

At the vampire compound.

"Ok, good evening everyone, thank you for attending tonight's house meeting. I'll get straight to it, last night I had an unfortunate encounter with a young woman…"

"Wasn't it more unfortunate for her?" Laszlo smirked at Nandor, eliciting an exasperated sigh from the older vampire.

"Laszlo please… this is serious. I don't care whose guest she was, you must allow visitors back out again if you don't intend to finish them off…" this elicited giggles all around. Nadja, who'd been darning an old pair of stockings, suddenly looked up having missed most of the conversation.

"What are you talking about Nandor? I never leave my dinner unattended… do you know what he's talking about Laszlo?" The vampire to her right shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"Oh alright, it was me, I invited the young lady back here but when she started droning on and on about her blasted student exchange programme… well, it was enough to put a chap right off his dinner." Nandor stared at him confused.

"Well, why didn't you show her the way out?"

"I dunno… I got bored and wandered off. Shit happens." Nandor rolled his eyes and moved on to the next item on his agenda.

"Is that why you decided to sign me up for online dating? Boredom? Really Laszlo, that wasn't very nice and I'd appreciate it if in future you--" Nadja then cut him off.

"What's this? Is loves biggest loser finally putting himself back out there? Good for you Nandor…" he tried to respond only for Guillermo to pipe up.

"Wait… how would that work exactly, is it a vampire dating site?"

"Don't be stupid Guillermo, why would Vampires need help dating?" Nandor avoided Nadja's eyes and shot a look at the cameraman.

"Okay everyone, great meeting, but I think we should continue this some other time…"

"Hang on a mo, Gizmo raises a good point, a vampire dating site is an excellent idea. Why, a man could get all the chuff he desires at a click of a button." Nadja rolled her eyes.

"Since when did you need help finding chuff? You are practically a chuff hound, my love…" Lazlo doffed his imaginary cap and decided to repay what he considered the highest compliment.

"As are you, my love. We have both been highly blessed in the sexual arts." Guillermo now rolled his eyes though he couldn't help but feel bad for his master, who was now shifting uncomfortably in his heavily booted feet.

"That is true… my loves have been broad and wide. And I'm not just talking about the variety…" at that Nandor stormed off, leaving Guillermo to trail after him.

Nadja and Laszlo to the interviewer:

"You know my darling wife has always been in high demand… personally, I thought she would have made an excellent courtesan…"

"Yes… but I don't like working weekends. Or in the day." The pair nodded in agreement.

"I do however think a vampire sex exchange website is a marvellous idea…"

"I think they call them 'hookups' Laszlo…" he waved his hand at her.

"Whatever… but I may look into the idea, by which I mean I'll get Gizmo to cook something up." Nadja shook her head.

"He's too busy with his head up Nandor's arse…"

"He wishes…" the pair then shrieked with laughter.

"You know now that I think about it, I don't actually think it is a good idea… I mean what if an ex-lover uses it to contact you?" Laszlo looked at her confused.

"And what's wrong with that? I've had many a woman desire a return trip to mount Laszlo…" Nadja scoffed.

"I don't know… look what happened with Gregor, there are some lovers I definitely wouldn't want to hear from again…"

"Oh yeah? Like who?" Nadja considered the long list in her mind for a moment.

"Well, there's Reginald the butcher's son, though I think he died going to work too early one morning. Then there's Rolph… though I think he's settled in New Orleans with a nice shapeshifter now…"

"Oooh, I bet they have fun…" Laszlo sucked on the end of his pipe saucily.

"Then there's Rasputin but I'm pretty sure they eventually managed to kill him…" Laszlo choked loudly.

"Come again? You were courted by Rasputin?" Nadja pursed her lips trying to recall such long ago memories.

"Well, it wasn't so much courting as rogering in every room in the palace… I'm pretty sure we did it in the gardens as well because I remember my bum getting frozen stuck against the lawn…"

"Hold on, hold on… how did you even meet the guy?"

"Well I joined a travelling band of gypsies and you know Rasputin…"

"No, I don't. No one does."

"Well anyway, I showed him a few tricks and he became quite taken with me…" she smiled proudly at the camera.

"Well that I don't doubt my darling, but why did you never tell me?" He looked at her with a woundedly.

"What do you mean? It's not that much of a big deal…"

"It's a huge bloody deal, we're talking Rasputin. Russia's greatest love machine as the song so aptly describes. I don't mind telling you I'm rather upset…" she looked at him bewildered.

"What about? Believe me darling, it was a more mental than physical thing." Laszlo turned to look towards the camera.

At a Substation near the vampire compound.

"You know it's really too bad you can't try some of this, it's sooo good…" Guillermo stared down lovingly at his food while Nandor just sighed and rested his head in his hand.

"You know it's very drab and depressing in here… I can see why you like this place, Guillermo." The familiar looked towards the cameraman exasperated.

"You know master, if you're feeling that lonely, maybe we could give the dating website thing a try…" but Nandor seemed fixated on something in front of him. "Master? Did you hear what I was saying?"

