#so why in GOD’S name are we adopting this hatred of self likes it’s some laugh out loud funny inside joke

[toastybugguy]

I need all the cis gay men who say shit like “UNFORTUNATELY I like men” and all the trans men who say shit like “gender isn’t a choice, you think I’d CHOOSE to be a man ELL OH ELL” to Shut the fuck up actually please! Thanks! Why are we constantly repackaging ways to be ashamed of our queerness! I love being a trans man, I love being attracted to men, I celebrate it, even! Retreat into your little cave of misery and leave the rest of us alone!

[tokoyamisstuff]

Meant To Be - Loki x Fem! Reader

Summary: Much to your displeasure, your parents have promised you away to the God of Mischief of all people.

Tags: Arranged Marriage AU, Light Elf! Reader

Warnings: Aside from Loki hating himself, nothing.

Words: 2878

I Masterlist I

A/N: Some good old-fashioned, ‘redeemed after The Avengers and the other movies didn’t happen’ Loki. Like, really cheesy, self-indulgent 2012 stuff. I just want to ignore all misery that happens in the series okay?

“Ew! Stop it!”

You were eight at the time when you and Loki first met, by means of negotiation between both your parents.

If only you knew that this encounter should be the first impression of what should be your husband in the near future...

Frigga and Odin could only plead for their son to be on his best behavior - but well, it’s the God of Mischief we’re talking about. Must be hard to inherit such a title from your very birth.

Just when you put the little bonquet of flowers he had picked up for you towards your face to admire it, several little spiders emerged from the blossoms.

“You’re no fun.” The raven-haired boy stood a safe distance away from you, arms crossed as his gleeful laughter turned into a broad sulk. "And your ears are weird.”

“I hate you!” you screeched in your childish rage, throwing the flowers to the ground and trampling onto them. “Where’s your brother? Thor is way nicer than you!”

“Well, why don’t you marry him then?!” he mocked to cover up his hurt pride, picking up a handful of dirt and throwing it in your direction. 

“I don’t need any friends anyway...” the little boy whispered to himself, running away from the scene with tears filling the corner of his eyes. 

“I don’t need anyone. I’m way better than all of them!”

Not even Frigga was fast enough to catch up with him, while Odin uttered some fake apologies to your parents, promising them that everything will go as planned.

You on the other hand were running towards your mother, tightly grabbing onto her dress. “He’s mean! I wanna go home!”

As Queen of the Light Elves, your mother was a being full of grace and composure - and you were hoping to one day become such a formidable person as well.

She bowed down to your height, petting your hair as you rubbed the mixture of tears and dirt from your cheeks. Just her bright smile alone would sometimes be enough to make you forget about your worries - but not today.

“My sweet child” she cooed, cradling you in her arms. “One day you’ll understand.”

However, this would be the last time you paid Asgard a visit - at least until now. Because no matter how deeply you wished to never meet him again, the words your mother spoke on that day haunted you all those years:

“For this is your duty as a princess.”

[Present Day - Asgard]

It felt so unreal when you stuck your head outside of the wooden carriage, the wind playing with your hair as your glare wandered over the rainbow bridge you were crossing.

Silence strained the air, your parents unable to do even so much as look into your eyes. Hel, how you wished this was only a dream.

Behind you was a whole company of Light Elves, transporting all of your belongings to what should be your homecountry from now on.

Now there was no way back, that much was sure.

You were supposed to meet your soon-to-be husband on that very same day, one day before your wedding to be precize.

One could only guess why you weren’t allowed to visit Asgard again for all those years, even though you were practically born just for this reason - for this person.

To become Loki’s bride was your involuntary purpose, and you couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to be truly free.

Maybe your parents thought the God of Mischief to have a bad influence on their growing daughter, pulling you into his harmless yet dishonorable schemes. Or they simply feared you to refuse marrying said man if you got to know him better, finding out just what kind of person you were promised to.

Not that your parents were pleased either...everyone in the Nine Realms knew the stories.

To Odin, there was no point in hiding the disgrace his adoptive son had brought over Asgard. Not only was he responsible for an attack on Midgard, sacrificing thousands of lives for his own sake, drunken by greed for power.

But all of you were shocked to hear that Loki Odinson - or rather Laufeyson - was never Asgardian to begin with.

A Frost Giant.

Among your kind, they were known to be one of the most terrible abominations in the nine realms, and murderer of countless of your kind - and this should be the father to your future children?

Only thinking about this cruel twist of fate made you want to vomit...

So why did you agree to proceed with the preparations as if nothing had happened? How in Alfheim’s name could you reject their offer to wed you to Thor instead of that lunatic?

Was it that through your upbringing and royal duties, you had lost your own free will? Or simply fear of stepping aside the path that everyone had prepared for you?

It was probably the fact that you didn’t want to get into true love’s way...you and Thor stayed in brief contact through Heimdall, and you just knew how much that human girl meant to him.

You were kinda jealous, though...the concept of being in love was foreign to you, having a vague idea of it from novels only. But real life just wasn’t meant to be that was, was it?

You couldn’t escape your fate, that was what it was - for this treaty would unite both kingdoms, bringing peace and wealth for all of their inhabitants.

No way you could be so selfish as to decline...even if it meant you had to suffer for the rest of your life.

“My Ladyship, we have arrived!” a guard spoke as he knocked on the carriage door, with your parents hinting that you needed to step out first.

The very same guard now yelled from the pit of his lungs, making you feel the whole Kingdom of Asgard could hear. “Now arriving: Lady Y/N Y/L/N, eldest Princess of Alfheim and heir to the throne.”

You heared the people whispering as you took your first, insecure steps, blinded by the bright daylight.

“She’s so pale, like ice” or “Why are her ears like that?” were rather nice comments compared to others plainly calling you ugly, scary or a ‘disgrace’.

Of course your Kingdoms had been in a war for several decades, but this was long in the past - before your very birth, even. So what’s the reason you should bear with such hostility in the place everyone expected you to call ‘home’ from now on?

One thing was clear from the very beginning: You would never belong here.

“May I?” a dark, husky voice interrupted your self-pitying. You blinked heavily, still trying to adjust to all those golden surroundings, until your blurry vision finally cleared up.

“C’mon.” The voice belonged to the man in front of you, looking gravely nervous with sweat dripping from his forehead. He was reaching out a hand for you to take, and you gladly accepted since you didn’t want to embarass yourself further by falling out of the carriage.

And still, you managed to somehow miss a step and fall right into his arms. “Oh my, so clumsy” the man snickered as he catched you, clearing his throat as you grabbed onto his chest to regain balance. "Not very graceful for someone of your status.”

“And you are-” The words got stuck in your throat when you stared back into those eyes, their emerald green awaking memories you’d rather forgotten entirely. “L-Loki!”

“Exactly, my dear. The one and only.” Smooth and calm, he  pecked a kiss on the back of your hand, andyou couldn’t help but admire just how well he had aged: His wild locks were combed back, sharp features complimenting his face as he tried his best to give you his most innocent smile.

Yet you kept your guard up, always expecting him to somehow embarass you just for the fun of it. “When it comes to him, always expect the unexpected” Thor once warned you, and you won’t forget about it that easily.

“It’s a pleasure finally meeting you” was your firm declaration, only to be rewarded with a scoff. “You are speaking to the God of Lies, Lady Y/N - there is no use in trying to deceive me” he whispered into your ear, making you shiver in unpleasant anticipation.

“Carry her belongings to my rooms” he dismissed the servants with a simple gesture of his hand, offering his other arm for you to cling on as he escorted you through the palace.

The giant halls were almost empty, nothing like back on Alfheim where you and your brethren would enjoy each other’s company in midst of nature. A sole tear escaped your eye when you thought back to those carefree days, which are now over.

“Are you alright, m’lady?” Much to your surprise, your fiancé sounded honestly concerned about your well-being. “If you are tired, we can postpone our tour of the palace until you’ve rested.”

 “May I speak from the heart?” You gulped after finishing that sentence, scaring yourself with all the stories you’ve heared about this mad troublemaker.

Somehow you had the feeling that if you were to overstep your boundaries with that brute, it would have consequences beyond your imagination. He might seem generous and polite right this moment, but what would someone like him do if you enrage him? Countless images were circling in your head, one worse than the other.

Loki furrowed his brows, exhalinge deeply. For him, your expression was an open book to what you were thinking right now.

“Y/N, my dear Lady, if you want it or not: Starting tomorrow, we share a bond. I am deeply sorry that a veritable flower as you are had to end up with someone like me, but I promise to treat you as well as possible.”

Turning around so you’d not detect how it hurt him to speak from the heart, he added with a shaky voice “Yet there is no reason for you to hold back your hatred for me. No harm will come your way, I swear upon the little honor I have left.”

Even though his words made you feel a deep sympathy with the god, you weren’t quite sure if you could decipher truth or deceit in them. Maybe he just wanted to lure you into saying what you truly thought of him?

He’s right - you will have to spend the rest of your life with him, so don’t mess this up from the very start!

“I-I don’t hate you!” was the first thing you blurted out, grabbing onto his cloak. Loki turned around, rising his eyebrow as he scanned your face for any hint of a lie.

Althrough it was the truth, at least to a certain extend. You’ve seen each other only once, when you were still little. The rest is all tales and rumours, but you personally don’t have a reason to despise him.

There was no way you could promise to accept his past or heritage, let alone forgive him - yet as long as he’d treat you with respect, you’d return the favour.

“T-There’s just a question on my mind this whole time...aren’t you mad? I-I mean someone like- well...like you...” you gestured around awkardly, almost making him crack a smile. “I mean...I thought you wouldn’t let your parents dictate your life.”

Another deep sigh escaping his mouth, this times with his eyes closed. “This isn’t about Asgard or my adoptive parents. I choose my own path.”

Suddenly, Loki wrapped one arm around you, flicking his fingers with the free one.

“Hold onto me” he ordered indifferent as he casted his spell, teleporting both of you away before you could even comprehend, let alone ask him what he was doing.

It happened in the fraction of a second, yet felt like hovering through an empty space for an eternity.

“Now open your eyes.” You hadn’t even realized that you squeezed them shut during the shift, slowly opening them while Loki lifted your chin with his index finger.

The environment was magnificent. Had you ever seen something this beautiful in your whole life?

Obviously you had no clue where you were, but this was the first time seeing so much untouched nature on Asgard. There were flowers blooming in all colours imagineable, clear rivers crossing the lands in between grassy hills, and animals nearby a small forrest.

“It’s not like I didn’t educate myself about the Light Elves and their way of living” Loki stammered, unconsciously intertwining your fingers with yours as he watched you admiring the view. “So I could make you comfortable here, I mean.”

He plummeted down on the grass, still a little wet from the morning dew, and gestured for you to do the same. It was weird, actually, but also somehow adorable - how the infamous ‘Silver Tongue’ had lost his ability with words. “I’ve done very little right in my life full of wrongs. Hurt a lot of people.”

“Mmmhh” you hummed approvingly, not knowing what else to say - yet for some reason, you didn’t let go off of his hand, squeezing it ever so slightly.

“And even though I can’t possibly redeem myself, I wish to change for the better.” he muttered, rubbing the back of his head. “I just never knew how to start.”

Loki Odinson really was full of surprises. He was nothing like the child you’ve met long ago, and the complete opposite of what you imagined the ‘God of Mischief’ to be.

You had expected a power-hungry, selfish and cruel man to wed you - and yet there he was: Insecure and broken, only a shell of the person he once was.

Just what had you missed all those years? What things happened to break someone’s will like this?

And was he truly beyond repair?

“Those past weeks, I have visited Alfheim more times than you could comprehend” he giggled nervously, avoiding your eyes. “Concealed, of course.”

Well, that sounded kind of weird, but you knew better than to talk someone down who was just opening up to you. So your sole answer was “What for?”

“There was no way a criminal like me would still be seemed fit for this ceremony - and yet I was given this chance anyway. My mother told me that it was you who insisted on carrying on the arrangement, so...I just wanted to know what person would be willingly ruin their life.”

Something different was shining through the god’s orbs, and you couldn’t quite decipher it. Was it hope? Hope, that if you had given him a chance, his life could lead into a different direction? To change himself from the burden that was his birth title?

“I-I guess I don’t want to mess this up like I always do” he whimpered barely audible, before staring at you in shock and embarassment. Until now, he hadn’t realized just how vulnerable he made himself.

Just what the hell would you think about him now? You probably had lost any respect, or thought himself to be crazy. How weak...

So he was quick to put on the confident facade again, wearing his smug grin as if that all was just part of a big joke only he’d understand. But even though you barely knew him, he couldn’t fool you.

“Sometimes it’s enough just to try.” Your head turned from the sight of nature to your fiancé and back several times, before you brought up the courage and put a hand on his shoulder, whispering “So you can’t really mess this up.”

“Gladly you don’t seem to know yet just how much misery I cause.” He kept that thought to himself, to not scare you away.

“I am aware that you could never love someone like me, Y/N. But I can provide for you, dedicate myself to making you content with being my wife. My newfound purpose.”

The purpose of a war criminal - that sure put yourself under a lot of pressure. And still, it made you somewhat proud, and grateful as well. Because it was the first time someone valued you as a person, and not the princess of Alfheim.

Unaware of how much time had passed, both of you would get used to each other’s presence in silence, enjoying the nature while you processed this eventful day.

Exhausted from the long travel and all that rollercoaster of emotion, you soon found yourself dazzling into sleep onto Loki’s shoulder. If only you could see him adore you, staring in awe that someone could actually feel so safe in his presence.

Carefully, the god picked you up, gently lifting you on his arms to make your way back to the palace, where everyone was frantically searching for both of you. Well, Loki was used to trouble -  but right now, it was worth it.

May it be right or wrong, and even though you couldn’t explain this sentiment, you had a good feeling when it came to the things that were just about to come.

“You won’t regret your decision, Y/N Y/L/N. On my side, I assure you a bright future.”

[your-angle-of-music]

Of all the classic operatic figures that Erik could have picked to focus on in his magnum opus, the ultimate expression of his trauma and agony, the work that he intends to kill him and die with him, why the hell did he go with Don Juan? And why Don Juan Triumphant? (We are steadfastly ignoring the ALW musical version here.)

In most versions of the story (including in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, the most famous version and the one that Erik references to Christine), Don Juan is a wealthy nobleman who likes to drink, gamble, and most of all seduce young women in scenarios where consent is often dubious, if not nonexistent. He frequently adopts various disguises or elaborate schemes to get into their petticoats, and he never stays for long. One day, Don Juan is caught in the act by the father of his latest lover. Don Juan kills the father (Don Gonzalo) without hesitation or remorse. A little later, high on his hubris, Don Juan finds Don Gonzalo’s statue in a graveyard and mockingly invites him to dinner. Except, Don Gonzalo actually comes to dinner, and demands that Don Juan repent. Don Juan refuses, and he gets dragged down to hell.

There are some superficial similarities between Don Juan as we know him and Erik. The trickster aspect comes to mind; Erik is also a master of disguise and voice tricks and clever schemes to act unseen or unrecognized. I do think that that’s important.

But I mean, besides that…what else is there? Erik and Don Juan both have villainous qualities, but they are expressed very differently. Erik is lonely; Don Juan is horny. Erik is disgusted by himself; Don Juan doesn’t give a fuck. Erik is reflective; Don Juan is impulsive. Erik loves possessively; Don Juan is incapable of love. Erik seeks control; Don Juan seeks mindlessness.

And most of all, Erik, unlike Don Juan, is an outsider. Don Juan is handsome and charming and rich. He can make anyone fall in love with him at first sight, if only for one night. He has the power to hurt women of all classes without retribution because he is a nobleman and therefore untouchable. He’s smart, to be sure, but even more than that, he’s lucky. The only thing that can hurt him is the wrath of God himself; humans can’t get in his way.

Erik has none of those advantages. He is the lowest of the low, who cannot hurt with impunity (unless it’s for someone else’s ends, like the Shah’s, and even then, it’s borrowed time, or unless he becomes very good at hiding). And so it’s not some heavenly force that eventually “defeats” him, but real and human compassion — something that he, unlike Don Juan, is rarely shown.

In the David Coward translation of the novel, the most full one I have access to, Erik describes his Don Juan Triumphant like this: “My Don Juan does not use a Lorenzo Da Ponte libretto, nor is it marred by drink, carnal love and vice in order to show them ultimately punished by God,” rather, “my Don is never licked by the flames of heavenly wrath, yet he burns, Christine, he burns!”

I really wish I understood French, because I cannot tell whether Leroux means that Erik’s Don Juan never does the sex-drugs-and-rock-n-roll thing at all, or whether he does, and it goes unpunished by the powers that be. I’m leaning towards the latter. This Don Juan sounds very interesting. He also sounds very little like Erik. 

In his footnote, Coward states that a Don Juan who never goes to hell is “a bold assertion of human will.” I see where he’s coming from, but I think he’s only half right. Listen to Christine’s description of the actual musical composition (sorry for the very long quotation): 

“His Don Juan Triumphant sounded to me like a long, wrenching, magnificent cry of distress into which Erik had poured all his doomed unhappiness. I recalled the manuscript book filled with red notes and could easily imagine that such music had been written in blood. It took my on a journey through his suffering, into every corner of the abyss inhabited by the man with the devastated face; it showed me Erik banging his poor hideous head against the shadowy walls of his own hell, avidly fleeing the gaze of human beings to avoid filling them with horror. Stunned, breathless, abject, beaten, I listened to that explosion of gigantic chords which made suffering divine. Then unexpectedly the notes rising up out of the abyss gathered themselves into one single, monumental menacing flight, into a turning, gyring swarm that took off into the heavens as the eagle soars towards the sun, and a triumphant concatenation of sounds seemed to set the world on fire. At that moment, I knew that the work was finished and that Ugliness raised on the wings of Love had at last dared to look Beauty in the face!”

