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heliotrope-journey · 6 months

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Darkness Continues to Loom After All Saints' Day

Good evening, vampire hunters.

The boys' hike to Baudelaire City in the twilight takes them through the alluring ruins where Frederick and Eforie found Clément looking around for scrolls in their childhoods. Our heroes were fortunate back then, but with only the full moon to illuminate the night sky, Frederick and his confidante, Sidiyq Qadim, must be ready to knock down any bat that lunges at them. Even the blink of an eye can leave an unsuspecting traveler with a bite mark on their neck. Many bites from vampire bats do not cause vampirism, but since they are under direct orders from Dracula to bequeath this curse to Frederick, it's hard to tell if the silhouette of a bat is a harmless. It's best for Stellaluna to say clear of their path for tonight. *shudders.*

Now fast-forward to Treyton's era and he's still dealing with the three solomonari-in-training vying to take Vlad the Impaler's place as the Dark Lord. He and his new friends have nearly lost the Philosopher's Stone to Hedi in last year's chapter. She is close to claiming it from the restrained Treyton and the vacant position will soon be hers. The boy's quiet defiance will not save him, but at this point, what can? Will this be the beginning of a new Dark Age? Read this year's chapter to find out. Photo by Jaakko Kemppainen on Unsplash.

Index of Treyton's All Saints' Day Quest for Readers That Aren't Caught Up;

Chapter 1 (2020), Chapter 2 (2021), Chapter 3 (2022)

Treyton swung his sword at three cherubs charging at him. The impact caused them to fly backwards and break in half upon colliding with a column. “Three less to worry about.” He turns around to see six more coming toward him. He throws an energy sphere at one and slices another three in half with his sword, though the remaining two dodged his attacks. Treyton aims his sword at them and takes a step back. Before he could strike, a third cherub grabbed his shirt from behind him. Treyton scarcely had time to react. The other two grabbed his arms immediately, delighting Hedi. “You made a bold mistake thinking you could survive that swarm and not break a sweat.” She approached him and pointed her dagger at his chest. “Last chance to fork over the stone before your bones turn to ashes.” Fearful for his life yet refusing to surrender, Treyton closed his eyes and said nothing. “So this is how it will end.” Hedi crossed her arms. “A starving boy too weak to continue. It’d be kind of me to leave you here for dead, but I wouldn’t have my stone.” She raises her dagger toward Treyton’s heart, but before she could stab him, brown, withered-colored vines materialized from the floor, tangling her up. A teenage girl with spiky hair and a purple pinafore dress dashed toward Treyton and sliced the cherubs restraining him in half. She helped the boy off the floor, gave Hedi a defiant glare, and enchanted the vines to cover her eyes. The girl quickly escorted Treyton back into the hallway. Hedi’s muffled screams filled the room as she struggled to cleave the vines from her body.

“The boys you were with ran into that room.” The purple-clothed girl told Treyton. “We can hide in here.” “We didn’t defeat her, though.” He sounded confused. “We can’t walk away until we kill our enemy.” “Slaying a novice solomonari is not as simple as it looks for an average vampire hunter.” The girl responded. “Catching her off-guard gave us a head start to flee. It didn’t guarantee your victory.” Treyton looked away from her and walked toward the door. The girl opened it for him, but without a word, he stepped inside the room. She followed him before closing the door behind her. Treyton was greeted by Mitica drinking from a golden chalice. Miron put his hand on his shoulder as if to comfort him from something painful. “What are you guys drinking?” Treyton looked cross. “Am I interrupting something?” Miron looked guilt-ridden while Mitica walked toward Treyton and gave him a long hug. “It’s just a Roy Rogers, kiddo.” He smiled. “I’m okay, but I’m glad you’re safe too. We thought that the witch killed you.” “So you decided to drink flavored soda from a fancy cup to numb the fact you’d miss me?” Treyton raised an eyebrow and lightly chuckled. “Yeah, pretty much.” Mitica smiled back at him. “That was the only cup I could find in the room. Treyton’s smile widened and pats his back. The embrace was interrupted by the sound of the purple-clothed girl locking the door.

“I’m sorry for coming out of the blue like this.” She said. “I couldn’t bear to see the solomonari-in-training shove her blade deep into the redhead boy’s heart.” “We were fine before.” Treyton gruffed. “Turning the cherubs into rubble is good exercise for me.” “I sure am glad one of us had fun in that chamber.” Mitica panted. “We should’ve known the solomonari would beat us to that chamber.” The purple-clothed hair girl tightened the lock and muttered a sentence in Enochian that caused it to vanish. The boys pointed their weapons at her, assuming she had trapped them in the altar room. “You’re alright.” She assured them. “I bought us time. A locked door will draw suspicion.” “Then I assume you know the way out.” Treyton curtly responded. “You aren’t lying, young man.” The purple-clothed girl took out a mahogany-colored pouch and approached the boys. “I’ve been exploring this chapel every opportunity I could get for centuries. But before I show you, you’ll need your strength should that wench and her schoolmates show their faces once more.” She held out her palm and shook her pouch. Three pieces of candy wrapped in red and yellow-striped paper fell into her hand. “Like one?” “I can’t eat sweets.” Miron solemnly told the girl. “The sugar might weaken my senses.” “I understand your discomfort. Don’t worry.” She handed the young vampire a piece. “They’re made with human blood. The taste is not ideal even for me, but some of us learn to make the best out of anything we can get our hands on.” She awkwardly smiles as Miron sucks on the piece. He slightly smiles back at her, but Treyton and Mitica made faces when they tasted theirs. Treyton was particularly disgusted by the taste. The girl lets out a relieved sigh. “That went well…” She mutters.

“Say, your manners are lacking.” Treyton continued making faces as he sucked on his piece. “You never told us your name.” “I can argue the same about your gratitude. You didn’t say thank you, but I’ll bite.” The girl frowns. “I’m Amanda, a harvest witch and candy extraordinaire. I can brew batches of chocolate that can give an eccentric top-hatted entrepreneur a run for his money. I can build a house to reel in unsuspecting kids like a drunkard hunter to a mug of beer. I can flavor cakes with herbs to change small children into animals to give them a better life. I have a lot of time on my hands, but the targets on your back have cut it short this year. You’re carrying a dangerous object that made these kids see fit to stalk you. Would you care to tell me why?” “The elixir of life curbs my friend’s blood lust without turning on an innocent life.” Mitica answered. “I keep a philosopher’s stone with me so I can keep brewing him that potion. He keeps his paranormal abilities without succumbing to his bestial urges.” “I’m surprised the elixir provides your vampiric companion that benefit.” Amanda examines the votive holders on the altar. “It’s only supposed to work on creatures that are still alive.” “At least, I don’t look like some skeletal-looking old man like mortals that abuse the elixir do.” Miron swallowed his piece. “To a creature of the night, it works just like ambrosia.” “How often would you need to drink it compared to a mortal?” Amanda takes a tall candle and shakes her head before putting it back. “Dusty old men need to drink it eight times a day.” Miron approached her. “If I’m not exposed to the sun, I need it just once a week.” “Anything to delay Azrael for another hour.” Amanda replied dismissively and took another candle.

Treyton looked at her curiously and approached her. “Do you rely on the elixir yourself?” He brashly asked her. “You’re young enough to be my older sister and you implied you know every nook and cranny of the chapel after centuries of looking around. Why aren’t you a walking skeleton?” Amanda looked more annoyed at Treyton than she did when she handed him his candy. “If you’re going to be a son of a bitch to me, I won’t save your skin next time the solomonaris-in-training have you at their mercy.” She glanced at him. “I didn’t have to get involved! I care about people and the world. I’m only allowed one month a year up here and this is how you tell me you’re grateful? It’s like you were raised by priests.” She turned back around and put the candle back. Treyton got up, but Mitica put his hand on his chest to indicate that he said enough. “If you’re the only one that can help us, we’ll keep him from doing and saying anything brash.” He told Amanda. She closed her eyes, put the candle back, and took one at the top to examine it. “I have little patience to dwell on it, kid.” She touched the flame with her top finger. “The solomonaris-in-training will exploit these heated emotions when they get the chance to divide us. Anyone that worships the Dark Lord can understand that once they know what breaks us, they can use that piece to make us do anything they ask.” Amanda shakes her head and puts the candle back. “Some vampire hunters work alone to curb their worldly attachments. Without a heart, they can slay creatures of the night more effectively.” “Okay, we know you’ve been through something horrible.” Miron sounded uncomfortable at the thought of being alone. “We won’t pry, but know we’re with you for the remainder of the time you have left for the year.” He approached Amanda and looked at the votive holders himself. “Thank you.” She said with a hint of hurt in her tone.

“Alright, I’m sorry.” Treyton groaned. “Forget I said anything.” “It doesn’t work that way, but it’s whatever.” Amanda took a candle in a votive holder on her left. Treyton breathed his nose and sat on a broken column. “I just want to know what you’re doing here now.”

“I came to Teodosie to replenish my supply of ingredients to make more pieces of that blood-flavored candy, but when I left the farmer’s market, I saw the students chasing the two of you and I wondered why they were permitted to leave the school before their graduation.” Amanda takes an orange-colored candle from a votive holder. “I followed you without becoming a target myself, but since I intervened, that’s no longer possible. They’re going to hunt for me too and request Satan to revoke my stay here.” “So why is our predicament with the Solomonaris your business?” Mitica asks Amanda as he holds his hand out for another piece. “If it’s true that the Veiled Nocturne is actively looking for new leaders,” she answers. “It could mean they’re preparing for war. The Philosopher’s Stone will make whoever wields it impervious to old age and disease.” “We could still kill them, though.” Treyton clenched his fists. “Immortal or not, I’ll be the one to deliver it.” Amanda looks at him solemnly and then at the sorcerer’s stone in Mitica’s possession. “It’s true that the elixir does not grant its drinker invincibility and their bodies physically weaken as they age. Even if you send the students to hell, the Scholomance will select more candidates.” She sighed. “You will be hunted for life as long as the Philosopher’s Stone is in your possession. Crushing it to dust will ensure your safety.” “No, we can’t do that!” Mitica shouted. “Without the stone, my friend will turn into a bloodthirsty killer and I would only be prey to him.” Miron continues to look and feel uncomfortable. He takes a candle from the holder in a tight space that touched the wall and everyone heard the noise of bricks crumbling. “What is happening!?” Amanda panicked. “They’re closing in! We got to find a chest to hide in!!!” She gets inside a wooden trunk with the boys. Treyton, however, stands still. He watches as the wall behind the altar fell apart and pile up on the floor. The hole it made revealed a long, dark hallway glistened by dark blue crystal chandeliers that hang from the ceiling.

“We won’t have to hide.” He puts his hands in his pockets. “I think it might be a way out.” “Do you recognize this tunnel, Amanda?” Miron asked her when he stepped out of the trunk. “Do you trust it?” She closed her eyes and nodded. “I was looking for the candle needed to open it so yes.” She finally answered. “It will bring us to a fjord six miles from Teodosie. I can’t guarantee we can avoid the solomonaris-in-training when or if we reach the end, but they will have to return to the school. They can’t chase us continuously.” “Why do I get the feeling they won’t be the only danger we’ll be facing?” Treyton takes a candle from the votive holder to provide him with additional light. “You won’t be wrong, kid.” Amanda cautioned him. Two glowing armblades comprised of vines materialize from her back hands. “If you still have your sword, now would be a good time to arm yourself.” Treyton nodded and pulled out his sword. “These crystals contain an abundance of self-sustaining light magic. These will be useful if we encounter the solomonaris-in-training again. Why don’t you collect a few to enhance your sword?” “There won’t be much of that light if I take them from the chandeliers.” Treyton said. “I’ll have better luck searching the chests and the Beleuchten Drones.” “The mention of the presence of drones in the hallway is interesting.” Amanda softly smiled. “They have a tendency to blend in with the crystals in the chandeliers. I’d try looking up every minute. Drones are highly aggressive elementals that will attack the if you’re anywhere near them. Hesitate and you’ll go blind.” Treyton chuckled and looked at Amanda. “Don’t worry, my eyes will be just fine.” He smiled as well. “I just noticed your manners are lacking too.” Amanda walked ahead. “You never told me your name after I told you mine.” “It’s Treyton.” He followed her. “Is all forgiven between us?” “I’ll let you know when you get there.” Amanda turned around. “You didn’t think that your promise to take my advice will absolve you from calling me a walking skeleton, do you?” “We’ll be leaving two of them behind.” Treyton sighed through his nose. “Remember one of them has the Philosopher’s Stone.” Amanda noticed that only Miron was rushing toward her and Treyton when they stepped into the hallway. “Is your friend coming along?” She asked him. “He’s feeling a bit chilly so I took a moment to search for a drape in one of the trunks.” “You’re a good vampire.” Amanda reassured him. “And don’t feel bad about him calling you a bloodthirsty killer. I’ve known quite a few that retained their humanities without the stone.” “It’s not that I’m worried about, but it’s best not to think about it now.” Miron looked toward Mitica. “The solomonari bitch might have heard the bricks falling. I can’t wait any longer.” “That’s good to hear, Miron.” Treyton shrugged with a smile. “We were just about to explore that hallway. Come on.” Miron followed him and Amanda down the hallway. Mitica shivered and covered his body in the drape Miron handed him. He touched the back of his hand to warm his hand up for a bit and proceed to follow his friends down the hallway. Newly craved bricks materialized from the ground and covered the hole. The altar room was empty once more.

