#so many women die from this. this is a very present risk for women in Gaza!! how can you lie about that

[defsiarte]

New scammer alert! This person is stealing photos from a Filipino influencer to pretend to be a citizen of Gaza seeking abortion care. This is the most disgusting thing I’ve seen on here honestly.

PayPal name: Verian Mumbo

How to identify scammers

[lolalolitaloo]

What are the zodiac signs of characters with TNMN? (I don't even know who needs this)

❗❗❗WARNING❗❗❗

Before you read, I want to warn you that this is not canon; I don’t know the true characters and am relying solely on my imagination and reasoning. Also, this is all a joke, and I am not an astrologer, so everything might come off as too stereotypical

Aries - Mia. It seems to me that she is quite firm and stubborn, which is how she got her job as a teacher, and all the children in her lessons clearly sit quietly

She knows how to create a great environment but also maintain discipline

I also think that she is quite active, which should also be present in the teacher

Taurus - Steven. Taurus people are quite patient and resilient, and also practical, which I see in Steven, he seems like a pretty responsible guy

I have a feeling that he is ready for anything in the world, I would trust him with my life

But I think sometimes he is too lazy, no wonder, he has a difficult job

Gemini - Selenne and Elenois. Because they are twins lol

But they are also literally the personification of Gemini as a zodiac sign, because they can be super gloomy and serious and also the life of the party

it seems to me that Selenne is quite serious, and her sister Elenois, on the contrary, is a very cheerful girl

Cancer - Nacha. (because i am cancer hahahahahfhfhf ..... ok, not because of that) Cancers are quite sensitive, with a soft heart and most often with a cute appearance

Many people portray Nacha as a rather emotional and loving mother, but she still knows how to stand up for herself and her daughter

She always valued family and home comfort, it was her little dream (or imposed by society)

Leo - Robertsky....surprised? I think so because of his self-esteem and a phrase from the game

- "I look as handsome as ever"

this guy doesn't feel obligated to anything or anyone, so he answers all the doorman's questions as briefly and confidently as possible

-"Hi."

- "The door."

maybe he was just tired from work.....but i want his self esteem

Virgo - Angus. He looks well-groomed, neat and somewhat of a perfectionist, he clearly remembers your name the first time, Idk why (YEAH YEAH OF COURSE)

His clothes clearly smell very nice and just look at that perfectly slicked hair, a fashionista of those times

They also say that most often the zodiac sign of maniacs is Virgo, and he is a mafioso, which is not very different in my opinion

Angus, in my opinion, is quite cunning and calculating

Libra - Albertsky. He is the only one in this house who wants equality and justice and balance, to which Robertsky fools him and Albertsky washes the dishes again..

He may be a bit indecisive, but life doesn't let him relax, which is why he always has such a scared look

Scorpio - Mclooy. For some reason it seems to me that this resident has a rather difficult character, he comes to visit with a cigarette and looks very cool and daring, which is typical of scorpio

I also think he makes great jokes and in a rather dark way

Often grumbles

Sagittarius - Izaack. A man with fire, enthusiasm and a desire for something new

Most often, he, like any Sagittarius, is very curious, because of which he gets into all sorts of troubles with the risk of DIE but he will definitely achieve his goal, don't doubt him.

I also think that he enjoys a lot of attention from women, even from men, thanks to his humor and charisma

I'm sure he often injured himself while gathering new information for his article, but even while in the hospital, he stayed optimistic and received plenty of gifts and letters from his fans wishing him a speedy recovery

Capricorn - Dr. W. Afton. Capricorns are quite intelligent, active and modest, i see Afton the same way, he looks very smart, but it's not for nothing that his job is a physicist

think this man is pretty cold and not very romantic, but Mia is perfect for him, he needs a woman with fire in her heart LMAO

I wouldn't be surprised if they play chess very often or try to solve a masonic mystery

He also knows how to call you names in a very clever way that you won't even understand

Aquarius - Francis. I know that guys with this zodiac sign often feel overwhelmed by work, as Francis's tired eyes can tell.

Francis seems distant and not very interested in communicating

think he is just very thoughtful, especially after his divorce from his wife, but as always he has no time to be sad, because he has many orders waiting for him (maybe that's why he works so hard)

I also noticed how Aquarius attracts people and dammit! The milkman is known and loved more than anyone else in this game! :oD

Pisces - Margarette. This woman seems to me to be quite kind, empathetic and veeeeery sociable (the neighbors get tired of her conversations)

Thanks to all these qualities, she quickly found friends in these apartments, what is inherent in Pisces. They find friends easily due to their open nature

Very creative, which is useful for working as a seamstress, but i think she is a little unsure of her abilities to create creative clothes as a designer :о(

I'm tired, so I didn't write about all the characters, sorry 🥺

[sunnyschristiancottage]

My argument against abortion:

1. A fetus is alive according to the four criteria of life which is as follows:

Energy acquisition:

All living things need to be able to take in energy from their environment, whether through photosynthesis (plants) or consuming other organisms (animals).

Liquid water:

Water is essential for most biological processes and acts as a solvent for many important molecules in living organisms.

Stable environment:

Organisms need a relatively stable environment to maintain their internal conditions and function properly.

Chemical elements:

Life as we know it requires specific elements like carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen to build complex organic molecules.

A fetus fits into all 4 criteria. Thusly it is alive.

2. Now, many people have argued, "Well, my liver technically fits within the four criteria of life, and it isn't a lifeform. Thusly a fetus is no different from an organ." This statement is only half correct. Yes, a liver does fit within the four criteria of life and is considered a part of life, but it is very different from a fetus. First, if you were to remove an organ from a person, that person would lose some quality of life or just die depending on the organ. If you took a fetus from a mother, the mother would be fine, but the fetus would die. But what really defines a fetus as its own living creature is its DNA. You see, every lifeform has a unique DNA sequence. An organ does not have this. But a fetus does. Thus defining a fetus as its own lifeform.

3. Another argument I see is, "Well, a fetus is really no different from a tumor or parasite." This statement is very wrong. First, a tumor does not have unique DNA like a fetus does. Second, a fetus can't be considered a parasite given the fact that a fetus actually provides benefits for the mother, such as:

Wound healing

Fetal cells can migrate to damaged tissue and help repair it, including wounds from C-sections.

Reduced risk of disease

Fetal cells may help protect against breast cancer and rheumatoid arthritis. One theory is that fetal cells act like sentinels, watching for and killing breast cancer cells.

Somatic maintenance

Fetal cells may contribute to ongoing maternal somatic maintenance.

Immune status

Fetal cells may influence the immune status of women, including autoimmunity and tolerance to transplants.

Fetal cells can be found in many different tissues and organs in the mother, including the blood, bone marrow, skin, and liver. In mice, fetal cells have even been found in the brain.

Thusly a fetus is not a parasite. It lives a symbiotic relationship with the mother.

4. "Well, that still doesn't mean it's human life." True. But human DNA does. A fetus contains human DNA last I checked, so that means it is human life.

With all these facts presented to you, please choose life! And reblog this information so we can spread the word and save lives!

[angelosearch]

Okay fam, how do we think Raine died? And please let me know if it's been word-of-god'ed somewhere. I don't think I've ever seen it.

I have a thought. I wouldn't even call it a theory because I have virtually no evidence to support it. It's more like... what I would find interesting.

I'm overthinking a 25-year-old videogame again...

Lil bit of a trigger warning here... Mention of some severe impacts of mental illness.

Honestly, I hate the "died in childbirth" thing. It's just... vague. Uninteresting. I don't know, kind of lazy. Okay, maybe she did die as a side effect of having Squall, but how? There's more than one way to die in childbirth.

And I am not saying dying in childbirth is unrealistic--it definitely is realistic, unfortunately--but I kind of hate how introducing a pregnant character and then killing them is always joined with the (again VERY BROAD) concept of "dying in childbirth."

Maybe it's just because I'm a Star Wars fan and Padme's death ruined me for "died in childbirth" as a suitable end for a pregnant character. I also just get annoyed in general how frequently pregnancy and childbirth in sci-fi/fantasy media is seen as something alien or bad or the end of a character. There's so many episodes where pregnancy is used as a parasitic plot point. I could go on.

And how often a mother is just killed off with "died in childbirth" off screen... It's just lazy! It's like saying a guy died because he "went off to war." Is it realistic? Sure. But specifics, backstory, please!!

But like!! These women have already done the incredible act of carrying a child, sometimes through war zones and major stressors, or, in Raine's case, while completely alone and waiting for her husband to come back from saving her adoptive daughter. If she "had" to die (at least in the eyes of the writers) immediately after Squall is born, I want her to have a death more specific to her character and more interesting overall! Also, it would be nice if she had SOME time with our little baby Squall, no matter the circumstances... Now, the way I think about Raine's death isn't exactly a nice way to die (if there is a such thing), but I think it would be enough to lock her ghost in Winhill. And, again, I think it gives her plot a realism that I want it to have.

Here is where I launch into some pretty reaching headcanons so... buckle up.

So Squall, we can all agree, exhibits signs of depression. He's able to push through it, because lots of us depressed people adapt to do that, but he definitely does. From what I know about therapy and psychology, I'd also say he has C-PTSD but that's another story.

But I'd like to propose that Squall is not just depressed, but potentially even bipolar.

Now, the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for bipolar disorder requires at least one manic episode followed by a depressive episode or hypomania. I don't believe Squall has ever experienced mania... But the thing about bipolar disorder is that a lot of times, it presents as depression until it isn't anymore. And for some individuals, that moment doesn't come until their late 20s or older. Hell, treating depression is sometimes what reveals the underlying disorder: Sometimes SSRIs trigger mania in bipolar patients.

I could see him experiencing hypomania, though. Accidentally training for 12 hours straight, racing thoughts, extreme agitation.

What we do see in the game is risk-taking behaviors, racing thoughts, anxiety, disregulated mood, feelings of worthlessness, difficulty sleeping, isolation... These are symptoms of C-PTSD, but ALSO bipolar disorder.

(which, his history of trauma makes him more vulnerable to bipolar disorder as well)

I will admit, I hc Squall this way because I see myself in him, and I was a high-functioning depressed person who had my first manic episode in my late 20s. But what I figure is, while he was probably never written to be bipolar, there's nothing in the game that completely refutes it.

ANYWAY, bipolar disorder is hereditary. It's not only hereditary, but it plays a part.

So here we go, this is the end I have in mind for Raine, and it's not a happy end, but I think it's realistic and I think it's worth representing in media. Trigger warning.

I think Raine was bipolar. We don't see enough of her in the game to know, but if Squall is (in my head) she might be too. I think she had a complicated pregnancy and that Ellone being kidnapped and Laguna leaving (reasonably) put her under a lot of stress. Any symptoms she had under control with medication/therapy/etc. probably flared. Who knows if she had her same access to resources, seeing that Laguna was gone.

I think, maybe, she suffered from postpartum psychosis. She might have had a few good days, weeks with Squall until things got bad. It would have been terrifying for her, and the people of Winhill, the delusions, the hallucinations. I can't imagine there is a doctor in Winhill that can help with that. And maybe, one of those hallucinations led her to her end.

