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sullustangin · 3 years

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Darth Marr and Satele Shan: Names and Priorities

I’ve reached the point in my Yavin fic that I’m starting to use Marr’s POV on occasion. One of the things I’ve been chewing on (likely to the annoyance of others) has been the Marr-Satele-Theron dynamic during the Yavin 4 op. It’s clear that Satele and Marr have put aside differences and have become friends (as much as a Force ghost and a self-exiled Jedi Master can be friends) by Chapter 12 of KotFE.

I give credit to @swtorpadawan for posting about Satele on Yavin 4 a few months ago and being willing to have continued discourse about the post -- thank you. In comments and reblogs, there’s been discussion about how to interpret Satele’s references to Theron during the op and her motivations for why she does this.

This is a spin-off of that post, since I’ll be focusing more on the dynamic between Marr and the Shans instead of Theron and Satele.

During the Yavin op, Theron is consistently referred to as Theron, not as Agent Shan or as Shan. The issue of his last name is avoided. A few people (including me) have the headcanon that ‘Shan’ is a common name in the galaxy, like Smith or Patel or Garcia would be on our world; two people named Shan does not a family connection make, necessarily. It would explain why Theron doesn’t have a code name (though he jokingly? complains about it on first meeting).

And yet, Satele avoids using the name in reference to Theron. So does Marr. And Theron doesn’t insist on being referred to by his last name, even though his peer, Lana Beniko, is referred to as ‘Beniko’ by Marr. (Satele never addresses Lana using her name.)

Why the dance?

Honestly, when I try to reverse-engineer dev!logic, in terms of the game design for Yavin 4, I’d guess it was done to help the player differentiate between Grand Master Shan and Agent Shan. And maybe that’s all it is: calling Theron “Theron” just keeps the player from getting confused, especially if the player isn’t a Jedi and doesn’t know Satele; and/or skipped the Forged Alliances quests and thus doesn’t know Theron.

Within the universe, however, what’s an explanation a player can come up with?

The Spies in Question

Theron’s name was broadcast across the galaxy as a wanted man for killing Colonel Darok. He was to be apprehended on sight, but Theron was a spy; spy agencies to this day rarely let any images of their active duty agents be circulated, even if they do go rogue or defect to the other side. Theron’s image in direct connection to his name and job as SIS agent would be on a need-to-know basis. This has led me to headcanon that Director Trant was well-aware of Theron going off the grid; in fact, he aided and abetted it.

Lana, on the other hand, was a known member of the Sphere of Military Offense. She commanded troops on Hoth. She had a known face, and there was an Imperial bounty contract on her head, per Theron at Manaan. If anything, Lana was in as much danger as Jakarro; someone could try to claim the bounty on her head, since the bounties weren’t lifted til the end of the Yavin op.

And yet, Theron’s name was the unspeakable one.

Satele and Theron

As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, I feel that the dynamic between Theron and Satele is not that of son and mother; both of them have gotten past that decision. Rather, it’s more similar to a child who was given up for adoption looking for some sort of acknowledgement from his birth family -- it’s not love. It’s not approval. It’s.... complicated. Acknowledgement of existence. Acknowledgement that the decision had impact on Theron well beyond his first year of life. Acknowledgement that Satele hurt Jace.

I’ve interpreted Theron’s bristling at the use of the term “my agent” to be more directed at the possessiveness of the word, yet how far apart they still are, despite the biological connections. Technically, Yavin 4 was the first time they worked on an op together. This was their first professional collaboration. They haven’t seen each other socially, they can’t talk about their issues/relationship/whatever.....and they have to save the galaxy together.

Giving up Theron doesn’t mean Satele felt nothing. She privately struggles with what she did and how it turned out -- still does, based on 6.2. However, she, like Jace and Theron, believe in serving the cause at great personal cost. Seeing Theron beat to hell after Rishi bothered her -- it would bother anyone with any sense of compassion (which she does have). Theron got the beatdown he did because he was taken by the Revanites. Revan attempted to convince Theron to join him on Yavin 4 by invoking the idea that they are flesh and blood -- family.

Pretty sure Revan wasn’t talking about the Malcom side. Satele knew that. Was there a sense of protectiveness for Theron because of what happened immediately before Yavin 4? I think so, yes, but it’s not motherly.

Theron’s experience on Rishi probably made Satele hyperaware that if Theron was of interest to the Revanites, then the Empire would doubly interested in Theron if they knew that he was not only an heir of Revan, but that the Grand Master of the Jedi Order was his biological mother. Referring to him as “my agent” may be Satele’s way to avoid using any part of his name on Yavin 4.

I’m willing to bet, regardless of any efforts to ignore or conceal Theron’s name, that Marr quickly figured out that the agent who managed to outfox Revan, resist torture, get Marr’s attention, and unravel an intergalactic conspiracy was something special to the Republic. Odds were that this agent had acted against the Empire.

Marr would be interested.

The History of Darth Marr and Satele Shan

Prior to Yavin 4, Marr and Satele had most recently squabbled over Makeb in the Hutt Cartel expansion through their various operatives. When Marr saw Satele on the Imp side Battle of Rishi, he bowed. He respected her and she respected him. I didn’t get any other impression from their interactions. They saw each other as equals, though on rival sides; that creates tension, since a fight between them would be a draw or mutually assured destruction. It’s highly likely they fought against each other in the previous Galactic War (which I’ll talk about below).

Marr was born in 3702 BBY, Satele in 3699 BBY. They’re about the same age, and they ascended almost equally quickly when the Sith returned in 3681 -- Satele is 18, Marr is 21. I have spoken about how Satele and Jace (who seems to be somewhere between 16 and 20 in the trailer) were essentially just kids when the conflict started. So was Marr.

The big difference, in terms of how their characters are constructed, is that we have the end product of Marr. Period. We don’t know what his name was before he took on the name ‘Darth Marr.’ We know nothing about his family, his relationships, his struggles. As Marr said later to the player in KotFE, he wanted to be a symbol to the Empire. Marr did not let himself be just a man.

Darth Marr is not the singular leader of the Sith. Marr is the head of the Sphere of Defense of the Empire for decades, and as of the Battle of Corellia and the death of Darth Decimus, he also becomes the head of the Sphere of Military Strategy. With 2 of Military Spheres in his grasp, Marr was the de facto leader of the armed forces of the Sith Empire. The Sphere of Military Offense passed from Baras to Arho and then to Arkous after Ilum. When Arkous is killed by the player’s character, there is no indication as to who was the next head; that Sphere is never spoken of again in-game. We may assume Marr took hold of that. Either way, he has become the de facto leader of the Sith Empire. His voice, his robes and mask -- immediately recognizable to the whole galaxy.

The creators of content for SWTOR took the opposite approach to Satele. We can read about how her mother Tasiele was forced into exile when Satele was still a child. We meet Satele at 18 in a SWTOR trailer during the first Sith incursion at Korriban. We see her in comics fighting against the Empire. We see her at the Battle of Alderaan against Malgus. In Annihilation,we see bits and pieces of her falling in love with Jace Malcom and hoping she doesn’t get too attached... until a pair of permanent complications occur in 3667 BBY: Jace was severely maimed in the Battle of Alderaan, and Satele got pregnant. Jace’s injuries made him a much harder person than the soldier Satele met in 3681 BBY; he scared her with his hatred of the Empire.

I’ll take a moment here to say that Satele wasn’t dumb or naive when she made the decision about Theron. Satele was at least 32 years old, possibly 33 by the time Theron was born in 3666 BBY. She wasn’t a teen having a knee-jerk “oh noes, he’s evil” moment. She had been in a constant state of war for 15 years when she got pregnant. It’s in that context that Satele was concerned that Jace’s hatred could drag their child to the Dark Side... but also, Satele’s love for her child would make it impossible for her to serve the Republic without a second thought. She couldn’t fight and die for the Republic if she was always preoccupied with coming home to her baby.

So she let Theron go. She had other adventures. She was at the Treaty of Coruscant. Satele founded Tython. She became the Grand Master of her order.

We don’t get any of that pathos or glory with Marr. Marr IS. Marr is the Empire. He is the best of them. He has been, is, and will be.

The odds are pretty good that Marr and Satele met each other in combat, directly or indirectly. The bow on Imp side Rishi is a big thing for me that points to that. Also, look at their responsibilities during the last war. Marr was responsible for not only defending Korriban and what would become the Imperial core, but also any gains the Sith made over time against the Republic. That’s the job of the Sphere of Defense of the Empire; taking planets was somebody else’s rodeo, not Marr’s. His job was to defend... something the Imperial people living on these planets would love him for. He was their protector against brutish Republic troops and their systemic corruption.

Satele was responsible for winning those territories back; we see her on counter-strikes against the Sith. Satele is cast as the liberator of people imperiled by the spreading Sith Empire, not a conqueror taking new territory. Marr probably had to defend against Satele at least once in their careers, possibly multiple times. If she was absent from the front lines for any period of time, Marr would have noticed; he had to anticipate the next move of Republic counterstrikes as part of his job.

And indeed, Satele was absent for an extended period. How long Satele was absent from the battlefield due to her pregnancy, we don’t know. Satele did continue her battlefield duties for “months” after she found out. The only information we have about post-partum Satele is that she stopped visiting Baby Theron at 6 months old, according to Lost Suns. I don’t think she could just skip off at random while in command, so I think she probably was off the battlefield at least 10 months (last 4 months of her pregnancy, 6 months post-partum), possibly as long as 18 months, since Gnost-Dural reports she was assigned to duty with the Republic Navy at some point in 3665 BBY. She did give birth on a random planet in a cave, so she didn’t exactly have the best medical care immediately. Maybe there were complications. Maybe she did show early. We don’t know.

Regardless of the timeline, Marr would have been paying attention. Marr would have noticed when Satele Shan stopped fighting for the Republic. Where was she? What was she doing? Was this part of a greater plot by the Republic? What were they planning? And when Satele did return, he may well have wondered what she had been up to. But no matter; she had returned. Marr had to be ready.

There’s no obvious indication in the game as to when Marr figures out Satele and Theron are mother and son. He makes no comment to indicate that he knew before Rishi. Based on Marr’s dialogue in game on the Imperial side, he heavily suggests that he knows who Theron is by the time Iven, the former commandant of the Imperial Guard, is taken into custody and it’s time to interrogate him. Satele objects to Marr’s plans to torture Iven. “And what do you think your agent has done in the Republic’s name?” is Marr’s response.

The delivery of ‘your agent’ is indicative that Marr knows.

Theron himself stated at the end of the Imp side romance that if he was indeed recruited by the player to join the Empire, people would be suspicious that he’d be working for his mother. That would have to include Darth Marr.

Personally, I would guess that the after-action reports from Lana and Theron would have some clues for Marr. However, once Theron had healed up from the Rishi events, Marr may well have taken one look at Theron standing next to Satele, and then had an epiphany so immense it gave him a headache that Lana felt across the compound. There’s the answer. That’s why she disappeared for almost two years, twenty-nine years ago. Theron Shan.

(According to Jace in Annihilation, Theron has some similar features to his mother. He doesn’t specify which ones.)

The Lie of Omission

A lie of omission is permitting an inaccuracy or a falsehood to continue to circulate without correction, even though the person knows the truth. (In contrast, a lie of commission is when you actively make something up or contribute to the lie -- you commit the act lying.) Marr signals he knows who Theron is by the time Iven is retrieved from the Imperial Guard training facility on Yavin, but he never says the name Theron Shan out loud. It’s simply “the agent” “your agent” or “Theron.” But not Agent Shan.

The use of “Theron” in the Pubside story is most eyebrow-raising.

Marr calls people by their titles. Marr always keeps professional distance. Underlings are uniformly referred to by their titles. Lana doesn’t like titles, so Marr doesn’t refer to her as Lord Beniko or Darth whatever; it’s just Beniko.

Calling someone by their first name is highly irregular. He does not refer to Satele as such until 6.2 (and that might be the Socratic Problem of Marr in the player’s memory rather than the real Marr). It’s always Grand Master or Grand Master Shan. In a unique instance in the game, Marr calls Theron by his given name when he finds the Imperial Guard’s buildings in ruins during the Pubside story: “But given the destruction Theron describes, it’s mostly likely a distress call.” This is before the Pub operative annoys Marr by going to the Imperial Guard facility by themselves; it’s not said in anger or in irritation. It’s said under ‘normal’ circumstances (if circumstances on Yavin are normal at all).

But why? Why not “Agent Shan”? That would differentiate him from Grand Master Shan. Just referring to the pair as Grand Master and Agent would work too; how many Grand Masters and SIS Agents are running around on Yavin 4? Why is Marr avoiding attention to the man’s last name?

And why doesn’t Marr hop on this and use it to the Empire’s advantage?

Pragmatism and Prioritization

Marr is not a Jedi. Marr doesn’t do things for the greater good. He does things for the Sith Empire and for the people of the Sith Empire. Offing Theron Shan? Definitely on the agenda. So is killing Satele, eventually.

But not now. Not on Yavin 4.

Marr is probably the person closest to knowing what Revan is going to try to do in order to make the Emperor take physical form again so he can kill him. It’s going to involve a lot of dead people. That can easily happen; up until this tiny fragile cease fire between Marr and Satele, the Empire and the Republic have been engaged in a hot war. When they first make camp on Yavin, there is a real possibility they’ll frag each other regularly. This is why players have to do daily quests, in theory -- to build good will between the factions.

My partner is a military nerd and a Star Wars nerd. He watched both version of the Battle of Rishi. His conclusion: based on the ships we see, Marr had more than twice the number of troops that Satele did (I put the numbers in my Yavin 4 fic). The Imperial troops, at Marr’s word, probably could wipe out the Republic forces on Yavin 4, pack up, and head back to Dromund Kaas in time for tea.

But they won’t. Marr wouldn’t permit it.

He knows how dangerous the Emperor is, and if he does let his troops kill the Pubs, they feed him. There also appears to be some sort of weird mystical thing going on with Revan’s bloodline. Revan knew highly personal information about Theron (and Theron says so when the player opens the temple later on); somehow, Theron was able to use that connection to get Revan to give up Yavin 4 and secure an invite there at the end of the Rishi op.

Marr knows about this. Marr doesn’t know what Revan would do if Marr did kill Theron or Satele, plus there’s the more predictable possibility that the Republic would respond to the death of Satele Shan thanks to the Jedi feeling it through the Force. Chancellor Saresh would not let that opportunity pass by, even if it did feed the Emperor; we saw that at Ziost.

Grand Master Shan is a public figure. Her name and her power is obvious to everyone in the Yavin camp. Theron, however, is everything his mother is not. He is a spy. His face is not known to the general public. His work is secret, his exact abilities unknown.

Sure, the last name is common enough....

But Theron and Satele have never worked together before. They’ve never operated in such close proximity before. Yavin 4 would be the first time all the pieces could fall into place to someone observant. Marr is many things, but one of the things he really gets annoyed about in regard to the Sith is their arrogance. They get such fat heads that they can’t see obvious danger or they overlook aliens and non-Force Sensitives to their own detriment.

Marr isn’t arrogant.

He doesn’t think he’s the only one who can see a family similarity or sense some connection between them. Saying someone’s name is a powerful thing; we get upset when someone screws up our name. It’s how our attention is attracted. Shared last names of interesting people attract attention. Attention leads to distraction away from the primary goal of stopping Revan and the Emperor.

That’s something Marr doesn’t want to deal with right now. Revan and Emperor now. The Shans later. He avoids referring to Theron as “Shan” so as to reduce any chance that some young Sith will attempt to make their bones killing Theron, since that would spell doom for the Empire, whether through Revan’s anger or the Republic’s revenge. It would also help empower the Sith Emperor to retake physical form, which is the last thing Marr wants him to do.

Exposing the Grand Master as having a secret son would remove an ally from the field for Marr; Marr doesn’t want to destroy his assets before he’s used them to their full ability. There’s no point in burning Satele Shan on Yavin 4 before Revan is dealt with.

...And Marr respects her. It’s a cheap way to win against a rival he knows to be his equal.

Marr wants to end Revan and the Emperor now, in that order, to defend the people of the Empire. He’ll worry about the Shans later. Marr will let Theron’s last name be overlooked and unmentioned, if only because it makes his job as Defender of the Empire less complicated for a few months.

Thanks again to @swtorpadawan and also @inyri @shabre-legacy @theniveanlegacy for discussing the original post about Satele and Theron and making me think about this.

Headcanon Postface:

This last bit is purely my headcanon ideas about Marr, so you can leave here if you so desire. I’m placing them here rather than making a separate post and having to link back to this one.

As I’ve described previously, we have the finished product of Darth Marr, with none of the personal insight that was provided for Satele Shan. Who’s under the mask? Nobody knows, really. His first comic book adventure takes place in 3678, when he’s about 24 years old. There’s nothing about his life beforehand that would let the player wonder how his past life affected his current decisions. Marr ultimately would do the best he could for the Empire, regardless, but knowing if he ever hesitated, ever had second thought, had a regret -- that would make him mortal.

And Marr is an icon, not a man, in the grander SWTOR universe, per the writers. That’s the point driven home to the player. So that leaves it to fan fic to take off the mask or not.

In “The Planter of Trees and Other Tales from Yavin 4,” Marr comes to this conclusion about the Shans’ relationship after observing two Shan chins. He then alludes to understanding Satele’s decision to conceal Theron’s existence.

After Marr had gained his seat on the Dark Council (late 3680s, early 3670s), a lot of Sith families wanted him to add to their prestige. The man needed a legacy; he needed heirs. Marr had already set himself on his path, however; he understood that it was better to be an icon. If Marr was a normal man, he would be weakened by family connections, love, protectiveness, concern for his personal future. Instead, Marr’s devotion to the Empire was unmatched and pure. In the public’s eye, he was the great defender. He was the perfect Sith.

Marr never did have a public wife or a political marriage. His private life -- better secured than Imperial state secrets -- produced a daughter that did not inherit her talents from her Force-Using parent. Marr had been relieved that his daughter was not like him. It meant she would never be pressured to come into public life. It meant she was free of the burden of his legacy.

Lately, I’ve considered that, regardless of having access to the Force or not, a child of Marr was always in danger of becoming a pawn. She was something Marr’s enemies could use against him, if they ever found out about her; being Force-Null simply meant that others could not detect her as easily. That may have also have been a concern of Satele in regard to Theron, especially as she rose through the ranks of the Jedi Order. As soon as Marr could let his daughter fly away from Dromund Kaas, he did. She was free.

She died shortly before the Sack of Coruscant. Marr did not go to her. The Empire had to matter more. That doesn’t mean he didn’t love her. He just never could prioritize her over the Empire.

In my fic universe, Marr understands Satele’s choices. He can keep his mouth shut. For now.

Theron is far more dangerous to the rival faction than Marr’s daughter ever was, however; he is an active player in the war, while she... just got caught in the middle, in the end....

Revan and Emperor now. Shans later.

#swtor #shadow of revan #darth marr #satele shan #revan #theron shan #lana beniko #swtor fan fiction #headcanon #pragmatic sith

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supremeinlilac · 3 years

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A Winter Surprise

Prompt: Something like where reader is an airline pilot and they haven't seen each other in a long time due to reader's work. So reader is coming home for the Christmas holidays and goes to pick up Cordelia from the academy in her pilot uniform coming straight from the airport. Maybe the people there don't know about reader so they're hella confused.

Reader takes Cordelia to Switzerland or somewhere else snowy to celebrate intimate Christmas together. Maybe the reader proposes there? Could you add some snowy walks, hand holding and window shopping and something else hella mushy and sweet? Like Cordelia has hearts for eyes 24/7.

Pairing: Cordelia Goode x Reader

Word Count: 4725

PART 2 HERE

A/n: Thank you once again for this AMAZING prompt!! I loved writing it, and I think it turned out even better the 2nd time lmaoo :) anyway this is going to have only 2 parts because I ran away with myself but I decided to merge the first 2 parts into this one lololol, the second part is a little soft smut because why not.

Also, I really haven’t proof read this, so please let me know if I’ve accidently left a note to myself in this haha. Anyway, I hope this is okay <33

You loved your job wholeheartedly, there was no denying that. It gave you room to experience everything you wanted, from travelling to new places that you could explore on days off, to seeing different cultures and learning languages. Plus, the feeling of being above the line of clouds, watching the earth move slowly beneath you never failed to draw in a breath of admiration. It gave you so much perspective, and helped to keep you grounded, for lack of a better word. Seeing the world below you, so small in the grand scheme of things made you appreciate everything.

You missed your girlfriend selfishly though. Your work as a pilot meant you might have to go months without seeing her and feeling her soft touch. It meant you’d both be frustrated and lonely in these times; which was starting to put a massive strain on your relationship. You’d argue while together about your work schedule, prompting you to take more shifts which never helped in the long run.

Christmas was coming up and you’d not seen her since the start of November, having been mercilessly booked with flights that left you across the world from her. You had planned to surprise Cordelia at Christmas. Well, it was more than one surprise you had up your sleeve; but the first was returning two days early to collect her. Zoe and Mallory were in on your heist, fully committed to handling the school’s affairs for two days for Delia to up and leave.

At your arrival at the academy, girls’ eyes lingered on you as you walked up to the heavy front doors. You supposed they weren’t aware of your job, having only seen you in civilian clothing. Smiling at their confusion, you rang the doorbell, falling backwards slightly to wait. Madison opened the door after a few seconds, eyes widening at your uniform and giving a short whistle. “Damn girl, looking good!” she chided, eyes flicking down your smart navy uniform. Her lips tugged up at one side and she waved her hand so you could enter. “I bet Delia loves a woman in uniform.” She teased; smirk set on her face as she swatted the back of your slacks when you passed. “She’s in the kitchen, I’ll go and get here.”

“No don’t. I’ll find her.” You stopped her with a hand on her wrist, wanting to find your girlfriend yourself. Madison straightened up immediately, hand coming up to her face in a mock salute. “Yes Ma’am.” She spoke seriously, before giggling and pulling you into a hug.

“I’ve missed you Y/n. You have a good time with Cordy, kay?”

“Missed you too Madison.”

Watching her disappear up the stairs before turning and heading for the kitchen. Seeing Cordelia’s shadow on the wall as you approached, you smoothed down the lapels of your uniform and stood against the doorframe. Delia had her back to you, stirring a drink and swaying to the music from the radio. You watched her, waiting for a time when she’d put the mug down so you could make your presence known without the fear of her burning herself on the drink.

Clearing your throat, her head lifted and she turned quickly, gasp leaving her lips and a momentary shock making her freeze. Snapping out of her trance, Cordelia practically threw herself onto you, arms around your neck as she took in your familiar scent.

“You told me you weren’t coming back until Friday!” she accused, grip not faltering on you as you held each other. Her hands stroked your hair when she finally pulled away, just enough to allow you to still hold her.

“I managed to get off early, I thought I’d surprise you.” You smiled when she pressed a lingering kiss to your forehead. Cordelia hummed in response, letting you know that she was most pleasantly surprised by your early return.

“Speaking of surprises… We’re going away for Christmas. I managed to pull some strings and get us some tickets” you started to dance with her, pulling her into a light rhythm as you laughed. “We’re going to Switzerland Delia!”

“A white Christmas?” She beamed at the vigorous nod of your head, head falling backwards and eyes closing, picturing the both of you in a warmly lit café by the snowy mountain.

