#as opposed to actively taking something and sitting with that knowledge/harming himself because he knows jamie and has CONSIDERED IT | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

leonardhoee · 3 years

Text

Matchup #1

Hi! Thanks so much for the request. Hope you like it!@oikame

I was really thinking about this one and was torn equally between Comte de Saint Germain and Vincent Van Gogh. I’m choosing Vincent because I think both of you would balance each other out really well and it would be an opportunity for both of you to expand your horizons together!

Your Song

On the surface you and Vincent seem like polar opposites. However at your core you are very similar.

When you arrived at the mansion the first thing Vincent noticed about you was your style, makeup, and jewelry. Until then he had never seen anyone with such a bold, unique fashion sense. He appreciates art in all forms and you, my dear, are undoubtedly a living work of art.

He can’t get you out of his mind and the next morning he asks you to model for some of his paintings after breakfast.

He is so interested in getting to know everything about you. He will be the first person to volunteer to show you around the mansion and 19th century Paris.

Even though you appear intimidating to most people, he isn't phased by that at all (after all Theo IS his brother). He would approach you right away to try and make friends with you.

He may not have much knowledge about the subjects you're interested in but he will always intently listen to any theories you come up with, regardless of what time you come to him.

He will never get annoyed if you come to him excited about something. All he wants is to see you smiling and happy so he will encourage anything you're interested in and will actively ask questions about it.

He will even be willing to go to one of the other residents that are more well versed in your favorite subjects, to learn about it so he can contribute to your ideas.

Going back to how I said you balance each other out...

Because Vincent is so patient and understanding, he would balance out your stubborn personality.

He has no problem giving you the time and support needed to open up to him more. He understands that you may not feel comfortable expressing your emotions but he will always make sure you know that he is there and he loves you. You will always feel safe to let everything out in front of him.

If you are having trouble rationalizing your emotions through words, no worries! He is the same way and he will help you find a way to understand your feelings through art!

As kind and compassionate as he is, he will rarely get offended or upset. If you were to have some kind of conflict, he will try to put himself in your shoes and understand why you reacted the way you do. You are very similar to Theo which is why Vincent knows exactly how to fulfill your mental and emotional needs.

One possibility of conflict can be the fact that Vincent is not very assertive and can be too trusting with people that could potentially cause him harm.

However he respects you and your personal space so if you’re angry and don’t want to be hugged or touched he will understand and give you time to cool down.

Vincent will often come to you for advice and you go to him for comfort!

Please reassure him that he’s not a burden or a bad person for wanting you as much as he does😭

He is the absolute BEST at comforting you. if you're ever sad about something he will drop everything and cuddle you all day letting you rant whatever was bothering you.

His angelic smile is contagious, and he smiles every time he sees you. If you’re upset he just gives you a hug and smiles and tells you how beautiful you are and how proud he is of you and your strength. He truly looks up to you in that regard.

He is your number one fan and will be cheering on anything that you do.

Vincent will take you to his favorite spot overlooking the whole city of Paris. He’ll let you sit in his lap, cuddling you while you watch the glowing city lights talking about nonsense. If you fall asleep he’ll wrap you up in his jacket and stroke your hair till you’re dreaming.

Sometimes you’ll even sit there sketching each other while just admiring the most beautiful features of each other.

Also cooking dates where you guys wake up and try to make pancakes together! You have a competition where whoever makes the coolest shaped pancake wins. (Theo is the judge. Vincent always ends up winning but your pancakes taste 1000x better so whose REALLY the winner👀).

Vincent will teach you Dutch.

Anyways, speaking of Theo, be prepared to gain a new best friend. You both have a weird relationship where you're constantly bickering and roasting each other but will also have pancakes at 3am together. Basically like siblings. (You called him Hondje back one time and he was speechless for a solid minute and almost lost if before Vincent calmed him down)

You join Theo in helping promote Vincent’s art and booking exhibitions for his work and basically form the Vincent protection club. (Let’s be honest who WOULDNT die for Vincent)

Vincent has no problem letting you take charge when you want to and your opposing personalities would result in never being bored with any aspect of your relationship, including in bed. He lives to please you. I think it would be a very interesting and overall sexy combination with you being a sadomasochist and him being a body worshipper.👀 (As a fellow Gemini I know that is extremely important).

Both of you embody one of my favorite relationship tropes: The pure angelic ray of sunshine being in love with the edgy, assertive one. (AKA Slytherin/Hufflepuff)

*chefs kiss.

Vincent however sees YOU as his angel. To him you are the embodiment of artistic beauty and you become his muse and inspiration.

For one of your dates he takes you to a sunflower field he found once on a trip with Theo. He tells you he has a surprise for you and covers your eyes. When he moves his hands away you see the painting he made of you from that first night he couldn't get you out of his mind. He tells you Theo booked a big art exhibition for him, and that he would like that painting to be the the centerpiece because are his muse and his light and he wants everyone to know. (It actually ends up becoming extremely well known, one of his most famous paintings in that time period. People will end up studying it later on in art history classes)

If you guys ever get married he will DEFINITELY want to paint you in your wedding dress. He’ll make a whole collection out of it.

You guys are so adorable can I please be one of your bridesmaids

Best boy

He loves you SO much he will tell everyone how amazing he thinks you are.

Overall you two are literally the cutest couple at the mansion.

You will get someone who showers you with love, supports you, and admires you in every possible way and he will get someone who inspires him, fights for him and makes him so so happy.

Hope you enjoyed it!💜

Here’s my Vincent Playlist (I’ll constantly be adding new stuff to it!)

