#vouchsafes

[eskildit]

imagine if that really was harrow. harrow already blames herself for gideons death and then to see aiglamene enraged at her for letting gideon die. filed under: things that could still happen in Alecto and it would fucking break me dear god

[voidsentprinces]

[unravelingwires]

Vouchsafing

Odelia said, “I know this is pretty new, but I wished to give you your moors now that you’re leaving for school. Max is receiving his, and it’s traditional.”

Jaya tipped her head to the side. “Am I getting multiple?”

“Well, you’ll receive your Narayana one, of course. I wanted to give you a Chel one as well.” 

Odelia held out her hand with both moores. The Narayana one was exactly what Jaya expected, a dull gold ring. The Chel one was elaborate, transparent and embossed with a coat of arms.

“Ok,” Jaya said.

“Do you really want it?” Odelia asked. “I don’t want to force you into anything you’re not comfortable with.”

“No, I do want it. I do.” Jaya worried at her lip. She didn’t know how to explain that அம்மா and அப்பா didn’t wear moores, that they only bought one for Jaya when they realized Jaya wanted one. How Jaya hadn’t been that excited to get her moores because that wasn’t a connection to anything if her parents didn’t wear them. How she loved the idea of wearing a moore that matched a multi-century generational line, and how awful it was that she traded அம்மா and அப்பா and Poorni for the chance to do so.

Then, she realized what Odelia actually wanted. “I’m just a little overwhelmed. Thank you so much, Mother.”

Mother gasped, then surged forward and hugged her.

Lilith ran a finger over their signature. “That’s it, then.”

“One more piece of business,” Jaya said, holding out a jewelry box. “Your moore.”

“My– what?”

“Oh, my apologies, it’s traditional for sponsorships.” Jaya awkwardly pulled the box back. “If you’re not comfortable–”

“No, that’s not what I meant!” Lilith snatched the box off the table and opened it. “I just didn’t realize– my mom went over every possible sponsorship problem we might have, but she forgot to even mention the moore.” They put the moore on, holding their hand up to the light. Abruptly, they whirled around. “Wait, I didn’t get one for you.”

“Oh, traditionally these–”

“I’m gonna go make one right now!” Lilith ran out.

“...aren't reciprocal.” Jaya smiled ruefully.

Raine dropped a box on Jaya’s lap. “I finished mine.”

Jaya looked at the box for a minute, switching her attention away from her book, before grabbing her bag. “Oh, I have yours right– here!”

Raine opened the box and smiled. “Beautiful.”

“Likewise.” Jaya slid the moore onto her hand.

“But, theoretically, if I to mildly alter it, just because my wardrobe–”

“You can modify it.”

Raine kissed her cheek. “Thank you."

[mega-delicatelysuperbcollector]

MARK 10: 14-15

Possessing a childlike faith, Them Almighty God will vouchsafe… Teachable, pure Humble as matured, Them this world’s evil will escape! – Jonathan Caswell

[justana0kguy]

2023 MAY 16 Tuesday

"The Holy Spirit causes, faith welcomes, the indwelling of Christ in the heart. Thus the Spirit does not take the place of Christ in the soul, but secures that place to Christ... The Holy Spirit, then, vouchsafes to come to us, that by his coming Christ may come to us, not carnally or visibly, but may enter into us."

~ Saint John Henry Newman, Sermon « The Spiritual Presence of Christ in the Church », PPS, t. 6, no.10

[witchhazelevesque]

Aiglamene still has to make good on her vouchsafing Gideon’s freedom and I hope it comes in the form of punching John in the face

[oldwebmlp]

From: https://web.archive.org/web/20021027164017/http://www.angelfire.com/80s/babygoldenautumn/thelast.html

Text from page below the cut:

The Last

Somewhere, in the twilight corner of the saddest memory in my mind, there lives a unicorn. The earliest known legend of the Unicorn says that it is a creature so glorious, so virtuous, so beautiful, that Heaven vouchsafed the Earth only one specimen at a time. It is a matter of some consideration, then, that The Golden Autumn has become the home of so many Unicorns. Sadly, this new denizen who runs vagrant in our minds will indeed be the last to come to The Golden Autumn. The final season is upon us and the last autumn leaf has fallen. We have always known it was coming, but never had we expected it to be so soon. This last infant came to us not by way of the Lake of Origins as have the others, but in a mad and magical flurry of dreams and desires, taking the form of the unicorn you see below. When the flurry in which she arrived settled, she was revealed as unlike any other pony in The Golden Autumn: small, delicate features in deep earthy tones, altogether different from anything we had ever seen. Her name is Diaz, for though she does not speak, it is written as such in her eyes. To those of us who cherish this realm, she will always be known as "The Last".

[artemis-potnia-theron]

Artemis Phosphorus (Bringer of Light) ✨️

(Diana Awakening Apollo [1910] by Carl Bertling)

Callimachus refers to Artemis as “Queen” and asserts that when Artemis was a young girl sitting on her father Zeus’ knees, asking him to allow her to keep her maidenhood forever and receive her bow and arrows, she also asked him to be Phosphorus, or “Bringer of Light,” which became one of her many titles (Callimachus, Hymn 3.1). One of her most popular temples as “Bringer of Light” is at Messene in the sanctuary of Asclepius (Pausanias 4.31.10).

Zeus is more than delighted to give her all that she asks for: “three times ten cities and towers more than one live vouchsafe thee — three times ten cities that shall not note to glorify any other god but to glorify the only and be called of Artemis. And thou shall be Watcher over Streets and Harbors” (Callimachus, Hymn 3.28).

Thus, in addition to her being Phosphorus, she is also Enodia, “Protector of the Mariners.” Consequently, Artemis is not only “Saviour” through mercy — that is, people do not only pray to her for protection and peaceful death — but she is “Saviour” in a way that is omnipresent. As the “Bringer of Light,” her luminance literally saves ships, harbors, and all those who depend on these facilities to survive. In her role as Sôteira, Artemis inhabits the personal spaces of her community of worshipers.

As a goddess of mercy, she is invoked as Phôsphoros, meaning “Bringer of Light,” and she is often Hêmerasia or “She Who Soothes.” ... it is significant that her ritual worship expanded from “Huntress,” or goddess of wilderness, to the “Saviour” of her supplicants and the “Protector” of communities and cities.

- She Who Hunts: Artemis: The Goddess Who Changed the World by Carla Ionescu

[regexkind]

I could never write a textbook on differential equations because every few pages I would digress into a long rant about how insisting on only solving DEs with solutions in the family of elementary equations and steering clear of numerical methods is a sign that you are some sort of quisling for the Supreme Fascist, who has vouchsafed us these little crumbs, and that any proud person should be unafraid of getting their hands dirty, and what I would do to G-d if he ever comes back around here again, etc etc,

[herejusttosufferalong]

One of the online narratives that most irks me recently concerning the whole situation with Luke is the following

"If Nicola likes Luke, you must like Luke"

"If Nicola says Luke is a good egg, then Luke is (definitely) a good egg"

"It would hurt Nicola to know her fans might have any other feeling besides like for her bestie Luke"

As far as I know, these two people do not come as a full package. So, I am allowed to like her, but not him, him, but not her, or I can like the both of them.

That last one case is me, but with differing intensities.

I like Luke fine. I think he's got the makings of a great actor, if he commits to it, and I'm more than half-convinced he's a good person underneath all the drama and the messiness surrounding him.

But I freaking love Nicola. She's adorable, she's a ray of sunshine, she's this gorgeous, gorgeous being.

And yes they are close friends.

But that doesn't mean people should be dragging Nicola to vouchsafe for Luke whenever his character or actions are getting put under the scrutiny.

She should not be reduced to being the trump card or the gotcha moment in people's arguments about Luke or his girlfriend. These days I feel like she's forever getting put on trial as a character witness for him. It's giving "He can't have any defects ever if Nicola likes him." And that's childish.

