#Craven Road

[topoet]

Art in the Wild

The wild being streets here in Toronto. Mostly paintings, some on the Craven Road fence, all free to view & relatively free of curators, other than my camera.  hanging out on Craven Road Craven closeup Another Craven closeup mobile home on fire? abstract vs. frame autumn forest laneway extravaganza forest sunset Hey! You can give me $$$ to defray blog fees & buy coffeesweet,…

[multifandominfj]

If I were to go down The Witches Road, here’s a mini thread, inspired by Agatha All Along, of who I’d trust in MY Coven, regardless of reputation:

Tally Craven: Motherland Fort Salem

Morgana Pendragon: Merlin

Regina Mills: Once Upon a Time

Sally Owens: Practical Magic

The Mother Witch: Hocus Pocus 2

Elphaba Thropp: Wicked

Lena Luthor: Supergirl

[idiopathicsmile]

you know what really grinds my gears?

okay, bear with me: so as you may know, harry houdini and arthur conan doyle were friends, at least for a while.

by the early 1920s, both arthur conan doyle and acd's wife jean, aka lady doyle, believed whole-heartedly in spiritualism, talking to ghosts and all of that. (sidenote: this was of course right on the heels of a devastating world war and a devastating pandemic, both of which had created a huge population of grieving people, so spiritualism was having a moment.)

lady doyle sincerely thought she had the ability to go into a trance state and pass along messages in writing from the dead. she offered to do this for houdini. houdini agreed.

lady doyle attempted to channel houdini's late mother. she basically drew a cross at the top of the paper and filled it with generic platitudes addressed to "harry." houdini's mom was jewish and didn't talk like that, so houdini knew the jig was up, even if lady doyle didn't. but not wanting to make the situation awkward, he kind of went along with it to their faces.

then acd decided to publish a glowing account of the seance, and since both he and houdini were super famous, it got a lot of attention, and letters started pouring in for houdini, asking if this was true. ultimately, houdini couldn't lie about it. so he essentially said, like, "yeah, i think lady doyle THINKS she can talk to ghosts but she absolutely can't." and it ruined his friendship with acd forever.

and then of course a lot of the people running seances weren't even well-intentioned like lady doyle, they were just simple charlatans taking advantage of traumatized people mourning loved ones. in houdini's youth, he and his wife had traveled the carnival circuit where he did an act pretending to commune with spirits, so he knew all the tricks of the trade AND he had lingering guilt over having done this, AND he was infuriated by this increasingly popular wave of con artists so he decided to assemble a team of anti-grifting grifters and together they went on the road exposing whichever spiritualists were preying on the locals.

houdini's best agent was a young woman named rose mackenberg, who donned disguises to visit the fraud de jour and then importantly sussed out what non-supernatural thing was actually happening, and then houdini would demonstrate the techniques onstage to packed audiences.

(if you want to know more, check out episode 175, "ghost racket crusade" of the podcast Criminal or read Tony Wolf's book The Real-Life Ghostbusting Adventures of Rose Mackenberg.)

but yeah, what really gets my goat is that all this happened and as far as i know, we still don't have like four seasons of a Leverage-style historical procedural about rose mackenberg and the rest of the crew having adventures in the 1920s as they unmask craven hucksters all over the united states. (what we do have, apparently, is one season of a show called "houdini and doyle" which is about the oddball friendship of two contrasting men solving sometimes-actually-supernatural mysteries, and whose premise does i think at the very least a real disservice to houdini's whole quest and also totally erases rose, who is arguably the most interesting part of this story to me.)

i am just steamed about this. steamed.

[madame-mortician]

Random Evil Dead Fun Facts!

Because I'm hyperfixated on it :P

Originally, Ash was supposed to lose an eye in Army of Darkness, but this was scrapped.

Currently Evil Dead (2013) has the most fake blood used in a film, with 50,000 gallons being used. This isn't that suprising considering that during the final 10 minutes of the film, it is raining blood non-stop.

Freddy Krueger's glove is in the workshed in Evil Dead 2. This is a reference to how in A Nightmare on Elm Street, Nancy watched The Evil Dead. Ironically, that was a nod to how Wes Craven's "The Hills have Eyes" poster was in The Evil Dead. That in turn was a nod to how in The Hills have Eyes a torn Jaws poster is seen on the walls. Very confusing easter egg.

Ironically, Ash actually does say the correct words during the Necronomicon scene in Army of Darkness, but it's hard to hear due to Bruce Campbell coughing his way through it, which sounds like something Ash would do honestly.

Speaking of that scene in Army of Darkness, it is actually established that Ash isn't good at remembering phrases, shown by the scene in The Evil Dead, where Ash tries to recite a greek quote but fucks it up.

Evil Dead Rise confirms that the original trilogy takes place in the same universe as the remake and Evil Dead Rise. For one, they confirm there are three volumes of the Necronomicon, being the ones seen in Army of Darkness. The first Necronomicon, Necronomicon Ex-Mortis, was found by Prof. Knowby and read by Ash and his friends. The second book, Naturom Demonto, is the one Mia found in her family cabin and the final one, also named Naturom Demonto, is the one locked in the bank vault in Evil Dead Rise.

Each deadite in Evil Dead Rise has different eyes referencing the older ones. Ellie has unique silver eyes, Bridget and the neighbours have golden yellow eyes (like in the 2013 film) and Danny has pupilless white eyes (like in the original trilogy.)

The character names in Evil Dead (2013) start with letters that spell the word "DEMON" (David, Eric, Mia, Olivia and Natalie.)

Similarly, the building in Evil Dead Rise, the Monde, is an anagram for Demon as well.

A reocurring theme in the Evil Dead films, is a sister getting possessed and tormenting their sibling. This is shown with Cheryl and her brother Ash, Mia and her brother David, Ellie and her sister Beth and Bridget and her siblings Danny and Kassie.

All the characters in Evil Dead Rise are named after actors from the Evil Dead films, which I elaborate on here.

Originally Army of Darkness was named "Medieval Dead."

The original ending of Army of Darkness showed Ash waking up in a post-apocolyptic future, but it was changed to the more optimistic ending. Despite both Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell preferring the original ending, the redone ending was used to continue the story with Ash VS Evil Dead.

The original ending was also supposed to lead into Evil Dead 4, where Ash would've fought deadites in the future with robots and other futuristic tropes, but because the ending was changed this never happened. Ironically, the same thing happened to Ash VS Evil Dead, when Season 3 ended on a cliffhanger so that the next season could be in the post-apocalyptic future, but this too was cancelled.

The German version of Army of Darkness incorporates both endings. It starts with the deleted ending, where Ash incorrectly takes 7 drops instead of 6, but as he sleeps it cuts to black and says Ash began dreaming over the centuries. Then it cuts to the regular ending where Ash is in the supermarket and is hailed as a hero before cutting back to him waking up in the post-apocalyptic future. Ironically this is my favourite ending, but it's not-canon.

Evil Dead (2013) had a bunch of different endings before settling on the, supposedly, canon one. One ending had Mia simply leave and the film ends, another had her go to leave before being jumped by a demon (like in The Evil Dead's ending), another had her collapse on the road and get rescued only to reveal she was still possessed and another had her go to leave but start floating before she exploded. The canon one is likely the theatrical ending where she simply walks away, and since we never see Mia again we have nothing to confirm or deny this.

The Abomination from Evil Dead (2013) is inspired by the poster of The Evil Dead, which depicts a woman being dragged into a grave. The Abomination even does the same pose when it rises.

Speaking of The Evil Dead posters, the promo images for The Evil Dead, showed Bruce Campbell and Bridget Hoffman being attacked by a skeleton prop, and defending themselves with a chainsaw. Despite being in all the promotional images and being on the literal cover, Bridget Hoffman was not in the film, though it's likely she is supposed to be a stand-in for Linda. She also played a cameo role as a sword fighter in Army of Darkness, and the voice of the Lori doll in Ash VS Evil Dead.

In The Evil Dead originally it was written that the characters would be smoking weed whilst listening to the tapes, perhaps as a way to explain why they would willingly play the tape, and as a way to rationalise the characters dumb decisions for the rest of the film. This however, was scrapped when the actors did smoke weed for the shot, but got too high and became uncontrollable.

The opening shot of The Evil Dead was filmed by Sam Raimi who stood on a boat, whilst Bruce Campbell pushed him along.

One of the demon passages in The Evil Dead translates to "Sam and Rob are the hikers on the road" a reference to the fact that the two hitchhikers at the start of the film are literally Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert.

During The Evil Dead, a cameraman slipped and dropped his camera onto Bruce Campbell's face, which caused several of his teeth to fall out.

