#repent and show mercy

[i-dreamed-i-had-a-son]

“because he never accepts that it's never been about righteousness--it's about repentance.” except javert killing himself IS repentance.

well, it’s like 12 different things, because bro had gone days without sleeping and very little food and water and he already had low self-worth and kept asking the amis to kill him and just assumed he was going to die AND THEN valjean upended his understanding of the world and morality. he was really going through it & there are a lot of overlapping reasons for why he jumps into the seine.

but javert is like Number One Most Responsible guy in the whole story. taking responsibility is his Thing (forever bitter the musical doesn’t include the punish me monsieur le maire scene). how else, in his derailment, could he atone for his conceived misdeeds other than by handing in his resignation to god? in the brick he had already left a note urging his superiors to treat convicts at toulon better, which is another step in his repentance (and another crime the musical commits by not including it). jumping into the seine was another step.

honestly a lot of ppl who like the book think the musical was dead wrong to exclude him from the big heaven group sing, because it COMPLETELY undermines the themes of forgiveness and compassion threaded throughout les mis. like the musical was simply wrong lol.

This is helpful context! I am still finishing the brick, although I have fully read the abridged version, and that detail about the letter wasn't included, so I didn't know that occurred! (And thank you for the message--this is a long response but I'd love to hear more of your thoughts!)

I agree that Javert is certainly deeply distraught and remorseful; like you mentioned, his worldview is literally falling apart, and his actions reflect his mental state. But his death isn't really repentance--in the sense that it's not what God would have wanted. To me it reads like a Judas situation: a desperate realization of a huge mistake, and doing the only thing you think can make it right, namely, ending it all. That's the just punishment for someone so wrong, isn't it?

But true repentance, meaning the repentance that the Lord desires, is about changing your ways, not "paying a price." Had Javert really understood the beauty of Valjean's mercy (an image of Christ's, just as the bishop's undeserved mercy was to Valjean himself), rather than killing himself, he would have lived to also become "an honest man"--in heart. One who could forgive and understand forgiveness, for himself as well as others. One who could recognize that he is not The Law, that he can fall, but that he can also be "brought to the light." One who could accept that men like Valjean, and men like himself, CAN change, and be changed.

It's tragic to me because so much of "Stars," and his character in the book as well as the musical, is about wanting to be righteous, to rise above his birth and the sinfulness he associates it with. It's about wanting to please the Lord by his actions. But in his end, he shows he never understood what God really wanted from him, and that's where my original phrase comes in: not righteousness, but repentance. To live, and face the man you were, knowing it's no longer the man you are. That it's never been about what you've done or can do, but about what's been done for you. That's the Gospel that he could never fully accept.

To use another example you mentioned, that misunderstanding drives why he asks the Mayor (Valjean) to punish him--in his worldview, mercy is unjust, or at the very least, unfair. Evil must be punished; "those who fall like Lucifer fell" receive "the sword." But "as it is written," God "desires mercy, not sacrifice" (Matthew 9:13). God would have wanted Javert to live, and Javert couldn't see that, and that's why it's devastating to me. In his misunderstanding of the heart of God, he misses what would have set him free from the chains of sin he's always been trying to escape.

That's why he's contrasted with Valjean, who (though he carries guilt about his past till the end of his life) is eventually able to face it and confess what he had done to those he loves. He knew there was mercy to be found, if only it was asked for. Javert was too blinded by pride and shame to realize it, and so, while broken, he never was able to truly repent.

For that, you must go on.

[cheerfullycatholic]

Hmm methinks that only telling people "that's a sin, repent and believe in Christ" is the opposite of helpful

I think how it's worded is important too, but that's not the point of the post

[tenebrius-excellium]

tags by @/nikibogwater

[sweet-as-an-angel]

Ghost & König’s Reaction to You in a Maid Outfit

Warnings: 18+ (just to be safe), Implied Sexual Content, Rough Ghost & König, Dominant Ghost & König, Lashing (with a Belt), Restraining, Victim Blaming (Kind Of), Petnames, König is Basically Feral™, Implied Oral, Threats, No Pronouns used for Reader except ‘You’.

Ghost

Comes up behind you when you’re idling with something and straight-up just sticks his hand up your skirt.

He pulls you to his chest when you jump, squeal, taking advantage of your flailing to hook the band of your underwear and pull them down your thighs.

Confused, you’re given no time to react before Ghost has your hands pinned behind your back, held in place with handcuffs of bone, flesh and pure muscle as he shunts you against the countertop, something protruding – intruding – hard against your exposed centre as he presses himself tightly against you.

Your cheek pressed against the cold surface, you barely see or hear Ghost between your startled breaths, feeling only a shadow come over you as he leans down to your ear, his free hand slithering from your back to your face, where he slips a lock of hair from your vision.

