#1014 defender for life

[coffinsize]

im going insane

[thepastisalreadywritten]

SAINT OF THE DAY (July 13)

On July 13, the Catholic Church celebrates the memory of St. Henry II, a German king who led and defended Europe's Holy Roman Empire at the beginning of the first millennium.

St. Henry was born on 6 May 973 to Duke Henry of Bavaria and Princess Gisela of Burgundy.

He was the great-grandson of German king, Henry the Fowler, and a member of the Bavarian branch of the Ottonian dynasty.

During his youth, Henry received both an education and spiritual guidance from a bishop who was himself canonized, St. Wolfgang of Regensberg.

Henry was an intelligent and devout student. For a period of time, he was considered for the priesthood.

St. Wolfgang's lessons in piety and charity left a lasting mark on Henry's soul. But it was ultimately in the political realm, not the Church, that he would seek to exercise these virtues.

He took on his father's position as Duke of Bavaria in 995, one year after St. Wolfgang's death.

The Church supported his accession to the throne as King of Germany in 1002.

As king, Henry encouraged the German bishops to reform the practices of the Church in accordance with canon law.

During the same period, he is said to have brought a peaceful end to a revolt in his territory, which ended with the king mercifully pardoning the rebels.

Henry also acted decisively, but not harshly, against an Italian nobleman who set himself up as a rival king.

In 1014, the German king journeyed to Rome where Pope Benedict VIII formally crowned him as head of the Holy Roman Empire.

The emperor demonstrated his loyalty to the Pope by confirming Benedict VIII's authority over the city of Rome.

Henry made his journey from Rome back to Germany into a pilgrimage of sorts, stopping at various monasteries along the way.

Henry became a great patron of churches and monasteries, donating so much of his wealth to them that his relatives complained that he was behaving irresponsibly.

However, Henry was far from irresponsible, as his leadership of the Western Empire in both war and peace demonstrated.

The emperor was also a great patron of the poor, making enormous contributions for their relief.

The emperor's extraordinary generosity was made possible in part by his lack of an heir.

He was married to a woman who was later canonized in her own right, St. Cunigunde of Luxembourg, but the two had no children.

Some accounts say that the couple took vows of virginity and never consummated their marriage, though this explanation of their childlessness is not universally accepted.

For the last several years of his life, Henry had to deal with serious illness and an additional ailment that crippled his left leg, along with his imperial responsibilities.

He found support in prayer during these trials and seriously considered resigning his imperial leadership in order to become a monk.

After several years of illness, Henry II died without an heir on 13 July 1024. He was the last ruler of the Ottonian line.

The public mourned sincerely for the monarch who had managed to lead his earthly kingdom so responsibly without losing sight of the Kingdom of God.

Pope Eugene III canonized him in 1146.

[insanelydeadlybookcollector]

1014 The One With Princess Consuela

Monica and Chandler still wanting to have friends who understand married life and how different it is from single life. There's a Seinfeld quote about how neither group understands the other (not from the show, from Jerry's standup) and Monica and Chandler express that desire so well. I think it's so interesting because on one hand we always talk how the show grows up with these characters and their audience, but it's not just becoming more mature, it also shows how sometimes your friends just don't get you anymore, sometimes you grow out of them. Not out of love with your friends, but out of touch with their interests. That was Monica and Chandler. Also, these two comfortable enough to joke about swinging with no threat to their relationship. Chandler is clearly joking, defending himself, Monica herself might also be teasing him - trying to embarrass him by saying something he would normally flush at (and as an audience, we know he would never swing because A. he's loyal to a fault, B. he adores Monica and their marriage, and C. he's traumatised by his parents swinging and orgies and cheating on each other. But, just in case the audience didn't catch that it's teasing and a joke, Monica tosses a shrug in there, so that even if it's not a joke, they're on the same page.

[good-times-with-theo]

History of Ireland! Go!

We’ll start at the very beginning of human existence in the country, back in the good ol’ year of 9700 BC. The first-ever sign of life in what is called Prehistoric Ireland is speculated to be in that year, which is now 12,500 years ago.  Humans began exploring the island of Ireland after the ice of the Younger Dryas cold phase melted away and they could start exporing their newfound lands. After humans begin living and thriving in Prehistoric Ireland, the Bronze Age begins, resulting in the rise of what is now called Protohistoric Gaelic Ireland. This era ends in 2nd Milliennium BC with the next rise of Celtic la Tène culture with Central Europe’s help.  Around the late 4th century in AD, Chirstianity made its way through Ireland rapidly and rather quickly, replacing the formerly known religion called Celtic polytheism. By the end of the 6th century, Christianity had introduced writing to the people of Ireland as well as one of the first ever Celtic Christian churchs in the land. This change completely changed the Irish society back then! However, raids and pillages from the Vikings of Scandinavia resulted in the mixture of cultures, known as cultural interchange. Another things that came along with the Vikings was improvments in military and transport; both things needed for a country during this time. Multiple towns were founded during this time as ways for Vikings to trade, resulting in the first ever appearance of coinage, or currency, in Ireland. The Vikings proceeded to stick towards the coasts of Ireland instead of being inland. After the Battle of Clontarf in 1014, however, the Vikings were no longer a threat to the Gaelic culture of the Irish homelands. This was a temporary change, though, for the Norman invasion would come only over a mere century later. The Norman Inavasion of 1169 resulted in conquest in Ireland, as well as marked the beginning over 800 years of English governments and military involvement.  The Gaelic resurgence, however, managed to reestablish the culture over a majority, missing over the now capital of Ireland, named Dublin, and another town known as The Pale. After the English were reduced to such small pockets of control in the Irish lands, they decided to not try and conquer the land again until after the 1488 Wars of the Roses. Shortly after, there was a massive release of overseas expansion and manpower, beginning in the good old 16th century.  Though, the natural actions of Ireland’s politics into small territories, the expansion of the English Crown was very slow and veyr expensive for the English.  The attempts of forcing Norman-Irish and Gaelics of the land into the newly founded faith of Protestantism wa very unsuccessful on England’s end. They really aren’t doing too hot with this whole conquering Ireland thing, are they?  A policy that was finalised formed a rebellion in 1534 named Hiberno-Norman Earl of Kildare Silken Thomas. I know, long name. Longer than the geographic shape of the state of Florida, here. This rebellion’s purpose was to defend Catholicism and traditiona autonomy. This resulted in the beginning of the Tudor conquest in Ireland, lasting from the years of 1534 to 1603.  Henry the VIII proclaimed himself to be the King of Ireland in 1541 to start a project in the Irish lands. This resulted in Ireland potentially becoming a warground for the war between the Catholic Counter-Reformation and Protsentant Reformation Europe. After this research, I can safely declare that being England’s battleground in the Imperial days wasn’t a good thing whatsoever due to the many, many wars England caught themselves in. England was now attempting to disperse (disband?) the lordships of the name Hiberno-Norman lordships, as well as the Gaelic territories of the Kingdom of Ireland, resulted in constant warfare and fighting, which is never a good thing; never has been. Some examples of this are the 1st and 2nd Desmond Rebellions, and the Nine Years’ War. These were marks by what is called Crown policies, which were, to put it simply, “surrender and regrant” and then “platnation”. These resulted in the sudden surge of both Scottish and English Protestant settlers in the Kingdom of Ireland. However, the Hiberno-Norman lordships and native Catholics were then displaced out of their homelands by these settlers.  In 1601, the original and cultural Gaelic Ireland fell to the Battle of Kinsale. This resulted in the end of the Gaelic system altogether, and the beginning of the new system of the British Empire.  The new system, however, divided Protestent landholding, a minority, and a dispossessed Catholic majority. Multiple conflicts arose between the two groups over this. This was a constant occurence in this timeframe of Ireland’s history.  “Protestant Ascendancy” as it was called, was dominating. It was continuously reinforced through the Irish Confederate Wars in 1641, to the Williamite War in 1689.  After these wars, all poltical power was in the hands of the minority of Protestants, leaving the majority of Catholics - and members leaving Protestantism - voiceless in the government. They also faced exclusion with what was called the Penal Laws.  Suddenly, on the 1st of January in 1801, the Irish government was officially abolished, and the country of Ireland was now a part of the United Kingdom, which was formed through the Acts of Union in 1800.  Thankfully, Catholics were granted rights in the Catholic Emancipation of 1829, all thanks to a man named Daniel O’Connell.  Over 20 years later, however, what is now known as the Great Famine, struck. 1845 was the year the Famine began. The Famine resulted in millions of deaths due to disease and starvation across the country, as well as millions of refugees fleeing to other countries, prominently the USA.  Ireland’s constant attempts to leave the United Kingdom were consistant, especially with a certain political party called the Parnell's Irish Parliamentary Party. Their goal was to get a rule called the Home Rule through the parliament. They eventually won it over in 1914, but due to the start of the First World War, the act was shortly suspended.  In 1916, an uprising that was called the Easter Rising turned public opinion against Britain’s rule over them, especially after British authorities executed the Irish leaders of the time. It shortly fell after the home rule movement.  In 1922, the Irish War For Independence began against the British. In the end, Ireland - most of it at least - was freed from British rule. However, territory in the north, which is now Northern Ireland, is still under British rule, and a part of the United Kingdom.  The treaty ending the war was not very well received by the public. It resulted in what was the Irish Civil War, and the Irish Free State, also known as “pro-treaty”. The Irish Free State troops proved to be victorious.  The history of Northern Irelans, however, has been toppled over by the division of the socities, multiple conflicts between Irish Nationalists and Protestant Unionists, and faultlines.  These issues became The Troubles in the 1960s, after civil rights were opposed by the authorities. The violence became worse after Britain handed over some troops for aid for the authorities against clashes.  After 28 years of violence, an agreement by the name of the Good Friday Agreement was reached in 1998, which was rather successful and relatively received well.  Sources: Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Ireland

[squirrel-moose-winchester]

Dysfunctional Family

Title: Dysfunctional Family

Characters: TFW 2.0 x Reader

Word Count: 1014

Warning: Fluff

A/N: This was just something that popped into my head. I hope it brings even just a little chuckle to your day! 

Disclaimer: Not my gif.

Dean had just given you a stern lecture, one you’ve heard a hundred times before, about not straying from the plan. However, the plan was already going astray and you had no other option than to improvise. So how could he possibly be mad when you had just saved everyone’s asses, including his?!

Yes, it was a risky shot, but no one was hurt and everyone was safe. It was a pretty damn good win, aside from the fact that you almost got your head chopped off, but you didn’t. What was the big deal about it now? If anything, everyone should be celebrating! Buying you drinks for saving the day!

Sam stood next to you trying to calm Dean down through the entire lecture, but to no avail. The only thing Sam got in return was his own earful of Dean. 

When Dean stormed off, both you and Sam sighed deeply. Dean never could accept that, yes, you’re a young hunter, just under 21, but you weren’t helpless. You were learning quickly and absorbing lore like a sponge. Even Bobby was impressed when the guys first brought you over to meet him when you were just a teen.

“Is this what it’s like to have a dad?” You asked Sam, scrunching your nose.

Sam was a little thrown off by the question but answered anyways. “Uh, well... I guess... this is what it would be like to have Dean as a dad,” he chuckled.

“Ugh!” You groaned in complaint. “This is going to be the rest of my life, isn’t it?”

“Most likely. But Dean means well.”

“Yeah, I know. But let me get this straight…” you started, capturing Sam’s attention as his eyes fell on you. “Dean is like… the dad. You’re the mom and Cass is the creepy uncle?”

“What?! Why am I the mom?” Sam furrowed his eyebrows, his mouth pressed in a tight frown.

“I don’t know. You scold Dean all the time and...” you trailed off, examining Sam’s features. “You have long hair.”

“What does my hair have to do with anything?” He defended. 

