#h. farman

[postcard-from-the-past]

Peruvian aviator Jorge Antonio Chávez Dartnell on a H. Farman biplane

French vintage postcard

[horizon-verizon]

I’ve always disliked Rhaena. She was a terrible, neglectful mother to her daughter and an abusive, cheating wife to Androw Farman.

*EDITED POST* (11/25/24)

Response to this post HERE.

The same guy who killed what seems to be a teenage girl because his wife came to hate him and wouldn't allow him to accrue more power or esteem through her position yet also wanted her to become politically subordinate to her out of jealousy and a fragile ego? Sure, let's go through this.

blankwhiteshield says this:

You can have an irredeemable and evil character that the patriarchy still suppresses and affects the psychology of immensely, rendering her a bigger monster. The commentary on the destructive capacity of static social constructs is not lost as a result. A character can turn into the devil of the story due to a world that ceaselessly strips her of her humanity, as well as as a result of the choices she actively makes.

And Rhaena was never actually evil or abusive or anything like these things at all, esp BEFORE she's forced to marry Maegor, etc.

Her History (and a Pseudo-Summary of Later Explanations)

I perceive Rhaena to have been sensitive in her youth and then grew more bitter from the slights & abuses against her. The hurt becomes the hurter. It started as ner needing to be away from people towards the end of her life, especially when they expressed they didn't want her around and they had been with her intimately (romantic, familial, or platonic).

Though she started shy and always preferred to be either alone or with close friends, it is that reservedness that makes her value her bonds with a select group of people that makes their dismissals or betrayals hurt that much worse. Thus her lashing out, her brooding, her solitary runs, and her cold "bloodthirstiness" against Androw after she realizes he killed all her remaining friends. All ways for her to collect her perenially crushed dignity.

She marries Androw just to be close to Elissa and she never mistreats Androw until Elissa leaves. Then she lashes out, because this is already on top of all the other betrayals that happened before she ever met either of them.And it's still not abuse; she kept mainly to herself and ignored him, talked harsh when he insisted on interacting when she clearly wanted not much to do with him.

It's very easy to accuse her of flagrant abuse when you erase context or leave shit out. She ticks off 3 of 8 behaviors of emotional abuse (in italics):

threats

insults

constant monitoring

excessive jealousy

manipulation

humiliation & ridiculing

intimidation

dismissiveness

But if every argument or insult between any sort of relationship doesn't have insults or some level of dismissiveness, and then humiliation when these things go unaddressed properly for some time, I'll eat my hat. You'd be lying. Are all relationships (platonic or otherwise) abusive, then?

And we know that it would have continued. The details we get, she:

continued to accuse/suspect him of helping Elissa run away and steal her dragon eggs

said that the "wrong Farman" ran away

laughed after her ladies laughed when he requested to replace a man named Bullock as the garrison commander

mocked him when she said how he couldn't stay on a dragon even if he tried after he declared they'd go together to the dying Alyssa

...but also does this or the women making fun of the man (more on that later) merit MASS femicide and killing kids for your own growing self-loathing AND does Rhaena's actions actually have terrible wide-range consequences for those outside of her small group?

(Reminder, femicide is different from just killing a woman. Femicide is killing a person because they are a woman and you wish to display dominance in destroying a woman & instilling their inferiority or subservient position to oneself, to punish her for straying from that role. Again, I explain how Androw falls under a femicidal person.)

Of course, Elissa left bc Rhaena already was in her state of bitterness and to kickstart her sailor-captain-adventurer dreams. However, if we argue that Rhaena shouldn't have put down a grown man's self-esteem and hurt both her lover & daughter so she could feel more in control...shouldn't we hold Androw Farman accountable for his crimes in response to those put-downs and slights?

I think that the strength of Rhaena's writing is how human she is and is allowed to be by the narrative while showcasing how she pulled others into her misery with no coddling nor outright subtextual disgust.

In Rhaena, we get the raised question of what do we do with a victim who's BOTH fallen into darkness and then faces more of the similar thing they resented or has pushed them into the darkness? We also see the beginnings and consequences of female Targ abuse. I think we can appreciate Rhaena as a layered female character with many faults developed from abuses or ignoring those abuses, exacerbated over time while being the center of a story within a major one. Something we don't get often enough for women.

In Rhaena, we're getting a very detailed look into non-ideal motherhood, womanhood, and victimhood--from her and those she hurt. But a very real one.

She clearly has loyalty to her own family and house, cares about her kids as a mother (look below), but also seeks out any sort of compensation or some sort of justice for the suffering and sidelining that came from being a woman, and a woman in the wrong place of history AND being a female Targ. And subsequently, we see how being a woman onto oneself AND having real happiness can be antitheitcal, bc her position even as a princes and dowager, bc she doesn't have enough ability to protect herself from the actions of her male family members--inclu Jaehaerys--is designed to be a vulnerable one.

She is quite literally our first account of what being a female Targaryen princess/royal family member is like (Alyssa Velaryon does not grow up royal or a Targ). She foreshadows & heralds the exclusionary/oppressive fates of Targ women, especially under war, and shows us the one way a woman (does not or cannot) deal with the fallout & decisions of others.

(Check out the quote way below of her criticizing her mother's decision to marry Rogar despite Rogar having abandoned Aegon when he battled Maegor above the God's Eye).

We remember that her brother Aegon was named heir over her despite her being the oldest child of Alyssa & Aenys. She did not complain or protest at this because she grew up in this patriarchal society and lived more or less privileged, surrounded by a lot of so-s-so--to great female friends as a princess and expecting to become Queen Consort one day, with the new family she grew with said husband. She is also the one to give her siblings Jaehaerys and Alysanne the eggs of the dragons they have while they are still in their cradles.

That all ends with her uncle usurping her husband, which is ironic because, again, she is the oldest AND she wanted to leave to protect their twins. So we should understand that at one point she came to the idea that her life could have been totally different if she had been Queen/heir apparent, as a succession crisis still occurred.

Then she's forced to marry that same uncle who she probably believes betrayed not only his rightful king but his entire family through the murder of her brother-husband, the "marriage", threatening her daughters, and killing her brother (Viserys). And of course, Maegor would have raped her through the entirety of their forced marriage. Later on, her mother aids Jaehaerys in further passing her over for another son--yes partly for the survival of all her surviving kids, but again it's not so much Alyssa as much as the passing over after all Rhaena was forced to give up (below). Alyssa and Rogar explicitly planned against the possibility of her becoming a regent for one of her daughters (as they both were thought as Aegon's heirs) ["The Year of the Three Brides -- 49 A.C."]:

I don't know if she, in real-time, understood that this was the reasoning behind Rogar & Alyssa's thinking, but either way, she looks like she observed that she was being treated as more of a threat than someone Alyssa gave birth to and someone who would have done anything for her family. Her claim became the thing her family used against her. And she became more and more resentful of the exclusion and "subtle" betrayals/sidelining.

And was it truly Alyssa's fear, or Rogar's, that Rhaena would come back to wrest power through her daughter? Who is the one to try to kidnap Rhaella and force her to "confess" that she is Aerea after he failed to get Aerea or convince the others to back his plans to usurp Jaehaerys? Rogar!

More likely, he convinced Alyssa that this was the case so he'd be more in control and isolate/distance Rhaena from her family. She saw through him before anyone else! ("Prince into King"):

Her and Jaehaerys, his making it clear that she would not gain Dragonstone based on her own autonomous claim to the throne but on his permission as king--have their own sort of betrayal, even though he had his own pressures to show others his strength and authority he could be a "tough but fair" king. Again, she didn't ask for the throne, but the thing that would be given to who is the next in line to the throne.

At this point, Aerea was Jaehaery's heir presumptive (not "apparent"). Jaehaerys had no children and Rhaena had just come from the machinations of the Lannisters--her moving into Dragonstone and being recognized as one with a claim would have given her more power against those seeking to use her. Plus, again, her daughter was considered Jae's heir. Hence, when Jae took that last dignity/remnant of something that could-have-been from Rhaena, she sought to claim back her own daughter...especially since she might have known that Jae would just eventually sideline Aerea if/once he had kids. (From her perspective)

Jaehaerys took her asking for Dragonstone as an indirect challenge to himself (not that she was opposing him so much as her doing it at all reminds others that because she is the eldest of Aenys' children, others around them could advocate or use her despite her being female....just as Rogar tried to when he tried to usurp Jaehaerys), and I think Rhaena was offended by his even thinking to suspect or throw out a hint of accusation. As well as his extra pains to make sure she was his subject and not his equal or peer in the full eyes of everyone. There is where she'd feel humiliated simultaneously.

Yes, Jaehaerys was trying to solidify his place in a time when people doubted him right after defeating Maegor, but it is not about him so much as him distrusting her and wehat it says about the layout of the situation that had him so distrusting of Rhaena in the first place. surely, her being his older sister he would know she was not going to do anyhting unsavory, right? With her history. Doing it purposefully in front of "outsiders" and potential betrayers (Rogar and the other courtier & nobles) looking for any weaknesses--as if she were not family, as if she weren't the one who gave him his egg as a baby as if she'd actually care enough to try to usurp him. Why not talk to her beforehand, get her into a conversation about their plans going forward so he could broadcast his own control?

BECAUSE they were at a juncture in royal Targ history where a woman's claim and thus Rhaena's claim both was still a doable and concievable prospect (Rhaena was just 3rd Gen royal Targ!, 2nd royal-born) just enough leg: for being older, aready having children of her own, being a conssumate rider, and having already had others say she should be the next queen. Even with her already or quickly eschewing said claiom for her peac of mind. Jaehaerys saw her as a threat and treated her as such...when he's the one who's occupying a seat that should/could have been hers. And he knew it, which is why he was bound to have as much control over his female relatives, evident from how he sent his own mother Alyssa to essentially decay under a man who disliked her and ided, then Rhaena with Dragonstone (slight loss on both ends), then obviously with Alysanne, then his own daughters, then waht he did to Princess Rhaenys. This is just the tip of the state of things b/t him, Alyssa, and Rhaena, Alysanne included. It's not about what Rhaena doing ito him so much as he didn't want to lend any room to her...social prestige over his own prestige so the public thinks of him more as a ruler than her.

Thus also strengthening the idea of her symbolic outcast-enemy status to the public. For all Rhaena's self-retreats and brooding, she had much to brood about.

In other words, kinda like Maegor (for it would remind her of Maegor, I think) Jae chose power over family...or really, he was very shortsighted when it came to a problem like this, chose to take advantage of his female relatives while also excluding them from most political decisions and chose the easier, exclusionist way (bc against, he continues this into his death, alienating most of his female family members but also opening the way to the Dance through that exclusion or sidelining).

