#others were pertaining to flowers with a fire theme

[quibbs126]

I want a Charcoal Cookie

I mean, you can have activated charcoal in food, like charcoal cheddar, black ice cream, other things I can’t find (without the internet telling me there was some sort of trend about putting it in food, I’m just looking for actual food with it). So I mean, it works if you need the Cookies to be made of something edible

Also, maybe with charcoal being burnt wood, they could have a connection to Millennial Tree Cookie? Like, they were once a part of his forest, or even a branch from his tree, that got burnt into charcoal and then turned into a Cookie? And maybe they hold resentment for it? I dunno, just a neat idea pertaining to it I had

And also I want to make a joke about them eating wood to like, keep their powers active, like they have fire powers and they need to eat wood to keep it burning. But also they just eat sticks. Like yes, they eat other food, but they will just chomp on a twig

Just a random thing

[stellocchia]

Since people often seem to think that Tommy’s and Dream’s dynamic is something that was established in season 2 and sorta came out of nowhere before that, I thought I’d finally take a look at the evolution of it throughout season 1. 

From here on out, of course, I’ll be talking exclusively about the characters. It is also to be kept in mind that season 1 was a LOT less scripted, so there may be streams and moments that I leave out as they don’t seem to be too impactful or they lack canonicity. So sadly the whole stream where they build Church Prime that has Dream comparing himself to God for 2 hours has to go...

 This will undoubtedly be an EXTREMELY long one, so be prepared for it...

Let’s go step by step in chronological order, shall we? 

THE DISCS WAR PREQUEL

By now a lot of people know that the Disc Saga wasn’t actually started by Tommy, but here’s a refresher anyway: Ponk started it off by pranking Sapnap’s base, in retaliation Sapnap burned down Ponk’s lemon tree. With this Ponk allied himself with Alyssa and the two started a war against Sapnap. 

Later Tommy joins the server. Tommy obtains the first netherite cheestplate in the server and it’s promptly stolen by Sapnap. Later again Sapnap uses the netherite chestplate to blackmail Tommy into joining his fight against Ponk and Alyssa. Tommy just refuses ang gets his armour back, but he considers Sapnap’s offer because of: Alyssa setting him on fire and Tubbo (who was mostly neutral but leaning towards Ponk and Alyssa) had made him loose his stuff the day before.

Dream arrived then to stop the fighting, but Sapnap and Tommy decided to kill him instead (non-canonically of course). Sapnap killed him twice and Tommy once. In retaliation Dream stole Cat and Mellohi. Sapnap stole one of the disks back and then they retrived the other one and Tommy hid them near his base.

So what does this tell us? Tommy most definitely wasn’t the one who instigated the conflict, nor the one who escalated it. YET, he was the only one Dream focused on. And remember, while a proper coherent storyline didn’t exist back then we know that the wars were at least somewhat scripted (thanks to cc!Dream telling us so on the Eboys Podcast). They also kept their characters characterization pretty consistent throughtout, which means we had the first hints of their dynamic all the way back here.

ESCALATION OF THE DISC WAR

(From Tommy’s main channel it’s: “Dream is a Psychopath.”)

Everything could have been over then, but Dream was still pissed he lost, so he removed all the floring of Tommy’s base (escavating all the dirt from in front of it) in order to find the disks and take them back. At this point, after once again stealing the disks, Dream asked Tommy for his netherite chestplate (again, only one on the server at the time) in exchange for them. Also, an actual conversation they had: 

Tommy: “Dream! Was this you that destroyed my entire base and re-named the sign to ‘BitchBoy enterprise?!” 

Dream: “I didn’t touch the sign. I didn’t destroy your base either it’s just the f- the dirt” (note: as I said before, all the dirt was removed, but, hey, he didn’t touch the chickens and the carrot farm!)

Also:

Tommy:“Dream, you removed the ENTIRE floor of my base” 

Dream: “It’s YOUR fault. It’s your fault...” 

T: “How is it MY fault?!” 

D: “‘Cause you hid the disks!” 

T: “Yeah, because they’re MY disks!” 

D: “You hid the disks and I’ve taken them back, okay?”

If this doesn’t sound like the beginning of the Obsession Arc, I don’t know what does! 

But, in all seriousness, even back then for c!Dream the key of everything in the server was Tommy, though at the time he was just “the reason for conflict”. Still it’s pretty obvious that the disk conflict could have ended before it started if Dream didn’t decide to escalate things (though, as it’s obvious by the conversation, he blames his own actions on Tommy as we see him do in later seasons).

Anyone wondering about the gravity of Tommy killing Dream once non-canonically before this: In this video Dream kills both Tommy and Tubbo twice in the first 10 minutes. Yeah, he’s not any better. Btw, this is the video with the fight they then mimicked in the finale and they actually loose this one as well. 

Tommy: “What is your obsession with this disks? Why don’t you just give them back?” 

Dream: “No because I can get something in return for them, I don’t care about the disks”

Oh what simpler times when blackmail was just simple old blackmail to obtain material possessions... 

Btw, this one ended with basically a double scam where Dream gave them fake disks and they logged off with both the fake disks and the netherite chestplate.

(Main channel: “mission: kill dream (FINALE)”)

Tubbo: “Please do not tell me you have sentimental attachment to the bullshit disks...”

Early theme of attachment back in season 1. Either way Tommy has been portrayed as an extremely sentimental character that develops attachments scarily fast from all the way back in season 1. C!Dream’s idea of him he expresses in the finale isn’t born from nothing.

Anyway, Tubbo and Tommy use the composter glitch to find Dream’s base to try and get back the disks, but they aren’t there, so they end up going for the original exchange, this time with no scamming included. Tommy get’s his disks back, while Dream gets Tommy’s netherite chestplate. Just to point out: at this point Dream was the one completely at fault. Tommy was dragged into a war he wasn’t involved in and yet was the sole one to be punished for it and Dream couldn’t just accept a defeat so heavily griefed Tommy’s base and stole back HIS posssession. Dream is the main instigator here, yet he blames it ENTIRELY on Tommy from the start. Literally their dynamic started off pretty f*cked. 

Still, since Tommy didn’t want to keep risking loosing stuff to Dream for the disks he decided to make an ender chest for himself. He gets some blaze powder and ender pearls from Punz in exchange from an apple (that was too sweet not to include) and then, when it comes to getting the obsidian is when Dream realizes what he’s been doing. You’d think he’d be fine with it considering they already had a “fair” exchange (aka Dream’s blackmailing had been succesful), but nope. He hunts down both Tommy and Tubbo, but fails in killing them and they manage to put the disks away safely.

L’MANBURG BEGINNING

As we know Wilbur founded L’Manburg and Dream did not like that, so he declared war on them. Here’s the speach: 

“Tommy! (pause) And Wilbur and the rest of L’ManChildburg, we are at war. There is no mercy. We’ve burnt down Tubbo’s house. We’ve planted tnt cannons around your land. We have cobblestone walled the outside and we shot ONE warning shot inside your walls ans an explosion and we have NO MERCY! NO MERCY FOR YOU! Do you understand? We will come! We’ll burn down your houses, we will kill anything inside your walls and we’ll take back the land that is rightfully ours if you do not surrender. I want to see WHITE FLAGS! WHITE FLAGS OUTSIDE YOUR BASE BY TOMORROW, AT DAWN, OR YOU’RE DEAD!”

So, a couple of things to unpack here:

1) Dream first and foremost singles out Tommy who, if you all remember, was NOT the leader of L’Manburg. He was barely Wilbur’s right hand man and had only been confirmed as such recently at that point. He is not the leader and YET, in how the speach is enunciated it’s obvious that it’s directed at him specifically.

2) For anyone wondering if Dream could be considered a villain back in season one: so far the people from L’Manburg had done nothing but frolic in the flowers. They were a group of pacifists that refused to use any armour and Dream’s reaction to them is to kill them all and burn anything they built. And he’s doing all this because he thinks he’s entitled to all of the land in the smp and even something as small as og L’Manburg had no right to exist free of his rule.

(Always from the main channel: “Doomsday.”)

Two important things for their relationship happen here: Dream deciding, out of everyone, to kill Tommy specifically in the final control room and the duel (or more so the result of the duel). 

It is something back then no-one wondered about, but why would Dream, the leader of the Greater Dream SMP, go after the second in command instead of the leader? Possibly for the same reason he singled out Tommy in the declaration of war? Possible foreshadowing of their future dynamic?

Also, may I mention that Dream was the one to add the condition that, on top of not getting independence for L’Manburg, Tommy had to give up one of the disks (mellohi) if he lost? And Dream being the one to mention it is the reason why Tommy knew they were valuable to him in the first place. It’s the reason why Tommy proposed the deal of his disks for L’Manburg independence (which worked, which tells us a whole lot about when Dream’s obsession withe the disks started. Man was willing to take an L to have THAT sort of control over Tommy already in season one)

POGTOPIA

Jump to when Tommy and Wilbur get exiled. A lot happens here, but, for the function of this analysis, I’ll only be talking about what pertains to Dream’s and Tommy’s relationship. 

So, at the beginning of exile Dream offers his support for Pogtopia leaving a chest specifically for Tommy (once again, not Wilbur, the leader, but Tommy. He also gives Tommy a lot more stuff then Techno who was arguably a much more valuable asset). In the chest there was: a full set of netherite armour, 3 stacks of ender pearls, an enchanment table, a netherite sword, Dream’s crossbow (”Definitely not penis”), a stack of golde apples, 1 enchanted golden apple, 1 stack of diamonds, 17 obsidian, 3 potions of strenght, a stack of steak and a book written by Dream called “Tyrant” which, again, is addressed soley to Tommy. (In the book he basically says that he doesn’t like Schlatt and that he’s only going to help from the shadows because he can’t directly involve himself). 

Now, for the standards of the time, that was A LOT of stuff. Dream clearly wasn’t half-assing his support to Tommy there (I’d say to “Pogtopia” but, again, it was all specifically for Tommy). He keeps up his help when he intervenes in favour of Tommy in the Battle of the Lake (from the vods channel: “TommyInnit, Dream & Technoblade TEAM UP (dream smp war)”). Before that however he also helps Tommy to lava cast (or attempt to) the Eiffel Tower (built for Karl’s and Sapnap’s honeymoon). For this battle Dream also gives Mars (Sapnap’s and George’s fish) to Tommy (together with quite a few more ender pearls). Their relationship up until this point seems to have improved quite a bit with Tommy immediately trusting Dream again (he seems to be always inclined to trust Dream much in the same way he’s always inclined to trust Wilbur) and Dream seemingly being supportive (although that was actually because he needed both Manburg and Pogtopia to disappear as we discovered later on). 

Fast forward again we have the moment when their relationship sours again: Dream provides Wilbur with the tnt. With this momement we have the confirmation that Dream truly was only siding with them for his own self-interest (as he always considered L’Manburg as his own propriety, independence or not, and he wasn’t happy with Schlatt wanting to expand and being morw ambitious then Wilbur ever was) and Tommy also looses part of his trust in him, though not completely. 

You see, their relationship is a bit more complex then that. In season 1 even when Tommy and Dream were enemies there was never really much bad blood between them. And when I say this I mean that Dream in particular didn’t let there be much bad blood between them, but I’m getting ahead of myself.

After Quackity joins Pogtopia they try to make a plan to get L’Manburg back that would not include blowing it up. After that fails (from the vods channel: “Dream BETRAYS TommyInnit during the Dream SMP Meeting...”) and Fundy joins Pogtopia as well Dream announces that Schlatt gave him something “more valuable then frienship” and he’s now siding with him and leaves the Pogtopians announcing that there is a traitor among them. 

Wilbur: “Dream just wants to be on the side of the rebellion and now that we are the dominant force technically... isn’t that right Dream? Would you say you just want to be on the other side? You just want to be on the other team?” 

Dream: “No I- I don’t think so...” 

Tommy: “Dream’s the good guy Wilbur” 

D: “I think I’d say that my interest is in myself”

So, despite everything, Up to this point Tommy still trusted Dream. Fully trusted him. But now, soon after this conversation, Dream explicitely tells them that he never considered them “friends” they were “convenient allies” for him (a mindset that he carries on later on and brings to an extreme). 

Now you’d think that was the breaking point right? I mean the whole vod was also titled “Dream betrays Tommy” and Dream just left them telling Tommy specifically that no, they were not friends (though Tommy didn’t agree on that point, much like with Techno later on). But that’s not were Dream leaves it. 

First he allows Tommy back in his old base to get some stuff once they’re alone (despite having just said in front of Wilbur, Quackity and Fundy that he’d stab him if he tried going back)

Tommy: “I just don’t understand, why would you team with Schlatt?”

Dream: “Tommy... I’m a business man, you know what that’s like”

T: “No I don’t”

D: “Well you do, of course you do”

God since exile that damn soft condescending tone he does hits me so different... anyway. As you see as soon as he’s alone with Tommy he starts being more friendly, less formal. He also takes on a more menacing persona (I really don’t know how he manages to do both at the same time... no wait, exile. He acts more like how he did in exile). Anyway the switch is actually pretty interesting to see. 

Tommy: “Why would you not team with us?”

Dream: “Tommy... I’ve never been on your team. I have never been on your team, ever!” 

T: “Well I’ve been in your team...”

D: “Wel I- I’m not saying you have. I’ve never been on your team. I’ve never been on anyone’s team” 

And with this we are done with their important interactions for this stream, but wait! They have a war in a few days, right? Well, Dream makes sure to spend that time with Tommy. Like, a lot of it. 

All of “Dream bullies TommyInnit for having low viewers.” Is Dream following Tommy ominously around while mildly inconveniencing and somewhat helping when they’re supposed to be enemies (it’s literally one of my favourite vods, it’s great! It was also the one vod that sparked the “Dream is obsessed with Tommy” theory in me. Yes I’ve had it from all the way back then, but I also was right, so...). 

Tommy: “Okay, so you know how we’re going to war in 7 days time?”

Dream: “Yes”

T: “like, ME and YOU are going to war...”

D: “Yes”

T: “Yes, yeah so I need to- I- it feels very strange to be- I need to prepare for THAT”

D: “Well, what do you need?”

