#Thy father's shadow

[rileyn0nbinary]

“I didn’t make mistakes,” Terian said. “I made bad choices. Calling them mistakes would absolve me of the fact that I knew what I was doing when I made them. They were not accidents. They were choices."

#it me #Sanctuary series #Terian Lepos #relatable #mistakes #bad choices #Thy father's shadow

[brummiereader]

MASTERLIST

Don't Fear The Reaper (Dark!Tommy/ Part One)

Summary: After what was supposed to be a chilled night in with a friend you end up playing a game that unintentionally summons back the dark presence that had haunted you most of your early adulthood. With no way of avoiding the inevitable reunion you are forced to face the otherworldly being and the unfinished business he is set on fulfilling. That unfinished business, you.

Warnings: Language, angst, supernatural themes, dark romance, mentions of blood, stalking, murder, obsessive behaviour, controlling behaviour, dark!tommy (This is a dark series with heavy potentially triggering undertones, please read the warnings before continuing)

Authors note: This series is inspired by the song "Don't Fear The Reaper" by Blue Oyster Cult, one of my all time favourite tracks.

November 1923...

" Today we gather in sorrow. In remembrance, as we lay Y/N Y/L/N to rest. A beloved granddaughter..." the Reverend said as he glanced up from his sermon to your grandfather, his eyes filled with unspent tears, a man of his time desperately trying to conceal the grief he felt at the vicious loss of his only remaining family member as he clutched his fingers around the single red rose in his weathered hands, scared and calloused from the years of manual labour he had endured. "a friend..." he continued as he looked at the many people gathered around the freshly dug grave, heads cast down, tears staining their reddened cheeks nipped by the cool November air of winter slowly approaching. "...and a blossoming love cruelly snatched away before it's time" he finished as he looked up across the casket to a man dressed all in black, his face concealed by the dark shadow cast by his peak cap, his eyes fixed on the muddied grass below him as a gust of bitter wind blew a scattering of dried leaves past his boots tumbling into the six-foot deep hole before him. His name, Thomas Shelby, the infamous keeper of Birmingham. " Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done..." the priest prayed, raising his hands as all those present began to recite the Lord's prayer in unison whilst Tommy pulled his gold pocket watch out, his brows knitting together at the lengthy time the service had already dragged out. He had things to do...places to be. "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from, evil" the priest finished casting his gaze down in a moment of silence as Tommy's eyes darted up, met with the glaring stare of his Aunt as she held onto the Black Madonna around her neck. Her tear streaked face was visibly shaken from the anger rapidly coursing through her as her nephew dismissively turned his attention above to a hoard of black crows leaving their nest in a nearby tree, the ear-piercing caw of death parting in search of another poor soul of Small Heath to take to the underworld resonating through the gloomy cemetery. " We therefore commit this body to the ground, earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust..." the priest hummed as he walked around the grave to the man whose path had fatefully collided with your own. Presenting him with a small ceramic pot Tommy lifted a handful of dirt from within the jar, tossing it into the grave as he bent down on one knee, rubbing the remaining soil that had scattered on the grass between his gloved fingers.

" Let's give 'em a show eh?" Tommy whispered as he stood up wiping his forefinger across the bottom of his lower lash as he locked eyes with his cousin. His jaw tightening his teeth clenched, Michael was one breath away from doing something he would undoubtedly regret as Tommy, who was amused with the whole situation, sent him a playful wink, his cousin's angry demeanour clearly not enough to stop him from riling him further up.

" Tommy..." Ada sobbed as she clutched onto her brother's arm wiping her tears away at the tragic event that had brought this day about as every attendee proceeded to bid their final farewell whilst the coffin was slowly lowered into the ground.

" What even was the point?" Ada sniffed as she walked beside Tommy down the gravelled path. "An empty casket Tommy..." She said stopping her brother as she looked back to the workmen shovelling heaps of muddied dirt back into the grave. The finest casket made in Birmingham, Tommy made sure of it. But weightless, empty, a disgrace in Ada's eyes that her beloved friends body had not been found, the only thing left in its expected place a small pool of blood and a dishevelled flat.

" To say goodbye Ada" he said as he rubbed a cigarette across his lips squinting into the distance as he watched the numerous mourners part from the cemetery, the same cemetery he seemed to have frequented more than any other place in his lifetime.

" Shit. I'm sorry" she said turning back to face her brother and the solemn expression he had conjured up settling on his face. "How are you?" she sighed, concerned with her brother's wellbeing and the persistent stoic demeanour he refused to let falter, even in times such as these.

"As expected" he said flatly as he blew a cloud of smoke to the greying sky, rubbing his brow with his thumb.

" You can talk to me Tommy. I know you hadn't been together for long, but..." she said crossing her arms as she bit her bottom lip trying to hold back the tears welling in her eyes. "...you loved her and she loved you, any fool could've seen that" she finished as she looked down at the ground, a tear slipping over her cheek as she dug the end of her shoe into the grass whilst Tommy observed his sisters turmoil in the corner of his eye, something be had yet been able to muster up himself. " Fuck, who invited him?" she spat looking to Michael as he got into one of the many Bentleys lined up at the bottom of the path.

" Polly" Tommy replied taking one last puff of his cigarette before throwing it onto the gravelled path beneath him, stubbing it out with the flat of his boot.

" Well he has no right" Ada said glaring at her cousin as she took a step closer to her brother. "Y/N was scared of him Tommy. She didn't want to worry you but..." Ada sighed as she watched Polly follow her son into the motor vehicle that could undoubtedly feed the whole of Small Heath for the next five years. "She'd convinced herself it was him following her. And she's not alone, me and the girls from the office think it was him too. You need to do something Tommy" Ada added in a hushed voice, despaired that justice hadn't yet been delivered on behalf of her dear friend.

" And I am, alright?" Tommy replied his brows raised in irritation, his sisters relentless questions regarding your presumed untimely demise starting to get on his last nerve, the beloved boyfriend a far cry from the grieving one he had been trying to portray.

" Wait, where are you going?" Ada asked as her brother turned to leave for his car.

" Away" he replied shortly as his sister stepped in front of him, her brows creasing at the sudden patch of blood staining the collar of his freshly laundered white shirt, snagged by the sharp movement of Tommy's head snapping back to her.

" Jesus Tommy, what the fuck happened to you?" she said as she pulled his collar further down, a large cut that had all but been concealed for the entirety of the service suddenly making itself known.

"Must've nicked myself shaving" Tommy said dismissively as he pulled his shirt back up, hissing at the sharp friction of the cloth grazing against the bloodied wound on his neck.

" Nicked? Was you wrangling a wild animal whilst you was shaving?" She scoffed as she folded her arms eyeing up the crimson stain for a second time, the cut resembling more the grooves of human fingernails scratched into flesh than any injury made by the act of male grooming. " Tommy, what...what about the wake?" Ada called out to her brother as he ignored any further remarks on the suspicious gash to his neck making his way down the path.

" I need time to think, alone Ada. In peace" he called back whilst she watched from afar, an exasperated huff leaving her throat before grief overcame her once more and she headed back up to the grave to say her final goodbye in private.

"Fill her up lads, to the top" he said handing a bundle of King George notes to two more gravediggers in passing on the gritted walkway, his black coat blowing open as a gust of wind cut through the cemetery creaking the leafless branches of a weeping ash tree nearby. Lighting a cigarette Tommy looked up to the top of the graveyard, eyeing up the spot he had chosen for your supposed resting place as a devilish smirk formed on his lips, hidden to those nearby by the cloud of smoke pummelling into the crisp Autumn air. Devilish indeed, manipulative, a wicked lie fabricated for those that would never come to learn the truth of what really happened on that fateful night, all but two of course.

Pulling at your restraints you cried out as your wrists scraped along the ropes, the sharp burn of the twine searing your skin as the all too familiar sound of a car driving along the muddied grass haltered your attempts to call for aid. Cowering yourself into the corner of the small vardo you brought your knees up to your chest as the door opened and the sweet smell of tobacco filled the the room.

" Tut, tut" you heard him say as he grabbed your wrists inspecting your pathetic attempts to escape.

The man you had determined to have been following you, stalking you, now inches from you, his breath hot against your cheek as he leant forward gently untying the cloth from around your eyes, slowly pulling it away. He had fooled you into loving him, convinced you he had kept you from harms way, and he was back again to convince you once more into understanding why he did what he had so selflessly done. Albeit with a wicked grin mischievously playing on the corner of his mouth.

"Tommy..."

" Hello darling"

November 2023...

"Fuck, shit...fuck!" You yelled as you pulled your hand from within the file of papers you had decided to spring-clean, a rather late spring-clean of eight months that was. " Fuck..." You resorted one last time just for the thrills of dramatising the injury you had acquired in your attempts to be an orderly person. Said injury, a bloody paper cut. One that seemed to have amassed it's very own heartbeat in the space of a few seconds. Painful, but not the worst injury you had brought upon yourself. The great stubbing of ones toe in the summer of 2022 when you decided on rearranging your whole flat during a existential crisis had yet to be topped. Avoiding the scattering of crap that now adorned your bedroom floor you headed for the bathroom to wrap your bleeding finger in whatever was available. Toilet paper should do the trick you thought to yourself as you grabbed a roll of Andrex Supreme Quilts from your bathroom cupboard, only the finest for your ass. What on earth made you think this was a good idea? You thought to yourself as you looked around your home that had started to ressemble an episode of hoarders when a small box peaking out under a stack of folders caught your eye, its recognisable pattern embellishing the sides of the cardboard making your heart skip a beat. " What the..." You said aloud as a heavy feeling of dread and confusion settled in the pit of your stomach, your eyes wide at seeing the one item that had all but destroyed any attempts you had made to have a normal life. The same item you thought you had thrown out along with all the memories of the years you had spent trying to understand why they chose you, why it was you their voices never left your thoughts in peace. Is that how it all started? Your ability, or as your referred to it, curse. A stupid board game that had single handedly cast you out from not only your childhood friends but your own family. The same family aside from your beloved granddad that had dragged you to every psychiatrist in the county, every priest, every professional that had prescribed you not with help or sympathy but the label of burden, attention seeker. But a child's imaginary friends were not so imaginary. They would seek you out, knowing you were their connection to the living world for years up until your early adult when another deathly presence appeared, one that stayed in the shadows, always watching from afar. He was not like the others, he stayed back, his gaze always hidden by the shadow his peak cap would cast on his face. And unlike the others he scared you, really fucking scared you. Picking the box up you marched into your kitchen throwing it on the table as you reached into a cupboard for a bin bag. You had been rid of him for years and you would be rid of this game too. After all, it was because of him you shut your eyes from the unliving, ignored their whisperings, determined to live a normal life as normally as you could. That was your plan until the doorbell obnoxiously rang five times in a row and your friends voice reverberated through the corridors of your flat building.

