#the legend of mother sarah

[balu8]

The Legend of Mother Sarah 

by Katsuhiro Otomo and Takumi Nagayasu

Dark Horse

[mangacapsaicin]

katsuhiro otomo & takumi nagayasu’s the legend of mother sarah || 大友克洋とながやす巧の『沙流羅』

[zladdsmith]

I interrupt your regularly scheduled Christmas content to bring you my 2023 Art Vs Artist! Another year! It's pretty crazy how fast time goes - I'm still processing 2020, and we're about to start 2024! I actually really struggled picking my favorites from this year - there's a lot of drawings I really liked!

[tobitofunction]

The Pact of ice and fire Part 6

part 1 part 2 part 3 part4 part 5

"Prince Jacerys is dead" Cregan's words echoed in your head, you watched the snowflakes fall from the skies. Winter, Cregan's dire wolf lay beside you, she returned from wherever she was. Cregan was surprised at her action usually she followed him around but this time Winter ignored her bonded human and lay beside his wife. Her large head was on your lap, your hand disappearing in her fur,"Jealous?" Sarah asked making Cregan look at her,"Winter is ignoring you for the first time" she explained," She must feel her pain, y/n could use Winter's affection more than me" he said looking at his wife with a sympathetic look,"What's in your hand?" Cregan said nodding towards Sarah's hand,"A letter from Queen Rhaenyra, she wants y/n to return to her side at Dragonstone" she said while handing him the page,"She is safer in Winterfell" Cregan stated after he finished reading the letter,"Rhaenyra is our Queen, her word is law Cregan and y/n needs to attend his funeral, she needs to say goodbye" Sarah reasoned making him sigh," I join her than"," She is going on Dragonback most likely-", "Tell servants to pack my and her essentials" Sarah just nodded knowing there is no place to argue.

Cregan slowly walked towards you, Winter lifted her head from your lap and looked at Cregan before returning to rest her head on your lap, "My dear wife, your mother wrote, she is requesting your presence in Dragonstone" he said softly making you turn to him, "I will be joining you" he said taking your hand his, "Thank you".

Cregan stared at Tyraxes while you got her saddle ready, the dragon's head was hung low, sad roars left her throat."Are sure you want to leave my Lord?" Cerwyn asked," I can't leave her in this state, she is my wife, I need to be by her side" he answered,"As you wish but as a friend I am asking you, are you sure you want to ride a dragon?" he smiled,"I'm married to one, it be fine, I trust her skill and I will just ignore the height and just focus on her," he said rubbing his chin, Cerwyn chuckled,"If you die at least you die a legend, the first and last Northmen to ride a dragon, in two ways" he winked making Cregan shove him, "We are ready," you said walking towards the two friends, "So am I," he said, you nodded,"Don't be nervous, she can sense that," you said,"I'm not nervous....okay I am a little bit nervous, but I trust your skills," he said, you smiled softly,"Just hold on tightly," you said as Tyraxes kneeled closer to the ground allowing you to climb on easier, your dragon let out a roar as Cregan climbed behind you, his arms tighten around your waist as Tyraxes straightened her stance,"Ready?" you asked,"Yes" he mumbled, you tugged on the reins signalling for Tyraxes to start flying.

Meanwhile, Cerwyn and Sarah watched from far,"I wish I could paint quickly" Sarah said amused seeing her usual cool and collected brother look like a nervous wreck,"He would kill us" Cerwyn chuckled but nodded in agreement.

The wind whipped in Cregan's face, his fur coat flapped aggressively in the wind behind him, it was colder up here than below his grip tightened on your waist, and he buried his face in your hair. You smiled to yourself feeling him do it, soon however Tryaxes flight steadied, she glided through the clouds like a leave. Cregan loosened his grip on you, he took a sharp breath as he took in his surroundings, the sun peaked through the clouds, and the snow-covered North below him looked like it was drawn.

Tyraxes landed soon in Dragonstone, Cregan frowned as he stepped off the dragon,"It was to quick, it felt like we just left Winterfell" he said grabbing your waist to help you off Tyraxe's,"I know, it's just magical, it never gets old" you smiled looking up at him,"You ruined horse riding and sailing for me" he added making you smile,"Princess Y/N, we welcome you" Ser Erryk said he bowed his head,"Your mother awaits you and your husband" he said,"Thank you Ser Erryk, it brings me joy to see you still alive" you smiled,"I could say the same thing to you my Princess" he said looking down at you softly.

Rhaenyra paced in the main hall waiting for you to arrive, Joffrey and Aegon were clinging to her side, as soon as the door opened the boys let go of their mother and raced towards you, nearly knocking you over as they hugged you,"My sweet brothers, you are well, I'm so glad" you said kneeling down to meet their heights to hug them probably, tears falling down your eyes as you kissed their cheeks." Y/N, my sweet daughter, my oldest" Rhaenyra said gaining your attention, you pulled away from your brothers and hugged your mother, she held you close,"You've grown my girl, you are a woman know" she said cupping your cheek, she looked behind you and saw Cregan,"Lord Cregan, I liked to talk you for taking care of my daughter" she said,"She is my wife, it's my job like it's my job to return you to the throne" he said making Daemon nod,"Than Lord Stark, let's have a meeting on how you will do it" Rhaenyra sighed,"We have funerals Daemon, a war meeting can wait" she said,"Funerals?","Rhaenys died as well, she fought Aegon and Aemond bravely and managed to harm the false king, young Visery's is missing" Coryl said appearing behind you and Cregan,"Why wasn't I told this in the letter of Jace's death", Rhaenyra sighed,"We are sorry but telling you the news about Jace death was our priority" she said making Corly's click his tongue,” You are my heir now Y/N, you are Princess of Dragonstone” she said making you take a deep breath,” It’s an honour to be your heir your Grace” she smiled sadly and kissed your forehead.

You watch Jace and Rhaeny’s remains burn in the tradition of your house. Tyraxe’s head hung low once again, the ashes were poured into caskets and moved to the sea, Cregan’s hand was wrapped around your hand, giving you strength as you felt like collapsing any second as you watched the caskets being thrown into the sea, the prayers being said are falling on deaf ears as you clung to Cregan,” It’s all Aegon’s fault, he is sitting on the throne he doesn’t belong to you, all this blood is because of him” you spat watching the casket sink into the depths of the sea.” He and the greens will be punished for what they did my love” his hands wrapped around your neck, his thumb rubbing your chin,” I promised to give your family your thrown back in exchange for your hand in marriage. I always keep my promise” he said kissing you gently,” You warmed my heart, I believed it was frozen but it was just waiting for you thaw it” he said leaning his head forehead against yours,” Thank you Cregan” you said softly against his lips,"I hate to interrupt but I need your husband for a meeting" Daemon interject making you glare ate him," I will see you after" he said leaving with Daemon.

"I will return to Winterfell soon enough, I will gather my men and marsh south once again," Cregan said, you watched through the secret passage, as a child you and your brothers would play hide and seek within these walls, they became tighter throughout the years, as you become bigger, you aren't the small child you were back than. "If you stayed in Winterfell you could have started to march already" Daemon said,"I wanted to support my wife" Cregan responded,"The Princess needs to stay here" Rhaenyra added,"She is a Stark now, she will be needed in the north, a Stark always needs to stay in Winterfell" he reasoned,"No Stark is Winterfell now" Daemon countered,"This an expectation," he said calmly,"She will stay here, she is your wife but she is also know my Heir, she needs to stay close to me," Rhaenyra said slowly becoming emotional,"I can't keep her safe is she is alone in Winterfell" she added, "She be safe in Winterfell" Cregan argued. You shook your head and rushed out of the secret passageway,"Stop trying to make decisions for me" you said barging into the room. Everyone stopped to look at you, "I'm not a child anymore, I'm a dragon rider, I can fight as well, let me help" The three looked at each other before looking back at you,"You are my oldest child, my only daughter, my heir. I can't afford to lose you, I lost too much already, my heart can't take another loss" Rhaenyra explained calmly,"I want to help","I know you do, and I know your capable of helping but the greens will be coming for you","The more reasons to let me help, I don't want to is around and wait to be attacked", Rhaenyra sighed,"If she wants to help, let her" Daemon said taking you by surprise,"Head back to the north, build up your army and come back to fight for the throne" he added, Cregan sighed but he nodded,"It be my greatest pleasure to fight alongside you my dear wife" he said getting up and walking towards you, he kissed your temple, you smiled at Cregan and looked at your mother,"Very well, if you want to fight, I will let you fight".

"Don't go" Aegon said grabbing your wrist, tears pooling in his dark purple eyes making them look even darker,"I will be back soon Egg, you need to stay strong and take care of Mother" You kissed his forehead, his grip is still strong around your wrist as you turn to Joffrey, "The same goes to you Joff, you are the big brother now, take care of Egg","Please take us with you, I can fly on my dragon-", "Mother needs you Joff, your place is here for the moment" you said playing with his curls.

Tyraxe's landed in the middle of the Winterfell castle, "You guys are back" Sarah said walking out of the castles,"Tell the Maesters to send out letters for everyone to prepare themselves to march down south" Cregan said as you got of Tyraxes, "We are getting our dragon queen on her throne"

[wingedblooms]

Secret, slumbering land

This meta is a continuation of theories (forbidden secrets, blooming dreams, bright as the dawn, and heart of the night court) about Elain’s connection to Wyrd and the land. This new thread focuses on the gentle healing land and lake that the sisters visit in their stories. Maasverse spoilers below, so please proceed with caution.