Dream then proceeds to half-help him half-stop him from getting gold in the nether. The whole vod is like this. It definitely has a very weird atmosphere as it’s clear that both of them are fully aware of their respective roles in their upcoming war, but Tommy doesn’t know what to do and Dream is clearly willingly ignoring it all. It’s pretty jarring to watch tbh (together with being a hilarious vod to watch) and it helps starting to paint the picture of Dream having the level of dependence on Tommy that we know he has now.

Then there is “TommyInnit, Dream & Sapnap's PET WAR FINALE” which is LITERALLY THE DAY BEFORE THE WAR. Here Dream, once again, decides to spend the whole time with Tommy. He helps him against Sapnap (who is Dream’s ally) and even decides to lead Tommy to Sapnap’s and Punz’s secret base where they keep their animals and starts encoraging him to kill them. Tommy, of course, refuses and the whole pet war finishes with Sapnap and Tommy releasing Mars and promising to be friends once the war was over. 

Like, honestly, if anyone in Pogtopia had known about this interactions maybe they could have suspected Tommy of being the traitor for legitimate reasons instead of misinterpreting him entirely as a person and thinking he just wanted to be president... and you’d think that, maybe, THAT was Dream’s goal, but... not really? He always made sure to spend time with Tommy when there was no-one from Pogtopia around. In all 3 of this vods he is drastically different when they’re alone and, I mean, he stopped hidining how he is with Tommy only during Doomsday (when he gave his speach on the obsidian grid to Tommy, not caring that Tubbo and Quackity were both there).

To finish it off, we know that season 1 ends with Dream fighting alongside Technoblade and nothing else of significant happens for their relationship. Still, I hope this was comprehensive enough to show that, most definitely, his obsession with Tommy and the having power over Tommy is not a new concept for Dream. It’s something that got worse with time, but it’s most definitely not something new. The main thing that changed throughout season 1 and 2 was Tommy’s perception of Dream (which went from easy trust and friendship to hatred and fear), not vice versa.

Also may I add that Dream's constantly acting friendly when they most definitely aren't is probably one of the reasons why Tommy was so predisposed to accepting Dream as his friend in exile? Just a thought...

@ladycatland

[patronsaintofbridgeburners]

A horrible theory about Marika and Radagon.

These are only kind of half-formed thoughts at the moment, so forgive me if they’re poorly articulated.

Birth and rebirth play a very important role in Elden Ring (as they do in Bloodborne, but getting into that would open its own horrifying can of space-worms); aside from being a gameplay mechanic with important lore implications, death in the Lands Between has been entirely replaced with rebirth; one where the dead and dying return to the roots of the erdtree to be born anew. Rebirth comes in many forms in Elden Ring; from the rebirthing process using the larval tears of the silver beings found in Nokron to Miquella’s cocoon and the red flowers of Malenia and her weird clones(?) such as Millicent.

The game’s preoccupation with birth is found in multiple questlines and in item lore descriptions. Many of the mending-runes required for the various endings are “gestated” in one way or another, in the case of Fia’s mending rune of death it is explicitly birthed by her. Multiple items pertain to birth; the serpent’s amnion, the godskin swaddling cloth, the omen bairns, the ancestral infant’s head.

Now this is a huge leap, I readily admit, but I think it fits with the themes presented in the game.

Before the two were reunited as one, Radagon was Marika’s first child; the offspring of a demigod and a fire giant. Their relationship is typified by the Laws of Causality and Regression; they are cause and effect. The Law of Regression is described as “the pull of meaning; that all things yearn eternally to converge“, and Radagon, in a very loosely-Rankian fashion, was broken when he was separated from his mother and desired to return to that perfect union. Eventually he did, literally and metaphorically.

 In this way it is possible for them to simultaneously be separate and the same; for Rennala and Radagon’s children to be, as Finger Reader Enia states in-game, direct descendants of Queen Marika, despite Radagon and Marika not yet being a single entity at the time of their birth (as Melina states in Marika’s own words, uttered presumably shortly before the shattering: “O Radagon, leal hound of the Golden Order. Thou'rt yet to become me, thou'rt yet to become a god. Let us both be shattered, mine other half”).

tl;dr Radagon banged his own mom and and Marika is both the mother and grandmother of Melina and Miquella. Gross.

[narniagiftexchange]

                                              exceptions.

                              THE AUTUMN NARNIAN GIFT EXCHANGE.

(G-rated, no NSFW, K-language, one-shot, contains Reepicheep, Prince Caspian, and the Pevensies, and is in Reepicheep’s POV)

                         for   @luxaofhesperides from  @noctusfury.

Note to Recipient: I have to admit that this was a little challenging for me, in a good way. I had never written anything with Reepicheep or wrote it in his POV, so I had to do some homework and learn to write in his voice. I also struggled with what exactly I wanted to go with this fanfic, not knowing what theme or scene or film that I wanted to do this in. However, I managed to find it in this fic and I hope I did Reepicheep justice. Thank you in advance for your gift, and I hope that my own gift for you will give you as much joy and pleasure as yours did me. May you be in the Great Lion’s Paws.

As a young mouseling, Reepicheep had many expectations. He expected to be warm; expected to be safe; expected to be fed; expected to get a pleasant night’s rest; expected his brothers and sisters to quit shoving him; expected to grow up big and strong like his parents yesterday; expected his parents to come at his beck and call.

But the greatest of all his expectations was this: Reepicheep, more than anything else, expected to be told the legends of the Four Kings and Queens of Narnia. Every night, without fail; he couldn’t sleep unless his parents or his nanny told him one of the Narnian legends from their past.

Such were his expectations.

And told them, they did, for this scion that would be the future leader of their Clan of Mice, for nothing was withheld from him (indeed, this vice would end up coming back to bite him when he was older). And Reepicheep was fortunate in having parents every bit as valiant and bold as he was, and also had a deep devotion and love for Narnia and its history. And so, they never tired of telling the tales of yore again and again… and again, and again, and again.

Such were his expectations.

Reepicheep loved hearing the legends concerning the Golden Age, when Aslan defeated the White Witch, their enemies were routed, and the Four Monarchs of Narnia, known as the Pevensies, were crowned and ruled Narnia for a long time.

He heard the tales of Queen Susan the Gentle, of the beauty and grace that flowed from her like a gown (according to legend, she was said to have been the reincarnation of Swanwhite, one of the Ancient Queens of Narnia, before the White Witch took over), and such was her influence that quarrelling tongues and fists of dissention were stilled and silent before her majesty. And such was her beauty, that kings and princes, lords and dukes fought wars (and even instigated some) in order to claim her as a bride — the most infamous of which was Prince Rabadash the Ridiculous of the Calormen Empire. She was also renowned for the balls that she put together in bygone days.

Foremost of the Tales were of her and the Queen Lucy’s involvement concerning Aslan: witnessing His Death and Resurrection, of their accompanying the Great Lion on His back — the greatest of honors, Reepicheep thought — to the then-abandoned Witch’s Castle and freed all Narnians that had been turned to stone and, led by Aslan, raced to Beruna and overturned the tides of war, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. There were other stories concerning the Queen Susan, but they were of such content that was of no interest to Reepicheep (and try as one might, there weren’t many stories concerning the Queen Susan to begin with, due to her remaining in Cair Paravel for most of their reign save for the occasional trip to Anvard in Archenland to meet the Royal Family there).

He heard the tales of Queen Lucy the Valiant, of how she was the first Human and the First of the Monarchs to enter Narnia since the Elder Days, and how she met Mr. Tumnus and later the Beavers. The stories also told of the unique relationship she had with the Great Lion of Narnia, the High King of all High Kings — Aslan — and of how, of all her siblings, was given the name “Lioness”.

He heard the tales of her skills as a healer, with her cordial of the rare Fire Flower, from which one drop was send to cure all ills and injuries — even bring them back from the brink of death (proven in King Edmund’s case), and of her valiance in many a battle as she led the archers, and, yes, even in the thick of the fighting; and of how despite the High King’s misgivings, she was eventually allowed to join her brothers in the hells of war.

But the stories concerning the Queen Lucy that most tugged at Reepicheep’s spirit was of her adventures and journeys traveling the great Eastern Sea, of which was her domain. The song that his Dryad nanny sang to him, pertaining to him, wooed him ever more into these particular tales, and it gave him a deep and insatiable longing to sail to the East, to the end of the known world — to Aslan’s Country. (However, as he grew older, Reepicheep would learn that such dreams would have to wait until a Son of Adam comes to rule Narnia once more and bring her back to its former glory.)

He heard the tales of King Edmund the Just, who had betrayed his siblings to the White Witch, but later repented of his crimes and was pardoned by the Great Lion, later proving himself in the Battle of Beruna; valiant were the tales that detailed the Just King’s achievements, of how he had fought with a lion’s ferocity in the desperate fight at the Rocks of Beruna in the battle, of how he slew three Ogres much bigger than him as he ran to intercept the White Witch and save his brother’s life, of how he destroyed Jadis’s wand with his sword and nearly gave his life to not only rescue his brother and atone for his wrongs, but to also help give his people some sort of advantage.

And let us not forget the stories afterward, of his wisdom and sense of justice that was renowned in all corners of the world; of his power and skill as a diplomat, having a tongue of silver that calmed even the most temperamental politician or ruler and helped wrangle peace or trade with many nations for the benefit of Narnia — a tool that could turn into cold, biting steel to intimidate potential or current enemies; and of the tales of his battles, alone or with his Royal Brother the High King, and of his tactical cunning and ferocity in battle. One of the highlights of his career as a warrior was in the Battle of Anvard against the Calormene forces led by Rabadash, and defeating him in single combat in a quite effortless manner (or so Reepicheep thought). Some of his most favorite stories of King Edmund was, predictably, those of the tournaments and contests of arms that the Kings had participated throughout their reigns.

The stories also spoke of the everlasting love and loyalty between the two brothers. So strong was their bond that they were said to almost be the same person, as one being. Rare was the occasion that one Brother was separate from the other, and the Just King was the High King’s shadow wherever he went. Their bond of kinship was such that the young and irrepressible Reepicheep made the solemn resolve to have such kinship with his own siblings (and I’m afraid he was rather overzealous in that endeavor).

But the Tales of Yore that Reepicheep had great expectations to be told before bedtime were concerning only one Pevensie: High King Peter the Magnificent. It was these tales above all else that most fascinated Reepicheep, had him sit, enthralled, with wide eyes full of awe and admiration, as his parents and even his nanny told him story after story of the High King of Narnia — the first and only High King, save for Aslan Himself.

Many a tale was said of the brilliant radiance shining forth from him, as if the Sun had come from the heavens down to Earth, instilling awe and respect among his subjects and allies, and fear and hatred from his enemies; of how his mere presence would silence every tongue and deed in any room with a confident and commanding aura; and of the many deeds in his reign in building roads, schools, homes, entire towns, and even harbors with fleets of ships.

There were tales, too, of his fell temper — of how quick he was to anger should anyone threaten or bring harm to his Royal Siblings or to his people, and often had to take his younger brother to calm him down to reason. (I’m afraid that this was one of the vices that Reepicheep would inherit from his idol and King, and would eventually have to learn to temper it in later years.)

However, the tales that Reepicheep was most eager to hear — and the stories which would seal his destiny for eternity — were those of his feats in battle and deeds of renown: the famous Battle of Beruna, of his duel with Maugrim and later the White Witch, of the many skirmishes against the Fell-Beasts ever after, of his wars against the Giants of Ettinsmoor and Harfang, and against the menacing Calormen Empire — and let us not forget of the High King’s numerous contests and tournaments with other knights and rulers of valor and chivalry!

Yes, it was these tales that would mold Reepicheep into a valiant Knight of Narnia. While the Kings and Queens that were his inspiration were long gone in the immortal sands of time, Narnia was still here — different, yes, but here all the same. The creatures, too, were still here — in hiding, but alive, and planning their one last gamble to reclaim Narnia for their own. Narnia was in need of saving. Narnia was in need of a Hero — a valiant Knight capable of great and mighty needs, and perform many an act of mercy, honor, and kindness. A Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Lion — like the High King Peter!

This was his expectation, to be like the great High King, his hero and mentor, and fight to free Narnia as in the days of the Winter Revolution. To fight as if he was one of the Knights of the Most Noble Order of the Lion, knighted personally by the High King himself! Who knows? Mayhap what was could come again, and the Kings and Queens of Narnia would return through the cries of Queen Susan’s Horn, as the legends have said.

Reepicheep had many expectations, but even that would be expecting too much of the universe! Wouldn’t it?

But despite this, Reepicheep believed, and hoped, and persevered, as all optimists do, and have done, in every age through time eternal.

This was to be expected.

<><><><><><><>

This wasn’t what he expected — not in a thousand years!

Reepicheep wasn’t sure what he was expecting when he ran to defend Prince Caspian from some unknown assailant (aside from it being Telmarines, for who else would be attacking Narnians in an underhanded, cowardly ambush?), but never in his wildest dreams did he expect to be standing in the presence of High King Peter the Magnificent and his Royal Siblings!

The young Mouse — now a full-fledged Knight of Narnia like his father, and his father’s father, and his father before him, and so forth — just stood there in awe, sword drawn, mouth agape (he was fortunate that none of his comrades noticed his discourteous demeanor in favor of focusing on the Monarchs; completely unbecoming of a Knight!) as his dark eyes drank in the beautiful sight of the Pevensies in all their glory.

Prince Caspian’s comment broke him from his shameful behavior (only to be scandalized by it a moment later): “…I’d thought you’d be older.”

Reepicheep gaped at Prince Caspian, completely flabbergasted. This was not what he had expected from the young King-to-Be. That’s not the sort of thing one says to Royalty. So what if the Kings and Queens of Narnia are a bit on the young side? Prince Caspian was one to talk, not yet eight-and-ten himself!

“If you’d like, we could leave and come back in a few years…” Now, he’s done it! Only five minutes in, and His Royal Highness has insulted the High King of Narnia!

“No-No! It-It’s not that,” Prince Caspian assured him hurriedly. “You’re all just… not what I had expected.” He’s done it again! Has His Highness never learned court etiquette, or did they just neglect to teach him the finer things?

