#ritualistic swearing of oaths!!!

[hollowed-theory-hall]

This...makes me wonder. Could Bhutan have served as a sanctuary or a place where the horcrux removal could have taken place (I don't trust the goblins)

https://youtu.be/0nfm4jR3Zzw?si=-s69ZssMig831dt7

I have to say I'm uncertain what you're asking.

I don't really consider the Fantastic Beasts movies canon, and while I have seen fics that use Gringotts as a place and means to remove the Horcrux from Harry, I don't actually think the goblins could do something like that. I mean, I don't think goblins are experts in wizards' soul magic, they have no reason to know anything about it actually. I don't think the average goblin would know how to recognize a Horcrux or even what it is.

I don't actually think the location matters when it comes to removing the Horcrux from Harry, either, the method is what matters. Certain locations could potentially help focus magic in general, like Bhutan might do, but it doesn't mean this ritual can't be practiced successfully elsewhere.

That being said, you can headcanon whatever you like and write whatever you like.

But, if you're asking how I would go about removing the Horcrux from Harry without a killing curse, well, that I can answer.

I assume you are referring to my post regarding how to make a Horcrux with this question. Well, let's use that to outline how to remove the Hrocrux. The soul shard from Voldemort is tied to Harry with a spirit of life that wasn't initially there, so Harry has one body, two spirits, and two souls (essentially).

So, to remove the Horcrux (the extra soul) you need to sever what ties it to Harry, which happens to be a spirit of life; this is why the Killing Curse works. But, let's say we don't want to kill Harry, I think, in the same way, you tie the knot, you can untie it.

Essentially a reverse ritual.

Option 1:

You will create a Moriai Thread, like in the Horcrux ritual, but this time, not for yourself, but for the Horcrux. So you could mimic cutting it or untying it and releasing the soul. There is going to be a spell involved here as well, but I haven't come up with it yet.

Essentially though, you are doing this same ritualistic death you did to make a Horcrux, except now you're using it to kill the Horcrux without killing the container.

Option 2:

A Horcrux, as I established in this post about making them, is an oath. the word "Hrocrux" can be literally translated to "binding oath of death and rebirth", as such the final binding of the container and the soul, the final bond between you and life — is an oath.

If the creator of the Horcrux breaks this oath (which I believe he swears to keep himself among the living) then the bond between the container and Horcrux would break. What I'm saying is that remorse would actually work. Well, sort of.

It's not exactly remorse, but regret. The moment the Horcrux creator wishes to die, and regrets the making of the Horcruxes, that's when they break the oath. As long as Voldemort wants to live, he keeps his oath to the Horcruxes, the moment he doesn't want to live anymore, or regrets making the Horcruxes — the tie is going to break.

Bonus Option:

If you want a specific location that can be used to remove the Horcrux, your best bet would be the Death Chamber in the Department of Mysteries (but only for Harry, specifically). I mentioned here how I think Harry is the only wizard who'll be able to walk into the veil and come back out and why. So, another means to remove the Horcrux would be for Harry to walk into the veil and then walk back out, as it would sever the life that isn't Harry's. So, the veil would kill the Horcrux but not Harry.

That is if Harry is intentionally leaving the Horcrux behind. If Harry goes in without knowing about the Horcrux, he might leave it behind and he might accidentally bring it back with him. Magic is all about intention so it depends. If Harry, without knowing of the Horcrux, subconsciously considers the Horcrux part of himself it'll survive. If Harry doesn't see it as part of himself, the Horcrux would likely die.

[wallbeatjournal]

percival archie in the gym with the boxcutter was hirarchie blood oath but less sexy. or more sexy because percival really wanted archie to die?

brave of me to say it. but all evil coercive knifeplay is perhaps equally sexy??

no, okay, let's assess. both scenes are about domination and taking archie's agency away from him - but percival wants to use archie to harm archie himself v directly, and hiram wants to use archie to harm others (fred, jughead, etc). both perpetrators are getting off on control but i think there's also a fetishistic forever-marking/branding/scarification thing going on with hirarchie over the top, that the percival/archie boxcutting scene doesn't have.

percival does his harm by one-off brute force after stewing on it privately. it's one-sided. archie CAN'T choose one way or another and therefore can't blame himself for his vulnerability after-the-fact.

hiram does his by careful, intimate manipulation, as part of an ongoing authority relationship and a betrayal that changes the way archie sees himself and his ability to relate to others forever after. it's about archie as much as it's about hiram, because it has to be in order to succeed.

both are extremely violating, with sexual overtones, but different ones (groomed intimacy vs direct coercion). both also do have prominent role playing elements - hiram and archie are swearing their blood oath in the first place as a resolution to hiram's fake fbi sting. percival puppeteers archie literally but plays with unnecessarily flowery, suggestive language the whole time; he could have walked in and commanded archie to sewer slide asap but instead he frames it all in terms of loveliness and why-don't-you. for his own fun.

btw while we're here talking about archie blood pact parallels, it's worth also noting that archie performed a blood ritual (with a special knife) at the end of s6 with his friends, too. full circle, what if ritualistically cutting your own hand/forearm open was an intimate thing you did with peers instead of evil authorities with power over you. what if you broke past your learned, forced invulnerability and trusted your friends with your very blood. perhaps it would save the world????

idk if this compare/contrast exercise is giving you what you wanted, anon. i feel like this ask came out of your groin SO respectably and admirably and honorably...and i responded with my brain unfortunately :\

i've decided, though. i think hiram's was sexier to both hiram and archie, and percival got blueballed by his own failure to perform, so hirarchie blood pact sexier final answer. thanks!

