#Burial oath

[mfhunter]

BURIAL OATH

- THE CYCLES OF SUFFERING

[carnivorous-horses-lover]

#Mina and Van Helsing and the Suitors: 'You'll swear to do some wife murder too right? Right? It's for a good cause'

#Jonathan: 'I won't lie to you.' -dead silent apart from very loudly sharpening his kukri-

tags by @see-arcane

Jonathan being the only one not promising to kill Mina is more complicated than just selfishness. He will not make promises he knows he cannot keep. He has made up his mind already.

Jonathan has already said his vows to her, on their wedding day.

[wabart]

tumblr kinda crustified this and the format was already messy so IM SORRY

(also I'm positive someone's done this before but man did I ever wanna draw it)

image description below the cut:

[ID:

Fay: Who did it? I'm not mad, I just wanna know.

(OATH OF DEVOTION PALADIN)

(DEFINITELY NOT GUILTY)

Wyll: I did. I caused this--

Fay: No. No you didn't. Astarion?

Astarion: Don't look at me. Look at Gale.

Gale: What? I didn't kill her.

Astarion: Huh. That's weird. How do you even know she’s dead?

Gale: Because she’s lying right there, and she’s dead.

Astarion: Suspicious.

Gale: No, it’s not.

Shadowheart: If it matters... Lae'zel was the last to see her.

Lae'zel: Liar! I had nothing to do with this insipid bard.

Shadowheart: Is that right? What were you stalking around camp for, then?

Lae’zel: I was surveying the wilderness for threats. Everyone knows that, k’chakhi.

Wyll: Alright, alright. Let's not fight. She’s dead, let’s give her a proper burial.

Fay: No! Who killed her?

Gale: … Karlach's been awfully quiet.

Karlach: Really, Gale?

Fay: I killed her. I woke to her blood on my hands. I predict that 10 minutes from now, they will be at each other's throats.

Fay: Good.

/end ID]

[the-dumpster-fire-of-life]

(got bored and decided to write this so enjoy and please tell me if you would like more HTTYD in the future in the comments!)

The Gates Of Valhalla

Hiccup couldn't do anything but stare, wide eyed at you in front of him.

He could feel the world blur around him, his breathing picking up as he looked down at you, laying on the sand surrounded by the blue ice, eyes closed.

Chest never moving.

Hiccup could hear people talking, people like his mother and father, his father's hand on his shoulder as Hiccup tried his best to wake up from the nightmare.

He didn't.

"No…no, no, no! Oh, gods, no!" Hiccup cried out, quickly falling to his knees as he grabbed you, bringing you closer to him.

Almost on his lap, Hiccup checked for any sign, anything, that you were still in there.

He could feel the dread, the tears pricking his eyes and the hand of his father, his mother's stare at him as he checked for anything.

He looked for the small twitch in your face he saw every morning he woke up to you. He looked for the pattern your chest rose and fell, a rhythm he loved to feel while his head laid on your chest.

Hiccup cried, a tear falling down his face as he never found one movement.

He still prayed, putting his head to your heart to listen to the familiar best he used to calm down, only to find absolute silence.

You were gone.

Drago and his own dragon, a self proclaimed Alpha, owned by him, had sentenced you to your death.

Or rather, they had sentenced Hiccup to his death, but you being you, jumped in the way to sacrifice yourself, saving Hiccup's life, and forfeiting your own.

But all they did was sentence Hiccup to something far worse than death.

A life without you.

And they used Toothless to do their dirty work.

Hiccup heard the small growl of your own dragon, the way they nozelled their snout against your arm, trying to nudge you awake like they did every morning

You never moved.

Your eyes remained closed, Hiccup's eyes remained on your face, his hand cupping your cheek as he cried, crying for you to come back.

This wasn't how it was supposed to be.

Everything blurred into thin lines, all Hiccup could do was watch as just mere minutes, or an hour he didn't know, Toothless was taken by Drago, along with your life.

Hiccup and the rest of the dragon riders, your friends, Gobber and his mother and father, Valka and Stoick the Vast, all stood alongside the shore.

Hiccup had to be pried away from you, crying and clinging on to the love of his life, in order to place you on the shop, a sheet over you to send you off to the Gates of Valhalla.

Hiccup watched as his friends mourned. Never did he think he would see the day his own father cried, mourning the loss of a child who wasn't even his, but one he watched grow up alongside him.

Hiccup starred as the ship slowly sailed off, a bow and flaming arrow in his hand, limping held with a heavy heart as he watched you leave.

This wasn't how it was supposed to be.

You were supposed to come home with Hiccup. You were supposed to get older, beside Hiccup and your dragon.

Hiccup was supposed to be the cause of the laugh and smile wrinkles on your face as you got older.

Hiccup was meant to stand before you and reiterate an oath he did when you guys stood in the woods as mere seven year olds, promising to marry and to stay by each other's side.

Hiccup couldn't help but be angry at himself and you. It was meant to be him. Not you. He was meant to be lying under that sheet. Not you.

The anger didn't last long, the sadness and heavy feeling in his chest overpowering it.

With a small nudge from his mother, Hiccup let one more tear fall, before his trembling hand lifted his arrow, notching it back.

Hiccup closed his eyes, turning his head away as he let it go.

Hiccup only opened his eyes once more when he heard every arrow stop, looking up to see your ship engulfed in flames.

It was the burial of a viking. One you would have wanted.

But Hiccup would've rather had you standing beside him, rather than leaving him behind with your memory.

"...Hiccup."

Hiccup barely looked at his father, his hand now coming back to rest on his shoulder. Hiccup didn't answer, looking back as your ship was almost engulfed in the fog, the flames growing bigger.

Hiccup had to say goodbye, with a heavy and hesitant heart, anger, fear and sadness creeping down into his gut.

It should've been him. Not you.

He shouldn't mourn the love of his life at a mere twenty years old, and even if he spent those twenty years with you, he would have to go on, grow older, as you were forever twenty.

"...I pray to the gods I will find you waiting at the gates of Valhalla, (Name)."

[katerinaaqu]

Odysseus Everywhere! (literally! XD) - A small humorous analysis on how Odysseus basically is the protagonist of the entire Epic Cycle

Don't you love it how Odysseus basically lifts on his shoulders the entire Epic Cycle? And I am not even exaggerating! XD

He is the one who came up with the Oath of Tyndareus (literally gave the tools for the start of war without wanting to.

He was responsible to fetch Achilles from Skyros and the one to uncover his disguise.

By etruscan accounts he was the one to lead Iphigenia to the altar for the sacrifice

By some accounts he was the first to lay foot at the beach of Troy (basically again starting the war XD) and dodged the prophecy that the first who lay foot to Troy would die first by throwing his shield on the beach and step on it so Protesilaus (former Iolaus) thought he would die and jumped second, thus becoming the first to actually lay foot on Trojan ground!

He is the one to accompany Menelaus during the negotiations with the elders of Troy trying to get Helen back without war.

He is the one to lead Chriseis back to her father and perform a sacrifice to appease Apollo with him.

He tries to keep the Achaeans in line (well...he also beats up Thersites that no one likes!)

He is part of the embassy that goes to Achilles to beg him to come back and try to negotiate with him

He is present to most battles during the Iliad actively taking part on the field

He and Diomedes are sent as spies to the Trojan side in the night

He is one of the volunteers that are to be chosen to fight Hector

He is the one to take Achilles to Lemnos and Cleanse him for the murder of Thersites when the latter makes fun of Achilles's mourning over dead Penthiselia, noting his crush on her.

On later, post-homeric and roman accounts he is the one to come and go with Philoctetes

He is the one along with Aias to retrieve and protect the body of Achilles

He wins the armor of Achilles and by some greek play writers negotiates the burial of Aias after his suicide.

