#1 Chronicles ch.14 | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

iaus · 5 months ago

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DIRECTOR’s CUT PT 2: ⭐ for good measure. Or you can talk abt the use of devil’s honey in the last ch? The one before the final lol. Sorry I’m not picking something more specific. Feel free to go off from the baseline. Or do the star and devil’s honey. Anyway. Congrats on finishing! It was so good!

YESSSS i can.

i'm crying i was on call when i got some comments for chapter 14 and i was (to my very indulgent cishet friend who has to hear me go on about yaoi chronicles) like. my unreliable narrator he was too unreliable......

and he just laughed because he's a prick but.

so. i had wanted to do something with the devil's honey/baklava for a while and was kind of just spinning ideas on how to get it done. but then i looked at the chapters with briar (who i was originally not even going to name, but typing the tabaxi over and over pissed me OFF) and was like.

the way jace goes about this is not going to work. and i don't think HE would think it's going to work.

so i looked at my darling unreliable narrator and was like. well. we have an in-canon way for him to easily lie to himself. and he has a situationship that would DEFINITELY meal prep and freeze extra food. even his devil's honey baklava.

while writing with the devil's honey stuff i actually pulled up modify memory and based it on that. which i'm gonna put here since. modify memory became such a huge thing for jace anyway (haha. fucker.)

You attempt to reshape another creature’s memories. One creature that you can see must make a Wisdom saving throw. If you are fighting the creature, it has advantage on the saving throw. On a failed save, the target becomes charmed by you for the duration. The cha⁠rmed target is incapacitated and unaware of its surroundings, though it can still hear you. If it takes any damage or is targeted by another spell, this spell ends, and none of the target’s memories are modified. While this charm lasts, you can affect the target’s memory of an event that it experienced within the last 24 hours and that lasted no more than 10 minutes. You can permanently eliminate all memory of the event, allow the target to recall the event with perfect clarity and exacting detail, change its memory of the details of the event, or create a memory of some other event. You must speak to the target to describe how its memories are affected, and it must be able to understand your language for the modified memories to take root. Its mind fills in any gaps in the details of your description. If the spell ends before you have finished describing the modified memories, the creature’s memory isn’t altered. Otherwise, the modified memories take hold when the spell ends. At Higher Levels. If you cast this spell using a spell slot of 6th level or higher, you can alter the target’s memories of an event that took place up to 7 days ago (6th level), 30 days ago (7th level), 1 year ago (8th level), or any time in the creature’s past (9th level).

so i basically looked at this, decided that devil's honey would likely be like a temporary 9th level cast of modify memory (i mean. if you're fooling a GOD in PRAYER... i would hope its 9th level equivalent). and i mentioned jace's forging kit and forgery of a "certificate" because in my estimations epilogue jace is so commitmentphobic that it would take so much to convince him he actually married porter.

now let's get into a few different lines.

i did play fast and loose with a lot of rules-as-written in this fic but i DID want to base it on some mechanics... but since we don't have a lot of info on devil's honey other than 1) it's used in prayer 2) porter had probably made baklava of it i went a little wild.

so jace spends his time in chapter 12 forging stuff we have this line:

It takes a few tries to get the penmanship right—to duplicate the signature he’s staring at on his crystal. Porter’s signature was easier to forge.

where jace is forging porter's signature on the marriage certificate. then...

He eyes the certificate again, then the baklava he found digging through Porter’s freezer that’s thawing on the counter. He’d briefly entertained the thought of giving himself a different first name on the certificate, but he already has his doubts about the lie inscribed on certificate.

so, jace is not disclosing to the reader what he's doing. but it involves lying, he also is not sure if HE'LL believe it. because at this point in time, even though he's been having his face shoved in it, he does not believe he is really anything more than a tool for porter.

he then, of course, finds more proof that no. he did have some sort of care for you and has to go throw up about it. (me too man.)

then we learn in chapter 13 that jace has never taken porter's "personal supply" of baklava while cutting to him acting like a pissed off cat when porter's praying. so without outright saying it he is laying it on about the lie. we just don't know what fucking lie he's talking about yet.

and then we cut into chapter 14. i don't think i succeeded, but i tried to make it a little disjointed? but at the same time it had to be believable to jace. like. of course he finally agreed to marrying porter mid blowjob. of course porter had asked repeatedly (this is the filling in the memory part of modify memory).

but then there are a few... oddities (which do purposefully match up with jace's weird brain-fog haze that he's been experiencing this entire story) but:

The ceremony itself is a blur in his memory—short, sweet, just the two of them and their state provided witness. He can’t even remember what the government chapel looked like—can’t remember what their vows had been.

and then

Strange to think that he was happy—he doesn’t remember being happy after the shatterstar.

even under the effects of devil's honey/baklava he still has trouble with some of these memories.

and...

Jace thumbs at the marriage certificate, the license. It’s like new.

maybe like... it was made yesterday.... this is also a little nod to the fact that epilogue jace is quite a hand at forging (he's forged new schedules that weren't approved by parents or teachers y'know!)

and then we get our nail in the coffin:

He takes another bite of baklava—the thick honey sweet of it almost unbearable on his tongue—and another sip of black coffee before he grabs his keys.

he's eating baklava, porter's personal supply, before he goes to collect porter from the morgue. he is COMMITTING to.... playing house. because he's taking a page from what he's learned: he doesn't get a second shot at this so he has to be believable. he'll construct new memories for himself to be able to claim porter is his. (he had a line earlier back where he was like. we didn't do HR papers. i'm literally just his coworker.)

but then of course we see that the medical examiner's office is really not on the ball and he did all this extra shit for nothing really.

BUT UH. TL;DR jace used devil's honey for the sole purpose of tricking himself into thinking he and porter were married so he could steal his corpse. he did not have to do all of that be we love him anyway.

#.asks #THIS IS SO LONG AND MEANDERING #epilogue tag #starbreaker

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sunnydaleherald · 7 months ago

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The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Sunday, April 21

SPIKE: Hey! Hey, let's be reasonable about this. (Riley slams him up against a pillar.) RILEY: You may have noticed, Spike... (he punches Spike in the face) RILEY: I left reasonable about three exits back.

~~Into the Woods~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Pillow Talk by veronyxk84 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

Five times Angel made chocolates for Buffy and the one time she made some for him by Liana_Medea (Buffy/Angel, G)

For Emergencies by Bobbie23 (Giles/Jenny, G)

By a whisker by squiddz (Spike & original cat character, Buffy/Spike, T)

Brick by Boring Brick by Wretched_Little_Words (Buffy & Kendra, G)

Это уже не смешно by B_E_S (Buffy/Angel, G, in Russian)

Riley's Special Spike (the plastic one, you ninny) by InvariablyStupidIdeas (Spike/Riley, M)

On a subway? by scooby-group-texts (Spike, Dawn, not rated - mentions of canon violence)

Something Red by Maxine Eden (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Pillow Talk by VeroNyxK84 (Buffy/Spike, anthology rated PG-13)

[Chaptered Fiction]

Going Astral - Chapter 1 by Geliot99 (Buffy/Spike, M)

Across Ages, Ch. 27 by Isabeau (Buffy/Spike, R)

Ties to the World, Ch. 33 by The Danish Bird (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Love Bites, Ch. 4 by cawthraven (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Truth and Consequences, Ch. 14 by JamesMFan (Buffy/Spike, R)

In Any Life, Ch. 12 by Spikelover4ever (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Hand in Flightless Hand, Ch. 4 by tragic (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Afterburn: In The Dark, Ch. 3 by Melme1325 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Sweet Dreams (Or A Beautiful Nightmare) Ch. 2 by goodbyetoyou (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

The Tortured Slayer Department, Ch. 1 by BewitchedXx (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

A Ripple In Time, Ch. 1 by CheekyKitten (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

To All We Guard, Ch. 12 by simmony (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Gargoyle, Ch. 4 by ClowniestLivEver (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Centerfold, Ch. 2 by all choseny, Passion4Spike, MissLuci (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

[Images, Audio & Video]

Something Blue painting by novivi (Buffy/Spike, worksafe)

Fanvid: Look What You Made Me Do by starryeyesxx (Buffy)

Gifset: The Albatross by detectivedawnsummers (Buffy/Spike, worksafe, includes canon death scenes)

spike + textposts by spikespeaches ()

[Reviews & Recaps]

Re: Can’t decide between S2 & S3 as the best season of Buffy by occidentaltourist

the dichotomy of band candy by shiteatinggrin

BTVS/Angel Rewatch Chronicles: Seasons 5/2, Part Four by QualifiedApathetic

Coming to the end of my 16th rewatch by Xandertheokay

[Recs & In Search Of]

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Fanfic Rec – a list by alwaysakin

[Fandom Discussions]

Contextless Jenny musing #47 by hal-1500

Re: you have to work on a group project with Oz, how does it go? by momsforroadhead

I cannot with s4 ending with Xander as “the heart.” by nicnacsnonsense

Crack Fic Idea: Bucky x Reader x Spike Love Triangle [Marvel crossover] by scoonsalicious

Okay, just some musing about Buffy Summers by deus--auri

When someone tells me "I normally don't like Riley but I like the way you write him." by riley-summers

Drusilla (the incredible layers of Drusilla added to the scene in Destiny) by thedeathscar

If you were to use one episode to represent each couple which would you use? by jdpm1991

What is your favourite headcanon that you one-hundred percent believe in? hosted by RavenNight789

Did anyone else feel Faith's arc would be played wildly differently if it had somehow continued on Buffy by sadhungryandvirgin

Full 180 on Dawn by Stellz04

Angelus in s2 out-Spikes Spike by Due_Resolution_8551

Submit a link to be included in the newsletter!

Join the editor team :)

#btvs #buffy the vampire slayer #angel the series

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vid-writes · 8 months ago

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Writing Blog

This is my introduction for my writing side blog

I am not new to Tumblr or Writblr by any means despite both my main and this account being relatively new.

I am 27 years old and I'm mostly writing my own novels but I also dabble in fan fiction. You can find all of my sites where I post my works outside of Tumblr right here

I would rather Minors not interact with this blog or my main blog but for the love of God please do NOT follow this blog or my main blog if you are under the age of 18!!

Master list of all my original works!