[a-god-in-ruins-rises]

the ancients were right about ritual. i need more ritual in my life. ritualized friendships. ritualized gift-giving. ritualized feasts. ritualized hospitality. ritualized oaths. 

i’m just thinking about how much things like this mean to me. like gift-giving.  it feels so profound to me. almost reverent. giving a gift to someone is an almost spiritual experience for me. and i feel like ritualizing it is the only way to properly express the weight of it. it’s not something i take lightly. i want it to be so deliberate. 

i read about ancient greek hospitality or ancient germanic warriors swearing fealty to a lord who returns their loyalty with feasts and gifts of gold. i think of these customs and the social dynamics and how important they were to these people. literally a matter of life and death sometimes. and it may not be that way anymore but my soul still resonates with it at a primal level. when a lord ritualistically offers his new companion a gold ring or even some bread....there’s something sacred happening. and that’s how i feel when i give someone a gift or cook someone a meal or when i owe someone a favor or when i make a promise to someone. it’s a deeply spiritual/religious act for me.

[house-of-crows]

It's been a few years now.... Shall we Unpack this?

Sink me in the River like stones, coins beneath the waves; To break your teeth on love and fight what nests beneath your bones-

The River is often known as the River of Memory. In a ritualistic sort of way, one attaches a memory or a thought or emotional response to a coin, a gemstone…. or a simple, humble river rock, and sinks them into the water. What Lies Beneath will guard them, keep them safe for the same hands who released them to retrieve; if and when they will.

"To break your teeth on love" - Love is often deemed a 'soft' emotion and therefore would not 'break' something, especially your teeth. BUT, if you look at the expression "to cut ones' teeth" : Get one's first experience by doing, or learn early in life, as in I cut my teeth on this kind of layout or He cut his eyeteeth on magazine editing. This term alludes to the literal verb to cut teeth, meaning “to have teeth first emerge through a baby's gums." So if you are cutting your teeth on LOVE, it is a reference both to the first experiences of youth, but also somewhat a return to innocence. Simpler views of the world… when love was the all-encompassing thing we felt.

"what nests beneath the bones" is the heart; in a very literal sense it is talking about fighting one's own heart in a quest for new experiences, but also fighting the concept of LOVE itself. This goes back to the Morrigan's meeting at the Ford with Cu Chulainn, the Dagda, and others; and echoing it in my own life with my lover at the time. Using devotion to Her in a literal and metaphorical sense of my struggle with Faith, asking Her to forget me, as one might ask a Lover to forget them.

So the first verse's meaning becomes, largely:

"Forget me, as the River forgets, as those who go to the River forget; sink me in the water like a coin. Less noble and precious than gems, more worthwhile than only a rock. Tell me that I mattered, when I know I did not matter so very much in Your eyes. Then go and, having forgotten me, find new love/a new servant/new believer. Fight whatever memory Your heart holds of me, so I can rest in peace."

My struggle to find my faith is too great, release me! Don't release me without telling me that I was good. For you do eyes blaze with holy fire For you do untamed tongues speak holy words For you are temples all ruins at your feet For you do the hills cry together glory and mercy! Mercy! Mercy!

For the Morrigan and under Her gifts, I experienced the joy of Belief. For Her, and with Her presence, I found faith. Healing… but it came at the cost of the "temples" of my earlier life. Safe places, old refuges that no longer fit me, or no longer allowed me in due to my pagan beliefs. In Her mythos, She is a goddess of prophecy, and battle, self-sovereignty and sacred kingship. The glory of battle, yes, but oh mercy, mercy mercy! In Irish mythology, Macha; one of the Morrigan's faces; is a goddess linked with horses, battle, and sovereignty. She is said to have collected the heads of the slain, which were known as “Macha's acorn crop-” For which reason many would beg Her to spare and show mercy if they failed…. or would swear to sacrifice in Her honor if She gave them victory. ​ You have given me gifts, and I cherish them, I have sacrificed my past safety; grant me victory over my past or grant me mercy…. by sinking me in the River and releasing me from my oaths. What lurks in the depths Bears your face and form- Still waters and deep currents; Reflected in your gaze, Washer At The Ford!

"What Lurks Beneath" are the Watchers in the Water. River monsters, that take various forms. Great eels with giant jaws and teeth, mega-fauna crocodilian-type reptiles, or even something more horrifying. The "washer at the ford" is a mythic vision of the Morrigan washing blood from the armor of the slain. It was a prophecy that battle was coming, and they would die.