“I love you and your surprises my dear.” She breathed, pulling you by the back of the neck into another kiss she spoke through the chaste kisses, “I’m glad- that- you’re- back.”

A group of the young girls came giggling into the kitchen, forcing you to part, blushing with your hands still together. They stopped when they saw you, silence falling over the space as they didn’t know what to do having interrupted your reunion. “Girls.” You spoke warmly to them, sensing their discomfort, and you pulled the Supreme behind you, past them.

Ascending the stairs to your shared room, you felt Cordelia’s gaze on your back, making you sway your hips slightly to tease.

“You look so good in that uniform baby girl.” She purred, eyes on your butt as you walked in front of her. A quick glance behind you saw the familiar glint of lust in your girlfriend’s eyes, and the smirk that painted her lips.

“But I think I still prefer what’s underneath.”

You change into a favourite top of yours and jeans while Cordelia busied herself with packing on the bed beside you. She rambled about the happenings of the academy, everything you’d missed in your months absent, pausing on the packing when she’d reach an exciting bit, arms coming up to exaggerate the story.

You told her about the new countries you’d visited and which little romantic places you wanted to take her when she didn’t have so much business to care for anymore. You didn’t want to linger on the thought of what actually had to happen for the title of Supreme to be passed on; focusing instead on the beautiful places that you longed to take her, but probably never could.

After her initial shock of being offered a white Christmas abroad with you, her responsibility to the school ebbed her back into her senses. “But how am I going to run a school if we’re abroad?” she questioned, her perfectionism spiking as she started to worry, “not to mention my duties as Supreme. There’s just too much to think about. What if-” you’d cut off her upcoming rambling with a lengthy kiss, which she relaxed into; eventually giving in to you.

Describing how Zoe and Queenie had offered to run the school in her absence, insisting how competent they’d become and that Delia had helped form them into wonderful young ladies during their time at Miss Robichaux's. Myrtle had spoken to the board on your behalf, stating how Cordelia needed a break in order to be at her best for the order, and how this would be the best thing for everyone. She’d goaded at the men who’d disagreed, saying sarcastically that it was only for two weeks and if they couldn’t control things for that amount of time then they should rethink their position there.

Closing her case with a snap of the clasps, she smiled, having made up her mind. “It is only two weeks.” She agreed with a nod of her head, sliding up to you and tilting her head. “But we can do a lot together in that time” she kissed you, hands at your waist and a glint in her eyes before walking away. You whined at her pulling away, grasping at the fabric of her blouse.

“There’ll be plenty more time for that, sweetheart. Now where did I put my shoes?” She asked, squeezing your chin once before ducking to look under the bed. You picked up the shoes by the door and pushed them into her hands, lifting her case and wheeling it through the door.

Cordelia insisted on speaking to the older girls before you departed, quizzing them on the class rota and giving them a folder which she said contained detailed lists of what needed to be done, which some of the girls shared knowing glances at one another at. You had to practically pull her away lest she overwhelm the girls; or get too anxious over what may happen in her absence and decide it would be better to simply stay.

On the plane Cordelia sat by the window and you beside her; you had the pleasure of such a view on a daily basis. The plane was relatively quiet for this time of year, almost half the seats remaining unoccupied as it took off, meaning you had the row empty, and where somewhat private.

“Why do you have a list of things you do everyday? When you do them everyday?” you grinned across at your organised Supreme who had opened a Sudoku puzzle and was staring at it with concentration, tongue poking out between teeth.

“You never know when your lady knight in shining armour is going to whisk you away on holiday, now, do you?” bumping her shoulder with yours, eyes still on the puzzle. “Helps to be organised, is all. And hey! It came in useful didn’t it?”

Leaving the airport, you pulled your coat tighter around yourself, a shiver prickling over the exposed skin at your neck. The view was already breath taking, you heard Cordelia gasp next to you as she set her case on the ground and raised her head. The snowy mountains peaked in the distance over the buildings of the small city which held the airport. Everything was bright; blindingly so as the sun breamed onto the snow covering the house and pavements.

“It’s gorgeous, my love.”

“Just wait till we get to Zermatt, D.”

You’d booked a small cabin house in Zermatt, a quiet town in Switzerland that your co-worker had recommended. He’d said it was never too busy, which would make it perfect for your intimate winter trip with Cordelia that you’d gushed about. You took the single mountain train that took you into the town, faces pressed to icy windows at the views.

The train journey was short into the town, filled with surprised gasps and pointing out animals that passed. You let your head rest on Cordelia’s shoulder, fingers laced with hers as you both took in the passing snow topped trees and vast frozen lakes. After about 20 minutes of stretching mountains, the train pulled out to reveal your pretty little town of lights.

“There it is.” You pointed to Cordelia, and she let out a small noise at the sight of where you’d be staying. In the dusk of the evening, the town was illuminated by a warm orange glow of cabin house lights, mountains looming behind and enveloping the town in a calm nook of the valley. Pine trees scattered through the cabins, leading to a forest off to the side of the town, climbing into the mountains.

“It’s so beautiful. How did you know about this place?”

“My co-pilot, Mark, do you remember meeting him at that fancy Houston party?” Cordelia nodded, eyes still trained on the town we were now looming in on. “He saw me searching for places and recommended a few places that would be quiet. Said that it pays to be a pilot; you know about the most beautiful places that no one else does.”

When you arrived at the cabin, giddy with excitement from the built up of the trip, Cordelia wasted no time with using her magic to transport your bags inside so that you could look around. The wooden floors creaked beautiful under foot, socks slipping slightly in your haste to see the rooms. There was a cosy living room with a fireplace and a note saying that wood had been stocked out the back, and soft sofa’s with plush red throws draped over the back. The kitchen was old fashioned with a wooden island, and the walls decorated with wintery scenic photography.

The house was warm, and through the door towards the back of the floor you were met with tiled flooring and large wooden beams covered in hanging fairy lights. The hot tub sat in the middle of the room, the ceiling a gaping glass sheet so you could look up to the sky, framed cinematically with snow dusted trees and the shimmering lights.

Cordelia called you back from your slight daze at the rooms, to follow her voice through to the bedroom. She was lazed on her side in the middle of the bed, seductively stroking the blanket and winking. You laughed at her antics, “we’ve only just got here D, you can’t always be in the mood.”

She grinned, sitting up and pulling you down to straddle her, bopping you on the nose and squeezing your cheeks. “For you, my darling. I am always in the mood.” You blushed, squirming on her lap before forcing yourself to move off her and grabbing her hand.

“Come on, you have to see in this room!” you voiced enthusiastically, practically dragging her after you in your hurry to show her what you’d found.

After having explored the cabin thoroughly you both showered, scrubbing off the feeling of travel from your bodies, before pulling warm clothes on and skipping out of the door with hands held to explore the small town under the hood of the afternoon, sky just beginning to darken as the sun dipped behind the mountains.

The town was so peaceful and warm, despite the snow, due to the glow of the lights and the eery lack of the quiet hum of traffic and bustling crowds. Houses looked too perfect with the undisturbed layer of snow that coated the rooves and painted a scene of perfect calm. You and Cordelia had your faces pressed against the glass of one of the small shops, watching a intricate wooden music box tinkling on the display stand, hands linked as she pulled you inside.

The tiny high street contained a small selection of these shops, selling little trinkets to the few tourists that found themselves inhabiting the cabins in winter. Cordelia had bought you a little pendant necklace with your birthstone embedded into, which she’d told you she’d get engraved back home with your initials. You couldn’t help but go back to the store the next day, alone under the guard of getting alcohol from the shop while she ran a bath, and purchasing her the same necklace with her own stone in. You thought she’d appreciate the notion that you both held something so close to your heart that the other also had next to theirs; a reminder that even when you were away for work, you’d always be there.

Eventually, you both found yourself in a cosy little café, nestled in the back in a two-person booth, warm in the glow of the wooden cabin. In an attempt to rid your bones of the deep chill that had settled throughout the day, you ordered steaming hot chocolates with cream and marshmallows. They’d come promptly, and you thanked the waitress before sinking your chin into your hands to stare admiringly at the woman opposite, only to find her in much a similar position, having been beaming, watching you interact with the serving staff.

Cupping the mug with both her hands, shoulders hunched under her chin, Cordelia sipped at the drink, leaving a small line of cream on her upper lip as she set it back down on the table. You smiled goofily at her, reaching to thumb the offending cream from her face, before setting it between her lips to clean off.

“You’re cute.”

“Says the one with a whipped cream moustache.”

You bickered playfully back and forth, feet kicking under the table as you sipped your hot chocolates and ate flapjacks. A warm fuzzy feeling settled in your stomach at the two of you simply relaxing and drinking together; you realised it had been a long time since you’d both been so carefree and without worry to just enjoy the others company.

The morning sun shone onto the tracks left by your boots in the deep snow behind you, as you both trudged down the unkept pathway towards the secluded train stop. Excluding the small indents of a foxes paws; yours are the only prints that marred the otherwise perfect snow, creating the eery illusion that you were the first to have stepped foot there at all. Cordelia's hand found yours in your coat, fingers linked in the pocket of warmth in the surrounding freezing air. Wisps of condensation danced in front of you at every shivered exhale.

Snow fell peacefully around you as you both talked, speaking in hushed voices as if you would disturb the tranquility; like a pebble into a glassy pond. The sounds around you almost seemed muffled by the soft pillowy snow that enveloped the tree branches and make them bow towards the ground. Delia gushed about how she'd never seen such beautiful views and how she couldn't get over waking up next to you and seeing the snow counted mountains in the distance out of the window.

You bit back the desire to reach down and pack the snow tightly into a ball, or fall backwards into the blanket and make a snow angel right there, smile wide as you’re returned to a childlike state of excitement and innocence in the presence of snow.

The red paint of the train peeked through the trees ahead of you, stark and conspicuous against the bright white of everything else. Cordelia let out an animated giggle as she set of towards the clearing, pulling you behind her with breathless mumbles of encouragement.

“Come on, what do we want? Front or back?”

The carriage seats were soft and plush as you settled against them, breath steamy against the cool glass when you pressed warm cheeks against it. It was peaceful, you were both among the silent few on the first train of the day that lead to the summit of the looming Gornergrat. The train rumbled beneath you as it became alive, shuddering as it slowly pulled away from the stop, wheels moaning in ached protest as it began its ascent.

Your fingers tingled at the change of temperature on the train, colour blooming back into paled cheeks at the comforting warmth. You both shed gloves and scarves to the seat opposite, hands brushing lingering snow from hats and shoulders as to avoid them melting and seeping invasively into cold clothes. The Supreme took your hand between hers, cupping it and bringing it to her face to blow warm air into her palms, rubbing the numbing cold feeling from one hand before repeating the action on the other.

Out of the window, you could see the rest of the train curl around the corner of the mountain in front of you, the drop into the valley below steep and dangerous just to the side of the track. Cordelia loved to look down into the vast space below, seeing the miniaturized trees and cabins, just the thought of the sheer height made your stomach clench uncomfortably and your head spin, clutching to your girlfriend’s hand. You knew that this feeling was irrational; you spent everyday up thousands of feet above the clouds, piloting planes, but then you had full control of the situation, knowing that nothing could go wrong. This was different.

It started to snow just before the train pulled up at the peak of the mountain, giant dancing snowflakes whirling through the air and turning the sky white with their abundance. You both shrugged hats and scarves back on and shoulders hunching protectively as the door swung open, leaving at the mercy of the elements outside.

Algid winds nipped sharply at your cheeks as you stepped off the train, spontaneous tears forming at the invasive breeze on your face. Cordelia’s hair whipped wildly around her face, only stilled slightly with her hat, framing her excited eyes as she turned to you, smile wide and hands up in the air as if reaching for the sky.

The snow was deep as you trekked the short distance towards the viewpoint, snowfall easing as you reached the edge, clearing the sky in front of you to reveal the clear views that spread before you. Cordelia reached the fencing first, turning to wave a hand to hurry you up and join her.

At the viewpoint, you both let collective gasps leave your lips at the panoramic scenery. 5000 feet above the tiny orangely lit town where you’d been mere hours before. Necks craned to see better, your finger pointing and enthusicastically shouting that you could see your cabin below; a pinprick of brown against the background of overwhelming, white-washed landscape.

Breathless at the sheer view you’d been gifted with of the Alps and the Matterhorn, you both fell into a deep silence. You knitted your brows together, looking forward as you felt in your pocket, breathing deep and building yourself up in your mind to do what you had planned this whole trip for.

“I am so sorry that my job causes me to be so absent.” You mused, elbows coming to rest on the bar of the viewpoint. You both continued to stare at the views as Cordelia mirrored you, elbows leaning on the bar. “Baby, we all have to work. I’m just glad we get to-”

“I quit my job.” You blurted out, causing her to stop and turn to face you. “You what?” Staring at you from behind wide eyes, you repeated yourself, finally tearing your eyes from the winter view to glance at Cordelia. The surprise on her face was not well hidden, neither was the fact she was saddened to hear that you’d quit the job you’d once dreamed of.

“You don’t need to that my love. I know it makes you happy.” Her gloved hand came to hold yours, eyes sincere as she squeezed your hand in hers.

“I got a new job. Its seasonal so I only have to work January through March and then September. Its better than what we’re doing now, right?”

Cordelia nodded, turning to face you. “That gives us so much more time together; thank you.” You fiddled in your pocket to retrieve you phone, having to strip your hands of the warm gloves that covered them to unlock it. You had told Delia that you wanted to show her something on it, but you accidently let the device slip from your fingers and into the snow by her feet, disappearing into the layers of snow.

“I’ve got it.” She assured you, and you let her crouch down to retrieve your phone, slipping down yourself behind her. She straightened up and turned around, smile faltering as she took in your position. “Y/n.” She warned, voice wavering and eyes darting to look for other people that may be nearby. “What are you-”

“I love you Delia. I love you so much and I know that you love me too.” Her hands came up to her mouth when she realised that you weren’t joking, eyes filled with adoration as she listened.

“The moment I knew that I would follow you anywhere, and that you were the one; my only one, was when you looked after me in March when I had that Spanish flu. I couldn’t leave the bedroom in case I passed it onto the girls, and you stayed with me the whole time, caring for me when I was too weak to do it myself.” Cordelia was crying now, beaming through tears which she kept wiping away with gloved fingers, and nodding along with you words.

“Well this is me staying, D, I want to stay with you for the rest of our lives. I love you.” She mouthed ‘I love you too’ back, head leaning to the side slightly as she wanted nothing more than to pull you into a hug and never let you go.

“I love that you make me whole, and that when you smile, I feel like I might actually die, because you’re so beautiful Deils. I love that you are nothing like Fiona, and that you stick up for me, and that we make memories together and that my most beautiful moments are with you.”

“I can’t wait to have moments just like right now for rest of our lives. Will you marry me?”

You slowly opened the box to reveal the ring that glimmered against the harsh light of the sun; eyes lifting to meet Cordelia who was staring at you unwavering, hands clasped at her chest. She was nodding fervently, laugh bubbling out through her smile as she pulled you up into her by your hands.

“Yes, my darling. Yes of course I will!”

After shakily slipping the ring onto her finger, relief and happiness drawing fresh tears upon both of your cheeky; you let Cordelia admire it against the background of the mountains. Rising onto toes to press a lingering kiss to her temple, her fingers sprayed apart as she held them up to the light.

“Come here you.” She coaxed, fingers wrapping round the back of your neck and drawing you into a passionate kiss. It was the ultimate memory, to kiss, now newly fiancés at the peak of a snow-capped mountain in Switzerland.

Returning from outside, Cordelia lit the fire with a dexterous flick of her wrist, settling down on the couch with a sigh. Her legs spread across the whole couch, back resting at one end. Her eyes searched for you, twisting to look down the corridor at you walking towards her.

“Come here baby.” She cooed; arms extended towards you in invitation for you to settle between. You gave her a quick peck on the lips and a gentle squeeze before lying between her legs and resting your head against her shoulder, nuzzling your face sideways into her neck, inhaling the lingering smell of her perfume on her pulse point.

She wrapped her arms around you, and you let out a surprised squeal as she pressed her cold palms suddenly against the warm skin of your stomach, muscles rippling instinctively under her touch. “Sorry baby.” She apologised, placing a kiss to the hair on the crown of your head before letting her chin rest there.

“It’s okay, I just wasn’t expecting it” you giggled, relaxing again as her fingers drew absentminded patterns on your torso, her breath tickling the hair atop your forehead as she exhaled.

You both sat in the comfortable silence that enveloped you, having been apart for so long you basked in the fact you can simply hold one another and just exist. Cordelia’s thumb brushed softly against your own knuckles and you hummed in appreciation at the candidly loving action.

That night, Cordelia found herself propped on her side, head lying on her bunched-up pillow and allowing herself a quiet moment of observation. She missed these simple aspects of your presence. The comfort you brought her, even in sleep as she watched your chest rise and fall evenly and undisturbed.

You stirred slightly, face scrunching up momentarily before relaxing into a peaceful expression again, making Cordelia hold her breath to not wake you. Hair had fallen to block you face so she reached out delicately to tuck it back behind your ear, her eyes brimming with tears that she gets to simply watch you sleep like this.

Overwhelmed with her love for you beside her; she fell into a rhythm of her thumb on your cheek, tracing the freckles and light marks that marred your skin beautifully. You always expressed your dislike for these, but Cordelia would always silently shake her head in objection, knowing you would believe her voiced adoration.

“When did I get so lucky?” she whispered, leaning forward to brush lips lightly over yours before returning to her pillow and hooking an arm over your hip.

Dipping into sleep, she found herself vowing to prolong her reign as Supreme for as long as she could, never wanting to leave you alone and vulnerable. Especially while you slept, she thought. You look so pretty when you sleep. So pretty. She drifted off, arm draped protectively over your waist, pulling you closer in sleep.

#sarah paulson #cordelia goode #sarah paulson x reader #cordelia goode x reader #ahs #american horror story #ahs apocolaypse #ahs imagines #sarah paulson imagines

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jjungkookislife · 4 years

Text

Wait Until I’m Back

ღ first post of my reject list. This means this will not be continued and was essentially a part 2 to I Don’t Wanna Waste This Moment

pairing: namjoon x gender neutral reader

genre: angst, fluff?

wc: 3k

title credit: this song

warnings: cursing, namjoon is angry for most of this, Jin gives some bad love advice, they/them pronouns

date: April 7, 2020

Namjoon fought against the youngest member but it was no use. Jungkook’s hold on him wasn’t going to ease up until he shoved Namjoon into his seat. Namjoon stood, only to be pushed back into his seat by Jungkook, who pulled his face mask down to fully look at his leader. “We don’t have time for your unrequited love, hyung.”

“It’s not unrequited, they just said so! I need to get off and tell them I love 'em!” Namjoon is growing hysterical as he struggles against Jungkook while the other members look on with bemused expressions.

“Jungkook, what’s going on?” Taehyung is the first to speak, the others leaning over his shoulder to see Namjoon trying to fight off the maknae.

“Namjoon is trying to get off the plane,” Jungkook explains curtly, his fierce eyes not leaving his leader’s.

“Are you sick?” Jimin’s worried voice speaks up as he tries to analyze the situation.

“He’s not sick, he’s trying to get back to Y/n,” his eyes move upward to meet Jimin’s, who quirks his head to the side in confusion.

“Are they sick?” Jin asks as he takes a step forward to inspect the situation further. By now Namjoon has stopped trying to get out of Jungkook’s iron-clad hold, breathing heavily for his efforts.

“They’re in love with me,” Namjoon murmurs, his thoughts reeling in his head as you appear in his mind looking utterly heartbroken at his lack of response.

“Isn’t that a good thing? You’ve loved them for years,” Yoongi finally speaks up as he takes a seat across from Namjoon.

“I didn’t have time to say anything before Jungkook dragged me away,” Namjoon huffs in anger and annoyance as he pushes his hand to push Jungkook away from him as the flight attendant appears to inform them of their impending departure once they are all seated.

“You can tell them when we get back,” Jin states firmly as he sits beside Namjoon, making Jungkook move to the back.

“In three months?!” Namjoon screeches, his head falling into the palms of his hands before he harshly tugs at his hair, making Jin grip his hands tightly to hold them in his lap.

“Stop! You’re acting like a child, Namjoon. Y/n wouldn’t want you behaving like this,” Jin scolds him, making him roll his eyes before ripping his hands out of his hold to cross over his chest with his hands tucked under his arms to keep him from pulling at his hair in frustration.

“I’ve waited so long for this. How can I just leave when they finally tell me they love me? They probably think I don’t reciprocate their feelings.” Namjoon is stressing out again, his leg fidgeting as the boys talk quietly behind them.

“Text ‘em,” Hoseok suggests from his seat as the flight attendant walks by to make sure everyone has their seatbelts on.

“This isn’t something you text.” Namjoon shakes his head as he sighs heavily. What if this had been his only chance? What if by the time he came back, you’d be over him? What would he do then?

“What if it’s too late when I get back?” Namjoon airs his worries out loud, Jimin shaking his head as he looks at Taehyung for answers, but the younger doesn’t know what to do in this situation either.

“They’ve probably loved you for years. Another tour will not change their feelings about you? If their feelings are genuine for you, they’ll be there when you get back. They’re aware of what your job is, this isn’t for the faint of heart. Why do you think none of us get involved with anyone? It is what it is,” Jimin tries to come off sympathetic, but by the look on Namjoon’s face, he knows he’s missed the mark.

“Why now?” Namjoon groans out in frustration, blinking back tears he refuses to shed. Jin gives his shoulder a squeeze before turning his attention to the window as the jet begins to move slowly, making the flight attendant go over the safety information, despite them hearing it every single time they fly.

Namjoon tries his best to keep himself occupied, not wanting to let his thoughts drift off to you because he knows his heart will clench in pain at having not confessed. He wondered if you felt as dejected as he did, perhaps worse? He hoped you weren’t sitting in your room crying, wondering why he didn’t love you back when all he wanted to do was run back to you and kiss you. Years, years, he had waited for this moment. Imagined it hundreds of times, but his fear always held him back. ‘Don’t ruin the friendship’ he would tell himself every time you were wrapped up in his arms

Every time he had to leave, it got harder; his need to stay with you growing each and every day; every departure tore him apart inside. He couldn’t keep doing this, couldn’t keep leaving you, but what other choice did he have? Despite wanting to build a life with you, he couldn’t give up the one he had because it wasn’t just his life he had to consider, it was the lives of the other six men sitting around him; his family.

An angry huff escaped his lips as he tries not to draw too much attention to himself. But the others can sense the tension in the jet, their eyes roaming to glance at him before returning to their activities. The air is thick with tension, everyone too scared to speak above a whisper as to not upset their leader, but what else are they to do to keep occupied? Unlike Namjoon, the rest of them had actually gotten some sleep, so they didn’t want to sleep anymore. There was nothing left to do until Namjoon finally fell asleep, giving the opportunity to relax slightly before landing in Osaka.

The moment the jet landed, Namjoon was awake as he made sure he had his belongings so he could sprint off the jet towards the cars. He was eager to get to his hotel room in hopes of video chatting with you, but he knew that there was a small possibility that you wouldn’t want to speak with him, not after he left you without a response.

