#Moving to Azores

[mursartifice]

oh my god im in awe, i cannot breathe she is my mother and my daughter and my love

Mother of thousands, in her womb lies the salvation of the world.

(open for better quality)

[jon-sedai]

One common argument I see is that Beric’s and Catelyn’s resurrections somehow “cheapen” the weight of Jon Snow’s eventual rebirth. However, I think this misses a critical point: while both characters foreshadow Jon’s resurrection, they represent two very different aspects, and neither is redundant nor interchangeable.

With Beric, there are key elements that simply don’t apply to Catelyn. For starters, Beric is resurrected by a red priest of R’hllor who wields a flaming sword—mirroring the champion of fire, Azor Ahai. When Beric is brought back, he embodies those same traits of a warrior imbued with the fire of life. This serves as clear foreshadowing of Jon’s own resurrection by Melisandre, especially considering her role as a servant of R’hllor, a more powerful version of Thoros. It’s about the passivity of the act—Beric is the one brought back to life.

Now, with Catelyn, things are different. Her resurrection wasn’t performed by Thoros, but by Beric himself—and that’s a critical distinction! This shows that someone resurrected through R’hllor’s power can actively give life to others. It’s almost biblical in nature: Beric, having been resurrected multiple times, now becomes the giver of life, a messianic figure. Catelyn’s resurrection doesn’t foreshadow what happens to Jon; instead, it hints at what Jon, in true Azor Ahai fashion, might do for others. Other aspects of Azor Ahai are also absent in Catelyn/Stoneheart—i.e., no flaming sword.

And we have to place this within the broader context of Jon’s arc. He’s a ghost, constantly haunting the Stark crypts, often coming into confrontation with the ancient Kings of Winter who are buried within. What sets him apart from other notable crypt visitors—like Ned and Theon—is that while the Kings of Winter are often passive observers in other situations, Jon’s presence in the crypts reanimates them. They are literally brought to life. They move, they speak, and their tombs open. There is a very messianic parallel here, ref Jesus raising Lazarus, which Beric (but not Catelyn!) also plays into.

So, while Beric’s resurrection points to what might happen to Jon (being revived by a servant of R’hllor), Catelyn’s resurrection foreshadows what Jon could do with that power. His resurrection is not just about his return from death but also about his potential to wield the power of life and death over others . Thus, Beric and Catelyn highlight different, yet complementary, aspects of Jon’s role in the greater narrative. But these events are not the same!

[horizon-verizon]

On this here day, GRRM wrote an entry clarifying several things about the dragon lore in his novels, and it vindicates so many Dany stans/Daenerys as the Azor Ahai:

Saying dragon "mysteries", in-world, will be revealed in the last two books AND Septon Barth got a lot right. I'm taking that to mean that dragons change sex (Viserion, here you come, baby!), like two particular Twitter mutes I have (danylanzhou and Branwynwitch). It also seems like he's confirming that dragons and the first 40 Valyrian families (which include the Targs, then and now) mixed dragon blood with their own in some long past ancient event AND that only these families, therefore, can bond with dragons to rides them safely or befriend them.

Which means Nettles is definitely of Valyrian/Targ-descent, which really should have been obvious. One of my mutuals also asserted that this makes the idea of Nettles-Sheepstealer/Rhaena-Morning being interchangeable for their supposed HotD merging GRRM-disapproved bc he makes a point to say that dragons don't tend to move far from their lairs that are usually very high up in mountains and volcanos. Sheepstealer can't be going to the Vale while having a lair in Dragonstone:

As for the thought of Sunfyre flying miles to get to Dragonstone...this is where he/they were born and where the real magic that sustains dragons is coalesced from hundred of years. It makes sense for him/them to fly to this castle even if Aegon weren't there after he had been bodied by Meleys/Meleys & Vhagar, looking for recovery. This is where the Targs get most of their eggs/dragons and it is near where most dragons in Westeros make their lairs.

Note that he says, in the very last paragraph, how:

Fantasy needs to be grounded.  It is not simply a license to do anything you like. Smaug and Toothless may both be dragons, but they should never be confused. Ignore canon, and the world you’ve created comes apart like tissue paper.

It appears he is VERY not happy about something to do with dragons in the show's second season, how they bond in the show, how a certain dragon is "explained" to have traveled a too-long distance for a certain pale-locked young girl who has been trying to hatch her own dragon for years...I see you GRRM, fighting for Nettles AND Rhaena I see.

Oh, and just bc he said he liked epi 2, doesn't mean that he cannot critique anything about HotD ever again...he is the writer and creator of this universe that they are capitalizing on. As long as a writer of any genre stays logically consistent and relatively undiscriminatory in their original writing, they definitely can tell any of us readers what is real and not real or possible in their own creations! That this is even up for debate is a travesty to logic.

Mind you, this is the same man who said the show and the book are two separate canons AND that adaptations "nowadays" tend to fail bc the adapters think they can make the story "better" and ignore critical lore details. And in his latest commentary on HotD's S2 first two episodes, he says, and I quote:

“Rhaenyra the Cruel” has been getting great reviews, for the most part.   A lot of the fans are proclaiming it the best episode of HotD, and some are even ranking it higher than the best episodes of GAME OF THRONES.   I can hardly be objective about these things, but I would certainly say it deserves to be in contention.   The only part of the show that is drawing criticism is the conclusion of the Blood and Cheese storyline.   Which ending was powerful, I thought… a gut punch, especially for viewers who had never read FIRE & BLOOD.   For those who had read the book, however… Well, there’s  a lot of be said about that, but this is not the place for me to say it.   The issues are too complicated.   Somewhere down the line, I will do a separate post about all the issues raised by Blood and Cheese… and Maelor the Missing.  There’s a lot to say.

Note that the latest post was about epi4 and this one I just linked is only abt epi 1 &2....so where are his thoughts for the hated/comedic epi3?! (we see each other, George). (BTW, I gave my thoughts on his thoughts about 1 & 2, HERE.)

I'll say it once again: though GRRM praised the portrayal of grief, defended Cheese being lost, and loved the dog (the last I don't fault anyone for, I also loved them) in the Blood & Cheese episode, he also expressly talks AROUND how Blood & Cheese and Helaena actually interacted and comments on the Maelor-lessness (therefore the lack of Sophie's Choice) that many people--inclu myself--have been saying was a huge problem.

Now we have two different sources that seem to support the ideas of:

GRRM both not being as "involved" with the actual writing of this show for a bit AND not approving of a lot of critical changes

HotD's writers cannot create anything truly "canon" or "real/true" for this universe, it only can make any sort of "sense" if it also retrieves information from the original tale, which is not really just F&B but THE ENTIRE SET OF AVAILABLE BOOKS!

[hollowtones]

Eleoniscus is a genus of the small terrestrial crustaceans known as woodlice. It includes one species, Eleoniscus helenae, which is endemic to Alicante province, Spain, where it is known from two caves. It may have been extirpated from one of the two caves (the species' type location) through the increasing urbanisation of the Macizo de Montgó.

Eluma is a genus of woodlice in the family Armadillidiidae. The members of this genus are native to the Iberian Peninsula, Morocco, the Atlantic islands of the Azores, Canaries and Madeira, and from the west of France to the British Isles.

Paxodillidium is a genus of woodlice endemic to Greece. It is monotypic, being represented by the single species Paxodillidium schawalleri. Its true affinities within the family Armadillidiidae are not known.

Schizidium is a genus of woodlice, found from Greece to Iran.

It has a convex body, and is capable of volvation (rolling into a ball) without leaving fissures. It has small eyes with several ocelli. Its telson is triangular and its uropods are similar to those of Armadillidium.The first joint of the antenna is remarkably small, being only about half as long as the second.

The species of the genus appear in three varieties: Fully epigeal (land-living) species, mostly moving around at night and hiding under stones during the daytime, these species are fully pigmented; endogeal species, which mostly live interstitially, are generally depigmented with reduced sizes and eyes, and cave-dwelling species with reduced or missing eyes, and generally depigmented. The latter two types do not occur outside of the Aegean Islands.

More.

[hypexion]

The thing about Murders at Karlov Manor is that from a story perspective, it couldn't have been set anywhere but Ravnica. And it especially couldn't have been set on New Capenna.

The story of Murders is ultimately about the fallout of March of the Machine on both Ravnica as a city, and on Kaya personally. The motivations for the high-profile deaths that litter the set are tied directly to elements of the Phyrexian invasion. The manner of murder is specifically set up to overcome the barriers Ravnica as a setting provides to a murder mystery. And Kaya only gets involved because of her questionably defined but always present relationship with Teysa Karlov.

