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profeyandere · 8 months

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𝐆𝐀𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐋 ─── ☾ 𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐍

Masterlist || Good Omens Masterlist || Wattpad

Word Count: 3k

Pairing: Archangel Gabriel x Demon!Reader

Warning: None :)

English is not my native language, so I apologize for any mistake and if you can help me improve it, I will greatly appreciate it. I hope you enjoy it :D

Your heart was beating softly for the first time in the last eleven years after the little offspring of your Lord, the much desired and acclaimed Antichrist that you had waited for so long, had finally appeared in the lives of the rest of humanity as the reminder of evil on the planet and the imminent threat of the End of the World, with which it would take with it any sign of life on Earth and bring with it a hope that an eternal war would begin between the great celestial group, which the human being had adored so much during all its centuries of existence thanks to the biblical writings and the various witnesses of God's miracles, and the opposing side made up of sinners and followers of Satan who had fallen from Heaven with him or joined his ranks shortly after, among which you, the adored angel creator of a few planets in the solar system, found yourself having been, like most souls in Hell, one of the many fallen angels who had acted against the God's plans, either through nefarious acts or absurds questions that had provoked the wrath of your Creator. You were not able to remember exactly how everything happened, but what you could point out without any problem and exactly was your curiosity and the great temptation that was to get a higher position on the social ladder of angels. To get a little more respect and recognition, you had caused yourself to become one of the nocturnal beasts that acted evilly to get humans, the perfect creations of the Lord of Heaven, to fall into the clutches of Satan and suffer the same eternal punishment that you and the rest of your fellow demons had been forced to have. Even though your job wasn't as long-suffering as the one you did in Heaven, mainly because you could do things whenever you wanted and you didn't have anyone demanding when to turn in your advances, and it was definitely no worse than lower-ranked devils than you, the vast majority of whom were in charge of suffering constant punishments or doing too boring forced labor that internally killed every demon that got in their way, but in either case, it was much worse than you supposed it could have been ever been. Temptations had become your order of the day, one every morning that you would have to perfect as time went by, or by telling some fib in between to mention that a certain historical event had happened because of you so that your terrifying new boss hadn't destroyed you or thought you as worthless as those who arrived daily below, but you'd been surprised that one of your own, Crowley, had been consorting for several centuries with one of the angels you'd once known while you were one of them, but with whom you hadn't exchanged as many words with him as the serpent in Eden seemed to have.

You discovered his secret during World War II, at the very moment you made sure that the plane that was carrying a large load of explosives was ready to blow up one of the English cities that you had chosen to continue your duties as a demon on Earth and that this one, by the grace of… Well… You know what I mean, would have been diverted to a Church much further away from what was your meeting point. That sudden change of plans surprised you, mainly because no one had orders to divert its trajectory to a different place, but it seemed that by some demonic miracle, one of the many cities on the British island that suffered constant attacks from the Germans had not blown up. You tracked down the miracle, the place from which it had come, and soon found yourself on the rubble of a ruined church where the bomb must have fallen, leaving everything in its path covered in a fine layer of dust and a mist caused by the explosion that quickly dissipated as soon as a bit of fresh air enveloped what had been a place of dreams. Your position on the rubble allowed you to visualize the demon of sunglasses that was then slowly cleaning them while a series of lamentations from a white-haired man that you couldn't recognize at first was heard in the background; they were Crowley and Aziraphale, the two enemies acting as a team. That sight left you speechless, mainly because you knew what a betrayal of this caliber entailed, and, although you were a few seconds away from disappearing to notify your headquarters of the nefarious actions that the demon was carrying out, you were surprised that both supernatural beings seemed to have helped each other as if they were friends and had obtained quite favorable results from their encounter on Earth.

The conception of a demon being friends with an angel was not in your mind, mainly because you were aware of the great punishment that such disobedience could entail, but, shortly after confronting Crowley during one of the trips he made in his Bentley in insults from various drivers were heard due to the sudden zigzagging of the car, it made you understand that this agreement could even be beneficial for both parts, both for a demon and for an angel, even more so with Armageddon on the way and about to happen, but you did not know what that could cause in your broken and afflicted badly wounded heart. You didn't want to stop Armageddon, at least not completely, but it was almost unavoidable not to intercede so as not to lose everything. Where would you live if the world plunged into a world of lava, explosions, starvation, and desert? What would you do on Saturday afternoons if the cafeteria that you occasionally visited with Crowley disappeared from the universe? How would that Jane Austen story to which you had become so hooked because of Aziraphale's temptations and offer to make his bookstore a place where you felt at home end? How would you feel if in the Great Final Battle, you lost that archangel for whom you had yearned so much from the moment of your mere existence in that wide and cold universe? Why did everything have to be so difficult? Those were questions that would never be answered.

A strong gust of wind caught your attention and, although you wanted to pretend that the presence of the newcomer had not affected you, you saw yourself in the obligation to snort to prevent your smile from becoming so wide that it could cause your mouth to hurt. You weren't in the habit of smiling, rather no demon did except Crowley when he was amused by something or in the company of the sweet white-haired angel, and you didn't want to show any sign of disturbance in your person in front of him; maybe later you would cry, maybe you could burn an entire field in a radius of three kilometers, but you would never allow yourself to show weakness in front of that purple-eyed archangel with whom you had met a few hours ago in what could have been The End of World. "It seems that you had been waiting for me," Gabriel said with an air of grandeur and superiority upon noticing the slight tremor, almost imperceptible, in your shoulders, barely being able to distinguish the features of your face because of your soft hair that waved gently and hid you.. He had to make a mental note that he had to stop appearing like that, or maybe he would never be able to fully see the expressions of the people, demons, or angels he visited. "You will be happy, you have stopped Armageddon. The reason why we have waited so many centuries to find out which side is the best is not going to happen, and all thanks to... What did you call it? 'The power of love'?" Deep down you were unable to tell if he was saying it sarcastically, with anger, or with joy. You never knew how to read the intentions of the Supreme Archangel well during your stay in Heaven, much less now after spending millennia so far from him. It had always been a mystery, both to you and to the rest of the universe. "You've become very funny, haven't you? And here I thought that you would still be the sanctimonious one who walked through the enormous corridors of Heaven with a white robe and a silk sheet around his neck while listening to the praise of others for his person as an egocentric who is not capable of appreciating the unaffiliated work," you murmured with some resentment, placing your hands behind your back while you felt how the tight black suit that held tightly to your shoulders and fell gracefully to the height of your waist. Maybe it was a short garment, but it suited you fabulously.

"It's still happening, not as much as before, but there are still some who are devoted to me, not like others," the archangel commented as he took a couple of steps towards you, keeping a small distance between the two who, according to you, almost seemed kilometers. You were like two people unknown to each other, even if at the beginning of time you had been almost thick and thin. "And it wasn't that white, it was a darker shade. It was silky white, it's like lime color, but a little duller." It didn't take long for your brow to frown upon hearing that, confusing you. "But they are the same thing," you pointed out, turning your gaze towards him, meeting the profile of the archangel who seemed to have a small smile appearing between his lips, even if it was hardly noticeable due to how tense his body was and his attempt to remain serene. That image took away your ability to speak and breathe as if it had somehow even stopped all your thoughts, and hit you so hard it restarted your Windows. You didn't know what the latter meant, but you found it quite amusing, and you had finally been able to make use of that strange phrase used by young people. It was true that Gabriel, when you met him, and had the opportunity to work with him on one of the first projects that involved the creation of the universe, that was its design and the shape of the 'stars' and some of the 'planets' that would envelop the Earth and be part of the Milky Way, had presented himself as someone good, attentive, just as an angel should be and even more so one of a position like his, although quite strict and slightly distant with those inferiors to his title. In short, there was nothing to him but low-ranking angels who were best ignored. Perhaps you were not by the side of the gray-haired man as long as other colleagues who had the same mission as you, but you felt recognized with each look and smile from him, which quickly became your main reason to work with more impetus and you win at his side in the great project that God had entrusted to you. Making Gabriel proud was something that you felt you needed because of the way he would reward you, and turn his violet eyes towards you to congratulate you on your great effort. Many would criticize you, in fact, some angels assumed that something strange must happen to you for the simple fact that your adorable smile became more prominent when you saw the archangel near you or when you simply saw him. You adored Gabriel in so many ways that it could have scared anyone but, being an angel, that wasn't so strange either. You were made to love, so what did it matter if you wanted a little more from one of them? Everyone has a favorite, and yours was the supreme archangel. You loved him, and you wanted to do everything possible to have his approval.