Frost and Petals

Ch. 1

Ch. 2

Ch. 3

Ch. 4

Ch. 5

Ch. 6

Ch. 7

Ch. 8 (has been corrected grammatically on Wattpad)

Ch. 9

Ch. 10

Ch. 11

Ch. 12

Ch. 13

Ch. 14 (10/23/24)

Ch. 15 (TBA)

Ch. 16 (TBA)

Ch. 17 (TBA)

Ch. 18 (TBA)

Ch. 19 (TBA)

Fan Fics

Gojo cheers up his S/O

Gojo x Nanami x Fem Y/N (throuple)

Gojo's S/O is a Simp

Nanami Aladdin Type AU

Late Night Coffee Shop

Gojo's new tailor

Takuna Ino x Fem Reader

Cult Leader Suguru x Fem Reader

Choso x Fem Reader

Nephilim Chronicles

Ch. 1

Ch. 2

Ch. 3

Ch. 4

Godslayer Chronicles

Ch. 1

Ch. 2

Ch. 3

Owning Her

Ch. 1

Ch. 2

Ch. 3 (TBA)

Ch. 4 (TBA)

Ch. 5 (TBA)

Ch. 6 (TBA)

Her Throne to Take

Prologue

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neoninky · 2 years ago

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:Masterlist:

Hello to all my regular and new readers! I'll be updating this post with the posted chapters of my fanfics and other things. For my fellow AO3 writers and/or readers: you can find my stories on my page here.

As of right now, I’m no longer writing any fanfiction for the foreseeable future. I will keep my Masterlist and AO3 page up for anyone who wants to read what I’ve already written.

:Twisted Wonderland:

-Shenanigans/Headcanons-

Diasomnia Courtship Headcanons

League of Antagonists

Tai (OC) takes over parenting his step sons

-Sacred Crown Chronicles-

Her Ivory Crown (Heartslabyul x f!OC) - COMPLETE

Ch. 1, Ch. 2, Ch. 3, Ch. 4, Ch. 5, Ch. 6, Ch. 7, Ch. 8, Ch.9, Ch. 10, Ch. 11, Ch. 12, Ch. 13, Ch. 14, Ch. 15, Ch. 16

Her Lost Voice (Octavinelle x f!OC) - COMPLETE Ch. 1, Ch. 2, Ch. 3, Ch. 4, Ch. 5, Ch. 6, Ch. 7, Ch. 8, Ch. 9, Ch. 10, Ch. 11, Ch. 12, Ch. 13, Ch. 14, Ch. 15, Ch. 16, Ch. 17, Ch. 18, Ch. 19

Her Devoted Shield (Diasomnia x OC) - Indefinite Haitus

Prologue, Ch. 1, Ch.2, Ch. 3, Ch. 4, Ch. 5, Ch. 6

-Sacred Crown Chronicle Shorts-

Indigo Cerith: NRC Days

Indigo Cerith: Courtship

2nd Gen: Calico Leech (Part 1)

2nd Gen: Calico Leech (Part 2)

2nd Gen: Calico Leech (Part 3)

2nd Gen: Calico Leech (Part 4)

2nd Gen: Calico Leech (Final Part)

- OC Bios/Introductions -

(Diasomnia canon x oc) Borlean Noctune

TWST OC: Astrid Piperita

TWST OC: Zhao Tai-Yang

Art: Inky Mascot B1NKX

:Twisted Wonderland:

Cerulamaids (SC Gurls - “Her Lost Voice”) Therapy Rabbit AU: Diasomnia!Inky Bun Therapy Rabbit AU: RSA and NBC MalMal x Moselle (OC) first meeting (dragon edition) NRC Waifu Club (TM)

Lilia becomes a girl bat dad

Lilia becomes a girl bat dad part 2

Lilia and His Foxy Lady Husband

Shipping Wars: Diasomnia x OC

King Malleus has no chill

:Pokemon:

Pumpkaboo Patch

:Crossovers:

DBZ x AC

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orthodoxydaily · 2 years ago

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Saints&Reading: Sunday, may 14, 2023

may 14_may 1

5th Sunday of Pascha: Fifth Sunday of Pascha:

The Samaritan Woman.

THE HOLY PROPHET JEREMIAH (650 B.C.)

The Holy Prophet Jeremiah, one of the four great Old Testament prophets, was the son of the priest Helkiah from the city of Anathoth near Jerusalem, and he lived 600 years before the Birth of Christ under the Israelite king Josiah and four of his successors. He was called to prophetic service at the age of fifteen when the Lord revealed that the Lord had chosen him to be a prophet even before his birth. Jeremiah refused, citing his youth and lack of skill at speaking, but the Lord promised to be always with him and to watch over him.

He touched the mouth of the chosen one and said, “Behold, I have put My words into your mouth. Behold, I have appointed you this day over nations and kingdoms, to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to rebuild, and to plant” (Jer. 1:9-10). Jeremiah prophesied for twenty-three years, denouncing the Jews for abandoning the true God and worshipping idols, predicting sorrows and devastating wars. He stood by the gates of the city and at the entrance to the Temple, everywhere where the people gathered, and he exhorted them with imprecations and often with tears. The people mocked and abused him and even tried to kill him.

Depicting for the Jews their impending enslavement to the king of Babylon, Jeremiah first placed on his own neck a wooden and then an iron yoke, and thus he went about among the people. Enraged at the dire predictions of the prophet, the Jewish elders threw the Prophet Jeremiah into a pit filled with horrid, slimy creatures, where he almost died. Through the intercession of the God-fearing royal official Habdemelek, the prophet was pulled out of the pit, but he did not cease his prophecies, and for this, he was carted off to prison. Under the Jewish king Zedekiah his prophecy was fulfilled.

Nebuchadnezzar came, slaughtered many people, carried off a remnant into captivity, and Jerusalem was pillaged and destroyed. Nebuchadnezzar released the prophet from prison and permitted him to live where he wanted. The prophet remained at the ruins of Jerusalem and bewailed his nation’s misfortune. According to Tradition, the Prophet Jeremiah took the Ark of the Covenant with the Tablets of the Law and hid it in one of the caves of Mount Nabath (Nebo), so that the Jews could no longer find it (2 Mac. 2). Afterwards, a new Ark of the Covenant was fashioned. Still, it lacked the glory of the first.

Among the Jews remaining in their fatherland there soon arose internecine clashes: Hodoliah, Nebuchadnezzar’s viceroy, was murdered. The Jews, fearing Babylon's wrath, fled into Egypt. The Prophet Jeremiah disagreed with their intention, predicting the punishment they feared would befall them in Egypt. The Jews would not listen to the prophet, however, and taking him along by force, they went into Egypt and settled in the city of Tathnis. There the prophet lived for four years and was respected by the Egyptians because he killed crocodiles and other creatures infesting these parts with his prayers. When Jeremiah prophesied that the King of Babylon would invade Egypt and annihilate the Jews living there, the Jews murdered him. In that very same year, the saint’s prophecy was fulfilled. There is a tradition that 250 years later, Alexander the Great transported the relics of the holy Prophet Jeremiah to Alexandria.

The Prophet Jeremiah wrote his Book of Prophecies and the Book of Lamentations about the desolation of Jerusalem and the Exile. The times in which he lived and prophesied are described in 4/2 Kings (Ch. 23-25) and in the Second Book of Chronicles (36:12) and in 2 Maccabbees (Ch. 2).

In the Gospel of Matthew it is said that the betrayal of Judas was foretold by the Prophet Jeremiah, “And they took thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom the sons of Israel had set a price, and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me” (Mt. 27:9-10). Perhaps Jeremiah 32:6-15 is meant.

Even after his death, the Prophet Jeremiah was regarded as a wonderworker. Dust from his tomb was believed to cure snake bites, and many Christians pray to him for this purpose.

ST. TAMARA, QUEEN OF GEORGIA (1213)

In 1166 a daughter, Tamar, was born to King George III (1155-1184) and Queen Burdukhan of Georgia. The king proclaimed that he would share the throne with his daughter when she turned twelve.

The royal court unanimously vowed its allegiance and service to Tamar, and father and daughter ruled the country together for five years. After King George died in 1184, the nobility recognized the young Tamar as the sole ruler of all of Georgia. Queen Tamar was enthroned as ruler of all of Georgia at eighteen. In the Georgian language, she is called “King” because her father had no male heir, so she ruled as a monarch, not a consort.

At the beginning of her reign, Tamar convened a Church council and addressed the clergy with wisdom and humility: “Judge according to righteousness, affirming good and condemning evil,” she advised. “Begin with me--if I sin, I should be censured, for the royal crown is sent down from above as a sign of divine service. Allow neither the nobles' wealth nor the masses' poverty to hinder your work. You by word and I by deed, you by preaching and I by the law, you by upbringing and I by education will care for those souls whom God has entrusted to us, and together we will abide by the law of God, to escape eternal condemnation.... You as priests and I as ruler, you as stewards of good and I as the watchman of that good.”

The Church and the royal court chose a suitor for Tamar: Yuri, the son of Prince Andrei Bogoliubsky of Vladimir-Suzdal (in Georgia, Yuri was known as “George the Russian”). The handsome George Rusi was a valiant soldier, and under his command, the Georgians returned victorious from many battles. However, His marriage to Tamar exposed many of his character's coarser sides. He was often drunk and inclined toward immoral deeds. Ultimately, Tamar’s court sent him away from Georgia to Constantinople, armed with generous recompense. Many Middle Eastern rulers were drawn to Queen Tamar’s beauty and desired to marry her, but she rejected them all. Finally, at her court's insistence, she agreed to wed a second time to ensure the preservation of the dynasty. This time, however, she asked her aunt and nurse Rusudan (the sister of King George III) to find her a suitor. The man she chose, Davit-Soslan Bagrationi, was the son of the Ossetian ruler and a descendant of King George I (1014-1027).

In 1195 a joint Muslim military campaign against Georgia was planned under the leadership of Atabeg (a military commander) Abu Bakr of Persian Azerbaijan. At Queen Tamar’s command, a call to arms was issued. The faithful were instructed by Metropolitan Anton of Chqondidi to celebrate All-night Vigils and Liturgies and to generously distribute alms so that the poor could rest from their labors to pray. In ten days, the army was prepared, and Queen Tamar addressed the Georgian soldiers for the last time before the battle began: “My brothers! Do not allow your hearts to tremble before the multitude of enemies, for God is with us.... Trust God alone, turn your hearts to Him in righteousness, and place your every hope in the Cross of Christ and in the Most Holy Theotokos!”