It seemed like a secret, slumbering land that time had forgotten. (acosf)

Both Feyre and Nesta visit a turquoise lake nestled in the mountains. Because their description is the same, this theory operates on the assumption that it is the same place. And since things come in threes in this series, Elain may visit this magical lake in her own story. When I reread the scenes with previous visits, I was struck by the language Sarah used to describe it—secret, slumbering, forgotten—and the clues those words might hold for Elain and Wyrd, the Stone Mother.

Secret

During the first visit to this lake, Azriel teaches Feyre to fly and shares their court philosophy on training, which is connected to a legend about Nephelle (more on that later). During this scene, Azriel is bathed in blinding sunlight and his shadows are gone. His appearance is stark and clear, readable.

In the blinding sun off the turquoise water, his shadows were gone, his face stark and clear. More human than I had ever seen him. “There’s no chance that I’ll be able to fly in the legions, is there?” I asked, kneeling beside him as he tended to my skinned palms with expert care and gentleness. The sun was brutal against his scars, hiding not one twisted, rippling splotch. (acowar)

@offtorivendell connected his appearance to the bonus chapter ages ago, and it is still one of my favorite metas. In that bonus chapter, we learn Azriel’s shadows are also prone to vanish around Elain.

Elain sucked in a soft breath that whispered over his skin. His shadows skittered back at the sound. They’d always been prone to vanish when she was around.  The golden necklace seemed ordinary—its chain unremarkable, the amulet tiny enough that it could be dismissed as an everyday charm. It was a small, flat rose fashioned of stained glass, designed so that when held to the light, the true depth of colors would become visible.  A thing of secret, lovely beauty. (Azriel’s bonus) 

He tells us he doesn't need to rely on his shadows to read her, so his deep trust and vulnerability might be the only explanation for his shadows' behavior, but they can also sense power and respond to it as power themselves. For example, if someone's power is related to music, they might sing or dance in response. What power, other than the revealing light of Truth, might cause them to vanish?

But even the silence weighed too heavily, and though the shadows kept him company, as they always had, as they always would, he found himself leaving the room. Entering the foyer. Soft steps padded from under the stair archway, and there she was.  The Faelights gilded Elain’s unbound hair, making her glow like the sun at dawn. She halted, her breath catching in her throat. (Azriel’s bonus) 

The Faelight reveals Elain's secret, lovely beauty: she glows like the sun at dawn. What do we know about dawn? In nature, dawn restores the light and awakens the earth. In the Maasverse, it is also associated with healing magic. And when we return to the lake in Nesta’s story, we learn it was once connected to healing. Healing light is bright and warm like the dawn; it has the power to pierce the darkness and outrace Death itself. It is pure life in its rawest form.

Sarah has repeatedly connected Elain to rebirth and renewal, especially in relation to Azriel: in his presence, she's the lovely fawn, vibrant spring behind her. Standing before Death. Even the headache tonic, a lighthearted remedy, serves as potential hint for this secret, lovely beauty: 

Then Azriel tipped his head back and laughed.  I’d never heard such a sound, deep and joyous. Cassian and Rhys joined him, the former grabbing the bottle from Azriel’s hand and examining it. “Brilliant,” Cassian said.  Elain smiled again, ducking her head.  Azriel mastered himself enough to say, “Thank you.” I’d never seen his hazel eyes so bright, the hues of green amid the brown and gray like veins of emerald. “This will be invaluable.” (acofas) 

Elain’s gift awakens life, veins of emerald, in the earthy brown and gray within his soul, just as she does in her own garden. It is no coincidence that Elain, who is most radiant in healing hues, glows like the sun at dawn in the dead of night. And Azriel is stark and clear before her just as he is about to finally allow himself a taste of pure life, of healing. In the wake of Elain’s healing presence, we even glimpse Azriel’s emotional scars through his internal dialogue. On healing journeys, lingering scars are faced and overcome rather than avoided. Some wounds require deep trust as the healer, patient as a gardener, walks the road with them on that journey. 

Slumbering

On our second visit to the lake, we learn the surrounding land is inhabited by ordinary faeries who prefer solitude. This immediately made me think about Elain, content and beautiful in her simple gardening dress, and Feyre’s comment about her clinging to Azriel for some peace and quiet. It would be fitting for them to come here in their story, to find joy and love and healing here together. And if I were to hand select a place for Rosehall, where someone like Azriel's mother could find solitude and healing, this would be it.

He knew these mountains well enough from flying over them for centuries: shepherds lived here, usually ordinary faeries who preferred the solitude of the towering green and brownish-black stones to more populated areas. The peaks weren’t as brutal and sharp as those in Illyria, but there was a presence to them that he couldn’t quite explain. Mor had once told him that long ago, these lands had been used for healing. That people injured in body and spirit had ventured to these hills, the lake they were now two and a half days from reaching, to recover. Perhaps that was why he’d come. Some instinct had remembered the healing, felt this land’s slumbering heart, and decided to bring Nesta here. 

-

She’d never seen such a view. It seemed like a secret, slumbering land that time had forgotten. […] The mountains watched her, the river sang to her, as if guiding her onward to that lake. (acosf)

The mountains here aren't brutal and sharp, but they still have a powerful presence. Like the third sister. The mountains watched Nesta like a protective seer, and the river sang to her, as if guiding her onward to that lake, like Elain’s scent. Her scent is a sparkling river, a promise of spring, that guided Nesta to her. And what did Nesta find when she reached the source of that scent? Elain’s sharp angles, once like the Illyrian mountains after she was Made, were now replaced with softness. She glowed with health and her smile was bright as the sun. She also smells of jasmine and honey, which are soothing scents and herbs that have healing properties. 

Her sister’s delicate scent of jasmine and honey lingered in the red-stoned hall like a promise of spring, a sparkling river that she followed to the open doors of the chamber. Elain stood at the wall of windows, clad in a lilac gown whose close-fitting bodice showed how well her sister had filled out since those initial days in the Night Court. Gone were the sharp angles, replaced by softness and elegant curves. […] Her sister turned toward her, glowing with health. Elain’s smile was as bright as the setting sun beyond the windows. (acosf) 

In the span of a few pages, we're also told twice that this land is slumbering. Since it was once used for healing, it would make sense for healing magic to be at the core of its slumbering heart. Remember, the rawest form of healing magic is pure life and we just learned that Wyrd, the Stone Mother, was once blossoming with pure life. Elain’s wyrdcrown seems to mirror Stone Mother's creative powers in the form of sleeping buds:

She had no mental shields, no barriers. The gates to her mind…Solid iron, covered in vines of flowers—or it would have been. The blossoms were all sealed, sleeping buds tucked into tangles of leaves and thorns. (acowar)

This imagery of Elain’s power has always reminded me of the darkness of creation and rest Yrene receives guidance from while she bathes in Silba’s Womb, which she calls the slumbering heart of the earth. In the tog series, Silba was the goddess of healing and gentle deaths and Elain shares many connections with the healers who honor her. So, it’s possible slumbering simply means the land reflects the restful and restorative healing power of those who once lived on and fed the magic of the land. 

Slumbering or sleeping can also indicate dormant magic, which is something we’ve seen in both tog and cc. In tog, Dorian has raw magic and he can shape it into different things—phantom hands, shifting, healing, etc. His raw magic is sleeping in his heart before he explores it. 

“You have power in you, Prince. More power than you realize.” She touched his chest, tracing a symbol there, too, and some of the court ladies gasped. But Nehemia’s eyes were locked on his. “It sleeps,” she whispered, tapping his heart. “In here. When the time comes, when it awakens, do not be afraid.” She removed her hand and gave him a sad smile. “When it is time, I will help you.” With that, she walked away, the courtiers parting, then swallowing up her wake. He stared after the princess, wondering what her last words had meant. And why, when she said them, something ancient and slumbering deep inside him had opened an eye. (com)

We recently learned the Asteri poisoned the waters in Midgard with a parasite to feed off of the magic of its citizens. This parasite warped their magic and it is described as dormant and tethered as a result:

The Asteri had infected the water we consumed with a parasite. They’d poisoned the lakes and streams and oceans. The parasites burrowed their way into our bodies, warping our magic. (hofas) - Somehow, a barrier had been removed. One that had ordered him to stand down, to obey … It was nothing but ashes now. Only dominance remained. Untethered. But filling the void of that barrier with a rising, raging force— (Ithan’s magic, hofas) - Tharion withdrew. Lidia shook with rage and power. Tharion could feel it shuddering around him, rising up like a behemoth from the deep. What had that antidote woken in her? What had been taken during the Drop? And what had lain dormant, all this time? His water seemed to quail at it—like it knew something he didn’t. (Lidia’s magic, hofas) - Warm, bright magic answered. Healing magic, rising to the surface as if it had been dormant in his blood. He had no idea how to use it, how to do anything other than will it with a simple Save him. […] He willed that lovely, bright power to keep healing Ketos, though. (Ruhn’s magic, hofas)

Similarly, the Asteri pooled and imbued their magic in Wyrd to warp her purely creative magic. 