" Open up whore, I brought booze! " she giggled loudly as you heard her stumble forward. Bloody hell, was she already drunk?

" Helena.." you smiled as you opened the door to her standing with a bottle of Smirnoff Ice in her hand, hell-bent on recreating her teen years taking shots from the bottle cap. Oh great, she brought friends, you thought to yourself as you rolled your eyes at the two smartly dressed men behind her.

" You are a klutz babe" she lovingly remarked looking down at your makeshift bandage tightly wrapped around your finger with a kiss to your cheek. " Barneby and Hugh" she introduced you to the two men that had already made themselves at home, currently splayed across your sofa as the nauseating smell of their aftershave they had doused themselves in filled the room. You would never comment on the name anyone had been bestowed upon by their dear parents but, my god...had they just walked off the polo pitch? Londoners no doubt, private upper schooling you thought to yourself, your suspicions only confirmed when the tall blonde Hugh stood up from your sofa with his hand out for you to shake his accent quickly making itself known.

" Hugh. We work for Goldman Sachs in London, took a detour to take in the local..." he cleared his throat as he looked back at his friend with a smirk. Idiot. What an opening line, was he about to present you with his business card? "...sights of Birmingham on our way up north when one of our associates introduced us to the lovely Helena" he said sitting down on the arm of your sofa as he eyes roamed over your body. Detour... What did he think Small Heath was? The local petting zoo to gawk at, the same way he was gawking at you? Yes there was your average oddball here and there and the man that walked around town shoeless, regardless as to whether it was pissing it down or scorching hot outside. But it was your town, and you wouldn't have any jumped up city boy put it down.

" Hmm, how is the big smoke?" you quipped back as the perfectly groomed man with a suspiciously tinted beard grin widened.

" She's feisty Hughey, just how you like them" his friend laughed as his grin settled into a cocky smirk. Hughey...give me strength.

" Helena, I thought we was just gonna watch a movie get some takeou.."

" What the heck! No no, you're not throwing that out!" She screeched as she bolted up from the armchair to the Ouija board you had intended to bin. She was unusually chaotic than her normal bubbly self. The Smirnoff had clearly already been tasted, enjoyed and partly consumed, you thought to yourself as you eyed up the bottle missing a good chunk of it's contents. " I've always wanted to have a go with one of these. Why didn't you say you had this naughty game in your possession?" she asked clutching it to her chest.

" I prefer strip poker but this could be a laugh " the other Londoner remarked with a chuckle as he stood up taking the box from your friend. Could you will your curse to him, you thought to yourself as your eyes narrowed in on the game in his hand. They were getting increasingly annoying. Could they just, fuck off?

" How about it Y/N?" Your friend smiled with joy at the idea of exploring the supernatural side of life.

" I, I don't think it's a good idea" you said as you snatched the box away from the man who had started rootling through it, feeling overly protective over something you intended to discard of, a sudden longing to be comforted by your childhood companions, your only companions. Would they come back if you let them? Or had too much time passed since you had shut your eyes to the spirit world, since you had pushed them out of your life?

" Don't be a spoil sport Y/N" the blonde said prying the board from your bear like grip as you began to feel as if someone was taking a part of what made you uniquely you away from your whole being.

" We can't do it here, it's not the right setting" your friend said looking around your place wanting a full immersion into whatever overly exaggerated scene she wanted to recreate from one of the many movies or shows she had watched " Ooh let's go to that passing by the riverside. You know, the one from all the story's about the dark mysterious figure that resides down there as smoke blows from the old wagons chimney" she said grinning from ear to ear recounting the story every resident of Small Heath had heard since childhood.

" Helena, that's private property" you said as she began to drag you with her to the front door, grabbing your jacket on the way out as she linked arms with you.

" It's just a bit of fun, please? " she pleaded as she waited for a response. A bit of fun, you could list a whole page of other activities that sounded funner. The first being getting take out and drinking yourself to sleep, the original plan for tonight. Could you risk delving back into the otherworldly land you had cut off? Had your ability vanished for good? What if they reappeared, what if he appeared the one you had been painstakingly avoiding for near a decade. It had been so long, surely he was gone, right?

"Fine" your reluctant response slipped out not wanting to be the that person as you headed out the door when just like any generic horror movie your friend was desperately trying to duplicate an uneasy feeling suddenly settled in your stomach. You had become the very character you would scream at your TV screen, violently throwing popcorn in its direction to not be a cliché and go into the creepy woods with a Ouija board, one slightly pissed friend and two idiot tag alongs. But yet here you was, about to ignore every fiber of your being telling your to turn back.

" Hello Mr magpie how's your wife and kids" you whispered quietly to yourself watching the black and white bird perched on a large log that had undoubtedly fallen during the storm that had come through last week as you clutched the thinnest jacket your friend could have possibly picked out for you around your body. Fashion over functionality, that was Helena's Moto you thought to yourself feeling your fingers go numb from the cool air of the bitter Autumn night. One for joy, two for a boy, how many was it for death...no fuck, that wasn't it. You mentally hummed to yourself as you looked around for a second magpie having forgotten the silly superstition your grandad had always recited to you in the presence of the blue tailed bird.

" Can warm you up if you like?" Hugh laughed putting his arm around you which you automatically shrugged off. " You're as frigid as this weather" he joked as you stormed ahead of you with an irritated huff, catching up with your friend who was a few feet ahead of you as your eyes darted around the open area surrounded by numerous large oak trees, the soft sound of the riverbank gently colliding with the muddied ground pricking your ears. As peaceful as it looked in the silver moonlight casting array of shadows onto the dewy grass you didn't want to be here, something felt...off. You was sure you had never once entered this area In your whole existence but yet, something felt eerily similar about it. What you wouldn't do to be in front of the comforting fire of your late granddads home, watching him nod off in front of the TV with a bowl of striped humbugs in his lap, his dentures floating in a glass of water beside him...not the most poetic image you could've conjured up as your anxiety started to make itself presence, but it was home, and it was where your heart was. Your thoughts had become so tangled, since he passed, uncomfortably intrusive. You felt lonely, so lonely in a world surrounded by people that life had become one long draining experience day in day out. You was desperate for relief from the crushing weight of the cards you had been dealt in life.

"Ooh perfect" your friend said snapping you out of your thoughts as she walked up to an old wooden picnic table in the middle of the passing, the worn emerald green vardo that had fallen apart like the rest of the upkeep of the area feet from you, silently stuck in times from before. " Right come on then, tell us how it works"

" Guys I don't think this is a good..." You started to say when Brian, Barney, Barneby, whatever his name was rudely interrupted you.

"You know what I think sweetie, I think you're scared" he laughed as he went to sit down, his nose turning up at the rotten wood he was about to place his Tom Ford three-piece suit that's trousers looked two sizes too small. If he was trying to accentuate what he was packing he needn't bother.

" You can sit next to me if you like" Hugh winked as you purposely made a point to sit across from him, covering your exposed cleavage with your jacket from his pervy leering eyes. The quicker you got this over with this the quicker you could distance yourself from these two imbeciles, you thought to yourself as you pulled the box In front of you, your hands tracing over the pieces of your childhood. The game in itself was pretty simple you each placed two fingers on the triangular shaped piece of wood and proceeded to ask questions. That was it, what happened after was open for debate.

"We call upon the spirit world and welcome those into the circle who wish to speak with us" you said aloud, your mouth suddenly going dry at the passage you never thought you'd hear leave your lips as the tall blonde seated in front of you scoffed at the words you could only image he thought were nothing more than absurd ramblings of wishful thinking.

" It's not doing anything" your friend remarked, now fully submerged in the game she wholeheartedly believed was more than something teens would play in abandoned buildings late at night, desperate for her own supernatural experience.

" It can take some tim..." You started to say as the planchette started moving, both idiots opposite you nudging eachother under the table as your friends eyes stayed fixed on the moving piece of wood, your own attention startled by the arrival of a dozen people slowly approaching through the wooded area, their deafening whispers muffling out your friends voice. Your eyes darted between Helena and the two men she had brought along with her, willing them to see what you could see as the small crowd of people closed in surrounding the table as they called out the names of their family. Mother's, sister, brothers, fathers, grandparents, begging you to pass message after message onward to their loved ones. "Stop..please..." you said quietly, closing your eyes as you pressed your hand to your forehead. There was too many of them, it was happening too fast. You wanted it to stop to just stop, just fucking stop...

" Enough!" A loud deep voice boomed through the crisp night air as the dead retreated back and the form of a man leaning against a tree dressed all in black came into your view, a cloud of smoke pummeling above his head, his eyes cast down at the ground as he rolled his cigarette between his fingers. It was him, he was back. " Leave" he commanded to the others as he slowly strode towards you.

They couldn't see him, why couldn't they see him? He was standing right there, right fucking next to you. You thought to yourself as your chest heaved up and down from the sheer panic rapidly coursing through you, your breaths coming in ragged shallow ripples as his black tailored coat grazed along your arm sending a burning shiver down your spine. A dumb game, a stupid dumb game. Why did you agree to this? You had unknowingly invited him back, summoned him after all the years you had painstakingly tried to keep his presence at bay, you panicked as you looked in the corner of your eye to see him rubbing his thumb over his forefinger, enticing you to look up, taunting you to meet the piercing glare you was certain you'd be met with if you dared to look his way. But yet you stayed motionless, frozen as your eyes slowly settled on your hand resting over the intricately detailed planchette as your friend beside you giggled at its erratic movements on the board below it, which either one or both of the idiots she had brought along with her were undoubtedly doing.

" Alright I've had enough, which one of you wankers is moving it?" Your friend Helena demanded to know as you looked across to the prick that had been hounding you since the moment he laid eyes on you, a faint smirk playing on the corner of his mouth when a leather gloved hand crept across the table placing itself over yours, slowly lacing it's fingers between your own. Your whole body trembling, you desperately tried to pull your hand away when the sinister figure standing beside you grip tightened, keeping your from escaping his inevitable presence as the wooden triangle started to move.

" Y/N…" Your friend said looking to you as the planchette stopped, your name having been spelt letter by letter in a gentle dance of toing and froing that swept across the board until all those present eyes widened not only in fear but confusion. If they weren't moving it, who was? Releasing his hand from yours he reached up, brushing away a lone tear resting on the top of your reddened cheek that had settled in the midst of the spine-chilling ordeal. "Babe, what's wrong?" your friend asked, your frightened, shaken demeanor concerning her enough to pull her hand from the game as she placed her arm around your shoulders in attempts to comfort you when you felt the very figure you had been evading for near a decade rest his thumb gently on the end of your chin, the sound of his leather gloves creasing sending a nauseating chill throughout your body as he turned your head to face him. And there he was. The man, the presence you thought you'd never see again, his face masked by the shadow of his peaked cap now visible to your eye, his ghostly pale skin brightened by his piercing blue eyes boring Into you as a smile formed on the edge of his lips…

" Hello darling. I've been waiting for you" he said as your bottom lip began to wobble, a cascade of tears now streaming down your cheeks wetting the leather gloved thumb still resting on your chin as he tenderly gazed into your eyes. " Shhh" he hushed your frightened sobs as his hand moved to your cheek cupping his fingers gently around the side of your neck.

