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reversecreek · 3 years

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snickers feverishly at myself for bringing in a 5th... who do i think i am? unstoppable? invincible? suddenly ripples my titanium plated pecs. maybe so. u can find her pinterest here n her playlist here.

* margaret qualley, cis female + she/her | you know bradley milligan, right? they’re twenty-four, and they’ve lived in irving for, like, all of their life? well, their spotify wrapped says they listened to looking for knives by dyan like, a million times this year, which makes sense ‘cause they’ve got that whole snow angels trampled through by your father’s footprints, casually reading a newspaper that’s catching flame & stubbing a cigarette against the wing mirror of a parked cop car thing going on. i just checked and their birthday is november 11th, so they’re a scorpio, which is unsurprising, all things considered. ( nai, 24, gmt she/her )

HISTORY:

bradley has this memory of meeting her grandmother for the first time n everything in the room was frozen still. even the air. she didn’t feel like she cld move n she got the impression this is how it’d always been in the milligan lineage. the only thing that was allowed to act of it’s own accord was her grandmother’s eyes as she tracked every slightest flinch of muscle. when her father left the room her grandmother reached out and took bradley’s hand n bradley looked at this like it was smthn she’d never seen before until her grandmother leaned close and all she could stare at was a nicotine stain on one of her front teeth. “he’s cold, isn’t he? he’s always been cold. i don’t think he’s mine.” bradley could tell from how tight she held her hand that he was. she could tell by the way she smiled as she said it, too. the way she felt obliged to smile back.

growing up in a huge white house in aquila drive w pruned hedges sounds idyllic n looks it too. swanky cars w tinted windows in the long driveway. always men filing in and out under the cloak of night wearing expensive suits n smiles worthy of a politician’s billboard. bradley’s mum alyssa thought so too n that’s hw she got into this whole mess tbh. tony milligan is very good at advertising. he cld package a jarred human heart as strawberry jam and convince u to spread it on ur toast if he wanted to. he could make u smile politely as u ate ur own.

alyssa ws this very pretty blonde kind of mysterious presence in a room. everyone wanted to kno her story or fk her but noone rly treated her like a person more just like a puzzle to solve. john green syndrome alert..... literally manic pixie dream girled bt on turbo charge. there were vague whispers she’d run away from home when she appeared in town out of nowhere bt nothing concrete. tony decided he wanted to crack the case n once he set his mind to something there was no changing it. they wound up embroiled in a whirlwind romance. head over heels. he came at romance hard and fast as a freight train. alyssa knew he was into shady things but not quite the full extent of it n honestly she didn’t care bc she wanted security n a family to call her own n tony promised that. they were married within a year.

tony came frm money bt he wanted to carve his own path n make his own legacy. destined fr greatness he’d tell her. we’re destined for greatness. it sounds nice doesn’t it! alyssa thought so too.

(drugs mention tw) slowly over the yrs he essentially forged his own crime organisation tht only grew. he opened a strip club down the seedier side of irving called ‘no angels’ n this became the front thru which his gang ran drugs in the back (predominantly coke n they pride themselves fr having a Superior Blend apparently) as well as laundering cash n this also was kind of their home base to hang

(abuse tw) their marriage increasingly lost it’s shine n alyssa came to realise she’d been sold a lie n she didn’t rly know this person or what he was capable of right around the time bradley was born. by then it was kind of like Wow i am rly in this n there is not an exit door huh. i won’t go into details bt things were not good at all. bradley witnessed n experienced a lot of things she shouldn’t have growing up. she didn’t understand why other kids drew home in all these different coloured crayons like they were bright places to be. she didn’t understand why everyone got so excited when the bell rang at the end of the day bc she just felt sick. she rationalised tht this was normal when she was younger bc sometimes kids talked abt the monsters under their beds giving them nightmares n she thought mayb they were talking abt their dads too. as she got older she realised tht actually her world wasn’t the same as anyone else’s n she also realised no-one wld ever be able to tell her why. she started becoming friends with the angry feeling in her chest tht she used to try and swallow around this time. often she’d wander the mall for a while to put off going home. smoke on random park benches. watch trains rattle thru town from the vantage point of a random rooftop.

(abuse, missing person implied, murder implied & grief tw) when bradley was 12 she woke up and all of her mum’s clothes were gone frm their drawers. no shoes anywhere. a framed photo of them at the beach holding bradley as a baby vanished from over the mantelpiece. when bradley asked her dad what was going on, tony essentially said “it was exhausting her. being here. being your mother. she didn’t want to do it any more, so now she’s gone” n then he hugged her. little details leaked into the mix over the yrs. at one point tony dismissed her as having flown overseas to a foreign country to drink in the sun like she’d always wanted even tho alyssa always told bradley she liked the snow best (once she even walked outside as it fell in a thin lace nightgown when tony was out n when bradley said “mom you’re gonna get cold” she only tugged her down and made her do snow angels until her lips looked blue). the most significant memory bradley can never shake from her head is her mother cupping a yellow tulip at the park n saying she hated them. when bradley asked why she only turned and smiled at her as she stroked the hair from her face n then said “because they look so happy”. after bradley’s mum vanished a long flower bed at the bottom of the garden was suddenly overrun with dozens of freshly planted yellow tulips. whenever bradley looked at them out of her window she got this sickly feeling in the pit of her stomach like she was visiting a cemetery. she suspected what had happened to her mum (especially as rumours circulated within tony’s organisation abt alyssa being unfaithful with someone tht used to work fr him) bt she cld never bring herself to truly accept it. thus she ws stuck in this strange purgatory state of not-quite-anger at her mum for “leaving” and not-quite-grief.

bradley rly started to transgress in school after her mum was gone. alyssa was always kind of a character when she’d pick bradley up (wasn’t doing well n acted kind of ‘eccentric’ i suppose u cld say) so tony managed to spin it all as a child acting out in the wake of an unfit mother uprooting n abandoning. bradley became........ interesting. JKHGFSSKJGHFSGHSKFGHFG. she’d snap n resort to violence very easily. very desensitised to it. students were kind of scared of her tbh. as this progressed into proper high school she got in w the more rowdy popular crowd solely bc she was so fking.... wild for lack of a better word. rly would just do anything fr the thrill. had no sense of ‘i shouldn’t do this bc it’s dangerous’. partied harder than anyone. bit back harder than anyone. no filter. hung w a lot of guys honestly bc they had less morals n either found her scariness cool or wanted to fk <3

(hospitalisation, depression & drugs tw) she’s had. a few stints in psychiatric institutions fr various reasons tbh. missed a small chunk of her senior yr fr this but it wasn’t widely known just kind of rumoured. she showcases a lot of similar symptoms to her mum who struggled w severe depression (which was difficult to cope w when ur husband was often pouring ur prescription down the drain fr kicks) n in order to compensate fr the lows she takes a lot of things to kick them into highs. drinks n snorts too much. bradley i love u bt i’m begging u to seek healthier coping mechanisms......

as the yrs went on (especially once alyssa had gone) tony rly started trying to integrate bradley into the business side of things...... she literally. is named bradley bc he was expecting a boy n he was like well let’s still call her bradley. n had in mind she’d still fulfil the role he wanted her to of being his little protege so to speak.... both sexist n ugly all in one fell swoop...... an example of this is he literally. bought her a mint green switchblade for her 14th birthday n named it tinkerbell bc it would “die without attention” aka using it. tht sounds like a healthy gift to give a child tony congratulations sis <3

in an ideal world bradley wld have gone to uni to study psychology bc she jst wants to know how the fk her dad is literally like that bt she probably stuck around n is now managing no angels along with billy n marco (billy’s in her dad’s gang n is, u guessed it, a cunt, n marco is his sort of right hand man so to speak) bc tony’s in the closest neighbouring city overseeing a second ‘no angels’ opening up there to expand into a franchise n widen their income margins. bradley wld also be sort of used as a honey trap type deal once she got older if they needed to lure ppl places n sometimes still is bt it depends. the guys in the club all know not to mess w bradley bc she’s tony’s daughter n literally kind of scary herself sometimes bt there’s also this certain allure tht comes with being the boss’ daughter n it kind of comes across in how they act or talk abt her. yes i will kill them all n no i won’t feel bad abt it <3

think that’s kind of all u need to kno history wise... blinks one eye out of sync w the other..... runs to personality

PERSONALITY:

a phrase i wld always use to describe bradley in old intros is “like a cup of black coffee with one grain of sugar that u don’t taste until the last sip”. also dark chocolate. lime. liquorice. she’s an acquired taste n i feel like u either love her or u hate her.

cannot express how unpredictably chaotic she is..... frequently throws a drink in a stranger’s face jst to start something bc she’s bored. loves to hurl cheese slices across the room so they slap onto someone’s face out of nowhere. likes smashing things. stubbing cigarettes out on faces in framed family photographs. will literally pick a lock n then smash the window besides it to defeat the whole purpose just bc she found how neat it was boring. does anything fr the adrenaline n thrill. gets into far too many fights n fights dirty. probably been thrown out of every bar in town at least three times. banned from a bunch too.

she’s witty bt she has a dark sense of humour..... can be quite mean.......... loves to roast ppl for no reason........ honestly has some nathan young frm misfits aspects in that sense like jst seems untouchable emotionally n like she doesn’t take anything seriously n is fking outrageous about it.....

has this quality abt her tht kind of scares herself sometimes. it’s like she recognises parts of her dad in her. she’s very perceptive (bc she’s had to be over the yrs trying to read every micro-expression of her dad’s to predict what’s next) n like emotionally intelligent in a way which is ironic bc her own emotions r just an absolute minefield.... bt. she can read people quite well. gets this eerily calm look abt her sometimes n it’s jst like god what’s. she thinking. what’s she’s gna do. i’m shaking. a cool n controlled kind of rage can often be scarier than the explosive type n bradley does that well. grits my teeth n tugs on my collar....

very strong on the surface. hates being vulnerable. has this ingrained idea that crying is childish or rly any kind of emotional display within herself. 50% not taking things seriously 50% angry. tht’s how she comes across....... internally? whole different story. bt ppl don’t see that.

very cavalier abt some things. will flash her tits n not even think abt it. jst very out there...... one of her closest friends is a homeless man named joe who wears neon purple fishnets on his head n loves to spit on ppl from over an underpass. finds eccentric ppl like this funny n surrounds herself w them. loves to be kept on her toes.

LOVES driving stolen cars down the wrong side of the highway. it’s a lot.

fiercely loyal to a fault to a select few bt if u wrong her personally this can switch pretty quick. quite a force to b reckoned w n will hold a grudge. bt like. if ur a Chosen One she’d bury a body for u no questions asked.

WANTED CONNECTIONS

deals to u: bradley isn’t like full time into dealing bt she does do it sometimes.... treats it kind of like a hobby bc the lesser ranked can do tht shit as far as she’s concerned bt.. sometimes also jst gets bored n is like. why not. might be chaotic. mayb they’ll try to rob me <3 we love the thrill <3 or like..... if ur friends w her she’ll deal to u n no she will not do a friends discount <3 or if she does there will definitely be some sort of stipulation attached <3

high skl crew: if ur muse is local n ws an absolutely demonic hell spawn in high skl tht went to 1974547254 parties n was outrageously chaotic n rude then. bradley probably was friends w them <3 her friendships tend to be surface level bt they’d definitely go out a bunch bt whether they actually knew a lot abt her life is debatable bt we could explore options fr this

people who work at no angels: no angels is her dad’s strip club in irving that she kind of helps to run now. it’s kind of a shifty environment. the place where ud have an outrageous bachelor party. u go for the first time w a fake id n u get served bt u also get ur wallet stolen n ur convinced someone spat in ur drink n u also kind of think there might b a hit on u now after u made eye contact too long w a broad shouldered man smoking in a back booth. scary environment. testament to her dad as a person. maybe ur muse is a dancer there or works the bar or security or whatever u name it....

ma’am are u ok?: ur muse found bradley passed out across two bus seats one time in smudged dark eyeliner a silver slip dress n the world’s chunkiest combat boots this town hs ever seen. sometimes she winds up in spots like this when she goes too hard n it’s absolutely dangerous n reckless bt that’s jst bradley <3 mayb they forged an unlikely friendship frm this strange meeting or maybe even? dare i say it? a romance? opposite worlds colliding? good influence? let’s go crazy. release ur inhibitions. feel the rain on ur skin.

hook-ups: bradley’s cavalier abt this stuff..... very unemotional typically..... mayb we cld do an unrequited thing that wld be angsty n fun altho i won’t lie i don’t kno if she’d be the one to catch the feelings.... she rarely sleeps over bt once when she woke up in someone’s bed she hiked over to straddle them carefully as possible so they wldn’t wake up n then pressed her knife to their neck as a fun little surprise where she said boo when they opened their eyes.... she’s a lot clearly.

watermelon slugger, hiiii: bradley has this habit where she gets a bunch of watermelons n then goes to a rooftop n throws them over the edge to watch them explode when they hit the pavement.... maybe ur muse almost got hit by one once n were like WTF???????? another quirky meet cute moment like the bus one <3 can’t stop w them <3 maybe she randomly invited ur muse to do it w her when they were like. a stranger of f the street. she was bored. decided to adopt them as a science experiment. we cn elaborate on this probably....

ouch charlie: similar territory bt she also sometimes shoots pedestrians w a bb gun from rooftops. mayb ur muse wld always get hit by one on a certain route they walked n finally one day they saw her head ducking down behind a ledge n then they see her in the street one day n are like HEY IT’S YOU............. WTF? n bradley’s like ya i’m christ risen again it’s a lot to take in i know...

rly jst anything... mutually destructive friends... exes.... in one rp a character tried to get close to bradley so he cld write an expose all book about her n her family which i found so fking funny so i’ll request that again.... people she’s fought.... ppl whose gf/bf she’s fk’d n it’s caused enemy status.... someone whose place she broke into and shaved their eyebrows off in the night only to draw them on again in crudely thin permanent sharpie lines.... roommates cld be fun n sexy i’d love that actually.... jst anything rly. go wild. kisses everyone tenderly on cheeks.

#irvingintro #abuse tw #missing person tw #implied murder tw #grief tw #hospitalisation tw #depression tw #drugs tw #death tw #i think tht's all of them....... cor blimey......

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noblest-roman-of-them-all · 3 years

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A Gift from a Goddess

First part of the Sanders Sides Half-blood Legacy AU.

"Nico, who was at the-" Will froze when he found Hestia standing on his threshold.

"To what to do we owe the honor of your visit, my lady?" Nico asked gesturing for the goddess to enter the small home. She appeared older now than she usually did in her visits to the camp. She could have easily been mistaken for a young woman in her mid-twenties, maybe. But there was an unmistakable warmth to her deep brown eyes and gentle smile. She wore a simple brown cloak, the hood raised about half way over her head.

Hestia nodded her thanks to Nico as she came into the little house. "There's no need for formalities, Nico, you know that. And I believe that you and your husband had a request of me?"

"I-yes." Nico held out his hand and Willi seemed to reboot. He crossed the room and took Nico's hand. "We've been considering adoption."

Hestia nodded. "It is very not often that sacrifices are made to me specifically. I take that to mean you are quite serious about this family business."

"Yes, Lady Hestia," Will answered. "We've been in contact with an adoption agency, but nothing has officially gone through yet. We had hoped that..." He trailed off with a sigh.

"That I would grant you a blessing in the starting of your family," Hestia finished for him.

Will nodded. "Yes, my lady."

The goddess smiled. "I'm not like my siblings, Will, you may call me by my name. Have you considered what sort of child you might wish to adopt?"

"That's part of why we haven't yet," Nico answered. "Adopting a mortal child...it feels like we'd be endangering them. There are the kids at camp, but many of them have half-siblings that they're close to and it would feel like splitting them up."

"We don't want to cause fractures in the camp by singling out a single child," Will added.

"Parenthood is a very big step, and not one to be taken lightly. Have you considered a surrogate mother?"

"We have, but we couldn't endanger a mortal that way. And even if a demigod we knew would be willing to do so... There's a lot to unpack there too," Will answered with a sigh.

The goddess nodded. "You've thought a lot about this."

"We have to," Nico replied. "As much as we would like to adopt, we also have to consider who our parents are and how that would affect the child, whether they were mortal or biologically one of ours by a surrogate mother. And that may mean putting aside our wants completely."

"That's why we asked your blessing," Will admitted. "To know if this was even a good idea."

Hestia smiled fondly at the young couple that stood before her. "Hold out your arms, Nico."

Nico blinked in confusion, but did as he was told. "Um. Okay."

Hestia brought her arms forward, pushing aside the cloak and rested and infant in Nico's arms.

He quickly drew the baby to his chest, eyes wide and watery. Will wrapped arms around Nico and child alike. "I- Hestia- I don't-" "You're welcome," she answered softly and the little one reached out and grabbed at Nico's face. "After a year is when most children can be weaned, so that is the age I made him."

Nico broke into a tearful laughter. "Thank you, Hestia."

The goddess grinned and turned to the son of Apollo. "Well, Will, have you nothing to say?"

"We never even thought about names," Will blurted.

"I rather like the name Virgil," Hestia answered thoughtfully.

"Oh my gods that's perfect," Will practically sobbed. "Can I give you a hug?"

Hestia laughed lightly. "Of course, child." She drew Will into her arms and hugged him tightly. "You will make wonderful fathers, I'm sure."

"Thank you. Thank you so much," Will mumbled as he stepped back.

Hestia held out her arms to Nico and he passed their new born one year old to Will before stepping into in her embrace. She hugged the son of Hade's tightly. "I believe you two have some celebrating to do," she said as she stepped back. "I'm sure your family will be excited to meet Virgil."

Nico and Will walked with the goddess back to the front door.

"Hestia,...I-I truly don't know how we could ever repay you-"

Hestia held up her hand. "I am not my siblings," she said again, cutting Nico off. "This child is a gift. All that I ask is that you take care of him the best you can."

"We will," Will promised.

"Enjoy your celebration." Hestia turned and vanished as she walked away.

@alias290

#sanders sides au #camp half blood au #sanders sides half blood legacy au #nico di angelo #will solace #virgil sanders #this idea ate my brain #i'm running with this au #more to follow

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linkspooky · 5 years

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What do you think about the story of Michikatsu and Yoruichi? Do you think Yoriichi knew that his brother hated him? (even so he seemed to love his older brother)

I actually don’t think Michikatsu hated his brother at all. It’s memories of Yoriichi that stop him from regrowing his head and advancing further as a demon the same way that memories of his family stopped Akaaza from regrowing his own head. It’s clear that the last memory of his brother is the connection to his own humanity that he was not willing to throw away even if it meant ascending to greater heights as a demon and winning this fight, and continuing to live, despite the fact that he had actually been prepared to fight his brother to the death in the past he could never rid himself in the memory of him.

From my reading, Michikatsu and Yoriichi were born together into a household that was never going to allow them to be a family. Still, the two of them both longed to be normal brothers and wanted that connection with one another. They both however, in the end choose to prioritize something over their family connection with their brother that they so desperately want, despite the fact that they are each other’s only family after mother departs.

It’s important to remember since birth both of these brothers were stigmatized. Their father did not have a child to raise with love, they only wanted a useful successor. Therefore he did not care about either child as a person and was even going to kill the younger one for a reason like having a strange birthmark.

The father cared so little about each of them as individuals that the moment he found out that the younger was more talented despite raising the other as his successor for more than ten years, he would have completely changed his mind and thrown out Michikatsu.

Both of these boys were not raised as people, but rather what their functionality to other people were. They were raised to be useful to their father. Michikatsu was raised to believe the only thing valuable in his life was his ability as a sword and his ability to succeed his father. They were also raised so separately that the two of them were poised to hate each other, but they didn’t.

