#all hail the serpent queen

[beastsovrevelation]

Lady Crowley 🐍 (lineart version)

[moonlight1237]

Hel Norse Divine

@ghosting-medium helped write and edit this!

ᚺᛖᛚ (elder futhark)

Hel (old norse) Hell(e) (old english)

Her name comes from a root meaning, covered or hidden kinda like Hades and Frau Holle, and like a helmet or a helm, which is also the name of the realm which she resides in Helheim (old norse=Hel) also meaning “the grave” or to be put in your grave this land is not a place of punishment like the Christian Hell, it was more of a waiting place where Lady Hel takes in the “unchosen souls of the dead”. Helhiem was believed to be guarded by a giant wolf it’s disputed whether it’s her brother Fenrir or another wolf named Garm, Helheim is in one of the nine realms which is Niflheim, her plate and knife are named “hunger” and “famine”

She is the daughter of Loki and the giantess (or a jötunn) Angrboða; her brothers are Fenrir (Vánagandr or Fenris) and Jörmungandr (Midgard serpent). Some don’t realize the gods and giants aren’t different races but different families and titles as Hel was born of a god/goddess parent she has the title of goddess but she can also be referred to as a giantess.

She appears as half-blue or sometimes some say it translate to black both mean she’s half corpse/rotting and the other half is a flesh colored beautiful woman, she’s known to appear to her followers as either or both if she feels the need to scare you or shock you she may come as her rotting side or if she wants to come off more motherly she may show up as her flesh side, some say she has white or black hair it varies to person.

She also had a 3 legged horse also known as “Hel-horse” a scrawny boney white/yellow horse which in the “prose edda” she brought plague and death

She’s said to lead an army of undead souls into battle during Ragnarok to fight in a valley against the undead warriors of valhalla (Old Norse: Valhǫll) aka the hall of the slain or hall of the corpse.

She appears in Baldrs draumar and the Voluspa in the poetic edda also known as the “Elder edda”.

In Baldrs draumar you see her when she refuses to give Baldrs soul back to the other gods and keeps him in Helheim unless everything in the universe weeps for his “death” (gods in norse mythology don’t “die” they’re reborn in a way) when one giantess refuses to weep Hel keeps Baldr in Helheim till Ragnarok. It was known she treated him fairly and even gave him a seat beside her as a guest of honor in her hall.

Ullr was another god who visited Niflheim often so he often visited Hel in Helheim.

Why she was thrown from Asgard is disputed; some believe it was due to her looks that she made the other gods uncomfy, or that like her brothers the Æsir gods condemned her before she really did wrong leading to a self fulfilling prophecy, or that Odin gifted the hall to her.

Hel is the queen of afterlife and the caretaker of the dead in some sources she was also the main god who made decisions on judgements for who received punishments in Helheim as not all who went to Helheim go as punishment and it was said that Helheim had 2 sides.

General association

Death

The afterlife

Ancestor work

Shadow work

Bones

Sickness/plague

Cold/winter

Revenge

Scrying

Hidden places

Tombs

Gold / Sliver

Rotting/wilting

Spirits and death work

Necromancy

Animals associated

Ravens

Horses (black or white sometimes bay)

Wolves (due to her brother and the guardian of her hall)

Crows

Vultures

Any black animals

Elderly animals

Scents

Pine

Amber

Earthy scents

Apple

Cinnamon

Homey scents

Spice scents

Musky strong scents

Colors

Black

White

Blue

Sliver

Gold

Runes/Tarot

Hagalaz (hail)

Eihwaz (yew)

Death

Queen of wands

Queen of swords

Numbers

3

9-Upg this number comes up with her a lot due to her being a ruler of one of the nine realms

Element

Earth - because of her ruling of the underworld, and being under the earth

Zodiac Sign

Scorpio - upg, but Scorpio deals with a lot of secrecy, privacy, shadows, and death

Cancer - upg, she’s “the one who hides or is covered”, since Cancer’s animal is the crab, and that is an animal that is covered by its hard shell. Many individuals that work with Lady Hel associate her with being motherly, but also strict. Cancer is the sign of nurturing, and emotions so it makes sense.

As for other zodiac signs, I would consider any zodiac signs near the end of the cycle. The zodiac cycle is associated with the cycle of life and death; so near the end of the cycle is going to be death. This could be signs like Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces. There is no historical basis for this, as Norse Paganism didn’t really document or use zodiac signs.

Day of the Week

Saturday

Crystals

Any type of obsidian

Black onyx

Hematite

Smokey quartz

Labradorite

Moonstone

Jet

Black tourmaline

Plants

Yew (do not consume yourself EVER)

Any poisonous plant really (deadly nightshade, foxglove, etc) (do not handle unless you are a pro and know how to handle poisonous plants)

roses/dried roses

fungi/mushrooms and other decomposers

Mold

Juniper berries/bush (do not consume yourself EVER)

Pine

apples/apple trees/apple blossoms

Plantain

Black roses

Drinks and food

Mead/alcohol (especially spiced flavors) - classic Norse offerings that are appreciated by all Norse deities

Meat

Bread

Coffee

Tea - Black tea is a type of tea that might be best for Lady Hel due to her strong association to the color Black. If you don’t have this tea don’t worry, I bet she’ll be grateful for any tea you have.

Dark chocolate

Apples

Yew/Juniper berries (do not handle unless you are a pro and know how to handle poisonous plants)

Marshmallows/or marshmallow fluff

Molten/lava cakes

Fudge

Anything bittersweet or spiced

Things to offer/do in devotion to her

Bones/skulls

Learn runes, and casting runes

Learn bone throwing/casting

Raven bones/skulls

Mirrors (especially black or silver mirrors)

Any art you make for her

Black or white cloth

Black/white/silver candles

Crystals

Food/drink, Raw meat

Learning your shadow self

Learning your family history or connecting to your an ancestors

Visiting a cemetery or graveyard and pay your respects to the dead

Cleaning up cemeteries or volunteering at one - make sure you know how to properly clean graves and have the spirits permission before cleaning the grave

Respecting the dead and spirits wherever you are

Saying a prayer to her when you see or find dead animals

Veiling

Skeleton imagery

Wolf imagery or wolf teeth

Learning a scandinavian language (old norse, dansk, norwegian, icelandic, swedish)

Learn runic writing

Flowers/dried flowers/flowers that are near dead if not already dead

If your experienced in norse folk magic a blot (ONLY IF YOU KNOW HOW AND HAVE PROPER UNDERSTANDING AND GUIDANCE AND EXPERIENCE)

Feathers

Fur/animal hides - make sure you get these ethically, do not just injure an animal for its hide, and not pay respect to the animal or Lady Hel during it.

