#from the same ailment (childbirth)

[daenerysies]

something i noticed unfortunately:

[script from darksvster]

alicent is mid-late thirties, which obvious discourse means her mom was also probably a childbride when she had her (+ her having an older brother in gwayne helps to reaffirm this).

this was the case for rhaenyra in fire and blood; aemma was *fifteen* when she had rhaenyra and *twenty-three* when she died birthing baelon. rhaenyra was a mother THREE times over (with baby egg on the way) by the time she reached the age her mother ultimately met her fate at.

how am i supposed to mentally cope with this information?

[separatist-apologist]

Lying In Between The Memories

You could call it paradise but it looks just like hell to me

Summary: Following the blood rite, Gwyneth Berdara can't shake the memories of a life long-gone.

The shadowsinger can't seem to move on after five centuries of loving the same woman.

Together, they'll have to carve a new path forward.

Read on AO3 | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5

[ongoing TW for Sexual Assault]

Gwyn found a stack of neatly laid gowns waiting for her when she returned from the library. He’d lounged in a chair like a bored, spoiled prince, watching her catalog the paltry books Kai had arranged for her to have access to.

Looking at her list, Gwyn found nothing of use. Most of it centered around female troubles—childbirth, raising children, and ailments that seemed to afflict females only. Did the royals at Montessere genuinely think she’d come all this way to learn about midwifery? Gwyn had to reign in her frustration. This was not her area of study and though she’d always wanted children, she doubted she’d ever have them.

Azriel didn’t return with her, nor did he bother to explain where he was going. He merely left her with a babysitter. One of his shadows, perched on her shoulder with what she assumed was curiosity.

“What am I supposed to do with these?” she asked it, watching as it slithered toward the neatly made bed to examine the dresses. No doubt these were a gift from the prince and not wearing one would be a snub, but…

Gwyn took a breath. “Out there,” she said, pointing toward the common room she and Azriel shared. She didn’t know if he could see through his shadows, and didn’t need the added embarrassment of him knowing what she looked like naked. And she certainly didn’t want him to see her in the dress if she choose to risk Kai’s wrath and not wear it.

His shadow balked, but eventually slithered away, pausing just outside the doorframe. Gwyn slammed it shut, though she felt a small prick of guilt. Enough that she murmured, “It’s not personal.”

After all—it wasn’t the shadows fault it was attached to Azriel. 

Carefully, Gwyn pulled her sisters evoking stone from where it hid in her pocket and let it lay on the bed beside the gowns. They were all cut in a similar style, with the laced, corset bodice and the straps that would hold it to her shoulders white delicate fabric hung against the tops of her arms. It would create a very specific shape—one she wasn’t certain she had. 

And Kai had sent nearly every color. No pink, she assumed because of her red hair, but greens and purples and blues. Darker, warmer colors that would compliment her fair skin. The fact he’d put any thought into it at all was confusing. Generous and unwanted, all at once. Gwyn didn’t know what to make of it and wished Nesta was with her to explain his intentions. 

Maybe she’d write a letter.

Gwyn shimmied into the amethyst dress, sucking in a breath before doing her laces. She didn’t pull them tight, and had to admit it was comfortable enough. There were pockets, which meant she wouldn’t be without her sister, which was the one thing she found intolerable. Turning to the mirror, Gwyn was surprised to find she did have a shape, even if the gown created it for her. Her body curved gently, while the corseted top gently pushed the tops of her breasts upwards toward her collarbone. A necklace would have drawn anyones attention to them immediately, which convinced Gwyn not to wear one.

She opened the door, tugging at her skirt for the shadow to look, which she spoke the language Azriel had mastered if only to get its genuine opinion. If shadows even cared about such things. 

“It’s…a lot,” she finally managed, embarrassed by how she looked and how she felt about her appearance. She shouldn’t care…but turning back to her reflection, she thought she looked good. Pretty, even, which she wasn’t supposed to care about. All Gwyn was supposed to worry about was serving the mother goddess, though she’d known plenty of more established priestesses who’d primped and preened—who’d cared for their appearance and how they presented themselves to the people they were attracted to. 

Catrin cared, a traitorous voice reminded her. 

A knock on the door pulled Gwyn from her thoughts. The shadow, once ribboning around her neck, vanished so quickly she thought she’d imagined its presence. Gwyn lunged for her sisters evoking stone, sliding into her pocket as the person on the other end entered her bedroom without waiting for her to respond. She met Kai in the lounge, wishing Azriel was with her.

Was Kai supposed to be here? Smiling, he said, “Oh good. You found my gift.”

Gwyn tugged at the sleeve tapered against her hand, wishing suddenly she’d snubbed him. “It was incredibly generous for—”

“It was nothing,” he interrupted, waving his hand dismissively. He kept his eyes on her face, extending a pale, slim hand toward her. Gwyn didn’t want to take it, if only because everything about him felt too possessive. 

She did, though, because this was a job and Gwyn wasn’t going to prove anyone right about her. Not Merril.

Not Azriel.

“Are you hungry?” he asked, pulling her hand into the crook of his elbow. She was, and there seemed no danger in admitting as much.

“Yes. Starving, actually.”

He smiled again—a genuine thing that made him appear alive and handsome. There was color to his cheeks and a vibrancy to his eyes that made her wonder why he hadn’t snagged some pretty female for a wife. What was he waiting on, she wondered? 

“You’ll get to meet most of the court and their wives,” he said, taking for granted that his court was made up entirely of males. It was that simple sentence that grounded Gwyn. He was handsome and not for her. A prince's attention was flattering, certainly, if it amounted to anything more than being kind to foreigners at court. But she could see what a future with him would entail—a quiet consort, pretty and sweet as she raised his young without much more. And while Gwyn certainly didn’t begrudge anyone who wanted that future, it was not one she hoped for herself.

“Will your…friend…be joining us?” he continued, oblivious to the slant of her thought. It was amusing to hear Azriel called her friend. She doubted he’d consider himself that, though there was also a question within that question.

What is he to you?

She was content not to answer it. Let them imagine whatever scenario they liked. “I would imagine he is.”

“Are there…many…like him, where you come from?”

Rhysand hadn’t said she couldn’t share that information, so Gwyn nodded. “Yes. Wings are fairly common in Prythian.”

“Among High Fae?” Kai questioned in a tone she didn’t quite care for. Because, no, they weren’t, and surely Kai would have known that. She wondered why it mattered, though it very obviously did.

“I guess we’re not as concerned about those distinctions in Prythian,” Gwyn lied. She knew some courts, like Night and Dawn and Summer were more progressive, but others very clearly looked down on people like Azriel, who were Illyrian and not High Fae. She’d heard from Nesta how Eris Vanserra often referred to Cassian as a low-born brute. 

Is that what Kai thought of Azriel? If he did, he had enough tact not to say so. “Interesting,” was what he said instead. “It seems we have a lot to learn from each other.”

“You met Morrigan, didn’t you?” she blurted out without thinking.

A shadow passed over Kai’s face, twisting his features for only a moment. Gone was the lovely, moon-lit prince, replaced with someone ugly and cold and cruel. She blinked and he was back, smiling tightly. “In Vallahan, yes. She was…quite the character. The High Lord’s cousin, is she not?”

“She is,” Gwyn confirmed.

Kai only grunted, leading Gwyn toward a pair of carved, double doors. Gwyn’s steps slowed at the sight of a figure cut in the wood, sword raised while someone just beneath raised up their hand in a futile attempt to stop the coming blow. It was a gruesome picture made worse by Kai’s grin.

“A long dead ancestor of mine,” he said, reaching for the handle of the door. “Evocative, isn’t it?”

Gwyn didn’t know what to say to that, and was spared by a cold, deep voice replying, “He lost his own head, didn’t he?”

They whipped around to find Azriel, wings spread casually behind his body as he approached. There was a triumphant gleam in his eyes that told Gwyn whatever he’d been up to had been successful. That look shifted as he took her in, eyes sliding down her body and too late, she’d forgotten she’d put on a Montessere style dress. 

Azriel’s eyes snapped back to her face, his expression utterly blank. Beside Gwyn, Kai ground his teeth loudly.

“He did.”

“To Vallahan, if I remember correctly?” Azriel needled, coming closer. He turned those brutal, piercing eyes wholly on Kai who seemed to shrink beneath it. She hadn’t realize how much taller Azriel was until that moment, but Kai seemed to come to his knees when Azriel pulled himself up to his full height. Between the two, there was no comparison—Azriel could have wiped Kai from the face of the world with one backhanded blow. 

Why did that thought please her so much? 

“Is there a reason you’re bringing this up?” Kai demanded, placing his hand over Gwyn’s. Azriel caught it, eyes sharpening with lethal interest. She wanted to pull away and didn’t, too afraid she’d signal the wrong thing. They weren’t interested in her at all—this was all posturing, all pure male bullshit. 

Azriel shook his head, causing a lock of his thick, dark to fall against his eyes. “Just want to make sure Gwyn understands the geo-politics of this place.”

“I doubt she needs to concern herself with such things,” Kai dismissed, all but withering beneath Azriel’s cruel smile.

“Oh? Do you doubt that? I don’t.”

Gwyn cleared her throat. She didn’t know how she’d ever explain this moment to Rhysand. She had the worst feeling if Azriel couldn’t reign it in, they’d be facing a different sort of war. “I’m still hungry,” she announced in an attempt to diffuse the tension that had arisen between Kai and Azriel. “If you two are done, I think I’d like to go eat.”

And then, for good measure, she slipped her arm from Kai’s grip. Azriel exhaled, inclining his head toward the doors. Turning back, Gwyn found herself far more settled knowing that the king about to kill that man had died in the same brutal fashion.

And inwardly, she cursed Azriel for being the one to help soothe her. He hadn’t know, had he? She stepped through the doors first, feeling him just at her back. Kai, thwarted and clearly irritated, made his way ahead toward a high table at the far end of the dark, cavernous room. Huge chandeliers made of sparkling crystal lit the space, throwing long shadows over the onyx marble floors. As usual, the tall windows were covered by thick, velvet curtains that made the air seem to shimmer with heat. Azriel skimmed his hands against her spine, lowering his head.

“What are you wearing?” he whispered, leading her toward a small, round table at the furthest end of the room. As usual, everyone did a double take as they passed, stunned by his perfect features. It was starting to annoy her. 

“A gift,” she said, swallowing her fear that he hated it and was about to say so. Gwyn yanked out her chair, sitting before he could do something stupid like pull it out. Behind her, Gwyn could feel Kai’s eyes on her back though she didn’t dare turn around.

Azriel sat across from her, wincing at the hard back against his wings. “I thought it might be Nestas,” was all he said in response. That was a best case scenario, she decided. He hadn’t complemented her, at least. She didn’t know what she would have done if he did.

“I found the library in the city,” he added after a moment, nodding his head when a servant slithered by to place plates and metal covered dishes before them. The chatter in the room obscured his voice well enough, though Gwyn wasn’t stupid enough to think they weren’t being watched by more than just the royal family.

“I’ll wait for Kai to show me,” she said dismissively, too focused on cataloging the courtiers around them to notice the male in front of her.

She’d irritated him. “Great. I’ll let Rhysand know I’m hardly needed here. Perhaps he’ll reassign me,” Azriel bit out, pushing away from the table abruptly.

Gwyn huffed out a sigh. “Sit back down.”

But he didn’t. Azriel turned, his face all but carved from stone. She wanted to go after him—to explain more than just her dismissive remark, but everything. As if that would matter, she reminded herself bitterly. As if him knowing everything would change the way he looked at her, the way he acted. So Gwyn let him go, resigning herself to eating in silence.

And though a multitude of wives came to talk with her the moment Azriel vanished, Gwyn’s thoughts were stuck on Azriel.

Moreso when she returned to their shared room, joined by that same friendly shadow he had trailing her. Floating around her bed doing little joyful backflips, Gwyn found a rich azure bound book waiting for her.

Montessere, Vallahan, and Rask: A History of Treatsies from Gwydion to Armand. 

Gwyn sighed.

He’d gifted her a book.

AZRIEL:

Azriel had found the perfect spot to hide among the disconcerting Monstesseran palace. That spire, stretching to a steepled point high above the sky, obscured him from anyone who might peer upward and gave him a perfect view of the city and beyond. Behind him lay the sea and his home that he was missing more by the second, and in front of him was the city of Vignon, which had nothing on Velaris. Azriel had been taken aback by the suffering he’d stumbled upon and a king who’d shut himself away, sealing himself from his people and their problems. There was great wealth alongside the poverty, without much in between, and in between it all lay the library of Montessere. It was paltry in comparison to home, and laughable to someone like Gwyn, and still it housed far more than the embarrassment she’d been provided in the palace.

And she didn’t even want to see it without the prying eyes of the prince. That bothered him more than he was willing to admit. Knees drawn to his chest, Azriel forced himself to take a cool breath of night air, calming his raging temper. If he went back to their shared room, he was certain he’d find himself in another heated exchange with the priestess.

She was under his skin and he couldn’t, for the life of him, figure out why. That stupid dress and her stupid hand on his stupid arm…Azriel wanted to roar at the prince and then shake her. Didn’t she have any sense? Couldn’t she see what he wanted from her? He was too possessive already, his scent wrapped around her like thorny vines. She was going to give him the wrong idea and they’d have an international incident on their hands.

It wasn’t his problem, he reminded himself. And he was too worked up, too emotional. It wasn’t even Gwyn’s fault—not really. He was still tangled up about the revelation about Mor and Elain’s anger and the constant threat of Lucien and…and that godsdamned dress. 

Azriel rose to his feet, about to leap off and take to the skies when a whisper from his shadows stopped him.

She’s in bed reading the book.

How did the Queen get up here without wings? 

Azriel halted, turning in a half circle. This was the spire the king and Kai had said the queen had leapt from…but how? He’d flown, courtesy of the wings at his back, but the stairs only trailed up to a balcony far, far below him. Would that jump kill an immortal? He jumped, his wings ballooning in the wind to guide him lower and lower, until he was level with that balcony. It was still a far jump…but Azriel didn’t think it was fatal.

Maybe for a human, with their fragile bones and useless blood. But for someone as long-lived as a faerie queen? No, he decided. She’d need to go to the very top and let the wind take her to the sharp rocks against the shore line, where the obsidian would have cut through her spine and stopped her heart. 

“Find out what the courtiers know,” Azriel murmured against the wind, letting his shadows pick up the command. He very much doubted the well-bred Montesseran courtiers were going to engage in a little gossip with the likes of him. As Azriel made his way to the ground, and with great hatred, he tried to think of what Vanserra would do.

Seduce them, the stupid bastard.

He was shit at pillow talk. He didn’t want to know their thoughts, only what their pussy tasted like. And the only words he wanted to hear were more and please and oh gods, untie me. 

Still, he didn’t wholly dismiss it. If all else failed, Azriel would pick out the most miserable looking wife and work a little charm and then…well. He’d figured it out, he reasoned. If Vanserra could manage it, how difficult could it be? 