Michikatsu was kind to his brother. He snuck behind his father’s back and showed him kindness when it was a risk to him and of no benefit. And at the same time Yoriichi also wanted to repay his brother’s kindness. They both have the same intention, they’re each other’s only real family. They both want to be equals. Even Yoriichi says after this what he wants to do is become a samurai by his brother’s side. However, after that the miscommunications begin to pile up. Michikatsu doesn’t understand his brother because Yoriichi never bothers to explain himself, and Yorichii doesn’t even try to understand what Michikatsu’s feelings are.

Basically, if Yoriichi had been able to vocalize that what he wanted was to stay by his brother’s side then all the miscommunications might not have happened. But Yorichii never takes Michikatsu’s own dream to spend his entire life devoted to the sword very seriously, and never realizes how important it is to his brother. So he ends up giving off the impression to Michikatsu that he’s looking down on him. Michikatsu doesn’t feel understood or accepted by his brother, and therefore he’s left entirely on his own to stew in his own emotions.

He miscontrues a lot of his fear that he does not have his brother’s love, as jealousy, and being unnerved or even loathing how different Yoriichi is from most people. He’s terrified he doesn’t understand his brother, because that means he has no idea how his brother sees him. Which is why a lot of Yoriichi’s attempts at kindness end up hurting Michikatsu all the more.

Yoriichi could have told his brother how important he was to him, and they could have left together. That was the memory that he remembered the most vividly from the past, Yoriichi sharing in his dream for a moment and saying he’d become the second swordsman. Yoriichi clearly loves his older brother enough for the kindness he showed him, and is willing to sacrifice everything fr him but that’s not really what Michikatsu wanted. He wanted to be equals, and to have an equal relationship. He never asked for his brother to sacrifice everything and run off on his own, that was Yoriichi acting for his own self-satisfaction and deciding what to do on his own.

Michikatsu doesn’t hate his brother, he loves him quite deeply but at the same time he’s too afraid that his brother is looking down on him to ever be open about them.

They were the most important people in each other’s lives, but they never chose to be there for each other. Each of them always chose to isolate themselves and go off on their own instead of working together both as swordsman like they both wanted. Yoriichi clearly loved his brother just as much because he kept the flute all that time. His brother was there for him, and treated him like a normal younger brother and showed unconditional kindness before he even learned that he had the ability of breaths or his own talent for swordmanship. His brother was the first person besides his mother to treat him like a human. Which is also why Yoriichi most likely distanced himself from his brother because he can’t be the perfect selfless savior to everybody if he has somebody who makes him feel human, like a normal person.

Michikatsu’s utlimate tragedy isn’t jealousy, that’s just the narrative he has for himself. He is very unaware of what his true feelings are and is constantly avoiding them and trying to run away. It’s pretty clear that he was longing for a connection in his life, for something other than the sword to build his life around, to feel equal with somebody.

Which is why Tokito is the one to answer Michikatsu’s question in the end. Both believe that teir entire lives were worthless because they died unable to become who they wanted to be, Yuiichiro and Muichiro especially died young. Yet, we see Muichiro’s much more content with his life then Michikatsu ever was and we see the reason why.

He had connections in his life. Even if it came to an end, even if he lost them, even if he was miserable later, there was still a time he was happy and connected to others, and the way his life ended does not take those away. Even if you die, you were still alive, you were still you, there’s still value in your life. That’s what Michikatsu failed to see because he could never be confident in himself as an individual and could not ever understand the connection he longed to be with the most.

He didn’t want to become his brother. He wanted to be recognized by his brother, be a person right next to his brother. Because it’s his connection with his brother that makes him a person. It’s his connections that define him as much as it did for Muichiro, and everybody else. For both brothers the most important thing was their longing to connect to each other. They both just never realized until they were already dead.

#yoriichi tsukiguni #michikatsu tsukiguni #kimetsu no yaiba #kny meta #kokushibou #Anonymous

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purplesurveys · 4 years

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1006

(found at xxbieberburnham)

“The rest of your life”

Are you independent or dependent? Dependent as all hell. I’ll put my foot down on very certain things, but most of the time I prefer hearing input or suggestions from people I trust. I definitely think it’s something I still have to work on because I know I’ll have to be mostly independent at some point.

If you could put your life into a category, where would it go? I feel like this would be easier to answer if you gave a list of categories. I don’t know what kind of insight you’re looking for.

How many animals do you have? I have two, but I call them pets.

Are you popular? Idk and I don’t care. All I know is I don’t actively seek to be so.

What time were you born? 9:11 in the evening.

Have you had any candy this week? Yeah, I had a gummy worm this morning. Mom bought a box of Halloween-themed sweets and there were cupcakes had gummy worms on them alongside marshmallows designed to look like a tombstone.

Are you more afraid of tornadoes or hurricanes? Hurricanes are terrifying, but I’m used to them. We don’t get tornadoes at all so I’ll not only be unprepared for those, but would definitely be more afraid of them too.

Do you like those nerd glasses? Sure, I still think they’re cute and look good on people but I never called them nerd glasses lol. Mine are kinda shaped like one.

Have you ever been in a fist fight? Nah, I’d be wiped out pretty fast.

What color is your house? A light shade of beige.

When was the last time you saw a rainbow? More than a year ago, I’m sure. It was during our ride back home from a journalism workshop, which if I remember correctly was all the way in Cavite. Goddamn we traveled a lot for those workshops.

Have you ever ate a crayon? I’ve never bitten off a piece but I’m not ruling out at least licking.

Ever rode in a helicopter? Nope. Would love to.

Do you like rabbits? Sure.

Do you like mushrooms? For the most part I don’t even think they taste like anything, so I never really had a problem with mushrooms.

“It’s like you step into the room and just press play”

What was the last movie you cried at? That Thing Called Tadhana. I had watched it five years ago after my first breakup; I got to go to Sagada shortly after that breakup, so that movie was actually very therapeutic for me at the time because it allowed me to release my feelings the way Mace did, also in Sagada. Now I’m stuck at home and can’t travel and that movie just hurt too much to finish.

What ice cream flavor best describes your personality? I don’t really...pair ice cream flavors with types of personalities.

Would you rather work for a small or large company? Large, because I feel like I’d be challenged more in those and thus learn more. Also it just looks nicer on resumés, if I’m being honest. Smaller companies are ok too but I prefer those that already have a rep for churning excellent results and having a good track record for workplace culture, like the company I’m currently working with.

Where's your favorite place to buy clothes? Ukays. I used to not like them, but my mom and sister did a great job reeling me in and making me see the appeal.

How many languages do you speak? Two.

What was the worst movie you've ever seen? Me Before You was such a waste of my time. Predictable, cheesy, and typical asshole-guy-softens-up-over-time-oh-and-just-as-you-start-to-root-for-him-we’re-gonna-kill-him-off. But idk, I was with friends who were into movies like those and I wanted to support them, so I went along to watch.

What video game have you played the most? Cumulatively, pretty sure it’s Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

What was your favorite TV show as a child? I was a Nickelodeon girl and Spongebob, Fairly OddParents, and My Life as a Teenage Robot were my top 3, with Jimmy Neutron closely trailing at #4. I loved Disney shows too but wasn’t really able to appreciate them as much until I got a little older and could understand their humor better.

What's your favorite sport? My answer won’t change - if it counts, pro wrestling. If it doesn’t, my next favorite is table tennis.

If you were given a brand new yacht, what would you name it? Nothing creative is coming to me at the moment.

Do you believe there’s life on other planets? Yes. Maybe not the ones in our solar system, but those out in the distant universe for sure.

What was the worst place you ever traveled to? Can’t say I’ve truly disliked a particular place we’ve been to. I will say that Chinese people have a...culture that I’m not used to, and I did not enjoy touring with a bunch of them during my cruise. They had buffet habits that I would consider unhygienic, they would sit at the same table my mom and I were eating at if there were available seats(??????? imagine if I just sat beside you at a diner while you’re having lunch?), and apparently it’s acceptable for them to actually look you in the eyes and point directly at you if they’re talking about you with other people. It was honestly a lot to put up with for six days, and the only reason I didn’t lose my temper was because my dad works in the ship and I didn’t want to cause him any trouble.

What is one thing you’re really bad at? Making art.

Do you believe in angels? No. I like referring to my grandpa as my guardian angel, but I don’t actually believe in angels.

Would you rather be a famous actor or musician? I know I’m awful at either, but I’d much rather act.

“where have you been all my life?”

If you could have invented one thing, what would it have been? It’d be cool to come up with something that ends up being widely popular and/or beneficial to society, but do it accidentally; like how popsicles came to be. Imagine building a legacy from your own oopsie lmao sounds like a pretty good deal to me.

What's your favorite exercise workout? I don’t do workouts.

What's your favorite thing to do? Wow, very straightforward. Hmm these days I’m slowly inching back to wrestling, so I’ve been watching compilations and documentaries and doing some catching-up here and there. Lately I’d say that’s my favorite thing to do, but that can always change.

What did you do for your 17th birthday? Gab and I went to Pinto and she brought me to Filio after. Then I got back home to see what Athenna had done to my room while I was out, which was to cover the floor with balloons and the walls with printed photos of Zayn Malik.

Does your local Wal Mart have benches in them to rest? First, we’ll need to have local Wal-Mart stores here.

Was your favorite stuffed animal really a teddy bear growing up? I never liked stuffed animals, so I didn’t even have a teddy bear.

If your house was haunted, what would you do? Not fuck with the ghosts/spirits.

Are you crazy in love currently? Not crazily, but in love.

Are you good at swimming? I can tread and do several strokes, but I also tend to panic so I think that eliminates the concept of me being a good swimmer.

What's worse: Slow internet or slow walkers? Slow internet. I can get around slow walkers; but unless I have mobile data, slow internet is out of my control for the most part.

What is the rudest thing a guy has ever done to you? I can’t pick between whistling at me, catcalling me, lunging at me, or flirtatiously harass me in front of his friends while I was minding my goddamn business carrying a goddamn box of cake at the mall. Yeah, not a very big fan of men.

Do you sleep with the sheets tucked in or out? Out.

What do you do to fall asleep faster? Put on a YouTube video and let autoplay take over.

Do you carry a bottle of water wherever you go? Yeah I used to, until I lost it.

Ae you afraid that one day you might get cancer? The fear of the possibility is there, but it’s not predominantly in our family history and so I’m more afraid of other issues I have a higher chance of getting, like high blood pressure.

“Letters to Juliet”

Are you a fast or slow walker? Fast if I’m running errands, slow-ish if I’m out for leisure.

Do you usually have to wear a belt with your pants? No.

Does it bother you when people's underwear hangs out? Kinda. Even more when their crack decides to show up too.

Are you usually the person to try new things with your hair? No, I am one of the last people in line when it comes to that.

When's your birthday? April 21st.

Do you own a bobble-head toy? Nopes.

What color was the towel you used to dry off with today after a shower? Turquoise.

Has anyone ever walked you home? I’ve had someone drive me home. Walking isn’t really applicable here.

Have you ever liked someone and they were taken? That’s never happened to me.

When was the last time you went fishing? In my past life, maybe.

True or false: You've read the book Lord of the Flies? False.

Have you heard of the band Yellowcard? Yes.

Have you ever seen the show Teen Wolf? I’ve seen an episode and oh my god it was so boring.

Do you have any quotes, lyrics etc on your walls? I used to until my mom took it down while I was in school. I made it myself, so it stung.

Are you a fan of Star Wars? No.

“Our parents never let us cross the street, but we did it anyway”

Has anyone ever told you that you have nice hair? Whenever it was actually nice, yeah. It was never my best feature though.

What brand of camera do you own? I have...an iPhone, if it counts, ha. My old DSLR was a Nikon.

Is there something you're not looking forward to? The next day. Having to go through rounds of anxiety is not enjoyable.

Have you ever read the book Thirteen Reasons Why? Have not read the book nor seen the show, but have read enough of the premise to know I am not a fan.

Do you wear white pants? Sure, I have a pair of white jeans that I absolutely love.

When was the last time you were really angry? Yesterday. My sister and I were ordering KFC from a food delivery app and no driver was taking it because drivers in that company are notoriously picky bitches about their destinations. They kept canceling our orders and at some point I had enough and proposed that we just get Pizza Hut, this time straight from the Pizza Hut website, which has always worked out for us before. So Pizza Hut confirms the order, calls me up and says the ETA, so far so good. Around 15 minutes later the doorbell rings and it’s...KFC? With our original orders? Apparently that stupid ass app took our order anyway after repeatedly canceling it, and I never got one fucking notification that our order was received. Tried to cancel Pizza Hut but they said they had already started making the pizzas, so in the end we had to pay for both meals. I had never been so angry.

Have you ever made a 3 pointer in a basketball game? Hah, of course not. I’ve barely made one of those free throws that are worth one point.

Do you think you look better with your hair up or down? I’ve gotten more compliments whenever it’s up, so that must look better on me even if I personally don’t necessarily agree.

Do you warm up before you hardcore exercise? I don’t exercise, but isn’t warming up recommended anyway?

Do you want a pair of Converse shoes? Not really; I suppose they’re alright. It’s not my favorite brand in the world, but I wouldn’t turn down a free pair either.

Are you more of a studs or hoops type of person when it comes to earrings? Hoooooooooops for days.

How many shirts do you have of your favorite band? Just one. I’m not a band shirt person.

Turn on the TV. What channel are you on? There’s no TV in this room.

Have you ever wore a tie before? Yeah, as a kid my mom sometimes made me wear neckties. They made me SO uncomfortable I was having internal breakdowns about being seen in public. I was 7 years old. Neckties to me were a boy thing and I felt 0% boy; and so it gave me such serious dysphoria. It’s like making a boy wear a pink tutu even if he’s already visibly distressed. Whenever I told my mom I felt uncomfortable, she would just tell me it “looks good.” Jesus Christ. Why did no one ever drag my mom to a parenting seminar? Did no one seriously see the signs???

What did you have for breakfast this morning? Garlic rice, bacon strips, and glazed ham.

“For the Krusty Krab”

Are you good at art? Of course not.

How many times have you read your favorite book? I don’t have one.

Name one thing that you really hate. Raisins, on their own and incorporated in a dish.

Have you ever tried walking on stilts? I haven’t.

Is there a war that you find interesting? Eh, not really. So many of historical accounts are bombarded with war narratives as it is, and I’ve just never really found disputes or tensions among countries to be the most interesting part about history. Plus women were mostly absent, and that makes it even more boring.

Would you rather live in the city or country? City.

Do you think $7 is too much for a movie ticket? Not always. $7 or ₱350 is actually pretty reasonable if you wanna see a movie at an upscale mall; people who watch movies in places like that shouldn’t be complaining about movie tickets that cost that much. But all movie theaters are the same anyway - pitch black, freezing, comfy chairs - so I just go to midscale malls where tickets would be like a hundred bucks cheaper since it’s gonna give me the same experience anyway.

Would you like to be a newscast person? For a long time I thought I wanted to be one because that’s what my entire family was rooting me to become. Eventually I realized reading from a teleprompter, interviewing guests, and asking questions to reporters is not a career I want.

Do you like word searches, coloring or crosswords better? Word searches, then coloring, then crosswords.

Close your eyes and press a random key on the keyboard. U.

How many William’s do you know? I don’t think I know anyone. It’s too foreign-sounding a name.

What time did you wake up this morning? I woke up at around 6 AM, but I fell back asleep immediately and woke up again around 30 minutes later.

Do you enjoy crutches? ...No? That seems a little insensitive for people who actually need them.

What's better: Snapple or Arizona tea? Arizona. It’s because I’ve never had the Snapple one, but tbh Arizona is already pretty delicious anyway.

Make a word out of the word: Dinosaur. Round.

“she said I love this song, I’ve heard it before”

When you were younger, did you play with legos? Yes. I was never a creative kid, but I liked playing with them anyway.

Do you like Trix cereal? It was only my absolute favorite cereal as a kid, no biggie.

Do you get nervous easily? Ugh, yes. My parents asked me to get water containers from our local water station last Saturday and I literally had to allot like two hours to brace myself and make a script in my head. I constantly rehearse shit nearly every time I have to go out of the house.

How long is your Facebook password? I’m not sharing that.

Do you like the movie Mean Girls? No, I didn’t find it funny the first time and that made me uninterested in giving it a second chance.

How do you want your wedding to be? Big, grand. Lots of friends, lots of food. Not Catholic/Christian.

Have you seen the movie or show Catfish? Nope.

Do you hate it when you arrive to something early? Not usually. Being early is my goal in most situations, unless I’m headed to like a party.

Have you ever been on Omegle? A few times as a teenager.

Are you still in love with one of your exes? Yes. It’s not going away for a while.

Do you think it's attractive when guys wear beanies? I don’t necessarily seek out men with beanies lol but I don’t think it looks bad on them either.

What's something that makes you feel shy in public? Unfamiliar situations.

Do you like the shows on MTV? No.

If you could go back and relive one day, what day? That last Friday I was in school before the lockdown happened. If I knew what the next eight months were going to look like, I would’ve stayed much longer in school, dragged my friends out to drink, blew my money on food, had more fun basically.

What's one word you hate to be called? Exhausting. Like being told I’m exhausting to be with. How does that not hurt?

#survey #surveys

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pamphletstoinspire · 4 years

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The Solemn Feast of The Most Holy Trinity - June 7, 2020

Every Sunday is dedicated to the worship of the Triune God, and is called accordingly the Lord's day; but the first Sunday after Pentecost is appointed by the Church a special feast of the Most Holy Trinity, because this mystery, as the fundamental doctrine of the Christian religion, began at once to be preached by the apostles, as soon as they had been enlightened and strengthened by the descent of the Holy Ghost.

by Fr. Francis Xavier Weninger, 1877

The mystery of all mysteries is presented to us today by the true Church of Christ, namely, the mystery of the Most Holy and undivided Trinity, to which we owe the deepest honor, love and devotion.

Our belief on this subject consists principally in the three following points: there is One true God, who rewards all good deeds and punishes all evil ones, either in this world or in the next; but there are, at the same time, three Persons, who according to Holy Writ, are called, Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Each of these three Persons differs from the two others, namely the Father from the Son, the Son from the Father and the Holy Ghost, and the Holy Ghost from Father and Son. This difference of Persons implies, however, no difference in their nature; for they all possess only one divine nature and essence. Each of these Persons is true God. True God is the Father: true God, the Son: true God, the Holy Ghost. But notwithstanding this, they are not three Gods, but One God; because all three Persons possess but one divine nature. In regard to men, we say that there are as many separate and distinct natures as there are persons; but in God, as St. Augustine teaches, we find a most perfect Unity in the Trinity, and a most perfect Trinity in the Unity: this means, there is only one God, but there are three Divine Persons.

The Father is the first Person, the Son, the second, the Holy Ghost, the third. The Father has no beginning nor origin from either of the other Persons. The Son is born from all eternity, in an incomprehensible manner, of the Father, and the Holy Ghost, in an equally incomprehensible manner, proceeds from the Father and Son at the same time. And yet the Father is neither older nor higher than the Son, the Son not younger nor less than the Father, and the Holy Ghost not younger nor less than either the Father or the Son. It is true, Christ has said in the Gospel: “The Father is greater than I am:” but these words must be understood as spoken by Him in His human nature. The Father is greater than Christ as Son of man; for as such, He is not from Eternity: as He took upon Himself human nature in time, that is at His Incarnation, nearly 2000 years ago. As far, however, as His divine nature is concerned, He is equally great and eternal as the Father; and as the Father is from all eternity, so the Son by His divine nature has no beginning. The same we believe and confess of the Holy Ghost: He exists equally from all eternity.