" What's with her?" the man opposite your friend said as your gaze stayed fixed on the presence before you, watching the irritation build on his face at the the tender moment he had played through his mind countless times spoiled by he annoying chattering of the man accompanying you.

" You're shaking gorgeous. Offer's still there hm? Can warm you up in that broken down gypsy thing" Hugh snickered along with his friend as Helena glared at him, an array of insults leaving her lips. " We'd be better off naked though, we'll warm up quicker that way" he laughed obnoxiously when the presence before you head snapped in his direction, the blue hue of eyes quickly replaced by a sinister black as he threw the table over in front of you in one quick deliberate motion. With his hand clenched into a fist he turned to the man who had not only embarrassed you but insulted you shamelessly In front of everyone with the suggestion you were as crude as him, landing a brutally violent single punch to his face.

" What...what the fuck! What was that?" His friend stuttered leaping from the bench as he looked down at his dazed friend, blood dripping from an open gash on his bottom lip as Helena screamed in horror at what had just happened, her brain simultaneously trying to compute how it had happened. " We're getting the hell out of here" he said lifting his friend from the ground that was holding his lip together as the being beside you rested his hand firmly on your shoulder, squeezing his fingers into your flesh in a clear message to not dare move.

" Babe...Y/N we gotta go" your friend cried trying to pull you from the bench as you stayed seated and the dark presences grip on you tightened.

" Leave Helena " you cried not wishing harm to come to anyone else. He wanted you, he had haunted you for all those years. Your friend and the two men accompanying you were a mere inconvenience. And after what had just transpired, you feared what he could and would do next.

" What! No come on..!" She pleaded shaking you from what she thought was a state of shock when the man she had invited let go of his bloodied friend and started pulling her away from you. " Y/N!" she cried, the distant sound of her fighting with him as he dragged her out of the gated area slowly disappearing as you was ultimately left in silence, alone, with him.

" Please...let me go" you wept as you turned your head to face him.

" Let you go? I've only just got you back sweetheart" he said as he released his hand from your shoulder, his fingers now brushing through the locks of hair framing your face. " You invited me back love, and that was one invitation I could not refuse" he said as you stood up taking a step back when he reached out and grabbed your wrist." Now now Y/N, we have unfinished business" he said pulling you back to him, his pale ivory face inches from you, lips drained of blood tauntingly close.

" I came in peace, with no intentions to offend. I say goodbye and bid you farewell" you recited the words you had learnt by heart after any encounter you once had speaking with those from the other realm.

" Oh sweetheart, now who taught you that little rhyme eh? I'm afraid it doesn't work like that love" he chuckled cocking a brow at the idea that your silly little riddle would cause him to simply vanish before you. " My girl" he said as his thumb dragged down to the corner of your mouth, tracing the curve of your trembling lips, staring at you like a lover would gaze at their partner.

"I, I don't know you, I'm not who you're looking for" you sobbed as you looked down at your hands, clutching them together from the drop in temperature his presence demanded.

" Oh but you do know me darling. You know me very well" he said as his lips parted and his eyes drifted down to the soft flesh of your neck, down to the curves your blouse beneath your jacket hugged your body. " I've waited a century for this very moment, for us to finally be reunited. And believe me sweetheart, my patience is starting to wear thin, very thin" Is that what this was...He thought you were his dead lover, a reincarnation of her that he had been waiting a hundred years for, an anomaly where everything that makes something uniquely individual to them, their genes their likes their dislikes repeating itself into a second copy days, years, thousands of decades later, you thought to yourself as your eyes widened at the realisation of what he had been waiting for, what he had been watching you for as you turned to make a swift exit.

" I can't let you leave Y/N" he said as the large metal gate to the opening slammed shut making you abruptly stop in your tracks.

" I want to go home. I'm not her, I don't belong here..." You cried in a panic, turning back to face him as he strode forward to you his with his hand out, calmly waiting for you to take it.

" Then let me show you" he replied intertwining his fingers with yours as he gently cupped your cheek with his other hand, the welcoming chill from his leather gloved hand soothing the heat radiating from your reddened tear stained cheek. "Let me show you who you were, who you were in 1923..."

NEXT PART

Tag list: @mysticalbouquetwolf-posts @prettywhenicry4 @smayhem

#tommy shelby #thomas shelby #dark!tommy #dark!tommy shelby #dark!thomas shelby #tommy shelby imagine #tommy shelby fanfiction #tommy shelby x reader #tommy shelby x you #tommy shelby x y/n #tommy shelby reader insert #peaky blinders #peaky blinders fanfic #peaky blinders imagine #tommy shelby series #peaky blinders series #tommy shelby angst #dark academia #dark fanfiction

[unboundprompts]

one-word prompt: hallow.

thank you! 🙏

Random Prompt #115

"Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done..."

The creature laughed from the shadows, a howling sound that echoed in the cavity of his chest. "That old prayer doesn't work on me," it said, "you're wasting your breath."

#writing prompts #creative writing #dialogue prompt #writeblr #story prompt #random prompt #horror prompts #ask box prompts

[raphael-angele]

Nico's Big Sisters (Getting Ready for a Date)

Piper, putting eye shadow on him: Almost...Done!

Nico: *opens his eyes*

Piper: Ok! Time to do your hair.

Annabeth: Now, what do you do if he asks about your day?

Nico: I tell him about my day but don't be too personal. And then I ask him about his day.

Annabeth: Okay. Now, how about if he asks-

Thalia: Annie, it's a date, not an exam

Annabeth: I'm just helping him get ready

Thalia: Mhm. Nico, listen up. If this guy tries anything funny, you tell him that your favorite cousin is a daughter of Zeus and a Hunter of Artemis

Reyna: That's too much. You gotta shorten it. Just say that your cousin and best friend know where he lives... cuz we do

Thalia: Ugggh, can't you just tell us how this'll go, Rachel?

Rachel, painting his nails: Not the kind of prediction I do. But there's no ominous feeling yet, so I'm sure he'll be fine. Speaking of 'fine', his nails look great

Annabeth: Can we please go back to studying?

Clarisse: Sure, Nico, what do you do if he does something to you that you don't want him to.

Nico: I take my pretty white teeth, I go for the neck, and don't let go until he stops twitching

Everyone:

Clarisse: That's my boy.

---

Nico: Hi, Will!

Will: Hi, Nico. Oh, hey, Bianca. Hey, Zoë

Bianca: Hi, Will

Zoë: Hello, William

Bianca: Uhm, Nico, where's your bag?

Nico: Oh, it's- Oh, must've forgotten it in the cabin. Be right back *leaves*

Bianca:

Zoë:

Will:

Bianca: William, do you understand the seriousness of what you're about to do?

Will: Yes, I do, Ms Bianca.

Zoë: And thou understands that once thou enters into this relationship, it will most likely last forever?

Will: Yes, Ms Zoë

Bianca: You do understand that just because your aunt is our boss, doesn't mean we wont hurt you, right?

Will: I didn't doubt it

Zoë: And thou understands that there will be consequences for thy actions if thou so much as make him frown?

Will: Yes, I do.

Zoë: Good. Know that from now on, thou will be watched every single time thou is with Niccoló

Will: I completely understand

Bianca: Alright. Be back an hour before curfew. No drinking, no smoking, or else I will call our father and have him put a fast track on your soul and life.

Will: Understood, Ms. Bianca

Nico: I got my bag!

Bianca: Oh, how cute! Alright, you kids have fun!!

Nico: Bye, Sorella! Bye, Zoë!

Zoë: Enjoy thy time, patatino!

#pjo #percy jackson and the olympians #percy jackson #solangelo #nico di angelo #nico protection squad #bianca di angelo #will solace #piper mclean #reyna avila ramirez arellano #thalia grace #zoe nightshade #zoë nightshade #rachel elizabeth dare #clarisse la rue #gay #cute #funny

[random-thot-generator]

Love Thy Frenemy (Frenemies/Tenderness AU)

ONE: It’s a Start

Simon ‘Ghost’ Riley x Frenemy!Reader

Summary: There’s a new customer that’s been coming into the White Dog Pub, where you tend bar. He’s stoic, gruff and difficult to engage, but you’re a bartender. You know how to get the most deadpan of customers to talk, and this aloof mountain of a man is no exception. You’ll win him over, one way or another.

Tags/Warnings: Alcohol consumption, Eventual smut- but not in this chapter. That’s really the only warning I got. I don’t even think I used profanity. Weird, right???

(Notes: Sooo... I decided to attempt my first series. *(nervous twitching)* Not gonna lie, I’m freakin’ out a little bit, y’all. Is it gonna suck?! I don’t know! I hope it doesn’t, for everyone’s sake.

Anyway...

This is set in the Frenemies/Tenderness AU, same as ‘Try a Little Tenderness’, with Simon and his frienemy ‘Doll’ (or ‘Dee’ for short), which can be found here. 

We’re just establishing the relationship between Simon and Reader at this point, along with a little world building. Sorry, horn-dogs. No smut this round, but we’ll get there... eventually. Hope you enjoy.)

Word Count: 1576

‘Fate leads the willing; the unwilling it drags’   —— Seneca 

🖤💀🖤

He was a quiet one. A silent giant. 

He came into the pub every night, mumbled out his order in a low gravel and took the same seat at the end of the bar. He’d been doing this for more than a month, some nights staying until last orders, other nights only long enough for one drink. He never speaks, at least not to you.

He’s close with your boss, the owner of the White Dog, Ollie Turnbull. Ollie’s always pleased to see him, giving him a familiar pat on the back as he growls out, “How ya doin’, Riley?”

The two men will sit for hours, sometimes, leaning their heads together as they talk in low murmurs. You suspect Riley’s a soldier in the military, like Ollie once was. He just has that look about him. He holds himself the same way your father used to, like a coiled spring wound too tight, even when seemingly relaxed. You’re certain if anything ever went down inside the pub, he would be the first to react, Ollie a close second.

You’re curious about him. He’s an ‘odd duck’, as your nan was fond of saying. He has his little quirks, odd little idiosyncrasies that set him apart. For one thing, you’ve never seen the man without a hoodie. He wears different styles and colors, but they’re all dark in hue with a deep hood he keeps pulled up over his head at all times. He never pushes it back, always keeping his face half-hidden in shadow.

And then there’s the mask.

Sometimes it’s a fitted hood with only his eyes exposed, other times it’s a neck gaiter or a black surgical mask. When he takes a drink, he always lifts his mask from the bottom, never revealing his entire face. You’ve seen the hint of various scars around the edges of his masks, jagged lines turned silver with age, but they don’t seem severe enough to be horribly disfiguring. He’s hiding, you realize, but from what you’re not sure.