Azriel returned to the room he was sharing with Gwyn to find her door closed tight. Fine, he thought, though the sight of it irked him. Two of his shadows slithered off, leaving him with just two more of the five he had in totality. He could feel them watching, wishing they, too, could join in whatever frivolity was happening in Gwyn’s room.

“Go,” he said with a sigh. He didn’t need an audience for what he was about to do, besides. His shadows zipped off, vanishing beneath the crack in Gwyn’s door.

“Oh, hello,” he heard her say with clear and obvious delight. It was on the tip of his tongue to demand to know where her enthusiasm for him was, but Azriel leashed it. He didn’t need another reminder that she hated the mere sight of him. Hated him so much that she couldn’t be bothered to tell him what he’d done to make her stop training with him. 

Azriel sighed, closing his door silently. He’d wracked his brain before and wouldn’t let it torment him tonight. Not when he needed to forget everything stressing him out so he could focus on doing his job and not getting himself killed. Azriel stripped off his leathers, rolling his shoulders when the heavy, thick armor was off his tight skin. He needed a bath more than anything, but it would have to wait—at least, for now. Azriel unlaced his boots before undoing his pants with a frustrated grunt. Why was he wearing battle-ready clothing in a place where no one seemed to be armed? He’d switch to a tunic which would be a little more functional and far easier to get at the thing he wanted, which so happened to be his cock. 

Azriel flopped back on the bed with a groan, stretching his tired, aching muscles. It felt like a week had passed when in reality, it had been only one day. What would he be like in a week? He’d need a vacation—something Rhys had been begging him to take for centuries. He’d never wanted one before Gwyn.

He wanted one now, though he had no fucking idea where he’d go. Somewhere quiet and cold—maybe high up in the mountains in Dawn, where he could have some peace…and would be bored within a day. He’d be crawling back to Rhys before nightfall, begging for something to do.

Or slithering back into the River House so he could listen to Nyx’s raucous giggling and Feyre’s shrieks as she chased him around. That, he decided, was music to his ears. Azriel had never had much to say and didn’t like to draw attention to himself, but he liked being in the presence of others who did talk—who smiled and laughed and made him feel like he was part of something special. 

He missed home, he decided, one hand on his thigh. It seemed wrong to touch himself while he was missing his friends and family so Azriel took a breath and cleared his head of thoughts of home and tried to focus on the last person who touched him because they wanted him. He hadn’t known her name, of course. He so rarely did. But she’d been beautiful and attentive and after the revelation with Mor, Azriel had needed someone to take his mind off his self-loathing and misery.

How had he missed something that, in retrospect, felt obvious? Settling himself against soft pillows, his wings draped on either side of him, Azriel reached for his flaccid cock and gave it a stroke. His body responded immediately, rising with each new pump against the memory of that female on her knees, licking up the length of his cock. He could still recall his hand fisted in her hair coppery brown hair, could remember the way her teal eyes—

“Fuck,” he growled. Her hair had been blonde, her eyes green. “Focus.”

But his body wasn’t inclined to listen because right then, all Azriel could feel were Gwyn small, lithe hands pressed against his lower stomach as she demanded he move. His hips bucked off the bed, attempting to comply with the request. He could smell her, too—viola and cinnamon, eyes on her mouth and— “No,” he hissed, refusing to complicate this mission by stroking himself to Gwyn’s beautiful face. She hated him. He wasn’t terribly fond of her, either. 

But Azriel was strung tight now, pleasure coiling hotly through his stomach before settling in his balls as release had begun to gather. His hand never stopped even when his mind tried to put him back where he’d started—with the female that lacked a gag reflex. She’d swallowed him root to tip, tears blurring in teal eyes and—

“Oh for Cauldron’s sake!” he exploded, yanking his hand away from his throbbing cock. What was wrong with him? 

Azriel took a breath, skin humming for him to continue. Stop thinking about Gwyn. He hadn’t thought of her in months. He didn’t need to think of her now, either. Resettling himself and closing his eyes, Azriel fisted his cock once more. And for a moment, it worked. He was focused on the memory of that female’s tongue gliding over the head of his cock, building higher and higher until—

“Azriel? Are you awake?” Gwyns soft voice on the other end of the door called, breathless and sweet.

Azriel came all over his hand, his mind emptied of everything else. He couldn’t say a word, so focused on not letting her hear him finish to the sound of his name on her lips. 

Oh, gods, he thought to himself. He couldn’t stop, his release coating his thigh and hands as wave after wave of pleasure made his body shake. It felt as though she’d pulled it out of him like a fish on a hook and the violence both overwhelmed and excited him.

He couldn’t remember the last time touching himself had felt that good.

Maybe it never had. 

Composing himself as he came down, Azriel cleared his throat. “Yes,” he called, praying she didn’t open the door as he hastily swung his body off the bed to retreat into the bathroom. “What’s wrong?”

“Did you put a dagger under my pillow?”

Guilt pricked at his chest. “Yes.”

He should have asked.

There was a soft pause, and then— “Thank you.”

Azriel exhaled, ignoring the kernel of pleasure that bloomed in his gut. Turning on the tap, to wash away his sins, Azriel called back, “It was nothing.”

He didn’t go out into the common area. She’d scent his arousal and know what he’d been doing—and though she wouldn’t know she was the subject of his fantasies, Azriel would. So he turned the bath on until the water was scalding, well aware Gwyn had padded away, though this time he didn’t hear her door click shut.

And Azriel decided that was progress.

[comparativetarot]

The Empress. Art by Rubi Do Trinh, from the Star of Inanna Tarot.

𒁹𒁹𒁹 The Empress 𒀭𒂼 For this card we decided to depict the Mother Goddess Ki/Ninhursag. Ki is the Earth Mother Goddess ands chief consort of An and Ninhuršag was the Mountain Mother Goddess. According to Samuel Kramer, Ki and Ninhursag are one and the same, and we are inclined to agree. In the Sumerian Creation myth, An and Ki were born of Nammu, the Primordial Mother Goddess. They then came together and Enlil was born. Enlil then separates Ki from An, and they unite. Their union leads to the creation of life on Earth as we know it. Ninhursag has more written about her, but she is also conflated with the Earth and as a Mother Goddess. She has further associations with Mountains and is often depicted with an Omega-like symbol in her hair. Another part of the creation story is found in the myth “Enki and Ninhursag” where they work together to bring abundance, fertility and the possibility of agriculture to the world. She is an essential part of the process of creating humans along with the God Enki. We can see the associations between the archetype of this card and Ki/Ninhursag. Fertility, growth, transformation, creation, pregnancy, childbirth, and nurturing are all aspects that are present in both. However, lesser talked about aspects of this archetype are enforcer of order, & protective yet healing and compassionate. In the Myth “Enki and Ninmah(an epithet)”, when working together to create humans, Enki ends up hurling insults at her creations. In response, she uses her creative powers to punish him, afflicting him with ailments and illnesses only she can heal. She then reveals her compassionate side and ends up healing him. The Cuneiform is: 𒀭 Dingir + 𒂼 ama = Divine Mother

[notyour-valentine]

A Fair Exchange XV ~ Aemond Targaryen x Reader/OC (Angst)

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All my writing is produced by an adult and created with an adult audience in mind (18/21+). You are responsible for your own media consumption. I do not consent to my work being translated, copied or posted elsewhere on this platform or any other.

Summary: Will Aemond truly help her and can she accept his help if he does?

Warning: bullying, blood, mention and threat of violence and death, mutilation, mention of torture and death, childbirth, injury, misogyny. Expect canon conforming tone and language. (18/21+)

[Series Masterlist]

Previously

Part XV

They had left him as abruptly as they had come, without a word of explanation or even the slightest hint of their state of mind.

Instead, she had only grabbed Rhaena by the arm in her flight from his sickroom, with him remaining red-faced and humiliated.

He had begged for Helaena's sake and would do so again, but that did not mean that such …openness came easy to Aemond Targaryen.

So when he thought it had all been for naught, the taste in his mouth had been beyond bitter and the invisible belt around his already aching chest growing ever tighter.

But to his surprise she had come, even if it had been in the afternoon, with slow steps and a downcast gaze, making sure to take the seat furthest away from him and clutching a trinket in her hands.

Today Ser Erryk was her shadow.

At first, their interaction had been just as successful as their last attempt, with the only difference being that his questions and inquiries were met with one-word answers and silence instead of rage.

She also hadn't rushed out of the room.

Still, it took Aemond over an hour to figure out a way in which this could take on even a remote semblance of a constructive interaction.

Since she did not trust him and was clearly unwilling to share any and all information with him, the only way he could get an answer was by sharing his own.

Only if he described his own struggles, past and present, and his own pains, short-lived and lingering, would she give an indication of her own state.

More often than not, their trials were the same.

He couldn't help but pity her and sometimes when he watched her lips tighten, he thought she mirrored his sentiment.

The loss of an eye was a lonely fate, too removed from most other ailments and injuries so that one gathered sympathy at best, mockery at worst, and ignorance of the true implications of such a wound was most common, malicious or not.

And yet it remained a rough road.

It took three days in which he explained and described in great detail, hoping for any reaction from her until she dared to ask a more concrete question and six before she dared to bring up a topic of her own.

They were little steps, against the mountain of mistrust that lay between them, but she took them and Aemond welcomed each and every one.

With the dawn of the second week, she had come with the servants that brought his meals, and he knew why. She was testing the validity of his advice by watching him, her eye following his hands until he himself felt conscious of even the slightest movement.

But even if she hardly spoke, it was a great improvement to have a mere other person present while he took his meals.

Sometimes he’d talk along, repeating his advice, sometimes he’d ask her if she was well and she would return the question. Sometimes he’d ask about the tides and the weather.

Their conversations never went beyond that.

The usual courtly conversations were void and would feel false on his tongue and he didn’t dare ask anything more than that for fear of making her or the people who accompanied her angry. And he didn’t ask what he truly wanted to know, the meaning of her words, with any witnesses.

Rhaena was her most frequent companion, and the most encouraging, with soft words and gentle touches. Sometimes she even took notes. Her presence did not make things entirely awful.

Jace would have been his next choice, although he was the rarest of her companions. It was also more difficult admitting his own weaknesses with him in the room, but that feeling only grew if Lucerys was her companion of the day.

The boy no longer met his gaze, but he could feel the resentment a half mile away. And his guilt.

He had never felt that when it came to Aemond’s eye, but now he felt it tenfold with his sister, placing blame for each limitation, pain or struggle at his own feet more than Aemond’s.

Unlike Baela, who made no attempt to hide her open disgust for him. The only thing that kept her sharp tongue in check was the fact that her sister suffered the same ailments, so much was plain as day to him.

She was also the quickest to remind him to keep his distance and he didn’t doubt she’d pull that blade of hers and chop off a hand to match his eye if she thought eh was getting too close.

The only thing that kept her in check, was her sister and the willingness she had recently shown to try.

For show, they had set out a placement for the both of them, with a pitcher and cup to pour on the round table at the end of the room, well in the view of the corridor.

Aemond was seated a good distance down due to Baela’s sharp glare.

Sometimes he thought she was just waiting for any possible misstep, ready to make him pay tenfold.

Quickly, he averted his eyes and turned his attention to her.

“Go on.”, Aemond encouraged. “You know what to do.”

He had told her, and she had watched him do it countless times.

Measuring distance was a chore, but the body remembered things the eye could not see, and so he had taken to setting, or resetting his own plate at each and every table, to make sure it always had the same distance from table edge to plate, from plate to cup and cup to cutlery until it was just where it always was.

What he did by now in a matter of moments, was still a conscious thing with her as she was trying to find her perfect distance.

And her hands still shook from nerves, and fear of failure, an old companion to Aemond but still a fresh nuisance to her.

His eye traced her every moment as she moved the plate a little closer, the cutlery a little away, before tracing a line along it to where she wanted to place the cup.

Hand and eye working together was easier than attempting it with only one of these things.

But she was doing it with too much caution, as if she feared her slightest of touches would send the cup tumbling, so when she brushed against it, she pulled back as if it had burned her.

Then she tried once more, her hand wrapping around it and placing it just where she wanted it to be.

Then she reached for the pitcher, bringing it closer to the cup as anyone else would have done, anyone with two eyes that was.

With one hand wrapped around the cup, she brought the pitcher almost down to the brim before pouring with the greatest caution, taking thrice as much time as Aemond would, but she was still learning, and she had listened to him.

When she put the pitcher down again, without a single drop spilled, she breathed a sigh of relief as if she had just escaped the clutches of a monster, lowering her head.

The “well done” was on the tip of his tongue, but one glance at Baela made him think better of it.

So he gave her a nod instead, and he imagined that he saw her lips twitch into the resemblance of a smile.

But while he had looked to her, he had missed the blur of colour and feet that fell upon them from the corridor until they were already upon them.

Or rather, upon her.

As soon as she had pushed her chair back the slightest, a little boy with silver hair had scrambled into her lap, pudgy little fingers reaching out to cup her face and squeeze her cheeks before leaning up and kissing her with that foolish “Mmwwuaah!” sound children sometimes made, mirroring the nonsense games adults or older children played with them.

That brought a real smile to her lips, and little Viserys laughed.

But his laughter froze as soon as he saw Aemond sitting there.

He was a stranger to the boy, having only seen him once, but it would be foolish to reduce his reaction to just that.

A violent shudder went through him and he turned his head, burying it in his sister’s chest with two hands clutching the fabric of her dress, as if her closeness could shield him from all the harm in the world.

Little Aegon had a slightly different reaction.

He was barely older than Jaehaerys and Jaehaera, but his first instinct had been to hide in his sister’s side, but while he remained half concealed behind her, he glared at Aemond, not letting him out of his sight.

Then he tugged at the scarf to get his sister’s attention.

“What is it, hm?”, she wanted to know, stroking the back of Viserys' head to soothe him.

He looked to Baela, then back to her and jumped up and down in urgency, so she indulge him and bent down.

Aegon grabbed hold of her face and brought it closer to his lips, whispering into her ear.

“He’s here because the Maester is helping him get better.”, she explained, smoothing down Aegon’s hair, making Aemond realise his nephew was asking about him.

Not content with her explanation, he tugged at her again, whispering once more.

“No,”, she said, sharply this time, “Joffrey did not hit him again. He learnt his lesson.”

As if a dozen Joffreys could put him in such a state, Aemond thought, although the last part of her statement made him pause.

Surely they wouldn’t have punished the boy for his outburst, after all they were at war. If it had been the other way around, there would have been praise, at least from Aegon and his grandsire.

“And hitting people is not a very knightly thing to do, or a princely thing.''

Aemond could argue that that was what made Princes Princes in the first place, but Aegon shook his head and his sister seemed pleased.

His half sister, he reminded himself, as he watched her coax Viserys out of his hiding place with soft words and gentle touches, and when he did dare to look up at her once more, she offered him the sweetest of smiles.

“Now what are you two doing here?”, she wanted to know.

