#unintentionally. the entrance was that side and i just joined the crowd there and stayed there. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

old-hyper-super-clover · 3 years

Text

Omoi yo Hitotsu no Nare

Feelings, become One

Part 2 of 2

find part one here

Writer's block is being rough on me, so the only thing I was able to create lately was a short story of my MC Clover and Leviathan. It shows their adorable friendship as they experience an idol live show together.

Enjoy 🧡

"Wooaah... I can't believe I'm really here..."

Her mouth opened wide, Clover looked at the Tokyo Dome with big, sparkling eyes. Taking in the astonishing view, her heart was beating fast already. "Look at how many people are here...!"

Levi gave a nod. "It's impressive, isn't it? Normally I would hate being surrounded by so many people, but it's different for such events. Everyone came for the one and same reason."

Clover's lips curled into a smile.

"To cherish what we love."

When making their way to the entrance for their seating section, the mass of people grew denser the closer they got to the Dome. Eventually, Clover had troubles staying next to Levi's side, which let anxiety to rise within her. She was afraid of getting separated, especially since she hasn't taken Solomon's translation potion yet. The sorcerer warned that the magic could wear off a little too soon, so Clover wanted to drink it right before the live would start.

Hence her panic, as suddenly it seemed like a literal train of people crossing their path would separate her from her demon friend.

"L-levi!!" she screamed on impulse while fiddling to grab his coat's sleeve.

"Uwah, Clover!" Levi huffed, turning towards her in irritation. Being used to go to events all alone, he had kind of forgot for a second that he should match his pace with Clover's.

But even now as he had slowed down, the girl wouldn't let go of his clothes.

"U-uhm... I panic when getting separated in places I've never been to..." Clover explained as she noticed Levi's confusion. "It calms me when I feel you're here by my side, so..." she gently tugged on his sleeve while unintentionally giving him her biggest pleading face. "Could we stay like this? Just until we're at our seats of course."

A little flustered, Levi played it cool and gave a shrug. "S-sure, if you feel safer that way..."

And so, the two continued their way, the demon hiding how soft this whole ordeal had made him inside, while Clover was following along like a mildly frightened puppy.

Once inside the hall, Levi and Clover had no troubles finding their seats. Thus, they were quickly established, and while the Otaku explained some insider facts about the Tokyo Dome (that he might have googled beforehand as he was afraid to sit there in awkward silence), the hall was steadily filling with more and more fans.

The anticipation was almost painful, Clover really had to put energy into calming herself down. Especially since Levi wasn't a help at all. He was a strong fan of idols, so naturally his hype was increasing at least as much.

The two were almost bouncing in their seats, as finally, the lights dimmed, and a live orchestra started playing the anime's main theme...

Talking about the full concert would truly be a task too big for this little story (even though I could surely gush about it for hours straight).

But there were a few highlights worth mentioning.

Beforehand, Clover had been worrying over whether her shy personality would allow her to cheer and sing with all she had. But when the idols appeared on stage, all doubts were blown away immediately. Crying in overwhelming happiness, she sang along and shouted from the top of her lungs to Aqours' songs, Leviathan of course doing the same next to her.

They were enjoying themselves so much.

There wasn't a single moment where they weren't.

Oh, well, maybe there was a split second for Levi.

One of the idols had a call and response which animated the crowd to hug a person next to you.

And so, while Levi was preparing emotionally to ask Clover for a hug, said idol called out her catch phrase. But as Levi turned to his human friend, he saw how Clover was turned to the person on the other side.

It appeared the stranger next to her had asked her for a hug, and, awkward but nice as she was, Clover couldn't reject the request.

It broke her heart into pieces as she quickly turned the other way around afterwards, checking on Levi and seeing his disappointed expression.

"Don't worry sweetie, you'll get a hug too!!" She called out and wrapped her arms around him with almost too much force.

"I've been planning to give you a biiig hug since we started practising the call and responses...!"

Gosh, I really want to fangirl about these amazing idols for longer, but I will not torture you with that.

But there is one last event I have to address.

About in the middle of the live show, the girls were dressed in the outfits for a very special song.

A song they have been avoiding to perform after a member broke into tears in the middle of the performance.

Still, there she was, Rikyako, next to a piano once again.

And let me tell you, the crowd was going WILD. Levi and Clover were by far not the only one's in awe over how on the big screens, you could see how Rikyako was giving her fellow members a confident nod.

Then she started playing while the others were beginning to sing the song "Omoi yo Hitotsu ni Nare".

Clover was already in tears at this point, proud to see Rikyako was about to conquer this piano piece once more.

Then, however, Rikyako suddenly stood up, but the music was continuing to play a soft piano medley.

Visibly at the edge of tears, too, the pianist made her way to her friends, and by now Levi (and probably all other fans) have lost it as well.

Rikyako, as well as the other eight members, had gathered on the central stage, to then put their hands together, their eyes glistening in determination.

"Sh-she's joining the performance?!" Levi squealed.

"No way!!" Clover cried. "This is so cute oh my lord I cAN'T-!"

And they sang, the performance now officially beginning. It was a song about being connected, being there for each other. There couldn't have been a more fitting gesture to show this than bringing the pianist, once struggling, into the performance.

And while Clover listened in to their singing, to the message they conveyed...

She truly understood what had been going on the last few weeks.

"Kakegae no nai hibi o sugoshitetanda"

'I was amid days that could never be replaced'

She was down, broken, had felt miserable.

She had been trying to hide it, deal with it in her own.

But her friends had known.

And they've been by her side.

"Imasara wakatta hitori janai."

'I finally realized I'm not alone'

Even when she had somewhat pushed them away, they where there.

Somehow it occurred to her only now that their small gestures, everything up to the invitation to this live show,

They haven't been coincidences,

But were doing this explicitly to cheer her up.

Clover turned her head to look at Leviathan.

"Kakegae no nai hibi o tsumi kasanete"

'Those irreplaceable days continued on'

And to her surprise, Levi had been looking at her, too.

When their eyes met, he smiled.

A small smile, but warm and gentle.