Reepicheep briefly heard the younger, dark-haired King — King Edmund — direct a similar comment towards one of the Minotaurs (which was completely understandable, in Reepicheep’s mind, as he didn’t fully trust the creatures himself), before hurrying off to rescue Prince Caspian from further shaming himself with his deplorable decorum.

“We have anxiously awaited your return, My Liege,” And it was true, they did. And according to knightly behavior and code of conduct, he gracefully bowed from the waist with a paw to his heart as he said, “Our hearts and swords are at your service.”

However, any further conversation was halted when his sensitive ears picked up someone using the Forbidden Word: “…He is so cute.”

Immediately, he brandished his sword and interrogated all and sundry with the point of his blade. “Who said that!?” he demanded.

“Oh… Sorry.” Reepicheep turned to see that it was the youngest Monarch, the Queen Lucy, who had spoken the words with an apologetic (and slightly amused) smile gracing her features as she clasped her hands together on her gown.

Realizing that he had made an outburst and drew his sword in front of the Queens, and wanting to make it clear that he meant no offense towards the Valiant Queen, he said: “Your Majesty, with the greatest respect,” he even made a gallant, courteous bow towards his Queen to show that he, did, in fact, have the greatest respect towards her, “I do believe ‘courageous,’ 'courteous,’ or-or 'chivalrous,’ might more befit a Knight of Narnia.” And with a twirl of the blade, he sheathed it back into its scabbard.

“Well, at least we know some of you can handle a blade.” the High King remarked. His expression was pleased and looked impressed by his skill.

Reepicheep beamed. “Yes, indeed,” was the casual reply, wholly pleased with himself. And wanting to put himself even more in his hero’s favor, Reepicheep continued: “And I have recently put it into good use, securing weapons for your army, Sire.” There! That is how one spoke to Royalty — particularly those who’d disappeared for a thousand years. I hope you’re taking notes, Your Highness.

“Good. Because we’re going to need every sword we can get.”

As the High King then turned to speak to Prince Caspian, Reepicheep took that as his cue to step back into the background and hoped that the young prince at least learned from his mistakes and didn’t insult the High King further than he obviously already had.

Granted, Their Majesties weren’t what he expected — and he certainly didn’t expect to meet them along the way back to Aslan’s Howe. Reepicheep himself didn’t understand why the Pevensies returned to Narnia back to their child selves when they had first been coronated. It seemed rather counterintuitive and also puts Their Royal Majesties in a serious disadvantage. But he assumed that Aslan must have a really good reason, and, naturally, one doesn’t question the goings on instigated by the Great Lion. If He wanted the Four Monarchs of Narnia to return as their old child selves, who was Reepicheep to protest against it? Perhaps it was Aslan’s way of making sure that the Narnians recognized them? It was cyclical, he was sure. He remembered the Old Stories told to him by his parents, and his nurse, and compared the two: the Pevensies came to Narnia to start a Revolution, dethrone a tyrant, free Narnia, and rule as her Kings and Queens; and they returned to Narnia during yet another Revolution to dethrone a tyrant, free Narnia, and instill the Prince Caspian as the new King of Narnia (though Reepicheep hoped that Their Majesties would stay afterwards) — history repeats itself in more ways than we think.

As Reepicheep soaked in the radiant presence of Their Majesties, the High Kings and High Queens of Narnia, he realized that they had superseded his expectations. None of them were what he had expected — they were greater than he could have ever hoped or dreamed. The Monarchs of Old Narnia that were in the Legends irrevocably paled in comparison to their real-life transcendent splendor and majesty! And a bold hope grew in the Mouse Chieftain, then — a hope that Aslan has heard their prayers and answered them by sending them the Saviors of a previous Age, and the Knight of Narnia knew beyond a shadow of a whisker’s doubt that with them on their side, chances of victory had gotten much more favorable.

Yes, they had exceeded his expectations. In every respect.

But that, of course, was to be expected.

[celestial-mangoshakes]

Elarion’s Depiction (An Aaravos Arabic Poem + Book 3 Analysis)

This is a take debunking most common interpretations of Elarion’s poem. Most commonly, the fandom perceives Elarion as a human girl. Which, to be honest, I thought was the case, but was not. So, I will clear it all up.

For those of you who have seen Season 3, you already know. But either way, I wanted to show the relation between what had been expressed in the poem, and how it relates to what we saw in the third season. [Link to the original translated Midnight Star poem]

Right away at the beginning, the setting had already been established from the first stanza throughout. It uses words such as “seeds,” “roots,” and “flower,” among many. This earthly diction signifies that the setting is in earth. The setting is also established through the imagery from the grimlike diction with the words “night,” “deadly,” “death,” and more.

The poem has a main striking feature: its emphasis on Elarion’s struggle. We notice right away that Elarion is referred to as a person with she/her pronouns. Alongside that earthly diction, it would be speculated that “Elarion” could be a human mage, particularly connected with the Arcanum of Earth. The tone written on “Elarion” and her relation to Earth is shown as nurturing and protective, as seen in the first stanza:

Elarion, seeds trembling

Lying on the ground on an icy night.

And in the cold

[She] withdrew her roots

Challenging the sting of the deadly winter.

Also from line 6 of the poem implies this theme of nurturing:

Elarion, and her blooming flower,

I believe that the idea of “nurturing” the Earth would be greatly connected to the Earth Arcanum, since it is a source of Primal Magic, which is why this initially gave me the impression of Elarion having been the first human mage. But there is more.

In addition, the poem declaring Elarion’s connection to Aaravos easily leads to the speculation that “she” could possibly be Aaravos’ former lover. But, that is not the case in line 11:

Elarion, the frightened foundling

Elarion is referred to as a foundling, meaning “an infant that has been abandoned by its parents and is discovered and cared for by others.” And it fits perfectly, as that “carer” would then be Aaravos.

Now, this would imply that Elarion was orphaned. To clarify, this is not to be mixed with the Orphan Queen, since Elarion emerged 2,000 years prior to the events of the series, while the Orphan Queen emerged 300 years before. [x]

So this is where it gets interesting. Going back to the first stanza again, we note the diction pertaining to the cold via the words “icy,” “trembling,” and “winter.” And in the second stanza, the phrase “her blooming flower, afraid of wilting, darkness and death,” heavily implied that the cold caused Elarion’s life to slowly deteriorate.

Starting to sound familiar? If not, think of the reason why Ziard and his followers came to practice dark magic. His home was falling into starvation. What could possibly the reason for it? A dark, grueling, winter. Crops and food sources were barely surviving under the dangerously low temperatures.

To put it simply, Elarion was a city. This means that the author of the poem decided to use personification to refer to Elarion. Think of how throughout history, countries and places have been referred to as a male or a female figure. And Elarion was personified as a “motherland,” hence the use of she/her pronouns as identifiers. Now, I know the term motherland is defined as “one’s native country,” whilst Elarion was not. But you get the idea of the personification aspect.

Returning to the poem, the diction of earth, alongside the indication of suffering under the winter was a metaphor for a famine, synonymous with starvation. The people of Elarion were dying of hunger. Ziard, within any means necessary, searched for a way to save his people. The “spark” on line 9 alludes to his newfound use of dark magic.

The mood on the second stanza exudes a feeling of shock, especially on line 10 that states, “And so the eyes of the hungry dragon flared,” indicating Sol Regem’s anger due to the human use of dark magic.

...But why refer to Elarion as a “foundling?” was the author pitying Elarion due to its weak and fragile state, or that it had been a relatively new city? But then it wouldn’t really have made sense since Elarion rose a thousand years before humans began using dark magic. So we’re not so sure as of now.

Stanzas 3 and 4 are self-explanatory. Elarion sought help from the Startouch Elves, but had ignored their pleas. The reason for that might not only be because of the Elves’ alliance with the dragons, but the fact that Startouch Elves have a “detached, big picture of the world,” meaning they had an objective view of what was happening and cared less of what occurred on Earth. This also possibly meant that the Startouch Elves didn’t save Elarion because the deemed it as insignificant in the eye of history, or “the big picture.” [x]

And as we all know, all but one turned back on Elarion, which was Aaravos, who donned Ziard his staff and the art of dark magic. The concept of dark magic is notably referred to with fire-like imagery with the words “spark,” “fire,” “light,” and “black flame.”

Also on the following two lines, note the words “light” and “night” juxtapose each other. As if saying that Elarion, once a kind and flourishing city, skewed their morals by accepting dark magic.

Elarion, and her blinding light,

Embraced the great black flame of night.

...And what would Elarion’s “blinding light” possibly mean? It is a metaphor for something for sure, but what it means isn’t clear (I’d appreciate comments if you have theories on this one!).

Recall the pattern with the use of diction pertaining to darkness. Some irony can be noted especially on where Elarion was written to wither and suffer “in the dark” (Stanza 5, line 23), but then was written that the city “embraced the great black flame of night” (Stanza 6, line 28). As if saying Elarion suffered “in the dark” against its will, but now embraces dark magic by accepting Aaravos’ gift.

Right after Elarion pledges loyalty to Aaravos in the last stanza, notice lines 32 and 33:

Elarion, black-eyed child,

her twisted roots spread deep and far,

See “black-eyed child” on line 32. Again, the author of the poem vividly personifies Elarion, giving “her” physical attributes. But since Elarion was a city, that couldn’t be literally possible at all. Or is it? ...Well, the phrase is most likely a strong metaphor for when one uses dark magic. A prime example:

Of course, this “black-eyed child” isn’t only referring to Ziard, who, is presumably from Elarion himself. Sol Regem did briefly mention that Ziard had followers (see Book 3, Episode 1). So instead, Elarion being referred to as a “black-eyed child” could collectively refer to all those who practiced dark magic— presumably all of which came from the city, which was the birthplace of dark magic.

Moving on to line 33, we see the earthlike diction appearing again through the phrase “twisted roots.” Toward the end of the poem, those roots have been twisted. The word twisted is a connotation not just referring to “twisted roots” in a literal sense, but really refer to Elarion corrupting its own values for dark magic, hence the term.

A quick note: remember how I mentioned in the beginning of the post about Elarion and the theme of nurturing, and how the text implied that “she” was the “first human mage?” Because it is true. Elarion was the birthplace of where humans were able to use [dark] magic.

In addition, Elarion’s “roots” were first introduced in the beginning stanza. The roots may be a metaphor for Elarion’s capability to live and withhold itself. As though saying, “the city was once weak; but with its roots ‘spreading deep and far’ through dark magic, Elarion’s strength had increased tenfold.” As such expressed in the last three lines of the poem:

The humans’ might

sparked by the light

of Aaravos, her midnight star.

[sage-nebula]

As I mentioned earlier, I finished my Golden Deer playthrough of Fire Emblem: Three Houses today, and I have some complaints. Since the complaints are spoiler-heavy, I’m going to go ahead and put them under a cut.

My biggest complaint is something I’ve seen a lot of people talking about, but that I had hoped was an exaggeration, and that it’s that the Golden Deer route (and presumably the Blue Lions route) is so much longer than the Black Eagles route. (For those who don’t follow me, the Black Eagles Strike Force (a.k.a. Crimson Flower) route was my first playthrough.) This on its own wouldn’t be a problem, except the length feels somewhat artificial. Rather than needing more chapters to defeat the Empire and close what the story that Claude and Byleth had started from the beginning, the additional chapters are tacked on by way of a letter from Hubert telling Claude about Those Who Slither in the Dark, and then Zombie Nemesis rising from his grave and needing to be fought. And setting aside the utter ridiculousness of Zombie Nemesis and his Zombie Ten Heroes (as well as that Tron-looking city Those Who Slither in the Dark supposedly built with what I can only assume is the same technology that gave them actual missiles, none of fits with the otherwise medieval setting and is pretty ???), all I can say is . . . excuse me?

That should have been part of Edelgard’s story.

Like you have no idea how indignant I am about this. It’s not that I’m upset that Edelgard’s story was shorter (though yes, it would have been nice to have the same amount of chapters for her story as well). It’s that I’m upset that Those Who Slither in the Dark were directly combated in Claude’s story, when Claude had fuck all to do with them. The only tie he has to them is through Lysithea, who waited 5+ years to tell him or Byleth about what was done to her, and even then, Claude understandably treats it as a tidbit of interesting information, without a whole lot to go on from there. Claude doesn’t have any personal ties to Those Who Slither, he has no reason to care about them outside of, “oh, they might try to kill people maybe.” And even then, that only really pertains to Fodlan itself; Claude’s story was all about opening borders and letting other nations in, and almost doing away with the concept of individual countries altogether. Claude’s goals aren’t directly in line with Those Who Slither; he has no reason to know of them at all. The fact that he only found out about them because of an extremely tacked on post-mortem note from Hubert highlights that all the more.

But Edelgard does. These are the people who experimented on her as a child. These are the people who tortured her ten siblings to death right in front of her. These are the people her uncle is aligned with, the people who used her father, the people who she feels she has no choice but to work with, the people who murdered her love interest’s father, and so on and so forth. Those Who Slither are a prominent and present force in Edelgard’s route from the jump. And she makes it clear, time and again, that working with them makes her trauma rush to the forefront every time she has to see one of them and that she plans to take them all out once Fodlan is taken care of, which means that it would make the most sense for the army to move on to Shambhalla as soon as Rhea is taken care of on the Black Eagles route, rather than having that reduced to an epilogue.

But that doesn’t happen. Instead, we get a footnote saying that they took care of Those Who Slither in the epilogue, while it’s the Golden Deer who get to actually do the deed. This, despite the fact that the narrative had to twist itself into a pretzel and do something completely implausible to get that knowledge into Claude’s hands (because that note was out of character for Hubert for multiple reasons I won’t bother to get into now). Why this is the case, I don’t know. Part of me wonders if it was a time constraint, but this game had already been delayed once before, and in any case, that doesn’t explain why they didn’t put time into including Those Who Slither into the Black Eagles route to begin with, rather than putting them into Golden Deer first and then tacking on an epilogue note in the Golden Deer route. I’m hoping that perhaps the DLC chapters that have been promised will include a continuation of the Black Eagles route that lets you deal with Those Who Slither on that route, but at the same time it’ll be pretty terrible if we have to pay to get the resolution to that route that should have been included from the get-go.

