#listen. forgiveness is a theme v dear to my heart

[silvaswiftcast]

Fluffvember Prompt #15 Free Day: Golden Hour

Characters: Silva Cataracta, Ricmorn Cataracta, and Hien Rijin

Rating: General

Notes: The scene takes place sometime before Shadowbringers Patch 5.5! There are some Shadowbringers spoilers in this, so please be careful! This song (Golden Hour by JVKE) has been saved to my FFXIV Writing playlist on Spotify since I heard it for the first time over a year ago and it left me in TEARS. It honestly fits them so well and I cannot help but think of them whenever it happens to come up in my playlist. And then I will usually immediately go and start writing something about them while it plays, if I'm not already doing so in the first place. Words contained in [brackets] are in another language, in this case, it's Doman.

Content Warnings/Additional Tags: Polyamory Relationship (V Relationship), M/F/M Relationship, Playful Banter/Teasing, Midly Suggestive Themes, Mild Angst (very, very mild), Mentions of Anxiety/Depression, Implied References to PTSD, Mentions of Near Death Experiences, Domestic Fluff.

Silva didn’t know what to think when she watched Ricmorn sit at the large grand piano at the other end of the ballroom. Her curious gaze watched his every move, how he adjusted the seat slightly and played a few quick notes to see if he had the right starting pitches. The soft, sweet notes filled the air and resonated in her ivory horns, gaining the attention of the rest of their friends and drawing them to gather around.

And she felt her heart thunder against her ribs when the Lord of Doma came to stand on her left, his fingers barely brushing against hers when no one was looking. She fought the urge to turn her head and grin at him.

“I have a gift for you, my dear,” the tall Au Ra said aloud, playing a few more notes to build up playful tension. 

“A gift?” she repeated, intrigued, raising an eyebrow at him. The dancer took a few steps forward, her heels clicking against the smooth white marble flooring, and her long skirts swished with each step. “A song for me, perhaps? That would be a treat! It’s been a while since I’ve heard you play, my love.”

Silva always loved to sit and listen to Ricmorn play the piano whenever the mood struck.

Sometimes, Ricmorn would play long, soft melodies whenever she was reading or cooking a meal while staying in their apartment in Kugane or their house in Ul’dah. He would usually play when they had small gatherings with the rest of their Scion friends or some of the Alliance leaders (primarily Aymeric, Lyse, and Hien). On the rare occasion when he couldn’t sleep at night, he would quietly get up, doing his best not to disturb his slumbering wife, and play whatever came to mind. They would be old favorites of his, favorites of hers, or entirely new pieces of music.

However, she would typically wake up and follow him to listen to the usually stoic man bare his heart and soul in the form of music. Such a beautiful and heartfelt display of vulnerability in its own way. Sometimes, words were just never enough.

But she understood him better than anyone else on the star.

So when he stopped playing his favorite instrument for a while after they and the rest of their companions returned from the First officially, it broke her heart. Silva knew why. Her beloved husband was stressing over things that were out of his control and having a difficult time sorting through his powerful emotions in ways that were healthy. He was angry, hurt, and confused. Frustratingly lost. She happily let him have whatever space he needed. It took him a while to come to terms with his feelings and accept the things he could not change.

And now they were stronger than ever.

He grinned at her, amusement dancing in his sky-blue eyes. “True — forgive me for that. To make up for it, I’ve been working on this piece off and on for a few weeks now when your head was in the clouds.”

Her ivory horns heard all the Bright giggles and chuckles happening behind her. She laughed along with them, her light blue-gray cheeks flushing a little.

“Did you now?” she hummed, her long ivory tail swaying from side to side. “How did you manage to do that? Considering I’ve been by your side almost the entire time.”

Almost.

“With the help of a dear friend of ours,” was his smug reply.

Silva bit her lip and shook her head as more laughter sounded behind her. It took everything in her not to look over her shoulder to glance at Hien to know he was smiling at her. So that explained why he somehow always knew when she had free time and kept her mind busy — as well as other things. Not that she was complaining by any means. She loved spending time with him whenever the chance came up.

Though their relationship was still a secret from their friends (but it was becoming very obvious to those who paid close attention), she could imagine they all knew who this “dear friend” was. She would have to prepare herself for the flack they would all give her later.

But that wasn’t important right now. Her attention was solely on her husband as she eagerly waited for him to continue.

“We’ve been through a lot lately, haven’t we, Silv?”

Her horns picked up on the hint of sadness in his deep voice, and she nodded. A part of her understood that not only was Ricmorn speaking for himself but for the other man who held her heart in his hands.

“Yes, we have,” she agreed, her voice soft. “More than any couple should go through if I’m being honest.”

The Auri woman had nearly died — her soul almost torn asunder and beyond repair. Emet-Selch had wormed his way into her heart and mind and tried to make her into a twisted version of herself that existed in a world lost eons ago. She and Ricmorn were nearly lost in the Void when they fought Elidibus together. Their struggles put their relationship to the test repeatedly, and yet they still came through on the other side.

And she discovered not only did she have one, but two soulmates. Hien was also her soulbond — the missing piece that suddenly brought her entire world together, and everything just made sense.

“And yet we are still here,” he pointed out, beaming. A precious vow.

The warmth of love and eternal gratitude flashed across the connection she shared with her husband, erasing whatever heartache she felt. “And yet we are still here,” she repeated, smiling.

They would remain standing tall no matter what life threw their way. This she knew, this she believed.

Ricmorn played another round of notes, humming along with them this time as he tried to ease the racing of his heart. “Even then, through all the good times and the bad, to the little moments in between, there is no one else in the world I could imagine by my side,” he told her after taking a deep breath. “I love you with everything that I have, Silva. There is nothing in the world — seven hells, in the entire cosmos at this point — that could ever change how I feel about you and how much you truly mean to me. You will always be my guiding star.”

You will be my guiding star in this lifetime and all the lifetimes that will come afterward. That is my promise to you.

Her husband hadn't even started playing the piano yet, and there were already tears in her eyes. She did her best to blink them away, a watery laugh escaping her. “And I love you just as much, Ricmorn! I always have and always will!” she promised, fighting the urge to run over and kiss him until he was breathless. “Pray… Pray know that.”

The Au Ra would save that for later in the evening when she was alone with him and Hien.

“[Then this is for you, sweetheart. From both of us,]” he chuckled in Doman.

From both— Wait! Did that mean—

Before Silva could give a response of any kind, Ricmorn finally started playing the piano.

The musical notes were light and sweet in her ivory horns, a beautiful melody she had never heard. A brand new piece of music — just for her. Her lips instantly curved into a huge grin as she watched and listened to him play, his fingers gliding along the keys with practiced ease. And he was happy. Silva could see it from here. The sight filled her with joy, and she hoped she would see him like this more often in the days ahead of them.

But nothing could have prepared the Raen for when he started singing.

I was all alone with the love of my life

She's got glitter for skin

My radiant beam in the night

I don't need no light to see you

Shine

It's your golden hour

You slow down time

In your golden hour…

“O-oh…” she whispered, stunned.

The tears from earlier came flooding back. Silva brought her hand to her mouth to stifle a small sob that bubbled up from her chest. She felt the power behind those words. How they made her heart race against her ribs and blood rush loudly in her horns. There was no doubt in her mind that her husband meant each and every single word he sang aloud. And she knew if Hien could join him, he would.

They loved her — it showed in their actions and kind words whenever they were together. And she loved them in return.

She couldn’t help but laugh. The sound was bright and a little breathy, but it was all she could do to prevent herself from crying. He left her utterly speechless. The mischievous gleam in Ricmorn’s eyes told her he knew what she was trying to do, and he offered her a sly wink before inclining his head towards someone behind her as he continued with the song.

Her horns barely picked up the quiet footsteps approaching her over the music. Silva turned when she felt someone lightly tap her bare shoulder, wide sea-green eyes finding pretty hazel ones looking down at her. A soft gasp left her when Hien held out his hand to her in a silent question to dance with him, and she could only hope she contained as much of her excitement as possible so their friends wouldn’t make fun of her later. Though the deep chuckles that shook his broad shoulders and chest told her she didn’t do a good job as her long tail whipped back and forth against her long skirts when she slipped her hand into his.

In the end, the Au Ra didn’t care. Not at all.

The couple fell into a slow sway as his other arm encircled her waist, and her free hand rested against his chest — right over his heart. The young lord grinned at her when she giggled, giving her side a gentle squeeze as he pulled her closer. So impossibly closer. She could feel his heart beat rapidly under her fingertips as they danced together. They let themselves get lost in their own little world as everything and everyone melted around them.

Until it was just them, Ricmorn, and the beautiful music being played on the grand piano that was left in the grand ballroom.

Nothing else mattered.

The dancer let out short squeals of glee when her other lover would spin them in fast circles, loving every second of this. How he chuckled when she giggled, basking in her joy — their shared joy. She would lean into his touch as his fingers brushed against her skin through the keyhole cutout in the back of her dress to steady her. And as the strong chords built up again, she let him guide her into a series of slow side steps before another, much calmer circle.

That was when Silva noticed her beloved lord was singing along with Ricmorn — in Doman and at a volume only she could hear.

I was all alone with the love of my life

She's got glitter for skin

My radiant beam in the night

I don't need no light to see you

Shine

It's your golden hour…

Her tears fell freely now, rolling down her cheeks as she followed his lead. They glided across the polished marble floor, twirled, turned, and swayed as if they had been doing this for years. Perhaps in a forgotten lifetime long ago, they did. The long skirts of her midnight blue dress spun around with her in wide circles, and even through her tears, Silva laughed with so much happiness. She couldn’t take her eyes off of the Hyur, and she squeezed his hand, silently hoping, praying, he knew just how much she loved him at this very moment. How his peridot eyes lit up and how he returned her loving squeeze told her he did.

You slow down time

In your golden hour…

The music was slowing down now, and so did their steps. They were both well aware of the curious looks and gazes filled with intrigue from their friends. They knew questions would rain upon them, and rumors would spread around the star like wildfire. (As if they hadn't already.)

Neither of them cared. That was a problem they could deal with tomorrow.

As they swayed together again, all Silva could think about was how the last six years of her life had led her to this point.

The sacrifices she made in the name of good and right. All the hard choices she had to live with. The sleepless nights and the crushing guilt she carried with her over the years. The hurt, pain, and suffering. All the blood, sweat, and tears to see a better world — a better tomorrow for everyone she cared about.

It was all worth it. It was all worth it to stand here today with her two soulbonds and live her life on her terms.

Silva loved them.

She loved them. She loved them. She—

The Doman couple halted when the last notes faded into the air, and all was silent. They stared at one another for several long heartbeats. Their chests rose and fell slightly unevenly from their dancing and emotions. Silva expected Hien to step back and let her go, but he pulled her into a sweet embrace instead. She was a little surprised at first but was more than happy to return it, doing her best to ignore all the whistles and cheers coming from their friends.

“[I love you, wildflower — more than you will ever know,]” he whispered beside her horn, his voice trembling. He wanted to press a kiss to her temple but shoved the urge away and held her tighter to him. “[Being able to call you mine for the last year has been so incredibly wonderful. It is a dream. Not a day goes by that I’m not grateful for having you in my life. Pray know when the world is at peace and doesn’t need its favorite Warrior of Light to save it, I look forward to having you at my side. Always.]”

To call you mine the last year—

Oh… she and Hien had officially been together for a year now. Today was their anniversary.

How did time fly by so quickly?

“[And I love you, my heart,]” she murmured back, sniffling. She buried her face into the crook of his neck, inhaling his comforting scent of sandalwood, ginger, and bright citrus.“[So, so much. A year already? I— I can’t believe it! I’m at a loss for words — forgive me.]”

Hien let out a bark of laughter, pulling away from her. “[There’s nothing to forgive. We can talk more about it later, I promise.]”

However, Silva knew it would be less talking and more of… something else. Not that she minded in the slightest.

She turned in time to see Ricmorn had walked over to join them. His lips turned up into a wide grin.

“So, did you—”

He didn’t get to finish his question as his wife jumped up and threw her arms around his neck, stumbling backward a little from the force. Rich laughter shook his colossal frame as he held her close, pressing several kisses to the top of her head. He could hear a few more sniffles leave her when his beige horn rubbed against her ivory one, a comforting growl rumbling in his chest to help soothe the tearful woman in his arms.

“Hey now, it’s okay, sweetheart. It’s okay.”

“Thank you,” she mumbled. “Thank you so much — for everything. For loving me the way you do.”

The way you both do.

The Auri man gently shushed her. “Of course. We would do anything and everything for you, darling. That’s our promise.”

