#I was going to make it say PREPARE TO MEET THY GOD like the signs that pop up on roadsides from Monticello to Yazoo City

[spidersonline]

[drew-mga2022mi6011]

Conceptualisation | Initial Ideas

Charlie Chaplin

When thinking of the silent medium, there is one thing that particularly strikes a chord within the minds of the general public; silent film. Roundhay Garden Scene (1888) is wildly believed to be the first silent film, with a total runtime of a humble two seconds. Incidentally, the man who would go on to pioneer this era of film and popularise it was born a year layer; Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin, commonly known as the world renowned Charlie Chaplin. Due to the nature of his work, Sir Chaplin was considered more than just a comedian or an actor, but a pantomime. Thus, giving me direction to where I could take my research first; mimes.

The art of conveying emotion and a narrative without saying a single word is within the job description of a mime. The ultimate form of silent communication. To pay homage to this idea, I plan to create the final Silent Book using a grayscale palette.

Hamilton (2015) - Lin Manuel Miranda

One can further deconstruct the idea of a mind and boil it down to its fundamental form to gain more avenues to learn from. For example, the study of acting in general would be important, particularly from musical theatre. The word "theatrics" quite literally stems from the exaggerated actions of those participating in plays, dramas and other forms of theatre. However, musical theatre is quite literally the antithesis of the idea of a silent film. The audio, lyricism and sound experience drives the narrative just as much as, if not even more than the acting itself. In order to truly study acting in theatre, one must not look at the speaker themselves, but the actions and reactions of those around them, who do not utter a single word. These actions are meant to supplement the main scene, and without them the play would ring hollow.

Finally, we look to a medium that is limited both by sound, and action. Not quite as old as theatre, but older by far than film; photography. How does one tell a story in one single frame, without any words? Here are some examples.

"Prepare to Meet Thy God" (1970) - An Army Photographer

A bomb disposal officer walks to defuse a potentially explosive substance in Northern Ireland. What works about this picture is the composition of a lonely man walking to what looks to be his last mission (luckily, he survived this encounter). This is further accentuated by the sign, "Prepare to meet thy God", a comforting Bible verse to someone, but an omen of death to men like this officer. Unfortunately, this almost cheats in the fact that it does use text to enhance the tone of this picture. However, it could be argued that this photo works regardless of the sign.

The Priest and the Dying Soldier (1962) - Héctor Rondón Lovera

This photo is self explanatory, just like its title. I admire the fact that it needs very little to tell its story; a man on his knees, a priest desperately searching for sanctuary, the weapon cast aside. One could try to dig into the finer details, of the soldier clutching the priest's robes, the soldier kneeling, as if one final prayer to God, the composure of the priest himself. This is truly a beautiful photo, which uses so little to speak volumes.

The Last Atlas Lion (1925) - Marcelin Flandrin

This is a photo taken of a Barbary Lion, presumably the last of its kind. Allegedly, Flandrin shot this photo from a plane. The angle makes the lion look small and insignificant in comparison to the cliffs. The black silhouette against the white sand accentuates its loneliness. Does it know it is the last of its species? Is it walking to its final resting place? No one but the lion himself will know.

This idea of a Silent Book is like a combination of photography - a frozen moment in time - and theatre - action and motion. To capture motion and emotion, using just a few panels (14 pages to be precise) is what I am going to aim to do in this story of mine.

[jaeminscoffee]

The midnight man | l.ty

Pairing- Lee Taeyong x reader

Mentions- Lee Donghyuck, Na Jaemin, Liu YangYang, Nakamoto Yuta, Seo Johnny, Kim Doyoung, Ten Lee, Lee Dong Wook.

Genre- Horror!au, angst, crack, part fluff.

Warning(s)- Evil entity!Taeyong, Manipulation, Major character death (lmao you'll actually punch yourself towards the end), sexual themes suggested, impulsive decision making, talks with religion.

Word count- 11.83k

Synopsis- 'Lust though pleasurable, innocent and vice, thee shall stay loyal to thy partner regardless of wants. To betray thy partner is to deceive thy people and hence the kingdom. Thou shall pay for thy soul shall remain wandering, driven by the desires but, shall not be able to feel the human love thou took for a grain of salt. And all who shall follow thy steps shall face the same wrath.'

@kpopscape

This story is pure work of fiction and therefore doesn't speak about the mentioned members' personality in real life. I, in no manner, am trying to encourage hate speech towards the members so please don't come at me. This story was written using a mix of a bunch of urban legends and few made up by myself and therefore it isn't going to be spoken about the same way as it is in google. I also worked really hard on this piece and it's by far, the longest story I've written so feedbacks would mean a lot!, also it could get a little boring since i took time to focus on the side characters too. Make sure not to repost my works and sign it off as your own because that's a little disheartening and mockful towards the writer. So all credits reversed to @jaeminscoffee 2020©®

If anyone here doesn't know the story behind the midnight game, then read on! Because I've described it throughout the story! Happy reading!

29/10, Thursday, 10:57PM

"We need to do something this halloween man, Y/n come on!" 

Your friends all collectively whined as you constantly kept rejecting their proposal. 

Halloween is bullshit. It's overhyped and in all honesty, childish. You'd rather prefer staying home than go house to house and make a fool out of your existence. Not to mention you were all past the age of trick or treating. And to add on top of that came all the sugar rush you'd all go through at the end of the day. "For the last time, Hyuck we're not dressing up like crewmates and going trick or treating. I've got other things to do for the love of god" you grunt, rubbing the scrunched up skin to soothe the pain at the temples. University has been acting up again and so has life. "If your 'other things to do' is binge watch high school musical then no, you have no other better things to do" Yangyang bites back. 

"It's just, I don't feel like it anymore, alright? It feels too weird going out asking for candies when we're all literally 19 and above. It's time to up the notch." you say, plopping down.

When Haechan called for an emergency meeting in pure 'among us' style back at the guys' dorm, you'd expected it to be about something along the lines of having to console Jaemin or someone for having been stood up on a date. What you didn't expect was to have the boys prepare an entire presentation on who'd dress up as what character from among us and who'd be the impostor, do a little play and then say 'red is sus' and then ask for candies. What made it worse was that you thought they were just pulling a prank on you when in all reality, they were dead serious which made you go, 'oh, oh they aren't pretending to be stupid, they're just in their original form.'

"It won't be that bad, doll. It's a genius plan if you ask me" Jaemim chirped in on the conversation finally after looking back and forth between you, Donghyuck and Yangyang caught up in a meaningless fight. "I don't see how any of this is genius, Jaem. If this plan's anything, it's stupid." You pull out your phone after making your way all the way to the headboard of Jaemin's bed. "How about we try out one of these creepy pasta games?" Yuta finally spoke up. Jaemin's brother, an early graduate, senior and of course a dear friend of yours. Yuta, despite the age difference between your classmates and you, had little to no trouble blending in with the tiny group of yours. Probably the only one who didn't behave like a toddler and the most sane one according to you. Yuta's been an amazing planner since junior year where you first met Jaemin, Yangyang and Donghyuck who then proceeded to introduce you to their senior friend group that consists of Yuta, Johnny, Doyoung; Donghyuck's cousin and Ten. You guys had a friendship the entire campus was envious of. But two year after you getting into the university, the seniors had to graduate. But that didn't stop all your bonds from staying as strong as ever. Not even after Ten got his posting in a town a little far away from the one you guys lived in. The distance didn't change anything between you guys and you were as close as you could ever get. 

"Creepypasta?" Donghyuck inquired, looking straight at the guy who aimlessly scrolled down the screen of his device as Yuta didn't even bother looking up while passing the confused boy a nod. Sitting up cross legged from his previous side sitting posture, Yuta showed his phone screen to Donghyuck, who immediately got surrounded by the other two while you stare at the oldest in the room, slightly intrigued by the idea. "Creepypasta's like these horror-related legends that have been copied and pasted around the Internet by people who're too bored for their own sake." you explain as Haechan took the phone out of Yuta's hand who agreed to your explanation. "I read some sick games that I kinda wanna try out and see for myself," he said, looking at you with expectations and then the rest who seemed too immersed in surfing the website. 

"Yuta, you of all people should know better than to think all these made up crap's real" you say nonchalantly. 

Yuta's a huge skeptic, and so were you. Which is why you got along really well despite the mentioned age gap. The night gatherings back at the boy's dormitory or the girls (in this case, girl, yours) would always end up in narration of on spot made up stories of all genre, mostly horror because apparently according to Jaemin 'Rom-com's overhyped, sci-fi won't be fun when you narrate it out loud, mystery can easily turn boring, comedy, meh i guess, but a good horror story narrated properly, -yes, like you, Haechan- while adding jumpscares here and there could actually result in y'all being too scared to use the bathroom on your own'. And yeah, you'd startle here and there but the stories weren't believable enough for you to actually be scared. On the other hand, Haechan and Jaemin were scaredy cats. Literal toddler's who're so gullible, you could literally tell them there was an alien invasion news flash two minutes ago and they'd be hiding under their bed. And then there's Yangyang, he just doesn't care. He goes along with the plans solely for the fun of it and for the other's' (Haechan and Jaemin) reaction. "That's the point. I don't" he shuffled around to shift closer to you,

 "Which is exactly why i want to try them out" 

Maybe it's the feline that crossed over his body, maybe it was the fact that his spirit just wasn't ready to leave the human realm yet. Maybe it's the mourning of his family or maybe it's him himself knowing full too well his potential was truly wasted due to the fast departure. Whatever it was, his spirit was definitely made restless. 

The world is a cruel place where harsh actions are always sugar coated by honey like words. It's how he knew the doings of his people were wrong that made him disappointed. The practices of the people, his people, were stupid, meaningless and only harmful to the human kind. They fend off the satisfaction of their almighty even if that means that there needs to be sacrification of their loved ones, their nemesis, or them themselves. And it was his ancestors fault for starting all these practices. 

Passed down generations from generations was the curse put on the first of their bloodline by the princess he'd defied to go out and be ruthless by disregarding his duties as a husband, a father, a member of the royal courts and as a human being.

Lee Dong Wook. The root of all evil, the main reason the males of the family line faced the same wrath as him, all cursing at him but one namely enjoying his role. The pagans, dating back to the roman times era had a very, let's say, interesting method of punishing. The said lords they'd worship, the people following the religions had a strong belief that nature is sacred and that the natural cycles of birth, growth and death observed in the world around us carry profoundly spiritual meanings. Gods and goddesses of life, or say, death or anything else that exists beyond life and death, they believed in all. 

The doings of his ancestors started off innocent. Sacrifices to the lords of goodness and tranquility, a peaceful life by the towns and outskirts, forgiveness for wrong doings and of course, happiness. It's how any religious rituals would go about and all were happy until the said betrayer of the group came in with that curse of his. 'The doings of his shall be repented for all the men following shall be the one paying it,' 

At first glance when the man returned back to his royals, there were little to no suspicions of a curse being casted on him. He seemed normal to his family, his people except for the occasional forcing people to do something they despised. And it wasn't just the men of the family instead, it was all. But mostly the men, unless the same sin were to be committed by the females. Obscure behaviors have been asked to follow starting exactly at midnight to the witch's hour be it hurting your loved one, your enemy, doing sinful things, allowing self to get manipulated and mostly, shortening their own life time in the human realm. It was all unexplainable. Why was he asking people to do things like this but most of all, why are they even listening to him? 

It wasn't until they discovered that Dong Wook, for one, was never the one who returned home. On a second note, he, 'Dong Wook' mainly only targeted the men whose doings were similar to his that was fueled by the same sin that had him going. Which only remained undiscovered. The curse was unbeknownst to all still, Dong Wook himself remained undiscovered. Or proposed by the elders of the community, his body remained undiscovered while his spirit roamed restless among the people. 

The pagan romanticists are, in most cases, ignorant of the “paganism” they praise—the redeemed paganism of Christianity depicted in the transfigured water of the True Well of Life. Wrestling with the Greek gods, however, leads us to see the hyper-anthropomorphization of the gods with one intention in mind—justification of sexual lusts and displays of power over the weak.

The oldest written account of the Greek deities is from Hesiod. His Theogony, literally “birth of the gods,” charts out the genealogies of the major and minor deities in two branches. The first set of gods come into existence without sex. The second set of gods come into existence with sex; often very graphic and violent sex and they continue to have violent sex after their birth. 

As Hesiod continues to describe the birth and death of the gods and great monsters of antiquity, the chaining of Prometheus to his eternal torment is described. So too is Hades’ rape of Persephone. Battle is depicted left and right, and “a terrible din arose from their dreadful wrath, and the work of power was revealed”. Lust, sex, and war reign supreme in Hesiod’s telling of the birth of the gods. Moreover, it is from this brutality and carnality that Hesiod gives them praise—only those with enough cunning and ambition are worthy of having the praise of the muses.

That the gods birthed through sexual lust are themselves lustful was not missed by Christians of the pagan community. Though St. Augustine received the Romanized version of the Greek myths, he goes to great lengths and laborious pains—using the pagans’ own prophecies —to highlight the moral depravity of the gods in Confessions and City of God.

His sin, after all the years, was lust and the want to dominate. 

'Lust though pleasurable, innocent and vice, thee shall stay loyal to thy partner regardless of wants. To betray thy partner is to deceive thy people and hence the kingdom. Thou shall pay for thy soul shall remain wandering, driven by the desires but, shall not be able to feel the human love thou took for a grain of salt. And all who shall follow thy steps shall face the same wrath.'

Oh, how lust was a dangerous feeling. 

29/10 continued. 11:28PM

It's how you all circled around in the living room like any other day that was comical to you. Instead of reading out your own made up story, it so happened to be the Creepypastas Yuta screenshotted for what he wanted to try out and see for himself. It wasn't even his idea to read them out. Haechan and Jaemin's 'too curious for their own sake' selves were the ones who wanted to read it out loud. "How about we sit in the order of who's gonna read out what and when?" Yangyang suggested, standing up from his seat. "Yuta read out the topics and we'll pick randomly." 

"No fun! Hold up," Haechan did some pretty exaggerated hand actions before getting up and heading to his room, well, Jaemin's room to do who knows what. "Okay? I'll get the candles!" Yangyang said, him getting out of his seat too, "And I'll go get the bible, jesus christ" and Jaemin was out of his seat too. You look at Jaemin in a funny manner, as though questioning him with your eyes if he's actually going to get a bible or not, "What? I don't want to die young, I'm too hot for that" he said, before following Haechan's steps to his bedroom, "Yikes, you aren't going to die dude" 

"Okayy, I'm back, make way bitches" Haechan dictated to which he earned a few groans and a smack on the ankle from Yuta, "Jaemin! I can't find the candles!" "It's beside the Reese's cups! Second rack inside of the refrigerator!" Jaemin says while walking back up to your tiny circle with an empyre comic in his hand and a cross pendant dangling off of his neck, "That's a bible?" you question. "Shush, do not question the power of avengers and fantastic four." Jaemin replies, holding the comic up close to his chest. You all collectively dismiss it with a concerned look directed towards the male, "Are we not going to question the fact that Jaemin keeps his candles inside the fridge?" 

"So here's what we're going to do, I've got these tiny papers which have numbers from 1 to 5,because we're five people and I've folded the paper into chits, once i toss it, we pick random sheets and the number you get is when your turn to read is, any objections?" Haechan explained, "Even if you have any, keep it to yourself because I don't care" he bites in again while juggling the folded sheets in a closed palm while the other supports his body by it being planted behind him. "Okay I'm back with the candles" Yangyang finally joins in on the circle, completing it, "You took that long to find one candle?" Yuta asks, "No i was eating the reese's cups" he replied, wiping his hand on your jean clad thighs earning him a loud whine of 'Eww that's disgusting man' and a little too far from soft smacks on his shoulder, "You piece of sh-" Jaemin starts, "Okay all, Focus!" Haechan cuts him off, ready to throw the bits onto the space between the five of you in front of the now lit candle (Thank you, Yuta), and so he tossed it a little high up from the ground, letting the paper fall of his palms and onto the floor while being cautious of not throwing it anywhere near the flame. 

"Now let's arrange ourselves according to the numbers, who's number one?" Haechan asks, Yuta raises his hands while pointing at where he's sitting, "I'm not getting up, y'all arrange yourself so that the person going second is to my right and the last person would be to my left", you all look at him nonchalantly, "What?" with a shake of your head, you proceed calling out numbers, "Number two?" Haechan shoves Yangyang back to take his place beside Yuta, "bitch." Yangyang seats himself beside Haechan, followed by Jaemin and lastly, you. 

"First, Yuta!" Jaemin slurs the elders name, receiving a death glare from his cousin. Nevertheless, Yuta cleared up his throat and switched his attention to his phone screen, "The first urban legend is from Japan, ironically." He states as a matter of fact, "It's called Aka Manto."

"Aka manto is an urban legend related to toilets—particularly those in elementary schools.-"

"Is that why you take a relatively long time inside of the bathroom? Are you, you know? Tickling pickles with Aka Mant-ow! Sorry!" Yangyang was wasted as he was tackled onto the floor by Yuta, while the rest of you cracked up, "Now let's get a little serious, come onnn!" Haechan whines. 

"This phenomenon is known all over Japan, with countless variations on the same theme. It usually takes place in a specific stall in a specific bathroom in the school. Usually it is an older or seldom used bathroom, often in a stall with an older style squat toilet.  Often the fourth stall is the cursed one, as the number four is associated with death." "I'm so glad our university has only two stalls," Jaemin chimes in, suddenly grasping the cross pendant. 

"Most stories follow this general pattern: while at school late in the evening, a student suddenly finds him or herself in desperate need of a toilet. The closest restroom available is one that is normally avoided by the students; it is older and less well-kept, separated from the rest of the school, and is rumored to be haunted. But with no time to search for a different restroom, the student enters. He or she does their business, and when they have finished, they reach for the toilet paper only to find that there is none. Then they hear a strange voice" Yuta looks up from the phone screen, "“Do you want red paper? Or blue paper?”" 

"None bitch, give me the classic white,"

With a roll of his eyes, Yuta continues, "If the student answers, Red paper, moments later, they're stabbed and sliced up violently that blood seeps out of them, painting the walls of the stall red and it soaks up into their body, making them appear red", "And if the student responds blue paper, then their blood is going to be sucked up dry, leaving them dead and blue-faced on the floor."

"But! If you try to outsmart Aka Manto, by replying to question with, i don't know, "Yellow paper" then too, dead is inevitable, you will be shoved onto the floor where the spirit is said hold your head down in the dirty toilet water until you drown and well, die" Yuta ends with a shrug of his shoulder, "Seems pretty bullshit to me" and you agree alongside, though, it could be a little creepy if the existing legend did turn out to be true. "Okay next!"

Yuta leans back a little more, pressing onto your side which you took as an invitation to lean on his shoulder. When you did so, all Yuta did was beam at you and wrap his arms around you to keep you close after handing the phone over to Haechan, "If you want me to start reading you have to give it up for me. Give me the grand welcome that i deserve" the lad said in a childish voice which again only earned him a few smacks and half hearted applauds. "So this one is apparently called, the one man hide and seek" though all narrations were being taken on a lighter note, the mood set in the room gave you enough space to picture the stories, added to that came the factor that Donghyuck knows exactly how to narrate what. 

"The "One-Man Hide and Seek", also known as the "One-Man Tag," is a ritual for contacting the dead. The spirits, which are wandering restless on the Earth, are always looking for bodies to possess. In this ritual, you will summon such a spirit, by offering it a doll instead of a human body." He lowers his voice while focusing solely on the screen.