“Did’ya really think you could get away with wearing this,” he said, low, dangerous, his hand coming to grip the hem of your skirt.

“Without consequences ?”

You can feel his hand on your thigh now, gripping the skin hard enough to leave a pale imprint of his lust. Fingers slithering up the expanse of your leg, resting just beneath where you’ll be screaming for him to have mercy half an hour from now.

It doesn’t matter what you do or say now – not that you can or will be able to do much of either with your arms bound and Ghost occupying your mouth with a meat delicacy you can’t buy over a counter (despite that being where you are now, ironically) in about ten minutes’ time..

“The time for apologies is over, Darling,” he tells you. You wince when you hear his belt hissing as he slides it from his jeans, the material crinkling in his grip as if the creature it hailed from was still alive.

And he cracks it. Once. Twice. Against your bare thighs, making you cry out, your stockings having withered under Ghost’s harsh stare.

“All you can do now is repent.”

König

Lures you into a false sense of security with low, soft praises of “How beautiful you look, Engel !” And “Won’t you come closer so I can have a better look at you ?”

By the time you may suspect something in König’s tone is unusually jovial, it’s too late.

You missed the feral glint in his eye, the shattering grip he had on his wine glass, discarded as he turns his attention to you now.

Before you can even wonder what it is he’s thinking, you’re slammed onto the sofa, König sinking down on top of you, his hands steel around your wrists as he holds them beside your head.

And now, you see it.

All at once, and entirely too late.

A predatory possession of all that was your kind, mild-mannered, sensitive König, replaced with a shadowed imitation, blackened by an almost supernatural depth of desire none but he could execute to its fullest potential.

And it shows in how his breathing is ragged despite you posing no real physical test to his strength. Rather, there’s something within trying to break free. And it has you in its sights.

Leaning down, König takes the skin of your neck between his teeth, biting it, sucking it, leaving a path of destruction in his wake as your skin reddens. There will be bruises soon.

Not that König will be letting anyone else see them. You’ll be lucky if you’re able to even leave the bedroom, nevermind the house.

That much is apparent to you in how König growls when you move, try to slip your constricted wrists into some position of comfort, making him clamp down on top of you, his thighs gripping your sides, your ribcage a shell in his vice.

“Don’t try anything cute, Engel,” König husks, voice deep and feral. His pupils are pinpricks, unhinged in a most biological manner. And his teeth seem sharper now. Somehow.

“Or I may be forced to try something unorthodox with you.”

The bulge between his legs, one which he presses to the sensitive spot between yours, tells you he’s deadly serious. If his killing smile wasn’t enough.

Reblog for more content like this! It helps creators like myself tremendously and it is greatly appreciated :-)

Masterlist Masterlist [Continued] Masterpost Modern Warfare AI Masterlist

AO3 Wattpad

[shaisuki]

📌 day four: body worship + taiju shiba

for a man who can easily destroy someone with his fist, he sure is tender with you. treating you like you were a fragile glass. easy to break, cracking under the pressure of a touch.

taiju can be everything but he doesn't fit in the definition of gentle and befitting the synonyms of soft. he's rough, brutal, a sadist. who relishes in the cries of his opponents, laughs at someone's demise and no ounce of mercy to his enemies. took a hundred of beatings still he wasn't one on the floor bleeding as they cling for their life. you saw how violent he can be and how dangerous he is and if he allows it, he can hurt you in many way but taiju was never the reputation he upholds when it comes to you.

the room's dim but it was enough to see each other in his spacious bedroom. sitting in the foot of his king-sized bed, wearing a sheer silk night gown. the length stopping at the middle of your thighs and the man who claims to be your lover towers over your form. silent and calm unlike to his usual expression that is ready to snap at any moment and to crush the bones of whoever provoked him.

he leans down to cup your face. not doing anything but to admire the soft features of your face. the innocence is plastered on them and he slowly kneels in front of you. his hulking figure still dwarfing over you despite being in the half of his height.

the former leader of the black dragon is kneeling in front of you. it was like a sinner and you were the saint he's confessing his sins to. praying for forgiveness and was ready to do whatever you want just to bestow the forgiveness he longs for and you were baffled. taiju had never shown you this side of his despite the multiple intimacies you both shared. he was dominating. controlling whatever he set in motion and you will only be molded as he wants.

