#or the mine is a waystation

[soath]

This episode makes me wonder if there are TWO Breach avenues. One being run by Saskia/Hieronymous/et al which is targeting high Caenum service workers with nowhere else to go but the flexibility to disappear with little repercussions... and one being orchestrated by Kozma Laszlo which is inciting more high level political figures to defect and aiming to destabilize the Trust itself rather than just sneaking away a few unfortunate souls. It's possible both were being run out of Midst too; through the Black Candle cabaret and another in one of Laszlo's businesses. The moon mining operation seems like a possible hub and covering up evidence of her collusion would add an additional motive for the Baron to destroy it.

[poppitron360]

One thing I felt like HoO really dropped on is the characterisation of the Argo II itself.

Where a lot of shows like Star Wars, Firefly, Doctor Who, and Star Trek really shine is where the ship itself becomes it’s own character.

I’m gonna use firefly as an example here, because I started re-watching it today, and this is something that’s a VERY key theme.

I think Joss Wheadon (the creator of the show) talked a lot about Serenity (the ship) actually being the “ninth cast member”. “Serenity” is the name of both the pilot episode and the follow-up movie, it’s name-dropped in the theme song, and the show is called firefly because it is a “Class-3 Firefly Spaceship”. And we as an audience really connect with the ship- despite the show being only fourteen episodes long (If I was only able to throttle 20th Century Fox… I answer to no god)- and I think the reason we do so is because every single character has their own personal connection with the vessel. Wash being the pilot (Also, if I remember it correctly, it being the place he met Zoë), Kaylee being the engineer, for Simon, it being a safe space to hide his sister from the totalitarian government trying to do experiments on her brain, and Mal and Zoë starting the ship together- Mal naming it “Serenity” after the battle of Serenity Valley which he fought in with Zoë (I could lore-dump about this show ‘til the gorram cows come home). And the whole premise of the show being about surviving with your rag-tag crew on this piece of shit that you love dearly, and just… keeping flying. Ugh, there’s something so magical in the writing that makes you adore the ship itself.

Other examples, like the Millennium Falcon, the TARDIS, and the USS Enterprise, are also good for this.

Now, onto how the Argo II itself:

The only person who really has a personal connection with the Argo II is Leo. The rest of the Seven just feel like they’re… on Leo’s boat. All the food is provided by the magic plates from Camp Half-Blood. Most of the piloting/engineering is done by Leo, and a little bit by Annabeth and sometimes Percy when they’re on the water. You never get the sense that any of the others really love the boat, or have any connection with it at all.

I think that’s the reason why the Seven never felt that close in my opinion. There was never a sense of community. Of people united by a common location.

I think, just love for a place in fiction is something really powerful to me. That’s where Harry Potter most thrived, not necessarily the plot, but wanting to be in the world, go to Hogwarts.

Camp Half-Blood had that charm and homeliness. So did the Waystation in TOA. Camp Jupiter didn’t for me, but I think that was kinda the point. But I never really got that from the Argo II, because of the way it was set up so that Leo was the only one who could really bond with it. And this is what makes Leo so compelling to me, is that he actually connects with his flying ship. I just feel like the Argo as its own character, similar to Serenity from firefly, could’ve been so good if it had been written right and was such wasted potential. It would’ve strengthened that bond between the Seven, and made that “familial” dynamic feel a lot more natural.

In conclusion? Everyone should go watch Firefly on Disney plus. It’s just fourteen, forty-five minute episodes, plus the movie. But man, is it worth it. You will cry at the deaths (why do all the good ones get impaled?). You will laugh at the jokes. You will probably say, “Wait- is that a young Zac Effron?” When a young Zac Effron has a cameo. You will wish you were as badass as River.

Idk, it’s 3:03am and this is basically a good idea of what the inside of my brain looks like most of the time. I’ve mentioned at least six obsessions of mine in this post.

[ottpopfic]

I think I've only talked about this on my AO3 world-building doc, but Valgrace is such a disaster with labels of their relationship before they get engaged in my Good Future AU

Like they legit forget that getting married is a thing they can do because they are together now. There is no dating phase, they go straight from dyeing for three years to pinning for three years to TOGETHER. If you asked them who the other is to them the answer would be ‘Mine’ (’My Leo’ and ‘My Man’ respectfully)

Then their friends start getting married, and they individually go ‘Oh right that's a thing we can do’

Technically Leo proposes, but its in a way where he makes a ring and then goes “Hey babe I made you something” And then Jason cries a bunch and says yes. All their friends are so relieved they got to proposing because Piper threw in the towel after they got together about the functionality of their relationship, and she's the only one who has ever been able to talk any kind of sence into the two of them

But once they have a word for each other (fiancé) they both love it. And now they are obnoxious about it, they wont use the others name when talking about them. Everything is ‘My fiancé’ this or ‘My fiancé’ that.

