#also as an aside - with all the marriage symbolism and the dead brides in every story arc - both lyx and dfs with red uniforms?

[kingsandbastardz]

Tumblr ate the anon ask I was responding to so I'm gonna paraphrase it here:

what do mean llh gave di feisheng to fang duobing? the letter totally said something else

Yes, it did - but I didn't feel I could comment too deeply on it when it's been retranslated and people who are far more literate than I am have analyzed the contents already. -- The letter itself seems pretty straight forward.

However, what I wanted to focus on was analyzing unspoken social dynamics - so I'm gonna get in depth into my reasoning for my interpretation. And admittedly in previous posts I was playing fast and glib with my responses (they were just insomnia-fueled thoughts I typed real fast) so I wasn't really in depth or anything. Anyway~~~ That means it's time for me to get long winded.

So! First thing - this is the scene: The letter was written from Li Xiangyi and addressed in its entirety to Di Feisheng. However, when it was delivered the fisherman asked for both DFS and FDB. It was then read outloud by either the fisherman or FDB -- I assume read out loud, and loudly, because DFS never left his position by the rocks and emoted his distress at the contents. That means everyone there also was privy to the letter contents.

The letter itself is straight forward. It's addressed from LXY telling DFS that he regretfully can't make the duel and that he respects him both as a martial artist and as a person, and if he wishes, he can go to FDB who has inherited his skills and shows great promise, etc.

The thing IS - I firmly believe that this is not a message meant just for DFS.

Both LLH and DFS code switch between their non-leader selves vs Li-Menzhu and Di-Mengzhu. It's easiest to see based on what they're wearing. Li Xiangyi when he's dressed in the Sigu Sect uniform. Or the Styx flower hand-off scene where he calls him Di-mengzhu (not Lao Di or A-Fei or whatever else) likely as a reaction to his official regalia/red uniform which means DFS was showing up in an official capacity. Both of them know very well the importance of a certain.... how to say.... drama? They're both leaders and they were also very performative in their roles as leaders. They both expected that massive peanut gallery that showed up to witness the fight - the one filled with members of various sects, including Sigu Sect leadership -- because dfs was likely the one announcing it.

Imo - aside from the need to express the full weight of what he felt, part of the reason LLH was so formal in his letter is expectation that there would be other people there - influential people. The very people DFS and FDB would have to deal with in the future alone. FDB would be ok but he's largely unknown to the rest of jianghu and therefore his story is still malleable. DFS is known, but infamous and his narrative is as much of a trap as LXY's was. And now he no longer has the benefit of a sect to act as a buffer.

LLH's last act as LXY was not to save Yun Biqiu but to carve a new path open in the world for DFS and FDB:

Expresses that he bears deep emotion and the greatest and deepest respect for DFS despite a reputation of them being enemies

Informs everyone that DFS is not seeking dominion or 'the throne' but rather, is going the fighter-scholar path of studying and testing martial skill -- aka, this is message from one sect leader to all the others present. Spread the word, this man is NOT gunning for your power. None of you have reason to take him down.

Establishes FDB as his one and only successor - while also stating clearly it's entirely up to FDB to decide whether to continue down this path or not

Creates a pathway for DFS and FDB to maintain their connection with each other - and in fact lets everyone else know that there is a pre-established, legacy relationship between DFS and LLH that FDB will be inheriting.

Gently asks DFS to keep an eye on FDB's development - iterating that if dfs is the one asking, then FDB may make the decision to continue to train - aka help him see his full potential whatever his decision is.

At the same time, he silently wishes FDB to maintain connections with/keep an eye on DFS. In another reply I kinda went on about this: imagine a scenario where your friend's mom pulls both of you in front of her. And the whole time is telling your friend that they need to do, expectations, a list of goals, etc. The entire time she's only focused on your friend - but there is this silent implication that you, as the witness, is expected to act a reminder or even an enforcer if your friend isn't listening. If things go wrong, you're expected to go in there and help them to do the thing they were asked to do. This is the unspoken message I'm getting for FDB. Even though his name wasn't mentioned in the letter, it was explicitly delivered to both him and dfs. He's standing right there while an imaginary LLH talks to DFS. So if after all this, dfs disappears without another word = fdb can feel emboldened to go after him, knocking on doors until he answers. Should he decide to do so.

Entreaty - "These are LXY's (my) last wishes. Please respect my memory after my death."

Conclusion: LLH's last actions were to create a space where both DFS and FDB can make their own decision on their path in the world, without the weight of all those other people in jianghu influencing them.

Note: I also believe that on dfs' side, his clothing choices point toward his plans to publicly step down and leave the martial path with Li Lianhua. But llh sucker-punched him and left him standing on some rocks like a widow waiting for her husband who's lost at sea. They were technically on the same page, but it somehow went wrong because... well. Unfortunately that's DFS' narrative. He never quite reaches his goal without the hero either hindering or helping him. The entire drama was LLH being that karma busting fulcrum for him. But now, should he wish it, it'll be FDB's turn to step up and do the same.

#also as an aside - with all the marriage symbolism and the dead brides in every story arc - both lyx and dfs with red uniforms? #llh stealing dfs repeatedly away from marriages? sgd wanting llh to wear the red for HIM but instead llh wears it for everyone else but him #it's very much giving me sacrificial savior where the hero is for the people and not any given individual #mysterious lotus casebook #my royal ramblings #di feisheng #li lianhua #li xiangyi #fang duobing #lxy's last letter #meta

[little-chattes]

Ok so I’ve done a complete re-read through and one thing that kept nagging at me was how little Gideon and Harrow’s relationship makes sense given its quite frankly abusive origins. Harrow spends her whole life making Gideon’s a living hell and Gideon just… forgives her. Total and complete forgiveness for an irredeemable girl.

At first I took the sudden shift in their relationship as lazy writing to rush along the end of the story, but that didn't make any sense either. Muir strikes me as an intensely purposeful writer. Then I remembered that Muir is also an intensely Catholic writer and it hit me. Muir isn’t writing a story about a healthy human relationship, oh no, she’s writing a story about Christ’s relationship with The Church… if Christ was a sword toting butch lesbian and The Church was a sardonic bone witch. Call it tender blasphemy. 

Now Gideon’s role as a Christ figure is fairly easy to parse out given that her dad is… God. But for the sake of self indulgence (I have to put my 15 year long flirtation with Christianity to use somehow) I’m going to go through all the parallels anyway. There are a LOT of them.

Let’s start at the very beginning (a very good place to start).

Miraculous Conception

Luke 1:34-38

34 But Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I [e]am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; for that reason also the [f]holy Child will be called the Son of God. 

Gideon is conceived by artificial means when one of God’s own servants (Mercy) delivers a sample of John’s genetic material to Wake, a ‘normal’ human woman who chooses to carry Gideon in her womb. Notably, the sample lives far beyond its point of expected viability, thus making the conception somewhat miraculous (“Only the sample was still active, no idea how considering it was twelve weeks after the fact” HTN 441). 

The Cuckold

Matthew 1:18-25

18 Now the birth of Jesus the [a]Messiah was as follows: when His mother Mary had been [b]betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, since he was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her, planned to [c]send her away secretly. 

Gideon the First decides not to kill his lover, Wake, and releases her out the airlock (AND HE TOOK PITY ON ME! HE TOOK PITY ON ME! HE SAW ME AND HE TOOK PITY ON ME” from Harrow’s vision of Wake’s note, HTN 124) just as Joseph took pity on Mary, his betrothed, by deciding to divorce her quietly instead of making her infidelity public which would condemn her to death by public stoning (Deuteronomy 22:21). Gideon the First knew that Wake was pregnant and didn’t tell John because he thought the baby was his. Similarly, Joseph goes on to raise Jesus as his own son.

The Birth

Luke 2:7

And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a [f]manger, because there was no [g]room for them in the inn.

 Neither baby Jesus nor baby Gideon were given a proper cradle, one being laid to rest in a manger where the animals ate and the other stuffed in a transplant bio-container (GTN 23). 