The Cauldron was of our world, our heritage. But upon arriving here, the Daglan captured it and used their powers to warp it. To turn it from what it had been into something deadlier. No longer just a tool of creation, but of destruction. And the horrors it produced…those, too, my parents would turn to their advantage. (hofas) - Those of us who ventured here found ways to amplify that power, thanks to the gifts of the land. We pooled our power, and imbued those gifts into the Cauldron so that it would work our will. We Made the Trove from it. And then bound the very essence of the Cauldron to the soul of this world.” (hofas)

Is it possible Elain’s sleeping buds, as a mirror of Wyrd’s original magic, represent what remains dormant, tethered?

“Or maybe it’s dormant, as the Cauldron is now asleep and safely hidden in Cretea with Drakon and Miryam. Her power could rise at any moment.” A chill skittered down Cassian’s spine. He trusted the Seraphim prince and the half-human woman to keep the Cauldron concealed, but there would be nothing they or anyone could do to control its power if awoken. (acosf)

In the scene above, Cassian and Rhysand are discussing Nesta’s powers. We learn that they aren’t dormant, which makes sense; they seem to represent the magic that the Asteri imbued into Wyrd to become a tool of death and destruction. That magic might be feeding off of Wyrd’s creative powers like a parasite and keep her half-awake, like the Fae in Midgard and, perhaps, the healing land: 

It was all so still, yet watchful, somehow. As if she were surrounded by something ancient and half-awake. As if each peak had its own moods and preferences, like whether the clouds clung to or avoided them, or trees lined their sides or left them bare. Their shapes were so odd and long that they looked as if behemoths had once lain down beside the rivers, pulled a rumpled blanket over themselves, and fallen asleep forever. (acosf)

Ancient, half-awake, behemoth. These terms are also used to describe Wyrd. The word behemoth in particular is associated with a primordial chaos monster in mythology and may be yet another potential hint that Chaos is Hel’s name for Wyrd.

The Under-King lounged on a throne beneath a behemoth statue of a figure holding a black metal bowl between her upraised hands. […] “And she,” the Under-King went on, gesturing to that unusual depiction of Urd towering above him, “was not a goddess, but a force that governed worlds. A cauldron of life, brimming with the language of creation. Urd, they call her here—a bastardized version of her true name. Wyrd, we called her in that old world.” (hofas)

-

As they walked up those steps and entered a space that was a near-mirror to temples back home—indeed, its layout was identical to the last temple Hunt had stood in: Urd’s Temple. […] “The Temple of Chaos is a sacred place,” Apollion said sharply. “We shall never defile it with violence.” The words rumbled like thunder again. (hofas)

-

But the Cauldron. As if some great sleeping beast opened an eye. The Cauldron seemed to sense us watching. Sense us there. (acowar)

@silverlinedeyes, @offtorivendell, and I believe Wyrd saw Elain as a kindred spirit and gifted her the language of creation with the hope that she could be the key to her freedom, her healing in body and spirit. Those original creative powers could include a deep connection with the earth (earth magic), divine sense (seer abilities), fluid form and movement (travel and shifting), and healing, pure life and world-building power. Elain might already be testing the boundaries of that creative magic, learning to shape it into different things (explaining her mysterious appearances).

Elain may also need to bring her sisters together to help Wyrd. They represent the three faces of the Mother together and have been marked by her from the beginning of the series. When Feyre physically healed the Cauldron with the help of Rhysand, she cupped her hands and became the first face of the Mother. Nesta became the second face of the Mother when she healed Feyre and Nyx with the Trove. And the healing lake appears to hint at Elain's role, the third face of the Mother:

Nesta cleared the hill that Cassian had mounted ahead, and a sparkling, turquoise lake spread before them. It lay slightly sunken between two peaks, as if a pair of green hands had been cupped to hold the water within them. Gray stones lined its shore. (acosf)

This is our first earthen depiction of the Stone Mother. Someone with green fingers or a green thumb is skilled at gardening. Gardeners provide gentle order to pure, blossoming life with their green hands. And we already know, thanks to Rhys and Feyre, that Elain won’t hesitate to get her hands dirty—stained green, even—for a pretty result. 

When Elain's creative magic rises in her story, will it flow like a sparkling river, unfurl like a bloom, to awaken the soul of the earth? Could it soothe Azriel’s icy rage and bring true spring and healing to Ramiel, softening its sharp angles when its heart, Wyrd, is finally restored? Only time will tell.

Forgotten

The land is also described as a place time had forgotten and, as I mentioned earlier, it's where Azriel shared the story of Nephelle—the one who had been passed over, who had been forgotten—while he tended to Feyre's wounds after a fall during flying practice.

Nephelle, who had been passed over, who had been forgotten…She outraced death itself. […] And yet her too-small wingspan, that deformed wing…they did not fail her. Not once. Not for one wing beat. (acowar)

Nephelle wanted to be a warrior, but was turned away due to her small wingspan. So, she made herself indispensable as a cartographer and excelled at finding the most geographically advantageous positions for their armies. And now that hofas has been released, we know earth magic can be used to locate the best geographical locations:

…those with earth magic were sent ahead to scout lands [...] Not only the best geographical locations, but magical ones, too. They could sense the ley lines—the channels of energy running throughout the land, throughout Midgard. They told the Asteri to build their cities where several of the lines met, at natural crossroads of power, and picked those places for the Fae to settle, too. But they selected Avallen just for the Fae. To be their personal, eternal stronghold.” (hofas)

Those with earth magic are deeply connected to the land and their creative power flows freely in places where the natural magic in the land is untethered. Is it possible Nephelle excelled at finding the best locations because she possessed earth magic? And could that come into play in the next story if Elain possesses earth magic as part of her creative powers?

Despite being perceived as weak, Nephelle outraced death itself with her small wingspan to save Miryam. Her miraculous rescue inspired the Night Court's philosophy toward training: 

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

We saw this philosophy in action at the final battle with Hybern when Elain raced against death itself and appeared out of nowhere with Truth-Teller to protect her family. Like Nephelle, she was and still is passed over, forgotten.

Elain is pleasant to look at, her mother had once mused while Nesta sat beside her dressing table, a servant silently brushing her mother’s gold-brown hair, but she has no ambition. She does not dream beyond her garden and pretty clothes. (Nesta's memory of Mama Archeron, acosf)

-

"Go back to Feyre and your little garden." (Nesta to Elain, acosf)

-

Elain said, "Then I will find it. I might require some time to...reacquaint myself with my powers, but I could start today." "Absolutely not," Nesta spat, fingers curling at her sides. "Absolutely not." "Why?" Elain demanded. "Shall I tend to my little garden forever?" When Nesta flinched, Elain said, "You can't have it both ways. You cannot resent my decision to lead a small, quiet life while also refusing to let me do anything greater." "Then go off on adventures," Nesta said. "Go drink and fuck strangers. But stay away from the Cauldron." (Elain and Nesta's exchange, acosf)

-

Elain in black was ridiculous. Yes, she was beautiful, but the color of her long-sleeved, modest gown leeched the brightness from her face. It wore her, rather than the other way around. And he knew the cruelty of the Hewn City troubled her. But she hadn’t hesitated to come. When Feyre had offered to let her remain home, Elain had squared her shoulders and declared that she was a part of this court—and would do whatever was needed. So Elain had let her golden-brown hair down tonight, and pinned it back with twin combs of pearl. He’d never once in the two years he’d known her found Elain to be plain, but wearing black, no matter how much she claimed to be part of this court…It sucked the life from her. (Cassian's observation, acosf)

These quotes hit differently with the release of hofas. @offtorivendell and @willowmeres seem to be on track with their theories that the warped magic of Hewn City affected Elain's creative magic. What if she reflects the magic of the land around her, and when that magic is warped or tethered, her physical appearance mirrors it? Is this another sign she will be able to use the language of creation to unearth Prythian’s secrets, forgotten by time? And maybe, like the legendary Nephelle, the things that Elain is viewed as weak for—her little garden, a symbol of her care for and connection to the land, and her appearance, a reflection of what was forgotten—actually become her family's biggest strength.

[whencyclopedia]

Twelve Famous Native American Women

Native American women are traditionally held in high regard among the diverse nations, whether a given people are matrilineal or patrilineal. Traditionally, women were not only responsible for raising children and caring for the home but also planted and harvested the crops, built the homes, and engaged in trade, as well as having a voice in government.

The history of the women of the Native peoples of North America attests to their full participation in the community whether as elders and "medicine women" or as skilled agriculturalists and merchants and, in some cases, even warriors. Although hunting and warfare were traditionally the provenance of males, some women became famous for their courage and skill in battle. These women, as well as others in the arts and sciences, are often overlooked because they do not fit the paradigm of what has been accepted as American history.