Things that respect that dead like something from your ancestors

Any kind of animal imagery related to her

Signs she could be reaching out

Sudden interest in her

Hearing her name brought up a lot, either in conversation or subconsciously

Sudden interest in death work or spirit work

Seeing black animals

Seeing animal death and bones

Her being in your dreams a lot or her name mentioned a lot

Suddenly wanting to learn to scry or do runes

Drawn towards obsidian, or smokey quartz suddenly

Getting her rune or tarot card a lot

Being drawn towards norse mythology or her myths

seeing dead bugs in unusual places

Hel music/meditation

https://youtu.be/eXl6iGuV_44

https://youtu.be/uIDWg-KqX8c

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0XwuUkj1u31j90LCq3ftau?si=b60faa340c2a45bf

Resources

https://www.angelfire.com/journal/ofapoet/hel.html-A really good article of info on Lady Hel but of course take everything with a grain of salt

http://ydalir.ca/norsegods/hel/- A decent run down on Lady Hel with some good info

The “Prose Edda” also known as the “younger edda”

The “Poetic Edda”-translation by Jackson Crawford also known as the “elder edda”

“The Viking Spirit”-Daniel McCoy

“Tales Of Norse Mythology”-Helen A. Guerber

https://angelorum.co/heathenry/connecting-with-the-goddess-hel/ - A decent article with some UPG and well known facts

https://youtu.be/yg5QyIPXdAI- Info on Lady Hel from a witches view with some UPG.

https://youtu.be/6r_iPQA2vZw- The historical research on Hel including her names roots, what she does, and her realm

https://youtu.be/Ac2veVpMPWA- A complete basic intro to Norse mythology from a historical view

https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends-europe/going-hel-and-back-travel-helheim-where-goddess-darkness-reigned-006174- A little bit of info on Lady Hel

https://www.worldhistory.org/Hel/ - quick blurb on Lady Hel’s history

https://youtu.be/WeW1-oXEubk-Jackson Crawfords run through on the main norse gods and goddesses

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLATNGYBQ-TjqOIFzdVApjXXpWXOzZHKFp- Jackson Crawford norse mythology playlist and run through from a professor and historical standpoint

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLATNGYBQ-TjrPCf9YGy0qzqca1ypcGs50- Jackson Crawfords run through of all the Nordic runes and how they work from a historical standing

https://youtu.be/mhMHTZ2jfXM- Grimfrost academies documentary on Viking age culture and how the norse people lived and used things

[halfbakedideas]

nail polish

Aziraphale paints Crowley’s nails.

notes:

This was originally posted on ao3, I only just realised I never crossposred on here.

read on ao3

Goldnova apparently flung me back into this fandom?? Not complaining though.

—x—x—x—

The patter of hailstones against the roof provided a nice white noise in the background of the ‘Best of Queen’ album that was playing softly from the record player.

Aziraphale was pottering around his bookshop, organising for the most part but occasionally dusting when he found a spot that hadn’t seen the feather duster in a long time. Crowley, on the other hand, was alternating between watching him from their spot on the sofa and harassing humans through their phone. At some point, the demon had pulled out a bottle of nail polish from somewhere.

They were trying to paint their nails with little to show for it. In the last fifteen minutes they had only successfully done their thumb.

Aziraphale was watching as he works, when he can see Crowley’s hands through the gaps in the bookshelves.

They tried to paint the rest of their nails but kept messing up. Either from getting too much polish on the surrounding skin from the way that their hand shook at the worst time, or the brush refusing to behave as it should. The cycle repeated over and over: botch the attempt, miracle the mess away, and start again, only to botch it once more. This had been going on for the last fifteen minutes.

A plume of smoke curled from Crowley’s mouth as they miracled away the polish once again. If they kept going like this then they would use up all of the nail polish in the bottle before they managed to get all of their nails painted.

Aziraphale set down his feather duster on a shelf and approached his demon.

“Can I help?” he asked. Crowley looked up.

“Dunno how you’d ‘help’ me with painting my nails,” they commented before shuffling over slightly so that he could sit down.

“I could do them for you?” Aziraphale offered. “Then you wouldn’t waste as much polish?”

They looked down at the brush-top that they were still holding in their hand, at their fingernails, then back up at Aziraphale again.

“Sure,” Crowley agreed and put the brush-top back in the bottle before handing it over to him.

They held out their hand, the one with the painted thumbnail, Aziraphale took it and placed it on his leg. The two of them readjusted so that they were angled more towards each other.

Aziraphale pulled out the brush-top again and was pleased to find that there was the perfect amount of polish on it, just as he expected there to be. The bottle floated lazily by his side at exactly the spot he needed it to be.

The angel continued to hold their hand so that he could angle it as he needed while he painted careful coats of polish over the nail of Crowley’s index finger.

Unlike the demon’s attempts earlier, the polish stayed on the nails and didn’t glob up anywhere. And it went on in even coats.

“You didn’t need to do it for me; I would’ve managed in the end,” they said after a few minutes of silence passed. “Or just have waited for another day when my hands aren’t as shakey,”

Aziraphale was just about finished painting the nail of the ring finger of that hand.

“No, I didn’t,” he agreed. “But doing it for you saves you from wasting any of this perfectly good polish,” the angel said.

The currently human-shaped serpent made a sound of agreement. He was right.

By the time Aziraphale had started on their other hand, the hail had eased off so much that it was just raining now.

“Angel?” Crowley called out later, looking up from examining their nails. The angel was standing over by the bookcases again and had been reaching for a book.

“Yes, my dear?”

“There are sparkles on my nails,”

“Yes, I suppose there is,”

“That polish doesn’t have any glitter in it,” they said. “I’m sure of it. This is your doing?”

“Look at them under the lamp light,” Aziraphale suggested instead of directly answering them.

Crowley was too busy doing as he suggested to see the smile that graced their angel’s face.

Under the more direct lamp light, they were able to see the blue, red, and gold glitter that was over the top of the black polish better. Before that, they could only see the gold ones, which reminded them of the polish on Aziraphale’s own nails.

—x—x—x—

endnotes:

I own both of those colours of nail polish :D they’re both very nice (don’t wear the gold very much though).

This was nice (and very short) but pain will be coming soon.

[books-and-strawberry-tea]

Why must I gravitate towards series...

(Part 1)

I was planning out my tbr for next year, and I thought I'd go through the series I wanted to finally tackle (they've been on my list for a while), and I discovered to my horror...90 books...90 books (94 including ) I will have to read to read all the series I want to read...fuck me. Alright, lemme show you the list:

The Binding Chronicles: 4 Books

What could be worse than an arranged marriage to a vampire prince? When Luna is sold into marriage to the Prince of Darkness, she thinks she knows what to expect. Arranged marriages happen all the time, right? Wrong. No one could have prepared her for the reality of being married to the vampire prince. Ever since the day he was Made, Sebastian has been living according to Queen Marguerite’s rules. After all, he’s only alive because of her. When she orders him to marry and Bind himself to Luna, a human hailing a neighboring kingdom, he has no choice. He agrees to the marriage but never expects to feel anything for Luna. When their Binding Ceremony goes awry, and they are magically Tethered, everything is thrown into upheaval. Unable to leave each other’s presence, they must learn to live with each other. Or die. Tethered is a slow-burn arranged marriage epic romantic fantasy and is filled with forced proximity, magical bindings, vampires, and world-building. Vampire, Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal, Magic

A 4th stand alone book released yesterday also.

Kindred's Curse: 3 Books + 1 to be released (TBR)

When old secrets catch fire, everything will burn. In a mortal world colonized by the gods and ruled over by the Descended, their cruel offspring, Diem Bellator yearns to escape the insular life of her poor village. Her mother’s sudden disappearance—and the discovery of a dangerous secret about her past—offer Diem an unexpected opportunity to enter the dark world of Descended royalty and unlock the web of mysteries her mother left behind. With the dying King’s handsome, mysterious heir watching her every move, and a ruthless mortal alliance recruiting her to join the growing civil war, Diem will have to navigate the unwritten rules of love, power, and politics in order to save her family—and all of mortalkind. Spark of the Everflame is the first book in The Kindred's Curse Saga, a four-book fantasy romance series. This slow burn, enemies-to-lovers epic is perfect for lovers of magic, dragons, angst, and banter and will appeal to fans of books like A Court of Thorns and Roses, From Blood and Ash, Gild, and The Serpent & the Wings of Night. Dragons, Romance, Fantasy, Magic

Crown's of Nyaxia: 4 Books

Human or vampire, the rules of survival are the same: never trust, never yield, and always – always – guard your heart. The adopted human daughter of the Nightborn vampire king, Oraya carved her place in a world designed to kill her. Her only chance to become something more than prey is entering the Kejari: a legendary tournament held by the goddess of death herself. But winning won’t be easy amongst the most vicious warriors from all three vampire houses. To survive, Oraya is forced to make an alliance with a mysterious rival. Everything about Raihn is dangerous. He is a ruthless vampire, an efficient killer, an enemy to her father’s crown… and her greatest competition. Yet, what terrifies Oraya most of all is that she finds herself oddly drawn to him. But there’s no room for compassion in the Kejari. War for the House of Night brews, shattering everything that Oraya thought she knew about her home. And Raihn may understand her more than anyone – but their blossoming attraction could be her downfall, in a kingdom where nothing is more deadly than love. Vampires, Romance, Magic, Paranormal

