Now and Forever...Itsumademo... - Chapter 17D
Title: Now and Forever…いつまでも…
Author: Mayonaka no Taiyou/Unare Haineko
Pairing: [Juntoshi] Matsumoto Jun x Ohno Satoshi
Rating: R-ish
Summary: This story follows Ayumu, a more or less normal child born in 2012, three years after the ending of ‘Kodoku kara Umareta Ai’ (which you can read here). His parents, Jun and Ohno, are everything but ( Read more... )
(a) Whoever sent Jun that scrap of prophecy knows that Iago put Jun through an artificial death (cf. with the fact that 4 sounds like ‘death’). It also tells us that whoever sent Jun that scrap of paper knows that Jun and Arashi is unfairly penalised by Iago because of the prophecy.
(b) Whoever sent Jun that scrap of prophecy knows that Iago played God by artificially ‘creating’ death for Jun.
(c) Whoever sent Jun that scrap of prophecy knows that when Iago played God vis-à-vis Jun and Arashi, Iago is a ‘false god’.
(d) Whoever sent Jun that scrap of prophecy knows that Iago is a false God because everything Iago ‘created’ is artificial.
(e) Whoever sent Jun that scrap of prophecy knows that because Iago’s creations are artificial and fleeting, someone else must create something that is real, tangible, solid. This links back to the philosophic idea that the number 4 refers to something real, solid and something that can be touched.
(f) Whoever sent Jun that scrap of prophecy knows that Jun will bear his cross and come out a stronger person for it, viz., a person able to create something tangible.
(g) Through Miyazono’s breakdown of the 2009 Contract, we know that two given propositions cannot have the same truth value. We have discovered this way before CHs 16-17 where we are explicitly shown that while it looks like Nino dissolved Arashi because of (1) his bitterness over his failed relationship with NaSA!Ohno and (2) his anger with Jun for stealing NaSA!Ohno, the truth is that it was Iago who orchestrated everything.
(h) Whoever sent Jun that scrap of prophecy knows that Jun will bear his cross and will eventually use Aristotle’s understanding of four basic causes in nature and question:
- the efficient cause of what’s happening to him and why Iago wanted to screw him and Arashi over,
- the matter/subject surrounding the above mentioned point,
- the form of the above mentioned point, and
- bring the above mentioned point to its end.
INTERPRETING THE POETIC PROPHECY
Danger
Days of no sunlight will end
Arriving on wings of prosperity
Those who get close to the hidden truth
Will make it impossible to maintain order.
Destruction
After a short period of silence
The prince of games survives
Twin leaves seek out insincerity
The sands will begin to move again.
(Sudden) death
Unexpected… [Note torn off at this point]
What should have been dead … [Note torn off at this point]
The Imperial Palace… [Note torn off at this point]
The end of an era.
Let’s analyse the poetic prophecy in detail. In the Japanese, I was unable to find any metre, and the metre is erratic in the English, so I will just concentrate on the analysis of the meaning. At first, I thought there might be an ‘a, bb, c, d’ structure, but that was quickly demolished. The only thing that maybe discerned from the structure is this -
Line 1 is always a warning
Lines 2-4 describe what is to happen that warrants the warning
Line 5 tells what could happen.
All three stanzas are alike this. Bear this in mind as we dissect the meaning of the poetic prophecy. We shall do this the ‘kiddie’ way in a line-by-line, stanza-by-stanza analysis.
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The first stanza goes:
Danger
Days of no sunlight will end
Arriving on wings of prosperity
Those who get close to the hidden truth
Will make it impossible to maintain order.
Stanza 1, line 1 says, ‘danger’. Why is it so dangerous? Because as Line 2 says, “days with no sunlight will end.” At this point, readers should be asking themselves why are the end of days with sunlight dangerous? Notice how ‘no sunlight’ is associated with ‘order’. Iago rules from the shadows and his rule is very successful and profitable, but this very success and ‘prosperity’ will damn him. Why is Iago in the shadows? Because he wants to prevent others from getting close to the hidden truth. Readers should also be asking themselves why ‘days of no sunlight’. Well, that’s because Iago’s rule over JE is one that is completely devoid of sunlight. Why is Iago’s rule over JE devoid of sunlight? Because Iago controls everything with an iron grip. He holds on to everyone and everything and shrouds them until they are completely in his power and unable to tell night from day. Furthermore the reference to ‘no sunlight’ as the hallmark of Iago’s rule over JE also means that Iago does things in shadows, in a secretive manner, trusting no one and doing things ‘under the table’ rather than openly and above board. That is Iago’s business model; that is how Iago administers things in JE. For a creature who has built his empire through shadows and backdoor deals &ca, it would be calamitous from his point of view if such an empire were to collapse. Why would it be calamitous? Look it from Iago’s point of view. The moment his empire collapses, all his shady and dodgy dealings will surface and ‘come to light’ (pun intended). Hence, Iago is very concerned with the preservation of the days devoid of sunlight. He needs to keep all his dodgy dealings under wraps, all his shadowy business in keeping his talents and minions beholden and/or fearful to him, all his control to be firmly closed in his hand. Thus, he cannot afford a sliver of light to shine through.