Such a terrible death likely would have traumatized the people of Winhill, who we know cared deeply about her. Maybe they sent Ellone away so she'd never know; maybe they sent Squall away because he was too much of a reminder.

Thus ends my very sad Raine's death head canon.

My next long project may involve tackling this kind of stuff. I love writing/researching mental health!!

[butch-reidentified]

do you actually have a genetic disorder??

how does it work whats it called

I have vascular-type Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (vEDS - though many patients prefer to use VEDS for reasons discussed in the link at the end of this post). it's a connective tissue disorder with several subtypes, but vascular-type is the only type that's deadly. current typical life expectancy is like 48ish, but even then, that's if you take a certain class of medication that I can't take (makes my blood pressure so constantly and severely low that I become bedbound) - when I was first diagnosed with unspecified EDS, the lifespan estimates for VEDS were closer to 40 years. that doesn't necessarily mean I can't possibly live a good bit longer - there have been patients who've lived about as long as a typical healthy person, but there's no way to predict it or mitigate it. lifestyle, in this case, makes basically zero difference. I could be the fittest and healthiest lifestyle person on earth or be a couch potato who eats nothing but fast food and it wouldn't really mean much in terms of this either way.

I've posted before about my EDS (never in detail idt) & it's mentioned in the About Me section of my Pinned, but had avoided getting the test for VEDS until fairly recently - not fully intentionally, just got caught up in life and kind of already suspected based on certain traits and symptoms I have that are associated with the vascular type (including a history of SCAD*). it's actually good I waited bc they found a new variety of the gene mutation since my initial diagnosis that may be present in a whole 50% of VEDS patients!

*SCAD = Sudden Coronary Artery Dissection, often considered a type of heart attack, where your artery just zshlurps n pops a hole in it. I recently had read a few studies showing that female people, especially if otherwise broadly healthy, are more able than males to heal from SCAD without or with very conservative medical intervention (I don't even go to hospital atp for pretty much anything my body does, but I did briefly die once and have posted my NDE experience here before), however I'm struggling to find these studies all of a sudden. that said, the below AHA article mentions that "among patients with acute myocardial infarction, patients with SCAD have a lower risk of mortality, which is attributed primarily to their younger age, female sex, and low prevalence of atherosclerotic risk factors."

[theyanderespecialist]

Base Yandere Akaza Aka Upper Demon Moon 3 Headcanons: A Very Respectful Yandere (Demon Slayer)

[Hello, My Sexy Muffins! I am back and BOY OH BOY am I excited for this one! We get to do Akaza! I have SUCH A LOVE-HATE RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM! Love cause we love Akaza and his respect for women juice drinking ass XD also he is very attractive BUT THE MOTHER TRUCKER KILLED KYOJURO AND I WILL NEVER FORGIVE AND I WILL NEVER FORGET! Yes, I will hold onto this until the dead I die! Please enjoy this!] 

(Disclaimer: Akaza is not yandere in canon! This is just for fun and not to be taken seriously at all! Simping for fictional characters and yanderes is fine! Just do not be illegal or gross about it! You know who you are! You dirty, flaky, biscuits! Yanderes are not ideal partners to have in real life! Also, remember to separate fiction from reality and headcanon from canon!)  (Extra Info! there will be a small amount of gender-specific things with Akaza other than that it is a gender-neutral reader) 

-Base Yandere Headcanons With Akaza Aka Upper Demon Moon 3 From Demon Slayer- 

.Akaza is a social dawernist. He believes in the strongest of the fittest and that the weak do not deserve to live. 

.He loved fighting strong people, mostly liking to fight strong hashira.  .He would compliment them while fighting, and tell them how good they were when they used their strong attacks. 

.He loves a good fight and is battle-hungry! 

.When he met you it brought a soft side to him, one he did not know that he had. 

.He does not eat or hurt women. So if you were AFAB or Femme presenting he would not harm you EVER! 

.He is a yandere that is very protective and has a moral code. 

.He would never force himself on you, and would not turn you into a demon unless your life was at risk, and rarely make you do things that you do not want to. 

.He is a very respectful yandere that is for sure. 

.He still would kidnap you and force something. But those are when he is putting your safety above your desire for freedom. 

.He yes is so protective that he would kidnap you to keep you safe, he knows how dangerous the world can be. 

.He lost his adoptive father, his fiance, his biological father... 

.HE REFUSES TO LOSE YOU! 

.He would give his life or turn you into a demon. Anything and everything so he does not lose you. 

.He would tell you that he turned you into a demon because he had to. 

.He had to kill your family because they were going to hurt you. 

.He had to kill your partner because they were going to steal you away. 

.In his mind everything he has done for you has been for your benefit. 

.Which does make him a slightly delusional yandere let's be honest. 

.Thinking that the things he does for you are for your benefit instead of his obsessive love for you. 

.He is also very stubborn, so it does not matter how many times you tell him no, or that you don't have feelings for him. 

.He knows that one day you will love him and that you will accept his love and you will become a demon for him and then be with him for the rest of time. 

.He is also the type that would be stalking you once he let you go. 

.He wants to make sure that you are safe and sound and to make sure that no one hurts you or tries to take you from him. 

.If by the end of that, you get close to someone romantically or your life is at risk he will kidnap you and wait until you give in to him. 

.He will try and kiss and touch you, but if you tell him to stop he will. 

.He is very respectful of consent. 

.The only time he would force kisses and touching on you was if he saw you kissing someone else. 

.He snaps at bit and will show you that you are his and he is the ONLY one that is allowed to kiss and touch you, and one day make love. 

.He does not want to force that on you, but he could not help himself, seeing someone touch and kiss you sent him into a rage of jealousy. 

.He would have also killed the person who kissed you. 

.Then kiss you to wash their vile touch off of you. 

.He is also very possessive he does not like to share you with anyone. You are his and only his. 

.He is actually also A Really REALLY Good caretaker yandere. 

.Where he is good at taking care of you when you are sick and taking care of you when you are injured. 

.He is patient with you and able to make sure that you take the medicine you need even if you were to fight with him on it. he would make sure you are taken care of. 

.If you are strong he would admire that and train with you, loving to fight with you in hand-to-hand combat, but with you as his darling, he does hold back a bit cause he never ever wants to hurt you not even on accident. 

.He wants to cherish you and so much how much he loves you. To him, you are the most precious thing in his life. 

.For that he wants to cherish you. 

.He would not allow anyone to hurt you and if they did they were as good as dead!  .He is very stubborn and determined to protect you, as he feels that he is not good enough for you. 

.That if he cannot protect you, then what was all his strength worse? 

.That He cannot bear to lose someone he loves again. 

.He would be the type to bare any punishment, pain, or anything else as long as he can take care of you. 

.So if you were about to die, he would break his rule by not turning you into a demon without your consent, doing it to make sure that you will still be with him. 

.He has lost someone before and now he refuses to let that happen again with you. 

.He would keep you locked away as a demon where only you can count on him to keep you safe. 

.Your safety means everything to him always. 

.If you were AMAB and or Male Presenting. He would fight with you in training more. 

.But since you are his darling he would still go easy on. 

.Only if you were a male demon would he use more of his strength against you. 

.He is a stubborn yandere and when he confesses to you he would await your answer. If you accept his love he will make love to you and shed tears of joy showing he has a bit of humanity left in him and having you return his love brings it out. 

.Since he is a bit of a delusional yandere and very stubborn he fully believes you do love him and you are either just shy or do not understand your feelings for him yet. 

.He just has to be patient and let you slowly understand how you feel. 

.He cannot accept if you did not have feelings for him, he would not be able to bear that! 

.If you were to die, he will realize after he kills the people that took your life, that there is no reason to stay in the world, and that all he wants is to be with you again. 

.May it be in hell or in another life where he can be with you again and show you his love.  .He will be with you one way or another, in this life or a future life. One way or another. 

[YASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS Another chapter is done! I hope that you all enjoyed this, and stay sexy, all of my sexy muffins!  Bonus IDEA Headcanons of Akaza reborn as a nurse or doctor or Akaza reborn as a yakuza member or reborn as both Question mark?  and once again, stay sexy, my sexy muffins!] 

[djuvlipen]

Once I got into an argument with a white, Spanish leftist, and he told me that Europe was very different from America, that poverty wasn't as racialized in Europe as it is in America, where Black Americans make up the largest portion of the working class.

And what I failed to explain to him and what I wish leftists would understand is that poverty is indeed racialized in Europe. Romani people make up the bulk of Europe's poorest working class.

80% of Romani people live at risk of poverty, compared with an EU average of 17%. (x)

Romani people are one of the demographics the most impacted by human and sex trafficking, and I am saying 'one of the most' because not enough studies have been released on the matter but it's very likely they are the most impacted by trafficking.

The paid work rate for Romani people, aged 20 to 64, is 43 %, much lower than the EU average (70 %) (x), and in Greece, Romani women have been shown to being paid lower wages than non-Romani women. (x) The reason I am only mentioning Greece is because it's the only country where such a study has been carried, but there is no reason to believe Greece is an isolated outlier here.

Romani people's life expectancy is estimated to be 10 years lower than non-Romani people's, in every European country. (x)

Romani people have been enslaved in almost every European countries. (x)

I am white-passing and my family isn't really big on cultural traditionalism: while growing up I never experienced actual racism for my skin colour. The one thing where my being Romani was blatant was in the extremely dire living conditions my family was living in. The white working class can't relate, to be honest I haven't met anyone who can relate to this but other Romani people. Things like this are ever present: your life prospects, and that of your relatives and closed ones, are non existant, and you're being made aware of it; your relatives are all factory workers or unemployed; they have alcohol and drug addiction and deep yet untreated mental illnesses. They die before turning 65. The houses are bad: it's decaying, there are short or long periods of time when you have no electricity nor hot water, it's insalubrious. It's just part of your daily life so you don't really notice it. Administrative papers are never done on time because you don't have that administrative literacy skill and your relatives usually didn't get into higher education if they ever graduated high school at all.

And when I tell this to white working class people they always scold me because while they were poor, they were not that poor. Only other Romani people could relate. The way I relate to my being Romani is through an economic class perspective, because I look white and to me being oppressed for being Romani has always been more about being relegated to the most impoverished social class in Europe, the Romani working class. Once I saw a Romani man saying 'Gypsies live like it's still the 1300s and they act so casual about it', and he was right because sometimes you can't even recognize how fucked up your living conditions are because you're just so used to it.

When I say this, people usually think I'm making stuff up or that I am racist against Romani people but no, but that's just how I grow up. I've talked to many other Romani people before and many of them could relate to what I was saying. I've worked with Romani families and I've witnessed poverty times and times again.

Romani people are Europe's proletarian race and we are the ones being made to work menial jobs, we are the ones being trafficked and exploited like slaves to this day, the women are the ones pimps are using to fuel the European sex trade. And no other demographic can relate to that because none of them are as poor as we are, I learned that from how condescending all the other non-Romani people, no matter their social class or race, were to me when I was talking about that issue.