With that, the ban of fear Aemond had cast, had been broken, at least for Aegon.

If his sisters weren't afraid, he had no reason to be either, at least in their presence.

Funny, Aemond thought, as he remembered that Rhaenyra's presence had never put him at ease. The opposite, really, since he had also seen his own mother tense whenever they shared company.

“We saw you.”, Aegon admitted, pointing at the corridor.

“Hm did you?”, she asked, exchanging a look with Baela, who for the first time was also smiling at the sight of her siblings - half siblings.

As Aegon quickly recounted the days excitements, Viserys grew interested first with his sister’s scarf, before moving on to the embroidery on her sleeve.

She let him, with the only sign of discomfort being a slight wince as he turned in her lap, accidentally giving her a little kick in the stomach as he reached for the cup on the table, drinking eagerly.

As she listened to Aegon, her fingers stroked over Viserys' back.

Once he was finished, he handed the cup to her before wiping his mouth with his hand and then, seeing them wet, reaching for her scarf once more.

“Oh Viserys.”, she sighed, when she caught him using the fine silk as a handkerchief.

He leaned back into her chest, giving her the most dashing of smiles to make up for his mishap.

She didn't seem to mind his closeness, nor did Viserys treat this invasion of her personal space as anything out of the ordinary.

It was almost as if this was their day to day occurrence that Aemond was witnessing.

“And-”, Aegon asked cautiously, looking first to Baela than to her. “Now that you’re all better, can we go flying again?"

She inhaled deeply and leaned back in her chair.

“Aegon!”

“Please please please! It’s been forever!”

“And me!”, Viserys quickly added, his cheeks burning red at the fear he would be left out, bobbing up and down in her arms.

The little ones had no dragons of their own yet, which could only mean she would take them with her on Tyseleys. He was large enough to carry more than one rider, unlike Arrax, or Moondancer.

Still, she looked to Baela.

“What does my Lady of Driftmark say?”, she asked.

Baela hummed.

“Tis past time Joffrey knew the stories of the Halls of Nine.”, she said, “Why don’t we make for High Tide after midday?”

Aegon threw himself into Baela’s arms in glee, before doing the same with his other sister.

Then, he reached for the pitcher, while speaking of the many ways he’d help her ready and fly Tyseleys, pouring a half cup for himself without even looking.

As Baela ushered them out, he drank with one hand, the other holding Viserys’.

It left them in a haze of silence, made harsher by the contrast to the children’s bubbly presence.

He watched her sigh deeply, as she pushed the pitcher back to it’s allotted place, not oblivious to the look on her face.

“You’re doing fine.”, he told her under his breath, watching for the door in case Baela returned.

She sighed a deep sigh filled with regret and resignation.

“It takes me days of practice, and he pours while dreaming of dragons and drinks while walking.”, she mumbled, before scoffing and shaking her head as she pushed herself into a stand.

“He is young enough to be my son, technically speaking.”

The math was close but possible, and she promptly reminded him just how possible.

“If I had started as young as your sister, that is.”

She made her way towards the window, taking deep and calming breaths that did little to stop the way her hands shook. Nor could they banish the sadness in her eye.

It was all too familiar to him.

Aemond stood slowly, glancing at the door once more.

“There’ll be things that work, things that only ever work after hours, weeks, years of practice and things that won't ever work the way they used to.”, he told her, not bothering to coat his words in false courtesy, even though they remained gentle.

“Nevertheless, digging yourself in a hole of misery and self pity, does not do anything to improve your situation.”

She opened her mouth to respond, but thought better of it, but Aemond maybe wished she hadn’t, because if she had spoken, her voice would have drowned out his own words, which perhaps he should have better kept to himself.

“I should know.”

~

She matched her breaths to the sound of the incoming waves.

Having spent most of her life close to the sea, she often never even heard the waves until she actively tried to listen to them, but if she did, it always claimed her.

She had started the day as she always had, with the taste of blood in her mouth as for a split second her mind thought she retained the strength, senses and certainty of her dreams, before the glaring disappoint that she was not, in fact, a fearsome beast, but rather a weak, wounded girl.

Sure, her fever had subsided and the scar at the bottom of her eye socket was healing nicely and even the pains in her foot had begun to retreat, but it would be a fool's notion to attempt to deny her limitations.

They were many and more, some obvious to all, others she could have kept to herself and yet others she had refused to count among the consequences of her injury until Aemond had admitted to them.

Aemond.

The thought of what they were going to attempt had filled her with terror, and she had practised all throughout breakfast, ignoring her porridge in favour of attempting to pour again and again.

But even if she had succeeded a thousand times from the safety of her own rooms, doing it in his presence was something else. And yet the success had filled her with infinite relief which had been brought to a rapid end in light of Aegon's actions.

The sweet poor boy had only ever been thirsty, not knowing how heavy the blow of his actions was, or rather her inability to replicate his actions with even a semblance of ease.

And so after false strength, disappointment, terror and relief, desperation had followed.

And then confusion at his words.

That was nothing new though, for just as sure as she came to their meeting nervous, she'd leave confused, unable to place a look on his eye, or uncertain if this word was meant as mockery or genuine encouragement.

The sound of approaching steps made her eye flutter open as she pushed herself into a sitting position.

When she saw who entered, she rose to her feet.

"Don't.", Her mother waved off but she curtsied all the same.

Even if it were only the two of them, in her own bedroom, her mother was her queen.

Rhaenyra smiled softly and took her hand, sitting down on the edge of her bed.

"Baela told me you are to make for Driftmark."

She nodded.

"The change will do you some good and it is past time Joffrey learned more about the name Velaryon.", Her mother said, as her thumb drew circles in her hand.

"He is already learning.", She reminded her. "The Hulls are teaching him the ways of the sea."

"The Hulls, huh?"

There was more to her mother's question, she knew, no matter how innocently she put it.

"Alyn, was it?"

"Yes.", She mumbled, her gaze downcast.

"I had thought of commandeering him to Dragonstone.", Her mother mused.

Her eyes snapped up.

She had expected, not a scolding per se, but an insistence she stop, if for appearances' sake only, but not this.

"What for?", She asked.

"For you. He can be your guard, your companion, your shadow."

Her mother's suggestion rendered her silent for a while as the waves outside seemed to grow louder.

"Alyn's heart lies with the sea.", She told her mother. "He is made for rope and oar, not sword and armour."

"There are ships on Dragonstone he can tend to and duties he can fulfil here to do with sand and salt.", Her mother agreed. "And only when necessity commands it, or when you wish it, he can be your shield."

Her mother gave her hands a squeeze.

"I wish to see you protected by not only those with genuine care but skill also."

"Alyn is not trained as a knight."

"Nor do I wish him to don a lance and ride in a tourney.", Rhaenyra said. "But he does know the way of fighting, with knife, fist or whichever weapon the situation presents while knights only know sword and bow."

Oh.

That did make sense.

"I will rest easier knowing someone of his skill and loyalty to be at your side, especially with your time with Aemond."

Her mother's lips curled as she said his name as if it was poison on her lips.

"Aemond won't do anything that will spoil his chance of contacting Helaena.", She argued.

"Aemond won't do anything that is not of his advantage. The moment it changes, he will be the first to jump to cruelty and violence. You know how he is."

A week ago, she would have agreed wholeheartedly, but a week ago Aemond had not spoken of pains and struggles, his gaze downcast and voice soft.

She had dreaded their meetings for they would expose her vulnerability to him, especially today when the risk of humiliation had been so high. But until today, until she had heard the advice he had given her after her sweet brother had taken her newly gained confidence and crushed it in his quick and certain hands, she had not realised that he had been doing the same thing.

And unlike her, he was not doing it out of his free will.

It was curious, really. He had been so bold during that summit at Driftmark, proclaiming it all a fair exchange, arrogant and fierce in equal measures, the thought that he too had struggled had never crossed her mind.

But he must have had, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to give voice to her troubles, and share advice on it.

And Aemond had been little more than Joffrey's age.

The thought of something like that, the pain and the limitation, the shame and the self-agony, happening to her sweet baby brother made her heart clench and her stomach turn, but she had never given a second thought to Aemond's pain.

Not until now.

Her mother's hand reached up and gently stroked along the edge of her eye patch, as if to soothe what no longer existed.

"You know more than anyone."

She turned her face away from the pain in Rhaenyra's gaze.

"Mother,", she said as she got up once more, walking towards the window to look out at the sea.

Her new pale gray gown brushed against the floor with every step, a far cry from her looser dresses or riding leathers and a stern reminder of her changed situation, both true and false.

"You need to remember that this is just an act.", She told her, "I took my own eye with my own hand. He did not do the deed nor did he force my hand."

"He threatened-"

"Lucerys.", She interrupted. "He threatened Lucerys and he demanded tribute from him, not me. Who knows what could have happened if he hadn't been stalled in his aspiration."

If he had wished to take from her he could have, but it was her brother's blood he wanted.

She turned to meet her mother's gaze.

"While I am able and willing to act the perfect victim for the rest of my days, I need you to remember that I am not."

Her mother opened her mouth to speak, but she did not let her.

"I also consider my eye fair payment for the certainty of Lucerys safety."

Rhaenyra seemed less than pleased with her response but she did not argue, even if only at this moment, the librarian entered, a stack of books in his arms.

"Here are the volumes you requested, Princess. All we have on the religions of Essos and R'hllor, as well as Queen Rhaenys and the Dornish wars"

There were a good half dozen, thrice the size she normally would read. If she would read.

"Thank you.", She said, unable to keep the exhaustion in her voice hidden.

"No need. My deepest apologies that we could not be of assistance in your other matter."

"What matter?", Rhaenyra asked.

"The Princess has inquired about a myth describing a 'Prince that was promised' but we could not find anything in that regard."

Her mother's lilac eyes went wide as the knuckles on her hand turned white.

The sight alone made her stomach drop.

"Mother?", she asked.

For a few heartbeats all her mother did was stare at her in disbelief.

"Where did you hear this?", She asked in a whisper.

"I- I don't know.", She lied. "I picked it up somewhere. Why? Do you know of it?"

Her voice trembled as she realised that this too had not been a lie, not the ramblings of a mad woman. And that her own mother knew of it.

Now it was Rhaenyra's turn to walk a few steps, as the wheels turned in her mind.

"Guards.", She called, "find Prince Jacaerys and bring him here."

"Why?", She immediately demanded to know, confusion mixing in with her fear.

When her mother looked to her, it seemed she had aged half a decade.

"If I am to tell this tale, I shall tell it but once. It is his to hear, as my heir, and yours since you already seem to know of it."

Her words, and the way she said them, made her stomach turn.

~

Part XVI

Thank you so much for reading! I'd love to hear your thoughts xx

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[mistresslrigtar]

Written for @zelinkcommunity Zelink Week 2023 prompt Free Day. I chose the prompt New Beginnings from a previous year.

This chapter is part of the overall Hylink story-arc, but can be read as a one-shot. Enjoy!

Sitting on the side of the bed, Zelda runs a boar-bristle brush through her hair, enjoying the feel of the warm sun filtering through the window on her skin. The warmth is deceptive; with fall quickly approaching, she knows the air will be brisk when she steps outside. The seasons had come as a surprise to her and Link, as when they had decided to stay on the surface, it had been mid-spring, and the weather had been similar to what they were used to. Skyloft’s weather was always consistent, neither too hot nor too cold. Since settling on the surface, they have experienced two seasons so far - late spring, when everything is beginning to bloom, and summer so hot she and Link had spent as much time as possible in the cool water of a nearby stream.

Read the rest below or on AO3

Frolicking in the water wearing next to nothing had led to long overdue exploration and the rapid advancement of their relationship. So much so that by the end of summer, they had found a priestess to make it official. Zelda holds some remorse that in their haste, there had been no time to send word to Skyloft, but Link has promised they can invite all their friends for a reception, and they can do it all over again in the presence of her father if she wants. Whatever will make her happy. He’ll find a way to give her the sun, moon, and stars if possible. One would think he is the divine being reincarnated instead of her.

Although being mortal sets limits to her divine power, and she doubts she can produce celestial orbs, either. The most she can do is heal minor injuries and occasionally foresee future events. Nothing so spectacular in the grand scheme of things. The hedge witch, Irene, who lives deep in the forest, can make the same claims as Zelda.

Regardless, Zelda is extremely grateful for the healing ability, as Link has proven quite reckless, constantly coming home with bruises and scrapes. She thinks he actively goes looking for trouble, and she has repeatedly scolded him. His reply is always the same; he must remain vigilant and be ready for anything. Zelda sighs. They both have so far to go to work through their personal demons.

Setting the brush aside, Zelda rises to her feet. The room spins slightly as she stands, and the sides of her lower abdomen cramp. She places her hand against the side that aches the most, and the pain eases. The feeling is similar to what she experiences when her cycle approaches, but Zelda has never been dizzy before.

The symptoms had begun about a week ago, and at first, Zelda thought nothing of it, thinking they would soon pass. However, her menses never arrived, and the cramps and dizziness worsened, accompanied by lower back pain. And it is becoming increasingly difficult to hide her ailment from Link, who tends to fret over everything. He has already mentioned her appetite being off and the odd need suddenly to take a nap in the middle of the afternoon.

So, Zelda sent him to the village that morning with a long list of items to procure to keep him busy and away for most of the day. Fortunately, the midwife Oksana’s cottage is at the opposite end of the village than the market, so there will be no risk of running into him.

As she walks down the path to the cottage, Zelda admits to herself that she feels some trepidation. All those months ago, standing beside Link and making the monumental decision to relocate to the surface permanently had made complete sense. Now she wishes she could seek Wryna’s or even Mallara's counsel. They both have been through childbirth and would, no doubt be able to ease Zelda’s fears. But, they are in Skyloft and communication from the Surface to the Sky takes too long. She cannot wait a moment more to know if she is with child.

Zelda has only seen Oksana in passing when shopping at the market. It will be awkward to speak to a stranger about something so personal.

Approaching the cottage, the door opens just as Zelda is stepping through the gate, and a young woman with a belly as large and round as a Chuchu wobbles out. She doubts if the woman can even see her feet! Is that what Zelda has in store? Oh, she is not ready for this.

Zelda cannot stop her eyes widening at the sight, and the woman laughs good-naturedly. “It’s not as bad as it seems, girl. You’ll be in good hands with Oksana.”

Giving her a weak smile of gratitude, Zelda holds the gate open for the woman before taking a deep breath and entering the cottage. A kettle hangs on a hook over a crackling fire in a large hearth in the corner, and a wide assortment of dried flowers and herbs hang from the low ceiling. The scent of lavender and chamomile in the air instantly puts Zelda at ease.

“I’ll be right with you, luv.” A voice calls from the back room, and a moment later, an older, buxom woman with graying black hair pulled back in a long braid enters. Her pale blue eyes brighten when she sees Zelda and offers her a warm smile in welcome. “Are you the young woman who sent word she was in need of my services?”