"The warnings say that if you have any psychic abilities, you may feel unwell or be prone to accidents during the ritual." He raises his eyebrows, looking at all four of you in a curious manner. The things you need for this game seems lowkey sketch"

"One stuffed doll. It must have limbs, Rice, enough to stuff the doll full. One needle, and one crimson thread. One pair of nail clippers. One sharp-edged tool, such as a knife, glass shard, or scissors. One cup of salt water. Natural salt would be best. A bathroom, with a bathtub and some form of counter. A hiding place, preferably a room purified by incense and ofuda. There must be a TV in there." Haechan's face contorts with each requirement for the game. Letting out a defeated sigh, he hands the phone over to Yangyang, "Of all the stories i could've narrated, i got chosen for this and for what? Just to contact stupid poltergeists. Just play a ouija board and go" 

Giving Haechan a sympathetic pat on the back, he takes the device. Looking through the screen he cracks up a smile, "Alright, listen up closely. This is an Urban legend classic"

"The Slender Man-" a bunch of 'aahhs' of realization resonate through the room

"-is a supernatural creature that is described as appearing as a normal human being but he is described as being 8 feet tall and he has vectors or extra appendages that are described to be as sharp as swords. The creature is known to stalk humans and cause many disappearances. He is described as a shadow creature that has a missing face. The creature fits into many mythologies in legends from nations such as germany and celts which brings up the possibility that he could be real." Yangyang pauses to add in a little more life to his reading while all of your paid full concentration to him

"A man named victor Surge found this legend and made his own version of it which he called slender man. The slender man is not exactly evil according to mythology but victor Surge’s version shows him as an evil creature that stalks humans to kill. In mythology he was actually trying to save you from a painful death by taking you to the underworld early." he ends, placing the phone down in front of him, screen down. "Kills you to save you from a death and collectively shortens your lifespan? Seems legit to me" Jaemin chimes in while the rest of you chuckle whereas Haechan pouted at the device in front of his friend, "I should've gotten that story" 

"My turn!" 

"So, ahem-" Once the focus is all on him,Jaemin  looks down onto the device containing his part of narration. "- This is an urban legend about a girl named Daruma who was a young Japanese woman that died in the bathroom, which upon entering to take a bath, it stumbled and her forehead ended up against the edge of the tube, destroying it the brain, at the same time that her eye embedded in the tube , leaving it in consequence, one-eyed key and later , dead by bleed out."  "Oh god ouch" You hiss as though your forehead was the one that hit the edge, " Her appearance as described is apparently; black hair that is entangled, her clothes rotting and made shreds. She only has one eye. Her left eye is completely open and injected with blood." "That's gruesome," Yangyang adds, earning a nod from Jaemin who's eyes were still fixated on the screen. "And apparently there's a ritual that you can follow to summon her into your house for twenty four hours straight" At the silence, he continues. "I'll shorten it, so you have to begin it right before your bedtime, shed all your clothing and enter your bathroom, turn off all the lights and fill in your bathtub, climb into it while being seated facing faucet, close your eyes and start washing your hair while chanting "Daruma-san fell down" and keep chanting that until you're done washing your hair, and yeah don't open your eyes."

"If you did it right then you'll get this image of a japanese who'll slip and fall in front of you. Even if you hear a noise behind you, do not open your eyes, no matter what it takes, Ask out loud, 'why did you fall in the bathtub' and let that hang in the air. With your eyes still closed, get up and out of the tub and be careful not to slip and do not drain the tub. Go to your room, don't turn the lights on, shut the bathroom door closed and sleep. Wake up the next day and carry on with your day and you'll apparently feel her presence alongside you all day. She'll constantly try getting close to you, when she does, scream 'Tomare!',"

"That means stop," Yuta adds to which you all hum in understanding.

"To end the game, capture her gaze from over your shoulder and say 'Kitta' which means 'I cut you loose' while swinging your arm in a chopping motion. If you followed the procedures then you'll be rewarded but if not then, run. That's all it says here" He stops, looking a little shaken at how he created an image of it all in his mind. "They didn't say how to get rid of her if you fail following the procedure?" you ask

"No." Jaemin shrugs it off

"Alright boys, my turn"

30th October, Friday, 10:53PM

It's probably how you read out your part of story telling, or it was how he felt the game was a little too unrealistic that had Yuta hooked onto the urban legend. 

Yuta found himself at his dorm doing a little more research on the midnight ritual. A backpack already consisting of all the elements required for the game, 'could it really be played just by one person?'. Whatever it was, he really wanted to do the game. He wanted someone to accompany him, of course. But knowing his friend group, not many would be ready to play it alongside. Doyoung was probably busy preparing his resumes for his job interviews. Johnny's all the way back in Chicago for a little family time. Ten was a little too far from your town so he'd feel bad calling him all the way over just to perform a probably demonic ritual. Donghyuck and Jaemin are out of the question, they'd obviously say no. Yangyang has a company party to attend as the heir. And you had to study for your test on Monday so he didn't really feel like disturbing you though, he did inform you that he was going out to have some fun and that you could join him anytime. Closing his laptop with a sigh, he gets up and walks over to where his bag was sprawled across the floor, picks it up and makes his way out of the studio apartment like dormitory after grabbing his car keys. 

Not like he believed it was real, it's incase if the legend turns out to be even the slightest of reality, he wasn't going to get his dormitory haunted, instead opting to perform it at the house he grew up in, his childhood house. That was left abandoned ever since they moved out months before his younger brother was born after his father had an episode still unknown to him inside the place. It was convenient enough to perform the ritual in and no one lives there anymore, and it was just a few minutes from where his house was anyways. 

Reaching the place and swinging the backpack over his shoulder, he makes his way into the surprisingly still intact house. Not much time to waste, looking around, Yuta slowly made his way up the wooden stairs, the wood creaking with each step he took to prove the existence of this house dated long back. The guest room shut lock from lack of human souls even when they used to live there. The paintings still hung off of a single screw, nostalgia hitting him straight as he recalled the one time he was playing catch with a neighbor's kid and ended up breaking the glass frame. The wallpaper's adhesive seemingly had gotten weaker from how they had started coming out from nooks and crannies of the walls. The place, without doubt, looked a little creepy but nonetheless felt homely. 

Switching on all switches from the main controller that was in the control room right by the end of the hallway, the entire darkness was replaced with light as the bulbs shockingly still seemed to function. The warm white colour of the lights took Yuta all the way back to his growing up years, missing all the fun he'd had there and all the memories he'd created. He, though grew up mostly by himself from how busy his parents were on the weekdays and sometimes the weekends, missed them more now that they live far off in Japan with his mother's family. Especially now that he was in the place they spent the most time together in. Shaking his head, he had no trouble navigating his way to his childhood room. Where he set the bag down.

He reached out to his back pocket to get out his phone, switching it on as the screen illuminated, 11:28PM, the screen read. To kill the time, Yuta set up all the items required in place to proceed the ritual smoothly. He pulled his laptop out of the backpack once he was all set to maybe watch something on the internet. It being other peoples attempt at the ritual he was about to perform.

11:55PM.

Yuta inhaled, having only a few more minutes until he had to proceed. He recalled your words,

"Alright boys, my turn" You snatch the phone out of Jaemin's hand who seemed really immersed in finding out more about the legend he just read out about, earning a pout from him. "I was reading" he let out in a whiny tone immediately going stoic after receiving a 'do i care' look from your end. "Okay, so the story I'm going to read out is called the midnight man, or the midnight game" You scroll back and forth through the pages the oldest of the group screenshotted. "From what he's gathered, there's not much backstory, but apparently it's a ritual or mostly a punishment that the pagan's use to punish the betrayer of the group who failed to stay loyal to their lords or the group. One of the people of the religion will summon the midnight man to an abandoned house where they lock up the said betrayer who'll then be put through god knows what by the midnight stranger," You stop to look up from the screen to look at each of your friends before letting out a sigh. 

"My take on this though is that it's highly impossible since the rules here state that once you start the ritual you aren't allowed the leave the place until the game is completely done unless you want the midnight man to follow you around for as long as you live, so unless the midnight man actually favored the pagans, there's no way they could punish the betrayer without one of the loyal ones passing away along with the one being punished" you state, "But what if, it's the midnight man that they preach? You know, like, they could be praying the midnight man" Haechan adds in a point which seemed to make sense, "That's possible too" 

"Why would someone preach an evil entity? That's so sketch" Jaemin asks perplexed. "They did a lot of sketchy things back in the days, Jaem. I wouldn't question it," Yuta chirps. "Is there any other backstory given about the midnight man?" Yangyang finally speaks up, "Well not really, but when i was taking screenshots of this it apparently started with a curse on someone whose identity is unknown to most. There was no such thing as the midnight game or ritual until the said bewitched man came back into town. I only know up to there, but there are high chances that he's probably the origin of the ritual." Yuta explains. "Why does Y/n get the best always, that's so unfair"  Haechan's dramatic self whines while leaning onto Yangyang who rolled his eyes but nonetheless threw his hands around the latter's shoulder, "Anyways, the procedure for the ritual is given here."

"You need one candle, a lighter or a match box or anything that ignites fire, a piece of paper, something to write with, a sharp object, it could be a pin, it just needs to be something sharp enough to draw blood, a wooden door, and salt for protection-" You read out, "Now why the fuck would they need blood," Jaemin asks, shaken up. "That's for them to know and us to find out" 

"Here's how the invitation for the midnight man goes. Begin prior to midnight," 

Yuta stood up from his bed, and walked up to the backpack on the floor, picking out the papers he'd brought along and took out a blunt pencil. 

"Write your full name- first, middle, and last- on the piece of paper with your writing implement." He wrote syllable by syllable, Nakamoto Yuta. "Prick your finger with the pin and squeeze until a drop of blood appears. Dot the blood on the paper and allow it to soak in. Turn off every light in your home." He took out the small safety pin he brought along from his jean pocket, pressing his fingers hard and pricked into the skin as hard as he could, keeping in mind to not draw too much blood. Yuta let the droplet fall right in the space between his last name and first. 

"Place the paper with your name and blood on it in front of the closed wooden door. Light the candle using the matches or lighter and place it on top of the paper. If you are using a taper, make sure it is placed in a candle holder." He walks up to the door and places down the paper with his name and blood on it, with the half melted scented candle he brought along. Yuta took out his phone once again, 11:59. "Knock on the door 22 times. The final knock must occur precisely when the clock chimes 12am. Open the door; then blow out the candle and close the door. Relight your candle immediately." He starts to knock on the door, drumming on the dusty wood, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22.

He checks the time once again, 12:00AM.

He leans down to pick the glass jar containing the candle, relighting it, 

"I welcome you."

Taeyong loved the tiny creatures in the human realm. They were so naive and so, stupid but weirdly smart at the same time that made playing with them ten times more interesting. The callings from them, or the way they say it in the human realm, summoning the spirit was the only way he could gain access to enter the place. Summoning wasn't even necessary. Saying his name out was more than enough for him to go up to you. Midnight man, midnight stranger, midnight visitor, pagan's god, What not had the human's named him. 

The only one besides his ancestor of said curse that enjoyed the power of punishing people was Taeyong himself. The youngest of the bloodline and the freshest of pagan's spirit, he loved the power he had. Sure he had no access to love, instead besides lust and range he felt nothing, maybe amusement too, but none other than that and he seemed perfectly fine with that. Human's always seeked lust more than love either way so he found no problem in being void of feeling a vulnerable emotion. Instead, he found love pathetic. Watching human's from where he lived, he'd seen all from men and women seeking love by going to heights of trouble only to waste away your remaining life with one partner. Leeching off of pleasure at times when you had a significant other. He always got a hearty laugh from all of that. According to him, if you want someone, get them. Instead of tailing them and trying to be a goody two shoes, just make them yours in a way that's inevitable for them to fall for you. Control how they feel. Easier said than done since he was the only one with the ability to do so, 'how fucking pitiful'.

So when he saw you and your small group of friends discussing about him, laughing at all the assumptions you made along the way, he wanted each of you to himself. "My take on this though is that it's highly impossible since the rules here state that once you start the ritual you aren't allowed to the leave the place until the game is completely done unless you want the midnight man to follow you around for as long as you live, so unless the midnight man actually favored the pagans, there's no way they could punish the betrayer without one of the loyal ones passing away along with the one being punished" you're smart and that was intriguing to him. He liked the way you thought of things and the male beside you too, you both seemed to take tales of him as a grain of salt and that, besides angering him, made him feel the want to prove himself to you. Taeyong found the other three cute, seemingly scared of him just the way he liked it. 

His ancestor's who held the same power as him, the curse actually, came to be known as said lord because of their power of manipulation and to inject in their worst nightmare into their minds that had the people divide themselves into groups. One that believed the power they had was for the good and considered them to be their god, their savior. And the other being the one's scared of their power and the fear that the same faith would bestow upon them that had them pray for forgiveness for sins they never committed. So your friend had the point a little, but it was inaccurate. They believed him. Believed Taeyong and feared his power. He loved people bowing down in front of him, eyes trembling and body shivering. It gave him a sense of dictatorship. And he had set his mind to have both of you non-believers fear him. 

Having been brought up with little to no love, Taeyong followed down the same path as his great grandfather. Not having enough time to feel the vulnerable emotion, he chose to go down the path of pleasure and power play. His powers though, seemingly stronger than the past generations, probably due to the fact that he was young, ruthless and free of care. He could make himself appear physically in the human realm in any shape and form, though he always preferred to go in his original, but less scarier form. His visuals were out of the world. He didn't have to scare people to make them obey, instead all he had to do was pretend to be there and just be himself and that only made humans seem even pathetic to him. 

"Relight your candle immediately"

12:01PM, The main event. 

"Keeping your candle in hand and your salt and matches or lighter close by, begin to move about your home. Should your candle go out, you must relight it within the next ten seconds.  If you are successful, continue moving about your home. Do not stop moving until 3:33 am. If you are unsuccessful in relighting the candle, immediately surround yourself with a circle of salt.  Remain inside the circle until 3:33 am. At 3:33 am, it is safe to stop moving or to step outside your circle of salt. You may also turn on the lights. The game Is Over."* You conclude. Hissing slightly at the sudden pain by your shoulder that was exposed from the minimalistic clothing you'd adorned, the stranger looking over it all smirked to himself. 'Got it'

Yuta opened the door again, mindful to keep his phone back in his jean pocket along with the lighter and of course, the salt be brought along. Starting from the end of the hallway, nothing seemed to change except now, the eerie silence was starting to bother him, 'Just 3 hours to go,'. He didn't miss a single corner, walking room to room, corner to corner, mindful to stay inside all the way. The temperature of certain rooms seemingly lesser than others. A cold pocket. 

"There are few warnings too," you swipe the image to go to the next one, "At 3:33 am, the Midnight Man will leave your home. After he has left, you may safely end the game. Do NOT turn on any lights during the game.  Do NOT use a flashlight during the game. Do NOT go to sleep during the game. Do NOT use a lighter instead of a candle during the game." Check. He had a lighter on him just to relight the candle anyways. 

Taeyong, following the guy seemed to be quite impressed by his bravery. Not even the slightest of shaken up as he proceeded to walk about the villa. That's good, no slip ups and he seemed too good to mess anything up either ways, and that bored the entity. Where's the fun if he just succeeded? 

To avoid the candle from going off at the sudden flickering, Yuta covered it up the best he could with his hands and checked around whether any windows were left open. Darkness engulfed the surrounding all of a sudden, the lad being taken aback, 10 seconds. He rushed to take out his lighter, 9,  pressing the button repeatedly to ignite the flame only to get a small blue flame instead, huh? 8, running back full speed happy that he was in the premises of where his backpack is, he pulled the spare lighter, a brand new one out of the side pocket, 7, repeating the same process of flicking the button over and over, 6 until a bright orange flame engulfed the dark room, 5, he immediately grabbed his candle from besides the bag, 4 reaching in close by the wick, burning himself slightly in 3-, the process. Yuta heaves out a sigh of relief, while the spirit laughs at the frantic boy. 'He's cute.'

For a breaker, he took out his phone, looking at the time that seemed to pass by quickly throughout the ritual, 2:47 AM. A little more while to go until he'd finally get it over with. "Do not attempt to provoke the Midnight Man during the game." You ended for the nth time that night, "Which idiot would-" Yangyang asks "Haechan-" Jaemin pretends to cough while blurting out his best friends name, the mentioned feigning offence while tilting his head to the side, tongue poking at the insides of his cheek. "Seems like that's pretty much it." you shrug while the older guy beside you leaning back on both of his hands, "I kinda wanna try that out" Yuta raised his eyebrows at you. "Halloween night? We all go together" you chirp in, both of you whipping your heads to look at the three perplexed boys. "Uh, I have to water my fish on halloween? She'd get pretty thirsty". Jaemin's eyes wandered about, coming up with an excuse, "And I gotta walk my rock yo, physical fitness." Haechan adds, "Can I bring my fish along? She could use some exercising". 

"Come on guys, it won't be that bad, we'll stick in a group?" You pleaded, trying your best to muster up the cutest puppy eyes. "I'm down" Yangyang shrugs. You do a tiny seal clap, looking expectedly at the other two, Yangyang and Yuta doing the same. "We stick together?" Haechan asks, to which the three of you nod your head, 

"Alright then we're down too"

[3:04AM 30th, October. ]

A few more minutes left until he'd succeed, Yuta was starting to grow tired of constantly roaming. He'd usually not the one to wear out that quickly, but for a reason unknown to him, he felt utterly sleepy, tired, hungry and just wanted to lie down. He decided to take a small break, the candle still light, dangerously flickering but yet still intact. Yuta sat by the foot of the stairs as Taeyong looked at him with the same cocky smirk on his face, contemplating whether to pop out or not. 'Maybe let's make it subtle? '

Taking up the form of a black humanoid figure, Taeyong makes his way towards Yuta whose eyes seem to be dropping low with each passing second. Upon hearing the sounds of footsteps Yuta looks up, a hand on his forehead from the sudden throbbing headache. Letting out a loud yell at the figure in front of him that disappeared almost immediately, he rushed to grab his lighter again. The sudden temperature drop made him shudder. Taking out the new lighter, he pressed the button again and again as the time limit started to exhaust, 6, at a successful fire, he reached for his candle, only for the flame to go off when it neared the candle wick. "what the fuck.." 5, "come on.." he stated in a rushed voice, sure that he just saw whatever he saw once again. Finally flicking the button one last time, he succeeded in lighting the candle. 

Contrary to popular belief, the midnight man didn't always radiate death. Sometimes he just messes around with the humans because the underworld could get a little boring. And as the curse states death and wrath is only to be faced by those who sinned and the boy playing right now seemed to be of no threat. All Taeyong wanted to do was get the guy to believe in his existence. Skeptics were like an insult to him. So if he had to prove himself and his existence on his own, then so be it. He gets some pretty good experience out of it anyways. 

Yuta stood up immediately, remembering the warning's you'd stated, "Do not stop moving until 3:33am", walking back up the stairs, he took out his phone to check the time, 3:29am. Almost. 

The same sounds of footsteps resonated from behind him, Yuta took an immediate U-turn. Going back down the stairs and roaming the empty, dark hallways, making sure to enter each and every room, keeping a mental note to thank his parents for having a slightly confusing infrastructure. The wax was almost completely out in the glass jar, but he had to hang in there for a little longer than 2 more minutes when he felt something brush his shoulder, much similar to how a friend would drape their hands over his/her friends' shoulder. He could've brushed it off as anything if it weren't for the sharp pain he felt right after the feeling of someone touching him. He's getting the proof he wants. Almost as if someone pulled his hoodie, Yuta stumbled back, letting out a shaky scream, tripping on his own foot, landing butt down onto the floor, catching a glimpse of the same humanoid figure he'd been seeing. He needs to get out of there. 

Stumbling back onto his feet, Yuta bolted it upstairs, grabbing his phone once again to check the time, 3:32am. Reaching his room, he set the candle down right beside him, vary of the windows and doors, starting to back his backpack, the sounds of rushed footsteps running start to where he is ringing through his ears, hands shakingly packing his bag. Keeping the candle closeby, contemplating whether to draw a salt circle or not since there was only less than half a minute left when the same humanoid figure neared him with fast footsteps, reaching by the door frame with a loud agonizing scream only to disappear immediately. 

Not realising the stress of tears flowing and the tresses sticking to his forehead, Yuta looked at the door frame in a perplexed yet confused manner. What the fuck was that. 

Taking out his phone once again while grabbing his backpack, laptop and the car keys in the other hand, 3:34 am. He'd made it through. After reaching the front door, not even bothering to close it, he rushed to his car, starting it before pulling up your contacts, seeing the messages he'd never sent you. 

Yuta san 1:39am: The boys said they won't make it tomorrow, it's gonna be just you and i

Y/nleE 1:43am: Why not? 

Yuta san 1:45am: Dk, they said they aren't interested. So come near xxxx tomorrow at 11:30. I'll meet you there. 

Y/nleE 1:48am: Coolsies. 

Yuta san 3:38am: Y/n don't come here, gather the boys and meet me by Haechan's dorm tomorrow. The game's no fucking joke. 