Having taken off her shoes, Queen Tamar climbed the hill to the Metekhi Church of the Theotokos (in Tbilisi) and knelt before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. She prayed without ceasing until the good news arrived: the battle near Shamkori had ended in the unquestionable victory of the Orthodox Georgian army.

After this initial victory, the Georgian army launched a series of triumphs over the Turks, and neighboring countries began to regard Georgia as the protector of the entire Transcaucasus. By the beginning of the 13th century, Georgia was a commanding political authority recognized by both the Christian West and the Muslim East.

Georgia’s military successes alarmed the Islamic world. Sultan Rukn al-Din was confident that a united Muslim force could definitively decide the issue of power in the region, and he marched on Georgia around the year 1203, commanding an enormous army.

Having encamped near Basiani, Rukn al-Din sent a messenger to Queen Tamar with an audacious demand: to surrender without a fight. In reward for her obedience, the sultan promised to marry her on the condition that she embraces Islam; if Tamar were to cleave to Christianity, he would number her among the other unfortunate concubines in his harem. When the messenger relayed the sultan’s demand, a certain nobleman, Zakaria Mkhargrdzelidze, was so outraged that he slapped him in the face, knocking him unconscious.

At Queen Tamar’s command, the court generously bestowed gifts upon the ambassador and sent him away with a Georgian envoy and a reply letter. “Your proposal takes into consideration your wealth and the vastness of your armies but fails to account for divine judgment,” Tamar wrote, “while I place my trust not in any army or worldly thing but in the right hand of the Almighty God and the infinite aid of the Cross, which you curse. The will of God--and not your own--shall be fulfilled, and the judgment of God--and not your judgment--shall reign!”

The Georgian soldiers were summoned without delay. Queen Tamar prayed for victory before the Vardzia Icon of the Theotokos, then, barefoot, led her army to the gates of the city.

Hoping in the Lord and the fervent prayers of Queen Tamar, the Georgian army marched toward Basiani. The enemy was routed. The victory at Basiani was an enormous event for Georgia and the entire Christian world.

The military victories increased Queen Tamar’s faith. In the daytime, she shone in all her royal finery and wisely administered the affairs of the government; during the night, on bended knees, she beseeched the Lord tearfully to strengthen the Georgian Church. She busied herself with needlework and distributed her embroidery to the poor.

Once exhausted from her prayers and needlework, Tamar dozed off and saw a vision. Entering a luxuriously furnished home, she saw a gold throne studded with jewels, and she turned to approach it, but was suddenly stopped by an old man crowned with a halo. “Who is more worthy than I to receive such a glorious throne?” Queen Tamar asked him.

He answered her, saying, “This throne is intended for your maidservant, who sewed vestments for twelve priests with her hands. You are already the possessor of great treasure in this world.” And he pointed her in a different direction.

Having awakened, Holy Queen Tamar immediately took to her work and, with her own hands, sewed vestments for twelve priests.

History has preserved another poignant episode from Queen Tamar’s life: Once, she was preparing to attend a festal Liturgy in Gelati, and she fastened precious rubies to the belt around her waist. Soon after, she was told that a beggar outside the monastery tower was asking for alms, and she ordered her entourage to wait. After dressing, she went to the tower but found no one there. Terribly distressed, she reproached herself for denying the poor and thus denying Christ Himself. Immediately she removed her belt, the cause of her temptation, and presented it as an offering to the Gelati Icon of the Theotokos.

During Queen Tamar’s reign, a veritable monastic city was carved in the rocks of Vardzia, and the God-fearing Georgian ruler would labor there during the Great Fast. The churches of Pitareti, Kvabtakhevi, Betania, and many others were also built. Holy Queen Tamar generously endowed the churches and monasteries not only on Georgian territory but also outside her borders: in Palestine, Cyprus, Mt. Sinai, the Black Mountains, Greece, Mt. Athos, Petritsoni (Bulgaria), Macedonia, Thrace, Romania, Isauria, and Constantinople. The divinely guided Queen Tamar abolished the death penalty and all forms of bodily torture.

A regular, secret observance of a strict ascetic regime--fasting, a stone bed, and litanies chanted in bare feet--finally took its toll on Queen Tamar’s health. She refrained from speaking to anyone about her condition for a long time, but when the pain became unbearable, she finally sought help. The best physicians of the time could not diagnose her illness, and all of Georgia feared disaster. Everyone from the small to the great prayed fervently for Georgia’s ruler and defender. The people were prepared to offer not only their own lives but even the lives of their children for the sake of their beloved ruler.

God sent Tamar a sign to receive her into His Kingdom when He was ready. Then the pious ruler bade farewell to her court and turned in prayer to an icon of Christ and the Life-giving Cross: “Lord Jesus Christ! Omnipotent Master of Heaven and Earth! To Thee I deliver the nation and people entrusted to my care and purchased by Thy Precious Blood, the children whom Thou didst bestow upon me, and to Thee I surrender my soul, O Lord!”

The burial place of Queen Tamar has remained a mystery to this day. Some sources claim that her tomb is in Gelati, in a branch of burial vaults belonging to the Bagrationi dynasty. In contrast, others argue that her holy relics are preserved in a vault at the Holy Cross Monastery in Jerusalem.

St. Tamara is commemorated on the Sunday of the Myrrh-bearing Women in addition to her regular commemoration on May 1.

Source: All texts, Orthodoxe Church in America_OCA

ACTS 11:19-26, 29-30

19 Now, those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only. 20 But some were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus when they came to Antioch. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a significant number believed and turned to the Lord. 22 Then news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch. 23 When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart, they should continue with the Lord. 24 He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. 25 Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul. 26 And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So they assembled with the church for a year and taught many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. 29 Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea. 30 This they also did and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

JOHN 20:1-10

1 on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been removed. 2 Then she ran and came to Simon Peter and the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him." 3 Peter, therefore, went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. 4 So they ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. 5 And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. 9 Yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went away again to their own homes.

#orthodoxy #orthodoxchristianity #easternorthodoxchurch #originofchristianity #spirituality #holyscriptures #gospel #bible #wisdom

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kala-ya-aan · 2 years ago

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ॐ

Vedic Cosmology; 3 lokas 14 bhuvanas

According to Vedic philosophy, our soul takes birth in different worlds (realms) based on the Law of Karma. The actions you do from the time you are born in any world to the time you die, your soul carries information, experience, learning valuables, and evolve based on that, vibrating at a certain frequency. Your soul’s frequency will match one of the realms where you will be born.

The Gayatri Mantra has been chronicled in the Rig Veda, in the Atharvaveda, Shiva Puranas and Vishnu Purana (Chapter 7) defines fourteen worlds (not to be confused with planets) seven higher worlds (heavens) and seven lower ones (underworlds). The higher worlds are the seven vyahrtis, viz. bhu, bhuvas, svar, mahas, janas, tapas, and satya (the world that is ruled by Brahma); and the lower ones (the seven underworlds or paatalas) are atala, vitala, sutala, rasaataala, talatala, mahaatala, paatala.

Satya Loka (infinite existence, universe himself); The top of the universe. Brahmanda, the Cosmic Egg, or the Universe. As per many Puranas, the Satya Lioka is the abode of Brahma, the God of Creation. Some Puranas describe Brahma as residing in a Cosmic Egg, the Egg of Brahma or Brahmanda. Vibrates at the highest frequency to anything that will be ever known. Longevity; His current age is 50 years 1st day which is 155.5 trillion human years which is the current age of our universe. God-Level: 100%

Tapa Loka (infinite consciousness, universal presence); 2nd highest part of the universe. At four times the distance, between the two last, lies the Tapo-loka (the sphere of penance), inhabited by the deities called Vaibhrajas, who are unconsumable by fire. Tapo Loka is described as 'greater than' or 'beyond' or 'above' the Jana Loka. It is thus the world of the Galaxies visible to us, including the Milky Way Galaxy. The inhabitants of this world of Galaxies thus would be people belonging to an inter galactic civilization. If the narration is to be believed, they are the deities known as Vaibhrajas who are unconsumable by fire. The beings who live here sometimes act as the bridge to connect the universe and sometimes act as a part of the creator itself. Longevity - from the time of reaching this realm till the time creator exists. God-Level: Between 1%–99%.

Jana Loka (infinite delight, observable universe presence); At twice that distance is situated Janaloka, where Sanandana and other pure-minded sons of Brahma, reside. Jana Loka is described greater than Mahar Loka. It thus contains the Mahar Loka, the world of the stars visible to us. The spirits / beings here have all the knowledge about every realm that exists above and below them, know about existence itself and the universe combined, but are still curious to learn more. They can travel anywhere in the universe at the speed of thought. They (Spirits) don’t even need a physical/any form to exist. They are more than aware (definition of awareness) and lost in the beauty of existence. Longevity - till creator exists. Lifespan - 3.11 trillion years. God-Level: more than 1%.

Mahar Loka / Realm of Heaven: (finite existence, start/reset: inter-galactic presence)- Above Dhruva, at the distance of ton million leagues, lies the sphere of saints, or Mahar-loka, the inhabitants of which dwell in it throughout a Kalpa, or day of Brahma. Maharloka is described as the place of saintly souls (as per Vishnu Purana ch 7) and is considered as greater than the Suvarloka (Heaven or Jannat where ordinary people's souls go after death). The souls of the Saptarshis (Ancient Seven Sages) reside here with a watchful eye upon the activities of humanity on Earth. The world of greatest saints. They are the powerhouse of the galaxy which makes the galaxy/local group exist. They are instincts of heaven. They fully understand the concept of one single soul called Brahman. Inhabitants of Mahar Loka will thus belong to an interstellar civilization. All of the 27 Nakshatras known to the ancient Indians too belongs to this Mahar Loka. Longevity - 3.11 trillion years. Lifespan - avg 4.32 billion years. God-Level: 10^(-5)%.