#ikevamp matchup #ikevamp vincent #ikevamp theo #IkeVamp #Ikemen Vampire #ikemen vampire vincent #ikevamp shakespeare

21 notes · View notes

daily-dose-of-imagines · 4 years

Text

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ Matchup ♥

★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★

Hey, there :) Super big congrats on the mighty 1k now! I absolutely would love if I could get a male Haikyuu and Bleach matchup, if you can. I typed up a whole dang mini essay – I’m so sorry! – but I hope it was helpful. Can I also be kept anonymous? Tysm, angels! ❤️

–

I’m a Pisces, INFJ, Enneatype 4w5 female. I’m 5’3 and have long, dark, wavy hair and dark brown eyes. I’m physically fairly fit.

I can look a little intimidating due to my reserved nature, but I’m very much “do no harm, but take no shit”. I work best one-on-one with people, but can adapt myself to social situations if needed. I’m independent and responsible, but also pretty free spirited. You can have as much fun as you want – just be safe!

I’m always looking to improve myself and expand my perspectives, whether that be personal growth or increasing knowledge. I tend to study up a little on something that comes up that I don’t know much about, like a certain health concern or different types of coffee beans. Definitely the type to know random little facts or a bit about random topics that I’ve read somewhere lol. I like being prepared, so I’ll always have bandaids, tissues and paracetamol on hand, an umbrella if I’m carrying a bag.

I’m very intuitive, compassionate and empathetic and like helping people. I’m actually really soft and cry easily in movies, reading something sad or super happy (in private). I appreciate the little things and can get excited over things like the sky, dogs and food.

I can be witty asf and will definitely sass you or let fly sarcastic remarks, but nothing ever hurtful. It’s a love language hehe. So, I’d definitely love an s/o who can engage in these witty banters with me. I love to laugh and am very much playful in love. I also love comfortable silence, where neither of us has to pretend with each other or speak just to fill the silence. I don’t open up easily and would only show my more vulnerable sides to the very few who’ve earned my trust. You can talk to me about anything, I rarely get phased and won’t shy away from darker topics. My s/o will always be safe with me and I would like the same vice-versa. I’d love a relationship where we can both confide in each other, all our deepest fears and dreams, things we’ve never told anyone else. We got each other. I can be your #1 hype man or support. Love a power couple, partner-in-crime, us-against-the-world type. Someone unafraid to go deep with me, “I know you/You know me” and it’s true. I’m not into PDA, but hand-holding and a peck every now and then is fine. I love emotional and physical intimacy, tender moments. 18+: I’m mainly a bottom, but sometimes top. I’m a giver.

Health is something I value, so I’ll also make sure my s/o is looking after themselves. I like cooking and baking especially, and will always try to go for healthier versions where I can (healthier versions means you can eat more sksks). I like some physical activity, especially sprinting/running, exercise bedroom exercise? heh and I used to do martial arts, but I’m just all about balance overall.

Other interests include arts in all forms, astrology, spirituality, psychology, watching movies, reading.

You’ll probably also find me where the music is; brushing my teeth, in the shower, cooking or singing/humming to myself.

★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★

Hello and thank you for the congrats and thank you for submitting with us! I sincerely hope you enjoy the boys I paired you with!

>Admin 𝕋

★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★

𝐼 𝓈𝒽𝒾𝓅 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽...

I choose the calm yet spunky mom of Haikyuu: Sugawara, to be your boyfriend! The reason why I ship you with Sugawara is mostly because you sound like the mom friend of your friend group, and he is too, essentially! He will see that you are “intimidating” and then immediately know that you are just a big softie, that just cares deeply for people to be safe! He will also like the fact that you are responsible and independent, seeing as he needs to be the same way, and he will want someone to be by his side that understands that feeling! Sugawara will also like the fact that you like to expand your knowledge! He will think it is so cool, that you want to constantly better yourself with knowledge, even if it is cute little fun facts, that could definitely make his day a little brighter! Oh yeah, he would definitely love those little facts you would tell him! He will also like the fact that you are always prepared for anything to happen. If he were to get injured in a competition you can be there for him, with your bandaids, and he will absolutely love it!

When it comes to you being sassy, and having that as love language, Sugawara would totally be able to do it back to you! Like, he is the sass master, and when he does it with you, it’s so cute! The way you two would banter with each other, people thinking that you don’t like each other, when all actuality that is how you guys show your love for each other! With Sugawara, his presence alone can comfort someone, and if you just want to silently be with him, he will do that, just for you! And it wouldn’t even be awkward because you would be so comfortable with him! With Sugawara, I feel that you can have really deep conversations about anything, and you won’t have to deal with judgement, and you can just be yourself, and no one else! So don’t be afraid to say what is on your mind with him! He is definitely someone that you can be deep with, with no reprecussions! He is your partner in crime!

In the PDA section, he understands that you prefer hand holding and pecks on the cheek, so he will just do that, when others are watching. In the bedroom, he will be far more affectionate, and will want to constantly touch you! He could definitely be a switch for you! It will all depend on what you want! He will love the fact that you want to be helpful, and would want to spoil him! But make sure he gets to spoil you too!

I choose the calm and aloof yet incredibly loyal Byakuya to be your Bleach boyfriend! Byakuya himself is, at first glance, a very intimidating man, but that is just a facade! He is actually quite a softie, especially when it comes to the people that he loves! He will like the fact that you are independent and responsible, yet can adapt to any situation when you need to! He will like the fact that you want to know more about practically anything! He sees knowledge as power, and when he finds out that you are quite knowledgeable, he will see you as a very powerful person! And he will definitely like that about you! He will also like the fact that you are prepared to be able to help someone who is in need! He will see your compassion, something he struggles with showing, and admire your heart!