Namjoon tried to be patient, but as the minutes ticked on, his patience began to wear thin as he huffed and grumbled until he was finally allowed off. He walked past everyone, not caring to slow down and wait for his members as his security team greeted him at the gate. He adjusted his face mask before walking with his head down and his sunglasses resting on his nose. He didn’t feel like greeting the paparazzi as he normally would, so he just walked on by without giving them as much of a glance or a wave. Later on he would feel guilty about being rude, but right now all that mattered was you.

The moment he sat in the SUV, his knee bounced up and down in anticipation. He would have to wait for another member or two to join him before they could take off. All he wanted to do was go, his anger boiling through his veins as he waited and waited. His phone was in his hand, his fingers hovering over the screen as he bit his lip, deep in thought. What could he possibly say to you? How could he confess over text where you couldn’t hear the sincerity in his voice? This wasn’t how he imagined he would admit his feelings for you. This wasn’t romantic in the slightest. Had he known, he would have made some grand gesture for you, but he knew you would have been just as happy with a simple date, like your bike rides by the Han River.

“Fuck!” he cursed, agitated with everything and everyone, his members delaying their arrival because none of them wanted to be cooped up with him in a tighter space than the plane. Namjoon was a force to be reckoned with, besides Jimin, when he was angry. It took a few more long minutes before the door opened and Jin popped in.

Namjoon blinked once as the door shut before he asked, “is it just us? Can we go now?”

“Yes, everyone else is getting into the other cars. We’ll be leaving in a moment,” Jin replied as he put his seatbelt on and tried to keep his gaze forward, but he could feel the heat of his leader’s anger radiating off him. The tight space felt tense, making it hard to breathe as the door opened and the driver got in before a security guard climbed into the passenger seat. Namjoon felt slightly at ease when the car started and began its route to the hotel.

The moment Namjoon got to the hotel, he pushed past Jin to get out of the car, startling everyone in the SUV. The security guard rushed after him, making sure he was safe as he led him inside and to the elevator. Namjoon was fuming. His anger hadn’t dissipated in the slightest as he watched the floors ascend on the elevator until it finally came to a stop. His security guard stopped him from exiting the elevator, an angry huff escaping him as he waited for the guard to give him the all-clear to enter the hallway. Namjoon held his room key in his hand, following the guard as they walked down the hall, stopping in front of his room. He handed his card over to the guard, who took him and asked him to wait while he did one last sweep of the room to ensure it was safe before allowing him inside moments after.

Namjoon slammed the door, throwing his bag on the bed as he checked his phone once again to see if you had responded to any of his messages or phone calls, but all he had was texts from the other members asking if he was okay. He ignores the messages, calling you one more time as he takes his laptop out of his bag, starting it up and hoping he’ll have better luck if he tries reaching you with both electronics.

He knows he only has until after lunch to reach you before he has to go to rehearsal and he’s desperate to talk to you before then, otherwise he’ll be unable to focus. At least, the concert isn’t until tomorrow night, but he needs to make some headway in this before then.

Your phone goes straight to voicemail once again, making him groan as he lays in his bed. A tentative knock on his door has him sitting up, getting out of bed to see who it is, he’s not surprised to see Jimin standing there with a sheepish smile.

“I was wondering if we could have lunch together so we could talk,” he mumbles as he looks at his leader. Namjoon sighs, running his hand through his hair before stepping to the side to allow Jimin in.

“Just order whatever, I’m still trying to reach, Y/n.”

“Still no luck?” Jimin asks as he takes a seat at the desk, turning the chair to face Namjoon, who shakes his head.

“Do you want me to try?” Jimin offers as he takes his phone out of his pocket.

“Yeah, maybe they’ll answer you,” Namjoon says hopefully, biting his lower lip as Jimin presses call on your name, placing it on speaker as it rings once but goes to voicemail.

“Hey, Y/n. It’s Jimin. I just wanted to check in to make sure everything is okay. Call me back,” Jimin hangs up, looking at Namjoon with an apologetic smile as he sets his phone on the desk.

“Thanks, Jimin. Hopefully, they will call back soon or after soundcheck,” Namjoon sighs as he sits on the bed, allowing Jimin to order lunch for the two of them.

You watch the phone ring in your hand, hitting ignore as you climb into the SUV, clutching your bag tightly as you get comfortable and put your seatbelt on. Your door is closed and you look straight ahead, nerves pooling in your stomach as you look out of the window, watching the buildings go by. You know you should have answered Namjoon’s call or even Jimin’s but it didn’t matter at all now because thanks to Jungkook, you’d be in their hotel in a few minutes.

You weren’t sure what Jungkook needed from you that had you urgently get on a flight to Osaka, but the way he sounded so desperate, begging and pleading for you to come to see him had you wondering if something was wrong, perhaps with Namjoon?

You didn’t want to face Namjoon, not after what happened earlier in the day and to be frank, you weren’t too thrilled to see Jungkook either, but what could you do, you were here now.

“Your bags will be taken to your room.” You nod at the security guard as you’re led inside the hotel and to the elevator, a room key in the guard’s hand as the elevator shuts. You’re thrumming with apprehension, biting your lip as you arrive on your floor, the staff giving you perplexed looks before your situation is explained and you’re handed an ID badge before being escorted to your room.

You set your bag down, a knock on your door seconds later. You open the door, seeing a bashful-looking Jungkook.

“Hey,” you greet him, allowing him into your room before shutting the door.

“Hey, I’m glad you made it here safely.”

“Yeah, me too. Are you going to tell me why I had to rush here? I don’t exactly want to look at you or anyone else for that matter,” you admit angrily, making Jungkook recoil as he steps back.

“You, you just need to be. I’ll explain later, but talk to Namjoon, please. I have to go but please answer Namjoon’s phone calls,” Jungkook insists as he rushes out of your room. You roll your eyes as you take your phone out to see a few more missed calls. You know he’ll be heading out for the rest of the afternoon, so you decide it’s best for you to wait until Jungkook lets you know that they’re back.

You take a shower, order lunch, unpack a bit and think about what you’re going to tell Namjoon when you finally speak to him after you blatantly ignored him the entire day.

Hours later, your phone rings, wakes you up. You grumble, reaching out to get it just as it stops ringing. You look at your ringing phone again and sit on the floor against the wall, not wanting to show that you’re at the hotel as you inhale deeply before answering the call.

“Y/n!” Namjoon shouts, surprised you’ve actually answered his call.

“Hey,” you murmur with a slight wave.

“Hey,” he responds, cheeks tinted pink as he gulps. He didn’t think about what he would say once he got a hold of you.

“I’m sorry about leaving earlier, I didn’t even get to say anything.”

“Forget about it, Joonie.”

“No, I don’t want to forget about it, Y/n,” his voice is firm, his gaze smoldering as he looks at you through the screen.

“Joon, I shouldn’t have said anything. You don’t feel the same and…”

“How do you know I don’t feel the same? Did you hear me say that? No, you didn’t,” Namjoon scoffs, but you sigh.

“Hold on, Joonie,” You say as you turn the camera off, rising from the floor as Namjoon asks if you’re still there.

Namjoon wonders what you’re doing, hearing rustling before the sound disappears altogether for a moment. Perplexed, he scrunches his brows as he sees the time still ticking before the sound comes back.

“Sorry,” you apologize, but don’t turn the camera on.

“Is everything okay?” Namjoon asks, worried as he wonders what you could be doing. Before you can respond, there’s a knock on Namjoon’s door. “Hold up, I gotta get the door. Don’t hang up!”

Namjoon opens the door, ready to tell whoever it is to fuck off, only to be shocked to see you standing in front of him with your phone in your hand, hanging up the call.

“Joonie,” you say before you’re scooped up in his arms, hugged tightly, the guards on the floor peek at you before returning to their duty as Namjoon pulls you into his room, shutting the door.

“What are you doing here?”

“Jungkook insisted I come,” you state as Namjoon releases you to look at you, wondering if he’s imagining you in front of him. You cross one arm over the other, feeling awkward as you look down at your feet, biting your lip.

“Of course, I’m glad you’re here! Really! I didn’t want to tell you how I felt over a text or a screen. Y/n, I know you’re probably upset and you have every right to be but I didn’t want to leave you and I tried to get back to you but I couldn’t. I love you too, so much. I know I should have said something sooner, but I just couldn’t find the words and I still can’t. I know my career is something that will keep us apart, and I don’t blame you if you don’t want to be with me because of it but if you do, if you do want to be with me despite it all, I promise to do whatever it takes to make us work.”

You can feel the tears welling up in your eyes, sniffling as Namjoon walks closer to you, hugging you. He kisses your forehead, holding you tight as he feels your arms wrap around him.

#bangtanarmynet #btswriterscollective #btswritersnet #namjoon x reader insert #namjoon x you #namjoon angst #namjoon fluff #namjoon angst and fluff #namjoon!idol au

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crimehathnofury · 3 years

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Hey guys it’s Pike. I got a question for you. What comes to your mind when you think of Heaven's Gate? What pops in your mind? What’s the first thing you see? Shiny gates opening to the afterlife? Or is a really cool looking landmark that resembles it? Well one thing that pops into my mind is a California cult. One that has murder in it’s end. That’s my topic for today. The cult known as Heaven’s Gate and it’s leader Marshall Applewhite. So let's begin shall we?

I figure we start with a little information on Marshall Applewhite. He was born on May 17th 1931, in Spur Texas. He had 3 siblings and his father was a presbyterian minister. He had become a very religious child. So he went to school at Corpus Christi. He went to college at Austin College, where he was active in quite a few school organizations and only moderately religious. After he earned a bachelors in philosophy in 1952 he enrolled at Union Presbytrian Seminary to study theology. He got married as well to a lovely girl named Anne Pearce and later they had 2 children Mark and Lane. Early in his studies he decided he wanted to pursue music. He became the music director of a presbyterian church in North Carolina. He was a baritone singer and loved spirituals and the music of Handel. In 1954 he was drafted into the United States Army. He served in Austria and New Mexico as a member of the Army Signal Corps. In 1956, he left and enrolled at the University of Colorado, got his masters degree in music. His focus was musical theater. He moved to New York where he was unsuccessful in becoming a professional singer. He then worked as a teacher at the University of Alabama. However, he lost that position after pursuing a sexual relationship with a male student. His religious education was not ok with same sex relationships. So of course that left Applewhite more than a little frustrated with his desires. In 1965 his wife found out about the affair and they got divorced 3 years down the road. He then left UA and moved to Houston where he served as the Chair of the music department at the University of St. Thomas. Students said that he was engaging and stylish. He was also a well known singer, served as the choral director of an Episcopal church and performed with the Houston Grand Opera. Apparently, while in Houston, he was out as gay. Although he still pursued a relationship with a woman. Who while under pressure from her family left him. This of course upset him greatly. This apparently caused him to have another affair with a male student. In 1970 he left his job. In 1971 he moved to New mexico and owned a delicatessen. Though he was popular with his customers he moved back to texas later that year. A year after that his father passed. Then a year after that he met Bonnie Nettles.

Bonnie Nettles was a nurse interested in Theosophy and Biblical Prophecy. The 2 became close friends. Applewhite even went as far to say that he felt like he had known Nettles for a long time. That they even met in a previous life. Nettles told Applewhite that their meeting was foretold by aliens. She also told him that he had a divine assignment. Around this time, Applewhite began to search for alternatives other than the christian doctrine, like astrology. Also he had visions one telling him that he was made for a role like Jesus. Applewhite soon started to live with Nettles. Although they cohabitated, their relationship was not a sexual one. The relationship though did fulfil his longing for a loving yet platonic relationship. Before meeting Applewhite, Nettles was married with 2 children. As soon as she got closer with Applewhite her husband divorced her and she lost custody of her kids. Applewhite had closed himself off from his family. EVentually he started to see Nettles as his soulmate. Some acquaintances speculated that she had a strong influence on him. The 2 would then later together opened a bookstore called the Cristian Arts Center, that held a great deal of books from many spiritualities. They also started something known as the Know Place, teaching classes on theosophy and mysticism. They closed that business a short time after. In February 1973 they both decided to travel and teach their beliefs. Pretty cool. Not going to lie. Traveling sounds fun. Exploring faith and just having a great time. However with the little money they had led them to do odd jobs and even sell their blood. They only ate bread rolls, camped out, and sometimes skipped out on their lodging bills. A mutual friend from Houston corresponded with them, accepted their teachings, and in may 1974 she became their first convert. Sometimes while traveling Applewhite and Nettles they would poner the life of St. Francis of Assisi. They would also read books written by Helena Blavatsky, R. D. Laing, and Richard Bach. They kept a King James version of the bible and studied quite a few passages from the New Testament. They focused on teachings about Christology, asceticism, and eschatology. APplewhite also read a lot of science fiction books. June 1974, they had their beliefs solidified into a good outline. They had concluded that they were chosen to fulfil biblical purposes. They had been given higher level minds than other people. They had made a pamphlet that described Jesus as a texan much like Applewhite. They considered themselves the 2 witnesses in the book of revelation. So they would go to churches and tell people they were the 2 or the UFO 2. Applewhite and Nettles believed they would be killed and then would be restored to life, then transported to a spaceship. Not going to lie, their ideas were poorly received.

In August 1974, Applewhite got arrested for failing to return a vehicle that he had rented in Missouri. Like really? He was extradited to St. Louis, and was jailed for 6 months. At this time he had said that he had a divine right to keep the car. While in jail he pondered theology and abandoned occult topics in favor of extraterrestrials and evolution. When he was released, Nettles and himself began to try and reach these extraterrestrials . As well as seek like minded people. They advertised for meetings to recruit disciples or what they would call the crew. At these meetings Nettles and Applewhite would promote themselves as being from another planet, The Next level, who needed people to participate in an experiment. They said that the people who participated would be granted a higher evolutionary level. At this point they were calling their group the Anonymous Sexaholic Celibate Church. But then changed it to the Human Individual Metamorphosis. Applewhite and Nettles sent advertisements to California. They were invited to speak to New Age devotees in April 1975. They were able to persuade half of the 50 that were there. They continued to have success in recruiting people. At a meeting in Oregon in September 1975 30 people left their homes to follow them prompting media coverage. It was a lot of negative. Not so shocking. Commentators and former members of the group mocked them and suggested brainwashing. By 1976, Applewhite and Nettles had decided to be called Do and Ti. And by 1985 Nettles had died. Applewhite had claimed that she had gone to her Next Level. After her death applewhite changed his view on the ascension process. He previously taught the group that they would physically ascend from earth and that death caused reincarnation. But Nettles death left behind an unchanged body had forced him to say that ascension would be spiritual. He concluded that her spirit traveled to the spaceship and she got a new body.

In the wake of Nettles death, Applewhite had become increasingly paranoid. He feared there was a conspiracy against the group. One member recalled that Applewhite didn’t get close to new recruits. He feared that the government was sending in infiltrators. The group increased focus on sexual suppression; Applewhite and seven others opted for castration.In Applewhite’s views sexuality is one of the most powerful forces that attached humans to their bodies. In the late 1980’s the group laid low as much as possible. Only few people knew it still existed. Then in October 1996 2 things happened. The comet Hale-bopp approached the earth. The other was the group renting a mansion in Rancho Santa Fe California and recorded 2 videos in which they offered their viewers one last chance to evacuate earth. Applewhite now believed that Nettles was aboard the spaceship trailing the comet coming to pick up the others. He stated to his followers that the deceased would be taken by the vessel. In March 1997 they isolated themselves and recorded their farewell messages. Then a mass suicide started on March 22nd. They took barbiturates and drank alcohol. Then they put bags on their heads. They wore nikes and all black uniforms that said Heaven’s Gate away team. 39 dead. It was one of the biggest group suicide since Jonestown in 1978. All I can think of is how this occurred? What do you guys think? If someone was compelling enough do you think you guys would follow without question? Even if it seemed wrong? Let me know. I’m all ears to hear what you guys think. Hopefully you guys like this. I’ll try to cover more cults more often. Bye for now.

#murder #cults #suicide #serial killer

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abybweisse · 4 years

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Victoria and John, a contract (part one)

I’m pretty much convinced that not only is John Brown not human (demon or angel would be my best guess), but he has made a contract with Queen Victoria.

We’ve talked about the Albert hand puppet quite a bit, and I truly do believe it serves the same purpose as what Sebastian offered to our earl in ch138 — make the contractor feel as though a dead loved-one has returned.

Our earl didn’t fall for such an offer, but I think Victoria found it all too tempting to pass up. Sure, she still dresses in the black of mourning, talks about Albert in past-tense, and then breaks down crying. However, as soon as the puppet appears, she genuinely behaves as though she thinks Albert is there with her.

This is not simply a puppet; it’s a mind control device, a powerful tool to manipulate her feelings, thoughts, and actions. Sometimes John even uses that deadpan Albert voice to give her ideas and plans of action... not just words of encouragement... as if they are coming from Albert himself. We could simply see it as a parody of real life, since Queen Victoria claimed John Brown was a medium who allowed her to communicate with her dead husband, but I think it’s something way more sinister in the Kuroverse.

However, ch21 shows us, right off the bat, that whatever charm/power John has over her with the puppet, it’s not perfect. As I pointed out above, sometimes she realizes Albert is dead and gone. Historically, Victoria stopped making such frequent public appearances after Albert’s death because of her deep mourning. Here, it’s because John/“Albert” suggests she stay home and out of the public’s eye. John realizes her behavior when she’s upset about Albert, as well as her reaction to the puppet, must take a toll on her reputation. If this says anything about the rest of the contract terms, it’s a poorly-made contract.

But, what else would be in the contract, and what might have been left out? I want to look at the wishes and terms spelled out in ch138 for a possible framework, since a contract between John and Victoria would likely parallel the contract between Sebastian and our earl.

I don’t think it’s simply for Albert’s “return”, since there should be some finiteness to fulfilling the contract. Perhaps it’s to make her think Albert has returned for the remainder of her natural lifespan, and then — upon her deathbed — John gets his “payment”, whether it be her soul or something else. Or it could be until she has achieved some other goal. Or John didn’t make it clear the contract had to have a distinct end and couldn’t be extended.... More on that later.

If there is another wish for John to fulfill? That’s a bit harder to guess. Some specified level of power and influence? Some achievement for the legacy she leaves behind? Revenge against some foe (real or imagined)? 🤷🏻‍♀️ Ch138 might actually give us clues to Victoria’s desires, and not just the one about Albert.

Victoria had been queen since she was 18, she married her beloved around the same time, and she lives in luxury. But her reign saw the new expansion into foreign lands, the wealth raked in by controlling serval industries abroad, and the exotic goods and other treasures that this brought to her and to the British markets... for those who could afford them. Ch21 might essentially confirm this, since John (while being stepped on by the horse) starts listing off her achievements since she’s been queen. The increased power and reach of the nation, her influences on fashion and popular culture, etc. Maybe we should be getting the idea that these grand merits, like creating the “empire where the sun never sets”, are actually achievements made possible only because of John, just like our earl’s successes are largely due to Sebastian’s abilities. It does read similar to ch2’s initial assessment of our earl’s business successes. It also makes sense when paired with Undertaker saying he doesn’t like her, won’t accept “the queen’s coin”, and complains how she sits in comfort and safety while others do her dirty work. Maybe all of her accomplishments are not her own.... More on that later, too! 😏

Some guesses for what might have been included... and left out... of the terms. Let’s go with three wishes, just like our earl was offered. Looking at ch138, we see this about our earl’s first wish:

Wish 1. Speaking the truth.

John must be able to lie to her, simply because she might not have been thinking clearly enough at the time to demand otherwise. Sebastian acted like our earl’s demand to always speak the truth is somewhat of a novelty; he was taken by surprise. We know John can lie to her because he does so every time he says Albert is there with her. That entire wish about Albert is fulfilled by lies.

Wish 2. Obeying orders.

Sebastian is being particularly sneaky here to put an extra condition on the terms... after the terms had been agreed upon. This gives him the ability to not follow every order he is given, unless “I command you” is stated. And to accomplish assigned tasks without following very specified ways of doing so. That’s how he was able to “interrogate” Beast for information about the signet ring... instead of going to the two places our earl told him to go. And he was able to say he completed the task, without admitting he never went there... and without lying, because of how he got our earl to rephrase his questions.

John likely has to pretend he’s a normal human, but also like Sebastian, he’s going to pull off some weird shit that’s definitely not normal for humans... and witnesses will just have to remain willingly ignorant to the oddities... much like Finny realizing he had brought Sebastian iris bulbs, not plants full-grown and in bloom.

Sebastian also makes it clear there need to be limits to the contract terms; there cannot be extensions or alterations to the contract terms by way of orders.

How about with Victoria and John? It seems to me that John must have a lot of leeway, when it comes to obeying orders — how he accomplishes them... if he really obeys at all. He might even be able to obey orders in a way that doesn’t always achieve the queen’s desired results... if he doesn’t want to. It’s difficult to see how this part of the contract works (or fails), since we don’t see much of what they say and do.

What we do see, however, is Victoria making hints about what she wants... and sometimes we see John taking note of it. It makes me feel as though the terms could be as vague as “fulfill my desires” or “make my wishes come true”. If so, we run into the issue of contract limitations again. Where does that end? John really might have accidentally made an open-ended contract....

Sebastian is smart to state that he will not accept orders to give more wishes, extend the contract, or make further changes to the terms. Yes, he is trying to take advantage of the kid, but the kid is also hoping to take advantage of the demon. Each one wants as much as they can get from the contract, just like Sebastian says is to be expected. Which brings us to the third wish.

Wish 3. Protection and no betrayal.

Sebastian threw in the “no betrayal” part as a freebie, since it’s a personal policy of his to not make multiple contracts. He specifies this is a fourth wish that he’s allowing only because it’s an automatic, to him. Our earl set aside the offer to be kept safe from illness; he didn’t think the asthma would return. Besides... imagine how this story would have gone if our earl was stuck inside Sebastian’s body? Very differently, indeed. Entirely different.

I see a setup here for John to be one of those greedy, gluttonous sorts. Charles Grey would be in awe? 😆 I have no idea what sorts of protections John might have offered Victoria, or what she might have agreed to. However, I suspect that 1) the terms might be changeable, so we could later see John do weird things to protect her and 2) John might have another contract with someone else, so betrayal is quite possible. I’d even say it’s likely. With the terms of the contract as loose as I suspect, John could be like Ash/Angela without even changing names, appearances, or personalities.

TL/DR: If John Brown is a demon or angel in a contract with Victoria:

One goal or wish is to make her think Albert has returned.

Other goals seem to be about her achievements and influence as queen. (However, it might even include the crown itself and her marriage.)

He can lie to her, since he lies every time he says Albert is there.

He has to make her wishes come true, but he has a lot of wiggle room on how to accomplish that. And the wishes might not be properly limited.

He probably has to protect her as she achieves whatever goals she has set.

However, he might betray her. Particularly if he’s stuck in a contract that has no well-defined end (other than her natural death).

It’s pretty wild to think about, but it’s entirely possible that Queen Victoria (in the Kuroverse) is a fraud of some kind. What if she made the contract when she was young... and the crown, her beloved husband, her life of luxury... are all just wishes being granted for her? Considering that:

Her birth year is around the time Undertaker rebels and tries to destroy the reaper organization’s HQ... ohh? 🤔

She ascends to the throne the year that Molly G. dies. Her coronation takes place the following year. Hmm. 🧐

And she was, historically, quite attracted to Albert and pursud him to be her husband. As queen, she had to propose to him. Sure, his feelings were mutual IRL, but... maybe not in the Kuroverse? Uh. 🤨

More to come later!