What we believe of the eternal existence of these three divine Persons we must also believe of their other perfections, namely, of the omnipotence, omniscience, infinity and the other attributes of God. Omnipotent is the Father; omnipotent is the Son; omnipotent is the Holy Ghost. Omniscient is the Father; omniscient the Son ; omniscient the Holy Ghost Infinite is the Father; infinite the Son; infinite the Holy Ghost. Not one of these three Persons is above the other in might, wisdom, infinity, or any other perfection. One is immeasurably perfect as the other. But although each of the three Persons possesses the above named attributes, there are, nevertheless not three Gods thus perfect; as although each Person is true God, there are not three Gods, but only one ; because the three Persons possess but one divine nature. The Son of God, the second Person, possesses, besides the divine nature, also the human nature, which He took upon Himself in the virginal body of Mary, and in which He suffered and died for us. He is true God and Man. This is what the true faith teaches us of the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity.

In the Old Testament this mystery was revealed to very few and only to the most beloved friends of God; in order, as the holy Fathers write, that the Jews, who were surrounded by heathens, and who were themselves prone to idolatry, should not have an opportunity to regard the three Persons as three Gods. The Prophets impressed them only with the truth that there was only one true God and that they must worship Him alone and not turn their thoughts to the idols of the heathens. But in the New Testament, the mystery of the Holy Trinity is revealed and announced in clear words. Not to mention many passages which have reference to this, let us only regard what Christ said to His Apostles: “Going therefore, teach ye all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”

In these words, Christ our Lord announced the three divine Persons, namely, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost: and at the same time their unity in one, as He does not speak in the plural, saying, in the names, but, in the name, in order to impress us with the truth, that the three Persons are but one God. To the above cited words of the Saviour, we will add those of St. John: “And there are three who give testimony in heaven, the Father, the Word and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one,” namely, in their nature and essence. (John, v.) After the Gospel had been preached by the Apostles, many thousands of Jews and heathens believed this mystery, and today it is accepted in all parts of the Christian world, as an undoubted truth. It is certain that this mystery is far beyond all human comprehension, and there is no article in our faith which is more inexplicable.

What is told in regard to it of St. Augustine is well known. This holy teacher while occupied in searching into the mystery of the Holy Trinity, took a walk on the seashore, where he found a boy, who having made a small hole in the sand, poured water from the sea into it with a spoon. After watching the boy for a long time, the Saint asked him what he was doing. “I wish,” replied the boy, “to pour the sea into this hole.” “O my child!” said the Saint: “that is a useless attempt. So small a hole cannot contain the immense sea.” “And you,” replied the boy, ” will be still less able to contain and comprehend, with your human understanding, the stupendous mystery of the Holy Trinity!” After these words, the child, who doubtless was an angel, vanished.

Truly this mystery is inconceivable and fathomless; yet we do right, nay more, we are bound under pain of damnation to believe it, as it is taught by Him, who can neither deceive, nor be deceived, as He is Himself eternal and infallible truth. God himself revealed it to us, and this is and must be sufficient for us to cast aside all doubts. Our understanding must, according to the exhortation of St. Paul, submit and become a prisoner in the service of faith. For, the words of God must be true, whether we comprehend them or not. And finally, why do we wonder that we are unable to fathom so great a mystery, when there are so many natural things which our understanding fails to explain? Besides, God does not command us to understand, but to believe it. “Believing is commanded to me,” writes St. Augustine. “To search into the mystery of the Holy Trinity, and to wish to comprehend it,” says St. Bernard, “is presumption; but to believe it is godliness.” Elsewhere, he writes these memorable words: “If any one asks how the Catholic faith in regard to this point can be true, I answer, that it should be enough for any one to believe that it is so. If any one goes further and attempts to explain what he is only expected to believe, he places himself in danger of losing his faith and with it his salvation.”

This was indeed the fate of many who, by their impertinent pondering, came at last so far that they protested against and denied the Most Holy Trinity.

It is unquestionable that there was no article of faith which in the early centuries was so much assailed as this one. The Jews would not admit of Three Persons in the Divinity; the heathens maintained the plurality of Gods. Some heretics professed only one Person; others denied the Divinity of Christ; and again others the Divinity of the Holy Ghost. There were some who said that the three Persons were only different names; while others taught that one Person was greater than the other, &c. The Arians, who contested the divinity of Christ, caused the greatest disturbance, the greatest evil in the Church of God, on account of their inveigling many bishops and several emperors into their false doctrines. They persecuted the Catholics, especially bishops and priests, as cruelly, and in some places, more cruelly than the heathens had done. It is known that many thousands of Catholics confirmed with their blood their faith in the Holy Trinity and in the Divinity of Christ, during the persecution of the Church by the Arians.

We read also of many astonishing miracles which God at that time wrought to confirm the truth of the Catholic Faith. In the last few centuries, almost all the errors of the ancient heretics have been renewed by the followers of Luther and Calvin, both of whom assailed the word ” Trinity,” and would not tolerate it. The old Catholic prayer, “Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy upon us,” both rejected. The bible of Luther does not contain the important text of St. John: “There are three who give testimony, &c.” He left these words out, because they lead to the conclusion that we have to believe in the Holy Trinity. Calvin taught that the words: “These three are one,” were not to be applied to their unity in nature, but only to their conformity of will.

What is to be concluded from this, I leave to others to find out. The more, however, the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity was assailed by the heretics, the more it was protected and defended by the Catholic Church. The Holy Mass begins daily with the sign of the Cross, the use of which is an emphatic confession of the Holy Trinity and an appeal to the same. This sign of the Cross is made several times during the day by all true Catholics, and as often as it is made, so often is the Holy Trinity acknowledged and honored. The same is done in holy Mass by the repeated Kyrie Eleison, and further by the Angelic song of praise: “Glory be to God on high:” by the Credo, or Nicene Creed, and lastly by the Sanctus, three times repeated; Holy, holy, holy! The prayers ordained by the Catholic Church, as well for holy Mass, as for all other occasions, all end with a confession of the Holy Trinity and an invocation to the same. All hymns of praise, used in the daily office of the priests and in other devout exercises end in the same manner. As often as the priest, during holy mass, or on other occasions, blesses the people, or things for the benefit of man, so often he invokes and confesses the only true God in three Persons. Every litany begins with this invocation and acknowledgment. After every Psalm is the Holy Trinity praised and honored with the well known words: “Glory be to the Father, to the Son and to the Holy Ghost, &c.”

All this, and much more, has the Catholic Church ordained to honor the Holy Trinity; and to the same end she instituted today's Festival. She requires that we celebrate it most solemnly, that we not only renew our confession of faith in the most Holy Trinity, praise and worship the only true God in three divine Persons, but also give due thanks for all the benefits granted us. One of the reasons that the first Sunday after Pentecost was chosen for this celebration, lies in the fact that the mystery of the Holy Trinity as the principal article of our faith, was not publicly preached by the Apostles until after the Holy Ghost had descended upon them.

The Lutherans celebrate today's festival with us, although this was instituted by a Pope, John XXII., and is not of such ancient date as many other feasts. Why, therefore, do they not also celebrate other feasts of the Catholic Church instituted by other Popes, and of much older date? They have again admitted into their bible the verse of St. John, which Luther had left out; but what is the reason that they do not eradicate so many errors with which their Bible is filled? The Lutherans also believe in One God and three Persons in the Holy Trinity, although this is an incomprehensible mystery, and it seems impossible to the human understanding that each Person is true God and yet all three only one God. Why, believing this, do they deny other articles of faith, especially that of the presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist, and the transubstantiation of bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus Christ? Why do they say, in regard to it, that it is impossible? Because they are unable to comprehend it. But the same God, who revealed the mystery of the Holy Trinity, has also revealed the other, and has commanded that we should believe the one as well as the other, under pain of eternal damnation. Whoever denies the presence of Our Lord in the blessed Sacrament, or the change of the bread and wine because it is incomprehensible, will surely soon be led to deny the greatest Mystery of them all, that of the Holy Trinity, because it is much more unfathomable! And it is just this which the Evil One tries to accomplish through heresy, in order to overthrow the pillars of the Christian faith.

FEAST OF THE HOLY TRINITY. by Fr. Prosper Gueranger 1870

The very essence of the Christian Faith consists in the knowledge and adoration of One God in Three Persons. This is the Mystery whence all others flow. Our Faith centers in this as in the master-truth of all it knows in this life, and as the infinite object whose vision is to form our eternal happiness; and yet, we only know it, because it has pleased God to reveal Himself thus to our lowly intelligence, which, after all, can never fathom the infinite perfections of that God, who necessarily inhabiteth light inaccessible (1 Tim. vi. 16). Human reason may, of itself, come to the knowledge of the existence of God as Creator of all beings; it may, by its own innate power, form to itself an idea of His perfections by the study of His works; but the knowledge of God's intimate being can only come to us by means of His own gracious revelation.

It was God's good-pleasure to make known to us His essence, in order to bring us into closer union with Himself, and to prepare us, in some way, for that face-to-face vision of Himself which He intends giving us in eternity: but His revelation is gradual; He takes mankind from brightness unto brightness, fitting it for the full knowledge and adoration of Unity in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity. During the period preceding the Incarnation of the eternal Word, God seems intent on inculcating the idea of His Unity, for polytheism was the infectious error of mankind; and every notion of there being a spiritual and sole cause of all things would have been effaced on earth, had not the infinite goodness of that God watched over its preservation.

Not that the Old Testament Books were altogether silent on the Three Divine Persons, Whose ineffable relations are eternal; only, the mysterious passages, which spoke of them, were not understood by the people at large; whereas, in the Christian Church, a child of seven will answer them that ask him, that, in God, the three Divine Persons have but one and the same nature, but one and the same Divinity. “When the Book of Genesis tells us, that God spoke in the plural, and said: Let Us make man to our image and likeness (Gen. i. 26), the Jew bows down and believes, but he understands not the sacred text; the Christian, on the contrary, who has been enlightened by the complete revelation of God, sees, under this expression, the Three Persons acting together in the formation of Man; the light of Faith develops the great truth to him, and tells him that, within himself, there is a likeness to the blessed Three in One. Power, Understanding, and Will, are three faculties within him, and yet he himself is but one being.

In the Books of Proverbs, Wisdom, and Ecclesiasticus, Solomon speaks, in sublime language, of Him Who is eternal Wisdom; he tells us, and he uses every variety of grandest expression to tell us, of the divine essence of this Wisdom, and of His being a distinct Person in the Godhead; but, how few among the people of Israel could see through the veil? Isaias heard the voice of the Seraphim, as they stood around God's throne; he heard them singing, in alternate choirs, and with a joy intense because eternal, this hymn: Holy! Holy! Holy! is the Lord (Is. vi. 3)! but who will explain to men this triple Sanctus, of which the echo is heard here below, when we mortals give praise to our Creator? So, again, in the Psalms, and the prophetic Books, a flash of light will break suddenly upon us; a brightness of some mysterious Three will dazzle us; but, it passes away, and obscurity returns seemingly all the more palpable; we have but the sentiment of the divine Unity deeply impressed on our inmost soul, and we adore the Incomprehensible, the Sovereign Being.

The world had to wait for the fullness of time to be completed; and then, God would send, into this world, His Only Son, Begotten of Him from all eternity. This His most merciful purpose has been carried out, and the Word made Flesh hath dwelt among us (St. John, i. 14). By seeing His glory, the glory of the Only Begotten Son of the Father (Ibid), we have come to know that, in God, there is Father and Son. The Son's Mission to our earth, by the very revelation it gave us of Himself, taught us that God is, eternally, Father, for whatsoever is in God is eternal. But for this merciful revelation, which is an anticipation of the light awaiting us in the next life, our knowledge of God would have been too imperfect. It was fitting that there should be some proportion between the light of Faith, and that of the Vision reserved for the future; it was not enough for man to know that God is One.

So that, we now know the Father, from Whom comes, as the Apostle tells us, all paternity, even on earth (Eph. iii. 15). We know Him not only as the creative power, which has produced every being outside Himself; but, guided as it is by Faith, our soul's eye respectfully penetrates into the very essence of the Godhead, and there beholds the Father begetting a Son like unto Himself. But, in order to teach us the Mystery, that Son came down upon our earth. Himself has told us expressly, that no one knoweth the Father, but the Son, and he to whom it shall please the Son to reveal Him (St. Matth. xi. 27). Glory, then, be to the Son, Who has vouchsafed to show us the Father! and glory to the Father, Whom the Son hath revealed unto us!

The intimate knowledge of God, has come to us by the Son, Whom the Father, in His love, has given to us (St. John, iii. 16). And this Son of God, Who, in order to raise up our minds even to His own Divine Nature, has clad Himself, by His Incarnation, with our Human Nature, has taught us that He and His Father are one (St. John, xvii. 22); that they are one and the same Essence, in distinction of Persons. One begets, the Other is begotten; the One is named Power; the Other, Wisdom, or Intelligence. The Power cannot be without the Intelligence, nor the Intelligence without the Power, in the sovereignly perfect Being: but, both the One and the Other produce a Third term.

The Son, Who had been sent by the Father, had ascended into heaven, with the Human Nature which He had united to Himself for all future eternity; and, lo! the Father and the Son send into this world the Spirit Who proceeds from them both. It was a new Gift, and it taught man that the Lord God was in Three Persons. The Spirit, the eternal link of the first Two, is Will, He is Love, in the divine Essence. In God, then, is the fullness of Being, without beginning, without succession, without increase, for there is nothing which He has not. In these Three eternal terms of His uncreated Substance, is the Act, pure and infinite.

The sacred Liturgy, whose object is the glorification of God and the commemoration of His works, follows, each year, the sublime phases of these manifestations, whereby the Sovereign Lord has made known His whole self to mortals. Under the somber colors of Advent, we commemorated the period of expectation, during which the radiant Trinity sent forth but few of its rays to mankind. The world, during those four thousand years, was praying heaven for a Liberator, a Messiah; and it was God's own Son that was to be this Liberator, this Messiah. That we might have the full knowledge of the prophecies which foretold Him, it was necessary that He himself should actually come: a Child was born unto us (Is. ix. 6), and then we had the key to the Scriptures. When we adored that Son, we adored also the Father, Who sent Him to us in the Flesh, and to whom He is consubstantial. This Word of Life, Whom we have seen, Whom we have heard, Whom our hands have handled (St. John, i. l) in the Humanity which He deigned to assume, has proved Himself to be truly a Person, a Person distinct from the Father, for One sends, and the Other is sent. In this second Divine Person, we have found our Mediator, Who has reunited the creation to its Creator; we have found the Redeemer of our sins, the Light of our souls, the Spouse we had so long desired.

Having passed through the mysteries which He Himself wrought, we next celebrated the descent of the Holy Spirit, Who had been announced as coming to perfect the work of the Son of God. We adored Him, and acknowledged Him to be distinct from the Father and the Son, Who had sent Him to us, with the mission of abiding with us (St. John, xiv. 16). He manifested Himself by divine operations which are especially His own, and were the object of His coming. He is the soul of the Church; He keeps her in the truth taught her by the Son. He is the source, the principle of the sanctification of our souls; and in them He wishes to make His dwelling. In a word the mystery of the Trinity has become to us, not only a dogma made known to our mind by Revelation, but, moreover, a practical truth given to us by the unheard of munificence of the Three Divine Persons; the Father, Who has adopted us; the Son Whose brethren and joint-heirs we are; and the Holy Ghost, Who governs us, and dwells within us.

Let us, then, begin this Day, by giving glory to the one God in Three Persons. For this end, we will unite with holy Church, who, in her Office of Prime, recites on this solemnity, as, also, on every Sunday not taken up by a feast, the magnificent Symbol, known as the Athanasian Creed. It gives us, in a summary of much majesty and precision, the doctrine of the holy Doctor, Saint Athanasius, regarding the mysteries of the Trinity and Incarnation (It is a psalm or hymn of praise, of confession, and of profound, self-prostrating homage, parallel to the Canticles of the elect in heaven. It appeals to the imagination quite as much as to the intellect. It is the war-song of faith, with which we warn first ourselves, then each other, and then all those who are within its hearing, and the hearing of the Truth, Who our God is, and how we must worship Him, and how vast our responsibility will be if we know what to believe, and yet believe not.)

We have thus far lived out the drama of Christ's earthly life — His Nativity at Christmas, His revealing Himself as God at the Epiphany, His time in the desert at Lent, His Passion and Resurrection at Good Friday and Easter. We recalled His glorious Ascension, and at last week's Pentecost, the Holy Ghost has descended upon the Church, sent by the Father and the Son.

God's Triune Nature has been fully revealed, and now we celebrate the Most Holy Trinity on this day, hearing in today's Gospel, “All power is given to Me in heaven and on earth. Going therefore, teach ye all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all the things whatsoever I have commanded you; and behold I am with you all days even to the consummation of the world” (this is known as the “Great Commission”).

And with this Mass, the Time After Pentecost, the season that represents the Church Age, begins. Vestments today will be white.

Symbols for the day are the natural symbols of the Trinity — the shamrock used by St. Patrick to explain the Trinity to the ancient Irish, the pansy — viola tricolor — called the “Trinity Flower,” a candle with 3 flames, the triangle, the trefoil, 3 interlocking circles, etc.

#trinity sunday

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altviktcrr · 4 years

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『MAXENCE DANET-FAUVEL ❙ NONBINARY』 ⟿ looks like VIKTOR SAMUELS is here for HIS/THEIR SENIOR year as a VISUAL ARTS student. HE/THEY are 24 years old & known to be OBSERVANT, INGENIOUS, RETICENT & DEPENDENT. They’re living in NOLAND, so if you’re there, watch out for them. ⬳ JAMES. 20. EST. SHE/THEY.

hllo ,,, again ,,, this is my last child i SWEAR ,,, at least fr now ,,, hes also the most problematic one ,,, the most dramatic ,,, one of my absolute faves ,,, pleathe love him. as always if u wish to plot please like this so i can msg u !!!