Some people may think I'm lying and making it all up because it sounds unbelievable, maybe, but I don't care because I know how I grew up and the other Romani people I know could also tell you the same thing I just said and at the end of the day even the white Europeans can't deny that all of us, Romani people, are poor as fuck because they love bringing this up to justify killing us. In my country, "Gypsy" is even used as an adjective to talk about something that's very poor or cheap.

[smolvenger]

The Twelve Days- Chapter Eight: Epilogue (Henry V/fem! Reader Series)

Previous Parts: One//Two//Three//Four//Five//Six//Seven

Series Summary: Your family betrothed you to known rake Prince Hal now newly reformed and crowned as King Henry V of England. As December ends and January begins, you must face your first Twelve Days of Christmas Celebration not only as a new queen, but a new wife to a man you are just beginning to know and bed.

Chapter Word Count: 4K

Chapter Warnings: Only some light smut towards the end. Discussions of grief, death, childbirth, pregnancy, the fear of a wedding night, and children. But lots of very sweet, fluffy moments and a happy ending. Attempts at historical accuracy and some Shakespearean terms (like "wag"="boy")

A03//My Ko-Fi//My Etsy Shop//Masterlist//Wattpad

A/N: I hope you enjoy the finale! Reblogs, asks, private messages, and comments on my works are always appreciated!

Taglist: Taglist: @jennyggggrrr @five-miles-over @fictive-sl0th @ladycamillewrites @villainousshakespeare @holdmytesseract

Four years later. May.

When the previous king, Henry IV, was full of thought, he couldn’t sleep and paced about the castle all night. When his son, Henry V, was full of thought, he would shoot arrows.

His royal majesty, Henry V was outside on a warm day with guards and attendants, of course. The sun shone over the blanket of green grass and bushes that rustled only slightly with the breeze in the garden. Despite the outside pleasantness, any servant or guard could tell Henry was visually worried. His mouth was in a tight-lipped frown and his face was as white as the clouds. Targets were placed outside in a row before the grounds where your favorite flowers were kept. His eyes sometimes dart to them, to remind himself of you, he would then focus his gaze on the red center of one target.

His curly, red-streaked blonde hair was swept out of his face. He nicked in an arrow and drew the bow as he lifted it up gracefully. He kept his eyes steady, aimed it, the tip of the arrow pointed at the center, and with a deep exhaling sigh that made him drop his mouth left open, he released it.

FWOOM!

The arrow stabbed through the air and landed right at the center of the target. He had done this for the past month but inside the castle. You were now in your ninth month of pregnancy and had to be kept confined to your chambers to guarantee the child’s safe delivery without outside illness. No one other than the ladies in waiting, priests to bless the room, or doctors were allowed in and out. Not even him.

Henry understood it. He had been through this specific anxiety not too long ago. But it was still torture for him. To be separated from you, not even able to visit for a minute, as preparations were made for a birth- something that killed so many unfortunate women, no matter if they had a crown on their heads or not.

You had insisted Henry be present at least when the children were born. Like any sensible King of England, he wanted to execute an invasion of France. But the moments you discovered you were pregnant, you pleaded with him to at least be there right after the births- he had to see them. Should he die, he had to at least look on his children’s faces. Even if they would never remember it, they had to have their father tell them with his words in front of them, that he loved them.

The king had to be kept far away lest he break the rules of confinement. All of England knew how much he adored and doted on his wife. Some remarked how surprising it was that this passionate, fiery king kept no mistress, not even when your belly swelled with child. That he would visit your chambers defiantly whatever condition you were in. Some said it was a little of the rebellious old Hal that would never die in him and would not listen to the advice of the elders to not bed a woman. And some said it was because no one wished to risk unleashing their fury from "Queen Y/N the Kind-Hearted". It was exactly because of your heart that you had a great rage that terrified many when it was unleashed at those deserving. "The gentlest cat scratches the worst" they would say with a grin. Some gossiped that one Christmas season early in your marriage, you pleaded to your husband early on to remain faithful and he relented to it- out of concern for you. Out of love for you.

And that love gave some a political advantage and key to either Henry's favor or wrath. A good word with you would earn good favor with the King, as well as the opposite- those who made enemies with you or threatened or even insulted you would regret it. Not unless they wanted to have a bloody end under Henry’s sword.

And everyone knew, just like before, that your cries of birthing pain would move Henry into a desperate state. He would be madly dashing into those chambers. His large hands on the wooden door, guards and servants attempting to hold back the tall, strong man and failing, before he kicked and ripped the door to your chambers open with his bare hands to rush to your side. But the delivery was not for him to witness. Other than you, it was for the expertise of the physicians at court and the help of the ladies.

So his advisors and servants would have to force him away and distract him the second it was announced that your water broke. And now here it was again, for a second time, and they knew the steps of this tricky dance. Give him arrows. Let him shoot and ride every horse of his outside for hours, away from where he could hear you. Keep his mind off. To only allow him in on two instances- the delivery was going to become fatal for mother, child, or both and he had to arrive to say his goodbyes. Or when it was done.

So, arrows it was.

He hardly noticed when the lady-in-waiting arrived, treading on the grass. He glanced at the yellow of her skirt out of the corner of his eye. He whipped his head around and froze. She curtsied to him. There was a small smile on her face.

“Well, what news?” Henry asked, his heart racing in hope.

“She has delivered of a princess, a healthy one. Both mother and daughter are well. The physicians say the queen is expected to recover soon, as she did the last time.”

Henry dropped the bow and arrows so that they splattered in the grass. His posture relaxed and he broke into a smile.

“Thank you,” he told the lady.

Henry broke out into a run to the other end of the garden and his own attendants did not stop him.

“Sire- sire!” they cried, trying to keep up with him and failing as they held onto their hats and huffed.

He then only slowed down to a fast walk to a certain corner of the garden, notorious for mud after it rained. To where Henry knew he would be. He- the first child whose birth he fretted over so much three years ago. On the grass, right before some wildflowers, his nurse overwatching right nearby, squatted the next Henry, the heir, his royal majesty Henry the Sixth.

His hair tended to curl like his father’s, but his eyes matched that of his mother’s. Henry the Sixth was destined to rule four countries, create laws, raise, and send armies, and hold all the power of a mighty nation.

Not that that mattered to the little three-year-old boy, often called Hal like his father. Little Hal did not care for being the next king, at least not yet. Little Hal was far more concerned with eating bread with butter until it smeared his face, chasing after his mother’s cat to pet it, and running with his tiny, chubby legs through the gardens to stomp in mud puddles.

“Ah, Hal! How is my boy?” The king asked kindly.

Little Hal looked back up. He was picking up a few purple and white wildflowers in his grubby fists.

“Papa! Papa!” he cheered, arms up and jumping up and down.

Henry picked up the small boy easily into his arms and inspected the flowers in his son’s hands before turning to him with a smile.

“I have some good news- your mother had the baby, and you have a little sister now. Would you like to meet her?” he asked.

Little Hal’s eyes widened, and he smiled cheerfully on his round cheeks.

“You must be good to them and mind them- you have a sister to help look after as well as play with- you’ll do that, aren’t you?” Henry asked.

Little Hal smiled and held up the flowers.

“For mama!” he announced.

“Why yes- won’t she love them! Let’s go give them to her now!” Henry said, giving a small kiss on his son’s cheek.

Carrying Little Hal, he arrived there to your rooms, the very rooms were for the last month he was blocked from entering. The guards opened the doors and he walked through. It was warm, stuffy, and smelled of the incense from the priest's blessing. There was a small crowd of physicians and the other ladies-in-waiting who served you. They were getting rid of the bloody sheets and the afterbirth in buckets.

But there, warm and safe on a clean bed, was you holding a newborn baby.

Yes, you felt exhausted. Labor was aptly named. But the hours of the pain of delivery were forgotten once you looked upon the little face that stayed inside your stomach for nine months. Her brother would sometimes greet her with a little “hello, baby” as he lightly touched your bulging belly. That Twelfth Night feast as you sat on the table before the guests next to your husband was when she first started to kick. It was so strong even your dress moved beneath you. You immediately pulled Henry’s hand from resting on the table to feel it. How mighty her legs were already- she was a fighter, like her father.

But here she finally was out of your stomach at last- a tiny little face, calmed from crying and nursing, in a warm, white bundle in your arms. Hearing footsteps and the door, you turned your head to the side to see your little son and husband.

“How are you?” he asked as the childbirth party before your bed all bowed to him.

“We’re both alright, my lord,” you asked.

“Thank God! I couldn’t be more relieved, sweetling,” Henry replied.

He leaned over and kissed your head. But the little boy in his arms wriggled.

“Mama! Mama! It’s for you! I missed you, mama!” he cried, waving the flowers.

“I missed you too, my little wag, but now you can visit me whenever you want for as long as you need,” You said.

He wriggled until his father set him before the bed and placed the wildflowers from his dirt-stained hands onto the little table next to your bed.

“Oh- Hal- for me! How sweet of you! Thank you!” you responded graciously, smiling to admire the boy’s bouquet.

Henry’s eyes went down to the bundle. Already you could hear bells pealing outside to announce the birth of the princess, just as they did when her brother was born three years ago.

“I’d like her to be called Blanche…” you announced to everyone.

“Blanche! She was my…my sister…” Henry recalled; he told you about her late at night against pillows.

You nodded.

“I still remember the day her husband sent the letter- dead from childbirth. Father was so close to her before she was married off. He shut himself in his room, crying. He was inconsolable for weeks.” He recalled.

“I’d like to remember her and carry on her memory…her name is Blanche- Princess Blanche,” you announced.

The crowd bowed their heads in acknowledgment.

“Could you please leave us for a moment?” Henry asked.

They followed and walked out as the bells continued their joyous pealing outside. Henry went over to sit on the other end of the bed.

“I wish my father could be here…” he said.

“Would he even like me, Henry?” you asked.

“Y/N, he would have adored you! Probably more than me! I can already hear what he would say…” he commented.

You bared your teeth in your smile with a wicked glint in your eyes.

“Then mimic him! Hal, sweetheart, would you like your father to do the voice? To hear what your grandfather sounded like?” you asked, turning to your son, getting up to sit on the other end of the bed.

Little Hal began to cheer, pumping his little fists up and down, “The voice! The voice! The voice!”

Henry smiled and adjusted his posture the way his father would. He lowered his chin, and waved his hands, mimicking the dark, low, garbled voice of Bolingbroke:

“ 'Well, it was about time he married that Y/N! At least she could knock some sense into wild Harry’s head! Now- where are my beautiful grandchildren!? Bring them to me now so I can spoil them rotten-hmph!’ ”

He then opened his arms to hug and tickle little Hal, who burst into laughter. Then there was a sudden loud, cracked coo coming from the tiny bundle in your arms from the commotion. Henry let go of his arms and turned back. He relaxed his shoulders and let go of his son, eyeing her- the new arrival, the princess, not only your daughter but his. He sat down on the bed, leaning against the pillows next to you.

“Can I hold her?” he asked.

“Yes, you may,” you answered.