So, with hot tears rolling down her cheeks,

Clover smiled back.

"Imasara wakatta..."

'I finally realized...'

The girls on stage grabbed each others hand, And so did Levi bashfully move his hand to link his pinky finger with Clover's.

They exchanged a tiny nod.

"... hitori janai!"

'... I'm not alone!'

And went to cheer their hearts out for the rest of the live show, too. Connected by the hands they did not part until the end.

Late in the evening, the oldest brother Lucifer was waiting at the portal to the human world to welcome the two back.

While Levi was looking fine, he was shocked to see Clover with swollen red eyes, tired as if having run a marathon just now.

"Are you alright?" Lucifer raised an eyebrow, mustering the girl.

Having only like five percent left of her voice, Clover assured him that she was more than fine.

"I cried so much" she laughed in a hoarse voice. "It was amazing."

"You really cried SO much more than I did lol"

The avatar of Pride didn't quite understand the connection between "crying lots" and this being "amazing", but he saw how truly satisfied both of them were, so a content smile spread on his lips as well.

"Then let us head home" Lucifer said. "It appears both of you could use a good night's sleep."

At the house of Lamentation, Levi had checked his D.D.D., and something must have prompted him to hurry back home as he had left the two to walk alone for a bit.

Clover took this opportunity to address the oldest brother in this quieter moment.

"Lucifer? Thank you for letting us go to the human world today. It means a lot to me."

Eyeing her sparkling expression, Lucifer couldn't but let out a happy exhale.

"I am glad your spirits have lifted. I was displeased to see you in this saddened state, but it seems like my brothers took great care of you."

Clover smiled, watching how Levi was urging to open the mansion's door.

"They really did."

The smile seemed to be contagious, as soon, Lucifer wore it too.

"However, you should thank Levi thrice as much. You don't want to know what measures he took to convince me to let you two go out today."

The girl's eyes widened, glistening with gratitude.

"Yes, I will."

And so she dashed after the avatar of Envy.

She reached him in the entrance hall, where he was arguing with Mammon over whatever.

As soon as this had been resolved, Clover dashed into Levi to hug him yet another time.

"E-eh?! Seriously, Clover, y-you can't just hug people whenever you like-"

"Thank you, Levi" she interrupted him in a gentle tone. "I'll never forget this."

Blushing, Levi returned the embrace.

"It wasn't much, really..." He mumbled bashfully.

But Clover shook her head.

"No, I mean it." She mumbled into his clothing.

"I'll never forget your kindness."

And with that, she pulled back...

But placed a sweet, little kiss of gratitude on his cheek before quickly making her leave.

"Good night, Levia-tan!"

Holding the place where her lips had touched him, the demon looked after her.

"Good... night..." he mumbled in a baffled response.

But ultimately, he smiled, knowing that he, the anti-social, shut-in Otaku, had not only managed to cheer someone up,

but also felt how he had grown closer to a person very dear to him.

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

Here's a link to the song's performance in case anyone wants to watch the one for 'Omoi yo Hitotsu ni Nare' (and there are a bunch more of Aqours, go support them they're precious 🥺)

#obey me #obey me shall we date #obey me levi #love live sunshine #aqours #short story #obe me mc #clover

10 notes · View notes

city-writes · 5 years

Text

Soul Eater: Zexal!

Its a new year at the DWMA, and that means fresh new faces for the academy! Following in his parents' footsteps, Yuma Tsukumo joins the school for fun, adventure, and long lasting friendships.

For Zexal Month Day 15: XYZ Beyond Time! (The Crossover Day!)

Warnings: Soul Eater AU; Multi chapter fic

Characters: Yuma Tsukumo, Astral, Ryoga Kamishiro, Rio Kamishiro, Durbe, Lord Death, Sid Barrett

[Read it here on AO3!]

The sun was laughing high in the cloudless sky, looking down over the Death Weapon Meister Academy as new students began to gather at the entrance of the school, each separated into one of two groups: Meisters, or Weapons.

The students were all chattering amongst themselves, and only quieted down as Lord Death made himself known, towering above the crowd of children as he spoke in a playful tone. "Why yes, hi, howdy, hello! What's up, kiddos?"

There were scattered greetings returned to Lord Death, though most people were silent, not having expected the Lord of Death to greet them in such a... playful way.

"It's great to see a bunch of fresh new faces for the academy!" Lord Death continued, gesturing to the crowd of students with a large, oversized, gloved hand. "Now before we get right down to business and head inside, there's the matter of matching you kiddos up with a partner! So take this time to get to know your future classmates, and find yourself a suitable partner!"

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

Ryoga and Rio Kamishiro stood somewhat away from the large group, Ryoga folding his arms as he watched the other students mingle with one another. "This is stupid, Rio." He said, leaning against a pillar. "There's no point in me talking with any of these other people when I know exactly how this is going to turn out."

"Oh?" Rio asked, brushing some dust off of her skirt. "And how, exactly, do you expect this to turn out?"

"We're just going to end up together, as always." Ryoga bemoaned, "You can go see if you can find someone, but I'm just going to wait here for you to come back."

Rio gave a 'hmph!' and turned on her heel, intent on finding herself a Meister to prove her brother wrong.

As she made her way into the group of students, there were many boys and several girls eyeing her up and down, until a boy came up and began talking to her. "Hey there, pretty thing. You wouldn't happen to be looking for a Meister, would ya?"

Internally, Rio rolled her eyes, but on the outside she simply smiled. "Yes, I am." This garnered the attention of several more meisters around her, as rhe boy who spoke stepped forward.

"Well look no further, you've found your Meister!" He pointed to himself with a thumb, giving Rio a cocky grin. "Why don't you show me your weapon form and I'll show you just how compatible we could be."

Rio's smile became much more forced at that, but she shifted into her weapon form nonetheless, an ice blue shortsword, cold to the touch. She found herself on the ground in a clatter, as the boy struggled to pick her up off the ground.

"Augh, whats with you? Why are you so heavy?!"

"I'm not heavy," Rio countered, her voice emanating from the sword, "My brother can wield me just fine. You're just not as compatible as you thought, now are you?"