Ravnica also comes pre-built with a host of established characters, who conveniently all hate each other. This enabled readers to theorise about whodunnit, as each daily chapter provided more information and more intrigue. People considered all kinds of threads: Could Jace be involved? Might Azor be pulling the strings somehow? How does Judith plan to survive her crazy plan? Lazav?? By the time Proft said "I know who the killer is", you too could get it. (then for some reason they delayed the reveal chapter so they could reveal the killer in a spoiler stream. even when the story is good, the management is bad)

If you move the story out of Ravnica, the whole thing falls apart. You lose everything that makes it work. A new plane would be functional, but a lot less engaging. Fiora is about political scheming, even more so than Ravnica. And New Capenna...

New Capenna is not a particularly well constructed setting. It works as a sparse background for a Magic set, but when you start poking at it, it falls over. Like, one of the nicer ways to describe New Capenna is "discount Ravnica", because you are comparing it to one of the game's most successful settings. And that's what New Capenna is - a city controlled by a number of distinct factions, built out of specific colour combinations. But the New Capenna factions are not as good as the Ravnica ones (and the Obscura are literally just the Dimir). There is crime on New Capenna, but there is no authority against which that crime is committed, which makes things rather hollow. Ravnica, as strange as its laws are, has laws, along with people to enforce them. (note: I am aware of the Doylist reason why New Capenna has no police. Watson is still crying.)

Ravnica being well-developed allows it to function as a backdrop for a different idea. New Capenna's issues do the opposite. In fact, any return to New Capenna would need to reckon with how the setting got completely turned over by the return of the angels. You can't just say "well the crime has punishment now, onto the mystery". You have to actually engage with the big change, or you're just dragging New Capenna into a deeper hole.

conclusion: When the Magic story is good it's because the writer looked at the setting and characters they were given and used them together well. This is only possible if you have a setting and characters that can be used well. Ravnica has that, the crime plane does not.

[branwyn-the-half-witch]

Comparative Mythologies of the Long Night: Part Two – Azor Ahai and The Red Sword

In part one, we looked at the origin story of the Long Night, and the ways in which it is reflected in the main series. Now, we shall move on to discuss the heroes who seemingly saved the world.

The most notable of these heroes, with whom you are likely aware, is the one most commonly known as Azor Ahai; emerging from Asshai, this is the hand that wields the flaming sword Lightbringer. They are also known as Hyrkoon the Hero, Yin Tar, Neferion, and Eldric Shadowchaser.

As a brief aside, it is interesting to note that all of these names can be related to specific places in Essos; the Patrimony of Hyrkoon is an ancient nation, Yin is a city in Yi Ti that has often been its capital, ‘Nefer’ is the last city in the distant kingdom of N’ghai, ‘the Shadow’, or the ‘Shadow Lands’ are a region in the furthest east, with AssHAI in the southwest, serving as something of a gateway to them – and it is the Shadow, as we will later learn, from whence the dragons may have first originated; tamed by an ancient, unnamed people.

Whether this solid anchoring of these heroic aliases in various places means anything more than a suggestion that the hero – or heroes – may have come from there, or were perhaps claimed by those peoples, I will leave you to ponder. For now, we shall turn to Azor Ahai’s legend.

Of Azor Ahai (AA), we have the most available information of all of the legends we shall discuss. He is also the only one explicitly prophesied to return again, and the manner in which AA shall return and be heralded is very clearly laid out for us from multiple sources.

AA is described as a leader, wielding a burning sword that radiates heat and light. He gave ‘courage to […] men and [led] the virtuous into battle’, returning ‘light and love’ to the world. So we should account for these aspects, as well as the finer points of the prophecy.

Much has been said about who AA reborn might be, with many candidates proposed. I will not be spilling that ink here; it’s Daenerys. Born on Dragonstone, a smoking isle in the great salt sea, she arose when darkness gathered and, beneath a bleeding star, awoke dragons from stone.

I would also point out that even Jon Snow, upon hearing of the Prophecy in the context of Mel’s candidate Stannis, zeroes on the importance of Stannis not being born on Dragonstone. One can almost hear the author himself tapping his fingers impatiently, no?

If you favour another candidate, a more abstract interpretation of the prophecy, feel free to do your own research and present it elsewhere; I am interested primarily in exploring the myths, not arguing. However, I do hope you will let me expand on my case and consider it fairly.

Dany becomes a leader, bringing hope and courage to mankind and returning light and love to those lost in the darkness. Moreover, she inspires them to fight for themselves, for their lives and loves; leading them into battle, but not doing their fighting for them.

I would also briefly highlight this echo of command from Quaithe, in light of one of AA’s names being ‘Shadowchaser’ – and that Quaithe wishes Dany to go to Asshai, from whence the myths of AA were born and the prophecy was written.

Going back here may mean in a temporal sense, revisiting the origins of AA and learning who he was, what he did, and most notably for Daenerys, why it was needed. She is, as present, unaware of the encroaching darkness that threatens the world, on any level except subconsciously through her dreams. A revelation is needed.

To add to this, we have the ‘Prince that was Promised’ title; these are used interchangeably with AA by Mel and by Maester Aemon and seem to often refer to the same person; in light of GRRM’s addition of Aegon’s dream to the canon, my interpretation is that they do refer to the same person, but by accident. Though we do not yet have it in GRRM’s words, Aegon saw the return of the Long Night and a Targaryen fighting against it. This is tPtwP, Aegon’s name for this leader who happens to also be the one who woke the dragons from stone to fight the cold.

And it is Aegon’s dream that dream-driven Targaryens have stumbled across in their scrolls – what Rhaegar to become a warrior and thence to confer the promise he initially saw in himself upon his newborn son. The Red Priests who herald Dany speak only of AA; Mel may have discovered tPtwP on Dragonstone itself. All other sources for the Promised Prince title seem to be either Targaryen or Targaryen adjacent – such as Barristan, who himself speaks of Jenny of Oldstones’ witch friend, presumably close to certain Targaryens.

But what of Lightbringer? Daenerys is not trained in arms, so how can she wield a sword? Recall that AA reborn is marked by waking dragons from stone and wielding Lightbringer. There is no separate mention of forging/reforging a sword. Perhaps there is more to the tale than that?

So let us examine Lightbringer and its forging; AA makes three attempts to forge the blade, quenching it in water, lion’s blood and, in his successful forging, the living heart of his wife, Nissa Nissa. The blade is described, by the Jade Compendium, as making its own fiery heat.

The blade never being cold, but being warm as Nissa Nissa was warm, is very alike to the description of dragons being ‘fire made flesh’; and the description of Lightbringer in action resembles nothing so much as the affect of Drogon’s flames. Lightbringer, Red Sword of Heroes, is not a blade; it is the dragons awoken from stone. But what of the three forgings? The exact arrangement of the forgings is sometimes debated, but the one I favour is this arrangement: the first forging in ‘water’.

The second in the ‘heart of a lion’; note that this moment is so important it appears again in the dreams that guide Dany’s steps to her eventual success.

And the third, successful forging – in the ‘sacred flames’ of a funeral pyre, fed by the blood of heart’s beloved. Note the proximity of the water/lion/heart imagery on each occasion, and that the conversations following the first scenes are about dragons, and then about war.

In the chapter prior to the pyre, Dany has dreams haunted by a pursuing cold, and by ghosts urging her on, with very familiar gemstone eyes; this links Dany and the dragons explicitly to the Great Empire of the Dawn and thus to the Long Night that followed the Blood Betrayal.

These dreams also link the dragons to sacrifice, just as Lightbringer is linked to Nissa Nissa’s sacrifice. Dany’s dreams show us the lives lost in her journey to that point (though Drogo is not yet entirely lost to her); those she has lost will lend their names to the dragons.

Blood sacrifice is a deeply potent power, both within ASOIAF and without. Many characters tell us of the potency of shed blood; of kin, king, and of holy men. Within many cultures in our own world, blood sacrifice was a holy act, to ward off catastrophe, as payment – and penance.

In Aztec mythology, for instance, it is now generally understood that blood sacrifice, both of slain captives but also one’s own blood on a daily basis, was both a fuel offered up to the gods for their daily labours, and as repayment for the debt owed by the living to the gods for their sacrifices made when creating the fifth sun, and so all human life. The dreams emphasise Dany’s own shed blood from the beginning; in her bloody footsteps, the burning in her womb, and the burning blood from her torn open back, which ultimately grants her wings.

When the time comes, she offers up her own blood by walking unafraid into the sacred flames of the funeral pyre, to bleed with her fallen beloved. Dany alone, among all Targaryens who have attempted to bring back dragons, took the last and most important step of self-sacrifice.

But if we understand blood sacrificed to be offered up, not just for power but for payment of debt, what debt is Dany paying here? Moreover, have we strayed from AA in this talk of blood magic and penance? I would argue not; for just as Dany’s Lightbringer is living dragons, so too do I believe that AA’s red sword was no literal blade, but dragons also.

I would here posit that Azor Ahai, in the coldest, darkest night, sought to bind fire made flesh to humankind. I propose that he tried and failed twice, before binding dragons to the fate of men.

I implore you to consider that Nissa Nissa was a dragon.