The Dead Children

16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.

King Herod intends to kill the prophesied King of the Jews and instead of finding the specific baby, he just has a bunch of them slaughtered. However, Jesus escapes the slaughter of the innocents by Herod when his parents secret him away to Egypt.

 When the great aunts gas the nursery and kill the 200, Gideon is meant to die along with them but escapes her fate.

Now this event has a completely different biblical connotation for Harrow. 

Firstly, the murder of the 200 children represents Original Sin. In the bible, Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, and as their descendants, all of humankind is doomed to also bear the weight of that sin from the moment we are born until the day we die. This is a fact that is drilled into Christians as soon as we’re able to understand it, we are born wretched and unworthy sinners, and there’s nothing we can do ourselves to fix that. 

“I have tried to dismantle you, Gideon Nav! The Ninth House poisoned you, we trod you underfoot—I took you to this killing field as my slave—you refuse to die, and you pity me! Strike me down. You’ve won. I’ve lived my whole wretched life at your mercy, yours alone, and God knows I deserve to die at your hand. You are my only friend. I am undone without you.”

Harrow is a multitude, she is 200 children, the entire future of her house. Shes not just one human being,, she’s the whole damn church.

Naz/Nav

he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.

Although Gideon is not from the Ninth, she is given the Ninth name Nav when she arrives as a baby. Similarly, Jesus is known as Jesus of Nazareth, though that is not where he was born.

The Poor Bondservant

Jesus' role as a servant is emphasized many times in the bible. He was a carpenter's son born in a stable 

Philippians 2:5-8

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

 Gideon is described as being made “a very small bondswoman” (GTN 24)

The Sword

Matthew 10:34

Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.

The Wretched Sinner

Harrow is wretched, self loathing, and cruel. 

She is in thrall of the enemy of god, a figure who was once gods most favoured warrior, cast into hell.

She is like the depiction of the sinner who loves the devil

It's important to note that Harrow isn’t a single person, she is a multitude, the entire future of her people condensed into one body. 

The Enemy of God

20 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, nholding in his hand the key to othe bottomless pit1 and a great chain. 2 And he seized pthe dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and qbound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into othe pit, and shut it and rsealed it over him, so that she might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.

Before the fall, Satan was described as a “guardian cherub” who resided in the garden with God (Ezekiel 28:14) 

(a funny aside, in the bible the devil is known as the great deceiver but in HTN Muir specifies that Alecto is incapable of lying)

A Life of Abuse 

Isaiah 53:3

"He was despised and rejected by mankind,

    a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.

Like one from whom people hide their faces

    he was despised, and we held him in low esteem”

They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff" (Luke 4:28–29).

Gideon lives a life of mockery and is abused by Harrow.

An Unlikely Savior

Despite the fact that Gideon does not fit the expected image of a Cavalier, Harrow chooses Gideon to be her sword and protector.

Despite the many openings Gideon has to make Harrow pay for the pain she caused her, she remains loyal to her

Trust

Harrow realizes that she cannot face the lyctor trials without Gideon, and places her trust in her

Christians are told they must place their trust in jesus in order to reach salvation

Purifying Water

Acts 2:38

Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Harrow confesses her sins to Gideon and puts herself at her mercy

Gideon forgives Harrow totally and completely, she baptises her

One Flesh

Mark 10:8

and the two shall become one flesh; so they are no longer two, but one flesh.

“The imagery and symbolism of marriage is applied to Christ and the body of believers known as the church. The church is comprised of those who have trusted in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and have received eternal life. Christ, the Bridegroom, has sacrificially and lovingly chosen the church to be His bride” (x)

Ephesians 5:25-26

25 gHusbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and hgave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by ithe washing of water jwith the word,

They take the vow of necro and cav, one flesh one end

Gideon’s forgiveness of Harrow is reaffirmed

Harrow risks her life to stay and fight with Gideon, even if it means her death and thus the destruction of her death. Her love for Gideon is now greater than her love for the Body.

The Sacrifice

John 19:34

Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.

They will look on the one they have pierced'" (John 19:36–37).

Gideon chooses to die for Harrow, death by piercing

and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

In order to complete the lyctor process, Harrow both physically and spiritually consumes Gideon

Because of Gideon’s sacrifice, Harrow attains eternal life at the right hand of god

The Tomb

The Resurrection

1On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women came to the tomb, bringing the spices they had prepared. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus

Harrow turns her body into a tomb for Gideon, a tomb fashioned after that on the Ninth

Resurrection on the Third Day

Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. Luke 24:46-47 

“So many months had passed: and yet, at the same time, she had only lost Gideon Nav three days ago. It was the morning of the third day in a universe without her cavalier: it was the morning of the third day—and all the back of her brain could say, in exquisite agonies of amazement, was: She is dead. I will never see her again.” (HTN 374)

Just in case you missed this important piece of information, Muir repeats it three times.

Go, and tell them, then, that he that was dead is alive, and lives for evermore, and has the keys of death and the grave,"

[rasoir-national]

I’m assuming that studying law, involves learning about the history of law. I’m interested to know how the legal system has changed over the centuries. (Hopefully this isn’t too much of a complicated question to answer)

Oh boy, so so much. Basically every course we have starts with a historical study of how this specific type of law started. History of law is one of the three specialties we can choose, but it’s not mine. There are literal libraries of material so I couldn’t possibly answer your question exhaustively, but I can give a couple examples to illustrate the kind of changes that can occur.

First, from contract law. What makes a contract binding ? If you’re from modern times, you might say “that’s the fact that two people write a document and sign it”. But here’s the thing : you don’t sign something with the cashier everytime you go shopping, yet you give them money and they let you leave the store with your items without having you arrested. That’s because the essence of the contract is not any kind of formality, but the fact that two parties agreed to make their agreement binding. The store agrees to sell this item for a certain sum of money, and you agree to give that certain sum of money in exchange for this specific item. Now when the object of the transaction (to use the most basic type of contract) is bigger, law might require the parties make a written document, and even sign it in presence of a specific official (a notary for a real estate sale for example). But that’s so the parties can more easily prove the contract ; the real contract happens because the buyer made an offer and the seller agreed to this offer. That’s the doctrine of consensus. At its core, a contract is two will coming in unison to make certain terms binding.

But here’s the thing : it wasn’t always like this. In the Middle Ages, and up to the Revolution, contract law was governed by the doctrine of formalism. Formalism is the exact opposite of consensus : a contract isn’t binding because the parties agreed it should be, but because they accomplished a series of codified actions which signified the contract happened. Now remember, mass literacy wasn’t a thing back then, so this action couldn’t be to write and sign a document. So the actions required to make a contract binding were symbolic. For example, if you sold a piece of land, you would bring the buyer a lump of soil from this land, symbolically passing its ownership to them. Since there’s no written proof, witnesses were crucial so these actions had to be public. One story we were told in college was of a real estate transaction between two lords : one of the guards went to grab a young boy from the nearby village and brought him to the field that was being sold, and they made the boy witness the transaction and then the guard slapped the boy to make sure he would remember what he’d witnessed his entire life. Needless to say, this system was horrendous. There was no conclusive way to prove your right, as even witnesses were easily bought. That was a mess.

Enters the French Revolution, and then the Napoleonian civil code (which we still use today !). Aside from the political upheaval, at the same time law underwent a complete overhaul thanks to people like Portalis. The big idea regarding contracts was that citizens were capable of making their own legal decisions, and that their will should prevail over some complicated formalism. That’s when the doctrine of consensus appeared. From then on, no symbolic gifting of soil. You simply had two parties agree to something, and that meant a contract existed. Obviously, it didn’t hurt that soon people were able to make written agreements, but at its core, the entire way people thought about contracts shifted. So everytime you don’t have to bring witnesses with you to shop for groceries, remember to thank the revolutionaries.