He and Diomedes bring Philoctetes from Lemnos

He captures Helenus and abstracts the prophecies from them

He brings Neoptolemous from Skyros and gives him his father's armor

He and Diomedes infiltrate the city dressed as beggars and steal the Palladum of Athena

He comes up with the Trojan Horse and with the help of Athena's Epeius makes it

He is of course one of the first choices to be inside the horse

He stops the greeks from blowing their cover by holding their mouths.

He is the first to step out of the horse and scan the perimeter

He is either present or personally responsible for the death of Astyanax/Scamandrius depending on the source

He is the one to bring Polyxena to the tomb of Achilles to be offered to him as his concubine after death

He is the protagonist of the longest and only surviving of the Nostoi, the Odyssey in which he is the sole survivor after a huge arduous trip which includes the blinding of a cyclops, the meeting and facing of two goddesses, a trip to the underworld and many more including being one of the few male SA victims so clearly depicted in ancient literature

Odysseus being one of the few mortals (and probably the only one who is not a demigod directly) to get to hedes while being alive

He kills the suitors that threatened his wife and son with the help of his son and a few loyal servants.

He once more travels according to the prophecy to the mainland Greece to appease Poseidon and creates a temple in his honor.

Like without the slightest trace of exaggeration, Odysseus carries on his back the entire Epic Cycle! He is both the creator of the war indirectly plus the first one to lay foot in the land of Troy, the first to lay foot inside Troy itself not once but TWICE during the raging war and he is the last of the kings to arrive home! Without an exaggeration he starts and finishes the epic cycle if combined with all the sources from around the myths! He is also the character mostly involved in the things no one else would dare to!

He dares to be the first to lay foot on Troy

He is the one usually sent to do what others don't want to such as leading people to sacrifices or the opposite, purifying people (because no one gets their hands fucking dirty but poor Odysseus! Hahaha!)

He personally excecutes his own plans

He is the one to dare and come out first of the horse and the one to hold the others

He is the one sent to be a diplomat

etc.

Dunno about you guys but I think the true length of his contributions and involvement to the events is not talked nearly enough!

[see-arcane]

The Harkers have got me fucked up. Not just from how much they're going through. Not just from how well they know each other.

But in how much is not being said. How much that appears to have been missed.

Mina has just made their friends swear to euthanize her. In front of Jonathan, who she knows cannot/will not make said promise aloud, though she tries to fish it out. A funeral service, yes, but no more than that. She takes the wins she can, relying on the others for the sacrificial slaughter while she pries what she thinks is some mote of acceptance of the Worst Case Scenario in Potentia from Jonathan. Perhaps she's read the vampiric vow of his journal by now. Perhaps not. Perhaps she already suspects either way and wants desperately not to see him damn himself, damn both of them, to avoid raising a killing hand to her.

She is going into the dark. What kind, she does not know yet. But she knows--thinks she knows--she has taken some measure to save her soul and Jonathan's. God's will be done. (Piety trembles in her heart, a fear trying frantically to still look like faith.)

Jonathan, meanwhile, is in Hell.

As it was in the castle, there are some miseries too deep to dwell on for him to stomach writing them down. Hence his tapping Jack to record it all. But the silence from him here, bar the dodge of the promise that goes against his private vow, bar the reading of the burial service, sinks deeper than any horror he suffered from the Count in person. What can he be thinking now?

I made this all possible. I opened the door to England for him. Showed him how to spread his poison. Failed to strike a killing blow when I had the chance. Slept frozen and useless beside her as he drank and made her drink. Lost him by inches in Piccadilly. Now I am here, listening to her claim so sunnily that any man of old would murder his woman to save her from the enemy's touch, as if asking for a trifle. All the while I sit contemplating a hellish betrayal, holding my heart over her wishes, over sanity, humanity, Heaven and Hell. Contemplating worse.

(The kukri is very sharp by now. In time it will have so fine an edge that no one would feel its cut before their head toppled off. Be they in a coffin or a friend with their back turned. Sickly, he finds the thought cold and placid in his mind. Is he not already damned for what he's allowed? Is he not already slated for the Count's collection? He knows whose blood it was on the monster's lips on that final dawn in Transylvania. And when he dies...)

I imagine he has to stop himself from making a mirrored request to the others right there. Has to stop himself from handing Mina the Bible and asking her to read it out for him. If she is lost, he is lost. It is not merely undeath that he would follow her into--whatever she is, wherever she goes, so must he be, so must he go.

Read it for me now, darling. You laid it all out so eloquently. I am already lost but for the wait for the grave. Come everyone, while we're here. Two funerals. Two sets of oaths. I can perhaps save you half the work, if I fall neatly enough on the kukri. Pry it from my heart and take my head when the time comes.

But he bites his tongue. Does not touch his pen. Does not risk heaping another weight on his love who is already crushed beneath existential terrors that are being thrust on her by the actions of others. She does not know what he is planning, even if she suspects it by half.

What she knows: Jonathan cannot raise a hand to her. (He would have me as a monster than not exist at all.)

What he prays she never will: Jonathan will be anything she is. (Mortal. Monster. Dead.)

One last secret to keep.

All the way to the grave.

[feroluce]

NO OK BUT I'M STILL NOT OVER BOOTHILL AND DAN HENG AND THE JADE ABACUS IN ENA'S DREAM!!!!!

For some extra context, I have a whole henghill manifesto I wrote over here, but the tl;dr is that Dan Heng decides to use the Jade Abacus of Allying Oath to save the Express Crew the first time. Boothill urges him to think it over carefully, but he doesn't stop him. And then, the second time Dan Heng decides to use it, we get this instead:

And just! That's so!! so!!!

Because like. We see in the first battle against Sunday that that Jade Abacus is effective, like we really do just get an entire army lead by a whole-ass Emanator of The Hunt right to our location and ready to fuck shit up. It's important. It's incredibly valuable. That is a huge amount of power to hold in the palm of one's hand.

But Tiernan's relic works the same way.

Galaxy Rangers are terribly dangerous. Boothill comments on this when discussing Acheron's motives, because he can't believe anyone would be stupid enough to get The Hunt on their asses. They're considered to be on a level even above The Annihilation Gang.

And now, with the burial relic, he has a way to get thousands of them, almost immediately, and all in one place.

And you can't tell me that wouldn't be something extremely useful to Boothill, like literally life-saving. He's wanted by the IPC. He makes his living as a bounty hunter. His whole driving motivation in life right now is to do whatever he can, up to and including throwing away his own human body, to ruthlessly hunt down one man and kill him in revenge. Like that has to be dangerous, the IPC is a massive entity with far-reaching influence and money and power and weaponry. He surely must have already had some close calls.

Like can you imagine it? Galaxy Rangers are solitary creatures. If Boothill were to find himself near death, he would probably be all alone. Do you think he had regrets? Did he wonder if anyone would find his own burial relic? Did it feel the same way it did when they melted his flesh, replaced it with metal? Did he lay there with his vision slowly blacking out until he thought of home, and family, and the little daughter who he never even got to hear her first word, until he was so full of fury that he could prop himself up on his rage like a crutch and find help?

Tiernan's relic would have been like a get-out-of-jail-free card. Just for one time, no matter where Boothill was, someone would find him. The Galaxy Rangers aren't sociable or organized between themselves, but they help their own. Someone would save him.

He chooses to give all of that up to help Dan Heng.

And I just cannot get over it, especially the wording of it, the pause before he speaks, the gentle way he tells him to hold onto his once-in-a-lifetime treasure...!! He wants Dan Heng to leave this to him! He wants him to keep this precious item that will help him save his companions again in the future! And maybe it's just...wishful thinking, me reading too much into it? But I mean. Just the way he says it...