Apparently during filming for Evil Dead 2, after one of the slapstick scenes Bruce Campbell heard somebody making funny noises above him and thought they were making fun of his performance, only for it to turn out that guy got electrocuted. I say apparently because even though Campbell said this himself, he could've been kidding.

Originally the idea with Evil Dead (2013) was that it would get a sequel, similar to Evil Dead 2 but with Mia, and then Ash's story would get a sequel with Army of Darkness 2, and then a third sequel would be made that would have Mia and Ash's stories merge and have the two characters meet, explaining the random after-credits scene in 2013. For some reason they never made the sequel to Evil Dead (2013) and the sequel to Army of Darkness was scrapped for Ash VS Evil Dead instead. The 2013 sequel was replaced with Evil Dead Rise, and Bruce Campbell has since retired as Ash in live-action.

In Japan, Army of Darkness is called "Captain Supermarket" probably being in reference to how Ash works in retail.

So far Evil Dead Rise is the only Evil Dead film without Ash's yellow delta, though apparently the chainsaw used by Beth is the same exact colour as the delta, being a double-reference.

Speaking of the delta, Ash's car appears in Evil Dead (2013), sitting abandoned in front of the cabin. It is most likely just an easter egg and has no lore implications.

Mia and David are half-siblings with different fathers. Originally it was intended for Mia to be Ash's daughter, but this was changed by Raimi. Ironically Ash did end up getting a daughter in the TV show.

Speaking of, Mia was supposed to appear in Ash VS Evil Dead, but it’s likely she wouldn’t have fit since her movie and experience was way darker than Ash’s, and she wouldn’t fit the tone.

The canonical reason Evil Dead (2013) is so similar to The Evil Dead is because the Necronomicon can cause history to repeat itself and likely lured the 5 friends to the cabin (which could also explain why some of the randoms are even here). This is why the 5 characters play very similar roles to the original film, Eric is Scotty, Natalie is Linda, Olivia is Shelly, and David is Ash whilst Mia is Cheryl. The reason Mia survives instead of David, and becomes more like Ash in the finale is likely that when David saved Mia, which Ash failed to do with Cheryl, the Necronomicon decided David should die and Mia should take Ash's role instead. It's also possible that David took the role of Annie in the finale, with him helping before being killed last second, but this is a bit of a stretch.

Bruce Campbell has two cameos in Evil Dead Rise. First is his voice being heard on the first tape Danny plays, where he plays a priest yelling “It’s called the Book of the Dead for a reason!” The second is simply the biting noises when Ellie bites Gabriel’s eye out, being Bruce Campbell furiously biting an apple.

Lee Cronin (Writer/Director of Evil Dead Rise) stated that Bruce Campbell’s cameo was intended to actually be Ash Williams himself. His reasoning was that Ash has found himself in the wrong time period a lot, and it would make sense for a time-displaced Ash to try and get rid of the Necronomicon in the past, before shit hits the fan.

Chet Kaminski was invited by Ash to go with them to the cabin. He chose not to come because Cheryl was also going and he didn’t want Ash to find out he was dating his sister as he feared it would end their friendship. This ultimately ended up saving his life.

In the Evil Dead films, the only characters to be possessed after they died were Scotty, Eric, David, Danny and the neighbours (Evil Dead Rise).

Shelly is never mentioned ever again after The Evil Dead. Scotty is mentioned once, in Ash VS Evil Dead.

Whilst shooting the recap scenes in Evil Dead 2, originally it was intended to have The Evil Dead be more closely followed, with Scotty, Cheryl and Shelly being there with Ash and not just Linda. Sam Raimi himself was going to play Scotty, but it was scrapped in favour of it being only Linda. It’s this recap that led to many fans and viewers being confused and assuming Evil Dead 2 was a retcon or remake when it was not. They couldn’t simply use footage from The Evil Dead due to licensing issues.

[sowhatifiliveinfukuoka]

Peter Mitchell

Craven Road, Leeds, West Yorkshire

[doc42]

"The dragon is too far away to save you."

The fandom misunderstands the sad, wistful tragedy of Jon Connington chasing the dream of placing Rhaegar's son upon the Iron Throne when it considers only ever that its end must be to have big bad woman who is Rhaegar reborn fly down and burn him and the lad.

Seventeen years had come and gone since the Battle of the Bells, yet the sound of bells ringing still tied a knot in his guts. Others might claim that the realm was lost when Prince Rhaegar fell to Robert's warhammer on the Trident, but the Battle of the Trident would never have been fought if the griffin had only slain the stag there in Stoney Sept. The bells tolled for all of us that day. For Aerys and his queen, for Elia of Dorne and her little daughter, for every true man and honest woman in the Seven Kingdoms. And for my silver prince. "The plan was to reveal Prince Aegon only when we reached Queen Daenerys," Lemore was saying.

King Stannis is Jon Connington's kin from the "slayer of lies" sequence of visions from the House of the Undying and his foreshadowing for choosing to burn a kid to save the realm is he literally talks of burning a kid to save the realm:

"I know the cost! Last night, gazing into that hearth, I saw things in the flames as well. I saw a king, a crown of fire on his brows, burning . . . burning, Davos. His own crown consumed his flesh and turned him into ash. Do you think I need Melisandre to tell me what that means? Or you?" The king moved, so his shadow fell upon King's Landing. "If Joffrey should die . . . what is the life of one bastard boy against a kingdom?" "Everything," said Davos, softly.

Jon Connington's foreshadowing with the backstory of the Battle of the Bells is equally straightforward: he's thinking he's willing to burn down a town if it means getting rid of the Usurper's line. Because he missed his chance getting rid of Robert Baratheon in Stoney Sept, so he won't miss it again.

Others might claim that the realm was lost when Prince Rhaegar fell to Robert's warhammer on the Trident, but the Battle of the Trident would never have been fought if the griffin had only slain the stag there in Stoney Sept.

For years afterward, Jon Connington told himself that he was not to blame, that he had done all that any man could do. His soldiers searched every hole and hovel, he offered pardons and rewards, he took hostages and hung them in crow cages and swore that they would have neither food nor drink until Robert was delivered to him. All to no avail. “Tywin Lannister himself could have done no more,” he had insisted one night to Blackheart, during his first year of exile. “There is where you’re wrong,” Myles Toyne had replied. “Lord Tywin would not have bothered with a search. He would have burned that town and every living creature in it.

The road ahead was full of perils, he knew, but what of it? All men must die. All he asked was time. He had waited so long, surely the gods would grant him a few more years, enough time to see the boy he’d called a son seated on the Iron Throne. To reclaim his lands, his name, his honor. To still the bells that rang so loudly in his dreams whenever he closed his eyes to sleep.

Death, he knew, but slow. I still have time. A year. Two years. Five. Some stone men live for ten. Time enough to cross the sea, to see Griffin’s Roost again. To end the Usurper’s line for good and all, and put Rhaegar’s son upon the Iron Throne.

Connington cares much and more about how he's going to be remembered. This is the reason he tried to face Robert honorably in single combat and this is why he promises doom to Lord Varys:

The shame of the lie still stuck in his craw, but Varys had insisted it was necessary. “We want no songs about the gallant exile,” the eunuch had tittered, in that mincing voice of his. “Those who die heroic deaths are long remembered, thieves and drunks and cravens soon forgotten.”

Death had robbed him of his ears, his nose, and all his warmth. The smile remained, transformed into a glittering golden grin. All the skulls were grinning, even Bittersteel’s on the tall pike in the center. What does he have to grin about? He died defeated and alone, a broken man in an alien land. On his deathbed, Ser Aegor Rivers had famously commanded his men to boil the flesh from his skull, dip it in gold, and carry it before them when they crossed the sea to retake Westeros. His successors had followed his example. Jon Connington might have been one of those successors if his exile had gone otherwise. He had spent five years with the company, rising from the ranks to a place of honor at Toyne’s right hand. Had he stayed, it might well have been him the men turned to after Myles died, instead of Harry Strickland. But Griff did not regret the path he’d chosen. When I return to Westeros, it will not be as a skull atop a pole.

A cloth dragon swayed on poles amidst a cheering crowd . . . mother of dragons, slayer of lies . . .

What does a eunuch know of a man’s honor? Griff had gone along with the Spider’s scheme for the boy’s sake, but that did not mean he liked it any better. Let me live long enough to see the boy sit the Iron Throne, and Varys will pay for that slight and so much more. Then we’ll see who’s soon forgotten.