This concludes Part Two. Part Three shall answer the question, ‘what in the world did she mean by that last comment?’, by examining sacrifice, necessity, and the long, sad history of House Targaryen’s ritual offerings of innocence as payment.

[windriverdelta]

The two towers (prophecies) of ASOIAF, with a consideration about arbitrary prophecy interpretations

From a smoking tower, a great stone beast took wing, breathing shadow fire. . . . mother of dragons, slayer of lies 

This is the third of the HOTU "slayer of lies" prophecies, and the least clear one. Often, people think it refers to the stone dragons Melisandre wants to awake, Jon Snow's parentage or Jon Connington's greyscale.

Here's the problem with interpreting the smokeless Tower of Joy, the volcano Dragonstone or the castles Winterfell or Griffin's Roost as a "smoking tower": If Daenerys is seeing a non-smoking tower as smoking, or calling a castle a tower, how can we trust any of her narration? If a castle is a tower, then is the sword actually a torch? The crowd just one person? How can anyone discern a meaning in something this ambiguous? This wouldn't be a prophecy anymore, but meaningless drivel. Especially since the first "lie" - Stannis as Azor Ahai - is discussed as such in-story by Jon Snow, Maester Aemon and Melisandre, and is actually quite straightforward, making it improbable that the "smoking tower" is a castle or a mountain. (There are additional problems with these interpretations)

Euron Greyjoy is an oft-cited candidate, and he actually fits most requirements. As we see from the Aeron TWOW chapter and Samwell's last AFFC chapter (the sigil on the sunken ship is Euron's), he is preparing to attack Oldtown, which features a prominent tower with a beacon fire (AFFC prologue), the Hightower. Also, in AFFC Euron says that as a boy he dreamed he could fly (c.f Bran's coma-dreams) and that "Perhaps we can fly. All of us. How will we ever know unless we leap from some tall tower?" - perhaps he leaps/takes wing from the Hightower? Aeron TWOW has visions in which Euron is "no longer human" and wearing something called "scale armour" - stone beast. And he is seeking Daenerys('s dragons) so he has a connection to her. The "breathing shadow fire" part however is problematic; Shade of the Evening isn't a smoke and the Horn of Joramun "waking giants from the earth" according to TWOIAF refers to earthquakes not any kind of fire. Dust clouds from collapsing buildings as "shadow fire" is far-fetched.

Then the towers by the sea, crumbling as the dark tide came sweeping over them, rising from the depths.

"If it comes, that attack will be no more than a diversion. I saw towers by the sea, submerged beneath a black and bloody tide. That is where the heaviest blow will fall."

"Eastwatch?"

Was it? Melisandre had seen Eastwatch-by-the-Sea with King Stannis. That was where His Grace left Queen Selyse and their daughter Shireen when he assembled his knights for the march to Castle Black. The towers in her fire had been different, but that was oft the way with visions. "Yes. Eastwatch, my lord."

This is from Melisandre's POV chapter. Most interpretations of this vision disagree with her that the "towers by the sea" is Eastwatch, given her habit of confusing similar-looking things - e.g Alys Karstark for Arya, Renly's armour for Renly. Moreover, the black and bloody tide is associated with prophecies and visions involving the Ironborn - Moqorro sees an one-eyed kraken (Euron Greyjoy) on a sea of blood, Aeron sees Ironborn ships burning on a boiling blood-red sea and Jojen Reed's green dreams of Winterfell being submerged by a tide. That has nothing to do with the Wall.

So, many people read this vision as referring to Euron and his aforementioned attack on Oldtown. Euron has moved on from the Iron Islands, so Pyke and Ten Towers aren't plausible candidates. Nothing places Ironborn currently at Harrenhal, never mind that numerous characters refer to its towers having a characteristic melted appearance that Melisandre presumably would have remarked upon. The Shields and Oldtown itself aren't a collection of towers, it's the same problem as "smoking tower" meaning castle or non-smoking tower.

That leaves two possible identities for the "towers by the sea":

The Citadel, which the AFFC prologue says has multiple towers. They are however "upriver", not on the sea, and have domes too.

Three Towers, the castle south of Oldtown on the Whispering Sound that also faces the Arbor and is mentioned in Samwell's AFFC chapters. According to Aeron TWOW, Euron is setting sail from an island close to the Arbor and preparing for battle against the Redwyne and Oldtown navies, so the fleets will likely meet close to Three Towers.

One thing not often remarked upon is that it's not "Then some towers by the sea". It's "Then the towers by the sea". To me, it sounds like Melisandre has seen this vision before, explaining why she speaks of a bloody sea even though the vision we see doesn't mention blood. I actually think Melisandre is right when she says that it's where the heaviest blow will fall - the vision appeared multiple times because the "towers by the sea" are A Big Deal. Whatever Euron or whoever is intending there will have huge reverberations.

[vulgrados-best]

Intro Post

Hey I'm Miguel. I'm a xenic nonbinary butch dyke, pronouns are they/them + ze/hir. I'm 17. I'm from Vulgrado, an island region off the coast of Paldea. Recently I had to move to Zapapico to take care of my grandparents.

I'm a Cyclizar Racer, and a pioneer of new types of races. I'm best known for my Bodyguard Racing (name subject to change) style. My rival is @yveltalreal so sorry boys I'm taken.

As it turns out I'm probably plural! At the moment you can refer to us as Miguel& when referring to us all. My two notable headmates at this moment are Zacian and Asterion:

Zacian - He/Him, They/Them, Swor/Sword

Fuzztive (Factive + Fictive) of the legendary wolf pokemon, Zacian! Speaks very formally and is passionate about human society, pokemon conservation efforts, and swords.

Asterion - Ze/Hir, He/Him (exclusive to friends and headmates)

Fictive of The Minotaur from mythology! Speaks bluntly with lots of ellipses and is passionate about stories.

Our Pokemon are:

-> Celcity - Cyclizar | Male

-> Nyoom - Eulimmun | Nonbinary (it/its)

-> Terrainity - Excadrill | Male

-> Mãesaur (& Meninosaur) - Kangaskhan | Female & Male

-> Reapwing - Scyther | Female (they/them)

-> Ferravis - Skarmory | Female (she/he/it)

Uh. I tend to swear a lot, yell a lot, and I love the word dyke.

Also I might start religion discourse on accident considerin' Lachrilove is more commonly referred to on Vulgrado than Arceus. So if ya see me say "Lach" its kinda like how you guys say "Arc"

Fuck uuuhhhh. Look at me and my pokemon 👍

And, no, nothing's wrong with my Cyclizar. It's just a color morph.

// Miguel's universe's pokemon are based more heavily on irl animals. Miguel has and will frequently express distress about other universes' being closer to canon (lack of color morphs, lack of variants, biological workings, etc) or generally unlike theirs.

// Miguel loves to talk about their universe's pokemon and will share knowledge from their universe on other people's posts. They will not understand your universe does not work the same as theirs if you don't explicitly state to them that It Does Not Work Like That for your characters.

// The mun will also not realize discomfort with poke-biology arguments unless it is explicitly stated to them. This goes doubly so for poke-biology about Rapidash as the mun works with horses irl.

(ooc under the cut)

Guidelines:

No NSFW (Miguel is a minor.) Keep it PG-13

Any kind of PKMN IRL blog can interact (Miguel is aware of the multiverse)

In Character Anon Hate is acceptable (but at least make it interesting.)

Pelipper Mail/Malice: OFF (unless funny enough)

Musharna Mail/Malice: OFF (unless compelling enough)

Magic Anons: OFF

Tags:

Posts Made By Tags:

#riders diary -> Posts made by Miguel

#howling voice -> Posts made by Zacian

#labyrinth lost -> Posts made by Asterion

#rotating cast -> Posts made by headmates who don't have a tag

#flowering garden -> Posts made by [Information Redacted until 9/18/2025]

Posts About Tags:

#rivals feud -> Posts about Maple

#caveboy tag -> Posts about Nick

#miguel family -> Posts about Miguel's family

#saddle up -> Posts about racing

#vulgrado info -> information about the fan region Miguel is from that is based on the Azores Islands of Portugal

#lachrian info -> Information about the religion Miguel is a part of.

Important Tags:

#festering -> something important.

#unseen watcher -> signifies that post is invisible to blogs linked to this one (@yveltalreal , @espers-n-espurrs, @jaimemes, @aspens-dragons, @victoria-vd, @rock-n-rolycoly @estranger-and-stranger-still) [works the same as blindspot]

Misc. Tags:

#answered best -> ask tag

#sysposting -> System related posts

Story Arcs:

Minor Arcs:

🏇Neighborhood Arc 1: Riders (Finished) -> 4 Cyclizar Riders get territorial when Nick and Miguel explore a junkyard. Nick mentions to Miguel they had previously driven him and his friends out of the Junkyard.