"I would like to agree with you and, although at first glance one color and the other seem the same, it is their shades that distinguish them from each other. They are variants," Gabriel commented, interlacing the fingers of his hands to try to have a more authoritative position under your intense gaze, looking at you out of the corner of his eye before returning to observe the dark sky that had settled over you with the passing of the minutes, being able to distinguish the great endless number of lights that were some of the small stars in the firmament that perhaps Crowley should have created so many millennia ago.

"It's still white, no matter where you look at it," you claimed, shrugging your shoulders, adjusting the jacket that surrounded your torso a little, fixing yourself on it for a moment before recriminating his point. "My jacket is black, but it can be completely black, an obsidian or ebony tone, but it's still black no matter how much you try to distinguish the exact tone," you commented, adjusting the garment to your body to prevent the coolness of the night from sneaking in between the flaps of the same. "Are we really arguing about the perception we have of colors? Maybe I'm color blind, and I'm not as perfect as God planned." You could make out the small frown that appeared on the archangel's face. You had inadvertently used a higher tone of voice than usual, making you feel like a stupid devil who was unable to control your emotions, but honestly, who did? Even Crowley, who had spent the longest time on Earth with his dear angel, had been unable to show him his true feelings. Why couldn't you hide them too, or accept them if he hadn't already?

"We may be discussing a trivial matter, but just as I cannot allow you to say that the shades of white are the same, you cannot say that what shines so bright in the sky, that orange sphere, is a star," indicated the archangel as he raised his arm a little to point to the ball of orange tones that he had mentioned, making you frown for making such a comparison that almost seemed sacrilege towards you.

"You can't say that Saturn is a star. Who in their right mind would?"

Your tone full of indignation amused Gabriel, causing a snort to come out of his lips, lightening the atmosphere around you a bit. It had been the first time in centuries that someone had made him laugh in that genuine, reserved way, and it was precisely because of that that he realized how much he had missed you, even a demon. He always admired the way you had worked so hard to please God, even if, deep down, you had never done it for your Creator, and he found your devotion to each of your creations that still roam the universe to this day enchanting. Therefore, contrary to what he might have thought to do to continue with the creation of the cosmos, he took the trouble to show you one of the most recent planets to which you had shown such devotion from the moment of its mere creation. He could still remember the way you complained about the cold of the expansive and dark universe, how warm your body felt against his when he cradled you between his three great wings, and the way your eyes sparkled with wonder at the various rings of Saturn revolving around the planet along with the many moons that accompanied it. That last one wasn't a design error, you yourself thought that the planet's design was slightly simple and that perhaps the big planet must have had more than just rings to decorate its slightly lonely background surrounded by space rocks. Gabriel missed those times a lot, and, seeing you next to him, only caused the memories so hidden in his mind to resurface quickly. In the back of his mind, he could still hear the loud guffaws of joy coming from your lips, which even reached Pluto and got stuck there waiting for your return, and on the huge Moon, you could still hear your cries asking for forgiveness for what happened.

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yeliuxi · 4 months

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Jing Qi & the sable: Why this little guy has more relevance than just being poisonous and cute

I was talking about Jing Qi & the sable with @geneticcatalyst on this post here and I had some thoughts (and feelings) about them

When Jing Qi is lamenting about human troubles, he says:

这人，要操心的事情太多，譬如父母兄弟，亲朋好友, 妻儿老小, 每日应酬也应酬不过来, 总有千千万万的诱惑叫人陷进去

People have too many things to worry about, like parents and brothers, friends and family, wife, children, elders, and juniors, and social niceties upon social niceties to take care of every day. There are always thousands of temptations for people to fall to.

All the things that Jing Qi lists here are things he has struggled with since the beginning of the story. He has filial obligations to his father, must upkeep his friendship with Helian Yi while keeping him at a distance, and has a lot of pressure on him to take a wife and have sons. He has no brothers who can pass down the position of yixing wang to their children in his place. He must keep up respect and facades for Helian Pei, Helian Zhao, and Great General Feng, as they are his elders. He has recently taken a junior, Liang Jiuxiao, under his wing, and is now, in part, responsible for him.

And the temptations? Napping. I say this unironically.

When Jing Qi wakes up in the 7th life, he wants nothing more than to fool around until his death, just bid his time until his karmic ties can be resolved. It would be very easy to do, considering the favorability that (not) "keeping in his own lane" gets him in the 7th life. Helian Pei dotes on Jing Qi even more than his own sons. He's his 半个儿子, as Helian Zhao puts it. (But also this is the same scene when he's calling himself Jing Qi's da-ge and saying greasy stuff like 北渊，你跟大哥说说 [Beiyuan, tell your da-ge]. Barf.)

But... "keeping in his own lane" also means that, without his interference, the nation will be in danger of falling into the greedy and violent hands of Helian Yi's brothers. Even if Jing Qi lazed around for a decade, he would inevitably have to deal with the much more unpleasant fallout.

It's kind of a no-free-lunch thing. Jing Qi has not earned his right to laze around if he ignores his duties to his nation, and will suffer consequences for it. So, Jing Qi resists temptations, upholds daily social niceties, appeases his elders, and tries to keep Helian Yi as the crown prince. And, in the end, he is rewarded: in making sure Helian Yi ascends to the throne, he now no longer has to worry about negative fallout, and can go with Wuxi to Nanjiang, where he will live a peaceful and happy life.

He slowly divests himself of all these worries by the end of the novel. He still has responsibilities, but suffers less for them. The first to go is his obligation to take a wife and have an heir. This is also, in a way, a direct reward of Jing Qi fulfilling his duties to his nation. But... Jing Qi has always been fond of children, and wanted some of his own. (Now I want to make myself sad. Jiang Xue feelings time.) And he gets a child, eventually. One that calls him Diedie 🥺 Luta is a package deal with his peaceful life in Nanjiang, and is also a "long-term payoff" for his character.

These are Jing Qi's mortal, human troubles and affairs.

Then Jing Qi says:

可畜生不一样，每日操心的不过是活着和吃喝。你养了它, 它平日里看得见的，认得的，也就你一个人。你有外面大千世界三丈红尘，它却只记得你一个人的恩情……

But animals are different; their only worries every day are living, eating, and drinking. If you raise an animal, they will usually only look at and recognize you. There is this great big world of mortal affairs outside, and yet it will remember only your kindness...

(Also, on a tangent, Jing Qi uses 三丈红尘 to refer to the mortal world. Literally means "three zhang of red dust." The "red dust" of the mortal world comes from the poem 《西都赋》 and is talking about dust kicked up from daily life of mortals, from traveling, working, etc. And three zhang because most life is contained within three zhang (like 60 feet) of the ground. Unless you're special and live in the sky, I don't know.)

I imagine Jing Qi is speaking from experience, having been an animal in several of his previous lives. In this context, he is also specifically talking about the sable, as he just asked Ji Xiang if he thinks the sable will still recognize him.

When Jing Qi first meets the sable, the sable's position is very much like his own: holed up in the capital, kept there due to obligation to the nation of Da Qing (poor sable is also a hostage like Wuxi). He immediately terrorizes it, which is very different from Jing Qi promising to burn a fox paper money just after wearing its fur, remembering himself how it felt to be skinned alive in his 5th life. But it doesn't seem that he's too aware of the fact that he is terrorizing it... he claims that all he's done is "love it" and doesn't know why it's afraid of him.

Regardless, the sable is used to being scolded by Wuxi, who is strict with it. So it doesn't bite Jing Qi again, and is very well behaved. When Jing Qi takes it back to his estate, the sabel is far less behaved, and likes to make messes and stress out the household staff... much like Jing Qi himself. But, really, just as Jing Qi said: the sable, though it still loves and misses Wuxi, is now being fed, raised, and cared for by Jing Qi. It has no other concerns, and gets to play and laze about freely.

There's a moment when the sable kills the spy that was placed among Jing Qi's household staff, and Jing Qi is surprised, wondering, "You're really this viscious?" I think there's a case to be made that the sable, much like Jing Qi, can be ruthless, though outwardly does not seem like it. Jing Qi describes the sable as 没良心的 (conscienceless). 良心 (conscience) is also the word that Jing Qi asks Liang Jiuxiao if he knows how to write, and claims that a dog ate his own 良心. Jing Qi and the sable are just 没良心的besties over here.