#ffxiv writing #ffxiv fanfiction #ffxiv #silva writes #hien x wol #hienwol #wol x wol #hien x wol x wol #ffxiv writers #poly ship #fluffvember ffxiv things #Fluffvember FFXIV Edition

[daddy-ul]

I'm putting this forward: if they do this, I will cry a river and then some.

#HOW DO I NOT THINK ABOUT IT #for real. FOR REAL. #listen. forgiveness is a theme v dear to my heart #tumblr user daddy-ul admits it #shame. forgiveness.... that's the stuff #and the idea that maybe MAYBE by the time i'll be sixty... i'll be able to forgive myself? #it's worth striving for. it's worth it. i want it #parasocializing moment or whatever: i do hope that james will always be able to forgive himself #song related #UN3 #the unforgiven iii #the unforgiven trilogy #jinn contemplates life. metallica and life. #jinn out #oversharing is my mo

[rosemary-morgan]

Arthur Morgan X F.Reader: The shadows of my past - Part 4

Finally! Here comes part 4 of “The shadows of my past”  This time you will find a link to a song at the beginning of the story.

I want to thank everyone for the likes, reblogs and comments! Thank you very much, dear ones!!! 🌷🌼

Please excuse my mistakes. English isn´t my native language 

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3

Warning: Fluff, NSFW and later violence, Mention of sexual violence

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The shadows of my past - part 4

Dragon Age Inquisition - Love theme

Arthur became speechless after your confession. You were married? He stopped it to caress you through your hair and you could instantly feel how tense he became. You slowly pulled yourself out of his embrace and looked at him uncertainly, and Arthur looked deep into your eyes. It was almost as if he wanted to seek in your eyes for the truth to understand why you had run away. "Why did you run away, darling?" You had to sigh softly and your gaze went down for a moment. It wasn´t easy for you to talk about your past, but you also knew it was unhealthy to keep it quiet. The negative feelings that had been buried in you for years, had left a deep wound in you. How many times did you cry alone at night? And for hours, because you had this sad sense of self-hatred and fear while feeling lonely and alone. "He... did bad things to me, Arthur. His name is... Jeffrey Hantoon. Main is my mother's name. I didn´t want to be Mrs. Hantoon anymore..." Your words were just a whisper, but Arthur had understood every word and he had to swallow hard when he heard that. Your eyes showed him that there were many scars in your soul. Many scars that you had hidden for years and now burst and bleed again. That's what happened to him. Arthur didn´t know if he would bear the truth, but he couldn´t and wouldn´t let you down now. Not now, where you needed him, because you had been with him when he had sought comfort in your arms. "Come here" Arthur whispered, pulling you back into his arms.

You cuddle up to his warm chest as Arthur strokes your hair and you closed your eyes to listen to the sound of his heartbeat. Where should you start with your story? There were many things to tell, but many things weren´t easy to bear, especially not for you. The memories of your marriage to Jeffrey Hantoon were more than disgusting. You had to sigh again when you just opened your mouth to say something, but a thick knot was forming in your throat. "I... it's not easy to talk about it, Arthur." "I know...", he replied and kissed your temple tenderly. Over and over again, while his hand stroked your arm. "You don´t have to justify yourself, Y/N. Everyone has secrets." Arthur whispered. "I'm afraid of him, Arthur. I'm afraid he'll find me someday." You clung to his shirt and you felt how tight Arthur was hugging you. "He will kill me, Arthur. I dared to hurt him and to leave him. I took his son away from him, but I had no choice but to flee, Arthur. I couldn´t stand it anymore. I couldn´t stand the endless insults and violence anymore." Joseph knew nothing of all these things and he was never allowed to know! The only thing you ever told to Joseph was that his dad was dead and that was a lie. But what choice did you had? If Joseph knew that his father was still alive, then he would constantly ask for him and want to see him too. But you couldn´t let that happen!

Jeffrey was violent and very dangerous and Joseph shouldn´t become like his father. Never! When you got married five years ago, the world was fine. You were happy with Jeffrey because he was very loving at the beginning of your relationship. He was older than you, to be exact, fifteen years older. Back when you were married, you were only 22 years old and you didn´t care. Jeffrey had been a charming, handsome man and he had conquered your heart. When he once made you so many promises and you were so naive. You were once in love with him and immediately married him after he proposed to you. But shortly after your wedding, the violence started. He beat you, threatened you, cursed you... For two years, you had to go through this pain, but at some point, you couldn´t stand it anymore. You were afraid for the life of your child and your own life. Jeffrey had beaten Joseph before and you would never forgive this monster. "I was so stupid, Arthur. I'd forgiven him over and over again, and he always telling me it was the last time he hit me and he never wanted to do that. He wasn´t in control of his anger!" You still couldn´t understand why you stayed with him for so long. But you were afraid. Afraid of the consequences that would have come upon you, if you had dared to leave him. Arthur listened to you very carefully and didn´t interrupt you. He tried to stay calm, but in his soul, he screamed aloud. Anger and disgust for your tormentor blazed in him, like a fire that devoured everything in him. "There was always something wrong with what I did. There had been a certain order at home and if this was not kept, well..." You had to gasp softly and you rolled your eyes. The memories of his rules were so ridiculous. Jeffrey was ridiculous and that made you shake your head and break you out of Arthur's embrace. You rose from your seat and walked a little restless on the porch. Your eyes remained fixed on the floor as you nervously bite your fingernails and think about what secrets you might reveal. Arthur didn´t take his bright eyes away from you as you stood in front of him and he had to admit that he was worried about you. He had never seen you so lost...

"One night, it was very awful", you said quietly and you felt your eyes fill with tears. You would never forget that awful night three years ago in your entire life. "He came home late at night and I was already asleep, but he came into the bedroom, came to me and started to touch me... I woke up and I could smell that he was drunk." He had stunk of alcohol and tobacco and sweat... it had just been disgusting. You could hear Arthur sigh heavily. He wasn´t prepared for what you told him. "I told him that I wasn´t in the mood, but he insisted. I'm his wife and I had to fulfill my duties..." Your voice trembled and you suddenly burst into tears. You didn´t have to say anything anymore, because Arthur understood and he could already imagine how that story ended. "That night, I left this house with my son." You turned to Arthur and looked at him with a sad expression that almost killed him. Until today, he hadn´t realized how deeply hurt your soul was. "And Joseph thinks his father is dead?" You nod and went back to Arthur to sit next to him. "Yes", you whispered. You felt nothing but hate for your husband. You hate this monster from the bottom of your heart. "And he must never know he's alive, Arthur. Never!" You looked Arthur in the eyes and your expression was full of worry and fear. The handsome man stroked carefully with the back of his hand over your cheek, as you tell him more details. "I fled, Arthur. I took his money and left the house with Joseph. I didn´t know where to go, but I knew he would kill me and probably my son!" It has been a very difficult time for you but you did it well and now you were here. Three years later. It hadn´t been easy, but you had fought for your son and for your freedom. "I wasn´t his wife Arthur. I was his property. An object to satisfy his needs." When Arthur heard that, he closed his eyes and swallowed hard because your words were hard to bear. "That god damn animal!", growled Arthur and you reached for his hand as soon as you realize he got angry. "Arthur... please don´t", you whispered and looked at him worried. You couldn´t endure it when a man got angry. Your experience with Jeffrey had left it with great fears. Of course, you knew that Arthur would never let his anger or annoyance out on you, but it would take a long time for you to completely lose that fear. "I´m sorry, darling, but... what you're telling me is making me very angry! Angry at that son of a bitch who treated you like dirt!"

Carefully, Arthur grabbed your tender shoulders and he looked at you worried, while he was still processing your words in his head. "My God... I wish you had never had to go through this." Tears ran down your cheeks, but you had to smile. Arthur was so incredibly lovely. "Me too, Arthur", you whispered and you leaned your forehead against him, while he placed his arms around your back and moving his fingers gently over your spine. His fingers ran through your hair and you could see in his eyes how much he suffers with you. "I'll never let anything happen to you or Joseph, Y/N" Arthur whispered. "I know, Arthur." "I love you, Y/N. More than you can imagine." You snuggled into his strong arms and closed your eyes, knowing that you could trust him ...

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The first rays of the sun fell through the window into your bedroom and danced on your skin. A soft gasp of pleasure could be heard from your mouth, while Arthur lay between your legs and satisfied you with his full lips and his tongue. His tongue slipped between your wet folds and you lay relaxed on your back while you enjoyed his touches this morning. "Arthur", you gasped softly as you stroking him through his dirty blond hair. You had to smile at the feeling of his beard, which felt a little rough on your skin, but that didn´t bother you. When Arthurs's tongue found your swollen pearl and he began to suck on it, you had to gasp with pleasure and for Arthur, this was the most beautiful sound. "Arthur", you whispered again and your hips pressed against his mouth and when you believed that this feeling couldn´t be more intense, he took your legs and put them on his strong shoulders and you thought you would lose your mind. Your head fell back into the pillow and you had to gasp hard because what Arthur did was the purest seduction. It hadn´t taken long and an incredible orgasm flowed through your body. You could hear him moaning softly and with pleasure, and he couldn´t stop satisfying you this way. He enjoyed it so much. He sucked on your swollen clit and introduced two fingers into your wet and soft pussy. "A-Arthur... Ahhh!" His eyes were full of lust and as he looked up at you, he purred at the sight of your trembling body. You were so beautiful and he enjoyed watching the pleasure in your face. He came up to you and his warm, strong body lay down on yours. Your arms wrapped around his broad neck, your legs opened for your beloved one and he slid into you with a powerful thrust...

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"How will we continue, Arthur? With our relationship? " Your question was just a whisper as you gently stroke his soft chest hair and listening to the beat of his heart. Arthur had heard every word and he had to admit that he didn´t know. He loved you and Joseph very much and the thought of losing you was unbearable to him. His fingers moved gently over your arm, again and again, while he looked up at the ceiling in thought and sighed softly. He had to admit that Dutch's idea of ​​Tahiti and all that shit was just a delusion. Slowly but surely, everything fell, like a god damn house of cards. Arthur realized, that he and the others risked their lives for a dream that simply had no future. But now, here he was with you and you were his future. A future that was realistic. You were also his presence and you were the woman he loved. Should he give it all up for Dutch's dreams? For Dutch's madness? Dutch only did things that put Arthur and the others in mortal danger. Arthur had already given up so much for him, but now he had to and wanted to be selfish and think of himself. To think of you and Joseph. You were part of his life now and he wouldn´t throw it away. "I don´t want to lose you, Y/N." Arthur whispered, and you looked up at him. His eyes looked deep into yours and you said nothing, enjoying that intimate moment with him. His eyes revealed so much to you and you couldn´t put into words what you were feeling right now. "For years, I was afraid to start loving a woman again... I was afraid of losing a family again, and I wouldn´t endure that a second time." His words moved you to tears and you snuggled up to his chest, closing your eyes and whispering to him that he would never lose you, for you too loved him and can´t imagine a life without him. "I need time, Y/N. Time and money, then I can disappear. I´ll start a new life, an honest life. With you and Joseph."

Arthur didn´t know the meaning of an honest life but that was the only thing he wanted. A life without being constantly on the run from the law. The life of a normal man who works on a farm and takes care of his animals. This thought was very beautiful and he knew that this life was close enough and he wouldn't throw away this opportunity. The woman he desired and loved lay in his arms. Her son was like his child. Life had given him a second chance and he wasn´t allowed to lose it. "Before you came into my life, there was so much chaos in me... so much anger and loneliness. I was lost, Y/N. But since you are with me, I see everything with different eyes. Suddenly, everything makes sense... and I wake up. And I´m glad, Y/N. After all these years, I'm happy." You had to smile when Arthur said that to you. It flatters you to hear that. "You know how to talk to a woman, Arthur", you said and you lay down on his body, looking into his surprised face. "What?" You asked and smirked at his questioning expression. "Hell, no! I have no idea how to talk to women." Arthur was convinced of that, but you just shook your head with a smile and stroked his hair with your tender fingers. "That's not true, darling. You're very charming, Arthur. Passionate and tender.", you said quietly and Arthur had to swallow. For real? Was he like that? He looked a bit shy aside and he had to smile. "If you say so..." "I mean it, Arthur." You chuckled and kissed his cheek. You would love to spend the whole day in this bed with Arthur, but you both had obligations to fulfill.

