#to hold affection and express affection for others without particular expectations becomes liberating at some point

[misskamelie]

I might have reached a vague stability wrt the redacted situation 🤞

[carewyncromwell]

Next Cinderella AU part ahoy!

Conical hats were actually considered very fashionable during the Middle Ages and the early Renaissance. What’s fascinating, however, is how they evolved into two very distinct and oddly opposing styles of hat: the stereotypical “Pilgrim” hat and the pointed hat that witches are generally depicted wearing! Around the turn of the 17th century, the most stylish variation of black conical hat was called the capotain, which is a cone, but with a rounded top -- the hat McGonagall wears in that top sketch is one of these types of hats (her dress is based on this design, which also features a shorter version of the capotain). The hats were originally fashionable among both men and women, but over time, one group of women that was most associated with wearing them were Quakers, a branch of Christianity that broke away from the Church of England and advocated quite liberated views for the era, such as the abolition of slavery, women’s rights, and a refusal to involve themselves in war. They also passionately believed that one didn’t have to attend church in order to be close to God and that one could practice one’s faith out in the world by living and dressing modestly and being active in charity work. (To learn more about the history of how the conical hat evolved into our modern image of “the witch hat,” check out this awesome fashion history video on the subject.) As one can expect, Quakers and Quaker women in particular were not well-taken-to by a lot of European society, especially by the religious movement on the opposite site of the political scale in Britain, the uber-conservative, Bible-purist Puritans. Many of these same Puritan-types got very involved in hunting witches both in Europe and in the Americas (the Salem Witch Trials are a perfect example). But yes...if one looks up pictures of historical clothing for Puritan men and/or “the Pilgrims” (A.K.A. the group of Americans that colonized Plymouth, who were Puritans), they very often wore a variation of the capotain! Although it’s been theorized by historians that the capotains worn by Quaker women ended up being associated with sin and therefore witchcraft, similar hats were also worn by the men who persecuted them. The hats were worn by both sides -- victim and accuser -- and yet most of us today look at the capotain and immediately think “witch” exclusively. Talk about irony.

Greensleeves is often ascribed as being commissioned by King Henry VIII for his second wife, Anne Boleyn (even Six the Musical references this)...but it actually was written in the later half of the 16th century, when Anne’s daughter Elizabeth I was Queen. So yeah, that’s sadly just an old wives tale. But it is a lovely song! The melody for Greensleeves has been remarkably long-lasting, even being rewritten as multiple Christmas songs over the centuries, including the still popular What Child is This?, which was written in 1865.

Previous part is here -- whole tag is here -- Katriona “KC” Cassiopeia belongs to @kc-needs-coffee -- and I hope you all enjoy!

x~x~x~x

Carewyn very quickly threw on her mother’s green-sleeved yellow dress and as many warm wool petticoats as she could before fetching her white horse from the palace stable. She rode up through the gate in exactly twenty-five minutes, to find Orion on his black mare waiting for her. Carewyn was ready to ask Orion if everything was all right, but almost as soon as they’d left the perimeter of the gate, Orion urged his horse into a fast gallop.

“Come, my lady,” he cried over his shoulder, “let us chase that horizon!”

Carewyn had to send her horse charging forward in its own gallop to catch up with him. They rode right through the market and then out of the capitol altogether -- they avoided the road that led toward the Cromwell estate, dashing eastward. They weaved in and out of the rolling snow-capped hills, riding beside and around each other. The freedom of riding alone was enough to bring some life back into Orion’s cheeks, and Carewyn despite herself soon found herself smiling.

When they came to a stop at the top of a hill close to the northern border, Orion looked out over the edge with a handsome, endless gleam in his eye, like that of a sailor looking out to sea. Carewyn once again prepared to ask Orion if he was all right...but once again, Orion dodged the question.

“Do you see that eagle, overhead?” asked Orion.

Carewyn looked up. She did -- it was a truly handsome golden eagle, gliding in a circle through the air over their heads.

“I’ve seen eagles just like that nearly every day, up and down the border,” said Orion. “Shall we see if we can ride fast enough to overtake it in flight? Could we take flight as birds do, without ever spreading wings?”

“Orion...”

Carewyn brought a hand gently down on his arm.

“I know there’s something wrong,” she whispered.

Orion looked at her, his expression losing most of its levity and becoming much blanker and more inscrutable again.

“I understand if you can’t tell me,” she insisted softly. Her blue eyes rested on her own hand on his arm rather than his face -- with the intense concern she felt, she didn’t dare expose them further by looking straight into his eyes. “And I truly don’t want you to feel like you have to tell me anything you don’t want to. Your secrets are your own, and I know you have a reason for them.”

Just as I have mine.

“I only...I can tell you’re running from something...maybe even the thing you’ve being running from, every time you’ve come to see me, all these weeks...and I don’t know what to do, to protect you from what you’re so afraid of. Please...tell me what I can do.”

Orion’s black eyes trailed over Carewyn’s face, rippling with many tiny flickers of emotion that were hard to properly identify -- pain? Affection? Anxiety? Evasiveness? Shame? Longing? Who knew?

At last the Prince of Florence brought a hand out to gingerly rest on top of Carewyn’s on his arm.

“Chase that eagle with me,” he said softly.

Carewyn looked up at Orion and then at the eagle overhead as it soared off toward the nearby woods. Then she gave him a small, sad smile and nodded.

“...All right.”

Dislodging herself from Orion, Carewyn steadied her grip on her horse’s reins and flicked them to make it gallop toward the woods.

“Well, come on, then!” she called over her shoulder with the strongest smile she could. “T’would be a shame if I out-rode you in a challenge you set yourself!”

Orion’s face broke out into a brighter, fond smile and he pursued her.

The two rode their horses down the hill and into the trees. Racing side by side, overtaking each other in their strides and then catching up again -- all while Orion smiled so fully and handsomely, and looked at her with such blazing midnight-black eyes -- was a joy that Carewyn had trouble putting into proper words. His expression was full of such silent, and yet unbridled joy -- free, in every sense of the word.

“You should be allowed to feel like that more often,” Orion’s words returned to her. “Free.”

You should be allowed to feel like that too, Orion, thought Carewyn. You deserve to feel this free all the time.

The two rode with speed until they’d finally lost sight of the beautiful golden eagle. Slowing their horses into a calmer trot, they then journeyed through the trees, enjoying the peaceful serenity of the chirping birds and the pools of sunlight scattered across the muddy, snow-dusted ground.

“I’ve never been out this far before,” Carewyn confessed, her almond-shaped blue eyes trailing over the interlaced branches overhead.

Orion looked at her out the side of his eye. “...This close to the border, you mean?”

“Yes.”

Carewyn caught a strange scent in the distance -- something vaguely like the fires she’d tend to back at the castle and the Cromwell estate.

“...Something’s burning...”

Orion nodded solemnly. “Bonfires. The Royaumanian and Florentine camps aren’t far from here.”

Carewyn looked at Orion, slightly startled. His gaze had wandered northward, but it was clear his mind was far from the trees his eyes were idly resting on.

“We’re near the war front?” asked Carewyn softly.

“Yes...” Orion glanced her out the side of his eye. “...Are you frightened?”

“No,” said Carewyn.

She looked through the trees in the direction Orion had been facing.

Jacob could be over there right now, she thought to herself. The idea of seeing her brother for the first time in nine years -- of hugging him again and seeing his relieved smile -- it made her feel like her heart was being squeezed.

Orion’s black eyes scanned her longing, but fearless face, before shifting back in the direction of the trees that obscured the path toward the war front.

“The scales are going to shift again, soon,” he whispered. He could feel Carewyn’s eyes on him again. “The two sides have constantly fought for dominance...lashing out ruthlessly and then retaliating, back and forth, until they’re forced to come to a stalemate, just to catch their breath. Then one lashes out again, and the precarious balance is thrown to the winds once more...”

Carewyn’s blue eyes rippled with concern. “Orion...is something bad about to happen, out there?”

Orion closed his eyes. His father claimed he needed him, in order to lead the Florentine army in the two-pronged attack on Royaume...but it wasn’t unlikely that the King might make do and find someone else to fill that role...

“Hopefully not,” he said softly.

Carewyn reached out a hand and took hold of Orion’s wrist. Orion looked down at her hand and then up at her face -- she had trouble looking at him, but he could tell her eyes were rippling with concern. His heart felt like it was suddenly being harshly compressed, just to fit inside of his chest.

You wish to protect me from what I fear...but what I fear, I should wish to protect you from.

The King’s words returned to his mind.

“When you make mistakes, the people you cherish, that you want most desperately to protect, pay the price!”

But how could he hope to protect Carewyn from the War and the cost it would demand? How could he hope to stop it, when his own father unknowingly would be sabotaging his efforts for peace? How could he live with himself, if he had to chain himself to the War the way the King had -- to fight against the Royaumanians he’d met and broken bread with as equals?

Orion took several deep breaths before speaking again.

“...My father wishes me to join him, at the front,” he admitted lowly.

Carewyn looked up, startled. “...Your father’s in the army?”

“Yes,” said Orion. “He’s...a high-ranking officer. He expects that I will follow his example and lead our ranks into battle.”

Carewyn considered Orion for a moment. “...You don’t want to.”

Orion’s eyes darkened significantly. “...I don’t want to.”

When Carewyn didn’t respond, he pressed on.

“My father believes that the War can only be ended through force -- that justice can be only brought about by utterly destroying our enemy. But...I cannot believe that. I grew up on the border between Florence and Royaume. The town I’m from is so close that one could hop easily from one to the other. It caused some tensions, yes...but it also made it so that at first meeting, or even third or fourth, you never knew what side of the divide a person was on. And so I found myself constantly thinking...what is it that truly separates us? Is it morality? Is it values? Humanity? And yet I don’t think either side can boast having any of those things exclusively. It instead all comes back to a mistake made fifty years ago -- a land dispute that ended more violently than it should have. So many people have died, all because of that...and because neither King has decided to be the better man and choose forgiveness over vengeance.”

Orion bowed his head, his eyes closing solemnly.

“...My father asked me to help him lead the army, in an upcoming attack on the enemy forces -- one that he believes could end the War once and for all. But...”

He exhaled quietly through his nose.

“...I couldn’t accept that burden...so I left.”

Carewyn didn’t respond. Orion scanned her face, trying to read her reaction, but it was proving difficult when she wouldn’t look at him.

Does she...disapprove? he couldn’t help but think. She did think he was Royaumanian -- she didn’t understand that he wanted to protect her brother, not prevent him from returning home...but how could he explain that to her, without...?

“I know that the War could end, if my father’s strategy succeeds,” Orion explained, trying to keep his voice level despite the anxiety he felt, “but this is only one strategy of hundreds, all of which have failed. And even if our side was victorious...however many lives I could potentially save by fighting, I would be snuffing out far more. I realize that this is my responsibility alone, and sometimes one must be willing to do what others will not, to reach their goal...but flowers bloom under sunlight and water, not blood. If we could avoid burning a forest to the ground, wouldn’t it then be easier to bring it back to life?”

“Yes...but if someone wants to set a forest ablaze, you have to act if you want to stop them.”

Carewyn’s response was very soft and solemn, but there was no anger or disapproval -- instead, to Orion’s immense relief, it sounded almost encouraging.

“If you believe that Royaume could make peace with Florence, then you need to speak out for it,” she said firmly. “If you see it and believe in it, that’s great...but you need to make others see and believe in it too, if it’s going to really come about. Talk to your father, make him see things as you do -- and if he isn’t able to, then...well, I’ll talk to Andre, and you and he can discuss it together.”

Her lips spread into a gentle smile and she gave his wrist a light squeeze.

“My own family may have profited because of the War, but the people of Royaume, the common man, would celebrate, if peace could come about without further loss. If Florence would also, then that’s a step in the right direction. There’s more than one way to fight for something...all it requires is enough courage to place one’s goal over whatever risks stand in their way.”

Orion stared at Carewyn for a long moment. As he did, the black of his eyes seemed to melt, gaining a warmer, softer light that resembled candlelight rippling in endless, dark water.

“...Carewyn...”

Before he could say anything more, however, there was a loud explosion in the distance. Carewyn’s horse reared back in terror, which in turn spooked Orion’s, and both Carewyn and Orion had to quickly calm their steeds.

“Whoa, whoa,” Carewyn whispered in her horse’s ear, “easy, boy...it’s all right...”

Orion stroked his horse’s mane with a slightly trembling hand, breathing in and out as he tried to steady his heart rate. He then looked at Carewyn with a more serious eye.

“...Perhaps we should make our way back to the valley. It’s not safe here.”

Carewyn looked northward through the trees again. “Do you think your father’s started the attack?”

“No. Coordinated attacks require both strategy and assignments, as well as the element of surprise. I’d say this is a skirmish between younger, less experienced soldiers -- and if so, it’s likely to run farther afield and cause damage outside the designated battlefield.”

Orion could see Carewyn still hesitating. Although there was no fear in her face, she seemed reluctant to leave -- likely thinking of her brother, more than the risk to her own safety...

After a brief flicker of uncertainty, Orion reached out a hand and took hold of Carewyn’s arm not unlike how she’d taken his earlier.

“From everything I’ve heard from you about your brother, I truly cannot see him not doing everything he possibly can, to look out for your well-being...including looking after himself.”

A second smaller explosion in the distance made Orion stiffen slightly, his fingers tightening that bit around Carewyn’s arm.

“...We should move out of harm’s way,” he said as levelly as he could.

Seeing the paleness of Orion’s face, Carewyn relented at once.

“Yes.”

Bringing a hand up onto Orion’s horse’s reins, she directed both of them around so they could start riding back out the way they came.

As they came around a cluster of trees, however, their attention was caught by the sound of the cry of an eagle and many snapping branches. Carewyn’s horse reared back again, just barely dodging a large clump of golden-brown feathers that collided sharply with the ground.

Carewyn once again rushed to soothe her horse. Orion quickly climbed off his horse and bent down to get a better look at what had fallen.

It was a golden eagle, just as brilliant as the one they’d chased into the wood -- perhaps even the same one. It was conscious, but clearly in pain when it tried to return to the air -- its left wing crumpled up against its side and covered in blood and what looked like grayish ash.

Orion’s black eyes narrowed.

“Gunpowder,” he said. “The poor creature’s wing must have been struck by a stray bullet.”

Once she’d successfully soothed her white horse, Carewyn likewise jumped off its back. She dashed over to Orion, hitching up the skirt of her mother’s gown as she went.

“Can you hold him?” she asked.

The eagle gave an angry-sounding cry, baring its sharp talons at both of them, and it tried to hobble away back into the air with its one good wing.

“I don’t think he wants our help,” said Orion.

Undaunted, Carewyn ripped off some fabric from her outer-most petticoat. “Well, he needs it, whether he wants it or not. Can you hold him, please?”

Orion looked at the eagle. Rather than try to grab it, he met the eagle’s eyes and tried not to blink. The eagle looked back at him with a piercing gaze. When Orion extended a hand, the eagle lashed out its talons again -- Orion withdrew, but didn’t flinch.

“Steady,” he said gently.

He waited a moment, keeping eye contact with the bird, and then tried again. This time he was able to move close enough to touch before the eagle lashed out with its claws again.

“Peace,” said Orion patiently. “We mean you no harm, feathered friend.”

Another loud explosion in the distance made both the eagle and Orion flinch.

“That one sounded closer,” said Carewyn, her voice faintly tense but as gentle as she could. “We need to be quick.”

The flames of his childhood home were returning to Orion’s mind despite his best efforts, and he shut them out as best he could, closing his eyes and breathing in and out several times. Once he’d reestablished his focus, Orion opened his eyes again.

The eagle looked from Orion to Carewyn almost critically. Finally, after Orion reached in for a third time, it let the Prince run a gentle hand over its back. Once the bird was calm, Orion then carefully extended its wing so that Carewyn could reach it.

“This will likely hurt him a little,” Carewyn told Orion. “Please hold him still, so he won’t fly away.”

Orion brought a hand around the eagle, which fidgeted and cried out indignantly, but did not claw or snap at them. With Orion holding out its wing, Carewyn was able to reach into its blood-soaked feathers and dislodge the bullet. The eagle gave an angry, pained cry, and Carewyn very quickly set about wrapping up the wound with the white fabric she’d ripped out of her petticoat.

“There,” breathed Carewyn, her red lips spreading into a smile. “That should help...”

The bird looked down at its wing, gingerly folding up against its side as it surveyed her with a very beady eye. With a soft click of her tongue against her teeth, she slowly extended an arm out, holding it very still like a branch.

“Climb on,” she cooed. “That’s it...”

The eagle peered Carewyn over, but after a long moment, it gradually scooted over and leapt up onto her arm. Its talons dug into the sleeve of her dress with strength, and it was heavier than Carewyn expected, but she with some difficulty just barely managed to hoist it up.

“Your talent with animals shines through again,” said Orion with a wry smile, clasping his hands lightly in front of him.

“You weren’t half bad yourself,” Carewyn said amusedly. She brought a hand gently along the eagle’s comb. “You’re a very handsome bird, aren’t you? You poor thing...”

“You there!”

Both Orion and Carewyn looked up in great surprise.

Striding through the woods toward them was a very tall middle-aged woman. She wore a black capotain hat and an old-fashioned black dress with a white ruff around the collar, and her graying brown hair was tied up in an austere looking bun under her hat. Despite her apparent age, her step was strong and her posture as straight as a general’s. 

“What are you doing here?” said the woman very sternly.

Carewyn stood a bit uneasily, thanks to the weight of the eagle on her arm, but she nonetheless straightened up, resting a hand on the eagle’s back almost protectively.

“We’re merely out riding, madam,” she said, not impolitely, but still confidently.

The woman peered down at both Orion and Carewyn with an eye almost as critical as the eagle’s had been as she crossed her arms. Her height made it so she towered over both of them with relative ease.

“Well, through your riding, you have trespassed on my land,” she said stiffly. “And it seems you’ve claimed something of mine.”

Her eyes flickered over to the eagle on Carewyn’s arm, taking in the makeshift bandage on its wing. The golden eagle gave a loud shriek -- the woman extended her arm, and it leapt the distance, landing on her arm instead. The older woman did not struggle to hold it up the way Carewyn had.

Carewyn blinked in surprise. “Then...he’s yours?”

“Do you have others, like him?” Orion asked curiously.

The woman peered down at the bird on her arm with a look that was rather like a scolding, but still affectionate mother’s. “No -- he’s one of a kind. All the more reason why I’m pleased to see him safe, after coming so close to the enemy camp.”

The eagle bowed its head, its gaze flickering back over toward Carewyn and Orion. When another cluster of explosions rang out through the air, however, both the bird and Orion straightened up abruptly.

The woman looked northward, and then beckoned Carewyn and Orion after her with her hand.

“Come with me -- with the armies positioned just north of us and a band of Florentine bandits just south, the safest place at present to wait out this skirmish is my home.”

The woman introduced herself as the Baroness Minerva McGonagall. Carewyn felt like the surname was familiar somehow, but she couldn’t quite place it in her memory. Regardless, McGonagall led Carewyn and Orion out through the trees. Only once they crossed the perimeter of the trees and McGonagall gestured toward the valley below did Carewyn and Orion see her country estate. It was odd that they didn’t spot it sooner, for although the valley seemed to cradle the small chateau, it was a rather beautiful and open estate framed by a wrought iron gate. The property itself was made of aged brick and stone with stained glass windows and overgrown with ice-trimmed ivy.

After holding out her arm so that the eagle perched there could jump down on the railing beside the stone stairs that led up to the front door, the Baroness invited Orion and Carewyn inside. As stern as she’d first appeared, she actually was a very kind host -- after Orion and Carewyn’s horses were settled in her stable, she escorted the two into the dining hall, where she served them some rose water and ginger biscuits. Once inside the house, none of them could hear the explosions from the battlefield -- it was as though the walls cancelled out all sounds from outside even though they must’ve been so close.

Seeing that the Baroness had no servants to help her, Carewyn insisted on taking the dishes to the kitchen and washing them, so as to thank the older woman for her hospitality. Despite being reluctant to accept the help at first, McGonagall eventually accepted it, her lips upturned in a rather dewy smile as Carewyn left the dining hall.

