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bits-and-babs · 7 months

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✦ 𝐏𝐈𝐗𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐃 ✦

– KINKTOBER DAY 1: CAMGIRL!READER

simon riley x camgirl!reader | smut, 18+ | 1.3k words

summary: a new client sends a request for a solo-cam performance. his lack of detail and scarce details leave you unprepared.

cw: f!reader, sexwork, dirty talk, breast-play, m & f masturbation, use of sex toy, use of honorific 'sir' but no real power dynamic.

⇽ KINKTOBER MLIST | DAY 2: TOUCH STARVED ⇾

❝On Deployment. Don’t be afraid.❞

Cryptic in its context, the message that popped up from your new client in the lower right corner of your computer screen made you smirk at the time. However, gazing at the skull-faced mask that materialised on the pixelated video screen when you answered the video call that swiftly followed, your amusement slips from your lips. Username ‘Ghost’ hadn’t been making some kind of arcane joke about the size of his dick being too much for you…

“Oh,” you let out a weak laugh, eyes slipping over the grainy footage as ‘Ghost’ leaned back in his seat, immense, bulging arms crossing over the plane of his chest, “When you said… I wasn’t expecting that.”

“Can’t take off the mask,” the gruff, northern accent that rumbles through the computer speakers sends a ripple down your spine– a concoction of a nervous chill and delighted arousal. It metastasises in your guts when you watch him spread his legs, the blackness in the eye sockets of the skull burning through you even behind a screen. “The URA don’t take kindly t’people contactin’ cam-girls.”

URA. United Republic of Adal.

“You’re– On a military base?” The question passes your lips before you have the opportunity to think better. The plain black t-shirt stretched across his humongous frame gives little away, but the khaki-camo pants and the silver dog tags glinting in the low light of the room seem to corroborate his claims.

“Can’t divulge that information.”

Of course he couldn’t. Obviously.

“Y’can call me sir.” ‘Ghost’ clearly had experience contacting cam-girls, leading with his preferred address. It’s impossible to ignore that tingling arousal creeping into the pit of your stomach again, knowing you were in for a ride– so to speak.

“Yes sir,” you answer to his demand, watching as ‘Ghost’ rubbed his palms over the top of his camo-clad thighs. You note the grainy blackness across the back of his hands; a tattoo. Most clients were secretive in their own camera-exposure, focusing the frame on their head and shoulders while pleasuring themselves off camera. ‘Ghost’s’ whole body was on display, offering just as much of a show for yourself.

It was thrilling.

“Lose the bra.”

“Yes sir,” you nod, compliant to his demands. Reaching behind your back, you unclasp the lacy bra you’d chosen specifically for this cam-session. Your contact with ‘Ghost’ had been minimal, limited in the information he would reveal to you. It was entertaining this way, guessing at what you should wear like taking a crack at an enigma code. A shot in the dark; you’d gone for simple black. Slowly slipping the unadorned bra from your arms, you made a note of your victory when you hear–

“Fuck, that’s it,” ‘Ghost' mumbles beneath his breath, and you’re unsure if he was unaware of the sensitivity of his microphone, or if he’d meant for you to hear his whispered praise. You can’t find it in yourself to warn him when his palm settles over his crotch, inhaling sharply as he lifts his hips up to grind into it.

Cupping your breasts in your hands, you squeeze the supple flesh so it bulges slightly between your fingers. It’s as natural as breathing now, a learnt behaviour after months of cam-work. Nothing special, but it gets ‘Ghost’s’ attention.

“Hmm, fuckin’ ‘ell,” he groans softly, quick to work himself out of the khaki uniform trousers. You have half a mind to inform his superior that one of his soldiers had stolen a weapon from the armoury, watching him wrap his hand around his throbbing cock in a tight fist. “Get real close to the camera. Wanna see you fuck yourself, love.”

You remember his initial request, much like his communications with you; simple and lacking detail. ‘Fuck urself w/ ur largest toy. Panties on’. Though, gazing at the image of him on your computer screen through heavy lids, you weren’t sure even your largest dildo compared to the girth he held in his hand. The ruddy tip is shiny, and you can just barely make out the shadows of bulging veins where his palm couldn’t reach.

“Fuckkk,” ‘Ghost’ groans when you ease the tip of the toy in, camera angled just right to see you clench around the silicone but also to show your eyes rolling back. “That’s it. Greedy cunt’s swallowin’ it all. Look at you creamin’ around it–”

For a man so unwilling to talk much in any other set of circumstances, ‘Ghost’ was particularly mouthy now. Even as the head of the toy touches something mind-numbing inside of you, a delirious, breathy giggle escapes you at the thought.

Beginning to push the toy in and out of your cunt, you watch ‘Ghost’ begin to fist his cock with a grunt. His eyes stay glued to the screen, enraptured by the way your walls squeeze the toy so tightly. It’s hard to miss the way his lungs rattle with unsteady breaths, the sheer size of him making a slight tremble appear like a shudder so violent it could trigger an avalanche.

“Christ, I’d fuckin’ ruin you. Fuckin’ split you open and flood that cunt with my cum,” he moans, the sound wanton and wholely unmatching his intimidating size. It takes you a moment for your vision to focus before you note the slow, methodical rise of his fist, matching the strokes of the toy inside of you.

Like he was imagining fucking you.

Your own arousal spiking with the realisation, you thrust the toy inside of you quicker, more eagerly. It's ecstasy, the head of the toy spearing something inside of you that has your legs quaking. “Ugh– hhahah, ohmygod, oh fuck–”

‘Ghost’ continues to talk you through your squeals of delight, his gruff voice particularly throaty now as he matches the violent thrusts of the toy. “Good fuckin’ girl, love. If you were here I’d fuckin’ paint your face with it– fuck!”

It’s like a chain reaction, the usually stoic man’s filthy comments causing a visible clench of your cunt when you cum around the toy. It makes ‘Ghost’ cum. White floods your vision, but the static sound in your ears can’t drown out the gruff, choked sounds that play from your speakers.

When your blurred vision finally centres, ‘Ghost’s’ fingers are drenched with thick ropes of cum, the creamy spend dropping from his knuckles onto the khaki of his trousers. Leaning his head over the back of the chair with a shaky exhale, the black hem of the ski-mask rides up slightly, exposing the bulging veins beneath the pale, rosy skin of his neck. It’s a tantalising glimpse of the man behind the obscure username, underneath the skeleton-veil. Instantaneously, you’re like an addict– desperate for more, one hit isn’t enough to satiate the screaming need inside of you for another inch of skin.

It’s why you leap out of bed at 04:27am when you receive a message weeks after you’d hit ‘end call’, the promise of your next fix delivered in a cryptic message deposited in a private messaging chat that had lay dormant since the footage went black.

‘Want u on ur knees this time. Panties in ur mouth, fingers in ur cunt.’

Biting on a grin, you rush to answer. He was still in the URA, the digits on the clock in the top right of your phone evidence of a timezone difference. It was still relatively early there– like he’d finished his shift and immediately contacted you. Like he couldn’t wait to jack off to the image of you stuffing your cunt with your fingers and whining his name.

Fuck the four figure amount he’d deposited into your bank as thanks for the last video call, the thought alone is enough to urge your fingers beneath the waistband of your panties, circling your clit as you clumsily type with one hand to respond to his demand.

‘Yes sir x’

cod mwii/kinktober taglist:

@mortallyuniquepeach @not-a-unique-snowflake-blog @crybaby-blue-blog @heart-atttack @pansa-1-san @maviee @emotion-no-hot-yes-hotel-trivago @s-u-t @ghostslynx @solidly-indulgent @glitterypirateduck @gummyfang @bii-aan-ckaa @konigsblog @crissteetee @crissteetee67 @sylvanasthebansheequeen @akaym2 @exploremyworldsm @thriving-n-jiving @su57 @cabreezer0117 @cathnoneofyourbusiness @marygraceee @thatchickwiththecamera @legend-o-zelda @eatingtheworldsoffanfiction @tusk89 @bellasbees01 @dog55teeth

@mockerycrow @bubuslutty @cheezitwh0re @haunt3dh3art @levi-llama @thebiscuitsheep @maelstrom007 @alexxavicry @bug-sy-boy @glennrheesworld @kittenfrostt @luvfromkat @blingblong55 @whore4dilfs @wolfyland07 @doggydale @dog55teeth @cabreezer0117 @cathnoneofyourbusiness @marygraceee @thatchickwiththecamera @legend-o-zelda @whore-for-anime @i-love-ghost @cyberpr1m3 @mockerycrow @bubuslutty @lundenloves @cheezitwh0re @haunt3dh3art @babychoi03 @infectedkura @allekat1988 @whore-for-anime @soupbinsoup @passi0np1t @mockerycrow @cyberpr1m3 @i-love-ghost @allekat1988 @infectedkura @babychoi03 @freakquenci @maviee @yunggoblin @sleepystaarr @watyousayin @soupbinsoup @passi0np1t @damn-dean-blog @pheonyxmoon @magicalreviewphantom @limegreenbabx @johfaam0 @iaur @justsayk

@bloodmoon-bites @wiltedwonderland @doggydale @limegreenbabx @namelesshumanperson @ninahhh-brahh

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irene9900 · 9 months

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His Little Flame Part 2

Kyojuro Rengoku x Fem!Tsuguko!Reader NSFW

Part One

Description: After the recent passing of the Flower Hashira, Shinobu thinks it would be best for you to train under someone stronger, who is more capable of honing your abilities. You become Rengoku’s tsuguko, practically relearning everything you thought you knew.

CW: Survivor’s guilt, anxiety, panic attacks, hallucinogenics/drugs (demon art), canon typical gore and violence, teacher/student dynamic, pretend-marriage trope, assault (reader is grabbed by surprise), mentions of pregnancy and kids, intimate sex, consent king Kyojuro, body worship, praise (receiving), oral (receiving), P in V sex, accidental creampie.

^If I’ve missed anything please let me know^

Minors and Ageless Blogs DNI

A/N: This took me longer than I anticipated to finish. It’s my first time legitimately writing smut and I couldn’t get the smut scene right in my head, it took quite a bit of rewrites until I got to this final product. Good news is part 3 is halfway written and the epilogue is complete.