The monsters who will guard my spirit have the Morrigan's protective nature, no matter how terrifying their face. The purpose is the same; to set a guarding wall and offer the space to grow before fighting again. A release, or merely an abeyance until the promises can be fulfilled. Her eyes hold that much power and more, and if my time has come, so be it. Take me! If I must struggle and wrestle with faith, I will wrestle! But if I must give up the fight, then I will.

​ For all the feathers between your teeth, You devour death like crows-

The Morrigan's principle animal shape is a hooded crow; Specifically as the Badb Catha, the Battle Crow with a reddened beak and hood. ​ "Hope is the thing with feathers-"

Though my hope of ever having a stable, steady faith or a simple relationship with Deity is dying, the "heart between the teeth" that are "breaking on love" (I love this Goddess, I love this spirituality, I love this path for me, but I am breaking, breaking) Morrigan is only doing as She has ever done… devouring Death. Her Nature. Inevitable.

​

But whether "devouring death" means devouring the circumstances that lead to this cycle of crises in my faith and ability to hold faith in the Divine, or whether it is a devouring the death of my faith as yet another sacrifice…. I still don't know this many years on. It is the same sort of cycle I am walking.

Battle Crow

Sink me in the River like stones, coins beneath the waves; To break your teeth on love and fight what nests between your bones- 

For you do eyes blaze with holy fire For you do untamed tongues speak holy words For you are temples all ruins at your feet For you do the hills cry together glory and mercy! Mercy! Mercy!

What lurks in the depths Bears your face and form- Still waters and deep currents; Reflected in your gaze, Washer At The Ford!

For all the feathers between your teeth,  You devour death like crows- 

[featherssideblog]

Feathers Reacts: Motorcity - Episode 9 - Ride of the Fantasy Vans

Forsooth, this episode is as an arrow set to pierce a target - that target being an audience, of which I find myself a member.

Episode 9 Thoughts

Uh oh some larpers just walked into a horror movie.

!!! The murals! On these vans! Can you imagine?? If I saw this driving down the road I would know in a heartbeat that I had to meet the person behind the wheel.

CHUCK I AM IN LOVE WITH YOUR HOBBIES AND YOUR FRIEND GROUP, PLEASE LET THE BURNERS LEARN THE MAGIC OF FANTASY ROLEPLAYING GAMES

"Huzzah!" - fun fact I use this exclamation in real life too often, and one time when a lady was fitting me for glasses she asked me if I was a "rennie" or Ren Fair enthusiast. Alas, I have only been to one.

The random medieval music interludes are killing me, I love this so much :)

Chuck is giving a pep talk!! I wonder if he models this after Mike? :)

. . . have we seen Chuck make a glowing green slingshot out of nothing before? Did I miss that?

Okay but the kneeling and ritualistic swearing of oaths . . . I'm sorry it's just getting to me, even if it's played for comedy a bit. This is my jam. This is my bread and butter. This is the good stuff. AAAHHH

Chuck, honey, we have gotta work on your self esteem.

WHAT AGE IS ANYBODY IN THIS SHOW?? Are the larpers younger than most of the Burners? Are they just less experienced fighters in real life actual combat? Maybe the two kids that got lost are younger? But Ruby and Thurman oughta be about Chuck's age, right?

Jacob is "a wizard." Perfect! XD

Oh he named his bot Applesauce??? That's adorable!!

Young Kane looks SUPER strange without his facial hair and ponytail; holy cow, it changes his whole vibe.

I'm really liking how the frames that are supposed to look like a horror movie have this darkening effect around the edges. :D

Chuck's inspiring speech is killing me ahhhhhh

So the dragon bot thing is an AI as well? I guess it just doesn't speak except to the little Applesauce bots? I wonder if ROTH could communicate with it . . .

So many of the machines in this world are weirdly organic.

!!!!!! AAHHHHHH MORE KNEELING AND RITUALISTIC SWEARING OF OATHS HELP

Mike, you are such a good egg. Just, such a good egg.

Concluding Thoughts

I have been Perceived. This episode is a critical hit to my soul. I love love love the larpers, and I love that the Burners did, in fact, get to learn the magic of fantasy roleplaying games at the end of the episode.

Also, Mike and Chuck, be still my heart! The way Chuck peeks out from behind his bangs with a slightly embarrassed smile as Mike is swearing fealty just about killed me. I am deceased. I have no more thoughts to write.

[daxieoclock]

heh... this would be a perfect time to ask... what's the plot of your ffxv rewrite? how different is it from the original, y'know? i'd love to hear what you have planned for any characters in particular, like prompto... or if you plan on giving some characters more importance? i hope those questions are good :)

FUCK YEAH they're great questions thank u thank you

so primarily the big conceit behind this au is to focus in on a unifying theme, and tweaking the plot in order to align to that theme rather than bouncing all over the place the way canon does. in this case, our theme is monarchy itself, exploring concepts of sovereignty and linage on every level, with the inevitable conclusion being, to put it in a gauche way: "monarchy bad, actually"

the magic system in the au is focused on royal blood, with nearly all magic tied to the royal lineage of the different kingdoms, and bestowed beyond royal blood only to those who swear a binding oath to a royal, with their powers conditional on maintaining that oath. there's a lot of other little changes i made to the Primals / pantheon and Armiger and stuff like that, in order to just like. clear up a lot of the weird inconsistent vagueness and hand-waving in canon. but the biggest change by far is to Ardyn

