#FALLITUR

[valerielynnstephensauthor]

Fallitur Malicia: Versifications of God's Saving Grace

FALLITUR MALICIA: VERSIFICATIONS OF GOD'S SAVING GRACE By Valerie Lynn Stephens

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or introduced into a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means (including electronic, photocopying, mechanical, manual or otherwise) without the prior express & written consent of the owner of the copyright of this book. ISBN#: 978-1-312-53938-9

©2018 Valerie Lynn Stephens

We must believe, then follow, Or else we are hollow, For mere mental assent, 'Tho well-meant, Doth not a disciple make. And remember Our Christ, Who didn't think twice, Of Hell for Heaven's sake.

If time spent, 'Tis not Heaven-bent, We are decaying at the root, To remain in the Vine, Of our Gardener Divine, Pruning must follow suit.

Who am I to presume, Upon God's sovereign grace? Justifying my sins, since I cannot see His face? Father, forgive me, For such things You abhor, Fill me with Your Spirit, That I may sin no more.

Joy & Mercy can be found, In sins confessed & unwound, For He forgives hearts sincere, That, to Him, do draw near.

We must descend to Hell, To get to Heaven, Bow to the One, To reach the Seven, All things due in His own time, Speaking in perfect reason & rhyme.

He upholds with steady hand, Shattered vessels of a desolate land, And 'tho the Evil One tries to destroy us, For Goodness' sake, He shall employ us.

Blessings must be earned, Like all heavenly things, As rewards of this world, Are ephemeral flings, Our true love reigns, At the Father's right hand, Granting our hearts' desire, When in Him we stand.

Although we be slow to learn, Our Rabbi teaches with patient turn, 'Til that day when we are made complete, Raised with Him in Joy replete.

Even the Darkness serves the Light, Ruled by a King with perfect might, All things created in perfect Love, Set free to choose, of things hereof.

Asleep in Him our souls find rest, Only when cursed, are we blessed, Help us Lord, to remain in Your vine, To reap that harvest, Eternally Divine.

Those who remain, asleep in Him, Spare their souls' life & limb, For 'tho the flesh doth decay, Inward renewal 'tis underway.

Many are the tests to endure, To grade a heart as pure, Refined by the furnace of affliction, Are souls redeemed, from dereliction.

Christ in the heart restores youth, Refining all ways found uncouth, Without Him we can do no good thing, In Christ alone, let freedom ring!

The sun shines brighter upon these days, And the path runs smooth along all ways, So what's the difference, I often wonder? True faith applied on days of thunder.

The Enemy of God & of Man, Holds no power over His plan! You will be glad that you waited, As the devil's schemes are soon abated.

Discernment is given, To pure heart and sound mind, Reaping fruits of Holiness and Peace in kind, A wolf changes his coat, not his disposition, Steering us clear of perfidious fruition.

It's not about our wounded pride, But about He who died, So draw your Enemies to Him, By demonstrating Christ-like vim!

Submit my flesh to the workings of Thy Spirit, Let me who has the ears to hear, fully hear it, Grant the heart's desire in serving Thee, That torments be quenched, of carnality.

The devil knows our weakness within, All designed so we stumble & sin, Mine might not be the same as yours, But rest assured Hell, has many doors.

Fear of rejection creates opportunity, For an infection of soul, with no immunity, Isolating us thus, from our fellow man, Causing us to stray from God's plan.

To listen intently each precious day, For God's guiding voice this I pray, It may be a whisper, it may be a shout, But whatever I hear, He leadeth me out.

The devil assumes many forms, Yet God's Word, always forewarns, Keeping us from harm & disgrace, So we may one day, glimpse of His face.

Jesus, let not your spirit depart, From all unrest within my heart, Anoint my wounds with your Holy power, So that I am no longer caused to cower.

In Apostasy hath the Holy Spirit, Been aggrieved, As a heart hardened, Is an afflicted mind relieved, Allowing Truth to forge its indelible imprint, For travelers both Heaven and Hell-bent.

Most gladly therefore, will I bow to infirmity, So the power of Christ may rest upon me, The Soul so malaised needs His loving care, Its seams reinforced for Life's wear and tear.

There's no learning curve for Faith's test, 'Tho He gives credit for doing our best, And at the close of Life's long semester, We will thank God, our tenurely tester.

Those who belittle are afraid of your power, Inside it is they who tremble & cower, So keep on shining that light that is true, A priceless worth, God so sees in You!

Practice a turn of the cheek, For we are called to be meek, So that His countenance displayed ensures, That His example endures.

Self-control, confectious fruit of the Spirit, Offered up daily, when we draw near it, Sating the Soul with sophrosyne Divine, As true hunger abideth, deep within the Vine.

A warrior unsettled by peace, Will shorn the Lamb of its fleece, Forgetting at once, a hide soft & warm, Even during the waspy swarm.

The fermented grape is weak, 'Tho in it, revelation I seek, Perhaps I've forgot to be intoxicated enough, By that purely spiritual stuff!

Perfect love casts out all fear, We are safe only in drawing near, To the light & the truth of every situation, In that we're redeemed from condemnation.

Sturm und drang, Amidst the throng, Lord reveal them, So You can heal them!

Have I the strength to be soft, With a heart that wants to harden & cower? Only in leaning, 'Pon the Heavenly Father's power!

In Him we move & have our being, Only the Spirit, is truly freeing, Continue to pray for both lost & found, For His mercies are, infinitely unbound.

In my own self-mortification I find, To others' pain, I am blind, But our Heavenly Father knows Our truest hearts, We belong to Him, in our inmost parts.

Resist the devil & he shall flee! Get thee, Satan, behind me! Absolute power in how we play the game, Relinquishing the pieces, in Jesus' name!

Treat others with a spirit of love, And not of control, And ye shall preserve, Thy Heavn'ly Soul.

The players may change, But the games remain the same, But human hearts are not for play, When rallying in His name, For there is nothing to win And everything to lose, When God's very own, Their brethren, abuse.

In this world we may not get our due, But this merely means that we've stayed true, To all of those things, Heav'nmost bound, Waiting when we arrive, safe & sound.

Has not, is not, nor ever will be, I know what I know, & see what I see, A woman of the cloth, & not of this world, Nevertheless, upon it, ceaselessly hurled, Yet one thing there is, from this to be gained, 'Tis a moral striving, anything but feigned.

The more clearly we show ourselves, The less we are seen, Yet this keeps us from vanity, A thorn to not preen.

Thy tender mercies, never ceasing, Other chances, ever leasing, Your right hand, keeping me steady, 'Til for Heavenly entrance, I am ready.

A momentary light affliction, Unbinds their dereliction, Preserving both heart and mind, From worldly ways in kind.

Not on my strength but on His alone, His yoke is light, time & again shown, Come ye all who are weary, & find your rest, And trust that He alone, surely knows best.

'Tho taking root is perhaps not in my Fate, God paves new paths, all leading To Heaven's gate, And 'tho the devil may burden, Every answer with doubt, What better reason need I, to remain devout.

Being close to the fire keeps us refined, Masterfully crafted by the Hand Divine, And Faith, by worldly kiln 'tho tested, Keeps the Dark Prince, staunchly bested.

By His stripes are we healed, When our sin is revealed, For God alone is just & good, Perfect in Triune personhood.

Trust in God & not in man, Wait for His perfect plan, To unfold unto your destiny, As who you are, in Christ, to be.

And you shall know them by their fruits, They are rotten at their roots! Seeds apart from the vine, Of the Holy God Divine.

We must remain in the Vine, Of our Redeemer Divine, To reap utmost spiritual fruit, Of sanctification from the root.

What blessed assurance have we in Him, A becalming Spirit restoring vim, When we lean not on our own strength, His love abounds, in infinite length.

Lord let me lie asleep in You, That my soul may heal and renew, For Thine is a power undenied, Staying us thence, by Your side.

No good thing doth He withhold, From those who walk within His fold, For His will 'tis perfectly set, To grant that our needs should all be met.

When Ego-Monster needs fed, I quickly put it to bed, For true hunger can only be sated, By fruits of the Spirit duly feted.

May we walk not in the flesh but in the Spirit, So when our passing comes, We shall not fear it, For only those asleep in Him are well-suited, To be presented in righteousness imputed.

He removes the thorns from our flesh, As His Spirit & our souls enmesh, And we slumber, resting fully in Him, To someday awaken, to celestial vim.

Human souls are best refined, By those kilns Divinely designed, And 'tho their flames burn bright & hot, They keepest from infernal lot.

Lord, I hasten unto Thee, So ever chasten unto me, Whilst that I withal escape, The hounds of Hell, its doors agape!

As dead to sin we strive to remain, The Holy One heals, of iniquitous bane, Quickening both heart & mind, Unto His will, perfectly aligned.

Truly He will never forsake or leave me, So bend me to Thy will, Lord, Even if You have to break me!

The light of God's love, Shone down from above, Brings peace in danger, And the kindness of a stranger, We must remember to Whom we belong, Even those times when we have done wrong, For against mere flesh, we battle not, Yet final victory, has been won & fought!

You keep in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on Thee, Your perfect ways-what a sight to see! Your Holiness assures a wounded soul reeling, They shall be restored, Unto wholeness & healing.

'Tis easier to destroy, than to create, Harder to love, than to hate, For 'tho a thing, natural, may flow, Iniquity abounds, both high and low, Filthy rags cannot wash, a soul clean, 'Cept when fleshly tomb rests, in Him unseen.

The Lord brings healing, After heavy kneeling, Ever bringing us to fruition, If we so heed His admonition.

When all your troubles are done, My good & precious one, Your time too, shall come, Just wait for the Son, And your time shall come, Tilt your head towards the Son, And your time, shall come.

Along with blessing comes equitable curse, All deigned to rob, thy spiritual purse! So hold on tight, to the heavenly tenure, Ye have earned it, with penurious splendour!

Grant this your servant, the joi de vivre, To pursue Your will without leave, That joy and peace may make, A fixed dwelling for Thy sake.

Trigger points pressed on all the right spots, Everyone breaks-haves and have-nots, But in our weakness His power is perfected, A King over all, duly elected.

The Author & Perfecter Of our Faith still writes, Thereupon celestial heights, Penning the Opus that is our life, A dramedy full of joy & strife, 'Tho creative license, to us is sent, The galleys are viewed, pre-print!

Those bodies and souls do best, That pass the tenurely test, Paying each their own tuition, So all may reach fruition. Whether 'woman' or 'man', The Lord calls us to His plan, Each one's value and task not pardoned, 'Tho minds be narrow and hearts hardened! For should one limb ill-formed, Be put to use before it is warmed, The whole Body suffers in the grossest ways, Writhing in agony for better days.

So children of God, serve Him free! Wherever He leads-He needs Thee! For many a men are poorly placed, In vertiginous positions and soon defaced! A leader, by inmost character is defined, Not by gender, by birth, assigned.

Restless 'til they find their rest in Thee, Human hearts pine, in Christ, to be, For in Him alone can we find, Abiding joy & peace in kind.

[rodrigomora]

Adoro te devote

Adoro te devote, latens Deitas, Quae sub his figuris vere latitas: Tibi se cor meum totum subiicit, Quia te contemplans totum deficit.

Visus, tactus, gustus in te fallitur, Sed auditu solo tuto creditur. Credo quidquid dixit Dei Filius: Nil hoc verbo Veritatis verius.

In cruce latebat sola Deitas, At hic latet simul et humanitas; Ambo tamen credens atque confitens, Peto quod petivit latro paenitens.

Plagas, sicut Thomas, non intueor; Deum tamen meum te confiteor. Fac me tibi semper magis credere, In te spem habere, te diligere.

O memoriale mortis Domini! Panis vivus, vitam praestans homini! Praesta meae menti de te vivere Et te illi semper dulce sapere.

Pie pellicane, Iesu Domine, Me immundum munda tuo sanguine. Cuius una stilla salvum facere Totum mundum quit ab omni scelere.

Iesu, quem velatum nunc aspicio, Oro fiat illud quod tam sitio; Ut te revelata cernens facie, Visu sim beatus tuae gloriae.