#black butler #kuroshitsuji #queen victoria #john brown #sebastian michaelis #sebbythedemon #our earl #earl phantomhive #demon contract #angels and demons #undertaker #theories #post one #part one #long post #historical figures #historical reference

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hookedonapirate · 5 years

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The Princess and Her Sultan

Summary: Crown princess Emma of Misthaven is second in line to the throne, her brother Leopold ll being the first, but her parents see her with a future as a great ruler. King Rumpelstiltskin of neighboring land, strikes a deal with King David, promising to uphold the peace between the kingdoms if Emma marries Prince Baelfire. With the promise of his daughter becoming future queen of the Dark Kingdom, David accepts reluctantly.

Before her wedding day, the princess is kidnapped and taken overseas. She is sold as a slave to a palace where Crown Prince Killian of Neverland ascends his father’s throne and is sworn in as Sultan. Meanwhile, Killian’s mother pressures him to sire a prince and presents him with gifts for his birthday, one of them including a blonde princess from Misthaven. Dazzled by Emma’s charm, intelligence and beauty, he summons her to his bedchambers every night and eventually finds himself casting aside his harem and centuries of tradition.

Author’s Notes: Thank you all for your patience! I didn't even realize it's been a month since I last updated.

*TRIGGER WARNINGS - Please read the warnings before proceeding!!!!* This chapter contains graphic depictions of a slave being tortured in multiple ways, enacted by Killian as Emma watches, and also death by execution. For those who do not wish to read, I have added asterisks before and after these scenes. If any of the above makes you squick, I beg of you PLEASE skip the aforementioned marked section.

Thank you @gingerchangeling for your wonderful suggestions and ideas for this story, and also @ilovemesomekillianjones for gifting me with your wonderful editing skills. I also want to give a shout out to @onceuponaprincessworld for being my sounding board, constant cheerleader and good friend, thank you, darling! This story wouldn’t be the same without these lovely ladies!

And all of you have been so supportive and awesome, thank you all for following along and for your feedback!

Rated: Explicit

AO3 l FF.N I Prologue l Ch 1 l Ch 2 l Ch 3 l Ch 4 l Ch 5 l Ch 6 l Ch 7 l Ch 8 l Ch 9 I Ch 10 I Ch 11 I BTS

Chapter 12

The Hall of the Divan is the hub of the Empire. For eighty years, in this small chamber under the watchtower of the Second Court, Neverland Sultans had held court four days every week, receiving petitions, resolving legal matters, meeting foreign envoys and deciding foreign and state policy. Every decision, from the most humble legal dispute between merchants to the declaration of war, had been announced in this room.

On the mornings of the Divan, a long line extends across the garden outside as petitioners wait their turn to bring their case before the Sultan. Killian sits on a cushioned dais opposite the door with the Grand Vizier on his right. Generals, military commanders and legal experts sit in their proper order of rank on either side; secretaries and notaries record the imperial decrees and judgments. Only the Sultan may speak. Others are allowed to offer their opinion only as requested, or when speaking out on a particular point of secular or religious law of their specialty. The Sultan’s decree in all matters is final.

On this particular day, they are planning to go to war. In the past, Neverland had constantly faced west in their conquests, but Killian has chosen to head further east for his first war. He wants to go after a country that supported his father and is currently embattled in a civil war. The best time to strike is when your enemies are weak and they are very much divided. He cringes at the idea of leaving Emma and their baby, who will be a newborn, behind, but he knows the soldiers are getting restless, itching for the chance to bloody their swords. It’s been a while since they went to war, and Killian has known since he took the throne, war would be inevitable.

When they’re finished for the day, the Sultan and his Grand Vizier part ways so they can tend to their significant others. James and Ruby’s baby is due any day now, so he checks on her every chance he can. Meanwhile, Killian dearly misses his lovely Swan and their baby and longs to pay them a visit.

When he enters the harem however, he can immediately sense chaos. Panicked Eunuchs are scampering about and there is a group of maidens upstairs, gathered outside Emma’s door, wide-eyed and whispering; some of them are concerned and others are clearly only there to see what’s happening. A large lump forms in his throat as he looks up at them and he swallows thickly, quietly climbing the stairs to see if he can hear anything indicating what the commotion is about.

“Come, ladies!” Mother Superior claps her hands, trying to wrangle them up with Nemo's assistance. “There is nothing to see here.”

When the maidens turn and head toward the staircase, they see the Sultan ascending the steps. They immediately stop and bow their heads.

Killian reaches the top and moves through them as they skitter back to make a path for him. He spots Elsa, the most concerned of the women, and approaches her, gently lifting her chin. “What's going on, lass?”

She looks up at him, shaking her head. “I'm not sure, Your Majesty. A scream came from the garden, and Emma was brought back to her room, but they have told us nothing.”

Fear stabs him, his face paling as he releases her chin. “She was outside?” he asks, his mouth suddenly as dry as a desert.

Elsa nods. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

But why? She was on bed rest, and he’d instructed her bodyguards to make sure she’d followed the doctor’s orders. But knowing his Swan, she was probably too stubborn to listen.

He nods at Mother Superior, silently instructing her to dismiss the maidens. She does so, herding them downstairs to their dormitories and Elsa disappears into her apartment as Killian continues toward Emma’s double doors.

He is immediately blocked by Lancelot.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty, but no one is allowed in the apartment.”

Anger is added to the mixture of emotions he already feels. “I demand to see my wife,” he orders gruffly, his jaw ticking slightly as he tries to remain calm and collective.

Lancelot bows his head. “I’m sorry, Your Majesty, but something has happened. Only the physician is allowed inside.”

“What happened?” he demands, growing irritated. If he doesn’t receive some answers soon, he might explode. “Is she okay? Is our baby okay?”

“I’m not certain yet, the doctor is still examining her.”

“What happened?” he asks again, more quietly this time, the concern he feels for her evident in his voice. “Why is Emma being examined?” Killian can see the fear flickering in Lancelot’s eyes like a flame as he lifts his head, and it scares the hell out of him.

“She was attacked, My Lord.”

Killian is unable to form words for a full minute, even though his mouth is hanging open, a million questions and thoughts racing through his mind.

Who attacked her and why? Was it Regina, or did she have something to do with it? He knew he should’ve sent her away months ago.

“What do you mean she was attacked?!” he asks, both angered and confused. “It is your and Faraji’s job to protect her! Why is he not with you?!”

Lancelot swallows hard, his Adam's apple bobbing heavily. “Faraji is the one who attacked her, Your Majesty.” With a shaky intake of breath, he leans in, speaking more quietly to keep out prying ears. “He tried to rape her. He tried to murder your child.”

Breath leaves Killian’s lungs like the wind extinguishing the lamps. Something inside him snaps. He can’t even describe the intense, blinding rage and emotions coursing through him, his blood bubbling under his skin.

Another man touched his wife, hurt her and tried to murder their unborn child?! No, not a man. He cannot consider anyone cruel enough to carry out such injustice a man.

“Where is he?!” Killian roars, his menacing tone causing the burly guard to flinch.

Trying to recover, Lancelot shifts uneasily, his eyes full of fear and apology. “He’s in the harem garden. The Sultana injured him badly. He lies in a puddle of his own blood.”

The only thing holding Killian together right now is the hope that Emma had successfully protected herself and the baby and that the examination confirms they are both okay. She is not some damsel in distress; she is strong and brave. She’s his beautiful queen, and there’s something deep inside him that knows she and the baby are fine. Or so he hopes. “Is he dead?” he mutters through clenched teeth.

Lancelot shakes his head. “He wasn’t when I left him.”

Though he now despises Faraji in every sense of the word, Killian is glad to hear he’s not dead.

He turns to Nemo and orders him to wrap Faraji's wounds so he doesn't bleed to death, and then bring him to the dungeon. Death is not a cruel enough punishment for him. No, Killian has other plans for Faraji. But first, he has to make sure his wife and child are okay. Pulling out his sword, he returns to Emma’s doors and points the tip of the blade at Lancelot, threatening him with it when the guard remains in front of the doors. “Your job is to protect her from other men, not me, you imbecile! Move aside!”

The guard raises his hands in surrender and steps aside. “I’m sorry, My Sultan. I told her not to wander off to the garden, but she did not listen. If I’d have known Faraji would attack her, I would have done more to stop her.”

“And yet you failed on all counts,” he snarls. “I will deal with you later.” Sheathing his sword, he yanks the doors open and bursts into Emma’s apartment.

His heart shatters into a million pieces. His wife is lying on the bed, holding her belly and there are tears streaking down her cheeks. Guilt rips through him as he looks at his lovely Swan. How could he have been so stupid to have bought Faraji? By doing so, he put her and their baby in danger when he was only trying to protect them from it. Once again, another one of Emma's guards betrayed her and Killian feels responsible. His chest aches as he thinks about the damage this incident has caused, and not just physically, but also emotionally.

The doctor finishes up and gathers her supplies, putting them in her bag before heading toward the door.

Killian swallows as he stares at his love, tears swarming his eyes. “Is she okay?”

The doctor nods. “She’s fine, only some bruises and abrasions. Her attacker didn't quite penetrate her before she fought back.”

Killian twinges, the thought of someone trying to… defile her, especially against her will. The thought of her struggling against him while she feared for their baby’s life pains him physically, makes him sick to his stomach. The only thing keeping him from finding that piece of scum and murdering him in cold blood is the need to be by her side. Hold her in his arms if he can. “And our baby?”

The doctor smiles. “I felt the child moving in the mother’s belly. The baby is fine.”

Killian sighs in relief. He’s not sure he's ever been this relieved in his life.

The doctor looks at him more seriously as he blows out a long breath. “There’s something you should know, though, Your Majesty. The attacker gave her a fertility potion. There’s no telling if it harmed the baby, though I’m sure it will have no effect since it was a fertility potion and requires the seed of a man to work.”

Killian furrows his brows in confusion. “A fertility potion? Why would she need a fertility potion? She is already pregnant.”

“According to the Sultana, Faraji was trying to implant his own baby inside her.”

Killian’s anger spikes through the roof as he tries to process the doctor's words. “What?” he whispers angrily, trying not to disturb Emma. “How is that even possible? He’s castrated.”

The doctor shrugs. “He wasn’t before. But he is now.”

“What does that mean?” he demands, thoroughly confused.

The doctor leans in closer, whispering, “She took his manhood.”

Killian’s eyes widen. He is astounded and overwhelmed by everything he has heard so far. He’s not even sure he wants to hear anymore.

“That’s all I know. The Sultana was too emotional to press for further details. Besides, I’m only a physician. My only concern is the wellbeing of my patients.”

“Of course,” he mumbles contemplatively, still trying to process everything. “Thank you. You may go.”

The doctor leaves as Killian hurries to Emma’s bedside. She lies silently, staring at the ceiling, her cheeks still wet with tears. With a quivering breath, he reaches out to wipe her tears from her face. “Emma…” Killian holds back his own tears as he gazes upon her. “I am so sorry,” he whispers gently.

Emma blinks, slowly turning her head to face him. “Sorry for what? You did nothing wrong. I am the one who did not listen.” Her voice is weak as she tries to smile, but her lips fail to curve that way.

“Shhhh, my love. You need not speak. You only need to rest,” he murmurs, swiping her hair from her delicate face. He bends over, pressing his lips to her forehead and lingers there for a few seconds, his breath shaking as he pulls away.

He reaches for her hand and brings the back of it to his lips, placing a gentle kiss there. Emma closes her eyes, relishing her Sultan’s touch. Words cannot express what he feels at the moment. He is fraught with emotion; he trembles at the thought of losing her or their baby. He wants to hold her and tell her everything will be okay, but he doesn't want to hurt her.

“Will you lay with me?” she asks, her stark green eyes looking up at him.

“Aye, of course,” he answers with a frail smile. “You need not ask twice.” He goes to the other side of the bed and climbs in next to her. He doesn’t want to hurt her though, he doesn't even know where she’s hurting or how much pain she is in. Emma can sense his uncertainty and takes his hand in hers. He shifts to his side, facing her as she places his hand on her belly. He leans in and drops a kiss to her belly through her gown before laying his head beside her, burying his face in her hair. “I love you, Emma,” he whispers in her ear. “I love both of you.”

“We love you, too.”

He doesn’t ask any questions even though his mind is still dizzy with them. Why had Faraji attacked her? Why did he want her to mother his child? Why did he lie about being castrated? Why did Killian not see it coming? How could he be so trusting when his precious treasures were involved? A million other questions cross his mind, but he is too weak to ask them. Sultans are not supposed to show their weaknesses. Sultans are supposed to be brave and strong and conquer all that stands in their path, but at the moment, all he can do is hold his loved ones close and whisper prayers to his God.

Killian is not entirely sure what had been holding him together before, but now that he can smell the scent of the slave who tried to attack her, now that he can feel her warm body shaking in his arms, the emotions burst through him so violently he doesn’t even see it coming. Sultans are not supposed to cry, but Killian sobs uncontrollably into Emma’s hair as he holds her tight. “I’m so sorry, Emma,” he whispers through choked tears.

“It's not your fault,” she tells him repeatedly, but he can’t help but blame himself. Ever since Emma came here, she’s been in danger, and it’s all because his mother wanted him to sire an heir. There is not one single part of him that regrets choosing Emma, but what price will he have to pay for loving her? What price will they have to pay?

*******************************************************************************************************************

Emma wakes the next morning feeling extremely sore and tired, as expected, but somewhat at ease knowing Faraji is locked in the dungeon and can no longer bring harm to her or her child. Killian had stayed with them the entire night, never leaving their side.

He is gentle with her, like always, rubbing her belly, covering her in his sweet kisses, singing soft lullabies to their baby that his mother had sung to him when he was a young prince. He makes Emma feel loved and cherished, giving her the strength to tell him what had happened. How Faraji sought revenge, how he'd wanted her to have his child so Killian would think she betrayed him.

Killian goes wild upon learning the details of what her attacker had done to her. He transforms from a kind, loving man to an enraged vengeful Sultan who wants to tear Faraji’s head off. And she’s not opposed.

He wants her to stay in bed while he deals with the prisoner, but she refuses. She wants to accompany the Sultan, and after what happened, he does not dare refuse her wish. So he carries her down to the dungeon in his arms and gently lets her down. He enters the dungeon and she follows cautiously behind him, shuddering when she sees Faraji shackled in irons. The memories of what he’d done to her come rushing back, but she faces him, showing no fear.

He sneers at her with a spine-chilling smile, one the Sultan quickly wipes off his face with his fist, leaving the prisoner's mouth full of blood and a broken tooth which he spits out on the floor.

“You will pay gravely for what you have done to my wife... for what you tried to do to our child,” Killian assures him in a sinister tone. He appears to be calm, but there’s a storm brewing inside him. Emma can see it in his eyes.

The prisoner smiles, blood and saliva dribbling down his chin. “Please, after what your father did to me, death shall be my savior.”

Killian chuckles darkly as he wraps his hand around Faraji’s neck, pinning him to the wall. What the prisoner hadn’t considered was that first he would be brutally tortured. “Don't worry, your death wish will be granted... eventually. Until then, you will beg me to kill you quickly, but unfortunately for you, death will not be so simple.”

Traditionally, Killian’s executioners carry out this task, but Killian wants nothing more than to do the deed himself. He temporarily removes the wraps from his wounds and examines the damage his wife had done to him, grinning proudly. Though, in his eyes, she was far too kind.

The Sultan first extracts information from Faraji to find out if there is anyone else who is after Killian out of revenge against his father. He also questions him about the potions and demands to know how Faraji procured them. When he doesn't speak, the Sultan slowly removes Faraji’s toenails with red-hot pincers, eliciting blood-curdling screams and cries that could wake the dead. He shrieks out praises to his tribal gods, sweat pouring down his body. Killian uses several torture devices until Faraji is mutilated and many of his bones are broken.

Emma watches the entire time, sitting stoically in the Sultan's throne which was brought down for her. She's wearing a dark green, silk gown and a matching cap on her head, clutching at her cloak to keep out the dampness and bone-chilling cold of the dungeon.

Killian whips the prisoner and tortures him for hours, even after Faraji insists he knows of no one who is after Killian. He also tells the Sultan he stole the potions from Regina, who had hoped to use them to bear a child.

Of course he’d procured them from her. The doctor told Regina she’d never be able to conceive. So it makes sense she would find a way. The question is, who did she planning on using the potions with?

Her green eyes never leave Faraji's, the two empty voids revealing nothing but hate as he mocks her with a dark smile and reminds her what he'd planned on doing to her. “It's too bad it didn't work out between us,” he says cruelly, licking his lips as he leers at her. "Our baby would have been a true beauty."

Crunch.

Another tooth falls out when Killian punches him in the face to silence him.

"You would not have lived to see it," Killian snarls, his eyes black as he glares at the prisoner in repulsion.

"And nor would she. You would have executed her for betraying you."

Killian grits his teeth, and the silk of his robes ripple in the light of the oil lamps as he swiftly moves behind the prisoner, the crack of the whip echoing through the dungeon as he works on Faraji’s back. “Emma would never betray me.” Whop-eesh.

Her lips twist into a slight smile. He trusts her. He knows she would never lay with another man.

“Yes, it's pretty pathetic how loyal she is to you…” Faraji spits out, “a Sultan. It will only be a matter of time before you toss her away and take another wife.”

Whop-eesh.

Killian doesn't bother to waste any more words on him. Instead, he finds new ways to torture him, making sure to remind Fariji the reason why he’s carrying out the particular torture. He removes each of Faraji’s fingers for putting his hands on Emma, he cuts out Faraji’s tongue for kissing her, and with the blade of his dagger, he pierces through the skin of his penis for trying to penetrate and rape her.

“I would remove your testicles, but it looks like my wife did already,” Killian smirks darkly, pressing the tip of the blade into Faraji’s wound, causing him to squeal like a pig.

When Killian is done with him, he has the executioners carry Faraji outside to the decapitation stone, barefoot, battered, dripping blood behind him, with shackled feet and fingerless hands cuffed behind his back. James, his generals, imperial guards and counselors are all dressed in their ceremonial robes as they assemble around the stone. Killian remains inside, behind a latticed window, holding Emma in his arms, a soothing hand on her belly as they watch.

James looks at the prisoner in disgust. He’d wanted to behead Faraji himself when he’d discovered what he'd done to Emma, who knows her uncle is doing his best to maintain some sort of semblance so Killian doesn't grow suspicious. James turns to look at Killian for his approval to carry out the execution.

Emma is surprised when Killian seeks her consent. “Is this what you want, love?”

A tear slides down her cheek as she gently rubs her belly above Killian's hand and gives him a nod. “He tried to murder our baby,” she mutters through a choked sob. “Get rid of him. I never want to look at his face ever again.”

Killian briefly squeezes his eyes shut as they redden and well up with tears. He pulls her closer, tightening his arms around her. She peers through the window with her head against his chest as he nods and makes a quick motion with his hands to give the order for execution.

The butcher is a deaf-mute so he cannot be swayed by screams of pain or supplications for mercy; in this case, verbal pleas are impossible since Faraiji does not have a tongue. He shoves Faraji to his knees and forces him to bend over the decapitation stone. He grabs his killic, swinging it a couple of times in the air to warm up his arm muscles, before approaching the prisoner from behind. The blade glitters in the sunlight as the executioner raises the killic above his head, and with a single, expert swing, he severs Faraji’s head, sending it flying to the cobblestone, blood spurting over the decapitation stone and the pavement as a fountain of blood gushes from the neck. Faraji’s eyes are fixed on Emma through the window, as though he's intentionally taunting her, even after his death.

She gasps and buries her face in Killian’s shoulder. He caresses her hair, whispering soft endearments in her ear. “He's gone, love. He can't hurt you anymore.”

Emma can tell by the way he strokes her hair, by the shaky breaths he takes that he still blames himself for this. When she lifts her head to look at him, she can see the shame and regret swarming his sea blue depths. “It’s not your fault,” she murmurs, running a gentle hand over his stubbled cheek.

“I'm the one who brought the guards here. If I hadn't, you wouldn't have been attacked.”

“Faraji was hellbent on revenge after what your father had done to him. There was no way you would have known. But Lancelot did nothing.”

“But that is a problem, love. He did nothing to protect you,” Killian mutters bitterly.

“He tried to stop me from going to the garden but I was too stubborn to heed his warning. He didn’t know Faraji would attack me. Besides, I can protect myself,” Emma states adamantly, a small smile finally tipping her lips as she recalls the sounds he’d made as she had taken his manhood from him.

Killian smiles in return and lifts his hand to her face, the pad of his thumb stroking her cheek. “That is true, my love, you are capable of looking out for yourself.” He expels a frustrated sigh. “I’m just sorry it took me almost losing you to figure that out. But that doesn’t change the fact that Lancelot did not perform his job properly, and therefore he must be punished accordingly.”

“Please don’t, Killian,” Emma pleads, her eyes welling with tears. “He’s a good man. Please leave Lancelot be. Let him be free.”

Killian raises a brow, taken off guard by her request. He’d known she didn’t want to bring Lancelot punishment, but relieving him of slavery? It’s the last thing he would’ve considered for the bodyguard. Lancelot hadn’t done all he could to protect Emma, and though she shows him forgiveness and sees no wrong in him, when Killian’s loved ones are concerned, he cannot ignore carelessness. He surely can't let it go rewarded. “You want me to free him?”

She nods, cupping his cheeks in her hands. “I think my history with bodyguards is proof that they’re only more harm to me than good. Please release Lancelot, do not punish him for Faraji’s sins.”

Killian closes his eyes, relishing her touch. He takes a contemplative breath and opens his eyes, peering into those sparkling emerald orbs staring back at him from behind her long dark lashes. Freeing Lancelot it is the last thing he wants to do, but he will never be able to forgive himself if Emma ends up resenting him for it. If Killian carries out his punishment and sells him to another a slaver. He only wants her to be happy. “If that is what you wish, I will make Lancelot a free man.”

Emma gasps in surprise, her eyes widening as she searches his face for any indications that he might only be only saying that to appease her. But she finds none. “Really?”

He nods, gracing her with a small smile. “Really. I want you to be happy and if that means freeing Lancelot, then I will obey. I will release him before our baby is born. You have my word, my love.”

Emma smiles happily and kisses him, a tear sliding down her cheek. “Thank you, Killian. Thank you,” she whispers.

*******************************************************************************************************************

Later that night, Killian helps her out of her garments, gently pulling off her chemise. Emma is embarrassed at first and covers herself, one arm draped over her breasts and the other over her stomach.

Killian’s heart cracks as she tries to shield herself from him. “Love, you don't have to hide from me,” he assures in a soothing tone, reaching out a hand to caress her cheek.

“I don’t wish for you to see me like this, Killian.” Her eyes fall to the floor. “I am ashamed of how I look.”

Killian’s features cloud with sadness as he lifts her chin, urging her to look at him. “You have nothing to be ashamed of,” he murmurs softly. “Remove your hands, please. I wish to see you.”

Emma nods, unwilling to refuse his command. She slowly drops her arms, revealing her entire naked form.

Killian steps back so his eyes can drink in the full view. Bruises cover her body, and though he’s angered she had to endure them, his breath is taken away by her beauty. Her stomach is big and round and gorgeous, carrying what he can only imagine is just as beautiful and perfect as his wife is. “Stunning,” is all he can say, his mouth watering as his eyes scroll down her body.