Because Varys the Spider dared to decide how Jon Connington must be remembered. But now Lord Jon Connington is ready to be remembered as a butcher if he must:

Men and boys, babes at the breast, noble knights and holy septons, pigs and whores, rats and rebels, he would have burned them all. When the fires guttered out and only ash and cinders remained, he would have sent his men in to find the bones of Robert Baratheon. Later, when Stark and Tully turned up with their host, he would have offered pardons to the both of them, and they would have accepted and turned for home with their tails between their legs.” He was not wrong, Jon Connington reflected, leaning on the battlements of his forebears. I wanted the glory of slaying Robert in single combat, and I did not want the name of butcher. So Robert escaped me and cut down Rhaegar on the Trident. “I failed the father,” he said, “but I will not fail the son.”

The tragedy isn't that their choice to go to Westeros alone have turned Daenerys against them as the second dance of the dragons, the Blacks versus the Greens reborn and the final Blackfyre rebellion. The tragedy is they were so close. History does not repeat itself exactly.

Despite what the fandom says about Quaithe of the Shadow prompting Daenerys to go against the mummer's dragon with prophecy, Daenerys literally forgets all about the kid and confuses the mummer's dragon with herself, which is the most funny and charming thing you could find her thinking in the spot in the narrative the fandom designated as "Daenerys is up in arms ready to go to war with the mummer's dragon." But she thinks to herself she might have married Aegon VI had he lived just as these guys choose to stop chasing the dragon's tail and decide to go to Westeros alone.

There would have been a sixth, but the Usurper's dogs had murdered her brother's son when he was still a babe at the breast. If he had lived, I might have married him. Aegon would have been closer to my age than Viserys. Dany had only been conceived when Aegon and his sister were murdered.

That's the tragedy, the road not taken. They were so close. She would have come to them in Volantis had they waited.

"As you say." Tyrion grinned. "If I were Volantene, and free, and had the blood, you'd have my vote for triarch, my lady." "I am no lady," the widow replied, "just Vogarro's whore. You want to be gone from here before the tigers come. Should you reach your queen, give her a message from the slaves of Old Volantis." She touched the faded scar upon her wrinkled cheek, where her tears had been cut away. "Tell her we are waiting. Tell her to come soon."

Farther on she came upon a feast of corpses. Savagely slaughtered, the feasters lay strewn across overturned chairs and hacked trestle tables, asprawl in pools of congealing blood. Some had lost limbs, even heads. Severed hands clutched bloody cups, wooden spoons, roast fowl, heels of bread. In a throne above them sat a dead man with the head of a wolf. He wore an iron crown and held a leg of lamb in one hand as a king might hold a scepter, and his eyes followed Dany with mute appeal.

Smiling, he seized his dragon, flew it across the board. "I hope Your Grace will pardon me. Your king is trapped. Death in four." The prince stared at the playing board. "My dragon—" "—is too far away to save you. You should have moved her to the center of the battle." "But you said—" "I lied. Trust no one. And keep your dragon close."

What Tyrion says with the cyvasse game is Aegon is going to lose if he does not move Daenerys to "the center of the battle."

King's Landing is called "the center" by GRRM himself when describing the designs of his world:

Well, of course, the two outlying ones — the things going on north of the Wall, and then there is Targaryen on the other continent with her dragons — are of course the ice and fire of the title, “A Song of Ice and Fire.” The central stuff — the stuff that’s happening in the middle, in King’s Landing, the capital of the seven kingdoms — is much more based on historical events, historical fiction.

Aegon is moving to King's Landing without the dragon piece.

“The demon road is death. We will lose half the company to desertion if we attempt that march, and bury half of those who remain beside the road. It grieves me to say it, but Magister Illyrio and his friends may have been unwise to put so much hope on this child queen.” No, thought Griff, but they were most unwise to put their hopes on you. And then Prince Aegon spoke. “Then put your hopes on me,” he said. “Daenerys is Prince Rhaegar’s sister, but I am Rhaegar’s son. I am the only dragon that you need.” Griff put a black-gloved hand upon Prince Aegon’s shoulder. “Spoken boldly,” he said, “but think what you are saying.” “I have,” the lad insisted. “Why should I go running to my aunt as if I were a beggar? My claim is better than her own. Let her come to me … in Westeros.”

Note how Griff here puts his black-gloved hand upon his purported son's shoulder just as Prince Aegon chooses the most unwise course of action. This is an omen of doom.

"Your death is with us now, my lord. Give me your hand." "My hand. What do you know of my hand?"

Jon Connington signs his letter to Dorne as "Hand of the True King", and Death spreads through his hand. His hand, and greyscale spreading through it, the very reason that made him accept this course, because time's running out for him to reclaim the dream. He is trying to reach the star he once failed to grasp, his green light, but what he brings to Westeros is death.

“Pirates and adventurers, we heard at first,” said Valena. “Then it was supposed to be the Golden Company. Now it’s said to be Jon Connington, the Mad King’s Hand, come back from the grave to reclaim his birthright. Whoever it is, Griffin’s Roost has fallen to them. Rain House, Crow’s Nest, Mistwood, even Greenstone on its island. All taken.”

And as I sat there brooding on the old, unknown world, I thought of Gatsby’s wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock. He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night. Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter—tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms further… And one fine morning— So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.

Prince Aegon Targaryen was not near as biddable as the boy Young Griff had been, however. The better part of an hour had passed before he finally turned up in the solar, with Duck at his side. “Lord Connington,” he said, “I like your castle.” “Your father’s lands are beautiful,” he said. His silvery hair was blowing in the wind, and his eyes were a deep purple, darker than this boy’s. “As do I, Your Grace. Please, be seated. Ser Rolly, we’ll have no further need of you for now.”

The foreshadowing of their defeat due to the dragon being too far away to save them is no different than the foreshadowing of King Stannis' defeat to Renly's ghost at Blackwater, doom equally straightforward and for a very precisely written reason:

Melisandre saw another day in her flames as well. A morrow where Renly rode out of the south in his green armor to smash my host beneath the walls of King's Landing. Had I met my brother there, it might have been me who died in place of him.

It is binding. King Stannis is indeed defeated by Lord Renly riding out of the south in his green armor to smash his host beneath the walls of King's Landing, or so it seemed.

They plunged through Stannis like a lance through a pumpkin, every man of them howling like some demon in steel. And do you know who led the vanguard? Do you? Do you? Do you?” “Robb?” It was too much to be hoped, but… “It was Lord Renly! Lord Renly in his green armor, with the fires shimmering off his golden antlers! Lord Renly with his tall spear in his hand! They say he killed Ser Guyard Morrigen himself in single combat, and a dozen other great knights as well. It was Renly, it was Renly, it was Renly! Oh! the banners, darling Sansa! Oh! to be a knight!”

Aegon's defeat shall be because he did not keep his dragon close, leaving Daenerys behind him in Essos, the girl thinking she might have married Aegon VI had he lived. Of course, Stannis did not die at Blackwater, so while the boy king may be doomed, the fake Rhaegar's son that he is, the young dragon, Jon Connington ironically despite his greyscale may still live long enough to meet the true Rhaegar reborn of the tale, his silver prince shining from afar.

Alone in the tent, as the gold and scarlet rays of the setting sun shone through the open flap, Jon Connington shrugged off his wolfskin cloak, slipped his mail shirt off over his head, settled on a camp stool, and peeled the glove from his right hand. The nail on his middle finger had turned as black as jet, he saw, and the grey had crept up almost to the first knuckle. The tip of his ring finger had begun to darken too, and when he touched it with the point of his dagger, he felt nothing. Death, he knew, but slow. I still have time. A year. Two years. Five. Some stone men live for ten. Time enough to cross the sea, to see Griffin's Roost again. To end the Usurper's line for good and all, and put Rhaegar's son upon the Iron Throne. Then Lord Jon Connington could die content.

She could smell home, she could see it, there, just beyond that door, green fields and great stone houses and arms to keep her warm, there. She threw open the door. "… the dragon …" And saw her brother Rhaegar, mounted on a stallion as black as his armor. Fire glimmered red through the narrow eye slit of his helm. "The last dragon," Ser Jorah's voice whispered faintly. "The last, the last." Dany lifted his polished black visor. The face within was her own.