Byakuya isn’t one for sassy banter, only because he doesn’t really know it is, but if you were to show him, and tell him it is your love language, and that is how you can be affectionate towards, he will try to do it with you! He may trip up at first, but once he watches you do it, and figures it out, he will be able to catch up with you in terms of sassiness and it will just so cute to watch! On the other side of it, when you want to have some quiet, Byakuya can definitely do that for you, and would just hold you in his arms and just sit in comfortable silence! And if you were to want to have a deep, meaningful conversation, then he would definitely do that with you! He is quite good at having meaningful conversations! He would to confide in you when he is having doubts about this, and would love if you did the same, just like you would! He will want you to be comfortable with him in every way possible!

For PDA, he wouldn’t be one for it, and would most likely not want to hold hands or kiss in public as much as possible, but he wouldn’t oppose if you ask nicely! In the bedroom, Byakuya is very dominant and would want to everything for you in the pleasure department! And when you would want to pleasure him, he will politely tell you no! He will want to love you, he will want to hold you so that you know that you are loved by him in every way possible!

#submission #submissions #matchup #anime matchup #bleach #bleach matchup #bleach x you #haikyuu!!#haikyuu x you #haikyuu matchup

6 notes · View notes

atomkrp-blog · 5 years

Photo

WELCOME TO XAVIER’S, CHAE MIYOUNG !

… loading statistics. currently aged twenty-five, entering first semester of xavier’s in seoul, south korea. decrypting files… mutant has the following records: strength +7, durability +7, agility +3, dexterity +4, intelligence +4. currently, she is classified under tier omega.

BACKGROUND.

her childhood is a lonely one, from what she can remember. there’s no mother’s embrace, no bicycles ridden along a street lined with white picket fences and emerald green grass, no comfort in the touch of a friend. she’s isolated from the beginning, because she’s different. strangeness thrums through her dna and makes her special; that’s what her father always told her, anyway.

he calls himself her father but she could never quite be sure. from what she knows of fathers they’re supposed to love and care for their children - hold their hand as they ride their first bike and talk to them about their woes and troubles of school and love and general anxieties and worry.

“do you love me?” she queried once, her tiny voice almost lost amidst a sea of beeping and humming machines.

“i am your father,” was his reply. “i made you. therefore i love you the same way a genius loves all of his best creations. and you, my little flower, are the best creation of all.”

her father is a professor and a scientist, a brilliant man with a penchant for studying the unusual and the abnormal. the city knows him as a renowned professor of biology and an all-around upstanding citizen; a man who lost his wife to childbirth and is left raising his sickly daughter all alone whilst also undergoing research to further stretch the knowledge of the human body and it’s capabilities. to the people of seoul, he’s a hero. they coo over his ideologies whilst his daughter waits in his laboratory, tinkering with a homemade toy she made from a small beaker and a crude set of eyes drawn in marker pen, the back of her mind fixated and ready for the dreaded sound of the lab door unlocking and the experiments to begin again.

“what do these machines do?” she questioned one day, flexing her fingers and watching the wires move.

“they study you, flower. you are special, just like your mother was. i find that incredibly interesting.”

she finds out that she’s what’s known as a ‘mutant’ - the word seems odd, both reassuring and scathing. her body is wired differently and acts to protect her when danger is conceived nearby. he straps her to the wall, wires still very much in place, and he runs tests - not like the biological tests in tubes as he once did, but tests of strength, and how much her body can withstand. she’s older now, he tells her one day, and she is ready for the next step. bullets, fire, assaults of any known strength and frequency… it turns out her organically metal body is rather good at absorbing them all and keeping her safe.

(electricity, not so much. the screams filling the laboratory were harrowing that day, or so her father told her. it also became apparent that she was too dense to be able to swim, and she can no longer look at a body of water without her lungs feeling as if to be on the brink of collapse.)

when her father learns of a school for people just like her, he’s hesitant. he can see how much his daughter’s heart cries out for normality, to feel connected to other people like herself, but there’s a running risk in letting her free and he knows it. one day he sits down in front of her, eyes steely and sincere, and hands her a mug of tea.

“you want to go to school, don’t you, flower?”

she nods and stares into her tea. “yes.”

“you have to promise me something, then.”

“okay.”

“everything i did here, i did for you. you know that, right? i helped you understand your powers because i love you. there are lots of people out there who don’t love you, who wouldn’t, couldn’t, love you, because of the way that you are. you understand?”

he’s met with silence.

“you’re different, flower. beautifully, wonderfully different, like your mother was. and there are other people who are different like you, too. but they can’t know about what we did here, how i made you stronger, how i helped you. not everyone would see it the way that we see it.”

he smiles and strokes her cheek. the touch makes her stomach turn and she resists the urge to flinch away from him.

“you have to promise not to tell anyone what went on here. if you do, i’ll find out about it.”

“…i promise.”

so she stands at the gates of the academy, knuckles white and heart engorged with expectation. she’s changed her name to sever all ties with the renowned professor and begin her life anew as a new person - chae miyoung, the girl of steel.

MUTATION.

miyoung can change her skin’s physical properties into that of metal at her own will. this power grants her impeccable strength and durability, and makes her almost completely impervious to most types of physical damage.

STRENGTHS.