And with that he started driving away quickly to his dormitory, not once looking back at the house to see a human. Or a human like figure standing there, A bright red hair standing out due to his blood drained looking pale skin. A smirk on his face

Message not delivered. 

31st October, 22:37PM, 2020.

Today was a weird day, 

Having all plan's set two days before, you'd make sure to keep yourself ready for whatever you and your friend group were supposed to do today. You finished up all your assignments earlier that day to keep yourself free from afternoon and on. 

The weird part was that, no matter how much you kept your phone for charge, each time you tried calling one of the guys to ask for the sudden bailing out on plan, which is a shocker because they've never done that, your phone kept switching off. You could've gone all the way to their apartment, well, dorm, but you decided to wait until later to do so. Maybe a few minutes before leaving to the place Yuta texted you so that they'd have no choice but to come along. Since your last time texting with Yuta, you hadn't heard from him. Granted, he did text you quite late at night saying he's going to do god knows what and to tell you of the sudden plan change, but you hadn't heard from him after, that being weird since he literally lives a floor below yours, he could've come any moment but nope. You kept a mental note to tell him off later. 

You took out your phone once again to check if they'd sent any messages or missed calls only to have an empty chat box, other than that of your other friends that is. Added on top of that came the constant pricking feeling on your shoulder blades from the last day you hung out with the boys. The pain would appear randomly and it would be hurtful enough to draw blood, which is weird considering the fact that you kept yourself away from all sharp objects and had a full sleeve covering the area. 

One stone, two birds. Taeyong's motto. 

After having interfered with your phone, your friends, trying to keep you away from them until you'd go through the same as your other skeptic partner, Taeyong made sure that Yuta would be sick enough after returning home to keep him from even getting up from his bed. Temporary paralysis. Your other friends, of course they tried reaching out to you, only for him to cut the service to keep you away from them for a while. They got easily distracted from you ignoring their texts as they were focused on reaching out to Yuta. 

Unknown: Hey Y/n, I'm Yuta's friend. He told me you aren't replying to his texts so asked me to do so. 

Y/n: Who's this? 

Unknown: Oh! I'm Taeyong! A close friend of well, your friend XD. 

Y/n: Nice to meet you, Taeyong. I'm Y/n but it seems like you already know that. 

Unknown: Yeah :). Yuta's on his way here and told me that you'd be joining us? Are you nearby?

Y/n: He left? No, actually, I'm just leaving my place. I guess I'll meet you there? 

Taeyong: Meet ya :)

[23:22PM, 31st October, 2020 continued. ]

Hailing a cab to the address Yuta had sent you with his friends, Taeyong's number saved on your phone in case the later won't pick up, you left your place. Still feeling a little eerie from how Yuta just decided to leave you behind when he could've just offered to go together, which is pure Yuta style. He probably wasn't in the best of moods but he could've at least texted you letting you know of his departure from the apartment building. 

The journey to the given address didn't take that long surprisingly. A little towards the outskirts of the town in a much aloof part but nonetheless, doable. It's not like you'd be alone there any ways. Paying for your fare, you took your purse, brushed your fingers through your hair to tame it a little from the ride, and turned towards the building, jumping slightly at the bright haired guy sitting by the front porch. Adorning the simplest of fit, a black knee slit jeans, with a graphic tee and a black leather jacket with a chain or two. He, in no doubts, was ethereal. His pale skin stood out the most in the street light if you could call it that and his lips seemed a little drained of blood, eyes hollow yet captivating when he looked up from the dirt below him to you who still stood yards away. Smiling, he got up, making his way towards after brushing off the invisible lint from his jeans, "Hey" he offered you his hands for you to shake upon reaching you. "Hey..? Taeyong, right?" 

Wanting so badly to smirk, he only looked down with a silent snicker, looking up immediately to not look suspicious, "Yeah, Y/n..?" you nod in response, shuddering from the coldness of his skin, "Have you been out for too long? You're freezing," you exclaim, looking at him with a guilty expression and taking a mental note to hit Yuta for not arriving earlier. "Oh no, i just reached a minute or two prior to your arrival." you nod in understanding, withdrawing your hands from his hold, "By the way, Yuta called me a few minutes ago, telling me that he wouldn't make it and to just carry on" Taeyong said, looking at you with his eyebrows raised at your confused, innocent expression, his humane form threatening to change into his original form. "What? Why? It's like,-" you look down at your wrist watch, "11:50! And he's bailing out now?", smiling at you in fake sympathy, he replied, "he said he had other things to take care of," "But you said he'd left the place and was on his way here?" you ask, hands on either sides of your hip, "Last minute plan changes" Taeyong shrugs, "Anyways, let's get inside?" 

He pointed towards the front door with both his hands, gesturing you to go forward first. And so you do. You offer him a smile before turning your back towards him and making your way towards the old house, the door seemingly open. Climbing up the stairs with caution, humming at the sound of dried leaves crunching up below your feet with each footstep. Taeyong stood behind where you two had introduced yourselves for a few minutes, a few more minutes. "Taeyong? Are you not coming?" you turn around slightly, looking over your shoulder at lad standing still, "Yeah, I'm coming" he replied soullessly, still standing his group until he saw you open the door ajar and then took his first step forward. Not bothering to go too quick. 

The insides were simple, very very simple yet magnificent. The flooring seemed to be that of wooden finishing that creaked with each step you took, implying that of how old the infrastructure must be. You look around in awe, clutching at the sling bag that you carried along. You go corner to corner, not bothering to look behind to see if the friendly stranger was hot on your trail, instead seemingly being captivated by the olden time-ish wallpapers and paintings and antique pieces that the wall adorned. Taeyong on the other hand was just growing restless, 4 more minutes until he could play his next victim, he was growing frantic. He did follow you inside, instead opting to walk the opposite direction as you, towards where he'd hidden the paper with your crimson blood and name written on it, contemplating whether to just tear it and carry on proving his existence to the female in the room. 3 more minutes, he bit into his lips, "Taeyong? Look, i found something!" He heard you scream.

Puffing out a breath of frustration, Taeyong replied "Coming!" and he walked out of the room, hands in his pocket towards where you stood by the bottom of the stairs, looking at the lighter in your hand that seemed relatively unused. "I found lighter down here" you look at him with a tiny pout evident on your lips, looking back and forth between the candle and the guy, puzzled. "It must be some thugs who came here to smoke or something" He shrugged it off, taking the lighter out of your hand. It must be you over analyzing things but without a single light turned on in the villa with only your flashlight acting as a source of light, but Taeyong looked even more lifeless than before. Eyes dark ebony and dangerous, somehow intimidating, lips adorning a bright shade of red in contrast to how you saw it the first time, and his aura had seemingly darkened. 2 more minutes. You shake your head and walk up the stairs and towards a room which has it's door wide open. Choosing to lay out your things there, you stretch out a few stiff limbs, "So, me and the boys were planning on doing the midnight game, you know. One of those stupid creepy pastas? I can't believe all of them bailed out on me last minute," you speak particularly to no one in the room, assuming that Taeyong was listening to you, whose ears only perked up at the words midnight and stupid. Midnight. 00:00Am. The devil smirked to himself. Midnight, at last. 

"I mean, Yangyang, Jaemin and Haechan came off as no shock to me- they're the other friend's by the way, but Yuta, it's weird for him to at least not let me know." You keep going, scrolling through your phone screen, only for it to load suddenly, No internet access. Sighing, you pull out offline downloads, "Did he tell you anything else? Like if he's feeling unwell or something?" you ask, letting the question float in the air, waiting for a reply. Getting known even after the passing of a few seconds, a minute too maybe, "Taeyong?" you stand up from the bed, well, the bed frame and make your way outside, "Tae?" you look left and right, searching for any moving soul when you feel your phone vibrate in your hands, and the sound of notification resonates through the eerie silence. You look down at the device in your hand, one new message from Yuta san and an immediate black out of the screen. Impossible. 

You remembered full well charging your phone to a hundred percent before leaving your dorm. Hell, you even kept it on airplane mode your whole cab ride. Shrugging it off, you keep your phone beside your bag and then proceed to go out to look for your new friend? acquaintance? You didn't even know how to classify him as yet. "Tae, if you're trying to scare me, I'll give you heads up, it doesn't work on me." you chuckle, walking to the room beside the one you were previously lounging in. "It's past midnight and we both seem too uninterested to try out whatever we were supposed to anyways, how about we just head out?" you start, looking down at your wrist watch which displayed 00:09 on the screen in neon green. "I mean, it was stupid enough that my friends and i even decided to try it out knowing it's some made up shit to scare some seven olds, probably" you continue, feeling as though you're talking to the walls at the lack of response. "Taeyong, come on. I'm growing bored." 

"Tae-" "You know, the way you logicised made it seem like you're smart enough. It was impressive," you hear his voice, a little too hoarse and plain for your liking, he continued before you could muster up a reply, "But seems like you aren't all that smart after all, seeing how you believed a total stranger and are even ready to spend time with him." you look around the place, only hearing his voice but his figure to be nowhere near you, "Taeyong, what are you talking about?" you head out of the room you currently stood in, jogging to catch his voice.

"It was a little angering you know? The way you spoke about me and my followers, it was disrespectful. And I could've taken you then and there, but what to do. You seemed too cute to take your soul without a small game? Is that what you humans call it?" You feel breathing fanning the nape of your neck and a cold air following it right after, making you turn back, "Your friend got his share of play" you whip your head forward, finally seeing the male in front of you, standing by the door frame of a connective hallway, you swore you felt his presence behind you though. His infamous smirk still adorning his features. Figure a little more towering and intimidating. If you thought he couldn't have seemed more lifeless a few minutes ago, then his appearance now only seemed to prove you wrong. "So it's only fair if you got your part of the play too, right?" 

"Taeyong, you're only making your existence weird for me, let's go if you're done." He only tilted his head in amusement, "Oh it's only about to get weirder, darling" You turn back to face a blood red shot eyed male, well, Taeyong, eliciting a gasp from you, you look over your shoulder to see the place where Taeyong stood a blink of eye ago. "How..did-" His chest visibly vibrated from the hearty laugh he let out, "How did I do that?," you step back as his voice dropped even lower, only for you to bump your back into something rigid, something cold, making you let out a yelp as Taeyong seemed to stand still in front of you, "I can do a whole lot of things," you feared turning back, the insides of your stomach hurdling around as whatever was behind you reached their arms up and held you still in a vice grip. "Y/n!" you hear a voice scream from downstairs, "Y/n! Come out! We need to get out of here!" you recognize the voice as that of your friends, Yuta's. 

You squirm hard to loosen the person's grip on your shoulder. Once succeeding, you bolt down the stairs, skipping a few steps, tripping now and then but nevertheless making it down without landing face first as you hear Taeyong's laugh thunder throughout the place. You take a turn to reach the front door, where Yuta stood in all his glory. You immediately run into his embrace, ignoring how his body seemed just as cold as the one you felt from whatever Taeyong was, "Y-yuta, he's sick, let's go, we need to go!" you try pulling Yuta's body a little closer to the exit, only for him to stand his ground, wrapping his hands around you even tighter as he caressed your hair, "Oh, Y/n.." your body goes stiff as your eyebrows furrowed in confusion, that sounded nothing like your best friend, "Yuta..?" 

You try pulling your head away from the nape of his neck to look at him, "No darling, it's 'stupid made up shit''," his body vibrated once again from the laughing against yours, as you feel yourself growing scared each passing second. You try mustering up all your strength to bring it to his sides and push him away when you feel a plush yet cold muscle press against your neck, only for it to go futile. "Still made up for you?" you feel a sharp pang of pain flow through your nerves, result of him biting the skin in a manner far too away from soft, "Taeyon-g- lord--midnight man, whatever you are.. I'm --sorry" you say in a hushed voice, scared that if you voiced out a little louder, he'd pounce at you. You feel him nibble at the soft skin, making you whimper, "Oh no, darling, do not apologize. Your doings really intoxicated me. Kept me entertained for a while." 

"But now, it's angering me to know a feeble creature as you kept poking fun at my people. At me. And I want no more than to turn you into something belonging to me. Who'd worship me the way 'my people' do." He whispered against the area, lifting his head up and leaning down, making sure not to let go of his grip on you, "oh no, pretty girls aren't supposed to cry. Tsk tsk, what is this, Y/n" His eyes bore holes onto the crown of your head. "Look at me." he acted on making you look at him faster than you could, "Could you beg for forgiveness? Give me a piece of yourself?" he inched closer to your face, a small snarl escaping his throat at your scared and trembling figure, "Or you could just be my queen and come below with me, and you'd not have to cut down your lifespan" 

"Are you turned on by all of this, Y/n? Or is it out of fear?" you let out a shaky breath as the tip of his nose touched yours, "Because i can smell you from here and oh," he let out what sounded like an animalistic growl, "Is it delicious.". "Taeyong, please let me go.. I'm sorry. I really am, just please don't hurt me,-" you let out a whine of pain when you feel his other hand knot his fingers in your locks and pull it back with much aggression, immediately planting his lips onto your trembling once, bearing his fang like teeth into plush flesh to draw out blood, earning a loud high pitched scream from your end as you try your best to push him away, futile once again. His hands tighten their grip at the waist while his other hand pulled your head further back, latching onto the firm skin of your neck, treating it with the same aggression, puncturing through the skin with his teeth as your hands go limp beside your body, nevertheless, letting out a whimper from the harsh treatment, which, in all your defense couldn't be help since you still are a human with all emotion any human would feel, that including lust. You feel his cold lips curve into a smirk against where blood flowed out, lapping it up with his tongue as you feel your vision blacken the more as time went by. 

"Oh darling you're no different than me.."

4th November, 19:48Pm, 2020.

"She's awake!!" you blink multiple times to get accustomed to the blaring lights in the room, a comfortable white filling your eyesight. You move your head towards the side to find all your friends sprawled out on each side. A drip connected to your hands making you squint in confusion, "Can you hear us, Y/n?" you feel your shoulders being shaken as jolt, "Hey? Yeah i can hear you, why won't i be able to?" you ask, confusion still laced in your voice, "Because you hadn't responded to us the last time we called you. And because you've been laying dead the past few days" Jaemin spoke up first, earning a smack from his elder brother 

"Why didn't you stop when we screamed your name the other day, Y/n? You literally weren't breathing the day we found you" Yangyang inquired and stated, "And why did you leave us all on seen??" Haechan added, "Most of all, where were you even??" Yuta spoke. You hiss at all the questions being thrown at you as you try sitting up by the inclined hospital bed, "Screamed? Didn't respond? I left you on seen? That's highly impossible and where was i??" you stare blankly at the plain wall in front of you, trying to remember any such episode. The more you strained your head, the more clueless you grew. Your throat starts to grow dry so you turn your neck to check if there are any water bottles nearby, only for a sharp pain to flow through your nerves at a particular spot in your throat. You yelp at the sudden pain, "I'll get the doctor," Haechan rushed outside, when you reached out to touch your neck, feeling it with the tips of your finger, feeling in the swollen skin, the dried up blood when it all hit you. Your eyes grow wide as you start shaking, for it to be first noticed by Yuta, "Yuta, that house! The game, it's all real! I saw hi-him, his name! I swear he's real!" growing concerned at your sudden frenzy behavior, Yuta kneeled down beside your bed, holding your non-injected hand giving it a comforting behavior. 

"Calm down, angel. Tell me point by point," he encouraged you to take in a long breath, as Haechan rushed in along with the doctor whose face was half covered with a doctor's mask, "Doctor, he-he's probably out for me, you need to get me far away from here! Please" you beg with your eyes stinging with all the tears, "No one's going to get you from here, Ms. Y/n, you're safe here" You pause your frantic actions for a while. That voice sounded a little too familiar for your liking, making you think you're over analyzing everything again. The doctor gestured to your friends to leave you up to him to have a doctor to patient talk. All of your friends nodded in understanding, giving you one last reassuring smile before collectively leaving the room. 

The doctor, once after making sure that everyone left, removed his mask to reveal the oh so familiar smirk and the hair protector, rustling the same, familiar bright red hair with the same familiar pale fingers of his. Your eyes widen, mouth falls wide ajar

"Oh wait, there's one last warning, Do not assume that the Midnight Man has left your home for good at the conclusion of the game. I'm for real done now" You laugh at your friend who snatched the phone away from you,

"Pleasure to meet you again, darling"

[royallyprincesslilly]

Title: Love, Maybe? {22}

Chris Evans X Reader OFC Vixen Giovanni

Warning: Cursing, Plot

Word Count: 1.1K

Summary: After a night of drunkenness you wake up next to warm, hot as hell body, a migraine and no memory of the night before. When you come to realize that the hot body belongs to none other than Hollywood’s golden boy Chris Evans you freak out. As events unfold you become even more panicked to find out you got married in your drunken haze. What else is there to do but get it annulled, right? Before walking away, you share one more night of molten kisses and passion. Three years later you are still living with the repercussions of your brash decisions, but the surprises don’t stop there. The past has a way of coming back and have you questioning is this fate that you’ve been running from, hell could it have been love, maybe?

Note: Italic texts is an inner Vixen thought. Bold Italic texts is an inner Chris thought.

**Slightly Edited/Proofread**

***Interactive**

Thank you guys for reading!!!! If you enjoyed this please LIKE, COMMENT, REBLOG. 😊 ❤️  ❤️ ❤️

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 22: Oopsies

-Chris-

   He sat in his lawyer’s office after getting a call a few days ago about hammering out some details. Glancing at his phone at the time he saw it was now fifteen minutes past the scheduled meet time. This had never happened before. He walked to the floor to ceiling windows and peered out over downtown Los Angeles. It had its drawbacks, many drawbacks but being this high, it drowned them all out. He could actually hear himself think something he hadn’t been able to do the last week. His filming schedule picked up, so his time was once again stretched thin, which meant his time with Ella took the impact. He’d only made it to one dinner and couldn’t get away from set to see her during the days. He was frustrated by it, to say the least. In the same week, he’d dodged numerous calls from his siblings because he just didn’t know what to say yet. He knew he couldn’t explain over the phone. It had to be in person.

   He rubbed his forehead, and the candy bracelet caught his eye. He smiled as he slowly twirled the confection jewelry. It was the first gift from Ella, a gift she personally gave to him. He carefully looked over it and smiled as he passed the small mermaid decals she said she put “spesol.” No lie, he nearly bawled like a baby right in front of her, and when he went home that night he did cry. It was quickly becoming harder and harder to imagine his life without her.

   The door behind him opened, and he spun around to see his lawyer Max and his previous lawyer, Sherman. He was shocked. “Sherman?”

   “How are you, Chris?” They shook hands. He looked over him. He’d heard about his struggles over the last few years.

“How are you, Sherman?” He nodded and smiled. “Doing a lot better Chris. Time truly does heal all wounds.” He nodded.

   “Good to hear. So what’s this about a few things to hammer out?”

   “Have a seat, Chris,” Max said stretching his arm out to the available seats by the bar. He sat with the view of LA before him. The two men sat before him, but they didn’t speak. He scoffed.

“Guys, come on. What is it? Is it that last deal for that fashion house? is there a problem with the financial part of the contract?” Sherman sighed and slid to the edge of the couch he sat.

   “No. I’ll just get on with it. So, remember those years ago you came to me about that matter with that young woman?” He snorted and nodded; they were well past that now.

   “I remember.” Sherman took a deep breath then forged ahead.

   “There is no easy way to say this. I was going through a lot then, nothing I wanted any of my clients to know about. When I received each of your paperwork for the divorce--.” He paused and took another deep breath. “I was prepared to file it with the state; then I had my ordeal.

   By ordeal, he meant his nervous breakdown and subsequent mental breakdown that landed him in rehab for six months and a string of other mental and emotional setbacks which led to him just picking up and leaving for two years. He’d had it rough.

   “With all the commotion and unrest around here, the deadline that was given by the state to file the papers was missed.” He nodded.

   “Okay.” Max and Sherman looked at each other and back to him. “Okay?” Max inquired with a confused look on his face.

   “Yeah, deadlines are missed all the time.” They both looked at him like he was crazy.

   “Okay, hold on. Chris, do you understand what Sherman’s saying? He didn’t file the divorce papers in time with the state. Matter of fact the papers were never filed. Your divorce was not processed,” Max reiterated in understandable terms.

   Slowly his words processed, and the weight of them had him springing to his feet. “What!”

  Both men nodded, seeing that he fully understood. “What does—what are you trying to say, Max?”