Is it just me or does this not sound very Don Juan, or very triumphant? It’s just…pain. Lots of pain. It ends on a note of hope with Erik falling in love, but he only gets to look. Not touch or have or experience. If someone is triumphing, it’s not Erik. If there is a Don Juan, it’s something else, his cage, his complement, his opposite, his oppressor. Something that never ends up getting punished, at least not by the universe as we know it.

I think this opera has Erik as its protagonist, but it is named for its villain. Don Juan is Raoul, or Philippe, or the opera managers, or the Shah and the little sultana, or the Sultan, or his parents. People who had opportunities that he never did and who use them to hurt people like him whom they can get away with hurting. Like Don Juan, they change shape through the years, but they’re still all the same. Erik lives in a world where the Don Juans always triumph, and it seems as though God himself is on their side. 

So maybe Don Juan Triumphant is a bold assertion of human will, but not because Erik is evading hell, but because Erik believes that God hates him, and that he doesn’t deserve his hatred. He lays bare hell for all to see, and states that the wrong man has been put inside it. He condemns his society through the language of music and theater that he has always known, and inserts real human suffering into operatic artifice. And the work will die with him, because the world isn’t ready for the product of his pain.

I have many, many problems with Erik and his self-perception. But if I’m right about this… well. I think that’s pretty sexy of him indeed.

[a-nonbody]

Lost at sea

December Writings Day 7: Lost at sea- c!Puffy

Masterlist

Characters: C!Captain!Puffy x God!reader

Length: 1.398

About: angst, (slight fluff), realization of what happened, god, captain Puffy, crew, boat got lost, crush, ...

The past will forever be in the past.

The memories stay memories.

But people can move on.

People like the one person that once got lost at sea. In the middle of the ocean. Only with her crew and their ship. Unable to see land, unable to figure out which way to go.

--

The captain of that ship was named Puffy. A sheep hybrid was able to command all men, women, and enbies on her ship, and still able to be likable. A smile so bright that the sun was jealous. A voice so loud yet able to calm the younger and scared.

A young sheep-hybrid, wanting to discover the world, not wanting to settle down. So much adventurous energy.

I had my fun observing them go around, being so excited whenever they saw something they found. Even the smallest things were so exciting.

It was sad to see the smile disappear into a frown and anger. Stupid water.

Wait- I control that. I live in it. "Maybe," I thought," it is time to show myself. "

---

A deity or god having an obsession was nothing new to be heard about. It mostly though got out of hand rather quickly. That is why I tried my best to contain myself away from mortal beings. I did not plan to get close to them. To form affection to them. And yet I failed.

I know how many gods have gotten mad over their mortal. Controlling them, making them immortal even though they did not want to. Torturing them, to get what they please. Get the effection of the mortal, most brutally.

There was a whole war about it once. A mortal being turned immortal by a god against their will. The poor man was crying the rest of his days before some gods could not handle the pain of the male anymore and killed him.

I remember his smile. So much relief when he died. He lived over one thousand years. And yet he was reborn.

Let's hope he will not be found.

But there was also a case where a mortal turned immortal went well. The love being already formed, both moral and immortal being in love.

They are a beautiful couple, have gotten children by now as well. As much as I know they are adopted. But at least the children have parents that will love them until their mortal life ends.

But maybe the children will go mad when realizing that they are not as immortal as their parents are.

We shall not think too deep into that, too deep into the future that may occur. That is not my job anyway. The time-travelers will sadly deal with that. I am much more about the water.

It may not seem as important at first, but the beings that run around this world are still mostly made out of it. And they do need it to survive.

Hanging around in the ocean is quite fun. One seems to always find new creatures or get maybe inspired to create new beings. Not always going well, those creations, but it's fun to experiment around.

---

That day, when the crew got lost, I was totally not following them. I was not, I swear. I can control myself. I was just swimming around, disguised as a nymph. Nothing weird about that.

Anyways.

I swam around the boat, looking if there was anything that could damage it or if there were already leaks. It was fine. Satisfied I continued my job as ocean deity and looked for the people, making sure if they were fine. Not starring at the captain in a weird way-

And also not being embarrassed when the cute sheep-hybrid saw me. Noooo.

I was not the smartest during that time, okay?

When Puffy saw me, they immediately when closer to the edge of the boat looking into the water. But out of pure embarrassment, I sank into the depths, with a burning blush on my face. Feelings of self-hatred and pure opposition overcame my brain.

How was I so stupid to allow myself to fall for a mortal? I told myself not to. I made sure of it not to happen. But here I was, in blushing pain and without thinking rising back up.

I only came back when I heard a sound of excitement. Puffy was starring right at me, adoration in her eyes, and almost falling right overboard.

Her crew then also noticed me. Adoring the way I looked and how they have never seen someone like me before. But I did not care. My eyes were only on her.

When I finally came back to reality, I shook my head and thought for a while. I knew my way around the area, and I knew for sure that there was land a bit away. So I started to lead them to it.

---

When they made it to land, they were so excited. Some started to celebrate as soon as they touch the grass with their feet. Some mortals, I tell you. They are weird. I stayed for a while, watching them all be happy about not being lost anymore. Holding onto the deck, I just studied their movements.

They were eating like crazy people together with the locals. Sharing food and stories. Puffy as well. Her not giving me attention made me- angry? That is ridiculous. Why would I be angry over a mortal enjoying their life?

I was about to turn around and leave, not letting my body get the chance to twist into madness and go mayhem on all the people. It was until she came to the deck and sat down. Food in her hands she held some out to me.

I don't normally eat food, not needing to, but this time I gladly took it with a smile on my face. She noticed me. We sat there for a while, talking and telling stories, getting closer. Too close.

In only one day, I made her like me. I made her crew like me. I made myself fall for her even more.

I knew what I had to do. I also know that it was the right thing to do. To leave.

---

It was hard at first. I had met her more than once already. We talked about the weirdest things and laugh about others. I got used to their mortal life and even got on land. She showed me around the area and introduced me to the people.

But I knew that this fun was not going to last forever. So I needed to break it at its highest point. But maybe not coming back after confessing my love, was not the brightest idea.

---

It has been months before I was even sure that I would confess to her. I was too unsure. I did not want to risk rejection and I did not want to risk lashing out at them.

But when the day came, it was- confusing.

I mean, yes she did confess as well, but why did she seem so upset about it? Did she know I was going to leave? I did not even tell her what I was-

I did not-

She never knew what I am-

She didn't-

Did she?

I mean, after a while she did end up acting strange. She talked in a more respectful voice, apologized more, and gave me stuff when I got mad over small things.

-

So she knew? Did she know all along? So maybe she was aware of what could happen to a mortal if they fall in love with a god. Maybe she knew back then about the stories of the sad man. She knew about the gods' opposition with their mortals. She knew then as well, about the ocean being a mighty beast, a moody sea, an uncontrollable force when mad.

She was scared of me.

So maybe it was in the end for the better when I left. Looking at them now, she found her love, adopted children, and found happiness in this chaotic world. Maybe we were just never meant to be.

----

We were both lost at sea. One quite literally, the other being lost in the sea of emotions that took over their head, the hope, love, obsession, and madness.

My own element overtook me.

[vivithefolle]

Hi Vivi, can you share some thoughts on the "Hermione deserves to be/should have married to XYZ because she is way too good for Ron" mentality of this fandom??

I’m gonna copy-paste a Quora answer of mine, because recycling is important!

Claiming that Ron is “out of Hermione’s league” is a statement rooted in sexism, classism and probably a bunch of other -isms.

It might seem like I’m just throwing buzz-words around but let me explain.

First off, the sexism.

Oh, the sexism.

As I’ve pointed it out in yet another one of my answers  (I’m so sorry for drowning you all in a plethora of links), Ron is very much a female-coded male character.

Ron is emotional, wears his heart on his sleeve, has anxieties and inadequacies, walks off in order to cool down, has a temper, puts other people before his needs, and pretty much adopts Harry when he rescues him in the second book. He’s the Heart of the Trio: he doesn’t rely on sole logic, he can believe something without proof, he is sensitive and thus is the easiest to hurt emotionally.

Whether you call it a “beta male”, a “wuss”, “defying gender roles” or a “soft boy” is your own business, but the core of it is that Ron doesn’t meet the standards for people’s vision of a “desirable” masculine figure.

The little things Ron quietly performs in the books - when he helps Harry into his pyjamas in Chamber of Secrets because Harry’s arm is bloop; when he’s worrying about Hermione’s whereabouts in Prisoner of Azkaban; when he helps Harry unwind after his visions in Goblet of Fire; when he puts food onto Harry’s plate and wakes him up from his nightmares in Order of the Phoenix; when he beams that Hermione was “perfect, obviously” when she passes her Apparition test - all those caring gestures don’t seem like much, but if you bother to think about it, they paint an enormous picture.

Who gets Hermione to stop overworking while making her feel good about her accomplishments? Who comforts Harry from his nightmares and cares for him in the dead of the night, when nobody is awake? Who makes sure his friends are healthy and happy? Who wards off the dark and depressing thoughts, be it with his fists or a joke?

It’s Ron.

When you think about it, “traditional masculinity” in Harry Potter is as much frowned upon as “traditional feminity” is - which sometimes bites Rowling in the butt when you remember how she obviously seems to consider that Hermione and Ginny are the only desirable kind of girls.

Vernon Dursley? The entrepreneur “king of the household” prejudiced suburbian middle-class Dad? Fits in the usual tropes of traditional masculinity.

Dudley Dursley? The typical “boys will be boys” spoiled middle-class only child who’s the apple of his parents’ eyes and even takes up boxing, as if he wasn’t traditionally masculine enough.

Draco Malfoy? See Dudley, but toss in “upper-class posh aristocrat bully who doesn’t like to get his hands dirty so he has henchmen do it for him because he’s too rich for this sh-t”, would remind you of a few Christian Greys or Gatsbys.

Dolores Umbridge? Oh no, cat pictures, decorative plates, talks to teens as if they’re babies and PINK, SO MUCH PINK!!! So disgustingly feminine!!

Rowling very much frowns upon traditional gender roles - with Molly Weasley being an exception because Rowling feels very strongly about being a mother, and relates to Molly a lot.

Right - so, being a beautiful mess of paradoxes and contradictions (a “soft boi” who also punches bullies in the face, a fussy mother-hen who swears like a sailor, a tall athlete with badass scars on his arms who’s nurturing and sweet; in short, a wonderfully human character), Ron is obviously going to be a polarizing character. You painfully relate to him and get defensive when he’s criticized, you feel his characterization hits a bit too close to home so you hate him, or you disregard him completely because you can’t see anything “special” about him…

Now, onto another very, very sexist point that is often made.

People say that Hermione “deserves better” than Ron, often claiming that they “aren’t intellectual equals”, then citing Harry (who is mistaken as being some sort of slumbering genius but honestly, the kid is really a bit daft) or Draco (since apparently, being rich must equal to being intelligent) or, god forbid, Snape (because he’s a teacher and teachers are meant to be clever).

Soooo, I could go the loooooong way and pull out all the receipts that prove that none of these characters are perfectly intellectually matched to Hermione…

Or I could go the long way and simply give you this: this obsession with finding an “intellectual equal” for Hermione reflects the mentality of “women are not allowed to be better at something than their husband”.

Yep.

A woman has to be all-around pretty good at everything, whereas a man has to be the absolute best in his area of greatest competence (surely better than any puny female!) with a help-meet there to compensate for his weaknesses. People are very, very uncomfortable when Ron and Hermione reverse this dynamic. Hermione is extremely intelligent and dedicated to intellectual pursuits, but is complete pants at things like self-care and people skills. Ron is bright enough to keep up with her and strong in her areas of weakness.

Even if Ron was as dumb as a sack of rocks (he’s not), his other virtues are more than enough to “justify” Hermione loving him. (Because she needs an excuse?) But no. A woman has to be with a man who outdoes her in her area of greatest strength. - credit to @lytefoot

People don’t want Hermione to be with a man who’s her “equal.” They want her to be with a man who can be The Man so she can know the contentment of being The Woman.

But, with this sexist line of thought, how do we justify how Ron is supposed to be such a bad match for Hermione? Because if it was just about mere sexism, Romione would surely be more popular. Imagine! Ron happily raising the children, being a house-husband and proud of it, while Hermione is out there fighting for justice in the wizarding world! What a power-couple, defying norms and gender roles and not being the least bit conscious of it, prime OTP material for sure! So why do people still want Hermione to put Harry, Draco, or god forbid², Snape in Ron’s place? Is this an irrational hatred of redheads? An Harmionian’s delirious wet dream? A failure to separate the actors from their characters?

It’s all this and, quite frankly, something more: the inherent classism that comes with Ron’s status as an explicitly working-class coded character.

I know, I know, “Vivian! Calm down with the buzzwords, you’re starting to sound like an online pretend-feminist magazine!”

Or “Come on, people who don’t ship Ron and Hermione together aren’t all sexist or classist!”

Of course, of course! I know that! I’m not implying that!

But some of the “reasons” why they claim that Ron and Hermione can’t work - are extremely classist in nature, that’s just it!

Come on, think about it! What are the Number Ones arguments people always pull against Ron? Or the most common Ron-bashing tropes (look at fanfics and watch the number of stories that use at least one of those)?

Ron is stupid/mediocre

Ron is lazy/useless

Ron resents his wife’s hard work/success

Ron is a homophobe

Ron is a drunkard

Ron (the big prude who at 16 had never kissed a girl and sees a first kiss as the prelude to a wedding) is massively oversexed and cheats on Hermione with anything that moves

Not only do these “reasons” completely ignore ALL OF RON’S CHARACTERIZATION - except for the “lazy” bit but come off it, all teenagers are lazy and Hermione’s the exception to the rule - but it matches perfectly with the negative stereotypes associated with working-class white men in fiction.

It’s also very funny to note how many (assumedly middle-class or financially secure) fans look down on Ron for being “whiny” or “greedy” when he expresses the desire to have money of his own, or blame his parents for “not knowing when to stop” or “being irresponsible”, or even look down on them for being “too proud to accept help”!! Also how shocked people are when Ron dares to stand up for himself when Hermione or Harry act badly towards him. How dare this country boy not listen to the wisdom of his social “betters”?

So, obviously, because our Heroine can’t go with a Nasty, Mediocre Working-Class Man, she must be paired off with someone of Proper Status: say, a Hero that was raised in a middle-class home and might be a bit psychologically damaged but it’s nothing all those gold coins in his vault can’t fix; or this Rich Posh Aristocrat who actively rooted for her death, he’s a little bit eccentric and has some exotic pet-names to call you, but I’m sure you’ll learn to love him and will unearth the gold coins in his bank account… I mean, the heart of gold that lies within the surface; oh, why not a Way Too Big An Age Difference Teacher if you’re looking for a “cultured man” who has zero things in common with you; we can also bring Convenient Plot Device Famous Rich Foreign Athlete if you want some diversity and you don’t feel original!

But we can’t - oh, we mustn’t let her be with this Terrible Working-Class Boy! His brothers are fine, they have money, they have jobs, so they’re obviously Not As Mediocre. But let our precious Hermione be with this Just-Got-Out-Of-School hooligan? She can’t possibly be in love with him! You’ll see darling, you’ll get bored eventually! He’s too mediocre for you, you deserve a man who outclasses you - I mean, who can provide for you! You’re a fragile little flower who scars people for life when she’s not happy with them, what makes you think that this boy can possibly handle you even though he’s done so for the past seven years?

You wanted it, you got it.

People are shallow, have misconceptions about Ron’s character that they are unwilling to correct or use classist and sexist arguments to try to make it so that either Ron is the Devil himself / Hermione is a higher kind of being that can only orgasm if sufficiently “intellectually stimulated” / what-have-you.

[bestworstcase]

farran rereads lost lagoon: chapters 16-17

back at it.

re: romance novel: “I saw a patch of red flowers, and I thought they would be striking against Cass’s dark hair. She wasn’t exactly a flower wearer, but maybe she’d let me pin one on her dress? The color would set off her fair skin so perfectly. And she could at least keep some in a vase by her bed. I refused to believe there was a person alive who didn’t feel better with freshly cut flowers in her room.” that’s gay rapunzel

i do admittedly have some ambivalent feelings about this passage. on the one hand it’s - yes, very gay. but also it feels to me like such a clear illustration of the difficulty rapunzel has with empathy and listening to other people when their experiences or expectations or needs diverge from hers; she acknowledges that cass isn’t into flowers, but follows it up with “but maybe i can get her to wear some anyway,” and of course there’s the whole refusing to believe anyone could feel differently about having flowers in their room than she does. and it also has this weird undercurrent of - god, i don’t know how to phrase it in a succinct way.

this specific passage was on my mind when i wrote this bit in moonless air chapter 4: 

Still. She plucks at the stitches of her jack-of-plate, self-conscious.

It’s the nicest thing she owns. Soft green velvet sewn over sturdy layers of canvas and steel. Armor. She’d saved up for more than a year to buy it for herself on the anniversary of her adoption two years ago, and at the time it had been nothing but a frivolous luxury. Stupid, really. She’d never had real reason to wear it in Herzingen, not for anything besides teaching herself how to move with its weight and entertaining ridiculous fantasies—but last night, Moira had intimated that their destination in Vardaros is fancy as well as dangerous. So the jack seemed… appropriate.

Sharp. She twitches.

Clothing—fashion isn’t– Cassandra’s always hated dresses. It’s a trait that demands a certain amount of indifference to what other people think of her appearance.