[simonnebethel]

Writeblr Introduction

Just learned what a writeblr intro is so I'm gonna make one before I go to bed lol

I've already done something like this a few days ago but that was when I had no clue what I was doing lmao, so might as well make a more in depth one

About me:

20, she/her, bi

American

I write mostly fantasy and urban fantasy, and honestly i dont think i've ever written a story that was non-fantasy lol

Started writing when I was 10, but it was mostly Warrior Cats fanfiction on Wattpad lol. I went through a writing slump for most of highschool but last year I decided to get back into it since I'm not doing anything else lol

I like to read fantasy and classic lit, also anything with vampires. I also have a soft spot for slowburn romances where the main characters dont kiss until, like, the 4th book heehee

In love with anything gothic, vampire, and wlw 👩‍❤‍💋‍👩

I think one of my more niche interests is any early 2000s fantasy/sci-fi movie with a nu-metal/rock/alternative soundtrack like Queen of the Damned and The Crow. They are just...*chefs kiss*

My current stories:

A Chant for Blood (Formerly known as Account of Calamity)

Account of Calamity is a gothic victorian fantasy about a Grand Marshal, Karliah Helisende, and a blood-drinking fiend, Yorick Gwynplaine, who work together to investigate the mysterious portals that spawn dangerous creatures into the city of Isarnan, all the while Karliah is being haunted by the mysterious ancient temple that watches over her every move.

I'm currently working on the second draft, and I may start looking for beta readers once I'm finished, although I know I'm not far from finished with this novel. I also plan to make it a 4 or 5 book series, and slowly add a slowburn romance.

12/30/24 - Second draft has been finished!!

Looking for beta readers! Look here!

Our Demonic Hearts - The Craven Pact Series #1

Our Demonic Hearts is a urban fantasy about a cambion woman, Ana Kravens, haunted by her past. Taking place in a small Mississippi town, a man she went through a traumatic incident with, Beau Motloe, shows up on her doorstep one day with a deal; help him find his missing mother, and he'll give back the memories she lost during the traumatic incident. Her father, a demonic creature of unknown origin, wants nothing more than the Motloes dead, claiming that they were the very reason his daughter was almost killed 6 years ago. Ana goes against her father's wishes and accepts Beau's deal, suspecting that her father isn't telling the whole truth about that fatal night.

It is completed and available on Wattpad and Royal Road!! It was just a small project I had done for Nanowrimo, and has been edited at least once before being published. However, I plan to make it a trilogy and maybe have some spin-offs. This story is fairly new, but most of the characters are at least 5 years old and I love them very much <3

What I plan for 2024:

Finish the second draft of A Chant for Blood and look for beta readers(In the beta reader phase!) ✅

Start the second novel of The Craven Pact Series(Outline complete)

Write a short story/novella or two taking place within the A Chant for Blood universe. My brain is currently exploding with ideas rn ✅

Write a short story about Ana Kraven's mom and how she met Marchosias, Ana's father.

Plan something for Nano?? Idk where I'll be in November lol (Finish a project I started in february, which is To Hear a Lovebird!)

I'm interested in following other writers and reading everybody's stories! I would also be interested in a beta read/beta swap ^^

Other sites I'm on:

Wattpad: LillithOfBees

Royal Road: SimonneBethel

18+ Writing discord!!!

[allkordelia]

Keep Me Near Your Heart XIV

Jaenara walk down the hall towards godswood when she heard her name being called, she stopped and turn to see her young uncle jogging down the way towards her.

"Hello, Daeron." She greeted with a smile.

"Hi," he greeted back with a flush face, "How are you today, jaenara."

"I'm good, I'm on my way towards godswood," The young prince looked nervously at her before requesting to join, "Of course, the more the merrier." She grins as they turn to walk side by side.

It didn't take long for daeron and jaenara to make it to godswood, they settle under the tree with pillows under them and relax under the shade. Jaenara was enjoying the silence and the company of her uncle, she needed to get out of her room, it was getting quite stuffing in there even through everyone she knew was doing there own thing. Aemond having his afternoon tea with his mother, Enith and Krey was doing their duties leaving Jaenara to be left with her own thoughts.

"Jaenara," Daeron called below her with his head on her lap.

"Hmmm." She repond with her eyes close and her head leaned back.

"Can I ask you a question?" He ask, jaenara let out a low a giggle going to say 'you already did' but decided on a simple sure, "Have you ever been to a brothel?" The question made jaenara open her eyes and look down at daeron, he stare at her with his bright curious eyes.

"Uhh, n-no, why do you ask." Daeron glance away with an unsure look before looking back at her.

"Aegon wishes to take me to silk street, he said now that I am ten and three, I must become a man." Jaenara raise her brow and sense anticipation from daeron.

"But," she coaxed.

"I don't know if I want to go," he replies low, "The maester says that I must wait until I am married to have sex, but aegon said that it is different for me because I am a man and man don't have to wait until marriage." Jaenara scoff and roll her eyes, of course aegon would say that, "But, Aegon said if I didn't go then I be label a craven and no lady would want to marry a coward." Jaenara shook her head at her uncle's nonsense.

"Daeron, first, don't listen to your brother, his an idiot and an drunk. Secondly, if you don't want your first time to be with a whore, that is fine." Daeron sit up and turn to her.

"Really?" Jaenara nodded, "But, how would I know what to do when I am married."

"Well, you can always ask your mother or your father." Daeron frown a bit.

"But, mother is always busy and father...well you know." He said sadly bowing his head, jaenara looks away sadly at his gloomy face.

"Well, you can always ask aemond or me, believe me, no lady with half a brain in court will think you a coward if you don't do it. I think they will find you rather more attractive." Daeron smile widely.

"You really think so."

"I know so, you should always have your first time with someone you really really love, it's a special thing, you shouldn't waste it on someone who already done it a millions times." Daeron and jaenara chuckle before daeron became quiet, jaenara watch him as he thinks to himself, she bump her knee into his own breaking him out of his thoughts, "What you thinking about?" She ask.

Daeron made a face before answering, "I think you are right, jaenara. I would rather wait and do it with a woman I love than some woman who I probably will never see again...thank you." He smiles making jaenara return the sentiment.

"I'm happy you took the high road, it means you two more steps away from being nothing like your brothers." Daeron chuckle with a half of grin, he was quick to wrap his arms around jaenara.

The young princess smile as she wrap her arms around the young boy, jaenara looks down at the boy and her heart flip as she imagine her soon to be son. If she wanted anyone her son to end up like it would be daeron and lucerys, their innocence are what always made her life a little bit brighter. She hope her son will grow up to have a gentle heart, their aren't a lot of men in their family that has that trait.

"Princess." Jaenara and Daeron pulled away to face Ser Krey, jaenara smile at the knight.

"Ser Krey," she greeted with a nod, ser krey gave a quick smile before it dissolve in a thin line, making jaenara look at him warily, "Is everything alright?" She ask.

Ser Krey looks angry but was trying to keep his cool in front of her, he clear his throat, moving to put his hand on his sword.

"I'm sorry to tell you this, m'lady. But, there was a terrible fire in fleabottom," Jaenara frowns feeling her heart sink into her stomach.

「                            ⊹₊♚₊⊹                           」

Aemond wall down the hall towards jaenara's chamber with a single flower in his hand, he pluck it when he was in the garden with his mother. The first thought that pop into his head when he saw it was jaenara, the flower was new to King Landing and most importantly it was beautiful, way beautiful than the other plants in the wide garden. He only hope jaenara would take it, he can start to see her come around to him, slowly but still it is great progress from both of their sides.

Aemond couldn't help a small smirk to form at the thought of jaenara, he has missed her terribly, his mother constant complaining about jaenara and her new attitude is making him grow tired. He  snapped at her the other day for calling jaenara out of her name, his mother looked shock before putting on her kick puppy expression, but he ignore it and continue on with their evening before departing back to jaenara and her small bump. Aemond felt a bit giddy at the way jaenara's belly is growing, soon enough he will be able to kill his boy kick, he must remind himself to bring up names for the babe with jaenara.

He had couple in mind that he knows jaenara would like, as aemond opened the door, his giddy feeling turn to confusion when he sees jaenara pacing the room with an angry look.

"Jaenara, what's wrong?" His wife stopped her movements to look at me, she clench her jaw before going back to pacing.

"Your grandfather is what's wrong." Aemond closed the door behind, and walk towards her with a slight frown.

"What happened." He asked.

Jaenara shook her head as she clench her fist, aemond look her over and notice the tear tracks down her face, he took another step closer. He stood in front of jaenara stopping her in her tracks, she looked at him with a hard glare, making him place his hand on her arm.

"I can't help you if you don't tell me what is going on." Jaenara stare him not sure if she should tell, she doubt he cares, his father didn't what makes him different, "I thought we decided we talk more, if you keeping something from me then you going back on your word." Jaenara growl softly looking away from him.

"The orphanage in fleabottom burned down," she starts with a frown as her eyes got misty, aemond raise his brows in surprise, "And your grandfather refuse to help the children and septa livia, he won't even allow me to help rebuild their home." Jaenara says close to tears.

"Oh," Jaenara look back at him angry.

"Is that all you going to say?" She snap, aemond frown shrugging his shoulder.