Thank you for playing the games and supporting the series as always. We'll be back later this week for a Thanksgiving update. :)

Sincerely,

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foreverpraying · 2 years

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St. John Chrysostom, bishop and Doctor of the Church

Photo by Carl Christian Peters

Life of St. John Chrysostom

The ambiguity and intrigue surrounding John, the great preacher (his name means “golden-mouthed”) from Antioch, are characteristic of the life of any great man in a capital city. Brought to Constantinople after a dozen years of priestly service in Syria, John found himself the reluctant victim of an imperial ruse to make him bishop in the greatest city of the empire. Ascetic, unimposing but dignified, and troubled by stomach ailments from his desert days as a monk, John became a bishop under the cloud of imperial politics.

If his body was weak, his tongue was powerful. The content of his sermons, his exegesis of Scripture, were never without a point. Sometimes the point stung the high and mighty. Some sermons lasted up to two hours.

Source of picture: WashArchdiocese on Twitter

His lifestyle at the imperial court was not appreciated by many courtiers. He offered a modest table to episcopal sycophants hanging around for imperial and ecclesiastical favors. John deplored the court protocol that accorded him precedence before the highest state officials. He would not be a kept man.

His zeal led him to decisive action. Bishops who bribed their way into office were deposed. Many of his sermons called for concrete steps to share wealth with the poor. The rich did not appreciate hearing from John that private property existed because of Adam’s fall from grace any more than married men liked to hear that they were bound to marital fidelity just as much as their wives were. When it came to justice and charity, John acknowledged no double standards.

Aloof, energetic, outspoken, especially when he became excited in the pulpit, John was a sure target for criticism and personal trouble. He was accused of gorging himself secretly on rich wines and fine foods. His faithfulness as spiritual director to the rich widow, Olympia, provoked much gossip attempting to prove him a hypocrite where wealth and chastity were concerned. His actions taken against unworthy bishops in Asia Minor were viewed by other ecclesiastics as a greedy, uncanonical extension of his authority.

Theophilus, archbishop of Alexandria, and Empress Eudoxia were determined to discredit John. Theophilus feared the growth in importance of the Bishop of Constantinople and took occasion to charge John with fostering heresy. Theophilus and other angered bishops were supported by Eudoxia. The empress resented his sermons contrasting gospel values with the excesses of imperial court life. Whether intended or not, sermons mentioning the lurid Jezebel and impious Herodias were associated with the empress, who finally did manage to have John exiled. He died in exile in 407.

Source: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-john-chrysostom

Quotes from St. John Chrysostom

Source of picture: https://acatholicrose.tumblr.com

"If you cannot find Christ in the beggar at the church door, you will not find Him in the chalice."

"Prayer is the place of refuge for every worry, a foundation for cheerfulness, a source of constant happiness, a protection against sadness."

"Be ashamed when you sin, don't be ashamed when you repent. Sin is the wound, repentance is the medicine. Sin is followed by shame; repentance is followed by boldness. Satan has overturned this order and given boldness to sin and shame to repentance."

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fatty-bandmates · 1 year

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Gifts! First is Mipha's to Sandy! It's just a few Zora-Made jewellery using coloured stones! They're rather beautiful! Mimi to Rammy? Well, the butterball blob is rather limited so she gives her some new jeans and a new guitar! Nazuna put herself in sexy attire under the tree for Carol and... the less said about THAT gift the better. It was pretty tiring for Christmas Morning no doubt...! Minerva got Ma-San a new set of drums and a signed photo album of the mink~ Kobayashi got Katy a HUGE rib roast! That's it. It's very tasty! Videl got Cofi some giftcards for some good fast food places and some bathing stuff to help her relax. Iori? Well, that lazy enby managed to get Fenneko a new set of VR stuff along with that VR game she had been going on about. How nice to know they were listening! Chalice is given set of diamond jewellery; necklace and earrings. She is also given a kiss on the cheek too from Blaze! Seiko got Lammy some supplement powders to help her weight gain efforts along with a collection of chocolates too. Poppy got Elora a new faun-style dress!

Sandy is gladly wearing the jewellery with pride, and hey, she was able to give Mipha a present before going into hibernation! It's nothing as extravagant as what she received, but she gave the zora princess a recipe book all the way from her home state in Texas! She figured Mipha could learn to cook how she does while the squirrel hibernates.

Rammy is rocking the new jeans (or at least until she outgrows them) and is loving the sound of her new guitar! Perfect for fatty fingers like hers! In return, she gives her bedbound blob beauty some large chocolate wedding cakes. No, they weren't getting married, not yet anyways, but she knows how much she loves chocolates, and she'd have something to munch on for awhile, while the ram works in the shop!

Carol was an absolute, flustered mess at the sight of Nazuna, and yeah, we'll just say the night onto Christmas morning was fun. Carol had just prepared a whole bunch of sweets for the idol, like pies and cakes.

Ma-San is loving the new drums, but is trying to keep the excitement to a minimum so she doesn't blow the roof off the place, and kept the photo album on her nightstand. She returned the gesture with a signed copy of MilkCan's first vinyl album, Make it Sweet.

That rib roast is devoured within minutes, and Katy swiftly returns the gesture by cuddling the mound of a human all night, purring strong enough to make their flab vibrate together.

Cofi has a big grin on her face at the gifts she had received, and in return, she gave Videl some boxing gear. She knew she was a fighter, so, why not?

Fenneko spent that entire morning playing that VR game, having the time of her nearly immobile life, though she struggled to get Iori anything for Christmas herself, so, she settled on a nice looking suit that were a little stretchy. The two weren't showing any signs of slowing their gains, so might as well be comfy.

Chalice is blushing hotly, wearing the jewelry and necklaces, feeling like a proper princess, especially when she was kissed on the cheek. The most she was able to get for Blaze, without using her charm this time, was a golden pocket watch with a custom logo that looked like Blaze's head.

Lammy smiled at the powders, she was definitely going to put these to good use, though she wasn't sure what to get for Saiko...maybe another date night would help? They only did one after all.

Elora is flaunting the new dress, loving it! In return, she gives Poppy Crush's old club, a weapon that was left behind after Ripto's defeat.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a good night!

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piouscatholic · 3 months

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Twitter Com(X)

@ICSPublications

(left photo)

[My Desires with Jesus hidden in his Prison of Love - PN 25

(Same air as the previous one, or that of the gloss of Ste Therese)]

1. Little Key, oh I envy you!

Because you can open every day

The prison of the Eucharist

Where resides the God of Love.

But I can, oh what a sweet miracle!

By a single effort of my faith

Also open the tabernacle

Hide myself there near the Divine King...

2. I would like in the sanctuary

Consuming me next to my God

Always shine with mystery

Like the Lamp of the Holy Place....

Oh ! happiness... inside me I have flames

And I can win every day

To Jesus many souls

Embracing them with his love...

3. Every dawn, I envy you,

O Sacred Stone of the Altar!

As in the blessed stable

The Eternal wants to be born on you...

Ah! deign to answer my prayer

Come into my soul, Sweet Saviour...

Far from being a cold stone

She is the sigh of your Heart!...

4. O Corporal surrounded by angels!

How enviable is your fate

On you as in his humble nappies

I see Jesus my only treasure

Change my heart, Virgin Mary

In a pure and beautiful Corporal

To receive the white host,

Where is your Sweet Lamb hiding.

5. Saint Paten, I envy you

On you Jesus comes to rest

Oh ! than its infinite greatness

Until I deign to stoop...

Jesus filling my hope

Of my life does not wait for the evening

He comes into me; by his presence

I am a living Monstrance!...

6. Oh! that I envy the happy Chalice

Where I adore the Divine Blood....

But I can at the Holy Sacrifice

Collect it every morning.

My soul to Jesus is dearer

Than the precious Vases of gold

The Altar is a new Calvary

Where for me his Blood still flows...

7. Jesus, Holy and Sacred Vine,

You know it, oh my Divine King

I am a golden cluster

Who must disappear for you...

Under the press of suffering

I will prove my love to you

I don't want any other enjoyment

Than to immolate me every day.

8. Oh! what joy, I am chosen

Among the grains of pure wheat

Who for Jesus lose their life...

Great is my delight!...

I am your darling wife,

My Beloved, come live in me

Oh ! come, your beauty delighted me

Deign to transform me into You!....

<Dating: 1895 – fall writing, close to PN-24.

Recipient: Saint Vincent de Paul, at his request.

Sister St Vincent de Paul leaves Thérèse free to choose to write without directing her.>

https://archives.carmeldelisieux.fr/en/archive/pn-25/

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absurdthirst · 2 years

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Smth I rlly like about Pedro is how much he’s just like, a dude. (And seemingly more actors as of late, maybe, I avoid tabloid drama usually)

Which is sort of weird when you think about it but at the same time makes total sense?

He’s famous, he has money, he could be an absolute turd Ferguson to ppl, but he isn’t. Everything I’ve heard about him makes me want to have a drink with the guy, like even if I didn’t find him attractive I’d buy him one.

He’s not a famous person so much as he is a person who so happens to be famous? Does that make sense?

And he just looks like a dude too! He’s not shredded, he isn’t sculpted to kingdom come, he’s got sm tummy and a cute lil butt and he dances like a dad at a barbecue obviously having fun and like only a vague idea of the rhythm. He’s got crows feet, those little patches in his beard, and obvious pores and I know the beauty standards for men are different then those for women, but still that’s significant.

He can’t pose for red carpet photos and can’t take a decent selfie with the front facing camera either. How normal he is makes me like him even more.

Which also makes me kind of sad for him too, cause like he can’t have that normal as much as he used to.

(Im in a bit of a mood, srry)

I think the rise of social media has changed the way that we view a lot of celebrities. They are no longer that golden chalice where if you want to know the latest on them, you pick up a magazine. Instead you hop onto their IG or Twitter profile and see them doing some of the same shit we do. Right? (Even if sometimes it’s a little more luxurious)

In some ways SM has humanized celebrities in that aspect, but it also comes with unfortunate side affects. Because of those affects, he cannot be his total self. He had to be someone who weighs what he says/does/goes with the outcome of those actions. Unfortunately, public people aren’t without the detractors and the ugly side of fame. Not like he can post “oh going to this restaurant for dinner tonight!” If he did, I’m sure the place would be swarmed.

One of the reasons I believe that people are drawn to Pedro is because of his open and genuinely kind seeming nature. I would just caution that it is only one facet of his personality like so many other. We are complex and layered. Just because he acts goofy and fun loving and like a total ham in interviews makes people forget about the real issues that he has talked about before. He does have moments of depression and anxiety and other things. We just see the happy face he puts on for the world.

#pedro pascal

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fanfics4all · 3 years

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Malfoy Manor

Request: Yes / No

Requests are closed <3 Have a nice day/night

Draco Malfoy x Fem!Diggory!Reader

Word count: 3024

Warnings: Being torchered, brother dying, I believe that’s all

Y/N: Your Name

A/N: Bingo card made by @slyttherins

PLEASE DO NOT STEAL MY WORK, I WORK HARD ON MY FICS AND IT’S NOT COOL TO STEAL SOMEONE ELSE’S WORK!