Thankfully, Blanche didn’t cry as she was gently shifted into her father’s arms. She only cooed again. Henry was beaming down at her. He broke into a gentle smile. As he settled her onto the corner of his arm, arm, he used his free hand to remove a bit of the blanket to look at her tiny face. Her closed eyes, small nose, little mouth, and two small hands grasping out. He stuck a finger out for her to hold and he noticed her light grasp from minuscule fingers with nails like specks of seashells.

Just as three years ago with the arrival of the boy, he felt his chest burst at once with love. He would fight a hundred men for this small princess, if not die for her. As well as for his son. For his family.

“Hello, Blanche…I’m your papa…” he said quietly.

The crown and the throne now mattered very little. Only her, her in his arms. Maybe forces outside his control would send him to war. Or an assassination. To be king was to watch someone be showered with power one day and then slowly die. It was a blessing and a curse. But if Blanche heard nothing else, even if she would never remember it, he had to say one thing:

“Your mother and I love you, so very much.”

The darker thought left his head, and he gave her a kiss on the forehead. She wiggled a little in his arm, getting used to her own tiny body outside of a womb. Henry smiled down at her, noting the tuft of hair on top of her that resembled yours, and how warm she felt- and the fresh smell of soap from how they cleaned her.

“She’s beautiful, Y/N…we’re going to have a joust and a feast at the christening to celebrate her arrival…and I’d like to commission a painting made with the four of us…” he said.

He stood up and rocked her and Little Hal turned his head with a squeal. He saw your cat trotting through your rooms. Already Sir Gwaine had matured from kitten to cathood, his body large and he himself into his own long, orange fur with a handsome set of whiskers and puffed tail. Sir Gwaine walked forward, eyes wide to examine the scene. Little Hal gave a happy cry of “cat! Cat!” and pushing himself off, he waddled over to embrace the pet. Sir Gwaine blinked and tolerated the little boy’s arms around him and even when Little Hal picked him up.

But Henry began to keep rocking her, slowly. Smiling. She stretched out her hand and touched the end of his beard lightly.

“I think she and Hal could use a few more brothers and sisters to play with!” Henry suggested.

“Oof-Easy for you to say, husband! Let me rest before that!” you insisted, adjusting yourself from behind to sit more upright against the pillows.

Sir Gwaine then let out a protesting “meow!” and Little Hal let him out of his arms, much to his giggles. He then looked up at you and returned to your side.

“Would you like to hold your sister, my dear?” you asked the boy.

He nodded his head yes. You patted the bed, and he climbed up to sit upright on it again.

He had learned how to climb up and off the grand royal beds. Of all the people on earth, other than you, Little Hal was the only one in England allowed to disturb the king’s sleep, especially if he woke up and had a bad dream. There would be a knock on the royal chambers and a servant would be holding the hand of the little boy crying for his papa or mama.

Little Hal sat up and Henry gently laid down Blanche.

“Here, Hal- one hand for her head and another for her body- like that. She’s delicate, so be gentle,” he instructed.

Little Hal smiled, eyes shining on his little sister.

“I love you, sissy!” he babbled before leaning down to kiss her forehead.

"There you go, my wag," you praised, kissing the top of your son's head.

And after a few minutes, you leaned over and gently took back the baby. Letting out a deep sigh of relief. Henry asked to hold Blanche one more time before the attendants returned. She slowly opened her eyes and looked up at him. They were blue- his shade, his size, his shape. He quietly burst into happy tears and was still holding her and smiling when they walked in.

And indeed, there was a feast and a joust to celebrate the Princess, just as there was when her brother arrived. And you smiled brightly from your throne, insisting Blanche bundled in soft, Lancaster red swaddling so you could hold her during these events as Henry swooped up little Hal to sit on his knee to watch the dancing brought to entertain all of you.

The physicians predicted right, much to the entire castle’s relief, that you recovered in time without illness or problems. Though you had to lay down to rest for a few weeks for the recovery period. You insisted Henry, a courtier, or at least a servant give you a report of what was discussed in court. Motherhood was not going to hinder your determination to use your position for the better. Courtiers would often appear in your chambers.

One day, you sat on a chair and nodded, listening intently to the updates.

“We found five children, siblings- on their own on an empty shed in London. Their parents were dead in their beds. They were living off the trash others threw out,” the Lord of Exeter reported, hands reading from a scroll.

“Make sure those children are brought to a good home, and see they are fed, clothed, sheltered, and educated. I would also like a report on any reactions to the new bill and the advice given to my husband…if I do not see him today, tell me where his mind is at. Oh! I almost forgot!-Tell me about the French ambassador’s gifts before they are presented. You understand how certain items will offend my husband and we do not wish them to drive him against them out of frivolity yet. I may persuade them otherwise.” you advised from your chair by the fire, rocking little Blanche.

Henry sometimes, in the evening, would ask you to dinner during that month. Though you were still in the period of recovery and did not need the passion of bedding him, you didn’t have to spend a night in pleasure for him to be there. Just together. You two would still simply hold each other, one wrapping arms around the other, pressing a kiss to the other’s shoulder, and sleepily recalling the day and chatting until you both fell asleep.

And soon enough, you had returned to continuing life as normal. You attended court by your husband’s side to advise him and do whatever you could. You visited your family’s home occasionally or had them over, especially to see the little children. The three younger Lancaster brothers proved to be wonderful playmates and uncles to the royal children. You walked the gardens and enjoyed sewing circles in your chambers, only to have one of the royal cradles by your side to occasionally rock little Blanche. Everyone knew that it was a servant’s job to rock the cradle in the nursery at night so the royal couple could sleep unperturbed. But during the day, you wished her to be as present as you could- your children would grow up knowing their mother loved them. As well as their father.

Three months after Blanche arrived, he asked to dine with you in your rooms. The ladies had been sent away last before he knocked. So when Henry first entered that night, you were alone. You wore your robe, nothing else. Mere minutes after he entered, you both were on each other like rabbits. He kissed and touched you like a starved man. His large hand easily pulled off your robe. It was not long until even the great bed beneath you shook as he thrust into you. Your euphoric cries of “Please! Henry-yes! God-Henry! Yes! Th-there! I’m going to- I’m going to-” echoed, much to the blush of any servant walking down the outside hall that hour.

And the next morning you and Henry woke up in your chambers together, both of you bare among the sheets. But it was a beautiful, light, pink and purple dawn and you both smiled. You couldn’t help but laugh and cover your face recounting the last night’s events, but Henry himself propped himself to lay on his side with a smug grin and his bare chest puffed like a rooster.

“Ah, so I take it from your sore legs that you enjoyed last night my lady- did you?” he asked.

You burst into laughter, the words babbling out of you like water.

“Yes! Yes, I did Henry I-I I enjoy every minute I spend with you! Goodness, I’m glad I didn’t sneak that knife-“

“Knife?” he repeated.

“On our wedding day, I thought of hiding a dinner knife beneath my dress. So if you tried to force yourself on me, I would have stabbed you. Then I was told at the wedding feast that the court would watch us undress that night. I would have been caught and the knife removed- perhaps I would have been imprisoned right after. It would have been useless. And even if I managed to somehow get it past them, what if I killed you that night? How would I get away with killing the king? They would have still cut my head off!” you recalled.

“Well, I’m quite glad too you did not kill me either!” he replied with a laugh.

You leaned in to kiss his cheek.

“I’m also glad I didn’t because- because I love you, Henry…” you said.

His eyes softened and so did the smugness of his smile. He leaned over and cupped your cheek.

“I love you too,” he said. At long, long last he could say what was inside him and hear those three blessed words with your voice playing them like music. You both leaned over to kiss each other lovingly for a minute, embracing each other genuinely.

“May I join you for your morning ride? The nurse has the children today and I don’t think I ever tried it,” you requested.

“You need only ask,” he replied.

It was after the morning mass that you both went into the stables. And anyone- from the lowest servant to the highest courtier- could see a flash of white over a green hill outside the castle. They would see a white horse- Henry’s favorite- and both the King and The Queen on it. You were right in front, holding onto him, smiling as Henry gripped the reigns to adjust the speed of the horse. Both of you smiling at the wind picking up in your face and the thrill of the horse’s gallop beneath both of you.

There- with your two children healthy, with the protection of the crown and your every needs more than provided for, the ability to do what you could for the better of the country, and most of all, with Henry- who you loved deeply and who loved you in return- you thought your mother turned out to be right after all.

You were indeed the luckiest woman in England.

[th78]

A poem I wrote, I don't have a title for it, but its def femen rage

Im a nonbinary AFAB, but I'm very in touch with my feminity, as I'm female presenting, and I'm also in touch with my female rage, some of y'all's might connect with what I wrote, without further Ado, We villainize the victims,

Glorify the villains.

When does it end?

Temptress they call her

Because she's confident?

A witch, they say

Because she's her own woman?

A siren, they say

Because she speaks out?

You'll take the fall

For standing an inch too tall.

From Medusa's snakes

For Poseidon's shame,

To Eve's forbidden fruit

Why are we to blame

For the snakes' deceit?

Lilith was cast out

For being equal,

To Circe protecting herself

How many women fought

For us?

Who we happily curse

The name of?

Anne Boleyn

Antoinette.

Did they deserve

To lose their heads?

Or was it just the lies

And wishes

Of angry men?

We would help

Each other

But we risk

Taking her place.

Easy to blame

When we speak out.

We are silenced,

She has a spark -

She uses it.

Witch they call her,

How many

Women will scream

Out for mercy?

How many women

Have cried out

And been ignored?

How many daughters

Will suffer

Just for their daughters too?

How long

Will we burn

The legions Of so called Heretic daughters

Woman tears down woman,

Girl tears down girl,

We collect kindling

For our sisters.

We have to be desirable

For approval,

Yet when we are, they target us.

Then it's our fault.

Mothers die

For their daughters,

Goddesses they call us,

Yet cursed they call us.

Tears we shed

For the legions of women.

Who have burned

Before us

And the legions of women

that will after us.

How many lies

Have they told

About the women before us?

How many victims

Have we sent

To the stake?

Everyday

Another witch hunt,

Remove the illusion

Nothing has changed.