I really do think it comes from a place of deep kinship and respect. That there's a lot of thought and feeling behind that statement. Something from one Pathstrider of The Hunt to another. Boothill fought for his home and his family, he fought really really hard! But. Sometimes that just doesn't matter. And now he's watching Dan Heng fight for his, too.

When he made that decision the first time, Dan Heng was in the parlor car of the Astral Express. He was completely removed from any danger. He could have chosen to get the hell out of Dodge and not look back. Obviously we know he would never even consider such a thing, but it was technically an option, and Boothill watched him decide to go back into the proverbial lion's den for his friends anyway. And I'm sure that was part of what sealed his decision, to later use Tiernan's relic instead of the Jade Abacus to summon enough people to disrupt Ena's Dream. Because he greatly values ideas like righteousness and justice and saving people, and Dan Heng so beautifully embodies all of that and then some.

Boothill doesn't have people to protect anymore, only ghosts to avenge.

And there is just something so endlessly endearing about him wanting to help Dan Heng, to make sure his friend doesn't go through that the way he did.

[mydisenchantedeulogy]

The Bitter Truth || Bi-Han

Warning(s): female reader insert (former Lin Kuei member), magic-user (sound manipulation), anger, betrayal, reader can fight, blood and gore, taunting, set after the game, canon tower ending, rough sex, branding, make-outs, fingering, Bi-Han is a dick.

Words: 4,474

No Minor's Allowed!!

“A mission? For me?”

Your tone, due to the voice-altering mask you are wearing sounds almost robotic despite your uncertainty.    

Kuai Liang nods. 

“Do you doubt your talents?” 

You do not, but since your defect from the Lin Kuei, due to Bi-Han’s treachery, you do not have trust in yourself. Your heart is full of rage and no amount of meditation has quelled it.

With a deep unsteady breath, you shake your head.

“By my oath, I will complete any mission given to me. I swear to it.”

“I don't doubt you will,” Kuai Liang states. “But while you are out there, you must steel your heart. This mission is of the utmost importance to us, as a new clan and as protectors of Earthrealm.”

You understand. You do. Chased from your home, you along with the defectors were forced to flee to Japan. If not for Harumi Shirai offering refuge, then you and the others would surely be killed. 

Even so, this transition did not go over easily with you. It hurts to lose your home; to lose him. No, Bi-Han was not your lover, but you strongly admired him. He was your Grandmaster, a man who gave your life purpose. Then he betrayed you.

Of course, you are still sore about it.

“You have my word,” you utter. 

So long as the mission goes as planned.

–

Things have come full circle, you note, as you and a handful of assassins trek the snow-covered peak toward the Ying Fortress, the same fortress that tested your oath to the Lin Kuei, forcing you to defect. 

Since the Dragon Army fell and the Soul Stealers were left inoperable, the icy fortress has been abandoned. 

It is no threat to Earthrealm, as of yet, however, several battalions rest within; the nine hundred or more that was promised to Bi-Han. While there are no souls to possess the dormant army, Lord Liu Kang is concerned that Lin Kuei will attempt to utilize them. 

Trafficking in such strong magic would draw Lord Liu Kang’s attention. 

It's the reason you and the brothers do not think Bi-Han will attempt to gather them but as the God of Fire had stated, ‘It is better to be cautious’. And you agree. 

Once at the top of the mountain, you marvel at the serene glow surrounding the fortress. It's ethereal, something you do not expect from a two-thousand-year-old burial ground - give or take - but even places of death can be beautiful. The afternoon sun brings some warmth, but not enough to melt the thick icicles clinging to the buildings and surrounding equipment. 

You imagine in the day, during the rise of the Ying Dynasty, it was a sight to behold.

But I am not here to sightsee. 

Positioning three assassins around the fortress, you order the other two to follow you inside. It's much colder in the treasure room without the smelters running. Gold koins lie in heaps on the floor, a temptation you consider, but ultimately decline. 

“Remain here. I will not be but a minute,” you order, continuing down the hall toward the burial chamber. 

Inside the tomb, you pause and glance around. It is quiet, far too quiet. While the number of guards is less than before, there are still too many to account for. But fortunately, there seems to be no life left in the chamber. The green aura of their souls no longer permeates their bodies.

No one seems to have returned here since Titan Shang Tsung was defeated. That is fortunate. 

To be sure, you walk up the stairs onto the first raised platform, checking down rows for movement. The sentries are like statues, however, you do not let down your guard. Any of Earthrealm's enemies could be lying in wait. Yet even after revealing yourself, no one makes a move to attack you. 

Certain that no one is in the tomb, you turn and walk back to the treasure room. The two assassins you left rejoin you, and without a word, you motion for them to follow. However, something odd catches your attention. 

Near the rafters, you notice a torn banner clinging on with might and main. A strong wind could blow it down, however, it is stiff, as if it is frozen solid. Upon further observation, you realize that it is. You narrow your eyes in suspicion and follow the rafters across the room to the far corner. The wood and nearby wall are iced over, and to make matters worse, it seems to be spreading. You can hear the sharp crack as it forms. 

But how? It's not nearly cold enough–

You widen your eyes in realization. 

“Get out of the way!” 

You shove the nearest assassin aside, leaping out of the way, but the other does not react quickly enough. An unrefined spear of ice pierces the assassin in the chest at a 45-degree angle, bowing their upper body backward in such a savage way that their spine snaps in a loud and horrifying crack. They are instantly killed. 

A flash of twilight blue leaps down from the rafters and lands in front of you. A deep-seated rage fills your heart as your former grandmaster stares you down with narrowed eyes. 

“Sub-Zero,” you utter.

You are shocked that he is here. His greed knows no bounds.  

“You came for the guardians.” You pause to snort in contempt. “Have you no honor?”

“You are ill-informed,” Bi-Han states with a sneer. 

How so?

“There is no other reason for you to be here. While wary of your actions, Lord Liu Kang was–”  

“Silence!” Bi-Han interrupts. “Your prattling is irksome. A dog barking on behalf of their owner.”

You tighten your jaw in irritation. He has no right to chide you. It is the clan’s responsibility to protect Earthrealm, not lead it like a God. What led his code of honor astray? 

“Turn yourself in Bi-Han,” you plead. With your mask on, it sounds like a command, one he seems not to take kindly to. “If not for your brothers, then for me.”

Raising his arm, you watch in apprehension as his limb from the gauntlet up ices over.

So, he wants a fight.

You adjust the plates in your mask using a switch on the side to resonate with your voice, altering its shape, and while your heartbeat is erratic, you are ready to put an end to this. 

Steel your heart. 

Taking a fighting stance, you wait for Bi-Han to make the first move. And he does not disappoint. Creating a spear of ice, he launches at you, freezing the ground beneath his feet. You leap to the side to avoid it, falling into a roll. 

Once you are back on your feet, you watch as he clashes with the assassin, impaling them with the spear and slamming them onto the ground. To avoid another unnecessary death, you run forward and aim to take him down with a flying scissor kick. You wrap your legs around his head and use your momentum to toss him off his feet and onto his back. Then for the sake of trying, you slam your heel into his chest before you roll back onto your feet again.

Bi-Han sits up and narrows his eyes at you. The look chills you to the bone. He quickly stands and to avoid a direct onslaught from him, you backpedal, but to your shock, he goes after the assassin again. The said clan member does well to avoid his direct hits, but they are nowhere as skilled as the Grandmaster.

Constructing an ice klone, he sends it forward, striking them with a straight punch to the chest. The assassin falls back onto the floor with a groan of pain and while they attempt to stand, he freezes them solid. 

An icy chill much colder than the room permeates the air and without remorse, Bi-Han hurls a ball of ice at them. Their body from the waist up shatters with a loud gruesome crack and a gush of blood rains down, shooting from their corpse.

