#Vigorous Warrior 24

[alostlovergirl]

Marriage of Convenience

(Not my gif)

Loki Laufeyson x Reader

Summary: He really needs a wife.

Tags: arranged marriage, some of Loki questioning his feelings (?), reader questioning her feelings (?)

Note: This is going to have a few parts… so let’s see how much I can pump out of this story.

Part 2: The Marriage Pt3: The Sex

It started out as a simple suggestion. “If you want to be around her so much, why not marry her?”, more as an unfunny joke from his father rather than a suggestion and it earned an eyeroll from the teenage prince of mischief with a huff. He didn’t think about it, simply feeling seen and comfortable with his childhood best friend, spending all the time he was supposed to be training with her. She was a just a random villager that he met as a young child when she snuck into his room during a party his father threw. They have been inseparable since, building a nice friendship that would last for lifetimes as his mother would put it. This friendship also gained her family royal protection, keeping Loki’s friend safe from all harm that would be sent Asgard’s way. Now, since he was being forced into an arranged marriage to a woman he barely knew, he was starting to consider asking her to marry him.

He makes his way to the city, thinking about how he was about to ask her. Should he be direct about it? Or should he try to sugarcoat this as much as possible so that his friend wouldn’t think he was weird? It was a dire situation for him because he didn’t want to marry at all, he wanted to be free to do as he please, not have a wife or husband nagging him 24/7 about his kingly duties. He wanted a throne, but not like this. Thor gave up the throne, in pursuit of being a warrior that protects Asgard instead of a king, leaving the crown to the second and youngest son. This marriage came about for him to accept the crown, with a wife by his side or he could forget about even inheriting the throne. He walks past the townspeople, going towards a small stone house in the middle of the city, a smile gathering on his face. He was always excited, like a little puppy, to see his best friend cause its his little chance to be happy for a few hours a day. He made for his favorite woman no matter what he was doing, even if he was injured from a battle, he would limp his way to her to come lay on her couch, listening to her worry about his wellbeing.

He loved her… well being her friend. The two of them were perfect for each other, in more ways than Loki is ready to admit right now. He knocks on the door, standing back from her oak door, looking over the tidy little home she has made for herself. As soon as she opened the door, he is greeted by his smiling friend with a laundry basket being held into her hip by her forearm. “My prince.”

He snorts a reply. “You know I don’t like you calling me that...” That just made her laugh a bit, immediately letting the god into her home, closing the door and trapping in the warm air in her home. He liked being in her home. It was so much more comforting than his chaotic life of royalty. It was a nice place for him to relax, especially when she gives him an empty, golden mug and fills it with his favorite wine. “You owe me 90 coins for that expensive ass wine, mister.” She teases him, smiling before going back to her little area in the middle of her carpet, scrubbing at her clothes. Loki followed her into the laundry room and sits in a stool in the corner, resting the mug in between his leather cladded thighs, watching her wash her clothes vigorously.

“So, what brings you to my home, friend?” she asked, peering up at him as she scrubbed up and down with the soapy brush, hands already rough from the number of times she has scrapped herself.  Her question fogged his mind because he never really thought about how he should ask her to marry him. He has never shown no type of interest towards her, considering he never let himself feel those types of feelings, making this more difficult to imagine her having a positive reaction to his proposal, but unless he marries the spoiled brat of a princess that he is going to be promised to soon, he better just come out with it. He takes a deep breath, picking up his mug and chugging it before putting it down on the floor. The God kneels in front of his friend, grabbing her hands from the warm water and squeezing them tightly. “I need your help... and this is not like me to ask for help as you know, but I am about to be promised to a woman that I simply cannot marry...”

Her eyebrow raised, confusion filling her face as soon as he grabbed her hands with such a tenderness that she had never seen. Loki, being a trickster, every time he has seen her, he has scared the living shit out of her. Now, here he was, unexpectedly popping up at her door and looking at her with such desperation in his eyes. Just how bad was this woman that he was being betrothed too? She relaxes her shoulders and looks at him, a nervous smile appearing on her face as she wonders how much trouble she is going to be in for the idea he is about to suggest. She was already on Odin’s trouble list. Nothing could have possibly prepared her for what he was about to ask her to do.

“I am going to invite you to dinner tonight... and I am going to propose to you in front of my father, mother, brother and my betrothed. It will pull me out the engagement with her and it will put me in an engagement with you.” He said it so casually, as if he wasn’t asking her to accept a marriage proposal to him and possibly uproot her peaceful life to being in the public eye 24/7. She went quiet, not sure how to respond and not making eye contact with him as she thought about the suggestion. “You are basically asking me to enter a fake marriage with you? Would we get married, Loki?”

He sighs, looking down a bit, losing a bit of his confidence. This is not like him at all. “I could try to hold it off as much as possible, but we would have to get married. See, my father has told me that I would have to inherit his throne to retire him and my mother. Thor would have been the perfect choice. Already married and the first son... but he gave up the throne, leaving me with the burden of finding a wife.” Her stomach was swirling with nausea and butterflies, thinking about how the hell she was supposed to handle the responsibility of being the Queen of Asgard. She has seen Frigga’s workload, and it is not nothing that she doesn’t ever want to inherit. Seeing her hesitance, he started to plead. “Please. It is a selfish request I ask of you, my dear friend… but I cannot marry that woman.” He held her hands, tighter. “She is annoying...”

She laughed, snorting a bit and breaking the tension in the room. “She is that annoying that you ask your friend to marry you?” she jokes, pushing her hands upwards and holding his forearms, leaning a bit closer to him. “If I do this for you, promise that it won’t get weird?”

He nods immediately, pulling her into a tight hug, grateful for her acceptance. “I promise, friend.”

When the night came along, the nerves were starting to set in. She was friends with Loki, but she had never been inside his private room and here she was, sitting there in a silk gown that was cold against her skin. She played drums on her thighs as she waited for Loki to get dressed for tonight’s dinner. She was about to proposed to… for the sake of her friend. She didn’t know why she was so incredibly nervous, enough to feel like she was about to throw up. “How do you sleep in here?!” she called out to her friend, who was with a servant in his giant closet. She was trying to break the mood with a little joke. “It seems so uncomfortable in here... I don’t think I would get a wink of sleep in here.”

It made Loki chuckle from the closet, a rustle of leather against leather being heard. “It’s comfortable... warm and the bed helps. I sleep like a brick most nights...” She giggles, running a hand through her hair. Even his voice seemed to calm her, making her smile more times than she wanted to admit. He finally steps out, dressed in his normal outfit, without the cape and hair slicked back with gel. His heavy horned crown sat upon his hair, framing him out perfectly. He gives her a little spin, fishing for some compliments. “How’d I look?”

“Like my Loki...” she hums, standing up, still a bit wobbly in the heels he had chosen to wear. He said it would impress his father if she stood a bit taller, almost the same height as Loki. She walked over to him, adjusting his crown and making it crooked on his head, earning a signature grin from him. Loki, since he has grown from the young boy that she befriended, has grown into a handsome young man. It made her feel something in the pit of her stomach that she ignored completely. “Seriously, you do look good. How do I look?” She gave him a little smile before pulling back from him, letting him see her outfit. He just smiles, eyes raking over her body in a, what he hoped, friendly way.

“Amazing.” He simply says.

He takes her warm hand into his cold ones, leaving the room with her. He enjoyed the little jokes she could make even before meeting his father, making him feel like something that he couldn’t ignore. The feeling made him feel nauseated and excited at the same time, leading her down the hall to the dining room. She looked absolutely ravishing in her dress, not helping the feeling. He straightened his posture as he could hear his father and the father of his betrothed laughing, heartily. The smell of meat and sweets filled his senses as he opened the door, leading his friend to her seat before taking his seat next to her.

The dinner went as expected, introducing herself to the king and queen in a respectful way. Saying hello to Thor and greeting the lady, who was giving her some death glares from across the table. She keeps her demeanor poised, something that she and Loki would laugh about later. When the proposal comes along, it comes after dessert and a little nod of approval towards his son from Odin. She could hear an audible breath from Loki as he stood up from his chair and moved it. He takes her hand, gently and lifts her up from her seat, pulling her almost too close to him, feeling his breath encase her face, making her shiver a bit. “Just act surprised... afterwards... I am going to kiss you to really sell it.” He whispered, looking into her eyes and making sure she understood her assignment. She nods, slightly and backs away from the prince, watching in fake surprise as he drops to one knee, spewing out some fake sympathy words. Hell, he even earned some fake tears from her as he opened the ring box. The story he was really trying to sell here was that two of them had been in a relationship for quite awhile before now and gods, was she selling it especially. A little squeal and an excited nod when he asked for her hand in marriage really made his betrothed, who they had totally forgotten about, angry enough to leave the room. The relief she felt radiating off his body was enough to relax her as he slid the ring on her finger.

She had totally forgotten about the kiss… she almost bit his lip when he did kiss her, pulling her in closer by her hips and her hands on his board chest. The kiss felt electric, feeling a wetness gather between her legs that she never felt for her friend. He pulls back, saliva connecting their lips and a weird look on her face that she had never seen before from Loki. It was like a hungry look… like that kiss had awoken something in him and it would have only gotten weirder if he wasn’t snapped back to the reality that he was standing in front of his parents and brother by them clapping.

She was now engaged to her best friend... Oh god, where does she go from here?

[theres-a-body-here]

(male reader please!)

thinking about godfrey fucking the poor little tarnished warrior who thought that he could best him in combat :)

he’s been quite alone in the lands-between for a while now.. without the touch of another.. might as well take you to be his hunky concubine/body pillow :)

Godfrey x Male!reader

You probably should've put more levels into Vigor.

Maybe even Mind.

But nope. You put a majority of your runes into leveling intelligence.

And now you're pinned underneath the First Elden Lord. You glance to the right of you. Your Carian Regal Scepter lies just out of reach. You wonder if maybe you should've listened to Nepheli and gone with the max strength build. Damn. Maybe you could respec after you die. it's only been about 24 times you've been slain by this massive beast of a man. Hell, you've onl- and he's staring at you.

Actually.....you realize he's been staring at you the entire time you've been internally monologuing. Gods, he's large.

You try to squirm a bit. Yep. Completely trapped. You begin to wonder why he hasn't killed you yet.

As Godfrey's face loomed closer to yours, you could feel his hot breath on your skin. A shiver ran down your spine as he moved in toward your neck.

"What...What are you doing?" you stammered out, trying to squirm away from him.

Godfrey let out a deep chuckle. "Don't be afraid, Tarnished," he growled. "I simply haven't been with another for so long..."

With that, he pressed his lips against your neck and began to kiss and bite at the sensitive flesh there. Despite yourself, a moan of pleasure escaped from your lips.

You continued to struggle weakly against Godfrey, but his grip on you was too strong. He chuckled lightly as he felt you squirming beneath him.

"Relax yourself," he murmured into your ear. "I won't hurt you.....unless you wish for me to."

With that, Godfrey leaned in and began kissing and biting at your neck again. You could feel yourself growing more and more aroused with each passing moment, despite the fact that this was all so unexpected.

His lips found a particularly sensitive spot on your neck and he began to suck eagerly at the flesh there. Before long, he had left a bright red hickey on your skin -- one that would likely take days to fade away.

"Gods..." you breathed out, unable to resist any longer.

As Godfrey continued to lavish attention on your neck, you found yourself growing increasingly lightheaded. His touch was electric, sending shivers down your spine and making your blood boil with desire. You let out another moan.

"You sound like a lovesick maiden," he teased as he nipped at your collarbone. "Perhaps you would be better suited to being my consort rather than the new Elden Lord."

He chuckled darkly as he moved back down to your neck once more, tracing his tongue along the sensitive flesh there. You let out a moan of pleasure that was louder than before as sensations rippled through you.

"Such sweet music," Godfrey murmured against your skin. "I could listen to it all day."

"Mmmm...please," you choke out, unable to keep yourself from begging for more.

Godfrey let out a low growl as he continued biting and kissing at your neck. His hands roamed over your body, pulling at the straps of your armor and exposing more skin for him to attack. You hear some of the armor's strings ripping apart.

"You like that, don't you?" he murmured against your skin. "I knew it...you were made for this."

You could feel yourself growing even more aroused at his words. It was true -- everything about Godfrey seemed to be designed to arouse you.

"I..." you began breathlessly, unsure of what else to say in the face of such overwhelming pleasure.

It wasn't before he tore away all of your clothing. You hiss as your hard cock is exposed to the cold air.

Godfrey's eyes roamed hungrily over your naked body as he chuckled darkly, taking in every inch of skin that was now on display. You felt incredibly vulnerable and exposed under his gaze, which seemed to strip you down to nothing more than the rawest essence of yourself.

"You're such a skinny and weak boy," he teased, tracing his fingertips lightly over your skin. "How do you expect to be able to handle everything that comes with being the new Elden Lord?"

Your cheeks burned red with embarrassment as Godfrey continued to taunt you. It was true -- compared to him, you were nothing but a weakling.

"I...I don't know," you stammered out weakly.

Godfrey let out a low growl as he leaned in closer, pressing his body against yours until you could feel the heat emanating off him like an inferno.

"Well, we'll just have to see if I can toughen you up then won't we?" He purred lowly into your ear.

You shuddered involuntarily at the sensation before letting out another moan.

Godfrey then backs off of you, you took a deep breath and braced yourself for what was to come. You could feel his gaze on your naked body as he began to work on removing his own loincloth and groin coverings.

"There's a good boy," he growled deeply in his throat. "You're not going anywhere, are you?"

Your face burned bright red at the suggestion that you might flee. To be honest, you weren't entirely certain whether or not that was what you wanted to do -- but for now, at least, there was no denying the overwhelming attraction that pulled you inexorably towards him.

"N-no," you stammered out weakly.

Godfrey let out a low chuckle as he finished undressing himself completely. His massive member sprang free from its confines and stood proud between his legs like some kind of wild beast leashed and ready to pounce upon its prey.

Out of nowhere, Godfrey pulled you towards him, it all happened so quickly that your mind barely had a chance to keep up. Before you knew it, you were astride him, with his massive manhood pressing against your skin as he lay under you.

He chuckled darkly as he looked up at you and saw the confusion written plainly on your face.

"Don't look so surprised," he growled in response to the expression on your face. "I'll let you be on top...this time."

You could see a small smirk spreading across his lips as he spoke those words -- clearly enjoying the idea of throwing a bone to someone whom he viewed as being decidedly beneath him.

His words made your cheeks burn bright red as you felt the unmistakable sensation of your cock rubbing against his bare chest. You groaned softly under your breath as pleasure rippled through you at the thought of there being "another time".

Godfrey let out another low laugh before reaching up to grab hold of your hips firmly, guiding them back and forth over his slick chest while making sure that it was getting stimulated in every possible way.

You whimpered as your cock rutted against him. Godfrey seems to like the sounds you make as he lets out a hum of approval.

As you kept rutting against Godfrey's chest, grinding your erect manhood over his skin with an intensity you had never felt before. You're lost in pleasure as he keeps touching you everywhere.

Suddenly something else came into play. You feel the hot and hard length of Godfrey's monstrous cock sliding between your ass cheeks, brushing against your puckered hole and making a low groaning noise grow louder in your throat. His hands tightened on your hips as he bucked up into you again and again, each thrust sending shivers down your spine.

You couldn't help but feel nervous as you felt the tip of Godfrey's massive cock pressing against your tight little asshole. You knew that this was going to hurt -- after all, he was so big compared to you, and you were still a virgin back there.

"Please…please be gentle," you begged in a soft voice, sounding more shy and vulnerable than ever before.

Godfrey let out another deep chuckle at your words before responding with a grin on his face. "I'll think about it," he growled darkly, clearly enjoying the power dynamic between the two of you.

As he began to push himself inside of you slowly and steadily though one thing became clear: He had no intention of being gentle at all.

Pain ripped through your body as Godfrey pushed into you inch by agonizing inch. Tears sprung to your eyes as wave after wave of excruciating agony washed over you, making it impossible for anything else beyond sheer raw pain take place.

Godfrey let out low grunts of pleasure as he powered his way deeper inside of your tightening ass cheeks. His grip on your hips tightened even further until it felt like they might snap under the pressure from his powerful fingers alone.

"You can handle more than that tarnished," he growled harshly as sweat dripped down onto both of their bodies from the effort.

You had barely even had a chance to brace yourself before Godfrey suddenly slammed his massive cock into you all the way with an almost brutal force. The pain was intense and overwhelming, causing you to cry out in agony as your entire body convulsed with the shock of it.

You tried to move up but he held your hips down, forcing you to take it as he chuckled darkly in pleasure at your expense. You were completely helpless beneath him, submitting to his every whim without any choice or say in the matter.