Here’s a second example, this one from public law : what is a kingdom ? More specifically, what’s a kingdom in relation to its king ? France was a monarchy until… well, you know, but from Louis Capet to Charlemagne, it was quite a journey, and in a way, something as revolutionary as the revolution itself took place centuries earlier. See, in the times of Charlemagne, the King was nothing more than the owner of the Kingdom. He could rent parts of it, buy and sell parts of it, divide it between its heirs, the same way a landlord can buy, sell and divide their property. That’s why in the middle ages what would become “countries” changed shape so often : there was no fixed identity to any of them. A kingdom was simply the sum of all the land the king had been able to acquire. But by the 11th century, that became a problem : because the kingdom of France was divided at every succession, it had become ridiculously small ; it was barely bigger than the Parisian region. The King of France was much less powerful than the lords of Aquitaine of Languedoc who, despite technically not “kings” owned huge pieces of land and private forces. And so the kings started to think of ways to reclaim their power. The first way they did this was by making very profitable marriage alliances with daughters of powerful nobles, and specifying in what we would call a marriage contract that the land the bride would bring to the king of France would remain his property, instead of returning to her male relatives (of course, that didn’t always work, look up mega-badass double queen Eleanor of Aquitaine). The second way they did this was by developing a doctrine that became known as “the two bodies of the King”. The idea was that the king wasn’t just the human being that was currently king ; the “King” was also the transcendent figure which inhabited whichever “king” was on the throne. There’s the mortal body of the king and the divine body of the King. And therefore, the kingdom isn’t just the property of the king ; he had to look after it, but he cannot dispose of it at will, because it doesn’t just belong to him, it belongs to this transcendent King. That’s where “the king is dead, long live the King !” comes from. So from then on, the kingdom cannot get divided at every succession, because there can only be one kingdom of France. The current king just happen to coincide with the transcendent king during a certain period of time. Using this doctrine, the kings of France progressively reclaimed their authority on the entire entity that would become known as the kingdom of France, because they aren’t just a noble among nobles ; they are above them, and while the noble yield power over their land, the king has a claim over this same land which transcends simple property. Sovereignty isn’t ownership, it transcends it. So when the Revolution came, the very idea that France was an entity separate from the king was actually born centuries before.

And that’s two examples of how systems of law can change. Some changes are relatively sudden, others happen over centuries as mentalities and society evolve. There’s really no roadmap of how those changes operate. Some were portended by academic or philosophical discussions, others were pushed by a political necessity. But they never truly come out of nowhere. The law is inherently conservative, because above all else, its aim is stability. So even something revolutionary as… well, the Revolution, has to be studied in its context if we are to really understand its ruptures and its continuity, because yes, there is immense legal continuity between the Old Regime and the Revolution. If you’re interested in this topic, it’s mandatory you read Alexis de Tocqueville’s “The Old Regime and the Revolution”. If you study law in France, it’s pretty much the first thing they’ll make you read, and it’s quite accessible even if you have no legal background. I also recommend Rafe Blaufarb’s remarkable “The Great Demarcation : the French Revolution and the invention of Modern Property”, though it’s a bit more technical.

#law stuff #frev

[imagine-loki]

Winter's Hearts

TITLE: Winter’s Hearts CHAPTER NO./ONE SHOT: Chapter 29/? AUTHOR: nekoamamori ORIGINAL IMAGINE: Imagine being Loki’s old friend/Lover in Asgard, but you left for Earth a long time ago. For all he knows, you might be dead, but you’re still alive and you’ve been working with SHIELD and/or the Avengers. RATING: T (so far) NOTES/WARNINGS: Also on AO3: Click here

    You kept your grip on Thor’s arm, nervous at suddenly being at your wedding. And yet, it was perfect. A surprise wedding kept you from fretting about it for months, plus it was 900 years overdue. You walked with Thor at your side down the aisle. Frigga was waiting for you before the throne. Loki stood in front of her, his back turned to you as tradition demanded. He was forbidden to turn to look at you. You could see the tension in his shoulders even from the other end of the long aisle at the temptation to do it anyway.

    You were even more surprised to see Stark standing next to Loki, in what would be Thor’s place once the pair of you reached the throne. Nat was standing next to Sif as your bridesmaids. It nearly brough tears to your eyes. “The team arrived with Loki this morning,” Thor told you in a whisper. You realized you hadn’t seen them all morning. Tricky friends keeping the secret. They had said they were traveling to spend Christmas with friends and family. “The men drew lots to determine who would stand beside Loki,” he added as you walked and focused on not falling on your face.

    The entire focus of getting up the aisle was not falling flat on your face. Do. Not. Fall. On. Face. Do not fall on face. Donotfallonface. Must not fall on face while wearing wedding dress.

    You saw the wings of the Valkyrie in the crowd, most of them were lining the aisle between the half-way point and the throne. Their wings were in hues of the golds and light browns of the Asgardian hair colors. When you reached the half-way point two of the Valkyrie stepped out to block your path, their dragonfang blades crossed across the aisle. Neither of them spoke, but you knew the tradition.

    Thor dropped your arm. The Valkyrie raised their swords to let him pass and crossed them again to block your way once he had. Thor made his way confidently up to the throne and took his place next to Loki. You were a Valkyrie of Asgard and had to face the conclusion of this trial alone.

    You saw Thor lean to Loki after giving you another glance. “Wait until you see her, Brother,” he teased and you saw the tension ease in Loki’s shoulders at his brother’s joke, the reassurance. You smiled at your silly boys.

    You concentrated for a moment to do it gracefully, and summoned your wings, unfurling them from your back elegantly to the gasp of the crowd. Your jet black wings were a sharp contrast to your pure white dress.

    You summoned your dragonfang blade and stepped forward.

    A third Valkyrie stepped out into the aisle, standing facing you and held her sword pointed at you. You placed your blade against hers. She was the matron, the trainer of all the young Valkyrie and you had known her your entire life. “This union is your choice, Sister?” she asked you, loudly enough that the entire throne room could hear.

    “This union is the deepest desire of my heart,” you gave the reply. She stepped aside and bowed to you as the other Valkyrie, every single one in the crowd, raised her dragonblade sword in solidarity.

    “Proceed with our blessing, Lady Valkyrie, and with our protection,” the matron bid you. You vanished your blade, gripping your bouquet instead, and the matron moved in front of you, while the other two walked on either side as you made your way the rest of the way to the throne, surrounded by your sister Valkyrie as honor guard. You smiled at the raised blades in the crowd, solidarity from all of the Valkyrie in the palace.

    The matron stepped aside at the last row of spectators, the row that included your mother and the rest of your Midgardian friends. Your honor guard turned to face the aisle, letting you pass alone. You took one more step forward and Frigga nodded to Loki, giving him his cue.

    He turned then, elegant in his formal finery, golden horned helmet included. You smiled brightly at him, heard his gasp as he fought to keep his mouth from falling open. You flushed a little at his obvious approval of your looks.

    You took the last few steps to him and Sif took your bouquet so you could take his hands. “Words cannot describe how lovely you are, Kyrie-love,” he whispered as you turned to face him, both of you standing before Frigga, your hands joined in front of you.

    “Ceremonial clothes suit you as well, your highness,” you teased and he grinned at you.

    Frigga smiled at you both warmly. “Traditionally there would be a year and a day betrothal between the official engagement and wedding,” she started, addressing the crowd. “However, this wedding has already been delayed long enough,” there were some chuckles from the crowd, those who knew more of the story. “So we have agreed that the engagement has been fulfilled and now with no further delays:”

    Frigga summoned a golden ribbon out of thin air.

    “Loki, my son, Y/N, Valkyrie of Asgard, the ties that are bound here today greatly strengthen your union and will cross the years and lives of each soul’s growth. Do you seek to enter this ceremony?”

    “Yes,” you and Loki both answered at the same time, excitement in your voices. Frigga grinned at your joy.

    “This cord is a symbol of the connection between your two lives. As your hands are bound together by this cord, so too, will your lives be bound together in marriage.” She wrapped the ribbon around the wrists of your joined hands. You couldn’t believe this was actually happening, after all this time it was finally, finally happening.