And she can do indifference. Cassandra has indifference in spades. But nobody’s ever paid her a compliment quite like that before: baldly appreciative. Straightforward. Not like all the times Rapunzel coaxed her into tolerating crowns of late-summer flowers because the colors look so nice with your complexion! and not like the Commander’s gruff praise for how grown-up she looked in the hideous pastel gowns that had come with the lady-in-waiting gig.

because – like, cass is butch, and “not a flower wearer,” and here in lost lagoon we have this passage where rapunzel expresses this pretty straightforward attraction to cassandra but in the context of imagining cassandra presenting in a much more feminine way than she is comfortable with - in a dress with flowers in her hair etc - and it just... rubs me the wrong way a little bit. and this is not to say like cass can’t be butch and put a flower in her hair but when it’s paired with rapunzel specifically acknowledging that cass doesn’t WANT to wear flowers then it - yeah i feel weird about this passage. 

and that translated into cass having a whole little crisis over being complimented for her appearance without implicit pressure to be more feminine for the first time ever

anyways

i still can’t get over the name monsieur lefleur 

rapunzel summarizes hervanian culture as “brash but can be funny; distrustful but not mean-spirited” so, basically, they are americans

she is feeling very Prepared to meet with them, in contrast to every other time she’s met with foreign dignitaries or nobility before this. eugene tries to warn her that cass is PISSED with her and she just brushes him off, as one does, by saying that cass is “not all bubbles and moonbeams” but that she is “a softy” inside. 

of course this leads up to cass blowing up and going off while rapunzel tries to calm her down and just - groan this line. 

“People don’t change! You told a criminal a detail that puts my entire future at risk!”

how many times have i said “cass doesn’t act this way in tts” i feel like it’s a constant drumbeat. but i have to say, again, that cass doesn’t act this way in tts. i don’t think it’s unrealistic for her to think like this, given that her father is essentially corona’s chief of police and she idolizes him, but i feel the need to reiterate that there is zero sign of cass having this mindset in tts proper. and it does sort of bother me when people read this into cass’s character because it undermines and delegitimizes her dislike of eugene in early s1. 

which like. tts itself sort of frames their mutual dislike as a mutual problem, but it’s... really not? and imo the best illustration of this is in this exchange from cassandra vs eugene: 

CASSANDRA: Unbelievable. Did you eat all the cookies?

EUGENE: I’m not a pig, Cassandra. I ate all of your cookies; I’m saving mine for later.

CASSANDRA: Ugh– you are nothing but a self-serving, inconsiderate, arrogant freeloader!

EUGENE: [scoffing] You know, I can rattle off insulting adjectives describing your personality, too, but to do so would imply that you actually have a personality, and I just wouldn’t feel right about doing that!

this is the dynamic every time they squabble in early s1. 

1 - eugene does something selfish or thoughtless - in this case taking all the cookies and milk for himself. 

2 - cassandra calls him out for it, and he doubles down, often taking a potshot at her in the process. 

3 - cassandra gets mad and calls his behavior what it is (self-serving, inconsiderate, arrogant)

4 - eugene gets defensive and insults her as a person, typically with variations on calling her icy / unfeeling / humorless / joyless. 

which is to say, their fights are initiated by eugene’s poor behavior, and cassandra attacks his behavior but eugene attacks cassandra herself. like, eugene is the dude who insults you and then goes “pfft why can’t you take a joke” when you get upset with him. that’s what this is. 

moreover, when eugene’s, for lack of a better term, residual flynn rider-ness starts to taper off, cassandra’s criticism of his behavior also tapers off, AND she gets much gentler about how she phrases this criticism once he starts to actually take it on board. but there’s no accompanying shift in the way eugene speaks to and about her - the jibes about her being humorless or cranky or soulless literally never stop and at no point does he ever seem to consider that cass might not appreciate them as much as he thinks she does. 

(to be clear, i don’t think they bother cass very much if at all - but they do create and reinforce a perception on eugene’s end that cass Doesn’t Have Feelings and the background radiation of that contributes to the toxicity that develops in season 2.)

like again, pulling from cassandra vs eugene here, eugene is extremely insulting towards cassandra even when he’s ostensibly coming to her defense: 

RANDOM THUG: Look at that, Fancy-Boots has got something to say!

EUGENE: Name-calling? Come on, we’re better than that, aren’t we? Sure, we could sit here and make fun of each other—tease Cassandra for her chronic joylessness, or me for my uncommonly good looks, or you for your poor dental hygiene, tragic fashion sense, robust body odor, and what are clearly woefully misguided decision making skills, but do you really want to go down that road?

ALL OF WHICH IS TO SAY - besides demonstrating an obvious willingness to give eugene another chance once he starts doing the bare minimum to not be a dick to her, cassandra doesn’t like eugene because eugene is an asshole to her and takes the enormous privileges he is given completely for granted. 

saying “well she doesn’t like him because he was a criminal and she doesn’t believe criminals ever change” erases that completely and reframes the conflict as cassandra treats eugene unfairly because of bigotry that she needs to unlearn. lost lagoon takes this even one step further in that lost lagoon eugene is genuinely trying to be responsible, he is taking his new lot in life seriously. he doesn’t need cass to tell him off for acting like an ass because he doesn’t act like an ass. he shows actual interest in getting to know cass and makes an effort to break through her hostility in order to get along. unlike his tts counterpart, lagoon eugene really doesn’t do anything wrong, and that makes cassandra’s intense hatred of him on the grounds that he was a thief look completely irrational and, like i said, bigoted. 

it’s just very frustrating to me.

anyways

rapunzel tries very hard to persuade cass that it’s actually totally fine that she told eugene the secret because she just can’t keep secrets from eugene (except the lagoon which she has arbitrarily decided is totes fine to keep secret and i am pretty sure this contradiction never gets pointed out) - and cass is having none of it, and of course arianna interrupts before anything can get resolved. 

they rush out and monsieur lefleur interrupts them, asking questions about the lost lagoon. he reveals that he heard an ~elegant cloaked person~ inquiring about it in the library. he asks for the book. they say no. the red herring smells to high heavens, and the chapter ends with rapunzel subtly telling cass to hide the book ~for the safety of the kingdom~ and oh my god i just can’t handle the low stakes. 

seventeen picks up from there with cassandra’s point of view; she’s suspicious of lefleur and angsts a lot about how she has no time to train and she needs to get out of corona yada yada. her plan is literally to just walk until she finds someone to hire her on as a guard which. lol. this kid.

i feel like this is the strongest passage in the whole book: 

She said there couldn’t be any secrets between Eugene and her. But why—especially when it meant sacrificing my future and everything I held dear? I’d read about romantic love in poems, and it seemed to me like a spell. Sounded great for the lovebirds, but what about the other people.

Did I just not matter in the face of this love, even though I had been the one to risk everything to show Rapunzel the world? Was I just supposed to fall on my sword because Eugene was uncomfortable that he didn’t have every last piece of information about Rapunzel?

she has a brief argument with owl, who is a pretty obvious stand-in for her own doubts / feeling that she truly belongs in corona and doesn’t actually want to leave. but she has no choice! but it’s stormy, so she can’t leave! oh no!

(i think if tts really strongly felt she had no choice but to free corona, a measly thunderstorm would not be enough to stop her.)

[yume-tsuki]

Shaman King Elemental  Mikihisa Asakura After some thinking who I’ll publish today I decidet for Mikihisa Asakura, (Look at him smirking because he will be shown today,) Like with Jao, he is the main chara....so a lot of text  

Miki’s childhood -Yoh and Anna came back to their home in Funbari Spa when Anna noticed she is pregnant again. First Hana is happy, he is six here like in the Manga. But later he start to hate Mikihisa from the bottom of his heart. -When Anna was in labor she got kidnapped by a group of gangster, they don’t know why but shout get on the child for some reason. In labor because this was the only moment Anna was weak. They tricked Yo  btw. -Then when they got the baby they should bring it to their boss but Yoh,  Ryu and Anna got them on a roadhouse. -also the spirit of Mikihisa, Yoh’s father was with the baby who screamed, trying to get him calm. When all of them faced each other and baby Mikihisa screamed, Yoh was furios and wanted to kill the man, but his father tried to tell them to stop. He said that Yoh’s second born will have powers to kill all of them in a second, and now in a state of full frightend he would use it to self protect even against his own father. -The man run away and Anna got the kid calm Mikihisa explained a prophesy that Mikihisa is part of. He will grow up to the elemental warrior of Water and that he probably will learn to use this power one day but in a few situation he could probably use it right now without thinking. -To thank his father who now got to heaven Mikihisa was called after him. -The first years Hana often tried to get rid of him, even tried to kill him.  One time they were on holiday at the beach, Miki who trusts and adores Hana followed him to a vacant house at a cliff. He let him play hide and seek, then he set it on fire. Yoh noticed but Miki who was in a cabinet got safed by a water spirit who brought him into a under water cave.- Yoh entered the cave and was happy that his son was fine. -after this Miki became depressed and scared of Fire, the scars on his chest and his face are from 1 bear claw of his fathers neglace by attacking himself in his nightmares. -Yoh then brought him to his old trainings place from the time as a child. He told Miki that he would be able to control the Water so he must never fear the fire.It took quite a while to get the stubborn scared kid to believe his powers but he found it. Also the spirit from before, a swandragon named Toyo tama a god of the see. -Toyotama:  Toyotama is based on the Pokemon Lugia, you see when I first designed them 14 years ago the elemental warriors got Pokemon as spirits. And as one of my fave he got Lugia, Toyotama’s name herself is based on the creature Lugia is based of, or more his daughter. She is the elemental spirit of Water and feels enamored to Miki, like all elemental spirits because there souls are connected. -Her home and Miki’s first Oversoul is the Okarina shell(also based on the Pokemon movie) - He is able to play it. As kids he and his friends communicate with to know the next attacking move. -later he and Hana became friends. -Miki’s present -Current Miki is 16 right now,(I finaly found my notes again >3> ) He is in school and wishes for a more interesting live. -That’s when a letter came in, he opens it and got the note to come to Egypt, we need you for help to solve a puzzle! We get you a strong spirit if you come. -He then traveled to the place in Egypt, meeting Jao for the first time and also the other Elemental Warrior, to his surprise the daughter of Horohoro  and Tamao is one of them too. .- To my Elemental Warrior themselves, I created them along before I knew that  Yoh and the boys were elemental warrior too.I only knew the tv show back then. Also which chara got which power I decided back then when I was 12-14 -Jao then explains them the plan of finding 7 slab-lined, they would find them at the place they found their elemental spirits. He tells them that a evil spirit awoke who take the last spirit seeing persons this power and force all humans to live in a world where he is the leader and god himself. -Thrilled from the speech Mikihisa  wants to do so. But at the same time he hates that feeling, he is like the water, calm on one hand and wild on the other. -He and Pirka(Horo’s daughter) travel back with their ghosts, Jao’s first task to train them. They fly with Toyo over the Nil(the big river….) when they decide to take a swim. Toyo was so happy that she noticed to late the crocodiles who attacked them, crushing Mikihsa’s left arm. -PIrka brought him to a hospital while Hao met with Mikihisa in his half death state. He told him to trust Jao. -Later on there travel they start to fell for each other but short after this it was forgotten. Together with their friends they find the stones, and fighting the enemies army for the first time. -Then they should wait at home. Suddenly a girl appeared named Rika, also one of the Elemental Warriors and Mikihisa’s fionce. They both love each other from the first moment. -Then he and his friends went to Jao’s base in the middle of America to train and get on Missions -He got  the promised spirit  but they are not finaly able to use them jet. -Then he arrives on the battle field were Rika had killed Pirka, his heart filled with hatred he forced her to battle. A battle of pure elemental power, not only that the rain and thounder of the whole earth get out of control also the power to control them inside their bodies. - Rika run away and Mikihisa was broken seeing his childhood friend death in his arms. -Together with Jao they brought her to the Patch village  to operate her. - When suddenly the army of 12 man appeard and destroyed the whole village stealing their souls and spirits. Only a baby survived. -Then they start to feel for each other again but more slowly. -somewhere in this time he propose to Pirka and he fought the enemies again together with Hana. -Also the firs time they  encounter the enemies they lost because of Mikihisa’s rampage when he saw Rika. It was also his fault when some of their group got attacked and Jao was killed. -When later Rika came back he first was angry and still full of hatred even when she knew about a secret why the enemies started to attack the old elemental warrior. -They found out that the  Elemental Spirits, The warriors and their  ghosts where ones in the past of 8000 years one person and an animal spirit. To get their power they had to become one with the elementals. Miki himself got the spirit of Water. He entered the ghost realm to met SoW  when it broke together and showed a man in his 30’s who looked like him but with a beared and northern Europe cloth. -He said that he was ones the first Water elemental warrior and that Mikihisa should trust his heart even when it was like a raging water or a calm lake. - To full synchronicity with the last spirit then the spirit of Rah they enter hell, like their fathers did. - He finaly could accept that he loves both, even when he can’t love Rika he ones loved her and he is fine as comerade to him, and he loves PIrka from the bottom of his heart and can’t wait for their future, also their adopted Patcheen son Kohaku. -Together with the others they fight at the great spirit to protect Hao. First they loose against  Tabris power to negate. In this  he negates a moment a spirit protected his life. So the moment he was in that cabinet he died from shock and drowned. – He started to disappear when their spirits rescued them. -With new power and the knowledge of the inner elemental bond he fetters the blood  and soul to communicate with the dark spirit, of Tabris. -later Jao safes him when he became the water itself. -years later, he now had married Pirka they own the Funbari Spa letting it get more modern, PIrka and her brother working their and often make singing shows for the people. Both of them love to entertain and sing like their mother, they’re pretty talented. -Their own son is named Yoyuki. A boy who got into a bad accident loosing the power of full control of his leg and needs a lot of time to get up again. -Their other son Kohaku got a fiancé named Lily a orphaned girl who learnes to be a Itako by Anna, later when she is 10 Anna gave letters from their mother to Mikihisa telling him she is his and Rika’s daughter. She couldn’t take care of her anymore because she felt so bad she couldn’t be a good mother for her. She tells them that she couldn’T look into her eyes because she reminds them on his.  But in real Lily got the  eyes of her grandfather Tabris. The elemental warriors have the same eye color as their element. When they loose their power after the fight the eyes got their natural color again. -Mikihisa then had to find her apologizing to her and telling her to come back seeing their daughter. -He finds her in an American town as a singer, but before they can talk he got shoot by a gun accidently at night. Rika who saw it run to him praying that he survived but he had died. -He got rescued from Rika using the electric power of her spirit Raju but she died instead. -Mikihsa then brought her back saying that she was his beloved friend and that he always would take care of their daughter who still doesn’t know who her parents are. And to let Rika’s last wish become true. …Anna, let my daughter became an Asakura please. This is my last wish and my last letter I want her to have a family… other infos -he loves Burgers, playing online games with his friends and music. -like the most teenager he hates his father- something he and Hana have alike -he never hated his brother -he got different tattoos who shows the groups he is into the blue Asakura crest as Water elemental warrior, the white stripes as patcheen and the anch as sign for his last spirit Ra. -he wears green headphones and one bear claw of his father on his ear, also together with one more earring. -He took Harusame what is his  second  O.S. Strength 7/10 Elemental use/power 6/10 Stamina 7/10 Technique 7/10 Intelligence 6/10 Speed 6/10 Spirit Control 10/10 Healing Ability 9/10 Comunication/Team power 10/10 Miki’s biggest weakness is his feelings. He ones said he is like flotsam who swims through water one moment he is calm but when everyone is excited he get’s excited too. He realy hates this about himself. He has healing abilities but isn’t using them so often.

[watchtower-feed]

Living with Tim Drake

Notes: I got request for Damian and SO moving in together (which I will get to some day). But then I kept thinking about Tim and how I haven’t shown him much love lately. So I wanted to do a little character study of him. Words: 1,818

     You didn’t expect a message so quickly. After all, you just posted the ad for a roommate an hour ago. You texted back saying you’re free to talk and your phone buzzes in your hand. You quickly answer, bracing yourself for what kind of freak is in need of a place to stay so urgently.

     “Hello. This is Tim. I’m a college graduate and currently doing an internship at Wayne. Your place is really close by so it’s perfect for my commute.”

     Wayne is a little more than 5 kilometers away from your place. Definitely a length you wouldn’t like to walk on a daily basis. Especially since your neighborhood isn’t the best. But hey, it still beats Crime Alley and Arkham, right?

     “Hi, Tim. This is Y/N. But you obviously already know that. So I’m going to do a quick background check before I send you my address. I mean, you understand, right?”

     “Oh, definitely,” he answers right away but you could almost hear his nerves. He goes quiet for a bit and then you hear a notification that someone just sent you a message. “I don’t really have any social media accounts or anything--” You’re suspicious already. “But I am in the Gotham Gazette a lot.”

     “What?” you instinctively say. Not thinking. Ignoring the image of the screenshot he sent you. “What did you say your last name was?” You’re already flipping open your laptop and opening the Gazette website.

     “Drake. Wayne. I’m Timothy Drake-Wayne.”

     When he shows up at your door with a single duffle bag that wouldn’t even fit all of your pants, you greet him with a raised brow. “You know, I really thought this was going to be some sort of practical joke but you are him.”

     He laughs nervously, “Yeah… Living with that nightmare every day.”

     You stare him from inside your apartment before you laugh and let him in. You lounge over the kitchen counter and offer him some coffee. His eyes instantly brighten up at the caffeine rush.

     “This is really good.”

     “Yeah? I work at a cafe nearby and it turns out I like making coffee.”

     He looks at your set up behind him, a small commercial espresso machine with an extract bar with two spouts and a steam nozzle to warm up the milk, and a coffee grinder filled to the brim with whole coffee beans.

     He looks back at you quickly. “Please let me live here,” he blurts out with full conviction. It stuns you and then you laugh. “I’ll pay double your asking price.”

     You stop laughing then. “Deal.”

     Tim settles in quickly in your apartment since he doesn’t have too many things. A week’s worth of clothes, his laptop, two pairs of shoes, and some toiletries. 

     You had a roommate before him but she just disappeared half a year ago. You called her family and it turns out that she ran off with a lover. You thought she would be back in a month’s time but 6 months have gone by and her advance payments are about to run out.

     Needless to say, Timothy Drake-Wayne is now sleeping in a pastel purple bedroom littered with motivation posters and 30-Day challenge workouts.