"Shhh Guillermo, look what I've found!" He then held up the same kid's activity sheet that was placed on all the other tables.

"Yeah? What about it?" Guillermo glumly took a bite of his sandwich, annoyed at the conversation already having moved on.

"Don't you see? It's a treasure map? They've hidden treasure somewhere near here for us to find!" Guillermo choked on his drink.

"No, master, that's just a game. I'm pretty sure there's a QR code that links to their app--" but Nandor sprung to his feet, leaving Guillermo to hastily wrap up his sandwich and chase after him.

"Master - where are you going? There's no treasure near here, it's just a made up map…" but Nandor was holding it up to a streetlight, carefully examining the details.

"It says if we walk twenty paces in that direction…" he held out his arm to the left, "we'll find the next clue… come, Guillermo, we have no time to waste."

Back at the vampire compound.

Nadja and Laszlo were sitting in less than companionable silence. Colin Robison sat between them, torn between wanting to break the awkward silence but also finding it an opportune feeding moment. "That's it… I won't sit here in silence any longer, tell me the truth, was he a better lover than I?" Laszlo had jumped to his feet and began pacing back and forth. Nadja glanced up from her book with a look of exhaustion on her carefully powdered face.

"Who are you talking about my love?"

"You know damn bloody well who I'm talking about, your little Russian conquest…" she rolled her eyes and flipped to the next page of her book, determined not to engage him in this foolishness.

"You know it's interesting you mention Russian conquest…"

"I highly doubt that Colin Robinson…" Laszlo was determined to cut him off before he could get started but the energy vampire was undeterred.

"No, it's true, did you know that Alexander the second, who actually abolished serfdom in 1861, was killed on the very day he signed a document agreeing to political reform?"

"That's wonderful Colin Robinson… you know I heard he employed witchcraft, I bet that was responsible for his hold over you…" Nadja threw her book to the side, clearly, she wasn't going to be allowed to read in peace.

"For God's sake Laszlo, it was hundreds of years ago, give it up…"

"No, you can't tell me you 'hooked up' with the same man who had his hand down the pants of everyone in Russia, and not expect me to react."

"Are you guys talking about Rasputin?"

"Quiet Colin Robinson." The energy vampire simply shrugged his shoulders at the cameraman. "Laszlo my love, you know you're my main guy, why get so upset about something that happened so very long ago?"

"Because the man was a legend!" He bellowed out dramatically. "And what's there to remember about me?" Nadja frowned.

"So this is what it's really about? You're worried about your legacy?" She sighed as she slumped back onto the couch.

"You don't understand my love, there are certain things men have to do to remain men…"

"You know that reminds me of that song, you know the one where the question is asked, how many roads must a man walk down, before you can call him a man?" The other two vampires shouted in unison.

"Shut up Colin Robinson!"

Somewhere near a parking lot at midnight.

"Master please, it's cold and it's late, why don't we just go home?" But Nandor frantically consulted his map.

"No - we are getting close I know it, just a few more steps in this direction." He began goose stepping several feet forwards. Guillermo had had enough.

"Master stop… what treasure could you possibly want? You're hundreds of years old, you've accumulated so much stuff in that time, so much knowledge… what could some random parking lot give you that you don't already have? Don't you see what's happening? You're upset about being alone, so you're latching on to whatever comes along. Look at us, we're standing in an empty car park!" He gripped his master's arms harder to comfort him. But Nandor shrugged him away.

"Get off me you little imp. And I'm not making you stay here you know… go on, away with you, be gone."

"No… no, I'll stay master…" Guillermo looked guiltily toward the cameraman. Just then, a small group of burly looking men appeared from behind a suspicious looking van. "Er… master, I think we better get going, we don't wanna get mixed up with those--"

"Hey, hey you there! Phantom of the opera?" Nandor hurriedly looked behind him causing Guillermo to shoot the cameraman another knowing look.

"Excuse me? Are you talking to me?"

"Yeah I'm talking to you nancy boy, what the hell do you think you're doing here?"

"Looking for treasure, what else? And who is Nancy?" Nandor chuckled lightly, confused as to why he was being asked such questions.

"Is that supposed to be funny asshole?" The grin quickly disappeared from Nandor's face.

"Perhaps I should teach you and your boyfriend here a lesson…" Nandor then laughed again.

"Oh… no, he's not my boyfriend." Guillermo cast him a sad sideways glance.

"Oh yeah? I bet he squeals like he's your boyfriend…" the man then hoisted Guillermo up by his shirt collar.

"Hey! You leave my familiar alone! Only I'm permitted to manhandle him!" Nandor delivered a swift roundhouse kick, which sent both the man and Guillermo soaring through the air. He quickly scrambled to his feet and fled along with other men. Nandor stepped up to Guillermo casually and extended his hand.

"… Are you alright Guillermo?" His familiar was badly shaken but otherwise unhurt.

"Yes… I am, thanks to you. You saved me master… why?" Nandor furrowed his brow.