Svar Loka (finite consciousness, start/reset: galactic presence); Suvar Loka (The Solar System) The interval between the sun and Dhruva, extending fourteen hundred thousand leagues, is called by those who are acquainted with the system of the universe the heavenly sphere (Suvar Loka). Suvar-loka (alternatively Swar-loka) is described as regions of space beyond Bhuvarloka. Some description makes it a planet inhabited by the Devas with their king Indra. Some references make it equivalent to the Swarga (Biblical Heavan, Jannat as described in Quran) where good souls go (after death) to reap the benefits of their good Karma (good deeds). Some Puranic references equate Suvarloka to the Solar System. As per these the Suvar loka is consisted of nine sub divisions or sectors called; Druva Mandala, Sani Mandala, Brihaspati Mandala, Angaraka Mandala, Sukra Mandala, Budha Mandala, Nakshatra Mandala, Chandra Mandala, and Surya Mandala. As for the inhabitants of Suvar Loka, the Human Beings are one among them. The beings here are connected with a single consciousness that limits the possibility of any wrongdoings. It is believed all minor 33 million Hindu Gods live here. Lord Indra rules here. You are free from old age, diseases, etc earth realm worries, and pleasures. However, this realm is occasionally attacked by demons and devils who are jealous of the life here. Some Gods who live here - Vayu Dev (God of Air), Agni Dev (God of Fire), etc. You automatically land in heaven once you accept your non-physical existence completely and are so much in control of yourself that you are able to make new physical objects out of nothing. More like a minor creator. Longevity - 4.32 billion years. Lifespan - up to 306.72 million years. God-Level: 10^(-7)%.

Bhuvar (Pitra) Loka / Realm of Consciousness: (realization of existence, start/reset: solar presence); The air, atmosphere. The beings here don’t have a physical existence but need a medium to exist hence, can live in the air in the form of spirits. They are everywhere on earth and solar system and have to decide whether they are ready to leave the physical world forever and go to Svar Loka or come back to Bhu Loka and live one more life on earth. The beings who come back to the earth realm want to experience physical life as Earth is the last and therefore the most fragile form of physical existence. In this Loka, beings can observe everything - past, present & future of earth but in no way interact with the physical world. Longevity - 306.72 million years. Lifespan - up to 4.32 million years. God-Level: 10^(-8)%.

Bhu Loka (realization of consciousness, start/reset: planetary presence); The realm of earth. The region that extends from the earth to the sun, in which the Siddhas and other celestial beings move, is the atmospheric sphere (Bhuvar Loka). The 6th one viz. Bhuvar-loka is identified with Earth's atmosphere and sometimes with the space which is in the immediate neighborhood of Earth. In other words Bhuvarloka is the near-Earth space including Earth's atmosphere. This is the region where all the aircrafts fly and where all the artificial-satellites and space-stations that orbit around the Earth are situated. This region can re equated to the Geospace, the space dominated by Earth's magnetic field. Vibrates at medium frequency. The realm where attraction to the physical world is still relevant and existing and you can experience it. There are many planets with life that exist in this realm, earth being just one of those. This realm gives a balance between attraction and liberation, prophecy and spirituality. Life on earth is alive for just 12 hours of a day of the creator. The 12 creator hours can be divided into 14 Manvantara and each Manvantara has a total of 71 Yuga cycles. Currently, we are in the 7th Manvantara at the 28th Yuga cycle. Each Yuga cycle longevity - 4.32 million years. For simplicity, 12 creator hours can be divided into 1000 cycles of 4 Yuga.

Realm of Underworld (Unconscious Material World):

Atala Loka (finite lust, start/reset: sub-planetary/lunar presence)- The beings here are immortal, free from old age and diseases, and live a life that they ever wanted to live. Humans, during their early stages of development indeed lived in caves that went as deep as 1 km in the Upper Crust (Atala Loka). Several anomalies and submerged alien space-crafts and submerged-cities are reported as per UFO literature, as situated underground, sometimes beneath the oceans, under the bottom of continental lakes, underground cave networks etc. These are thus located in Atala (Upper Crust) and Vitala (Lower Crust).

Vitala Loka (finite ignorance, start/reset: asteroidal presence)- The beings here generally live longer and healthy life compared to Earth. From the success angle, even the richest on earth will be very small compared to the poorest of this realm. The idea of spirituality is lost here and people are in a never-ending race where at no limit anything is even sufficient for them to give satisfaction. A population of successful people all living a highly dissatisfied life.

Sutala Loka (finite ego, start/reset: sub-asteroidal presence)- The beings are turning evil to satisfy their materialistic pleasures. Right becomes Wrong and Wrong becomes Right. Needless to say, you do the right thing. There is nothing called spirituality. It is all about who gets the highest possession of materialistic pleasures and then calls himself God.

Talatala Loka (finite hallucination, start/reset: granular presence)- The beings here live a kind of similar life as of Atala Loka, the difference is, this time your soul is living in someone else illusion considered to be originating from you. Your soul is literally inside a prison now and completely unaware of it. This doesn’t mean beings won’t be living in a castle made of precious stones built above the cloud.

Mahatala Loka (finite fear, start/reset: molecular presence)- A world populated by Hooded Nagas (Hooded Snakes) who fear Garuda (Eagle). Also, a place where huge snakes suddenly and often appear from underground and anybody can be abducted and killed at any time. Every second is precious. Hence, beings live peacefully with each other. The world is full of imposters though.

Rasatala Loka (finite darkness, start/reset: atomic presence)- The home of devils. This is a world of constant war. If your soul doesn’t move to the above realms, there will be infinite times you will be born and die not a good death, over and over again for materialistic desires. Everybody hates everybody, be it even God. Even after having most of the treasure, life here will be in scarcity.

Patala Loka (finite illusion, start/reset: sub-atomic presence)- The darkest place of all the worlds. The deadliest of the snakes live here. Also, the Richest Realm keeps this world shining. Wore by Nagas themselves. It is perceived differently by different people. The most mysterious Loka of all. Gods say this is the most beautiful realm existing. Demons on the other hand couldn’t even speak what they experienced - like a shattered soul. Therefore, the above 14 Lokas constitute 14 worlds of Brahma (creator) as mentioned in Bhagavata Purana.

Some versions of the vedic texts state that good and bad deeds neutralize each other and the soul therefore is born in either a heaven or a hell, but not both, whereas according to another school of thought, the good and bad deeds don't cancel out each other. In either case, the soul acquires a body as appropriate to the worlds it enters. At the end of the soul's time in those worlds, it returns to the earth (is reborn as a life form on the earth). It is considered that only from the earth, and only after a human life, can the soul reach supreme salvation, the state free from the cycle of birth and death, a state of absolute and eternal bliss.

Your imagination is a reality. It is more attractive than Heaven Realms and in many religions considered to be a true definition of Heaven. However, this is like being locked inside one’s own imagination where after a certain limit, the path/guidance towards true meaning starts becoming desire. Imagine listening to your same favorite music, eating the same favorite food, talking about the same favorite things, etc. The one who wants to seek an answer comes to Bhu Loka. Since there is no pain or sadness here, the value of pleasure and happiness decreases over time, and after a saturation level, being relatively lesser happy than yesterday will be the reason to inflict pain to yourself unknowingly and this keeps growing if not checked. Since pain doesn’t kill, pain may become a new pleasure.

By - Anadi Sahoo

#3loka #14bhuvan #vediccosmology #vedicknowledge #vedicastrology #vedic #VEDICMATHS #ancientindia #ancientwisdom #ancienthistory #ancient #dranadisahoo #BharatMataKiJai

#🕉#brahma-loka #mahar-loka #vedic

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abhayam-dada · 2 years ago

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Vedic Cosmology; 3 lokas 14 bhuvanas

Realm of Underworld (Unconscious Material World):

By - Anadi Sahoo

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endebussy · 2 years ago

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𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓰𝓻𝓸

https://at.tumblr.com/endebussy/%F0%9D%93%AA%F0%9D%93%B5%F0%9D%93%B5%F0%9D%93%AE%F0%9D%93%B0%F0%9D%93%BB%F0%9D%93%B8-ch-25-when-you-believe/5tcuxnya7kn9

— a comedic story/dream chronicles from en's adventures in the dreamland featuring all classical composers with different scenarios and chapters. 70% of the contexts are from the actual dream and 30% were additional fictional inputs.

notes:

— classical composers narration skit. — based on real dreams from the author. — every-day update. — mixed genres: mainly comedy — listen to twitter spaces first for context (if there were any, every 5pm phst and not relate to muzik bar) — names of the composers, are real. CURRENT CHAPTERS: start reading ch. 0 - wake up ch. 1 - my child ch. 2 - no, haydn ch. 3 - single ch. 4 - love is ch. 5 - the more, the merrier? ch. 6 - cold heart ch. 7 - under the stars ch. 8 - learning to dance! ch. 9 - clair de lune ch. 10 - sweetheart? ch. 11 - don’t worry ch. 12 - the household ch. 13 - sunshine ch. 14 - for her own good. ch. 15 - promise ch. 16 - adoration ch. 17 - sanctuary within the skies ch. 18 - never too late ch. 19 - sanity ch. 20 - you’re truly lovely ch. 21 - overtures vs symphonies ch. 22 - inspiration ch. 23 - the 4 ch. 24 - the bringer of peace ch. 25 - when you believe ch. 26 - you called? ch. 27 - prensenza ch. 28 - the quarter truth ch. 29 - doors ch. 30 - enjoy ch. 31 - boleró ch. 32 - you ch. 33 - 2 days ch. 34 - we’re stronger than anyone ch. 35 - old flames of hatred (pt. 1) | (pt. 2) ch. 36 - i’m safer in your arms ch. 37 - 1963 ch. 38 - get away! (pt. 1) | (pt. 2)

available also in ao3: allegro: classical composers comedy/dream chronicles

#classical composers #classical music #dream #comedy #comedy skit #general genre

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bernardo1969 · 2 months ago

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The Reign of Asa in the Kingdom of Judah as recounted in the Second Book of Chronicles is a demonstration that in a chaotic society order comes when the ruler is a God-fearing person. And this is so for a very important reason, the spiritual gift of fear of God (constancy, firmness, devotion, and equanimity) is the beginning of wisdom as explained in Proverbs 1:7. The Second Book of Chronicles says that Asa was a great-grandson of King Solomon and that he succeeded his father Abijah on the throne, and as ruler, Asa gave his heart to God: "Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God" 2 Chronicles 14:2. Asa was a foresighted man and prepared his kingdom for war in times of peace, fortifying many cities, and so, when his kingdom was invaded by the Cushites, he successfully defended it and defeated his enemies. And it was after his victory that the prophet Azariah approached the King and reminded him of a spiritual principle: "The LORD is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you" 2 Chronicles 15:2. And Azariah continued and explained to King Asa how the times were when the aristocracy of the judges ruled in Israel and Judah, times when the fear of God was in doubt: "During those dark times, it was not safe to travel. Problems troubled the people of every land. Nation fought against nation, and city against city, for God was troubling them with every kind of problem" 2 Chronicles 15:5-6. The words of Azariah, as a prophet of the Bible, were the testimony that the Lord protects his devotees, but instead punishes those who oppose his divine plan.