You tighten your jaw. This is not good. 

Turning his fierce eyes toward you, he swiftly shoots an ice ball in your direction intent on freezing you over, but unlike the assassin, you know how to easily deal with this sure-hit special move. You take a deep breath and then release a sonic scream that shatters the ice. A cool mist tosses your hair, but none of the shards reach you.

“Your potential is wasted with Kuai Liang,” Bi-Han states. 

You narrow your eyes. 

“And what? Better served to a traitor who has lost his honor.”

“You misplace your loyalty,” Bi-Han sneers. He brings his hands together and shapes a wall of jagged ice behind him. “I shall shatter them.”

Is he delusional? He knows nothing of loyalty but to himself. This sense of egotism boils your blood. Taking a deep breath you let out another scream that shatters the ice behind the cryomancer. He groans and grips his ears in pain while you close the distance, striking him in the head with a butterfly kick.

Bi-Han stumbles back, but quickly regains his footing, moving into a fighting stance. He easily blocks a straight punch from you, then connects with one of his own, adding a bit of chill to it. You fall back into a squat, catching yourself from falling onto your ass on the floor, then once he's within range you toss your body back into a flip, kicking him in the chest and away from you. 

The cryomancer brushes off his tabard and dashes at you with a short-range ice klone, but as you shatter it with a sonic scream, he leaps into the air and lands a kick on you, knocking you back onto the floor.

“I'm not impressed,” Bi-Han scoffs. 

How can he be so cruel? You would have bled for him. Despite your best efforts to control your irritation, you sit up and release a sonic scream that shakes the rafters. Bi-Han is knocked back and while he grabs his ears, you stand and walk towards him. 

Raising your leg, you knee him hard in the stomach. Then without hesitation, you slam your fist into the side of his head, freeing his mask in the process. Blinded by your anger, you do not notice the air turns icy until it is too late. A ball of ice to the stomach knocks you off your feet and onto the floor, forcing the air from your lungs. You cough, rolling onto your side. If Bi-Han had been aiming to kill you, he could have easily.

So why didn't he?

Noticing him approaching, you force yourself back onto your feet, intent on hitting him with another sonic scream if you are able, but before you can take in a breath, Bi-Han lifts his arm and wraps his hand around your throat. You gasp for air and grab his arm, but you are unable to remove it. His grip is unbelievable. 

You consider a point-blank scream, but you aren't sure that it would not hurt him. The worst-case scenario would be to rupture his eardrums, but if he is intent on choking you to death, then this is the only choice you have. Tightening your jaw, you roughly take in a breath, but the heated look on the cryomancer’s face halts you.   

     

“Scream and it will be your last,” Bi-Han threatens. 

The icy chill of his hand brings goosebumps to your skin, an evident warning. You do not doubt that he will freeze your throat if you disobey him, so you release your held breath. His grip eases, but only enough for you to take in shallow breaths. 

Bi-Han narrows his eyes.

“Your rage blinds you.”

You bite your tongue. This is rich coming from him, someone who let his anger toward Lord Liu Kang consume him. It's strange though. He clearly dislikes his brothers, so why does he not share the same intense emotion toward you? 

I want to know. 

But you do not dare ask. Instead, you bring up the second matter at hand.   

“If not for the Dragon King’s Army…then what? Why did you come here?”

“That is none of your concern,” Bi-Han answers. “But know that we do not need the aid of the Dragon Army to rule Earthrealm.”

So, it was true. What power did the Lin Kuei possess? It had to be more powerful than the army. You narrow your eyes. 

“I don't believe you.”

Bi-Han yanks you closer. If not for his arm, you would be leaning against his chest. Still, he is too close for comfort. An embarrassed heat spreads across your face. 

“Are you not loyal to me?” He asks. Raising his other arm, he frees the mask from your face. “After all I have done.”

How dare he. 

“I owe you nothing,” you argue. Tightening your hands around his arm, you stare heatedly into his dark eyes. 

“You owe me more than Kuai Liang,” Bi-Han points out. 

It isn't about who owes what though. Yes, it was Bi-Han who brought you into the Lin Kuei, trained and shaped you, but his greed was too overwhelming. Even now he expects more. 

You snort.

“You value recognition over responsibility. The principles you taught me, Kuai Liang would never forsaken. Or ask me too.”

Bi-Han raises a brow. 

“It's evident why my little brother favors you so. Obedient, easy to manipulate…swift to spread your legs for him.”

Is he serious? Your face heats up. Where did this lewd way of thinking come from? Is he jealous? You laugh. 

“I never took you for a jealous man, Bi-Han, but it makes sense now.”

His hand tightens around your throat in warning, making you groan. Despite the danger he poses, you can't help but taunt him. 

“Does it rattle you that I chose Kuai Liang as my Grandmaster over you, after everything you have done for me? Did you expect me to get on my knees for you? I am not your precious Sektor.” 

You have had about enough of him. There is no way you plan to join him. The icing on the cake comes after. You know it is petty, but you are mad. Why must you have to steel your heart when it comes to a greedy, self-absorbed man like him?

“You think I'm promiscuous? Perhaps you are jealous that I never spread my legs for you.” 

A surprised silence fills the air. You realize too late what this means; too late that you had set the stage for him. In hindsight, perhaps you wanted it to come to this. 

Releasing your throat, Bi-Han grabs your face and tilts your head to his advantage, forcing you to look at him.

“I admit regret.”

For what? You widen your eyes in disbelief. The answer is staring you in the face.

“I'm not promiscuous.”

Bi-Han hums. 

The other hand he used to yank down your mask, he slips between your thighs, vigorously grasping you through your pants. You shiver in response, taking in a deep uneasy breath. Shit. This is not the reaction you expected. 

“Such resistance,” he mocks.

You narrow your eyes heatedly at him. For fucks sake. You want more than ever to punch him in the face. If only he was not kneading your sex like a sore muscle. Your mind and body are not in sync. Though perhaps they are and it is taking you longer to admit that this is the attention you always wanted from Bi-Han. 

Breathing heavily through your nose, you avert your attention. Not even the shattered body of the second assassin deters you from taking pleasure in this. 

“Look at me,” Bi-Han orders. 

You do so, almost robotically. It must be muscle memory. The man in question stares at your face for a moment as he fondles you, and then he pulls your head in and presses his chapped lips against yours in a rough kiss.

Restless, you open your mouth and softly touch your tongue against his bottom lip. Bi-Han seems uncertain as if he did not intend for you to react so welcoming to him, but he soon opens his mouth and presses his tongue against yours. With the control back in his favor, he tilts your head and leads the kiss. You hum in relief. However, the brooding Grandmaster is not keen on romance or intimacy; this is obvious. 

He removes his hand from your sex, much to your displeasure, and forces his fingers into the waistband of your pants, yanking them down past your hips and ass. A chill bites at your naked skin, but as Bi-Han tugs aside your underwear and sinks a finger into your pussy, you soon forget about the cold air. Your legs buckle and your stomach tightens. 

It's strange given the circumstances, but you know you certainly should not be enjoying this as much as you are. What will Kuai Liang and Lord Liu Kang think of you? Not much, you assume. And honestly neither do you, but you can not help yourself. 

This man is the bane of your existence, and yet, he is a bad habit you can not kick. 

His tongue tastes sweet like green tea, a flavor you find suits him despite his toxic demeanor. A moment ago he implied that you were hot for his brother, but this does not deter you; it riles you and pushes you to show him how much he wants you. It's obvious in the way he tongue kisses you like he's desperate to show you the same thing. 

Sliding out of your footwear, you lean against Bi-Han as you wiggle your hips in an attempt to remove your pants. If he would move his fingers, you would take your underwear off too. You grip the hand that is clung to your face and break from the kiss, leaning back the best you can.

