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nicklloydnow · 6 months

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“The funeral of Winston Churchill in 1965 turned out to be the burial of the British Empire. The funeral of Queen Elizabeth next week will probably be the obsequies of the United Kingdom. On the freezing January day when Churchill was buried after a triumphant, ancient, and unrepeatable procession through London, the millions who had watched it on tiny black-and-white televisions understood that they had seen much more than the passing of a very great and very old man. With him gone, we were just a country, in which small men scurried about under tall arches and high vaults built by and for greater figures than they could hope to be, and for vaster purposes than they could hope to pursue. I often wonder how the British foreign secretary copes with the vastness of his actual physical office, in which you could hold a tennis match or a modest promenade concert. Yet navies don’t move at his command, and I suspect he struggles to get some of the larger powers in the world to take his telephone calls.

You can still watch this long, lush moment in which decline is wrapped in glory but remains evident. It takes some finding, but the misty, monochrome recording of the Churchill procession and the ceremony can still be located. Watching it many years later—I first saw it on a TV screen on a high shelf in my boarding-school dining hall—I was struck by how physically distant it seemed, though the cityscape of ceremonial, political, and official London hasn’t changed all that much. It is the spirit that has altered. The country in those days still had some scraps of its former grandeur and of the stoical austerity which had made the grandeur possible. The hollow, almost gaunt faces of the soldiers who carried the old warrior’s coffin up the steps of St. Paul’s Cathedral would be hard to find anywhere in Britain now. Life has changed too much. It is sweeter and softer and fatter than we could then have imagined. The dress and the slang and the carriage of the crowds on those chilly streets would have been more recognizable to a Londoner of the 1920s than to a Londoner of today. I suspect that the ceremony next Monday will have a similar power to jolt us out of ancient dreams. And that, as in 1965, we will not realize the depth, length, breadth, and height of our loss until the closing hymn dies away on the Westminster Abbey air, and the last trumpets blow.

Queen Elizabeth knew very well that the empire was done for. She didn’t inherit her father’s title of king-emperor, and she devoted a great deal of time to nurturing the empire’s unsatisfactory successor, the Commonwealth, in the hope that it might through gentle influence replace some of the armed might, majesty, dominion, and power that the British Empire had wielded. But it was a bit like Lewis Carroll’s Snark, a creature whose nature was impossible to establish and whose very existence is hard to prove. What unites it? What does it actually do? Do its members have a single important thing they all share in common? I was once told by a serving foreign secretary that its existence greatly aided the sales of familiar British-branded goods, such as disinfectants, but I am not even sure that we make such things anymore. Some of its member states are far from being exemplary law-governed polities. At least one member, Mozambique, was never part of the British Empire in the first place. Many are republics that don’t accept the British monarch as head of state. Several obviously yearn to be republics but have been prevented by good manners towards the late Queen from taking this step. If this now ends, a peculiar new danger threatens the former seat of empire.

(…)

Technically, the premier is chosen on the basis that he commands a majority in Parliament. But voters in parliamentary elections increasingly believe they are voting for the party leader, not for their own local member of Parliament. I can’t count the number of people who have told me they “voted for Thatcher” in 1979 or “voted for Blair” in 1997, when they couldn’t possibly have done so because they didn’t live in their constituencies. It sometimes feels as if a presidential system is gestating in our midst, so that by the time we acquire such a thing, it will seem normal.

Like much of our system, it is a mess that has been allowed to deepen and worsen, because our media and political classes are bored by sensible reform and, indeed, by politics itself (I worked for some years as a reporter in the British Parliament, and hardly ever heard any actual political issue discussed, just gossip, melodrama, and Machiavellian maneuvers). We carry on as if we were a rich and productive great power, building and renewing a superpower nuclear deterrent, embarking on mad grand projects for high-speed railways which nobody wants, and making gruff-voiced promises to send guns and money into almost any war that comes along, while our actual army is smaller than it has been since Waterloo and the Royal Navy’s ships have a discouraging habit of conking out and being towed back to port.

(…)

As of last week, this idea had little hope of success. Grief at the Queen’s death, sympathy for the new King, and a general funeral decorum left republicans in a small minority. When on Sunday I attended the proclamation of the new King in Oxford, a single anti-monarchist called out in protest and was met with rude ripostes and a thunderous chorus of “God Save the King” from the crowd. But, of course, those who had turned up were a self-selecting group of monarchists. Nobody really knows how much the great mass of the British people think about the throne, or whether they much care. During the days after the death of Princess Diana, there was a disturbing sense that the Queen was on probation, underlined by the crowd’s applause for Earl Spencer’s furious funeral oration, taken by many as a direct attack on the House of Windsor. Crucially, the congregation inside Westminster Abbey joined in the applause as they heard it spread through the streets outside, a beautiful metaphor for the modern British ruling class’s general weakness.

(…)

Is actual economic privation possible in our affluent country? It suddenly seems thinkable as the autumn grows chillier, and we all stare in amazement at our gas and electricity charges. Out of such things, constitutional crises are all too often born. In the past few days, I have had a strange struggle over using the word “King,” singing “God save our gracious King,” or praying for the King’s Majesty. It has a harder, deeper tone to it than the word “Queen.” Somehow, Elizabeth II made monarchy easier for its opponents to live with. Charles III, simply by being King, offers them more of a challenge.

The deepest music of England is in its church bells, whose joyous complex change ringing is unique, I think, to these islands. When the sovereign dies, the bell-clappers are gloved in leather to soften the sound into a plangent, somber thing called a muffled peal. When you hear it, as I heard it for the first time last week, it puzzles your heart. What does it herald?”

“The coronation of King Charles III on Saturday will look all right to most people. But it won’t be all right. I wish it were otherwise, but I have long feared that my country no longer has the confidence to acclaim a king, and I think it will not quite come off this time. There are too few serious monarchists left at all, and far too few under the age of 60. Like it or not, approve or not, regard it as sexist if you wish, but pronouncing the words “God Save the King!” is somehow more definite and challenging than it has been to say—as we have done for 70 years—“God Save the Queen!” The very sound of the word “king” contains a challenge and an assertion to those who don’t like such things, stronger than the sound of the word “queen.”

Each week in church, I am startled when the rector, who follows the proper Prayer Book largely dating from the age of Elizabeth I, beseeches the Almighty to “behold our most sovereign Lord, King Charles; and so replenish him with the grace of thy Holy Spirit, that he may always incline to thy will, and walk in thy way.” This is part of the stately and moving “Prayer for the King’s Majesty,” which (I am sorry to say) most Church of England clergy long ago ceased to use—and in some cases may not even be aware of. For all but the first 15 months of my life, this has been the “Prayer for the Queen’s Majesty,” and I can’t get used to its change of sex, despite many months of hearing it. More importantly I wonder if the whole thing is now in danger. You can maintain all kinds of institutions on the basis of habit and custom. But when the time comes round for renewal, things can get awkward.

Why should you care? I will explain that shortly. But in modern Britain, and in the United States, huge numbers of otherwise thoughtful people dismiss monarchy as a faintly embarrassing tourist show, a bejeweled soap opera, a childish dressing-up game, a survivor of the childhood of humanity that ought decently to be laid to rest. They think that its end is inevitable (after all, hasn’t everyone else got rid of it, always a powerful argument when dealing with the brisk and efficient?). And they point out that it has been sustained these many years by the late Queen’s personal popularity, which departed with her and which poor Charles hasn’t inherited. Its standard-issue defenders respond by trundling out the dust-shrouded works of the unpronounceable Walter Bagehot, with his dull thoughts about the “dignified” and “efficient” bits of our constitution, and his not-very-original warning that we shouldn’t let daylight in upon magic.

Well, and so what? The behavior of so many members of the royal family has been so embarrassing in recent decades that there is precious little dignity left to go round. The new king, who likes to think of himself as a religious traditionalist, has even so somehow found himself married to a woman with a living husband, which (whatever you may have heard to the contrary) is still not allowed by the Church of England, whose supreme governor he is. This fact is so dismaying that it is thought impolite to mention it, but there it is. As for daylight, the British monarchy nowadays submits itself to spotlights, TV studio lights, flash photography, you name it, as bright as they can get.

(…)

There are many questions, seemingly trivial, where conservatives must care precisely because the left does. If leftists hate something as much as they hate the monarchy, then one must wonder why. Perhaps they have spotted something. After all, the arguments against a king are pitiful and outdated. Britain’s kings don’t have the powers of George III. On the contrary, they have no actual power at all. The president of the United States is the closest thing in the modern world to King George, in terms of sheer constitutional force. Monarchy is not especially expensive, and Air Force One must by itself cost far more than most of the flummery, footmen, and gold coaches in the royal stables in London.

No, the king is a restraint upon demagogues, on political figures who wish to ride in gold coaches and command troops and wear uniforms. The constitutional monarch is like the king on a chessboard, almost powerless himself but preventing anyone else from occupying the vital square where he stands. He has one other great virtue. He has given his life to the Almighty in a great binding oath before the whole world, a coronation ceremony that declares, in a world of bought office and oily spin, that all power comes from God and that such power is subject to laws we cannot change. No wonder pestilential innovators do not like this.

So on Saturday, I shall still hope, against all experience, that a man who is enthroned with the words “May that same God, whose throne endures for ever, establish your throne in righteousness, that it may stand fast for evermore,” might possibly himself stand fast against evil when nobody else is even interested in doing so.”

“Was this Coronation a beginning or an end? As I watched its mostly ancient ceremonies, a briefly-opened door into the astonishing past, I was often moved. It was full of glory, though rather melancholy glory. The settings by William Byrd of the prayer ‘Prevent us, O Lord’ and of the Gloria are among the greatest music ever written. Likewise, Handel’s ‘Zadok the Priest’ seems for a few moments to have discovered the actual heartbeat of the universe. But I was repeatedly reminded of something rather disturbing. It was T.S. Eliot’s line from his poem ‘The Journey of the Magi’: ‘I had seen birth and death but had thought they were different’.

(…)

I am an annoying purist, and my view has long been ‘if it is not necessary to change, it is necessary not to change’. I had watched and studied the 1953 service, and knew that this event could not equal it. On that occasion, the aged, ancient, stooped and wrinkled old establishment, white-haired Bishops from the Victorian age, nobles in moth-eaten robes and dented coronets, had acclaimed a beautiful young Queen and imagined that just possibly she could revive a war-damaged and impoverished nation and, as the service itself says, the monarch would ‘restore the things that are gone to decay, [and] maintain the things that are restored’.