All of that said, the lack of sense of not dealing with Those Who Slither on Edelgard’s route despite the fact that she was the one with the most reason to go after them isn’t even my only reason for being mad about it. I’m also mad about it because it would have been good for Edelgard to learn that while she was not wrong about Rhea needing to be taken down, she was wrong about what kind of person Nemesis was. I’m not taking everything Rhea said about Nemesis and the creation of the Heroes’ Relics in the Golden Deer route at face value, because Rhea lies a lot and can’t really be trusted. But it’s clear that Zombie Nemesis was not at all a good dude. At the end of the Black Eagles route, Edelgard still believes that Nemesis had his story warped by the Church of Seiros entirely and truly was a King of Liberation. If she was confronted with Zombie Nemesis, who only wanted to destroy and murder with impunity, she would have realized that no one on either side was completely trustworthy, that there were wrongs on both sides, that Nemesis wasn’t actually a hero and neither were the other Heroes that the Church and nobility pretended were great all along (the latter of which she would have no problem with since she wanted to dismantle the nobility anyway). It would have been additional great development for her, but she never got it because the story was cut short. (And before anyone argues, “But Byleth couldn’t take on Nemesis without the Sword of the Creator, which she can’t use anymore after killing Rhea because the Crest Stone vanished from her heart,” remember that the entire point of taking down Rhea was that humanity could stand on their own and did not need deities---or the power of deities---leading them around like puppets or tools to be used. Byleth taking on Nemesis without the goddess’ power and winning anyway because she has Edelgard’s support would have fit with the theme of the entire route and would have been a far more fitting end, not the least of which because it would have shown Nemesis that his murder of Sothis and her children to gain more power was completely pointless.)

So anyway, as you can tell, I really hate how Those Who Slither were taken out “in person,” so to speak, on the Golden Deer route rather than the Black Eagles route. It made absolutely no sense and leaves a really bad taste in my mouth. That aside, I really hate how pro-Church and pro-Rhea Byleth was forced to be in this route (as discussed here), and I also really hated how Edelgard’s death scene was handled in this route, too.

Setting aside the fact that it feels kind of forced that the three House Leaders can’t come to work together post-timeskip (at least in the case of Edelgard and Claude; Claude refuses to join the Black Eagle Strike Force if spared for vaguely defined reasons, and while I get that Edelgard is stubborn, she herself says that she knows that her goals are very similar to Claude’s, so like ??? her refusal to team up was very forced), I really, really dislike how angry they made Byleth look during the animated cutscene where Edelgard dies. Don’t get me wrong, Edelgard’s speech was completely heartbreaking, and it’s clear to me that she has feelings for Byleth on that route as well. The fact that she’s pushing Byleth to kill her, not in an angry way, but in a “do this, it’s what’s best for you” kind of way just absolutely ruins me. But Byleth is glaring at her through it all, especially at the end, and to kill her before she’s even finished speaking? What the fuck, honestly. I know I’m biased as an Edeleth shipper, but my feelings do come through as I’m playing a silent protagonist, but they didn’t in this case. I didn’t agree with Byleth’s expression or emotion there one bit, just as I didn’t agree with all the “OMG MUST SAVE RHEA” that I was forced to pretend I wanted to say leading up to that. I think the writing there was sloppily handled, and that the player’s actual feelings toward the characters wasn’t well accounted for at all. (This isn’t even mentioning the fact that I refused to attack Edelgard with Byleth in the first place, and instead attacked her with Claude, so to see Byleth deliver the killing blow anyway . . . god, I really hated it.) 

All in all, considering all of the above and the fact that there are only three students (Claude, Hilda, and Lysithea) in the Golden Deer House that I actually like, and one (Marianne) that I think is okay, while the rest can just go chill in the trash bin for all I care, it’s safe to say I won’t be touching this route again. I’ll dearly miss Claude and Hilda (gonna recruit Lysithea first thing so I won’t have to miss her), but it’ll be worth it not to have to sit through that nonsense again, for real. 

At least the Crimson Flower (Black Eagle Strike Force) route is still almost perfect.

[hillbillyoracle]

Divination with DnD Dice

There seemed to be enough interest in the DnD Dice Divination system that I decided to go ahead and write it up. I couldn’t fit it all on here though so I might be making more posts in the future about it. I’ve included the most important stuff here to get started. 

I’ve included a zine to download and print off if you want to take it with you. I actually recommend the zine, it’s a better format than what tumblr would let me put together. 

Please consider tipping me and definitely credit me where you can. 

I know there are other systems out there and I don’t have a monopoly on dice divination but this guide did take a lot of time to put together and is built on my own collection of frameworks, meanings. 

Dice sets can be picked up for cheaper than most basic tarot decks making the barrier to entry lower. My goal was to create a system that could get a similar level of complexity of information to tarot and oracle cards. I found in test readings, I could get roughly the same as I would get from a four card reading. So it’s a good start! 

It’s my mission to make divination more accessible, tipping me helps me devote more time to this.

Zine: https://www.scribd.com/document/380692727/Divination-With-DnD-Dice

If Scribd gives you trouble try here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/21613135

Read description for printing directions or it might not come out right. 

If you can’t print it off, the same information is included below the cut.  

Hope someone finds this useful! 

D4 - Element

1 - Air - Mental, Academic, Communication, Anxiety

2 - Fire - Spirituality, Passion, Ideals, Anger

3 - Water - Emotional, Romantic, Connection, Depression/Sadness

4 - Earth - Physical, Material, Home, Emotional Block

I use the Element dice to give an indication for the area of life the reading pertains the most too. I look for indications with other dice as to what the element dice might be speaking to more specifically, but it gives me a place to start.

 D6 - Problem

1 - Plot - drama, conflict, things outside of your control, change

2 - Character - another person is blocking/causing problems, fixation on a person, possibly even loss of a person

3 - Thought - paradigms getting in the way, not in touch with reality, judgmental, fear/anxiety, getting stuck in your head

4 - Diction - how a person talks is causing problems, speaking too much/too little, passive aggression, divisive or hateful language

5 - Song - Harmony with another, being out of sync with oneself or another, learning to join the choir/group, teamwork

6 - Spectacle - Things seem worse than they actually are, petty fights, aesthetic/surface level changes, playing with how things are perceived to achieve an outcome

The Problem dice is based on Aristotle's Six Elements of Tragedy, a dramatic and literary analytical framework. I use this to see what might be the at the crux of the problem in the area the Element dice indicated. The Action Needed dice can also refine the Problem.

 D8 - Action Needed

1 - Right View - seeing the situation for what it truly is, actions have consequences, material reality, paradigm shift

2 - Right Resolve - being intentional, recommitting, choosing what is right, dedication and ambition

3 - Right Speech - be honest/don't lie, don't be passive aggressive/be forthright, speak compassionately and for the benefit of others.

4 - Right Action -  don't harm others, act compassionately and for the benefit of others, take positive action

5 - Right Livelihood - don't profit from harming others, long term commitment to benefiting others, take only what you need and give what you do not, ethical employment

6 - Right Effort - Exert influence on your environment to cultivate a better internal world, set strong boundaries, avoid negative influences and seek out positive ones, "just do the thing"

7 - Right Mindfulness - Don't make things out to be more than they are, see them for what they are, know life is in transition, don't define the self by these external transitory states

8 - Right Concentration - unification of the mind/body, unlocking higher levels of thinking and feeling and operating, don't let desire for what might be get in the way of what is, healthy detachment

The Action Needed dice is based on the Eightfold Path of Buddhism. While the particulars of the path vary by the different schools/traditions, these seem to be the most common English translations. This dice is usually pretty straight forward, especially when taken in consideration with the rest of the dice.

 2D10 - Difficulty

Pretty self-explanatory. The higher the difficulty, the longer the process will take. Gives an indication about how important or long term the reading will be.

 D12 - Time

The number can refer to a month of the year which you may have your own associations you can pull from or classify into a season and pull meanings from that. I use the seasonal method most often.

Winter - focus on the self, rest, restore yourself, weather the storm, be the light the world isn't giving you, inner strength

Spring - new beginnings, plant seeds, the rain and the storms lead to new growth

Summer -  wait to harvest, find shade, relax

Fall - harvest, make preparations for winter, celebrate accomplishments.

You can also think of what sabbat is in that month and the lessons inherent in that holiday. It can also be time of day.

9-5 - Work related, stress, out of your control

5-12 -  Free time, friends and family, hobbies

12-9 - rest, dream, restore yourself

AM if there are more even than odd numbers and PM if there more odd than even. You can also take the month and the time to be literal if the reading calls for it.

 D20 - Lesson

1 - The Magician - jack of all trades, master of none, experiment, unfocused, learning, skilled but unrefined, beginning

2 - The High Priestess - balance, intuition, insight, between worlds, lessons learned while solitary

3 - The Empress - growing, flowering, creativity, taking what you have and making it thrive, thriving where you're planted

4 - The Emperor - expand, leader, confidence, step up and create the life you want/need, protect what/who you have

5 - The Hierophant - balance between material and spiritual, lessons learned from teachers, benevolence, structure

6 - The Lovers - connection, union, positive outlook, nostalgia, romanticism, love given freely

7 - The Chariot - power, confidence, leadership through passion/emotional intelligence, decisive action

8 - Strength - rely on internal direction/sense of self, internal strength and peace, resilience

9 - The Hermit - internal knowledge and discovery, minimalism, truth is inside you, you are capable on your own

10 - The Wheel of Fortune - things are outside of your control, this too shall pass, ebb and flow of fortune, reversal of luck

11 - Justice - objective truth, standing by/doing what is right, lawful good, cutting ties with deceivers, protect the community

12 - The Hanged Man - Insight, understanding impermanence, sudden realization, enlightenment, major paradigm shift

13 - Death - the old makes way for the new, the cycle of life, we all die in the end, reinvention

14 - Temperance - spiritual balance, abstaining from negative influences, taking responsibility for one's internal well being

15 - The Devil - materialism as bondage, enjoy pleasure without becoming victim to it, pleasure seeking as escapism

16 - The Tower - being shaken to the core, foundations pulled up, self of self overturned, ego shaken

17 - The Star - uneasy hope, possibilities, leaving and traveling, opportunities somewhere else, dare to dream

18 - The Moon - deception, things aren't always what they appear, intentions and actions do not line up, reflect, see the true nature of things

19 - The Sun - relax and enjoy your accomplishments, celebrate with friends and family, share your abundance, revel in joy

20 - Judgment - shine a light on everything, be honest, be critical and fair, lay firm boundaries, take up the old and make it new

The lesson dice is there to indicate what can be learned from the situation. Every situation is an opportunity to grow and evolve. It's based on the framework of the Major Arcana as teachers and posits that every situation can likewise be a teacher to us all. This dice can help refine the problem dice as well. It can be hard to keep this dice from getting preachy so make sure to be honest about what this dice is saying but temper it so as not to be patronizing.

 Putting the Reading Together

Like all divination, the goal is to look for patterns and craft those patterns into coherent themes. Like reading a novel, you’re reading between the lines to make the reading more useable than the raw info the dice turn up. An example of my notes for a reading are:

D4 - Element: 2 - Fire

D6 - Problem: 3 - Thought

D8 - Action Needed: 3 - Right Speech

D10 - Importance: 51 - Middle

D12 - Time: Evening/Summer

D20 - Lesson: 8 – Strength

This is the reading I gave:

“The reading suggests there’s some conflict stemming from letting passion overtake reason in your interactions with others. You believe very passionately in your ideals, but how you talk about them to others looks like it’s causing tension. This seems like it will be of moderate difficulty to grapple with, not easy but by far not the hardest thing you’ve dealt with. The reading suggests being mindful of your words and advises to concentrate on your inner power rather than seeking validation for your ideas from others. “

When pulling together a reading you want to look for conflict, strengths, and resolution.

There was a lot of fire (passion) and air (communication) in this reading, while they work great in harmony, they can really hurt the user when out of balance so that was the conflict. Passion is a beautiful thing even when it’s not in alignment and I didn’t want the reader to think their ideals were the problem since the rest of the reading pointed out their words so their passion was their strength. The resolution lay in relying on their own internal strength for validation rather than others, that that would lead to better communication and less conflict overall.

I’m still learning myself. It takes practice so don’t give up!

--

I hope this was helpful! Please let me know how this works for you. I’m totally open to people changing it to fit them better but I wanted to provide a model for how this could be done. I also got some really solid readings out of it. So it definitely has potential. 

[tatticstudio55]

"A Song of Ice and Fire” a Game of Thrones Reading of Bob Dylan’s “The Changing of the Guards”

 Written and submitted by @myasksaccount

“The Changing of the Guards” (link here: https://vimeo.com/267876466 ) is, in my opinion, one of Bob Dylan’s masterpieces. I first listened to this song while I was becoming a fan of Game of Thrones and these two pieces of art will be forever intertwined in my imagination. 

Before I analyze the song as it pertains to Game of Thrones, let me provide the full lyrics:

Sixteen years

Sixteen banners united over the field

Where the good shepherd grieves

Desperate men, desperate women divided

Spreading their wings ‘neath the falling leaves

Fortune calls

I stepped forth from the shadows to the marketplace

Merchants and thieves, hungry for power, my last deal gone down

She’s smelling sweet like the meadows where she was born

On midsummer’s eve, near the tower

The cold-blooded moon

The captain waits above the celebration

Sending his thoughts to a beloved maid

Whose ebony face is beyond communication

The captain is down but still believing that his love will be repaid

They shaved her head

She was torn between Jupiter and Apollo

A messenger arrived with a black nightingale

I seen her on the stairs and I couldn’t help but follow

Follow her down past the fountain where they lifted her veil

I stumbled to my feet

I rode past destruction in the ditches

With the stitches still mending 'neath a heart-shaped tattoo

Renegade priests and treacherous young witches

Were handing out the flowers that I’d given to you

The palace of mirrors

Where dog soldiers are reflected

The endless road and the wailing of chimes

The empty rooms where her memory is protected

Where the angels’ voices whisper to the souls of previous times

She wakes him up

Forty-eight hours later, the sun is breaking

Near broken chains, mountain laurel and rolling rocks

She’s begging to know what measures he now will be taking

He’s pulling her down and she’s clutching on to his long golden locks

Gentlemen, he said

I don’t need your organization, I’ve shined your shoes

I’ve moved your mountains and marked your cards

But Eden is burning, either getting ready for elimination

Or else your hearts must have the courage for the changing of the guards

Peace will come

With tranquility and splendor on the wheels of fire

But will bring us no reward when her false idols fall

And cruel death surrenders with its pale ghost retreating

Between the King and the Queen of Swords

In this song, Bob Dylan uses some of the same techniques that George Martin uses in the development of his fantasy series. Dylan sets his narrative in a fragmented medieval setting, writes from multiple points of view, draws from elements of medieval romance poetry and refers to archetypical figures out of myth and folklore. 