Pocahontas and Sacagawea are usually the only North American Native women that non-Natives have heard of, but even their narratives have been obscured by legend and half-truths. Many other Native American women have simply been ignored, and among them are most of those listed below. These women, and the nations they were citizens of, include:

Jigonhsasee – Iroquois

Pocahontas – Powhattan

Weetamoo – Wampanoag

Glory-of-the-Morning – Ho-Chunk/Winnebago

Sacagawea – Shoshone

Old-Lady-Grieves-the-Enemy – Pawnee

Pine Leaf/Woman Chief – Crow

Lozen – Apache

Buffalo Calf Road Woman – Cheyenne

Thocmentony/Sarah Winnemucca – Paiute

Susan La Flesche Picotte – Omaha

Molly Spotted Elk/Mary Alice Nelson – Penobscot

There are many others who do not appear here because they are more widely known, such as the Yankton Dakota activist, musician, and writer, Zitkala-Sa (l. 1876-1938) or the Cheyenne warrior Mochi ("Buffalo Calf", l. c. 1841-1881). Modern-day figures are also omitted but deserve mention, such as the activist Isabella Aiukli Cornell of the Choctaw nation, who drew national attention in 2018 with her red prom dress designed to call attention to the many missing and murdered indigenous women across North America, and poet/activist Suzan Shown Harjo of the Muscogee/Southern Cheyenne nation. There are many more, like these two, who have devoted themselves to raising awareness of the challenges facing Native Americans and continue the same struggle, in various ways, as the women of the past.

Jigonhsasee (l. c. 1142 or 15th century)

According to Iroquois lore, Jigonhsasee (Jikonhsaseh, Jikonsase) was integral to the origins of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy dated to either the 12th or 15th century. She was an Iroquoian whose home was along the central path used by warriors going to and from battle and became well-known for the hospitality and wise counsel she offered them. The Great Peacemaker (Deganawida) chose her to help him form the Iroquois Confederacy, based on the model of a family living together in one longhouse, and, along with Hiawatha, this vision became a reality. Jigonhsasee became known as the 'Mother of Nations' and established the policy of women choosing the chiefs of the council in the interests of peace, instead of war. The American women's suffrage movement of the 19th century called attention to the freedom and rights of Native American women, notably those of the Iroquois Confederacy, in arguing for those same rights for themselves.

Continue reading...

[tswaney17]

Stone Mother

The dynamic duo is back again! 🎉

This year, @/happilyeverafteereads and I decided to play off the Azriel, Nesta, and Bryce bonus chapter from HOFAS, in which we see Azriel bobbing his head along to the song “Stone Mother.” We all know @sjmaas likes to drop little hints in her books, and “Stone Mother” has connections to both Elain (and potentially Elriel). There are some great theories behind this song hinting at Elain’s book being next for the ACOTAR series, and we recommend checking them out.

@wingedblooms has a theory about how “Stone Mother” relates to Elain. We recommend you check it out!

Also, if you Google “Stone Mother” the first hit is a Native American legend about a married woman who falls in love with another man. Let’s just say it is interesting that Sarah chose these words as the song title that Azriel seemed to really enjoy. (We see you, Sarah).

This is just a fun, little interpretation. If you don’t like or don’t agree, just scroll on. We don’t want any negativity here.

Keep on, Elriels! Our time is coming soon. 🌹🗡🦇

[gwynsdefenseattorney]

‼️‼️HOFAS WALMART BONUS CHAPTER SPOILERS AHEAD‼️‼️ There will be screenshots of said chapter.

Another day, another e/riel (multiple of them) missing the mark by A LOT.

I’m sure many of you are aware by now that the vendors that shelve books at Walmart have started putting HOFAS up on the shelves and last night we were graced with someone in our group chat that was able to get us shots of the bonus chapter. Shout out to the MVP! You know who you are 🥰🫶🏻. And of course the opposition got a hold of it and started spinning and reaching.

There is a song that Bryce plays on her phone for Azriel and Nesta called “Stone Mother”, They obviously can’t understand a word of it but as Nesta says she can feel it. This song clearly had an impact on Azriel as well because Bryce plays all kinds of different music at their request until her phone dies but the one song Bryce hears Azriel humming to himself is “Stone Mother”

So what did the little ewriels do? They went to Google and stuck in “Stone Mother” and the first thing that pops up? A link to a Native American story about the Stone Mother.

They read just far enough to start their bullshit and didn’t bother to finish the story or (surprise surprise 🙄) they didn’t understand the meaning of the story. Either one is just as likely as the other so take your pick. Twitter is filled with this little snippet from the beginning of the story.

This isn’t even the point of the story, it’s just background information to show how the woman got to where she is. Anyone who’s read and understand Native American myth and legends they are FULL of details that might not be relevant to the over all meaning of the story, to what they want you to LEARN from the story. But they’ve decided this little snippet means Gwynriel is dead and ewriel is confirmed. Remind anyone of bread and roses?

Translation is of course not perfect but you get the gist of it. The majority of them are like this and they are so wrong it’s not even funny at this point. The woman leaving her first husband is not the point of the story. It has nothing to do with the reasoning of the very real rock formation we have today. If they would have just scrolled down a little further it would have saved them.

I mean props to them for find the right story, they just got the rest so very wrong. This is connected to Azriel and his MOTHER. Not Elain. We have this interaction with Bryce, Az and Nesta while they are sharing stories.

This coupled with Azriel humming “Stone Mother” makes it pretty obvious it’s in relation to him and his mother.

All this also just reinforces that Azriel’s books is next. Sarah has already said HOFAS does set up the next ACOTAR book and Elain isn’t present AT ALL in HOFAS and very little in ACOSF but Azriel is in both, and Gwyn is in ACOSF. And per her pattern of writing she does start setting up the couple in the prior books. Math is mathing people. Math👏🏻is👏🏻mathing.

[babybixon012]

•Intimate enemies•

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Summary: Maddy and Rafe always hated each other, and everything Rafe did Maddy hated and everything Maddy did Rafe hated. But deep down they love each other.

Warning: drugs, unprotected sex, verbal violence, "physical" violence, a funny but toxic relationship.

Maddy Pérez (Euphoria) Rafe Cameron (Outer banks)

Part 1

____________♥︎___________

When Maddy was 12 she went to the Outer Banks with her family. Maddy family was not poor they had plenty of money But they went to the island to get more money. At first Maddy hated this year that she will be separated from her friends, much less from New York.

Her parents were negotiating with the Cameron family, whom she did not know.

Maddy thought the banks were beautiful when I got there, but she was very proud. So she told her parents that I hate the beach, that I hate people and that she hated

But when Maddy family got closer to the Cameron family she met Sarah. And from then on, they became best friends. Everything was perfect everything was calm. Without Sara you would be nothing On that shitty island.

But you had a problem, a terrible problem that something in our But you had a problem, a terrible problem. Rafe Cameron....

Wafer was everything you hated. He was spoiled, it's unbearable if he thought he was the king of f***he was spoiled, it was unbearable if he thought he was the king (and he was) the first time you saw this one you thought That I was going to make friends with him like Sarah. But you hated the boy.

"Hi...I'm Maddy, I'm Sarah's friend" she said smiling.

" I don't care" he said, shrugging his shoulders and sucking on the ice cream.

"That's called bad manners, you know?" You said, getting irritated, even if you were a child, you already had a lot of stress.

"You're unbearable, you know? Get out of my way, Latina" You gape and take it as if it were an offense (and it was) and he walks away and leaves you freaking out with rage.

Since that day you hated Rafe. And everything he represented.

When you turned 13 years old, you went to celebrate at the Camero mansion, because the families are already very close.

You were very happy because all your friends that you liked were there. And the party was incredible. But that smile soon changed to a brave face. It was Rafe Cameron who was there. It's okay that the house was his. But why? He hated you and you hated him, so why was he there?

"Latina! Finally growing up" he says with a mischievous smile on his face.

"Screw you, you living dummy" Maddy says and rolls her

"you cursed!! You're screwed now, because I'm going to tell your mother" He laughs and runs to tell his mother. You despair. Already knowing that your mother would ground maddy.

He made her life a real chaos, but she also fought back a lot. There was the time she put three eggs in a bucket and whoever entered (in this case Rafe) the eggs would fall on their head.

And so it was done, the eggs fell on Rafe's head, legend has it that he is cracking the eggs to this

But anyway. You two were like cats and dogs, you fought over everything, you argued over everything, you were horrible to each other.

•Current days•

There were maddy and Sarah in the pool. You two were sunbathing.

"Hey, you know that boy I told you about?" Sarah says biting her nails. Kind of silly.

"yes....that John B, the king of the Pogues." You talk while lying down facing the sun. She didn't have any prejudice against people who were poor, but sometimes you made fun of them, because the Pogues weren't poor either Easy to get along with.

"Yes, he is! He asked me on a date" she says smiling at the sky. And at that moment she realized that her friend was in love.

"go friend, go on that date. You deserve better" maddy were referring to Topper, you were the friend, but you knew that he and Sarah didn't work out together.

"We ran out of soda. Shit, that was the last package in the freezer, I'm going to have to go buy it" Sarah says with a snort.

"Come on, and please don't take long, I want to tell you about my new Fiante" Maddy gives a mischievous smile and so does Sarah.

Sarah, I left, and you were looking at your cell phone, since you had nothing to do. Until....

"new Stayer? Who's the brave one?" He speaks in a "surprised" tone and is clearly insulting you. you huff and take a deep breath.

"You know Rafe, I went to therapy and I want to stay calm, that is, I won't pay attention to your insults" you say smiling with pure mockery and go back to your cell phone.

Clearly Rafe wasn't expecting this, but he was going to make you mad. And he was going to make it.

"Clearly I wasn't expecting all this calm." He knows you hate being called Latina by Rafe Cameron. She twist in anger and go straight for his neck.

Rafe couldn't stop laughing when you tried to choke him. You were shorter than him so it made it a little difficult.

"You're an idiot! You idiot! You weakling" she said, shouting while jumping on his neck.