With Alyssa, his mother becoming his regent and marrying the man who would have usurped him through his connection to Alyssa, I also think that he saw it better for him to consolidate power away from his female relatives bc they could marry men who'd compete with him.

Even with Alysanne, you can see where he reaped the benefit of her intellect, or would have ignored some of her claims and demands if she hadn't been the right kind of insistent (the drinking water of KL).

Her Marriage & Androw's Character

She definitely "cheated" if you define cheating as going out for a partner whilst having another on a monogamous relationship despite only marrying them for security, but I don't really feel she should be shamed in the same way we should shame Robert Baratheon, Aegon II & IV, Aerys II, and just ASoIaF men in general for cheating. I do not care that Cersei cheated on Robert multiple times, she cheats for feelings of safety and affirmation, to have bodily autonomy; he does because he can and feels like it's his male-given entitlement.

Even if Robert didn't abuse Cersei, I wouldn't care about her cheating versus his cheating because Cersei, while she definitely has her ego, cheats to reaffirm the autonomy ignored since childhood AND to try to use her lovers to her own political advantage during her marriage to him. That and how the marriage itself is an arrangement for politics, not for love or intimacy AND women are expected to not practice the same sexual freedoms men do, not even allowed to have their own lovers without ruining their reputations and social value. She also might (and this is a big might) have stayed faithful or devoted to Robert (or at least would feel some guilt in her affairs) if not for his clear preference for Lyanna AND his philandering throughout their marriage. It comes from a need to have the power men have in her society. Again, Robert cheats on Cersei because he just feels like it and thinks he's entitled as a man/king and feels Cersei is second fiddle to a dead girl who wanted nothing to do with him but he'd never accept that if he had known and likely still would have cheated on if they married bc cheating in general for him is a right. Cersei is from the thought that she should have that kind of power, that entitlement, and though she does not, she will claim it and also do it for her kids' sake....too bad that her classism and cruelty far outstrip her own perception of her capabilities.

The other thing is that Rhaena was very likely a lesbian who could sleep with a man if she was "asked nicely" for politics if the husband was pleasant enough, and/or if it benefited a relative as long as it also didn't ruin her autonomy, esp after Maegor. People of the same sex cannot marry each other even in Dorne, and they can't openly live together as a couple. And if she wasn't lesbian, she'd still be a bisexual woman who got her most important and most positive relationships from those with women. When that happens, romance, sexual desire, and platonic love can and often blur. Especially when there is no safe room to really explore/reflect on those feelings in one's youth or adulthood.

And of course, she fell in love with Elissa and wanted to be close to her.

What exactly could she have done except use marriage as her cover? Yeah, that's unfortunate for Androw, who probably thought that she was in it for him and romance (he wasn't very bright, too), but his feelings don't invalidate or erase the conditions I've described nor do they really compare or level with Rhaena's position as a wlw woman. The condition of entrapment for a woman like Rhaena. Esp with her history of family abandoning her, she probably felt she needed to "ensure" being close "enough" to Elissa through marriage to her brother.

Rhaena says this of why she married Androw ("A Surfeit of Rulers"):

I do not think their marriage was ever a real one, in terms of romance or having a close bond ("Birth, Death, and Betrayal"):

Though they began as pleasant acquaintances, she always had stronger love and care for his sister, not him. Rhaena knew that she'd be pressured into remarrying even after Maegor's death to shore up Jaehaerys' (really Rogar's authority and stake in Jaehaerys' rule) own power through connections to specific families. This is why Rogar was angry when she married without his permission.

He even was already choosing people of his own family to arrange a marriage b/t her and them for his own power! ("The Year of the Three Brides-49 A.C."):

So her rationale & goals in marrying Androw: If she had to be married, she would choose the guy who she thought wouldn't make things difficult and oppressive for her, which includes marrying a guy far beneath her powers and rank PLUS an easygoing guy. Remember how she rails at Rogar for basically consigning her mother, Alyssa Velaryon, to death instead of just being happy with the male child she managed to birth to him before? Her disapproval of Jaehaerys for dismissing her with Dragonstone, his castigation of her threatening Franklyn Farman even though he's the one who told her he would just throw out Aerea if she ever appeared just as he did to her. Maegor's forcing her to marry him and raping her for months, the fear she could have lived with all those months.

She did not marry him to love him nor hurt him intentionally, but she married him to avoid marrying a man who could drag her into heated political conflicts and to be closer to Elissa without it causing too much suspicion/to keep female intimacy without suffering patriarchal violence. Androw was placidly kind (in the beginning and what she thought) and didn't ask as much from her as other noblemen would have. Until later...

Androw became (or failed to hide that internalized envy and inferiority complex) the very sort of man she tried to avoid, incel-like. Here is a quote of him and his justification for killing all her friends ("Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I"):

Meanwhile, these are descriptions of Androw as a person both before and a little after his marriage to her:

A lot of emphasis was placed on his:

his lack of really wanting adventure, the opposite of his sister whom Rhaena loved and preferred just as a companion (their incompatibility, not just his inferiority and lack of appeal) -- his incompetence as either a warrior or a "learned" man. going back to the inferiority part, let's be real, how much appeal does a person with no talent NOR any ambition have? If you don't have talent, at least have intelligence or curiosity or ambition. If not the last one, at least some of the others. And he's illiterate so no discussions about stuff they could read, has no hobbies to speak of or that we see. It's not just Rhaena who sees no appeal in him; apart from seeing that he is powerless in Dragonstone bc Rhaena shows her indifference to him, others around Androw have not been his friend or whatever for ALL of his life. Again, he's not that impressive of a person.

And he never seemed to really care or notice this (or expressed such) until people began to really mock and disregard him on these things alone and he was outside of his own birth home, where he'd not really experience people making fun of him probably bc his brother and father would not have allowed it, or he wasn't so much in people's view for them to dwell on his shortcomings.

Mark that part about him spending his time in the room with the Painted Table with the map of Westeros. He started to dream of conquests or those masculinized activities of power and domination.

The women weren't just mocking him without observing a legitimate change in him, as cruel as the book (written by male maesters) tells us they were about it. They were mocking him bc they see him try so hard to grasp power when he has little to no qulaification and has put no real energy when he should have, has enjoyed actually being a kept man before but now wants to act "tough", how ill-suited he is to it--too obviously try to show he's the "boss", the "man"--for not understanding/accepting who has the real power (Rhaena); AND probably bc they are so used to seeing a man have all the power and are enjoying the reversal, their advantage over him.

While one may think that it's understandable and justified for him to want more respect or power in a place where people constantly denigrate him...

again, it was beyond obvious he wanted power bc he wanted respect that he seemed to have never noticed was never there until he moved away from his father's protection--but he had multiple opps to learn to read, ride horses, , etc. and even IF he had some mental disability, he expected others to believe he COULD lead bc he was male. He expected that Rhaena WOULD want more kids and care to allow him her body because he was her husband/a male. Neurodivergent or mentally disabled people do not get an automatic pass for misogyny. (Rhaenyra ruled Dragonstone for years, was beside Viserys for some years before her DRGSTN rule and observed him/the council and at least was appointed a leadership role, so yes she was at least bare min "qualified" in Westerosi standards except for her gender) AND

what he does to get revenge and get back control doesn't match the wrong(s) and was itself misogyny-motivated AND again, he was already turning to the feudalist hypermasculine ideal of violence against women and children as a way towards "dignity"...something that Aemond will grow up as part of his male, princely entitlement in his own mass/spree murders and subjugation in the riverlands.

Mind you, he decided to kill only the women around Rhaena, not any of those men who the maester said also mocked him.

Here are 2 quotes about that ("Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I"):

And this is what he says to her after she is hugging the corpse of her cousin and youngest companion, Lianna Velaryon:

So why is he an incel? Because he feels he is entitled to her time, body, and company even to the moment where he kills all her friends for being her friends and not "respecting" him, though they were never a real couple; like Rogar to Alyssa (who had been castigating her until he finally insults her in front of the council when he proposed usurping Jaehaerys), Androw wants to be the lord to his wife instead of the husband to her "over"-lady. He wanted that traditional, patriarchal dynamic, and what's so absurd is that he expected it after all those months of being married to her...instead of thinking about that before marrying her, when she had been a Queen Dowager and showed her personality at his home island.

Now, this is not to say Rhaena should have let her daughter splash shit water on his head without suitable punishment since he hadn't done anything at that point to either her or Aerea to warrant such anger that the book tells us. It's saying that:

she already grew to distrust men of her not being able to deal w/the sexism...once more, we need to remember that Maegor raped her & threatened her child's life

her distaste for him grew because she couldn't stand his Elissa-like face

there may have been some words b/t them when they fought the two times they fought she could never forgive (we don't know for sure bc we aren't privy to that from the book but it is a possibility)

she suspected him of helping Elissa take Dreamfyre's eggs bc she knew that he was likely to help his own sister, they weren't close themselves, she and Elissa were on the rocks, AND he probably was already showing signs of jealousy at their bond...too eager to establish something she could never have with him

and as a result, she withdrew into her circle of women, those she had always been able to find some sort of substantive emotional support and less unpleasant surprises -- thus her further distancing from him and refusal to really castigate her people from disrespecting him

he either developed an inferiority complex after being mocked OR he always had one but it really got triggered when Elissa's absence made him more aware of how others thought he was out of Rhaena's league and disrespected him on his own lack of those qualities that his society expects of an aristocratic man

Add the boiling pain and betrayal above and you have a person who can't tolerate their husband, another person asking things of her or who w/could.

Retrospectively, I also headcanon that Rhaena felt this envy growing in him whenever they were together and this was one more reason for her to separate herself from him. That he made some sort of demands from her to treat him more like Andal women are expected to treat/think of their husbands as their masters or directors...despite her outranking him (if not in powers but in the title), their seemingly non-close relationship, and his seemingly being fine enough with that to even agree to marry her in the first place.

Androw wasn't a helpless child. He seemed content until they had to leave Fair Isle on his own brother's orders and was more exposed to others' thoughts of his subparness. Despite the rank, Rhaena can't do much for a person who doesn't attempt to self-improve (it's told the maester was the one who tried to get him to at least be more learned). And she felt she shouldn't have to, bc again he wasn't a kid and she probably felt she gave/worked enough for the wrong people.