“I don’t know! I’m just saying you’re kind of like the mom.” You retorded.

“At least I’m not the creepy uncle,” he mumbled.

“Who’s a creepy uncle?” Castiel asked as he coincidentally walked in, unaware of what you and Sam were discussing.

“You are,” Sam gave Cass a smug grin.

Cass froze, sending Sam a pointed look. “That is not nice. I assure you that I am not a creepy uncle.”

You and Sam laughed in amusement at the angel’s statement. Cass had a deep frown on his lips, making the whole situation even more hilarious. Suddenly Jack appeared out of no where, staring at all three of you, trying to makes sense of what was going on.  “Castiel, I didn’t know you were an uncle.” Jack stated.

“I am not an uncle. I can’t be anyone’s uncle. I am an angel. We do not have that sort of connections like humans do. God is my father and the angels are my brothers and sisters. That’s as far as things go within the holy family. Angels are forbidden to create offsprings.”

“But Lucifer had a kid. And if Jack is supposedly his son, wouldn’t that make you his uncle?” You instigated.

Cass didn’t know what to say. Technically, what you said was true, however Jack being born wasn’t supposed to happen, but it did. 

“Then what am I?” Jack asked you, a wide grin taking over his entire face.

You were surprised, not expecting the question. Jack was standing there waiting for an answer you didn’t know how to give. What was Jack in this dysfunctional family? Castiel’s adopted son? When you heard ruffling from somewhere in the halls, you knew that Dean was wandering around. In attempt to further annoy the older Winchester, you answered Jack with a notion that would definitely tick Dean off.

“I guess, you’re like my boyfriend,” you joked. Sam flinched back a little, stunned from your reply, but thoroughly amused.

“Hell no!” Dean entered the room. “Never, you hear me?” 

Sam chuckled, instantly figuring out your intentions once he heard Dean’s voice. “Dean, she was only kidding,” Sam intervened. 

“Well it wasn’t a very funny joke.”

“I don’t see anything wrong with Jack and Y/N falling in love. I think they would make a lovely pair,” Cass added, trying to encourage your idea.

“Cass, don’t be creepy,” Dean snapped, causing Cass’s face to fall instantly. He shrugged dramatically, lifting his arms up before letting them drop to his sides.

“I am not creepy!”

Sam’s hand fell on your shoulder as he stifled the laugh that threatened to come out. You brought your hands to your mouth as well in attempt to hold back what you knew would be a loud snort.

“What’s wrong with me being Y/N’s boyfriend? Aren’t we all her boyfriend?” Jack clarified.

“What?! NO! That would be disgusting!” Dean gushed, getting more frustrated.

“Jack, what Y/N was implying was that you’re her boyfriend in the more romantic aspect,” Cass enlightened. 

“Oh, okay.”

“No. No, no, no!” Dean spat. 

At this point you and Sam were just standing there enjoying the show. “Sam, you may be the mom, but you’re also the cool big brother,” you chuckled.

“Thanks. Yeah, you’re like the little sister I never wanted,” he teased. 

You looked up at him with mock offense, punching him lightly in the stomach, a smile gracing your expression. 

“I think I would make a really good boyfriend,” Jack defended.

“Hell no. You stay away from her,” Dean warned. At that moment, Dean didn’t look like a father, he seemed like the over-protective big brother. 

“Dean, Jack is a good kid,” Cass commented.

Dean was about to say something when you jumped in, blurting out what was in your heart. You couldn’t even stop yourself if you tried. 

“I love you guys!”

Everyone went silent as their gaze fell on you. Your cheeks went red, but decided to say it again. After all, it was the truth.

Feedback Is Appreciated!

[imaginetonyandbucky]

Tony is arrested post-Ultron and is held in the Raft. Bucky gets captured too, and held in the cell next to Tony's. They support each other through Tony's "interrogations" and Bucky's impending execution, and slowly fall in love. So when Steve arrives in the middle of the night to rescue Bucky, there's no way he's leaving Tony behind.

Combined with:

1014 Hello, you guys are the best, I LOVE this blog ❤ would it be possible to get some more protective Winter Soldier ?Like maybe Tony gets hurt (up to you as for how/why) and the WS comes right outand just turns into a big mother hen, fusses over him and everything ? (Btwit's obviously totally alright if this prompt doesn't get picked, I'll be happyto read anything you are willing to write and share ❤)

A/N warning for torture, starvation, water deprivation, seriousamounts of dub-con, suicidal ideation, past hydra trash party references,pre-slash, medical aftermath including a foley tube (catheter), not ClintBarton friendly, notparticularly Steve Rogers friendly, kissing, frottage, bonding over shitty experiences

Thanks to @mto-art for their artwork. A few weeks back, MTOapproached me with interest in doing a collab project. I tossed one of theabove prompts at them, and I got an art piece back in a few days. The fic waswritten about half before I got the art and half after. So, the art does notmatch up exactly with the fic (for instance, Tony’s got his hair, and neitherof them are in the prison outfits) but the sense of the fic; Bucky protectivelyover an unconscious Tony, trying to keep him from drowning and defending him…that carried through.  

This fic is four chapters long, approx 10,000 words, and has some cliffhangers.

Chapter One: Stark Men are Iron

Stark men are iron.

Tony Stark sat on the stone floor in his cell, wearing nothing butan orange prison jumpsuit. His hands were on the back of his neck. Absently heran one over his head. They’d shaved his head when he arrived. The stubble wasgrowing back in, but in another few days, they’d do it again. He supposed itwasn’t that bad; having no hair was probably better than having greasy, long,tangled hair that people could grab hold of.

He’d lost track of how long he’d been there, locked in this hole.

Oubliette. A place to throw people to forget about them,

Ross had figured it out. Wasn’t hard to do, really.

Blamed him for what Rogers had done; the break out at the Raft.Made Tony a scapegoat, if nothing else. And no one was going to come for Tony,were they?

Hell, it was possible that no one on the outside -- no one legit-- even knew he was gone. There were rumors that someone had finally crackedthe Life Model Decoy problem. A well programmed LMD could distract and confusefor a while.

There was no way to keep track of time; they fed him irregularly.Infrequently enough so that he was slowly watching himself starve to death.He’d probably lost at least ten kilos, just based on the fit of the jumpsuitthey made him wear. And what food they did give him was pretty unsavoury, threeof ten, would not order again.

He was dragged off to a shower every half dozen sleep cycles orso. Well past when he’d started to stink; he didn’t even notice his own bodyodor much anymore. He’d learned to take his jumpsuit off the moment he heardthe Cleaners coming. Being marched naked through the halls and to theshower-facility was unpleasant, but less so than the alternative. If he was stilldressed, they’d just throw him in the water anyway and it was fucking cold inhis cell. Sitting around in wet clothes was really damned uncomfortable.

He saw no one else, except the Cleaners, and a few times when They-- whoever they were, really -- had questions. There were other prisoners; Tonyheard them screaming sometimes. Occasionally, they heard him screaming. Butnone of them were close enough to communicate with.

Tony had been tortured before.

It didn’t get easier with practice.

(Mobile readers: more below the break)

There were questions. Sometimes they made sense. Sometimes he evenanswered them. It didn’t matter; he didn’t know any of the things they wantedto know. He had suspicions, but by the time Ross had him arrested --black-bagged really, he’d been unpersoned with brutal efficiency -- Rogers hadprobably already moved.

Tony found himself hoping so. That Rogers had gotten away; thatall the rogue Avengers were somewhere safe. He’d known, damnit, that Rosscouldn’t be trusted, that what Ross was really after was control of poweredpersons. Tony knew he wasn’t immune from that, but he’d thought, he’d hoped, byplaying the game, to buy them time.

His time was up.

Tony was going to die in that cell.

He tried to view the matter objectively; he’d always known deathwas the only outcome. It was a numbers game. Eventually, the house always won.Red, black, even, odds.

But Stark men were iron.

They were chipping away at his defenses, bit by bit. He wasn’timmune; even if his passcode was ridiculously long, they could try everycombination. Eventually, he’d break.

Stark men were iron. There was a deep coreinside Tony that knew nothing about surrender. It only knew survival.

Eventually he would break. Or die. But he saw days, weeks, monthsof pain and fear and suffering before that happened. He knew he’d long fordeath and be denied before they were done with him. That pathetic, mortal fleshthat would keep him tied here where he could do no good anymore, he could onlyhurt people he cared about. People he’d sworn to protect.

Perhaps, in the end, they’d turn him into a killing machine, likeBarnes before him. Like Romanov. Like countless others.

He’d lost track of the days; there was no time in this place. Heate, he slept when he could. They came and they hurt him. That was all therewas.

Tony wasn’t expecting it when the door opened.

It had only been two or three sleeps since his last “shower.” Theywouldn’t be in a hurry for that, despite it being its own kind of torture. Coldwater, harsh chemicals, the humiliation. Sometimes the guards would shock stickhim, just for fun.

He blinked. Even with his eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, thecell was dark. The guards were mere shadows against the corridor lights.

Someone was shoved into his cell; they stumbled forward a fewsteps, hit the wall. Yelled, turned, but the door was already sliding closed.

The sound when they hit the locked door wasn’t a fist striking,not flesh against metal, but metal against metal.

It was loud, and Tony cringed away from it. Sparks flew, sendinglittle flashes of light, like hostile fireflies. The door didn’t budge or bendor break. Given what Tony was starting to suspect, that was unexpected.

The shadow stopped, after a while, panting for breath. Thenturned, took a few steps toward Tony. Yeah. One of these days, Tony wasactually going to be wrong about something, and it was going to be a good day.

James Barnes, aka the Winter Soldier, stepped closer. Close enoughfor Tony to see the glint of recognition in his eyes.

“I’m supposed to kill you.”

Yep.

Six weeks earlier

Coming out of cryo was nothing like waking up.

Pretty much the first thing he always did was puked. And not likea quick, simple, ate-too-much vomit, but retched until there was nothing leftin his stomach, and continued to heave until his throat was raw from stomachacid. Until he was spitting blood and until his lungs ached and his diaphragmwas strained.

Hibernation sickness would probably kill a man who wasn’tenhanced.

The horrified look on Steve’s face told Bucky that the Wakandadoctors hadn’t bothered (or hadn’t known) to explain. Or hadn’t done so inenough detail that Steve had believed them. Bucky didn’t care. What he did knowwas at least Steve was there. He patted Bucky’s back lightly, or kept one handon the back of his neck, or murmured nonsense that was supposed to bereassuring.

By the time that was over, the tingled had started. Pins andneedles didn’t even begin to cover it. More like dirks and daggers. Everymuscle in his body seized up, cramped, twisted, ached. Bucky’d beenthrough torture that wasn’t as imaginative and painful.

Finally, though, it was over.

“They figure it out?” That was the only reason Bucky had said theyshould wake him up.

“Stark did,” Steve admitted. “So he claims. Princess Shuri lookedover his process. She okayed it.”

Because of course Steve needed someone else’s okay, these days.Not that Bucky blamed him; Stark had good reason to want Bucky dead, andgetting him out of Wakanda under the guise of scrubbing the brainwashing wouldbe the only thing that’d do it. And Stark and Steve… didn’t trust each otheranymore.

Turned out not to matter; Stark’s quinjet -- along with Stark, andall his supposed brain-fixing equipment -- went missing. The whole fuckingthing just vanished enroute.

There were rumors that Ross -- or someone above Ross, eitherlegally or otherwise -- had been hoarding a team of enhanced persons. Eitherbrainwashed, or controlled, or had loved ones in hostage situations. Thepossibility was raised by the rogues that Tony had been taken in revenge forSteve’s mass jailbreak. A scapegoat. Maybe to lure Steve into making a secondattempt.