Use of multiple narrators helps to create a paradoxical impression of interconnection in a song about a divided world. “The Changing of the Guard” jumps between “he,” “she,” and “I” pronouns, making it unclear exactly who is the main figure of the song. In different stanzas, the song is written from first-person, tight third-person and omniscient third-person point of view.

Similarly, the Game of Thrones series switches between protagonists of different genders, social positions and national backgrounds. In this way, the series breaks the convention of fantasy storytelling focusing primarily on the journey of a single hero or heroine. As others have noted, this use of multiple POV characters suggests the plot is not simply focused on one character achieving power and personal growth but on the convergence of multiple storylines and on whether humanity can achieve sufficient cooperation to meet the threat of the White Walkers.

Like other songwriters of the 1960s and 1970s folk movement, Dylan drew inspiration from the love songs of the middle ages, songs that subverted tradition by portraying sexuality outside of arranged marriages and by expressing forms of spiritual power and nobility separate from those dictated by the church and the feudal system. In Into the Mystic: The Visionary Roots of Rock and Roll, Chistopher Hill describes a group of medieval poets called the Fedeli d’Amore (the faithful of love) who were heavily influential on Western music. The Fedeli d’Amor believed “it was the cor gentile [gentle heart] that made a gentleman, not aristocratic power, or wealth, and that the gentle heart could be attained by anyone willing to give his whole heart to his lady and his loyalty to the god Amor” (Hill 111-112). “The Changing of the Guard” invokes this poetic tradition by describing longed-for but absent people and places as agents of spiritual transformation. 

Tropes from medieval romance poetry also abound in Martin’s series. Characters constantly express nostalgia for past eras and idealization of other characters who have died or are otherwise absent. In the essay “The Palace of Love, the Palace of Sorrow” from Beyond the Wall: Exploring George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, Linda Antonsson and Elio M. García, Jr., discuss how romanticism is both subverted and appealed to by Martin’s writing. Throughout A Song of Ice and Fire, Martin uses grittiness and realism to subvert tropes of medieval love poetry and of fantasy works derivative of them. At the same time, Martin’s characters often reminiscence nostalgically about fallen kingdoms, long lost loves and the glory of previous times.

A primary example the way in which Robert remembers Lyanna Stark. “The King Robert looks on the effigy of Lyanna Stark at her tomb after a moment of solemn silence, and his first words are ‘She was more beautiful than that.’ Immediately, Robert’s vision of Lyanna is bound up with the past, with his recollection of her beauty as he remembers it now” (García 4). Antonsson and García note that this romantic view of Lynna is particularly striking because Robert would have had very few occasions to actually see or speak with Lynna while she was alive. “His great passion for her seems to be in direct proportion to his feeling that she was taken from him, allowing him an avenue to imagine a Lyanna that may have had little to do with the actual woman” (5). This is similar to the passion that Fedeli d’Amore poets expressed towards love objects were often only tangentially connected real women. 

Another way Dylan connects to poetic and mystical traditions is by using archetypical imagery throughout the song. Most notably, he borrows images from the Major Arcana of the deck of Tarot cards, sometimes referring to cards by name. Some tarot cards invoked in “The Changing of the Guard” are The Tower, The Wheel of Fortune, Strength, Death and the King and Queen of Swords. Dylan also refers to the Roman gods Jupiter and Apollo and to the Christian religious symbols of the Shepard and the Garden of Eden. Moreover, Dylan follows the folk music trope of placing his story inside of a medieval setting as a way of suggesting his themes are timeless enough to be relevant to both past and present day and to the final stanzas which bring the narrative into a prophesized future. 

In ASOIAF, Martin also includes archetypical figures: the Maiden, Mother, Crone, Warrior, Smith, Father and Stranger of the religion of the Seven, the Lord of Light and Azor Ahai of the religion of R’hllor and even the “The Bear” and “the Maiden Fair” of the eponymous song. Over the course of the series, different characters correspond with these archetypical figures in shifting ways. It is unclear, for instance, whether “Azor Ahai reborn” refers to a man or a woman. Prophecies provide similar ambiguity, with multiple possibilities for the identity the “younger, more beautiful” woman foretold to cast down Cersei or of the “three treasons” Daenerys “will know.” As with multiple points of view, archetypical imagery creates a sense of interconnectedness that contrasts with the surface-level fragmentation of society. They also provide a sense of predestination that contrasts with the will required to create a new social order and the choices these changes force individuals to confront. 

Dylan’s songwriting style evokes for me a variety of GOT related characters, events and themes. By breaking the song down by line, I can go into my thoughts about the song and the associations I make with GOT.  

Sixteen years: The opening “sixteen years” suggests a momentous time has arrived, when circumstances cannot continue on as they have in the past. GOT begins with younger characters, Jon, Sansa and Daenerys nearing their coming-of-age and with older characters, Ned, Catelyn and Robert, confronting their shared history. Notably, Robert’s Rebellion took place approximately seventeen years before the plot of GOT begins.

Sixteen banners united over the field: This lyric places the song in a medieval setting in a time of war. The irony of this line is how people unite through the identities represented by the banners they fight under. They need common enemies in order to join together in communities. In GOT, the members of different Houses draw their senses of identity through the sigils and sayings of their banners. They are “united” in all belonging to groups with mixed allegiance and animosity towards other groups. 

Where the good shepherd grieves: A good shepherd cares for his/her flock. For Dylan, the shepherd could signify Christ but I interpret the shepherd as symbolic of any caring authority figure. The shepherd’s grief shows that this is a society in which leaders struggle to protect those in their care. Leaders in GOT who grieve for their “flock” include Daenerys wishing she could protect her figurative “children,” Cersei grieving for her literal children or Jon despairing of saving Westeros from the White Walkers. Because this line occurs early in the song, I associate it with the death of Ned Stark which sets into motion the journeys of the Stark children.

Desperate men, desperate women divided: “Divided” is rhymed with “united,” contrasting two apparent opposites. The division is emphasized by “men” and “women” being referred to separately. In GOT important divisions include woman vs. man, highborn vs. bastards vs. common people, and Stark vs. Lannister vs. Targaryen. Regardless of what side of these lines characters fall on, everyone is desperate. There is no easy, pleasant or morally unambiguous road for any character in this story and it is hard to tell what anyone might do next in such unstable circumstances. 

Spreading their wings: The men and women ‘spread their wings’ in the sense of falling to the ground wounded or dead. The symbol of ‘wings’ could suggest how the dead are idealized in the memories of their survivors and/or could indicate that “angels” (the innocent) perish soon in an injustice world.

‘Neath the falling leaves: “Winter is coming” and with it, the loss of warmth and community. Falling leaves also brings to mind a family tree that has been sundered, such as the Targaryen, Stark and eventually Lannister families. 

Fortune calls: Fortune’s Wheel is a symbol frequently found in medieval texts. Fortune’s wheel raises up the formerly low and lays low the formerly high. In the Tarot deck, the Wheel of Fortune card represents the inconstancy of Fortune and the inevitability of change. A “call” to meet one’s destiny is a common first stage of a hero’s journey. Receiving a “call” means that one has been chosen to take part in a story with great consequence.  

I stepped forth from the shadows to the marketplace: Shadows in a marketplace evoke shady dealings and illicit transactions. Someone stepping forth from the shadows could also mean someone from an obscure background making himself or herself present on the greater world stage, perhaps someone at the lower rungs of Fortune’s Wheel moving towards the higher rungs.  

Merchants and thieves, hungry for power: GOT is full of power-hungry merchants, including Petyr Baelish, Illyrio and Xaro Xhoan Daxos. Significantly, this line links “merchants” and “thieves,” even though “merchants” conduct socially sanctioned activities while “thieves” are stigmatized as criminals by society. In GOT, this connection between merchants and thieves brings up the slave market and other instances of selling human lives, such as Tywin bribing the Freys and Boltons to betray the Starks.

 My last deal gone down- she’s: A deal is made over a woman or girl. To me, this seems like a direct reference to slavery, such as Viserys selling Daenerys to acquire an army. It could include more oblique forms of “selling” a girl or woman, like Ned Stark marrying Sansa off to Joffrey.

Smelling sweet like the meadows: GOT is full of references to sweet smells and to longings for a pastoral springtime world. Sometimes, sweetness implies genuine innocence, childhood and hope. At other times, sweetness implies dangerous naiveté or a cloying outer presentation that hides a malignant core. 

Where she was born on midsummer’s eve: A significant birth date is a common trope in fairy tales and fantasy literature. Significantly timed births in GOT are Daenerys’s birth during a severe summer storm and Tyrion’s birth in the middle of a long winter. In ASOIAF, one born during the summer is a sheltered “sweet summer child" whose innocence cannot last for long. On the other hand, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,“ by William Shakespeare is a not-entirely innocent play full of magic, sexuality and wildness.

Near the Tower: In the Tarot, the Tower card shows lighting striking a tower while two people leap from the tower’s windows. This card represents catastrophe, shattered foundations, upheaval and revelation. In Winterfell, the Broken Tower is a tower ruined a century ago by a lightning strike. Jaime throws Bran from the Broken Tower, injuring Bran permanently and instigating much of the division of society that follows as well as Bran’s eventual transformation into the Three Eyed Raven. The Tower of Joy, where Lyanna dies and Jon is born, also brings to mind the juxtaposition of birth and disaster in this stanza. One born “on the midsummer’s eve, near the tower” could someone born in sheltering innocence whose sense of security will be inevitably shattered or could be one born at an auspicious time whose life will shake the foundations of society.  

The cold-blooded moon: Cold vs. warmth is an enormous motif in GOT. Some have even argued that “cold” is the main antagonist of the saga. The Night King and Others manifest “cold” in its most explicit monstrous form but "cold” is found throughout in the calculation of manipulative political agents and the disconnection of traumatized survivors. In tarot, the Moon card bears the image of wolves howling at a moon positioned between two towers. The Moon is symbolic of illusion and fear as well as of the subconscious and the intuition. A “cold-blooded moon” reminds me of how the Stark children have the intuition of wolves but also sometimes suffer from feeling or acting overly “cold.”

The captain waits above the celebration: GOT is famous for having mixing celebrations like weddings with utter disaster. Ironically, a ceremony meant to symbolize harmony. love and loyalty becomes a further demonstration of turmoil, brutality and treachery. This stanza particularly makes me think of the ill fortune of the military captain Rob Stark.

 Sending his thoughts to a beloved maid: In romance poetry, lover and beloved may be separated by circumstances they can still connect on a spiritual level. Poets of courtly romance “believed that when you looked into your own heart, what you saw was an image of your beloved at a level where it no longer had any meaning to try to determine what was you and what was her; your identities were fused, even if your love was unrequited” (Hill 118). Separated characters send their yearnings out to absent people and places constantly, like when Daenerys dreams of the House with the Red Door, Jon wishes he were with Arya, Tyrion obsesses over the whereabouts of Tysha or Sansa yearns for Winterfell.

Whose ebony face is beyond communication: Another trope of romantic poetry is a beloved who is both earthly and divine. “If you viewed your lady with the terrifically concentrated vision of love, while she never ceased to a be real, particular woman, she was also revealed as the donna angelicata, ‘the angelic lady,’ and as such became a source of spiritual guidance, knowledge and illumination” (Hill 111). One interpretation of this line is that the woman is past communicating with because she is no longer alive, another interpretation is that the captain is so in love he cannot possibly express his feelings and a further interpretation is that her qualities cannot possibly be communicated because she is so sacred and mysterious.  

The captain is down but still believing that his love will be repaid: “Repayment” comes up again and again in GOT, obviously with the line “A Lannister always repays their debts” and in its many permutations, such as when Oberyan remarks “Lannister’s aren’t the only one who pays their debts” as he intends to avenge the murder of his sister Elia. Believing, against the odds, that love will be repaid could also mean impossible longing for love to be returned. This could include unrequited love, such as Jorah’s feelings for Daenerys or pining for lost love combined with desire for revenge, such as Tyrion’s mixed idealized longing for Tysha and murderous fury at Tywin.  

They shaved her head: Violation of the female characters occur throughout this series. In the essay “Power and Feminism in Westeros,” Caroline Spector notes, “There is an enormous amount of violence against women in A Song of Ice and Fire…Rape and sexual violence, both from ‘protectors’ and from strangers, are persistent threats to all female characters” (185 Spector). A striking example of sexualized violence against a woman is when the Sparrows shave Cersei’s hair and strip her of her clothes during the Walk of Shame.

She was torn between Jupiter and Apollo: In Greek mythology, Apollo is the son of the father god Jupiter. Because Jupiter and Apollo are father and son, the image of a woman torn between these two figures makes me think of an intergenerational chain of violence, such as the sadism passed down from Roose to Ramsey Bolton or from Tywin to his sons.  

In the myth of Apollo and Daphne, Apollo chased Daphne and attempted to rape her. Daphne prayed to a river god, who transformed her into a laurel tree when Apollo caught up with her. In Spinning Straw into Gold, Joan Gould analyzes the myth of Apollo and Daphne as a metaphor for how women survive rape and other forms of violation against which they are helpless to fight back. 

“In desperation, a woman can withdraw from life and slide down the scale of consciousness into a creature lower than herself who suffers less proportionally less: A laurel tree. A fountain. A sleeper. She doesn’t escape as she was, but she survives” (Gould 110). 

