#is this merely a coincidence or is it some kind of prophecy

[rudylloyd]

having a brain moment rn

[fallencrowns]

@thatsecondsalemboy​

He had checked in from time to time, always from a distance, never interfering. Watching from afar only to DISAPPEAR as he was quick to apparate away from the scene. So many rumours seemed to swirl around the boy, even as he kept an eye on him. First, it was his death at the hands of COWARDLY Aurors that sought to kill anything they might not understand. Then he lived but tales of a prophecy and the Lestrange family were all anyone had to speak of when it came to the boy. Even so, he had watched over him, seen the boy practically SCRAMBLE to uncover his true identity. Matters which Salazar could not help, not since he had cut ties with many of the other Pureblood families of Europe.

But then it was that he had sided with Grindlewald. There was irony there, many of Salazar’s beliefs aligning with the other dark wizard. That their kind should not have to hide from the Muggles, that they were SUPERIOR and did not deserve to be forced into the shadows. Still, Salazar kept out of such affairs, keeping to the shadows as he had for centuries as many wars had come and gone. Politics were often a thing he kept out of save for making allies in certain places so he could merely know what was to come. But he was not afraid of Grindelwald nor would he shrink away from the one he had begun to watch over regardless of what CONSEQUENCES may come should the other find his plot interfered with.

It was late, an honest coincidence when he had spotted the figure following the boy. Into an alleyway, the Auror perhaps using a charm to muffle his own footsteps and the shadows making it easy to hide in. It would have been best to look away, to let the boy handle it on his own, but he couldn’t keep OUT of it all forever. Salazar’s own footsteps followed, waiting until they were clear of the open streets before his wand was drawn. Precision once more needed in between the narrow walkway of the alley. To align oneself with such a PUBLIC enemy, of course others would be after him. The snuff out Grindelwald’s powers, they would go after his allies and Credence was, by far, one of the most DANGEROUS forces at his side.

Salazar watched the Auror raise his wand, the spell on the tip of his tongue, but he was quicker. The wooden instrument shot towards the target and a green BURST of light briefly illuminated the alleyway before the man crumpled onto the ground. Unmoving, eyes staring ahead, no signs of breathing from his chest. DEAD. The Killing Curse was simple enough, an effective weapon to cease life. He could have done much worse, the man in whatever afterlife there might be should have been GRATEFUL it was only that.

❝  You’re going to have to be more careful if you’re going to side with Grindelwald of all people,  ❞  he spoke, his words clearly directed at Credence though Salazar didn’t so much as glance in his direction just yet. Instead, it was on the body between them, his boot reaching out to nudge the corpse as if to find any sort of REACTION. A force of habit, coming from a man that had been struck with the same curse many times and still lived and breathed.  ❝  When I said to find others of our community, that was hardly what I meant. You’ve quite a knack for finding some of the worst people, don’t you?  ❞  

[dear-mrs-otome]

Faust's Sadsack Past Story

I won't do an entire translation of Faust's page story but I think it would be useful and entertaining to some folks to see the shitbrained gist, so here you go:

It's a late night chat in Vlad's castle and Faust is telling the other two a story - a 'Once Upon a Time' about a happy couple that was expecting a baby when they received an ominous prophecy from a wandering seer. The prophet claimed that the baby the woman carried was an abomination that would kill both of its parents, first its mother and then its father. When the woman died immediately after giving birth to the boy, the father panicked and ordered the baby killed. But the servant he tasked with the job couldn't stomach the idea so he merely abandoned the baby in the woods instead.

Charles and Vlad both accuse Faust of making up a story when they were asking for real life deets, but Faust insists it's not TOTALLY made up - at least, the part about him being left out in the woods as a baby is true.

He's telling them how prophecies and stuff are bullshit, but he's thinking back to a memory of his life when he was first alive. He'd studied medicine and anatomy and alchemy and all kinds of stuff, and been asked by a noble family to make a medicine that would basically euthanize their ailing family head.

Faust had complied, but not before the old man had taken one look at him and started wailing about how Faust had the same eyes as his beloved dead Margaret. He was ushered away, but later the coachman driving Faust home reiterates the family's sad tale - that they were in a position where the leadership of the family was up for grabs (and therefore susceptible to ambitious machination) because the master had sent his son away to be killed after they'd received a prophecy the boy would kill its mother and then father...though the servant tells him the baby was merely left in the Black Forest and surely it must have perished.

The coachman finishes with an offhand remark on how Faust is both the right age and resembles the former lady of the house as well, and with a horrible premonition Faust rushes back to the home but the old man has already been given his 'medicine' and passed on.

Clearly there's no proof he's the same baby as the family's prophecy, but the coincidences seem almost too much to ignore...

Back in the present though, Faust is reiterating to himself that fate and God and all that is bullshit - humans have free will, he refuses to believe otherwise. And all that mixed up with the pain of his childhood and the despair of whatever happened in 'that city' (as he puts it) he packs all that jazz away in his chest, and it's the fire that drives him on now.

He thinks all cynically how nobody knows the real him or what motivates him and nobody ever will - nobody is stupid enough to be THAT good and THAT willing to get burned that they'd even attempt to get close to him like that. Finishing with the thought that there would definitely...totally...never be anyone like that.

[greenygreenland]

Liar: Lloyd Garmadon & Sister! Reader

-you're the elder sister of the one and only Lloyd Garmadon

-tell me if you want a pt 2

Summary:

You're Lloyd's sister and would do anything to keep an eye on him, even if it's sneaking into the darkest, most evilest school for boys.

(Y/n) heard terrible stories of the school down the lane. From teachers murdering their students if they weren't up to their expectations to students locking their teachers in their own classrooms and torturing them until they begged for mercy.

Kids were said to grow up to be the worst of the worst, but never would (Y/n) have guessed the people there to look so...normal. Some students dressed incredibly well with uniforms complete with suits and ties while others slipped on sweatshirts and sweatpants instead.

The school had the classic tiled roof of any old building in Ninjago complete with various sparkling windows, stories, and creaky doors. From the outside, the school actually looked peaceful.

The garden out front gave off a feeling of freshness as she passed by with the vibrantly coloured petals swaying in the gentle breeze. The grass tickled (Y/n)'s ankles as she heaved out a deep breath she didn't know she held.

It's not too late to turn back, she told herself.

"No." she interjected. "I have to take care of Lloyd." At the mere mention of taking care of her brother, memories bombarded her like an air strike from above.

The soft, caring smile of her mother. Her warm hands holding her tight. Her words of comfort in her ear.

"I'm so sorry my daughter."

(Y/n) imagined her mother's arms wrapped tightly around her.

"Lloyd has a destiny laid out before him I can't allow."

"What kind of destiny?"

All those years ago, her mother had smiled again with those sad eyes of hers.

"He is destined to be the Green Ninja. He will bring balance, peace. But in order to do so, he must fight and defeat your father."

(Y/n) recalled the feeling of helplessness settling in her gut that day. Her father may have been evil, but he loved (Y/n) and Lloyd more than anything in the world. They could have been a happy family, but he was banished to the Underworld.

"No. He--he can't. Not father, not Lloyd. They can't fight!"

Her mother had frowned with tears in her eyes.

"That is why I must leave."

"Why can't I come with you?"

"Because it's too dangerous. While I'm gone, all I ask of you is to take care of each other. Can you promise me that?"

"Yes, mum. I promise."

(Y/n) shook away the memories with a frown. She was only about eight at the time. Now, she was in her teens. She couldn't back down, not after she dyed her blonde hair black and cut it short like a boy's. Not after she promised her mother to take care of Lloyd, and not after she had done all the paperwork herself.

(Y/n) stared at the documents in her hand with a shake of her head. They were forged at the local library and looked rather professional, but how far would looks go? "This is never going to work." she grumbled to herself.

---

"I can't believe that worked." (Y/n) whispered as she closed the principal's office door. She stuffed her school schedule into her green hoodie and made her way into the first class. She paused when her fingers latched onto the doorknob.

If this were a school for bad boys, then wouldn't that mean she could do whatever the heck she wanted? She could skip class! She wouldn't have to do her homework! She could actually talk back to people!

No.

(Y/n) couldn't do that. She'd willingly brainwash herself into being the villain the staff wanted her and so many others to be. She'd be just as much of a sheep as the children around her.

Like Lloyd.

Her mother said keeping him here would protect him and help avert the prophecy, but (Y/n) didn't understand that. Darkley's was a terrible place to grow up in because of the competitive and dark environment. People weren't nice here (she could tell that much), and it effected even the nicest kids.

(Y/n) released the doorknob and made her way down the hall. When lunch came, he decided to skip and hang out in one of the quieter halls. She didn't have much of an appetite after seeing a group of kids throw bags of fire ants down each other's shirts.

"First Spinjitzu Master is this place insane." she grumbled. A familiar chuckle caught her ears and she jumped to her feet so fast that a book almost fell out of her open bag. A cloaked boy smirked at her as if he told the world's best joke. "Tell me about it." he admitted. "Say, you're the new kid right?"

(Y/n) inwardly smiled. What a wonderful coincidence. "What about it, kid?"

"You may be older, but you're new. You need someone to show you the ropes. What do you say we team up together?" (Y/n) crossed her arms and stared her baby brother down with a firm look. "What's the catch?"

"'Catch'? Uh..."

(Y/n) almost smiled. If Lloyd were one of the other kids, then he would have thought up something to benefit himself on the other end. But he wasn't. He was Lloyd Garmadon, the destined Green Ninja, so of course he wasn't as evil as the other kids. He was an angel in disguise.

"You don't sound so evil, kid." she suddenly said. The confidence on Lloyd's face simmered into a deep frown. "That's what everyone says. The teachers told me they're thinking of kicking me out soon...but I'll show them! I'm Lloyd Garmadon, bringer of evil and son of Lord Garmadon!" As if to prove his point, he let out an 'evil' laugh.

(Y/n) cringed a little. "Great," she said through her teeth, "that's wonderful Lloyd. Now, why don't you show me the 'ropes' of this place?"

"Sure, uh..."

"Jason." she replied. "Jason Le."

True to his word, he showed (Y/n) all the ins and outs of Darkley's, as well as the basics of being 'bad'. She skipped classes with him, ran through the halls, and pickpocketed coins out of her peers' pockets. But along the way, (Y/n)'s morals kicked in and she felt bad about all the stuff she did.

ONE MONTH LATER

The sun slowly sunk over the horizon, casting the empty classroom in a hue of oranges and reds. Lloyd laid flat on a set of desks, arms behind his head with a satisfied smirk. "You're not so bad at this Jason. Maybe one day, you'll be as good as me."

(Y/n) rolled her eyes. "I'm sure I will be, Lloyd." There was a moment of silence before he sat up on the desks. "You know, you remind me of someone." (Y/n) shifted in her chair with a nervous chuckle. "Is that so...?"

"Yeah. My sister. But she'd never do anything as evil as us. She couldn't pick up twenty dollars off the street even if it stared her in the face!" He sighed to himself. "Goody two shoes."

(Y/n) snorted. "What's your sister like?"

He shrugged. "She's a liar who pretends to be nice. We were supposed to meet at Buddy's Pizza, but I haven't heard a word from her in four weeks! What a snake." (Y/n) winced, but Lloyd didn't seem to notice.

"Not only that, but she's a total two-face!"

(Y/n) winced again.

"One second she's nice and the next she's gone like my parents! I thought she cared about me, but apparantly not."

Lloyd's words piecered (Y/n)'s heart like a knife.

Two-faced.

Liar.

Snake.

Was that really what her baby brother thought of her? After all she sacrificed for him? All the times she showed up to hang out with Lloyd, the day before she'd scrap by to earn enough money to buy him lunch. All the times she brought him to the arcade? She used all the allowance in her pockets.

There was a weird burning sensation in her chest. "What if," she quickly said, "your sister was just busy? What if your sister was going through something she didn't tell you?" Lloyd placed a hand on his chin. "I didn't really think about that."

"Maybe you should, because no family should leave each other behind." (Y/n) abruptly stood. "It's getting late, we should head to the dorms."

The walk to the dormitories was silent. Lloyd could tell just by the crinkle in (Y/n)'s brow that she was angry, or at least annoyed with him. He wasn't sure how he knew just by a single glance, but the tension was beginning to freak him out a little. "Did I...say something?" he muttered. (Y/n) frowned a little. "No."

"Then why do you look so..."

"So what?"

Lloyd shrugged. "I don't know...annoyed?"

(Y/n) froze in her steps, and it was so quiet that Lloyd heard every squeak her shoes made. The rays of sun shone on her pale face, illuminating her bright eyes and silky hair. From her hair part, Lloyd noticed a few golden strands peeking out.

Wait a minute.

Gold? Since when did Jason have golden hair?

Lloyd could have sworn this guy looked familiar. The almond-y round eyes, the sparkle that never seemed to dim, the hair like liquid gold that could only be possible if he were related to his grandfather. This wasn't a boy standing before him. No, no, it was....

"(Y/n)?"

The name slid off his tongue before he could stop himself. (Y/n) tiredly sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She knew he would have figured it out eventually, he was smart like that. "The dye must have been cheaper than I thought," she quietly mumbled.

"Dye?"

"I spent the last of my monthly salary on the cheapest hair dye I could find."

"You've been here the entire time and I didn't even notice?!" exclaimed Lloyd. (Y/n) nodded. "Yes, I have." Lloyd squinted at her tired eyes with an angry frown. "But--but why?"

(Y/n) laughed so coldly that Lloyd shivered. "Why else? You're my baby brother. You've been stuck at Darkley's, and I haven't been able to keep an eye on you. When I heard you might be kicked out, I wanted to make sure I wouldn't lose you for good."

Lloyd was speechless.

I spent the last of my monthly salary on the cheapest hair dye I could find.

He had just bad-mouthed his elder sister.

You're my baby brother.

How dishonourable of him.

I wanted to make sure I wouldn't lose you for good.

A wave of guilt hit Lloyd like a tsunami. He ran at (Y/n) like a bolt of lightning and jumped straight into her arms. How could he have thought such terrible things about her? She would never abandon him because she was the best person he had ever met in all of Ninjago even if he were too blind to see it.

She cared about him more than she cared for herself, and now Lloyd understood. All those times she showed up late to pick him up on the front lawn of Darkley's. All those times she let Lloyd eat whatever he wanted while she sat at the table with only a glass of water. All those times she snuck in to hide handmade cards or gifts under his pillows. That wasn't her pretending to act nice or being two-faced, that was her sacrificing all she could to be the best sister in all of Ninjago.

Lloyd almost cried then and there out of guilt. "I'm sorry I called you two-faced." he croaked out. "And I'm sorry for calling you a snake and saying you were fake to me. I didn't mean that, I promise. I just--I didn't know." (Y/n) wrapped her arms around Lloyd's tiny body with a sigh far beyond her years. "I know you're sorry, I forgive you." Lloyd let go of (Y/n) with a sad frown. "I really don't deserve you."

(Y/n) mimicked his sad frown. "Maybe...maybe it was destiny that knew you needed someone like me in your life. You need a guide to keep you on the right track, and that's what I am." Lloyd smiled a little. "You're more than that." He hugged (Y/n) again. "You're the best sister in the world."

[sweetness47]

The Sleeping Beauty

Pairing Sam x Reader

@spnfluffbingo square filled: fairy tale AU

Warnings: nothing really, I don’t think anyways. Implied smut at the end? Mild violent scenes. Nothing too descriptive anywhere.

Final word count: 1924

Sam brought his arm around YN, smiling as she settled into his warm embrace. They were just hanging around, channel flipping, enjoying the quiet evening. Dean was at the bar, and Cas had gone with him, it was almost like a date, but neither would admit such a thing.

YN shivered as Sam traced along her arm, the touch so feathery soft, yet spoke volumes to the thoughts going through his mind. One of the things she liked about Sam was his quiet demeanor, the way   caressed her with a mere look, undressed her with his eyes. The thoughts that danced across his beautiful hazel orbs every time he looked at her, like she was a goddess, and he worshipped the ground she walked on, they made her feel like she could do anything as long as she had him.

They gazed at each other, lost in their silent caresses, too entranced to notice the lights flicker. There was a storm outside, so it would have been shrugged off as coincidence, until the TV went wonky, the picture flitting off and on, landing briefly on the screen of death, then landing on a movie.

“Sam, weren’t we watching Food network? How did we end up on Disney?”

Sam glanced at YN, then at the tv. Frowning, he looked back at his love. “No idea, must be some weird effect from the storm. Anyways, its one of your favorites. We can watch it if you want.”

He knew her well. Sleeping Beauty was indeed one of her all time favorite Disney classics. She was a sucker for romance and brave heroes.

YN snuggled closer to Sam. “Ok. Can you turn it up a bit though? It’s really quiet.”

No sooner did Sam touch the remote, a brilliant white light lit the entire room, and when it had subsided, Sam and YN were no longer there.

**

YN woke feeling strange, but she couldn’t figure out why. She also had no clue as to why she could hear birds chirping and smell fresh forest air. It was that moment her eyes flew open, noting she wasn’t in her bed, neither was she in her house.

In fact, she was most definitely not in her realm.

She was a cartoon, and not just any cartoon, but she was in fact, Princess Aurora.

But where was Sam? How did they get there? And how on Earth were they ever going to get home?

**

Sam woke standing in a stable, beside a horse. A cartoon horse. Running over to the fresh bucket of water, he glanced at his reflection and was shocked to see he was a cartoon. He was in Sleeping Beauty. He was Prince Philip, actually.

Maybe, YN was Aurora.

But how did this happen? He remembered when he had been transported with Dean and Cas into Scooby Doo, so maybe this was the same kind of deal. As long as they played out the story, they should be returned to their world at the end.

He just had to make sure he didn’t die, and that YN was unharmed as well. He’d only seen this particular movie a couple of times, but he knew the basics. It looked like they had come into the movie about midway, where Phillip is getting ready to go riding in the forest, and meets Aurora for the first time.

He saddled Samson and easily swung up onto the horse. He paced his ride to a slow trot, enjoying the natural sounds of the forest, but also listening for the musical voice that would lead him to YN/Aurora. He had heard her sing to many of the Disney films they’d watched over the years, and knew she could carry a tune fairly well. His opinion might be somewhat bias but in his heart he knew she was more than capable of playing this role.

**

YN, having seen this movie many times, played the role of Briar Rose perfectly. She was sent by the fairies to pick berries in the woods. She strolled along the paths, feeling the grass tickle her feet as she walked. For fun, she decided to see if she could really sing like the princess in the film, so she began humming, then quietly singing lines about animals having someone to love, yet she remained single. Her heart hoped the Prince was Sam, because he was who she desired the most.

As expected, the lovebirds finally find each other. Sam practically leaps off the horse and catches YN in his arms as she meets him halfway. They dance along the grassy meadow and sing together, gazing into each other’s eyes lovingly.

They know they can’t stay there, or run away together, if they want to go back to their own world, so Sam and YN reluctantly part ways, promising to finish the story so they can live happily ever after. Together in each other’s arms, forever.

YN returns to the cottage in the glen and finds the surprise dress and birthday cake her guardians have made. They then tell her the truth of her identity, and YN feels her heart break as she pretends to be distraught over the thought of never seeing the young man she met in the forest. Dressed in the beautiful blue gown, and covered in a blue cloak, the three fairies carefully lead the princess to her home and to her parents.

Once there, they lead her to a secluded room so they can keep her safe till the sun has set, thereby foiling the prophecy Maleficent had bestowed upon Aurora when she was a baby. The three of them combined their magic to create a beautiful crown to place upon YN’s head. She looked at the golden tiara and broke down into sobs, her head resting upon her arm on her dresser as she shed tears for her beloved.