Woulda been a great plan, except Ross (theoretically, if it wasRoss. It might not have been. But in any case, the only people who knew howbadly the Avengers had broken themselves were in Wakanda and probably nottalking to Ross.) didn’t realize that Steve…

“You ain’t even gonna look for him?”

“Buck, I wouldn’t even know where to start,” Steve protested. “Noone knows where he went down -- if that’s what happened. Or who would havetaken him.”

“So find out, punk,” Bucky protested. “You got a whole goddamn teamhere of spies and superheroes, here. Hell, you gotta fuckin’ witchqueen.”

“I am not going to ask the team to help find the man who lockedthem up in the first place,” Steve said.

It didn’t take much for Bucky to draw conclusions: Steve was stillangry with Tony because of the Accords, because of the fight in Siberia, andall that boiled down to Tony had -- with every good reason in the world, andeven Bucky wouldn’t deny that -- tried to kill Bucky. And Steve wouldn’tforgive him for that. Which meant, like every other Bad Thing that had happenedover the last seventy years that Bucky had even been tangentially involved in,this was his fault.

He didn’t argue with Steve. There was no point and it was justgoing to be exhausting.

He found Romanov, however. Told her what he was planning. She’dback his play, and she did. She knew about red in the ledger.

Some things you just had to do, no matter the cost.

The cost was simple; he fell right into the trap meant for Steve.

Tony didn’t bother to try to run. Where would he even go? The cellwas only ten by six, and a good two feet of that was taken up by hisridiculously tiny toilet and the seldom-functioning sink-tap. (All his drinkingwater came from there, and if he was lucky, they turned it on every ten hoursand he had to be awake, and have his jug underneath it when it started or he’dlose his opportunity and be damned thirsty by the time it turned on again. Thathad happened a few times. When his urine got thick and orange, he started tobecome worried that they were going to let him die of thirst. No such luck withthat, although it would have been excruciating, it would also have been quick.)

There wasn’t even a point to try to fight. In his suit, maybe, hewas a match for Barnes. When he wasn’t weak from the bad food, erratic water,and frequent torture. When he’d not been forced into solitude for -- fourweeks? Two months? He didn’t know -- and no room to stretch or exercise. Cold,all the time. He couldn’t fight.

Honestly, at this point, if Barnes wanted to strangle him todeath, Tony wasn’t sure he wouldn’t just say thank you.

“Well, get on with it, then,” Tony said. He didn’t move; hadn’teven bothered to look at Barnes since realizing who it was.

“I don’t do that, anymore,” Barnes said. He all but flopped downon the cell floor next to Tony, close enough to touch if they both reached, andonly not further away because there wasn’t that much room in the cell.

“Don’t kill people? There are some GSG9 guys whose families sayotherwise.” Might as well get this over with. Tony was good, very good, atpoking hornets’ nests, and while Barnes wasn’t the craziest fucker Tony hadever had to deal with, he shouldn’t be too hard to roust to some sort ofmayhem. The question would be, could Tony possibly direct it?

“I--”

“Look, Red October, what the fuck do you think happens to a normalhuman, even one wearing combat armor, when they get hit in the face with afucking cinder block?” Actually, that guy hadn’t died, and the doctors had beenimpressed with that, but he needed some massive corrective surgery and whilehe’d gotten his neck broken, there’d been no spinal damage. Tony wasn’t abovelying.

And he was just a little bit petty.

Okay, maybe a lot petty.

Like anyone was keeping score.

(Except him.)

So he wasn’t exactly surprised when Barnes shifted, and thenpounced.

Tony kept telling himself that he wanted to die, to go ahead andget it over with, not to struggle--

And then realized two things.

He couldn’t struggle; Barnes was strong, and Tony was usedto fighting in the suit, which made the man’s strength even worse. Barnes hadhis wrists pinned in mere moments.

The second was that Barnes wasn’t hurting him. He had Tony pinned,helpless, legs spread and Barnes nestled in between them.

Oh… oh, god, no.

“What are you doing?” Tony’s voice went up severalregisters. “Get off me!”

Tony had been through a lot of shitty, terrible, painfulsituations. Humiliated, tortured, betrayed, defeated… and he’d probably had sexwith a lot of people who didn’t have his best interests in mind, but--

“Get off me!” Panic flared. He bucked up, using the minimalleverage he had--

Tony couldn’t speak suddenly, because Barnes had his metal handover Tony’s mouth, and then shoved two of those shiny fingers inside. Tonycontinued to struggle, shaking his head from side to side and pushing at thosefingers with his tongue, trying to dislodge them.

“It’s all right,” Barnes said, low in his ear. In Italian,which Tony’s brain stuttered over a few times, trying to translate and then hefell into it. “I’m not going to hurt you, but they need to think I will.I don’t know how many cameras they have in here. I’m not going to do anythingwithout your consent.”

Tony went limp for a moment, confused. Barnes pulled those fingersout, slick with Tony’s spit and wiped them gently over Tony’s cheek, leaving awet trail. It was… weirdly seductive, kind of gross, and wholly unsettling. “Hateto break it to you, Gottlieb, but you’re already doing this without my consent.”

“Go ahead and struggle, it’s okay, you can’t hurt me,”Barnes said, and that was just insulting. And also, terrifying, because Barneswas right. Tony could struggle, a little, but Barnes was like a rock. Theservos in the metal arm made noises, clicks and whirrs, as Barnes flexed, keepingTony locked in position.

And oh god, Tony was going to be sick, because he literally waslike a rock. Barnes was sporting an erection against Tony’s thigh. Tonyredoubled his efforts, writhing and twisting, but all that seemed to do wasmake Barnes toss his head back and roll his body against Tony’s.

“No,” Tony gritted between clenched teeth. “Don’t you--”

Barnes interrupted that with a kiss, mouth moving over Tony’s,muffling the sound, swallowing down Tony’s protests. Barnes continued to thrustagainst Tony’s leg, and Jesus, if it hadn’t been so weird, and Barnes didn’thate him so much, Tony might have melted into the kiss. It’d been so long sinceanyone had touched him. Barnes licked his way into Tony’s mouth, and when Tonywent to bite down on that invading tongue, the metal thumb ended up in hismouth at the hinge, keeping his teeth apart.

“Listen to me,” Barnes whispered, mouthing down the side ofTony’s neck. “They want me to hurt you, they think we’ll save them thetrouble. Leave us somewhere and they can spin any story they want. If they --if they think I’m going to rape you, they’ll let it happen. So we need them tothink that’s what’s happening. So we can stay together. I am here to rescueyou.”

Barnes bit at Tony’s collarbone, and that was one of his weakspots. Despite his -- inspite of? Tony didn’t even know -- his revulsion, Tonyarched up into that with a stuttered, shocked groan.

Tony couldn’t decide what it was; the sensual sounds of Barnesspeaking Italian in Tony’s ear, the fact that nothing Barnes was doing actuallyhurt, and did, in fact, feel good to Tony’s touch starved and aching body, orthat Tony was really just that fucked up. But he was starting to get hard andthat was… that was… shit, shit, shit.

“Aren’t you a little short for a stormtrooper?” Tony snarked.

Barnes didn’t even blink, but there was something about the wayhis mouth came down on Tony’s throat that implied a smile. So, Barnes was notas culturally deprived as Steve had been, maybe? “I have a plan. Two plans, actually,but you’re going to have to play along or neither of them is going to work.”

“And I’m just supposed to trust you?” Tony was incredulous.But he must, at least a little, because he was playing along, speakingItalian. He couldn’t seem to stop struggling. He was panting for breath; hismuscles burned from the futility of trying to get Barnes off of him.

Barnes pressed his jaw against Tony’s and what he said was fuckingsub-audible and how the hell did he do that? His voice travelled rightthrough Tony’s skull, but couldn’t have possibly been heard by anyone else.“Come with me, if you want to live.” It was the best, and most fucked up,impersonation of the goddamn Terminator that Tony had ever heard. And he didn’teven hear it with his ears, it vibrated through his jaw and teeth and directlyinto the tiny, delicate cochlear nerve.

Barnes’ metal hand was roaming all over Tony’s body, and there…fuck, what-- “Goddamnit, no,” Tony burst out as the zipper of his prisoncoveralls went down. And when had Barnes stripped himself, because that wasskin-on-skin and Tony was still pinned, helpless and--

“Go ahead and bite me,” Barnes told him. “It’s okay,it’ll heal, but we need the blood.”

Tony’s eyes widened, terrified and disgusted. “You cannot useblood as lube,” he protested, horrified.

Barnes ducked his chin at that and Tony was revolted to see he wastrying to hide a smile. “I’m not… oh, for fuck’s sake, just hurt me. Theyneed to think we’re fighting.”

“I am fighting,” Tony protested. Tony braced himself andbit down hard, because oh, god, if he really was going to get fucked by theWinter Soldier, he didn’t want to do it dry, but oh, Jesus, this was so…

Blood, coppery and brilliant, flooded his mouth, and Tony spat,and spat again; his stomach roiling and he was struggling, harder than he’dever fought before, God, no, he did not want--

“Sorry,” Barnes said, and then rocked against Tony’s thigha few more times, grunted and--

“Sorry about-- oh, god, gross,” Tony hissed as Barnes shothis load over Tony’s stomach and leg.

[northcarolinaprelawland-blog]

What Is Constitutional Law And Its Relationship To Legal Cases?

By Ryan Reeves, East Carolina University Class of 2022

January 21, 2021

As a Pre-Law student I have found a strong interest in constitutional law and how it relates to society and our current political climate. Constitutional Law is generally understood by the 14th amendment which is “All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” In the case of Plessy v. Ferguson, a Louisiana legislator had passed a law that required black and white residents to ride separately on public transportation. Homer Adolph Plessy was arrested for taking a seat in the “white section”. This court case sparked the Supreme Court decision that ratified the 14th amendment and stated that any citizen of the United States has the right of life, liberty, and happiness.

Lochner v. New York involved a baker from New York who was convicted of violating an act that prohibited bakers of working more than 60 hours a week. The Supreme Court sided with Baker in saying that this violated Bakers “right to contract” and the court took this right from due process. This supported the 14th amendment because it was Baker’s right to work more than 60 hours a week. Constitutional Law comes in a plethora of forms, some are a violation of due process, right to contract, or anything that involves someone or something impeding the rights of an American citizen.

In more recent cases, Lee v. Weisman involved public prayer in a school setting which was said to violate separation of church and state. Principals of public high schools in Providence, Rhode Island invited members of clergy to give prayers to audiences for graduation ceremonies. This created a lot of disagreement and controversy so Daniel Weisman’s daughter, among others, tried to prevent the minister from speaking. Weisman looked for a way to file a restraining order in district court to prevent this from happening again. The suit was denied due to lack of standing and Weisman filed later for an injunction. The court held that this creates “a state sponsored, and state directed religious exercise in a public school.” Such an act creates an environment where students must coerce in state established religion, so this act is declared unconstitutional. The Establishment Clause backs this up because it states that the government may not compose official prayers or recite anything as a religious group on behalf of the government.

Constitutional Law is the foundation of our judicial system and was established by our founding fathers to give citizens protection against any impeding forces by the federal government. Another very common constitutional law case was Gideon v. Wainwright. This 1963 Supreme Court case revolved around the 6th amendment. The amendment states, “In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed.” Gideon, a resident of Florida was charged with breaking and entering with the intent to commit a crime and was considered an indigent defendant. This means that he was unable to afford an attorney and the state denied him access to one. He defended himself and lost then later filed a petition of habeas corpus which is a writ that requires the person under arrest to be issued a right to fair trial. The Supreme Court then became involved and ruled that under the 14th amendment you are entitled to the right to have an attorney representing you and under the 6th amendment that you are given the right to a fair and speedy trial.

These cases mentioned above all give perspective on how constitutional law is applied and the different circumstances that it can be applied in. What I notice in every case is how an infraction of a person’s constitutional right can be heard by a federal court. The constitutions main purpose is to ensure the individual liberties of American citizens.