Rhaena as a Mother

Apparently, or maybe, Rhaena was never a child person. However, remember that this is the same woman who:

begged her brother-husband to run to Essos to take their kids away & protect them from Maegor, specifically stating she prioritized the girls' lives over his claim, the latter of which she had already said she prioritized over her own life

laid her life on the line to protect her two daughters from Maegor by disguising them and voluntarily entering KL/the Red Keep to be married off to him, even with no expressed protest....also accepted the chance she'd be tortured

in her forced wedding, saw that her kids were taken nonetheless and let go of any thoughts of really going against Maegor while they were hostages -- and thus had to live as hostage herself to her uncle for months

spent an entire year or so on Dreamfyre looking for Aerea when she ran off with Balerion or in a sort of guilt-desperate state...in spite of her condemnations of Aerea taking & bonding with her father's "killer" AND before that, yes "raged" but also not being able to sleep after Aerea's disappearance

Adding to how she has spent a long time apart from her own kids for their safety AND was already less inclined to want to interact with kids in general, her kids may have become "less" her own while she brooded over her other family. now you've got a very complicatedly angry and emotionally repressed person as a parent.

Yes, she eventually stifles Aerea in her anger at her siblings and mother, hatred for Rogar and refuses to even consider how the girl feels about her leaving what she thought of as home. Only to ignore her most of the time unless it is to yell at her for her disruptions and troublemaking. And her other daughter tells her that she might not have been a great mom, but she was glad to be her daughter if only to become a septa and "serve" the Mother (one of the Seven).

These are valid conclusions and worth being frustrated with her. I just hope that we're not looking at her as if she were an evil entity for the sake of being that way or because she was "just" selfish. I happen to think she was in the wrong time with the wrong people and no idea of how to get them to really acknowledge her own crap, so she chose to cope by ignoring them and barrel over her own emotions.

She seemed to already have the sort of inclination or predisposition where she compartmentalizes her feelings until the danger passes or when she's insulted. And the more times she gets insulted or put into danger, she claims up and tried to maintain her dignity. When someone asked her why she didn't cry over Aegon's death, how she "coldly" goes through the wedding when Tyanna insults her and brings out her kids, how she talks to Franklyn Farman, how she sullenly warns Jaehaerys about trusting the admiration or regard of the other lords as if she knew he wouldn't listen, and how she points out Jaehaerys' anxiety of her in the same tone.

So with each thing, she became more and more withdrawn while also seeking to keep what she thought she could keep close to her close even if they themselves began to either feel suffocated by her or felt they were losing pieces of their own life (Aerea [being heir presumptive and life built at KL] & Elissa Farman [her dream of being a seas-sailing adventurer]).

And a huge motivation for Elissa to leave Rhaena would have been Rhaena's private hurting her. Why stay & put off your dreams when the person you love has changed so thoroughly as to even (maybe, I headcanon) take it out on you? I don't hate Elissa for leaving Rhaena to start a new life...just for taking the eggs to do it when she knew that it would put Rhaena in a mess with her other family and even could disgrace her in the public eye.

All of Rhaena's self-suppression would come out, built up and vitriolic. And it's important to trace its development so we don't add to that dismissal or misjudge and simplify her.

I also find it fascinating how alike and different Aerea and her are and how they respond to the isolation both experience. Aerea, like Rhaena, grew up expecting to have one of the highest ranks and/or positions of power available in Westeros. Aerea also felt abandoned by her mother when she expresses to Alysanne how she did care her mom's friends died. Aerea also had many friends/acquaintances and was happiest around them. She, like Rhaena, regarded Elissa Farman as one of the most important persons to her and their loneliness, even with Aerea being the one to actually beg Elissa to stay while Rhaena let her leave the second time asking. Both are stubborn and become more and more sullen. And both mistreat others in their loneliness and trying to feel more in control against a relative: Rhaena against Alysanne and Jaehaerys by wanting Aerea back and Aerea throwing poop on Androw as well as pranking and harassing others. Aerea learns from Rhaena, but she eventually just does what Saera hopes she could have done and takes a dragon for her own freedom...tragically ending with her own painful death. While Rhaena did not die as painfully, she does die pretty much alone and miserable in her attempts to get back control. A little less sympathetically as she had more power over Aerea still refused to listen and communicate with her kids, but similar in intentions and thematically. It's also funny how like Jaehaerys she acted here, pushing away a daughter for her own selfish ends to never see them again. At the same time, it was only a matter of time before Aerea was pushed away and out of KL when Jaehaerys finally had children to become his heirs, as many expected and hoped for. As I said in the first section, Aerea was just Jaehaerys' heir "presumptive", not his "apparent" and he seemed very glad to foist her onto Rhaena. What sort of disappointment would Aerea have had if she had stayed and Jaehaerys had kids? Yes, they didn't know that Jaehaerys was fertile and would go on to have many children, but even Maegor would have had kids (if it weren't for Tyanna) the ever-present plans of a monarch and their subjects include children to be their heirs. Whether or not Rhaena felt and anticipated this and acted either for herself or for both her and her daughter or how much she really thought about her daughter's future for its own sake, I believe that it's cool to think about the probability that Aerea would eventually inherit Rhaena's frustrations of being passed over and abandoned, rejected on account of her gender.

Rhaena was a complicated woman. She already didn't have patience with kids but loved her own. She loved her family and was fiercely loyal, but after some abandoned her, she also always tried to claim some dignity for herself and forgot what it was like being a child and/or helpless in the process. Needed a partner who was either as bold or bolder than her, yet used her rank to overpower them into staying with her despite knowing sailing was her dream.

Comparison to HotD!Alicent

Why the comparison? Because I feel someone might bring this up if they took the time to brave my ridiculously long post AND HotD's Alicent also goes through sexual abuse and neglect or abandonment by family. Both's bad problematic behavior toward those they love or have loved comes directly from their abuses, some that stem from societal and familial misogyny. Both do not really consider their friend's/partner's (Rhaenyra and Elissa) needs or desires to feel less lonely or to make power moves. And Alicent of HotD is told to be wlw by some fans, if not lesbian.

However:

HotD Alicent is not well thought out as a character and has more internalized misogyny than Rhaena. Rhaena does not hurt her lover nor wife from wanting to deny her own womanhood, Rhaena has shown to be quite the opposite of a misogynist (threat to Rogar).

HotD!Alicent empowers her male relatives to hurt more people because she feels she has to as a woman basically totally succumb to patriarchal ideology even in her sending that damned note to Rhaenyra, while canon!Rhaena has been trying to keep and get power for herself in spite of the men around her.

Rhaena is not a simple queerbait wlw character, her relationships with women are not queerbait: her sexuality is believable as presented and her relationship with Elissa Farman is obvious because of the background information for both, how they got together, how Rhaena came into her own, why they were attracted to each other...it all is well written, coherent, consistent, and comprehensive.

She is smarter than HotD!Alicent and more aware of the motivations of others around her, and the politics around her as well.

Finally, Rhaena's core motivations remain clear and consistent. No compromising of self-respect while searching for constant, mutual love from her peers.

In other words, Rhaena's life and psychology are written way better and comprehensively than HotD!Alicent's AND she has way less internalized misogyny than Alicent.

Quotes

#1 ("The Sons of the Dragon")

#2 ("The Sons of the Dragon")

#3 ("The Sons of the Dragon")

#4 ("Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I") & ("Jaehaerys and Alysanne -- Their Triumphs and Tragedies")

#5 Rhaena & Jaehaerys about Dragonstone and Aerea ("A Time of Testing"):

#6 And then we have this moment of Rhaena seeing her daughter again after Maegor's gone ("Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I"):

#7 Her against Rogar and the Succession ("A Surfeit of Rulers"):

#8 Finally, what she says to Alysanne when she suggested taking Aerea back to KL ("Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I"):

[444namesplus]

all character names used in the song of ice and fire pile

addam addison adrack adrian aegon aegor aelyx aemma aemon aemond aenar aenys aerea aerion aeron aeryn aerys aethan aethelmure aggo agnes ahai aladale aladore alan alannys alaric alarra alayaya alayne albar albett albin alchemist alekyne alerie alester alfyn alicent all allar alleras alliser allyria alton alvyn alyce alyn alys alysanne alyssa amarei amerei amory amos and andar andrey andrik andros androw anguy annara antario anya archer archon's ardrian aregelle areo argella arianne arlan armen armond aron arra arrana arrec arryk arryn arsa arstan arthur artos arwood arwyn arya arys asha ashara ashford aubrey aurane aurion axell ayrmidon azor b baelish baelon baelor balaq balerion ball balman balon banefort bar baratheon barbara barber barbrey barneby barra barre barristan barthogan bass bastards beesbury bella bellanora bellegere bellena bellonara belly ben benard benedict benfred benfrey benifer benjen benjicot bennard bennarion bennifer benton beren berena beric bernarr beron bertrand bess beth bethany bettley bharbo big billy biter black blackbar blackberry blackfyre blackshield blacktyde blackwood blade blood bloody blount blue boarkiller boisterous bolton boremund boros bors borys botley bowen boy bracken bran branda brandon brax braxton breaker brella brienne brightstone bronn broome brother brother brune brus bryan bryce bryen brynden bryndon buckler bullock bulwer bump burley burton byan byrch byron bywater c cadwyl cafferen caleotte calla captain captain's cargyll caron cassana cassel cassella caswell category catelyn catspaw cayn cedric celtigar cerelle cerenna cerissa cersei cerwyn ceryse character characters characters charlton chataya chayle chett chiggen children clarent clayton clegane clement cleos cletus cleyton clifton clydas cockshaw codd cohollo coldhands colemon colin colmar commander commander's connington corbray corlys corne correy coryanne costayne courtesan cousin cox craghorn