If you want to be on the tag list for anything (My series fics, specific character fics, or just all of them) All you have to do is send me an ask and I will add you!

Masterlist

(Not my photo, credit to whoever made it!)

“The Hogwarts champion…” Dumbledore called and a piece of parchment flew from the flame.

“Cedric Diggory!” He said and everyone cheered. I was cheering the loudest, I was so proud of my older brother.

“Excellent! We now have our three champions! But in the end only one will go down in history. Only one will hoist this chalice of champions, this vessel of victory the Tri-Wizard cup!” Once again people cheered, but the goblet glowed red once again and another singed parchment flew out. Everyone quieted down as Dumbledore grabbed the parchment and read it.

“Harry Potter.” He said in a hushed tone, but everyone could hear because of how silent the room was.

“Harry Potter?” He called louder.

“No...no!” Hagrid expressed.

“Harry Potter!” Dumbledore shouted. Everyone watched in shock as Harry slowly walked up to the front. Dumbledore gave him the parchment and people started shouting in anger.

“He’s a cheat! He’s not even seventeen yet!” Someone shouted. My boyfriend Draco was very upset by this. He couldn’t believe Harry was once again being the center of attention. However, he wasn’t the only one. Everyone seemed to be upset that Harry was also a champion. This obviously pleased Draco.

As much as I liked Harry and he was my friend, Cedric was my brother and I was going to fully cheer for him. The first challenge was to retrieve a golden egg from a dragon. Each competitor was getting a different dragon and I hoped with all my heart that Cedric would be alright. I watched as they brought out a Swedish Short-Snout with the golden egg in place. A cannon went off and everyone watched to see who was first. Cedric walked out and everyone from Hogwarts cheered, just about the whole school was cheering for him. I watched my brother take in his surroundings and he smiled at me. The dragon screamed which brought his attention back to it. He thought quickly and used a Transfiguration spell to change one of the rocks into a dog. The dog barked and brought the dragon’s attention away from my brother. Cedric went for the egg, but the dragon was smart and moved his attention back to him. The dragon shot fire towards him and it hit him in the face.

“Cedric!” I shouted, fear clear in my voice. Draco pulled me towards him and held me tightly. Cedric didn’t let that stop him and he retrieved the egg. Everyone cheered and they got the dragon under control. Cedric was taken to the hospital wing and Draco and pulled me along to see him.

The second task was after the Yule Ball, which was a break my brother needed after being burned. Luckily he was alright, but I realized how dangerous these tasks really were. All four of the champions stood at the edge of the platform on the Black Lake. They were told they had to retrieve something that was stolen from them. All four of them jumped into the lake and none of us could really see what was happening beneath the surface. Cedric returned first with his girlfriend Cho. Hogwarts students erupted in cheers when he raised above the water. The two swam to the platform and were pulled up onto it. I hugged Draco and rushed down to my brother. He was first and safe!

Like the second task, no one knew what was happening during the final task. All four champions had to go into a maze and one would return as the Champion. Cedric and Harry both got a head start since they tied for first last task. The cannon rang and they were off into the maze.

“Go Cedric!” I cheered as he jogged inside. He turned back to me with a smile as the bushes closed behind him. It wasn’t long before the other two champions joined them in the maze. However it felt like forever until someone returned with the cup. It turned out to be Harry and people cheered. I also cheered for my friend, but my cheers died in my throat as I noticed what he was hunched over.

“Cedric?” I whispered, catching Draco’s attention. Tears formed in my eyes and I ran down to see my brother. Our Father pushed his way through and he cried, falling to his knees beside him.

“Cedric?” I asked, also dropping down next to him. I gently shook him, denying that he was dead.

“Ced? Come on, this isn’t funny!” I cried and shook him a little rough.

“Y/N, love, he’s not asleep…” Draco said quietly, trying to pull me away.

“N-No… No! He can’t be!” I cried.

“How did this happen?” I asked, turning to Harry.

“Voldemort, he’s back. He killed him.” Harry cried and my eyes widened. That monster killed my brother… Draco pulled me to him as I cried harder.

I knew that was the start of the war. That wasn’t the year it really started, but that was the year people’s fear really set in. The real start of the war started the summer before year seven. After Cedric died Harry made sure to watch after me. He told me it was my brother’s wish to watch after me. The first few months I didn’t want to be near Harry, but I realized it wasn’t his fault. That’s why when I found out Draco had taken his mark, I ran right to Harry. He became very protective of me after that, but I never actually broke things off with Draco. I still loved him, despite the choice he made.

Harry took me with Hermione and Ron on his quest to find all the horcruxes. A task given to him before Dumbledore was killed by Snape. Harry told me about how Draco was meant to do it, but couldn’t. I wanted to send him a letter, but that would put us all in jeopardy. However, after a scary meeting with Luna’s Father we apparated somewhere safer.

“They’ve kidnapped Luna because he supported me. He was just desperate.” Harry reasoned. No one said anything as we all got off the ground.

“I’ll do the enchantments.” Ron said, taking his wand out. Hermione stopped him, her eyes glanced at the trees and her breathing stopped. The three of us looked the same way she was and our eyes widened. Snatchers came from behind the trees and had smirks on their faces. One of them had Hermione’s scarf around his neck and smelled it.

“Hello, beautiful.” He said, it was Scabior. All four of us started running, splitting off from one another hoping we wouldn’t get caught. I was unfortunately clumsy and tripped on a tree root, which led to me being caught. The man roughly pulled me to my feet, took my wand, and dragged me with him. We entered a clearing and I was shoved to the ground. Ron was pulled along and also shoved to the ground by another snatcher. Hermione and a messed up looking Harry were already there, now surrounded by snatchers. Scabior took their wands.

“Don’t touch her!” Ron shouted and Grayback punched him.

“Stop it!” Hermione begged.

“Your boyfriend’ll get worse than that if he doesn't behave, lovely.” Scabior said, painting her face with the light from his wand. He turned it towards Harry, it made it really clear how messed up his face actually was.

“What happened to you, ugly?” He asked. Harry felt his face and now realized what happened.

“What’s your name?” He asked.

“Dudely. Vernon Dudley.” Harry answered.

“Check the list. And you, ginger?” He asked Ron.

“Stan Shunpile.” Ron lied.

“Like ‘ell you are. We know skinny Stan. Try again.” He said and Grayback, who was holding Ron down pressed his boot into his neck.

“Weasley… Barney Weasley.” He strained out.

“Weasley, eh? Wouldn’t be related to that blood traitor Arthur Weasley, would you?” He asked.

“Piss off! Arthur Weasley’s ten times the wizard you are!” Ron growled.

“Worth ten times you if I can find him. Wasn’t you that tipped him off, was it?” He asked. Ron said nothing and the man turned his attention to me.

“How ‘bout you? What’s your name?” He asked.

“June Hazel.” I lied.

“Pretty name, but don’t fit your face.” He said and turned to Hermione.

“Penelope Clearwater. Half-blood.” She answered. He took her hair in his hand and sniffed it.

“You smell like vanilla, Penelope. I think you’re going to be my favorite.” He said.

“I call this one. She smells like strawberries.” The man that grabbed me pulled me up and sniffed my hair. I gulped and held my breath, tears brimming my eyes.

“There’s no Vernon Dudley on ‘ere.” Another snatcher said. Scabior turned his attention to Harry.

“Hear that, ugly? The list says you’re lying. How come you don’t want us to know who you are? Hm?” He asked.

“The list is wrong. I told you who I am-” Scabior put his finger to Harry’s lips, stopping Harry from continuing. His want was probing Harry’s face.

“Change of plans, boy. We won’t be taking this lot to the Ministry.” He said after a moment. Each one grabbed us, taking out stuff from us as well. They apperated us and suddenly we were at Malfoy Manor…

Scabior and the others took us past the yew hedges. All of us were scared about what was waiting for us inside the dark looking house. We started slowing down as we neared the gate. Bellatrix, Lucius, and Narcissa Malfoy were on the other side. Scabior grabbed Harry by the arm and pushed his face up against the iron bars. Bellatrix stepped closer.

“Show me.” She said. Scabior reached up and pushed Harry’s hair off his forehead. Bellatrix pointed her wand, illuminating his face. Slowly a creepy smile appeared on her face. The four of us were taken inside and Bellatrix took Harry. She pushed him down to his knees and waited for Narcissa to return with Draco. He walked into the room with his Mother and my heart clenched. His eyes widened when he saw me.

“Draco!” His Aunt called, snapping both of us out of our haze. Draco walked towards his Aunt and she pulled Harry up by his hair.

“Well?” She asked with a hopeful smile.

“I can’t be sure.” Draco answered after a moment.

“Look closely son, if we are the ones to hand Potter over to the Dark Lord, everything would be forgiven, all would be as it was, understand?” Lucius said and you could tell they were all scared, but especially Draco.

“Now we won’t be forgettin who actually caught him. I hope, Mr. Malfoy.” Scabior said.

“You dare to talk to me like that in my own house!” Lucius shouted.

“Lucius!” Narcissa scolded him in a whisper and pulled him away from Draco.

“Don’t be shy, sweetie. Come over.” His Aunt grabbed his hand and pulled him towards Harry. Draco kneeled in front of him and I bit my lip. Please don’t give him up Draco…

“Now, if this isn’t who we think it is, Draco, and we call him, he’ll kill us all. We need to be absolutely sure.” Bellatrix said.

“What’s wrong with his face?” Draco asked after a moment of studying Harry.

“Yes, what is wrong with his face?” Bellatrix asked Scabior.

“He came to us like that. Somethin’ he picked up in the forest I reckon.” Scabior answered.

“Or ran into a stinging jinx. Was it you dearie?” Bellatrix asked Hermione, walking over to us.

“Give me her wand, we’ll see what her last spell was.” She said. The three of us looked worried and Bellatrix laughed.

“Got you.” She said and turned her attention to the snatcher with our wands.

“What is that?” She asked when she looked at him.

“Where’d you get that from?” She asked him, referring to the sword.

“It was in that one’s bag when we searched her, reckon it’s mine now.” He said pointing at me with a smirk. Bellatrix went crazy and started choking the snatchers, making them let go of us. She took the sword as everyone looked on confused and scared.

“Out! Go!” She shouted at them letting her spells fall. The snatchers ran out, fearing for their lives.

“Sissy, put the boys and this one in the cellar! I want to have a conversation with this one! Girl to girl!” She shouted and grabbed me. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were dragged down to the cellar by Narcissa and Wormtail. She pushed me onto the floor and got on top of me.

“That sword is meant to be in my vault in Gringotts. How did you get it?” She hissed.

“What else did you and your friends take from my vault!?” She shouted.

“We didn’t take anything! Please! We didn’t take anything!” I begged, crying.

“I don’t believe you.” She said and moved to my arm, carving something into it with her sharp knife.

“No! Please! We didn’t take anything!” I screamed in pain.

“Stop it!” Draco shouted and they turned to me.

“She said she didn’t take anything, leave her alone!” He said.

“Draco?” His Mother questioned with a kind, yet waring tone.

“You care for this one, don’t you?” Bellatrix asked with a smirk.

“Please, just stop.” Draco begged, his eyes never leaving me.

“Who is she?” His Aunt asked.

“She’s my girlfriend…” He admitted.

“Is she-”

“Yes, she’s a Pure-blood, please let her go.” He begged, cutting his Father off.

“What’s her family name?” Lucius asked.

“Diggory.” He answered.

“A Hufflepuff? Are you Mad? She-”

“Let her go Bellatrix.” Narcissa said, cutting her husband off.

“But they were in my vault!” She shouted.

“Question the goblin then, let her go.” She said, standing her ground. Bellatrix got off me and Draco rushed to help me up. He pulled me off to the side with his parents and sat me in one of the chairs.

“You’re alright, love.” He whispered as he held me. Ron, Hermione, and Harry suddenly came up the stairs and got Bellatrix’s wand from her. The three of them started fighting with the Malfoys. Bellatrix grabbed me and held her knife to my throat.

“Stop!” She shouted and everyone looked our way.