“My clothes, let me take them off for you.” 

Bi-Han gauges you. The look on his face shows that he is suspicious. He has every right to be. If he were anyone else, you would have attacked them already. Sliding your hand down between your thighs, you cover his hand through your underwear, squeezing it. 

“You can feel how much I want this, right?” You utter.

The Grandmaster narrows his eyes in response, but removes his hand and steps back to give you space. He watches you carefully as you undress, though due to the mountain air, you only remove what you need to. 

Bare from the waist down, you leisurely walk back to him, resting your hands on his chest. 

“Did you bare yourself like this to my brother?” Bi-Han asks spitefully.

You consider kneeing him in the chest. Whatever. If he wants to be nasty, then so shall you. 

“Do you also wish to know how he fucked me? That is nosy of you.”

Bi-Han curls his nose in disgust, an action that prompts a grin from you.

“He who makes assumptions is foolish.”

Without a warning, he grabs the back of your thighs and lifts you off your feet with ease. You gasp in shock and cling to him like a scared animal, trying to wrap your mind around the sudden action. Once the fear has faded and you are certain that he is not about to body slam you onto the ground, you wrap your legs around him and lean back to give him a heated look. 

If not for his erection pressing against you then you would assume that he was not into this. 

I suppose I am the foolish one.

Of course, he is into it. Even a man like Bi-Han can take pleasure in sex. And what is better than turning your enemy into a writhing mess? What he fails to see, however, is that you have an advantage here. 

Sliding your hand into his pants, you take hold of him, leisurely stroking his shaft up and down. His muscles tighten beneath you and to your sheer delight, Bi-Han quietly groans. You quicken your pace, hoping to draw more from him, but he selfishly shifts you in his arms, using a free hand to slide his pants down past his waist.

You feel the head of his cock align with your sex a moment before he thrusts into you, shifting you again so that your legs are resting on his forearms. Used against you, your body sinks to the base, folded up in a way that makes it difficult to breathe well. Even though you are a little wet, his girth stretches your walls almost painfully, making you feel thoroughly full. You tighten your jaw, suppressing a groan. There isn’t much you can do in this position but wrap your arms around his shoulders and take whatever he gives you.  

He had to have known that by doing this, you would be at his mercy. It both excites and infuriates you.

Pressing you close to him, he uses one hand to prevent you from falling back; the other grasps your ass as he begins to vigorously bounce you on his cock.

Your lips part and embarrassingly a desperate moan escapes. For fucks sake. You did not expect it to be like this. It is surprisingly intimate this close to him. You do not know where to look. And honestly, you don't want to give Bi-Han the honor of seeing how undone he is making you feel. 

But do I have a choice?

Even your body enjoys embarrassing you. The lewd wet slaps permeating the still cold air make your face heat up. Each quick breath that pours from you sends out a wisp of fog, but you can not help it. 

He feels so good. 

The amount of stamina Bi-Han must have to fuck you like this is incredible. He does not appear to be breaking a sweat at all, though laces of his hair have escaped his bun, bouncing against his face as he thrusts into you. 

For a moment, you forget how much pain he has caused you. The pleasure surging through your body is too real. It consumes you, so much so the world around you begins to contort in a saturated blur. You realize too late that tears pour down your heated face.

“Dry your eyes,” Bi-Han demands sternly. 

You bite back an insult. 

“Can't…not yet.”

When did he become so cruel?

“You would ignore an order?” He asks.

What is his deal? You give him a heated look. 

“You're not my Grandmaster anymore, Bi-Han,” you sneer. Your tone cracks a bit as you lower it. “Just fuck me…please. I need you like this.”

The man in question does not make a rebuttal. You are not sure if this means the end for you or not, but you close your eyes and relish the feeling of being this close to him. To your relief, he does not falter or stop. 

You whine as the pressure in your lower body increases. But it's not nearly enough. Not yet. You rely on Bi-Han’s strength to keep you upright, sinking a hand between your thighs to tease your clit in small, deep rotations. It does not take long for the pressure to build to the point where you orgasm. 

Your eyes roll back as waves of pleasure wash over you. It feels intense; all-consuming, like everything and nothing at the same time. But it only lasts for a minute before the feeling fades and you crash land back into reality. 

Leaning forward, you rest against Bi-Han as he continues to fuck you. Like this, you are aware of the bitter cold nipping at your skin and the sting of his nails as they bite into your right ass cheek. It hurts a bit, but you do not entirely mind it. 

Little by little, you feel his muscles start to tense. He does not make much of a noise as he comes; the only indication you have is when he suddenly slides from you, leaving you feeling empty and sore. 

For a moment, the two of you remain in place but once you have caught your breath, you lift your head, wiping away the tears. 

“Put me down.”

Bi-Han grunts in annoyance, but instead of arguing with you, he releases your shaking legs one at a time and sets you back on the floor. Your foot makes contact with something wet and cold and upon further investigation, you realize that you stepped in his cum. 

At least he didn't shoot it inside me. 

Retrieving your clothes, you use your underwear to clean yourself off until you can take a bath. You watch in suspicion, unsure of what to do, as the man in front of you redresses and slips back on his mask. Is he going to attack you? Or leave you be? 

Before you can slide on your pants, Bi-Han approaches you. Shit. He wants a second round. You take a fighting stance, but he unexpectedly grabs your arm and yanks you forward. 

Standing so close to him, you can not understand what he is going to do until an extremely hot pain shoots up your side. No, it isn't hot. It is gelid. You scream out in pain and attempt to jerk away from him, but Bi-Han crushes you against his chest. 

“Resist and I will do more than mark you,” he states.

He's marking you. 

It fucking hurts. 

Your side is on fire. Tears leak down your face as you sob in pain, then it is over. Bi-Han releases you and you fall to the floor, feeling faint. Across your skin is a burn in the shape of a handprint; it is already starting to blister.

“Are you out of your mind?!” You cry out. 

Bi-Han narrows his eyes. 

“You are in denial. It's clear to me where your loyalty lies, and until you come to terms with the bitter truth, I'll leave you with that reminder.”

Denial. What does he mean? 

“What bitter truth?” You ask with a sneer. 

Instead of giving you an answer, he turns and walks toward the entrance. 

“Bi-Han…BI-HAN!”

How can he just leave you with so many unanswered questions? And in this mindset. You still do not know why he came here. Clutching your clothes in your hand, you hold back your anger, ignoring the pleasant ache in your core he left you with.   

Perhaps I do know what he means. 

The bitter truth is you care far too much for him to turn your back on him. But his views are too immoral to ignore. As for the other questions, you are sure you will have a run-in with him again. 

But what will I do?  

Only time will tell. 

[mfhunter]

BURIAL OATH!

[zorlovinghue]

What if Jour was a step too late. What if White Star acted sooner.

She did still go to Harris Village, she stayed there for monthly visit perhaps, so when she went back home it was too late. Turned out that White Star act a year faster than he should.

White Star's ambush was therefore unforseen, inescapable. The entire Henituse Territory faced an ultimate demise that Jour could do nothing to prevent. White Star angrily demolished everything because he could not find her–thus he failed to obtain her ancient power–leaving the territory a disjoint mess of rubbles.

How devastated would it be if Cale had died in the end, pummeled beneath the rubbles. Deruth was found disheveled amidst the expanse of corpses that had previously protected him (prevented him from reaching his son, 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘰��!), prostated before the very rubble that claimed his son's life, for he was unable to move fast enough to save him. And the child's despaired shout abruptly cut off just when he was at arm length. The knights accompanying Jour? Ron and Vicross who assisted her? They're useless, so useless because even with their efforts to save his son, his son's body, the fact that such huge and heavy piece of rubble had left Cale mashed beyond recognition had stripped him from a proper burial.