crake crakehall crane cregan cregard creighton cressen creylen crow culiper cuy cynthea cyrelle cyrenna d daario dacey dacks daegon daella daemion daemon daenerys daenora daenys daeron daeryssa dagmer dagon dale dalt dalton damion damon danny danos danwell dareon daring darke darklyn darlessa darnold darry daryn daughter daughter daven davos daxos dayne deana deceased deem delena demonlover denyo denys desmera desmond devan deziel dick dickon dobber donal dondarrion donel donella donnel donnis donnor dontos doran doreah dormund dorna dornishman dragons drogo drumm drunkard dryn duckfield duncan dunstable dunstan duram durran durrandon durwald dusk duskendale dusky dustin duur dyanna dykk dywen e ebrose eddara eddard eddison edgar edgerran edmund edmure edmyn edric edwell edwyle edwyn edyth eerl egen elaena elder eldred eleyna elia elinda elinor ella ellard ellaria ellyn elmar elmo elric elwood elyas elyn elys elysar emberlei emma emmett emmon emmond emory endrew erena erenford erich ermesande erren erryk essie estermont estren ethan euron ever eye eyed f falena falyse farman farring farwynd father fenn fergon flatnose flement fletcher flint florent florian florys flowers folk follard fool foote for forel fork forley foss fossoway fox franklyn free frenken frey from g gael gaemon gage galbart gardener gared gareth garibald garlan garrison garse garth gaunt gawen gendry genna gerald geremy gerion germund gerold gerrick gevin gilbert gilliane gilly gilly's glendon glover godry gold goodbrook goodbrother goode goren gormon gormond gorold gower graceford gran grance greatjon green greenbeard greenfield greenhand gregor grell grenn grey greydon greyiron greyjoy griffith grover groves guard guncer gwayne gwenys gwin gwynesse gylbert gyldayn gyles gysella h h'ghar haegon haereg haggo haggon hagon haigh hairy hake hal halder hali halleck hallis hallyne halys hammer hardy hardyng hareth harlan harlaw harlon harma harmen harmond harmund harrag harras harren harrion harrold harron harry harwin harwyn harys hawick hayford heddle helman hendry henly herndon hero herrock heward hibald high hightower hill hilmar historical hoare hoarfrost hoat hobb hobber hobert hodor hogg hoke hollard holly hop horas horgan horn

hornwood horpe horse horton horys hosman hosteen hostella hoster hot hotah hotho howard howland hubard hubert hugh hugo hullen humble humfrey hunter huntsman husband illifer illyrio ilyn imry irri iv ix j jacaerys jacelyn jack jacks jaehaerys jafer jaime jalabhar jammos janei janna janos jaqen jared jaremy jason jasper jast jax jayne jennis jenny jenye jeor jeren jeyne jhiqui jhogo jirelle joanna jocasta jocelyn joffrey johanna john jojen jommo jon jonah jonnel jonos jonothor jonquil jorah joron jorquen jory joseran joseth joss josua joy joyeuse jurene justin justman jyck k kaeth kandaq karlon karstark karyl kedge kegs kella kenning kermit kettleblack kevan kezmya kindly king king kings kingsblood kingsblood's kingsguard knight knights kurleket kyndall kyra l lad laenor lake lambert lancel langward lanna lannister larence lark larys last laswell leana leathers leek lefford lelia lem lemoncloak lenwood leo leobald leona leonella leonette leslyn lester lew lewyn lewys lharys lia lianna lickspittle lily locke lodos lollys lomys long longbough longleaf longthorpe longwaters lonmouth lonnel loraq loras lorch lord lord loren lorence lorent loreon lorimar lorimer loron lorra lothar lothor lucamore lucas luceon lucifer lucimore lucinda lucion luthor luwin lyanna lyarra lydden lyle lyman lymond lyn lynara lynora lyonce lyonel lysa lythene m mace mad maege maegelle maegon maegor maekar maelor maelys maester maia maid maldon malegorn malleon mallery mallister mallor man mance manderly mandon manfred manfrey manfryd manly marbrand

margaery margaret marghaz margot mariah marillion maris mariya mark marla marlon marna maron marq marqelo marsella marsh martell martyn maryam masha maslyn massey matarys mathis matthar mattheus matthew maz meadows medgar medrick medwick meera megga meha melantha melara meldred melesa melessa melisandre melissa mellario melony melwyn merianne meribald merlon merlyn mern merrell merrett merryweather mervyn meryn mikken milk mina minisa mirri mo mohor mollander mollen monarchs moon moore mooton mopatis mord mordane moreo morgan morgarth morgon mormont moro morrec morrigen morros mors morya moryn mott mounts mullendore mullin mully munda murenmure musgood mya mycah mychel myles myr myranda myrcella myre myriame myrielle mysaria n naerys naggle naharis nan narha night's norbert norcross norjen norman normund norne norren norrey norridge norvos notch noye nute nymeria o o' oak oakenshield oakheart oarsman obara oberyn of old olene olenna ollidar olymer olyvar olyver omer ondrew orbert orkwood ormond ormund orryn orton orys osbert oscar osfryd osha osmund osney osric oswald oswell oswyck oswyn othell otherys othgar otho othor ottyn owen oznak p paege pahl palehair patchface pate pater patrek paul paxter payne peake penny pennytree penrose perceon peremore perianne perkin perra perriane perwyn petyr philip pie piper plummer podrick polliver poole porther pov praed pree prentys prester preston prince

princes promised prudence prunella pryor puckens pyat pycelle pyg pyke pypar q qalen qarl qarlton qhored qhorin qhorwyn qorgyle qotho quaithe quaro queen quellon quenten quentin quenton quentyn quincy qyburn qyle r ragged rakharo ralf rambton ramsay randyll rast raven ravos raya rayder raylon raymont raymun raymund raynald raynard reach red redbeard redfort redpool redwyne reed reference regenard regis regnar renfred renly rennifer reynard reyne reysen rhae rhaegal rhaegar rhaegel rhaella rhaelle rhaenyra rhalla rhea rhogoro ricasso richard rickard rickon rivers rob robar robard robb robert robett robin robyn roderick rodrik rodwell roger rogers rognar rohanne roland rolder rollam rolland rolley rolly rolph romny ronel ronnal ronnel roone roose roote rorge roryn rosamund rosby rose rosey roslin rowan roxton roy royce rufus rupert rus russell ruttiger ryam rycherd ryella ryger ryk rykker rylene ryman rymolf rymond ryswell s saan sabitha salladhor sallei saltcliffe samantha samgood samwell sand sandor sansa santagar sara saranella sargon sarra sarsfield sarya satin sawane scales scarb seastar seaworth sebaston selmond selmy selwyn selyse senelle septon serena serra serry serwyn sevenstreams shadrich shae shaena shagwell sharp she shella shepherd shett shiera shierle shireen shirei shortear shrike shrykos sigfry sigfryd sigorn simon sister sisterton skahaz skinchangers sloane slynt small smallwood smike smiling snow son son soulless sour sparr spicer spotted squire stackspear stafford

stallion stannis stark starvling staunton steffarion steffon stevron stillwood stiv stokeworth stone stonehouse stonetree storm stout strickland strong suggs sumner sunglass surly swann sweet swyft sybell sylas sylvenna sylwa symond syrio t taena tagaros talbert tall talla tallhart tally tanda tanner tarbeck targaryen tarle tarly tarth tawney templeton teora ternesio terys tess that the the theo theodore theomore theon thoren thorne thoros three timeon timotty tion titus tobho todder todric togarion tollett tom tomard tommen torghen torgon torrhen torwyn torwynd tower towers toyne trant tree tregar tristifer triston trystane tully tumitis turnberry turnip tyana tybolt tyene tygett tyler tyrek tyrell tyrion tyrion's tysane tysha tyta tytos tywald tywin u ulf uller umber umfred umma urragon urras urrathon urrigon urron urswyck uther utherydes uthor utt v vaegon vaellyn valaena valerion valiant vance varamyr vardis vargo varly varys vayon velaryon veron vickon victaria victarion victor vikary vines visenya viserra viserys volmark vorian vortimer votyris w waif walda walder walderan waldon walgrave wallace wallen walter walton waltyr walys was waters watt waymar wayn waynwood weaver webber weeper wendamyr wendel westerlands westerling westling wex whalen whent white whittlestick who wick wife wildling will willamen willas willem william willis willow wind wineseller winterfell wode wolves woman woodcock woolfield world woth wulfgar wull wyl wylde wylis wylla wyman wynafrei wynafryd wynch wynton wythers x xaro xho xhoan y yandry yarwyck yew ygon ygritte yohn yorbert yoren yorko youngest yronwood ysabel ysilla z zo zollo

[scienceoftheidiot]

I will never shut up about Roy meaning king in french (it's the old spelling!!! Everywhere has a place called Roy's whatever here)

I'll also add again that most of the names in the military come from Western WW2 (and occasionally 1) planes.

Mustang P-51 (USA)

Grumman E-2 Hawkeye (yes it's even giving family ties) (USA)

Hughes H-4 Hercules (from Howard Hughes) (USA)

Douglas A-20 Havoc (USA)

Breda planes (and cannons !) from the Società Italiana Ernesto Breda per Costruzioni Meccaniche

No Fuery but there's a plane called Hawker Fury (UK)

No Falman but we have Avions Farman (France) that built planes from 1908 to 1956 including war planes

I know I'm repeating myself for my followers and by obsessing on this (sorry not sorry) but I LOVE the degree of detail Arakawa gives to all of this.

Tagging @qs63 on this 😉

Something that’s forever hysterical to me: how all the clever and subtle English-name symbolism in FMA becomes so wallopingly in-your-face once you translate the whole series into English

“Ah yes, Riza Hawkeye. The sharp shooter. With eyes so sharp, we’ve taken to calling her ‘the Hawk’s eyes’ on account of this. Riza “The Hawk’s Eyes” Hawkeye. The similarity is coincidence ignore that.”

“Alex Armstrong. With arms so strong we call him the Strong Arm alchemist. Alex ‘Strong Arm’ Armstrong. What were the odds of this.”

“King Bradley, first name King. The Fuhrer, leader, ruler, president. ‘Fuhrer King Bradley’. ‘King King’ if you will. Why our military is full of coincidences.”