A couple days later Miguel challenges and beats the Riders in a 4 on 1 Capture the Flag Battle Race, and the 4 Riders invite Miguel to join up with them. A week later there is a sort of rematch and Miguel is betrayed and beat up by the Riders.

A revenge plan is made by Miguel and Nick, this involved getting the Rolycoly Racers (who had been pushed out of the junkyard earlier in the year) to play a prank with Paintball Guns on the Cyclizar Riders. This goes badly as Nick is nearly run over and Miguel beats the shit out of the rider who attempted to do so. Miguel is then arrested.

Major Arcs:

🪼Trouble in Paradise (Finished) -> Miguel joins the Alola trip! Miguel joins Flynn and Maple on their Island Challenge, acting as a bodyguard against dogmon for Maple. Over the course of the trip they go through some mishaps (such as getting beaten up by an angry Buneary, and Maple jumping into the ocean to rescue a baby Vulpix) that cause the trio to get closer.

During the Electric Trial, Miguel was hiking and came across a dead Mother Skarmory, killed by a Tinkaton. Miguel rescues the baby Skarmory that is in danger and runs for their life with the little guy in their arms. They decide to keep the Skarmory who is named Santo Ferravis (a name recommended by Nick).

At one point Maple and Aspen break into the Aether Foundation Lab and Aspen gets kidnapped. It turns out that Aspen was taken by Nihilego and the gang, after some deliberation and preparation (such as Miguel being trained by Victoria), goes into an Ultra Wormhole to rescue Aspen. During the rescue, Miguel is injured by Aspen's Kommo-o, Hibiscus, and is left with a scar.

Afterwards things go... mostly smoothly (except for Maple disappearing for a couple days, and Maple getting attacked by a different Kommo-o) and they finish the Island Challenge. The gang returns home in one piece.

☠️Revenant (In Progress) -> Something's not right with Maple.

[all mentions of dyke will be tagged #d slur tw for filtering.

Mun identifies with the label and feels uncomfortable describing their character as simply sapphic.]

Main is @werewolfcave

[goodqueenaly]

How do you think Melisandre will react when she discovers that Stannis isn't actually Azor Ahai reborn? What about the Queen's Men?

Perhaps the better question to ask - although it might amount to about the same thing - is what Melisandre and the Queen’s men (not to mention Selyse herself, and Shireen) will do as TWOW opens - namely, in light of both the bombshell news (or purported news) from the pink letter that Stannis is (again, supposedly) dead, as well as the assassination of Jon. If, as Ramsay’s letter to Jon so bluntly asserted, Ramsay had slain Stannis after seven days of battle, then the hopes of both Melisandre and the Queen’s men might seem, perhaps to use an apt turn of phrase, snuffed out: Stannis obviously could not be the hero chosen by R’hllor to save the world if he was already dead, and at the hands of so mundane and temporal an enemy as Roose Bolton’s bastard son. That Stannis isn’t in fact dead, as I very much believe is the case, does not really matter; so far as anyone at the Wall knows, the would-be apocalyptic champion of the Lord of Light is currently lying dead in the snows around Winterfell.

Melisandre, in her sole chapter, had already faced the trouble of vague portentous guidance on Stannis as Azor Ahai. More to the point, Melisandre had also already received at least some indication via her fiery visions that the identity of Azor Ahai was indisputably linked to Jon Snow. Consequently, I think she may realize or believe she now understands, as TWOW opens, that she had been focusing on the wrong person as Azor Ahai. Stannis was clearly not “the Lord’s chosen, the warrior of fire”, as she put it to Davos, since the apocalypse was still nigh; clearly, what R’hllor was trying to tell her was that the person to look for was Jon. Now, the fact that Jon had also recently been killed may not seem as big a stumbling block to Melisandre as it might objectively, in terms of the identity of a universal savior; Melisandre may not have ever brought anyone back from the dead (so far as we know), but as Thoros and Moqorro demonstrate, the ability of R’hllor’s priests (and presumably priestesses) to defy even death in the name of their god is a substantial power indeed. I have a feeling Melisandre is going to move quickly to return Jon to the land of the living via her fire magic (with the unconscious bonus, perhaps, of having Jon’s “soul” still be preserved in his wolf in the interim).

As far as the queen’s men go, the death of Stannis may seem more like a political tragedy than a cosmic one. The true devotion of the queen’s men to R’hllor is a mixed bag: some truly converts to the new religion (like young Devan Seaworth), some devoted only for the cruelty the exercise of that religion allows (like Clayton Suggs), and some converts only in name (like the late Alester Florent). However, whether or not any given pro-Stannis aristocrat at the Wall feels a sense of cosmological devastation at the news of Stannis’ (supposed) death, all of them would know that their political prospects were now far from certain. In the patriarchal, misogynistic world of Westerosi politics generally, a preteen girl might have a very hard time asserting herself as queen in her own right; as a result, the queen’s men at the Wall might be pretty uncertain about what to do without the strong male warrior-king figure of Stannis behind whom they could rally.

And of course, that’s without the immediate problems at the Wall overtaking them all as well. Jon’s assassination was the acme of a chaotic day at the Wall: not only had Jon dropped his bombshell news regarding the letter from Ramsay, his planned march on Winterfell, and the planned mission to Hardhome, but Ser Patrek had taken the opportunity to challenge Wun Wun the giant to seize Val - which ended about as much as anyone might have expected. With Jon murdered out in the open, the Wall is going to be, to put it bluntly, a mess: anti-Jon conspirators with his blood quite literally still on their hands, pro-Jon brothers potentially retaliating against those conspirators, queen’s men rushing about to rescue and/or avenge Ser Patrek from Wun Wun, free folk realizing that their pseudo-leader at the Wall is now dead. Any questions of Stannis’ death, and the apparent failure of him to be Azor Ahai, may be subsumed in something like a miniature civil war breaking out at the Wall, and them being caught in it.

[lovelyladyabsinthewrites]

From the Ashes Pt.52

Pairing(s): Pairing(s): Rhaegar Targaryen x Lannister!Reader, one-sided!Jaime Lannister x Lannister!Reader, Jaime Lannister x Cersei Lannister

Warnings: slow burn fic, changing povs, MC POV

Words: 3731

Part 1 Part 2  Part 3  Part 4  Part 5  Part 6  Part 7  Part 8  Part 9  Part 10  Part 11  Part 12   Part 13  Part 14  Part 15  Part 16  Part 17  Part 18  Part 19  Part 20 Part 21 

Part 22 Part 23  Part 24  Part 25  Part 26 Part 27  Part 28  Part 29  Part 30  Part 31  Part 32  Part 33  Part 34  Part 35  Part 36  Part 37  Part 38  Part 39  Part 40 Part 41 Part 42 Part 43 Part 44

Part 45 Part 46 Part 47 Part 48 Part 49 Part 50 Part 51

There were whispers in the darkness of your mind as you find yourself unconscious. The last thing you could recall was a large tail slamming into the much smaller figure of Latilth.

Even when you try to listen in on these soft murmurs, it slips between your fingers. It was a darkness you were unfamiliar with. A nothingness to it. When you'd found yourself knocked into a state of numb sleep, you'd usually dream in flames. The Warrior as you once had called your future self would be there to comfort you or even the caressing voice of your mother. You were frozen, suspended in a fetal position. You knew you had to move. That you couldn't waste time. Outside was a battle raging against the Morghons, darkin and members of the Red Temple. As much as you try and peel your eyelids open, it's useless. Wherever you were, you weren't going anywhere any time soon.

At least it gives you time to ruminate over what the ancient ones had said. That you would actually lead to doom. They'd seen it in their own visions and were so convinced that they would stop at nothing to see you dead and their Shadowlands safe. Quite contradictory compared to the visions which Thalina and Alizah had concerning you ending the Long Night.

So far whatever they had foretold came to fruition. The Morghons, while old and powerful beings, couldn't be trusted. You used to not be comfortable with the title of R'hllor's Champion. Impossible when all your life you'd been treated as a lesser being even if you were the Warden of the West's daughter. You'd been in disbelief like your brother at a daunting prospect as that. Now, after spending months at the temple and speaking with Azor Ahai himself, you accept everything as truth. The fire-reading red priestesses had been right. Thalina had seen you in Westeros; even better was the future she saw of you and Latilth. Lightbringer was in your possession and you could control it's divine fire. Daft you would be if you still thought all of it hogwash.

Doubt had always had a home in your heart. Nestled tightly into your being like a tick. But not anymore. Training and Latilth helped you to pinch off that parasitic thing. The Morghons threatened to infect you once again with it. You shouldn't listen to them. Not until they provided you with irrefutable proof. You couldn't believe them blindly.

Affirmations ringing in your subconscious, you once more attempt to will life into any muscle that was willing to respond. That's when you hear the strong, pounding thud of someone's heart beating. Whose mighty heart reached out to you?

Finally your eyes flutter open to see the stunned, single blue eye of Inniros staring right back at you.

In retrospect, it wasn't your smartest idea to willingly go with the Morgans. Honestly, it was downright suicidal.