INCREASED DURABILITY AND STRENGTH - when her powers are active, miyoung can withstand most forms of physical assault and she is able to lift up to 200kg in weight. she has a much lower pain threshold than normal (though it isn’t gone completely - most things that would render her unconscious, like a strong blow to the abdomen for example, leaves her lightly winded, and it would take a very strong force for a punch to have any effect on her whilst in her mutant form).

BULLETPROOF - her metallic skin is impervious to weak-caliber bullets (a .50cal would probably rip right through her, but bullets from handguns tend to bounce off of her, though sometimes they may leave a dent or a mark in her skin).

FLAME RESISTANT - it has been shown that her metallic skin is also resistant to fire and fire-based mutant powers. her skin is conductive, however, and absorbs the heat rather than deflecting it, though for the most part this seems to leave no damage on her human form (not always, anyway). it’s also hinted that she has a slight resistant to magic-based powers, but not much testing has been done.

WEAKNESSES.

SPEED - miyoung greatly sacrifices her speed for strength with her powers. even in normal form she is unnaturally dense and heavy for her size, so she finds it incredibly difficult to pick up speed or momentum. she also lacks agility and flexibility, but is doing yoga and martial arts to try and counteract that.

ELECTRICITY - as her skin is a noted conductor, her greatest weakness in her mutant form is electricity. the currents run through her metal body and can cause serious harm that can transfer over to her ‘normal’ form.

WATER - miyoung is terrified of water and tends to stay very far away from it in both forms. she jokes that it’s because she’s afraid of rusting over, but the fact is that due to her increased heaviness and density, she cannot swim - she simply sinks to the bottom of the water like a rock.

PSYCHE - although she is a powerhouse when faced with physical assault, mental and psychic based powers and manipulations are still effective against her mind. she can be manipulated, have her mind read and controlled, and feel mental pain though psychic assaults.

TRANSFER - if the damage done to her metal skin is great enough, sometimes it may transfer over to her human body. this can come in many forms, from a dent in her metal skin blooming into a bruise on her human skin, to full blown scarring and scorch marks that lay there permanent. this is mostly caused through high-level fire attacks or physical attacks (ie. bullets) that are strong enough to harm her metallic form.

COVERAGE - as of yet, miyoung hasn’t quite worked out how to use her power on one part of her body as opposed to the whole thing. it’s either an all-or-nothing kind of power, and it can take up to ten seconds for her skin to transform completely, so it may not be an instantaneous transition but it is worth the wait.

#at:profile #tw experimentation #tw torture

1 note · View note

seekfirstme · 3 years

Text

Meditation: Who doesn't desire the praise and respect of others? We want others to see us at our best with all of our strengths and achievements - rather than at our worst with all of our faults and shortcomings. God sees us as we truly are - sinners and beggars always in need of his mercy, help, and guidance.

The prophet Isaiah warned both the rulers and the people of Sodom and Gomorrah to humbly listen and submit to God's teaching so they could learn to do good and to cease from evil (Isaiah 110,17). Jesus warned the scribes and Pharisees, the teachers and rulers of Israel, to teach and serve their people with humility and sincerity rather than with pride and self-promotion. They went to great lengths to draw attention to their religious status and practices. In a way they wanted to be good models of observant Jews. "See how well we observe all the ritual rules and regulations of our religion!" In their misguided zeal for religion they sought recognition and honor for themselves rather than for God. They made the practice of their faith a burden rather than a joy for the people they were supposed to serve.

True respect for God inclines us to humble ourselves and to submit to his wisdom and guidance. We cannot be taught by God unless we first learn to listen to his word and then obey his instruction.

One Father and Teacher

Was Jesus against calling anyone a rabbi, the Jewish title for a teacher of God's word (Matthew 23:7-8), or a father? The law of Moses in Scripture specifically instructed all fathers to be teachers and instructors for their children to help them understand and obey God's instructions (Deuteronomy 6:7)? Why did Jesus rebuke the scribes and Pharisees, the religious authorities of the Jewish people, in the presence of his disciples? Jesus wanted to warn both his own disciples and the religious leaders about the temptation to seek honors and titles that draw attention to ourselves in place of God and his word. Pride tempts us to put ourselves first above others.

The Scriptures give ample warning about the danger of self-seeking pride: Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall (Proverbs 16:18). God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6; Proverbs 3:24).

Origen (185-254 AD), an early Christian teacher and bible scholar, reminds those who teach and lead to remember that they are first and foremost "disciples" and "servants" who sit at the feet of their Master and Teacher the Lord Jesus Christ:

"You have one teacher, and you are all brothers to each other...Whoever ministers with the divine word does not put himself forward to be called teacher, for he knows that when he performs well it is Christ who is within him. He should only call himself servant according to the command of Christ, saying, Whoever is greater among you, let him be the servant of all."

True humility

Respect for God and for his ways inclines us to humility and to simplicity of heart - the willing readiness to seek the one true good who is God himself. What is the nature of true humility and why should we embrace it as essential for our lives? We can easily mistake humility as something demeaning or harmful to our sense of well-being and feeling good about ourselves. True humility is not feeling bad about yourself, or having a low opinion of yourself, or thinking of yourself as inferior to all others. True humility frees us from preoccupation with ourselves, whereas a low self-opinion tends to focus our attention on ourselves. Humility is truth in self-understanding and truth in action. Viewing ourselves honestly, with sober judgment, means seeing ourselves the way God sees us (Psalm 139:1-4).

A humble person makes a realistic assessment of oneself without illusion or pretense to be something one is not. A truly humble person regards oneself neither smaller nor larger than one truly is. True humility frees us to be ourselves as God regards us and to avoid falling into despair and pride. A humble person does not want to wear a mask or put on a facade in order to look good to others. Such a person is not swayed by accidentals, such as fame, reputation, success, or failure. Do you know the joy of Christ-like humility and simplicity of heart?

