quotes lover,vibes lover, bealiver and theist

Notes: Look! I made something for the collective prompt! I couldn’t stop myself from writing Bad and Skeppy, I love them if y’all couldn’t tell. I hope you enjoy!

Skeppy wasn’t too worried when he couldn’t find Bad anywhere in his cave. It was common for the giant demon to be out gathering food, water, or any other supplies he might need. So Skeppy decided it would just be better to wait for his giant friend in his cave. He sat down on a boulder, swinging his legs idly and waited for Bad to return.

The carefree diamond boy became much more worried when the sun was ready to set and Bad still hadn’t returned. He figured that Bad had probably forgotten about meeting up today and went out to meet up with other giant friends. 

Skeppy slid down from the boulder and stuck his hands in his pocket as he began his walk back to the village. Without Bad here to bring him closer to home, he needed to leave now to get back before dark. He’d rather not be caught in the forest when the monsters start coming out.

He glanced back at the cave entrance one last time, a tinge of worry pulling at his chest. Something about Bad not showing up made Skeppy feel uneasy, he just wasn’t sure why.

As he walked back home, Skeppy glanced up at the sky and couldn’t help the soft smile at the beautiful sight. The sky was a pretty ombre of reds, oranges, and yellows bleeding into the parts of the sky that were still blue. It looked very similar to how the sky looked the day Skeppy met Bad.

That was a day neither of them would ever forget, not that they wanted to. Skeppy had found himself cornered by a creeper that had wandered out of a nearby cave and he had quickly found there was nowhere for him to escape. He had really thought he was about to die in that moment, it was one of the few times he would admit that he cried. 

But then a giant clawed hand crashed down onto the creeper, leaving only a small pile of gunpowder in its wake. Skeppy had been even more terrified to see a giant demonic looking creature staring down at him with glowing white eyes. All his fears disappeared when the demon began worrying over the state of the small human.

Since that day, Bad has saved Skeppy plenty of times. Most of them were due to Skeppy’s own fault, the aftermaths of pranks gone wrong. Very rarely was Skeppy in danger of dying when Bad saved him.

When Skeppy got closer to his village, he started to hear a loud commotion. Normally that wouldn’t be concerning, but at this time of day the village was always dying down. It is like an unspoken rule to allow for peace and quiet once the sun begins to set, even Skeppy follows that rule and he refuses to do pranks past sundown.

Skeppy picked up the pace. If there was commotion at this time of day, it could only mean nothing good. He didn’t even make it all the way to the village when he froze, finally seeing the cause of commotion.

There lying on the ground next to the village, bound by many chains, was Bad. Skeppy stared horrified at the sight of his giant friend held tightly in place by the iron chains, unable to move or get away.

Never in all his days did Skeppy ever think he would see Bad helpless. Bad was strong, nothing could defeat him. But apparently he was wrong.

Skeppy ran towards a group of people who were talking in a hushed tone right outside the village. They noticed him coming over and one of them sighed in relief.

“Oh thank goodness you’re alive! You were missing when we did roll call after the giant was caught, we thought this beast had got a hold of you.”

Skeppy bit back whatever insults and retorts he had for this person and instead plastered on a fake worried smile. “I was just out exploring the forest, I had no idea there was a giant out there! How long has it been caught?” Referring to Bad as nothing more than a horrid beast put a sour taste in Skeppy’s mouth. Bad was the sweetest and most protective person Skeppy had ever met and Skeppy’s own people were treating him like a feral animal.

Thankfully, they seemed to buy into Skeppy’s act. “The guards noticed it close to the town around midday. I think it was caught by surprise too, by the time it began fighting back it was restrained by the chains. We got awfully lucky.”

Skeppy wanted to punch this person here and now. It took every ounce of his self control to not lash out.

“That’s a relief. It’s been a long day for me though, I’m going to go sleep now!” He had heard enough. If he had to listen to anymore, he doesn’t think he’ll be able to hold himself back. Besides, Skeppy has messed with those chains before. He’s fairly certain he can mess with them enough to allow Bad to escape.