Amen

Adoro te devote (traducción al español)

Te adoro con devoción, Dios escondido, que estás aquí verdaderamente, oculto bajo estas apariencias. A Ti se somete mi corazón por completo, pues al contemplarte cae rendido totalmente.

Al juzgar de Ti, se equivocan la vista, el tacto, el gusto, pero basta el oído para creer con firmeza. Creo todo lo que ha dicho el Hijo de Dios: nada es más verdadero que esta Palabra de verdad.

En la Cruz se escondía sólo la Divinidad, pero aquí se esconde también la Humanidad. Sin embargo, creyendo y confesando ambas cosas, pido lo que pidió el ladrón arrepentido.

No veo las llagas como las vio Tomás, mas como él te llamo: «Dios mío». Haz que siempre crea más en Ti, que espere más en Ti, y que te ame cada día más.

¡Oh Memorial de la muerte del Señor! Pan vivo que das vida al hombre: concede a mi alma que viva de Ti y que siempre saboree tu dulzura.

Oh Señor Jesús, Pelícano bueno, límpiame a mí, inmundo, con tu Sangre, de la que una sola gota puede liberar de todos los crímenes al mundo entero.

Oh Jesús, a quien ahora contemplo entre velos, te ruego que se cumpla lo que tanto ansío: que al mirar tu rostro cara a cara, sea eternamente feliz con la visión de tu gloria.

Amén

Fuente: Aciprensa [modificada]

[borisjelinek]

Bokouš (Chvalkovice)

Tato osada, která nesla původní název Buschhäuser a posléze Bokausch, byla založena hrabětem Františkem A. Šporkem pro loveckou kratochvíli na východním konci jeho panství nedaleko Velké Bukoviny, kam často vyjížděl ze svého sídla na Kuksu (vyobrazen na přiložené dobové rytině). V některých materiálech se však píše, že první zmínka o Bokouši pochází z roku 1476. Co se tu tedy nacházelo před hrabětem Šporkem, to dnes již nevíme. Oficiálně se hovoří o pusté osadě Bukovsku (v roce 1476 Buczich – k nominativu Buky a roku 1615 z Bukowska). Je však možné, že toto pojmenování patřilo tenkrát pouze zdejšímu lesu.

Zdejší údolí se studní Panny Marie bylo v roce 1724 pojmenováno jako Hubertovo (Hubertithal), protože hrabě měl tohoto světce ve velké oblibě. Nešlo však jen o různé šlechtické kratochvíle spojené s holým lovem, protože se tu věnovalo též čižbě a jiným mysliveckým dovednostem. Na čihadlech v Kocbeřích a v Bokouši bylo roku 1707 chyceno 2 167 ptáků a v roce 1708 5 700 ptáků. Roku 1721 tu byly postaveny 2 nové domy, pěkný sklep a kuchyně. Navíc při Mariánské studánce nechal hrabě vystavět nový psinec, kuchyňku a sklep. O 10 let později zde byla Matyášem Bernardem Braunem za 140 zl. postavena socha Panny Marie. Většina pramenů tvrdí, že se jedná o tu samou sochu, jež byla v roce 1742 přenesena do Velké Bukoviny a dnes je její autorství připisováno Janu Pacákovi.

Známým se však Bokouš stal tím, že již v době sochaře Matyáše Bernarda Brauna tu býval řezbářský protějšek Kuksu. Kolem loveckého letohrádku (rocolla) se nacházely 2 protínající se bukové aleje, které rozdělovaly les do pravidelných obrazců a v nich byly v letech 1731-1732 vytesány malířem a řezbářem Andreasem Schüblerem do živých stromů biblické postavy, sochy světců i antických mudrců (Proroci, Evangelisté, Apoštolové, Jidáš, oběšený na stromě, Svatá rodina, Miles christianus, sv. Máří Magdaléna, Mnichové, Poustevníci, Sedm řeckých mudrců). Dále se tady nacházela na 1 stromě křížová cesta v 7 šroubovitých pásech a kouzelník (černokněžník) s nápisem: „Fallitur arte magus, stabit sub numine Fagvs D. T. J. O. II. 1730“, přičemž ve slově Fagvs, jež je též latinským výrazem pro buk, se ukrývá hraběcí akrostichon - F(ranz) A(nton) G(raf) v(on) S(porck). Nejvíce byly tyto dřevořezby poničeny během vojenských tažení v 18. století, zejména v roce 1778. Ne vždy však byli válečníci k tomuto dílu bezohlední. O tom se zmiňuje Dr. J. Kropáček ve svém článku „Ze Sporckových lesů“ z roku 1905, kde mj. píše: „Obzvláštní úctou ku zvláštnosti této byl překvapen i pověstný vůdce pandurů baron Trenck (1714-1749), který za války pruské táhna tudy nedovolil ze stromů těch ani větvičky ulomiti, ač jinak pálením, loupením a vražděním vždy jen zhoubu po sobě zanechávati dovedl.“ Roku 1836 byly již řezby velmi nezřetelné, ale ještě v roce 1906 bylo nad Kopaninami vidět na jednom stromě postavu mnicha. O tomto místě, kde „svatí na stromech rostli“, se zmiňují: Pavel Albieri ve svých „Kukských povídkách“ a novele „Problémy“, František Josef Čečetka v historickém románu „Petr Brandl“, Antonín Schulz v románu „Kříšení“ a Josef Svátek ve svém románu „Sedláci u Chlumce“.

Ještě počátkem 19. století tu byl rovněž panský ovčín, k jehož emfyteuzi došlo v roce 1787. Roku 1843 zde žilo ve 4 domech 33 obyvatel, jež pracovali zejména jako lesní dělníci a panské služebnictvo. V té době se postupně roubená stavení přestavovala na zděné domy, což můžeme vidět například v indikační skice stabilního katastru z roku 1840 od adjunkta 2. třídy Josepha Wiedermanna a geometra 4. třídy Antona Richlyho.

V roce 1849 se Bokouš stal osadou obce Velké Bukoviny. O 20 let později byly v Bokouši 4 domy, v nichž žilo 47 obyvatel. Roku 1880 měl lesní revír Bokouš rozlohu 374,62 ha. Osada měla 5 domů, 23 německých a 1 českého obyvatele. V roce 1895 je popsána osada v „Úplném místopisném slovníku Království českého“ takto: „Bokouš (Bokausch), osada, 4 d., 23 N., kat. i mí. ob. Bukovina Velká, hejt., zast. a okr. Dvůr Král. n. L., býv. panství Hradiště, fara Chvalkovice, pošta Kukus; myslivna s lesním revírem.“ O 5 let později zde žilo v 5 domech 26 obyvatel.

Roku 1930 zůstal počet domů stejný a obyvatelstvo pokleslo o 3 lidi. V letech 1938-1945 byl Bokouš souč��stí Velkoněmecké říše. Po poválečném odsunu Němců se tato osada vylidnila a nikdo z českých osadníků neměl zájem se usadit v této odlehlé lokalitě uprostřed lesů. Bokouš se stal pouze zdrojem vody pro velkobukovinský vodovod. V prosinci 1950 byl do něj zaveden elektrický proud a na jaře následujícího roku byl starý trkač nahrazen elektrickou vodní pumpou, aby byly zdejší lesní školky a obec Velká Bukovina s osadou Kopaniny dostatečně zásobeny vodou. V roce 1961 byl Bokouš spolu s Velkou Bukovinou přičleněn k Chvalkovicím a k 1. lednu 1974 jako část obce zanikl, i když v té době de facto již dávno neexistoval.

Dnes se na místě této bývalé osady, jež je starým skautským sídlem českoskalického Junáka, nachází pouze zděná kaplička z roku 1932, litinový kříž na kamenném podstavci z roku 1717 (musel sem být přemístěn po roce 1840, neboť není zaznamenán v indikační skice stabilního katastru od adjunkta 2. třídy Josepha Wiedermanna a geometra 4. třídy Antona Richlyho) a dům čp. 501, který je v současné době číslováním přiřazen ke Kopaninám.

Kaplička

Interiér kapličky

Kaplička

Litinový kříž

Litinový kříž

[nauticalradical]

i found pictures from my old fanadventure and hs ocs.

[mybazillionthblog]

FALLITUR

Three times someone mistook Bryles for a couple and one time they were right

1. Ash's pov:

I see it as a privilege that i am friends with Briar Nolet. One of the most popular girls in my school, actually scratch that, the most popular girl in school. She's pretty and talented and sweet. That's why everyone likes her.

I may have a little crush on her, but which dude doesn't let's be real. My friends may argue that though. Saying that what i have is more than a little crush. The whole school may argue that. It's not that i kept it a secret, over the years she has been asked out a lot of times and let's just say i wasn't too happy with that. Luckily for me, most of the time she refuses.

The hype around Briar Nolet started in gym class. Before that lesson and that day, she was just another pretty girl. But then we started tumbling in p.e, and let's just say everyone was left agape. Not much longer she was called out of class to show others how it was done. Now she's like a legend. Every freshman to senior has heard of her and her talents at gymnastics.

But today was a new day in this friendship, today was the day i was going to ask her out. 'Take a new step in our friendship', as my friends say.

"When are u going to do it?" Blake asks me. Blake is one of Briar's best friends and she claims Briar has talked about me with her. Talked about me in a romantic way. I don't trust her too much though, she has wanted us dating since the day we spoke for the first day. Because 'the hottest girl has to date the hottest guy in school, that's just how it works.' Yes that is how it works, in movies and books.

All our friends are standing alongside her locker, waiting for her. School is over and i am going to ask her now. I wanted to do it with our friends around us, that if she agrees -which she will, i just know- we can all celebrate together. And if she rejects me, our friends can take the fall.

I hear her laugh before i see her long blonde hair that falls in waves over her shoulder. Everyone she passes is in awe of her beauty, even those who see her strictly platonic. She looks even more pretty today, as if she dressed up especially from what's coming. Maybe she knows, maybes she has been waiting a whole day for this. That thought makes me feel giddy inside.

"Hey guys, how are you doing?" Briar asks once she reaches her locker.

"Good", everyone mumbles. It's silent for a while, all my friends poking me an motioning for me to take the leap. Just when i open my mouth, she beats me to it.

"How do i look?" She says with a bright smile and hopeful eyes.

"Hot", all our friends say, while i mumble: "pretty", to her.

"Thanks!"

My mouth opened to let out the why that has been building up inside since she asked that question. For me, i know, i can't wait to tease her with this until forever. When suddenly she looks over my shoulder, to something behind me.

"Myles!!", she screams and practically shoves me away, jumping into his arms. We stand agape, yet again, watching them hug for a good minute.

"I thought you were going to come back tonight?" Briar asks, once she is back on the ground.

"Well, surpise!" The guy, Myles answers. Her boyfriend, i presume. How comes she never told us about him? I wouldn't have gotten my hope's up then.

I clear my throat: "So are you going to introduce us?"

"Oh yeah sorry, i was just so excited. Guys this is Myles, Myles these our my friends."

The Myles guy gives a half-awkward wave, "Hi"

Blake opens her mouth, i can't actually remember her being silent this long ever, "So, is he your boyfriend or something!"

Briar had her arm wrapped around his waist, his arm around her shoulder. She quickly let go once she heard that question though, blushing the reddest i had ever seen. "No! He's just my best friend!" She defended weakly.

"Yeah, and now we are going to our other best friends. But it was nice meeting you!" Myles says.

"Yeah, i'll see you guys monday!" Briar salutes us. And that was that.

When they're gone we exchange silent looks and come to the conclusion that they are together. And if they aren't now, they would be in less than a year.

** 2. Olivia's pov:

"I am so excited for this dance competition, you have no idea!" My best friend Natalia gushes to me.

"Me either, i love this kind of stuff. It's one of the reasons i do it for", i reply. And that really is the truth, i've been dancing since i was three years old. The competitions started around eleven and now i'm fifteen going on sixteen.

I am confident that i am good, but no overwhelmingly good. I know i'm not the talented dancer you see in competitions but i got the technique and, most importantly, the heart. Dancing is not something that i want to do professionally, it's fun as a hobby and i want to to stay fun. Plus, like i said before, i am not that good.