“Your riding companion has a very kind heart, Your Highness,” she said, once Carewyn was out of earshot.

Orion’s black eyes narrowed ever-so-slightly.

“...You know me.”

"Naturally,” said McGonagall. “You do very much resemble your grandfather -- and your father as well, I expect.”

“You knew my grandfather?”

“We met once, a very long time ago,” said McGonagall rather curtly. “Your name would also be Cosimo, correct?”

“I am called Orion,” said the Prince, his level voice dusted with the slightest edge. “By both my lady, and otherwise.”

McGonagall’s eyes grew a little smaller. “She comes from the Cromwell family, doesn’t she?”

Orion’s eyes narrowed that little bit more, but he did not reply.

“I suspected it due to her eyes,” said McGonagall, “but with how gentle they were, I wasn’t sure.”

Her eyebrows rose over her narrowed eyes as she leaned forward slightly and rested her elbows on the table.

“You have quite a predicament before you, Orion,” she said dryly, interlacing her fingers beside her chin.

Orion clasped his hands on the table in front of him, considering the Baroness carefully.

“Yet you decided not to approach me about it until Carewyn left the room,” he said levelly. “Is it because you suspected I knew your true identity, and why your house has been so miraculously shielded from the War raging on your doorstep?”

McGonagall peered at Orion over her hands with something like wry amusement. “Florentines are generally more favorable toward magic than Royaumanians. And considering your grandfather shielded my family after my mother accidentally killed the King and we fled across the border...well, it would be in-character for you, especially.”

“And yet you returned to the land that the King of Royaume had died trying to claim?” asked Orion. “Why?”

McGonagall gave a dismissive shrug. “It was our home. Even if we had to cast and recast illusions every day to prevent anyone else from finding it again, that was a cost we were willing to pay. And one I’m still willing to pay today, to protect those who live here.”

McGonagall’s eyes were drawn to the hallway -- a young man with tanned skin and a sharp nose had just paused in the door frame of the dining hall. His arm was in a makeshift sling and wrapped with what looked like bandages made out of petticoat fabric. When Orion turned around, the young man stared him down with just as beady of a look as the golden eagle from before had.

“The skirmish has ended, Baroness,” the man said brusquely.

“I hope you haven’t determined that by casting any more transfiguration spells, my young apprentice,” said McGonagall with a slightly reproachful look.

The apprentice’s nose wrinkled sourly. “No. The explosions have just stopped -- they probably decided it wasn’t worth trying to fire their cannons blindly in the dark.”

“Very well,” said McGonagall. “Orion, you and Carewyn may leave when you wish. Though I would recommend you steer clear of the border. The bandits in these woods are Florentines, so I doubt they will harm you...but I cannot be sure how they would respond to a Royaumanian, especially one related to one of their wealthiest noblemen.”

Orion nodded. “I understand.”

“Make sure you bring her back to the palace safely,” said the apprentice, his eagle-like eyes still rather critical upon Orion. “It’s the least you can do, considering she doesn’t know the extent of the risk she’s taking, interacting with you.”

He swept down the hallway and out of sight, still holding his arm. Orion was a bit surprised that the Baroness’s apprentice knew where Carewyn worked -- but then, he recalled, he’d seen an eagle flying over his and Carewyn’s heads once, while they were walking through the market together, hadn’t he? Might it have been this man then, as well -- as it likely had, every time he’d seen an eagle while crossing the border?

McGonagall looked back at Orion, her expression a bit more solemn. “I understand your rationale behind not telling her of your identity, Orion...but remember -- deception is just like any magical spell. Even the most powerful ones in the world don’t last long.”

Orion bowed his head. “...I know.”

He knew none of this could last. He knew that once Carewyn knew who he was, everything between them would change, whether he wanted it to or not. He did think that Carewyn would understand -- he desperately hoped so -- but even so, it was sad to him, knowing that his happy times with Carewyn were doomed to be so fleeting...

“I just...want to enjoy my time with her as long as I can,” said Orion softly. “However fleeting it might be...even when it is over...at least then I can cherish the memory of those moments forever.”

McGonagall’s face grew a bit gentler, almost sympathetic. "I see...”

Carewyn returned at that moment, wiping her bangs out of her eyes with her arm.

“Orion,” she said, “it looks like the stars have come out.”

Orion looked out the window. The sky was dark with night and shining with stars.

“So they have,” he said with a soft smile. He turned to McGonagall. “Forgive me, Baroness...but might we sit in the valley outside your home for a short while, before we leave?”

McGonagall smiled. “Of course.”

Orion and Carewyn found a grassy spot in the crest of the valley where they could sit and look up at the stars. Upon learning that Carewyn hadn’t ever gone stargazing before, Orion lay back against the grass and pointed out each constellation above them to Carewyn in turn -- the hero Perseus, his enemy the Cetus, and his future wife Andromeda -- -- the divine twins, Castor and Pollux, otherwise known as a pair as Gemini -- and the queen Cassiopeia, which made Carewyn laugh, thinking of her friend, KC. Carewyn loved listening to Orion’s stories: the way he would vividly embellish every detail and go off on philosophical tangents in the middle was oddly endearing. After he told his first tale about Perseus, Carewyn was reminded of the Song of Roland, an epic about a similarly grand hero, and soon Orion would ask her to sing something in response to every story he told, however weak the connection was. When they reached Cassiopeia’s tale, Carewyn sang one of her favorite songs, Greensleeves.

“I have been ready at your hand To grant whatever thou would’st crave; I have waged both life and land, Your love and goodwill for to have.

Greensleeves was all my joy; Greensleeves was my delight; Greensleeves was my heart of gold, And who but my lady Greensleeves...”

As before, Orion found himself closing his eyes and relishing the feeling of Carewyn’s voice washing over him. At the end of this song in particular, however, when he opened his eyes, he found himself chuckling softly.

Carewyn raised an eyebrow. “What?”

Orion’s black eyes were sparkling like two miniature night skies as they ran over Carewyn sitting just below him. “It’s a lovely song, as always...but I have not ever seen my ‘star twin,’ so to speak, wearing green -- only ever black and blue. You, however...”

He took her hand so that he could extend her arm out like they were dancing, showing off the olive green sleeves of her dress.

“So it seems you are ‘my lady Greensleeves,’” said Orion with a wry smile.

“Oh, stop it,” Carewyn huffed, her cheeks burning as she withdrew her hand.

Orion laughed fully. It was the first time Carewyn had ever heard him laugh so openly before -- it was a soft sound in the back of his throat, like a chuckle, and yet so much brighter and warmer. Despite herself, Carewyn couldn’t fight back a full smile of her own. Her shoulder brushed up against Orion’s as she reclined back onto the grass, her body tilting slightly toward him as she looked up at the sky.

“...There’s a constellation called Orion, isn’t there?”

Orion smiled and traced the stars of the constellation with his finger. “Just there. Do you see his chest? And there’s his bow.”

“I see it!” said Carewyn excitedly. “His arm is arched back, right?”

“Yes -- he’s holding a club in his other hand. He was a great hunter, you see -- the greatest hunter, they say, aside from Artemis, Goddess of the Moon and the Hunt. Some say that he hunted alongside her. Others say she was his one and only love...and that she, likewise, never loved any other man, in all her days.”

When Carewyn didn’t respond, Orion looked down at her. She was considering the constellation very carefully, looking oddly deep in thought.

Orion tilted his head to look better at her face. “Your eyes resemble a dark pool.”

Carewyn looked up, startled.

“They’re so deep and mysterious, I hardly know what is within them,” said Orion. “Yet I would dearly like to know, if you were willing to share their contents.”

Carewyn’s eyes drifted back up to the sky uncomfortably.

“It’s just...I’m realizing that I don’t even know if Orion is your real name,” she murmured. “You said I could call you it...you did not say it was your name.”

Orion’s face became grimmer. His hands clasped over his chest and he too looked back up at the sky.

“...It’s not the name I was born with,” he admitted. “I chose the name myself, when I was young.”

The memory of the older boys at the workhouse shoving him, piling extra work on him, and mockingly bowing whenever he walked by rippled over his mind.

“Clear the floor for the Prince!”

“Why thank you, Prince Cosimo -- you’re too kind!”

“Does the mud add flavor, your Royal Highness?”

“When I was at the workhouse, my name...antagonized the other boys. So, to try to preempt the reactions, I started avoiding telling anyone my name. I would dread anyone ever asking.”

“Like when I asked you?” whispered Carewyn. Even though her eyes were averted, she was clearly very ashamed and upset.

Orion leaned against her slightly, offering her a gentle, reassuring expression. “No, Carewyn. I dreaded it when I had no answer I could give at all. It made me anxious...made me feel like I didn’t know who I was supposed to be...made it difficult for me to interact with much of anyone at all.”

He closed his eyes.

“But...after hearing the tale of the great hunter whose skill put him on the same level as a goddess...I decided that was who I’d be. I’d chase my dreams with just as much single-minded focus -- be just as free and strong of a man, by fighting the monster inside of myself.”

Carewyn looked up at Orion, her eyes rippling with sadness. “The monster inside of yourself?”

“Mm,” said Orion. “Mine is a frenetic beast. It makes it hard for me to think, act, or even breathe, when it’s particularly intense. It makes me question absolutely everything, including myself. It shouts so many things in my ears so loudly that I can’t move or react properly, and I have to break away from everything and everyone, just to silence it. Sometimes it even brings back bad memories that make the experience even worse.”

Carewyn was once again avoiding his eye, but it was largely because she was having trouble keeping her face stoic.

“...It’s terrible, when you feel like you can’t do anything,” she said lowly.

Orion didn’t speak. He wanted her to feel comfortable enough to continue -- after a silence, she finally pressed on.

“When Jacob first went off to War...I felt so helpless. So...alone. And worse...I felt like that’s how I should be. Like I should be alone, and empty, and cold, and in pain, when Jacob was off at War suffering, while I’m stuck here.”

Her eyes darkened.

“There are times when...I think I still should be. Sometimes...well, it’s all the time.”

She closed her eyes, exhaled heavily through her nose, and then looked up at Orion with a firmer expression.

“...But I know I can’t afford to sit around and feel sorry for myself -- not when I need to be strong, for Jacob’s sake. So I don’t.”

Orion’s black eyes softened visibly, rippling with empathy. “No...you certainly don’t.”

He paused. His eyes ran over Carewyn’s face, trailing through her hair hesitantly.

“Carewyn...” he said at last, very softly, “may I...?”

He swallowed.

“...May I rest my head, on top of yours?”

Carewyn’s face broke into a very sweet, tender smile.

“Of course,” she murmured.

Orion shifted over and, very tentatively, leaned back against the grass so that Carewyn’s head rested in the crook of his neck and his cheek rested against the top of her head. He closed his eyes -- she felt so warm...

“I...realize that the beasts inside of us are ours alone to face,” said Orion softly, “but...should you need a hunter to help you beat yours back...I will be here.”

Carewyn’s blue eyes rippled with emotion as she stared up at Orion’s face. Her red lips slowly turned up in a smile that was full of pain, and yet also fuller still of love.

“And I will always help you fight yours,” she whispered. “If you need me...I will fight for you.”

Orion’s expression cleared, losing all tension as a smile pricked at the corners of his lips. He breathed deeply, his heart slowing to a wonderful peaceful beat as he took in the smell of her hair. Carewyn watched his serene, handsome face, and she found herself moving into him that bit more, just to get a better view. For that moment, it felt like the whole world outside wasn’t there -- that the War and the palace and the Cromwell clan and everything she was and wasn’t didn’t even exist...and in that moment, Carewyn realized...

If she was ever truly free, she would want to love the man called Orion with all of her heart.

[7team7]

Choosing Fate: Chapter 5

Fanning the flames. // Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4

A/N: I hope this chapter gives you more insight on the oh so mysterious ~uchiha clan~

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“Dedicating yourself to your books again, I see,” Fugaku observed. Hard to read as always, Sasuke couldn’t tell if he approved or not. He decided to be blunt.

“It’s because of her. She’s smart. It would be unwise to let it all go to waste just because she had to marry me.”

“I see. Be sure to use your time wisely.” He walked out of the study, leaving Sasuke feeling frustrated. It grated on his nerves to think of his father disapproving of how he spent his time with his wife. If Fugaku gave Sakura trouble for doing a little reading of all things, Sasuke would have a hard time holding his tongue, he thought.

He grumbled to himself as he finished laying out the materials for the evening. Since when did he get so protective over this little pink woman?

Said woman walked into the room, her hands hardly done drying after finishing washing the dishes from dinner. “Okay! I’m ready now. I didn’t want to leave your mother with all that work, sorry.” She was a bit late, but Sasuke waved his hand and said awkwardly, “No need to apologize.” It wasn’t like he was anxiously waiting or anything.

Sakura, though, had been waiting all day. She didn’t want it to seem like she was shirking her duties as a wife, even taking care to make a particularly labor intensive stew for dinner so that she wasn’t spending all her time locked away in the little room with Sasuke. No, her priorities were perfectly balanced.

“So what are we doing today?” she asked eagerly.

He gestured to the thick, dusty books on the table and the scattered loose leaf papers, “Some history.”

Uchiha family history, to be exact. He had given her tons of readings on medicine, agriculture, literature, but she was still mostly kept in the dark about the family she had married into. Sasuke was incredibly proud of his heritage, even if he had a few issues with the way things were run lately. He didn’t want Sakura to have another reason to resent their situation, but she deserved to know what she had married into.

“The Uchihas have a long-spanning history. My ancestors are some of Konoha’s founders.” Sasuke ran his hand reverently down the cover of one red book. The family tree was updated recently to include Sakura. The blank spaces for his and Itachi’s children stared back at him uncomfortably.

“Our ancestors,” Sakura softly corrected. Might as well embrace her life as Uchiha Sakura, at least out of respect for the elders before her.

When he swung his head from the book to look at her, Sakura thought he might narrow his eyes and spit out some remark that she wasn’t a pure Uchiha like he was. Instead, he smirked, “They certainly didn’t have your hair.”

She giggled, suddenly feeling shy, and turned her attention back to the table. “What’s a pottery book doing with all this? You pulled a metal working one too,” Sakura pointed out. Smart girl, but this time Sasuke hadn’t made a mistake.

“Haven’t you wondered what my father and I are up to when we leave the house?”

“Of course I have.”

He was a little stunned at her nonchalance, so he asked grumpily, “Well then why haven’t you asked?”

She shrugged, “You never seem to like it when I ask questions.”

He blinked and set his shoulders. Oh. That was true. He should work on that. Sasuke continued gruffly, “We go to sell our wares, but all of them are made by the clan. For generations we’ve specialized in firing pottery and metalworking. We’re able to withstand the high heat needed to do this kind of work. Fire is our specialty, I guess. Some of your father’s field tools are probably made by an uncle of mine.” This time, she didn’t even have to ask, the explanation just spilled out of him.

“Artisans, merchants...what can’t your family do?”

“Heal,” he said meaningfully.

.

“What if I went into town with you next time? You know, to sell my medicine. I’m sure it could help people besides just Mikoto-san.” They had wrapped up their history lesson for the day and were preparing to go to bed.

“I’m not sure if that’s a good idea.”

“I could go at a different time than you and your father if scheduling or space are a problem?” The market was rather packed at peak hours.

“No,” he rejected quickly, “You cannot go alone.”

Jade green eyes blinked in surprise. “What? Why not?”

He shifted uncomfortably, “The Uchihas are an old clan, remember? That means they’re very...traditional. Conservative, even.” He didn’t want to spell it out for her, knowing that many of the elders held outdated, even discriminatory, views. His Uchiha pride was often conditional these days.

Now, Sakura’s eyes narrowed. “I see. So I would require some sort of escort to protect me while I go sell what I worked hard on. I understand. Wouldn’t want to get scammed.”

He sighed. “If you ask, I will give you permission. It’s a formality. But…” he trailed off.

“But what?”

“But I would still want to go with you. It’s not always safe to go alone.”

It was Sakura’s turn to sigh. “I’ve been to the market plenty of times by myself. Remember?” Those days felt so long ago. The handsome stranger at the market was now her husband, but she couldn’t tell how much more familiar he had become with her really. He opened up slowly, giving her bits and pieces, but there was still so much left to be desired.  

“Of course I do. That doesn’t mean I can’t worry about you.”

She gave him a meaningful look. After a pause, “Your mother...when she goes out, she visits other members of the clan?”

“Most of the time, yes. Nearly all her friends are Uchihas.”

“So if I wanted to go visit my family, I’d have to get your permission?”

His heart squeezed. Wasn’t he part of her family now too? “Yes.”

“I see,” she clipped.

“Well, there are some family members you can visit at will.” He wanted to save another conversation from going south.

His heart squeezed again seeing the ray of hope light up her face. “Really? Who?”

“My brother and his wife.”

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Sakura couldn’t help but hum happily as she prepared to venture out. She felt like she woke up on the right side of the bed that morning. Itachi and Izumi lived close by, but leaving the house felt so liberating, she would’ve taken any opportunity to stretch her legs. She hadn’t seen them since the wedding and even then she didn’t get much of a chance to speak with them. She wondered what they were like, if the brothers were similar.

“Do we need to bring anything?” Sakura asked her husband before they set out.

Sasuke shrugged, “It’s just Itachi.” His brother would appreciate that they bothered visiting at all. Despite his need for privacy, he knew Itachi missed him.

“What I meant was do I need to bring anything?” Whether it was a jab at the gendered expectations within the Uchiha clan or her desire to impress, the answer was still no. Sakura sighed and decided to bring a jar of herbs, just in case. It would be rude to show up empty handed.

Their house was significantly smaller than the main house, but it still stood proudly with the classic Uchiha elegance. When Itachi opened the door it was with a warm expression, but Sakura couldn’t help but note how tired he looked. She ought to bring ginseng next time.

Izumi seemed a little on edge, but quickly relaxed after some careful small talk. She had kind eyes, but like Itachi, she looked tired. Sakura couldn’t help but notice that her hair was a bit thin and she moved without much energy. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but after observing her sister-in-law for the majority of the visit, she could tell something was wrong.

“How have you been, Sakura-san? Settling in comfortably, I hope,” Itachi said smoothly.

“Ah, everything has been..fine. I miss my parents and my siblings, but I don’t have much else to complain about,” Sakura spoke with equal diplomacy. She still had yet to figure out why they did not live in the main house and wanted to tread lightly.

With this, Itachi visibly eased up a little, “Oh? So my little brother has not been too disagreeable in the mornings?” This caused Izumi to laugh too, a more full bodied sound than Sakura expected from someone who appeared rather delicate. They both gazed fondly at Sasuke, clearly full of affection for someone who was just as much a younger brother as he was a husband.

Sasuke grumbled beside her and quickly switched the subject, “It’s been fine. We came because Sakura just learned about some of our clan’s more backwards expectations. She should know where you live.”

The other couple nodded in understanding, “It is unfortunate, isn’t it? Don’t let our father hear about this. He cannot know that his own children oppose the long standing, ah, values that our clan upholds.” Sakura heartily agreed, “I’ve tried to keep my interactions with your father to a minimum, he’s a bit intimidating. Your mother is lovely, though.”

More laughter from Izumi and Itachi: “You’ve learned our family well already. Father’s loyalties are often with the clan at large, but he means no harm. He’s too proud to ever consider that he’s wrong. And please make sure my mother doesn’t spoil Sasuke too much, he is her favorite.” Sasuke rolled his eyes.

“Don’t let them pressure you too much,” Izumi advised with particular urgency. “I hope you don’t mind me speaking so plainly, but between two sons and their wives, an heir will be born soon enough.”

The gears in Sakura’s head clicked into place and she understood. Even if Fugaku was not so cruel as to effectively banish his first born son to a different home, the pressure he put on the couple to produce a child forced them away. Sakura supposed she and Sasuke weren't subject to the same pressure yet because the older son should have a child first if all went according to tradition.

“If it will be, then it will be,” Sakura said firmly. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t take care of your health in the meantime, or all the time.” She bowed her head in promise, “If you want, I can try to help.” She had a bit of knowledge on fertility (admittedly, some from farm animals) and women’s health that could be useful.

“Oh?” Izumi said with great pleasure, “We have a doctor in the family now?”