______________________________________________________________

1.      "Lee v. Weisman." Oyez, www.oyez.org/cases/1991/90-1014. Accessed 18 Jan. 2021.

2.      "Plessy v. Ferguson." Oyez, www.oyez.org/cases/1850-1900/163us537. Accessed 18 Jan. 2021.

3.      "Lochner v. New York." Oyez, www.oyez.org/cases/1900-1940/198us45. Accessed 18 Jan. 2021.

4.      N/A, N. A. (2019, November 1). Landmark United States Supreme Court Cases. Americanbar.Org. https://www.americanbar.org/groups/public_education/programs/constitution_day/landmark-cases/

5.      NCC Staff. (2020, September 7). 10 Supreme Court cases about the 14th Amendment. National Constitution Center – Constitutioncenter.Org.

https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/10-huge-supreme-court-cases-about-the-14th-amendment

[impactcomicscbr]

Meanwhile... Manga, Pops, toys and other things that arrived recently!

Every single day we unpack boxes of amazing stuff from scores of different suppliers. At the start of each week we publish a big list of things we are expecting from our major US comics distributor, but that list doesn’t include all of this other stuff!

This stuff has arrived over the last week – if you spot something you might like, rush in or get in contact NOW!

101 SCI FI MOVIES YOU MUST SEE BEFO… ABANDONED SACRED BEASTS GN VOL 03 ADVENTURE TIME TP VOL 02 ADVENTURE TIME TP VOL 06 ADVENTURES OF JO, ZETTE & JOCKO [1]… AKAME GA KILL GN VOL 09 ALICE IN WONDERLAND MAD HATTER TEA… ALIEN – OUT OF THE SHADOWS (Book 1)… ALIEN VS PREDATOR ARMAGEDDON – The… ALIENS – SEA OF SORROWS (Book 2) MM… ALIENS SET PHOTOGRAPHY HC ALL YOU NEED IS KILL 2in1 GN AMERICAN GODS – ILLUSTRATED Edition… ARE YOU ALICE GN VOL 01 ART AND MAKING OF THE FLASH (TV) HC ART OF CASTLE IN THE SKY HC ART OF MIYAZAKI’S HOWLS MOVING CAST… ART OF WORLD OF WARCRAFT HC ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM GN VOL 01 ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM GN VOL 02 ASSASSINS CREED COMPLETE VISUAL HIS… ASSASSIN’S CREED HAWKE TRILOGY (Vol… ASSASSIN’S CREED TP VOL 01 TRIAL BY… ASSASSIN’S CREED TP VOL 02 SETTING… ASSASSIN’S CREED: TEMPLARS TP VOL 0… ASTERIX #21 AND CAESAR’S GIFT TP ATTACK ON TITAN COLLECTION 01 (2 DV… ATTACK ON TITAN COLLECTION 01 Blu-R… ATTACK ON TITAN COLLECTION 02 (2 DV… ATTACK ON TITAN COLLECTION 02 Blu-R… ATTACK ON TITAN END OF THE WORLD NO… ATTACK ON TITAN GN VOL 01 ATTACK ON TITAN GN VOL 09 ATTACK ON TITAN GN VOL 10 ATTACK ON TITAN GN VOL 11 B.C. – BEST OF B.C. (Johnny HART) H… BARAKAMON GN VOL 03 (MR) BATMAN – HARLEY QUINN MUGSHOT BUST… BATMAN (Batman Vs Superman: DOJ) -… BATMAN ANIMATED SERIES HARLEY QUINN… BATMAN BAT SIGNAL KIT BATMAN BATMOBILE KIT BATMAN COLLAGE 1000pc PUZZLE BATMAN CUFF LINKS BATMAN DARK KNIGHT CUFF LINKS BATMAN HARLEY QUINN NECKLACE BATMAN I CAN READ – MEET The SUPER-… BIZENGHAST 3in1 GN VOL 01 SPECIAL C… BLACK BUTLER TP VOL 02 BLACK BUTLER TP VOL 03 BLACK BUTLER TP VOL 23 BLACK HOLE (MR) SoftCover [Charles… BLEACH COLLECTION 01 (5 DVD-SLIM) BLEACH COLLECTION 02 – Eps 21-41 (5… BLUE (Pat GRANT) TP BUFFY The VAMPIRE SLAYER COLLECTION… CALVIN & HOBBES ESSENTIAL HC CAPTAIN AMERICA SHIELD CUFF LINKS CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY – BLUE BOX (… CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY – GREEN BOX CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY – RED BOX (E… CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY (AU Edition) CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY (BIGGER) BIG… CATS VS HUMANS FAIRY TAILS (Yasmine… CHICKEN WITH PLUMS SC – Marjane SAT… CHILDREN OF PALOMAR HC (New Tales o… COMPLETE ALIENS NOVEL OMNIBUS MMPB… COWBOY BEBOP REMASTERED SESSIONS Co… COWBOY BEBOP REMASTERED SESSIONS Co… DANGANRONPA THE ANIMATION TP VOL 01 DC COMICS BOMBSHELLS 1000pc PUZZLE DC COMICS CHIBI PLAYING CARDS DC COMICS FLASH RETRO PLAYING CARDS DC COMICS HARLEY QUINN RETRO PLAYIN… DC COMICS ICONS WONDER WOMAN STATUE DC COMICS The NEW 52 POSTER COLLECT… DC COMICS UNIVERSE CAST 1500pc PUZZ… DC DESIGNER SERIES HARLEY BY BRUCE… DC SUPER FRIENDS LITTLE GOLDEN BOOK… DC YR My First SUPERMAN BOOK (Touch… DEADPOOL – MOPEEZ PLUSH