“taiju?” you call out to him. confused at what he was doing. you were nervous about it. the swirls of his tribal tattoos are a delight to see in his skin. everything's huge about him. hus muscles bulging at whatever place it was meant to be. he didn't respond to the call of his name. the low rumble akin to a growl coming to his throat is all you received.

a woman like you should be worshipped. it took him many tries and blamed it on to his blindness of the truth. took him a long time to fully see what really you are in his eyes and he was on the brink of insanity how he have ignored you for long and as an act of repentance for the sin he committed. he will adore you, rever in your presence and he'll reach the heaven with you.

he knelt before you. cradling your foot in his hands. raising it for him to kiss it. his lips brushing to your toes. he slowly ascents to where your calf is. his nose brushing on the skin and leaving featherlight kisses. his rough palms grabbing the flesh in your calf before putting your foot on the ground again. your breath hitched when he looks at you lwith those golden yellow eyes of his. his gaze leaving yours to resume kissing all the place untouched by his lips.

you were slowly losing yourself when you feel him nibble the skin inside your thighs. his palms splayed to the surface of your outer thighs and it made you giggle a bit. the size of his huge hands isn't enough to cover the expanse of your thighs doubling in size at the placement.

the small lingering touches was enough to drive you crazy but to taiju, it wasn't enough. he needs to feel every inch of you. show that every part of your body is loved. despite the callousness in his hands from years of brawling, he knows the every bump of your body. the scars and the stretch marks decorating your thighs like it was lighting streaks. he made sure they are kissed, properly worshipped. it belongs to you and when taiju decided that he loves you, loving you wasn't enough. he needs to breath in the air as same as you and if you decide to betray him like what delilah did to samson, he'll ask you to do it again. the difference you weren't delilah and he wasn't samson. if you can't love him, what's the point of his life.

the strange feeling and yet, familiar slowly engulfs him. the coldness of your skin warm against him. he hears every breath you take from his ministrations and the low curse coming from your sweet mouth. he slowly lifts up your nightgown. revealing your soft, fat pussy glistening in wetness of your own slick.

his large hand grabs the underside of your thighs and lifts it up, placing your soft legs in his shoulders. the skin in your thighs are smooth. he just rubs his cheek to feel them before taking a lick until his tongue slowly inches towards your glistening cunt. slow, deliberate licks are what his tongue are capable of, he can do better than this but he only wanted to take it slow this time. feel the softness and the taste in his tongue. warm and saccharine sweet it is and he stops. it's only a taste and he can do more of it later.

he must be god's favorite child. the divine one have given him you and despite all the things that he had done — he was blessed with you and taiju was more than happy to please you with whatever your heart desires. spoils you to the highest of heavens that there's always a smile on your face.

the bed dips with the added weight of his body. hovering above you was taiju. the blue and white strands of his hair dangles above you. his stare intense while looking at his wife beneath him. he could lose his self forever to you before that he needs to feel you. worship you with his lips that you will know tonight and for the rest of the days that he's only devoted to you and only you.

the straps of your night gown is flimsy similar to a thread to his large hands as he slid them down from your shoulder to your arms. slipping it off below your body until your upper body is exposed to him and taiju known for his appetite, licks his lips in delight. he leans down to meet the soft skin of yours begging to be licked and touched by him. leave them with his hickeys and bruises. a reminder that it belongs to him. a lifetime of devotion a man can give to someone but to taiju, a night of devotion to you is worth a lifetime. and he had loved you for many lifetimes that could exist.

taiju leans down. the tip of his nose brushing to the pulse in your neck. descending down to your collarbones covered by your supple skin and then his lips dragging between your breast and stopping until he reaches your round stomach.

the flesh around the areas flat when you're laying in your back but in the slightest movement it moves. it ripples and it jiggles and you feel hot under the gaze of your husband. he had shown you many times how much he loves the part that you sometimes deemed as ugly but it was his favorite and you let him do whatever he wants with it.

the flesh spills in his thick fingers when he grabs them and taiju revered on it. he makes sure to love this part of your body the same he loves. so he makes love to it. his tongue's hot. leaving hot trail marks, he sucks on the parts where your stretch marks is prominent. kissing the scars on them and he didn't stop until he was contented.

the weight of your body is he welcomed a long time ago. you were only a mere centimeters taller than him in this position. his lap as your seat. eye leveled with your chest and this is the only time you can look down on him. his hand rubbing circles on your plush stomach and other is on your back.

“fucking divine.” he speaks and you've gone bashful when he compliments you. there is nothing more beautiful to taiju with your expression. he kisses you on your jaw and groaning when you tug on his hair. “make love to me, tai.” you murmur. kissing his cheeks and he melts at it. a man's weakness is his wife.

grinding on his erection, soaking it with your juices and he curses cause you're asking so sweetly for him and what kind of man he is if he couldn't give what you want and with the guidance of his hands, you finally sank to his cock. he slowly moves his hips. kissing your arms and then, then.... he couldn't think no more. being plagued by his thoughts of you and this sensation that he's connected to you.

he wants it to be like this every night and day and he'd worship you again and again until his last breath.