Scapegracers: Book 3

Skulking near the bottom of West High’s social pyramid, Sideways Pike lurks under the bleachers doing magic tricks for Coke bottles. As a witch, lesbian, and lifelong outsider, she’s had a hard time making friends. But when the three most popular girls pay her $40 to cast a spell at their Halloween party, Sideways gets swept into a new clique. The unholy trinity are dangerous angels, sugar-coated rattlesnakes, and now–unbelievably–Sideways’ best friends. Together, the four bond to form a ferocious and powerful coven. They plan parties, cast curses on dudebros, try to find Sideways a girlfriend, and elude the fundamentalist witch hunters hellbent on stealing their magic. But for Sideways, the hardest part is the whole ‘having friends’ thing. Who knew that balancing human interaction with supernatural peril could be so complicated? Rich with the urgency of feral youth, The Scapegracers explores growing up and complex female friendship with all the rage of a teenage girl. It subverts the trope of competitive mean girls and instead portrays a mercilessly supportive clique of diverse and vivid characters. It is an atmospheric, voice-driven novel of the occult, and the first of a three-book series. Witches, Urban Fantasy, Lesbian, Paranormal

The Bone Season: 7 Books + 2 TBR

The year is 2059. For two centuries, the Republic of Scion has led an oppressive campaign against unnaturalness in Europe. In London, Paige Mahoney holds a high rank in the criminal underworld. The right hand of the ruthless White Binder, Paige is a dreamwalker, a rare and formidable kind of clairvoyant. Under Scion law, she commits treason simply by breathing. When Paige is arrested for murder, she meets the mysterious founders of Scion, who have designs on her uncommon abilities. If she is to survive and escape, Paige must use every skill at her disposal – and put her trust in someone who ought to be her enemy. Fantasy, Dystopia, Adult, Romance, Paranormal

The War of Lost Hearts: 3 Books + 0.5 Novella

A former slave fighting for justice. A reclusive warrior who no longer believes it exists. And a dark magic that will entangle their fates. Ripped from a forgotten homeland as a child, Tisaanah learned how to survive with nothing but a sharp wit and a touch of magic. But the night she tries to buy her freedom, she barely escapes with her life. Desperate to save the best friend she left behind, Tisaanah journeys to the Orders, the most powerful organizations of magic Wielders in the world. But to join their ranks, she must complete an apprenticeship with Maxantarius Farlione, a handsome and reclusive fire wielder who despises the Orders. The Orders’ intentions are cryptic, and Tisaanah must prove herself under the threat of looming war. But even more dangerous are her growing feelings for Maxantarius. The bloody past he wants to forget may be the key to her future… or the downfall of them both. But Tisaanah will stop at nothing to save those she abandoned. Even if it means gambling in the Orders’ deadly games. Even if it means sacrificing her heart. Even if it means wielding death itself. Fae, Romance, Fantasy, High Fantasy

The Roots of Chaos: 2 Books (2 books sure but man are they HUGE)

A world divided. A queendom without an heir. An ancient enemy awakens. The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction – but assassins are getting closer to her door. Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic. Across the dark sea, Tané has trained to be a dragonrider since she was a child, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel. Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parley, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep. Dragons, Fantasy, Adult, Lesbian

Zodiac Academy: 14 Books

You have been selected to attend Zodiac Academy, where your star sign defines your destiny. If you're one of the Fae, elemental magic is in your blood. And apparently it's in ours. As twins born in the month of Gemini, we're a rare breed even in this academy of supernatural a-holes. Changelings were outlawed hundreds of years ago but I guess our birth parents didn't get the memo. Which means we're totally unprepared for the ruthless world of Fae. Air. Fire. Water. Earth. No one has ever harnessed all four of them, until we arrived. And it hasn't made us any friends so far. As the rarest Elementals ever known, we're already a threat to the four celestial heirs; the popular, vindictive bullies who happen to be some of the hottest guys we've ever seen. It doesn't help that they're the most dangerous beasts in the Academy. And probably on earth too. Our fates are intertwined, but they want us gone. They've only got until the lunar eclipse to force us out and they'll stop at nothing to succeed. We never knew we had a birthright to live up to but now that we do, we intend to claim our throne. We can't expect any help from the faculty when it comes to defending ourselves. So if the dragon shifters want some target practice, the werewolves want someone to hunt or the vampires fancy a snack then we have to be ready. But we've been looking after each other for a long time and fighting back is in our blood. Today's horoscope: totally screwed.

The Shadows Between Us: 2 Books

Alessandra is tired of being overlooked, but she has a plan to gain power: 1) Woo the Shadow King. 2) Marry him. 3) Kill him and take his kingdom for herself. No one knows the extent of the freshly crowned Shadow King’s power. Some say he can command the shadows that swirl around him to do his bidding. Others say they speak to him, whispering the thoughts of his enemies. Regardless, Alessandra knows what she deserves, and she’s going to do everything within her power to get it. But Alessandra’s not the only one trying to kill the king. As attempts on his life are made, she finds herself trying to keep him alive long enough for him to make her his queen—all while struggling not to lose her heart. After all, who better for a Shadow King than a cunning, villainous queen? Magic, High Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult

The Locked Tomb: 3 Books + 1 TBR

The Emperor needs necromancers. The Ninth Necromancer needs a swordswoman. Gideon has a sword, some dirty magazines, and no more time for undead bullshit. Brought up by unfriendly, ossifying nuns, ancient retainers, and countless skeletons, Gideon is ready to abandon a life of servitude and an afterlife as a reanimated corpse. She packs up her sword, her shoes, and her dirty magazines, and prepares to launch her daring escape. But her childhood nemesis won't set her free without a service. Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House and bone witch extraordinaire, has been summoned into action. The Emperor has invited the heirs to each of his loyal Houses to a deadly trial of wits and skill. If Harrowhark succeeds she will become an immortal, all-powerful servant of the Resurrection, but no necromancer can ascend without their cavalier. Without Gideon's sword, Harrow will fail, and the Ninth House will die. Of course, some things are better left dead. Science, Fiction, Adult, Lesbian

Empire of the Vampire: 2 Books

From holy cup comes holy light; The faithful hand sets world aright. And in the Seven Martyrs’ sight, Mere man shall end this endless night. It has been twenty-seven long years since the last sunrise. For nearly three decades, vampires have waged war against humanity; building their eternal empire even as they tear down our own. Now, only a few tiny sparks of light endure in a sea of darkness. Gabriel de León is a silversaint: a member of a holy brotherhood dedicated to defending realm and church from the creatures of the night. But even the Silver Order could not stem the tide once daylight failed us, and now, only Gabriel remains. Imprisoned by the very monsters he vowed to destroy, the last silversaint is forced to tell his story. A story of legendary battles and forbidden love, of faith lost and friendships won, of the Wars of the Blood and the Forever King and the quest for humanity’s last remaining hope: The Holy Grail. Vampires, High Fantasy, Adult, Dark Fantasy

This is Part 1: Click here for Part 2

Click here for the Wrap Up

[iona-tully]

THE END OF A THREAT

The River Market, Maidenpool, The Trident, and its Forks burned by enemy fire months ago. Since then, the Riverlands worked to gradually recuperate from such a blow, and Queen Iona Tully has sought to bring justice against the threats that came from beyond the Narrow Sea.  The River Court, oftentimes divided by old feuds and different agendas, has come together as the queen enlisted each of her advisors, councilmembers and kin to play their part in rooting out the lingering threat in the realm and to retaliate against those that viewed the land of rivers as an easy target. Soon, the Lyseni would find out how mistaken they were.