#prophet #old testament #bible study

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ivyfox-illustration · 2 months ago

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Australian Shepherd Silhouette SVG Design Bundle, Aussie Silhouette SVG, Aussie Clipart, Commercial Use, Cricut cut file, png, eps Your favourite breed art print - head or body conformation - groomer gift - Other Breeds Available - dog breeder gift - regional specialty or national specialty prize gift idea Artwork by Ivy Fox Illustration Follow Ivy Fox Illustration on social media https://m.facebook.com/IvyFox.illustration/ https://www.instagram.com/ivyfox.illustration/ Find your dog breed: Personalized Pet Portraits: https://ivyfoxillustrates.etsy.com/ My website: https://ivyfoxillustration.com/ Art Prints Merch Original PaintingsThis 14-pack bundle of hand-drawn Australian Shepherd silhouettes is perfect for making gifts and decor for Aussie lovers. This instant, digital download includes SVG, PNG, EPS, and DXF files. Limited Commercial and personal use included. Please read commercial terms of use below! **WHAT'S INCLUDED** This is a digital download only. No physical items will be sent. You will receive a single zip file with SVG, DXF, PNG, and EPS formats for all six designs plus a limited use commercial license for up to 100 total physical products. See Commercial Terms of Use section below for full details. **USES** Use these designs to make practically anything! Print or cut to make t-shirts, mugs, cards, pillows, signs, etc. **DOWNLOAD** Once your payment has been processed by Etsy, your digital download will be available in your account under “Purchases and Reviews”. **REFUNDS/FILE ISSUES** Digital files cannot be refunded, returned, or exchanged. Please ensure that the software you are using is compatible with the included file formats prior to purchasing. Design files can be used with but are not limited to the following programs: - SVG: Cricut Design Space, Silhouette Studio Designer Edition, Brother CanvasWorkspace - DXF: Cricut Design Space, Silhouette Studio, Brother CanvasWorkspace - PNG: Printing programs such as Microsoft Word - EPS: Adobe Illustrator, CorelDRAW, Inkscape Please contact me if you have any questions or experience a problem with your download. I’ll be more than happy to help! **COMMERCIAL TERMS OF USE** You MAY: - Use this design bundle to produce up to 100 total physical products (i.e. t-shirts, mugs, totes, stickers, etc.) sold by you to an end consumer. You MAY NOT: - Use this design bundle to produce over 100 total physical products. - Upload our designs to print-on-demand sites. - Share, sell, redistribute, or declare my designs as your own, even if modified or included with elements of another design. - Use my designs in a harmful or offensive manner. Thank you for your business! All original artwork and rights are © 2022 Ivy Fox Photography LLC. Ivy Fox Photography LLC reserves the right to modify, update, and change our Terms of Use at any time, with or without notice.Contact Email: IvyFoxIllustration@ gmail(dot)com ———— Tags and other miscellaneous info: ———— Ivy Fox Illustration Ivy Fox dog art Museum of the Dog American Kennel Club Showsight - Where Champions Are Celebrated American Dog Fancier InfoDog Best In Show The Canine Chronicle AKC Gazette best pet portrait artist watercolor fine art unique art Akc meet the breeds Westminster kennel club dog show national dog show crufts grooming intergroom superzoo petquest groom expo dog sports well bred dogs purebred preservation breeders ethical breeders breeder of merit akc grand champion Ch – Champion of Record – earned by gaining 15 points in conformation wins. Points awarded is determined by the number of other entries the winning dog defeats. A dog must win at least two majors (by winning at two different shows under two different judges where there are enough entries defeated to equal 3-5 points by the AKC point system. OTCh – Obedience Trial Champion To earn an obedience title, the dog must have a passing score of 50% of possible points or better, and an overall passing score at three different competitions under three different judges. CD – Companion Dog (First Level Obedience Competition, basic obedience exercises) CDX – Companion Dog Excellent (Intermediate Level Obedience Competition, more advanced obedience work) UD – Utility Dog (Advanced Level Obedience Competition, difficult obedience work, including hand signals) UDX – The highest obedience degree AKC presently awards TRACKING TD – Tracking Dog TDX – Tracking Dog Excellent VST – Variable Surface Tracking HERDING HIC – Herding Instinct Certificate HT – Herding Tested PT – PreTrial Tested HS – Herding Started HI – Herding Intermediate HX – Herding Excellent HCh – Herding Champion AGILITY NA – Novice Agility OA – Open Agility AX – Agility Excellent MX – Master Agility Excellent NAJ – Novice Agility Jumper OAJ – Open Agility Jumper EAJ – Excellent Agility Jumper AKC Unofficial Titles CGC – Canine Good Citizen ROM – Register of Merit – A dog or bitch must earn a number of points specified by the DPCA rules, and also meet the numbers of champion and major pointed progeny required by DPCA. The requirements for bitches are less than the requirements for the dogs because males have the opportunity to produce a far larger number of offspring. ROMC – Canadian ROM ROM/C – designates that the dog has earned an American and a Canadian ROM. TT – Temperament Tested TC – Temperament Certified AOE – Award of Excellence-A dog must meet qualifications in conformation, obedience, and also be OFA´d to earn this award. New competitions are being added and rules for competitions change, for the most up to date rules and regulations, check with the AKC and the DPCA. Miscellaneous American titles often seen on pedigrees and in advertising. BIS – Best in Show at an All-Breed Show in conformation. BISS – Best in Show Specialty (where only dogs of the same breed are competing in conformation) BOB – Best of Breed BOS – Best Opposite Sex BOW – Best of Winners (best between Winners Dog and Winners Bitch in breed conformation class competition) WD – Winners Dog – the winning dog overall of the regular classes of his sex. WB – Winners Bitch – the winning bitch overall of the regular classes of her sex. RWD/RWB – Runner up to the winners dog and bitch, if the winner becomes ineligible for the award then the runner up will receive the points awarded from that show. Special – A dog that is already a Champion that is competing for Best of Breed only. A Champion cannot compete in the classes where points are earned (because a Champion has already earned them!) RTD – Registered Therapy Dog TD I- Dog has passed Therapy Dog International´s testing HEALTH CERTIFICATIONS OVC – Ontario Veterinary College OVC Hip Certification – A dog may be preliminary screened at a younger age, but will not receive a certification unless the dog is at least 18 months old. It was told to me by a tech in the radiology department of OVC that they consider hips to either be bad, in which case they are rated on a scale from 0 – 4, with 4 being the worse, or they are “good” in which case the animal will receive a certification number (if 18 months or older. Therefore they do not follow the U.S. rating system which includes “FAIR”, Good, Excellent”. Their exact words were “the hips are either GOOD or they are NOT. OFA – Orthopedic Foundation for Animals OFA Hip Certifications – dogs within a specified range of normal hip x-rays are certified OFA-Excellent, Good, or Fair OFA – Elbow Certification – Certified by OFA for normal elbows on x-ray, only one grade recognized as normal. Check with OFA for proper procedures and positioning for hip and elbow x-rays. A dog may be preliminary screened at a younger age, but will not receive a certification unless the dog is at least 24 months old. OFA is also now doing certifications for other canine health concerns such as normal thyroid levels, check with OFA for accurate data and rules concerning these. CERF – Canine Eye Registry Foundation-dog is certified to have normal eyes. Re-certification must be done annually. vWD – Von Willebrands Disease free-meaning the dog has been tested and found free of vWD, a bleeding disorder, vWD free ratings also are often given with a percentage listed. For the best information on Von Willebrand´s Disease, contact Dr Jean Dodds, who is the leading research specialist in blood disorders. Dog show prize idea

#dog show #EPS file #CRICUT #Svg #Svgs #Aussie standing #Aussie #Aussie running #SVG pack #Aussie clip art #Australian shepherd #Aussie svg pack #Play bow

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dalleyan · 2 months ago

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Elfwine Chronicles (new LoTR stories, Family, ch 1 posted, 9-14-24)

Marriage to the King of Rohan’s youngest son, Theodred, changed a great many things in Esgalmir’s life (Romance, Angst, Family)

Chapter 1 - (March, 46 IV - Edoras)

Esgalmir stood gazing over the Riddermark from her vantage point on the terrace of Meduseld. She tugged her shawl closer as the wind sent a chill through her. Hard to believe that it was March already. Any day now, the wedding guests would be arriving at Edoras. Meduseld had been in a state of preparation for a fortnight, determining where everyone would be housed in addition to the plans for the wedding festivities themselves.

Soon she would be a wife. Growing up, she had longed for such a thing, but as she got older and saw how others viewed her with her lamed leg, she had begun to falter. She had still wanted it, but she had begun to fear that it was impossible, that there would never be anyone who would want her. And then Theodred had come into her life. She had not even noticed how deep her feelings ran for this young man of Rohan until he had declared his love for her. It seemed that surely it all must be a dream that would fade away in the morning light. But here she stood in Edoras, soon to be wed to the son of the king. It was too wondrous to even consider without thinking she should pinch herself and awaken.

Strong arms came around her shoulders, and she did not need to turn to know it was Theodred. A kiss was pressed to her hair. “What are your thoughts, my love?” he questioned softly, tightening his embrace.