Arthur had to leave after breakfast since he had a few orders that unfortunately could not be moved. Of course, you could understand it and you knew that Arthur would soon return to you. Of course, you were worried about him, because you could well imagine that his orders were not without danger. But you could do nothing but hope that he would come back to you. It was always hard for you both when he had to leave. The dangers weren´t to be underrated. "Please take care of yourself, Arthur, and come back to me", you said, looking up at him with concern as he held you in his arms and smiled. He smiled a little hurt. He was aware that he risked a lot, but soon he could disappear with you and Joseph. Once and for all. "Of course, darling. Don´t worry about me." Arthur cupped your cheeks and kissed your forehead and then his lips gently touched yours. "I love you, Y/N." "I love you too, Arthur." He smiled and said goodbye to Joseph before leaving the house and making his way to Shady Bell. Neither of you assumes what disaster would break over you...

¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨) (`’·.¸(`’·.¸  ¸.·’´) ¸.·’´)  (¨*•.¸ (¨*•.¸`•.¸

It was late at night and Joseph was already in bed. You were not tired yet and you were a bit worried about Arthur. You didn´t know why, but something just didn´t let you sleep. You sat on your couch and held a novel in your hand. You had taken the book to turn your thoughts in a different direction, but you didn´t succeed. Sighing, you closed the book and put it next to you on the couch. "Maybe some tea will help me to relax." Chamomile tea to calm your nerves. You rose from your place and went to the kitchen to boil water for your tea. Your stomach contracted painfully and it felt so uncomfortable. A soft sigh escaped you again as you stroked your belly. You remind yourself that you just had to keep calm and you told yourself that Arthur would be fine and that he would come back soon.

Your tea was finally ready and you poured it into a cup. When you wanted to go back to your living room, suddenly and without any warning, a stranger grabbed your body and held you tight on his body. The cup slipped out of your hand and fell to the ground. The liquid content wetted the floor and you wanted to scream, but your mouth was shut and you had no chance to free yourself from the iron grip of this stranger. Fear and horror made your body tremble and you got panicked. All you could think about was Joseph, who slept peacefully in his room. "Ssst! Stay calm, Y/N!" You immediately recognized this voice and it made your blood run cold. Your eyes widen with horror and you whimpered by fear. You just couldn´t believe that he found you - It was your husband and he was capable of anything. "Did you really thought I wouldn´t find you?! You little bitch!", he growled and his hot breath touched your ear, causing your body to shudder with fear. You clung tight in his arm and tried to loosen his grip around your shoulders, but you didn´t succeed. "You're coming home with me Mrs. Hantoon!" You haven´t been Mrs. Hantoon in a long time! You were Miss Main! But you knew that Jeffrey left you no choice. But you would fight for your freedom and your child. You would never go back to this hell! You bit his hand and he cursed, taking his hand from your mouth and let you finally catch your breath. "Let me go, Jeffrey! I won´t go with you!" "Oh you will and I will have my son with me again!" He pushed you hard to the ground and approached you. When you turn around and look up at him, you recognize him. He had barely gotten older, but you could see in his expression the dark soul he carried in his body. "Because you belong to me, Y/N! You are my wife and you will exactly do what I tell you!" "No! I'm not your property, you son of a bitch!" You had to find a way to escape from here and bring Joseph to safety. How had Jeffrey found you? But the answer to this question would soon dissolve. Sam Green and Elkanah Jones entered the house and you immediately recognized them. You understood what was going on and how Jeffrey managed to find you. You looked horrified into the grinning faces of the two men and Jeffrey gave them a clear instruction: They should get Joseph. Panic grew in you and you screamed. "Bring him to the carriage! Tell him his father is waiting for him!" "No, NO! Don´t you dare TO TOUCH MY SON!" You yelled angrily and Jeffrey pulled you up by your hair, making you gasp painfully. "YOU PIG! I HATE YOU! ", you shout and beat him, but your behave made him angry and he slapped you in the face. But this wouldn´t stop you from protecting your son. "You little bitch! You dare to disobey me?! I'll show you where your place is, woman!" "You sick bastard! If you harm my son, I'll kill you!" But Jeffrey just laughed and mocked at you. He couldn´t believe that you wanted to mess with him. Jeffrey was very well built and he was much taller than you. Your desperate attempts to defend yourself against him didn´t bother him much, but it made him very angry and he had never been a patient man.

He hit you again and you almost fainted, but your will kept you conscious. However, you were very dizzy and everything around you was spinning. You looked around and your perception has become very bad. You saw how Joseph was brought out of the house and how he slept on the back of one of these men. Tears gather in your eyes and you whispered his name. "Joseph... no..." But the next moment, Jeffrey kicked you with full force in your stomach and that made you scream out loud. Suddenly you became aware of your surroundings, and more than clearly. "You whore! You took my son away, you humbled me in front of all my friends and dishonored me!" Jeffrey was furious and he hated you for your mistakes. In his eyes, you had made mistakes. Crying, you hold your arms around your stomach and you felt terrible pain. "Oh, god...", you whispered with pain, but that didn´t stop Jeffrey from to hurt you. He grabbed you by the arm and dragged you to your feet, but you could hardly hold yourself upright and Jeffrey dragged you with him. "You belong to me, Y/N! No other man will own you! NEVER!" In Jeffrey's eyes, you were his property and he could do whatever he wanted. "Stop it, Jeffrey! Please!!" Why was this man tormenting you? Why couldn´t he just let you go? You knew exactly what you would expect in his house and you didn´t want that life. "Let me go!" But Jeffrey would never let you go! You gather your last strength together and you free yourself from him, run to your dresser where you hid your revolver and took it out, but you came too late. Jeffrey was already behind you and grabbed your wrist, so you had no choice but to drop the revolver. The next moment, Jeffrey grabbed your throat and squeezed it strong, so you could barely breathe. You clawed your fingers desperately into his arm and left bloody scratches on his skin, but he let go of you at some point and you breathed in desperation for air. Coughing, your hands rested on your throat and tears ran down your cheeks. With a cold expression in his eyes, your husband looked down at you. "You'll do what I tell you! Whether you're standing or kneeling in front of me, you have to obey your husband!"

Jeffrey dragged you out of the house and you wanted to free yourself from him, but you were at the end of your strength. Then, as Jeffrey threw you to the ground, he looked down at you with an amusing smile. He knew exactly what he needed to do to make you understand. The only question was, how you would prefer it? In which way? "You would do anything for your son!" You swallow hard and more tears ran down your cheeks. Sobbing, you look at your husband and you could not see any sympathy in his face. "Isn´t that so, darling?" He knelt to you and stroked one strand of your hair behind your ear. "I missed our passionate nights, Y/N. I missed your beautiful body." His face was nearing yours and when you felt his hot breath on your cheek, you turn your face away from him and sob softly. You didn´t want to be reminded of that time... the nights when Jeffrey abused you. "Look at me!" But you didn´t think about to look this monster in the eyes, so he grabbed your face with his hand and force you to look at him. "Damn it, woman!" He licked your full lips with his tongue and you whimper in disgust, trying to turn your face away from him again, but he didn´t allow it. His lips moved rudely over yours and his tongue thrust deep into your mouth, so you finally bit his tongue and he cursed, broke away from you. "You'll learn it, I'll take care of that!" Jeffrey pulled you to your feet again, forcing you to get on the car where your Joseph slept. At the sight of your son, you quietly burst into tears. He wasn´t allowed to see anything of this sadness! That would disturb him, and you didn´t want that. "Burn down the house!" Jeffrey suddenly said and the men obeyed him. They were well paid for their services and it seemed to be fun for them to torment you. They set fire to bottles that were filled with alcohol and threw them on the roof of your house and through the windows in your house.

You were about to lose everything. The flames shot up high and within seconds, the whole house was on fire. You burst into tears and couldn´t believe what nightmare you just had to go through. You had to think about Arthur immediately and you were afraid that you might never see him again. Desperately, you brush your hair out of your face and you couldn´t do anything else but watch as your house was devoured by the fire. The carriage began to move you back to hell, from which you escaped three years ago...

#arthur morgan #arthur morgan x reader #fanfiction #love #rdr2

[pope-francis-quotes]

22nd March >>(@ZenitEnglish By Virginia Forrester) #PopeFrancis #Pope Francis’ Angelus Address: On the Fourth Sunday of Lent, the Theme of the Liturgy is Light (Full Text). The Miraculous Healing of the Blind Man Confirms Jesus’ Affirmation: ‘I Am the Light of the World’.

Here is a ZENIT translation of the address Pope Francis gave today, before and after praying the midday Angelus from the Library of the Apostolic Vatican Palace ion March 22, 2020.

* * *

Before the Angelus

Dear Brothers and Sisters, good morning!

At the center of the Liturgy, of this Fourth Sunday of Lent, is the theme of light. The Gospel (Cf. John 9:1-41) narrates the episode of the blind man from birth, to whom Jesus gives sight. This miraculous sign is the confirmation of the affirmation of Jesus who says of Himself: “I am the Light of the world” (v. 5), the light that illuminates our darkness. Jesus is so. He effects the illumination at two levels: one physical and one spiritual: the blind man first receives the sight of the eyes and he is then led to faith in the “Son of man” (v. 35), namely, in Jesus. It’s a whole journey. It would be good today if all of you took John’s Gospel, chapter nine, and read this passage: it’s so beautiful and it will do us good to read it again, or twice. The miracles Jesus works aren’t spectacular gestures, but their purpose is to lead to faith through a journey of interior transformation.

The Doctors of the Law — that were there, a group of them — are obstinate in not admitting the miracle and addressed insidious questions to the healed man. However, he floors them with the force of the reality: “One thing I know, that though I was blind now I see” (v. 25). Between the diffidence and hostility of those around him and question him, incredulous, he follows an itinerary that leads him gradually to discover the identity of Him who opened his eyes and to confess his faith in Him. First, he regards Him as a prophet (Cf. v. 17); then he recognizes Him as one who comes from God (Cf. v. 33); finally, he accepts Him as the Messiah and prostrates himself before Him (Cf. vv. 36-38). He has understood that, by giving him his sight, Jesus has “manifested the works of God” (Cf. v. 3).

May we also be able to have this experience! With the light of faith, he who was blind discovers his new identity. He is no a “new creature,” able to see his life and the world around him in a new light because he entered into communion with Christ; he entered another dimension. He is no longer a beggar marginalized by the community; he is no longer a slave of blindness and prejudice. His journey of illumination is a metaphor of the course of liberation from sin to which we are called. Sin is like a dark veil that covers our faces and impedes us from seeing the world and ourselves clearly. The Lord’s forgiveness takes away this blanket of shadow and darkness and gives us new light. May the Lent we are living be an opportune and precious time to approach the Lord, asking for His mercy, in the different ways that Mother Church proposes to us.

The healed blind man, who now sees with the eyes of the body as well as of the soul, is the image of every baptized person that, immersed in Grace, has been torn from the darkness and placed in the light of faith. However, it’s not enough to receive the light, one must become light. Every one of us is called to receive the divine light to manifest it with our whole life. The first Christians, the theologians of the first centuries, said that the community of Christians, namely, the Church, is the “mystery of the moon,” because she gave light but it was not her own light, it was the light she received from Christ. We must also be “mystery of the moon”: to give the light we receive from the sun, which is Christ the Lord. Saint Paul reminds us of it today: “walk, therefore, as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true”) (Ephesians 5:8-9). The seed of new life put in us in Baptism is like the spark of a fire, which purifies us first of all, burning the evil we have in our heart, and enables us to shine and illuminate, with the light of Jesus.

May Mary Most Holy help us to imitate the blind man of the Gospel so that we can be inundated by the light of Christ and walk with Him on the way of salvation.

© Libreria Editrice Vatican

[Original text: Italian] [ZENIT’s translation by Virginia M. Forrester]

After the Angelus

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In these days of trial, while humanity trembles because of the pandemic’s menace, I would like to propose to all Christians to unite their voices to Heaven. I invite all the Heads of Churches and the leaders of all the Christian Communities, together with all the Christians of the various Confessions, to invoke the Most High, Almighty God, reciting contemporaneously the prayer that Jesus Our Lord taught us. I invite all, therefore, to do so several times a day, but, all together, to recite the Our Father next Wednesday, March 25, at midday – all together. On the day in which many Christians recall the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary of the Incarnation of the Word, may the Lord be able to hear the unanimous prayer of all His disciples that are preparing to celebrate the victory of the Risen Christ. With this same intention, next Friday, March 27 at 6:00 pm, I will preside over a moment of prayer in the courtyard of St. Peter’s Basilica, with the empty Square. From now on I invite all to take part spiritually through the means of communication. We will listen to the Word of God, we will elevate our prayer, we will adore the Most Blessed Sacrament, with which at the end I will give the Urbi et Orbi Blessing, to which will be annexed the possibility to receive a Plenary Indulgence.