Word Count: 3,500+

You felt bad for brushing past Senjuro in a hurry. Your body felt hot, legs threatening to give out at any moment. The walls felt like cages, trying to lure you in. You lost control of your breathing, face becoming flush with dread.

When you finally make it to your room, you crumple against the floor. The pit in your stomach made you nauseous. You pull your knees to your chest and finally let the sobs you’d been holding in out.

Millions of thoughts ran through your mind, unprepared to face him the next morning.

I just have to apologize and ask him to forget it happened, you thought, I let my emotions get the better of me. He’ll understand… hopefully.

You let yourself rest like that for a while. Slowly coming to terms with what happened, prepared to handle the outcome tomorrow would bring. Even when Rengoku came to check on you remained quiet, words unable to form off your mouth.

You weren’t entirely sure which one of them, or the both of them, who brought you dinner, with a small note attached. Please eat well, it reads.

——

In the middle of the night, it is not Kyojuro who awakens you, but your crow.

“Seven people have disappeared in the last two weeks from the same village in a northern town. Head there immediately before sunrise.”

You properly suit up before meeting Rengoku outside. You offer a meek ‘good morning’ before you both head off in the direction of the town.

——

To call this mission weird would be an understatement. You hadn’t even made it into the town before coming across two demons within a large clearing just within view of the town’s gates.

It’s too close to daylight to risk this exposure, you thought. Opting to make quick work of both demons, you grab the hilt of your sword, ready to pull it out before Rengoku stills your hand.

His eyes are trained solely on the demons, and he taps his ears for you to listen closely.

The demon closest to the both of you was in a crouched position, stuttering about the healing waters and delicious flesh.

The second demon was on his knees, chewing on the tips of his fingers. His rumblings sounded similar in comparison to the crouched demon. Muttering something about them tasting the best after they came from there.

Both were entirely unaware of your presence, lost in their own trance. It seemed like a drug, a blood demon art perhaps? But what kind of demon uses it against his own kind? Were they having hallucinations? Could demons get those if they go without flesh for a certain amount of time?

Fingers growled, a foamy mixture leaving his mouth. “Need more”, he chanted in a low voice, body turning in the direction of the village.

Your eyes widened, just what the hell is going on here? You instinctively backed up, foot landing on a branch with a sickening crunch. Finger’s previous fixation with the village had turned on you, as did the wellsprings demon. Fingers was faster than the crouched demon, launching himself towards you with great speed and power.

You quickly recovered your stance, pulling yourself into flame breathing’s second form. A quick slash upwards, body fully disintegrating before he even landed back on the ground.

As you finished up with Fingers, Rengoku disposed of the crouched demon. The sun was rising at this point, any other demons lurking in this field should’ve retreated by now or would be taken by the exposure soon enough.

The location the demons were in didn’t make sense. Why would they expose themselves in an open area close to daylight hours? It goes against their survival instincts. You split off from Rengoku, hoping to cover more ground in a faster time.

Luckily for you, the search wasn’t long. You followed the path towards where the demons were spotted. Your friend Fingers left behind a trail of blood for you to follow.

“Rengoku! I’ve got something.” You call out to him. He was a bit of a distance away, closer to the tree lining opposite of the town.

After waiting for him to reach you, you both follow the trail in the direction of the town. That much you knew already though.

“Any traces at the edge of the forest?” You ask.

“None. Whatever is happening, it’s all inside that town, we just need to narrow down where.”

“We can see if Finger’s trail leads anywhere specific.” You point to the splotches of blood painting the grass plains, fingers drawing a line in the direction of the town.

“Fingers?” He questioned, brows furrowing with a puzzled look.

“The demon I just took down. This is the trail it seems he left. Maybe it'll narrow the town’s search some.”

Unluckily for you, the trail stops a few meters from the main gate. You both share a look with each other, knowing this won’t be an easy mission by any means.

“I think it’s likely we could encounter one of the twelve here.” You state.

“If there is a possibility of a ranked demon being here, we’ll need to disguise ourselves a bit better than our slayer uniforms. There is a possibility we can catch them off their guard.”

Coming straight into the gate, he directed you both to a small clothing shop where you both exchanged your slayer uniforms for simple kimonos.

Rengoku held his hand out to you. You placed your hand in his, slightly confused.

“Your sword, Y/L/N.” He corrected.

You turned beet red, face heating up in embarrassment, quickly removing your hand and replacing it with your sheathed sword.

“Now, can I have your arm this time?” He asks.

You oblige, linking your arm in with his. Heart hammering in your chest.

“The best way to avoid suspicion is to pretend to be newly married.” He says, “many couples travel to celebrate their union. I’m sorry if that makes you uncomfortable. It’ll only be in public.”

Secretly, your heart soared at the thought of being married to Rengoku. Those thoughts, however, formed from excitement to dread, remembering the incident from yesterday. Guilt for entertaining the idea swept in.

“It’s fine Rengoku. We’re doing this for the mission. I should put any feelings aside and complete the mission.” You weren’t sure who was stung more by your harsh words, but he didn’t say anything more. Choosing to continue further into the town.

It was you who first broke the silence.

“Where should we start?” You ask, watching as he carefully scans your surroundings.

“Start with the locals. Keep your ears perked up for their hushed mumbles and whispers, they could likely know that something bad is happening, unless they’re meeting similar fates to our demons back in the field.”

You both glide along the streets, hoping your wandering eyes come off as a tourist marveling at her surroundings.

In front of a restaurant on a couple of wooden vegetable crates sat a short, older man. Accompanying him was a younger woman and man, who talked in hushed whispers.

“That’s the third person this week to have gone missing after soaking in the hot springs.” The old man mumbles.

“It was four last week. Two of them had just gotten married too, what a shame.” A second voice, a younger woman responded.

“Visitors are going to start catching on to the disappearances. The numbers seem to be increasing weekly.”

You exchange a small look with Rengoku before going up to the trio.

“Excuse me,” you say, offering a small bow, “we are unfamiliar with the area and would appreciate directions to an inn for us to stay at.”

“Ah, newlyweds! What a joy to see.” The older man smiles, “there are plenty of options on the other side of the gate where you came. Most of this side is older shops and residences.”

His newlywed comment made you blush, quickly averting your eyes. Kyojuro, on the other hand, used this opportunity to pull you flush with his side, draping his arm across your shoulder.

“Thank you sir.” You both bowed and turned to go back towards the direction you came.

The old man grabs onto your wrist, tugging you back slightly. Your eyes widen, stumbling a bit from shock.

In a low tone, he whispers, “stay away from the ones closest to the hot spring if you choose to stay here. Nothing good has come out of that inn in weeks.”

The young woman pulls his hand away, profusely apologizing for his behavior.

Bidding farewell, you head towards the exact place the older man warned you about.

“It feels like a ranked demon, but at the same time it’s confusing.”

“What is it, Little Flame?” He asks, peering to look at you.

“First there are the demons from the clearing.” You say, “the only explanation to me is a blood demon art.”

“One that had a powerful effect.” Rengoku confirms.

“Yes, but on their own kind. Rengoku, we are missing a big chunk of information.” You sigh, “there are too many unanswered questions.”

How are the townsfolk seemingly unaffected by the spell? Wouldn’t that be who the demon tried to control first? Many thoughts swirl in your head.

——

The area the old man warned you about resembled the rest of the town. Not a stone out of place, until you encountered a confused woman.

Her face was pale, bloodshot eyes widened from shock. Her muted green kimono stained with splotches of red, blood, she stumbled around slightly confused.

You rush towards the woman, grabbing her shaking wrists gently. You try to still her movements, but she tries to push past you as if you aren’t even there.

“Miss, is everything okay?” You peer up at her. She remained unaffected by your presence. That’s when you noticed the glossy look in her eyes.

“He’s gone, he’s gone.” The only words she kept repeating. An older woman rushed out of the door in front of you. She pushes herself between you two, grabbing the woman’s wrists from you.

“She’s not feeling well, she had a slip and fall during her stay at the springs, but she’s recovering. I don’t know how she managed to make it out of her room on her own. Let this be a reminder that one should always be careful of one’s step.” The woman waves you off, ushering the girl inside.

Not wanting to make a scene, you let her. It would disrupt all the progress you’ve made.

If she had an accident, why was she still in bloody clothes, the splotches didn’t match the injury either. Her injury would’ve most likely resulted in with more blood on one side of her kimono, the splotches were centralized, as if she was splashed with blood. Or did something to someone.

Rengoku places his hand on your shoulder, noticing your unease with the situation. Leaning down he whispers, “We will fix this.”

“We won’t be able to do anything until closer to sundown. It is best we rest.” He links your arms together again, guiding you to the closest one.

The man who greeted you all inside seemed human, despite his off putting demeanor.

“Welcome, welcome.” The man glees, “newlyweds, I presume?”

“Yes, we are.” Rengoku answers for the two of you, pulling you closer to him. “We’d like a private room.”

“I have the perfect room in mind.” The man states, gesturing for you to follow him.

As you’re walking the man rambles, “I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors of our hot springs? Able to cure any type of ailment.” He stops in his tracks, leaning close to you, “many women who’ve struggled to conceive a child have been able to conceive quickly after soaking here.”

Rengoku immediately stepped in front of you, putting himself between you and the odd man. The innkeeper remains unfazed by the intrusion, resuming his ramble.

“Anywho, it is 1000 yen per night. Payment upfront.”

“How long would you like to stay, My Flame?” He turns his head towards you.

My flame, that was different.

“I think a week should suffice.” You reply. Plenty of time to investigate and take down the root cause of destruction, you hope.

“7000 yen and this room is yours.”

Rengoku hands him the payment without a second thought.

“If you’d like to soak in the hot springs, continue further down this hallway and turn to your right.” The man mimics the motions with his hands. “I do hope you enjoy your stay.”

The room was quaint. Already prepared futons lay on the floor. You lay against yours, feeling exhausted.

“There is one thing we do know at least.” You say.

“And that is?” He asks.

“The hot springs are the only connections between each encounter we’ve had.” You respond. Counting each encounter on your fingers as you explained.

“It seems we have a lead.” He hums, closing his eyes to think.