"You're my familiar… I… I have come to depend on you." He then awkwardly placed a large hand on his familiar's shoulder. Guillermo beamed from ear to ear.

"Come on Nandor, I know a place where we can get some treasure.

Sometime later at the vampire compound.

Nadia sauntered into the living room to find a miserable looking Laszlo and a dozing Colin Robinson. "What's up with him?"

"He fell asleep… I guess he gorged himself on my misery…" Nadja bit back a smirk and unscrolled the piece of paper in her hands. She cleared her throat.

"Laszlo Cravensworth, I have here a list detailing all your exploits since your time on this earth. Once I'm finished, I hope you'll see that you really have nothing to be jealous of--"

"I'm not jealous… why, was he bigger than me?" Nadja avoided his eyes and made no reply. He tutted and sunk back in his chair scowling.

"One - you kept all the major whore houses in London in business, they even named a street after you, Helmet Row." Laszlo nodded in recognition. "Two - you were Jack The Ripper, London's most notorious murderer even if no one knows it." His frown then returned. "Three - you're a sexy bad boy who follows his own rules and there is a baby hundreds of years old in another state to prove it." But Laszlo was unconvinced. "And finally - you not only captured my heart, but you have also kept it, after all these many years. I may have broken up with Rasputin, but I'll never break up with you…" it was the kind of statement worthy of an applause break but Laszlo jumped to his feet in alarm.

"What the devil do you mean you broke up with him? Nobody turns down the great Rasputin! But if he couldn't keep your heart, with his magic tongue and black magic powers, what chance do I stand?" He slumped back down onto his chair dejectedly.

"Oh, my love… he had something you'll never have…"

"Oh, and what's that my deadly nightshade?"

"It's simple my love, ambition…"

"What? What the deuce do you mean, ambition?" Nadja bit her lip, hoping he wouldn't take it the wrong way.

"What's there to understand my love? He was a big crazy megalomaniac who wanted to take over the world, all you want to do is shag your dinner and suck blood - what more could I need?" Laszlo furrowed his impressive brow.

"Are you calling me lazy my dear? Because I'll have you know, one can't make hundreds of adult films sat on his jacksy…"

"Of course not, and you needn't worry, there's still plenty of time to continue building your legacy." Laszlo jumped up again.

"By God woman, you're right, I could even make more films, vampires have never been more popular! I'll show them a Twilight they won't soon forget…" Nadja rubbed her forehead.

"No, that's not quite what I meant my love…"

"I could even recreate the one I did with Betti Page… I think I still have the feather boas somewhere…" Nadja looked up at him suspiciously.

"What do you mean Betti Page? You made a porno with America's premiere burlesque sweetheart?" Laszlo gulped nervously and stared at the cameraman. He then dashed from the room with Nadja chasing after him. Suddenly, Colin Robinson stirred in his seat.

"Hey… where'd everybody go?

Later that evening.

"Look everybody, look what Guillermo got for me!" Nandor's booming voice bought everybody into the hallway.

"I say… what on earth have you got there chap?" Nandor grinned as he held up the tiny metal award.

"It's a trophy! It says 'best master in the world!'" Nadja and Laszlo stared at each other.

"Oh is that from Don's trophies and collectables? Yeah… they framed my employee of the month certificate. Great prices, they also have a good range of--"

"Yes that's very nice Colin Robinson, come, Guillermo, we must find the right spot for this…" he then swept out of the room, again with Guillermo trailing after him.

Guillermo to the interviewer:

"You know it's important to recognise that vampires are actually pretty sensitive. You might think that because they've lived for ages, they don't care what others think about them but it's the complete opposite… take tonight. I mean, Nandor might not have cared about some guys threatening to beat him up in a parking lot, but the minute they threatened me he came to my defense. There was no way I'd let him go home empty handed. Because when all's said and done… he really is a good master.

Nandor then burst in carrying his trophy and one of its handles in his other hand.

"What is the meaning of this Guillermo? I go to polish my trophy and it breaks in my hands! Is this any way to treat the best master in the world? Fix it immediately…" he then threw it to the floor and stormed out in a huff, leaving Guillermo to sigh into the camera.

End credits.

A/N: Hi guys, as a huge fan of the film and tv series, it’s my pleasure to present this oneshot! I hope you all enjoy the story and feel I captured something of the spirit of the show. Any feedback is appreciated and I hope you’ll continue to stick around and enjoy new stories in the future!

To be updated on when I post please follow @resowrites and turn on post notifications.

[officialyourdailyinspiration]

Faith Is the Only Way

1 You stupid Galatians! I told you exactly how Jesus Christ was nailed to a cross. Has someone now put an evil spell on you? 2 I want to know only one thing. How were you given God's Spirit? Was it by obeying the Law of Moses or by hearing about Christ and having faith in him? 3 How can you be so stupid? Do you think that by yourself you can complete what God's Spirit started in you? 4 Have you gone through all of this for nothing? Is it all really for nothing? 5 God gives you his Spirit and works miracles in you. But does he do this because you obey the Law of Moses or because you have heard about Christ and have faith in him?