Riley’s sitting in his usual spot again tonight, every now and then his eyes shifting left or right, always on alert. He casts his gaze over you every now and then, too, lingering for a moment before looking away. You can’t help but wonder what he thinks of you.

It’s been a slow evening, just a handful of regulars showing up for a pint, but not staying long. There’s only one other customer at the bar, dear old Ned, and you’re pretty sure he fell asleep half an hour ago. You’ve already restocked and finished all your prep work for the night, so you’ve pulled out an old paperback of short stories to read, but you’d much rather be getting a head start on your cleaning. The sooner you’re done, the sooner you can leave.

Heaving a sigh, you walk down to the end of the bar, waiting for Riley to acknowledge you before you speak. When his dark eyes peer up at you, you give him a little smile. “Sorry to bother you, but do you mind if I start cleaning? I can top up your drink first.”

His gaze darts over your face before he glances down at his glass and shrugs. “’S fine wif me. ‘M good.” His voice is gruff, but not unkind.

You nod, offering him a grateful smile and lay your book face down on the bar. “Thanks,” you call over your shoulder, already heading for the supply closet.

You gather your cleaning supplies and get to work, wiping down tables and turning up chairs. Every now and then you glance up to check on your two customers. Ned, bless him, is still snoring. Riley, however, is leaning slightly forward, torso stretched so that he can look at the book you’ve left in front of him. You watch as he turns the book around to get a better look at it. It makes you smile.

Finished with the tables, you head back towards the bar, noticing how Riley stiffens and quickly turns the book back to its previous position. Pretending not to see, you grab your bottle of water, taking a sip as you lean your hips against the back counter, facing him. When he inevitably lifts his eyes, you meet them and motion to the book.

“You like to read?”

He shrugs. “Some.”

You nod and take another sip. “What genres?”

His brows knit together. “Depends.”

“On what?”

He heaves a sigh and leans back to cross his arms. “On what ’m in the mood t’read.”

“Oh. Yeah, I get that. I’m the same.” You take another sip then recap the bottle, pushing yourself off the counter. You fiddle with the ties of your serving apron as you scramble for something to say. “You, uh, need a top-up before I get back to work?”

He stares down at his glass and then slides it forward. “Yeah.” Again, he sounds gruff, but his tone has softened the tiniest bit.

He watches you pour the drink, eyeing you with an almost cautious expression. When you slide the glass back to him, his eyes flicker down to the book. “I’ve read tha’ one before. Which story’s yer fav’rite?”

You tilt your head and give him a considering look. “’Sticks’ by Robert Wagner.”

He nods, a gleam of approval in his sharp gaze. “Good choice.”

You give a slight nod at the compliment. “And yours?”

His eyes blink down at the book then back to you. “Same.”

“Good choice,” you say with a crooked smile, returning the compliment. You replace the bottle of Dewar’s on the shelf, then turn back and nod at the book. “You can borrow it, if you like. I just brought it in case I got bored. I’ve got plenty more at home.”

“’M good. No thanks.” he mutters. He leans forward again, shoulders hunched, and drops his gaze.

You deflate inside. Damn, I lost him. 

Not wanting the situation to get any more awkward, you try to soothe him with a casual, friendly tone and an easy smile. “That’s okay. Offer still stands. If you change your mind, feel free to take it with you.”

His eyes slant towards you and he gives a curt nod. Good enough.

You go back to work, sweeping around the tables in silence until you see him stand and lean over the bar to slip his glass into the dish water. He snags a towel and wipes down his area, before pushing his seat back into place. It’s a thoughtful gesture, something you wouldn’t have expected from him. Picking up his overcoat, he shrugs it on, then adjusts his mask as he walks towards the entrance. When he opens the door, he pauses, and his head turns in your direction. “Left some tenners on the bar for m’tab.” Another short pause. “’Night.”

You smile and give him a little wave. “Good night, Riley. Drive safe.”

His head snaps up and his posture goes rigid at the use of his name, caught off guard by the familiarity, but he quickly recovers. Relaxing his stance, he nods and takes a step out the door, uttering just loud enough for you to hear, “You, too, doll.”

He then slips out the door into the night, leaving just you and snoring Ned in the building. You stare at the entrance a moment longer, then go back to your sweeping. Your brain slowly sifts through the conversation as you work, picking over the words he spoke, digging for any hidden nuances you might have missed. He’s a hard one to read, but you think you did okay. At least he spoke to you without being prompted. It’s a start.

Right?

When you finish cleaning, you go wake Ned and call his wife to come pick up her husband. He smiles at you, bleary-eyed, and pats your hand. “I was awake, luv. Jus’ restin’ m’eyes.” You smile and nod, but don’t really believe him until he grins and adds, “Never heard tha’ big fella speak a’fore. He must’ve taken a fancy to ya.”

A slow smile spreads across your face. “Think so, Ned?”

“Oh, aye. Never seen ‘im go out o’ his way to talk to anyone else. Well, ‘cept for Ollie, o’ course. Don’t think the lad keeps many friends. Bit of a loner, tha’ one.”

A horn beeps twice outside, so you help Ned to his feet and walk him out to his wife’s car. Waving goodbye, you head back inside the pub to turn out the lights and lock up for the night. Grabbing your coat and bag, you make a beeline for the entrance, thrilled to be leaving early, but then realize you forgot your book on the bar. Huffing out a sigh, you turn around and go back to get it, only to discover that... 

It’s gone.

He took the book.

A pleased little smile lights up your face and you bite your lip.

He even told you good night... sort of.

You shrug. It’s a start.

That pleased little smile is still on your face when you lock the door and head for home.

-

>> Next

@stillinracooncity

@cumikering​

@cutiecusp

@glitterypirateduck

#simon ghost riley s fem reader #cod ghost x fem reader #ghost x fem reader #simon riley x fem reader #simon ghost riley x frenemy reader #Frenemies/Tenderness AU

[somethingblu3]

Thy Mercy | Father Anthony Bridge

Read on Ao3 here.

18+ minors dni.

Fandom: Casualty

Summary:

Father Anthony commands you to list out the rosary.

TW: Church Sex, Spanking, Candles Wax Play, Improper Use of a Rosary, Priest Kink, Author is not Christian, Forbidden Secret, Relationship,neil newbon - Freeform, Begging, Burns, Dom/sub, Dirty Talk, Bible Kink, No Beta, mouth spitting, Mutual Masturbation, cum, Paddle, Humiliation, lightly edited, Orgasm Delay/Denial.

Pairing: Father Anthony Bridge x female afab reader

Word Count: 1,844

Divider Credit: firefly-graphics.

Note:

I'm not Christian, but I did go to church when I was younger. It's been over a decade since I've used a rosary, so I'm not entirely sure if the beads are accurate.

“Say it,” Father Anthony ordered in the shadows. You both sat in the empty church. The only light came from the flicker of the oil candles that hung from the ceiling. You had never been in a Church alone, especially not on a cold, dark winter night like this. Your hands are sweaty as they trace over the familiar chunky beads. It was a gift given to you by your grandmother. You remember sitting at her vanity as she gifted you the beads. They were sacred, and you kept them secure under your pillow at night, not wanting to lose them, but you almost dropped them as you felt Father Anthony’s gaze lock on you in the shadows. He was watching, waiting for you to start.

He had warned you that if you stuttered or your voice faltered, he would spank you. From the corner of your eye, you could see Anthony's hands clutching the black paddle in his hands as he readied himself. Your breathing hitches as your sweaty hands clutch at the burgundy glass. Your mind goes blank, but you can feel Anthony’s hand ghost your sides, closing your eyes. You took a breath, trying to cleanse your dry lips. Anthony pushes his nails into your thighs, a sign for you to start.

“In the name of the Father, The Son, and of the Holy Spirit Amen” Your fingers move towards the first bead, feeling the contours of the Crucifix between them. He hadn’t even done anything yet, not even touched your skin. You could feel something against it, maybe his fingers or the brush of the silver of his belt as he grinded against you; it was hard to tell in the dark. It was scary not knowing what was coming next. He had blinded you before, but here you were in the Church surrounded by the darkness. You were both very evasive about your relationship. If anyone ever found out about this, Anthony would be fired and defrocked, not even that he would be ousted from the community.

He was more protective of that in the early days, but as your relationship developed, he found it harder and harder to let you go. You were his biggest sin. He couldn’t walk away from second to drinking. You lick your lips as they suddenly turn dry, and you hear him play with the silver of his belt. A warning. “Our father, who art in heaven…” He pulls back your black skirt, which he told you to wear for this evening’s service. Your breathing hitches as you press on, moving to the smaller beads. “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.” “Faster,” Anthony hisses as his belt drops to the ground, and you feel his hands grab you by your waist. “The Agony in the Garden…The Soc-Sco-ugring at the-” You pause as he slides inside you. As always, you are already wet and sticky. His hand teases your clit, preparing you, and you hear him groan in delight. You didn’t want to disappoint him. You could already hear his voice in your head.

You stutter, “At the-Fuck” You are so tight, but that doesn’t stop him. His breathing increases Anthony halts you trying to search for your voice as it escapes you, and you feel the ip of Anthony’s cock ghosting over your back and cum dripping down your legs; you're already so wet. Not that you are surprised. He waits for a moment and clicks his tongue. You can’t help but feel…disappointed. “The scourging at the pillar,” you finish confidently. Anthony nods. “Good girl,” he praises you as he inserts himself into you once again. “The crowning with thorns-” you hesitate as you feel your cheeks flush increase. “And the crucifixion.” “You missed one,” Anthony scolds as he removes himself from you and then takes you over his lap. “The carrying of the cross,” he tells you as his paddle is against your skin."I'm sorry, father." You cry. "Again. Say them again," He demands as the paddle rests inches away from your skin, a lingering threat. You take a shaky breath, clutching the bread, and then you start again, but your brain has already turned to mush. "In the name--" You swallow as you feel him consider if he should spank you or not, but he doesn't. You clear your throat as you start again, your fingers finding their way to the beads. "In the name of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen." His fingers glide against your skin.

You know he won't mark it yet, but you can't help but shiver under his grip. "Our father, who art in heaven." You continue as you move on to the next bead and then the next until you reach "The Agony in the Garden..." You pause, trembling the pad inches and inches away from your skin, and as he presses further, you fumble. "Fuck-i'm so sorry, father." You sob as his paddle spanks against your skin. "I'm so sorry," you tremble. "I thought I had trained you better than this," Anthony snarled You lower your eyes, focusing down on the wooden floor, feeling nothing but shame course through you as he spanks.

"Count. Count to four," He orders, his other hand rubbing your other cheek "One" Smack "Tw-ooh" Smack "Fuck-Thr-eee" He pauses but then adds another smack. "F-ffour" you finish He smacks again. "Good girl, now let's start again from the top."