"That's it, good boy," he growled harshly into your ear as sweat dripped from both of their bodies. "Just lay there and take it like I know you can."

The pain was excruciating, but somehow you managed to hold back the tears that threatened to spill from your eyes. You tried to focus on anything else beyond the fiery ache that seemed to consume every fiber of your being.

Godfrey continued to thrust upwards into you, each powerful stroke sending new waves of agony rippling through your body. You could feel the sweat dripping from your body onto his chest as he pounded into you again and again.

You whimpered and moaned pathetically above him, unable to do anything except straddle him there and take it as he teased you with words that cut straight to the bone.

"I thought you wanted to become Elden Lord," he sneered in a raspy voice, clearly enjoying every moment of your torment. "Is this all it takes to break a weakling like yourself?"

You felt embarrassed by the words spilling from his lips but were powerless to do anything other than take it all as he ravaged your body with wild abandon. Every part of you tingled with pleasure that mingled with pain in ways that left you shaking uncontrollably.

As Godfrey continued to pound into you, you were surprised when he suddenly pulled you down onto his chest and began to fuck you even faster than before. Despite the insults and brutality that had gone before, it seemed as though he was claiming ownership over your body -- something that left you feeling both confused and aroused in equal measure.

"That's right," he growled darkly in pleasure beneath his breath. "You're mine now...all of you. I did say you'd do better as my consort."

You whimpered pitifully at Godfrey's words, your mind racing as you tried to keep up with the onslaught of sensations coursing through your body. The thought of being this massive man's consort made your cock throb as it rutted against his chest.

Without warning, Godfrey began to pump your stiff member in time with each deep thrust into your tender holes, sending waves of pleasure rippling down through every nerve ending in your body. You gasped for breath as pleasure and pain merged together into one overwhelming force that threatened to consume you completely.

"Fuck...I'm so close," Godfrey groaned in pleasure as sweat dripped down both of your bodies. "Can't hold back much longer..."

"That's it," Godfrey growled darkly as sweat dripped from his face onto the ground. "Let yourself go...submit to me completely."

His hand on your cock got faster, synched perfectly with the pace of his own thrusts. Pleasure coiled tightly inside you like a snake about to strike.

You were barely able to catch your breath as he bucked harder, plunging himself deep inside your body in one final push that sent shivers cascading through every nerve ending in your body.

Finally, with a low guttural moan, Godfrey exploded inside you -- coating your walls with his warm seed while making sure that every inch of himself was buried deep within your tight little hole.

You let out a low guttural moan at the feeling of the former first Elden Lord breeding you. Hot spurts exploded from the tip of your cock and onto his chest as wave after wave of pure ecstasy pulsed through every part of your being, leaving you spent and exhausted but ultimately satisfied beyond belief.

Godfrey lays on his back breathing heavily. You thought it might be a good time to make your escape, but before you can form a plan Godfrey wraps his strong arms around you and pulls you in close.

You open your mouth to demand he lets go but you hear him start to snore softly against your ear. A sense of relief washes over you, but then quickly transforms into embarrassment as you realize that his cock is still inside of your sore little hole.

You whimper pitifully at the feeling of him filling every inch of your tender walls, unable to do anything except lay there caged within his powerful frame. You have no choice but to remain there against Godfrey's sleeping form, staring at his chiseled features and muscular body as his snores reverberate throughout your own exhausted frame. He was pretty sexy when he wasn't brutalizing you, you admit to yourself begrudgingly.

You let out a long sigh.

"I hope Marika likes sharing"

[from-the-coffee-shop-in-edoras]

I'm back to talk a bit more about Teddy! (I love that you call him that, lol. Also, thank you for answering my questions!) Since I haven't read UT yet, and there's isn't much about Theodred's character in LOTR books, would you happen to know (or maybe even share some of your own headcanons) what kind of person he was? Passionate and somewhat hotheaded like Eomer? A bit more levelheaded? Really tall, or a bit on a shorter side? I know he was a strong and skilled warrior, but apart from that, I know almost nothing and I'd very much like to 😀 Thank you so much!

UT is definitely the best source for everything we know about Théodred as a person, so let’s start there and work our way forward!

What’s straight-up stated in UT: Théodred was a “vigorous” man, “devoted to the king” and “high in his affections.” He “remained steadfast” in his loyalties to Théoden and Éomer despite Gríma’s best efforts to turn them against each other.

What we can infer from UT: He was an excellent leader – his men are “well trained” and execute maneuvers in “good order.” He was INCREDIBLY brave – even after realizing that Saruman’s forces at the Fords were coming for him personally, he stood his motherfucking ground and went down fighting. He was beloved – Grimbold and Elfhelm nearly died rather than allow Saruman’s forces to carry his body away. He was strong – he took a fatal wound (likely from an axe) but hung on long enough to give last words to his men at the end of the battle. And he had an amazing sense of duty and love for his family – those last words were a request to be left at the Fords long enough to see his cherished cousin Éomer arrive and take up the defense of Rohan in his place.

What I believe to be true of him (i.e., my HC):

–Growing up in a house without other kids and with a busy father, he spent a lot of his early years alone or with his Aunt Théodwyn. He gravitated to solitary activities as a result. He liked reading, for example (Rohan’s royal family was literate!), and he got a love of plants from his aunt. He thought using the sun, some water and his own hands to bring beautiful flowers to life was the closest thing to magic that he’d ever experience.

–His best friend was Boromir, who he met on visits to his grandmother’s family in Gondor. They bonded over the shared pressures of being an heir and the shared loss of a mom, and they remained friends their whole lives, which ended within 24 hours of each other 😭. (I love a good Borodred romance fic as well, though that’s not my personal HC!)

–He was unafraid to challenge tradition. He accepted duty that was for the good of Rohan, but resisted anything that only worked to control him as a person. That’s why he was still unmarried in his 40s. He wouldn’t marry for expediency or for an heir; he held out for love and was just as happy for the crown to pass to Éomer’s line after his own death. He also tried to advocate for others in the royal family (*cough* Éowyn) who felt constrained by tradition.

–He was much calmer and more measured than Éomer. Part of that is age (Éomer was 13 years younger), and part of it was in their natures. Théodred was born a little introspective and thoughtful, whereas Éomer has canonical hotheads (i.e. Éomund) in his genes.

–It’s v. important to me that Théodred had joy in his life since otherwise it’s pretty tragic. I gave him a fiancee, Eadlin, who loved him FIERCELY and made him very happy, and I also gave him a dog – the kind that looks huge and scary but is actually a big goofball – because dogs are the absolute best and all my faves have them.

Now I risk blabbering on at even further length, so I’ll stop there. But thank you for asking about him! ♥️♥️♥️ Teddy is one of my absolute FAVORITES, and I love to both talk and hear about him!

[cienie-isengardu]

Cienie's take on Mandalorian Culture: Arasuum - stagnation as symbol of death, not sloth

The Funeral Rites of Taungs and later Mandalorian Warriors. <> Kad Ha’rangir and mandalorian traditional weapons (part 1 — part 2 — part 3 – part 4 – part 5)

Mandalorians: People and Culture [Star Wars Insider #86, 2006] introduced Arasuum as the god of Stagnation and Sloth:

“Mandalorians were once intensely religious but disillusionment with the old fanaticism and worship of war itself gave way to a far less supernatural belief system among modern Mandalorians. They now regard creation tales, such as Akaanati’kar’oya (The War of Life and Death) as parables to illustrate a deeper philosophical meaning rather than literal supernaturalism. The stars were mythologized as fallen kings of Mandalore, and there are tales of the mythosaurs, but the pragmatic and skeptical Mandalorians look for allegory in these stories. The manda - best described as a combination of the collective state of being, the essence of being Mandalorian, and an oversoul - is not viewed as a literal heaven. Traditionally, the Mando afterlife is seen as a plane of spiritual energy in constant conflict between stagnation, and the opportunity for change brought about by destruction - a parallel with modern theories of cosmology. In Mandalorian myth, this conflict is symbolized by the eternal war between the sloth-god Arasuum - the personification of idle consumption and stagnation - and the vigorous destroyer god Kad Ha’rangir, who forces change and growth on the universe. Every Mando warrior who dies is said to add to the army of the afterlife, defending wives and children living in its permanent, peaceful homestead - the only place Mandalorians believe they can ever reach a non-transitory state of existence.”

This description of Arasuum was repeated in following tie-in sources:

Excerpted from “Industry. Honor. Savagery: Shaping the Mandalorian Soul” keynote address by Vilnau Teupt, 412th Proceedings of Galactic Anthropology and History, Brentaat Academy, 24 ABY [2012, published in The Essential Guide to Warfare]:

“After being driven from ancient Coruscant, the Taungs relocated to Roon and then wandered the Outer Rim, leaving hints of their passage in various species’ chronicles and histories. But they attracted little notice until they conquered Mandalore around 7000 BBY. At that time Mandalore lay beyond the galactic frontier - but close to the Republic’s outlying trade routes. Soon, rumors reached the Republic of worlds ruled by ferocious warriors. They served the god Kad Ha’rangir, whose tests and trials forced change and growth upon clans he chose to be his people. In opposition to Kad Ha’rangir stood the sloth-god Arasuum, who sought to tempt the clans and drag them down into stagnation and idle consumption. By waging war in Kad Ha’rangir’s name and according to strict religious laws, the Mandalorian Crusaders defied Arasuum and showed themselves worthy of favor.”

and 

Death Watch Manifesto [2013, published as part of The Bounty Hunter Code: From the Files of Boba Fett]

Our history begins with the Taung, the Shadow Warriors we honor as our Progenitors. They originally dwelled on Coruscant, but their enemies drove them into the Outer Rim. Their clans traveled from planet to planet on orders from their war chief, who interpreted the will of their now-extinct gods: Kad Ha’rangir, the all-seeing creator of test and trials; Hod Ha’ran, the trickster agent of fickle fortune; and Arasuum the god of sloth, an enemy whispering and seducing with promises of peace [...].

“The ancient Mandalorian deities were led by all-seeing Kad Ha’rangir (left), shown here beside the trickster god Hod Ha’ran (central) and the slothful Arasuum (right).

The mentioned above works associate Arasuum with laziness and stagnation, even though those two terms aren’t synonymous, nor even closely tied to each other. Stagnation is, basically speaking, a lack of change that may be conditioned by various factors. Laziness though is a choice a person makes - a choice to not work or use as little effort as possible[1]. 

Arasuum is constantly accused of being sloth. In contrast, Kad Ha’rangir, as Destructor and as god sending trials to test his people plays an active role in mandalorian mythology. However, the same as with Kad Ha’rangir, I think the sources - and with it, in-universe knowledge - may not be accurate. Or more precisely, the modern academics’ conclusions are based on incomplete sources whose true meaning perhaps was lost over the centuries.

For example, Kad Ha’rangir is treated as one of the most important, if not outright the main deity, but as I was proving in previous analysis, sword - in mando’a: kad - did not have any special place in the culture of the original Mandalorians (Taung), as they hold mythosaur axes in high regard. Which puts into doubt the prominent position of god named after a weapon clearly favored by human Mandalorians who replaced the now-extinct Taungs. It does not mean there was never a god-Destructor in original mythology but rather allow us to assume the mandalorian culture has undergone many changes with passing time. If the Kad Ha’rangir himself may be a god reshaped to fit the needs of early human Mandalorians and their descendants, then the same could happen with Arasuum. 

Which is why I decided to analyze Arasuum and his role through the lens of three aspects:

Mandalorian language (Mando’a)

Official tie-in material 

widely understood Mandalorian culture

Let's start with the MANDALORIAN LANGUAGE

For those unfamiliar with Star Wars lore, mando’a is an official mandalorian language. Initially developed by composer Jesse Harlin as part of the soundtrack for the 2005 video game Republic Commando, it was expanded into functional language by Karen Traviss, the author or tie-in Republic Commando book series. The glossary included in her books evolved into a full dictionary and grammatical guide published on Traviss’ official page (archived version can be found here).

In short, Mandalorian language evolved from a few songs into a functional dialect that fans adapted and to this day are still developing for their own use. Understandable, the original mando’a published by Karen Traviss is an artificially created language but because it was made by the same person that at time shaped Mandalorian culture, we have a reason to assume the meaning of deities’ names wasn’t assigned at random.

And so we have a role of Destructor assigned to Kad Ha’rangir - in which kad is a word for sword/saber

while ha’rangir is derived from ha’ran or rangir, two words related to ash/destruction & hell. 

With publication of Bounty Hunter Code and The Essential Guide to Warfare comes Hod Ha’ran, another deity whose name and role correlate with similar meaning in mando’a:

The name of Arasuum brings an important detail - mandalorian language distinguishes between stagnation

and laziness.

As can be seen, there is no common element between those two words, as in: one word is not derived from the other, the way logically some meanings are connected.

If two names have direct correlation to gods’ mythological roles, why Arasuum wouldn’t be perceived by original Mandalorians the same as Kad Ha’rangir and Hod Ha’ran? And this is our first clue to understand Arasuum’s original role in mythology.

Arasuum, as his name suggests, remains the same. Is stagnant. In contrast Kad Ha’rangir is associated with vigor, the growth that happens to Mandalorian people. All three presented above source material associate Kad Ha’rangir with life (active energy), what from biological and symbolic perspectives is a constant change. Since both deities are part of the same myth titles as The War between Life and Death, logically thinking Arasuum, the unchanging god, should represent death as opposition to growth.

If we go with that logic, then facing and overcoming Kad Ha’rangir’s trials may mean surviving the hardship like fight (war). Each victory over death (stagnation) gives a warrior an unique experience that change them, though if the change is for better or worse may be secondary concern. Alive Mandalorian can’t stay the same, because those unable to grow will fail to survive another god’s trial and then will be lost to Arasuum. 

And this is the base ground for my theory that stagnation from mythological point is symbolic metaphor for death and with that, Arasuum is the god of death, not laziness.

The next part will explore the tie-in source material, with special focus on Death Watch Manifesto and political symbolism of Arasuum.

SIDE NOTES:

[1] Just to be clear here: no, needing to rest after hard work is not laziness, the same as lack of will to take action due to depression or other psychological or physical illness. 

[myhauntedsalem]