I used to dream of a career in dancing, but that's when i got to know Natalia. She has her both foot on the ground and makes sure i don't begin to float. She taught me that i can love dancing and have different interests. She herself want to major in architecture in future, i am not too sure. Probably something with languages.

But the most enjoyable part of having Natalia as a friend that while she doesn't go starry-eyed over guys, she definitely supports me in it. We're both confident and smart ladies, we go over to guys ourselves and don't wait for them to come to us. That's how we got most of our boyfriends in the past, that we weren't shy for them.

And right now i have my eyes on someone who i've been seeing on a lot of competitions, Myles Erlick is one of the most talented male dancers and in one of the best Companies, CDC. I love the way he dances fluently and swiftly like air doesn't exist and he floats over the stage.

To there are the three best dancers in CDC that get the most attention, first there is Briar Nolet who dances in every category, then there is Devon Brown who too dances in all of the categories and a lot with Briar. And then there is Myles, who isn't in as many dances, but has solo parts in them. Who doesn't only seem to exist to lift people or get lifted. Put those three together in a dance and they win, no doubt about it, it doesn't even matter in which category. They just win. Always.

"Let's go over to him!" Natalia says. She too is a big fan of him, of them. Cdc is one of the things she wished she was in. It's a shame we don't live in that area.

Myles is talking to one of the others girls and smiles when we go over to him. "Hey! I've seen you two at a lot of competitions right?"

"Yeah, we're a big fan of your company!" I say to him, "I'm Olivia and this is my friend Natalia."

"I'm Myles!" Then he looks to the left and get an 'in love-puppy look' on his face, as i like to call it. When she sees him looking at her she smiles back, before continuing her ongoing conversation looking a little confused like she lost all awareness of space and time. Myles turns back to us.

"Keep that", Natalia says to him.

"What?" He asks us confused.

"That relationship."

He keeps looking confused for a solid 10 seconds before realization shows on his face. "Ha no, Briar is not my girlfriend."

"I never said anything about a romantic relationship. But yes go for it! She's into you and if she is not, that's her loss!" I encourage, they would be so cute together. With that we walk away, throwing a bye over our shoulder.

** 3 Belle's pov:

I'm sitting alone in Starbucks in my favorite corner by the biggest window and working on my second novel. I like to sit here simply because i get inspiration from watching people do their thing. How they behave and the different ways to walk and talk. It's an eerie feeling to sit back relaxed from head to toe and warm mug of coffee.

My second novel was going to be a romantic story, about different complications in love and loving someone who will never loge you back. Easily translated to: 'friends to lovers' the story spreads over many years. Actually a lot like fan fiction, but the thing is, people in stories most of the time don't seem real. To me they always feel empty, or a lot anyway. There are few groundbreaking romantic stories, to me the romantic aspects always start too early. I live for slowburn.

So i'm planning for 500 pages, the first 200 is just platonic, then 200 figuring out their feelings and the last 100 the happily ever after. This the summary but there are a lot of complications along the way. I'm now almost at the end of the platonic story arc, trying to find inspiration from the people around me. How do they act with their significant other, how can i write the change smoothly.

That's when two teens stop in front of  'my' window. Curiously i watch them. The pretty blonde has her hand on his arm, while talking animatedly with her other, her eyes big in wonder en sparkling beautifully in reflection of the sunlight from the snow. The guy is throwing his head back in laughter before grabbing her hand and hoisting her up on his shoulder and spinning her around.

The girl is still laughing while lightly smacking his back, a mother who's walking by stops with her kids by her side. They are looking at them in awe, i wonder if they are aware of the attention directed at them. The guy sets the girl down next to her where they smile at each other before letting go of each other's hand. The mother and her kids continue walking.

I begin typing furiously on my computer while thanking every God out there. Not even minutes later i hear a ding that signs that a customer walked in, when i look back i see the lovesick couple walk in. The girl gives me a smile and sits down a table before me, while subconsciously smiling and looking out of the window. I turn back to my computer.

A while later the guy sits down in front of her and the begin a low conversation, still laughing every few minutes like the person sitting in front of them is the funniest person out there. No book or movie will ever be able to capture true love like this, but after i've seen it, i might as well try.

I close my laptop and stand up. On my way to the door i stop by their table, they look up at me almost dazed. "I really love your relationship!"

They both blush, look at each other and back to me in a second." We-we're not together..."

"Oh well, then i love your friendship."

"We're actually enemies", the guy says dryly while shooting the girl a 'dark' look that has the effect of a puppy. I laugh softly and walk away without saying goodbye, they're already too caught up in each other. When i walk outside i hear the girl exclaim: "This is the third time in three months..."

I wanted to scream back that maybe it was a sign to do something about it.

** +1 Macy's pov:

I'm sitting at the exact same place where my boyfriend broke up with me a year ago. He was my longterm boyfriend and i really hadn't seen it coming which made it so much worse. Sometimes i still speak to him, it had taken a while though before i had forgiven him for falling out love. Before accepting that not all love lasts forever and that nobody could do anything about it. I learned that now.

Today was the day i had my first date with a guy names Will, he had liked me for a while but was too afraid to come up to me while i was still dating my ex. I liked him, after the break-up we grew closer, until it came to this say. The day of our first date.

A couple walked by, holding hands and swinging them excitedly. They wore matching outfits, 9 months ago i would have closed my eyes and wished for the image to disappear. 8 months ago i would have envied them, pursed my lips and looked away. Today i yelled at them, "You guys seem really happy together!"

They looked at each other smiled and said: "We are!" And walked away.

Will tapped me on my shoulder and motioned for me to stand up from the bench i was sitting on. "Ready?"

Was i ready? After a year of constant doubt, was i ready to get back in the game. Maybe fall in love and maybe get my heart broken. I looked over at the happy couple again, now a little farther away but still smiling.

"Yes", i said, "i am ready."

___________ I wrote this in one (1) day... i actually kind of wrote this because i felt guilty for not writing the past month so yeah, this is my apology... now don't expect too much, this was it for this weekend, for this week. Or until i find something to write

Point out my grammar mistakes i wrote this in one go!!

All the love & until next time (if ur not done with me anyway)

X

[symphonic--chaos]

Empires of Brick and Blood Chapter 4 - Fallitur Rating: M This chapter is set to the song: I Get Off - Halestorm

Also posted on AO3

Bane was used to having a keen ear out during crucial times, like when he was shooting up one of his 'children' in the alley and needing to keep aware of any of the Lightwood guards sneaking up on them. Or, in this particular case, Alec sitting outside his window and watching him as a lazy hand worked along the hard-on he had gotten from thinking of him. The footsteps on the old metal had Bane tensing up and cracking an eye open to look in the mirror across from him as his hand slowed to a stop, which permitted a view of just one half of the window by him. A shift in his position  had his shirt covering himself and he was only seeing black in the reflection until another shift had part of Alec's face in view. Bane let out a slow breath since being caught with your pants down literally was one of the worst experiences one could have.  

Bane's brows furrowed as he realized this now meant Alec knew where he lived, despite his previous thoughts, which could prove problematic for him in the long run. Well, he had been wanting to move at some point.

The sound of liquid swishing in glass was almost loud to him, his limited sight letting him see Alec lowering a bottle of something and licking his lips after. Was Alec...drinking and expecting to harass him? Maybe Bane's current predicament was what stopped him from interrupting. Something about this was thrilling and Bane could feel excitement stirring within him, from his chest to his stomach and finally ending right in his groin. Bane took in a slow breath as he dragged his eyes off the mirror, his free hand shifting his shirt out of the way to expose himself again, his previous movements resuming as he leaned his head back against the couch.

Alec, unlike Bane, could see everything from his position. What had initially been a plan to see if his sources were correct in Bane's living space, had quickly turned into a peep show and, luckily for Alec, he had enough whiskey to last it. Half of the bottle was already in his system and he didn't even like the burning liquid, he hated the taste and didn't care much for the burn that went down, but it had been a rough day and he needed an escape. Seeing Bane touching himself, the way Alec could see part of his face in the mirror, the flashes of pleasure crossing his face, the slightest hint of a smile curling his lips... he took another long swig from the bottle as Bane paused and he felt the familiar twitch of his cock starting to grow within his jeans.

They had fucked plenty times before, sneaking around and getting their frustrations out in more ways than just fists flying at each other. It had become fun in a way, getting Alec's anger and irritation with his father and mother out on someone who took the hit with a smile, who wasn't afraid to give it right back, giving Alec that pain he ached for. The physical pain took the mental and emotional from him, spilling with his blood. Something about watching Bane now seemed wrong yet so right.

"Are you going to keep watching, or are you going to join?"

The words shocked Alec out of the thoughts he'd gotten lost in while watching Bane, his eyes soon focusing on the man on the couch. Bane's head was tilted back enough to look at him, his hand moving as agonizingly slow as it had started after his pause, but despite that hand, it was the grin on Bane's lips that had Alec moving through the open window, his boots thudding on the worn wood floors. They carried him over to the edge of the couch as his eyes swept the inside of the apartment briefly, the bottle lifted to his lips once more. Spotting the edge of a bed around an obscuring wall made of what looked like frosted glass, he nodded his head towards it and put the bottle down on a small side table in front of him.

"Go."

The command had Bane's brow raising, he always thought that in his own home it was his rules, but with the sudden rush of hormones that had raced through him, he removed his hand from himself to stand and move towards his bedroom room. Bane glanced back before his hands shifted to slide up his shirt and tug it up over his head, the longer hair shifted aside to expose the large tattoo that covered Bane's back.

Alec's eyes trailed greedily over newly exposed flesh he'd never seen before, over the black ink forming a large mandala pattern that took up the expanse of his back from shoulders to his lower back, the largest circle of the five mid back, spiked designs surrounding it as the half circle coming from his neck held a softer pointed design. His tan skin peeking between each separation in the lines, perfect flesh colored lines between the large patches of black used to accentuate and border the design. Alec's gaze landed on the two small circles on either side of his waist seeming to move with each subtle sway of his hips.

This was the elusive, flirty, firey Bane, vulnerable, bare, exposing himself to his predator, and Alec was going to devour him.

Bane's hands couldn't get his pants lowered before Alec's heavy steps had him across the short distance between them, a short breath forced past Bane's lips as his hips were grabbed and he was yanked back against Alec's body. The action was enough to earn a moaned response as Bane's ass grinded back against the erection Alec was working on freeing with the single hand that had released him, making it harder for the other man to both focus and have space to work. It was his fault, after all, for putting Bane there.

"Need some help there?" Bane's voice was low and sultry, his body turning so he could slap Alec's hand away, fingers deftly popping the button loose and sliding the zipper down.

"It was your fault," Alec growled as Bane undid it all before he could, a shuddering groan following his words as Bane's warm hand slipped within and wrapped around his cock, feeling too restrained in the tight pants.

The hand wouldn't stay there long, not with the way Alec removed it and slid his hands under Bane's ass, one swift lift having long legs wrap around his waist as his own carried them forward, Bane's back roughly meeting one of the wide wooden support poles in the bedroom. Alec's teeth left behind red marks as he bit along Bane's collarbone and chest, hard enough that it wouldn't be long before they'd likely be purple and black. Bane seemed to enjoy every second with the way his hands were buried in Alec's hair, tugging and gripping from low near the roots, a feeling that had goosebumps rising on Alec's skin. The grip only loosened and released as the hands slid down, the soft sound of his shirt buttons dropping to the floor as the shirt was ripped open.

"Seriously?" Alec muttered as he looked up, seeing that shit-eating grin greeting him.

"Seriously."

Bane's view was on his torso, eyes and fingers traveling along the large cross tattooed on him, tracing the crown wrapped around the top stem, the lion in the center. The kings of the pride, the Lightwood emblem that accompanied every announcement both on paper and on the television. Alec pulled Bane's hips down, getting his attention back to their issues at hand, his teeth digging into the tender flesh of his neck. Their hips pressed in a desperate grind against each other, Bane's breath heavy in Alec's ear until his head tilted back against the wooden support behind him.