You nod and carry on repeatedly, but then, this time, you stop at the crucifixion. You close your eyes, knowing what is coming next. You tried to prepare yourself, but there isn't another smack at your ass. Instead, Father Anthony pulls away for a moment, and then he finally starts once again. "I don't think this taught you much of a lesson, did it?" He asks with an arched brow You are too stunned to speak as you feel your ass clench from the stings. He's not going to start again, is he? Usually, he would give breaks in between or at least kiss and "So why don't we try again?" "Father, please-" He ignores you as he reaches over and grabs a candle from the holder. It drips onto your skin, and you hiss, chowing down on your cheek to bear the pain.

"Good girl," he tells you as he messages your head. He watches as your body jitters. The pain is unreal, the sensation of the hot wax. He throws down the paddle, tossing it onto the wooden floor as he grips the candle in his hand, the wax melting his skin. He inserts himself inside you once again. "Let's start from the crucifixion and see if you can finally finish." You nod, shivering from the heat. You feel like you are melting, but also, at the same time, you know that Father Anthony won't hurt you. That was against his moral code, but the pain thrill was still exciting.

"Okay," You gulp as he thrusts inside you. Your dry cum drips between your legs like the candle wax between his fingers. "Okay, okay," you whimper as you get used to his thrusts as they increase in speed, still feeling the tingle of the wax drip down your lower back. "In the name of the Father, The Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen...." Thrust "Our father, who art in heaven…" Thrust. Now, the room is filled with the sound of his skin smacking against yours. His other hand finds its way to your left waist, pulling you as close as humanly possible. Your moans were escapable now. If someone were to walk in right now, it would be clear as day what the two of you were up to, and that feeling made your heart race, and you could just about see your skin turn bright red under the glow of the candle.

"Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. The Agony in the Garden…The Scourging at the-” "Go on," He commands "The scourging at the pillar, The crowning with thorns, and the--the" You can feel yourself approaching your final orgasm as it tricks down your legs, and you roll your head back. You feel Anthony's hand in your hair as he croons your neck to look at you. He pants and spits in your mouth, his chin covered in drool. He stops trapping your hand clutched with the beads firmly.

"Hold on-" He commands as he takes the warm beads from your hands. "Turn around and face me," He commands," and he does You shiver as you finally meet his gaze. He's tired but happy as a small smirk appears at the corner of his lips. Forecebilly he takes the rosary from your hands and shoves them inside your sticky pussy. "Father," You gasp as you feel the beads between your legs. He chuckles darkly "You are such a good girl," he tells you, stroking your hair. "You're doing the Lord's work," he mumbles the sensation. Of the beads rocking between your legs is something else. The small cross rubs against the end of your pussy, edging you even closer and closer without him even touching you. You watch him as he takes his dick in his hand, proud of himself as he watches you stutter and moan, grabbing onto one of the pews. "Let yourself go, love," he instructs as he quickens the pace of his hand on his dick.

You nod, and your eyes roll back, your breathing hitching. You spot him as cum dribbles down from the head of his cock onto his robes. Your hand fiddles for the beads, and you begin rolling them against yourself. God, it was shameful, especially with how much they meant to you, but you knew after this, they would be covered in your seed, in your wetness, and you would give it to him as a gift, perhaps as a birthday present, so that he would always. Be near you. You grin at that thought.

A subtle reminder. "Now, what comes after the crucifixion, my love?" He urges as he wipes his cum against his robes "The Resurrection," you pant. You knew that wasn't all of the stages, but for now, it was the most you could get through without faltering, and you felt proud of yourself as a smile plucked at his lips. Once you finish, you both orgasm against each other, his seed mixed with your wetness. He throws the candle stick into the trash and licks his finger with your mixed juices, but his robe is still a mess. You are too weak to speak, and then he catches you as you are about to collapse onto the floor. "I want to treasure this forever." He pants as he rushes towards you, shoving your hair behind your ear, and kisses your neck as your eyes drift close. "This is heaven...". You lower your head against his neck, and you catch your breath. This man will be the death of you.

#casulty #neil newbon #father anthony bridge #father anthony bridge x reader #fanfiction #neil newbon smut #anthony bridge #casualty fanfic #bbc Casualty #ao3 cross post #neil newbon x reader #neil newbon fanfiction

[the-cosmos-withinus]

Shadow Puppets au - Naming the Collector

He wanted to be fair and give both books a chance, but already the Collector liked the look of the other book better. The title alone sounded more interesting. Astrophel and Stella. If he could, the Collector would have picked the book up to browse the pages himself.

"Can you read to me?" "Lot's of names." Philip replied vaguely, and set the Bible aside for now, he had noticed the Collector's interest in the other book and nodded, "Father Josiah just gave me this one, I don't know anything about it yet."

He picked it up and carefully read the title, "As…tro..Phel and Stell-a, by Philip Sidney." He was still learning how to read so he paused a few times when it came to the more exotic names, but he knew his own name. Father Josiah said he was learning very quickly, and he was far better at it than Caleb, which he supposed he could be proud of.

Philip opened up the first page and began to read.

"Loving in truth, and fain in verse my love to show, That she, dear she, might take some pleasure of my pain,— Pleasure might cause her read, reading might make her know, Knowledge might pity win, and pity grace obtain,— I sought fit words to paint the blackest face of woe; Studying inventions fine her wits to entertain, Oft turning others' leaves, to see if thence would flow Some fresh and fruitful showers upon my sunburn'd brain. But words came halting forth, wanting invention's stay; Invention, Nature's child, fled step-dame Study's blows; And others' feet still seem'd but strangers in my way. Thus great with child to speak and helpless in my throes, Biting my truant pen, beating myself for spite, "Fool," said my Muse to me, "look in thy heart, and write."

The Collector giggled listening to Philip read, stumbling over a few words. "Wow. You're terrible." He joked playfully, "Keep going. I love rhymes!"

He started reading along with Philip, helping with a few of the words that he knew the human was messing up, but occasionally they ran into a word that even the Collector did not know how to pronounce.

"I like this book!" He declared, "I wanna be named after this one!"

He floated back to be in front of Philip and held his hand up in the best effort he could make for a handshake.

"Please to meet you Philip! I'm Astrophel and Stella by Philip Sydney!" Reading together was fun. Certainly more fun than reading under Father Josiah's scrutiny, the Collector corrected his words now and again but it didn't feel like a mistake he would be punished for. It was more like reading with Caleb.

And Philip was happy to hear the Collector say he liked the book, but it was his turn to giggle when the Collector reintroduced himself.

"No! No! Silly, the whole title can't be a name, that's too long!" The young boy shut the book again to look at the cover, "Let's see, Philip is my name so you can't use it, that would be confusing…" He traced the title, "Astrophel and Stella…Your name could be Astrophel! That's a great name!"

#shadow puppets au #philip wittebane #toh collector #I've been planning to draw something based on this scene for a while but the ask about Astrophel's name inspired me to work on it #I was sketching something else before #gravesfield era

[sunnycanvas]

Spectral Descent

King Baldwin IV x Fem!Reader

Warning: character death

It was late hours in the kingdom of Jerusalem. King Baldwin IV sat alone in his dimly litted chamber surrounded by lamp meticulously reviewing documents that bore the fate of his realm. The room was illuminated by the soft glow of lamps, casting long shadows across the parchment. The King was consumed by his kingly duties when, suddenly, a haunting howl, akin to a wolf's cry, pierced the silence of the night. A sigh escaped him as he rose from his ornate chair to peer out of the window into the quiet, slumbering kingdom below. The streets lay deserted, the kingdom cloaked in stillness. It was late at hours of the night. People were mostly asleep. The kingdom looked dead. Deep in contemplation, he couldn't help but ponder about the future of his kingdom after his inevitable passing, and more acutely, about your fate. You, his beloved, whom he longed for with every fiber of his being. Knowing that you had journeyed to visit your distant family weighed heavily on his heart. Though he longed to accompany you, He had reluctantly let you go under the protection of trusted knights and a loyal carriage rider

Baldwin IV suddenly felt heavy pain in his heart and felt suffocation in throat almost as if someone is chocking him. Your lack of presence must be truly suffocating the king.

In desperation, King Baldwin IV whispered in agony "Almighty God, Eternal Father, Lord of Lords, have mercy upon me, a humble knight in Thy Divine Service. O Lord, I pray for Thy indulgence and blessing"

Exhaustion took its toll, and he decided it was time to retire for the night. Carrying his lamp, he headed for his bed, but as he turned, a figure in the mirror caught his attention – it was you . You had shocked expression in your face. Your sudden presence startled him. "Oh, hello there, (Y/N)," he greeted with a mixture of relief and anxiety. "You scared me. For a moment, I thought it was an assassin." Baldwin IV smiled as he put his hand near his heart. You smiled softly at him then chuckled. Hiding your mouth with your hand.

"My love, you look even more beautiful in darkness. Your face is glows like that of a porcelain doll and your eyes are shine like those stars outside. A sinister smile curled at the corners of your lips as you whispered "My, my!" "You really do love me" "I sometimes think like you are obsessed with me".

"Enough of talking" "Come here" "Let me hug you".

You appeared scared and recoiled from his hand reaching out to you. King Baldwin IV looked confused and hurt by your rejection. You were last person who he would think would be repulsed by his condition

"I am sorry I am tired". You excused yourself as you walked around the room lighting more candles and placing them around the room. An unsettling feeling gnawed at King Baldwin IV. Something was terribly amiss, but he couldn't quite discern it. "I bought you your favourite food as well as some of the silk clothes". "They shouldn't hurt your leprous skin". You laid out his gifts on table and King Baldwin IV quietly say opposite to you. You took a seat opposite him, and he regarded you with growing suspicion, sensing that you were not what you seemed.King Baldwin IV looked at you skeptically. You could tell your lover has gotten suspicious. To lighten the mood Baldwin IV joked "Hopefully someone didn't sell you poison, saying it would cure me" you flinched hearing that and stuttured "Oof cour-se not" ."Yo-uh know how uh.. much I love you" Baldwin IV feeling of unease increased after hearing your response. "My love don't take it so seriously" "I was just joking" "You aren't that dumb". "You were acting strange so I thought of lightning the atmosphere" Baldwin IV laughed at his own joke but you could read unease in his face. You smiled wryly in response "He's perceptive, just as I expected," you thought, realizing that your true nature had been discovered sooner than you had planned

Just then both of your attention was drawn away by the tapping sound on the window Relief washed over you, but it quickly turned to dread as you gazed outside. A vulture seemed intent on feasting on the food you had brought. In a panic, you grabbed the food and began to dart around the room, while King Baldwin IV watched in amusement. Eventually, the vulture gave up and departed. "You do seem guilty, my dear vulture," you mused, "I promise to feed you next time."

You looked at King Baldwin IV who smiled wryly and said "A bird flying around room is bad omen". "That must be for me" "After all these verses are meant for me".