Spirit Animal Meanings

1. Ant: Diligence, unity, patience, self-control, sacrifice, loyalty and honesty.

2. Alligator: Retribution, creativity, efficiency, hostility, bravery, and efficiency

3. Anaconda: Balance, immortality, patience, power, wisdom, cunning, and elusiveness.

4. Albatross: Liberated, travel, limitless, good fate, sensitive and thoughtfulness.

5. Antelope: Efficacious, energetic, defensive, perceptive, keen eyesight and risk-taker.

6. Armadillo: Sensitive, defensive, trustworthy, calm, isolated and humble.

7. Beaver: Determined, visionary, defensive, inventor, fantasizer and subliminal.

8. Buffalo: Divine, strength, balance, thankfulness, wealth and firmness.

9. Bat: Ego, fear, challenge, keen-observation, inner-depth, illusion and clairvoyance.

10. Bear: Power, Bravery, understanding, peace, aggression, authority, solitude and majesty.

11. Bee: Communication, love, success, wisdom, wealth, hard work, protection and chastity.

12. Black Swan: Empathy, freedom, joy, dignity, loyalty and exposition.

13. Butterfly: Joy, romance, celebration, transformation, creativity, spirituality, and peace.

14. Bluebird: Flexibility, innovative, kindness, thankfulness, togetherness and glory.

15. Bull: Fertility, expressive, strength, courage, procurement and hasty.

16. Cardinal: Cheerful, brilliant, bold, extraordinary, dignity and trust.

17. Camel: Endurance, trust, commitment, determination, focus, humility, patience, and durability.

18. Cheetah: Quick thinking, passion, flexibility, quick-witted, freedom, progress, and protection.

19. Cat: Magic, curiosity, affection, observational-skills, secretive, supernatural, and mystery.

20. Cougar: Patience, observation, sensuality, courage, responsible, dependable and spiritual warrior.

21. Cuckoo: Flexibility, love, fortune, balance, shrewdness and insightful.

22. Caribou: Nomad, flexibility, sensitive, guidance and assurance.

23. Crane: Isolated, integrity, endurance, attentive, self- reliant and wisdom.

24. Crow: Magical, fearless, adaptability, manipulative, wisdom and transformation.

25. Deer: Love, generosity, elegance, grace, compassion, caring, safety, and determination.

26. Dove: Purity, gentleness, devotion, hope, love, communication, peace, and sacrifice.

27. Dog: Loyalty, bravery, friends, affection, protection, communication, patience, and devotion.

28. Dolphin: Harmony, defensive, assistance, resurgence, lively and strength.

29. Dragon: Transformation, defensive, motivational, authoritative, magical and strength.

30. Dragonfly: Transformation, lively, flexibility, connection, emotional and illusionary.

31. Eagle: Goal-oriented, focused, adventurous, resilient, vision, power and freedom.

32. Elephant: Strength, loyalty, determination, confidence, honor, pride, dignity, and royalty.

33. Emu: Flexibility, unity, expressive, lively, equality and transit.

34. Elk: Strength, self-reliant, cleverness, magnificent, generosity and dignity.

35. Falcon: Goal-oriented, fearless, authoritative, freedom, intelligence and victory.

36. Flamingo: Balance, goal-oriented, clear-sightedness, love, power, balance, and happiness.

37. Fox: Quick-witted, wisdom, luck, cleverness, curiosity, cunning, adaptability, and playfulness.

38. Frog: Transformation, sensitivity, peace, fertility, cleansing, rebirth, peace and power.

39. Gazelle: Alert, swift, consciousness, anticipation, refinement and lightness.

40. Goat: Firmness, self-reliant, isolated, vigor, alert and strength.

41. Grasshopper: Good fate, wealth, innovative, visionary, dynamic and progressive.

42. Giraffe: Individuality, intelligence, peace, farsightedness, cleverness, gentleness and patience.

43. Goose: Joy, bravery, guidance, fertility, loyalty, reliability, teamwork, vigilance, and wisdom.

44. Goldfinch: Courageous, defensive, dedication, happiness, luck and originality.

45. Hawk: Vision, alertness, nobility, cleansing, goal-oriented, strength, creativity and courage.

46. Hedgehog: Protection, flexibility, patience, kindness, strength and self-dependent.

47. Hippopotamus: strength, protection, wisdom, hard-working, fertile and balance.

48. Horse: Freedom, adventurous, freedom, mobility, independence, friendship and endurance.

49. Heron: Independent, balance, calm, intrusive, multi-tasking, and self-determined.

50. Hummingbird: Flexibility, love, wisdom, hope, healing, ability, ecstasy, and aggression

51. Inchworm: Logical, transformation, subtlety, concealment, and transmutation.

52. Jellyfish: Faith, transparency, illumination, acceptance, sensitivity, protection and intention.

53. Jaguar: Power, loyalty, speed, strength, grace, knowledge, fertility and rejuvenation.

54. Koala: Gratitude, healing, calmness, trust, empathy, magic, protection and pleasure.

55. Kiwi: Alert, fidelity, authoritative, cultural, genius and togetherness.

56. Ladybug: Good fate, true love, innocence, metamorphosis, pious intervention and illusionary.

57. Lion: Pride, courage, power, natural-born leaders, authority, dignity, wisdom, and fiery.

58. Lizard: Imagination, spirituality, sensitivity, adaptability, ego, intrusion, and quick-witted.

59. Loon: Patience, calm, connection, faithfulness, satisfaction and refreshment.

60. Magpie: Flexibility, communicative, fate, love, opportunity and attitude.

61. Monkey: Bold, confident, social, compassionate, playful, aggressive, creative and rebellious.

62. Moose: Endurance, intelligence, dignity, feminine, strength and impulsive.

63. Mosquito: Persistence, feminine, agility, direction, detection, self-confidence, and blunt.

64. Mouse: Stealth, modesty, understanding, dishonest, grounded, eye-for-details and innocence.

65. Mockingbird: Expression, thankfulness, defensive, lively, creativity and togetherness.

66. Meadowlark: Satisfaction, joy, wisdom, carousal, modesty and manifestation.

67. Orangutan: Creativity, gentle, solitude, ingenuity, honorable and logical.

68. Opossum: Wisdom, sensible, humble, togetherness, extraordinary and decisive.

69. Otter: Lively, cheerful, kindness, sensibility, dynamic and happiness.

70. Ox: Sacrifice, monogamy, grounded, longevity, strength and loyalty.

71. Osprey: Balance, visionary, potentiality, rigor, timing and opportunity.

72. Owl: Wisdom, secret-keeper, freedom, comfort, stealth, vision, protection and deception.

73. Panda: Adaptability, balance, determination, willpower, diplomacy, inner-sight, and solitude.

74. Panther: Courage, valor, power, protective, aggressive and feminine.

75. Peacock: Beauty, knowledge, self-esteem, foresight, endurance, royalty, love and sexuality.

76. Penguin: Community-minded, grace, discipline, confidence, sacrifice, spiritual and determination.

77. Pelican: Strong, selfless, warmth, responsible, defensive and kindness.

78. Porcupine: Innocence, visionary, self-involved, humble, togetherness and anxious.

79. Rabbit: Creativity, prosperity, intensity, love, cleverness, sensitivity, harmony, and imagination.

80. Rat: Kindness, fertility, foresight, intelligence, abundance, strength, success, and stealth.

81. Ram: Aloof, sensitive, hard-working, anxious, visionary and transformation.

82. Rhinoceros: Intelligence, isolated, decisive, endurance, liberated and insightful.

83. Raccoon: confidentiality, illusionary, bravery, emphatic, versatility and protection.

84. Reindeer: Accomplishment, abundance, endurance, strength, faith, tenacity and protection.

85. Rooster: Fearless, unique, intimacy, ego, nonconformity and intrusive.

86. Snake: Impulsive, power, shrewdness, transformation, magic, fear, wisdom and healing.

87. Salmon: Dignity, seriousness, intelligence, resurgence, spiritual, and firmness.

88. Swan: Grave, purity, love, beauty, power, elegance, devotion, calmness and balance.

89. Spider: Patience, creativity, protection, growth, aptitude, networking, balance and wisdom.

90. Sheep: Compassion, peace, purity, courage, progress, level-headed and humble.

91. Squirrel: Playful, social, balance, passionate, trust, hardworking, and resourcefulness.

92. Stork: Resurgence, creativity, responsibility, boldness, protective and fertility.

93. Tiger: Valor, power, pride, devotion, fearlessness, vigor, passion and royalty.

94. Turtle: Wisdom, patience, speed, endurance, fertility, longevity, protection and peace.

95. Turkey: gratification, generosity, connection, togetherness, hard-working and wealth.

96. Tarantula: Creativity, patience, self-protection, transformation, and intimidation.

97. Unicorn: Magic, love, faith, vision, innocence, purity, gentleness and grace.

98. Vulture: Loyalty, patience, quick-witted, goal-oriented, trust, vision, and perception.

99. Wasp: Aggressive, creative, fertility, intelligence, teamwork, enthusiasm and determination.

100. Wolf: Protection, partnership, loyalty, compassion, spirituality, togetherness, and power.

101. Whale: Wisdom, power, strength, self-reliance, protection, bravery and ancestry.

102. Woodpecker: Intelligence, healing, unique, connection, revelation and perception.

[mariacallous]

The removal of Qin Gang from his post as China’s foreign minister after a weeks-long disappearance fostered a few zesty rumors. Talk of affairs, conspiracies, and corruption has bounced around the net even as other policymakers have been replaced. But whatever sparked Qin’s fall, the impact on Chinese foreign policy and governance will be insignificant—as many of the purges party rule tends to invite are.

The former foreign minister’s fall surprised many observers. Qin had enjoyed a successful career: rising through the ranks, including at multiple positions focusing on Western Europe and the United Kingdom, and gradually building his public profile. There were few apparent blemishes on his record. In 2021, Qin was promoted to ambassador to the United States over the Foreign Ministry’s preferred candidate after being favored by Chinese President Xi Jinping himself. Xi was believed to appreciate Qin’s ability to ardently defend his perception of China’s interests without the same abrasiveness of lesser lights such as notorious—and now bureaucratically exiled—wolf warrior spokesman Zhao Lijian. We still don’t know why Qin was toppled, or what his fate will be, but it came out of the blue. He was only appointed to lead the Foreign Ministry at the end of December 2022.

For several reasons, however, Qin’s removal is unlikely to cause so much as a ripple in China’s foreign policy. The first reason is the nature of the role of foreign minister within the Chinese party-state. Foreign ministers generally do not serve within the Politburo, the 24-member Chinese Communist Party (CCP) body responsible for deliberating and setting major policies for the party-state. Qin was not a member of the Politburo. Zhou Enlai, Mao Zedong’s second, once held considerable sway as both premier and foreign minister; but since the beginning of the reform movement, foreign ministers have not had the same significance in China that they do in parliamentary democracies or that the secretary of state does in the United States.

Formally, the foreign minister is not even the highest diplomatic position within the party-state; that distinction goes to the director of the General Office of the CCP Central Committee Foreign Affairs Commission. Wang Yi, who now holds the strange distinction of being Qin’s both predecessor and successor as foreign minister, has also retained his position leading the General Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission. In the political structure of the People’s Republic of China, positions within the Communist Party are above state positions within the hierarchy of power. As such, in leading the General Office, Wang outranked Qin while Qin was still foreign minister. Moreover, major foreign policy decisions are all made by the president and Party chairman (who leads the Foreign Affairs Commission and the Central Military Commission), a practice that has only intensified under Xi Jinping.

One of Qin’s key roles on his way to leading the Foreign Ministry was his time as foreign ministry spokesperson, from 2005 to 2010. He also led the Foreign Ministry’s Information Department. Under Xi, a premium has been placed on personnel who defend the CCP’s version of China’s interests most vigorously. Many caustic comments that ruffled feathers abroad met with approval from superiors in Beijing. Wang harangued a Canadian reporter for what he called her “prejudice against China” and “arrogance” and was subsequently promoted. Zhao made numerous inflammatory remarks and was promoted to being Ministry spokesperson, before his subsequent demotion. And Qin himself castigated a reporter for bringing up the crimes against humanity taking place in China’s Xinjiang province, claiming they were “fabrications,” before his promotion to foreign minister.

While foreign ministers play major roles in most governments and can even come to lead governments in parliamentary systems, in China the foreign ministry’s most politically relevant charge is arguably public communications regarding diplomatic issues. The role it plays in strategic decisions is often more ancillary. As such, while the office of foreign minister is prominent, its occupant is disposable.

Wang himself is another reason Qin’s dismissal is unlikely to cause major changes. Wang is an experienced figure. There is no reason to believe he will not toe the line or perform similarly to Qin. He speaks with Qin’s same fervency but largely avoids major pitfalls. Both men have taken an interest in supporting foreign authoritarian forces, such as Myanmar’s junta. Wang already served above Qin and is therefore unlikely to enact major policy changes while he occupies both offices.

A further reason there will be no major shifts in Chinese foreign policy following Qin’s downfall is that the demotion bears few signs of factional strife. If the Foreign Ministry changed hands and factions were to blame, that would be significant. But after more than a decade of power consolidation by Xi, as far as can be told from the outside, few forces that could rise to the level of being considered factions remain. While “wolf warrior diplomacy” has become the common term for diplomats who brashly defend the CCP’s perception of Chinese interests abroad, it is not a true faction but more a style that has been in favor with leaders during the Xi era—and so has been adopted by diplomats who took a more conciliatory tone in earlier times. Both Wang and Qin have occasionally displayed elements of the style but not to the point of separating them from their peers. Some foreign ministry officials may be happy at the chance for advancement that Qin’s rapid departure provides, but there is no sign of any faction looking to take Chinese diplomacy in a radically different direction.

Qin’s dismissal comes at a fraught moment for Chinese power. A corruption purge is ongoing in the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force—a military branch that would be essential in any future Chinese military action. Further purges and bureaucratic maneuvers silence critical thought within the party and tighten Xi’s powerful vise. Most importantly, the engine of Chinese economic growth that spurred China’s expansive ambitions for decades is sputtering. Unemployment is growing and the risk of deflation is real. Foreign investment in China is plummeting. The colossal property bubble that more than a decade ago was called the largest in history is popping. And public statistics likely offer a more sanguine view than the actual economic reality.

While Qin’s fall matters little individually, coming during new purges that continue to roil the governance structure, it does speak to Xi’s unwillingness or inability to settle on a loyal inner circle that can help perpetuate his reign. This is not always the case in authoritarian countries. Sergey Lavrov has been Russia’s foreign minister for more than 19 years. Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla has been Cuba’s minister of foreign affairs for 14 years. Xi has consistently promoted loyalists, yet those once deemed devoted insiders, such as Qin and former Vice President Wang Qishan, have often found themselves sidelined after their moment in the sun.

While such changes may not always be purposeful, with disloyalty and corruption emerging and interrupting careers, the rotating cast around Xi likely advances his absolutism by preventing the formation of large factions and power bases beyond Xi himself, ensuring that power radiates outward from Xi alone. With few figures able to permanently access Xi, foreign intelligence services are also likely forced to change targets more frequently than in a more placid power structure. Still, the perennial purges maintain a sense of uncertainty within the Chinese government as well as in those countries that engage with it. When former officials are punished through their professional and familial connections, current officials are surely more wary of forming productive working relationships. When Xi first came to power, the corruption investigations and purges helped him consolidate power. Now they are a way of life.

News articles and public discussions of international affairs often focus on relationships and personalities. The rapport between leaders and policymakers often makes more engaging reading and discussion than the enduring structural factors that circumscribe those leaders. Questions of deportment and rumors of intrigue and conspiracy have always played a role in diplomacy. Such matters are magnified within an opaque governance system such as that of the People’s Republic of China. But while the drama of Qin’s disappearance and departure makes for good reading, it’s unlikely to shift Beijing’s policy.

[fairyoctopus]

notn wrapped

after grinding in the bamboo falls, i have:

13 baku, 8 dreameaters, 5 ethereal tricksters, 4 tengu, 2 gale wolves, 4 umbra wolves, only 2 each of the hainu somehow, 8 fungalhoof qiriq, 2 blacktalon strikers, 11 raptorik warriors, 7 tigerblood foo, 2 mantled foo, and 5 wandering surgepriests.

75 total.

for notn familiars, ive got:

5 snarling mimics, 7 ectoplasmimes, 4 jawlockers, 7 animated statues, only 1 deadly reflection! wow, 4 ensorcelled volumes, 7 living sculptures, 3 magic mirrors, 2 opposing forces, 9 painted marionettes, 6 spellbound tomes, 2 unlikely alliances, 10 wooden marionettes, 5 axe mimics, 6 crooked hatchets, 6 ball-jointed bogsneaks, 4 bogsneak puppets, 5 calculating candelabras, 4 smoldering sconces, 5 crystal carriers, 3 orbiting spirits, 6 enchanted armaments, 5 sorcerous arms, 4 glowing globes, 3 living luminances, 3 masked phantoms, 5 veiled visions, 10 serpentine lamps, 4 vulpine lamps, 6 animated armors, 5 spirit armors, 3 ravenous cauldrons, 5 curious kettles, 3 colubrid columns, 6 serthis supports, 3 inquisitive shrouds, 4 valorous capes, 3 poltergeist piles, 5 transmuted treasures, 7 antique chairs, 3 spidered seats, 6 tick-tocks, 8 time devourers, 4 tricky telescopes, 3 mischievous magnifiers, 3 blooming hedgehides, 4 overwatered seedlings, only 1 ghost viola!, 9 dirge fiddlefiends, 5 pinpush mirror dolls, 6 four-eyed phylacteries, 5 scroll stealers, 7 kyorinrin, 7 vigilant spears, 6 apparition lances, 8 banshee brooches, 5 cryptic cameos, 6 dancing chalices, 11 vigorous goblets, 9 swinging chandeliers, 5 pitfall fixtures, 4 spritely portraits, 7 furious fauns, 5 seething stoves, 3 bouncy broilers, 4 battered vases, 7 glazed sentries, 5 manticore's mights, 5 catty cannons, 11 wicker dragons, 3 tinder toys, only 1 silverstring harp, 5 veilspun verses, 2 bewildered brooms, 6 steadfast sweepers, 6 magic carpets, 6 raucous runners, 4 poltergeist pianos, 6 killer keyboards, 5 writer's aid, 3 encouraging quills, 3 rock paper scissors, 3 decision makers, 6 leisure loaves, 3 danger decors, 3 brass knockers, 10 guest greeters, 4 curious parasols, 3 splendiferous sunshades, 5 salt and peppers, 7 sugar and spices, 15 book swarms, 9 book hoards, 8 undertide fidget toys, 9 articulated fidget toys, 9 nutcrackers, 14 snapper nutcrackers, 7 formal tea sets, 5 afternoon teas, 10 bands of companionship, 10 venom rings, 26(!!) crystal curiosities, 7 ponder orbs, 14 dismayed devilwoods, 11 wallowing willows, 20 eerie baubles, 24 enchanted jewelries, 24 entrapping shackles, 15 treacherous irons, 16 littlest snapdragons, 21 snappish plantings, 16 rogue apparels, AND 13 whimsical ensembles.