Alec, content with the bite marks he'd left behind, worked at lowering Bane's pants though he found the true difficulty of this pair being much tighter than what Bane wore when in the alley, which he may have attributed to due to his chasing. A swear was muttered into Bane's neck as a grin spread across Bane's face- Alec needed quite a bit of help tonight. Bane slipped his hands around the two handles on either side of the beam, there for coats and certainly not this, but used to his advantage as he pushed his hips outward to back Alec up, his legs dropping from him.

"Second drawer, left side." Bane motioned to the nearby nightstand, his hands moving to slide off the pants he wore, Alec giving him a quizzical look that was almost cute in a stupid puppy way. "You've spit fucked me enough, you're in my house." The grumble was accentuated with a hand motioning to the drawer.

Alec registered what he meant quick enough, nearly stumbling as he moved to the bureau to open the drawer, retrieving the lube and condom from within. By the time he was the four steps back to Bane, the other was fully nude and not at all looking self conscious about it- something that made Alec's cock twitch in excitement as the last remaining blood he believed he possessed left his upper body and went straight down. Other than the tattoo on Bane's back, the rest of him was unmarred outside of a few scars here and there, one on his chest that he'd likely question later if he remembered. Alec had Bane back up against the pole within seconds of Bane taking the items from him, a grunt of surprise ignored in lieu of watching the ringed fingers move the condom onto him.

It seemed like a flurry of actions, maybe he blacked out from the amount he'd had to drink, or maybe he just completely zoned out, but Alec snapped to quick attention when he felt that familiar tight heat wrapped around him and the almost addictive sigh of pleasure coming from the one he had pinned to the pole. It was another tug of his hair and a harsh bite to the crook between his neck and shoulder that had that same primal urge hitting him, punching him straight back into the reality of their actions and out of his haze as his hips snapped forward and began a quick pace. Alec's head dropped as he moved, his fingers curling and digging into Bane's back, his thumbs bruising his sides. Bane's hands soon moved up, wrapping around the posts they'd held earlier, his knuckles white as he arched his body just right, Alec knowing exactly why as he felt the clench around him.

A hiss of air was sucked between Alec's teeth as he shifted, moving with Bane. While the dealer hadn't seemed vocal during their times in the alley, Alec noted that he didn't mind being louder here, likely due to their sneaking around and not having to hide for once. Something was almost special about it, that despite being the fox in the hen house, Bane hadn't resorted to violence to get Alec away. At the same time, Alec realized he'd willingly fallen into the flirt, he'd seen and craved, much like he did during nights at home when he couldn't sleep and found himself getting off to the thought of Bane. The complaining creak of wood had Alec's rhythm uneven, Bane even glancing up at the support beam that attached to the ceiling. The tiniest drift of the plaster that made the ceiling drifted down and Bane considered telling Alec to move to the bed, but when one particular thrust had a spike of pleasure racing up his spine, he squirmed managed to pant out, 'Don't stop,". Bane was so damn close from his earlier actions, their grinding, and the way Alec was brutally exploiting that spot within, and by now he could tell Alec was as well by the way he was burying his face in the crook of his neck.

"With me, Alec, cum with me. A-always with me." Bane managed to get out, another creak of the wood heard and ignored, though this time it sounded closer. He didn't know what made him say it, but Alec's moan, muffled by his sweat slicked skin, was enough of an agreement for him. What surprised him most was the shift of arms, one moving around his back to hold him up, Alec's other moving to wrap around Bane's cock, stroking him quickly in time with the movement of his hips.

A few more thrusts and the friction was enough to have Alec slam his cock as deep as he could within Bane, a guttural moan flooding the bedroom, matched by Bane's own as his body arched and writhed with his release, one final warning groan mingling in before the coathandles snapped off of the support beam.  A pleasurable high interrupted too soon out of shock as Bane's body slipped just enough to cause panic, the handles clattering to the floor, but Alec's reflexes were fast enough for him to react and wrap his other arm around Bane, holding him up and tugging him towards himself.

"Fuck," Bane panted, draping himself over Alec's shoulder as he tried to regain his breath, feeling Alec's chest heaving against his own. Alec shifted, bringing them over to the bed and knelt on the edge, lowering them both onto it.

Little did they both know at the time, Bane's 'fuck' was less a word of pleasure and panic, but instead a theme of the night. Several times.

The light coming through the glass of the wall had Bane rolling over with an annoyed groan, his body stopped short by something beside him. One eye opened, the feline like slit dilating when he saw the bare back in front of him, tracing over the scratch marks running from shoulder to right above Alec's ass, the blood having dried by now. So he hadn't left. His other eye opened as he sat up, looking over the sleeve on Alec's right arm, his fingers moving to trace over the rather detailed, beautiful and biblical scene of angels descending from clouds at his shoulder, spears drawn and flying towards the demons engulfed in flames by his wrist.

Beneath those flames, very prominently, was a dark bruise circling Alec's wrist and, leaning over him carefully, he spotted a matching one on the opposite wrist. A grin crept across Bane's face, knowing he'd held on a little too tightly while riding him, having taken Alec's hands and pinned them above him so he could only watch and not touch as Bane pleasured himself with Alec's body. Bane's movements were careful as shifted, leaning his head over Alec's shoulder, his hand shaking the other man's arm lightly to wake him. Alec's groan of disapproval matched his earlier and Magnus pressed a kiss to Alec's cheek, contradicting all the times they had refused to kiss each other due to these being quick fucks and not anything more.

"Get the fuck out of my house." Bane's words were whispered in Alec's ear before he moved away to get off the bed, the coffee in the kitchen waiting to be made and calling his name.

~~

"Jacob, can you help them out? I need to walk away. I've been going nonstop for hours and I'm drained." Bane said quietly, his hand resting on the arm of the much taller male beside him.

Easily at 6'4, the blue-eyed gentle giant gave him a bright smile and nodded, patting his thigh to get the dog beside him to follow as he headed into the waiting group with Bane's bag. Jacob was one of Bane's closest friends, a man who didn't at all seem affected by the devastated hell surrounding them or the dire situation most of the people were in. It was work that was wearing him down and, from what he'd seen of the eldest Lightwood sibling, it was finally starting to take its toll on Alec. There was one small light in the dark though, the treatments they were giving his jailed follower was working. He no longer craved the drug and the wounds he'd had from fights and surgery were healing nicely- he was even offering to find a job and begin paying back the Lightwood's for the surgeries out of honesty rather than desperation in fear of death.

"Alec!" The figure was undeniably him, walking past the alley on his way to another and moving quickly as if he was trying to get away from something. So much so that he didn't stop for Bane's call as he neared.

Bane turned down the alley and began following Alec, which was strange to him considering it had always been the other way around, but the man had disappeared for a week after their night together and Bane couldn't truly believe it was because of how he'd kicked him out. Catching up to Alec, he could see the other looked troubled and agitated, his eyes dark and contemplating. Bane caught his arm, causing Alec to turn quickly, his brows furrowing in irritation as he pulled his arm away.

"Not tonight, Bane. Really." Alec began moving again and Bane watched him before moving forward, grabbing his arm again briefly before falling in step with him.

Alec growled low in his throat as he halted to a stop again and shoved Bane away from him. He was already on edge because of a fight with his father, one that had resulted in his mother being dragged into it, involving the family, money, and the broken politics of the family. The leader of the city was stepping down due to old age and both rules and protection had lapsed in between, causing chaos and riots in certain parts of the city. His father, a violent and cruel man, wanted to go for this newly opened position to bring order to the city, but Alec and Maryse both knew that it would turn into how everything was under the Largo's. Maryse had suggested to Robert that Alec run for the position, due to all the hard work he'd put into helping already, and he was already well loved by those who had seen and met him so far.

"Bane, fuck off, okay? I need space. I can't deal with this shit tonight." Alec gave a pointed look, hoping Bane would just accept it and leave him be so he could escape to...somewhere, and work off the steam bottled up within him.

"Is this because of what I said to you after that night? Are your feelings hurt or something? Kind of a pussy thing to be hurt by me telling you to leave." Bane said the last words in amusement, something that just seemed to make Alec's blood boil hotter, the taller figure running his hand over his face before pushing it up and his hair back.

"It's not about that night. It's not about you. This is way over you and I'm getting really sick of you pushing me all the time like this. Next time I'm-"

"You're what? Going to hit me? Hit me with that prod? I'm not afraid of you hurting me, you're basically a puppy."

Alec's fist was quick to move out, catching Bane's jaw before he could react. Bane touched his jaw, his mouth moving and rolling it before his feet shifted, launching him forward as he ducked enough to drive a shoulder into Alec's stomach, hurtling them both to the ground. Two punches landed home on Alec's face before he was shoved off, rolling to his side and getting himself up, ignoring the dirt and debris that stuck to his jacket along the way.

Alec shifted and touched his lip, looking at the blood that came off with it. He pushed himself off the ground and the prod was removed from his belt. He would show Bane a puppy. The first swing was dodged easily and the amused laughter that echoed through the alley came with a scuff of boots as Alec swung, and missed, once more. It was the third move, a grab of Bane's arm to draw him close as he sank the prod against the dealer's side that hit home, and Alec reveled in the look of nervousness that passed Bane's face as he sank to his knees. Alec released Bane's arm as he stepped back, lifting his arms and shoulders in an 'I told you so' way before the prod was closed and snapped back onto his belt, turning back to the way he came and walking until he disappeared around the corner.

Bane knew he'd made a mistake then, knew by the way his heart was erratically pounding and the pain was spreading through his chest and arm that pushing Alec tonight was not the best choice he'd made. Bane swallowed thick as he leaned down on his right arm, a slow and ragged gasp taken in as he felt the weight on his chest grow, his fingers growing numb as he fumbled for the phone in his pocket, trying to pull up and hit Jacob's name on the call list and instead hitting 'Izzy'.

"Bane! How are you baby? I'm right near your alley, like two min---" Her voice rang out from the phone as her face filled the screen with her bright smile, though it faded fast as he leaned over it the screen before he collapsed beside it.

"Help."

~~

"BANE!" Izzy yelled as she ran down the alley, ignoring the bewildered looks she got from the patrons within. Jacob looked up as the blue drug disappeared into one of the users arms, his free hand pointing towards the end of the alley as he looked on confused.

Izzy's heels clicked heavy against the grungy alley as she ran as fast as they'd permit, her eyes desperately searching along the way as she went. It was only when she heard a faint groan through the pounding of her own blood that she saw his body crumpled on the ground. She quickly slid to his side, ignoring the burn of the dirt and asphalt against her knees as she rolled him onto his back, her hands moving to cup his face, scrunched up in agony.

"What's happening?! What do I do?!" She asked desperately, tears filling her eyes until she spotted him clutching his chest. "Is it the piece?! Is it malfunctioning?!"

"Alec, prod."

Izzy felt rage engulf her, overcoming the fear and she looked around to see if Alec was still nearby and just not helping, but he was nowhere to be found. The swears she muttered were quick and in Spanish, had Bane been more conscious he likely would have asked to learn what she said.

"Jacob."

The name had her clueless, she knew no one named Jacob or where this person was. Suddenly she remembered him telling her about one of his friends named Jacob and she nodded, torn between leaving him to find this Jacob or trying to drag Bane out of the alley. Grabbing his phone, she called the hospital, telling them to expect them, then pulled up 'Jacob' on the phone. When he picked up, his smile faded when it wasn't Bane on the other end, just the erratic girl that had just sprinted past them.

"Uh...hi?"

"Bane is hurt and I need you to help me! I'm right down the alley, you just saw me! They have the inner city blocked off because of the Leader's sending off parade, you need to bring a car or something and we need to get him to the hospital, NOW."

Jacob stared at Izzy on the screen before he opened his mouth to speak, closing it once more as he nodded and stood from where he was. Grabbing Bane's bag and ending the call, he quickly ran down the alleyway to find them, not taking long before he was kneeling beside them, the reality of the situation finally hitting him.