Until the two of you lose your balance and fall together. For the first time Maddy could see Rafe's eyes this close, and they were beautiful. While Rafe smelled Maddy, he wanted that smell Forever.

" You're an idiot, Rafe Cameron," Maddy says, trying to get angry, but their eyes were mesmerized by Rafe's.

And the two of you were still lying on the floor, until you took the initiative to get up, but at the last second, in the second half. Rafe kisses she, kisses you with desire, kisses you with desire.

At first you didn't give in, but then you gave in to him. Rafe holds Maddy's waist. As she lets out a moa.

Until she snaps and stops kissing him desperately. "Rafe! What the fuck are we doing?" Maddy say pushing him and looking around to see if anyone saw him.

"Just enjoy your adolescence?" Rafe says, pretending to be innocent and you roll your eyes.

"For starters, you're not a teenager, you're already 18!" Rafe pretends to be shocked. "And the last thing I want is to enjoy my adolescence with she, your daddy's boy" she says, taking her things, to enter the Cameron mansion.

Rafe saw you going out in that bikini that was making him hard and crazy. And that kiss only made Rafe's day better. Rafe didn't hate she, for him to hate is a very strong word, he just didn't like maddy. He also loved making her mad, as a child.

Maddy enters the Cameron house agitatedly, and she ends up bumping into Sarah, with sodas in hand.

"what the fuck maddy, what planet are you on?" Sarah speaks and you give a slight smile... a little suspicious.

"I'm sorry Sarah, I hadn't seen you" she says, still nervous and Sarah finds her friend's behavior strange.

"Is everything okay with you?" Sarah says and Maddy rolls her

"So Sarah stop being annoying, I'm great! I'm going home, okay?" She speaks clearly trying to get away from Rafe, who was looking in their direction.

"But weren't you going to tell me about your new boyfriend? What about soft drinks?" Sarah He says looking at Maddy confused. And the more Maddy and Sarah prolonged their conversation, Rafe became closer.

I'm feeling crampy, at the party tonight I'll tell you everything! Bye friend, I love you " Maddy says practically running, and bumps into Rafe's chest, which was muscular and strong. Rafe gives a smile. And Maddy whispers Some pest. Maddy finally leaves the Cameron mansion and Sarah is still shocked by her friend's behavior.

"why the fuck did she act like that?" Sarah speaks loudly. And the rafe leans against On the counter

"I don't know, you always bring your crazy friends to our house" Rafe says, turning his back. And Sarah swears something.

Rafe didn't like Maddy, "fact" but she wouldn't leave his head. Why?

And he was looking forward to seeing you, because Sarah was having a party that night and Maddy would definitely go. So Rafe would be there.

______♥︎______

The party had barely started and Sarah and Rafe's house was full. She had Pogues and she had Kooks too. And Maddy was there, perfect as always. She was dancing with a random man, and oddly enough, Rafe only had eyes for you that night.

And Sofia, who was Rafe's "girlfriend", noticed that her boyfriend only looked at Maddy's ass. She just freaked out.

Sarah had gone to the bathroom area, until she heard Sofia and other Kooks girls, talking bad about Maddy. Sarah just ran to tell Maddy

"Maddy!!!" Sarah screamed trying to get closer to you and passes through the crowd. "Maddy, you don't know what Sofia and the other girls are saying against you" Sarah said trying to catch her breath.

"What the fuck are they talking about me Sarah?" Maddy says, and I frown.

"I think it's better for you to see it with your own eyes" Sarah says, half laughing, as she knows the future of this fight.

"with pleasure" Maddy says, leaving the guy she was with, and going after Sofia. And suddenly, she has a group of people following Maddy, sure to watch the fight.

Arriving there, Maddy found several girls around Sofia, laughing and gossiping about something. Maddy gives a smile and approaches Sofia. And Sofia noticed that she had several people around In other words, Maddy would beat her up

"So Sofia, what are you talking about me, you stupid little bitch" Maddy says and Sofia swallows hard. She knew she couldn't handle a fight with Maddy, because Maddy was a quarrelsome person And smash any dirty girl that gets in his way.

"Look Maddy, I don't want to argue with you, I'm not going to make a big show" Sofia says leaving, probably very scared, Sucker.

"Poor Maddy, I think she's scared of you" Sarah says teasingly and people scream. Maddy just laugh

"Afraid of a slut that catches everyone?" Everyone goes crazy when Sofia says that. Sarah knew that Maddy would reach her "crazy" state when she heard that.

"What did you call me?" Maddy says in a whisper. Maddy approaches Sofia and gets closer to her face "what did you call me, you fucking whore" Maddy shouted at her. The girl She was practically crying, Maddy was making her scared.

Until Rafe appears, and is amazed and trying to understand what is happening.

"What the fuck is going on here?" Rafe says, getting close to Maddy and Sofia. Maddy didn't even look at him, she just looked at Sofia.

"The maddy who murders me " Sofia says trying to get some kind of remorse from Rafe, but she doesn't get anything.

"I think you better calm down Maddy " Rafe says trying to calm the situation. And he also puts his hands on Maddy's shoulders, to give her support.

He didn't know why he was doing it, just that he felt like he had to do it.

"Shut up Rafe! It's my business with her" Maddy shouts, already pointing her hand in Sofia's face.

"Leave me alone Maddy" Sofia says trying to run, but gets caught by Maddy pulling her hair.

"Next time you don't answer me and turn your back on me, you'll regret it!" Maddy says, pulling her hair even more. And everyone screamed And Rafe was excited by that.

"that's enough maddy, leave the girl" Rafe says and Maddy obeys, and Sofia leaves completely humiliated. And everyone started shouting Maddy.

And that filled her ego. Until Rafe grabs Maddy's arm and takes her to the corner.

"I think we need to repeat that kiss" Rafe says, caressing Maddy's back, as she was very close to him.

"Don't you hate me Rafe Cameron?" Maddy says using that seductive tone of hers. And Rafe gets tougher about it

"and maybe I hate you, but I didn't say I hated you when it came to sex" Rafe says, getting closer to her mouth. And Maddy gets very close to his mouth too.

"so you're inviting me to have sex with you?" Maddy says with her lips very close to Rafe's.

"yes, that outfit of yours is driving me crazy, and you're driving me crazy" when Rafe says that, he immediately tries to kiss Maddy, but Maddy refuses

"I would never have sex with Rafe Cameron, I won't fall for that weakling curse" says Maddy, looking at Rafe with a look of contempt.

Rafe is filled with rage, almost grabbing her by force. But he exhales and looks furious.

"Sofia was right about you Madalena Pérez, you're a shit whore" Rafe says with a bitter tone, and oddly enough, Maddy was upset?

"Your opinion is the same as wind for me" Maddy speaks last and then leaves.

Maddy was so angry with Rafe that she ended up falling for her ex-boyfriend. JJ Maybank

"pay attention, babe" says JJ, recovering from the fall. Maddy and JJ dated for 1 year and 4 memes, but you broke up because of JJ's friends, who didn't approve of you guys. And JJ only listened to his friends and left Maddy aside, because of them.

"Screw you JJ" Maddy says, and JJ realizes that she wasn't cool.

"Did something happen, babe?" Jj says, approaching her. And Maddy looks down, it looks like she doesn't mean to say anything. "Do you want to talk somewhere else?" Maddy nods.

Part 2?

[linkbetweenlinksau]

7, 9, and 14 :3

Bless you for having the questions right here for me to see

7. What’s the weirdest thing (character) has done/ would do? I think this is meant to have a specific character mentioned, but I’ll try to give a good answer lol. I think the weirdest thing is def Sky breaking into people’s houses and sleeping in their beds lol. Not even Wild does that. And yeah I know that Sky grew up with the people of skyloft, but I love to imagine that he just does that. So when he’s out of skyloft, he discovers that not everyone likes it when a random stranger goes into their home and sleeps in their beds lol. Apparently people will call the town guard on you 🤔

9. What headcanons/ plans do you have about (character)’s family? I think this is meant to be another specific character, but I think a lot about the Link’s families! Sky, Minish, Time, and Legend I have no ideas, but there’s Hyrule’s family that I think about the most! His mother is a great fairy and his father is a Hylian, so he himself is a half fairy! His father Benji married his mother Faima since he was conceived and they raised him together. But unfortunately, while traveling Hyrule, Benji lost sight of his son, and they got separated. Benji spent most of his time looking for his son (his real name is Orchid) but he was basically renamed Link and was all over Hyrule. So he wasn’t able to find him until after the events of aol. Benji and Faima were pretty distraught knowing how rare and valuable their son is, so it was bad vibes. But now that they’ve reunited, they’re trying to rekindle their relationship! But Hyrule doesn’t remember much of his childhood, just vague memories of his parents, so it’s a challenge.

Twilight’s biological family still has me confused. Idk how old I want him to be when he meets Rusl and Uli, idk how his parents died, idk where they died, idk what’s happening. But I do know that during the temple of time, Link was officially adopted by Rusl and Uli. Very wholesome and cute.