"You think too much love" your voice lowered to strong degree and suddenly King Baldwin IV felt chilly in his room. "I think we have interacted enough"

"My lov-"

"Enough"

Your attitude made King Baldwin IV feel offended . "You can't talk to me like that" Baldwin IV retorated. "So that's how it going to me" "I came here to have good time but it seems I won't be getting one". "Sleep love, I don't want to play games anymore".

Baldwin IV felt heavy sleep take over him and felt the world go dark around him.

Next day at early morning he woke up on his chair. The table had no food and bed had no gifts on them. "She must have cleaned the table and shifted the gifts" king Baldwin he reasoned, stretching and preparing to search for you, intending to give you a piece of his mind for your strange behavior. Exiting his chamber, he immediately noticed the tense and hurried atmosphere within the castle. People rushed about, their faces filled with fear. Worried and bewildered, he began to inquire, "Where is (Y/N)?" But no one had an answer.

"Brother" Princess Sybilla said as she came with grave expression looking as her tensed brother who said "It seems like (Y/N) is angry with me" "I can't find her anywhere".

"No, that's not true" "Please, remember to be strong for your god and your people"

"Of course, sister" "I am not so weak hearted" Baldwin IV replied offended.

"It was just one silly argument, which we had yesterday night" Baldwin IV explained. Confused Princess Sybilla said "What are you talking about?" Baldwin IV replied "She came to my room yesterday night". Confused sybilla said "That's not possible" "She died yesterday night". This time King Baldwin IV was shocked. "Dismayed, Baldwin IV protested, "No, that can't be true! Please, don't jest about this. Where is she? We had an argument last night, but it was just a petty quarrel". King Baldwin IV looked in verge of tears and sybilla felt sorry for her brother. Sybilla's eyes held the weight of a terrible truth as she delivered the dreadful news, "Brother, I would never joke about matters of life and death". "The knights and carriage rider warned her about the consequences of travelling in late hours but she wouldn't budge saying she longed your presence enough and as a result was willing to take the risk" "She passed away yesterday late hours after carriage accident".

"Late hours?". Baldwin IV fell into deep thought until he realised that's the time you came to visit him.

#baldwin iv #baldwin iv imagine #baldwin iv x reader #kingdom of heaven #kingdom of heaven 2005 #kingdom of heaven fanfic #kingdom of heaven fanfiction #kingdom of heaven fandom #kingdom of heaven headcanons #king baldwin iv

[darkwolf989]

I just read your latest one shot and I got this crazy brainrot. What if Lucifer's eldest fell? An angel who never knew of hell or evil, who fell because of her undying curiosity of it?

Oh gosh this took a hot minute- so sorry I'm behind on requests! This follows the first request of similar nature and will probably end up being a multi-part series if it gets good feedback and folks enjoy it! It was fun to write- I love switching POV's!

She didn’t understand why her father wouldn’t let her learn about hell. 

“But Dad, isn’t it better for me to understand, to avoid?” She pleaded the first time she was caught in his library. Digging through books she had no business being in, Adam lifted her up and cast her across the room carelessly. 

“Honor thy father and mother,” her father responded casually. “So stay the fuck away from those books because I said so. Got it?”

He walked away without another care in the world. Honestly, he probably didn’t. At the ripe age of seventeen, reader had learned If it wasn’t related to his girlfriend or his dick, her father simply wasn’t interested. 

Not that the idea was a new realization for her. Her father treated her with immense disdain. Her entire childhood had been a mix of severe punishment, harsh words, and next to no praise. She remembered standing, waiting outside the school door, reading alone for hours until he eventually showed up to take her home. 

But his mistreatment didn’t stop her burning thirst for knowledge. Given the copious amounts of alone time, she snuck into his library and read all there was to know about the angels- about their history. About the creation of humanity. She had gotten her hands on the final book the night Adam caught her. With this one final act of disobedience, and the stark ignorance of the newly formed angelic council, her father himself ripped her halo off and cast her into the pits of hell. 

Now as she stood alone in the dusty streets, the stench of poverty and failure wrapped her in a chokehold. Aimlessly, she wandered, desperately trying to find her way back to heaven. Back to her home. 

“Child? Art thou alone?” She heard a voice behind her. 

Her eyes fell to the tallest creature she had ever seen. He spoke in an accent, oldest than even the eldest angels. His robe was cooked in black, and save for the patched of green that outlined his face and his body, he could have been a shadowy. She looked down at the tattered remnants of her white gown. She supposed she was, but had enough sense to deny it vehemently.  After all, hell was evil and no one down here meant anything good. 

“I don’t believe thou,” the strange man answered. “Come, child. Allow me to return you to your home. Where you belong.” 

His hand wrapped in shadows around her upper arm and before she could protest, she felt herself yanked forward, wind rushed around her. She closed her eyes, terror sinking into her heart. This was death, she was sure of it. 

This was the hell her father spoke of.

#hazbin hotel #hazbin lucifer #hazbin hotel fandom #hazbin #lucifer morningstar #hazbin hotel lucifer #hazbin x reader #hazbin hotel adam

[rucbarthatbowtiesarecooldw]

Sunday Afternoon Session

Conducting: Quentin L Cook

Come Rejoice

D Todd Christofferson

A limiting trait is not being valiant in your testimony

Wholehearted devotion is what we should strive for

To make it to and stay in the Celestial Kingdom we must have a firm testimony of Jesus Christ and act on that testimony

Being Valiant in your testimony of Christ

Includes nurturing and strengthening that testimony

Heading His messengers

Encouraging others by word and example

We will not let anything keep us from being together forever

Do the things Jesus shall teach and command you

Taylor G Godoy

God hears our prayers and answers them in a personalized way

Mosiah 5:12

This life by its nature brings about experiences

Call Him, don’t fall

Just because you aren’t answered immediately doesn’t mean your call wasn’t answered at all

Confidence in the Lord’s answers requires accepting that they are not always what would expect in our minds for them to be.

The Lord is the first option for help

Call Don’t Fall (pray)

After prayer do all you can to obtain the answers you pray for

Humbly accept His answers

Softly and Tenderly, Jesus is Calling

Gary E Stevenson

Where is the foundation of your bridge?

The two towers are love the Lord thy God and love your neighbor as thyself – these are the towers that the bridge of the gospel is supported by

Loving the Lord leads to eternal Happiness

Bridges our heavenly upward gaze to our heavenly outward gaze

Love of the Lord is not complete if we do not love our neighbors

Loving your neighbors includes Christlike deeps of love and service

How are you building your tower of love?

“did God call on you specifically, or were you simply the one who listened?”

These towers need to function together in balance, equal devotion, and harmony

God loves everyone and so should we; we seek out those in need and serve them regardless of race, wealth, gender identity, sexual orientation, or anything else

God commanded us to love one another. Leave judgement up to Him

How do we build our own bridge of faith and devotion?

Early drafts become polished blueprints

Mathias Held

Consequences are a part of agency

Repentance is where growth happens

Seek to learn and accept support from the Lord

In the darkness of night we can turn on our lights

We can still choose how to respond to things out of our control

We are agents not objects.

Opposites don’t exist apart from each other, they can complement each other.

Where there is sunshine, shadows must be there too. Floods brings destruction but they bring life as well

Our difficulties do not define us – it is our attitudes and choices that define us much better than our situations

How Firm a Foundation

Niel L Anderson

It is breathtaking to see the works of God

Discipline your faith, what does that mean to you?

Eleazer Cearcy – sealing story – this is why listen to promptings

Angels have charge over us

Through the power of the Holy Ghost we are filled with strength and peace and joy and unspeakable hope.

Many different ways to see the face of Christ and no better place than in His holy house

Mark L Pace

Transform our homes into sanctuaries of faith

The scriptures are here to help us draw closer to Him

How can you avoid personal apostasy?

We are responsible for our own personal spiritual growth

The most important copy of the book of Mormon is the one you read

Heavenly Father wants you to know yourself – but you must put in the effort

Russell M Nelson

Called to apostles 40 years ago!

Six temples when he was born

Ponder what the Lord’s promise means for you personally

The priesthood was restored prior to the church – to ensure that the church could be organized with the correct authority

The priesthood keys are the only way we get the essential ordinances and covenants, the only way we can have blessings the way we do – we can extend all the blessings promised to/by Abraham to all God’s children

D&C 110

The gathering of Israel is evidence God loves all of His children everywhere

The gospel of Abraham is further evidence that God loves all of His children everywhere

The sealing power is supreme evidence that God loves all of His children everywhere and wants them to return to Him

Study Kirtland temple dedicatory prayer in D&C 109

Regular temple worship will enhance how you see yourself

The temple empowers us to take on the challenges of life

You do not have to face life alone

What courage does it give you to know that angels really will help you?

No combination of wickedness will prevail over those who worship in the house of the Lord

Nothing will help you more to hold fast to the iron rod than attending the temple as regularly as you can, nothing will protect you more, nothing will bolster your testimony of Christ and His atonement, or recognize the significance of His plan, nothing will soothe your spirit more, nothing will open the blessings of Heavens more

15 temples:

Uturoa, French Polynesia

Chihuahua, Mexico

Florianopolis, Brazil

Rosario, Argentina

Edinburgh, Scotland

Brisbane, Australia South Area

Victoria, British Colombia

Yuma, Arizona

Houston, Texas South Area

Des Moines, Iowa

Cincinnati, Ohio

Honolulu Hawaii

West Jordan Utah

Lehi Utah

Maracaibo, Venezuela

Now Let Us Rejoice

#genconf #tumblrstake #ldsconf #general conference #church of jesus christ of latter day saints #temples

[talonabraxas]

Watchers (also called Silent Watcher). An overseer of a hierarchy. Gottfried de PURUCKER states that such a being is a highly advanced spiritual entity who is, as it were, the summit or Supreme Chief of a spiritual-psychological hierarchy composed of beings beneath him and working under the Silent Watcher’s direct inspiration and guidance. The Silent Watchers, therefore, are relatively numerous, because every hierarchy, large or small, high or low, has its own particular Hierarch or Supreme Head a “Silent Watcher.” There are human “Silent Watchers” and there is a “Silent Watcher” for every globe of our Planetary Chain. There is likewise a Silent Watcher of the Solar System of vastly loftier state or stage etc. (Occult Glossary, p. 156)

In theosophical literature, three kinds of Watchers are mentioned: (1) The Watcher of each human being. This refers to the Monad or the divine prototype that guides the evolution of the individual. Its reincarnated lives and vehicles are the “shadows.” Helena P. BLAVATSKY wrote that such a Monad “is an individual Dhyan Chohan, distinct from others, a kind of spiritual individuality of its own, during one special Manvantara” (SD I:265). In the Voice of the Silence, she refers to this as “thy life-guide and thy true Self, the Watcher and the silent Thinker, the victim of thy lower Self.” (2) The Watcher of each root-race who comes “first in his own ‘form,’ then each time as an Avatāra” (CWVII:275). Such a being is also called the “Initiator” or the “Great Sacrifice” because he awaits spiritual pilgrims who are on their way back to the Unity. He is also called the Mahā-guru or Great Teacher, for he silently guides the Teachers of mankind. (3) the Watcher of each race or nation. Blavatsky wrote:

Each people and nation, as said already, has its direct Watcher, Guardian and Father in Heaven — a Planetary Spirit. (SD I:576)

[koogl001]

I have a request so......uh....here ya go *awkwardly delivers* Alastor finding out his s/o is a fallen angel. Like what if reader committed mass murder or smth up in heaven and got banished to hell???