    “Today you are holding the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you, as you promise to love each other forever on your wedding day.

    These are the hands that will work alongside yours as together you build your future.

    These are the hands that will passionately love and cherish you through the years and will comfort you like no other.

    These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief fills your mind.

    These are the hands that will wipe tears from your eyes, tears of sorrow and tears of joy.

    These are the hands that will tenderly hold your children.

    These are the hands that will help you hold your family together as one.

    These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it.

    And these are the hands that – even when wrinkled and aged – will still be reaching for yours and expressing the same tenderness they do today with just a touch.”

    You squeezed Loki’s hands and he squeezed yours back, both of you grinning with tears of joy dancing in your eyes.

    “Just as your hands are now bound together, so too, are your lives. Because you cannot always be physically joined together, you will each give to the other a wedding ring to symbolize that connection. It will be worn on your hand as a constant reminder of the bond shared between you as a married couple.” Frigga’s golden ribbon vanished and you panicked for one instant about not having a ring until Frigga held out both of her hands, a ring in each. You reached forward and took the ring from the hand closest to you while Loki did the same. You carefully slipped the silver ring on the ring finger of Loki’s left hand. Silver wasn’t one of his colors, so the ring would stick out even more against his usual gold and black. He took your left hand and slipped the slim silver wedding band onto your finger as well.

    “With joy in my heart, I pronounce this binding complete. Prince Loki and Princess Y/N are officially wed this day. My son, you may kiss your bride,” Frigga announced, her voice warm and joyful. You hadn’t forgotten but neglected to appreciate that in marrying Loki, you became a princess. It hadn’t seemed important, and really, nothing changed. Loki bent the scant distance between your lips and kissed you to the roars of the crowd.

    You turned to make your way back down the aisle, your hand in Loki’s, to lead the procession to the wedding feast.

    Every single Valkyrie in attendance stepped into the aisle, one on either side of the aisle and raised their blades above their heads, making an arch for you to walk under. It was tradition for a Valkyrie wedding. You and Loki walked calmly through their arch, grinning like joyful children.

    The last pair of Valkyrie crossed their blades in front of you, blocking your way. They gave Loki a look. He smirked in reply and turned to kiss you. It was the toll to get past the last of the Valkyrie on a Valkyrie’s wedding day. He turned you and bent you backwards, dipping you and kissing you well. He would pay the toll properly. He stood you back on your feet and the Valkyrie raised their swords with grins. However…

    The one on Loki’s side moved quickly and swatted him lightly on the ass with the flat of her blade. “Welcome to the Valkyrie, your highness,” she bid him loudly. You both laughed and proceeded to the wedding feast.

    The feast was huge and would last all night. You and Loki went straight to your table. Thor, his warrior friends, and the Avengers had the next closest table and Frigga and Odin had a small table close as well.

    Thor reached you first and hugged you both. He clapped Loki’s back for his hug and kissed your cheek on yours. “Congratulations!” he bid you loudly. Sif and the Warriors Three congratulated you next. Sif hugged you, the warrior bows bowed over you hand to kiss your knuckles.

    “How did you guys get here? How did Odin approve it?” you asked the team when they approached.

    Nat came over and kissed the air next to your cheek, very careful not to touch your skin. “Congratulations, Kyrie,” she bid you warmly.

    “Father did us a favor and allowed our teammates to come for the wedding,” Thor explained as more congratulations were exchanged.

    “I brought them with me this morning and helped the men find suitable clothing while Mother found a lovely dress for Lady Natasha,” Loki explained. You hadn’t noticed that the team were all wearing Asgardian style clothes. “I then had to spend the rest of the day keeping Stark from destroying all of our technology to study it,” he whined and you laughed. “He wanted to take apart the soulforge,”

    “The healers would have killed him,” you told Loki. Loki inclined his head.

    “So he carefully gave us tours of the palace and kept you from seeing us all day,” Clint explained, looking around the palace still in awe.

    “And before you fret, sleeping arrangements have been made already. Sif, Thor, and the Warriors Three will make sure our friends are taken care of. Sif is already prepared to carry Stark to bed when he gets too drunk,” Loki told you quickly and kissed your cheek at your indignant look. Of course you’d worry about your friends. “Stick to the ale or mead Stark, anything stronger will put you on your ass faster than you’d like to be,” Loki advised.

    You had to greet more well-wishers before you could finally sit and have the feast begin. “Loki, this is amazing,” you told him when you were finally alone. “How-?”

    He smiled at you warmly. “I told you that Mother, Thor, and I have been working on this together. The hardest part was keeping it secret from you, my dear,” he told you. “And making sure every detail was perfect so you wouldn’t fret. I do hope you didn’t mind that it was a surprise?”

    “Not at all, love. It was perfect. Thank you,”

    “Anything for you, my Valkyrie,”

    There was way too much food, even more ale and mead. You danced with Loki to the cheers of everyone as you floated gracefully across the dance floor. You danced with others throughout the night, including Thor, the warrior boys, and even a slightly tipsy Stark, though you had to summon gloves to dance with him. You didn’t mind and he was a better dancer than he wanted to let on.

    Part of the way through the evening, Frigga passed you a chalice of mead to share with Loki, as was tradition. You thanked her and accepted her congratulations and her welcome to the family. When you sat with Loki and drank the mead, Thor made his way over.

    You sighed heavily, knowing what was coming. “Get it over with, Oaf,” you teased him. He laughed and raised Mjolnir high above his head to the cheers of the crowd. He set it carefully on your lap.

    “What’s going on?” Bruce asked the other Avengers in a whisper.

    “Give me nieces and nephews, little sister,” Thor teased you right back, his voice warm and full of mirth.

    “Someday, oaf. Now kindly remove the symbol of your manhood from my lap, before I do it myself, or your brother stabs you,” you grumbled, but goodnaturedly. Loki summoned a dagger, but he wouldn’t stab Thor over this, especially today. You turned to your Avenger friends when Thor did as he was told. “It’s tradition for Mjolnir, or a symbol therein, to be placed in the bride’s lap as a prayer of fertility to Thunderhead. How he became the god of fertility too, I’ll never know,” you teased, sticking your tongue out at Thor.

    “You wound me,” Thor protested.

    “He’s hot, that’s why,” Nat commented dryly. The group turned and stared at her, counting how many drinks she’d had. She shrugged. “What? Everyone was thinking it.” No one dared answer that accusation. She was right, nearly everyone in their right mind thought that, including straight men.

    The dancing and feast would last until dawn. In the middle of the night sometime, Thor whistled loudly and you laughed, knowing what would come next. The party would continue without you and Loki. The crowd roared, cheered, and drank more ale, knowing what was coming. “He brought us for manual labor,” Stark grumbled as their group came over as well as Sif and the Warriors Three. The Avengers hauled Loki up onto their shoulders while he grumbled at the indignity of it. The Warriors Three and Thor lifted you onto theirs. It had to be this arrangement since the mortals couldn’t risk touching your skin. Sif led the procession to the family wing of the palace while you giggled and Loki grumbled that he needed no help finding his chambers.

    “It is tradition, Brother, you know that,” Thor replied when Loki complained too much. They set you down outside of Loki’s suite. Thor opened the door and shoved the two of you inside. “Congratulations!” he bid you one last time before he closed the suit door and he and your friends returned to the party.

    You turned to Loki and somehow your lips were on his without another word, though you didn’t remember moving. “We’re married,” you told him warmly between kisses.

    “Finally,” he replied a moment before his lips had returned to yours. You moved to the bed chamber, your clothes disappearing as you did courtesy of magic. Your lips didn’t move from his as you climbed into the bed to celebrate your wedding night properly. Neither of you noticed turning Jotun during, and you fell asleep in a tangle of blue limbs, black hair, and black feathered wings after a perfect wedding, a perfect day, a perfect night with your Loki.

    “I love you, princess,” he whispered before you fell asleep.