"You can't go." Weles grabs onto your arm in an attempt to stop you. "Nuha kosh-"

"They'll keep coming back." You remind him. "They will not give up until they have me dead or alive."

Even when you turn to Rhiannon for some sense of support you find her face struck with horror and her own hand reaching out to you. Her large gold eyes beg you not to make such a dangerous decision. If you had a dream of changing their minds, it was to insist upon evidence that you would be the reason for basically the end of days. From your peripheral, you watch them as they wait for you. They were patient enough, already knowing that they had won the battle. Their powers and dragon were too great, even for the many darkin you had in your arsenal.

"(y/n), wait for the masters to come back." Jalsolin whispers, his own eyes were fixed on the trio of faceless figures. Their own massive winged beast, who possessed scales that appear to be crafted from the very essence of the sea itself. Beautiful it would be were it not for the fact that it had nearly killed both you and Latilth. "They'll know what to do."

While everyone else is staring at the Morghons, Ray and Melisandre are regarding you in an oddly tender way. They. . . They trusted you. You want to ask them if they'd seen anything in their flame reading earlier that day. Anything that may aid you. Ray merely closes his eyes and consents with a gentle head nod of encouragement. Melisandre pulls back Rhiannon with a tender hand that appears ghost white against the red of Rhiannon's dress. About to protest, she looked into the scarlet eyes and saw the calm and reassurance. Helplessly, she turns back to you, her eyebrows still furrowed, but the severity of her frown has lessened. Her hand that had been outstretched lowers to grip at her skirt. Loviisa and Ulian appeared to be waiting for the outcome.

"Do you really think they'll be enough to stop them?" You ask the copper-blonde darkin who seemed to deflate even more at the question for even he didn't know. "Who knows when they'll get here anyway. My best option is trying to change their mind on killing me."

Everyone is quiet, accepting your choice albeit with great hesitation. Finally you look at Inniros and Latilth. Your heart broke to see fresh blood on her creamy scales and her putting weight on only one of her haunches. She wouldn't be able to go with you. Your eyes prickle with the hurt her absence was already having on you. What would you do without her warmth?

Inniros regards Latilth and her injuries, nearly reading your mind before turning to you. "I'll take care of her." While his voice was monotone as usual, you saw the flicker of his promise and how serious he would take it. His eyepatch was still gone, exhibiting a concave hollow in his skull where the eyeball used to be. Scars line the edges speaking of a forceful removal of his orb. He wasn't handsome, not like Rhaegar or Jaime but you were beginning to find his sullen features charming as he had gained more color to his features since leaving Volantis.

You'd also grown used to his quiet company, especially when sleeping under the stars.

You purse your lips and turn your heels to leave until something sharp yanks at your scalp. Yelping, you swirl back around to see Inniros with a strand of blonde hair between his forefinger and thumb. You gape while having a hand pressed to your head but there's a glint on his face that has you shutting your mouth. Without speaking he hands it to a prepared Loviisa who deftly puts it into one of the folds in her dress for safekeeping.

Of course you couldn't leave before wrapping your arms around Latilth's neck. Her sad cooing strikes you in your chest. "Nyke'll sagon arlī, ñuha jorrāelagon mēre. (I'll be back, my dear one.)" In understanding, she closes her eyes and presses into your embrace. "Sagon sȳz se sagon kostōba.(Be good and be strong.)"

Painful to pull away from her, you bite down hard on your bottom lip to prevent it from trembling but also to distract that tears that wanted to spill free onto your cheeks. Like parting with your own soul. You had to trust in yourself just as much as they were trusting you to return safely. None of them blink as they watch you walk up to the Morghons. Fearless, you glance up at them.

With no lips, their mouth can't help but gape open revealing many sharp teeth. You don't know how they were able to see with no eyes but all three of them appear to be 'looking' at you with tilted heads of intrigue. Tattered garb flutters around them, robes that must have been centuries old but there wasn't a stain on it despite being held together by stretched out threads. With no nose, they breathe through their mouth in almost a hissing manner, low and piercing that has the small hairs on the back of your neck standing at attention. Unable to control the flopping of your own stomach at the sight of them, you walk right past and to the dragon that watches you with dull eyes. For as massive as it was, long cuts from Latilth's teeth and claws are still bleeding freely. Obeying a silent command from it's masters, it lowers a long neck and crouches on haunches so that you could climb atop of it. Scales rough and jutting out allows you to climb easily up it's side. Your body aches and lets out a protest with pangs of pain in your joints. You were spared any real injuries from your fall. You didn't exactly know how, but you only suffered from terrible bruises. Even so, the climb up wasn't the easiest. The Morghons were already there, having teleported thanks to their power without offering you a hand. That was fine by you. The last thing you wanted from them was help. You didn't want them touching you.

With a single wave of their hands, they summoned intricate runes in the air, weaving a spell of stability around you that assured you would not fall off during your flight. Undertone being that you would also be unable to escape even if you changed your mind. The spell formed a shimmering, translucent barrier that cocooned you in a safe but restricting embrace.

Under you, you felt the massive body stretch it's wings preparing to take flight into the sky. Immense power trembled beneath you, its muscles flexing as it readied itself for the soaring ascent. Even with the spell keeping you pinned to its wide and expansive back, you find yourself clenching down. Muscles coiled like springs, and then with a sudden surge of energy, it launched itself into the air. You couldn't say you were riding it exactly. You were more of a passenger since you doubt anyone could successfully fly him without the muzzle of magic that the Morghons had on it.

There would be no last looks goodbye as the ground became more distant, the figures of your friends becoming specks with indiscernible features. For the first time in years, you would be completely alone. A daunting thought, but you didn't want your mind to linger on that, though. Nothing good would come of you lingering on your solidarity.

Intense wind whips your eyes dry so that you are forced to squeeze them tightly and press yourself further into the rough scales beneath you. Roaring gusts assault your ears and you shove your hands to dull that sense as well. Twice now you'd be able to boast of being atop of a dragon, unfortunately neither time had been exactly pleasant. Each time you were too concerned about your life to really enjoy the thrill of riding a dragon. While you were admittedly scared for what you would find going with them, you wouldn't as scared as you would have been years ago. Even going to Dragonstone all alone at a young age had you crying each night. Thalina kept you company in those early days. She'd noticed early on how nervous you would get when nighttime fell and you were reluctant to go to bed. She didn't spare a second thought when curling next to you in your bed, lulling you peacefully to sleep with stories of dragons and their riders. Now you faced things with a bit more grit. You wouldn't be reduced to tears although you knew you would miss Latilth and everyone else greatly.

Barely able to peel one eyelid open, you find yourself high up in the sky, among the fluffy clouds and wide expanse of blue. The wind had died done as the massive dragon kept an easy glide now. You look off to either side of you at the vast wingspan and the small holes you see in the thin membrane. This was definitely a dragon that had been through strife in it's life. Remembering Latilth trying to dislodge that odd crystal from it's back, your eyes wander to the nape of it's neck where it was still securely wedged between scales and flesh. The red of it shimmers as if its alive. Something in you coils unpleasantly as you keep staring at it. Latilth had been trying so desperately to get it off. It had to be what was controlling this dragon.

Two Morghons have their backs to you while one watches you intently. It must be the same way Alizah can see you despite the fact that she was blind. Robes that you could now see were a faded dark purple swirl about his gold adorned ankles that lead to ugly skeletal feet with long nails. It's head tilts from one side then slowly to the other as he regards you. With the breeze making it's hood flutter about, you could tell underneath was a bald head with gray skin and speckled resembling a robin's egg. You wished it would turn it's face away from you. Having it's entire attention on you was uncomfortable but you refused to be the first one to look away. You hold his eyeless stare boldly.

Not able to handle the silence though, you ask "Where are you taking me?"

"You wish to see for yourself the future that we see." It rasps out. "We are taking you back home to show you. Beyond the Mountains of the Morn and across the Hidden Sea from the City of the Winged Men. That is where we call home."

You attempt to conjure up an image of a map of the Shadowlands. Where it was describing was deep in the Shadowlands. Far past where anyone has ventured. The City of the Winged Men was where one of the darkin masters were from.

What kind of home could these things have? You were about to find out although now you were feeling trepidation sweating your hands. You were overly aware of your lack of Lightbringer. The red priestesses always said that Lightbringer was merely an extension of you and not your source of power. It helped to center that power, using the sword as a proxy. You hadn't tried to summon R'hllor's flames without your sword. Guessing that if the time came, your instincts would kick in. They always did in your greatest time of need.

There would be no more words shared as the Morghon who had been speaking to you turns it's back, once more facing away from you. Now you could relax if only a fraction.