[josiebelladonna]

i'm not on anyone's side—except for maybe the side of the people, the israeli, palestinian, jewish, and muslim people, all of whom didn't ask for this—but that's about it, though. (to assume that i'm taking sides is sick, tbh).

the problem is that, like the conservative nutjobs who are quick to slam palestine and kiss netanyahu's ass, those who are like “israel deserved it” are quite literally just as bad because those 600 people were civilians—and like i said, most of them weren't israeli, either. it's like when someone who claims to be pro life feminist tries to tell me that they're feminist because they think abortion “hurts women” (when we all fucking know it doesn't): it only makes you tone deaf because you failed to realize the real enemy here more than likely because of your own ego.

now, i had to read up (a bunch of times, no less) on the whole israeli-palestine conflict mainly because no one will give me a straight answer but also because i was born in the 90s, almost half a century after those two countries were started; of course i'm going to want to know some things, and i'm guessing most of you (that is, any gentile person under the age of 27) who are on the side of palestine here don't know about hamas—or you do, but you don't realize the threat they present to the world. they are extremely racist and anti-semitic (they deny the holocaust ever happened for god's sake). they committed this act. they killed those innocent people. the ones on the side of palestine who do know about them know exactly what i'm talking about: they are legitimate terrorists. the problem is that the media likes to conflate and distort the truth.

and herein lies the flaw with the newer generation in learning about these things. i actually have to go out of my way to read, but how many of you have? how many of you who are posting “i stand with palestine” know why you're posting it (aside from being against the ethnic cleansing that happens there)? how many of you who are griping about palestine being labelled as terrorists realize why they're being labelled that and that it's actually not them but hamas because this was the work of hamas?

listen, gen z. listen to the millennials, we're your older siblings. listen to gen x and the boomers (yes; even with our beef with the latter, listen to them for once), they're your parents and grandparents. they're the ones who saw this from the very beginning. we live in an era of extreme misinformation, and not reading up on these things, only taking them at face value and failing to realize that life isn't clear cut, only contributes to that.

you guys are supposed to be like magellan, making new “discoveries” and giving us new info and enlightening us, but really, i just see a bunch of 20-somethings who prove to me, time and time again, that you guys actually don't know shit and it really just looks like you're doing it to seem important. i'm aware i sound like an old lady complaining about the kids down the street, but these kids are careless—and at this point, i don't think it'll help to say “you'll learn” because knowing your egos and your level of resentment, you won't.

and saying israel deserved it, all because they're aggressors and their government is genuinely oppressive, saying those 600 people had to die, is genuinely despicable; when i really think about it, i honestly don't give a fuck how much you support palestine. you are quite literally as bad as the conservatives rallying around israel, the "maga" crowd who are treating this as if it's a game of risk (i dare you to look that up, too); if not, i'd say you're way worse because you don't see the violent antisemitism at work here (and i'm not jewish, either, so that's saying something). or you do, but you need someone like me to point it out to you because you can't read and think for yourself, that takes too many brain cells. i mean, holy shit, you guys are supposed to be the generation that told us sexuality can be gray and fluid for some people: you know that can be applied to life as a whole, right? you know nothing in existence is black and white... right?

ignorance comes with a price, and i know this because you preached it to me... and you guys are going to pay, if not now, then eventually.

[literategoblin]

2/52 "Roadside Picnic" by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky as translated by Olena Bormashenko

What would humans do if an alien species left behind technology on our planet that had the potential to catapult us through decades of technological advancements, in a fraction of the time? Would we band together for the greater good of humanity? Or would we become monsters, far worse than whatever else could be out there in the infinite dark? That is the question posed and explored in Roadside Picnic, an alien species visits and leaves behind relics and tools on earth, warping portions of the planet into dangerous and inexplicable locations that are sectioned off and called "Zones." Many years have passed since their visit and we follow Redrick "Red" Schuhart a "Stalker", someone who risks their lives entering these zones Illegally hoping to pillage tools and relics to sell at a high price on the black market. But the zone is fraught with danger. From invisible gravity traps that crush anything that passes them, to slime that defies logic, warping whatever it touches in horrific ways. There is no shortage of ways to die in the zone, and many stalkers do . This has taken its toll on Red, leaving him with a rugged and jaded personality and outlook on life. We meet other characters whose lives also revolve around the zones and the relics and knowledge that it contains. While the windup feels a little long winded for the length of the book at a snappy 190~ pages or less depending on your edition. The payoff can be quite nice. The authors do a solid job giving just enough information to unnerve the reader, but not enough to let the reader feel as if they are starting to understand things. The translation can feel clunky but I don't think this is a fault on the translators part. Rather I feel that they stuck to the text truthfully which occasionally presents phrasings and structure that can feel odd at the start but will blend in as the pages go by. Now, the premise, the ambiance, the story, all of these things are interesting and well done in their own ways. I can see how this book could rank very highly with the right audience. But There area few things that just took me out of the text and left me unable to fully immerse myself or to give Red my full sympathy. Simply put, the depictions of women in this book ranges from dated, to just vile. Guta, a character you meet early on is depicted as just a typical housewife whom seldom seems to chose or do anything for herself. She has her moments but in a book that also fails the Bechdel test I felt there was so much more she could have done, that she simply does not do. One might be able to handshake this as an issue with one character whom went under utilized. But another character we meet later in the book has an interesting plot point tied to her. But is a sex object. Red's internal monologue, and later, actions solidify this. Stories do not have to be about, or follow, a good person. I firmly hold to that belief. Some of the most important and interesting stories that we have to tell are the ones that show parts of ourselves we hide in the darkest corners of our minds and hearts. But to take on the task of creating a work in that vein is to accept the responsibility involved with it. It is a difficult, sticky, and unforgiving task. And here, Roadside Picnic failed to stick the landing in my eyes. Interesting discussions on human nature and the morality of science and progress are had in this book. But the handling of these characters, and Red's decisions and actions keep pulling me out of the honestly quite good immersion the book would build up. And for this reason, I'm disappointed to say I can't really recommend this book. If you are a fan of the STALKER series and want to see its origins, it may be worth your time. But know what you're walking into here. I cannot say that the book does not have strong points, good moments, and memorable quotes. But the way Red is handled in the narrative selected for the book and its depictions of women stain what really could have been a great work. 2.5/5

[rosiewitchescottage]

Exactly.

There are problems that can come up during pregnancy, yes.

There are problems that can come up during childbirth. All true.

But being a woman in The West, puts us in the very happy position of having medical professionals, who not only know about these problems. (apparently ancient midwives knew about many of these problems too. This isn't the main point.)

But, they also know what to do.about them.

Pre eclampsia, for example, is very serious, if it develops into eclampsia, then you die.

But now, it's easy to prevent this from happening.

At ante natal check ups, we take a urine sample to be tested. If protein is found to be present, it's a sign of pre eclampsia, and you're usually hospitalised, so they can keep a check on you.

Birth can be induced early, if need be.

Important and wonderful as all this is. A healthy attitude towards pregnancy and childbirth is even more so.

Obianuju Ekeocha is part of Culture of Life Africa.

She talks frequently about the pro family attitude across the continent of Africa.

Many African women want big families. They want the healthcare, education, food and water, housing, fair justice system etc, that help pregnancy, childbirth and child rearing be as safe and healthy as possible. Also to enable families to get out and stay out of poverty.

Pregnancy and childbirth are natural processes that the female body is designed to be able to do.

No part of life is 100% risk free, but do we act as though they are all something 'oppressive'? 🙄

[bhagwatiayurved]

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They involve numerous partners in sexual activity. One major risk factor is the number of partners you have had sex with in the past year. The risk increases during genital contact, such as sex or sexual activity. Most persons who have genital herpes are unaware that they have the virus.

Having a partner who is ill yet and refusing the Best Treatment of Herpes. Bhagwati Ayurved medicine can help control genital herpes outbreaks.

Particular sectors of the populace. Genital herpes is more commonly diagnosed in women, those with a history of STDs, the elderly, and males with sex with men. Individuals in high-risk groups may wish to discuss their risks with a medical professional.

Conclusion: In the above, we discuss the causes of genital herpes. Learning about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), such as genital herpes, and how to avoid them or, if necessary, live with them is crucial if you are sexually active or considering becoming so. Those dealing with herpes can benefit from the encouragement of friends and family.

[daydreamerdrew]

it's been very compelling to me how Tony Stark has already been characterized in so many different ways just up to the point in his comics that I'm at, early 1972.

Tony’s always vacillating between like ugh finally I get to be Iron Man and get a break from being Tony Stark… ugh being Iron Man is taking over my life and preventing me from being Tony Stark… ugh Tony Stark is a terrible person and I need to go be Iron Man to make up for being Tony Stark… ugh I’m sick of being Iron Man but my heart condition means I can never live a normal life because I can't pursue certain things knowing I could die at anytime so I’ve got to make the most of the time I have by being Iron Man even if by doing so I’m putting my health at risk and making it more likely I’ll die… wait ugh being Iron Man sucks I’m going to abandon that and commit to being Tony Stark and yay this is awesome but oh no tragedy has struck proving to me that I have to always be Iron Man! and etcetera

that he's a playboy has been portrayed as something that he is unabashedly and naturally and is frustrated that being Iron Man takes him away from it. it's also been portrayed that he feels disgusted with how he's wasted his life being a playboy and frames it that being Iron Man is what makes up for that. that he's a playboy has also been portrayed as something that he does just as an act to protect his secret identity as Iron Man by making Tony Stark seem like a less serious person. and that he's a playboy been portrayed as an act that he puts on to push women away that he would want to have a serious romantic relationship with but feels that he can't for various reasons.

sometimes he feels trapped behind the mask of Iron Man and calls it a prison for how the role dominates his time and takes him away from being a regular person as Tony Stark. but he also often thinks that he doesn't have the option to live a regular life because of his heart condition meaning that he could die at any time, making it so that he can't really enjoy his life and making it so that he feels it wouldn't be right for him to form a serious romantic relationship with someone because how likely it is that he would die on them. and he's also before questioned whether or not he could do more good as Tony Stark and so if being Iron Man is really selfishly only just for the thrill of it. he's also framed his Tony Stark identity as also another prison that he's stuck behind and that prevents him being a regular person in the sense of emotionally connecting to others, he instead has to be this cold businessman. but Tony Stark has also been portrayed having a reputation for being a really compassionate businessman. but also sometimes he wishes that he actually was that unfeeling machine because it would be easier than dealing with his emotions. and he's also wondered if the beliefs that he it wouldn't be right for him to form a serious romantic relationship because it could pull him away from the responsibility of being Iron Man or because of his heart condition are really only excuses to avoid uncomfortable emotional vulnerability.

it seems to that he has constructed these different identities for himself but cannot determine what is natural to him and what is acting and so is always shifting based on how well it's working for him between that a facet of these roles is who he actually is or that it's not who he is but who he thinks he has to be for various reasons, but can never settle on that something is an act because he has such a limited understanding of himself, but also enough of an understanding to articulate that the way he's acting is unnatural to himself, but what I haven't yet figured out is when I would think that construction process would have taken place.

in Tony's first appearance he was presented as pre-Iron Man being an uncomplicated playboy millionare inventor that had a perfect enviable life. after he became Iron Man he was presented as essentially still being that except with the secret that he's actually a deeply tragic character because of his heart condition. him being a playboy was maintained and then later was characterized as an act, but it's tricky because that's not a characterization change that just moved in one direction but legitimately shifts back and forth.

the idea has been presented that being Iron Man has prevented Tony from being a playboy because it takes up so much of his time. but the idea has also been presented that Tony thinks negatively of him having been a playboy in the past and so at some point in time genuinely changed to not actually be a playboy at heart. what hasn't been presented is that that change of opinion occurred during the events of his origin story as Iron Man and I don't find that at this point in time to be a viable reading because of how him being a playboy was played straight in his origin story's aftermath.

when Tony talked about Tony Stark being a mask he was stuck behind, that he couldn't show compassion because that wouldn't be Tony Stark, he says nothing that gave any clues as to when and why people would have formed the idea that Tony Stark wasn't compassionate in the first place or even why he can't disprove that.