   “You’re still married. You’ve been married this entire time.”

   He almost passed out; he staggered backward before he caught himself against the couch. After steadying himself he began pacing. His mind was running a mile a minute and wouldn’t stop on just one thing. Every so often his movements stopped for a few seconds only to begin again. He didn’t know how long he paced without speaking.

   “Chris,” Max cautiously began. He stopped and looked at them.

   “What do you need? We can refile, we just have to get her in here and do the process again. This is not unfixable. We can turn this minor nuisance around. Just say the word, and we’ll get this divorce started, and you’ll be free of it,” Max informed. With every word he said his brain only processed a few; refile, unfixable, free.

   “Free?” Both men nodded. He turned his back to them and walked across the room to the other windows and looked out but not to the view. He looked into the sky.

   “You wanted a wife and kid. Now you have em’.”

   When the thought popped into his head, he scoffed then laughed out loud. He laughed for several moments taking in the double irony of his situation. This was better than any rom-com movie he’d seen or starred in.

   “Uh, Chris--.” He held his hand up and bent to his knees to catch his breath.

   “My god. Whooo! So you both are telling me that due to your fuck up I’m still married.” They looked between each other again and nodded, not making eye contact with him. He snorted again. “And I’ve been married for how long now?”

   Max walked across the room to his desk and took up the papers. “Well, today is April nineteenth, uh—two years and eight months, just about.”

   He laughed again only this time it was a little louder. He was convinced they thought he was having a mental breakdown. “Wow, you can’t write this shit. This is classic. Wow. Okay.”

   “Should we begin again on the divorce?”

   He looked back out and to the sky. He couldn’t help but feel like this was yet another irrefutable sign from a higher being, or beings. Some called it destiny, and others called it fate; he called it irony.