“Drop your wands. I said drop em!” She shouted. The three dropped their wands and everyone was still staring at us.

“Draco, grab em.” She said and he did as he was told.

“Well, well, well, look what we have here.” She said, walking closer with her knife still at my throat.

“It’s Harry Potter.” She said in my ear, but it was loud enough for everyone to hear.

“He’s all bright, and shiny, and new again.” She said as Harry’s face turned back to normal.

“Just in time for the Dark Lord.” She said.

“Call him.” She said, but no one moved.

“Call him!” She said again, but louder. Draco stayed in his place, so his Father stepped up and revealed his dark mark. He went to call him, but an odd squeaking started happening. Everyone looked up and Dobby was sitting atop the chandelier undoing a screw or something. It suddenly dropped and she pushed me as she ran back to avoid getting hit. I fell to the ground as Ron grabbed Hermione and Harry went to get their wands. Once Draco lost the small battle with Harry he rushed over to me.

“Are you alright?” He asked as Lucius was shot back by Harry.

“I’m fine…” I whispered.

“Stupid elf, you could have killed me!” Bellatrix shouted.

“Dobby never meant to kill. He only meant to maim or seriously injure.” He said. Narcissa went to shoot a spell at them, but Dobby snapped his fingers and her wand was then in his hands. While everyone was distracted by what Dobby did, Draco pulled me up and out of the room. He took me up to his room and sat me on his bed.

“Let me see your arm, love.” He whispered. I showed him and saw she had carved ‘Blood Traitor’ into my arm. Tears welled in my eyes as I noticed the blood still falling from my fresh mark.

“Hey, look at me, it’s not true.” He said, gently caressing my face.

“But it is though, you know it is.” I whispered.

“No, not here it isn’t. You can’t let them see that side of you. If I want to keep you safe I either have to let you go or ask you to do something you might never forgive yourself, or me for that matter, for.” He said, his voice breaking.

“B-But I can’t bear to let you go again. I thought I lost you when I told you the truth…” He whispered.

“W-What do I have to do to stay?” I whispered. He looked at me with wide eyes.

“You’d have to take his mark…” He whispered. My heart stopped, but I didn’t know where Harry and the others were. It was either stay with Draco or go out alone…

“If it means I get to stay with you then I will…” I answered.

“Love, this is serious. I can get you out of here without anyone knowing all you have to do-” I cut him off with a kiss.

“I can’t lose you again either. I thought you were dead this whole time, I can’t go through that again.” I said, resting my forehead on his.

“You’ll never forgive me…” He said, letting his tears fall.

“I’ll always forgive you. I love you Draco Malfoy.” I said. Draco pulled me in for a gentle and loving kiss. Something we both desperately needed.

“I promise, when all this is over I’m going to get you a ring and give you the perfect life you deserve.” He said and I smiled.

“As long as you’re in my life, it is perfect.” I said and pecked his lips again. No matter what happens, as long as I still have Draco still in my life everything will be alright. He was the only thing I had left. He was the only one I really needed.

Tag list: @les-bio-lie @tashy-bear @ashwarren32 @hollie-blogs-blog1 @schisbro87 @lover-of-books-and-teas @nerdygaloresposts @teenwolfbitches2 @genius2050 @drw0301bieber @lady-of-lies @ravenmoore14 @ravenempress101 @cillianchamp @rowanthomasknapp @rachelxwayne @in-slytherin-we-trust @accio-rogers @sambucky8 @bruisedfists-and-splitlips @answer-the-sirens @andreasworlsboring101 @vanessa-kom-skaikru @impulse-anchor @dracoswhvre

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brooklynmuseum · 4 years

Photo

Join us for a virtual tour of Judy Chicago’s The Dinner Party by Curator Carmen Hermo. An icon of twentieth-century art, a watershed moment in feminist art and thinking, and one of the most popular artworks in our collection, The Dinner Party celebrates the achievements of 1,038 women in Western culture, and sits at the heart of the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art. It’s also a perpetually popular destination for intergenerational family visits. We wish all mothers and caretakers a Happy Mothers Day!

Judy Chicago’s monumental The Dinner Party was created between 1974–79. The artwork takes the form of a meticulously executed banquet table set for 39 individual women; each woman is honored with a hand-painted and formed ceramic plate, and an elaborate needlework runner. On the hand-cast Heritage Floor, the names of 999 other women stream out in relation to those at the table, visually representing women’s vast contributions in nearly every aspect of history.

Before entering the installation, you are greeted—and guided— by six woven tapestries, decorated with abstract imagery that evoke motifs on The Dinner Party. They convey Chicago’s vision for an equitable world, where women’s histories and perspectives are valued.

“And She Gathered All before Her,

And She made for them A Sign to See,

And Lo They saw a Vision…”

The Entry Banners are the first thing you see, but were the final objects made for The Dinner Party, woven at the San Francisco Tapestry Workshop in a feminist adaptation of Renaissance techniques.

Photo: Donald Woodman, ARS

Entering The Dinner Party’s purpose-built gallery (designed to protect fragile textiles on long-term view), the striking, iridescent ceramics of the plates and Heritage Floor catch the eye— it’s immediately conveyed that this massive artwork is meant to elevate and honor women’s histories.

Image courtesy Through the Flower Archive and Judy Chicago

Judy Chicago recalls that her education, from childhood to grad school in the 1960s, both purposefully and passively conveyed to her that women did not contribute to civilization. Part of the project of The Dinner Party was an immense research effort, to provide accurate information and context about women in history. In this image, Chicago and other workers research some 3,000 women, informing the final selection of 1,038 in the artwork.

Chicago wanted to re-write the history that she was taught: The Dinner Party subverts the dominant narrative of Western civilization by re-telling it through women’s achievements.

Each woman’s unique place setting shares these components:

A hand-painted ceramic plate, featuring Chicago’s vulvar “central core imagery”

An embroidered runner, with historically accurate needleworking techniques from that woman’s era

And a golden ceramic chalice, lustrous cutlery, and napkin as accents.

Here, “historically accurate needlework” meant that The Dinner Party studio workers actually skinned a deer themselves, in a nod to prehistoric living!

Each wing features 13 women. The 8th place setting is dedicated to Hatshepsut, who was a Pharaoh of Egypt some 3500 years ago, and known as one of Ancient Egypt's most successful leaders, establishing vast trade networks and commissioning hundreds of buildings and monuments during her prosperous, peaceful reign.

Judy Chicago valued accuracy as well as visual symbolic meaning. Brooklyn Museum curators and Egyptologists Ed Bleiberg ad Yekaterina Barbash translate the embroidered hieroglyphics for us:

That first row reads “Effective One, Living One, Favored One of the City (Thebes).”

On the second wing, a place is set for the writer, philosopher, and mystic nun Hildegarde of Bingen, a 12th century polymath renowned to this day for her musical and lyrical chant compositions.

Judy Chicago drew on medieval art’s clarity of form, which educated illiterate believers about the Bible. The Dinner Party helps inform viewers who may not know women’s historical contributions.

Every element of The Dinner Party conveys a distinct detail about the woman represented, or a symbolic reference to all women’s oppression and erasure.

If you were standing in front of Hildegarde’s place setting, you wouldn’t be able to see this amazing embroidery on the back of the runner depicting her visionary drawing. Instead, you can only see it by moving around the table, and reading “through” and “across” history, alluding to how we all must work to question and expand our collective stories.

Personally, my favorite moment is the stunning runner for astronomer Caroline Herschel. Judy Chicago’s design, executed with lyrical skill in crewel embroidery by ecclesiastical embroiderer Marjorie Biggs, gives a spinning sense of Herschel’s telescopic view of our universe.

Curatorial assistant, Jenee Daria describes this place setting:

“Mary Wollstonecraft authored ‘A Vindication of the Rights of Woman,’ 1792, considered the earliest and most important treatise advocating for equality and education for women. The butterfly and vulvar motif on Wollstonecraft's china-painted plate, and its multidimensionality, represent Wollstonecraft's will and intelligence which metaphorically undulate by the strength of such vibrant hues and the power of her testimony.”

“The embroidered runner incorporates meticulous needlework, petitpoint, embroidery, crochet, and stumpwork to create a visual narrative of Wollstonecraft's life and an embodiment of the limitations of her environment.” - Jenee Daria

Here, Wollstonecraft stands outside a schoolhouse where children are taught “The education of girls is a right not a privilege!” Her youngest, Mary Shelley, would go on to write the literary classic “Frankenstein.”

The 39th and final woman at The Dinner Party is artist Georgia O’Keeffe. The dramatic dimensionality of the plate symbolizes her artistic liberation, as well as her great success in the early 20th century amidst a hostile and male-dominated art world. Ending The Dinner Party with an artist with such a pivotal influence on feminist artists of her day, Judy Chicago emphasizes the importance of knowing one’s lineage.

Judy Chicago worked on The Dinner Party alone at first, and as the concept evolved into its truly epic scale, more than 400 collaborators worked to complete it, an undertaking that took five years. This detail is from one of three “Acknowledgement Panels” that traveled with The Dinner Party and are preserved at the Brooklyn Museum and available on our website.

Despite this, the scheduled museum tour was cancelled after a wave of dismissive reviews from art critics: some saw the work as “kitsch,” and even “pornographic” due to its vulvar motifs. This replicated the rejection women have faced across history, while proving how radical Chicago’s reclamation of vulvar forms really was— even for the presumably avant-garde art world.

Image caption: Brooklyn Museum Libraries and Archives

Here we see people lining up at Brooklyn Museum—we hosted The Dinner Party in 1980-81 thanks to local activism and fundraising efforts. It was so popular, it marked the first time we rolled out timed tickets!

In 2002, the Elizabeth A. Sackler Foundation gifted The Dinner Party to the Brooklyn Museum, establishing a plan for the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art, which opened to the public in 2007. We are so lucky to have this epic and important work on permanent view at the heart of our feminist galleries, and hope we can soon welcome you back to explore it in person for years to come.

Want to know more? Access the Brooklyn Museum’s rich online resource guide here. Including detailed entries on all 1,038 women featured in the work!

Thank you for joining us on our tour of Judy Chicago’s The Dinner Party. Join us next week for another tour of our galleries!

Judy Chicago (American, born 1939). The Dinner Party, 1974–79. Ceramic, porcelain, textile installation. Brooklyn Museum; Gift of the Elizabeth A. Sackler Foundation, 2002.10. © Judy Chicago/Artists Rights Society, NY. (Photo: Donald Woodman/ARS, NY)

#virtual tours #judy chicago #the dinner party #virtualtours #art #art museums #art history #brooklyn museum #contemporary art #feminist art #feminism #feminist #artist #nyc

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lemonflesh · 3 years

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I won’t cry on my 18th birthday party in front of my friends. No, I’ll save it for the day after once I’m back in the comfort of my bedroom. Where the sun shines outside and turns the early spring’s sprouting leaves golden. Where the treetops graze the blue sky and the shadows cast in my room are really just reminders of what once was. I won’t cry until then— until I’m alone because everyone else is up the field, under the glorious sun. The glorious sun. I’m sorry. I really am. I don’t mean to be so distraught under your spotlight. I mean, if anyone knows anything about getting old, it should be you right? I shouldn’t be so fearful. I should just write my essays and get on with it. I wish it were that simple. I can’t tell you why it’s not because otherwise I’d have it figured out and I wouldn’t need to be writing this. I wish I wasn’t as secretly sad as I am. As scared as I am. I wish, just sometimes, I could leave my body and it’s nerves behind so that I couldn’t feel at all. Take my soul and go find out what happens at the end. If I know what happens, then I’ll know what to do with my life: I’ll know what directions to go in and I think I’d be more sensible in my reasonings. But the future doesn’t exist and I can’t go there. All I know is the end is coming. It will be here. The end will always rise.

In the meantime, I’ll post photos from last night onto Instagram while behind my screen I’m in tears because of things I regret not doing. What I could’ve done with that boy, instead of staring deep into the dark red eyes of a lava lamp. He said I should smoke some weed because that’ll make me easier. I know what you meant by that, and I wish I was more offended. I should be offended. But I just feel so empty. Like there’s a cavern in my chest and I fear I’ll never find the thing I need to fill it up. So drink the drink and get drunk, but stop before you’re sick. I stop before I’m sick now, and I drink water from a bowl like a chalice to my lips.