so it's not suggested if he had once been that way and then changed because of the experience that made him become Iron Man but then felt he couldn't let people know that he'd changed because it would give away that he's Iron Man. or if he had never really been that way but adopted the guise after becoming Iron Man and made people think that he was, perhaps just leaning into it and sticking with it when the assumption was made once when he ran away and seemed to abandon people in need so that he could put on the Iron Man armor and come back and save them, so that they wouldn't connect him with the heroic figure of Iron Man. or if it had been a guise that he had adopted before he became Iron Man because of something to do with his upbringing and the world that he was a part of.

which is not even getting into the fact that Tony Stark had actually been portrayed as compassionate before that specific story without it being a problem. and Tony Stark not being allowed to be compassionate wasn't connected to that Iron Man is but was intertwined with how he was stuck behind cold masks in both identities and there was no way for him to ever be tender. he's deeply unhappy about it but doesn't see it as something he could do anything to change, he was just trapped.

but he doesn't come across as trapped all of the time! he's not conflicted about things in every single story. he's also got standard straightforward superhero stories, it's just that over time that's been interspersed with stories of him being very conflicted about it all.

and that's also not even getting into that there are stories where Tony's problem is that he's not differentiating between Iron Man and Tony Stark enough. like when his heart problems got so bad that he needed to full Iron Man armor to stay alive and so was trapped inside it and he just told everyone that Tony Stark went on a trip and left Iron Man in charge and then tried to resume his life as normal, not realizing how that would come across to other people and not realizing that he couldn't just maintain his relationships with Pepper and Happy exactly as they were before without them getting upset, which ultimately ended up with them suspecting that Iron Man was trying to steal Tony Stark's life and getting him made a suspect in Tony Stark's mysterious dissapearance.

[edenmemes]

assassin’s creed valhalla starters

words within ‘()’ are additional, optional choices! more maybe to be added at a later date. some n/sfw present. 

❝ you should see the other man. he got the worst of it. ❞   ❝ and who better to lead us to glory than me? ❞ ❝ i am most at home helping others. ❞       ❝ i’ve waited long enough for you, and you for me. ❞   ❝ thank you for not saying anything about my past. ❞       ❝ know that however far away, you’re always in my thoughts. ❞   ❝ when you see your god, tell them i sent you. ❞   ❝ what you make up in muscles, you’re lacking in spine. ❞   ❝ i almost envy you, to see the world through such a muddy glass and live with such petty concerns. ❞   ❝ i smell the stink of a dozen kingdoms in your beard. ❞   ❝ this feud is not yours, yet you fight it all the same. i find that strange. ❞   ❝ by the look on your face, you have lost your will to live. ❞   ❝ my arms are numb from battle. does it need any dressing?    do you think it is a serious wound? ❞   ❝ oh dear. this is not how i foresaw things. not at all! ❞   ❝ should we take this to your chamber? ❞   ❝ i want this. i want you. ❞   ❝ turn around, walk away, and you keep your insides inside. ❞   ❝ stay back! back! i will fight you! ❞   ❝ you look like reddened shit. what happened? ❞   ❝ i have always wanted to experience the world as you do. ❞   ❝ you come like a valkyrie out of a fog. but i have no dead to give you. ❞   ❝ all right, stay close and do as i do. ❞   ❝ home. or...it was home, once. now it is nothing but bone. ❞   ❝ i’ll have no qualms wiping clean your grin. ❞   ❝ just take care. such hatred can make you careless. ❞   ❝ away from your table for a day and you are already lusting for blood. ❞   ❝ if i did not know any better, i would say you are teasing me. ❞   ❝ the dream of new lands is a powerful lure. ❞   ❝ i love climbing up here. makes me feel as high as a raven. ❞   ❝ if i don’t find your horse, i will steal you a new one. ❞   ❝ i feel somewhat trapped. in this room, in this settlement, in this life. ❞   ❝ you are lost in a sea-storm of your own making. ❞   ❝ the poet in you sings once again. ❞   ❝ tonight, we will eat and drink like gods and wake in a kingdom made new. ❞   ❝ i wish i understood you better. for those i do not understand, i do not trust. (and i cannot stomach a lack of trust.) ❞ ❝ i’ve been called worse. ❞   ❝ you have nothing to fear from me. i bear you no ill will. ❞   ❝ you are a shadow of your father. weak and witless. ❞   ❝ what is this? is this...are we in hell? ❞   ❝ keep company with kings and you will soon have a crown of your own. ❞   ❝ a toothless cub may grow to be a dangerous wolf. ❞   ❝ you are far too young to speak so wise. ❞   ❝ i need clear, sound judgement. i need you. ❞   ❝ kind and courageous people live the best lives, but it can be a difficult path to keep. ❞ ❝ i want to say...i love you. and i have for some time. ❞ ❝ you smell that? the stink of jealousy. (of our budding friendship, i think). ❞   ❝ ah, while i have you, i’m reminded...i have this for you. ❞   ❝ your lies are just like you. big and bold. ❞   ❝ don’t excuse yourself. you enjoy this too much. ❞   ❝ you've come back. why are you wasting your time with me? ❞   ❝ care to sing a song? helps me pass the time. ❞   ❝ that is twice you have earned my admiration. ❞   ❝ you have only the setting sun to tell you when to stop. ❞   ❝ i want to know what you know. name your price. ❞   ❝ people like you deserve something worse than death. ❞   ❝ they called me a lout, a disgrace. they were right. ❞   ❝ i will have to get used to watching the sights of war from afar now. ❞   ❝ there’s no other way. fight or hide. it’s up to you. ❞   ❝ do not think me a coward. i am not afraid of war. ❞   ❝ friendships end. often at the point of a spear. ❞ ❝ i will make you beg as your father begged. ❞   ❝ (until that time,) it would be best to keep all discussions about...    about us to yourself. ❞ ❝ without you i would have lost my way a thousand times. ❞   ❝ you have no other friends. so tread lightly here. ❞   ❝ be it a blessing or a curse, family is always first. ❞   ❝ let’s not walk too far with that idea. i need you right where you are. ❞   ❝ you bested me. yet, i’m the one left standing. ❞   ❝ it’s a pleasure to meet you at least. ❞   ❝ you and your people here have done more for me than i could ever repay. ❞   ❝ you have my highest respect, regard, and trust. ❞   ❝ you’re not shy, are you? ❞   ❝ if we do this, you’ll earn the right to call me friend ten-thousand fold. ❞   ❝ does this have the stench of betrayal to you? ❞ ❝ today has meant so much. we rode, we fought, we drank, we laughed. (you showed me your world.) ❞       ❝ your end was written the moment you came for me. ❞   ❝ i am a sellsword. i ask what i please, and i take what i’m owed. ❞ ❝ you move and i will take your eyes. you hear me? ❞   ❝ i will leap first. on my word, you must follow. ❞   ❝ many times i wished to tell you. wished to say what was in my heart and what i desired. (but duty kept me from it.) ❞   ❝ these wounds will heal quickly. you’re lucky. ❞   ❝ anything to help you feel at home. ❞   ❝ our friendship is the best thing to come from this mess. ❞   ❝ you will be remembered for this, for years to come. ❞   ❝ i thought i had lost you. for good this time. ❞   ❝ you have shown me a great kindness. it is only fitting that i do the same. ❞   ❝ the mess you’re in...you don’t know the half of it. ❞   ❝ you have drawn a dark conclusion about me, haven’t you? (that is all well and good. i’ve drawn some about you as well.) ❞   ❝ you seem...strangely familiar. ❞   ❝ here i am, an upright man who never once learned how to bend the knee. and yet...i shall try. ❞ ❝ that’s a bread knife. do you mean to butter me? ❞   ❝ is that not something you worry over? ❞   ❝ a blind pursuit of vengeance has made you predictable. ❞   ❝ no matter where you are, or how far you travel, i will hunt you down. ❞   ❝ i came for you, looking for a friend and ally. ❞   ❝ people change.    it may be that you change with them, or you go your separate ways. ❞   ❝ i wish you whatever peace you may find in this new life you’ve found. ❞   ❝ i want your word: you will follow my orders. ❞   ❝ the day is new, and the air is bracing. are you ready for the fight ahead? ❞   ❝ er...good to meet you as well? ❞   ❝ what riches are worth so much misery, and the deaths of honorable men and women? ❞   ❝ my destiny is mine to weave. ❞   ❝ my road forward has been a muddy one. slick with blood and tears. (but we can reach its end together.) ❞   ❝ it is a wise leader who considers the needs of others. ❞   ❝ i think my mouth has gotten me in enough trouble today. ❞   ❝ at the end of all things, you will find yourself with nothing but your regrets. ❞   ❝ you saw fit to keep me guessing through your fits of madness. ❞   ❝ by all the gods, what was that? ❞   ❝ i was...restless. a quiet walk alone clears the head. ❞   ❝ when winter is past, summer will come and wind you in a flowered skirt, for you are beauty and shall not wither. ❞   ❝ ...unless you had a more interesting day planned for us? ❞   ❝ i do hope you see it now, for all you have done for me. ❞   ❝ your passion, your strength. i have never met such a burning soul. ❞   ❝ i have no guilt nor regret for what we have done, but we should be careful. ❞   ❝ i see before me a person full of passion, vigor, and a love for their people. ❞   ❝ if i wanted to hear you talk shit, i’d cut out your tongue and shove it up your ass. ❞   ❝ you! you look stronger than most of the others. ❞   ❝ your hatred for me burns bright. i could warm my balls on it. ❞   ❝ you’re quite like your arms: incredibly thick. ❞   ❝ i fought as i do, as hard as i do, to survive. (for i know what awaits us in the end. only darkness.) ❞   ❝ a shameful trick. you are your father’s child. ❞   ❝ you destroyed my life. i will take yours. ❞   ❝ you snore a little, like a wounded bear. ❞   ❝ that’s when i knew i would live and die for you. ❞   ❝ i’m going to pretend your last words were taken by the wind. ❞   ❝ i might still kill you yet, if your prattling doesn’t cease. ❞   ❝ you are weak like your father was weak. (you dance better than you fight.) ❞   ❝ have you ever seen muscles as massive as mine? ❞   ❝ i’m honored by your faith in me. and your confidence. ❞   ❝ after my missteps, i worry what you must think of me. ❞   ❝ with so much blood in the water and death in the air, i’d like to know your name and purpose. ❞ ❝ i have a good feeling about this place. ❞   ❝ you helped me reclaim what i had lost in myself. ❞       ❝ you speak of honor. where’s yours? ❞       ❝ you will throw away all reason to defend what you sworn to. ❞       ❝ you really are like a hero out of folk tales. ❞       ❝ how much would you sacrifice to be freed of fate’s shackles? (would you give your tongue, your hand, your sight?) ❞   ❝ there’s no power strong enough to do what you say. ❞       ❝ please, you must fight for me.    who knows what vile people might come to harm me? ❞   ❝ i have no need to count my kills. they number too many. ❞   ❝ i appreciate you for all of your qualities. ❞ ❝ not even the gods can change fate. ❞       ❝ i think it is time i take my leave. ❞ ❝ you really thought my life was in danger? (and you risked your own life...) ❞ ❝ the path ahead is bright, with glory at its end. ❞ ❝ it is easy to lose one's way on the road to glory. do not let false victories blind you to what is true. ❞ ❝ the act of leaving so beloved a home, there is a sadness to it. ❞       ❝ so there’s nowhere...you call home? ❞   ❝ all things end. ruins are not a warning, they are a testament. ❞   ❝ be nice to sleep in a real bed when this is over. ❞   ❝ in my sleep i dream. and in my dreams i see an end to the doom that will grip the earth once again. ❞   ❝ even when we win, we lose. ❞   ❝ i am as good with my lips, as i am with my tongue. ❞   ❝ is this your idea of a pleasant ride through the country? ❞   ❝ no whispering god brought me here. i brought myself. ❞   ❝ i would like very much to pass some time with you. ❞   ❝ ...and that’s how i got that scar. ❞   ❝ do i now haunt your dreams? ❞   ❝ it was never in their character to lead, it was always within yours. ❞   ❝ so easily wounded by words. imagine the ruin my axe would inflict on your flaccid ego. ❞   ❝ i have felt this way for some time now. i care for you. ❞   ❝ i have not felt safe since then. not really. ❞   ❝ how long have you been chasing me? seventeen winters? eighteen? ❞   ❝ you are not always to be trusted. your passions overcome you. ❞   ❝ i like you. you may help me here or step on me...and by the look of you i’d welcome either. ❞   ❝ it is good to have you in this fight. ❞   ❝ you need only know my impressive scale and flawless build. ❞   ❝ i am better than any man here. ❞   ❝ i can tell by looking at you, you are not a great warrior. (you know it too, there is no reason to deny this.) ❞   ❝ i am looking for honor, and have become lost as a result. ❞   ❝ many apologies. you are no child, simply a frail and fully-grown fool. ❞   ❝ i was stupid, selfish, reckless, blind, boneheaded, and i smell like blood and shit. ❞ ❝ anything to say for the mess you led us to? ❞   ❝ how was your...first kill? ❞   ❝ you squirm like that and my axe will miss your neck! unpleasant for both of us. ❞   ❝ i know you would defy me to the death, fighting for a glorious end.     that i will not allow. ❞   ❝ most men choose to be loud or stupid. impressive, that you managed both. ❞   ❝ you are a great warrior. conquerer of this land and that of your birth. ❞   ❝ you’re chasing shadows like a madman howling at the moon! ❞   ❝ quite a hit you took. how many were lost? ❞   ❝ well fought! even if your wits were somewhat rattled. ❞   ❝ we suffered no losses in this fight, and the men who humiliated us are dead. what is there to say? ❞   ❝ i would like to be close to you. ❞   ❝ if you are a warrior with honor running like sunlight in your veins, then you may help me fulfill my destiny. ❞ ❝ you are a long way from any warm hearth, warrior. Is this where you call home? ❞ ❝ am i to go the rest of my days without love or attention? i think not. ❞   ❝ the gods favor you. they always have. ❞   ❝ the others, they are like clubs. blunt and ungainly, you are nimble, like a knife. ❞   ❝ people with eyes that gleam like yours are always up to something more. ❞   ❝ only a fool stays awake all night worrying. you are tired when you get up, and the problem is still not solved. ❞   ❝ i liked you from the first. i saw something in you that captivated me. (as if a forgotten memory of an old friendship had suddenly resurfaced.) ❞   ❝ you've done nothing but give me your blind word! ❞   ❝ did you bring me any treasure? ❞ ❝ the woodsmoke from your firepit does sting the eyes. but the warmth is welcome. ❞ ❝ it is not something i can speak on. or wish to. ❞ ❝ i'm with you. only say the word. ❞ ❝ until we cut off this serpent's head, it will poison us, day by day, drop by drop. ❞ ❝ get some rest and return here at first light. ❞ ❝ i missed having you at my side. how i wished i could have taken you along on my travels. ❞ ❝ i do not like this, but i will not stop you. ❞ ❝ i have waited too many years for this day. when ___ stands before us, give me the final blow. ❞ ❝ why do you carry such a useless burden? let it go. ❞ ❝ i have waited years for this, but i will not risk losing it through rashness. ❞ ❝ i cannot fathom your game. you are either a young fool...or deceptively wise. ❞ ❝ your confidence blinds you to so much in plain sight. ❞   ❝ it’s good to be here, with you and your people. (i feel my life has found a new road.) ❞   ❝ there has always been war, even among the gods. ❞       ❝ my honor has been stained. until it's wiped clean, i want nothing else. ❞ ❝ i lack the patience for pole fishing. i would have better luck with my bow. ❞   ❝ if we tell all our stories, we’ll be here for a week. ❞ ❝ can you teach me the art of archery? ❞   ❝ bury the past. build the future. ❞       ❝ i missed you. your clear head and your courage. (we have not had enough of both in recent months.)   ❞   ❝ i have a good feeling this war is near its end. ❞ ❝ explain in plain words why you have willfully disobeyed my commands. (do you mock me?) ❞   ❝ the gods favor you. they always have. ❞   ❝ my love for you rises tall and strong, like the tree of life. ❞   ❝ the prize is some of my time. (a walk in nature, maybe more if that is where our conversation takes us.) ❞ ❝ together, we are unstoppable. ❞ ❝ it is natural to fear change. to resist it. (but all things change, and all things end.) ❞ ❝ you said nothing of this to me, not a word. ❞ ❝ so long as men and women fight to secure honor and freedom, their allegiance hardly matters to me. ❞ ❝ i care for you. i do not know how to say it any other way. ❞   ❝ love can burn brighter near death. ❞ ❝ i knew this would be difficult, but sometimes the weight bears down heavily. ❞ ❝ you are young and still foolish, so i will spare you your life. (but cross me again or harm anyone i cherish, and you will join your friends in hell.)   ❞ ❝ if you are as brave as you appear, you will come. ❞ ❝ this is not a natural quiet. it's as if a curse has befallen this place. ❞ ❝ there was a curse here long before i came along. ❞ ❝ we’ll forge a warrior from your softness, hammered on the anvil of war. ❞ ❝ you are different than the kind my flights of fancy attract. burdened, decorated and…delicate. ❞ ❝ i do not know what else to say. m-my memories are faint, hazy. ❞ ❝ how are you doing? you survived a serious blow. ❞   ❝ we’ll weave our sagas together, thread upon thread. ❞ ❝ i try to use my knowledge to help others. i am only a threat to those who fear the unknown. ❞   ❝ slap some moss on that gash and wrap it well. ❞   ❝ a knife to the back is a wound that never heals. ❞       ❝ with me you have wisdom! glory! power! what more do you need? ❞       ❝ if your hell is real, i’m glad you’ll get to see it. ❞   ❝ to fight beside such legends is an honor. (i've only heard tales of your conquests. now i get to live them.) ❞   ❝ i have tried to live well. it is enough that the gods know that. ❞ ❝ a cloud hangs over you. is something wrong? ❞   ❝ you have plunged my city into chaos. ❞   ❝ my sword is gore-greedy. i am ready to fight. ❞   ❝ accept your fate and die a coward, here before your people... and i will spare the rest. ❞   ❝ you would take the rescue for yourself, so the victory song is written about you? ❞   ❝ kneel, and i will spare your life. ❞   ❝ it has been some time. what brings you so far to see me? ❞