We want to respond to the pandemic of the virus with the universality of prayer, of compassion and of tenderness. We remain united. Let us make our closeness felt by persons that are most alone and tried. Our closeness to the doctors, to the health workers, men and women nurses, volunteers . . . Our closeness to the Authorities that must take hard measures, but for our good. Our closeness to the police, to soldiers that seek to maintain order always on the street, so that the things will be done that the government asks be done for the good of us all — closeness to all.

I express my closeness to the population of Croatia, affected this morning by an earthquake May the Lord give them the strength and solidarity to face this calamity. And, don’t forget: take the Gospel today and read tranquilly, slowly chapter nine of John. I’ll do it too. It will do us all good.

And I wish you a good Sunday. Don’t forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch and goodbye.

© Libreria Editrice Vatican

[Original text: Italian] [ZENIT’s translation by Virginia M. Forrester]

22nd MARCH 2020 15:02ANGELUS/REGINA CAELI

[phantomrose96]

Souls Follow After

Half an hour late--here’s my Christmas Truce fic for @bloodblossomtea, who requested something based on an old fic of mine, Minds Follow!

So, here’s the companion piece to Minds Follow: Souls Follow After

The death of Daniel Fenton had been called a lot of things.

“Tragic” ranked among the most common, near-tied with “heroic” and “untimely” and “heart-breaking.” Every new media account blended the themes, calling Daniel soft-spoken and meek and kind, unpopular and unnoticed and bullied, culminating into a sacrifice all the more tragic, all the more heroic, all the more heart-breaking when he gave his life for the sake of his classmates.

Vlad Masters had stopped listening to the media accounts.

He saw it differently, in a light the papers and newscasters and forums didn’t capture.

It had been a betrayal.

Daniel had cut their game short.

He’d thrown his life away with no regard for what it meant to those around him, no thought spared for how many of Vlad’s plans came crumbling down, long-term intentions and near-solidified future snipped short.

Vlad raged, and Vlad grieved. He mourned for his son who’d died, his child in everything but blood, and he destroyed his lab in an outpouring of rage for the manner in which Daniel had gone out. It had been that one most irritating trait, that one so distinctly un-Vlad-like quality that Vlad so despised, that Daniel so reveled in—that self-sacrifice for others. It had been as though Daniel’s final words were “I’m nothing like you Vlad,” and as though he had died before Vlad could offer so much as a single word in rebuttal.

Vlad called in with his condolences to Maddie, as any politician and any bachelor would, but he did not expect anything to come of this. That family of him, Maddie, and Daniel no longer existed, and that resentment of his spilled over to Maddie. She’d raised her son to be like this. She shared the blame.

Vlad did not attend the funeral. It was the right choice. He wouldn’t have wanted to be present when Danny turned up anyway.

Because unlike everyone else, Vlad Masters was not interested in giving Danny a second chance. When his ghost form appeared at his own funeral, disoriented but still so charmingly Danny, everyone had been so quick to forgive. Joyful, tearful, thankful relief greeted him from a gathering of loved ones and admirers who had believed him truly dead. Vlad alone wasn’t so quick to forgive.

He’d considered it. In the mangled twist of emotions gripping his heart, sipping wine in a living room so far away and removed from Amity Park, he thought about revoking his grudge. Maybe he would still pursue what had been rightfully his. That family and that half-ghost—…whole-ghost son. But the more Vlad considered it, the more he seethed against the pieces that Daniel had irrevocably tainted.

Daniel had thrown away his half-ghost identity, that single uniting tether between him and Vlad, setting them apart as the two isolated individuals who could ever hope to understand each other. Daniel had revoked that. And he’d imprinted himself on society as that thing Vlad so despised—a “hero.” The childish kind. The comic book kind. The kind that threw their life away for high school nobodies, useless sniveling pathetic teenagers who’d only ever mocked him.

And, perhaps the thing that Vlad detested the most about the whole situation—Daniel was now holding all the cards. He made this clear to Vlad with an irritatingly smug phone call a few days prior, because now Danny’s identity was common knowledge, and so now Vlad’s identity was held hostage. Danny offered to keep Vlad’s identity secret under the condition that 1) Vlad stayed away from Amity Park. 2) Vlad no longer targeted his dad. 3) Vlad forked over $10,000 to Danny, for the hell of it.

The $10,000 was nothing. It was the blow against his pride that stopped the words in Vlad’s throat. He hated it all, but more than anything, he hated being held by the neck.

So he did what made most sense. He moved on.

Vlad wouldn’t say he lost. That wasn’t in his vocabulary. Instead, Daniel just wasn’t worth his time anymore. He was an idiot, a traitor, a fool, and worst of all a ghost. Not a half ghost. Just a ghost, a ball of proto-plasm, a construct of filthy spiritual energy. He had no claim to his humanity anymore, so he had no claim to Vlad’s interest.

Vlad buried himself in projects far more important. Vlad’s networking through the ghost zone expanded. Plans to successfully acquire Pariah Dark’s powers formed from the ether. His A.I.s advanced, a Maddie who understood him intimately, and now a Daniel who would never betray him. They’d rule at his side, timeless and ageless, important features since Vlad intended to procure the immortality that came with the Crown of Fire.

Money bought power, and experts, and silence. His laboratory evolved into a labyrinth of cutting-edge breakthroughs and ghost weaponry the likes of which no one had seen, the likes of which Maddie and Jack Fenton could only dream of. As the years passed, the contact that Jack made with Vlad slowed to a trickle, and stopped all-together. Vlad left all of Jack’s messages unopened and unread. He wanted nothing more to do with the Fentons, as he understood finally the truth of the matter: they had only held him back. He never needed Daniel, dead now. Nor Maddie, dead to him now. Nor Jack, who was simply not worth the energy to make dead.

The A.I.s developed. They understood him. They valued him. They called him “Dear” and “Dad.” The Maddie A.I. occupied the bed with him at night, gentle light and soft buzzing warming the room. The Daniel A.I. Vlad altered over time. He removed the most Jack-like features from the boy’s face—that wide nose and flat jaw, those blue eyes, that idiotic stubbornness—telltale in the crease of his brow and quirk of the eyebrow. Vlad took them away. He swapped them for features recognizable in himself.

They were Maddie and Daniel Masters. Ten years on, the name “Fenton” hardly crossed Vlad’s mind.

…

When the phone rang, it was a number instantly recognizable. It was embedded in Vlad’s memory from years back.

On a whim, Vlad answered.

“Hello.”

“Vlad?’

Vlad trailed his hand along the arm of his recliner, sweeping around it and sitting down, legs crossed, leaning into the phone. “Oh if it isn’t Maddie Fenton. What a pleasant surprise hasn’t it been ages? How are you? To what do I owe this distinct pleasure, my old flame?”

A beat of silence followed.

“Hi Vlad… Yeah it’s um. It’s been a while. I’m fine. But it’s um, it’s Danny…”

Vlad investigated his manicured nails. There was such an organic nuance to Maddie Fenton’s voice, something he hadn’t quite perfected in Maddie Masters. It was almost nostalgic to hear that again, so…lacking in adoration for him. He’d train the Maddie A.I. on this voice recording. Maybe he could barter to get Daniel on the line as well.

“Oh how is the young lad? Last I saw him he was only a teenager. When, ten years back? How time flies. Has he married that little goth friend of his yet?”

“…No, Vlad. Danny’s not—It’s um… it’s more complicated than that.”

Vlad bounced his foot. That was right, Maddie used to over-enunciate the first syllable of her words, pitching up. He’d tweak Maddie Masters’s speech program to incorporate it.

“Complicated how, my darling?”

“It’s something about his ghost form… He’s been acting strange. Slowly. For a while Jack and I thought he was maybe um, just coping with losing his friends to college.”

“Has he attended college?”

“No.”

Vlad faltered at this, jaw tensing. His foot stilled, and an old tinge of anger licked just beneath his ribcage.

“I see. He’s given up all aspirations of the future to stay home and play hero. Typical of him. It’s rather cute.”

“Yes but… no, Vlad. God um… I thought Jack told you.”

“Jack?” Vlad eased. The Fentons weren’t his problem anymore. He’d answered the phone out of simple nostalgia. Vlad kicked the recliner footrest up. “I haven’t heard from old Jacky in years. How is he?”

“Jack… No he’s messaged you. He—it—never mind. Danny. Something’s off with him—been off with him. Ghost theory. Well it—he—sorry, Vlad. I thought you knew most of this from Jack.”

“Knew what?”

“I’ll—” Through the phone, Vlad heard the sound of a door shutting. “I’ll start over. Danny’s not been himself. Slowly. Since the incident. He can’t leave the town, and he’s been…” Static crackled through. “Jack and I have theories. It would be easier to explain in person. Samples and tests. But, explanations don’t fix anything. We’re at a loss. You’re the only other expert who maybe. I know you don’t owe us any favors, but if you could just—somewhere in your soul find it to… We still live in the same house Vlad. We aren’t going anywhere. If you could come by, and maybe just, see if you can find something we can’t.”

Vlad pursed his lips. He’d been growing rather bored lately, and Wisconsin winter had been growing cold.

“Ooh, sorry Maddie Dear. I’m quite the busy man these days. It’s just not feasible.”

“I’ll have dinner with you.” The phoneline crackled again, the shifting of hands. “I talked it over with Jack. I know what sort of man you are Vlad. I still am your friend Vlad… even if I don’t trust all of the person you’ve grown into.”

Vlad let a smile pass over his lips. “You’re assuming that I haven’t moved on from you.”

“Vlad, please…? For Danny, if not for me.”

Vlad stood, and stretched, and mulled the offer over in his head. He quirked an eyebrow, and nodded only to himself as he realized, if nothing else, it was a perfect opportunity to record Maddie’s mannerisms in person. And his A.I. deserved only the best training data.

“Alright Maddie. I’ll see what works with my schedule, and I’ll let you know.”

…

Jack had grayed. Maddie herself was not far behind. Vlad eyed her thinning hair and bag-creased eyes with a twinge of smugness. Maddie Masters retained her youth.

“Hey there, V-man, safe trip…? Um, do you still go by V-man?”

Vlad set his suitcase down, and he shook Jack’s outstretched hand. “I never went by V-man.”

“Oh, haha.” Jack looked away after a moment, hand moving to the back of his neck. He was just as hefty as he’d been ten years back, orange-clad and aging. His small eyes were watery, veined with crows feet. Laugh lines ridged through his cheeks, set above peppery stubble. He’d lost something. His buoyant energy had vanished. “Been a while, yeah? Um, y’know I’ve sent some messages to ya here and there. They must’ve gotten lost in your spam filter, huh?”

“Oh, must have.”

Vlad broke off conversation, and he stepped over the Fenton threshold to Maddie, who he pulled into an all-consuming hug. He let it linger, smelling her scent, tracing the contours of her back. As much as he preferred his Maddie A.I., he had not yet figured out scent and touch. Future models, he planned, would have a physical body.

Finally, Maddie pushed away.

“It’s nice to see you Vlad… Thanks for finding the time to come out here.”

“Oh it’s all my pleasure,” Vlad answered, his eyes roving over Maddie, drinking her in. She’d aged too, once-smooth skin scrunching with wrinkles, cheeks more pallid, more sallow than the rosy ones he’d fallen in love with. Her eyes were tired, and Vlad was so glad that Maddie Masters was eternally pleased to see him.

Vlad broke away from her. “Now, I was thinking Italian for dinner. Or, if you would prefer, an upscale Hibachi restaurant. Money is no object, my dear.”

Maddie studied him, eyes wide, words chosen carefully. “Danny. He’s in the basement.

“Oh right, the little badger. It’s such a shame to hear he’s been feeling off.”

“I sent you a document,” Maddie continued. She stepped closer to the basement, eyes lingering behind on Vlad, as if pleading him to follow. “It’s all of what Jack and I have theorized so far. Experimental procedures and results. Have you read it yet?”

Vlad waved her off. “My apologies. I haven’t found the time. I am very busy these days. I’m sure you can get me up to speed.” He followed, arms folded behind his back, attention set on the basement. Maddie walked next to him, visibly tense.

“He hasn’t left the basement in a few days now,” Maddie continued.

“I think he’ll change his tune when he sees me.”

Maddie remained silent. She set a hand to the basement door, easing it open cautiously. Vlad paused behind her, stealing glances. She’d lost weight, instantly obvious in comparison to the Maddie A.I., who’d been a flawless duplicate of Maddie Fenton ten years back. Vlad pondered absently on how much Daniel may or may not have changed. Certainly something mental had changed—it was what he’d been called in for. But the state of Daniel Fenton had no bearing on Daniel Masters, so it mattered to Vlad little.

Vlad followed Maddie down the creaking stairs, and ten years’ worth of petty, vengeful thoughts filtered through his mind. It may have been his last chance to make Daniel owe up to the grief he brought into Vlad’s life.