[cringefailvox]

episode six's vaggie-as-an-angel reveal actually clarifies a lot of things about her dynamic with charlie that i previously found uninteresting or underutilized. it's clear that she has some kind of loyalty/utility complex founded on her low self-esteem, which absolutely makes sense if she used to be an exorcist. she comes from a place where blind obedience is key, and a single act of mercy got her cast out and brutalized—of course she would latch onto the first person who showed her kindness and love. of course it makes sense that she would become fixated on the idea of "repenting" for her past violence against charlie's home by devoting herself to protecting charlie's dreams. their relationship wasn't very compelling to me before but this adds so many delicious dimensions to it; if charlie was the one who found vaggie and took her in, who earned her trust and fell in love with her, then of course vaggie would see charlie as the center of her universe, and would see failing charlie as a reflection of her own worthlessness. and it would never occur to her to tell charlie the truth once she found out how charlie feels about angels, because she loves charlie too much to risk earning her hatred or scorn (even though i don't believe charlie could ever hate her).

[atyourmerci]

† Salvation †

Read pt.1 and pt.2

†

Summary: finale of repent series! Drabble of abby and readers life after abby comes to terms with her sexuality. Happy ever after lesbos<3

Warnings: smut, MDNI, switch!abby, switch!reader, religion play of course, strap usage, refers to strap as cock, cunnilingus, overstimulation, bondage, smnophilia, dirty talk yurrrr, some fluff

A/N: thank you so much for all of the love on this series!! Religious guilt/trauma is a tricky subject and I’m glad that I was able to portray it in a light that most of you could relate or sympathize with. And yall im so bad at writing fluff that’s why this is so short lmao that’s why I only write smut. I’m so excited to write through more niche experiences and topics. Love you like always<3

†

That night was nothing like the first. Your God showed mercy, wrapping your cold, shaky body with cloth and carrying you to where it all started.

This time she held you and never left, she was there was the sun came beaming down, drying out your soaked hair. While you were asleep she had removed her cross and strung it along your neck. Maybe there was no need hold a token of a god she had already met, maybe she wanted everyone else to know- you never cared to question her antics.

After your mission had ended she immediately broke things off with Owen, reclaimed herself within the community. And she for one took no shit with the commentary from anyone about the two of you. Her life mission was to protect you at all costs now, you were all she knew. She wouldn’t leave your side anymore. Anything you did she made sure she was there to protect you, she wouldn’t put your life in anyone else’s hands but her own.

There was a lot of things you had to teach Abby, and by teach, that meant showing her with your legs wide open. On a mission you both were sent out on to look for resources you ran across a run down sex shop. You found a girthy dildo with black leather straps, it was bigger than anything you’d ever taken but with the look of excitement on Abby’s face you couldn’t say no to her. You told her you could use it on her but she insisted on fucking you right there over the counter at the dusty sex shop. She wasted no time dragging your pants down to your ankles and ripping your panties seams to get inside, ”I’d tell you to suck my cock first but you’re so fucking wet already, how bad have you wanted this,hmmm?” She promised she’d go slow, walking you through it, “fuck you’re doing so good, taking me so well for your first time.” After your pain had been replaced with sheer pleasure she couldn’t hold back anymore, pumping into you so hard there was sure to be bruises all over your hips. After abusing your hole for an hour for her own amusement she finally let you cum while drawing circles around your swollen clit as she pounded deep and slow thrust into you. you were so cockdrunk she had to carry you back to the truck and finish the mission herself, it went by quickly as she imagined things she could do to you next with her cock.

She loved showering with you at night, she never let you lift a finger, washing your body gently after sneaking in the strap into the showers. Maybe it was because she learned how to fuck you in the showers that it made her so dominant in that environment. She wouldn’t let you touch her in there even after you begged her while she pinned your arms against the wall, overstimulating your clit over and over again until she was done with you. After she’d run you a bath and hold your fragile body as she ran soapy strips up and down your bruised skin, making sure to kiss every inch so that never missed an atom of your being.

Abby only regressed back into her old ways when she let you take complete control. She’d let you tie her to the bed you shared edging her till she was in tears, babbling prayers to climax. You’d tie her cross necklace around her clit and tug on it while you used your tongue to fuck her dripping hole. You’d only let her cum after she got on her knees like a whore eating away at your cunt while you shamed her for her sins.

Your life with abby wasn’t like anything you’d ever experienced before, but there was no before her, or after her. There was only your god, and hers.

Maybe she had still repented for her sins, maybe she had reached salvation at the mercy of your own sins.