Nodding, Zelda’s fingers worry the hem of her pink pinafore. “Yes. My name is Zelda.”

“I’m Oksana, but I suspect you know that already, seeing as I am the only midwife in the village. Have a seat, Zelda.” Oksana indicates a chair at the table in the center of the room and, picking up a thick cloth, removes the kettle from the flames. Zelda settles in the chair just as Oksana returns to the table with the kettle and a cup. She fills the cup with tea before setting the kettle on the table and sitting in a chair opposite Zelda.

“What seems to be the trouble?” she finally asks.

Zelda wraps her hands around the cup, grateful for its warmth and soothing aroma. “I…. I believe I may be…. with child.”

Oksana nods her head and hums softly as she studies Zelda. “Is this your first, Zelda, luv?”

“Yes.” Zelda’s voice is barely above a whisper, and Oksana clucks, indicating the tea in Zelda’s hands.

“No need to be nervous, luv. Drink up. It will make you feel better.” Once Zelda has taken a few sips of tea, Oksana nods approvingly and then proceeds to ask Zelda all sorts of personal questions, from the end date of her last cycle to mortifying, most of all, how often she had relations and with how many partners.

“One!” Zelda exclaims, her cheeks flaming, and she quickly gulps down the rest of her tea. “My husband, Link.”

“I’m sorry, luv, I have to ask.” Oksana’s eyes shine with understanding, and she offers a comforting smile. “From what you have told me, it sounds like you are pregnant. I can perform a simple exam and test to suss for certain.”

When Zelda nods, Oksana pushes her chair back and goes to a cabinet, removing a small flat-bottomed vial filled with clear liquid, an oil lamp, and a needle. Returning to the table, she sets down the lamp, removes the glass chimney, and holds the needle in the flame. Once the tip is glowing bright yellow, she removes it from the heat and holds her hand palm up to Zelda.

“Give me your hand, luv.”

Taking a deep breath, Zelda places her hand in Oksana’s, who quickly pricks Zelda’s index finger and holds it over the vial. A few drops of blood fall into the liquid, turning it pale pink. Oksana swirls the liquid in the vial and sets it back down.

“While we are waiting for the results, let’s give you a check-up.” She leads Zelda to a padded waist-high bench. Once Zelda is settled, Oksana presses lightly on her abdomen, humming occasionally, making mental notes in her head.

Turning her head to the side, Zelda notices that the liquid in the vial has turned blue. “Oh.” Does that mean….

Oksana looks up at her and then at where she is looking and slowly smiles. “Your instincts were correct, luv.”

“Oh.” Is all Zelda can say again, her voice quivering as tears spring to her eyes. She’s going to have Link’s baby. They survived when their predecessors didn’t and were being given the chance to live a happy, fulfilling life. Covering her face, she begins to cry in earnest.

“I hope those are tears of joy.” Oksana pulls a white handkerchief from her apron pocket and offers it to Zelda. “Have you told your husband?”

“No, we have been through…. a lot of hardship.” That was an understatement. Zelda wipes her nose and eyes with the handkerchief. And she certainly had not wanted to tell Link and get his hopes up if it was a false alarm. That is assuming he wants children. To Zelda’s horror, she realizes they have never discussed the matter. “I wanted to be certain first.”

After further consultation, where Oksana tells Zelda what she can expect over the next few months, she sends her home with an envelope of herbal tea to help with any morning sickness she may experience. It is later than Zelda would have liked when she arrives home and hears Link in the apple orchard calling her name. She hurries around the side of the house, but there is no sign of him.

“Link! Where are you?” Zelda calls, walking through the trees.

“Looking for you.” His voice floats down from a nearby tree, and Zelda looks up to see him perched on a branch near the top.

“In an apple tree?” She can’t help but laugh, and Link’s cheeks pink with chagrin.

“I can see a lot farther from here. I watched you walk up the path.” Grabbing the branch and swinging down, he lands gracefully on the balls of his feet, as nimble as a feline. Zelda leans in to kiss him on the cheek, but he turns his head at the last minute to capture her lips instead.

“I missed you,” he murmurs, taking her waist and pulling her closer.

“I love you, too.” A thrill runs through her at his touch.

It’s their silly greeting that began the day this latest adventure started. Both of them were terrified of what had been and what was to come and afraid of each other. But she summoned the courage to ask Link to take a leap of faith with her; he told her he missed her; she had known what he truly meant, and here they were now married, and goddesses, expecting a baby.

He will not be upset when she tells him she is carrying their child. In her heart, she knows he will be over the moon. “There is something I need to tell you.”

Link’s face crumples immediately, and worry creases his brow. Reaching up, Zelda gently rubs her fingertips across his forehead, smoothing out the wrinkles.

“No worries, my love. It is nothing terrible.” She takes a deep breath, excitement and nervousness dancing within as she gazes into his ocean-blue eyes. “I went to see the midwife, Oksana, today.”

“Are you sick?” He frowns, trying not to wrinkle his brow again.

“The opposite.” Zelda takes a deep breath and smiles brightly at him, feeling safe and loved, encircled in his strong arms. “We’re going to have a baby.”

Link blinks several times before his eyes widen; he gives a loud whoop, tightly grabbing her waist to spin her around. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Zelda’s laughter rings through the orchard when her feet leave the ground.

If she closes her eyes, it almost feels like she is flying.

“What am I doing?” Link stops suddenly, looking frightened, and sets her down gently. “I can’t be spinning you like that! Why didn’t you stop me?”

Zelda slips one hand from his neck to lightly punch his chest. “I’m not made of glass, Link. The baby and I are perfectly fine.”

He still looks doubtful, and Zelda wonders if she will have to lecture him further in trusting her. But the doubt soon clears, and his face brightens again. “We’re going to have a baby.” Link pulls her into a fierce hug, placing a tender kiss on top of her head.

Closing her eyes, Zelda breathes his rich woodsy fragrance with just a hint of apple. Apples are his new favorite fruit. She still remembers how his eyes lit up when they stumbled across this apple orchard and the vacant cottage. He’d squeezed her hand tightly and remarked that it felt like home. They didn’t have apples in Skyloft, and as soon as they had picked one off a tree and taken a bite, their minds had been made up.

Pulling back, she removes his pointed green knight’s cap, tossing it behind her, and threads her fingers in his hair, Zelda initiates a deep kiss that leads where most kisses of that nature they share usually lead. They wind up in bed, tangled in the sheets engaging in the love dance that led them to be expecting in the first place. When Oksana had asked how active Zelda was, her cheeks had flamed so brightly the midwife had laughed. But to Zelda’s relief, Oksana had assured her that, apparently, it is normal for young newlyweds to be unable to keep their hands off each other.

Oksana had also informed her that a side bonus of their pleasure was two-fold. Not only will their regular and often spontaneous lovemaking keep their relationship healthy during the pregnancy, but the endorphins Zelda’s body releases each time will help ease her aches and pains.

“I do love you so, so much, you know.” Link says when they are satiated and lying languidly in their bed enjoying the afterglow.

“I know.” Zelda snuggles closer, draping an arm and leg over him and resting her head on his chest. The feel of Link’s fingers running through her hair, gently stroking her scalp, lulls her into a doze.

“I should say it instead of ‘I missed you’,” he murmurs, his hand slowly stilling as sleep overtakes him.

“No.” Zelda tries shaking her head, but the languor is too deep. “I love our greeting. I don’t need to hear you say the words to know.”

And she doesn’t. It’s moments like this. And others — making meals together, side-by-side, talking and laughing as they prepare the dishes, reading to each other in the late afternoon, sitting by the stream every morning watching the sunrise, and relaxing by the fire in the evening in blissful companionship. This is what Zelda cherishes the most. Not so much the words spoken, but the perfect, stolen moments of just being with him.

And the two best moments of all…. falling asleep and waking up beside the man she loved, loves, and always will love.

[turntales]

some korekiyo backstory headcanons / info below the cut:

massive tws for child abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, inc*st, etc. 

due to a pattern of abuse korekiyo suffered at the hands of his sister and other family members, they developed dissociative identity disorder, which led to their sister taking on a role as a persecutory/interject alter. they had a few other alters as well, but they’ve since been working through therapy to integrate these alters.

korekiyo’s mother died during childbirth, and their sister was 11 at the time of their birth.

their father was often travelling, therefore leaving them home alone with each other when miyadera turned 13, believing they were capable of taking care of themselves.

they were homeschooled due to the frequent travels of their family, and the fear that with low immune systems running in the family, the children would get sick.

miyadera falls ill with the same ailment of their mother when korekiyo turns 5, and she turns 16. age 6 and 17 respectively is where a lot of the grooming begins, as miyadera tries to shape them into exactly what she wants them to be (specifically what she’s always wanted as a friend and partner).

korekiyo’s father doesn’t return from one of his trips when the siblings are 8 and 19 respectively. miyadera, despite her illness, takes on the role of head of the household and expects 8 year old korekiyo to take care of her.

miyadera’s abuse began with emotional abuse, often calling korekiyo useless, annoying, etc. when they weren’t behaving in a way that pleased her, and then moving on to physical and then sexual abuse when korekiyo turned 12-13.

they went to therapy at age 16, a year after their sister died (when she was 26). they realized to be able to successfully go about their studies, they needed more than just themselves. it took a while to get the help they needed, but they eventually went and it has helped immensely.

this being said, their trauma isn’t something that heals fast. obviously, they had to relearn a lot about love and relationships, and who they truly are. despite this being incredibly hard, they work very diligently to succeed.

hypersexuality is a coping mechanism for them, note that it is not inherently positive or negative, it simply is the way they went about dealing with their se/xual abuse. they often feel inclined to start physical relationships and end up feeling very guilty after.

their 

[aristoteliancomplacency]

For an old pixel daily theme, ‘ritual’. Since I already did a lead figuring from a binding spell for the ‘creepy’ theme, I figured I’d go for a slightly more wholesome (and still creepy) ritual object here.

It’s an anatomical votive offering based on this one currently in the Acropolis Museum (y’know, that place where the Parthenon Marbles should be).

I ended up having to make it look like the column was made of bricks rather than the limestone block that it is because that’s the only way I could get even remotely close to making it look like the face is inside the column rather than resting on its surface.

Info from the Acropolis Museum website:

It was found together with the pillar in 1876 on the south slope of the Acropolis, in the area where the Sanctuary of Asklepios is located.

At the time that archaeologists discovered the pillar there was still an inscription preserved, reading "Praxias dedicated it to Asklepios with prayers for his wife". Clearly, Praxias' wife was suffering from an ailment of the eyes and he offered their image to the god.

There’s something very human about this kind of votive offering and what they reveal - that ancient people worried about their health, and the health of their loved ones in the same way people do today. That sense of worry, of wanting to be able to help is an experience in common. It’s relatable content.

Praxias loved his wife, and his wife was ill. So he dedicated this in hopes that it would help his wife.

Other relatable content: there’s at least one votive offering of hair. Just… hair as if it were arranged on a head. No head. Just the hair. People have apparently always worried about losing their hair. (Absolutely not telling anyone here how they should feel about changes to their own body, but your hair is not your worth, or your beauty, and anyone who mocks you over any part of your appearance can go shit pine cones. Unless you are literally Samson, then it might be an issue).

Anatomical votive offerings are often found in shrines, temples, places associated with healing. Some are figurines of the whole body, but often the votive is a representation of the specific organ/body part that required healing (or perhaps, occasionally, protection - there’s at least one instance of a votive offering of a foot made by someone who was about to start a long journey. Some/lotsof the votives of wombs (yes, there are lots) were probably to keep a pregnancy healthy, others might be in thanks for a healthy pregnancy. Others might be related to fertility issues as well needing healing from all the many ways that pregnancy and childbirth fuck your body up (and which we don’t talk about enough in contemporary society because what happens to the incubator just isn’t important, right? /s)

There are plenty of offerings showing eyes, ears, feet, hands, wombs, breasts and external female genitalia (which is fascinating in that it’s represented here. It’s not exactly something you see represented/talked about in antiquity (or today)). And, of course, there are lots of dicks. Probably related to erectile dysfunction than fertility, given that ancient understandings of fertility mostly thought of it as a problem with the womb rather than the spunk.

I’m kinda fascinated by this one of ‘female viscera’ Currently in the Science Museum in London. You just don’t see that many representations in antiquity of the insides of a body. And it kind of reminds me of the anatomical Venuses (highly recommend Joanna Ebenstein’s Book ‘The Anatomical Venus: Wax, God, Death and the Ecstatic’.

Anyway, check this website to to read more about anatomic votives and to see things such as a ‘Votive left hand, broken at wrist, possibly making a prophylactic gesture’.

Oh. Canvas size is 100x100 pixels.

[destinyimage]

Breaking All Generational Curses Over Your Pregnancy & Decreeing 7 Generational Blessings

Generations of cultural traditions, family stories, personal beliefs, habitual patterns, and certain ways of doing things have been passed down to all of us through our generational family lines.

There are also personal welfare conditions and various health issues that have been shared through our common natural bloodlines. It is so easy to conform to the old familiar way of thinking and acting and accept these curses as “normal,” but this keeps us living in a broken cycle of continual torment, not even realizing that through Jesus we have the ability and freedom to put an end to it. There is a new way to live in the glory realm, and this happens as we put our complete trust in the power of Jesus Christ and the finished work of the cross. We no longer need to carry the pains of the past or be held in bondage moving forward into our future. Jesus came to set us free!

In your family, there may be a spirit of poverty. If so, get rid of it now! Break that scarcity mentality! Break that mindset of poverty! You need to take authority over that curse! You are not poor; you are blessed and highly favored, and in the glory there is no insufficiency of any kind. Begin focusing on God’s abundant supply and unlimited provision and receive it!

In your family, there may be present or past history of cancer, arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, or other physical ailments. Make up your mind to get rid of them now. Break that sickly mindset! You can do this as you take your authority in the glory! Declare, “Not today, Satan, and not ever! I break all ungodly ties with the curse, and I refuse to accept anything but God’s very best for my life!” Remember, those diseases don’t belong to you—they are part of the curse and it was broken at the cross. Stop running to your medicine cabinet or calling your doctor as a first response. Train your mind to be directed toward accessing God’s healing virtue when ungodly symptoms appear. In the glory, you are whole! Receive your freedom!

When it comes to parenting, maybe you experienced toxic patterns in your childhood, and you are concerned about what will be passed down to your children. Stop thinking that way! God is able to break off those unhealthy thoughts, words, and patterns of behavior today if you’ll allow Him to make the necessary changes in you. In the glory, there is freedom and power to be all that God has created you to be. Receive it!

There are even some physical prophetic acts that you can do (beyond prayer) to break off generational curses from your baby, and I share this in my book, Childbirth in the Glory, more in-depth.

Glory Scriptures

But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith (Galatians 3:13-14, NLT).

We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin (Romans 6:6, NLT).

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (emancipation from bondage, freedom). And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [ for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:17-18, AMPC).

Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17, AMPC)

But in that coming day no weapon turned against you will succeed. You will silence every voice raised up to accuse you. These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the Lord; their vindication will come from me. I, the Lord, have spoken! (Isaiah 54:17, NLT)

Glory Prayer

Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, Your Word says that You give Your angels charge over us to guard us and protect us. I thank You right now for releasing angels of protection over my body and over this new life that You have created within me. I thank You that no weapon forged against us shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against us in judgement You shall condemn. This is our heritage as servants of the Lord.

I decree that no word curse, generational curse, witchcraft, or evil spirit shall touch me or my child, for we are covered by the blood of Jesus. Lord, You will deliver us from evil, for Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. I have made You my habitation, and I find my protection in the shadow of Your wings. Amen!

Glory Decrees

In the glory, I am the redeemed of the Lord!

In the glory, I am moving into the new!

In the glory, what runs in my family comes from the heavenlies!

In the glory, there is complete freedom for me and my family!

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Speaking Generational Blessings

The baby in your womb is a child of abundance (overflowing with abundant blessings in spirit, soul, and body).

You must truly believe this and speak this over your child. It’s going to take a spiritual boldness on your part, but you’re well equipped to do this. If you feel insecure in this regard, just begin to study God’s Word concerning His blessings. God has always desired to bless His children. The scriptures are filled with His promises of blessing, not only for your personal life but also for the lives of your children and the generations to come. Your legacy will be one of abundant generational blessings!

In the natural, you may come from a generational family line of non-believers, but that isn’t a problem for God because you’ve been grafted into the spiritual bloodline of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob through the finished work of Jesus Christ! The generational promises that God made to them are now available for you and your generations. The Lord, speaking to Abraham (then known as Abram) in Genesis 12:2-3, made a seven-fold promise that is for each of us who names Jesus as Lord:

1. I will make you into a great nation.

For you today, this speaks of divine multiplication and God’s greatness being revealed through your life and the life of your child as you choose to trust Him and be led by His Spirit. You and your generations will do great things to advance the Kingdom of God on earth. Take this time now to prophetically speak into your child’s life in the womb. Lay your hands on your stomach and allow the Spirit to prophesy through you regarding the anointing and ministry call on your precious child’s life. Speak to the greatness within them and set them apart for God’s service. (See Jeremiah 1:5.)

2. I will bless you.

This one is pretty clear—the blessing of the Lord will follow you and your lineage all of your days as you agree with the Word and partner with the Spirit of glory. With this blessing in mind, you may want to speak the following scriptural promise over your baby in the womb: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace” (Numbers 6:24-26, NIV).

3. I will make your name great.

It is God who promotes, advances, and blesses you with divine opportunities and connections, giving you a favorable reputation and name. He chooses to do this through those who posture themselves with humility so that He can be magnified on the earth. (See James 4:10; 1 Peter 5:6.) Instead of your family name bringing you feelings of shame or embarrassment, quite the opposite will happen. Through you and your child, your family name will be one of greatness, beyond reproach, and it will bring glory to God in the earth!

4. You will be a blessing.

Your child will not be a burden, a hindrance, or a distraction in your life. God has graced you with this child—that they might be a tremendous blessing to you and to all those they meet along life’s journey (See Psalm 127:3.) Speak to your baby right now and tell them how blessed you are to be carrying such a beautiful gift from God within your womb. It will also be important to habitually speak these blessings over your child throughout their formative years and beyond. Always remind them (and yourself) why God has brought them into this world—for such a time as this.

5. I will bless those who bless you.

This means you and your legacy will attract such blessings that it may seem almost impossible to contain! An overflow of abundance is the promise that God has for you! (See Ephesians 3:20.) Such favor rests upon your generational family line that your children and your grandchildren and your great-grandchildren will live their lives as a blessing magnet as they walk in the footsteps of salvation!

6. I will curse those who curse you.

This promise speaks of God providing a supernatural defense shield of protection around your family line. Every curse comes from the enemy, and those curses will not prosper in your life because they are being returned to hell (where they came from). Every curse is null and void because you choose to use your authority and live under the blood of Jesus Christ and within the finished work of the cross. (See Galatians 3:13.) All demonic witchcraft, hexes, spells, voodoo curses, familiar spirits, satanic sorcery, hypnosis, bewitchery, etc. are broken off your life and the life of your child. You are free to live in the fullness of God’s blessings. The curse has been reversed.

7. All peoples on the earth will be blessed through you.

As you choose to honor God’s covenant, His blessings flow with unlimited measure. Your family will be a blessing of light in a darkened world. (See Isaiah 60:1.) It’s time to arise and shine with the generational blessings of God!

I would highly recommend that you speak these individual blessings over your sweet baby as the Spirit brings them to your remembrance. Whether it’s morning, afternoon, or night, it doesn’t matter. When the Spirit quickens you to lay your hands on your stomach (anointing your baby in the womb), just do it and boldly speak these promises with a loud voice of authority. As you read this book and capture this revelation, your child is being set apart as a sign and a wonder. (See Isaiah 8:18.) God will do great and mighty things through their life because of your prayers and anointed intercession during this season of pregnancy. Your prayers are powerful—they are weapons against the enemy’s assignments, and they are re-enforcers of God’s promises for the generations to come!

Glory Scriptures

Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations (Deuteronomy 7:9, ESV).

Their children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed (Psalm 112:2, NIV).

This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live (Deuteronomy 30:19, NIV).

Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power (Psalm 145:4, NLT).

Glory Prayer

Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank You for Your glory that brings great blessing, miracles and abundance for all succeeding generations. I choose to stand in my authority as a believer, and I connect with each and every promise that You have provided for me and my children.

I thank You that my baby is being born for greatness! You will multiply Your blessings in their life! You are redeeming our family name for Your glory! I choose to receive every blessing that is overflowing from Heaven for me and my legacy so that Your Kingdom will be established on the earth in a greater way through us. I declare and step into the generational blessings of God. Amen!

Glory Decrees

In the glory, I am blessed, and all of my children are blessed too!

In the glory, I am favored by God in an extraordinary way!

In the glory, my children will be raised for supernatural success and prosperity!

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[universalsrushtifertilitycentre]

Best Gynecologists in Secunderabad

Gynecologists in Secunderabad

Dr. Namratha, (MD/OBGYN) is the Chief Gynecologist and Fertility Specialist with 24+years of experience working in the Gynecological and Fertility Field. She is a renowned laparoscopic surgeon and has done many surgeries successfully. She is very passionate about her work and reaches the cause of the disease to find a cure. She is a patient-centered doctor who strives to provide a thorough explanation of the medical issues so that she can choose the best treatment option for them. Dr. Ashwini (Gynecologist) is a renowned gynecologist in Hyderabad. It is rightly said a good doctor can make a lot of difference in your treatment journey. Both these doctors are adaptive and ambitious, and have kept their calm and focused in most difficult cases. Their expertise includes but is not limited to labor ward skills, high-risk pregnancy management, Laparoscopic surgeries, pre-cancer diagnosis, fertility treatments, and other health conditions related to women’s bodies. Let’s have a look at the services we offer.

General OPD

Women’s reproductive system is rather complicated, we are here to help you by diagnosing and treating your various health issues. White discharge, vaginal infection, UTI, STD, family planning procedures(oral contraceptive pills, injectable, copper T, multi-load, etc), tuberculosis, or any other infections or disorders you can consult us. Lower back pain is also very common among women. Let’s look into it.

Lower back pain

Lower back discomfort is a frequent symptom of PMS, a condition that affects the majority of women during their menstrual cycle. Severe lower back discomfort, on the other hand, could be a sign of endometriosis, a more serious ailment. We provide comprehensive treatment for this.

Labor/Delivery

We provide comprehensive and utmost care during pregnancy and childbirth. We have successfully delivered healthy babies in the most complicated cases. Be it vaginal delivery or C-section we have mastered the skills of both. We also provide treatment for high-risk pregnancies. Almost every woman is aware of the excruciating pain that a woman goes through during natural birth, which is considered the most terrible type of pain. Some women experience greater pain during delivery than others. With the advancement in science now you can opt fora way to bring your baby into the world without suffering, you can have a painless vaginal delivery.

Painless delivery

The painless delivery is the same as a regular natural delivery, however, the pain during labor is minimal. So, a painless birth is essentially a normal delivery without the pain! An epidural injection is injected into the lower back so the drugs are released around the spinal cord.Uterus contracts and stretches with considerable energy during labor to push the baby out. Contractions, in particular, are the primary cause of labor pain. As the labor progresses, the uterus contracts and the cervix expands to move the baby out. The discomfort induced by uterine contractions travels from the uterus to the brain via the network of nerves in the backbone or spine during labor. Due to epidural, these signals could not reach the brain and there is no minimum pain in normal delivery. These injections are safe. And painless deliveries are safer too.

Best Gynecologists in Secunderabad

Gynecological surgery

Any surgical procedure involving the uterus, ovaries, cervix, fallopian tubes, vagina, and vulva, as well as the organs and structures of the female pelvic area comes under gynecological surgery. There are a variety of reasons why a woman may require gynecological surgery. Some of them are listed below.

ABDOMINAL HYSTERECTOMY

An abdominal hysterectomy is a surgical procedure that removes the uterus through a small incision in the lower abdomen. During the surgery, one or both ovaries and fallopian tubes may be removed depending upon the medical condition of the patient.

Vaginal Hysterectomy

Vaginal Hysterectomy is a surgical procedure for the removal of the uterus through the vaginal canal.

Ectopic pregnancy

When a fertilized egg implants and grows outside the main cavity of the uterus, it is called an ectopic pregnancy. The most common site of an ectopic pregnancy is the fallopian tube. Sometimes the fallopian tube may also burst due to an ectopic pregnancy. It is a life-threatening condition that required emergency surgery.

Medical termination of pregnancy(MTP)

Medical Termination of Pregnancy, or MTP, is a method of ending a pregnancy by the use of medications. It is possible to terminate a pregnancy with drugs in the early stages (7-9 weeks); otherwise, surgery is required. We carry out this procedure in accordance with government guidelines

Torsion cyst emergency

A fluid-filled sac inside or on the surface of the ovary is known as an ovarian cyst. It usually develops during or shortly after ovulation. Sometimes these cysts can become large enough to burst or rupture. The larger the cyst, the more likely it is to cause ovarian torsion. The blood flow to the ovary can be stopped by ovarian torsion, causing permanent damage to the ovary. In most severe cases surgeries are required.

All daycare surgeries

Day-care surgeries are procedures that allow patients to recover quickly from surgery and be ready to return home usually the same day.

Infertility treatment

Getting pregnant is not easy for some couples. If you are not able to get pregnant despite trying for a year you should consult a doctor. After a proper diagnosis, the cause for your infertility can be known, and accordingly, we will provide you with the treatment. Our treatment includes simple ovulation stimulation cycles to more advanced assisted reproductive techniques. Some of our services are

Female infertility Treatment

Male infertility treatment

PCOD/PCOS treatment

Recurrent miscarriage treatment

IUI

IVF

ICSI

Surrogacy

PGS/PGD

Egg freezing

Sperm bank

Egg Donation

Gynecological Laparoscopy:

This is a very simple and daycare procedure doctors can better look at the organs in your belly. Only one or two very small incisions are made instead of cutting a whole abdomen. This method can be used to diagnose various medical disorders as well as take tissue samples that are examined. It can also be used as a treatment method. Your doctor can also perform less invasive laparoscopic surgeries for various medical disorders

A laparoscopy is performed when you’re lying down with your head lower than your feet in a slightly inclined position. During surgery, you’ll be given general anesthesia to relax your muscles and avoid discomfort. After that, a tiny incision near the umbilicus is made. Usually, it is half centimeters long, this incision is used to introduce the laparoscope. Your abdomen is enlarged to make it easier to see your organs by introducing Co2 gas. It is not harmful at all.  Surgical equipment for obtaining tissue samples or removing scar tissue may be included with the laparoscope. A second incision may be made at the pubic hairline by your provider. This incision creates a second passage for instruments used for minor surgical procedures.

You’ll normally spend approximately an hour in a recovery room after surgery. You will be discharged from the hospital the same day. The recovery period is minimal.

Laparoscopic surgery is done to treat the following medical conditions

Endometriosis

Ectopic pregnancy

Fibroids

Polyps

Ovarian cysts

Hysterectomy(removal of the uterus)

Pelvic adhesions

Tubal Ligation

Diagnosis of infertility causes

Other pelvic disorder

Tubal Ligation / Family Planning Procedures

Birth control or family planning procedure or technology are the methods used to prevent unwanted pregnancy. It could be done through laparoscopy or general Tubectomy. Commonly known as tubal sterilization, is a long-term contraception procedure for women. It is a surgical procedure that prevents the egg produced by the ovary from reaching the uterus by blocking the fallopian tubes. And thereby preventing pregnancy.

Perimenopause and menopausal Care

Menopause is the end of a woman’s menstrual cycle. Menopause transition, also known as perimenopause, begins around 40 ( several years before menopause). It’s the point at which the ovaries start to produce less estrogen. It usually begins in women’s 40s, but it can begin as early as their 30s. Smoking, genetics problems, removal of ovaries can be reasons for the same. In both these conditions, women can face various health issues due to hormonal imbalance. Mood swings, hot flushes are some of the common symptoms. We provide the treatment plan for these menopausal phases.

The hormone estrogen plays a crucial role in keeping your joints healthy and lubricated. Menopause causes low levels of estrogen, which can make bones weak and brittle and more vulnerable to cracks. It can also produce symptoms including aching joints and stiffness specially in the knees, shoulder and hips. Menopausal joint pain is a type of joint pain that occurs after menopause. We take care of all these issues due to menopause and provide effective treatment.

Adolescents Gynecology

Adolescent gynecology, as the name suggests, deals with gynecologic issues that affect young women or teenage girls as they approach puberty. They have a lot of hormonal rise leading to

This includes

Pain in Breasts

Abnormal vaginal discharge

No/Irregular menstrual Cycle

PCOD/PCOS

Adolescent endometriosis

Facial hairs/acne(hormonal imbalance)

Apart from the above-mentioned, many psychosexual issues would arise. Due tothe rise in hormones or hormonal imbalance lot of changes happen in their body, their appearance would start changing, menstruationcycle will start. And also they will start developing an interest in the opposite sex.At this moment many questions arise in their mind. Parents could not answer all. Having the opportunity to speak with a medical professional about all of such issues guarantees that young women have access to accurate and dependable information. Doctors can explain in detail what’s happening in their bodies and answer all their psychosexual questions which sometimes they could not discuss with their parents. Furthermore, these office visits are fully anonymous, allowing them to express questions in a safe and supportive way. We explain everything to parents and teenagers about what is happening in their bodies and the reasons for the same. This will help to understand the reasons for changes going on in their bodies and make their journey smooth.