TW DEATH, HEAVY GRIEF, OVERDOSE / DRUG ADDICTION, HOSPITALIZATION, HYPERSEXUALITY, RELIGION MENTIONS, MENTAL ILLNESS

aesthetic.

old tvs and their static, worn tapes, horror movie screams, spilled ink, a sculptor’s hands, clay-stained, chicken scratch handwriting, messy notes, messy hair, scoffs and eye-rolls, bruised knuckles, sore throats, funeral homes and a crying preacher, shattered ceramics, knife fights, high ledges, vertically-striped pants, red lights, the moon shrouded in clouds, cigarette butts, graveyards and half-empty wine bottles, sitting there for hours and talking to nothing, about nothing, a god complex, gold rings adorning both hands, barbwire baseball bats, having never played baseball in your life, deep eyebags and broken mirrors, a permanent chip on one’s shoulder, yearning, longing, wishing.

basic info.

full name: viktor phillip samuels

nickname(s): icky vicky :/

b.o.d. - jan 2nd

label(s): the black hole, the crepehanger, the impious, the opaque, the tempest, etc.

height: 6′1″

hometown: rochester, new york

sexuality: pansexual uwu

stats

inspired by: beetlejuice (beetlejuice), sid (toy story), jack sparrow (pirates of the caribbean), francis wilkerson (malcolm in the middle), azula (avatar: the last airbender), vicky (the fairly oddparents), stu macher / billy loomis (scream), marshall lee (adventure time), bojack horseman (bojack horseman), any it’s always sunny character :/

biography.

born to mama and papa (preacher) samuels in rochester, new york - fifteen minutes after his twin sister, tatiana samuels. years later, rosa samuels joined the gang.

was an awkward, quiet kid growing up, he didn’t interact well with others and preferred being left alone to dig up worms and draw on the walls of their childhood home. the only exception was his twin, really.

as he got older he grew out of this, but instead became like ... sort of an asshole? maybe to compensate for years of childhood awkwardness. he’s the sort of person who will bite the hand that feeds him & developed into a full time nuisance by middle school, unlike tatiana who was much more subtle about her conniving manners.

always has been a fan of ‘darker’ materials. grim & creepy morbid shit. probably the biggest tim burton fan, ever since he was a kid ... not a good look for a preacher’s son, but he never really felt ‘in’ with the rest of his family to begin with. classic black sheep syndrome.

drew disturbing pictures as a kid that probably prompted one or two or five phone calls home to assure everything was fine.

just really had a knack for art at a young age, from drawing to painting to playing with clay. it’s always been his Thing and probably is the only thing he’s good at.

being twins with tatiana was hard. they were near opposite besides both being quite mean-spirited. tatiana handled being in public better, left a better image behind - but viktor had talent, more than she did. they loved each other deeply - y’know, those unbreakable twin bonds as cliche as it sounds - but found each other as competition for their parents’ attention. a rivalry for affection.

in high school is when viktor really started to act out. it started extreme, like losing his virginity in their church and vandalism around the neighborhoods. faked being possessed in the middle of sunday service & almost had an exorcism performed on him.

his only redeemable trait was like ... just his sheer talent in the arts. was in a 3D art AP course and specialized in sculptures. he could pretty much create anything he wanted with enough dedication.

because he was the problem child, the one who deserved to be disciplined for all his antics, tatiana could sneak away and get away with whatever she wanted much easier. on the bright-side, for her, i guess.

not a very motivated person - wasn’t planning on going to college, much less going to radcliffe but his parents literally wrote & sent his college application for him because they weren’t going to house a deadbeat but had too much heart to kick him out onto the streets. cool!

he’s actually pretty smart but he just doesn’t apply himself. has a minor in english because he didn’t care for an extra course-load, but he’s good at writing & analyzing literature. is going to use it to write and illustrate his own series of children books with a style similar to tim burton’s. not for the kids, but because he likes to leave a trail of terror in whatever he does.

has been experimenting with himself since high school but college is where he really had started to crack down on himself. was out as pansexual & nonbinary by his sophomore year of college just ... not to his parents, who don’t really need to know.

if you asked him if he believed in twins having a psychic connection with each other - he’d tell you he wouldn’t know. it felt believable at times, but sometimes he had no idea what was going on inside of tatiana’as head. on the other hand - viktor had always felt oddly transparent to her, like she knew all of his moves before he did. the only person who could predict him accurately.

( TW DEATH, GRIEF, OVERDOSE / HOSPITALIZATION BEYOND THIS POINT )

when tatiana disappeared, viktor knew something was up. it was a twist in his gut, pure instinct that something wasn’t right. and it wasn’t right - and when she was proclaimed missing, they couldn’t find her.

and when tatiana died - viktor knew. it felt wrong, something cut so severely in him he could pinpoint her death to the second. he didn’t know how, or why, but he knew it. knew it before anybody else had.

afterwards he went on a sort of bender. he’d begun to struggle with a mild drug addiction late senior year of high school / early college, but he was managing it up until this point.

his mental health had also sunk to an all-time low, when it’d never been great to begin with. (manic & depressive episodes. once fixated on a sculpting project for six months and then knocked it off the table and destroyed it as soon as he finished it for no apparent reason.)

tatiana’s body wasn’t found immediately, and when it was ... viktor went off the rails. ended up overdosing & being hospitalized. spent six months in & out of psychiatric care after that.

came back to radcliffe to finish his senior year because ... for the reasons above, he hadn’t been able to complete it. just wants to get his credits and get out of here.

is still dealing with a lot of trauma & grief, especially since the one year anniversary of tatiana’s death was this month (january) - causes him to spiral and be unpredictable in regards of his mental health. he stopped taking his medication, so. :/ some days are alright, other days are pretty bad.

personality.

the human embodiment of a gremlin that was fed after midnight. a goblin, if you will. one of those cats with a narrow head and really big ears ... that’s them!

a big horror & halloween enthusiast. loves the old campy horror movies & probably has an abundance of masks from different movies. dresses like a grimy millennial beetlejuice more than they should because they just ... love those black & white vertical-striped pants.

can appreciate the lore & cryptids at radcliffe and likes to feed into the fear that surrounds them. is probably the cause of a few ‘anomalies’ and ‘paranormal sightings’ because they’re just ... a jerk.

fashion alternates between e-boy (they would be tiktok famous if they were 17 & didn’t think that a majorly minor based app was weird.), millennial beetlejuice, and goth in a crop top & sweatpants. big fan of crop tops and a big fan of sweatpants.

they can be really fucking mean? petty, aggressive, a major instigator. will literally spit in your face for little to no reason, you could just look at them the wrong way. the kind of person who will stick their gum into someone else’s hair. other than that? they’re like ... sort of okay. they’re not always mean, just a dick about 90% of the time lmao

like okay yeah they’ll call someone a stinky bitch for no reason except they feel like it and believes it. it’s fine, they’re fine, we’re fine.

despite the fact that they’re probably getting into a fight whenever, considers themself to be a lover and not a fighter but that’a primarily because they fuck a lot. uses it as a coping mechanism, like they’re this big fancy carnival show that’s like ‘come one, come all! fuck the dead girl’s twin brother!’ and it’s ... a Lot. might have a problem with hypsersexuality but they’re not fully aware of it.

the preacher’s whore son, basically :)

pansexual & nonbinary, switches between he & they pronouns often and without a pattern, but they have such a fragile grip on their identity that you could call them ‘dog-faced bitch’ and they’d turn around like. sup.

vastly impulsive ... like i said, they destroy their own creations for the fun of it. spends all teir money on useless shit, will cheat on someone because they feel like it & likes the thrill, screams into the night sky frequently like a cat in heat.

will also spend months creating useless shit for no reason too. spent six of them sculpting a hollowed out tree the size of them & then took a sledgehammer to it.

they’re very super dramatic. would play the organ at church when nobody was looking after them and service was about to start. would just churn out these super haunting, creepy melodies like they were phantom of the opera. would do the same exact thing at home on their keyboard with the pipe organ setting whenever they got grounded until their parents took it away HBDSJFNGKH

will absolutely not talk about their ‘time away’ because it’s not anyone’s business, not even their own younger sister. still refuses to talk about tatiana’s death, or their mental health, or their addiction (fallen back into it but it hasn’t gotten severe ... yet :/), or anything involving their own emotions.

will just change the topic abruptly, no warning. asks about the jonas brothers instead and they fucking hate the jonas brothers.

that being said they’re absolutely not over tatiana’s death & it’s to the point of obsession over it. like there’s some kind of secret that needs to be uncovered, even though there just. isn’t. tatiana was their rock and they were pretty much dependent on her. kept them grounded. could control them when nobody else could, got into their head easier than others. it’s sort of like rosa lost two siblings that day because viktor hasn’t been the same since.

emotionally unavailable while also crying twice a day. cries during their brawls but still wins. is stony-faced when they tell you they cheated on you with your much hotter best friend.

will tell you straight up what they want from you, no bullshit & no beating around the bush. just blunt. if they want to fuck, nothing else, then that’s it. if they feel deviation or developing feelings then they’ll ghost in less than a second. is awful like that but feels no shame.

but also emotional as shit and it’s confusing. will cry on a whim and then flip you off if you try to console them or ask them what’s up. will bite you.

they go to therapy but they just fuck around and wastes their therapists’ time ... also is fucking their therapist, but that’s neither here nor there. so they’re not really getting the help they need.

likes to be intimidating but not ... with their body or anything because they’re a TWIG but uses their love & knowledge of horror and creepy shit to their advantage. has an abundance of fake blood. has channeled the energy of jack nicholson and used it on tatiana’s boyfriends before (also is a big fan of sfx makeup & has dabbled in it)

probably chases kids around with a chainsaw without the chain on halloween every year.

generally never doing good, both mental health wise & morally. would probably steal candy from a baby for funsies.

i don’t know if there’s a good to them somewhere deep down, but they don’t see any issues with themself either. nothing really breaks through to them anymore because the only person who ever made them stop and think about their actions was tatiana, and well, y’know. :/

an introverted reclusive type who doesn’t like most people or going out, but does so anyway if it means a quick high & a cheap thrill.

pretty observant and likes to analyze people even though they’re often like ... partially wrong. judgmental because they like to make people feel bad, not because they’re a righteous mighty person. because they’re not. so like, a hypocrite!

wanted connections.

a roommate... but it’s an absolute nightmare to live with him.

enemies... because viktor would have a lot of them...

familiar faces... people who knew tatiana or of her / were her friends. maybe even those who dated her, and who viktor would’ve tried to intimidate / scare at any given chance :/

pitiful glances... people who take pity on viktor and he hates it sooo much.

hooligan gremlin kids... just a friend group of grown ass adults who do drugs and fuck shit up around town like they’re edgy teenagers.

high school girlfriend... probably the one he lost his virginity to inside his family church :/

childhood acquaintances... people who knew him from his youth.

exes... good & bad terms, but mostly bad terms because viktor is an actual demon. probably cheated on them.

soft... i don’t know if he’s soft towards anyone and/or is capable of it but we can try. we can try.

unrequited... either viktor just doesn’t like them or he’s holding back because he’s :/ got issues with relationships & is self-sabotaging as one does

enemies with Tension... of the ... spicy kind if you know what i mean. wink.

friends... old friends, new friends, bad friends, good friends, close friends, frenemies, etc. i don’t know how many he had but if your muse likes to cause a ruckus and fuck shit up then viktor’s your man.

hook-ups... current or old. friends with benefits, one night stands, anything and everything because he fucks around a lot.

ride or die... friendship but make it extreme.

bad influence... he’s just toxic to be around and brings out the worst in people :/

bad egg... he’s gotten into a few fights :/ maybe you witnessed it. maybe you were in it.

literally anything i wld love all sorts of plots.

#radintro #death tw #grief tw #overdose tw #addiction tw #hospitalization tw #mental illness tw #hypersexuality tw #religion mention tw

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anorakofavalon · 5 years

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Another Way

Reveal AU -- 3x02 -- The Tears of Uther Pendgragon Part 2

Merlin x Morgana

My little twist on it is where the reveal took place. I tried to seek a very terribly timed but still somewhat thematically appropriate place to place a reveal, and I decided on early-to-mid season 3. Because here Morgana is definitely edgier and a little more evil, but still has the potential for good. Idk, I think it’s an interesting line to walk. I hope you enjoy! I might make a couple more based off of this one if the response is good :)

“I thought… because she has magic, I thought we were the same”

“In some ways you are.”

“No. I will never be like her.”

“You have learnt an important lesson, Merlin. Your determination to see goodness in people will be your undoing. But I fear that your futures are now joined forever. She is the darkness to your light, the hatred to your love.”

He felt the darkness course through the roots, the very foundations of Camelot. It spread its way through the Earth, the soil of the city, and up through his body. His head lashed back of its own accord. It clawed up the walls, rumbling in its wake, and then the towers. He felt it reach the sky and thunder roared.

Merlin grimaced and began to run. The dead had risen, and he knew very well who did it.

~{(0)}~

He turned a corner, taking his pained breathing as yet further inspiration to get to his destination quickly. Every footfall took more from his reserves than any spell ever did.

“There are times, Merlin, when you display a sort of... I don't know what it is. I don't want to say... it's not wisdom. But, yes. That's what it is.”

It was a tad bit ironic, given what he was about to do. Arthur wouldn’t be all too happy, probably. But still... He flung his arm out and pulverized a skeleton, and another when it moved to block his path. He took a distinct, twisted pleasure in launching one out of a window. He would have to apologize to Arthur’s ancestors later.

“I don't have time. I need to get back to Camelot. The kingdom is in danger and...it's my fault. I should've listened to you. Should never have trusted Morgana.”

“You did what you felt was right, and that shows great courage, but trust is a double edged sword.”

He stood before the entrance to the catacombs. The gates were flung open, shredded by a force he knew to be magic. It lingered in the air, thick as the darkness he descended into. Merlin’s eyes were golden as he calmly took the steps down. There were skeletons hidden in the darkness but he did not bother with his hands. His magic tore them apart as he passed them.

There was light as he reached the bottom. It was unearthly, pale, a shadow of the sun’s own rays. The magic was putrid and foul and older than Kilgharrah himself. Merlin unsheathed his blade, useless as it would be. His steps were quiet as he turned the corner and saw her standing there. She was bathed in the light of shadows, a vision of twisted beauty. He knew whose fault that was.

He noted the wooden staff in the center of the room, from which the light had been birthed. Its form was as twisted as Morgana’s smile when her head turned to him. He knew from her eyes that she was beginning to comprehend just how significant he was, in the scheme of things. She was beginning to comprehend that he would never stop trying to stop her. She would be right.

Still, her old confidence hadn’t left her, warped as it had begun to become. “You should leave, while you still can.”

The castle rumbled in distress. Lightning’s light striking at the illumination of the moon. Brighter, angrier, more vicious. He thought, briefly, of Nimueh. Was he the lightning? Or was Morgana? Was she the moon and he the sky? The sky thundered, and his heart did too.

“Morgana, please. I beg you. Women and children are dying. The city will fall.”

She didn’t falter much. “Good.”

Merlin wanted to huff, but that would hardly make things better. She was bluffing and he knew it. But still, his voice wavered. “No, you don’t mean that.”

She faltered then. “I have magic, Merlin. Uther hates me and everyone like me. Why should I feel any differently about him?”

It was strange that she was seeking validation from him, pleading in her own way. Not that she knew what that was like. Morgana had never had to beg for a thing in her life.

“You of all people could change Uther’s mind, but doing this? Using magic like this will only harden his heart.”

Her eyes narrowed in frustration. “You don’t have magic, Merlin. How could you even hope to understand?”

And there it was, the moment of truth. She would hate him, if he told her the truth. If she didn’t already. Merlin wondered if she had truly forgiven him for poisoning her. Did she understand? Would she have done the same? He couldn’t bring himself to tell her. Kilgharrah and Gaius weighed heavily on his mind. She would tell Uther, or worse still, Arthur.

“I do understand, believe me. If I had your gifts, I would harness them for good. That’s what magic should be for. That’s why you were born with these powers.”

She could scream in frustration, he could tell. He probably could scream in frustration too, but she couldn’t tell. He had been wearing a mask for longer.

She fumed. “You don’t know what it’s like to be an outsider. To be ashamed of how you were born, to have to hide who you are. Do you think I deserve to be executed because of who I am?”

His first memories were of being caressed and cuddled and coddled by his mother Hunith. She was a sweet woman who worked hard and gave him everything she could. His second memories were of his delight when he could summon toys to his hand, when he made candles glow. His third memories were of being called a bastard and not knowing what it meant, except that it made his mother cry.

He remembered being called a demon child. The other children told him he was born in a lightning storm, that he was evil. And when he cried, when he wailed because the things they said hurt, the skies would darken, and rain would fall, and the other children would run to their own families. And lightning would hammer the earth.

They got bolder as they got older though, and Merlin meeker. They would hurt him. They’d push him, punch him. They would throw things at him, too. Sometimes they made him bleed and he wanted nothing more than to hurt them in return but he wouldn’t. Because he was desperate to prove that he wasn’t a monster. He was just a normal boy.

But he wasn’t and he never would be. And he hid his magic, as best he could. But it was never enough. It always slipped from his tight, white-knuckled grasp. It struck out when he most desperately wished that it wouldn’t. And everytime the villagers became more suspicious. Not just resentful of him, but his own mother as well, for spawning a demon.

And his only reprieve from that pain had been Will, who joked him through it. Who took the blame for some of the mischief that Merlin’s magic caused. Will never treated him differently. He never lied to Merlin. Will had died for Merlin. If Merlin didn’t have a friend like Will, who risked a lot and risked it often for his sake, then Merlin would never have made it to Camelot.

Morgana never had that. He could have been that, but he was afraid. He was a coward, Merlin knew as much. Will wouldn’t have poisoned his friend. He would have found another way. But Merlin didn’t. He betrayed Morgana when she had put her entire life in his hand, and he crushed it.

The rumbling brought his attention back. Her eyes were studying his own. Her pupils were dilated and searching him for the truth. For once in his life, the truth. He would give it to her.

His voice cracked. “No, Morgana, you don’t deserve to be executed for who you are. No one does.”

Her eyes widened slightly. He had caught her completely off guard. She had expected him to condemn her for having magic. Is that what he had become?

He continued. “But it doesn’t have to be like this.” He stepped closer. “We can find another way.”

They stared at each other for a moment. For one brief second, a minute, a breath, they hoped that what he said was true.

“There is no other way.” Her voice was soft, but heavy with conviction.

He nodded at her words, and stepped back. She knew he wouldn’t give up. He made a move for the rowan staff, just to get her on the defensive. She had a sword raised quickly, and he did as well. He tapped his blade to hers and the fighting began. It was a bit of a performance on both their parts. He wasn’t aiming to harm her, and for some reason she wasn’t either.

Merlin smirked a little bit. “What are you going to do? Kill me?”

Morgana got a little competitive, but she was amused. “You don’t think I can?”

They struck at each other strongly, but not as strong as either of them should have. The crack of thunder outside dispelled any of Morgana’s hesitations or distractions. She struck her first true blow, and he blocked it. They weren’t playing anymore.

He went on the offensive, striking at her head from above, she blocked it and took advantage of his close proximity. She twisted her body around and moved to strike at his abdomen. Merlin jumped back, but the tip cut at his shirt and grazed his skin.

Morgana showed surprise. “You’ve gotten handy with a sword since I’ve been gone, Merlin.”

He pointed at the cut. “Not handy enough.”

She grinned despite herself. But not for long. She tacked on a little grimace and decided to bite at him. “Awfully good with poison though, I’ll tell you that.”

His face flickered as if she had struck him with the sword. It was the worst possible time for a conversation. The castle was under siege, Arthur could have been hurt. But Merlin felt it in his heart.

He dropped his sword. “I didn’t want to. You were my friend. You are still my friend, Morgana.”

She gaped at his dropped sword. He was clearly full of surprises. But she wouldn’t allow him the chance to blindside her. “So what happened Merlin? Couldn’t find another way? Or maybe you just wanted me to die because I had magic.”

He frowned. “Is that what you think of me, Morgana?”

“It’s what you’ve shown to me. Friend.”

She moved forward with her blade aimed at his throat. He didn’t move.

“If you’re going to kill me, make it quick.”

She was puzzled once more, but she didn’t show it this time.

“Why should I?”

The blade was touching his skin now.

“Because if you don’t I will stop you.”

“And just how do you plan on doing that, Merlin? You’re useless even with a sword.”

She was baiting Merlin, but he wouldn’t give her the satisfaction. He nudged the blade away from his throat and began to move forward.

“Because I do know what it’s like to be an outsider. I do know what it’s like to be ashamed of how I was born. And I already do have to hide who I am every day. Every. Single. Day.”

He was a step away from her, and she was looking up at him, startled but entranced by the way he spoke. This was no serving boy speaking.

“I can’t let anybody else get hurt Morgana. I’m a protector. I protected you too, once. I’m sorry that you made me hurt you. I’m sorry that I wasn’t a good friend to you. But I can’t let this go on.”

She moved to stab him but he knocked her away with a flash of his eyes. Not very much, not very hard, but enough that she was at a safe distance.

Her eyes didn’t turn gold in return. She was as stuck in place as the staff in the center of the room, staring at him. The room felt different. The magic shifted, and the torches became lit all at once, contrasting the pale light of the moon with a fiery hue. Merlin stood straighter, as if he was at last being honest with himself, admitting to a heritage older than time.

He locked a look with her, and gave her a moment to sear the gold of his eyes in her memory for all of time. He reached towards the rowan staff from where he stood, and pulled it towards him with magic. It flew to him with little hesitation, as if it had always been his servant. He took it in his hands firmly, and something gave in the atmosphere. The dark magic bristled, afraid of what was to come, but powerless to do anything about it, like Morgana herself.