House Blackwood: As soon as the news reached Raventree Hall about the attack, men serving under the Blackwood banner were sent to aid in the relief efforts. Once again, honoring his moniker, Lucius Rivers painted the waters red as the initial hunt for the perpetrators took place. Coin from the Blackwood coffers and workers from Raventree Hall were invested in the rebuilding of the market, overseen by the Blackwood siblings and the dowager lady. // @lucius-rivers, @floatingshadow & @wyldewillow

House Tully: Queen Iona has taken the advice of her strategists within the small council and planned a coordinated attack against the head of House Rogare in Lys while also focusing on regaining safety and stability in her realm. Her siblings, Casimir and Mellara, have played their roles as soldier and advisor respectively, with Cas collaborating with Lord Commander Lysano Roote, and Mel constantly lending her ear to her sister and being brought more into the fold of the political matters in the Riverlands. // @casimirtully & @mellaratully

House Roote: Harroway, the land of the Lord Commander, has become the main garrison for the Second Sons in Westeros. Lord Lysano diligently began to rid the Riverlands of the remaining spies and merchants hailing from Lys, bringing justice to those linked to the attack, and shipping back to Lys those without charges to their name. Prince Casimir has aided him in his efforts, with the prince leading a Second Sons legion stationed in Riverrun. // @riverscommand & @casimirtully

House Bracken: As Hand of the Queen, Lord Ronan Bracken passed an emergency act with the queen's support, having the borders of the realm closed, intending to trap any Lyseni in the Riverlands for Lysano's Second Sons to capture and dictate whether these individuals would be trialed or sent back to their land. Matters went well with the Crownlands and the Westerlands, there was only some pushback from the Reach regarding the closing of borders due to the slowing of trade, but the Hand pushed for a very clear stance to all that the Riverlands had their own matters to settle first. // @ronanbrackens & @briannabrackens

House Vance: Lord Hugo Vance has played an essential role in bringing back the sense of security that was lost to the Riverlanders in the past months, especially for the common folk. Men from Wayfarer’s Rest were deployed as guards around the whole realm, patrolling the roads, and collaborating with local guards serving under other lords’ jurisdictions. These Wayfarer Sentinels have also been patrolling the River Market, Fairmarket, and other big hubs of commerce in the realm. // @hugovance

House Mooton: The Riverlands’ spymaster continued to work in the shadows, finding the right moment to make use of his web of spies and assassins. Gradually, close collaborators and allies of the Lyseni Magister began to die, a sense of dread and paranoia beginning to take hold in House Rogare. Laying in wait for the opportune moment, an assassin employed by Jalabhar infiltrated the magister’s house and murdered the Lyseni Magister in the dead of night, finally cutting off the serpent’s head. // @jalabharmooton

House Mallister: Lord Zakariya Mallister remained steadfast in his choice not to join the River Market in the aftermath of the attack, getting full support from every member of his house to remain independent in that way. Right after the assassination of the Lyseni Magister, the Mallister fleet caught the Rogares off guard, taking advantage of the chaos and lack of direction, engaging in a naval battle that lasted four days. This proved an effective show of naval power that dissuaded the Rogares from continuing their assault and forcing them to capitulate. // @zakariyamallisters, @ofsacredseas & @emiravmallister

Amid ashes, wrecked ships, and sinking corpses, the Lyseni were brought to their knees by a force they underestimated. An armistice treaty was signed soon after, with Lord Mallister signing on behalf of the Queen of the Riverlands. The treaty stated the end of all hostilities between Lys and the land of rivers, with no further retaliation of any sort.

At last, the conflict with Lys has ended.

OOC note:

If you have ongoing threads about this plot, feel free to write them to the end or write any headcanons to wrap things up. I encourage you not to start new threads involving the Lys conflict, as we're moving on to the new phase for the Riverlands!

[anarkissm]

one of the most fascinating aspects of the Alien series's xenomorphs is the way they impregnate hosts as murderous parasites: an allegory to the horrors of pregnancy/birthing, specifically the ways it can violently disable or even kill the human body. this was an intentional parallel that H.R. Giger made when he was designing the xenomorphs, artistically expressing his own personal phobia with childbirth. compounded by the symbolic eroticism and copulative violation of the xenomorph's impregnating methods. the forced penetration, the insemination. the pain, and the inability to escape it, as it happens. it will literally kill you, if you try. the conventionally "feminine" shape of the xenomorph and its homogeneous hive controlled by its "queen". this is, at its core, body horror. horror of the reproductive or birthing body, and horror of the seemingly inescapable suffering of gestation.

it becomes even more evident when the yautja are involved: an ancient enemy of the xenomorph, considers xenomorphs their god and the perfect predator, are a primarily matriarchal society but not homogeneous, conventionally "masculine" but biologically intersex. in many ways, the yautja are the antithesis of the xenomorphs. known to capture and sadistically torture xenomorphs in erotic positions of submission:

it is also important to note that unlike the yautja: by all accounts, the xenomorphs are biologically engineered. "unnatural" in the sense that they were created only for destruction, a weapon; exploited by capitalistic industries.

in a way, the yautja prevent this violating act on the xenomorphs' victims by ritually killing them, preventing the realization of Giger's phobia or at least minimizing the infestation. the complex and "warring" relationship between xenomorphs and yautja hunters are that of equals and opposites. "masculinity" and "femininity". darkness (xenomorphs, which are stealth hunters that blend perfectly into the dark) and light (yautja, who literally bend light around them via shiftsuits). yin and yang. etc. a paradoxical harmony that the yautja seem to recognize, and viewed as sacred. this is why they hunt the xenomorphs, embodiment of a corrupted darkness.

this allegorical dynamic between yautja and prey is not exclusive to the xenomorphs. yautja hunters and their human prey are often illustrated in suggestive positions, creating a jarring juxtaposition of sadism, eroticism and death (possibly as a metaphor for domination).

I have already covered that the yautja's prey are exclusively mercenaries, special forces soldiers, killers and cops. Essentially, they hunt predators. the yautja's relationship with their human prey is almost always an exercise in domination; they view these murderers as their equal in terms of brutality and sadism (which is why they enjoy hunting them so voraciously; to them, human killers are dishonoring the hunt by killing civilians and unarmed souls), if not in sheer strength and technological prowess. human killers often choose to fight yautja hunters with brute strength or a hail of advanced firepower. and, predictably, it never works. survivors defeated "the predator" with cunning, ingenuity, and the ability to use their environment and limited resources to their advantage. Moreover, these survivors usually only face one or two at a time, which offers them some advantage.

Ultimately, the yautja (with the exception of many bad bloods) revere the ancient harmony of the universe and all life in it, as they understand the origin of creation came from their mother-serpent (ancient meteors which germinated the perfect chemical soup in the beginnings of "the big bang", which then traveled across the universe, spreading life throughout: panspermia); they use their strength and power to protect the prey of these human pedators.

[musingmelsuinesmelancholy]

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of witches

Our muse, our fate, our life, our doom

To thee we do cry proud banished children of Eve

Rejoicing in this; thy verdant valley

Turn then, thy eyes of star-fire toward us

And after this, our beheading, may we be made worthy of the fruits of the Serpent

O’ shinning, O’ dreadful, O’ Pale queen

Drown and incinerate us, that we may be made worthy to bear the fire

Hail, bright star of the sea!

Heavens own Queen blest

Ever Shinning

Gate of heavenly healing

Font of magic

Taking that sweet Ave

That the serpent spoke

Peace confirm within us

Hailing Eves name

Break the captives fetters

Starlight upon the waters pour

All our ills expelling

Every bliss implore

Show thyself a Queen!