When the fairies left her alone for a few minutes, YN knew what would come next, but the trance caused by the green orb took away all her sorrows, but also took away her free will. It was like watching from outside her body. Her mind was being controlled, but she still had her own consciousness. Ever so slowly, she climbed the steps to the top tower, where her fate awaited.

The princess entered the room the orb had coaxed her to, and walked toward the spinning wheel that stood in the middle of the floor. She could hear a menacing voice telling her to touch the spindle of the spinning wheel, but she hesitated briefly, then as the voice in her head grew more demanding, she could no longer resist.

The last thing she remembered was pricking her finger on the sharp point, her body crumpling to the ground as a deep slumber overtook her.

**

Sam made his way to the cottage he’d been ‘invited to’ by YN, but he couldn’t exactly remember what would happen next. He knew Phillip would get captured by Maleficent, and that it would be soon, but when he knocked on the cottage and stepped in, he wasn’t prepared to be overcome so quickly. The evil hordes quickly tied him up and took him away, his anger rising as the evil witch laughed at him.

Chained to the dungeon wall in Maleficent’s home, he listened to her goad him, telling him she would release him in 100 years to rescue his love, then laughing at him as he struggled to break free and kill her.

Once she left him, the three fairies, who had found Aurora lying on the ground in the tower, snuck inside the forbidden mountain where the evil witch resided, and freed Phillip from the chains. Bestowing upon him the Shield of Faith and the Mighty Sword of Truth, they led him to freedom and, after freeing Samson, they helped him escape.

Maleficent heard the commotion and was beyond angry at the incompetence of her minions. She sent a cursed wall of thorns to stop Sam from getting to the castle, but the sword he’d been gifted with cut the magical weeds with ease. He would take on the world if it meant rescuing his beloved YN.

When the thorns failed to stop him, Maleficent appeared before Phillip and spoke these words, “Now shall you deal with me, O Prince, and all the powers of hell!”

With a maniacal laugh, the witch changed, grew, and there before Sam stood a large black dragon. Sam charged at the dragon, and was met with a fiery blast. The shield easily protected him, and Phillip jumped off his horse to fight the great beast. Maleficent snapped her jaws at him, breathed fire at him, but the prince remained strong and vigilant.

When a rather powerful blast knocked Phillip’s shield away, Maleficent laughed and reveled in her almost victory. He wouldn’t survive now that he had no shield. But while she laughed, the three good fairies enchanted the Sword of truth:

O Sword of Truth, fly swift and sure,

That evil die and good endure!

When they finished the spell, Sam threw the sword at the large dragon, piercing her heart. With a great cry, the evil Maleficent fell to her death, never to darken the kingdom again.

With her death, the thorns and fire disappeared, allowing Sam to enter the castle and seek out YN. He reached the room where the fairies had laid her down on a soft bed, and bent down to capture her lips in a gentle kiss. YN woke, smiling as she gazed into her lover’s eyes.

They made their way to the grand ball room and paid respect to the king and queen, YN rushing to embrace her ‘parents’. Then the prince and princess danced and shared a kiss, and lived happily ever after.

As they kissed, lights flashed, blinding them, and they held on to each other, hoping they were going back home.

**

Sam and YN opened their eyes and found themselves back in the living room, the tv back on the Food channel and everything back to normal. They remembered everything though. Sam cleared his throat, and looked at YN.

“That was interesting.” He commented.

“It was, definitely, and kinda fun.” She replied.

“It got me thinking YN. I don’t want to waste any more time just dating you. I love you. I want to marry you, have children with you, grow old with you. Say you’ll be mine.”

YN felt her eyes sting with happy tears. “Sam, I can’t imagine any part of my future where you are not in it. You complete me, and you’ve made me the happiest woman in the world. I love you so much, and I can’t wait to marry you, grow old with you, and have children with you.” She giggled as she said the last part. “Speaking of…I was going to tell you tonight anyways, but, um, we’ve already started the having children part.”

Sam’s eyes widened as her words caught up with him. “Really?”

The biggest grin she’d ever seen adorned his face as he joyously swung her around, planting kisses all over her face and neck. Picking her up bridal style, he took her to their room where he spent most of the night showing her how much he loved her.

@legion1993 @drkcnry67 @lyarr24 @idreamofplaid​

[fatehbaz]

Another compilation of thoughts on apocalypse; dystopia; better futures; post-crisis resurgence, contemplated during first week(s) of pandemic quarantine. [Part 1.]

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

Pedro Neves Marques. “Parallel Futures: One or Many Dystopias?” e-flux. April 2019.

[I]t is important to remember that some futures never went anywhere – they were not allowed to – and yet they survive. These are futures that have been suppressed and canceled by colonial power. [...] I’m talking about parallel futures. By this I mean futures that have always been present, but that, together with the worlds they belong to, have been forced into one  future only. […] There is only one planet, but there are many worlds inside it.

Writing from an Afrofuturist standpoint, artist and writer Kodwo Eshun suggests that the colonial present is managed by both a preemptive and a predictive  power. “Preemptive” means that colonial power must control the past so as to deny the emergence of any future other than the one desired by the colonialist. “Predictive,” in contrast, implies that power must manage the present in such a way that the future is predetermined in advance. It is the active production of future horizons, compliant with power, that comes to shape the present. […] Borrowing a term from anthropologist Michael Fortun, one could call this preemptive prediction a “future anterior”: the forceful imagination of a technoscientific future that by its very utterance determines the shape of things to come. The future anterior orients the present toward a predetermined goal, while also rereading the past in its image. This is perhaps why Eshun writes that it is not the future that emerges from the present, as one would normally think, but rather the present (and the past) that arrives from the future. Colonial power creates a future in advance, so that no other will take its place. I want to ask how we can think through colonization and decolonization  as a matter of futures. Colonization – of bodies and minds but also of  nature itself – has always been as much about the negation and control of  possible futures as about the erasure of the past  […].

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

Indigenous Action Network. “Rethinking the Apocalypse: An Indigenous Anti-Futurist Manifesto.” 2020.

Apocalyptic idealization is a self fulfilling prophecy. It is the linear  world ending from within. Apocalyptic logic exists within a spiritual, mental, and emotional dead zone that also cannibalizes itself. It is the dead risen to consume all life. [...] Its an apocalyptic that colonizes our imaginations and destroys our past and future simultaneously. It is a struggle to dominate human meaning  and all existence. [...] There is a song older than worlds here, it heals deeper then the colonizer’s blade could ever cut. [...] Why can we imagine the ending of the world, yet not the ending of colonialism? We live the future of a past that is not our own. It is a history of utopian fantasies and apocalyptic idealization. It is a pathogenic global social order of imagined futures, built upon genocide, enslavement, ecocide, and total ruination.

What conclusions are to be realized in a world constructed of bones and  empty metaphors? A world of fetishized endings calculated amidst the  collective fiction of virulent specters. From religious tomes to  fictionalized scientific entertainment, each imagined timeline  constructed so predictably; beginning, middle, and ultimately, The End. [...] This way of unbeing, which has infected all aspects of our lives, which is responsible for the annihilation of entire species, the toxification of oceans, air and earth, the clear-cutting and burning of whole  forests, mass incarceration, the technological possibility of world  ending warfare, and raising the temperatures on a global scale, this is  the deadly politics of capitalism, it’s pandemic. [...] We are the antibodies.

The physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual invasion of our lands,  bodies, and minds to settle and to exploit, is colonialism. Ships sailed  on poisoned winds and bloodied tides across oceans pushed with a  shallow breath and impulse to bondage, millions upon millions of lives were quietly extinguished before they could name their enemy. 1492. 1918. 2020 …

Biowarfare blankets, the slaughter of our relative the buffalo, the  damming of lifegiving rivers, the scorching of untarnished earth, the forced marches, the treatied imprisonment, coercive education through abuse and violence. [...] The day to day post-war, post-genocide, trading post-colonial  humiliation of our slow mass suicide on the altar of capitalism; work, income, pay rent, drink, fuck, breed, retire, die. [...]

The anti-colonial imagination isn’t a subjective reaction to colonial futurisms, it is anti-settler future. Our life cycles are not linear, our future exists without time. It is a dream, uncolonized. [...] We will not allow the specter of the colonizer, the ghosts of the past to haunt the ruins of this world. [...]

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

Phil A. Neel. Hinterland: America’s New Landscape of Class and Conflict. 2018.

St. Louis is where storms collide. [...] And as the air currents grapple over the middle-American sky, the storm-swollen Mississippi grinds forward below. Once-uncommon “freak floods” are now standard, the levees overcome every few years and large chunks of St Louis and its surrounding suburbs washed away by the intractable inertia of a river bound to outlive any city. [...] In recent years, growing  climate chaos has only intensified this ambient war, each “extreme  weather event” more volatile and less predictable. [...] The result is another slow apocalypse.

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

Hugo Reinert. “The skulls and the dancing pig: Notes on apocalyptic violence.” Terrain. 2019

In a newspaper interview a decade or so back, during an earlier peak of reindeer-crisis discourse, a [Sami] herder named Johan Mathis Oskal put this issue very succinctly: “If the authorities do cut the number of animals by half, and we then get a bad year [udr], we might be left with no reindeer at all. That would be an eternal catastrophe.” […]

“Apocalypse” […]. The word has something of the titillating about it: a streak of prurience, redolent of spectacle and sentimental violence,  the interminable grind of […] death-fulfillment fantasies […]. It feels indulgent; more specifically, perhaps, it echoes the affects and fantasies that are invested in the anthropological project of salvage – as a collective enterprise of acquisition and reification rooted, all too often, in the postulate of an apocalypse of the Other. […] The image of a reindeer excess has haunted the edges of the State in Norway for almost two centuries now: a fevered, imaginal swarm always threatening to overspill the borders, invade the cities, eating the land bare. [...] The underlying impulse has persisted: a will to contain the herd, to control them, reduce – and through this, to control and reduce a segment of the Indigenous Sami population that in conspicuous ways has resisted normalization […].

The escalation of this […] narrative has coincided neatly with the  escalating interest of national and international actors in “developing”  the tundra […]. “Death has occupied the tundra,” one headline proclaimed. […]. The miasma of this moment is simultaneously an effect and an instrument of governance: a kind of ambient manufactured context [...]. Acting on the vision of a vast catastrophe – a charnel dream of bodies that  rot in the snow, devastation, collapsing systems, the stench of blood –  the providential State deploys the killing-violence apotropaically, in a preemptive move: “To prevent them from dying, they must be killed.” […] In this sense, the reindeer crisis is also legible as a  performance, a spectacle of justification orchestrated by the State in its own periphery: “disaster as a form of governance”  […].

“Eternal catastrophe.” To someone like Johan Mathis, excess appears as a temporary and survivable mismatch  in the calibration of herd size to grazing resources. The problem  resolves itself: “nature itself reduces the [reindeer] number.” […]. Contrast this to the State narrative – in which excess appears as the continuous potential for a terrifying breakdown, a rampant and unregulated proliferation in which the dead scatter like  leaves, chaotic and numberless across an incompletely known terrain. Even the possibility of that crisis disrupts the sovereign claim of the State over death. The threat of force tries to reestablish that  claim, at least symbolically – aligning reality with a theory of power that takes this control (over death) as simultaneously total and already-given but also always under threat, inherently insufficient. In the crisis, the State falls chronically short of its own theoretical claims; the answer to that “failure” is expansion, growth, intensification of control, the further consolidation of power.  

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

Nat Marcus. “At the Hellmouth Coatcheck.” Flaunt. November 2019.

Note that city limits are often transversive; radial lanes rather than walls at the perimeter. [...] Escalating seismics aside, the Hellmouth obviously wouldn’t open under Los Angeles, but rather off-center, somewhere out-of-pocket like Sunnydale. [...] Chicago acts like a trellis or lays out like a sheet of graph paper, one edge wet and thus easily torn away by Lake Michigan.

How, or assuming what posture, do we guide ourselves through the present via the future, if short-term futurity looks rich with suffering, and in the long-term, it’s merely void?

Apocalypse is a gradient, and the inferno [...] isn’t devoid of politics: while I write this ledger, the number of residents  of what could be called hell on earth (shoreline eroding, uninsured pharmaceutical deadlocks, Western wars fought elsewhere, etc.) only grows. [...] By our current trajectory, those existing outside hubs of capital -- beyond the spatial and/or ideological limits of capital and major cities, the subaltern and incalculable -- will be swallowed by ocean or fire first. One doesn’t need a prophet’s eyes to see this. [...]

A bell-hooksian love ethic is one by which love is recognized as a form of action, one undertaken to stimulate the personal and spiritual growth of oneself and others. [...] Hell is either already here or just around the corner [...], at cross-hatched odds with the orderly loop of the city filled with law, may simply allow us to step into the shrinking space between those two places, and be here willfully [...].

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

[vore-scientist]

The Panicking Prince

(A humorous little adventure containing Lots of GT interaction and some safe, soft, M/f GT vore, platonic and willing)

A Tale of the Mystic Woods

Full title: In Which Prince Yonatan Does The Books

Summary: Prince Yonatan discovers some information that about the fate of the kingdom. This causes him to panic so he runs off to find his sister the Princess Sophia and the Giant Wizard, Yonah. 

Warnings: No real warnings. I will mention that Yonatan is 16 years old but he’s NOT the one eaten (It’s Sophia as usual). There’s an almost minor vorish moment involving him, but it’s silly. It’s all silly actually.  

---

In a well lit room in a high tower of the Castle in the City of Luster in the Kingdom of Orr sat a prince. A prince surrounded by scrolls, notebooks, files, boxes, and cabinets. This prince was almost 17 years old, which was unusually young to be handling the paperwork of an entire kingdom. Especially since the Kingdom Of Orr was not one kingdom, it was two, as many centuries ago the King of Orr was picked to be the King of the Mystic Woods. And ever since then the new Mystic King maintained the claim on Orr. 

But Prince Yonatan was not a usual prince. He had been cursed at 8 days old, at his naming day, by the Ivory and Bronze Fairy Courts. They imbued him with intelligence and wisdom beyond his years. On the Prince’s 9th day of life he spoke in full sentences, the first of which he used to critique his feeding/sleeping schedule. And on the 10th day had set up a system that had him feeding, sleeping, and relieving himself on an extremely exact timetable. And it only got worse from there. 

With a mind hungry for knowledge but so full of new thoughts, the poor prince was constantly in need of diversions. Play with his siblings could occupy his body well enough; wrestling, tag, hide and seek, sword fighting, and climbing through areas of the castle they had no business being in. But as conversationalists went, they weren’t engaging. He chatted with Royal Philosophers until he ran circles around their theories, and his father’s political advisors until he could contribute to their machinations, which he often put a stop to before some sort of scandal got out. 

No advisor had successfully lead a power grab let alone a coup. but every time one got close it was a whole do-to. Now such things only happened Once in a while, when Yonatanlet one slip his notice, just to keep things lively.  

A few years ago he’d taken up a new hobby. 

The bookkeeping of Two Kingdoms was a daily task, one that Yonatan found extremely relaxing. With constant fresh information, it never got boring, and he could concentrate entirely on it. No more of his mind wandering and making him worry. 

See. Yonatan has anxiety. Bad anxiety. For all his wisdom, his brain was constantly racing and all those thoughts were so overwhelming, especially ones about the probabilities of disasters, or outcomes of potential wars, or that he was a terrible brother because of his curse, or that the royal advisors secretly resented him and were planning his assassination, or maybe or that his brain might one day just pop, or perhaps... 

You get the point. 

When he did the kingdom’s books, he had no such thoughts. At least, not as many. 

You might think such work is boring, and yes, stuff like guild dues and which portions could be taxed, or reviewing the fluctuations in prices of basic goods and preparing to subsidize things for winter are certainly borning. But tracking the latest dragon sightings and the current standings of registered and known unregistered heroes and villains was exciting. 

Managing the FairyTales was an important job that Yonatan took great pleasure in. Reviewing and updating the current status of prophecies and their subjects, with calendars of known and calculated trigger dates and references of contingency plans for both disasters and celebrations.  Following Long Lost (or recently lost) Heirs and their last known locations, with information on anyone noteworthy or particularly unnoteworthy having passed through them. Keeping logs of treasure hauls taken in and given out by heroes and villains, making note of any (interesting) magic items. The latest word on magic items of secret but great renown, and any rumors involving their being lost, stolen, or found. 

And all of this and more! Organized so that the right information was disseminated to the right people. Information becoming instruction, and instruction becoming action. Many actions taken simply to influence others, in large and small ways. For example: Pushing people to influence some tale. Such people might never know they were part of a tale. They might have just been spurred on to tell a potential hero a small piece of information, or offer them a meal or place to stay for a night. 

All this made sure that FairyTales continued to be Told. 

You get the idea. 

But the prince was also trusted with monitoring some of the more sensitive information. Of note in this instance: Anomalous magical spikes in the Mystic Woods. 

The Mystic Woods was always shifting, but it was crucial to note where things were when interesting events occurred. Even if the event was merely a surge of forest magic, detected by a ranger or King Ben himself. Most of the time it was just a flare up as the mysterious currents of magic swirled around and collected. Or King Ben bit his tongue and for some reason the Mystic Woods reacted. 

Lately, a lot of the flares had been accompanied by little bits of good fortune! A tree being cured by disease, a swarm of insects cleared away, a rare magical berry bush bearing fruit for the first time in decades. Or were in locations inhabited by many of the mystic woods communities. Villages of Elves or colonies of gnomes, all who benefited in small ways from the flares. What nice things! Knowing good things were happening made Yonatan feel very good! 

Unfortunately, that mood was soon to be soured. As he reviewed the flares his super-fairy-magic-enhanced brain made some connections. 

What had he been reading yesterday? 

Though he wasn’t technically permitted to read the reports between King Ben and the Royal Wizard, and Evil Giant, known as Yonah HaEsh. Yonatan liked to know how his favorite sister was doing.

Even if Yonatan had trouble connecting to his siblings, he still loved them, and they loved him. But Sophia… She was special to him. Her carefree attitude taught him to act without thinking; With his brains and her wildness, they had been quite the pair of troublemakers. There was rarely a dull moment with her. And unlike his other siblings, who brushed off his anxiety attacks as just Yonatan’s Magic Brain Weirdness, she would help him. It was incredible how someone so unfettered could also be so steady.

Many a night he had run to her in tears over some fear, like how according to some calculations, the moon would crash down in a few hundred years, wiping out all life. She never got mad at him for waking her up, and she’d hold him as he cried himself to sleep. 

Adjusting to her being officially “kidnapped” by an evil wizard had been difficult to say the least. That was almost 2 years ago. It made him feel better to know she was thriving under the care of her captor. Even if he missed her dearly. 

Back to the reports. 

There had been several odd happenstances while she was on patrols with Yonah. Patrols were something Yonah had been doing long before Sophia had been assigned to him, and it was mainly the half-giant’s way of not going stir crazy. Explorations out in the forest; limited by the 5km range that Yonah could go from his tower, usually just to see what was around, but also to hunt and collect spell components. Yonah had at some point noted that when he went out with Sophia, they would encounter more interesting places and situations. 

A few of those places had surges of magic, mostly after, but sometimes before, Sophia encountered them. Many of these places had been having some sort of trouble, and it was clear from the ShiftLogs, that they shifted within a few hours of Sophia and Yonah’s patrol. 

Yonah even noted, almost a year and a half ago, that the forest was easier to navigate when he took Sophia with him. 

Almost as if… 

Yonatan’s genius brain had made a connection but it was not letting him actually think it. But he knew what it was. And his heart started to pound loudly and painfully against his ribs. Sweat beaded on his brow and his hands felt clammy. 

Oh no. 

No no no no no. 