“Speaking of leads. That couple the old man was talking about, do you think that could’ve been the woman?” You ask, “maybe she’s still alive?”

“It’s entirely possible.”

“We are going to have to experiment ourselves if we want more answers.” You state.

“We can’t both get in, we don’t know what will happen. I will be the one to get in and you monitor me.” He counters.

“No. I will be the one to get in.” You argue.

“I can’t risk anything happening to you, Little Flame.” He looks at you tenderly.

“Neither can I! You’re the better fighter between the two of us. You’ll be more capable than me if something happens.”

“You doubt your abilities too much. You shouldn’t hesitate the way you do.”

“I don’t doubt my abilities.” You cross your arms, becoming flustered.

“Yes you do. That’s why you act brash and impulsive. You let the wrong things fuel you during a fight.” He remains calm while saying this, as if it’s a known fact. “You don’t trust yourself.”

“I do though.”

“Then why do you keep pushing me away?” He pushes.

“Because I’m in love with you.” You raised your voice. Your bold statement takes both of you by surprise. There’s no going back now, you thought, might as well let the entire truth now.

“I love you. The way you always take care of me, check in. Oh, the smiles you give me. I get butterflies each time,” you continue, “you are patient and just as kind. You are strong and full of determination. I admire your will and devotion, I admire everything about you.”

You take a deep breath, tears prickling your eyes, “Rengoku, I’m in love with you. I can’t tell you when I started to feel this way, but once I realized, my feelings for you deepened. I always wanted to be the best I could be for you.”

“Y/N, my little flame, you are already the best for me. I enjoy the time we spend together. We take care of each other.”

He grabs your hands gently, “We’re a team and that’s how I prefer it. You patch me up even with the faintest of scratches, and always check in on me as well. You are just as determined and strong willed, My Flame, if not more. There is a light inside your heart that will never extinguish.”

His hands move to your face gently cupping your cheeks. He wipes away the tears spilling from your eyes. “I love you, My Flame. Always have, always will.”

“Is it really okay for me to love you?” You whisper.

“It is if you’ll accept me.”

“Then kiss me please.”

He brought his face to yours, pulling you into a gentle kiss. His hands wrapped themselves around you, almost as if he was afraid you’d run away again. It was desperate, like this was the last opportunity he’d get to do so.

Your hands reach up his neck, running your fingers through his hair. You both break the kiss slightly, returning for air. Resting your foreheads against each other, eyes still closed.

“I love you Kyojuro,” you whisper against his lips.

“I love you too.” He replies, pulling you in for another deep kiss.

You tug against the band of his kimono, trying to loosen it up. He pulls apart from your kiss, hands replacing yours as he undos the belt.

“Always eager My Flame.” He chuckles. You hesitantly push the fabric off his shoulders, gently tracing over his muscles and faint scars.

“May I undo yours as well?” He asks, fingers ghosting the fabric.

You nod and lean for him to do so, heart pounding in your chest. His hands work fast, not a glint of nervousness written on his face.

“May I take your kimono off of you completely, My Flame?”

You nod again, leaning back.

“Your words Little Flame.”

“Please Kyojuro. I want you.”

“As you wish.”

His fingers push under the gentle fabric by your shoulders, letting it cascade down to your wrists. Your nipples harden from the exposure of the cool air. You swore you could hear his breath hitch. His eyes traced up and down your body, taking in each curve. He knew that your typical uniform left little for the imagination, but to see you like this, completely bare for him felt different.

“You’re beautiful, Y/N.” He states, leaning in for another kiss. His hands grasp your shoulders as he pushes you back against the futon gently. His right hand traveled down from your shoulder, gently cupping your breast, making you gasp against his lips.

“Do you like that, My Flame?” He murmurs against your lips, continuing to massage your breast. You moan in response. His lips move from yours, sliding down to your neck. He starts off with gentle pecks, then he licks one long stripe from your shoulder to just under your ear. He suckles on the skin, leaving faint red marks as he works his way down to your collarbone.

He pulls his head from your marked neck, proudly tracing his hand over the marks he made. He maneuvers himself between your legs, coming up to your neglected breasts.

He cups both tenderly in his hands, massaging gently. He pinches both of your nipples, eliciting another moan from you. He starts with your left breast, taking your nipple into his mouth, swirling his tongue around before letting go with a pop. Giving the same treatment to your right breast. Your hands grip his arms tightly, nails digging into his flesh.

He takes the left breast back in his mouth. Sucking tenderly. His hand returning to knead your right breast. You tried to stifle your unending moans, face flushed with heat.

He pulled his mouth away again, making you whine.

“Let me hear your pretty moans, My Flame.” He pinches your nipple, “I want to hear your pretty noises. Let me know how good I’m making you feel.”

He trailed kisses down from your chest and stomach, stopping just before he reached your pussy, his hot breath against your core. You let out a needy whine when he pulled back.

“I want to make sure you’re still okay with continuing My Flame.” His fingers ghosted against your folds.

“Please Kyojuro. Please don’t tease me either.” You plead.

He spread your folds with his fingers, “My Flame, you’re already so wet for me. I bet you taste wonderful.”

Pulling his hand away, he continued his kisses where he left off, before delving straight into your folds, spreading them apart on his tongue this time.

You moaned loudly, hips bucking up into his face. He grabs your hips, tight grip stilling you as he licks long slow stripes up your folds.

“I was right, My Flame, you do taste delicious.” You wiggle in his grasp.

His mouth found your clit, sucking tenderly on the little bead. Breathy moans kept escaping your lips as you clasped on to Rengoku’s hair, tugging slightly. Legs shaking from all the stimulation he was giving you.

Your tugs on his hair had Rengoku growling against your pussy, stimulating you further. He pushed two fingers inside your hole, curling and uncurling them.

You could feel tightening in your stomach, a band about to snap. Your legs shook, toes curling in pleasure. “It’s too much.” You chant, pulling hard on his hair. He kept firm in his ministrations, until you gushed all over his tongue and fingers with a loud moan of his name. He laps up every bit, wiping the corner of his mouth when he finally sits up.

He pulls his kimono off the rest of the way off, leaving him completely bare to you. Your eyes drift to his member, red and swollen.

“Do you still want to continue, My Flame?”

You nod, spreading your legs further for him. He grips your thighs, pulling them on top of his. He grabs one of your hands, interlacing it with his, using his other to position himself at your entrance. He looked up at you, eyes searching yours for any sign of hesitation.

You squeeze his hand, “Kyojuro, I’m ready. Please take me.”

“Tell me if it hurts at all, My Flame. I’ll go slow.”

“I promise I will.”

He slowly pushes the tip in, watching as your face scrunches up with discomfort. He leans down, capturing you an a small kiss as he bottoms out.

“I love you Y/N, My Little Flame.”

“I love you too Kyojuro.”

He envelopes you in another kiss, slowly pulling out, only leaving the tip in, before thrusting back in again at the same slow pace.

“My beautiful girl is so wet for me. I love it.”

“K-kyojuro.” You moaned, still not used to the dirty words coming from his mouth.

He kept a slow pace, watching as you writhe in pleasure, airy moans leaving your lips.

“F-faster, Kyo, please.” You beg, hips bucking up into his at a sloppy pace, “I need it.”

He obliges, hands coming to your hips to steady himself as he began to pound into your wet pussy. All that could be heard from the room was the slapping of skin, coupled with your cries of his name and his breathy grunts.

Nearing his climax, he pressed a thumb to your swollen clit, rubbing circles as he continued to pound into you.

Your legs curled around his back, hands gripping on to the sheets underneath you as you came on his cock with a loud cry of his name. The way you convulsed around him had him cumming unexpectedly inside you, unable to pull completely out beforehand.

He pulls out slowly, watching as his cum leaks out of you.

Rengoku lays down next to you on your shared futon, pulling your body flush with his. With his left, he adjusts the blanket over your nude forms. He locks hands with yours, thumbs gently rubbing yours.

That’s when the emotions you had been keeping locked away broke apart. Tears stained your cheeks, small sobs coming out.

“My flame, is something wrong?” He leans up slightly, trying to get a better view of your face.

“Sometimes it’s hard, Kyojuro.” You creak out.

“What is My Flame?” He responds, hand coming to cup your face.

“I scare myself. I tell myself I’m not allowed to feel enjoyment in life. I feel guilty each time. The time we first kissed, I felt that guilt wash over me. I thought I was going to be sick. I was ashamed in myself for enjoying it. Wanting more. Wanting you.”

You couldn’t look him in the eye. Shame burning through your core.

“It’s silly of you to think that way Little Flame. You’re alive but you’re choosing to act as if you’ve passed on. You can’t live in a shadow of the past. Progress doesn’t get made that way.”

“You’re right, but I’m still opening that udon shop, to honor them.”

“I’ll be right next to you every step of the way.” A small smile forms on your lips.

“That reminds me, I know of a better taste tester.” You tease.

He laughs, “and who is better than me to be your taste tester.”

“Kanroji.” You say matter-of-factly.

“You may have a point there.” He laughs, pulling you close against his chest, “let’s try and get some sleep before nightfall.”

He nestles his head in the crook of your neck, both of you falling asleep in each others arms.

#rengoku kyojuro #rengoku smut #demon slayer kyojuro #demon slayer #kyojuro rengoku #kyojuro x reader #kyojuro smut #kny

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mydaddywiki · 3 months

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Barry Corbin

Physique: Stocky Build Height: 5' 11" (1.80 m)

Leonard Barrie Corbin (born October 16, 1940-) is an American actor. He is best known for his starring role as Maurice Minnifield on the television series Northern Exposure, which earned him two consecutive Primetime Emmy Award nominations. His other notable credits include the films Urban Cowboy, Stir Crazy, WarGames and No Country for Old Men as well as the television series Dallas, Lonesome Dove, One Tree Hill, The Closer, The Ranch and Yellowstone.

With his beady-eyes, stocky build and big voice, the Texas native is noted for his portrayals of policemen, soldiers, and father figures, or some other authority figure, though on occasion, he has effectively portrayed murderous villains as well. One things count against this man though. He lost most of his hair in the 1990s due to a condition called alopecia areata; since then, he often appears on screen either with his head shaved or wearing a cowboy hat, or occasionally wearing a full toupee.