Gynecological Pre-cancer screening

All types of cancer that can arise in or on a woman’s reproductive organs and referred to as gynecological cancer. These Include

Cervical cancer

Uterus cancer

Breast cancer

Cancer in ovaries

Cancer of the Vulva

Vaginal cancer

A pap test in combination with other tests can be done to diagnose the pre-cancerous cells in the cervix. Anendometrial biopsy can be done to take the sample in case of uterine cancer. Mammography can be done in cases of breast cancer.

Ultrasonogram

Ultrasonography is a diagnostic medical process that involves the transmission of high-frequency sound waves into the body’s deeper organs to produce their images. This treatment allows your radiologist to see or see your interior organs, veins, and tissues without having to make an incision. It aids in the analysis of the fetus’s growth and any malformations that may exist. It can be done in infertile patients for follicular monitoring or in pregnant ladies to identify the growth of the fetus or in women who have any abnormality in the pelvic

Ultrasonography in gynecology

Gynecologic ultrasonography, sometimes known as gynecologic sonography, is the use of medical ultrasound to examine the female pelvic organs, including the bladder and recto-uterine pouch. It also helps in identifying medically significant abnormalities in the pelvis. It can be used to identify the cause of any abnormal bleeding, ectopic pregnancy, cyst etc. During infertility treatment, highly used for the follicular study.

Ultrasonography for Fetal Monitoring

During pregnancy, an obstetric ultrasound is commonly conducted every three to four weeks to check the fetus and the pregnant mother’suterus.Fetal monitoring is done during pregnancy to identify the following

Confirm pregnancy location

Number of babies and their gestational age

Babies growth and if they have any birth defect

Study the placenta and the level of amniotic fluid

Investigate fetal position or any other complication.

There are two types of ultrasounds

Transvaginal ultrasound is a type of ultrasound in which a device called a transducer is put in your vagina to send out sound waves and collect the reflections during this type of prenatal ultrasound.

Transabdominal ultrasonography is a type in which a transducer over your abdomen is moved to examine.

Other important ultrasounds include

Color Doppler ultrasound

Sound waves are used in Doppler ultrasound to detect blood flow in arteries. It is used to examine blood circulation in the fetus, uterus, and placenta during pregnancy.

Cardiotocography (CTG)

During pregnancy and labor, cardiotocography (CTG) is a technique for monitoring the fetal heartbeat and uterine contractions.

Hysteroscopy

If you have heavy menstrual cycles and severe cramping, or if your doctor needs to understand more about your reproductive health, a hysteroscopy may be advised. They can get a good look at your cervix and uterus during the procedure, which can help them figure out what’s wrong.

We provide all women’s health care services under one roof. If you suffer from any discomfort contact us. A team of proven track recors is waiting to help you.

Call or WhatsApp : +91 9676677667, +91 9989432345

[eeshamsh]

Services – Eesha Multispeciality Hospital in Bengaluru

Eesha Multispecialty Hospital (EMH) is dedicated in providing the highest quality compassionate and effective clinical care to those who cannot attain modern specialized health care services. At EMH, our dedicated team of doctors and specialists dissolve the gap between world class healing and home proximity.

                                  Specialities & Services

The biggest hurdle that patients face while being diagnosed at a traditional/specialty hospital is when they are told to transfer to a different hospital due to a lack of staff and equipment. But at Eesha Multispeciality Hospital, this does not happen because of the presence of other doctors, physicians, surgeons, neurologists, etc, who can keep track of patients’ records from different departments. Our Specialities & Services It creates a uniform structure for the patients and doctors along with other hospital staff, since all the amenities are under the same roof it is easy to get treatments for various ailments without having to travel to different places and hospitals. It saves a lot of time, money, and other resources.

GENERAL MEDICINE :

The department of General Medicine, which is an integral part of the Eesha Multispeciality Hospital, provides comprehensive medical care to patients above 14 years of age. This is one of the finest facilities of its kind in the region, it offers outpatient, inpatient and 24*7 emergency care services with emphasize on excellent doctor patient communication. The department is led by some of the best physicians in this area. The department is supported by the latest diagnostic facilities.

GENERAL LAPAROSCOPIC SURGERY :

Laparoscopy is an operation performed in the abdomen or pelvis through small incisions (usually 0.5–1.5 cm) with the aid of a camera. The laparoscope aids diagnosis or therapeutic interventions with a few small cuts in the abdomen. There are a number of advantages to the patient with laparoscopic surgery versus an open procedure. These include reduced pain due to smaller incisions and hemorrhaging, and shorter recovery time. There are a number of advantages to the patient with laparoscopic surgery versus the more common, open procedure. Pain and hemorrhaging are reduced due to smaller incisions and recovery times are shorter.

OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY :

At EMH we deal with Obstetrics and Gynecology which are medical Specialities that focus on two different aspects of the female reproductive system. Obstetrics deals with the care of the pregnant woman, the unborn baby, labor and delivery, and the immediate period following childbirth. The obstetrician ensures that mother and child get the best prenatal care to ensure labor and delivery are accomplished without complications and that should intervention be needed, it is done quickly and safely. Gynecology deals with any ailment concerning the reproductive organs; uterus, fallopian tubes, cervix, ovaries, and vagina.

ORTHOPEDICS :

The Department of Orthopedics at EMH offers a wide range of services, including Knee Replacement Surgeries, Total Hip and Shoulder Replacement Surgeries and Spine Surgeries, as well as various kinds of innovative care for a broad range of musculoskeletal conditions. EMH has a team of highly skilled orthopedic surgeons who with the help of ultra-modern techniques and technology can assure correct diagnosis, holistic healing and speedy recovery. At EMH we offer a wide range of services from diagnosis to treatment and physiotherapy. Bone Density Screening with management of Osteoporosis is also offered by EMH.

UROLOGY :

EMH’s Department of Urology provides the latest & most advanced technology for problems related to the urinary system, like – Treatments Available  ● Renal Stones ● Enlarged Prostate Gland ● Prostate / Bladder / Kidney Cancer ● Pediatric Urology ● Neurogenic Bladder ● Urogynae Problems

ENT :

The ENT Department at NHS Hospital has experienced doctors and surgeons to deal with conditions of the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) and related structures of the head and neck. Treatments Available  ● Head & Neck Oncology Surgery ● Hearing Loss ● Throat Infection ● Sinus ● Sleep Apnea

GASTROENTEROLOGY :

EMH’s Gastroenterology department aims at holistic approach to various GI, pancreatic and liver diseases including Obesity and early detection and management of GI cancers.

Treatments Available

● All liver diseases and All Pancreatic diseases ● Acute G.I. bleed ● Gastrointestinal ● Track Cancers ● CBD and Gall Bladder stones

COSMETOLOGY & DERMATOLOGY :

The Cosmetology department at EMH offers a variety of therapies ranging from Laser hair removal, Anti-ageing solution, Skin rejuvenation, Scar revision, Mole excision and a variety of other therapies.

The Department of Dermatology offers procedures and services, both investigative and curative, pertaining to general dermatology, cosmetic dermatology and venereology. Comprehensive consultation and treatment is provided for both outpatients and in-patients covering all dermatological conditions including: General Dermatology, Sexually transmissible diseases, Vitiligo, Leprosy & Psoriasis.

PHYSIOTHERAPY :

Physiotherapy deals with human movement and function. It aims to maximize patient potential and return to normal function following ill health, trauma or disability for other reasons. At EMH Physiotherapists work in a wide range of clinical settings from intensive care units caring for acutely ill patients, to outpatient departments helping with people that need treatment for conditions such as a painful shoulder or twisted ankle. The service offers a positive approach to treatment planning and goal setting, encouraging patient involvement in their own care, to help them achieve personal goals. Through inter-professional working we aim to ensure an efficient and safe journey with the best possible patient outcome.

NEUROLOGY & NEURO SURGERY :

Neurology Medicine deals with Stroke, Epilepsy, Headache, Dementia, Movement Disorders, Various Muscle, Nerve, Spinal Cord Disorders. EMH is a complete all under one roof for all neurology problems

EMH provides best-in-class advanced neurosurgical services. This Institute brings together expert doctors and surgeons, state-of-the-art technology, cutting-edge treatment options and superior patient-focused care to deliver the best healthcare experience.

OPERATION THEATRES :

Eesha Multispeciality Hospital is equipped with state of the art operation theatres capable of performing all kinds of surgeries. All theatres have a dedicated air handling units to match the air exchanges and special OT flooring, both as per the international infection control norms. All operation theatres are equipped with LED OT lights, good quality OT tables, diathermy machines, anesthesia workstations, multipara monitors, defibrillators, warmer machines, central suction and all medical gases and well trained nursing and paramedic staff.

ICU WITH VENTILATOR :

Our highly trained critical care intensivists treat the most severely ill and injured persons in this department. Eesha Multispeciality Hospital has specialist to take comprehensive care of patients going through major trauma or surgery. The doctors of EMH Hospital look after the people who require advanced care and monitoring. In fact, the full spectrum of this department is provided by specialists and other medical experts specially trained in critical healthcare and are there at the Hospital 24×7 to serve patients.

OUR EXPERTISE :

Minimal Access Surgery

High Risk Obstetrics

Gynaecological Surgery

IVF Treatment

Trauma Care

Joint Replacement

Arthroscopy

Spine Surgery

Hematology

Histopathology

Cytology

Address:

11 & 30, Ramaiah Complex, Bhuvaneshwari Nagar Main Road, Ward No. 6, H. A. Farm Post, Dasarahalli, Bengaluru 560 024, Karnataka, India Call Us: +91 9901616060 Email Us: eeshamsh2021@gmail.com

Link : https://eeshahospital.com

[floodart28]

The Succeeding in Sales While Managing Depression Diaries

SAMHSA’s National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357) (likewise understood as the Treatment Referral Routing Service), or TTY: 1-800-487-4889 is a classified, cost-free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year, information solution, in English and Spanish, for people and loved ones members facing psychological and/or element use conditions. This service offers recommendations to nearby procedure amenities, support groups, and community-based institutions. It also delivers resources for pupils in necessity pertaining to their demands and need to have for help along with the mental health and wellness issues associating to substance abuse as located by the Substance Abuse and Mental ailment Research, Rehabilitation, and Substance Abuse Evaluation (SAMARCRA). The solution is run through the University Clinical Program as part of the University Services Program. This program has actually a three-year operating spending plan that is roughly $55 million. Also visit the on the internet procedure locator, or send your zip code by means of content message: 435748 (HELP4U) to discover aid near you. When it happens to procedure choices for youngsters, a brand-new procedure is even more common along with much older adults, also if they are more youthful. Listed here are a couple of points you may do to assist boost your top quality of lifestyle. Read through even more concerning the HELP4U text messaging service. "I hope this assists to clear up what's being done to them and to assist them take care of their experiences along with other moms and dads that have adopted and embraced the usage of POC and various other forms in terms of childbirth control," claimed POC Commissioner Jeff Hall. Hall mentioned "this needs to be looked at particularly.". The university said to The Daily Beast it has been working with all parents on the job. The company is open 24/7, 365 times a year. When would you presume of finding a solution that you can easily receive all the advantages for? The first concern we asked ourselves was: would you presume regarding that service? In this short article I discuss the essential components that would lead to you to be curious concerning the different possibilities detailed below, without going in to as well numerous particular. Initially, I would as if to acquire all the advantages through using the very same company.

This is a 27 percent boost coming from 2019, when the Helpline received a total amount of 656,953 telephone call for the year. In 2018, far fewer phone call were answered, but the unit was utilized a lot more regularly. Helpline personnel mentioned the variety of folks who possessed their insurance policy terminated has dropped, but the amount of people who obtained "useless financial assistance" hasn't. Those still finding therapy were mostly more mature or handicapped folks, they pointed out. The referral solution is free of charge. In this case, I will be paying for $22 per session for 30 times to offer the referral solution a 100% fulfillment price in phrases of loyalty. After reviewing Check For Updates pricing relevant information you will certainly discover that the service is not consistently 100% 100% prosperous every opportunity. If this happens your service may not operate. After all, what if I give the service just 3 sessions then I'll still be able to operate it on. If you possess no insurance policy or are underinsured, we are going to recommend you to your state workplace, which is accountable for state-funded treatment programs. We will notify you when a amenities supplies totally free or minimized advantages to their citizens, if you have any inquiries regarding accessibility to care or need to fulfill the conditions of the course. We accept feedback and are constantly grateful to assist you find clinical assistance or access a cost-free or minimized benefit in their area. In add-on, we can easily usually refer you to facilities that demand on a gliding fee range or accept Medicare or Medicaid. In one instance, we've located healthcare facilities that charge an on-call minimum of $20 a time. But we've located that there are other healthcare facilities that bill less, but that still only demand $16 per see. For even more information, check out out our healthcare segment at the medical facility network.com What other wellness treatment services do you find getting demanded? If you possess health insurance coverage, you are encouraged to talk to your insurance company for a checklist of engaging wellness care service providers and facilities. Health insurance suppliers are qualified in how to apply for and select, and in how to get involved in, health and wellness substitution insurance policy exchanges. Health and wellness treatment suppliers are additionally trained in how to acquire and share relevant information concerning their consumers to reduce substitution risk. There are a variety of choices for the healthcare buyer. The ACA A lot of health insurance policy markets possess some requirements. We are going to not inquire you for any private relevant information. You have decided on to carry on to make use of your Service as you anticipate. You do not possess to return any kind of individual info to us. In no occasion will We preserve any sort of relevant information on you and your family members if any of our children has an issue along with your personal information or if our Company is cancelled. You might create inquiries to us at any kind of time. You might additionally check out our FAQ at http://support.eveonline.com/en-US. We may talk to for your zip code or other relevant geographic info in order to track calls being transmitted to other workplaces or to properly pinpoint the local area resources suitable to your necessities. If we do not respond to your demand within four company times, we may send you discontinue and desist characters if we can easilynot deliver you along with well-timed relevant information. If we ask for your court of law purchase granting us notice, we may remove or revise your reports and/ or deny you get access to to our relevant information if we need it. No, we do not offer counseling. If you require support in a connection that you have been avoiding, or you really feel an anxiousness assault, please phone the number noted listed below. Feasible Crisis Reaction: When someone in our office is experiencing an urgent, we will get in touch with the local area 911 body and try to acquire a action to them. Please be incredibly sure you are not the one who is on role because 911 was assigned to us and this will certainly vary in various conditions.

[rudjedet]

hi there! i just got done reading the (entire) edwin smith papyrus post and it got me wondering: what do we know about how the egyptians treated pediatric patients? (or their thoughts toward kids in general?) pediatric pharmacy is prob gonna be my specialty and it’d be super neat to see if the egyptians practiced medicine differently with kids than with adults.

(also i realize saying “the egyptians” isn’t very nuanced so feel free to generalize or specialize as you see fit. info-dumping encouraged :)

Well first thing you have to be aware of is that the concept of "childhood" as we know it now is a relatively new concept, and the ancient Egyptians didn't necessarily ascribe to it in the same way. In general, from about the age of 12-13, children were considered full members of society. They were infants until about 4 years of age, from which point on they'd start helping the adults around them in the tasks of daily life. (Sidenote: this is for the lower classes - for elite children this is different in that they weren't required to start doing menial labour, but they too were put to work by e.g. learning how to read and write. Generally a little later than their lower class counterparts, however.)