     “You can take them down, you know.”

     Tim shrugs, “I kind of like them. They help me get up in the morning.”

     You roll your eyes.“Yeah sure.” Tim is not a morning person. He only thinks he is. He’ll wake up past noon. Then when you get home, he’ll greet you good morning even when it’s dark outside.

     “Is that a cut?”

     Without thinking about it, your hand reaches out to brush back his bangs and look at what is actually a gash on his forehead. “Tim, it’s still bleeding. Wash it!!”

     Before he could reply, you go to the bathroom to retrieve the first aid kit. You start fussing over the antiseptic, cotton, and gauze while he’s just staring at you. “Tim, wash it under the sink,” you repeat.

     A little dazed, Tim finally gets up and goes to the sink. You wait for him to finish, with a towel ready to dry his face. As soon as he’s done, you start dabbing the antiseptic on his forehead.

     “Hey. That doesn’t hurt.”

     You make a grim face, a look of disgust really. “Is that why you didn’t treat it? Because you’re afraid it’ll hurt.”

     He laughs, “No no. It’s just-- Usually when Alfred does this, it stings.”

     There are so many things you want to say to that. Who’s Alfred? Why don’t you tend to your own wounds? What happened? But instead, you say, “Do you often get into fights at Wayne or something? I always thought the people there are either frail-bodied nerds or millionaires too afraid to mess up their cuticles.”

     Tim laughs a little louder, “Why does it have to be at Wayne? I could have gotten this while saving children from a human trafficking ring down by the docks.” He raises an eyebrow at you.

     You narrow your eyes, unamused, “What a coincidence. After work, I just put the Joker back in Arkham Asylum.”

     He shakes his laughter, making it harder for you to put the gauze on. So you grab his chin to keep him steady and then expertly placed it on his gash with one hand. His eyes follow your hands, making him appear cross-eyed and you almost laugh. Then his eyes widen.

     “Wait a minute. Did you just get off work? It’s almost 6? PM?”

     You roll your eyes but you don’t really meddle with his sleeping schedule. He usually leaves the apartment when the sun is coming down and you never hear him come in. But you just assume his internship at Wayne is at night. 

     You wonder if he gets paid for it because he comes in 7 days a week, every night and sometimes even in the afternoon (or god forbid in the morning). But he doesn’t really need the money so maybe it’s a family obligation thing?

     Sometimes though, like once or twice a month, he gets a day off. He’ll sit with you on the couch while you drink the mochas you made and binge-watch NCIS.

     “You know…” you say one day, hugging your mug to yourself. “You never did tell me why you chose to live here.”

     “I did, didn’t I? It’s close to Wayne--”

     “Bullshit,” you call out. “I get that you bike to work so it’s an easy commute but you own part of Wayne. I know you can get a driver to get you there or work from home or not work at all if you wanted to.”

     Tim looks at you for a moment before he goes quiet. He’s staring into his mug and lightly shaking it to watch the liquid move around inside.

     You suddenly want to slap yourself, “I’m sorry. It’s not my place to know--”

     “No, it’s okay,” he says, smiling. He places the mug on the coffee table. He grabs the remote to lower the volume down and then hunches with his elbows resting on his knees as he stares at the screen.

     “It was just good timing when I saw your post. It was getting a little crowded at the manor.”

     You keep looking at him and wonder if you should stop him. This almost looks painful for him but Tim keeps going.

     “When I first got there, I was the only one there. Dick has his own place. Jason was--” he shrugs, “It was just me, Bruce, and Alfred.” Alfred, you now know, was actually their butler, but Tim talks about him more like a parent, to both him and Bruce Wayne.

     “It was great. Mostly quiet. Peaceful. And then like a hurricane, all of them just came, one by one. Dick, Jason, and then Damian. It was a nightmare. We were at each other’s throat. Literally!” he’s staring wide-eyed at you, half-hoping you’ll know he’s telling you the truth. “And I couldn’t get a single good night’s sleep. I just-- I needed my own place. Away from them.”

     Tim releases this long sigh, one that feels like he’s been keeping for a while. “When it was just me, Bruce, and Alfred, I never noticed it because I was too self-absorbed-- about the adoption and the--” he looks at you like a deer caught in the headlights then coughs and continues, “I didn’t notice that they weren’t as happy as I was. That they were in silent mourning.”

     “So when my brothers were at the manor, Bruce and Alfred-- They were shocked but I’ve never seen them look happier. It was so small, almost barely a hint of a smile. And I just--” He sighs again, this time leaning back to rest his head against the couch. “So I feel a little guilty about leaving.”

     You wait in case Tim had more things to get off his chest. This is the first you’ve heard him talk in broken sentences. He’s usually a lot more composed that his sentences are always grammatically correct, full-structured, and well-phrased. Like listening to an essay.

     When he doesn’t say anything more, you ask, “Do you regret leaving?”

     Tim Drake stares at the ceiling. He visits the manor every now and then but not much has changed. They’re still fighting a lot, with less intent to kill, but still enough to seriously maim. But really he misses seeing Alfred every day, helping him in the garden and eating his home cooking. 

     And Bruce. He wonders if Bruce is doing fine. If he’s happy Jason is back or proud to finally have his own son fighting side by side with him. He hopes Bruce’s is a little upset he left. He wishes he’d mourn for him a little like he did with Dick and Jason.

     But is he happy? Tim was feeling overwhelmed by the past that his brothers brought back with them. So much pain, regrets, and hatred. He never knew families could be so complicated. One minute they wanted to murder each other and the next they’re risking their own lives to save you. ‘Do I regret it?’ he wonders. ‘Do I regret doing what Dick and Jason have done, leaving the nest-- the cave and the Titans-- to find my own way of life? My own path?’ 

     ‘Not one bit.‘

     Then he turns to you with every intention of saying just that. He looks at you while you hold your white Superman mug in your hand, your lips hovering over the rim and the steam rises up to your face. He watches the light smoke dance as your breath goes in and out.

     Your eyes are staring at him with your hair hanging down, framing your face. He watches your cheeks slowly go red and your eyes widen. You look away, missing the same shade of red covering Tim’s cheeks.

     “Crap.”

✧ Watchtower Masterlist ✧  

[alifeincoffeespoons]

i enjoyed reading your "sirius adopts harry" fic a lot, i like how you tried to fix and improve upon some aspects of canon (like the curse breakers being a tad imperialist) and also how you gave the characters backgrounds that were apparent in the story (chinese sirius, jewish remus, desi james). it added a lot to the story and characters, and was definitely better than anything jk rowling ever did or will do with minority representation.

oh my god, thank you so, so much! <33 thank you for reading, and i’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed the story! i’ve always been a fan of stories where sirius adopts harry—their surrogate father-son relationship is incredibly touching, in my opinion, and sirius is my favorite character in all of harry potter.

the cursebreakers have always bothered me—they seem like yet another extension of the historical trend of european nations + the usa taking important artifacts from african/asian/south american nations. the british museum, for example, has been criticized—and rightfully so—for continuing to display artifacts that were effectively looted from their home countries (see: pottery stolen from the emperor’s palace in beijing by the french and british during the age of imperialism). 

writing the harry potter characters with diverse backgrounds and narratives is so, so important to me as a queer asian woman, and i’m glad to hear that it resonated with you! every sirius i write is chinese, every remus i write is jewish, and every james i write is south asian, because in real life, people do have diverse backgrounds and stories, and i believe that fiction should do its best to replicate certain aspects of reality, even in a fantastical world.

it’s incredibly clear that any research jkr does when writing minority characters—if she does any research at all, that is—is minimal. all we have to do to know that is look at her descriptions of ilvermorny (incredibly imperialistic in her mindset, appropriative of indigenous history) and mahoutokoro (a name that literally means “magical place” and additionally brings up the question of why there are multiple wizarding schools in europe but merely one for all of asia) and her depictions of the few non-white characters in harry potter (that of cho chang being the most glaringly problematic). 

this problem, of course, isn’t one only relevant to jk rowling, although she is one of the most problematic authors today—see her blatant transphobia, anti-semitism, lgbtq+ erasure, and racism as examples of such. rainbow rowell is another author who has clearly failed at the task of doing even minimal research when it comes to write characters with minority backgrounds, as seen in eleanor and park. park, of course, is a korean last name, not a first name, and the descriptions of park are incredibly racist—at times, eleanor literally describes his skin as yellow, and his entire character arc is one of self-hatred for his racial identity that has no meaningful resolution.

(as a side note, asian-american and asian characters have continuously been infantilized and reduced to stereotypes in works, even when they are the romantic interests of the protagonist. writing with color has a wonderful post out about this trend today that can be read here.)

if i, a fanfiction writer, can read research papers to try to understand the sociopolitical context of hong kong in the 1980s for a fanfiction, there is no reason actual, published authors cannot do meaningful research when writing characters with diverse backgrounds and stories. 

anyway, rant over, and i’m so happy again to hear that this story resonated with you! thank you so much for this kind ask! <3 

[radrita]

Radical Forgiveness!

Pain like I never knew entered my life on August 23rd, 2018. And believe me when I tell you I've been in pain a lot as a child. When I was three, my mom left my brother and me with our dad and grandpa (his dad). When I say left, I mean, never came back. I should mention when I was 15, I found out my mom lived two miles from me my whole life and had another family, complete with a new husband and 3 kids she raised that I never knew about. I met up with her and spent the rest of my days until she passed away, trying to get her to love and accept me like the children she raised. But that would never happen. When my sister, who was raised by my mom, was told she had cirrhosis of the liver from alcoholism and would succumb to it, my mom wished it was me that was going to die instead. Those words would pervade my soul for a LONG time!We were in some foster homes from the ages of 3 to 5. Then our dad, who was an alcoholic, couldn't take care of us anymore, so we were sent to live in an orphanage, and I remained there for seven years. My brother got to go live with our dad and grandpa when he was around 13. I didn't, and I will explain why. We visited home on weekends and holidays until my dad molested me on a few different occasions between 10 and 12. I finally told someone, and then I wasn't able to see him anymore for several years. It may seem to you that it would have been the rational thing to do. But I already lost my mom, and my dad was all I had left. So, it was very heart-wrenching to tell someone. Also, my grandpa (my dad's dad) would pleasure himself in front of me all the time for several of my early teen years. And when I was pregnant with my daughter, my stepdad tried to get me to give him oral sex. Ugh, no wonder I had men issues.

When I turned 15, I had a chance to live with my dad and grandpa again. My caseworker (I was a ward of the state) had me explain what my dad did to me. I was screaming in my head (no, please don't make me). But she did, and his then-wife blamed me, saying I dressed sexy around him (I was 10 lady, geez), and my dad chose her over me. As a result, I only saw him one time over the next 30 years when his mom died (my grandma), and we saw each other at the funeral. Even though my dad and his wife said they would be in touch with me, they never did. I probably don't need to say that my life took some dark turns through addiction and lots of self-abuse. Ready for the real pain that surpassed even all that excitement?

Here is the story of losing my daughter when she was just 33 and the lengthy voyage through anguish like I've never known! Nicole Marie Cuneo was her birth name, and she was the angel in my life that lit up my whole world. I never knew love like that before she was born. It's like my heart didn't even know how to beat before her. And she was the happiest baby and always smiled. At least until she was about 2, and then something changed in her attitude. I didn't know until she was 5 when I started taking her for counseling that she was sexually abused. It occurred while I was working, and she was in her father's care. I can't even tell you the sick feeling that came over me, and as a result of the changes in her, I would spend years taking her for counseling. It was like I had a different child, and I did. Because when you have something like that happen to you, especially at such a young age, it changes your DNA.

When this beautiful child was twelve, she started on the road to using drugs, and as a family, we would watch her struggle with that for the rest of her days. I should mention that I met a man (a wonderful man) that adopted Nicole and my other daughter Samantha Lynn. And, to this day, he is still the constant, stable man in Samantha's life. For that, I will be forever grateful. There are so many details I'm not covering about this journey because it would become a book. I aspire to keep the focus on the journey to forgiveness, but for now, It's time for me to take a break from writing because it's still too painful for me to focus on the loss for too long…... I'm back after a night that was once again filled with tossing and turning physically and mentally. I mentioned that I also had struggles with addiction, which would plague my life from the time I was in my early thirties, and I still battle it as a 56-year-old. For the most part, I have a program and a higher power that keeps it at bay. Still, as all addicts know, it takes daily commitment contingent on our spiritual condition.

Forgiveness is a term defined in the dictionary as: in a psychological sense, is the intentional and voluntary process by which one who may initially feel victimized, undergoes a change in feelings and attitude regarding a given offense, and overcomes negative emotions such as resentment and vengeance. So, by this information, it means I wish no ill will on the people in my life that have caused me harm or malice. Phew, let me tell you that I have had numerous times that wasn't the case! Visions and thoughts in my mind had me showing up and shooting the people that hurt my sweet girl.

My daughter, as I mentioned, struggled with addiction, and due to that fact, she had three stints in prison. The last stretch, she was sentenced to six years, and she served all but five days of it. She was about to be free when……two weeks before this, she was pounded in the head on two different occasions —once with soap in a sock and one instance with a payphone. I was told she died from long-term methamphetamine use, and it caused a brain aneurysm. This means she was using the entire time while being incarcerated. Oh God, NO, and please help me was all I could think when I was given that news. It's a complex kind of hell to not know what your child died from, and almost 3 years later, I still don't understand a lot of the details. Was it, in fact, the beatings, or was it the drug use? Prisons aren't forthcoming, as you can probably assume. Did they have something to hide? I'm pretty sure they have plenty to hide! Nicole was a sweet, kind, and caring person. Her nickname in prison was Shine because she always spread Sunshine and tried to keep up everyone's spirits. And she was capable of being that way while incarcerated and having to literally fight for her life.

This leads me to the how and why of my journey to forgiveness. I think I was somehow inspired to forgive from a very young age. When I was a kid, I lived my life feeling like I wasn't of this world because nothing made sense. Meaning, how could so many things go so wrong so early in my life? But I also remember thinking numerous times that people do the best they can, so I didn't judge them. And I felt that way pretty much my whole life and still do. A friend brought to my attention that maybe I didn't forgive people as the dictionary defines. But is it possible I had a twisted understanding of what forgiveness meant? And that perhaps I thought I was excusing people's behavior but that I didn't go through the emotions and changes needed in my heart and soul that were required. And that, in fact, I possibly just didn't love myself enough because of all the trauma I endured, that I just thought I forgave them? In other words, I thought I did, but because I didn't love myself, I was just saying It was ok that they hurt me, and (oh well) life goes on?

Um, no, I do love myself! And believe me, when I tell you, I hurt from those offenses against me to my essence (hence addiction, low self-esteem, and pushing people away for a good part of my life). Radical forgiveness doesn't derive from the belief that it's the right thing to do. Therefore, I'm just going to forgive them. And when I hear people that have lost a loved one to murder say that they are evil or are monsters, it makes me sick to my stomach. I feel we are all humans and connected to the universe and each other. If I genuinely accept that, how could I want someone to be eliminated because of my hatred for them? If you look in someone's eyes (soul), how can you want them to die? I didn't and can't give life, so taking it away is also not an option. I know it's revolutionary thinking because when I talk to most people about this topic, they look at me hastily. I TRULY, in my heart and soul, know that there is NOTHING anyone can do to me or anyone that I couldn't forgive. I also love myself enough to know that I will be the one to suffer if I don't. It's like peeing on yourself and expecting someone else to feel the wetness and embarrassment from it.

I love my daughter with the most heartfelt essence of what love means. I grieve every day that I will never be able to smell her scent, feel her embrace, see people's faces light up when she walks in a room, hear her witty sense of humor. And even miss the fact that she was a pain in my ass because of her addiction. When people ask me how many kids I have, it still throws me for a loop. Initially, if I would not have read a book about it, the response they offered the readers to make would have been incomprehensible. They said to say how many kids you gave birth to and not how many you have now. Thank God I read that book! Because that circumstance and several others I probably would have never known how to manage could have been a moment to drive me literally insane.

I have another daughter and Nicky left us a son, and the last thing on earth I want it's for her to lose me on top of losing her sister. I will never be ok that I will never give Nicky the love I have for her again. But hurting others will never provide those moments back to me!

I want people to know that forgiveness restores your soul and allows you to be of service to others and yourself. Without it, I know I will continue to struggle in life, and she would NOT want that for me. She always said that I was a strong person and that she respected me for that. I can't in good conscience have resentment for the ones that hurt or possibly murdered her. I don't want anyone to suffer pain for their actions. Just learn from them. I believe we all just live according to our experiences and do the best we can with what we have learned thus far in life. The ONLY thing I want to come out of losing her is for change to occur in the justice system. An addict that is imprisoned due to addiction is injustice! I'm not a religious person; I'm spiritual. That means we are all connected and equal and should try our best to understand and comfort those in need. And yes, that includes those with mental illness. After all, addiction is a disease (dis-ease) and is a mental illness and should be treated as such.

I'll close with this; perhaps I can forgive because, in my addiction, I have done so many things I vowed I would never do, and it has been excused too many times to count. This has given me the ability to go on and keep trying to be a better person in my life. As I discussed earlier, as a child, I felt I was able to forgive. I soundly believe part of that is the spirituality (higher power) that has always been and always will be in my life. This story is my endeavor to hopefully help others who struggle with forgiveness. And possibly give them what they need to move on past the judgments and/or stigma. I have struck the wall, cussed God, blasted the people that hurt her, and questioned how I would live another day without her. God help me has and is the continual prayer since the day I lost her. She exists in my heart memory, and I prefer to cherish all of the memories, good and heart-wrenching. Because that is the sum of the person that was given to me. She will forever be my angel. I stated that she was the light in my life and the first love in my life when she was born, and that's why I gave her the nickname Angel. She will eternally be that light, and I choose to not put darkness on that by not being able to pardon. So, if you grapple with forgiving someone, think about the freedom that will thoroughly transform your world and those around you if you can let go! I still struggle with my addiction from time to time, but I know it's a process. Forgiveness is an extraordinary place to start because it empowers me to have the opportunity of growth and faith that life is worth living in all its glory and pain.