One day I'm going to write their reception. Because they have a very small courthouse wedding (just their mortal families) and then a huge party at the Waystation that goes until like 6 am, where everyone eats and dances all night and the two of them are super gross on each other and then pass out still in their tuxes at the end of the party.

(and then have very emotional sex in the morning)

[exhausted-archivist]

Where are the Deep Roads?

Thoughts as of July 2024 - watch The Veilguard just kick this all over like a sandcastle.

So I've been plucking away at maps for a while, and I've been finding new things and yelling about them near endlessly. The depth of the Deep Roads being one of them, and how they're so cold you will apparently freeze to death without a heat source. There is a lot, and I really hope we get more for da4. But I digress. I've been trying to figure out where the dao Deep Roads map fits on the map, especially as I finish up my Ferelden map.

My current thoughts are that it roughly looks something like this:

Assumptions Made for this Map

The golem marker on the Deep Roads map to the left of Orzammar is Amgarrak and not Kal'Hirol.

The star marker on the keep map for Orzammar is the actual location of the thaig, as the surface entrance itself is likely several miles/km away due to the depth of the Deep Roads.

That like in Horrors of Hormack short story in Tevinter Nights, the staircase leading into Orzammar isn't one straight shot but a set of spiral staircases and antechambers.

That the Deep Roads section we traverse are smaller than Ferelden since it takes only a month to cross them despite collapsed pathways, cave ins, darkspawn, mega fauna - blighted and otherwise; while it takes a year to travel the entire nation of Ferelden.

The crossed axes south of the Anvil of the Void are a marker for an entrance to the surface/to the Avvar. This is used to mark entry points to the surface in the DA TTRPG as well.

Where am I Getting the Lore?

Dragon Age Keep World Lore Map

It gives some information not found elsewhere, however it is taken with a grain of salt; because like most BioWare lore sources there are some contradictions on locations of previously visited locations. Such as the Kal'Hirol thiag and Soldier's Peak.

The Keep map marks Kal'Hirol south of Amaranthine and next to Soldier's Keep. However, this is a discrepancy compared to the location provided in Awakening.

Amgarrak's location

On the Dragon Age Keep, they label that Amgarrak is south of Jader and west of Orzammar.

Deep Roads Lore from the TTRPG

This, while canon unless stated otherwise by more recent/direct from BioWare, should be taken with a grain of salt. In the adventure Buried Pasts establishes this lore provided by BioWare.

Heat and Fuel

The majority of Deep Roads and thaigs are built about two to four miles beneath sea level, although in the Frostbacks that means they're actually much deeper beneath the surface. Dwarven mining galleries normally stretch up rather than down, tunneling up into the mountain regions of Ferelden and Orlais from beneath, while the thaigs themselves burrow downward toward pockets of lava that have moved up from the mantle. Most older thaigs (including Orzammar) have open regions of molten rock near their center that are used for heat, while more modern thaigs (ironically those more likely to be abandoned thanks to the darkspawn pushing the dwarven empire back on itself) used steam heating. Inhabited regions between thaigs are heated and lit by oil lamps using the fat from nugs and brontos. Away from lava or artificial heating, the Deep Roads are bitterly cold. The lack of weather is a mercy, but travelers that go too long without a source of heat will begin to feel the effects. As their lanterns are likely the source of their heat as well as light, travelers must take extra care with the amount of fuel they have; the dwarven empire once maintained frequent waystations along the Roads for resupply, but running out of lamp oil in the modern Deep Roads can be a death sentence...

-- Dragon Age Tabletop RPG, Buried Pasts p. 4

[child-of-the-sky-people]

hi Ali! im looking for a new narrative podcast to get into, what's your current rec list? :)

Oh god it’s so long 😂

Horror:

Human Error - this one is mine so of course I’m recommending it 😂 it’s about a found family of survivors going on a road trip during a zombie apocalypse 12 years after the world ended!

We’re Alive - also zombie horror and was the show that got me into audio dramas! It’s very long and looks overwhelming but I promise it’s good!

Darkest Night - anthology horror where you find out how people died but each case is actually related and there is a bigger mystery and this show lives in my head rent free lol

The Waystation - found footage style show about a group of people on a space station that all died (the story is trying to piece together what happened). It’s along the same lines as The White Vault

DERELICT - a research group are studying a door at the bottom of the ocean, and then shit goes sideways. I binged this series super fact and I need season 2 immediately lol

The Eleventh Hour episode called The City of Statues - I made this! It’s about a group of survivors trying to make it out of a city filled with statues trying to hunt them down 👀

Someone Dies in this Elevator - mix of horror and thriller I think. It’s an anthology series where every episode someone dies in an elevator 👀 I composed for a few episodes and it’s v fun 🤩

Thriller

The Liberty Podcast - made by the same folks behind The White Vault and VAST Horizon. It’s an anthology series of stories taking place within and surrounding a tower where a civilization lives. Some episodes might lean more towards horror but I personally consider it more thriller

The Walk - made by the same folks behind zombies run! In this show you the listener are the main character, an individual making their way across Scotland with a package they were mistakenly delivered. I love this show so much omg

Primordial Deep - scientists are finding extinct dinosaurs alive and well under the ocean and they’re trying to figure out what the fuck is going on. I fucking love this show omg

Spines - woman wakes up in the middle of a cult ritual with no memories and is trying to figure out who she is and where she came from. Also there are powers!