(also if this is the second time you've seen this request I'm sorry. Tumblrs acting weird and wont tell me if my asks are going thru)

One-Shots and Headcanons Masterlist

Freedom, that’s all you ever wanted

Freedom to think, speak and do as you please

But there was no freedom in Heaven, there was only restrictions

You always felt trapped, like a bird in a cage, with wings that could take you anywhere in the world but unable to do so because of your imprisonment

God's Ten Commandments they called it, you called it giving up your freedom in order to live a life that was written out for you

There was only one thing you could do, and that was rebellion

You didn’t mind God sending you to Hell to repent, that was after all your goal

Now you were truly free to do as you pleased, with no one telling you what was right and what was wrong

When you first heard about the Happy Hotel, you just HAD to check it out

Not because you missed what you once had, no no no

It was because the idea seemed laughable to you

You knew there was no way for a sinner to ever atone, to save themselves from this burning inferno and escape to the safe haven called Heaven

And even if there was a way, you were more than sure that those who succeeded would regret their decision soon enough

That is how you met Alastor

He was a business partner with the owner of the Happy Hotel, the princess of Hell, Charlie Morningstar herself

He could tell you were different from the start, he just didn’t know how

And boy does he not like not knowing

He ordered his shadows to keep you under close surveillance, underestimating you dearly

You were a divine being and despite the fact you we no longer an inhabitant of Heaven, you still possessed your holy powers

The holy aura around you protected you burning Alastor’s shadow to a crisp in the process

You knew just what he was doing, and you weren’t gonna let him have the satisfaction of figuring you out

His frustration was just a cherry on top, making him more that perfect for you to play with

After all, you were now free to sin to your hearts content and he was your first target

But first, as a contribution to your new life and to spite the big man above, you decided to break all the Ten Commandments that tied you down and suffocated you for so long

You shall have no other God’s before me

You started building up your reputation in secret, gaining the title of the God of the Underworld for yourself

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven images

As a new God of Hell, you soon started gaining followers and as your first command for them as their new leader, you requested a statue, as big as a skyscraper of yourself which they ought to pray to in your name

Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain

As the self-proclaimed and later recognised God of the Underworld, you already had this one covered

Remember the Sabbath day and keep it Holy

It became your daily routine to go out on Saturdays and wreak as much havoc as you could, slaughtering anyone that stood in your path and leaving a blood bath behind you

Honor your father and mother

Come on, this one is too easy, no?

All you have to do is find your parents that are definitely in Hell if how they treated you was anything to go by, and just tell them to go fuck themselves right to their face

Thou shalt not kill

Say that to the little fucker that thought he could challenge you and take your tittle

Thou shalt not commit adultery

All it took was a single night getting hammered in the club, again too easy for your liking but hey, you were too petty and set in your goal so what is a girl to do

Thou shalt not steal

Making this one a challenge, instead of snatching up some clothes from a low security shop you decided to steal Alastor’s cane radio thingy, too bad it was in your possession for only a few hours before he “retrieved” it but making him mad but at the same time seeing him trying to restrict himself from killing you was entertaining enough

Thou shall not bear false witness

You should have seen Angel’s face when Vaggie charged at him

Hope it doesn’t have anything to do with the fact you might have told her he told you about fantasizing about Charlie giving him a b job

You shall not covet

Now that one was going to be a tough one

You had everything you could ask for, mainly because if you wanted something, you took it

Deep in thought about how to go about this one you didn’t realise Alastor was closely observing each of your moves

When you started with your little quest, he suspected it to be some kind of revenge for ending up in Hell but the more Commandments you broke, the more he realised this had to be personal

But how could a sinner have a personal vendetta against God?

There was only one way he figured; you weren’t a sinner at all

It would also explain why you looked more human-like, your strange powers, your aura and even why naturally you gravitated towards the hotel

Oh, how he would enjoy having the leverage over you, knowing your special little secret

You knew if word got out of you being who you really are, all of Hell would be out to get you

Don’t take me wrong, you’re more than strong but if the overlords, princes, rulers and such united, you wouldn’t stand a change

So, you had no other choice but to make a deal with the devil himself

He made you his personal maid, working you like a dog until you couldn’t even lift your hands anymore

The power he had over you was like a drug to him, and he just couldn’t get enough

But he hated how friendly and buddy-buddy the others were with you, ordering you to treat them as nothing but trash from now on and soon restricted you from even being in the same room as them

You were his and his alone, you didn’t need anyone else in your life

You were gifted a collar with Alastor’s name on it, after all who wouldn’t want to have an angel as their personal pet

How ironic, that you left heaven, finally escaping your cage with the hope freedom was what was awaiting you, only to fall into the chains of the deer demon, tying you down once again

#hazbin hotel #alastor #angel dust #hazbin hotel alastor #hazbin hotel angel dust #headcanon #alastor headcanons #alastor x reader #hazbin alastor #fanfiction #oneshot #reader insert #hazbin niffty #husk #charlie magne #hazbin charlie #vaggie #niffty #fat nuggets #helluva boss #alastor the radio demon #fanfic #hazbin hotel charlie #alastor headcanon #hazbin angel dust #hazbin demon #reader #hazbin hotel vox #valentino #yandere alastor

[alienwritestoo]

Hollow be Thy Name

Philza Minecraft had always been a father figure to all who needed him. He was a steady rock for turbulent teenagers, a welcoming presence for lost children, and a fierce protector of those who had lived far too little years to be allowed to deal with insidious threats on their lonesome.

But even he, a hardcore player who has lived for centuries, had a father once.

-----------------

The hardcore man holds his hat in his hand against an invisible wind, staring in shock at the man wearing an exact replica that shadowed their matching blue eyes.

Urahara Kisuke straightens slowly, turning towards him. His mouth quirks slightly as he meets Philza Minecraft’s gaze morphing into fury. 

“So son, this is what you’ve been up to.”

#qsmp #qsmp fanfiction #qsmp philza #mcyt fanfiction #crack fic #philza has a father figure now lol get recked

[searchingforserendipity25]

Music, Too That Sweet Madness. on ao3.

for @maedhrosmaglorweek. many thanks to @thelordofgifs for the beta.

-

"There art thou, dear heart."

"Nelyo, Maitimo, my lord Russandol! Have you fled likewise? I have fled to wander the shade a while, singing something less full of verve and cheer - I fear I shall go a little mad otherwise. Do I look mad?"

"Less wild about the eyes than Father, if that be any consolation."

"Some! Glad he is, and furious I think also; his laughter stung the eyes. His best beloved child, come into his own -"

"How happily wed is our brother! It does him good to have his eyes full of another face, that looks less like his own. And his wife has a fierce enough heart to dispute him for herself, which is better than might be expected."

"I would pity her more, if she looked less pleased with the contention for possession over the prize! They are gone now to their own joining, and only the revelers remain. I trust the spirits are high still. Didst enjoy the leaping and the dancing, and the dizzy stirring of the Mingling's own air?"

"The arias I liked well, for the power in them was fairly wielded; and the effect and impressions was most convincing."

"That is all! Meager praise thou givest me. Convincing - thou hast such a suspicious eye for artifice, not at all like our parents' child."

"Aye, indeed, what a dreadful lack of artistry is my heart - so suspicious it seems to me perhaps thou hast sung too convincingly. Wilt thou be unwell?"

"O, assuredly! Calling so much delight shades the spirit to weariness. 'Tis a rare skill, unfettering all the joy that might be found in a gathering, in fair and measured fashion. Skill has a price, and great singing demands its sacrifice. Tonight I keep my voice still, though tomorrow it may be ground to silence."

"Yet I note silence is not in your repertoire tonight!"

"Am I being too unpleasant? Be sure not to leave my side, even if I am."

"Was thy walk such a lonesome time as that?"

"Not so very much, I thought; till I saw thy height and breadth in the shadows coming towards me through the grass, up the path I left barely trodden upon the ground. Then my heart was glad. Perhaps I am not kind; but I would not like to be without thee, tonight."

"Thou shall be without me, as long as thou likest."

"That is false, but sweet falsity. I was unjust. Thou hast thine own artificiality, brother. I wonder at times -"

"Aye?"

"We are a people made for delight, are we not? In habits. It would not be such an effort to singers, if it were the true disposition of the Quendi."

"The rituals of wedding covenants are not those of our regular days. Though indeed 'twould be most convenient to have thy voice employed in willing the thoughts of all those who hear it - still it is not done, as a manner of domineering, for all the tiresome slow work of our courts might tempt it."

"Maitimo, for shame! Thou ought not make me laugh at tyranny. In truth I ought not speak inauspicious things, on such a day! My voice is very mighty."

"So it is!"

"Though not enough for a compliment, I gather."

"Thy singing rings still, and echoes in every graceful embrace, and all the twirling gestures and generous words. If that is the flattery thou wish’st, I can offer it, and know myself accurate. And thou were most helpful besides, in keeping together our parents and all the company guided in the most useful configuration of conversation, in the hosting and the leading of the dancing meters. My work was made easier for it, and our brother's wedding more joyful. Is this better?"

"Very! Fine tithe, for all my efforts. It went quite well, did it not? Perhaps I ought to be wed myself, now the order of efforts is charted terrain, and not so daunting."

"Thou dost surprise me. Shalt thou be wed, Káno?"

"Oh, I expect I shall. I have many friends, thou know'st; I am very beloved."

"So thou art! None love thee better than I, as none came to thee, here in the dark, when singing laid a shadow upon thy heart; but I suppose that is a high standard I mark."

"None!"

"I have made a good study of our company tonight, as thou know'st; and none, I say."

"Prove it! Say thou shalt not wed, not without my word of approval."

"That is not a just preposition, for I would not wed any thou didst not love also - while thou, Káno, wouldst not think to wait for my approval."

"That is true enough, I cannot be cross - but only because I know thou wouldst never give thy approval, even were I very happy. Thou seest, Maitimo, for all thy deliberation, and scorn of jealousy - I know how thou hast been made in our father's image."

"Makalaurë, thou hast made thyself drunk with thine own words."