Humility is the queen or foundation of all the other virtues because it enables us to see and judge correctly, the way God sees. Humility helps us to be teachable so we can acquire true knowledge, wisdom, and an honest view of reality. It directs our energy, zeal, and will to give ourselves to something greater than ourselves. Humility frees us to love and serve others willingly and selflessly, for their own sake, rather than for our own. Paul the Apostle gives us the greatest example and model of humility in the person of Jesus Christ, who emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, and... who humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:7-8). Do you want to be a servant as Jesus loved and served others? The Lord Jesus gives us his heart - the heart of a servant who seeks the good of others and puts their interests first in his care and concern for them.

"Lord Jesus, you became a servant for my sake to set me free from the tyranny of selfish pride and self-concern. Teach me to be humble as you are humble and to love others generously with selfless service and kindness."

MARCH MADNESS

“Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, but whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” —Matthew 23:12

It’s March, and in the USA college basketball tournaments, known fondly as “March Madness,” are in full swing. Hundreds of athletes have trained diligently for months and are competing for the chance to be exalted as “Number One.”

An athlete practices to make his or her vertical jump higher and jump shot more accurate. We disciples of Jesus, however, must train ourselves to grow in humility much more diligently than any athlete trains to win a tournament. “Athletes deny themselves all sorts of things” to win a contest (1 Cor 9:25), but “the discipline of religion” and training in humility “with its promise of life here and hereafter” is “incalculably more” important than any athletic contest (1 Tm 4:8). They train to win a trophy; we train to spend eternity with Jesus!

This Lent, let us work much harder at discipleship, especially in the virtue of humility. We can practice growing in humility by:

• actively seeking “the lowest place” (Lk 14:10),

• keeping our deeds of mercy secret (Mt 6:4),

• fasting so that no one is aware of it (Mt 6:16-18),

• taking the less desirable tasks and chores,

• decreasing so that Jesus increases (Jn 3:30), and

• forgiving and serving those who hurt us.

“Bow humbly under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time He may lift you high” (1 Pt 5:6).

Prayer: Father, I will clothe myself with humility (1 Pt 5:5) and continually extol You as Lord (Ps 34:4, RNAB).

Promise: “Though your sins be like scarlet, they may become white as snow.” —Is 1:18

Praise: Jesus healed Martha’s shoulder at a healing service.

Reference: (This teaching was submitted by a member of our editorial team.)

Rescript: "In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for One Bread, One Body covering the period from February 1, 2021 through March 31, 2021. Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio March 31, 2020"

The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements

0 notes

betweensceneswriter · 6 years

Text

Second Wife-Chapter 16: Comfort

Second Wife Table of Contents

Second Wife on AO3

Previously - Chapter 15 : By the Ballocks Jenny’s always been good at putting Jamie in his place.

“Jesus!” [Jamie] said, unable to stop himself. “Ye’re lucky ye kept yer maidenhead!” An ugly flush washed darkly over her from stays to cap, and his jaws dropped. “Laoghaire MacKenzie! Ye werena such a wanton fool to let him take ye virgin to his bed!?”

"I didna ken he was marrit!” she cried, stamping her foot. “And it was after ye wed the Sassenach. I went to him for comfort.”

"Oh, and he gave it ye, I’m sure!”

"Hush your gob!” she shrieked, and picking up a stone watering pot from the bench by the shed, hurled it at his head (An Echo in the Bone, 676).

The house smelled of meat and sweets, and every corner was filled with joyful noise. Jamie still couldn’t keep all the little people straight, especially as Angus and Anthony, Matthew and Henry insisted on not staying in one place and constantly showing up in different configurations, but he was getting better.

Young Jamie’s wife was Joan, and they had handsome dark-haired Matthew and Henry, as well as baby Caroline. Caroline was just a wee thing, whom little Joanie had latched onto, especially adoring the baby because Joan shared names with her ma.

Maggie was married to a tall, quiet man named Paul Lyle. They had two active boys named Angus and Anthony. Four-year-old Angus had lost his two front teeth in a headlong jump into a table, and Jamie felt a twinge of remembrance, thinking of his own toothless friend of the same name—fellow cattle thief, ruffian, and rescuer, whom he’d lost in the Rising.

Then there was Kitty—Katherine Mary—who was said to have a young man, and might soon be engaged. The younger ones were the twins, Janet and Michael, and the youngest was Ian, who had been just a babe when Jamie left.

Fortunately, it didn’t require the knowledge of names to play the silly games the little boys begged for. “Nunka Jamie” quickly gained popularity as a great red-haired lion who would hunt the boys through the forest of furniture, a copper-maned pony who gave galloping rides about the house, and a terrifying Goliath, who did an impressive performance of falling to the ground when the boys, each playing David in turn, had flung their only-slightly-smelly stockings at his head.

He finally collapsed, panting onto the couch, only to be attacked by the foursome, who demanded that Nunka Jamie tell them stories.

Jenny smiled at the sight, and pointed the little band out to Laoghaire. “The boys love their Papa, but Ian canna play wi’ them in the same way,” Jenny said. “Can ye imagine—Marsali and Joanie having wee ones some day? Jamie will be a wonderful grand-da.”

Laoghaire smiled at the thought. It was good to see Jamie here at Lallybroch. Somehow he seemed more settled and comfortable.