Merlin raised a knee and slammed the staff to it, and with a spark, he tore it in half. Morgana recalled the sheer power of the staff. When Morgause gave it to her it hummed in her hands, prickling at where she held it like a thousand needles.

“I’m not powerful enough to wield this, Morgause.”

“Do not worry my dear, that staff was crafted from the Rowan tree in the center of the Isle of the Blessed. It carries its own power. None have laid eyes on it except for our kind, the High Priestesses, and the blood god that planted it.”

Her disbelief was immense as the darkness receded from the sky. She and he both felt it retreat from the towers and the walls of the castle. They felt it abandon the undead it had summoned. They felt it rush down through the soiled soil and into the catacombs, to attack Merlin.

Wind rushed through, the only sign of the physical manifestation of the evil Morgana had summoned. And yet, somehow, Merlin stood calmly in the center, and with his glowing eyes silenced it once and for all, without moving or flinching.

It was dreadfully quiet, and Morgana hated it because she was certain that even he could hear her heart pumping. Could sense her fear. And still his eyes were glowing, as if mocking her and apologizing all at once. As he stood before her, the flames of the torches framing his figure, she wondered if he had planted the rowan tree himself.

But her awe at his power was short-lived as the gold receded from his eyes and he looked more like Merlin and less like Death. When he stared at her with those insufferably blue eyes, when he moved to help her up, only then could she bring herself to burn with the anger that she was feeling.

Merlin had magic.

Merlin had magic, and he killed her.

She trusted him, and he did not trust her. The betrayal pulled at her throat more than the hemlock ever could have.

Her eyes water and she stood up, still holding the sword at him. It was useless of course, they both knew it. Even her magic would have been useless. But she held it up against him anyways.

“How many?” She demanded. Her voice was raw with anger. “How many of our kin did you betray? How many have you sacrificed to Uther’s hatred Merlin?”

Merlin flinched. “Just you.”

That had hurt her in ways she was not prepared for.

“How many have you killed for his sake?”

“Too many Morgana. But not for Uther’s sake. Never for Uther’s sake.”

“Then for who? Arthur?”

Merlin nodded. “He is destined to bring magic back to Camelot, Morgana. I have to protect him. He’s my friend.”

She reeled. “So was I.”

Merlin couldn’t respond to that. His heart was thudding in his chest. His throat was constricted. This was a terrible idea, but Morgana had to know.

“You’re a monster Merlin.”

His face crumpled. “I didn’t want to poison you, Morgana.”

“That’s not what this is about Merlin!” She screamed. “You knew. You knew I had magic. You could have helped me and you-you...” She glared at him. “You pawned me off for the druids to deal with. And you got them all killed. You did that Merlin. That was you. I’ve lived with it for years but it was never my guilt to hold.”

She was up close and personal now, pounding her fist on his chest with every accusation.

He let her. What she said was nothing new. “Yes, Morgana. I’ve done terrible things, I know that. But I’m trying. I’m trying really hard to change things.”

He could feel the heat of her tears as they dripped down her face. “How could you do this, Merlin?”

She stared at him, desperate for an answer for the sake of her own sanity.

“I-” Merlin did not like how he was at a loss for words. Arthur and the knights were probably still fighting. He decided he needed to sit.

He moved towards one of the tombs and sat on it, his hands clasped together. Her eyes followed him, brows knit together.

“I would say...” he began carefully, “that it wasn’t my choice. But that’s not true. It has been my choice.”

She began to open her mouth to say something but Merlin cut her off. “I’m not talking about poisoning you Morgana. I really did have no choice then. If I didn’t do it, Morgause wouldn’t have stopped the siege of the city.”

She offered nothing to that, which he supposed was a sort of permission to continue.

“I have been able to do magic since I was a baby. I did magic while still in a cradle. I could make things fly, or light up candles.”

Tears had stopped streaming down her face, and now she was listening. Guarded, but curious. If anyone deserved an explanation it was her.

“I was always told that I was a monster, Morgana. You’re just another person in a long line of people. I had to leave Ealdor when I was nineteen because if I didn’t, bad things would happen...” He let that hang in the air. “My mother sent me to Gaius. He’s her uncle, and a good friend. She sent me here to Camelot because I needed to learn to control my magic and nobody else could teach me. Let alone in Ealdor.”

He thought, for a moment, that her eyes softened. Her face resolved to neutrality soon enough.

He tapped the tomb with his fingers. “When I stepped through the gates the first person I met was Gwen. She was so kind. As we entered the citadel, do you know what the first thing I saw was Morgana? I saw you, looking down at the execution of Thomas Collins. For having magic.”

He huffed. “I came from a place where having magic made me a demon, and waltzed into the heart of a kingdom where having magic made me a dead man instead. Gaius told me as much. I saved his life with magic, and the very first thing he did was tell me off.”

Merlin laughed to himself. “He still does that. But he’s not the only one… On my first night, a voice called my name. I went down to the caverns and I met a dragon.”

She gasped, her first reaction. “It was you, you released the dragon while I was away. Gwen told me about it.”

Merlin nodded. “That was a mistake.” He looked at her intently. “One of very many of my mistakes, Morgana. But that first night he told me I was destined to bring magic back to the land. But he told me I could only do it through Arthur. If I was to fulfill my destiny, I needed to protect Arthur.”

He sighed. “And so I did. Not only because it was my destiny, but because Arthur became a friend. And despite everything, sometime I see him and I just know that… he is the king we’ve been waiting for.”

“He’s Uther’s son, Merlin.” Morgana snapped.

“He’s much more than that Morgana. And you know it.”

She changed the pace. “And what else did the lizard happen to say?”

Merlin quirked a quick smirk at hearing Kilgharrah called a lizard, but he answered her. “He answered my questions mostly, and sometimes he warned me about things… and he was wrong.”

Morgana watched him warily. “Like not telling me about my magic. That was his directive, I presume?”

“No.” Merlin said. “His directive was for me to kill you. Or to let you die.”

Her mouth opened at that but she didn’t say anything.

“He told me, Morgana, that you were destined for darkness. I told him you had a good heart.”

Merlin stood up and approached her. She didn’t move. “It wasn’t only until you began to meet with Morgause that I suspected maybe he wasn’t wrong.”

Morgana glared at him. “Oh? I’m the evil one? It seems to me that I was just making your job easier. By killing Uther, Arthur could be king.”

Merlin shook his head. “If you killed Uther, Morgana, if you did it with magic… Arthur would never accept it. He would become just like his father. Arthur has made great strides but he’s not ready to become king yet.”

“So you’re just going to wait until Uther dies of old age? You’re going to let our people suffer for that long in order to preserve Arthur’s innocence? I thought you were a coward but it turns out you were just a fool. You went to a dragon for advice and listened. Like a puppy.”

“I listened to you, too,” he shrugged “whenever you had a vision, I acted on it.”

She was brought up short for a moment but brought it around to the offensive. “And yet you couldn’t tell me about your magic.”

“Don’t you think I wanted to Morgana?”

“Clearly not all that much if the fact that it took me raising an army of the undead is any indication.”

Merlin groaned. “Morgana I’ve been alone all of my life. Nobody to tell my secret to. Nobody to share myself with. I had Will, and my mother before, but they didn’t have magic they couldn’t understand. Gaius doesn’t practice anymore. And anybody else just...died. For my sake. Or because of a curse. Or because I had to stop them from hurting Arthur.”

He looked up at her. “But then there you were with your visions. I suspected, I hoped, but I couldn’t bring myself to believe. Until that night that you told me what you suspected. And suddenly I didn’t feel so alone anymore. Because you were my friend Morgana. You risked your life going to Ealdor to fight for me, a servant. And you had magic.”

There wasn’t any particular emotion on Morgana’s face, except for perhaps the shadow of a smile that flickered on her lips as she recalled the day she went to Ealdor.

“I wanted to tell you so badly, but… Well, my excuse was, is, that all my life I had been told not to tell anyone. Since I was a small child. I have always lived in fear. It’s...it’s not an easy thing to admit for me. And you’re the king’s ward, Morgana. Add that to the fact that the dragon insisted you were evil and I...”

He motioned to her. “I failed as a friend, and I chose not to tell you. And I’m sorry. But I’m telling you now. You’re the first person from Camelot I’ve willingly told.”

She stared at him evenly for a few moments. “So what now, Merlin? I can’t stop. I’m too far gone. And I don’t think you will stop protecting Arthur either.”

“No.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Why would you tell me this?”

“Because you deserve it, Morgana. You’re still good. You trusted me and I hurt you. So now I’m trusting you.”

“You’re an idiot Merlin.” She bit. “If I tell Arthur, you will be executed or exiled. Do you think he will forgive you? You just gave me the key to winning Camelot. What will she do without its protector?”

“Arthur wouldn’t kill me. He would be hurt that I haven’t told him. Conflicted. But he wouldn’t kill me. Just know, Camelot will always have my protection.”

Morgana bristled, working herself up again. “What has this kingdom done for you that I haven’t? Why do they deserve your help anymore than I do?”

Merlin didn’t answer her question, choosing to answer the unaired one instead. “I told you about my magic because we could find another way, Morgana. It doesn’t have to be like this.”

She sheathed her sword. “They’ll be looking for me.”

Merlin nodded.

They assessed one another until Merlin spoke.”Will you tell Morgause?”

“I don’t know.” Morgana said.

Merlin nodded, and decided to grin, despite his rapidly beating heart. “Just remember, if Arthur banishes me, there will be no one to help him put on his night shift or keep his figure trim. The last time I was gone for more than twenty four hours he couldn’t even find his sock drawer.”

Morgana stared at him incredulously as he suddenly disappeared, taking the torchlight with him. She almost couldn’t help the giggle that came out of her mouth. She was horrified and confused, and very much in need of a nap. But she did wonder just how much Merlin had given up for Camelot. What was his play? Why would he tell her about his magic?

Arthur burst into the catacombs in a panic with wild eyes, and she startled. When he saw her the relief on his face was somewhat… heartwarming.

“Morgana! You’re safe!” His eyes wandered around the room and landed on the rowan staff. Her heart leapt up in panic, but he came to a different assumption than what she feared. “Did… did you stop the undead? With… that?” His eyes went to her sword.

She couldn’t help but smirk a little. “Is it so surprising? I used to beat you in fights all the time when we were younger.”

He shook his head disbelievingly. “Okay, uh, we have to tell father about this.”

She nodded, clenching her jaw.

Arthur began to turn around towards the stairs but stopped and said something unexpected. “Morgana? Good job. I’m glad to have you back.”

Her face made a humble smile, and she felt a small rush of affection for her brother. “I’m glad to be back.”

Arthur cleared his throat. “Right, well, you wouldn’t have happened to have seen my idiot manservant would you? He’s always in the most unlikely of places after these sorts of things. Wouldn’t have been surprised if he had tripped his way down here.”

Morgana froze a little. She could have told him then and there Merlin’s secret. Even blamed the staff on him. But she couldn’t. Not yet. She had to strategize.

She laughed. “Not that I noticed.”

They began to head up the stairs. Morgana knew only one thing. She would be sharing some more words with Merlin.

For better or worse, this was far from over. But maybe… maybe they could find another way.

#mergana #merlin x morgana #bbcmerlin #katie mcgrath #merlin #colin morgan

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fandoms-equal-life · 5 years

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Rewriting Their Stars Once Again - The Greatest Showman Fanfiction

Chapter 7: Family Matters

Originally Posted on Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13365846/chapters/45440608#workskin

Summary: What will happen when Anne visits Phillip's family home?

Notes:

This took like 3 hours to write.

I wrote it at work and every time my co worker walked behind me I was worried he was reading it 😂 I don’t even know how I would explain myself.

Also let me know if the part where Anne visits the Carlyles’ is insensitive or weirdly worded. I might be big mouthed and opinionated, but I am not looking to offend anyone. I am only here to write fanfic to fulfill my lonely heart.

Also I am sorry I am so inconsistent. It is my goal this month to finish this fic and I am really trying to finish my goals for once! Thank you for the continued support!!❤️

The next two months were tough.

Anne was so sick, the morning sickness turned into all day sickness and there was not much food she could keep down. If Anne got out of bed for any other reason but to empty her stomach, it was a good day.

On top of that, her stomach was very large. She knew this should not be a shock to her, but when she sees herself in the mirror, she is still in disbelief. A seamstress came over just to make her custom dresses, and even P.T. used his childhood work as a tailor to make a couple items of clothing for her.

She needed to use the restroom all the time, her feet were getting larger, and her ankles and fingers were swelling. She had to start wearing her wedding ring on a chain around her neck.

The doctors’ visits every 2 weeks were difficult to endure. Dr. Turner would never let her walk in by herself, instead making her a wheelchair. Also, he could only give so much information about what was happening inside her body. Triplets were complicated for the highest paying doctor, let alone one who would see Anne.

But the hardest part of it all was Phillip could not always be there. With the circus struggling, he was swamped with work to make sure it is kept afloat.

Thankfully, she had a big family to fall back on. When Charity alone took her, the trips were fairly easy. Sometimes she had to bring the girls, which were usually filled with endless questions for the doctor, Helen once asking “Will all three of them come out at the same time?”

Charity had to leave the room with them before Dr. Turner could give an answer.

When Lettie brought her, she usually brought Tom along as backup. His loud mouth scared anyone away who might bring them trouble. Tom is so protective, that he stands directly outside the door during the checkups.

The other doctors and nurses tend to stay away on the days Lettie and Tom come along.

Do not even get Anne started about the time P.T., Caroline, and Helen accompanied her. The doctors requested that P.T. never step foot in their office again.

Even with all of this going on, Anne and Phillip were very excited. They wanted to grow their family, but, the looming danger of the end of the pregnancy and the delivery still loomed over the couple.

Anne and Phillip kept themselves distracted from this fact. They each joined the bet on which sex would outnumber the other (Anne thinks there will be more boys, while Phillip bet on more girls), Phillip and P.T. rearranged the furniture in the apartment to fit the three cradles, and Anne organized the gifts they were still receiving every day. The list of baby names becomes longer as the pregnancy becomes shorter. Anne likes family and classic names, but Phillip wants whole new names for his kids. Their family at the circus has new names suggestions every day, but only a few make it onto the real list, especially after Tom insisted that naming one of the potential boys after his horse in the show would be a great idea.

One night, when Anne and Phillip were sitting in their apartment, she asked why he was not in favor for family names.

“After that night at the theater, I have no desire to be associated with them anymore. The Carlyle name is something I wish I could rid myself of. I know they are going to take my last name, but other than that, I want something new.” Phillip explains with a soft smile. “I know that you never knew your mom and dad, but my family is not anything to be proud of.”

“Would you reconnect with your family if they came to you?” Anne asked.

“Maybe my little brother Daniel, but I’m not sure. Before I left and was disowned, he had rejected our father. I was the first born with all the privileges, and Daniel resented father for that. Last I heard that had all changed after he took my place as prize son with the inheritance. I assume he took my father’s side along with mother and the rest of my extended family, which is most likely why he did not attend our wedding.” Phillip told her.

Anne looked at him with soft, apologetic eyes. Anne knew that Daniel missing the wedding hurt Phillip. She thinks Phillip hoped for them to reconnect, that he could introduce Daniel to his new family and to the love of his life.

“But that is all behind me. Now I have a big and loving family and three little ones on the way.” Phillip says, kissing her protruding stomach. “Are you ready for bed?” he asks.

“Almost. You go get ready first then you can help me and my added baggage” she replied, pointing to her stomach.

He laughed and nodded, then walked into their bedroom, Anne got up to write a letter to their doorman to call a carriage for her as soon as Phillip walked out the door. She had a plan.

The carriage dropped Anne off at one of the largest houses she had ever seen.

It was beautiful.

The Carlyle house was painted all white, with big pillars holding up what Anne could only guess was 3 stories. They had big windows that would let plenty of natural light in, and Anne could see through the windows how ornate the inside looked. The lawn was well manicured, with flower bushes lining the front and big looming trees growing on the outside of the house, almost like a wall in between the other houses. She noticed that while it was stunning, that was negated by the cold atmosphere that seemed to surround the house.

As Anne was observing the house, she noticed one of workers in the lawn trimming the bushes. It was obvious that he was overworked and sunburnt, and most importantly:

He looked like her.

This brought her back to the reality of the situation. She was not home with her loving husband, or surrounded by her other oddities at the circus, she was standing in front of a wealthy white family’s home who, in another life, may have worked her as hard as the man she is looking at.

At this, she held herself as tall as the three children she was carrying would let her, put her hands clasped in front of her, and walked to the door.

The man in the lawn subtly glanced at her, not making any eye contact, as he probably does with all guests, until he noticed that Anne was not one of the Carlyle’s usual guests. He went to go help her up to the door, but she denied his help politely.

She would not be seen as weak. She was a woman on a mission, pregnant with three children or not.

Anne walked up to the door and knocked. A woman dressed in a maid’s uniform answered the door almost immediately. She also did not make eye contact with Anne when she first opened the door, but when the maid realized the difference between the color of Anne’s skin than the usual guest, she looked up in shock.

The maid was about to step out and close the door when Anne interjected “I am here to see Daniel Carlyle. It is urgent matter.”

The woman at the door glanced down at Anne’s pregnant stomach then back up at her. “Ms. I am sorry for any inconveniences Master Carlyle may have caused you, but you must leave immediately...”

Anne was about to put up a fight when she heard someone ask, “Mary who is at the door and why have you not let them in?”

Anne pushed pass the maid and stood in the doorway of the mansion in front of the person who was speaking.

Anne knew immediately it was Daniel.

His hair was a little lighter than Phillip’s and his face was not as clean cut. He was maybe a little shorter than Phillip, and a little leaner too. But his eyes were almost exactly the same, except for the fact they were cold and hard, while Phillip’s were warm and inviting.

Similar to how Phillip’s were when he first joined the circus.

Daniel stared back at her. Anne wondered if he knew who she was. But word travels fast through the wealthy people of New York; therefore, Anne realizes that the whole family must know of the pregnancy.

Anne sticks out her hand to Daniel. “Hello Mr. Carlyle. As you probably know, my name is Anne Wheeler and I am here to talk about your older brother.” Anne begins when they hear the footsteps of woman shoes coming towards them.

Daniel lunges at Anne and grabs her hand. “We must get you away from the door and away from mother. Mary close the door and tell her it was just the lawn man giving you an update about his work.”

Daniel shuffles her down a hall in the opposite direction, quickly pushing themselves into a spare bedroom, just as Anne heard what she assumes is Mrs. Carlyle asking what had happened at the door.

After he closed the door quietly, he turned around to face her. Anne had prepared a speech for Daniel. She had planned it to be polite and not so straightforward, so she could plant the seed in his head that his brother missed him.

“Hello, Mr. Carlyle. As you already know, I’m -” Anne began.

Daniel interrupted her. “I know who you are! You are one of the crazy people who brainwashed my brother to think it is okay to be disowned by his family. I used to doubt my father’s decision to take away his inheritance, but you, standing here carrying what I can only assume is his bastard child, I see now that he was correct. Whatever you came here for, money, help, protection, the Carlyle family will not give it to you or him. You need to leave this place immediately, the only reason I brought you into this room was to save you from mother’s wrath, as I am a gentleman. Do not ever come back, or else you will face even worse than me.”

Daniel looked pleased with himself, like he really thought that he put Anne in her place.

Anne does not know what came over her next, maybe rage at this man, love for her husband and her unborn children, or the hormones from pregnancy, but instead of leaving to cause less trouble, she yelled back,

“I did not sneak here without my husband’s knowledge, catch a rickety carriage while pregnant, and swallow my pride to visit the family that insulted Phillip and myself on what was supposed to be a happy night so I could ask for money or protection. I woke up and managed to get out of bed by myself to visit you, Daniel Carlyle, because my husband, your big brother, misses you to the point I think a part of his heart is missing.”