Mirrors - same person behind Spines! Three women from three different centuries (who are all related to each other) discover they can communicate with each other through ghost like figures. It has a bigger mystery and the ending made me cry it was so good

InCo - a woman finds a prince from a world that shouldn’t exist floating in space. This show is a delight and is a micro series and I love the humor within it so much omg

Where the Stars Fell - the Antichrist is roommates with their guardian angel and they’re trying to stop the rapture

DUST - anthology series about science fiction and technology! Season 3 is definitely my favorite as it is one story but the entire show as a whole is very good

Feel Good/Light Hearted Shows

Unseen - this show lives in my head rent free and I ache for it to be real. It’s about magic existing in the real world and is an anthology! It’s made by the same folks behind Wolf 359

Joy to the World - holiday series I helped produce! It’s about an astronaut named Joy talking with different people on Earth about the holidays! It’s an anthology and v warm and I highly recommend it as a holiday series

Sidequesting - a person who is totally not the hero is avoiding the main plot and going on a bunch of side quests! It’s charming and lovely and made by the wonderful Tal

Back Again, Back Again - a woman is retelling her stories of his magical world she was transported into and about the prophecy she became involved in

If none of these are your jam lmk and I can suggest some more! If you tell me what you like to listen to/what kinds of stories you enjoy I can make a more personalized list

[space-writes]

wip extract

tagged by @chauceryfairytales, thank you! here’s a recent bit from Valloroth things, ft the grumpiest man in Mohaade, my beloved Vren 🔪🖤

[ID - a green and black decorative divider]

“No job Zhira’s given you. Another private client?” The disdain in the words was audible. “Been taking a lot of those lately, Wraith. What is it, family business not exciting enough for you any more? I’m sure grandfather would send you back into the Empire if you asked.” Vren ground his teeth. Pure needling, the kind only born Zarahmin could get away with. This child would always have a place, never need to earn his keep, pay down a tally of life debt; he was of Zhira’s line, his position assured, so long as he didn’t do anything stupid. His rank would always be higher than Vren’s despite the fact he’d done nothing of worth, and never would. He wouldn’t have lasted five minutes in Voi’xindiiri. “Can I use the Waystation or not?” If he was refused, he’d simply go the long way down the Kalah River, take a boat over to Iaseri. Weeks of wasted time, but rather that than grovel. The divining power he could find in Voah’kasis would make up for it. “You can. Here.” From a pouch at his belt, the man pulled a small metal token, and tossed it to him. The spoked wheel of the Zarahmin was stamped on either side. “Take your trip. But Zhira will want to know why you’re taking it.” “He can want all he likes. My business is mine.” Khazen Zhira’s grandchild pushed off from the wall with a laugh. “You’re family, bhahan. All your business is ours.”

[ID - a green and black decorative divider]

no-pressure tagging @rhikasa @jmhwritesstuff and @eccaiia

Valloroth taglist: @cherrybombfangirlwrites @reininginthefirewriting @memento-morri-writes @foxboyclit @lawful-evil-novelist

@at-thezenith @morganwriteblr @fayeiswriting @serenanymph

@sam-glade @viscerawrites @thegreatobsesso @flower-reads (ask to be +/-)

[axterr]

Breakfast at the waystation (ft Leo and Reyna)

I haven't even finished reading TOA but wdym they live in the same house?? 😭

(No soy ni mexicana ni puertoriqueña, pero les juro que hice lo mejor que pude 🙏😭. Si alguien tiene alguna crítica me avisa porfa)

Translation:

- Hey, can I get a bite?

+ No, dude. I asked if you wanted one and you said no.

- Just a bite...

+ No, it's mine!

- Tch, you're so selfish, y'know?

[orangekittyenergy]

You get random questions as asked!

What are you interested in that most people haven't heard of?

What's something you wish you'd figured out sooner?

TY for the ask!!! 💕❤️

1. I don't know if it's something most people haven't heard of but I'm really into wildflower gardening. And if you plant native flowers and things to attract pollinators and butterflies you can become a certified monarch waystation, and that's always been a goal of mine. 🌼

2. Embrace the cringe! Embrace the things you think other people might think are silly and love them without shame!! Just be your full true self. As it's been said "the people who matter won't care, and the people who care don't matter!"