[valkerymillenia]

Umbrella Academy

season 2, episode 4

New episode, new post!

This was the other post I had written out that got accidently deleted so I'm writing it all again.

1993? And Lila was 4? TOO MUCH COINCIDENCE! I still stand by my theory that Lila is one of the 43.

Yes, she has a father but that could just be her mother's husband. It's just too coincidental that the show would make her exactly the same age as the Hargreeves for no reason.

Ah the red heels. Hi Handler. These heels are really pretty though, very wicked witch with the ruby slippers. Even that outfit kind of screams wicked witch meets Cruella de Vil 😏

Kill parents, adopt child. Interesting MO, Handler. Like an evil Bruce Wayne (does this make Handler Owlman? I know, I'm not funny).

Oh, Handler pulling a Reginald with Lila!

Except, you know, she actually gives Lila positive reinforcement and affection, unlike Reggie. But her training seems just as brutal and inhumane for a child (and possibly even more violent) as Reginald's...

It's curious and interesting, a nice foil. Handler succeeds where Reggie fails- creating a loyal and effective soldier will into adulthood- because she was willing to give the kid affection and compassion. Reggie saw himself as some sort of hero creating heros but he failed at the most basic and human thing that even the villain understood.

-The filmography in these training scenes is brilliant.

-Ah, that prom look is the same as half of my classmates when we graduated 🤣 down to the blue makeup.

I'm guessing Lila's "prom"/"graduation" was her first solo assassination?

Wait, Handler wants to protect Five...? What the hell is she up to now?

Talking about killing people like it's a fun hobby 🤨

Oh, so the Swedes are triplets? I suspected but I like the confirmation.

Oh, Handler is lying ~~~~ 🎶

She's definitely following her own agenda here and she's leading Lila into danger. The question is if she's going to undermine the Commission for revenge of if she wants to prove her ability to get promoted back into administrative ranks of the Commission.

Either way, this will not end well for Five.

Lila is going to end up having to choose between Diego and Handler, isn't she?

Five stays in the car to give Luther space... No matter what Five says he actually cares about his siblings' feelings, doesn't he? He's the most overprotective of them all and always has been. It's sweet.

Ah, Luther and Vanya bonding over Five being an asshole. ☺️

"very warm and cuddly father" 🤣

Of course Vanya figured out Five was sparing her feelings, because she's not dumb

Oh, thank you for the honesty, Luther! Gotta love that.

I'm actually really happy to see Luther owning up to his mistakes instead of trying to act like the flawless leader. I think he grew a lot after accepting that Reginald wasnt perfect and I'm glad to see that growth still happening as he learns how to be an independent person. I just hope his guilt doesn't turn into even more self-hatred.

"you had kind of a bad childhood" -understatement of the century, Luther!

Luther, you have pissed off the mobster, you moron. You're on big trouble now.

Dramatic wall punch! 🙄

"when you get angry shit blows up" 😂😂😂

"you're our sister and a member of the umbrella academy" - oh, now you want to include her? The irony of this is that it's the one thing Vanya wanted for the first 29 years of her life and if anyone had said it then, the apocalypse would probably have never happened.

🖕🙊🖕

"I wonder if it's too late to be un-adopted" -ah, you know you love them, Five

Honestly, Allison actually keeps her cool really well, if I went through that phone call I would have broken something.

Why the hell does Klaus want menudo first thing in the morning?? Ew...

Klaus butchering "the frog and the scorpion"... You were doing so well but ended up completely missing the point of that story, dummy.

Diego's stab wound is healing really quickly...

Wait, he's healing quickly and Allison doesn't have a neck scar... Plus Klaus is immortal... Hmm, I wonder if quick healing is an ability they all share? Though that would put Diego's scars (and maybe Ben's death) into perspective...

Does Diego wax his chest? Those pecs are real smooth for someone who spent over two months in a 60s mental institution. 😆

"we've all had the urge" 😂 and Diego's sarcastic laugh 🤣

Who's the 12th of the Magestic 12? Oh, I WONDER WHO THAT COULD BE??? Maybe a certain monocled asshole?

"Mamie pink" is Klaus's new nickname, I don't make the rules.

Klaus, you are freaking the boy out with all this new information...

Oh no, the homophobia 😡😡😡

You know what's more heartbreaking about this homophobic disaster? Dave is likely in the closet and this whole situation here and the hate his uncle is showing must be so painful to him, it would probably bury him even deeper in the closet...

Klaus... The punch... Oh, baby... 😢 Oh no, I'm going to cry 😭😭😭

Is Raymond really implying that Allison is a spy? Damn...

Just tell him the truth, Allison! How do you marry a person without telling them something so big about yourself??

Oh, so Klaus has been sober for 3 years... Interesting.

No, Klaus! Don't start self-destructing again! 😢😢😢

It must be so painful for Ben to watch this and not be able to stop it...

Oh shoot, the cult found him.

"prophet"? "holy wanderer"? Interesting.

Poor Klaus just wants peace.

They seriously couldn't get a suit for Five too? Is he not allowed to wear anything else?

Five is onto Lila 🎶

Luther, are you stress eating? Well, at least you're not going on a bender again.

Awww, Luther- Allison reunion. Cute. Please don't make it weird.

Oh God, the awkward small talk is back 😩

I'm glad Luther is being so mature about this. I like this dynamic better.

"Vanya is on a farm. And happy" and Allison finds the happy part weird. Diego in the "nuthouse" and Allison doesn't find that weird at all, even does that 'yeah, ok makes sense' face. Klaus "cult leader" and Luther isn't surprised at all, that little "eh" was so funny.

Lord, this family is mess.

"Doomsday" *awkward chuckle* -you guys are getting way too used to this.

"Diego, try not to do anything too stupid" 😆 ah, brothers.

Lila in red heels, like mommy... 😏

Reggie taught them ballroom dancing? And Handler had the same idea?

Um.... Ok, so new theories! Do Handler and Reginald know each other? Could Reginald have been in the Commission? I'm going to be thinking about this for a while...

Just let the girl lead, Diego. Stop being a little bitch.

GRACE?!

So mom!Grace is either a cyborg or she was modeled after this woman... Makes curious about Reggie's relationship with this lady.

Diego going through the universal horror every kid goes through when realizing that mommy and daddy are "together". 🤣🤣🤣 "I can't picture it on my head. That's nasty"

She didn't tell him her name was Grace but apparently it is.

Am I the only one getting weird desperate and co-dependant vibes from Sissy?

Oh no! Save the baby!

Holy shit! HOLY SHIT! Vanya's powers are incredible! The special effects in this scene are unbelievable!

Save the child!

How did his lips get blue so quickly?

THE RETURN OF THE MAGIC ALIEN LIGHTS! AAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

Ok, I need to pause to gather my thoughts... Ok, things I hope don't happen-please don't magically "fix" the disabled boy, and please don't make the powers transferrable (that's just lazy writing, don't rehash "Misfits").

However, other than that I'm just very curious what those lights will do to Harlan. Will they just save his life? Will he gain powers? Will he have some weird connection to Vanya now? I'm dying to find out!

Anyway, back to the ep.

Baby boy is ok!

Luther, did you think pissing off the mobster would end well?

Elliot just starting up at Luther in awe and visibly fighting not to poke him. 😆

HELL NO, LUTHER! NO DRUGS! DON'T YOU REMEMBER THE LAST TIME?? YOU GOT YOUR BROTHER KILLED!

Oh, Sissy... Poor woman.

There going to kiss, aren't they?

Melancholic music kicking in. Sad emotional talk. Sitting way too close. Yeah, they're going to kiss.

Aaaaaand there's the kiss! ☺️

But now I need to pause and digress again...

Yeah, Sissy's feelings for Vanya are not healthy at all. In fact they mirror Vanya's feelings for Leonard- she's unhappy with her life and clinging to the first person that gives her attention. She wants help, she wants to be rescued, she's touch and attention starved. She's co-dependant and emotionally manipulative.

I'm not saying Sissy is a bad person, she's not, she's a sad person stuck in an unhappy marriage, terrified of being abandoned (almost paranoid) and exhausted under a lot of pressure dealing with a disabled child. And then in comes Vanya, who is perfect with Harlan, so loving and kind and has nothing else to pour all her attention towards. Of course Sissy sees salvation in Vanya and is desperate to keep her.

I'm not saying Vanya and Sissy can't have a beautiful healthy relationship, they can, but not like this. Sissy is clinging too tight and using Vanya to make herself feel better and make her life easier. They both deserve better than that and I hope they get it.

I'm starting to think that all relationships in this season might be doomed to fail:

-Sissy and Vanya have a co-dependant and emotionally unhealthy infatuation and Sissy is married to a man that, while not great, still clearly loves her;

-Raymond and Allison have too many secrets between them that are causing a major rift, they can fix it but there's also the chance that Ray might not be able to accept the truth about her;

-Lila is a double agent using Diego to get close to Five, she seems to be developing feelings but the fact that she's lying about who she is and working for Handler is obviously toxic;

-Klaus is pining over a person that Dave has not yet become and while he only wants to save Dave's life, it's obvious there's too big an experience and culture gap between them for a relationship to flourish;

-Luther and Allison have become one-sided and less innocent and puppy-love than before, now it really is just creepy and unhealthy (whereas before it was understandable because they grew up together under an emotionally unavailable father and isolated from the real world, naturally they became attached and confused their feelings, their attachment wasn't healthy but it was justified and almost innocent... Not anymore though);

-we have no concrete proof yet, but it seems Ben MIGHT be pining over a girl that might not even see him, he's dead, it might be an interesting dynamic storywise, but it's not going to happen, it's unhealthy and unfair;

Some of these couples might still survive and become great, it's still really in the season after all, but they have a lot of growing to do before they get there.

Anyway.... Back to the episode.

Oh Klaus... Off the wagon...

Allison being a good sister and taking care of her brother. My heart ❤️

Luther, you idiot... Well, at least you're getting high in a safe environment.

Luther and Klaus are self-destructing, my poor boys.

"you are super weird" - Luther, you have no zero right to call anyone weird, have you looked in the mirror??

"the woman I love loves someone else" -the woman you love is. your. SISTER!

I really like poor Elliot, I hope nothing bad happens to him.

Jesus, that's creepy, Luther.

Didn't I say Reginald was the 12th? 😏

Roswell? Reggie probably has a vested interest in that.

Blink out of there, Five.

I love that Five's main move is always 'teleport onto their backs and go for the throat'.

Wait, why did Five's teleportation glitch???

The music!!!!

Wait, did Diego's aim just glitch too???

Could these power glitches be connected to Vanya's magic lights going into Harlan? Or could it be something about the Swedes? Or about Reginald's presence, seeing as he dodged Diego's power before? Hmm...

Oooh, Lila has to choose between Diego and her mission already? Interesting... Of course she chooses to save Five.

Badass Lila is amazing!

So she could have helped Diego after helping Five but instead she just walks away? Huh, unexpected.

Diego, you adrenaline junkie. Good moves though.

The ancient Greek is a surprise! I really want to know what Five said to Reginald!!! What did he say? I need to know!!!

Another great chapter!! Very emotional too!

I want more!!!

[questionsonislam]

I recently read on a webpage that when a martyr of christianity dies saying he is killing himself for his religion and that when a muslim does they say the killing others for their religion. This was very disturbing and another thing is that i read was that Muhammed was the kind of amn who laughed at killing others. I want to know if this is true and a short explaination of who he really is? Thank You

Was Islam spread at the point of sword? Was the Muslim emblem “The Qur’an or the sword?”Were the Muslims imperialist and after mundane power or loot? Some people like to think about that in affirmative terms; some others in the negative and some are undecided, perplexed and reluctant. But where does the Qur’an stand? What does the history of Muhammad reveal in this connection? It is certainly imperative on every honest person who has respect for truth and human dignity to find out for himself, and to reveal his findings to others The Qur’an makes it clear that, whether we want it or not, war is a necessity of existence, a fact of life, so long as there exist in the world injustice, oppression, capricious ambitions, and arbitrary claims. This may sound strange. But is it not a matter of historical record that humanity – from the early dawn of history up till now – has suffered from local, civil and global wars? And is it not also a fact that, more often than not, victorious allies settle their disputes over their gains and the status of heir defeated enemies through wars and threats of war? Even today humanity lives under constant fear and buzzes of war over many hot spots in the world. Could God overlook these facts of life? Or could the Qur’an fail to deal with the matter in a realistic and effective manner? Certainly not! And that is why Islam has recognized war as a lawful and justifiable course for self- defense and restoration of justice, freedom and peace. The Qur’an says:

Fighting is prescribed for you, and you dislike it. But it is possible that you dislike a thing, which is good for you, and that you love a thing, which is bad for you. God knows, and you know not (2:216).

And did not God check one set of people by means of another, the earth would indeed by full of mischief: But God is Full of bounty to all the worlds (2:251). And did not God check one set of people by means of another, there would surely have been pulled down monasteries, churches, synagogues and mosques in which the name of God is commemorated in abundant measure (22:40).

Although realistic in its approach, Islam never tolerates aggression from its own side or from any other side, nor does it entertain aggressive wars or the initiation of aggressive wars. Muslims are commanded by God not to begin hostilities, or embark on any act of aggression, or violate any rights of others. In addition to what has been already said in the previous chapter, some particular verses of the Qur’an are of significant bearing. God says:

Fight in the cause of God those who fight you, and do not transgress limits (begin not hostility): For God loves not transgressors. And slay them wherever you catch them, and turn them out from where they have turned you out; for tumult and oppression are worse than slaughter; but fight them not at the Sacred Mosque, unless they (first) fight you there; but if they fight you, slay them. Such is the reward of those who suppress faith. But if they cease, God is Forgiving, Most Merciful. And fight them on until there is no more persecution or oppression, and there prevail justice and faith in God; but if they cease, let there be no hostility except to those who practice oppression (2:190-193).

War is not an objective of Islam nor is it the normal course of Muslims. It is only the last resort and is used under the most extraordinary circumstances when all other measures fail. This is the actual status of war in Islam. Islam is the religion of peace: its meaning is peace; one of God’s names is peace; the daily greetings of Muslims and angels are peace; paradise is the house of peace, the adjective ‘Muslim’ means Peaceful. Peace is the nature, the meaning, the emblem and the objective of Islam. Every being is entitled to enjoy the peace of Islam and the kindness of the peaceful Muslims, regardless of religious or geographical or racial considerations, so long as there is no aggression against Islam or the Muslims. If non-Muslims are peaceful with the Muslims or even indifferent to Islam, there can be no ground or justification to declare war on them. There is no such thing as religious war to force Islam on non-Muslims, because if Islam does not emerge from deep convictions, from within, it is not acceptable to God, nor can it help its professor. If there is any religion or constitution to guarantee peaceful freedom of religion and forbid compulsion in religion, it is Islam and Islam alone. To this point the Qur’an refers as follows: Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error; Whoever rejects Evil and believes in God has grasped the most trustworthy handhold, that never breaks, And God hears and knows all things (2:256).

Even in the propagation of Islam a Muslim is not only forbidden to employ force but is also commanded to use the most peaceful methods. To Muhammad God says: Invite (all) to the Way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious: For your Lord knows best who have strayed from His path and who receive guidance (16:125).

And dispute you not with the people of the Book (Jews and Christians) except with means better (than mere disputation), unless it be with those of them who inflict wrong (and injury): But say: ’We believe in the Revelation which has come down to us and in that which came down to you; our God and your God is one; and it is to Him we bow (in Islam) (29:46).

Now if Islam is so designated for peace, and if the Muslims are so dedicated to peace, and if the Qur’an is favorable to peace, why then did Muhammad launch wars and command battles? Why does the Qur’an say ‘slay them’ and fight them? To examine this seemingly innocent inquiry, it is indispensable to mention some historical facts that accompanied and anticipated the Muslim wars against the infidels.

After receiving the Charge from God, Muhammad called a public meeting and told the assembly of what he had received, appealing to them to give up their idol-worship and believe in the One True God. His first peaceful and logical appeal was met not only with resistance but also with jeers, mockery and laughter. He tried continually to present his people with the blessed call but had little success. Because he was not left free to propagate Islam in the open, he had to resort to private preaching for some years to save the lives of his few followers and mitigate their hardships. When instructions from God came to him to preach in the open, persecutions and torture increased and were brutally inflicted on the Muslims. But the more the persecutions increased, the higher the number of Muslims arose. The infidels tried all kinds of pressure and temptation to silence the Call of God. But the more they tried, the firmer Muhammad and the Muslims stood. When the infidels failed to shake the Faith of the Believers by threats, pressure, confiscation of property, jeers, etc., they organized a harsh boycott, a fierce campaign of ostracism, against the Muslims. For some years the Muslims were forced to remain within a very tight circle of association, unable to preach or sell or buy or marry or contact any of their fellow Meccans. Even this did not shake the Muslims’ Faith. The boycott went on until the infidels themselves were tired of its observance and had to call it off.

Bringing the severe boycott to an end was no indication of peace or anticipation of tranquility on the part of the infidels. On the contrary, pressure and persecution continued with a rapid increase, but it was all in vain as far as the Muslims were concerned. Finally, the infidels convened a summit conference behind closed doors to discuss what to do next to eliminate Islam and get rid of Muhammad once and for all.

A unanimous resolution was adopted to select a strong man from every tribe and murder Muhammad in his bed. The mission of Muhammad was not destined to end at that level. So, God instructed him to leave Mecca, his dear hometown, and migrate to Medina to reunite with the native Muslims and the earlier emigrants who had fled from Mecca to Medina (see Qur’an 8:30; 9:40). This was the Great Event of Hijrah or Emigration with which the history of Islam began and by which the Muslim Calendar goes.