   “I’ll be in touch.” With that, he turned and walked out their office. He didn’t know what he was going to do. All he knew was this was sign number three, and he wasn’t sure if he could brush this to the side as easily as he did the others.

~~~~~~~~~~~

***If you want to be tagged please SEND AN ASK SO IT WILL BE EASIER FOR ME TO KEEP TRACK OF. Thank you for reading!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~

TagList:

@sarahboseman  @heyauntieeee @airis-paris14 @thiccdaddy-mbaku @wakandas-vibranium @wakanda-inspired @theunsweetenedtruth @ashanti-notthesinger @reignsxjackson @halfrican-heat @ambthegamer @simplyyamberr  @muse-of-mbaku @sisterwifeudaku @mejustme06  @ilcb7 @leahnicole1219  @destinio1 @maliadestiny @drsunshine97 @blowmymbackout @purplehairgawdess @thehuntoyobun @wakandamama @wakandawinning @profilia @zxddy-panther @h-challa @babygirlofwakanda @misswakanda2018 @ororowrites@hutchj @myfavemarvelfanfics @lavitabella87 @afraiddreamingandloving @autumn242 @purple-apricots @skysynclair19 @hersheyskissesss-blog @blue-ishx @90sinspiredgirl @tchallaswife @tchallamakesmeh0lla @turn-thy-paige @blackchickfics @blackpantherismyish @inlovewithmakeupcomicsanimelove @naturally-bri @flawlesslybeautiful14 @qweentbh@lunaerly @theoutereffect@twilight-sapphire-lover @pupyluv247 @stark-red19 @cockyboysandsugarism@maverickabull @madbadsiren @aykanna @myaw731 @ruruly20 @mixedmelanin @brittyevans @bezzywazhere@laketaj24  @soulsparker @theresnomoregoodones @syreanne@loveandcigarillos @heyauntieeee @heybriheyyy @wakanda-bcth @uhlxis  @maliadestiny @dadinhas-heat @yaachtynoboat711@geeksareunique @bultalongthewayside @ajspencer1892 @captiansaveasmut @imaginewhoever @terrablaze514 @starsshines-blog @scrumptiouslytenaciouscrusade@darkandlovely94   @sithlordslut @wavyyc @naturalistamisslyn @nigarachi15 @madamslayyy @blackandfair @kreolemami @mylastnameisthe-fish @kaykay0829@chaneajoyyy @tequilajay27 @blacklotus-of-the-black-kingdom @slimmiyagi @im5ftbutmythroat66 @jaeee-http@madhatterhelsing @sunflowerpsalms @wakanda-shit-is-that @deliciousstreetkidcroissant @jecourt @vebner37 @disneysdarlingdiva @melaninmarvel @alanastormborn@dolphinpink310 @yourwonderbelle  @ohleucothea @queentearra @bitchbetterhavemydinner @fentybabyy @kaykay4454fan @priya212 @kitkit1690 @chrismarcs @beautycomesindifferentformsworld @blackpantherimagines @ovohanna24 @sweetpeachjones @kslo000   @nubian-queen18 @omgsuperstarg  @airis-paris14 @sisterwifeudaku   @mejustme06 @ilcb7 @leahnicole1219 @destinio1 @drsunshine97  @blue-ishx @inlovewithmakeupcomicsanimelove @prettyprincessushio @treeondrea  @ursapharoh05  @blackpinup22 @kaytauru @big3gocandykahn @kissingpineapples @wildaboutchrisevans   @fitfineandstayingalive @misspooh @michele-onel @gorjiss @blacklotus-of-the-black-kingdom @muva-milaje @limbo-limbo-limbo @awkwardlyabstract @blxck-brxndie  @meeky-imagines @inlovewith3 @metalarmlover @mellowjellow6 @scrumptiouslytenaciouscrusade@sweettea-and-honeybutter@thatrandomhetaliachick @missdeerstalker15 @ursapharoh05 @treeondrea @ovohanna24 @marvelheaux @romanceoftheeveryday @mufasathatniggatho @cltex84 @sweetbearcolorgarden @msincognito67 @mosagram @lunaerly @mar-ta-3 @ljstraightnochaser @lewatigress @akimi-youngblood @bekahdean87 @jasmindaughteroftheworld@cocooned-butterfly @emoniclark22 @chereedrop619 @theblulife @niggarachi15 @drsunshine97 @msincognito67 @missdeerstalker15 @wakandamama @great-neckpectations @avenger-marvel-fan @arieljamiyla @vibranium-soul @monae-boss @queenxchallaxkillamonger@amirra88 @jaeee-http @omg-itsnadi @fonville-designs @sydneebleu @cherrystainedlipsbaby @behindthesehazeleyes27 @areubeingserved  @kelbabyblue @academic-glowup  @patzammit @yourwonderbelle @pennywisesmistress @squeackygee @noramushroom @titty-teetee @ab-baybay @kreolemami  @impossiblegiantrebelbasketball @dangerouslovefanfic @heladoom @ @renesmeeharelds @zaddysqueen7

[lifeofresulullah]

The Life of The Prophet Muhammad(pbuh): Calling the Tribes to Islam, the Allegiances of Aqaba and Migration to Madinah

The Prophet Arrives in Madinah

The Muslims of Madinah heard that the Messenger of Allah had set off for Madinah from Makkah. Therefore, they went to the place called Harra after the morning prayer every day and waited there impatiently until the weather got very hot at noon.

One day, they waited for the arrival of the Prophet for a long time as usual and returned when they saw that it became very hot.

Meanwhile, a Jewish person who was on the roof of his house saw a few people in white clothes walking through the hot desert, mirages and fog. He knew that Muslims were waiting for the Messenger of Allah. He could not help shouting, “O community of Arabs! The person you have been waiting for is coming!” giving Muslims the good news. 

This good news traveled like lightning among the streets of Madinah. The city was like a place of festival because the person who offered peace and happiness to humanity was coming. Muslims took their weapons and ran toward that area.

They reached the Prophet and Hazrat Abu Bakr while they were resting in the shade of a date tree. Hazrat Abu Bakr was standing near the Prophet. They greeted the Master of the Universe, for whom they had been waiting excitedly, impatiently and longingly, who was in a white garment, and started to stare at his luminous blessed face.

After having a rest for a while in the shade of the date tree, the Messenger of Allah and his friends proceeded to the village of Quba, which was to the right of Madinah, together with the people who came from Madinah to welcome them.  

It was a very hot day in the month of Rabiulawwal.

The sun was sending its arrows made of fire down to the earth. The Messenger of Allah and the group of believers with him arrived at the village of Quba, which was an hour away from the city of Madinah, before noon. He went to the house of Kulthum b. Hidam, the leader of Banu Amr b. Awf. The fast journey on the scorching sand exhausted the Prophet. He decided to stay in Quba for a while due to the wishes of the people who wanted to talk to him.

The Prophet stayed in the house of Kulthum b. Hidam, who was quite old, at night and went to the house of Sa’d b. Haythama, who was a single Companion, during the day in order to talk to the Muslims. Besides, the other single Companions stayed in his house, too. Therefore, his house was called “Daru’l-Uzab [the House of Bachelors]”. 

Hazrat Ali Rejoins the Prophet

Hazrat Ali had stayed in Makkah in order to return the valuables and goods that the Qurayshis entrusted to the Prophet to their owners due to the order of the Prophet.

Hazrat Ali fulfilled this duty and left Makkah three days after the Prophet left. He rejoined the Prophet when he was in Quba. His feet had swollen and blistered because he had walked all the way. The Prophet hugged him in tears, prayed for him so that his feet will recover and rubbed them with his hand. God Almighty cured his feet at once. The blisters and pains in his feet disappeared. 

CONSTRUCTION OF THE QUBA MOSQUE

The Messenger of Allah stayed for more than ten nights in the house of Banu Amr b. Awf. During this period, he established the Quba Mosque and performed prayers in it.  

Although some Muslims built a mosque for themselves before the mosque established by the Prophet, the first mosque built for the community of Islam is the Quba Mosque.

The Messenger of Allah himself worked in the construction of this lofty mosque, which was built on Kulthum b. Hidam’s land, where he dried his dates. Once, the Prophet was carrying a very heavy stone. One of the Companions approached him and said, “O Messenger of Allah! May my father and mother be sacrificed for you. Give it to me.” The Prophet said to him, “No, I won’t! Get another stone.”, expressing that he got pleasure from working. Thus, he served as a model with his efforts and hard work along with his other good attributes like, worship, taqwa, loyalty, mercy, resoluteness and courage.

Observing his efforts and hard work, Muslims worked enthusiastically without showing any signs of laziness or fatigue. The Prophet did not stop working until the construction of the mosque finished; he did not treat himself differently from other Muslims.

Importance and Superiority of the Quba Mosque

The Quba Mosque is a blessed monument of the luminous and magnificent period that started with the migration of the Messenger of Allah and that continued especially with his arrival at the village of Quba. Therefore, it was defined as a “mosque of taqwa” in the Quran. The following is stated in the relevant verse:

“There is a mosque whose foundation was laid from the first day on piety; it is more worthy of thy standing forth (for prayer) therein. In it are men who love to be purified; and Allah loveth those who make themselves pure!” 

The Respectable Prophet always went to the Quba Mosque on Saturdays during his life sometimes on foot and sometimes riding and performed prayers there. Besides, he encouraged believers to perform prayers there giving the good news that a person who performed prayers in that blessed mosque in a nice and clean way would receive the reward of an umra.

The Quba Mosque is significant and important because it was built in a period when the barriers in front of Islam started to be removed gradually and the development and advancement of Islam started.

Suhayb b. Sinan Goes to Quba

Suhayb b. Sinan was one of the helpless and lonely Muslims who were exposed to the tortures of polytheists. When the Prophet was given the permission to migrate to Madinah, he could not find an opportunity to leave Makkah.

When he saw that Hazrat Ali was about to migrate, he packed his things, and set off. When some Makkans saw him, they followed him and said, “When you came here, you were poor; you became rich here. You want to take your wealth with you. We will not let you do it!”

Acting upon the courage based on his belief, Suhayb dismounted and took his arrows out of his bag. He said to the Qurayshis, who were trying to stop him from migrating, “You know that I am one of the best archers among you. I will shoot all of my arrows; if I run out of arrows, I will draw my sword! As long as I have one of them with me, I will not let you approach me!”

The polytheists could not answer this heroic call back. They knew that this hero of Islam would not surrender easily. On the one hand, there was Suhayb b. Sinan, who stood up with the courage supported by his belief; on the other hand, there were polytheists who were afraid due to the polytheism in their hearts.

Then, Suhayb made them this offer:

“Will you let me go if I show you where all my wealth is and leave it to you?”

The polytheists, who loved worldly possessions so much, said, “Yes...”

Hazrat Suhayb left his wealth to them and migrated on the way of Allah in order to practice his religion and belief freely.

He rejoined the Messenger of Allah in Quba in the middle of the month of Rabiulawwal. He had a pain in his eye on the way and he was very hungry. There was a bunch of fresh palms with leaves in front of the Prophet, Hazrat Abu Bakr and Hazrat Umar. Hazrat Suhayb started to eat the fresh dates immediately.

Hazrat Umar said, “O Messenger of Allah! Do you see Suhayb? He says he has a pain in his eye and he is eating fresh dates!”

When the Messenger of Allah said, “O Suhayb! You have a pain in your eye but you are eating fresh dates.”, he said,  “O Messenger of Allah! I am eating them with the sound part of my eye.” This witty answer made the Prophet smile.

Then, Hazrat Suhayb said, “O Messenger of Allah! When you left Makkah, the polytheists imprisoned me. I gave them my wealth and bought (saved) my family and myself!”

The Messenger of Allah said, “Suhayb won! Suhayb won! Abu Yah¬ya! The sale turned out to be profitable! The sale turned out to be profitable!”  He gave the good news and made Suhayb very happy. 

Then, the following verse was sent down:

“And there is the type of man who gives his life to earn the pleasure of Allah; and Allah is full of kindness to (His) devotees.” 

They Leave Quba

After staying in Quba more than ten nights, the Messenger of Allah set off to Madinah on Friday. He was on his camel, Qaswa. Hazrat Abu Bakr was behind him; there were about one hundred people with weapons from Banu Najjar, from the tribe of his maternal uncles and many Muslims of Madinah on the right and on the left.

The scene was challenging, pleasing and hopeful. The Messenger of Allah, who was left alone in Makkah, was being accompanied by hundreds of luminous people! They were uttering takbirs (Allahu Akbar); their hearts were full of joy. They had waited for the Prophet, who presented them with the real belief and Islam, which is the source of the happiness in the world and in the hereafter, impatiently for days. Now, they were experiencing and feeling the unmatched joy of meeting him.

FIRST FRIDAY PRAYER IN MADINAH

During the journey, the Messenger of Allah turned to the left side and reached the land of Banu Salim b. Awf. When they arrived at a place called Ranuna, it was time for the Friday prayer. The Prophet dismounted his camel in the middle of the Ranuna valley, the place of the Friday Mosque, and performed the Friday prayer there.

It was the first Friday prayer the Prophet performed in Madinah.

The Prophet recited two sermons, one after the other, there. After thanking and praising Allah, he addressed the Muslims as follows:

“O people! Make preparations for the hereafter when you are healthy. You know very well that every one of you will be asked about the sheep that you left without a shepherd on the Day of Judgment. Then, God Almighty will say to him, without any intermediary, directly, ‘Did My Messenger not come and inform you? I gave you property and I granted you many bounties. What did you prepare for yourself?’ That person will look to the right and left but will not see anything. When he looks to the front, he will see nothing but Hell! Then, anyone who can save himself from the fire even with a half date should give it away at once. If he cannot find a half date, he should save himself by kalima at-tayyiba [nice word]. Through it, one good deed is rewarded by ten to seven hundred times. May Allah’s peace, mercy and bounties be on you!” 

The Second Sermon

The Messenger of Allah stated the following in his second sermon:

“I praise Allah. I praise Allah and I ask His help. We took refuge in Allah from the evil of our souls and our bad deeds. He whom Allah guides is rightly guided; but he whom Allah leaves to stray,- for him wilt thou find no protector to lead him to the Right Way.

I witness that there is no god but Allah. He is One; He has no partners.

The best word is the word of Allah. A person whose heart Allah decorates with the Quran, whom Allah includes in Islam though he was an unbeliever, who prefers the Quran to other words will definitely be saved.

Doubtlessly, the Book of Allah is the most beautiful and eloquent word. Love what Allah loves. Love Allah heartily. Do not get tired of the word of Allah and mentioning the names and attributes of Allah. Do not let the word of Allah cause gloom in your heart because the word of Allah distinguishes the best ones among everything. It informs you about the best deeds, the prophets, who are the most distinguished people, and the best stories; it states what is halal and haram. Worship Allah and do not associate any partners with Him. Fear Him truly.  

Do good deeds and confirm them with your tongue.

Love one another with the word of Allah. Know very well that Allah punishes severely those who break their promise.

May Allah’s peace be upon you!” 

In the first pledge of Aqaba, the Muslims of Madinah had promised to protect the Messenger of Allah fully when he arrived in their land.

After staying in Quba for a while, the Messenger of Allah was about to enter Madinah, the heart of their land; it was time for them to keep their promise.

Therefore, the Messenger of Allah finished the second sermon by stating that God Almighty would punish severely those who broke their promise.

[rucbarthatbowtiesarecooldw]

Generals Women Session

Sister Reyna Isabel Aburto

- These are natural human emotions. But if they block our ability to feel the comfort and guidance of the Holy Ghost that is depression.

- Sadness is not a sign of weakness.

- Such thoughts can be overwhelming

- Achieving perfection is a process that will take place throughout our mortal life and beyond. —— Will occur throughout our mortal lives and into eternity. And only through the atonement of Jesus Christ

- Bearing others burdens and mourning with them is important, and included in that may be learning about mental illnesses and how to help those with them, eventually bringing yourself and others to Jesus Christ

- Validating that their pain is real can be the first step in healing for them

- when it comes to healing don’t we all need him desperately? Are we not all beggars?

- depression is not the result of sin

- Listening with love is one of the greatest gifts we can offer.

- your struggles do not define you - but they can refine you

- Our afflictions can be swallowed up by the joys of Christ

- let us lift up the clouds suffocating each other

Sister Lisa L. Harkness

- With covenant identity and belonging we are called by the name of Jesus Christ.

- Jesus’ name was known long before his birth. . . . His work of redeeming love was also known of Gods children.

- Prophet asked us to read the BofM and mark all scriptures that mention Christ

- When we remember Him whose name we bear there is no room for self-degrading judgments. . . With our eyes on the Savior, we see ourselves as we truly are: a beloved Child of God.

- “There is no such thing as a part time disciple of Jesus Christ” - Pres Nelson

- I glory in plainness, I glory in truth, I glory in my Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul from hell. - 2 Nephi 33:6

Sister Bonnie H. Cordon

- 1 at the heart of all we do as YW is our desire to help you gain a sure knownledge of the Lord Jesus Christ

- Change in YW theme

- I am a beloved daughter of heavenly parents with a Devine nature and eternal destiny. As a disciple of Jesus Christ I strive to become like him . . . . Lost it.

- I will cherish the blessing of repentance

- Shift from we to I

- Understanding these truths will change the way you face challenges

- 2 classes

- Prayerfully consider needs and organize according to circumstances

- With only a few you can meet all together

- Can organize by year if there are a lot of YW

- 3 all classes will be referred to by the unifying name of Young Women, retiring beehive, miamaid, and laurel

- 4 all classes, not matter how organized, should still have a class president.

- Calling of class presidency is a priority

- You can serve with confidence as you do not serve alone.

- One of the ways we receive personal revelation is by reoccurring thoughts

President Henry B. Eyring

- Every daughter of God listening to my voice has received a call by the Lord Jesus Christ. - Chosen for you by a God you loves you personally

- for each one who makes these covenants, the service that He calls him or her to do it is personal

- Heavenly Father does not leave us the choice of the frequency, time or stages of assignments

- Ministering sister assignment

- You have a chance to fulfill your call from the Lord as His daughter - they all (the assignments) require the preparation of a loving heart.

- Prepare now with the end in mind

- Will require a loving heart, faith in Jesus Christ, and the guiding influence of the Holy Ghost

- how can a man of any age know what mothers need? That is a valid question. We can observe

- Mother through a partnership with God

President Dallin H. Oaks

- This church was restored so that family’s could be formed and sealed eternally

- Love the Lord thy God and Love thy neighbor as thyself. So we need to love everyone.

- We show that love by keeping His commandments - including repentance

- Strong connection between God’s love and His laws. - Pres Nelson

- Laws of Marriage and Chastity are essential in the plan

- Truth: Marriage was ordained by God. Between a Man and Wife. He has not changed His definition of marriage. Law of chastity is related.

- Ultimate concern is preparing the church for Devine exaltation

- To become like God, with the exalted life like heavenly parents

- Plan for a mortal experience where all can choose obedience to seek His highest blessings or make choices that will lead to one of the lesser kingdoms.

- All (LGBTQ+) should be treated with the love our Savior commands us to show to all peoples

- Should never persecute those who do not share our beliefs.

- The ultimate and final judgement will be by the Lord who has the wisdom and grace

- God promises hope and ultimate joy and blessings for all who keep His commandments

My side note for his talk: I understand where you are all coming from. It feels like he is attacking what you feel and believe. He is not trying to offend. He loves you and knows God loves you as His child. He is coming from a loving place trying to show love to you. Feels like he’s stabbing you in the guts over and over? I’m sorry, I can’t change that, nor can I change what you feel and believe is true. But please, please go towards him with the same thoughts of love. Kill with kindness and love, not hate and bitterness. I am not saying that he’ll come ‘round to what you feel and believe. I’m also not saying that you’ll come ‘round to his beliefs. He is an apostle of God, called and chosen by Him and ordained as such by a Prophet of God. I have said before and will again, every subject in every talk is approved by the first presidency and quorum of the twelve. Some wording may not be exactly right but what President Oaks says, President Nelson has seen and agrees. President Nelson would never These words come from God. They are HIS truth.

President Russell M. Nelson

- Wants to claim us as his relatives - if you want an extra grandpa give me a call

- Study section 25 of D&C and see what the spirit will teach you

- You are armed with Gods power and His angels have charge over you.

- Satan and his angels will constantly provide road blocks to prevent you from understanding your sacred callings and covenants

- Don’t underestimate your stellar spiritual capacity

- You need to distinguish for yourself right and wrong.

- Clarifications of priesthood: you have priesthood authority when set apart with sacred keys. In the temple you have authority

- Section 84 and 107 will lead you to other passages with truths about the priesthood

- 8 new temples

- Freetown Sierra Leone

- Orem, Utah

- Cobán, Guatemala

- Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

- Bentenvillie, Arkansas

- Bacolod, Philippines

- McAllen, TX

- Taylorsville, UT

[bast38]

“On rising from your bed, make the sign of the Cross and say: “In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost,” and also: “Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this day without sin and teach me to do Thy Will.” While washing, either at home or at the baths, say: “Purge me with hyssop, Lord, and I shall be clean; wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.” When putting on your linen, think of the cleanliness of the heart, and ask the Lord for a clean heart: “Create in me a clean heart, O God!“ If you have made new clothes and are putting them on, think of the renewal of the spirit and say: “Renew a right spirit within me”; laying aside old clothes, and disdaining them, think with still greater disdain of laying aside the old man, the sinful, passionate, carnal man. Tasting the sweetness of bread, think of the true Bread, which gives eternal life to the soul—the Body and Blood of Christ—and hunger after this bread—that is long to communicate of it oftener. Drinking water, tea, sweet-tasted mead or any other drink, think of the true drink that quenches the thirst of the soul inflamed by passions—of the most-pure and life-giving Blood of the Saviour. Resting during the day, think of the eternal rest, prepared for those who wrestle and struggle against sin, against the subcelestial spirits of evil, against human injustice or rudeness and ignorance. Lying down to sleep at night, think of the sleep of death, which sooner or later will unfailingly come to all of us, of that dark, eternal, terrible night, into which all impenitent sinners will be cast. Meeting the day, think of the nightless day, eternal, most bright—brighter than the sunniest earthly day—the day of the kingdom of Heaven, at which all those will rejoice who have striven to please God, or who have repented before God from their whole life during this temporary life. When you are going anywhere, think of the righteousness of spiritually walking before God and say: “Order my steps in Thy word and let not any iniquity have dominion over me. When doing anything, strive to do it with the thought of God, the Creator, who has made everything by His infinite wisdom, grace, and omnipotence, and has created you after His image and likeness. When you receive or have any money or treasure, think, that our inexhaustible Treasury, from which we derive all the treasures of our soul and body, the ever-flowing Source of every blessing is—God, thank Him with all your soul and do not shut up your treasures within yourself, lest you shut the entrance of your heart to the priceless and living treasure—God, but distribute part of your property amongst those who are in want to the needy, to your poor brethren, who are left in this life so that you may prove upon them your love, your gratitude to God and be rewarded for this by God in eternity. When you see the white glitter of silver, do not be allured by it, but think that your soul should be white and should shine with Christ’s virtues; when you see the glitter of gold, do not be allured by it, but remember that your soul ought to be purified as gold is, by fire, and that the Lord desires to make you yourself shine like the sun, in the eternal, bright kingdom of His Father, that you will see the Sun of Righteousness—God, the Trinity, the Most-Holy Virgin, the Mother of God, and all the heavenly powers and Saints, filled with ineffable light and shining with the light poured upon them.” —Righteous John of Kronstadt, “My Life in Christ”

[talesofmaehem]

Entreat Me Not

It’s past midnight when there’s a gentle rap at Jem’s door that doesn’t wait for a response before opening. Jem smiles, not needing to turn to know that it’s William home from some late night excursion. He wonders how many times Will has done just this only to find him asleep, wonders what Will does on those occasions. Most likely slips back to his room and his books, Jem muses. He turns, intent on putting the question to Will, but when he sees his parabatai he finds an entirely different question springing from his lips.

“Why the hell is there glitter everywhere?” Jem asks affably, looking Will up and down.

“Magnus Bane,” Will says, waving him away as though it explains everything. Jem remembers Magnus and Henry together in the crypt and supposes it does.

Will claims a spot on the trunk at the foot of Jem’s bed and leans forward to rest his elbows on his knees. Jem shifts where he sits in the armchair by the fire and takes the opportunity to watch his parabatai from the corner of his eye. It is one of those rare moments where Will appears genuinely at ease. There is none of the restless fire in his eyes, no sardonic twist to his lips. He appears…content. Satisfied with this brief assessment, Jem turns back to the fire. The two of them sit in silence together, staring into the flames, enjoying the simple pleasure of the other’s company.

Finally, just when Jem thinks Will must have dozed off, his parabatai speaks.

“Are you happy, James?”

The question is sincere, and Jem takes a moment to give it due consideration.

“At this moment, I am.”

“I am not speaking of this moment,” Will says, but there is no bite to his words, only clarification. “Your life here, at the Institute,” he hesitates and Jem glances to him, but his parabatai is staring intently at the fire, “with me, does it make you happy?”

Jem frowns in concern. “William, what’s brought this on?”

Will shifts his eyes to meet Jem’s and smiles reassuringly, “Curiosity.”

Jem searches Will’s face for any sign of, well, he doesn’t know what—despair or madness or anger perhaps—and Will gazes openly back. Will has always been good at hiding his emotions, but eventually Jem is satisfied that Will has told him the truth.

“Of course,” Jem says, “How could I be anything less than content? I—”

“I didn’t ask if you were content, Jem,” Will interrupts, his voice as steady as his gaze on Jem’s face, “I want to know if you are happy.”

Jem frowns again. He doesn’t know what Will wants to hear. He turns the phrase over in his mind, trying to see what is hidden at the heart of Will’s question.

“I am happy.” Jem meets Will’s gaze, “and I am not.”

He sees his parabatai clench his jaw and nod, as though this is the answer he was expecting.