With Henituse territory destroyed, they're practically had nowhere to go but the palace (Zed's providing shelter for them). Rebuilding a territory? Who cares about that when no civilians survived, leaving only the Count, the Countess and a few subordinates to hold its glory.

Jour and Deruth were consumed in immeasurable grief and sorrow. They make a soul oath to the God of Death, promising to get rid of White Star in exchange of power, they swore to defeat the shit piece of fuck with their own hands.

"We will do it for you. Victory, we will give you just that. Hold our lives in your hands, once the time comes, rid ourselves from this world of living."

Canon characters like Choi Han might still exist, but it might be different with the children since they haven't born yet. So the war will have the 'adult' figures at it centre. Assuming there's no Hunters, so the only goal is to defeat the White Star.

Jour having absolute mental breakdown once she fight with White Star. Deruth is strong here, so he fight on the front lines with Jour. Them running down the path of self-destruction that in other worldline had been the one Cale Henituse died from...

Then died holding each other, victory achieved, but in their hold no longer the small, precious child they adored with everything they have. Only themselves.

"Jour, My Jour...," a soft kiss on her forehead, a single tear greeted her cheek, "If we're granted another chance to live a second time... In a world vastly different than ours."

A wishful dream, coming from shredded throat of a man in his last moment, "Please, please be my wife one more time. Then I'll protect you, I'll make you happier. I'll make sure no one can take our child from us."

Perhaps, they'll be reincarnated on Earth. There, in a peaceful world, maybe they'll meet again.

I'm crying. Certainly makes no sense. White Star's ancient powers were never completed, even if he did managed to do so, Jour basically his worst enemy that could put an end to his reincarnation. The oath with GoD gave Jour all ancient powers Cale!krs have in canon, so the whole kebab agenda was done by her. I only see problem, I do not see solution, so all of this is just a ramble...

[sephsbat]

The Worship of Haides in Ancient Greece

In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Haides was the god of the underworld - the realm of the dead. As the ruler of this grim domain, Haides was an important but often feared deity in the Greek pantheon.

Despite his formidable role, Haides did not receive the same level of widespread public worship as some of the other Olympian gods like Zeus or Poseidon. Haides was seen as a remote and somber figure, best left undisturbed in his realm beneath the earth.

However, Haides did have some specific rituals and practices associated with his cult:

Sacrifices and offerings: Worshippers would make offerings of black animals, such as black sheep or bulls, to honor Haides. These were often buried or burned as a way to communicate with the underworld.

Funerary rites: Haides presided over funeral and burial practices. Ancient Greeks would make offerings to Hades during the burial of the dead to ensure safe passage to the afterlife.

Chthonic rituals: Some mystery cults and oracles, such as the Oracle of the Dead at Ephyra, conducted secretive rites and rituals intended to communicate with Haides and the underworld. These were seen as dark and dangerous practices.

Oaths and curses: Haides was sometimes invoked when swearing solemn oaths, as the god who would punish any breaches of such vows. His name was also called upon in curses and maledictions.

While not as prominent as some of the more beloved Olympian gods, Hades maintained an important place in the religious life and imagination of the ancient Greeks through these specialized rituals and beliefs surrounding the world of the dead.

The significance of the Eleusinian Mysteries related to Haides

The Eleusinian Mysteries were one of the most important religious rituals in ancient Greece, and they were closely tied to the worship of Haides and the underworld.

The Eleusinian Mysteries were a series of annual initiation ceremonies held at Eleusis, a small town just outside of Athens. The mysteries centered around the myth of Persephone, the daughter of the goddess Demeter, who was abducted by Haides and taken to the underworld to become his queen.

The ceremonies aimed to teach initiates about the cycle of life, death, and rebirth, and to provide them with a promise of a favorable afterlife in the realm of Haides. The specific rituals and teachings of the mysteries were kept strictly secret, known only to those who had been initiated.

However, we do know that the ceremonies involved a procession from Athens to Eleusis, where participants would enact the myth of Persephone's descent and return. This likely included symbolic representations of the underworld and the meeting between Persephone, Demeter, and Haides.

The Eleusinian Mysteries were seen as a way for initiates to gain the favor and protection of Haides, ensuring they would be welcomed into the underworld after death. Participating in the mysteries was highly valued, as it was believed to bring blessings, good fortune, and a meaningful afterlife.

The central role of Haides and the underworld in these important religious rites highlights the complex and multi-faceted nature of his worship in ancient Greece. The Mysteries demonstrate how he was revered not just as a remote, fearsome figure, but also as a powerful deity who could grant favor and a blessed afterlife to his devoted worshippers.

[wutheringskies]

The Lans and Nies have no right to check and intrude between whatever is going on between Wei Wuxian, the Wen remnants and the Jins. Yet, they somehow have enough rights to go and witness the deaths of Wen Qing and Wen Ning with their clan disciples. And why were these two being killed? Because Jin Zixuan died by the hands of Wen Ning in an ambush set forth by the Jins upon Wei Wuxian, who was invited to Koi Tower by the Jins! So, it's definitely the Jin's matter, yet now you guys can come!

And what ends up happening? Somehow, Wen Ning who is being supported by Hanguang-jun loses control and ... kills Lans and Nies? Not the Jins! In the Jin palace! In an event orchestrated by the Jins! Death by a fierce corpse that the Jins should have prepared for! A whole ass cultivation sect? And a fierce corpse can go and kill whoever it wants?

But great!

Because you guys didn't ever go and check what the matter at Burial Mounds actually was like, because not your problem! Now, it has become your problem and you're forced to take part in the oath ceremony to go raze the Burial Mounds, and then you know, to defend himself, Wei Wuxian comes! And somehow it's his fault for "slaughtering." As if you guys weren't going along with the flow, not even questioning for a second why the smart Yiling Laozu would kill the people who could have stood up for him? And then what? You guys were present at the Oath Ceremony so more of you ended up dying, and now you have to go and take part in the slaughter of 50 innocent men and women and old people!!

Just because you were in positions of power, yet chose inaction. You got completely played! Naive.

Now, that's not enough yet.

Now, there's only two people who could've saved Nie Mingjue - Wei Wuxian and Wen Qing. But they're both already gone! Perhaps if Lan Wangji wasn't in seclusion, he would've stood up against the slaughter of all those minor clans who "tried to assassinate sect leader Jin"! But he is!

Now, Lan Xichen would rather shrug off both of his sworn brothers showing utmost hostility towards each other and increasing amounts of killing intent as a misunderstanding. He would think, oh he's being so nice and nuanced, understanding how people have to sometimes do bad things to maintain peace :((

Like, Lan Xichen's whole identity is built over avoiding conflict. When it comes to good and evil, there is no third side. How can you preach righteousness if you're not willing to carry the burden of morality? Sympathy doesn't equate to righteousness. Perhaps, if be wasn't a sect leader, he'd be good. But when you're a sect leader, being good isn't enough! Your inaction amounts to hundreds of lives.

Wei Wuxian perhaps has the most blood on his hands yet he values even the life of some useless servant, or some half-dead grandmother. You're all letting entire clans die to maintain a peaceful environment and you're thinking you're being righteous. If you have doubts then check them out!

Why are Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji so fated?

Well, firstly they've seen how "ugly" the other can get. Lan Wangjj knows that Wei Wuxian can turn up the heavens for righteousness, that he'll gladly walk through hell, if he could he would even offer up his own pieces of flesh. Wei Wuxian knows Lan Wangji cannot pretend things are okay when they're not. He is stubborn to no end with what he believes to be right, is willing to bear each and every consequence. He'd rather do what he thinks is right and accept the punishment later, whatever that will be.