DEADPOOL 1:4 SCALE AF DEADPOOL CUFF LINKS DEATH MARCH TO PARALLEL WORLD RHAPS… DEATH NOTE BLACK ED TP V0L 01 DEATH NOTE BLACK ED TP VOL 02 DEATH NOTE BLACK ED TP VOL 03 DEATH NOTE COLLECTION (9 DVD) Fatpa… DEUS EX TP VOL 01 CHILDRENS CRUSADE… DEVIL IS PART TIMER GN VOL 03 DEVIL SURVIVOR GN VOL 08 (MR) DISHONORED – CORRODED MAN MMPB DISNEY GRAVITY FALLS JOURNAL 3 DISNEY MANGA STITCH GN VOL 02 DOCTOR WHO – 10th DOCTOR with Sonic… DOCTOR WHO – 12th DOCTOR (White Shi… DOCTOR WHO – ELEVENTH DOCTOR BOBBLE… DOCTOR WHO – HIDDEN TARDIS MUG DOCTOR WHO – TENTH DOCTOR BOBBLE HE… DOCTOR WHO – WAR DOCTOR AF DOCTOR WHO & The CRUSADERS DOCTOR WHO & The DALEKS HC DOCTOR WHO & The ZARBI HC DOCTOR WHO 10th DOCTOR HC VOL 01 RE… DOCTOR WHO 10th DR’S SONIC SCREWDRI… DOCTOR WHO 10th HC VOL 06 SINS OF T… DOCTOR WHO 11th DOCTOR HC VOL 02 SE… DOCTOR WHO 11th TP LTD ED VOL 01 AF… DOCTOR WHO 12th DR’S ‘SECOND’ SONIC… DOCTOR WHO 12th DR’S SONIC SCREWDRI… DOCTOR WHO 4th Dr 12ft SCARF DOCTOR WHO COLOURING BOOK! DOCTOR WHO DALEK MUG (Light Green) DOCTOR WHO MICRO MONSTERS MULTI PAC… DOCTOR WHO SONIC SCREWDRIVER TOOL DOCTOR WHO TARDIS (11th) USB 4 PORT… DOCTOR WHO TARDIS BOTTLE OPENER DOCTOR WHO TARDIS CERAMIC MONEY BOX DOCTOR WHO TARDIS COOKIE JAR w/ LIG… DOCTOR WHO TARDIS COOLER BAG DOCTOR WHO TARDIS COSTUME DRESS L/X… DOCTOR WHO TARDIS EMERGENCY FUND DOCTOR WHO TARDIS LADIES CLUTCH WAL… DOCTOR WHO TARDIS LIGHT-UP KEYCHAIN DOCTOR WHO TARDIS MEGA MUG DOCTOR WHO TARDIS MUG WITH REMOVABL… DOCTOR WHO TARDIS NECK TIE DOCTOR WHO TARDIS TEA POT DOCTOR WHO TARDIS TOTE BAG DOCTOR WHO TARDIS UMBRELLA DOCTOR WHO TITANS HEAVEN SENT/HELL… DOCTOR WHO Yoat INTERACTIVE SONIC S… DOCTORS (Dash SHAW) GN DORBZ X-MEN – WOLVERINE (Logan w/ J… DRAGON AGE – ASUNDER (David Gaider)… DRAGON AGE – STOLEN THRONE (David G… DRAGON BALL 3in1 TP VOL 14 DRAGON BALL COMPLETE COLL PART 1 (1… DRAGON BALL COMPLETE COLL PART 2 (5… DRAGON BALL FULL COLOR FREEZA ARC T… DRAGON BALL Z REMASTERED MOVIE COLL… DRAGONS DEFENDERS OF BERK COLLECTIO… DRAGONS RIDERS OF BERK COLLECTION T… EC JOHNNY CRAIG & AL FELDSTEIN VOOD… EVANGELION 1.11 YOU ARE [NOT] ALONE… EVANGELION 1.11 YOU ARE [NOT] ALONE… EVANGELION 2.22 YOU CAN [NOT] ADVAN… EVANGELION 3.33 YOU CAN [NOT] REDO… FABRIKATIONS DEFORMED PLUSH – GOTG… FAIRY GIRLS GN VOL 01 FAIRY GIRLS GN VOL 02 FAIRY TAIL COLLECTION 01 (2 DVD) FAIRY TAIL COLLECTION 01 Blu-RAY FAIRY TAIL COLLECTION 02 (2 DVD) FAIRY TAIL COLLECTION 02 Blu-RAY FAIRY TAIL GN VOL 21 FAIRY TAIL GN VOL 22 FAIRY TAIL GN VOL 36 FIRE FORCE GN VOL 01 (Pyrofighters… FIREFLY – LEGACY COLLECTION MALCOLM… FIREFLY A CELEBRATION ANNIVERSARY E… FLASH CUFF LINKS FOOD WARS SHOKUGEKI NO SOMA GN VOL… FOOD WARS SHOKUGEKI NO SOMA GN VOL… FORGET ME NOT GN VOL 05 FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST 3in1 ED VOL 01 FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST 3in1 ED VOL 03… GAME OF THRONES POP! DAENERYS & DRO… GAME OF THRONES POP! DROGON 6″ (Gre… GAME OF THRONES POP! RHAEGAL 6″ VF GAME OF THRONES POP! TYRION VINYL A… GAME OF THRONES POP! VISERION 6″ VF… GANGSTA CURSED GN VOL 01 (MR) GARDEN Of WORDS Blu-RAY GAZE OF DRIFTING SKIES SC TREASURY… GHOST IN SHELL KODANSHA ED GN VOL 0… GHOST IN THE SHELL 1.5 HUMAN ERROR… GHOST IN THE SHELL Arise Part 1 Blu… GHOST IN THE SHELL Arise Part 1 DVD GHOST IN THE SHELL Arise Part 2 Blu… GHOST IN THE SHELL Arise Part 2 DVD GHOSTBUSTERS PROTON PACK AND WAND GIRL WHO LEAPT THROUGH TIME (2 DVD) GIRL WHO LEAPT THROUGH TIME Blu-RAY GREEN LANTERN CUFF LINKS HAGAR THE HORRIBLE EPIC CHRONICLES… HAIKYU GN VOL 01 (MR) [Haruichi Fur… HAIKYU GN VOL 02 (MR) HAIKYU GN VOL 03 HALO – FRACTURES MMPB HAPPINESS GN VOL 02 HARLEY QUINN (SS) Jrs WOMENS LOGO G… HARLEY QUINN (SS) Jrs WOMENS LOGO G… HARLEY QUINN (SS) Jrs WOMENS LOGO G… HARLEY QUINN (SS) Jrs WOMENS LOGO G… HARLEY QUINN RED BLACK & WHITE HOLI… HARLEY QUINN RED WHITE & BLACK STAT… HARLEY QUINN ‘ROLLER DERBY’ BLEACHE… HARLEY QUINN Sublimated BILL SNAPBA… HARLEY QUINN WOMEN’S CARDIGAN SLIM… HARLEY QUINN WOMEN’S CARDIGAN SLIM… HARLEY QUINN YR SC WILD CARD (Backs… HARRY POTTER – GOLD HOGWARTS CREST… HE-MAN & MASTERS OF UNIVERSE HC MIN… HERGE & TREASURES OF TINTIN (Domini… HE’S MY ONLY VAMPIRE GN VOL 07 HOBBIT SPECIAL PARCHMENT HOKUSAI X MANGA JAPANESE POP CULTUR… IMMORTAL HOUNDS GN VOL 03 IN SPECTRE GN VOL 01 INCREDIBUILDS BATMOBILE SIGNATURE S… INTERVIEWS WITH MONSTER GIRLS GN VO… IRON MAN CUFF LINKS JASON SHIGA DEMON HC GN JEM & The HOLOGRAMS – LIGHT-UP SYNE… JOHNNY RED – FLYING GUN (Tom TULLY)… JOJOS BIZARRE ADV PHANTOM BLOOD HC… JOJOS BIZARRE ADV PHANTOM BLOOD HC… JOJOS BIZARRE ADVENTURE VOL 11 TP KIDS ARE WEIRD – OBSERVATIONS FROM… KIKIS DELIVERY SERVICE (MIYAZAKI )… KINGDOM HEARTS II TP VOL 01 KINGDOM HEARTS II TP VOL 02 KISS HIM NOT ME GN VOL 02 KISS HIM NOT ME GN VOL 07 K-ON! COLLEGE TP VOL 01 KUROKO BASKETBALL 2in1 TP VOL 01 KUROKO BASKETBALL 2in1 TP VOL 03 LAID WASTE GN LEGEND OF ZELDA HYRULE HISTORIA HC LEGEND OF ZELDA LEGENDARY ED GN VOL… LIFE & LEGEND WALLACE WOOD HC LIFE & LEGEND WALLACE WOOD HC LIVINGSTONE GN VOL 04 LORD OF THE RINGS SPECIAL PARCHMENT MAGI GN VOL 21 MANDRAKE MAGICIAN (Lee FALK & Phil… MARVEL CAPTAIN AMERICA PLAYING CARD… MARVEL DOCTOR STRANGE RETRO PLAYING… MARVEL HERO PLAYING CARDS MARVEL IRON MAN PLAYING CARDS MARVEL IRON MAN RETRO MAN PLAYING C… MARVEL SELECT DOCTOR STRANGE (Movie… MARVEL VILLIANS PLAYING CARDS MASTER KEATON GN VOL 09 URASAWA MODESTY BLAISE TP VOL 28 MURDER FRA… MOOMIN & The WISHING STAR (Tove JAN… MOOMINS: I SPY! WITH MOOMIN (Jansso… MORE HEROES OF COMICS HC PORTRAITS… MR POTATO HEAD – DOCTOR WHO DALEK F… MUSNET GN VOL 02 IMPRESSIONS OF MAS… MY HERO ACADEMIA GN VOL 05 MY HERO ACADEMIA GN VOL 06 MY LITTLE PONY GLORY & ILLUSTRATED… NARUTO ITACHI STORY SC NOVEL VOL 01 NARUTO ITACHI STORY SC NOVEL VOL 02 NARUTO SHIPPUDEN COLL 01 (2 DVD Ep… NARUTO SHIPPUDEN COLL 02 (2 DVD Ep… NARUTO VOL 01 NED KELLY – MAN BEHIND THE MASK (Hu… NGE SHINJI IKARI RAISING PROJECT TP… NICHIJOU GN VOL 01 NICHIJOU GN VOL 02 (Keiichi Arawi) NIKOPOL TRILOGY VOL 01 (MR) NINTENDO LEGEND OF ZELDA LINK 12″ P… NINTENDO LEGEND OF ZELDA LOGO SUBLI… NINTENDO LEGEND OF ZELDA SHIELD THR… NORAGAMI STRAY GOD GN VOL 13 NORMAL (Warren ELLIS) NOVEL SC NORSE MYTHOLOGY (Neil GAIMAN) SC ONE PIECE (UNCUT) COLLECTION 01 (2… ONE PIECE 3in1 TP VOL 01 (v1-3) ONE PIECE 3in1 TP VOL 02 (v4-6 EAS… ONE PIECE 3in1 TP VOL 07 ONE PIECE 3in1 TP VOL 17 ONE PIECE 3in1 TP VOL 18 ONE PIECE TP VOL 02 ONE PUNCH MAN GN VOL 01 ONE PUNCH MAN GN VOL 03 ONE PUNCH MAN GN VOL 08 PAC-MAN GAME BELT BUCKLE PEANUTS – SNOOPY (Charles M SCHULZ)… PEANUTS – YOU’RE OUT OF YOUR MIND,… PEANUTS EVERY SUNDAY (10) 1958-1961… PEANUTS FINGER PUPPET THEATRE PEANUTS MOVIE SNOOPY FLYING ACE FIG… PEANUTS SNOOPY & WOODSTOCK KIT PHANTOM (FREW) #1000 UNBAGGED (n.mi… PHANTOM (FREW) #1001 (VF+) PHANTOM (FREW) #1005 (VF+) PHANTOM (FREW) #1007 (FN+) PHANTOM (FREW) #1009 (VF+) 1992 ‘CO… PHANTOM (FREW) #1012 (VF+) PHANTOM (FREW) #1013 (VF+) PHANTOM (FREW) #1014 (FN) Trial of… PHANTOM (FREW) #1016 (FN+) [100 Pag… PHANTOM (FREW) #1020 (VF+) PHANTOM (FREW) #1021 (VF+) PHANTOM (FREW) #1022 (VF) PHANTOM (FREW) #1023 (FN+) PHANTOM (FREW) #1024 (VF+) PHANTOM (FREW) #1025 (VF+) PHANTOM (FREW) #1026 (FN+) Secret M… PHANTOM (FREW) #1031 (NM) PHANTOM (FREW) #1034 (VF+) PHANTOM (FREW) #1035 (VG+) PHANTOM (FREW) #1036 (NM-) PHANTOM (FREW) #1037 (NM-) PHANTOM (FREW) #1040 (VF) Drug Shar… PHANTOM (FREW) #1041 (VF+) “GOES TO… PHANTOM (FREW) #1045 (VF+) [1993] PHANTOM (FREW) #1046 (VF+) [1993] PHANTOM (FREW) #1047 (VF+) PHANTOM (FREW) #1049 (FN) Son O/T D… PHANTOM (FREW) #1055 (GD) PHANTOM (FREW) #1062 (VF+) PHANTOM (FREW) #1064 (VF) PHANTOM (FREW) #1065 (VF) PHANTOM (FREW) #1066 (VF) PHANTOM (FREW) #1067 (VF) PHANTOM (FREW) #1068 (NM-) Julie! PHANTOM (FREW) #1068 (VF) Julie! PHANTOM (FREW) #1069 (FN+) PHANTOM (FREW) #1070 (FN+) PHANTOM (FREW) #1071 (VF+) PHANTOM (FREW) #1072 (NM-) Maestro!… PHANTOM (FREW) #1073 (VF+) Dinosaur… PHANTOM (FREW) #1074 (VF+) Ghost of… PHANTOM (FREW) #1075 (FN) Charlyle’… PHANTOM (FREW) #1076 (FN) Operation… PHANTOM (FREW) #1077 (FN) Charlyle’… PHANTOM (FREW) #1078 (VF) 100 Pages PHANTOM (FREW) #1079 (VF) Election… PHANTOM (FREW) #1080 (VF) Election… PHANTOM (FREW) #1081 (VF) PHANTOM (FREW) #1082 (VF) PHANTOM (FREW) #1083 (GD) Demon of… PHANTOM (FREW) #1083 (VF) Demon of… PHANTOM (FREW) #1084 (VF) Hunted! PHANTOM (FREW) #1085 (VF) Princess… PHANTOM (FREW) #1086 (VF) PHANTOM (FREW) #1087 (VF) Evil Game… PHANTOM (FREW) #1088 (VF) Evil Game… PHANTOM (FREW) #1090 (FN) PHANTOM (FREW) #1091 (VF) Commander… PHANTOM (FREW) #1092 (VF) King of C… PHANTOM (FREW) #1093 (VF) PHANTOM (FREW) #1095 (VF) PHANTOM (FREW) #1096 (VF) Triads PHANTOM (FREW) #1097 (VF) PHANTOM (FREW) #1098 (GD) PHANTOM (FREW) #1098 (VF) PHANTOM (FREW) #1099 (FN) PHANTOM (FREW) #1099 (VF) PHANTOM (FREW) #1100 (VF) Triads Pt… PHANTOM (FREW) #1101 (FN) PHANTOM (FREW) #1101 (VF+) PHANTOM (FREW) #1102 (FN) PHANTOM (FREW) #1102 (VF) PHANTOM (FREW) #1103 (FN) PHANTOM (FREW) #1104 (VF) PHANTOM (FREW) #1105 (VF) PHANTOM (FREW) #1106 (FN) PHANTOM (FREW) #1107 (FN) PHANTOM (FREW) #1108 (FN+) PHANTOM (FREW) #1108 (VF) PHANTOM (FREW) #981 (FN) PHANTOM (FREW) #982 (FN+) PHANTOM (FREW) #983 (FN) Ape Idol o… PHANTOM (FREW) #986 (VF) Blue Gang/… PHANTOM (FREW) #994 (VF) Cathedral… PHANTOM (FREW) #995 (PR) Vultures O… PHANTOM (FREW) #995 (VG) PHANTOM (FREW) #996 (VG) PLANTS VS ZOMBIES RAISE YOUR OWN ZO… PLUTO URASAWA X TEZUKA GN VOL 01 POKEMON ACTION POSE FIGURES ASSORTM… POKEMON OMEGA RUBY ALPHA SAPPHIRE G… POKEMON PIKACHU RUBBER KEYRING POKEMON PIKACHU RUCKSACK POKEMON POCKET COMICS XY GN POKEMON POKEBALL MOLDED MUG