(…)

We also saw the new King being only slightly indulged by a Church which is generally pretty dismissive of the traditions and practices which Charles loves. I noticed (because I share his view on this) that the new King did not even manage to get the Archbishop to use his beloved 1662 Book of Common Prayer for the Communion Service. The King actually belongs to a society dedicated to the continuing use of the 1662 book, but even as King he can’t preserve it in his own Coronation. Instead he was forced to endure the sapless, diminished pastiche adopted by the Church of England in 2000. This is part of a long process by which the once-national Church has trashed its most precious possession, the most moving and poetic prayers ever written in English, and the most magnificent and memorable version of the Bible ever translated. Given full freedom - and soon it may be - the Church would probably give us a Coronation featuring drums, electric guitar and perhaps ending with a recording of John Lennon singing ‘Imagine’. I was slightly surprised (though not distressed) to see that there were no members of the Beatles or the Rolling Stones invited to the Abbey. They are the nobility of the modern world. It would make a sort of sense, if modernisation is what you want (it isn’t what I want).

(…)

I am sorry about all this. I think constitutional monarchy is the best form of government ever devised. I think that, if republicans get their way, we will be a poorer, sadder, drearier and less free society, many of us yearning (as do the French) to restore what they so foolishly got rid of. But I just do not think, as a people, that we still have the spirit or the understanding or the religious belief necessary for us to be a kingdom. The first Queen Elizabeth was by far our greatest monarch, and knew this above all things, saying soon before she died that’ 'And, though God hath raised me high; yet this I count the Glory of my Crown, That I have Reigned with your Loves. …I do not so much rejoice, That God hath made Me to be a Queen, as, To be a Queen over so Thankful a People’. Oh, if only we could recover that, then we might be a proper nation again.”

#hitchens #peter hitchens #monarchy #king charles #queen elizabeth #monarchism

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childofchrist1983 · 1 year

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Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. - 2 Timothy 1:8-11 KJV

I find it both wonderful and interesting that sports players after an especially important game, thank God. I have heard those who have won other contests also give thanks to God. Why is it that we are sometimes embarrassed or ashamed to admit that we are people of Christian faith?

In Paul's time, to admit to being a Christian could be dangerous. And in some parts of the world, it still is. We are not talking about being put in danger; however, we are talking about with friends or even relatives. I don't know about you, but I have relatives who claim not to believe in God and friends whose relatives get upset when God is mentioned. Even prayer is frowned upon! I can understand teenagers who are afraid that their friends will make fun of them, and it can take courage to admit to a belief. Adults also need to have courage at times. We are to proclaim our faith and God's Truth with boldness! How are others to know who God is, to know the gift that Jesus Christ's sacrifice has given us, if no one tells them?

It rests on us to be the messengers, the disciples of today. We are the witnesses! During this season of Lent, let us take advantage of the opportunities presented to us to share the joy of our faith; to prepare to celebrate the great mystery of our eternal salvation in just a few weeks; to let others know that our celebration of the Lord's Resurrection is more than just a chance to get new clothes and candy. Jesus Christ, our LORD and Savior and King, He selflessly suffered and died for us. He came to save us from our sins and the eternal damnation in Hell it brings and give us a chance at spiritual rebirth and an eternity in His Kingdom of Heaven. May He give us the grace to always rejoice in His great gift and never be ashamed of His Gospel Truth or in our praise and love for Him.

May we make sure that we give our hearts and lives to God and take time daily to seek and praise Him and share His Truth with the world. May the LORD our God and Father in Heaven help us to stay diligent and obedient and help us to guard our hearts in Him and His Word daily. May He help us to remain faithful and full of excitement to do our duty to Him and for His glorious return and our reunion in Heaven as well as all that awaits us there. May we never forget to thank the LORD our God and our Creator and Father in Heaven for all this and everything He does and has done for us! May we never forget who He is, nor forget who we are in Christ and that God is always with us! What a mighty God we serve! What a Savior this is! What a wonderful Lord, God, Savior and King we have in Jesus Christ! What a loving Father we have found in the Almighty God! What a wonderful God we serve! His will be done!

Thanks and glory be to God! Blessed be the name of the LORD! Hallelujah and Amen!

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theprayerfulword · 6 months

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November 15

Psalm 120:1 The psalmist wrote, “I call on the Lord in my distress, and He answers me.”

Philippians 4:4 Paul wrote, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”

Psalm 5:3 The psalmist wrote, “In the morning, LORD, You hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before You and wait expectantly.”

Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Ephesians 4:15 …we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ…

John 13:35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are My disciples.

May you be content in the blessings of God, accepting what He gives you, always remaining thankful to Him, and giving all glory to Him, acknowledging what He has done, recognizing what you would have without Him, and confessing your need for Him. Ezekiel 31

May you confess that the Lord, He is God, and that He has made you, giving you all good and perfect gifts, supplying every need, and upholding you by the power of His hand, realizing and testifying that without Him you would have, and be, nothing worthwhile. Ezekiel 32

May you make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy, for without holiness no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12

May you be careful to share the grace of God with all you know so that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. Hebrews 12

May you live a life of purity, valuing the things of God, demonstrating to others the goodness that God fills those with who hunger for and seek after the Lord, that they may live without regrets. Hebrews 12

May you be grateful that you have not come to Mount Sinai, but to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God, with multitudes of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven, and to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. Hebrews 12

May you not refuse Him Who speaks, for if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from Him Who warns us from heaven? Hebrews 12

May you be thankful to God, Who is a consuming fire, worshiping Him acceptably with reverence and awe since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Hebrews 12

I have not called you to walk alone, My child, but in unity. My Spirit is drawing you, calling you, wooing you to come together and function with a singleness of vision and purpose. Each one has their own assignment, each one walks out their own salvation, each one develops their own intimate relationship with Me, but each one returns from time spent alone in My presence with a piece of the picture that all need in order to walk in agreement. Just as Abraham would not allow Isaac to return to find a bride, but sent Eliezer to make much of Isaac, telling of his worth, and to find one who would be drawn to him, so the Holy Spirit speaks to each heart of the worth and the love of Jesus, to find and ready a Bride, worthy of God's Son, willing to leave all and prepare herself for Him. I have called you to work which is yours alone, but it is to be done from the unity of fellowship, that the diversity of experience, wisdom, understanding, encouragement and empowering gifts, all from Me, may strengthen you and make you stable in the storms to come, just as many stones, fitly joined together, make a shelter for many. Let your heart open, in vulnerability, to My Spirit in others and allow the bonds of love to grow, strengthening the connections, receiving that which each part supplies that you may know His joy of anticipation and draw many to Him, that your joy may be complete.

May you praise the Lord, as you serve Him, both now and evermore, that His name shall be praised from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, for He is exalted over all the nations, His glory above the heavens, since there is no one like the Lord our God, the One Who sits enthroned on high and stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth. Psalm 113

May you honor the Lord Who raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, seating them with princes of the people, and settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Psalm 113

May you tremble with the earth at the presence of the Lord, Who turned the rock into a pool and brought springs of water out of the hard rock when He brought His people out of captivity, for the sea looked on His glory and fled, the river saw His majesty and turned back, the mountains skipped and the hills shook when the Lord your God took action on your behalf. Psalm 114

May you be diligent and faithful in your duties and assignments to the end, for the Lord will reward and honor you as an overcomer. Proverbs 27:18

May you remember that a man's heart reflects the man as water reflects a face, and guard the gates of your mind against impurity coming in. Proverbs 27:19

May you be satisfied with what the Lord your God gives you, trusting Him to know what you need, and not follow the desires of your eyes, which never know satisfaction. Proverbs 27:20

#blessings #daily #prayers #scripture

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wolint · 6 months

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FRESH MANNA

TIME TO REPENT

Matthew 3:1-3

To repent is to have regrets or remorse over sin or change one’s mind and purpose resulting from the knowledge of wrong.

Repentance is reviewing one's actions and feeling contrition or regret for past wrongs, which is accompanied by a commitment to actual actions that show and prove a change for the better.

Repentance is recognizing one’s guilt and sinfulness that calls for a change in a person’s attitude toward God that affects one’s actions and life choices, aspiring to walk with a holy God.

Repentance is essentially turning away from the wrong path. Repentance precedes forgiveness! Our good works cannot save us. God says in 1 John 1:9 that we must first acknowledge our sins by confession and then receive forgiveness.

The Lord is righteous and just and would not want to condemn anybody, which is why He appeals to us to turn from wickedness and return to Him according to Ezekiel 33:10-16.

“If we say we have no sin” we lie, declares 1 John 1:8, if you don’t see a need to repent, you will not repent and according to Luke 13:1-8, from Jesus’ teaching, we face judgment if we don’t repent.

Everyone has something to confess and repent of as Romans 3:23 puts it, we’ve all sinned and fallen short of God’s standard; this alone calls for repentance, for the Lord is holy and requires us to be holy according to Leviticus 20:26.

When you take the wrong path, you may decide to turn back onto the right path, keep going until you find your way out or you may choose to remain static and enjoy whatever catches your attention where you are.

To repent means to turn from sin, from whatever is unrighteous, unholy and impure to a new way, to serve the Lord earnestly and righteously because we are sorry for the wrongs we’ve done and to seek to change our behaviours and attitudes.

Zacchaeus in Luke 19:8 repented and was willing to change the way He did things to the way approved by the Master.

Repent! It’s time to repent because the kingdom of God is at hand.

The present generation is determined not to acknowledge the existence of God as stated in Psalm 14:1, there has steadily been a moral decline in the last decade that has brought people to the point where there is little or no call for repentance, change of ways, and heart or the confession of sin because most people do not see sin as sin anymore but Paul says in Acts 17:30 that God overlooked the times of ignorance (times when people didn’t know or hear the gospel), even so, God is calling people everywhere now to come to repentance. Repent!

Time to repent!

To turn from the wicked ways!

To turn from the wrong path!

To turn from unrighteousness!

To turn to God!

Insincere repentance does not bring lasting change. Repentance must be genuine and sincere for a change of heart.

Pharaoh, again and again, changed his heart about releasing the Israelites in Exodus 9, he changed his mind several times, stubbornly refusing to do as he had promised until he perished.

When we repent, the way we do things changes, and we begin to express the characteristics of a repentant heart, as Matthew 3:8 put it, we begin to bear fruits in keeping with repentance.

When we repent and turn to God, we receive the Holy Ghost as seen in Acts 2:38 to stay on track. God is always calling us back to Him in Jeremiah 3:22. Repent!

PRAYER: Father, I know that you love sinners but you hate their sins, I am determined to forsake my sins and come to you. I am sorry for all my past mistakes, and I repent of them in Jesus’ name. Amen

Shalom

WOMEN OF LIGHT INT PRAYER MIN.

#spotify #devotional #christianpost #women's ministry #biblestudy #biblestudy christianpost women's ministry #biblestudy christianpost 'women's ministry #conference #family #prayer meeting

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itsyourchoicedevotionals · 1 year

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Rest

“There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from His.” Hebrews 4:9-10NIV

What exactly is “a Sabbath-rest?” How do we find “Sabbath-rest?” Is “Sabbath-rest” something for after Jesus has established His millennial reign? Are we supposed to live within the “Sabbath-rest” in the here and now? If so, how do we enter this so-called “Sabbath-rest,” which we don’t even understand exactly what it is?