Her cheeks color with a slight blush, her eyelids fluttering as she looks at him. “Only a man as good as you is capable of flattering an expectant mother in this position,” she says playfully, a small smile curving her lips.

“It’s the truth, my love,” he whispers, stepping closer to her, his hands itching to touch her. He does just that, his hands gently caressing her curves, her pregnant belly, her swollen breasts, coaxing soft murmurs from her lips. He kneels before her and places kisses over her belly, whispering soft nothings to their baby as she runs her hands through his hair. “Killian…” she coos, her eyes locking with his when he looks up at her. “If My Sultan does not stop, I may beg you to make love to me.”

Killian closes his eyes and rests his forehead against her stomach, having to restrain himself immensely. He does not want to risk harming their wee one. So he rises, cupping her cheeks in his hands as he softly kisses her lips. He covers her in a white, silk robe and leads her to his bath where he bathes her from head to toe, making sure to kiss every bruise and mark on her body to let her know he loves every... single... part of her.

When she is thoroughly cleaned, he helps her into her robe and carries her to his chamber. They slip into bed, underneath the covers, and he holds her tightly in his arms, his mind weighing heavy with thoughts.

He’s still upset with himself for what had happened. He still blames himself. As Emma lies next to him, her angelic face buried in his chest, he can't help but wonder if she would be better off in Misthaven. Her parents could take care of her and give her the parental love she craves and deserves. The thought saddens him, it makes his heart hurt so bloody much, but he wants his Swan to be safe. Even if that means he has to let her go.

“Emma…” he murmurs softly, getting her attention.

She slowly lifts her head to look at him. “Yes, my love?”

He gets lost in her eyes as she awaits an answer. She’s so enchanting and lovely and intelligent, he doesn’t wish to let her go, but he knows he has to. He has to let her and their baby go. He has to accept his fate. His fate of eternal loneliness and darkness. Because that’s all he deserves.

“Emma…” His voice cracks, so he clears his throat as he caresses her cheek. “Emma, I think you should return to Misthaven.”

Her face falls in confusion. “What?”

“I think… I think you and our baby will be much safer there.” As he says the words, his eyes fill with tears and his heart physically hurts.

Emma pushes herself up, shocked as she stares at him in disbelief. “You… you want me to leave?”

He shakes head. “God, no. But you were almost…” he swallows thickly, unable to finish his sentence. “And our unborn child could be dead. Neither of you is safe here, Emma.”

Her eyes glisten with tears and she shakes her head furiously. “I am not going anywhere. I did not endure what I did to be tossed away.”

“Emma, I would never toss you away,” he says, tears falling down his cheeks. “I only want what is best for you. For our child.”

She shakes her head again and raises her voice. “Leaving you is not what is best! Our child will be without a father! And what if he is a boy? The Sultan’s prince cannot be parted from him!”

More tears fall from his eyes as he cups her cheeks in his hands. “So we fake your deaths. You’ll both escape and no one ever has to know you’re both alive and well. No one will be able to hurt either of you again.”

Her eyes widen. She’s completely appalled he would even suggest such a thing. “That’s absurd! I will not go! You cannot make me!” She breaks down into tears and he sits up, holding her tightly in his arms. “I refuse to leave you,” she mumbles into his chest through her tears.

His heart crumbles into a million pieces. There’s nothing in the world worse than seeing his Swan cry, unless her tears are happy ones. But these are definitely not. “I don’t want you to leave,” he whispers, rubbing her back. “I don’t want to lose you. Which is why I will not force you to go if you are against the idea. But just know, you can leave if that is your wish.”

Emma lifts her head, her eyes puffy and red as he wipes her tears away with his thumb. “I would never wish to leave you.” She cups his cheeks in her hands, capturing his lips, which are wet with his tears, and now hers as she mumbles against them. “I love you, Killian, and I will be by your side for as long as you can stand me.”

Killian smiles weakly as he presses his forehead against hers. “Then, I’m afraid you will be stuck with me for eternity.”

She laughs for the first time in days, and the gentle chime of her giggle revives his heart. It makes him smile.

“Mmm, my favorite sound,” he murmurs, causing her grin to widen. “I love you, Emma. I love you both,” he adds, affectionately caressing her belly. “I will always love you.”

“Good,” she whispers, her eyes falling to his mouth.

He catches the movement of her eyes and seals his promise with a long, searing kiss. He lifts his hands, sliding his fingers into her hair as they tumble onto the bed, their lips still latched. Despite the earlier events, they both fall into a deep, peaceful slumber in each other’s arms.

~*~

They have breakfast the next morning in his apartment before he leaves to visit his mother to fill her in on what had happened. Though she's most likely already heard about the execution. But it’s important for him to have his bonding time with his mother.

Emma decides to stay in his chamber for a while longer before she grows restless and decides to return to the harem. She’s sure her friends are worried sick about her and she misses them, even though it's only been a few days since she’d seen them. She dresses and leaves, making her way down the golden road, still feeling a bit sleepy from the nap she’d taken.

She thinks about what Killian had offered her last night. Though she misses her family dearly, she could not bear to leave her Sultan wife-less and childless. She hates being away from him, she hates how little she sees him as it is, but the thought of never being with him again, never seeing his handsome face, never feeling his strong hands on her soft skin or being blessed with his tender kisses, never feeling the warmth of his body next to hers makes her ache all over. He is her family now, and so are her friends and uncle. She can’t bear to leave them. She does wish to see her parents and brother again and let them know she’s okay, but a Kadin leaving the empire to visit them would be impossible unless she found a way around it somehow. Even if she did, her parents wouldn’t understand her lifestyle here. They wouldn’t understand her love for a Sultan who rules a land where women count for less than animals.

Emma rubs her belly, which is fairly hidden underneath her layers of clothing as she wobbles along the corridor. She’s not as sore as she was yesterday, but still not able to move very fast, so it feels like everything is in slow motion.

She spots James emerging from a hall, and she's about to call for him, but something about him seems peculiar. He’s wearing his usual robes, but he appears to be lost as he looks in the direction opposite of her. He starts to head that way, but then stops and scratches the back of his head before he gets very far.

Lifting a brow, she continues toward him until he's only a meter away. When he suddenly turns around changing directions, Emma stops frozen in her tracks.

He pauses as well, donning the exact same, gobsmacked expression she does.

She can’t believe it. But she can. The eyes, the face, the walk. How confused he is. How unfamiliar he is with the palace. She knows without a doubt it’s him. The question is how? Is she dreaming?

She steps up to him, reaching out to touch his cheek which does not hold a scar. Which feels pretty real to her.

He lifts his hand to hers and with a broken smile and a broken whisper, he speaks, “Emma… I knew I’d find you.”

“Papa?”

@courtorderedcake @teamhook @onceuponaprincessworld @nikkiemms @followbatb @resident-of-storybrooke @hollyethecurious @snowbellewells @artistic-writer @ultraluckycatnd @kmomof4 @darkcolinodonorgasm @lovepurplepumpkins @kiwistreetswan @therooksshiningknight @deathbycaptainswan @tiganasummertree @superchocovian @emeraldwitches

#cs ff #cs ff au #captain swan #trigger warnings #torture #violence #death by execution #please heed the warnings #the princess and her sultan #my fic

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talesfromthecycle · 4 years

Text

Vengeful Chapter 2 “Starlight In Hiding

The larger presence with an outline of devil’s horns atop their head stepped into the alley and momentarily blocked out the lights shining in through the alley. Yet once they entered, the light returned and reflected onto the silver skin and hulking armor of the visitor. They dressed neck to toe in a cold black plate armor with their face peering out from the chestplate like a kitten peering out of a basket.

“Clair,” The armored woman with black horns upon her head spoke, “What’s the hold up? Don’t tell me you’re tired already, we just- Wait what happened here?” She took a look around the alley at Nessa and the unconscious thief.

“In your fury for exercise you passed up an obvious scene, am I to believe you were running this whole time with your eyes closed?” The priestess referred to as Clair retorted back in a snarky tone. “I was just telling this civilian to gather her things and leave.” She shot a glare back to Nessa who nodded and began gathering up her satchel and picking up the slew of papers and supplies that fell out during the struggle.

“Perceptive as always, but how about you take the culprit to the authorities while I help clean up.” The knight walked forward accompanied by the clanging of her armor clashing together. The priestess scoffed and haphazardly dragged the thief away out of the alley and disappeared around the corner.

The knight stood over Nessa and held out a tattered book with a smile on her face, “I believe this is yours, I’d hate to lose a tome of this volume.”

Nessa smiled back and took the offered book and put it back in her satchel which she carried gripping on the top of the bag with the broken strap hanging off to the side, “Oh, thank you ma’am, I’m surprised you could tell it’s a tome at this point honestly.” She laughed it off as she stood up much shorter than the knight in front of her.

“Well if I’m being frank, I only assumed, given your wand is still over in the corner as well.” The knight pointed to the still sparking wand fizzling with purple flashes.

Nessa whipped her head and swore under her breath, rushing to pick it up. With the wand in hand, she made a dialing motion with her finger as the light dimmed until it returned to a normal state.

“I’m really sorry, this whole situation has me all stressed out,” Nessa went on as the two stepped out into the street, “Thank you so much, both you and your friend were a great help. Is there anything I can do to repay-”

“Nonsense, really it was nothing on our part. Now then, how about we head back to the guild and put this behind us.” A moment of silence passed over the two of them briefly.

“Oh. Well, uh,” Nessa stammered in response, “I’m not a guild member actually, ma’am.”

The knight’s silver face was washed in a wave of red for a moment, “Oh right, sorry. Guess I just assumed you were one of the new recruits this year with you being a mage an’ all.” She spoke quickly and struggled to find the point of her words, “Well the offer is still there, kind of. I can escort you home for all the trouble you’ve been through. It’s the least I can do.”

“I guess I’ll take you up on that offer then, but you haven’t told me your name even.” She chuckled and eased up after the knight’s accidental assumption. Even if for a moment, it gave her a flash of joy to have been mistaken for an adventurer in any capacity. Nessa began to head home with the knight at her side.

“Oh my apologies, I’m Hela,” The knight politely raised her hand to her plated chest and bowed her head slightly, “I’m a guild member for Hidden Star which you could probably tell. And you?” As Hela finished speaking, Nessa noticed the familiar comet emblem pinned to the shoulder of a cloak that Hela wore.

“My name’s Nessa. I’m just a simple paper girl honestly, nothing too exciting going on with me.” She sheepishly responded with her attention seemingly darting around as they slowly ascended the grand stairs out of the lower districts.

“Nessa?” Hela repeated and pondered for a moment, “I could’ve sworn I heard that name somewhere before.”

Nessa’s heart stopped for a moment as a nervous shock passed over her, “Well um, you might’ve seen me from time to time updating the quest boards. Heard gossip because I screw it up all the time? Something along those lines?” She desperately tried to cover up any recognition that Hela might’ve found in her. “No that’s not it,” The knight appeared oblivious to Nessa’s paranoia as they both scaled the stairs, “Oh now I remember, this explains everything!” Hela snapped into recollection which paralyzed Nessa in fear. “I recall seeing an admission form back at the guild for a Nessa just a few weeks ago. The picture looked a bit like you, and even shared your name. No wonder I thought you were a new recruit,” The situation clicked slowly in Hela’s head as Nessa sighed in subtle relief but still appeared distressed, “So many similarities, but you said you don’t apprentice at the guild, right?”

As the two reached the end of the stairs, Nessa’s pace slowed and her gaze turned away from the seemingly piercing glare of the knight. Despite her attempt to respond she couldn’t come up with an excuse fast enough before Hela broke the silence.

“Sorry, I really shouldn’t have dwelled on that. I just thought-”

“It’s alright, you didn’t mean anything by it I know.” Still refusing to keep eye contact, Nessa interrupted, “The truth is, I did sign up for an apprenticeship at Hidden Star. I ended up not showing up to the entrance exams though. I just chickened out of the process because I didn’t think I’d get in.” She looked up to see a tower connected to the ceiling of the cavern and began to lead through the residential district towards it.

“Excuse me for being brash Nessa, but that’s some nonsense if I’ve ever heard it,” Hela retorted which surprised Nessa into turning around to look the knight in the face once more, “Nobody, not even my team and I, started off working for the guild with the experience we got on our backs now. If you don’t put yourself in danger of failure, you can’t succeed. I bet you’d do great as an adventurer if you put your mind to it, same with anyone really.” Hela kept a genuine and reassuring smile on her face through her encouragement, the contagious smile spread to Nessa quickly.

“I guess you do have a point Hela, but I kinda still missed my chance this year. Not to mention with each year I’d fit less and less in. I basically missed the boat several times over.” Nessa joked as they both stopped at a grand fenced area housing an old dilapidated manor with a single stone tower protruding from one of its corners. Stepping towards the gate, Nessa pushed and moved one of the gate doors forward slightly and walked through.

She shakes her head and whispers under her breath, “When is he going to learn to lock this stupid thing,” Nessa looked back to Hela who still stood behind the gate, “Thank you again for the escort and back there with the thief, I really appreciate it.”

Hela looked past her in awe at the sheer size of the manor behind Nessa before snapping back to attention to the conversation, “Oh, of course. Wow, I hadn’t realized folks moved back into this old place. I thought it was still abandoned.” Nessa gripped one hand onto the gate and leaned into it searching for the right response to give, “Well, I,” Her eyes darted from the floor, her hands, and back to Hela again as she struggled with what to say, “It’s still technically abandoned. My little brother and I just sort of hide out here ever since the original owners left to the surface about a decade back. I know you’re a guild member and all but I hope you’d keep this a secret between us if you could.”

Hela took a long look at the manor, it slowly faded into darkness as the crystalline sun slowly dimmed with the coming of night hours. She then looked back to Nessa but not with her usual innocent smile and instead with what Nessa could only understand as a determined gaze.

“Of course I won’t tell anyone. What you’re doing isn’t bringing any harm to anyone. But I wouldn’t be doing my job right if I didn’t do something about it. So I’m going to cash in a favor with my guildmaster and see if he can open up another apprenticeship spot. I’m not going to force you to come or anything like that. But the guild can provide a better life for the both of you than this. Feel free to stop by if that interests you.” Hela stepped away from the gate and gave a three fingered wave to Nessa as she departed.

“Stay safe.” Hela concluded making her way away from the manor.

Nessa was nearly left speechless, the offer and kindness stuck in her mind like a pin on a board as she watched the knight leave. With those words still playing over and over, Nessa wandered towards the tower and pulled a rusted key from one of the pockets on her uniform. After a moment of jamming the key into the beaten up door, she opened it up and stepped inside and locked the door behind her. Climbing the spiral stairs up the dark and dusty tower she eventually reached a well lit room seemingly split down the middle with a clear divide of messes and piles of assorted objects on one side and neatly organized bookshelves and unlit candles on the other.

“You forgot to lock the gate again, Mair.” Nessa said drearily as she hung her satchel on the back of a chair and then leaned against a wall with her arms crossed looking over at the other side of the room.

Lying on a rickety bed with face buried in an unlabeled book, a full blooded night elf teen jumped slightly but remained hidden behind his book, “Oh sorry sis, completely slipped my mind.” Mair responded casually.

Nessa simply sighed while stepping cautiously onto her brother’s side of the room, dropping some of the candies she received earlier on his nightstand. Before his hand reached out to swipe the sweets she cupped her hand over them halting the advance, “On the topic of mind slips, did you finish your school work this time around?”

“I did,” Mair elongated his admission in annoyance, “I miss one assignment and suddenly you go in mom mode.” He snarkily added in keeping his face hidden behind the book still even as Nessa was standing right next to him.

Without even a retort, Nessa pulled the book down out of the young teen’s face, causing him to wince after being removed from his disguise. Though the discoloration was faint on his already dark violet face, his swollen eye was a clear indication of a bruise starting up.

“Shoot,” Mair whispered under his breath and smiled his usual disarming grin with his standard missing tooth, “I can explain.”

Nessa walked off back to her side of the room rubbing her temples as she began to pace, “I don’t get how you even manage to find more people to fight at this rate. Did you start it? Did you get in trouble? Am I going to get another letter about this crap?”

“No, kinda, maybe. In that order.” Mair sat up on his bed and seemed to spring to life, “It was that one upperclassman again, he was pushing around my friend and I had to intervene. I taught him a lesson though, you totally should’ve seen the look on his face it was priceless. That one professor that I’m cool with backed my side of the story so it’s a total win win.” He told the story with a series of acting out punches and dodges like he was acting a one man play.

Nessa simply watched and kept silent through his explanation before finally giving her case, “Just be more careful in the future please, you don’t know when someone might carry a knife or some magic on them. Then suddenly a little brawl is a trip to the infirmary, or worse. I don’t need you getting suspended over this either.” She sat down at her desk. She placed her satchel on the desk in front of her and gathered a mass of sewing supplies to work on the broken strap.

Mair thought over his sister’s words before taking notice of her side of the room, “Alright alright, I get it. Hey, what happened to your bag?”

“Some thief slashed it up earlier today. Luckily some adventurers from Hidden Star helped me out.” She answered casually as she began to fix up the broken strap.

“Woah you actually got saved by some adventurers. That must’ve been awesome. But, uh, how come you didn’t just zap the thief with some magic or something? That would’ve been cool as hell.”

“I wouldn’t call an attempted mugging awesome, rocks for brains. Besides, the bastard got a hold of my tome so it’s not like I had anything useful to cast on hand.” Nessa rolled her eyes and slouched over her desk.

“Ah, just another piece of evidence that warriors trump mages in every avenue. Don’t need no dumb book to beat up a lowlife.” Mair jokingly flexed his arms to annoy his sister and then returned to his side of the room.

“Keep telling yourself that buddy,” Nessa laughed off the remark but silently paused her work and then turned around in her chair to face her brother, “Speaking of those adventurers, I talked to one of them and she said she can try and open up an apprenticeship spot over at Hidden Star. Thought you’d want to sign up since you just barely missed the age requirement a few weeks back.”

Mair’s eyes lit up with excitement at the offer, “Seriously, no way! I wouldn’t have to waste a whole year just waiting around. That’d be so cool!” He calmed down a bit and looked to Nessa with a confused stare, “But wait, wouldn’t you want to take that spot too? I mean, you’ve been waiting longer than me, it’d feel a bit unfair, honestly.”

Nessa stood up and walked over to the northern edge of the room where a rickety ladder leads higher up in their old tower and stood just beneath the ladder. She smiled at Mair and just shook her head, “How about you just think it over for now, if you’re interested we can see if both of us can go in together and try out from there. If not I’ll be fine waiting another year, won’t kill me.” She put one hand on one of the rungs and began to scale the ladder, “I’ll be back down in a minute, how about you actually start on your schoolwork now.” She remarked on her way up which only led her brother to groan and rummage through a pile of his books.

Nessa climbed to the topmost floor of the manor’s tower, looking out at a view from the shattered stone wall that led out to the entire city in the ravine. She slowly approached the gap in the wall to look at the dimly lit web of stone connecting the ravine together. The crystalline sun had dimmed to only but the shine of a moon, with several more crystals making their debut as stars on the darkened ceiling. The artificial stars reflected in the cold black waters of the ravine back up below the streets as if the sky surrounded the suspended world. In the middle of the city, a grand hall remained lit as a bonfire. It stood as the beating heart of the night city, the lone spider to tend to the web of bridges. Nessa’s view could only barely capture the hall behind the hundreds of bridges weaved over it’s lights. She stood there, staring in thought, basking in false starlight.

#Dungeons and Dragons #dnd #elves #writing #chapter 2 #vengeful #tales from the cycle #underground #fantasy #adventure #guild

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basicsofislam · 5 years

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THE CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN OF THE PROPHET (PBUH) : Hasan (r.a.)

The Prophet (pbuh) married his beloved daughter Hz. Fatima off to Hz. Ali upon the order of Allah. Both of them were brought up and educated by the Messenger of Allah. Therefore, they led a life that could serve as a model for all Muslims. The Prophet (pbuh) visited them frequently and gave them various advice; he dealt with all of their problems.

It was the 3rd year of the Migration. About one year passed after their happy marriage. Fatima was pregnant. This rejoiced all of the Muslims, primarily the Prophet.

Finally, the day determined by Allah came. The Prophet sent his nanny Umm Ayman to Hz. Fatima’s house. He advised her to read Ayatu’l-Kursiyy and the chapters of al-Falaq and an-Nas. Hz. Umm Ayman went to Hz. Ali’s house without losing any time. She did what the Prophet told her. After a while, Hz. Hasan was born.

As soon as the Prophet heard the news of the birth, he hurried to his daughter's house. He was very happy. He said, “Where is my grandson? Show him to me!” They brought Hz. Hasan in swaddling clothes. He held the baby and cuddled him. Then, he asked, “What did you name him?” Hz. Ali said, “Harb (War)”. The Prophet said,

“You will definitely be called by your names and your fathers' names on the Day of Judgment. Therefore, give nice names to your children.”

Then, the Prophet recited adhan to the baby's right ear and iqamah to his left ear. He changed his name as “Hasan”.[ Mustadrak, 3: 165; Usdu’l-Ghaba, 2: 10; Musnad, 5: 194. ]

Two rams were sacrificed on the seventh day of Hz. Hasan’s birth. His hair was weighed and its weight was given to the poor in silver. He was also circumcised.

The house of Hz. Fatima had a different significance in the eye of the Prophet. It was the abode for the generation of sayyids. The Prophet started to visit her daughter more frequently and loved his grandson, by smelling him and putting him on his shoulders.

Once, he put Hz. Hasan on his back. A Companions saw this and said, “O child! What a nice mount you have!” The Prophet (pbuh) said, “He is a nice rider too.”[ Tirmidhi, Manaqib: 31. ]

Once, the Prophet was caressing Hz. Hasan. Aqra bin Habis (r.a.) arrived; he said, “O Messenger of Allah! Do you love children? I have ten children but I do not kiss any of them.” The Prophet said, “He who shows no mercy, will receive no mercy.”[ at-Targhib, 3: 203. ]

Hz. Hasan sometimes visited his grandfather and talked to him. Once, he went to see his grandson. He stayed there for a long time. It was late and dark. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said to him, “Go home now!” Abu Hurayra was there, too. He said, “O Messenger of Allah! Shall I take him home?” The Prophet did not allow him. Meanwhile, a light shone and Hz. Hasan went home easily thanks to that light.[ Hayatu’s-Sahaba, 3: 451. ]

The Messenger of Allah loved Hz. Hasan very much and advised his ummah to love him. He said, “O Allah! I love him. Love him and those who love him.”[ Muslim, Fadailu’s-Sahaba: 56. ] Thus, he stated that Allah would love a person who loved Hz. Hasan. This deep love of the Prophet's toward Hz. Hasan was not due to kinship only. It had more important reasons. Badiuzzaman Said Nursi states the following regarding the issue:

“Yes, the Most Noble Prophet (pbuh) used to take Hasan (r.a.) tenderly into his arms and kiss his head for the sake of the luminous, blessed, Mehdi-like descendents who would spring from him, like Shah Geylani, Ghawth al-A'zam, who would be the inheritors of prophethood and would bear the sacred Shari'a of Muhammad. He saw with the eye of prophethood the sacred service and duty they would perform in the future, and approved and applauded them. He kissed Hasan's head as a sign of approval and encouragement... Yes, Shah Geylani has a large part in his kissing Hasan's head.”[ Lem’alar, s. 18. ]

Hz. Hasan about whom the Prophet said, “He is my basil that I smell in this world” and “He is the master of the youths of Paradise”, was brought up and educated by the Messenger of Allah (pbuh). He learnt many things from his grandfather. Hasan's heart became very sad when he lost his grandfather when he was eight and his mother six months after him. However, he was consoled by the fact that death does not mean disappearance and that he would be able to see them again in Paradise.