While Jing Qi spends most of his time in the "mortal world" of Da Qing with too many worries, he eventually comes to be like the sable in other ways: concerned only about living, eating, and drinking, concerned only about one person's kindness. This is also a point in favor of Nanjiang kind of being like the underworld? Jing Qi dies in Da Qing, then lives a peaceful afterlife in Nanjiang, where he is no longer concerned with the great, big 三丈红尘 outside. (+15 Buddhist theme points to Qi Ye.)

Jing Qi fulfills his duties to his nation, dies as a ghost of Da Qing, lets go of his mortal affairs, and is rewarded for it. He gets his peaceful life in Nanjiang, and his worries of humans.

TL;DR, things the sable and post-canon Jing Qi have in common:

Love Wuxi

Loved by Wuxi

Hand fed by Wuxi

Scolded by Wuxi (eat your snake meat, Beiyuan)

No stress about family, friends, elders, juniors

Being ancient (accoording to Liang Jiuxiao)

Disciplined by Wuxi (Luta is traumatized)

没良心的

Get to be carefree and playful and laze about at the end of the novel

Terrorizing servants

#qi ye #jing beiyuan #danny💫#i'm just bullshitting mostly. just like jing beiyuan<3 #but still. some kind of serious thoughts #helian zhao was greasy so so greasy #you are NOT jing qi's da-ge. you're nothing

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walkswithmyfather · 1 year

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“Why Jesus Christ is the God of our painful Gethsemane” By Diana's Diaries:

“May I be willing, Lord, to bear Daily my cross for Thee; Even Thy cup of grief to share, Thou hast borne all for me. Lest I forget Gethsemane, Lead me to Calvary”

“This wonderful hymn penned down by Jennie E. Hussey has been my childhood favorite song. I am someone who tends to forget the Gethsemane that my Christ endured because I get caught up in my own heartaches.

Gethsemane literally means “the garden of oil press”, it was a place that was located on the Mount of Olives. Jesus often visited this place to PRAY with His disciples.

In olden times, the olive trees were beaten to have the olives fall to the ground. Then they were crushed in a stone basin until all the liquids came out and it became a red paste.

Our Christ was beaten and crushed by His own creation. The weight of our sins wore Him down, and He was crushed for our transgressions.

“But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.” —Isaiah 53:5 (NASB)

“At the place called Gethsemane, Jesus wept and prayed ‘ O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from ME; Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” —Matthew 26:39.

Let us remember that there was no conflict between the Persons of the Godhead, it is a revelation of Christ in His humanity.

My hands tremble as I write these words because I know I was the reason He was crushed and broken. Jesus foresaw how he was going to be crushed like the olives for the sake of his beloved creation.

“When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was a garden, and he and his disciples went into it. Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples.” —John 18:1-2 (NIV)

Even his disciple, Judas knew the exact place where Jesus would be found.

—-Do we have a place of prayer where even the Devil fears to come nigh?

—-Have we strengthened and covered ourselves in prayer at the time of our trials and deep sorrows?

We have our painful gethsemanes in this world, the times when we feel crushed in our spirits by our very own, by the trials and wounds that never seem to go away.

Our gethsemanes are where we find zero strength to even pray because our heart is groaning deep, but Praise God, He prays for us.

It could be the temptation or an illness we go through as an individual, the brutal behavior of a family member, the betrayal of a friend, the emptiness and loneliness we experience in this world. The lack of empathy from those we thought were our near ones is so painful. Let me remind you, dear friend, Jesus who walked before you in HIS GETHSAMANE knows all about your gethsemanes.

Can you picture Christ wiping your tears in your season today? He is right there with you and I today.

Jesus Christ is the God over our gethsemanes because He experienced it Himself first. He is not the God who sat on the Heavenly throne and expected us to suffer on this Earth alone.”

[There is much more to this Web Article, including prayers. Please read the rest here.] Amen! 🙏🕊️🙌

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heresylog · 1 year

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Do you have any simple resources on learning how to pray the rosary? My family are all Catholic but never passed on any knowledge to me and I have not put much effort into learning before. I'd like to learn now. Thank you.

I was going to link you to a how-to but I’d rather just explain it.

I wrote this from mostly memory. For a more in depth explanation I’d recommend researching on your own. There are so many things I left out.

You begin with the crucifix on the bottom and do the sign of the cross “in the name of the father, the son, and the Holy Spirit” and it starts on your forehead for father, your chest for son, and your left shoulder for holy and right shoulder for spirit.

Then you say the Apostle’s Creed: I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; he descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

Then you do three Hail Marys for an increase in faith, hope, and charity. I will include the prayers in the end.

You then begin with the first mystery (each set of mysteries corresponds for a day of the week) You will read the passage from the Bible and meditate on the fruit of the mystery. For example, the first sorrowful mystery is about Jesus praying the night before and becoming so stressed that beads of blood formed instead of sweat. The fruit of that mystery is obedience and you are meant to meditate on how that passage and obedience plays a role in your life.

You will pray the Our Father and then you will say 10 Hail Marys (a decade) while meditating on the mystery. Once you reach the tenth you will then pray Glory Be. After that you will pray Fatima’s Prayer (also known as the O My Jesus prayer) and then you will do the same thing with another mystery.

Once you reach the end of the rosary, there’s usually a connecting bead that corresponds. You will pray the Hail Holy Queen. Sometimes people end with a response, sometimes it just ends there. It just depends on you, your situation, or the group you pray in.

Prayers

Hail Mary

Hail Mary full of grace the Lord is with thee. Blessed are thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Our Father

Our Father who art in Heaven hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

Glory Be

Glory be to the father and to the son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be world without end. Amen.

Fatima

Oh my Jesus, forgive us our sims. Save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to heaven especially those in most need of thy mercy.

Hail Holy Queen

Hail holy queen mother of mercy. Our life our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs mourning and weeping in this vale of tears. Turn then most gracious advocate thine eyes of mercy toward us. Show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, o loving, o sweet Virgin Mary. Pray for us O holy mother of God that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

*all text in red indicates that it is meant to be said by everyone in a group setting. When by yourself, obviously you will pray both parts. When in a group, only the leader will say the words in white.

#rosary #long post #how to pray #how to meditate #Catholic #Christianity #religion #prayers #prayer #anonymous

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prolifeproliberty · 1 month

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Maundy Thursday- Part 3

”And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow, and said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.

And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him. But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss? When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword? And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him.

Then Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, which were come to him, Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves? When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.“

‭‭Luke‬ ‭22‬:‭39‬-‭53‬ ‭KJV‬‬

#maundy thursday #Holy Week #Scripture #Triduum

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mslanna · 3 months

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Unforgiven II

Chapter 25 of Be My Guest now up on AO3

In which Raphael suffers.

I should have stopped them.

The thought is now part of the inventory of his mind. It doesn't matter what Raphael sets his thoughts to, sooner or later, he is back here: I should have stopped them.

But he hadn't. The fire of rejection burnt so high and hot in that moment, the moment Tav tore down the whole home he had built with a few words. The rage rearing its head had been overpowering, the animal urge to grab and slash and hurt.

So Raphael had not moved. Had not grasped the slim wrist and made Tav stay until they understood. Until he understood. There was no understanding in the maelstrom of utter betrayal. He had planned their future out perfectly. Together. Forever.

And Tav rejected it. Rejected him. A feeling he knew too well. Something he would not let stand. He would not be denied. Certainly not by a mortal hopelessly in love with him! They said it, there and then, said they wanted to be his. Tav threw those words at him and left.

Left him.

Without looking back once. Why? He had already seen their tears and the lip bit bloody. Tav hadn't wanted to go. But they had gone anyway. An unforgivable insult. Raphael pretended that only his pride was hurt, told himself over and over that no mere mortal had such power over him. Lies in the face of truth.

It worked, if only a little. If Tav truly held no power over him, his thoughts would not circle the hole they left in his life like hungry predators. But they do. Daily. Hourly. The lack of something in his life is ever-present. He hates it. He hates that Tav is gone. He hates that he cares.

Some days he can convince himself that he doesn't care. Days spent completely engrossed in the task of bringing his hells to heel. Yet, even at the end of those days, the temptation beckons - to retreat, to rest, to yield to the care of somebody who is no longer there.

Of course, he can always ask Haarlep to step up. The little shit is living their best life and always ready to indulge in a professed weakness of their former master. Their price might even be acceptable. Yet Raphael cannot bring himself to ask. Not just due to the humiliation. It feels wrong. He hates it. He abides by it anyway.