Ardyn, in the au, is an immortal pedigree-obsessed weirdo whose primary plan is to prune the "impure" bloodlines in Lucis and Nifelhiem, while basically forcing Noctis and Lunafreya (who are very good friends and maybe are romantically interested in each other but having their autonomy revoked in this way is deeply fucked up) to get married and have kids, uniting their own lineages, while he slaughters a bunch of people and forcibly unites all nations under one banner like the good old days when he was king.

his continued existence is literally tied to the kingdoms, and he is defeated only when the Emperor of Nifelhiem is killed, and Noctis and Lunafreya both renounce their titles and ritualistically destroy the thrones of their respective kingdoms.

Cor also has a hugely different and important role, becoming Noctis's active proxy-father because Regis is kind of a neglectful piece of shit. He's the one who ends up dying in Tennabrae when Ardyn reveals himself as the puppeteer, and Noctis's connection to him and his late commonborn mother (in this au, Noct has a ton of siblings and is a bastard child, last in line for the throne, thus why he's a rebellious punk being shipped off to another kingdom for a political marriage) is what eventually leads him to decide to relinquish his position as king for the betterment of his people.

As for Prompto! His whole dealio is pretty similar to canon, that he's the end result of a ton of fucked-up experiments by Nifelhiem. In this case though, the experiments were an attempt to artificially create proxy royal blood, implied to be Ardyn's initiative.

Oh, and Prompto's friendship with Noct gets way way more developed.

(this is the first time Noct is able to summon the armiger after Cor dies)

And his foil with Aranea is emphasized as well! cause in the AU, she's basically a former pirate who submitted to becoming a magitek soldier, which involved a lot of fucked up experiments. So Prompto, as soon as he hears this, is immediately like "oh shit big sister located" kdjfbgjhb

(tw for implied mutilation)

like tbh prompto's characterization is kind of aces in canon ffxv, so there's not a lot I need to change. Ep Prompto is probably the best part of the game and im still so mad it's relegated to DLC, I will never shut up about that.

anyway i literally wrote like a 50 page something infodump to @triskaidekaphilist over discord so i've got So Much Fucking Content djhgfbjhb as long as you like messy summaries and beta dialogue

[vulcanssaygayrights]

suus mahna update: thoughts on ritual within the art

on tonight’s special live episode of “el tries to construct suus mahna out of literally nothing,” i’ve been trying to puzzle out what oaths and rituals suus mahna students might be required to memorize and repeat. as usual, although i’ve researched a variety of martial arts forms, i am only trained in traditional taekwondo and that informs my opinions to a high degree.

so... oaths. in taekwondo, we have to recite the tenants (a list of ideals that a taekwondo student should live by) and the student oath (which is a list of terms the student agrees to that ensures they will use their knowledge appropriately) at the beginning of each class. it’s my opinion that vulcans would have some version of this practice, given their propensity for ritual and tradition. for an example of what i’m going for, here is a list of the standard tenants and student oath in taekwondo:

courtesy

integrity

perseverance

self-control 

indomitable spirit

(my dojang adds modesty, but not all others do)

i shall observe the tenets of taekwondo

i shall respect the instructor and seniors

i shall never misuse taekwondo

i shall be a champion of freedom and justice

i shall build a more peaceful world

so, the question is: what would a suus mahna student be required to keep in mind? one thing i’ve noticed about vulcan culture is that they tend to live amongst their past. they have a highly ritualistic society, especially for one so focused on logic. because of this, i’ve hypothesized that suus mahna likely dates back to pre-sukarian times, when it would have been a more aggressive art form focused more heavily on violence and domination of your opponent. the moral code would have likely dealt with honor and vengeance.

due to this emotional and violent past, i believe that suus mahna’s moral code in sukarian times would essentially reflect sukarian teachings. before practicing the art, students would be required to recite the teachings of surak (which i’m currently referencing from this post) from memory, as well as swearing an oath to follow these teachings and to use suus mahna for the purposes of logic and peace. 

i also feel as though students of suus mahna may be required to undergo a short session of meditation before practicing suus mahna as a group, in order to clear the mind of any emotions that could cause them to act impulsively or misuse the art. after these two reflective acts, the student would be ready to practice and learn suus mahna in a way that fits into vulcan society’s values.

...thoughts? critiques? this is all my conjecture, but i think it holds up fairly well.  (you can read my other thoughts on suus mahna here and here, if you like)

[birb-tangleblog]

Concept: Dark Kingdom ceremonies for oath-taking and swearing loyalties- weddings, accolades, coronations, etc.- involve the black rocks as well as the full moon. 

The full moon represents prosperity and good fortune, while the rocks are unbreakable and enduring, symbolizing an unbreakable bond or commitment.

I’m thinking those participating would just place a hand on the rock while reciting vows, similar to swearing on a religious text, but it could be smth more elaborate and ritualistic too.