“She took care of Mother when she got sick recently. Don’t let her trick you into thinking she doesn’t know much. Her abilities are nothing short of impressive.” He didn’t expand on the lessons he’d been giving her, but he already felt bashful following his easy praise. She was his wife, after all, he supposed.

“Ah, thank you, Sasuke,” she said softly before clearing her throat. “If you’d like, I can visit more frequently and suggest herbal medicine to foster greater wellness for the both of you. And...if it gets to that point, I’d love to help with a baby.” While her experience here was also limited to farm animals, she earnestly wanted to give Izumi a hand in any way possible. Hopefully next time she visited, they could speak with greater familiarity and ease.

“We welcome your help. The Uchihas have their weaknesses, but they also love more fiercely than any other. You fit right in.”

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The walk home was quiet, Sakura mentally taking notes on what she would bring next time, questions she would ask. She was glad that Sasuke took her to see his brother and his wife, it was a welcome relief from her routine at home.

The sun was still high enough in the sky that Sasuke said, “Wait. Before we head back, there’s somewhere else I want to take you.” Sakura tilted her head in question, but still followed him. “You’ll see when we get there.” They turned back from the path home to head in a new direction.

They didn’t need to go very far when Sasuke stopped and it was clear that they were still in an Uchiha-dominated space. The air was warm, dry and smelled of smoke.

He got right to explaining the layout and pointing out certain spots and people. “My cousin Obito over there does pottery. Don’t talk to him, he’s kind of weird. I know a bit about swordsmithing, but not nearly as much as others. My other cousin Shisui makes a fantastically thin, but sturdy blade. Every time we bring his knives to the market they get snatched up quickly for a high price. But he’s weird too.” Even if his tone was exasperated, Sakura still smiled hearing the affection he had for his family and their practice.

“There are so many of you…” Sakura said wistfully. She had always thought of her family as being big, but now she missed their familiar comfort. The Uchihas were truly a clan. They walked further into the cluster of buildings; Sakura noticed Sasuke had slowed his pace to allow her a moment to really look at their surroundings.

“And when are we going to see some more Uchiha babies running around here?” an elderly woman asked kindly as they walked past, taking a break from sweeping to smile at the married couple. Despite her good intentions, the young couple winced.

“When the time is right,” Sasuke said evenly. He nodded at her again as they passed, grabbing Sakura’s hand so she wouldn’t get caught up in an unnecessary conversation. Besides, it was getting late and it was time to return. He didn’t let go until they reached the wide road to the house.

Sakura was glad to finally get some insight on the Uchiha clan, but the knowledge of it all weighed heavily on her shoulders. She looked forward to taking a bath at home.

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The old woman’s words echoed in his mind. He knew they were expected to have children eventually, but he tried to push that thought away as soon as it threatened to crop up. The thought of Sakura pregnant with his child made his neck prickle with heat. He stood by his words: when the time was right, they would bring a child into the world. But that time was not now, not yet. He felt a little better after making himself some tea. It was time for bed, the day had been long.

Sasuke swung the door to their bedroom open without a thought, only to be faced with the creamy expanse of Sakura’s back as she finished getting dressed. The skin there looked pale, smooth, and soft, unmarred by the harsh touch of the sun. “Why didn’t you tell me you were changing?” Sasuke bit out more harshly than intended, more embarrassed than mad. He closed the door behind him but turned to face the side wall after entering.  

“Do I need your permission to do everything?” Sakura asked sharply.

“Sakura, it’s not like that —”

“I know.” As she adjusted her clothes, she sighed, “It’s just that..we are married.”

“I know.”

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[himbowelsh]

For the affection asks could you do andy haldane? I love him so much and miss him :’)

valentines day alphabet  ( accepting! )

A   :   AFFECTION.   how does your muse show affection?

Very conscientious about it. Not everyone welcomes the same sort of affection, so Andy’s learned to adapt; if someone doesn’t do well with eye contact or physical touch, he’ll find another way. Andy’s sense of discipline means he isn’t that outwardly-demonstrative anyways, not too liberal with his touches. He always tries to give the other person what they need in the moment...  but Andy at his most natural enjoys just spending time with his loved ones. They don’t have to talk, they don’t have to be near each other...  he just loves their company. Leaning against someone slightly as they’re busy reading a book, or bobbing his head to their humming...  Andy lives for quiet moments of intimacy.

B   :   BOUQUET.   does your muse like flowers? which ones are their favourite?

Kind of a dunce when it comes to flowers of any kind, but he tries his best. If someone wants a bouquet, he’ll get a fantastic gosh darn bouquet, but don’t expect him to have picked it out himself.

C   :   CHOCOLATE.   does your muse like chocolate? which one is their favourite?

Has a severe weakness. Honestly, it’s probably better if his partner doesn’t like it too much, because Andy will hoard it. Give the poor boy some chocolate and make his day.

D   :   DATE.   what is your muse’s ideal date? where / who with / etc?

Definitely doesn’t require anything elaborate. Dinner and a movie would be great with him...  or maybe going to a concert? As someone who loves music, it would be a fun atmosphere for him, and  ---  depending on what sort of music they’re listening to   ---  he’s be able to learn more about his partner that way. Afterwards, he’d go out of his way to do something sweet, like taking his partner out for ice cream, giving them a chance to talk.

E   :   EMBRACE.   does your muse like hugs? what are their hugs like?

Don’t tell anyone, but he’s a cuddler. He loves to hug almost as much as he likes to be held. Just being close to his partner is good enough for him, but having their arms around each other? Actual heaven. Even outside of a romantic relationship, Andy gives...  very steady hugs. Warm, reassuring, dad hugs that wrap around you completely, taking you out of the present moment and to someplace calmer.

F   :   FLIRT.   is your muse good at flirting? how do they flirt?

He... doesn’t, really. It’s not his forte. He actually gets awkward if he tries, nervous and tongue-tied, not at all like his usual self. Andy’s learned to keep his cool, not trying to flirt at all. Being natural seems to win more affection than his clumsy attempts at flirting ever could. (Plus, he’s just that darn charismatic, he doesn’t have to try.) 

G   :   GIFT.   is your muse good at gift - giving or do they struggle to get it right?

His gifts are always so...  thoughtful? So meaningful? Like, he takes gift-giving very seriously, and would go to multiple stores just to get the right thing for a specific person, who gave him the right  ----

H   :   HEART.   is your muse quick or slow to give their heart away?

He...  restrains himself. Common sense is important, as is not rushing into things too quickly...  but when it comes to relationships, Andy doesn’t always look before he leaps. When he cares about someone, it’s just so easy....

I    :   I LOVE YOU.   does your muse find ‘i love you’ easy or hard to say?

He’d think it first, absolutely   ---   but wouldn’t say it until his partner did, just in case they weren’t on the same page. Andy does not want to make his partner uncomfortable  (and honestly doesn’t want to get his heart broken)  so he’d keep all the ‘love you’s inside until it’s finally safe to say them. After that, he’ll get a certain delight out of saying it, just to make his partner smile. He loves those three little words.

J   :   JEALOUSY.   does your muse get jealous in a relationship?

You wouldn’t think so, would you? Not even-keeled Andy Haldane, who never loses his temper, never raises his voice...  but when it comes to his partner, Andy can be possessive. He doesn’t like seeing other people flirting with them, pressing up against them, and he’ll make that displeasure known. While he won’t get angry, he will insert himself right next to his partner, wrapping an arm around their shoulders or waist to pull them into him. Sometimes he’ll casually peck their cheek, then glance over at the offender  ---  what were you doing here? Should he really, really be driven to the edge, he might even pull them into a kiss out of the blue, deep and determined.

K   :   KISS.   is your muse a good kisser? why / why not?

Andy is a gentleman until convinced otherwise. The last thing he’d ever want to do is put his partner in an uncomfortable situation, so he’s very conscientious  ---  a hand respectfully on their waist, a gentle press of lips-to-lips. The best way to describe Andy’s kisses would be tender. He’s very heartfelt about them, and never kisses like he doesn’t mean it. If his partner is more insistent, though, Andy gets into it very quickly. He particularly loves when their hands begin to wander, tearing open his neatly-buttoned shirt and messing up his hair, undoing him completely. When they bite his lip, he tends to moan; his grip becomes possessive, determined, and he consents to parting only to gasp a much-needed breath against their lips, before going back in again.

L   :   LOVE.   who does your muse love?

Anyone who comes under his responsibility automatically has a place in Andy’s heart; if he can do something for them, he will. He’s the “brotherhood of man” type who finds a place in his heart for even casual friends  ---  and, given he has a lot of friends, Andy’s got to have a massive heart. His family comes before anyone else, though, especially his mom and sister. Then there’s Eddie, who he’d take a bullet for without hesitation (ha ha). Then his boys? His squad? His kiddos? He loves them, even if he can’t protect them.

M   :   MOONLIGHT.   is morning or night a more romantic setting?

He’s partial to nighttime, just because  ---  outdoors at night, with the moon bright and stars overhead, feels like the most romantic setting in the world to him. He always feels a bit more romantic at night.

N   :   NAUGHTY.   what is your muse like in bed?

The bedroom is the one place Andrew Haldane loses his perfect self-composure. He’s startlingly sensitive, which surprises most partners; his chest, his scalp, his thighs, all go wild when being touched by someone else. It’s really easy to get a reaction from him; he’s an expressive lover, quite vocal. He’s more adventurous than one might think, getting a thrill out of unconventional locations. He loves his partner’s hair, just touching it and being able to run his fingers through it. Eager to guide his partner into doing what feels good, he “helps” during sex  ---  but if it gets too annoying, his partner can find a thousand ways to silence him.  And, in true Ack-Ack fashion, he’s very sensitive to the needs of his partner; he always needs to know where they stand, how they’re feeling, what they like and what they don’t. Sometimes he’ll “status report” in the middle of the act, murmuring “how are you doing, darling?”...  just to make sure they’re alright.

O   :   ODE.   does your muse have a way with words?

Andy is very careful with his words; he thinks things over before speaking, and doesn’t want to say anything he doesn’t mean. He’s very conscious that once spoken, things can’t be taken back. Definitely not the sort to lash out in anger ever, and goes out of his way to be diplomatic. That said, he’s great at expressing himself verbally, and connecting with people on an emotional level. While not much of a writer, he’s a very heartfelt speaker, and passion bleeds through his words.

P   :   PARTNER.   what does your muse look for in a partner? looks / personality?

Andy wants someone who can stand on their own two feet. Someone resilient, strong, but gentle at the same time; someone who feels things, and is thoughtful in how they process them. If they love music and sports, that’s amazing, but they don’t have to share interests   ---  Andy just wants someone who’s easy to be around, probably someone focused on their own career or future goals. He needs a grounded person with a big heart, who doesn’t rush into things, and is laid back enough to relax him. When it comes to looks...  he’s always loved curly hair, for no particular reason.

Q   :   QUESTION.   would your muse ask the big question or expect their partner to?

He’d absolutely ask, as soon as he felt the time was right. This is something important to him   ----   being able to take that step forward into the future, extending his hand so he and his partner can walk forward together. He’d wait until an anniversary of their relationship (because he’s sentimental like that), and at the end of a great date, get down on one knee with a box in his hand. Andy’s subtle, so chances are his partner didn’t see it coming, but in the moment he is intensely, absolutely sincere.

R   :   ROMANCE.   is your muse a romantic or a cynic?

Oh, he’s got an incredible romantic side, and is bad at hiding it. During romantic moments, like when the stars are particularly bright overhead or he hears a favorite love song, Andy’s always hit with that good old yearning. To have someone to hold, someone to caress...  god forbid the day he actually has someone to dote on! Andy will go all out   ----   breakfast in bed, bringing them flowers because they “reminded him of them”, setting baths for them, taking them to all their favorite places... surprising them with a puppy. He just wants to be in love, and to enjoy every second of it.

S   :   SWEETHEART.   did your muse have a childhood sweetheart?

Oh, absolutely. He had an on-again, off-again girlfriend through three years of middle school. Sadie Brown was sweet, with bright eyes and a book in her hand always. They danced around each other at school every day; when hanging out in groups, they naturally gravitated towards each other, and occasionally snuck away to sit in quite places while holding hands, just talking. Andy walked her home so often he memorized the route. However, neither of them were willing to put a name to their relationship, and it...  fizzled out after a while, as young love tends to do. He still holds fond memories.

T   :   TRUE LOVE.   does your muse believe in true love?

He...  does, though part of him feels like he shouldn’t. He believes love can be true, but fate and destiny pass a bit over his head; he doesn’t know about that, but he is sure that sometimes people are meant to be together. Some love runs so deeply that nothing can sway it, and that’s the purest kind of love  ---  the kind he wants.

U   :   UNREQUITED.   has your muse had their heart broken?

He doesn’t like talking about it...  but yes, and took it hard. Once he confessed his love for someone  ---  really laid it all on the line   ---  and they turned him down. Gently, and Andy bore it with grace, but it really was a blow to his heart. Since then, he’s become...  a little frightened of being rejected by someone he loves.

V   :   VALENTINE.   how does your muse feel about valentine’s day?

It was always an excuse to get his mom something nice every year, so he’s been celebrating it long before he ever gets a partner. A day to make the person he loves feel special? Hey, he’ll take it.

W  :   WEDDING.   would your muse get married? why / why not?

Absolutely! Again, this is something important to him  ---  not just because his parents are very eager to see him finally settled down. Andy has a strong desire for something traditional, especially after the turmoil of the war. He wants stability; he wants to spend the rest of his life with someone, secure in the knowledge that he won’t lose them in the blink of an eye. The idea of waking up every morning next to the person he loves? Priceless.

X   :   XOXO.   does your muse use / like pet names?

He can definitely roll with them, but...  when it comes to his partner, he would want to have something used exclusively between the two of them. Like a secret they share, something meaningful  ---  and if he heard anyone else use it, he certainly wouldn’t be thrilled.

Y   :   YOURS.   does your muse get protective easily?

Definitely. Andy’s protectiveness is on a completely different page from his jealousy. He’s serious, and means it. No one lays a hand on any of the people he cares about, especially his partner. He’ll intervene physically, not wasting a second; if his sheer presence and glare isn’t enough to ward someone off, he’s prepared to fight. When the people he loves need him, Andrew Haldane does not mess around.

Z   :   ZZZ.   how many people has your muse slept with?

He’s not...  actively looking, usually, but things sometimes happen. People happen. People who are attracted to him. Again, he doesn’t really flirt, so it’s not like he’s throwing himself out there...  but if there’s a mutual attraction, and it’s not morally wrong to do so, he’s game for a roll in the sheets. Say...  5-6 partners?

[theplumsoldier]

FOR YOUR LOVE

Request: @beautifulmonsterseverywhere  asked: Yon-Rogg x Skrull!Reader who’s going undercover and he finds out I’m in the mood for some angsty smut

A/N: not sure how much this actually fulfills the original idea since as usual i got carried away but hope you still can manage to enjoy. thanks for the request

Pairing: yon-rogg x skrull!reader

Word count: 2216

Warnings: smut.

As much as any other Skrull with a decent mind, you knew sneaking onboard a Kree cruiser was the equivalent to asking for execution, begging for banishment and in both empires. But you had to; you just had to see him.

Even if it felt like years, it had been much less and what felt like an eternity of pining, had finally gotten to you. So as you walked in the shoes of your disguise, you held your head high and copied the walk and expressions of those you saw in the rammed street, wishing to God you would not run into anyone that was acquaintances with this body.

For reasons of the warlike empire, it had been easier than expected to locate first the infamous elite Starforce Command, thereby your love and after what seemed to be an endless hunt, you ultimately read his name on a door.

How it opened, however, was another challenge, as it seemed to only respond to an iris scan. Figuring only his golden eyes could unlock the entry, you let out an inaudible sigh. This long voyage could not be in vain. There simply had to be another way.

At last, before you would have to figure out a way to get back to your home planet before endangering yourself, even more, an idea unfolded and your eyes lit up. The Starforce commander was of high rank, that much you knew, but there had to be someone he responded to and in an empire of these militaristic characteristics, you gambled your life and bet that that particular someone might be the key.

Like that, your search was prolonged and you grew more paranoid as time stretched, but at last, you managed to find yourself a superior personality. At least, you hoped that was the case, for his blue skin, several soldiers on his tail and supercilious attitude just about made everyone bow their heads with respect.

Lurking from behind a corner, your flesh burned and with a low hiss, you felt your cells regenerate into the desired skin. Upon the complete transformation, you rushed back to the quarters, hoping the incognito would prove useful and not attract too much unwanted attention.

Back in the narrow hall, you found yourself allowed inside with the use of this host’s DNA, the small display flickering green and door sliding to the side. Inside, you were welcomed by the office of a minimalist, tidy and clean, not a thing out of place and it had you inspecting his things closer. Careful not leave any signs of visit behind, you scrutinized what material was visible to the eye.

What it was you searched for, you did not know, and when you could conclude he had no substance of particularly importance laying around, you hastily moved from his desk as the door slid open, taking you by surprise.

Simultaneously to meeting your gaze from the opposite side of the room, his tired figure immediately straightened, putting a rigid and unyielding aura to his self. He still was clad in the familiar emerald suit and you felt your heart flutter, however when the crease pulling his eyebrows closer, he gave you no time to defend yourself before he drew his weapon, aiming at you with his finger hovering the sensitive trigger.

Now how could someone he had just seen, guarded by his minions in the Great Hall, be here in his private offices, looking all bewildered, out of character? Something was wrong, simply not adding up he knew that much.

You paid no attention to the blaster, he was too glorious a sight to rip your eyes from. In a delicate, sweet voice – not at all matching the body that emitted it – you whispered his name, “Yon-Rogg.”

That soothing sound, it was one he would recognize anywhere; only the man who spoke his name was not the first to come to mind when merely listening. The blaster lowered slightly, but his puzzled grimace made you gasp faintly, becoming aware that you were still veiled as whoever this man was.

With what appeared to be thought more than command, you revealed yourself to Yon-Rogg whose golden gaze grew larger at your sublime appearance, the sight of you wildly missed.

In the heart ever so seldom touched, a fire ignited and he could no longer, if even just a split-second, wait to hold you in his arms. And then, like that, a pair of muscular arms wrapped you closely in an embrace.

Putting away his deadly weapon and belligerent stance, Yon-Rogg held his lover close to his chest. Reaching up to trace his fingers across your skin, the flustered commander coalesced your lips in a passionate kiss, letting you feel just how much he had missed you. Although this, to you, was a foreign way of showing affection, Yon-Rogg’s lips attached to yours certainly offered one hell of a magical sensation and he made sure you knew how you had been the one thing he looked forward to when going to bd at night. If he could not meet you in this life, he could make damn sure he could in the other.

“What are doing here?” Retreating, Yon-Rogg distanced you from him, taking in your every feature and you noticed his face still held a perplex expression. When you did not answer his questions right away he continued quizzing you. “How did you get to Hala? Did anyone see you?”

A fragile smile formed on your lips, and you pulled him close again, resting his head against your own. “I had to see you.”

“Did anyone see you?” repeated Yon-Rogg, his eyes blending with the worry in a concoction of wary and warmth, a hint of elation radiating from behind the gold.

You shook your head and swallowing the surprise, the commander nodded.

He then kissed you his way again,

“we need to get you out of here.”

Back at Yon-Rogg’s lodgings you were barely let in before you felt him roughly push you to the wall and connecting your lips, without care for your camouflage. His breath was heavy on your forged skin, chest heaving the same as your own and when he moved to lift you onto his desk, he looked into your eyes only to realize they were not your own.

“There are some things I need to know,” spoke he and backed up to remove his suit, its thorough design leaving little room for much fun.

Tilting your head, your cells imbued and were replaced by the familiar green tissue. You already knew what was on his mind, but decided to break a smile instead, “like how much I missed you?”

His attentive eyes scanned over your figure and his weak attempt to secrete his smile failed miserably, instead; he shook his head at you. “I’m serious–”

“I snuck on board one of your ships outside Pama. No one saw me.”

“And you’re sure of that?” pressed he and you were close to moaning out of irritation, wanting nothing more than for him to be happy to see you.

“I guarantee you. I was desperate to see you, but I was careful,” you insisted and pulled him close to you by his hand, cradling it between your own. “Does that satisfy your paranoid mind?”