[enkisstories]

A fishing spot with safety rails... logs ready to get processed into beams or furniture... actual street lamps and, the main attraction, a sturdy bridge - after the abandoned village and the cabin in the woods, now this waystation was earning its name!

"What is this place?" Connor and Amadeus asked. "It doesn't look like a trade post. A logging camp, perhaps?"

"When was the last time you saw a lumberjack camp with a moon dial?" Amadeus teased his brother, knowing only too well that neither of them had ever seen a lumberjack camp in their life.

The boy was notably awed and when he beheld the brick buildings next, he squealed with delight. There were what looked like a foundry, several smithys and an archive. In the far distance loghouses for the workers were nestled into the forest. Some of the miners had already founded families and were in the process of building larger, permanent homes a bit aside of the singles' community living houses.

Connor only nodded appreciatively. He was impressed, too.

Rupert: "Welcome to Stern Mining Inc. headquarters!"

Amadeus: "Connor, Connor! Did you hear that? We've made it! We're HOME!"

Gavin: "We're still a full week away from New Henford, though?"

Rupert: "Mister Graff says that will be a train's ride of an hour or two at best in the near future. Well before the end of the century, there won't be a place where humans haven't gotten to by then... Not below and not above ground, and looking at how high they build, maybe not even in the sky."

Gavin: "Not your comfort thought, huh?"

Rupert: "Not at all. Although I think I could warm up to living in such a towerlike house. All the way up, with a view like the birds... That would be neat!"

[ienianstories]

I guess as an author it might be wise to explain what I write about, huh?

Hi! I'm Annie. I'm a two spirit cree transbian living in the diaspora. My nation was displaced in the 60s, and now all of my family lives far from our homelands. It's from this position I started to explore the idea of what a queer utopia in the diaspora would look like: Ienia.

Outside of fiction Ienia started as a place for me to write queer romances in an urban fantasy setting that explored concepts of what an attempt at utopia as designed by refugees and immigrants, those displaced to an utterly hostile un-land, would be like to live in, or dream of. What healing looks like for people who have escaped their homes for better or worse. Ienia is a perfectly flat, blank, impenetrable floor with a dome far above, and it feels like that to live off my homelands oftentimes. To live on someone else's land because mine is taken and destroyed, it feels so utterly hostile, even when I have been taken in by the local indigenous people so kindly. I raise my hands to them in thanks, but their land is not mine, and I don't want it to be. Ienia is a magnification of that feeling.

Pronounced Eye-En-Ee-Ah, Ienia is a country that exists in a magical subdimension connected to Earth, but Earth if it had magic and elves and orcs and such. It started out, in fiction, as someone's master's project in the 1500's at Oxford University. Ieni himself made a magic closet bigger on the inside than the out, but it got a little bit bigger with each new person who entered. It grew to be an archive, then a college, then a waystation between British colonial universities, then a military outpost, then eventually, a colony. Since it is a non place, the only people living there are immigrants, refugees, and their children. It took independence in the 1960's, and became its own country after shutting all the portals back to Earth down for months.

[officialleehadan]

Gift of Trust

Hello darlings! Today's story was brought to you by Jennifer! Darling, thank you so much for all your support! it means the world to me!

Prompt: Treebrothers

+++

“My brother murdered your mother.”

Aspen stood in a tree, utterly hidden from anyone who could possibly see him. The willows around him rustled, their fury banked but not ended by the death of the lord who murdered a dryad only a few paces out of the forest. They were not human and their rage would not fade for a very long time. Only the humans of Waystation were spared their vengeance.

Aspen didn’t dare think about Waystation and the woman he loved. Not now. Not when his brothers wanted more blood on their roots. Not when he wanted to help them put it there.

There would be time for joy after the blood was done.

The human who stood below him was young. About the same age as Rosemary’s sister, Verbena. He came without weapons or even armor, dressed only in simple pants and boots. He showed his empty hands and walked well within reach of the hungry trees.

If nothing else, he was brave.

“My father came here for revenge, but he didn’t understand how much evil my brother did,” the young human, barely old enough to be called a man, said steadily. There was grief deep in his voice, but Aspen suddenly thought that it was not for the lord, or for this boy’s brother. “He came here because he was prideful and cruel. I’m not him. I’ve already ordered what’s left of the army to leave. We won’t… we won’t bother Waystation anymore. I’ll make sure.”

It was strange to think of this human who wanted to make things right, but Aspen thought maybe that was exactly what they all needed. He was angry, so angry, but the man who was responsible was dead, and so was the one who came to avenge him. Even now, Aspen could see that the army was packing up, just as the boy said.

It was a difficult decision. This could still be a trap, although Aspen doubted it. They were far out of range of even the finest bow, and the forest would protect him from any magic that might come for him.

He dropped out of the tree with the ease of long practice and brushed aside the long fronds of the willows around him.