6 The Scriptures say that God accepted Abraham because Abraham had faith. 7 And so, you should understand that everyone who has faith is a child of Abraham. 8  Long ago the Scriptures said God would accept the Gentiles because of their faith. This is why God told Abraham the good news that all nations would be blessed because of him. 9 This means everyone who has faith will share in the blessings given to Abraham because of his faith.

10 Anyone who tries to please God by obeying the Law is under a curse. The Scriptures say, “Everyone who doesn't obey everything in the Law is under a curse.” 11 No one can please God by obeying the Law. The Scriptures also say, “The people God accepts because of their faith will live.”

12 The Law isn't based on faith. It promises life only to people who obey its commands. 13 But Christ rescued us from the Law's curse, when he became a curse in our place. This is because the Scriptures say that anyone who is nailed to a tree is under a curse. 14 And because of what Jesus Christ has done, the blessing promised to Abraham was taken to the Gentiles. This happened so that by faith we would be given the promised Holy Spirit.

The Law and the Promise

15 My friends, I will use an everyday example to explain what I mean. Once someone agrees to something, no one else can change or cancel the agreement. 16 That is how it is with the promises God made to Abraham and his descendant. The promises were not made to many descendants, but only to one, and that one is Christ. 17  What I am saying is that the Law cannot change or cancel God's promise made 430 years before the Law was given. 18 If we have to obey the Law in order to receive God's blessings, those blessings don't really come to us because of God's promise. But God was kind to Abraham and made him a promise.

19 What is the use of the Law? It was given later to show that we sin. But it was only supposed to last until the coming of that descendant who was given the promise. In fact, angels gave the Law to Moses, and he gave it to the people. 20 There is only one God, and the Law did not come directly from him. Slaves and Children

21 Does the Law disagree with God's promises? No, it doesn't! If any law could give life to us, we could become acceptable to God by obeying that law. 22 But the Scriptures say that sin controls everyone, so that God's promises will be for anyone who has faith in Jesus Christ.

23 The Law controlled us and kept us under its power until the time came when we would have faith. 24 In fact, the Law was to be our teacher until Christ came. Then we could have faith and be acceptable to God. 25 But once a person has learned to have faith, there is no more need to have the Law as a teacher.

26 All of you are God's children because of your faith in Christ Jesus. 27 And when you were baptized, it was as though you had put on Christ in the same way you put on new clothes. 28 Faith in Christ Jesus is what makes each of you equal with each other, whether you are a Jew or a Greek, a slave or a free person, a man or a woman. 29 So if you belong to Christ, you are now part of Abraham's family, and you will be given what God has promised. — Galatians 3 | Contemporary English Version (CEV) The Holy Bible, Contemporary English Version Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society. Cross References: Genesis 3:7; Genesis 4:11; Genesis 12:3; Genesis 12:7; Genesis 17:7; Genesis 15:6; Leviticus 18:5; Deuteronomy 21:23; Ezekiel 18:24; Habakkuk 2:4; Matthew 3:9; Matthew 28:19; Luke 19:9; Luke 20:16; John 1:7; John 3:34; Acts 1:15; Acts 16:6; Romans 3:9; Romans 3:30; Romans 5:20; Romans 8:1; Romans 10:17; 1 Corinthians 4:15; 1 Corinthians 12:10; 1 Corinthians 15:2; Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 1:13; Ephesians 2:12; Hebrews 6:13-14

[jdgo51]

It’s Going to Turn Out All Right

Today's inspiration comes from:

Calm Moments for Anxious Days

by Max Lucado

“Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!” — Matthew 14:27 NLT

"God’s call to courage is not a call to naïveté or ignorance. We aren’t to be oblivious to the overwhelming challenges that life brings.

We must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. — Hebrews 2:1 NASB

"'Do whatever it takes to keep your gaze on Jesus. When a friend of mine spent several days in the hospital at the bedside of her husband, she relied on hymns to keep her spirits up. Every few minutes, she stepped into the restroom and sang a few verses of “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.” Do likewise! Memorize Scripture. Read biographies of great lives. Ponder the testimonies of faithful Christians. Make the deliberate decision to set your hope on him.

As followers of God, you and I have a huge asset. We know everything is going to turn out all right. Christ hasn’t budged from his throne, and Romans 8:28 hasn’t evaporated from the Bible. Our problems have always been his possibilities.

Feed your fears, and your faith will starve. Feed your faith, and your fears will. We know everything is going to turn out all right. That’s the promise of Romans 8:28. But it’s hard to remember when all the possibilities of what could go wrong are swirling around us. When fear is plentiful, let’s fix our gaze on Jesus and remember this:

We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. — Romans 8:28 NKJV

God’s Promise to Me

The Lord is in control. He knows how it all turns out. And He promised it will be for my good. He will give me the courage to keep going and the hope to hold on.

Feed your faith, and your fears will starve.