Married three times with one child with the first wife, two children with the second and a daughter that he didn't know he had, found him in 1991. Much of his spare time is spent riding horses and tending to cattle on his small ranch, volunteering his time to charity including rodeos and being spokesman for the National Alopecia Areata Foundation.

RECOMMENDATIONS: (2014) Modern Family (TV Series) - S5/E23 'The Wedding, Part 2' - Shirtless (1997) The Fanatics - Shirtless (1990-1995) Northern Exposure (TV Series) - Shirtless - multiple episodes (1985) My Science Project - Shirtless (1985) What Comes Around (1985) - Shirtless (1983) The Man Who Loved Women - Shirtless (1980) Any Which Way You Can - Underwear

#mydaddywiki actors #barry corbin

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ellaphnt · 15 hours

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Saw ur Toshiro post, and I absolutely agree that Toshiro's outburst will be a stepping stone for both um an Laios to grow and that the buildup was because Shuro didn't want to ruin situation he was still trying to figure out. But the funniest thing is, afaik, Laios and Falin are *also Foreigners* for quite far away. Their country is simply Scandinavian/northern Europe themed. I don't think we see any long-lived races in their flash backs (baring the dead man buying a ring of elves?). And both Falin and Laois definitly are the equivalent of nobility/Local chiefs kids. But instead of being send out with all their assistants and guards, Laios ran away and suffered in the army and then on his own in a caravan , and Falin was send to a Magial School full of other races and people. They both had time to 'adjust' to the wider world (and still carry a bit of home-grown uh...prejudice (mountain people)). So when they met Shuro both of them were well used to meeting people not from their Country. Toshiro not being either from the tiny Island or the nearby lands simply didn't mesh with how they had adapted to behave. Plus, obviously, Laios textual Autism. But I feel like Laios could totally have figured it out if he had met people from Shuros island before who would have told him, he does after all know how to behave around Dwarves and such, who also have quite diffrent culturual norms. Sorry for the ramble xD Good Toshiro post!

Hi hi! I’m really glad you’re adding onto my silly brain thoughts hehe - I’m super happy to hear yours, especially since they make me think more! Warning this is going to be long, talking about dungeon meshi is just a lot of fun.

When I said foreigner, I should have clarified that that I meant he’s a stranger to the CULTURE. A good chunk of the people in the island are not native to it! But culturally, they have the social background to fit in. They didn’t all come from the same place, yes, but they grew up in European-esque cultures and interacted to some extent with other races. Even Kabru and Rin are not foreign to this type of culture because they grew up with Western/European socialization.

Gonna elaborate bc I think it’s fascinating: From what we know about the Eastern islands, the worldview is very very different. In the Adventurer’s Bible where Kabru talks to Hien, they talk about how the East defines “humans” as “tallmen”, and oni/ogres were the only “other”. In the post-canon snippet where Toshiro talks to Falin, he even refers to Eastern thinking as “backward” due to the lack of long-lived races. Because of his delayed exposure to other races, and because the worldview is far more different than the one the Toudens experienced, that’s where I make the statement that he had more to adjust to.

I’ll also note, the fact that the Toudens are subjectively more adjusted to seeing and accommodating other races makes Laios’ statement that Toshiro “had an odd appearance” an even more bizarre thing to say. And although we can assume Toshiro also has his biases, we don’t see them highlighted like other characters have had (to my knowledge). So it makes it seem like he was more thoughtful/careful towards other races from the get-go, despite his lack of knowledge. His main issues were always with other tallmen, just like Laios.

It’s good to point out that the Toudens are outcasts in their own right. Both of them went through a really hard time, and it changed them. Laios’ cycle of failures and giving up and being bullied are especially important to characterizing his relationship with his sister and his disinterest in humanity and lack of close friends. Falin at least had Marcille. Both Laios and Toshiro have reasons they’re inexperienced in friendship, but one of them stated it in the story and the other didn’t. There’s more misconception about Toshiro’s character than Laios’. So my post was to talk about that one a bit.

ALSO OOO I COMPLETELY FORGOT but I WAS going to mention how both the Toudens and Toshiro came from families of influence! Thank you for bringing it up! Laios and Toshiro diverge from that upbringing, while making Toshiro and Falin a little more similar. This goes into another whole thing where Laios and Toshiro parallel (and foils?) each other but that’s too long of a discussion. Just as long is how this divergence distinguishes the Touden siblings (too many people have said their only difference is gender..)

Lastly, yes, Laios does need more exposure to Eastern people and Eastern culture to get a grasp on it. He really wants to learn! It’s just that Shuro isn’t his encyclopedia and until he gets that chance, he will make ignorant takes. I can think of two more that will occur in the main narrative alone. (but like Toshiro said, Laios has no malicious intent, that’s what makes it all the more complicated)

While there’s good conversation to be had about the fight from a ND vs NT POV, I’ve seen SO much discussion about Toshiro possibly being read as autistic too, and neurodivergent individuals who can relate to his experience. Often it comes as an intersection between both being autistic and being a poc. I think it brings even more nuance to the narrative. Plus I’m just glad there’s people who can relate to him. He’s meant to be relatable! His problem with Laios is just as much a character flaw as it is human.

Hope this post was a thoughtful response to yours, I tried to tackle everything you mentioned! Thank you sm for the ask :D

Edit: for the sake of context, here’s the og post that’s being referred to!

#dungeon meshi #delicious in dungeon #askella #shuro #toshiro nakamoto #laios touden #touden siblings #character study

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fromtheseventhhell · 5 months

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The more I think on it I think the lack of the time skip may have affected how GRRM wanted to have the dynamic between Littlefinger and Sansa to play out. With the time skip we'd be coming back to an 18 year old Sansa who's had 5 years of either learning to be his protege, being under his manipulations, or secretly plotting against him. Without it we're coming back to a 13 year old Sansa newly traumatized by her aunt trying to kill her who's still figuring out how much she can and should trust the him. An 18 year old Sansa probably would've been in on the plan to resolve to be Sansa Stark and take North but now he has to restructure the plan for a younger Sansa, who ends up being a more passive party going along with what Littlefinger wants than a more active participant.

It actually does help a lot that we have access to a couple of different AFFC drafts. Sansa's the only character to have all her chapters in that book accounted for as early as October 2003 but the talk with Littlefinger at the end of Alayne II was still missing as of the June 2004 version. His dialogue about Cersei in GRRM's other note isn't an exact match to the published version either, he sounds more amused by how quickly she fucked things up for herself than saying she's overreached and will soon be done. GRRM hadn't even written the part where he explains Harry the Heir's role as her betrothed, but her next planned chapter is all about her needing to seduce him.

What actually seems to be new material is what he crossed out involving Sweetrobin and news from W(hite) H(arbor), along with killing the Mad Mouse (but were those two points crossed out because he pushed them out of the book or scrapped them in favor of focusing on Shadrich?) I definitely think GRRM is setting Sansa up as one of the driving conflicts involving the Stark succession crisis in TWOW with Littlefinger whispering in her ear about her deserving Winterfell and possible news of her siblings being fakes. Definitely the basis of the season 7 fight between Sansa and Arya came from GRRM, no matter how painfully poorly written it was. The question of who ends up ruling the North isn't compelling if it simply involves them all saying they don't want it and another sibling can have it, you need to have a least one who truly wants it and believes it's their right.

I wholeheartedly agree that the lack of a time skip changed the dynamic between LF and Sansa. If we'd had the time skip it would've allowed time for Sansa to grow + learn from her time with LF and we likely would've come back to her being more politically savvy and confident, which would've set the stage for her doing her own scheming. Instead, like you said, we have a Sansa who is (currently) going to be more passive in his plans. It's a little disappointing because that growth would've been interesting, but it seems like her development has taken a backseat to LF's planning. She could still have that development but it won't be anywhere as dramatic as it would've been because that's not how George develops his characters. With her TWOW sample chapter, it seems that her development will be dependent on when George wants to reveal LF's plan. When that comes out, we'll likely start to see Sansa becoming more active.

As for the other plot points in the outline, the crossed-out ones could still be on the table. Arya has a crossed-out point of "mercy at the gate" and "Mercy" is her opening in TWOW. SW "woos/weds" is very interesting to me and could signify a change in LF's plans. I don't believe that they're going to be a "driving force" for the Northern plot, I believe their actions will be reactionary, but I do think that whatever happens North will have an impact. LF believes that Sansa is the only Stark left to claim the Winterfell so that meant he could take his time (with the time skip he would've been waiting years); the exposure of Robb's will + four other Starks coming back into play will significantly change things and his timeline. We don't know what LF's real plans are but getting this news (from white harbor?) will affect what he's told Sansa and her feelings on the matter. She's going along with his plans because the idea of retaking Winterfell has been presented to her, and I can see her latching onto that. If Jon becomes King, which is very likely, it could lay the ground for conflict between them. While Sansa has been pretending to be a bastard she hasn't really confronted her classism or behavior towards him. We know that Arya and Sansa are going to have issues to work out, to whatever level, so I don't think it's impossible that other sibling conflicts will exist.

There are also the developments with the KL (southern?) plot to consider. With JonCon making trouble for the Lannister's + Tommen's reign facing problems he could try, or be forced, to interact with that plot. The Northern plot won't be the only thing to influence what's happening in the Vale, or LF's actions. His main goal probably wasn't ever to claim Winterfell, it was just a bonus to him having Sansa in his grasp. If things become too "active" there he might readjust his attention. There are a lot of different things that could impact the plot, some things that will only be introduced in TWOW, and ways the plot could play out so it's hard to say anything concrete about it.

#ask #anon #outline discussions #it's hard to have any concrete theories because there's just so much up in the air #love that people send me asks discussing book content like this though cause I love to talk about it #don't worry guys George is going to release the books so we won't have to speculate 🤪

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irithnova · 9 months

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Notes on Anitismo - The Ancient Religion of the Philippines by Isabelo de los Reyes.

Keep in mind - this was written a while back.