"What else is there to say." Jaenara scoff turning her back to him to stalk to her bed, aemond followed before coming to a stop as jaenara took a seat on the edge of the bed, "Jaenara, I'm sorry, but I don't know what you want me to say." Jaenara only roll her eyes.

"Of course you don't because it doesn't matter to you." She chided crossing her arms, aemond frown hurt making him glance down at the flower before looking back at her.

"Do you know what cause the fire." Jaenara shrug her shoulders.

"Ser Krey hasn't found any leads yet." She mutter.

Aemond clench his jaw at the mention of the knight, he swallow down his chargin and spoke again.

"Well...I'm happy to hear that Ser Krey is looking into it, maybe I should send Ser Ashford to help him." He suggest, "And if you like I can talk to my grandfather or mother about it."

"You do that?" She ask with a flicker of hope, aemond smile and nod.

"Of course, even through I don't give half a rat ass about those criminals. But, for you I will help as best as I can." Jaenara eye aemond unsure before she slowly nodding her head.

"That would be great appreciated, husband." She marveled, "Thank you." Aemond smiled at her.

"Of course, wife." 

Aemond took a seat next to her and finally handed her the flower, jaenara glance at aemond before looking at the exotic flower, a small smile appear on her lips and another 'thank you' pass through her lips before she brought it to her nose to smell it. Aemond watch with a fast beating heart, as the way jaenara's demeanor slowly changed.

「                            ⊹₊♚₊⊹            」               "Aemond, slow down." Jaenara called as Aemond pull her along by her hand down the halls, "I can only go as fast as I can with my condition." She pout as her hand rested on her bump.

After weeks of waiting and small updates on the fire that took down the orphanage, Aemond finally got a lead and was now taking jaenara to the great hall.

"I'm sorry, my love. But, we must hurry before anyone knows that we in there."

Jaenara groan softly as she tries to keep up with Aemond, they rounded corner and hurried towards the door of the great hall. Aemond push the doors open with one hand as they other was still holding jaenara's hand, he pulled her inside to find ser Ashford and ser krey standing beside three others on their kneels, hands tied behind their back as they had their backs to them. Aemond pulled her along further inside catching Ser Ashford and Ser Krey attention, they bowed their heads as we rounded them to stand in front of the three men who looked to have been beaten.

Jaenara frown as she stare the three man beaten and broken, she glance away to look up at Aemond as he held a proud smile on his face.

"Who are these men, aemond." Aemond looked at his wife with a glint in his eye.

"The scum that burn down the orphanage." Jaenara looks away from her husband to the three men, she narrow her eyes at them before folding her hands on her belly.

"Why." She ask, the three men glance at each other before bowing their heads silence.

"The princess has asked you a question," Aemond snapped stomping over, he grabbed the one in the middle hair pulling it back so he could look at jaenara, "You will look at her and answer, filth." The older man grunts as aemond pulled at his hair roughly making the man whimper in pain.

"A-Apologies, y-your highness. Please forgive me." He snivelled looking at jaenara, aemond let's go of his hair roughly before moving to stand by his wife again.

Jaenara glance at Aemond once he stood by her side, his hands behind his back as he glare down at the three criminals, she looks away from him to look back at the men.

"Get them up." Jaenara comanded when she glance at the knights, Krey and Ashford nod before pulling the men to their feet, once standing jaenara ask again, "Why did you burn down the orphanage in fleabottom?" The man in the middle swallowed nervously before clearing his throat.

"We..were drunk my lady, we didn't mean to--" The man cut himself off as he lean forward in pain after Ser Ashford punch him in the stomach, jaenara frown and look at Ashford as he glare down at the man.

"Lie again and I will cut off something important." Ashford threaten making the man nod his quickly before letting out a deep breathe before he stood straight again.

Jaenara flick her eyes back to the man, "My boy, Mikel, he lived in that place for some time now since his mother died last spring," the man started again, "I been working very hard, my lady. To have enough coins to leave and start a better life with my son--" Jaenara flinch when Krey knock the man to his knees and kick him in his stomach.

"You are testing our patience, Tarik. Another lie that leave your foul mouth, I'm going to know knock every tooth out." Jaenara looks at Krey as he glare angrily down at the man, a familiar feeling stir in her making look away and squeeze her thighs.

A choke chuckle made jaenara turn her eyes back to the man on the ground, he lift his head to turn to look up at Krey with a bloody grin.

"Apologies." He state with a cold look, "I am so use to lying that it is hard for me to tell the truth." The man turn his head away before spitting down some blood onto the floor, jaenara take a step back in disgust. She watch the man get himself up on shaky legs, he waver a a bit but got is feet under him.

Jaenara looks up to his face to see him smiling, it was unnerving to say the less. She came here to get answers, she hoped that this was an accident and was willing to spare the individuals who did. But, she see that this was no accident and that these men did it on purpose.

"This will be my last time asking you this, if you lie to me again you can spend some time in the black cells to think on your predicament." She says, the man, Tarik, smile fall into a line, "Now, that I got your attention, are you ready to talk?" She ask, Tarik clench his jaw before nodding.

"I tell you what happened, if..." he starts with a small smile, "...you promise to rid me of my crimes." Jaenara raise her brows at the man's nerve.

"What of your..." she looks at the of there two, "...associates?" Tarik shrug his shoulders.

"What about them?" The two man stare at Tarik enrage.

"You bastard." One said glaring at the man beside him, Tarik only roll his eyes.

"So, do we have a deal, princess." Tarik smirk ignoring the other men, jaenara glance at aemond as he glare at the man before them before looking back at the man.

"Fine."

"Jaenara--" Krey started but she pulled up her hand stopping him, he frown and stayed silent, jaenara looks back at the man before nodding her head for him to go on.

"We burn down the orphanage." He finally admitted.

"Why." She ask, and Tarik shrug his shoulders.

"I needed my son out of there, I needed him to go into the family's business you see. My father and his father before him are what you called..." A small smirk form with a thoughtful look, "...a miracle worker, they made this special jar that could cure anything and all I wish to do is pass down my legacy to my only son." He said with a look that mocks sincereness

"More like a crook," Ashford spoke with distaste, "Cheating smallfolks and lords out of their money for your own gain." Tarik glance at Ashford with a look. 

"A man got to eat." He grins before looking back at jaenara, "We burn down the orphanage so he had no choice but to come with me on the road, that's it." Jaenara stare at him in disgust.

"You could have nearly killed him and the others." Tarik stare at Jaenara with an emotionless look, "How can you be so heartless?" She ask making Tarik bark out a laugh.

"Are you serious asking me that?" He chuckle, "Do you not see where I live, I did my son a favor burning down that place. That septa was teaching him things that him and those other little bastards will never learn in the real world. You know what my son told me when I came to reveieve him the day agyer the fire?" He shook his head with a smile, " He said he didn't want to go that he wanted to stay and become a knight..." Tarik laugh shaking his head, "He truely thinks that someone like him is going to a knight, I told him he be lucky to be a stable boy in the castle. They have no future. All of them are going to end up being whores or thief or murders one day, I just...wanted them to start now rather than later so they know where they are in this world, the bottom." He finish.

Jaenara looks away upset, the feeling in her chest was close to boiling over.

"So, can I go now." Tarik ask, making jaenara look back at him, "...me and my boy have a long road ahead of us, and I will like to leave by nightfall." He smirk 

Jaenara tilt her head at him, she look to her husband who look at her. She stare into his eye for a second before looking back at Tarik, a feeling she never felt before bloom in her chest.

"Of course." She said making Tarik smile, jaenara looks to Ser Ashford, "Ser Ashford, would you us the honor and escorting this man to the black cells." Tarik smile dropped as Ser Ashford rises.

"My pleasure, princess." Ashfrod grab the man's elbow, but Tarik pulled away.

"No, no, no, we had a deal." Tarik glare at Jaenara, making the young princess look at him confuse.

"Did we?" Tarik grits his teeth as jaenara look at aemond, "Did I make a deal with this man, husband?" She asked, making aemond smirk and glance at Tarik.

"Not to my knowledge, wife." Both stared at Tarik with smirks.

"Sorry, Tarik." Jaenara said with a pout on her smile, "But, I be happy to put in a good word with the king, so your sentences will be less severe." Tarik growl as he was pulled away by Ashord.

"What about us, m'lady." Jaenara looks back to the other two men.

"Yeah, what about us?"

Jaenara narrow her eyes at the two before looking at Ser Krey, "Take them to the cells in the upper level with the rest of the criminals." Ser Krey nod as he took both men by the arm, they thanked jaenara as they was pulled away following behind ser Ashford.

Once the doors closed behind them, jaenara turn to Aemond again.

"I want those two sent to the wall for their involvement in the fire." She said making Aemond nod his head before asking about Tarik, a glint passed through her eyes, "I want his head on a spike." Aemond smirks.