Now he was panicking. Panic was bad! It hurt! No! He hated this! 

He could be wrong. Easily! This kind of thing never happened. It was probably just coincidence. But no such thing existed in their world That had been proven long ago by some amazing sages. There was nothing he could do about it if he was right. He had to calm down. Once he was calm he could… right. 

Nothing doing. 

Just panic. 

---

It had been a long while since he’d had an anxiety attack like this one. He couldn’t do any more work, instead he ran manic around the hallways until dinner time, where he ate barely anything and what he did he threw up shortly after. And sleep? Out of the question.

Unless. 

What time even was it? About an hour till midnight? Didn’t really matter. Still in his pajamas Prince Yonatan used one of the secret passages to get out of the castle. One that led to the stables so he could take his horse. Otherwise the trip would take a day. 

Still, he only rode Soos up to the Mystic Woods. Soos’ full name was Stubborn Old Ornery Stallion. Even though Soos wasn’t more than a few years old. Yonatan liked his horse and hoped he would live long enough to live up to name. 

It was a smooth 3 hour ride out of the city and past the farms and rolling hills. There wasn’t a defined border but once the trees got decently thick yet still lacked magic, he had Soos stop. Soos whinnied and stomped his hooves a bit annoyed. 

“Just checking,” Yonatan said, “You don’t have to come with me.” Even for a son of the Mystic King, the Woods was incredibly foreboding, especially at night. 

Soos’ ears flicked as if to say ‘Excuse me? I was bred for use in this forest.’

“Alrighty then!”

Without another thought (which was a considerable feat), Yonatan spurred Soos back into a trot, and into the woods. There was no point in picking a direction, he had to trust the forest. 

-

Back in the City of Luster there was panic. No one knew where Prince Yonatan was. Ben extended his awareness but sensed nothing. He wasn’t unduly worried since Yonatan was too clever for his own good, but that didn’t mean there was no reason for concern. And so he woke up the entire city, having his guards spread out to ask anyone if they’d seen or spoken to the prince. 

-

That will have to be dealt with later, as by now Yonatan had made it to his destination. 

No surprises here: it’s the Terrible Tower which conditionally belongs to the Great (and also) Terrible Yonah HaEsh. The current prison of Yonatan’s sister, the Princess Sophia. The tower sat to one side of a clearing which now held a mage’s garden. No matter how the forest shifted, Yonatan had never come into the clearing behind the tower, it was always on the side with the garden. 

He had also never been here at night. There was very little moon, but there were a few plants that luminesced. Not very brightly; when he emerged into the clearing with his lantern the lights diminished. But he needed to see the path to the tower.

There was no way to get Soos up it, but Soos didn’t want to go inside, he’d much rather stay in the garden. He knew which plants were safe to eat, and was confident no monsters would come here, not ones looking to eat horses anyways. No, if a monster were to come they would be here for the wizard, probably after some potion or spell. Monsters, like humans, needed the services of mages, but were more comfortable dealing with other monsters. 

Yonatan removed Soos’ saddle, leaning it up against the tower, and started climbing. 

Not so easy in slippers… Thankfully the large thorns were just illusions. He made it up no problem, and keeping in mind the spacial dilation he hopped to the floor. 

The workshop, which looked normal from where he’d sat on the windowsill, suddenly became nearly 4 times larger. Having expected this he rolled out of his fall. His slippers made soft pat pat pat noises as he walked briskly to the trap door which was unfortunately closed but for those in the know, and Yonatan was, there was a secret human sized door. That led to the conveniently human sized stairs that ran alongside the large ones. In fact, the only way to access those stairs was through that entrance. 

From the workshop course. Once you were in the tower proper, as long as you knew the stairs existed, they would graciously appear for you. This was a feature that Yonah had added since Sophia’s arrival, as well as a few well placed and magically hidden ladders and ropes. 

The desired room clear in Yonatan’s mind, it was only one flight down to the hallway that led to the bedroom. The massive door had a very much not hidden crack in the lower right corner, perfectly irresistible to any sneaking thief. Though these days it got more use by Princess Sophia when she needed the bathroom at night. 

Ignoring the half-giant asleep in his bed, Yonatan made a beeline for the massive golden birdcage that rested next to the nightstand. Though he wasn’t checking on Sophia. To get up to the bed he had to climb on the outside of the cage up to the nightstand and jump the very safe distance from the nightstand to the bed. He still looked down and climbed carefully just in case. 

The Princess Sophia was not in the bed which hung suspended off center in the cage. He continued to climb up as quietly as possible. Best not to make noises that would wake up the giant in an irritable manner. 

Which is why he took a running leap off nightstand, landing with a soft PUFF on the pillow. Right next to the giant’s head. But Yonah did not stir. 

The half-giant slept with his back to the wall, on his left side, angled downward. Left arm tucked under two pillows, right arm lazily hung around the pillow. If Sophia had been sleeping on Yonah’s person she would have been curled up in that right arm, against the giant’s face. She was not. 

Well. Fine. That was her prerogative. Yonatan wasn’t here for her anyways. Well he was but not just yet. First he needed the half-giant. He knelt down Yonah’s face. Trickles of dim orange light escaped through the eyelids. The prince was a bit nervous about waking the wizard, but it had to be done. He experimented first by tapping the giant’s nose. 

The deep breaths turned into stilted gasps and snuffles, the giant starting to become aware of a human guest. 

“Uh, Mr Giant?” 

One dimly glowing eye cracked open to look at him in confusion. 

“Eh?” The giant grunted. Then the right arm lifted and before Yonatan could react he was slapped down under a massive palm. It had been a lazy move, so he wasn’t injured, rather he was gently pressed into the pillow. Yonatan didn’t resist. 

After running all the way here Yonatan had escaped the majority of his anxiety, and the weight of the hand was pushing the rest away, and the warmth was extremely relaxing. Which, while part of his plan, this not exactly how he pictured spending the night. It was not comfortable. 

After another minute he pushed the hand off and he sat in front of the Giant’s face. Yonah had started to fall asleep again. 

“Where’s my sister?” Yonatan hissed. 

It took a few seconds before the giant grunted out “Iher?” 

“My sister. Sophia” Yonatan helped. 

Yonah took a breath and with some effort said something in Implausible Giant and even though Yonatan was fluent it was garbled. But the giant had said it with a slight smile. The prince didn’t need to be a genius to know Yonah had eaten Sophia. As long as he didn't think about it too hard it shouldn’t be a problem. Of course Yonatan thought very hard about most things. 

And if you’re wondering why Yonatan wasn’t concerned that his sister was eaten by a half giant, maybe you’re thinking Yonatan thought of her as being in his way? And having his sister eaten was one less person ahead of him in the line of succession. No. He knew his sister was safe and snug in her giant’s stomach. The half-giant had half-cursed her so that she couldn’t be digested and didn’t need to breathe. 

But he could and he did!!! And the very sleepy giant’s hand got hold of him once more and shoved him towards the face. Without much trouble one of his legs was forced between the jaws! It was painful too, not because Yonah was biting him, just the contortion of his hips. His other leg was bent and his knee was against Yonah’s fangs. Yonatan yelled, quietly, and punched Yonah in the nose. 

“No you stupid giant I’m not Sophia! You already ate her!” 

That got Yonah’s attention. He released the human’s leg and smacked his lips as he blinked into almost full consciousness. 

“That’s better!” Yonatan stroked Yonah’s nose, he knew the giant liked that a lot. “I Hope you enjoyed that little treat, but I’m not on the menu.” 

The giant’s eyes flitted open, the soft orange light focusing on the prince. “You taste,” the giant breathed in and out, “like you sister.” He smiled a bit mischievously. 

“I know I do, that’s why I’m not angry,” said Yonatan. “But don’t do that again unless I give you permission.” 

“Hmf,” Yonah breathed sharply, “You never do.”

“That’s your problem, not mine.”

“And what?” he sighed, “Is yours?” Yonah genuinely wanted to know. He liked the prince. Yonatan might be pompous but he had a good heart.

Yonatan pouted and looked away, “I’m. Anxious.”

Yonah took the prince in his hand again, his palm against Yonatan’s back. Once Yonatan leaned into his hand he stroked and massaged the human. Using his knuckles against the prince’s back, taking his arms between fingers, squeezing and rubbing gently but firmly.

“You always are, I want to know why, Little Prince,” said Yonah with a little more sternness. 

Yonatan linked an arm around Yonah’s fingers, squeezing them to get Yonah’s full attention. He looked right into the giant’s eyes, and even with the glow he could see his reflection. 

“Can. I sleep first?” Yonatan yawned, “Here? With you?”

Yonah sighed, and gave the prince a squeeze back. 

Back in school, his friends that knew he was half-giant were insistent that they sleep cuddled up to him before exams. All of them piled on top of him, in his arms, They would sleep so soundly even if they were terrified. It was a power he did not understand, but folks tended to sleep more soundly if he was holding them, or they were laying on him. Not that he minded, he absolutely loved being adorned in friends. 

“Of course.” 

He also knew Yonatan wasn’t above ordering him around, even if the prince didn’t technically have that authority. The kid, who was almost a young adult, was very commanding. Yonah angled himself a bit more towards the prince, hooking his arm around his face so the prince could crawl into his embrace, which Yonatan did without being prompted. Curling up with his back to the giant. 

“You’re sure you’re alright?” Yonah asked one more time. 

“No.’

He wasn’t expecting that answer and expressed his surprise with a small snort of air at the prince’s back. The prince did not look at him. 

“I’m too tired to deal with it, and can’t sleep because of it,” he said very quietly. 

Yonah made a grunt of understanding. Whatever ‘it’ was, the prince would handle it better after a proper night’s sleep. Or at least some sleep. The prince had amazing timing, it was barely ten minutes since he and Sophia had woken up to the HourGlass’s alarm, and reset her curse. So the prince had at least 3 and half solid hours of sleep to look forward to. 

Yonatan buried his face in the giant’s arm. It was so soft and warm, and friendly. That was what he needed after all, a friendly presence. Before that had always been Sophia, holding him tightly as he cried and shivered. But this was leagues beyond that;He could feel his mind and body calming down so rapidly it was almost alarming. And then he was asleep. 

---

Yonah was thankful that Sophia woke up first, waking him so he could stop the HourGlass before it gave them all a painful headache. 

He was a bit miffed when Sophia re-activated her curse, mumbling something about still needing sleep and ‘you can wait a few more hours for breakfast right?’ but not waiting for an answer before falling back asleep. He could of course wake her back up, but if Sophia didn’t want to be spat out there wasn’t much he could do without invasive magics.

“Morning already?” 

Even trying hard not to disturb the prince, Yonah had to lean over to reach the HourGlass. Yonatan had still woken. 

“Yes. you can sleep longer if you like,” Yonah said, “but I’m getting up.”

“No. no. I’m good,” Yonatan freed himself from Yonah’s arms, stumbling off the pillow and onto the nightstand. The prince didn’t look very rested, but Yonah didn't argue with him. 

Yonatan’s head throbbed a bit, mostly from lack of sleep but also from his wild ride of mania last night. He made himself focus on the waking wizard. It did not escape his Attention that yonah was not spitting up his sister. The half-giant sat up and the bed sheet fell off of him, Yonatan could see the wizard’s slightly full midsection. No movement either, but it was hard to tell as Yonah yawned and stretched. To take his mind off that he looked at Yonah’s face. 

His normally trim goatee was lost a bit in the surrounding beard, and Yonah’s wild hair had come out of it’s golden bands so it hung over his shoulders like a lion’s mane. He yawned again and Yonatan got a good view of the large fangs. 

Yonatan wanted to say something now, but decided to wait until the wizard changed out of his pajamas. He used magic do it and Yonatan loved watching people use magic. And once Yonah was properly dressed Yonatan realized he was in PJs too. Ok, get dressed first, then talk. 

“Is there a chance you have clothes that fit me?” Yonatan asked. 

“Actually, yes,” Yonah said, in a soft voice, picking up the prince and placing him on top of the chest of drawers where he kept his clothes. There was a human sized wardrobe on top. 

“It’s magic,” Yonah prompted. 

Yonatan opened it and found a few simple clothes that were indeed his size, though it was mostly outfits that were clearly meant for Sophia. A green one stood out to him, green usually did. Must be something about being a royal of the Mystic Woods. You always looked your best in green. 

“If you want privacy, step inside,” Yonah indicated the wardrobe. 

Oh! Fascinating. Yonatan stepped through and found a small open circular dressing room, with a carpeted floor, racks of clothing all around, and a mirror. Brightly lit though no obvious light source; Yonatan decided that mystery could be dealt with later. 

He walked out with purpose and Yonah put a hand on the dresser so Yonatan could walk across to his shoulder. 

“Would you like breakfast, Your Highness?” Yonah said, still keeping his voice soft but managing to be snarky.  

Yonatan elbowed the giant in and for his cheek. 

“Yes,” he said. 

Breakfast made him remember...

“So. Uh…. Sophia-“ Yonatan started to ask as Yonah headed towards the kitchen. From his bedroom to a short hallway to the stairs and up the stairs. 

“She wanted to sleep more,” he said with a kind of wistful sigh. 

The giant was walking with an incredibly smooth gate; gliding.  He put a hand to his middle as he spoke, smiling. “We had a pretty intense evening on patrol.”

Yonatan nodded. 

Accepting that Sophia’s captor/mentor/best friend regularly ate her was pretty easy. Once the curse was explained. Stupid, extremely unnerving, but not hard to understand. Giants ate people after all, at least evil ones did, and Yonah was an evil giant. What was difficult to wrap his mind around was that Sophia liked it. No. Loved it. She’d been in there for over 8 hours now. And what was he, her brother doing about it? 

Sitting casually on Yonah’s shoulder like she was just asleep in her bed! But she was in Yonah’s stomach! That was so WEIRD! The more he thought about it the weirder it got! So he had to stop thinking about it. Not easy when he instinctively looked down from his perch and had a perfect view of the giant's gut. Pleasantly stuffed is how Yonatan might describe it, though it was even more disconcerting that his mind considered it at all pleasant. 

He looked forward; They entered the kitchen. But he didn’t really want to think about food now. Of course he didn’t say so, because he knew Yonah would wonder if he was sick. Explaining was out of the question. That meant he would have to force himself to eat whatever the giant served him and hope he could hold it down.

Yonah put him down on the dining table, which had a smaller, human sized table placed on it, and began gathering his supplies.  

“HEY! I WANT TO WATCH!” Yonatan shouted. He did not want to be left alone to his thoughts even for a moment. 

Shhhh!

Yonah glared at him, pointing to his stomach then his ears “Please, you can be quiet, I can hear you just fine.” He put the prince back on his shoulder. 

As soon as Yonah started cooking, all of Yonatan's previous queasiness went away. Sophia had expounded upon the giant’s prowess as a chef but hearing about it and smelling it were two different things. 

And eating it was something else entirely. 

As soon as everything was on the table Yonatan practically inhaled the food. It was really just scrambled eggs and some sautéed vegetables but the best he’d ever had in his life. Yonah really knew his spices and had precision timing to make the softest eggs. Also… he technically hadn’t eaten since lunch the previous day. Having an anxiety attack takes a lot of energy, so the prince was ravenous. 

Though Yonah had made more than enough for himself, he hadn’t gotten himself a plate. He’d turned the stove off and covered the pan with the eggs to keep them warm. What he did get was a cup of morning tea, and one for Yonatan as well, which he poured and cooled off with magic. 

“I take it you wont eat-”

“Until your sister wakes? No. -” he chuckled and yet sounded a bit angry about that. He must be hungry too, and having an indigestible weight in his stomach didn’t change that. 

“But- the tea?” He took a sip and was unsurprised to find it was unbelievably good. Probably made with magic leaves from the garden. 

“She’s not awake to complain about it,” he grinned, taking another sip, as if he would still drink it even if she were. 

It did not escape Yonatan’s notice that Yonah was watching him eat with hunger in his eyes. Thankfully his extreme wisdom let him know it was more jealousy, as he continued to shovel eggs into his princely mouth, than a desire to eat him. Though that was there. Maybe someday, but Yonatan was determined to deny the giant for as long as possible. 

“So, little prince, what exactly prompted you to come running into my clutches last night?” 

The prince swallowed his mouthful of food and took a long drink of chilled apple and blueberry juice which Yonah had gotten from his cold cellar. 

“I- Kinda wanted Sophia to be around-” Yonatan looked away, and took another bite of food to stall for another half a minute. “Well- I- I was going through father’s notes and I found something. Something important, about the fate of the kingdom.”

“Now I’m worried I shouldn’t be hearing this,” Yonah said, “You were going through Ben’s notes?”

The prince’s eyes widened, and then he laughed,  “HA!” quickly he quieted down remembering his sister- “I do father’s books all the time. He’s taken full advantage of my accursed brain.” 

Was that pity in the giant’s face? “Yonah, I’m grateful for the work. It keeps my mind occupied, or I’d be having breakdowns every other day!” 

After a moment's consideration Yonah nodded. 

“I’m surprised Ben’s brain can’t hold it all, considering it’s got all the power of the Mystic Woods,” Yonah mused. 

“The Mystic Woods, for all it is a large entity, doesn’t understand economics or politics, or even the intricacies of the FairyTales it hosts” Yonatan pointed out, again Yonah nodded. 

“Anyways,” Yonatan pulled the conversation back on track, “I saw in his notes, some observations. Ones that correlated with Sophia’s escapades in the Woods.”

“And?” Yonah asked, but he had a feeling he knew what Yonatan was about to say. 

“And- I could be wrong. But. The forest. It seems to like her, favor her.” He gulped, his voice getting higher and shaky, “Sophia- She. I think she’s already been chosen. As the next Mystic King.” 

The wizard’s face darkened and he put a hand over his stomach again, while the other tightened around tea cup. Yonatan was sitting up straight, worried he’d made a terrible mistake. How would you react if you were told your best friend in the whole wide world was going to be someday joined in a magical hivemind, the other member of which was a mysterious and powerful gestalt entity. What if you were suddenly made aware that the next magical King of the kingdom you lived in, was sleeping in your stomach? 

“Yonatan,” He growled, but it was breathy. “I am so very glad you did not wait.”

Yonatan refocused, “Wait for what?

“You are lucky Sophia is still asleep in my stomach.”

It was REALLY weird to hear him say it so casually, even if the moment wasn't so casual. Cold sweat beaded on Yonatan’s brow. 

“We- Your father and I, we aren’t going to tell her,” he continued. 

A million thoughts flooded Yonatan’s brain but one screamed to the surface. 

“YOU KNOW?”

Yonah’s eyes shimmered behind his thick spectacles. “Yes. We suspected it almost half a year ago, but confirmed it a few months ago.” 

A FEW MONTHS. Now Yonatan couldn’t believe he’d only found out last night. This had been deviously kept out of the reports. No. Wait. There had been changes, exactly 6 months ago, towards more patrols, more missions involving the forest and gauging the response. And more recently, a lot more lessons on the history of the woods and its communities, and how she applied them in her outings. Recently, she’d been learning spells and potions that relied on drawing magic from around her, seeing if the forest would allow its use. And she had no idea she was even doing it. Using magic like the King, but on a much smaller level. 

“You’re…” Yonatan looked into Yonah’s eyes to see a few tears had escaped down his cheeks, “You’re training her. Without her knowledge.”

“You’re worried, too” he continued, “That she’s doing to end up like dad, that you’re going to lose her. And!” his mind hit one new thought, great thoughts. “You’re worried that all this work is going to make it worse. Like if only you sabotaged it, she’ll be rejected, or it won’t take as much of her. ”

Yonah stiffened. Right. Wisdom. 