"Shit, is it his defibrillator?" Jacob asked, lowering his head to a now unconscious Bane's chest, listening to the erratic pace within. The beat he heard seemed to stop before quickly beating again, fluttering like a bird was trapped in Bane's chest, then stopping again. "Okay, we have to get him to the hospital."

"I already called, you need to drive. I'll stay in the back with him." Izzy declared, standing to put Bane's phone in her pocket and take one of his arms, trying to lift him herself. It wasn't fun like the times where he would play deadweight to listen to her grunt and strain to push him off her lap and off the couch.

"With... what car?" Jacob asked, taking Bane's other arm and shifting to hoist him across his arms and carry him. Izzy pointed to the end of the alley, quickly leading him down towards the car that had been waiting for her despite her request for the driver to leave, an overbearing guard for the family that, with Robert's express orders, was to never take her orders.

"Out!" Izzy said as she opened the door, grabbing the drivers arm and yanking him out of the seat, then moved to open the back door. "We need to borrow this, go home!"

Jacob carefully placed Bane in the backseat as he listened to Izzy argue with the driver, the man clearly getting agitated with her brazen action. Stepping forward towards the guard, who was at least a foot shorter than him, his eyes narrowed as he pressed a hand to the man's chest to shove him back.

"It's an emergency. Fuck off. She'll bring it back."

Izzy had taken advantage of getting into the car and had her head on Bane's chest, a yell of 'Hurry!' coming from within the car. When Jacob looked back, Izzy was straddling Bane, her hands over his heart as she pumped his chest. It didn't more than that for Jacob to practically dive into the drivers seat, the tires screeching louder than the yelling man as Jacob raced towards the city.

[ao3feed-tomarrymort]

by Chaotic_Gryffindor_Sass

The light side have finally won, the dark side shunned yet again. However, like everything it comes at the cost of the lives of James and Lily Potter. Harry is left alive with nothing but, a horrendously beautiful lightning scar and his muggle aunt who hated her sister so why would she love Harry?

After being unceremoniously dumped on Petunia's doorstep by Albus Dumbledore, Minerva and Hagrid. Left in the chilly autumn night with nothing but a blanket and a heating spell. He gets taken away by a spying figure who takes him to a family that will love him.

Taking him away out of Britain and up north were he grows up under the name of Ignatius Destin Lurius. However, when he is told the truth he makes a shocking decision to delve deep into old, "dark", magic.

Words: 500, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: Multi

Characters: Regulus Black, Sirius Black, Harry Potter, Nagini (Harry Potter), Kreacher (Harry Potter), Bartemius Crouch Jr., Fred Weasley, George Weasley, Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, Malfoy Family (Harry Potter), Black Family (Harry Potter)

Relationships: Harry Potter/Tom Riddle, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin, Sirius Black & Harry Potter, Sirius Black & Remus Lupin & Harry Potter, Remus Lupin & Harry Potter, Regulus Black & Sirius Black

Additional Tags: Durmstrang Student Harry Potter, Name Changes, Plot Twists, Horcruxes, wolfstar, tomarry - Freeform, Necromancy, no such thing as dark magic, Resurrection, Regulus Black Lives, Slow Burn, probably some sex, gay relationships, Wizarding World AU, kinda winging this

[anastpaul]

Our Morning Offering – 3 June 2018 – The Solemnity of Corpus Christi

Adoro Te devote By St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Doctor of the Church Trans. Fr Gerard Manley Hopkins S.J. (1844-1889)

Godhead here in hiding, whom I do adore, Masked by these bare shadows, shape and nothing more, See, Lord, at thy service low lies here a heart Lost, all lost in wonder at the God thou art.

Seeing, touching, tasting are in thee deceived: How says trusty hearing? that shall be believed; What God’s Son has told me, take for truth I do; Truth himself speaks truly or there’s nothing true.

On the cross thy godhead made no sign to men, Here thy very manhood steals from human ken: Both are my confession, both are my belief, And I pray the prayer of the dying thief.

I am not like Thomas, wounds I cannot see, But can plainly call thee Lord and God as he; Let me to a deeper faith daily nearer move, Daily make me harder hope and dearer love.

O thou our reminder of Christ crucified, Living Bread, the life of us for whom he died, Lend this life to me then: feed and feast my mind, There be thou the sweetness man was meant to find.

Bring the tender tale true of the Pelican; Bathe me, Jesu Lord, in what thy bosom ran— Blood whereof a single drop has power to win All the world forgiveness of its world of sin.

Jesu, whom I look at shrouded here below, I beseech thee send me what I thirst for so, Some day to gaze on thee face to face in light And be blest for ever with thy glory’s sight. Amen

Original Latin

Adoro te devote, latens Deitas, Quæ sub his figuris vere latitas; Tibi se cor meum totum subjicit, Quia te contemplans totum deficit.

Visus, tactus, gustus in te fallitur, Sed auditu solo tuto creditur. Credo quidquid dixit Dei Filius; Nil hoc verbo veritátis verius.

In cruce latebat sola Deitas, At hic latet simul et Humanitas, Ambo tamen credens atque confitens, Peto quod petivit latro pœnitens.

Plagas, sicut Thomas, non intueor: Deum tamen meum te confiteor. Fac me tibi semper magis credere, In te spem habere, te diligere.

O memoriale mortis Domini, Panis vivus, vitam præstans homini, Præsta meæ menti de te vívere, Et te illi semper dulce sapere.

Pie Pelicane, Jesu Domine, Me immundum munda tuo sanguine: Cujus una stilla salvum facere Totum mundum quit ab omni scelere.

Jesu, quem velatum nunc aspicio, Oro, fiat illud quod tam sitio: Ut te revelata cernens facie, Visu sim beátus tuæ gloriæ. Amen

(via Our Morning Offering - 3 June 2018 - The Solemnity of Corpus Christi)

[beheadingofmakai]

“Exorcist” Is A Strong Word

<- Previous Chapter

The girl’s fragile body heaved and thrashed violently as the Exorcists chanted while holding the unholy presence prisoner to shackles affixed to their own bodies, each of the men standing on opposite ends of the bed.

“...Ut inimicos sanctae circulae humiliare digneris...” the older of the two chanted as the younger focused entirely on subduing the demon’s attempts to resist with a smaller, simpler chant.

The room was dimly lit, just four candles providing both lighting and ambiance to the grotesque or extraordinary, depending on who ask, scene that unfurled in front of the terrified parents of the possessed girl, flanked by the two focused men, one tall and with wavy hair that rested in a ponytail atop his left shoulder, the other sporting shorter, dark red hair, and a far more stiff posture that spoke of inexperience and anxiety. The girl was held in place by two large, thick golden chains of light that protruded from the very bodies of the two men, a most fetid and unholy spirit attempting to resist their intervention, convulsing and shrieking in tones both audible and inaudible to humans.

“I-Is she fine!?” blurted out the concerned father of the girl, his wife holding him back and “shhh”ing him, urging him to be quiet as he was instructed. “I can’t just sit around doing nothing while my daughter is suffering like this!”

“Don’t worry, we’re almost done, sir,” replied the younger Vinn, trying to sound as calm and pleasant as possible, as if he wasn’t wrangling a creature most foul by the tentacles. “My partner is almost done with the-- Oh, here it comes, one second, please, I need to catch it.”

“...You need to catch it?”

“Benedictus Deus, Gloria Patri, Benedictus Dea, Matri Gloria!”

A blinding flash of light burst from the girl’s chest, and an ocean of pitch black darkness with dark red orbs that you might just mistake for eyes burst forth from her mouth, immediately being captured by Vinn in a small rectangular object, and just as fast as it came, it was gone. “...Eyup, that’s a good one, now let’s scram,” commented Bastian casually, slinging his coat over his shoulder and heading to the exit.

“...Jeez. Sir, madam, your daughter is perfectly fine now. She’ll be asleep for a couple of hours, but his work is as precise as he is rude, unpleasant, and smells bad in the morning. Now, I need you to come here for a second so I can give you the post-care instructions.”

“T-thank you so much, Mister Ingram! Our daughter is everything for us! Do tell us, if it’s any medicine or doctor, we’ll pay for it!”  the ecstatic mother raved, her tears of joy already streaming down her face.

As soon as they got close, Vinn grabbed them both by the back of the neck, a dull green light in his fingertips, and the couple’s eyes went white for just a second. “...Huh? Who are you? Do you have any business with us...?”

“I said that the toilet is now completely fixed.” remarked Vinn. “It shouldn’t need any further repairs. It gave us a hell of a bad time, and the smell was horrible, but we sanitized the place while we were at it. We’ll send the bill later, have a good day!”

“...Oh, right! The toilet, yeah, darn thing, kept clogging up for no reason! Why, we had some good chili some days ago, and you wouldn’t believe how hard it-- Oh, um, thanks a lot, Mister Ingram! See you around!”

                                                         ——-

“No one’s looking?”

“Nope. Let that bastard out. Imma let him have it.”

“Oh boy, alright.”

The back alley where they stood was a spacious, convenient space between two large buildings, both made of brick, with a large green dumpster on the side, and out of the sight of any city crawler that wasn’t looking for trouble. The backside of a large billboard promoting a popular soda brand hung above them as the older man spat on his hands, rubbed them together, and cracked his knuckles like a boxer about to despoil a champion of his belt. It was 2:34 PM, two men on the clock, two hands ready to guarantee the local hospital would see some action today, and two eyes that rolled at the outdated display of bravado, because, let’s face it, who the hell still spits on their own hands and rubs them together anymore? Only whatever few Pre-Amnesia cartoons that can be salvaged together do that anymore.

Vinn produced a cheap, common, and rectangular sponge from his breast pocket and squeezed it with all of his strength, a black sludge and a blood-curling scream oozing out of it. “OOWWW! Ow ow ow! Yo, hold on! No need to-- AHH! Please, come on, man, yeesh!”

As the viscous sludge hit the pavement, a vaguely person-shaped creature began forming as more and more sludge accumulated, until the sponge had been squeezed dry, and in the floor lie a young man, large and built, with broad shoulders and a body hugging t-shirt that flattered his physique. He’d probably look very dashing if he wasn’t already off the floor and against a wall, with Bastian Ashfield’s firm grip on his neck.

“Possessing a little girl, man? Really? What shitter did you come from?” barked Bastian as he turned him around and seized his wrist, pushing him face-first against the wall. “What did you do to her? Lie, you piece of shit, lie right now and give me the excuse I need to smoke your ass right this instant.”

“Woah woah, man, calm down! I didn’t do anything to her! It was just the ol’ vitality drain, you know? A man’s gotta eat!” cried the demon nervously, struggling in vain to get out of the detective’s grasp. “...I did play a couple of pranks on those old folks, but I didn’t harm no one, I mean, anyone, I swear!”

Bastian looked at Vinn, whose eyes were coated in the gentle light of Fallitur, the SSSD of True Sight. “...It checks out. He’s saying the truth. He didn’t do anything aside from getting nourishment and... Playing some pranks, I guess. This one reeks of milk, man. How old are you, 14?”

“Alright, perfect.” Bastian interrupted before the demon could answer, casually tossing him to the ground as he put his coat on. “Vinn, you remember what I told you yesterday? That I needed to confirm one extra thing with you?”

“Yes, and just as you did today in the morning, when you broke into my house in the middle of my breakfast, Bastian.” remarked the younger Exorcist with the slightest but realest hint of resentment in his voice, his delicious bacon and cereal interrupted by a certain hydromancer who stealthily got inside from a window. “...But you refused to say it because you need to be cryptic and vague and ‘mysterious’ in order to make up for lacking manners and a personality.” Vinn punctuated the word “mysterious” by doing quotation signs with his fingers.

“Where’s your sense of adventure and suspense, Ingram? Were you That Kid in school? The one that did sudoku during recess ‘cause he always lost at Hide and Seek?” -- Bastian laughed, since he clearly had gotten under Vinn’s skin -- “Well, whatever, look, you can handle sacraments and spells well, you can fight well, your heart is the right place, but I need one more thing outta you, one thing more important than those and, if you lack it, you are out of the game.”