APPAREL:

conjurer's set: 36

9 cloaks, 6 cobwebs, 7 hats, 7 pouches, 7 staves

ghost flame set: 44

3 candles, 16 cloaks, 4 collars, 9 headpieces, 4 tail jewels, 3 tail ribbons, 5 wing ribbons

jolly jester's set: 47

8 caps, 7 gloves, 6 collars, 6 capes, 8 tail bells, 7 wing covers, 5 stockings

haunting amber set: 63

9 crowns, 12 pendants, 6 grasps, 9 forejewels, 9 taildecors, 6 clawrings, 12 shrouds

plasmpool set: 67

8 armets, 11 scarves, 4 flightshrouds, 9 tassets, 10 grimplates, 5 tailspines, 11 hindcallouses, 9 forecallouses

woeful set: 39

4 footpads, 6 gambesons, 5 gloves, 6 hoods, 7 vials, 5 tools and 6 presences

the rest: 114

10 sky crystals, 9 book collections, 13 gold starswirls, 10 candle and 10 black candle cascades, 14 timepieces, 27 fanciful castings, and 21 first wishes

necklaces: 60

12 stags, 11 cats, 8 owls, 13 ravens, 9 orcas, 7 wolves

conclusion: help me.

764 familiars. if we add it with the bamboo falls ones, we have 839 total familiars.

470 pieces of apparel.

i am going to be melting these down all year.

[michael-drummey]

Achilles x Patroclus: Part 2, Harmful Stereotypes in Modern Media

**Since my last post on this blew up! Here is just a little more on the subject & some of the nonsense I have seen & experienced on said topic online & in other forms of media**

For anyone who needs proof that Achilles & Patroclus were always and originally presented as a gay couple in a committed relationship mapped out in The Iliad (see my original post here) SOME in our society (not those who are properly educated) like to project harmful & stereotypical LGBTQ+ tropes on Homer’s material & their representation in other forms of media that are still prevalent today such as:

 “Gay as not the Main Character” - The Iliad starts with the lines “RAGE: Sing, Goddess, Achilles’ rage,” so right at the start this Story we meet Achilles; obviously he is crucial in the story’s plot, yet even for his importance in this story it is not named for him, the focus is on Troy. Achilles is “Greatest of all the Greeks” but is remembered for all his bad qualities, while others like Agamemnon who is also deeply flawed or Odysseus, get the recognition of trying to reason with Achilles, and are seen as the more reasonable leaders set on winning the war. Achilles and Patroclus get reduced to just once aspect of the story, then once they are dead, we get The Odyssey and our new main boy Odysseus. The wily & super straight war hero trying to get home to his darling wife and son, which leads us to our next trope...

“Bury your Gays” - Achilles and Patroclus are obviously coded as homosexual even though the Ancient Greeks did not have a word to use for gay, but it is none the less glaringly obvious. Patroclus is killed by Hector when he rides into battle to help his fellow Greeks and retain Achilles’ Honor, thus setting in motion the events that will unleash Achilles’ Rage upon Hector and the Trojans. We also find out later in The Odyssey Achilles died when Odysseus meets him in The Underworld where he stands off with Patroclus so check check for both stories. This is a huge piece of Homer’s story, but so many times Patroclus is forsaken and treated as a plot point not as a character who’s fate changes the course of the story, they view him as a “gotta go” kind of sidekick to Achilles.

“Depraved Homosexual & Loose Bisexual” - Either perverse and/or murderous the “depraved homosexual” trope portrays the gay character as possessing all quirks and qualities one/society considers undesirable. Achilles is vengeful and refuses to fight when Agamemnon tarnishes his honor, then when Patroclus is killed Achilles is completely inconsolable, wishing to end his life, he weeps for days on end in bed with the body of Patroclus. When he unleashes that grief (The Rage of Achilles) he is reduced to a killing machine hellbent on nothing but avenging his beloved’s death, which eventually will lead to his own demise. He is rarely referred to as a 3-dimensional character with complex emotions from this point on. As one who has suffered in this war, lost his honor & lost the love of his life, which has caused all that is human in him to die as well; he succumbs to his pain. His wrath is what so many know him for even if they haven’t read the story, They just see him as a ferocious warrior, but so few know the full context behind his actions, or love to claim he did what he did because his “best friend” was killed. Some forms of media love to also portray them as bisexual, where we are given over the top sex scenes, and shown two men who are meant to be “less than” for their sexual freedom/lack of sexual morals. While it really has nothing to do with that and just creates more biphobia and erasure. We are never are shown them happily and honestly committed to each other, which leads us to our next stereotype.

“Everyone is Straight” - SOME Historians, Scholars, Writers, Movies love to predominately present characters as “all straight or only straight”. Since The Iliad was recorded people have been debating if Achilles & Patroclus were an item or not. Personally I think the evidence is overwhelming and plain as day, (you do not share a tent & bed with just your homie, Rage as Achilles did at Patroclus’ death, then keep his body in your bed yearning for his “μένος” (menos) aka manly vigor and semen, then get your ashes buried together in the same urn, just for someone to say “They were Best Friends Forever!” There is more than enough evidence to say Homer wrote them as gay, but some love to throw the “Briseis Argument” out there saying he intended to marry her, and she was his girl, ie. lots of gratuitous sex scenes to follow. If that were so, why does he only take her into his bed once at the end of Book 24? He had 10 years what was stopping him? And why did he wish her dead when he receives the body of Patroclus? Truthfully you would be sad your friend died, but at least its not your lover, right? Unless, wait what happened to Achilles when Patroclus died?... oh right, that’s the reaction of a man who has lost his best friend, lover, basically entire world, so “Bye Briseis!” you were a broken man’s booty call, time to move along. (Not that there is anything wrong with being a booty call, but in The Iliad that’s what Homer gave us to work with and this ones more directed at Hollywood and Straights™ who like to ignore all historical context.)

Now we know that these tropes did not exist when The Iliad was recorded, and Homer did not set out with the mind set “gotta kill these gays!” the word homosexual did not exist until 1869, it is not like being LGBTQ+ people just popped up then too. But viewing the story with some of these lens we can more clearly see these modern tropes and stereotypes 1. Can exist in pieces of art and literature despite the time the story was told. 2. Hurtful stereotypes affect the way people translate & view stories, peoples, cultures, etc. A prime example I still find it shocking when people say “weren’t they just cousins!?” (NO) 3. Not thinking critically and thoughtfully about such a piece, prevents others from truthful experiences, and devalues the meaning and emotion one gets from reading or telling such a story. 4. It is modern weaponizing & blatant erasure of those LGBTQ+ (fictional and non-fictional characters) that came before us to present a false narrative of heteronormativity. 

In the end, as I stated, Homer did not use these stereotypes, these stories would have been sung and told in a way that captivated its audience, which they obviously are still doing today. Homer is a phenomenal storyteller, truly a classic and one of the best, but some still feel the need to straightwash these characters. So next time someone tries to say Homer never wrote Achilles and Patroclus as gay lovers, there is no evidence in The Iliad to support it, and that we cannot look at them through a modern lens. Or call out others who choose to ignore history, facts, and context, you can say “You Can! and Yes, Achilles x Patroclus are 100% in a committed gay relationship!” 

[raeynbowboi]

The Character Forge: How to Play as Damien Lavey in DnD 5e

Today I’m making a build for everybody’s favorite spicy red baby from Monster Prom, Damien Lavey. So showcase how bold and fun you are over a bowl of knives amid the romantic glow of arson, as we conspire to dance with the devil on prom night.

The Prince of Hell

First things first, we need to be a Tiefling. Asmodeus is the standard cut of Tiefling and gets +2 CHA and +1 INT and the ability to cast Hellish Rebuke and Darkness once per long rest without using a spell slot. However, another option for subrace is Zariel Tiefling, which get +2 CHA and +1 STR and the ability to cast Searing Smite and Branding Smite. Choose whichever you feel is better for your build.

For Alignment, this guy is a psychopath, but then, most of the characters in Monster Prom are horrifyingly and endearingly amoral. We’ll call him Chaotic Neutral because just as much as he’s wiling to break the law to help you, he’ll also do it just to amuse himself. Or just for the fun of breaking the law.

For background, Damien is the Prince of Hell, and his fathers conquered Hell together. So, while it’s tempting to label him a Criminal, he’s a Noble.

Skills and Abilities

Damien appears to be completely immune to fire, and while he starts fires with matches and gasoline, there’s also an instance where he throws fire at people from the top of a stolen food pile among other times, so he has some limited use of fire magic. There is an instance where he jumps out of a pizza oven, which even the Narrator is uncertain whether Damien can teleport through fire, or if he was just waiting there in the oven for your character to show up. He has also drank straight fire, and has a literal furnace in his stomach that causes him to eat a lot of food very quickly.

Damien seems to be magically resistant to mortal wounds. While competing with Polly over whose flasks contains better stuff, Damien has a flask of radioactive absinthe, and he finds a fist fight to be a turn on which suggests that he must be supernaturally durable.

The Class Rebel

Barbarian Damien is an angry guy with a love for violence and Polly states that his talent is hitting things. As a Barbarian, Damien would become an embodiment of rage and savage warfare, but at the penalty of losing access to his spell options while raging.     Desert Storm Herald: When you rage, you create a 10 foot aura that wreathes you in flames. Creatures within your aura take Fire damage, you gain Fire resistance, ignite flammable objects with your bare hands, grant your allies Fire resistance while within your aura, and retaliate against anyone who dares hit you with a searing Fire counterattack.     Zealot: Your rage is fueled by a vow of unholy piety to wage war for your dark lord. This subclass lets you imbue your weapon attacks with added Necrotic damage, be revived from death without costing the necromancer material components, reroll a failed roll while raging, fill allies with unholy fury to give them advantage, and straight up refusing to die.

Paladin Whenever you encounter Damien at the auditorium, his designated costume appears to be some sort of black knight. Damien loves warfare and fighting, even claiming that his actual battle attire is really just 700 knives held together with barbed wire. Paladins are usually beacons of moral purity, there are some dark variants of this wholesome class.     Conquest: Conquest Paladins are focused on crushing opposition to their tyrannical rule. Considering you cheer Damien up about being the heir to Hell by reminding him he can wage war as king, this could work nicely for him. You become so terrifying that it actually hurts those who are afraid of you, punish those foolish enough to hit you, and become an avatar of combat.     Oathbreaker: While Damien has never made an oath to break, Oathbreaker Paladins create an aura of hatred that empowers fiends and undead, resist bludgeoning, slashing, and piercing damage from nonmagical weapons, and become such an embodiment of rage and fear that being near you causes mental trauma on your enemies.

Sorcerer Most fire spells are only listed as being in the Sorcerer and Wizard spell lists, and Damien obviously has strong fire associations.     Pyromancy: Your bloodline has strong associations with fire. You gain resistance and later, immunity to fire damage, and your fire spells deal added damage.

Warlock Most of the time when a character fits Warlock, the lack of spells is usually a major hang-up, but luckily, Damien’s use of magic is extremely limited to being able to throw fire. Also, in an adorable side pic by the crew, Damien is seen playing DnD with Zoe, Liam, Oz, and Slayer, and he seems to be dressed like a spellcaster, which to me looks more like a Warlock than anything else.     Fiend: An alternative option to Sorcerer’s selection of fire spells, and as the Prince of Hell, of course his powers come from infernal sources.     Hexblade: Hexblade Warlocks get the ability to swing with CHA instead of STR for weapon damage, as well as letting him bind the souls of his victims into being his slaves. While Damien doesn’t have a specific special sword, he does like knives and swords, so he likely has one that matters enough to him to bother forging a bond with it.

For this build, an Oathbreaker Paladin is very useful, as it lets you add your CHA mod to your melee weapon attack, making Hexblade irrelevant because this boost also increases the power of other fiends, letting you raise and then empower an army of the damned. So, by coupling this with a Fiend Warlock, your melee weapon attacks can deal your normal sword damage, with both your STR mod AND your CHA mod to make you an extremely deadly infernal warrior while still giving you access to fire magic and demonic powers.

Stats and Proficiencies

All of your casting options cast with Charisma, and having a high CHA stat also makes you better at lying and scaring people, so it’s a good stat for Damien to have a lot of. Strength is the other stat you’ll want maxed out so that your Oathbreaker subclass can make you an avatar of pain and carnage. After that, a high Constitution is important so that you can shrug off a stab wound or pierce your nipple with a handgun instead of a piercing gun without dying like a noob. You’ll want a decent Dexterity, but it’s not super necessary for the build. Wisdom and Intelligence will get dumped though. Damien’s not even close to top of the class, and it’s pretty easy to fool and coerce him to believe something, so he’s not exactly wise either. Then again, his strength is punching things, and that’s what his build is focused on doing.

Name: Damien Lavey Race: Zariel Tiefling Background: Noble Alignment: Chaotic Neutral Class: Oathbreaker Paladin (8)             Fiend Warlock (12) Base Stats: Strength: 20 (+5) Dexterity: 12 (+1) Constitution: 16 (+3) Intelligence: 8 (-1) Wisdom: 8 (-1) Charisma: 20 (+5) Saving Throws: Strength: +10 Dexterity: +6 Constitution: +8 Intelligence: +4 Wisdom: +10 Charisma: +16 Combat Stats: HP: 172 AC: 16 Speed: 30 Initiative: +1 Number of Attacks: 2 Hit Dice: 8d10, 12d8 Proficiency Bonus: +6 Passive Perception: 9 Dark Vision: 120 feet Proficiencies:    Athletics   History   Intimidation   Persuasion Skills: Acrobatics: +1                  Medicine: -1 Animal Handling: -1         Nature: -1 Arcana: -1                        Perception: -1 Athletics: +11                   Performance: +5 Deception: +5                  Persuasion: +11 History: +5                       Religion: -1 Insight: -1                         Sleight of Hand: +1 Intimidation: +11               Stealth: +1 Investigation: -1                Survival: -1

Damage Resistances     Fire Condition Immunities     Disease

Equipment:     Chainmail: It’s not 700 knives held together with barbed wire, but it’s interlocking bits of metal, so close enough.     Longsword: It’s just a prop, but Damien uses one in the play. Deal 1d6+13 Slashing Damage +5 Necrotic Damage on a melee weapon attack.

Paladin Feature: Fighting Style    Dueling: One-handed weapon attacks deal +2 damage.

Warlock Feature: Pact Bond     Pact of the Blade: You forge a bond with a weapon, and gain the ability to summon and dismiss it at will. The weapon counts as magical.

Warlock Feature: Eldritch Invocations     Agonizing Blast: Eldritch Blast deals +5 damage on hit.     Devil’s Sight: 120 feet of normal and magical darkvision     Fiendish Vigor: Cast False Life on self at will. Gain 1d4+4 temp hit points.     Relentless Hex: Teleport within 5 feet of a cursed target as a bonus action.     Superior Pact Weapon: Your pact weapon deals an added +2 damage.     Lifedrinker: When you hit with your pact weapon, deal +5 Necrotic damage.

Warlock Feature: Mystic Arcanum     Investiture of Flame

Spell Slots 1st (4) 2nd (3) 5th (3)

Damien’s Spellbook

Cantrips                      2nd Level     Booming Blade           Branding Smite     Create Bonfire            Crown of Madness     Eldritch Blast              Darkness     Sacred Flame             Scorching Ray     Thaumaturgy           3rd Level     Toll the Dead               Fireball     True Strike                  Summon Lesser Demons 1st Level                      4th Level     Burning Hands            Elemental Bane     Command                   Shadow of Moil     Compelled Duel          Summon Greater Demon     Hellish Rebuke         5th Level     Hex                              Flame Strike     Searing Smite              Hallow     Wrathful Smite             Infernal Calling                                         Negative Energy Flood

Actions:

Divine Sense Detect Celestial, Fiend, or Undead. Detect Holy or Unholy energy. Lay on Hands Pool of 40 HP to distribute or 5 points to cure poison or disease.

Features:

Aura of Hate You, Fiends, and Undead within 10 ft add +5 to weapon damage Aura of Protection You and allies within 10 ft. get +5 on saving throws Channel Divinity: Control Undead An undead within 30 feet of you must pass a WIS throw or obey you for 24 hours. Channel Divinity: Dreadful Aspect Choose any creature in 30 feet to become afraid of you for 1 minute on a failed WIS throw. Channel Divinity: Harness Divine Power Use Channel Divinity to restore a used 1st Level spell slot. Dark One’s Blessing Gain 17 Temp HP upon reducing a creature to 0 HP. Dark One’s Own Luck Once per rest, add 1d10 to a skill check. Divine Smite Sacrifice a spell slot, deal (x+1)d8 radiant damage, +1d8 on fiends and undead. Dueling Fighting Style Add +2 to one-handed melee weapon attack damage Fiendish Resilience When you finish a rest, choose damage to resist. Mystic Arcanum Cast Investiture of Flame once per long rest without spell slots Position of Privilege You belong in high society, lowborn bend over backwards to make you comfortable, and you can get an audience with other nobles.