Four’s mother was a very tough woman, which ended up being her demise. When he was 3 months old, she got sick and ended up collapsing cuz she kept pushing through. Leon (Four’s father) found her and took her to the healer, and she ended up dying. Leon had to take time off from being a knight to take care of his son, fortunately the king was very kind and understanding, and many women were able to help feed Four since he was still a baby. When Four got older, the king allowed him and Lily (his Zelda) to be raised together while Leon was working. That’s why the two are so close, and Leon helped Lily when the king eventually passed away. It’s just Four and his father now

Windy’s parents died when he was like… four? Or five. He was pretty young. His mother died during child birth, and his father and grandfather died during a hurricane. Grandma and Aryll were all he had left. He has vague memories of his father, he still remembers him promising Windy to take him fishing someday. But it never happened.he adores his sister and grandma of course, and he sorta had to grow up to help raise Aryll and many of the kids on outset. He was at an awkward age where he was too young to hang out with the adults, but too old to hang out with the kids, and he always had to babysit them. So he spent a lot of time alone or with Aryll, since she’s a lovely sister.

I have no ideas for Spirit so moving onto Wild and Age. They basically have the same family sooooo yeah. His father is Ammon and his mother is Sarah. Sarah is from Hateno and trained under her father to be a blacksmith. Ammon is from castle town and has had a rough time after his older brother, Georgie, died. He got motivated to join the army and to protect people, and that led him to Hateno where he and Sarah met. Age/Wild have/had a younger sister named Aryn, who’s much younger than her older brother, probably around 12, and she’s a more positive upbeat kinda gal. His grandfather is an intimidating and strict old man, but he has a soft spot for his grandchildren. They rarely see Ammon’s parents tho since their relationship is very strained. Not much else to say, beloved. Rip Wild.

And Warriors…. When he was very little, probably 5, he was with his twin sister Linkle, his grandmother, and his father. Monsters attacked their village and they got separated, with Linkle sticking with her grandmother, and Warriors sticking with his father. They all assumed they were dead. Linkle and her grandmother stayed at some outskirts village while Warriors and his father stayed near castle town since his father is a knight. Warriors got pretty popular with the knights that his father knew, and when he was 12, his father passed away. Warriors went to his father’s best friend, Theo and asked him to train him when he was 13 cuz he wanted to follow his father’s footsteps, so he was trained. Hence why he’s so good at fighting. Their grandmother died a little before the war of eras, so he never reunited with her. But he and his twin sister were able to meet again :)

Phew ok that’s it, I hope that makes sense and I hope that’s how you’re supposed to answer the question 😭😭

14. Do you have any headcanons about the races of Hyrule? Man this would’ve been the perfect time to talk about Hylians vs humans 😭😭 guess I’ll do it again. Hylians and humans are very similar to each other, but they are physically different! Obviously Hylians have pointy ears, and it allows them to hear better than humans. They’re also much tougher than humans. They can fall from a high height into water or on land and have a higher chance of surviving than if a human were to fall. They can also handle extreme temperatures much better than humans. This is all based on gameplay in Zelda, which I know that Link is pretty tough in game cuz it’s a video game, but hey, there’s gotta be some differences! This is more focused on my strangers across eras au but it’s fun to think of differences between the races!

[balu8]

The Legend of Mother Sarah

by Katsuhiro Otomo and Takumi Nagayasu

Dark Horse

[mangacapsaicin]

katsuhiro otomo & takumi nagayasu’s the legend of mother sarah || 大友克洋とながやす巧の『沙流羅』

[broadwaydivastournament]

Broadway Divas Tournament: Round 1A

The original Elphaba to those who know, Stephanie J. Block (1972) won her Tony for The Cher Show (2018) where she was, of course, Cher. No stranger to playing icons of the highest order, she made her Broadway debut in 2003, originating the role of Liza Minnelli in The Boy from Oz. In addition to eight Broadway credits, she has an extensive resume of regional, touring, and concert performances across the country, and will make her West End debut in Kiss Me, Kate this summer. She starred in the 2022 Into the Woods revival opposite her real-life husband, Sebastian Arcelus. They met starring in Wicked together on tour.

The leading lesbian of Broadway, Cherry Jones (1956) is a two-time Tony winner for The Heiress (1995) and Doubt: A Parable (2005). She has fifteen Broadway credits to her good name, including everyone's favorite gay fantasia Angels in America, and a slew of credits beyond. She was a founding member of the American Repertory Theatre, has two Emmys, and has been married to Sophie Huber since 2015. The televised kiss she shared with then-girlfriend Sarah Paulson after winning her second Tony stirred up a good deal of controversy back then, but is iconic now.

PROPOGANDA AND MEDIA UNDER CUT:

"Stephanie J. Block knows what you mean when you call her "MOTHER" online, and she is delighted by it. One of the great Broadway belters who sounds good and not just loud, Stephanie can also talk the hind leg off a mule. Go to one of her concerts, and you're treated to her yammering on about anything and everything, and you will love every minute."

"Forcing the dykes of tumblr to choose between one of their beloved Elphabas and actual dyke Cherry Jones is psychological warfare. This woman is an icon, a legend, a titan among Broadway stars. She's in an age-gap lesbian marriage and once dated Sarah Paulson. Come on. Prime lesbian candidate on this tournament."

[celestialcrowley]

Good morning! Good whatever-time-this-post-finds-you!

My phone updated. Thanks, I hate it. Anyway, I had a bio pinned, but I took it down because I wanted my 6,000 years meta to be pinned. I’m currently on the side of procrastination — I should be working on my GO fiction, someone shout at me to write — so here is a little bit more in depth bio about the ghost behind this tumblr.

🥂🪽🐝

Real Name: Sarah.

Nickname(s): There’s a list. Caps, Ghost, Khas, Khasper, Khasper the Spicy Ghost, Pippin, Haands, Crowley, Ginger and Tapeworm.

Nickname Origin(s): Buckle up. Caps is an age old nickname that was given to me because I wear hats all the time. Ghost began with a chat group I used to be in eons ago. The different variants of Khasper were given to me at my very first job, but we collectively agreed to change things up a bit, and Khasper the Spicy Ghost was born. Pippin was given to me when the Lord of the Rings trilogy was first released. Haands was given to me by former coworkers. Their reasoning behind that is I’ve got big hands. Crowley was given to me by my work bestie, and Ginger was given to me by the rest of my coworkers for my only slightly red hair. Or maybe it’s for my fiery personality. Tapeworm is something my uncle calls me presumably because I’m always hungry, but isn’t that the nature of an actual hobbit?

Preferred Name(s): Ghost, Khasper, Crowley, Ginger or Pippin.

Ao3: Beyond_Ineffable.

Social Media(s): I have Facebook and TikTok. My TikTok is actuallyahobbit89 if anyone is curious. I’m hardly on it though. I’ll pop in to post a video and then disappear like a ghost.

State: Born in raised in Floriduha. It’s a state of chaos.

Birthdate: July 25.

Pet(s): I’ve got two dogs. Mycroft is a probably Dutch shepherd Australian cattle dog mix. I’ve never had him DNA tested, but his mother is an Australian cattle dog. Patch is a portly pitbull mix.

Hobbies: Writing, reading, listening to music and true crime podcasts and stand up paddle boarding.

Personality: Here’s the best way I can describe this. I’m a permanently exhausted pigeon who functions on caffeine, anxiety and not enough sleep. I’m shy and socially awkward, but once I’m comfortable with someone and know that I can completely be myself around them, the anxiety disappears.

Favorite Holiday(s): Big spooky fan, me.

Favorite Drink(s): Coffee, Ice sparkling water + caffeine, London fog tea and cranberry juice.

Favorite Food(s): Sushi, tacos, salmon, crepes, lasagna, sweet potatoes and chicken teriyaki.

Favorite Dessert(s): Pumpkin pie.

Favorite Color(s): Turquoise, but any shade of blue, really. It’s pretty.

Favorite Quote(s): “She walks in starlight in another world.” “The world is not in your books and maps. It’s out there.” “Why do we fall, sir? So that we can learn to pick ourselves up.” “A witch ought never to be frightened in the darkest forest because she should be sure that the most terrifying thing in the forest was her.” “I know of witches who whistle at different pitches, calling things that don’t have names.”

Favorite Book(s): The Inheritance Collection and Neverwhere, which I still need to finish reading.

Favorite TV Show(s): Good Omens, Sherlock, Lucifer, The Exorcist and Hannibal.

Favorite Movie(s): Bad Samaritan, The Hobbit trilogy, The Lord of the Rings trilogy and the Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

Favorite Character(s): Crowley, Aziraphale, Furfur, Hastur, Pippin, Bilbo Baggins, Sherlock, John Watson, Father Marcus and Will Graham.

Favorite Actor(s): David Tennant, Michael Sheen, Martin Freeman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Jason Statham, Keanu Reeves and Mads Mikkelsen. It’s an accent thing and a hair thing.

Favorite Song(s): There’s too many. I’ll just drop this here. Whiplash Radio.

Favorite Music Genre(s): Mostly everything under the sun.

Favorite Podcast(s): Small Town Murder.

Have You Ever Met A Celebrity: Yes. Jimmie Johnson, a NASCAR driver, visited the very first job I had. He brought his daughter. Story time! My former coworkers were being a bit too extra around him — personal space, what personal space? — and he didn’t like it. I had not yet had a chance to speak to him, and I was told not to because he’s rude. I didn’t believe that, so later, I saw Jimmie was standing at the fence with his daughter. I walked over, said hello and asked him if his daughter would like to pet the dog. He said yes, so I moved the dog closer so she could pet him through the fence. She did, he thanked me, and that was our interaction. He was very pleasant.