“We have both born much William,” Jem says gently, though when it comes to Will’s past he can only guess. He sees the hardness and distance begin to slip back into Will’s eyes, so he continues, “It is a heavy burden, to survive, and sometimes—” Jem is surprised to feel unshed tears clinging to his throat, “—sometimes I feel guilty for every laugh that escapes, for every breath that I breathe, even though I know my parents would not want me to be imprisoned in perpetual sorrow. I am grieved that they will never meet you, or Tessa, or Charlotte, or Henry, and I am furious that every day I must take that damned drug that killed them just to live a little longer.”

“James—”

“I am disgusted by the prejudice of the Clave, and disappointed I won’t be around long enough to try and change it. I’m saddened by the thought that I won’t meet Charlotte and Henry’s children, if they have them, and that I’ll never have any of my own. Mostly, I’m bitter that I will die before I’ve lived even a quarter of the life I could have had, and more than anything, I am scared of what you will do when I am gone.”

Will opens and closes his mouth, but James continues before Will has the chance to find the words he wants.

“But despite all that,” Jem insists, “I am happy. I’m surrounded by people I love and who love me in return.” Will turns back to the fire, his face unreadable. “Because even if I do not have my health,” Jem plows on, “I have my music. I have taught my parabatai to properly throw a knife so he can defend himself in battle, even if I am not there.” Will gives the barest hint of a smile, “I fight demons and protect the mundane world, as is my duty. I do my best to honor both my mother’s family and my father’s. But most of all,” Jem asserts, pausing until Will is looking at him again, “I am happy because no matter how short my life may be—” he holds up a hand to cut Will off before he can speak, “no matter how short, I will be happy because you have been in it. Our souls, William Herondale, are bound beyond the divide of death and for that I am eternally grateful. I will have other lives, and I will meet you in them.” He offers Will a sad smile, “May our time together be longer in the next one.”

Will looks like he wants to speak, or cry, or possibly punch something, but he does none of these. He only manages to shake his head and stand, reaching out to clasp Jem’s hand in his own. Jem takes it and Will pulls him to his feet and into a tight embrace. Will is so rarely openly affectionate that for a moment Jem is too stunned to react. But it is a brief moment, barely the blink of an eye, before Jem wraps his arms around his parabatai. It feels as though Will is trying to crush Jem’s body into his own, as though he would carve out half his own soul to make room for Jem’s if it meant he could save Jem from his illness. His fate. He holds on to Will, trying to remember every detail of this moment so that he can recall it when things get bad. The way Will smells like soap and soot and the London night air. The paired beating of their hearts, creating one rhythm. The strength of Will’s arms around him, the pull of fabric where Will clutches the back of his shirt. He pats Will’s back, once, twice, and it is a mistake because Will must interpret it as him asking for distance and pulls away. Jem wishes he hadn’t, that he had just held on to Will for a moment longer.

“Entreat me not to leave thee, James Carstairs, or return from following after thee—for wither thou goest, I will go.”

Jem smiles softly back at him, “And where thou lodgest, I will lodge. Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.”

Will looks soberly back at him, the reflection of the fire burning in his eyes. Time blurs and Jem is thrust into the past, into this exact moment yet not, with twin rings of fire burning in the dark. He remembers the stele clutched tightly in his palm, his shoulder bared to William, the burn of Will’s stele drawing the Mark on his shoulder, and his own unfurling above Will’s heart, how he had felt his soul sing with the rightness of it.

“Where thou diest, will I die,” Will intones, “and there will I be buried.”

Jem shakes his head, prepared to argue with Will, an argument they’ve had countless times, but Will doesn't give him the opportunity.

“The Angel do so to me, and more also—” he continues.

“If aught but death, William Herondale, part thee and me,” Jem finishes.

Death will part us, Jem thinks, but he can see the old panic beginning to creep back into Will’s eyes and so he only voices the second half of the thought.

“But not yet, my brother. Death will not find me a willing companion,” he smiles then, the mischievous smile only William can seem to tease out of him, “not when I could have the delight of your company instead.”

William smiles back at him, a shadow of his usual roguish grin, but for now it is enough. They pass the wee hours in laughter and idle discussion until they settle once more into their comfortable silence. Jem must doze off, for when he opens his eyes again the sky is tinged grey with dawn and the fire has burned to ashes in the grate. He wonders whether the previous night had not been a dream, some vivid hallucination induced by one of his fevers, but this doubt is quickly relieved by the thin sheen of glitter Jem finds coating his shirt and the presence of the warm blanket Will had thrown over him as he left.

If he had thought about it, perhaps he would have remembered what yesterday was. How, many years ago, on that day, his Uncle Elias had offered to take Jem into his home, how Will had been sure that Jem would leave him. But Jem did not have Will’s permanent Mnemosyne rune to burn such information into his mind, and so later, much later, when he was lying ill in his bed for the last time, he recalled that day unsullied by the weight of the past. He didn’t know that Will had feared Jem regretted his decision to stay, or that his parabatai had felt immeasurable guilt for keeping Jem from his family. He only knew that he had spent that night laughing with his best friend, that for those hours he had been undeniably happy. And he knew, deep in his soul, that he was about to be cursed, just as Will had so long believed himself cursed. He would truly know the weight that Will had carried, and the thought gave him a small measure of satisfaction. It was only right that he should bear the burden his parabatai had carried for so long. After all, he deserved it.

“The angel do so to me, and more also,” Jem murmured.

If aught but death part thee and me—

But death would not be what parted them and their Angel was not known for its forgiveness.

Have you prepared yourself to leave the world of mortals and take your place among the City of Bones? The voice of Brother Enoch echoed in his head.

Jem shuts his eyes one last time and remembers the reflection of fire in burning blue eyes. He remembers the way Will smelled like soap and soot and the London night air. The paired beating of their hearts, creating one rhythm. The strength of Will’s arms around him, the pull of fabric where Will clutched the back of his shirt.  He places a hand to his shoulder, above the Mark that stands stark against his pallid skin.

Forgive me, William.

Then he nods, “I am ready.”

[magnus-the-maqnificent]

Language of Roses pt. 6

Part 1

Magnus and Alec had managed to get out of the palace safely. They’d coursed through the halls with no one noticing them - except for one.

At one point, they both had run into Camille. She was alone, thank goodness, and was dressed, like Magnus was, in her wedding clothes, looking beautiful. She’d somehow recognised Magnus under his cloak - she hadn’t said anything, but Magnus saw it in her eyes- but she’d taken one look at his and Alec’s interlaced hands and stepped aside. Magnus had moved ahead without meeting her eyes, Alec right behind him.

Now they were in the city, walking side by side, still holding hands. Magnus cherished this moment, of openly walking through the city, openly holding his beloved’s hand.

“Where are we going?” Magnus asked for the umpteenth time. Alec’s smile was secretive as he replied,

“You’ll see.”

Soon, the church rose up in front of them, with its imposing cathedrals. Large stained glass windows were set in the stone wall. Magnus stared at the church, and then at Alec. He didn’t stop, not until they stopped right in front of the church.

“Magnus,” Alec said, moving to stand in front of him and taking his hands, “I know it’s a little early for me to ask this of you, but.. God, I just.. I just need to know, I guess, that you won’t be going anywhere. I think this is the only way we can be together while making sure that they won’t be able to separate us anymore.”

Magnus blinked. Alec was clearly nervous, and he wasn’t making much sense either.

“Alec,” he said reassuringly, and leaned in till their foreheads touched. “I won’t be leaving you. Ever. You don’t have to do anything if you don’t want to.”

“No.” Alec shook his head. “No, I God, I want to. I want to do this so badly. But it’s... it’s a difficult thing to ask of you.”

Magnus closed the distance between them, kissing Alec briefly before he pulled away. “If you want it so badly, and if I can grant it for you, then I shall do everything in my power to give it to you. Ask, Alexander.”

He had a slight hunch about what Alec wanted, but he kept it to himself. A small bubble of hope grew within him.

“Okay,” Alec said, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed down his nerves. He fell gracefully to his knees, Magnus’s hands still in his, and looked up into Magnus’s eyes. “Okay. Magnus Bane,” he spoke, his eyes bright with anticipation, and Magnus’s own heart was thudding hard in his chest, “Will you do me the honour of being my husband?”

Everything seemed to come to a stop, all of a sudden - the voices of the townspeople as they went about their day, the scrape of wheels against the road, even the thudding of Magnus's own heart. His hands tightened in Alec's, and he said, smiling brightly, "Yes."

Alec returned the smile. It spread it to his eyes, lighting them up like twin stars. Alec got to his feet, pulling in Magnus for a kiss, and suddenly the world seemed to spin a little faster. Magnus wrapped his arms around Alec, and pulled him in closer for one brief, deep kiss. Alec's eyes were still shining as he pulled away from Magnus.

"Let's go," he said, and moved towards the front doors of the church, pulling Magnus along. Magnus's eyes widened.

"Right now?" He asked.

"Right now," Alec confirmed, and pushed open the doors. Alec had clearly done some thinking beforehand - the aisle was lined with flowers, boquets of red and white until the altar, which was decked with flowers too. Red roses, mainly, but also a few bunches of white roses thrown in. To one side were Alec's siblings, smiling broadly, and another dark-haired woman he didn't recognize. And to the other...

"Catarina? Ragnor?"

They were Magnus's friends from town. He had met them during one of his escapades, and had always visited them afterwards. He didn't know how they knew to be here, but he was grateful all the same.

Catarina smiled at him. “You really thought we’d leave you alone on the big day?”

Ragnor, standing beside her, appraised Alec instead. “So this is the Alexander we’ve heard so much about.”

Alec blushed. Magnus smiled at him.

“Magnus,” Alec said in a low voice, and indicated the dark-haired girl standing with his siblings with a jerk of his head. “That is Aline.”

Magnus nodded at her. “Thank you for taking care of Alec.”

Aline dismissed his thanks with a wave of her hand. “It was no problem,” she said.

He turned back to Alec, but Alec was already looking at him. Alec squeezed his hand. “Shall we?”

Magnus smiled and nodded. That was enough. They walked towards the altar, hand-in-hand, together as one. Magnus could feel his heart hammering in his chest, and his palms were sweaty, though Alec didn’t seem to mind. He stopped just short of the altar and let go of Magnus’s hand to take off his cloak. Underneath, he was wearing formal blue robes.

As a royal, Magnus had been obligated to wear gold instead of blue, as custom indicated. He removed his own cloak, revealing the rich gold robes he was wearing underneath. By the time he left them on one of the pews, Alec had already climbed the stone steps to the altar. He now stood in front of the priest, and was looking at Magnus expectantly.

Magnus went to stand in front of him, and took Alec’s hands in his. He’d expected Alec to be nervous, but he didn’t seem to be- his hands in Magnus’s were steady.

The ceremony began. Magnus had been waiting for a long time, and at last, here it was.

“Blessings and merry meet,” the priest intoned. “Gentle lords and ladies, their bans having been published, we are here today to join the Fair Prince Magnus Bane and the Noble Alexander Lightwood together. They have asked you here to share in their joy, and to declare their love for one another before you as a community.” The priest turned to Alec, and asked, “Do you Alexander Lightwood, take unto thyself as husband the Fair Prince Magnus Bane and pledge unto him before God and these witnesses to be his protector, defender and sure resort, to honor and sustain him, in sickness and in health, in fair and in foul, with all thy worldly powers, to cherish and forsaking all others, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live?”

“I will,” Alec said, his gaze not wavering from Magnus. The priest turned to him, next.

“Do you Prince Magnus Bane, take unto thyself the Noble Alexander Lightwood to be thy rightful lord Husband and pledge unto him before God and these witnesses to honor and cherish him, to cleave unto him, in sickness and in health, in fair and in foul, be his one true and lasting counselor and solace, and forsaking all other, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live?”

“I will,” Magnus said, and felt amazed for a moment, because only a few hours ago he had been preparing himself to say these words in a completely different room, for a completely different person.

The priest held his hands out, and Max stepped forward, placing a cushion of velvet in his hands. On the velvet gleamed two rings of gold.

“Heavenly Father,” the priest turned his head upward as he spoke, “bless these rings which Noble Alexander Lightwood and Fair Prince Magnus Bane have set apart to be visible signs of the inward and spiritual bond which unites their hearts. As they give and receive these rings, may they testify to the world of the covenant made between them.”

He handed one to the rings to Alec, who carefully slid it onto the ring finger of Magnus’s left hand, and said, “Receive and wear this ring as a symbol of my trust, my respect and my love for you.”

Magnus repeated the same, sliding an identical ring onto Alec’s hand while saying the same words. Behind him, he could hear Isabelle sniffling. He could sympathise.

“This circle will now seal the vows of this marriage and will symbolize the purity and endlessness of their love,” the priest said. “Before I proclaim you joined thou must kiss three times on cue.”

Magnus resisted the urge to grin at Alec, though he could feel his lips twitch up involuntarily into a smile. Alec caught the smile, and returned one of his own.

“Once for luck,”

Magnus leaned in, kissing Alec on the mouth.

“Twice for Love”

It seemed almost impossible, that they were kissing not just for the sake of kissing, but for getting married.

“..and Thrice for Long life.”

Magnus’s lips lingered a little longer on Alec’s, and he pulled away. Alec was looking at him with a strange light in his eyes. Sometimes, he wondered if God was real. He almost didn’t hear the priest as he said,

“By the Power Vested in me by the Realm, I now pronounce you Alexander Lightwood-Bane and Prince Magnus Lightwood-Bane.”

Alec smiled at him, then, the smile lighting up his eyes and taking Magnus’s breath away.

Sometimes, he wondered if God had come to him in the form of Alexander Lightwood.

“So, what now?” Alec asked. Their friends had left not so long ago, having congratulated them both. There was a rather awkward moment when Isabelle broke down in Alec’s arms, and another one where Magnus’s friends had claimed that he used to write poetry about Alec, (He didn’t), but Magnus cherished them all the same.

Magnus shrugged. “We go back to the palace, I guess.”

Alec looked at him. They were standing on the front steps of the church, and the sunlight fell on Alec’s face, tumbling into his eyes. Magnus wished he could stay there forever, just looking into those eyes. “What about your father? I thought we’d lie low for a few days, before going to see him.”

Magnus looked away. They might be married now, but he was still worried about how Alec would take it when he found out about what Magnus did. “I... I doubt he’ll be much of a problem now.”

Alec frowned slightly. “What do you mean?”

Magnus still didn’t meet his gaze. “That day you escaped... I overheard a conversation between my father and another woman. An assassin. He.. he wanted to get you killed.” Magnus’s eyes flickered to the ground. He still felt sick all over just thinking of it. “I was angry, Alec. I met that assassin as she was leaving, and offered her another deal. To spare you and kill my father instead.” When Alec did not say anything, he added, “I imagine he’s gone by now.”

Unable to take the silence anymore, he turned to Alec, looking him right in the eye, and asked, “Was it wrong? What I did?”

Alec reached up to put a hand on Magnus’s face, caressing his cheek. “I won’t tell you whether you did right or wrong, Magnus,” he said. “Because, on one hand, this is your father we’re talking about. On the other...” his eyes darkened. “When I was in those dungeons, I talked with the other prisoners sometimes. It’s horrible, Magnus. Many of them were in there for trivial things - stealing food, not paying their taxes because they didn’t have enough money. Things like that. I can only imagine, from hearing their stories, how life is outside the palace. Magnus, these people are not happy because of your father. I don’t think anyone has ever been made happy by your father. And as for whether it’s right or wrong...” Alec shrugged. “Who am I to play God?”

Magnus smiled at him. “Shall we go home then?”

Alec nodded at him. “We shall.”

As soon as they reached the palace gates, the guards rushed to inform Magnus that his father was lying on his deathbed.

“We should go see him,” Alec said immediately, turning to Magnus. Magnus’s gaze was faraway.

“I don’t want to,” he said.

“You’ll regret it,” Alec said softly, brushing Magnus’s hair away from his face with his fingers. “I had parents once, Magnus. I know how hard it is so lose them. Please.”

Magnus relented with a sigh, and they went up to the King’s room, holding hands. The entire palace was quiet, as if it was holding its breath.

At last, they reached the room, Magnus pulling in Alec beside him despite his protests. The King was indeed laying on the bed, surrounded by ministers, his eyes flickering to Magnus and Alec. Alec could see black lines creeping up his neck as he turned to look at them, and was momentarily horrified. What had that assassin done to him?

“Magnus,” the King rasped. “What have you-“

“I got married,” Magnus said simply. “To someone much better than any of those proposals you got me.”

The King scowled. He opened his mouth to speak, but a coughing fit took him before he could say anything.

Magnus looked away, and Alec saw a brief flash of pain in his eyes.

“I don’t even know why I agreed to this,” he murmured. “Let’s go, Alec.”

“Magnus,” Alec admonished silently, putting a hand on his arm. Magnus looked back at his father, but the King was looking at Alec instead. Magnus’s eyes softened.

“He is nice, isn’t he?” Magnus said, and it took Alec a moment to realise that his husband was talking about him. “Makes you wish you were alive, so that you could get to know and like him, doesn’t he?”

The King shook his head. “I’d rather.. die, than... than see my bloodline get overrun with.. with commoners.”

Magnus’s eyes darkened, and he turned away, pulling Alec with him. They didn’t stop until they left that hallway, till Magnus stopped short and leaned heavily against the stone wall closest to him.

“Magnus,” Alec whispered, the unasked question hanging between them. Are you okay?

“I don’t care,” Magnus declared. “So what if he choses to die with hate in his heart? I don’t care, it’s.. it’s his choice. I-“

But then Magnus’s voice shook and he pulled Alec close, holding him tightly as he broke down. Alec held him, one hand moving to stroke his hair, being there for his husband as best as he could.

He didn’t understand Magnus’s grief, and he didn’t pretend to, but the least he could do was help him through it all.

Magnus sat on the stone ledge, overlooking the celebrations before him along with his husband. They’d both foregone the traditional wedding ball, and instead threw a feast in the palace grounds. The entire city had been invited. Magnus and Alec had both agreed that it was a much better idea than the ball. Besides, Alec had practically been shuddering at the thought of making small talk with all those nobles and lords who had once been considered higher than him.

He was presently leaning his head against Magnus’s shoulder, twirling a red rose in his hands. Magnus dropped a kiss on the top of his head and asked, “Enjoying yourself?”

Alec nodded against his shoulder. “Much better than the ball.”

It had been a month or so since they got married, and Magnus still wasn’t quite used to waking up with Alec in his bed. He suspected Alec wasn’t used to it, either. He still worked in the garden, sometimes, and Magnus let him, knowing that gardening was something that Alec couldn’t, and wouldn’t let go.

He still walked into his bedroom every night to the sight of roses in his vase, except now it was accompanied by the sight of Alec sitting on their bed. They both stayed in Magnus’s old bedroom, in the North tower, not having the heart to move their things to the old King’s bedroom.

“It is,” Magnus said, and reached up to adjust his crown. He had chosen this day to not just celebrate his marriage to Alec, but also because it was his coronation. Alec looked up at the movement, then kept looking.

“I suppose you want a crown of your own?” Magnus asked, smiling lightly.

“I’ll pass,” Alec replied, blushing.

“You’ll need one, though. You’re the Prince consort.”

“Well, since I don’t have a choice... But nothing flashy, okay?”

“I can’t make any promises.” Magnus reached around Alec, fingers brushing the rose, the flower that had, in a way, brought them together.

There was still much to be done, laws to be changed. It would be difficult for the both of them, but he hoped they’d get through it. They would. They’d gotten through worse.

Besides, he reminded himself, looking at the wedding ring gleaming gold on Alec’s hand, We’re married. He’s not going anywhere.

“Magnus,” Alec said suddenly, “I love you.”

Magnus looked at him, mildly surprised. “I love you, too.”

Alec caught his look, and shrugged. “I just felt like saying it.”

Magnus smiled, and leaned in. Below them, the celebrations were raging on, even as night came. Everything was perfect.

[elles-choices]

Chapter 4: Here Comes The Bride (MC x Mr. Sinclaire)

Book: Desire & Decorum

Summary: Their wedding day has arrived. Mr. Sinclaire cannot wait to see his wife to be. Clara cannot wait to become his wife. Will everything go according to plan?

Pairing: Mr. Sincaire x MC (Clara)

Words: about 2650

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Choices by Pixel Berry

Note: This mini series called “Marrying you” is about the final preparations for MC and Mr. Sinclaire’s wedding, their wedding day and night and their honeymoon… I hope you guys enjoy it :) Thank you for stopping by.

--------------------

Chapter 1: The Last Fitting (Marrying You, MC x Mr. Sinclaire)

Chapter 2: Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue  (Marrying you, MC x Mr. Sinclaire)

Chapter 3: The “S” Question (Marrying You - MC x Mr. Sinclaire)

---------------------

Clara’s life has changed completely since the death of her mother. One moment she was struggling, knowing that she was loosing the most important person in her life and she would be alone in the world; the next, she was being told not only that her father was alive, also that he was an Earl. 

In the same day she left her childhood home to move into Edgewater, she was introduced to him — the man she is a few moments away from marrying. After everything she had gone through with her stepmother, becoming the Countess of Edgewater was the biggest honour she could ever achieve - some thought. To her though, the best was still to come for nothing compares to becoming Mrs. Ernest Sinclaire.

———————————

Clara watches carefully her image in the mirror. Although she had seen herself in her wedding gown before, this Wednesday morning everything looks more magical for her wedding day has finally arrived. 

She hears a knock on the door and soon the Dowager Countess entered her room. „Dear, the carriage is ready to take us to the church“, she inspects Clara’s hair, pulled back into a messy braid embellished with tiny little white jasmine blossoms and secured with Briar’s blue ribbon. She smiles by the sight of Clara, „You are the most beautiful bride I have ever seen, Clara“.

Clara turns to her grandmother and hugs her tightly. „Would you help me with my wedding charms, Lady Grandmother?“, the Dowager Countess looks into her big green eyes and smiles as Clara hands her the diamond bandeau tiara, she giftet her not long ago. 

„The things with tiaras, dear, is that they tend to move around“, she looks in her bag for something, „Ha! Pray, take a seat… your great-grandmother taught me this trick. All you need is a needle and almost invisible treads“, she looks carefully at what she is doing, while Clara wonders if this will really work. „Perfect! Pray, move your head quickly from one side to another“, Clara does as asked and her grandmother smiles satisfied with her work, attaching her veil to her hair. „So, what are the other charms?“.

„Mr. Parsons borrowed me her pearl bracelet, it is beautiful, is it not?“, her grandmother smiles and nods putting it on her delicate wrist. Then, Clara turns to her dressing table, where Mr. Sinclaire’s gift lies waiting for this day, „This one is from Mr. Sinclaire. I have not seen it yet…“, she opens the beautiful wooden case to find a diamond encrusted collier with a huge emerald in the center of the pendant, matching her engagement ring. „Oh, Ernest…“, she smiles touched by how thoughtful he was. 

The Dowager Countess is amazed by the sight of it. „My dear, this collier is beautiful! Mr. Sinclaire has a quite exquisite taste — Well, I should not be surprised since he is marrying my granddaughter“, smiling to Clara, she takes it from its case and gently places it around her granddaughter’s neck, fastening it on the side. „Now all you need is a lucky sixpence in your shoe and we can head to Church.“, she hands it to her granddaughter and they leave her dressing room.

————————————

On Clara’s arrival, she could hear the bells of the church ringing, a sign that the wedding was going to start very soon. She looks at Annabelle, Briar and Miss Sutton, each one wearing white as participants of the bridal party and she smiles with teary eyes „Do not start crying, Clara or you will make us all cry and puffy eyes is not a look we wanna wear today!“, Annabelle hugs her friend, then brushes away a couple of tears from Clara’s face. She gives her a reassuring squeeze of the hand and gives her the bridal bouquet —a mix of wild flowers and white roses; Mr. Sinclaire had picked them from his garden the day prior to the wedding. „Much better…Are you ready?“, Annabelle smiles and Clara nods, leaving the carriage and heading to the vestibule of the church, where Mr. Sinclaire and his groomsmen were waiting.

Mr. Sinclaire seems very tense — he paces from one side to the other looking constantly at his pocket watch. His best friend, James Banks, one of the groomsmen, smiles and lays a hand on his shoulder, „I do not think I have ever seen you this nervous, my friend. I believe there is still time to run away“, he whispers jokingly. Suddenly he looks at the door excited „Or not… Your bride is already here. And may I say, you are a very lucky man, Ernest“. Mr. Sinclaire turns slowly to the doors of the church and as he sees Clara entering, he feels as if his heart stood still for a moment. Their eyes lock and she smiles as he heads to her. He is completely bewitched by her beauty, nervous like a school boy trying to talk for the first time with the girl he fancies.

„I… hmm… There are no words that could describe your beauty today, Lady Clara“, he takes her hand and kisses her knuckles never taking his eyes off her. 

She lowers her glance shyly, „You looking dashing as always, Mr. Sinclaire“. He is wearing a navy blue frock coat with a white waistcoat, a folded cravat and grey trousers. Mr. Sinclaire rises her chin up, so their eyes meet again and tries to lift the veil of her face for a short moment, when he hears the Dowager Countess clearing her throat.

„I believe this is not the proper time for that, Mr. Sinclaire. And if you want to get married today, I recommend you get in line, so the procession can enter the church“, Mr. Sinclaire blushes self-conscious of all eyes looking at him.