Now she did turn her head enough to see his face. “Merely that life is wonderful!” she told him sincerely. “I can scarce believe all this is truly happening to me. Never did I allow myself to imagine such dreams could come true!”

He chuckled at her words and turned her more, to get better aim at her mouth, kissing her fervently. “Believe it,” he breathed as he drew back slightly afterwards. “If it is a dream, then we share it.”

He pulled her close again and she rested her head against his chest as they both turned their gazes outward to the horizon. Initially, she had been extremely self-conscious displaying affection for him in public, but Rohan was far more relaxed about such things than Gondor and she had eventually allowed herself to enjoy showing her feelings for her betrothed.

A cloud drifted in front of the sun, and simultaneously her thoughts went to her brother. He would not approve of the behavior she had developed while here. No doubt he would take her to task about it when he arrived for the wedding. Involuntarily, she stiffened at that realization, and Theodred glanced down curiously, quirking a questioning eyebrow.

“I was just thinking of Anbarad, and his reaction to the changes in me since I have been in Rohan. I do not think he will approve,” she confessed.

continue reading on AO3:

(https://archiveofourown.org/works/58946563/chapters/150261799)

#eomer #lothiriel #lord of the rings #elfwine chronicles #lotr #Children of Eomer and Lothiriel #original characters

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promptuarium · 7 months ago

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ARPHAXAD, son of Shem, was born two years after the flood, that is, 1658 years after the world was created and 2304 years before Christ was born. When he was 35 he begat Salah, and after he begat Salah Arphaxad lived 303 years, or 403 in older versions, and he begat sons and daughters. With this Arphaxad, as I said above, the Chaldaean people began, for whom the land of Chaldea is named, which lies in Asia Major, bordering Arabia, far and wide, stretching out on the plain, lacking water, where once great Babylon was founded. See Genesis ch. 10 and 11 and Supplementary Chronicle book 2. Then Arphaxad founded those who are called Arphaxadeans, as Josephus book 1 ch. 14 says. Also, Augustine wrote in book 16 of The City of God that Arphaxad begat Cainan, following the interpretation of the Septuagint.

#arphaxad #prima pars #biblical figures #national founders #genesis #supplementary chronicle #flavius josephus #augustine

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sunnydaleherald · 7 months ago

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The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Sunday, April 14 - Monday, April 15

DAWN: I'm not a child. I'm not even human. Not originally. SPIKE: (sighs) Yeah, well, originally I was. I got over it. Doesn't seem to me it matters very much how you start out. DAWN: That's smart. I get that. (pauses) I like how you talk to me like I can understand things. Everyone else is being all ... twitchy and secretive.

~~Crush~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

PUNK SPUNK by jizzyliz (Good Omens crossover, Spike/Crowley, Explicit)

5h 15m (Nonstop) by belledamn (Giles/Jenny, Giles & Buffy, Jenny & Buffy, T)

Dead Hearts by Geliot99 (Buffy/Spike, M)

Worms in the Earth by TheClowniestLivInExistence (Xander/Angelus/Drusilla, Explicit)

sucker for punishment by CallMeVampy (Giles/Jenny, Explicit)

my thoughts will echo your name (until i see you again) by untiljanuary (Buffy/Spike, Willow, M)

Untitled (Look, do you know anything or not?) by scooby-group-texts (Buffy, Spike, worksafe, posted as an image)

Forget Me Not by cawthraven (Buffy/Spike, R)

Heaven’s Teardrops by VeroNyxK84 (Buffy/Spike, R)

Taste and Temptation by RavenLove12 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

[Chaptered Fiction]

Яблочки и яблони - Chapter 1-7 (COMPLETE!) by B_E_S (Supernatural crossover, Buffy/Angel, Joyce/John, T, in Russian)

If I Could Turn Back Time - Chapter 1-2 by Tropicmorningnews (Buffy/Angel, M)

Я не могу вспомнить - Chapter 1-6 (COMPLETE!) by B_E_S (Buffy/Angel, Explicit, in Russian)

Valkyrie vs. Cordelia - Chapter 1-27 (COMPLETE!) by Nonkosherian (Faith/Willow, OC, Cordelia/Dennis, Lilah/Wesley, T)

Bathroom Wall - Chapter 1 by hulettwyo (Buffy/Spike, Explicit)

Parent Trap - Chapter 1 by Bobbie23 (Giles/Jenny, G)

Poetry in the Margins - Chapter 1 by Anonymous (Spike/OC, Explicit)

In the Dark of the Night - Chapter 1-3 by norik23 (Spike/Buffy, Giles & Spike, Giles & Buffy, Giles/Jenny, Mature)

To Survive I Forged You Like a Weapon, Ch. 1 by cawthraven (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

[Images, Audio & Video]

New Banner Art #17 by veronyxk84 (Buffy, worksafe)

Drawings: been thinking about the Pjo au lately by pzyii (Percy Jackson and the Olympians fusion, Buffy, Cordelia, Angel, Spike, Anya, Willow, Tara, worksafe)

Robin and Nikki doodles by aa-arttss (worksafe)

Willow by taniaairiarte (worksafe)

I did drawings from the quotes post I did the other week! by BPD-and-Lipstick (worksafe)

Drawings by Fren (LeFrenchUnicorn) (Spike, Buffy, Clem, worksafe)

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vid-writes · 5 months ago

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The Nephilim Chronicles Ch. 1

This is a story I have been working on since I was 14. I've scrapped this thing more times than I can count. Right now I have no intentions for this to become romance or smut so there's none of that. There's no need for an 18+ warning but please read at your own discretion because it will still be a dark fantasy novel.

Char sat up in her bed, let out a huge yawn, and stretched her arms wide. Today was the day, her eighteenth birthday. It would finally be revealed to her what type of Angelic magic she would be most proficient in.

Sure, most Nephilim children were capable of doing all kinds of magic their whole lives, but at eighteen, they were given a series of tests to help determine which they would be the most proficient in.

As she stood and stretched, her toes sank into the soft moss carpeting the floor of her bedroom. In some spots where the moss was worn down from frequent walking or standing, she could almost feel the planks of her wood floor or the bark of the tree's branches.

Silvery wings with small spurts of dark green streaked through them and jutted outwards as she stretched them out, and they filled most of her large room.

She turned to an ornate silver full-body mirror framed in Willow branches and tucked her wings against her back as she pulled her long red hair out of the braid, which she kept in while she slept.

The sounds of her family, as they, too, woke up for the day, filled the large house that expanded many floors below her inside the enormous tree house built around a large oak tree.

Her room was on the top floor, sitting among several branches that they had gently manipulated into an almost perfect square, save for the ones that made up parts of her floor. This resulted in all four of her walls having one to two oak tree limbs in them, but she didn't mind.

She never hung decorations on the tree's branches. All the people in her town firmly believed nature was living, so before they had built the treehouse for her family, there had, of course, been a ceremony. One involved offerings to the tree that decayed at unnatural rates, according to her family.

This treehouse was built by Char's parents and their family just after her parents got married, which was also a tradition in their town. Off to one side of her room was a big sliding glass door, which was where she was headed. She slid the door open and revealed a large balcony with a moss curtain hanging around it that she usually tied up to take in the view. Still, currently, she needed to shower under the constant stream of water off to the far-right side of the balcony, which was slightly sloped so it could run off and down to the balconies of the rest of the house.

Off to the left side of the balcony was the chair she used for sunbathing and a small shelf of books she read while doing so. She stripped off her pajamas and stood under the water. Usually, the temperature depended on the sunlight exposure from their two suns, but sometimes she would fly up and boil it with a bit of fire magic.

The water flowed from the bottom of a giant tub they had built a stand for on top of the tree down a slide that ended over the spot where it poured onto her balcony.

The tub had been enchanted to never stop flowing, and the splash zone was decently negated by the slope of the balcony. Today, Char was in too much of a hurry to care and let out a small yelp as she was met with icy water. After all, even with two suns, they had both just barely broken over the horizon and definitely hadn't had any time to warm the water.

She quickly used the soap on a shelf a foot away from the stream of water to wash her body and almost waist-length hair. She grabbed a towel from one of the three hooks, which she kept for bathing and sunbathing, and dried herself off. It wouldn't be long before Elders bombarded her room: several of her female cousins, her best friend, her three younger sisters, her two aunts, and her mom.

As was tradition, they would bring her a big breakfast that they would all share as they helped her get ready for the day. After she dried off and pulled on a robe in her room, she used two large ribbons to tie back the curtain of moss over one of the more oversized windows, allowing the light to stream into her room.

The cloth curtains covering the three windows in her bedroom were closed except for the one above her bed so the sunlight could stream in and wake her each morning. She made to open those curtains, too, when her bedroom door burst open, and women, both young and old, started pouring into her room.

Her oldest cousin was the first to greet her, taking the ribbon from her hands and opening the curtain as her twin bee-lined to the other window to do the same. Both girls had red hair like Char and their mothers, but neither of them wore it the same way. Evangeline kept her straight hair braided in intricate ways, and Emeline always let her curls hang free.

"Good morning, Charamaline," she said in her bright, bell-like voice. At fifteen years old, she still refused to call Char by her nickname.

"Good morning to you too, Evan," Char teased as she stuck out her tongue at Evangeline, who shot her a dirty look for using the shortened version of her name that her sister Emeline also used for teasing.

"Well, if you never want me to call you Evan again, then please call me Char because you know I prefer it." Evangeline considered this for a moment before she nodded as her mother pushed in between them with one of the many trays of food.

"Good morning, Char darling, and happy birthday," she nearly sang out the words as she shoved the tray with the plate of scrambled quail eggs, toast, a bowl of rice, some fried mushrooms, and bacon on it in her hands, "go on eat up you'll need your fuel for the day." She kissed Char on the forehead before she scurried off to help her daughters carefully move her stuff off any flat surface in the room and out of the way so the other ladies could set down the different trays of food.

Her aunt Rebecca, the twins' mom, was her favorite, but she'd never tell her aunt Katherine that. Three of Katherine's daughters flitted about the room, helping to arrange things and set down the food. Each of Katherine's seven daughters had wildly different hair.

Katherine had ended up having more girls than Rebecca and Char's mom combined. Katherine herself was still downstairs, probably busy prepping for the other events that would take place after the tests. Just as she had settled down on her bed with her tray of food, Char looked up to see Morgana, her best friend, smiling down at her.