At your careless impudence, Yon-Rogg’s head tilted to the side and he sucked in a breath. “Barely.”

“Come on, Yon-Rogg—I like you, but I won’t die for you,” you chuckled and leaned in to place a sincere kiss on his naked skin. While you slid your hand around his back, and your lips trailed down his chest, his hand tugged on your chin.

“I just might for you.”

Looking up to meet his bewitching features, the commander’s brow was creased with volatility and his eyes darkened as he endured the intensity of his mind.

“Don’t say that,” murmured you, barely audible and stood on your feet. This romantic scene, it was one that should never have happened and now that it had, you feared it might cost either of you greatly. This was what happened when you let stubbornness drive you to do illogical things; you were not ready to pay the cost, but here you were, your very appearance signaling otherwise. “I’m here for you now. The rest we can sort out later, yes?”

Yon-Rogg was a man of complexity; perplex, loyal, credulous and worldly at the same time and always looking for something to be suspicious about. He was the kind to worry of all, when in fact, said matters only lived in hypothesis. He wanted to merely nod and agree, it all would be easier in that reality, but it was not his and his mind refused to let him.

With his teeth, he let go of the inside of his cheek and Yon-Rogg’s bare chest heaved as you continued your care for him. “Y/N, you know that’s not me. I cannot go around and about, not knowing whether you’re secure here for the time being. My job practically entails waiting for someone to screw up so I can worry—I can’t just sit here and pretend I don’t fear someone might walk in that door anytime now—”

“Who has access to lock themselves in?”

He seemed oblivious as to why you quizzed him. “Only myself and the highest ranks—”

“Would any superior have any reason to need you or contact you today? Suspect anything and pay you a visit,” interrupted you and clicked your fingers on his belt, it loosening its grip on his waist and thereby letting the pants of his suit slacken.

The very sound was enough for Yon-Rogg’s eyes to flicker.

“Not unless you caused any disturbance on your way here—”

“I can assure you I did not. First thing I did when disembarking was to shift and seek cover. Now please don’t omit that just like you were trained for this warrior life, I was trained for espionage. Blending and adapting is like second nature.”

“I know.”

“Then show me a little faith, dear,” you hummed and genuflected before him.

Yon-Rogg breathed out a sigh and closed his eyes. “You’re going to get me killed one day.”

Liberating him of his pants, he sprung before you and you hummed to yourself, completely forgotten how big he was. In your hand, you tugged on him and swallowed, pumping him some before readying yourself for his length. Hard as rock you went to put a kiss on the side of his head, and your hand went to focus on his balls, resting at the base of his cock when you first wrapped your lips around him. With the tip in your mouth, you lapped your tongue flat against him, listening to the sounds you elicited from him.

“Y/N,” murmured he in a tired voice, needy tone lacing your name as his hand went to your head.

Bringing your hand down to take care of what you could not fit in your mouth, you tightened your grip around him as your fist ran upward, encouraging the blood flow to circulate differently than to its usual course. A slight movement made him spontaneously thrust his hips, and the control you had over him like this only motivated you to go faster, bringing him closer to the edge.

Throbbing, the prominent vein in his cock sparked and pulsated against your tongue and your hand slid around his back to steady him. The pleasure intervened with the apprehensive worry that blocked his mind and he had to support himself on the table, his hand grasping out and taking you by surprise. Chuckling against him, you bopped your head faster and another shiver was sent up his spine. Hollowing your cheeks, you sucked harder and went further down his shaft, swallowing around him and a grunt escaped Yon-Rogg’s lips in spite of how he had tried to contain it. These walls were sealed so that each sound was contained safely, yet anyhow, a voice kept insisting he should be worried someone might hear.

From brood, from the rush and from the anxiety, his forehead was sprinkled with pearls of sweat and the crease pulling together his brows seemed constant. The abnormal beat of his heart had his chest heaving much like when he was in combat, the adrenaline feeling just the same and even better when he finally released in your mouth.

What he had, you took it all, your lips still wrapped around his girth as you felt his warmth soothe your throat. Massaging his balls, emptying and sucking him dry he moaned out your name, louder than expected but you could hear the strain in his voice.

You finally allowed yourself the break and swallowed down his cum, before looking up at him. Pleased with his glowing expression, you grinned up at him, the smile spreading from ear to ear and flashing a certain spark across the black of your eyes.

Cussing under his breath, Yon-Rogg pulled you up to meet him and he tasted himself on your lips, your tongue dancing with his in a fevered kiss. He whispered against your lips as you felt him move his feet, “you really are going to be the death of me, Y/N.”

[ayittey1]

Institutional Checks against Despotism in Traditional Africa

"Despotism and kleptocracy do not inhere in the nature of African cultures or in the African character; but they are now rife in what was once called British colonial Africa, notably West Africa."

 ·       The late British economist, Lord Peter Bauer, in his book, Reality and Rhetoric (1984: 104):

 -------------------------------------

 One of the myths used to justify colonialism was that Africans where chafing under horribly repressive political systems. So colonialism was good for them because it liberated them from their awful despotic rulers. Nothing could be further than the truth.

 There were four political configurations in precolonial Africa: the Empire, stateless society, o

kingdom and state/chiefdom. Dictatorship or despotism was not possible in the empires because they were all Confederacies, characterized by decentralization of power and devolution of authority. Stateless societies have no political leaders and therefore could not have dictators.

 Next, the African king has little or no political role. Much of his political authority is delegated to subordinate chiefs. His primary function is spiritual or supernatural – to mediate between the cosmological forces (the sky, the earth and the world) and ensure that they are in perfect balance and harmony, called kiet among the Nnandi of Kenya. Each cosmological force was represented by a god and the king’s role is to propitiate these gods to keep them happy. If they are out of balance because the sky god is angry, there would be hurricanes, thunderstorms, heavy rain and floods. When such calamities occur it means the king has been derelict in the performance of his duties. In many tribal systems he was deposed or disposed of and regicide). Nonetheless, dictatorship is highly unlikely in a kingdom where the king has little or no political role.

 In the remaining polity – states/chiefdoms – there were elaborate systems of checks and balances. Rather than take chances, African natives institutionalized a whole battery of checks against tyranny and abuse of power by office-holders.

 Religious or Supernatural Sanctions

 The office of chieftaincy is sacred. It is the repository of ancestral spirits. People in traditional Africa believe that when a person dies his body decayed but his soul remains and lives with the ancestors in the world of spirits. The ancestral spirits watch the living constantly and reward good men and rulers but punish them with epidemics, calamity and other catastrophes on the earth and ostracism of their souls after death for wrongdoing. The fear of incurring the wrath of the ancestors by misrule checks chiefs and kings against becoming cruel and inhumane.

 A chief who commits a breach of the taboos was liable to both supernatural and human sanctions. The gods might kill him before his subjects could remove him from office. The Temne of Sierra Leone took their spiritual injunctions a step further. The corpse of a bad chief was dragged along the ground and mocked by those who hated him. “By defiling the corpse, the Temne believed they would prevent his soul from joining the spirits of the ancestors. Most often, that indignity of funeral ceremony acted as a check on bad chiefs" (Amoah, 1988; p.178).

 Private and Public Admonitions

 Dictatorial tendencies in a ruler always caused disaffection among the people and brought shame to the royal lineage. A founding lineage member might be provoked to replace the "dictator." Those who chose or appointed the chief also had the power and duty to recall or depose him if he did not perform the duties of his office satisfactorily.

 Before a despotic ruler was removed from office, however, most indigenous systems gave him ample opportunity to reform. Often, the ruler was reminded of the oath he took upon assumption of power, which stated the standard of conduct expected of him. The oath he swore might require him to:

 ·     Listen to advice,

·       Not abuse his power,

·       Not act dictatorially,

·       Not abuse his people,

·       Not go after other people’s wives, etc.

 The chief is advised to obey his own oath. The advice is cautionary but the hidden threat of removal in case of breach or lapses of behavior serves as an effective deterrent. In addition to the advice, a newly-chosen chief is isolated for a number of days and given instructions on proper code of conduct.

 Prohibitions against the Office of Chieftaincy or Kingship

 Most traditional African societies applied various restrictions against the office of chieftaincy so that whoever occupied the "stool" would act "properly." As noted in the previous section, in some tribes, the king was not required to venture out of his palace into town except under the cover of darkness. The king was never to speak to his people directly, except through a linguist (okyeame as in the case of the Akan). The Akan chief or king was forbidden to meet with any foreigner except in the presence or company of a member of the council of elders.

 While some of these injunctions were intended to enhance the sanctity of the office, there were others which were cleverly designed to check despotic tendencies and misuse of power. Of particular interest was the prohibition against property holding. The danger of a ruler using his position to amass wealth for himself was obviated by the custom that the king could not, except in a few circumstances, own any personal property while in office. Everything that the ruler acquired, while in office automatically became stool property or property of the office, unless the elders knew that he was acquiring it for himself and consented to it. That rule applied to the wives of the ruler as well. To make the rule effective, the administration of tribal funds and property was put in the hands of someone else other than the chief. The ruler was debarred from any close contact with the stool finances.

 While this prohibition is fascinating and akin to requiring an American president to place his private holdings of stock in a "blind trust," it may have contributed to the myth of communal ownership. When the Akan said, "The chief does not own anything. Everything he owns belongs to the stool" it was easy for Europeans to misinterpret that to imply "communal ownership" rather than as an injunction against personal aggrandizement. Every gift to the chief will also belong to the stool.[i]

 Institutional Checks against Autocratic Chiefs

The Royal Family

 Recall that the chief was chosen; he did not choose himself. The Queen or Clan Mother or Clan chiefs would consult with elders and dignitaries of the royal family and make a selection. This selection must be ratified by the Council of Elders. If the chief drifts toward despotism or shirks his responsibilities, he “brings shame” to the royal family. It is the duty of the Queen Mother to scold, reprimand and rebuke an errant chief. If she failed in this duty, she herself could be deposed in some tribal systems. In fact, his fiercest critics are likely to come from the royal family because there are always rival claimants to the office. Lines of succession become fuzzy or truncated. There are no written records; the keeper of royal oral tradition passed away years ago. So when a chief dies and a new one has to be chosen, rival claimants emerge, who will scrutinize every act of the new chief in the minutest detail. Obviously, the chief cannot lock up critics from his own royal family. If a chief “brings shame” to the royal family, the elders of the family may persuade the Queen Mother to recall and replace him. This often is the first line of defense against despotism.

 The Inner Privy Council

 The second check against despotism is the Privy or Inner Council of Advisers. They are a small group of confidential advisers drawn from mainly from the inner circle of the chief’s relatives and personal friends who may include influential members of the community. The duty of the advisers is not only to keep the chief in touch with happenings in the ethnic group but also keep a check on his own behavior, and when he does wrong should speak to him privately and if necessary reprimand him. The role of the advisers is to see that the chief governs the ethnic group properly. If the chief rules incompetently, the ethnic group would reproach the advisers for failing in their responsibility. In fact, Busia (1951) reported two cases where two Ashanti elders "lost their stools and were fined in the one case sixteen pounds sterling (ntanu) and two sheep, in the other twenty-four pounds sterling (ntansa) and two sheep" for failing to advise their chief of his wrong-doing (p.73). These advisers gauged public opinion and passed the information on to the chief. If the chief persisted in his despotic ways, the advisers might abandon him. If this check also failed, there was a third, and the most important, line of defense against despotism: the council of elders.

 The Council of Elders

 The Council of Elders was the representative body of the commoners. In crafting any law, the chief must consult with this Council. Without this council, the chief was powerless and could not make laws. Generally, the elders tended to be only interested in the welfare of their own lineages. Though the chief has his own lineage in the village, it was his duty to reconcile sectional and competing interests of the elders and become a unifying force. Council approval or unanimity was needed on all matters affecting the community. The chief could not dismiss the councilors, since those offices were hereditary and restricted to non‑royal lineages. In other words, the chief could not use family ties to suborn the councilors. The officers came from different lineages.[ii]

 The Akan provided their people with an opportunity to admonish their rulers at certain festivals. For example, the Ashanti had the odwira festival at which the ruler gave a public account of himself. The people could express displeasure at his misrule by boos and hisses. In fact, they could do more: take legal action against the oppressive ruler.

 A chief’s subjects, acting through their representatives on the council, could present grievances concerning lapses in his conduct. The council would then constitute itself into a tribunal or court and hold an enquiry into these grievances. If found at fault in respect of any of the grievances, the chief would normally be cautioned, and he would have to pay what the Akan call mpata, a pacification fee, which also served as a mark that an enquiry had been held into the case and appropriate steps taken. If it were found that the grievances were without factual basis, and therefore frivolously presented, those presenting them would be declared at fault, made to pacify the ruler and also to produce sheep and drinks for the performance of religious ceremonies in order to pacify the spirits. Grievances generally related to a breach of one or the other of the contents of the admonition the Elders offered him on his installation – for

 Political Pressure from Various Groups and Associations

 Freedom of association was a right in most traditional societies. A native could belong to any association that they desire. They could form associations -- religious, economic or political -- with whom they wished and when. The chief or king had no power to ban these associations. Some of them brought political pressure to bear on despotic rulers and to check misrule or abuse of power.

 For example, the Akans of Ghana have a commoners' association whose leader is called the Nkwankwaahene.  Through him, the commoners complain to the council of elders and force the elders to consider any representation they made on behalf of the commoners. "In this way, the office of the Nkwankwaahene provided an effective channel for expressions of popular criticisms against the ruler and his government. It enabled the elders to take action against the ruler without being charged with disloyalty or jealousy" (Amoah, 1988; p.175).

 There were various other associations and commoner societies: for example, asafo companies, age-grades, and secret societies. The asafo companies of the Akans of Ghana were primarily warrior organizations of the common people or the youth. They were often organized in the face of external aggression to defend the chiefdom. But the asafo companies also performed a number of social services such as road work, sanitation and other duties that arose during annual festivals. They might refuse to perform these services to show their displeasure at a tyrannical chief. "No chief would remain on the stool for long if the asafo companies were united against him" (Amoah, 1988; p.176).

 Political checks were also applied against chiefs by secret societies.[iii] The African continent in the pre-colonial days was the home of numerous such societies, many of which continued to exist even during the colonial period. "One writer enumerated about 150 of such societies in 1929" (Amoah, 1998; p.177). They were abolished in Nigeria in 1978. Some were mystic societies, some patriotic and a few others were subversive and criminal. However, most African secret societies were founded to enforce, maintain and teach tribal tradition, the custom and beliefs of their respective ethnic groups. More importantly, they "could bring pressure to bear on the rulers and restrain them from pursuing unpopular measures" (Amoah, 1988; p.177).

 Perhaps the best known of the secret societies were those of Sierra Leone and Liberia. The name "poro" means "laws of the ancestors," implying the force of supernatural authority of the ancestors to back up poro power. It upholds the authority of rulers but at the same time helps check the abuse of power by rulers. The rulers were bound to observe moral and religious laws laid down by the poro. Major decisions such as those of war and peace were made by the secret societies, not by the rulers or their councils.

 Deposition

Even in modern times, chiefs are still held accountable and corrupt chiefs are deposed. Here are three examples:

 ·       An unspecified number of members of the `Oyoko' clan, King‑makers of the Okumaning stools, have been rounded up by Kade Police for allegedly beating up their chief, Nana Karikari Appau II. The King‑makers have preferred 13 destoolment charges against the chief. These include the alleged embezzlement of C50,000 ($18,182) land compensation belonging to the entire Oyoko family at Okumaning and the signing of a land agreement with an Italian firm, Greenwhich Chemicals Company, involving some 16,000 acres without the consent of the entire family (Daily Graphic, 28 October, 1981; p.8).

 ·       The Chief of Akyem Osorase near Oda in the Eastern Region (of Ghana), Barima Adu-Baah Kyere and his supporters including the Gyaasehene have allegedly fled the village to unknown destination following assassination attempts on them. A pick-up vehicle being used by the chief was said to have been burnt to ashes by the irate mob which besieged the palace.  A police source said there has been a dispute between Barima Adu-Baah and section of the people of Osorase over accountability on the village's revenue (Ghana Drum, June, 1994; p.12).

 ·       ``Nana Ekwam VIII, Chief of Gomoa Ekwamkrom in Ghana: At a meeting. convened by the elders of the town to enable the Chief to account for a sum of 780,000 cedis alleged to have been misappropriated by him, the Chief stood up and insulted them.  The Obaahema of the town, Okomfo Asaba, then stood up and drew the attention of the chief to a pledge he made to repay the sum. Nana Ekwam shouted the old woman down and called her a liar.

There was a brief silence and the Chief walked out of the meeting in anger. But before he could turn in the direction of his palace a group of young men, numbering over 20, knocked him down and removed his cloth and sandals" – deposing him. (The Mirror, Jan 6, 1996; p.1).

 The Final Defense – The Foot

 If a tyrannical chief or a ruler manages to overrun the various lines of defense, the people might exercise the “exit option”; that is “vote with their feet” to go and settle somewhere else. The history of Africa is full of such migrations of people, which still continue today, evidenced by the millions of political and economic refugees.

 Other Institutional Checks

 In regards to the other polities, African kings played insignificant political role in government. Their traditional role was spiritual: To provide a vital link to the universe for his people by maintaining harmony or balance among the three cosmological forces: the sky, the world and the earth. Each was represented by a god and if the sky god was “angry,” there would be thunder, heavy downpour and flooding. That would mean the king failed to perform his function and the punishment could be regicide. To enable him to perform his function, he was secluded in his palace – to keep his royal fingers out of people‘s business.

 Second, he was not only enclosed in his palace but also cocooned in web of taboos and injunction against the office of kingship. His daily life and conduct was planned to the minutest detail. For example, he could not eat before strangers; he could not speak directly to his people; or could not venture out of his palace except under the cover of darkness.

 Third, most of his powers were delegated to subordinate chiefs under him. Even then, most of the political organizations which had a king surrounded him with councils and with courts. "Almost all have institutionalized means to keep him from abusing his power" (Bohannan, 1964; p.191).

 Though Africans delighted in telling foreigners how "powerful" their kings were to ward off foreign aggressive intentions, the kings were severely restrained in the exercise of those powers against their people. The Asante king appeared absolute. "Yet, he had to procure the consent of the chiefs, and the chiefs the consent of the elders, in order to bring about group action" (Carlston, 1968:127). "Akan kings had no right to make peace or war, make laws, or be directly involved in important negotiations such as treaties without the consent of their elders and/or elected representatives" (Boamah-Wiafe, 1993; p.169). Even in the rigidly-controlled Kingdom of Dahomey, Boahen and Webster (1970) found that,

 Although the king's word was the law of the land yet he was not above the law. Dahomeans like to recount how king Glele was fined for breaking the law. When gangs of men were working co‑operatively on state roads, it was a law that a passer‑by must offer a credible as to why he could not break his journey to assist in the work. Permission was always given, the law being largely designed to reinforce courtesy. King Glele's procession passed one such group without asking to be excused. He was stopped and fined many cases of rum and pieces of cloth for breaking the law...The fact that the kings of Dahomey (now Benin) were prepared to obey the laws they themselves created was the difference between arbitrary despotism and despotism which realized that its power and position rested ultimately, no matter how indirectly, upon the will of the people (p.108).

 Vaughan (1986) also noted:  “In many instances, the dependence upon the rule of law and a respect for law seems to have inhibited ambitious rulers. Nor should it be forgotten that regicide itself was an ultimate check upon the excesses of a king” (p.178).

 Regicide has been abolished, so kings are simply dethroned. Several Asantehene (Ashanti kings) were deposed in the course of history. Among them were Kofi Kakari, who was deposed in 1874, and Mensa Bonsu, removed in February 1883 for his avarice and refusal to raise an army and re-conquer Gyaman (Boahen and Webster, 1970; p.128). Itwika, the Gikuyu equivalent of the French revolution may also be recalled at this juncture. Today, kings are still being dethroned. Consider the case of Oba Samuel Aderiyi Adara of the Ode-Ekiti community of Ekiti State in Nigeria, who was dethroned for non-performance:

 The traditional ruler was accused of not contributing enough to the progress of the community and of frustrating the celebration of the yearly festival. He was invited to the community meeting where he was accused of failing in his duty of moving the town forward. But attempts by the monarch to extricate himself from the allegations failed. He was lambasted for not informing the state government of the pathetic socio-economic situation in his domain and asked to vacate the throne for a more progressive minded personality in the town.