"I do not know how Therindë did it. If I died, I would not wish thee to be happy, and glad, and wed whom thou likest and had many children. I would wish everyone who loved me to wear ugly clothes always, and be very unpleasant. Like Father."

"Thou art drunk. Dearest, say not such things. I am not to die."

"All the same. Thou must promise. Not to give thyself away - without my regard. For I too am very covetous, thou know'st, and I would have a say of such things, in death and love alike."

"So I swear - if thou shall come with me, and rejoin the revel. This dark wandering does ill to thee, I see, when thy spirit is spent and drunk with singing."

"So sworn?"

"So sworn, on thy own heart! Which, as we have so cleverly decided, must be shared, and mine likewise. I mind it less than I thought I would. But then thou hast ever been mine own minstrel, and with song I must share thee as well as I might."

"That is true; that I shall not be sorry for.” 

"Only do not be wed so soon! Nor can our household take the changing of the tides so soon, without a good arranging of affairs. I have arranged one such occasion already, and would have a time before taking up this hosting of joy once more, lest I turn mad myself, for far longer than it takes the effects of a Song of Power to fade in the air."

"I shall not. I do not at present have the heart for love. O, Nelyo! Is it possible to sing too well and too long of joy? I fear - and this is not singer's weariness alone - at times it does seem a store that may be spent."

"Come near, dear one. Rest here against my breast - thou art dizzy on thy feet! A long walk that was, for one so spent, and so heavy at heart; yet this spell shall soon pass."

"That is no consolation, and thy kindness I judge not very convincing, for my part. It always does come back."

"I know. So it is with the line of Therindë, each in our time. Think'st thyself alone in this malaise?"

"Never! I know thee, better than thou at times.”

“A lofty claim!”

“And true. What business, I might ask, has our father's eldest-born son evading the crowds, and the pride of a good task, and all the pleasure of company, to hunt a mislaid thing of his when it goes walking by itself? At least a hound thou couldst leash decently, and a wife might be commanded as decree the Laws - so too a servant likewise."

"Káno, thou dost speak worse than unkindness, and more than madness."

"Still thou art the one who speak as master of the household! Ai, here my lord Russandol is eager to lift a noble finger, and order my silence. He shall not have it - tonight I cannot silence myself, even when I wish it, and know it to be best."

"And so I must not have my anger roused, then? I love thee best - still thou dost make that a trial."

"Leave it - I know. Dost thou think I do not? In the morrow I shall be good, and come sit with my head upon your knees, and apologize. Thou know'st I shall. Does that satisfy?"

"It shall satisfy, when thou dost obey as I called."

"Very well! I shall follow, if thou likest. Let us return to the gathering, and hope the Mingling wanes fast. The light wounds my eyes, tonight; I fear I shall weep, and it is a vain singer than cries with his own song as the cause.”

#maglor #maedhros #years of the trees #maedhrosmaglorweek #silm fic #tolkien fanfiction

[tinyshe]

Hi I was wondering if I could ask you for a Prayer Request for my friend Sally Davis🙏🏻 She is waiting to receive brain surgery on her frontal lobe and she needs all the prayers she can get. Thank You so Much and God Bless 🙏🏻🕊️👼🏻

Dear Lord, it is times like these that we have fears and tears -- let us always remember the you are the Giver of Life and The Great Physician, let our trust in You so we be stronger than our fears. Let us always pray 'Jesus I Trust In You', for your Love and Mercies are always great, that we can come in confidence, knowing that You love us with a greater Love. Father, you know all about Sally's needs; we ask for your healing touch, to help guide her surgeons' hands. Lord, we pray that Sally will recover quickly from her surgery, to rejoice and give You praise.

God, we are feeble beings, shaking when the shadow of death seems to stand in our door or a great danger enters our life. We ask that you strengthen us: strengthen Sally, her family and friends. Give us the strength to remember to always give praise in all circumstances, for Thy will be done. This we ask in Jesus name, amen.

Our Lady of Lourdes, please intercede for us.

St Bernadette, please pray for us.

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, amen

Friends, if you would please join us in prayer for Sally, her family and friends during this difficult time. Thank you and God Bless.

#prayer request #healing

[officialyourdailyinspiration]

Help from On High

by Charles Spurgeon

O Thou who art King of kings and Lord of lords, we worship Thee. Before Jehovah’s awful throne, we bow with sacred joy.

We can truly say that we delight in God. There was a time when we feared Thee, O God, with the fear of bondage. Now we reverence, but we love as much as we reverence. The thought of Thine omnipresence was once horrible to us. We said, “Whither shall we flee from His presence?” and it seemed to make hell itself more dreadful, because we heard a voice, “If I make my bed in hell, behold, Thou art there.” But now, O Lord, we desire to find Thee. Our longing is to feel Thy presence and it is the heaven of heavens that Thou art there. The sick bed is soft when Thou art there. The furnace of affliction grows cool when Thou art there and the house of prayer, when Thou art present, is none other than the house of God and it is the very gate of heaven.

Come near, our Father, come very near to Thy children. Some of us are very weak in body and faint in heart. Soon, O God, lay Thy right hand upon us and say unto us, “Fear not.” Peradventure, some of us are alike and the world is attracting us. Come near to kill the influence of the world with Thy superior power.

Even to worship may not seem easy to some. The dragon seems to pursue them and floods out of his mouth wash away their devotion. Give to them great wings as of an eagle, that each one may fly away into the place prepared for him, and rest in the presence of God today.

Our Father, come and rest Thy children now. Take the helmet from our brow, remove from us the weight of our heavy armour for awhile, and may we just have peace, perfect peace, and be at rest. Oh! help us, we pray Thee, now. As Thou hast already washed Thy people in the fountain filled with blood and they are clean, now this morning wash us from defilement in the water. With the basin and with the ewer, O Master, wash our feet again. It will greatly refresh. It will prepare us for innermost fellowship with Thyself. So did the priests wash ere they went into the holy place.

Lord Jesus, take from us now everything that would hinder the closest communion with God. Any wish or desire that might hamper us in prayer remove, we pray Thee. Any memory of either sorrow or care that might hinder the fixing of our affection wholly on our God, take it away now. What have we to do with idols anymore? Thou hast seen and observed us. Thou knowest where the difficulty lies. Help us against it and may we now come boldly, not into the Holy place alone, but into the Holiest of all, where we should not dare to come if our great Lord had not rent the veil, sprinkled the mercy seat with His own blood, and bidden us enter.

Now, we have come close up to Thyself, to the light that shineth between the wings of the cherubim, and we speak with Thee now as a man speaketh with his friends. Our God, we are Thine. Thou art ours. We are now concerned in one business—we are leagued together for one battle. Thy battle is our battle and our fight is Thine. Help us, we pray Thee. Thou who didst strengthen Michael and his angels to cast out the dragon and his angels, help poor flesh and blood that to us also the word may be fulfilled, “The Lord shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.”

Our Father, we are very weak. Worst of all we are very wicked if left to ourselves and we soon fall a prey to the enemy. Therefore, help us. We confess that sometimes in prayer when we are nearest to Thee at that very time some evil thought comes in, some wicked desire. Oh! what poor simpletons we are. Lord, help us. We feel as if we would now come closer to Thee still and hide under the shadow of Thy wings. We wish to be lost in God. We pray that Thou mayest live in us, and not we live, but Christ live in us and show Himself in us and through us.

Lord, sanctify us. Oh! that Thy spirit might come and saturate every faculty, subdue every passion, and use every power of our nature for obedience to God.

Come, Holy Spirit, we do know Thee. Thou hast often overshadowed us. Come, more fully take possession of us. Standing now as we feel we are, right up at the Mercy Seat, our very highest prayer is for perfect holiness, complete consecration, entire cleansing from every evil. Take our heart, our head, our hands, our feet, and use us all for Thee. Lord, take our substance, let us not hoard it for ourselves, nor spend it for ourselves. Take our talent, let us not try to educate ourselves that we may have the repute of being wise, but let every gain of mental attainment be still that we may serve Thee better.

May every breath be for Thee, may every minute be spent for Thee. Help us to live while we live, and while we are busy in the world as we must be, for we are called to it, may we sanctify the world for Thy service. May we be lumps of salt in the midst of society. May our spirit and temper as well as our conversation be heavenly. May there be an influence about us that shall make the world the better before we leave it. Lord, hear us in this thing.

And now that we have Thine ear, we would pray for this poor world in which we live. We are often horrified by it. O, Lord, we could wish that we did not know anything about it for our own comfort. We have said, “Oh! for a lodge in some vast wilderness.” We hear of oppression and robbery and murder, and men seem let loose against each other. Lord, have mercy upon this great and wicked city. What is to be done with these millions? What can we do? At least help every child of Thine to do his utmost. May none of us contribute to the evil directly or indirectly, but may we contribute to the good that is in it.

We feel we may speak with Thee now about this, for when Thy servant Abraham stood before Thee and spake with such wonderful familiarity to Thee, he pleaded for Sodom, and we plead for London. We would follow the example of the Father of the Faithful and pray for all great cities, and indeed for all the nations. Lord, let Thy kingdom come. Send forth Thy light and Thy truth. Chase the old dragon from his throne, with all his hellish crew. Oh! that the day might come when even upon earth the Son of the woman, the Man-child, should rule the nations, not with a broken staff of wood, but with an enduring sceptre of iron, full of mercy, but full of power, full of grace, but yet irresistible. Oh! that that might soon come, the personal advent of our Lord! We long for the millennial triumph of His Word.

Until then, O Lord, gird us for the fight and make us to be among those who overcome, through the blood of the Lamb and through the word of our testimony, because we “love not our lives unto the death.”

We lift our voice to Thee in prayer, also, for all our dear ones. Lord, bless the sick and make them well as soon as it is right they should be. Sanctify to them all they have to bear. There are also dear friends who are very weak, some that are very trembling. God bless them. While the tent is being taken down, may the inhabitant within look on with calm joy, for we shall by-and-by “be clothed upon with our house that is from heaven.” Lord, help us to sit very loose by all these things here below. May we live here like strangers and make the world not a house but an inn, in which we sup and lodge, expecting to be on our journey tomorrow.

Lord, save the unconverted and bring out, we pray Thee, from among them those who are converted, but who have not confessed Christ. May the Church be built up by many who, having believed, are baptized unto the sacred name. We pray Thee go on and multiply the faithful in the land. Oh! that Thou wouldst turn the hearts of men to the Gospel once more. Thy servant is often very heavy in heart because of the departures from the faith. Oh! bring them back. Let not Satan take away any more of the stars with his tail, but may the lumps of God shine bright. Oh! Thou that walkest amongst the seven golden candlesticks trim the flame, pour forth the oil, and let the light shine brightly and steadily. Now, Lord, we cannot pray any longer, though we have a thousand things to ask for. Thy servant cannot, so he begs to leave a broken prayer at the Mercy Seat with this at the foot of it, we ask in the name of Jesus Christ Thy Son. Amen.