Everyone watched as the Morghon's turquoise dragon disappeared out of sight, over the mountains, and gone. Weles cursed and angrily paced, trying to think of one thing that could have changed the outcome of the day. Blame eats at his brain, remembering the promise he made with the Golden Boy Jaime Lannister. He'd promised to keep an eye on her. Keep her safe. Remembered vowing in front of the High Priest himself that he would see you back to the temple safely. He was chief of the Fiery Hand, trained in both steel and the blessed magic of R'hllor. Ray watched the captain unfurl in his composure. Comfort was not what Weles wanted or needed in that moment. Pressing his lips firmly together, he does share a few hushed words with Melisandre. Even Jalsolin and Ulian are jittery and agitated. None of this sat right with them. Letting (y/n) go so easily. Surely, they should have fought harder.

Inniros continued to keep his eye trained to the sky, his hands occupied with soothing Latilth who was doing her best not to take off and follow her mistress. The she-dragon let out mournful trills, knowing she must stay behind.

He understands how the dragon feels, digging his own feet firmly into the dirt and mentally grounding himself there. At least he had taken a precaution. Pulling a strand of her hair for a location spell once the masters arrived. They could find her. The Morghons were powerful but even they couldn't strip their own shadows from themselves. There was nowhere they could hide, and the darkin wouldn't be able to find them. As long as shadows existed, they'd be able to find them. He just had to bide his time.

Like Inniros, Rhiannon found it impossible to remove her eyes from where the Morghon's dragon had just became a blip. Dread seized her and shook her in its grasp. Stubbornly, she tries to will her tears back into her eyes. (y/n) was by herself. She was completely alone with no ally from whom she could summon strength. Her mouth dries out, tongue heavy and coated in sand. There was nothing she could have done to stop this.

"Have faith, hāedar (little sister)." Thalina would tell her when she felt as though all hope were lost. Especially when they were starving on the streets.

And Rhiannon would pout, not liking that perpetual reply from her older sister. Sure, she read the scripture of R'hllor and studied to become a priestess in order to stay in the temple free of charge, but did she really believe? "But what is faith? Everyone is always droning on about it." She'd go on to mock the elder priests and priestesses. " 'Have faith in R'hllor child!'"

Thalina's peel of delighted laughter. She loved how her little sister was curious enough to ask questions. "Faith, my dear sister, is a flame that burns within our hearts, guiding us through the darkest of times."

For the night is dark and full of terrors. Yes, Rhiannon had heard plenty of that rhetoric and nearly drowned out Thalina's words until her older sister places a gentle hand against her cheek to draw back her attention. Thalina's pools of liquid sunshine captured within her gaze makes Rhiannon feel a burst of love for her sister.

"It's the unwavering belief that something greater than us watches over, protects, and cherishes us."

Rhiannon uses her arm to wipe her eyes.

"The first test of faith is always the most difficult one." Melisandre whispers, suddenly at Rhiannon's side.

"Did you see her coming back to us in the flames?" The younger girl sniffles, unwilling to meet Melisandre's attention.

"No. The flames were unwilling to yield a vision of her return. But, R'hllor offered us something else." She lingers, lets Rhiannon absorb that thought. "She will call upon the darkin." Her eyes roll over to Inniros who is speaking in a hushed tone with Loviisa. "The Morghons will see how wrong they were. They will see the power Azor Ahai Reborn wields."

Slowly being pulled from four dark spots in the earth, the figures of Master Batur, Lady Nazneen, Qheen and Syzhal appear but the paleness of their faces tell everyone that they already knew what had happened. Master Batur's jaw clenches down tightly and shoots Syzhal glower. "Find where Master Ameer is. Now."

She nods quickly. "Yes Master Batur." She sinks back into the ground.

"You're setting her up for failure." Lady Nazneen comments dryly. "You know as well as I know that Master Ameer always wears his amulets specifically so as not to be tracked. Not even by us."

He turns to his fellow darkin master. The severity of his face doesn't let up. "It's better than doing nothing at all. Syzhal was a good student of his and was quick to pick up weaving. If anyone could find Master Ameer, it's your Syzhal."

Lady Nazneen preens slightly at his comment toward her ward. Her pretty green eyes turn to Loviisa who is retrieving the strand of (y/n)'s hair that Inniros had yanked from her head before she was taken. Her long, elegant face carries an air of regality, framed by a cascade of luscious mauve hair that cascades gracefully down her back. Slender, dexterous fingers, she holds a strand of bright blonde hair. "I'll get started with this. Priestess." She turns to Melisandre and Rhiannon. "I could use both of your assistance."

It's obvious Melisandre doesn't trust Nazneen one bit. If it was to aid in her champion, she was willing to suck it up and lets the shadowdancer take her arm. Nazneen glances expectantly at Rhiannon. Over her shoulder, Latilth watches. The youngling was in good hands. She could trust Inniros to protect her.

"Kesi ūndegon zirȳla arlī (We will see her again)." Rhiannon says to the opal dragon. It's a promise more so for herself than for the benefit of Latilth. But Latilth had such a large understanding of humans and understands her. The anxiety that made Latilth jittery fades as Rhiannon's vow soothes her. She takes Nazneen's arm and the three of them disappear.

Ulian manages to wordlessly grab the attention of his master and he began signing to him. Hand signals conveyed his intention clearly—to venture after (y/n), to track the Morghons silently, and ensure her safety by keeping a vigilant eye on her. He would not interfere unless (y/n) was truly in danger at the last moment.

Master Batur grimaces. "No. You stay here." Steely blue flick over to Ray and Weles who still has the look like he's about to be sick. Inniros found the chief's face amusing. This was a new side to the strong Weles. "You have seen in your flames, have you not?"

He nods, his blonde hair shimmering though there was a fog thick above. This was the first time the darkin master had addressed the red priest. Ray had been a mostly silent fixture, only in the background just in case anyone required his intervention. That was the reason why he was added to their expedition. Only if his skill set was called of him. "She will call when she is ready."

Returning to Ulian, the darkin instructor tells him "Now is not the time. You risk yourself if you follow them. You are young and have not even traveled past the fallen city of Stygai. You will not survive out there by yourself."

The mute finds no help though his efforts are valiant. Inniros, Jalsolin and Qheen observe him. In the end, he had to obey his master. Numbly, Ulian nods and stands back with his brothers.

"What shall we do, Master Batur?" Jalsolin asks.

"We do what the darkin have always done: wait for Azor Ahai's summon."

Taglist:

@boywivlove

@esposadomd

@domoron

@yentroucnagol

@enchantingcupcakecollectionfan

@bregarc

[libraryofmoths]

Moth of the Week

African Death’s-Head Hawkmoth

Acherontia atropos

The African death's-head hawkmoth is part of the family Sphingidae and is the most widely recognized of the three species of Death’s-Head Hawkmoth. The species was described in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus. Its common name comes from the skull shape on the back of its thorax. It’s binomial name comes from the river Acheron in Greece, which was believed to lead to the Underworld, and the Greek goddess Atropos respectively.

Description The forewings are black/brown with mottled shades of brown while the hindwings are buff orange with two black/brown stripes that curve with the edge of the hindwing. The head and thorax are the same black/brown color as the forewings interrupted by the brown skull on the back of the thorax. The abdomen is the same buff color as the hindwings with similar stripes of the same color. There is also a single stripe down the center of the abdomen called the “dorsal stripe.”

Average Wingspan: 13 cm (5 in)

Females are large than males with a rounded abdomen tip and larger, thicker antennae

Males have a pointed abdomen tip

Diet and Habitat Larva of this species mainly eat the leaves of potato plants which have alkaloids. The larva accumulate these toxins to become unpalatable to predators. Adults eat the nectar of flowers and stolen honey from the beehives of the Western Honey Bee. They are able to mimic the scent of bees and steal the honey undetected. They use their proboscis, a tube used to drink nectar and honey, to break the honey comb.

Their ranges stretches from the Middle East, as far south as the southern tip of Africa, as far north as southern Great Britain, as far east as India and western Saudi Arabia, and as far west as the Canary Islands and Azores. It is known to move into western Eurasia, but a majority do not survive the winter.

Mating This moth has multiple generations per year. In Africa, the broods are continuous. In the northern range, the larva overwinter in the pupal stage. Eggs are laid singly on the underside of species in mainly Solanaceae but also Physalis, Verbenaceae, Cannabaceae, Oleaceae, Pedaliaceae and others.

Predators This moth can emit a special squeak noise by sucking in air to vibrate a flap in its mouth and throat. The purpose of this squeak is unclear, but the two hypotheses are it is to scare away predators or to mimic the sound of a queen bee makes for the workers to stop moving to easier raid beehives for honey. They are also immune to bee venom and can mimic the scent of bees.

Fun Fact This moth has appeared many times in pop culture as symbols of death and evil:

It appeared in The Hireling Shepherd, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Un Chien Andalou, the promotional marquee posters for The Silence of the Lambs, in the music video to Massive Attack's single, "Butterfly Caught,” and on the American edition's cover of José Saramago's novel Death with Interruptions.