With this build, Damien is an avatar of carnage, dealing anywhere from 20-25 damage with every melee weapon attack and getting two attacks per turn for 40+ damage, he’s absolutely phenomenal at slaughtering his enemies. Quite fitting for this adorkable pyromaniac. How do you feel I did with this build? Would you build Damien differently? Which player character do you like to chase the Spicy Red Baby with? I’m partial to Brian x Damien. And do you have a character you’d like to see me build? I take requests. And as always, thanks for joining me in the Character Forge, where heroes are made.

[amazingsphelon]

Hello for today’s UPDATE! 08/31/2020

I have finished another 4 of my OC Gijinkas on a different posture

========================================================

Link of the original previous post:

Gijinka Pokemon 1st 4 Update

Gijinka WIP Update:

Gijinka Sketches (1st Post)

————————————————-

From left to right:

Blare the Blaziken, Aedris the Aggron, Aeshi the Gardevoir and Melody the Milotic.

Also You can check out their profile, bio and storylines overhere including a few early sketches per each character:

============================================================= Miashe Blare - The The Fiery Fighter Blaziken =============================================================

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

Miashe Blare - The Blaziken **just completely Blare

Age: 17

———————————–

Attacks: Has a gold gauntlet that allows her to cast additional moves.

Blaze Kick, Double Kick, Mirror Move,Sky Uppercut, Fire Blast

Human Fighting Style:

Pankration + Muay Thai

Origin Similarities: Greek + Asia (Japanese)

Likes: Tough Battles, Battling against Water Practitioners, Adventures

Dislikes: Being called a Tomboy

================================================ Miashe Blare is an martial arts adventurer, travelling with her companions Aedris and Aeshi in search for treasures and loots galore. Her dreams was to participate on the famous tournament to be one day be among the stars of the fame, searching for stronger opponents and the curse of the "Mythical Birth Fragment" marks surrounding it's bizarre power and mystery.

PROFILE/BIO EXTENTION LINK and SKETCHES:

https://amazingsphelon.tumblr.com/post/625837829585600512/08072020-greetings-today-guys-for-todays?is_highlighted_post=1

============================================================= Aedris Stonebreaker - The Vigorous Adventurer Aggron =============================================================

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

Aedris - The Aggron** Aedris Stonebreaker

Age: 21-24

———————————–

Attacks: **Has a mace that allows him to cast more moves

Strength, Metal Claw, Iron Tail, Double Edge, Brick Break, Earthquake

Human Fighting Style:

Medieval Knight + Giant Mace

Origin Similarities: Underground Hierarchic (European)

Likes: Sexy, Cute , Pretty and Beautiful Women (He has a thing for Blare and Melody though), Adventures, Treasures

Dislikes: ***to be written more soon….              The only thing he abhors in life according to Blare and Aeshi’s talks…is actually fairy tail stories.

================================================

Aedris Stonebreaker, an adventurer, blacksmith and knight prodigy who stumbles upon Blare in search for treasures and loots galore. While he doesn't have any good dreams in particular for now, All he ever wished was to become rich, living with extravagant loots and riches for a luxury. and being the muscle of the group,and being the hyperactive and a hot-headed warrior he is, he often gets himself into trouble more often whenever he has a rough way of saying things as well as his eye for beautiful women (sparing the appearance of his attractive friends though Blare, Aeshi and Melody)

PROFILE/BIO EXTENTION LINK and SKETCHES:

https://amazingsphelon.tumblr.com/post/625839598748254208/08072020-greetings-today-guys-for-todays?is_highlighted_post=1

=============================================================Aeshi the Magician - The Marvelous Maiden Gardevoir =============================================================

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

Aeshi - The Gardevoir **Also known as “Aeshi the Magician” **last name I haven't decided yet

Age: 16

———————————–

Attacks: She has a greaves that allows her more additional moves

Magical Leaf, Calm Mind, Future Sight, Psychic, Recover

Human Fighting Style:

Yoga + Telekinesis + Wing Chun + Other Chinese Martial Arts

Origin Similarities: Chinese with European Blood

Likes: Her trusted friends especially Melody and highly on Blare** (I’ll expand this soon), Mysteries, Books, archaeological artifacts especially the magical ones,  Doing palm readings and fortune telling, Mythology, nature and the spiritual realm.

Dislikes: Her said parents……and boredom (secretly).

================================================

A prodigy of a family who practices divine mystical traditions, she ran away from her mother and father due to their constant arguments tear her beloved family apart and how being idealistic the two where on polarizing directions suppressing her life to love what she enjoys most. She joins Blare and Aedris in perhaps for a search for her family heritage and her grandparent's remains somewhere in their region so she could one day to have her family to make amends.

PROFILE/BIO EXTENTION LINK and SKETCHES:

https://amazingsphelon.tumblr.com/post/627954895556935680/08072020-hello-again-guys-for-todays-episode

============================================================= Princess Melody - The Harmonic Sea Majestic Princess/Priestess Milotic =============================================================

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

Melody - The Milotic **Also known as Princess Melody and has a Kingdom

somewhere **similar to Asia and Island Regions

Age: 19

———————————–

Attacks: She has a wand which she can perform additional movesets and also enhances her water power skills entirely and she prefers more on kicking btw.

Ice Beam/Water Pulse, Surf, Blizzard, Hydro Pump, Recover, Aqua Ring, Aqua Tail (Kick)**Her most powerful skill

Human Fighting Style:

Water Magic **(similar to Azura from Fire Emblem) + Polynesian Taekwondo

Origin Similarities: Polynesian, Asia and Unspecified European Region *perhaps celtic??

Likes: Sigmund her Lover (Salamence), The two trainers who went on her adventures (I’ll introduce them soon, their base on Ruby and Sapphire though)  Peace and Serenity, Harmony and Beautiful thoughts, her beauty (which she’s honestly and modestly proud of), Magical massages and salons, her proud vigorous and strong graceful legs which she use for kicking especially and Ocean Life.

Dislikes: Chaos, Insincere People, Her strict father King Raidos (Gyarados)**she still loves her father despite his strict personality, Lightning and Electric Base attacks, Her powerful gifted and strong but yet cursed and fragile fragment mark.

================================================

A popular beautiful princess  heir from a monarch  kingdom from her father, King Rydus (Gyarados Gijinka) in a majestic land surrounded by the seas. Princess Melody is King Rydus's only daughter left, grieving in the sad lost of their beloved queen priestess (A Milotic and Melody's mother). With no one else to rule besides her father, she has set herself with courage to continue ruling their kingdom on behalf of her beloved mother and the kingdom's hard working ordinance to settle peace through out the lands and for the love of her people. Luckily for the ironic princess, she easily make anyone friends around her compare to the complexity of her father issues. She sets on an important goal to two of her beloved friends Raid and Naya (who were not locals in their kingdom but unwordly young foreigners) to spread peace and love throughout the land, to solve the curse of their region saving everyone and have them return to their own worlds.

PROFILE/BIO EXTENTION LINK and SKETCHES:

https://amazingsphelon.tumblr.com/post/627962232443191296/08312020-hello-again-guys-for-todays-episode

[bollywood-and-phoenix-feather]

manic hours opened yesterday and @just-another-trans-twink and I went on a 24-hour zukka lockdown. this was the result!

essentially: more sokka and azula content is absolutely necessary in this fandom, so here are five times sokka and azula collaborated for the better, and one time it was definitely for the worse

Read on AO3 above!

1. the gaang threatens murder

Sokka hadn’t felt this anxious in nearly six years – since the end of the war. Well, not counting the numerous attempts on his boyfriend’s life; those set him on edge for weeks afterwards. Today was different, though. It wasn’t just he and Zuko and the guards who were unusually tense and hyper-alert. The whole palace felt like it was holding its breath, terse silence stifling in the late summer air.

Sokka checked his timepiece. Thirty minutes until Azula arrived to move into the palace, hopefully (or unfortunately?) for good.

Zuko had been back in contact with his sister for years now. He’d been to visit her in the hospital many times, and she’d even visited the palace occasionally. The fact that she and Zuko could now hold a conversation without setting each other on fire was testament to how she’d changed. Even the doctors said she was better, more stable.

But Sokka still didn’t trust her - couldn’t trust her, after everything she’d done to Katara, Suki, his dad, Zuko… they were his family, and he had to be ready to protect them. Sokka wasn’t the only one that felt that way. Zuko might have started to trust her again, but everyone else was skeptical.

Katara was pissed; Sokka didn’t need Toph’s seismic sense to know that. She, Aang, Toph, Suki, and a few other Kyoshi warriors had arrived a few days ago for extra security. Zuko had stubbornly maintained that it was unnecessary, but he’d finally conceded it was probably a good idea after Sokka had asked them to come anyway.

Zuko, in his earnest quest to be a good brother, wanted to give Azula a proper welcome to the palace, with a small celebratory dinner with their closest friends - which were Zuko’s closest friends, since Azula didn’t really have those anymore. Ty Lee and Mai declined to come, and he was pretty sure everyone else had only agreed to come to provide moral support and physical protection for Zuko. Sokka was just hoping a fight wouldn’t break out.

-

Dinner was, well. Tense.

Katara did little but pick at her food and glare icy daggers at Azula, who pretended not to notice, acting coolly unperturbed by the tension around her. Suki looked relaxed, but Sokka knew better. Her fans sat on either side of her plate, ready for a fight, and she never quite shifted her weight to the back of her seat. Toph might have been the only one actually having a good time, irreverently picking her nails and drinking more sake than a person her size should have been able to.

Aang was desperately trying to ease the mood, chattering on far too cheerfully about new trade routes between the Earth Kingdom and Southern Water Tribe, while Zuko passively nodded along, glancing over at his sister occasionally like he wanted to talk to her.

“... so then, shipments will move primarily between Akahime, Kyoshi Island, and the Southern Water Tribe, like they did when I was a kid! Or was a kid for the first time, I guess! Huh. Anyway! This is gonna be great because it’s a relatively short and easy trade route but the quality of goods -”

“Aang,” Sokka snapped, physically unable to listen any longer. “I love you like a brother, but that does mean that if I have to listen to you recite the trade proposal that I helped write for any longer, I will shave your eyebrows off while you sleep. And Katara -” Sokka whirled on her - “I know you’re upset, but can you please return my water to a liquid state? And everyone else’s, for that matter? Otherwise someone’s gonna have to deal with a hungover Toph tomorrow, and it sure as hell isn’t gonna be me!”

Sokka glared at his sister across the table. Her face was stony, her eyes slightly narrowed. Was this going to end well for Sokka? No. Did that mean he was going to back down? Absolutely not.

“Fine,” Katara muttered through gritted teeth. With a twitch of her fingers, the ice filling everyone’s cups of water melted back to liquid - all except Sokka’s.

“Real fucking mature, Katara - ” he began, and then she flicked her fingers out towards him, melting the water in his cup and sending it right at his face.

“You little shit!” Sokka shrieked in what he was sure was a very, very manly tone. As he rose to confront his sister, Zuko and Suki turned to exchange a fond look, both of them struggling to hide their laughter. Sokka took a breath, feigning sincerity. “You know what? I take it back. You’re ALL a bunch of assholes.” He yanked the tablecloth towards him, sending food and drink flying, before attempting to make a hasty escape.

Chaos erupted. Katara bent the water off herself and onto Zuko, apparently declaring him guilty by association. Toph began shooting grape-oranges at people with alarming precision, while Suki deflected them just as easily. Sokka didn’t get more than a few steps away from the table before his feet were earthbent into the floor.

“You’re not going anywhere, Snoozles!” Toph bellowed, now pelting him with various fruits. He tried to dodge without falling on his face, and was only saved by Zuko grabbing both his arms to keep him balanced. Sokka looked up to see Zuko with a wide grin on his face, and Sokka, hopelessly-in-love bisexual that he was, had barely started his usual inner monologue about how beautiful Zuko’s smile was when Zuko leaned in to smear egg custard on his face.

Just as Sokka opened his mouth to voice his betrayal, another shrill scream split the room: “Are you fucking kidding me?!” Everyone turned to see Azula standing in the corner of the room, irate, steaming the water off her shirt and picking a few stray noodles out of her hair. “I lost to you?! You?”

Tense silence returned, dragging on as everyone tried to anticipate Azula’s next move.

Toph, who had remained unscathed by using the metal plates as shields, and who was somehow still sipping from a full, intact glass of sake, broke the silence. “Yep,” she said, popping the “p”.

Azula stared at Toph for a few moments before sitting down, a look of resignation on her face. Hm. That was new. So was the “Whatever,” Sokka thought he heard her mutter under her breath.

Slowly, everyone returned to the table to pick at what was left of their food and exchange uneasy glances with one another.

Aang cleared his throat. “Did anyone try the chicken? I thought the chicken was lovely.”

-

“I’m going to bed. Are you coming?” Zuko’s hands rested lightly on Sokka’s shoulders, and Sokka sleepily tipped his head back, away from the scroll he was reading, for a kiss. Zuko smirked, a few strands of hair that had escaped his topknot softly framing his face, and obliged.

“I’ll be there soon, okay? I just have a couple more things to take care of,” Sokka murmured in response. As usual, they were up late working in their study. (Technically, it was Zuko’s study, but Sokka almost always worked in here and was steadily covering any available flat surface with his scrolls, reference books, and blueprints. Not that Zuko was complaining.)

Zuko hummed, “Okay, love you,” against Sokka’s lips, before striding out of the room. Sokka waited until his footsteps had faded down the hall before rising, hoping he remembered the way to Azula’s room. He really didn’t want to ask for directions.

A few minutes and wrong turns later, he found Azula. She yanked open her door before he had really finished knocking, snapping an acidic “What?” in his face.

Sokka shouldered his way inside, closing the door behind him and choosing to ignore the fact that she could fry him like a pig-chicken in an instant if she decided it was worth it. He couldn’t think about that right now; he had to do this.

“Listen,” he growled, not bothering to hide the years of hurt and anger behind his voice. “I don’t know if you’re actually better or if this is part of some elaborate scheme of yours, and you know what? Right now, I don’t really care. You’ve hurt too many of the people I love. But you have Zuko convinced, and I guess -” His voice cracked, and he took a breath, trying not to wince visibly. “I guess that’s all that matters right now. He cares about you. A lot. So if you hurt him again, know this: consequences be damned, ending you will be my sole mission. Understand?”

Azula, level and unflinching, arms crossed over her chest, held his gaze for a long moment before huffing and breaking eye contact to inspect her nails. “Bold of you to assume I can be killed, Water Tribe.”

Sokka could only continue to stare, gritting his teeth to prevent his mouth from drifting open in astonishment. The fuck kind of response was that? What did that even mean?

Apparently satisfied with her nails, she turned her face back up to look at Sokka, a new, hard glint in her eyes. “Don’t worry about me. The threat is mutual. Guards!” A royal guard stepped through the door, standing at attention. “Please escort Ambassador Sokka out. I need my beauty sleep.”

And before Sokka could even begin to form a response, the door was closing behind him, and his feet were guiding him to Zuko’s chambers.

2. the gaang goes crafting

Sokka placed two thumbs on his temples, rubbing vigorously before giving up his headache for a lost cause with a sigh. This was the second Four-Nation (well, three-nation plus Aang) diplomatic council meeting he had attended, and as both the Southern Water Tribe representative and a young man who had seen far too much over the past few years, he was deeply frustrated.

When he'd been younger, he'd sat through enough war meetings to know how they usually went: chaos and argument, with Hakoda listening carefully before picking out the bits and pieces that mattered. It was a lot like hunting: waiting and watching for the correct moment to strike. Sokka had learned long ago how to listen, and listen well.

Unfortunately, it seemed like he might be the only one. The Earth Kingdom generals had not taken kindly to being placed in a small room with their Fire Nation counterparts, and every word out of their mouths demonstrated all too clearly that the war, for them, was not yet over. Zuko's position was still precarious - twice-banished and once-crowned - and so he could only do so much. The Earth King's travels had clearly done him some good, but the bar for improvement was unbelievably low. And Sokka did not yet have his dad's ability to command the room.

So this wasn't, at all, like hunting. It might actually be more like the moment after the hunting was over, when the offal was thrown to the polar bear dogs and they went wild, howling and yelling and stomping down the snow.

"I know that face," came a snide voice to his left.

Sokka jumped and drew his sword, mostly on instinct. Azula met his eyes over its point, and then pushed it away, lazily. Sokka let her.