Ancient Chronicles written by the Jesuit hispanic Friars state that at the that the first spaniards set foot in the Philippines from the coast of visayas to Manila there was a considerable population of Muslim converts

This was especially true for Mindanao due to conversion by Islamic teachers from Borneo

De los Reyes argues that because of this, to find native Filipino religion at its purest, we must look to the North

Distinguishing native religion without outside influence such as from Islam, Hinduism, Christianity etc can be tricky

However he argues that the traces of Native Filipino religion can be found in the stories superstitions and advice that belong to various Filipino ethnic groups (Tagalogs, Bicolanos, Zambalenos etc)

From the South of the country in Mindanao to the extreme North like Luzon, De los Reyes argues then native Filipino religion was consistent

This religion was Anitism or the Cult of Anito, meaning souls of the ancestors.

Anitism is not a monolithic religion and hosts a broad pantheon ranging from Gods to animals, nature, elements and space.

The Philippines had its own modern spiritism and De los Reyes argues this may have been the origins of the cults of "Romanist Saints" (Catholic saints) in the Philippines. By this I think he means that Filipino spirituality influenced how Filipinos proceeded with Catholic worship.

The oldest chronicles about the Philippines can be found in various museums and libraries (such as the National Library of Madrid, Covenant of St Augustine in Manila)

We can follow these chronicles, from when the Jesuit Pedro Quirino provided news of religion in the Philippines in 1604, followed by reproductions by others like the Jesuit Colin in 1663 and others such as Fr. Morga, Gonzalez de Mendoza, Aduarte etc.

Fr Morga said that Filipinos practised Anitism in certain regions like Camarines and Cagayan.

Some traditions would say that Manila and its regions were not originally native to the island - they were from Malayan islands and other remote areas.

Before the Spaniards arrived, Islamic teachers from Borneo came to preach and interacted with the locals

Their teachings and beliefs spread quickly throughout the Philippines

Fr. Grijalva writes that they (Filipinos) started adopting their traditions and took on their names.

De Los Reyes argues that Spanish conquistadors' arrival/conquest was delayed because Filipinos were already familiar with various religions and beliefs and also because of the hands of Datu Lapu Lapu. What I believe he is arguing is that Datu Lapu Lapu and the previous exposure Filipinos had to different religions at first delayed Spanish influence from spreading so quickly.

Other islanders who weren't under the control of the government in the Philippines has their beliefs influenced by religious preachers who travelled to them from the Straits of Malacca and the Red Sea.

An account, dated April 20th 1572 (preserved in the archives of India) which is from the conquest of Luzon details "In these towns, closest to the sea, they do not eat any pork, which the moors taught them. But if you ask them, they say they do not know Muhammed or his law." This account was reproduced by Wenceslao Retana.

In actuality, very few Filipinos could understand/read the teachings of the Koran despite the Islamic influence.

In Filipino traditions, reverence and worship was given to nature and the elements, and this was usually consistent throughout the islands.

Native Filipino religion beliefs include elements, animals, stars and ancestors.

Filipino religion in Manila and nearby areas was a mixture or Anitism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam brought by the Malays of Borneo.

Vocabulary included Sanskrit and Malay terms such as Bathala, meaning Lord.

However these terms are not used in Northern provinces.

De Los Reyes argues that Itnegs and other mountain tribes conserved and maintained the purest form of Filipino religion

In the Ilocos, Cagayan, Isabela and other provinces of Northern Luzon, native Filipino religion was more prevalent

Hindus and Buddhists converted many in Java and Malaysia.

However Muslim influence became dominant in 1478 - 60 years before the Dutch invasion.

According to Javanese legends, Hindus arrives in Java 78 years before Christ.

The first Malays came from the Minangkabau river region to establish cities in Malacca , Ojohor and Singapore in the 12th century, as per Malacca records.

In the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries, there were various Malaysian emigrations reaching the Philippines

De Los Reyes argues that Filipinos may have also populated the islands of Malaysia, and emigrations could have originated from strong winds coming down from the North.

The first Spaniards found the son of Lakandula, King of Manila, when they went to Borneo.

The emperor's master of ceremonies from Japan (Mr Fujita) argued that emigration likely came from the north and that Filipinos may have some relations to the Japanese.

According to Geographers and Historians of the Mariana Islands, what De Los Reyes calls the "know it all Spanish" - had no idea about interesting ruins found in Oceania, one of which was a prehistoric statue that was being held in the British museum.

He argues there may be hidden megaliths, artefacts, and remnants of lost civilisation in the Philippines, as seen in various locations such as : Butacan caves, Pangibalon Hill, Madias de Iloilo and Nasso.

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outofangband · 11 months

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I’m writing more of my series of healers notes of Maedhros post Angband but I wanted to share some thoughts first!

Elven and human healing practices and treatment of survivors post Angband are (as is probably obvious) some of my favorite topics to write about! As are medicinal plants but as always please feel free to ask more!

As this is for my post on Mithrim healers of the Noldor (with some Sindar allies, this focuses mainly on their practices but feel free to ask about any others for elves or other peoples!)

Healers from most cultures, elven, human and dwarven kept records of injuries and treatments. These were often written in an equivalent of shorthand in their languages and then later transcribed for preservation. Healers of nobility and in more prosperous communities might have their own scribes however

These records often include an extensive visual component. Among the Noldor, training in anatomical drawing and medical drawings is a highly revered skill. Some even travel, visiting healers throughout their regions to make illustrations for their records. Records among the Sindar also include visual elements, some of them are primarily visual especially in areas without a common language.

Pursuit and preservation of knowledge is especially valued by the Noldor though many elven cultures kept records of injuries and treatments for practical reasons; as a guide for future treatments

The Helcaraxë saw the first of their kind for many types of injuries among the returned Noldor and as soon as it was possible these were recorded. These and the injuries suffered in the first siege at Angband became the first tomes of Noldorin healers in Beleriand. My recent post on mobility aids goes into some early Noldor in Beleriand healing practices specifically with regard to limb damage and amputation!

Topics regarding Angband and former prisoners were certainly a sort of taboo throughout many cultures in Beleriand but records were still kept of the few survivors known to be treated by healers, this is partly why brands on Maedhros were recognized by some of the Northern Sindar who were in Mithrim.

Records of the treatment of Maedhros, of some treatment Gwindor received in Nargothrond for long term effects of starvation, exposure to noxious substances, and poorly healed breaks, as well as sparse other survivors who made it back to encampments and allowed treatment* become some important records regarding former prisoners in Angband. Though many are purely analytical and some contain obvious bias, some contain vital compassion and humanization of these

*many former prisoners never allowed themselves to be examined for a variety of reasons

#the silmarillion #maedhros #noldor #sindar #hithlum #mithrim #musing and meta #post Angband #beleriand #but ever the noldor feared

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mehoymalloy · 5 months

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Hello 👀 can I please hear the potential Raven Queen and Imogen stuff in the Let Me sequel?

Warning: This got long lol.

Ok so... in Let Me, while everything revolves around Imogen and Otohan's interactions, there is still a heavy focus on plot, since it's following along with the canon campaign, with me making changes when necessary/interesting. (As opposed to the Won't You series, which purely serves to let me put those two in a box and shake 'em up, focusing more on characterization than plot).

So with that said, the Let Me Sequel will have a heavier focus on Bells Hells as a whole, even if viewed through Imogen's perspective. A big part of that will of course be Laudna, because she undeniably means so much to Imogen, and I don't like discounting or diminishing that. One thing Imogen will be facing is how she can help Laudna, with the gods as a whole being a potential if unnerving option.

Right now, the sequel outline is really just a list of chronological events and ways I can tweak them to serve the story, and there are lots of potential ways to do so!

Like imagine Otohan being privy to these "so about the gods" conversations. I imagine she would be dismissive/uninterested intially because it's not useful info to the Vanguard. But then the Raven Queen (or Duskmaven, and she's often called in Marquet) comes up, and suddenly Otohan is all ears, abruptly curious about Imogen's opinion of the gods and borderline cagey as to why ('Continue with your debates as long as you wish, but be wary of who you consort with.' <- that's Otohan lol.) And if that ain't a big red button that says 'Do Not Push' lol.

Maybe when Team Wildemount are in Uthordurn, Imogen slips away to the Matron of Ravens' temple and starts asking questions (as vague and awkward as she may be, going based on her recent Dawnfather temple visit lol). I imagine there'd be quite the warm up period for her; like's she's not just gonna become a cleric or paladin of the Duskmaven immediately. More so just asking questions and showing interest when the topic happens to come up, rather than actively seeking out information.

Meanwhile, you have Otohan in the back of her mind, clearly not liking this for some reason, even if she never says so directly. So then, maybe when Imogen exhausts surrounding sources of info, she starts asking Otohan. ('Didn't you follow the Duskmaven once? Heard you lost your faith during the war or something, though I'm guessing it had nothing to do with the 'horrors of war,' in your case.') And as you can likely imagine, Otohan doesn't appreciate this one bit. It becomes just one way Imogen can get under Otohan's skin, each question or mention crafted to hurt as much as weasel information out of her.

Imagine Otohan tuning in at very inopportune times (as Imogen is drinking from a clear fountain in an unnaturally dark chapel of sorts, as she's hesitantly stepping into a pool of blood, as the lid of one of those meditation coffins is being slowly pushed over her). Let Me Otohan will likely not have quite as sympathetic religious trauma as Moon Moms Otohan is being set up to have, but that's not to say she won't have any at all. And Imogen might quickly pick up that the easiest way to wring raw, honest answers out of Otohan is by exposing herself (and by proxy Otohan) to those types of rituals and situations.

Imogen may approach the Duskmaven very much as a 'here's the deal' sort of situation, bargaining for Laudna's life, but at the same time she has someone who is intimately aware of the intricacies of real faith and devotion. And I think that constant dichotomy between the two of them could be really cool (like imagine Imogen awkwardly attempting to perform some sort of prayer or ritual or whatnot, and Otohan abruptly snaps, 'Kneel, and bow your head,' because she's doing it wrong and can we please get on with this lol).