It is mentioned in Susan Hill's Gothic horror novel I'm the King of the Castle and John Keats’s "Ode to Melancholy.”

It is referred to in The Mothman Prophecies.

Finally, the moth is used as a calling card by the serial killer Buffalo Bill. However, in the movie script they are referred to under a different species of death’s-head hawkmoths.

(Source: Wikipedia, Simple English Wikipedia)

[esther-dot]

I was reading your comments about Jon's chivalry and protecting the vulnerable. This all brought to mind Jon's TV ending of stabbing Dany in the heart while kissing her. While we don't know whether or not this version of Dany's end is close to what will be the written version, it seems as though it's possible in part because of the Nissa Nissa legend. Jon doing that in the books (or something like it) would align with the Azor Ahai story, but in a warped sort of way, leaving events open to interpretation (as is usual with the prophecies and legends). But in any case, Jon killing a woman will be an act that is antithetical to so many of his values that it seems like it would come close to destroying him even if justified within Jon's universe. I wonder if Martin really plans to bring Jon this low, but also how it will be received. The optics of portraying such an ending for Dany given today's sensibilities could be viewed even more dimly than it would have been when Martin started writing the series?

(about this ask)

I'm so sorry that it's taken me this long to respond! I have finally reread some pertinent chapters to situate my thoughts.

First, I just want to acknowledge how upsetting this spec is to some, and remind everyone, no one wants this ending. We all think it's gross, we're just discussing the possibility, not merely because of the show, because it's an old theory. I looked around and saw posts about this starting in 2013 by Dany fans. So, the presence of this myth is substantial enough, even BNFs/Jonerys shippers felt like it had a strong chance of manifesting (although they believe Dany would willingly sacrifice herself) well before D&D committed their fuckery. I suppose all that answers your question. Man killing his lover is a gross trope, being forced to kill a loved one to save the world is overused, so now, I can't imagine anyone reading it and being happy about it.

In trying to look at the context in-canon Martin has created, he's taken it out of the strict man kills lover idea of the AA/NN myth, and is discussing the idea of sacrificing an innocent child to a god which fans have already compared to myth, Stannis & Shireen = Agamemnon & Iphigeneia. This sacrifice hasn't happened yet, but it's been confirmed as a Martin plot point. Stannis is already burning people alive, justifying kid killing, and Davos has already planted the Stannis=AA, kid=NN idea:

Davos was remembering a tale Salladhor Saan had told him, of how Azor Ahai tempered Lightbringer by thrusting it through the heart of the wife he loved. He slew his wife to fight the dark. If Stannis is Azor Ahai come again, does that mean Edric Storm must play the part of Nissa Nissa? (ASOS, Davos V)

Although, rather than this being a justified death, the fans will be horrified as we're meant to be. Davos' thoughts call into question the idea of killing another for your "magic sword":

A true sword of fire, now, that would be a wonder to behold. Yet at such a cost . . . When he thought of Nissa Nissa, it was his own Marya he pictured, a good-natured plump woman with sagging breasts and a kindly smile, the best woman in the world. He tried to picture himself driving a sword through her, and shuddered. I am not made of the stuff of heroes, he decided. If that was the price of a magic sword, it was more than he cared to pay. (ACOK, Davos I)

and Martin impresses upon us the value of each life:

"Your Grace," said Davos, "the cost . . ." "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. (ASOS, Davos V)

The talk of greater good/killing kids reminds me of AGOT in which Ned's story is inundated with the topic of child murder/protecting kids. We have Mycah, his memories of Aegon and Rhaenys, his promise to protect Jon, his guilt over his lies and treason bubbling up repeatedly, his fight against the assassination of Dany, his attempt to save Cersei's children from Robert...we all know, kid killing is wrong according to Martin, so we've already been told that this wannabe AA's actions are contemptible. The myth in which the sacrifice is happy to die, that sacrificing someone is heroic, it's being contradicted by what we're being shown in the Stannis storyline.

Now, while Stannis is being declared Azor Ahai, we're constantly being told he isn't. Jon calls the act a mummer's farce and comments on his cold sword and that is right before a Dany chapter, so the idea is, Dany is actually AA. @trinuviel is the first person I saw lay out the argument for that and contend that being AA is a bad thing (meta parts 1, 2, 3). People have said that Drogo kinda becomes her Nissa Nissa in that scenario. She burns him to get the dragons, and what are the dragons called?

"When I went to the Hall of a Thousand Thrones to beg the Pureborn for your life, I said that you were no more than a child," Xaro went on, "but Egon Emeros the Exquisite rose and said, 'She is a foolish child, mad and heedless and too dangerous to live.' When your dragons were small they were a wonder. Grown, they are death and devastation, a flaming sword above the world." He wiped away the tears. "I should have slain you in Qarth." (ADWD, Daenerys III)

That kinda makes us think, oh, the myth already has a canon counterpart, don't need to worry about it anymore. Only, we've also said Rhaegar impregnating a young Lyanna could be read as a play on Nissa Nissa, with him risking her life to get the prophecy baby, otherwise known as the third head of the dragon. And Jon is not only a kind of dragon, he repeatedly intones that fun little phrase about being a sword, and sometimes, that happens within an interesting context (for speculation purposes):

"I will." Do not fail me, he thought, or Stannis will have my head. "Do I have your word that you will keep our princess closely?" the king had said, and Jon had promised that he would. Val is no princess, though. I told him that half a hundred times. It was a feeble sort of evasion, a sad rag wrapped around his wounded word. His father would never have approved. I am the sword that guards the realm of men, Jon reminded himself, and in the end, that must be worth more than one man's honor. (ADWD, Jon VIII)

So, although there is one character that seems to be Azor Ahai (Dany), I am definitely open to the myth manifesting, or rather, being examined from multiple angles. IMO, that's what Martin is doing and we can use each variation to reassess what he's saying with it. We have Dany and Drogo (the official one/successful one), Rhaegar and Lyanna (not AA, but Jon is born), Stannis and Edric (denied), Stannis and Shireen (he will kill Shireen, but we don't know if he'll get what he wants and we do know he isn't AA)... lots of pics of a similar idea. To emphasize Stannis not being the dude and Dany being the "real" AA, we have that Jon passage and chapter transition:

Even though we have lots of contenders and commentary about this myth with the canon characters, none of it romanticizes human sacrifice, and all works towards the twist that what is said to be a hero/the weapon that will save people brings destruction. If we look back at it critically, Dany has a habit of accepting, or even causing, the suffering of others for her greater good, including sacrificing Mirri to get her dragons. We might even argue that Mirri is a Nissa Nissa for her, as Dany had taken Mirri under her protection before killing her to get dragons.

That being said, even though we're getting told this shit is bad in canon, the indictment of killing innocents and people who depend on you to protect them, it wouldn’t apply if someone were to kill Stannis or Dany. It isn’t on the same moral level as killing a child, or a spouse who loves and trusts you. It isn't the same as invading and then killing people who won't worship your god or accept you as a leader. It isn't the same as killing a slave, simply because, when their times come, Dany and Stannis will be guilty. After their actions, it would be justice for them to die. I think why other parts of the fandom entertain the idea of Dany as NN while also condemning us for entertaining it, is that Dany's vision does have her being grasped at by hands of her "children" and fans have this idea that she is sacrificing herself/her happiness for the greater good already, and in the AA/Nissa Nissa story, it does sound like she offers herself willingly for the tempering of the sword. So to them, it’s part of Dany’s heroism. Dany's death is inevitable to some, at the hands of Jon is ok, but her not dying a hero, that's unacceptable.

But thinking about how it's been discussed thus far, I can't imagine we're gonna get a romanticized version of the AA/NN myth in canon when so far, it's pretty dark/condemned. None of that precludes Jon killing Dany in what you described as a:

warped sort of way, leaving events open to interpretation (as is usual with the prophecies and legends).

which really sticks out to me as the important part of all this.

The idea that Jon might do it and characters recognize it as a tragic love story a la the myth, that fascinates me because of how Martin has written wild rumors into the story (rumors about Dany, Robb, and Sansa spring to mind), and some of us have written reality and what the public thinks into fic as two distinct things because it feels like a potential way the story might go. What is widely known to be true, like say, Jon being Ned's bastard, may not be the truth that we the readers come to know. There's no guarantee that Westeros will know what the readers know about past or future events. We may get a take on AA/NN, the characters in-world may not understand it the same way.

Jon is undeniably a hero, in a world where institutional corruption is rampant and ideals abandoned, he’s a standout in his values. We would expect, and we find, contrasts between him and these other characters (Dany, Rhaegar, Stannis), primarily, his practical actions that are about saving life/protecting life, even from Stannis, so the idea that he would abandon certain values, it's a tough one. The difference is, while Stannis, Rhaegar, and Dany were acting on these prophecies or visions or dreams, things we're repeatedly warned against trusting in the text, Jon would be taking action based on the fact that Dany is a mass-murderer, a threat to all of Westeros. It isn't a sacrifice to an unknown god for some promised mystical good, it's justice. The religious fanaticism wouldn't be a factor, the killing of an innocent wouldn't be a factor, killing a child wouldn't be a factor, killing to achieve a self-serving end wouldn't be a factor. All the things that have been criticized thus far aren't at play.