People should be able to build their own opinions, good or bad, on Luke or any other, using every resource at their disposition, not just Nicola.

Give the woman a break. Don't drag her into whatever anymore. I miss her presence online. Let her come back safely.

.

[blogdemocratesjr]

Statue of Joan of Arc in the spot where she perished

That, to me, is the fascination of France's national saint—not just the subject of a biography, not merely a picturesque figure in armour and a scarlet cloak, but a figure who challenges some of the profoundest tenets of what we do or do not believe. More, perhaps, than any other military figure in history, she forces us to think.

She makes us think, and she makes us question; she uncovers the dark places into which we may fear to look. We read, and, having read, are left with the essential queries: Does God on occasion manifest Himself by direct methods? Is the visible world the only world we have to consider? Is it possible for mortal man to get into touch with beings of another world? Is it possible that unearthly guidance may be vouchsafed to assist our human fallibility? Is it possible that certain beings are born with a sixth sense, a receptivity so far beyond that of their duller fellows that in order to explain it we take refuge in such words as "miraculous" and "supernatural"?

—Vita Sackville-West, Saint Joan of Arc

[ghostsandyoumightdie]

Aiglamene vouchsafed for Gideon because no one, not even Harrow, would. But Gideon came home dead anyway.

Aiglamene knows what Harrow did to her parents' body. She knows Harrow did that at 10, imagine what Aiglamene thought her capable of as a 19 year old, as a Lyctor.

Aiglamene thinks Harrow did this to Gideon.

[elfieafterdark]

Goddess preserve me, when Aiglamene sees Gideon again. A walking corpse.

Realizes that her vouchsafing was for naught.

Realizes that she made the wrong call for the kid, at least in her eyes.

My fucking heart can't handle this. I love this series.

[jeanclamence]

The Genuine Feeling of Being

By Jean-Clamence (me)

I am only a spectator in my life. I believe my real self, my genuine form, my purest state of being, my unbearably simple existence, to be constantly still, watching two separate halves of myself with individual intellect and intelligenee scream contrasting ideologies and opposing judgements at each other. They criticise one another, and I sit silently on the sidelines, thinking; 'I wish I could be so freely, so imprudently and recklessly unaware of myself. I want to flee from my mind, to escape this overwhelming, repulsive hope, this fake and inauthentic living. We gained this plaguing, so-called self-consciousness, this afflicting greed for avarice and success, these stuffy cities, these nations agonized by war, this excruciating act of introspect through evolution, and I wish we hadn't.' The worst is that I am forced to agree with it, to stride with it, to live a double-life, and to mechanically utter words of affirmation as though I exist as no more than an ostensibly convoluted—yet beneath the surface and the gradually withering facade of illusions, blind and brainless—system of cogs. I doze off in my waking and stir in sleep with my eyes thrown wide open.

As I 'live', one side of me contemplates stratagems to create a flourishing business in order to acquire wealth. However, that is only among many subjects; I think of arithmetic, physics, biology, and politics as well. As I "rest", the other whispers in my ear that I am entirely wrong about everything I have ever known. "It is insignificant! It is troubling!" It tries to convince me, hovering over me without a discernible, definite form in its nearly palpable, black haze similar to the shadow of Jack the Ripper, as if it has followed his footsteps and clung closely onto his naked feet like a loyal apprentice.

"No, you fool, it is troubling because it is impactful!" Its enemy shrieks as it departs from a train which travelled from a desolate station of emptiness to meet us. This half is white and is apparently, based on its accounts of itself, a harborer of virtue, clarity, and true strength.

"To them, not to you. And, even if it, let us suppose, impacts you in a way, why should you care?"

"You must abide by ... , ... , and so on, and so forth, otherwise you will be exiled." It argues with the other.

"But is that not what he needs?"

"Just as you cannot avoid the thick coverage of your own skin, you cannot avoid pain. Exile is not an escape, you must be aware of that! You have witnessed how he behaves in exile and abandonment. In those moments, we are alone with him, and—"

"And the effects are horrible?" It smiles malignantly and bends its neck comically as an exaggerated display of curiousity.