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 2.5 (before 1950)

2 BC – Caesar Augustus is granted the title pater patriae by the Roman Senate. 62 – Earthquake in Pompeii, Italy. 756 – Chinese New Year; An Lushan proclaims himself Emperor of China and founds the short-lived state of Yan. 1576 – Henry of Navarre abjures Catholicism at Tours and rejoins the Protestant forces in the French Wars of Religion. 1597 – A group of early Japanese Christians are killed by the new government of Japan for being seen as a threat to Japanese society. 1783 – In Calabria, a sequence of strong earthquakes begins. 1810 – Peninsular War: Siege of Cádiz begins. 1818 – Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte ascends to the thrones of Sweden and Norway. 1852 – The New Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia, one of the largest and oldest museums in the world, opens to the public. 1859 – Alexandru Ioan Cuza, Prince of Moldavia, is also elected as prince of Wallachia, joining the two principalities as a personal union called the United Principalities, an autonomous region within the Ottoman Empire, which ushered in the birth of the modern Romanian state. 1869 – The largest alluvial gold nugget in history, called the "Welcome Stranger", is found in Moliagul, Victoria, Australia. 1885 – King Leopold II of Belgium establishes the Congo as a personal possession. 1901 – J. P. Morgan incorporates U.S. Steel in the state of New Jersey, although the company would not start doing business until February 25 and the assets of Andrew Carnegie's Carnegie Steel Company, Elbert H. Gary's Federal Steel Company, and William Henry Moore's National Steel Company were not acquired until April 1. 1905 – In Mexico, the General Hospital of Mexico is inaugurated, started with four basic specialties. 1907 – Belgian chemist Leo Baekeland announces the creation of Bakelite, the world's first synthetic plastic. 1913 – Greek military aviators, Michael Moutoussis and Aristeidis Moraitinis perform the first naval air mission in history, with a Farman MF.7 hydroplane. 1913 – Claudio Monteverdi's last opera L'incoronazione di Poppea was performed theatrically for the first time in more than 250 years. 1917 – The current constitution of Mexico is adopted, establishing a federal republic with powers separated into independent executive, legislative, and judicial branches. 1917 – The Congress of the United States passes the Immigration Act of 1917 over President Woodrow Wilson's veto. 1918 – Stephen W. Thompson shoots down a German airplane; this is the first aerial victory by the U.S. military. 1918 – SS Tuscania is torpedoed off the coast of Ireland; it is the first ship carrying American troops to Europe to be torpedoed and sunk. 1919 – Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and D. W. Griffith launch United Artists. 1924 – The Royal Greenwich Observatory begins broadcasting the hourly time signals known as the Greenwich Time Signal. 1933 – Mutiny on Royal Netherlands Navy warship HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën off the coast of Sumatra, Dutch East Indies. 1939 – Generalísimo Francisco Franco becomes the 68th "Caudillo de España", or Leader of Spain. 1941 – World War II: Allied forces begin the Battle of Keren to capture Keren, Eritrea. 1945 – World War II: General Douglas MacArthur returns to Manila.

[chinting]

Week 12: Crowdsourcing: Harnessing Collective Power in Times of Crisis

In moments of crisis, whether it's a natural disaster or a global emergency, crowdsourcing becomes a powerful tool for bringing people together to help. Crowdsourcing means asking a large group of people, often through the internet, to share their knowledge and resources to solve problems and support each other. This approach has revolutionized how we respond to emergencies and disasters around the world (Hargrave 2022).

Crowdsourcing emerges as a crucial lifeline during times of crisis, revolutionizing how communities respond and recover from disasters. In the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake in 2010, platforms like Ushahidi utilized SMS and online forms to gather vital reports directly from affected locals. This real-time data was then mapped out, pinpointing areas where aid was urgently needed and enabling relief organizations to allocate resources efficiently (Ford 2012). Similarly, during the COVID-19 pandemic, social media became a powerful tool for crowdsourcing, connecting individuals with critical resources like oxygen cylinders, hospital beds, and vaccine information through hashtags such as #COVIDRelief and #COVID19Help. These initiatives not only facilitated rapid information dissemination but also mobilized collective action, demonstrating the transformative impact of crowdsourcing in enhancing disaster response and community resilience.

In addition, social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook have revolutionized crisis response efforts by enabling real-time crowdsourcing of vital information. During natural disasters like hurricanes and typhoons, affected communities leverage hashtags to disseminate urgent updates on evacuation routes, shelter availability, and critical needs such as food and water. This rapid sharing of information enables volunteers, relief organizations, and authorities to respond swiftly, ensuring timely assistance reaches those in distress. Similarly, in regions prone to wildfires and floods, residents utilize social media to warn others about impending dangers, share safety tips, and coordinate community-driven initiatives aimed at supporting affected individuals and communities. This grassroots approach facilitated by social media underscores its pivotal role in enhancing disaster preparedness and response strategies worldwide.

Conclusion: Coming Together to Make a Difference

Crowdsourcing demonstrates the power of collective action. By leveraging technology and collective knowledge, communities can respond more effectively to crises, save lives, and build resilience. It's about harnessing the strength of many to overcome challenges that no single entity could tackle alone.

In summary, crowdsourcing isn't just a tool it's a testament to human compassion and solidarity. By connecting people globally and locally, we can create a future where every voice is heard, and every contribution makes a meaningful impact in times of need.

Reference

Ford, H 2012, 'Witnesses to disasters: From documentary realism to collective intelligence', in M Farman (ed.), The Mobile Story: Narrative Practices with Locative Technologies, Routledge, pp. 31-44.

Hargrave, M 2022, Crowdsourcing: Definition, How It Works, Types, and Examples, Investopedia, viewed 16 Jun 2024, <https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/crowdsourcing.asp>.

[cerissalefford]

location: the waters near the iron islands, the night after her rescue

@wcrdsarewind​

sleep had escaped her that night, as she was sure for many nights to come. if she closed her eyes, when she woke would she be back on the islands once more. waking from a wonderful dream that had felt real, too real. but the fear of it all being gone if she rested her head. no, no. it was not worth risking such a thing. at least not yet.

the ocean around them was oddly calm that night. gently carrying a ship full of soldiers to their next battle. but for now there was stillness and calm. it was nice being out on the deck of a ship and feel a sense of relief.

the next moment she let out a startled yelp when she heard footsteps approaching. scrambling up to her feet, her instincts kicked on in a flash. her heart raced, her breath hitched as she tried to calm herself back down seeing who it was.

“a-apologizes lord farman, my nerves have n-not settled yet.” the youngest lefford said. her eyes, cast down on the floor as it had been conditioned into her to do for so many years. she had to be mindful to raise her gaze to meet that of the lord. “a-are you well, my lord? i h-hope you don’t mind b-being out on your sh-ship.”

[calla-lefford]

A CONVERSATION BETWEEN ARRON FARMAN AND CALLA LEFFORD

Context: The Westerlands’ lodgings in Dorne. Set once Tyland’s men return from war and after the dissolution of Calla’s marriage to Lord Garland Hightower. The Lefford lady and Lord Farman meet again for another conversation with Arron’s actions and Calla’s mistakes lingering over their heads.

ARRON: Standing outside, on the beach, it's so late at night. He didn't know how long they would stay but he hopes to be headed back to the west soon. He needs to see Fair Isle. To celebrate their victories He turns to go back inside and stops when he sees her. Were the gods testing him? Why was she here? Didn't she belong in the reach lodgings? “Calla, It's late. Are you okay?”

CALLA: Parts of her had been chipped away, it felt like… Her pride, her worth; no longer a wife, hardly a lady, barely a sister. She stood by the edge of the ocean, and if the gods did exist at least they answered her prayers to see him. Her expression shifted just at the sight of Arron Farman, the King’s Rage, and yet the gentlest man she’s ever known. “You’re back,” she muttered. She gathered her skirts and rushed to him in an instant, “Thank gods you’re back”.

ARRON: Nodding with a slight smile as she rushed to him. So happy to see him as he was to see her, even with the guilt settled in the pit of his stomach. “Of course I’m back. I’m quite hard to kill, Calla. Why are you out here so late? Is everything okay?”

CALLA: Without another word she just moved close to him, holding him, wanting to be held. Arron had always been a steadying and comforting presence in her life, and she needed that now more than ever. Her eyes closed and she held on tight. “Of course,” she murmured, a smile gracing her lips for a moment. She shook her head before answering. “Nothing is okay…” she sighed. “I’m no longer Lady of Oldtown, Arron. I made a mistake… Our king and my brother can barely stand to look at me, I’m nothing but a shameful presence, a dishonor to my family…”

ARRON: At first, worries his actions have brought her turmoil but, no. No one was around them when he allowed him impulses to control him and press his lips to hers. Arron wraps his arms around her, hugs don't come easy to him. Rarely does he find it easy. There were exceptions and Calla found her place on that list long before lion wore crowns again. “What could you have done to shame your family? You're too good for some lord who can't even fight to protect his. you can't trust a man who counts gold for a living. It’s not living”.

CALLA: The lady buried herself in his embrace, relishing in the ephemeral peace she can find that will ultimately end. “He'll think less of me now...” she thought, and yet she knew she had to be truthful to Arron. “I married him in the North, Arron… we eloped. I married him for love and that is being used to annul everything now that he's tired of me,” she muttered, despite her brother’s warning to not speak at all about her shame to anyone. “I'm such a fool... I made the greatest mistake of my life and now I've shamed myself, I've shamed everyone”.

ARRON: Naturally, he frowns at the details, women did such dangerous things for love or for what they thought to be love. And this man, if he could be called that, well, he would just send her away without due cause. Rumors would spread. Yes, he divorced his wife but, he didn’t elope with her and she couldn't have children. Clearly different. Calla wasn't married long enough for one to question her having children. “These things, these shames, they pass. People get over them, in due time. Some won’t. The princess, well, she will always have the stain of running away from us all but...well, people can make mistakes. I know the princess has a good heart and...and I know you do. Though, next time, you shouldn’t just marry a man because of his words. Men will say anything, my lady”.

CALLA: “Our people don’t forget. Our pride is too great for that,” she murmured, turning in his embrace slightly, her forehead pressed against his chest. “You didn’t see the way my brother looked at me…” That ached the most, how this might cost her her family’s love… Guinevere was treated horribly for her actions, and she was a Lannister princess. What could a mere lady expect? “I’ll be shunned, I know it,” she glanced up, meeting his eyes. “Tyland didn’t hesitate to shame his own sister, imagine what he’ll say about me,” Calla laughed bitterly, emerald eyes glazing over. “What he’ll expect of his subjects in regards to his foolish cousin…” She rolled her lips, a look of desperation gracing her features. “Don’t forsake me, Arron. Please. I could endure it from everyone else… but not from you,” she pleaded, gripping a piece of fabric from his shirt in her hand.

ARRON: “No, our people have long memories but, people are willing to pretend if things move along quietly”. Arron didn't know. He’s never done anything to disappoint the king. He had no brothers and his sister was dead. His cousins had no grounds to be disappointed in anything he chose to do. He was the lord of his island and the one people sought approval from. He can’t say he knows how she feels. Comforting someone is strange to him. As a man who speaks plainly, he struggles to dance around the truth of matter. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he looks down at her with a brief smile; “I’ve no intention of forsaking you, Calla. I’m not your brother nor am I Tyland or anyone else. I think for myself”. And he does. He understands points and he follows the rules but Arron is a man of his own thoughts. The king knows it takes only a look for Arron to act. Arron never talked about Gwen with the king, it’s the only subject he won’t talk about. Arron blames the men. Always. Men using their power and status to turn the heads of Westerland women and lead them astray. “You’ll have to armor. never be too loud but never let anyone beneath your great house look down upon you.”