Taglist: @wishbones999 @bookpagecandlescent @littlegingerperson2 @lanafresitas @lookforthelight1 @fict1onallyobsessed

[thewordfortheday]

Who is a God like You, who pardons sins and forgives the transgressions of Your people? You do not stay angry forever but delight in showing mercy. (Micah 7:18-19)

Sometimes we believe we've failed God so badly that He'll never forgive us. But the Bible says, "Jesus Christ came into the world to take away our sins. We deserve to die for our sins -- but He died in our place. Every sin we ever committed was placed on Him, and He took the judgment we deserve.

God doesn't want anyone to sin, but He knows we will. The Bible also says, "He delights in showing us mercy." We sometimes wonder if God can really forgive us, you see, God will always forgive us when we sincerely repent and ask for His forgiveness. Today, confess your sins to Jesus, turn away from them, He will surely cleanse you from all unrighteousness, and embrace you, because you are His child.

[saintsenara]

What is your rationale for disagreeing with the fanon that the horcruxes affected Voldemort's sanity?

that it's literally canon that they don't!

i obviously don't have an actual problem with people using the idea that the horcruxes affect voldemort's sanity as a trope, if that's what works for their story, but what irks me is that this idea is often repeated by voldemort enjoyers as canon fact, when the impact of horcruxes on cognitive function is spelled out clearly in half-blood prince:

Harry sat in thought for a moment, then asked, “So if all of his Horcruxes are destroyed, Voldemort could be killed?”  “Yes, I think so,” said Dumbledore. “Without his Horcruxes, Voldemort will be a mortal man with a maimed and diminished soul. Never forget, though, that while his soul may be damaged beyond repair, his brain and his magical powers remain intact. It will take uncommon skill and power to kill a wizard like Voldemort even without his Horcruxes.”

in half-blood prince - as in every book prior to deathly hallows - dumbledore functions as the "word of god" character, which is to say that the information he provides us - as long as it relates neither to harry nor himself - isn't up for interpretation, it's understood within the narrative as correct. we can also be sure that he's done his research on horcruxes, knows exactly how they work, and is speaking as an expert when it comes to their impact on the mind - and we can also note that slughorn [who also seems to know what he's talking about when it comes to horcruxes and their function] doesn't mention them causing any cognitive damage when discussing them with the teenage tom riddle.

but nobody has ever made as many horcruxes as voldemort! maybe one doesn't affect the mind, but seven certainly could.

except this doesn't align at all with how the series understands the relationship between the soul and the will.

one of the central themes of the harry potter series is the value of choice. all of its main characters have narrative arcs which hinge - in some way or other - on them making a choice, very often the choice between what is right and what is easy. ron chooses to leave and then chooses to come back; hermione chooses to stay. sirius chooses to take a stand against the life his family expect of him. snape chooses to repent of his sins and work forever to atone for them. harry chooses to walk into the forest and die. lily chooses to ignore voldemort's request for her to stand aside.

all of these choices are made of the character in question's own free will - and the same applies to everything voldemort does in the series. he chooses to kill and to keep killing of his own free will, with the full capacity to understand his actions, and he refuses, right until the very end, to show the slightest bit of remorse for what he's done - and it is this, in the narrative's view, which makes his behaviour so heinous and which causes his behaviour to have such an impact on the state of his soul.

if we assume that voldemort's grasp on rationality declines with the number of horcruxes he makes, we are also assuming that his capacity to understand the full wickedness of his actions also declines - but his motivation for killing myrtle to make a horcrux and his motivation for killing frank bryce to make a horcrux are exactly the same: he wants to, and he doesn't give a solitary fuck about the life he's just taken.

and this stands in contrast to something else we see in canon - the idea that killing does not automatically have an impact on the soul:

“And my soul, Dumbledore? Mine?” “You alone know whether it will harm your soul to help an old man avoid pain and humiliation,” said Dumbledore.

this - the set-up to snape's mercy-killing of dumbledore - suggests that your soul is not harmed if you know without question that the death you cause is justified.

snape kills dumbledore of his own free will, but this suggestion also implies that it would be perfectly possible for the soul to remain unharmed if a killer was understood to be non compos mentis. that is, if someone lacked the capacity to understand their actions were not justified, then their soul would see them as "not guilty by reason of insanity" and not splinter.

voldemort's ability to make so many horcruxes in the first place, then, must depend on his capacity to understand exactly what he's doing - to know he could choose not to kill and then still do it anyway.

and we do actually see in canon that - while he's shown to be someone who kills with the slightest provocation in the films - the voldemort of the books is clinical and methodical in his violence:

“Nice costume, mister!” He saw the small boy’s smile falter as he ran near enough to see beneath the hood of the cloak, saw the fear cloud his painted face: Then the child turned and ran away... Beneath the robe he fingered the handle of his wand... One simple movement and the child would never reach his mother... but unnecessary, quite unnecessary...