With a growl, the boy stopped trying to raise her, as another student tried to do the same and failed just as pathetically. This went on for quite a bit, before a young woman was able to slowly pick her up, struggling the entire way. It took the young woman a few moments to raise Rio up to the sky, but the minute she did, their soul wavelengths crashed into each other, not meshing at all. The action sent the girl reeling, and she unintentionally tossed Rio through the air.

Rio braced herself for impact as she flew through the air, staying in her weapon form, and was surprised when a hand reached out and grabbed her by the hilt, holding her up to the sky. The students who had been previously trying to use Rio watched in shock, as this boy who'd grabbed her was holding her with ease, and wasn't recoiling from the difference in soul wavelengths.

In fact, her soul wavelength was thrumming in time with his, and it felt...well, not exactly like when hers and Ryoga's wavelengths were in tune, but it was damn near close.

The boy who'd caught her was barely taller than Ryoga; he wore glasses, along with a white buttondown shirt and a black waistcoat, as well as a green scarf. He lowered his arm so he could look directly at the shortsword in his hand, and spoke. "Are you alright?"

The blade of the shortsword dematerialized and was replaced with Rio's upper half, who nodded in response to his question. "Yes, I'm alright, thanks to you."

The boy smiled and shook his head, "It was nothing. My name's Durbe. And you are?"

"Rio, Rio Kamishiro." Rio smiled back at him, before looking down to the ground. "Would you mind letting me go now?"

"Right, sorry." Durbe let go of the hilt of Rio's blade, and no sooner than he did, did she shift out of her weapon form, her feet landing firmly on the stone floor beneath them. "There you go. Well, it was nice to meet you." He said, beginning to turn with the intent of walking away.

Rio gave him a funny look, shocked that this Meister who handled her without any issue was just walking away as opposed to ogling over her like most people did. "I'm surprised that a partnerless Meister is passing over a weapon they flowed well with."

Durbe stopped and turned back to look at Rio. "As honored as I'd be to be your Meister," he began, raising his hand to motion to the tag on his chest. "I'm looking for one myself."

Oh, Rio realized. His tag said 'Weapon', too. What a shame, she could have proved Ryoga wrong by showing back up with a Meister that would have matched her soul's wavelength. Wait... if Durbe matched her soul wavelength... it'd make sense that he'd match Ryoga's too, right?

Rio smirked then and folded her arms. "What if I said I could find you one?"

"I doubt it," Durbe said, shaking his head. "No one's wanted me as their weapon."

Rio frowned at that, tilting her head just slightly. "Why's that?"

"Because I'm not exactly a 'weapon', per se." Durbe pushed his glasses up then, looking somewhat embarrassed. "My weapon form is a metal shield; A heater shield to be exact, one that curves and comes to a point on top."

"A shield?" Rio murmured incredulously. This was the first time she'd heard of someone's weapon form being something more defensively based as opposed to offensively based. People were usually swords or scythes or something of the sort, but a shield? She took a moment to think, before smiling knowingly. "I don't think that will change anything. Follow me."

With nothing to lose, Durbe agreed, and followed Rio as she made her way back to Ryoga, who was still leaning against the same pillar.

"Back so soon?" Ryoga questioned with a smirk.

"Oh, hush." Rio chided, before gesturing a hand to Durbe. "This is Durbe. Durbe," Rio looked to Durbe then, now motioning at Ryoga. "This is my twin brother, Ryoga."

"Your twin?" Durbe inquired, looking between the two. "It's nice to meet you, Ryoga."

"Really? This nerd is your partner?" Ryoga asked with a bit of snark to his tone, causing Durbe to frown slightly and Rio to put her hands on her hips.

"Nope," Rio replied, leaning in a bit, a mischievous grin on her face, "He's yours." With that, she looked to Durbe. "Do you mind showing us your weapon form?"

Durbe shook his head, and quickly shifted from his human form to his weapon form, which was true to his word, a white metal heater shield. Ryoga instinctively caught Durbe before he hit the ground and blinked frowning as he begrudgingly strapped Durbe to his left arm. He was about to make a comment about how in the hell would he be able to use this guy as an actual weapon, but as Ryoga took note of their matching soul wavelengths, he kept his mouth shut, but frowned nonetheless, a low hum escaping him.

"Well?"

Ryoga looked at Rio upon hearing her knowing tone. "His soul wavelength matches almost as well as yours does." He admitted. When Rio smirked and nodded, he rolled his eyes and looked down at Durbe. "Alright, nerd. What do you have to say about this?"

"My name is Durbe, not nerd, first off." Came Durbe's voice, emanating from the shield. "Secondly, I'm willing to see where this partnership takes us if you are."

"Can you attack at all?"

"Not to my knowledge." Durbe explained, sounding downtrodden, "But perhaps I just need a Meister to draw out my latent abilities."

"Hmm." Ryoga frowned still, but sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "I guess I can work with that." He looked to Rio then, who looked pleased with herself. "And what about you? You still haven't found yourself a Meister."

Ryoga's only reply was Rio saying, "Catch."

With that, Rio lunged for her twin brother, quickly shifting into her weapon form, and Ryoga was quick to catch her, wielding her in his right hand. The moment his hand grabbed at the hilt of her blade, he gasped, feeling the power of two different soul wavelengths mesh in near sync with his own. It was unlike anything he'd felt before, unlike how he felt simply wielding Rio by herself. He didn't know how to describe it, but if he had to put it into words, it was like his soul was humming a tune, and both Rio and Durbe's souls managed to not only match his tune, but find their own respective harmonies to compliment it.

"I think..." Ryoga said after exhaling a breath he hadn't even realized he'd been holding, "I think we can make this work."

Simultaneously, Rio and Durbe shifted out of their weapon forms and were soon standing on either side of Ryoga. Looking at themselves amazedly. They surely had felt it too, the same near synchronization that Ryoga himself had felt... They both looked at Ryoga, Durbe with a weak smile on his face, and Rio practically grinning from ear to ear. "I think we can too, Ryoga." They both looked at Durbe then, who was still looking at his hands in awe. He looked up then, feeling the twins' gaze upon him, and nodded in agreement.