The lights were off, the portal open. Vlad blinked as he noticed the gleam, starkly emerald and blindingly bright, swirling through darkness, casting a swath of light that sent shadows dancing across the wall. Someone small stood just in front of the blaze—floated, rather. Tail flickering listlessly, gloves trailing worn patterns into the dusty portal edge, eyes hypnotized in the gleam.

Maddie folded her arms in against her stomach, taking a step back as Vlad overtook her, a twisting discomfort swamping through his mind.

“Daniel? Haven’t aged much my boy, have you?”

Vlad paused. Danny did not move. His tail flicked, his hands traced, his eyes remained consumed in the brightness before him.

“Daniel.”

No response. Vlad pressed forward. He stood beside Danny, right hand raised to shield his eyes from the brightness of the portal. His brow furrowed, investigating the glassy nothing that seemed to exist behind Danny’s eyes.

He turned to Maddie. “Certain ghosts possess hypnotic powers. He could potentially—”

Maddie shook her head, resigned. “Jack and I ruled that out already. It’s not hypnosis. This was gradual…”

Heavy footsteps creaked down the first few stairs. Vlad glanced, finding Jack hovering just as the door to the stairwell.

Vlad ignored him, fixing his attention back on Danny. “So it’s something to do with his ghost core then?”

Danny’s eyes sparked, shoulders dropping, head perking. He twisted to face Vlad, a single, sudden, jerking movement. “Ghost?”

Vlad stared. The spark in Danny’s eyes seemed to be little more than an echo, glassy glazed and empty, like a recording. Like a reflection. Like a memory, rather than a person in and of himself.

“Is that what you’re doing Daniel? You’re hunting ghosts?”

“Where?” Danny asked, firecracker-like excitement. His tail flicked, and he floated closer to Vlad, until mere inches separated them. Vlad stepped back. Danny’s breath froze over.

It was as though the gun fired. Danny pounced, throwing himself against the portal with the fervor of an animal at feeding time. His gloves skimmed the swirling surface, tracing ripples through the portal as his aura flared like fire around him.

“Show yourself!” Danny shouted. “How’s about an ectoblast that fires off at mach 3? If the blast doesn’t wreck you, the shockwave will!”

“That’s all he responds to,” Maddie said quietly. “Ghost.” She moved beside Vlad, putting a hand out to rest on Danny’s shoulder. The boy studied it quizzically, rolling his shoulder to free himself. Maddie let her hand drop without resistance. “We think it’s—”

“An obsession.”

“…Yeah,” Maddie conceded.

Vlad rubbed his forehead a moment, thoughts sober. His smug giddiness drained away, replaced with something dense in his chest. “Why though?”

Maddie leaned a shoulder against the portal. “We have… a couple theories. It’s maybe a flaw in…what he is. That ghost-human hybrid… It made something about him unstable.”

Vlad chewed his lip, feeling out a twinge of power beneath his palm. “No. I don’t believe that theory. What else?”

“…A ghost sickness, perhaps…”

Vlad shook his head.

“No.” He offered no further elaboration. The Fentons were not entitled to his research.

Maddie’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Jack doesn’t like this theory, but I’m—it’s what I’m most convinced of.” She moved forward again, and trailed her hand along Danny’s cheek. He’d calmed down once more, only hazily aware of his surroundings, eyes fixated on the portal. “I think it’s… maybe that Danny wasn’t meant to come back. And it was this obsession that brought him back. He died saving people. It’s what his ghost half knows to do. Fight the ghosts. Save the town.”

Maddie lowered her hand to Danny’s shoulder once more, turning him to face her. He turned, but he did not look at her. His eyes saw through her. Scanning. Eternally searching. She leaned in and kissed his forehead, lingering against him, eyes shut to forget.

When she leaned back, she continued. “It was his obsession that came back, that’s his ghostly fuel, and the rest of him just came along, the parts that were supposed to be dead. We didn’t notice. We didn’t do anything. Those pieces can’t live in the human world. …And they rotted away. And they left behind just what a ghost is… just an echo.”

Vlad backed away.

“Something doesn’t make sense. So many ghosts still have their identity. This is different.”

“If Mads is right, then… it’s our fault,” Jack answered, easing down a few more steps. “He had other things keeping his spirit alive, back when he was in school and had his friends and his sister. He had a job even, once. But those things… Danny graduated, and his friends went to college, and he just kinda… He lost those other things that mighta been keeping him healthy… Danny can’t leave—it’s this radius—some kind of barrier that keeps him a certain distance from the portal. And it just kept shrinking. It—we were trying to make it easy on him. He was losing so much. So when he doubled-down on ghost-hunting… I was excited. We let him… We let him just… boil down to an obsession…”

Vlad hesitated. “Maddie, Jack, would you two kindly leave the basement for a few minutes? I’d like to speak to Daniel.”

“Why?” Maddie asked.

“Just something I would like to test.”

“What, though?”

“Do you want my help or not?”

“Yes but—”

“Then leave. I won’t harm him. It’ll be quick.”

Reluctantly, Maddie backed away. She retreated to the steps, climbing until Jack set a heavy hand to her shoulder and guided her out. Vlad heard the door click shut behind him.

“Now then.” Vlad squared his feet, breathing deep, allowing a sudden lash of power to envelop his body. It swept over him, chilling, invigorating, sparking like electricity. Aura swamped him, skin turning pale sickly blue, eyes red, fangs glistening, cape sweeping out behind him. Vlad rolled his shoulders, and he cracked his neck.

“Ghost.”

Danny turned with an instantaneous flicker. His eyes were consumed in fire, deliriously giddy and yet hardly present. He fired off a blast that Vlad absorbed into his shield.

“Daniel, we’re going to have a little chat about this.”

Danny lunged, firing off round after round of ectoblast. Vlad dodged and blocked with ease, spinning and catching Danny by the neck. The boy choked, sputtered somewhat, and then squirmed under Vlad’s grip. Vlad turned, and slammed him against the portal edge.

“Listen, Daniel. It’s Vlad. Vlad Masters. Vlad Plasmius. If there’s an ounce of the real you left in this shell you’ll recognize that name. Tell me you recognize the name!”

Danny’s struggling eased. He stared back instead, eyes filmy and neon. He blinked, brows twisting in pained concentration, his face just as young and boyish as the last day Vlad had seen him a decade before.

Danny set a hand against Vlad’s chokehold, inquisitive, stressed, the tiniest spark of thoughts trying to form behind glazed nothing.

Then Danny squeezed, and Vlad’s fingers cracked, and Vlad howled, dropping Daniel to the floor.

“Thought you had me, didn’t you ghost? How’s about an ectoblast that fires off at mach 3? If the blast doesn’t wreck you, the shockwave will!”

“Daniel, stop.” Vlad closed in. “It’s bad enough you died. It’s bad enough you betrayed me. It’s absolutely unacceptable that you tarnish your own dignity in this way. Is this how you’d like me to remember you, oh Hero of Amity Park? Like this?”

Danny raised his hand. Green energy gathered in his palm. “Hey ghost, how’s about an ectoblast that fires off at mach 3?”

Vlad snarled, and then he screamed, and he let off a single shot of violet energy that struck Danny dead center. The boy flew back, cracking against the lab wall. And the rage welling in Vlad’s chest—the anger of betrayal, of loss, of grief, of insult to the boy he’d once called his son—all vanished in a sudden new ice front. Some other all-consuming feeling that climbed his throat and snuffed the fire in his chest.

After having given up so many years ago, he realized with a jolt that, perhaps, he was staring at his own future after all. Not the one with Daniel dressed in a tailored tuxedo, and Maddie in a ballgown by his side, as guests made of the world’s most affluential people flocked to the Masters’ mansion for Vlad and Maddie’s engagement party.

This was a different future, one of empty feral eyes and one-liners, repeated on record, until all identity had sapped away. Vlad stared at Danny’s bruised ghost form, and he understood instantly. Daniel’s transition to full ghosthood hadn’t been a measure to separate himself to Vlad. Rather, Daniel had just gone ahead first. He died and found the future that, someday, may be the fate awaiting Vlad. Empty eyes and repeated one-liners about, what exactly? His A.I.s? Maddie? Danny himself?

Vlad gave one last look at the green nothing staring back at him. And then the lab door burst open. And Vlad vanished through the wall.

…

Maddie had reached out to Vlad three more times since then. The first time had been the very same day, leaving a heart-felt apology for whatever had provoked Danny to attack Vlad like that, and begging that he not give up on helping. There was still hope. She was still available for dinner.

The next time she called came a decade later, the day that Maddie’s sister died. Maddie left a message, rambling and incoherent, broken mutterings seeking reassurance. She’d been leaning on her sister for support all these years, and breast cancer had taken her away. She had no one left to tell the things that hurt Jack too much to hear about. Danny hadn’t spoken in years. Jazz almost never called home. Maddie had these dreams, recurring nightmares, that she went to the basement and found Jazz there too, empty eyes on the portal, gone. She wanted to shut the portal down. She wanted nothing more to do with it. She was afraid that Danny might vanish all together if she did that.

She left this all in a message. Vlad did not pick up.

The third phone call came after seven more years. She was calling because Jack had died, peacefully, in his sleep. He felt no pain. He did not suffer. It was just her now, her and Danny, in the house. And Maddie could not sleep at night. Not without Jack’s snoring beside her, not without his warmth. Not with the sound of the portal humming through the night. And then she trailed off, silent, voicemail recording nothing but the shallow sound of her breath. Vlad had not answered. Maddie put the phone down.

Perhaps she did it because she had no one to stop her. Maddie pulled the RV out of the garage, and she kicked the engine to life, and she drove. It took two days, hardly sleeping, hardly stopping, just the nav and the hum of the engine around her. It was easier not to think like this, easier to believe none of it had happened.

When Maddie pulled up to the Masters’ mansion, she took out the key she’d stuffed in her pocket, a decades-old relic, given to her back when Vlad still craved her company—“if she should so ever get tired of that bumbling fool she married.”

Maddie let herself in, and the mansion was dark. She flicked on light after light, calling out Vlad’s name, scanning the walls with wary eyes. A thin layer of dust coated the windows, the book shelves, the sills, the light switches that Maddie flicked. Looming granite archways felt hollow, abandoned, like the dark catacombs of a cave, untouched. The living room was icily cold, a window left cracked, water damage staining down the length of wall beneath it. The wind blew, and the window howled. Maddie kept on.

She came to the library, and she pulled out dusty book after dusty book. She knew Vlad Masters well enough to know he had a lab hidden away somewhere—that an empty house did not necessarily mean he was not in it. And she knew Vlad Masters well enough to know he would hide it away in the most grandiose way possible.

One of the statues clicked under her touch, cold and copper-headed, and the nearby wall opened up to a stairwell below.

Maddie followed it, shivering with the temperature drop. Her breath curled in front of her, crystalized. She hunched her shoulders in and braced herself. Marble stairs carried her footsteps with resounding echoes, clacking forward, consumed in the dark nothing ahead of her.

At the bottom, the floor leveled out, and another few steps brought her around the corner, where everything she expected met her eye. Crackling equipment stretched floor to ceiling, strung up with wires and flashing warning colors. The air turned sharp and citrusy, poorly ventilated. Maddie walked, heels clacking, carrying her through rooms of lab tables lined with beakers whose contents had solidified to the bottom, incubation tubes large enough to house humans and lit from the inside, monitors flickering with jagged static images. The citrus smell turned to rot as she came upon the last room.

“Vlad?”

Maddie looked around her, peering through darkness.

“Vlad?” her own voice echoed back.

Maddie spun, and found herself staring into her reflection. Though it wasn’t her reflection exactly—it was a younger Maddie, eyes bright and untroubled, hair curled, jumpsuit unzipped just a fraction down the front. This reflection batted her eyes. “Are you ready to snuggle, Vlad?”

Maddie let out a strangled gasp and kicked back. She knocked against a table, and grabbed it to steady herself.

“Dad?”

When Maddie turned, it was as though chains had tightened around her heart. Danny watched her from the other side of the room—her Danny—human Danny—his hair dark and his head quirked, blinking quizzically. “Are you home yet, Dad? I was hoping you could show me how to use my powers.”

“Do you like them?”

Maddie gave a third startle, ducking forward and clutching at her chest with a pained gasp. She looked up, eyes wide, certain she’d grown too old for surprises like these.

She squinted, recognition bubbling beneath the fear. It was a familiar form, glistening fangs, pallid blue skin, piercing red eyes.

“It’s you! The Wisconsin Ghost. You’re still here?”

“Please. Call me Plasmius.”

“Are you home yet, Dad? I was hoping you could show me how to use my powers.”