Daniel tries to interrupt her again, but Anne continues, “Phillip, the big brother that would comfort you after nightmares because your father and mother wouldn’t. The one who snuck you fantasy books while your teacher forced you to read nonfiction. The one who took a punch to the face after you stole from the biggest kid on your block, and, most importantly, the big brother that still loves you even though you obviously think so low of him.”

“I came here to tell you that right now, your big brother needs you. He is running a business all by himself while also having to worry about me and the three children I am carrying, and whether or not we will make it through the labor. So, Mr. Carlyle, I did not show up here today to ask for anything monetary, I traveled here because I thought my husband could benefit from a relationship with his brother, but I was obviously wrong.”

At that, she turned out and stormed out. Anne would be damned if she would wait for Daniel to check the hallways for a “safe” passage way for her. She did not mean to tell him the details of their life, but once she started talking, she could not stop. Today made her realize that the only place she is really safe is in the red and white striped tents.

Anne started seeing white around the corner of her eyes and her ears were ringing. She thought it was the rage, but after she walked out of the mansion, she felt herself becoming weak. All of the sudden her vision went black and she felt herself starting to fall. The last thing she heard was a male voice shouting “ANNE!”

Chapters 1 ~ 2 ~ 3 ~ 4 ~ 5 ~ 6 ~ 8 ~ 9 ~ 10 ~ 11

#the greatest showman #phillip carlyle #anne wheeler #Phillip x anne #my fanfics #zac efron #zendaya

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romancatholicreflections · 5 years

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21st December >> Fr. Martin's Gospel Reflections / Homilies on Luke 1:39-45 for 21st December: 'Blessed is she who believed'.

21st December

Gospel (Europe, Africa, New Zealand, Australia & Canada)

Luke 1:39-45

Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord?

Mary set out and went as quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah. She went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, ‘Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.’

Gospel (USA)

Luke 1:39-45

And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

Mary set out in those days and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”

Reflections (6)

21st December

(i) After Mary responded to the message of the angel Gabriel with the words, ‘let what you have said be done to me’, Luke tells that Mary set out as quickly as she could to visit her cousin Elizabeth. Even though she had received wonderful news regarding herself, her first thoughts were not for herself but for her older cousin. Her faith showed itself in love, a journey of love to someone who was in greater need than herself. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul says, ‘the only thing that counts is faith working through love’. Mary is a perfect example of the kind of faith Paul refers to. Having given herself in love to Elizabeth by travelling to meet her, Mary immediately receives a blessing from Elizabeth. Elizabeth declares Mary blessed because of the child she is carrying and also because of her believing response to God’s word. It is often the way in our own lives that we are greatly blessed by those to whom we reach out in love. Quoting Paul again, this time his second letter to the Corinthians, ‘you will be enriched in every way for your great generosity’. Mary’s journey of love graced Elizabeth and Mary, in turn, was graced by Elizabeth. Both women were so open to the Lord that each of them brought the Lord to the other. Here we have an example of human encounter at its best. It is the kind of encounter that we are all called to make possible, especially at this time of the year.

And/Or

(ii) 21st December

According to the gospel reading we have just heard, Mary set out on a journey to visit her older cousin Elizabeth to be with her in her pregnancy, and she stayed with Elizabeth three months. This was a visit that seemed to bring out the best in both women. Because of Mary’s visit, Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and the child in her womb leapt for joy, and Mary herself was moved to pray the great prayer that we know as the Magnificat. Both women, the visitor and the one visited, were the better for Mary’s visit. The journey and the visit are very much part of our own celebration of Christmas. Some members of your own family may have already arrived to visit you for Christmas after travelling a long journey. Others may be setting out in the next few days and their visit is eagerly anticipated. Our airports, our ports, our bus stations, our train stations will be very busy places over the next few days. As Mary visited Elizabeth in the gospel reading and that visit was joyfully received by Elizabeth, so the act of visiting and the receiving of visits will be at the heart of our lives over the coming days. Mary’s generous visit in the gospel reading was matched by Elisabeth’s generous welcome, a welcome that recognized Mary’s worth and that celebrated her goodness. If Mary shows us how to visit, Elizabeth shows us how to receive a visit. We welcome our visitors by recognizing the good that is in them, by recognizing the ways the Lord is working in their lives.

And/Or

(iii) 21st December

In this morning’s gospel reading, Elizabeth greets Mary as ‘the mother of my Lord’. It is a lovely title for Mary, one we do not hear very often. We can each say of Mary that she is ‘the mother of my Lord’. To speak of Mary as ‘the mother of my Lord’ is not far removed from referring to her as ‘the mother of God’. Both of thes title ‘God’ and ‘Lord’ equally apply to Jesus and express his divinity. Yet to speak of Jesus as ‘my Lord’ highlights the personal dimension of our relationship with Jesus. It echoes the way Thomas, the disciples, addressed the risen Jesus towards the end of John’s gospel as ‘my Lord and my God’. It was a very personal confession of Thomas after a period of great doubt. Jesus is Lord and God but for each one of us he is ‘my Lord and my God’. If we each address Jesus as ‘my Lord’ we are acknowledging our desire to allow Jesus to be Lord of my life, my unique and unrepeatable life. We venerate the child Jesus in the crib as someone who is now ‘my Lord’. Like Elizabeth, we honour Mary as the mother of my Lord. We honour her because it was through her that the Lord came to us. It is because of her that we can each come to know Jesus as ‘my Lord and my God’.

And/Or

(iv) 21st December

This morning’s gospel reading has always made a deep impression on me. It is the meeting of two women, two great women of faith. It is also the meeting of two children, Jesus and John the Baptist who are being carried in the wombs of the two women. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting we are told that the child leapt for joy in Elizabeth’s womb. Even before he was born, John rejoiced at the coming of Jesus. Elizabeth in turn recognized the child that Mary was carrying by declaring, ‘blessed is the fruit of your womb’ and by addressing her as ‘mother of my Lord’. Both Elizabeth and her unborn son recognized that the visit of Mary was, at the same time, a visit from the Lord. The Lord was coming to them through Mary. The Lord came to all of us through Mary. Mary, in turn, exemplifies our own calling to bring the Lord to each other. We will be giving gifts to each other this Christmas, but the real gift we can give to each other is the gift of the Lord, the gift of his loving presence.

And/Or

(v) 21st December

It is likely that we will all be visiting people over the coming days of Christmas and people will be visiting us. It is one of the good traditions of Christmas. We go out of our way to visit family members, friends, those who may be alone at this time of the year. We make a special effort to welcome those who visit us and to make them feel at home. Mary’s visit to Elizabeth sets the tone for all our visits. Mary brought the Lord to Elizabeth, and Elizabeth, in turn, recognized the coming of the Lord through Mary. The Lord was at the heart of their meeting. We too are called to bring the Lord to those we visit and to recognize the Lord in those who visit us. The Lord is to be at the heart of the visits we make to each other. At this Christmas time of the year, we celebrate the most fundamental visit of all, God’s visit to us in and through Mary’s child. Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, declared in his great prayer, ‘God has visited his people’. We are called to make that great visitation of God to us in Jesus real and concrete in our visits to each other at this Christmas time.

And/Or

(vi) 21st December

In this morning’s gospel reading we hear of the meeting between two women, Mary and Elizabeth. It is also the meeting between two infants, Jesus and John the Baptist, whom Mary and Elizabeth were carrying in their wombs. The child in Elizabeth’s womb is described as leaping for joy at the greeting of Mary, because in some mysterious way, John, although still unborn, sensed the presence of Jesus in the womb of Mary. We are given a picture of John the Baptist as someone who is extremely sensitive to the presence of Jesus even as both John and Jesus were still in their mother’s wombs. John the Baptist has something to teach us about the art of being sensitive to the presence of the Lord. Like the two disciples on the road to Emmaus we can often fail to recognize the presence of the Lord even though he is close to us. We can be so absorbed in our own experience, as those two disciples were, that we fail to see the Lord, fail to notice his presence. As we become sensitive to the Lord’s presence to us, we can help others to notice what we have noticed. In the gospel reading, the reaction of Elizabeth’s child in her womb enabled Elizabeth to recognize Mary as ‘the mother of my Lord’. Through her unborn child, Elizabeth came to see that Mary’s visit was also the visit of the Lord. Advent and Christmas is a time when we help each other to become more aware of and alert to the presence of the Lord among us, especially in and through each other.

Fr. Martin Hogan, Saint John the Baptist Parish, Clontarf, Dublin, D03 AO62, Ireland.

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toxickimi · 2 years

Text

CH 5 Farewell (End)

Many years had passed since the Aria was born. She was now a young lady of sixteen and in La Tempo with Roger when their parents arrived. Her hair retained the curls she had as an infant and Roger looked more like Maxson now. He was just as tall and had the same build though he was still soft spoken. Kimikyo was walking with a much older Maxson. His hair had turned to grey but he looked relativity the same except for a few new scars that came from an attack on the airport. The attack was made by the railroad but thanks to Kimikyo and the twins' magic nearly everyone made it out alive. The Prydwen though had gone down. It took time but they were able to make the airport a home again.

Aria ran over to Kimikyo and Maxson as soon as the entered the palace, hugging each of them. "Mama, Papa!" She smiled and looked at Maxson. "How's the Brotherhood? Did they get my gifts and cards?" He nodded to him. "They did. They said thank you." She smiled happily before looking at Kimikyo. "So what are you doing here? Not that I wasn't excited when I got your letter." Kimikyo patted her head. "Don't worry we're not going to bring you home. You still have training. We're simply here for our anniversary. We thought taking some time away from the Commonwealth would do some good. How is your training going?" "It's going well! Haku says a few more years and I could run the military for La Tempo." Maxson nodded to her proudly. "That's my girl." She beamed at his approval. "I'll always be your girl papa!" She hugged him again before leaving the two to go back to Haku.

Kimikyo watched her before looking at Maxson. "Seems like she spends a lot of time with Kai." "That it does." The two walked towards the forest that was outside the castle. "Are you sure about this, love? If Lord Oberon could help there's a chance she'd be lost to us forever." "Better than having our little girl dying." "We should talk to her about it though." Maxson took Kimikyo's hand into his. "We will after we talk to him." Kimikyo held his hand in hers, feeling how frail his hand had become. "R-right..." The two walked into the forest and to the lake. The two waited for what felt like hours. Eventually they left and went back to the castle.

While Maxson was fast asleep, Kimikyo spilt away from the castle going back to the forest. She walked to the lake, staring into it. "Lord Oberon, please request to speak to you or Lady Tatiana. If you can hear me...please." She waited for a moment before letting out a sigh. She sat at the lake, closing her eyes as tears streamed down her cheeks. "I'm only a few moments late, why do you cry my child?" Lord Oberon sat next to her in his stag form. "I'm sorry Lord Oberon...It's just-" "I already know." "R-right, of course." She wiped the tears from her cheek as she listened to him. "We are able to provide your daughter a longer life but it will come at a cost." "A life for a life. My husband is already willing to give his for hers." Oberon was taken back by this statement. "That is a lovely sentiment but not needed. We will take her as our own child. Lady Tatiana has been wanting a child for some time now and you've raised a fine princess." "You're...going to take her..fr-from me?" Oberon nodded to her. "Do not worry though, you and your kin are always welcome to visit her. I will give you our sigil to enter the fae world." "But she won't be allowed to leave will she?" "Not for one thousand years. Something easy for you but not her father." Kimikyo bit her thumb nail as she thought to herself. "What...what about when he passes, may she visit him then?" Oberon tucked his ears down at her words. "If she does live with us, I'm afraid not. Once she steps foot in the fae word she will be bound to it for the thousand years." "I could never ask her then...she loves her father too much to miss his passing." Kimikyo bowed her head. "Present the options to her, you may be surprised by what comes from it my child."

Kimikyo stayed in the forest for a few more hours after Oberon left before returning to the castle. It was already the next day when she returned. Maxson was awoke in the bed when Kimikyo walked in. "Good morning my love." She walked over to him, kissing his cheek. "And where did you wonder off to my queen?" He looked at her as she sat next to him. "I went back to the forest...I was able to speak to Lord Oberon." "And?" "They want to take her to the fae world. For a thousand years. To be raised as one of their own." Maxson nodded to her. "Then let's talk to her about it." "Arthur...she won't be able to..-what about when-" Maxson placed his hand on her cheek. "We'll say our good byes when the time comes." Kimikyo helped him out of the bed and to get ready before meeting with Aria.

Roger and Aria were in the dinning room having breakfast and talking amongst themselves when the two walked in. "Mama, papa!" "Good morning mother and father." Kimikyo and Maxson sat across from them, smiling. "Good morning children." Kimikyo looked at Aria. "Aria, my little one, your father and I...have something to discuss with you." "You're not marrying me off to some random soldier are you?!" Aria began to panic before Maxson shook his head. "No, quit the opposite actually." Kimikyo was hesitant before speaking. "Aria...as you know, you're more like your father than you are your brothers." "Because I don't have magic right?" "Correct." Aria smiled at Kimikyo. "That's alright! I can still brew potions and make medicine! So there is no need to worry." "It's not that...that we're worried about. You are an excellent potion brewer by all means." Maxson watched Kimikyo before looking at Aria. "You'll grow older much quicker than them and die at a much earlier age then them." Aria's constant smile faded. Roger and Kimikyo bowed there heads at this information, they always knew. "But...I live here...i-in La Tempo." "Just because you live here doesn't change that fact." Maxson was stern with her. "Your mother and I have spent many years searching for a way to counter this. We've finally found one but the choice is yours and yours alone." "What...what is it then, papa?" Kimikyo looked at Aria. "Lord Oberon came to me and requested you to live with the faes as their child. Lady Tatiana personally requested it as well since you are a princess." "Is that all? I'll do it then!" Aria stood from her chair. "That's not all of it. You'd have to live there for one thousand years and not step foot out of the fae world." Aria looked at Kimikyo then to Maxson. "But...what about papa?"

Maxson looked at Aria before looking at Kimikyo. "I won't be able to go with you. The offer is only for you." "That's-That's not fair! Mama please go back to Lord Oberon a-a-and-" "Enough, Aria." Maxson stood from his seat. "I was going to give my life for yours if that were the case. I'm a human and I plan on dying a human. You though have the chance to live with you brothers and mother and that's what I need you to do." "P-papa..." "You're mother will need all of you once I go. So please do this as a final mission from me, as Brotherhood soldiers your job is to keep your mother happy when I die." Kimikyo and Aria looked at Maxson before they both started crying. Roger also looked at his father but with a more concerned look to him. When Aria finally stopped crying she spoke softly. "I-I'll go to the fae world then." Kimikyo nodded to her. "I will let Lord Oberon know then." At that Kimikyo left the castle to relay Aria's confirmation.

While away Roger walked with Maxson around the castle. "Father, permission to speak?" "Granted, though you don't have to ask." "Earlier when you were talking...you acted as if you were going to die soon, like very soon." Maxson was silent for a fall longer than expected time than Roger had wanted. "I've lived my whole life in the Commonwealth with the filth and radiation. No matter the amount of rad-away and rad-x I take it will stop it and the constant stress of running the Brotherhood, has taken it's toll on me. I will be dying very soon. Perhaps in the next year, maybe the next five." "Dad...." Maxson looked at Roger. "I just want to make sure your mother will be okay. I'm afraid she will lock herself away again when I'm gone." "Dad, you know we can only do so much for her....she'll need you." "I'm afraid I can't stay forever." Roger thought for a moment before looking at Maxson. "Then what about a reincarnation spell? She'll be able to find you again. It may take a twenty or so years but you'll be together again." "Does such a spell exist?" Kigra had walked up on the two when Roger suggested the spell. "It does but it is very complex and highly advanced also it is dark magic. You'd have to gather many foreign items and it will take three casters to preform and a sacrifice." Kigra crossed her arms as a small purple hair child peeked out from behind her dress. Roger looked at the child, smiling at him. "Hi DJ..." "You should ask Aunt Kimi about all this. Pa-ba says not to hide stuff." Kigra picked up the child in her arms. "Your father is very smart."

Maxson looked at Kigra and the child before looking at Roger. "When did she have a child?" "Oh about five years ago, sort of." Kigra snapped at Maxson. "My husband asked Nora to help. DJ is surrogate child considering you know." "Ah yes, that's right." Roger and Kigra looked at Maxson with concern. Maxson walked away from the two before Kigra spoke. "He's having memory issues?" "I suppose so...I haven't seen him in a few years. I'll have to ask mom." "Let me. She'll probably keep it from you so you don't worry." Roger nodded to her before taking DJ from her when handed him. "Where is Danse anyways?" "Pa-ba is on a..a.." He looked at Kigra, looking for the word. "A mission." "Mention!" Roger and Kigra couldn't help but laugh at DJ. "Kai sent him off to Windhelm to bring back Vaati." "Ah."

Kigra kissed DJ's cheek before going to look for Kimikyo. She was with Maxson, giving him medicines when Kigra walked up on them. "Kimikyo, do you have a moment?" "Y-yea...give me just a second." She finished helping Maxson before walking over to Kigra. "What's up?" "Can we go for a walk, just the two of us?" Kimikyo looked back at Maxson who nodded to her. "I-I suppose that's alright." Kigra and Kimikyo walked away from Maxson. When far enough away Kigra spoke. "I noticed that Maxson might have some memory loss. He didn't seem to recall DJ." "R-really?" Kimikyo was clearly not surprised by this information. "Maybe he...feigned ignorance b-because DJ is a synth?" Kigra stopped walking, turning to Kimikyo. "Maxson may hate synths but I very clearly remember us all agreeing NOT mentioning that to him. Did you tell him?" Kimikyo looked away before shaking her head. "No. I didn't tell him." "Then he IS forgetting." "Yes....he is. He's forgotten a lot of thighs recently." Kimikyo bowed her head, chocking back her tears. "He forgets th-that he's retired, h-he's forgotten that the twins don't live with us, he even forgot who I was once. He's getting...he's becoming weaker a-and I...I fear I'm going to-" Kimikyo couldn't finish her sentence as she fell to her knees crying. Kigra hugged her sister tightly. "Shh...Hey...Roger...might have found something...it's the reincarnation spell." "That's black magic though..." "I think in this case, we'll be pardoned." Kigra pulled out a handkerchief to wipe Kimikyo's tears away. "We'd have to act fast but there's one other thing...we'd need a sacrifice equal to a human. Kimikyo...we'd either have to kill someone or kill many, many animals which will upset they faes and Mudoken." "Then it's out of the question. Killing shouldn't be the answer."

Kimikyo and Kigra continued to walk the castle with Kimikyo letting all her emotions out that she's been holding in. "He's still so stubborn. Getting him to take his medicine has become a challenge most days. He will fight me, I normally have to just grind it and put it in his food." "What about the days you can't get him to take medicine?" Kimikyo was silent at Kigra's question. "That bad, huh?" "He becomes bed ridden those days to the point he just sleeps all day....I don't think he'll last another year." "Have you talked to him about what will happen once he's gone?" Kimikyo nodded to her. "He wants it to happen in the Commonwealth and he's agreed to be cremated. He asked that The kids each get part of his ashes. Owen has already taken charge of the Brotherhood, but he's willed Roger his Power armor and Aria knife." "What about his coat?" Kimikyo looked at Kigra as if she asked a dumb question, which she had. "R-right. You've most likely already claimed it." "I did, even though he tried to say he wanted to be cremated in it. I begged him to let me keep it."