The prince stood up and walked over to the giant, and sat on his wrist, patting his arm. Now Yonah was the one shaking. His glasses fogged up, and he tightened his grip on his middle. Yonatan was processing this new information, gathering handfuls of the wizard’s arm hair. 

“Yonah,” Yonatan breathed, his heart slowing but lifting considerably “I had no idea you were training her. I freaked out because I too saw Sophia being… taken by The Woods. But Father is... the way he is, well, because to become one with the forest, he had to sacrifice some of his personhood.”

Removing his hand from his stomach before he woke Sophia, he placed it over Yonatan’s knees, and the prince rested a hand over the fingers. A few drops of liquid hit the large knuckles. He must be crying too, but he was smiling so big it hurt. 

“Damn my father.” Yonatan chuckled, “You’re training her so she can avoid that fate. She’s becoming part of the forest in advance to joining with its essence.” 

He wiped his tears, “Yonah,” he said, and made sure the giant was looking at him through clear lenses, “If you do your job properly, Sophia will be the most powerful King in the history of the Woods. But we won't lose her.” 

The giant was smiling too, “I was worried” he sniffed “you stupid perceptive smartass.”

“It’s a blessing. Sometimes,” Yonatan giggled and let the giant scoop him up into a hug. 

The hug was a bit tighter than felt safe, but Yonatan didn’t protest. He was grateful the giant held him above his stomach. Beneath him he felt the beating of the giant’s heart. Noticeably quick but along with the prince’s was slowing down. 

It had been the right decision to come here after all. Maybe the Woods had called to him somehow, when he figured it out, dragging him out here because he was needed. And he needed this too. If he hadn’t told Yonah, he wouldn’t have known Sophia was being trained, and wouldn’t have figured out what that meant. Yonah would have been left to believe he was training his best friend to become an emotionless vessel.

Then Yonah started and breathed in sharply. He dropped Yonatan onto the table. 

“She’s awake. Excuse me,” he said and into the stairwell. 

Yonatan couldnt imagine what floor Yonah had gone to but it was clearly nearby as he heard the muffled retching. 

Ten minutes later Yonah returned with a smiling Sophia sitting on his shoulder. From Yonah’s now clean shaven goatee he deduced that Yonah had spit her up in the bathroom. Sophia was wearing her day clothes, which she must have slept in, but she was completely immaculate. Not even a hair out of place in her massive braid. She even had on her golden tiara. 

“Yonatan!” she hopped off Yonah’s shoulder the moment he was near enough to the table. 

She ran up to her brother and embraced him, “When did you get here?”

Yonatan tried very hard not to cry as he held his sister. Her energy was so infectious, her personality so forceful, there was no way she could end up like their dad even if the traininging did nothing. No way. He would not allow it. 

“Last night- uh” he said, and opening his eyes he saw Yonah, standing behind Sophia, give him a warning hand motion. 

Sophia pulled herself away from her brother but kept her hands on his shoulder, “last NIGHT? Hold on- Why-”

“I got, a bit anxious, you know how it is… And since you well, um- eaten... Yonah helped calm me down.”

Sophia scowled for a moment, not because Yonatan had cuddled up with her giant while she was in said giant's gut, but because Yonah had not woken her! He’d let her sleep without telling her that her brother had ran away from home in panic. Sure he’d been more than capable of handling it, but this was her brother! 

“Yes, he is good for that,” she affirmed. Then got distracted as Yonah got out a second set of human sized eating utensils and a set for himself, loading his with the eggs and vegetables. 

She let go of Yonatan to snatch her plate and fork from Yonah, and before he’d set his plate down started scooping off a massive but relatively negligible onto hers. He retaliated by eating before she had finished taking her portion. In particular he would scoop away the pieces of vegetables she was carving chunks out of, eating them all. Eventually she managed to get a decent helping of eggs and veggies. 

“I'm starving and this smells amazing!” she said, also eating before she’d sat down at the smaller table. Yonatan was a bit impressed she could eat so soon and so easily after being eaten herself.  “Ohhh did you roast these with scallops!?” 

Mhm, Yonah said though his mouthful of food. “And I used goat’s milk for the eggs.”

“Oh! Why such a treat today?” she asked, taking another bite and savoring it but also eating it quickly because there was plenty more on her plate. 

“Well, we have a prince in dining with us!” he said. 

Still a little hungry, Yonatan, without asking, but with a bit of a side glance from Yonah, took a second serving of eggs off the giant’s plate. He sat down next to Sophia and poured her some of the apple blueberry juice. And another cup for himself, it was so delicious. Plus it had stayed chilled in the magic pitcher. 

Princess Sophia snorted, “Well I'm not complaining!” 

The rest of breakfast was pleasant. Yonatan updated Sophia on the goings on back in Orr, and Sophia told him all about her adventures and magic lessons. Sophia was excited to hear all the stupid gossip about the lower nobility. Yonatan had a million questions about each spell and potion she mentioned, which Yonah answered as best he could, going into enough detail for the prince but keeping it brief to not bore Sophia. 

“I think I should probably check in with the castle…” Yonatan said a bit sheepishly. 

Sophia’s eyes got wide, “Does anyone know where you are?”

Yonatan’s face grew hot, “N-no. I snuck out.” 

“You’re going to be in so much trouble!” There was no pity in her voice. 

“We can use my mirror,” Yonah said, clearing the table and taking the humans up to the workshop. 

There was no need for any rhyme, as Yonatan touched the gold filigree and asked it plainly to connect to His Majesty King Ben. The mirror made a bit of a surprised noise but then turned foggy. It still took a few minutes to connect. Ben’s personal mirror would not show anything until he answered the call, to avoid anyone snooping. 

While they were waiting Yonatan decided he didn’t want to face his father and had slowly been inching away. So that when Ben’s torso appeared in the mirror he only saw Sophia and Yonah behind her. Ben looked a little ragged and twitchy, his eyes brighter than normal, beard unshaven, his complexion a bit green, making him look like a tree with a bit of moss starting to grow on it.   

“Sophia, darling, is this urgent? We have an emergency, your brother-” Then he stopped, narrowing his eyes. 

“Uhuh” Sophia noticed her brother was out of view and motioned to Yonah, who pushed Yonatan to Sophia’s side, she took his shoulders and grinned at her father. “Guess who showed up last night?”

The King’s face was one of instant relief, smiling like he was about to cry. “Yonatan!” 

Then his face hardened, his eyes pulsed with power. And Yonatan tensed in anticipation; Sophia squoze his shoulders, and Yonah backed up. They could hear the trees rustling outside. His Mystic Majesty was about to explode. 

“YOUNG MAN DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW WORRIED WE’VE BEEN! I WOKE THE WHOLE CITY! YOU ARE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE!” 

~At least it was through a mirror and not in person ~

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[cadday]

Collateral  Damage - Chapter 5

Braig almost thinks last night was a dream, or a weirdly mellow nightmare. He realizes that it’s not the case when he sees the lantern sitting by his door and well of he concentrates he can feel it. The other heart sleeping in him, which is terrifyingly familiar but not all the same. None of the hearts he hosted before were so...quiet. Still he had made this choice and would have to live for it for now at least. He briefly realizes he should have thought this through better but hindsight was a bitch. 

Oddly though he honestly felt better then he had since, well since being possessed by some ancient asshole bent on fulfilling the prophecies of his absentee most likely equally an asshole master and was probably seeking the end of worlds or some bull but really just wrecked Braig’s life like he didn’t do a good enough job being a disaster.

The other presence did some strange humming, warm feeling, in agreement and he laughed a bit startled at the feeling. So the heart was familiar with the jerk who possessed him, charming, at least it agreed that the guy was a dick. 

The morning besides his new guest was uneventful. That was Master Ansem called them together to ‘introduce’ them to Isa and Lea. Which one was hilarious because they had met the twerps before, two activated the headache he got almost every day as his brain tried to not picture taller red and blue brats, and three the two brats looked like they had been caught red handed which made him wonder if they had been sneaking around again when they were offered jobs. 

Isa got stuck with Even, who began to rant about babysitting and Ienzo merely looked long suffering in his direction before heading off with them. Lea was stuck with guard duty, he doubted the kid had patience for the lab stuff anyway. To be fair Braig rarely did either, Dilan and Aeleus took more shifts with the lab work then he ever did. Which was fine by him because he had a habit of letting experiments, well, explode.

“Alright Lea, I guess we’ll do a quick round of what guard duty routine looks like. Your probably familiar with the rounds near the front gate’s though.” Hey, would you look at that full sentences. He wondered if it had anything to do with his new resident. Braig decided that was on the worry about later list too. The kid at least looked guilty for a second before he shrugged. 

“I’m an overachiever, already got em memorized.” And geeze Braig had to stop for a second and steady himself because, yeah this was going to be difficult.  Dilan frowned at him as Braig pressed a hand to his bad eye. 

‘Axel!’

‘Axel? Please. The name’s Lea. Got it memorized?’

‘Your not supposed to be here.’

‘Promises to keep, I’ll always be there to get my friends back…’

“BRAIG!” He jumps back from Dilan who is shaking his shoulder. Aeleus and Lea are gone he realizes and he frowns. Dilan is looking at him funny and he realizes his new heart friend feels kind of panicked. He blinks stupidly at Dilan and carefully drops his hand.

“Sorry, migraine. Wh…,” He looks around the room with a frown. “Where’s Aeleus and,” Axel, “Lea…” Dilan was still holding his shoulder, he wasn't talking and Braig’s head hurt so freakin much. 

“It’s fine. I’m fine. Let’s get going.” Dilan didn’t look like he believed him, which you know was fair, but slowly he released Braigs arm like he was afraid the other guard was about to collapse, which yeah that was also fair. 

“ You should let Even check you out, maybe he can give you something to help,” Braig made a disgusted face, “Or don’t and suffer needlessly and unnecessarily worry everyone around.”

“Oh come on that’s low. Fine whatever I’ll ask him. I don’t know if it will do any good but whatever.” Braig waved a hand in a dismissive manner. Dilan smirked in what he recognized as his I totally won this fight face and Braig rolled his eyes at his smug expression.

“As annoying as your voice is, I am glad you’ve regained the functionality to form coherent thoughts at the very least. I was concerned you would be forever limited to speaking like a two year old, now I see you’ve managed the language  of a three year old and offer you my sincerest congratulations on the development.” Braig snorted and swung an arm around Dilan pulling on his shoulders intentionally to bring the man down to his level.

“Hey as if. My vocabulary is way too colorful to be some ankle biters. If a kid talks like I do I’d be concerned about their upbringing.” 

“Fair as we are all so concerned at upbringing must have occurred to create you.” Dilan stood back up to his full height and Braigs hand dropped to the closer shoulder.

“Clearly I popped into existence a fully grown bastard.”

“This explains so much…” 

Aeleus and Lea came into view when they entered the garden and Aeleus was explaining post rotations to a very bored looking red head.

“Geeze Flamsilocks, you look like someone stole you ice cream.” His head gave a warning throb at the usage of the nickname and the other heart felt like it was more awake. Great he needed to try to focus like a person not having a mental breakdown. Lea scowled at the nickname. 

“Oh come on kid, maybe later you can get a tour of parts of the castle that you haven’t snuck into yet.” The kid crossed his arms and made a point of not looking at any of them.

“Geeze we were just trying to visit the girl. I don’t see what the big deal is, why doesn’t she ever come out anyway? You creeps locking up girls or something?” Lea’s hands are on his hips and he looks determined…

Axel looks so determined when he goes to try to save Roxas but he’ll fail. This is all destined to fail. It’s all destined...prophesied...stupid book, stupid box…. 

The other heart pushed at something and Braig blinked away the memories, future, thoughts, whatever, and was glad that no one noticed this time as both Aeleus and Dilan were now explaining there is no girl. Braig supposes their not completely wrong and the heart in his chest agrees. The situation is complicated and he doubts Lea would listen if he tried to explain it.

“It’s a weird game to be playing at your age isn’t it, imaginary princess you have to save from a castle.” Would you look at that the kid can turn red in the face too. 

“Whatever, you're all full of it.” Braig shrugs and Dilan and Aeleus look long suffering, but that’s normal in the long run of things.

“We’re friends so me and Isa will get her back, from wherever you hid her.” Braig stared at Lea. Lea stared back determine till he realized Braig wasn’t going to respond and he shifted nervously. Blinking slowly Braig shook his head to try to focus and grimaced at the other two guards who were watching him concerned. 

“Yeah kid. Whatever you say.”

The rest of the tour was pretty routine and Lea even being a dumb kid seemed to get the gist of it. They met up with the other apprentices for lunch and Isa was immediately glued to Lea’s side and trying to act subtle about how he looked at Lea. Ienzo made a disgusted gagging face at Braig when he noticed and he cackled because yeah the kid had a point. Even seemed to have gotten over the babysitting issue because apparently besides breaking and entering Isa was pretty much a perfect student.  

It’s weird because this has happened but not happened once already. There’s no Xehanort, and Ansem is still here. The heart experiments are still just theoretical for the most part and Radiant Garden is still a beacon of light. He keeps expecting to find Terra with the Old coots heart unconscious on patrols. He keeps waiting to feel Luxu taking control periodically till he can’t get control back and Braig is just a silent observer in his own body. He keeps waiting for the other apprentices to call him a traitor, to accuse him of crimes he didn’t, did, hasn’t, will, won’t commit. When he looks at the other’s he sometimes see’s an Ansem cloaked in red and full of hate, a closed of Even with no regards to lives, a Dilan who feels nothing but rage, a Aeleus silent and intent on destruction, a Ienzo with dark bags under his eyes and no trust for any of them anymore. He expects to see a scarred Isa, and a tear tattooed Lea. He expects to wake up and see nothing but darkness. Braig feels panic rising in his chest and he tenses in anticipation of the suffocating feeling and anxiety but then...it stops.

His heart,mind, whatever it is settles and untangles and he’s just in Radiant Garden. It takes him a minute to realize what happened and his hand absently wander’s to his chest as if he can physically touch the other presence.

‘it will be okay. we will not let it happen.’ He lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding in and tries to convey the feeling of gratitude silently. It must get across because he feels warmth in response and then he assumes the heart has gone back to sleeping.  The other apprentices haven’t noticed thankfully that he was having a moment, and honestly these days he was always having a moment. 

After lunch and the rest of patrol and giving Lea a hard time just for the hell of it Braig excuses himself to turn in early. Dilan reminds him he promised to check in with Even about his head and Braig points out he didn’t ‘promise’ jack. He did agree he would see about pain med’s in the morning. So he makes to retreat to his room and is a little startled to be joined by Master Ansem. 

At first they're just walking the same way and he thinks that maybe it’s just coincidence but then he realizes that Master Ansem is keeping the same pace intentionally and he fights back a sigh. This means they're going to have a talk. He isn’t sure about what though as he definitely hasn’t blown up anything recently and they already established he’s as recovered as he’s going to get. It certainly hasn’t been long enough for Dilan to tattle on him about his headache issue. Would take like a week of not doing anything usually for the other guard to get fed up and go to Ansem to deal with his bull. 

They make it to his room in silence and Braig looks at Master Ansem expectantly but he’s only being watched with a raised eyebrow. He feels like a child whose parent is waiting for them to admit to their wrong doing, and though it hasn’t even happened yet, and will not ever, he wants to admit everything he’s done or at least his body did. But at the risk of sounding crazy he bites back the urge to spill his guts, or heart for that matter. They just stand there watching each other for what for Braig feels like a small eternity. When nothing happens he slowly turns and goes to enter his room.

“Braig, if you were in danger of some kind, from something or someone, you would tell me?” Braig turns back around and blinks stupidly in a not reply.

“I mean yeah, if it didn’t put you in danger too. Of course I would.” He feels like that’s obvious. He’s been a guard so long part of his job was dealing with danger and reporting it. Sure his reports weren’t always timely but he always finished them eventually.

“If it doesn’t put…” Ansem frowns but nods slowly like he understands something and Braig is so confused by this conversation. He feels like he is missing something important here.

“I would hope that even if it was dangerous to me that you would still consider coming to me for help. Do you understand Braig?” Frowning he shrugs but nods regardless.

“I mean I guess...Kinda defeats the purpose of having guards if I’m putting you in danger don’t you think. But sure. I gotcha.” Ansem stares at him a while longer like he’s looking for something else but then he nods seriously and turns to leave.

“I bid you goodnight then. I apologize for keeping you up.” Braig watches him go and then shakes his head in an attempt to clear his thoughts.

“Yeah you too old man.”

[madamebaggio]

Chapter 10

“This is a terrible idea.”

Jon pinched the bridge of his nose. At this point he didn’t know if she truly thought that or if she was just trying to be contrary. He never knew with her.

“And why is that, Lady Susan?” He asked, but his voice made clear that his patience was hanging by a thread.

She arched that damned brow in his direction. “I understand that with the better weather conditions we’ve been having lately, the men might be a little… Eager to venture out, but this doesn’t mean it’s safe out there.” She indicated. “We haven’t been able to scout the region. There might be dangers there.”

“Like what?” Tormund wanted to know.

“The cold brings hunger, hunger makes people and animals desperate.” She spoke, her voice firm. “There might be people out there, doing whatever it takes to survive, there might be threats… Even animals. You yourself, Your Grace, spoke of an uncommonly large pack of wolves.” Susan reminded Jon.

“They’re nowhere near here.” Arya spoke before Jon could. “They’re closer to the Riverlands.”

Susan arched a brow. “How can you be sure?”

Arya just glared at Susan. “I just am.”

Susan took a deep breath. “My point remains. We have no idea of what is out there and we might not be prepared for it.”

“That’s another reason for us to go.” Davos interfered. “We need to know what is going on out there. We need information, we have no news of the Night King’s army.”

“Oh yes, and that’s a great way of finding out.” Susan scoffed.

“If it bothers you so much, Lady Susan, you don’t need to go.” Jon finally snapped.

She arched a brow at him again. “As your Grace wishes.” She replied, ice-cold, then got up and left the room.

“Oh… You’re fucked.” Tormund chirped.

Jon pinched the bridge of his nose again. Just great.

XxX

“So I heard you should be fleeing for your life.”

Jon sighed. He didn’t want to have this conversation, but if there was one person who had every right to come question his actions… Well, Edmund was definitely this person.

“Are you about to kill me for talking to your sister like I did?” Jon asked tiredly.

“Me?” Edmund snorted. “Lord, no. Susan will tear you down herself for that one. I’m not getting involved.”

“Very comforting of you.” Jon spoke dryly.

“It wasn’t supposed to be.” Edmund indicated, his voice devoid of any sympathy. “You acted like an idiot. Susan is a woman, Jon.”

“I’m quite aware…”

“No, I don’t think you are.” Edmund cut her. “Sansa and Susan have to fight double to be respected by the men around here. Arya and Brienne have their reluctant respect because they are fighters and walk around in breeches. And probably because the men are scared of them. Susan and Sansa -and even Lucy -give a gentler impression, they are more feminine. They’re just women.”

Jon was shaking his head. “They all respect them…”

“To some point, Jon.” Edmund cut him. “How many times has one of the lords asked Sansa about dinner? She’s your Hand, not the lady of the house. You treating Susan like a woman who has no idea what she’s talking about does her no favors. If the King sees fits to talk to her like that, what do you think the other lords will think?”

Jon groaned. “I’m so stupid.”

“No arguments there.” Edmund snickered. “It’s not that you can’t disagree of what she says, but snapping at her like that?”

“I’ll have to apologize.” Jon concluded.

“The faster the better.” Edmund had a small grin. “Before she decides to use you as target practice.”

“Your sister wouldn’t do that.” Jon murmured, eyes lost as he thought how he could apologize. “She’s not a violent person. If she’s angry at me she won’t shot an arrow at me.”