Because it won't be long, can't be long, until Tav returns. There is certainty in the thought, a belief built on thin air. The alternative is unthinkable, so Raphael does not think it. Tav is his. One way or another. It is his truth, held up by hope he doesn't admit to and lies.

They'll come back.

Tav loves him. It is the truth. It cannot be denied. It is a pillar the realms rest on. And because Tav loves him, they will be back. Days and days go by during which Raphael is certainly not waiting for Tav to return. He doesn't expect them to grovel or even an apology.

They are beyond that. Tav will return with an explanation. And Raphael will have his words practised and polishes. They will talk. They will set things right. And Tav will stay because they love him and it is the right thing to do.

But Tav doesn't return.

Certainly, they'd come for some of their things. Raphael doesn't spend much time in their suite. It's a hall of empty memories. He slips in still, weak for past comforts. For a while the sheets and pillow smell faintly of his little mouse. After a while the scent wears off. He bunches up the pillow in anger, shoves it back on the insultingly pristine bed.

But all of Tav's things are there. So he puts the blasted contract where they have to find it. On top of their collection of favourite things in the topmost desk drawer. When Tav breaks in, sneaks in as they did before – for Mol's contract, for the Orphic hammer that once again sits in the place of honour in the archives – when Tav comes to steal from him once more, they must find it.

They will understand. Maybe they will just take it for now. But that is an invitation Raphael can follow up on after some time.

But Tav doesn't break in. Every time Raphael ventures into the coldness of his former home, the top drawer is undisturbed. The Helldusk armour in its stand, mimicking Tav's small form perfectly, is still there. Everything is exactly the way Tav left it behind, untouched, slowly dusting over.

So he takes his time to reel Karlach in, a difficult and delicate task. The tiefling is suspicious of devils and rightfully so.

But Karlach has one thing, one thing she desires above all else. And he, Archdevil of Five Hells, can provide it. For a price, of course, always for a price. And if the price may be deemed to low for the service he provides – well, the devil is in the details. Karlach may speak to exactly one person about the price she paid.

Karlach leaves with her heart repaired and nothing but a request as payment. Surely, this good turn will catch Tav's attention. They have no chance but to recognise his goodwill. Raphael has his words prepared, the feast hall polished, the reception planned to the t.

But Tav doesn't arrive at his doorstep. Even when he knows for certain Karlach has reached them, talked to them. He is an arch devil. His eyes, his ears, are everywhere. But Tav keeps on adventuring as if nothing has changed.

Raphael changes his approach. He gets more forward, a little help here and there. Saving their life. But Tav stays silent. Not even an "I didn't ask for this". Tav doesn't acknowledge his interference.

So he decides to go himself. Let things play out like they do in plays and novels with eyes meeting across the distance and budding understanding that dawns in its wake. But when their eyes meet, there is only pain.

Tav turns their head away as if he didn't see the thin line of their lips, the darkness clouding their eyes. It makes no sense. Has he asked for something in return? Never! He stands, reaching out and reaching out and grasping nothing. He crosses his arms, calms the tapping foot, keeps his eyes on them.

The silence is deadening. Tav shakes their head and that does it. Raphael retreats. If the direct approach does not work, he needs something else. But Tav's companions are granite. They do not talk to him, answer no questions, offer no insight.

It's Astarion who finally breaks. But he only offers six words: They told us what you did. No judgement, no tirade nor rage. A simple fact. And behind it the truth: we stand with them to the end. Tav is not alone and they are right.

Raphael stews over those six words for days. Tav is not right. They have no right to burden his thoughts the way they do. Who ever heard of such a thing? An arch devil humiliating himself for a mere mortal. He should- and there his train of thought stops. There are many things the Archdevil of Five Hells should do to Tav. None are appealing to him.

There are many things Raphael wants to do to Tav, but they rejected those. It is a discrepancy he cannot solve. If he cannot have his little mouse – not like a possession. The words sear down sharply. Tav's words. Not a possession. Well, it is obvious that he doesn't own them. Owns their soul, but at what cost?

The damned contract lies untouched in the topmost desk drawer. Tav never comes to claim it – or anything else from the life they shared. Not a single possession. Raphael keeps his eyes and ears on Tav anyway. To make sure they survive, keep them where they are if that is what makes them happy.

He will see Tav soon enough – Tav, who doesn't want to be in his House of Hope. He can't stand the thought. So he will keep them alive and away. A purely selfish act, of course.

Still word gets around somehow, that the Archdevil of Five Hells is trying to lure one very specific human down to him.

Offers to facilitate Tav's demise crop up more and more often in deal negotiations. Rejecting them turns tedious. Raphael doesn't want his mouse dead. He just wants them. A concept the desperate souls seeking him out seem to have trouble grasping.

It should delight him that the human life is short. Nothing but the blink of an eye in the world of devils. Soon Tav must return. Raphael remembers teasing them for believing he preferred their presence in his home to their soul in his possession.

The House of Hope is full of fiends and empty of home. Tav made clear that they do not want to return and will hate every moment once they have to. Raphael doesn't call it defeat, doesn't even call it acceptance. It is a tactical retreat, a break to regroup and consider his options. Even if every day makes it more and more clear that Tav will not return.

I should have stopped them.

#bg3 #bg3 raphael #raphael x tav #bg3 fanfiction #be my guest #chapter 25 #i hope you like pain #sleazy second-hand car dealer

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guiltywisdom · 1 year

Text

Praying the Rosary, an Eastern Orthodox way

As a culturally Irish and Roman Catholic who converted to Eastern Orthodoxy I still feel quite close to the rosary and I feel it’s still a part of me. I firmly believe that cultural practices can be preserved even after conversion and thus I’ve created this small guide on how I personally pray the rosary as an Eastern Orthodox Catholic. Of course this is not the only way to pray the rosary as an Orthodox Christian and nor should it be! The Western Orthodox tradition often incorporates the rosary and the Eastern tradition of Roman Catholics do as well. The Eastern Orthodox saint, Seraphim of Sarov, even had his own version of a rosary prayer. All prayers listed below come directly from the “Jordanville Prayer Book” and it is important to note that I do not recite/contemplate any of the “mysteries” and conform to the “non-imaginative” form of Orthodox prayer. I also pray in a loop meaning I start and end with “The Apostle’s Creed” (then a sign of the cross) but that’s just a personal preference. This is my personal creation I wished to share and is not official in anyway, nonetheless I hope this guide benefits you in some small way, may your prayers be blessed.

“The Apostles Creed” or, “The Symbol of Faith”

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Only-begotten, begotten of the Father before all ages; Light of Light; true God of true God; begotten not made; of one essence with the Father; by Whom all things were made; Who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from the heavens, and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man; And was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried; and arose again on the third day according to the Scriptures; and ascended into the heavens, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father; And shall come again, with glory, to judge both the living and the dead; Who’s kingdom shall have no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life; Who proceedeth from the Father; Who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; Who spake by the prophets. In One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the remission of sins. I look for the resurrection of the dead, And the life of the age to come. Amen.

“The Our Father”

Our Father, Who art in the heavens, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead is not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

“The Hail Mary” or, the “Song to the Most Holy Theotokos”

O Theotokos and Virgin, rejoice, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, for thou hast borne the Saviour of our souls.

“The Glory Be”

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

“It Is Truly Meet” (replacing the “Hail Holy Queen”)

It is truly meet to bless thee, the Theotokos, ever-blessed and most blameless and Mother of our God. More honorable than the Cherubim, and beyond compare, more glorious than the Seraphim; who without corruption gavest birth to God the Word, the very Theotokos, thee do we magnify. Amen.

Although I never used it before converting, if you feel the need; “The Jesus Prayer” (perhaps using the plural) can be used in place of the “Fatíma Prayer”

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner/we sinners.

#not offical AT ALL!#prayers #information #Eastern Orthodox Catholic #rosary #orthodox #orthodox christianity #eastern orthodox #personal #guides

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angeltreasure · 4 months

Note

Please pray

For a child with cancer

For someone who is very worried about their familial relationships

Pray For Those Suffering With Cancer

Dear Saint Pio, for fifty years every day you endured the immense pains of the Stigmata, the five wounds of Christ Crucified. In your caring goodness, intercede for this child who is truly in need of miraculous assistance.

If it be God’s will, I ask that the gift of complete healing, in every location of the body and from all forms of cancer, be granted to this child. Comfort this child during times of pain, anguish, confusion, and despair.

Padre Pio, intercede before our Gracious Savior to grant this child inner peace, patience in suffering, and the grave to be restored to full physical health.