Maddie pushed herself away from the table. “You’re still around.”

“Indeed I am. Does that surprise you?” the ghost asked. He quirked an eyebrow and stepped closer. A fiery acid-green crown sat atop his head, casting a light ghoulish and sickly across his face.

Maddie didn’t answer. It wasn’t worth dwelling on anymore.

“I’m looking for Vlad.”

“Vlad dear, I baked you a pie. Let’s cuddle up.”

Maddie flinched, but managed to ignore her own voice. Another side-long glance revealed that her look alike flickered and wavered, her form cold blue and transparent. The fake Maddie smiled, and it was a look full of love.

“Why are you looking for Vlad?” Plasmius answered. He inspected his manicured nails, a ring as bright as his crown nestled on one finger.

“I don’t have anyone else to turn to anymore,” Maddie answered. She watched the Danny hologram from the corner of her eye. There was emotion in his eyes. It twisted Maddie’s heart to recognize it.

“Maybe consider making a few new friends then. Vlad isn’t really around much to be your emotional shoulder to cry on.”

“Where is he?”

“Preoccupied, at the moment. He’s absolutely crushed with work.”

“Dad, are you home yet?”

Maddie shut her eyes. She breathed deep. Jack. Oh god, Jack…

Her nose curled, on the air, something rotten drifted. Under different circumstances, Maddie might have fought away the thought that crossed her mind. Lately though, she’d been dealing with enough grief to believe it.

“He’s dead, isn’t he?” Maddie looked up, inspecting the emotionless nothing in the Wisconsin Ghost’s eyes. “…Did you kill him?”

“Oh… in a sense, I suppose.” The ghost shrugged, and he flashed a fanged smile. He jerked his head toward the corner of the lab. “A nasty accident, but for the best I might say. Don’t dig too far through the fallen machinery over there, you might not like what you find rotting beneath.”

Maddie shivered. She didn’t let it show on her face.

“Are you saying it was a lab accident?”

“I’m afraid so. I’d almost be embarrassed—crushed to death beneath some poorly-anchored machinery.”

“And why are you here?”

Plasmius’s face split into an awful grin. He reveled in the moment. “Did you really think young Daniel was the only half-ghost among us?”

Maddie’s heart pounded, pieces clicking. Icy dread washed through her core, shriveling up a part of her that she thought had been too wrung-out to feel anymore. She gripped a hand to the table, and lowered herself slowly.

“…God.” It was a name she’d heard him shout to the portal, time and time again. Plasmius. Images of the 20 year reunion party flashed through her mind. Incidents of Phantom and Plasmius gripped in battle. This cruel, twisted, awful creature, from a world made of cruel and twisted and awful creatures. The last man she had come to for help. “I really have no one then…? Is that really you Vlad?”

“I’m sorry to say it is.” He swept his hand across his body, dark under the sparse lighting, lit by the flaming crown on his head. “In the not-quite-flesh.”

“Are you going to go in the same way too?” Maddie asked quietly. She glanced around the lab, fizzled and dying and abandoned equipment.

“Hey Dad, do you have some time to play football later?”

“The same was as Daniel? No, dear Maddie, I will not.” Vlad gestured behind him, capturing the distant shimmer of a portal tucked away in the very back end of the lab. “I’m only here for a brief visit. My alarm system tripped so I figured it would only be polite of me to come say hello to you after all these years. And to pass along my gratitude.”

Maddie stared at him, losing the will to properly care. Whatever happened to him, or to her at this point, it hardly mattered, not with the way everything had slipped away around her. She fixed her eyes on the Danny hologram once more. He waved. Maddie did not wave back.

“Visiting Daniel was a bit of a wake up call, my dear. I ran some choice experiments after that visit, and your theory was spot on. Daniel gave into his obsession, trying to exist in the human world as a ghost, and he let the rest of himself rot away.”

Maddie glanced to him. Vlad spread his arms wide, cape billowing out. The crown threw shadows against the wall.

“When I woke up from my accident, just a ghost form torn out of a body that had been crushed unrecognizable beneath a two-ton monitor—well, I knew what I needed to do.” He stepped forward, pausing just in front of Maddie and crouching to her level. Vlad gave a fanged smile and tilted his head. “I did exactly what could have saved young Daniel.”

Maddie’s head jerked up. The thought sent something writhing through her, a discomfort like suffocating guilt. “We could have saved him?”

“Most assuredly. It worked for me.” Vlad stood again. “I cut all ties with my obsession.” And he turned, and walked a path over shattered remnants of equipment and fizzling cable. “I cut all ties with you.”

“Were you…really that obsessed with me…?”

“I was consumed with you,” Vlad answered, spinning back, lashing out, his form towering and ghastly to behold. He reeled himself in, and smiled once more. “With you and Daniel both, with the family we would made. My desperation drove me to make a family of my own.”

“How’s about that pie, dear?”

Maddie locked eyes with herself, an expression untroubled, frozen, echoing someone she might have been. Maddie breathed out, her breath in crystals.

“But, I did what had to be done. I stopped caring. These A.I.s? They’ve been frozen here for fifteen years. So has this whole lab. They’re nothing to me—they don’t think, they don’t feel, they’re heartless, empty worthless. I don’t care for them. And I don’t care for you. And I don’t care for Daniel rotting in your lab. I don’t care for anyone really but myself. I’ve beaten my obsession. I get to live my afterlife on my own terms.”

“…You’re a monster,” Maddie whispered in response.

“No.” Vlad retreated, his feet beating a path toward the portal at the far end of the room. He turned once more, eyes locked on Maddie, and he tapped a single finger against the crown on his head. “I’m the king of monsters.”

He vanished, whisked from sight into the swirling matrix of the portal, and it closed down behind him. It threw the lab into utter darkness, pricked only by the glimmering hollow light of the A.I.’s left behind in the lab.

“Hey Mom, when Dad gets home, can we all watch a movie as a family?”

Maddie sunk low to the ground. She crumpled forward, and buried her head in her arms.

“Yes Daniel, your father would love that.”

Maddie did not move. She hardly breathed, because she refused to cry again so soon. She steeled herself, and lost herself to the dark nothing around her.

“Good. I miss him.”

#Danny Phantom #dp fanfiction #bloodblossomtea #dark fic #dp #christmas truce 2017

[popliar]

quick thoughts on the bts spotify mixtapes

aka i talk a lot of nonsense

Rap Monster: Careful to play by mixtape rules, but also the most eclectic and diverse mix in terms of genre and time. Bon Iver AND Aphex Twin AND Sade AND Chet Baker. Plus! Pre-OKC Radiohead! I love this nerd sob. I think it kinda reflects who he wants to be, it’s his aspirational self - broad-minded, genre-crossing, able to draw influences from the past as well as look ahead to current/future trends, a little edgy in a geeky way. OR as I think of it - Namjoon as college kid AU: the soundtrack.

Rap Monster’s Heavy Rotations Film - Aphex Twin - Come To Daddy PRBLMS - 6LACK - FREE 6LACK 143 - Musiq Soulchild - Aijuswanaseing I Love You - Lido - I Love You High and Dry - Radiohead - The Bends My Funny Valentine - Chet Baker - Chet Baker Sings Karaoke - Drake - Thank Me Later One Mic - Nas - Greatest Hits Swim Good - Frank Ocean - Swim Good CPU - Raury, RZA - All We Need Really Love - D’Angelo - Black Messiah U-RITE - THEY. - U-RITE Baby Blue - King Krule - 6 Feet Beneath The Moon About You - xxyyxx - Xxyyxx By Your Side - Remastered - Sade - The Ultimate Collection Rain - Razah - Rain Cleanin’ Out My Closet - Eminem - The Eminem Show Déjà Vu - TWENTY88 - TWENTY88 Perth - Bon Iver - Bon Iver

Suga: Look at this focus and discipline! Just the adherence to form and theme and its brevity make it stand out. There's nothing like super underground or surprising here and I'm wary of saying this expresses something personal the way Namjoon's does - but this is a good solid 'snapshot of the genre'. Also I'm just so unreasonably pleased both he and Namjoon included Nas.

SUGA’S Hip-Hop Replay N.Y. State of Mind - Nas - Illmatic XX POWER - Album Version (Edited) - Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy New God Flow.1 - Album Version (Edited) - Kanye West, Pusha T - Kanye West Presents Good Music Cruel Summer The Way I Am - Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP Losing Out (feat. Royce Da 5’9) - Black Milk, Royce Da 5’9 - Tronic My Moment (feat. 2 Chainz, Meek Mill, Jeremih) - DJ Drama, 2 Chainz, Meek Mill, Jeremih - My Moment (feat. 2 Chainz, Meek Mill, Jeremih) HYFR (Hell Ya F***ing Right) - Album Version - Drake, Lil Wayne - Take Care (Deluxe) This or That - Prod. by Statik Selektah - Reks, Styles P, Termanology, DJ Corbet, Freeway, - Rhythmatic Eternal King Supreme Ali Bomaye - The Game, 2 Chainz, Rick Ross - Jesus Piece Bugatti - Ace Hood, Future, Wiz Khalifa, T.I., Meek Mill, French Montana - Trials & Tribulations (Deluxe) Notorious Thugs - Amended, 2014 Remastered Version - The Notorious B.I.G. - Life After Death (Remastered Edition) [Amended] Work Out - J. Cole - Work Out (Clean Version)

J-Hope: Looser adherence to theme and form, maybe a freer expression of personality? Seems like a good mix of stuff he genuinely likes without having overthought it. This is a fun one and I forgive The Chainsmokers because I for real gasped when I saw he included Blue (!), ASAP Rocky's Fashion Killa (!!) and Diddy & Faith's I'll Be Missing You (!!!!). HE’S MY FAVE FOR A REASON YOU KNOW.

J-Hope’s JAM Sunday Candy - Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment - Surf Beware - Big Sean, Jhene Aiko, Lil Wayne - Beware One Love - Blue - One Love i - Kendrick Lamar - i YOUTH - Troye Sivan - Blue Neighborhood (Deluxe) Dance On Me - GoldLink - And After That, We Didn’t Talk Fashion Killa - A$AP Rocky - LONG.LIVE.A$AP (Deluxe Version) Talk - DJ Snake, George Maple - Encore Knock Knock - Mac Miller - Knock Knock - Single Cinderella (feat. Ty Dolla $ign) - Mac Miller, Ty Dolla $ign - The Divine Feminine Fakin It (feat. Ofelia K) - Kaskade, Felix Cartal - Fakin It (feat. Ofelia K) Sidewalks - The Weeknd, Kendrick Lamar - Starboy さくらんぼ - LOVE IS BORN ~13th Anniversary 2016~ - Ai Otsuka - LOVE IS BORN ~13th Anniversary 2016~ I’ll Be Missing You (feat. 112) - Diddy, Faith Evans, 112, Bad Boy’s 10th Anniversary- The Hits Paris - The Chainsmokers - Paris Closer - The Chainsmokers - Closer No. 99 - Joey Bada$$ - B4.DA.$$

Jin: I like how this is split into two halves, like a cassette with a side A and a side B, divided down the middle with some beautifully subtle and understated self-promo - never change Jin!!! At the same time Idk how personal this one is either. The mix of pretty mainstream hiphop with pretty mainstream  top 40 and rnb is solid but very safe. Like he figured out who we expect him & BTS to be, and goodnaturedly played along. (That said there is a lot to be said for playing safe, as we get to the maknae line playlists...)

Jin’s GA CHI DEUL EUL LAE? Lost - BTS - WINGS (LOL I HATE JIN) Weight in Gold - Gallant - Ology Black and Yellow - Wiz Khalifa - Rolling Papers 6 Foot 7 Foot - Lil Wayne, Cory Gunz - Tha Carter IV (Deluxe) Rap God - Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP2 Black Skinhead - Kanye West - Yeezus Hold On, We’re Going Home - Drake, Majid Jordan - Nothing Was The Same (Deluxe) It’s Definitely You - V, Jin - HWARANG, Pt. 2 (Music from the Original TV Series) (JIN IS THE #1 PROMOTER) Viva La Vida - Coldplay - Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends Fix You - Coldplay - X & Y Kiss the Sky - Jason Derulo - Kiss the Sky Ain’t Giving Up - Craig David, Sigala - Following My Intuition (Deluxe) Party - Chris Brown, Usher, Gucci Mane - Party Love Right Next To You - Karina - Love Right Next To You

Jungkook: He is an adorable baby who loves soft things AWWWW! This is just... the softest mix ever. And I wanna know who got into the Eels first, him or Jimin? Who introduced them to the Eels, of ALL THE BANDS IN THE WORLD? This is way too long and sleepy for me to enjoy for more than a couple of songs at a time, it’s just not my style tbh. But I find it really endearing and genuine. No posturing.