POP ANIMATION – COWBOY BEBOP – ED V… POP ANIMATION – COWBOY BEBOP – FAYE… POP ANIMATION – COWBOY BEBOP – JET… POP ANIMATION – COWBOY BEBOP – SPIK… POP ANIMATION – DRAGON BALL Z – BAD… POP ANIMATION – ONE PIECE – Portgas… POP ANIMATION – ONE PIECE – TRAFALG… POP DISNEY – ALICE IN WONDERLAND AL… POP DISNEY – BEAUTY AND THE BEAST -… POP DISNEY – BEAUTY AND THE BEAST -… POP DISNEY – BRAVE – MERIDA VF [57] POP DISNEY – CINDERELLA – CINDERELL… POP DISNEY – DUMBO VINYL FIGURE [50… POP DISNEY – FROZEN ANNA VINYL FIGU… POP DISNEY – FROZEN ELSA VINYL FIGU… POP DISNEY – FROZEN SVEN VINYL FIGU… POP DISNEY – LADY & The TRAMP VF 2… POP DISNEY – LILO & STITCH – STITCH… POP DISNEY – LION KING – SIMBA VINY… POP DISNEY – LITTLE MERMAID ARIEL V… POP DISNEY – MICKEY MOUSE VINYL FIG… POP DISNEY – MOANA – MAUI (w/ Weapo… POP DISNEY – MOANA – MAUI VF [214] POP DISNEY – MOANA & KAKAMORA VF 2… POP DISNEY – MOANA (Voyager) VF [21… POP DISNEY – MOANA (w/ Oar) VF [216… POP DISNEY – MOANA (w/ Pua) VF [213… POP DISNEY – MOANA (Young) VF [215] POP DISNEY – MOANA (Young/Sitting)… POP DISNEY – MULAN VF [166] POP DISNEY – SNOW WHITE EVIL QUEEN… POP DISNEY – TOY STORY BUZZ LIGHTYE… POP DISNEY – TOY STORY WOODY VINYL… POP DISNEY – UP DUG! VINYL AF POP DISNEY – WALL-E VINYL FIGURE POP DISNEY – ZOOTOPIA – JUDY WILDE… POP GAMES ASSASSIN’S CREED – EZIO (… POP GAMES DARK SOULS – RED KNIGHT V… POP GAMES FIVE NIGTHS AT FREDDY’S -… POP GAMES FIVE NIGTHS AT FREDDY’S -… POP GAMES FIVE NIGTHS AT FREDDY’S -… POP GAMES STREET FIGHTER – RYU (Hea… POP GAMES STREET FIGHTER – RYU VF [… POP GAMES TITANFALL 2 – JACK & BT V… POP GAMES TOMB RAIDER – LARA CROFT POP HEROES BATMAN ARKHAM ASYLUM – N… POP HEROES BATMAN ARKHAM KNIGHT – S… POP HEROES DC JINX (Teen Titans Go!… POP HEROES DC LEGENDS OF TOMORROW (… POP HEROES DC LEGENDS OF TOMORROW (… POP HEROES DC LEGENDS OF TOMORROW (… POP HEROES DC SUICIDE SQUAD – JOKER… POP HEROES DC SUPERMAN (DKR) VINYL… POP HEROES MARVEL BLADE (Classic) V… POP HEROES MARVEL DEADPOOL (w/ Rubb… POP HEROES MARVEL IRON FIST (Gold)… POP HEROES MARVEL LUKE CAGE (Power… POP HEROES STAR WARS – BB-8 ROLLER… POP HEROES STAR WARS – C-3PO EP 7 P… POP HEROES STAR WARS – CAPTAIN PHAS… POP HEROES STAR WARS – CHEWBACCA EP… POP HEROES STAR WARS – FINN EP 7 PO… POP HEROES STAR WARS – FIRST ORDER… POP HEROES STAR WARS – FIRST ORDER… POP HEROES STAR WARS – LUKE SKYWALK… POP HEROES STAR WARS – R2-D2 VINYL… POP HEROES STAR WARS – REY (w/ Ligj… POP HEROES STAR WARS ADMIRAL ACKBAR… POP HEROES STAR WARS BOBA FETT VINY… POP HEROES STAR WARS C-3PO VINYL AF POP HEROES STAR WARS CHEWBACCA VINY… POP HEROES STAR WARS DARTH MAUL VIN… POP HEROES STAR WARS DARTH VADER (U… POP HEROES STAR WARS DARTH VADER VI… POP HEROES STAR WARS EP7 – BB-8 (TH… POP HEROES STAR WARS EWOK – WICKET… POP HEROES STAR WARS FIGRIN D’AN VF POP HEROES STAR WARS FN-2199 (TROOP… POP HEROES STAR WARS JABBA The HUTT… POP HEROES STAR WARS LUKE SKYWALKER… POP HEROES STAR WARS NALAN CHEEL VF POP HEROES STAR WARS OBI-WAN KENOBI… POP HEROES STAR WARS R2-B1 VF POP HEROES STAR WARS REBELS – EZRA… POP HEROES STAR WARS REBELS – HERA… POP HEROES STAR WARS REBELS – KANAN… POP HEROES STAR WARS REBELS – SABIN… POP HEROES STAR WARS REBELS – ZEB V… POP HEROES STAR WARS ROGUE ONE – CA… POP HEROES STAR WARS ROGUE ONE – CH… POP HEROES STAR WARS ROGUE ONE – DA… POP HEROES STAR WARS ROGUE ONE – DA… POP HEROES STAR WARS ROGUE ONE – IM… POP HEROES STAR WARS ROGUE ONE – K-… POP HEROES STAR WARS ROGUE ONE – OR… POP HEROES STAR WARS YODA (Dagobah)… POP HEROES STAR WARS YODA (Force Sp… POP HEROES STAR WARS YODA VINYL AF POP MOVIES – HOBBIT 3 SAURON VF POP MOVIES – HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAG… POP MOVIES – LABYRINTH – HOGGLE VF… POP MOVIES – LABYRINTH – JARETH VF… POP MOVIES – RED SONJA (Bloody) VF POP TELEVISION – POWER RANGERS – BL… POP TELEVISION – POWER RANGERS – BL… POP TELEVISION – POWER RANGERS – PI… POP TELEVISION – POWER RANGERS – RE… POP TELEVISION – POWER RANGERS – YE… POP TELEVISION DOCTOR WHO – ADIPOSE… POP TELEVISION DOCTOR WHO – DALEK S… POP TELEVISION DOCTOR WHO – DALEK S… POP TELEVISION DOCTOR WHO – DALEK V… POP TELEVISION DOCTOR WHO – ELEVENT… POP TELEVISION DOCTOR WHO – ELEVENT… POP TELEVISION DOCTOR WHO – ELEVENT… POP TELEVISION DOCTOR WHO – FOURTH… POP TELEVISION DOCTOR WHO – K-9 VF POP TELEVISION DOCTOR WHO – RIVER S… POP TELEVISION DOCTOR WHO – ROSE TY… POP TELEVISION DOCTOR WHO – TARDIS… POP TELEVISION DOCTOR WHO – TARDIS… POP TELEVISION DOCTOR WHO – TENTH D… POP TELEVISION DOCTOR WHO – WEEPING… POP TELEVISION ORPHAN BLACK – COSIM… POSTER HANGER 64 CM POWER OF TANK GIRL OMNIBUS TP (Gift… PRINCE IN HIS DARK DAYS GN VOL 02 (… PRINCE VALIANT HC VOL 14 1963-1964 RE ZERO LIGHT NOVEL VOL 02 STARTING… REAL ACCOUNT GN VOL 05 RICK & MORTY TP VOL 02 RICK & MORTY TP VOL 03 (MR) ROMEO AND/OR JULIET (Ryan NORTH) TP ROSE GN GRAPHIX ED (BONE prequel) SAILOR MOON Part 1 (Eps 1-24) (4 DV… SAILOR MOON TP KODANSHA ED VOL 01 SAILOR MOON TP KODANSHA ED VOL 02 SAILOR MOON TP KODANSHA ED VOL 06 SAKURA HIME LEGEND OF PRINCESS SAKU… SEVEN DEADLY SINS GN VOL 17 SIMPSONS COMICS COLOSSAL COMPENDIUM… SONIC THE HEDGEHOG SONIC & TAILS SONIC THE HEDGEHOG TP VOL 04 CONTRO… SPAWN REBIRTH 7″ (Blue Wave) AF SPIDER-MAN CUFF LINKS STAR TREK 50TH ANN 3000pc PUZZLE STAR TREK COSTUMES (Paula M. BLOCK)… STAR TREK LIGHT UP ENTERPRISE STAR TREK LOGO CUFF LINKS STAR TREK SPOCK’S LOGIC PUZZLES

STAR TREK TNG COMMUNICATOR Bluetoot… STAR TREK TOS COMMUNICATOR KIT STAR TREK TOS PHASER KIT STAR TREK TOS PHASER KIT STAR TREK TOS ROMULAN BIRD OF PREY… STAR TREK TOS SHUTTLECRAFT KIT STAR WARS – GOODNIGHT DARTH VADER H… STAR WARS COSTUMES HC The ORIGINAL… STAR WARS COURTSHIP of PRINCESS LEI… STAR WARS CROCHET STAR WARS DARTH BANE (3) DYNASTY of… STAR WARS DARTH VADER & FRIENDS HC… STAR WARS DARTH VADER (Rogue One) B… STAR WARS DARTH VADER CUFF LINKS STAR WARS ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO WARFAR… STAR WARS GALACTIC ATLAS HC STAR WARS LITTLE GOLDEN BOOK COLLEC… STAR WARS LITTLE GOLDEN BOOK I AM P… STAR WARS LOGO CUFF LINKS STAR WARS OLD REPUBLIC MMPB ANNIHIL… STAR WARS REBEL SYMBOL CUFF LINKS STAR WARS REBELS – A NEW DAWN (1) M… STAR WARS STORMTROOPER CUFF LINKS STEVEN UNIVERSE TP VOL 01 STEVEN UNIVERSE TP VOL 01 SUCH A LOVELY LITTLE WAR SAIGON 196… SUPERMAN CUFF LINKS SUPERMAN GLOWING KRYPTONITE KIT SUPERMAN RETRO COLLAGE 1000pc PUZZL… SWEETNESS & LIGHTNING GN VOL 03 SWORD ART ONLINE 1 Part 1 Blu-RAY SWORD ART ONLINE 1 Part 1 DVD – Ain… SWORD ART ONLINE 1 Part 2 Blu-RAY -… SWORD ART ONLINE 1 Part 2 DVD – Esc… SWORD ART ONLINE 3 Blu-RAY – Fairy… SWORD ART ONLINE 3 Blu-RAY – Fairy… SWORD ART ONLINE 3 DVD – Fairy Danc… SWORD ART ONLINE GIRLS OPS GN VOL 0… TANK GIRL 2 GIRLS 1 TANK TP (MR) TANK GIRL REMASTERED ED TP VOL 03 TARZAN I/T CITY OF GOLD: Burne HOGA… TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES ULTIMA… TIM BURTON SC (Art of) TINTIN FLIGHT 714 TO SYDNEY (Hergé)… TINTIN in the LAND OF THE SOVIETS H… TINTIN IN THE ORIENT The BLUE LOTUS… TINTIN TP CRAB W/T GOLDEN CLAWS TINTIN TP EXPLORERS ON THE MOON TINTIN TP LAND OF BLACK GOLD TINTIN TP SHOOTING STAR TINTIN TP TINTIN IN AMERICA TINTIN YOUNG READER ED CRAB & GOLDE… TINTIN YOUNG READER ED GN KING OTTO… TOBINS SPIRIT GUIDE – OFFICIAL GHOS…