Through God’s healing graces, grant this child a life of happiness, well being, and abiding love here on earth, and one day, the joy of eternal glory in God’s loving embrace. Amen.

—

Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

#prayer request #asks

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viviennelamb · 5 months

Text

Hi Vivienne! I wanted to ask you how you try to keep a pure mind in this world? I have a very "absorbent" mind, kind of like an empath, but it also works for written words and media, not just people's feelings. When I see inappropriate things on the internet, or see my peers posting inappropriate things, it is so easy to imagine myself doing those things, or putting myself in these situations. Even though I have never, or would never, do these things. It feels like I am being pulled out of my body just to relate to what I am seeing. And when it happens, I feel so disgusted, I have a visceral reaction to these thoughts, but they are everywhere. I am in a perpetual state of anxiety because I'm so scared of encountering things like this, I feel like I cannot trust myself and my mind. I try to distance myself from content like that, I tell myself to focus on purity, but it how can I do that when my mind is impure as well? Is it just something that gets better in time and with practicing meditation and prayer? I wanted to also ask about getting over shame about one’s past. My past is also what influences my state of anxiety because my mind keeps reminded of things I used to engage in. They flood my mind during meditation, the guilt is so bothersome 😣 Thank you, -KeepingPurity

Hello,

Likely, you are still coming to terms with no longer participating in what most individuals engage in. During this time you will notice lust becoming more apparent as you have declared war on impurity which is the equivalent to opposing worldliness. Before you became aware of what is happening rather than people's opinion on what they think is happening, depravity remained as an everyday background as a means to stay in your subconscious becoming as normal as the sun rising every morning. Now that you've brought the actual truth of reality to the surface of your mind, your perspective on the world will also change. This is disorienting at first as it becomes brazenly obvious to you that there's perversion at every corner, but it'll be nothing to other people because that's how propaganda works.

Once you decide, with resolute finality, how you want to live your life, you will no longer have these issues. For now, this is a lesson in taking control of your mind through strengthening your willpower. Since you've started meditating, this process of strengthening your power will accelerate quickly as opposed to just reading about it. The ordinary person fights daily battles with their vice and loses which is a sign of a weakened mind. They often go to therapy meetings, read books or attempt to randomly quit by sheer will with many relapses because that is the slow and difficult route. For those who are genuinely suffering and are willing to invest daily time into their health, meditation is the only solution.

You will also receive messages from people both directly and indirectly that what you want is futile or even dangerous - this isn't true. In this simulation, when you want to do something of value you will encounter adversarial forces that test your devotion. In an opposite scenario, the same is true - when you want to ruin yourself everybody will cheer you on and join you because most people are live a passively suicidal, YOLO lifestyle. They have no interest in helping you, only distracting you from your purpose in life.

With your decision that you won't participate in anything that disgusts you, you will come across temptation - this place is sensory hell, after all. Lust-related things are positioned as "pleasure" but the trade-off for lust is depression and anxiety (at best) as lust takes over the mind and encompasses one's every thought, demanding more and believing you are worthless if you are not lustful. True freedom cannot be experienced before one is free of lust.

The transitioning phase into a pure mind is the difficult part, but once you have made some spiritual progress, you will find it gets easier. What you are doing right now is changing your mind and your personality both of which egotism has encapsulated. The thoughts you previously welcomed with open arms concerning avarice-based survival will fight for its life as you are attempting to get rid of it which is where your anxiety is coming from. During this period of detoxification, the Ego will do everything it can to re-capture your attention to place it back onto lust so it can stay alive. The Ego is a parasite and you're the host - don't give into its fear because it's not your fear, it's the parasite's. Continue to shun all evil and temptations that ramp up. Once you're through this phase you won't be personally bothered by the sexual images as much and as time goes on you will overcome your animal nature completely, if that’s what you want.

It's important to no longer give attention to thoughts that you are impure or that you are a sinner - this is once again the Ego talking to keep you in a state of impurity when you know you actively are becoming pure. You are a child of God, end of discussion. Don't give your attention to anything negative. When you are anxious close your eyes and bring your attention to the point between your eyebrows and breathe slowly and remember that you are not the body, but the soul. The Pure “I.”

As for the shame of your past, this will naturally fall away once you meditate more. The past that remains in our mind (which is really an emotional memory) is scrubbed out by meditation as we decrease our emotional instability and decrease our sensitivity (which is not the same as decreasing your sympathy or empathy). Your Soul’s remaining non-emotional qualities of those memories are those which we need for learning purposes to reach higher consciousness. Don't give the past too much attention, focus on the present moment as you are renewed every day through meditation. Purity is going back to your “original state” which is the perfect state of the Soul.

Keep in mind actual meditation doesn't begin until you know how to concentrate; right now you are practicing controlling your mind by becoming aware of your thoughts and behavior which leads to concentration and then proper meditation. What you are experiencing is the beginnings of inner-awareness which is a good thing.

While meditating, offer those past thoughts and guilt to God - God is glad to take your burdens off your shoulders, especially when you are making room for love! Even while not in meditation, when those thoughts come up think to yourself, "God please take these thoughts and negative feelings away from me. They do not belong to me." These are instances to help you build a trusting connection with God and practice renunciation, not an opportunity to wallow in those moods and feed it attention. Give them up as soon as they arrive.

If you don't want to be like the callous people around you, this is the correct choice.

#spirituality #purity #yoga #meditation #ask

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imherongraystairstrash · 1 year

Note

Hii would you ever consider writing a small piece of gabrily comforting Alex after one of the nightmares after what Tatiana did to him? Like them ushering him to bed with them and trying to make him feel better

Helloo! I wish I could write small pieces, but I always have too many ideas! I've been wanting to write this one for a while, but time is scarce these days lol

Anyway, I thankfully found a second in between study sessions to get this written! I don't have time to edit it well, so I hope there aren't too many mistakes:

Late nights

It was nights like these that hurt Cecily the most. The nights when she would suddenly open her eyes, wide awake. At first, the lively feeling that would course through her veins would invoke great confusion, because of how unused to it she was. Then, of course, she would be attacked by an overwhelming flood of memories. Memories that reminded her of why her daily disposition was a fusion between numbness and agony. Why her days were now painted gray; why her heart felt so heavy in her chest; why she was always on the brink of falling apart, as if her life was held up by a single string that was just waiting to become undone.

Tonight was one of those nights. Though, if Cecily was being perfectly honest, most nights were like these. She turned to steal a glance at Gabriel. He was fast asleep, laying on his stomach, his forearms curled under his pillow. Despite everything, Cecily smiled softly at him, the way it was impossible to not smile at someone who cast a light upon your darkest shadows. Cecily turned on her side, hugging her blankets to her chest.

“My Gabriel Lightwood,” she whispered quietly, “how long I had been waiting in the darkness for your light.”

That brought more tears to her eyes, because she didn’t know how to compensate for the darkness her darling Christopher’s absence had left. And neither did Gabriel. They were both so incredibly hollow, so filled with grief, it was difficult to imagine how they could possibly recover when there was nothing holding them together.

Cecily thought back to when her parents had died. The way she collapsed into Gabriel’s arms, the way he held her up and stroked her back gently, murmuring sweet words into her ear. Or when Jesse had died, and Gabriel looked to her for comfort. Only now, neither stood on solid enough ground to be able to hold the other up, and they suffered for it.

Cecily turned her gaze away from Gabriel and instantly felt cold all over once more. She fought the urge to look at him again, knowing that the more she looked, the more she’d want to inch towards him and bury herself in the comfort of his arms. Gabriel would hold her without complaint, but Cecily could never live with herself for being so selfish, disturbing Gabriel from his rare, peaceful slumber, because her heart felt like it was being stabbed with each breath she took.

So she directed her gaze in the opposite direction, to avoid temptation. That’s when she caught sight of two round, dark blue eyes peering at her from the edge of her bed. She gasped, holding a hand to her chest.

“Alexander,” she said, keeping her voice quiet. “Bach, I didn’t see you there.”

Alexander looked sheepishly at her. “I’m sorry, Mam. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Cecily shook her head, forcing her lips to curl up in what she hoped was a comforting smile as she sat up and reached for her baby.

She settled him on her lap. From here, she could see the pure terror in his eyes as they darted to and fro, his plaid parlor, the way he trembled in her arms.

“Alex bach,” she said softly, stroking his raven hair, “What is the matter? Did you have a bad dream?”

Alex blinked rapidly, his eyes filling with unshed tears. Cecily felt her already wounded heart break even further.