Edmund arched a brow. “Because you know her so well?”

Jon cleared his throat and decided to pretend he never started this topic. “I actually have a question to ask you.” He changed the subject without caring about how desperate he sounded. “What do you know about dragons?”

Edmund seemed totally thrown by the change in subject. “They are… Gigantic lizards that breathe fire?” It came out more like a question, than an affirmation.

“You’ve never seen one?” Now Jon was the one surprised.

“No. What kind of place do you think Narnia is?” Edmund snorted. “Dragons. As if. Wait.” He turned to Jon. “Your aunt has dragons.” Understanding spread through his face. “And you’re concerned about them.”

 “Shouldn’t I be?” Jon asked. “Dragons, Edmund. They used to be tales, stories to put children to bed. If she marches here with her army, with dragons flying above our head… I have no idea of what we can do.”

“Your fear is understandable.” Edmund put a hand on his shoulder. “You should talk to Sansa about it.”

“Why?” Jon asked confused.

“Because I’m pretty sure that, between trying to marry you off and running Winterfell, she and Susan have done something about this.”

“What?” Jon was shocked, to say the least.

“That you’ll have to ask her.” Edmund shrugged.

“I might as well just make Sansa the Queen and save myself the trouble.” Jon grumbled.

Edmund opened his mouth, then seemed to think better of it. “Let us live one day at the time. You might not even survive until tomorrow.” He was grinning.

“Thank you for your kind words, lord Edmund.”

XxX

Susan wasn’t a violent person. She thought violence was a pointless way to solve any kind of conflict, and she truly believed it to be sad that many things could only be solved through wars.

She’d fought more battles than she wished she had. Even what had happened with Rabadash was a thing she despised. Yes, she had acted in self-defense, and she’d do it again, not only to protect herself, but to protect any woman; but it was a horrible state of affair that things could get that far. That as a woman she had to be scared of things like this, perhaps for the rest of her life.

And that, the only way to protect herself, was killing a person.

In times of violence it was easy to think that killing was easy. It wasn’t. Even when you truly believed in your cause, even if it was against wicked people, even if it was in your defense… Killing left a mark on people’s soul. Of course, some did it for pleasure, but these people hardly had a soul to begin with.

Susan despised war, violence and killing.

That said…

She was considering killing the King in the North.

Sansa could take over the throne. Nobody would notice the difference.

She couldn’t believe the way he talked to her. Jon was a respectful man, he never made her feel like she was “just a woman”. She knew he listened to Sansa and respected her opinions and views.

Probably that was why it tasted even more bitter to be treated like that: because she never expected it to come from him. Jon had always treated them all the same.

Maybe it was about her.

“Lady Susan.”

Think of the devil…

“Your Grace.” She turned to him and curtsied.

Jon sighed. “I know you’re not happy with me right now, Lady Susan.”

She arched a brow. “It’s not my place to question the King.” She told him flatly.

“If I didn’t trust your judgment, why would I invite for council meetings?” He asked her.

“I was wondering exactly the same thing.” She replied, her voice dripping with sweetness. “I was starting to think it was to make the place more charming.”

Jon gave her a look. “Lady Susan…”

“Yes, your Grace?” She batted her eyelashes at him.

“What do you want me to say?” He huffed.

“Guess.”

Jon let out a dry chuckle. “Is it an apology?”

She just arched her brow a little more.

“You have to know how much I admire your intelligence.” Jon started.

“Actually, I don’t.” Susan cut him. “I have no idea how you feel about me, besides the fact that I annoy you sometimes. And I’m almost sure it was what happened today.”

“You do not…” Jon took a deep breath. “It is my fault for saying that in the first place.” He grumbled to himself. “However, you are a brilliant woman, Lady Susan, and I highly doubt you need my approval.”

“That’s where you are wrong!” She finally snapped. “That is what you fail to understand. I do need your approval, and so does Sansa. And even Brienne, Lucy and Arya. We need your approval to get at least some respect from the men around here. We’re just women, your Grace, and they love to remind us of that flaw.” She spoke the last part sarcastically.

Jon took another deep breath. Susan was imagining how much of his brooding time he was cutting down to try to communicate with her. “Susan, I am deeply sorry for the way I spoke to you earlier. It wasn’t fair of me, and I’m quite aware I don’t snap at people like that.  So I apologize for that.”

Susan was agape.

“And I do value your advice, like I value Sansa’s. And I truly believe you are an intelligent woman.” He finished.

Susan finally recovered some of her senses. “Thank you, your Grace.” She bowed gracefully.

“That said, I’d still like for you to accompany us tomorrow. We might need someone with such fine skills as yours.” He finished, the corner of his mouth tugging up slowly.

Was he…?

“Flattery will get you nowhere. Your Grace.” She added, as if it was an afterthought.

“Good thing I was merely speaking the truth then.” He nodded at her. “Lady Susan.”

As Susan stood there, watching him walk away, she thought -not for the first time -that the King in the North could become a problem for her.

She wasn’t exactly running in the opposite direction, though.

XxX

“We’ll leave early.” Jon informed the others. “I don’t want to spend too much time outside.”

“Looks like it might be another clear day.” Tormund commented. “We’ve been having a lot of those recently.” He threw a look at the Pevensies, but they didn’t comment.

The siblings were aware that the people in the North were starting to believe they’d bring spring sooner than what it was expected. They couldn’t claim to have this kind of power. What happened in Narnia was part of a big prophecy; they had no idea if the same thing applied to Westeros.

Maybe the Spring wasn’t coming because of them. Maybe the good weather was a very strange coincidence.

“You’re coming with us, Tormund.” Jon declared, ignoring the last comment. “Davos will stay, and so will Brienne and Lord Peter and Lady Lucy.”

Peter arched a brow. “You want me to stay, Your Grace?”

Jon took a deep breath, like it cost him to say something like that. “Yes. Lady Susan and Lord Edmund will come with us. I’d rather have some people stay behind and take care of Winterfell.”

Peter opened his mouth, but one look from Susan and he became quiet again.

“This should be interesting.” Arya commented, an amused smile on her lips. “Can you hunt, Majesty?” She asked Susan.

Susan gave her a flat look. “No. I used my bow as a decoration and to curl my hair.”

Arya snickered.

“It’s decided.” Jon stood. “Lord Peter, a moment, if you will.”

Peter frowned, but got up. “Your Grace.”

The two men left the room and started walking down the corridor. “I’m trusting you with the security of Winterfell.” Jon started.

“I’m honored by your trust, Your Grace.” Peter said honestly, not a trace of arrogance on his voice.

Jon stopped and turned to him. “That said… I trust you’ll know your place and keep a respectable distance from my cousin.”

Peter snorted. “So this is where this conversation is going.”

“I see how you look at her.” Jon growled at the other man.

“Well, perhaps not very well.” Peter replied before he could stop himself.

“What is that supposed to mean.” Jon demanded.

“I deeply admire your cousin.” Peter informed Jon. “A fact that she is well aware of. I have told her what I think and…”

“You what?”

“I have promised to treat her with all the respect she deserves.” Peter finished, like he hadn’t been interrupted. “Lady Sansa is a great woman, and she has my utmost respect. Another fact that she’s quite aware of.”

“I don’t like you.” Jon declared.

“That’s funny. Because I don’t like you either.” Peter threw back. “And I like even less the way you look at my sister.”

That gave Jon pause.

“So while you’re here, telling me to keep a respectable distance from Lady Sansa, remember: do the same with my sister; keep a respectable distance.”

“I would never impose on Lady Susan.” Jon told him firmly.

“Good.” Peter pulled an invisible lint from his clothes. “I’m glad we had this conversation, Your Grace.”

One of these days, Jon was going to kill Peter. He was sure Arya would help.

Notes: I hope you enjoyed that!

I guess you all saw the very fast, veiled reference to Nymeria’s super pack. Keep that in mind.

Jon and Peter are not going to be besties anytime soon… lol

Next chapter… The hunt!

Let me know your feelings!

[jonsafan-blog]

House of the Undying and Valyrian Daggers

As expected, the prophecy is coming true. Discusses leaks later in the post.

Daenerys walks into the throne room and it is covered in snow/ashes. We now know that is snow. She puts down a torch, and I didn’t realize this before but I think that was foreshadowing she was going to burn it. She approaches the throne but does not sit on it. Then she hears her dragons and departs from the throne room.

My analysis of this scene after the fact is that Daenerys will never really be queen. She won’t stop and rebuild... because we know she is beyond that. She doesn’t see the people of Westeros as people. She can’t liberate people who are already liberated... merely conquer them and cause them fear.

She hears the call of her dragons... because it is the dragons that inspire her. However, my belief is that she will try to fight Jon in the next episode, politically or militarily, and what we are hearing is the dance of dragons.

That conflict will lead to her doom.

Daenerys goes under the Wall and crosses to the other side. It’s whiteout winter over there and she shivers. Then she sees a dothraki hut like the one she shared with Drogo. She enters it, and suddenly it’s like she’s on the Dothraki sea because it is clearly warm outside. She’s in her happy place. And guess who is there? Khal Drogo and Rhaego. Aww. He calls her the “moon of my life.” The rest of their conversation is in Dothraki.

She can’t believe it. She replies, “This is dark magic, like the magic that took you from me.” She approaches, uncertain and adds, “Took you from me before I could even...”

But then Daenerys changes. She’s happy and says: “Maybe I am dead and I just don't know it yet. Maybe I am with you in the Night Lands."

Khal Drogo looks up at her and replies, “Or maybe I refused to enter the Night Lands without you. Maybe I told the Great Stallion to go fuck himself and came back here to wait for you.”

Daenerys smiles. “That sounds like someone you would do,” she says.

She looks down at her baby, and Khal Drogo softly says, “Or maybe it is a dream. Your dream, my dream... I do not know.”

Khal Drogo is about to kiss her. “These are questions for wise men with skinny arms.” And then, “You are the moon of my life. That is all I know and need to know.”

Daenerys is starting to break emotionally as Drogo continues. “And if this is a dream... I will kill the man who tries to wake me.”

They touch foreheads. Daenerys looks at Rhaego. Dragons cry in the background. Daenerys begins to cry as she restates what Mirri Maz Duur reminded her of, but this time in the common tongue: “Until the sun rises in the west and sets in the east. Until the rivers run dry and the mountains blow in the wind like leaves.”

She walks away. Drogo is devastated.

Analyzing this I know why the final book is called A Dream for Spring. It’s not about the seasonal spring... it’s about the future Daenerys longed for herself... and it’s only a dream. It’s her realization that her dreams of the future are not going to happen which drives her mad.

But in the context of the show... here are my predictions.

When Daenerys “goes under” and “crosses the other side” it is referring to two possibilities: 1) She dies. 2) She crosses the line. Hell and immorality are implied in both, and when she goes Beyond the Wall she is becoming the Queen of the Ashes instead of Westeros.

Remember, the “snow” on the throne wasn’t snow at all... it was ashes from the city she burned down. Daenerys is fully accepting that part of herself by choosing to go under and cross to the other side.

That said, there is more to this vision, and it’s the Dothraki part which causes me to splinter on possibilities rather significantly.

We have leaks, but narratively... and based on the books... we have two destinies for Daenerys: she dies in a normal way... or she dies and comes back as the Night Queen.

What?

Oh, I got book evidence for the second one, but for the first, the leaks are pretty clear about what is going to happen: Jon eventually stabs Daenerys because his family will never be safe. Beyond that there is some uncertainty about what happens. It could be a fairly banal ending in which the story is pretty much over at that point.

Or...

Daenerys becomes the Night Queen.

There is some weird inkling of another leak, and given a leak almost noone discusses about a dothraki hut being built for the season yet not appearing in the show so far, I want to talk about my wild theory. It’s kind of bananas, but I’ve been waiting for the House of the Undying ash vision to be confirmed to share it with you.

So other leaks have stated it’s possible that Drogon carries Daenerys body beyond the wall. Jon feels so guilty for what he did that he goes into exile at or beyond the wall. Also, Bran states there must always be a night king.

For this wild theory to happen a few things must occur which nobody has discussed:

Arya is in King’s Landing.

Arya’s dagger is in King’s Landing.

A godswood is in King’s Landing.

Do you see where I am going with this?

What is Jon is given Arya’s dagger... and he kills her in the charred Godswood because BranTree DIDN’T EXPLAIN WHY ARYA HAD TO STAB THE NIGHT KING WITH THAT SWORD... but we keep being reminded of it as an audience.

Drogon takes Daenerys because Daenerys is alive-dead, and goes beyond the wall because that’s what Night Kings/Queens do to build their army.

AND OH GOD THE WILDLINGS ARE UP THERE. And so is the broken wall.

But time to settle down and talk about the book connections.

Because they are fucking interesting.

I am not even exaggerating.

Time for a primer on Dothraki religion! Or rather, religion in general.

I’m not kidding.

So there is one theory most people believe D&D dropped the ball on. And given the leaks seem kind of light on what happens next episode, perhaps Azor Ahai hasn’t happened yet. Perhaps Jon wasn’t supposed to kill that Night King, but Daenerys Night Queen.

So the Lord of Light has this great enemy called the Great Other... a god of death, cold, and darkness. The Lord of Light and the Great Other fight a continuous battle with each other over the fate of the world (A Song of Ice and Fire). Melisandre calls the White Walkers “cold children” in the books.

Are you getting chills? I’m not even to the Dothraki part, I’m building up to it.

We know that Craster sacrificed his sons to the White Walkers, and we know that the Weirwood trees are somehow connected to the White Walker’s creation.

There is also book evidence which suggests Melisandre sees Bran being tempted his teacher towards darkness as leaves flow in the wind. He is reminded the trees are rooted into the darkness and will make him strong like mother’s milk.

Who created the Night King in the show?

The Children of the Forest... who I believe are servants of the Great Other. They carved the trees and signed the Pact for peace between the Children and the First Men, leading the First Men to adopt their religion.

That said, it seems to be implied in the books that the Children and the First Men worked to defeat the White Walkers in the book the first time around, so it is possible that the Children had no idea they were serving an evil God.

When the Andals invaded Westeros, they burned down the Weirwood trees as much as they could, and the Pact ended, though the First Men still followed this clearly evil religion without realizing it.

The Andals believe in the Seven, which like the Christian is one God in seven forms. There is also a Lord of the Seven Hells who performs black arts. I think it is just another iteration of Lord of Light vs. Great Other, and the Lord of Light used the Andals to invade Westeros and try to stop the spread of the Old God religion.

Now let’s get closer to what the Dothraki believe now that it is obvious we are setting up a Lord of Light vs. Great Other fight.

Essos actually has children of the forest. They are called the Ifequevron. They lived in the Forest of Ifequevron just north of the Dothraki sea. The Dothraki did not attack them either out of respect or fear. It is believed they were wiped out by the Ibbense, and once the Ifequevron disappeared, the Dothraki began attacking the Ibbense.

They left one city that the Dothraki call the “City of Ghosts” and people that have visited report seeing trees with carved faces.

Weird how the Dothraki didn’t attack them... super weird.

Maybe because they weren’t supposed to.

But onto Dothraki religion:

They worship a horse god and Dothraki aren’t worth anything unless they can ride a horse. Their god is called the “Great Stallion.” When someone times, their god parts the grass and claims the deceased for his khalasar so the dead can ride with them in the nightlands.

What.

What.

What.

So we know that there is a Great Other who is the god of the dead. We also know Melisandre clearly believes the White Walkers are enemies. The Night King joined the dead to his own khalasar - a nomadic horde. And together they rode into the Long Night... Yeah. Not a coincidence.

One important function of khalasars is that when a khal dies, the groups underneath him (but no bloodriders) either fight to claim it or break apart on their own. I believe that with the Night King dead, if that wild theory is true... Daenerys becoming a White Walker is just part of the Great Other’s plan to replace his general of death.

But I’m just not done yet.

In Daenerys’s vision, she is called the “moon” of Khal Drogo’s life. She is the wife to the sun - which is a star. And I believe the Dothraki are wrong about it being the sun or that the meaning is lost in translation.

Interestingly, the others have a story about a Night King who was bewitched by a Night Queen who had skin as pale as the moon.

Oh to Dothraki death beliefs and funeral customs.

According to the Dothraki, stars are horses made of fire and the starry sky is a great herd of fiery horses running across the sky. These stars are dead Dothraki. The more fierce the Dothraki, the brighter the star.

When a horselord dies, a horse is slain so it can be mounted in death. These dothraki are then burned beneath the open sky. If a child dies before they are old enough to ride, they will instead be reborn to begin life anew.

Drogo was burned to custom: a square made of wood is positioned with the khal’s horse in the middle. Over the horse, another platform is constructed. This platform is laid east to west, from sunrise to sunset. It has three levels. The third levels is set north to south. On that level, the khal is placed with his head in the direction of the Mother of Mountains. His body is only burned when the first star has been seen in the sky.

Why did I give you all those details?

Oh boy.

Guys. I’ve been holding this crazy theory in for a while. I’m not holding back.

So let’s consider for a moment the Mirri Maz Duur prophecy... which we were reminded of in Daenerys’s House of the Undying prophecy and in the last season in the dragon pit.

Let’s remember context: Daenerys wasn’t asking about when she would bear another child... but when Drogo would be able to ride a horse again - thus be a khal again.

Mirri said: "When the sun rises in the west and sets in the east. When the seas go dry and the mountains blow in the wind like leaves. When your womb quickens again, and you bear a living child. Then he will return, and not before."

Now a popular theory and not one I discount because of Daenerys’s similarities to Cersei is that she will become pregnant. However, Daenerys is going to die or she’s going to destroy the world. But that’s not the point of my funeral description.

George R. R. Martin gave those details for a reason.

First, Khal Drogo was burned when the first star rose in the sky... and that was the red comet. That’s what happened in the books, though the show was slightly different (because none of these fine details are shared) and it doesn’t show up until season 2.

However, the show did point out it meant dragons... but back to the pyre and the prophecy.

Drogo’s second platform was laid east to west, from sunrise to sunset. “When the sun rises in the west and sets in the east.” But Drogo died unable to ride a horse... so I believe he didn’t go to the nightlands... I believe he was reborn... as Drogon. Rhaego as Rhaegal. And Viserys, who had to walk because of his crimes against Daenerys for hitting her, was reborn as Viserion.

Okay, that last one is a little silly and I’m mostly joking.

That said, Drogo was reborn on a pyre. That red comet was him rising in the west and setting in the east (dying). He was then reborn into Drogon.

From there, “When the seas go dry” Daenerys left the Dothraki sea for the Red Waste. But the “mountains blow in the wind like leaves” is meant to represent something happening in Westeros. For Daenerys to go west, first she must go east... which she did. Then she went west and the White Walkers came like leaves in the wind.

It’s possible Daenerys becomes pregnant again, but I believe what Mirri’s snide statement is really stating is an unintended prophecy. She will become the Stallion Who Mounts the World.

According to Dothraki prophecy in the books:

As swift as the wind he rides, and behind him his khalasar covers the earth, men without number, with arakhs shining in their hands like blades of razor grass. Fierce as a storm this prince will be. His enemies will tremble before him, and their wives will weep tears of blood and rend their flesh in grief. The bells in his hair will sing his coming, and the milk men in the stone tents will fear his name. The prince is riding, and he shall be the stallion who mounts the world.

The Dothraki also believe in something called “Ghost Grass” which sounds a bit like snow though it is actually a plant rumored to glow with the spirits of the dead. It is supposed to cover the whole world... and that’s how it ends.

But the Stallion Who Mounts the World? The one Mirri tried to stop?

Daenerys brought the largest army in the world to Westeros - including a Dothraki arakh army - like razor grass. He would be “fierce as a storm” like Daenerys Stormborn. Enemies will tremble (like Jon). The Bells... the fucking bells will sing his coming. Or Daenerys coming.