"You're thinking," she said. "If you were my brother, I would say it was a rare feat. But you're not him, are you?"

Like everything Azula said, this question was a test, or a game, or both. Sokka rolled his eyes and chose not to play. "What do you want?"

"I want what you want," said Azula. "And I can help you get it."

Spirits. Even when she was trying to help you, she sounded like she was planning world domination. "Tell me how to get General Wu to shut up for more than five minutes, and then we can talk."

Azula examined her nails. They were much shorter, now, than they had been at the start of the war, so the effect was less like a predator picking its claws, and more girlish; it made her look her age, for once. Sokka wasn't sure if Azula knew, and if not, he certainly wasn't going to tell her.

"General Wu's daughter is studying at the Royal Fire Nation Academy, in her third summer. That means she's currently memorizing the fifty-eight rhetorical principles, and she's probably been practicing them so much that he can recite them by rote. If you bring up the one about the value of being concise - "

"He will finish it, embarrass himself, and then keep quiet for at least the next five minutes so that I can shut down his stupid air-balloon outreach plan." Sokka blinked, surprised at the words coming out of his own mouth. "Did I just agree with you?"

"Of course you did," said Azula, smiling. Her palm was sparking a little, in the way it did before she said something about collective power for utter domination, etc., so Sokka took the opportunity to head her off early.

"Come back to the library with me," he said. "We still have nine generals to go."

Azula looked at him. Sokka looked right back. He had the upper hand here, and he knew it - Azula must have been bored out of her mind after months nothing interesting to do but watch the path of the odd frog-fly. As far as Sokka knew, she wasn't even allowed out of this wing of the palace unattended, let alone permitted to read anything more recent than her great-grandfather’s time.

"Fine," said Azula, finally, feigning boredom. Sokka smiled.

-

Zuko stared. "What is this?"

"What does it look like?" said two voices at once. Sokka and Azula looked at each other in brief, honest shock, before turning back to him as one. Zuko swallowed nervously and resisted the urge to draw his swords.

"Um. It looks like the librarian is gonna be mad at you for defacing the general's royal portraits," said Zuko.

"What did I tell you?" said Azula, scornful. "I knew he wouldn't understand."

"We just have to give him a minute," said Sokka, patiently. Zuko stared. We? he mouthed.

"Oh, well, let him be," said Azula. "Zuzu - " she began, sweetly, and Zuko didn't even flinch this time - "you take all the time you need. If you have questions, we will be in my chambers."

"In your chambers," agreed Zuko, haplessly. "Why?"

"We're finishing the border agreement," Sokka threw over his shoulder. Azula was already halfway down the hall.

"The border agreement. The one that - they've been working on that for months! What do you mean you're finishing it?"

"Oh, you know, teamwork and whatever. It wasn't that hard." Sokka grinned brightly at Zuko, giving him a large thumbs up, and then skipped after Azula.

3. the gaang does science

As much as Zuko was unnerved by the...alliance? working relationship? collaboration? between Sokka and Azula, he had to admit that they were making great progress. They had resolved the border agreement, a messy affair Zuko was sure would take the rest of the year and possibly also Aang’s moderation to conclude, in less than a week.

That had been months ago, and since, they had gotten everything from education reform bills to reparations proposals approved by the council and various world leaders. Sometimes Zuko wondered who was really running the country right now. He didn’t mind, though. It was fun to watch the dusty old men on his advisory council squirm in meetings when Azula sat in the corner, staring them down and taking meticulous notes.

Plus, he got more sleep this way.

Zuko rose and stretched after signing off the Power Duo’s latest proposal for terracing the mountainside of a nearby village to grow rice. Dismissing his constant internal struggle over whether their partnership should make him thankful or fearful for his safety, he went to find Sokka. He got more time to eat in places that weren’t his study now, too. He’d thought a surprise picnic by the turtleduck pond might be nice; it’d been so long since he and Sokka had been able to go on an actual date.

He’d already asked for a blanket and a basket of food to be sent over to the pond, so all he had to do was find Sokka, who…wasn’t in his office. Zuko frowned; he must be outside.

Zuko headed towards the courtyard behind the building instead, lost in thought about their last date - Sokka had talked him into seeing The Ember Island Players’ most recent atrocity, which had lived up to Zuko’s rock-bottom expectations, but they’d gone swimming afterwards, and then -

Zuko’s train of thought (and the accompanying flush in his cheeks) was cut off abruptly by the truly alarming sight greeting him in the courtyard.

Azula was elaborately strapped and tied to Sokka’s back like a baby hog monkey, her arms falling in front of his shoulders to tighten a couple last straps. Both were wearing large, ridiculous, leather-framed goggles that fit snugly around their eyes. As Azula worked with the straps, Sokka unfurled two triangular pieces of cloth that bore suspicious similarity to the wings of Aang’s glider. The bottom part of the cloth appeared to be attached to his boots, the top edge to his arms.

Before Zuko could even say, What the fuck, Sokka? , Sokka grinned over his shoulder at Azula and said with far too much vigor, “Ready?”

Azula, clearly still focused on the straps, snapped, “I’m always ready. Are you sure this will work?”

“No, but there’s only one way to find out! That’s science! Sokka-POW!” And with that, Azula lit a massive flame under her feet, sending them both flying above the roof of the palace. Immediately, despite Sokka’s best efforts with the cloth flaps, they careened wildly out of control before plummeting directly into the roof of the residential hall on the opposite side of the courtyard.

As he sprinted towards them, calling for his guards to send a healer, he could think only two thoughts: (1) spirits, please let them be okay, and (2) if they’re not dead, I’m going to kill them.

Crashing through the door of the building, he found Sokka and Azula on the (very charred) floor, a few small fires surrounding them, which he snuffed out with a wave of his hand. The two were still mostly strapped together, Sokka rolling around on the floor in an attempt to dislodge Azula, while she tried to undo the straps at Sokka’s front with mixed success.

Zuko unsheathed one of the daggers at his waist and willed himself not to breathe fire as he launched into a tirade that bald-ponytail, sixteen-year-old Zuko would have been proud of. “What the fuck were you two thinking! Are you stupid? Don’t answer that, smartass,” He glared pointedly at Sokka while he sliced his way through their bindings. “What would I have done if something happened to either of you? There’d be a fucking diplomatic crisis, I’d have a dead ambassador and a dead sister and a very, very angry Southern Water Tribe -”

“In my defense,” Sokka muttered hoarsely, head lolling back onto the floor, “my dad would definitely believe you if you told him that I did something like this.”

“Do you even hear yourself?” He sheathed his dagger and whirled on his sister. “Azula,” he pleaded, “why?”

She shrugged, and offered only, “Science.” A smirk spread over her face, splitting streaks of soot. “Maybe if you’d let me read a book published in the last two hundred years, then I’d know it was a bad idea.”

Zuko’s imminent death threat was cut off by Sokka’s chuckling from the floor. “Nice one, ‘Zula. Up top.” He raised his hand weakly for Azula to give him a high five.

I can’t believe I’m in love with this concussed idiot, Zuko thought (not for the first time). Healers rushed in to save the two from Zuko’s remaining wrath. “I’m telling Katara,” Zuko muttered.

“Nooooo, babyyy, please don’t tell Katara, she’ll -”

“I’m telling Katara, mostly because you deserve to be yelled at by someone else, but also because she and Aang get here in a week, and I don’t know how else I’m going to explain why it looks like a comet crashed into the palace. And, you know what? Royal decree - you two are not allowed to hang out unsupervised any more.”

Azula glared at him - less her old I’m-going-to-mount-your-head-on-the-palace-gates glare and more the usual your-existence-tires-me glare that he saw pass between Sokka and Katara so often. That was better, though, and Zuko decided that he would take it. Sokka just pouted, jutting out his bottom lip and batting his eyelashes. Zuko found this look cuter than he should, and Sokka knew it.

Zuko steeled his resolve. “I’m telling Katara, and I’m not going to stop giving you shit about this until we’re approximately eighty, okay? But you can read whatever you want in the library. Happy?”

The Power Duo cheered, and Zuko couldn’t hold back a soft smile.

4. the gaang hoards the brain cells

Maybe it was a lifetime of being the oldest sibling and also the responsible sibling, or maybe it was just because he had grown up around Katara, but despite all appearances to the contrary (see: the as-yet unrepaired roof of the residential hall) Sokka was actually a great influence on Azula.

Part of this was definitely due to the fact that Azula, like, listened to him. Sokka wasn't sure that he'd ever been around someone who did what he said without question. Zuko supported him, but in a boyfriend kind of way; sometimes Sokka would jump in with a plan fully formed, and then Zuko would make him explain it back and work out the kinks; other times - and especially in fights - by the time Sokka had come up with a workable plan, Zuko was already in the middle of it, flaming-feet first, and Sokka had to improvise (brilliantly, but desperately) to keep up.

Katara, conversely, never actually listened to him. She just did what she wanted. If what she wanted happened to line up with Sokka's exact plan, she would never admit it. It was her right, really, as a younger sibling; Sokka knew this, and he loved her.

But Azula understood his plans almost before he said them out loud -  most of the time because she was thinking the same thing. And somehow, out of everyone - she respected him the most; sometimes Sokka felt like she was trying to earn his approval, like she knew that if Sokka trusted her, so would Katara, and even Zuko. If she was a sail, Sokka was just a rudder, steering her: they didn't have to be pointing the same direction, but their boat would never crash.

Sokka frowned, trying to imagine himself as a boat. Would his wolf-tail be the rudder? Or would his whole body just be triangle-shaped?

It didn't matter. (It did. He would figure it out later.) Right now, he needed to talk to her about some of the villages at the southern border; heavy rains had induced mudslides, wiping out shrines and causing the spirits to run amok. Sokka thought that maybe, this village might be a kind of Heroism Starter Pack for Azula, that they could - what was that noise?

Sokka looked down. The castle floor should not be splashing his feet, and yet it was; he was standing in a giant puddle. He looked up, suddenly focused; there was a trail of muddy water making its way down the hall.

Sokka followed it. The water grew muddier and deeper as he went, and Sokka despaired for whoever would have to clean it up. Finally, he caught up to the source: his very bedraggled sister, and his equally soaked boyfriend, trudging toward the baths.

"Um," said Sokka. "What's happening, here?"

Katara turned around. "Well, someone had to do it." Her hands were on her hips, her nose upturned.

"Yeah," agreed Zuko, smiling. "We took care of it. It was fun."

Don't get him wrong - Sokka was all for Zuko's little smiles, and Zuko having fun, but - "Take care of what? What did you do?"

Zuko and Katara scowled, eerily identical. "What we did," Katara said, edging from 'self-satisfied' to 'fiercely righteous', "was settle the spirits and save the villagers, since obviously the Earth kingdom civil forces don't have the bending knowledge to do it yet!"

"Yeah, like I said," said Zuko. He was frowning like a kicked puppy, which was unfair to Sokka specifically. "We took care of it."

"Oh," said Sokka, relaxing. "That's great! So you guys talked to the villagers?"

"Um," said Zuko. "About what?"

"...the mudslides. And, like, preventing them? The tiered rock formations?"

Zuko stared at him, a little furrow forming between his eyebrows which meant he was totally lost. Katara avoided his gaze, shifting from foot to foot.

"Katara," said Sokka, using his absolute best big brother voice, "remember my designs? Which I told you about last week?"

"Look, Sokka," said Katara, gently. Sokka frowned and crossed his arms; Katara had not been able to fool him with that voice since she was about ten years old, and she knew it. "We solved the problem. The spirits are settled and everything is okay now! Your designs were great, but we just...didn't need them?"

Sokka stared her down; Katara stared back.

"If you're going to -" "Well, what exactly was your - " they began, at the same time, and Zuko sighed; before they could really get into it, a rush of heat interrupted them, shrinking the puddles on the floor to sad little piles of dirt, and blowing Katara's hair dramatically into her face. Sokka stifled a laugh.

"I think the real question is, what did you actually do?" Azula asked, appearing from the shadows. She was holding Zuko's Blue Spirit mask, which was dripping with mud.

"Dramatic entrance high-five," said Sokka, because she deserved it, and because she was going to be on his side. Azula obliged, and then raised an eyebrow to Katara and Zuko, who reminded Sokka a bit of blow-dried cat-herons.

"We're not dumb," said Katara, smoothing down her robes. "We entered the village in disguise, and then cleared the mud and repaired the shrines. The spirits calmed down pretty quickly after everything was fixed."

"Right," said Azula. "Until the next time it rains. You know, what might have worked better would be to educate the villagers about flood barriers, or perhaps even offer them assistance in moving their shrines."

She sounded about as scornful and sarcastic as usual, but Sokka knew better; her ideas were legitimate and compassionate. He was so proud. Their murder baby was all grown up and trying to save people.

Katara did not pick up on the fact that Sokka was swelling like a pig-chicken about to crow. "You don't know that - "

"What we do know," interrupted Sokka bossily, "is that at some point it's going to rain again, and then the villagers are going to sit and pray to the Blue Spirit and the Painted Lady instead of building these custom-designed flood barriers on the mountain."

Zuko shuffled his feet. "I didn't really think about that."

"Zuko, I love you," said Sokka. "but in my humble opinion? No, you did not."

"I don't agree," began Katara, but Azula cut her off. "I do. I feel the same way Sokka does."

Zuko stared at her, like he was desperately trying not to ask: about what? But Azula was biting her lip and kind of looked like she was about to break into hives, so Sokka let her have this one.

"Here," he said, thrusting his plans into Katara's arms. "I support the fact that you guys got to do your dramatic spirit thing, but now please go back and give them my plans."

Azula brought two fingers up to her nose, showily. "And do take a bath, please. I doubt the villagers will appreciate your particular stench.”

5. the gaang plans a proposal

“...and that’s why you can’t trust General Yin, but you can use him to gain influence with Ambassador Xi and her supporters,” Azula finished, emphatically pointing at a few points on the elaborate web of papers tacked up on the wall of Sokka’s quarters. It’s not like he’s slept in there in years, anyway.

Zuko’s bed is much nicer. Because it has Zuko in it.

Sokka jotted down a few notes from Azula’s monologue, absentmindedly passing her their (stolen) bowl of noodles. He dropped his pen and rubbed his eyes. On to more important work. “So,” he said. “I’m proposing to Zuko. Wanna help?”

Azula met his eyes and stared him down. Sokka waggled his eyebrows, smile as big as his face.

“You’re serious,” she realized.

“Of course I am! It’s the biggest tactical challenge of the century, because Zuko is the most suspicious guy we know and he absolutely cannot suspect.” Sokka tossed her a scroll. It was long - and detailed. “What do you say?”

“With my help, this will be the best proposal ever made. Together, you and I are unbeatable!”

“Cool beans,” said Sokka. “Plan over breakfast tomorrow?”

-

Zuko stared at Katara. Katara stared at Zuko.

“Okay, so. I love your brother.”

“Obviously.”

Zuko shifted in his seat; his tea was untouched. “No, I mean. I really love your brother. He’s - the love of my life.”

Katara narrowly resisted the urge to say: if you love him so much, why don’t you marry him? Then, abruptly, she got the point.

“Are you asking for my blessing?”

“No,” said Zuko, and in response to Katara’s murderous glare, backtracked immediately. “Yes? I mean. I already asked Chief Hakoda.”

“Oh,” said Katara. Then, more gently, and possibly because she was worried Zuko might pass out, she asked, “What do you need my help with?”

“Planning,” he said, letting out a breath. “I want to propose and do it right, but Sokka’s the plan guy. Everyone knows that. And I thought, that since you know him, you could - “ He cuts himself off. “Forget it. It was a dumb idea anyway.”

Katara wills him to meet her eyes, because she is completely certain that they are actually sparkling. “Zuko,” she says, hand to her heart. “I would be honored.”

-

“Hello, Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe. Your boyfriend, Zuko, here. Well, you probably know me because of...all the time we spend together. You know, dates and other things. Like meetings - “

Sokka’s hand was suddenly on his forehead. “Zuko, babe, are you feeling all right?”

In short succession, Sokka examined his eyes, ears, and tongue, and took his pulse (ripping his robes open to do so). Zuko flushed, which just seemed to make Sokka more concerned.

“Sokka!” he growled. “I’m fine. Everything is fine. And also normal. Fine and normal.”

“Of course!” said Sokka, laughing a little maniacally. Maybe he was spending too much time with Azula. “Fine and normal. Why wouldn’t it be?” He laughed again.

“Uh, guys,” said Toph. “Are you two okay?”

Zuko blinked, and came back to himself. In front of him were ten to fifteen very important diplomats, and all of his best friends. He was in public, at dinner. And his robes were ripped wide open.