CALLA: Would this go over quietly? At present she could only doubt it, for all she could think about was how everything seemed to be falling apart. His smile, the rarest of gestures, caused her to let out a relieved breath. It pained her greatly what she knew to expect from her family for honor’s sake, for fielty to the king; but knowing she still had Arron could let her breath easy for a moment. His hands on her shoulders steadied her, and her own hands moved to land on his chest as she nodded slowly. “Thank you,” she muttered. “Thank you.” No one would hold her with such gentleness as Arron Farman did… They called him the King’s rage, but he’d always been so much more than that to her. It was impulsive, and perhaps it was wrong, no truer feeling existed inside Calla Lefford as she stood on her toes, cupping the lord’s face, and pressed her lips to his. Another stolen moment.

ARRON: She kisses him. He returns the kiss before he can stop himself. He shouldn’t. He knows he shouldn’t, he can’t help himself. His arms wrap around her waist and he holds her close to him. He breaks the kiss, his forehead against hers, his hands going to her face. “My lady, you know...we know...we know” He kisses her again. “I cannot dishonor you with my impulses, Calla. I should have known better than to kiss you...I’m sorry for putting you in such...a position.”

CALLA: It’s a dream, it’s the wish of what could have been. It’s the confirmation of what always will be, even if only in their hearts. So Calla held him close, pouring what was left of a jaded heart, cursed with emotions that lead to near madness. “I know…” the lady whispered in return, her forehead pressed to Arron’s. Nothing more needed to be said, for they both know the irrevocable truth of what joins them. He leaned to her lips once more and the red lioness welcomed him, tenderly, achingly. She rolled her lips after they break for the kiss, and her fingers landed on his mouth. “No,” she closed her eyes, a rueful smile appearing on her lips for a second. “Please. Don’t apologize for that, Arron,”. “Don’t apologize for a memory I treasure,” she thought, not daring to pass judgment on herself for what such a thing said about the person she was.

ARRON: Remembers how much he wanted to be with her. To marry her. It was his preference and he made the point that as someone who would be the ruling lord he should pick his own lady. Still. No one approved and no one listened to him. And now, now he's here with this woman putting her honor on the line by letting his heart live in her hands. He reaches up and takes her hand, holding her hand in his, he presses his lips to her fingers. They cannot. His wife, a woman who suffered enough in this life had done nothing to have a husband such as he. “When we return, will you go to Casterly or home? Your family is invited to the celebrations on Fair Isle. I’ll tell your brother.”

CALLA: Her mother never approved of a union between them, wishing to have her married to someone gentler. Who was gentler than him when it came to her heart? Gods, it only Lanna Lefford had seen that truth… Calla took a small step back, somewhat reluctantly. She couldn’t say she was sorry for this, for it would be a lie, but she did ache for Arron and the position she was putting him in. He deserved better. “Tyland won’t want me in Casterly Rock, I’d be a stain to his pristine and proud court,” she said, holding his hand tight after he kissed her knuckles. “My brother has allowed me to return to Golden Tooth, where I may sit quietly and do as I’m told to avoid bringing my house further shame”. Arron’s invitation was a kind one, though she wasn’t sure Leo would agree to her attending. Gods knew how much her family would wish to hide her from now on.

ARRON: He knew this would be the case but he wanted to offer. She would have to be away from court. Out of sight meant she was out of mind and one did not have to worry about what memories came with seeing her back at court. Tyland would never forgive eloping. “Then you will write me. We'll write each other, of course. It would be odd to have you write me and I say nothing in return. Life in the west will be far safer than any of us have ever known”. Arron kisses the back of her hand once more then releases her hand. “My lady, shall I walk you back to your quarters?”

CALLA: His words managed to bring a small smile to her lips, a rueful gesture. Her eyes gleamed with emotion, and the everlasting affection for Lord Arron Farman. “I will write to you, of course,” she said, “And I shall look forward to whatever missives you wish to send my way”. He released her hand, and Calla only moved forward to place a soft kiss on his cheek, lingering for a second before she pulled away. He is so much more than she could ever deserve, and he does deserve to have the happiest of lives with his wife. The red lioness nodded at his words, “Thank you, I’d appreciate it”. How does one not fall apart when everything crumbles around? Calla glanced at him as they walk back inside. One needs only a single person to not let go.

[sideblogformindtrash]

Hello! Could we see another drabble of Haru forced to be around Farlan? I found the three drabble you had on that so good !!!!

from this little series (its on BB/Pastel masterlist)

CW: Being forced to interact with an abuser; pet whump; multiple whumpees;

Things had been slightly easier since Orfeu was taken to Farlan’s home too. Of course he was still out most of the time, or completely incoherent due to strong meds, but even in that state, Haru seemed to feel safer around him.

He didn’t hide under the bed anymore, instead, cuddling up with Master most of the time.

The door creaks open, Haru jumps, hands closing in fists, hovering over Orfeu like an animal protecting his cubs.

“Hi…” Farlan says, hesitantly, tilts his head towards Orfeu “I need to change his bandages”

Haru furiously signs towards him, but he only looks puzzled.

“I’m sorry. I don’t understand you”

His face twists in disgust, and a Blue peeks behind him in the doorway.

“He said learning to listen to him now is the bare minimum you could do, after taking his voice away”

Farlan opens his mouth, then closes it, does the same again and then gives up saying anything. He just nods.

“Blue will teach you” He giggles.

“Thank you, Blue” He takes a deep breath, and steps inside the room. Despite his anger, how tough he is trying to look… He falls back from the bed, and scrambles against the wall. Farlan stops “I’m sorry. But I need to help Orfeu. I won’t… I won’t hurt you”

He shakes his head aggressively, and runs past Farlan and Blue and out of the room, searching for another place to hide. The next best thing is Pastel’s and BB’s room, so he goes in there, both of them staring at him for a second…

He falls to his knees on the floor, starting to sob.

“H-h-haaru what’s wrong?” BB asks, as Pastel pulls him into a hug.

“He still… Has so much power over me” He lacks the strength to move, even signing seems impossible “I hate this, I hate this. I want to go home”

“You are being so strong” Pastel says, his eyes nervously going everywhere “Orfeu would be proud of you”

“Besides, goth boy is recovering. You’ll go home soon!” BB smiles “Besides Farman is behaving, i-isn’t he? He being nice”

“I don’t want him to be nice” Haru snaps, turning towards BB “I Just want to not see him again. I don’t want to deal with him. I spent years trying to make him love me and now is way too late. I don't want to be here…”

They seemed a bit shocked to see him angry. But they also understood, BB offering them a soft smile with little gaps on their teeth.

“We, we are here this time. And we love you no matter, no matter what”

“Not alone” Pastel said too, squeezing Haru close. “We don’t want you to trust him, but please, trust us. Even… Even if we are just pets, we are here for you, we will do all we can to keep you safe”

Haru nodded, hiding his face on Pastel’s chest. Breathe. Just fucking breathe. Things will be okay again.

[shiftingshiftingshifting]

my dr playlists

not in any particular order

all of these are completely outdated as of 2023

the chaos squad - modern!game of thrones dr. the playlist my main friend group there listens to. that friend group consists of me, renly, loras, and margaery. song example: Jesus Don’t Like That I’m Gay but Satans Cool With It by LilBoodang

oh how i wish you were mine - sansa stark’s yearning playlist in my modern!game of thrones dr. song example: Wish You Were Gay by Claud

the king’s fosterling - OG game of thrones dr playlist, i still listen to the playlist sometimes but the dr has kind of fallen out with me. i would like to shift to something like it, just without all the baby shifter stuff. song example: Elastic Heart by Sia

a mockingbird at night - love this playlist. it was for the OG game of thrones dr, but once it had evolved and i made it near the end. it was based on a few months/episodes in s7 that were pretty messy, and ended in an execution. song example: Motion Sickness by Phoebe Bridgers

historical longing - this playlist is for my ever after high dr in which i am sappho’s daughter. my cousin is the son of achilles, and my main friend group includes marcellus(my cousin), cupid, briar, ashlynn, and apple. song example: Greek Tragedy by The Wombats

зайка | the curse - my mcu dr playlist. i made this dr right after i watched black widow because i was thinking about making one for a while, it’s pretty basic, and the dr is only fleshed out a bit.(similar drself to my xmen dr, but that dr holds more weight to me now, despite this one being the original) song example: The Adults Are Talking by The Strokes

marjorie aberdeen zaytseva trask - my xmen playlist. meeting my friend tia and scripting each other into our xmen drs might’ve been the best thing to happen to me this summer. in this dr im dating jean grey and rooming with her at xavier’s school for gifted youngsters in the revised timeline. tia and i have a discord server in this reality for us to keep track of everything in our drs, including our changes to the timeline.(theyre very similar but have slight changes that heavily impact the world, like she has modern tech and i dont) song example: The Girl by Hellberg, Cozi Zuehlsdorff

the phoenix and the curse. - jean and i’s playlist(in the form of cassettes) in my xmen dr. my alias is the curse and hers is the phoenix, hence the name. this dr is HEAVILY fleshed out and i have so much info on it that i would absolutely love to share if anyone asked.(also i scripted we have modern music but it’s all 60s/70s/80s themed) song example: fever dream by mxmtoon

for peter & tia - a cassette i gave to my friend tia(tia dorothea victoria xavier, charles xavier’s niece) and her boyfriend peter(peter maximoff) for christmas the year after she returns from essex corp. and milbury hospital. song example: 11:59 by Blondie

liar. - a playlist for my newest dr, a mainly a song of ice and fire soulmate au. in which two people who are soulmates cannot lie to each other, which causes some problems in the ever treacherous king’s landing. especially when those two soulmates have ever so much to hide. song example: To Be Loved by Askjell, AURORA

a playlist for tya for tya farman and pietr the servant boy - a playlist i made for my newest dr(the soulmate one) detailing the relationship between my friend tia(tya) and pietr(based off of peter maximoff) in my dr. over the course of their relationship they go through the initial discovery and butterflies, to star-crossed lovers, to tya’s betrothal to someone fit for a lady of her stature, to finally running away to pentos the night of the wedding and getting a happy ending. (don’t shuffle!!) song example: If This Was A Movie by Taylor Swift

the crow and the raven - a playlist about me and my childhood friend allyster morrigen, who ends up falling for me despite us not being destined, and me not returning his feelings. it was expected that we would marry, as it is common for second sons and daughters of houses morrigen and tarth to marry. childhood best friends to unrequited lovers to strangers. song example: exile (feat. Bon Iver) by Taylor Swift

[postcard-from-the-past]

Aviator Maurice Louis Marie Pierre Challe on a H. Farman biplane

French vintage postcard

[allenmendezsr]

The Art Of Scrolling Steel

New Post has been published on https://autotraffixpro.app/allenmendezsr/the-art-of-scrolling-steel/

The Art Of Scrolling Steel

 Buy Now    

Discover How to Turn “Unbendable” Steel into Hard Core, Heavy Metal, Strongman Artwork Just Like the Oldtime Strongmen Used to Do It.