TOHYO GAME GN VOL 02 (MR) TOKYO GHOUL DAYS SC NOVEL (MR) TOKYO GHOUL GN VOL 01 TOKYO GHOUL GN VOL 02 TOKYO GHOUL GN VOL 08 (MR) TOKYO GHOUL Season 1 Collection (Un… TOKYO GHOUL Season 1 Collection (Un… TOKYO MEW MEW OMNIBUS TP VOL 01 TRANSFORMERS – CLASSIC COMIC COLLEC… TRANSFORMERS CUFF LINKS AUTOBOT TSUBASA WoRLD CHRONICLE GN VOL 03 TURN LOOSE DEATH RAYS & KILL HC COM… UQ HOLDER GN VOL 09 VAMPIRE KNIGHT SEASON 1 COLLECTION… VAMPIRE KNIGHT SEASON 2 GUILTY COLL… VIEW FROM THE CHEAP SEATS (Neil GAI… VOIDS ENIGMATIC MANSION GN VOL 05 (… WALKING DEAD – CAROL PELETIER POP!… WALKING DEAD – NEGAN (Bloody) POP!… WALKING DEAD – RICK GRIMES POP! VIN… WALKING DEAD MINI GROANING WALKER H… WALT DISNEY DON ROSA DUCK LIBRARY (… WALT DISNEY DON ROSA DUCK LIBRARY (… WALT DISNEY DON ROSA DUCK LIBRARY (… WEATHERCRAFT (Woodring) HC [2016 ed… WELCOME TO BALLROOM GN VOL 02 WHAT DID YOU EAT YESTERDAY GN VOL 1… WILL EISNERS CONTRACT WITH GOD (197… WILL EISNERS READER SC WITCHER – BAPTISM OF FIRE (Andrzej… WITCHER – LAST WISH, INTRODUCING TH… WITCHER – SWORD OF DESTINY (Andrzej… WITCHER – TIME OF CONTEMPT (Andrzej… WONDER WOMAN (Batman Vs Superman: D… WONDER WOMAN I AM WONDER WOMAN (ICR… WONDER WOMAN ‘NEW 52’ COSTUME 1:6 (… WONDER WOMAN RETRO COLLAGE 1000pc P… WONDER WOMAN TIARA BRACELET & ILLUS… WORLD ACCORDING TO JOKER HC WORLD OF WARCRAFT – LORD OF CLAWS… WORLD OF WARCRAFT – RISE OF THE HO… WORLD OF WARCRAFT CHRONICLE HC VOL… WORLD OF WARCRAFT: ILLIDAN (William… X-MEN – WOLVERINE (Logan) KEYCHAIN XXXHOLIC OMNIBUS TP VOL 01 YAMADA KUN & SEVEN WITCHES GN VOL 1…

[ao3feed-voltronlegendarydefender]

Five Years Time

read it on the AO3 at Five Years Time

by Macandkieth

Five years into the future after returning to earth, Shiro and Lance spend a spring afternoon at the zoo. Lance looks back where he has been in the past and is thankful for what his life has become. His life with Shiro is filled with complete and utter bliss.

Words: 1014, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Voltron: Legendary Defender

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: M/M

Characters: Lance (Voltron), Shiro (Voltron)

Relationships: Lance/Shiro (Voltron), Lance & Shiro (Voltron)

Additional Tags: Fluff, Future Fic, Established Relationship, Zoo

read it on the AO3 at Five Years Time

[pamphletstoinspire]

Saint Martin of Tours - Feast Day: November 11th - Both Calendars

In his sleep Martin saw Christ dressed in the half of the garment he had given away, and heard Him say, “Martin, still a catechumen, has covered Me with this garment.”

Bishop; born at Sabaria (today Steinamanger in German, or Szombathely in Hungarian), Pannonia (Hungary), about 316; died at Candes, Touraine, most probably in 397. In his early years, when his father, a military tribune, was transferred to Pavia in Italy, Martin accompanied him thither, and when he reached adolescence was, in accordance with the recruiting laws enrolled in the Roman army. Touched by grace at an early age, he was from the first attracted towards Christianity, which had been in favor in the camps since the conversion of Emperor Constantine. His regiment was soon sent to Amiens in Gaul, and this town became the scene of the celebrated legend of the cloak. At the gates of the city, one very cold day, Martin met a shivering and half—naked beggar. Moved with compassion, he divided his coat into two parts and gave one to the poor man. The part kept by himself became the famous relic preserved in the oratory of the Frankish kings under the name of “St. Martin’s cloak”. Martin, who was still only a catechumen, soon received baptism, and was a little later finally freed from military service at Worms on the Rhine. As soon as he was free, he hastened to set out to Poitiers to enroll himself among the disciples of St. Hilary, the wise and pious bishop whose reputation as a theologian was already passing beyond the frontiers of Gaul. Desiring, however, to see his parents again, he returned to Lombardy across the Alps. The inhabitants of this region, infested with Arianism, were bitterly hostile towards Catholicism, so that Martin, who did not conceal his faith, was very badly treated by order of Bishop Auxentius of Milan, the leader of the heretical sect in Italy. Martin was very desirous of returning to Gaul, but, learning that the Arians troubled that country also and had even succeeded in exiling Hilary to the Orient, he decided to seek shelter on the island of Gallinaria (now Isola d’Albenga) in the middle of the Tyrrhenian Sea.

As soon as Martin learned that an imperial decree had authorized Hilary to return to Gaul, he hastened to the side of his chosen master at Poitiers in 361, and obtained permission from him to embrace at some distance from there in a deserted region (now called Ligugé) the solitary life that he had adopted in Gallinaria. His example was soon followed, and a great number of monks gathered around him. Thus was formed in this Gallic Thebaid a real laura, from which later developed the celebrated Benedictine Abbey of Ligugé. Martin remained about ten years in this solitude, but often left it to preach the Gospel in the central and western parts of Gaul, where the rural inhabitants were still plunged in the darkness of idolatry and given up to all sorts of gross superstitions. The memory of these apostolic journeyings survives to our day in the numerous local legends of which Martin is the hero and which indicate roughly the routes that he followed. When St. Lidorius, second bishop of Tours, died in 371 or 372, the clergy of that city desired to replace him by the famous hermit of Ligugé. But, as Martin remained deaf to the prayers of the deputies who brought him this message, it was necessary to resort to a ruse to overcome his resistance. A certain Rusticius, a rich citizen or Tours, went and begged him to come to his wife, who was in the last extremity, and to prepare her for death. Without any suspicions, Martin followed him in all haste, but hardly had he entered the city when, in spite of the opposition of a few ecclesiastical dignitaries, popular acclamation constrained him to become Bishop of the Church of Tours.

Consecrated on 4 July, Martin brought to the accomplishment of the duties of his new ministry all the energy and the activity of which he had already given so many proofs. He did not, however, change his way of life: fleeing from the distractions of the large city, he settled himself in a small cell at a short distance from Tours, beyond the Loire. Some other hermits joined him there, and thus was gradually formed a new monastery, which surpassed that of Ligugé, as is indicated by the name, Marmoutier (Majus Monasterium), which it has kept to our own day. Thus, to an untiring zeal Martin added the greatest simplicity, and it is this which explains how his pastoral administration so admirably succeeded in sowing Christianity throughout Touraine. Nor was it a rare occurrence for him to leave his diocese when he thought that his appearance in some distant locality might produce some good. He even went several times to Trier, where the emperors had established their residence, to plead the interests of the Church or to ask pardon for some condemned person. His role in the matter of the Priscillianists and Ithacians was especially remarkable. Against Priscillian, the Spanish heresiarch, and his partisans, who had been justly condemned by the Council of Saragossa, furious charges were brought before emperor Maximus by some orthodox bishops of Spain, led by bishop Ithacius. Martin hurried to Trier, not indeed to defend the gnostic and Manichaean doctrines of Priscillian, but to remove him from the secular jurisdiction of the emperor. Maximus at first acceded to his entreaty, but, when Martin had departed, yielded to the solicitations of Ithacius and ordered Priscillian and his followers to be beheaded. Deeply grieved, Martin refused to communicate with Ithacius. However, when he went again to Trier a little later to ask pardon for two rebels, Narses and Leucadius, Maximus would only promise it to him on condition that he would make his peace with Ithaeius. To save the lives of his clients, he consented to this reconciliation, but afterwards reproached himself bitterly for this act of weakness.

After a last visit to Rome, Martin went to Candes, one of the religious centres created by him in his diocese, when he was attacked by the malady which ended his life. Ordering himself to be carried into the presbytery of the church, he died there in 400 (according to some authorities, more probably in 397) at the age of about 81, evincing until the last that exemplary spirit of humility and mortification which he had ever shown. The Church of France has always considered Martin one of her greatest saints, and hagiographers have recorded a great number of miracles due to his intercession while he was living and after his death. His cult was very popular throughout the Middle Ages, a multitude of churches and chapels were dedicated to him, and a great number of places have been called by his name. His body, taken to Tours, was enclosed in a stone sarcophagus, above which his successors, St. Britius and St. Perpetuus, built first a simple chapel, and later a basilica (470). St. Euphronius, Bishop of Autun and a friend of St. Perpetuus, sent a sculptured tablet of marble to cover the tomb. A larger basilica was constructed in 1014 which was burned down in 1230 to be rebuilt soon on a still larger scale. This sanctuary was the centre of great national pilgrimages until 1562, the fatal year when the Protestants sacked it from top to bottom, destroying the sepulcher and the relics of the great wonder-worker, the object of their hatred. The ill-fated collegiate church was restored by its canons, but a new and more terrible misfortune awaited it. The revolutionary hammer of 1793 was to subject it to a last devastation. It was entirely demolished with the exception of the two towers which are still standing and, so that its reconstruction might be impossible, the atheistic municipality caused two streets to be opened up on its site. In December, 1860, skillfully executed excavations located the site of St. Martin’s tomb, of which some fragments were discovered. These precious remains are at present sheltered in a basilica built by Mgr. Meignan, Archbishop of Tours which is unfortunately of very small dimensions and recalls only faintly the ancient and magnificent cloister of St. Martin. On 11 November each year the feast of St. Martin is solemnly celebrated in this church in the presence of a large number of the faithful of Tours and other cities and villages of the diocese.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

SAINT OF THE DAY (July 13)

On July 13, the Catholic Church celebrates the memory of St. Henry II, a German king who led and defended Europe's Holy Roman Empire at the beginning of the first millennium.

He was also the last ruler of the Ottonian line (919-1024).

Henry was born on 6 May 973 to Duke Henry of Bavaria and Princess Gisela of Burgundy.

During his youth, Henry received both an education and spiritual guidance from a bishop who was himself canonized, St. Wolfgang of Regensberg.

Henry was an intelligent and devout student, and for a period of time, he was considered for the priesthood.

St. Wolfgang's lessons in piety and charity left a lasting mark on Henry's soul.

But it was ultimately in the political realm, not the Church, that he would seek to exercise these virtues.

He took on his father's position as Duke of Bavaria in 995, one year after St. Wolfgang's death.

The Church supported his accession to the throne as King of Germany in 1002.

As king, Henry encouraged the German bishops to reform the practices of the Church in accordance with canon law.

During the same period, he is said to have brought a peaceful end to a revolt in his territory, which ended with the king mercifully pardoning the rebels.

Henry also acted decisively, but not harshly, against an Italian nobleman who set himself up as a rival king.

In 1014, the German king journeyed to Rome where Pope Benedict VIII formally crowned him as head of the Holy Roman Empire.

The emperor demonstrated his loyalty to the Pope by confirming Benedict VIII's authority over the city of Rome.

Henry made his journey from Rome back to Germany into a pilgrimage of sorts, stopping at various monasteries along the way.

Henry became a great patron of churches and monasteries, donating so much of his wealth to them that his relatives complained that he was behaving irresponsibly.

But Henry was far from irresponsible, as his leadership of the Western Empire in both war and peace demonstrated.

The emperor was also a great patron of the poor, making enormous contributions for their relief.

He stressed service to the Church and promoted monastic reform.

The emperor's extraordinary generosity was made possible in part by his lack of an heir.

He was married to a woman who was later canonized in her own right by Pope Innocent III on 29 March 1200, St. Cunigunde of Luxembourg.

They had no children.

Some accounts say that the couple took vows of virginity and never consummated their marriage, though this explanation of their childlessness is not universally accepted.

For the last several years of his life, Henry had to deal with serious illness and an additional ailment that crippled his left leg, along with his imperial responsibilities.

He found support in prayer during these trials and seriously considered resigning his imperial leadership in order to become a monk.

After several years of illness, Henry II died on 13 July 1024.

The public mourned sincerely for the monarch who had managed to lead his earthly kingdom so responsibly without losing sight of the Kingdom of God.

For his remarkable personal piety and enthusiastic promotion of the Church, Pope Eugene III canonized him in July 1146.