"And that is precisely where we agree, possibly even the only point on which we agree." It says solemnly.

Shaking my head, I interrupt them; "I'm not sure about that. You frequently discuss and convey your interests for me, and it is a common implication between the two of you that you want me to be blind. Both of you want me to be blind for the sake of seeing reality."

"Choose between us, and see what kind of life you earn. We have merely vouchsafed you ideas. Whether you castigate yourself and gloat over them or do that which is contrary, and carry them over into reality by converting them into physical acts, is entirely up to you. At your hour of death, announce to us whether you feel blind or edified, we will be waiting."

Silence is found in found in neither third-person nor first-person. After embarking on aimless pursuits over and over, I only discover the repetitive bizarreness of everything. Now, I must shut my eyes and drown it out.

[warrioreowynofrohan]

A note for readers of Wildfell Weekly (as well as others): the book that Gilbert buys for Helen Graham, Marmion by Sir Walter Scott, appears to have been extremely popular in its time; it is mentioned by characters in several other famous novels of the 1800s.

St. John Rivers buys it for Jane in Jane Eyre:

“I have brought you a book for evening solace,” and he laid on the table a new publication—a poem: one of those genuine productions so often vouchsafed to the fortunate public of those days—the golden age of modern literature.  Alas! the readers of our era are less favoured.”

…While I was eagerly glancing at the bright pages of “Marmion” (for “Marmion” it was)…

…I had closed my shutter, laid a mat to the door to prevent the snow from blowing in under it, trimmed my fire, and after sitting nearly an hour on the hearth listening to the muffled fury of the tempest, I lit a candle, took down “Marmion,” and beginning—

“Day set on Norham’s castled steep,

And Tweed’s fair river broad and deep,

   And Cheviot’s mountains lone;

The massive towers, the donjon keep,

The flanking walls that round them sweep,

   In yellow lustre shone”—

I soon forgot storm in music.

It is also mentioned by Mina in Dracula (though she, or Stoker, makes a small error - the scene mentioned involves characters from Whitby Abbey, but occurs in Lindisfarne, a tidal island that was also, long ago, the home of the illuminated Lindisfarne Gospels):

Right over the town is the ruin of Whitby Abbey, which was sacked by the Danes, and which is the scene of part of “Marmion,” where the girl was built up in the wall.

The book is a poetic epic set at the time of the Battle of Flodden Field (1513); I like the poetry a great deal, and the plot is nicely dramatic and Romantic, despite values dissonance (I do not find the title character as sympathetic as Scott does).

All this is to say - would people be interested in reading this story beloved by so many of our favourite characters? I could put it together as a Substack newsletter and email it out a little a day (probably for a few months total) starting in the new year. It’s not long (about 150 pages), it’s a good read with excellent poetic cadences and lots of high drama and imagery, and it gives a sense of what was popular among people who enjoyed the Gothic and Romantic.

[night-dark-woods]

Mara “Beloved Eris”/“Sweet, capable Petra” Sov

But also. Does Mara know about the assassination attempts on Petra. Realistically Mara “know everything” Sov would probably know, but then I refuse to believe there wouldn’t several less paladins when she found out

ok so for That, my dear friend Jackie's opinion (& i agree) is that Mara knows but doesn't do anything about it when she gets back, for several reasons:

it happened pretty early in Petra's regency (likely after she started actually Using her authority (see Report: Taken Power) and the techeuns and paladins had to actually deal with the fact that Petra was in charge for realsies). It's old news by the time Mara gets back.

the internal politics seem to have stabilized by Forsaken (if not of their own accord, then due to necessity- Uldren & first House Kings, then the Scorn), and Petra seems to have the Reef pretty well in hand when Mara actually returns (in Hunt iirc?). dredging up a years-old political incident would do nothing but destabilize a military already fighting an endless war on several fronts, and about to fight a new one as well.