You too can bend and twist steel bars into amazing pieces of art, once you learn the Ultimate Form of Steel Bending – STEEL SCROLLING.

From the desk of Jedd Johnson:

Dear Friends in Iron,

The Mighty Atom

Since the times when the first Circus Strongmen stood on stages to wow crowds with their might, Steel Bending has been a staple feat of strength.

From bending nails and spikes into “U” shapes to twisting horseshoes into “S’s,”

taking an object that is not meant to be bent, and bending it with sheer body and hand strength, is something truly impressive.

Men like the “The Mighty Atom” Joe Greenstein and Slim “The Hammer Man” Farman personified the Oldtime Performing Strongman, accomplishing

amazing bar and spike bending feats.

The great steel benders of yesterday have left behind a legacy of strength, and given us

many different types of bending to choose from.

Chuck Sipes Bending a Nail

First, there’s Short Bending, like Nail and Spike bending.

This is a strict form of bending where hand and wrist strength are key and contact with the lower part of the body is avoided.

This is often called the “gateway drug” of bending. The first type of steel bending that trainees learn and master.

It’s where you get hooked on the feeling of steel giving way to your strength.

Addicted to the rush of melting steel with your hand strength,

you find yourself wanting more…

The next step is Braced Bending.

Marx Bending a Horseshoe

With Braced Bending, you use your hands like wrenches and hammers to mold the steel…

Now, you destroy steel bars, and odd objects

by actually forcing them against your body.

Whether it’s driving a giant spike against your thigh with all your might to bend it into a U-shape…

…or if you hook a horseshoe around your side to pry it apart until it looks like an “S”…

…the objective is always the same – Conquering the Steel.

And like any other addiction, you can’t just stop there.

YOU NEED MORE.

You need to ramp things up.

Slim The Hammer Man

You need to take it to the next level.

Just like the karate student, who works and trains to graduate to the

next belt up…

…like a football player strives to go

from the JV team, up to Varsity…

…and the Minor League Baseball player who longs for the chance to play

in the Majors…

…with Steel Bending, the Big Leagues is Scrolling.

To truly join the ranks of the Mighty Atom, Slim the Hammer Man, John Grunn Marx, and the other legends of the past…

You must learn the

Ultimate Form of Steel Bending – Steel Scrolling.

Streaming On-line Version Digital Download: $39

Hard Copy Version Hard Copy DVD: $49 + S&H

The legendary steel benders of yesterday were never able to produce the How-To Manuals and Videos that could have helped this art stay alive.

And because of that, Steel Bending and Scrolling is slowly dying out.

This is where Bud Jeffries and I come in.

Bud and I have been bending steel of all sorts since the early 2000’s, and we love spreading the passion of steel bending.

Now, we have put together the video that explains Steel Scrolling and how you can practice this art form exactly the way the pioneers of scrolling did it way back when.

There’s just something awesome about the feeling of twisting a steel bar into an artistic shape, and being able to place it on your mantle or entertainment center, and remember the battle you had with it.

The sweat that drips from your brow to the floor.

The struggle with the bar as you press on the steel, and it pushes back at you, like a fight to the death…

The glory you feel once you’ve defeated the steel.

And the bond you now possess with the great Oldtime Strongmen of the past.

That is what Steel Scrolling is all about.

And that is how we want you to feel.

We want Steel Bending and Scrolling to enjoy a rebirth, and it starts with you.

With steel bending, you can challenge yourself further than with conventional strength training.

You can finish off each training session with an exclamation point, and a trophy for your work.

And whether you are left with a pile of bent nails, or a stack of twisted horseshoes, you know you are following a rite of passage that connects you to the great strongmen of the past.

And now it’s time for you to go one step further…Scrolling Steel.

Grab Your Copy of This Double-DVD Today:

Streaming On-line Version Digital Download: $39

Hard Copy Version Hard Copy DVD: $49 + S&H

What is Steel Scrolling?

Steel Scrolling is the art, science and physical performance of bending steel into purposefully made, artistic shapes, usually with a crowd watching in amazement.

Alexander Zass

Steel Scrolling is what they did in the times of the oldtime strongmen, back before everything got all watered down and packaged into a 7-minute abs commercial.

Back then, Scrolling showed you were the real deal and made you immortal if you mastered it.

It’s the perfect blend of heavy metal ferocity and graceful ballet artistry.

It combines the strength of a weight lifter with the endurance of a distance runner and the cunning of an engineer.

An outlaw variety of strength that stands alone as the king of steel bending.

And you can learn this lost art of the oldtime strongmen with our video, “The Art of Scrolling Steel.”

Streaming On-line Version Digital Download: $39

Hard Copy Version Hard Copy DVD: $49 + S&H

Here’s Exactly What You Will Learn in the Art of Steel Scrolling:

The Types of Scrolling: Scrolling is broken up into several styles. You’ll learn each one and when to use them for best results.

Shortening the Learning Curve: Bud and I share with you our key tips that’ll save you hours of searching if not years of wasted training.

Purposeful Shapes or Abstract Steel Sculptures?: There are differences, and you will learn them right from the beginning of the video.

How Scrolling Incorporates Other Forms of Bending: Scrolling involves techniques found in other types of steel bending, and soon you’ll be able to pick them out easily and make mastering scrolling even easier for yourself.

The Most Common Steel Bars for Scrolling: You’ll know what type, length and size of steel to use and why each one works best for each type of scroll.

Protective Materials for Serious Scrolling: You’ll learn what types of gloves and pads to use, when to use them or not, and the reasons why.

Maximize Your Leverage: You’ll learn how to optimize your body angles and positioning to make even the hardest steel bars do what you want them to do.

How to Save Money When Buying Steel: In this section, you’ll learn where to go to get your steel bars, so you can buy more bars for your hard earned cash.

Special Safety Considerations: Injuries are rare, especially when you know what to do and what not to do, but you’ll learn the insider tips relating to footwear, surface you stand on, avoiding moisture and more.

Workouts Like You’ve NEVER Had Before: You’ll learn how creating a twisted look to the steel will give you better core workout than anything you’ve ever done before.

Next Level Scrolling: We give you all our secrets and show you how to make unique steel scrolls you can sell and make money.

Don’t FIGHT the Steel – Work With It: You’ll learn what to look for so you can see EXACTLY what the steel bar wants to do, making the Scroll EASIER.

Cross-Training for the Grapplers Out There: Why this is the perfect training for grapplers and martial artists and why it develops strength to tear a body limb from limb.

Must-Know Info for Strongman Performers

For those of you looking to Scroll Steel on stage before a crowd, we made sure to include this special section for the future Strongman Performers:

How to Make a Piece Worthy of a Stage Show: We show you the secrets that will make you look like a seasoned pro on the stage.

How to Finish Your Scroll The RIGHT Way: You always want to finish your scroll THIS WAY so the crowd knows you are a legit performer and NOT just a pretender.

The Bending Style to Avoid at All Costs: The dangerous style of bending that injured a legendary strongman, and why you should never try it…EVER!

Secrets From the Vault: A special style of Scrolling from one of the true legends of the strongman game

Whether you do shows in front of 12 people or 1200, you need to know the information in the above section beforehand.

Ever Wonder How a Performing Strongman Trains?

Well, you’re gonna find out in the next section.

You see, Bud Jeffries is the last of a dying breed.

Bud makes his living as a Strongman Performer, and he knows how to stay in top condition all year long.

Unfortunately, there’s only so much steel he can take with him on his travels around the country.

So he has developed some amazing strength training methods using regular gym equipment, that help him develop top-level bending strength all year long.

And in the last section of this DVD, he shares them with YOU.

Here’s what you are going to learn from the last of the Full-Time Performing Strongmen:

Bud’s Functional Pushing Isometric: This will make your shoulders and entire upper body stronger than it ever has before.

Bud’s Functional Pulling Isometric: This is a huge back and lat builder, and I couldn’t believe how CRAZY it felt when Bud showed it to me.

Noah’s Functional Core Isometric: Bud’s son, Noah, is an innovator, too, and this series of lifts will target your core better than ANY other abdominal exercise you know and skyrocket your braced bending strength off the charts.

The 3-Dimensional Dynamic/Isometric Combination: You’ll be ready for ANYTHING when you see the CRAZY ways Bud combines the Row and the Press – for the SICKEST Hybrid Exercises.

Dennis Rogers Gripper Band Pulls: LEGIT Gripper Training for every steel bending strongman – these will turn your fingers into vises and make your wrists as strong as steel cables

It’s Time to Become a “Complete” Strongman

You may already be bending steel, but if you haven’t mastered Scrolling, you’re missing the final chapter that will complete your legacy.

It’s time to go to the next level.

It’s time to create the next modern art, and steel bars are the medium.

It’s time to become the next Michelangelo, with the strength and power of the X-men.

Scrolling Steel is about imposing your raw will on what many see as unbendable steel.

It’s hand-bent, no heat, no tools, steel sculpture.

And now, the “How-to” is no longer bottled up by a small group of modern strongmen.

Today, you can learn how to turn steel into your own signature artwork with your own brute force and bare hands.

Streaming On-line Version Digital Download: $39

Hard Copy Version Hard Copy DVD: $49 + S&H

You will love this living performance art, done with purposeful thought, and precision force, to make a specific shape out of “unbendable steel.”

Along the way, Scrolling will strengthen every tendon, ligament, and muscle in your body.

Such is the power of this lost art.

Make no mistake about it, the men who did this, were the strongest lions to walk this planet.

You can be just like them.

And we will show you how.

All the best with your scrolling,

   Jedd & Bud

Common Questions

Who Are Jedd and Bud and Why Should I Listen to Them About Steel Scrolling?

Bud and I have a combined 20+ years of steel bending between them. Along the way, we’ve mastered the art of breaking down complex movements like steel bending and scrolling, so that we can teach them in a way anyone can understand how to do them. The Art of Scrolling Steel is no different, and we will walk you through many different Steel Scrolls so you too can forge these pieces of steel art yourself.

Will This Information Be Too Advanced for Me?

Bud and I took our time and got actual scrolls on film for you to watch. These are not gimme scrolls or warm-up bends. We did the actual scrolls we would do on stage before a crowd, or in our gyms to produce top-notch steel scroll artwork. All the time, we are pausing so you catch everything you need to and miss nothing. In some cases, while one of us is bending, the other is giving coaching cues and commentary, to help you understand exactly what is going on.

How Did You Pack All of This Valuable Information into One Product?