I’ll continue to cry when the same boy doesn’t message me something witty, something I can respond easily to because I’m good at talking through text. I’ll bawl my eyes out when he doesn’t like the photos; the same photos being taken when he was in the same room. And I apologise because I’ve only known you for one night, but when you stuck around in the bathroom while I hid in the bath (away from the person knocking at the door downstairs: my friend’s little sister), I think I felt something for you that I shouldn’t have. Maybe I’m just saying all this because I didn’t sleep a wink last night and I was so goddamn cold. Confusion is a symptom of both those things so it wouldn’t be surprising, but I doubt that’s the case. I think I read into moments like that far too much. That’s probably all it is, I’m inclined to believe. Just uh— you can use my phone charger whenever you like. I really don’t mind.

actually is more of a vent this. i turned 18 two days ago and i’m really not sure how i feel about it.

#books #original writing #original poetry #poetry #poems and quotes #writing #vent post #rant post #sad boi hours #end of the world #depression #feelings #lemon flesh

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dogtheories · 2 months

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golden chalice photo of fonzie photo of chalice

#soda.txt

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lilacmoon83 · 3 years

Text

Finding You Always

Also on Fanfiction.net and A03

Chapter 234: Final Reckoning

Jekyll smirked, as he looked at the photo of a necklace with a ruby pendant in the book he had swiped from Rose Red's library some time ago. It was a copy of the long and true history of Aphrodite. He had taken it to see if he could glean any weaknesses in the lore of the Chalice and use it to defeat them. And now, after days of skimming through the tome, it looked as though he just might know exactly what he needed to turn the tables against them and defeat Charming once and for all.

~*~

Though it was small, the library of Cibola was magnificent in its own right. The books looked to be very old, but well kept, and rested on golden book shelves.

"We need to bring Rose and Belle here. These books look like some of the oldest in existence," Snow mentioned, as she looked at her eldest.

"Can you use a little magic to translate some of these titles?" Snow asked. Emma nodded and waved her hand, causing the lettering on the bindings of the books to change to English.

"Can you read any of this language?" Bobby asked curiously, but she shook her head.

"It's a dead language...maybe even older than Latin," Zia replied.

"Let me guess...Lunarian?" he asked and her eyes widened.

"You know about the Lunarians?" she asked.

"A little. The first truest loves were Serenity and Endymion. I guess she was Lunarian and in one of my visions, I met their daughter," he explained.

"That's amazing!" she exclaimed and he blushed.

"Yeah...so were the Lunarians really from the moon?" he asked. She giggled.

"No...that part isn't true. They just worshipped the Moon Goddess Selene. The most noble bloodline and first Queen of the Lunarians were named Serenity and thus why all first born daughters in the royal line were named such," Zia explained.

"I guess that makes more sense than living on the moon," he agreed.

"You sound sad about that," she mentioned. He smirked.

"Well, I read a lot of comics and it would be so cool if they really did live on the moon and there was some kind of moon base or something," he said. She giggled.

"I don't think I've read any comics," she mentioned.

"Oh you have to! They're great and Fandral can tell you about some of them that are actually real with all his adventures with Thor," Bobby gushed

"I have heard of the Norse God, Thor. But I'm guessing what I know is not what he's like at all," she mentioned.

"Yeah, the Thor that Fandral knows is a bit different from the one in Mythology," he said.

"Maybe you can tell me about it," she replied. He nodded.

"I've love to," he said.

"Someone is crushing hard," Emma muttered to her mother.

"I know...it's so cute..." Snow gushed, as she looked at her youngest and put a hand to her heart. Emma chuckled and shook her head, as she saw a book that said Maui.

"Hey...wasn't Maui a demi-God?" Emma asked.

"You found a book on Maui?" Zia asked. She nodded and pulled it out. When she did, both the pounamu stone and the book glowed.

"Whoa…I think we found it," David said, as Emma opened the book, while Zia peered over it.

"Lunarian again," she said, as she used her magic to translate it, before handing it to the dark haired girl, who skimmed it. After several minutes, she gasped and started reading.

"Listen to this," she said.

"And though he was fatally wounded by the Void, Maui gave explicit instructions to his younger brother Tao so that his coveted fish hook be protected from those who would exploit it, especially the Void," she read.

"The Void? Is it really talking about Runeard?" David asked.

"How could it be? Runeard wasn't born during Tao's lifetime," Snow replied.

"No...but his powers came from somewhere. He didn't have them when he was banished," Killian reminded them.

"He's right...he picked them up in the Netherworld somehow and we don't really know how or why," Bobby said.

"Before he died, Maui disguised his fish hook as Pounamu stone and told his younger brother that he must guard it from the Void. And so Tao sailed to the island of Mu, aboard his family's luxury vessel, the Solaris, and consulted with the High Priest of Cibola to help him create something to protect the stone. But the High Priest, Atanos told him that only the children of the sun could help him craft something to protect the fish hook of Maui," she read.

"Atanos sent him east to find his son, Esteban, insisting that he was one of these children. Esteban accepted Tao into his Kingdom once he learned he was sent by his father, Atanos. But Tao was much less trusting and it took him time to trust Esteban. Even then, Tao never revealed what the stone actually was. Only that he must conceal it from the world," she continued.

"Does it say what the stone does?" Bobby asked. She nodded.

"Once Esteban met Zia and they were declared the truest love in all the realms by Venus did Tao realize that it was the Chalice of Venus that could craft what he needed," she continued.

"But Tao's mistrust of Zia did not serve him well and he was not happy when he discovered that she knew what the fish hook could do. He accused her of being a witch at first and thought she wanted the fish hook for herself. When she revealed that she knew the fish hook could…" Zia said, as her eyes widened and trailed off.

"What? What does it do?" Emma asked impatiently. Zia swallowed thickly.

"When she revealed that she knew the fish hook could capture all the natural elements, including the sun and the moon, she convinced Tao that she knew what they needed to craft to protect the stone," she revealed.

"Capture the elements?" Emma asked.

"If that's true, it can control the weather, including the phases of the sun and moon. That could be devastating," Snow realized.

"Do you think Aphrodite knows?" David asked.

"I don't think so…" Zia said, as she continued.

"Tao was grateful for her help when she used the Chalice to create a golden jar. In her possession were two golden bars from Cibola, the last in her possession. She used the chalice to melt them down and pour them into a mold of Tao's choosing. The jar mold was one from his home and thus the fish hook was sealed inside so only the children of the sun could open it," she read.

"Tao begged Zia not to tell Esteban what the pounamu stone really was and what it could do. He feared the information could be revealed inadvertently to Esteban's advisors, whom he did not trust," she continued.

"Mendoza," David surmised.

"Most likely," she agreed.

"Zia was very reluctant to keep information from her husband, but agreed and told him only that the jar could never be opened, for the purpose of the stone inside could never be revealed, as it could fall into the wrong hands, particularly, the Void's," she finished, as they looked at each other and then at the stone hanging around Bobby's neck.

"Okay...so this thing probably should go back in the jar," he said, as he took it off.

"Yes…if Runeard sees this, he'll know what it is if he is the Void now and I want you no where near something like that," Snow said, as she took the stone.

"So we seal it back in the jar...but we need to put the jar somewhere that it can't be accessed," David agreed.

"In the tallest tower of Cibola," Nubia chimed in.

"Why there?" Snow asked.

"Yeah...a bunch of steps will hardly deter someone like Runeard," Emma warned. Nubia smiled thinly.

"No...but there are fail safes. There is a place for the jar built into the highest temple by Atanos himself. You'll know it when you see it," Nubia said, as they ventured through the gates and saw the tallest tower gleaming in the distance.

"Okay…we can just teleport ourselves up there," David said.

"I'm sorry, but the journey to the tallest tower must be traversed by foot and by the children of the sun," Nubia said.

"Truest loves," Snow corrected.

"Yeah, sounds like the children of the sun had too many secrets between them. Snow and I don't keep anything from each other," he added.

"Of course...it was their flaw. I do not believe they ever told the Goddess about the stone," Nubia said. David sighed.

"That is a lot of stairs," he said. She smirked.

"Is Prince Charming going soft on me," she teased.

"Do I look like I've gone soft," he teased back, as he towered over her.

"Oh no...and I know where every muscle is," she gushed, as her hands swept over his torso.

"Yeah...you guys have fun with Stairmeggedon," Emma quipped.

"Those that are of their bloodline can accompany them," Nubia chimed in.

"Yeah, hard pass. I'll wait here," Emma said.

"Chicken," David teased.

"Could that mean me? I'm only his half sister," Natalie mentioned.

"I'm sorry...only the children can accompany them, being that they are of both of them," Nubia answered.

"Damn…" she muttered and then looked at her brother.

"Tell me all about it?" she asked. He smiled.

"I'll take pictures for you," he promised.

"I'll go...but I guess Zia can't come?" Bobby asked.

"Actually, she can, because she is training to become the High Priestess of Cibola, she is permitted to enter the sacred temple," Nubia replied. Zia smiled.

"I wouldn't miss this for the world," she said, as she and Bobby followed his parents.

"Uh so...if she's going to be the High Priestess, does that mean she can't get married someday?" Emma asked curiously.

"Stars no...where would you get that idea?" Nubia asked.

"Just the whole Priest thing. In some other religions, it has some restrictions," Emma replied.

"Denying a person of love sounds like it would cause many problems," Nubia observed.

"Oh it does, which is why I asked and I'm glad this has no restriction of that kind," Emma said. Nubia smiled.

"You are good to look after your brother's feelings," she complimented.

"He's a great kid...and I hate it, but he's probably going to end up saving us all from Void," she mentioned. Killian put his arm around her.

"He'll be okay, love...there's no evil that can defeat this family. I've seen it try and fail," he assured her. She smiled and leaned her head against his shoulder, while they waited for them to return.

~*~

"Oh Dark One...your magical protections are no match for science," Jekyll said, as he used his demon powers to burn through the magical protections on the shop door. The cameras weren't picking up anything, since he was using his nano technology to disguise his presence. Therefore, no alarms went off in the shop. He proceeded to the safe behind the counter and then a device he had created to crack the combination. The door opened and he extracted the ruby necklace.

"The necklace of Harmonia...misfortune to any who wear it," he said, as he disappeared in a fiery display.

~*~

"Thanks for bringing this to me...I'll definitely get it added to the Master copy right away," Henry said, as he skimmed through the hidden history of Arendelle that they had recently uncovered.

"Thanks...it's an uncomfortable history. I'm still trying to accept that Arendelle has such a bloody past," Elsa said.

"That's not your fault. Many Kingdoms have committed atrocities in the past. It shouldn't be up to the ancestors of those Kingdoms to pay for those misdeeds," Leo replied.

"He's right...you're doing exactly what you should be. You're informing your people of their true history, which means that they can learn from the past mistakes of their people. Then history hopefully won't repeat," Henry agreed. Elsa smiled and nodded, as they noticed a copy of a tabloid from the Land Without Magic.

"You've got to be kidding. Grimm got someone to publish his dreck?" Leo asked.

"Well...it's a tabloid so I doubt too many are taking it seriously. He and Goldie are doing their best between this and their dumb podcast to make people fearful of magic," Henry said uncomfortably.

"The podcast is getting a lot of hits lately...too many," Eva agreed.

"Are you worried that it might be working?" Paul asked.

"To be honest...yes. They're sowing a narrative of fear and anxiety toward magic and magical people that makes what the Home Office did look like nothing," Henry replied.

"That's why I've been doing my best to keep new chapters of the book up and I've even talked to a few contacts I have at reputable publications in the journalism world to make sure the true story is out there. But you know how people love gossip," Henry replied.

"Yeah...Grimm is even live streaming Goldie's stupid show on the Internet so people in the Land Without Magic get all the happenings going on here in the United Realms, from her skewed point of view, of course," Eva complained.

"Is ENN live streaming any of their broadcasts? Now that we have honest journalists running that show...they should be doing the same," Elsa said.

"She has a point," Leo agreed, as Henry smiled.

"You know, that's a great idea. I'll head over there later and talk to Mr. Boots' replacement. He'll love the idea," Henry said.