    “And I love you my prince,” 

#Loki #Lover #Imagine #Submitted fic #submission #winter's hearts #chapter 29 #nekoamamori #love #asgard #dead #alive #S.H.I.E.L.D. #avengers #ecstatic #relationship #midgardian

[mythologiafennica]

List of the characters in Kalevala

By popular demand (haha what a joke there was no demand for this post, it’s just a dream of mine to some day use that phrase) here’s a list of the characters of Kalevala, organised by place of residence. This time also provided to you in alphabetical order because well, only the best for my readers. Oh and there’s also a list of the cows of Kalevala. Enjoy! 

Kalevala / Karjala / Väinölä

Aino ∞ sister to Joukahainen, betrothed to Väinämöinen but instead of marrying him she drowns herself and become’s a Vellamon neiti, maiden of water

Ainikki ∞ sister to Lemminkäinen

Annikki ∞ sister to Ilmarinen

Ilmarinen ∞ a skilled smith who forges the Sampo, marries Pohjan neiti and after losing her forges the silver bride and later the lights of sky

Joukahainen ∞ skinny boy from Lapland who loses to Väinämöinen in poem singing and promises his sister Aino to Väinämöinen just to spare his own life

Kalervo ∞ father of Kullervo, brother to Untamo

Kalervon impi ∞ mother of Kullervo, Kalervo’s wife

Kullervo ∞ a youngling raised in slavery, seduces his own sister by accident (she kills herself after realising this), takes revenge on Untamo, loses his parents and ends up taking his own life

Kyllikki / Kylli ∞ a beautiful maiden, stolen by Lemminkäinen to be his wife, she agrees to be married to Lemminkäinen but eventually breaks her vows 

Lemminkäinen / Ahti Saarelainen / Kauko ∞ a warrior, ladies man, quarrelsome, but also a skilled noita, a witch, who has a tight bond with his mother

Lemminkäisen äiti ∞ mother of Lemminkäinen, a renown healer, who repeatedly tries to stop her son from his often too daring endeavours 

Lokka / Kalevatar ∞ mother of Ilmarinen

Lyylikki / Kauppi ∞ a ski maker

Marjatta ∞ a fair maiden who gets impregnated from eating a lingonberry, gives birth to a son; the boy goes lost but she manages to find him with help from taivaanvalot, lights of the sky

Marjatan poika / Karjalan kuningas ∞ son of Marjatta, whom Väinämöinen wants to condemn to death, but who then starts to speak of Väinämöinen’s past sins and is then known as the king of Karjala (he is a symbol for Christianity)

Ruotus / Sarajas & Ruotuksen emäntä ∞ owners of the house from where Marjatta seeks help for her birth (Ruotus is derived from biblical Herodes)

Tiera / Kuura ∞ “friend” of Lemminkäinen during the war to Pohjola

Untamo / Unto ∞ brother of Kalervo, who is told to have killed Kalervo and his family, only keeping Kullervo as his slave; he sells Kullervo to Ilmarinen but eventually ends up being killed by Kullervo

Väinämöinen / Väinö / Suvantolainen ∞ old wise man, a shaman, who has his part in the creation of the world, makes trips to the realm of the dead, invents the kantele; has poor luck with women, children and stealing the Sampo, but his kantele playing has the ability to charm every being present

Pohjola / Sariola

Louhi / Pohjan akka / Ilpotar ∞ the ruler of Pohjola, a fierce noita, a witch, she has the power to transform into the eagle Kokko; she has daughters who the men from Kalevala often come to ask for marriage

Märkähattu ∞ a blind old shepherd, whom Lemminkäinen accuses of incest and bestiality and who then kills Lemminkäinen

Pohjolan tyttäret ∞ the daughters of Louhi, amount unclear, probably 3

Louhen tytär / Ilmarin emäntä ∞ daughter of Louhi, wanted among many Kalevalan men, ends up being married to Ilmarinen after he forges the Sampo; she is killed by Kullervo after which Ilmarinen goes to ask for another of Louhi’s daughters to marry

Pohjan neito ∞ a girl who lived in Pohjola whom Väinämöinen tried to lure to be his wife, most likely one of Louhi’s daughters

Pohjolan isäntä ∞ lord of Pohjola, a skilled spellweaver who ends up getting killed by Lemmnikäinen

Ukko uunin päällä ∞ a gaffer living in Pohjola who recites the birth words of ale, gives words of advice to a husband-to-be and helps Väinämöinen to cure a wound

Tuonela

Antero Vipunen / Untamo ∞ a shaman who holds great knowledge and has passed to the realm of the dead

Loviatar ∞ she gave birth to the worst of diseases

Tuonen akka, ukko & poika ∞ the lady, lord and son of the realm of the dead who weave a web of iron and cast it to the river of Tuonela to stop Väinämöinen from leaving their lands 

Tuonen tytti / Tuonen neito ∞ daughter of Tuoni who does laundry by the shores of the river of Tuonela (see also Kiputyttö)

Tuonetar ∞ the matron of Tuonela

Tuoni ∞ personified death, ruler of Tuonela

Deities

Aallotar ∞ a female spirit of water

Ahto / Veden isäntä ∞ king of waves, ruler of the realm of waters; known as other folklore as Ahti

Akka aaltojen alainen ∞ a female haltija, guardian spirit, of rapids (see also Kosken tyttö)

Akka manteren alainen / Mannun eukko ∞ goddess of earth; appears in spell-poems

Etelätär / Suvetar ∞ a female haltija of springtime; appears especially in spells of protecting cattle

Hiisi / Juutas, Juuttaat ∞ mythical evil being, a synonym for bad things; also meant a place, usually a bad and probably dangerous place

Hiiden hevonen ∞ Hiisi’s horse; appears in spell-poems

Hiiden hirvi ∞ Hiisi’s mythical moose who Lemminkäinen sets to hunt

Hongatar ∞ goddess spirit

Humala / Remusen poika ∞ personified hop (humulus lupulus)

Iku-Turso ∞ a terrifying sea monster who Louhi conjures out of the waves, but whom Väinämöinen speaks over to fall back into the depths

Ilman impi / Ilmatar ∞ the oldest air spirit, she is the mother of Väinämöinen

Kaleva / Osmo ∞ the mythical ancestor of all people of Kalevala

Kalevatar ∞ helper of creating beer

Kalma / Surma ∞ personification of death (the act of dying itself, not same as Tuoni)

Katajatar ∞ goddess spirit

Kave eukko ∞ mythical nature spirit, appears in spell-poems

Kiputyttö / Kivutar / Vammatar ∞ appears in healing spell-poems

Kivi-Kimmo, Kammon poika ∞ guardian spirit of rocks, who Lemminkäinen asks to set aside the foam of water from the way of boatmen

Kosken tyttö / Kuohuneiti / Neiti kosken-korvallinen ∞ guardian spirit of rapids

Kuuhut ∞ personified moon

Kuutar / Otavatar / Päivätär / Tähetär ∞ goddess spirit of fabric weaving and moonlight 

Lempo ∞ a being(?) associated with Hiisi and other evil things; often used as an insulting word

Luonnottaret ∞ nature goddesses; three of them gave birth to iron, three gave birth to snakes

Melatar ∞ a spirit associated with rowing

Metsän piika ∞ a forest spirit (see also Tapion neiti)

Mielikki / Mimerkki ∞ matron goddess of forest

Nyyrikki ∞ son of Tapio, who grants luck in hunting- and herding spells

Osmotar / Kapo kaljojen tekijä ∞ guardian spirit of ale, gives advice to a bride

Otsonen ∞ godly figure of forest; appears in bear-hunting spell-poems

Pihlajatar ∞ goddess spirit

Päivä / Päivyt / Tähti ∞ personified natural force

Päivän poika ∞ son of the Sun, releases a spark of fire from the stomach of a pike

Sampsa Pellervoinen ∞ mythical character; appears in poems about fields, cultivation and cutting down trees