We kept editing to a minimum to make sure NOTHING is left out. You will get everything you need to learn scrolling the right way. Because of the amount of information we are providing, The Art of Steel Scrolling is a Double-DVD. That’s right – you are receiving 2 DVD’s.

How Are the DVD’s Delivered?

Right now, we have a small inventory of 50 copies of this double-DVD in stock. We will personally mail each copy of the DVD set to you. Once the inventory is wiped out (and with the size the waiting list has grown to, that won’t be too long), we will use our time-tested and reliable publishing and shipping company to print and mail the DVD’s out you.

What If I Need to Return a DVD?

Easy. Just ship it back to me at the following address. Please include a note explaining what is wrong with the DVD or email me at jedd dot diesel at gmail dot com.

Jedd Johnson PO Box 806 Wyalusing PA 18853

What if I Live Overseas and Don’t Want to Pay for Shipping?

Bud and I realize that shipping and customs charges can be pretty annoying for our customers overseas, so we decided to make the video available in a digital download version as well. All you have to do is choose the digital version when you click the Add-to-Cart button.

What Kinds of Scrolling Feats are Covered in the Video? What If I Need to Bring Up My Strength in Order to Scroll Steel?

We’ve got you taken care of – we covered Special Strength Training for Steel Scrolling in this DVD set, too! This part of the DVD could literally stand alone and we should probably sell it separately. This section has some of the most unique and specific exercises for steel bending and scrolling, but more than that, literally the toughest core exercises you’ve ever seen. These drills are simple to set up and will make you BRUTALLY STRONG. There’s more than a dozen variations of these five special exercises.

We will get you started the right way. We’ve got you covered.

Now, the rest is up to you. Click the Add to Card Button below:

Streaming On-line Version Digital Download: $39

Hard Copy Version Hard Copy DVD: $49 + S&H

[goodqueenaly]

Is it surprising that none of the children or grandchildren of king Daeron II considered marrying a Lannister or Tyrell to create royal power block after the first Blackfyre rebellion?

Baelor Breakspear and Maekar were already married before the First Blackfyre Rebellion, as Valarr was born no later than 193 AC (and more likely before that, considering he was a young knight participating in the Tourney of Ashford) and Daeron the Drunken was 18 in 209 AC. I tend to think the future Aerys I was also married before the rebellion, largely because I also think that Elaena Targaryen was married to Ronnel Penrose to ensure the Penroses stayed on the side of the crown despite the failure of Aerys and Aelinor’s marriage (after all, Elaena would have been a little old at 46 to start having children by Ronnel, much less four). It’s of course unclear when Rhaegel married Alys Arryn (though Septon Sefton’s comment in “The Sworn Sword” that “Prince Rhaegal is as meek as he is mad, and his children are … well, children” may suggest that they were still young in 211 AC, and consequently that Rhaegel may have married and fathered them after the First Blackfyre Rebellion), and even less clear why.

It’s also worth pointing out, of course, this passage from TWOIAF:

In the aftermath [of the First Blackfyre Rebellion], King Daeron showed a sternness that few expected. Many lords and knights who had supported the Black Dragon had lands and seats and privileges stripped from them and were forced to give over hostages. Daeron had trusted them, had done all he could to rule justly, and still they turned against him.

The First Blackfyre Rebellion seems to have been something of a personal blow to Daeron II, even if it ended in a military victory for the crown. It will remain to be seen in Fire and Blood Volume 2 (or, possibly, in retrospect in future D&E) how disillusioned Daeron II was after the rebellion, but Yandel’s words certainly suggest that the king felt pretty bitter about how the rebellion reflected on him personally. To that end, I could see where Daeron felt that he didn’t want to reward families who had failed him during the rebellion - not only those who had directly turned against him and supported the Blackfyres, but those who hadn’t, so he might have believed, done enough to stop it, or had been slow about rallying to the red dragon banner. In this number perhaps were included the Lannisters (with Lord Lefford being killed at the gates of Lannisport and Lord Damon Lannister failing to defeat Quentyn Ball) and the Tyrells (who may have, h/t to @racefortheironthrone, hung back to see who would triumph, then cannibalized Daemon’s Reach supporters in the aftermath of the Redgrass Field). 

As for Daeron II’s grandchildren, I’ve talked a bit about Valarr’s marriage to Kiera of Tyrosh (and Daeron the Drunken’s later marriage to her). There has been no mention to this point of Matarys having been married, although it’s entirely possible that he was betrothed before his death in the Great Spring Sickness, or even that he was married but (obviously) died childless (perhaps akin to Rhaena’s marriage to Androw Farman, only officially confirmed with F&B). I believe, although it’s far from confirmed at this point, that Egg was betrothed from a young age to his sister Daella, though whether there were any serious plans for Aerion’s or Rhae’s marriages in their youths (and so whether there was any thought of using them in marriages, including in the Reach or west), we don’t know. It will be worth seeing what influence Bloodraven has over the marital fates of Daeron’s grandchildren: I could see him having arranged the Aelor-Aelora marriage, I certainly think he kept Kiera in King’s Landing to use for a future marriage, and his willful abandonment of the Westerlands against Dagon would hardly have encouraged him to strengthen the ties between the Lannisters and the Targaryens.

All of this, naturally, could be completely off base and refuted by Fire and Blood Volume 2. Considering how much the first volume jerked around my previous notions of political marriage making, I wouldn’t be surprised if the second did as well.

[chillyravenart]

hello 😇 I love your arts and I think you’re talented as heck 🌹 I became fan of the Targaryens because of you 🤣 now I’m reading Fire and Blood and since you answer annoying questions about them I wanna ask what do you think about the moment when Rhaena tells Jaehaerys that she’s always been Visenya and Alysanne was Rhaenys ? What she meant ? ps Rhaena is a real bae 🌈 Maybe you’re planning to draw her on the future ? ❤️

Hi anon, thank you for your kind words! I'm so glad that you're a Targaryen fan (doing the lord's work is very rewarding I must say)😊❤

Rhaena was never one for mincing words lol and I loved the comparison so much. This was after Elissa Farman took off with the dragon eggs and Jaehaerys had taken steps to attempt their recovery. Both siblings were firm in their intentions, that they would go to war to retrieve them if need be, or;

"Take them back if we can, kill them if not. No hatchlings can hope to stand against Vermithor and Dreamfyre."

Rhaena was a lot like Visenya; firm, ruthless, fucking badass, quick to hold a grudge. She had evaded Maegor and stolen his sword and his "heir" Aerea from under his nose and rallied to her brother Jaehaerys' cause. She also made Rogar Baratheon piss his underclothes whether he cared to admit it or not lmao.

Whilst she wasn't as unforgiving as Visenya, she had no issues using threats or violence for intimidation. She had a temper and wasn't afraid to wake the dragon, she was passionate and fierce and hell hath no fury like a Targaryen scorn'd.

Alysanne on the other hand, possessed a lot of the qualities of her grandmother Rhaenys; she was smart, kind and diplomatic, she listened to the smallfolk and was instrumental in a lot of social reform. She was the "Good Queen", the matriarch of the 7k, and like Rhaenys, had a hand in women's rights, held courts for noble and common women and convinced Jaehaerys to abolish the practise of jus primae noctis.

I personally love the dichotomy of the two sisters and how it reflects Visenya and Rhaenys (and also the fact that Jaehaerys was very much his grandsire's grandson). And that's what Rhaena meant when she told Jaehaerys that she was Visenya, that she was prepared to do what it took to right the wrong that had been committed against her.

I absolutely love Rhaena, she was such a queen😍 Btw I've drawn Rhaena here with Elissa Farman and I have another iconic sketch in the works too so keep an eye out 😉 thank you again for your lovely message!

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 2.4 (before 1940)

62 – Earthquake in Pompeii, Italy. 1576 – Henry of Navarre abjures Catholicism at Tours and rejoins the Protestant forces in the French Wars of Religion. 1597 – A group of early Japanese Christians are killed by the new government of Japan for being seen as a threat to Japanese society. 1783 – In Calabria, a sequence of strong earthquakes begins. 1810 – Peninsular War: Siege of Cádiz begins. 1818 – Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte ascends to the thrones of Sweden and Norway. 1852 – The New Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia, one of the largest and oldest museums in the world, opens to the public. 1859 – Alexandru Ioan Cuza, Prince of Moldavia, is also elected as prince of Wallachia, joining the two principalities as a personal union called the United Principalities, an autonomous region within the Ottoman Empire, which ushered in the birth of the modern Romanian state. 1862 – Moldavia and Wallachia formally unite to create the Romanian United Principalities. 1869 – The largest alluvial gold nugget in history, called the "Welcome Stranger", is found in Moliagul, Victoria, Australia. 1885 – King Leopold II of Belgium establishes the Congo as a personal possession. 1901 – J. P. Morgan incorporates U.S. Steel in the state of New Jersey, although the company would not start doing business until February 25 and the assets of Andrew Carnegie's Carnegie Steel Company, Elbert H. Gary's Federal Steel Company, and William Henry Moore's National Steel Company were not acquired until April 1. 1905 – In Mexico, the General Hospital of Mexico is inaugurated, started with four basic specialties. 1907 – Belgian chemist Leo Baekeland announces the creation of Bakelite, the world's first synthetic plastic. 1913 – Greek military aviators, Michael Moutoussis and Aristeidis Moraitinis perform the first naval air mission in history, with a Farman MF.7 hydroplane. 1913 – Claudio Monteverdi's last opera L'incoronazione di Poppea was performed theatrically for the first time in more than 250 years. 1917 – The current constitution of Mexico is adopted, establishing a federal republic with powers separated into independent executive, legislative, and judicial branches. 1917 – The Congress of the United States passes the Immigration Act of 1917 over President Woodrow Wilson's veto. 1918 – Stephen W. Thompson shoots down a German airplane; this is the first aerial victory by the U.S. military. 1918 – SS Tuscania is torpedoed off the coast of Ireland; it is the first ship carrying American troops to Europe to be torpedoed and sunk. 1919 – Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and D. W. Griffith launch United Artists. 1924 – The Royal Greenwich Observatory begins broadcasting the hourly time signals known as the Greenwich Time Signal. 1933 – Mutiny on Royal Netherlands Navy warship HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën off the coast of Sumatra, Dutch East Indies. 1939 – Generalísimo Francisco Franco becomes the 68th "Caudillo de España", or Leader of Spain.

[earthtriplet]

“Life Magazine picture of cancer victim James H. Bedford being preserved in cryocapsule for later revival, 1967. Photo: Henry Groskinsky”- Abou Farman Towards a Post-Secular Aesthetics: Provocations for Possible Media in Afterlife Art