Have You Ever Been To A Concert: I have not, unfortunately.

Do You Collect Anything: Yes. Coffee cups, gnomes and pocket knives. That’s a weird combination.

Do You Have Any Idols: Yes! Neil Gaiman. He’s a legend and someone I admire, especially when the writer’s block is slaying me.

Is There A Real Life Friend You Can Completely Be Yourself With: Yes! I made a tumblr post about him! We’ve known each other a long time.

What Are Your Interests: All things spooky. Ghosts. Graveyards. Stars. Galaxies. Planets. Everything about the solar system. True crime. History. Metaphysical things.

Where Would You Love To Travel To: Ireland. New Zealand. Scotland.

Is There A Random Fact About Yourself That You’d Like To Share: I like flamingos.

No pressure tags: @phoen1xr0se @ineffabildaddy @peregrintook @sad-chaos-goblin @spot-o-bodysnatchin @apocalypticginger-blog @crowleyscleaninglady @missdeliadilisblog @ritz-writes @ineffablemoist @turquoisedata @azirapalalalala @peachworthy @pretendygood @belladonna413 @jackinistafflower @aziraphalalala @scarecrowcloud @tragic-cosmic-magic @musingsofmaisie

It’s open to everyone, but here is an apology dance in case I missed anyone! 💚

[merymoonbeam]

Spear?

CC3 spoilers

This is just a manifesting post and more connections I found from cc3 🫡

In my wild hunt post I talked about narben being a spear for... reasons.

I think Gwydion and Truth-Teller are inspired by King Arthur's weapons. In myths it is talked about how he has a sword, a knife and a spear...

Other weapons have been associated with Arthur. Welsh tradition also knew of a dagger named Carnwennan and a spear named Rhongomyniad that belonged to him. Carnwennan ("little white-hilt") first appears in Culhwch and Olwen, where Arthur uses it to slice the witch Orddu in half. Rhongomyniad ("spear" + "striker, slayer") is also mentioned in Culhwch, although only in passing; it appears as simply Ron ("spear") in Geoffrey's Historia. Geoffrey also names Arthur's shield as Pridwen; in Culhwch, however, Prydwen ("fair face") is the name of Arthur's ship while his shield is named Wynebgwrthucher ("face of evening").

So other than excalibur Arthur has a dagger and a spear.

To me it looks like

Excalibur= Gwydion

Carnwennan= Truth-Teller

Rhongomyniad= Narben

So why? Lemme explain.

With Excalibur it is about who is worthy to pull it out of the stone.

Excalibur is the mythical sword of King Arthur that may possess magical powers or be associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. Traditionally, the sword in the stone that is the proof of Arthur's lineage and the sword given him by a Lady of the Lake are not the same weapon, even as in some versions of the legend both of them share the name of Excalibur.

Romance tradition elaborates on how Arthur came into possession of Excalibur. In Robert de Boron's c. 1200 French poem Merlin, the first known tale to mention the "sword in the stone" motif, Arthur obtained the British throne by pulling a sword from an anvil sitting atop a stone that appeared in a churchyard on Christmas Eve.[18] In this account, as foretold by Merlin, the act could not be performed except by "the true king", meaning the divinely appointed king or true heir of Uther Pendragon. (As Thomas Malory related in his English-language Arthurian compilation, the 15th-century Le Morte d'Arthur, "whoso pulleth out this sword of this stone and anvil, is rightwise king born of all England."[19][d])

And we have Gwydion/Starsword

That your son, not you, retrieved the Starsword from the Cave of Princes in Avallen’s dark heart. That your son, not you, stood among the long-dead Starborn Princes asleep in their sarcophagi and was deemed worthy to pull the sword from its sheath. How many times did you try to draw the sword when you were young? How much research did you do in this very study to find ways to wield it without being chosen? (Hoeab)

So it matches even though at the end it is Bryce who can access the real power of the sword not Ruhn bc it is sarah and we have the females as a main character.

And now the dagger—Carnwennan and Truth-Teller.

In myths the dagger is described like this.

Carnwennan, or Carnwenhau ("Little White Hilt"), was the dagger of King Arthur in the Welsh Arthurian legends

In Culhwch and Olwen, Arthur names it as one of the few things in the world which he will not give to Culhwch. Later, he uses it to slay the witch Orddu, the daughter of the witch Orwen, by slicing her in half.[1] In the Welsh Triads, Carnwennan is listed alongside Arthur's spear Rhongomyniad and Arthur's sword Caledfwlch as sacred weapons given to him by God: "the sacred weapons that God had given him: Rhongomiant his spear, Caledfwlch a sword, and Carnwennan his dagger" (Bromwich's translation).[2]

The fact that Arthur would not give the weapons to Culhwch when we know Fionn didn't give the Gwydion and TT to Theia? Kinda similar.

My father had never shown himself to be giving—long had he kept Gwydion and never once offered it to my mother. The dagger that had belonged to his dear friend, slain during the war, hung at his side, unused. But not for long.

We learned in cc2 that Gwydion and TT are twin blades.(I went into detail about this and how it connects to elriel in several posts > light and dark, sing me, alpha and omega)

The male drew it, and Bryce flinched. Flinched, but—“What the fuck?” The knife could have been the twin of the Starsword: black hilted and bladed. It was its twin. The Starsword began to hum within its sheath, glittering white light leaking from where leather met the dark hilt. The dagger—.The male dropped the dagger to the plush carpet. All of them retreated as it flared with dark light, as if in answer. Alpha and Omega. “Gwydion,” the dark-haired female whispered, indicating the Starsword.(hosab)

And in cc3 we learn that when you use Truth-Teller...there are shadows.

Bryce threw her power into the Starsword, light ripping through the black blade, willing it to tear this fucking monster apart— She willed it into Truth-Teller, and shadows flowed—

Seems...weird that Truth-teller has "shadow powers" and in acowar we have Elain literally stepping out of a shadow. And we never learned the reason why???

But as a black blade broke through the king’s throat, spraying blood, I realized someone else had. Elain stepped out of a shadow behind him, and rammed Truth-Teller to the hilt through the back of the king’s neck as she snarled in his ear, “Don’t you touch my sister.”

So how these connect to Arthur's dagger? (Just gonna add here that @riddlecrux told me about this before so credit goes to her 🫡)

In addition to his other magical items, Arthur had the invisibility granting Carnwennan. The dagger was providing a kind of presence concealment to Arthur or to its wielder. In European folklore, invisibility-granting items are rather prevalent. These are often recognized as caps or invisibility cloaks. The invisibility attribute of Carnwennan was probably the main reason Arthur named his dagger among the things he could never give up for any reason:

Invisibility? Shadows? @silverlinedeyes made a post before how elain could get a cloak made of void? And we know with Gwydion and TT you can make a portal to nowhere—the void.

“The Starsword is Made, as you called it.” He waved an idle hand, sparks at his fingertips. “The knife can Unmake things. Made and Unmade. Matter and antimatter. With the right influx of power—a command from the one destined to wield them—they can be merged. And they can create a place where no life, no light exists. A place that is nothing. Nowhere.”

It had been a gamble. But she’d seen what the Starsword and Truth-Teller had done to Polaris. They had created a void that had sucked the Asteri in—the only sort of prison that might destroy a being of light. The only force in the universe that ate light, so strong no light could ever escape it. A portal to nowhere. To a black hole. Wasn’t that the unholy power that Apollion possessed? The power of the Void. The antithesis of light.

So maybe we are gonna see elain and the void connected?

Also more about the dagger in Arthurian legends:

Carnwennan, or Carnwenhau, meaning "white hilt" was the dagger belonging to the great King Arthur. It is attributed with the magical power to shroud its user in shadow. This dagger, it is said, was one of three sacred weapons given to King Arthur by God. Arthur names it as one of the few things in the world which he would not give to his cousin Culhwch. King Arthur used this very dagger it to slay the witch Orddu ,daughter of Orwen. by slicing her in half. It is also possible that this is the dagger he once used to kill a giant.

So there is that.

And lastly we have the spear—Rhongomyniad.

There is not much we can use from the myths because the only things we have are its name and it was given to Arthur by god.

Rhongomyniad, or Rhongomiant (variously translated as "Slaying Spear," "Cutting Spear" or "Striking Spear"), was the spear of King Arthur in the Welsh Arthurian legends. Unlike Arthur’s two other weapons, his sword Caledfwlch and his dagger Carnwennan, Rhongomyniad has no apparent magical powers.

In the Historia Regum Britanniae, Geoffrey of Monmouth calls Arthur's lance Ron,[2] presumably an abbreviation of the original Welsh name. Layamon also calls it this in his Brut. Geoffrey states that Arthur carried this lance with him at the Battle of Mount Badon. Layamon states in a passage (without naming the weapon) that Arthur's spear was forged in Carmarthen by a smith called Griffin. He also adds that it formerly belonged to Uther Pendragon.

The wiki says it has no magical power but...if sarah took inspo from Excalibur for Gwydion and the dagger for TT...I wouldn't put it past her to use the spear as an inspo for Narben... especially with her love for 3s.

Also like the spear we dont have much to go on for Narben either. We have so little information.