Believe He Can

Don’t be afraid; just believe. — Mark 5:36

The presence of fear does not mean you have no faith. Fear visits everyone. Even Christ was afraid (Mark 14:33). But make your fear a visitor and not a resident. Hasn’t fear taken enough? Enough smiles? Chuckles? Restful nights, exuberant days? Meet your fears with faith.

Do what my father urged my brother and me to do. Summertime for the Lucado family always involved a trip from West Texas to the Rocky Mountains. (Think Purgatory to Paradise.) My dad loved to fish for trout on the edge of the white-water rivers. Yet he knew that the currents were dangerous and his sons could be careless. Upon arrival we’d scout out the safe places to cross the river. He’d walk us down the bank until we found a line of stable rocks. He was even known to add one or two to compensate for our short strides.

As we watched, he’d test the stones, knowing if they held him, they’d hold us. Once on the other side, he’d signal for us to follow.

“Don’t be afraid,” he could have said. “Trust me.”

We children never needed coaxing. But we adults often do. Does a river of fear run between you and Jesus? Cross over to Him.

Believe He can. Believe He cares.

Does the path ahead look uncertain, even frightening? Maybe this image will help. When a father leads his four-year-old son down a crowded street, he takes him by the hand and says, “Hold on to me.” He doesn’t say, “Memorize the map.” Or, “Take your chances dodging the traffic.” Or, “Let’s see if you can find your way home.” The good father gives the child one responsibility: “Hold on to my hand.” When fears threaten your faith, remember this:

My Scripture of Hope

You go before me and follow me. You place Your hand of blessing on my head. — Psalm 139:5 NLT

God’s Promise to Me

I don’t have to live afraid. Because God cares. He holds my hands and leads me safely to Him."'

Excerpted with permission from Calm Moments for Anxious Days by Max Lucado, copyright Max Lucado.

[yhwhrulz]

Today's Daily Encounter Friday, May 10, 2024

Dedicating Our Children to the Lord

Happy Mother's Day weekend!

"I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord." And he worshiped the Lord there."1

Being a mom is the greatest privilege and an answered prayer for many of us. I am a mom of four children (our youngest is a newborn), and although there are some days where I am completely exhausted, I feel so blessed. In addition to our four healthy children, we also suffered two losses along the way. One of these losses was a little boy we named Elijah. He died in utero at five months into the pregnancy due to a chromosomal defect. Therefore, I know the joy of celebrating the life of our children, but have also experienced the sadness and pain of losing a child.

This experience led me to think of the prophet Samuel's mom, Hannah. She had wanted a baby for so long! She would go to the temple to pray and desperately ask God to give her a child. We read: "In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. And she made a vow, saying, "Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life…"2 This couldn't have been an easy vow to make considering how much she longed for this son. However, Hannah kept her vow and took Samuel back to the temple to dedicate his life to serving the Lord.

As parents, we do our best to raise our children in God's ways and pray that they will remember this once they are grown. I would love to be able to be with my kids all the time and take care of them, but the truth is, only God can do that. When we choose to dedicate our children to the Lord daily through prayer, we can be at peace knowing that God is in control and will be with them every step of the way.

Moms, you are amazing! You are loved, appreciated, and we celebrate you. God has chosen you to carry out such an important task in raising your children. Whether your children are young or old, I encourage you to keep praying for them and dedicating them to God daily. Your work is not in vain. May God bless you and keep you today and always.

Suggested prayer: Dear God, please bless our moms. Give us strength, courage, energy, and guidance to raise the children you have given us. Like Hannah, may we dedicate them to you on a daily basis, knowing that you have a perfect plan for their lives and you have chosen us to partake in it. Allow us to cherish the moments, give us wisdom to guide our children, and may they learn to love you and others through our example. In Jesus' name. Amen.

1 Samuel 1:27-28 (NIV).

1 Samuel 1:10-11 (NIV).

Today's Encounter was written by: Crystal B.

NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon Click on: http://www.actsweb.org/invitation.php. Or if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ, please click on http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php to note this.

Daily Encounter is published at no charge by ACTS International, a non-profit organization, and made possible through the donations of interested friends. Donations can be sent at: http://www.actscom.com

ACTS International P.O. Box 73545 San Clemente, California 92673-0119 U.S.A.

Phone: 949-940-9050 http://www.actsweb.org

Copyright (c) 2016 by ACTS International.

When copying or forwarding include the following: "Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2005-2023 ACTS International

[yhwhrulz777]

Today's Daily Encounter Wednesday, April 17, 2024

Songs Never Sung

"But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness."1

Don Emmitte wrote, "One of the best autobiographies I have read is that of Loren Eisley, All the Strange Hours. Eisley is one of America's greatest naturalist and scientist. In his book he tells of an incident early in his academic training, in fact in his first English class of college. It was a traumatic experience, one which changed the direction of his life. In his first theme assignment, the professor called him to stay after class and said, 'You didn't compose this; it is written too well.' He had labored long and hard over the assignment, and it was indeed his work. But Eisley was shy. He did not talk back to his professor in those days. He simply turned away. He did not write another piece until well into his middle years.