The moral quandary presented to the audience in AGOT is killing someone who might be a threat, but is a child at the moment, and Martin presents the sneaky assassination / child killing as abhorrent:

Grand Maester Pycelle cleared his throat, a process that seemed to take some minutes. "My order serves the realm, not the ruler. Once I counseled King Aerys as loyally as I counsel King Robert now, so I bear this girl child of his no ill will. Yet I ask you this—should war come again, how many soldiers will die? How many towns will burn? How many children will be ripped from their mothers to perish on the end of a spear?" He stroked his luxuriant white beard, infinitely sad, infinitely weary. "Is it not wiser, even kinder, that Daenerys Targaryen should die now so that tens of thousands might live?" "Kinder," Varys said. "Oh, well and truly spoken, Grand Maester. It is so true. Should the gods in their caprice grant Daenerys Targaryen a son, the realm must bleed." Littlefinger was the last. As Ned looked to him, Lord Petyr stifled a yawn. "When you find yourself in bed with an ugly woman, the best thing to do is close your eyes and get on with it," he declared. "Waiting won't make the maid any prettier. Kiss her and be done with it." "Kiss her?" Ser Barristan repeated, aghast. "A steel kiss," said Littlefinger. (AGOT, Eddard VIII)

which is all interesting context for Dany later being assassinated, especially because the first lesson Martin gives us on justice is one that Jon is there for, and then is reiterated in relation to Dany:

Ned had heard enough. "You send hired knives to kill a fourteen-year-old girl and still quibble about honor?" He pushed back his chair and stood. "Do it yourself, Robert. The man who passes the sentence should swing the sword. Look her in the eyes before you kill her. See her tears, hear her last words. You owe her that much at least." (AGOT, Eddard VIII)

The convo about killing Dany with LF is about a bedding and before that it was presented in terms of a wedding gift, which makes me squint now knowing the AA/NN stuff:

Yes, it's awful, and I do understand, almost agree with you here:

But in any case, Jon killing a woman will be an act that is antithetical to so many of his values that it seems like it would come close to destroying him even if justified within Jon's universe.

but the way it might tie together the initial discussion of killing Dany and the eventual act weighs heavily with me when determining what Martin might do and why/why not.

The other suggestion is that Arya kills Dany. If having dragons is Chechov's gun for KL burning then Arya being a trained assassin feels like a Chechov's gun for killing Dany. But in that scenario, there is no conflict. No inner struggle. We spent so much of AGOT weighing the morals of killing Dany, it's hard for me to believe when the time comes, it's presented without any moral complexity. Arya is already able and willing to take a life, even when it isn't justified. It doesn't feel right to me that killing Dany would be a presented without an inner struggle, that it would be done easily, as easily as Arya now kills. TBH, it removes the drama if someone other than Jon does it because it will be so highly necessary and just when the time comes. Jon is really the only character who can make it squeamish because of the guy killing a woman thing and because it will be kinslaying.

There is a lot of talk about poison, so I think it's totally possible Arya tries to kill Dany with poison first, but I think Jon is more likely to be the one to successfully kill her, and in a way that calls to mind Ned's opinion on it, See her tears, hear her last words. That would allow Martin to make sure we see it as just/moral, bring home the Targ v Targ issue, and it shades Ned's decisions and values in a very interesting way.

After s8 fans said Ned was wrong to fight against killing Dany in s1, but Martin thinks he was right to object to killing children, so for the two Targ children he was protecting in AGOT (Dany and Jon) to come face to face and one kill the other prevents the conclusion that Ned was wrong. It was the same mercy, the same refusal to see the child of an enemy as an enemy, that saved the boy who will in turn save Westeros. IMO, it's a way to uphold the belief in mercy. I tend to think it’s also Martin’s way of addressing one his questions about his beloved LOTR (what about orc babies etc).

If another person ends Dany, we still get dead Dany, but it doesn't say anything interesting? Killing her wouldn't be a sacrifice on anyone else's part, she won’t be loved and she has to go. But, Jon, who so desperately wants to have honor, if he kills her, it's right as well as an egregious "sin." Ned dishonors himself to protect Sansa (and obvy was committing treason to protect Jon), it feels like coming full circle for Jon, who so wants to be worthy of being a son to Ned to follow his path there too. Also, one thing I expect we’ll keep tracking is kinslaying. Kinslaying comes up with the AA/Nissa Nissa issue in the Stannis storyline, so I do expect that to be addressed in Jon chapters:

We have the whole baby switch to assure us, Jon values human life a great deal. All the same, that involves a moment of cruelty on Jon's side, so Martin isn't interested in keeping him perfectly pure. He likes those moments where doing the right thing is very difficult, even compromising in some way. It's why, while we say Ned committing treason for Jon is a no brainer, Martin writes Ned tortured by it. He likes the inner turmoil over decisions, placing a societal good (honor) against another obligation or ideal and asking what is right.

I wonder if Martin really plans to bring Jon this low, but also how it will be received. The optics of portraying such an ending for Dany given today's sensibilities could be viewed even more dimly than it would have been when Martin started writing the series?

Despite all the ways I think it makes sense, yes, I def think this is one of those areas that if he had finished the series as quickly as he'd hoped, would have gone over better. Dany has dragons, therefore, she will be an overwhelming threat to Westeros, so it isn't like Jon will just randomly kill a woman, yet it's distasteful all the same. Martin is looking at things from the context of his story and the ideas he’s already introduced/talking about though which is why I can wince but kinda understand it. There are other issues where my sensibilities diverge from his, so didn’t like it on the show, I don’t like it for the books, still think it’s probably gonna happen. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[horizon-verizon]

I am continually baffled by people who think Stannis won’t murder Shireen. Melisandre believes Stannis is Azor Ahai reborn, a mythical hero who had to sacrifice his loved one, how much clearer can it get ? He has a fake sword, a farce of a rebirth and he will have an empty sacrifice.

It is absolutely fascinating to me. It shows how far this fandom has moved “beyond” even GRRM himself. His exact words are “Stannis’ decision to burn his daughter”. GRRM outright confirmed it. The text is filled with clues that readers spotted a decade before there even was a TV show. Every time Stannis doesn’t sacrifice Edric Storm and Mance Rayder’s son, it’s a set-up for the time he does sacrifice a child, his child (it took Azor Ahai three tries to successfully forge his sword; he sacrificed his wife on the third attempt), the character who we first meet when she wakes up from a dream saying she is scared dragons will eat her.

But even so, a not small percentage of fandom refuses to accept that GRRM outright explicitly said it will happen, going la la la, fingers in ears, and saying stuff like, “Well, I don’t see how it is logistically possible for X, Y, Z” or “Stannis is not an evil man” or other attempts at burying their heads in the sand because they liked the bad guy partway through an unfinished story.

Well, there you have it. All the points for how Stannis is definitely killing his own daughter.

You're right, people don't want to be "exposed" on liking a guy who had had less graces than they thought, esp if they believed that the throne was his by rule of male primogeniture, male supremacy, etc. People don't want to be "publicly" proven wrong or stupid yeah, but it's worse for bigots.

[luckyreds]

Some Luz family crumbs I found since digging around in Fall River newspaper archive

some background information: George Luz's parents are Jose Carvalho Luz, born 8 Oct 1881 in Azores Portugal. and his second wife Maria Fratus, born 20 Jan 1895. They had 8 children together. George was the third and the last to be born in Fall River before their move to West Warwick in 1921. (thanks to @winnix85 for this family register)

Before that Jose lived in Fall River with his first wife, Maria Joaquina Camara. born 29 March 1881. they had 6 children together, only two who made it past infancy.

the first mention of the Luz's is 15 May 1914. Mr Jose Carvalho Luz and Mrs Maria Joaquina Camara Luz buy their new home, somewhere between 169-175 Pitman Street. the exact location keeps shifting around as you'll see later. the second says it's Bedford Street. but that's incorrect. (as you see in many early historic newspaper clippings, they often have the details wrong.)

they seem to be a quiet bunch, the only times they get referenced is when they paid their taxes/other money-related stuff. Like when Jose files the inventory for one of his wife's relatives.

and his wife's inventory (a year after her death btw):

It's quite a hectic time for Jose, Maria Joaquina passes away on the 6th of August 1915. (according to find a grave) 10 days later his eldest son gets bitten by a dog:

and just two months later he's already married to Maria Fratus. here's their wedding date in the West Warwick archives:

they don't really appear in the newspapers until! George's birth announcement in 1921! (and the only one of his siblings to get one)

they must've moved soon after he was born because on the same date in a different newspaper, it's announced Jose Luz sold the house.

That's all I could scrounge up!