“Amarantha destroyed one,” Amren said. Cassian started. “I never heard that.” Amren amended, “Rumor claimed she dumped one into the sea. It would not come to Amarantha’s hand, nor the hands of any of her commanders, and rather than let the King of Hybern attain it, she disposed of it.” Azriel asked, “Which sword?” “Narben.” (Acosf)

"Narben was even older than Gwydion,” Rhys said. “Where the hell was it?” (Acosf)

Narben’s powers had not been the holy, savior’s light of Gwydion, but ones far darker. (Acosf)

Rhys studied her blade. “Narben is a death-sword. It’s lost, possibly destroyed, but stories say it can slay even monsters like Lanthys.” (Acosf)

So that's all we know.

Another point...Fionn connection.

In myths there is a HUGE part about Fionn using a spear to defeat a giant.

Also known as the Spear of Fiacha (or Fiacail), Birgha was an enchanted, venomous spear. The warrior Fiacha, a follower of Cumal (a leader of the Fianna), gave the spear to Cumal’s son Fionn mac Cumhail so that he might defeat Aillén, an evil creature/former member of the Tuath Dé Danann who resided, three-hundred-and-sixty-four days a year, in the Otherworld. Each and every Samhain the monster—nicknamed “the burner”—would wreak havoc on the royal residence of Tara (also: Teamhair) with his fire-breath after lulling its defenders to sleep with enchanted music. Specifically, Aillén plays—or weaponizes, I should say—the suantraí (lullaby) strain of ancient Irish music, which is frequently deployed by gods, druids, and other musicians in the myths in order to incapacitate opponents. That’s where Birgha comes into play. In Lady Gregory’s version of events, Fiacha teaches Fionn how to unlock the power of the spear, instructing his pupil as follows: “When you will hear the music of the Sidhe, let you strip the covering off the head of the spear and put it to your forehead, and the power of the spear will not let sleep come upon you.”

Just saying...with all of a new character singing...having some effects on others...IDK. WEIRD. 🫣

Another point is Four treasures of Tuatha de danaan. ( @offtorivendell made a post about them before )

Dagda's Cauldron

pretty self explanatory...cauldron.

Claiomh Solais (the sword of light)

Gwydion.

The sword may be rendered in English as the "Sword of Light", or "Shining Sword".

The Sword of Light or Claidheamh Soluisis a trope object that appears in a number of Irish and Scottish Gaelic folktales. The "Quest for sword of light" formula is catalogued as motif H1337.

The Starsword sang with light, her power flowing into it. Activating it. And nothing had ever felt so right, so easy, as plunging the blade into the bony chest of the wounded Reaper. It arced, bellowing, black blood spurting from its withered lips. (Hosab)

Narben’s powers had not been the holy, savior’s light of Gwydion, but ones far darker.(acosf)

Lia Fail Stone

My whole wild hunt post is about this. You can read it there. Basically I think this is the inspo for the stone on top of Ramiel.

The Spear of Lugh

And here is the reason I think Narben might be a spear.

Lugh's spear (sleg), according to the text of The Four Jewels of the Tuatha Dé Danann, was said to be impossible to overcome.

Interesting that Amren said this about Narben in acosf:

“I don’t know, but she found it, and when it would not bend to her, she destroyed it. As she did all good things.” It was as much as Amren would say about that terrible time. “It was perhaps in our favor. Had the King of Hybern possessed Narben, I fear we would have lost the war.”

More info for Spear of Lugh.

In a full narrative version called [A]oidhe Chloinne Tuireann (The Fate of the Children of Tuireann),[51] from copies no earlier than the 17th century,[52] Lugh demands the spear named Ar-éadbair or Areadbhair (Early Modern Irish: Aꞃéadḃaiꞃ) which belonged to Pisear, king of Persia. Areadbhair's tip had to be kept immersed in a pot of water to keep it from igniting, a property similar to the Lúin of Celtchar. This spear is also called "Slaughterer"[53] in translation.

Narben is a death "sword"

Rhys studied her blade. “Narben is a death-sword. It’s lost, possibly destroyed, but stories say it can slay even monsters like Lanthys.” (Acosf)

Also the spear of Lugh is connected with lightning.

Lugh's projectile weapon, whether a dart or missile, was envisioned to be symbolic of lightning-weapon.

Also known as the Lightning Spear, or simply Lugh’s Spear, the Gae Assail was one of the Four Treasures or Jewels of the Tuatha Dé Danann

And to me it is interesting that Ramiel means "god has thundered" maybe there is a connection?

Lugh's sling rod, named "Lugh's Chain", was the rainbow and the Milky Way, according to popular writer Charles Squire.[57] Squire adds that Lugh's spear which needed no wielding was alive and thirsted so for blood that only by steeping its head in a sleeping-draught of pounded fresh poppy leaves could it be kept at rest. When a battle was near, it was drawn out; then it roared and struggled against its thongs, fire flashed from it, and it tore through the ranks of the enemy once slipped from the leash, never tired of slaying

So thanks for reading.

I NEED A SPEAR 😭😭

[embermoonsworld]

Jareth Headcanons

.Jareth looks like a man of about 30, but he's actually over 2,000.

.Jareth's mother and father were the former rulers of the Underground.

.Jareth is a faery, more specifically a sidhe.

.Jareth created the labyrinth to test mortals for his own amusement ("We immortals suffer from the same dreaded affliction darling: chronic boredom").

.Jareth was worshipped by the pagans as a god of illusions, dreams, fate and magic. Modern pagans still do.

.He was born on Samhain. Actually, the entire holiday was created to celebrate and revere him. Another name for this night is "Goblin Night."

.The pendant he wears is the crest of the royal family.

.The markings around his eyes are actually tattoos, given to every new king. It symbolizes wisdom and insight, to have vision for the future.

.His favorite color is midnight blue.

.Like all fae nobles, he enjoys luxury, music and beauty.

.His hair used to be longer with his bangs fully grown out to match the length of the rest of his hair (just like Legolas). However, he decided to spice things up a bit with his hairdo since it made him look like his father's twin and he wanted his own look.

. He's still unmarried because he believes in marrying for love, not politics. His parents married for love, why shouldn't he?

.His favorite flowers are lilacs- he has vases of them in every room of his palace.

.Jareth doesn't hate his job; he just gets stressed with it from time to time.

. He's famous for throwing the biggest, most lavish balls and parties the underground has ever seen.

He got the moniker "Goblin King" because he specifically chose goblins to aid him in his abduction of wished away children as goblins are master tricksters and thieves.

.Jareth may seem easygoing at first, but he is one of the fiercest warriors his kingdom has ever known. His skills with a sword are a thing of legend, and he's a brilliant tactician and strategist. He once cut off the head of a powerful Fomorian general with one, clean cut.

.Jareth formed and leads the Wild Hunt, whose duty is to hunt down and punish wicked mortals or those who have offended the fae.

.Jareth loves peaches- his favorite fruit. Fix him any dessert that includes peaches and you're instantly in his good favor.

.He can't stand brown-nosers because he finds lack of dignity utterly pathetic.

.He owns ten dragons, eight unicorns, three gryphons, a basilisk and a manticore.

.Crystals help him focus his all-sight, a truly rare fae gift. He can use his power without them but he easily gets headaches due to the information overload.

.He has power over dreams and one of his epithets is "Lord of Dreams."

.He transforms into an owl because an owl represents his soul: mysterious, magical, wise and a dangerous predator when need be.

. He's a fan of Shakespeare.

.He holds the record among the nobles for most mischief made amongst the mortals on Halloween, and he aims to beat his own record each time.

.He goes to Mardi Gras every year.

.Sarah isn't the first mortal girl he's tried to seduce into being his bride.

.Like most of his kin, Jareth has a fondness for human children, especially babies. Few things make him as angry, and inspires his wrath more, as seeing them neglected and abused by cruel parents. This was another reason for the labyrinth's creation- to save children from unworthy guardians.

.Jareth is actually kidding when he tells runners that the wished-away children will be turned into goblins because he loves to see them squirm. In actuality, if they lose, he finds good homes for the children elsewhere, be it in the fae world or the human world. If runners lose, the memories of everyone who knew the children, are erased. The losing runners still remember though, as Jareth believes living forever with that overwhelming guilt is a fitting punishment. They are also magically banned from ever returning to the Underground.

.Because Jareth sometimes finds fae who are willing to take in wished away children, halflings have been born due to them finding fae mates as adults.

.Jareth is fond of the human music genres known as glam rock and pop.

.He can't take a child unless summoned to do so. In the past, changelings could be stolen but they had to put a stop to this practice due to a large number of complaints. He's particularly sad about this limitation because there are so many needy children he'd love to save but is barred from doing. That being said, just because he can't take the children, it doesn't mean he can't give them some form of happiness and gaity in their lives, nor does it mean he can't make the lives of their bastard parents a living hell.

.The entire Underground bows to his whims. He can change and alter its reality as he sees fit. He's so powerful that, if he wanted to, he could conquer the human world in a matter of hours.

. He's been ruling for over 1,000 years.

.He hates wearing crowns cause they cause "crown hair," plus they make his pointy ears itch.

.He once had to spend a whole day listening to two goblin families argue about ownership of an apple tree rooted on the boundary line separating their properties- "I should just bog them all now, the insufferable twits!"

.He loves baths with stardust and diamond-infused water as they make skin glowing and soft as silk.

.He sometimes goes to dive bars in Soho to listen to the bands.