While the meeting was still going on, some youths in the town invaded the venue, removed the dress of the traditional ruler, including his royal beads and crown, and chased him out of the town. Shortly after, traditional trees in strategic shrines were cut down, symbolizing the demise of the Oba.

The spokesman for the community said it was the collective decision of both the old and young to dethrone the monarch, saying his reign was "disastrous, woeful and sorrowful" (The Guardian, July 24, 2003; p.4).

[i] [i] This is similar to modern day practice in the United States. “The National Archives and Records Administration stores gifts to the president — many of which end up in their official libraries — as well as the vice president and member of their families. Under a 2006 rule, recipients may not keep gifts from foreign officials that are worth more than $305, for fear of the potential influence on U.S. policy. They are accepted, however, on behalf of the American people” (The Washington Times, Dec 8, 2007; p.A2)

 [ii]The analogous situation in the United States is to imagine the existence of three political parties: the Republicans, the Democrats, and the Libertarians. The presidency in modern times is often drawn from the Republican Party while the Democrats and Libertarians make up the Congress. Although the President of the United States is one of the most powerful in the whole world and could theoretically bring an end to the human race, without Congress he is powerless and cannot impose his will. The Council of Elders is to the chief what the U.S. Congress is to the President of the United States.

 [iii]There are also secret societies in the West that also influence political decisions. Among them are Skull and Bones, The Freemasons, The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, The Illuminati, and The Knights Templar.

 REFERENCES

 Amoah, G.Y. (1988). Groundwork of Government For West Africa. Illorin (Nigeria): Gbenle Press, Ltd.

 Bauer, P. T. (1984). Reality and Rhetoric. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

 Bohannan, Paul (1964). Africa and Africans. New York: The Natural History Press.

 Boahen, A.A. and J.B. Webster (1970). History of West Africa. New York: Praeger.

 Boamah-Wiafe, Daniel (1993). Africa: The Land, People, and Cultural Institutions. Omaha, NB:                                             Wisdom Publications.

 Carlston, Kenneth S. (1968). Social Theory and African Tribal Organization. Urbana: University of Chicago Press.

 Vaughan, James H.  (1986). "Population and Social Organization," in Martin and O'Meara (1986).

[perkwunos]

Georg Lukács wrote in his essay "The Marxism of Rosa Luxembourg", “Bourgeois thought concerns itself with objects that arise either from the process of studying phenomena in isolation, or from the division of labour and specialisation in the different disciplines. It holds abstractions to be 'real' if it is naively realistic, and 'autonomous' if it is critical." The intellectual currents of our age are most well defined by their inability to be grasped coherently, all together. One can discuss the implications of one's aesthetic or moral experience, or talk about the world of physics. It is felt, however, that you can not discuss both together as if they were one world, without recourse to some fundamental dualism.

Lukács of course meant for his approach of understanding the "totality" to represent a resolution of this intellectual problem, but he was not primarily focusing on the kind of metaphysical/cosmological problems which I have just centered in my bringing up mind-body dualism and its related issues. There were other contemporaries who were focusing on this, however. One person, in particular, I would argue made more advances at going beyond the bourgeois division in thought than anyone else: the mathematician, physicist, and metaphysical philosopher Alfred North Whitehead.

Whitehead defined his speculative philosophy as "the endeavour to frame a coherent, logical, necessary system of general ideas in terms of which every element of our experience can be interpreted." Every element of our experience, i.e., everything we ever come into contact with and can know anything about. So it's a grand project, and he makes sure to remind the reader he sees it as one of constant experimental reconstruction that would never reach a perfected conclusion; it's an ever-ongoing project.

So why undergo the project at all? Because it allows for a confrontation with the division of fields and topics of discussion that we saw Lukács diagnose as symptomatic of bourgeois thought. Contemporary Whiteheadian Matthew Segall puts it thus, at the beginning of his short book "Physics of the World-Soul": "The importance of philosophy in our age, according to Whitehead, is primarily to serve as the critic of the abstractions of the specialized sciences ... the philosopher must always be at work attempting to harmonize the abstract sciences (e.g., physics, chemistry, biology, psychology, and sociology), both internally among themselves, and more generally with our deep moral intuitions and aesthetic feelings". This is the attempt to get at a mode of thought that sees physics and our experience of value as existing in the same plane of being.

Whitehead's view is one of relationality; everything can only be fully explained by its relations to other things. One must understand the environment to understand the thing, for the thing is an expression of the environment. This puts him directly in confrontation with the assumptions of specialization, which allow people to feel they’ve fully grasped something when it is in reality only viewed in abstraction from concrete totality. When you entertain a variety of such abstractions without understanding their entire concreteness, you face dislocated incoherence. He wrote in Adventures of Ideas, "We habitually speak of stones, and planets, and animals, as though each individual thing could exist, even for a passing moment, in separation from an environment which is in truth a necessary factor in its own nature. Such an abstraction is a necessity of thought, and the requisite background of systematic environment can be presupposed. That is true. But it also follows that, in the absence of some understanding of the final nature of things, and thus of the sorts of backgrounds presupposed in such abstract statements, all science suffers from the vice that it may be combining various propositions which tacitly presuppose inconsistent backgrounds." Some thinkers of Marxist dialectics have likewise continued through the 20th century into today in the explicit attempt to so comprehensively understand things in terms of their internal relations. I would argue, however, that when it comes to a fully cosmological and experiential model, Whitehead has been far more comprehensive and direct in the issues he faced. I don't necessarily expect this to be contended by many people; after all, Marxism is primarily a methodology for understanding social sciences. My argument, however, would be that Whitehead's system not only generalizes from and thus encompasses the subjects of physics, biology, psychology, aesthetics, but also just as well sociology, economics and anthropology. Society, its conditions and relations, certainly play a role in supplying the concrete facts which Whitehead knows he must not explain-away but rather locate in a wider system.

In fact there is an argument for the study of social interactions and its presuppositions playing one of the most vital roles for Whitehead. He was fond of citing sociological facts to show the reality of aims and self-decisions. I believe Victor Lowe described this as Whitehead's "humanistic" side, but I'd rather call it his anthropological side. Now, what is ultimately really concrete for Whitehead are occasions of experience seen as composed of relations to other occasions of experience. He generalizes that every process is an experiential process, because the only actuality we know of is, of course, that of our own experiential processes. However, this does not mean he appeals to only a crude psychological empiricism for his data as to what experience is like. He knows that our consciousness when put under the conditions of self-investigation will become such as to only emphasize certain kinds of experience. Rather his methodology puts forward that we should catch experience “in the rush of immediate transition.” One of the best ways to see evidence for what that’s like, actually, is not by documenting experience directly, but rather systematically studying the documentation of all of the actions that people do, and the perspectives they take on - for these are, ultimately, the effects of certain experiences. In Adventures of Ideas, Whitehead states, "The main sources of evidence respecting this width of human experience are language, social institutions, and action, including thereby the fusion of the three which is language interpreting action and social institutions." So some of the most intimate evidence for Whitehead's basic metaphysical entity, the occasion of relational experience, is thus derived from the social sciences!

I've often lamented before that I did not study physics more, so as to be able to attempt my own direct integration of its most recent findings with Whitehead's generalizations. Now, however, I realize that more important than that is to integrate the most recent findings of social studies with his thought. Whitehead himself was a highly sophisticated physicist, around for the cutting edges of relativity and quantum theories. His philosophizing shows that. He never dedicated quite so much time to the social sciences, nor was he as ensconced in the most revolutionary theoretical turns; he had an ethnocentric understanding of history and anthropology, and was still essentially a liberal gentleman in his confrontation with economic problems. Here is where the best possible sophistication is still to be brought.

There is of course the criticism that this philosophizing, as it does not confront the material conditions of capitalism which allowed for this incoherence of consciousness, does not focus upon the direct, material condition of alienated labor that leads to consciousness of an alienated ego, but instead stays as a purely ideological critique, cannot really help in doing away with the reality of these mental tendencies. I think this is a valid criticism against many liberal Whiteheadians. The integrated ecological metaphysics of Whitehead will not be at the forefront of abolishing the harmful conditions of today, except insofar as they are in the minds of those who will attack and abolish the relations of labor which produce the society we live in. However, Whitehead’s worldview can include the knowledge that our current consciousness arises from the conditions of our producing our material environment; indeed, his philosophy may explain better than any other how our experience comes out of the conditions of prior activity. This intellectual, or ideological, activity does play its role, and I do believe Whitehead above all others will serve the specifically philosophical purpose of integrating the slivered knowledge of the world into a true consciousness of totality. This totality is that of each subjective experience as it contains in its relations the entirety of the world. If nothing else this philosophy is a system of poetry which is truly a glimmer of the post-modern, i.e. post-bourgeois, and declares the pleasure principle, the Eros, of such. This experience of desire does not remain a private solipsism, but returns back upon the environment so as to affect it, and it is this affect existing within social relations that is the true object of desire. Whitehead's philosophy shows this.

I believe that when we make it beyond the capitalist organization of our global society, if there are still any organized intellectual efforts such as there are today, they will grasp upon the work of Whiteheadians to achieve a comprehensive framework for understanding our world. This will arguably advance the specific knowledge of physical sciences; more importantly, it would certainly advance the integrated knowledge of our interactions with an inherently aesthetic, desirous world. The pondering teenager confused by the existential separation they feel between their ego and the material world is an incoherent product of bourgeois-dominated culture, and will disappear in turn once those conditions of bourgeois domination are systematically abolished and replaced by the freedom of truly democratic, socialist control over production. For the time being, Whitehead's thought is a weapon against this kind of alienated consciousness we develop inside of capitalist society. It will not fully destroy this sickness, but it can be part of the healing process.

[hotcocosharing]

Heads Or Tails Part 6 (KBTBB RP EISUKE x OC)

Eisuke is my least favorite but an OC to torture the guy is TO DIE FOR so if you enjoy ANGST and messing with the KING, read on :)

My Masterpost here for easier serch, ENJOY!

OC- Kumiko Mayumi ❣ Canon- Eisuke Ichinomiya Rated M for mature audiences as the roleplay progresses…

Part 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥

Kumiko’s POV

“Hiro no.” “Hiro just stop–.” “Hiro, it’s not like that with Eisuke and I…” It’s a little under 48 hours before I hear the sounds of gunfire which ultimately equal my liberation. Unsure of whether or not I particularly want to be saved - the whole idea of being held hostage, tortured and possibly murdered; even by an aggravated ex-fiance, adds a little excitement to my relatively dull and extremely regimented life. It’s only after the door I’m trapped behind opens that it occurs to me that I’m cold, hungry and sleep deprived. When you’ve reached the point of exhaustion that you weren’t prepared for though; you become thankful for just about anything. My eyes are fixated on the warm, yellow lights which line the streets the oversized black car drives down and I want nothing more than to be left alone yet the grey suit wearing henchman type that sits beside me watches over me like a hawk, ready to act if I step out of line in the small space I’m sitting in. He’s been on the phone for the last fifteen minutes - mostly with calls regarding business yet it’s a particular conversation along the lines of ‘we found her’ that cause my stomach to churn, for my breath to run short and for my eyes to run watery. When the car finally comes to a stop; I’m ever so gently manhandled into the exquisite gold lift which I’ve seen the inside far too many times for my own liking and spoken to like a lost dog when we reach the suites on the hotels upper floors - told to 'stay right there’ as the man who found me paces across the room; one of his subordinates - a young, light haired man holds onto my wrist without the intention of letting go. “..it’s Soryu right?” The few words which I utter are the first I’ve come to speak for a while and this stops the man in his tracks quicker than imaginable. I wonder if he’s not use to hearing his own name being spoken quietly or if perhaps he just wasn’t expecting it. As he turns around; if looks could kill I’d be already descending into hell, yet I swallow hard and try not to let this have any affect on me. I’m not easily shaken, not easily deterred yet am fully aware that this man could crush me within his fingertips at any given second if need be. “I um… I’d like to say thank you. I mean - you didn’t have to; like.. I know he asked, but — thank you. If it’s ok I’d like to make it up to you.” The half appreciative appology runs a little too shaky for my own liking from my lips and before I know it; the young man who’s holding me still and in place whispers that he’s starving - that he could really go for the omlettes that a maid who works here makes for Soryu on occasion and as a bidding tool to keep me from seeing Eisuke for just a little longer I offer to make them something - as a thanks - wasting some time before I eventually shower and wash off the guilt, unnessesary physical attention and dirty feeling which has stained my skin. If food is the way to a man’s heart than within moments I’ve won these two men over. Not a word is said as a homely smell takes over the kitchen and their plates are emptied apart from the fact that I can have a few minutes to clean up by myself before having to see him. An uncomfortable feeling jolts up my spine. Calling room service to bring up a fresh white robe and towels; it takes just a spray of water beneath the shower to make me feel slightly human again. The mascara runs, the lipstick stains, the scent of vanilla bodywash all aid me in feeling whole. I’m not in the mood to deal with my hair - the knots and kinks and twists at it’s ends a small reminder of the problematic web of confusion, deceit and cunningness that I’m about to deal with. Dry, half dressed and with Hiro’s unwanted touch now scrubbed off me, I tiptoe back to where I left the two men eating before yet find the room empty; the soft sound of fingers tapping against a laptop keyboard drawing my attention to the living area to see a man I really, really didn’t want to deal with. “You know Ichinomiya - for someone who acts like they don’t want anything to do with me; you sure did send help quickly.” He counteracts this conversation with something about my father requesting his assistance and my mother in tears but I don’t buy it - at the same time, we’re past the point of needing to lie to one another. “So why bother then? You already helped with your end of the deal - you got me away from Hiro just like Akira said you would and I repaid him kindly with my own money - not my families. Is there something else you want or do you just like my company?” His eyes narrow at me as I take a seat on the sofa beside him and smirk; his laptop shutting with perfect timing so that I couldn’t read whatever was on the screen. The already small smile on my face expands to a grin as an expression of half frustration, half confusion paints across his face, forcing a heavy sigh from me. “…you know you look just like your sister when you make that face.”

Eisuke’s POV

There’s only a split second before I make my next move- one without giving Kumiko the total satisfaction and making sure she at least leaves my hotel alive. First I had to rescue her then her whole freaking family interrupted my routined morning follow by her disrespecting me like the moronic share holders at my firm, not to mention her father calling me to find his spoiled princess and now she dares to look me in the eyes and taunts me about my long lost sister- Kumiko Mayumi sure has a death wish. With one hand on the back of her skull, I crash my lips onto hers and hold her in place before she parts her lips with our tongue overlapping each other. In one swift motion, I grip her hips and lift her up while the kiss deepens into a much heated and long lasting one. Placing her on top of my dining table and rip her blouse open, the sound of expected knocking interrupt us. I pull away and greet Soryu, "Perfect timing. Make sure she stays.” I say, loosening my tie as I see Soryu stands behind her with his hand on his shoulder, eyes wanderi around for an appropriate spot. I sincerely hope he hasn’t taken a liking of her, he’s going to be disappointed. “Hurry up.” I demand at the girl I’ve contacted earlier. “I didn’t know we will have audience.” Her smiles disappear rather quickly as she meets my stern stares. “Get right to it.” With that, she gets down and I grab a clump of her, pulling her roughly forward. With my other hand, I unzip my fly. “Suck.” I command before jerking her head closer, the blonde finally does as she’s told and tugs my manhood out of my briefs, wrapping her lips around my tip. I need this finished quickly so I’d get back to my less pleasant guest of late. Tangling my free hand into the woman’s hair, I begin to buck my hips and listen to her gag as I fuck her typical plain model face roughly. Watching Kumiko eyes rolled and looks away to hide her semi redden cheeks makes it more erratic, with few more hard thrust, my thick release spills into the blonde ’s throat as she swallows every last drop like she always does. It would be more fun to play further but my guest clearly is too disgusted to even look my way, collecting the pile of cash and finding her own way out of my suite. At last, the three of us are alone. “Now here’s the reason why you’re here instead of being at your castle,” I hold up my laptop and show her what I’ve been watching earlier, “if that has rattled you, well feel free to cover your eyes.” I smirk and hit the play button for the princess to watch her own sister getting fucked by multiple guys in masks. Her eyes filled with rage and possibly tears, no one can be sure if it’s consensual but her little sister herself but I doubt it’s a topic she’d mention at their next family gathering. Soryu takes the liberty and explains the video’s sent to one of our tabloid so again, we’re doing her a favor. “I was going to hang it right back to you but since you despire my help that much then let’s strike a deal.” Lowering my head, I lean in and name my proposal. “Either you tell me where my sister is or let me fuck you till sun raise.” Spreading her legs wide open, I caresse her inner thighs and lick up way up till I hear an almost inaudible whimper. Getting back up on my feet, I can’t deny how fucking good it feels to see that twisted expression on Kumiko’s face. “Oh and call me an asshole all you want because clearly you are far from a lady yourself. So what would it be, Kumiko Mayumi, heads or tails?” I spin the same gold coin on the dining table as all three sets of eyes stare wide at it, waiting for her to choose her own fate.

[buddhasutras-blog]

Dhammapada. Introduction.

From ancient times to the present, the Dhammapada has been regarded as the most succinct expression of the Buddha's teaching found in the Pali canon and the chief spiritual testament of early Buddhism. In the countries following Theravada Buddhism, such as Sri Lanka, Burma and Thailand, the influence of the Dhammapada is ubiquitous. It is an ever-fecund source of themes for sermons and discussions, a guidebook for resolving the countless problems of everyday life, a primer for the instruction of novices in the monasteries. Even the experienced contemplative, withdrawn to forest hermitage or mountainside cave for a life of meditation, can be expected to count a copy of the book among his few material possessions. Yet the admiration the Dhammapada has elicited has not been confined to avowed followers of Buddhism. Wherever it has become known its moral earnestness, realistic understanding of human life, aphoristic wisdom and stirring message of a way to freedom from suffering have won for it the devotion and veneration of those responsive to the good and the true.

The expounder of the verses that comprise the Dhammapada is the Indian sage called the Buddha, an honorific title meaning "the Enlightened One" or "the Awakened One." The story of this venerable personage has often been overlaid with literary embellishment and the admixture of legend, but the historical essentials of his life are simple and clear. He was born in the sixth century B.C., the son of a king ruling over a small state in the Himalayan foothills, in what is now Nepal. His given name was Siddhattha and his family name Gotama (Sanskrit: Siddhartha Gautama) . Raised in luxury, groomed by his father to be the heir to the throne, in his early manhood he went through a deeply disturbing encounter with the sufferings of life, as a result of which he lost all interest in the pleasures and privileges of rulership. One night, in his twenty-ninth year, he fled the royal city and entered the forest to live as an ascetic, resolved to find a way to deliverance from suffering. For six years he experimented with different systems of meditation and subjected himself to severe austerities, but found that these practices did not bring him any closer to his goal. Finally, in his thirty-fifth year, while sitting in deep meditation beneath a tree at Gaya, he attained Supreme Enlightenment and became, in the proper sense of the title, the Buddha, the Enlightened One. Thereafter, for forty-five years, he traveled throughout northern India, proclaiming the truths he had discovered and founding an order of monks and nuns to carry on his message. At the age of eighty, after a long and fruitful life, he passed away peacefully in the small town of Kusinara, surrounded by a large number of disciples.

To his followers, the Buddha is neither a god, a divine incarnation, or a prophet bearing a message of divine revelation, but a human being who by his own striving and intelligence has reached the highest spiritual attainment of which man is capable — perfect wisdom, full enlightenment, complete purification of mind. His function in relation to humanity is that of a teacher — a world teacher who, out of compassion, points out to others the way to Nibbana (Sanskrit: Nirvana), final release from suffering. His teaching, known as the Dhamma, offers a body of instructions explaining the true nature of existence and showing the path that leads to liberation. Free from all dogmas and inscrutable claims to authority, the Dhamma is founded solidly upon the bedrock of the Buddha's own clear comprehension of reality, and it leads the one who practices it to that same understanding — the knowledge which extricates the roots of suffering.