“You chose to leave so easily?” he asked quietly, ready to duck back into the trees if he had to. There were some noises of alarm from the camp, but the young lord held up his hand to ward them off almost as Aspen spoke. “Why?”

“Because there’s been enough death, and I can stop it,” the young lord said, and hesitated. “My name is Elieist. I can’t give you anything but my word that there will be no more cruelty from anyone beholden to me, but you have that much. I hope it is enough.”

“You do not want revenge for your father or your brother?” It was such a difference from the two nobles Aspen had met already. “You will not bring harm to Waystation?”

“Neither I nor any of mine will come through for anything but a call for aid from the town. I’ve already sent word to my seneschal.,” Elieist assured him and shifted from foot to foot nervously. Aspen considered him and listened to the magic he still wore, the gift of his brothers, and their mother before that. “If Waystation needs anything, I will see to it, but nothing else. I owe them my loyalty as their lord, but I do not demand- I don’t even ask for anything from them in return.”

He was young. Younger than Aspen, and grieving for the evil that had been done.

He might even grow to be a good man, in time.

“Come sit,” Aspen said, surprising himself as he nodded to a fallen log nearby. It was not one of his brothers, but a nurse log, with new trees already growing from her trunk. A good place to talk about peace. “You gave me your word, so let me give you mine. I will not harm you, or allow harm to come to you, today.”

“Already you show more mercy than I’ve earned,” Elieist said, but he offered Aspen a hesitant smile and came over to sit. After another moment of deliberation, Aspen sat beside him and set his bow aside. Here in the shadow of the willows, there was little that could harm him. Certainly not this young man who was brave, and hopeful. “May I know your name? Or if you are of the Good Folk, who do not give names freely, may I know what to call you instead?”

“If I was of the Fae, I would own you already,” Aspen said, suddenly amused that the boy had simply given his name so easily and without hesitation. “My mother named me Aspen. You may use it.”

Rosemary told him that he could be intimidating for his direct way of speaking, but Elieist seemed reassured and his smile steadied. The trees around them rustled and he jumped, before he looked up and his smile dropped away.

“I cannot undo the evil my family has done to yours,” he said hesitantly, not to Aspen, but to the trees. Aspen immediately like him more for it. “But I am sorry.”

“They don’t understand you,” Aspen told him and did his best to be kind about it. “They don’t speak the way that you do. But I’ll tell them.”

“Thank you,” Elieist said, his smile returning, tentative again but sincere. “Would you… if it is not too painful, would you tell me about your mother, and how I could honor her? If we are to move into a brighter time, I would like to start it well.”

Aspen thought about it, and came to a decision that was perhaps unwise, but which would lay the seeds for the brighter future that Elieist seemed to want so much.

“Come with me, if you think your people can be trusted without you for a few hours,” he offered instead, and stood. Elieist stood with him but waited politely to hear what he had to say. “The people of Waystation need reassurance. I think perhaps you can give them more than I can, but you will have to brave the trees.”

“Of those in this world I have trusted, the tree that sheltered me from my father’s rages was the dearest,” Elieist said softly with his eyes on the pale leaves above him. “Lead the way, Aspen. I do not believe I will find harm under these trees.”

+++

Treebrothers:

Born and Grown  (Subscriber Only!)

Grown and Known

+

Wild Roses and Birdsong

Willow Glow (Subscriber Only!)

Under Angry Trees

Boar Hide Charge

At Dawnbreak (Subscriber Only!)

Gift of Trust (New!)

+

Bare-Handed 

Snow Elf

Sheltered  (Subscriber Only!)

Siege Breaker (Subscriber Only!)

+++

MASTERLIST

[citrusreadstoa]

Reading The Dark Prophecy: Chapter 28 (SPOILERS)

"getting an elephant into the Waystation was not as hard as I'd imagined." Yeah, of course it wasn't. This building literally materializes whatever size or shape entrance you need.

"a stream wending through the middle of the room" Did he misspell "winding"? No, apparently. WEND (v.): go in a specified direction, typically slowly or by an indirect route

"The Real Elephants of the African Veld" VELD (n.): open, uncultivated country or grassland in southern Africa. It is conventionally classified by altitude into highveld, middleveld, and lowveld imo it should've just been called "midveld."

"back to the main hall, where a crown had gathered . . . The rest of the freed prisoners milled around" This is such a nice, peaceful, happy scene that I'm sad it's not going to last. At least we got *checks book* two full pages of people being happy.

"The griffins allowed him to scratch under their beaks--a sign of great trust" Maybe Jamie isn't a bad guy after all? I'm still skeptical. "especially since they were guarding and egg in their neest (and no doubt worried that Sssssarah might see it)." I don't think even Sssssarah could swallow an egg that big, but she might try.

"a different green dress and jeans" Did you just say she's wearing a dress over jeans?