Children were very important to the Egyptians and they would go through a lot of effort to protect them. We have for example apotropaic wands that were most likely used as ritual protection during childbirth and in infancy, and distinct amulets meant for children in order to keep them safe and healthy from malign entities. Like many ancient and less-ancient societies, Egypt had a lot of infant death. Household deities like Bes and Taweret were invoked to give their protection to the smallest ones in hopes of ascertaining their survival.

A few examples of those wands:

These are currently in The MET and date back to the Middle Kingdom. On the back of the second one the following lines are inscribed:

Recitation by the many protectors: We have come that we may extend our protection around the healthy child Minhotep, alive, sound, and healthy, born of the noblewoman Sitsobek, alive, sound, and healthy.

The one on the bottom is inscribed with "protection of day" and "protection of night".

As for pediatric medicine, we don't really know if there was a concept like that (at least not to my current knowledge). We're not even sure if the Egyptians even made a distinction between different kinds of medicine and its practitioners, or if every physician just did... everything. Egyptian medical handbooks were often ordered by specific ailment or body type, and we do also have very specific sources such as a surgical papyrus (the Edwin Smith Papyrus you read my great big rant about) and a gynaecological one (Kahun Papyrus).

But apart from a few recipes pertaining to infant ailments/stillbirths, we don't have any specifically pediatric handbooks/medicine attested. To be honest I doubt there would be since children weren't treated remarkably different to adults once they survived their first 4-5 years of life.

So the TL;DR here is no, we don't have any evidence that the ancient Egyptians treated child patients differently from adults, but for very young infants they certainly tried everything in their power to make sure they were safe and healthy until they were out of their toddler years!

[mostly-mundane-atla]

How do you feel about the sexism in the Water Tribes? From my genuinely limited research, women were well regarded and “women’s work” was valued highly. Sorry if this sounds like I’m asking you to summarize social classes in your culture but I am curious about how you feel about this narrative choice ?

This is actually a really good question and something I've wanted to talk about for a while.

First off, when people talk about sexism existing in the Water Tribes as a whole, I don't know exactly where they're coming from. Neither Bato (just fine with Katara participating in a young men's coming of age ritual) or Hakoda (who is very proud of and knows he can rely on his daughter's martial skills) share any sexist views, and Katara's specific irritation at Sokka over his blatant sexism suggests it's more the exception than the rule. Yes, it was just the men that left, but there are a few things to consider there. First that most of the waterbenders taken away (at least in Hama's memory) were women, so there was likely some trauma around that. Also that breastfeeding tends to go on longer than most people are used to in Inuit/Inupiaq cultures (kids traditionally got potty trained waaaay before they stop nursing). When food options are limited and not available at industrialized speeds, there's not a whole lot of other ways to be sure small children are getting all the nutrients they need. So in that sense, it's a matter of practicality that mothers would stay behind. Babies make it hard to move the way armies need to move. I think there was also some expanded universe stuff explaining that the Southern and Northern Water Tribes did not agree on what a "woman's place" actually was.

But yes, your research would be right in that "women's work" was highly respected and valued by the Inuit and Inupiat. Not only that, but men were expected to know how to cook and sew as well (sometimes whaling crews were just men and would be out at see for a long time, you can't just delegate mending or meal prep to women who aren't there). Women were also known to fish and set traps, so it's not like men were the sole providers. Women's and men's work was less a strict divide between domestic/providing and more what could be done with a baby on your back/what could be done without a baby. It's not like they could just set the baby aside and pick it back up again, either. The safest and most convenient place for a baby was underneath its mother's clothes. Not only did this keep them warm and out of the wind, but by shifting the kid around (there's a belt holding them to the mom's body) they can nurse no problem. This is why you'll see babies' faces in womens hoods in old photos and sometimes even today.

Women's work, specifically sewing, also gave women experience in another important cultural aspect: tattooing. The traditional way was with a needle (originally made of bone, but later you'd also find steel ones) and bit of sinew sewing ink into the skin. These tattoos were important for a few reasons.

A girl's coming of age tattoos on her chin would indicate that she was old enough to consider marriage, with the ordeal of sitting through the tattooing being proof of her pain tolerence and thus ability to handle childbirth. Some other tattoos were entirely for beauty's sake, but nonetheless important to the cultural identity. Some were to protect the spirit from illness or possession or people who would do them harm. It was a very important skill women would work on their entire lives and served a very important spiritual purpose. Women had to be able to grow old to be able to serve this role.

And so to see sewing and cooking and healing being treated as a lesser position by Inuti/Inupiaq coded characters doesn't make any sense. Everyone needs clothes and food and help through ailments and if the people doing so happen to be caring for babies at the same time that's a lot of service they're doing to the community. In a climate that could kill you for standing around without any fur clothes, that's not something that would be shrugged off is just women's work. Not by people who survive only by everyone doing what they can to help and acknowledge everyone's contribution.

Also please understand that this explanation is only as cis as it is because heavy assimilation into a Eurocentric and Christianized world makes the sipiniq difficult to find reliable information on.

[vacantvisage]

My OCs ! I usually keep them to myself and never publish their stories lol 

Apostle Gothic

Story synopsis: A vampire kills a man after nearly starving to death, but finds the man had a son. As the young human attacks him, the vampire severely injures him, but instead of killing him, he takes pity on the young man and turns him into a vampire. Though the young man hates him for it, the vampire tries to teach him how to take care of himself as he transforms into a creature of the night. 

Godfearing Joseph Wyles  Born 1723 Height: 6′5″ He’s a man but I haven’t decided if he’s trans yet. Bisexual. 

Puritan ranchero. His Social name is Joseph, but his “Grace” name is Godfearing. Younger siblings passed away from scarlet fever. Mother died in childbirth. Father was killed by a vampire. He was turned into a vampire himself by his father’s killer, Francisco Nevarez, a conquistador vampire who took pity on him. Joseph was twenty-three when he was first turned. His transformation over the centuries to modern times was subtle, like a second puberty. He grew much taller, towers over most others, frequently ducks to get through doorways.  He simply takes care of the ranch and husbands the cows, pigs, chickens, and goats. He wants to have a family, a wife and a child, but refuses to let himself bestow the curse, so to speak. He struggles with his vampiric identity, as well as his frustrated sexuality, finding himself an abomination to God in more ways than one. 

Francisco Nevarez  Born 1543 Height: 6′6″ Cis man, gay, Catholic Guilt(tm)

A conquistador who was turned into a vampire as he explored the southwestern desert. He was turned by a blood-sucking monster, a creature of the night. The sun now burns him, all things taste like ash. He prays to Saint Sebastian in hopes he will be cured, he prays to God to forgive him for all the transgressions he is forced to make in the name of the demon that has fouled him. He fasts for lengths at a time. He lives with Joseph, teaching him, when he can, how to be a vampire, how to avoid the sun, how to take care of himself. Joseph hates him for what he’s done. But both are once-men-of-God and they try to at least overcome the pain of isolation and bridge the schism of their beliefs between one another. 

Francisco and Joseph’s tangled relationship is based on Chirin’s Bell. 

Southwest Psychopomp

Story synopsis: Based solely on This Always Sunny Post. A gunslinger haunted by the spirits of the restless dead seeks revenge out for them. He meets with a half-vampire who wants to unite humans and vampires, and he begrudgingly collaborates with the dhapmhir as they happen to seek the same target together. As they save each other from certain death, they collaborate further to aid one another’s goals. Along the way they meet with a mad scientist woman who turned herself into a beast, a doctor who is knowledgeable in many abnornalities that can treat their strange ailments, and a young girl, orphaned by many, only to come to learn of her powerful abilities over legions of Hell. 

Jacob Carlson Arcane Human Age 54 Height 5′5″ Trans man, bi-asexual

Bounty hunter of the southwest, learned from his parents how to handle animals. Used to own his family’s ranch until the whole town was swept with plague. He lived through it himself, but still has dark, black scars over his body. He started to see spirits, not only in his home town, but nearly everywhere he went. He thought he was going crazy, a woman begged him to kill her murderer-rapist. He learned the man had a past of sexual assault and killed him. He learned the arcane through other spirits and ghosts, through travelers that came and went in the towns he, too, came to and went from. He learned how to channel magic through his gun. Haunted by restless spirits wherever he goes, he does what he can to avenge them, but prefers to simply be left alone. He occasionally has trouble discerning who is flesh and blood, and who is a ghost standing beside him. 

Esteban Ruiz  Dhamphir Age 137 Height: 6′4″ Cis man, pansexual

A dhamphir who grew up in a rich home with his human mother and vampire father. He learned sword fighting, archery, horse riding, and shooting among academics and art. His father is still alive and lives alone in their family manor. He is not as physically strong as a full blood vampire, and he has a great many weaknesses. He can eat for taste, but it does not sustain him. Sunlight will not kill him (unless he bathes in it for a long while), but it burns him greatly. Every Dhamphir is unique in their abilities, but he had very little abilities himself save for being slightly better than a human. He had killed a vampire and drank of their blood out of fury, only to find he absorbed it’s ability for speed. Esteban wants to unite the world of vampires and humans, he believes that vampires can be sustained on the blood of either willing humans, or the blood of those imprisoned. He and Jacob meet in happenstance when a vampire slaughtered a family and the family’s spirits asked Jacob for help. 

Necromantic

Story Synopsis: A devoted priest once lived a life of wonder and happiness to its fullest. However, the gods he devoted himself to began to fall ill with God-Sickness. It fell to him and his husband to slay the monsters that remained and collect their souls. The souls themelves corrupted the priest, extending his life and addling his mind. Over the centuries he experimented with dark arcane, with necromancy none thought possible in hopes he could return his old gods to life as the world over the centuries rots without them. He believes that if he can find hosts powerful enough to house the god-souls, he can return them to the gods to world of the living. 

Sigurd Helvega Former Human Age 500~ Former Human Height 6′2″ Trans man, bisexual 

Sigurd grew up in a village in a lovely meadow, he became a priest to travel the world and bestow the blessings of the gods to others. He became regarded something of a saint with his kindness, a gracious and wonderful healer and knowledgeable in the magics of the four primordial gods. He fell in love with a mercenary who had been hired as his protector as he traveled. Together they married and lived very happily. However, in some time, it was rumored that the gods were becoming monsters. 

Sigurd and his husband, Razvra, traveled to a sacred mountain where one of the gods had originated from. Sure enough, within the crystal caves of the sacred fire mountains, they found not a god, but a sickly, degenerating beast that attacked all in its sight. Sigurd and Razvra lost a great company, but together they defeated the beast. The very soul of the beast crystallize, swirled with darkness, but Sigurd used his powers of healing to cleanse it as best he could. He kept the crystal soul of the god himself to prevent anyone from learning about it. Little did he know the mere possession of such an object would soon be his downfall. 

As Sigurd mourned the loss of a great god, he allowed the world to believe the monster they had slain was only an imposter. The other gods, however, began to follow suit, and he and Razvra slew each of them. Sigurd found that he had an unnaturally long life, now, and outlived even his husband. It was bittersweet when Razvra died of old age. But soon, the crystals, unbeknowst to Sigurd, began to feed off his power. His body began to rot and disintegrate. Sigurd, desparate to find a way to revive the gods, began to experiment with necromancy, extending his own life through means of possession. He learned to take over bodies that could contain powerful magic, but with the cost of possession came the cost of his own self. Every person he possessed, he gained their memories, their thoughts, their feelings. He began to lose everything that was “himself.” 

He came to believe that one day he could find vessels strong enough to house the individual god souls to bring them back to life, not knowing the truth of the god-souls and god-sickness. 

Sigurd suffers dementia due to the literal rotting of his brain and often relives random moments between his own life and the lives of those he stole in the process of possession. 

Razvra Zhiat Mountain Elf Age 36 Height 5′5″ Cis man, gay

Born deep in the underground mountain city, Razvra was born to the mountain elves, each naturally gifted with magic attuned to the mountain range’s leylines. Razvra’s city, however, was planning on waging war with the rest of the mountain’s inhabitants. In secret the city-state raised soldiers at a young age, Razvra among the chosen to be taken to martial academym to hone his strengths and bury his weaknesses. His and other families were compensated for the kidnapping borrowing of their children, but he, and many others, were led to believe they were given away and unwanted. Having lived in a barracks nearly his entire youth and early adulthood, he and other soldiers were then dispensed to war with other city-states, told they were plotting against the capitol, and war waged between them. 

It wasn’t until it was too late that Razvra, and many others, had realized they were not protecting the capitol, but hostaging it until their own city0state would be declared the new rulership. The city-state became divided, broken into sections. Razvra was among a company of soldiers who despised what their home had done to others. Unfortunately, Razvra was not quite heroic enough to follow fellow soldiers into death against the oppressive regime. Instead, he, and select others, exiled themselves from the mountains. To leave the mountains of Tuskmon would mean they can never return. Razvra and his company emigrated into the large mainland continent at the center of the world. He, at first, took on various jobs from various sorts, but he found that he was best continuing his work as a soldier. He became a mercenary for hire to make ends meet, but he deeply missed the familiarity and stability of his own former home. 

He eventually met a priest, Sigurd, as he was hired to protect him from both monsters and extremists as they traveled temple to temple. Sigurd and him got along very well, and Razvra and he eventually fell in love. Being married under the stars, they founded a life together at a countryside home, though still they would frequently travel together for Sigurd’s priesthood called him across the globe. Razvra noticed Sigurd’s mind, however, began to fade in places. Sigurd came to show Razvra a bouquet of flowers he had picked, magenta and deep violet colors, two of Razvra’s favorite colors. But Sigurd said something strange. He said, “I picked these for my husband. They’re his favorite.” Razvra stared at him, realizing Sigurd did not remember who he was. It happened infrequently, but it still happened. Sigurd, thankfully, was present in most of their remaining life together. 

Blossoming Beelzebub

Story Synopsis: An alien from a hivemind is made incorrectly and receives separate sentience. In order to escape certain death, it finds itself through a strange wormhole where it lands on earth in the middle of a Russian winter forest. As it learns to speak and borrows a name, it is found by a smuggler that helps it learn about the world around them. The smuggler helps the alien by giving him legal paperwork and smuggling him out of the country where he can find another place to live. The alien, Thomas, now simply desires to live his life as simply as he can, but struggles with the differences between his own identity and the identities others thrust upon him. 