Vinn was certainly irritated with his high maintenance and annoying partner, but it was true that he was very curious and intrigued about what this final requirement might be. “...What is it?”

“I need you to find this guy a job.”

“What?!” grunted the demon on the floor.

“What.” flatly responded Vinn.

“What~?” mockingly quipped Bastian, lifting his arms in mock surrender, saying it in a funny voice. “I said, you need to find--”

“But why do I need to find this guy a job?”

“Vinn, we are Exorcists. You remember what they taught you way back in the first year on the Academy? What is it that Exorcists do?”

“We solve crimes related to Mythics or magic, and we--!”

“...You seem to have remembered something.”

Vinn brought his hand to his mouth, almost ashamed of himself. “...It’s been so long... But yes, Exorcists... Solve Mythic and magic-related crimes, but they also serve as involved parole officers for minor crimes, which includes setting Mythics right, letting them know their rights, and assisting them in finding their place in society in a way that lets them live with dignity and a purpose.”

“...And assisting them in finding their place in society in a way that lets them live with dignity and a purpose”. Bastian said these words alongside Vinn, his mocking demeanor gone and his hands reaching for a cigarette. “...It’s definitely not unwelcome to know that you can crack skulls when you need to, and that you care about Mythics, but see, if you can’t actually provide this help to them, then I don’t need you. The Academy’s fucked up, ain’t it? You spend one class in the first year talking about the supposed duty of the Exorcist, and then the rest of it all is learning how to pulverize them, or worst, how to smoke them. It never comes back up, does it? Not in the entire god damn MAB-approved and cooked curriculum. Well, Vinn, if you are going to truly help me set this rotten MAB right, you are going to show me you can do the most important job: Helping Mythics out for realsies. Not ‘beating up Mythics’, not ‘gathering evidence’, but actually caring and showing concern for Mythics that deserve this help, that with just that little push, can find their place in this God forsaken city.”

“...” Vinn held his tongue tight because Bastian was absolutely right. The Mythic Affairs Bureau’s Mythic Law Enforcement Academy’s education was mostly based on immediately assuming Mythics were a threat to humanity, something that always bothered Vinn, but the fact that even then, all he could think about this current case was to just give the demon a warning and letting him go instead of doing his duty properly was enough to make shame itch from within his skin. Vivid memories of his time at the Academy popped into his head, all the spellcasting, all the sacrament learning, the weaknesses of Mythics, what items and elements were most effective at hurting each type, and among all of these, he had naught a memory of Mythic rights or how to properly help them. “...Oi, Bastian, generally speaking, how many Exorcists would’ve killed this guy for what he did?”

Bastian’s face grew grim. “...Seven out of ten, I’d say. They would’ve truly and well exorcised him instead of just pulling him out. This one’s weak, too, so they wouldn’t have bothered like this, definitely”. The demon, who had gotten back on his feet but had not dared make a run for it, gulped visibly. “I’m going back to the Office to interview our lovely necromancer nurse. Help this guy out properly. I’m not demanding you do this in a day, but put your truest and hardest into this. I want to see if you can really call yourself an Exorcist.”

As Bastian walked away, Vinn recovered his composure and approached the demon. Short, stylish black hair, tight black t-shirt, built physique, and jeans. He was dressed as the most generic Joe out there, but his particularly model-like physique set him apart, and he’d look handsome if he wasn’t trembling in his sneakers. The somewhat red eyes of the demon avoided contact with Vinn’s green own as he uncomfortably shuffled in place. It was easy to see that he was not exactly calm, alone in a back alley with an Exorcist who had just caught him red handed.

“Oi, calm down. My name’s Vinn Ingram, and honestly, I am not going to harm you at all. I don’t get kicks from kicking kids like you around, so come on, ease up, what’s your name?”

“...How could you tell I’m a kid? I am pretty sure I have the appearance of an adult male right now. Are you a really experienced Exorcist?”

“Oh, uh, yeah, totally, I’ve been doing this for a while.” responded the man on his second day of work. “I just know how to tell Mythics apart really well by now. Demons especially.”

“...Mathanac. 17 years old, almost 18. This is my True Form, though, I’m not trying to look older on purpose. Look, I realize what I did was wrong, so please, can we not do the smoking thing? I didn’t hurt anybody, just maybe slid a couple of ice cubes down someone’s trousers, and, um, maybe I printed out scary pictures and hid them behind the shower’s curtain... And...”

“...And?”

“Well, um, maybe I spun my head a couple of times to freak ‘em out.”

“...I can’t even be mad at you for that one, it’s a classic.”

“Yeah! See? So please, come on, man, just give me a pass here, I’ll really be on my best behavior! Don’t put me in a room with that other guy, please.”

Vinn scratched the back of his head. Interaction after interaction, he understood one thing more and more with each word that came out of anyone that ever mentioned Exorcists: They were feared, they were dreaded, and they weren’t welcome, not by the Mythics they were supposed to guide, nor by the Humans they were supposed to protect.

Turns out, this job wasn’t as rosy or as noble as initially expected, if you have basic decency and a moral compass. Though he had serious personality problems, that was the one thing Vinn did like about Bastian: It was truly luck for him to be partnered with what seemed to be one of the few decent Exorcists in the line of duty, if the comments of anyone he’s ever met so far on the clock and his own experiences in the MLEA were anything to go by.

 “...Look, man, I am not going to hurt you at all. We are kinda close in age too, I’m just 21. All I want to do is help you find your place in this city so you don’t have to resort to possessing people again, and so you don’t get in trouble again. Tons of Mythics live just fine and without causing trouble, so there’s no reason to believe you wouldn’t be able to as well.”

“...21?” Mathanac took a step back and stabbed Vinn with doubtful eyes. “...You just said you were a very experienced Exorcist, but you are just 21? Liar alert! You are trying to bamboozle me! Trick me, even!”

“Oh! No no, uh, it’s just--!”

     Of kindred spirits, ink stains, and the reassuring caress of purpose:                                 – Chapter 2: "Exorcist” Is A Strong Word –

“See! You are just another Exorcist that wants to have his kicks by smoking me the moment I decide to trust you!”

“Aah, crap, look, sorry... I’ll explain, I’ll explain, please believe me.” Vinn sighed deeply, nervously fiddling with his hands just slightly. “I... Have been around demons since I was a kid. I know what to look for when trying to identify their age.”

Mathanac looked less panicked but no less confused than before. “...You’ve been around demons since you were a kid...? Aren’t you an Exorcist? Isn’t it your job to put us out of commission?”

“Ahh, man, look, “Exorcist” is a strong word, I like to think of myself as a civil worker first and foremost, ‘cause to be honest, screw having to outright off Mythics for small shit, you know? It’s not fair. I try to at least do my part, it’s what I’ve always aimed to do, since the first day I entered the Academy.”

The demon was taken aback. Demons are creatures fundamentally made of emotions, and they can read the emotions of others better than they can read between lines. Mathanac sensed no subterfuge or trickery behind the words of the young Exorcist, no matter how hard he tried to. “...I didn’t think good Exorcists existed... You care about Mythics and demons for real, huh? You ain’t lying.”

“...I’d rather not get into it, but I kinda want to protect demons. Don’t tell my partner I said that, though, I really dunno how much I can trust humans.”

The demon laughed. “Aren’t you a human, though?”

“Yeah, I am, but I don’t know shit about them, haha.”

“...Haha, what? What kinda oddball are you? Just in whose care did I get put? Man, today’s wild, first I see a grown man scream like the shrillest kindergartener, and now I am face to face with an Exorcist who isn’t a full on dickhead!”

“Hey, better me than some human jerk who’d outright freaking smoked you, man.”

The two laughed, the atmosphere clearly more light than when Bastian was around. “...You looked and talked real stiff when dealing with your partner and the girl’s parents, but you are all loosened up now, it’s killing me. What’s up with that?”

Vinn chuckled nervously. “...I don’t know how to handle other humans too well, but demons are easy. You can just speak your mind, you know? No need to watch your words, ‘cause they understand you. Let’s get looking for your job, though, the sooner we are done with this, the better for the two of us.”

The demon and the Exorcist nodded, and off they went to the business district, but unknown to them, a pair of magenta eyes was fixed on them, having been watching them for a while now. Silent like the shadow of a ghost, the silhouette moved out, tailing them in secret.

                                                        ——-

“So, Mathanac, whatcha good at?”

And the first question was like a well placed hook right into the demon’s ribs. “...Ya think I’d be out here possessing children if I was good at anything?” 

“I’m asking what is you primary emotion. Demons are fundamentally emotional people, and there’s usually a main temperament to you from the moment you are born. We should start by picking something suited to your temperament.” advised Vinn, adjusting his coat and checking his phone. “I mean, it’d be stupid going to random places, hoping you’ll hit it off by coincidence, yeah? It’s better if we can reduce our options.”

Mathanac’s shoulders slumped and he let out a sigh. “I truly have no idea. My parents got... Smoked by Exorcists when I was a baby, apparently, and as soon as I could start possessing people, the family that had me ‘till then sent me on my way. Never really had the talk with anyone that could’ve helped me figure this out.”

There was a moment of silence between the two men, with Vinn unsure of what to respond with when faced with this rather grim turn of events. “...Sorry to hear that, man. I, uh... Damn, sorry, I really don’t know what to say, I don’t want to patronize you, either.” The answer to Vinn’s condolences was a forced chuckle.

“Don’t worry too much. My parents were apparently pretty damn vile, so it was inevitable. That’s also why I never really do any harm to whoever I possess, I mean, if these two dedicated demons got smoked in the end, someone far weaker like me would get pulverized in no time if I were to lay one finger on anybody. I’m a coward by nature, so I’d rather not sign my own death warrant if I can help it.”

“That doesn’t make you a coward, but jeez, alright, I guess our only option is to go to random places and try it out. Alright, so, how do you feel about the food industry?”

The demon boy raised his hand. “Question! I meant to ask this before, but how are you gonna get me a job just like that?”

Pulling out his MAB-issued notepad from his breast pocket, the young Exorcist flipped it open and showed a list of names and addresses to the inquiring demon. “This is a list of places where, if we mention who we are, we’ll be given freedom to get you hooked with a job as part of our parole officer duty. These are mostly Mundane-owned places, but they know of Mythics and such.”

The MAB has many connections, even with people outside the world of Mythics. Even though the majority of people in Stroln are Mundane -- that is, humans that are not users of any sort of sorcery or sacrament -- some Mundanes do indeed know of the world of Mythics that lies hidden under the surface of the expansive city for this or that reason. Generally, these Mundanes are visited by the nice, cordial chaps of the MAB, who politely request, without any sort of threats or implied violence, of course, that they sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement that, if breached, can result in red stains on the carpet. These NDAs contain pretty severe restrictions, but these can be lessened through various means, one of which is agreeing to participate in the MAB Parole System, which allows Exorcists get jobs for their assigned Mythics, no questions asked.

“So that system is actually real? I had heard some people talk about it before, but I assumed it was just bluster.” exclaimed Mathanac in marvel. “Yeah, let’s go for a bite.”

“You’ll be the one cooking, smartass.”

Not ten minutes later, Vinn introduced himself to the owner of a small diner, and got the owner to give Mathanac a trial day immediately upon mentioning the MAB. Though not comfortable with the clear fear in the owner’s eyes upon hearing the acronym, it was a step forward for Mathanac’s rehabilitation.

“...Jeez, never thought the day would actually come...” the owner lamented as he opened a ledger and wrote some stuff.

“Pardon?” inquired Vinn. “How come you never thought the day would come if you are a part of the MAB Parole System? If you signed up for it, it is at least expected that you consider the possibility.”

“Eh. Everyone signs up for that for the benefits, since no one actually makes use of it. It’s the first time in years an Exorcist comes and brings it up, and the previous time it was brought up was when I was asked if I wanted to sign up for it. Just my luck...”

“...Please excuse me.” Stroln’s beauty and hospitality never ceases to impress.

                                                       ——-

“Alright, you get to wait some tables today. Play nice and you can keep the job.” explained the young Exorcist as he sat by the counter. “I gotta watch you and review your performance, so just do your best. The owner says he wouldn’t mind a mild demon like you on the payroll, plus, you got your looks going for you, which always helps in the service industry.”