“Oh darling, don’t fret,” She said as she pulled him into a loving embrace, tucking his head under her chin. “I’ll always be here. I’ll always protect you.”

Alex only trembled in her arms. Cecily knew to hold him until the initial shock of his nightmare subsided and she did just that, rubbing his small back as he clung to her.

As she held her son, Cecily thought about how small he was in her arms, how delicate. Ever since Christopher, she couldn’t stop thinking about how fragile life is. How it can slip away from your grasp like water, before you have time to realize it. And here, she had a small, fragile and trembling life wrapped around her arms. So she held him tight, she kissed the top of his head and rocked him back and forth, because she will never know when it’ll be the last time. Because she never got to hold her other baby one last time before saying goodbye, and now she never will.

Alex’s fear seemed to reseed; Cecily pulled away and looked into his dark blue eyes; the same eyes her mother had had. She brushed a lock of his raven hair away from his face.

“All better?” She asked with a smile.

Alex nodded quickly, though he still seemed a bit skittish.

“Mam?” He said in a quiet voice.

“Yes, bach?”

“Can you come with me to my room?” he asked, sheepishly. “Only for a tiny bit?”

Cecily smiled at him, “Of course, cariad.”

…

Gabriel’s intuition told him that Cecily wasn’t asleep beside him before he opened his eyes. This, naturally, sent an initial shock of fear coursing through his veins, before he was able to rationalize that it was most likely because she was with Alexander.

Even so, Gabriel was quick to get out of the bed and make his way down the hall to his son’s room. Sure enough, he heard his wife’s soft voice lulling from their youngest son’s room. Just across from Alexander’s room was Christopher’s. Gabriel lingered by the shut door, pressing his palm against its wooden surface. He closed his eyes and sent a quick prayer for his oldest son before continuing to Alex’s room.

He saw Cecily and Alex laying beside each other, Alex pressed close to Cecy’s side. When they noticed Gabriel’s presence, they both startled and pressed closer to each other.

“Relax,” Gabriel said, holding his hands up in surrender, “It’s only me; I come in peace.”

Cecily snorted. “You can’t sneak up on us like that in the middle of the night. You scare us half to death.”

“You’re shadowhunters,” Gabriel protested, climbing onto the bed. “You should be prepared for these sorts of things.” he said, winking at Alex, who grinned at his father.

“You should be thankful I wasn’t prepared, Gabriel Lightwood, or you would have a knife lodged in your chest.”

Gabriel frowned at her. They tease each other, but in reality, Gabriel hated to think that neither Alex nor Cecily were able to feel entirely safe in their own home. It sent an unsettling feeling through him.

Alex interrupted Gabriel’s train of thought with a loud yawn. His blue-eyed gaze was lined with exhaustion from sleepless nights.

“I think it’s well past someone’s bedtime.” Cecily said, her voice falling into the lull of a pronounced Welsh accent, the same one that she’d had when Gabriel had first met her. After years of living in Idris and London, she’d lost most of it, but it did make its occasional reappearance when Cecy was especially tired or when she’d had one too many glasses of wine. “I’ll finish the story and we can…”

She trailed off as she caught sight of Alex who had fallen into a peaceful slumber at some point between that moment and his yawn.

“It seems he’s one step ahead of you.” Gabriel said pointedly.

Cecily nodded slowly.

They both watched Alex sleep before Gabriel broke the silence. “We should probably go back to bed.”

Cecily nodded, but made little effort to move, until Gabriel sat up. She slowly detangled Alex from her arm and arranged the blankets over him carefully. Gabriel watched as she went through the motions of a practiced mother tucking her child to sleep. She leaned down and pressed a soft kiss on the top of his head and paused to look at her son a little longer before moving to join Gabriel.

He put his arm around her and hugged her tight to his chest as Cecily rested her head against his shoulder.

They both lingered by Alex’s doorway, not quite wanting to leave him alone.

“He’ll be alright,” Cecily said, firmly. She stepped into the hall, took a sharp intake of breath. “Bother, I forgot my slippers beside Alex’s bed.”

“I’ll get them.” Gabriel said.

Cecily seemed like she was about to protest, but was too tired to do so. Gabriel smiled to himself as he bent down to pick up the slippers. When he straightened, he lightly stroked Alex’s raven curls and whispered a goodnight to his son before going back to Cecily. Except, she wasn’t by the doorway anymore.

As Gabriel left the room, he saw her standing in her white nightgown with her dark, wavy hair tumbling down her back, curling at the tips in front of Christopher’s room.

She must have opened the door; it sent a pang through Gabriel’s chest to see everything exactly as Christopher had left it. As if the room defied time.

“I keep thinking he’ll come back.” Cecily said as Gabriel came to stand beside her. “That he’s at Charlotte and Henry’s house and he’ll come back at any moment and we’ll say ‘Christopher, where were you? We were worried sick!’ and he’ll say that he was only doing science, and that he wasn’t gone that long, and it’ll be one of those memories that are terrible in the moment, but later become something you recall on a whim and laugh at over dinner.”

Gabriel blinked, before suddenly feeling the urge to do something before he went crazy. He bent down in front of Cecy, lifting her foot gently to slip on her slipper. Cecily rested a hand on his shoulder, but he didn’t look up at her until he’d slipped on the other slipper.

When he did look up, he was faced with Cecily’s eyes, that always spoke louder than any words.

“Gabriel,” She said, gently. “You don’t have to be strong in front of me. Let yourself be vulnerable.” She put a delicate hand to his cheek. “You can let it all go. You’re safe with me.”

Gabriel took a deep breath and straightened. “I know, Cecy.” He pulled her close to him and kissed her temple. “I know.”

Tagging: @tsccreatorsnet @atla-lok143 @rinadragomir @youngreckless @autumnangel20 @julemmaes @cupcakesandkittens @no-scones-allowed @ninacarstairss @stxr-thxif @icouldnotask @jordeliasupremacy @cordelia-cardale @will-effing-herondale @axoloteca @heronstairs2014 @ilovemanicures @ti-bae-rius @alastair-esfandiyar-carstairs1 @readersconfessions812 @nightshade3465 @livvyheronstairs @zemiraa @proudtobealuthor @neurogliadudette @theenchanteddreamer @shadowhunting-hoolingans @writeordie-4 @amchara @myangelbach @livingformyself @dancing-under-the-moon @julescarstairs @wouldyouknowmeblind @grace-lightwoodd @ilikebooksandtvshows @ezras-starry-bridges

If you want to be on my tag list, or if you changed your url recently and your not in the tag list anymore, let me know! Also, if you want to be removed, send me a dm! I won’t be offended in the slightest :) Oh, and if you asked to be on the tag list and you’re not on it, please let me know <3

#gabriel lightwood #tsc #tlh #chot spoilers #christopher lightwood #chain of thorns spoilers #cecily lightwood #tsc fanfic #Alexander lightwood #ana fics

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mcx7demonbros · 2 years

Text

Le Traître [The Traitor]

Ft. Catholic!MC, the Demon Brothers

C/W. Kidnapping, torture, mention of religion, mention of Ku Klux Klan, slight mention of sex, swearing.

Note. Finally returning with Catholic!MC.

No proofread.

“I promise it will only be a modest party where the people just hanging out. Definitely no kissing, no immodest dancing, no temptation.” Your best friend said as they grabbed your gloved hand. You yanked your hand back immediately. Ever since you and Lucifer made a pact, his blue mark was engraved to your dominant hand. Living in a religious region, you knew better than to let the pact marks be exposed and always wearing extremely modest attires, which covered most of your body. For you hands, you covered them with gloves.

When the hot season came, everybody put on more casual clothes, you being the odd one out wearing uptight outfits. While everybody enjoying pool parties, you excused yourself by saying you had something to do. To not make the excuse a lie, you even left the town to visit Solomon multiple times. If you couldn’t excuse yourself by saying you were busy, you told them parties were temptations and refused to go.

It wasn’t like you weren’t religious. In fact, you are a devout Catholic, assist at Mass every Sunday and whenever you can, pray the Rosary daily, practice abstinence on days prescribed by the Church, go to Confession every week, donate 1/10 of your earning to the Church, etc. You didn’t fall into any serious sin, except, well, that time when you shared the bed with the Lucifer on the night before you returned to the human world from the exchange program in Devildom.

You used every mean you could to hide the secret of what had transpired during the one year you disappeared. If the secret was revealed, you honestly don’t know what you would do, your whole life would be completely ruined. The only one who knew the secret was your confessor, a priest of good reputation, who, by his oath, prohibited from revealing the secrets he heard inside the confessional.