"Happy eighteenth, bestie. Are you ready for your tests?" She sat on the bed next to Char.

"Honestly, I really am, though I'm sure it's fire magic that I will be the most proficient in today. I will confirm or deny that flat-out," Char said almost casually as she started to eat. She watched as the women in her room scurried in and out for a little while, bringing in more stuff.

There were boxes of makeup, boxes of hair pins, and boxes of clothes because, of course, the outfit had several layers. Thankfully, each outfit was tailored to each person who wore them but in the traditional style for males or females.

For Char, that outfit meant she would be wearing a dress with many layers for the skirt, a corset, high heels, and a robe with a fifteen-foot-long train. She finished her tray, and Mor took it out of the room, probably down to the kitchen if she had to venture a guess before she could object.

Once again, before she could object, Char herself was pulled up from the bed by her mother with a sheepish smile on her face. Char had been listening to the busy chatter among the women but had been more focused on the idea of the tests.

"Come on, time to get that hair dried and then styled," her mom said, leading her over to her vanity. There, an Elder female Nephilim proficient in air magic, as denoted by the small silver pendant with swirls inside a circle of silver around her neck, stood waiting for them. The woman introduced herself as Flora and then got to work using her magic to dry Char's hair.

Mor reappeared behind her in the mirror as the Elder woman left. It seemed that was her only job.

Traditions might be silly sometimes, but this one was long honored and had been since the first few Nephilim children were born fifteen hundred years ago. Mor and her mother oversaw weaving her hair into the intricate traditional style. She watched as her hair was pulled up with several small bright purple jeweled hair clips.

Once finished, the style rested on her head, seeming to weave her hair into a crown dotted with jeweled clips.

Her pointed elf ears, which she and her siblings got from their elf father, were covered by silver earcuffs adorned with a few tiny bright purple jewels.

Luckily for her, even though purple was the traditional color, it was her favorite. Another Elder woman roused her from admiration for her hair and ears. According to what she told Char, this woman was apparently in charge of the traditional makeup and would be until she trained her apprentice.

The woman also told Char her name was Anwen, and then she didn't speak again other than to direct Char to move her head one way or the other as she did Char's makeup. Char took note of Anwen's silver pendant with lightning strikes inside the circle. So, she was an electrical Nephilim.

How interesting that one must be, Char thought.

She had never once been able to produce even a little spark in electrical magic. Not everyone in their town was a Nephilim, nor were they all Elven Nephilim.

In fact, many people in town weren't crossbreeds, so to speak. When it came to the traditions of the Nephilim magic tests, only Nephilim were allowed to be involved until it was time for the party to celebrate successful tests for the child or children who turned eighteen that day, at which point the whole town was invited.

Anwen finally stepped back to look at Char's face, studying it like she might be tested on the exact shade of red her cheeks were. With a decisive nod, Anwen packed up the makeup and left the room, simply wishing Char luck on her way out. It was starting to feel a little impersonal in here, and she was relieved to see the older of her two younger sisters step in front of her.

"Wow, Char, have you even looked at yourself in the mirror?" her sister Anaphiel asked. Little Ellie, at eight years old, was wrapped around Ana like usual, and there were almost stars in her forest green eyes. Char really loved that little Ellie had gotten green eyes like she had.

With a huffed-out sigh, Char spun around in her chair, and her mouth dropped open. There she was, staring back at herself, unrecognizable and almost tribal. The light purple eye shadow and silver eyeliner brought out her green eyes. The shadow started in a big, elegant swoop on either side of her face by her ears, came across her eyelids right above the lashes, and met in an uninterrupted line on her nose.

Under the silver swirls on her cheeks, she had light red blush, and on her lips, purple lipstick matched the eyeshadow. On her forehead, more silver eyeliner started in a more minor swirl near the ones by her ears and connected across the middle, just like her nose and eyes.

The leaf-green skin she had gotten from her elven father made it all really come together instead of making her look like a clown, as she had thought it would. Between the makeup and the hair-jeweled crown, Char was almost regal.

All that was left was the dress, and that was going to take the longest.

Everyone left the room except Char's mom, Hazel, Ana, the twins, and the last Elder Nephilim, who, according to the pendant around her neck, was proficient in fire magic. Char suddenly became aware that all these people were going to be seeing her in various stages of undress, and her natural blush crept in underneath the foundation of her makeup.

She stood up and walked over to the enormous privacy screen on the far side of her room from her vanity, which was positioned on the wall across from her balcony. Once she was behind it, she pulled off her robe. Someone tossed her underwear at her over the top of the screen, and she quickly pulled them on.

Once those were on, the last Elder in the room rounded the privacy screen with a plain white slip dress. She helped Char pull it on and then walked back around the privacy screen, motioning for Char to follow.

Back in the middle of her room, Char was helped into an ankle-length petticoat. Once the petticoat was on, a heavy purple skirt was lowered over her head and tied around her waist snugly. They pulled a top over the top of her white slip and then a corset over that. They would save the robe for when she was entering the testing area so it didn't get messed up or dirty.

She was informed that since the outfit was custom-made, she would get to keep it, though Char needed to figure out when or if she would ever wear it again. Every bit of the purple dress had silver swirls on it, matching the ones on her face.

Once she was dressed, she was instructed to let her wings out and fold them against her back instead of leaving them magically tucked into her skin.

An hour later, after being all but paraded through town, she literally walked directly from her house to the testing place, but the streets had been lined with well-wishers; she arrived at the testing area. Or arena, she should say. A massive stone structure stood before her and her entourage, which made Char come to a stop. Ivy vines were twisting all over the round front of the grey stone structure, and Char started to feel a bit nervous.

"Don't worry, dear girl, it's not as intimidating inside. This place was once used for glorious battles amongst heroes and men who dared challenge them, but it's since been repurposed. Who doesn't love a good dramatic front to a building, though, eh?" an Elder who almost suddenly appeared explained to Char.

Char had to look down to find her as the woman was only tall enough to stare Char directly in the chest. She was leaning against a walking stick and admiring the building herself.

"It is quite gorgeous," Char agreed. The woman and her wrinkly brown skin stood out the most against the grey façade. Almost looking like she belonged here but also didn't. She motioned for them to come forward, and Char noticed the doors on the stone wall. Two giant doors made of redwood stood open before them.

"Oh, and before you go inside these doors, best get your robe on," the woman muttered, but somehow, they all heard her loud and clear.

There was a rustle of movement behind Char as she stood in front of the doors, and then her shoulders sagged a little bit. She looked back to see the robe for the first time.

It was more like a cloak, really, but it also had sleeves, though she wouldn't get to put those on. It was decorated almost as a mirror to her dress, and she took a deep breath. Her heels clicked on the stone beneath them, soon joined by the sounds of other heels and boots.

The woman had been right. The entire inside of the stone arena had been completely converted. Where there was once a long tunnel that led to an opening in the area, there was now a long, carved-out, very modern hallway. Eight doors were set in the walls on either side of the hallway, and the whole thing was lit by torches next to every other door. Char knew, of course, that the torches had been enchanted.

The walls were still stone and gray like the outside, but everything else had been brought into this century. When she got to the end of the hallway, a smaller set of large wooden doors opened on their own. She stepped into a vast, open, and nearly empty room and stopped in her tracks.

"Yeah, that's the usual reaction; come on, dear, we've got a schedule to keep," the older woman said, appearing at her side again.

She gently tugged Char forward by her arm. Char looked around the now enclosed coliseum area they were in. There were rows and rows of empty stands around them leading up almost higher than the eye could see. She could see here that some of the spaces that had probably been used by monarchs to view sporting events had been converted into grand workspaces.

She strode to the center of the arena, where she noticed it was covered in clean marble flooring. She didn't imagine this had been the original flooring; after all, fighting for sport had been held here, so there had been bloodshed. She really hated that this place was only permitted to be used for the testing ceremonies.

In the center stood a raised marble stage and, on that stage, two tables. At one table stood a short and stout but regal woman, their village's current Chief Elder and current test giver. At a more extended table behind her sat fifteen other elders who weren't already occupying the offices in the surrounding seating area.

There was one empty seat, and Char noticed that the only other person who had followed her to the stage was the Elder woman who had a knack for appearing out of thin air.

She walked over and sat at the Elder's table while Char stopped at the smaller table across from the woman who gave the tests.

"Welcome, Charamaline and family," a female voice said inside Char's head. She looked around confused and saw her family in various stages of confusion as well, save for her parents. They must have dealt with this before, though neither were Nephilim.

"I can see by your confused faces you've never encountered a thought magic user. Rest assured, the voice you hear comes from the individual across the table from Charamaline. And no need to worry. I can also speak out loud, though, after four decades of speaking with my thoughts, this feels a little weird." The voice from the woman's mouth sounded the same as in Char's head. Clear, slightly deeper than most females, though not unusual to Char, considering the woman was an Elder, but with such grace, it was like the woman was always speaking around royalty.

Char took in the woman before her and noticed she was the youngest of the Elders, even for a Nephilim and especially for the Chief Elder. She had long light green hair she had woven around her head and then tied back into a tight braid that hung to the backs of her knees, but Char was sure if the woman let her hair down, it would reach to the floor and then some.

She had clear blue eyes that were almost white, light orange skin, and brown freckles across her cheeks and nose. They almost completely covered the orange of her skin. It was then that Char noticed her wings were different from everyone else's in the building. They seemed to have claws at the topmost points and looked far more bird-like than most angelic individuals.

"Ah, I see you're curious about my lineage," the woman's voice interrupted Char's admiration of her wings. Char blushed, so much so that she knew it probably made the makeup blush look silly in comparison.

"Yes, I am, but mostly because of your wings," Char muttered just loud enough that the woman could hear her.

"This is the first time you've seen a Harpy Nephilim, then, is it?" the woman's question filled Char's mind. Char nodded and looked back at her parents for a second over her shoulder. She turned back to the woman who was smiling and noticed her mouth was full of canine-type teeth that looked incredibly sharp.