Sokka was suddenly jerked back in his chair, presumably by Azula. His eye twitched. “Nothing to see here, Toph! Look! I’ve finished my dinner!”

Toph frowned. “You haven’t, and I can tell when you’re lying.”

“Fine, I’m not hungry!” Sokka declared. “What are you, a cop?” His eye twitched again. “I have to go now, for unrelated reasons. To, uh, review some paperwork. Bye!”

He was gone so fast Zuko was pretty sure he left a little dust cloud behind. Toph looked nonplussed. “But,” she said, “I am a cop.”

Katara reached over to help Zuko straighten his robes, giving him a sympathetic look. He felt Suki’s glare from across the room. When he and Sokka had started dating she’d threatened to - quote - remove his entire spine from his body by way of his mouth if Zuko broke Sokka’s heart, and with the way Zuko was acting right now…he couldn’t blame her for being suspicious.

Katara followed his gaze. “Hey, Zuko,” she said, brightly. “Didn’t you have that - thing?”

“What thing?” said Zuko. Oh, god. He had forgotten something, hadn’t he? He -

Katara pinched his arm, hard. “You know. That thing. That you had to do in your chambers?”

He couldn’t lose face any more than he already had. “Of course, Katara,” he said. “I will go now to do that thing.” Zuko stood up and retreated with dignity, praying that whatever it was, he would remember when he got there.

The table was quiet in their absence. The diplomats - who seemed to be inured to this sort of thing - soon began chatting peacefully, or placating Aang, who had helpfully pulled out his usual marble trick.

Azula watched Katara steadily over the table; Katara refused to meet her eye. “What,” Katara said, finally. “Is there something on my face?”

Azula leaned forward, bangs shadowing her face. “Tell me everything you know.”

“About what?”

“You know what!” Azula snapped. “Is my brother planning to propose?”

Katara shifted in her seat. “Unlike you,” she began, haughtily, “I know when to retreat. So, fine. I will tell you some of the things I know.”

“Where,” Azula demanded, “and when?”

“Princess, Sparky,” Toph said, irritated. “Don’t you get it? It doesn’t matter whether you know, because those two dumbasses haven’t figured it out!”

This brought the table to a halt. Even Aang stopped his marble, because it was true: Sokka and Zuko might together be the force that had liberated Boiling Rock, but when it came to each other? That famed intellect went sailing out the window.

Katara deflated, laying her head on the table. “We’ve got our work cut out for us, don’t we?”

Azula reached out and, wonder of wonders, patted her arm with something close to sympathy. “Might as well get started.”

-

Zuko paced his chambers restlessly. What had he forgotten? Oh god, was it something related to the proposal? His hands flew to a fold in his robes, finding the necklace he’d engraved for Sokka - a smooth, deep blue leather band with a perfect moonstone pendant, which Zuko had engraved with a dragon and a wolf, nested together in a loving embrace. He sighed in relief.

Spirits, Zuko was so in love with him. He was desperately trying not to fuck up this proposal, but it seemed he was fucking up the not fucking up and -

He needed to take a walk and clear his head. He could almost hear his uncle sagely murmuring, “You rarely find answers in a crowded mind, Nephew.” Or something like that. Zuko made his way from his and Sokka’s room to the turtleduck pond. It seemed he was usually able to find answers there; it reminded him of his mom.

Approaching the pond, he saw a familiar figure sitting at the base of the cherry tree, already starting to bloom. Sokka seemed lost in thought, staring down at something in his lap, but jerked to attention once he heard the rustle of Zuko’s boots against the grass.

Zuko sat down next to his partner, nerves momentarily overshadowed by the sweet, peaceful movement of wind through the branches of the cherry tree and his abundant love for the man sitting next to him. Zuko reached up to brush a stray blossom from Sokka’s wolf tail, cradled his face to run a thumb over his cheekbone. “Hi,” Zuko murmured, gently pressing their foreheads together. “I’m sorry.”

Sokka pulled back slightly, face contorted in confusion. “For what? I’m the one that should be apologizing. Zuko, I -”

“Apologize? For what? I’m the one who acted like an absolute ass. Ugh, spirits, ‘Zuko here,’ what was I thinking,” He dropped Sokka’s gaze, his hands drifting towards his lap, getting painfully frustrated once again. “And then I just - I couldn’t - fuck!” Zuko was interrupted by Sokka’s hands grabbing his hips and pulling him onto Sokka’s lap, and by Sokka’s lips meeting his.

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Sokka murmured in between tender kisses, and his lips were soft and warm and everything Zuko wanted right now and for the rest of his life, and if he had to keep this a secret anymore, Zuko thought he might literally die.

Zuko pulled away, just enough to look Sokka in the eyes. “Marry me,” Zuko breathed. “Please, Sokka. I love you so much, and I don’t know where I’d be without you, and I - I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” Zuko only realized he was crying when Sokka ran his thumb under Zuko’s good eye, brushing away tears while Zuko fumbled in his robe for the necklace.

At the sight of the necklace, tears began to spill from Sokka’s eyes, too. “Zuko… it’s beautiful, I - yes. Zuko, yes.” Zuko released a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding, and they were kissing again, and then all of a sudden, they weren’t, because Sokka, the absolute fucker, was laughing uncontrollably.

Zuko immediately began imagining worst-case scenarios. What if he didn’t mean it? What if the past five years with him have been some extremely elaborate prank, and -

Sokka, noticing his now-fiance’s abrupt silence, attempted to quash his laughter and held Zuko’s hands - still clutching the engagement necklace - in his own. “Zuko, love, hey, look at me. I’m not laughing at you. I’m laughing because, well…” He pulled a small pouch from one of his pockets and opened it to reveal two delicately engraved golden bracelets, traditional Fire Nation engagement gifts. One held the image of a dragon; the other, a beautiful motif of waves crashing against a shore. They glinted warmly in the moonlight alongside the pendant of the engagement necklace. “I’m laughing because I had the same idea, I guess. I love you so much, and I want a life with you. Will you help me put this on?”

Zuko first let Sokka slide the bracelets over each of his wrists, then lifted his hands, shaking slightly, but steadied by Sokka’s warm touch, to clasp the necklace behind his neck. The tension bled out of Zuko, and he melted into Sokka, pushing him to the ground and kissing him senseless, from his mouth to the stone now resting at the base of his throat.

Sokka started laughing again, and Zuko joined in, overjoyed at the beauty and the absurdity of it all, at how lucky and in love he was.

6. the gaang commits arson

Librarian Hirai had been working at the royal palace since before Firelord Zuko had been crowned, going on forty years, now. His vast experience hadn’t prepared him for everything, certainly; the time with five Kyoshi warriors and a badgermole had been unprecedented, and he wasn’t sure he was going to lift the ban on platypus-bears in the palace anytime soon.

Hirai’s experience, however, had prepared him for this: the Fire Nation’s most formidable duo, Ambassador Sokka and Her Highness Azula, together, with access to children.

Hirai did not know the children’s names. He classified them solely on their capacity to irritate him; the only name he knew was that of the youngest, Tenzin, because the sweet child had never caused him any trouble. Naturally, Tenzin was to be found nowhere near this unholy gathering: instead, Hirai saw the bouncy one (liable to cause things to fall over), the Princess (insolent, with her fathers shamelessly wrapped around her finger), and the Teenager (arms always crossed, eyes forever rolling).

Her Highness Azula’s hand was alight with blue fire. To the courtyard and everyone within earshot, she was saying: “If you want to burn it, just go ahead. Everything important, your uncle or I have memorized.”

Hirai stopped listening, in an effort to avoid a coronary and possibly death. There was a protocol. Everything would be fine.

He moved methodically, double checking fire suppressant stations and tightening the seal on the vacuum chambers holding the oldest scrolls. He closed every entrance except the main one, and he stood guard outside of it.

This was not a long process; their royal Highnesses were still gathered like a storm cloud in the courtyard. A particularly loud storm cloud. Hirai had weathered storms before.

The ground rumbled, slightly. Republic City Chief of Police, Toph Beifong, emerged from it, and dusted herself off.

“You know,” she said conversationally, “arson is illegal. I can have you arrested for that.”

Hirai relaxed, infinitesimally. Beifong was known to be tough and fair; perhaps, after so many years, the spirits had thought to grant him an ally.

“So,” said Toph, rubbing her palms together. “Today, I’m going to teach you how not to get caught.”

It was interesting: Hirai had never before actually lent weight to the expression that one’s life could flash before their eyes. In that moment, swaying slightly where he stood, he was forced to concede that there might have been some truth to it after all.

He turned around, very calmly, and made his way to his desk. He groped vaguely for some parchment and ink, and in precise lettering dictated his resignation from the palace staff, effective immediately.

Somewhere out in the courtyard, their Highnesses’ Uncle Sokka and Aunt Azula high-fived.

[dailyaudiobible]

07/22/20 DAB Transcript

2 Chronicles 6:12-8:10, Romans 7:14-8:8, Psalms 18:1-15, Proverbs 19:24-25

Today is the 22nd day of July welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I'm Brian it is a joy and an honor to be here with you around the roaring Global Campfire that is our community and what a joy that we have each other to take this journey with, deeper and deeper and deeper into God's Word as we sail deeper and deeper across the vastness of a year together. And what a change it makes just have this little oasis in the thick of it all, this one place of serenity that we can for sure go and know we’re not alone and know that the reason we’re all here is Scriptures, the Scriptures being spoken into our lives and speaking into our souls. And, so, let's take that next step forward. We’re reading from the NET Bible, the New English Translation this week. Today, second Chronicles chapter 6 verse 12 through 8 verse 10.

Commentary:

Okay. So, in the book of Romans today Paul's being quite confessional about his own personal experience as a human being. And this is a person who was vigorously, assiduously studying and attempting to live into and obey the Mosaic law. And, so, he's come to this conclusion, “the things that I don't want to do are the things that I do. And the things that I actually want to do deep inside me, those are the things that I can't seem to do and it's a wretched experience because I’m…basically because I'm conflicted all the time.” And, I mean if we could show…do a show of hands around the world who has ever or who pretty much lives feeling that way we’d have a lot of hands in the air and I’d have both mine in the air. So, as dense as the material is that we’ve been going through, as thick it is with all kinds of very long sentences and a lot of things to think about theologically, Paul's got our attention right now because he's describing the way we feel too. And what he's trying to reveal here is that the battle between light and dark, between good and evil, between right and wrong, this is a battle that is waged within us, within each person. And the law is a spiritual thing and a good thing because it reveals this awareness, this fact that the battle is within us and that it accomplishes what it's supposed to do, to make us aware that in our own strength like it's a losing battle, like we cannot get there on their own…on our own, but there's still hope, because Jesus changed the…the…the plight of humanity. The story changed through Jesus. And according to Paul, “for those in Christ there is no condemnation for us who belong to Jesus. His Spirit frees us from the power of sin and death. The claim that sin and death add to us, something the law couldn't do. The law could expose and make us aware of these facts but couldn't free us from it. Jesus came to free us from it.” So, Paul tells us, “those who live according to the flesh have their outlook shaped by the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the spirit have their outlook shaped by the things of the Spirit.” So, we did an exercise, you know, just trying to live into what it would be like if sin weren't category. Like just to try it for a day, what would that freedom be like? According to Paul, at a fundamental level, “it would be like living in the spirit and not living in the flesh.” So, let's live into that today. Like, let's put that into practice today. When the things that we don't want to do but we’re going to do anyway arise and there is that moment of decision, that is the moment to call upon the Holy Spirit, right? So, when the rage arises or the envy becomes overwhelming or lust shows itself, there's…like there's only one place to go that leads to life. We can certainly follow the flesh and it will lead us into the things that we don't want to do and will lead us on a path that ultimately ends in death and destruction or we can throw up our hands and say, “I am unable, I surrender, I am unable. Holy Spirit come into this moment that I might see and live by the Spirit in this moment.” What kind of change might that make to the day? What kind of change might make to our lives if it became like our default position?

Prayer:

Father, we confess that the words of Paul about doing things we don't want to do and the things we do want to do, not being able to do those things and feeling wretched about it, this is…this consumes way, way more of our lives that we’re even aware of. We live in this condemnation in some way all of the time. And we’re being told that that's purpose of the law, is to expose these things so that we might deal with these things so that we might come to the end of ourselves in trying to achieve righteousness on our own that we are ever going to defeat these things. But we have been given Your Holy Spirit and we have been and continue to be transformed into new creatures. And one of the basic ways we can act on this, like make it actionable is to do just what we were talking about, that when we catch ourselves, like when we catch ourselves moving in that direction where we are about to choose what we do not want to do, we can cry out to You in that moment for rescue. And, so, that is what we’re going to put into practice today. Come Holy Spirit and show us how to live by the Spirit and to worship You in Spirit and in truth. And we pray this in Your mighty name. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is home base, it is the website, which is home base for us, a virtual community, Global Campfire. This is…this is home base. So, this is where you find out what's going on around here. It’s a way to get connected.

Be sure to check out the Community section. That’s where the Prayer Wall is. That’s where different links to our social media channels are. So…so, stay connected. That's a place to get connected.

Check put the Daily Audio Bible Shop. There are resources there for the journey that we are on and they’re…they are there for encouragement and edification and building up and just moving us day by day step-by-step together through God's word in community like…like we do every day. So, check that out.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com. There’s a link that lives on the homepage. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner, or the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

And, as always, if you have a prayer request or encouragement, you can hit the Hotline button in the app, little red button at the top or there are several numbers that you can call depending on where you are in the world. In the Americas 877-942-4253. In the UK or Europe 44-20-3608-8078 or in Australia or that part of the world 61-3-8820-5459 is the number to call.

And that is it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hello family this is The Prodigal checking in with you all. First off, let me say how much I feel for and am praying for you Gigi. Listen to your prayers now for over a year I guess and what a terrible thing to lose your father. I’m praying for you. Lost my dad, lost my mom. I know that loss can just tear through you and just knowing God will send His angels to…to help you, your family. And I know you’re a strong woman of strong character and just tough times and I pray you…you get through this. Well also calling to thank all the prayer warriors for their prayers knowing that we all pray for each other. Even though we might not mention each other’s names, know that you have thousands and thousands and thousands of people praying for every prayer request. And God works His magic. He works…He does what he does best. His plan. Also want to…praise report, O my, from The Prodigal. I found my Queen. I’ve fallen in love with amazing woman who’s a godly woman and very, very happy. Then out of the blue all the sudden her grandmother goes into a coma and is not expected to do very well. So, I’d ask you to pray for God’s plan to be His plan for both Clara and I and for her grandma. It’s lots of moving pieces and parts guys and only God knows how it all fits together. Anyway, Biola, Annette and the list goes on right, that Joe the Protector of a Blind Tony, Slave of Jesus just all of you all just want to thank you for being steadfast against the demons and the devil and praying for all of us pray in your holy name. Amen.

Good morning my Daily Audio Bible family the Lord calls me Grace. I’ve been listening to the Daily Audio Bible for the past four years. This is my first time to call and ask for prayer. I’m going to ask my family to pray for my daughter Jessica who will be taking a test to enter a nursing program. This is going to be her third time and she is very concerned that she may not pass. So, I’m asking for God to intervene. This is the great desire of her heart to serve others in this…in this manner. My daughter’s been a very strong and independent young lady that loves the Lord with all her heart. And would you please pray with me for Jessica that God will intervene, that she will pass this test tomorrow to enter into the nursing program and that the Lord will provide for her as well in the name of Jesus we…we just pray that this will come to pass. We’re praying for God’s will but…but I told her this is your desire for years and years and I believe that’s what God wants her to serve. Thank you, Brian. Thank you, family. I love you. You have saved my life over and over. Thank you.

Hey DAB family is Dr. John from Jordan New York. Just have to say, Neddie, love you. You’re awesome and amazing. Congratulations on your 10th DAB birthday. Yesterday, the 17th was my 13th DAB birthday. So, I am officially now I DAB teenager, attitude included. So, I just wanted to…just say hi and just cannot give enough praise for this program, for this community, for how we love one another in spirit and in truth. And you guys are amazing. Lee my brother from another mother from New Jersey. Happy birthday coming up on the 24th pal. Haven’t heard from you in a while, hope you’re doing okay. So, take care. Love you. Bye-bye.