And as a final, fun note, most of Imogen's exposure to the Matron of Ravens has been through the Northern Hemisphere lens, where she is known as "the goddess of death, fate, and winter and watches over the transition between life and death" and is associated with ravens. But in Marquet, she is primarily referred to as the Duskmaven and is known as "the goddess of twilight, inevitability, and the passage of time in addition to her association with the transition into the afterlife" (Mirahaze). Certain sects also "depict her as a keen-eyed vulture with plumage varying from the shades of a sunset to the black of midnight" (Wiki).

On a more serious note, this will absolutely play into how both Otohan and Imogen view their own connection (with Otohan subconsciously placing a lot of value on the idea of fate and inevitability, no matter how much she claims the importance of seizing your own destiny, because of her history with the faith.)

On a less serious note, I think it'd be funny as fuck if the Duskmaven started sending a vulture to Imogen as a sign rather than the stereotypical raven, thinking, 'oh she's from Marquet so this is culturally relevant.' Meanwhile, Imogen, who knows jackshit about the cultural intricacies regarding worship of the Duskmaven in Marquet, is like 'did something fucking die in the hole? Why is this buzzard following us??' and poor FCG is having flashbacks.

Whew, this got way longer than expected. And I really shoudn't be suprised at myself; I hoped my ramblings were at least interesting!

#imogen temult #critical role #cr3 #otohan thull #matron of ravens #raven queen #duskmaven #malloy sometimes speaks

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maturemenoftvandfilms · 10 months

Photo

Valley of the Sun (2011) Barry Corbin as Gene Taggert

I always wanted to fuck Barry ever since I first saw him on Northern Exposure.

Still do.

On A Side Note: Is it just me or does the back of Barry's head looks like a dick.

And now that I mentioned it, that's all you see.

[photoset #4 of 4]

#Barry Corbin #Valley of the Sun #american actor #handsome daddy #daddy #husky daddy #casual dress #eye glasses #celebrities #movie #screenshots #CILF #actor

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somethingclevermahogony · 2 months

Note

Happy Worldbuilding Wednesday!

I notice you've got a fair number of lovely maps, so I'll keep this Ask geographical.

Are there any regions in your Setting which have, in the past, been fought over by the societies in or near it? Why did these conflicts happen, and who controls it now?

Get ready BIG POST, a shit ton of worldbuilding, I'm sorry, but with several maps! If this is rambling, I apologize we just moved into a new flat, I can't sleep, and it is 4am right now. There WILL be typos, please don't judge me too harshly. This post will concern the lands of Kishetal, Korithia/Arkodai, Ikopesh, Baalkes, and Dirsia. Feel free to ask questions, I love questions and I swear they aren't usually quite this long.

1. The Beginnings (Very Very Simplified)

After the events of the Calamity and the subsequent destruction of 92% of all human life and the complete destruction of all non-subterranean settlements, most surviving humans dwelled within the mountain sanctuaries of a number of kindly spirits over a period of roughly 300-500 years (It should be noted that some populations descended earlier or in very rare cases did not go into the shelters at all, due to the exposure to massive amounts of wild magic, most of these peoples became forestfolk, this will be discussed further below). It so happens that a number of these mountains can be found in the Green Sea. For the purposes of this discussion, the two important ones are Mt. Daruz in what is now Shabala and Mt. Argino in what is now Korithia.

After the descent of the humans from the mountain sanctuaries, over the course of many millennia of development, war, etc, the first kingdoms were formed. The three dominant powers within the Early Green Sea were Shabala, Arkodai, and Apuna. For this discussion we are interested in the first two.

Continues below the cut!

The Birth of Arkodian Bronze and The Line of Tamel and the Birth of Kishetal

The magical metal known simply as Arkodian Bronze was first created in the Arkodian city of Myminat, famed for its sages, and was the result of a collaboration between said sages and metallurgists. It is said that the metal was created in response to the tyrannical Spiritblooded King Akamanon, and was subsequently used in his defeat. The metal has several miraculous properties: it does not tarnish or rust, its ability to hold a razor sharp edge is unmatched. Most forms of metal armor are practically useless in the face of an Arkodian Bronze blade. Further, Arkodian Bronze is capable of harming Spiritbloods far easier than other forms of metal, and can even damage and kill beings like spirits and demons. Arkodian Bronze can only be destroyed via the application of heat. This magical material was incredibly expensive to produce, and its creation a jealously guarded secret, one which was passed down orally and never written. Using the wealth gained by the creation of these new super weapons, and their ability to kill the once dreaded Spiritblooded warlords of the Green Sea, Arkodai became an empire, creating colonies in the northern peninsula which they called Wanakat. At the same time, the Arkodians attempted on multiple occasions to colonize the islands they called Heliko (Ikopesh). These attempts ranged from the diplomatic to unabashed attempts at invasion, however in all instances, they were rebuffed by the native forestfolk population. Roughly contemporary with the initial colonization of Wanakat, the Shabalic kingdom was embroiled in a civil war between two claimants to the throne, half-brothers Kaloch and the Spiritblood, Tamel. Kaloch allegedly with the use of the Dragon Urudu, captured his siblings stronghold at the city of Kur. Tamel was forced to flee along with those families that had remained loyal to him.

These refugees would sail south, most landing in the wild and dangerous lands of the Qish Peninsula. A few of these ships however, landed instead on the isles of Iko (Heliko, in the language of the Arkodians), inhabited by the forestfolk known as the Ikopi. The Ikopi were a short people, rarely taller than 4'. They were well-suited to a semi-aquatic life, with large lungs, and webbed feet. Most striking however was their naturally brightly colored hair, most typically appearing in shades of Blue and purple. These groups would intermingle, forming the Ikopeshi ethnic group and people. The Ikopeshi, identifiable by the brightly colored hair inherited from their Ikopi ancestors, are now the most numerous forestfolk population in the Green Sea. Meanwhile Tamel and his followers would engage in the subjugation and conquest of the Qish peninsula, culminating in the creation of a new kingdom, Kishetal. Tamel's centuries long reign (Spiritbloods do not die of old age, and if allowed could theoretically live forever) saw Kishetal grow into a powerful empire, one which would go on to overshadow that which it had originally sprang from, Shabala.

Tamel's last conquest before his death were the islands of Ikopesh, justified as reuniting the two lands with shared Shabalic heritage (though very little actual Shabalic culture remained within Ikopeshi customs.)

However, during the course of the conquest, in a moment of desperation, the Ikopeshi managed to send a message to another power, one which they themselves had warred with before, Arkodai.

The Arkodic-Kishic War: The End of Empires and the Rise of Kingdoms

It's not entirely clear what drove the Arkodian lord, Ukilat, to heed the call of the Ikopeshi. Though most likely, the Arkodian's themselves hoped to colonize or otherwise control the islands for themselves. The Battle of Shattered Oars is now remembered as the first battle of the Arkodic-Kishic War. Ukilat, at the head of 30 ships, engaged 23 Kishic ships, including the royal barge of Tamel. Tamel's supernatural strength was rendered useless by the battle at sea, and ultimately the barge was sunk, taking Tamel with it.

In a bizarre twist of fate, Ukilat himself would be attacked and killed after landing in the Ikopeshi islands by the very people who had called for his help.

(The battles of the Arkodic-Kishic war are shown above in chronological order) The response to the murder of Tamel by the cities of Kishetal was immediate and severe. The war would rage for nearly twenty three years, and would ultimately see the almost complete destruction of the line of Tamel, as all seven of his children, and the vast majority of his grandchildren would die in the ensuing battle. Though greatly outnumbered, the strategic power of the islands and the use of magical weapons allowed the Arkodians to temporarily hold off the Kishic armies. However, ultimately, a number of factors including drought, the sheer brutality of the Kishic invaders, and the appearance of Baalki raiders to the south, the Arkodian Empire would crumble. It is said that the fate of Arkodai was decided at the Siege of Myminat, the very same city in which Arkodian Bronze had been created only a few centuries before. The city was under the protection of the Spiritblood mercenary, Mikrab, and the giant warrior successfully held off the armies of the Kishics. Until for reasons unknown, Mikrab broke down the very gates that he was meant to guard, allowing for the capture and destruction of the city. In stories, Mikrab is most often remembered as Mikrab the Mad.

An intended consequence of the complete destruction of Myminat, was the loss of the sages who had been taught in the ways of making Arkodian Bronze. The art was lost, all Arkodian Bronze which now exists in the world of Kobani, can be sourced to before this battle. Though the Kishics had won, the victory would ultimately be a Pyrrhic one. The cost in both gold and human life was massive, nearly 1/5 of all adult Kishic men died during the war (though compare this to 4/5 of all Arkodians killed during the War and the subsequent slaughter). The royal line was destroyed, the Ikopeshi had revolted and seized independence, even raiding up and down the Kishic coast. In the ensuing chaos, the various commanders of the "victorious" Kishic army began to squabble over the throne and the spoils of war. This would ultimately end in the Kishic Civil war, which would further weaken the empire, leading to its shattering into the Kishic city-states which exist today. Kishetal lost control of the Islands of Ikopesh, which would go on to become a naval power in their own right. Additionally, in the face of growing pressure by rural groups and bands, the Kishics were forced to abandon the ruins of Arkodai. Though settlers from the Western Coast of Kishetal were successful in creating several permanent settlements in Wanakat, or as they would rename it, Makora.

New Kingdoms and the Arkodian Diaspora

These rural groups, known as the Korithii, would go on to form a culture from the ruins of the Arkodians that preceded them, the city-states of Korithia, in time even managing to recolonize parts of the northern peninsula alongside Kishic colonies.

However, the Korithians would ultimately be unable to reclaim the full extent of the Arkodian domain, as the western isles were firmly in the hands of the Pyritian raiders and settlers or "Baalki" who had settled there in the wake of Arkodai's destruction. These lands have henceforth been known as Baalkes. Some Arkodians did escape from the carnage, settling primarily on the islands of Kulayu (The Clay Women of Kulayu are their own unique topic) and Kachanogoch, integrating and eventually vanishing into the culture of the first and combining to form the new Dirsian culture with the second.