The group wished Skeppy a good night before returning to their conversation, probably about Bad’s fate. Skeppy’s blood boiled just at the thought but he continued walking in the direction of his house in order to avoid suspicion. 

As soon as he was positive they couldn’t see him anymore, Skeppy turned the corner and began to run towards where Bad was currently trapped. 

It was even worse actually being there. Seeing the giant demon like this, bound tightly to the ground by tight metal chains, made Skeppy feel unbelieveably angry. If the village had even a clue at how friendly Bad was, none of this would be happening.

Skeppy approached Bad’s face. He noticed that Bad’s eyes were shut tight, as if he was trying to imagine himself anywhere but here. Skeppy was extremely saddened by this and reached out a hand to gently rest on Bad’s nose.

The giant’s eyes flung open, panic written all over his features until his gaze settled on the small human before him. Bad smiled before instantly going back into his panic.

“You can’t be here! If your town finds out, they’ll kill you!” Bad’s hushed tone relayed all the panic Skeppy needed to hear, but he paid it no mind. Instead, he rubbed Bad’s nose in what he hoped was a reassuring gesture.

“Don’t worry, I am leaving.” He began walking towards the nearest post where a chain was attached to. “And so are you.”

Bad watched with wide eyes as Skeppy quickly got to work on breaking the locks on the chains. If Skeppy could break or at the very least damage enough of them, Bad would be able to do the rest of the work and escape.

After an agonizing half hour, Skeppy was becoming more confident that he was going to free Bad. But then he heard yelling in the distance that was beginning to grow closer. He whipped his gaze up to see the town’s guard running towards them. He’s been caught.

“Skeppy! Just go!” Skeppy shook his head and quickly tried to finish breaking this lock. He was not leaving without Bad, he couldn’t.

The chain lock Skeppy was working on suddenly snapped, startling Skeppy and making him fall back. He cheered as he realized he got through another lock.

Glancing behind him, he realized he was quickly running out of time. It would be impossible to do anything else to help free Bad. Instead he sprinted towards his friend, screaming loudly as he got closer.

“Bad! It’s now or never! You got to get out now!”

Bad hesitated for a second. He’d rather not cause any more chaos than he needed to. But then he looked at the angry mob of people that was coming for Skeppy for daring to help the giant and he snapped.

Skeppy watched as Bad pulled at one of the chains and his eyes widened as the chain snapped off of the pole. The mob stopped their advances as Bad continued to break out of the chains, Skeppy’s work having worn them down enough to make this easy work for the demon.

As soon as Bad was able to completely break out of the chains, he leaned down and scooped Skeppy into his hands. The giant demon stood up on shaky legs while holding Skeppy close to his chest. Skeppy leaned into the warmth of his friend, just glad that they were getting out of there.

The small diamond golem stayed latched onto Bad’s hoodie as the giant ran through the trees. His claws were curled protectively around Skeppy’s tiny form, clutching him protectively to his chest as he weaved through the trees.

Eventually, they came to a stop back at Bad’s cave. Bad leaned against the wall of the cave to catch his breath, still holding Skeppy close. From his position against Bad’s chest, Skeppy could hear every shaky breath Bad took and the giant’s sporadic heartbeat as he caught his breath.

Bad slid down the wall, moving his grip on Skeppy to look at him a bit better.

“Thank you Geppy. Thank you.” Bad brought Skeppy up to his face a nuzzled his nose into the golem’s chest. Skeppy hugged Bad’s nose, relishing in the warmth of the giant. Bad had always ran warm and made an amazing heater for Skeppy, especially in the winter.

“Skeppy.” Bad pulled away from Skeppy, leaving Skeppy with his arms outstretched for Bad to come back and a pout on his face. Bad ignored it, though it was a bit difficult to do so. “You do know you can’t go back to your village right? They’d kill you if you did…” 

Skeppy let his arms fall down to his side as he let out a dejected sigh. “I know. But you and I can go find somewhere new to live! Together!” Skeppy knew the current situation was anything but ideal. But as long as Bad was alive and safe, he didn’t really care.