it would undermine Petra's authority. Mara returning and immediately punishing someone over a personal slight (bc that's what it would be atp) would show a lack of trust and confidence in Petra's ability to handle internal politics, strip Petra of her hard-earned respect, and relegate her to a consort or non-military role. part of the pushback against her regency was that the high-ranking members of the court/military (same difference) thought Mara chose her because they were sleeping together (i do not think there is a single other way to interpret the Vouchsafe loretab. to be quite real) and Mara doing that would all but confirm their thoughts. Vouchsafe loretab as a treat:

"...No one thought you were right for that job. We thought…" He flattens his mouth. "Well, we thought Mara was favoring you for the wrong reasons. You're young; you were still green. You certainly weren't Sjur. When Mara died, and suddenly you were Regent instead of me or Devi or whoever…"

assassination attempts would presumably have been made by extremely essential and high-ranking commanders. top of the list would be Illyn (see loretab Illyn, Pathfinder set head armor) & Kamala Rior (see Chain of Souls, Prodigal set leg armor, a Talk to Petra flavortext). i know Illyn is Distributary-born from a Pilgrimage, and i believe Rior is as well; given that Petra on chronologically-first loretab mention (Oathkeeper) is called "a child" by Mara, i don't think there are any Reef-born in command roles tbh. both Illyn and Rior are also deeply essential to both the religious/technological AND military (inasmuch as those are in any way separate) command structures for the Awoken. those are the main suspects, but the entire command structure doubts her (see Honored, below, and Vouchsafe again). Illyn also was Petra's teacher when she flunked out of Techeun training, so that's a whole nother layer to the mess lmfao.

for Illyn:

"Quickly," Illyn hisses. "Before Petra is informed." Any breach of Processes and Services triggers an alert, and while they were crafty in their intrusion, even minute body heat and motion of the air will be detected.

&

We need more Techeuns, Illyn. You know I'm right." Illyn shook her head. "We are not weapons for the Queen's Wrath to command…"

& then for Rior:

Variks's fingers flexed. "Petra, the Loyal," he sneered. "Perhaps the murmurs of Kamala Rior are true, yes?"

Petra glowered.

&

"Regent-Commander Petra Venj, if you take the Queenship, I will take my fleet and leave." —Paladin Kamala Rior

&

"I'm sending you a permanent detatchment of Corsairs. Petra... I'm sorry for doubting you." —Kamala Rior

Honored

Petra does not see the cynical glance that passes between Leona and Pavel, who have both served the Queen faithfully for decades.

and lastly i dont think Mara has ever been one to act on emotion like that. she has always been LASER-focused on her goals and the Big Picture, determined to get there regardless of how grieved she is by her own collateral damage. she brought her people out of heaven to DIE. ("If you have grace, then see our sorrows, but swallow back your tears. We were made to pay this price. I led us to our fate.") the closest we get to a rash emotional decision is in the Oathkeeper tab when Sjur dies, and even then all she allows herself to do is send Orin to find her killers.

"...But if we divert our attention now to vengeance against an unknown enemy…" Mara put down the coin and allowed herself a small, humorless smile. "Then let it be my diversion."

EXTREMELY long response but. i think Mara knows, and however upset she may be personally, i think she would never act to destabilize the Reef like that. imo Petra understands, but i'd imagine it also fucking sucks sometimes. that is what it is to love a god-queen though.

ALSO. this is whats sooo fun abt whenever Sjur comes back (idec if it happens in canon. its true in my heart. it says in literally every Sjur-related loretab). bc everyone tells Petra to her face that she isn't Sjur. constantly. BUT then we got that radio message in SotWish where Mara told her that she was better suited for regency than Sjur. and Sjur isn't full of herself or unable to recognize others' capabilities, and she'd be impressed by Petra as well, and also horrified at what she had to deal with. just DEEPLY fun dynamic. i <3 Petra's small dog complex and violent tendencies. highly recommend Jackie's PetraSjur fic about it also, which touches on this actually and also belongs in a museum: (link)