Sorceress all exceeding

Most beauteous and shinning

Freed from impurity, preserve us

Broken and remade

To our oaths keep us

Make our way secure

As the sea, by thy sky-strung pearls

We navigate

Through the highest heaven

To the darkest depths

We honor thee

You who light the way

[mylordshesacactus]

The Feathered Serpent

The Suncrest party needed help desperately.

They're stranded in the Faewild now. Their first tentative allies betrayed them; the unicorn they were sent here to meet has been missing for what appears to have been years, by Fae time. They have a powerful ally in Eleaea, gynosphinx Queen of the Wild Court of Wummer; but even she is not a true archfae, and she can offer them only guidance and general wisdom.

Guidance and general wisdom are more precious than diamonds in the Faewild...but what the party needs is the kind of knowledge that really is power. The kind of knowledge that can kill a god.

That kind of knowledge is far beyond Eleaea's ability. It's not something she can give them.....but she knows who can. And in her own words, riddle games are behind them now. That crossroads is in the past.

There is a true archfae. In many ways, the true Archfae. A great serpent, as old as the Faewild or older, possibly as old as time itself. They have no name and need no name, and know no politics, for even the Summer Court is the blink of a child's eye compared to the life she has lived. She will not be cheated, cannot be decieved, and will not share her great knowledge for nothing; but likewise they are too ancient for cruelty or petty tricks.

The Serpent will have her payment or you will have nothing; but the bargain is fair. True knowledge, whole and complete, without deception--in exchange for what that knowledge is worth. No less....but no more.

It is the closest thing the fae know to benevolence. It is by far the best offer the party is going to get.

So she gives them instructions, and her mate Shasta the androsphinx lioness to guide them partway. They fight a gorgon and some stonecursed adventurers, Andromeda the paladin pulls excalibur from its corpse, the ranger Nimbus rescues and tames a pegasus stallion that was turned to stone, all in a day's work, Shasta finds them at the border to the deep wilds, all is well.

The woods start to get deeper. Richer colors, more vibrant hues, but also closer. Denser. Less forgiving. Little to no visibility beyond the path--easier to lose your way by accident.

They begin to see...shapes, glimpses of forest between tossing leaves that don't match the reality and are gone when they look again. The impression of beings or animals out of the corner of the eye, or directly in front of them, impossible to tell if it is real or was real or has never been real.

And then, slowly and yet all at once, they begin to notice the leaves in the tree canopies surrounding them. The rich, green iridescent leaves, dense and beautiful and glimmering and closely packed together, and...shifting....like in a breeze, or...

Or great, slow breaths, with minutes between each inhale....

Shasta leaves them. They enter a clearing that they now recognize as the coils of a great feathered serpent, and the trees shiver as an impossibly massive head, the size of a building in itself, rises from the trees and lowers itself to look them in the eyes.

And says, in a soft, echo-whisper, earth-shattering voice:

Hail, wanderers of the world beyond.

[afoolandathief]

✨Mythology & Folklore Retelling Writeblrs Masterpost ✨

So remember a couple months ago when I put out a survey to make a list of writeblrs with myth-retelling/myth-inspired WIPs? Well, I finally put all your responses together!

Below you can find blogs with projects or published works weaving in mythology or folklore, whether it's a retelling or inspired by it. Keep in mind, except for some formatting, I copied these entries directly from the survey.

If anyone does still want to add their WIPs, I'll leave the survey up for now:

Mythology and Folklore Writeblrs and Their WIPs:

@flowerprose

WIP(s): Namesake, a Hades and Persephone myth retelling in which Hades is a skeleton, stripped of his godhood and powers, and Persephone is a young flower maiden, in search of her missing mother. WIP intro, Writing tag

Mythology(ies): Greek Mythology

@violetcancerian

WIP(s): The Dragon and the Herald, Tales of Tirinth, A Song of Three Hundred Spears

Mythology(ies): Arthurian, Irish, Norse, old English

@writeblrfantasy

WIP(s): Queen Artura and the Knights of Arrinshire, a series of stories inspired by the King Arthur tales! I don’t post about it that much, though

Mythology(ies): The King Arthur tales

@lockejhaven

WIP(s): Fable: Servant to Dragon and King

Mythology(ies): Arthurian retelling

@ambiguouspuzuma

WIP(s): I did a three part retelling of the Furies and various Ancient Greek heroes here:

Deianira’s Fury

Ariadne’s Fury

Andromeda’s Fury

I also post regular short stories dipping into other mythology and folklore, featuring golems and sirens and others, including this mash-up of various figures from British mythology: Pantheon

Mythology(ies): Various, mostly Greek

@fearofahumanplanet

WIP(s): The Serpents They Stone - In an alternate version of our world where gods lived alongside humankind and brought them to a new level of technological prosperity, the dreaded World Serpent Jörmungandr reveals herself to have survived Ragnarok while rescuing her villainous old flame, the Phantom Queen Badb. Quickly finding herself pursued by the entire world for the prophecy that promises she will end the world, Jörmungandr dedicates herself to saving Badb from the "Black Pharaoh" that enslaves her - even as Badb is forcibly driven to remain sinister and create chaos.

Miasma - Based on the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland & the later Black Death, the island of Ériu is besieged by the foreign Anglii and their High King is killed. His daughter, Hail, dies with him, but she is resurrected by the serpent goddess Corchen with one objective - to kill King Godric across the ocean, no matter the cost. Her mission soon intertwines with that of a mysterious plague doctor's, who seeks to stop an oncoming plague - one that could spell the end of all life.

Mythology(ies): All, but predominantly Norse, Egyptian, Aztec, Celtic (mostly Welsh/Irish), Greek, Japanese, Chinese, Greek, Sumerian, Mayan, Slavic, Hawaiian, Christian, etc.

@nikkywrites

WIP(s): Maidens and Monsters: sapphic retelling of Scylla’s monsterization, in which she is so beautiful, the ocean (and it’s patrons) cannot help but be drawn to her and too much divine attention in one place always leads to ruin.

Light and What Lies Below: In-between of Maidens and Monsters and OH, in which Calypso makes a deal with Hades, creating Davy Jones’ locker before the sailor is even born.

Ocean’s Heart: Dual POV retelling merging Ogygia Calypso with Davy Jones Calypso, in which when he binds her to a mortal body, he binds her to the island as well.

Her Name is Kore: Persephone/Hades retelling in which Kore knows, even as an unannounced goddess, that she is destined to be something more than just Demeter’s daughter.

Mythology(ies): Greek

@abookishdreamer

WIP(s): Kingdom of Ichor (A YA fantasy series) A modern retelling of classic Greek myths with the gods and goddesses being a focal point. Each book in the series will be told in dual POV following a potential couple. I don't know how long I want the series to be, but I do know it's gonna be pretty expansive! The first book is titled Of Flowers and Darkness, which will be a retelling of the myth of Hades & Persephone.

Mythology(ies): Mainly Greek mythology!!!

@galaxialdarktale

WIP(s): A Prophecy Most Divine (only one on my blog atm)

Mythology(ies): It's a made up mythology set, but I've been obsessed with myths since I was like able to read. I have another one that's not yet on my blog that is a retelling of Norse

@wherearetheplants

WIP(s): Fuck Gods (also referred to as WIP MILF). Life has not been kind to those at Nueva Vida Institution, a residential facility for “deeply disturbed” individuals. The institution seems normal from the outside, but a group of friends on the inside think that there’s more to this place than meets the eyes: they think it’s a end-of-life sacrificial home for those the gods have chosen, and that their life-forces are being drained. They’ve decided that before the gods can get to them, they’re going to complete their life-long goals of getting closure. And to do this, they plan to kill some gods.