Fleeing from Mecca, the Muslims were forced by a variety of circumstances to leave behind practically all their properties, belongings and even families. As soon as they settled in Medina, Muhammad resumed his peaceful preaching and his gracious invitation to Islam. Some natives responded favorably to the Call of God and immediately became full-fledged members of the Muslim community. Others did not embrace Islam but maintained their traditional beliefs. And because Muhammad was dedicated to dignified peace and reform, he concluded treaties with the non-Muslims assuring them of freedom and security, and creating in their hearts, for the first time, a socio-national conscience instead of the narrow tribal allegiance.

While Muhammad was engaged in these reforms, trying to organize the Muslim community at Medina and lay down the foundations of a stable and peaceful society wherein Muslims and non- Muslims could live side by side, the enemies at Mecca were restless. Their hatred of the Muslims was burning, and their determination to eliminate Islam was getting stronger and stronger every day. They reviewed their tactics and as soon as they completed their new plans, they started to implement them.

They decided to make trouble for the Muslims from within and from without. Plundering and fighting raids were organized to attack Medina and get back to Mecca with whatever loot they could lay their hands on. The non-Muslims at Medina were getting increasingly envious of the popularity of Islam and the novel spirit of brotherhood among the Muslims, something which they themselves did not experience or particularly like to see experienced. So, the enemies at Mecca hastened to exploit the situation and stir internal troubles for the Muslims. The response of the envious non-Muslims of Medina to the instigation of the Meccans was quick and manifest, and serious troubles were arising all over Medina.

Now the Muslims were being constantly threatened from within by the disenchanted at Medina as well as by the raids organized from Mecca. They were driven to a point where they could not stand any more persecution and threats. Their families were separated from them by force. Their properties were confiscated. Their blood was shed. They were forced to leave their dear hometown in three waves of migration: two to Abyssinia and one to Medina. They endured for over thirteen years. With the new tactics of the Meccan enemies there was no course for the Muslims except to await their final annihilation in a plural massacre or defend themselves against oppression and persecution.

It must have been a paradox. Islam came to assure them of dignity and strength, freedom and security, and to ally them with God the Supreme Source of goodness and help, power and peace. Yet here they were helpless and anxious, threatened and terrified. Islam commissioned them to establish peace, to enjoin the right and forbid the wrong, to support the oppressed and emancipate the subjugated, and to prove how reliable and helpful to His servants God is. But how could they do that, if they themselves were oppressed, subjugated to terror and projected to helplessness? What perplexed them most of all was that the Qur’an had been silent on the matter, and had given them no specific instructions as to what to do. Their perplexity did not last long, and God relieved their grief by a Divine resolution to solve their problems and those of any who might find themselves in a similar situation. Here is how God words His resolution:

Verily God will defend those who believe: Verily God loves not any that is a traitor to faith or shows ingratitude. To those against whom war is made, permission is given (to fight), because they are wronged; and verily, God is Most Powerful for their aid; (they are) those who have been expelled from their homes in defiance of right, (for no cause) except that they say: ‘Our Lord is God’. Did not God check one set of people by means of another, there would surely have been pulled down monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, in which the name of God is commemorated in abundant measure. God will certainly aid those who aid His (cause); for verily God is Full of strength, Exalted in Might, (Able to enforce His Will). (They are) those who, if We establish them in the land, establish regular prayer and give regular charity, enjoin the right and forbid the wrong. With God rests the end (and decision) of all affairs (22:38-41).

With this permission from God there was no more persecution or oppression to be inflicted on the Muslims. There was resistance from their side to restore tranquility, to regain their peace and freedom, to reunite with their families and take back their belongings. There were battles and wars with the malicious infidels who flagrantly denied the Muslims peace and freedom. But never was there any aggression from the Muslim side, or any destruction of homes, crops, supplies, etc., or any killing of nonfighting children, women, elders and disabled people. The Muslims observed these rules and remained within the limits of God. That was something which had never been experienced before nor has been experienced after. It was under these circumstances that the Muslims had to fight, and it was with these principles and instructions of God that they in the end achieved decisive victories.

So much has been said or written about the “ruthless”Muslims, who emerged from the burning and dry deserts of dark Arabia to conquer the Roman and Persian protectorates, and even to venture around the walls of Europe. Many have expressed the opinion that those Muslims were motivated by religious zeal to spread Islam by force as far as they could reach. Many others consider this opinion silly and naive, because Islam - by its nature - cannot be forced; and even if it were supposedly forced on the conquered people, it could not have lasted there for long, and non-Muslims would have been liquidated from the conquered regions. History bears witness to the fact that wherever Islam reached it survived – with the exception of Spain on account of certain reasons, and that wherever the Muslim conquerors went, they lived side by side with non-Muslim natives. Moreover, they argue, one cannot force a religion like Islam on anyone and find him so sincere and honest about his faith as were those Muslim converts of the new lands. It needs more than compulsion to develop such good Muslims out of a defeated people, and it requires much more than suppression to make them uphold and cherish the “forced”religion.

Another trend of thought is adopted by some who like to call themselves intellectuals or enlightened critics and authorities. They are not satisfied with that silly and naïve opinion about the spread of Islam by force. They attribute the expansion of Islam to the aggressive wars launched by Muslims who suffocated in the heat and drought of Arabia, and were simply motivated by economic needs and circumstances. Those wars and adventures were not religious or spiritual but merely the outcome of pressing wants. This may indicate that the Arabs had not arisen to such a high level of sacrifice and devotion, or that after the death of Muhammad, his successors and their successors lost interest in religion altogether and took off to satisfy their immediate wants. It may also indicate that Islam itself is incapable of generating such fervor and zeal in those Muslim Arab warriors. The indication here is manifold, and the “intellectuals”of this opinion are uncertain as to which probability should have preference over others.

There is still one more trend adopted by some people who ascribe the Muslim wars out of Arabia to passionate lust for plunder and raiding. They cannot see any motive or appreciate any appeal in the Muslims except hunger for blood and desire for loot. They refuse to see any virtue in Islam and to associate the Muslims with any high motives.

The dispute between these various sections is quite serious and sometimes takes the shape of academic discussion. But be that as it may. The fact of the matter is that none of these critics has made any serious attempt to understand the whole question and present the truth in any honest manner. None of them has had the needed insight and the moral courage to come out with the true version of the entire case. How heavy their burden will be when they discover some day that they have misled and misinformed millions of people! How serious their responsibility will be when they know that they have committed grave offenses against the truth, against the Muslims and against their own followers!

It will be impossible to present here the viewpoint of Islam in detail concerning each war or battle. However, there are certain main points which will, when mentioned, give a fair idea of the whole Matter.

1. It should be remembered that Muhammad, who was commissioned by God as a mercy for all mankind, tried to approach the rulers of the neighboring territories, inviting them to embrace Islam and share in the mercy of God. It should also be remembered that they did not only reject his gracious invitation but also derided him and declared open wars against the Muslims. In his lifetime the Roman and Persian soldiers crossed the Muslim borders in various raids. So by the time of his death the Muslims were involuntarily at war with their neighbors.

That state of affairs continued, and whatever happened later in the following generations has to be seen in the context of those first incidents. This meant at the time that all Christendom, including Spain and France, was at war with the emerging world of Islam. The adventure of the Muslims in Europe has also to be seen in the light of these circumstances. The fact that all Christendom was operating as one power is proven by the unquestionable authority of the Roman papacy over Christians. It is also proven by the general mobilization of Christian powers against Islam during the Crusades of the Middle Ages and even of the first quarter of this twentieth century So, when Rome sanctioned war against Islam, the Muslims could not be denied the full right to fight back on any battleground – whether in Palestine or in the Fertile Crescent, Italy or Hungary. This is what took them to Spain and Southern France. They could not afford to be encircled from all around by the mighty power of Rome and Persia. Nor could they just wait to be wiped out from the face of the earth. Orders were issued from Rome to slay Muhammad and present the Royal Court with his cut head, something which the pagan Romans had done to the early Christian pioneers. However, it must be admitted that some wars of later centuries had no relation to Islam, although they were fought by Muslims. They were not for the spread of Islam. Rather, they were motivated by certain local and, perhaps, personal reasons.

Aggression is aggression, whether it be from or against the Muslims, and the attitude of Islam toward aggression is known and unchangeable. So, if there was aggression in those later wars, it could not be justified by Islam or acceptable to God.

2. None of the said critics tries to understand the nature and circumstances of those early centuries. The media of mass communication did not exist. There was no press or radio or television or even regular mail service. There was no way of public information or preaching except by personal contacts. There was no respect for life or property or honor or treaties of the individuals and of the weak nations. There was no security or freedom of expression. Whoever stood for a noble cause or came out with unpopular beliefs was menaced. This is revealed from the history of Socrates the Greek philosopher, of the Christian pioneers, and of the early Muslims. Many emissaries commissioned to deliver special messages to rulers and governors never came back alive. They were cold-bloodedly murdered or captured by their very hosts.

With all these hardships the Muslims of Arabia had to cope, and under all these circumstances they had to work. They had a message to deliver to mankind, a contribution to make to humanity, and a formula of salvation to offer. The Qur’an says; invite to the Way of God by wisdom and beautiful preaching, and argue in the most gracious manner. But who was there prepared to listen to the peaceful Call of God? It is a fact that many disbelievers used to avoid hearing the Prophet lest they might be affected by his peaceful preaching. They even resisted by force the peaceful Call of Islam. The early experience of Arabia taught the Muslims that it is more effective to be peaceful and at the same time stand on guard; that you can move in peace only when you are strong enough to guard your peace; that your voice of peace would echo better when you are able to resist pressure and eliminate oppression Now they had, by the order of God, to make Islam known to the outside world, but there was no telecommunication system or press or any other mass medium of communication. There was only one course to take, namely, personal and direct contacts, which meant that they had to cross the borders. But they could not do that in small or unarmed groups. So they had to move in large protected groups which must have appeared like an army, but was not an army in the real sense. They crossed the borders in various directions at different times. What took place then deserves consideration. In some areas they were warmly welcomed by the natives, who had long been oppressed and subjugated by the foreign powers of Rome and Persia. In some other areas they were first to offer Islam to those who were prepared to accept it, and there were many. Those who did not embrace Islam were asked to pay tributes equivalent to the Islamic tax (Zakah). The reasons for demanding the kind of tax were (i) that they wanted to be sure this taxpayer knew what he was doing, and that Islam was presented to him but he rejected it with his own free will and choice; (ii) that they undertook to protect the taxpayer and guarantee his security and freedom in a way equal to that of the Muslim himself, because any danger to him was a danger to his Muslim compatriot – and, to defend the Muslim, they had to defend the non-Muslim and insure his security; (iii) that the new state of affairs demanded the support and cooperation of all sectors, Muslims and non-Muslims alike: the former by Zakah, the latter by tributes, which were all spent in the public interest; and (iv) that they wanted to be certain he was not hostile to them and their new brethren, or inclined to make troubles for his Muslim compatriots.

Those who rejected Islam and refused to pay tributes in collaboration with other sectors to support their state made it hard for themselves. They resorted to a hostile course from the beginning, and meant to create trouble, not so much for the new Muslim comers as for the new Muslim converts and their compatriots, the tributepayers. In a national sense, that attitude was treacherous; in a human sense, mean; in a social sense, careless; and in a military sense, pro- vocative. But in a practical sense it needed suppression, not so much for the comfort of the newcomers as for the sake of the state in which these very traitors were living. This is the only time force was applied to bring such people to their senses and make them realize their responsibilities: either as Muslims by accepting Islam freely, or as loyal citizens by being tributepayers, capable of living with their Muslim compatriots and sharing with them equal rights and duties.

3. It may be wise for these critics to study the Qur’an with honest intentions to see what it ordains with regard to war and peace. It may be wiser still for them to investigate the status of the “conquered”people, and the conditions under which they lived before and after their contact with the Muslims. What will they say, if they find out that urgent appeals were made to the Muslims by natives of the Persian and Roman protectorates to come and deliver them from the oppressing foreign rule? What will they think, if they happen to discover that the Muslim “conquerors”were joyfully welcomed by common people as well as by the religious patriarchs, who were longing for Muslim protection and Muslim justice of administration? How would they explain the phenomenon that some of the “conquered”people not only welcomed the “invading”Muslims but also fought on their side against the oppressors? How would they conceive the prosperity, freedom and progress of the “invaded”regions under Islam, in comparison to what had prevailed therein before? We are not ascertaining any particular point of view on the matter or making any hasty conclusions. We simply believe that the question is worth reconsidering and deserves serious investigation. The findings will certainly by interesting and significant. Perhaps a Western mind can understand better, if the whole matter is considered in the light of the prevailing conditions in today’s world. The deep concern of the Western Allies over Berlin, the appeals of the oppressed everywhere, the anxiety of the South Koreans, the fears of the Laotians, the NATO business, the SEATO affairs, the Instability of the Communist Satellites - all that may help the

Western mind to understand the events of those remote centuries and the actual policies of the Muslims of those days.

4. The idea that Muslim wars in the outside world were motivated by economic needs of the Arabs is worth considering too. Although seemingly certain of their own assumptions, the upholders of such an idea have not really studied the case seriously. Do they honestly think that the economic needs were the reasons to urge the Muslims to cross their Arabian borders? On what ground do they assume that Arabia – with its ancient centers of business, valleys and oases–was no longer capable of producing enough for the Muslims? Have they made any serious inquiry as to how much the “invading” Muslims made for themselves, how much they distributed among the people under their rule, and how much they sent back to the Central Administration in Medina or Damascus or Baghdad or Cairo? Have they compared the revenues of the “invaded” territories before and after Islam, and found out whether or not the “invaders” were simply self-interested business adventurers? Have they any reasons to believe that those Muslims took more than what they gave, or drew more than what they had deposited, or made more than what they had invested? Have they come across any evidence to prove if the Central Government in Arabia had at any time received tributes or taxes from its “conquered” protectorates which were needed for the development of these very protectorates, and if so how much was received, and was it worth the adventure in the unknown world? Have they collected any reliable information to show that Arabia was privileged or given preference, in expenditures or development programs over the “invaded” areas? Finally, did Arabia, all of a sudden feel the threat of a “population explosion” which forced the Muslims to carry out adventurous wars and / or economic explorations?

The attempt to interpret the Muslim contacts with non- Muslims in terms of economic needs may sound novel and worthy of sympathy, but it does not seem to have much truth in it or carry much bearing on serious scholarship. The least reservation that can be made as regards this attempt is that it is so far from being satisfactory and complete. There is so much yet to be done in terms of research, investigation, analysis and comparison. Until this is done, no critic has any moral right to pass his own theoretical assumptions as valid or binding. This presents another gracious invitation of Islam to all critics to make more serious attempts to search for the truth.

5. There is not much need to take as serious the opinions of those who consider the Muslim wars in terms of plunder and loot. What can be more casual or more stereotyped than such an opinion? It is a short cut in the field of scholarship and an easy way out of some Intellectual and moral problems, but it is so far from being the truth. The same questions of points 3 and 4 above can be asked again, just to find out how much loot the Muslim adventurers took or sent back to Arabia, and how many of their men returned home with spoils. This is not to mention the flourishing, the renaissance and prosperity of the “looted” territories under these very “looters”. It is not even to mention the harsh persecutions and heavy losses of lives and properties inflicted on Muslims, or the provocation and threats hurled at them. It is simply an appeal to those of such an opinion to make more careful studies of the case and present more responsible conclusions. However, they have to remember that whatever loot collected by the Muslims was very little compared to what they had lost by confiscation, usurpation, persecution and other provocative action inflicted on them from the hostile camps.

Whether or not the critics of these various grades accept the point of view of this survey, the fact remains that Islam is the religion of peace in the fullest sense of the term; that unjust war was never among its teachings; that aggression was never in its tenets or tolerated by it; that force was never employed to impose it on anyone; that the expansion of Islam was never due to compulsion or oppression; that misappropriation was never forgivable by God or acceptable to Islam; and that whoever distorts or misrepresents the Islamic teachings will do more harm to his own self and his associates than to Islam. Because it is the religion of God and the straight path to Him, it survived under the most difficult conditions, and it will survive to be the safe bridge to happy eternity. Should these critics have any doubt about this fact, they would be wise to study Islam, re-read the Qur’an, and refresh their memory of history.

The fact that economic prosperity and cultural renaissance followed the spread of Islam into the “conquered” regions does not necessarily mean that the Muslims were after economic gains and military spoils. Even if such alleged gain and spoils became incentives in later periods of Islamic history, it still does not follow that Islam prefers war to peace and the Muslims relish war spoils. There are better explanations. One of these should be very clear to those who are familiar with the classical discussion of The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism where Protestantism, along with other factors, led to the rise of modern capitalism. No serious mind would contend that the Protestants developed their ethic to become economically prosperous or that modern capitalism still depends on the Protestant Ethic.

6. Finally, the word “Jihad” when associated with the word “Terrorism” become an abused term; the common meaning of Jihad is the action of a Muslim to defend his Muslim country when attacked, but it will never be a Jihad if you break the Muslims rules of engagement. It is a fact that Islam is both a faith and a set of rules of conduct, even in times of war Muslims are not allowed to kill anybody except the one who is engaged in face to face confrontation with them. The Muslims rules of engagement insist that children, women, the infirm, the aged, the men of religion and all those who are not engaged directly in battle should not be harmed. Moreover, Muslims in times of war are not allowed to destroy buildings housing innocent people or to destroy lands or to cut trees or to poison wells or to endanger the environment. Also Islam forbids haphazard killing where innocent people are killed along with wrongdoers.

At the same time the wide meaning of the word Jihad is ‘striving to do good’. So if you educate your family correctly your action is a Jihad, if you do your job properly your action is a Jihad, if you control your anger continuously your action is a Jihad, and the greatest Jihad is to restrain your soul from impure evil lower desires and lusts.