Thomas Ivanov Alien Age 1.5 years Height: 5′3″ Agender, asexual 

Thomas comes from the planet Stezhoksha where creatures are made from pieces of viscera, offal, and flesh stitched together and soldered to chitinous armor, welcomed into a hivemind. Travelers from a far away galaxy had been unfortunate enough to crash on the forsaken desert planet pendulummed between two suns. The travelers were quickly met with fate worse than death — flayed apart piece by piece, fibre by fibre, every pound of flesh sorted into the menagerie of horrors to be used and recycled, where one being now wears their face. However, when this small creature was stitched together from that strange, alien life, from animals with teeth and claws and wings, he inherited the fallen traveler’s very sentience. He was now separate. this would compromise the hive. At first it was small — the admiration of beauty. The sky at night was beautiful, as the sunset and dusk was ever-permanent, but on particularly dark nights, he could see the stars. 

His separation from the hive, however, would not be a tolerated one. He fled. He fled through the heavy storms, strong enough to mean certain death for those that dared travel through it. But he would rather have died there then be torn apart and lose all the wonder he had lost. Instead, however, the lightning and the gaseous green that enveloped him, though painful, did not kill him. He found himself in a blink elsewhere. He was falling. The wind whipped past his ears, his exoskeleton grew hotter than the desert ever did, the air was ripped from his lungs, his body crashed, hard into dirt and stone and tree, a shockwave toppling the flora that spanned the freezing, winterous forest. 

An old man, curious what could have caused such a bright light, came out with his shotgun, just in case, and had found the creature who was confused by the babbling of a language it didn’t know, by the long metal tube that stared it down. So it bared teeth, made itself large, opening wide its arms and spread its wings as warning. The man shot him in the stomach, ripping away the casings of his shell. The creature shrieked at the pain and killed the man, gutting him in one fell swoop. An old woman screamed: Tomas ! Tomas !

The alien fled, tired and growing hungry, not wanting to risk another casualty. He saw organic creatures beneath the surface of the ice he traveled on and broke through the waters to catch them. It was so cold it burned, but he sunk his teeth into scaly flesh and devoured, bone and all. In his time exploring, he practiced that word he had heard: Tomas. He said it to himself, over and over, warming his palate to this language. He stole clothes to hide and keep warm. He eventually found civilization, an entire city of people. He became something of a small legend in the area, the creature with insect wings, the monster with sharp teeth, the deer-killer, the wasp-man, a great many other pseudonyms. He met a man, Gustav, who accepted his eccentricities and they helped each other make ends meet. Thomas helped him smuggle drugs, some medicine, some not, among a great many other things. Gustav eventually helped him in return. Gustav was able to give him an identity. A legal name, identification papers, and a trip to place across the ocean. 

Thomas now lives in the depths of a city, playing at human in his small apartment on the worse end of downtown. 

Main DnD PCs

My main three characters I usually play (when I can) 

Nymé Drow, Sorcerer Height 5′1″

I use Nymé as my new default for casual but somewhat serious play. 

Nyme is a harlequin who loves to travel and entertain. 

However, due to the way the world sees Drow, he completely covers his face in white paint, and colors his hair orange. His eyes are a dark enough red to seem brown and he prefers it that way. He keeps it short and pomped. He paints a pink lightning bolt on his right eye, and a blue star under his left, as well as paints wide, red lips. He dresses ornately, like an Elizabethan wearing maroon jaquard with a matching cape and a wide ruff collar. His hands are always gloved and from his cape he pulls tricks and magic out of for children and passers by. 

No one in the party knows his race or even class. No one yet knows his backstory. He was borne into a house that had too many males, and he was given away rather than sacrificed to Lolth, raised as a slave miner. However, he realized he had magic abilities. He hid them, preferring not to be found out and executed. He and several others were then ushered to be traded with onto a boat, but pirates had interloped and freed the drow slaves. Nyme was fascinated by the pirates and came to stay with them. He learned how to fight, how to sing, how to dance, how to act in theatrics, how to tell stories, how to play cards and gamble and games. He also learned how to control his powers, thanks to the few pirates on board that knew some magic. He departed from the pirates after a few years on the seas and made home for himself in the city where he would entertain on the street and put on shows. He was rather popular and that allowed him to also venture into the city’s underdark, the syndicates and secrets that allow him to know who’s who and what’s what. He acts a buffoon, but that’s all it is: an act. 

He changed his name to Nymé, a drow word that is best described as “the one that got away.”

Whisper Tiefling, Cleric Height 6′1″

Made for more serious worldbuilding, usually like to consult the DM in order to have her fit in with his world building. Love to use her as a secret villain. 

Whisper is a tiefling borne to the slums. She has pastel pink skin and pale yellow eyes, her hair is a deep magenta, her horns ridged like a ram’s, hooves like a devil’s. She and her family, consisting of her mother and two younger brothers, were frequently on the edge of starvation and dehydration. Her mother had died and she had to take care of her brothers. 

A beautiful elf woman had come to them, offering them free food and drink, and had gone so far as to tell them of the god she worshiped, a kind and generous god of life and death, and she assured the three tieflings their mother would be reborn again in another life. They would possibly even be able to meet her one day, given the longevity of some beings, and the magic of the multiverse. 

The elf woman had taught them about this benevolent god who looked to death as a part of life, and though suffering happens, it is, too, a part of life. But not all needs to suffer. Suffering can end, quickly and mercifully. She made them feel seen, made them feel so welcome. The three of them had gone with her to the conclave of the god’s followers, all living together harmoniously, each with a special job. The elf woman insisted they did not need to be integrated into their society with jobs if they did not want to stay, but also insisted that if they did want to stay, to eat from their garden, to drink from their wells, to be housed and cared for freely, they would need to find how they could benefit not only their society, but also the world. She emphasized even the smallest thing, watering a single plant every day, is enough to grow a tree that can feed generations. 

The three tieflings took on new names, as part of their mother’s Tiefling tradition, names that would reflect their virtues. Whisper took a vow of near-silence, her voice only to be used as one that would speak the words of her new god. Her brothers were named Mantra and Capable. 

Vazven Drow, Wizard/Rogue multiclass 4′9″

A troll character I use for short, stupid campaigns. 

He uses his wizardy to preserve and sell organs on the black market, to steal from far away, to make perfect getaways. He is cutthroat and in it solely for himself. He adventures for treasures and riches alone, and does not care to make permanent friends. How he’s lived this long is beyond anyone, including him. 

My favorite troll story with him is a one-shot campaign in which he happened to collect and preserve a heart. The campaign was mostly a dungeon crawl through a tower. We had a halfling on the team as well who stole a magic ring from the image of a beautiful sleeping woman. The woman turned to ashes and out came a vampire lord who was pissed his wife died. Cue the fight. It takes a couple hours to whittle down this vampire, we’re all nearly dead. I must emphasize these characters are only meant for the one campaign so we’re not exactly attached to them, so I went ahead and asked the DM if I could do something hilarious and Extremely Rude. 

He gave the vampire lord the preserved heart in exchange for his own life. He drank its blood and it healed some of his health. I was allowed to leave. The rest of the party managed to kill him without my help while I stole a lot of treasure. 

Another campaign he somehow survived ended in three town buildings being burnt down. 

[ofbaratheons]

⤷ ( ro. gmt+2. 25. she/they. ) the courts offer bread and salt to RORAN BARATHEON of HOUSE BARATHEON. many say that the FORTY-TWO year old RULING LORD of STORM’S END is known to be TEMPERATE and INGENIOUS, though ill tongues whisper that HE is RETICENT and VACILLATING. when his name is uttered , one is reminded of the eye of the storm, the one calm spot in between the chaos ; a reluctant ruler, expected to be the spare, not the heir, and never quite growing out of it ; the disappointment of a father, constantly hovering over you ; brain over brawn, even when your entire legacy says the opposite ; preferring the company of books over people. may he be blessed and protected in this war of crowns. ( fc: michiel huisman )

hello all! i’m ro and this is my soft son, roran. i wrote this introduction beforehand so it is still very much open to changes that will likely come with plotting and such. thanks for reading, i’m excited to plot with you all!

trigger warnings for: death, childbirth.

roran baratheon was born the second son of the ruling lord of house baratheon. from the moment he was born, it was clear his older brother was prepared to be the heir to their house, while he was just the back up plan. permitted a lot of freedom, roran found himself drawn to more intellectual pursuits. when his brother wielded his iron warhammer on the fields of battle, roran was inside the library, studying the history of the summer isles. when his brother attended political meetings, roran spent his time with local healers, gathering the herbs needed for curing various ailments. and while his brother made his way through most the whores in the stormlands, roran held onto a firm belief in love, the true kind.

though it was clear roran did not have the disposition of a storm lord, he was incredibly clever. he knew much about the histories of westeros, how to cure common illnesses, and even political strategy (though that always bored him to no end). he was popular with the small folk too. his brother was the one they ultimately looked up to, but roran often found ways to sneak them bread and other goods, to help sick children survive the night. he was gentle and kind, blending in with them just as easily as he blended into the crowds of nobility. roran was always unnoticeable. 

his original plan was to join the maesters. the pursuit of knowledge was something roran would enjoy dedicating his life to. fate, however, seemed to have a different path in store for him. when roran was eighteen years of age, his brother died in an unfortunate accident, caused largely by his own stupidity (though no one would ever say so). suddenly, roran was to be the next ruling lord of storm’s end, and his life changed forever. his father was desperate for roran to marry and father children. he had to be reintroduced to all the vassal lords. he had to learn how to play the game, despite his dislike for politics (and people in general). 

marriage was what came first. at the age of nineteen, roran was wed to a lady from the vale. they did not know one another, and roran found himself wondering if he could learn to love her, or even care for her. despite the lack of romance in their marriage, they had a child not one year later. his father said it was fortunate his first child was a son. what was less fortunate was his wife dying in childbirth. 

with all the death that plagued him, roran found himself hardening. he grew quiet and shied away from conflict or any sort of human interaction as much as his position permitted him. his father passed away not shortly after too, leaving roran a ruling lord who had no clue what he was doing, a recently widowed father of his infant son, and a general disappointment to the stormlands, as far as he could tell. truth be told, he was doing decently enough. his people were fed, his vassals were content. his only issue was his lack of backbone. roran was not a violent man by any means. he could not crush rebels the same way his ancestors did. he negotiated with them instead, but often conciliated too much to others. 

a few years after, roran found himself and his men in need of shelter. he ended up in blackhaven, where he met lady araela dondarrion. for the first time, he felt something stir in his heart again, and not even a year later, the two of them were married. 

over the past two decades, roran has spent much of his time caring for his son, his wife, and his people. he still struggles with the mantle of ruling lord, often sending advisors and vassals to do his tasks so he can hole up in his room with a book. horribly antisocial, he rarely strays from talking to anyone who isn’t part of his trusted circle. as lord of the stormlands, his people remain reasonably content, though there is some dismay regarding the way roran handles some of the more violent aspects of ruling. 

with the way the stark king died, the madness of the targaryen king, and the meeting of most westerosi nobility in one place, it seems roran’s relative peace and quiet will soon be disturbed. he realizes that he needs to step up and become a more powerful force in the land, but struggles with what that entails. though it seems that soon, he will no longer have a choice in the matter.

[gffa]

I actually think that Vader not thinking of force healing and sacrificing his life to bring Padme back as a thing actually makes sense? Cause he didn't want to bring her back when he fell, he wanted to stop her from dying - and then when he did want to bring her back he was on the dark side and I don't think the Dark side and its selfishness lets you sacrifice your life to bring someone you love back from the dead. It seems a very light thing rather then a dark. Like Anakin's sacrifice for Luke.

The only way Force Healing, as presented in canon, makes sense to me is that is if it’s a very, very rare ability or else incredibly dangerous and so it was deliberately not explored.  Because you’re telling me that Obi-Wan wouldn’t have healed Qui-Gon?  That Anakin wouldn’t have found some Jedi with the ability and go NO YOU GOTTA HEAL HER BEFORE SHE DIES, as soon as he started having those visions?  The only way it makes sense is if the Jedi Order didn’t have access to those abilities.But if you also try to tell me that they weren’t clever enough to have found them, I will also call bullshit on that, because they had a thousand years, they’d have found that kind of thing.  (And if canon tries to go this route, I’m going to be pretty mad.)I think it makes a ton more sense that it’s a very unique ability (Rey and Ben sharing it because they were sharing physical objects through the Force, Rey was confirmed to have basically “downloaded” his skills for that fight against him on Starkiller Base, why not the inherent abilities as well?) and we’re seeing two of them crop up close together for us, but Baby Yoda and Rey+Ben are about 30 years apart in the timeline.Either that or the ability sheers time off the life of the one who uses it and is incredibly dangerous.  Take The Phantom Menace and Obi-Wan being distraught at seeing Qui-Gon dying before him, I’m even pretty sure he just tapped into the dark side against Maul, he is in no state to be able to use a technique like that without some serious added dangers.  How easy would it be for him to kill both Qui-Gon AND himself by not doing it properly?  So, so easy.Same for Anakin.  He was able to do revive Ahsoka on Mortis, but he was on a planet that was steeped in the Force in a very strange way and had the Father standing over him to guide him through the transferring of the Daughter’s light to Ahsoka.  On his own?  Panicking about Padme’s life?  His fears swirling around inside his head, interferring with his ability to reach the Force and find the right path to follow for this?  How easy would it have been to kill both himself and her by being so off-balance?I don’t think it’s impossible to have this make sense with what has (and hasn’t) come before, I actually really like it in this vein, even!  And I do think a lot of it has to come down to themes, that Force healing should be an ability that’s rooted in the light, but also one that can be incredibly damaging, if you give too much of yourself over to it.And that wouldn’t have fit with the themes of Anakin’s descent into the dark, that he didn’t just want Padme alive, he wanted to be with her.  He didn’t just want Padme to be healed, he wanted to stop death, because it wasn’t about the physical ailment that could be handled, just like, “Why didn’t Padme go see an OB-GYN, that would have solved the problem!”  No, it wouldn’t, because that wasn’t what Anakin truly feared–it was the specter of death that hung over them all that he feared.  That’s why Yoda’s speech was what it was and why Dave Filoni quoted it in a speech about the core themes of Star Wars, that you can’t let these fears control you.Anakin’s fear was that something unknown could come for the ones he wanted to keep at any time.  That if it wasn’t this medical ailment, it would be that one or that one.  He could have focused on looking up every childbirth danger and preparing for it, if that had been the fear.  But it wasn’t, death was the fear.  So he looked up ways to prevent death and nothing was going to sway him from it.Plus, you know, you can’t tell me that Vader wouldn’t have combed through every inch of the Jedi Temple records to find a way to do a Life Transfer to someone who was dead, once they’d sacked the Jedi’s sacred home.  It cannot have existed in Anakin’s time, it doesn’t fit with the themes of his character, and yet I’m fine with it because Force Woo is strange and mysterious and sometimes weirdo things are only seen once in a generation and if you killed that Jedi during the Purge, who could have helped you bring back the dead, WELL THEN THAT’S ON YOU, ANAKIN.(But mostly I think they eschewed it because it was too hard on the person giving up their Life Energy, so there weren’t really many current records about how it would have worked.)….man, the novelizations for this and any other guidebooks coming out are going to be wild.