Look at God’s rest, Genesis 2:2-3NIV “ By the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on the seventh day He rested from all His work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He rested from all the work of creating that He had done.” Read through Genesis 1-3. You’ll see, God set up a kingdom of His own here on earth and gave man rulership of the kingdom, see Genesis 1:26.

Man, being the ultra-genius, gave rulership of this kingdom to satan, see Genesis 3:1-6. Ultimately God found His two ‘rulers’ serving satan; cursed them to work for their livelihood, see Genesis 3:17-19; put them out of the garden of Eden to sustain life for themselves in work, poverty, and fear. Thus we find ourselves in this same state of affairs how many thousands of years later? We get to live in the most corrupted of generations, or do we have an alternative?

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” Matthew 5:17NIV. Jesus arrived to establish a new kingdom on earth. Every single law broken by Adam and all mankind, Jesus came to fulfill with love. He opened the door to a different government of supernatural proportions. Never allowing demons to call Him “Son of God,” see Mark 3:11-12, Jesus lived in a human body, filled by the power of God, naming Himself, “Son of Man” instead, see Matthew 8:20. Each miracle Jesus performed occurred by reaching into the supernatural by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. We have access to the same indwelling Holy Spirit for the same purpose today.

When Jesus reached into the supernatural with five loaves of bread and two fish, see Mark 6:30-44, what occurred? Undeniably, the supernatural kingdom multiplied the food enough to feed approximately 20,000 people— plus leftovers for later. Could this be one of our greatest examples of the “Sabbath-rest?” If it is, we are missing something as believers in Jesus Christ, especially Spirit-filled Believers. Shouldn’t we be able to take from the supernatural for our needs and provisions for the here and now?

Sporadically we see evangelists and pastors, occasionally everyday people reach into the supernatural receiving healings, miracle provisions. Making withdrawals like George Muller, Smith Wigglesworth, Lester Sumrall, A A Allen, Maria Woodworth-Etter.

Personally, I’ve experienced both healing and miraculous provisions. Twice God provided for Lou and I, when we were ready to lose everything we had. Healings more than once with cancer. Crazy part— I had no clue I’d entered the “Sabbath-rest.” Instead, I thought I HAD fasted, prayed, received enough faith to obtain God’s help. Quickly making a withdrawal, I withdrew from the supernatural until the next ‘need.’ What if I had continued on making withdrawals from the supernatural as Jesus did? Withdrawals like Kathryn Kuhlman and John G Lake made on a daily basis?

Are you wanting to go into the “Sabbath-rest?” Give up churchy religion accepted by man and pursue Holy Spirit with your life. It’s your choice. You choose.

LET’S PRAY: Holy God we choose to pursue You in every aspect of Your Lordship. We DESPERATELY NEED You. Father teach us how to enter and live from Your “Sabbath-rest,” in the name of Jesus Christ I pray.

#Jesus Christ #lord of lords #Word of God #Holy Spirit #God #it's your choice #devotional #rest #sabbath #supernatural #holy #kingdom #examples #human #rulers #love #hope #faith

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cvreflections · 1 year

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We are going to be alright

Another mammoth day yesterday. 9th of Jan, 2023 was the first day back to work and day that we needed to sign our contract. A day full of phone calls to clients, to solicitors, to agents, to brokers, to each other, to family. It was wild. A few major things from it:

Our borrowing capacity is less than what I had hoped since we did not get our pre-approval earlier and thus were pushed for time to get a loan from the bank. This means that we are borrowing less money and have to use more from our savings. This directly impacts our ability to travel, furnish and wedding and frankly this terrifies me.

Our contract is signed. Another step closer to securing our home

We have now entered the cooling off period and just waiting to see if there is anything that stops us from actually getting it. Let's see what's in the strata report and from when our parents inspect it.

I thank God for putting such good people in our lives. From such professional brokers, solicitors and agents. Our wonderful families who guided us through it and gave us reassurance when we needed it. God is so good. He is so so so good. There is no way we could have done this without all these wonderful people working together for us. We can only thank God for the way he orchestrates the people in our lives.

So much is out of our control. Now just waiting from our broker/solicitor to get back to us with the valuation and strata report. We need to book an inspection with our families. All so so much. Just trusting in God's goodness and provision. Even if things are not okay, that is okay. We hold onto God's promises of provision and protection even if it is in a new place.

We then need to get our finances in check. Actually budget things out, putting limits on when we can go out, eat out. Really prioritise our spending. Now I can see why so many people struggle with tithing, with generosity with their finances.

Lord hear my prayer: Oh Lord you are the provider of all things in life. The good and the bad and the wonderful. We acknowledge that all things are from you. This property, all our finances, our jobs. We thank you for the provision of money and finances these last 26 years and thank you for the very comfortable life that we have lived so far. Lord you have been so good and so faithful to us these years. As we enter a new season, I pray that you help us to be obedient to your calling and tithe when we find the right church. Lord may we give back to you and your kingdom and sow back what is rightfully yours. We ask for your support as we navigate our finances more and we thank you for your constant provision in your lives. Lord we pray for your continual hand over the property situation and support in this next season of our lives. Lord we pray over the verses below. May we dwell and reflect on Your word and it's teachings towards finance. May we be reminded of Your provision and our ultimate goal which is to honour God with our everything. We give you all the glory and honour, in Jesus name, Amen.

1. Whoever loves money never has enough (Ecclesiastes 5:10)

“Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.”

2. It is God who gives you the ability to produce wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18)

“But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.”

3. You cannot serve God and money (Matthew 6:24)

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

4. God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:6-8)

“Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;”

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yhwhrulz · 1 year

Text

Today's Daily Encounter Thursday, January 5, 2023

Using Your Gifts in the New Year

"For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?"1

Yesterday we talked about the importance of seeing ourselves how God sees us, rather than being influenced by the world's expectations. In addition to being chosen by God and dearly loved, he also equipped us with special gifts to use in our ministry for Him. Whether we realize it or not, all of our life experiences, skills acquired, our culture, and our natural talents have all been given by God. He has given us opportunities to strengthen our different skills to prepare us to fulfill his purpose for our lives.

Esther was a Jewish woman who loved God. She was going about life, never thinking of all that would take place in her near future. She didn't see herself as special or more important than anyone else in God's plan, yet she was given the unique opportunity to save her people from destruction. Being the wife and queen of the Persian king gave her access and influence that others didn't have. The fact that she was greatly loved by her husband also allowed her to find favor with him. God gave her the courage and wisdom needed to act on behalf of her people and save them from death.

God doesn't make mistakes. All that has happened in your life and where you are right now is for a reason. The question is, how will we choose to use our gifts? A year from now, as you look back on the next several months, what do you want to see? Do you want to be exactly where you are now, simply doing things that you have always done? Or do you want to see how you have made a difference in this world and furthered God's Kingdom? The choice is ours.

Suggested prayer: Dear God, thank you for the gifts that you have given me and for making me unique. Please show me how to use these gifts to impact others and bring them to a personal relationship with you. Help me live according to your calling for my life and serve others in love. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. In Jesus' name, amen.

Esther 4:14.

Today's Encounter was written by: Crystal B.

NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon Click on: http://www.actsweb.org/invitation.php. Or if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ, please click on http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php to note this.

Daily Encounter is published at no charge by ACTS International, a non-profit organization, and made possible through the donations of interested friends. Donations can be sent at: http://www.actscom.com

ACTS International P.O. Box 73545 San Clemente, California 92673-0119 U.S.A.

Phone: 949-940-9050 http://www.actsweb.org

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sunrisedriven · 2 years

Text

5/9

I know that my world had stopped on the 16th of February in 2018. Each and every memory that followed continues to haunt me.

Some of them, I've forgotten. Some, I hold onto for no good reason. It's like I miss her, and I don't at the same time.

I want to erase her. I want to be her again. I want to wipe it all out of my memory. I want all the good things about her to be remembered.

Romans 8:28 is the verse that stands out whenever I find myself up all night thinking about my mistakes. I am literally held back by my lack of work experience. Why I'm afraid of paid work is beyond me, like actual paid work outside what I have right now. Don't get me wrong, I am on payroll. I am "working," but it's the kind I can't use. It is only useful as a backstory. It's used me up in so many ways, though. It's unfair. Uncompromising. It sucks out the life out of my mother. Maybe this is why I'm afraid of it. How could work somewhere else be any different? I am scared of the consequences, too. The work I have now assumes that my time belongs to them. Saying "no" is too dangerous. Saying "I can't" has far too many consequences.

It doesn't sit right with me, how they get to sit and eat cake they never made, and hand it out in slices as they choose. A few months ago, I realized that the baker can burn everything down. They know how the oven works, afterall. Who am I to burn it all down, when it's feeding everyone. Then, I realized. Everyone will get fed, no matter what, but the bakers, especially the good ones, are hard to come by. It takes one bad baker to burn it all down. Then, I look at it from their "holier than thou" perspective and realized, God can't let it burn down. Why would He, if it is feeding His children? If it's the source of all blessings? They sing praises of His name. They go to church. They are in need. They provide. The baker must bake, even if they break. This is now a question I bring forth at the feet of God, isn't the baker His child, too? Am I the weed? Am I the spawn of the devil himself, for wanting to save the baker?

Anyways, I know that once I get my foot through the door, I will be haunted by those mistakes. I will be haunted by a new regret. It's like taking the driver's test all over again or buying the car or passing the skills test for CNA. I should've done it sooner. It always ends up like that. What I seem to forget is that what soon followed is newfound freedom. Driving brought in all sorts of wonderful experiences. Buying the car was worth it. What about CNA? It has to be worth something. I have yet to see it through. It scares me, though, where those experiences will take me. The kind of shift it brings. The things it'll do for me, and what it means to them.

Moving forward is the antidote to all this personal conundrum. The gears are jammed, but the clock keeps on ticking. I am running out of time. Right now, I don't know how to move. I only know how to break. I am jamming the gears myself. I have to break.

All things work together for good, for those who love God, for those called according to His purpose.

Am I doing the right thing? I don't know anymore. Maybe this is why I shouldn't move, but I can't help but feel like this is exactly what God wants me to do. Stop moving and bake the cake. It's feeding everyone anyway. If you change the status quo, they will suffer. It puts the diamonds on their fingers. God’s favorite children, serving their purpose, mobilizing the kingdom of God through gifts and money.

The thing is, I also can't help but feel like this is the enemy speaking. You don't matter.

God doesn't sound like that.

But what is it supposed to look like, then? Because I can’t envision it any other way. The bakery will suffer and the owner doesn’t want to work the oven at all. I will be blamed and they will pray for my downfall.

That’s not the outcome I want, either.