"Yes, I think this will work."

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

Yuma Tsukumo watched as a purple haired Meister paired up with two weapons - a sword and shield - and pouted, rubbing the back of his head with a hand. "Man, I hope I find a partner soon." He looked down at his Meister tag, then began walking around, trying to find a weapon who he could match up with. He was met with nothing but denials and refusals, all from weapons who'd already partnered up with other Meisters.

"Gah!" Yuma used both hands to scratch at his head, a look of duress on his face, "Why is this so hard?!" All he wanted to do was find a partner to be best friends with and go on cool adventures and---

"Alright kiddos," Lord Death announced, "Everyone seems to have found themselves suitable partners! Let's start heading inside!"

"W-Wait, what?!" Yuma asked, his cry going unheard by Lord Death due to the chatter of dozens of students excited by what awaited them, "Does everyone have a partner but me?"

As the students began funneling their way into the school, Yuma simply stood in place, watching as they entered the school without him. "Maybe somebody's late!" He told himself, standing tall with his hands at his hips. "Maybe this is just how mine and my partner's story starts!" He turned and looked out to Death City, seeing if he was right and someone was late. "Maybe--"

"Uh, hello?"

Hearing Lord Death's voice, Yuma froze, and slowly turned his head to look over his shoulder. Upon seeing Lord Death waiting for him patiently, Yuma blanched and turned around immediately, booking it towards the school's entrance. "Sorry, Lord Death!"

"Hold your horses there, kiddo," Lord Death held out a hand in order to slow Yuma down, and looked at him curiously. "You look familiar. What's your name?"

Yuma blinked at that. Familiar? How did he manage to come off as familiar? This was his first time meeting Lord Death face-to-face! "Yuma Tsukumo."

"Tsukumo? Tsukumo..." Lord Death rose a hand to the bottom of his mask, tapping it gently as he looked upward in thought. "Tsukumo... Aha!" Lord Death clapped his hands together, then looked back down towards Yuma. "Your parents wouldn't happen to be Mirai and Kazuma, would they?"

"Yeah, that's my mom and dad!" Yuma said proudly, smirking as he did so. His smirk faltered slightly though as he asked, "How did you know that?"

"You're the spitting image of your father!" Lord Death replied cheerfully. "I remember him and your mother well! They worked for me for a short time, and your mother was well on her way to being a Death Scythe when she and Kazuma decided they wanted to start a family together. How are they doing?"

Yuma looked downward for a moment then, exhaling before looking back up at Lord Death. "They went missing several years ago. There was a gathering of witches near our town, and everyone who could fight went to do so. They never came back."

"Oh..." Lord Death's usually goofy boice became serious then, and he placed a hand onto Yuma's shoulder. "I'm sorry to hear that. Your mother and father were good people."

"Thanks." Yuma nodded at that, then looked up to Lord Death with a smile. "That's why I came here, I want to be as good as my parents were; better even! Then maybe one day I can go out and find them!"

"That's an admirable goal, Yuma!" Lord Death's voice was back to its goofy self again, and he removed his hand from Yuma's shoulder, turning to look towards the school's entrance, "Let's get you a partner and get you settled into the DWMA nicely!"

"But Lord Death," Yuma began, walking with the headmaster into the school, "isn't it too late to find a partner?"

"Not at all!" Lord Death's voice was chipper, and there was a bit of a bounce in his proverbial step as he floated down the hallway, guiding Yuma to where the other students were being shown around by various teachers. "There are some students here who still don't have a partner, so perhaps one of them will be the key to finding you someone to partner up with!"

"You think so?"

"My boy, I know so!" As they joined the rest of the students in the hallway, Lord Death continued, "Let's just have a looksee at your soul," Lord Death said as he stsred right at Yuma, "and I'll be able to tell you if... you... Huh."

Yuma blinked. "Um, Lord Death? Is everything ok?"

Lord Death was quiet for a moment, but soon snapped out of whatever caught him off guard, laughing slightly. "Oh, its nothing. The souls of you youngsters never cease to amaze me!" His laughter slowed to a stop, before he cleared his voice. "How about this: After classes today, before you head home, stop by my office and we'll see about finding you a partner?"

Yuma smiled brightly at that, "Alright, sounds like a plan!"

"Well then, get along and join your fellow classmates before we lose them again!" Lord Death patted Yuma's back gently, and Yuma nodded walking towards the group and waving back at Lord Death, who enthusiastically returned the wave. When Yuma was out of sight, engulfed by the mass of students, Lord Death turned to one of the teachers nearby. "Sid?"

Sid Barrett turned at the sound of Lord Death's voice, and stood at attention. "Yes, Lord Death?"

"How's our friend downstairs doing today?"

Sid hummed lowly, shaking his head. "He still refuses to talk to us, sir. He only asks for books to read and paper to write with. Why do you ask?"

Lord Death looked back towards the disappearing mass of students, and spoke softly, "I believe we might have found a Meister for our magic friend."

#Zexal Month #Krys writes #Zexal #Soul Eater

15 notes · View notes

arteacactus · 7 years

Text

Singing

Warnings: G notes mentioned, emos screaming in the distance Pairing: Prinxiety - Romantic or platonic Prompt: https://youtu.be/5GN5k6voEQw Songs: Duality by Set It Off, you losers all know Welcome to The Black Parade

It was well known to everyone that Roman was an exquisite singer.

As was Patton, surprisingly. And while Logan wasn't a singer, he could rap better than anyone.

Virgil was good at art, they knew. They just assumed that was his "talent". While everyone else had a vocal talent, Virgil was talented with paints and pencils.

He made gorgeous art of the other Sides, making them look realistic yet somehow with a stylistic spin on them that made Virgil's art unique.

He had multiple sketchbooks, most of them full of doodles of animals or the other Sides, that were open to be taken and looked at. Virgil didn't mind sharing his artwork with the others. Thomas was pretty surprised when he summoned Virgil one time and found him doodling on paper, and instantly the other Sides were all over him and bombarding him with questions on what he was drawing.