They had all gathered around the huge table in the dining hall for dinner: Ian and Jenny, James and Joan, Maggie and Paul, Jamie and Laoghaire, then Kitty, Janet, Michael, Ian, Marsali and Joanie. There were too many people to seat the entire family, so the four youngest boys had been fed first, and spent dinner time running wildly around in the great room, making their mothers start in terror every time there was a crash, and only relax when the loud sound wasn’t followed by devastated wailing.

Jamie looked at his sister and Ian, sitting next to each other. Their eyes sent each other messages without words. He knew marriage was not perfect, but he could easily see the depth of love and mutual understanding they had for each other. And Jenny had spoken sense to him. How could he judge ‘til death do us part’ from four months of marriage?

Flanked by her daughters, Laoghaire looked happy, which made Jamie breathe easier. Marsali’s hair had dried in golden ringlets. Wee Janet sat next to her and the girls were giggling and whispering—apparently having become even better chums through the experience. The boys had mucked out the stalls for their part in the foolishness, and had been thoroughly chastened by their da and uncle about their responsibility to treat young ladies honorably, beginning with their own sisters and cousins.

But truly, no harm had been done. For much of the afternoon the girls helped cook in the kitchen. Joanie, slightly disappointed to not be able to swim, had satisfied herself with playing school with the wee boys, who made wonderful misbehaving students; Joanie was able to make them stand in a corner to her hearts’ content.

Wasn’t this what life was about? Jamie thought. Family, and work, and food. It was easy to feel satisfied with such abundance to table, though Jamie did consider, looking down at his belly, whether he should perhaps eat less pie.

After dinner, after Nunka Jamie had worn out the young boys with playing (or perhaps it was the other way around), the family gathered in the hall to give Marsali her gifts. Gifts for birthdays tended to be simple. Young Jamie’s Joan gave Marsali some soft wool she had spun and dyed herself. Ian and Janet gave her a worn novel that had already seen several owners and many years of use. Laoghaire had sewn and embroidered her a new shift. Maggie gave her a new tortoise-shell comb for her hair, which made Marsali flush. It was quite fine as a gift.

“My gift for you is not down here,” Jamie said. “I want you to choose something from a trunk we have of clothing. You are tall enough, and they aren’t getting much use.”

Eventually the young families headed home or to their rooms: Young Jamie and his wife, boys, and baby to their apartments at Lallybroch, Maggie and her husband along with their boys off to the Lyle farm. With a smaller audience, Jamie reached into the pocket of his jacket and fished out a small packet of folded paper, handing it to Marsali. She opened it, read it quickly, and blushed a fiery red.

Laoghaire had calmed slightly since the swimming incident and tried to reassure herself. There was a fire of independence in Marsali that perhaps she had not had as a girl. In addition, Marsali had a ma to talk to her about men and what they wanted, and what they would do to get it, and how she should behave to get what she wanted, two things which were diametrically opposed.

Sadly, Laoghaire herself had none of this advice as a fifteen-year-old; and as a result, she had gone about it all wrong.

☆☆☆☆☆

After she left the tavern, in the shy bliss of being known by John Robert MacLeod, Laoghaire could hear his words ringing in her head. How could that bastard James Fraser say no to this beauty? He’s a fool! Oh, ye are so bonny, yer breasts like pillows the gods would sleep on, yer eyes sparkling like sapphires, yer lips like roses in a garden.

The words continued to echo as she slipped into her house, retrieving her shift and dressing in her attic room. She continued to hear them as she bid her brothers and sisters goodbye again and headed back toward Leoch. John Robert was right, Laoghaire decided. Jamie Fraser was a fool and Mistress Beauchamp a true witch to steal him away from her. Only then did she realize she was walking past Geillis Duncan’s shop.

She opened the door and a cacophony of scents assailed her nose. Pungent, sweet, bitter, acidic, herbal. The main portion of Geillis’s business came from running a perfectly respectable and effective apothecary. But there was also the less-advertised menu of well-known potions and charms she would sell. One just had to know what to ask for.

“I would like to buy an ill wish,” Laoghaire said, pulling her coin purse out of her pocket. “One for a woman who has stolen a man.”

“Aye?” Geillis asked. She began bustling about the room, retrieving sticks, bones, string, and herbs. “Do ye have any of her hair?” Geillis asked, as she began to assemble the items at a back table.

“No, but I can add some when I place it in her bedchamber.” Laoghaire’s nose wrinkled at the thought of Claire’s great tangled mop of hair. How Jamie saw anything in her. . .

“’Twouldna be for Mistress Beauchamp…I mean, Lady Broch Tuarach, would it?” Geillis asked, from behind the divider used in case any customers should enter who were interested only in the reputable half of her business. That woman deserved her reputation as a witch, Laoghaire thought. She knew too much; seeing everything with those strange green eyes.

“And if it was?” Laoghaire asked. “Would ye not sell it to me, then?”

“’Tisn’t my business to judge my customers,” Geillis remarked. “’Tis just my business to know my customers.”

“Aye?” said Laoghaire.

“And from what I see, ye are a pretty young thing,” Geillis said, green eyes glowing preternaturally. “If ye end up wi’ a man before ye marry, ye must make sure to not sleep wi’ him for 10 days after yer courses. And if ye do catch a bairn, ye must come to me for a tea which will help the bleeding to come.”

Finally Geillis emerged from the back, carrying a crude bundle of sticks. She wrapped it up in a piece of cloth, and handed it over to Laoghaire in exchange for a few coins.

“Wrap three hairs around the center, if ye can find any. And place it under his bed. The charm should drive him away from her.” Geillis looked at her shrewdly. “I canna tell if it will draw him to you, though.”