Hz. Hasan’s body from his head to his navel resembled that of the Prophet. Therefore, Hz. Fatima loved him by saying, “my baby who resembles the Prophet but not Ali”.

Hz. Hasan was distinguished for his generosity. He gave all of his property to the poor twice and half of his property three times. When the grandson of the Prophet had two pairs of shoes, he would definitely give one pair to the poor. He always gave sadaqah. When he bought something, he would bargain and try to get things cheap. This attracted the attention of the Muslims. Once, somebody said to him, “You give thousands of dirhams to the poor but when you buy something, you bargain for a long time.” Hz. Hasan explained why he did so as follows:

“We give money to the poor for the sake of Allah. It is not enough no matter how much we give. In business, deceiving is possible. We bargain because we do not want to be deceived because being deceived originates from lack of mind and causes one's property to decrease.”

Hz. Hasan was a Companion who worshipped a lot. He performed prayers and fasting a lot. He went to hajj from Madinah to Makkah on foot 25 times.

Hasan (r.a.) was away from pride and arrogance; he was a modest person. He would accept the invitations of the people whether they were poor or rich. Once, he was passing by a group of Bedouins. They were eating plain bread. He greeted them. The Bedouins answered his greeting. They said, “O grandson of the Messenger of Allah! Come and eat with us.” Hz. Hasan said, “I will. Allah does not like conceited people.” He sat down and ate plain bread with them. When he was about to leave, he said, “I accepted your invitation; now I invite you to my house.” Thus, he invited them to dinner.

Hz. Hasan gave advice to the believers from time to time. Once, he gave the following advice:

“The world slams a person who desires the world. A person who does not attach his heart to the world does not care who obtains worldly riches. A person who loves the world becomes the slave of the rich. A person whose yesterday and today are equal is at a loss. A person whose yesterday is better than his today is at a complete loss. A person who regards himself perfect actually has a lot of incompleteness. Tender-mindedness is a jewel for man. Loyalty is treasure. Haste is frivolity. It is a stain to be friends with those whose hearts are attached to the world. It causes suspicions to be friends with bad people.”

The beloved grandson of the Prophet was distinguished with his courage too. During the mischievous times when Hz. Uthman was the Caliph, he kept guard with his brother Hz. Husayn at the door of Hz. Uthman upon the wish of his father. He prevented the mischievous people from entering the house through the door. However, he could not prevent the raving men from entering the house through the chimney and martyring Hz. Uthman.

Years after this incident, Hz. Hasan became very sorry when his father was wounded. He went over to his father by crying. When his father asked why he was crying, he said, “How should I not cry? You are on the last day of the world and first day of the hereafter.” Hz. Ali told him not to cry. Then, he said he would give him some advice, that he should keep his advice and that he would always benefit from his advice.

Hz. Hasan asked, “What is your advice, dad?” Hz. Ali spoke as follows:

“The greatest wealth is wisdom; the greatest poverty is stupidity. The worst ignorance is vanity; and the best superiority is high ethics. Do not make friends with a fool because when he tries to do you good he will do you harm. Do not make friends with a liar because he will make you visualize very near the things which lie at a great distance and will make you see at the great distance the things which are near to you. Do not approach a miser because he will not give you what you need at the time of your dire need. Do not be friendly with a vicious and wicked person because he will sell you and your friendship at the cheapest price.”[ Hayatu’s-Sahaba, 3: 370. ]

A little while after this speech, Hz. Ali passed away. He went to the gardens of Paradise from the dungeons of the world. He rejoined the Prophet, Hz. Abu Bakr, Hz. Umar and Hz. Uthman.

His death saddened the Muslims. The people were in a daze and did not know what to do. At that moment, Hz. Hasan stood up. After praising Allah, he made the following effective speech:

“O people! Tonight, a man has died whom the first Muslims did not outrun with good deeds, nor did the last ones catch up with him in pleasing acts. The Messenger of Allah would send him to wars. Jibril would stand on his right and Mikail on his left. He would not return from the battlefield until Allah had given him victory. He died on this night, when Isa (Christ) ascended to heaven, and when the repentance of Children of Israel was accepted.

“Those who have recognized me knows me. As for those who have not, let him know that I am the (grand)son of the Holy Prophet. I am the son of the bearer of the good news, and the warner. I am the son of the Caller to Allah by His permission. I am the son of the bright lamp. I am the son of the person who was sent as mercy to people. I am from a family whose members Allah kept away from uncleanness and made them totally purified. I am from a household whose love Allah made an obligation on every Muslim. In a verse, Allah said to His Prophet, 'Say: I do not ask of you any reward for it but love for my near relatives;...“

After this nice speech of Hz. Hasan’s, the Muslims paid allegiance to Hz. Hasan and chose him as the caliph. In the following days, the number of those who paid allegiance to him reached 40. 000. Thus, the beloved grandson of the Prophet became the caliph of the Muslims living in Iraq, Hejaz, Khorasan, Yemen, Makkah and Madinah. However, the people of Egypt and Damascus did not recognize his caliphate. They had paid allegiance to Muawiyah beforehand.

Uniformity among Muslims could not be secured. It looked as if there would be a war and the blood of Muslims would be shed. In the seventh month of Hz. Hasan’s caliphate, two armies confronted at Madayin. When Amr Ibn As, who was with Muawiya, saw Hz. Hasan’s army, he said, “I see such an army confronting me that it will not return before eliminating the army against it.” Thus, he had to admit the power of Hz. Hasan’s army.

However, Hz. Hasan did not want Muslim blood to be shed. He did not pursue a high rank or position. Besides, he was very disturbed by the acts of dissidence and mischief that started during the caliphate of Hz. Uthman and that caused Muslims to fight one another instead of serving Islam. That day, he had a big opportunity. He could have beaten the army of Muawiya and united Muslims under one flag. However, he did not choose to do so; he showed a great example of sacrifice and waived his right of caliphate. Thus, he hoped that the Muslims would be strong again. They would conquer new countries and many people would become Muslims.

In fact, Muawiya did not want Muslim blood to be shed, either. He also wanted peace. He sent an envoy to Hz. Hasan with a proposal of peace. He said he would accept all offers of Hasan if he waived his right of caliphate. Hz. Hasan set some conditions. One of them was that the Muslims should choose their own caliph. Therefore, he set it as a condition that Muawiya should not appoint Yazid as heir to the caliphate after him.

Another demand of Hz. Hasan, the beloved grandson of the Prophet, was that Muawiya would send a certain amount of money to give to the poor. Muawiya accepted all of the conditions.

Then, Hz. Hasan addressed his supporters to tell them why he waived his right of caliphate as follows:

“It is wise to act in accordance with taqwa. Mischief and evil originate from foolishness. If caliphate is my right, I waive my right in order to unite Muslims and to prevent Muslim blood from being shed. If it is the right of someone who deserves it more, it means I am doing what is necessary.”

After this speech, the supporters of Hz. Hasan paid allegiance to Muawiya.[ Mustadrak, 3: 372; Hayatu’s-Sahaba, 3: 350. ]

Thus, another miracle of the Prophet (pbuh) appeared. For, the Prophet (pbuh) addressed Hz. Hasan as follows: “This son of mine is a noble and honorable person.and may Allah make peace between two big groups of Muslims through him.”[ Bukhari, Sulh: 9; Tirmidhi, Manaqib: 31. ]

Hz. Hasan narrated 13 hadiths from the Prophet. One of them is as follows:

“O people! I do not order you anything but what Allah orders; I do not forbid you anything but what Allah forbids. Pursue your sustenance in a nice way. I swear by Allah in whose hand of power is my life that your sustenance will find you just as death will do. If you have difficulty in finding your sustenance, do not disobey Allah while you look for it.”[ Hayatu’s-Sahaba, 3: 292. ]

Hz. Hasan was martyred in the 49th year of the Migration by being poisoned. Before his death, he was asked who had poisoned him. He said, “I cannot accuse anybody. I do not want an innocent person to be harmed because of me.” Then, he sent Hz. Husayn to Hz. Aisha and asked permission from her to be buried next to the Messenger of Allah. Hz. Aisha gave permission but Marwan bin Hakam, the governor of Madinah, did not give permission. Hz. Hasan was buried in the Cemetery of Baqi.

May Allah be pleased with him!

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singstall · 6 years

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THIS KILLS THE GAME: The Armada/Hungrybox Rivalry (part 1)

Hello, and welcome to Singstall, a site whose primary function is serving as a compact, chronological, searchable history log of competitive Melee. I’m still working on that. You can find the prototype here.

When you ask people their favorite Melee rivalries, you’ll probably hear about Mango and Armada, the two players that clashed at Genesis and have since defined Melee. You might get Armada and PPMD, who played three set classics at three of the most important tournaments of all time and gradually forced each other off their mains. There’s Mango/Leffen, Mango/Mew2King, even Ken/Azen and Ken/PC Chris if you want to take it back...but I contend that the best rivalry in Melee history is a matchup that has become a punchline: Armada/Hungrybox.

Long before seemingly every grand finals ended in a Fox/Puff showdown between the two best players in the world, Armada was arguably the best in the world and Hungrybox was just...a god, yes, but until relatively recently he was a lesser god, truthfully not much of a threat to take huge tournaments. But though he wasn’t exactly a demon, Hungrybox made himself the ultimate thorn in Armada’s side.

While Mango and Armada play a matchup they’ve both refined to perfection, this is mostly an extension of them being wonderful players against anyone. Armada and Hungrybox have always needed to dedicate a certain amount of headspace specifically to each other, which at some points led to them playing a game that barely resembled the Melee we thought we knew.

It’s all the more remarkable that the players involved in the game’s most infamous matchup are now the two best players in the world. We’ll explore their rivalry in six chapters, with the series hopefully concluding around Evo 2018.

Today, we begin with by far the shortest chapter, spanning only two sets. But it’s a great prelude to chapter two, which is something like the main event in this series.

I imagine that as the character matchup that we’ve become more familiar with emerges in chapter three, I’ll have less to say about moment to moment minutiae. But for now, I’ll likely squeeze out every fascinating bit of Peach/Puff, Young Link/Puff, Peach/Fox, and the rest.

Hopefully, instead of just telling you what happened, I can spin a good yarn.

Chapter 1: No One Wanna Hear Her Sing

It was a tale of Peach and Puff.

In July 2009, Armada, having toppled Amsah in two large tournaments earlier that year to establish himself as the best player in Europe, traveled to Genesis, a tournament name that would prove prophetic. Some didn’t expect him to even finish top 32.

But he kept winning and heads kept turning. He beat Lucky.

Then he beat DaShizWiz.

Then he beat Mew2King.

And then, he beat Mango.

Just like that, Armada had established himself as one of the greatest players on the planet. At times, commentators Phil and Waffles sounded resigned to his victory.

But a wrinkle quickly appeared: Mango dropped the Falco he’d played for most of winners finals and switched back to Jigglypuff, still his best character at the time. Just when it looked like Armada, up 2-1, would win the tournament in the first set of grand finals on Battlefield, Mango read Armada’s roll to the center and ended the game with an iconic rest.

Armada got rested so hard that we saw visions of the distant future. First, of Armada losing a lead on tournament point to a rest on Battlefield at the biggest Melee tournament to that point. And then, with Mango making Peach/Puff look as tragic as it feels today, of Armada trying out Fox against Puff, an idea he wouldn’t revisit against Puff until over five years later.

Armada had shocked the world, but immortality had just eluded him thanks to Jigglypuff. Like Bombsoldier before him, he destroyed expectations and instantly reinvented the character, but he would need to return to the United States again to cement himself as something more.

Armada’s second tournament in the United States, January 2010′s Pound 4, was an aberration, the very last time he would lose to anyone outside of an exceptional group of six players.

SilentSpectre upset him in winners, and to this day the only Falcon to defeat Mango remains the only Falcon to defeat Armada. Amsah upset him in losers, leaving Armada in fourth place, outplaced by another European. He would not get his rematch with Mango.

Had Armada defeated either SilentSpectre or Amsah, though, he’d have run into another headache: Hungrybox.

Half a year later, he’d finally run into that headache.

Though Armada’s and Mango’s Genesis sent shockwaves through the Melee community that we’re still feeling today, a much quieter success story would prove just as important: Hungrybox finished third, losing in each bracket to the eventual champion (after all, Mango would be his demon for the next roughly six years).

Hungrybox had been climbing already, finishing seventh at Revival of Melee, but Genesis was so much on another level that Hungrybox broke down crying when he upset DaShizWiz to make top 8.

Little did he know, he wasn’t even close to done. He tore through Darkrain, Scar, and Zhu before finally falling to Mango a second time to finish third.

The top three finishers at Genesis were all future Evo winners. To date, the only future Evo winners.

Hungrybox would continue ascending, double eliminating Mew2King at Tipped Off 5 and then winning Revival of Melee 2, his first major tournament.

Hungrybox was in the middle of a very successful year when Apex 2010 rolled around, and with his demon Mango sandbagging and exiting the tournament early, it would have looked like an obvious win for Hungrybox.

But Armada was there for his third American tournament. And, my goodness, Armada hated Jigglypuff.

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No one wanna hear her sing.

Apex 2010 (August 8, 2010)

Still on a meteoric rise to godhood, Hungrybox began his bracket tearing through Tec0, Kage, and Vanz.

Armada returned after his disappointing Pound 4 performance, and was ready to make up for it and maybe, especially with Mango playing Mario during his “Scorp” phase, win his first American tournament. He made his way through Lucky, Axe, and Zhu to make it into top 8 on the winners side. The puffiest Puff and the ultimate Puff hater finally were to meet.

Winners Semis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4PDR98Y_FE&list=PLWE8jJxz4TmhZLIdUzY7BOphfbiWCTsRz

This was the only set between the two to not be accompanied by commentary.

The pair struck to Dream Land, and the tone of helplessness was set early on. On the very first stock, Armada shielded a strange rest from Hungrybox, but it was suddenly clear that the risk/reward in this matchup would be rather kind to errant rests, with Armada only putting on 28%. On Armada’s second stock, Hungrybox found a quick up-tilt into rest, and though Armada lived easily and punished the rest by taking Hungrybox’s first stock with down-smash, the 36% seemed almost worth the stock loss given the pace of the match.

Just think, using rest just to get some extra credit, giving up a stock. That’s the matchup’s struggle, right there.

Despite a solid game plan from Armada, namely walling out Puff’s back-air by frequently pulling turnips, he needed some luck to keep it competitive. Armada was fortunate enough to pull a Bob-omb, and fortunate that after a Puff up-air the bomb dropped directly onto Jigglypuff, taking a stock at 70% on an enormous stage and giving Armada a brief stock lead.

But it quickly evaporated, and though he was able to bring it to a last stock situation, a string of back-airs sent Armada into a pretty solid deficit. He managed to pull a beam sword, but didn’t do anything with it. Eventually Armada found himself offstage, floating back and getting hit off again and again until Hungrybox took the game.

Armada counterpicked to Final Destination and harshly accelerated his turnip pulls, going out of his way to find space to pull them safely before letting them rip. But this game was a lot less eventful than the last. On his last stock, Armada jumped out of an up-tilt rest setup, and though Armada found a much more optimal punish (turnip to charged down-smash) without platforms, Hungrybox connected a successful up-tilt to rest almost immediately after to finish the set 2-0.

Armada ran through Axe, PPMD (still Dr. Peepee, until April 2014), and Mew2King (a thrilling set in its own right) to make it back to Hungrybox in grand finals.

Grand Finals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoaIEuRlOYs&list=PLWE8jJxz4TmixkNzfDupiYbi2oDEWhS3C

“I really love up-air, it looks like Jiggs waving to the crowd, yo.” “It’s the ‘olé.’“ “Heh. ¡Olé!”

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After striking to Final Destination, Armada began building a lead after Hungrybox missed another rest (strangely not noticing that Armada DI’d his up-tilt well) and eventually led by about a full stock, curbing Hungrybox’s aerial punishes and up-tilts with turnips. Over two minutes passed before Armada lost his first stock.

Thanks mostly to his improved use of turnips, which even covered a likely rest setup at one point, Hungrybox was still nearly at kill percent as Armada began his final stock. Armada’s constant projectile attack was a success (even if he again had no use for a beam sword), and it had shades of what their sets would look like for the next four years.

But Hungrybox finally found an up-tilt rest, immediately erasing the lead Armada had amassed and ending the game in devastating fashion.

Armada ran it back to Final Destination, and things immediately began terribly when Hungrybox, still only at 14%, hit a jumpless, recovering Armada offstage with a well-placed down-smash, taking a full stock lead crushingly quickly.

Peach doesn’t have any easy answers for that kind of lead in the matchup, but a missed rest (”that doesn’t matter”) and a turnip to charged up-smash punish quickly killed Hungrybox off the top (”It mattered!”), leveling the playing field when things could have been dire.

Armada kept it close for the rest of the game, lagging slightly behind and keeping up his turnip game as Hungrybox tried to constantly pressure Armada, frequently weaving in with neutral-air. We got another pretty tense game. But Hungrybox’s finisher fit the commentators’ narrative: up-air.

The third game would be both the last of theirs without commentary and the last of theirs on Kongo Jungle 64.

Hungrybox responded to Armada’s campy turnip game by taunting four times, perhaps as a nod to Peach’s infamous history on Kongo Jungle. But again, Hungrybox found an early kill, this time with up-tilt to rest. But again Armada answered without taking much damage.

Particularly during this match, both players showcased Melee at some of its very most evasive and defensive, something that would characterize their matchups to do this day. But the gap kept widening. Puff pulling ahead, as always, felt like an inevitability.

After bringing Hungrybox to his last stock, Armada was on his last legs with 119%, but managed to pull a stitch. Alas, he’d never get to use it. Hungrybox back-aired Armada off the stage, and Armada would never make it back.

With just over a minute left on the clock, Hungrybox won the third game, winning Apex 2010, winning all five matches against Armada’s Peach. It was so decisive, that in his post-tournament interview (which featured a surprise guest), the fact that he missed Mango seemed to loom larger than Armada.

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Interviews: Hungrybox Armada & Aniolas (part 1) (part 2) Melee Singles Champion Hungrybox

But he couldn’t have known that it would be over four years before he’d win another major tournament – in fact, that was the next time we’d see Armada’s Peach against Hungrybox’s Puff.

He couldn’t have known that the era of Peach/Puff was over before it began.

Armada couldn’t finish Apex 2010 without creating a now-infamous clip.

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Chapter Recap: Apex 2010 Winners Semis (Hungrybox, 2-0), Apex 2010 Grand Finals Set 1 (Hungrybox, 3-0)

Chapter Set Count: Hungrybox, 2-0 Running Set Count: Hungrybox, 2-0

Next time, The Kokiri Sword.

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born2battle · 3 years

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My Innings as Commander 27 Mtn Arty Brigade ( Part 2 )

In the first week of May, Ashvini & Nandini reached Bagrakote after undertaking a long journey across the country. It certainly boosted their confidence, since they travelled all by themselves for the first time. The first impressions of “Gun House” further boosted their energy levels, as we welcomed them in our new Home. In the very first week, they were surprised with the change of timings of sunrise & sunset and adjusted quickly to the new routine. The serene environment of Bagrakote provided ample opportunities for ANA to pursue their hobbies and play sports, within the premises of Brigade HQ. I had already prepared a plan for our visits to Nathu La & Darjeeling. Consequent to my announcement of this plan, everyone was excited for our first adventurous trip in the mountains in Sikkim. The preparations were complete, after we packed up the woolen clothing, which would be essential in Nathu La sector.

As scheduled, we left early morning for Gangtok, which was 100 km from Bagrakote. Our travel on the mountainous road along the Teesta river was really fascinating. Enroute, we witnessed White Water Rafting being conducted as a training event on the Teesta River. We reached Gangtok after a journey of 5 hours and felt the change of weather at 6000 ft, realising that distance is measured in terms of time in the mountains. It was essential to halt at Gangtok for a day to enable brief acclimatisation. Our departure from Gangtok was again early in the morning. Early start was necessary because the travel time to Nathu La was three hours which included a brief halt at Mile 14 Transit Camp enroute. Thereafter, the journey was more enchanting as we ascended to 12,000 ft. and reached Chhangu Lake, which is situated at the entry point of the track leading to Nathu La pass.

At this scenic spot, we had another brief respite walking around Chhangu Lake and felt refreshed after consuming hot “Jam Pani”. We were already experiencing the adverse effects of high altitude but the view of snow capped mountains energised us to begin our climb slowly upto the Pass located at 14,000 ft. At the summit, we observed the Chinese soldiers deployed at their posts, which were just 100 metres away from our posts. Our short stay for one hour at this unique location on the LAC will always remain an unforgettable experience. We wished to stay on longer at this dominating location on the “Old Silk Route” but had to walk down and proceed for the next mandatory visit --- Harbhajan Baba Mandir!!

As per superstition, it is believed that all visitors to Nathu La must pay obeisance at the Harbhajan Baba shrine, located about 15 km from Chhangu Lake. The legend goes back to the India-China conflicts in this Sector in Oct 1968, during which Sepoy Harbhajan Singh of 23 Punjab Battalion went missing until his body was recovered from a glacier. Later, he appeared in a dream of his CO & several soldiers and expressed his desire for construction of a ‘Samadhi’ at this spot. Ever since then, Baba’s spirit continues to protect all the Units deployed in Nathu La Sector and he has been often seen patrolling along the LAC! It was a divine experience to pay respects and have ‘Langar’ at this historic location. The most unusual ritual followed religiously is when Baba proceeds on Annual Leave to Kapurthala, in Sep every year. He is escorted by two Sewadars during the train journey and his Berth is reserved but kept vacant during the journey. Interestingly, he has been promoted over the years and is presently an Honorary Captain! He is fondly revered as the Hero of Nathu La. Consequent to these memorable visits, we travelled back to Gangtok for a night-halt.

We left next morning for Darjeeling --- the Queen of Hill Stations in West Bengal. Soon, after reaching we went for a joyride in the famous Darjeeling Toy Train. Our journey by the toy train was indeed fascinating as the train route crisscrossed the main road connecting Darjeeling to Siliguri. It was a breathtaking experience while the train negotiated steep gradients offering a splendid view of the landscape. The rest of the day was spent doing sightseeing and shopping. Next day, we reached the view point at Tiger Hill at 4 AM. There was intense excitement when we witnessed the glorious spectacle of sunrise at Kanchenjunga and the majestic Himalayan Ranges. Finally, with these beautiful memories of last one week, we set course for our return journey and reached Bagrakote by mid-day. It was such a nostalgic feeling to be back in the “Gun House”, after our fabulous vacation in the lap of nature.