There was one book Virgil never let anyone touch, though.

It was a hardcover book, and it had music notes decorating the covers. The Sides just assumed it was a sketchbook themed on music and bands, but in reality, it was Virgil's songwriting book.

He could sing with a heavenly voice; it sounded like the angels singing in a beautiful choir.

Virgil wasn't better than Roman (hell, no one could sing better than Roman, especially when it came to Disney songs), but he could sing a hell of a lot better than anyone else. Though while Roman sang well in higher tones, Virgil could sing deep bass tones. Virgil sang the darker songs, that usually contained heavy bass or just a low tone of voice, and obviously, Roman was the complete opposite.

Virgil disliked this about himself, though. He disliked having two talents while the others seemed to have one.

Well, some of the others.

Logan had a secret talent for writing, but only he knew that.

He felt that he would be pushed away for having more than one talent. And while it felt great to know he shared something in common with them all, he didn't want to be pushed away because "Oh, everyone could sing, you're nothing special, Virgil."

It genuinely hurt him to think that they would push him away like that, especially after they'd gotten so close lately.

So Virgil hid his singing from them. He hid the fact that he could play guitar, piano, and violin. (What? He doesn't just sulk all day when he sits in his room 24/7. He has hobbies.)

He hid the fact that he wrote music, and songs, and poems. He hid the fact he could do anything other than draw.

And being able to express the fact that he could draw was great, too, honestly. If he was feeling particularly bad or didn't want to talk, he could draw to express his emotions and get the Sides to understand how to deal with these moods that way.

But he wanted to express himself freely, every single way he could. He wanted to be able to just sing without worrying of judgement.

But.. he was Anxiety, right? So that was.. impossible.

Every time he felt even a sliver of courage enter him, genuinely contemplating just walking right out in the commons and breaking out in song, it died within seconds due to the cold claws of anxiety clutching at his heart and his lungs, convincing him that no, you cannot do that. They will hate you. Don't ever do that.

But he wanted to. Oh, he wanted to get over this fear of his. He knew it was silly and nonsensical, but he couldn't help it. He was Anxiety, and that fact would never change. He was the very embodiment of fear and reluctance. He didn't think it was possible for him to actually get over that without severe repercussions.

But what if it was unintentional? What if.. he didn't mean to let them know he could sing? Perhaps, that's what he could do. Unintentionally let them know of this talent.

But that was impossible. He couldn't plan out a perfect scheme, and then unintentionally do it.

Or, so he thought.

He had the idea of telling them in his mind for a long time. Perhaps during a Disney movie; Moana, maybe. He'll join Roman in a duet of "Where You Are" and that's when all is revealed.

Maybe he'll just "accidentally" drop his songbook on the floor, and go to his room, and wait for them to confront him. (As much as Roman would try to deny it, he wouldn't be able to resist peeking at a book that Virgil kept secret).

Or maybe, he'll just have his headphones in and sing along to his music out loud, where the others were.

But it ended up being none of the above.

Roman, Patton, and Logan were all with Thomas, Joan, and Talyn. They were all playing games, telling bad puns, and having fun.

Virgil chose to stay behind.

Yes, he was invited. He didn't feel 'left out' because he knew he got an invitation, and at any time, he was allowed to spontaneously join them at random.

But he felt like singing.

So, standing in the commons, with his headphones in, Virgil sat on the couch, turned on the television just so he didn't feel totally alone, and started playing 'Welcome to The Black Parade'.

Virgil shut his eyes, just enjoying the first verse for a bit, before restarting the song to sing along with it, unknowing of the fact he had just been summoned to Thomas' living room; too caught up in the music to notice the tugging feeling in his stomach as he was pulled from the mind palace.

"When I was a young boy, My father took me into the city, To see a marching band."

Virgil was entirely unaware of his brand new audience, who were utterly stunned to see that, not only did Virgil look peaceful and happy, caught up in his music, but his voice was gorgeous, and he could sing? Since when was that a thing?

"He said, "Son, when you grow up Would you be the savior of the broken The beaten and the damned?""

Virgil felt eyes on him and so he opened his own, immediately yelping a bit in surprise, not realizing he actually had an audience listening to him, his cheeks reddening as he ripped off his headphones and turned off his music, chewing on the inside of his cheek anxiously.

"Wh-What did you guys want?" He stuttered, trying to will the blush away from his face.

"Virgil, that was.. astounding," Logan stated first, being the first to break out of his shocked state.

"I agree! That was so cool! I didn't know you could sing, too!" Thomas gushed, a smile coming to his face.

"I didn't know you sang so amazing, Virge! You're so amazing at it!" Patton squealed, squishing his cheeks together in awe.

"You have such a lovely voice, Virgil, I'm surprised!" Roman said last, smiling at the blushing Side. "I didn't think you could sing, to be honest."

"Yeah, well.." Virgil mumbled awkwardly, ".. Surprise?"

"Can you sing something for us, Virgil?" Patton asked excitedly, "Please? Pretty pretty please?"

"I don't know any other songs except for those "PG-13" ones you guys complain about," Virgil grumbled softly, self-consciously tugging at his jacket sleeve. He wasn't used to having all the attention; usually, Roman stole the spotlight and kept it that way.

"That's fine! Come on, sing just a little something for us, Virge!" Thomas urged, all of them sitting in an eager way, like children awaiting a show. Except for Logan, of course. Sophisticated as ever.

"Well.. fine," Virgil sighed. He supposed this is what he'd been asking for.

"I can't quite contain, or explain my evil ways, Or explain why I'm not sane; All I can say, is this is your warning.."

He hesitantly started, biting his lip a bit, but got nothing but encouraging looks from his little 'crowd'.

"I can't quite contain, or explain my evil ways, Or explain why I'm not sane; All I can say, is this is your warning; Duality-"

His breath hitched a bit due to nervousness, but he was quick to suppress it. He had to get confidence. He knew he could sing well. He wasn't gonna screw up at all. He was fine.