“I dinna think I need that,” Laoghaire said primly, thinking of John Robert. He loved her, and they would be married. Laoghaire nodded in thanks, then rushed away, hoping to find a time to slip into Jamie’s chamber unnoticed.

“Laoghaire,” called a male voice from behind her. The street was loud, so she turned, half hoping to see John Robert. Her face fell slightly as she saw Hugh instead. “Where ye headin’?” he asked cheerfully. “May I accompany ye?”

Laoghaire sighed, but there was no escape, so she let Hugh fall in step with her.

“’Tis good to see ye again, Laoghaire,” he said. “Ye look lovely today.”

Of course she did, Laoghaire thought, lovely enough that she had a man. She had no need of this gangly, pock-marked teenager.

“What’s that?” he asked curiously, pointing at the small fabric-wrapped bundle.

“Mistress Beauchamp asked me to bring her something from Geillis’s shop,” Laoghaire said, pleased that she was clever enough to think on her feet.

“Ye mean, Mistress Fraser now, aye?” Hugh said.

Laoghaire gritted her teeth, her eyes narrowing as she thought of Jamie and Claire together. “Ye shouldna be so gleeful, Hugh,” she snapped. “Ye know I cared for him, and I thought he cared for me.”

Hugh stopped, taken aback by her response, and Laoghaire stalked on angrily, alone. “I didna...Laoghaire!” he called after her.

Laoghaire slipped into Jamie’s room when he and Mistress Beauchamp were in the hall for supper. She scouted just long enough to see that their plates were filled, as were their glasses, and they were surrounded by people curious about the circumstances of their marriage. Though the two sat next to each other, Laoghaire could see from their body language that they were not happy. Jamie was not touching Mistress Beauchamp, and though he was often looking at her, she was not looking at him, sitting with her chin up proudly and her lips set.

She snuck down the hallway, checking in both directions to make sure she was not seen as she entered the room, the ill wish in her hand. It was tidy. The bed was unrumpled and neatly made. If they were acting like newlyweds and taking each other to bed many times a day, or if they had bedded each other right before dinner, Laoghaire thought, the bed would definitely be messier.

What was messy was the hair brush. Laoghaire scrunched up her nose in disdain as she pulled a few frizzy hairs off the brush, then wrapped them around the center of the talisman. Her heart thumping in her ears, Laoghaire approached the bed, knelt on the floor, and pushed the bundle underneath.

She was about to leave the room, but her curiosity was not satisfied. Laoghaire had done enough laundry to know the tell-tale signs of people bedding each other—stained sheets, particularly when the pale, roundish stains were slightly lower than center of the bed. She blushed as she thought of John Robert. She had bled, just slightly, but he had been ever so gentle. And he had enough forethought that he’d laid down the cloth so they didn’t dirty the couch.

With a glance over her shoulder, Laoghaire pulled down the covers, revealing the sheets all the way down to the feet. No stains; none whatsoever. And moreso, the sheets were only wrinkled in two separate areas, very close to the two edges of the bed. They were not taking each other to bed, and they were not even sleeping close. She felt vindictive pleasure settle in her stomach along with her nervousness. Carefully, she spread the covers back in place, crept out of the door, and headed back to the kitchen to do her work.

She needn’t have been so worried about being discovered while placing the ill wish. The dinner went late into the evening. Laoghaire felt especially happy to see Claire head off toward the sleeping wing alone, while Jamie seemed to be heading to a meeting with Dougal, Colum, and Ned Gowan. Colum wore an angry frown, and Jamie looked like he was heading to the gallows.

Poor man, thought Laoghaire. No one to comfort him tonight when he goes back to his room. That cold Sassenach witch. Maybe if Jamie drank himself into a stupor, he would at least take what he deserved from a wife.

She thought of trying, just once more, to intercept Jamie, perhaps as he headed back to his room. But as she was doing one last round of the tables, pouring whisky, water, and tea, a hand touched her elbow.

“Lass,” said a husky, masculine voice. “How much later are ye serving tonight?”

She turned to see John Robert MacLeod, sitting smilingly at the table. Her heart leapt.

Bending down as if to pour water into his glass, she whispered, “What are ye doing here?”

“I couldna be apart from ye, Laoghaire.” John Robert responded. “I invented some business to bring me up to the castle, and Colum has provided me a chamber for the night. Will ye come to me, then?”

Laoghaire had blushed, and looking for another way to delay and talk longer, spilt an amount of water on the floor. She bent down to wipe it up, considering. Again? Twice in one day? Her stomach clenched, and she could feel a warmth in her lower abdomen just from hearing his words.

“I dinna think I can,” she said. “’Twould be too hard to slip away.”

“Oh, but Laoghaire, I canna go another hour without havin’ ye near me. Yer beautiful eyes, your lovely form. Ye are drivin’ me insane with desiring you.” He truly sounded desperate for her. It made Laoghaire’s body throb with wanting.

“I canna sleep there, but I could come for a time,” she whispered back. She wanted to go, truly just to hear him say such things to her again.

☆☆☆☆☆

“Look, ma,” said Marsali, excitedly coming over to Laoghaire, dangling a shiny bauble from her wrist and placing the note in her mother’s hand. “Fergus sent me this bracelet wi’ stones that look like sapphires in it. He says such nice things.” Marsali blushed. “That...that the stones are the color of my eyes, and made him think of me.”

Her daughter’s eyes were like sapphires, Laoghaire thought, her heart sinking; sparkling at the flattery of a man.

Chapter 17 : Married Laoghaire couldn’t wait to be married.