God damn it. I believe my crazy theory...  okay? I can see the books ending this way.

Anyway, the milk men (pale people like Westerosi) in their stone tents (hey, castles!) will fear his name.

The Stallion is also supposed to bring everyone into his khalasar... which is what Daenerys basically intends to do. The Great Other is doing this by killing everyone... and Daenerys seems like an enticing general.

Essentially, I believe the Dothraki had similar beliefs as the Ifequeron like the First Men did with the Children of the Forest. Only their beliefs morphed to it Essos. Because they bring death, I think they are actually worshippers of the Great Other whom they call the Great Stallion.

But if Daenerys is the Stallion Who Mounts the World and works for the Great Other... who is supposed to fight against her?

I dunno. Maybe the man the Lord of Light brought back from the dead for some weird reason.

The Last Hero and Azor Ahai are not the same person, just like the Andal Seven are not the same as them. Details on them are pretty light so I won’t get into. They are all iterations of the fight between the Lord of Light and the Great Other though. They may not have even happened in the same places. There may be more.

So let’s look at what happened.

The Last Hero is a Westerosi tradition happening during the Long Night.

 Yet here and there in the fastness of the woods, the children still lived in their wooden cities and hollow hills, and the faces in the trees kept watch. So as cold and death filled the earth, the last hero determined to seek out the children, in the hopes that their ancient magics could win back what the armies of men had lost. He set out into the dead lands with a sword, a horse, a dog, and a dozen companions. For years he searched until he despaired of ever finding the children of the forest in their secret cities. One by one his friends died, and his horse, and finally even his dog, and his sword froze so hard the blade snapped when he tried to use it. And the Others smelled the hot blood in him and came silent on his trail, stalking him with packs of pale white spiders big as hounds –

This was alluded to in the Wight Hunt, but it’s possible some iteration could happen again briefly. If Jon goes North, he will have “a sword, a horse, a dog, and a dozen companions.”

Azor Ahai goes a bit like this:

Darkness lay over the world and a hero, Azor Ahai, was chosen to fight against it. To fight the darkness, Azor Ahai needed to forge a hero's sword. He labored for thirty days and thirty nights until it was done. However, when he went to temper it in water, the sword broke. He was not one to give up easily, so he started over.

The second time he took fifty days and fifty nights to make the sword, even better than the first. To temper it this time, he captured a lion and drove the sword into its heart, but once more the steel shattered.

The third time, with a heavy heart, for he knew beforehand what he must do to finish the blade, he worked for a hundred days and nights until it was finished. This time, he called for his wife, Nissa Nissa, and asked her to bare her breast. He drove his sword into her living heart, her soul combining with the steel of the sword, creating Lightbringer, the Red Sword of Heroes.

Although he had Lightbringer, Azor Ahai did not fight alone. The Jade Compendium mentions that when the hero thrust the blade through a monster, the creature burst into flame.

There are similarities to the last one. It’s possible that a Valyrian sword cannot kill a Night King or Queen, merely the sword that created them underneath a Godswood. 

It’s possible that the present timeline is mirroring the defeats or lack of personal involvement Jon has had in defeating his enemies: He could not fight the darkness himself, and it took a water dancer to end the Night King. Then he went to fight the Lannisters, but the Lannisters brought destruction upon themselves and died holding onto each other.

The third conflict, Jon will succeed in defeating his enemy because he will kill Daenerys (his Nissa Nissa). But in killing her, he powers the dagger which will later be used against the monster she becomes, and the “burst into flame” is likely alluding to the fact he will be killing Drogon.

As for the dream... perhaps when someone becomes a wight or a White Walker they are tricked into a dream they never wake up from. As Daenerys is destroying the world as the Night Queen, she thinks she is back with Drogo and Rhaego in the Nightlands.

But none of these very discrete details would ever play out in a single episode, at best just some of them, and I am just reviewing them to highlight that Book Daenerys may be on her path to becoming a White Walker herself if Jon uses that god damn dagger.

And we know he is going to stab her. And we know the leaks aren’t long enough to tell us what happens next episode.

So maybe a really unexpected twist happens and Jon accidentally creates another damn Night King and he has to put the monster down.

[a-damson-in-distress]

From Dusk Till Dawn - Chapter 5

Pairing: MadaSaku

Plot: Sakura was searching for a purpose. Madara was thirsting for revenge. Little do they know their fates intertwined centuries ago. Once he broke free from his banishment, he would usher in a new dusk. Until he realised that she was his dawn. Historical/mythological AU.

Note: Salutations, my lovelies. I’m back from the dead. So I know most of you will have probably forgotten this fic even exists (hell, even I forgot lol), but guess what - IT’S BACK BITCHES! I honestly have no idea what came over me today, but somehow I got reminded of this blog and the fics I started here, so I decided to dig it up out of the depths of my browser history, and you know what? I totally forgot how much fun I had writing these and that daaaaaaamn I had some good stories going on, which were in desperate need of updating, if only to ease my guilty conscience. 

Speaking of which, I honestly have no excuses for going AWOL for so long. I know some of you may have been bummed, because I think this fic did have a teeny tiny bit of a following, but honestly guys, this writing blog was only one of my many hobbies and it was never meant to take up too much of my time. It was one of these things I occasionaly devote my time to, but that was always doomed to be second place to my life/relationship/university responsibilites. But on the bright side, I did finally get my Bachelor’s degree, whoooo! Buuuuuuuut I am still at uni doing my Master’s, sooooo ya know - still not going to be a regular thing here. 

Anyways, TL;DR: I wanted to update this little nugget here out of pure nostalgia and curiosity to see how many of you will still remember the story, to see how many will appreciate and like this update and depending on your reaction, I might actually take up writing again. Goodie, I’m excited to be back. Have fun! :)

Oh also, please check out the first 4 chapters before reading this one, since - you know - I let so much dust settle on this story none of y’all will probably know what’s going on. 

EDIT: I had to delete the links to the first 4 chapters, because this chapter wasn’t showing up under the madasaku tag or any of the other tags, but as soon as I deleted the links it did? Soooo yeah whatever, fuck you Tumblr links. You’re gonna have to scroll through my blog to get to the other chapters, I’m sorry. I’ll figure out a way to post all of it in one piece, promise. Have fun and let me know what you think! :)

500 years ago…

The heavens stood still.

Silence.

Death.

Victory.

Tsunade watched a tired Jiraiya fall to his knees and let out a pained groan. Allowing a nervous sigh to escape her lips, she closed her eyes.

They did it. They finally did it. After decades of warfare, bloodshed, and carnage, they finally managed to seal away the bane of their existence.

The last of the dusk gods had fallen.

Opening her eyes again, she let her tired gaze wander across the scene of their final battle. Slain gods lay scattered across the barren field, the ashen ground beneath them stained in the colour of their blood.  Giant craters burning with the dreaded flames of the underworld tore through the otherwise idyllic scenery of the heavens like wounds from blade. The black flames of the dusk god’s feared Amaterasu eating up what little was left of the trees that once made this surrounding a forest.

It matters not, she kept telling herself. He is gone. And the dawn gods shall rebuild.

Just as Tsunade was about to join Jiraiya to take a look at his wounds, an ear-piercing screeching tore through her head, forcing her to her knees. Barely managing to open her eyes against the penetrating pain in her mind, she watched the other surviving gods around her writhe and hold their heads in agony.

All of a sudden, the screeching ebbed, giving way to a low hissing sound before a mysterious voice whispered into all of their ears:

At the fall of dusk, at the fall of old, spring shall bring forth his keeper,

who will call to him until his return at the night the darkness swallows the heavens.

Young and weak, the Eastern light shall seek out the old power in the West,

who will envelop her in darkness to unleash their true might.

Dawn will be his light, and dusk shall return.

It was only when the throbbing pain in her head finally dissipated that Tsunade dared to look up. The remaining gods looked at each other questioningly.

They were familiar with this pain, with this feeling. The hissing voice in their head. The dawn gods all knew what this was.

A prophecy. Foreshadowing the return of Madara.

The survivors did what they could to tend to the wounded on the battlefield. When no one else could be saved, the gods set them aflame and watched their bodies dissipate into golden dust, releasing their divine essence into the vast expanse of the universe, praying for them to be reborn again. Then, they retreated to their respective homes – or what was left of them – to lick their wounds, celebrate their survival, and grieve the death of the fallen.

Tsunade felt a heavy sadness weighing down her heart that night. Despite their unimaginable victory over the mightiest god to ever grace the face of the heavens, they had lost so many. She knew more peaceful times lay ahead of them now, and yet she felt restless. It had been ages since the universe had whispered a prophecy into their ears. And this one was particularly unsettling.

Dusk shall return.

But they sealed him, Tsunade reminded herself. And with one of Hashirama’s seals, no less. She was the one who studied the dusk god’s inscriptions, who knew his incantations like the back of her hand. She was certain Hashirama’s seal would be enough to imprison Madara for the rest of his miserable days.

And yet, mere minutes after the dawn gods managed the unthinkable and sealed away the last dusk god, the universe decided to warn them of his return. And prophecies always came true, the dawn goddess knew that much.

Not only that, but the prophecy also spoke of some Eastern light, who would supposedly help him unleash his true might. A cold shiver ran down Tsunade’s spine at the thought of Madara teaming up with such a force of nature that will grant him even more fearsome powers than he already had.

Yet the goddess of healing had no time to dwell on her worrisome thoughts, as her mind picked up the desperate prayer of a mortal couple. Never one to abandon the ones in need, the blonde goddess raced down into the mortal realm and materialised unseen in the living room of a small hut. She watched the couple on their knees, huddled together in front of the fire. They were rocking back and forth, with the woman holding a small bundle in her arms and the man raising one arm pleadingly into the air, calling out to the goddess of healing to save this poor baby.

This baby? Is that not their own child, Tsunade thought suspiciously. Babies do not just fall from the heavens.

Taking one step closer to the fire, the goddess suddenly felt a divine glow emanating from the bundle in the woman’s arms. Tsunade would recognise that anywhere – the essence of the gods. This was indeed not the mortal couple’s child, but a newborn of the dawn gods.

Still hidden from the mortal’s view, she leaned down and caught a glimpse of pink hair and emerald green eyes, staring knowingly, yet tiredly at her. As Tsunade stretched out a hand towards the babe to check its body temperature, a tiny chubby fist suddenly enclosed her index finger. This little touch was enough to flood the goddess with a feeling of warm motherly love.

Tsunade knew in that instant that this deity shall be hers to raise, care for, and love.

With her divine power, she mentally reached out to the mortals and willed them to lay the small bundle on the floor by the fire. She watched them carefully lower the baby and step back from the fire, worriedly glancing around the living room and waiting for something to happen.

In the blink of an eye, the small bundle was gone. The couple sighed in relief and fell into each other’s arms, knowing their beloved goddess of healing would take care of that weak little girl.

“Do you really think that was a wise choice?”

Tsunade ignored Jiraiya’s incessant nagging and kept bouncing the little babe on her arm. Immediately after taking the young goddess from the mortal’s hut, she returned home to her half-standing palace in the East, where some of the surviving gods have retreated to recuperate. One of them being Kakashi, the feared god of lightning, who was pinning her with a scrutinising gaze.

“Jiraiya’s right, you know. Tonight, of all nights, with this new prophecy looming above our heads… Have you even thought for a second that she could be this Eastern light, his keeper that was prophesised?”

Tsunade scoffed and shot him a challenging glare. “Please, Kakashi, don’t be paranoid. It was just one of the millions of prayers I receive every day. Only this time, it happened to involve a newly born dawn goddess, instead of a weak mortal. Just because she is one of us, does not mean she is tied to the prophecy. In fact, we should be thankful our pantheon is growing again after we lost so many.”

“The prophecy clearly said that at the fall of dusk some kind of keeper will emerge who is destined to help Madara unleash his full power upon the heavens. The fall of dusk was tonight, and after decades of no new deities, tonight is the night the universe decides to give us a new goddess, during spring no less? Coincidences like these might happen to the mortals but not in the heavens,” Shikamaru grumbled before taking a well-deserved puff from his ivory kiseru.

Rolling her eyes at the god of wisdom and strategy, Tsunade switched the little bundle to her other arm and kept bouncing her up and down, before she said, “What you all fail to see is that she cannot be the Easter light from the prophecy, since I found her in a mortal village in the middle of nowhere, not even remotely close to anywhere East. And don’t you think that if such a powerful force destined to be tied to Madara emerged that we would not have felt its birth? Elemental abnormalities, time standing still, earthquakes – anything that might indicate a new divine force has emerged. But there was absolutely nothing when this little goddess here was born. In fact, she is so tiny and weak, I honestly doubt that she will have a purpose grander than making flowers grow, that’s how harmless she is.”

Tsunade saw the uncertain faces around her, their doubtful gazes boring into her determination to keep the babe. She had to convince them, somehow. She could not just leave a part of her divine family, especially now that her kin was nearly wiped out. As soon as the young goddess had touched her, Tsunade felt responsible for her. She had to ignore the nagging feeling at the back of her head screaming at her to listen to the prophecy.

Yes, there were too many coincidences, Tsunade had to admit that herself. The prophecy clearly talks of a female, emerging during this particular night, during spring. All of which applied to the little dawn goddess in her arms.

But there was no way she could be the Eastern light; the goddess was not tied to any particular region. And Tsunade could not – for the life of her – imagine this tiny, frail little thing would be capable of stoking the fire of Madara’s wrath to the point that she would be the one to unleash his true might.

Shaking away her doubts, Tsunade gazed into the tired emeralds of the little girl in her arms. A smile spread across her lips when the tiny goddess snuggled closer to her chest.

There was absolutely no way she would abandon this little thing, not now after she lost so many of her family.

Raising her head, she shot a determined glance at all of the surviving deities in her presence and exclaimed, “I will not resign this precious goddess to a prophecy we have not even fully deciphered yet. None of us know what half of that steaming pile of donkey dung even means, so nobody is going to determine her fate based on any of that. Besides, even if she really is this keeper of his, this way we can at least raise her on our side. Teach her our story, our ways, our kindness. She will never be corrupted by him if we have the power to tell her the things we want her know. If he really does come back and they really do cross paths, there is no way she will choose him. I will tie her to me as tightly as she tied me to her.”

Lowering her caramel eyes, she cast a loving glance at the newest addition to her family and whispered softly, “I will protect my daughter from him. No matter what.”

Went to him… willingly … kidnapped … she chose him … sacrifice …

Sakura’s muddled mind started picking up fragments of speech as she slowly started to wake from her slumber. Forcing her weak body to sit up, she cast a disoriented glance around her only to find herself in her chambers at her mother’s palace.

All of a sudden, memories started flooding her mind and she felt her heart rate pick up.

Madara.

She finally met him. She was in his palace. She was so close to getting some answers. A blush crept up her neck at the thought of his calloused fingers holding her chin in place as he was leaning closer to her, before… Before the dawn gods laid siege to his palace to take her away from him.

Wait, from him? Where did that thought come from? Since when did Sakura think she belonged by his side? She had only known him for a few moments and from what she had seen on the battlefields, he was not a god whose company she should be yearning for. And yet, she had never felt so strong, so alive as when being close to him.

And now that they were separated, her old familiar frailty had returned as well.

The young dawn goddess could feel frustration bubble up inside her. Rarely did she get mad at something or someone, but her constant state of weakness had been a source of anger for all of her short life. And the one being who could rectify that just had to be her mother’s mortal enemy and the one who had been waging war against her kin for the last weeks.  

Sakura felt like throwing something against the wall. Alas, all the smashable things in her room were solid gold or heavy ivory, all of which was too difficult for her to even pick up now. In Madara’s presence, however, she felt like she could carry the entire heavens on her shoulders.

Her depressing thoughts were interrupted when she felt the voices on the other side of her door grow louder.

“Look what Tsunade’s tying down has brought us. She went to him, willingly. All that keeping her close was for nothing!”

“She is so weak, she cannot even open doors without struggling, and you really think she made that trip all the way to the Western end of the heavens on her own? He clearly kidnapped her. We are lucky he left her alive for whatever reason.”

“Then tell me why she was reaching out to him when I-“

The angry voices were silenced when her mother suddenly burst through the doors and stomped into her room, glowering at Sakura with a furious expression.

“What in the heavens were you thinking?!”

[rla1994]

Chapter 4, noooo

What am I doing?! I should be sleeping right now!!!

Again don’t own anything

A heavy silence fell upon the room after Poseidon’s revelation. The blond haired judge turned towards Kanon. “Are you sure?” Kanon nodded. “Yes. The Grand Pope has recently ordered more armors to be forged for the lower class soldiers and he has increased the mandatory training time.”  The brothers looked at each other, having a silent conversation. Poseidon nodded as they broke contact. “I’ll begin searching for my marinas and train them so that we are ready to assist at any time.” 

Persephone sighed. “Are we even sure it will escalate to a war? Can’t we stop it before it happens?” Her husband took her hand in his and looked into her eyes. “If we could, we would, my Dear.” His tone was uncharacteristically soft as he spoke to his long time wife. “Hey, i’m sorry to break this sweet moment,” Kanon said. “but you keep speaking about a prophecy about me. I’d like to know what it is.” The couple looked back at the angel. After some time,Hades spoke up. “It said that, when the angel Kanon falls and Athena dies, a new Celestial war will befall upon the world.” 

The fallen fell silent. “So when I was cast out, I basically signed you all up to die. ‘When the angel Kanon falls and Athena dies’.” He was silent for a bit, not paying attention to the preparations Hades was making with his generals. Realization suddenly struck him. “Wait!” Hades was about to reprimand him when the angel cut him off. “The prophecy says :’when the angel Kanon falls and Athena dies’. Athena has not died, not yet at least.” 

Poseidon frowned at his soldier. “What are you talking about? Athena died during the Celestial wars.” Kanon nodded. Everyone looked at him, waiting for him to explain. When he was sure he had everyone’s attention, the fallen proceeded to reveal something only a selected few among the angels knew about. Athena had reincarnated herself into the body of a human girl to experience what it was like to be human. This information changed everything. If they could prevent the false Grand Pope from killing the reincarnated Athena, they could prevent the war. 

The three gods calculated, that with how long it took for a god to heal from a ‘death’, Athena would have gone into the human world about 15 years earlier. Poseidon would look for her while assembling his army, while Hades and his Judges would look into the souls to see if any of them had had any contact with Athena’s reincarnation. Now with a concrete plan and Persephone satisfied that war could be avoided, Poseidon and Kanon teleported back to Atlantis.

It was late at night. Poseidon dismissed Kanon and ordered him to get some sleep. They would begin their preparations tomorrow. Kanon retreated to his quarters. Once there, he sat down on the chair in his bedroom, looking out of the window. The angel fell deep in his thoughts. He had managed to convince the gods that they could avoid an all-out war, but had Athena really reincarnated? He had not been meant to hear that information. It had been a coincidence that he had been walking past the Grand Pope’s study when the old man had divulged this small but important piece of information. The only other one who knew was the other ancient among the angels, Dohko. He really hoped it was true and that he would not have to fight his old companions, not that he really cared about them, he just didn’t want to be on opposite sides with Milo or his brother. 