However much Iago desires the continued reign of darkness and dodginess in his empire, the very prosperity of his empire will be his downfall. We know that from Line 3. Combine lines 2 and 3 and what do you get? It will say, “The end of the days of no sunlight comes with prosperity.” Going by the fact that JE is turning in a profit so large that Iago can dabble in (a) the drug trade, (b) the Host Club Nozoki trade, (c) hire someone to cook the accounts books of JE so that he can under-declare his assets, JE is indeed very prosperous.
* Point (c) is just my speculation as to that which I think is going on between PwC/Kei and JE. Also, I have covered the significance of PwC in a commentary to an earlier chapter. Look it up yourself if you are interested. In that commentary, I explicitly lay out why PwC is the ideal choice for Iago.
Why will JE’s prosperity (and it is prosperous given the Jimusho’s revenue from his talents’ records, from the monies gained through HC Nozoki, and from the monies he saves from the whole Kei/PwC cooking his accounts books business) be JE’s downfall? That is revealed in lines 4-5.
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Having analysed the first stanza, can you see what it is trying to say? It is saying ‘Even though you are prosperous through your shadowy and dodgy deals, people are still watching you. These people are watching you closely because you are rich. Because these people are watching you, they will come close to the truth. When they come close to the truth, it will be dangerous for you. It will be dangerous for you because you will not be able to keep all your shadowy and dodgy deals in order. Because you will not be able to keep your shadowy and dodgy deals in order, you will lose your empire and your prosperity.’
As a direct upshot of this first stanza, Iago moved against Arashi and orchestrated the dissolution of the group, deliberately making so that Jun and Ohno will have no contact with the other three for thirteen years. This first stanza then, in a sense, describes what has happened or that which has passed.
SECOND STANZA - Dealing with the present
On to stanza two now, which elaborates what would happen to Iago when those watching him come too close to the truth and threaten the effective and efficient management of his dodgy and shadowy dealings. Stanza 2 goes:
Destruction
After a short period of silence
The prince of games survives
Twin leaves seek out insincerity
The sands will begin to move again.
The dramatic and powerful single word in the opening line of stanza two makes clear what will happen to the recipient of the prophecy if he does not heed the warning in the first stanza. Coincidentally, in the second stanza, we are reminded that although the pre-emptive strike launched by Iago (as indicated by the1st Stanza) had initially worked, the lull was nothing more than the eye of the storm. Hence it is nothing more than ‘a short period of silence’. In another twist of coincidence, all the names obliquely referred to in the second stanza are those of the three people Jun and Ohno are not supposed to contact.
Prince of games = Nino (cf. Miyazono’s explanation in CH 17)
Twin leaves = Aiba (cf. Miyazono’s explanation in CH 17)
Insincerity = Sho (sakura / cherry blossom means ‘insincerity’ in the language of flowers).
In contrast to the first stanza which highlighted that which has happened (mainly in Kodoai), the second stanza focuses on the present, specifically what’s going on in Itsumademo at the moment.
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Moreover, as a supreme touch of dramatic irony, we (the readers) know that Stanza Two describes things that have been going in between CHs 13-17. Despite the two year enforced cold storage, Nino is back on track career-wise, so in that sense he still lives. However, the fact that line 3, stanza 2 explicitly mentions ‘prince of games’ should be telling to us. When does Nino play games? In his private time, away from work. We know that Nino writes songs, acts in films/dramas and hosts that game review show on telly for a living. But in his free time, in private, he’s still every bit the gamer. Games don’t just mean the types on the Wii, DS or computer, it can be things like chess, GO, shougi, or even mind games, or even political games.