"Who is running it now?" Eva asked curiously.

"August," Henry answered. Her eyes widened.

"August left the Storybrooke Mirror?" Leo asked. Henry shrugged.

"A bigger and better opportunity and they came to me and asked me to run it, which I don't have time for. So I recommended the next best journalist I know," he replied.

"That's great! I still wish we could do something to counter their podcast though," Eva said. Paul smiled.

"Maybe we can," he said.

"Like what?" she asked.

"You love podcasts...you listen to them all the time, no matter the subject, because it's an easy way to learn while you're working. So...why don't you do your own," Paul replied.

"You think I should do my own podcast?" Eva asked.

"Now that is an incredible idea," Henry replied.

"Yeah...you could counter their narrative and get all the guests. No one worthwhile would go on their two bit broadcast, but you could get all the good guests. All of us, Mom and Dad, and anyone in our family," Leo said.

"He's right and it will blow theirs out of the water," Henry agreed.

"I'm not even sure I know how to do a podcast though," Eva said.

"I do though and I know August can set us up with all the best equipment. We can go over there now if you want," Henry said.

"That sounds great...I would really love to get the real message out through the airwaves," she agreed. Paul kissed her cheek.

"You're going to be great," he said.

"Will you be my co-host?" she asked.

"Me?" he asked.

"Who better? You were born in the Land Without Magic and you can attest to what it's like having lived in both worlds," Eva said.

"She has a good point," Leo agreed. He smiled.

"Okay...two doctors doing a podcast I guess," he agreed, as they proceeded to head over to the Enchanted News Network studio.

~*~

Jekyll looked at the model on his laptop with satisfaction. He had created the computer model of his plan and with his demon magic, it would all become a reality in a matter of moments.

"Yes...this will be quite perfect," he said, as he made the final modification to the virtual model on his screen.

"You know, I do not take kindly to being summoned, doctor," Rodmilla said, as she arrived.

"I am the reason you're luxuriating in your new castle now. You are at my beck and call, Rodmilla. Make no mistake...I can end you with a flick of my wrist," he warned, as he produced a tiny flame in his palm. She stilled and swallowed her pride.

"What can I do for you, doctor?" she asked.

"You can create this in the ocean at these coordinates," he replied, showing her the model.

"What is all this?" she asked. He smirked.

"My very own nightmare and the place where Prince Charming will perish at my hand," he replied. She didn't question him and did as he asked. She hardly thought he would be successful. No one had managed to defeat Snow and Charming yet and they were more powerful than ever. Honestly, if he did, it would destroy Snow White and cause her eternal misery. If he didn't and Charming finally rid them of the doctor, she'd be free of his insanity and being under his thumb. It was a win-win situation for her.

"There…" she said, as it was complete.

"Good luck doctor...I think you'll need it," she surmised.

"I don't need your luck...my power will overcome him this time," he insisted, as he walked out of his lab. It was time.

~*~

David looked at his wife in amusement, as she groaned during their climb to the top of the tallest tower.

"Okay...you were right, these stairs are a nightmare," she whined, as she lagged slightly behind him with her hand in his.

"Yeah...you'd have to really want whatever is up here to make this climb," he agreed.

"Would you like me to carry you the rest of the way?" he asked.

"No...that would be very unfair to you," she replied.

"But I could," he said. She smirked.

"I know you could...I'm well acquainted with all your muscles," she replied coyly. He smirked back.

Behind them, Bobby closed his eyes and put his hand over his face in embarrassment, as Zia giggled.

"They are so embarrassing sometimes," he said.

"I think they're adorable," she replied.

"Yeah...just wait until you're eating dinner with them and they're feeding each other and start making out. It gets less adorable really fast," he said.

"We can hear you," Snow admonished.

"I know...it'd be nice if you and dad didn't make out during dessert," Bobby replied.

"Yeah...your chances of that aren't good," David said and he rolled his eyes.

"We just got the Emma eye roll," Snow snickered to him.

"Of course...she taught it to them all," he said, as they finally reached the top.

"Finally," Snow said.

"At least going down won't be so bad," David replied, as they went inside and found golden walls except the one in the center. The center wall was stone, with hieroglyphics on each square.

"They just look like symbols," Snow asked. Zia nodded.

"This is the Temple of the Sun...so they use the language of the Chalice. Lunarian," she replied.

"David…" Snow uttered, as she pointed to the square with the depiction of a split heart.

"Wow...and here's one of the chalice," he said.

"Look…" Bobby pointed at five squares in sequence below the split heart.

"Fire, lightning, wind, water, and earth," he said, pointing at the flame, lightning bolt, gust of wind, wave, and a leaf. They looked at each other in amazement.

"This is depicting the seven of us," David said.

"Your love is written in the stars," Zia replied.

"What's this one?" Bobby asked, as it showed a figure surrounded by many objects.

"The Collector…" Snow realized.

"Clayton's bloodline...it's always been a threat, even back to Serenity and Endymion," David said.

"What is this one?" Snow asked, as it depicted another figure shrouded in what seemed like darkness.

"The Void…" Zia said gravely.

"There's the hook," Bobby said, pointing out Maui's fish hook.

"How do we seal the jar away?" David asked.

"The Chalice…that's all I know," Zia replied. Snow and David willed it into its cup form between them and the wall immediately reacted by lighting up in a variety of colors. The squares slowly receded away from the center of the wall, as a compartment revealed itself.

"I guess that's a good place," David said, as they placed the jar inside the compartment. The squares glowed and returned to their place.

"All secure I guess?" she asked.

"Yeah...seemed too easy," he replied.

"I think we're just used to everything we have to do being a pain in the ass," Bobby quipped.

"Language," she chided, as David took pictures for Natalie, before they started back down the stairs.

"You know how we said that going down would be better?" Snow asked.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"It's not any better," she replied, making him chuckle.

"Hey...we got out of there without something or someone trying to kill us. That's a win for us," he reminded her.

"So true," she agreed.

"So...is it safe?" Emma asked. They nodded.

"These pics you just sent me are fascinating. It's practically your story in hieroglyphs," Natalie said, as she swiped through the photos.

"Yeah…I guess we shouldn't be too surprised by now. The texts that King Arthur was once studying back before we met him depicted the chalice and our split heart," David recalled.

"Do you remember whatever happened to those texts?" Natalie asked curiously.

"I assume they're still somewhere in Camelot. I'm sure Lancelot and Guinevere would be happy to let you check them out," Snow replied.

"I'd love to build a display out of these pics and anything they have for the museum," Natalie said. Snow and David smiled. She was really finding her niche as curator of the Atlantis museum.

"So...I guess we're done here," Emma said.

"Yeah...let's head back to Mu," Snow replied, as a portal suddenly opened and they could see Dr. Jekyll through the portal, on an island that seemed to be besieged by molten lava.

"What the hell…" David said.

"Greetings…" he said.

"Not even man enough to face me now? You have to do it through a portal?" David challenged. Jekyll smirked.

"Oh on the contrary...the lovely scenery behind me was created with just you in mind, Charming. It is where you will perish at my hand," he claimed.

"No...you leave my husband and my family alone!" Snow shouted.

"Alas, dear Snow...I could do just that if you would submit yourself to me," he offered.

"No way in hell psychopath…" Bobby said.

"You're not taking her, especially not into some fiery hellhole," David added. The doctor smirked again.

"Like I said, Charming...this fiery hellhole, as you put it, is for you," Jekyll said, as his arms became fiery chains that shot through the portal. They wrapped around him and pulled him through it. Snow cried out in alarm, as it closed and she looked around frantically.

"I'll get a bean," Emma said, as she prepared to transport herself to Anton's field, but Jekyll's voice cut her off.

"Do not bother, Savior...for there is no way you can get to this island via portal now," Jekyll said, as a hologram appeared before them in the sky.

"Charming!" Snow cried, as she saw her husband behind the doctor and on a piece of rock surrounded by a lake of lava.

"As you can see, he is in quite a state of peril and without the help of the Chalice, he will perish at my hand," Jekyll said.

"And the demise of the legendary Prince Charming is being broadcast to the entire United Realms and beyond! It is time for everyone to witness the fiery end to the truest love!" he added.

"Why isn't Dad calling the Chalice sword?" Emma asked. Snow willed the chalice into sight and saw that she had both halves. She tried to will it to her husband...but nothing was happening.

"I see that you have found that your husband is completely cut off from the power of your Chalice," Jekyll said.

"You Son of Bitch!" Snow cried, as she broke down in tears and Emma held her mother, hugging her tightly.

"How the hell is that possible?" Bobby asked, as Regina and Rumple appeared at their location.

"Because he stole the necklace of Harmonia from my shop and placed it around your father's neck upon his arrival in his demonic realm," Rumple answered, just as the twins appeared with Summer and JJ in tow.

"The necklace of Harmonia...how does that cut him off from the Chalice?" Leo asked.

"It's a long story...but in short, from my restored memories, it was a necklace created by Hera and meant for me," Aphrodite replied.

"It curses the wearer with misfortune. Hera meant it for me, but a man named Cadmus found it where Hera left it for me first. He presented it to his bride, Harmonia, and she was killed in a horrible accident on their wedding day. It's been an object avoided like the plague since," Aphrodite explained, as she and James appeared.

"Then why did you have it in your shop!?" Emma cried.

"Because I'm already cursed and immune to its charms. As the Dark One, I was entrusted to keep it away from humanity by Zeus himself. Centuries ago...but the damned psychopath found it. It's quite likely he has been browsing through Rose Red's books without her knowledge," Rumple said.

"We have to do something! We have to get the chalice to Dad somehow!" Summer cried.

~*~

David looked around and hissed from the burns on his arms, thanks to Jekyll's fiery whips. He saw the peculiar necklace around his neck and took in his surroundings. It was definitely an island, but the erupting volcano in the distance had turned it into a nightmare. Acrid smoke filled the air, as embers and ash rained down. Molten magma flowed around the remaining land like a river and the heat was so sweltering that it was hard to breathe.

"Welcome to your demise, Prince Charming," Jekyll said. David extended his hand and attempted to call on the Chalice sword, but found that nothing happened. Jekyll smirked.

"I'm afraid that necklace around your neck will cause you quite a bit of misfortune. Whatever light magic you are able to wield is thwarted by the cursed necklace of Harmonia," he announced. David tried to take it off, but found that he couldn't.

"So this is it...you're so afraid to face me on an even ground that you have to take away my weapon and give me a serious disadvantage?" he challenged.

"Fairness is for heroes. I am a villain, as you so eagerly point out time and again. So I decided to stack the deck in my favor, so to speak," Jekyll said, as an ordinary sword appeared in his hand.

"But I will give you a weapon...not that it will matter much," he added.

"Fine…I'll fight you at a disadvantage and still win," David said confidently. Jekyll chuckled, as his own fiery sword appeared in his hand.

"Oh, your hubris will see that you fail miserably," the doctor said, as he charged with a fierce battle cry and David moved to defend himself.

~*~

Snow screamed, as she saw David narrowly escape falling into the river of lava, as he dueled the psychotic doctor.

"I have to get to him…" Snow sniffed, as she tried to use the Chalice again, but became frustrated when it didn't work again.

"Why isn't it working!?" she screamed.

"It's the necklace...it won't let us portal there with magic," Aphrodite said regrettably. That thought struck Eva.

"But we could with science!" she realized. Snow looked at her daughter with a tearstained face.

"Honey...what do you mean?" she asked.

"That's how he's doing all of this. He got around Mr. Gold's magical protections in the shop with science. We have to use science to get to Daddy," Eva replied.

"She's right...he would have never got through my protections in the shop using magic. He found another way," Gold confirmed.

"Then how do we do it?" Snow asked.

"Hyde...I'll go and see what he and Mr. Flaversham can do," Emma said, as she hugged her mother quickly.

"I'll go with you," Bobby said, as he disappeared with her. Leo and Eva sandwiched Snow between them and held her, as she cried and they witnessed their father try to stay alive.

~*~

"And if you're just joining us...it seems that everyone's favorite Prince is under siege by none other than Dr. Jekyll himself. It would see that the good doctor has found a way to isolate him from his precious Snow White and their magical chalice," Goldie reported, as those at Grimm's tavern all seemed glued to the fight.