[talvin-muircastle]

The Last of the King’s Men (Original Fiction)

This was the first story I wrote in November 2015, when I was doing my Short-Story-A-Day challenge.  

Content warning: violent death.

And so I begin again, for the fourth year.  It's semi-traditional that I start out with something that has a "spooky" element to it.  I've had this one stirring in my head for a while, but I had to sit down and write it after a very long day.  Still: a single draft. It stands.

The murder happened around midnight.  They woke Inspector Arrensby at a quarter to three. "Beg pardon, sir," said the patrolman at his door, "Man found dead in the park, and it's a strange killin', it is.  I have a coach waiting." "Of course.  Come in out of the cold while I get ready." He could barely see the lanterns through the fog when they reached the park.  Together they made their way over to the body.  The patrolman filled him in as they walked.  "It was me as found him, sir, on my rounds.  Literally tripped right over him in this soup.  No sign of a struggle, no sign of a weapon, and well, it's not gonna be the sort of thing you can stick in your pocket...look." "In the King's Name!" swore Arrensby.  The body lay on its stomach, and the head sat on a rock a short distance away, bearing a crown made of browning oak leaves.   "Aye, sir.  This is why we wanted you.  Man beheaded, wearing a crown of oak...looks kinda like the old King's crown from the books, don't it?  Except there ain't no King no more, not for a century and some." "No," whispered Arrensby, "there is no more King."  And it was true. The King lay dead at his feet. Late morning, and Arrensby had had no sleep, no food, and no answers.  The first two he would remedy soon enough, but first he had a duty to perform.  A hired coach dropped him at the front door of Wallens House, the home of the recently deceased.  He had been there many times before, but always by the back way, by night or disguised.  Today, none would think it odd if he used the front door.   The sun shone brightly through the crisp air, the first sun that had been clearly seen in a month.  It was bitter irony that the death of a great man should be heralded by pleasant weather.  Storms and gloom seemed more appropriate, somehow.  Yet they had had enough of both this last year, with a poor harvest, ships lost at sea, and an outbreak of the fever that had left families mourning their children and elders too soon.  I should be glad of the sun, thought the Inspector.   I suppose I should. The door opened, and Arrensby was shown into the parlor.  A young woman sat there in a chair that would only suggest a throne to someone inclined to think in such terms already: Catherine Wallens, only daughter of Cecil Wallens.  He knelt before her, "My Queen." "Not yet, Andrew.   Frederick: the blade."  Her butler handed her a slender sword, which she lay across her hands.  They shook slightly, but he pretended not to notice.   He set his right hand upon the sword and his left upon his heart.  "The Queen is the Land, and the Land is the Queen.  I, Andrew Stewart Arrensby, do swear upon this blessed blade that I shall serve the Land by serving my Sovereign the Queen, and that I shall serve Her by serving the Land and Her People.  I further swear that none not of the Court shall know my true allegiance, nor that the Line continues unbroken!" He withdrew his hand, and she laid the sword across her lap.  "I accept your oath and your loyalty, Guardsman.  Now I beg of you: tell me of my father." "My Queen, I know too little.   It...it was clearly ritualistic.  Perhaps some attempt to raise power.  I must consult with Master Kenneth: if Magic was involved, it both shortens our list of suspects and increases the threat to you.   Ah...forgive me.  Has Mr. Perry been informed?" She blinked back tears and nodded.  "The Admiralty sent a message by wireless this morning.  He is currently serving as Commodore Entwright's Flag Lieutenant, and the Commodore is putting him on the next fast ship home, on compassionate leave.  The wedding...will of course be delayed, as I will be in mourning."  The Queen's Fiancee safely across the water.   Inwardly, Andrew breathed a sigh of relief: none were above suspicion, yet it eased his mind to be able to move that one further down the list. "Your Majesty, I must continue my investigation.  I have spoken to the other Guardsmen already, and the watch upon you will be increased.  If there is anything else I may do, call for me." "Thank you.  Please keep me...Us...informed." The butler showed him out, asking if he should summon a cab, but the Inspector declined: he wanted to walk to clear his head.  Soon he found himself taking his lunch at one of the capital's many cookshops, eating without really noticing the taste as he pondered the death of his Sovereign Lord. A hundred and fifty years ago, the last King had died without issue--or so it was thought.  The Age of Magic was ended, the Age of Reason begun, and already many felt that time of the Kings and Knights was done as well.  For centuries it had been said that the King was the Land and the Land was the King, and that if the Line ever ended, so would the Kingdom and her people.  The death of a childless monarch had been heralded as proof that the old stories of magic and wonder were only that: stories.   They were wrong.  The King had hidden a daughter from all but his closest advisors, and she had been raised--secretly, but in plain sight--to assume the throne upon his death.  As the Kingdom transitioned to a form of government based on elections and public debate, the Royal Court slipped into the shadows.   Its members occupied key positions in the government--though never the Prime Ministry--and subtly guided this journey into self-government.   They were content to act only when this young, untested form of rule faltered.  For a century and a half, it had worked.   "Mr. Wallens", descended of an old Yeoman family of good fortune and good character (which that first secret Queen had married into) was a respected scholar of law, the sort of man that the courts and the politicians turned to when matters were less than clear.  Thus he had served his people openly, while speaking more plainly to the members of his Court behind closed doors. Mr. Wallens was not the sort of man who would be murdered in some bizarre ritual. King Cecil II was almost certainly the intended victim. Sleep would have to wait.  He needed answers, and Master Kenneth. Kenneth Owen, Ph.D., R.S.M. A Fellow of the Royal Society--still called that, out of tradition.  Naturalist, Philosopher, Ordained Minister, a Navigator in the Navy in his youth, a polymath of wit and skill.  Also: Royal Mage.  He opened the door at the first ring, "Inspector.  I knew you would seek me out.  Come in." Arrensby went in, marvelling as always at the decor.  Most Mages had to hide their vocation in this Age of Reason, but an man as eccentric and eclectic as Master Kenneth could put his tools on public display: "A fascinating study in anthropology!" he would tell the curious, and proceed to tell his visitors the precise use of each bit in a tone that implied that he didn't believe a word of it.  Master Kenneth also fancied himself Court Jester at times, and the old King had never corrected him for saying so. "You're here about His Majesty, of course.  Dreadful, utterly dreadful...but he hadn't been feeling well all this year, and so now he is spared that at least."  Master Kenneth was an odd sort, but this was strange even for him.  He puttered about his office nervously, moving things about.   Arrensby felt a stirring of concern.   "I...found the manner of his passing to be most peculiar.  It looked more like a sacrifice in some ritual, truth be told." "Oh, most definitely, most definitely a sacrifice.  Old magic, it was.  The King is the Land, the Land is the King.  If one prospers, so does the other.  If one is overcome, both are overcome.  Normally it passes...well, normally!  Sometimes, though, stronger measures are called for.  He knew that.  That's why he came to me." "What...what are you saying?"  Arrensby was sweating, now, despite the draft from the window at his back.  "The King is the Land...we say it, but that's not how it really works." Kenneth turned, and his eyes shone with a frantic inner light.  "That is the Reason in you speaking.  Ask the Guardsman, the one who is also a Knight.  Look outside, Andrew!  Not a cloud in the sky!  The land is young and fresh again!" Sir Andrew was on his feet, now, without memory of having risen.  "You couldn't have...that would be treason!" "No, not treason!  He left a letter here, explaining it all.  And this book here...this is the diary of a madman. I have been preparing it ever since His Majesty gave me my orders.  And this," Master Kenneth snatched at a sword hanging on the wall amidst the other curios, "is the murder weapon. EN GARDE, SIR!"   There was no time to think, no time to attempt to reason with him.  Master Kenneth, aged though he was, lifted the blade over his head and charged screaming. Arrensby's hand darted inside his jacket. CRACK!   The pistol-shot was nearly deafening in that old office.  Outside, he heard the whistles of patrolmen.   Near midnight, he knelt again before his Queen.  Sleep would come soon, but first he had to make his report.  He handed over the King's Last Will and Testament, in which Cecil had explained that he knew that his own illness and the sickness of the land were one, and that only his death would end them both.  Over his own seal, he said that he had ordered Kenneth to do it, and that Kenneth planned his own death as well, to bring closure to the case in the public eye.   The diary had satisfied Arrensby's superiors in the force: poor old Master Kenneth, his mind had snapped.  He had attempted some spell out of an old book that required a human sacrifice, an act of madness from one who had spent too much time with such things.  Only a few knew the truth. "Thank you, Andrew.  I wondered, when Kenneth did not come to me.  I sent him word at first light, but he did not come.  Always before, he had come when I asked for him.  Had he come today, though, he would have had to swear to me, and he couldn't.  He held faith with my father, even as he betrayed me."  She looked down at her father's letter again. "Truly, he was the last of the King's Men."