Daphne’s survival reminds me of the survival strategies of the Stark girls, Sansa hiding behind her armor of courtesy in while a hostage of Lannisters and taking on the disguise of Alayne in presence of Littlefinger, or Arya hiding in her identities as Arry or No One until her Stark identity becomes safe to reassume. 

A messenger arrived with a black nightingale: “Black wings, black words.” In GOT, a message delivered by crow probably contains dark news. In his role as the Three Eyed Raven, Bran is another messenger associated with a black-colored bird. Throughout the series, the truth about what is happening frequently becomes scattered and confused. News of violence sends shockwaves through the Seven Kingdoms, whether true (news of Ned’s beheading reaching the Wall) or false rumors (Rhaegar’s supposed abduction of Lyanna or Cateyln’s claim that Tyrion is trying to murder Bran).

I seen her on the stairs and I couldn’t help but follow: In contrast to characters who receive far-off news are those who witness crimes firsthand. Often in GOT characters are traumatized by their inability to save the ones they love as they watch helplessly.  I think of the Stark daughters watching the Lannisters behead Ned, Arya witnessing the Red Wedding or Tyrion forced to participate in Tasha’s rape.  

Follow her down past the fountain where they lifted her veil: The lifting of a veil again implies involuntary exposure in which the vulnerable “her” is outnumbered by the more powerful “they.” A “fountain” recalls springtime, rebirth and life. That this crime occurs near a fountain implies additional desecration of the sacred.

I stumbled to my feet: In aftermath of disaster, those who remain have to keep going. However, they continue on as the walking wounded, forever changed by what they have experienced.

I rode past destruction in the ditches: Destruction isn’t localized to a single area but exists everywhere throughout Westeros and Essos. I think of the many scenes in which characters travel on the road, Jaimie with Brienne or Aryra with Sandor, and constantly run into gory and disturbing scenes that demonstrate the universality of corruption and violence.   

With the stitches still mending 'neath a heart-shaped tattoo: In the Tarot deck, the Three of Hearts card pictures a heart with three swords stabbing into it. By this point in the narrative, scars and wounds have been acquired, physical as well as emotional. Characters carry psychological wounds that mar their security, sense of identity and ability to love. Others bear physical wounds, like Jaimie’s lost hand or Tyrion’s scars after the Battle of Blackwater. Jon even acquires scars that are literally over his heart.  

Renegade priests and treacherous young witches: Various religious sects and occult forces are also entangled in scheming for power. Magic or the illusion of magic is used by the witches Melissandre and Mirri Maz Dur to twist others to their will and to enact revenge. The Sparrows tear apart society with their political maneuvering rather than using spiritual wisdom as a force for harmony and common good.

Were handing out the flowers that I’d given to you: “Flowers” again signals hope, fertility and love. Flowers given freely contrast to the transactions of the merchants and thieves described earlier in the song and to the sexuality stolen in allusions to rape. Here, I think of Tyrion calling himself the “knight of the flowers” in reference to his attentions in the bedroom. Anger at these flowers being “handed out” without any regard to where they came from reminds me of Tyrion’s growing bitterness towards false shows of affection and piety.

The palace of mirrors: A palace of mirrors indicates a system of power that relies on the use of propaganda, deception and distortion. This phrasing could also suggest that power is itself an illusion, as in the many instances in GOT when a character apparently holds power because he/she sits on a throne, commands an army or possesses noble blood but nonetheless some other factor brings the seemingly powerful character to his/her defeat. 

Where dog soldiers are reflected: Warriors are dehumanized, their reflection in mirrors showing a blurring of individuality. They are regulated to the status of animals and develop bestial characteristics. Sandor, nicknamed “The Hound”, for instance, has lost touch with his humanity and is not regarded as fully human because of his wounded appearance and violence in battle. Jon Snow, as one of the Brothers of Black, is also torn between embracing his lone wolf qualities and becoming a loyal “dog” of his military order.

The endless road and the wailing of chimes: Many characters in GOT go on quests that seem endless, whether its Dany trying to return to Westeros or the Stark children trying to return to Winterfell. Wailing chimes denote a state of continual peril. For many viewers/readers of the series, it seems that characters will be stuck forever encountering one deadly trial after another without any chance of reprieve and shelter.

The empty rooms where her memory is protected: In contrast to the disorienting palace of mirrors or the chaotic road is a space of quiet preserving the memory of a beloved woman. There are several “hers” this line could bring to mind. Lyanna, Rhaella and Joanna are the characters that come to my mind, as they are among the women in the series whose memories are most cherished. This whole stanza makes me think of Martin’s recurring descriptions of tombs and ruins, particularly Lyanna’s tomb in the Crypt of Winterfell.

Where the angels’ voices whisper to the souls of previous times: Angels again signify deification of the dead or lost. A large number of characters die within the course of this series or are dead before story begins but linger in memory. The gentle “whispering” of the angels in this secluded space contrasts with the chaotic “wailing” on the road.  

She wakes him up. Forty-eight hours later, the sun is breaking: A turning point occurs in this stanza, with an awakening and the breaking of the sun. Perhaps the soul of the deceased is calling a man to action. Or perhaps a woman was slumbering in a Daphne-like state but begins to awaken from her lowered consciousness. A breaking sun shows hope for a new dawn and beginning of spring once more.

Near broken chains, mountain laurel and rolling rocks: “Broken chains” make me think of the Breaker of Chains, Daenerys and her proactive fight against oppression. Mountain laurel is another flower symbol, but a flower capable of flourishing in a harsher environment than those that bloom in a summer meadow. The “rolling” of the rocks brings to mind the Wheel of Fortune and changes that have been set into motion.

She’s begging to know what measures he now will be taking: Here, the female figure has consciousness and a voice while the male figure is about to take action. It’s unclear if he’s about to take action to harm her or if he’s about to take action against the corrupt society that has been described so far in this song.

He’s pulling her down and she’s clutching on to his long golden locks: This line reads ambiguously to me as something that could be a passionate love scene or another rape scene (unfortunately, not unlike a few of scenes in GOT or ASOIAF where I’m not sure exactly what was intended by the writing or direction). In the Tarot deck, a woman clutching at golden locks would be the Strength card in which a woman strokes and tames a ferocious golden lion. The Strength card represents inner as opposed to outer strength, the fortitude to remain calm and possessed during a struggle. A lady loving a lion and a man with golden locks makes me think of Brienne and Jaimie or Daenerys and Tyrion.  

Gentlemen, he said: A proactive figure addresses the “gentlemen” of the noble and patriarchal old order.

As the first piece of dialogue in the song, it suggests the reaching of a climatic point wherein forces must be confronted and beliefs must be voiced. This speaking person issues a declaration of independence from the current order and offers a prophetic warning.

I don’t need your organization, I’ve shined your shoes: The person making this address has served in a lower role within the social structure and no longer sees the need to stay in that role. Many characters in GOT make such a declaration, such as Jon gaining the confidence to rule despite being born a bastard, Daenerys realizing she is the true dragon of her generation of Targaryens even if she is a woman or Tyrion standing up to his family’s ablest abuse during his trial. 

I’ve moved your mountains and marked your cards: A person who has served in a lower position in society has gained deep knowledge of the working of that society. Throughout GOT, characters develop knowledge and awareness of the world during their times in exile or as outsiders. Brent Harbinger in “A Different Kind of Other” discusses the role of outsiders in the series: “Having suffered dearly under the rules of an unforgiving society, outcasts such as Tyrion and Varys pay keen attention to rules, precisely so they can manipulate them in order to give themselves a fighting change. They also keep a close eye on other outsiders, as they can be valuable allies” (162 Hartinger). Marking cards refers to the Tarot deck again, perhaps in the sense of having insight into the strengths and weaknesses of others.

But Eden is burning: In Judaic, Christian and Islamic traditions, the Garden of Eden symbolizes innocence and the loss of that innocence.  The burning of Eden connects back to previous references to pastoral landscapes and to nostalgic pining for what has been lost. Here, the violation of innocence is a dire emergency, impossible to ignore. 

Either brace yourself for elimination: In GOT, Jon Snow constantly serves as a harbinger of doom, trying to convince the other characters that if they don’t band together then everyone will die an icy apocalypse. Daenerys offers another kind of warning, telling tyrants that if they don’t change their oppressive practices she will bring them to justice with dragon-fire. This lyric ambiguously combines a conqueror’s warning (“Submit or face my wrath.”) an enforcer of justice’s edict (“Change your ways or pay the price.”) and a spiritual guide’s counsel to society (“If we can’t band together, we’re all doomed.). 

Or else your hearts must have the courage for the changing of the guards: The only alterative to doom is finding the courage to change society. Given all the terrors alluded to throughout the song, it is going to take much courage to make those changes.

Peace will come: Dylan shifts from present to future tense, lending the final stanza the resonance of a prophecy. In GOT, messianic hopes are attached to the figure of Azor Ahai who is expected to be reborn and to prevail against the night. In GOT, some place messianic hopes in Daenerys or Jon, while the overall focus of series suggests that peace can only arrive through the joining together of many individuals.

With tranquility and splendor on the wheels of fire: This line mysteriously sees fire as a conduit for peace. Fire in GOT brings to mind the “fire and blood” military tactics of House Targaryen and the use of fiery weapons to fight against the While Walkers. “Wheels of fire” implies an unstoppable force that will knock down those at the top of society, an inflammatory variation on the Wheel of Fortune. The strange use of “tranquility and splendor” to describe such violence makes me think of the look of calm on Daenery’s face whenever she’s connected to her dragons. The transformation of society through “wheels of fire” predicted here brings up the complex moral reactions I have to GOT as I wonder at the ambiguity of achieving peace through destruction

But will bring us no reward when her false idols fall: ‘False idols’ could be the falseness of thief-like merchants, duplicitous religious figures, political ‘palaces of mirrors’ and messages from ‘black nightingales’ bearing inaccurate report. The agents of change are not seeking ‘reward’ of the same kind as the materialistic rewards sought by the old order.  

And cruel death surrenders with its pale ghost retreating: A final confrontation between ‘cruel death’ and its ‘pale ghost’ recalls the highly foreshadowed battle between humanity and the Night King’s army. The Night King and the Others symbolize a fate worse than death that can only be vanquished through fire.  

Between the King and the Queen of Swords: The tarot deck is sorted into the suits of Wands, Swords, Cups and Pentacles with corresponding royal figures for each suit. This song describes “wheels of fire” defeating the order established by the King and Queen of Swords. Because the Wands suit corresponds with the element of fire and the Swords suit corresponds with the element of air, I interpret the final stanza of this song as a confrontation between Sword and Wand values and forms of leadership.

In her guide Tarot Wisdom, Rachel Pollack describes the suit of swords as “useless for anything but combat.” “This,” she says, “gives the suit an aggressive quality, an overlay of sorrow that we cannot get away from no matter how high-minded we try to make it” (333). 

The Queen of Swords upright represents grief, possibly widowhood, resilience, independence and use of intelligence rather than brute force. When reversed, this card is associated with corruption, powerful intelligence turned towards manipulation and cold-heartedness.  

The King of Swords is a warrior with great intellectual power and authority, who is comfortable with being in command. Reversed, the King of Swords symbolizes corruption in high places and a personality serving itself instead of society.

On the other hand, the Queen of Swords is associated with boldness, creativity and sexuality. Writes Pollack, “The essential quality of the queen is mastery, and she is the master of fire, the feminine part of complete confidence. Wands are sexual energy, and in the Rider she is famously the most sexual of the queens, for she sits with her legs apart.” When reversed, the Queen of Swords has impatience dealing with crises that go on too long and difficulty understanding limitations. 

The King of Wands likewise represents “confidence that can slide into arrogance around people not as powerful or self-assured as he” as it is “the nature of fire to move, to seek freedom and reject whatever would hold it down.” Reversed, the King of Wands is associated with temper, quickness to anger and self-doubt.

As the last Targaryens that we know of, Jon and Daenerys both have a strong connection to the element of fire and the suit of Wands. From a GOT viewpoint, one reading of a clash of Swords and Wands is the overthrow of the social order imposed by Cersei and Tywin, the most powerful female and male rulers (sorry Robert) in Westeros at the beginning of GOT, by Daenerys and Jon, the female and male characters who have been growing as leaders throughout the series.

I feel this may be a little simplistic. Cersei has some Wand qualities (like her use of wildfire in battle) and Daenerys has some Sword qualities (like her widowhood and preoccupation with justice, both traditionally Queen of Sword attributes). I perceive the clash between Swords and Wands expressed in this song as a more general conflict between deceit, cold-heartedness and dehumanization on one hand and creativity, warmth and boldness on the other, with the later set of values being necessary to defeat the ghost of living death.  

“The Changing of the Guards” includes many of the themes found in Game of Thrones- themes of unity and division, innocence and corruption, peace and violence, trauma and survival, revenge and justice. The song contrasts imagery of autumn and winter, war, loss, betrayal, catastrophe, oppression and annihilation with imagery of spring and summer, parental care, romantic love, innocence, peace and mystical beauty. Violations of the sacred lead to a wounded society and ultimately to a necessary change to the social order.

Both works of art leave me with similar questions. Does this song truly convey commitment to justice, love of beauty and hope for humanity’s future or is it about romantic yearning for an idealized past, an unobtainable beloved and an impossibly messianic world-to-come? Is Martin’s epic about loss of innocence and the defeat of evil by long-suffering but ultimately heroic protagonists or is it about how stories that insist on such a patterns erase the complexity of the past, present and future? My opinion is that both “Changing of the Guard” and GOT ultimately convey an assurance of the triumph of humanity over inhumanity. At the same time, both convey that such a triumph must come a heavier cost and after more struggle than in the kind of songs Petyr refers to when he tells Sansa that life is not one.

References:

Dylan, Bob. “The Changing of the Guards.” Street Legal. Rundown Studios, 1978.  

García, Jr., Elio and Linda Antonsson. “The Palace of Love, the Palace of Sorrow.” Beyond the Wall: Exploring George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. Ed. James Lowder. BenBella Books, Inc., 2012. 

Gould, Joan. Spinning Straw into Gold: What Fairy Tales Reveal about the Transformations in a Woman’s Life. Random House, Inc., 2006.