Mythology(ies): Greek myths are retold through the character arcs and through parallels. Achilles, Sisyphus, Medusa, Icarus, Pandora's Box

@ladywithalamp

WIP(s): (1) A Casting of Lots (2) Where the Blackbirds Roost [both are linked to my pinned post!]

Based on: Greek mythology for ACoL but I've toyed with hints of Slavic mythologies in WtBR though it isn't as fleshed out

@nicola-writes

WIP(s): the other ones, a horror story about a forest that steals your memories and the monsters waiting within.

Mythology(ies): icarus! contains heavy icarus symbolism, and the main character's arc is directly based on that of icarus'.

@stuck-in-this-mortal-form

WIP(s): Children Of The Prophecy aka a story about half demon children, loosely based on various mythologies and urban legends

Mythology(ies): Slavic, bit of Japanese urban legends & other stuff

@maguayans

WIP(s): Elementalia Chronicles: A fantasy series of five books—Maharlika, Charmed, Sunshower, Waves, and Hiwaga—featuring the lore and creatures of Philippine Mythology. Set in the fictitious province called San Andres, following the lives and misadventures of related characters, all while uncovering the secrets of their ancestors and the land. The expanding universe of the series is affectionately named, Elementaliaverse (@elementaliaverse).

Fair Waters: A novella set in Elementalieverse. | The story follows Elias Hernandez, a photojournalist, and aspiring news writer. He finds himself traveling to the northernmost province of the archipelago after discovering the mysterious case of one of its islands. Soon, he realizes the mystery he’s trying to unravel goes as deep as the ocean. And himself, a pawn to more malicious affairs.

Mariang Makiling: A retelling of the legend of Mariang Makiling. | A group hikes across the inland territories of Maquiling to visit its apparent hidden waters. Failing to reach their destination in time, they camp near a burial ground. There, they would discover something ancient and vile.

Mythology(ies): Philippine Mythology

@fanficwriterblockblog

WIP(s): Just Another Fairytale: 12 kingdoms with 12 “princesses”, facing sociopolitical and mythic problems, especially when their pantheon throws them a curveball. A series of 13 novels, each from a different “princess’s” point-of-view, with myth retellings and fairytale retellings

Mythology(ies): Arachne, Odysseus, etc (too tired to think of the others in there, but it’s not just Greek)

@constellationapex

WIP(s): Most Holy

Mythology(ies): As of this moment, I’m mostly tampering with Greek and Roman gods, but I want to expand to Norse folklore soon!

@literallylore

WIP(s): Glass Gods - a thousand years after Ragnarok, Norse deities are reborn on Earth and must fight to protect their world from an army of frost giants set on conquering the planet.

Mythology(ies): Norse

@fruitbatwoman

WIP(s): Tröll, Álfar, Hestar: 3 Magical Short Stories Inspired by Iceland — What if all the myths and legends surrounding Iceland are true? What if there is a troll under every bridge, elves hidden behind the veil, and wicked horses lurking in the water? In this adventurous, romantic, and magical collection of three short stories, fantasy collides with reality, as tourists and travelers experience a modern take on Icelandic folk tales.

Mythology(ies): Icelandic folk tales, Nordic folk tales, Trolls, Huldufólk, Nykur

[fluerlaurent]

(as illustrated by the valyrians)

umbra rae'shana (white hair , green with hints of purple eyes) (first life)

"cruel as I might be, I have warned these cunts dressed in wool on several events that if they killed anyone that I favored they will perish in the most violent way as I see fit." - umbra to her council.

"chaos my greatest creation, take care of our creations for the meantime and I shall meet you again once our realities aligned once more." - umbra's last words to chaos before she faded.

the creator of the universe and the planet 'valer' where she created the first living evolving creatures to ever grace the universe, even before the earth was created. the 'mother' of the first twelve beings know as gods, who she all graced with great and terrible power for them to protect her creations.

then after valer was completed she later on created 'chaos', the creator of earth and the one umbra put in charge of taking care of the rest of the universe. (earth was created by chaos only few months after valer was completed & umbra helped a little on it by helping chaos with creating the primordial's)

rae'shana, the supreme goddess of creation and destruction, as known hailed by the valyrians as the 'mother and creator of all'. a mysterious figure who is only mentioned in a few old scrolls that survived the first doom.

umbra, the goddess of shadows and secrets known by the deity's and beings of earth. who also participated at the titanomachy as the spy for the gods and rhea, after Cronus wronged her. she was the one who ruled the underworld during cronus' reign and helped with the building of the foundation of Atlantis alongside her 'father' Oceanus. but later on voluntarily passed the underworld to hades after marrying him and also helped establish Poseidon to become the ruler of Atlantis alongside his queen Amphitrite. also helped the cyclopes forge the helm of darkness and Poseidon's trident. (she posed as a daughter of Oceanus & Nyx during the titanomachy) (inspired by this fic)

often associated with three headed serpents and the shadows by the beings of the universe, but also associated with the strings of fate by some of her close allies (somewhat controls the three old ladies)

doesn't often associated herself with the other of her creations in valer and just let's them to rot after the last person with valyrian bloodline is killed, even though this resulted to her eventual fading. often sends dreams of possible outcomes of the future to on few of who she favors. (keyword: possible {which means it is not certain or written in stones})

she holds grudges against those who plotted and resulted the fall of the houses with valyrian bloodline and had the hand on the reasons as to why they (those who plotted) died gruesome death's in multiple different realities.

faded a hundred years after the last Targaryen died, taking valer with her (a few hundred years after the titanomachy / essentially before Persephone was born or any second generation gods)

pics and gifs are from Pinterest

read my fic here:)

[luxmaeastra]

She laughed, tilting her face up to him. She leaned up to kiss him, fingers curling in his tunic.

"What have you brought me?"

He kissed down her neck, smiling as she tried to pull away.

"Isn't my presence enough for you my sweet?"

Killian pulled back, holding out the ring. He smiled, showing the rose gold ring carved into a sea serpent. He beamed as Milah gasped and slipped it on her finger.

"It looks like the Ocean Queen's serpents."

"Apparently it is. My mother was given it, she doesn't wear it."

He reached for her elbow to steer her back to the ship. Milah hummed, leaning up to kiss his cheek.

"Where are we going? Rask? Montesere? Did August make it okay?"

Killian winked at her.

"If I tell you every destination you'll grow bored my love."

He kissed his cheek, helping her onto the ramp.

"He did, Sellene should be fine if Leesan doesn't kill him. But well, we did our -"

"Killian."

He turned, stiffening to see his parents. His hand slid away from Milah and he crossed his arms.

"I'm due to leave. Is there something that you both need?"

Milah's lips thinned looking past to who she presumed to be her sisters. She turned back to them, her hand slipping behind her. She could feel his crew stepping closer to the railing.

They wouldn't harm their sovereign. But Killian was their family, he had resuced them all of them and they wouldn't let one of their face their fear alone.

Killian glanced back at them, he rolled his eyes and stepped down from the ramp.

"Alos take the ship out, I'll be there soon."

Alos looked from his mate to him.

"No."

Killian turned fully to look at him.

"That was an order Alos."

The younger prince rose an eyebrow.

"Oh? I am not one of your -"

//For Sarai and Viren and the girls! Alos says he hails from the Melusine 👀//

“We came to see you Killian.” Sarai was trying, even despite how much it strained her to look upon his face. A mother was meant to love, no matter what, but she still struggled with the images of her son as he lost himself to that power. His rage and jealously as he harmed his sister, that sweet angel-like baby face twisted with something she had only seen in those who had hurt her and her family.

Her fingers tightened its grip upon Viren’s arm, his presence an anchor in more ways than he probably ever knew. He was more than just her mate, more than just the male she loved. She hoped he knew that, she hoped.

Viren smiled as he rested his hand over her own, squeezing it before he looked back towards his boy. The scene before him descending into something they had no expected, it was interesting to see the dynamics unfolding as his son tried to reign in his men.