[hunterfromthewoods]

Headcannon-Bond 3.

Bond between parent and child

The Lupricae telepathic link referred to as the bond, when formed between birth parents and then their progeny is considered a wholly natural occurrence. It is treated as a thing of beauty more than just a thing that parents can find highly useful for child rearing especially in the younger years of their child's life. 

Yet it is rarely celebrated by any form of ritual within Lupricae societies. Those Lupricae who wish to commemorate the forming of such a bond with their progeny not doing so through rituals but through things such as tattoos or more specifically additions to Tattoo's .

The exception to this being bonds between adoptive parents and their children, some packs having a ritual that surrounds the forming of the bond between adoptive parents and their children. 

Bond between friends/lovers.

Unlike the bond between family members the bond between friends does not form naturally as the Lupricae would see it.  The bond being formed as a result of two individuals who come to trust each other very much choosing to take the step to form the bond.   As a result of this belief that the bond is in essence a choice, this form of bond and the lovers bond do tend to have a number of rituals wrapped around them.

Listed below is in effect a bullet pointed list of what Lupricae may do for the two separate types of bond.

Parent/progeny bond: 

Tattoo (Normally parents only.)

Blade oath: A oath worked as writing onto or into a blade during it’s forging, being presented to the individual it is meant to by the forger of the blade (Normally presented parent to child.)