The title "Dhammapada" which the ancient compilers of the Buddhist scriptures attached to our anthology means portions, aspects, or sections of Dhamma. The work has been given this title because, in its twenty-six chapters, it spans the multiple aspects of the Buddha's teaching, offering a variety of standpoints from which to gain a glimpse into its heart. Whereas the longer discourses of the Buddha contained in the prose sections of the Canon usually proceed methodically, unfolding according to the sequential structure of the doctrine, the Dhammapada lacks such a systematic arrangement. The work is simply a collection of inspirational or pedagogical verses on the fundamentals of the Dhamma, to be used as a basis for personal edification and instruction. In any given chapter several successive verses may have been spoken by the Buddha on a single occasion, and thus among themselves will exhibit a meaningful development or a set of variations on a theme. But by and large, the logic behind the grouping together of verses into a chapter is merely the concern with a common topic. The twenty-six chapter headings thus function as a kind of rubric for classifying the diverse poetic utterances of the Master, and the reason behind the inclusion of any given verse in a particular chapter is its mention of the subject indicated in the chapter's heading . In some cases (Chapters 4 and 23) this may be a metaphorical symbol rather than a point of doctrine. There also seems to be no intentional design in the order of the chapters themselves, though at certain points a loose thread of development can be discerned.

The teachings of the Buddha, viewed in their completeness, all link together into a single perfectly coherent system of thought and practice which gains its unity from its final goal, the attainment of deliverance from suffering. But the teachings inevitably emerge from the human condition as their matrix and starting point, and thus must be expressed in such a way as to reach human beings standing at different levels of spiritual development, with their highly diverse problems, ends, and concerns and with their very different capacities for understanding. Thence, just as water, though one in essence, assumes different shapes due to the vessels into which it is poured, so the Dhamma of liberation takes on different forms in response to the needs of the beings to be taught. This diversity, evident enough already in the prose discourses, becomes even more conspicuous in the highly condensed, spontaneous and intuitively charged medium of verse used in the Dhammapada. The intensified power of delivery can result in apparent inconsistencies which may perplex the unwary. For example, in many verses the Buddha commends certain practices on the grounds that they lead to a heavenly birth, but in others he discourages disciples from aspiring for heaven and extols the one who takes no delight in celestial pleasures (187, 417) [Unless chapter numbers are indicated, all figures enclosed in parenthesis refer to verse numbers of the Dhammapada.]

Often he enjoins works of merit, yet elsewhere he praises the one who has gone beyond both merit and demerit (39, 412). Without a grasp of the underlying structure of the Dhamma, such statements viewed side by side will appear incompatible and may even elicit the judgment that the teaching is self-contradictory.

The key to resolving these apparent discrepancies is the recognition that the Dhamma assumes its formulation from the needs of the diverse persons to whom it is addressed, as well as from the diversity of needs that may co-exist even in a single individual. To make sense of the various utterances found in the Dhammapada, we will suggest a schematism of four levels to be used for ascertaining the intention behind any particular verse found in the work, and thus for understanding its proper place in the total systematic vision of the Dhamma. This fourfold schematism develops out of an ancient interpretive maxim which holds that the Buddha's teaching is designed to meet three primary aims: human welfare here and now, a favorable rebirth in the next life, and the attainment of the ultimate good. The four levels are arrived at by distinguishing the last aim into two stages: path and fruit.

(i) The first level is the concern with establishing well-being and happiness in the immediately visible sphere of concrete human relations. The aim at this level is to show man the way to live at peace with himself and his fellow men, to fulfill his family and social responsibilities, and to restrain the bitterness, conflict and violence which infect human relationships and bring such immense suffering to the individual, society, and the world as a whole. The guidelines appropriate to this level are largely identical with the basic ethical injunctions proposed by most of the great world religions, but in the Buddhist teaching they are freed from theistic moorings and grounded upon two directly verifiable foundations: concern for one's own integrity and long-range happiness and concern for the welfare of those whom one's actions may affect (129-132). The most general counsel the Dhammapada gives is to avoid all evil, to cultivate good and to cleanse one's mind (183). But to dispel any doubts the disciple might entertain as to what he should avoid and what he should cultivate, other verses provide more specific directives. One should avoid irritability in deed, word and thought and exercise self-control (231-234). One should adhere to the five precepts, the fundamental moral code of Buddhism, which teach abstinence from destroying life, from stealing, from committing adultery, from speaking lies and from taking intoxicants; one who violates these five training rules "digs up his own root even in this very world" (246-247). The disciple should treat all beings with kindness and compassion, live honestly and righteously, control his sensual desires, speak the truth and live a sober upright life, diligently fulfilling his duties, such as service to parents, to his immediate family and to those recluses and brahmans who depend on the laity for their maintenance (332-333).

A large number of verses pertaining to this first level are concerned with the resolution of conflict and hostility. Quarrels are to be avoided by patience and forgiveness, for responding to hatred by further hatred only maintains the cycle of vengeance and retaliation. The true conquest of hatred is achieved by non-hatred, by forbearance, by love (4-6). One should not respond to bitter speech but maintain silence (134). One should not yield to anger but control it as a driver controls a chariot (222). Instead of keeping watch for the faults of others, the disciple is admonished to examine his own faults, and to make a continual effort to remove his impurities just as a silversmith purifies silver (50, 239). Even if he has committed evil in the past, there is no need for dejection or despair; for a man's ways can be radically changed, and one who abandons the evil for the good illuminates this world like the moon freed from clouds (173).

The sterling qualities distinguishing the man of virtue are generosity, truthfulness, patience, and compassion (223). By developing and mastering these qualities within himself, a man lives at harmony with his own conscience and at peace with his fellow beings. The scent of virtue, the Buddha declares, is sweeter than the scent of all flowers and perfumes (55-56). The good man, like the Himalaya mountains, shines from afar, and wherever he goes he is loved and respected (303-304).

(ii) In its second level of teaching, the Dhammapada shows that morality does not exhaust its significance in its contribution to human felicity here and now, but exercises a far more critical influence in molding personal destiny. This level begins with the recognition that, to reflective thought, the human situation demands a more satisfactory context for ethics than mere appeals to altruism can provide. On the one hand our innate sense of moral justice requires that goodness be recompensed with happiness and evil with suffering; on the other our typical experience shows us virtuous people beset with hardships and afflictions and thoroughly bad people riding the waves of fortune (119-120). Moral intuition tells us that if there is any long-range value to righteousness, the imbalance must somehow be redressed. The visible order does not yield an evident solution, but the Buddha's teaching reveals the factor needed to vindicate our cry for moral justice in an impersonal universal law which reigns over all sentient existence. This is the law of kamma (Sanskrit: karma), of action and its fruit, which ensures that morally determinate action does not disappear into nothingness but eventually meets its due retribution, the good with happiness, the bad with suffering.

In the popular understanding kamma is sometimes identified with fate, but this is a total misconception utterly inapplicable to the Buddhist doctrine. Kamma means volitional action, action springing from intention, which may manifest itself outwardly as bodily deeds or speech, or remain internally as unexpressed thoughts, desires and emotions. The Buddha distinguishes kamma into two primary ethical types: unwholesome kamma, action rooted in mental states of greed, hatred and delusion; and wholesome kamma, action rooted in mental states of generosity or detachment, goodwill and understanding. The willed actions a person performs in the course of his life may fade from memory without a trace, but once performed they leave subtle imprints on the mind, seeds with the potential to come to fruition in the future when they meet conditions conducive to their ripening.

The objective field in which the seeds of kamma ripen is the process of rebirths called samsara. In the Buddha's teaching, life is not viewed as an isolated occurrence beginning spontaneously with birth and ending in utter annihilation at death. Each single life span is seen, rather, as part of an individualized series of lives having no discoverable beginning in time and continuing on as long as the desire for existence stands intact. Rebirth can take place in various realms. There are not only the familiar realms of human beings and animals, but ranged above we meet heavenly worlds of greater happiness, beauty and power, and ranged below infernal worlds of extreme suffering.

The cause for rebirth into these various realms the Buddha locates in kamma, our own willed actions. In its primary role, kamma determines the sphere into which rebirth takes place, wholesome actions bringing rebirth in higher forms, unwholesome actions rebirth in lower forms. After yielding rebirth, kamma continues to operate, governing the endowments and circumstances of the individual within his given form of existence. Thus, within the human world, previous stores of wholesome kamma will issue in long life, health, wealth, beauty and success; stores of unwholesome kamma in short life, illness, poverty, ugliness and failure.

Prescriptively, the second level of teaching found in the Dhammapada is the practical corollary to this recognition of the law of kamma, put forth to show human beings, who naturally desire happiness and freedom from sorrow, the effective means to achieve their objectives. The content of this teaching itself does not differ from that presented at the first level; it is the same set of ethical injunctions for abstaining from evil and for cultivating the good. The difference lies in the perspective from which the injunctions are issued and the aim for the sake of which they are to be taken up. The principles of morality are shown now in their broader cosmic connections, as tied to an invisible but all-embracing law which binds together all life and holds sway over the repeated rotations of the cycle of birth and death. The observance of morality is justified, despite its difficulties and apparent failures, by the fact that it is in harmony with that law, that through the efficacy of kamma, our willed actions become the chief determinant of our destiny both in this life and in future states of becoming. To follow the ethical law leads upwards — to inner development, to higher rebirths and to richer experiences of happiness and joy. To violate the law, to act in the grip of selfishness and hate, leads downwards — to inner deterioration, to suffering and to rebirth in the worlds of misery. This theme is announced already by the pair of verses which opens the Dhammapada, and reappears in diverse formulations throughout the work (see, e.g., 15-18, 117-122, 127, 132-133, Chapter 22).

(iii) The ethical counsel based on the desire for higher rebirths and happiness in future lives is not the final teaching of the Buddha, and thus cannot provide the decisive program of personal training commended by the Dhammapada. In its own sphere of application, it is perfectly valid as a preparatory or provisional teaching for those whose spiritual faculties are not yet ripe but still require further maturation over a succession of lives. A deeper, more searching examination, however, reveals that all states of existence in samsara, even the loftiest celestial abodes, are lacking in genuine worth; for they are all inherently impermanent, without any lasting substance, and thus, for those who cling to them, potential bases for suffering. The disciple of mature faculties, sufficiently prepared by previous experience for the Buddha's distinctive exposition of the Dhamma, does not long even for rebirth among the gods. Having understood the intrinsic inadequacy of all conditioned things, his focal aspiration is only for deliverance from the ever-repeating round of births. This is the ultimate goal to which the Buddha points, as the immediate aim for those of developed faculties and also as the long-term ideal for those in need of further development: Nibbana, the Deathless, the unconditioned state where there is no more birth, aging and death, and no more suffering.

The third level of teaching found in the Dhammapada sets forth the theoretical framework and practical discipline emerging out of the aspiration for final deliverance. The theoretical framework is provided by the teaching of the Four Noble Truths (190-192, 273), which the Buddha had proclaimed already in his first sermon and upon which he placed so much stress in his many discourses that all schools of Buddhism have appropriated them as their common foundation. The four truths all center around the fact of suffering (dukkha), understood not as mere experienced pain and sorrow, but as the pervasive unsatisfactoriness of everything conditioned (202-203). The first truth details the various forms of suffering — birth, old age, sickness and death, the misery of unpleasant encounters and painful separations, the suffering of not obtaining what one wants. It culminates in the declaration that all constituent phenomena of body and mind, "the aggregates of existence" (khandha), being impermanent and substanceless, are intrinsically unsatisfactory. The second truth points out that the cause of suffering is craving (tanha), the desire for pleasure and existence which drives us through the round of rebirths, bringing in its trail sorrow, anxiety, and despair (212-216, Chapter 24). The third truth declares that the destruction of craving issues in release from suffering, and the fourth prescribes the means to gain release, the Noble Eightfold Path: right understanding, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration (Chapter 20).

If, at this third level, the doctrinal emphasis shifts from the principles of kamma and rebirth to the Four Noble Truths, a corresponding shift in emphasis takes place in the practical sphere as well. The stress now no longer falls on the observation of basic morality and the cultivation of wholesome attitudes as a means to higher rebirths. Instead it falls on the integral development of the Noble Eightfold Path as the means to uproot the craving that nurtures the process of rebirth itself. For practical purposes the eight factors of the path are arranged into three major groups which reveal more clearly the developmental structure of the training: moral discipline (including right speech, right action and right livelihood), concentration (including right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration), and wisdom (including right understanding and right thought). By the training in morality, the coarsest forms of the mental defilements, those erupting as unwholesome deeds and words, are checked and kept under control. By the training in concentration the mind is made calm, pure and unified, purged of the currents of distractive thoughts. By the training in wisdom the concentrated beam of attention is focused upon the constituent factors of mind and body to investigate and contemplate their salient characteristics. This wisdom, gradually ripened, climaxes in the understanding that brings complete purification and deliverance of mind.

In principle, the practice of the path in all three stages is feasible for people in any walk of life. The Buddha taught it to laypeople as well as to monks, and many of his lay followers reached high stages of attainment. However, application to the development of the path becomes most fruitful for those who have relinquished all other concerns in order to devote themselves wholeheartedly to spiritual training, to living the "holy life" (brahmacariya). For conduct to be completely purified, for sustained contemplation and penetrating wisdom to unfold without impediments, adoption of a different style of life becomes imperative, one which minimizes distractions and stimulants to craving and orders all activities around the aim of liberation. Thus the Buddha established the Sangha, the order of monks and nuns, as the special field for those ready to dedicate their lives to the practice of his path, and in the Dhammapada the call to the monastic life resounds throughout.

The entry-way to the monastic life is an act of radical renunciation. The thoughtful, who have seen the transience and hidden misery of worldly life, break the ties of family and social bonds, abandon their homes and mundane pleasures, and enter upon the state of homelessness (83, 87-89, 91). Withdrawn to silent and secluded places, they seek out the company of wise instructors, and guided by the rules of the monastic training, devote their energies to a life of meditation. Content with the simplest material requisites, moderate in eating, restrained in their senses, they stir up their energy, abide in constant mindfulness and still the restless waves of thoughts (185, 375). With the mind made clear and steady, they learn to contemplate the arising and falling away of all formations, and experience thereby "a delight that transcends all human delights," a joy and happiness that anticipates the bliss of the Deathless (373-374). The life of meditative contemplation reaches its peak in the development of insight (vipassana), and the Dhammapada enunciates the principles to be discerned by insight-wisdom: that all conditioned things are impermanent, that they are all unsatisfactory, that there is no self or truly existent ego entity to be found in anything whatsoever (277-279). When these truths are penetrated by direct experience, the craving, ignorance and related mental fetters maintaining bondage break asunder, and the disciple rises through successive stages of realization to the full attainment of Nibbana.

(iv) The fourth level of teaching in the Dhammapada provides no new disclosure of doctrine or practice, but an acclamation and exaltation of those who have reached the goal. In the Pali canon the stages of definite attainment along the way to Nibbana are enumerated as four. At the first, called "stream-entry" (sotapatti), the disciple gains his first glimpse of "the Deathless" and enters irreversibly upon the path to liberation, bound to reach the goal in seven lives at most. This achievement alone, the Dhammapada declares, is greater than lordship over all the worlds (178). Following stream-entry come two further stages which weaken and eradicate still more defilements and bring the goal increasingly closer to view. One is called the stage of once-returner (sakadagami), when the disciple will return to the human world at most only one more time; the other the stage of non-returner (anagami), when he will never come back to human existence but will take rebirth in a celestial plane, bound to win final deliverance there. The fourth and final stage is that of the arahant, the Perfected One, the fully accomplished sage who has completed the development of the path, eradicated all defilements and freed himself from bondage to the cycle of rebirths. This is the ideal figure of early Buddhism and the supreme hero of the Dhammapada. Extolled in Chapter 7 under his own name and in Chapter 26 (385-388, 396-423) under the name brahmana, "holy man," the arahant serves as a living demonstration of the truth of the Dhamma. Bearing his last body, perfectly at peace, he is the inspiring model who shows in his own person that it is possible to free oneself from the stains of greed, hatred and delusion, to rise above suffering, to win Nibbana in this very life.

The arahant ideal reaches its optimal exemplification in the Buddha, the promulgator and master of the entire teaching. It was the Buddha who, without any aid or guidance, rediscovered the ancient path to deliverance and taught it to countless others. His arising in the world provides the precious opportunity to hear and practice the excellent Dhamma (182, 194). He is the giver and shower of refuge (190-192), the Supreme Teacher who depends on nothing but his own self-evolved wisdom (353). Born a man, the Buddha always remains essentially human, yet his attainment of Perfect Enlightenment elevates him to a level far surpassing that of common humanity. All our familiar concepts and modes of knowing fail to circumscribe his nature: he is trackless, of limitless range, free from all worldliness, the conqueror of all, the knower of all, untainted by the world (179, 180, 353).

Always shining in the splendor of his wisdom, the Buddha by his very being, confirms the Buddhist faith in human perfectibility and consummates the Dhammapada's picture of man perfected, the arahant.

The four levels of teaching just discussed give us the key for sorting out the Dhammapada's diverse utterances on Buddhist doctrine and for discerning the intention behind its words of practical counsel. Interlaced with the verses specific to these four main levels, there runs throughout the work a large number of verses not tied to any single level but applicable to all alike. Taken together, these delineate for us the basic world view of early Buddhism. The most arresting feature of this view is its stress on process rather than persistence as the defining mark of actuality. The universe is in flux, a boundless river of incessant becoming sweeping everything along; dust motes and mountains, gods and men and animals, world system after world system without number — all are engulfed by the irrepressible current. There is no creator of this process, no providential deity behind the scenes steering all things to some great and glorious end. The cosmos is beginningless, and in its movement from phase to phase it is governed only by the impersonal, implacable law of arising, change, and passing away.

However, the focus of the Dhammapada is not on the outer cosmos, but on the human world, upon man with his yearning and his suffering, his immense complexity, his striving and movement towards transcendence. The starting point is the human condition as given, and fundamental to the picture that emerges is the inescapable duality of human life, the dichotomies which taunt and challenge man at every turn. Seeking happiness, afraid of pain, loss and death, man walks the delicate balance between good and evil, purity and defilement, progress and decline. His actions are strung out between these moral antipodes, and because he cannot evade the necessity to choose, he must bear the full responsibility for his decisions. Man's moral freedom is a reason for both dread and jubilation, for by means of his choices he determines his own individual destiny, not only through one life, but through the numerous lives to be turned up by the rolling wheel of samsara. If he chooses wrongly he can sink to the lowest depths of degradation, if he chooses rightly he can make himself worthy even of the homage of the gods. The paths to all destinations branch out from the present, from the ineluctable immediate occasion of conscious choice and action.

The recognition of duality extends beyond the limits of conditioned existence to include the antithetical poles of the conditioned and the unconditioned, samsara and Nibbana, the "near shore" and the "far shore." The Buddha appears in the world as the Great Liberator who shows man the way to break free from the one and arrive at the other, where alone true safety is to be found. But all he can do is indicate the path; the work of treading it lies in the hands of the disciple. The Dhammapada again and again sounds this challenge to human freedom: man is the maker and master of himself, the protector or destroyer of himself, the savior of himself (160, 165, 380). In the end he must choose between the way that leads back into the world, to the round of becoming, and the way that leads out of the world, to Nibbana. And though this last course is extremely difficult and demanding, the voice of the Buddha speaks words of assurance confirming that it can be done, that it lies within man's power to overcome all barriers and to triumph even over death itself.

The pivotal role in achieving progress in all spheres, the Dhammapada declares, is played by the mind. In contrast to the Bible, which opens with an account of God's creation of the world, the Dhammapada begins with an unequivocal assertion that mind is the forerunner of all that we are, the maker of our character, the creator of our destiny. The entire discipline of the Buddha, from basic morality to the highest levels of meditation, hinges upon training the mind. A wrongly directed mind brings greater harm than any enemy, a rightly directed mind brings greater good than any other relative or friend (42, 43). The mind is unruly, fickle, difficult to subdue, but by effort, mindfulness and unflagging self-discipline, one can master its vagrant tendencies, escape the torrents of the passions and find "an island which no flood can overwhelm" (25). The one who conquers himself, the victor over his own mind, achieves a conquest which can never be undone, a victory greater than that of the mightiest warriors (103-105).