As events from CHs 13-16 have revealed, Nino has come too close to the truth and was dealt a nasty turn with the whole Reiya-rape-in-Nozoki episode. Despite that, Nino has survived to play a different type of mindgame. Nino’s still in on the game to find out who screwed him and why, but after the whole ‘raped-by-Reiya’ scenario, Nino’s playing with a strategy, viz., playing through Daisuke. So, despite this apparent ‘setback’ and ‘punishment’, Nino still lives and is still playing the political game (also a kind of mind game) against Iago and his minions (specifically Daisuke). Of course, Iago will be furious when he finds out his minions let Nino escape, but Haineko will cover that eventually in her plot. For now, let us continue with the post-mortem.
Another point to note which informs us that the second stanza is referring to the present is line 4, which tells us, “twin leaves seek out insincerity”. That is exactly what has happened in CH 17 and will (undoubtedly) be covered in more detail in subsequent chapters by Haineko. Recall that there was one small section on Sho and Aiba at the beginning of CH 17. Aiba, after escaping the perils of the tower of Crete flees (in the guise of a sparrow by the grace of the Blessed Athena), goes home to Sho for help as to what he should do vis-à-vis that which he has seen/heard/experienced in the JE sponsored drug party.
The fact that Nino is still playing the mind game and political game against Iago (and his minions) and that Aiba has discovered things about the JE-sponsored drug parties and has gone to Sho with the information, all this means - the winds are stirring again. Indeed, we know that moves have been made against these three characters in the more recent chapters.
So, what is stanza two saying? Simply this -- Destruction would be wrought after a period of silence. Why will destruction happen? Because Nino survives (in spite of what happened) and Aiba will seek out Sho with what he knows. Because these three will have some nasty things done to them and because of that, they will be the winds that stir the sands. Two questions in turn arise:
(19) What is hidden beneath the sand?
(20) Will the wind from these three men be enough to sweep away all the sand and come at the ‘hidden truth’ of the first stanza?”
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Significantly from a literary standpoint, Haineko ends the second stanza with the phrase, ‘the sands will begin to move again’. This calls to mind the illusion that things have been artificially and temporarily frozen or put into storage (cf. the Frigidaire and the lager as examples of Sho’s subversion of himself) and the expired milk in the fridge of the Sakuraiba flat (where Arashi has been put in cold storage). For more information on this, cf. my commentary on the Sho section available in CH 17A. If and when the sands begin to move again from the wind generate by Sho, Aiba and Nino, the sands will move and Arashi which had previously been in cold storage will come up to move against Aiba once more as per the dictates of the prophecy.
In a sense, Iago willed the prophecy into being by moving against the Arashi men. However, the old goat doesn’t even realise it. Ah, the delicious irony.
Because the game is still afoot, we come to the end or that which is to pass.
THIRD STANZA - That which is to come
As if the doom, hellfire and brimstone predicted in stanza two isn’t enough, we have this in stanza three:
(Sudden) death
Unexpected… [Note torn off at this point]
What should have been dead … [Note torn off at this point]
The Imperial Palace… [Note torn off at this point]
The end of an era.
While stanza 3 does seem to be describing the end of an empire through the sudden (and unexpected) death of the current monarch, it really is about the unexpected truncation to the 13 year silence imposed in Jun and Ohno. That will be the catalyst for Iago’s downfall. Indeed, the old goat is past his ‘sell-by’ date as Miyazono has hinted. But I believe the ‘what should have been dead’ line in line3 refers to Arashi men. Iago thought he had finished them, but he hadn’t - not a whit. Iago merely put them in cold storage, much like the expired milk in the fridge Sho espies in CH 17. While it looks like the expired milk has gone bad and is completely useless, it has instead become something else, something more useful, and something capable of holding a solid form (as opposed to liquid) - butter. That is what Arashi has become after being in cold storage after being left to ferment and rot. Yes, the Arashi men have been dealt bad turns by Iago, and their wounds have festered. But in festering, they did not become gangrenous, rather, they have become more solid than before and less nebulous. As milk, they were easily spilt and separated. But through adversity working on them like the bacteria working in milk to turn it to butter, the Arashi men will be better for it. When they become butter, they are more united (able to move in one solid unit against Iago) and are more slippery (butter is slippery) and thus able to escape from Iago’s nefarious plans. Indeed, we already have hints of the slipperiness of Nino and Aiba when they escaped from Nozoki and the drug party respectively.