Hartinger, Brent. “A Different King of Other: The Role of Freaks and Outcasts in A Song of Ice and Fire." Beyond the Wall: Exploring George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. Ed. James Lowder. BenBella Books, Inc., 2012.

Hill, Christopher. Into the Mystic: The Visionary Roots of Rock and Roll. Simon & Schuster, 2017.

Pollack, Rachel. Tarot Wisdom: Spiritual Teachings and Deeper Meanings. Llewellyn Publications, 2008. 

Spector, Caroline. “Power and Feminism in Westeros.” Beyond the Wall: Exploring George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. Ed. James Lowder. BenBella Books, Inc., 2012.

[theclaravoyant]

when you’re born hell-bound

Fitz can't stop worrying about the trajectory his Framework experience has put him on, and what it all means. Fortunately, he's with the one person in the world in perhaps the best position to allay his fears.

-

AN ~ Bits of this kept trying to force its way into What We Make (my much fluffier Secret Santa gift fic), but since they speak to some of my fears and hopes for this storyline of Fitz’s I decided to work them into something presentable. I quite like it in the end, but it is quite angsty (though with a strong hurt/comfort leaning), so enjoy and/or appreciate it as is appropriate.

TW: discussion of themes of domestic violence pertaining to Fritz. If you want more detail before deciding whether or not to venture forward, let me know.

Rated T. Fitz. FitzSimmons. Vague 5x05 spoilers. Read on AO3 (~3000wd)

-

when you’re born hell-bound

-

“You’re up early.”

Fitz started, and turned toward the sound. It was Jemma, standing just beyond the treeline of this little clearing he’d found. She had her hiking boots on – laces still untied - under her pyjamas, and was frowning at him in concern.

“I couldn’t sleep,” he confessed, and invited her out onto the hillock he had found. He’d watched the sun rise a few hours ago from here, and the sky was now a pale and cloudy blue, the sunlight a haze across it. Jemma jutted out her chin, as if to soak up the rays even as Fitz pulled her close and tucked her under the wings of his jacket. He kissed the top of her head, which he often did when feeling pensive, and Jemma’s attention dropped back down to earth. She turned to face him.

“Anything I can do to help?”

He shook his head. “No, I don’t think so. It’s just- you know, the usual. Existential dread. Dark side of the Force. That kind of thing.”

“The Force.” Jemma snorted. “You make it sound like the Doctor is this… alternate personality you’re doing battle with in your head.”

“Sometimes it feels like that,” Fitz confessed.

Jemma lifted his hands from around her waist, and folded them into her own.

“You know that’s not what he meant, right?”

“Hunter.” It still hurt a little to think about him – it would probably never stop – but a sorry excuse for a smile touched Fitz’s lips. “I think he meant that it’s like what he did, or you did, or Daisy… you know, levelling up in Badass or whatever. It just doesn’t feel like that to me. You all chose to take up arms and– and fight against your demons. The Doctor is my demons. I can’t fight him, he’ll kick my ass.”

“I have to disagree with you there,” Jemma pointed out. “I had to defend people I love. Violence was the way to do that at the time, there wasn’t a lot of choice to it, and I may have taken to it better than I might have liked, but even you have to admit it’s been useful.”

“That part, I know. I mean, I’ve hurt people, I’ve killed people, I’ve – I’ve done a lot of scary, violent things that I don’t regret,” Fitz agreed. “But this is different. This feels… out of control. It’s wrong, Jemma. I just know it.”

He pulled away from her then, and strode back into the forest, itching to get away from her all of a sudden. It felt like the Doctor was a shadow creeping up the back of his neck, just waiting to take him over, and he was struggling to make the others understand that without sounding like a villain claiming possession; claiming brainwashing; claiming it wasn’t my fault, when it was. He clenched his fists and stuffed them into his pockets.

Jemma, for her part, didn’t make the quip she’d been thinking of to lighten the mood about Fitz’s gut feelings and overdramatic antics. Nor did she remind him of the psychology of conscious and subconscious, or any of the several schools of philosophy that might have helped him. In truth, none of these things came to her mind in the moment. She simply followed him, ignoring the branches that thwacked back in her face and feeling helpless as she watched Fitz’s whole body bristle with anxiety.

“Fitz,” she called, once she realised he didn’t know where he was going.

He stopped dead, but didn’t turn around.

“Fitz,” she repeated, softer. “Please. I want to understand what’s happening to you. I want to help. Come back to camp, have some breakfast. Talk to me.”

With some effort, Fitz pulled his hands out of his pockets, and trailed her back to camp in silence. He sat by the fire as Jemma set it up, lost in his own head until she nudged his arm and pressed a cup of tea between his fingers. He took it, and she smiled encouragingly up at him. It hurt to see him so lost and in pain, but bringing him out here felt like a step in the right direction. Hopefully, they were about to make another.

“I know, it’s not…” he explained slowly, trying to capture what it felt like in his head, and translate it somehow. “It’s not like a real… switch. I’m not Hulking out, or anything. That Dark… side, or whatever it is, it’s still me. I know that. But in a way, that sort of makes it worse. It makes it… my fault.” He swallowed hard, and clenched the cup, approaching the confession. “I couldn’t sleep last night because I had a dream that I was strangling you. I don’t remember why. I don’t even know if there was a reason. I was just so angry.”

He kept his eyes on the tea, shaking slightly as his hands trembled with the nerves. Jemma bit her lip, trying not to make a sound. Trying to process what that must have been like, even as her hand gravitated up toward her neck. She remembered the Framework, as much as she didn’t want to – and so did he.

“I woke up,” Fitz continued, “and- and you were there, sleeping so peacefully next to me like nothing happened. You were so beautiful, and all I could think about was what I did in there. To you. To – to make you kneel like that, and beg me, and I – I shot you Jemma. I shot you.”

“I was your enemy,” Jemma reminded him, ignoring the tears pricking at her own eyes. She’d sorted this out long ago, rationally, in her head, and she was determined not to be pulled back under by the fear, or by the memory of those cold gunmetal eyes. She stared intently at Fitz’s face, keeping her attention on the man he was now: his own eyes full of emotion, and brimming with tears at the thought of having hurt her, even in a nightmare. “I killed your father, in there. You had every reason to hate me.”

“Then why didn’t I just shoot you?” Fitz returned. “Or break your neck. Or poison you. Why didn’t I have somebody else do it? Why did I feel the need to order you down on your knees and make you cry? What kind of sick bastard needs that level of power? Why make the situation so- so– “

“Loaded?” Jemma supplied. “I confused you, I humiliated you. It was revenge. You might have been a bit theatrical about it, but it was just revenge.”

“It was disgusting,” Fitz insisted. He choked up with an ugly, snotty sob before Jemma could object, and buried his face in his hands as best he could, trying to catch his breath and hide his face and not spill his tea all at the same time. Jemma rested a hand on his shoulder as gently as she could, and eased the teacup from his grip before he lost hold. Her resolve strengthened as his faltered.

“What are you saying, Fitz?” she pressed carefully. “That you abused me?”

“That I could,” Fitz clarified. “You had utter faith in me, even in there, and I used that as a weapon against you. Even after watching my father do the exact same thing – “

“That wasn’t real -”

“I still watched it. And I feared it. But I did it. And now I know I have it in me to do it again and I hate it more than I’ve ever hated anything in my life. Anything, Jemma. Do you understand that?”

“I think I’m starting to,” Jemma promised. “I’m certainly trying to. And I’m sorry for what you’re going through. You’re a good man and you don’t deserve to be so afraid of yourself.”

“How can you say that to me?” Fitz demanded, breathless, beating his chest as if he could rip the agony out somehow. “How can you believe that, after what h-he did to you – knowing that he’s inside me, knowing that he’s part of me. How can you feel safe with me after that?”

“I love you. I trust you,” Jemma assured him. “And I know that you don’t want to hurt me. Look at yourself. You had a nightmare and now you can barely even look at me. You’re beating yourself up – literally. That’s not a man who thrives on the power of abuse.”

His hand curled and lowered like a frightened flower and he looked at her with wide eyes. There were still questions on his lips. But at least he was no longer hitting himself.

“Fitz,” Jemma insisted. “I’m under no illusions that you don’t have an aggressive streak, or a dramatic one, and you shouldn’t be either, but that doesn’t mean you’re a Hydra ringleader who tortures puppies in his spare time! I promise. Not as a doe-eyed woman in love with you, but as your friend, and as an agent who has served by your side during the best and most difficult ten years of our lives. I promise, you are a good man. You are struggling with a violence that was trained into you by a life that you don’t even have, but I believe you can overcome it, and find balance.”

Fitz shook his head. “I don’t want balance. If balance means embracing the Doctor, I don’t want it.”

“I don’t think you can be rid of him entirely. He’s not a cancer,” Jemma warned. “You can’t cut him out, burn him out, or rip him out. You have to come to terms with him somehow.”

“Not like this,” Fitz growled.

“Then how?”

He clenched a fist, infuriated and stressed by her challenge, and Jemma felt a shot of fear run, ice-cold through her veins. She hated herself for it immediately, but a flinch was a flinch.

Fitz stood up. She’d half expected her flinch to send him into a panic, and maybe it had, but he didn’t get as flustered about it as he used to. He paced the small space between her and the tent, massaging his hand like he used to even though his cramps were much more rare these days.

“I didn’t ask for this,” he insisted, near frantic. “I did not train for this, I was not born for this. This comes from the memories of a complete bastard of a man, who I hate with every fibre of my being. It’s not a bloody superpower, Jemma, I’m not finding the good in something potentially dangerous. You’re asking me to accept abusive behaviours trained into me by an abusive man and a para-bloody-Nazi organisation. To use them when I think it’s necessary. Like when, hm? Like when I get a little too curious? Like when my best friend is beaten to a bloody pulp and I think it’s worthwhile to hit her again. MY BEST FRIEND- ”

He reined in his voice and his hand movements, but the tears were streaming freely down his face now. He remembered more from the Framework than he ever cared to think of again and the fact that he’d spent so long in his own head about it, never daring to speak to the others, had only made it worse.

Watching the anguish pour out of him in such raw form, Jemma couldn’t help but cry too. Between remembering what Fitz was talking about, and watching him tear out his own soul, and noticing the line in the sand he had formed while pacing and dared not cross – for fear, no doubt, of being close to her while this explosively angry – it was almost too much.

“I beat Daisy,” he continued desperately. “I tried to kill you, I tortured our friends to death. I know I didn’t know them, or you, or whatever, but I shouldn’t be able to do that. And apparently, I did it all because I was as in love with Aida as I should have been with you. What would I do if you asked me to then, hm? And believe it or not I don’t actually want to destroy the whole world to save your life. Which, knowing our luck, might actually happen one day - that’s a real choice that I might actually, non-hyperbolically have to face!”

“… Fitz…” Jemma shook her head. It was all she could say. She could hardly breathe – her whole body felt numb. She was even a little bit grateful that she’d started this conversation sitting down, because she wanted to run but she was sure her legs wouldn’t work at this point. God, she wanted to run. Away? To him?

Yet she could only watch him pace.

“And – and what kind of man would I be to let a woman with that mind, with those desires, control me?” Fitz fretted. “The Doctor was a horrible, horrible man, and if he wasn’t me, you would’ve let Ward take the shot, wouldn’t you?”

Sharp eyes pierced through Jemma’s shaken numbness. She remembered pleading with Ward to save him. A torturing, murdering, scum of the earth Hydra crime lord with Fitz’s face. And Fitz’s soul, or so he seemed to believe. How astoundingly awful it must be to believe that.

“I…” she stammered, helpless. “I…”

“Well?” Fitz curled his arms into his chest, gesturing to himself with such passionate contempt it made Jemma’s stomach turn. “I am me, so what guarantee do I have that you would stop me?”

“Fitz!” Jemma yelped, her voice cracked with tears as the numbness fell away. She stood up – on shaky legs, but she stood. And jabbed a finger toward him for good measure. “STOP IT. You are not that monster and do you know why? Because in there, you didn’t have a choice. Aida forced you down a path that brought out the worst in you because it was convenient for her, but you’re free of that now and you have a choice and you would always choose not to hurt me. That’s why. You’d rather die than hurt me. Or Daisy. And as for the world? Well, I’m sure you’d make the right choice if it really came down to it and you have my blessing. I’m not worth the world. In fact, if you destroy the world to save me I shall be quite put out.”

Neither of them laughed. Or smiled. Or anything.

Jemma clenched her jaw, trying to ride this wave of determined concerned fury until it’s very end before she softened.

“You are not destined to be an abuser,” she continued, “whether your father was one or not. You’re not destined to fall down a slippery slope, back to the ‘Dark side’ or what have you. You and your bloody fatalism Fitz will you just think for a moment and believe in yourself!”

“That’s not what you said about Ward,” Fitz replied darkly. “Why am I different?”

There it was, the fury faded. Burnt out like a match in the wind. Jemma’s eyes scanned the snow for a moment, as she fought all the flooding memories back until she could remember one thing. Just one thing.

“You want to know why I couldn’t forgive Ward?”

“Yes. I do.”

“There’s a lot to it –“

“I know –“

“But I suppose it comes down to something you said.”

Fitz blinked, and the stormclouds in his eyes seemed to clear. He still had a heaviness, a sorrow to him, but the seething self-loathing had been knocked off kilter for just a moment.

“You gave him a choice,” Jemma continued. “You said –“

“You can choose right now to be good.”

The words spilled from Fitz’s tongue as if he were right in the moment all over again. He remembered the fear in those words, and in watching Ward betray them, but he also remembered what he’d been hoping would happen. That Ward would put down his gun, sneak him and Simmons off the plane, give everything back and apologise. Come home, set it right, have dinner and be welcomed back into the fold – the prodigal son. It seemed so fantastical now, knowing what Ward had become, but the severity of that fork in the road was enough to give Fitz hope. If he could be a man as horrible as the Doctor, what lay down the other extreme? What about all the paths in the middle?