What is needed most urgently to train and subdue the mind is a quality called heedfulness (appamada). Heedfulness combines critical self awareness and unremitting energy in a process of keeping the mind under constant observation to detect and expel the defiling impulses whenever they seek an opportunity to surface. In a world where man has no savior but himself, and where the means to his deliverance lies in mental purification, heedfulness becomes the crucial factor for ensuring that the aspirant keeps to the straight path of training without deviating due to the seductive allurements of sense pleasures or the stagnating influences of laziness and complacency. Heedfulness, the Buddha declares, is the path to the Deathless; heedlessness, the path to death. The wise who understand this distinction abide in heedfulness and experience Nibbana, "the incomparable freedom from bondage" (21-23).

As a great religious classic and the chief spiritual testament of early Buddhism, the Dhammapada cannot be gauged in its true value by a single reading, even if that reading is done carefully and reverentially. It yields its riches only through repeated study, sustained reflection, and most importantly, through the application of its principles to daily life. Thence it might be suggested to the reader in search of spiritual guidance that the Dhammapada be used as a manual for contemplation. After his initial reading, he would do well to read several verses or even a whole chapter every day, slowly and carefully, relishing the words. He should reflect on the meaning of each verse deeply and thoroughly, investigate its relevance to his life, and apply it as a guide to conduct. If this is done repeatedly, with patience and perseverance, it is certain that the Dhammapada will confer upon his life a new meaning and sense of purpose. Infusing him with hope and inspiration, gradually it will lead him to discover a freedom and happiness far greater than anything the world can offer.

— Bhikkhu Bodhi

Source:

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/dhp/dhp.intro.budd.html#intro

Notes

1.(v. 7) Mara: the Tempter in Buddhism, represented in the scriptures as an evil-minded deity who tries to lead people from the path to liberation. The commentaries explain Mara as the lord of evil forces, as mental defilements and as death.

2.(v. 8) The impurities (asubha): subjects of meditation which focus on the inherent repulsiveness of the body, recommended especially as powerful antidotes to lust.

3.(v. 21) The Deathless (amata): Nibbana, so called because those who attain it are free from the cycle of repeated birth and death.

4.(v. 22) The Noble Ones (ariya): those who have reached any of the four stages of supramundane attainment leading irreversibly to Nibbana.

5.(v. 30) Indra: the ruler of the gods in ancient Indian mythology.

6.(v. 39) The arahant is said to be beyond both merit and demerit because, as he has abandoned all defilements, he can no longer perform evil actions; and as he has no more attachment, his virtuous actions no longer bear kammic fruit.

7.(v. 45) The Striver-on-the-Path (sekha): one who has achieved any of the first three stages of supramundane attainment: a stream-enterer, once-returner, or non-returner.

8.(v. 49) The "sage in the village" is the Buddhist monk who receives his food by going silently from door to door with his alms bowls, accepting whatever is offered.

9.(v. 54) Tagara: a fragrant powder obtained from a particular kind of shrub.

10.(v. 89) This verse describes the arahant, dealt with more fully in the following chapter. The "cankers" (asava) are the four basic defilements of sensual desire, desire for continued existence, false views and ignorance.

11.(v. 97) In the Pali this verse presents a series of puns, and if the "underside" of each pun were to be translated, the verse would read thus: "The man who is faithless, ungrateful, a burglar, who destroys opportunities and eats vomit — he truly is the most excellent of men."

12.(v. 104) Brahma: a high divinity in ancient Indian religion.

13.(vv. 153-154) According to the commentary, these verses are the Buddha's "Song of Victory," his first utterance after his Enlightenment. The house is individualized existence in samsara, the house-builder craving, the rafters the passions and the ridge-pole ignorance.

14.(v. 164) Certain reeds of the bamboo family perish immediately after producing fruits.

15.(v. 178) Stream-entry (sotapatti): the first stage of supramundane attainment.

16.(vv. 190-191) The Order: both the monastic Order (bhikkhu sangha) and the Order of Noble Ones (ariya sangha) who have reached the four supramundane stages.

17.(v. 202) Aggregates (of existence) (khandha): the five groups of factors into which the Buddha analyzes the living being — material form, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness.

18.(v. 218) One Bound Upstream: a non-returner (anagami).

19.(vv. 254-255) Recluse (samana): here used in the special sense of those who have reached the four supramundane stages.

20.(v. 283) The meaning of this injunction is: "Cut down the forest of lust, but do not mortify the body."

21.(v. 339) The thirty-six currents of craving: the three cravings — for sensual pleasure, for continued existence, and for annihilation — in relation to each of the twelve bases — the six sense organs, including mind, and their corresponding objects.

22.(v. 344) This verse, in the original, puns with the Pali word vana meaning both "desire" and "forest."

23.(v. 353) This was the Buddha's reply to a wandering ascetic who asked him about his teacher. The Buddha's answer shows that Supreme Enlightenment was his own unique attainment, which he had not learned from anyone else.

24.(v. 370) The five to be cut off are the five "lower fetters": self-illusion, doubt, belief in rites and rituals, lust and ill-will. The five to be abandoned are the five "higher fetters": craving for the divine realms with form, craving for the formless realms, conceit, restlessness, and ignorance. Stream-enterers and once-returners cut off the first three fetters, non-returners the next two and Arahants the last five. The five to be cultivated are the five spiritual faculties: faith, energy, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom. The five bonds are: greed, hatred, delusion, false views, and conceit.

25.(v. 374) See note 17 (to v. 202).

26.(v. 383) "Holy man" is used as a makeshift rendering for brahmana, intended to reproduce the ambiguity of the Indian word. Originally men of spiritual stature, by the time of the Buddha the brahmans had turned into a privileged priesthood which defined itself by means of birth and lineage rather than by genuine inner sanctity. The Buddha attempted to restore to the word brahmana its original connotation by identifying the true "holy man" as the arahant, who merits the title through his own inward purity and holiness regardless of family lineage. The contrast between the two meanings is highlighted in verses 393 and 396. Those who led a contemplative life dedicated to gaining Arahantship could also be called brahmans, as in verses 383, 389, and 390.

27.(v. 385) This shore: the six sense organs; the other shore: their corresponding objects; both: I-ness and my-ness.

28.(v. 394) In the time of the Buddha, such ascetic practices as wearing matted hair and garments of hides were considered marks of holiness.

You may copy, reformat, reprint, republish, and redistribute this work in any medium whatsoever, provided that: (1) you only make such copies, etc. available free of charge and, in the case of reprinting, only in quantities of no more than 50 copies; (2) you clearly indicate that any derivatives of this work (including translations) are derived from this source document; and (3) you include the full text of this license in any copies or derivatives of this work. Otherwise, all rights reserved. Documents linked from this page may be subject to other restrictions. From The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, translated from the Pali by Acharya Buddharakkhita, with an Introduction by Bhikkhu Bodhi (Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society, 1985). Transcribed from the print edition in 1996 by a volunteer under the auspices of the DharmaNet Transcription Project, with the kind permission of the BPS. Last revised for Access to Insight on 30 November 2013.

[newstfionline]

China’s Success Explains Authoritarianism’s Allure

Tyler Cowen, Bloomberg, April 3, 2017

Silicon Valley entrepreneur Peter Thiel is famous for asking interviewees to describe a view they hold that other smart people they know do not agree with. A variant is to ask which views one might earnestly believe in spite of not having much hard evidence for them. And there I have a nomination: I believe that much of Western politics is becoming more authoritarian and less liberal because of the greater presence of autocracies on the world stage, most of all because of the success of China.

If I look back at the 20th century, I am struck by the pull exerted by powerful governing ideologies, even when those systems were evil or failing. Thousands of intellectuals endorsed Stalinism, even after many of its worst practices came to light. Marxism in its broader forms had more adherents yet. Extreme right-wing ideologies exercised a strong pull as well, at least until they became America’s outright enemies as the Second World War approached. Mussolini’s fascism was quite popular with many Americans, including New Deal intellectuals and leaders.

You can scold the sympathizers for their naivete or illiberal tendencies, but there is a deeper truth. Individuals have a desire to copy or praise or affiliate what is perceived as successful, and a lot of our metrics of success have to do with power rather than freedom or prosperity. So if there is a powerful system on the world stage, many of us will be drawn to it and seek to emulate it, without always being conscious of the reasons for those attractions.

This process is actually not so different from how neoliberalism attracted greater support during the 1990s, when it was perceived as the major victor on the world stage. We neoliberals liked to think that the rest of the world “finally saw the light,” but a more sober retrospective assessment is that much of the popularity boom of neoliberalism was temporary, to be wiped out by status-lowering developments, including the financial crisis and slower real wage growth.

These chains of ideological influence can be remarkably indirect. For instance, it is commonly believed that the collapse of Soviet communism led to a softening of positions within the Irish Republican Army. It’s not that anyone ever expected the Soviets to intervene in the Irish conflict, but rather a role model of resistance had been taken away, and this ultimately made the peace process easier.

As for today, emerging economies have been growing at faster rates than the West and Japan, and overall those playing catch-up are less democratic and less liberal. That has shifted the world’s balance of ideological weight, even though Westerners typically think of themselves as the agenda-setters.

It’s not just about the emerging economies in general, but rather one such economy in particular: China. By purchasing power parity measures China is now the No. 1 economy, and the world’s leading exporter, in addition to its longstanding role as the world’s most populous country. It has had an almost unbroken string of high-growth years since 1979, often at double-digit rates, and it avoided much of the negative fallout from the financial crisis. Its geopolitical influence and its military have been gaining on the U.S. or Europe for decades.

If several generations of Westerners were intrigued by communism, Marxism, Stalinism and even Maoism, is it so implausible to think they might feel some kind of magnetic attraction to the less liberal systems that are flourishing today?

Of course, outright ideological admiration for the Chinese system is pretty hard to come by in the U.S., unlike the kinds of affection formerly expressed for Soviet communism. Nonetheless general praise for the Chinese miracle is pretty common. And the successes of foreign authoritarianism may be an underappreciated factor inducing the U.S., the U.K., Turkey, Hungary and Poland to come up with their own home brews of the ideas. It might be that the current incarnation of the Chinese Communist Party is too nationalistic to inspire much direct loyalty. Nonetheless the economic successes of China and some other countries may have helped create an underlying crisis of confidence in liberal ideas and values. In Africa, for instance, Ethiopia and Rwanda have been improving living standards fairly rapidly, but they too have moved toward authoritarianism systems.

Do I believe all this? Yes. Is there circumstantial evidence that it might be true? Absolutely. Is there a rigorous or testable case? Not really, but I say we underestimate the pull of mimetic desire, the human subconscious and our preoccupation with relative status at our peril.

[the-eve-of-twilight]

Behind the Twilight Veil

NAME:  Evelyn Duskrose / Evaxia

FACE CLAIM:  Taylor Swift

NICKNAME:  Eve

AGE:  young adult

HEIGHT:  5′5″

SPECIES:  Ren’dorei / twilight dragon

GENDER:  Female

BIRTHDAY:  January 13

SUN SIGN:  Capricorn

RESIDENCE:  unknown

SKILLS:  mind manipulation, power of persuasion; Discipline of balance between Light and Shadow magic

DRINK:  Dalaran Red wine

FOOD:  prime Clefthoof steak, medium rare

DAY OR NIGHT:  Night

SNACKS:  

SONGS:  Look What You Made Me Do by Taylor Swift (duh!) [click to listen]

PET:  none

COLOR:  Twilight Harbinger palette - purples, magenta, mauve; Avatar Regalia palette - silver, gold, soft white

FLOWER:  Rhododendrons

EYE COLOR:  Dusky silver-purple

HAIR COLOR:  Lilac purple

BODY TYPE:  dancer’s build - lithe, modest

MORAL ALIGNMENT:  Lawful Evil

A lawful evil villain believes strongly in law and order, but only because she recognizes possible exploits for her own gain. She doesn’t care much about the rights of others, and she’s not above throwing others under the bus to get what she wants.

She methodically takes what she wants within the limits of her code of conduct without regard for whom it hurts. She cares about tradition, loyalty, and order but not about freedom, dignity, or life. She plays by the rules but without mercy or compassion. She is comfortable in a hierarchy and would like to rule, but is willing to serve. She condemns others not according to their actions but according to race, religion, homeland, or social rank.

She is loath to break laws or promises. This reluctance comes partly from her nature and partly because she depends on order to protect herself from those who oppose her on moral grounds.

Some lawful evil villains have particular taboos, such as not killing in cold blood (but having underlings do it) or not letting children come to harm (if it can be helped). They imagine that these compunctions put them above unprincipled villains.

Some lawful evil people and creatures commit themselves to evil with a zeal like that of a crusader committed to good. Beyond being willing to hurt others for their own ends, they take pleasure in spreading evil as an end unto itself. They may also see doing evil as part of a duty to an evil deity or master. Lawful evil is sometimes called diabolical, because devils are the epitome of lawful evil.

Lawful evil is the best alignment you can be because it combines honor and dedicated self-interest. However, lawful evil can be a dangerous alignment because it represents methodical, intentional, and frequently successful evil.

PREDOMINANT ARCHETYPES:

PERSONALITY:   ISTJ-A – The Mediator

The Logistician personality type is thought to be the most abundant, making up around 13% of the population. Their defining characteristics of integrity, practical logic and tireless dedication to duty make Logisticians a vital core to many families, as well as organizations that uphold traditions, rules and standards, such as law offices, regulatory bodies and military. People with the Logistician personality type enjoy taking responsibility for their actions, and take pride in the work they do – when working towards a goal, Logisticians hold back none of their time and energy completing each relevant task with accuracy and patience.

Logisticians don’t make many assumptions, preferring instead to analyze their surroundings, check their facts and arrive at practical courses of action. Logistician personalities are no-nonsense, and when they’ve made a decision, they will relay the facts necessary to achieve their goal, expecting others to grasp the situation immediately and take action. Logisticians have little tolerance for indecisiveness, but lose patience even more quickly if their chosen course is challenged with impractical theories, especially if they ignore key details – if challenges becomes time-consuming debates, Logisticians can become noticeably angry as deadlines tick nearer.

Associate With Those of Good Quality if You Esteem Your Reputation...

When Logisticians say they are going to get something done, they do it, meeting their obligations no matter the personal cost, and they are baffled by people who don’t hold their own word in the same respect. Combining laziness and dishonesty is the quickest way to get on Logisticians’ bad side. Consequently, people with the Logistician personality type often prefer to work alone, or at least have their authority clearly established by hierarchy, where they can set and achieve their goals without debate or worry over other’s reliability.

Logisticians have sharp, fact-based minds, and prefer autonomy and self-sufficiency to reliance on someone or something. Dependency on others is often seen by Logisticians as a weakness, and their passion for duty, dependability and impeccable personal integrity forbid falling into such a trap.

This sense of personal integrity is core to Logisticians, and goes beyond their own minds – Logistician personalities adhere to established rules and guidelines regardless of cost, reporting their own mistakes and telling the truth even when the consequences for doing so could be disastrous. To Logisticians, honesty is far more important than emotional considerations, and their blunt approach leaves others with the false impression that Logisticians are cold, or even robotic. People with this type may struggle to express emotion or affection outwardly, but the suggestion that they don’t feel, or worse have no personality at all, is deeply hurtful.

...For It Is Better to Be Alone Than in Bad Company

Logisticians’ dedication is an excellent quality, allowing them to accomplish much, but it is also a core weakness that less scrupulous individuals take advantage of. Logisticians seek stability and security, considering it their duty to maintain a smooth operation, and they may find that their coworkers and significant others shift their responsibilities onto them, knowing that they will always take up the slack. Logisticians tend to keep their opinions to themselves and let the facts do the talking, but it can be a long time before observable evidence tells the whole story.

Logisticians need to remember to take care of themselves – their stubborn dedication to stability and efficiency can compromise those goals in the long term as others lean ever-harder on them, creating an emotional strain that can go unexpressed for years, only finally coming out after it’s too late to fix. If they can find coworkers and spouses who genuinely appreciate and complement their qualities, who enjoy the brightness, clarity and dependability that they offer, Logisticians will find that their stabilizing role is a tremendously satisfying one, knowing that they are part of a system that works.

[ SOCIETY ]

$ Financial : wealthy / moderate / poor / in poverty. ✚ Medical : fit / moderate / sickly / disabled / disadvantaged. ✪ Class or Caste : upper / middle / working / slave / unsure. ✔ Education : qualified / unqualified / studying ✖ Criminal Record : yes, for major crimes / yes, for minor crimes / no / has committed crimes, but not caught yet.

[ FAMILY ]

◐ Marital status : married - happily / unhappily / engaged or betrothed / partnered / single / divorced / separated / widowed ◒ Children : has a child or children / has no children / wants children. ◑ Relationship with Family : close with sibling(s) / not close with sibling(s) / has no siblings (that she knows of) / sibling(s) is deceased / Has cousins and is close to them ◔ Filtration : orphaned / adopted / disowned / raised by birth parents

[ TRAITS + TENDENCIES ]

♦ extroverted / introverted / in between. ♦ disorganized / organized / in between. ♦ closed-minded / open-minded / in between. ♦ calm / anxious / in between. ♦ disagreeable / agreeable / in between. ♦ cautious / reckless / in between. ♦ patient / impatient / in between. ♦ outspoken / reserved / in between. ♦ leader / follower / in between. ♦ empathetic / apathetic / in between. ♦ optimistic / pessimistic / in between realistic. ♦ traditional / modern / in between. ♦ hard-working / lazy / in between smart-working. ♦ cultured / uncultured / in between / unknown. ♦ loyal / disloyal / unknown. ♦ faithful / unfaithful / unknown.

[ BELIEFS ]

★ Faith : monotheist / polytheist / atheist / agnostic. ☆ Belief in Ghosts or Spirits : yes / no / don’t know / don’t care. ✮ Belief in an Afterlife : yes / no / don’t know / don’t care. ✯ Belief in Reincarnation : yes / no / don’t know / don’t care. ❃ Belief in Aliens : yes / no / don’t know / don’t care. ✧ Religious : orthodox / liberal / in between / not religious. ❀ Philosophical : yes / no / in between.

[ SEXUALITY & ROMANTIC INCLINATION ]

❤ Sexuality : heterosexual / homosexual / bisexual / asexual / pansexual. ❥ Sex : sex repulsed / sex neutral / sex favorable. ♥ Romance : romance repulsed / romance neutral / romance favorable. ❣ Sexually : adventurous / experienced / naive / inexperienced / curious. ⚧ Potential Sexual Partners : male / female / agender / other / none / all. ⚧ Potential Romantic Partners : male / female / agender / other / none / all.

[ ABILITIES ]

☠ Combat Skills : excellent / good / moderate / poor / none. ≡ Literacy Skills : excellent / good / moderate / poor / none ✍ Artistic Skills : excellent / good / moderate / poor / none ✂ Technical Skills : excellent / good / moderate / poor / none.

[ HABITS ]

☕ Drinking Alcohol : never / sometimes / frequently / to excess. ☁ Smoking : trying to quit / never / sometimes / frequently / to excess. ✿ Other Narcotics : never / sometimes / frequently / to excess. ✌ Medicinal Drugs : never / sometimes / frequently / to excess. ☻ Indulgent Food : never / sometimes / frequently / to excess. $ Splurge Spending : never / sometimes / frequently / to excess. ♣ Gambling : never / sometimes / frequently / to excess.

[ MOST NOTABLE PERSONALITY TRAITS ]

RATIONALITY

You like clarity and intelligent simplicity and you get frustrated at messy thinking. This can make you seem unreasonably pushy to some, but it is actually a virtue: you are motivated by a horror at pointless effort and a longing for precision and insight into how things and people work. Your ability to synthesise and bring order is essential in producing thinking which is truly helpful.

ORDERLINESS

You love it when everything is neat and tidy: when there is a proper way of doing things, and you can tick things off the to-do list and know where everything is. So others, at times, are to you unbearably sloppy and messy. And you run into things that can’t be ordered (a child, a partner, a colleague at work) which drives you slightly nuts. But your desire for order is a good one when it is focussed where it is needed and when you’re okay with a bit of mess.