the canonical voldemort's known kill count is actually surprisingly low, and each of his victims is clearly selected with a rational [in the "does he have a disorder of thought?" sense, not in the "is this morally justifiable?" sense] motivation driving his decision to attack them - even if his actions are also affected by an emotional trigger [he does not, for example, kill his father or massacre the goblins who tell him that the cup was stolen for reasons which are irrational or delusional - incandescent fury or fear that your secret is out are not insanity].

voldemort kills and makes his horcruxes out of choice, and the series is clear that his capacity to understand that choice does not degrade across the course of his life.

ok, but you have to admit that he's definitely not... all there, personality wise...

sure. but i don't think this has anything to do with the horcruxes...

the idea that voldemort runs around shrieking and cackling to himself is an invention of the films. the canonical voldemort is shown to be lucid and thoughtful even in deathly hallows, he remains a formidable strategist right up until the end - and i think it's also worth noting that the films really gloss over just how successful his takeover of the government is - and his prodigious intellect and magical talent are acknowledged by the order throughout the series.

his more volatile personality traits - his fondness for monologuing, his rapid switching between being superficially charming and feral, his tendency to get lost in his own obsessions, his emotional brittleness - are all ones the eleven-year-old riddle is shown to possess, and i think it's much more interesting to explore the idea that they remain aspects of the person he once was which the adult voldemort cannot hide behind the mask he has constructed.

but - yes - its certainly true that the resurrected voldemort of order of the phoenix onwards is more paranoid, harder to soothe, crueller to his death eaters, more inflexible in his thinking and so on than he is implied to have been in the 1970s, and so i understand why many readers interpret this as evidence that his last two horcruxes [harry and nagini] - plus the arcane horror of his resurrection ritual - might have sent him round the bend.

but i think that the implication of canon is that this behaviour has much more mundane causes.

in october 1981, all the evidence we have is that voldemort is about to win. he is an unassailable terrorist kingpin with an army of highly-trained, highly loyal minions and - we can assume - widespread popular support.

and then only four of these supporters try to find him.

it's clear - as we can tell from the fact that barty crouch jr. is so shocked to discover that he didn't massacre the reassembled death eaters where they stood - that voldemort is livid that none of his "loyal" servants came to rescue him from the tree in albania his soul piece was hiding in, choosing instead to pretend they were under the imperius curse and that they'd never have been seen dead supporting him had they been in their right minds. it's also clear that he has no choice but to welcome these death eaters back to the fold once he's resurrected because he'd have no core supporters otherwise.

but it's also clear that he doesn't trust any of them one single bit once their commitment is proven to be so fragile - and that it is this, this evidence that he's just a human being with human feelings, rather than a creature of pure magic whose mind has been warped by that magic, which provides a much, much more interesting explanation for his increasing volatility as the war draws to its conclusion.

voldemort is at his most interesting - in my opinion - when his humanity [and his failure to outrun it] is foregrounded. this isn't incompatible with his creation of the horcruxes at all. but it is, i think, incompatible with the idea that they warp his mind.

[schoenpepper]

Like Raven Feathers

Intro: Riddle does something against the rules. And because of that, he'll fall from Heaven, oh he'll fall, just for you.

Warnings: bad writing, awful grammar, proofread by quillbot, Riddle's mom is mentioned, lots of religious whatever, bro's a simp through and through

A/N: Lookie what I whipped up with a random dose of motivation. Riddle's not even in my top five faves so I'm not sure why the first full fic I'll ever post is one about him. This has no effect on my Isekai'd Chronicles series update schedule, but it does share the same universe so go check it out if you're confused.

Masterlist

Riddle has always lived his life by the Bible of the Church of Light. Every movement is according to scripture, and every choice is made under the guidance of his mother, the Saintess. Since she has the highest authority in Heaven and is the angel closest to the God of Light, surely she's correct in all that she does. Surely he's correct to follow her. He would keep his wings pure and abide by every rule; no one likes a fallen acolyte of Light.

In this little circle, he's safe.

He wakes up at sunrise every day and prays. He does as is taught to him: give his thanks for every blessing and apologize for every failure, for every sin, and for every wrong he's committed. Most days, he doesn't know why he's begging for forgiveness. Today, he does. "Forgive me, oh Lord of Light," Riddle mumbles piously under his breath. "I have done something unbecoming of your servant. I have developed…feelings, for a mortal nonetheless. I have given away the love that rightfully belongs to you. Please have mercy and forgive this poor soul."

He never says a word about repenting.