Skeppy grinned as Bad smiled down at him and went back to pressing his nose against Skeppy’s chest. “You’re right. We can make a new home together!”

Skeppy giggled as he hugged Bad’s nose. He doesn’t think he’d ever get sick of these moments. He planted a small kiss on Bad’s nose, laughing as the demon heat up at the motion.

by Charles Mason

“Know you not that they which run in a race run all, but one receives the prize? So run, that you may obtain.” - 1 Corinthians 9:24

To a certain and great extent our lot is controlled by the providence of God; and so far as temptations and trials thus come to us, they are a part of the probation through which we are to pass. And if we fail under this discipline, we have no reason to think we should have done better had God’s providence ordered our lives differently. The very blessings of God, such as health, temporal prosperity, and earthly friends, are often occasions of danger. If men fall from their Christian devotion through the allurements of property or in consequence of the associations of earthly friendship not favorable to the spiritual interests of the soul, it is because they abuse the mercy of God and forget the design of His goodness. And yet nothing is more common than this attempt to find in our providential and merciful lot the cause of our sins. The heart follows in this the example of the first father of the race. When the Almighty charged upon him his first act of disobedience, he said, “The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.”

If God sends many blessings, they may become sources of temptation through an evil heart. If He withdraws those blessings the temptations change, but they are temptations still. Thus the rich may find them in their riches, and the poor in their poverty; the strong and healthy in their strength, and the weak and sickly in their weakness; those in high position in their earthly honor, and those in low estate in their want of the favor of man. With outward changes duties and temptations vary indeed, but the great causes of danger and difficulty in the work of salvation remain. The hermit flies from the busy world to the desert; but although the temptations of the world may thus be eluded, those from within his own heart may increase in power by the very fact of his loneliness. One forsakes the world in disgust, or from an earnest but ascetic purpose, and seeks to commune uninterruptedly with his God. But he carries with him the same heart, the same passions, the same appetites. And if he has not subdued and controlled these when in the world, he will not find that this can be done by a mere change of the outward life.

This is the truth we are to learn and apply from such experience: that whatever and wherever our lot in the providence of God may be, we are to use it, and by firm and resolute religious purposes overrule it for the highest ends of a religious life. We are to accept it as the sphere of probation to which we are called, and by God’s blessing turn it to the great end of the spiritual and eternal good of the soul. And if men sought to regard their providential lot in this light, it would not so often be found an apparent hindrance to the great end of existence. Whether marked by temporal prosperity or by adversity, it would be made to promote their spiritual and eternal interests. If it be his supreme goal to live unto God and to work out his salvation, he will not find his providential lot a hindrance but will discover that “all things work together for good to them that love God.” He will in some degree be able to enter into the experience of him who declared, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.”

The great trials and difficulties of the Christian life do not spring from changing circumstances. Wherever the Christian moves, they follow him. Their sources are unchanging. As long as he is in the body they will attend him. They form the discipline by which every soul must be trained for the heavenly world. They attend alike all the disciples of the Saviour. Christ has ordained that none shall follow Him who are not ready to take up the cross. Every disciple of Christ, whatever the circumstances of his outward lot or condition, must deny himself, be crucified to the world, and manfully contend against temptation. The vow which the Christian takes is plain and binding. It is “to resist the world, the flesh, and the devil.”

Salvation must be worked out by constant watchfulness against the daily recurring temptations which beset the path of all who would live unto God. The prize set before the Christian will never be won by any who fail to run with patience the Christian race unto the end. We must fight the good fight of faith against all the sinful tendencies of our hearts and the corrupting influences of the world. We must strive against every temptation to lay aside any of the weapons by which alone the victory can be gained. We must put on the whole armor of God and remember that in this life these conflicts will never end. The Christian can lay down his weapons only when he enters the gates of the celestial city, there to receive the victor’s palm and the crown of glory.