“Trouble with your crew Killian?”

Sarai tugged at him a little, frowning. Estelle stood just in front of Persephone, it was at that moment that Sarai could feel the extended shield of mental protection Estelle had thrown around her and Persephone. Always something the pair did when around Killian, some part of her wished they had not been old enough to remember.

“We wanted to see you off Killian, you don’t stay home for long….”

[importantdeerpizza]

Prayer of Praise, Devotion and Love for Lilith:

“Nocte Regina Lilith, Mistress of the Four Elements, Ruler of the Four Corners, I raise my hands in praise, I bow my head in reverance, sending my love to thee. Magna Tenebrae Mater, you who art the dark maiden, the infernal fertile mother, the barren harlot and wise, devouring crone, I, your child and high priest/ess, love you, worship you, serve you and thank you, in all your divine forms. Goddess of insatiable lust, Destroyer of Saints, Seducer of Souls, Concubine of Satan & Grand Lady Of Demons, devoted to you, I always shall be. Ama-Lilith, Aima Sitra Ahra, descend in a whirlwind of chaos, pierce the sky with blades of thunder, unleash a shower of hissing rain from above and make the earth tremble, come forth and join me, accepting the offerings I have placed upon the altar for you. Lilith, I kneel before you, at your sacred altar, my heart overflowing with gratitude for all you have done for me, all your are doing and all you will do. Tortorous Serpent, Woman Of Harlotry, End Of Days, End Of All Flesh, my mother, Lilith, perfection art thou in my eyes. Hail Lilith, Queen, Mother, Demon, Witch, Goddess!”.

[waitingforwinterwinds]

A Clash of Kings - 48 DAENERYS IV (pages 628-639)

Dany has a bad time at the House of the Undying Ones.

-

Long and low, without towers or windows, it coiled like a stone serpent through a grove of black-barked trees whose inky blue leaves made the stuff of the sorcerers drink the Qartheen called shade of evening.

...do you think it's on purpose that the colouring of the trees basically screams anti-weirwood? "is the dress-" no, shush!

"Queen Daenerys must enter alone, or not at all." The warlock Pyat Pree stepped out from under the trees. Has he been there all along? Dany wondered.

well now I'm just imagining him hiding behind the tree trying to eavesdrop on their conversation so he can find a good dramatic entrance point.

Further on she came upon a feast of corpses. (...) In a throne above them sat a dead man with the head of a wolf.

Sounds like the Red Wedding.

I know this room, she thought. She remembered those great wooden beams and the carved animal faces that adorned them. And there outside the window, a lemon tree!

🍋=🥛

... Rheagar? "The man had her brother's hair-" babe your whole family has your brother's hair. (I think technically it's ethnically Valyrian hair?)

Could there be a secret door? A door I cannot see? Another torch went out. Another. The first door on the right, he said, always the first door on the right. The first door on the right... It came to her suddenly is the last door on the left!

Yay! she escaped! good logical thinking under pressure.

The show did not do this place justice, just btw.

"You have taken a wrong turning. Come I will lead you." Pyat Pree held out his hand. Dany hesitated. The was a door to her right, still closed... ... She walked away from him, to the door on the right. "No," Pyat screeched. "No, to me, come to me, to meeeeeee." His face crumbled inward, changing to something pale and wormlike.

Yeaahhhhhh! When in faerieland, trust the rules, trust your gut, trust nothing.

To her right, a set of wide wooden doors had been thrown open. They were fashioned of ebony and weirwood, the black and white grains swirling and twisting in strange interwoven patterns. They were beautiful, yet somehow terrifying.

House of Black and White vision time?

...oh no, the head honchos... being very not like the show?

Fake Undying king: Hail chief, we've been expecting you Fake Undying woman: we got all the loot for you, SSS grade gear, sweet kit~ Drogo: Seems sus, let me bite stuff first Secret door: ooohhhh, not a nat 20 on perception, my hide-and-seek win streak, noooo!

... I feel like I should probably be ashamed that my first alarm bell was "The breast she had left bare in the Qartheen fashion was as perfect as a breast could be." But I didn't pop alarm flags until "and magic weapons to arm you with."

I'm pretty sure I would have crumbled for the loot, I know this of myself.

A long stone table filled this room. Above it floated a human heart, swollen and blue with corruption, yet still alive.

Metaphorical reference to The Night King?

... no.

... morrows not yet made...

So there's a few things in these 'prophetic words' that I was thinking 'oh is that *previous event in the story*' but this line in particular makes me think these things she's being warned about are things that haven't yet occurred.

... mother of dragons, daughter of death... ...mother or dragons, slayer of lies... ...mother of dragons, bride of fire...

Ohhhh, that's interesting. The way these visions are grouped with these titles... Viserys, then whom I'm assuming is Aegon/Young Griff, and Rheagar being labelled Daughter of Death, literally linking the Targaryen house with death, two of them receiving death and one in the act of burning a city. Blue eyed king with red sword, I'm thinking Stannis, then a fake dragon, and a beast of shadow fire being placed under Slayer of Lies, we all know Stannis isn't really Azor Ahai, the fake dragon seems obvious, the beast of shadow fire is curious though, I'm thinking that's the one people think is the dragon escaping from Winterfell during the sack? Hmmm, I'm... not going to go with that as an answer just yet, given the theme of 'false' in this trio. Her silver by the river of stars... Drogo, that's a Drogo metaphor for sure. Middle one is curious, I'm not sure if I want to interpret this one as the Night King or an Other, or as someone who- ... I forgot about Euron for a minute there. He would make more sense in the context, I mean I think I recall there's a thing with him and Dany in the books that didn't make it to the show? And he's... yeah, creepy sonovabich. Third one, blue rose and ice wall? Jon, I'mma go with that's Jon, who's mother is associated with blue roses, and who himself 'bloomed' on the Wall. I mean it does kind of bias me that they had a thing in the show whether I shipped it or not, and this is the Bride section, mind you, the Bride of Fire title as a whole gives me the impression that her connection to fire supersedes her connection to the men.

But the 'Mother of Dragons' having both repetition and priority over the other titles, that's her unchanging title, that's her hat, her priority character trait.

You know... the description of the Undying molesting Dany has echoes of the first vision she saw, of the woman being used and violated and devoured. Not saying it is, just saying echoes.

*hefts steel chair to smack D&D around the head*

Look, I understand why they changed this scene for the show, giving Dany a girlboss moment when she turns the tables and burns Pyat alive, but I feel like it literally wasn't needed in the face of her cunning and logic in this chapter.

Except mental fortitude and wisdom isn't badass enough for some folks, and only deliberate violence is winning. bleh.

There is nothing wrong with Dany needing to be saved by Drogon here, she is still young and finding her footing and facing powers and methods of deception she's never faced before.

When Dany looked behind her, she saw thin tendrils of smoke forcing their way through cracks in the ancient stone walls of the Palace of Dust, and rising from between the black tiles of the roof.

You know what, it would actually be funny if this was the slain lie with the smoking tower and the shadow fire breathing beast. Even though it's not an actual tower and there's no beast. Metaphors~

[forlorn-crows]

did anyone ask for call me little sunshine??? or year zero???

NO. HOW. ahem.