I resumed my official routine commencing with all the Annual Adm Inspections. Initially, I completed the inspections of the Regiments located at Sevoke Road and Oodlabari. It was my privilege to inspect the Units and assess the standard of Unit administration and evaluate all aspects of equipment management & state of Accounts. The Staff Officers of my Brigade HQ were delegated the responsibility of testing the standards of BPET and small arms firing, prior to my inspection. Simultaneously, Sanjivani dedicated her efforts towards creation of additional facilities at Army School & improvement of the standard of family quarters at Bagrakote. Meanwhile, I was planning for our visit to Bhutan but kept it a secret till necessary permission was obtained from Army HQ. As soon as the approval was received, I applied for casual leave and then announced our proposed trip to Bhutan, which was a surprise for all my family members. The next three days were spent preparing for the trip & coordination of all arrangements for our forthcoming visit.

In the third week of June, we left Bagrakote and reached Binnaguri for a a night halt in the same Officers Mess where I had stayed during my previous tenure in 1974-75. As usual, we left early next morning and reached Phuntsholing which was the majestic gateway to Bhutan. The journey thereafter upto IMTRAT (Indian Military Training Team) located at Haa was absolutely amazing through the pristine mountainous terrain. We reached Haa after a journey of five hours and were welcomed in the grand Officers Mess of IMTRAT.

Next day, we visited the Haa valley which is just adjacent to the disputed Doklam Plateau. Later in the evening, we strolled in the Haa town and got a glimpse of the Bhutanese lifestyle. After stay of two days in IMTRAT, we moved to Thimpu which is located at 8000 ft. We spent two days in Thimpu and visited both the important monuments frequented by tourists -- Tashichho Dzong & Chhorten.

We were impressed with the rituals followed in the monastery which were a symbol of Bhutanese culture. In the evenings, we visited the main market and bought Bhutanese traditional dresses & tasted their special cuisine, served in their customary style. Thus, after spending a week in the Land of Peace & Tranquility, we set off next morning on our return journey & reached Bagrakote after a long journey of 10 hours, with numerous memories of a fabulous vacation!!

In the first week of Jul, Ashvini & Nandini left Bagrakote as they had to resume their academic sessions in Pune. We accompanied them till Kolkata and did some local sight-seeing before their final departure for Pune. Next day onwards, I carried out the Annual Adm Inspections of my Regiments located at Barrackpore & Kanchrapara. Simultaneously, Sanjivani visited the family quarters of both the Regiments and interacted with the families in the Family Welfare Centre. We then returned to Bagrakote and prepared plans for various welfare activities and organising the forthcoming Diwali festival. As per the Sports calendar, inter unit sports competitions were conducted with lot of enthusiasm in the next two months.

In the beginning of Aug, I was fortunate to be selected for attending the NBCW (Nuclear Biological & Chemical Warfare) Course at CME, Pune. It was a short Course of one month duration for selected officers from all the three Services. I reached Pune in mid-Aug and announced my arrival to Ashvini & Nandini, who were really thrilled since they could stay with me in the spacious two room accommodation allotted to me in CME & enjoy variety of meals in the Officers Mess. The learnings during the Course enhanced my knowledge about the latest developments in this interesting dimension of warfare. On completion of this Course, I returned to Bagrakote just prior to another memorable event which had been planned by Sanjivani. On 22 Sep, we hosted a special party at the “Gun House” for approximately 50 officers & families of the Brigade HQ and the Regiments located nearby at Sevoke Road and Oodlabari. The occasion was the celebration of ‘Milestone 50′ in my Journey of Life. It gave me a special certification as the grand ‘Old Man’!!

In early Oct, all the Regiments set up camps in training areas near Bagrakote to facilitate training prior to the Practice Camps, for a duration of one month. It was essential to carry out familiarisation with Teesta Ranges by practicing deployment & live firing. Each Field Firing Range has certain restrictions and degree of difficulty for deployment of Guns & engagement of targets. I looked forward to yet another learning experience in the tenth Range in my career while I shared my practical experiences with the OP officers & JCOs, to improve the standard of shooting. All the Regiments & our Brigade HQ practiced various drills and procedures to refine the standards of technical proficiency. Simultaneously, Technical competitions were conducted by the Staff Officers of my Brigade HQ. In the first week of Nov, I assessed each Regiment during it’s Practice Camp and was extremely satisfied with their excellent standard. The culminating event was the Technical Day, during which a total of 90 Guns & Mortars of different caliber, gave a demonstration of a Fire Plan for two hours. The Technical Day was witnessed by the GOC, all Infantry Brigade Commanders & COs of Infantry Battalions. All the dignitaries appreciated the speed of deployment, accurate engagement of targets & the destructive effect of fire power of the Gunners. It was a proud moment for me when I conveyed my special appreciation on the radio network --- “Good Shooting, Shabaash.”

All the Regiments returned to their respective locations, well in time for Diwali festival. At Bagrakote, we organised a Diwali Mela and fireworks display, with enthusiastic involvement by all ranks & families. We conducted several competitions, separately for the officers, families and children, as per the custom of celebrating all festivals together. It was a coincidence that Diwali and Children’s Day were on the same date that year. Hence, it proved to be a double celebration for the children.

Soon thereafter, we were delighted to welcome our relatives who had come from Aurangabad for a visit to Sikkim. They enjoyed their stay in our tranquil location for a few days & then proceeded along with Aditya to Nathu La & Darjeeling. They were lucky to witness snowfall in Sikkim and caught a glimpse of the difficult conditions faced by our soldiers deployed at the LAC (Line of Actual Control). They returned to Aurangabad after their once-in-a-lifetime experience.

In the second week of Dec, I had gone to Panagarh to carry out the Adm Inspection of my Regiment, which was pending due to the revised schedule of Practice Camps. On 13 Dec 2001, during the conduct of the Adm Inspection, we got the shocking news about the surprise attack on our Parliament Complex by a group of terrorists. Consequent to this sudden development, an immediate response at the highest level was anticipated. Hence, I curtailed my inspection schedule and left for Bagrakote on the same night. Next morning itself, we received orders to be on high alert and be ready for mobilisation. All the Brigade Commanders had to rush to Div HQ for an urgent conference, where the GOC briefed us about the latest situation and likely future contingencies. These orders were disseminated to all the Units for completing all preparations on a war footing.

After just three days, we received the final codeword for move to J&K, as a part of Operation PARAKRAM. This was the green signal for the massive mobilisation of the Striking Lion Division. It involved move of all Units, by rail from widely dispersed entraining stations to different detraining stations between Pathankot & Jammu Tawi. In view of the urgency, the Indian Railways moved all the trains on red hot priority. The move after detraining was carried out by road upto the designated staging areas. Meanwhile, I moved ahead by air, as a part of the core Recce Group. It was a tremendous achievement when we completed our deployment in the staging areas by end of Dec, in a state of high morale & motivation.

We were given an extensive briefing about the latest situation and all the Units were directed to be ready at short notice, for any contingency. Specific sectors were allotted for recce missions, which had to be carried out on a daily basis. Plans had to be evolved and modified consequent to every ground recce & information updates from latest air photos. These plans were brainstormed during the planning & coordination conference every morning. Incidentally, we had to comply with the security instructions of not compiling any written records of any plans or marked maps, in order to maintain secrecy. It was yet another challenging experience, facing such a dynamic situation in the LOC (Line of Control) scenario.

In the first week of Feb 2002, while I was busy in my recce missions, I got a surprise when I received my posting order to Army HQ. I had to report for my next assignment within a month and take charge as Deputy Director General (Equipment Management) in MGO Branch. It was a welcome news but I genuinely felt that my posting order was a bit too early since I had just completed one & a half year of my Command. Hence, I applied for cancellation/deferment of my posting. However, my request was not accepted in the organisational interest. Any CO or Commander feels very nostalgic at the time of relinquishing his Command. I too had similar feelings which were even more intense because we had just completed our deployment for Op PARAKRAM in J&K.

Then began a series of farewell programs organised by each Regiment in it’s traditional manner. I made a trip to the Vaishno Devi shrine and sought the blessings of the Goddess, prior to my departure after my fourth tenure in J&K. Next day, I was dined out from the Div HQ in the customary manner. The final two days were exclusively for the farewell functions in my Brigade HQ. The Bara Khana was organised centrally by all the Regiments which was really an emotional experience. Next day, was my dining out from the Brigade Officers Mess set up under field conditions. In my farewell speech, I expressed my gratitude to my entire Team of excellent COs -- Col Manjit Singh, Col PR Shankar, Col Nambiar and Col Sarkar who were the pillars of the Arty Brigade. In addition, I praised the contribution of Col Zope ( my Deputy Commander) and all the Staff Officers of Brigade HQ -- Maj Paviter Singh, Maj Maan Singh, Maj Jagdish, Capt AP Singh and Capt BS Multani who always exceeded my expectations. Finally, I was chaired out to the traditional chorus of “He is a jolly good fellow.”

Next morning, I bid the final farewell to my excellent Formation as I was escorted upto the Main Gate, with lot of affection and respect in a formal ceremony. It was the end of my challenging innings, played well at different venues before proceeding to Army HQ!!

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recentanimenews · 5 years

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A Tidal Wave of Anime Premieres Awaits You at Crunchyroll Expo

Are you folks ready for the endless anime attractions of this weekend’s Crunchyroll Expo? Well, even if you think you are prepared, get ready for a rattling of those preparations, as we break down all the various anime productions that will be premiering this very weekend. A full month ahead of the fall season, you’ll get to see the first episodes of totally new productions like the novel isekai Ascendance of a Bookworm, fan favorites like Chihayafuru, and others, along with screenings of terrific films like Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms and a Dragon Ball Z double feature. Let’s break down all the screenings that shouldn’t be missed over the weekend events!

Somali and the Forest Spirit World Premiere

August 30, 2019

01:00 PM PDT - 01:30 PM PDT

Cinema 1

First off, we’ve got the world premiere of a dazzling new fantasy series, Somali and the Forest Spirit. Based on a beautiful manga by Yako Gureishi, Somali is being directed by the talented Kenji Yasuda, and features a star-studded vocal cast as well. Though it’ll be streaming on Crunchyroll come January, this weekend will offer a special chance to check out its first episode, six months ahead of schedule!

The Wonderland U.S. Premiere

August 30, 2019

02:00 PM PDT - 04:00 PM PDT

Cinema 1

Next up, we’ll be hosting the United States premiere of the latest film by Keiichi Hara, the brilliant director behind such films as Colorful and Miss Hokusai. The Wonderland centers on a young girl named Akane, who finds herself spirited away into a fantastical realm, and told it is her destiny to save this place as the “Green Goddess.” I adored Hara’s Miss Hokusai, and can’t wait to see what visions he brings to life in his latest fantastical production.

The Island of Giant Insects U.S. Premiere & A Talk with Producer Tatsuya Ishiguro

August 30, 2019

03:30 PM PDT - 04:30 PM PDT

Classroom 1

Friday will also see the United States' premiere of The Island of Giant Insects, where you can get a first look at Crunchyroll's horror anime co-production! Along with a screening of the OVA, this event will feature a talk with show producer Tatsuya Ishiguro, where you can learn more about the series before it heads to Crunchyroll this winter. This event is 18+, and IDs will be checked at the door.

BLACKFOX World Premiere

August 30, 2019

05:00 PM PDT - 07:00 PM PDT

Cinema 1

Last up for Friday, we'll be hosting the world premiere of BLACKFOX, an anime-original film directed by Keisuke Shinohara. BLACKFOX will be produced by the relatively new studio 3hz, who've been dazzling us in recent years with terrific productions like Flip Flappers and Princess Principal. Be sure to check out their latest production before anyone else has a chance to see it!

Didn't I Say To Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?! Episode 1 Premiere & A Talk with Producer Hirotsugu Ogo

August 31, 2019

01:00 PM PDT - 02:00 PM PDT

Cinema 1

The festivities will continue early on saturday afternoon, as we kick things off with the premiere of next season's Didn't I Say To Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?! isekai. Come to enjoy this story of a girl who finds herself with powers 6,800 times greater than the average magician, and stay for a talk with show producer Hirotsugo Ogo, who'll break down all the finer points of this charming isekai!

Chihayafuru Season Three Premiere

August 31, 2019

03:00 PM PDT - 04:00 PM PDT

Cinema 1

Ready for the long-awaited return of Chihaya and her friends, as they continue their struggle towards karuta glory? Saturday will feature the premiere of Chihayafuru's third season, a series which I personally consider one of the finest sports anime of all time. Additionally, producer Toshio Nakatani will be on hand to share in the celebrations, and offer an exclusive look at the upcoming season. Fans of Chihayafuru, don't miss this one!

In/Specter Episode 1-2 World Premiere & A Talk with Producer Tatsuya Ishiguro

August 31, 2019

05:00 PM PDT to 06:30 PM PDT

Cinema 1

Stop by Cinema 1 for the debut of another Crunchyroll co-production, as we dive into the first two episodes of In/Specter. Based on the light novel series by Kyo Shirodaira, In/Specter will be offering romance, mystery, and plenty of supernatural drama. In/Specter's showing will be accompanied by a discussion with producer Tatsuya Ishiguro, who is sure to offer more tidbits about this January production.

Dragon Ball Z Double Feature Special Screening

Dragon Ball Z: Bardock - The Father of Goku

Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn

August 31, 2019

07:00 PM PDT - 09:00 PM PDT

Cinema 1

Along with the many premieres, saturday will feature a double feature screening of two Dragon Ball classics, in a celebration of one of anime's most beloved franchises. Don't miss this chance to see Goku power past all conceivable limits on the big screen!

Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms

September 1, 2019

10:45 AM PDT - 12:45 PM PDT

Long acclaimed as one of the most distinctive and accomplished writers in anime, Maquia stands as Mari Okada's (Anohana, Toradora, A Lull in the Sea) first feature as a director, and it does not disappoint. Come see this enchanting feature about a girl from a clan who never age, and the orphaned human boy she adopts. Maquia is one of the most widely loved anime films of recent years, so if you haven't seen it yet, make sure to stop by!

Ascendance of a Bookworm Episode 1 World Premiere

September 1, 2019

01:00 PM PDT - 01:30 PM PDT

Cinema 1

For the latest entry in our recent wave of isekai, be sure to check out Ascendance of a Bookworm on Sunday. In a world where books are rare and valuable, see how one transported bookworm works to rebuild a lovingly literary society, weeks before the show's premiere this fall!

The Night is Short, Walk On Girl

September 1, 2019

1:40 PM PDT - 3:15 PM PDT

Masaaki Yuasa is a man who needs no introduction. Having worked on visually dazzling and emotionally gripping productions ranging from Ping Pong the Animation to The Tatami Galaxy to Devilman Crybaby, he's developed a reputation as one of the most unique, inventive, and just-plain absurdly talented directors in anime, and his recent film The Night is Short, Walk On Girl embodies all the best qualities of his work. Walk On Girl is a delirious, kaleidoscopic journey through a perfect nightlife adventure, drawing on echoes of The Tatami Galaxy to create something entirely new. Don't miss this incredible film!

High School Prodigies Have It Easy Even In Another World Episode 1 World Premiere

September 1, 2019

3:30 PM PDT - 4:00 PM PDT

Cinema 1

The world premieres conclude with one more isekai adventure, with the grand debut of High School Prodigies Have It Easy Even In Another World. Focusing on seven gifted students transported into a parallel world, see how these high school prodigies use their expertise in economics, sciences, and much more to rebuild society, weeks before the show's fall premiere!

Whatever your anime passion, this weekend is sure to offer debuts and screenings you're sure to love. Make sure to check out some of these fresh premieres during your time at Crunchyroll Expo!

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CHECK OUT THE FULL CRUNCHYROLL EXPO SCHEDULE HERE!

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Nick Creamer has been writing about cartoons for too many years now, and is always ready to cry about Madoka. You can find more of his work at his blog Wrong Every Time, or follow him on Twitter.

By: [email protected]

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

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mr-truth-posts-blog · 7 years

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The 144000 who r they?

September 22, 2017

Narrow Way

The 144000 who r they?"

by Doug Batchelder

Several branches of the armed services have an elite team of commandos that are carefully trained in guerrilla warfare and other special combat conditions. To qualify for one of these units, a person must pass through an incredibly grueling process of physical and mental training. Only those who demonstrate unflinching self control and perfect obedience are chosen. These special-forces commandos are assigned difficult and dangerous missions, such as rapidly attacking enemy troops or raiding behind enemy lines. Their job is to lead the way for the main troops. Because of their thorough training, a small team of commandos is often able to achieve great victories. During the Gulf War, a team of about a dozen Navy Seals were able to create a diversion on the beaches of Kuwait that fooled the entire Iraqi army into thinking that the U.S. attack was coming from the sea.

The 12 apostles were a type of special-forces unit during the time of Jesus’ first coming. After three and one-half years of intensive personal training with Jesus, God was able to use them to achieve great victories. They were able to penetrate Satan’s dominion and spearhead a great revival.

The book of Revelation tells us of another special-forces unit that will do a mighty work in the last days. Known as the 144,000, they have a critical mission to prepare the world for Jesus’ second coming. They enjoy a special relationship with the Lamb, sing a special song, and are sealed with a special name. Who is this holy army? To find out, let’s first look at the two main passages that describe this grand assembly.

Who Are They? Revelation 7:1-4 states: “After these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.”

Then the Scripture lists 12,000 from each of the following 12 tribes: Judah, Reuben, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin.

The next main passage that describes the 144,000 is Revelation 14:1-5: “And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion [Mount Zion], and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile [deceit]: for they are without fault before the throne of God.”

I should mention that when we explore these things, we venture on holy ground. I share the following study with confidence, but I also realize and respect that others may have a different interpretation.

The Twelve Tribes Perhaps one of the first things we should ask is whether or not the 144,000 are actually 12,000 literal Israelites from each of these respective tribes. I don’t want to be tedious, but to really understand this subject we should briefly review what the Bible says about the Old Testament tribes. First, there were actually 13 tribes. Twelve tribes came from the 12 sons of Jacob, who the Lord renamed Israel. But because Joseph was sold into slavery by his older brothers, he was separated from his family for many years. After Joseph finally reunited with his father, Jacob promised to compensate by adopting Joseph’s two sons as his own, to be numbered with his sons in place of Joseph. “Now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.” Genesis 48:5. Hence, Joseph would be numbered twice through his sons.

One reason you still find only 12 tribes mentioned throughout the Bible is that after the Levites were chosen to be the priests for Israel, they were excluded from receiving a specific territory inheritance (Deuteronomy 10:8, 9; 18:1) and from census figures (Numbers 1:49). Instead, they were to spread out among all the tribes as teachers and priests.

There are several reasons why the tribes mentioned in Revelation chapter 7 can’t possibly be literal Israelite tribes. The Old Testament reveals that 10 of the 12 tribes were carried away by the Assyrians in 722 B.C. “In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.” 2 Kings 17:6.

History records that long before the time of Jesus, some of the 10 tribes returned to Samaria after intermarrying with the Assyrians. Their descendants, known as Samaritans, were hated by the Jews because they were no longer “pure” Israelites in blood or religion. In fact, because the 10 tribes have been so thoroughly scattered around the world and absorbed by their host nations, today a person would be hard pressed to find even one pure descendant from the tribe of Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, or Simeon-much less 12,000 of them!

Another strong clue that Revelation is not speaking of the literal Israelite tribes is that in the Old Testament, the 12 tribes were very unequal in population numbers. Judah was very large, while Benjamin was very small. God divided the promised land in proportion to each tribe’s needs. But the 144,000 is composed of 12,000 per tribe, right across the board.

So who does make up this group? I believe the answer to this question lies in the fact that God’s promises to literal Israel now apply to spiritual Israel. Since the year A.D. 34, the prophecies and attention of Scripture have focused on the children of faith-either Jew or Gentile. “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit.” Romans 2:28, 29. “And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:29.

What’s in a Name? My first clue that there must be a spiritual meaning to the 144,000 was the way in which the tribes are listed in Revelation 7:5-8. This is the only time in Scripture that the names of the tribes appear in this order. Reuben, the firstborn of Jacob, is listed as second while Judah, fourth in birth order, is listed as first. Joseph and Levi are included, while Ephraim and Dan are left out. Why?

Because “Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder [viper] in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward” (Genesis 49:17), and “Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone” (Hosea 4:17).

In the Bible, a serpent is a symbol of Satan. The critical, backbiting nature of Dan aligned this tribe with the kingdom of Satan instead of the kingdom of God. Likewise, the tribe of Ephraim had forsaken the God of Israel and had embraced paganism. Hence, Ephraim and Dan are left out of the 144,000.

Jewish names always had a meaning that depicted some characteristic of the child or an event connected with his birth. For example, Genesis 29:32-35says: “Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the Lord hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me. And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the Lord hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon. And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi. And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now I will praise the Lord: therefore she called his name Judah.”

In fact, Rachel and Leah made prophetic statements for all 12 of Jacob’s sons. Here are the names of the tribes that make up the 144,000 (in the order listed in Revelation chapter 7), together with the meaning of each name:

1.Judah =“I will praise the Lord”

2.Reuben =“He has looked on me”

3.Gad =“Granted good fortune”

4.Asher =“Happy am I”

5.Naphtali =“My wrestling”

6.Manasseh =“Making me to forget”

7.Simeon =“God hears me”

8.Levi =“Joined to me”

9.Issachar =“Purchased Me”

10.Zebulun =“Dwelling”

11.Joseph =“God will add to me”

12.Benjamin =“Son of His right hand”

Now notice what happens when the meaning of the names are combined, in the same order, into a paragraph:

“I will praise the Lord for He has looked on me and granted good fortune. Happy am I because my wrestling God is making me to forget. God hears me and is joined to me. He has purchased me a dwelling. God will add to me the Son of His right hand.” (The words in italics are supplied to complete each thought.)

These names describe the story of the church’s struggle, redemption, victory, and marriage to the Lamb.

How Many? Now let’s address the next big question. Is 144,000 a literal number? Well, perhaps I should answer that question with another question. Are the other numbers in Revelation literal? Will there be 12 gates and 12 foundations in the holy city? Are there really 12 different kinds of fruit on the tree of life? Yes, of course. Our understanding of the dimensions of the New Jerusalem is likewise based upon the assumption that these numbers are real.

Even the numbers used to describe prophetic time periods in the book of Revelation are precise measures. The numbers would be useless for reckoning if they were merely symbolic.

Although the number of the 144,000 may be exact, it will be humanly impossible to identify the individuals who make up this special group. When Jesus walked the earth, it was easy to determine His 12 most devoted followers. But the 144,000 in the last days are spiritual Jews, scattered across the circle of the earth and leading out in a magnificent revival.

Now some may be thinking, “How can you say that the names are symbolic but the number is literal?” It’s simple. Jesus did. He did not seem to care which tribes the 12 apostles came from, but He did purposely choose 12 of them. Also remember that all of the numbers in Revelation depict a specific value, while all the proper names in Revelation are symbols (the Lamb, the Dragon, the Lion, Balaam, Jezebel, etc.).

For these reasons and others, I believe the number 144,000 is a precise figure. Just as there were actually 12 literal tribes in the Old Testament and exactly 12 apostles in the New Testament, there will be 12 times 12,000 spiritual apostles in the last days.

Many have wondered, “If this number is not just a symbol, then will the 144,000 be the only ones saved in the last days? And if only 144,000 will be saved, then what are my chances?”