[Adoptive only]: Ritual of the intertwining (Name of the ritual can vary between different Lupricae societies, skipping past the filler stuff the adoptive parents after swearing certain oaths to the child in question form a telepathic bond with each other.   Said bond being strengthened with time and (on occasion) through magical means to become (on many occasions) almost but not as strong as the bond between a parent and their biological child.

The enshielding- More ritualistic name for the technique where a parent may telepathically shield a child from something telepathy related that is extremely stressful through artificially reinforcing their child’s ability to cope with telepathic input. This is normally only used by parents before the child has developed their own techniques for coping with  such stressful things.

Bond shrive:One of the names that Lupricae attribute to the process of breaking either a parent/parents or child/children breaking their bond with a parent or parents.   The name is also used for the breaking of any other form of bond. This process is extremely painful. 

Bond between friends. 

(To/The) Thread bind/the binding-  Blackwood pack name/ basic name for the ritual to solidify/establish the telepathic bond between two lovers who wish to tie the knot.

 (The) Far-bind-The ritual sometimes observed around the establishment of the bond between two friends.  The establishment of such a bond is an act of great trust between friends. This ritual tends to be observed by enforcers who wish to telepathically bond. 

Tattoo’s- Normally made so that they are only a complete tattoo when the two individuals are together.

Oath stones- Kept near the heart or around the neck, covered in small runes that tend to speak of the promises made by best friends upon the making of the bond. 

Blade oath- Quite similar to the blade oath mentioned in the first section. However Blade oath’s made between friends normally involve the exchanging of blades forged by both parties. 

Blade marks- This is a rare practise in the modern period but some Lupricae in the medieval period would mark the making of a bond through a mark made by a blade ritually on a back.

[pokeasleepingsmaug]

Masterlist

I’ve finally compiled a masterlist of basically every fic I’ve ever written. Beneath the cut, because it’s sort of long.

VIKINGS

Ivar the Boneless

Ivar x OCs

The Game: A drinking game in gets out of hand. Ivar x Thora, an OC shieldmaiden from another kingdom. Multi-part, complete. Trigger warnings: Blood and bondage. NSFW.

Part One. Part Two. Part Three. Part Four. Part Five.

Feed You the Sky: Ivar is king, and seeks to conquer the neighboring kingdom. Things go as planned, until the king’s daughter returns from quelling rebellion in her father’s lands. Longfic, complete. Chapter One. Chapter Two. Chapter Three. Chapter Four. Chapter Five. Chapter Six. Chapter Seven. Chapter Eight. Chapter Nine. Chapter Ten. Chapter Eleven. Chapter Twelve. Chapter Thirteen. Chapter Fourteen. Chapter Fifteen. Chapter Sixteen. Chapter Seventeen. Chapter Eighteen.

How to Conquer: A Feed You the Sky oneshot that takes place a few years after the end of the longfic.

First Sight: Ivar and Kára reminiscing about their first meeting, many many years after the story ends.

Ivar x Reader

April Fools: The reader gets caught in a prank war between Ivar and Sigurd.

Worship: Ivar and the reader reconnect after a battle, on the field of victory. TW: blood, death, it’s sort of gross. NSFW

An Army of Ivarssons: Ivar and the reader argue about her pregnancy. TW: serious angst, arguing, talk about abortions.

Blurred Lines: A modern AU in which Ivar uses the title song to seduce the reader while she drives him home from college for Easter break. NSFW.

Spring Blessing: In which the reader and Ivar use a fertility charm. NSFW.

Homecoming: A modern military AU in which Ivar comes back home after a month-long field exercise. NSFW.

Bad Soldier: Modern military AU. Starts out filthy, transitions into tragic. NSFW. TW: violence, explosions, grievous bodily harm, loss of limbs, head injury. Not for the faint of heart, really. Longfic, in progress. Chapter One. Chapter Two. Chapter Three. Chapter Four. Chapter Five.

Hot EMT: Modern au in which Ivar, an EMT, helps the reader after she sprains her ankle at a party.

Bad Girlfriend: Modern au based on the song of the same name. Ivar and his girlfriend have an interesting relationship. TW: barfights.

The Kelpie’s Bride: AU in which Ivar is a kelpie and drags the reader to his home in the lake. TW: kidnapping under enchantment.

Condition: Ivar offers to set a new slave free if she can fulfill his conditions.

Slow Hands: Ivar and his wife play a game.NSFW. TW: knife play, blood.

Penance: Ivar apologizes to the reader. Bite-sized fic.

Captured: Ivar and the reader, a shield maiden, are captured. TW: mild dub con, sex as punishment, hate sex, love hate relationship

NSFW Asks.

Non-romantic Drabbles

Ruthless: Ivar thinking about his lot in life.

Hangover: The reader wakes up hungover next to Ivar and they try to piece their night together. Short and silly.

Drill: Modern AU LT Lothbrok doing rifle drills. Flash fiction.