“MC…MC…”. Hearing the call, you finally returned to your senses.

“Are you going or not?” Your friend put their hands on their hips, waiting for an answer from you. Apparently, they were extremely tired to continue the conversation.

“I…well…I mean the party is in another town, right? I heard most people there are Protestants and they can be quite radicals even for Protestantism.”

“It’s alright. Even if they were radicals, they couldn’t go against the laws without alerting the authorities in this day and age.” You friend reasoned.

“Oh, ok, I will go then.”

Little did you know you would come to regret that decision later.

“Open your fucking eyes, Popish scum.” You heard a voice shouted at you. You tried to open your eyes, but you felt too drowsy. In your memory, you remembered vaguely coming to the modest gathering in a garden and your best friend brought you some drink and then…and then…

Splash

The cold water made you open your eyes immediately. You looked around. This isn’t the garden…I can’t move. You looked at yourself, your arms and legs were tied to a large black chair. You spotted two persons in white hoods looking at you. At first, you didn’t realize who they were, but you soon recognized their symbol, the Ku Klux Klan, the infamous racist and anti-Catholic terrorist organization.

“Ku Klux Klan.” You shouted.

“Ah, your brain finally function normally, Popish scum.” One of the KKK members chuckled, it was like they were enjoying your suffering.

“I was at the gathering. How come I am here?” You yelled your question at them.

“Let me explain.” Another KKK members entered the room. They then took off the hood.

“You!!!” you couldn’t believe in what you had just seen. Your best friend was standing in front of you. So it was them who betrayed you.

“Well, you see, a few years ago, our leader devised a plan to destroy all Popish scum in the region. He sent us out to Catholic towns as spies. Our mission was to infiltrate the Catholic towns, and if possible, bring some naive Popish scums back to our base and put them to death.”

“Love thy neighbor as thyself. What you are doing is against the fifth commandment, thou shalt not kill, and Jesus’s commandment to love as a whole.”

They were silence for a minute. Just when you thought your words, by mentioning Jesus, had reached them, they laughed out loud like they had just heard the funniest joke ever.

“Nah, the commandments don’t apply to you Popish scum who dared to elevate a normal woman and that old geezer in Rome to the same status as God.” Your best friend scoffed at you.

“Those who mock the Mother of God and the Vicar of Christ never have a happy ending.” Your words only made them harden their hearts.

“Thank you for giving us such good laughs. The reactions from your Popish scums are the best.”

So this is not the first time they did this. I’m such a fool. I’m such a bad judge of character. You blamed yourself.

“Alright, before we began to play with you. Let’s me see all the secrets you have been hiding under those uptight clothes.” Your friend began by using a knife to tear apart your clothes.

*gasp* all three KKK members in the room couldn’t hide their shock discovering the marks on your body.

“Well, I didn’t expect that.” You fake best friend commented. “I was expecting some ugly scars from an accident. Who would have thought this Popish trash is secretly a devil worshipper?”

“No, I’m not.” You denied the accusation.

“Well, then explain, what are these?” Your fake friend pointed their finger at the pact marks on your body.

“Well, that…”

“Hah, cat got your tongue, MC?” You really couldn’t argue back. You had lost the war the moment they found out about your pact marks. Whatever you said to explain, it would sound to wrong to them. If you said the marks were tattoos, you would be seen as associated yourself with un-Christian symbols to a certain degree. If you said you were forced to make pacts with demons (you weren’t), it would be a sinful lie and it was a fact that no human could be forced to make a pact with a demon. If you said you made pacts deliberately, you would be labeled as listening to the devil’s tempting words and selling your soul.

“It’s demon pact marks, right?”

Your eyes widened in shock. They know?

“Don’t be surprised, I did some research on demonology, you know?” Your fake friend smirked. “Let’s see what do we have here.” They used the knife and began to tear apart all your clothes. “Mammon…Leviathan…Beelzebub…Asmodeus…Beelzebub…Belphegor…”. While your fake friends were checking the marks, the two other KKK members couldn’t help but getting shiver sent down their spine. All of the names were infamous names in Hell. How the hell did you manage to score pacts with them all.

“You know, I did look up to you. You were always such a devout person, never forgetting your prayers, always thanking God for graces you received. But now, seeing you in such a woeful state now with all your dirty secrets exposed gives me some satisfactory. I guess I always hate you for the holier-than-thou aura you gave.” Your fake friend’s eyes landed on your gloved hand. “Hm, I always wonder why you wear gloves, another devil mark, perhaps.” They took off the the glove on your dominant hand, only to reveal a blue mark giving off a powerful aura.

“L-U-C-I-F-E-R.”

“Im…impossible.” Their yell surprised you. You were expecting another series of mocking words and totally didn’t expect them to shout in shock like that.

“No…no person can make a pact with the fallen Morningstar. Y…you must be the prophesied Antichrist.”

Wait, what!?

Your “friend” ran out of the room, to the shock of not only you, but the two KKK members in the room. About five minutes later, they returned with a man in KKK uniform, but he was unhooded though. And you realized who the man was. You had seen him several times in the past when he visited your hometown. He was the mayor of the town you were visiting. That was it, everyone in the town was in this evil scheme.

The evil mayor took a look at your hand before laughing out loud.

“This is God’s will. He let the Antichrist fall into our hand.” The mayor then turned to one of the two KKK members who were always in the room. “You, go get me the ‘sanctifying’ tools.”

“Yes, Leader.” The member ran out and returned with many torture devices.

“Oh let’s start with this.” The mayor took out a branding iron.

Lucifer was playing the piano in the music room. Hearing the melodious music and looking at his fingers dancing on the keys are enough to make one forget their life difficulties.

“Argh.” Suddenly, Lucifer felt a painful sensation on his hand, painful enough for him to let out a cry.

“MC!!!” It didn’t take long for him to realize you were in pain.

“Ya all will have to admit ya loss in a few seconds.” Mammon prepared to show his brothers his cards.

“Quit talking and show us already.” Belphie demanded.

“Alright, prepare to-argh.” A painful sensation on Mammon’s hand made him dropped his cards to the ground.

“My beautiful hand!”

“My hamburger!”

“My book!”

“My pillow!”

“My D.D.D!”

“My cards!”

However, all soon realized their real priority - you. At the same time, they all heard large sound resonated from deep inside the house.

Sequel - Le Massacre

At first, I don’t intend it to be this long. In the end, I have to break the fic into 2 parts.

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feedingtheflockministry · 8 months

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Our Pride as Believers

Pride, it is something we all wrestle with on a daily bases, but many times it goes unnoticed by us. So often we share our opinions on social media platforms, as well as in conversations with family and friends, that are rooted in pride.

How is pride defined? Pride is defined as;

A sense of one’s own proper dignity or value; self-respect.

Pleasure or satisfaction taken in an achievement, possession, or association.

Arrogant or disdainful conduct or treatment; haughtiness.

Did you know that our own judgement of others in the world around us is rooted in pride itself. We are constantly judging such things as; politicians, celebrities, organizations, activists, ministries, businesses, to the wealthy and the poor, homosexuals, prostitutes, murderers, thieves, liars, child molesters, rapist, and whatever else we have a strong disdain for. We truly forget that we too have our own shortcomings.

Sure, we may not go about committing murder, but how many of us hate someone in the broad list above? I am not referring to their evil practices or corrupt ideologies in which you are right in hating, but the people themselves. Jesus said, “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be answerable to the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be answerable to the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.” He also said, “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may prove yourselves to be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”

How about your disdain for homosexuals, rapist, child molesters, prostitutes, and porn stars? Sure, their sins are on display for all the world to see, but what about the thoughts that go on in your mind? Jesus said this, “but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” The thoughts and desires we have, even if we never act upon them, are still sin.

Consider this for a moment. If Jesus suddenly appeared to you and asked, “What should I do with all the homosexuals?” and you say, “Destroy them!” instead of, “Have mercy upon them Lord, and soften their hearts to repentance.” what do you think He will do to you for your own fornications whether in thought or deed? If you read 2 Samuel chapter 12 you will see a similar situation take place. David, “a man after God’s own heart”, may not have taken a pet lamb from another family and cooked it up for his visitor, but he did something very similar to that. David’s own strong opinion and judgement was turned back around on him and he suffered greatly. Jesus mentioned this in His Sermon on the Mount, “Do not judge, so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.” He also said, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.”