"Don't worry; you'll get used to the other kinds of Nephilim that exist once you get to the Academy. Not that our own village doesn't have its share of diversity, but this is a massive continent on a giant planet. My name is Phynethe Ratzuma Andromeda Petwynn; you may call me Phynethe. Now, as for the tests. First, we have a brief explanation of what you are going to be doing, and then you will take the tests. As you know, Nephilim are more versatile in the types of magic they're capable of, but because of the mixed blood, for lack of a better term, they're only capable of being proficient in one kind of magic.

So here today, you will demonstrate several types of magic, and we will rate how strong you are at each. This place is massive for a reason, so there's no need to hold back. You will clearly have never heard of some of these types of magic before, and you might not be capable of doing them. That's okay, but you never know. Thought magic tends to not show itself until the tests are given, and honestly, none of us have any idea why, not that we haven't researched it, believe me, we have." The woman paused and gave Char a minute to think freely. She must know how overwhelming her kind of magic was for people experiencing it for the first time.

"First up on the docket is fire magic. Please demonstrate your level of fire magic to us, if any," Phynethe said in Char's head again.

"May I move around the stage?" Char asked.

"You may move around the whole arena, including in the air," Phynethe replied. Char smiled and turned to walk off the stage. She noticed then that her family had been shown to some seats in the lowest part of the arena seating area.

Her parents smiled at her before she turned around, now a reasonable distance from the stage, and held out both hands. Warmth bloomed in her palms, and seconds later, two pillars of fire, stretching nearly as high as the arena ceiling, appeared in her hands. The flames danced in a controlled spiral that never got any wider than six inches across.

"Are you capable of changing the color or temperature of the flames?" Char faltered for a second as she considered it. She had never tried, but there was literally no time like the present. Char focused on making the warmth in her palm hotter, but it wouldn't change. She tried to imagine the flames changing colors, but they continued their spiral dance and remained red, orange, and yellow.

"It appears I cannot," Char said. Phynethe nodded, and the flames disappeared from Char's palms.

"That's alright, dear, no matter. How about lightning magic?" Phynethe's voice was soothing to Char. Char felt herself blushing again.

"I've never so much as produced a single spark," Char said, making her voice loud enough to be heard from the distance she was at, even though she wanted to mumble.

"Can you please try? We have to see an attempt before we can move forward, traditions and such. Plus, you never know some people are late bloomers in all kinds of magic," Phynethe explained.

Char knew that if you hadn't shown signs of any kind of magic by twenty-five, then you'd never be capable of it. She nodded and held both hands up again, this time in front of her with her fingers carved towards each other.

She focused on the image of a spark jumping between her fingers like she had seen Anaphiel do so many times.

Anaphiel had once tried to describe how the magic felt, but all she could manage was "sparky and electric," which was incredibly unhelpful. After a few minutes of nothing happening, Char dropped her arms back to her sides.

"That's alright, Charamaline. Thank you for trying. Up next, we have wind magic."

On and on the tests went. Some of the magics Char had never heard of, she had managed to get one or two things to happen from, though only a few. She was good at most basic magics and surprised even herself when she created a tidal wave that almost wiped out the inside of the arena. Thankfully, a fire magic Elder had hit it with an equally sized wall of fire, and it had turned into a giant cloud of warm steam.

They had had to crack open the roof of the arena to vent the steam and repeatedly brushed off Char's apologies, assuring her this happened all the time.

"Okay, now we will move on to the rarer magics," Phynethe declared once the arena was steam-free. "Please demonstrate your levels of light magic, if any at all."

Char hesitated before she raised her arms once again. She had never heard of light magic, but she had learned by now it was easier to just attempt something than it was to get an explanation for how to do the magic.

She focused on the space between her hands and gasped softly when it started to glow. As Char concentrated on it, the glow got brighter and more prominent.

The whole room was silent, and even the Elders who had been working quietly had gone still. Char spread her arms wide, and the magic nearly exploded outwards. The ball of light grew massive and started to change colors, all while Char just stared in amazement.

"I've literally never done this before," she said, her voice full of astonishment. Phynethe smiled widely and actually spoke out loud this time.

"It seems to me that for the first time in nearly five hundred years, we have a Nephilim who is capable of light magic. Most of the Angels that were capable of light magic were tragically wiped out in the Great War those five hundred years ago, but standing before us, we seem to have a fresh new bloodline for light magic." Her voice was loud and proud. The ball of light disappeared, and Char felt her own pride welling up.

"Now, normally, we would continue the test from here while a youngster stands here unable to do any of these rare magics, but you're capable of light magic, which means you won't be capable of any of the rest of the rare magics. See, those are rare for many reasons, one of which is that two or more cannot coincide in one person. It simply doesn't happen," the Elder who had led Char and her family into the arena spoke up from her place at the Elder's table.

Char walked back to the stage and climbed the stairs, feeling taller than before. Once she was back on the stage, Phynethe motioned for her to face her family. She turned and saw their faces all light up with pride.

"Now presenting to you the first light magic Nephilim, let alone user, in nearly five centuries," Phynethe's voice rang out loud and in Char's head at the same time.

Char had been mildly disappointed when she hadn't been capable of thought magic, but Phynethe had assured her it was more in line for Harpy Nephilim to know that Elven Nephilim. Her family cheered and rushed down out of the seating area.

Char noticed all the Elders who had offices in her had stood and were bowing to her. Heat filled Char's cheeks again, but she didn't have time to register it as her family swept her up.

She was hugged, kissed on the cheek, forehead, hair, patted on the shoulder, and told congratulations over and over again. Once her family let her go, a male Elder walked from behind the table and handed Char a spiral-bound book.

"This is everything you'll need to know about Marble Hills Academy. If you feel you need someone to explain, please don't hesitate to ask any one of us Elders or another member of the town who has graduated from Marble Hills Academy," he explained with a gruff, deep voice.

He congratulated Char and then left the stage. The rest of the Elders congratulated Char one by one and then left the stage.

She wasn't the only one who would be tested today, so she assumed they were taking an intermission between her Glissith Wrapmoth Tiedreene Wrannan, one of her friends from school.

A young woman who was probably interning at the arena led Char and her family out of the arena. Once back outside, Char noticed that it was early afternoon. Commonly, she was supposed to walk back with her family, but Char wanted to tell Mor first before she told anyone else.

"Mom, can I please go find Mor?" she asked. Hazel smiled sweetly and nodded.

Char pulled off her robe and handed it to her dad. Screw tradition; she needed to tell Morgana this news before she personally told anyone else, let her family tell the town.

She stretched out her wings and pushed off the ground. Flying was freedom. The wind rushed all around her, the sensation of her wings beating and carrying her forward. It took her a few minutes to find Morgana since the town was still crowded and milling about, waiting for Glissith to take his test.

Once Char spotted her, she folded her wings to her back and allowed herself to free-fall headfirst down toward Mor. When she was just about to hit the ground next to Mor, she unfurled her wings again and stopped herself from crashing. The motion jerked her upwards, and her feet hovered a few inches from the ground. She beat her wings lightly to stay hovering.

"Holy shit Char you know I hate when you do that," Mor practically yelled, drawing more attention from people passing by than Char's divebomb.

"And the way you jump and yelp every time is why I still do it even after 13 years of protests from you," Char teased as she landed and folded her wings.

The first time Char had divebombed Morgana was when they were six. Char had been flying for a week by then and was showing off what she had learned. She thought it would be funny to make Mor think she had lost control and then save herself at the last second.

The resulting reaction from Mor was the same as it is now. She jumped, yelped, and cursed at Char.

"Hey, wait, aren't you supposed to be paraded through town and show off which magic you tested highest in?" Mor looked at her with suspicion.

"Tradition can be broken when you're the first light magic user in five centuries," Char said in a matter-of-fact tone. Mor's face went from suspicion to confusion. Char held up a hand and produced a small floating ball of light that lasted a few seconds before flickering out.

"Okay, that's definitely new," Mor's voice was full of amazement. Neither of them had heard of light magic before, and Mor's reaction almost mirrored Char's. Char nodded and started to bounce in place.

"It was better at the tests, but I must have exhausted myself more than I realized. I had to come tell you first," Char explained, still bouncing with excitement.

"I can see that," Mor said and stuck out her tongue. The two girls laughed and hugged. Soon, Char's family passed by, and she and Mor were swept up by the crowd who were so eager to hear Char's results that it hadn't registered she wasn't with her family; after all, most people didn't break tradition as Char had done. After a little bit of pushing, the girls end up right next to Char's dad.

"Oh, hey there, Char. I was wondering when you'd get pulled back in," he murmured just loud enough for her to hear. Morgana, who had grabbed Char's hand when the crow pushed them towards the procession, squeezed Char's hand.

"Would you mind if I tag along since this all ends with a giant party for you and Glissith tonight?" Mor whispered in her ear. Char shook her head, indicating she didn't mind the company, and they all continued walking down to the lake where the party would be held.

Once they were there, Char was basically put on a pedestal where a nice, almost throne-like chair sat. They announced she was proficient in light magic, and Char's roar of approval from the crowd was so loud that she covered her ears for a few seconds.

She noticed there was another chair on a pedestal meant for Glissith and couldn't help feeling a little lonely. A scraping sound made Char look to her right, where she noticed Mor heaving a chair up onto the foot-tall pedestal.

"As if I'm going to let you go through this weird process alone," Mor smirked. Char smiled and thanked her.

Since Glissith's test would take a while, people milled back towards town, though plenty stayed. Some people still had jobs to do, while others just wanted to rest in their homes before the festivities truly kicked off.

Char and Mor were offered a plate of food each and a glass of wine. They ate and made small talk while they waited for Glissith.

After Glissith arrived and was declared most proficient in water magic, the party really started. Char and Glissith were showered with gifts and food.

Mor made sure to keep things from piling up too high around Char as more and more things were given to her. Sure, she had had birthday parties before, but never like this. She had been to a few of the testing ceremony parties but never stayed long.

She had always wondered what it was like to sit up in the chairs and be showered with attention. Now she knew, and she liked it more than she thought she would.

The party raged on late into the night, and Char ended up drinking and dancing so much that she knew the memories would be a blur the next day. The whole thing ended with fireworks that a lightning Nephilim and a fire Nephilim had invented.

As the sky was painted an assortment of colors over and over again, Char felt strangely that her life was about to change far more than she had been prepared for.

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