My contention is that the missing lines will read something to this effect:
Unexpected lightning smites from
What should have been dead and buried/forgotten
The Imperial Palace crumbles [from the lightning]
The end of an era.
I am a poor poet when the words are not my own - but this is what I believe is the gist of the rest of the prophecy. Iago thinks he has left the Arashi men. But they’re not really dead. Instead they are slowly and furtively mobilising against him. Because Iago thinks he has left them for dead by dissipating their bonds and dissolving the band, any lightning from the storm against him will smite him hard. And that smite will take Iago unawares, thus, bringing the Imperial Palace down.
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I do not know how true this is or whether Haineko had this in mind when she conceptualised the last stanza of the prophecy, but my personal take is that the last stanza is based on ‘the tower’ tarot card. In most traditional tarot cards, ‘the tower’ is depicted as being struck by lightening close to the top with stones/bricks flying all over place.
Those of you who have read my commentary on the Aiba section in CH 17B will recall that the in tarot:
The tower is depicted with a crown (in the shape of a pomegranate calyx) for a roof.
The tarot card picture of ‘the tower’ is a large lightning bolt striking the top of the tower in a diagonal slash, effectively displacing the crown from the top and sending stone/bricks flying everyone. This effectively destroys the tower.
It should be borne in mind that:
The tower = earthly attachments and the false structures of the egotistical mind.
Lightning striking the tower = wisdom, righteousness, justice (all external) of a higher, nobler being
What this means is that ‘the tower’ card represents the destruction of the earthly attachments and the false structures of the egotistical mind by the wisdom and righteousness of a higher being. Simply put, ‘the tower’ card represents the destruction of artificial attempts to reach divinity. This interpretation is extremely relevant to that which will shortly happen to Iago. Iago does think he’s god; he does think he’s indestructible because he has won so many times. However, his attempted ascendance towards his own perceived divinity is artificial and will be his very downfall. Arashi’s new found righteousness (the true person who should wear the pomegranate calyx crown) will smite Iago and demonstrate that he is nothing but Claudius (cf. the pomegranate and tower explanations in the commentaries to Sho’s and Aiba’s sections respectively in CHs 17A and 17B).
Moreover, in the Aiba section, we are told that a sparrow flies away from the tree beneath the tower towards the light. In Nubian Egypt, the sparrow was regarded as harbingers of the undead (i.e. those who should be dead but aren’t dead), and vultures were symbols of devotion and familial love. That Sparrow!Aiba escapes from the tower of Iago's artificial divinity heralds the death of Iago. Even sparrow!Aiba heralds the sudden death of Iago as does the tarot card. Look at this in the context of the prophecy, and you will realise how this fits in with the sudden death theory.
All empires must crumble, and in Iago’s case, I hazard a guess that it will have to do with the truncation of the 13year silence he imposed on Jun and Ohno through the 2009 contract. What’s so special about the number 13 you ask?
There are 13 steps to the gallows. In the year 49BC, Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon with the 13th Legion thus marking the death of the Roman empire. Loki (Norse God of Mischief and Destruction) gatecrash that elite party of the Gods (thus bringing the number of Gods to 13) and started a Gotterdammerung. Pay attention to the Caesar and the Loki examples - those are instances in which civilisations ended. All of which occurred concurrent with the 13. So, Jun with the13 year silence clause hanging over him could bring Iago’s empire to an end.
Of course, there are some residual questions that will have to be posed at this juncture:
(21) What do the missing lines of the prophecy say?
(22) Where is the missing fragment of the prophecy?
(23) Will this missing fragment fall into the hands of one of our heroes or Miyazono?
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(25) What are the Arashi men’s respective moves against Iago?
- How will Iago act now that Aiba and Nino have escaped his clutches?
- What will Iago do with Ohno in his clutches (I have highlighted my take on this in the Ohno section of the commentary in 17C, but I may be wrong)?
(26) Did Jun see Kakia in the same manner he saw the accountant (that he told Miyazono about)? If not how did he come to know about the whole Kakia and ‘club’ business if Iago only made sure to ask to see in the evening when there was no one around? Surely, Kakia’s kind of business only can occur at night, n’est-ce pas?
After this slew of questions, I shall move into the next section and cover the 2009 contract in detail.
[TBC. No, commentary still not done. Give me time, give me time...]
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