This all goes back to our pride though. We so often get angry by the corruption and evil around us, constantly being reminded of it all by social media posts and news outlets, that we can not help but give into the temptation of voicing our opposition against it all. Notice I used the word “temptation” there. It is very tempting to give an opinion on what others do, but we need to remember that only God is good and perfect. By His standards we are all wicked sinners in desperate need of intercession and intervention. We may not think so, but consider the corrupt politicians, judges, and even some ministers, do they see themselves as wicked sinners? Most likely not.

We must spend our time “working out our salvation with fear and trembling” as the apostle Paul once wrote. Jesus said, “And because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will become cold. But the one who endures to the end is the one who will be saved.” That all means to do good towards others even if you do not like their lifestyle or behavior patterns.

What if God only did good things for those He saw as holy and perfect in all their ways? I dear to say the earth would resemble a dark and dry wasteland. For rain, water, and sunlight are blessings from God that He pours out on all people despite their actions, thoughts, or desires. You might say, “Well, I’m not God or Jesus Christ” as I have heard some people say. To that, let me remind you that Jesus said this, “Therefore you shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Strive to follow Jesus by applying His words to your life and social activities. Do not let the temptation of pride overtake you, causing you to pass a railing judgement on others. For it is written, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling.” Walk in humility and meekness. Praying for your enemies, as well as yourself, that God will change their hearts as well as our own.

#scriptures #bible teaching #bible #christianity #pride

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cassianus · 9 months

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The Rule of St. Pachomius

This rule of prayer was given to St. Pachomius of Egypt by an Angel. The Venerable Father Pachomius was one of the great monastic fathers. He used this rule of prayer to consecrate every hour of the day or night. This prayer rule is one that is fairly easy to memorize so you do not need a prayer book.

Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us.

Amen. Glory to You, our God, glory to You.

Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, everywhere present and filling all things, Treasury of Blessings and Giver of Life, come and dwell within us, cleanse us of all stain, and save our souls, O Gracious One.

Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy and Immortal, have mercy on us. (Three times)

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and forever. Amen.

Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, cleanse us of our sins. Master, forgive us our transgressions. Holy One, come to us and heal our infirmities for Your name's sake.

Lord have mercy. (Three times)

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and forever, Amen.

Our Father, Who art in the Heavens, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who transgress against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil.

O Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. Amen.

Lord, have mercy. (Twelve times) 2

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and forever, Amen.

Come, let us adore the God our King.

Come, let us adore, Christ our King and God.

O come, let us adore and bow down to, Christ our King and our God.

Psalm 50

Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your kindness; in Your compassion blot out my offense. O wash me more and more from my guilt, and cleanse me from my sin. My offenses I truly know them; and my sin is always before me. Against You, You alone, have I sinned and what is evil in Your sight I have done. That You might be justified when you give sentence, and be without reproach when You judge. O see, in guilt I was born, a sinner was a conceived. Indeed, you love truth in the heart, then in the secret of my heart teach me wisdom. You shall sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be made clean; You shall wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow. Make hear me hear the sounds of joy and gladness, that the bones you have crushed may thrill. From my sins turn away Your face and blot out all my guilt. A pure heart create in me, O God, and put a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and deprive me not of Your Holy Spirit. Give me again the joy of Your help, and with Your governing Spirit establish me. I shall teach transgressors Your ways, and the ungodly shall turn back to You. Deliver me from blood-guilt,O God, You God of my salvation; my tongue shall rejoice in Your righteousness. O Lord, You shall open my lips, and my mouth shall declare Your praise. For if You had desired sacrifice, I had given it; with whole-burnt offerings You shall not be pleased. A sacrifice to God is a broken spirit; a heart that is broken and humbled God will not despise. Do good, O Lord, in Your good pleasure to Zion, and let the walls of Jerusalem be rebuilt. Then shall You be pleased with a sacrifice of righteousness, with oblation and whole-burnt offerings. Then shall they offer bullocks upon Thine altar.

The Creed

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Creator of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only-begotten, born of the Father before all ages; Light of Light, true God of true God; begotten, not made; of one substance with the Father, through Whom all things were made; Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man; He suffered and was buried; And He rose on the third day according to the Scriptures; And ascended into the heavens, and sits at the right hand of the Father; And shall come again, with glory, to judge both the living and the dead; Whose kingdom shall have no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of life; Who proceeds from the Father; Who together with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified; Who spoke through the prophets. In One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the remission of sins. I expect the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

The Jesus Prayer

O Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. (100 Times)

Other suitable prayers may also be inserted here, such as a Canon or an Akathist.

The Dismissal

It is truly proper to glorify you, who have borne God; the ever blessed and immaculate and the Mother of our God. More honorable than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, who a virgin gave birth to God the Word. You truly the Theotokos, we magnify.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and forever, Amen.

Lord, have mercy. (Three times)

May Christ, our true God, for the sake of His most pure Mother, of our holy and

God-bearing fathers, and all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, for He are good and He loves mankind.

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romaine2424 · 10 months

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Daily Blog July 12, 2023

Wish I could wrap up so many of you and bring you to Seattle this weekend. My sis' town in NoCal is supposed to be 112F (44.4C) degrees and my son's town in SoCal 105F (40.5). Not even getting into my cousins in Las Vegas where it's going to push 117F (47.2C). And yes the south has been suffering for weeks on end. Crazy! I lived in an old brick apt in Chicago a long time ago that didn't have A/C. Its where I learned about soaking in a cool bath and then laying on the bed with a fan on to dry off. Rinse and repeat. Be safe!

What I'm reading:

So last time I mentioned I would be reading Temptation on the Warfront by alizarincrims0n (AO3). I'm on chapter 17! However, I quickly realized, I've read it before. It must have been two years ago, I think. Definitely worth a second read. Draco joins the trio on the Horcrux hunt. It's always fun for me when an author is talented enough to manipulate canon with inserts of another character into the scenes and it works! Alizarincrims0n certainly has that talent!

I also read the posting for today's @drarrydisabilityfest, Like Father, Like Son (5.6K) by @ladderofyears. Summary: During Scorpius's autism diagnosis, Harry begins to understand that he might be autistic too.

My thoughts:

I'm always amazed when so much can be packed into a short fic. I adored this slice of life story with Harry and Draco sitting in Madam Rosemary's office with Scorpius off playing in the corner, while getting told his diagnosis. Little bells start going off as the Healer speaks. Draco is lovely as the parent who dives into all research available, which is mainly Muggle. And his reflection back on his family is a Wow! Harry is sitting there in denial because Scorpius is perfect...which he is. @ladderofyears presents the diagnosis and how it was made with examples so beautifully. Never preachy. And last thing I'll say is I just loved the name of Scorpius' preschool: Green Toadstool Nursery. Definitely a Rec!

Like Father, Like Son on AO3

Interesting Tumblr Posts:

So during the AO3 DDOS problem, @lee-bella posted Non AO3 HP Masterlists. Wow! what a treasure load. The fests were hosted on Dreamwidth and/or LiveJournal. What attracted my attention immediately was down at the end were two older Masterlist directories on Livejournal. What was exciting for me was that these were the original postings with comments on these fics. So many have been re-posted on AO3 at a later time, but the originals capture the excitement of the fests. If you dig around, you'll notice that commenting while usually very high, can also contain concrit. I have my share of burns on there. *ouch*. What you can also find is some fics from deleted authors that still exist in the fest community postings. Here's the links. And thank you @lee-bella for this post!!! HP Masterlist from 2002-2017. And my fav! Guns&Handcuffs Drarry Fests and Challenges 2004-2015. Wasn't surprised at all to see @vaysh11 was responsible for this. Dig deep into the fests but also note the other links on the Home Page and the text before the masterlists, which gives other fascinating links.

Other TidBits:

I made an ask on a Discord Server for what the ship name was for Harry/Daphne. I was so uninspired when Haphne came back as the answer. I was hoping for something like DaphPot or HarDaph. GreenPot would have been good but there's Astoria, too. Hmm PotDGreen!!! *snicker*

Oh, Rom is sad, sad, sad. After posting on here last time that I'm in desperate need of a beta for my long arse WIP, I then asked on the two big Discord servers for H/D and for HP Writers. No response. Zero. nadda. Just so you know, I'll continue writing this fic and start begging more. Most of those Scorching comments I mentioned that I received way back then was for lack of a good betaing. I have scars...deep scars. Anyone use Grammarly? it has a 30 day limit for 150K.

Happy Wednesday!

Rom

#romaine2424 daily blog #july 2023 #drarry fic rec

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