He is the only medieval German monarch ever to have been honoured as a saint.

He is the patron saint of the city of Basel in Switzerland and of St Henry's Marist Brothers' College in Durban, South Africa.

[blgrll]

Greatest expansion under King Simeon

The Bulgarian hirst Kingdom reached its best enlargement below King Simeon I, who ascended the throne in 893. King Simeon defended his nation from Byzantine assault, which triggered yr struggle. The Bulgarians besieged Byzantium however did not seize. The reigns of King Boris and his son King Simeon are thought-about the golden age of the Bulgarian folks wherein their nationwide identification was firmly established.

First Bulgarian Kingdom declined

Shortly after the loss of life of King Simeon in S27, the First Bulgarian Kingdom declined. Bulgaria was exhausted after two centuries of with the Byzantine empire. Byzantine influences helped to ; eparatc the Bulgarian aristocracy from the overwhelming mass of commoners by encouraging them to undertake the methods of oriental pomp and splendor. Byzantine Christianity turned the faith of the elite, whereas the widespread folks took to the teachings of Father ‘.Jogomil. The Bogomil creed—heretical within the eyes of the Greek Orthodox Church—unfold all through the Balkans from the 10th century on and lasted as a well-liked faith for about 500 years. The Bogomils believed in primitive Christianity; they had been against church organisation, ritual, and the host of saints. The rifts brought on by the Bogomil motion helped to convey in regards to the downfall of the First Bulgarian Kingdom, in 1014, by the hands a the Byzantine empire.

The defeat of the Bulgarians got here within the reign of King Samuil on the finish of a 14-year struggle. King Samuil’s military fell into an ambush by the river Struma. Some 15,000 Bulgarians had been captured. The Byzantine emperor, Basil II, ordered the captives blinded, leaving each hundredth man to obtain this dreadful punishment solely in a single eye. Thus, the 150 one-eyed males could lead on their blinded fellows again to their very own nation. When King Samuil noticed his military letuin on this pitiful situation, he fell lifeless. With him fell the First Bulgarian Kingdom.

The Second Kingdom

From 1014 to 1186, Bulgaria was below the Byzantine yoke. Greek was imposed upon Bulgaria as a spiritual language, for the reason that Byzantine emperor sought to soak up Bulgaria as a Byzantine province. However the Bulgarian nationwide identification was too robust to be so simply pushed into the background and forgotten. A number of Bulgarian up¬risings erupted, however had been crushed. Finaly, in 1186, the Bulgarians liberated themselves below the management of the brothers Peter and Ivan Asen.

[bulgariaifos]

Greatest expansion under King Simeon

The Bulgarian hirst Kingdom reached its best enlargement below King Simeon I, who ascended the throne in 893. King Simeon defended his nation from Byzantine assault, which triggered yr struggle. The Bulgarians besieged Byzantium however did not seize. The reigns of King Boris and his son King Simeon are thought-about the golden age of the Bulgarian folks wherein their nationwide identification was firmly established.

First Bulgarian Kingdom declined

Shortly after the loss of life of King Simeon in S27, the First Bulgarian Kingdom declined. Bulgaria was exhausted after two centuries of with the Byzantine empire. Byzantine influences helped to ; eparatc the Bulgarian aristocracy from the overwhelming mass of commoners by encouraging them to undertake the methods of oriental pomp and splendor. Byzantine Christianity turned the faith of the elite, whereas the widespread folks took to the teachings of Father ‘.Jogomil. The Bogomil creed—heretical within the eyes of the Greek Orthodox Church—unfold all through the Balkans from the 10th century on and lasted as a well-liked faith for about 500 years. The Bogomils believed in primitive Christianity; they had been against church organisation, ritual, and the host of saints. The rifts brought on by the Bogomil motion helped to convey in regards to the downfall of the First Bulgarian Kingdom, in 1014, by the hands a the Byzantine empire.

The defeat of the Bulgarians got here within the reign of King Samuil on the finish of a 14-year struggle. King Samuil’s military fell into an ambush by the river Struma. Some 15,000 Bulgarians had been captured. The Byzantine emperor, Basil II, ordered the captives blinded, leaving each hundredth man to obtain this dreadful punishment solely in a single eye. Thus, the 150 one-eyed males could lead on their blinded fellows again to their very own nation. When King Samuil noticed his military letuin on this pitiful situation, he fell lifeless. With him fell the First Bulgarian Kingdom.

The Second Kingdom

From 1014 to 1186, Bulgaria was below the Byzantine yoke. Greek was imposed upon Bulgaria as a spiritual language, for the reason that Byzantine emperor sought to soak up Bulgaria as a Byzantine province. However the Bulgarian nationwide identification was too robust to be so simply pushed into the background and forgotten. A number of Bulgarian up¬risings erupted, however had been crushed. Finaly, in 1186, the Bulgarians liberated themselves below the management of the brothers Peter and Ivan Asen.

[hotbulgaria]

Greatest expansion under King Simeon

The Bulgarian hirst Kingdom reached its best enlargement below King Simeon I, who ascended the throne in 893. King Simeon defended his nation from Byzantine assault, which triggered yr struggle. The Bulgarians besieged Byzantium however did not seize. The reigns of King Boris and his son King Simeon are thought-about the golden age of the Bulgarian folks wherein their nationwide identification was firmly established.

First Bulgarian Kingdom declined

Shortly after the loss of life of King Simeon in S27, the First Bulgarian Kingdom declined. Bulgaria was exhausted after two centuries of with the Byzantine empire. Byzantine influences helped to ; eparatc the Bulgarian aristocracy from the overwhelming mass of commoners by encouraging them to undertake the methods of oriental pomp and splendor. Byzantine Christianity turned the faith of the elite, whereas the widespread folks took to the teachings of Father ‘.Jogomil. The Bogomil creed—heretical within the eyes of the Greek Orthodox Church—unfold all through the Balkans from the 10th century on and lasted as a well-liked faith for about 500 years. The Bogomils believed in primitive Christianity; they had been against church organisation, ritual, and the host of saints. The rifts brought on by the Bogomil motion helped to convey in regards to the downfall of the First Bulgarian Kingdom, in 1014, by the hands a the Byzantine empire.

The defeat of the Bulgarians got here within the reign of King Samuil on the finish of a 14-year struggle. King Samuil’s military fell into an ambush by the river Struma. Some 15,000 Bulgarians had been captured. The Byzantine emperor, Basil II, ordered the captives blinded, leaving each hundredth man to obtain this dreadful punishment solely in a single eye. Thus, the 150 one-eyed males could lead on their blinded fellows again to their very own nation. When King Samuil noticed his military letuin on this pitiful situation, he fell lifeless. With him fell the First Bulgarian Kingdom.

The Second Kingdom

From 1014 to 1186, Bulgaria was below the Byzantine yoke. Greek was imposed upon Bulgaria as a spiritual language, for the reason that Byzantine emperor sought to soak up Bulgaria as a Byzantine province. However the Bulgarian nationwide identification was too robust to be so simply pushed into the background and forgotten. A number of Bulgarian up¬risings erupted, however had been crushed. Finaly, in 1186, the Bulgarians liberated themselves below the management of the brothers Peter and Ivan Asen.

[sofiaburgas]

Biggest growth beneath King Simeon

The Bulgarian hirst Kingdom reached its best growth beneath King Simeon I, who ascended the throne in 893. King Simeon defended his nation from Byzantine assault, which triggered yr warfare. The Bulgarians besieged Byzantium however didn’t seize. The reigns of King Boris and his son King Simeon are thought-about the golden age of the Bulgarian folks by which their nationwide identification was firmly established.

First Bulgarian Kingdom declined

Shortly after the loss of life of King Simeon in S27, the First Bulgarian Kingdom declined. Bulgaria was exhausted after two centuries of with the Byzantine empire. Byzantine influences helped to ; eparatc the Bulgarian aristocracy from the overwhelming mass of commoners by encouraging them to undertake the methods of oriental pomp and splendor. Byzantine Christianity grew to become the faith of the elite, whereas the frequent folks took to the teachings of Father ‘.Jogomil. The Bogomil creed—heretical within the eyes of the Greek Orthodox Church—unfold all through the Balkans from the 10th century on and lasted as a well-liked faith for about 500 years. The Bogomils believed in primitive Christianity; they had been against church organisation, ritual, and the host of saints. The rifts attributable to the Bogomil motion helped to carry in regards to the downfall of the First Bulgarian Kingdom, in 1014, by the hands a the Byzantine empire.

The defeat of the Bulgarians got here within the reign of King Samuil on the finish of a 14-year warfare. King Samuil’s military fell into an ambush by the river Struma. Some 15,000 Bulgarians had been captured. The Byzantine emperor, Basil II, ordered the captives blinded, leaving each hundredth man to obtain this dreadful punishment solely in a single eye. Thus, the 150 one-eyed males may lead their blinded fellows again to their very own nation. When King Samuil noticed his military letuin on this pitiful situation, he fell useless. With him fell the First Bulgarian Kingdom.

The Second Kingdom

From 1014 to 1186, Bulgaria was beneath the Byzantine yoke. Greek was imposed upon Bulgaria as a non secular language, because the Byzantine emperor sought to soak up Bulgaria as a Byzantine province. However the Bulgarian nationwide identification was too sturdy to be so simply pushed into the background and forgotten. A number of Bulgarian up¬risings erupted, however had been crushed. Finaly, in 1186, the Bulgarians liberated themselves beneath the management of the brothers Peter and Ivan Asen.

[bulgariablo]

Best enlargement below King Simeon

The Bulgarian hirst Kingdom reached its best enlargement below King Simeon I, who ascended the throne in 893. King Simeon defended his nation from Byzantine assault, which triggered 12 months battle. The Bulgarians besieged Byzantium however did not seize. The reigns of King Boris and his son King Simeon are thought of the golden age of the Bulgarian individuals by which their nationwide identification was firmly established.

First Bulgarian Kingdom declined

Shortly after the loss of life of King Simeon in S27, the First Bulgarian Kingdom declined. Bulgaria was exhausted after two centuries of with the Byzantine empire. Byzantine influences helped to ; eparatc the Bulgarian aristocracy from the overwhelming mass of commoners by encouraging them to undertake the methods of oriental pomp and splendor. Byzantine Christianity turned the faith of the elite, whereas the frequent individuals took to the teachings of Father ‘.Jogomil. The Bogomil creed—heretical within the eyes of the Greek Orthodox Church—unfold all through the Balkans from the 10th century on and lasted as a well-liked faith for about 500 years. The Bogomils believed in primitive Christianity; they have been against church organisation, ritual, and the host of saints. The rifts attributable to the Bogomil motion helped to convey in regards to the downfall of the First Bulgarian Kingdom, in 1014, by the hands a the Byzantine empire.

The defeat of the Bulgarians got here within the reign of King Samuil on the finish of a 14-year battle. King Samuil’s military fell into an ambush by the river Struma. Some 15,000 Bulgarians have been captured. The Byzantine emperor, Basil II, ordered the captives blinded, leaving each hundredth man to obtain this dreadful punishment solely in a single eye. Thus, the 150 one-eyed males may lead their blinded fellows again to their very own nation. When King Samuil noticed his military letuin on this pitiful situation, he fell useless. With him fell the First Bulgarian Kingdom.

The Second Kingdom

From 1014 to 1186, Bulgaria was below the Byzantine yoke. Greek was imposed upon Bulgaria as a non secular language, because the Byzantine emperor sought to soak up Bulgaria as a Byzantine province. However the Bulgarian nationwide identification was too sturdy to be so simply pushed into the background and forgotten. A number of Bulgarian up¬risings erupted, however have been crushed. Finaly, in 1186, the Bulgarians liberated themselves below the management of the brothers Peter and Ivan Asen.