“Ward knew what path he was walking down,” Jemma continued. “And you know the Doctor’s path now. Plus, Aida should serve as a warning about hidden traps along the way, too. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, isn’t that what they say? But I believe you can, and you will, choose to do good, and whatever role the Doctor does or does not play in that is up to you. I’ll support you if you want to pull out of the field, or even out of Shield and go work in a toyshop or something for the rest of your life. I don’t mind if you never want to raise a hand against anyone ever again. But I also know that we’re fighting a good fight here and a little extra firepower wouldn’t go amiss. It’s up to you. Not me. Not Aida. You.”

With her last words, she took three great steps toward him, and he was so transfixed that he barely moved except to hold his breath when, at the end of it, she put a hand over his heart. Face streaked with tears, Fitz blinked down at her, hardly able to believe the tender touch and how aggressively he’d been denying it to himself for so long.

“You have no idea how much I want to believe that,” he whispered.

“One day,” Jemma promised, “you will.”

[copperhawks]

OKAY SO IT’S FINALLY TIME TO TALK ABOUT DAINE AND NUMAIR ON BELTANE BECAUSE I LOVE THEM AND I HAVE HAD TO IGNORE THEM A FEW TIMES SO I COULD MAKE ONE LONG POST INSTEAD OF MANY SMALL ONES!

So I think I’ve mentioned in prior posts how much I adore that Daine and Numair’s relationship is the one most often used for exposition because, while it’s obviously exposition about the characters and the world, it also just shows such an interesting aspect to their relationship. Numair trusts Daine’s view of the world, and while he doesn’t take it entirely at face value, he certainly respects her opinions and the information she does share. And Daine, in return, always seems pretty ready to give it to him. She very VERY rarely refuses to answer a question he asks her about Galla or about her brothers. Usually, if she does, it’s because it’s something private that would be better answered by Sav himself, but that’s about it.

So, twice this chapter, we get Daine expositing at Numair.

The first is while they’re waiting to pick up Bon Bon at Eloise’s and Daine talks about Sav’s relationship to religion and how it relates to Beltane in particular.

Numair finds the subject of religion fascinating and clearly wants to hear her opinions on it, but Daine ends up changing the subject instead to Sav’s choice of outfit for Numair. She says she likes Sav’s choice to dress Numair in the styles of his chosen home, saying that on her first Beltane, Sav did much the same for her.

I spoke in the Sav/Numair post about how they are kindred spirits, sharing a very specific pain that no one else could understand.

Daine and Numair have something similar and that one comes straight out of canon. Both of them were forced to flee their homes in disgrace, leaving behind everything they knew and make a new home somewhere else. In the books, this was Tortall for both of them, with Numair being the one to show her why he chose Tortall for himself. In this fic, Daine’s new home was Cria. But that shared pain of their pasts still brings them together, still gives them something to connect over the same way it does for Sav and Numair. And this time, at least for now, it’s Daine showing her home to Numair. Numair has lost his home again, temporarily, stuck in Galla for the time being, forced to try to make as much of a home out of it as he can. Through their question and answer sessions, Daine shows Numair what kind of home this place can, and what kind of family these people can be. She often turns these little expository bits into little anecdotes about Sav and Don and Constant, bringing Numair just that little bit further into the family she made for herself.

How fortuitous that Numair managed to meet both of his kindred spirits in the same place while on a mission that had nothing to do with either of them.

The second bit of exposition comes after the face painting scene where Numair chooses to ask Daine to explain the King’s facepaint and its meaning. He knows that he’d likely get better and more information from Sav, but asking Sav would be insensitive and Sav’s run off anyway. Daine explains that the fire and thorns depicted in the face paint are meant to be a reminder that the monarchy doesn’t come without its consequences for the people and is the sitting monarch’s way of acknowledging that.

This part’s more about Don and Sav than it is about Daine and Numair and I’ve talked a lot about Don and Sav, so we’re just gonna skip right on over that.

Their next scene is the dancing bit where they try to come together and just CAN’T. Or don’t, in Daine’s case. Which, yeah, all kinda of metaphors about their current and future relationship here.

Obviously none of this is meant to be romantic, yet, Numair has admitted more than once that he’s falling in love with Sav, regardless of how much he knows it’s not a forever thing. It’s probably one of the first times he’s LET himself love someone since Ozorne (it’s only been about 5-6 years and 2-3 of those he spent on the run).

But his relationship with Daine, while not yet romantic, is just as important and meaningful as what he is building with Sav. In some ways, they are two sides of the same coin. Sav and Daine are both kindred spirits to Numair, sharing some of the pain of his history. With Sav, their connection during the healing session broke down a barrier between them that led to something more romantic, more sensual, a little sooner. Daine is still very guarded around Numair and she is his student, so there’s some distance Numair just isn’t able to cross with her yet. But Numair has brought a lot to Daine’s life: acceptance, belief, knowledge. She isn’t broken, she isn’t crazy, she isn’t wrong. She can control her magic, she doesn’t have to live the rest of her life in fear of it controlling her.

And Daine is the one helping this place feel more real. She’s the one who answers his questions, the one who broadens his understanding of it, without any real judgment or frustration or censure. He’s got a lot of questions and that’s something Sav’s made note of as an endearingly annoying quality, but Daine’s never really had an issue answering Numair’s questions unless it pertained to her own insecurities. Daine is HIS teacher as much as he is hers, she is his guide, an anchor of sorts. Daine leans on him when she needs to for support with her magic, the greatest fear she has right now. And Numair leans on her right back, when he needs a way to make sense of the world he’s found himself in. Both of them hold each other up without hesitation.

Any reader of this fic who’s read the Immortals quartet before knows these two end up together. They just do. So during the dance, we keep seeing them reach for each other and failing to grasp hold. They are separated by Numair’s lack of understanding, and then by Rain bringing politics into it, and then by Daine dodging Numair. They’ve got some obstacles to overcome before they can dance together and before they can come together as the couple we know they become.

Which is why their final scene is so beautiful.

The last dance of Beltane, at least the last that we see, is a flower chain dance. People are meant to create little flower chains that wrap around their wrists and then connect their chains to someone else’s and hold hands, growing larger and larger until you have a good sized circle and then you dance.

Numair keeps himself somewhat separate as he sees Sav and Constant begin the circle themselves, coming together in harmony for the first time in a while. People keep adding on: Adel and Elspeth, Don and Solange, Rain and Nora, Eloise.

Numair is happy just to watch this time, until he feels someone come up to him and hold his hand.

Daine wants to make up for the dance they didn’t get to share earlier, but for her own reasons, she also doesn’t want to interrupt the growing circle of their friends and family and chooses instead to dance with Numair alone.

It suited his greedy nature to have both her hands to hold instead of just one, and he was deeply touched by her gifting him her sole attention during a dance designed to forge connections.

At the end of it, he leans out and thanks her, and calls her magelet for the second time. Unlike the first, where it makes Daine shut him out, this time it earns Numair a chaste kiss to the corner of his mouth.

Daine CHOOSES Numair. She CHOOSES to dance with him and with him alone.

If acceptance is a major theme of Sav and Numair’s relationship, CHOICE is the major theme of Daine and Numair’s. Numair is brought there by the Badger and told to help her, but the choice was still mostly up to Numair. He chose to help her not because a god told him to but because she’s human, because she’s in pain and he can’t abide people being in pain when he can do something about it. He chose to care about her. He chose to stay when he had the chance to go home. He chose to be honest with her.

And in return, Daine has chosen to trust him. She has chosen to help him, to guide him. She has chosen to like him. 

They missed each other before, with Daine’s choice to dodge Numair for Rain, choose the comfort of the known over the risk of the unknown. But now, given the choice between her brothers and her friends or Numair, she chooses Numair. Even when Numair assumes they’re just going to joint he chain together, Daine asks to stay separate. Which suits Numair just fine.

Sav and Numair are very alike and their relationship is massively meaningful to both of them. One of the reasons they could never last is their loyalties to Tortall and to Galla. Sav could never love Tortall as Numair does, he could never make Tortall his home. And Numair can’t do the same for Galla. He’s already had to leave one home behind and start anew, give his loyalties to people who saved him and gave him a new life, he won’t abandon them. Sav has promised himself to the people of Galla, he feels responsible for them, and cannot abandon them.

But Daine can. Daine’s already had to leave one home and one family behind in a way Sav has not. She knows she can make a new home if she has to, she often has run away from the one she made in Cria in order to spare them her own instability. As much as she clearly loves Sav and Don and Constant and Rain, their love is all that might keep her in Galla. It’s not Galla itself that she stays for.

She could make a home in Tortall with Numair. She could allow their roles to swap as he shows her his home, answer her questions, help her understand how it works, just as she’s done for him in Galla. She could learn to love the people of Tortall as Numair does, so long as she knew the one she has in Galla is safe.

It’s not like Sav and Don, where they isolate themselves from the rest of the world, fractioning off their attention and their love in favor of each other. Daine and Numair are still there, within reach of the people they love, able to participate in their joy together, while still making a smaller space just for them to be in. Still connected, still whole.

[thejoonmoon]

My HYYH Theory (Individual MV Analysis/Interpretation)

This is a long post that I’m still working on, so everything will be written under the cut-off. Please remember that this is purely my way of understanding the story that BTS has been working on for the last two years, if you don’t see it the same way- that’s okay because that’s the beauty of intepretation :)

I Need U 

(the instability of youth)

The subtitles for HYYH PT 1 were “Anxiety”, “Daydream”, and “Bloom”. Anxiety comes from the uncertain future, daydream comes from wanting to stay in the bliss of youth forever, and bloom comes from it being the point in life where we really become ourselves (our “blooming point”). These are all words that surrounds the meaning of “youth”, our most beautiful moment in life, and thus the story shown through the INU MV. 

Youth is the gap between childhood and maturation, innocence and “evil” (we’ll get to that later). The MV is the prelude to BST and YNWA. In here, we see the boys going through their own individual struggles while finding their happiness when they’re together (just like how the YNWA era tells us “Even if it hurts, if you and I are together, I can smile”), we also see Taehyung and his meeting with “evil” (but his full transformation is shown in the WINGS era). So though INU is the first MV in the storyline, it is also the turning point of the plot as well as the blooming of the boys’ characters.

The entirety of the HYYH/WINGS story is based off of three published pieces: Kafka On The Shore, Demian, and The Ones Who Walks Away From Omelas. But the INU MV is specifically based off of Kafka On The Shore and its main theme of fate being inescapable.

“At times like that I always feel an omen calling out to me, like a dark omnipresent pool of water. A dark omnipresent pool of water. It was probably always there, hidden away somewhere. But when the time comes it silently rushes out, chilling every cell in your body. You drown in that cruel flood, gasping for breath.”

“Sometimes fate is like a small sandstorm…this storm is you. Something inside of you. So all you can do is give in to it, step right inside the storm.”

In the novel, Kafka’s fate was an oedipal prophecy foretold by his father where he was to sleep with his lost mother and lost sister and murder him (his father). This can be seen as evil things and most importantly, it is a fate that Kafka can’t escape. He runs away from home and into a remote city but he still ends up fulfilling the prophecy and by the end of the novel, he is finally an adult. Similarly, the fate that BTS is tied to is the loss of innocence and the beginnings of sin a.k.a. “evil” (however the second part specifically pertains to Taehyung). As said before, youth is the gap between childhood and maturation and thus innocence and evil. To move from youth to maturation, you must lose your childhood innocence.

Jin, the oldest member, sees the boys and knows that the innocence of their youth will be lost. But because the boys are also him, they are one in the same, he knows he will be forced to finally mature and become an adult as well. This is why you seem him turning in his bed and why there is an emphasized scene of him opening his eyes. He is “Awake” or in other words, aware of this fate. He puts down six white flowers (the symbol of somebody passing away) because the childlike innocence of the boys has now “died”.

The boys are happy when they are together but separately, they are in pain. The happiness of childhood (represented through them goofing off in restaurants, playing with fireworks, playing on train tracks, driving cars in circles) cannot last forever.

As said before, each boy represents a component of the same body that is Jin. This is shown through the repeated motifs throughout the boys’ individual shots. For example, Hoseok’s symbol are pills but in the HYYH PT 1 concept photos, we see Yoongi on a bed that has pills scattered over the cover as well.

Yoongi’s symbol is fire/a lighter and in the Spring Day MV we see Jungkook with the lighter instead 

Jimin’s symbol is an apple and in the Awake short film, we see Jin with an apple too (as well as the other members’ symbols: Yoongi’s piano, Jungkook’s painting, Namjoon’s mirrors, and etc).

This has happened multiple times (in both the Japanese version and the Korean version of the music videos) 

But most importantly, in the WINGS VCR, it says:

“In search of a sea nowhere to be found, the boy walks. The boy walks with not one but seven hearts. Seven beats and one stride forward. Altered perspective and one is seven.” 

So the six members are Jin, Jin is the six members- they are one body, seven hearts. Similarly, when one part of the body gets infected, eventually the whole body becomes ill if left untreated. If one member falls into the fate of becoming an adult, then the rest has no choice but to do the same and follow the same path. INU shows that Taehyung was the first to do this. Killing his father was the gateway into falling into the inevitable “omnipresent omen”. Not only was it a sin (the first act of wickedness against another) but it also, pays homage to Kafka On The Shore because Kafka had to kill his father to become an adult. Jin realizes what has happened and he cries in the scene directly after the image of Taehyung stabbing his father, which is then ironically proceeded by the scene of the boys once again playing with fireworks, because he knows that his fate has caught up to him- he cannot stay young forever.

Another thing I’d like to talk about is how the ending scene of the INU MV is of the boys looking at the sea and the WINGS VCR saying the words “in search of a sea nowhere to be found.” In Kafka On The Shore, the shore (the place where the sea meets the land) is Kafka’s happy place. His mother and sister abandoned him when he was young but he has one photo of him and his sister on the beach. The photograph is the one memory he has of ever being happy. Similarly, again, the shore to BTS is the one place where the boys can find their joy despite their own individual struggles. It is where they can return to their youth. Which is why you see in Prologue, Jin asking everybody if they want to go back to the shore a.k.a. back to where INU took place. He wants to preserve the time of their/his youth (which is why his symbol is also a camera, he’s constantly saving memories) and prevent them from becoming adults even if their fate is inevitable, even if the sea (an eternal place of happiness) is “nowhere to be found” in reality.