#blog

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mymoodwriting · 2 years

Photo

Request for Anon (Emperor Wooyoung x m!reader) 2.6k, yandere, manipulation, lingerie, handjobs, masturbation, humiliation, groping

“Welcome to my kingdom.”

You were nervous to say the least. You grew up in one of the lower classes, and were grateful for the opportunity to serve your king. You never thought you’d set foot in the palace, let alone another one. When you were told to pack some belongings, that you would be traveling with the king, you couldn’t believe it. A part of you didn’t want to go, didn’t want to leave home, but there wasn’t a choice in the matter. You should see it as a great opportunity to see the world, but you never could have imagined what would happen.

“San! It’s so good to see you!”

If the king was traveling, it made sense it would be for diplomatic purposes. You just never expected your king to be so friendly with another. It turned out that the two were actually long time friends, and besides the issues relating to their kingdoms, this was also just a visit to catch up.

“Same here, Wooyoung. I love what you’ve done with the place. And of course, I come bearing gifts.”

San gestured over to you, who was holding some of the finest silk from your kingdom. It was honestly just an honor for you to be holding them, and more of an honor to present them to a king. Wooyoung approached you with a smile, his hand reaching out to caress your face, catching you by surprise.

“What a lovely gift indeed.”

“I meant the silks, Wooyoung.”

“Of course you did.” Wooyoung’s eyes lingered on your before taking the silks. “I was just curious, this face is unfamiliar to me.”

“A new servant of mine.”

“And what purpose does he serve you?”

“He’s young and agile, a good messenger boy, and very obedient.”

“So much potential then.”

“A fast learner too.”

“Perhaps I will have to test that. Now, shall we dine? I’ve had the best prepared for you.”

“I’m quite famished. I would love to see what your kingdom has to offer.”

The first day was obviously nothing but catching up, the two kings having fun and enjoying everything their titles had to offer them. Both were good kings, so no one had to fear some political mess happening over drinks. They eventually had to retire, and required help getting to their chambers. You helped your king of course, being one of the few allowed in his chamber, and able to touch him. Once he was in bed you quietly made your way out, only to run into the other king.

“Hello there…”

You were suddenly pinned against the wall, the smell of alcohol in your face, as well as royalty. You quickly shut your eyes, turning away.

“Your majesty… do you require assistance?”

“I might be… a little lost…”

“Where are your quarters, your majesty?”

“Where’s yours?”

“I… I’m not entirely sure… near here, so I can be close-”

“To me. Come on.”

“Your-”

“Sh… just follow me.”

Wooyoung took your hand and led you elsewhere. It was pretty late, so no one was around. Besides, you couldn’t do anything to upset the king, you were a guest here, and could not cause problems for your kingdom. You had no idea where you were, but entering the room you did, seeing what was there, you knew you had no business being in there, but you could help.

“Your majesty, please lay down.”

“Of course…”

You helped Wooyoung sit, carefully undressing him to make sure he would be comfortable. Although Wooyoung kept reaching over, caressing your arms, taking in your scent, a hand eventually grabbed your crotch.

“Your majesty.”

“Sh, it’s just us.”

“You should rest.”

You were pretty sure Wooyoung was drunk to the point he wouldn’t remember any of this, so you ignored his advances. He probably thought you were a woman too. In the end you did manage to get him in bed to sleep, and he passed out. Now you had to deal with the next problem, the fact you had no idea where you were. It was late and you were tired from traveling, but you’d have to find your room first before getting any sleep.

♦♦♦♦♦

As a servant you had to be up early, barely running on four hours of sleep after last night’s events, but you had to be focused. Neither king would be in their right mind in the morning, so you had to deal with their hangover. San still acted composed, as if he hadn��t had too much, but the shake in his steps said otherwise. The two met for breakfast, discussing more proper things. San was allowed to roam the palace, to be inspired for his own, and travel outside the palace walls to take in what this place had to offer.

“Y/n.”

You were startled to hear your name, especially from an unfamiliar voice. You turned around to see Wooyoung, quickly bowing as he approached.

“Your majesty.”

“I’m glad I ran into you. I wish to apologize for last night’s events.”

“There is no need for that. I’m glad I could be of service.”

“Not that.” Wooyoung leaned in close. “I’m sorry I got you all excited and didn’t do anything about it. Perhaps tonight.”

“Ah… your majesty I am at your service but my priorities are to my king. I must return to him immediately.”

“Of course. Do enjoy your stay.”

“Thank you, your majesty.”

You rushed off to return to your king, apologizing for the delay. He wanted to head out into the town, which required a change of clothes, for both of you. It was kinda nice to be in garments you grew up in, at least closer to them. The people wouldn’t recognize him, but he didn’t want to stand out. This was one of San’s favorite things to do, to walk among the people, it’s how he had found you. Although you couldn’t just enjoy the sites as he did, having to keep an eye out for any sort of danger. You honestly didn’t think there would be any problem, but that was too much to ask for.

“Your majesty, I don’t mean to cause any alarm, but we are being followed.”

“Ah yes, Wooyoung mentioned some secret security service would be provided, for my safety of course. Don’t mind them, but when did you notice them?”

“I was suspicious for a while, thought I was wrong, but they’ve been persistent.”

“Good eye. It’s why I keep you around.”

You enjoyed some local cuisine and stayed out for a while longer before returning to the palace. Wooyoung wanted to hear about all the adventures of the day. It was common for you to sit around in waiting, helping San however he required, although you couldn’t shake off Wooyoung’s gaze. Your eyes met his on occasion, and you quickly felt shy. There shouldn’t be attention on you, let alone from the king. Still you ignored it, as you had your duty. If anything you were just looking forward to actually getting some sleep.

Once making sure San was in bed you made your way to your room, temporarily of course, only to find the room where you had left your belongings was empty. Your first thought was that you were robbed, but this was the palace, it made no sense for anyone to do that. As you stepped out you saw two guards in the halls. You were startled but they apologized, informing you that your room had been moved. It didn’t make much sense, you needed to be close to San, but there wasn’t much choice either way, you wanted to sleep.

You followed them to another part of the palace, quickly recognizing it as the kings area. This wasn’t your home, you had no business there. You asked why your room had been moved, only for you to be told it was the kings orders. There was no arguing there, besides you had to remind yourself this stay was temporary. You’d go home eventually. So you let it go and entered your room, ready to sleep, that’s when you found a ring on the bed. Your eyes went wide as you examined it, you had seen royal treasures enough to know this was gold, real gold.

Now you were freaked out, worried you’d appear as a thief, until you noticed the note. A gift from the king, a gift you did not deserve at all. You wished you could keep it, but it wasn’t right. If anything you could just leave it behind when the time came. It wasn’t easy to sleep that night, but you managed, ignoring how this bed was way more comfortable than the one from before. When morning came you got up, getting dressed, and stepping out to come face to face with the guards from last night.

“His majesty requests your presence.”

“Ah… of course…”

You couldn’t deny the king, but you just hoped this would be quick. Although it was a bit concerning how early in the morning it was. You were taken to the king in his throne room, properly bowing in his presence.

“You wished to see me, your majesty.”

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yes.”

“Good. I want you well rested for today.”

“Pardon, but what do you mean, your majesty?”

“I spoke with San the other day and he agreed to lend you to me for today.”

“I-”

“You see I don’t have someone like you, so I’m curious what you’re like.”

“I see… I shall do my best to serve you, your majesty.”

“Lovely. Bring me my brushes please.”

You served a king, that was your job, today you were just servicing someone different. It was strange though, Wooyoung was different from San. He was a bit more quiet and reserved, but when it came to showing his power he could be pretty harsh. You had seen his kingdom, it seemed to do well, and yet he ruled with such manners. This was just a small incident too, you couldn’t imagine what would happen with a real disagreement. Still you kept your composure and followed along.

“Do you often walk with your king?”

“No, your majesty.”

“So he doesn’t give you much attention.”

“I am a servant, your majesty. I am to serve my king with questions.”

“You’re a very good boy indeed. Did you like my gift?”

“I cannot accept such a gift, your majesty.”

“I insist, a token of my appreciation.”

“A servant needs no such gifts for doing their job.”

“Take it anyway.”

There was no point to argue since you planned to leave it anyway. You didn’t need the problems a golden ring would bring. Although that night you were met with another gift on your bed, a jade necklace. You didn’t bother reading the note, simply putting the necklace with the ring, another thing to leave behind. The next day you returned to San, but Wooyoung kept calling for you, over and over again for different things. Sometimes he didn’t even make you do anything, just be around. The presents didn’t stop either.

You thought San would have said something about you constantly going back and forth between them, but he never did so. You thought to speak up too, but you were in no position to question the king that was hosting you. Besides, you didn’t need to cause some issue between the two kingdoms. You’d look pathetic if you complained, so it was best to keep your mouth shut. It wasn’t until the last day that you felt some relief. The next morning you’d be leaving, so you just had to make it through this. In theory it was easy, but you should have known better.

“Hello.”

You jumped and crashed to the ground when you entered your room, finding Wooyoung in your bed. He was amused by your actions, getting up and towering over you.

“Are you that startled to see me?”

“I wasn’t expecting you, your majesty.”

“Of course not. This is our little secret.”

“I-”

“Up. I have a gift for you.”

You quickly scrambled to your feet, keeping your head low. Wooyoung opened the box that had been on your bed, grabbing this red fabric. It wasn’t until he presented to you that you realized what it was, lingerie. For women.

“Your majesty-”

“Put it on.”

“These type of garments-”

“Strip and put it on. I want to see you in this.”

“Your-”

“Are you denying my request?”

“I-”

“That’s not smart, now is it? You’re a guest in my home, and representing your kingdom. Are you gonna be the one to cause problems?”

“…”

“That’s what I thought. Now be a good boy and strip.”

You nervously began to undress, your hands trembling. There was no getting out of this. You got your upper garments off, slipping on the bra. Wooyoung helped fasten it into place, his hands groping your chest, tugging at your nipples under the fabric.

“It feels nice, doesn’t it?”

“…”

“Answer me.”

“I do not-”

You felt Wooyoung pinch your nipples, causing a yelp to escape your lips. The king merely chuckled, resting his chin on your shoulder.

“You’re so beautiful.”

“Is this… what you want?”

“And more.”

You were pushed towards the bed, seeing that there was something else in the box, matching panties. You swallowed nervously, knowing where this was going. You felt Wooyoung’s hands travel down your side, one groping your ass, the other grabbing your crotch.

“You’re the best gift I could ask for.”

You hated that your dick was already half hard, not that you were enjoying this, but your body couldn’t deny the stimulation. When Wooyoung let you go you finished stripping down, ignoring the feel of fine silk rubbing against your nipples. You stared at the panties for a while, but it was better than nothing, so you put them on. It definitely didn’t cover anything, the soft feeling adding to the stimulation. You didn’t want to turn around, but you had to.

“Already excited I see. How do you feel?”

“Strange…”

“I know. To be like this before a king, it’s a great honor.”