“Alright, it’s worth a shot. It’s just knowing what each person wants and delivering it, right? Yeah, easy peasy, got this in the bag, dontcha worry!” Mathanac boasted, getting changed into the diner’s uniform and apron already.

The door’s bell chimed, and in strode a new customer, almost too conveniently, just in time for Mathanac to test his waiting mettle. The customer was quite the sight, as well, with striking magenta eyes, a head full of shoulder length white hair with her right lock dyed black, and most notably, a lilac t-shirt that exposed her left shoulder, albeit it wasn’t due to the shirt being designed with that in mind, but rather, it was too big for her. This would usually call attention by itself, but the most curious aspect of the t-shirt was the large ink stain on the front, clearly not part of the original article, which contrasted not too pleasantly with the lilac color of the clothes. With a smile and a joyful stride, she sat on a chair, looked at the menu briefly, and then looked at the Exorcist with expectant magenta eyes.

“Oi, on table 17, go get her order, man.” chided Vinn, prompting the demon to make his debut in the food industry. As he watched the demon and the girl talk, the Exorcist checked his phone and texted Bastian.

                                                                        Is the interview going well?

marvelous shes a dumbass but shes the real deal no doubt

                                                                       Mathanac is starting with his job                                                                        and he’s a pretty decent demon                                                                        so I don’t think this will be hard.

cool im glad youre calling him by name can’t stay on the phone much longer don’t get cocky though keep an eye on him                                                                        Alright, mom.

There was nothing for Vinn to worry about! In the time spent texting with Bastian, Vinn had been keeping an eye on his demon: Mathanac had taken the order, brought the seasoning and sauces, the girl’s drink, the whole deal. Why, just now, he had set down the noodle soup she had ordered! No problem, no dilemma, it was in the bag. Right up until she wanted to put some salt on the soup and the cap fell off, dumping a mountain of tiny white rocks on the noodle soup, accentuated by the snickering of a certain demon, whose laughter immediately ceased upon receiving a powerful finger jab in the ribs.

“You were doing so well! Why the hell did you think this was a good time for a prank!?”

“Haaa, oww, haha... Man, come on, there’s no sin in adding some... Spice to a meal!”

Finger jab and a cry of pain that, if put through a translator, it would read “worth it”.

“Salt’s not even a spice, dumbass. Ma’am, I’m so sorry, we’ll get you a new bowl.”

“Oh, no no! No worries, hmhm, it was pretty funny, no worries! I’ll pay for it, too. I’d like it wrapped for take out, please.” replied the girl with a gentle demeanor and a pleasant smile as she stood up and got close to Vinn. “Actually... That guy’s a demon, isn’t he?”

Vinn took a step back, surprised. “...Guess you are not a Mundane.” The girl simply chuckled and lifted her arms in mock surrender, answering by just nodding. “Ah, no, sorry, didn’t mean to sound accusatory. Vinn Ingram, Exorcist with the Seventh Office of the MAB. I’m helping this guy get a job, but...”

“Oh? An Exorcist actually helping a Mythic? I see! And this is the part where I get careless, lower my guard, you ask for my papers and send me to jail over some little bit of bureaucracy, right?” she prattled.

“Ahh, no, look, I won’t--”

“Chill, I’m just kidding. I know that you are really helping that guy out. I saw you guys before. I miiiiiight have overheard you, and decided to follow you.” -- the girl stretched -- “You got a little careless, I guess!”

“Oh, she totally heard us, haha. Some Exorcist you are,” taunted Mathanac, coming back in his regular clothes and with the take out wrap. “The boss fired the crap outta me, so I guess this is a good time to go to the next place. Ah well, food biz ain’t my thing, anyways.”

The young Exorcist pinched the bridge of his nose. “Oh, easy for you to say... Well, we’ll get going then, and I’d appreciate it if you could keep this to yourself, miss...?”

“Oh no no, I won’t snitch on you, no worries! In fact, I’m of a mind to come along. This should be fun.”

“Yeah, no, I can’t let a civilian get involved in an MAB affa--”

“Oh, guess I’m snitching, after all. Seventh Office phone number... +56 9 762--”

“Welcome to the group! It’ll be our pleasure having you come with us! Please don’t get me flayed alive on my second day of work!”

“...Second day...” “...Pff... Second day...!”

The demon and the girl, who could figuratively be said to also be a demon, said this in unison, one voice with concern, the other with palpable hilarity.

“...L-let’s get going.”

                                                       ——-

The sky of Stroln turned pink behind the three young adults. Step after step, they would find a new place for Mathanac to work at. Step after step, Mathanac would do a prank and get fired. Step after step, the girl would laugh and Vinn could feel his hairline receding and his life becoming shorter. What he thought would be an easy job had turned out to be a nightmare. On top of the very building by the back alley where they had technically met for the first time, atop the billboard, the three sat, taking a short break, mostly for the sake of Vinn’s nerves.

Cracking open a can of beer, the young Exorcist sighed and drank half of it in one go. “...Haa... Mathanac, you are going to give me a god damn ulcer.”

“Ah, look!” the girl exclaimed, pointing at another billboard from their vantage point. The other billboard had burns and scratches that made it impossible to read or make out in the slightest. “A Pre-Amnesia billboard, huh? It’s a miracle that relic is still up.”

“Oh yeah, I thought the same thing yesterday. I think that one is the same I saw. I guess no one wants to foot the bill for that one when there’s this one here.”

“Hmm? Is it rare for that burned-up billboard to be up?” Mathanac asked, apparently out of the loop. “I mean, they could just clean it and reuse it, no?”

“Looks like our little unemployed prankster isn’t too cultured,” teased the girl. “Do you know what Pre-Amnesiac things are?”

“Oi, buzz off, I was busy trying to survive these years, not learn the lore of the world, nature, and all things that surround us, oh mighty scholar,” jested the demon, always in a good mood, despite having been fired from 14 jobs just today. “What’s that about?”

Vinn threw the now empty can and produced another from a plastic bag nearby. “You see those burn marks on the billboard? They aren’t actually burn marks. No matter what you do, you cannot remove, repair, or erase them. They cannot be affected at all. It’s unknown what caused those immutable marks, but whatever they hide, it’s as good as gone. That’s what happened to everything when the Amnesia hit.”

“Mmhm! Books, movies, videos, virtual text files, photos, audio tracks, billboards, even the washing instructions in clothing... It’s all gone. Not only did humanity lose its memories when the Amnesia hit, it lost almost everything that they had made or accomplished, too. 33 years ago, that was one hell of a show, I bet. Imagine coming by one day and not remembering a thing,” followed up the girl, a more solemn tone replacing her usual upbeat one.

Mathanac gasped. “...Woah, what? I had heard of some amnesomething stuff, but did it really hit the whole world? And it just erased everything? That’s nuts...”

“Not everything,” Vinn explained. “People forgot almost everything, and most information was outright gone and inaccessible, but not all. There’s many theories, but the most widely believed one is that the more something was recorded or known, the more it resisted the Amnesia. That’s why we know we are ‘humans’ and that you are a ‘demon’, for example, or how we still know how to make stuff like the concrete mix for buildings. Had we truly forgotten everything, we’d have gone back to something that was apparently named the Stone Age. In fact, the Amnesia wasn’t all encompassing: There’s entire groups of people dedicated to reconstructing Pre-Amnesia things, and they have been able to fully salvage books simply by finding enough copies of it and piecing together what isn’t covered in those burn marks.”

The girl clapped and cheered. “It’s just as the nerd said! So basically, it’s weird that that thing has been there for 33 whole years and no one’s cared enough to take it down. Some people are pretty sensitive about Pre-Amnesia paraphernalia, too, so I bet more than a couple of people have complained about it.” The clapping, however, caused the girl’s already loose t-shirt to shift even lower on her left shoulder, and Vinn’s eyes couldn’t help but react to said shift, only to find what seemed like a tattoo next to the girl’s shoulder blade. He couldn’t see it clearly, but it looked like a circular object wreathed in something spiky.

“Nice tattoo. What is it?”

“!” The girl immediately adjusted her t-shirt back and forced a laugh. “Ah, haha, you saw it. Yeah, um, it’s... Just some ink I got, just some tattoo, random impulse, really.”

“Cool acting. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.” -- Vinn stood up after emptying his second can -- “More importantly, what the hell do we do about Math’s job?”

“...Mister Exorcist, you haven’t realized yet?”

Vinn looked at the girl with confused eyes. “Haven’t I realized what?”

“You’re going at this the wrong way. Your heart’s on the right place, I mean, if anyone had told me about an Exorcist that’s stuck by a demon through 14 disastrous jobs, I wouldn’t have believed it. Since you truly want to help this idiot, I’ll help. First, what has been the reason for his gold medal record in getting fired?”

The Exorcist scratched his chin. “He keeps making pranks. No matter the job, he keeps doing something mean but kinda funny, and that ends up getting him booted... Actually, now that I think about it, he was doing pranks on people when he had possessed the little girl, too.”

“What can I say? I like adding that extra oomph to stuff, man. It just ain’t me to do something serious.”

The girl had opened her mouth, but words were unnecessary when she noticed the young detective’s eyes, which were wide open, as if he had struck a realization. “...Seems you’ve realized it, Mister Exorcist! You were trying to fit a squ--”

“I was trying to fit a square peg in a round hole!” declared the young man, his vim returning, his eyes ablaze. “Mathanac, follow me, I want you to try something.”

“Huh. Sure thing, let’s do this.”

The three got off from the billboard, the sky already dark, but the day definitely not over, not just yet.

                                                      ——-

Mint Hill Street. Not a main street by any means, but one that does see a lot of pedestrian activity. Many shops, offices and apartments compose this hillside road, with busy people darting by and lo twenty four-seven. Today was a day like any other in this busy street, but with one main, loud, and colorful difference. Standing in the middle of a small crowd, a man in a bright red wig and a big red nose clamored to his loving audience. His oversized suspenders contained all sorts of artifacts of hilarity, and he seemed to be the one that had the most fun of them all, even if the audience was all smiles.

“Hmmm?” the colorful man expressed, upon noticing the not-so-smiling face of a little girl. “Why the long face, little fella? Did something happen?”

“Ahh... No, it’s nothing, Mister Clown, it’s just, the last few days I’ve been exhausted, as if something had been draining my energy... I’m feeling better now, but it was a couple of weird days, and I don’t remember much... B-but I am enjoying your show here!”

“Why, I feel like you are trying to bamboozle me! Trick me, even! With a face like that, you corner me, nay, force me to have to utilize one of my secret...” -- the clown exaggeratedly looked to both sides before coming close to the girl and muttering the rest -- “...one of my most secret techniques, just for you! Now, tell me, what’s your favorite animal?”

“I like cats!”

“The contract is sealed, little girl!”

The clown produced a balloon from his pants, inflated it, and began shaping it like a cat. “See,” the clown announced. “This fella’s name is Missifus, and he’s such a lovely cat! And he likes lovely little lasses that smile brightly! Now, where’s one such girl? Hmmm? I don’t see one...”

“Hehe! Me! Me!”

“Oh! Who are y-- N-no way! Are you the same little girl from just now!? What a radical change! Oh, this won’t do, this won’t do! See, Missifus loves girls who smile, but his family will get jealous if he leaves with someone with a smile this good!”

The little girl’s face was about to droop from the disappointment before the clown continued. “...That’s why they have decided that they will all come with you!”

In a flash, four other balloon cats of different colors appeared out of seemingly nowhere, crowding the happy girl with lots of cute balloons, which her parents helped hold as they all smiled in gratitude to the clown. The crowd cheered, and many coins and bills filled the outstretched blanket in the ground, where the audience was free to donate to the performer.

“Haha! I’m glad you enjoyed the show! Let’s call it a day for today, yes? See you around!” And with that, the clown packed his things and quickly left, disappearing into a back alley, where he removed his wig and nose, and came face to face with Vinn and the girl, who were cheering and clapping for him.