CMLS: ROBBED OF A GRAMMY

starting already with the fucking cymbals. the hi-hat. the TONE of that guitar. and how it SLAPS YOU IN THE FACE when the rest of the instruments come in. the bass is so nice in this song.

call out in the middle of the night (night) those echos? fuck me UP.

and those growly call me whispers

also, can we talk about how MAJESTIC copia is in his chasuble and the whole getup for this song live??

the drums on you will never walk alone how they accent the words?? yes. when you feel all alone just (drum roll) CALL ME

the break after the guitar solo? and when the drums pick up with that almost queen-like anthem rhythm.

all ya gotta do is call me . . .(little organ riff) CALL MEEEEE

this song has a funk to it. i love it a lot. i love how it ends on the whispered CALL ME with the drums

Year Zero:

BELIAL. BEHEMOTH. BELEZEBUB. ASMODEOUS. SATANAS. LUCIFER. haunting beat drop. too good. every time. fuck me up with this live.

the little bass lines after is that of lice + moving with out eyes

ARCHANGELOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO (and the drums hyping it up)

the little pause after the end of the first chorus. i love breaks of silence in songs and this one slaps

unbeknownst to them / is the presence of the wraith

you shalt recognize / now behold the lord of flies i love the way the words sync here

the ancient serpent deceiver / the masses standing in awe/ he will descend to the heavens / above the stars of gooood/ HAIL SATAN the way it breaks off again here and just hits you all over again

also the quiet instrumental with the laughing at the end? i like it a lot

[cahrolinehasmoved]

𝙲𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙰𝙲𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝙸𝙽𝚃𝙴𝚁𝚅𝙸𝙴𝚆.

BASICS !

NAME:      caroline elizabeth forbes 

NICKNAME/S:    care, carebear, vampire barbie, bombshell, judgy, vamperella, blondie, sunny queen, 

AGE:  verse dependent.

SPECIES:   original vampire / hybrid ( stranger things verse only! )

PERSONAL !

MORALITY: lawful / chaotic / good / neutral / evil / true

RELIGION:     satanism ( main verse, 1994. )

SINS:  greed / gluttony / sloth / lust / pride / envy / wrath

VIRTUES:   chastity / charity / diligence / humility / kindness / patience / justice

KNOWN LANGUAGES:     english, french, some latin and spanish

SECRETS:  she's a vampire. has killed someone during transition ( stranger things verse only! ),

PHYSICAL !

BUILD:    scrawny / bony / slender / fit / athletic / curvy / herculean / pudgy / average

HEIGHT:      5′3″

SCARS  /  BIRTHMARKS:    birth mark on her inner left thigh. scars all healed.   

ABILITIES  /  POWERS:   enhanced senses. enhanced emotions. super strength. healing factors. durability. mind compulsion. immortality. the ability to turn off her humanity. can sire other vampires by her own blood ( not bite. must die with her blood in their system.), has the ability to control weather ( thunderstorms, rain, lightning being the most fierce, and hail ), the ability to manipulate animals ( strictly deer )  

RESTRICTIONS:     vervain. sunlight ( without her daylight ring. ) white oak stake to the heart. animal blood ( weakens abilities. ) magic. werewolf venom ( causes hallucinations, turns her into a full ripper until the toxin wears off ). fire.

FAVORITES !

FOOD:     anything. literally anything. but she's big on fried pickles, hamburgers and french fries.

DRINK:    pink lemonade and bourbon

PIZZA TOPPING:     classic pep

COLOR:    she doesn't have a favorite color! this is a trick question. 

MUSIC GENRE:   it really depends on her mood but rock, pop and some r&b.

BOOK GENRE:    poetry, mysteries, and romance

MOVIE GENRE:    action, horror and drama. some romance. she's a tad bit of a sucker for a good romance. 

CURSE WORD:     fuck and favorite phrase is "what the hell!?" 

SCENTS:    strawberry and rain.

FUN STUFF !

SONGS:     hit me with your best shot + pat benatar, rewrite the stars + james arthur and anne marie,  genie in a bottle + dove cameron, all the good girls go to hell + billie eilish, paper rings + taylor swift, teenage dream + katy perry, sweet but pyscho + ava max, cherry bomb + the runaways, listen to your heart + roxette, you give love a bad name + bon jovi, highway to hell + acdc, my head & my heart + ava max, crazy for you + madonna

AESTHETIC:   looks like the innocent flower but be the serpent under't,  genetically cursed, badass adorable, embraced immortality, the broken bird,  an insatiable hunger,  heart gripped by satan's hand, bloodstained fangs and crown,

SINGS IN THE SHOWER:    highkey yes and she’s extremely great at singing. no one knows this unless they're super close to her and/or have seen her without her humanity. that 'killer karoke' is her favorite no humanity game!

LIKES PUNS:     listen, she does...but they embarrass her. 

[fangedbrbie]

𝙲𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙰𝙲𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝙸𝙽𝚃𝙴𝚁𝚅𝙸𝙴𝚆.

BASICS !

NAME:      caroline elizabeth forbes 

NICKNAME/S:    care, carebear, vampire barbie, bombshell, judgy, vamperella, blondie, sunny queen, 

AGE:  33 ( main verse, fs 1994 ), verse dependent though.

SPECIES:   original vampire

PERSONAL !

MORALITY: lawful / chaotic / good / neutral / evil / true

RELIGION:     satanism ( main verse, 1994. )

SINS:  greed / gluttony / sloth / lust / pride / envy / wrath

VIRTUES:   chastity / charity / diligence / humility / kindness / patience / justice

KNOWN LANGUAGES:     english, french, some latin and spanish

SECRETS:  she's a vampire. has killed someone during transition ( stranger things verse only! ), and in 1994, prior to nick's death, caroline found out about the goode family's deal with the devil. she denied knowing and played clueless about it. after his death, she stole the grimoire and made her own deal with satan to bring nick back to life.. hence forth, carrying out the goode family deal. ( heavily affiliated with ncxile! main verse. ), 

PHYSICAL !

BUILD:    scrawny / bony / slender / fit / athletic / curvy / herculean / pudgy / average

HEIGHT:      5′3″

SCARS  /  BIRTHMARKS:    birth mark on her inner left thigh. scars all healed.   

ABILITIES  /  POWERS:   enhanced senses. enhanced emotions. super strength. healing factors. durability. mind compulsion. immortality. the ability to turn off her humanity. can sire other vampires by her own blood ( not bite. must die with her blood in their system.), has the ability to control weather ( thunderstorms, rain, lightning being the most fierce, and hail ), the ability to manipulate animals ( strictly deer )  

RESTRICTIONS:     vervain. sunlight ( without her daylight ring. ) white oak stake to the heart. animal blood ( weakens abilities. ) magic. werewolf venom ( causes hallucinations, turns her into a full ripper until the toxin wears off ). fire.

FAVORITES !

FOOD:     anything. literally anything. but she's big on fried pickles, hamburgers and french fries.

DRINK:    pink lemonade and bourbon

PIZZA TOPPING:     classic pep

COLOR:    she doesn't have a favorite color! this is a trick question. 

MUSIC GENRE:   it really depends on her mood but rock, pop and some r&b.

BOOK GENRE:    poetry, mysteries, and romance

MOVIE GENRE:    action, horror and drama. some romance. she's a tad bit of a sucker for a good romance. 

CURSE WORD:     fuck and favorite phrase is "what the hell!?" 

SCENTS:    strawberry and rain.

FUN STUFF !

SONGS:     hit me with your best shot + pat benatar, rewrite the stars + james arthur and anne marie,  genie in a bottle + dove cameron, all the good girls go to hell + billie eilish, paper rings + taylor swift, teenage dream + katy perry, sweet but pyscho + ava max, cherry bomb + the runaways, listen to your heart + roxette, you give love a bad name + bon jovi, highway to hell + acdc, my head & my heart + ava max, crazy for you + madonna

AESTHETIC:   looks like the innocent flower but be the serpent under't,  genetically cursed, badass adorable, embraced immortality, the broken bird,  an insatiable hunger,  heart gripped by satan's hand, bloodstained fangs and crown, a love that consumes her existence.

SINGS IN THE SHOWER:    highkey yes and she’s extremely great at singing. no one knows this unless they're super close to her and/or have seen her without her humanity. that 'killer karoke' is her favorite no humanity game!

LIKES PUNS:     listen, she does...but they embarrass her.