“Yes… your majesty.”

“But I want to see something more.”

There was less fabric between his hands and your cock, and as he began to rub you through the panties you couldn’t help but bite your lip. You couldn’t remember the last time someone had touched you, let alone like this. Wooyoung loved to admire the little tent you had, eventually letting your cock spring free, a finger just circling around your tip as precum dribbled out. He hummed to himself, admiring the view.

“Do you wanna cum?”

“…”

“You can tell me the truth.”

“Yes…”

“But you don’t deserve it.” Wooyoung firmly grabbed your cock. “You’ve been quiet, denying me what I want to hear.”

“Apologies… your majesty… I do not wish to draw attention…”

“Why not? Afraid someone might see? Who would ever believe such a story?”

You were shoved down on the bed, Wooyoung untying his robe to reveal he was naked. You immediately shut your eyes, even if this was all fucked up, you shouldn’t be seeing the king like this. Wooyoung chuckled and climbed on top of you, pumping his shaft a few times to get hard before rubbing your cocks together. You weren’t prepared for that, letting out a moan.

“There we go. Now you’re having fun. I do want you to enjoy this too.”

There was no holding back now as you had no moment to rest. Wooyoung had no intention of stopping, using you to pleasure himself until you both climaxed, a hot mess decorating your stomach. Wooyoung didn’t let go of your shaft either, his thumb rubbing the tip, watching you tremble with delight.

“I hope you visit my kingdom more often.”

#ateez #wooyoung #san #jung wooyoung #choi san #atz #ateez au #ateez smut #ateez scenarios #atz au #ateez yandere #yandere wooyoung #request

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technowoah · 3 years

Note

thinking about angst prompt 'you're right. you're useless' with c!jschlatt where all reader does is try to help him and they eventually get to a breaking point because all they do it give and give and give and get nothing in return so schlatt just turns around and scares the fuck out of them :D

Have a Heart

You end up helping Schlatt after hating his guts. And even though you give every thing to your new president he dosent seem to fucking care

- c!schlatt x reader

- gender neutral reader!

- prompt: 25) "You're right. You are useless" (angst list)

⚠︎: swearing, drinking, smoking, angst, mentions of vomit, c!dream makes an appearance 🤭 not proofread

An// I LOVE THIS SCENARIO UGHH! THANKS FOR REQUESTING AS WELL BUB! I HOPE YOU ENJOY!

"Where's my fucking decree at?!"

"It's in my room Schlatt, please stop yelling." You tried to calm the ram-man down by talking calmer than him, but it only seemed to rile him up more.

"In your room?! Sounds like another fucking excuse that you didn't even finish them." Schlatt waved around his hands which one of them contained a lit cigarette in them. "Look at Tubbo he re-wrote one of my decrees before the festival, which is tomorrow may I add, and gave it to me. You havent even done anything I asked you." He scoffed.

You closed your eyes and held back a huge eye roll. You had done everything that Schlatt asked you to do, the decree was actually sitting on your desk in your room. This has been happening ever since Schlatt became president. He was more nicer, well as nice as Schlatt can get, but now he's been drinking like a moster and it never fails that he shows up to an important meeting drunk and makes you and Tubbo do all the work while Quackity and George are running free doing God knows what.

You had been loyal to Schlatt even when you didn't want to be, you had swallowed your pride along time ago. Every. Single. Task you do. And Every. Single. Time you get more put down that you already do.

Your head was hung low while he still spoke. "Hey! Were you listening to me shithead?! I need those papers by tonight!" Schlatt dug his finger into your chest pushing you back a little.

"Also get me my beer and bring it to the meeting room because apparently that's all you're good for." He finally left the long hallway, stumbling a bit as he walked.

You let out a sigh you didn't know you were holding until you saw him walk away. You walked away to find Schlatg that beer and try to put on a smile for the meeting you are currently dreading. Quickly you stopped by your room to grab the stack of paper Schlatt was yelling about earlier and grabbed a beer from a random room. Schlatt always has alcohol and cigarettes in every room just in case he needs one.

Dragging your feet along the marble floored hallways you mad your way to the meeting room. You didn't want to get there first or even last so your mind switched up from speed walking to continuing your slow pace. You started to walk faster when you heard footsteps behind you.

"Hey!"

You turned around to see Tubbo waving behind you. You stopped in your pursuit to greet your friend.

"Hey Tubbo!"

"Going to the meeting I see." He smiled.

"Sadly yes." You sighed. "I already got yelled at twice today so-"

"Hey! It's better than three!"

"Tubbo!"

"Im sorry! But am I wrong?" Tubbo laughed a little.

"Well I wish it was zero. I give everything to that bastard and I get nothing." You breathed out.

"Really?! I get a lot of-" Tubbo stopped talking after the shock on your face was prominent. "You know what nevermind!" He waved off.

"Of course he would favor you." You walked off keeping a brisk pace with Tubbo apologizing for Schlatt's favoritism right behind you.

Once you reached the door to the meeting room you slowly opened the door to be greeted with, once again, a drunken president and his right hand man looking smug as ever when he had no right to be.

Schlatt's cabinet was a mess. Quackity was only the vice president because he partnered with Schlatt and George became, well, the vice president to the vice president. George was barely around anyways. Then Tubbo and you came from L'Manburg, hating Schlatt's guts at firsy you two learned to be okay with the treatment. And while apparently, Tubbo had better treatment than you, you still gave that president everything you had.

Everything you worked for was for that drunken man sitting at the head of the table. You basically devoted your life to him, writing decrees that represents Schlatts policies because "you dare not write something Wilbur would". You had pulled him from sleeping at his desk at nights, cleaned up his spilled wine and beer, picked up cigarettes from the clean marble floors. He pushed you around and you let it happen too, some people woukd say you've become weak and they were sadly right.

"Aye! Look who it is!" Schlatt slurred his words together. "There's my beer!"

"And your decrees!" You plopped the papers down on the desk as he snatched the beer bottle out of your hand.

"You have an attitude with me?" Schlatt asked quickly.

"No! No why?"

"'Cause you just threw my decrees on the table like they are some sort of scrap." Schlatt tried to find the right words. "Some sort of shit like its not important! Fuckin' have some nerve huh?"

You didn't respond and went to go sit by Tubbo across from Quackity. Schlatt apparently noticed and took it upon himself to say something.

"Asshole! You gonna respond to me?! I am your president!"

You fought the urge to snap back at him so you bit your lip as he continues to yell and make everyone in the room uncomfortable, even Quackity.

"Dammit!" Schlatt slammed the table. "Fuck you! I could kill you! I have so much power over you! I can control everyone in this damned kingdom that I'm second best to! This kingdom was owned by a tyrant! I saved all of you! And all you have to do is respond!"

He stood up during half of his breakdown, but you didn't know when. You could hear every single word he said, but your eyes were threatening to spill tears and you could feel Tubbo's hand grab yours underneath the table.

Schlatt huffed smoothed put his suit and sat back down in his chair.

"So! We're here for the festival."

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

You softly closed your bedroom door not wanting to make more drama by slamming it. This whole week you held in your emotions and tears, but today was the breaking point for you. Your back slid down the door and you started crying, and crying. There was no need to try and deafen your sobs, because you couldn't even if you tried.

Your mind kept reminding you of every single event if today.

First. Tubbo didnt tell you he was still in contact with the former citizens of L'Manburg, and the only way you found out was that today at the festival you saw them and you asked Tubbo. He finally told you with his head hung low as you two stood on the podium. You felt betrayed.

Second. Schlatt gave you an extremely hard time making sure everything was intact for today's festivities. You were stressed out of your mind.

Third. The festival went down hill hard and fast. So fast everything seemed like a blur. Tubbo gave his speech, really fidgety may you add, and then Schlatt and Quackity began trapping him in cement, you tried stopping him, but you were pushed away multiple times. You knew who Technoblade was, so when you heard Schlatt call him up to the podium you started to freak out. Your heart started to pound out of your chest when he brought out an explosive crossbow and pointed it right at Tubbo's chest.

The next thing you know a huge, bright, colorful explosion went off and with you on the podium with Tubbo's murderer sparks flew and hit you, Schlatt and Quackity making all of you have some sort of burn marks. Tubbo was gone, soon to be revived again for his last life on this earth, but seeing him die like that was the breaking point for you.

You stayed on the ground with your knees to your chest sobbing loudly. It was too much for you. Your lungs felt like they had no air inside of them, and your heart felt like a million weights were hung on it. You kept crying until you heard a harsh knock on the door, that felt like they were trying to break down the door than get someone's attention.

"Stop sobbing so damn loud!" Of course it was Schlatt you rolled your eyes and stayed on the floor.

"Leave me alone!" You cried out.

"Damn you sound like you're in pain huh?" You heard him from the other side of the door.

It was silent until the door was forced open and you were pushed with the door on your side. You sat up again to see Schlatt, who was out of breath, above you and had another beer bottle in hand.

"Why did you open ny door?" You asked softly.

"Why didn't you let me in?"

"Cause you didnt ask."

"Excuse me!?" Schlatt grew angry.

"You heard me." You stood up facing the taller man with horns. He was scary, but somehow you got the confidence today.

"I dont think you know who you're talking to shithead!" Schlatt got closer, but this time you stood your ground.

"Im talking to a drunken, egotistical, ram-man who let someone kill the only person I had left!" You yelled in his face while tears fell on your cheeks.

"You do got some nerve! I saved you!" He turned around, his back facing you.

"You made my life hell!" You yelled at him. "You- you made my life worse! You made me feel like I have no purpose, but to serve you and your ragtag cabinet! You made me feel like a useless sack of shit, you-!"

"YOU'RE RIGHT! YOU ARE USELESS!" Schlatt quickly turned around his faced filled with pure anger and his eyes bloodshot. He was breathing heavily and all the confidence left your body as soon as he stumbled towards you.

"You're fucking useless! You're even worse than Tubbo and he was working against me!" Schlatt then let out a strained stream and smashed his bottle on the floor letting the left over alcohol spill onto the floor.

"Do me a favor and leave, go. I dont need you! I dont need this damned place given to me by chance! By a fucking vice president that dosent even do his damn job! I dont need you! You! You and those bastards ruined everything!" Schlatt yelled and then rushed out of the room while holding his mouth.

You followed him quickly into the hallway and watched as he stumbled into the nearest bathroom to throw up the alcohol consumption of today. The tears kept coming as you ran down the hallway hoping that you can get as far away from these ivory buildings as your feet can take you.

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

Your feet hung off the edge of the prime path and underneath there was a small river. You had stared at the water running for about ten minutes since you got there. You noticed immediately when you set foot on the prime path that you had no where else to go except for pogtopia you learned about.

You sighed tilting your head up towards the night sky.

"Lonely?" A voice asked next to you.

You turned your head and saw the well known man dressed in green. Dream had his mask on, as usual, but hood was down letting his blonde hair show.