"I have a confession that you will not believe; That you could not perceive this freak, gonna set it off- I have a confession, of a side that I hide, It's a cloak or disguise unleashed, gonna get it off,"

Gradually, Virgil gained confidence, and his voice got steadier, expressing how confident he was beginning to feel. He got louder, not anxiously hushed.

"No, I'll never get away, 'Cause if I try to stray, It only holds me closer. No, I'll never get away, I love it anyway, I'll never stop."

His voice was steady and smooth like honey, and the Sides (and Thomas, Joan, and Talyn) noted how his tone of voice was deeper than all the others'.

"I can't quite contain, or explain my evil ways, Or explain why I'm not sane. All I can say, is this is your warning. I can't quite contain, or explain my evil ways, Or explain why I'm not sane; All I can say, is this is your warning; Duality!"

Virgil's voice began to take a different turn.

It was like there were two voices singing together in harmony. It made his singing sound even more entrancing. Was Virgil really hiding this talent from them this whole time?

"I have an impression, in the back of my mind, For the black in my tie, contains all your dirty thoughts. Make me an obsession, when you lock me inside, For the ride of your life unleashed, gonna get it off."

Virgil felt a swell of pride. He was so.. proud of himself, so happy that he could manage to do this. He loved it, he loved this feeling. Maybe he should sing more often.

"No, can't count the list of things, I know are wrong with me, No need to justify them. No, I'll never take the blame, So I'll just stay the same, I'll never stop-"

This song really fit Virgil, Roman realized with a fond smile as he sat, entranced by Virgil's voice, like everyone else.

As the chorus rolled around again, Virgil felt something inside burst, and his voice got even lower. He was getting into the song, which was unusual since he'd never really expected for that to happen when around the others.

"I am good, I am evil. I am solace, I am chaos. I am human, and that's all I've ever wanted to be."

As Virgil's voice dropped, the Sides collectively shivered. Virgil had such talent. Roman was swooning.

"No, can't count the list of things, I know are wrong with me, No need to justify them. No, I'll never get away, I love it anyway, I'll never stop."

Was it possible to listen to one sing for hours on end without stopping? Maybe. Virgil would probably get a sore throat, though.

As Virgil finished the song, he carefully opened his eyes, taking in their expressions, since he'd had them closed the whole time. Why? He really didn't know. Perhaps it was the fear of how they'd react. That seems the most.. logical answer.

Gah, now he was starting to sound like Logan.

"I-Ah.. I'm sorry, I got carried away, I didn't mean to sing so much, I was only gonna go up to the chorus.."

"Don't apologize; that was magnificent! I have no words for how stunning your voice is, Virgil!" Roman reassured with a large smile, and Virgil's lips twitched, trying to hide his grin.

"Would it.. be a bad time to say I can also write and compose songs, play some instruments, and make poems?"

Perhaps he was just bragging, but he really didn't get that often, and it felt good.

Besides, he wouldn't mind playing a little piano for the Sides.

Maybe breaking out the old g note was a good plan.

#i have no taglist #so #rip #if yall find this then woo #prinxiety #roman sanders #virgil sanders #sanders sides #thomas sanders #thatsthat24 #my fic #fanfiction

298 notes · View notes

dfroza · 4 years

Text

To be wrongfully sentenced to death.

yet, in the process to unveil a new covenant of grace that became the sacrifice to take the place of our own death sentence due to sin that separated us from our Creator.

this is the significance that is documented in Today’s reading of chapter 23 in the book of Luke as the 3rd book in the New Testament:

[Jesus before Pilate]

The entire council stood at once and took Jesus to Pilate, the Roman governor. They accused him with false testimony before the governor, saying, “This man tells us we’re not to pay our taxes to Caesar. And he proclaims himself to be Christ the King and Messiah. He’s a deceiver of our nation.”

Pilate asked Jesus, “Is this true? Are you their king and Messiah?”

Jesus answered, “It is true.”

Pilate turned to the high priests and to the gathered crowd and said, “This man has committed no crime. I find nothing wrong with him.”

But they yelled and demanded that Pilate do something, saying, “He has stirred up our nation, misleading people from the moment he began teaching in Galilee until he has come here to Jerusalem!”

[Jesus before Herod]

When Pilate heard the word Galilee, he asked if Jesus was a Galilean, as he knew that Antipas, son of Herod, was the ruler over Galilee. When they told him yes, Pilate saw a way out of his problem. Herod happened to be in Jerusalem at that time, so Pilate sent Jesus to Antipas.

When Antipas saw Jesus, he was elated, for he had heard a great deal about his ministry and wanted Jesus to perform a miracle in front of him. Antipas questioned him at length, but Jesus wouldn’t even answer him.

All the while the high priests and religious leaders stood by, hatefully accusing Jesus of wrongdoing, so that Antipas and his soldiers treated him with scorn and mocking. Antipas put an elegant purple robe on Jesus and sent him back to Pilate. That day, Antipas, son of Herod, and Pilate healed the rift between themselves due to old hostilities and they became good friends.

[Jesus Sentenced to Death]

Pilate gathered the people together with the high priests and all the religious leaders of the nation and told them, “You have presented this man to me and charged him with stirring a rebellion among the people. But I say to you that I have examined him here in your presence and have put him on trial. My verdict is that none of the charges you have brought against him are true. I find no fault in him. And I sent him to Antipas, son of Herod, who also, after questioning him, has found him not guilty. Since he has done nothing deserving of death, I have decided to punish him with a severe flogging and release him.” For it was Pilate’s custom to honor the Jewish holiday by releasing a prisoner.

When the crowd heard this, they went wild. Erupting with anger, they cried out, “No! Take this one away and release Barabbas!” For Barabbas had been thrown in prison for robbery and murder.

Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, tried to convince them it was best to let Jesus go. But they cried out over and over, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

A third time, Pilate asked the crowd, “What evil crime has this man committed that I should have him crucified? I haven’t found one thing that warrants a death sentence! I will have him flogged severely and then release him.”

But the people and the high priests, shouting like a mob, screamed out at the top of their lungs, “No! Crucify him! Crucify him!”