MISANTHROPY

You have seen the darker side of human nature, even in daily life. When you look beneath the surface everyone is pretty messed up; there’s more selfishness circulating that others admit. You are never surprised by the stupidity of others, even though it annoys you. Your streak of misanthropy is, in fact, a requirement of remaining sane. You’ve wisely come to terms with your need to sometimes confidently reject people.

Your archetype is the seductress.

Also known as: The Temptress, The Siren, Sapphire, Jezebel, The Soul Snatcher

Sultry, enigmatic and alluring - you are the quintessence of sexual rebelliousness and fantasy. You operate in a realm of pleasure and a refusal to play by the rules emanates through your pores. As a dark sided archetype, your “take no shit” attitude has left you demonized as a “maneater” or “whore” but these are all words you’ve reclaimed and utilized to your benefit. Your brazen and unwavering spirit both frightens and intoxicates your suitors and you easily discard anyone who tries to tie you down. Your vampish charisma and sexual energy drains and enthralls everyone in your presence. You are what Old Hollywood would declare as a “femme fatale” - a person who leads their suitors to their figurative (and in some cases - literal) deaths. Everything is on your terms and your allure can be neither grasped nor tamed.

FLOWER PERSONALITY Evaxia is:

DANDELION

Scrappy and tough, you’re a pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps kind of person. You don’t give up easily and you often thrive in situations that others would find discouraging. You have an instinct to serve others and see yourself as most useful in times or places of crisis, but you may over rely on your toughness and forget how sensitive you really are.

Like you, dandelion holds steady, even in unfriendly environments. It provides gentle liver stimulation and digestive support, aiding your body’s natural detoxification processes.

Called “the little postman” in Persian because of the belief that dandelion brought good news, dandelion has unfortunately acquired a reputation as a pesky weed. Its liver and digestive benefits have been known for centuries, with reference in Arabic texts dating to the 10th century. Dandelion is a bitter herb, a characteristic that contributes to its digestion-supporting properties. When roasted, dandelion root has a coffee-like flavor that once made it a popular coffee substitute!

PEPPERMINT

Unflappable. You are cool in the crisis, calm in the storm, collected amongst the chaos. You’re a breath of fresh air, a waft of inspiration to the down-and-out, a refreshing, inspiring, uplifting person to be around. Of course, even a cool cucumber like yourself can run into trouble. You may try to take on too much, which can leave you feeling weighed down and not quite yourself.

With its comforting breath of fresh air and the peppery, sweet familiar scent that tingles your nose, peppermint is a classic candy flavor. But there’s herbal wisdom hiding in those after dinner mints—peppermint oil also has the power to relieve occasional indigestion and soothe your stomach when your digestion needs a little help.

Long before mint became the go-to flavor of everything from gum to candy to toothpaste, the Greeks, Romans and ancient Egyptians were using mint leaves as a digestive aid. Peppermint’s characteristic mintiness comes from menthol, an important part of its essential oil that, when present in high enough quantities, will be felt in a tingle in your nose and a strong minty scent that carries across a room.

SLIPPERY ELM

Let’s just say you’re a vocal person. Sure, that might mean you’re chatty. But it also means you’re the one humming in the hallway, singing in the shower, speaking your mind, standing up and shouting if need be to get yourself heard. You’ve got a voice and you know how to use it. Inclined to speak up for the voiceless, defend the defenseless or simply bring joy to the joyless, you may have a tendency to overuse your voice.

Smooth and silky, slippery elm is balm for the voice and friend to everyone who uses it. Long a champion for tired vocal chords and taxed throats, slippery elm’s slickness make it an ideal companion for those who a prone to use (and sometimes overuse) their voice.

Slippery elm or Ulmus rubra (Latin for “red elm,” so called for its lovely reddish bark) is a beautiful, native North American elm tree Introduced into Western herbal traditions by Native Americans. It’s the inner bark of this tree that is actually called “slippery elm” due to its, yes, slippery, smooth, and slimy-in-a-good-way properties.

[rockrevoltmagazine]

AURI INTERVIEW

Symphonic fans will find themselves perfectly enthralled from this new, beautiful, epic musical endeavor out of the minds of Johanna Kurkela, Tuomas Holopainen (Nightwish), and Troy Donockley (Nightwish). Releasing March 23rd, self-titled album Auri features whimsical melodic tracks to whisk even the strictest of minds to a world beyond one’s imagination. Proclaimed as “Alice in Wonderland”-esque, the fairytale melodies will let your mind wander like never before. From dreamy and passionate sounds to soft and capricious vocals, Auri is a project worth giving a thousand listens to. Senior journalist Anabel DFlux had the pleasure of speaking with one of the masterminds behind this exquisite project, the band’s very own Johanna Kurkela.

  “The band Auri was formed by three close friends who wanted to hear music that wasn’t out there in the world yet. We’ve all been fans of each other’s music from the very first note we heard, and have been collaborating on each other’s musical projects on many occasions in the past. So, I guess one could say, with us three, the spirit of collaboration has been ever present. Throughout the years it just developed into this vision, a shared dream of a unique, fearless, infinite open world of music, which we three might be able to bring to life together. But as it happens, life often makes us wait for our dreams, and so the three of us stayed quite busy with our separate careers, until in 2017, we were all finally free to embark on the long-awaited musical expedition together.” says Johanna when asked about the creative inception of this project. As to how Auri as an album was conceived? “The way the album started to unfold is still pretty much a mystery. We didn’t really talk about what the album should be like, or what type of songs to write. We didn’t have a concept, no main songwriter, no producer. Each three, we just threw in ideas and songs and collaborated on the basis of them, sending files back and forth, getting swept away by what the other one had done, added something new and then whisked the whole thing forward for further ideas and development. In a way it was like having a most uplifting and inspiring conversation between three people. Never once had we any disagreements, or thought that some tracks didn’t fit in with the rest. It was the smoothest sailing I’ve ever experienced in making music, as if the music was in a weird way coming from the same source, despite the fact there were three people making it.”

  Each of the eleven tracks on the band’s debut album feature an immense diversity from one another, while still exquisitely highlighting each member’s individual musical talents. Anabel proceeded to ask what inspired these verses. “For the music and lyrics, we drew inspiration from all the things we love. Walks in the forest and picking mushrooms in the fall, for instance, is where the first half of “Them Thar Chanterelles” got its inspiration from. Also, Patrick Rothfuss’ books, films we love, the people we love, the way we love, live and look at life, it all seeps through the music of Auri. The only song that was written before we started the actual songwriting phase in 2017 was “Aphrodite Rising” from 2011, which in a way was the preliminary attempt to start the engines towards a collaboration of some sort. However, at that time, we soon realized we needed more time and space to pursue the matter the proper way, and so the song was put aside and the dream on hold for six more years.” Says Johanna. “Even to this day, it’s hard for me to categories the music of Auri. We didn’t have any particular genres or languages in mind making the music, quite the opposite. Overall, I think we were just instinctively following the paths of music that felt right to us, not really caring if it was orthodox or not to combine things the way we did. It felt very liberating, working in this mind set, not having any pressure or expectations to confine us, not caring at all what other people might think or how they might feel about the end result. The only thing we strived to do was to make music that made us three go completely ecstatic, and have massive fun at it. And that’s exactly what we did.” 

Johanna eloquently continued with “I think, every artist is like a sponge, absorbing influence from things which feel meaningful. For the most part, it is a very subconscious thing, the sources which affect the art we make. In Auri, one can most certainly hear many influences, but rather than try to pinpoint them all, we’d prefer the listener to just shut the mind, and let one’s heart listen instead. For me, the magic of music has never been something that can be captured with words. It is a personal journey, a coloring book, the outlines of a scenery to be filled with each listener’s own emotions. There is no right or wrong in interpreting a song, if it jerks out something profound, beautiful and renewing inside the listener. For me the oceans of music are all connected. If it were up to me, I’d rather not categorize Auri at all, or any other music for that matter, but if need be, I’d probably call it  “World Music”, for the way it combines worlds of things.” It was well worth noting a question about the name Auri, as such a unique choice for a band title must have a story behind it. Johanna enticed my curiosities and revealed this: “The name of the band wasn’t actually decided until last year, when we started delving deeper into the album making and realized we needed a name for our band. We tossed around with ideas, and finally thought of Auri, which felt like the perfect name. Deriving from the word “aura”, meaning, golden, emanation, atmosphere, a soft breeze, etc. It is used in Finland as a girl’s name. And, it also happens to be the name of a character in Patrick Rothfuss’ books, a character who lives in her own world, almost in another dimension compared to the rest of the world, for the way she perceives life and the way she keeps to herself, only to come out at moonlight, in secret, to sit on rooftops of the world. She is a deep, deep mystery, and an achingly beautiful and infinitely intriguing one at that.”

  Anabel proceeded to ask what Johanna felt really pushed this project to become reality. Was it a natural realization that you were being drawn to create together? “When we headed out on this marvelous adventure of Auri, we didn’t really have any expectations or plans for it, other than just to release an album and see what happens. But pretty quickly, as things started to evolve, and due to the immense fun we all had while making this album, it soon became obvious, that instead of being just a one album project, Auri was actually becoming a band. In the future, we’re definitely hoping to carry on with making more albums for Auri and even do a tour at some point. It would be quite something to play this music live in ancient castles and cathedrals, for instance! But for now, on the immediate horizon, there are other more pressing matters keeping us all busy for the next approaching years. Still, luckily for us, we’re not in a hurry, time is just an illusion, and already, ideas for the next Auri album are starting to gently take form in our heads. Looking back on my own career, the length of over a decade full of solo albums and live shows, I still don’t really consider myself ever being a solo artist. There would be no Johanna Kurkela today without a plethora of songwriters, producers, record labels and musicians I’ve had the privilege of working with over the years. As a singer, I’ve always felt to be more of a piece in a puzzle, rather than the puzzle itself. And yet, I’m the only face and name the world has come to know through my songs. It’s a funny paradox. And even funnier still now that I actually am, for the first time ever, in a real band, in Auri, I feel like this is the closest I’ve ever come to expressing my actual self through music, the closest I’ve ever come experiencing what it really might feel like to be a solo artist.”

“And yet, Auri isn’t anyone’s solo album. It doesn’t have a frontwoman or a front man. For me, it’s just the feeling of finally finding the proper outlet for one’s creativity in music, being able to record and edit my own vocals independently, feeling completely at home in the music, finding such likeminded people to work with, and an environment without pressure or judgement, that you don’t have to hold anything back or make compromises, which usually, naturally occurs when working alongside people with different opinions and goals. The feeling of working from the same source with others, when being completely open and channeling your deepest emotions, has been one the most life changing things for me to discover in Auri. A sort of altruistic connectedness, which hopefully is something others listening to this music can also tap into.”

  “To be moved by music is one of the most powerful things. For me, it’s always been the most honest and reliable means of communication between hearts, sharing epiphanies, emotions, everyday challenges and joys of life, making one feel less alone in the world. And although some people like to add value to things only through numbers, in the big picture, it’s just smoke and mirrors. The true value of music, or any other labor of love for that matter, runs much deeper. Just like we all have the opportunity to define ourselves against “the norms” of life, the same applies in music. It is only through utter freedom of the heart that we can truly discover our full potential, the unique abilities each of us possess, and put them to use for the collective good. In literature, this is beautifully put to words in Walt Whitman’s poem “O Me! O Life!” : “That you are here – that life exists and identity, That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.” With Auri, we have contributed ours. Hopefully it’ll inspire all our fellow-adventurers out there to do the same.” Finishes Johanna.

  Connect with Auri Here

AURI INTERVIEW was originally published on RockRevolt Mag

[suratansenja-blog]

Just how Bitcoin May Promote Asian American Progress

There has been significantly ado relating to Bitcoin and authorities and also businesses inside China as well as the United States have got reacted with it, but probably more stimulating possibilities may possibly lie in advance for this foreign money and other cryptocurrencies. The Wsj ran each a week ago regarding the obvious break down that is present in Asian America. The particular Atlantic confronting countries have an overabundance command driven economies even though the Pacific going through countries, apart from Ecuador along with Nicaragua, have an overabundance of market-oriented establishments. Latin The usa has become a place of give attention to a global level with muffled European progress and a great Asia-Pacific location that has been recently welcomed to the global economical conversation. Alternate currencies is likely to make their indicate on Asian America but it will surely affect both equally sides in a diverse fashion. In the long run, Bitcoin in addition to Latin Us Growth goes together since they both are throughout spotlight as well and cryptocurrencies (including Bitcoin) will find the money for Latin Usa businesses plus entrepreneurs opportunities to operate on an amount playing industry with the remaining portion of the globe.

Noteworthy State Driven Economies regarding Latin North america

Ecuador Republic of bolivia Cuba The company Argentina Nicaragua Venezuela These kinds of countries get economies which can be more beholden to countrywide interests. One of the most extreme express run overall economy on this checklist is Emborrachar, which has a Communism regime which includes made small concessions to be able to economic liberalization. Venezuela provides arguably the next most intense state work economy and is also in the midst of any socioeconomic and also political problems. Argentina has already established its great number of instability directly and command-oriented economic activities courtesy of Us president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner including selling price controls, crisis concerning own the Falkland Islands, monetary inflation of 26%, police hits, and the nationalization of YPF just to label a few actions. Brazil is obviously feared for you to resort to it is old techniques and at the moment there is continue to a great deal of troubles and taxation is fairly higher than associates.

Notable Market-Oriented Economies involving Latin The us

Mexico Republic of colombia Panama Republic of chile Peru Belize Mexico's attempts to attract along with grow enterprise is not just limited by Mexico Metropolis, but Guadalajara has been highlighted as a expansion destination inside the digital in addition to tech room much like the approach Bogota will be the established monetary powerhouse metropolis in Republic of colombia and Medellin has busted out some sort of youthful, electronic digital force. Paraguay is currently the particular 14th greatest economy plus growing. Paraguay is still affected by the drug association as regarding drugs throughout the northern edge still is out there. Ciudad Juarez is stricken by cartel-induced brutalité, which is regarded so bad the Sun Pan strongly disheartened visitors coming from traveling along the border because the college pan game has been an opportunity to advertise both El nuevo Paso, Colorado and Localidad Juarez regarding tourism and also business.

Republic of colombia still is combatting FARC, nonetheless it is plainly winning typically the battle following President Uribe's term. FARC has been a lot more limited to often the jungle aspects of Colombia. Productive peace speaks with FARC are also getting negotiated to a extent. Typically the Colombian financial system has very much room to cultivate in terms of cultivation, energy, fund, tourism, along with digital technological innovation.

Belize will be actively courtship, wooing Americans to get real estate in the nation marketing their particular pristine shorelines, tax insurance policies, and The english language fluency. Belize has a lot far more growing to accomplish and it has to help shake stigmas.

Chile is recognized as by the History Foundation to get #1 with economic flexibility in Asian America. Republic of chile enjoys a new trade extra, a core bank coverage rate connected with 4. five per cent that would be appealing to investors outside Chile. Buying and selling the Chilean Peso might be a worthy undertaking for those wanting to take advantage of the bring trade in opposition to countries/economic specific zones that have incredibly low interest rates including the United States, Eu, and Asia. Chile possesses low monetary inflation and has guidelines that profit not just birdwatcher exports, yet other export products to help keep up with the surplus. Morgan Stanley wants Chile, Peru, Colombia, in addition to Mexico to build on average several. 25% around 2014.

All these countries are generally not facing looting outbreaks, battles over bathroom paper, not do they have market leaders that are wanting to escalate actions against one more country.

Bitcoin's Impact on State-Oriented Economies

In every of these state-oriented economies, you can find currency regulates. Venezuela plus Argentina are usually infamous for price settings. Brazil's authorities influence for the overall design stems from their very own excessive effect, possible data corruption issues, and also inflationary worries. Entrepreneurs, buyers, and normal individuals will probably be looking to the market industry to meet the requirements. Rationing, hassles, high costs, along with possible security are connected with these state-oriented economies. Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies will cater to many who have access to the internet.

Fighting globally inside countries that will wish to be considerably more insular is included with negative outcome, but the using the internet plus the ability to negotiate in a quite possibly untraced trend in a international marketplace may enable aggressive pricing intended for citizens to obtain the goods in addition to services necessary. Venezuelans should be able to buy potty paper via foreign options without having to utilize a currency that may be being highly debased. Venezuelans will also find engage in entrepreneurship while nonetheless in Venezuela to fund all their endeavors plus possible defection to other countries like Colombia. Above 26% with Venezuelans google search will find on a daily basis. Venezuela has not blocked the internet as of this time and purchasing Bitcoin is far more protected than possessing Bolivar.

Bitcoin usage can take the government's tight hold on the economic system away simply by rendering their presence worthless by taking on the privately owned currency. Fewer tax income can be accumulated, a inhabitants that is provided financially and maybe literally (you could have acquired anything in Silk Road), and lowered influence by political commanders and enforcers as cryptocurrency usage will become viral. This specific thought process may be applied to Venezuela-lite in Australia, which is a economy using a lot of prospective.

The Best economy can grow more by giving organizations more direct exposure overseas and also overcoming the exact exotic full sovereign coin currency concern. The World Glass in 2014 and Olympics in 2016 will set much strain on the Less-known brazilian economy to progress and keep way up appearances. Reduce transaction fees, currency expertise, and nationality ambivalence together with Bitcoin consumers will help Best firms wanting to do business away from Brazil. Using a large inflow of travelers and business-people coming to Mexico city and São Paulo, the particular acceptance regarding Bitcoin as well as other cryptocurrencies can remove the boundaries of having for converting currencies and interact in safeguarded purchases. Brazilian may be a even more command-oriented current economic climate like Perú, but world-wide expectations along with aspirations must push these away from earlier tendencies.

For that state-oriented companies, Bitcoin as well as competitors offer you greater liberty, monetary safety, entrepreneurship options, transaction safety measures, and privateness. In the case of Venezuela, it could kindle a change throughout governance similar to the way social media marketing was awarded for getting the Arab-speaking Spring to our lives. Much of the difficulties surrounding Venezuela are fiscal in characteristics and the dark-colored market is an all-natural alternative. Elimination of seizure of property by keeping these questions digital finances in the impair is far more protect than trying to keep funds inside a bank controlled by the Venezuelan government.

Bitcoin's Role with Economic Expansion for the Hawaiian Countries

Entrepreneurship as referred to in the previous segment is over a smaller stage than what could be in Republic of colombia, Mexico, Republic of chile, and Peru. Colombia in addition to Mexico include cities which may have hopes to world players from the digital place. Attracting organization from The european countries, Canada, along with the United States could be easier using lower trade and business deal fees. Charge cards and PayPal place purchase fees about users wanting to make global transactions and also this fee can be reduced.

Asian American freelancing can knowledge growth since call facilities, development plus design businesses, and indie contractors have the ability to not only competitively bid while they do today, but they can accept Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies and this will probably drive much more business. It isn't a novelty, it is a few making a and less costly transaction. A lesser amount of barriers to the obtain will make someone buy and it will aid Latin North american businesses manage to be world wide, which can cause Venture Capital growing.

Bitcoin could lead to better international small business transactions to get Latin U . s and enable global financial growth. The rewards are different for that countries for the reason that need for steadiness is not demanding, but rather these kinds of countries provide an insatiable urge for food for advancement. Entrepreneurship, fighting globally, reduce transaction costs, transactional security and safety, competitive biddng, improved economical development, and also changing ideas are all great things about adopting cryptocurrencies in these nations around the world. A startup company in Medellin or Cartagena can take on a firm around Toronto along with another organization in Indiana for a providers contract. Getting rid of the limitations of nationality from the financial transaction to focus only on the companies provided in addition to costs engaged are a significant benefit.

Buyers win also in these international locations as they would certainly gain acquiring power due to the fact some things are more expensive inside their domestic market segments than international markets. Ex-pats and immigrants can send out money that will family members into their native region in a basic, inexpensive, speedy, and safe and sound fashion. This assists boost regional economies.

Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies help make the planet a smaller spot just like the technique air travel, the net, telecommunications, plus social media do. Cryptocurrencies encourage globalization and also Bitcoin will assist provide in which opportunity to Asian America, which can be eager to be competitive and develop the global market.