"Yeah actually." You responded not looking at him.

"I know what happened at the festival."

"Everyone does." You scoffed.

"What happened with Schlatt?" He asked and you turned your head with a confused look on your face. "Dont think I don't know anything that goes on around here."

"I don't know how you found out, but long story short I'm not allowed back there. I dont wanna go back there." You said while standing up facing the man.

"I have someone that can give you a place to stay. If you want to take the offer. Also I wanted to check up on you. You were so close to Tubbo and its hard to lose a friend." Dream spoke softly, but you could still hear him loud and clear even through the mask.

"Thank you. I would want to take the offer for a place to stay." You airly laughed. "I dont want to see Schlatt or Quackity again."

Dream chuckled while giving you a paper with an adress on it before getting ready to leave.

"Don't worry. He'll be dead soon." Dream said before turning around and walking down the prime path.

You should've stayed.

Taglist(s)

MCYT Imagines: @annshit @bobaducky @malfoysslutt @egorldevi

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obae-me · 3 years

Text

Upside Down CH-1

Author’s Note: Hi, yes, hello, welcome to the fic series that no one asked for! Do I have other things I need to finish? Yes! But has this been the only thing on my mind for the past four days? Also yes! For some reason I was incapable of writing anything else! Thanks, brain, for this out of the blue obsession!

Tags: Reverse AU

Word Count: 4587

Next Chapter

Hell Away From Hell

Wrong. You didn’t do anything wrong. It was a mistake. It had to be. Although, with every clink of your restraints, your reality was becoming ever clearer. The chains rattled, echoing down the hall like a set of twisted wind chimes. Ones that sung of your dismal fortune. The demon ahead of you yanked the lead attached to your cuffs, sending you stumbling forward. You bit your lip to keep from cursing. Steading your body, you took their less-than-subtle message and picked up the pace. Keeping your eyes glued towards your destination, your stomach sank to your knees. Why? Why had you been brought to the castle? You hadn’t done anything wrong. Well, not anything to warrant being escorted by the palace guards in chains. And as they led you silently inside, past the polished halls and gaudy antiques, your fate pounded just fervently in your mind as your heart was in your chest.

They were going to present you in front of the prince.

It was torture in and of itself just making it to the throne room. The worst part about it all was your rampant imagination. You could only imagine what type of horrific techniques the prince was aware of. Halting in front of the large double doors, the demon behind you moved to open the entrance. Holding it open, the guard tugging you along guided you in. You managed to take only a few steps inside the room before you were practically thrown inside, your body tumbling over the ground. Both the guards smirked at you, flashing their pointed fangs in their conceited gestures before shutting the door, leaving you alone inside.

“MC.” All the air inside your lungs had conveniently escaped. Lifting your chest off the ground, you tightened your lips as you met his gaze. Those glistening emerald eyes pierced right through you. Quickly, you lowered your eyes, attempting to show as much respect as you could to gain his favor.

“M-my lord.”

The melodic note that left his throat was a mix between a laugh and a coo. “Now, now, none of that groveling. I had you brought here to ask you a favor!” You could hear him stand to his feet, and you watched his shoes approach, clicking against the marbled tile. Then, you felt the smooth skin of his hand caress your right horn. The sudden sensitive feeling had your tail rapidly twitch and tuck under your leg. He pushed your horns back, raising your chin so you could look up at him. His dark hair drifted down across his forehead, curling around his horns that curved above his head like a broken halo, his face soft and inviting, and yet your gut wouldn’t let you believe it. “Please, from now on, just call me Simeon.”

Simeon hummed as he lifted his tea cup to his lips. He had been hospitable enough, but you still couldn’t shake this feeling of unease. Plus...what he had brought you in to ask you was...well, something short of insanity. You continued to rub your wrists where your constraints had been. And as much as the prince of hell apologized for his guard’s brutish behavior, you had a feeling it was purposeful. A message of sorts. Even now, as he had his little servant bring in sweets and tea as sickly sweet as it could get, it all tasted bitter to your tongue. “So let me get this straight,” you started. “You want me to be a member of this…”

The prince tilted his head, eyes practically shining. “Restoration program.”

You cleared your throat after the little scone this blonde demon had given you made your throat run dry. “R-right. And I’m assuming I don’t have a choice in the matter?”

His voice was soft, but the light reflecting off his horns and his fangs suggested another answer. “We all have choices, MC.”

Swallowing your nervousness, you lowered your head again. “But, with all due respect, sir...why? Why a restoration program?”

Another voice chuckled behind your figure. “Because, why not?” You strained your neck, getting a view at the newcomer behind you. White hair, a mischievous smile, and something unknown swimming at the back of those dark eyes. Not only that, but the figure was wearing clothes as pure as clouds, with a certain glow to him.

Simeon stood, hand out to greet this person as if they were an old friend-and for all you knew, they might’ve been. “Solomon, how good to see you.”

The new guest-now known to you as Solomon-beamed. “Likewise. You’re looking well.” He turned, giving you a once-over to take you in before nodding. “And you are MC, yes?”

Glaring, already feeling your skin about to burn, you leaned away from him. “And you’re an angel.” Your distrustful attitude let him frown for just a moment, but whether it was just his angelic nature or his personality, that smile was right back on his face.

“Yes, well, the plan requires an angel, so Simeon personally asked me for my hand in this matter.”

The both of them could tell that you were unbelievably confused, so Simeon gestured for the angel to take a seat at the table. “Luke.” The prince gestured to his small servant, the one who had not only brought you sweets but had taken the liberty to be staring you down the entire time. Finally, he turned his attention away from you. “Please do me a favor and get our new guest some refreshments.” The lesser demon squinted at you, nearly growled at the angel, and then took his leave with rapid little steps. Simeon laughed quietly to himself. “Don’t worry about him, he’s not used to others quite yet. But, MC.” With your name mentioned, you straightened your posture. “I’ve been planning this for quite some time. It’s been a desire of mine to bring the three realms closer together.” You couldn’t help but wonder why, what purpose it served, but you kept your mouth shut. “And while I’ve started to make decent progress fixing the old wounds between the Devildom and Celestial Realm, most of my kingdom and Solomon’s people refuse to make connections with the humans.”

Mortals...even just the mention managed to leave a heavy pit in your stomach. “If I may speak.” You waited for the prince’s go-ahead before speaking your mind. “What would be the point of connecting with the humans? They serve little purpose. They’re either so corrupt they destroy their own kind or they think they’re so pure they isolate themselves or get themselves killed in the name of their twisted justice.” Speaking so passionately against the idea, you didn’t realize your nails had grown into talons, leaving marks in the wooden table. You took a breath, reclaiming your typical form. “They can’t even do themselves any good, what makes you think they’d be good for our realms?”

Solomon, an expression of understanding mixed with pity, bounced a little in his seat. “That’s the question, isn’t it?” He turned his head to Simeon, who was nodding at you with a bit of approval.

“That’s what this plan is all about. Testing them, observing them. We’ll be watching these humans, and at the end of this project, we’ll be able to determine if they’re ready and worthy of being brought together with us.” The ruler crossed one leg over the other, his tone making it sound as it was as simple as eating pie.

Setting down the fork to your pastry, you felt a sense of dread wash over you. “And by we you mean?”

“Why, you and Solomon of course! A demon and an angel, both working together to restore the bond between the human world and ours! The Demonic and Angelic Restoration program! Or D.A.R. -dare- for short.” If it weren’t for the horns, you’d almost think this demon was an angel with the way he eagerly talked about restoring bonds and bettering the nature of the realms. But, then you felt nauseous.

“What...what exactly do you need me to do to help with this...program? And why me?”

It was actually the angel that spoke up. “I’m sure you’re aware of the Morningstars?”

It was such a silly question, you ended up scoffing. “Who doesn’t down here? Those brothers are filled with so much corruption and chaos they end up fueling about half the lesser demons down here...why?”

They both straight up ignored your question and instead asked you some of their own. Simeon leaned forward, looking at you intently. “It took me quite a bit of time to find you MC. Most people don’t know you exist, and those that do hardly know your name. You simply are known to most as Isolation. Is it true that you’ve never made a pact with a human? Rumor is that you even refuse to subsist off their sins. And you’ve never taken a soul? That’s typically unheard of nowadays.”

Shifting in your seat, you gave it to them straight. “It’s true. I do whatever I can to avoid contact. Haven’t even seen a human in the past millennia. Haven’t talked to one in about twice that time.”

Clapping his hands together, Simeon let out an amazed sigh. “Perfect. You will be able to have a fresh eye! A clean slate. An unbiased--well, mostly unbiased opinion. You won’t be tempted to corrupt them, you’ll give me honest answers.”

“Plus,” the angel agreed, “if you have the strength and willpower to live without human sustenance and influence for this long, you probably will have the patience to keep from killing them. If anyone could manage to live with the Morningstars, it would be you, from what I’ve heard.”

You were grateful you had put down your drink a while ago. Your breath caught in your throat. “Wait, excuse me, what did you say? Live...with the…”

“Mr. Morningstar!” A laugh, a handshake, even a pat on the shoulder, it nearly made you ill watching the upcoming king of the Devildom greet a human like this so casually. You couldn’t help but sneak glances at this mortal...one of the Morningstars, the eldest. The one who fueled the most demons without even knowing about it. People down in the Devildom called him by Pride. A human world CEO-whatever that meant. He was powerful, influential, not to mention ridiculously rich. And he’d do whatever it took to keep his status, even at the misfortune of plenty of other people. His suit and posture told you pretty much all you needed to know about him. A fancy well tailored pitch black suit, a striking red tie with a subtle but regal diamond design, diamond cufflinks, the works. It was as if dust and winkles knew to avoid him entirely. His hair was as dark as his suit, save for the ends which were greying. He didn’t seem that old, so you wondered if it was intentional or simply stress. You thought you heard someone say that once, that humans could get grey hair from stress. Did they all possess capabilities to change their hair based on their emotions? That human lady you saw outside the building with the blue hair must’ve been feeling something intense.

“Mr-” The human you had come to see was cut off.

“Please, you know to call me Simeon by now!”

The mortal cleared his throat. “Simeon…” The human glanced at you, and raised his chin as he took Simeon by the shoulders and brought him away from you. If you had been a human, it would’ve been a decent tactic to keep you out of earshot. Unfortunately, you could still hear everything they were saying. “I know you have good standing with the company, and I’m pleased to know you respect and trust me with such a task, but...this is far from business.” You could feel his eyes on you. “I have to respectfully decline your request. I don’t think I can allow them to live with us for a year. You know my family.”