"I'll tell my grandfather."

Jaenara nod her head before glancing down, her hand rub her small belly with a frown making aemond furrow his brows.

"What's wrong, my love?" Jaenara looks up at Aemond with a small frown, "Aren't you happy, you got justice?" Jaenara frown deepen as her thoughts went to the children with no home.

"Yes, but...they are still without a home." She bow her head, "If they have no where to live than Tarik was right, they will soon go will found ways of living and be like the rest of the people in fleabottom. Soulless and broken." Aemond frown down at his jaenara, he hope that bringing Tarik here that jaenara will see the true face of fleabottom and stopped allowing those children to blind her with their innocence.

But, after what Tarik said about his son, aemond undstood a little bit on why jaenara cares so much. And seeing how much faith jaenara have in those children, and now seeing her so hopeless made aemond understand how much those children mean to her.

"Jaenara, look at me." Jaenara looks up at him with puffy eyes, "Tarik is nothing more than fleabortom dirt beneath our feet, they all are, but those children arent...." Jaenara blinks up at Aemond in shock not sure she heard him right, "They have futures and dreams like me and you, there is still time to save them from being like Tarik."

"But, how? Your grandfather and mother won't help. What can we do." Aemond frown a bit in thought.

"I can go to father about it," Aemond concludes, "He always says that smallfolk is what makes a kingdom, maybe if I explain what is happening he probably help." Jaenara frown.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? Now a days, when I visit him his barely lucid." Jaenara claims, "And last thing I want is to go asking him for antthing, especially sinc there's a fat chance he might be uncaring like your mother and father." Aemond put his hand on jaenara's shoulder.

"We'll figure it out...together." He said making jaenara smile a bit in appreciation.

"Okay, husband."

Aemond smile back at her before moving his hand to he could wrap his around her waist. He pulled her along towards the door, they make their way out unknowingly to them they were being watch.

[la-pheacienne]

Top 5: quotes from asoiaf 🙂

Sorry nonnie I procrastinated so much on this because it was impossible for me to choose just 5. I won't mention the quotes that encapsulate asoiaf the best necessarily, but the quotes that speak to me the most personally.

The door loomed before her, the red door, so close, so close, the hall was a blur around her, the cold receding behind. And now the stone was gone and she flew across the Dothraki sea, high and higher, the green rippling beneath, and all that lived and breathed fled in terror from the shadow of her wings. She could smell home, she could see it, there, just beyond that door, green fields and great stone houses and arms to keep her warm, there. She threw open the door. "… the dragon …" And saw her brother Rhaegar, mounted on a stallion as black as his armor. Fire glimmered red through the narrow eye slit of his helm. "The last dragon," Ser Jorah's voice whispered faintly. "The last, the last." Dany lifted his polished black visor. The face within was her own.

A Game of Thrones - Daenerys IX

And no matter how far the dragon flew each day, come nightfall some instinct drew him home to Dragonstone. His home, not mine. Her home was back in Meereen, with her husband and her lover. That was where she belonged, surely. Keep walking. If I look back I am lost. Memories walked with her. Clouds seen from above. Horses small as ants thundering through the grass. A silver moon, almost close enough to touch. Rivers running bright and blue below, glimmering in the sun. Will I ever see such sights again? On Drogon's back she felt whole. Up in the sky the woes of this world could not touch her. How could she abandon that?

A Dance with Dragons - Daenerys X

Jaime lay on his back afterward, staring at the night sky, trying not to feel the pain that snaked up his right arm every time he moved it. The night was strangely beautiful. The moon was a graceful crescent, and it seemed as though he had never seen so many stars. The King’s Crown was at the zenith, and he could see the Stallion rearing, and there the Swan. The Moonmaid, shy as ever, was half-hidden behind a pine tree. How can such a night be beautiful? he asked himself. Why would the stars want to look down on such as me? "Jaime," Brienne whispered, so faintly he thought he was dreaming it. "Jaime, what are you doing?" "Dying," he whispered back. "No," she said, "no, you must live." He wanted to laugh. "Stop telling me what do, wench. I'll die if it pleases me." "Are you so craven?" The word shocked him. […] "What else can I do, but die?" "Live," she said, "live, and fight, and take revenge."

A Storm of Swords - Jaime IV

Rhaegar had put his hand on Jaime’s shoulder. “When this battle’s done I mean to call a council. Changes will be made. I meant to do it long ago, but… well, it does no good to speak of roads not taken. We shall talk when I return.” Those were the last words Rhaegar Targaryen ever spoke to him. Outside the gates an army had assembled, whilst another descended on the Trident. So the Prince of Dragonstone mounted up and donned his tall black helm, and rode forth to his doom. He was more right than he knew. When the battle was done, there were changes made […]. It was queer, but he felt no grief. Where are my tears? Where is my rage? Jaime Lannister had never lacked for rage. “Father,” he told the corpse, “it was you who told me that tears were a mark of weakness in a man, so you cannot expect that I should cry for you.”

A Feast for Crows - Jaime I

Marsh flushed a deeper shade of red. "The lord commander must pardon my bluntness, but I have no softer way to say this. What you propose is nothing less than treason. For eight thousand years the men of the Night's Watch have stood upon the Wall and fought these wildlings. Now you mean to let them pass, to shelter them in our castles, to feed them and clothe them and teach them how to fight. Lord Snow, must I remind you? You swore an oath." "I know what I swore." Jon said the words. "I am the sword in the darkness. I am the watcher on the walls. I am the fire that burns against the cold, the light that brings the dawn, the horn that wakes the sleepers, the shield that guards the realms of men. [...] Are you certain that I have not forgotten some? The ones about the king and his laws, and how we must defend every foot of his land and cling to each ruined castle? How does that part go?" Jon waited for an answer. None came. "I am the shield that guards the realms of men. Those are the words. So tell me, my lord—what are these wildlings, if not men?"

A Dance with Dragons - Jon XI

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

David Rowe

* * * *

The power of not giving up!

November 15, 2024

Robert B. Hubbell

After the preposterous nominations of Matt Gaetz, Tulsi Gabbard, and Pete Hegseth1 on Wednesday, my inbox and the Comment section experienced a spike in reader comments that were a variation of, “This is too much! I give up. Democracy is done for!”

Those reactions are completely understandable. Trump has managed to exceed our worst fears for his cabinet picks. He did so again on Thursday by nominating Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead Health & Human Services. Just weeks ago, RFK Jr. was too nutty and toxic for the Trump campaign, which had begun to distance itself from Kennedy, who believes that all vaccines are harmful, antidepressants are responsible for mass shootings, and COVID was engineered to target Caucasians and Blacks while sparing Ashkenazi Jews.

I get it. At this moment, it is easy to feel hopeless and powerless. That is the point of mind-numbing nominations that seek to place federal agencies under the control of unqualified hacks intent on destroying the agencies they will lead. The strongest defense against a psychological terror campaign designed to instill dread and provoke despair is to refuse to give up!

It is not a given that Trump's ludicrous nominees will be confirmed. Nor should we assume that they will be able to do their worst in agencies staffed with hundreds of thousands of qualified, dedicated public servants.

I am not saying that things won’t get bad. They will. I am saying that they will get worse if we give up merely because of threats and bluster by a man schooled in the dark arts of the long con and the Big Lie.

My favorite political writer, Josh Marshall of Talking Points Memo, wrote about the dangers of giving up in advance. See The Most Pernicious Anticipatory Obedience Hides in Plain Sight, Talking Points Memo. (Although the discussion takes place in Josh’s paying members-only newsletter, this article should be accessible to all. My subscription to Talking Points Memo is the best investment I make.)

Marshall writes in part,

You may think there’s some kind of psychic or moral merit in jumping into every conversation and saying “No, it’s over! He said he was going to be a dictator! He said who he was! Believe him! Don’t be so naive!” But really that’s just rolling out a red carpet, the ultimate capitulation in advance. At the very least, put him to the task. Make him execute on what he’s trying to do. It won’t be easy and there are a lot of ways to make it even less easy. That’s the first role of a political opposition. [¶¶] [Giving up is] the most pernicious form of anticipatory obedience. Deciding that all of this stuff has already happened is not only inaccurate but self-defeating. It’s amplifying threats Trump hasn’t been able or willing to make good on. A better answer, both more effective and more dignified, is to say, “Okay, let’s see you try.” It’s not easy. There are lots of road blocks. It requires maintaining a lot of public support. It requires patience.

In citing Marshall’s essay, I do not mean to criticize anyone who wrote to me in exhaustion and fear today to say, “It’s too much. I give up. All is lost.” If that is how you feel, those feelings are understandable and firmly rooted in reality.