In the face of truth, you can't hide, and you can't be prejudiced.

Wei Wuxian was hurt so much by Wen Chao, thrown into the Burial Mounds yet he brought the same surnamed Wens into Burial Mounds willingly to protect them! How can Nie Mingjue simply act on his hatred? In your righteousness to kill all evil, you started killing without exceptions and became the evil himself!

And why does Lan Xichen not have anything to say about Xue Yang? "Er-ge... this is what father wants." But Jin Guangshan is also a sect leader! Lan Xichen is also a sect leader!

I wonder what Lan Xichen said to Wangji after his visit to the Burial Mounds.

"Xiongzhang, there isn't an army but a child, the elderly, the women."

"Wangji. I understand. But Wei-gongzi has really upset the orthodox society now. It is no longer about the Wens. His cultivation is evil, and he holds the Tiger Seal... he even brought back Wen Ning's consciousness... you believe you know him..."

And boom, tell that to Jin Guangyao and three days later, everyone knows about Wen Ning. Props to Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji for not holding grudges towards anyone and simply riding off to the sunset and even helping everyone who never tried to understand their true hearts.

Both of them are really blessed.

[troublesomeknight]

You know, since it seems people liked my last post about this, I guess I'll do another one about how the Thunder Saga departs from the books.

Now in my last post I mentioned that Elpenor cornered Odysseus while he was in the underworld and asked him to go back to Circe's island and give him a proper burial. So they actually go back and do just that and while they're there, it's Circe who tells Odysseus about Scylla, but also about Charybdis.

Basically she tells him that the only way he was going to get home from here is to pass between them, but the problem is if ship gets too close to Charybdis' whirlpool then it'll get sucked in and destroyed, but if they sail too close to Scylla's cave she will grab at least six of his crew and eat them. She advises to stick closer to Scylla because it's better to lose six people than the whole ship.

Now, here's a thing. Book Odysseus actually objects strongly to this. He understands the alternative is worse, but he's like "Can't we just fight her instead so no one has to die?"

And she's like "No, that's a terrible idea. You won't be able to reach her to fight her. She'll just kill more of your crew if you try."

But Odysseus doesn't entirely listen to this advise. He resolves to try anyway, but once they actually do reach Scylla's cave, he realizes Circe was right and they really can't reach her despite her being able to reach them just fine. So they just gun it past her instead.

As for the sirens, I'm pretty sure most people already know it didn't go like it did in the musical at all, but yeah. They don't kill the sirens, they just sail past them with Odysseus being the only one who can hear them while tied to the mast and all that.

Even though he neglected to warn the crew about Scylla before hand in the book too, this does not start a mutiny, but what does almost start one is when he tries to just sail past Helios's island rather than stopping. Because the crew is tired and Eurylochus insists they should stop there for a bit to recuperate after all that crazy shit they had to deal with plus losing six more people and of course the crew takes his side, so Odysseus reluctantly agrees.

But only on the condition that they all swear an oath that they won't harm Helios's cattle under any circumstances. They agree, so they stop on Helios's island. But then they get stuck there for a whole entire month and the food supplies start to run low again.

At this point Odysseus realizes there will be trouble and leaves for like an hour to go pray to the gods/make sacrifices to try and figure out why they haven't been getting any wind and whether he can convince the gods to let them leave the island before his crew does something stupid.

Unfortunately, while he's gone, Eurylochus decides to convince the rest of the crew that they should just eat the cows.

It'll be fine. They'll just build Helios a temple back in Ithaca once they get home. Surely he'll accept that as an apology, right?

No. No he won't.

In fact Helios goes straight to Zeus and threatens to take the sun into the Underworld if he doesn't punish the mortals who killed his precious cows right this very second. Zeus tells him to calm down and wait until they get back on the ship to leave first, then he'll punish them.

Odysseus comes back to discover the on-going barbecue and is understandably pissed at his crew breaking their oath and dooming them all, but basically no one is listening to him at this point. But finally they have wind, so they decide to leave, having made sacrifices hoping that will stave off the gods' anger for a while. But of course it doesn't.

Zeus does not show up in person like in the musical. He doesn't try to hit Odysseus with some kind of sadistic choice deal. He just hits them with a storm as soon as they're out to sea and destroys the ship with a lightning bolt, killing everyone aboard except Odysseus.

And that's how the events from Thunder Saga happened in the Odyssey. You're welcome.

[blackcrowing]

Ogam Divination Meanings from a Linguistic Perspective

I want to prefix this guide by saying that I take a very different approach to ogam than many other practitioners do. I approach them from a linguistic perspective and gather context from the cultural perspective.

So if you are familiar with other divination meanings for the ogam these meanings may feel VERY different from the ones you've seen. That being said if you have questions about how I came to the meaning I did, please feel free to ask and I will explain the ogam in question to the best of my ability.

I align the aicme ('families') with the four fire festivals. This is my personal method, it is not based on any specific historical or linguistic data but it helps me bring more context to each feda.

Imbolg

beithe

strongly associated with protection

a warning to guard what is dear

a call to heal/healing

sense/essence of protection

luis

that from which healing comes

that which sustains ones way of life/community

the act of healing (gently)

fearn

fighting to protect

the first line of defence

fighting for the community

sustaining peace

sail

Otherworld protectors/ancestors

messages from the Otherworld

Otherworld gift

Reciprocal relationship with the Otherworld

nin

binders of the community

the bringing of peace (possibly through action/reprimand)

a wave can be gentle and soothing, but a wave can also be wild and sweep you your death, it is uncaring in these endeavors simply following its nature

especially emphasizing women

Bealtane

úath

point of life transition (male coming of age)

related to the unmarried male war bands

warrior skill building or related to warrior skills (cattle raiding, skirmishes, hunting, soldiering)

dair

the greatest knowledge

knowledge over the ways of life and death (druids)

both the skilled and that which is shaped by skill (think something along the lines of every master of a skill had to be shaped into a master by others)

tinne

seems to be related to a festival (possibly one lost to time, or a more general kind of festival like a market day)

a coming together

trade; commerce; dealings

items made by skilled craftsmen

coll

inspiration (imbas)

poetic knowledge

creation/creativity

cert

Ruler

power of the Otherworld

fír flathhemon

Lughnasadh

muin

the duty to strike down

righteous attack

beheading (related to head cult)

gort

lands that feed

‘home’

the place of providing

place of the ancestors?

gétal

opening wounds

for healing or valor

act of healing (difficult, painful, traumatic)

straif

secrets, mystery

seeking visions and dreams

possibly related to something ceremonial

ruis

extreme emotion (negative or positive, even a mix)

related to activities with others

Samhain

ailm

beginning

the first action/first to answer the call

naming/creating/birth

onn

patrolling what is yours

movement through what is familiar

movement over great distance

úr

ancestors/decedents

family (in the broad sense)/ community

ancestor burials

edad

bond of friendship

host/guest relationship

oath

idad

the eternal

that which always is

movement through time (maybe history, but also possibly the future)

[lyzelky]

Snippet SunMonday

Tagged by the wonderful @atsadi-shenanigans, thank you!! A snippet in which Tav makes a decision, and Astarion nearly craps his pants over it.