"You think he'll do it?" one patron asked.

"If he does...he'll be a legend," another answered.

"And if he does...we will capitalize on the grief of his family and wage attacks on their Kingdoms," Rodmilla said, as she entered with Runeard. A few of them looked uneasy by this plan, but they did not protest. The last protester had been swiftly dealt with and none of them wished for that fate.

~*~

"Hyde!" Emma cried, as they burst into his lab and saw they were watching the spectacle on one of the computer screens in the lab.

"I guess he's beaming the frequency to every screen," Bobby realized.

"I'm afraid so...the doctor has gone too far again," Hyde said.

"He's blocking us off with magic and made it so my Dad has no access to the Chalice," Emma replied.

"And you hope there is a scientific solution," he replied. They nodded.

"We have been working on something...a teleportation device, but it is in no way ready for human trials," Hyde said.

"Yes...at this point, it would likely kill a person in transit. We're still working on the human application," Hiram added and their hearts sank.

"But we have had success in teleporting objects," Hyde said, as he showed them what looked like a silver pad.

"You think you can teleport the chalice to our Dad?" Bobby asked.

"If I can triangulate his location within a few yards. That will take a few moments, but we're ready if you can take us closer," Hiram said, as they picked up their equipment. Emma smiled and nodded, as the four of them disappeared.

~*~

David breathed heavily, but coughed since the air was so filled with heat and ash that it was overwhelming.

"You are so fragile without the power of your chalice sword…" Jekyll goaded.

"Then stop dodging me and actually fight. I may not have my Chalice sword, but I am a master swordsman and even with all your powers...you're not. I think I'll fare better than you think," David challenged. Jekyll smirked.

"I will so enjoy slowly killing you while the lovely Snow watches," he said, as he looked up.

"Pay close attention, my dear Snow! I want you to see the life leave his eyes when I crush him!" he called. David charged him at that and their blades clashed in a fury of strikes, parries, and slashes.

"You're tiring, Charming...I can see it. But I do not tire anymore," Jekyll warned, as they exchanged blows.

"You are fragile...and can barely breathe here. But I am in my element," he continued to boast.

"Doesn't matter," David said, though his words sounded labored.

"True love always wins," he insisted, as the doctor elbowed him in the gut and sent him to the ground. He slid painfully across the ground on his back and could feel the burns already. The pain was excruciating, even as he tried to pull himself to his feet. His shirt was in tatters now, as embers had burned holes in it. But he pressed on and got to his feet, only to have to block Jekyll's blade again.

"Time to die, Charming...and it will be slow and agonizing," he promised. David swept his legs out from under him, but the demon shot a fire blast at him, forcing him to dodge. He rolled to the ground and stared up at the blackened sky. He coughed, as the ash filled his lungs and he tried to move, despite the multiple burns covering his body.

"Snow…" he croaked, as he could feel her presence and love enveloping him.

"Not sure I'm going to make it out of this one, my love…" he whispered, as the doctor's shadow loomed over him…

~*~

Snow cried out, as she saw her husband roll to the ground and she reached out toward his image.

"I have to get to him...this can't be happening!" she cried in anguish, just as Emma reappeared with Bobby, Hyde, and Mr. Flaversham.

"Can you help?" Eva asked.

"We have a solution, but it's not yet ready for human testing. However, we believe it can get the Chalice to him," Hyde replied.

"No…I have to go to him. Please…" Snow cried.

"Mom...this will work, but you getting ripped apart in a teleporter does not help Dad," Emma soothed, as she put her hands on her shoulders. Reluctantly, Snow nodded and watched them set up their equipment.

"Not to pressure you...but you need to hurry!" Leo called, as they watched the dire position their father was in.

"Can you get a fix on his location fairly quickly?" Emma asked.

"Got it...fortunately, the doctor is sending up smoke signals into the atmosphere so to speak," Hyde replied, as he nodded to Snow. She placed the Chalice on the flat device and stepped back, as her children huddled around her.

"Initiate," Hyde said, as Hiram operated the controls and the Chalice disappeared. A few seconds later, the image before them and all the screens where it was being broadcast were filled with a blinding white light, resulting in no one being able to see what was happening.

"Charming!" Snow cried.

~*~

"Do you think she'll feel it? When I drive my fiery sword through your half heart?" Jekyll asked, as he looked down on his nemesis with a smug smirk. He was going to savor and enjoy the Prince's demise immensely.

"She will...but my children will avenge me and protect her," David rasped, as he coughed again.

"So...you're finally admitting defeat?" Jekyll asked with glee.

"I may die at your hand...but our love won't. That will never die," he replied.

"Yet you will be able to do nothing from the afterlife to stop me from making her mine," Jekyll said, he saw a beam of light penetrate his shield around the island.

"Impossible," he uttered, as the light faded and he saw the Chalice resting about a hundred feet away.

"No…" he said. It should have been impossible and he saw Charming's hand twitch.

"Not this time…" he seethed, as he prepared to thrust the blade through his chest. The Prince could barely move, but managed to lift one leg enough to kick Jekyll off balance. The doctor stumbled briefly, but it was enough and the Chalice flew into his hand.

"Noooo!" Jekyll screamed in rage, as light exploded around David and blinded him, as well as blowing him back several feet.

He growled, as he rolled over and tossed his cracked glasses away, before pulling himself to his feet. But what he saw when the light started to fade gave him pause.

David stood tall, as the light faded in his familiar leather jerkin, pants, and boots; the very outfit he had fought many battles in before. His wounds were healed and the Chalice sword gleamed brightly in his hand. The necklace of Harmonia fell off in pieces and burned to ash.

Jekyll seethed and cursed, as he decided to find a way out of this botched plan to fight another day, but the Prince anticipated his next move. David tapped the tip of his sword on the ground, sending a lightwave of power throughout the entire island and the sky.

"What is that?" he asked, as he saw the shimmering shield around the island.

"You promised there was no escape for me from this island, so I'm promising the same for you," David replied.

"You think you can really end me?" Jekyll challenged. David smirked.

"Oh…I know I can," he replied, as he charged, almost catching the doctor off guard. His sword became alive with fire and he parried the Prince's blade. But he was shocked when his sword shattered into a million pieces upon contact with the Prince's. Jekyll screamed in rage and blasted him at point blank with fire. But David slapped the flames away with his blade in expert precision.

"Damn you!" Jekyll screeched, as he slashed at him with his fiery whips, but David evaded his fire and Jekyll made a run for it in an attempt to somehow escape the island. He cackled maniacally, as he ran toward the river of lava that had burst up between the land mass.

"Once I disappear into the fire...you'll never catch me! And then, I'll pop up again when you least expect! Just like Mephisto did!" Jekyll warned, as he saw the river within reach. He laughed, preparing for his escape, as he jumped toward it.

~*~

"Damn him…" David cursed, as he chased the psychotic doctor. If he slipped into the fire, he'd disappear and come back to haunt them again. He couldn't let that happen again. He knew of only one move that could stop him now. He stopped in his tracks and thrust his sword into the air, sending it sailing toward the monster.

~*~

The fire could be seen reflecting in Jekyll's eyes, as he was just a few feet from escape, but he lurched and looked down to find Charming's blade protruding from his chest. He landed on his feet, just at the edge and turned around, looking at him in shock. He saw the blackness slowly spider webbing from his wound and started to see the ash flaking from his body.

"No...this can't be! You can't defeat me!" Jekyll cried, as he lurched again and the blade returned to David's hand.

"I just did," the Prince stated.

"You're done...and you're never going to hurt my wife again, let alone haunt her," David assured him.

"The Chalice absorbed the Olympian crystal long ago. No Underworld, no afterlife, nothing...you just stop existing and we rest easy, knowing that not even your soul can cause harm to anyone ever again," he continued. Jekyll tried to charge at the Prince again, but the white fire from the Chalice sword consumed him in a brilliant flash. He screamed briefly, as he was destroyed and his cries were swiftly squelched, as was his existence.

Charming sighed in relief, as he used the Chalice sword to create a portal out of the hellish island and he returned to Cibola.

The moment his feet hit the sand, Snow was in his arms. He smiled, as she kissed his lips and then buried her face in his neck, as she wrapped her around around his neck. He smiled and held her, as she quietly sobbed in relief.

"It's okay...I'm okay and he's dead, Snow...for real this time," he said, as he pulled back and cupped her beautiful face in his hands.

"He's dead, my love...he's never coming back," he promised. She sniffed and cried happy tears, before their lips crashed together and her feet dangled off the ground, as he picked her up and spun her around while kissing her passionately. Their lips finally parted and their kids gathered around them with hugs as well.

~*~

"And...it appears that the battle is over. Dr. Jekyll, who quite possibly was Charming's greatest challenger ever, is dead. It would appear that no one can defeat the Charmings," Goldie stated gravely.

"Most will celebrate this, I'm sure...but those of us that have made mistakes and refuse to play by their set of rules, life will not improve at all," she added.

"Snow and Charming will continue their reign, unchallenged it seems. Their children will continue to make all others fail to measure up, and Henry Nolan Charming's narrative will continue to be the only acceptable version of the story, while other talented writers like those in the Grimm line will be ignored," she continued.

The patrons in Grimm's bar went back to their normal business and Elias tossed his rag down on the counter in frustration. Charming's heroics would once again be the highlight of any articles and it almost seemed pointless for them to even do a podcast.

He noticed Runeard leaving and Rodmilla followed. Curiously, he followed as well. After all, this mysterious former King was likely the only real challenger to the Charmings that they had now.

"What are you doing?" Rodmilla asked, as she followed him into Jekyll's lab. Runeard was silent, as he picked up the staff that Jekyll had recreated from Hiram Flaversham's blueprint of the original design.

"They will soon come...emboldened by the fact that there is no real challenge here, even without magic. Except me, of course," he said.

"I have magic...synthetic magic that works here where theirs might not," Rodmilla replied. He smirked.

"Oh my dear...I think we both know that whatever you can muster up can easily be quashed by Charming now...or his Asgardian doppelganger for that matter. He just killed a demon with powers derived from hell itself," he reminded her.

"But you can challenge him!" she insisted.

"Oh not yet...not without this staff filled with the star gems I cannot...it's too risky. He knows what I can do with a touch...he'll anticipate my every move. I am not a master swordsman. Jekyll's arrogance is partially why he's dead now. He had no business fighting a warrior of Charming's caliber, even with all his demonic power," Runeard said.

"So...what, you're just going to disappear and leave me to fend for myself?" Rodmilla questioned.

"I must go into hiding for now. I do not have a plan ready to take on all the elements at once. I must take them by surprise and now is not the time. Good luck to you," he said, as he faded away with the staff and the doctor's gloves.

"There must be something in all this junk that we can use!" she cried desperately.

"The only way we still win any of this is to get their mixed blood and write ourselves a new narrative," Grimm said.

"Which is impossible!" she shouted.

"Then you better find a place to lay low...because this will be the first place Charming and his brats come for," Grimm replied, as he left the lab and started back to his tavern.

"There you are…" Goldie said, as she joined him.

"You're a wanted woman...this place isn't going to stop them from coming for you now that Jekyll is gone," he warned.

"You too...that's why we need to escape," Goldie said.

"Where? Pleasure Island was the one place that gave them pause," Grimm replied.

"The Land Without Magic...we can escape there and still do our podcast, you can write…" she said. He sighed.

"I guess it's all we have. We better go now though or we'll never make it. As it is, it will take us all night to go around the checkpoints again," he replied.

"Without the tavern...we'll be broke in no time," he warned.

"We still have a pretty good following with the podcast and that brings in some money. We'll have to supplement in other ways. It's that or prison," she replied, as they started packing what they could.

"We'll manage, I guess...now to figure out where to go," he said.

"The nearest bus stop is Misty Falls. We'll figure it out on the way to Boston," she replied, as they headed to the Harbor to make their escape.

~*~

After celebrating at Granny's with a mountain of food and all their family and friends, they had come home with their kids and retired for the evening. Except with them, there was no sleeping yet and the celebration had continued, in a much more intimate manner.

She rested her head against his chest and relished his arm around her.

"You did it...you freed us from his insanity," she purred, as she looked up at him. He gently kissed her.