“I can’t believe I know a star! Please sign my shirt!” congratulated the girl, patting Mathanac’s shoulder. “No, but for real, that was pretty good! You sure it was your first time?”

“Eyup! Never done this before, but it felt so natural, and I feel so... Satisfied.”

“You gave one hell of a show, I’m impressed, man. You were the one having the most fun out there. So, it was the emotion of “laughter”, huh?” Vinn commented, writing on his notepad.

“It sure seems that way. I feel much better and more fulfilled than any time I’ve ever possessed anyone.”

“Demons can get sustenance in many ways, but the main and most effective way is to be exposed to the emotion that governs their being. So it makes sense that you would feel like you just had a feast from making so many people laugh. I take this to mean you won’t be possessing more people?”

The demon laughed and clicked his tongue. “No, sir, no more of that for me... And, Vinn? Thanks, man, for sticking with this idiocy for as long as you did. You had no reason to, but you did it. I swear I won’t cause any more trouble.”

“It’s incredible, isn’t it? Good Exorcists exist! Out of all the jokes I saw a literal clown make today, that one is the best one! Just quit that job and join Math as a clown already,” the girl jested and she playfully pocked Vinn in the ribs with her elbow.

“Jeez, I get it already... Man, it feels weird to be praised for just, like, not being a dick, haha. Well, that’s case closed, then. I gotta check in with you now and then, Math, since I am still technically your parole officer, so--”

“Yeah, no problem, dude, hit me up whenever, we can hang out or something.” interrupted the demon, having no problem with this arrangement at all. “I’ll be on busy streets like this one mostly. You can easily find me by looking for the tall guy with the massive red nose.”

The three laughed and then realized that it was already night. “Well, today was a pleasure, but I gotta get going. Nice to have met you, Mister Exorcist and Math! Best of luck!”

“Ah, wait! Thanks a lot for your help! I wouldn’t have made it without you!” Vinn quickly exclaimed.

“Damn right you wouldn’t, haha. Everyone has a role in this world, see? You just gotta figure out what it is, what’s that little something you are good at, and then, the road is easy. Well, see ya! I hope you help many more Mythics!” And with that, she was gone.

“...So what was her name, anyways?”

“Iunno. She never said. Well, Math, see you around.”

The city of Stroln was far from perfect. Crimes that affect both Humans and Mythics keep happening, unimpeded and shamelessly. Abuse of power is common, and in the end, you can only truly trust yourself and those close to you to keep you safe. But, today at least, Mint Hill Street was made a livelier place, thanks to a certain colorful man, and the man that helped him get there. 

Every wall starts with a brick, after all.

                                                      ——-

The large steel door covered in graffiti closed behind the lithe girl, who confidently stepped into the comfortable darkness, magenta eyes barely visible in the pitch blackness of this nondescript building. Far ahead, a little light finally could be seen, and near it, a man in red robes sat on a table, reading a book. The closer the girl got to the man, the stronger the scent of chamomile incense became. As she stepped out of the darkness and into the dull light, the man’s eyes turned to her, and he finally waved.

“Back late today, aren’t you?”

“Sorry! I kinda got distracted by something. It was an interesting day,” the girl explained, setting the take out wrap on the table.

The older man in the robes gestured for her to have a seat. On the table, two plates of hot food were ready to be feasted upon. “That’s great to hear! Tell me about it while we eat.”

The girl gasped and immediately took a seat. “Awww, Balthazar... You held off on dinner to wait for me? Thank you, ehehe...”

“Oh, it wasn’t much! So, tell me! You seem to be very happy.”

“Yeah! So, like, I came across an Exorcist cornering a demon in a back alley. I was ready to eviscerate him, when I noticed that he was actually helping him!”

The man’s eyes were wide open. “What, for real? Like, actually helping him? Hey, I’ve told you lying is pretty tasteless!”

“No no, for real! I couldn’t believe it either, but he was legitimately helping out the demon, so I joined them to see where it would go, and--”

“I see you two are enjoying a late dinner as usual.”

The elegant, feminine voice came from the shadows, from whence an alluring silhouette emerged. As soon as her words were heard, the white haired girl in the ink stained shirt held her tongue and looked away.

“...We are, Alkelda. Anything we can help you with?” said the man, quickly locking eyes with the elegant shadow.

“Four days from now, we’ll be conducting our experiment. I assume you know what this means, right?”

“Yup. You need your test subjects soon, right? Don’t worry, we already have it scheduled. We’re planning on getting them tomorrow, so relax. We are ahead of schedule.”

“Oh? My, it pleases me how efficient you and your... Partner are, Balthazar. I assume it’s just you two, as usual?”

“Yup. We’ll be going out to get them tomorrow. We’ll bring them here, so have the pens ready to receive them.”

“Mhmhmhm... Excellent. Well, enjoy your meal, Balthazar and Sacrifice. You have a busy day tomorrow, from what I can tell.” As fast as she came, the silhouette was gone.

If disgust had a shape, it definitely was the girl’s face right now. “...Can’t get used to that bitch...”. The man simply laughed at that comment.

“Just go to bed, and take it easy. It’s all in the name of clarity. We’re almost there, we can’t let personal grievances get in the way so far in the game.”

“Yes, it’s all in the name of clarity... Yes! Indeed! Yes! You are right! See you tomorrow Balthazar. Thanks for having dinner with me!”

The girl hurried to her room, and locked the door behind her. 

“...Everyone has a role in this world, see? You just gotta figure out what it is, what’s that little something you are good at, and then, the road is easy...”

Red robes that matched those that the man wore hung from a rack, beneath a large, realistic, almost grotesque full-head mask of a pig.

“...For some, that role is that of an entertainer that gifts laughs to those around them. This is admirable.”

A small jar of a bright liquid sat on the dilapidated desk opposite to her bed.

“...For some, that role is that of a seed of hope among a rotten crop, doing what they should, and yet, they don’t. This is admirable.”

A long baseball bat, inscribed with runes, leaned against the wall, next to the robes.

“...For some, that role is that of the ultimate sacrifice that will save all, in the name of clarity...”

A slender, pale finger ran across the repulsive mask.

“...This is admirable.”

    Of kindred spirits, ink stains, and the reassuring caress of purpose:                                 – Chapter 2: "Exorcist” Is A Strong Word –                                                        End  

                                           To be continued in Chapter 3: Neon War Paint.

[septembersung]

Allow me, dear brothers and sisters, to share with deep emotion, as a means of accompanying and strengthening your faith, my own testimony of faith in the Most Holy Eucharist. Ave verum corpus natum de Maria Virgine, vere passum, immolatum, in cruce pro homine! Here is the Church's treasure, the heart of the world, the pledge of the fulfilment for which each man and woman, even unconsciously, yearns. A great and transcendent mystery, indeed, and one that taxes our mind's ability to pass beyond appearances. Here our senses fail us: visus, tactus, gustus in te fallitur, in the words of the hymn Adoro Te Devote; yet faith alone, rooted in the word of Christ handed down to us by the Apostles, is sufficient for us. Allow me, like Peter at the end of the Eucharistic discourse in John's Gospel, to say once more to Christ, in the name of the whole Church and in the name of each of you: “Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (Jn 6:68).

Pope John Paul II, Ecclesia de Eucharistia, no. 59.

[heckyeahorderofpreachers]

Adoro Te Devote

Another great hymn from the great St. Thomas Aquinas. This version of the hymn does not include the 3rd or 4th verses. The art is "The temptation of St. Thomas Aquinas" by Diego Velazquez; "Triumph of St. Thomas Aquinas over the heretics" by Filippino Lippi; "The Apotheosis of Thomas Aquinas" by Francisco de Zurbaran. The Latin lyrics and English translation: Adoro te devote, latens Deitas, Quæ sub his figuris vere latitas; Tibi se cor meum totum subjicit, Quia te contemplans totum deficit. Visus, tactus, gustus in te fallitur, Sed auditu solo tuto creditur. Credo quidquid dixit Dei Filius; Nil hoc verbo veritátis verius. O memoriale mortis Domini! Panis vivus, vitam præstans homini! Præsta meæ menti de te vívere, Et te illi semper dulce sapere. Pie Pelicane, Jesu Domine, Me immundum munda tuo sanguine: Cujus una stilla salvum facere Totum mundum quit ab omni scelere. Jesu, quem velatum nunc aspicio, Oro, fiat illud quod tam sitio: Ut te revelata cernens facie, Visu sim beátus tuæ gloriæ. Amen

[laus-deo]

Hora Santa de Adoración

Hora Santa de Adoración

Canción: Adoro te devote

Adoro te devote, latens Deitas, Quae sub his figuris vere latitas: Tibi se cor meum totum subiicit, Quia te contemplans totum deficit. Visus, tactus, gustus in te fallitur, Sed auditu solo tuto creditur. Credo quidquid dixit Dei Filius; Nil hoc verbo Veritatis verius. In cruce latebat sola Deitas, At hic latet simul et humanitas; Ambo tamen credens atque confitens, Peto…

[nauticalradical]

Expansion Pack

[evren-writes]

Burn

“Fallitur, what are you doing.”

Arren froze in place. It had been so long since he heard that name, and especially that voice. He never thought this man cared enough to hunt him down, but it looks like he was dangerously mistaken. Frigid ice pumped through his veins as it tried to overpower the heat of panic and fear and frustration and anger and-

He was shaking. That was new.

“Fallitur, answer me.” The voice said again, patience evidently running thin. “Remember your place.”

Somehow, despite years and years of that voice having control over him, Arren did not answer. Instead, he threw himself protectively in front of Blight and met the man’s eyes head on.

His father looked furious.

“Did you think I didn’t know about your little outings?” Cynrik snapped, taking a dangerous step forward. “You’re too dangerous a piece to leave unchecked. I just had better things to worry about than a stupid mistake.”

With a grand sweeping motion, his father summoned wind strong enough to throw Arren off his feet and into the concrete the of the street. He slid against it, pushing him farther and farther away from Blight and grinding the skin off half his face in the process.

“Arren!”

Struggling to lift his head up, he saw Blight, who had been uncharacteristically silent the entire time, finally call out his name and try to run towards him. He barely made it a step before Cynrik grabbed him by the throat and slammed him into the ground. The road cracked from the impact of his body and Blight went still.

Fire. Ice. Fire. Ice. A roaring wildfire that turned the sky black with its smoke and left only ashes in its wake. An empty, frozen forest that feels nothing but ice on its branches. He kept violently switching between the two, both sensations fighting for dominance and it was getting harder to breathe.

“Is this why you’ve been so disobedient, Fallitur?” His father spoke, looking over Blight’s unconscious body, before settling on the tattooed bindings on his skin. “I suppose it makes sense. He’s pathetic, like you.”

From where he was lying, he could see cracks start to form on Blight’s skin. Cynrik was going to kill him. Shatter his body into a million tiny pieces, have them be lost to the wind, and make it like he had never existed at all.

He was going to kill Blight. He was going to kill Blight. He was going to kill Blight. kill kill blight blight blight kill b

His hands met flesh and it seared underneath his touch. His father let out a cry of agony and Arren only tightened his grip around his wrist. Tightening and tightening until he heard a crack and the skin was black and charred underneath his fingers.

“Fallitur-” His father gasped out, his body shaking so badly from pain that he fell to one knee. “S-Stop it, Fallitur...”

Fire. That’s all he was. The cold was gone and in its place it left room to burn. He could feel acrid smoke burn his throat. Sparks leaping from crackling wood and spreading the blaze. Embers persisting, refusing to hide the fact and let the world forget that a fire had torn through here and killed everything in its path.

“That’s not my name.” Arren hissed, violently pulling his hand away and watching his father’s wrist turn to ashes and his dismembered hand fall to the road. “And you’ll never control me ever again.”

He slammed his foot into his father’s chest and listened to his screaming, dulled by the roar of his own flames in his ears. He was going to watch him burn, and the whole world that had wronged him along with it.

Unnoticed in the moment, cracked and fragmented stone fell from his wrists and onto the ground.

[nauticalradical]

IM SO EXCITED TO START THIS

[nauticalradical]

holy shit i just found the original sketches of the fairies