“It would only be for a year, and I know you have plenty of room in that house of yours!” Simeon laughed a bit and then lowered his voice. You could feel the alluring pull of his influence flood the space. The human stiffened, his intuition picking up on a shift in the room. “Besides, Lucifer. You know I wouldn’t ask for a favor like this without some proper and well deserved remuneration. Listen...I happen to have something on the head of that business owner that’s been butting heads with your company. Wouldn’t it be nice to have them completely out of the picture? Not only is that increasing your profit, but if they happen to...I don’t know, completely go bankrupt, that little building of theirs on the corner of Main is some prime real estate.” Reaching into his pocket, Simeon pulled out a small...plastic...rectangle of sorts, with metal on one end. “I got everything right here.” Smiling, one hand firmly against Lucifer’s upper back, he looked him right in the eyes and whispered something you knew would have this human caught. “You can’t let them bother you like this. You need to show them and everyone else who you are, and that you’re not to be messed with.”

It took the mortal a moment of internal struggle. Decline the offer and figure things out himself without assistance? Or swallow the smallest bit of ego for self satisfaction? Either way, this mortal was past helping. Already drowning in pride. Eventually, he gripped the object, tucking it into a pocket beneath his suit jacket. Despite being handed assistance, he still found a way to be demanding. “Alright, but no more than a year, and if I feel like anything is going awry, I’m sending them away. Is it really too unreasonable to just set them up on their own? Surely for you it’s no problem.”

Backing up slightly after his incentive worked, Simeon shook his head. “I would feel endlessly guilty leaving alone, desolate, isolated, after what happened. Poor thing...they haven’t even said a word to me in days.” That last part wasn’t a lie. You’d nearly refused to say anything to him since being dragged to the human world. Prince or no prince. “My poor cousin, suddenly losing all their family like that. It’s tragic, isn’t it? Losing people you love?”

Lucifer, with his arms folded, let his hand tightly grip the fabric of one of his sleeves. His eyes lowered the slightest touch, his jaw tightening. “It...is...I know it all too well.” You caught a hint of some emotion from the mortal.

“Then you know that what would be best for them right now is company. Trust me, I wouldn’t have brought them to you if I didn’t think it would help. Besides, this is a win for all parties involved, right?” Simeon gestured to the gift Lucifer had tucked away, and the last string of resistance had been snipped.

Sighing, the human looked at the luxurious watch on his wrist. “I’ll take them home. Let my brothers know what’s happening. Is it too much to assume they’ll be better behaved with a guest in the house?”

Laughing once more, the prince shrugged. If only Lucifer knew who he was in the presence of. “You’ll all just have to find out!” Patting the other man on the shoulder, Simeon then came over to you with his arms outstretched. “It’s all settled, MC!” He pulled you into a hug, taking the time to speak quietly to you. “Remember to keep your identity a secret. I’ll be checking up on you and Solomon once a month for a report. Keep them safe. Play nice.” He pulled apart, coming around behind you and settling his hands on your shoulders. “And remember, what Mr. Morningstar is doing is unbelievably nice, so make sure to thank him and keep yourself out of trouble.”

You broke your vow of silence out of irritation. “I’m not a child you’re sending away to school. I know how to keep my own head on my shoulders.” You attempted to brush his hands off but the grip was tightened. Swallowing your frustration, you kept yourself from grimacing, looking at the fabled Lucifer Morningstar. “Thank you...for letting me live with you.”

For a human, he had a tenacity for picking up on things. He noticed your lie, giving you a stare down of his own before grabbing his phone. You only recently figured out what those devices were. Simeon had made sure he gifted you one of your own, since apparently it was the main source of communication in this realm. Too strange, but you picked it up fairly quickly. Lucifer just raised his head and pressed his cell against his ear. “Just make sure you refrain from being as irksome as my brothers.” The line he was dialing picked up. “Yes, have a driver prepare to come pick me up. And someone please contact my brothers for me so they know I’m bringing home a...guest.”

It was going to be a long year…

The...metal contraption rumbled, making your head feel light. Without magic to get around, they had to use...these things. The movement slowed till it came to a stop. Looking out the pane of glass, you peered forward to see what the issue was. A big red circular light shone a bright crimson in front of the lane. Was it a threat? If so, why was the world seemingly filled with them? Then the eye turned green and the long carriage rumbled back to life. It was completely different than the last time you had been here.

“Before you even step foot in my home, we need to set some ground rules.” Even just the sound of his voice almost physically rubbed you the wrong way. You bit the inside of your cheek. Play nice, the prince had said. How long could you keep your patience around these mortals? You looked up at him, feeling him stare you down to the corrupt depths of your soul. “Since you’re going to be living with us for so long, you’re going to have to follow the same rules I give my brothers? Understand?”

Was this all worth it? Would having your soul be torn to shreds be that bad? “Yes.”

He nodded, then decided his attention would be better focused towards whatever he had on that electronic device of his. He gave you orders without even looking at you. No wonder all the lesser demons who fawned after him were so pretentious. “No parties. No pets. You can stay up however long you want, but you must be back at the house no later than midnight. You can have your own room but you must keep it clean, don’t expect me to hire a maid for you. You’re responsible for looking after yourself. I might be providing a roof over your head, but anything you need is up to you. You break anything, you’re responsible for replacing it. Just use the basic level of common sense and we should have no trouble. Hopefully the year will be over before we—oh excuse me.” Without another word he picked another call, his third one since you’d been blackmailed into this ride. You just gave a gentle sigh and stared out the window. Just a few days ago you’d still existed in your botherless existence. A personal utopia of your own making. Now you were in this...hell away from hell, the scent of smog and exhaust still burning the inside of your nose.

The rest of the ride was spent with you trying to think of ways to escape this fate, but finding none in sight. You didn’t need to fully see the building to get this overwhelming wave of impurity. The tempting allure of sin. Practically a demon buffet. These morons were just screaming to be killed or worse, eaten. Even just approaching the gate to the driveway, you could see remnants of spirits, demons without full forms clawing at the fence. Wisps of black sinking into their sidewalk. But not even those, you could smell the presence of other lesser demons...but more dangerous ones. Outside the gate were small crowds, not too many, but enough to safely conceal their presence. Photographers, journalists, fans, wherever they were, they were eager to get in. And amongst the rabble stood demons pretending to be mortals in an attempt to sink their fangs into one of the Morningstars. You slunk down in your seat, trying to conceal your presence, but you were sure they’d be able to feel you. The car slipped past all of them, approaching the first set of gates. Whoever was patrolling the vehicle pressed their fingers against a small pad attached to a pillar by the gate. It waited for a moment, then made an affirming noise before the gate swung open. The cries of mortal and hidden demons alike pleading for the smallest sliver of attention from this human made you feel sick.

Despite having nearly ignored you the whole time, Lucifer scoffed. “You’ll get used to it.” The curved metal fence shut behind you, and the sound of the crowd slowly faded as you pulled up in front of the massive house. If anything, it reminded you a little of home. It was an old fashioned looking house, but fanciful nonetheless. With dark stone, piercing towers, arched windows, and an overall gothic aesthetic. You managed to take a moment to breathe. At least there was one silver lining. Lucifer stepped out of the idle vehicle first, paying you no mind as he approached the steps to the door. Slightly panicking, you tried simply pushing the door before noticing the small handle. Pulling it unlocked it, and you rapidly exited, feeling the motion sickness fade with your feet on the ground. You followed the mortal to the door, and was slightly pleased when he put his phone away to open the door, leaving it open for you. Lucifer shut the door, a small high pitched noise ringing through your ears. You turned and watched him mess with a little panel near the door. “Our security is top of the market. I make sure the code is changed every day, so if you’re not inside by midnight, I hope you enjoy camping.”

You were about to speak up about that, but both of you were bombarded with noise. A noise you would later learn to get used to. “Oi! Lucifer!” A bundle of energy came racing down the stairs. Wild hair, dark skin, rings on nearly every finger, you recognized this individual without having to ask his name. You could feel the influence. Greed. Demons almost loved this brother more than Pride, because from what you’d heard, he’d make deals impulsively with demons without knowing their true intentions. As long as money or something expensive was in front of him, he’d jump for anything. It had gotten him in more than enough trouble, and it made him too much of a prime target. At least Lucifer knew how to look over his shoulder. The second brother confronted the eldest. He didn’t even glance at you. “Hey, I need some cash! For some reason my card keeps declining...you can spot me right?”

Lucifer didn’t even hesitate. “No.”

“Eh? Why not?! I did that thing the other day for you, remember?”

“Hm?” Lucifer tilted his head, taking the time to recall-or pretending to. “Which thing would that be? Would it have been before or after you stole and immediately maxed out my card?” Lowering his eyes, the older one gave off a menacing smile.

Mammon took a step back, muttering. “O-oh you found about that, huh?”

The smile turned into a full on yell. “Of course I found out! I got a call from the bank as soon as they saw the purchase! What exactly do you need a golden tiger statue for, Mammon? Seriously, you’re absolutely ridiculous! I returned it by the way, and in the meantime I cancelled all your cards.” Mammon went to open his mouth in anger but didn’t have the chance to say anything. “You can try to find some extra work to pay off all the bills you’ve left me with. And if I think you’re ready, I’ll reopen your accounts in two months.” The effort of shouting sent Pride’s eye twitching. He lifted a hand to press against his forehead, the blood draining from his face. You shifted ever so slightly in your spot and he groaned. “Right, you’re here. Mammon, this is MC.”

Eyebrows raised, he jumped a little when he finally spotted you were in the room. “Wait, wait, wait, that whole thing with someone staying with us for a year wasn’t a joke?”

“No.” Although the slight warble to his voice seemed that that fact was just now settling in. “It wasn’t. And since you’ve so kindly volunteered yourself, you can take their bags and show them to their room.” He simply turned. No welcome, no tour, no warmth in those cold eyes of his.

“Hey! Come back here!” Yet the younger sibling showed no signs of chasing after him. “Lucifer!” His older brother just quickly headed up the stairs and disappeared into the house. Was it really going to require a full year of observation? Just from what you were seeing right now, you wanted nothing to do with humans. Nothing. Mammon ran a hand through his hair, one of his strands getting stuck in one of his rings, but he tugged it out without noticing, like it was a daily occurrence. “I can’t believe this.” You could watch as the anger started to swell within him. “Screw this, I’m out of here!” You were ready for him to leave, to give into his emotions. He had wrapped his hand around the door handle before he stopped. Pausing, he just tutted to himself before shoving his hands in his jacket-pockets, looking in your direction but not fully at you. “You want the guest room we have upstairs or down?” Loud, brash, rude in some ways, but there was a weird sort of innocence about him. You simply shrugged. He nodded, grasping one of your bags suddenly, gesturing you to follow. “I’ll give you the downstairs one. Most of our rooms are on the second floor, so it’s a bit quieter down here, plus it stays cooler.” He led you past the entrance hall and back into the rest of the house. “Plus, it’s easier to sneak out from here, but you didn’t hear that from me. I’m guessing Lucifer gave you the whole rule spiel?”

You restrained the urge to roll your eyes. “Yeah.”

He hissed in air through his teeth. “Sucks, man, are you sure you want to stay here?”