His brother... He’d cast him out because he’d been suspicious of the Grand Pope, when confronted Saga had called him a liar and accused him of treason. But Kanon knew the old man and the current leader of the angels was not the one who had taken his time learning about him and Saga just to make them trust him, he was not the one who would open his door in the middle of the night because one of his soldiers had a nightmare, no matter their rank or age, but more importantly he was not the one who had taken his time to help him understand even the most basic of lessons or who had answered whatever question plagued him at anytime of the day or night. No that man was gone and in his stead was a cold-hearted man who would let his troupes die before he’d let them look in his eyes. He even wore a mask! It was obvious some had killed the old man and taken his place, but who? He just couldn’t figure it out! No angel was cruel enough to do something like that but the usurper was clearly an angel and a strong one at that. The only ones with that kind of strength were Dohko, Aioros and Saga. Dohko and Aioros were out of question, the first one would not kill his friend no matter what, and the latter had no interest in power nor war, all he wanted was a safe and happy world for his little brother, Aiolia. As for Saga, Kanon could not believe he was suspecting him, but he had been acting strange, he had seemed more on edge, always looking over his shoulder. He sincerely hoped he was wrong but Saga was a master of illusions and mind control just like him. He was the only one who could pull out something like this. But Kanon could not understand what would make his twin do something like that. Saga had admired Shion for his strength, his patience and his fatherly attitude towards all angels. Saga aspired to be Shion, so why would he kill him and take his place?

Kanon was growing more and more frustrated by the second. Knowing he would not get any answers, he decided to go to sleep and work more on it tomorrow. Maybe he’d be able to contact Milo through their shared link?

He woke up the next morning to light glaring in his eyes. Kanon groaned as he got up and moved to the bathroom to take a quick shower. Dressed, he made his way to the dining-room where Poseidon was already eating while looking through some files. “Good morning, sunshine.” The god was in a good mood, it seemed. He chuckled as the only reply he got from the angel was a groan as the younger one seated himself at the deity’s right. “My,my, someone’s in a bad mood today.” Poseidon smiled. Ah he had missed this. The entertainment that came with having some else living with you. Ever since his wife, disappeared Zeus knows where. Oh, how he missed Amphitrite sometimes, he hoped she would return to him soon. “I’ve been thinking about who could be the impostor.” The god sapped out of his thoughts as he heard Kanon talk. “I think it’s my brother, Saga.” Poseidon’s eyes opened wide. The angel suspected his own brother? “That’s a bold accusation, even for you.” The fallen merely shook his head. “He’s the only one I can think of who could do something like that and who could pass it off as normal. And if it wasn’t him, why would he cast me out?” The more the god listened to, the more it made sense. It was clear the angel didn’t want to believe it as much as Poseidon did. “If what you say is true, we must inform my brother immediately.” The ruler of Atlantis stood up, he handed the files he had in his hands to his general. “Go look into those people, I believe they might be marinas. I will warn my brother and see if that changes anything.” The sea dragon nodded.  

Kanon walked back to his room where he had left his armor the day before. The armor was composed of two armbands, one on each arm, with a pair of gauntlets. He wore a muscled breast-plate that ended with leather bands that covered him, a bit, till right above his knees. His knees and his shins were covered by a pair of greaves. He wore a pair of sandals at his feet. The back,of the breast-plate had two large slits for his wings. As to not by bothered by them all the time, angels and demons alike could retract their wings into their bodies, they would just manifest themselves as tattoos on their backs. The armor was made of a sturdy metal and coated in gold, the leather straps were color in the same Egyptian blue as his sheets, it seemed to be Poseidon’s color. The symbol on his left breast was painted in the god’s color. Underneath the armor, he wore a typical tunic, with again slits for his wings. He had no sheath attached to his armor, as it was custom for celestial beings to fight bear-handed, rare were those who fought with weapons, and even then they mostly didn’t use them.

 Picking up the stack of files he had set on his bed when entering, the general and commander of the armies began his work to create the army he was supposed to command. The first one was a man named Baian, a Canadian human of unknown mother. Poseidon had written something on top of the file: ‘possibly nephilim’. Interesting, he had never met a half-angel half-human child. He found the man’s address on his file and teleported at the potential candidate’s house. Kanon arrived in the middle of his living room, standing on the now broken coffee table. The host was shocked to suddenly have a tall armored man standing on the rests of his coffee table. Kanon looked down at the nephilim. He was a tall brunette with blue eyes. His eyes were open wide and he was gaping making him look like a fish out of waters. Kanon chuckled. “Closed your mouth, you’ll swallow a fly. Sorry for the coffee table.” The angel moved to sit in front of the one he’d be potentially recruiting into his army. “Do you know what I am?” As the other nodded, Kanon asked. “Do you know what you are?” Another nod. “Good, that will save me some time. I am here to recruit you as one of Poseidon’s marinas. Do you understand?” The other gave an hesitant nod. Kanon searched for the little orb Poseidon had given him to see who was meant to be in his army and who wasn’t. “Okay, so hold this.” He handed the orb to Baian. “Now if it glows, you’re in.” Nothing happened for a few seconds before a pale blue light emanated from the object. Kanon smiled. “Welcome, Baian. You are our first soldier, beside me of course. By the way, I’m Kanon, the sea dragon general and the commander of the army.”

The angel took back the orb before standing up. “Now before we go back to Poseidon, we have to check which ones among those files are also soldiers. Seeing as I’m not going to just send you to Atlantis on your own, you’re going to come with me, okay?” The fallen did not wait for respond from the nephilim before he grabbed him and teleported them to the next candidate.

Finished, for now ^^

Ps: for those who haven’t realized it yet, what is sometimes written next to the chapter is not related to the chapter in itself but more towards my feelings for it. i.e. today, it is because I should have been sleeping instead of writing it.

Link to ao3 below, as always: 

https://archiveofourown.org/works/17670578/chapters/41717552

[geopolicraticus]

The Great Disappointment

After service in the War of 1812, one William Miller, having been exposed to Deism, felt the need to reconnect with the faith of his earlier years. He began to study the Bible with great care, and by 1818 he had convinced himself of an interpretation of the Bible that demonstrated that Christ would return in 1844. Miller kept quiet about his interpretation of scripture until 1831, when he began to present public lectures on his ideas. Miller began to build a following, his ideas were called “Millerism,” and his followers were called “Millerites.”

Two earlier predictions for the Second Coming—for 21 March and 18 April of 1844—had already passed without event, but the Millerites persisted in their beliefs. The “Second Advent” was still to come, and a new date was set for the event: 22 October 1844. This was to be a special moment in the history of the world—a non-Copernican moment in history—when the otherworldly chronology of salvation history would coincide at one point with the chronology of actual human history. Yet the Copernican principle (as applied to history) held good in this case: no privileged moment was vouchsafed on this occasion. 

Tuesday 22 October 1844 came and went and, for the Millerites, it was a big, fat “nothingburger.” There was no Second Coming; the promised revelation failed to materialize. One Millerite, Hiram Edson, wrote, “Our fondest hopes and expectations were blasted, and such a spirit of weeping came over us as I never experienced before... We wept, and wept, till the day dawn.”

The disappointed community of believers no doubt engaged in some soul-searching after the event. Some probably passed through all five stages of grief—denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance—and, with acceptance, moved on with their lives. Others turned to ex post facto rationalization, seeking to prove that Miller was right after all. Henceforth, if true believers were to continue to believe not merely in the absence of confirmation of their beliefs, but even in the face of countervailing evidence, they would have to retain their belief through faith in things unseen. 

Hume once formulated a famous definition of faith as follows:

“...the Christian Religion not only was at first attended with miracles, but even at this day cannot be believed by any reasonable person without one. Mere reason is insufficient to convince us of its veracity: and whoever is moved by Faith to assent to it, is conscious of a continued miracle in his own person, which subverts all the principles of his understanding, and gives him a determination to believe what is most contrary to custom and experience.”

Though Hume is famous as a skeptic, it should be noted that some philosophers of religion and some fideists (absolutists in regard to faith) have quoted Hume with approval on the idea of faith as a continued miracle in the person of the believer. It was just this kind of faith that the Millerites who went on to form the Seventh Day Adventists had in the Miller’s interpretation of the Bible. Though the memory of the Great Disappointment lingered, they did not allow the Great Disappointment to shake their faith, but rather they doubled down and continued to believe despite the absence of a Second Advent.

It is interesting to reflect on how some religions (and religious surrogates) come to grief over decisive events of this kind, while other religions (and religious surrogates) are born in such events. The Christian denomination that we know as the Seventh Day Adventists was born from the Great Disappointment. It would not be too much to say that, without the Great Disappointment, there would be no Seventh Day Adventists.

Other nascent faiths are destroyed by failed prophecies. Where there are insufficient numbers to maintain a mass movement, or insufficiently fervent belief, failed prophecy means the dissolution of the community of believers. The various prophecies of doom for 2012, supposedly based on the Mayan calendar, failed to materialize, and those who had coalesced around this idea scattered, though it should be pointed that that any group that made an apocalyptic prediction that did come true would also experience dissolution in the realization of the prophetic event. Since this latter scenario hasn’t ever come to pass, we are left only with a few disappointed believers.

One imagines that the prophets who predict apocalyptic events, if they are honest men (most of them probably are not), would be at least a bit embarrassed by the failure of their prophesy. One “solution” to this dilemma (and I hesitate to call it a solution) is the mass suicide of true believers in an apocalyptic prophesy. While this assures that the faith will die with its believers, it also insulates apocalyptic prophets from the consequences of their failure. The mass suicide of the People’s Temple followers at Jonestown followed this model in some respects, and the Heaven’s Gate mass suicide followed the model even more closely.

I would not expect any dispassionate historical account of the Millerites to change anyone’s mind about something as consequential as their faith, which, as we have seen, is an ongoing miracle, so I expect rather that there will be more apocalyptic prophesies and more Great Disappointments. For the rest of us, there is something to be learned here about the dynamics of faith in human society. The rational principles and social institutions we have built up over thousands of years of civilization are the only things that we have between ourselves and destructive mass movements that appeal to those whose need to believe is stronger than than their desire to understand. We should cherish and defend reason and its institutions, even at the expense of being the outsiders looking in on a mass movement of which we are not a part.

[haphazardlyparked]

the sahms

regret everything part twelve (part eleven)

Noki barely goes anywhere in Court without Isokai. They even enter Kan’s small audience study together, Isokai in his Samran robes and Noki in a suit made in similar colors. Kan would have sworn his meeting had only been scheduled with Noki. He’d been looking forward to it all morning.

Before he can properly pout, the Dowager (at Sem’s desk) raises her brows and says, critically, “I can’t tell who’s the adult and who’s playing dress-up.”

Noki stiffens, lips thinning in that small frown of his. The ambassador merely sits himself in one of the seats before Kan’s desk, in a graceful sweep of cloth. Kan wonders if the ambassador has ever done anything ungracefully.  

“I am the one wearing what could be construed as a dress,” Isokai remarks as he arranges the folds of his robes around him. “If that helps you decide.”

“Please don’t encourage the Dowager, Ambassador,” Kan advises dryly. He doesn’t look at Isokai, focusing instead on Noki and inviting the scrupulously polite diplomat to sit with a wave.  

“I object to you implying that I’m some sort of child,” the Dowager announces.

“That’s not what I meant at all, Mother,” replies Kan. The Dowager’s eyes narrow at his droll tone. “You are an adult menace to society who shouldn’t be engaged with or encouraged, especially not when I’m trying to have a serious conversation with foreign dignitaries.”

The Dowager shakes her head. “I don’t understand where all this insolence has come from,” she says, a patent lie that has Sem rolling his eyes. Sniffing theatrically, the Dowager allows, “Proceed with your meeting, children.”

Across the desk, Noki struggles to hide his irritation behind his polite diplomat’s mask. “I believe we had an agenda, sir?” he reminds the room pointedly, and Kan sits up in his chair attentively.

“Ah, yes, Diplomat Sadura,” Kan says. Glancing down at the meticulous notes he’d made when he thought his meeting was with Noki alone, Kan pushes the tablet aside and rests his elbows on his desk. “I’m afraid we’re going to throw that agenda out the metaphorical window.”

“Excuse me, sir?” Noki asks, stiff and brittle.

“While the ins and outs of tech tariffs and tech/orgotech intellectual property rights are deeply fascinating to me,” Kan says blithely, “since I have you and the ambassador both here, what I would really like talk about today is Samran culture.”

Noki glances sideways at Isokai, and then back at Kan. “Lord Kan,” he begins, a little suspiciously. “That’s quite a broad topic. What exactly did you wish to discuss?”

Kan smiles at Isokai coldly and stares the ambassador straight in the eye when he says, “I’d like to have a nice, civil conversation about why you Samrans seem to hate me so personally.”

“Sir,” Noki says quickly, “I do not believe this is the best--”

“--thank you, Sadura,” Kan cuts Noki off politely. “But I would really like to hear the ambassador’s opinion. Ambassador Isokai, if you would enlighten me, it would be so much appreciated.”

The Dowager leans back in Sem’s chair, eyes now intent on Isokai—though she shoots Sem a look rife with predatory anticipation first.

Isokai watches the Dowager, and then offers Kan a politely regretful smile. “It’s the extremist Sahms,” he says, naming Samra’s official church. “In the best oversimplification I can offer, you unfortunately fill many prophecies of Akal, the Destroyer of Worlds.”

Somehow, Kalna is not surprised that Iska’s people literally take him for a demon. He’s ready to be offended by the idea, but before he can get there, the Dowager laughs loudly.

“This is an absurd joke,” she chuckles.

“It is not a joke, lady,” Iska replies. “It is only a small faction of Sahms, but they are very vocal and relatively powerful. Diplomat Sadura has shared that some of Lord Kan’s reservations over a treaty and accession talks involve this problem; I am sorry to report that this is not something we can be flexible with. Samra will not be issuing any apologies to either of you. Unfortunately.”

“You won’t even apologize for calling my mother a tramp?” Kalna needles. In truth, he’s actually a little touched that Noki raised the issue with the ambassador. It’s not like he or the Dowager actually need (or expect) an apology. So long as the cooler heads of Samra prevail, time—and Kan’s eventual, normal death—would wear down the Sahms’ hostility.

The Dowager proves her indifference when she observes, gleefully, “I am a bit of a tramp, darling.”

“The writings on Akal do involve particular circumstances of birth,” Iska adds, vaguely apologetic.

“Well, I guess we’re out of luck, Mother,” Kalna says, a little sharply. The edge is for Iska, who he smiles at when he says, “But tell me, Ambassador, where do you stand on all of this? Am I going to end the world?”

Iska doesn’t try to hide his gaze. He looks at Kalna with calm assurance and tells him, “Of course not, Lord Kan. But I do understand the Sahms—the coincidences are compelling to those of the most fervent faith. As for the rest of us, the hierarchy of our gods lies at the core of our beliefs, and we won't make any strong statements against even our most extreme factions.”

Sem scoffs. “So Samra as a nation condones the kind of people who think the Dowager gave birth to a demon?” he demands.

Iska considers the secretary’s accusation, and then nods stiffly. “It is of the utmost importance for us to respect our countryman’s beliefs, even if they are more extreme than ours.”

The Dowager laughs again. “Do your countrymen know Kan is a terrible demon?”

“Mother,” Kalna protests. “If I must be a demon, can’t I be good at it?”

“Darling, you wouldn't even cheat on your schoolboy exams,” the Dowager reminds him. “The Samran gods all probably think you’re a bit pathetic.”

Kalna has to laugh at the horrified expression on Noki’s face, and the pained consternation on Iska’s.

hi yes, here is the update,  complete with a crisis of naming, and maybe a slice of plot that’s not just ~drama~? (actually, don’t get your hopes up :p) 

@gingerly-writing @severe-fangirl-syndrome @rrrawrf-writes  

[clairen45]

Digging into Rey and Kylo’s Spotify Playlists- part 1: episode 7 songs

The Shut Up and Dance with Me post really pushed me to go through the songs from the Spotify playlists and give you the lowdown, as I see it. That these lists even exist is beyond me! And, just to be clear, these lists have been released in 2015 pre-TFA. With no modification, even pre or post TLJ. No added material. If anything, they actually removed some songs from the lists: 2 for Kylo and 3 for Rey. I don’t think the changes necessarily meant that the songs were too revealing or, on the contrary, didn’t fit the characters anymore. It might just be copyright or legal issue or some artistic differences or god knows what. But again, the point of these lists were to get to know the characters a little better. Some characters we already knew of course, the big three ( Luke, Leia, Han Solo), but also Obi-Wan and Yoda, a list for Anakin and a list for Vader, Padmé, Mace Windu, Bobba Fett, Chewbacca... Lists for new characters: Finn, BB8... surprisingly no Poe Dameron. By the way, I think the Dark Side’ list is super interesting! And of course Rey and Kylo. Rey’s list is full of pop, girl empowerment anthem kind of songs, with a few romantic ballads, which already meant something. Kylo’s is of course full of angsty rock. I don’t want to comment on the genre. My mission was less on the musical genres than on the lyrics and how they can shed some light on the characters and their fates. Because, sure, a team chose these songs to let us know about the characters but, honestly, guys, I think somebody let them in on the rough draft of the whole ST. Because post TLJ it is obvious that a lot of songs apply to what happened as far as Rey and Kylo are concerned in this movie. And since we have our bunch of ep 7 songs, and a bunch of ep 8 songs, well, it appears a bunch of songs don’t fit either and could very well give us key information about ep 9. Before I get accused again of “reaching” (LOL), let us be honest: I think they put a lot of care into those playlists. So no, I don’t think coincidences are accidental. And yes, I think it’s fair to speculate about episode 9 looking at the songs. So let’s take the journey and crack these songs together.

There are 53 songs for Kylo (I am excluding the original soundtrack every time) and 54 for Rey. Rey’s playlist also has tunes in common with Padmé, Leia, and Luke. 4 songs in common with Padmé, quite a lot: Smoke and Fire, Rich Girl, Fighter, and Bulletproof. With Leia: Smoke and Fire, and the fact that they both have Love is a Battlefield, except that Leia is Pat Benatar’s song, and Rey’s is Jordin Spark’s song. Same title, different songs. This marks Rey as the “heiress” to these two heroines, which is not surprising. I think it is quite remarkable that she shares so many songs with Padmé, as regards the Anidala inversion we always talk about. Rich Girl, in particular, because Padmé was a Queen, so yes, the rich girl, whereas in Rey’s case the song is ironic. Rey also shares 2 song with Luke: Wild by Troye Sivan (I honestly don’t get what this song does on Luke’s playlist, so that must mean something potentially), and Adventure of a Lifetime. With Luke as a mentor to Rey in ep 8, that would kind of make sense that they would share something. I honestly merely skimmed through all the playlists, but Rey and Kylo seem to be the only one who share  songs with other characters (if I am wrong, please correct me). Kylo shares 3 songs, 1 with Anakin (and NOT Vader), Bored to Death, 1 with BB8, Destroy the Map, and one with Mace Windu on You want a Battle (Here’s War). Interesting also. I won’t necessarily comment on that today, because there is a lot to go through, but these are thoughts to save and process later maybe.

Some songs can also fit two, maybe the three, episodes. And also, I have noticed something very interesting in Rey’s playlist: a lot of songs that feature in her playlist seem to be more from Kylo’s POV (like Shut up and Dance). They should normally feature on his list but because they would break away from the others in terms of genre, it is probably how they ended on Rey’s list. I found on Kylo’s playlist 1 song that, to me, should rather feature on Rey’s list, but again, would seem odd in terms of genre.

1.KYLO’S LIST/ EPISODE 7

Kylo’s list also seems way more descriptive about his character, angst, inner conflict, feelings of pain and revenge, than Rey’s list. There is a lot of songs talking about past abuse and family conflict. Sweet Dreams by Marilyn Manson is a good example: “ Some of them want to use you/ Some of them want to get used by you/ Some of them want to abuse you/ Some of them want to be abused”. References to dreams and nightmares in Kylo’s playlist are also quite noteworthy because they tie in with Rey’s visions as described in TFA: she hears voices in her dreams, and when she first sees Kylo, she knows that she has seen him before “in a dream, in a nightmare”. We can also find some parallels with the plot in episode 7: the Jakku massacre, meeting Rey, killing Han... Recurring themes are, without surprise, fire, death, suffering, dreams and nightmares...