"I said I wouldn't rest until he could no longer haunt you...I'm just glad I was able to keep that promise," he replied.

"I never doubted you...but I came very close to losing you," she said, as her eyes misted.

"Shh...no, you could never lose me. He never had a chance...not when it's you and our children that I'm fighting for. Not with a true love as powerful as ours," he replied, as she kissed him passionately and then pressed her forehead against his once their lips parted. He gently wiped a tear away from her cheek and green eyes stared into blue.

"I feel so free with his shadow finally gone," she admitted. He smiled.

"We are free, my darling. There are still battles ahead, but he was the worst one and he's gone forever," he promised. Their lips met again in a searing kiss and their passion consumed them once more. Once again, they had faced certain doom head on and their true love had prevailed, as it always would.

In the next chapter, one year has passed...

#Snowing #SnowxCharming #Charming family #OC Charmings #AU #original season 9 storyline #romance #adventure #family #drama #Finding You Always #the epic continues

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foreverpraying · 3 years

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September 13 is the feast day of St. John Chrysostom, bishop and Doctor of the Church

Chrysostemos, photo by Carl Christian Peters

Life of St. John Chrysostom

Source of picture: WashArchdiocese on Twitter

Source: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-john-chrysostom

Quotes from St. John Chrysostom

Source of picture: https://acatholicrose.tumblr.com

"If you cannot find Christ in the beggar at the church door, you will not find Him in the chalice."

"Prayer is the place of refuge for every worry, a foundation for cheerfulness, a source of constant happiness, a protection against sadness."

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cards-and-stars · 4 years

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✧ Golden Botticelli Tarot

Author/Artist: Atanas Alexandrov Atanassov/ Sandro Botticelli

Editor: Lo Scarabeo

ISBN: 978-8865271711

Link: https://shop.loscarabeo.com/index.php?id_product=80&controller=product&id_lang=1

And we are looking at another Lo Scarabeo Tarot Deck. This one’s theme is the art of the famous Renaissance painter Botticelli. I have always been very fond of his style so I was looking forward to getting my hands on this deck. In the future, I will most likely also review the Klimt and the Mucha decks, as they are also artists who’s work really is dear to me. But for now, let’s focus on Botticelli.

✧ The Box

So first of all, I completely misread the product description and had no idea I ordered a golden Tarot deck so when I first saw the box, even tough it’s a basic flimsy cardboard box typical of Lo Scarabeo, I was happily surprised as it looks gorgeous. The gold foil and the floral patterns make the deck a bit more gothic than renaissance, adding details and depth, for a beautiful result, especially on the black background. It looks rich and fancy, very much in the style of Italian renaissance.

The box features some of the cards: The world on the front, The Hierophant on the back, The Star and Knight of Chalices on the sides. I doesn’t tell you much except that the deck contains 78 arcana.

✧ The Cards

The cards are using artwork from the vast catalogue of paintings created by Botticelli. If you look at the below photo you will most likely recognise some of his famous works:

The card stock is fairly regular, not exceptional but not bad either and the colours are nice and vibrant. The golden parts are very cleverly illuminating the illustrations. They are applied to fine lines and vegetal elements making it nice and elegant, as opposed to heavy or obnoxious. Compared to the Nefertari Tarot, it is more subtle.

There is a nice idea going on in the minor arcana where each suite’s sky is of a specific colour: the Cups are green, the Swords are blue, the Wands are yellow and the Pentacles are red. I think that the minor arcana is where the magic happens. Some of the illustrations are very creative and depart from the usual representations of the RWS Tarot, which makes this deck very interesting.

✧ The Little White Book

Again, this is your generic little Lo Scarabeo booklet. It contains a little intro and a short rundown of each card as well as a spread suggestion. It’s a bit minimalistic. Given the theme of the deck, I would have expected references to Botticelli’s works, just like in the Cleopatra Tarot the author specifies the deities represented on the cards.

✧ The Tryptic

Srength is represented by a woman dressed in red and blue, with a green coat, taming a lion. She holds some sort of plant in her raised hand while the other rests on the lion’s head. The background depicts a similar forest to the one you can see in the “Spring” painting. The lemniscate, the patterns on the ladies dress, the lion’s mane and the vegetation in the background are all golden. The interaction between the woman and the lion seems overall peaceful.

The Star card is actually The Stars in this deck and is represented by the 3 Graces dancing in the “Spring” painting. There is a lot of gold in this card: the stars, the flowers, the sky, which makes the Graces stand out even more.

The Tower in this deck is represented by a building which appears to be falling appart (well, at least the top of the building seems to because the bottom remains untouched). You can see red smoke rising from the tower and two character, along with some stones and pillars are falling off of it. The sky as well as the stairs are decorated with golden foil. The overall feel of this card is however not very strong or urgent in anyway. This does not feel like a sudden upheaval is taking place. I’m not sure it could have been done better, but I’m just not entirely convinced by it.

✧ Conclusion

Pro

Botticelli’s timeless beautiful art

Subtle golden highlights

Creative use of the illustrations and golden highlights

Con

The general quality isn’t the best

The golden highlights will most like rub off at some point, like with the Nefertari Tarot.

✧ Rating

✦✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧✧

Thank you for reading and see you later, starlings!

#tarot #tarot deck review #divination #cartomancy #tarot deck #tarot review #witchcraft #witchy #witchblr #botticelli #art #renaissance art #italian renaissance #renaissance #good #Lo Scarabeo

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the-faeryqueen · 4 years

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@todayinmagicalgirlhistory Paid Reading

𝔑𝔶𝔩𝔞'𝔰 𝔉𝔞𝔦𝔯𝔶 𝔇𝔬𝔬𝔯

What is your energy like?

The door I saw for you was a bright white, seemingly made of a gentle wood. The door had lines going across it in golden accents. It almost reminded me of what you might see in marble, however the gold lines were fairly straight. An Eagle was perched nearby and the door had an exquisite gold handle.

Symbols:

Sunlight ☀️

Lake 🚣‍♀️

Wheat 🌾

Forest 🌲

Rainbow Horizon 🌈

Eagle 🦅

Sunlight

The first thing I saw was rays of sunshine! Your energy is soft and warm, and people likely find you very welcoming upon meeting you. You brighten people up and bring clarity to their life!

Your energy is lively and optimistic. You likely leave a strong influence on those around you, even if people don't say so. Even the slightest bit of sunlight has a subtle touch that people notice. You may also come across as being straightforward on what you want.

Overall you bring an air of hope, clarity, and optimism. People may often look to you for guidance or advice and you may identify as a healer. You have a healing energy that attracts others like this warm sunlight!

Lake

Next I saw this bright clear lake. It was bright blue and seen during the middle of the day. The sunlight sparkled off the water and it looked very inviting. Nature could be seen around it and the water was almost clear enough to see through. There were no rocks seen through the water. The water was more teal as opposed to dark like an ocean might be.

You may come across as refreshing! Your energy is cleansing and may be intriguing to some. You may give off an air of mystery at times to some, and like a breath of fresh air and adventure to others. Your energy is clear and thoughtful, but not without emotion.

Like your "how you love" reading (which also contained a lake), your energy may mirror others or be a cause for great transformation. This lake felt like a place one would go to if they wanted to make a change for the better. It was bright and happy and gave me a sense of peace and motivation. Some may even say your energy is magical!

You may also come across as being very transparent and honest, this isn't to say you are always an open book, but you are the type of person to be authentic and set clear intentions with those around you.

Wheat

Next I saw what appeared to be a wheat-like plant growing on a bright green grassy hill. The grass was tall and soft looking, like a field a child might love to run through.

Wheat is often seen as a symbol of fertility, bounty, and resurrection. Your energy really is transformative! You likely are also very giving to your friends and family and the community that is around you. I get the feeling once someone gains your trust you will be very loyal and care for them. Your energy creates growth and abundance for yourself and those around you.

Don't underestimate your ability to grow and heal either yourself or those around you! After all, people grew cities and towns due to grains they collected. Agriculture is what allowed us to progress, just like your energy. You are likely very productive and make great progress once you put your mind to something or have the intention of improving something. Your energy also can be a cause for creativity and inspiration. Much like the inventions people made to harvest grains easier, you inspire those around you to build and grow their life too.

Forest

Next I saw a forest that was lush and green. The trees were placed decently apart with strong medium-brown trunks. The forest was lush and green. It seemed like the perfect kind of forest to go for a nature walk in. Sunlight could be seen through the tree leaves. The forest floor was covered with soft dirt and pathways that seemed to run through the forest.

Your energy helps guide those to where they need to grow. You likely know your own energy well and have a connection to nature. Forests can also be a place of protection, and I feel you do protect your energy well, careful of who you let into your energy field or "forest". You make sure negative energy or people do not enter. You also have a great amount of endurance and are likely very nurturing to those around you, after all forests help provide to the entire ecosystem around them.

You may also come across as earthy and grounding. Your energy provides stability for yourself and others. The forest was not overgrown or dark which tells me that again, you create that positive balance for those who need it.

Rainbow Horizon

Your last symbol was a rainbow Horizon. This sight caught me off guard as the rainbow was not in the sky, but on the horizon, like one might see from a sunset. It was bright and beautiful and awe inspiring. The rainbow was not curved, but straight. Unfortunately I could not find a super close reference photo for this, as rainbows don't really act like this on Earth!

Your energy brings color to people's lives. You bring happy emotions to those around you and likely have an energy of luck! Even if you yourself don't feel lucky, your energy comes across that way (or simply is that way).

Rainbows have always been a personal message to me to keep going despite difficulties, or that there is an energy watching out for me akin to a guardian angel. Your energy inspires hope even when one feels out of options or in the dark. Your optimistic leadership creates new beginnings for those around you, something that is rare to find.

Cherish all your emotions, they teach you where to go and inspire others too. When you feel lost just look to the horizon and your own energy will guide the way.

Now because this reading was a bit late, I decided to pull some Fairy Oracle cards to accompany your fairy door reading. They are from my Oracle of the Fairies deck By Karen Kay (Artwork 🎨 By: Ginger Kelly) and my Wild Wisdoms of the Faery Oracle By: Lucy Cavendish (Artwork 🎨 By: Selina French).

Will you look at that! The cards definitely support the symbols seen in your fairy door. There's a lot of blue, green, purple, and a touch of pink.

Your energy is very healing and calming and you also likely inspire proper communication in others. In addition you have a strong intuition and have a strong spiritual sense to you. You also have a soft, loving nature to you.

I'm drawn to this white dress on the fairy of inspiration. You have a purity to you that is rare to find these days. Your fairy door is also white and gold which shows me you have a divine or innocent quality to you with good or pure intentions. There is a rarity to you, definitely don't doubt your uniqueness.

You help others find balance in their everyday lives and inspire those around you. You are loyal to your friends and family and are the type of person people can count to call on at any time. You bring energy, harmony, and productivity!

The Grail Faery shows me that your energy helps revive people and you help those around you get through life cycles. There's a sense of new beginnings that you bring to those around you that is rare to find. You help others transform and become something new or better than before. I'm drawn to the moon and water in this card. Don't doubt your intuition or the emotions you feel, they are your guides. The chalice here reminds me of the Ace of Cups in tarot. You certainly bring new beginnings and inspire those to follow their dreams.

Last but not least, I'd like to address the eagle seen on your fairy door. Eagles convey the powers and messages of the spirit; you are like a connection to the divine that gives words of wisdom to those around you. Eagles fly higher than any other bird, which tells me you likely intuitively see things others don't or have a inner knowing of the "bigger picture" to be able to help yourself and others. Your energy bestows freedom and courage to look ahead. The eagle also represents values of honesty and truth, something you also possess.

I hope this reading brought you some insight! Feel free to let me know what resonates. It was a pleasure to do this reading for you and I thank you for the kindness and inspiration you've already shown me in this short time of being mutuals.

Sending lots of love and light 🧚‍♀️💖

-Áine

𝓽𝓱𝓮-𝓯𝓪𝓮𝓻𝔂𝓺𝓾𝓮𝓮𝓷

#fairy #fae #faery #fairy door reading #fairy door #my readings #my reading #energy reading #intuitive reading #divination #divination reading #todayinmagicalgirlhistory #mutuals

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