Kigra had returned Kimikyo to Maxson before going to the throne room. In the throne room stood Kenji, Kimikyo's grandfather. "Kenji. What a surprise, what are you doing here?" "I've come to see my great grandchildren. I've already met with Roger and I'm awaiting to see Kimikyo. I have a gift for her." Kigra tilted her head before looking around. "Where...is Roger?" "He's gone out to find artifacts." Kigra's face paled. "Kenji...." "Go gather my grand-daughter please." "R-right." Kigra rushed back to Kimikyo explaining that Kenji was there. Kimikyo went to Kenji, leaving Kigra with Maxson. "Grandfather...?" Kenji turned to her, smiling at her. "Your son is just like his grandfather. When nervous he spills his guts." He chuckled lightly. "He's told me about your husband and the plans that came from it." "Grandfather, we can't it requires a human sacrifice. I will not kill anyone." "I see but what if it is someone who wants to die?" Kimikyo was taken back by his words. "Wh-what...?" "I'm nearly seventy thousand years old and I miss my wife. She's been gone for twenty thousand years now and I think it's time I go see her." "Grandfather...I...I can't." "Then don't be there. The spell only needs three casters and you have three siblings that I'm very sure are willing to do any thing to make their baby sister happy." Kimikyo teared up again at his words. "Grandpa! Please don't." "I've already told you, I want to see my wife again. Either I do a noble thing or I'm jumping down a mountain." Kimikyo looked at him, he had a serious look to his face. She wasn't going to sway him no matter what she did or say, she just simply nodded to him. "Very well. I will go help Roger find the items needed." "Please hurry...Maxson may not have very long." Kenji patted Kimikyo's head before leaving.

Kimikyo returned to Kigra and explained everything to her and Maxson. "What happens when the spell is cast?" Maxson spoke up. "Well when you die you'll be reincarnated it may happen right away or it may take a few years. Where it happens in key. If you die in the Commonwealth that's were you'll be reincarnated." Kigra explained. "And how will she know it's me when it happens?" Kimikyo looked at Maxson with a shocked expression. "Well that's the trick...one of the items to recover is an aura detecting device, it's a necklace actually. We'd place your blood, hair, skin...ashes, just a piece of you in the necklace, when you get reincarnated it will glow as the pieces will try to return to Maxson. It's like a compass, it will lead you to him. Once you find him again just open your necklace and allow the pieces to return to him. The great thing is after that happens, you'll actually be able to remember her and you previous life." Kimikyo thought for a moment before looking at Kigra. "Do...would I have to do the spell each time?" "No, it's a cursed spell so the person will be reincarnated each time but you must always have a piece of the from the previous life in order for them to be whole once more." "That doesn't sound too bad." Kimikyo said with relief. "Kimi...he will remember each and every life that builds up. He may start to go mad as in this life his apart of the Brotherhood but the next he may be a ghoul or a synth. Multiple lives will conflict with each other which is why it's a curse and not a blessing. It's dark magic for a reason." "O-oh.." Kimikyo looked at Maxson. "Are you sure you want this, my King?" "I want you to do what ever makes you happiest." "What if I don't have anything from a previous life, what would happen then?" Kigra thought for a moment before shrugging. "I'd assume he wouldn't have any memory of that previous life and it'd be a reset." "We could fall in love again." Kimikyo looked at Kigra. "Or he'd fall in love with someone else. There's always a down to the up, Kimikyo." "R-right..."

Kimikyo waited until night time when Maxson slept to go find Aria. Aria was in her room, packing a bag to go to the fae world. "Aria..." Kimikyo walked over to her daughter. "Mama?" Kimikyo was silent as she looked at the items that were laid out to be packed. "I-I wanted to take my favorite things." She picked of a photo of her, her brothers, and their parents back when she was still a baby. "A thousand years is a long time and I don't want to forget you guys." "You'll find that it is just a drop in a lake when you can live forever." Kimikyo helped Aria pack, the two remained silent. They weren't as close as Aria was to Maxson. Kimikyo often felt a disconnect with each of her children, though they all loved each other very much. "Mama...is this a good idea?" "Is what a good idea?" Aria hesitated before speaking. "Going to the fae world...to be someone else's child." "You only have to go if you want to...no of us are forcing you." There was a long silence. "However, I do think it is a good idea and a bad one at the same time." "Mama?" "You will always be our child, no matter what and I want what's best for you. I don't want to loose you so soon, you're my little princess. The fae world is a mystery to us. Even though they gave us our magic we know next to nothing about them. I was lucky to have Lord Oberon bless me with his company but I do worry for you and your safety there. I don't know the right answer but I will not force you to go." Aria looked at Kimikyo taking note of the bags under her eyes. They were from exhaustion and crying. "Will you visit me?" "Lord Oberon said that I may. I will visit as much as I can." Aria wrapped her arms around Kimikyo who in return hugged her. "I am to deliver you tomorrow night. Please spend what time you can with your father." "I will."

Aria could hardly sleep that night. When the sun rose she went to the kitchen and with the help of the chefs on duty she prepared a breakfast for her parents. She went to their room to deliver the food. "Mama, papa, I made breakfast." She walked in to see Kimikyo giving Maxson medicines though he was fighting it. "I told you I don't need them. I'm fine!" "Arthur...please...." She was exhausted from the constant struggle of taking care of him. "Papa, you need to take your medicine." Aria stepped in to take over for Kimikyo. After a lot of back and forth Aria was able to get him to take the medicines. "Papa can we have a father, daughter day today?" Kimikyo smiled lightly at Aria's words. "I think that is a great idea. I promised Kigra to spend time with her today anyways." Maxson nodded at Kimikyo's words. "Very well, what would you like to do then Aria?" "Can you take me back to the Prydwen? I've missed it." She smiled happily at him. Soon the two went back to the Commonwealth.

Kimikyo headed to Kigra when Roger and Kenji returned. "Mother." Kimikyo looked at him with concern in her eyes. "We were able to get all but the phoenix feather...." "That shouldn't be too hard. Your uncle is the phoenix." "R-really? I honestly just thought he was a giant fire chicken...." Kimikyo gave him an agreeable look. The three went to find Kai but was met with Rosalina. "I'm sorry Kimikyo, your brother has went on a tour of the countries for peace treaties. He won't be back for months." Roger looked at Kimikyo, she was trembling at Rosalina's words. Roger turned to Rosalina. "Where is he heading? What's his route?" Rosalina sighed before nodding to her lady in waiting. The woman wrote down all the areas they were to stop at before handing it to Roger. "You'll not be able to catch him so easily. They are two days ahead of you and you're not a flyer." "But my mother is." "I can't leave your father alone...." Roger placed his hand on her shoulder. "Go. Aria has father right? I'll also be here to help and so will Owen." Roger walked with Kimikyo outside. She transformed into a dragon and made her way to find Kai.

Aria and Maxson went to the Commonwealth and directly to the airport. Owen greet them with a warm smile. Aria took time to meet with Owen, explaining to him everything that is going with her and the fae world. "While I am happy to hear you will be able to grow and live with us, is this what you want or are you trying to make father happy? You follow his every wish and command no matter what." Aria was silent as the two watch Maxson act as if he were still the Elder. "It's his dying wish to keep mother happy...and she's already so distraught about loosing dad. I can't imagine how she'll be if she lost one of us." Owen nodded to her. "How long do you think he has?" Owen asked his sister. "Mother doesn't think he has another year...I fear he'll have less time. The radiation is dangerous here...why do you choose to stay?" "Because I have magic to protect me from the radiation and....it was father's request that I took over." Aria smiled at her brother. "See I'm not the only one who tries to make him happy." "Hmm...fair enough. So where is mom?" Aria looked at Owen. "She's in La Tempo with aunt Kigra though I hope she's resting. Taking care of father has been a struggle for her recently." "I can only imagine. It's sad to see such a proud and strong may deuterate so quickly." Aria and Owen watched Maxson for a little bit longer before they joined him.

Kimikyo had quickly caught up to Kai and his diplomats. She landed behind the convoy before running towards the front. "Kai!" This caused many of the knights with them to draw their swords on her. "Great divines men! This is my sister lower your weapons." Kai stopped his horse, allowing Kimikyo to walk up to him. "Why are you here? Not that I don't mind your company." Kimikyo bowed to him, speaking quickly as she felt time was running out. "I need one of your feathers." Kai paled at her words. He looked at his men then to the sky, it was nearly night. "Alright men let's set up camp here. Kimikyo, come with me." Kai climbed off the horse before turning into a phoenix. He led his sister into the sky to talk with out being out of sight on the convoy. "Why do you need a feather?" "It's Maxson...he doesn't have long, a year at most. We...I-I found a spell...and I need one of your feathers. It's the last thing I need." "Kimikyo. That's dark magic. If you preform it not only will you be cursed but so will Maxson. I can't allow you to do this. I will not give you a feather." Kimikyo recoiled at his unwillingness to help. "Y-you don't even know what spell I found!" "I do!" He, for the first time ever, shouted at her. "I do know it and I will not give you my feathers!" Kimikyo teared up at his words. "Just let the man die in peace. He's not like us. He will not be able to handle the mental strain that you will place on him."

Kimikyo landed away from the convoy, tears streaming down her face once more. Kai landed next to her. "I know this is cruel of me, Kimikyo but I will not risk your well being for someone else. You always take care of everyone else, just this once take care of yourself." He placed one of his wings on her back. "I..I can't loose him Kai." "Kimikyo, I think you need to see Azumiral. She can help you cope with your loss when it does happen." Kimikyo quietly sobbed at Kai's words. The two had transformed back into their human forms with Kai holding Kimikyo as she cried. Haku had walked over to them, saddened by the sounds of Kimikyo's crying even though she had fallen asleep. "Lord Kai, we've finished setting up." "Thank you." "Would you like me to escort her back...?" Kai held onto his sister. "No, just let her sleep for now. Send one of the carrier pigeons to the castle informing them she arrived and won't be returning until tomorrow." Haku nodded to Kai before going to do as told.

Kai had moved against a tree as he held Kimikyo through out the night. Haku had covered the two once Kai fell asleep. The next morning Kai was the first to awake. He had plucked out one of his feathers for Kimikyo, leaving her a note with it before he and his convoy packed up and left her under the tree. Kimikyo woke hours after they had left. She read the note which read: "Kimikyo, while I don't recommend using the reincarnation spell or any of the life or death spells the option is ultimately up to you. Just ask yourself this one question, is this what he would have wanted when he was younger?" She clenched the note and feather in her hands before sighing. "No...No Kai...it's not what he would have wanted." She transformed into her dragon form to fly back to the castle. Along the way she thought to herself about what to do.

When she landed she was rushed by Roger. "Did you get it?!" She transformed back as she handed him the feather. "Roger....don't preform the spell." "B-but mom-!" She shook her head at him. "Go spend time with him while you can." "Mom...what about grandfather Kenji?" "Let him die on his own. He said he was prepared to end it either way." She hugged Roger tightly before the two walked in the castle. Aria and Owen were there with Maxson who was fighting them to take medicine. "Enough. Put it down." "Mama...?" "Mother?" Kimikyo walked over to Maxson, wrapping her arms around him. "We're being selfish aren't we love?" He wrapped his arms around her. "No more medicines...no more spells. I promise." Their kids looked at them for a long while before joining in on the hug. "We're sorry dad."

Later that evening Kimikyo took Aria to the edge of the forest where Oberon was awaiting them. Roger and Owen had given her a tight hug before she turned to Kimikyo. "Please let me know when it happens." "I will my little song bird." Kimikyo kissed her forehead and hugged her before Aria walked over to the large stag. "Are you prepared, child?" "I am." Oberon laid down in order for her to climb on his back, which she did. "I'll see you in a thousand years, Owen and Roger. Try not to blow the Commonwealth up." She joked to them. Oberon, with Aria on his back, walked back into the forest. The three lingered before returning to the castle.

With each passing day, Maxson got worse and was bed ridden most days. Kimikyo never left his side, even after they returned to the Commonwealth. She would try her best to get him out of bed and to walk but many days in was impossible. Roger would visit them often as would Kigra and Kai to give her a break here and there but she was never far from them.

Six months had passed since then. Kimikyo and Maxson were laid in their bed together. Maxson was holding her as he use to do when he spoke. "Don't ever forget my, my queen." "I won't. How could I?" She was facing him as the two spoke. "You know in all my life....I never imagined I have such a wonderful wife that was stronger then me." "Arthur I'm not stronger then you." He stroked her hair, smiling at her. "You are because I know you'll live on after I'm gone and that makes you stronger." "....Arthur?" He closed his eyes, a faint smile still on his face. "I love you, Kimikyo." "I love you too." He slowly went limp as he stopped breathing. Kimikyo stayed in his arms, silently crying. Little did she know outside she was causing a massive storm to form above the airport. Owen watched it form, his eyebrows were furrowed as he noted it wasn't a normal storm. "Go find my mother." "Sir?" "Now!" The soldier rushed off to Kimikyo and Maxson's quarters. "Miss Kimikyo. Your son is requesting you." They knocked on the door a few times before returning to Owen. "Elder Owen, she didn't answer but...I heard what sounded like crying." Owen rushed to the quarters with the soldier close behind. "Mom. Open the door or I'm kicking it in." Owen was pounded on the door. "Mom!" He took a step back before kicking the door in.

Owen and the soldier looked into the room to see a partially transformed Kimikyo. She looked human but had black dragon scales creeping over her skin as well as her tail, wings and claws were formed. It was as if she was fighting back her transformation. Owen looked over to see the lifeless Maxson. "M-mom...." Owen slowly walked over to her, gently touching her shoulder. "Mom...let's go." "No!" She held on to Maxson's shirt. "I can't leave him!" "Mom he's not here anymore." "He-he's right here. We were just talking!" Owen looked back at the soldier who was in terror at Kimikyo's form. "Go get my aunt Azumiral." "Sir she's-" "Right here." Azumiral had rounded the corner arriving. "I saw the storm from the castle." She walked into the room, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Kimikyo...it's time to let him go." "I can't." "I know you can't...but you have to. He wouldn't want you to behave like this. This isn't how his queen would react, would it?" Kimikyo looked at Maxson's body, giving him one last kiss before letting him go. Owen had rolled Maxson on to his back as Kimikyo sat up. Azumiral wrapped her arms around Kimikyo before ushering her outside of the room. The soldier quickly moved into the room to help Owen prepared Maxson's body.

Azumiral walked with Kimikyo outside who instantly fell to her knees. "Let it out." Azumiral stepped back, as did any near by soldiers. Kimikyo had let out a painful scream as tears rolled down her cheeks. With each scream she let out, lightening struck. After an hour passed the storm had faded, with her finally calming down. Many of the soldiers were now mourning with her. Azumiral walked over to Kimikyo, hugging her tightly. "It'll be okay. You'll be okay." Kimikyo was silent as she held onto her sister. Owen had walked over to them, his eyes puffy as he too had cried. "What...what did dad want us to do with his body?" "He wanted to be burned....so we could each have his ashes." "Right....mom...I know this is hard but what about his belongings?" Kimikyo had looked at Owen. "Aria gets his knife, Roger gets his Power armor, you've already gotten yours, and I'm taking his coat and tags." Owen thought for a moment before asking. "What did I get?" "The Brotherhood....we never said anything but this division had split from the main groups years ago due to your father refusing to leave us. The Citadel didn't believe we had the right to live in the Commonwealth because we weren't human enough for them. It seemed many of the soldiers hated not just me but you and Roger too and made many complaints to the Citadel." Owen was shocked by this. "That...would explain a lot actually. I'm honored he gave my his division." "Please lead it as your father would have...after he's burned...I don't think I can stay here." "Mom?" Kimikyo hugged Owen. Owen ran his hand through his mother's hair. "Stay in contact." "I will."

Only a few days had passed since Maxson died. Many Brotherhood soldiers, Minutemen, and people of La Tempo had arrived. Kigra had arrived earlier in the day to construct a stone chamber with holes on one side to allow flames to enter. Kimikyo was in the room Maxson's body was being kept in. She was wearing his coat on her shoulders like a cape. She was fixing his hair and outfit when Roger, Owen, Kai and Danse walked in. "Mom...it's time." "Right...." She kissed Maxson's forehead before she left the room. The four moved him to a wooden casket to be taken to the chamber. As they walked towards it the Brotherhood soldiers solituded causing everyone else, even Kimikyo who hardly ever did, to solute. The casket was placed in the chamber then sealed. The boys and Danse stood by Kimikyo who was near the chamber. She nodded to Kai and the two other fire users. At her command they released their flames into the chamber. With a shaking voice, Kimikyo spoke. "Ad...Ad Victorium!" After a moment everyone repeated her.

A few hours had passed. Everyone had gone to their homes or was attending the celebration of life ceremony that was being held in the airport building. Danse hardly left Kimikyo's side at Kigra's request. Hancock had even showed up. "How are you doing kiddo?" "I'm holding up....you know...he's probably flipping out because you're here." "Heh, I'm hoping so. I always did enjoy fucking with him. He was too easy to annoy, ain't that right crue-cut?" He looked over at Danse who simply nodded to him. "Anyways, I'm sorry for your loss. You two really complimented and loved each other really much. I think you softened and warmed his stone cold heart. I mean hell I'm still standing, before you I would of had a bullet between my eyes. So would Danse." "Is that supposed to make her feel better?" Danse glared down at Hancock though Kimikyo stepped in. "It's fine. I'll take it as a compliment considering Arthur was hard-headed." Kimikyo gave Hancock a quick hug before he left the airport.

Kai had walked over to his sister carrying a vase. "Here he is." Kimikyo gently took the vase from him, with her wrapping her arms around it. "Thank you...I think I'll take him to La Tempo." "Kimi...I know it was hard for you, but thank you for not casting the spell. I don't think I could bare it for you both to be cursed." He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him. "I have to get back to La Tempo now. Danse please take care of her." "Sir." Kai kissed her forehead before leaving. Little by little people began to give their condolences and goodbyes until it was just her and Danse left in the building. "Kimikyo....?" "Danse....do...you think...he was okay with this?" She squeezed the vase, tears rolling down her cheeks. "You said he agreed to the cremation." "No..the party. He didn't like them much...but always attended them for me." Danse thought for a moment. "I think he would have wanted it in the end because you wanted it. No doubt he would have done the same for you. Maybe less ghouls and more serious. Knowing him he would have made everyone wear formal clothes and served only the finest foods." Kimikyo couldn't help be crack a smile at his words. "He really would have." "He would have cried just as much though." "Thank you Danse...but I don't think he had the capability to cry." "Only he does. I've seen him cry twice now." She looked up at him with curiosity. "Once when the twins were just born and once when Aria was. He never wanted you to know but he was worried and scared to be a parent. He worried every day for their lives, knowing how harsh the Commonwealth, the worlds for the fact, were." The two were silent before Danse gently asked. "Are you ready to go back to La Tempo?" "I am." Danse led Kimikyo to the portal and went back to La Tempo.

On the other side of the portal Kigra was waiting for them with DJ. "Daddy!" The tiny child reached for Danse who picked him up. Kigra walked over to Kimikyo, hugging her tightly. "I'm sorry I couldn't be there." "It's alright...I know you two weren't close." "That's...That isn't why.." Kigra looked at her a bit heart broken that Kimikyo thought it was the reason she was absent. "Kimikyo...." "I'm sorry...I'm just really tired." Kimikyo walked past the three of them, going directly to her old room. DJ looked at Danse, confused. "Is aunt Kimi sick?" "N-no sweetness....she's just sad right now." Kigra responded to him.