Jungkook: I am Listening to It Right Now DNA - Lia Marie Johnson - DNA ILYSB - STRIPPED - LANY - Make Out I Need Some Sleep - Eels - Meet the EELS: Essential EELS 1996-2006 Vol.1 Beautiful Lies - Birdy - Beautiful Lies Dear No One - Tori Kelly - Foreword Like a Star - Corinne Bailey Rae - Corinne Bailey Rae Ghost in the Wind - Birdy - Ghost in the Wind What Do You Mean? - Justin Bieber - Purpose (Deluxe) Clouds - Before You Exit - Clouds - Single Lullaby - Arco - Coming to Terms Dream Lantern - RADWIMPS - Your Name. Nandemonaiya - Movie Version - RADWIMPS - Your Name. Heavy Weather - Bilie Marten - Heavy Weather Oasis - Jasmine Thompson - Oasis Boyfriend - Acoustic Version - Justin Bieber - Believe Acoustic Colors Of The Wind - From “Pocahontas” - Tori Kelly - We Love Disney Theme of Mitsuha -RADWIMPS - Your Name. 7 Years - Jasmine Thompson - 7 Years Lost Boy - Ruth B. - Lost Boy Mannequin - Yuna - Chapters (Deluxe)

V: I - I don't know what's happening here and I refuse to acknowledge it. (I LOVE YOU TAE but oh. my. god. 0_0)

V's Join Me Advice - Kehlani - SweetSexySavage (Deluxe) Undercover - Kehlani - Undercover Distraction - Kehlani - SweetSexySavage (Deluxe) CRZY - Kehlani - SweetSexySavage (Deluxe) I Wanna Be - Kehlani - SweetSexySavage (Deluxe) I Think of You - Jeremih, Big Sean, Chris Brown - I Think of You Castle on the Hill - Ed Sheeran - Castle on the Hill Shape of You - - Ed Sheeran - Castle on the Hill Piece of Mind - Kehlani - SweetSexySavage (Deluxe) Do U Dirty - Kehlani - Do U Dirty Crash (feat. Pell) - Skizzy Mars, Pell - Alone Together Alcoholics - Skizzy Mars - Alone Together Comb - Skizzy Mars - Alone Together Recognize (feat. JoJo) - Skizzy Mars, JoJo - Alone Together Fantasy (TEEMID Remix) - Alina Baraz, Galimatias, Teemid - Urban Flora (Remixes) I Will Be There - Agapornis, Come & C, ChocQuibTown - I Will Be There Falling Into You (studio version) - Hillsong Young & Free - Youth Revival Acoustic Heart Attack (Snakehips Remix) - Flight Facilities, Owl Eyes, Snakehips - Heart Attack (Remixes) Fields of Gold - Eva Cassidy - Songbird Creep - Karen Souza - Karen Souza Essentials

Jimin: Idky but this seems like exactly the sort of playlist a guy his age would be into? It's a fun mix again. AND EELS AGAIN WHY AND HOW. This lacks the period diversity of Hobi's but otherwise seems like a good counterpart. Like. It’s fine. 

Jimin's Joah? JOAH! Pillowtalk - Zayn - Men's Health: Beach Body Workout Motel Pool - Travis Garland - Travis Garland Stayin Out All Night - Wiz Khalifa - Stayin Out All Night Private Show - T.I., Chris Brown - Paperwork (Deluxe Clean) Lot To Learn - Luke Christopher - TMRW I Need Some Sleep - Eels - Meet the EELS: Essential EELS 1996-2006 Vol. 1 Alive (feat. Coucheron) - Kehlani, Coucheron - You Should Be Here You Should Be Here - Kehlani - You Should Be Here The Way (feat. Chance the Rapper) - Kehlani, Chance the Rapper - You Should Be Here Let Me Love You - DJ Snake, Justin Bieber - Encore Mark My Words - Justin Bieber - Purpose (Deluxe) Fa La La (a cappella) - Justin Bieber, Boyz II Men - Under the Mistletoe (Deluxe Version) Coffee - Miguel, Wale - Coffee face the sun - Miguel, Lenny Kravitz - Wildheart (Deluxe Version) Shape of You - Ed Sheeran - Shape of You i hate u, i love u (feat. olivia o'brien) - gnash, Olivia O'Brien - us Lost - Frank Ocean - channel ORANGE (explicit) Never Be the Same (feat. Jay Rock) - Ty Dolla $ign, Jay Rock - Beach House EP So Cold - Chris Brown - Graffiti

Overall winner: hyung line by a M I L E.

#bts #kpop #mixtape thoughts #actually using tumblr as a blog how strange

[daddy-ul]

27 for the music asks

27. name a song that you wish was longer

I'm--- gonna cheat a bit bc I'm gonna say the UN trilogy. Technically not a song but if we consider it as a single entity.... damn if I dont wish for a forgIVen. Fourth and last installment to conclude the... Un-forgiven Cycle?

Idk, but oh how I wish!

#professor-cold-ramen #ask #yes. yes. i cheated #what about it #YOU ALL KNOW HOW I FEEL ABT THIS #what im gonna say is this: this is why i can see james writing un4given #the unforgiven trilogy #song related #jinn out #listen. forgiveness is a theme v dear to my heart #forgive yourself

[pope-francis-quotes]

22nd April >> (@zenitenglish) Pope Francis’ Regina Coeli Address: Good Shepherd Sunday and the Healing of a Cripple (Full Text) Regina Coeli Address: Good Shepherd Sunday and the Healing of a Cripple (Virginia Forrester @zenitenglish) Here is a ZENIT translation of the address Pope Francis gave April 22, 2018, before and after praying the midday Regina Coeli with those gathered in St. Peter’s Square. * * * Before the Regina Coeli: Dear Brothers and Sisters, good morning! The Liturgy of this fourth Sunday of Easter continues with the intent to help us rediscover our identity as disciples of the Risen Lord. In the Acts of the Apostles, Peter declares openly that the healing of a cripple, carried out by him, of which the whole of Jerusalem was talking, happened in the name of Jesus, because “there is salvation in no one else” (4:12). Each one of us is in that healed man – that man is a figure of us: we are all there –, our communities are there: each one can be healed from the many forms of spiritual infirmity that he has – ambition, sloth, pride – if we accept, with trust, to put our existence in the hands of the Risen Lord. “By the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth . . . this man is standing before you well,” (v. 10) affirms Peter. However, who is Christ who heals? In what does being healed by Him consist? From what are we healed and through what attitudes? We find the answer to all these questions in today’s Gospel, where Jesus says: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for His sheep (John 10:11). This self-presentation of Jesus can’t be reduced to an emotive suggestion, without any concrete effect! Jesus heals through being a Shepherd that gives life. Giving His life for us, Jesus says to each one: “your life is worth so much to Me, that to save it I give the whole of myself.” It’s precisely this offering of His life that makes Him the Good Shepherd par excellence, He who heals, He who enables us to live a beautiful and fruitful life. The second part of the same evangelical page tells us under what conditions Jesus can heal us and can make our life joyful and fruitful: “I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me, as the Father knows me and I know the Father” (vv. 14-15), says Jesus. Jesus doesn’t speak of an intellective knowledge, no, but of a personal relationship, of predilection, of mutual tenderness, reflection of the same intimate relationship of love between Him and the Father. This is the attitude through which a living relationship with Jesus is realized; to let oneself be known by Him. Not to shut oneself in oneself <but> to open oneself to the Lord, so that He can know me. He is attentive to each one of us, He knows our heart in depth; He knows our good points and our bad points, the projects we have realized and the hopes that were disappointed. However, He accepts us as we are, also with our sins, to heal us, to forgive us. He guides us with love so that we can also go through rough paths without losing the way. He accompanies us. In turn, we are called to know Jesus. This implies an encounter with Him, an encounter that arouses the desire to follow Him, abandoning self-referential attitudes to set out on new roads, indicated by Christ Himself and opened on vast horizons. When the desire cools down in our communities to live the relationship with Jesus, to listen to His voice and to follow Him faithfully, it’s inevitable that other ways of thinking and living will prevail, which aren’t coherent with the Gospel. May Mary, our Mother, help us to mature an ever- stronger relationship with Jesus. To open ourselves to Jesus, so that He enters inside us. A stronger relationship: He is risen, so we can follow Him our whole life. In this Day of Prayer for Vocations, may Mary intercede, so that many will respond with generosity and perseverance to the Lord, who calls to leave everything for His Kingdom. © Libreria Editrice Vatican [Original text: Italian] [ZENIT’s translation by Virginia M. Forrester] After the Regina Coeli Dear Brothers and Sisters, I’m concerned about what’s happening these days in Nicaragua, where clashes broke out following a social protest, which also caused some victims. I express my closeness in prayer to that country, and I join the Bishops in asking that the violence cease, the useless shedding of blood be avoided and the questions opened be resolved peacefully and with a sense of responsibility. As I mentioned a short while ago, in this fourth Sunday of Easter, the whole Church celebrates the Day of Prayer for Vocations. The theme is: “Listen, Discern, Live the Call of the Lord.” I thank the Lord because He continues to arouse in the Church stories of love for Jesus Christ, to the praise of His glory and at the service of brothers. Today, in particular, we thank Him for the new priests I ordained a short while ago in St. Peter’s Basilica. And we ask the Lord to send many good laborers to work in His field, as well as multiply the vocations to the consecrated life and to Christian marriage. As I was saying, today I ordained sixteen priests. Of these sixteen, four came here to greet you and to give the Blessing with me. [Four new priests appeared at the window next to the Pope] My heartfelt greeting to you all, Romans and pilgrims from Italy and from many countries, in particular, those from Setubal, Lisbon, Krakow, and the Sisters, Pious Disciples of the Divine Master that have come from Korea. I greet the pilgrims of Castiglione d’Adda, Torralba, Modica, Cremona and Brescia <and> he parish choir of Ugovizza; the Confirmation youngsters of Gazzaniga, Pollenza and Cisano sul Neva. I wish you all a happy Sunday and, please, don’t forget to pray for me. Have a good lunch and goodbye! © Libreria Editrice Vatican [Original text: Italian] [ZENIT’s translation by Virginia M. Forrester] APRIL 22, 2018 14:35ANGELUS/REGINA CAELI

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18th February >> (@zenitenglish) Pope Francis’ Angelus Address: On the Need for Conversion: ‘Lent Is a Journey of Conversion and a Struggle against Evil’ (Pope Francis ~ Angelus / PHOTO.VA - OSSERVATORE ROMANO) Below, please find an English translation (by Zenit) of the address Pope Francis gave today before and after praying the midday Angelus with those gathered in Dt. Peter’s Square. * * * Before the Angelus: Dear Brothers and Sisters, good morning! On this first Sunday of Lent, the Gospel recalls the themes of temptation, of conversion and of the Good News. The evangelist Mark writes: “The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan” (Mark 1:12-13). Jesus goes into the desert to prepare himself for His mission in the world. He has no need of conversion but, in as much as man, He must pass through this test, be it for Himself, to obey the will of the Father, be it for us, to give us the grace to overcome temptations. This preparation consists in fighting against the spirit of evil, namely, against the devil. For us also, Lent is a time of spiritual “challenge,” of spiritual struggle: we are called to face the Evil One through prayer so that with God’s help, we are able to overcome him in our daily life. We know it, evil, unfortunately, is at work in our existence and around us, where violence, rejection of the other, closures, wars and injustices are manifested. Immediately after the temptations in the wilderness, Jesus begins to preach the Gospel, namely, the Good News, the second word. The first was “temptation”; the second, “Good News.” And this Good News exacts from man conversion — third word — and faith. He proclaims: “The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand”; then He exhorts: “repent, and believe in the Gospel” (v. 15), that is, believe in this Good News that the Kingdom of God is at hand. In our life, we are always in need of conversion — every day! –, and the Church makes us pray for this. In fact, we are never sufficiently oriented to God and we must constantly direct our mind and heart to Him. To do this, it’s necessary to have the courage to reject all that leads us outside the way, the false values that deceive us, attracting our egoism in a sly way. Instead, we must trust the Lord, His goodness and His plan of love for each one of us. Lent is a time of penance, yes, but it’s not a sad time, of mourning. It’s a joyful and serious commitment to strip ourselves of our egoism, of the old man in us, and of renewing ourselves according to the grace of our Baptism. God alone can give us true happiness: it’s useless for us to waste time seeking it elsewhere, in riches, in pleasures, in power, in a career . . . The Kingdom of God is the realization of all our aspirations because it is, at the same time, salvation of man and glory of God. In this first Sunday of Lent we are invited to listen attentively and to take up this appeal of Jesus to convert ourselves and to believe in the Gospel. We are exhorted to undertake with commitment the path to Easter, to receive ever more the grace of God, who wants to transform the world into a kingdom of justice, of peace <and> of fraternity. May Mary Most Holy help us to live this Lent with fidelity to the Word of God and with incessant prayer, as Jesus did in the desert. It’s not impossible! It’s about living the days with the ardent desire to receive the love that comes from God and who wants to transform our life and the whole world. [Original text”: Italian] [ZENIT’s translation by Virginia M. Forrester] After the Angelus: Dear Brothers and Sisters, In a month, from March 19-24, some 300 young people from all over the world will come to Rome for a preparatory meeting to the October Synod. However, I intensely desire that all the young people may be protagonists of this preparation. Therefore, they will be able to intervene on line through linguistic groups moderated by other young people. The contribution of the “network groups” will join that of Rome’s meeting. Dear young people, you can find the information on the Website of the Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops. I thank you for your contribution to walk together! I greet you, families, parish groups, Associations and all the pilgrims from Italy and from different countries. I greet the faithful of the dioceses of Murcia, Vannes, Warsaw and Wroclaw, as well as those of Erba, Vignole, Fontaneto D’Agogna, Silvi and Troina. I greet the youngsters of the deanery of Baggio (Milan) and those of Melito Porto Salvo. At the beginning of Lent, which — as I said — is a journey of conversion and a struggle against evil, I wish to express a particular greeting to imprisoned persons: dear brothers and sisters who are in prison, I encourage each one of you to live the Lenten season as an occasion of reconciliation and renewal of your life under the Lord’s merciful gaze. He never tires of forgiving. I ask all to remember me and <my> collaborators of the Roman Curia in prayer, who this evening begin a week of Spiritual Exercises. I wish you a happy Sunday. Have a good lunch and goodbye! [Original text: Italian] [ZENIT’s translation by Virginia M. Forrester]