"Oh, he did write, and distinguished himself as a writer of many letters, articles, and books. Who knows, however, how many articles, letters, or books were lost in those early years while he still labored under the curse of that professor's belligerent words. In fact he further writes in his book, that it was this experience that turned him from a career of literature and art to science. One wonders what might have been!"

I am sure that many of us can identify with Eisley's experience in one way or another. Sometimes discouraging feedback has a far greater impact on us than the positive feedback, especially if that negative feedback is untrue. However, God has equipped each of us with a special gift or gifts, and the more we exercise those gifts, the better we will be able to use them for His glory. The important part is to never give up, but instead ask God to lead us to people who will help us develop those gifts and continue using them! I am often reminded of Richard Innes, who was the founder of ACTS International. He experienced rejection when he began writing poems, but eventually that inspired him to write the following poem, which sold thousands of copies!

Unsung Songs

How many songs never sung, poems never written, pictures never painted, stories never told, romantic words never spoken locked inside a lonely heart— the prison of another's making— are left unexpressed because somebody shamed us, abandoned us, or perhaps silenced us with a cruel word, a thoughtless deed, and said or just implied we were not good or not quite good enough? And, tragically, we believed them. © Copyright, Dick Innes

Suggested prayer: Dear God, please give me discernment to always know what feedback to accept and apply, and which to ignore. Help me to use this feedback as a motivation to keep me growing and doing what You have put in my heart to do. I want to give you my best and use the gifts you've given me to bless others and bring them closer to you. Help me also be a giver of encouragement to others who are also using their gifts for your glory. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen.

Hebrews 3:13 (NIV).

Today's Encounter was written by: Crystal B.

NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon Click on: http://www.actsweb.org/invitation.php. Or if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ, please click on http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php to note this.

Daily Encounter is published at no charge by ACTS International, a non-profit organization, and made possible through the donations of interested friends. Donations can be sent at: http://www.actscom.com

ACTS International P.O. Box 73545 San Clemente, California 92673-0119 U.S.A.

Phone: 949-940-9050 http://www.actsweb.org

Copyright (c) 2016 by ACTS International.

When copying or forwarding include the following: "Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2005-2023 ACTS International

[coolgirl32]

How Victor met his wife as you can tell on the picture I'm doing a comic book version of Victor Creed and I'm using my OC for this also do not copyright after my work or anyone else's work and I did not own this picture whoever made this is a great artist and should be paid better anyway enjoy this

Jacqulyn and Victor met at a bookstore it was in 2023 Victor was trying to find wolverine because you know this is sabertooth and Victor Creed and wolverine their enemies so when he found out that Jacqulyn works at the x mansion as a teacher he knew how to lure wolverine out the x mansion.

So sabertooth came up with a plan to use Jacqulyn as a hostage but no matter how many times he tried to catch her he failed miserably it would be either she'd be too fast or she'd be too smart in his mind he thinks she's just a dumb feral that just got lucky but oh Victor is just wrong Jacqulyn was told by wolverine to stay away from Victor Creed because of how dangerous he is she understood that he was a dangerous man but when she looked at Victor Creed's origin story she felt bad for him had some sympathy for him even she understood what it's like to have an abusive father so she decided to lure Victor Creed to her and that's what she did she wanted to know why Victor Creed was so interested in wolverine he told her that wolverine killed his little brother and it was understandable but Jacqulyn told Victor that revenge is never the option she then told Victor to meet her at the bookstore and that's where he met her and that's where he continued to meet her every single day they continue this until they finally agreed to date each other like it was an actual date for them well a few months and a few years went by and Victor and Jacqulyn got married and had kids of their own six Cubs to be precise their cubs names were Rachel Victoria Abby Liam Andrew and Max of course Rachel and Liam were both twins and so were Victoria and Andrew and so were Abby and Max they were all born in different years and that's how Victor met his wife

Bonus

Victor was looking at some old family photos of him and his family when he spotted his and his wife's wedding photo he smiled at the photo remembering the time he met her and his icy cold heart melted for the first time that's when his wife Jacqulyn came into the room and asked what was he looking at he then told her he was looking at old photos, Jacqulyn smiled and sat down with her husband and kissed him on the cheek telling him she is lucky that she has a husband who is kind and loving as him Victor then told his wife and he loves her too and that he's lucky to have her in his life, I can't tell how great this has come to be so I hope everybody likes this and have a blessed day

[tpanan]

My Saturday Daily Blessings

May 20, 2023

Be still quiet your heart and mind, the LORD is here, loving you talking to you...........        