The pain around your wrists was still too prominent. Etched into your skin was a mark, a line of runes and symbols around your wrists. Who knew demons could give temporary pacts to other demons? Simeon ensured you a small fraction of his power, just in case you ran into trouble. But in exchange he had a hold on you, able to summon you to him whenever he needed you. It was your chain keeping you imprisoned here. There was no running. There was no hiding. “I didn’t have a choice.”

#obey me #obey me shall we date #obey me headcanons #obey me imagines #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me levi #obey me satan #obey me asmo #obey me beel #obey me belphie #obey me diavolo #obey me barbatos #obey me simeon #obey me solomon #obey me luke

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sunlightheidi · 3 years

Text

Jihyun Kim "V" x Reader/MC

AU Fantasy, written for the Mystic Dance Event, hosted by the lovely @little-butterfly-writes. Roles provided, "Princess x Court Painter".

"I'll meet you in the forest, let's let this wild thing grow."

- Forest, Fancy Hagood

Jihyun was chosen from a neighboring kingdom to paint the royal family.

It was an honor, to be selected as the court artist; for his art to hang on the palace walls alongside portraits of previous kings and queens.

There are countless tales told throughout the kingdoms; stories of the ruthless king who commanded the armies, of the regal queen who could turn men into stone with a simple look.

And of the stoic crowned princess, who possessed the ethereal beauty of the fae, and the same coldness too.

He’s painted that captivating beauty on canvas more than once; has traced the dip of your collarbone, the fullness of your lips, the almond shape of your eyes with his paintbrush so many times he can do it from memory alone.

You are always seated on that golden throne when he does, decorated in sapphires and dressed in layers of silk and lace – always watching him with a sort of fascination as he paints, a sparkling wonder in your gaze.

You sit on that throne now, your head held high, waves of black hair falling down your back, and a crown of rowan berries on your brow. Your dress is golden, accentuating the sun-touched colors of your skin and the darkness of your eyes as they roam over the ballroom to the people dancing and celebrating the return of autumn.

There is a sort of hypnotic magic about you and he sees it perfectly then, how you truly could have been fairy in a past life; sparkling wings on your back, adorned in colors of orange and red and yellow as you sat on a throne of marigolds and ruled over the autumn court.

Perhaps you may have even allowed yourself to dance amongst your folk, lost in the addicting taste of pomegranates as you moved freely to the wild music.

But that is not who you are now. Not who are you expected to be.

You do not partake in the autumn celebration with your people, you are not allowed to laugh and dance in the way he knows you desire to. In the way you have so freely danced and laughed by his side in hidden corridors.

Your only purpose is to serve your kingdom, and outside of your clandestine meetings with him, you play your role flawlessly. No one would dare suggest otherwise.

If only they knew the restlessness that lingers in your heart. The same kind and wild heart you have given to him– a secret belonging to you both alone.

The music ends and you clap gently in your lap, almost unconsciously, as most of your mannerisms are – but your eyes are dazed, he knows your thoughts are elsewhere.

He has been hounded by daydreams of you as well, wishes he could stand in front of that throne and take your hand as an equal; to lead you to the ballroom floor and hold you in his arms as you sway together, just as you have done many times before in the dark.

The orchestra begins to play a new piece, something slow and soft that echoes through the ballroom; the chandeliers shimmer from the high ceiling as partners retake their place and begin a new dance.

Carefully, as to not draw attention to yourself, you stand, hands gripping the skirts of your dress as you curtsey to the king and queen, who briefly nod in your direction in permission to take your leave. He follows you with his eyes as you walk down the steps of the podium and to the large entryway, but something catches his attention – a golden satin ribbon, left behind on the seat of your throne.

You have played this game before, he knows what the token means; and when he looks up, in a single moment that freezes time, you look over your shoulder and meet his gaze. He nods in understanding, and there’s a sparkle in your eye as you close the doors behind you.

He wants to run after you, to spin you around in his arms and declare his fidelity to you in front of the world. But you are a princess…and he is only the court painter – the consequences should anyone discover you two together, of the things you have done under secrecy, would end in tragedy.

So he waits, and when the kingsmen turn to assist their majesties to the ballroom floor, Jihyun slips through the entryway and weaves down dark corridors and forgotten doors.

He is lost in a haze to get to you, has waited eagerly for weeks to spend time with you, and not the person you pretend to be for everyone else. He wants your silly laughter and teasing smiles, your fondness for flowers and furry forest creatures.

In an unlit corner of an unused passageway, there is a door that blends into the stone of the walls, it is not easily seen in the dark, but Jihyun knows exactly where it is and how to twist the lock to the room that has become his haven.

He steps through the low archway and closes the door behind him, feels a sort of relief when he turns to find you watching him.

It is indescribable, how painfully beautiful you are illuminated by the candlelight – woven in golden and waiting for him.

He bows, deeply. “Princess.”

And then, the respectable haze you have found yourselves in for weeks vanishes.

In an instant, you wrench yourself forward into him, tackling him into something fierce. He grasps you, cradling you safely in his arms as you wiggle in your happiness.

“Jihyun,” you whisper against his chest, nose buried in the hilt of his tailcoat. “I was afraid you would not come.”

He pushes you back, enough to look into your eyes and trace the outline of your cheekbone with his thumb. “Of course I came. I cannot deny you a single thing, nor do I wish to.”

“I did not think I would have the time to slip by their attention tonight, I am eternally grateful their minds are elsewhere.”

“Do you need to get back?” he asks, wrapping his arms around your waist; already dreading having to part.

“Not yet, not so soon.” You reach for him, stand on the tip of your toes and brush your lips against his in the softest of kisses. “I have missed you terribly.”

“As have I, darling,” he whispers against your mouth. “I have to stop myself constantly from reaching for you in the hallways.”

An impish smile graces your lips, sly and conniving. He imagines this must be how the fae tempt humans into their world.

“You are certainly free to touch me now, in whatever way you desire.”

He catches up quickly, as he tightens the hold on your waist and brings his lips to yours – warm breath and honey taste – soft and slow, memorizing every part of this moment.

He rubs small circles on your back just above your waist, feeling the silky material of your dress as you put your arms around his neck, bringing him in as close as you possibly can. And when you pull back to catch your breath, you smile at him slyly, all hooded eyes and flushed cheeks, bottom lip between your teeth.

“Pray tell, you wicked thing. What enchantment have you placed on me?”

A soft laugh, no more than an exhale, ghosts across the side of his neck, raising goosebumps across his skin. You stand so close he can smell the sweetness of the roses pressed onto your skin, the floral scent instantly hauling him back to an afternoon in the court gardens, where you hid behind large rose bushes and he pressed you against the grass and kissed you until sundown.

“It was the pomegranate seeds I fed to you in the garden” you whisper, playfully. “It was faerie food, meant to entrap you to my side for the rest of your days.”

“You could have simply asked me,” he replies. “My answer would have been yes.”

Your eyes go soft, but sparkle suddenly in the way they do when you decide to be cheeky. “But that would be a waste of a perfectly ripe pomegranate, do you not agree?”

He bites at the pout of your lip in reprimand, feeling satisfied with the redness there when he pulls back. “Do you truly have a response for everything?”

“I thought you liked my mouth,” you say, just a fraction shy and very much teasing as your hands wonder down his chest.

“I do, it’s perfectly sweet.” His hand firmly cradles your chin and he leans in until your breath is upon his lips. “Do not divert, my dove. Will you share with me what has been on your mind tonight? You have been on a cloud all evening.”

Your eyes open in surprise, but smile softly at him as he holds your face between his hands. His thumb traces your berry lips and your eyes flutter shut in resignation.

“I have tried, for a very long time, to find dignity in my role.” He notes the softness of your voice, mixed in with the bitter resentment he’s only caught glimpses of before. When your eyes flutter open, there is sadness. “I have found nothing, and I am tired of it all. I do not know who I am beyond what I’m told to be, and I do not care for it any longer. I wish to please only you.”

Your eyes are suddenly and incredibly soft as they hold onto his, your fingertips tracing his hipbones, moving up his abdomen. He brushes a gentle stroke of his lip against yours, flashing loving eyes as if to say what neither of you has found the courage to admit yet.

“You have shone light upon my dreams, Jihyun. But there is no room for you in my life, and you deserve to be with someone that will not be a threat to your own.”

He is hardly ever angry; he finds he does not care much for such emotions. But in this moment, he feels an inexplicable sadness and fear that you will disappear before he has the chance to tell you how truly his life belongs to you.

“Should you wish to end things with me, I will retreat immediately without a word and pretend nothing has happened. But do not make decisions for me. I wish to be with you, in whatever manner possible. If these meetings are all that I will ever have, then I will have this over nothing.”

Light laughter erupts from your throat and you quickly slip one hand from his chest to muffle the unexpected sound. Tears spring from your eyes at last, a blend of humor and grief.

“I wish I could kiss you and make you king.”

He gently takes hold of your soft hands, engulfing them in his calloused ones. He notices the pleasant shiver that runs up your spine at the intimate gesture.

“I do not want to be king, I just want to be with you,” he admits.

You are quiet for a long time, contemplative. He brushes tendrils of your hair off your shoulder, feels your collarbones beneath his fingertips.

“We are in love, aren’t we?” You whisper, and there’s a sort of hesitancy there, as if you have only just realized what this could mean for both of you – the inevitable heartbreak that is destined.

From the very moment your worlds collided – he knew he would fall in love with you. And as he has come to know you – eyes alive like wildflowers and smiles that carry sunshine – he dreams of nothing more than to meet his fate by your side.

“I love you, with everything that I possess.”

“Then run away with me,” you plead, putting yourself nose to nose with him, his blue wisps of hair against your forehead. “Let’s go to another land. Somewhere far away where we can be close to an ocean and have a garden of roses.”

“Your father will send kingsmen after us,” he warns quietly, stoic beneath your hands, hesitant to reciprocate. “He will not be merciful.”

You shake your head fiercely, speak one last offer of clarity. “My father cares not for what may happen to me, he never has. He has two more children he can crown.”

“If you are sure about this, I believe King Han may grant us sanctuary should we reach his borders. I have known him since we were children, and Jumin can be ruthless, but he is fair. Though I must warn you, once we reach his castle, your title will be stripped.”

“I do not want to be a princess, I just want you,” you whisper and lean into him, press a breeze of a kiss to the corner of his mouth, another against his jawline. “Promise you will meet me at midnight, out in the forest.”

The sweetness of you has long burned away his fear, and in its place a mellow kind of anticipation has taken hold. He takes your hand in his and brings it up to his lips.

“As you wish,” he mumbles against your palm and you giggle joyfully before you throw your arms around his neck.

And for everything he believes in, your face is as precious as all the jewels and gemstones of any kingdom; it is the smile you grace him with upon his yes, shining with the power of a thousand suns, that confirm he has found the world’s greatest fortune.

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