After ten minutes of prayer, he makes his bed, takes a bath, straightens out his feathers, and brushes his teeth. Then it's time to double-check all the items he needs for classes and ensure that he's done all the assignments necessary for each day. He has breakfast with the rest of his dormitory members after giving thanks to his Lord for the food. There's another prayer after eating.

Another careless apology leaves his lips.

Classes go by far too slowly for his liking. When he sits at the cafeteria for lunch, his blue-gray eyes search for the mortal that's been in his mind for far too long, far too often. They light up when he finds you.

There's you beyond his circle, just out of reach.

Riddle isn't shy when he asks you to spend lunch with him. When you agree with a smile, his heart seems to beat faster than before. Too fast for his brain to keep up with. He's short of breath around you; you make him unable to even think. He's like an electronic toy short-circuiting in water. That's what you are, after all—strange, unfamiliar territory he isn't allowed to traverse. But even the first angels fell to temptation, so who is he to be the exception?

You're the sweetest forbidden fruit.

He has to go back to class eventually, but he hates that he does. That's weird, that's wrong; he's Riddle Rosehearts, and studies should be his priority after his God. But his hand is out of his control when he doodles little hearts on the border of his notebook (why would he do that? It's so childish, so immature.).

After class, he sends you a text to ask you to study with him in the library. Alone, preferably, because your friends always raise a ruckus (that's the excuse he tells you and himself). He feels content, happy, when you show up by yourself. The two of you sit across from each other, and he reviews topics for you that he still remembers clearly from his first year. Riddle finds it fun. Perhaps some would call it tedious, but he thinks that you're a worthy use of his time. He gets paid by the way you pout when you're struggling with a question. He feels fulfilled when you smile that bright smile, all teeth showing, eyes squinted into crescents, when you claim to finally understand something you've been struggling with for a while. He thinks he can die happy in your arms when you hug him in excitement and thank him for tutoring you.

You trespass into his little circle.

He packs up too soon because you have some commitment with some other person; he's alone in the library now. He sees the way other people look at you. You're just so uniquely you; he understands they want you the way he does. It doesn't mean he'll relent his efforts to snake his way into your heart. You're something he desperately wants, needs, even.

He's envious of the way other people make you laugh. Riddle's never been the humorous type (do you like that type better?). He's too strict, too strait-laced. Maybe you don't think he's fun, or cool, or interesting. Do you even think of him at all?

He still can't touch you.

When he's back at the dorm, he spends the rest of his time buried in his assignments. Perhaps getting you off his mind is the best thing he can do today. He's unproductive when you're the only thing on his mind, so he buries you underneath mountains of schoolwork.

Why can't he reach you?

He lays in bed after another prayer. The same apology is said. He can't even bother to change it. At some point, he'll stop asking for forgiveness. Some time in the future, he'll only confess his love for you in his daily prayers without being sorry for it. Falling in love with a mortal is wrong. Praying insincerely is wrong. But you, you, oh, you're everything that's right in this sinful world. His mother will never understand him.

But the God of Light will.

Because he doesn't even know when it started, but you've become his light. He fears for the darkness that will swallow him when you're gone.

Don't choose someone else. Don't find someone else. Don't love someone else.

He'll leave his circle on his own.

And when the angel falls, he'll make sure he goes out with the most glorious fireworks.

With you.

[marmoriiss]

Bilāl bin Sa’d رحمه الله said:

“Indeed, you have a Lord who is not quick to punish any of you. He pardons mistakes, accepts repentance, turns towards those who come to Him, and shows mercy to those who turn away.”

(5/223) حلية الأولياء للحافظ أبو نعيم الأصبهاني

[sugar-coated-prat-dragon]

Title: The knights were NOT anti-magic extremists

I’m really tired of the fandom acting like the knights of the round table were sadistic murders, when it came to magic and sorcerers. 😬 🚫

So I’m going to write out all the times (that I can remember off the top of my head), where they went up against magic users and how they reacted.

Most of the knights of the round table, never showed any malice towards magic users who weren't dangerous and they certainly didn't go out of their way to harm any of them.

In fact, the only real time the knights ever go after a magic user in such a way is when they go after Dragoon, (who they plan to arrest) and even then, only because the kingdom believes him to have been responsible for killing Uther.

- Gwaine initially raised his sword to Grettir, but only when he thought he wasn't going to allow them to cross the bridge and showed no further anger towards him, once he was told his sword would be returned to him.

- Leon is awed by the Druids for having saved him when he was on the verge of death. He shows no malice towards them.

- Gwaine kills Orn (Alator’s bodyguard/minion). Which he does because they have kidnapped Gaius, held him prisoner and tortured him.

- Elyan hugged the spirit of a little boy because he thought he might be cold and tried to comfort him.