Saturday of the Sixth Week of Easter (Roman Rite Calendar) Lectionary 296

First Reading:  

Acts 18:23-28

Responsorial Psalm:  

Ps 47:2-3, 8-9, 10

Verse Before the Gospel:      

Jn 16:28

**Gospel:  

Jn 16:23b-28

**Reflection:

Do you pray with confidence to your heavenly Father? Jesus often taught his disciples by way of illustration or parable. Here he speaks not in "figures" (the same word used for parables), but in plain speech. Jesus revealed to them the hidden treasure of the heavenly kingdom and he taught them how to pray to the Father in his name. Now Jesus opens his heart and speaks in the plainest of language: "The Father himself loves you!" How can the disciples be certain of this?

The Lord Jesus unites us with the Father through the love and power of the Holy Spirit Paul the Apostle states that "All who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God" (Romans 8:14). Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, Jesus makes it possible for his disciples to have a new relationship as sons and daughters of God the Father (Romans 8:14-17). No one would have dared to call God his or her Father before this! Because of what Jesus has done for us in offering his life for our redemption we now can boldly and confidently pray to God as our Father in heaven.

The presence and action of the Holy Spirit within us is living proof of this new relationship with the Father. Paul the Apostles says that "when we cry, 'Abba! Father!' it is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God" (Romans 8:15-16).

We can boldly approach God as our Father and ask him for the things we need. In love he bids us to draw near to his throne of grace and mercy. Do you approach the Father with confidence in his love and with expectant faith in his promise to hear your prayers? Heavenly Father, your love knows no bounds and your mercies are new every day. Fill me with gratitude for your countless blessings and draw me near to your throne of grace and mercy. Give me confidence and boldness to pray that your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Sources:

Lectionary for Mass for use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, copyright (c) 2001, 1998, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain (c) 1968, 1981, 1997, international committee on english in the liturgy, Inc All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

**Meditations may be freely reprinted for non-commercial use - please cite:  copyright © 2023 Servants of the Word, source:  dailyscripture.net, author Don Schwager.

[cmcsmen]

Handing It Over To God

Photo: 'Be A Man' - Copyright 2017 Frank J Casella

So, we're now about half way through January, and the time when the resoultions we make start to drift away, or are not so 'new' anymore.  

Let me ask you ... if you started a new years resolution, did you hand it to God from the start?  Or are you doing this in your own strength? 

If you did do this together with God remember .. just because you don't see Him responding how you think He should, doesn't mean He's not involved.

In either case, it is safe to tell you to stop doing everything yourself.  Yes, it's how God made us men. Yet we can't do it without Him. There is a balance, and it takes time, and always evolving. 

When it comes to resolutions, it's easy to think we know what we need to work on. But it's important to be open to the Lord's direction day by day, because it will change. If you're doing it with God, you're likely to experience more success.

Start praying and asking Jesus to bless you where you need it most every day, and you'll be on your way to a successful resolution. God doesn't need us to do His work, rather to meet Him were He is at work (through us). Then keep your awaremess open to the prompting of the Holy Spirit for God to bless you. 

Where and how God blesses you most likely will go beyond your own understanding of your own needs. You may be challenged. You may struggle in a certain area.  You may make a major achievement. All of these are blessings, because they help us to grow in our faith and be the Man that God calls us to be. 

This is how I have come to the conclusion that instead of a new years resolution each year, I just concentrait a new way towards my spiritual growth.

So this year I started listening to the podcast ' Bible In A Year With Fr. Mike Schmitz'. I thought that I was on the right path, when I came upon the ' Catechism In A Year With Fr. Mike Schmitz'.  

After listening to the Catechism podcast for a few days, I've come to find that Fr. Mike fills in the grey areas between the text very well. This has given me the peace of mind that I need, and God is blessing me where I need it most.

Short of the long, by handing your life over to God - every inch of it, even when going to sleep at night - He will take care of it.

Because handing it all over to God is what the world needs to see from us Catholic men today. 

Frank J Casella, CMCS Co-founder & Director

[itsyourchoicedevotionals]

Works Wonderfully

“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites,” 1Corinthians 6:9NKJV

First let me preface this devotional with the fact that I too have sinned in this falling short of the glory of God. Thus I can speak with knowledge. The talking snake will do everything in his power to trip us believers up and keep non-believers snared in traps almost impossible to get out of.

Lou watches a healing evangelist almost all day, every day on youtube— Billy Burke. I’ve learned many deeper spiritual concepts from Burke, while Lou has learned scriptures and now can sing hymns. (This is a first for Lou’s 75 years.)

One service Lou has watched several times— a young woman asks for a deeper walk with the Lord, wanting her fire of Holy Spirit’s anointing back. Burke interviewed her, as he does most people. ‘Are you married?’ ‘How long have you lived with this boyfriend?’ ‘It’s been how long since you’ve felt Holy Spirit’s fire?’ ‘Do you see a correlation between these two things?’ 

Boyfriend came forward and Burke asked him, ‘would you be willing to quit corrupting this woman and give his heart to Jesus?’ (In thousands of churches today, none will ever hear such a confrontation come about.) The boyfriend repented; asked Jesus into his heart; was slain in the spirit; was delivered from demons. Burke then assigned the couple to the pastor and church deacons to guard over them. Service over.