Finally their shouts and screams succeeded. Pilate caved in to the crowd and ordered that the will of the people be done. Then he released the guilty murderer Barabbas, as they had insisted, and handed Jesus over to be crucified.

[The Crucifixion of Jesus]

As the guards led Jesus to be crucified, there was an African man in the crowd named Simon, from Libya. He had just arrived from a rural village to keep the Feast of the Passover. The guards laid Jesus’ cross on Simon’s shoulders and forced him to walk behind Jesus and carry his cross.

Massive crowds gathered to follow Jesus, including a number of women, who were wailing with sorrow over him. Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me. You should be weeping for yourselves and your children. For the day is coming when it will not be the women with children who are blessed but the childless. Then you will say, ‘The barren women are the most fortunate! Those who have never given birth and never nursed a child—they are more fortunate than we are, for they will never see their children put to death!’ And the people will cry out for the mountains and hills to fall on top of them to hide them from all that is to come. For if this is what they do to the living Branch, what will they do with the dead ones?”

Two criminals were led away with Jesus, and all three were to be executed together. When they came to the place that is known as The Skull, the guards crucified Jesus, nailing him on the center cross between the two criminals. While they were nailing Jesus to the cross, he prayed over and over, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.”

The soldiers, after they crucified him, gambled over his clothing.

A great crowd gathered to watch what was happening. The religious leaders sneered at Jesus and mocked him, saying, “Look at this man! What kind of ‘chosen Messiah’ is this? He pretended to save others, but he can’t even save himself!”

The soldiers joined in the mockery by offering Jesus a drink of vinegar.

Over Jesus’ head on the cross was written an inscription in Greek, Latin, and Aramaic: “This man is the king of all the Jews.” And all the soldiers laughed and scoffed at him, saying, “Hey! If you’re the king of Jews, why don’t you save yourself?”

One of the criminals hanging on the cross next to Jesus kept ridiculing him, saying, “What kind of Messiah are you? Save yourself and save us from this death!”

The criminal hanging on the other cross rebuked the man, saying, “Don’t you fear God? You’re about to die! We deserve to be condemned, for we’re just being repaid for what we’ve done. But this man—he’s done nothing wrong!”

Then he said, “I beg of you, my Lord Jesus, show me grace and take me with you into your everlasting kingdom!”

Jesus responded, “I promise you—this very day you will enter paradise with me.”

[The Death of the Savior]

It was now only midday, yet the whole world became dark for three hours as the light of the sun faded away. And suddenly in the temple the thick veil hanging in the Holy Place was ripped in two! Then Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Father, I surrender my Spirit into your hands.” And he took his last breath and died.

When the Roman captain overseeing the crucifixion witnessed all that took place, he was awestruck and glorified God. Acknowledging what they had done, he said, “I have no doubt; we just killed the righteous one.”

The crowds that had gathered to observe this spectacle went back to their homes, overcome with deep sorrow and devastated by what they had witnessed. But standing off at a distance were some who truly knew Jesus, and the women who had followed him all the way from Galilee were keeping vigil.

There was also a member of the Jewish council named Joseph, from the village of Ramah, a good-hearted, honorable man who was eager for the appearing of God’s kingdom realm. He had strongly disagreed with the decision of the council to crucify Jesus. He came before Pilate and asked permission to take the body of Jesus and give him a proper burial, and Pilate granted his request. So he took the body from the cross and wrapped it in a winding sheet of linen and placed it in a new, unused tomb chiseled out of solid rock. It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was fast approaching.

The women who had been companions of Jesus from the beginning saw all this take place and watched as the body was laid in the tomb. Afterward they returned home and prepared fragrant spices and ointments and were planning to anoint his body after the Sabbath was completed, according to the commandments of the law.

The Book of Luke, Chapter 23 (The Passion Translation)

Today’s paired chapter of the Testaments is Joshua 20 that documents designated Asylum cities:

[Asylum-Cities]

Then God spoke to Joshua: “Tell the People of Israel: Designate the asylum-cities, as I instructed you through Moses, so that anyone who kills a person accidentally—that is, unintentionally—may flee there as a safe place of asylum from the avenger of blood.

“A person shall escape for refuge to one of these cities, stand at the entrance to the city gate, and lay out his case before the city’s leaders. The leaders must then take him into the city among them and give him a place to live with them.

“If the avenger of blood chases after him, they must not give him up—he didn’t intend to kill the person; there was no history of ill-feeling. He may stay in that city until he has stood trial before the congregation and until the death of the current high priest. Then he may go back to his own home in his hometown from which he fled.”

They set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hills of Naphtali, Shechem in the hills of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the hills of Judah.

On the other side of the Jordan, east of Jericho, they designated Bezer on the desert plateau from the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh. These were the designated cities for the People of Israel and any resident foreigner living among them, so that anyone who killed someone unintentionally could flee there and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood without a fair trial before the congregation.

The Book of Joshua, Chapter 20 (The Message)

my personal reading of the Scriptures for friday, August 21 of 2020 with a paired chapter from each Testament along with Today’s Psalms and Proverbs

A set of posts by John Parsons to go along with Today’s reading from the Bible:

There is a price to be paid for the miracle of God being manifest in our lives. The message of the cross means confessing the truth about who we are and how we have failed the test of faith. Yeshua does not appeal to the self-righteous ones to come for healing, but rather to the sin-sick and weary: "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners" (Mark 2:17). The LORD wants us to be honest with ourselves: ""Behold, You delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart" (Psalm 51:6).

The Tenth Commandment says, "do not covet" anything that belongs to your neighbor (Deut. 5:21), though the Hebrew does not simply say "do not desire" (i.e., לא תְאַוֶּה) but rather "do not bring yourself into a state of desire" (i.e., לא תִתְאַוֶּה), the verb in this case (אָוַה) being "hitpael" (reflexive), that is, expressing the relationship within yourself to the truth of God. As Soren Kierkegaard once said, the "self" expresses a relation with itself, and the "how" of that relation determines what sort of self we are... God does not command us like someone might train a dog; he instructs us to awaken to what we are doing, to take responsibility for our lives, and not to yield our hearts to envy, despair, and sorrow.