The next day Kimikyo went to the jeweler. "Queen Kimikyo, it's a pleasure to see you. I heard the news, I'm sorry." "It's fine....I...can you make me four cremation necklaces." "Of course. Any design you want?" Kimikyo thought for a moment. "One heart shape, and the other three can be cylindrical." "Very well. I'll have them ready in three days time." "Thank you." Kimikyo left the shop before walking around the town. She stopped at a food stall to get lunch only to think back on one of the first outings she and Maxson had. She had dragged him to the stall to get cup cakes. She had convinced him to try one that was vegetable based. "Ma'am? Is there anything else you'd like?" "Y-yes....can I have a vegetable melody cup cake." "Of course! You know we only sold a handful of these. We'll be pulling these soon. No many people like them." "O-oh...do...do you think I could have the recipe then? My husband really likes them." "I'll have to ask my mother but I don't see any harm in it." The girl went in the back to get her mother. The two soon returned. "Oh my, Princess Kimikyo you're wanting the recipe?" Kimikyo nodded to her. "Maxson really liked them." "Oh deary....of course you can have it. I'll go write in down right now. Imogene, don't charge her for anything today." "Mama?" Kimikyo had shook her head looking at the now alone daughter. "Please....don't pity me, let me pay at least half price if anything." "R-right....I'm sorry I don't know what's going on but mama said to give it to you for free so that's what I have to do." She packaged the cupcakes up in a box as her mother gave Kimikyo the recipe.

Kimikyo made her way back to the castle where she ran into Vaati. The two had never met when Vaati had walked up to her. He had Rosalina's golden hair and light purple eyes. "Who are you?" He was the same age as Aria only months older. His arms were crossed as he stood before he. "I'm-" "The new maid, of course! Get to work my room is a mess." Kimikyo tilted her head at him before nodding. "And what are these? Don't think because you are late that you can bribe the ROYAL family." He took the box of cupcakes from her hands. Opening it up, he pulled out one of her cakes that with vanilla and bright pink with frosting. "Who gets veggie cakes? Those are disgusting." "My husband is quite fond of them." "Look I don't care. Next time get better cakes." Vaati shoved the box back to her. She couldn't help but smile at him before she followed him. "Where is your room?" "You don't know?! Gods just ask the head maid she'll tell you." "I'm sorry but I don't know anyone here. I'm new remember?" Vaati grabbed her wrist, dragging her to Kai and Rosalina. "Mom, dad, who hired this maid! She's completely useless." "Vaati..." Kai spoke. "I mean she doesn't even know who to go to or where anything is at! She also brought these disgusting cupcakes." Rosalina looked at Kimikyo who just shrugged at her. "Vaati." He turned to Kimikyo, even though it was Rosalina who spoke. "I want my room clean! Do you understand? Clean. C-L-E-A-N." "I still don't know where your room is." "Vaati, why don't you show her where your room is. Be a good prince." Vaati looked at Kai before nodding to him. Vaati dragged her by the wrist again to his room. Kai looked at Rosalina who was pinching the bridge of her nose. "How long should we wait to tell him?" "Let her go through his room to dig up dirt on him first." Kai laughed. "He needs to be taught a lesson or two!"

Vaati opened his door. His room wasn't particularly messy, everything was just scattered. "I'll leave you to it then. I'll be back after dinner and I expect you to be finished." At that he left. Kimikyo looked around the room before placing her items on a near by table. She began picking up his clothes, placing them on the bed. "If this is a mess, I wonder what he'd say about the Commonwealth." Before she began anything else, she opened the window. She then started picking up all the trash and books.

Kigra walked to Kai. "Have you seen Kimikyo today?" "We have but you might want to ask Vaati. He was with her last." "Really?" Kigra was confused by this before going to look for Vaati. She searched for almost an hour for him, only to find him in the dinning hall preparing for dinner. Kai and Rosalina had joined the group as did Danse, Roger and DJ. "Vaati, a moment please?" "What is it Aunt Kigra?" His attitude was completely different. He was calmer and more polite. "I wanted to ask you if you've seen Kimikyo today. She's your other aunt." "No I haven't. I'd assume she's at her house. Why do you ask?" Kigra looked at Kai with an all around confused look. "Kai?" Vaati sat down after he got a plate of food. "Vaati tell me what happened with that woman you brought to us earlier." "I took her to my room to clean it. She looks lazy so I doubt she'll be done anytime soon. Honestly, Pheilo hires the most random people!" Kai nodded to him then looked at Kigra. "Vaati, have you ever met you aunt Kimikyo? Do you know what she looks like?" "No, why?" Kigra let out a sigh. "How long has that maid been cleaning your room?" "About an hour or so." Vaati looked at Kai and Rosalina. Rosalina turned away, sipping her tea. Kigra handed Vaati a small photo of Kimikyo where she was with her three kids and Maxson. "This is your aunt, this is your uncle and of course you know your cousins." Vaati looked at the photo before rushing to his room with Kai and Kigra following behind him.

Kimikyo was finishing making his bed when the three opened the door. "Vaati, I found this journal. What did -" "DIDYOUREADIT!?" He was blushing at his words. Kimikyo looked at him before nodding. "Only the page you left it open to. So Imogene huh?" Vaati turned red at her words. "You know she's the baker's daughter of the cupcake you hate so much." He blushed darker and darker at her words. "Why...why didn't you say you were my aunt?!" Kai was laughing as he was being dragged away by Kigra. Kimikyo sat on the edge of his bed, shrugging. "I was bored. I use to clean my boys' rooms all the time when I had alot on my mind." Vaati sat on his bed. "Aren't you a queen? Why would you have on your mind that's so bad?" Kimikyo looked at him. "What is it you think queens do?" "They sit on the throne and look elegant all day or sip tea and eat snacks." "Maybe here that's what's done...though that doesn't sound true but where I'm from I had to manage hundreds of people in order to make sure hundreds more had a chance to live. Food was had to come by and the food that was found was poisonous by radiation. I was also a peace keeper there. There are what's could synths and ghouls there that many people didn't like and some would actively hunt them down and kill them. They would come to me for help and I would do just that." "Uncle Danse talked about how ghouls are disgusting creatures and choose to live with the affects of the radiation." "That doesn't mean they should be killed for it and they aren't that disgusting. Though it may take some getting use to, to those who judge others easily." Vaati looked at her before looking at the box with the cupcakes in them. "Mom and Dad told me you lost your husband...so why did you buy him a cupcake?" "Out of habit I suppose. It's been a few days but it's still hard to come to terms. We were inseparable for so long that it just feels like a dream right now. That I'll wake up and he'll still be by my side in the morning." Vaati was awkwardly silent for a moment before speaking. "I can understand to an extent. My best friend died a few months ago. He was really sick from birth...it was a miracle he lasted for sixteen years." "How long did you know him for?" "Since birth...mom's noble friend had a child the same year and they would always arange play dates for us when we were kids." Kimikyo patted his head. "I'm sorry for your loss." "Same." "How about we make a deal...any time you feel like crying or letting your emotions out you come to me. I know how hard it is for you boys to find an outlet for your emotions. My Owen would always come to me to just rant on and on and he even cried to me a few times." "No way! Owen? He's huge and so strict!" Kimikyo laughed lightly. "He is, isn't he? But yes even Owen has emotions. I don't want you bottling them up, so please come to me if you ever need anything Vaati." "Alright but you have to take me flying! Aunt Kigra says you're a dragon and a great flyer." Kimikyo nodded to him. "It's a deal then."

Kimikyo had lived in La Tempo for years after that day. Once a week she would go to the forest to visit Aria. She would call for Oberon and he would bring her to the fae world. On her first visit she brought Aria a necklace with Maxson's ashes and his hunting knife. Every visit after that Aria and Kimikyo would sit and talk for only a couple hours before Tatiana would call for Aria. She had many fae classes and lessons which left her with little time to socialize.

A thousand years had finally passed. Roger, Owen and Kimikyo were all stood at the edge of the forest waiting for Aria. Kimikyo's hair was now cut to shoulder length. Owen had new scars on not only his face but his body too. He had long since moved back to La Tempo to lead the royal guard. Roger's hair was longer and tied back in a pony tail. He looked more like Maxson then Owen in face and build. Rustling was heard from the trees before Lord Oberon, for once in his true fae form walked out with Aria following him. She was more womanly now, resembling her grandmother in stature and how she holds herself. She looked at Oberon who nodded to her. She rushed over to her siblings, wrapping her arms around them. The twins had hugged her back.

Kimikyo walked over to Oberon, bowing to him. "Thank you for allowing my little girl to live among us as immortals." "Thank you for allowing us to borrow her. Tatiana loved having her there with us." She nodded to him. "Is she okay with? She won't try to take her back will she?" "You are all our children and she knows that. She simply wanted to know what it felt like to raise a child. She will not come back for Aria." Kimikyo let out a sigh of relief. Aria ran over to Oberon giving him a hug. "Good bye Lord Oberon. Thank you for everything!" "Your welcome, child. Remember my lessons and stay out of trouble. I know how much of trouble makers your brothers are." Aria nodded to him. Oberon had left to go back to the Fae world.

Aria had visited her aunts, uncle, and cousins before she and Kimikyo went to the royal family mausoleum. "Hi papa..." Aria walked over to the shrine that contained Maxson's ashes. It was still well maintained and clean with flowers and the wolf plush. "I'm back and able to live with everyone now. I've learned so much from Lord Oberon and Lady Tatiana. I wish you could be here with us...." She had a smile on her face though tears were rolling down her cheeks. "Mama said you left with a smile. I'm glad...I was worried you'd go out fighting ghouls and synths. I promise I'll make sure mama stays happy from now on but you need to hurry back to us. Lord Oberon says that the cursing spell doesn't need to be preformed for you to be reincarnated. He says it just takes longer. So hurry, we're all waiting for you." Kimikyo smiled gently at Aria before looking over at Azumiral, Preston and Jacob's shrine. Aria had wiped her tears away, before looking at Kimikyo. "When did Aunt Azumiral go?" "Soon after Jacob died...She was over taken by grief and her health just got worse and worse but I'm sure she's happier with them in the great forest in the sky." Aria and Kimikyo bowed to the shrines they visited before going home.

The two walked hand in hand back to the castle. "Mama...have you found him yet?" "I have. He was just born in the Commonwealth." Aria smiled gently. "I'm glad you didn't preform the cursing spell." "I'm glad too but I'm also so proud that you took initiative that day and taught me the location spell and informed me of the reincarnation." She smiled at her daughter. "I'm afraid that was all I could do. Before leaving I was sworn to secrecy. I can't teach any spells or potions I learned from the faes but I can preform them." "It was more than enough. So what will you do now that you're home?" Aria thought for a moment. "I was thinking maybe making a potions shop in the Commonwealth." "Oh...Aria dear, magic has been forbidden in the Commonwealth by Kai." "What?!" "Your brothers caused a lot of damage on day with it. It was an all out war there over eight hundred years ago." Kimikyo frowned. "What was the war over?" "There was a raider group from a place called Nuka World that thought the could take the Commonwealth. There were thousands of raiders that joined them in the attack so Owen and Roger launched their war. Kai and Kigra had to protect as many people as they could." "What about you?" "Who do you think stopped your brothers? They were in their beast forms by the time I got to them. I don't think I've ever seen so much blood and death." "What about the raiders?" "We were able to push them back to Nuka World where we banished them." "Banished them?" Kimikyo looked at Aria. "We severed there transportation to and from the Commonwealth. Kigra also put up a wall around it. They won't be able to return." Aria looked at the Castle that was before them. "After we buried all the people who died, raiders, soldiers and settlers alike...Kai took the two boys away. I've never seen him angry before but that day, I feared for them. He reprimanded them for what they did. Not so much for defending the Commonwealth but for the fact so many innocent people had died because of it." "People die in wars though." "Yes but they could have gotten a lot more people to safety before attacking. The Raiders weren't even off the beach before they started. Your brothers were sentenced to one year of exile for every innocent persons death." Aria looked at Kimikyo. "How long were they gone for?" "Five hundred years." "Oh lord!" Kimikyo couldn't help but laugh at her reaction. "You'll learn that it isn't very long."

The two had finally walked into the castle. Vaati had looked at Aria before sitting down. "Nice to see you back. " "Thanks, I'm glad to be back home." Kimikyo waited until Owen and Roger had joined them before speaking to her children. "As I've told you before, your father has been reborn through normal reincarnation. I have decided I am going to go back to the Commonwealth." "Mom..?" Roger looked at her. "What if he falls in love with someone else?" "As long as I can at least befriend him, that'll be good enough for me." "How are you going to do that? You're old and didn't he just get reborn?" Kimikyo stared at Owen with an annoyed look. "Excuse you? I am not old." "You're over a thousand years old. We're all old!" Kimikyo flicked Owen's forehead. "All the same. I've been practicing a transformation spell that will allow me to look younger so that I can grow up with him again." "Mom...this is just going to cause you to be hurt again. Shouldn't you maybe move on? Find someone here to grow old with." Owen was rubbing his forehead where he was flicked. "I'm going to have to agree with Owen, mama." Aria looked at her. "I mean what about Hancock? You were good friends with him weren't you?" "Just because we're friends doesn't mean we'll be a good couple besides he's got a girl right now." "Then why not Haku?" Kai had appeared behind her, wrapping his arms around her. "Haku...the ex-captain of the royal guard?" "Yea!" "He's got a husband." "Oh yea...I never see his husband so I always forget. I should send them a happy marriage card." Kimikyo pinched the bridge of her nose. "Enough of this. I'm doing this whether any one likes it or not."

Ten years had passed since that night. Kimikyo casted the spell to make herself look like a child before going through the portal. She found the ten year reincarnated Maxson. He was not at all shockingly, at the Citadel, training to be a Brotherhood of Steel soldier. She stood bear the building watching Maxson run around and play with the other squires. A paladin had walked up to her behind her. "Are you lost little one?" She turned around to see the paladin taking their helmet off. "I...uhm..." She was at a loss of words before Owen walked up behind her. "There you are. Thank you for finding my little sister, Paladin. She is wanting to join the ranks." "And you are?" Owen looked down at Kimikyo. "Owen Hokkadoshi. A descendent of the Commonwealth Brotherhood division." "Oh! You're Arthur's boy right then this must be little Aria." Kimikyo and Owen looked at the paladin be it hit her who they were. "Mai?" "That's right but how....oh great divines, Kimikyo?" "This is where you've been this whole time?!" Owen cleared his throat. "Right, Owen this is Mai she use to be my lady in waiting but I though you went back to Mudos?" "Nope. I've been living here. I keep de-aging myself acting as my own daughter but why are you here? Why not the Commonwealth division?" Owen looked at Mai. "Because Arthur died and reincarnated. Mom is here on a crazy, mid-life crisis thinking she can relive her life with him." "O-oh...I see...Owen could you give us a moment?" "Sure." Owen had took this opportunity to go to a nearby caravan to gather some foods he enjoyed. "Prin-Queen Kimikyo if I may. This is a bad idea. You know the saying...those who do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it again. Well...our influence here was never meant to be. There are anomalies happening as if this world is in a time loop." "What do you mean?" "I mean the portal from before caused this place to be stuck in a loop with it resetting every few hundred years but something is always different. For this place to grow and progress. We all need to leave. We need to erase La Tempo's influence." Kimikyo looked at Mai then towards Maxson. "But...I just got him back..." "I know and I'm sorry my queen but are you willing to risk everyone's freedom to progress in this world for one man?" "No...I don't think I can." "I've almost removed all information from the terminals here after that, La Tempo can be wiped from their minds." Kimikyo nodded to Mai. "Then...until then might it be okay I go to him? I just want a little more time with him." "I don't see why not. I will inform Owen of everything."

Kimikyo walked over to the squires, nervous to talk to the child that was once Maxson. The squires looked at her before he walked up to her. "Who are you?" She opened her mouth before closing it again. "What deathclaw got your tongue?" She nodded to him before sighing her name. "Oh? Are you mute, I've never met a person you can't talk before! Well I'm Arthur Maxson! I come from the great line of Maxson's!" Kimikyo teared up as she thought on Mai's words. The child before her was truly her Maxson and not a reincarnation. "Hey, are you okay?" She balled over crying over the fact that he was standing before her. Sara Lyons had walked over to her, rubbing her back. "Arthur, what did you do?" "I didn't do anything! She just started crying." "Hey there...are you okay, sweetie?" Kimikyo looked at Sara before rushing over to Maxson, clinging to him. "Well....this is new." Sara laughed lightly as Maxson tried to get away from Kimikyo.

Owen had went to La Tempo to inform Kai about what Mai had told him. Kai had informed Owen to go back and help Mai and to keep an eye on Kimikyo. As the years continued to pass Maxson quickly climbed the ranks as he once did. Kimikyo had followed behind him with only being a rank below him. Mai had came to Kimikyo one day, explaining they were ready to wipe La Tempo from the Commonwealth. "I'm sorry Kimikyo...but it's time." "R-right. Give me one day please, to say goodbye." Mai nodded to her. Kimikyo went directly to Maxson. He looked over at her, noticing something was wrong. "You okay?" "I'm fine..." This caught him off guard as she never spoke to him before. "I'm sorry...I just..." She teared up. "This might sound crazy Arthur but...this is my only chance to tell you. I'm from a place called La Tempo...you and I met once before there and-" "We use to be married." Kimikyo looked at him with shock in her eyes. "Kimi, I've known that forever." "A-Arthur..." He smiled at her. "I remembered my past life years ago before you even showed back up. Why do you think I made sure you stayed close to me?" She wrapped her arms around him, sobbing into his chest. He ran his hand through her hair. "Kimikyo, tell me what's wrong." "I have to leave and...and I can't come back." "Then I'll go with you." "I'm sorry my king, but you can't. You have to stay here and live your life with out me so that history doesn't repeat and your world can move on." She looked up at him. "This...this is our last day together so please...let's just stay like this for as long as we can." Arthur nodded to her, holding her as he once use to. They spent their last day together doing everything two teenagers in the wasteland could do.

As the sun rose Owen went to find Kimikyo and Maxson. The two had watch the sunset the day before, having fallen asleep under a tree. Owen carefully lifted her in his arms causing Maxson to wake up. "Owen." This caused Owen to freeze in his place. "I know you placed a sleeping spell on her. Tell Aria and Roger I'm pride of who you all became." "Dad?" Maxson nodded to him. "And tell your mom that she can move on from me. I know you won't be able to return. Please stay safe and give everyone hugs for me." "I will dad." Maxson stood up, walking over to Kimikyo to give her a final kiss goodbye, then patter Owen on the back. "You should get going. "I love you son." "I love you too dad." Owen was fighting back his tears before her got in the vertibird that Mai was piloting.

Once Owen had returned to La Tempo, Kai had stepped through. He transformed into his phoenix form to fly high in the sky. He cast the spell which caused a very bright light to engulf the wasteland, thus removing all traces of La Tempo from everyone's mind. He went back to La Tempo before the light faded. Kigra was stood at the portal with Roger and Aria to close it permanently. Kimikyo woke up in her bed with Owen siting next to her. "Owen?" "Mom...why didn't you tell me dad remembered us." "I only found out yesterday...and for once I wanted to be selfish." She sat up, hugging him. "He told me-" "I already know." Owen looked at her. "A sleep spell is baby magic, my little prince. I easily countered it, and pretended to sleep. I'm glad you came and not Mai. I was hoping you'd get to talk to him." Owen wrapped his arms around her, crying into her shoulder. She rubbed his back, smiling as she finally felt closure. Owen went to his siblings soon after to inform them of what Maxson said. Danse had found Kimikyo standing in the building that once held the portal. "Was I not supposed to go?" "That's the thing Danse....you are a synth. The...original Danse was still born and raised so you not being there...doesn't affect it's history. Had it been after you were switched then yes, you should have been there." "I see." "I'm sorry, that was harsh of me to say." "Think nothing of it. I heard what happened. I'm surprised he remembered everyone but glad you were able to have time with him again." Kimikyo smiled at Danse. "Thank you. I feel...better. It was the closure I needed to move on from the Wasteland." Danse and Kimikyo walked out of the building and towards the castle. "So what do you plan on doing now?" "I don't know...maybe I learn how to travel between universes. Imagine a universe where I'm born in the Commonwealth." She joked. "Yea and you'll be part deathclaw?" "Maybe!" The two laughed at the idea.

-The End-

#fallout 4 fanfic #fallout4 #fanfic #AU #arthur maxson #magic

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