Ubbe

Ubbe x OC

To Lie Down With Wolves: collab fic written by @underthenorthstar and I. Ubbe takes a Saxon prisoner on a raid. Imogene soon discovers what happens when a lamb is claimed by a wolf. TW: blood, violence, gore, death. NSFW, eventually probably. Longfic, in progress. Chapter One. Chapter Two. Chapter Three. Chapter Four. Chapter Five. Chapter Six. Chapter Seven. Chapter Eight. Chapter Nine.

Ubbe x Reader

An Offering: The reader comforts Ubbe, upset that he has to share his wife with Hvitserk.NSFW. Trigger warnings: Orgy.  Part One. Part Two.

Silly Promises: The reader cares for Ubbe after he’s wounded in battle.

Stop the Sun: The reader and Ubbe spend one last night together before he leaves for England with his brothers. NSFW.

Caught: Hvitserk catches Ubbe and the reader playfighting. Flash fiction.

Mutterings: The reader overhears Ubbe talking in his sleep. Flash fiction.

Slow Hands: Modern AU in which the reader works at a rescue horse farm and Ubbe is the new farrier. Slow burn. Almost complete. Part One. Part Two. Part Three.

Sigra Mig: Ubbe and the reader reunite after a battle. NSFW. TW: roughness, death.

The Arrow: Ubbe and the reader are drinking and making arrows. Bite-sized fic

Prize: The reader flirts with Ubbe’s brothers during an archery competition to make him jealous. Bite-sized fic.

Risk Games: Ubbe and the reader escape from the feast for a few minutes. NSFW.

Trickery: The reader loses a bet to Ubbe, and he comes to collect.

NSFW Alphabet: A-E. F-P.

Q-Z

Non-romantic Drabbles

Wolf: Ubbe thinks about his brothers. Post season 4b, so speculative based on the trailer. Bite-sized fic.

Hvitserk

Hvitserk x Reader

The Raider’s Wife: In which the reader is a princess, and and her father marries her off to Hvitserk to make an alliance with the Vikings. Maybe ongoing, when I have time. NSFW. Part One. Part Two. Part Three. Part Four. Part Five.

Not Alone: Hvitserk comforts his wife after she attempts to take her life due to the loss of their stillborn child. TW: child loss, stillbirth, suicidal thoughts.

Later: Hvitserk is teasing his lover. Bite-sized fic.

Hungry: Hvitserk is hungry, as always. Bite-sized fic.

Some NSFW Alphabet stuff.

An NSFW Ask, answered.

Bjorn Ironside

Bjorn x OC

Ironside and the Spell-weaver: A healer and sorcereress traveling with the Great Army finds herself taking care of the prince. TW: Blood, violence, animal sacrifice, ritualistic drug usage and magic. Chapter One. Chapter Two. Chapter Three. Chapter Four.

Bjorn x Thorunn

Lightning: Bjorn thinks about Thorunn. Bite-sized fic. TW: death of a child, angst.

Bjorn x Reader

Bloody: Bjorn comes to the reader after a battle. NSFW. Bite-sized fic.

Aslaug: Sons series. Short drabbles from Aslaug’s point of view following the birth of each of her sons. Firstborn (Ubbe). Midwinter (Hvitserk). Ourboros (Sigurd).  Birth of the Boneless (Ivar).

Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye

Sigurd x Reader

Competition: Fic where the reader is with Sigurd, and Ivar interrupts. NSFW.

Endless Blue Skies: Modern au where Sigurd and the reader go skydiving.

Song: The reader’s reaction to Sigurd’s death. Bite-sized fic.

Ragnar x Reader

Flip: Ragnar is being dramatic. Bite-sized fic.

Harald Finehair x Reader

Claim: Harald takes what’s his. NSFW. Bite-sized fic.

NSFW Alphabet: also includes some Mad Sweeney here, this was an ask I answered.

Halfdan x Reader

Spotless: Halfdan is pleased with how clean his sword is. Bite-sized fic.

Deserve You: Halfdan doesn’t know what he’s done to deserve you. Bite-sized fic.

Thorunn

Shame: Thorunn and her scar. Bite-sized fic.

Voices of the Gods: Floki convinces Thorunn to stay in Kattegat.

Margrethe

Sing to Me: The reader comforts Margrethe. F/F

AMERICAN GODS

Mad Sweeney

NSFW Alphabets/NSFW Prompts/Asks Answered, etc. All NSFW.

NSFW Alphabet

Rough Dominance

Teasing, etc

Promises and Praise

Wild

Little Witch: Part One. Part Two.

THE LAST KINGDOM

Erik x Aethelflaed

Surrender: Erik is so attracted to the Princess of Wessex, he thinks she must be a sorceress.

Sihtric One-shots

Endure: The story of Elflaed, a Saxon slave, and her son, Sihtric. Begins the day Elflaed is captured by the Danes, and ends when Sihtric swears his oath to Uhtred.

Hidden Daggers: The first time Sihtric meets Eahlswith, she looks at him with eyes that understand all his suffering, and she laughs at all the weapons he carries.

SUPERNATURAL

Dean Winchester x Reader

Strong Enough: Dean and the reader reminisce in the Impala after a hunt. NSFW. TW: trauma, injury, implied parental emotional abuse.