This Means War (Avenged Sevendold). That song is packed with so much about his feelings and his introduction in the ST. It goes on and on really. I could quote the whole thing. But here are the highlights :

Hide my face again, harbor in the shadows (duh!) Feel this weight of sin hammering away Die, with the guilt of a thousand AWOL soldiers (The pull to the light) Die, watch the scythe usher me astray (Lor San Tekka’s execution)

The ugly side of me is strong

Carry me to nowhere  (Jakku is nowhere!) Lie!Mask the pain Of a child who's forsaken Lie! To myself Praise the new regime (honestly, did they write the song for Kylo?)

I left me long ago Reasons you'll never know No one to miss me when I'm gone With no more words to say No argument to stay. Another post I don't belong (Lor San Tekka: The First Order rose from the dark side. You did not)

No home to call my own No finding someone new No one to break the fall No one to see me through No name to carry on No promise for today No one to hear the call (Oh hon, hang on, the girl is coming!) Buy into the fear (Rey: You are afraid!) My serpent blood can strike so cold (Murderous snake! again) Another thought I can't control (Force bond much?)

Elements of TFA Plot:

Legion of Evil (OFF): “Break down houses”, “ Mystery crews on a murderous spree” (the opening on Jakku, with his mysterious identity) but also “Retaliation against horrible gods/Treasonous snakes with gentlemen's lies/ Waving a false flag to sell the deception” which of course are reminiscent of his line to Rey about the Resistance: “ You mean the murderers traitors and thieves you call your friends ? “. But can also ironically evoke Snoke’s influence on him: he is the treasonous snake with gentlemen’s lies. Or even to him as seen from Rey’s POV in 7 and at the beginning of TLJ: “a treasonous snake”/ “murderous snake”/ “liar”...

The Red (Chevelle) and Evil Eye (Franz Ferdinand), both emphasize the color red, which is Kylo’s color theme.Thunder and Lightning (Motorhead”, “ Maybe you'll die, maybe you'll fly/ Fire in the sky, thunder and lightning”.  Heart of Fire (Black Veil Brides): “ I feel alive inside I won't be terrorized, I'll take all the blame/This heart of fire is burning proud/ I am every dream you lost and never found/ This heart of fire is stronger now”. Also the attack on Jakku.

The Map plot: R2 where are U (Flying Lotus): it takes both BB8 and R2 to find Luke’s hideout. This song is also on BB8′s list by the way. Destroy the Map  (36 Crazy Fists). Obviously the title is interesting because Kylo gives up on the map and gets Rey instead. The song presents some other interesting points: something that could evoke Starkiller base “ And the clouds don't break when the sun is on empty” , and also something that seems to fit straight into TLJ: “You couldn't hold your mouth to stop the sound/ With all these riches on the tip of your tongue/And I was trying to dampen it all out/You were talking louder than I should here/Producing nothing but all these mirrors”, “ Where the baptized drown/We used to breathe” (Rey in the cave) “This time, our time, we have, we'll last”. So gain some songs can actually fit more than 1 episode.

Failing on Starkiller: beaten up by Rey, never got the intel about Luke... At least I’m known for something (New Found Glory): “ I've figured out my situation/ I am an endless source of useless information/ Give me bad news could be something expecting/ I let my front down/ And I know I will regret it/ /But you don't know that and I'm the one to blame for it/'Cause I'm destined for failure“. More Starkiller: My own Summer (Deftones): “ Hey you, big star/ Tell me when it's over”.

Family and Han:

Refusing his legacy. War on the Palaces (Refused):

I carry history with me I carry hope   (I see you Ben You are My Only Hope Solo!!!!) All the nameless faces before us Let's carry them all

I wanna carry the dead (his attachment for Vader instead of the living members of his family) Wage war on the palaces

Bored to Death (Blink 182): “ And it's a long way back from seventeen/The whispers turn into a scream/And I'm, I'm not coming home/Save your breath, I'm nearly/ Bored to death”. Mene (Brand New): “ My father spoke of prophecy/ To think that I believed is self-centered of me/There was something I was trying to say/ But then I choked on it and now it's getting kind of late” (@madandmisquoted did a meta on how Kylo mumbles “I love you dad”+ “It is too late”). Indestructible (Rancid): “ It's so fake now, everything I see right through/I'm ashamed now to say I ever know you” evoke his scene with Han. I don’t wanna Hear It (Minor Threat): “ I don't want to hear it/ I'm sick and tired of all your lies/ I don't want to hear it/ When are you gonna realize.”. Family and mommy issues: Down With the Sickness (Disturbed): “ It seems what's left of my human side/ Is slowly changing in me”, “ It seems you're having some trouble/ In dealing with these changes/ Living with these changes / The world is a scary place/ Now that you've woken up the demon in me”, “ No mommy, don't do it again/Don't do it again/ I'll be a good boy/I'll be a good boy, I promise No mommy don't hit me/ Why did you have to hit me like that, mommy?”. 

Conflict

Got the Life (Korn): “Hate, something, someway, each day, dealing with no forgiveness/ Why? This shit inside/ Now everyone will follow/ So give me nothing just feel/ And now this shit will follow/ God begs me, the more I see the light, who wants to see?”. Strife (Trivium): “ I reach for calm/ I starve for a balance unknown/ This burden tortures me deep in my soul” ; “ Guilt buries me alive/ In a coffin criticized/ I shouldered the blame and dug this hole for me to lay in”. Duality (Slipknot). The title says it all, but it definitely applies to the scene with Han: “ You cannot kill what you did not create”;  “Pull me back together/ Or separate the skin from the bone/ Leave me all the pieces, and then you can leave me alone” (Can apply to “I’m feeling torn apart”, “I killed your son, he was foolish and weak” ).

The Girl

I know that’s what you’ve been waiting for. There are 2 major songs about Rey in that list and one them has been removed, A Cross and a Girl Named Bless (Evans Blue). That song presents some elements that stretch all the way to 9. I’m including it here, because of the obvious reference to the way they meet on Takodana:

She's holding out for weapons to kill the ghosts inside (She shoots at a ghostlike figure in the forest)

Or at least kill the thoughts she has of killing her mind (Get out of my head!)

She says "I love you" with her hands (TLJ: Smut Hut)

She says "I hate you" with her eyes (You have that look from the forest..)

There's a pretty girl somewhere with a pretty name (What girl?)

But I could never let you know how much this means I swear we'll end this war, because we both know

It wasn't worth fighting for  (Major episode IX spoiler)

She, she said to me I will be driving in the wrong direction Did you ever think that maybe your life

Is heading in the wrong direction, baby? (Throne Room Scene)

There's a cross up on the wall See from the corner of your eye When you're down on you knees...and she's begging please So go and lay back down tonight Because you won't know who you are

Until you're down on your knees...your begging please (End of TLJ, Crait)

The other big song is The Answer (Savages):

Wish me luck This was a hard year And I can't see No brighter future Wish me luck I saw the answer It was a girl (What girl?) Will you go ask her  (Interrogation scene, the girl is all we need) I saw the answer Will you go ask her Love is the answer

Evil (Interpol): “ Heaven restores you in life/ You're coming with me/ Through the aging, the fearing, the strife/ It's the smiling on the package/ It's the faces in the sand” (the abduction, Rey is literally a face in the sand, the smile...), “You're weightless, semi-erotic/ You need someone to take you there/Sandy, why can't we look the other way?/Why can't we just play the other game?” (he carries her in his arms like a feather, You need a teacher!).

There is also a song there that is all about Rey’s POV on Kylo in TFA. Headstrong (Trapt) screams Rey during the interrogation scene. But, again, they couldn’t have put it on her playlist so it features on his instead.

Circling your head contemplating everything you ever said (getting in HIS head) Now I see the truth I got a doubt  (You... are afraid you will never be as trong as Darth Vader!) A different motive in your eyes and now I'm out (escapes the interrogation room) See you later I see your fantasies You wanna make it a reality baby paved in gold See inside, inside of our heads yeah Well now that's over

Back off I'll take you on (Forest duel) Headstrong to take on anyone (Come on, that is SO Rey!) I know that you are wrong Headstrong we're Headstrong Back off I'll take you on Headstrong to take on anyone I know that you are wrong This is not where you belong (Trying to turn him in 8)

I can't give everything away (I won’t give you anything!) I won't give everything away

2.REY’S PLAYLIST/EPISODE 7

JAKKU

There are songs about Rey’s life conditions on Jakku. Poverty in Rich Girl (Gwen Stefani): “ If I was a rich girl/ See, I'd have all the money in the world, if I was a wealthy girl/ No man could test me, impress me, my cash flow would never ever end/ Cause I'd have all the money in the world, if I was a wealthy girl”. Of course the morale of the song is “All the riches in the world don’t mean anything without your love”. To remind us that if Rey has dreams it’s mostly about finding love and belonging. Interesting that she shares this song with Padmé who had the riches + the love and still didn’t get her happy ever after, but more on that later...

New Americana (Halsey) about survival of the fittest, the daily struggle of poverty, social divide. That one is also interesting because of its reference to James Dean: “ Young James Dean, some say/ He looks just like his father”. There is also the big reveal about Kylo being Han’s son.  I  think it’s probably how they first imagined Kylo, as a hypersensitive, rebellious, angsty youth, a character from East of Eden (another reference to Eden). The character played by James Dean, in Elia Kazan’s adaptation of Steinbeck’s famous novel, is Cal, a rebellious son who believes his father does not love him and sees him as evil incarnate. Kylo much?

Daylight (Matt and Kim) can also be about home and Jakku: “I miss yellow lines in my roads/ Some color on monochrone”, ‘Cause the daylight anywhere feels like home”. In TFA she wants to go back to Jakku. Rey is also used to having to fight for her survival: “ Murder lives forever/And so does war/ It's survival of the fittest/ Rich against the poor/ At the end of the day/ It's a human trait/ Hidden deep down inside of our DNA”.

Some songs talk about Rey’s dreams and her feelings of loneliness.Chandelier (Sia): “I'm gonna live like tomorrow doesn't exist/ Like it doesn't exist/ I'm gonna fly like a bird through the night,/ Feel my tears as they dry”. How she lives on a day to day basis and feels lonely all the time. Wake Me Up (Avicii):  

Feeling my way through the darkness Guided by a beating heart I can't tell where the journey will end But I know where to start They tell me I'm too young to understand They say I'm caught up in a dream Well life will pass me by if I don't open up my eyes Well that's fine by me (stuck waiting on Jakku)

So wake me up when it's all over When I'm wiser and I'm older All this time I was finding myself And I didn't know I was lost

I tried carrying the weight of the world (Literally her job as a scavenger) But I only have two hands I hope I get the chance to travel the world And I don't have any plans I wish that I could stay forever this young Not afraid to close my eyes Life's a game made for everyone And love is a prize

THE FIGHTER

Of course songs about Rey, the independent girl, the fighter... Fighter (Christina Aguilera): “ 'Cause it makes me that much stronger/ Makes me work a little bit harder/ It makes me that much wiser/ So thanks for making me a fighter/ Made me learn a little bit faster/ Made my skin a little bit thicker/ Makes me that much smarter/ So thanks for making me a fighter”. Another song shared with Padmé. I know the song is about a guy that cheated on the girl and lied to her, but rather than about Kylo, this song can apply to a lot of people in Rey’s life: her parents, Unkar Plutt, and all the people she’s had to deal with since childhood. There is Run the World (Beyoncé) that could also be foreshadowing for episode ix. Kelly Clarkson’s Miss Independent, with the perfect title for Rey’s episode 7, but the message about love in this song actually fits better episode 8. Roar (Katy Perry): empowerment anthem, plus Rey looks like a lioness at the end of TFA, baring her teeth and snarling at Kylo. Possibly Piece of Me (Britney Spears).

Confident (Demi Lovato) fits well with Roar. That one screams end of TFA with beating Kylo down.

It's time for me to take it I'm the boss right now Not gonna fake it Not when you go down 'Cause this is my game And you better come to play

I used to hold my freak back

Now I'm letting go

I make my own choice (accepting the saber)

Bitch, I run this show So leave the lights on No, you can't make me behave

So you say I'm complicated

That I must be outta my mind But you had me underrated Rated, rated

What's wrong with being, what's wrong with being

What's wrong with being confident?

 There is the teaser song about Rey’s origin. That’s Not my Name (The Ting Things). Well, in TFA everybody is asking about her identity, about “the girl”, wo that would make sense to have this song. Rey might not even be her name after all, though she is old enough when her parents sell her to remember it; Does it mean we will l get a new name in ix? Maybe. Or just Rey Solo. I think the song is really there for the fun about the possible identity of Rey...

THE ESCAPE

Songs about Rey leaving Jakku and becoming a pilot. Obviously: Starships (Nicki Minaj) because “starships are meant to fly”. Boom Boom Pow (The BEP): “ I'm on that supersonic boom/ Y'all hear the spaceship zoom”. Alive Tonight (Grace Potter), for these lines: “In the dark of the desert/  I saw a man with a sign, it said/ People get ready, 'cause it's all over/ It's all gonna end tonight, well” ( On Jakku, Lor San Tekka is the man with the intel about Luke promising that “this will begin to make things right”, and eventually this sign gets to Rey through BB8 at dusk in the desert). I also like these lines: “ You wanna get in on the action, you want/ Everyone to listen to you, oh/ You're just living in a prediction/ And that don't, that don't make it true, no” which fits the fact that things will not be as simple as Rey thinks. Also about the end of Rey’s time on Jakku, The Dog Days are Over (Florence+ the Machines): “The dog days are over/The dog days are done/ The horses are coming so you better run”.  These lines are great: “Leave all your love and your longing behind you/ Can't carry it with you if you want to survive”, about giving up on Jakku and close to Maz’s line about “the belonging you seek is not behind you”.

MEETING KYLO

Now, with songs that reflect on meeting Kylo... There is Gibberish (Max): “ But then I caught you creepin'/ Secrets that you were keepin”, which could fit the interrogation scene. Or the title could just refer to the fact that Rey seems to understand every language she meets (BB8, Chewie...). LOL. Obviously, the beautiful Yes Girl (Bea Miller):

I got you figured out, you need to have control You think that I don't know you, I know you, I know Trying to tell you now, I've been doing what you want But I won't be your yes girl, no, not anymore

And these even better lines: “ And now you're my favorite sin, oh/ Cause I'm either on your side or you're a mile away” (which fits TLJ better). There is Focus (Ariana Grande): “ I can tell you're curious/ It's written on your lips/ Ain't no need to hold it back/ Go ahead and talk your shit/ I know you're hoping that I'll react/ I know you're hoping I'm looking back/ But if my real ain't real enough/ Then I don't know what is” (again, mood for the interrogation scene). Also like that line: “ Let's find a light inside our universe now/ Where ain't nobody keep on holding us down”. 

That one seems really more to me from Kylo’s POV when Rey leaves for the MF at the end of TFA. We Come Running (Youngblood Hawke):

Headed for the open door Tell me what you're waiting for (Rey is coded as the waiting one) Look across the great divide   (the ground falling apart between them) Soon they're gonna hear The sound, the sound, the sound (Boom goes Starkiller) When we come running Never go where we belong (obviously, they parted ways when they should be together) Echoes in the dead of dawn  (Force bond foreshadowing echoes?) Soon they're gonna know The sound, the sound, the sound When we come running

And also that one: Force of Nature (Bea Miller). That one really fits Kylo in TFA as he starts falling for Rey during their duel on Starkiller: I don't know why but my hands are shaking I can see you coming and I stand here waiting (Didn’t put up much of a fight, honestly) Yeah I get tongue tied in the conversation (Lost the interrogation scene fight) It's an F'd up, bad, sick situationI tried to tie my heart down, board up all the windows Oh but it's too late now (Too late is classic Kylo) I let you get too close (like inside my head) I know I should take cover, hide inside these four walls But baby I surrender, it all'Cause you're a force of nature (Marry Me Face) Look at what you've done I can taste the danger but I don't wanna run So pull me to the ground and I won't put up a fight (End of the fight) I'm a caution taker, but baby you're a force of nature Baby you're a force of natureI feel your lips move in and they take me under (The Force? Mesmerized in looking at her) You know just what to do, how to make me want you And I know I'll be broken when it's over Oh but I can't help but pull you closerI'll be here 'till we collide I don't care if I survive So crash into me one more time

Say what you want, but this beautiful ballad is all about Kylo’s feelings for Rey!

BONUS: THE INVERSE ANIDALA SONG?

There’s an intriguing tune in Kylo’s playlist. Incorporeal (Tiger Army).

I’m gone I died long ago but my spirit still roams (Incorporeal) Unwanted in heaven, forgotten in hell as on earth (Incorporeal) I don't want to stay here, it seems that I'll never be free Oh can you hear me? (no) And so It has come to be that I must wander forever (Incorporeal) Many things I have seen, empires that rise and then fall (Incorporeal) A life you live long is simply a moment to me A tiny drop of water in the sea of eternity There's no place for me everywhere that I go Only seems to bring upset and harm There's one thing that I want and one thing only Release into the great beyond Don't want to remember when I was alive When I held my true love in my arms For like you I once was, and like me you shall be When you Feel a chill in the night perhaps it's me saying hello (Incorporeal) You're so much like my love though she lived in a long ago time (Incorporeal) I long to see her, the day when my soul's laid to rest The peace that I can not find in life, I can find in death

Honestly, this song makes me want to scream!!! Heavy reincarnation theme. Especially when you cross that with Rey sharing 4 songs with Padmé. And with the fact that Anakin (not Vader) and Kylo share a song. And the song  I mentioned, Rich Girl. Rey is the inverse Padmé already, right? She’s the younger one in the couple, and she is poor with a low status. Again, Padmé has everything (the riches and the guy) and didn’t end up happy. By sharing songs, it might be another hint that Rey will succeed where Padmé didn’t.

This is it for 7, guys. It is quite a beast. 34 songs left to go through in Rey’s playlist, 25 for Kylo.

[streamingwordsaway]

1 & 1000

True, I may have the ability to change the net of fate that has been weaved, but, alternatively, I may not. The story of Oedipus the King demonstrates this same topic that has been mused alone and disputed in many: was his future directed to prophesy, or was the prophecy a mere coincidence? Similarly, do we humans all have destinies that have been planned for us from the start, or do we make our own legacies? Perhaps we do have successes set from birth, and it is our individual responsibilities to find them during our life.

Maybe life will show its kindness to me before it’s too late.

Time is, in experience, a dull knife, and an enemy of all those with aspirations. My number of regrets from reluctance have only increased since a decade ago, and surely the pattern will remain so. With this in mind, the most I can do for myself is continue from where I am with goals intended for the best.

For me and many others, a goal is ultimately the happiness at the end of some sort of pursuit. The pursuit could be a journey of hard work and perseverance, a highway of heavenly opportunities, but realistically a mixture with excruciation dominating the experience.

After my death, I wish not to be remembered as the person who had the potential to reach the end of that journey but didn’t, whether it be from procrastination or a sudden passing. I’d prefer not to be known as the person who reached a goal that was not my utmost intention, but if it brings me to success, I wouldn’t be able to protest much.

Yet my legacy is not mine to control. People can remember me as whatever they believe I was in my life. Those who knew me well will say one thing, those who did not will say another. If one person thought of me as the master of imagination, another will say I was a man of no action — a sort of Hamlet. Some will know my favourite colours, some will know no more than my first name.

In short, I am one made from thousands.