- Gwaine didn't move to attack the Diamair, despite it clearly being a magical creature.

- The knights only go after Finna, because they believe her to be a dangerous sorcereress (given the way Helva was attacked and only a few people managed to escape with their lives).

LEON There's a dangerous sorceress at large, Merlin. Plus a bunch of Saxons. This is not the place to be alone.

ARTHUR Send out a second patrol. Seal off the Ford at Greinten and alert the border garrisons.

They must be found and brought to trial.

- The knights only pursue Kara originally, because she was spotted near the area where Saxon's raided wagons of weapons headed to Camelot.

And then of course, Kara seals her fate later by trying to stab their king and refusing to repent her crime, even after they show her mercy. ⚔️

- Admittedly, the knights did go on the hunt to find and destiny Aithusa's egg.

However, I think it's important to remember their kingdom was ravaged by a dragon, only a few short years before and many of their people died.

They also had no way of knowing Merlin was a dragon lord, who had the power to control the dragon and keep it away from the kingdom.

So honestly, that's a very valid and understandable fear.

- In the Disir episode: The knights try to apprehend the sorcerer, Osgar (as is their job).

They only go after him with more force once one their knights, Sir Ranulf, is killed in the process.

Leon: They were trying to apprehend him when he used his powers to escape. I am sorry to report... Sir Ranulf was mortally wounded.

So yes, the knights aren't going out their way to pull masks over their heads, to hide their identity and then free sorcerers.

But the knights are also not shown to have any actual grievances against magic users or go out their way to attack them.

The only time the knights have been shown to attack sorcerers, is when they were a threat (or to arrest Dragoon, who they believed killed the former king).

So (excluding Leon), I don’t think it's out of character to believe the knights might initially fear Arthur's reaction to finding out Merlin had magic, or thinking they might have to step in to protect him.

The knights trying to instinctively protect Merlin, doesn't mean that Arthur is evil or unreasonable.

It simply means that they recognize the kings authority in that moment, (since magic is against the law of the kingdom) and they would likely be able to visibly see that Merlin was afraid.

That makes them protective friends.

Something that I think even Arthur would appreciate afterward.

He cares deeply about Merlin and would be grateful the knights had the backbone to try to protect him.

[my-pjo-stuff]

Who wants to bet with me that, should Alabaster end up showing up in WottG, he'll OBVIOUSLY learn his lesson start to regret joining Kronos right after Percy showed him the light 😌😌😌 And then he'll be able to come back to Camp Halfblood after the gods were SO merciful, so he can repent for what he's done and actually meet all his friends from camp again which he secretly missed HORRIBLY. No, idk where Claymore is either.

[her-written-thoughts]

Bilāl bin Sa’d رحمه الله said:

“Indeed, you have a Lord who is not quick to punish any of you. He pardons mistakes, accepts repentance, turns towards those who come to Him, and shows mercy to those who turn away.”

(5/223) حلية الأولياء للحافظ أبو نعيم الأصبهاني

[anthurak]

Okay here's a fun little theory for Season 2 I just found myself thinking about:

I've seen some discussion about how Vaggie might not actually BE a 'Fallen Angel', and I think there definitely is something to this. We see in the flashback of episode 1 that Lucifer seemed to have been put through this whole process of being condemned by Heaven and banished to Hell. Meanwhile, Vaggie didn't go through anything like that. She had her wings and eye removed and was simply... left in Hell by Adam and Lute. Given that her new wings don't look any different I think it's actually a pretty safe bet that Vaggie isn't a proper 'Fallen' angel.

So what if in season 2, we see some people in Heaven try to leverage this fact to their advantage? Say, Sera and/or some other high-ranking angel(s) we haven't met yet call Vaggie up to Heaven and offer her a chance to return to her place there. In a very 'repent for all you've done and you'll be forgiven and accepted back' type deal.

Of course, Vaggie sees through ALL of this as some kind of ploy and is also REALLY pissed off that they would would even think she would abandon Charlie.

The thing is, the 'threat' of Vaggie being turned into a Fallen Angel was never really even on the table. It gets brought up as a possibility as what is supposed to happen in this sort of situation, but Sera opts to be 'lenient' and when Vaggie gives them their flat 'No', she simply opens a portal back to Hell and offers to send Vaggie back, no strings attached.

HOWEVER, Vaggie is still pretty fucking pissed off and decides that she's going to make a STATEMENT.

Perhaps Sera was showing her where and how Lucifer was cast out and turned fallen as a way of displaying how she is choosing to be 'merciful' to Vaggie.

Only for Vaggie to say Fuck You and DELIBERATELY go through the process of turning herself into a Fallen Angel before returning to Hell.

Where of course we will see Charlie definitely drooling over her girlfriend's new demon form XD