He looks at his bride and whispers, „I love you, sweetheart“, before leaving to take his place in line.

---------------------

Close friends and a few distant relatives of both parties were already waiting for the ceremony to commence. The first groomsman, his best friend, entered with Annabelle, the first bridesmaid. The  others followed together with flower girls and ring bearer. Mr. Sinclaire walks down the aisle together with the Dowager Countess upon his arm. Clara had decided to do this walk alone as a sign of her grieving -- she was still sad that her parents were not there, however, she could feel their presence somehow and this brought her some comfort. 

Upon her arrival at the altar, she hands Annabelle the bouquet, then, takes her place upon the left of Mr. Sinclaire, in front of Bishop Monroe — her Grandmother standing by her right side. Mr. Sinclaire lifts her veil seeing her clearly for the first time today. He caresses her cheeks with his thumbs quickly, a gesture she really appreciates.

„Dear Beloved, we are gathered here today in the sight of God and in the face of this congregation to witness and celebrate the union of Mr. Ernest Sinclaire and Lady Clara, Countess of Edgewater in holy matrimony. With love and commitment, they have decided to join together as husband and wife. At this moment, I would like to share a passage from the holy book with you: 

‚Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love I am only a resounding gong or clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and can understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have faith, that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I give all I possess to the poor, and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;  does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.’

These two persons present come now to be joined, therefore if any man can show any just cause why they may not lawfully join together, let him now speak or else here after forever hold his peace“, after a long second of silence, Bishop Monroe smiles, „After reviewing that there were no impediment why you may not be lawfully joined together in matrimony, I do now ask: Ernest Alexander wilt thou have this woman to thy wedded wife, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of matrimony? Wilt thou love her, comfort her, honour and keep her, in sickness, and in health? And forsaking all other, keep thee only to her, so long as you both shall live“.

Mr. Sinclaire looks at Clara and smiles: „I will“.

„Clara Marie, wilt thou have this man to thy wedded husband, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of matrimony? Wilt thou love, honour, and keep him, in sickness, and in health? And forsaking all other, keep thee only unto him, so long as you both shall live?“ 

She smiles at Mr. Sinclaire: „I will“

Bishop Monroe looks at the Dowager Countess „Who giveth this woman to be married unto this man?“, and she gives Clara’s hand to him, who hands it to Mr. Sinclaire.

Mr. Sinclaire looks into Claras eyes, smiling and repeats Bishop Monroe words, "I, Ernest Alexander, take thee, Clara Marie, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forth, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness, and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us depart, according to God's holy ordinance: And thereto I plight thee my troth“.

Clara hold his gaze whilst Mr. Sinclaire caresses her knuckles: „I, Clara Marie, take thee, Ernest Alexander, to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forth, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness, and in health, to love, and cherish, till death us depart, according to God's holy ordinance: And thereto I give thee my troth“. 

Bishop Monroe blesses the ring -- Mr. Sinclaire takes her hand in his and repeats after the Bishop: „With this ring I thee wed: with my body I thee worship: and with all my worldly goods I thee endow.“, he puts the ring on her finger and kisses it. After a last prayer, the Bishop joining their hands together declaires: „Those whom God hath joined together, let no man put asunder. Forasmuch as Ernest and Clara have consented in holy wedlock, and have witnessed the same before God and this company, and thereto have given and pledged their troth either to other, and have declared the same by giving and receiving of a ring, and by joining of hands: I pronounce that they be man and wife together“. Annabelle hands Clara her wedding bouquet, lifts her gown’s train and Mr. Sinclaire, Clara and two witnesses follows the Bishop to the vestry to enter the marriage lines into the parish register book. 

Mr. Sinclaire signs proudly his name and Clara giggles as she signs her new name for the first time: Clara, Countess of Edgewater, Mrs. Ernest Sinclaire. As they leave the vestry, Mr. Sinclaire escorts Clara outside the Church and into his carriage. 

In the minute their carriage takes off to Edgewater, Mr. Sinclaire sits by Clara’s sides and without any other word he kisses her passionately, something he wished he could have done as soon as he laid eyes on her this morning. His hand cups her face, her hands caressing his strong arms — it was a special kiss, the first as husband and wife. It was fiery and demanding, there was nothing holding Mr. Sinclaire back anymore — she was his and he was hers. His lips leave hers and he looks intensely into her eyes „Mrs. Sinclaire… there is so many things I wish I could have told you this morning, however, the most important of all, I want you to know how blessed I am for having you as my wife. I cannot wait to start my life with you… to tell you everyday how beautiful you are and how I appreciate everything you do. I cannot imagine another day without you by my side, Clara“, before she can say anything he presses his warm lips against hers once again.

——————————

Upon arriving in Edgewater they head to Clara’s room for a moment alone whilst their guests arrive from the church for the traditional wedding breakfast. Clara shuts the door behind her and smiles, „I do not think you have ever been to my chambers, Ernest“, she walks to him and brushes her lips against his cheeks, „Would you please free me from this veil?“, she turnes around allowing him to take a look at it.

„I cannot say I have...“, he does as she asked, then lowers his lips to her neck, kissing his way to her shoulder. His hands pulls her towards him, „You look stunning... I know better than starting something I cannot finish, however, you are irresistible, my Lady“, his hands moving from her waist to her thighs. His touch sends a shiver down her spine.

Clara turns around, she crosses her arms behind his neck and pulls him closer, „You have been able to resist me for the past seven months, what are a few more hours of waiting?“, she caresses his cheeks.

„Eternity…“, he chuckles, „However, we only have a breakfast to attend to, some socialising to do and in the afternoon I will not be going home alone. I will hold on to this thought!“. He kisses her gently „Will you dance with me, love?“, his eyes are sparkling and his smile is broad.

Clara giggles and blushes „Mr. Sinclaire, I thought you hated these kind of activities. Also, there is no music we could dance to“, she lays her head on his chest, her hands holding him.

„I would not say that I hate it, I just do not enjoy it as much as the others. However, I would enjoy it with you… here… right now. We do not need music, we have each other and that is all we need“, he lays his hands protectively around her. She looks up to him and he gazes upon her. For a while, they move their bodies slowly in a rhythm only they know. He twirls her around, dipping her, then he leans forward, staring at her big green eyes. Clara feels her heart skip a beat, her face turning to a light shade of pink as he closes the distance between their lips, kissing her for a second and then pulling her back up. „I would love to forever dance with you, my love, however we should go and celebrate with our guests“, Clara nods and they leave the room.

—————————— 

The weather is so lovely that tables were setup outside. Into the afternoon, after receiving congratulations, having a lavish breakfast with their guests, cutting and boxing the wedding cake for the attendants, Mr. Sinclaire takes Clara to her new home: Ledford Park.

He stands with Clara and Briar in front of Clara’s chambers: „Miss Daly, would you please give me a minute alone with Mrs. Sinclaire?“, Briar nods and Mr. Sinclaire guides Clara into her new room. After shutting the door behind him he holds both of her hands in his: „Before I leave you alone with Miss Daly, is there anything I can do for you? Is there anything you would like to do today? Ride somewhere, for example?“, he kisses one of her hands.

„Thank you, Ernest. However, the weather is changing and it will soon rain. I would rather spend sometime alone with you…“, she blushes looking at the floor.

Mr. Sinclaire smiles and kisses her cheek gently, whispering: „There is nothing else I would rather do, love“, his strong arms surround her into a gentle hug, „I will light the fire in our marital chamber’s fireplace before I go freshen up. This door will take you to our room“, he points to the dark wood door with golden knob behind Clara and kisses her forehead „I love you!“, he heads out throwing one last glance at her before leaving.

--------

Read more: 

Marrying you: Chapter 5: “Ever Thine, Ever Mine” (NSFW — MC x Mr. Sinclaire)

-------

Would you like to be tagged on my D&D fanfics? Click here

Tag List:

@gardeningourmet @the-writerly-night-owl @aclockworkapricot

@hopefulmoonobject @catlady0911 @classychoicesaworld

@give-me-ernest-sinclaire @unenchantedbutterflysword @mindlesschicca

@hellospunkiebrewster @magnificentbananacalzonellama @claramillstakenalready @naffeesaa

@ety151 @xo-endlessmayhem-xo @fanfictionrecommendations-com

@snickette​ @3pawandme @drakewalkerfantasy​ @indiacater

@melodyofgraves @a-new-hope-van-dyne @llamasgrl

@endlessly-searching-for-you @choicesyouplayandmore @alittlebitbethany

[etstrunkblog-blog]

the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee-10 Feb. 2019Mercy vs. Virtue Text: Luke 18:9-14 & Psalm 97:10 [KJV] The parable of the Pharisee and the Publican (or the Pharisee and the Tax Collector) is a parable of Jesus that appears in the Gospel of Luke. In Luke 18:9-14 a Pharisee, obsessed by his own virtue, is contrasted with a tax collector who humbly asks God for mercy (see Psalms 23 & 138). This parable demonstrates the need to pray humbly. It  immediately follows the Parable of the Unjust Judge, which is also about prayer. Virtue (Latin: virtus, Ancient Greek: ἀρετή "arete")is moral excellence. A virtue is a trait or quality that is deemed to be morally good and thus is valued as a foundation of principle and good moral being. Personal virtues are characteristics valued as promoting collective and individual greatness. In other words, it is a behavior that shows high moral standards. Doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong. The opposite of virtue is vice (see Luke 5:1-11).The four classic cardinal virtues in Christianity are temperance, prudence, courage, and justice. Christianity derives the three theological virtues of faith, hope and love (charity) from 1 Corinthians. Together these make up the seven virtues. Buddhism's four brahmavihara ("Divine States") can be regarded as virtues in the European sense. The Japanese Bushidō code is characterized by up to ten virtues, including rectitude, courage, and benevolence.On the other hand, Mercy (Middle English, from Anglo-French merci, from Medieval Latin merced-, merces, from Latin, "price paid, wages", from merc-, merxi "merchandise") is benevolence, forgiveness, and kindness in a variety of ethical, religious, social, and legal contexts.The concept of a merciful God appears in various religions, including Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism and   Islam.Performing acts of mercy as a component of religious beliefs is also emphasized through actions such as the giving of alms, and care for the sick and Works of Mercy (see 1 Chronicles 14:8-17).In the social and legal context, mercy may refer both to compassionate behavior on the part of those in power (e.g. mercy shown by a judge toward a convict), or on the part of a humanitarian third party, e.g., a mission of mercy aiming to treat war victim. Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with an object of worship, typically a deity, through deliberate communication. In the narrow sense, the term refers to an act of supplication or intercession directed towards a deity, or a deified ancestor. More generally, prayer can also have the purpose of thanksgiving or praise, and in comparative religion is closely associated with more abstract forms of meditation and with charms or spells.Prayer can take a variety of forms: it can be part of a set liturgy or ritual, and it can be performed alone or in groups. Prayer may take the form of a hymn, incantation,formal creedal statement, or a spontaneous utterance in the praying person.Today, most major religions involve prayer in one way or another; some ritualize the act, requiring a strict sequence of actions or placing a restriction on who is permitted to pray, while others teach that prayer may be practiced spontaneously by anyone at any time.We read in Psalm 119:103-105, "How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."  Psalm 1:4 says, "The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away." And we read in Romans 8:6, "For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace (see also 8:28-39)." And in Romans 6:23 we read, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." St. Paul tells us in 1 Timothy 4:9-15, "This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, specially of those that believe. These things command and teach. Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all (see also Galatians 5:22-6:2)" Jesus said in Matthew 11:27-30, "All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." We read in Luke 19:1-10, "And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord: Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost". And in Luke 21:8-19 we read, "And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them. But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by. Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.  But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake. And it shall turn to you for a testimony. Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.  And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. But there shall not an hair of your head perish.  In your patience possess ye your souls" . And finally in Luke 24:1-12, "Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.  And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. And they remembered his words, And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest. It was Mary Magdalene and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles. And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not. Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass". Before I close, just let me give everyone a few reminders: Be Reminded of the Light to Guide the Journey, Remember Your Call and Election, Remember the Truths, Remember the Power of the Lord, and Remember the Light Shining in Dark Places.  As 2 Peter 1:10-20 reads, " Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me. Moreover I will endeavor that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation." And now may the peace of God which surpasses all human understanding, keep our hearts and minds on Jesus Christ our Lord.

[pastordorry-blog]

Our Father

Lord’s Prayer Week 1

Matthew 6:1-13

January 13, 2019

           I spent much of Monday and Tuesday at Camp Innabah, which is a United Methodist camp just off of Route 100 above the PA turnpike.  I went as part of a pilot group, testing out new program for evaluating Methodist clergy, and hopefully helping us improve!  

The organizer of the retreat asked me if I would bring a game to play on Monday night after we finished up our work.  I decided to bring a game called “Things”. You read a card, everyone writes their response, and then you try to guess who said what.  One of our categories was, “Things you would like to see blow up.”  Part of the fun of the game is playing it late at night, when everyone is punchy and things are funnier.  I will let you use your imagination as to what seven or eight United Methodist pastors might have said about things we’d like to see blow up!

We played for over an hour.  Some of our responses were logical, and some were designed to just get a laugh.  When the question was, “Things you never want to hear your teacher say.”, it wasn’t a surprise to see responses like, “Pop quiz today!”, or “That’s it.  No recess.”  But my favorite response was, “Who brought the lice?”  Turns out, one of my clergy colleagues has a daughter in third grade, and a bunch of kids in her class got lice in December.  Oh boy.  No one wants to hear the teacher announce that there’s lice!

But to me, the best response to that question was, “This is too hard for you.”  Can you imagine a teacher, telling their students, this is too hard for you? Might as well give up, you will never master this.  On the one hand, it might be an act of kindness.  When I took physics in college, I got a 33% on the first test, which turned out to be a C, because of a very generous curve.  It was pretty clear to me, I am not going to be successful in this class.  I dropped it and moved on to try different subjects that were a better fit for my interests and talents.

Even though it might be kind in some situations, to hear a teacher say, “This is too hard for you” also seems unfair.  The teacher doesn’t know everything!  They don’t have a crystal ball!  Maybe if I really apply myself, I will be successful, even if the odds are against me.  Aren’t teachers supposed to see the best in us and move us toward that?

The retreat at Camp Innabah gave me lots to think about, new concepts, new insights.  But as I prepared for today, it was this question, “Things you never want to hear your teacher say”, that stood out most.  In Luke’s version of the Lord’s Prayer, it comes as a response to the disciples asking their Jesus, Lord teach us to pray.  What if Jesus would have said, “No, this is too hard for you.”???

It is very interesting to me that the disciples, who were all Jewish, asked Jesus to teach them to pray.  Certainly they already had many prayers memorized.  They participated in ritual prayer several times a day, and said prayers not only at meals, but upon waking up, upon resting for the night, there were even prayers to be said after having a bowel movement! Their days were filled with prayer long before they asked Jesus how to pray.

But clearly something was missing.  Their days may have been filled with prayer, but their hearts were not filled.  They wanted not just ritual, but intimacy.  They wanted words, not just to mark the moments of their ordinary days, but words that could take them beyond the ordinary!  The disciples had plenty of prayer covering every topic from suffering to joy.  What they did not have was a prayer that allowed them to participate in the spiritual realm the way Jesus could.  

And I think that is the key to praying the Lord’s Prayer.  The Lord’s Prayer is not just a bunch of words worth memorizing and reciting at least once a week.  It is a passport to the spiritual realm!  It is map that not only shows us what matters to God, but it can take us there.  There’s an old story about a group of people who had to choose between two doorways.  The sign on the first door said, “Heaven”.  The sign on the second door said, “Lecture about heaven.”  Guess which door they picked?  You’d think people would want to go straight to heaven.  But instead, most people are content to listen to the lecture about heaven.  They like the idea of heaven but don’t want to go there just yet, because it would mean giving up things that still mattered to them.

When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, I think what they were saying is, “The old things don’t matter to us anymore.  Teach us to be like you.  Teach us to believe like you.  Teach us to think and act as you, because you are heaven itself.”  Being with Jesus showed them that there were greater possibilities than they could have imagined before.  Spending time with Jesus opened up their expectations, and they started looking for more.  And when they asked Jesus to teach them how to get that “more”, Jesus did not say, “This is too hard for you!”  Jesus said simply, “Our Father…”

  I thought that today we would be focusing on those two words.  It seems like a logical place to start when learning about the Lord’s Prayer.  But I felt in my heart that there was something we needed to get clear before that.  We need to understand WHY this prayer is important.  As I said, the disciples already had a slew of prayers memorized, prayers for every occasion.  But there was a posture to those prayers that was not going to be enough.  Those were faithful prayers, powerful prayers, but they were not the prayer of people who knew they were “in on” the greatest gift God ever gave the world.  The Lord’s Prayer allows the prayer to be in the same exact position as Jesus was when he prays:  addressing God as Father.  Abba. Daddy. Jesus gave us this prayer so we could participate as he does in the things of God!  

Knowing that makes a huge difference!  You may not have ever stopped to consider why the Lord’s Prayer is so important to Christians.  It is because, in this prayer, Jesus gives us a new place.  It is the distinctive prayer for Christians, because it is the prayer that makes us “little Christs”!  We are addressing God the same way Jesus did, from his same position of beloved child and member of the divine family.  Last week I spoke about the word flamboyant in my sermon, and I got more feedback from that one word than I ever had from a sermon.  It really resonated with you!  Lima Church wants to be flamboyant, to be a strikingly brilliant witness for Christ.  It might seem plain vanilla then to follow that up with learning about the Lord’s Prayer. But when we keep in mind exactly what this prayer does—that it elevates the prayer to being part of God’s holy family and allows us to participate in the divine life in the same ways Jesus did—well I don’t think there’s anything plain vanilla about that at all!  I think that is pretty darn flamboyant!

On Thursday night at our prayer vigil, one of the phrases I wrote down was, “Respect yourself”.  Prayer the Lord’s Prayer is way to show respect to yourself.  You are a member of God’s holy family.  Which is why I suppose the prayer immediately goes on to say, hallowed be thy name.  We are part of God’s divine family, so the prayer says, let’s act like it!

We will talk more about hallowing God’s name next week, but let’s tune in for just a second on the first two words of the prayer. The first word is “Our”.  A tiny, three letter little adjective that would be easy to gloss over, except for the fact that this prayer comes from Jesus and therefore every word is important. What do you make of the prayer starting with the word, “Our”?  To me, it means, not only respect yourself, but respect each other.  There are other people in God’s family.  People who we might disagree with, who might bug the heck out of us, who have hurt us.  But that doesn’t mean they are not our family members.  There are no only children in Christianity!  

I have several books about the Lord’s prayer on my shelves, and I pulled this one off a few days ago to re-read.  It was put together in 2006 by a group of United Methodists from the Iowa conference.  There’s a little story in the back about how, after a heated debate over human sexuality at one of their meetings, the leading spokespersons for the two competing opinions decided to walk a labyrinth together in prayer.  They started the labyrinth walking as opponents.  They saw each other as theological enemies and adversaries.  But prayer together changed them.  Afterwards they wrote this prayer, “Bind us together as only your love can and help us always to remember that our relationship with Christ is first.”

As we approach General Conference at the end of February, we are going to be focusing on the Lord’s Prayer in worship every week, in the hopes that we can find ways to more fully live out the prayer, “Our Father”.  I believe God is glorified when we find ways to be unified in love, even if we are divided in thought.  And I am sure Jesus would not be a teacher who says, “This is too hard for you.  Don’t bother trying!”  I ask you to make an extra special effort to pray for our denomination in the weeks ahead, and if you’re not sure what else to say, you can just pray the Lord’s prayer!  And if that is too much, just meditate on the word, “Our”.  Do you think doing that would bring about change in our world?  We are all in the same boat, aren’t we?  God’s beloved children.

So on that note, let’s talk for a second about Father.  I know some people have a hard time with the male genderization of God, and this is where we all have to use our imaginations a little bit.  No one thinks God is actually a boy.  Pope Francis tells a cute story about how he understands this second word of the Lord’s Prayer:

When he was five or six years old, Pope Francis had to have his tonsils taken out.  At the time, they did not use any anesthesia for the procedure.  The doctor showed you the ice cream you would get as a reward, they put something in your mouth to keep it open, and a nurse held you down while the doctor used scissors to cut out your tonsils!  Afterwards, his father gave him the ice cream, and then he called a taxi to take them home.  Young Pope Francis was shocked to see his father pay the taxi driver but couldn’t ask because it hurt too much to talk.  A few days later when he could use his voice again, he asked his dad why he paid a stranger to drive them home.  His father explained how taxis work.  Little Pope Francis said, but wasn’t that your car?  In his childhood understanding of how big and powerful his father was, he thought his dad owned every car in the city!  Pope Francis wrote that God is like that—immense, powerful, majestic.  But God will also give you ice cream and help you through when you need loving care.  

Our Father who art in heaven is a prayer given to us to help us find our place in God’s family.  Jesus told his disciples, “I will not leave you orphaned.”  We are not alone.  Each of us has siblings.  Each of us has a heavenly Father.  We are loved beyond measure, and flamboyantly invited to participate in the life of the Divine.

In our gospel lesson today, Jesus taught his disciples that real prayer is not about reciting religious words, or feeling self-satisfied that we have fulfilled some religious duty.  That’s what the Pharisees did.  True prayer is about allowing ourselves to love.  To love our neighbors as ourselves, and to love God, our spiritual, heavenly Father.  As Richard Foster, a contemporary Christian author of several books on the spiritual life puts it, “Real prayer comes not about gritting our teeth, but from falling in love.” Amen.

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

3rd June >> Mass Readings (Europe, Africa, New Zealand, Australia & Canada)   for The Solemnity of Corpus Christi