Siniviitta ∞ a mythical forest spirit, who tells Kullervo in the woods that his family is alive, contrary to what Kullervo had believed (see also Ajattaret)

Sotkottaret ∞ water maidens of a kind, who inhabit the shores and are filled with awe by the sound of Väinämöinen’s kantele playing

Suonetar ∞ a goddess spirit; appears in healing (stitching a wound, mending broken bones, surgical operations) poems

Syöjätär ∞ a spirit who had to do with the birth of snakes 

Tapio ∞ ruler and god of forest 

Tapion neiti ∞ a female spirit residing in the forest

Tellervo ∞ possibly wife to Tapio, goddess spirit of the forest, protector of cattle in forest

Terhenetär / Uutar / Udutar ∞ guardian spirit of mist and fog

Tuometar ∞ goddess spirit

Tursas ∞ a being who rose from the waters to grant the perfect soil for the first oak to grow on

Tuulikki ∞ daughter of Tapio, goddess spirit of forest

Ukko ∞ the high god, commander of weather

Veden emäntä / Vellamo ∞ goddess of water

Veen emonen ∞ Ilmatar after she descended from the skies and laid on the water

Cows

What? You’re not into cows? Well too bad, I’m listing them anyway!

Hermikki ∞ Ilmarinen’s cow

Kimmo ∞ a cow

Kyyttä ∞ Ilmarinen’s cow

Mairikki ∞ Ilmarinen’s cow

Mansikkinen ∞ Lemminkäinen’s cow

Muurikki ∞ a cow

Muurikkinen ∞ Lemminkäinen’s cow

Omena ∞ Ilmarinen’s cow

Pienikki ∞ Ilmarinen’s cow

Puolukka ∞ Lemminkäinen’s cow

Tuorikki ∞ Ilmarinen’s cow

#kalevala #characters of kalevala #cows of kalevala #my text #kalevala's mythology

[gospelmusic]

Catholic Daily Reading + Reflection: 8 November 2020 - The Church Waits For Her Spouse

Readings at Mass for Sunday November 8, 2020

Thirty- Second Sunday of the Year Vestment: Green Today’s Rosary: The Glorious Mystery Death Anniversary: KANU: Most Revd Patrick Sheehan, OSA., 8 November 2012 Theme of the Sunday: The Church Waits for Her Spouse. The first Christians used to often say, “The Lord is coming!” and they were always ready to receive him. The theme of vigilance links together the three readings today. The second reading describes expectation and vigilance in the community of Thessalonica. The gospel continues the theme in a parable about vigilance. The first reading can be taken as a commentary on the gospel. The gospel teaches us that “those (virgins) who prepare themselves for the coming of the Lord are wise,” while the first reading says that our most precious gift is the wisdom that comes from God. Entrance Antiphon Let my prayer come into your presence. Incline your ear to my cry for help, O Lord. Collect Almighty and merciful God, graciously keep from us all adversity, so that, unhindered in mind and body alike, we may pursue in freedom of heart the things that are yours. Through our Lord. ..

FIRST READING

Wisdom is found by those who seek her. A reading from the Book of Wisdom (Wisdom 6: 12-16) Wisdom is radiant and unfading, and she is easily discerned by those who love her, and is found by those who seek her. She hastens to make herself known to those who desire her. He who rises early to seek her will have no difficulty, for he will find her sitting at his gates. To fix one’s thought on her is perfect understanding, and he who is vigilant on her account will soon be free from care, because she goes about seeking those worthy of her, and she graciously appears to them in their paths, and meets them in every thought. The word of the Lord. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 63:2.3-4.5-6.7-8 (R.cf.2b)

R. For you my soul is thirsting, O Lord, my God. O God, you are my God; at dawn I seek you; for you my soul is thirsting. For you my flesh is pining, Like a dry, weary land without water. R. I have come before you in the sanctuary, To behold your strength and your glory. Your loving mercy is better than life: My lips will speak your praise. R. I will bless you all my life: in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul shall be filled as with a banquet: With joyful lips, my mouth shall praise you. R. When I remember you upon my bed, I muse on you through the watches of the night. For you have been my strength: In the shadow of your wings I rejoice. R.

SECOND READING

God will bring with him through Jesus those who have fallen asleep. A reading from the first letter of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); We would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first; then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. The word of the Lord.

ALLELUIA Matthew 24:42a.44

Alleluia. Watch, therefore, and be ready; the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Alleluia.

GOSPEL

Behold, the bridegroom. Come out to meet him. A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Matthew 25:1 -13) At that time: Jesus told his disciples this parable: “The kingdom of heaven shall be compared to ten maidens who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ “Then all those maidens rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ “But the wise replied, ‘Perhaps there will not be enough for us and for you; go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ “And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut. Afterward the other maidens came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us. ’ But he replied, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you. ’ “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The Gospel of the Lord.

PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL

The Bridegroom is here! PRIEST: My brothers and sisters, as we wait for Christ’s second coming in glory, let us pray to God our Father that we may be always watchful, and keep our eyes fixed on the Lord. READER: For the Church, the Bride of Christ, pause that she may always be clothed in the beauty of God’s grace as she sets aside everything else except her unending vigil for the Lord’s coming. pause Hear us, O Lord; come, Lord Jesus, come we pray Oh Lord. For scientists who work to alleviate human suffering, (pause) that they may have the patience to continue their scientific work, however demanding and unrewarding it may be, and never lose sight of their vocation, as they strive to eradicate disease and human misery. (pause) Hear us, O Lord; come, Lord Jesus, come we pray Oh Lord. For those who are bereaved, (pause) that their waiting to be reunited with their loved ones may be based on their belief in the resurrection, and may they not grieve, as those who have no hope. (pause) Hear us, O Lord; come, Lord Jesus, come we pray Oh Lord. For a greater understanding of our faith, (pause) that we may keep the lamp of faith alight, by which we recognize Christ in our world, and thus discover what is truly important in life. (pause) Hear us, O Lord; come, Lord Jesus, come we pray Oh Lord. PRIEST: We make our private petitions in silence to God, our loving Father. Father, we pray that we may always be found watching, so that we will not miss your Son in our lives. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Today's Reflection

Christians believe in the resurrection of the dead. This is the hope we have through the resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord. St Paul in I Thess. 4:13-18 is very consoling. He offers us the hope not to mourn our departed relatives/friends like those who have no hope. There is no holidays or break in our spiritual life so we have to be alert always. It is a continuous striving. We have to watch therefore, for we “do not know the day or the hour in which the son of man will come”. We should be like the wise virgins in today’s parable carrying along with us always the oil, which symbolizes righteousness and good deeds. Our decision to follow Christ and to live according to his commandments should not be procrastinated. It is not the goodness of others that will save us on the last day but our own goodness/good deeds.

Personal Devotional

"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth, " 2 Timothy 2:15 - Thank God for the gift of this day - Pray for mercy for the times you have sought self-glorification in charitable deeds. - Ask for the grace of the Lord to give freely so that you can receive freely

Let Us Pray

Thanks be to you, my Lord Jesus Christ, for all the benefits which you have given me, for all the pains and insults which you have borne for me. O most merciful Redeemer, friend and brother, may I know you more clearly, love you more dearly, and follow you more nearly, day by day. Amen.

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[impatient14]

Plot vs. Theme: There is no BBC’s Sherlock without JohnLock

I’ve seen so many people pointing out how the show just doesn’t make any sense without TJLC, and as tinhatters, we instantly agree, but series four just legitimized that theory. That’s what all the confusion, plot holes, OOC moments, and inconsistencies are ultimately about. 

If you think about it, when did the feeling of something’s just not right first happen? Most people would agree that feeling began right after Mary shot Sherlock. 

Enter Extended Mind Palace Theory. 