[riddlecrux]

What is past is present: Azriel and Elain, Helion and Lady of Autumn Court

This post is going to be a long one. I will be talking about parallels between Helion - Lady of Autumn Court - Beron and Azriel - Elain - Lucien situation. How their relationships mirror each other, how the blood duel mentioned in ACOSF and ACOWAR will come to an end, but also how the first triangle was used as a plot device in ACOWAR. I believe it is not a coincidence that SJM decided to put these scenes and histories in the same book with such a short span of time passing between things happening on the pages of their story. I would like to say that this post is a pro Elriel meta, so if they are not your cup of tea please scroll past this. Many thanks to Gardening Tools, especially @silverlinedeyes !

We are going to start with the Lady of Autumn Court and the scene at the High Lord’s council. She is there with her husband, Beron and as the conversation surrounding Hybern increases in intensity, we are presented with a bit of background information about the Lady.

Lady of the Autumn Court had 2 sisters that died during Hybern's soldiers' attack. We got to see another family of three sisters, two of them dying for their sister. What's even more important is a mention of Hybern's war camps and how it's very unlikely for anyone to survive their time there.

Here Beron taunts Kallias by telling his mate that Hybern and his people probably torture and abuse women before killing them. (Please be sure to remember that because we're going to go back to this notion later in this post.)

Another big insight about Lady's life and this particular accident comes from no one else but Helion.

Few things that are very important to mention: - she had already given birth to a few of her children - Hybern directly attacked the estate they were in - her sisters let her run away because they loved her - she tried to fight and stay with them till they convinced her to run - the beasts sent by Hybern tailed her and finally cornered her in a trap

What Feyre says in this particular scene - about Helion knowing too many details holds great importance for the further quotes. We also get to know that, in fact, it was Helion who rescued the Lady - not only saved but found her. The setup, the build-up and the fact that it wasn't her "husband" that came for her are the main things I wish to bring attention to, as we are going to analyze different scenes from the same book with this knowledge.

He could have ended it differently, yet he didn't. Why? The question seems to be imprinted in Feyre's mind as she tries to connect the dots and points she was given, just like us readers. I do believe that what we are being presented with is the notion of the mating bond. Helion's rage at Lady's attack projects typical mate behavior - such as unnecessary violence against the ones who dared to hurt their mate. It also goes with the information of him finding her - how was that possible? Her husband wasn't there, it was Helion who essentially knew that something was wrong. How? Well, by applying the mating bond in this picture we can easily deduct few things: Helion probably felt her distraught through the bond, was able to locate her and save her.

Another insight given by Helion is about Lady's relationship with Beron. Not only it gives us information about her young age (cue to Rhysand's mother and how her young age was also brought up as something very disturbing and not in favour of some mating bonds), but also we get to know that her marriage was arranged. Just like the reader, Feyre is left with these very personal insights and detailed descriptions - so she presses Helion more, to speak, to see if her suspicions are correct.

Another person jumps into the conversation and it is Mor who hands the information of a possible romance between Lady and Helion. We learn that both of them met at an equinox ball before she was proposed with an arranged marriage with Beron. Feyre's curiosity is evident in the way she perks up at Mor's words. Helion on the other hand counter-attacks and provides us with the political background of the story. The Lady was basically left without a choice when it came to her love life.

Helion saved Beron's wife during the war. And Beron didn't know and still doesn't have an idea that it was Helion who saved the Lady.

Feyre tries to fish for more information - and Helion seems to be very reluctant to answer her question about his relationship with the Lady. It makes us think that, in fact, their relationship was somehow forbidden, being kept in secret. Moreover, what's even more interesting is the fact that we suddenly have a shift of focus on another person - Azriel. We are deliberately made aware of the fact that Azriel is listening to this important conversation.