The unexamined life -- especially for the follower of Yeshua -- is not worth living, and the practice of suppressing the truth about our sinful condition can lead to self-deception and even death (1 Cor. 11:30). "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us; if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:7-8). “Therefore, confess (ἐξομολογέω, lit. 'confess out') your sins to one another and pray (εὔχομαι) for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person (tzaddik) works great power” (James 5:16).

Notice the link between confessing our sins and praying for one another with healing... Being yashar - honest and upright - produces spiritual power and life. The word translated “pray” (euchomai) means to “wish (εὐχὴ) for oneself (or for another) the good.” Prayer is always reciprocal, as King David said in Psalm 35:13: "may what I prayed for happen to me!" (literally, tefillati al-cheki tashuv - "may it return upon my own breast").

We are all on a spiritual journey, and that means we are willing to engage in honest self-examination about our behavior. We must take time to review our lives and ask some hard questions: "How did I get to this place in my life?" "Where am I now?" "Am I where I should be?" We engage in this process of self-examination with an aim let go of the pain of the past and move forward. We find our deliverance by looking to Yeshua.

If you repent of sin without looking to Christ, away with your repentance! If you are so lamenting your sin as to forget the Savior, you have need to begin all this work over again. By no means look at your sin except as you look at Jesus. A man may hate sin just as a murderer hates the gallows – but this does not prove repentance. If I hate sin because of the punishment, I have not repented of sin – I merely regret that God is just. But if I can see sin as an offense against Jesus Christ and loathe myself because I have wounded Him, then I have a true brokenness of heart. Only under the Cross can you repent. Repentance elsewhere is remorse which clings to the sin and only dreads the punishment. Let us then seek, under God, to have a hatred of sin caused by a sight of Christ's love. - C.H. Spurgeon

We must begin by asking God for courage and strength... We must let go of the fear that we will discover the truth about who we really are -- about what we've done, what we've thought, about who we've allowed ourselves to become. Confession (ὁμολογία) means bringing yourself naked before the Divine Light to agree with the truth about who you are. Indeed, the word homologeo literally means "saying the same thing" - from ὁμός (same) and λόγος (word). We need to confess the truth if we are to be free from the pain of the past. When King David wrote, "The LORD is my Light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? (Psalm 27:1), he implied that he should even be free of fear of himself and of his past.... We also need to understand our sin in relationship to the wounds of the Savior, since without that connection, our repentance will be vain indeed.

Of course it is a struggle to keep our focus along the way, and there are various tests we all will experience, including the tests of apathy, weariness, confusion, and so on... We must ask the LORD God of Israel to awaken us to His resurrected and all-glorious Presence. His radiance fills the heaven and the earth, and by faith we take hold of hope with wonder, praise, and great joy.... May it please God to help each of us "put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness" (Eph. 4:24). Amen. [Hebrew for Christians]

While it’s true that we express sorrow and regret for our sins - we mourn over our lives - this is an essential part of the healing process, with the end result of obtaining comfort from God (Matt. 5:4). Mere regret over sin is not enough, however, since the motive may be from shame (pride) or disappointment over some selfish loss. Esau “repented” with tears, but his wasn’t true repentance since he didn’t lament the loss of his heart to God’s love (Heb. 12:14). True repentance always leads to healing and life. When the woman from Magdala wept and washed Yeshua’s feet with her tears, he said, “I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven -- for she loved much” (Luke 7:44-48). In other words, she was lavish in her love because she deeply regretted that she had missed what was most important, what she desperately needed all along... She saw her sin as blindness to God's love... After all, why would she weep over her sins unless she loved him? And how could she love him unless he first revealed his love to her? (1 John 4:19)

"For grief (λύπη) as intended by God produces a repentance (תְּשׁוּעָה) that leads to salvation, leaving no regret, but worldly grief produces death" (2 Cor. 7:10). [Hebrew for Christians]

Teshuvah, or “turning to God,” is a daily practice in our lives, of course, not just something we do during the "Forty Days of Teshuvah." We always live just one day at a time: "Each day is a little life; every waking and rising a little birth; every fresh morning a little youth; every going to rest and sleep a little death" (Arthur Schopenhauer). We often struggle with selfish attachments, but these things often become sources of unhappiness for us. Part of teshuvah is learning to let go of those things we cling to for support but which actually are holding us back... The sages liken the process of spiritual growth with the analogy of how a father might teach his infant son how to take his first steps. Once the child makes a fumbling effort to stand up, the father will come closer, extending his hands, encouraging the child to come to him. As the child takes a faltering step, the father moves back just a little so the child will try to take another step. The child may think he is making no progress reaching his goal, but the father's aim is to teach the child to walk. This story is meant to illustrate the point that you move forward as you seek, and such seeking is the way you draw close to Him:. "You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart" (Jer. 29:13).

Along these lines C.S. Lewis once said: "The real problem of the Christian life comes where people do not usually look for it. It comes the very moment you wake up each morning. All your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists simply in shoving them all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in. And so on, all day. Standing back from all your natural fussings and frettings; coming in out of the wind. We can only do it for moments at first. But from these moments the new sort of life will be spreading through our system: because now we are letting work at the right part of us... ” (Mere Christianity). This is the practical outworking of what God has worked into us through the gift of his life (Phil 2:12-13). The first real step is to be connected to your Father, trusting in his loving presence, as you attempt to take a step closer to him. But do not be discouraged if you seem to be making slow progress, because the heart of your Father knows that your seeking him is essential to finding his steady hand to both uphold your way and to eventually give you the balance and strength to walk together with him... We grow as we draw close to the heart of our loving heavenly Father.

“Today is the day of salvation.” Now is the time. “Repent and experience times of refreshing from the LORD” (Acts 2:39). Let us remember to pray for one another and encourage one another while we still have the opportunity to do so. Time is short, friends. Call upon the LORD and find life! [Hebrew for Christians]

8.20.20 • Facebook

0 notes