Let’s do some simple figuring. The ratio of 144,000 to six billion (the approximate world population at the present time) would mean that one person in 41,666 alive would be saved if Jesus were to come today. This statistic is much better than the odds offered by most state lotteries, but we would all agree that it’s pretty slim for the hope of salvation.

The Bible does not teach that the 144,000 are to be the only ones saved in the last days. Immediately after listing the tribes of the 144,000, the prophet sees that “a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands.” Revelation 7:9.

In verse 13, one of the 24 elders asks John who these people are that are clothed in white robes, and from where they came. Then in verse 14, he answers his own question: “These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

Now the Bible speaks of two great tribulations in prophecy. One was during the papal persecution of the Dark Ages, when millions of Christians were slain. But the primary “great tribulation” must refer to the time just before Christ’s second coming, as referred to in Daniel 12:1, 2: “And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”

The Number Twelve The key to understanding the 144,000 may be the number itself. In the Bible, the number 12 almost always represents leadership of the church. There were 12 patriarchs from Seth to Noah, then 12 from Shem to Jacob. Twelve spies led the way to the promised land, and there were 12 judges from Othniel to Samuel.

There is an interesting story in the Gospels of how in one hour, Jesus healed a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years and then went immediately to resurrect a girl who was 12 years old (Mark 5:25-42). The first woman represents the Old Testament church with a continual flow of sacrificial blood. The young girl represents the New Testament church that came to life after Christ’s resurrection. They both touched Him the same day and were made whole.

God’s church is also pictured in Revelation 12:1, which says: “And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.” The 12 stars above the woman’s head are a symbol of the inspired leadership of the church (1 Corinthians 11:10).

Exodus 39:14 tells us that there were 12 precious stones on Aaron’s breastplate, “according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet, every one with his name, according to the twelve tribes.” These stones appear to be identical to the foundation stones of the New Jerusalem (see Revelation 21:19, 20). “That great city, the holy Jerusalem … had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.” “And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.” Revelation 21:10, 12, 14.

The number 12 appears time after time throughout Scripture. King David appointed 24 groups of 12 (a total of 288) to lead music of praise in the temple (1 Chronicles chapter 25). Similarly, Revelation 4:4 describes two groups of 12 (a total of 24) elders who sit around the throne of God. This represents the 12 tribes of the Old Testament and the 12 apostles of the New Testament.

Jesus promised His disciples, “Ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” Matthew 19:28. And in Revelation, Jesus makes a similar promise to some who will come out of the last age of the church, known as Laodicea (which means “judging the people”). He says, “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.” Revelation 3:21.

In heaven, it seems there will be an expanding square formation around God’s throne. First there is God Himself on His throne. Then the four creatures, then the 24 elders in a square around them with six on each side, then the 144,000 in a perfect square with 36,000 on each side, then the great multitude all around them. The perfect order and harmony of this assembly is astounding!

Their Mission The 144,000 live during the last age of the church and share the experience of the early apostles.

At the time of His first coming, Jesus chose 12 men whose primary mission was to reach Israel. And as a result of the outpouring of the former rain during the Pentecost revival, the 12 apostles reached thousands. Matthew 10:5, 6 says: “These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

In the last days, Jesus will use 144,000 (12 times 12,000) spiritual apostles, whose primary mission is to reach the world with the news of His second coming. The great multitude spoken of in Revelation chapter 7 is converted by the influence and preaching of the 144,000 following the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the latter rain.

The prophet Joel referred to both of these events when he wrote: “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.” Joel 2:28, 29.

Please keep in mind that the 144,000 are not the only ones preaching the gospel in the last days. Just as the 12 apostles were part of a larger group of 120 disciples leading out in the Pentecostal revival, so the 144,000 are leaders in the end-time revival, but not the only ones preaching.

I believe it is also significant to note that Jesus chose the 12 apostles from the laity, not the priesthood. In the same way, the 144,000 will not likely be composed only of ordained ministers. Rather, I believe it will largely be made up of lay persons.

Acts chapter 1 describes an interesting sequence of events that took place just before the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the former rain. First, the disciples focused on Jesus (verses 10, 11). Then they prayed and put aside their differences (verses 13, 14). Finally, they chose Matthias to replace Judas, the apostle who had died (verses 16-26). Notice that as soon as the number 12 was complete, the Holy Spirit was poured out in the Upper Room (Acts chapter 2).

Even now, Jesus is training an army of special forces to lead in this final mission of rescuing God’s children, who have become Satan’s prisoners of war. Revelation 14:4 proclaims of the 144,000: “These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth.”

If we desire to be among those who follow the Lamb throughout eternity, we must first learn to follow Him here, now. Then together we can sing the song of Moses and the Lamb.

#144000 #my art #my god #oh my god #godisgood #truthseeker #truthbetold #truth #lifestyle #heaven

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nemesis-nexus · 7 years

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Full Crow/Worm Moon HAIL MARDUK, Great Father and Original Earth Defender/Water Protector, HEAR US! Tonight we celebrate the Full Worm Moon which this year comes before the Vernal Equinox and the official Rebirth of the Planet! It is so called because this is the time of year when the worms are underground toiling away, aerating and tilling the soil, preparing the plant life and vegetation for the Grand Regeneration of Life! When the Season of Death is drawn to a close and the Earth once again begins to awaken from its hibernation, when the birds who flew South return North, the bears come out of their caves and all manner of Life resurges and the cacophony of and bustle of Nature is in full swing yet again! I would like to take a moment to touch down on something even more personal. Four years ago in January or 2013, I began Walking the Gates of the Necronomicon and I was told before I even started that the true "Initiation" of the Deities on the 'Ladder' would begin AFTER I finished, if I was permitted passage in the first place AND I chose to keep going until the end, which I did. First I want to acknowledge that the Necronomicon is a FICTITIOUS book and NOTHING in the story is legit EXCEPT the Enuma Elish which is part of the Magan Text, the Descent of INANNA into the Underworld to confront her sister ERESHKIGAL and the names of the Babylonian Deities mentioned. Everything else is just the work of a literary genius whose gift was such that people are STILL convinced that it is completely REAL! This is why I love HP LoveCraft's work, he truly was one in a million! The reason I wanted to mention my Walking is because the book, though fiction, is still a great tool to utilize for personal introspection because when you are Walking the Gates, you are NOT just ascending into the Astral, you are also DEscending into your own psyche or as Freud put it, your own Abyss (hence the Dark Night Of The Soul which is the time just before the Vernal Equinox we take a good hard look at ourselves and see what it is that we are doing or not doing that is hurting or helping us), to establish a deeper connection to that which is Within to that which is Without. This is absolutely necessary to do because we all accumulate various forms of energy all throughout the year and sometimes we don't realize that some of the things we are doing or not doing are actually not helping a situation no matter how pure our intentions may be! What makes my Walking more interesting (at least to me anyway) is that ISHTAR/INANNA is the third Deity on the 'Ladder' and she represents the Divine Feminine, Fertility, Birth/Rebirth, Female Strength, Honor, all the attributes of the Spring Season and her personal holiday during this month is Ostara, this is interesting because with everything that has gone on in the last year ESPECIALLY during the Seasons of Degeneration and Death (Autumn and Winter) the Earth is in DESPERATE need of a Rebirth that will reawaken not just Nature itself but each and EVERY Earth Defender and Water Protector! The Worm Moon is also called the Crow Moon and what are Crows most famous for? They are the Bridges between Death and Life! With all the negative energy that has accumulated even since just September through the end of November of 2016, it is no surprise that the SURGE of support for those who have and are Protecting the Water, People and Planet has EXPLODED, where there was once only DEATH there is now a great deal of LIFE charging forth and taking the lead - the Crow has taken flight and all those who feel their sense of duty are heeding its call to bring back the Balance between Death and Life, Chaos and Order! As Satanists it is our duty to uphold our Fathers Honor and to earn his Respect by taking our cue from him when the Qi is rendered Unbalanced and restoring it to its Balanced state! There are many who still think that Satanism is about constant Chaos, Death and Destruction and while all three are utilized by Nature itself to keep things circulating, WE are NOT one-dimensional Beings! We understand that Order, Life and Creation are equally important or else NOTHING can exist in ANY state! We do not revel in anguish or the suffering of others as some would have you believe nor do we wish to destroy the world as others would have you believe! Rather we are the ones who will make the tough calls and step up when things get rough, we also have no problem with getting our hands dirty if it is necessary to defend anyone we call Family, whether Blood or Spiritual, Human or Animal! Some Core Values of Satanism are: 1) ALWAYS stand against injustice no matter WHAT form it takes or who the aggressors are; it is easy enough to stand up to an enemy who poses a threat but it is EXCEEDINGLY difficult to do the same with a friend or family member because of the emotional ties and the fear of losing that connection. Be that as it may what must be the deciding factor is the greater good especially if it means exposing tyranny and corruption in a well established organization. 2) ALWAYS Honor your Family both Blood and Spiritual because "We are ONE even though we are MANY and we stand STRONGEST when we stand TOGETHER!" what that phrase means is that even though many of us consider ourselves to be strong individuals and loners, no man is an island. We all call on our Family (Human and/or Animal) for support when the chips are down and as such we should demonstrate the same regard for them as we would have them show us - at all times! 3) NEVER stop pursuing education and knowledge because the world is ever-changing and the only way to keep up with these changes is to never stop learning! Some of these changes will be good, some will be bad, the only way to know is to seek out the information ESPECIALLY the information they AREN'T telling you because that is always the most vital information which can change even the most stalwart persons mind if it is so persuasive or devastating that it needed to be hidden in the first place! 4) PHILANTHROPY is not just a buzzword, a true Satanist aids in the care and maintenance of their respective communities, lending a hand where it is needed because we live here too! This assistance should not be limited to our immediate areas as what is happening in other parts of the world may be happening THERE but that DOESN'T mean that it WON'T affect us sooner or later and even if it doesn't we should do what we can to lend a hand if we are able! All too often we see people on the street who are being passed by from people who call themselves "good" or "righteous", there has even in recent years been businesses putting up SPIKES to prevent the homeless from being able to sleep where it is warm! Apparently the so-called "righteousness" of these company owners disappears during business hours! It's quite nauseating! The Domestic Terrorism that has been used against Water Protectors by the so-called powers that be in all its forms is UNACCEPTABLE and as such many people the world over have risen in resistance and even though they could not be in the immediate areas where it was occurring, they STILL did what they could to send aid in the form of money and physical items as well as spiritual reinforcement! Philanthropy is necessary to keep fighting the good fight and to do what must be done at the time it needs doing for the sake of protecting the people and planet! The world is now realizing that the Divine Feminine needs to be honored as much as the Divine Masculine and that Life needs to be valued more than money or material wealth and as such it is going through yet another huge transition that may take years to come to full fruition, however as Rage Against The Machine stated in their song Guerilla Radio, "It has to start SOMEWHERE! It has to start SOMETIME! What better place than HERE? What better time than NOW?" That being said, we ALL need to rise up and resist TOGETHER and as such I am posting one of my favorite prayers to inspire all those who are willing to do what needs to be done to Protect and Defend our great Mother Earth and all those who dwell in, on, above and below the surface! For the women, it is reinforcement of YOUR power and wisdom, for the men it is representative of YOUR own ability to stand in solidarity with the women rather than being threatened by them which demonstrates your own strength of character and security in your masculinity that enables you to instead of reducing women to being the alleged "weaker sex" see them for what they truly are = EQUAL! We now more than ever MUST work together to restore the Balance to the Multiverse, failure to deprogram from all those false teachings of money is everything, that people are only worth as much as their bank statements dictate and trying to force absolute authority over other humans and nature itself demonstrates a person or groups prowess will only end in the utter destruction of the Human Race and quite possibly with a MYRIAD of "collateral damage" in the form of the extinction of many animal, plant and insect species! We MUST do what we can to slam on the brakes of the train that is trying to railroad us all to oblivion and put those wheels in reverse so that not only do OUR children and subsequent lineages have a future, but so all life forms that currently reside on this planet are also able to keep going! The Human Race needs to remember that we are neither above nor below the Natural Order of things, that we are all part of the Circle or Hoop of Life and as such we need to repair the broken links so that we can resume doing our part in keeping the Qi flowing rather than being the weakness that is disrupting it and making things that much harder for all life forms! The Human Race lets go of its own ego and remember WHY it is that we are able to do the things we are especially as far as Magic, Technology, Medicine, Travel and Science are concerned, we were given the ability to Master all these things BECAUSE we were always the Guardians and Protectors of the Planet and everything that comes with it! We are here to work with nature, not exalt ourselves above it, the sooner we remember ourselves, the better off we will be! We can start by making sure that all those who are causing the hate, pain, destruction and devastation are brought to Justice so that they may be dealt with them accordingly and we can then resume our duty as assigned by our INFALLIBLE Father Satan! AVE SATANI! Illustrious Lady ISHTAR Do Not Mistake Her Kindness For Weakness, She Will Prove You Wrong! Do Not Think That Anything You Do Escapes Her Eye, She Sees All! Do Not Think That You Can Commit Acts Of Aggression And Not Be Judged, Her Judgment Is Severe And She Is Not In The Habit Of Being Lenient! When The Drums Sound, Heeding The War Cry, She Emerges In Full Armor! When The Names Of Her Children Are Slandered, She Will Strike Down Their Detractors! When The Children Of Her Children Are Attacked, She Will Destroy The Guilty! When Those Who Instigate Are Relentless, She Will Drive Them Into The Ground! SHE Who Removed Every Piece Of Protection And Ascended To EGURRA! SHE Who Faced Her Sister ERESHKIGAL And Her Horde Of Demons! SHE Who Died And Rose Again To Retake Her Place On The Throne! SHE Who Does Not Back Down From Any Battle No Matter Who Engages! SHE Who Comes To The Aid Of All Her Children In Their Time Of Need! Lionhearted Lady Of The Battle, I Call To You From The Earth, I PRAY YOU HEAR ME! Gentle Spirit Of Divine Love, I Call To You From My Soul, I PRAY YOU HEAL ME! Triumphant Goddess Over The Netherworld, I Call To You From My Heart, LEND ME YOUR STRENGTH THAT I MAY DECIMATE ALL ENEMIES! You Who Are Most Loved By The Gods, You Defend Your Own With Your Life, SPREAD YOUR ARMS AND EMBRACE THOSE AFFECTED! You Who Fears Nothing And No One, Who Will Meet Any Threat Head On, BRING FORTH YOUR SWORD AND SHIELD! You Who Lets It Be Known That She Will Not Be Disrespected By Anyone, SMITE THOSE WHO ARROGANTLY CURSE THINE OWN AND SATANS NAME! You Who Are An Inspiration To All Those Who Have Had To Die So They Could Live, WE ARE ETERNAL FOR WE KNOW YOURS AND SATANS LOVE, HONOR AND PROTECTION! --- ZI ANA KANPA! ZI KIA KANPA! MAY THE DEAD RISE AND SMELL THE INSENCE! Etiamsi MULTA Et Nos UNUM Sumus Nos Sto Validus Ut Nos Sto Una! Semper Veritas, Semper Fideles, In Diabolus Nomen Nos Fides! AVE SATANÍ! (We Are ONE Even Though We Are MANY And We Stand STRONGEST When We Stand TOGETHER! Always TRUTHFUL, Always FAITHFUL, In Satan's Name We Trust! HAIL SATAN!) Ave URURU! Ave EA! Ave DIMUZI! Ave ININNI! Ave GILGAMESH! Ave ENKIDU! Ave TIAMAT! Ave ABSU! Ave MARDUK! Ave SARPANITUM! Ave SATANÍ! HAIL SATAN! HPS Meg "Nemesis Nexus" Prentiss

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wasalwaysagreatpickle · 4 years

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Monday 14th March 1825

7 1/4

12 3/4

Came here, to Mrs B- [Barlow’s] room, at 8 20/60 – saw Jane off to school – from 8 3/4 to 10 10/60 wrote, read over, wafered and directed 3pp and the ends of a letter to my aunt, Shibden, - to thank my aunt for her last letter and my uncle for the remittance of £70 to Mrs B- [Barlow]’s agents Messers De Lisle [Janvier] and De Lisle London - said I had waited to be present at a seance at the Deaf and Dumb Institution on the 24th instead and should not therefore leave here till the 25 or 26th instead should, at all rates stay one day at Boulogne and 1 or 2 in London – letter 3pp and the 2 first crossed from IN [Isabella Norcliffe], Langton chiefly to repeat her request for ‘8 pounds of the small green dried oranges which come from Marseilles’ – she mentioned having heard from Miss V- [Vallance] an account of a most extraordinary mortality among the sheep in Kent – ‘they hear constantly of 1500 and 2000 being lost within 2 days the disease is the rot, and no cure had yet been discovered it is caused by the dampenings of the earth but does not appear to be the same kind as attacks over in Yorkshire, as they scarcely shew symptoms before they drop down and die and when opened the whole of the passages from the mouth to the liver is filled with small fish quite flat and 1/2 an inch long which injure the liver and cause their death they are thought to eat the spawn by feeding in damp and marshy land. Thousands of sheep and lambs have been lost within these last 3 weeks. It is said that this disease has just been discovered in heifers. Miss V- [Vallance] says that, if it continues, there will be almost a famine – meat is considerably advanced and all articles are very much higher – people will not purchase mutton ‘unless they ascertain from whence it comes and it is in some parts of East Kent prohibited entirely’ … in London I must not forget to hear a little girl of 4 years old, who plays on the harp most wonderfully. She is called the infant Lyra-Hart (Milne) has heard her and says it is astonishing she plays entirely by ear…

Just skimmed over my letter (from IN [Isabella Norcliffe]) and Mrs B- [Barlow] and I then set off at 11 35/60 to see the prison of the conciergerie at the Pal[ace] de Justice, it is only shewn from 10 to 12 to those who have tickets of admission – the chapel behind which is made the entrance to the formerly dark, damp cells when Marie Antoinette and the princess Elizabeth were confined separated only by a wall, though they did not know they were so near is therefore interesting the cells there now turned into an expiatory chapel, are particularly so - lighted and ventilated as they now are Mrs B- [Barlow] could still scarcely bear the cold damp floor – what must it have been during the revolution? –

We next went to the bureau belonging to the Sainte chapelle and the archives, all which one of the clerks, who was writing there, very civilly shewed us the fine old architecture of the chapelle up to the windows is entirely hidden by the archives beautifully arranged on shelves partitioned into little square compartments having a remarkably neat appearance – A gallery all round divides the archives into 2 stories - the large painted glass gothic windows are magnificently fine – the finest in France there is a church underneath the chapelle in which by the way out the end of one of the tables, is the stone under which lies the poet Boileau but it is not shewn – it is filled with archives – From here, we ascended the winding staircase in one of the towers which brought to the suite of apartment or galleries whose walls are entirely lined with the archives of the parliament of Paris and the courts of legislation and judgement which succeeded it from the time of St Louis to nearly the present time – the archives of the last few years are arranged in one of the towers – the whole story in the roof of the building and the story immediately under this, are filled with these archives beautifully arranged according to their subjects and dates and in a state of excellent preservation – no damp can reach for all the shelves are placed at least a couple of feet from the walls – in the criminal part are ranged all the proceedings against all those who suffered death among the rest we noticed those against the famous robber Cartouche, against Raffian, and Damien who assassinated Louis XV, and of… the famous poisoner mentioned by Madame da Sweviné in her letters – our commis shewed us the very coat, white stock (like my Uncle’s at present) waistcoat and smalls, in which Damian committed the murder. He shewed us all the proceedings against Joan of Arc and the order of the Pope to have the square or Place at Rouen planted with trees in memory of poor Joan –

He shewed us also the collection of letters written by some of the kings of France to the Parliament, among w[hi]ch we saw the autographs of Charles V, very good – Louis XI and Xii, bad; Henry ii, pretty well; Francis I, good; and Henry iV, written with a y, good – only one letter in the collection written by Henry iV - after this our commis shewed us the oldest [?] they have – 4 volumes 4[tomes] (in Latin), about a.d 1240 on temps de St Louis – the writing of this [parched] and for 2 or 3 centuries like that of our old papers in England of this time – but the writing we saw for a.d 1[6]00 and afterwards is really in what we should call a good, plain English hand of the present day – much more like English writing than what the French write now – For fear of accident, all the originals of the archives (on paper) are kept in one suite of rooms and copies of them all (on parchment) bound up in large 4[tome] volumes, in another suite – all the procès verbaux against all the victims of the revolution, are kept in cartons, arranged according to the dates – the process was short – a short printed form filled up pro re natâ in MS - anyone who suspected the loss of a friend in Paris during the revolution might ascertain the matter here – Mr Edwards, the book seller at H-x [Halifax] might know whether his brother was guillotined here or not.

Our commis took us through one of the towns on to the roof of the building looking over the marché des fleures, for a remarkably fine view of the city – of Vincennes, Père la chaise etc. but it was so cold, Mrs B- [Barlow] could not bear it, and the man himself seemed as if he could not bear it much better – it was not he who could shew us the vaults under the grande salle where Louis ix had his kitchen, but we might see them by applying to the person who had charge of them – curved on account of their architecture – we gave our guide 3 francs for his patience and civility, went for a few minutes into the criminal court from which, being hot and crowded, we soon retired and went into the court of cassation – both good rooms – in the latter about 32 lawyers in their robes – about 28 sitting round the avocat general (attorney general) or his substitute – just spectation there and the room very hot – when we entered a man before the court for having written a romans said to have a tendency against religion and morality – to be imprisoned 3 months and fined 300 francs – then came another poor man a book seller, charged with surreptitiously selling a book forbidden prohibited by the police – when asked who was his avocat, the man said he thought his case so simple, he could be his own avocat, and said the little he had say apparently very well, though trembling and much inwardly agitated – however he told us he was condemned to 6 months imprisonment – it was for selling the 10th volume, I think, of some work giving an account of Napoleon in skile, etc –

On going out met the Countesse de Fumel in the court, waiting with some ladies to get into the carriage – she took my hand and held it all the while, we returned I thought of doing much more, but Mrs B- [Barlow] finding herself so cold and tired yet she was quite knocked up we made the best of our way home to get back at 2 1/4 – she had a little hot broth and water and soon went to bed – the cold stone floors had given her cold and the hot court of cassation had brought on a bilious head ache – sat by her till 4 1/2 then went chez Hernandez Bouriat, pharmacien, rue du Bac, no 56, for a bottle such as I had before had of Planche – found he had charged me almost twice as much as he ought – 4/12 instead of 2/10 – How can one always guard against cheatery when it is practised at s[u]ch a respectable looking shop as this – and by a man professing to be druggist to the British embassy! – staring some at book shops and others did not get home till 5 3/4 – Dinner at 6 1/4 – Mrs B- [Barlow] sat up to dinner but went to bed directly afterwards and I wrote all the above of today –

tired and unwell as she was on coming home she put my hand to queer as ssoon as she was lain down and I began to grubble and after a little her working I gave her the excitement I stood up to work her better and latterly looked at her as I was doing it she being nothing loth –

Tea came at 7 3/4 but I was writing and Mrs B- [Barlow] was asleep, and we did not take it till 9 1/2 – Fine, cold, frosty day – F34° at 11am and 33° at 9 40/60 pm at which hour I had just done the above

Ɛ (two dots underneath) O (no dots)

#anne lister #1825 #paris 1825 #maria barlow #anne lister code breaker

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