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29th January >> Pope Francis' Address before and after the Angelus in St. Peter's Square, Vatican.

(Present at the Angelus today, among others, were the youngsters of Catholic Action of the diocese of Rome (CAR) who, with the “Caravan of Peace” concluded the month of January, traditionally dedicated by them to the theme of peace. At the end of the Angelus prayer, two children, a boy and a girl, invited to the Papal Apartment, read a message in the name of CAR of Rome.) Below, please find an English translation of the address Pope Francis gave today before and after praying the midday Angelus with those gathered in St. Peter’s Square: Before the Angelus: Dear brothers and sisters, good morning! This Sunday’s liturgy has us meditate on the Beatitudes (cf. Matthew 5:1-12a), which open the great address called “of the mountain,” the Magna Carta” of the New Testament. Jesus manifests God’s will to lead men to happiness. This message was already present in the preaching of the prophets: God is close to the poor and the oppressed and He delivers them from those who mistreat them. However, in this preaching Jesus follows a particular path: He begins with the term “Blessed,” happy. He continues with the indication of the condition to be so and He concludes by making a promise. The motive for beatitude, namely for happiness, is not in the condition requested — for instance, “poor in spirit,” “mourn,” “hunger for righteousness,” “persecuted” … but in the subsequent promise, to be received with faith as gift of God. One begins from the condition of hardship to open oneself to God’s gift and enter the new world, the “Kingdom” proclaimed by Jesus. This is not an automatic mechanism, but a way of life following the Lord, so that the reality of hardship and affliction is seen in a new perspective and experienced according to the conversion undertaken. One is not blessed if one is not converted, able to appreciate and live God’s gifts. I will pause on the first beatitude: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven” (v. 4). He is poor in spirit who has assumed the sentiments and the attitude of those poor, who do not rebel in their condition, but are able to be humble, docile, open to the grace of God. The happiness of the poor — of the poor in spirit — has a twofold dimension: in relation to goods and in relation to God. In regard to goods, to material goods, this poverty in spirit is sobriety: not necessarily renunciation, but the capacity to enjoy the essential, to share; the capacity to renew every day the wonder of the goodness of things, without being weighed down in the opacity of voracious consumption. The more I have, the more I want; the more I have, the more I want: this is voracious consumption. And this kills the soul. And the man and woman who do this, who have this attitude “the more I have, the more I want,” are not happy and will not attain happiness. ”In relations with God, it is praise and gratitude that the world is a blessing and that at its origin is the creative love of the Father. But it is also openness to Him, docility to His lordship: He is the Lord; He is the Great One. I am not great because I have many things! He is: He who willed the world for all men and wanted it so that men would be happy. A poor one in spirit is a Christian who does not trust in himself, in his material riches, who is not obstinate in his opinions but listens with respect and disposes himself willingly to others’ decisions. If there were more poor in spirit in our communities, there would be fewer divisions, oppositions and controversies! Humility, like charity, is an essential virtue for coexistence in Christian communities. The poor, in this evangelical sense, appear as those that keep alive the goal of the Kingdom of Heaven, making one perceive that it is anticipated in germ in a fraternal community, which prefers sharing to possession. I would like to stress this: to prefer sharing to possession. To always have an open heart and hands (he makes the gesture), not closed (he makes the gesture). When the heart is closed (he makes the gesture) it is a narrow: it does not even know how to love. When the heart is open (he makes the gesture), it goes on the way of love. May the Virgin Mary, model and first fruit of the poor in spirit because totally docile to the Lord’s will, help us to abandon ourselves to God, rich in mercy, so that He will fill us with His gifts, especially the abundance of His forgiveness. * After the Angelus Dear brothers and sisters, as you see, the invaders have arrived … they are here! Celebrated today is World Leprosy Day. This sickness, though regressing, is still among the most feared and it strikes the poorest and marginalized. It is important to fight against this disease, but also against the discriminations it engenders. I encourage all those who are committed in the rescue and social reinsertion of persons stricken by Hansen’s disease, to whom we assure our prayer. I greet you all affectionately, who have come from different parishes of Italy and of other countries, as well as the Associations and Groups. In particular, I greet the students of Murcia and Badajoz, the young people of Bilbao and the faithful of Castellon. I greet the pilgrims of Reggio Calabria, Castelliri, and the Sicilian group of the National Association of Parents. I would also like to renew my closeness to the populations of Central Italy that are still suffering the consequences of the earthquake and of difficult atmospheric conditions. May these brothers and sisters of ours not lack the constant support of institutions and common solidarity. And please, may no type of bureaucracy make them wait and suffer further! Now I turn to you, boys and girls of Catholic Action, of the parishes and Catholic schools of Rome. Accompanied by the Cardinal Vicar, this year also you have come at the end of the “Caravan of Peace,” whose slogan is Surrounded by Peace: a beautiful slogan Thank you for your presence and for your generous commitment in building a society of peace. Now, we will all listen to the message that your friends, beside me here, will read to us. [Reading of the message] And now the balloons are released, symbol of peace, symbol of peace … I wish you all a good Sunday. I wish you peace, humility, sharing in your families. Please, do not forget to pray for me. Have a good lunch and see you soon! [Original text: Italian]

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22nd March >> (@ZenitEnglish By Virginia Forrester) #PopeFrancis #Pope Francis’ Angelus Address: On the Fourth Sunday of Lent, the Theme of the Liturgy is Light (Full Text). The Miraculous Healing of the Blind Man Confirms Jesus’ Affirmation: ‘I Am the Light of the World’.

Here is a ZENIT translation of the address Pope Francis gave today, before and after praying the midday Angelus from the Library of the Apostolic Vatican Palace ion 22nd March 2020.

* * *

Before the Angelus

Dear Brothers and Sisters, good morning!

At the center of the Liturgy, of this Fourth Sunday of Lent, is the theme of light. The Gospel (Cf. John 9:1-41) narrates the episode of the blind man from birth, to whom Jesus gives sight. This miraculous sign is the confirmation of the affirmation of Jesus who says of Himself: “I am the Light of the world” (v. 5), the light that illuminates our darkness. Jesus is so. He effects the illumination at two levels: one physical and one spiritual: the blind man first receives the sight of the eyes and he is then led to faith in the “Son of man” (v. 35), namely, in Jesus. It’s a whole journey. It would be good today if all of you took John’s Gospel, chapter nine, and read this passage: it’s so beautiful and it will do us good to read it again, or twice. The miracles Jesus works aren’t spectacular gestures, but their purpose is to lead to faith through a journey of interior transformation.

The Doctors of the Law — that were there, a group of them — are obstinate in not admitting the miracle and addressed insidious questions to the healed man. However, he floors them with the force of the reality: “One thing I know, that though I was blind now I see” (v. 25). Between the diffidence and hostility of those around him and question him, incredulous, he follows an itinerary that leads him gradually to discover the identity of Him who opened his eyes and to confess his faith in Him. First, he regards Him as a prophet (Cf. v. 17); then he recognizes Him as one who comes from God (Cf. v. 33); finally, he accepts Him as the Messiah and prostrates himself before Him (Cf. vv. 36-38). He has understood that, by giving him his sight, Jesus has “manifested the works of God” (Cf. v. 3).

May we also be able to have this experience! With the light of faith, he who was blind discovers his new identity. He is no a “new creature,” able to see his life and the world around him in a new light because he entered into communion with Christ; he entered another dimension. He is no longer a beggar marginalized by the community; he is no longer a slave of blindness and prejudice. His journey of illumination is a metaphor of the course of liberation from sin to which we are called. Sin is like a dark veil that covers our faces and impedes us from seeing the world and ourselves clearly. The Lord’s forgiveness takes away this blanket of shadow and darkness and gives us new light. May the Lent we are living be an opportune and precious time to approach the Lord, asking for His mercy, in the different ways that Mother Church proposes to us.

The healed blind man, who now sees with the eyes of the body as well as of the soul, is the image of every baptized person that, immersed in Grace, has been torn from the darkness and placed in the light of faith. However, it’s not enough to receive the light, one must become light. Every one of us is called to receive the divine light to manifest it with our whole life. The first Christians, the theologians of the first centuries, said that the community of Christians, namely, the Church, is the “mystery of the moon,” because she gave light but it was not her own light, it was the light she received from Christ. We must also be “mystery of the moon”: to give the light we receive from the sun, which is Christ the Lord. Saint Paul reminds us of it today: “walk, therefore, as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true”) (Ephesians 5:8-9). The seed of new life put in us in Baptism is like the spark of a fire, which purifies us first of all, burning the evil we have in our heart, and enables us to shine and illuminate, with the light of Jesus.

May Mary Most Holy help us to imitate the blind man of the Gospel so that we can be inundated by the light of Christ and walk with Him on the way of salvation.

© Libreria Editrice Vatican

[Original text: Italian] [ZENIT’s translation by Virginia M. Forrester]

After the Angelus

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In these days of trial, while humanity trembles because of the pandemic’s menace, I would like to propose to all Christians to unite their voices to Heaven. I invite all the Heads of Churches and the leaders of all the Christian Communities, together with all the Christians of the various Confessions, to invoke the Most High, Almighty God, reciting contemporaneously the prayer that Jesus Our Lord taught us. I invite all, therefore, to do so several times a day, but, all together, to recite the Our Father next Wednesday, March 25, at midday – all together. On the day in which many Christians recall the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary of the Incarnation of the Word, may the Lord be able to hear the unanimous prayer of all His disciples that are preparing to celebrate the victory of the Risen Christ. With this same intention, next Friday, March 27 at 6:00 pm, I will preside over a moment of prayer in the courtyard of St. Peter’s Basilica, with the empty Square. From now on I invite all to take part spiritually through the means of communication. We will listen to the Word of God, we will elevate our prayer, we will adore the Most Blessed Sacrament, with which at the end I will give the Urbi et Orbi Blessing, to which will be annexed the possibility to receive a Plenary Indulgence.

We want to respond to the pandemic of the virus with the universality of prayer, of compassion and of tenderness. We remain united. Let us make our closeness felt by persons that are most alone and tried. Our closeness to the doctors, to the health workers, men and women nurses, volunteers . . . Our closeness to the Authorities that must take hard measures, but for our good. Our closeness to the police, to soldiers that seek to maintain order always on the street, so that the things will be done that the government asks be done for the good of us all — closeness to all.

I express my closeness to the population of Croatia, affected this morning by an earthquake May the Lord give them the strength and solidarity to face this calamity. And, don’t forget: take the Gospel today and read tranquilly, slowly chapter nine of John. I’ll do it too. It will do us all good.

And I wish you a good Sunday. Don’t forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch and goodbye.

© Libreria Editrice Vatican

[Original text: Italian] [ZENIT’s translation by Virginia M. Forrester]

22nd MARCH 2020 15:02ANGELUS/REGINA CAELI