"Lady Artemis has been watching you." "Oh, no . . . You can tell my beloved sister to back off." You tell 'er, Apollo!

"Father!" Hehe oh noooooo "This isn't prophecy. This has never happened before--" Has Emmie been to the Cave of Trophonius a lot? How does she know?

"You sent this little sister of mine to do your errands?" Uhh. I'm guessing not on the mom's side, huh? When she said "Father" I was like OMG she's Apollo's kid! And then when it turned out to be Trophonius talking, that worry went away and SURPRISE NOW IT'S BACK! Interesting to note that Trophonius doesn't know that Georgina wasn't sent by Apollo. He doesn't know as much as you'd expect an Oracle to know.

"I wonder, Father, to whom will you pray?" True. To whom do the gods pray?

"the recovery rate for supplicants of Trophonius" SUPPLICANT (n.): one who supplicates Fuck you too, Merriam-Webster. Cambridge Dictionary says, SUPPLICANT (n.): a person who asks a god or someone who is in a position of power for something in a humble way

"No one had reported a missing baby girl like her. Her birth parents either didn't want her or couldn't raise her" Or was secretly a serial killer on the run who couldn't raise a child. Sounds about right with Apollo's standards for flings. Bad Decisions Box <- Georgina's biological mortal parent & Georgina's subsequent abandonment

"enter the Cavern of Prophecy." We're finally going innnnnnnn! Death and madness, here we come! Eat it like well-cooked ramen!

"I'm not sure." "All hail the god of prophecy!" Got nothing to say, just wanted to highlight that little bit.

"tracking devices I put on your griffins" Gee thanks, Lit. "first thing tomorrow morning. He'll wipe this place off the map." Can't thank ya more, Lit.

I feel like someone is definitely getting sealed in that cave. There's never a cave in a story without a rockfall or cave-in also happening and someone getting shut inside a stony tomb, never to be seen again.

[theamazingmaddyas]

The Dark Prophecy rants (part 2): Georgina and Apollo

As stated prior, I had read the Dark Prophecy before, back in 2017 when it was released, and every year I would get the new book and convince myself that it would confirm or deny whether Georgina was actually Apollo's bio daughter, and every year I'd get dissappointed. It got to the point that I went to the virtual Tower of Nero tour back in 2020 and my book was backordered so I hadn't read it yet, but gaslight myself into believing that TON would state it so hard that I decided not to ask Rick Riordan though I really really wanted to. (Yes, I did scream out loud a week later when I read it and the ONLY SCENE WAS GEORGIE ASKING ABOUT HER DOLL AND APOLLO LOST IT)

Somehow, gaslighting myself runs deep because I gaslit myself that I just misremembered The Dark Prophecy and Georgie's parentage would be in the book. Which is why I waited until I finished to make this post, even though I think I knew deep down Georgie's godly parentage was not confirmed. Spoiler alert, it was not. In fact, Trophonius specifically said he wouldn't tell Apollo so he suffered and I screamed. Uhg! I think I suffered more than Apollo!

And okay, I understand Rick's message being that Georgie has parents; Jo and Emmie. And Jo and Emmie are her real parents. But what 13 yo me (and me now) is most interested in is godly powers. Whether Georgie is Apollo's bio kid or not changes everything about whether or not the allure of the Cave has to do with her godly parentage, and whether or not her visions are the power of prophesy. Because if it is, that has the implications that Georgie could suffer a similar fate to Hal Green if she uses this power.

Over the last 7 years, I've bounced off a lot of theories of Georgie's godly parentage, and so I'm going to share them now. I'm going to split them into 2 categories: Category 1: Georgie is related to Apollo, and Category 2, She's not.

Category 1:

1) Georgie doesn't look like her bio mortal parent, nor is she from Indianapolis originally

Apollo, though I think it pains him to admit this, remembers his children through their mortal parents. He's an absentee father, so he doesn't know much about his kids, but he does know about his partners. We see this in how we first meet all his kids: Will is compared to Naomi, Kayla to Darren, Austin to Latricia, and Trophonius to his own mother. He tries to think of if he was in Indianapolis 8 years earlier, and with whom and falls short. And in Tower of Nero, to my memory (about to gaslight myself for 3 more books that I remembered TON wrong) he never mentions remembering again when he becomes a god. If Agamethus found her somewhere else and brought her to Waystation, it would make sense why Lester wouldn't make the connection. As for why Apollo doesn't mention it when becoming a god again and being the GOD OF KNOWLEDGE HE SHOULD KNOW THESE THINGS NOW I don't know, and it irks my soul.

2) Georgie is the daughter of Apollo's Roman aspect

This theory is my favorite, especially since it makes the most sense with the Roman emperor plotline, and since Apollo's memories seem to be mostly greek, why he wouldn't be able to remember Georgie or her bio mortal parent. It also could explain why Apollo doesn't mention anything in Tower of Nero. Of course, we know very little about how different Apollo's greek and roman aspects are in the series, especially since he's the only god who has the same name, but I'm sure there's some differences.