The Winner: Ikopesh

In a strange twist of fate, it would ultimately be Ikopesh, caught between two great powers, that benefited most from the chaos of the war. Ikopesh is known in the present as a culture of great sailors and warriors, their pirates and raiders feared among the descendants of both Arkodai and Kishetal. Though several attempts have been made by a number of Kishic city-states, Korithian entrepreneurs, and even the Apunian throne, to conquer the islands, all have been met with bloody failure, and often immediate and brutal retaliation. Ikopesh may not be the largest of lands, nor the most advanced, but it is agreed with near unanimity, that the Ikopeshi rule the waves.

@patternwelded-quill @flaneurarbiter @skyderman @blackblooms @roach-pizza @illarian-rambling @dezerex @theocticscribe @axl-ul, @persnickety-peahen, @surroundedbypearls

#writeblr #writing #fantasy world #fantasy #fantasy map #worldbuilding #fantasy writing #queer fantasy #testamentsofthegreensea #fantasy worldbuilding #world building #ahhhh insomnia #wbw #send asks #sorry for any typos I will fix them eventually

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scifigeneration · 4 months

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Winter brings more than just ugly sweaters – here’s how the season can affect your mind and behavior

by Michael Varnum, Associate Professor of Psychology at Arizona State University and Ian Hohm, Graduate Student of Psychology at the University of British Columbia

What comes to mind when you think about winter? Snowflakes? Mittens? Reindeer? In much of the Northern Hemisphere, winter means colder temperatures, shorter days and year-end holidays.

Along with these changes, a growing body of research in psychology and related fields suggests that winter also brings some profound changes in how people think, feel and behave.

While it’s one thing to identify seasonal tendencies in the population, it’s much trickier to try to untangle why they exist. Some of winter’s effects have been tied to cultural norms and practices, while others likely reflect our bodies’ innate biological responses to changing meteorological and ecological conditions. The natural and cultural changes that come with winter often occur simultaneously, making it challenging to tease apart the causes underlying these seasonal swings.

With our colleagues Alexandra Wormley and Mark Schaller, we recently conducted an extensive survey of these findings.

Wintertime blues and a long winter’s nap

Do you find yourself feeling down in the winter months? You’re not alone. As the days grow shorter, the American Psychiatric Association estimates that about 5% of Americans will experience a form of depression known as seasonal affective disorder, or SAD.

People experiencing SAD tend to have feelings of hopelessness, decreased motivation to take part in activities they generally enjoy, and lethargy. Even those who don’t meet the clinical threshold for this disorder may see increases in anxiety and depressive symptoms; in fact, some estimates suggest more than 40% of Americans experience these symptoms to some degree in the winter months.

Scientists link SAD and more general increases in depression in the winter to decreased exposure to sunlight, which leads to lower levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Consistent with the idea that sunlight plays a key role, SAD tends to be more common in more northern regions of the world, like Scandinavia and Alaska, where the days are shortest and the winters longest.

Humans, special as we may be, are not unique in showing some of these seasonally linked changes. For instance, our primate relative the Rhesus macaque shows seasonal declines in mood.

It can feel hard to get out of bed on dark mornings.

Some scientists have noted that SAD shows many parallels to hibernation – the long snooze during which brown bears, ground squirrels and many other species turn down their metabolism and skip out on the worst of winter. Seasonal affective disorder may have its roots in adaptations that conserve energy at a time of year when food was typically scarce and when lower temperatures pose greater energetic demands on the body.

Winter is well known as a time of year when many people put on a few extra pounds. Research suggests that diets are at their worst, and waistlines at their largest, during the winter. In fact, a recent review of studies on this topic found that average weight gains around the holiday season are around 1 to 3 pounds (0.5 to 1.3 kilograms), though those who are overweight or obese tend to gain more.

There’s likely more going on with year-end weight gain than just overindulgence in abundant holiday treats. In our ancestral past, in many places, winter meant that food became more scarce. Wintertime reductions in exercise and increases in how much and what people eat may have been an evolutionary adaptation to this scarcity. If the ancestors who had these reactions to colder, winter environments were at an advantage, evolutionary processes would make sure the adaptations were passed on to their descendants, coded into our genes.

Sex, generosity and focus

Beyond these winter-related shifts in mood and waistlines, the season brings with it a number of other changes in how people think and interact with others.

One less discussed seasonal effect is that people seem to get friskier in the winter months. Researchers know this from analyses of condom sales, sexually transmitted disease rates and internet searches for pornography and prostitution, all of which show biannual cycles, peaking in the late summer and then in the winter months. Data on birth rates also shows that in the United States and other countries in the Northern Hemisphere, babies are more likely to be conceived in the winter months than at other times of the year.There’s more to a holiday bump in romance than just opportunity.

Although this phenomenon is widely observed, the reason for its existence is unclear. Researchers have suggested many explanations, including health advantages for infants born in late summer, when food may historically have been more plentiful, changes in sex hormones altering libido, desires for intimacy motivated by the holiday season, and simply increased opportunities to engage in sex. However, changes in sexual opportunities are likely not the whole story, given that winter brings not just increased sexual behaviors, but greater desire and interest in sex as well.

Winter boosts more than sex drive. Studies find that during this time of year, people may have an easier time paying attention at school or work. Neuroscientists in Belgium found that performance on tasks measuring sustained attention was best during the wintertime. Research suggests that seasonal changes in levels of serotonin and dopamine driven by less exposure to daylight may help explain shifts in cognitive function during winter. Again, there are parallels with other animals – for instance, African striped mice navigate mazes better during winter.

And there may also be a kernel of truth to the idea of a generous Christmas spirit. In countries where the holiday is widely celebrated, rates of charitable giving tend to show a sizable increase around this time of year. And people become more generous tippers, leaving about 4% more for waitstaff during the holiday season. This tendency is likely not due to snowy surroundings or darker days, but instead a response to the altruistic values associated with winter holidays that encourage behaviors like generosity.

People change with the seasons

Like many other animals, we too are seasonal creatures. In the winter, people eat more, move less and mate more. You may feel a bit more glum, while also being kinder to others and having an easier time paying attention. As psychologists and other scientists research these kinds of seasonal effects, it may turn out that the ones we know about so far are only the tip of the iceberg.

#science #psychology #evolutionary psychology #holidays #holiday season #seasonal affective disorder

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bonojour · 5 months

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for my tumblr friends in more northern areas (northern europe, canada, northern US) - there's quite a big chance for aurora tonight! so if you are not in a clouded area, try and go out tonight. on this website you can find some data + a map with an estimate of aurora visibility that can give you a start. note that it is easier to photograph than to see with the naked eye, so if possible - bring a tripod and a camera and use a long exposure to catch some of nature's beautiful colours. <3 wee edit: it'll probably arrive quite late at night for europeans, so people in north america have the best shot this round!

#text #for those who happen to be in the netherlands #unfortunately it will be cloudy in most areas but for those in friesland/groningen it should be possible to see something #im considering driving but also... eh

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duxbelisarius · 6 months

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The Dance of the Dragons: A Military Analysis (Pt. 13)

Before offering my conclusions about the Dance as a conflict, there is one last event I wish to address: The Hour of the Wolf. As usual, check out the Master Post for the rest of this series.

As with most events in the Dance, our timeline for the death of Aegon II and the end of the war is vague at best. We know that the 'Muddy Mess' was fought two days march from King's Landing, while Aegon II is assassinated not long after his council receives news of the defeat. The Lads most likely arrived in King's Landing 2-3 days after their victory, while Alyn Velaryon and Leowyn Corbray saw to the surrender of the Crownlands, including a 3 day siege of Dragonstone. Almost a fortnight passes between the Lads arrival in King's Landing and that of Cregan's host; the Hour of the Wolf itself lasts for more than a week, but otherwise this is all the information that we are given. The war officially ends with the marriage of Aegon III and Jaehaera some time after the Hour of the Wolf, on the 7th Day of the 7th Moon (ie July 7th) 131 AC. Since the High Septon traveled from Oldtown to officiate the wedding, we can assume based on a distance map of Westeros that the journey probably took 40 days/almost a month-and-a-half, making the end of May the latest time in which the Hour of the Wolf took place.

George gives little reason for the North's steadfast support of Rhaenyra during the Dance, while simultaneously doing all he can to delay their intervention. I've touched on this in Parts 1 and 9 but it bares repeating that without Sara Snow's involvement, the North's allegiance to Rhaenyra is founded on a betrothal between Cregan's son and a non-existent daughter of an unmarried prince and a vague friendship between Cregan and Jace. It's also worth noting that Jace's first visit in the North was not to Winterfell but to White Harbour; despite Cregan having only been in full control of the North for three years after jailing his Uncle Bennard and his sons, Jace apparently thought nothing of bypassing Stark's authority over his bannermen to conclude a marriage alliance with one of the most powerful houses in the North. Choosing neutrality or to support Aegon would have put Cregan at odds with one of his most powerful bannermen, but Jace's de facto strong-arming of Winterfell isn't even acknowledged by the narrative.

Cregan leads an army of 12000 Northerners troops south when Aegon II returns to power, but how this host was raised and made it to King's Landing presents further problems with George's narrative. Gyldan claims that the snows were already "deep beyond the Neck" when Cregan's host arrived, and yet they appear to have marched from the North all the way to King's Landing. Like the Winter Wolves before them, Cregan's host consisted of men who left their homes to spare their families additional mouths to feed in winter, "old men, younger sons, the unwed, the childless, the homeless, and the hopeless." Marching an army 12000 strong to King's Landing in the midst of a harsh winter would require considerable resources, such as great quantities of food to keep the men and animals well fed in the harsh conditions; large quantities of firewood and tentage to keep them warm and safe from the elements, since quartering the entire force in a single settlement would put enormous pressure on local civilians; and additional horses, oxen and mules for moving these men and supplies, to replace those lost to exhaustion, exposure, illness, and potential theft and predation from animals and humans during the harsh winter.

Combined with the risk of losing men to illness, the elements and desertion, Cregan's host would have marched for one-and-a-half to two months depending on departure from Winterfell or from Barrowton and White Harbour, without accounting for the weather. This begs the question as to why Cregan did not send at least part of his army south via ship; granted the lack of any major ports on the North's western coast would have been an issue, but assuming the Mormonts of Bear Island and the fishing villages dotted along the coast could provide some ships, along with the possibility of impressing merchant ships and even buying the freedom of crews seized by Dalton Greyjoy in return for their assistance, it should have been possible for at least a portion of the army to have been moved by sea or along the coast to Seagard. From there the forks of the Trident would have allowed these troops to join the Lads and face Borros Baratheon with a much greater force.