#Jamie fraser #Laoghaire MacKenzie #CanonCompliant #Why did Jamie marry Laoghaire?#Why did their marriage fall apart?#Outlander fanfic #BetweenSceneswriter

17 notes · View notes

lifewaters · 7 years

Text

Struggle On

I have struggled mightily with the results of this election. I have felt fear and disgrace, disbelief and the profound sense that we have lost our way as a country. And sometimes, I have wondered if it is not that we have lost our way but that we never truly found it in the first place; the bubble in which I was living has been shattered by the reality that people in this country have turned to Donald Trump as their champion.

Mostly I have struggled with how I will treat the 45th president of these United States. For eight years I have stood firm in my belief that as much as you disagree with the man you must respect the office. I have argued that it is inappropriate to belittle, insult, or otherwise demean President Obama and that I refuse to listen to what may be salient points while you do so. I have become enraged when conservative outlets called him Mr. Obama as a subtle sign of disrespect by denying him the title he deserves, if for no other reason than it has been bestowed upon him by virtue of fact. He IS the President.

Now, tomorrow, our President will be Donald Trump. And I have struggled with the idea that I have to live up to my own belief and show him a respect, in my opinion, he has done nothing to deserve. Part of me screams that my own high minded ideal may have been naïve, that there are some people so undeserving of respect. It wails and rages that when you call an entire nationality "rapists," when you advocate grabbing women by the pussy, when you refuse to denounce the leader of the KKK, when you tweet childish responses to every perceived slight; then truly you are undeserving of respect no matter what job title you may hold. But there is another, quieter part of me calmly reminding me that if I cross my own line in the sand, then I cannot defend myself against those who follow me. If I say that all of the above entitles me to disrespect the office of President, then how can I defend when someone says that something Obama has done makes him deserving of disrespect. It becomes a fight of degrees and opinions. And I'm learning quickly no one can win those fights.

I think my solution is to navigate the ground between actively showing respect to the office and actively disrespecting the man. I will not disrespect the office, I will not disrespect the man, but neither will I give him my respect until that day that he deserves it. I understand, mostly agree with, and am sympathetic to those who protest with #notmypresident. But to them I say this; he is your president, by virtue of fact, and no hashtag can change that. He is not the person I voted for and I disagree with him, vehemently, on most things. But he is, or will be tomorrow, the President of the United States. He is MY president and I will make him hear MY voice. He is MY president so he must represent ME. He is the president so I will call him by that title when I must. He is the president and any act that embarrasses him for the sake of embarrassing him only harms us as a country and a people.

I was abroad when President Obama took the Oath of Office in 2009. I watched proudly with the other students in my study abroad program. I celebrated by doing the most American thing I could; going out to eat at McDonalds. And sitting there, eating what they called a Big Mac, a man came up to our group of about 10 and told us we had a great new president. That he was as excited as we were to see what President Obama could do for our country, and the world, because we cannot deny we are a global community now. I need not imagine how the world thinks of our current election. I've seen it all over social media. My own family in Italy has shared their thoughts with me. So I have no delusions that there is not already some embarrassment to be felt for the election of this man.

That brings me to this point, we do not need to further embarrass this country by embarrassing the man for the sake of it. If the allegations in the dossier prove true, if he did engage in non-conventional sexual acts with prostitutes in Russia, if the Kremlin has proof and is using it as blackmail, then by all means the American Public has a right to know and a right to demand he answer for that. But if it proves true and there is no blackmail, no relevance to the revelation other than embarrassing him, we need to stop talking about it. Because his personal sexual history is no more important than yours or mine and pasting it on every magazine cover helps no one. Insulting the size of his hands, the color of his spray tan, the style of his hair serves no purpose other than to embarrass and enrage him. It is its own form of bullying. Bullying a bully to be sure. But bullies respond to disrespect by lashing out and we cannot have a bully in power lashing out. We must face him with strength and facts, with reasoned arguments, and when those fail, with a refusal to be silent and put our heads in the sand when he does something unacceptable. But insulting his hands brings us down and we are so much better than that.

I go to sleep tonight secure in the knowledge that the President of the United States for the last eight years cares about making a better world for me and for everyone in this country. That he has worked tirelessly to improve life for any number of marginalized people AND that he has worked tirelessly to improve life for the unmarginalized, mainstream, middle class American. Because he has represented us all, not just one group. Tomorrow I am afraid. Tomorrow I am no longer secure in that knowledge. I do not know who Donald Trump is working for. Probably himself. Possibly for some subsection of this Country that I have never been, and will never be a part of. But just as I am afraid because the man taking power is a man who cares not at all about me; I know there are others throughout this country who are going to sleep tonight excited that a man they believe cares about them is coming into power and a mistake of eight years is ending. They are as steadfastly in support of Donald Trump as I am opposed. They are as convinced of the rightness of their position as I am afraid of what will happen now. We are a country divided.

So I say this. To every person who voted against Donald Trump, should you be willing to stand and fight for what you believe it, I welcome you. To any person who voted for Donald Trump, should you one day come to believe you made the wrong choice and want to oppose him, I welcome you. To any person who voted for Donald Trump, should you still believe you made the right choice but think some of his actions are wrong and want to oppose them, I welcome you. To any person who voted for Donald Trump, should you believe he is doing right and good and want to help me understand why you believe that, I welcome you to try. We don't have to agree on everything, but we do need to try and understand each other.

We may be a country divided. But we ARE the United States of America. So you grab your bootstrap and I'll grab mine and lets pull this damn thing back together.

#inauguration #obama #trump #notmypresident #thoughts #sorry for the long post

4 notes · View notes