(Here are some metas on that, in case you haven’t read up on the theory yet. Original Masterpost by @monikakrasnorada @gosherlocked @the-7-percent-solution, EMP is Alive and Thriving, Comprehensive EMP Analysis, The Three Sherlock’s, TST = TLD+ TAB, The Final Problem: Oh Sherlock, You’re Dreaming by @jenna221b)

In my opinion, EMP is still the only theory that could account for all of the fuckery, but also the only theory that simultaneously makes a concrete statement. 

Nothing makes sense without Johnlock. The writers have said over and over again that the point of the show is not the cases. Its John and Sherlock’s relationship. 

EMP may be how the writers are choosing to connect dots that are seemingly unable to be connected, but that isn’t the entire story. EMP is the plot or more specifically the plot device, but Johnlock is the theme and NOTHING makes sense without it. Infact, every time we could have gotten canon Johnlock, but we don't, things get even more strange. When the theme is ignored, the plot becomes senseless.  

I’m going to break this down into segments of when JohnLock could have gone canon to make this easier to digest. 

1.) What happens after Mary shoots Sherlock? He dies. Of course, he remembers his beloved childhood pet first…*cough* There is no Euros *cough*…but then he dies. What brings him back? His true love for John. (Hello, Princess Bride parallel) 

Okay, JohnLock on track here…but then what happens? Who does Sherlock wake up to- or more importantly, who does he NOT wake up to?

John. John was not shown at Sherlock’s bedside, which is odd because we know he was there in the hospital and we know he cares for Sherlock. If we had been given a scene with John at his bedside, it would not have been unrealistic to have a canon Johnlock moment there. John crying, Sherlock awakening to a kiss on his forehead, the truth comes out. But that’s not what happens. 

 We get Sherlock’s fake ex-girlfriend, Janine there instead. It doesn’t make sense. John should be there, but he isn’t. His replacement is. She has, at this point, already been told that Sherlock isn’t really into her, already conducted multiple interviews, and all of the interviews have already gone to print, none of which include a bi-line about Sherlock having been shot. There’s no Johnlock and the scene doesn’t make any sense.  When the theme is ignored, the plot is senseless.

Then what do we have? 

2.) Watson domestic, where John is very angry and yelling about the entire situation, placing the blame almost entirely on Mary but lashing out at Sherlock too. At first, it feels genuine in a lot ways. John’s anger, Sherlock’s glibness, Mary’s inability to express any kind of emotion. However, that is because the theme of Johnlock is present in the line, “Because you chose her.” We feel the love Sherlock has for John in that moment, and we see the range of emotions that John goes through right afterwards. Its an honest scene up until this point. This is when John could have easily said, “well I’m choosing you now”, or something along those lines, and refused to listen to Mary. Canon Johnlock.

But what happens instead?

Sherlock pushes John back into his wife’s arms because, apparently, he has no reason not to. Mary’s gunshot was “surgery.” It saved his life. She’s just a victim. The innocent wife. The symbol of John’s heterosexuality. Sherlock props up the Watson marriage and then John forgives Mary for shooting Sherlock. He doesn’t read the USB despite his extreme trust issues. He doesn’t burn the correct or the same USB drive that Mary had given him. We are shown that clearly, over and over into the fourth series that he didn’t burn the right copy, but we were never given a resolution to this glaring plot point. When the theme is ignored, the plot is SENSELESS.

3.) Off to Appledore we go.Where John and Sherlock aren’t patted down, Mycroft is well aware that he is being drugged but does nothing to stop it, and CAM tells Sherlock it was very hard to find a pressure point on him, despite having seen a list with seven different pressure points listed when he meets Sherlock in 221 B. Why is it fucky? Because Sherlock and John are risking their lives and reputations to save a women who tried to (and successfully did) kill Sherlock, which doesn’t make a lick of sense. 

There are two Johnlock moments within the scenes of Appledore. One very honest moment, which is followed up by very a realistic plot point, and then we have one Johnlock moment that seems very honest until it is tainted by Mary. Then the resolution of the second Johnlock moment seems genuine at first, but then gets fucky as well.

The first moment is when CAM points out that John is Sherlock’s “damsel in distress”, his pressure point- right before he realistically comes to the conclusion that he has been set up. The second moment is when Sherlock stares at John lovingly and then kills CAM. The loving look makes us think he is doing it for John, but then the line, “tell Mary she’s safe now” tells us that he was actually doing it for both The Watsons. At first it looks like we will have a realistic resolution to Sherlock murdering someone in front of a dozen people. He is sent to solitary confinement for a week before being banished, but then, big brother Mycroft comes in to save the day. Murder, Shmurder! & “That’s not how it happened at all” and so on. In short, it doesn’t make sense because Sherlock killed CAM so the Watsons could be happy and in love with each other. When the theme is ignored, the plot is senseless!  

4.) The Tarmac is an extremely realistic and heart wrenching scene, where no fuckery (aside from Sherlock’s BFF status with Mary) takes place. Why? Because of the presence of Johnlock. You’ll notice that their entire exchange on the tarmac has no other people in frame. Its just the two of them, so its honest. Its so honest that Sherlock nearly tells John how he feels about him…but it isn’t to be. Mary is right out of frame. Its real, but its not enough. Sherlock doesn’t tell John how he feels, Johnlock still isn’t canon, and what happens? Dead Moriarty hacks the entire country and Sherlock has a drugged out gay Victorian fever dream. VERY REALISTIC GUYS!

At this point, after the Tarmac when we have the biggest aborted love confession in the history of television, NOTHING makes sense. I’ll refer you to this list, because the entirety of series four’s insanity is the result of Johnlock not going canon when it should have in series three. The plot holes, inconsistencies, OOC moments, and down-right falsehoods build on top of each other, each one a result of the failure to have John and Sherlock come together when they should have. All of it is an elaborate way of showing that the story doesn’t work without the theme. Without the point. And the whole point is Sherlock and John’s relationship.  

WHEN THE THEME IS IGNORED, THE PLOT IS SENSELESS!

5.) After Mary’s “death” Sherlock went to John to comfort him, but John wouldn’t have him. There’s an opportunity for Johnlock to go canon, but instead, we get a mysterious note we never see or hear of again and more sharks, followed by The Lying detective, which was phenomenal in many respects but still riddled with plot holes and oddities. See aforementioned list. In that episode, we have another opportunity for Johnlock to go canon, probably the most blatant in the entire show aside from the tarmac scene.John and Sherlock share the most beautiful hug in all the land, tears are shed, tender touches are felt and sweet words of comfort are murmured… but no canon JohnLock. 

And what happens? Oh, just normal stuff…like..

John is shot in the head by Sherlock's psychopathic genius sister who he repressed and has no memory of. Her name is weird and Greek and happens to be the same name of the monster Mycroft created to scare Sherlock as a child. The Wind Monster apparently likes to shoot people with tranq guns then run away, leaving them to hire clowns to attack Mycroft, who updates his Lady Bracknell impression. Sherlock’s secret sister Jigsaw makes him, John and Mycroft run through a maze of mind and murder games that ultimately lead to Sherlock discovering that little sis happened to kill Sherlock’s dog, Redbeard, who was actually a representation of his best friend, Victor Trevor, whose bones John couldn’t ID as human and who also ate out of dog bowls. John gains the ability to remove his foot at will and Sherlock forgets he has a reflection.

WHEN THE THEME IS IGNORED, THE PLOT IS SENSELESS!!!

Basically, The Final Problem is the most purposefully ridiculous piece of fiction ever put to screen. And why is that? Because at this point in the story, without Johnlock, the plot is completely incomprehensible. You can’t have a sound plot without the theme. The theme of romantic Johnlock is so thoroughly buried in lost opportunities at this point, its barely scratching the surface. Deep waters, indeed.  

7.) The ending of TFP is ambiguous though, which tells me that we are not done with our plot device just yet. There has been no resolution to EMP. Something even more fucky is going to happen at the beginning of the lost special (theories about that here, here, and here) something that makes Sherlock break the cycle and do something about his true feelings. This will wake him up, and we will get canon Johnlock at the point that makes the most sense in the timeline. 