Category 2:

1) Georgie is a clear-sighted mortal and destined to be an Oracle

This theory of mine relates Georgie to Rachel Dare and May Castellan. In the same way that they were having visions about being the Oracle of Delphi, Georgie was having visions of the Cave. Georgie is Trophonius' little sister in the metaphorical sense, as she is destined to rule an Oracle like he did. Of course, in the case of May, Hades' curse sent her mad, but it is heavily implied that she was supposed to be the Oracle of her generation. It seems to me that each generation has one clear sighted mortal to become the Oracle of Delphi, so it's possible that Georgie is the oracle post-Rachel in this theory. I'm not sure how far apart in age the oracles are meant to be, but it's always a possibility. Or, like the Oracle of Delphi, the Dark Oracle has chosen mortals to take it on, but since Trophonius has been trapped doing it for a millenia or more, those mortals never get the chance to, like May, and go mad. And with the dissolving of the Oracle, Georgie is no longer destined to that awful fate.

2) Georgie's connection to Agamethus is what drives her. She's either a clear sighted mortal, or a demigod of another parentage.

Trophonius, in this theory, views Georgie as a little sister because Agamethus views Georgie as a little sister. Agamethus is the one who found her, so it makes sense that he has some form of kinship to her, and therefore his brother does too. And because Trophonius has taking a liking to her, he's sent her visions. In this theory, Georgie's bio parents could be literally anyone. She could be a demigod, a legacy, or a mortal.

3) Georgie's a legacy of Apollo (Greek or Roman, doesn't make a difference)

To be honest, I wasn't sure which category this fell into, but I chose this one because she's not specifically Apollo's daughter. The sister is metaphorical in this sense too. Legacy's can sometimes inherit powers (as seen in the Zhang family, as well as if one believes Octavian has some prophetic powers) so it would be there that Georgie's interest in the Cave starts. Also, would explain why Apollo doesn't remember her, because she's his kid's kid, or even more generations than that (though if I had to guess, if this theory were true, I'd say no more than great-grandkid)

So, those are my theories! Yes, I think about Georgie way more than I should over the last seven years, but I digress. I just want to know about if she has powers, and what Cabin she'd be at CHB if she went, so I can write cool canon-compliant fics about her!

If you've read my Solangelo fic "Surprise!" on ao3, in Chapter 8, "Leo and Calypso's Garage: Auto Repair and Mechanical Monsters" you'd notice that I did write Georgie, who's seventeen in that fic, as having clairvoyance, as seen when she knows Lena Valdez (Leo's adopted daughter) is going to come into the garage where her and Harley are fixing Harley's car (he and Georgie are best friends, and no one can change my mind). Obviously, I thought a lot about it beforehand, but decided that I would make her a bio Apollo kid for that fic, though whether she's Greek or Roman is up in the air. Though, even if she were Roman, I do not think she'd join the legion. Jo and Emmie would be very much against that, I think. As for Camp Half-Blood, if she were a demigod, I think they'd be very skeptical, but would let her go for the summer because she'd beg after hearing Leo and Harley's (my hc is that Harley lives in Waystation which is why he's not a year rounder in TSATS, if you want more on this theory, I'll elaborate later.) stories about camp. At least, unlike Camp Jupiter, she wouldn't have to stay year round till her legionare years are up.

In conclusion, Rick Riordan, confirm Georgie's bio parentage, and give her a list of powers and a CHB cabin, and my life is yours. I've been thinking about this nonstop for 7 years, I know Trophonius was trying to hurt Apollo, but he ended up causing me multiple sleepness nights instead.

[dustys-pit-stop]

Welcome to the Waystation

Hey, guys, welcome in! Here you are. At my personal little waystation. Grab a drink, grab a snack, whatever you may need. You can be on your way whenever you'd like.

The purpose of this little adventure of mine is to sharpen my writing skills and spurr the desire to begin, and to just spill thoughts out haphazardly. After all, every journey begins somewhere, and this one starts here. Yours may be passing through, but isn't that the beauty of travels? That you are not alone. Everyone is on one, and each one starts and ends somewhere completely unique.

[dzpenumbra]

12/2/22

Still writing this at the earlier time, that new habit I got into because of early appointments. Weird having such a flexible structure at night, my night rituals are usually very rigid.

I got really good sleep, and vivid dreams, so win-win. I didn't get a good dream journal done though, I have to seriously very meticulously plan where my journals and pens are or else that shit is not getting written down. Writing dream journals was seriously one of the most difficult creative endeavors I've undertaken. See, you're on a damn clock the second you reach conscious awareness. That dream memory starts fading quick, at least mine does. So it has to occur to me to write the journal down, which I used to do a mantra before sleep "write down your dreams" over and over and over, grinding it into my subconscious every single night. Now it's pretty well programmed, but that's just step one.