But as I responded to some readers today, “You don’t mean that. It is exhaustion and despair talking. You aren’t giving up. You and I both know that.”

There is power in the simple act of not giving up. Even if there is little that we can do in the moment to stop the ludicrous nominations and threats.

Do not give up. If the only thing you can muster is the will not to give up, that is enough—for now.

But we can do more than not giving up. We can engage in small acts of daily resistance. Make a phone call. Write a letter. Send a text or email. For those of you already involved in the grassroots movement, you know the drill.

If you are just joining the fight, there is no better place than Jessica Craven’s Chop Wood, Carry Water newsletter on Substack. Jessica’s daily column includes small acts that you can take to make your voice heard.

On Thursday, Jessica Craven’s newsletter included a script and directions for calling your representatives in Congress, urging them to reject the nomination of Matt Gaetz. Check it out!

Take a small action and feel the power of refusing to give up!

Recess appointments

As Trump's nominations become ever more ludicrous, the reason for his demand for recess appointments becomes clearer: Many of his nominees will never make it through the confirmation process. See Salon, "Totally unqualified": Congress reacts to RFK Jr. nomination.

When Trump first floated the idea of recess appointments, I assumed it was bluster. I now believe he is deadly serious. Senator John Thune, the new Majority Leader in the Senate, says that recess appointments are “still an option.”

The issue of recess appointments is complicated and nuanced. Previous presidents have made recess appointments, although the trend over the last two decades has been to block all recess appointments. See generally, Vox, Trump’s demand for recess appointments, explained.

But here is the constitutional takeaway about recess appointments: The rule is that nominations are confirmed by the Senate and recess appointments are the rare exception. Trump seeks to make the exception (recess appointments) the rule.

Whatever the history and nuances of recess appointments, no president has ever demanded that Congress go into recess for the purpose of circumventing the Senate’s obligation to provide “advice and consent” regarding presidential nominations. See Can  the  President  Adjourn  Congress? - ConstitutionNEXT.

Trump's demand that the Senate abdicate its constitutional duty is the first step in abolishing the constitutional system of checks and balances. If Republicans agree to surrender the constitutional oversight role of Congress, they are co-conspirators in an effort to overthrow the Constitution.

Don’t let anyone tell you that Trump's demand that the Senate go into recess is consistent with historical norms. It is not. Trump's demand is outrageous and should be condemned by every member of Congress and every responsible media outlet in the nation.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a danger to America’s health

Trump's nomination of RFK Jr. crossed another line of sanity and decency. Kennedy is a dangerous, unserious, deeply flawed choice who will imperil the health of Americans if he is confirmed. See The Guardian, RFK Jr condemned as ‘clear and present danger’ after Trump nomination.

Per The Guardian,

Public Citizen, a progressive nonprofit organization focusing on consumer advocacy, said: “Robert F Kennedy Jr is a clear and present danger to the nation’s health. He shouldn’t be allowed in the building at the department of health and human services (HHS), let alone be placed in charge of the nation’s public health agency.” “Donald Trump’s bungling of public health policy during the Covid pandemic cost hundreds of thousands of lives. By appointing Kennedy as his secretary of HHS, Trump is courting another, policy-driven public health catastrophe,” the organization added. Alastair McAlpine, a pediatric physician at British Columbia’s children’s hospital, wrote: “It is hard to overstate what a terrible decision this is. RFK Jr has no medical training. He is a hardcore anti-vaccine and misinformation peddler. The last time he meddled in a state’s medical affairs (Samoa), 83 children died of measles.”

Despite the danger presented by Kennedy, no congressional Republicans have gone on record criticizing Kennedy. To the contrary, they have described him as “brilliant” and “exciting.” It is despicable that Republicans would play politics with the health of America’s children, elderly, and vulnerable.

Update on Matt Gaetz

Shock over Matt Gaetz’s nomination continues. One reason (among many) are allegations that Gaetz was involved in moving underage girls across state lines for sex. On Thursday, the attorney for one of those underage girls spoke out. See Newsweek, Lawyer for Teenager at Center of Matt Gaetz Investigation Speaks Out.

Per Newsweek, the girl’s lawyer said,

Mr. Gaetz's likely nomination as Attorney General is a perverse development in a truly dark series of events. We would support the House Ethics Committee immediately releasing their report. She was a high school student and there were witnesses.

It is bewildering and maddening that a president-elect who is an adjudicated sexual abuser nominated a man under investigation for transporting underage girls across state lines for sex to be the Attorney General of the United States. Most of the Trump voters who are parents of teenage daughters would not allow their daughters to remain alone in the same room with Trump or Gaetz. And yet, they voted for Trump.

Concluding Thoughts

It has been a tough week. Part of the reason is that we can’t play defense yet. We are simply waiting as Trump makes one outrageous announcement after another. I admit to feeling frustrated. Over the summer, the Biden and Harris campaigns raised the alarm about the anti-democratic, revenge-based agenda planned by Trump. Pundits and scolds warned that “democracy issues” were not resonating with voters and Democrats needed to shift to “kitchen table issues.”

Kamala Harris made a masterful pivot to policies focusing on the middle and working classes. Those campaign themes gained some traction, but not enough. And now we are faced with the anti-democratic, revenge-based agenda that many warned was coming. That agenda is surprising Trump supporters and some Democrats. And it is worse than we imagined.

We can’t change the past, but we can learn from it. There is no such thing as raising the alarm about Trump's dictatorial aspirations too loudly or frequently. We must resist every step of the way.

I have largely abandoned the NYTimes as a source of news. Today, as I was fact-checking this newsletter, I clicked on my icon for the NYT, expecting to see full-throated condemnation of Trump's ridiculous anti-government, anti-science, anti-America nominations. Instead, I saw David Brooks (still) explaining to Democrats how they (allegedly) blew it. At some point, Brooks will have to find something new to write about. I suggest he start with an alleged child sex trafficker heading the DOJ, an anti-science anti-vaxxer heading HHS, a Putin-friendly neophyte heading the DNI, and a white nationalist heading the DOD.

While there is power in not giving up, at some point we need to rouse righteous anger about what is happening to America. It is not right. It is not acceptable. And we should not let it happen on our watch.

[Robert B. Hubbell Newsletter]

[topoet]

In The Pink

pink plastic curb appeal real pink fake roses sweet william in my garden pink trim on fence in Washington DC pink base chained to pink mural on Danforth – there’s some pink in there pink drums on Craven Rd fence Hey! You can give me $$$ to defray blog fees & buy coffeesweet, eh? paypal.me/TOpoet

[frc-ambaradan]

Well, I did know Topolino made a parody of Dylan Dog...

I didn't know Dylan Dog made a parody of Duckburg!!!

Topolino #3094 and Dylan Dog Oldboy #4 "Per pagare e per morire" by Tito Faraci and Sergio Gerasi

Here's the official synopsis: "A young lady shows up at No. 7 Craven Road claiming she has been stolen a little coin with magical powers. Victim of a spell, the Investigator of Nightmares agrees to go with her and retrieve the coin from a terrible old man who seems to dominate an entire village…"

Here's the young lady:

And here's the coin and the terrible old man (name Scott McDoug)...

...who dominates the village in Scotland from his fortress on the hill...

...sorrounded by very familiar signs...

This happened two years ago, and I didn't know!!! I need to find this issue. Right now!!!

IT'S A PARODY IN REVERSE!!! 😱

[uncle-mojave]

What are your recommendations for a group movie night?

Depends on what you're in the mood for but some of them off the top of my head are...

Children of Men

Last of the Mohicans

Last of the Dogmen

The Last Samurai

Dune 84

Dune part 1 & 2

Red Dawn 84

Red Dawn 20..12? Watch it and compare how bad it is to the original

Starship Troopers

Hellraiser 1, 2 & Bloodlines. The rest you don't need to bother with.

Nightmare on Elm Street 1 & Wes Craven's New Nightmare

The Thing with Kurt Russel

Captain Ron

Zardoz

Young Frankenstein

Robin Hood Men in Tights

Dracula from Francis Ford Coppola

Dracula from Mel Brooks

The first John Wick, the rest are not great

Troll, It's in Norwegian and from 2022 but really good

The Ritual - Some of the best creature/old god horror I've seen

The original Jurassic Park

Kingsman the first one and the prequel one. The second is ok but not great

Godzilla from 2014, really knows how to show restraint with a Kaiju film

The Jumanji remakes from the 2010's are pretty fun

Sonic The Hedgehog 1 & 2 that came out a couple years back

All the Johnny English movies

Lego Batman movie

Turbokid

Mad Max Fury Road & Thunderdome

The Lord of the Rings trilogy extended editions

Pitch Black

Dredd from 2012

Both Robert Downey Jr Sherlock Holmes movies

Boondock Saints

District 9

Tropic Thunder is probably one of my highest reccomendations

Yeah yeah I know I said off the top of my head but I'm still going off the top of my head

Get Smart

Shaun of the Dead

Hot Fuzz

The Pirates movies

Serenity the Firefly series movie

There's a lot more but tumblr hates me adding stuff so quickly in succession 300, 300 rise of an empire, sucker punch, sky captain and the world of tomorrow, van hellsing, master and commander, school of rock, freddy vs jason, shanghai noon and shanghai knights, men in black one two and three, the fourth you can forget, reign of fire, the scorpion king, blade and blade 2, the third is hit or miss, and queen of the damned and interview with the vampire. That's it... for now that I can think of.