Hi family this is one L Michelle from Central Florida. Today is Saturday, July the 18th in the afternoon here at Eastern time approximately 630, 645. Anyhow I’m calling with a really big prayer request. I have a young lady that’s 18 that had been working for us in our shipping business and she had gone away for the summer and yesterday morning she and apparently another three teenagers were involved in an ATV accident, you know, four wheeler. And one of the children died while my gal Jillian was watching and the other one is in ICU. So, I don’t know the name of the other kids. Please, agree with me in prayer for them and for Jillian. I’m sure she’s been traumatized. So, Father we just thank You that You are able, that there isn’t anything too difficult for You, that You can do everything, anything but fail. And Lord we pray over Jillian and over these families that are involved, the parents of the Young person that died. Lord I pray that You would bring comfort and peace. Lord I know that we can have Your perfect peace even in the midst of sadness. O Lord I lift that situation up. I pray that You would begin to bring miraculous healing power to the one that’s in the hospital. And God I pray that You would just restore, redeem and bring beauty out of the ashes that these loved ones are in the midst of. So, we thank You God in advance and ask that You would continue to grow our faith and we just thank You father for all that you’ve done for us, in us…

Hi this is Victoria Soldier you’re just calling to pray with some of the DABbers. I’m excited to see that even with the confusion that God is doing a great work and his people. I just wanted to pray for Diane OIive, the one who’s going through depression. I wanted to pray for the one who lost that precious baby, the one who lost that mother. O, I want to pray for…for those who are going through depression. God is ready to save. God is ready to heal. God is also ready to give you joy and unspeakable. Somebody who’s trying to give up right now the devil is trying to make them give up right now. Your God has a plan for your life, a plan and a purpose and it’s right there. Begin to praise God. Lord in the name of Jesus I lift You up, I praise Your name and I thank You for what You’re doing in Your people right now, the one who’s going for that interview Lord, we ask You to bless her with a job. Lord You’re giving out greater jobs then You gave before. You’re giving them greater joy than before Lord. You’re giving them strength also even if they have the virus. Lord we ask You to bless them, to heal them Lord, to heal and deliver. O Lord we ask You to have Your way and strengthen those who lost their precious baby and that precious mother. O Lord in the name of Jesus You have Your way. You touch our students that feel…that are feeling depressed, You touch our people who are feeling depressed, my sister Diane. Lord You strengthen her. You give her joy unspeakable and full of glory. Lord we ask You to have Your way. Thank You for being a miracle worker and an almighty God an all loving God a compassionate God. Continue to strengthen those with the…that have a stronghold. Continue to provide the Lord even though the rough time and they lose one job You give them one that’s even greater. Lord Your purpose and Your will. Lord let us continue to seek You first…

Hi, DABbers this is Kira calling from Denver and I…today’s my birthday, my regular birthday and I just wanted to call in and say how much I love you. The reading today and Brian’s explanation was awesome, and I am moving toward the light but I have a lot of accumulated transgressions I’ve done and therefore I’m feeling very very self-condemning. But basically, all is well with my soul but it…I really want to call in…I wasn’t asked for prayer again for my son Nish. The best birthday present in the world I think would be to hear from him or just good things…good news about him. I have no contact with him at all directly. He…he chooses not to use a phone he has mental issues, drug issues. I…I…I…want prayer for him to turn back to God and just…that’s…that’s it. I…I don’t know what more…that’s really the bottom line. I mean…just the life he’s living it’s…it’s yeah…If you guys could see it. I’ve seen it and I left him in that position because he’s his own person. I feel like I failed because I left him there and I failed so many times. I failed him. But now, now that I know Jesus everything is left…

[zsdigital-blog]

Impact of Corona Pandemic on Digital Marketing

Covid-19 has impacted the Digital Marketing sphere in every corner of the world. The budget and company investment has been cut-off during lockdown and entrepreneurs in IT sectors decided to launch new measures to outcome this pandemic condition over the business. Nobody wants to lose their valuable customers and wish to appear as they were in the pre-quarantined stage before lockdown. Zsdigital is offering Digital Marketing Services in New Delhi at cost-efficient rates to its customers during this Covid-19 Pandemic Lockdown.

Digital Marketing professionals have implemented new measures to ensure full reliable, relevant, and compatible relations with customers during Covid-19. They have changed the SEO budget and restructured it. They have planned a little stable bidding for PPC advertising, Accepted fluctuations in sales, and ensure its Employees to Work from Home. They are also available 24 hours for customers for ensuring better contactless delivery, order processing, and on-time shipping, etc.

Researchers have put their outlook on the Covid-19 outbreak impact in Digital Marketing Strategies among Global IT Summit last week. It has impacted adversely on a few spheres of Business. Most businesses are standstill except essentials goods supplying industries and companies are vigorously competing in cutting-cost over unwanted expenses. His digital Marketing future plans have been slowing down and impacting the Global Brands all over the world. Marketing will take time to return back in scheduled planning and operation mode. Zsdigital is standing together with global pandemic warriors and offering Social Media Management Services and Social Connectivity to them at low and competitive charges.

Few Statistics Showing Adverse and Halt Impact on Online Marketing

·         In London, a report has been displayed that only 14% of Online Marketing Campaigns all over the UK are scheduled while others are sleeping in a grind halt position.

·         90% of Businesses are revising their annual budget for Marketing and Development.

·         Email open rates increment and web visit degradation showing the harsh impact of Covid-19 on Digital Marketing Services.

·         Retail Sales and Consumers have gone down and Marketers are struggling for sales due to Halted Market.

·         Circulation of Financial Growth remains unpredictable and it is not even sure to its recovery soon.

·         CPM rates have come down and essentials consuming are running across the world.

But new Digital Marketing Pages are added with new strategies like Corona Virus Prevention, Social Distancing, Immunity Growth, etc. Almost 2 Lakhs new pages are added on social media trending Social Distancing, Continuous Hand-Wash, and Immunity Booster, etc. It means that never let you stop from Digital Marketing Brands Growth and Development. If you are a Digital Marketer, then accelerate your Business Promotion activities and ensuring the latest market trends for its online marketing.

B2B – Digital Marketing

This sector is largely dependent on exhibitions, webinars, conferences, summits, as well as personal engagement for business promotions. These are no longer to be attended offline due to apprehensions of infection but focus on accentuating Digital Marketing activities well.

B2B has been traditionally out of online presence in the past few months but start creating social pages, promote websites, engage in email marketing and plan proposed advertising, etc. to involve Digital Marketing Experts and Professionals. Zsdigital is also following new Marketing strategies for business promotion and serving with B2B PPC Ads and SEO Services to its customers all around the world.

Social Connectivity is important and creates pages, express concern, and offer support to your desired customers. Invite all B2B customers and vendors to join the community.

PPC Engagement

Those who are facing a non-working situation due to lockdown can browse the Internet anyway. Work from home with the help of Internet Connectivity.

It is the time to check out your Pages ability through PPC and programmatic campaigns. You will gain ad visibility, exposure, and a prominent brand value promotion with the visit of traffic search. If you are hesitating about spending money on ads, Facebook and Google have granted funds of $100 and $ 800 million in credits to active users.  Now it is the opportunity for the Digital Marketer to grab a slice.

Digital Marketers are offered for Social Media Management activities by entrepreneurs to promote their Brands. It is also engaging yourself in PPC and offers your potential customers an automation campaign with a template in Google and Facebook via AI and ML platform.

The Shifting of Advertisement Platform

The campaigns can be run online than offline to attract targeted audiences and achieve maximum sales for your brands through SEO and Social Media. Tomorrow when the world recovers, you will be gaining more buyers for your brands. It is the way to spew out your stories regarding hygienic items, social distancing, corona prevention, and any health issue. Zsdigital is offering Online Platforms like Search Engine Marketing, Social Media Marketing, and Social Media Management Services at Affordable and Competitive charges.

[scotianostra]

On July 22nd 1298 William Wallace's army was routed at The Battle of Falkirk. 

With the phenomenal success of Stirling Bridge under his belt, Sir William Wallace, Guardian of the Realm of Scotland, continued his campaign of guerrilla warfare upon the Northern English counties.

While being remembered as a warrior  Wallace was also active in trying to restore trade between Scotland and Europe which had been nearly halted by English efforts. In a remarkable letter, we now know as "The Lübeck letter" tried to persuade German cities (Hamburg and Lübeck) to restore trade with the Scots declaring that “through battle, the Scots have been freed from the tyranny of the English"

Throughout the rest of 1297, Wallace ravaged the Border land of England for corn and cattle. Such a turn of events wrenched Edward I back from his negotiations in France with King Philip. He transferred his headquarters to York. Now he would hammer the Scots. Feudal dues were called upon. Crossbowmen from Gascony and Welsh archers were recruited. So were foot soldiers from Ireland to serve in the English campaign.

De Warrenne, the Earl of Surrey and Sussex having failed at Stirling to stop Wallace, forced Edward to march north himself. He assembled at York the largest invasion force to enter Scotland since the days of Agricola. It consisted of perhaps as many as 2,500 heavily armoured knights and at least 12,500 infantry. Eight earls joined Edward: the Marshal, the Constable, Ralph de Monthemer, Arundel, Guy of Warwick and the young Earls of Lancaster and Pembroke, each bringing their own large contingents of minor knights and infantry, swelling his host to a monstrous size. By June Edwards army were at Roxburgh, but Wallace would have had his spies watching the English army, and would not be drawn into a full scale battle on Edwards terms. 

Unfortunately for Scotland the French had come to an uneasy peace with England and The Auld Alliance could not be invoked, we stood alone against a battle hardened army, ripe from plundering the continent. 

But the English army was not without its problems, the fleet that should have provisioned it had been delayed by weather. It was undisciplined. Welsh archers quarrelled viciously with Gasons, and sickness raddled its splendid chivalry. At Kirkliston, near Linlithgow, Edward decided to fall back on Edinburgh, where he might calm and feed his mutinous men.

One of the stories goes that when a few ships did get through, they were only carrying two hundred barrels of wine, which were then issued to Welsh soldiers. The Welsh got drunk and rioted, so Edward sent in his household knights to restore order. Eighty Welshmen were killed, along with eighteen priests who had tried to mediate.

This story comes from the quill of the chronicler Walter of Guisborough, a "notable fantasist" when it came to Welsh affairs. The actual evidence tells a different story. In July 1298 seventeen supply ships from Yorkshire arrived at Berwick. Only five of these reached the army at Kirkliston before the battle. Now if we know anything about the English it is how good they were at recording everything, the purse strings were tight and it all had to be accounted for, there are records that still exist telling us what actually made it to Edwards army. reads as follows:63 quarters of malt, 7 meat carcasses, 250 quarters of oats, 725 quarters of wheat.

As you can see, there was no wine; certainly not 200 barrels of the stuff, to the exclusion of all else. It also doubtful that anyone would have been stupid enough to issue wine to the infantry on empty stomachs. The above supplies have been calculated as enough to feed 20,000 men for a week.

While we don't know how many Scots Wallace had at his command that day he is thought to have not been willing to meet the English in open battle, his tactics, used by Bruce years later, were Guerrilla warfare, small battalions of men hitting targets and what they couldn't carry away they destroyed, what is now called a scorched earth policy, Wallace had to try and starve Edwards force, hence the supply ships being so important. 

Edwards army is also said to have had problems with defence, and again numbers back this up, many Welsh had headed home, 195 within a month according to their records, far more worrying were the infantry numbers that were dwindling. For the period up to 20 July infantry numbers reached a peak of 25,781. In the next 24 hours - before the battle - there was a drop of over 3000 to 22,497. It seems desertion was reaching chronic levels, and the battle occurred just in time to prevent the army falling apart.

Nobody knows why Wallace was drawn into a full on fight on this day in 1298, some say his army were "itching" for a fight and with the enemy in sight would have been arguing with Wallace, possibly sensing he was losing the morale he may have given in and given them what they wanted. Perhaps he also thought the English army were hungry and unruly. So on 21st July, Wallace led his army forward to meet the English. In the early dawn of the following morning scouting parties from the two opposing forces met each other near Falkirk, heralding the opening of battle.

Wallace had heard of the troubles in Edwards Army and had planned a night attack upon the English camp, but two ignoble peers, jealous of his power, went to the English King’s side and warned him. These traitors, unnamed, told Edward where Wallace was encamped in the forest near Falkirk and told of Wallace’s position and intended tactics.“Thanks be to God, who hath hitherto extricated me from every peril!, exclaimed Edward. “I shall go forth to meet them”.

Wallace had badly misjudged the fighting condition of the English army, but he came to the field well prepared. He realised that his infantry must defeat Edward’s cavalry and this had not happened for centuries. With the experience of Stirling Bridge behind him this seemed possible, although it was a rare event in medieval warfare of that period. He had trained his ferocious and hearty soldiers to fight in four tight box or oval formations, schitrons. However Wallace’s formations hadn’t yet mastered moving in unison, as  Bruce would do later on. They stood in one defensive position and tried to hold out. In addition to the front row of spear points, the unit was further protected by two more rows (triple rows) of the twelve foot spears, pointing outwards, the front rows kneeling whilst those behind stood. All around the marching ground were stakes, murder holes and ropes tied to the stakes to trip up English horses.

By an unusual twist of historical fate, Edward also came to Falkirk with new tactics. He had learned from bitter experience in his Welsh Wars of the devastating firepower of the south Welsh longbowmen; and despite the cost and difficulty of dealing with the Celtic Welsh and their constant quarrelling with the English, he now included large numbers of them (for a price) in his army and began to use them as part of his coordinated battle plan. It would set the tone of English battle tactics for the next two centuries and serve the English remarkably well in France during the One Hundred Years War.

On St. Magdalen’s day, 22 July, the army came in sight of the Scot’s position.The English heavy cavalry was the greatest threat to the Scottish force and accordingly Wallace adopted a defensive formation. Drawing his men up on firm ground fronted by a stream and a marsh, he configured his army into four densely packed schiltrons (phalanx rings). Each man was armed with a four metre spear which collectively provided an impenetrable barrier to a cavalry attack.  Further protection was achieved by a placing a palisade of sharpened stakes around the formations. Wallace placed his archers between each schiltron and put his small cavalry contingent to the rear.

The English approached from the south in the traditional three battle formation. The vanguard, which included a significant cavalry component, was led jointly by Humphrey de Bohun, Earl of Hereford and Roger Bigod, Earl of Norfolk. The middle guard was under Antony Bek, Bishop of Durham with Ralph Bassett as his deputy. The rear guard was under the Edward I himself.

Despite the dominant Scottish position, the English were keen to attack. The two Earls dismissed the stream across the battlefield as insubstantial and advanced on the Scottish centre. However, whilst the stream may have been small, it was surrounded by boggy ground which was quite unsuitable for cavalry. The advance of the vanguard was thus slowed and slewed right.

Seeing the vanguard move to the right, the Bishop of Durham cautiously moved his middle guard to the left to open the opportunity of a co-ordinated attack on the Scottish flanks. However, he was wary of sending his cavalry component forward given the dominant Scottish position. His caution was vigorously opposed by his deputy, Ralph Bassett, who led his cavalry forward regardless. Bassett's cavalry likewise found their attack defused by the bog but their advance was threatening enough to scare off the Scottish cavalry who fled the field without engaging. However, both English cavalry formations had lost their speed and were unable to penetrate the densely packed schiltrons. Instead they turned upon the Scottish archers who, with no cavalry force to protect them and being outside of the schiltrons, were slaughtered. Their leader, John Stewart, died alongside his men.

Having witnessed his cavalry failing to make an impression of the schiltrons, Edward I sounded the recall. With his Knights recovered to his own lines, he advanced his archers - Crossbowmen from Gascony and Longbowmen from Wales and the Marches - to attack the schiltrons. The massed, static Scottish formations formed the perfect target and heavy casualties were inflicted. Crucially their ranks were thinned and the wall of spears, that hereto had so effectively kept the English cavalry at bay, started to have gaps.

The English cavalry, now reformed, charged against the depleted and now ineffective schiltrons. They smashed into the Scottish formations which broke into rout. The English followed cutting them down with one English Chronicler recording "they fell like blossoms in an orchard when the fruit has ripened". Casualty numbers are unknown but, for the Scottish forces, are likely to have been extensive.

With his army destroyed and his reputation in ruins, Wallace escaped the battlefield. He would spend the next seven years mounting a guerrilla war against the English but in reality his power was broken. In 1305 he was betrayed to the English by John de Menteith, a Scottish Knight. After a show trial at Westminster, he was hung, drawn and quartered in Smithfield.

The Battle of Falkirk was significant in that it saw the destruction of the Scottish army in the field and heavy Scottish casualties but, due to the escape of the Scottish nobility, failed to have the long term decisive outcome sought. For awhile Robert the Bruce was hopeful that Edward I would look to him for another King to fill the Scottish throne. However Edward had no intentions of appointing any new King in Scotland and accordingly Robert rebelled in 1306 starting a campaign that would see Scottish victory at Bannockburn,the Declaration of Arbroath and English recognition of the independence of Scotland in 1328, it would be a long 30 years though.