Step two is actually recalling the dreams. This is where I came up with my own system. So I need to catch it as early as possible, so my journals need to be visible and within arms reach. Then, at the top of the page, I write down... milestones? highlights? I don't know the right term. Vivid moments, as many as I can remember, in reverse chronological order, starting with when I woke up and going back as far as I can. These serve as like... waystations, kinda. Then I head to step three - actually writing the dream.

The highlights, I guess I'll call them that, I go through reverse chronologically, too. I found it much easier to retain the most total memories by starting at the end and working my way backwards. If I went to the most distant memory first, I might struggle to remember and really dig for it, and when I do that I lose the more recent memories entirely. It's like it's all crammed into short-term memory, so you have to be fast and use as little present conscious thought as possible. Even cutting out editing helped retain more detail. So I go backwards from highlight to highlight, each one sorta allows me to expand detail in between and I just have to connect the dots and add in more detail. It has worked really well for me in the past, and if you're interested in dream work, I highly recommend it, just be prepared to fail a lot, be patient and forgiving towards yourself and keep at it. If you're a weirdo who's into this stuff like me. XD

But this morning... I couldn't find my journals. They were buried under clothes. And I tried typing, but it... just didn't work. So I didn't get anything usable. Oh well, points for trying!

I decided to go to the grocery store today. It's very weird for me to walk to a grocery store. But it was a nice 2 block stroll and it was a nice health food store with all local stuff, so I got a lot of healthy food and supported local businesses which is great. I had the manager's assistant give me the run-down of how the laundry stuff works at my building, it seems... not too overly complicated. I'll figure it out tomorrow. I made some buffalo chicken in the slow cooker, it's still cooking, and talked to my mom. Tried to figure out a plan with the car, still no dice. No clue what to do there. I'm most likely going back down on... Monday, I think? To sort through the last of my stuff and grab the remaining furniture I want, then some dudes are coming to take the rest to the dump, which is really helpful.

Had my first therapy appointment since the move, it was a bit intense but good. It's hard to... remember things about unhealthy relationships, and like... remember that I have a lot of work to do. I'm being vague intentionally, not really as much to preserve privacy as to... keep myself from getting back into it. I need to pace myself and I don't have an emotional support system other than one social worker dude I can text with on Betterhelp. He's great, but he can only do so much, so I'm really pacing myself. And today I had to kinda... unearth some therapy relics from the past and inform him of them, so... those ghosts are still kinda floating around. Trying to not give them more brainpower than they need right now, it's not healthy or productive.

After that, I sorta just chilled, played games and ate chinese leftovers. I want to work on my hoodie a bit though, I've been putting that off, so I'm gonna go do that now before it gets too late. Maybe I'll see if I can get some stuff for the apartment tomorrow, I've got quite a list going!

[carrieneuman]

Things I Wish Had Happened in The Rings of Power #3

The visuals were the best part of the show, so I was surprised how bland the entrance to Khazad-dum was. What happened there? Also, when Fellowship of the Ring explicitly talks about the roads and trade and friendship between the dwarves and elves in the long past, why did we skip all that in the show? It was such a missed opportunity, even if you want to keep the “we just found mithril” fan-service plotline.

Elrond and Celebrimbor strode down the road letting the miles pass with cheerful talk of the Great Forge. It would be a marvel when it was complete, though Elrond could not find a reason for Celebrimbor’s strange deadline.

He waved to a child sweeping outside a waystation. Carts loaded with wares were parked outside and guards strolled about easily. Banditry was unlikely in Eregion.

They turned the sharp corner of the road that artfully displayed the Sirannon falling some five fathoms down from the heights. It thundered and echoed from the mountainside. The road passed to the left of a flight of stairs that hugged the side of the falls.

In the valley, holly trees shaded the road making the last walk to the very walls of the mountain the most pleasant stretch of the trip. Wagons came and went, loaded with goods and smiling merchants. The rich mines of Khazad-dum required a river of picks, hammers, and chisels to flow from Eregion, and its gold and emeralds cascaded out in exchange.

Two stout holly trees flanked the entrance to the subterranean city. They were already taller than any along the road, and Elrond assumed they would continue to grow with the help of the elves who traded foodstuffs with the dwarves.

The stone doors stood open, and a pair of dwarves checked carts and bags before the customs agent issued colored chips to the merchants indicating how much they would owe in taxes when their business concluded.

“You know,” Celebrimbor mused as they waited their turn to enter, “I’ve never been content with these doors. They’re sturdy enough, I’ll grant you. But they just lack something to really let you feel welcome.”

Elrond smiled. He knew his old friend would find satisfaction eventually.