The lingering scent of bergamot and rosemary should have tipped her off, but to her annoyance she finds herself once again startled by the appearance of Astarion. He has the decency to step into the light, though his expression remains cooly intrigued. “You were gone for so long the wizard began to worry,” He picks at a nail and adds, “I wondered if you decided to abandon us entirely.” “I would never—!” She begins indignantly, but Astarion cuts her off. “So, I went looking. I must say I didn’t expect you to be having a little rendezvous with the old man.” He gives her a calculating look, and then to her surprise he smiles, leans in close, and purrs, “You can’t be interested in him for his looks, that much is obvious. So, what did you get out of it? Money? Treasure?” His eyes rake down her form and then back up again, “Or perhaps you simply had a lapse of judgement… Come now darling, I won’t judge, what were you up to?” His face dances with impish delight, and she’s just cottoned on to what he’s implying. “Oh gods, no,” She gulps back a squawk of embarrassed laughter, “No, no, no, definitely nothing like that.” Astarion’s coy smile twists into a scowl. “Well clearly something happened,” He grouses, “There’s something… different.” He gestures vaguely to the whole of her, “Something… new.” “Well,” She begins to walk up the path and gestures for him to follow, “To put it simply, I wanted to increase our chances of survival, so I asked Zevlor to teach me how. I’ve made an oath.” “An oath?” Astarion stops dead in his tracks. “Like a Paladin?” She stops too. “What, do you have a problem with that?” “Well, I suppose it depends… what manner of vows are we talking about?” He’s giving her that odd look again, like he can’t quite figure her out. “Zevlor said it fairly common, as far as oaths go,” She offers, “Duty and justice and mercy, and whatnot.” “And whatnot…” He snorts, apparently amused by such a thing, though his eyes do not leave her face. “Promises are tricky things,” He tilts his head, “What does your oath say about the undead?” The question is a bit strange, but she sees no harm in answering. “Nothing, specifically,” His eyes narrow. “I thought all paladins were sworn to eliminate them?” She considers. Zevlor had mentioned something about the importance of proper burials and the evils of necromancy, but she hadn’t really thought much into it. “Well,” She chuckles, “If a zombie is hells-bent on my brains, I’d probably put up a fight, yeah.” Astarion doesn’t laugh. If anything, his expression darkens. When he next speaks, it sounds like he chooses his words very carefully. “And, theoretically, if a zombie assured you it wouldn’t harm you, what then?” She stares at him, non-plussed. “What?” “Humor me, darling.” “Alright, well…” She considers the scenario, bizarre as it may seem, “Theoretically, If I came across a sentient zombie who could communicate it meant me no harm? I mean, if it’s not hurting anyone else I don’t see any reason in attacking it.” “Truly?” He sounds skeptical, “Most Paladins would jump at the opportunity to dispose of such a monster.” She shrugs. “My oath says to root out evil. If the zombie is living— well, un-living a benevolent existence, who am I to destroy it?” Something flickers in Astarion’s expression. “What an unusual answer.” “I suppose so, but it��s mine,” She grins. He does not return her smile. “Quite.”

In other words: Tav: "I made a pact of power after listening to a guy I met literally this morning! :3" Astarion: YouWHAT.Jpeg Tagging @amoremagnificentbastard @eraserspiral @dwarfsized @gilded-glitter @molgars and anyone else who wants to participate!

[yeliuxi]

I enjoy a good Priest trope subversion, but I don't think predestined love is a trope that was subverted in Qi Ye. Or, at least, not in such a clear-cut way.

It's true that Jing Qi falls out of love with Helian Yi by the seventh lifetime, and does not pursue the predestined love that Bai Wuchang allegedly gave him a chance to reclaim. It's also true that Jing Qi eventually chooses to pursue Wuxi instead, and goes with him back to Nanjiang. And it's also true that Priest used a lot of Buddhist themes in her work, and was stressing that nothing is permanent, not even an alleged soulmate and fated bond.

But I think we can also assume that the first three lifetimes at the very beginning of the novel are talking about Jing Qi and Wuxi. And I think it's these lifetimes that suggest a real, fulfilled, unsubverted predestined love.

The first three lifetimes (as translated by Chichi, because their translation is 200 times better than mine would have been):

The first lifetime, a stone appeared, turning into the burial mound of a hero, feelings unable to be broken. The second lifetime, a boulder split, ferrying a predestined love across the Bridge, a pair of mandarin ducks flying off together. The third lifetime, a jadeite burned, vowing to abide by an invaluable oath, eternally following each other in life and death.

The first life, a hero dies, but his love persists through death. The second life, someone (the lover of the hero, presumably) does something to follow someone else (the hero, presumably) in death. Their predestined love is unfulfilled, so they reunite in the Netherworld at the Naihe Bridge. They reincarnate, and find each other again in another life, where their predestined love is fulfilled.

It's never actually stated how this lover follows the hero in death, but I assume it was not entirely mundane, as where before a stone is a memorial, becomes a standing reminder of death, this boulder is broken, and that is what ferries their love across the Bridge. Actually, this might just represent taking a different path of reincarnation (reincarnating in a higher realm, and becoming a being of the Netherworld).

When the Netherjudge shows up in the first chapter, he comments that Bai Wuchang was not originally a person of the Netherworld. Bai Wuchang was inhabiting a "temporary" form, waiting for someone, but he forgot who. A hero died, and a lover died, but one continued reincarnation in the mortal realm, while the other is stuck in the Netherworld, becoming Bai Wuchang. Assuming Jing Qi is the hero and Bai Wuchang is the lover, Bai Wuchang followed Jing Qi to the Netherworld, but is unable to fulfill his predestiny while reincarnated in a higher realm, and this is why his form in the Netherworld is temporary and "stifled."

The Netherjudge states that Bai Wuchang has been waiting around for a a predestiend person for a while, and that he should go now. From Chichi's translation:

“This cycle’s Bai Wuchang was not originally a person of the underworld, and had been doing nothing more than borrowing a temporary frame in wait for his destined person,” he explained upon noticing Hu Jia standing there dumbly. “Now, he ought to go.”

It's likely that whatever means Bai Wuchang used to reunite with his loved one in the Netherworld cost him his memories, or was just a consequence of reincarnation in a higher realm (like how people will not remember most of their previous lives when reincarnating as living beings). But Hu Jia keeps all of his memories (remembers learning about Helian Yi in lessons, and tales of dotting the dragon's eyes), and he is a ghost messenger also of the Netherworld. So, I don't really have any good explanation other than a reach. Regardless, Jing Qi reincarnates, but Wuxi is unable to reincarnate with him, despite originally being a mortal.

Hu Jia comments that Jing Qi has suffered such ill fates, despite not doing many wicked things in his lives with Helian Yi. Bai Wuchang gives the excuse that it's difficult to calculate karma, but this might actually be because Jing Qi was not able to fulfill his destiny with Bai Wuchang, because he was the only one who reincarnated. Instead, he became destined with Helian Yi due to a karmic misallocation. His hair even turns white before the age of 33 in his first life, which also could also be a sign of imbalance or misallocation.

After Bai Wuchang sacrifices his cultivation, he reincarnates as Wuxi. And who is Wuxi infatuated with (who was Bai Wuchang waiting for, who does Bai Wuchang grow increasingly obsessed with, who was his predestined one)? Jing Qi.

But Jing Qi doesn't have memories of lives prior to Helian Yi. This could just be explained by Jing Qi drinking Meng Po's soup like a normal person, but it's been stated before that the soup doesn't work very well on him (because he's special). Bai Wuchang notes that Jing Qi's hun souls are still in the mortal realm, and not in the Netherworld with him. The hun souls are responsible for higher functions, like consciousness/awareness/intelligence. If Jing Qi is missing his hun souls, then this can explain his confused state at the beginning of the novel, and his lack of memory.

But, well, even if I'm grasping at sraws, I will also just present to you this passage (also from Chichi's translation):

Therefore, at first light, Jing Qi was wrapped in a pocket-sized version of Court dress, which had three layers inside and three layers out, then floated into the palace with his eyes half-open, about to meet the one predestined to be tangled up with him for his entire lifetime.

Wuxi and Jing Qi are a predestined love, though they were not the predestined love that Jing Qi was led to believe he was meant to fulfill