[burningexeter]

Here's a fairly solid amount of all the different kinds of media that I think both can fit well in and could share the same universe as the Where The Magic Happens Trilogy, which you can both read and see below for yourself:

• Spike Jonze's Being John Malkovich

• Jordan Peele's Get Out (2017)

• Nicholas Meyer's Time After Time (1979)

• George A. Romero's Knightriders (1981)

• Paramount Pictures' Friday The 13th (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9 & FVJ)

• New Line Cinema's A Nightmare On Elm Street (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & FVJ)

• Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead Trilogy & Ash Vs. Evil Dead

• HBO's Tales From The Crypt (Lower Berth, Television Terror, Deadline, Yellow, Showdown, King Of The Road, Half-Way Horrible, You, Murderer & Horror In The Night)

• Wes Craven's The People Under The Stairs

• Jerry Bruckheimer's Beverly Hills Cop (1, 2 & 4)

• Brett "Jesus Christ!" Ratner's Rush Hour Duology

• Ridley Scott's Matchstick Men

• Jon Favreau's Cowboys & Aliens

• Joe Cornish's Attack The Block (2011)

• John Hughes' Planes, Trains and Automobiles

• David Mirkin's Romy and Michele's High School Reunion

• Doug Liman's Go (1999)

• John Carpenter's Big Trouble In Little China

• Joe Dante's Explorers (1985)

• Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones (1, 2, 3 & 4), Close Encounters Of The Third Kind & E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial

• Lee Isaac Chung's Twisters

• Colin "Wasted Potential" Trevorrow's Safety Not Guaranteed

• Matthew Vaughn's Layer Cake (2004)

• Michael Davis' Shoot 'Em Up (2007)

and last but not least,

• Michael Dougherty's Trick r Treat & Krampus

[theoutcastrogue]

Masterposts

How to Rogue: a D&D 5e Masterpost

D&D 5e: Roguish Archetypes Masterpost Part I & Part II

Building a Rogue in 3.5 and Pathfinder: Collected Resources

Rogues in Fantasy Literature Masterpost

Dagger Fighting Masterpost

Thieves’ Cant Masterpost

Lock Picking Masterpost

Traps Masterpost

Tags and Credits

Basic Tags

How to Rogue: Exploring the Rogue class in D&D and assorted roleplaying games. Includes #fluff (roleplaying tips, character concepts, #backstories), #crunch (optimisation tips, guides, #magic items, #homebrew), and memes.

Rogues in Fiction: Exploring the Rogue archetype in literature, folklore, poetry, comics, games, etc, and #analysis thereof. Also relevant art.

Rogues in Theory: Exploring the Rogue archetype in history and society, and relevant subjects. Also #words of the trade (#etymology, synonyms, #thieves’ cant, linguistics).

Rogues in Practice: Tips on #how to stab and #how to steal (or, ahem, how to write/roleplay about stabbing and stealing), #exemplars of the trade (real life rogues and their exploits), and some less exemplary exploits. See also our esteemed colleagues in the #animal kingdom.

Art - Rogues Gallery: Rogue character portraits.

Art - Scene: Landscapes, fight scenes, #bar brawls, #heists, dungeon-crawling, etc. For urban landscapes, see #the city speaks.

Thieves’ Tools: Lockpicks! And assorted tools for breaking and entering where you’re not supposed to.

Tools of the Trade: Weapons! Mostly knives and daggers from all over the world (see the Dagger Fighting Masterpost for all the relevant tags), and some pretty swords and crossbows and the like.

Prison Ballads: The soundtrack.

…There is some overlap.

Quirky Thematic Tags

The ecstasy of gold: For loot, treasure, gold, and the deadly sin of greed.

The city speaks: For the hidden splendour of the city, from the gutters to the rooftops.

Heroes and villains: For good and evil and that grey waste in between which Rogues so often populate.

The phantom of liberty: For freedom, and storming the gates of heaven.

No tears for the creatures of the night: For the deadly sin of lust and its professionals.

The gambler’s face cracks into a grin: For gamblers and card cheats.

Dishonour on your cow: For honour among thieves, criminal codes, omertà, and blood feuds. File under the deadly sin of pride.

Fearlessly fleeing: For craven rogues and clever rogues. Wait, there’s a difference?

The ramblin’ rover: For vagrants and vagabonds and for the long-winding road.

The right to be lazy: For the deadly sin of sloth.

The hired man: For (mostly against tbh) the Rogue’s nemesis, the cop. See also #prison.

Swinging from the gallows tree: For the ignominious end that awaits us.

The quirk is strong with this one: See also #the potatoes of defiance, #big thief little thief, #the thrill of the heist, #the rich remember, #daring escape, #be the chaos you want to see in this world, #carnival, #stabbity, #only knives left, #dubito ergo sum, #fuck the king, #profanity makes everything better, #information wants to be free, #a begging I will go, #forbidden fruit, #the groaning rogue, #I fought the law, #the deserter. (#Tag namer explains some of the quirkiness.)

More Tags

Tabletop tales: It happened in somebody’s game.

D&D history: The conceptual and mechanical evolution of the Thief Rogue class in D&D, and other interesting stuff from the history of #roleplaying.

TRS: The Rogue speaks. Not to be confused with TSR.

Self explanatory: #D&D, #3.0, #3.5, #5e, #Pathfinder, #Pathfinder 2e, #AD&D, #roguish archetype, #feat, #skill trick, various #skills (#deception, #sleight of hand, #stealth, etc), #rogue fashion, #correspondence, #long post.

For anything else, try the search function and hope, but don’t get your hopes up because tumblr’s search function is appalling. Googling with the parametre site:theoutcastrogue.tumblr.com might actually be better.

Credits

All original work published here (i.e. the words and the occasional photograph of @theoutcastrogue​ aka @we-are-rogue, 2016–2023) is licenced under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International Licence.

Avatar image: “Tymora’s Luck” (detail) by Ryan Pancost, from Dragon Magazine #388 | Wizards of the Coast 2010

Header image: “The Thief” (detail) by capprotti, for the game Exile Gods | Distant Orbit 2009

The WeAreAdventurers collective was started in 2016 by @wearepaladin. 

See also the archival blog @wewererogue​.

[walkswithmyfather]

‭‭‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭10:23‭-‬24‬ ‭(GNT‬‬). “Lord, I know that none of us are in charge of our own destiny; none of us have control over our own life. Correct your people, Lord, but do not be too hard on us or punish us when you are angry; that would be the end of us.”

Jeremiah‬ ‭10:23‭-‬24‬ (NASB2020)‬‬. “I know, Lord, that a person’s way is not in himself, Nor is it in a person who walks to direct his steps. Correct me, Lord, but with justice; Not with Your anger, or You will bring me to nothing.”

“Why God Closes Doors” by In Touch Ministries:

“We may not always understand what God allows, but we can always trust who He is.”“Yesterday we discussed closed doors. Now let’s look at some reasons why God might block our way. Closed doors...

Prevent mistakes. Just because a path is clear doesn’t mean it’s the one God wants us to follow. Sometimes we won’t have the information we need to make a wise decision, so He bars the way either spiritually or physically. The Holy Spirit can see the whole road map for our life, which is why we are to follow His guidance.

Redirect our walk. Sometimes God has a different opportunity in mind—one that will yield bigger fruit, more contentment, and greater impact for the kingdom.

Test faith and build perseverance. Waiting for the Lord to speak or act is hard. But we’ll learn wisdom, patience, and trust by pausing prayerfully until He reveals His will.

Buy us time. God may temporarily hold shut an opportunity for service until a believer is properly equipped for kingdom work.

Despite the repeated references to “closed doors” in this devotion, the real message is that God opens doors. He has created a perfect pathway for us to follow. Keep your feet on it, and you will walk over thresholds leading to service, satisfaction, and glory for the Lord.”

(Photo by Luke Ellis-Craven at Unsplash)