When Sherlock wakes up in his hospital bed and finds John sitting at his bedside. That’s when things went wrong. That was the first thing that never made sense. And you know why? Because in his head, Sherlock believes John incapable of loving him the way Sherlock wishes him to. Just like the casual audience believes Sherlock and John are incapable of loving each other the way they actually do.

What we’ve seen from Sherlock getting shot until now, is what the show looks like without canon Johnlock. Its nonsense. Nothing makes sense, no dots connect, too many spinning plates, and no satisfying resolutions. But if we go back to that moment, the moment Sherlock opens his eyes and the first person he sees is John? All will finally be well in the world. 

When the theme is embraced, the dots will connect. The plot will finally make sense.

@loveismyrevolution @ebaeschnbliah @angatita @welovethebeekeeper @teapotsubtext @graceebooks @gregoryhouse @loudest-subtext-in-tv @yan-yae @jon-lox

#sherlock #johnlock #tjlc #the final problem #lost special #mofftiss #tst #tld #tfp

[culinarystrategist]

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☁  five times my muse has thought about yours, and the one time they do something about it.

@noctxgar

i.

Even for someone as cool, calm and collected as Ignis, his teenage years are a trying time. Unbidden thoughts cause moments of extreme awkwardness. Mundane tasks, such as homework, seem to particularly set his mind wandering in certain directions, in spite of how much he tries to rein it in. The more he denies it, though, the worse it gets, leading to a increase in the amount of cool showers he takes. It’s unfair, because none of his peers show any signs of being similarly afflicted. Or perhaps they’re just better equipped to deal with these kinds of things.

The amount of time he spends with Noctis doesn’t help. Refusing to even consider the possibility that he has a crush on anyone, especially Noctis, Ignis uses logic and reasoning to diffuse those moments when his heart beats a little faster than usual. It’s exhilaration at watching his future ruler learning how to defend his kingdom that sets his palms sweating, or pride when he finally convinces Noctis to read a court report that makes his heart swell in his chest.

And that feeling he gets when Noctis claps his shoulder? Camaraderie, and nothing more.

ii.

Marriage is an ancient institution, and has brought together couples for time immemorial. Ignis cannot picture himself ever getting married; he is already fully committed to one person and that leaves little room for anyone else. Even once Noctis has wed Lady Lunafreya, Ignis will remain his loyal advisor, on hand for any eventuality. A spouse would only get in the way of his duty and that cannot be permitted to happen.

Sometimes, he thinks that Noctis might be a little reluctant about his upcoming nuptials, but then the Prince will get a faraway look in his eyes when he talks about Luna and Ignis realises that his fears are unfounded. Are they really fears, though? Or is it a wish? He cannot deny that Noctis has grown into a fine young man, fetching to look at and mostly charming to speak to, moodiness aside. Anyone who dared hope to catch Ignis’ eye has a lot to live up to because without realising it, or even intending to, Noctis has set a high bar.

The real fear clutching at Ignis is that after the wedding, Noctis will no longer need his friendship and that will break his heart.

iii.

Never in his life has Ignis had to deliver such a devastating message to anyone. Insomnia Falls, the newpaper headline reads, and he’s the one who has to break the news to the group. Horror contorts Noctis’ face and although Ignis calls for calm, it’s obvious that the Prince is in no fit state to comply. Confusion fell over all of them; this wasn’t the plan - it wasn’t how things were meant to play out and yet the facts were there, in black and white. Imperials had seized the city. The King was dead.

Every twitch of agony in Noctis’ face is reflected by Ignis’ own emotions. He feels a similar sense of deep loss, but he also feels for his friend. Were the others not there, he might have reached out, drawn Noctis into an embrace, and shown his friend he wasn’t alone. But that kind of behaviour was overly familiar and inappropriate under the circumstances. He must wear a mask of coolness, as he always does when the going gets rough, and be the rock to stabiliss Noctis’ turbulence.

iv.

A quiet hush has fallen over the group. Full bellies make for lazy evenings around the campfire. Casting his gaze around, Ignis looks to each of his companions before settling on Noctis, whose eyelids droop heavily. It feels like forever since they set out on their journey, and each day brings new challenges. Little wonder that by the time night rolls around it’s all they can do to stay awake long enough to eat. Everything looks so much better in the beams of moonlight, shining through the leafy treetops overhead. The clods of mud caking their pants, the streaks of dirt besmirching their skin and the bags under their eyes are barely visible in the dim light. Instead, Ignis sees only the pale skin, perfect features and elegant lips of his Prince.

Not his Prince for much longer. Within days, they’ll be setting sail for Altissia where they will deliver Noctis into the hands of his bride-to-be. Some things might have changed since they first departed, but not that. Noctis and Luna’s reunion will be overshadowed by the growing threat of the Empire; for Ignis, it will be marred by what he has come to recognise as jealousy. A childish emotion and one he toils to suppress because of its inherent negativity; he worries it will hamper his ability to perform his duty.

Were he a weaker man, he might very well give into the temptation to reach out and brush his fingertips over Noctis’ lips, just so he may know, even if only for a brief moment, if they are as soft as he’s always imagined them to be.

v.

The daemonic form of the  Supreme Commander of the Imperial Army lies decaying on the floor. It’s a tragic end that not even he deserved. Another casualty of war. They’ve barely caught their breath when Gladio calls out a warning  and a new onslaught of daemons comes. Monsters, of all shapes and sizes, come at them fast, given the four fighters no respite. Ignoring the nagging pain from overstretched muscles, Ignis holds his own alongside his comrades. They’re in this together, but not for much longer. Playing his role of the strategist, there is, he realises, only one course of action here: Noctis must get to the crystal, alone if needs be.

Issuing the instruction pains him because he knows that this might very well be the last time the four of them are ever together, and there is much he’d like to say to Noctis before they bid their final farewell. This is neither the time nor the place for any sort of declaration. If he dies here, and he suspects that he will, anything left unsaid will go to the grave with him. Noctis keeps on fighting, and for a moment, it looks as though he’s going to ignore his advisor’s suggestion. Only the additional voices of Prompto and Gladio seem to sway him and, seizing an opportunity, Noctis breaks away and makes a run for the elevator.

Ignis watches him go with a heavy heart and fading hope.

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The city is a shadow of its former self, even a blind man can tell. Their route from the former gates to the Citadel has taken them through areas which would once have been bustling with crowds but are now crawling with daemons. Sitting on his bunk while the others catch some much needed rest, Ignis laments the past and contemplates the future. The last stand; whatever happens at the Citadel will forever seal the fate of the world. That they have Noctis back in their company is truly a blessing he never dared to believe would happen. The King will lead them to victory, Ignis tells himself, and back to the light.

“You’re awake?” A whisper Ignis recognises as belonging to Noctis comes amidst Gladio’s snoring and Prompto’s soft sleep-murmurs.

“You are too,” Ignis fires back, mild but jocular reproach colouring his tone. “You should sleep. You need to be at your peak before…” Pausing, he licks his lips in thought. “Before we proceed.”

“I’ve had ten years of rest, Iggy. I don’t think I can take any more.”

The voice is a little deeper than it used to be, and wearier too, but the humour is still entirely Noctis. Sharply inhaling when he feels the mattress beside him dip, Ignis attempts to cover it up with a small cough.

“I don’t want to disturb the others,” Noctis whispers, far nearer than Ignis previously realised. They haven’t been this close in over a decade, and Ignis has missed it terribly. Over that time, he’s pictured a scenario like this - a reunion with Noctis - and has had a hundred imagined conversations during which he’s finally confessed his feelings. Now that he’s presented with the opportunity, his throat feels dry and his tongue too big for his mouth.

If he misses this chance, he will hate himself forever.

“Noctis…” It takes a couple of tries before he manages to get his palm resting on the King’s cheek, and he pauses for a few seconds to see if his hand will be brushed aside. It’s not, so he takes a deep breath and continues.

“I want you to know that to me, you are everything.”

#noctxgar #thank you for sending in! #cut for length