It should be stated that Islam, the religion of tolerance and forgiveness, holds the human soul in high esteem, and considers the killing of innocent human beings a grave sin and a terrible crime; This is backed by the Qur’anic verse which reads: “… that if any one slew a person – unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land – it would be as if he slew the whole people, and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people… “(Qur’an 5: 32).

The Prophet is reported to have stated that: ‘a woman would go to Hell because she locked up a cat that died as a result’; If such is the ruling on protecting animals, no doubt aggression against human beings deserves greater prohibition, for human beings are honored by God.

Also Islam teaches justice: “O you who believe, stand out firmly for God as witnesses to fair dealing; and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just; that is next to piety, and fear God.”(Qur’an 5:8) The Prophet said God had revealed to him: “O my servants, I have prohibited myself from doing anything unjust and have forbidden you from doing anything unjust as well. So don’t do anything unjust”.

Muslims who are aware of the teachings of Islam, the directives of the Holy Qur’an and the teachings of the Prophet will never involve themselves in any kind of terrorist acts of aggression against innocent civilians. Such acts are considered an injustice to innocent people who are terrorized without any reasons.

If any terrorist attacks were carried out against innocent civilians then Islam reject the act and incriminate the perpetrator, and the aggressor deserves the punishment irrespective of religion, race or gender. It is unfair to hold a whole nation accountable for a crime carried out by a limited number of fanatic extremists, or to characterize a certain religion as a faith giving support to violence and terrorism.

[islamic-connection]

Connecting with Salah Part 2: The Blessings of understanding the Salah

                                                  بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Niyah for salah: “Oh Allah I am making … rakaahs of (fardh/sunnah/nafl/witr/) salaahtul (tahajjud/haajaat/istikhaara etc) for your pleasure, facing qiblah”. It is well known with any religious act, that it is the intention that reaches Allah, and not the act. This is mentioned in the quraan, regarding qurbani: 'Their meat will not reach Allah, nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you' (Quran 22:37). What you are doing is reading Arabic words from the quraan, on a prayer mat and physically moving up and down. This is the outwardly act. The inward intention is only known to you and Allah. So if Allah is All-Knowing of your intention, why the need to say it out? Because the mere mentioning of the words “for your pleasure Allah” is a strong and solid reminder of what our intention behind all our acts should be. You might say that your intention in performing salah is to enter Jannah. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this, however this intention shifts the focus only on what is in it for you, instead of where the focus should be: seeking the pleasure of Allah, always and in all things. Allah is completely self-sufficient and requires nothing tangible from us. But what little you give through your sincere intentions will earn you manifold rewards on this earth and in the Hereafter. Therefore, start with making your intention for salah that you would like to earn Allah’s favour, but to do it with Ikhlaas (sincerity) you have to mean it. You cannot say it with your tongue, while picturing your palace in Jannah, ignoring the Only One who can grant you Jannah, let alone the palace.

Next, recite Allahu-Akbar. If I asked you what this meant, what would you say?

A)    Allah is Great

B)    Allah is Greater

C)    Allah is the Greatest

If you answered ‘B’, you would be correct. The Arabic word for ‘Great’ is عظيم (‘atheem’), the Arabic word for ‘Greatest’ is أعظم (‘A’tham). The word أكبر means ‘Greater’ or ‘Better’. Google it if you don’t believe me. Yes, الله أعظم (“Allah is the greatest), however in the context of beginning your salah, going into rukooh, going into sujood, getting up from sujood, standing back up and so forth, we say الله أكبر (“Allah is greater…than all your worldly pursuits, your worldly thoughts and concerns or your desire of Jannah.”) When you hear الله أكبر at the start and end of the Athaan, this means “Allah is greater than your business, your employment, your TV show, your cooking, your studying, your travelling.” Because Allah is. Without Allah’s blessings and bounty, you would have none of the things you hold so dear. Allah is greater than any material thing you could imagine. So leave what you are doing and go to salah.

When the Imaam says الله أكبر it is like a general calling his soldiers to attention, for the reason why they have gathered. Servant, you are here because Allah is greater than anything your mind can conceive. The repeated refrain throughout salaah is meant to draw your drifting attention span back to Allah. For although your worries and anxieties are weighing heavily on you, Allah is greater than them. Your sneakers are nicer than any of the other shoes on the rack in the masjid, but Allah is Greater than your ego.

Next, recite the Qiyaam du’aa: سُبْـحانَكَ اللّهُـمَّ وَبِحَمْـدِكَ وَتَبارَكَ اسْمُـكَ وَتَعـالى جَـدُّكَ وَلا إِلهَ غَيْرُك                                                                   Which means: “Glory be to Allah and praise be to Allah, Your name is Exhalted, and there is no God other than You.” As mentioned in a previous post, any supplication must begin with glorifying and praising Allah as He deserves.

Next, after reciting بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم (which many believe is actually part of Surah Fatiha) one has to recite Surah Fatiha, a fardh of salah which, if absent, will nullify your salah.

Let’s look at a short tafseer of Surahtul Fatiha (The Opening of the Quraan). This short surah encapsulates all the guidance and wisdom required to be a Believer, a Submitter.

I seek Allah’s Protection from Shaytaan the accursed, In the name of Allah the Beneficent, The Merciful.

Verse 1: “All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds.” Ruler, King, Master of the infinite universe whose dimensions are unfathomable. Every star, every planet, every moon, every comet, every meteor, and the vast lightyears between them, and all the living things that dwell on them.

Verse 2: “The Beneficent, The Most Merciful.” Beneficent means Generous, or One who brings about good. Everything you have is a result of Allah’s Generosity to His Creation. There is no other more merciful than Allah, who has more mercy than even your mother does. There is no sin, besides shirk that Allah cannot forgive. It is a sin to assume that Allah cannot forgive you, as this means that you deny one of Allah’s most important attributes.

Verse 3: “Master of the Day of Judgement.” This verse serves to remind us of the Appointed Day that is to come, and the fear that we should have regarding what state we will be in when that day approaches. Additionally, it teaches us that only Allah is Master of the Appointed Day, the arrival of which only Allah is aware of. The Angel Israfeel stands waiting for Allah’s instruction to blow the metaphoric horn to signify that the Appointed Day has arrived. The swelling of the sun, the crumbling of mountains, the resurrection of the dead will all take place at Allah’s will. Judgement of what is right and wrong, good deeds and the bad, is in Allah’s hands. This reminds us that if we wish to reach the Appointed Day in a good state, we should do what pleases the Master, and not mere mortals or our own egos. Surah Ar Rahmaan says that all creation shall perish, and all that will remain is the divine countenance of our Lord.

Verse 4: “You alone do we worship, and You alone do we ask for help.” This verse is a strong reminder to refrain from shirk or anything that comes dangerously close to it. Allah is Omnipotent, Omnipresent and easily accessible (as close to you as your jugular vein). Surah Al Inshirah states: “At the end of the day when your activities are done, stand in prayer and direct your longing to your Lord.” There are no intermediaries between Allah and His creation. Do not pray for any doctor to cure you, but take the medication and ask Allah (Ash Shaafi) to cure you. Do not pray to empty coffins or pictures of saints for their intercession on your behalf. The verse is so simple and easy to understand, with no room for grey areas.

Verse 5: “Show us the straight path.” Do you know what the amazing thing about salah is? Allah had already showed us the straight path some 1400 years ago, when the quraan was revealed and the hadeeth were taught to muslims. After you recite Surahtul Fatiha, the very next surah you read is a direct answer from Allah to this plee for guidance, a lamp in the darkness. Alhamdulillah! It means “Oh Allah, show me the path to your door!” “Oh Allah, my love for You is the bridge, and my good deeds are the bricks on the straight path which my feet can walk on to Your door!” “Oh Allah do not turn me away from Your Door, because You have never and never will give up on us.” “Oh Allah, do not let my fear of You be an obstacle in the straight path to your Door, but rather the ores at my side, the wind in my sails.”

Verse 6: “Not the path of those who earn Your anger, nor of those who go astray.” Again, the quraan is full of surahs that mention which sins earn the wrath of Allah, and so are the volumes of hadeeth on every topic imaginable. The images of Pharoah (the Prophet Moses’s adopted brother), Abu Lahab and his wife come to mind. Those who oppress the ones who are dependent on them in some form out of a sense of power. Those who transgress against those who have a right over them. Those who oppress the Awliyah (beloved of Allah), those who disbelieve in Allah, and those who attribute partners to Allah. Ego is akin to shirk, if one believes that they are self-sufficient in all their needs. We pray that Allah makes clear to us what causes His anger and protects us from being among them.

AAMEEN

Next, you read a 2nd surah. There are a multitude of tafseer available for every surah in the quraan, which explain the circumstances in which the surah was revealed as well as the exact transliteration, however here are some surahs that most of us know and recite in our salah, as well as a brief transliteration. This might help guide you as to which surah to follow Surah Fatiha with based on your particular need.

Surah Ikhlaas – A brief surah which reminds you of Allah’s Oneness and self-sufficiency. This surah is good for quelling one’s ego or any feelings that you are all you need to fulfil your own desires.

Surahtul Falaq – A short surah that which invokes Allah’s protection from black magic and the evil energy cast on you by someone who envies you.

Surahtun Naas – A short surah which invokes Allah’s protection from the unseen evil from that which Allah created. That does not mean that Allah created evil, or evil situations to throw you in, but rather that He created all creatures with the potential for great good, and great evil, and with this surah we ask Him for protection from evil from among men and jin-kind.

Surahtul Kaafiroon – A short surah invoking Allah’s protection from the disbelievers, and the persecution they might inflict on those who believe. Right wing white-supremacy comes to mind. However, this surah also teaches us tolerance. “To them is their religion, and to me is mine”.

Surahtul Kauthar – A surah that reminds you that Allah is the source of all your abundance, and that he deserves a kingly sacrifice for all of the abundance that He provides. Lastly in it, Allah tells our Nabi (PBUH) that his enemies will have no posterity. Their hatred of him ended when they died. A lot of our Nabi (PBUH)’s enemies had children who were devout muslims. Today, 1400 years later, there are over a billion muslims in the world. This shows that your enemies will not have an eternal impact on your life. The good that you leave behind on this earth as muslims will endure. Your enemies will not.

Surah An Nasr (Ithaa jaa…) – This surah talks about the conquest of Makkah, and the multitude of people who became muslims. Over 1 billion muslims in the world, from a handful 1400 years ago. When you read this surah, be thankful that Allah granted the muslims conquest over the Quraish so that it could grow wings and fly, or take root and grow, instead of being cut down in its youth. Remember the struggle that our Nabi (PBUH) and all his companions endured in order for us to reach the straight path. He (PBUH) carried all one billion of us on his back, and will continue to do so till the day of Judgement.

Surah Al Masad – This surah talks about Abu Lahab and his wife, and are a clear example of those who earn Allah’s wrath and who go astray.

Surah Maa’oon – This is the surah of small kindness. It relates the punishment for those who pray, or do good deeds, only to make a spectacle of them in front of others. They are the ones who pray without sincerity, turn away the poor and orphaned and withhold small kindnesses. Another reminder of those who are not on the straight path.

Surah Al ‘Asr – This is such a short but beautiful reminder of mental darkness. ‘Asr means dusk, but not in the literal sense. As mental and emotional dusk settles, we realise that we are at a loss. Yet in this surah Allah shows us how we can climb out of this darkness. Perhaps this surah also means that at the breaking of dusk, when we reflect on how we spent our waking hours, we are at a loss for accounting for the time.

Surah Al Takaathur – There are many authentic hadeeth that report that one must think that death will soon be upon them every time they pray (as it might likely be). This surah talks about how worldly competition diverts us, until we visit graveyards, and only then do we truly understand how much benefit such competition and diversion has accumulated for us.

Surah Ad Duhaa – This surah was revealed to the Nabi (SAW) when he went through a long period of time without any revelation from Allah, which made the Kuffaar doubt the authenticity of his claim to be Prophet. This surah was sent as a comfort to our Nabi (SAW) that he was not forsaken by Allah at any point, and a reminder of how Allah found him (PBUH) lost and guided him, or found him (PBUH) orphaned and provided for him. It was a reminder to do the same for other orphans and lost/misguided. Weren’t we all lost or misguided at some point in our lives? Has Allah not guided us all? Insha Allah, you find these posts to be guiding in some form or the other.

Surah Al Inshirah – This surah goes hand in hand with Ad Duhaa. It is another du’aa for those who feel forsaken. It talks of how Allah cleansed his (PBUH) heart and raised his reputation in this world and the Hereafter for him. This surah is particularly powerful when one feels distanced from Allah, by one’s own doing. Allah reminds you that He has never forsaken you. Turn to him and he will come flooding into your heart and mind. Allah tells us that with every hardship is ease, side by side, hand in hand, and not one after the other. In every difficulty, Allah has sent a means of ease to make the burden easier to bear. He asks that when you have completed all your tasks and chores for the day, that you turn to Baitullah and direct your longing to Him alone.

There is an exhaustive list, but these are just some of the shorter surahs which I like to use, that can relate to a lot of forms of guidance that I tend to need. This is why knowledge of the tafseer is of the utmost importance when it comes to understanding your salah better.

Again, the refrain of “Allah is Greater” than all my problems and needs. We move into rukooh which is a bow and utter the words “Subhaana Rabbiyal Atheem” (Glory be to Allah. My Lord, The Greatest). Then almost as if inspired and emboldened by Allah’s love and mercy, we rise proudly again with the words “Sami’allahu liman hamida” (Allah hears the one who praises Him) and “Rabbanaa walakal hamd” (Oh my Rabb, Praise is Yours.”). There can be no doubt that Allah hears the supplication of the one who appeals to Him, and will grant him or her what He deems is right, when He deems that the time is right.

Allahu Akbar – Allah is greater than you, and does not need your praise, but deserves it for all the blessings He has given you.

Next to bring yourself as low to the ground in prostration to your Rabb as is physically possible. Down on the ground eyes closed, recite “Subhaana rabbiyal a’laa” (Glory be to our Rabb, whose Greatness is incomprehensible). While down on the ground, eyes closed, let your mind get lost trying to comprehend Allah’s greatness. Picture every star, every stunning nebula, the rings of Saturn, the Giant swirling Storm on Jupiter, the vast solar flares as they leave the sun’s surface. Before you know it you realise that you lost yourself in a one or even two minute long sujood. Then we recite rabbighfirlee warhamdi (Oh my Rabb, forgive me and have mercy on me). Then back into sujood. Next contemplate the atom which has infinitesimal electrons circling equally minute protons. Picture the tiniest ant underground to the largest whale in the seas. Picture the serene snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas and the deep trenches of the ocean where the strangest and most mysterious creatures live. Think of the human heart and how it channels oxygen to your entire body, think of the mysterious mind and all of the secrets it holds, think of the kidneys and the tiny mechanisms that filter out impurities from our blood. Think of the tiny white blood cells that protect you from foreign invaders. Allah is the Master of everything on the earth and in the skies, in the heavens and underground. Allah is Master of all that is seen and unseen. Trust me, when you master this, you will never want to get up from sujood.

Tashahud (Compliments/Salutations)

التَّحِيَّاتُ لِلّٰهِ وَالصَّلَوَاتُ وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ، اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ، اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْنَا وَ عَلٰى عِبَادِ اللهِ الصَّالِحِيْنَ، أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَ رَسُوْلُهُ

 "Salutations to God and prayers and good deeds. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of God and his blessings. Peace be on us and on the righteous servants of God. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His messenger." This is the Hanafi and Hanbali Tashahud. The Shaafi version differs slightly in the first line, as follows: لتحيات المباركات الصلوات الطيبات لله ("Blessed salutations, prayers and good deeds to God).

Al Nawawi said that the sunnah was to point your finger in the direction of the qiblah during Shahadahm and intend when pointing to affirm the Oneness of Allaah and exclusive devotion to Him.  

Next we recite a durood of our choice, most preferably Durood-e-Ibraheem which, according to an Al-Bukhaari narration, the Nabi (PBUH) instructed his followers to recite, including the salutations and blessings upon himself (PBUH) and his family. According to a scholar Ibnu al-Mulaqqan, Aa’isha (RA) stated that the Nabi (SAW) would end his witr salaah with prayers upon the Prophet of Allah.

One might send salutations to all the Umbiyaa (AS), but there are so many to recount that it would take a long time. Therefore we send blessings and salutations to Khaleelullah (AS) and Habeebullah (PBUH).

Lastly, the salaah is completed with a duaa for forgiveness. A common one used is outlined in the picture below. It means: “O Allah, I have wronged myself greatly and no one forgives sins but You, so grant me forgiveness from You and have mercy on me, for You are the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful”. Asking for forgiveness is not a meaningless task that we perform in salah. It is an exercise is humility and self-awareness. The opportunity to ask Allah for forgiveness is greater than any of us can imagine. Therefore, dig deep and be honest with yourself when you say these words to Allah. There is no need to profess your sins to the world. They should remain between you and Allah, but you should confess them to him in these humble moments, with sincerity. The path to forgiveness involves the promise to never do the sin again and to ask Allah to keep you steadfast in this promise. Without owning up to your sins, how can you promise never to do them again, and hence be forgiven?

This concludes the post on connecting with salah. There was no sunnah regarding du’aa after salaah, however this is a personal du’aa between you and Allah. Sufficient durood and praise of Allah is done during salaah, however du’aas such as Aayatul Qursi are good to end off your salaah, as well as the following du’aas:

رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ السَّمِيعُ العَلِيمُ - Oh my Rabb, accept this service from me. For Thou art the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.

رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ - Our Lord! Grant us good in this world and good in the hereafter, and save us from the chastisement of the fire.

 رَبَّنَا لاَ تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنَا وَهَبْ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْوَهَّابُ - Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate now after Thou hast guided us, but grant us mercy from Thine own Presence; for Thou art the Grantor of bounties without measure.

 رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَا أَنفُسَنَا وَإِن لَّمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا وَتَرْحَمْنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ - Our Lord! We have wronged our own souls: If thou forgive us not and bestow not upon us Thy Mercy, we shall certainly be lost.

 I hope this was beneficial. In the beginning I printed a lot of these supplications using large font and put them on my musallah as I read salah. Initially you would need to look at them to get the meanings, and your salah will take a bit longer, because you have to ponder over the meaning once you’ve read the Arabic, but eventually the English translation flows through your mind as the Arabic words leave your tongue.

 May this post be beneficial Insha Allah.

[absolutelaw-blog]

PROFILE ; KRISTOPH GAVIN.

GENERAL.

full name.  kristoph gavin.  pronunciation.  kris-toff gah-vin.  nicknames.  the coolest defense in the west. the coolest killer in the west. kris. (   caution on this one  :  if you call him this and your name isn’t klavier gavin, he’ll go above & beyond to make you miserable. he’ll tolerate it from his brother, but no one else   ) . height. 6′1″-6′2″.  age.  32 years old (   in canon  ;  age is verse dependent.   ) . zodiac. capricorn. languages. german (   mother tongue   )  ;  english (   learned pretty much concurrently with german, and so he’s about equally fluent   )  ;  japanese (   passable. living in aa-universe california necessitates knowing at least a little   ) .

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS.

hair colour.  platinum blonde.  eye colour.  grey-blue. skin tone.  pale, freckles easily.  body type.  lean. he’s tall & broad-shouldered enough to be intimidating if he’s trying, but outside of that, he’s not very physically imposing. he is, apparently, strong enough to kill a man with a wine bottle in one hit, though, so i guess he has to have something of a swing.  accent.  pleasantly transatlantic, tinging on somewhat british. it’s how he learned english, and while he could have easily adopted an american accent after living in california for such a long time, he insists on ‘ speaking properly. ’ (   he’s pretentious.   ) he usually does not speak with a noticeable german accent -- but when stressed, upset, angry, frustrated, flustered, or otherwise not as in-control of his emotions as he usually is, the accent will slip out. he despises this. dominant hand.  right hand. posture.  confident, almost regal. shoulders back, hands clasped behind his back or arms crossed in front of him, chin up, looking down his glasses at you. there may be no crown on his head, but that won’t stop him from holding himself like he’s a king.  scars.  one, along the back of his right hand. can, in the right light, take on the appearance of a rather horrid face when he twitches his hand. despite its peculiar qualities, he doesn’t think about it much anymore. he got it as a child  ;  it’s been there so long it’s no longer notable to him.  tattoos.  none. he thinks they’re rather distasteful.  most noticeable features.  height, long hair, self-assured posture, eyes hidden behind glasses, that scar. 

CHILDHOOD.

place of birth.  berlin, germany.  hometown.   los angeles, california.  birth weight / height.  – manner of birth.  . . . the usual one ? first words.  his parents used to joke that his first word was ‘ cross-examination. ’ this, of course, was only after he got into themis legal, and proved he could be an asset to the family name. kristoph always sort of resented it. and so, he’s not actually ashamed to say his first words were the usual ones. ‘ mama, ’ ‘ papa, ’ ‘ puppy. ’ that sort of thing.  siblings.  klavier gavin (   younger brother   ) .  parents.  oskar gavin (   father   )  ;  emilie gavin (   mother   ) .  parental involvement.  oskar and emilie were minor political figures in germany  ;  they had children more as attempts to maintain a family-friendly image in the face of mounting scandals than they did out of any actual, genuine interest in raising said children. as such, kristoph (   and later, klavier   ) was pretty much handed off to a series of nannies & otherwise left to his own devices. his parents’ actual involvement in raising him was . . . minimal. they died in an accident while he was completing his junior year of college. he played the part of the grieving son perfectly well, but he wasn’t really all that aggrieved about it. (   he always sort of wondered if the accident was an accident or if it was some political move, but to investigate that, he’d have to actually care about what happened to them.   ) 

ADULT LIFE

occupation.  defense attorney.  current residence.  a rather posh high-rise apartment building in los angeles. a rather posh solitary confinement cell.  close friends.  why, his dear friend phoenix wright, of course !  (   hah.   )  partners.  what, legal partners ?  uh, he’s got a student -- oh, you mean romantic partners ?  ugh. pass.  relationship status.  single. not looking. (   verse dependent.   )  financial status.  let’s just say he’s in a very comfortable income bracket. (   --- & how did he get there so fast, what with his parents losing most of their fortune to constant legal battles, leaving him to make money himself ?  best not to ask.   )  driver’s license.  yes. he doesn’t like to drive, though. he’s more the ‘ hire a driver ’ type.  criminal record.  prior to the events of apollo justice ?  clean as clean can be. too clean. suspiciously clean. after ?  one count of evidence forgery, two counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted murder -- and that’s only what we know of. 

SEX & ROMANCE.

sexual orientation.  bisexual / demisexual. maybe a slight preference for men, but functionally, it doesn’t matter -- he’s very, very demisexual, and it’s extremely rare that he’s actually genuinely attracted to someone. nine out of ten times, if he sleeps with someone, it’s going to have been because doing so conferred some kind of material advantage on him -- i.e., they had something he wanted.  romantic orientation.  biromantic / demiromantic. again, though, it tends not to matter, because it’s so incredibly rare that he feels real attraction of any kind towards someone. if kristoph is romancing you, it usually means he wants something from you.  preferred emotional role.  Submissive | Dominant | Switch |  Unsure preferred sexual role.  Submissive  |  Dominant |  Switch |  Sex repulsed libido. low. unless he actually likes you. then about average ?  turn ons.  if i answer this question, my kristoph muse will physically manifest IN my home and poison me with atroquinine, killing me within fifteen minutes of ingestion. turn offs.  unless he actually likes you, don’t try to make him be genuinely emotionally vulnerable with you. ugh. disgusting.  love language.  in the very rare case he actually likes you, he appreciates them all. however, he especially likes acts of service. he knows better than anyone else that pretty words are often lies  ;  actually going out of your way to assist him with something isn’t so surface-level to him, and is deeply appreciated.  relationship tendencies.  generally, he thinks they’re a waste of time & a potentially dangerous vulnerability. to be avoided. 

MISCELLANEOUS.

character’s theme song(s). i know i put my go-tos (   where i want to be from chess & choke by idkhw   ) on the last meme that asked a question like this, so i’m gonna try to go for some different ones  :  severed by the decemberists (   gonna leave you all severed   ) & nice day by the romanovs (   nice day for a murder !   )  hobbies to pass the time. playing the violin (   & occasionally writing a piece or two   ) , cooking, keeping journals, reading, taking walks (   usually with his dog   ) , shopping (   shush.   ) . mental illnesses. none that are formally diagnosed. he clearly has quite a number of problems going on in that head of his, but he would define them less as problems and more as strengths, so it’s not like he’d seek help.  physical illnesses.  other than being blind as a bat without his glasses, he’s physically healthy.  left or right brained.  left brained.  fears.  nothing at all. failure. being forgotten. being wrong. that he isn’t the best, always & at everything. IT’S OVER, KRISTOPH. YOU’RE NOT NEEDED ANYMORE.  self confidence level.  unreasonably high. you could say he has a bit of a god complex.  vulnerabilities. his academic intelligence and logic may be above & beyond that of your average person, but he never matured emotionally, so he still has the emotional intelligence of a child. his solution to fearing that he might not be perfect was to repress it until he had five black psyche-locks, for god’s sake. and it was his hatred of wright that blinded him to the idea that phoenix might formulate a plan that could stop him -- he saw wright as a naive idiot because of that hatred, and as such underestimated him. his inability to process or even acknowledge his own emotions means that he has no way of telling when his analyses are objective and when they’re tainted by how he feels about them, and his arrogance means he’s convinced they’re all accurate. so, sometimes, no matter how accurate his formula is otherwise, he forgets to factor in emotion -- and he miscalculates. 

Tagged by: @smoulderingsilver (   aaaahhh thank you so much !!   )  Tagging: again, anyone who wants to do this, consider yourself Tagged By Me. 

[mormonmonastery]

We read Luke 2:9-10 in Sunday School this week--those oft-recited verses: And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. I was curious about the Greek Luke uses here and I found that the "bring you glad tidings" translates a verb based on euangelion (eu, "good" + angelion "message, news"), the word we typically translate into English as "gospel." Thinking about that in light of the passage, the shepherds' terrified reaction struck me as a contrast to the way we react to the gospel (both the four texts we study in the bible and the general message about Jesus Christ we preach). 

I think that, like the shepherds, we should be startled and shaken, even terrified in a way, by the gospel! The entire good news about Jesus is a stark, non-intuitive, and unmistakable declaration that the way we live is not the way we should be living, revealing that we are meant for more than this fallen condition we find ourselves in, for more than the absurd and unjust churn of the world-as-it-appears-to-us--that there is indeed another life besides that state of existing. If we realize the challenge thrown down by the euangelion, we realize an existential anxiety: we cannot continue to exist in the way we have existed, we cannot continue to understand the world through the worldview we once used, every aspect of our life has to change to accept this good news. The revelation of God in Jesus Christ is salvation in that it shows us a different way to live, one that sanctifies and makes bearable the act of existing in this world by means of love, faith, and hope. But before we can fully live out this message and its salvation, our old form of existing must be destroyed and left behind.

This process of destruction is not immediate: it is a process and I have never known a Christian who was not still, in some way, in progress. That’s the way it’s meant to be: it’s part of why the good news is such a challenge. I think one problem that manifests often during this process is that we view salvation as a kind of transcendence, misinterpreting the passage about being "in the world, but not of the world" or the concept of an afterlife and a heaven: that once we accept Christ and the euangelion, we can now avoid the world and existence, that we can nestle into a soft subculture that aligns only with our worldview, that we are somehow better than everyone else for having the correct beliefs about things, that so long as we run out the clock on our life while professing faith in Jesus and avoiding sins we will be rewarded with a mansion in the clouds or something. No! Because of the gospel, Christians must necessarily exist in tension: with the world and with existence, yes, but also with ourselves. When we stop hearing the gospel as a challenge and a shock and start reciting it as an excuse for our own attitudes and actions, when we distort the gospel message to satisfy our ears and pat ourselves on the back: we have stopped hearing the gospel, period.  

(A note: we may fool ourselves sometimes into a crusading posture where we think we are responding to a challenge set by the gospel by scowling at some set of people or another, by calling them names, denying them their rights and dignities, making them feel small and scared. Christians have done this to Jews, to Muslims, to indigenous peoples all over the world when in the service of colonialism, to the LGBTQ community most recently. But make no mistake here: what is Christlike at all about bullying and oppressing other children of God? How is puffing ourselves up with self-righteousness and vitriol any sort of challenge? This crusading posture is, in all instances I can recall, really just channeling the hatreds we adopted in our fallen attitude and twisting the church into a tool to realize that hate. That isn't a tension challenging the fallen state of existing: it's sinking right back down into the way we already behave in that fallen attitude and then pointing to the gospel and trying to say its challenge is the reason for our cruel and fallen behavior! What a blasphemy against the name of Jesus!)   

But wait: doesn't the message the angels deliver proclaim peace? How is this terrified, challenging, existential anxiety peaceful? What comfort does it offer? Its comfort is this: it tells us "it doesn't have to be like this."This is especially a message for those who are ignored, marginalized, oppressed, trampled, and discarded within the fallen state of the world’s existence; as Zechariah’s song declares, “by the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high has broken upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:78-79, NRSV). Being born again is a continual work of change, tension, and challenge. But it allows us the ultimate peace of not having to continue struggling in the absurdity and hostility of the fallen existence. We can change how we live, how we treat each other, how we view our existence and its purpose. Jesus Christ demonstrates how to live out a new way of life. But to start the process of living in Christ, we need to see and take seriously the challenge inherent in the euangelion and respond accordingly, not brush it away or minimize it. Like the shepherds, we need to be sore afraid before we learn to fear not. That's the good news. 

[darkprincessloki92]

Black and Green

Plot; Loki gets turned into a cat for his transgressions. Simple words can work magic.

Pairing; Loki x self 

Warnings; Fluffff

A/N; Sit tight, This is going to be a long one. I caught my cat playing so I decided to write about it.

@lokis-little-kitten 

As I am walking down the street I notice there is something black on my front porch. I slowly walk towards it, the closer I got the more I realized it was moving or attempting to breathe. I lent down to try and poke it- because that is what every rational person would do, right? When I poked it, I noticed it was soft and warm? Then I leaned closer to realize it was a cat. “Oh my god you poor thing!” I scooped up the cat tucked it in my jacket and ran inside. I turn the fireplace on and placed the cat in front of it. Grabbing the nearest blanket and snuggled up next to it.

Then as I got comfortable it began to purr. Softly petting it I began giving it soft kisses on the top of its head. Then the unthinkable happened, it spoke. He- or so I have just learned- said only two words, “Thank you.” I froze in mid-pet, not sure if I just heard what I think I just did. So to test the water’s I replied. “You are welcome...Mr.?” He looks up at me with emerald eyes, “My name is Loki, if it is not too much to ask but could you keep petting me? I haven't felt affection in so long.” I giggled, “Of course!” He then nuzzled into my arms and began to purr.

After a few days of rest and a lot of warm cream, Loki began to have more energy. He even would come up with a sarcastic comeback or a joke or two, which weren't my favourite because he would make me feel horrible about myself. One night I came home to find him playing with a tassel on one of my decorative pillows “Wait what is this a tassel?” He swatted at it and it wiggled. “Don’t you toy with me you saucy minx”

He began to pat at it and play. I giggled in silence as I watched him play. He must have sensed my presence so he stopped at sat like a true cat. Nose pointed to the air. “You will speak nothing of what you just saw.” I waved him off. “Whatever you saucy minx.”

He follows close behind me, “ I am serious women! No one shall know a prince of my highest standards has become so enthused by a simple piece of yarn!” He jumped on the counter and gave me a serious look.

“Promise me!” I put my hands up in surrender, “I promise your majesty.” He winks at me, “Now that's a good peasant girl, Now where is my warm milk, I am famished.” Putting my hands on my hips, “Why are you such jerk Loki! You never want to cuddle and you always make rude comments to me!” He just stared at me. So I stormed out of the kitchen and into my bedroom and slam the door shut. “There may be a chance, however slim, that my ironic and detached nature could be misconstrued as jerkiness”

Sighing to himself, “I guess I should try and fix it.” Jumping down from the counter he walks down the hall to my room. Placing his front paws on the door trying to push it open. The door won’t move, “Odd, she never closes and locks the door.” He said mostly to himself. Scratching at the door, “Doll please let me in.” Only a sniffle could be heard. Sitting on his hind legs.

“Doll please, I am sorry. I am a blasted cat I cannot open the door.” A sniffle again so Loki laid down at the door. “I will wait here until you come out, you will get hungry!” Slowly Loki’s eyes started to get heavy. “Blasted being so tired all the time.” Tucking his paws under him to get comfortable.

After about an hour my stomach growled. Sitting up all the pillows and blankets that covered me from the unforgiving world- or at least an unforgiving cat- fell to the floor. I tossed the blanket and headed to my bedroom door. I quietly opened the door looking down the hall. No cat to be found then I looked down. There he was, laying by my door waiting for me. So I picked him up and held him. He started to purr. “Why are you so mean, I have nothing but love for you.” He sighed, “Doll I have had nothing but hatred my whole life.” Bringing him to the kitchen I set him down on the counter. “Keep talking kitty.”

He jumps from the counter back in my arms. “Please don’t put me down, not just yet.” I hold him tighter and start to stroke his back. He nuzzles his head under my chin and began to speak again. “You see my father and mother...well my adoptive parents, were not exactly fans of my behaviour towards you Midguardians..”  I interrupted “Midguardians?” He leaned back. “It’s a long story, now where was I, oh yes. My adoptive family decided my punishment should be to spend 100 years with those I despise most. And to further my punishment I will serve that sentence as a feline.” I held him closer, tucking his head under mine.

Sighing I hold him up. “If I could fix you I would.” Loki sticks his paw out to touch my nose. “I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my sentence than with you.” I looked into his green eyes and knew he was telling the truth. “Alright loki, how about i make us some dinner?” He nods and then starts Itching his ear with his back paw. After a few minutes I finish the food and make a plate for myself and a plate for him. Placing the plates on the counter and grab myself a fork. Loki looks at the plate and looks at me. Tilting my head at him, “What?” He walks up to me and rubs his face on my cheek. “If i was human i could love you.” I smile and kiss him on the nose, “I still love you human or not.” He laughs and starts to eat his food. Once we are done eating loki burps, “If only my fur had an elastic waistband.”

I shook my head and look at the clock and realized what time it was. “Geez it’s almost midnight, Guess we should get some sleep.” He nods and hops down off the counter and runs to the bedroom. I shower and head back to the room. Loki is already curled up on my pillow. Which was odd because he never sleeps in the bed, or in the same room at that. I crawl into bed, “Okay loki guard the door and make sure no one tries to rob us.” Loki chuckles, “Cats don’t guard, we watch, and judge” I laugh and grab him and tuck him under the blankets. “Good night loki, I love you.” He begins to purr, “Good night doll, I love you dearly.”

My morning alarm goes off, In annoyance I reach for my phone but an arm is around my waist. My heart sinks in my chest. My blood runs cold through my body. Who is this person? The arm is pale, not a lot of hair on it. I call out for Loki. “Psst loki, where are you?” The arm twitches, and the same voice comes from the man behind me, “ I am right here woman, and I am tr…” Loki sits up quickly. Looking at his hand and running his fingers through his hair. He turns to look at me. My eyes are wide, I’m not sure if I am dreaming or not.

If this is a dream, he is extremely handsome and he seemed to be naked.  But I recognize those emerald eyes anywhere. I put my hand out to touch his face. Silky smooth, no fur. “Loki?” I ask barely a whisper. Placing his hand over mine and he speaks: ‘’I’m here darling”