(Liturgical Colour: White) First Reading Exodus 24:3-8 This is the blood of the Covenant that the Lord has made with you Moses went and told the people all the commands of the Lord and all the ordinances. In answer, all the people said with one voice, ‘We will observe all the commands that the Lord has decreed.’ Moses put all the commands of the Lord into writing, and early next morning he built an altar at the foot of the mountain, with twelve standing-stones for the twelve tribes of Israel. Then he directed certain young Israelites to offer holocausts and to immolate bullocks to the Lord as communion sacrifices. Half of the blood Moses took up and put into basins, the other half he cast on the altar. And taking the Book of the Covenant he read it to the listening people, and they said, ‘We will observe all that the Lord has decreed; we will obey.’ Then Moses took the blood and cast it towards the people. This’ he said ‘is the blood of the Covenant that the Lord has made with you, containing all these rules.’ The Word of the Lord R/ Thanks be to God. Responsorial Psalm Psalm 115(116):12-13,15-18 R/ The cup of salvation I will raise; I will call on the Lord’s name. How can I repay the Lord    for his goodness to me? The cup of salvation I will raise;    I will call on the Lord’s name. R/ The cup of salvation I will raise; I will call on the Lord’s name. O precious in the eyes of the Lord    is the death of his faithful. Your servant, Lord, your servant am I;    you have loosened my bonds. R/ The cup of salvation I will raise; I will call on the Lord’s name. A thanksgiving sacrifice I make;    I will call on the Lord’s name. My vows to the Lord I will fulfil    before all his people. R/ The cup of salvation I will raise; I will call on the Lord’s name. Second Reading Hebrews 9:11-15 The blood of Christ can purify our inner self Now Christ has come, as the high priest of all the blessings which were to come. He has passed through the greater, the more perfect tent, which is better than the one made by men’s hands because it is not of this created order; and he has entered the sanctuary once and for all, taking with him not the blood of goats and bull calves, but his own blood, having won an eternal redemption for us. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer are sprinkled on those who have incurred defilement and they restore the holiness of their outward lives; how much more effectively the blood of Christ, who offered himself as the perfect sacrifice to God through the eternal Spirit, can purify our inner self from dead actions so that we do our service to the living God.    He brings a new covenant, as the mediator, only so that the people who were called to an eternal inheritance may actually receive what was promised: his death took place to cancel the sins that infringed the earlier covenant. The Word of the Lord R/ Thanks be to God. Sequence (The Sequence may be said or sung in full, or using the shorter form indicated by the asterisked verses.) Sing forth, O Zion, sweetly sing The praises of thy Shepherd-King,    In hymns and canticles divine; Dare all thou canst, thou hast no song Worthy his praises to prolong,    So far surpassing powers like thine. Today no theme of common praise Forms the sweet burden of thy lays –    The living, life-dispensing food – That food which at the sacred board Unto the brethren twelve our Lord    His parting legacy bestowed. Then be the anthem clear and strong, Thy fullest note, thy sweetest song,    The very music of the breast: For now shines forth the day sublime That brings remembrance of the time    When Jesus first his table blessed. Within our new King’s banquet-hall They meet to keep the festival    That closed the ancient paschal rite: The old is by the new replaced; The substance hath the shadow chased;    And rising day dispels the night. Christ willed what he himself had done Should be renewed while time should run,    In memory of his parting hour: Thus, tutored in his school divine, We consecrate the bread and wine;    And lo – a Host of saving power. This faith to Christian men is given – Bread is made flesh by words from heaven:    Into his blood the wine is turned: What though it baffles nature’s powers Of sense and sight? This faith of ours    Proves more than nature e’er discerned. Concealed beneath the two-fold sign, Meet symbols of the gifts divine,    There lie the mysteries adored: The living body is our food; Our drink the ever-precious blood;    In each, one undivided Lord. Not he that eateth it divides The sacred food, which whole abides    Unbroken still, nor knows decay; Be one, or be a thousand fed, They eat alike that living bread    Which, still received, ne’er wastes away. The good, the guilty share therein, With sure increase of grace or sin,    The ghostly life, or ghostly death: Death to the guilty; to the good Immortal life. See how one food    Man’s joy or woe accomplisheth. We break the Sacrament, but bold And firm thy faith shall keep its hold, Deem not the whole doth more enfold    Than in the fractured part resides Deem not that Christ doth broken lie, ’Tis but the sign that meets the eye, The hidden deep reality    In all its fullness still abides. – – – – – – *Behold the bread of angels, sent For pilgrims in their banishment, The bread for God’s true children meant,    That may not unto dogs be given: Oft in the olden types foreshowed; In Isaac on the altar bowed, And in the ancient paschal food,    And in the manna sent from heaven. *Come then, good shepherd, bread divine, Still show to us thy mercy sign; Oh, feed us still, still keep us thine; So may we see thy glories shine    In fields of immortality; *O thou, the wisest, mightiest, best, Our present food, our future rest, Come, make us each thy chosen guest, Co-heirs of thine, and comrades blest    With saints whose dwelling is with thee. Amen. Alleluia. Gospel Acclamation John 6:51 Alleluia, alleluia! I am the living bread which has come down from heaven, says the Lord. Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever. Alleluia! Gospel Mark 14:12-16,22-26 This is my body; this is my blood On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb was sacrificed, his disciples said to Jesus, ‘Where do you want us to go and make the preparations for you to eat the passover?’ So he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, ‘Go into the city and you will meet a man carrying a pitcher of water. Follow him, and say to the owner of the house which he enters, “The Master says: Where is my dining room in which I can eat the passover with my disciples?” He will show you a large upper room furnished with couches, all prepared. Make the preparations for us there.’ The disciples set out and went to the city and found everything as he had told them, and prepared the Passover.    And as they were eating he took some bread, and when he had said the blessing he broke it and gave it to them. ‘Take it,’ he said ‘this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, and when he had returned thanks he gave it to them, and all drank from it, and he said to them, ‘This is my blood, the blood of the covenant, which is to be poured out for many. I tell you solemnly, I shall not drink any more wine until the day I drink the new wine in the kingdom of God.’    After psalms had been sung they left for the Mount of Olives. The Gospel of the Lord R/ Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.

[actuallylorelaigilmore]

Jean and Lucien #33 Prove it

This was really fun! :) I love them during the early years…and now I kinda want to write a proper Much Ado About Nothing AU, with Mattie as Hero.

2,000 words of Lucien x Jean “acting,” emotional fluff, set after 2x05. Also on AO3.

Her slow grin was a warning, but of what, he couldn’t say until she replied. “Alright, Lucien. I’ll read Beatrice for you…but you have to play Benedick.”

Lucien left his office to join Jean in the living room before dinner, and found her studying a book on the couch.

“What’s that you’ve got there?”

“Much Ado About Nothing.” She turned the cover his way before re-opening it. “The church dramatic society is feeling Shakespearean.”

“And you’re auditioning for?”

“Beatrice.”

“Ah.” Was there a polite way to ask if she stood a chance? Lucien wondered. Probably not.

“Yes, I know,” she said, as though she’d heard him thinking. “But it’s going to be different this time.”

Lucien tucked his tongue firmly in his cheek and joined her on the couch. “Oh? How so?”

“This year is my year,” Jean declared with a determined nod. “I don’t care that Patrick Tyneman is funding the production, as usual–I’m going to give them a flawless audition. They’ll have to cast me as something better than a manservant.”

“So, you hope to overcome the influence of the Tynemans through the power of your performance?”

“Not just hope–I plan to. Beatrice would be the perfect role for me…I’ve always liked her, you know.”

“She’s an excellent heroine,” he agreed. “Lots of fire, with an underlying sadness.” Lucien nodded. “You would be perfect at it.”

Jean blinked. “Thank you. I think.”

“I promise you, I meant it as a compliment. She’s one of Shakespeare’s best leading ladies.”

“Yes, well. I agree.”

“So, when is the audition?”

“Tomorrow.”

“And you’re ready.”

She smiled. “Oh, I’m more than ready. I’m eager, to see Susan Tyneman’s face when she ends up playing the apothecary.”

Her glittering eyes made him smile in return–for a kind soul, she could be awfully fierce when she felt like it. “Oh, really?”

“Yes.”

“Prove it.”

She shifted away a little. “I’m sorry?”

“Show me your Beatrice. Consider it a dress rehearsal,” he challenged her with a grin.

Oh, he knew her too well, Jean thought. She couldn’t back down, or she’d start to worry that maybe she wasn’t as prepared as she believed…even though it was silly, Lucien asking her to put on a special performance just for him. Well, two could play at that, she decided.

Her slow grin was a warning, but of what, he couldn’t say until she replied. “Alright, Lucien. I’ll read Beatrice for you…but you have to play Benedick.”

He tapped his fingers on his leg, the only outward sign of his discomfort at the tables being so quickly turned. “Well, I suppose if you insist.”

“Oh, I do. I can’t very well act out both parts, now can I? Somebody has to read him–and Maddie’s not here.”

Things felt a little delicate between them yet, after Richard. Jean might have laughed and agreed when he promised not to give her his blessing ever again…yet Lucien still wasn’t sure how he’d made such a mess of what was meant to be a supportive gesture. He was a terrible actor, he knew it, but maybe a bit of lighthearted fun would set things right.

“Okay, then. I’m game.” He held out his hand for the script. “You have your end memorized, I assume?”

“Of course.” She handed the book over, fingers holding it open to her audition scene. “Here, where we’re the only two left.”

“Let’s see…” Lucien scanned the page until he found the spot. He stood up, projecting his best theater voice. “Lady Beatrice, have you wept all this while?”

Jean stayed seated, looking up at him as her eyes began to fill with tears. “Yea, and I will weep a while longer.”

He had to set aside his own fascination to stay in character; Jean was a vision. “I will not desire that,” he replied, inwardly marveling at the way she was able to hold herself on the verge of crying without spilling over.

“You have no reason; I do it freely.”

Lucien sat, knees touching hers as he aimed his most sympathetic face her way. “Surely I do believe your fair cousin is wronged.”

Jean’s eyes flashed. “Ah, how much might the man deserve of me that would right her!”

“Is there any way to show such friendship?”

She sighed. “A very even way, but no such friend.”

“May a man do it?”

Shaking her head, Jean looked away, the first tear falling. “It is a man’s office, but not yours.“

The sense of wounded pride came more easily to him than perhaps it should. Glancing at his next line, Lucien took her hand. “I do love nothing in the world so well as you: is not that strange?”

She sniffled, staring at their joined hands. “As strange as the thing I know not. It were as possible for me to say I loved nothing so well as you: but believe me not; and yet I lie not; I confess nothing, nor I deny nothing.” She removed her hand from his. “I am sorry for my cousin.”

Lucien gripped her forearm. “By my sword, Beatrice, thou lovest me.”

“Do not swear, and eat it.”

He smiled. “I will swear by it that you love me; and I will make him eat it that says I love not you.”

Jean’s eyes widened. “Will you not eat your word?”

“With no sauce that can be devised to it. I protest I love thee.”

“Why, then, God forgive me!”

“What offence, sweet Beatrice?”

She laid her fingers lightly against his cheek. “You have stayed me in a happy hour: I was about to protest I loved you.”

“And do it with all thy heart.” Lucien’s smile was joyful sunlight.

“I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest.”

He took her hands again. “Come, bid me do any thing for thee.”

She squeezed his fingers. “Kill Claudio.”

Standing, Lucien shook his head vehemently. “Ha! not for the wide world.”

“You kill me to deny it.” Jean dropped his hands. “Farewell.”

“Tarry, sweet Beatrice.”

She looked beyond him, shaking her head. “I am gone, though I am here: there is no love in you: nay, I pray you, let me go.” Her whole body was trembling, Lucien realized.

“Beatrice–”

Jean stood up, stepping back from him. “In faith, I will go.”

He reached out to stop her. “We’ll be friends first.”

Her curls caught the light as she tossed her head back. “You dare easier be friends with me than fight with mine enemy.”

“Is Claudio thine enemy?”

“Is he not approved in the height a villain, that hath slandered, scorned, dishonoured my kinswoman?”

Jean shoved Lucien back when he reached for her again. “O that I were a man! What, bear her in hand until they come to take hands; and then, with public accusation, uncovered slander, unmitigated rancour, –O God, that I were a man!” She clenched her fists against her skirt, vibrating with fury. “I would eat his heart in the market-place.”

Her blazing eyes had bewitched him. Lucien forgot to read his next line until Jean broke character, her arched brow signaling for him to catch up.

“Sorry.” He cleared his throat. “Hear me, Beatrice,–”

“Talk with a man out at a window!” She exclaimed, sliding back into the role without pause. “A proper saying!”

“Nay, but, Beatrice,–”

“Sweet Hero!” Jean returned to her seat on the couch. “She is wronged, she is slandered, she is undone.”

He followed her, standing back rather than sitting. “Beat–”

“Princes and counties!” She cut him off. “Surely, a princely testimony, a goodly count, Count Comfect; a sweet gallant, surely! O that I were a man for his sake! or that I had any friend would be a man for my sake!”

Tears slipped down her cheeks without restraint now.

“But manhood is melted into courtesies, valour into compliment, and men are only turned into tongue, and trim ones too: he is now as valiant as Hercules that only tells a lie and swears it. I cannot be a man with wishing, therefore I will die a woman with grieving.”

Lucien clutched her hand with his, feeling Benedick’s desperation to be believed as though it were his own. “Tarry, good Beatrice. By this hand, I love thee.”

She frowned. “Use it for my love some other way than swearing by it.”

“Think you in your soul the Count Claudio hath wronged Hero?”

“Yea, as sure as I have a thought or a soul.”

“Enough, I am engaged; I will challenge him,” Lucien declared, dropping down to sit next to her. “I will kiss your hand, and so I leave you.”

Feeling suddenly nervous, he lifted her hand, trying not to dwell on the way it felt–callouses from years of hard work contrasting with the smoothness of her skin.

Lucien pressed his lips to the back of her hand, his gaze meeting hers.

Her eyes were wide once again, this time sincerely, as his mouth touched her skin. When was the last time a man had kissed her in such an old-fashioned, even romantic, way? Had anyone?

“By this hand,” Lucien said quietly, eyes still locked on hers, “Claudio shall render me a dear account.” His voice was rough, no longer his best attempt at a dramatic accent.

There was no reason to continue holding her hand, and yet he was. He couldn’t bear to stop, not while she was watching him with those soft, warm eyes, Beatrice’s anger and grief forgotten.

“As you hear of me, so think of me.” He stroked his fingers over hers, attempting to soothe even as he held her in place.

When Jean broke eye contact, he released her, realizing how foolish he must seem. He looked down at the script. “Go, comfort your cousin: I must say she is dead: and so, farewell.”

“Right.” Jean smoothed a hand over her hair, fingers shaking a little. “So, what did you think?”

“You’re brilliant,” he told her, sincerely. “Bravo.”

“Better than Susan Tyneman?”

“Miles beyond her.” Grinning, Lucien hoped to shift them back onto familiar ground. “What about me?”

“You were fine,” Jean said with a solemn face. Then she giggled, unable to hold it. “Though…why were you Scottish?”

“I was English,” he argued. “Like Shakespeare.”

He hadn’t sounded very English to her, but Jean pressed on. “You studied Shakespeare in school, didn’t you? You do know he didn’t set every play in Britain.”

“Of course.” He smiled. “Artistic license.”

"If you say so.”

“You know, Jean,” he said, happy to deflect further critique of his performance, “you really make an excellent Beatrice.”

“Thank you, Lucien. Now, hopefully the director will agree with you.”

Lucien had a sudden memory of Jean standing with a rather dejected man, and was irrationally glad that one of the women of the church had taken over running the plays. He had no right to feel territorial, and yet…

“Jean?”

“Yes, Lucien?”

“If you need to rehearse…when you get the part, that is…I could play Benedick again.”

Jean flushed a little. Of course it would be a terrible idea, she told herself. Playing with fire.

That was what her connection to Lucien was, and she knew it. He was still hurting over the loss of his wife, and she was still Christopher’s widow…no matter where her mind might wander late at night, remembering the casual way he rested his hand on her back or shoulder, the way he was always, always touching her. The way he didn’t even know he was driving her crazy, just by being friendly.

She had gotten so used to a life without affection over the last few years that the tactile doctor was a permanent shock to her system; like the zap of feet scuffing carpet, a buzzing tingle running over her skin. But where static electricity only mussed her hair, Lucien’s cheerful brushes set her nerve endings alight.

They reminded her that she was alive.

“You know,” she told him, ignoring the nagging warning in her head, “I’d like that. How about tomorrow night?”

[lifeofresulullah]

The Life of The Prophet Muhammad: Calling the Tribes to Islam, the Allegiances of Aqaba and Migration to Madinah

The Prophet Arrives in Madinah

The Muslims of Madinah heard that the Messenger of Allah had set off for Madinah from Makkah. Therefore, they went to the place called Harra after the morning prayer every day and waited there impatiently until the weather got very hot at noon.

One day, they waited for the arrival of the Prophet for a long time as usual and returned when they saw that it became very hot.

Meanwhile, a Jewish person who was on the roof of his house saw a few people in white clothes walking through the hot desert, mirages, and fog. He knew that Muslims were waiting for the Messenger of Allah. He could not help shouting, “O community of Arabs! The person you have been waiting for is coming!” giving Muslims the good news. 

This good news traveled like lightning among the streets of Madinah. The city was like a place of the festival because the person who offered peace and happiness to humanity was coming. Muslims took their weapons and ran toward that area.

They reached the Prophet and Hazrat Abu Bakr while they were resting in the shade of a date tree. Hazrat Abu Bakr was standing near the Prophet. They greeted the Master of the Universe, for whom they had been waiting excitedly, impatiently and longingly, who was in a white garment and started to stare at his luminous blessed face.

After having a rest for a while in the shade of the date tree, the Messenger of Allah and his friends proceeded to the village of Quba, which was to the right of Madinah, together with the people who came from Madinah to welcome them.  

It was a very hot day in the month of Rabiulawwal.

The sun was sending its arrows made of fire down to the earth. The Messenger of Allah and the group of believers with him arrived at the village of Quba, which was an hour away from the city of Madinah, before noon. He went to the house of Kulthum b. Hidam, the leader of Banu Amr b. Awf. The fast journey on the scorching sand exhausted the Prophet. He decided to stay in Quba for a while due to the wishes of the people who wanted to talk to him.

The Prophet stayed in the house of Kulthum b. Hidam, who was quite old, at night and went to the house of Sa’d b. Haythama, who was a single Companion, during the day in order to talk to the Muslims. Besides, the other single Companions stayed in his house, too. Therefore, his house was called “Daru’l-Uzab [the House of Bachelors]”. 

Hazrat Ali Rejoins the Prophet

Hazrat Ali had stayed in Makkah in order to return the valuables and goods that the Qurayshis entrusted to the Prophet to their owners due to the order of the Prophet.

Hazrat Ali fulfilled this duty and left Makkah three days after the Prophet left. He rejoined the Prophet when he was in Quba. His feet had swollen and blistered because he had walked all the way. The Prophet hugged him in tears, prayed for him so that his feet will recover and rubbed them with his hand. God Almighty cured his feet at once. The blisters and pains in his feet disappeared. 

CONSTRUCTION OF THE QUBA MOSQUE

The Messenger of Allah stayed for more than ten nights in the house of Banu Amr b. Awf. During this period, he established the Quba Mosque and performed prayers in it.  

Although some Muslims built a mosque for themselves before the mosque established by the Prophet, the first mosque built for the community of Islam is the Quba Mosque.

The Messenger of Allah himself worked in the construction of this lofty mosque, which was built on Kulthum b. Hidam’s land, where he dried his dates. Once, the Prophet was carrying a very heavy stone. One of the Companions approached him and said, “O Messenger of Allah! May my father and mother be sacrificed for you. Give it to me.” The Prophet said to him, “No, I won’t! Get another stone.”, expressing that he got pleasure from working. Thus, he served as a model with his efforts and hard work along with his other good attributes like worship, taqwa, loyalty, mercy, resoluteness, and courage.

Observing his efforts and hard work, Muslims worked enthusiastically without showing any signs of laziness or fatigue. The Prophet did not stop working until the construction of the mosque finished; he did not treat himself differently from other Muslims.

Importance and Superiority of the Quba Mosque

The Quba Mosque is a blessed monument of the luminous and magnificent period that started with the migration of the Messenger of Allah and that continued especially with his arrival at the village of Quba. Therefore, it was defined as a “mosque of taqwa” in the Quran. The following is stated in the relevant verse:

“There is a mosque whose foundation was laid from the first day on piety; it is more worthy of thy standing forth (for prayer) therein. In it are men who love to be purified; Allah loveth those who make themselves pure!” 

The Respectable Prophet always went to the Quba Mosque on Saturdays during his life sometimes on foot and sometimes riding and performed prayers there. Besides, he encouraged believers to perform prayers there giving the good news that a person who performed prayers in that blessed mosque in a nice and clean way would receive the reward of an Umra.

The Quba Mosque is significant and important because it was built in a period when the barriers in front of Islam started to be removed gradually and the development and advancement of Islam started.

Suhayb b. Sinan Goes to Quba

Suhayb b. Sinan was one of the helpless and lonely Muslims who were exposed to the tortures of polytheists. When the Prophet was given permission to migrate to Madinah, he could not find an opportunity to leave Makkah.

When he saw that Hazrat Ali was about to migrate, he packed his things and set off. When some Makkans saw him, they followed him and said, “When you came here, you were poor; you became rich here. You want to take your wealth with you. We will not let you do it!”

Acting upon the courage based on his belief, Suhayb dismounted and took his arrows out of his bag. He said to the Qurayshis, who was trying to stop him from migrating, “You know that I am one of the best archers among you. I will shoot all of my arrows; if I run out of arrows, I will draw my sword! As long as I have one of them with me, I will not let you approach me!”

The polytheists could not answer this heroic callback. They knew that this hero of Islam would not surrender easily. On the one hand, there was Suhayb b. Sinan, who stood up with the courage supported by his belief; on the other hand, there were polytheists who were afraid due to the polytheism in their hearts.

Then, Suhayb made them this offer:

“Will you let me go if I show you where all my wealth is and leave it to you?”

The polytheists, who loved worldly possessions so much, said, “Yes...”

Hazrat Suhayb left his wealth to them and migrated on the way of Allah in order to practice his religion and belief freely.

He rejoined the Messenger of Allah in Quba in the middle of the month of Rabiulawwal. He had a pain in his eye on the way and he was very hungry. There was a bunch of fresh palms with leaves in front of the Prophet, Hazrat Abu Bakr and Hazrat Umar. Hazrat Suhayb started to eat the fresh dates immediately.

Hazrat Umar said, “O Messenger of Allah! Do you see Suhayb? He says he has a pain in his eye and he is eating fresh dates!”

When the Messenger of Allah said, “O Suhayb! You have a pain in your eye but you are eating fresh dates.”, he said,  “O Messenger of Allah! I am eating them with the sound part of my eye.” This witty answer made the Prophet smile.

Then, Hazrat Suhayb said, “O Messenger of Allah! When you left Makkah, the polytheists imprisoned me. I gave them my wealth and bought (saved) my family and myself!”

The Messenger of Allah said, “Suhayb won! Suhayb won! Abu Yah¬ya! The sale turned out to be profitable! The sale turned out to be profitable!”  He gave good news and made Suhayb very happy. 

Then, the following verse was sent down:

“And there is the type of man who gives his life to earn the pleasure of Allah, and Allah is full of kindness to (His) devotees.” 

They Leave Quba

After staying in Quba for more than ten nights, the Messenger of Allah set off to Madinah on Friday. He was on his camel, Qaswa. Hazrat Abu Bakr was behind him; there were about one hundred people with weapons from Banu Najjar, from the tribe of his maternal uncles and many Muslims of Madinah on the right and on the left.

The scene was challenging, pleasing and hopeful. The Messenger of Allah, who was left alone in Makkah, was being accompanied by hundreds of luminous people! They were uttering takbirs (Allahu Akbar); their hearts were full of joy. They had waited for the Prophet, who presented them with the real belief and Islam, which is the source of happiness in the world and in the hereafter, impatiently for days. Now, they were experiencing and feeling the unmatched joy of meeting him.

FIRST FRIDAY PRAYER IN MADINAH

During the journey, the Messenger of Allah turned to the left side and reached the land of Banu Salim b. Awf. When they arrived at a place called Ranuna, it was time for the Friday prayer. The Prophet dismounted his camel in the middle of the Ranuna valley, the place of the Friday Mosque, and performed the Friday prayer there.

It was the first Friday prayer the Prophet performed in Madinah.

The Prophet recited two sermons, one after the other, there. After thanking and praising Allah, he addressed the Muslims as follows:

“O, people! Make preparations for the hereafter when you are healthy. You know very well that every one of you will be asked about the sheep that you left without a shepherd on the Day of Judgment. Then, God Almighty will say to him, without any intermediary, directly, ‘Did My Messenger not come and inform you? I gave you property and I granted you many bounties. What did you prepare for yourself?’ That person will look to the right and left but will not see anything. When he looks to the front, he will see nothing but Hell! Then, anyone who can save himself from the fire even with a half date should give it away at once. If he cannot find a half date, he should save himself by kalima at-tayyiba [nice word]. Through it, one good deed is rewarded by ten to seven hundred times. May Allah’s peace, mercy, and bounties be on you!” 

The Second Sermon

The Messenger of Allah stated the following in his second sermon:

“I praise Allah. I praise Allah and I ask His help. We took refuge in Allah from the evil of our souls and our bad deeds. He whom Allah guides is rightly guided; but he whom Allah leaves to stray,- for him wilt thou find no protector to lead him to the Right Way.

I witness that there is no god but Allah. He is One; He has no partners.

The best word is the word of Allah. A person whose heart Allah decorates with the Quran, whom Allah includes in Islam though he was an unbeliever, who prefers the Quran to other words will definitely be saved.

Doubtlessly, the Book of Allah is the most beautiful and eloquent word. Love what Allah loves. Love Allah heartily. Do not get tired of the word of Allah and mentioning the names and attributes of Allah. Do not let the word of Allah cause gloom in your heart because the word of Allah distinguishes the best ones among everything. It informs you about the best deeds, the prophets, who are the most distinguished people, and the best stories; it states what is halal and haram. Worship Allah and do not associate any partners with Him. Fear Him truly.  

Do good deeds and confirm them with your tongue.

Love one another with the word of Allah. Know very well that Allah punishes severely those who break their promise.

May Allah’s peace be upon you!” 

In the first pledge of Aqaba, the Muslims of Madinah had promised to protect the Messenger of Allah fully when he arrived in their land.

After staying in Quba for a while, the Messenger of Allah was about to enter Madinah, the heart of their land; it was time for them to keep their promise.

Therefore, the Messenger of Allah finished the second sermon by stating that God Almighty would punish severely those who broke their promise.