We are starting to see Helion becoming slightly less humorous - Feyre can spot the difference between his usual self and the way he delivers his question. It suggests that the relationship and potential mating bond is a very touchy subject for him.

Their forbidden relationship went on for decades. They were secret lovers till Beron found about them. We see that contrast between the Lady with Helion - all brightness and smiles, Lady with Beron - withdrawn, timid, scared.

I clenched my teeth. “If you were her lover, why didn’t you stop it?” The wrong thing to say. Utterly wrong, by the dark fury that rippled across Helion’s face. “Beron is a High Lord, and she is his wife, mother of his brood. She chose to stay. Chose. And with the protocols and rules, Lady, you will find that most situations like the one you were in do not end well for those who interfere.”

Helion reacts with anger at Feyre's inquiry about his lack of participation in the case of the Lady's wellbeing. "Dark fury rippling across Helion's face" is also an interesting word choice. Again we are reminded that their romance was meant to end that way due to the notions of choice and politics.

“Beron never called you out for it?” “To publicly do so would be to admit that his possession made a fool of him. So we continue our little dance, these centuries later.” I somehow doubted that beneath that roguish charm and irreverence, Helion felt it was a dance at all.

Helion reminds us about politics that bind different Courts - in this case, we can easily see that the matter of choice in this example ends with Lady choosing duty over love. It also supplies us with an idea that if Helion would have wanted to fight for Lady he would need to participate in a blood duel. Yet, the Lady chose Beron - we don't know why Helion probably was left alone with the same question. However, by analyzing this situation I believe that Lady knew about the possibility of a blood duel happening she didn't want her potential mate to be hurt. So, in the end, she opted for a life in a loveless marriage with Beron. Furthermore, we have Rhysand and Feyre coming to the conclusion that Lucien is Helion's son - and he is the fruit of the loving relationship between Helion and the Lady.

What does this mean, though? Nothing—ultimately nothing. Other than the fact that Lucien might be Helion’s sole heir. And that … it changed nothing in this war. Especially not with Lucien on the continent, hunting that enchanted queen. A bird of flame … and a lord of fire. I wondered if they’d found each other yet.

The usage of the word "this war" is not a coincidence, as well as Rhysand's poor prediction of the future. Because as we know, right now - it changes a lot. Elain being his mate bounds him to the Night Court, so losing that relationship puts the Court at risk. Especially now, when Lucien doesn't know that Helion is his father. Another very important addition is the part about Lucien and Vassa. Feyre has prophetic tendencies and her thoughts about both Vassa and Lucien always focus on their... relationship. Not to mention that it was brought up after that whole conversation with Helion. With all these things above, I would like to move on to Elriel parallels. Starting with the Cauldron kidnapping Elain. Please bear in mind that this scene happens after the meeting with Helion, after learning about the story of Lady's and Helion's romance.

But Azriel asked softly, “What about Elain?”

The one who noticed that Elain was absent was Azriel, we can speculate whatever it was his intuition, his shadows, or perhaps some kind of feeling that made him aware of her absence. Yet, it's not a coincidence that another male character, the one who doesn't have an official mate is the only one who either felt/realized that she was taken. That's the first parallel I would love to bring to your attention - Helion was the one who found and rescued the Lady. Now, the situation is almost identical - Hybern attacks via Cauldron takes Elain to the war camps.

And what Hybern would do to Elain, might already be doing— From the shadows near the entrance to the tent, Azriel said, as if in answer to some unspoken debate, “I’m getting her back.” Nesta slid her gaze to the shadowsinger. Azriel’s hazel eyes glowed golden in the shadows. Nesta said, “Then you will die.” Azriel only repeated, rage glazing that stare, “I’m getting her back.”

Azriel reacts with rage, a silent debate raging within him. He is battling something deep inside him, which is obstructed from the reader's point of view. I wonder why? He is the one who swears to find her and rescue her. Also, worth mentioning how Feyre seems to realize the graveness of the situation - as if she can remember the conversation she had with Helion about what happened with sisters of the Lady of Autumn Court. War camps. Nobody would walk away from them alive.

We looked to Rhys, to Cassian and Nesta, to Mor—right as she appeared, breathless, between the tent flaps. Her eyes went to me, then the shadowsinger, and flared with shock and fear—

In this scene we also have Mor. Mor was present during Helion's conversation and gave input about their love and forbidden relationship. Mor that possess the power of Truth. Is it possible that Mor knew about the mating bond between Helion and the Lady? Is it possible that Mor knows about the truth of the mating bond between Lucien and Elain? Does Mor know about the potential mating bond between Azriel and Elain? There are so many questions and we don't get an answer. Mor keeps secrets, which is understandable yet it provides a whole new aspect of Mor being the one who realizes what's happening. (Not to mention that Mor is always present when Elain is with Lucien, assessing them.)

Screaming. A shadow gripped my shoulder, reminding me not to run. Ianthe would not run—would not show alarm. My mouth went dry as that scream sounded again. I couldn’t bear it—to let it go on, to see what was being done— Azriel’s shadow-hand grasped my own, tugging me closer. His rage rippled off his invisible form.

It is Azriel who reacts once again with - rage. At the thought of Elain being tortured, abused, or being killed. Feyre can't stomach the idea of what is happening to her sister in this war camp.

I could feel Jurian’s smile against my ear. “She’s in his tent. Chained with steel and a little spell from his favorite book.” Shit. Shit. Perhaps I should have gotten Helion, who could break almost any—

The mention of Helion is such a beautiful parallel. We, as readers, are amidst a rescue mission. A situation that was very similarly described few chapters before, a situation in which it was Helion in Azriel's shoes. In the past it was - Helion and Lady, here in the "future" we have - Azriel and Elain. The same circumstances - Hybern attack/Hybern powers, three sisters, and the only one is targeted, a savior that isn't husband/mate finding and rescuing the girl.

Azriel gently removed the gag from her mouth. “Are you hurt?” She shook her head, devouring the sight of him as if not quite believing it. “You came for me.” The shadowsinger only inclined his head.

I could write a whole meta about this quote because it's ridden with such enormous parallels and foreshadowing. Let's start with the simplest one, which is the word "devour". It has very strong connections to physicality, it basically means that Elain greedily took him in, he was her focal point at that moment. Also, the following addition of her not quite believing that, in fact, it is Azriel who arrived before her - she hadn't expected him to rescue her and you may be wondering why? It all beautifully goes with the idea of two mates/true mates theories - what is making me say this with so much certainty? Well, first of all, ACOWAR is full of descriptions of how a healthy mating bond works, for example, Feysand one. It's a bridge connecting two souls through which our emotions, thoughts can be perceived for the other person.

Find me, find me, find me, I tried shouting down that bond. But my mate’s wry voice didn’t answer. There was only the roaring void.

This happens at the begging of ACOWAR when Feyre tries to communicate with Rhysand through their mating bond. I find it very interesting that throughout the whole book the trope of "finding your true love, significant other" is very persistent. This brings me back to the theory that both Azriel and Helion heard their mates' cries of help and that's how they were able to rescue them and find them. In addition to that Elain's "you came for me" is striking so many questions. What does she mean? Why is she so docile and peaceful? As if she somehow had an idea that someone will come for her - did she perhaps inwardly call through the mating bond? This, again, brings us to another parallel - Beron doesn't know that it was Helion who rescued the Lady. Lucien doesn't know that it was Azriel who saved Elain - which, we really don't know if he even felt/knew that something has happened.

The hounds closed in, two breaking away—to cut to the side. To herd us. For that was a cliff at the other edge of the camp. A cliff with a very, very long drop, and unforgiving river below.

I'm bringing this up because the setting is oddly familiar with the run of Lady of Autumn's one. The isolated place, a trap etc.

Azriel’s roar echoed off the rocks as the hound slammed into him, dragging those shredding talons down his spine, his wings— The girl screamed, but Elain moved. As Azriel battled to keep them airborne, keep his grip on them, my sister sent a fierce kick into the beast’s face. Its eye. Another. Another. It bellowed, and Elain slammed her bare, muddy foot into its face again. The blow struck home. With a yelp of pain, it released its claws—and plunged into the ravine.

Parallel on parallel. We have Hybern's beasts, we have a similar setting again and fight. What is different, however, is that in Helion's case it was solely him that destroyed beasts while rescuing the Lady. Here, however, it is Elain that fights against beasts - she who had never trained, she who is a gardener is fighting against evil. She is kicking as the beasts hurt Azriel. She took the initiative and killed the beast at that moment when they previously hurt Azriel. Also, the most beautiful comparison in my opinion is the fact that after Elain knocks the beast it falls down the ravine, dying. It is somehow very symbolic that Elain kills the beast that falls into the ravine, whereas Lady of Autumn is stuck in the ravine as beasts approach her and it is the moment when Helion saves her.

The gray light of morning had broken over the world, mist clinging to our ankles as we headed into that camp, Azriel still cradling Elain to his chest. He dripped blood behind him the entire time—a trickle compared to the torrent that should be leaking out.

After that intense battle, they arrive in the safety, but Azriel still holds on Elain even if he himself is bleeding all over the place.

Rhys lunged for Azriel, taking Elain from him and gently setting my sister down. Azriel rasped, swaying on his feet, “We need Helion to get these chains off her.” Yet Elain didn’t seem to notice them as she rose up on her toes and kissed the shadowsinger’s cheek.

Another mention of Helion in that very parallel setting. He was very present during the rescue mission, which is a neat way of showering the audience with foreshadowing. If I wanted to indulge even more in the symbolism of this scene, I would point out that the chains on Elain are very symbolic as well. They could either mean the restrain of her powers, but also the chains of the "lack of freedom", "lack of choice". Being freed by both Azriel and Helion is something that I believe is very important to remember while waiting for the next book. Because even if Elain is a mirror to Lady - Elain will change the course of her story. Elain is going to choose love over duty, she will choose Azriel - which ends with them discovering that, in fact, the bond was there from the beginning. Helion getting rid of those chains is also a metaphor for what is to come. He will break Lady's chains by fighting with Beron during the blood duel. In this timeline, Azriel and Elain are symbolism of healthy love, mating bond, freedom of choice. Lucien doesn't mirror Beron, because he himself doesn't want to be with Elain since both of them don't feel comfortable with each other, they are making each other miserable. Not to mention the fact that their mating bond is... very weak and through the ACOWAR and ACOSF we see that it is different from the true mating bonds that are present in the universe. Azriel-Elain-Lucien triangle will break the past wheel of unhappiness and forced love, changing it by their own rules of free choice. As for Helion-Lady-Beron love story, if I may be so bold, the blood duel is going to happen and Beron will die - freeing Lady and Helion from him and politics that kept them away. If you are still not sure if these two situations are foreshadowing I would love to put this quote as the ending of this very long meta.

Azriel shrugged. “We—Rhys, Cass, and I—will occasionally remind each other that what we think to be our greatest weakness can sometimes be our biggest strength. And that the most unlikely person can alter the course of history.”

And as you can guess, that very unlikely person who altered the course of history in ACOWAR was Elain when she killed King of Hybern.