Two months later, per the woman, who’d come with her now husband to testify in another of Burke’s services— same church. They’d married immediately after Burke prayed and counseled with them. Immediately after their wedding, blessings began flowing, the business they’d been trying to start received a huge order. Within the two months, her physical issues and their business both corrected; vibrant spiritual lives came about for them both. Rejoicing together in how wonderful the Lord was and how their lives had changed, they concluded their testimony with the statement— ‘doing life God’s way works wonderfully.’— I’ll interject here……. Of course Yahweh knows the right way to do life, He created us.

Satan will trap people in a life of sex sins and immorality giving his slaves no way out. His lies along with their body cravings seemingly validifies these sins as — normal needs. Abortion, gender confusion, mental illnesses are all tied to our text verse. Even the bodily cravings are lies titillated by demonic activity… I know having battled that as well years ago.

Do you have real peace and joy in your heart? Are you walking with the fire of Holy Spirit’s anointing? Have you slipped into a place of discontent? Anxiety?

Life won’t work correctly without surrendering totally to God’s way. When your spiritual thermometer is too cold, it’s always because of some unrepentant sin. Some little or big thing you’ve not talked over with God. Often these ‘unrepentant sins’ will cause illness, changes in work or business, discontentment, anxiety, even personality changes. There’s a reason Yahweh allows all these changes and difficulties to come to pass— Like the young woman talking to Burke, God used life cues to alert her— ‘Believer you’ve left the straight and narrow path.’ To an Unbeliever, it’s the call— awake child. For both it’s “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” Will you come to Him and find His way works wonderfully? It’s your choice. You choose.

LET’S PRAY: Father God show us how and where to repent for Your kingdom and have joy unspeakable from Holy Spirit, in the name of Jesus Christ I pray.

by Debbie Veilleux Copyright 2023 You have my permission to reblog this devotional for others. Please keep my name with this devotional, as author. Thank you.

[armysantiny]

-[ Soobin: finally confessing to his male crush + first date

P: Soobin x male reader | G: fluff, headcanon | Inc: kinda highschool!au if you squint, Yeongyu mention, tooth-rotting fluff, first dates, coffee shops, Soobin being hopelessly in love | Wc: 529 | W: food| R: G

· Okay, Soobin is adorable

· We’re not arguing about this – go fight with the wall if you disagree with me

· And now we come to his crush on you –

· Oh glorious, glorious y/n hyung – Choi Soobin

· His words not mine/lh

· No but fr

· He’s had little interests in other guys before, but they always kinda just died down after a while, you know?

· But you….you’ve got him wrapped around your finger

· And you have little to no idea~

· Whenever you’re talking – even if it’s about the most random thing – his eyes are glued on you

· He gives you his undivided attention all the time

· This boy has the sweetest smile on his face whenever you’re within 10ft of him or someone mentions you

· Please send help, he’s whipped—

· But Lord help him, he’s too shy to actually confess how he feels about you

· Very, very content with admiring your wonderful self from a distance

· So much so that Yeonjun’s getting impatient

· The poor dude is tired of watching – no matter how cute it is – Soobin stare like a fool in love

· So he takes it upon himself to set the confession up

· Because holy shit if he has to watch Soobin follow you around like a lost puppy for the nth time, Yeonjun will lose his mind

The confession

· AIGHT THIS BIT

· Soobin was feeling all the butterflies I tell ya

· Bless curse Yeonjun’s impatience

· This boy is fiddling with the ends of his sleeves

· And then he sees you walking over-

· Becalmbecalmbecalm—

· Please – you can’t but smile

· LOOK AT HIM HE’S ADORABLE

· I’m genuinely convinced he stumbles over his words for a good minute

· Through all the rambling, you finally hear the “hyung, I’m really really infatuated with you and I think I love you—”

· He only stops his rambling when you put your hand on his shoulder

· Looks at you with the BIGGEST puppy eyes

· “Soobin-ah” oh god what are you going to say?

· You could make or break him and Yeongyu (no they are not watching from the closest bench) would rather you did not break his soft heart

· “I kinda like you too~”

· YOU SAID IT YOU SAID IT

· This is your news reporter Minnie speaking, a Choi Soobin was spotted absolutely losing his shit because his crush likes him back, more at 6

· He is itching to engulf you in the tightest hug rn please let him-

The first date

· Okay okay okay this is so cute help

· Soobin’s all about the soft café/library dates, so that’s where the first date starts

· He found this adorable coffee shop and you go in to see this boy eagerly sitting there

· “I didn’t make you wait too long, did I?”

· “No, no-!” Soobin got there half an hour early fam

· He. Is. Losing. His. Mind

· He’s actually going on a date? With you? Uh---

· Someone pinch him he thinks he’s dreaming

· There are stars in his eyes-

· Not only are you really sweet and insanely cute

· You’re also such a great person to talk to???

· Just take his hand in marriage already-

· The date was perfect, Soobin couldn’t ask for a better date if he tried.

· Second date here we go~

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