How Cregan raised and disbanded his host generates further questions about George's worldbuilding, with implications well beyond the Dance. The decision to send the Winter Wolves was based on the need for manpower to complete the fall harvest, and the desire by Roderick Dustin and his men to spare their families additional mouths to feed in the coming winter. This appears harmless enough since the Winterwolves numbered just 2000, but serious problems arise when George extends this reasoning to Cregan's much larger host. Cregan claims that his men "died the day we marched," with Gyldan adding that "victory was secondary for these men...they marched for glory, adventure, plunder, and most of all, a worthy end." Of these men who were largely "unwanted and unneeded in the North," 1000 went with Benjicot and Alysanne Blackwood to the Riverlands after the royal wedding, while the rest swore fealty to southern lords, turned to banditry, or became sellswords in Essos.

The problems with George's choices become clear when we consider the North's population, the size of which has been estimated both by Atlas of Ice and Fire and one of George's own editors, Elio Garcia. The method they both favour takes the best estimates of each kingdom's military forces and multiplies by a hundred, assuming these forces represent 1% of the population. They arrive at a strength of 35-40000 for the North with at most a population of 4 million, though I believe 30000 and 3 million to be more accurate. F&B places Torrhen Stark's army at 30000 strong when he confronted Aegon the Conqueror; since this was near the end of the Conquest, and with no weather issues to speak of in the North, it can be assumed that Torrhen brought the largest army he could muster. Our numbers from the War of the Five Kings further support this (per the Wiki of Ice and Fire), with Robb Stark leading 20000 Northerners to the Riverlands; Rodrick Cassel and Ramsay Bolton leading 2000 and 600 men respectively at the Sack of Winterfell; and Stannis' 5000 strong northern army containing only 1500 southrons; a total of 26100, just shy of 30000.

Assuming that the Northern military is 30000 strong, this means that between the 12000 that left with Cregan and did not return, the 2000 Winter Wolves that were killed, and an unknown number of Manderly killed during the Riots in King's Landing, the North lost 50% of it's army during the Dance. This puts the Dance on par with Robb's defeat in the War of the Five Kings, which saw only 4000 of his original 20000 men return home, made all the worse by the fact that Wildlings raided south of the wall in 133 and 134 AC, requiring Cregan Stark's intervention to defeat. While it might be argued that many in Cregan's host would not have served in the Northern army in time of war, such as the 'hopeless' and 'homeless,' this simply makes it all the more ridiculous that Cregan brought untrained, inexperienced men with him on what was intended to be a campaign against Storm's End, Oldtown and Casterly Rock. Fighting the Wildlings is not comparable to warfare against conventional Westerosi armies, so unless Cregan's levies were drawn from the North's regular pool of military manpower, many of his troops would have had limited training and no combat experience whatsoever. As Cregan's host traveled from the North to King's Landing on foot, it's also doubtful that they suffered no losses to illness, the elements, desertion and hostile encounters, meaning the North's manpower deficit from the war may well be higher than 14-15000. The implications of such population loss warrant an essay all their own, but suffice it to say that losing 0.5% of one's population and the equivalent of 50% or more of one's military manpower in less than 2 years is a high price to pay.

This leaves us with the Hour of the Wolf itself, which saw Cregan Stark seize control of King's Landing in an attempt to continue the war, before the Valemen and the Three Widows (Johanna Lannister, Elenda Baratheon and Samantha Hightower [né Tarly]) forced him to back down. Ravens were sent out soon after Aegon II was killed and Aegon III was declared the new king, offering terms to the remaining Green loyalists. The better part of a fortnight (ie almost two weeks) passed before Cregan arrived, but it's only much later that the "Three Widows" send ravens accepting these terms. The uncertainty as to whether the war will continue allows Cregan to seize power, but the situation itself strains credulity. Per our calculations in Part 3, a raven could travel 100 miles in a day with human assistance, while the distance from King's Landing to Storm's End is just over 375 miles; flying there and back would have been 6-8 days, well within the better part of a fortnight. Elenda Baratheon was newly widowed and her husband's army was defeated; with the potential for the Dornish to take advantage of the chaos, she would have needed little time to send her reply to the capital. Her raven should have arrived just after if not before Cregan's host, and would have immediately undermined his plans and strengthened Corlys and Larys' positions, as Storm's End was Cregan's first target in his campaign against the remaining Greens.

The way in which Cregan interacts with the small council is likewise contrived, and seems designed by George to enable Cregan's actions rather than to facilitate interactions that are consistent with how these characters were previously written. Given that Corlys and Larys were openly involved in Aegon II's death, one would expect them to be cautious in how they dealt with Cregan Stark and his 12000 Northerners; on the contrary, the Northern host is allowed to enter the city before the council even meets with Cregan, giving Cregan a numbers advantage over the Lads, the Gold Cloaks, Larys' 'gutter knights' and the few Velaryon troops with Corlys. Had they simply invited Cregan to treat with them alongside a smaller retinue, it would have been impossible for Stark to turn the tables and have the small council arrested. One could argue that it was meant as a sign of good faith, but this makes no sense given Corlys' status as a turncloak twice over and an elder statesman besides, and Larys' status as Master of Whispers alongside his reputation as a cunning and duplicitous schemer. Even more egregious is how open they are about their involvement in Aegon II's death, labelling themselves as regicides to a man who openly despises and distrusts them, although Larys' tries to deny his role during his trial.

Cregan successfully brow beats the Lads into accepting his authority and supporting his planned campaign against Storm's End. Gyldan attributes this to Kermit and Oscar Tully and Benjicot Blackwood being youths, "yet Stark was a man..." a nonsensical proposition when he states shortly before that Cregan was 23 and thus only a few years older. Kermit and Oscar led the Riverlords forces to victory at the 'Muddy Mess,' despite losing their father on the march which could have been disastrous given the fractious nature of Riverlands politics. Benjicot was a veteran of the Lakeshore, the Butcher's Ball, Second Tumbleton and the 'Muddy Mess,' as well as numerous skirmishes in the Riverlands. While Gyldan claims that 'Bloody Ben' had a "shy, self-effacing manner," the only evidence indicating this prior to George telling us outright is his weeping at the terrible carnage of the Butcher's Ball. Much like with Daeron at Tumbleton, George suddenly dumps characterization upon us in order to justify taking the plot in a preferred direction, in this case one where three previously tenacious fighters are cowed into compliance by a man they've never met and who spent the entire Dance far away from the fighting.

Cregan's interactions with the small council itself are outright nonsensical, as he justifies his plan to raze Storm's End, Oldtown and Casterly Rock by claiming that the council is making the same error as Rhaenyra and Aegon II by presuming the war to be over. Prior to the Riots driving her from the city, Rhaenyra sent Daemon and Nettles to subdue and the Two Betrayers to Tumbleton to fight Daeron, while Borros Baratheon was still to the south. Aegon II had Borros Baratheon enforce his rule over the Crownlands, and when Cregan and the Lads took up arms against him he sent the Stormlords to fight them while sending envoys to the Free Cities to hire sellswords. Neither monarch believed the war was over, in fact Cregan even uses the threat of Aegon's sellswords attacking the city to further excuse his plan to continue the war, but no one on the council points out the complete lack of support for his claims. The Westerlands' army was destroyed at the Lakeshore and Johanna Lannister is occupied with Dalton Greyjoy, while the Stormlands and Reacher armies are defeated and in disarray; yet Corlys and Maester Orwyle only appeal to the potential casualties and the fact that the lords of those three kingdoms are dead.

The writing deteriorates further when Cregan asks the Lads, "Has Casterly Rock returned the Crown's gold,"; his suggestion that Casterly Rock held all the gold was incorrect, but it begs the question as to how he came by this information. Since only the Green Council was aware of the locations of the other 3/4s of the royal treasury (Casterly Rock, Oldtown and the Iron Bank of Braavos), there's only two explanations and neither of them are good. The first is that George 'kinda forgot' about the treasury; the second is that on top of allowing Cregan Stark to occupy the city with his army and presenting themselves as regicides, Corlys and Larys also told him the whereabouts of the treasury. If it wasn't clear already, Cregan's actions in the Hour of the Wolf depend mightily on every member of the small council, Corlys and Larys in particular, being utterly stupid and completely passive. The Hour of the Wolf becomes less onerous when Lady Jeyne Arryn and the Vale army arrives to counter balance Cregan, and the Three Widows agree to Corlys' terms soon after. Nonetheless, the fact that a self-righteous warmonger like Cregan Stark was allowed to get as far he was by the narrative is yet another blemish on a very mediocre story.

This concludes my analysis of the Dance of the Dragons as told in Fire and Blood. In the interest of this series being more than just a catalogue of plot holes and inconsistencies, I intend to write a conclusion collecting my thoughts on the conflict as a whole. In the meantime, thank you to all those who've been following from the start, and to my mutuals for your support and feedback; Cheers!

ADDENDUM

Casterly Rock is the first to respond to Corlys and Larys' terms, despite Storm's End being nearer to King's Landing. Johanna Lannister agrees to give obeisance to Aegon III and provide hostages, and to return the Rock's portion of the royal treasury, provided that the crown pardons Tyland Lannister and commands Dalton Greyjoy to cease his raids and occupation of Kayce and Fair Isle. Both F&B and TWOIAF acknowledge that Dalton joined the war on Rhaenyra's side as an excuse to raid the Westerlands rather than out of respect for her claim, so it is doubtful that he would have accepted such a command in the absence of any dragons to threaten him with. It is significant then that neither Corlys and Larys nor Cregan Stark considered going to war with the Red Kraken as a means of uniting the Greens and Blacks behind Aegon III. Since Cregan was spoiling for a fight, it would have made sense to offer his army's support against the Ironborn in return for accepting Aegon III as king and returning the rest of the treasury. The armies of Cregan, the Vale, the Lads, the Velaryons and whatever troops the Hightowers and Redwynes could contribute would be more than a match for the Ironborn, while the Hightower, Redwyne and Velaryon fleets alongside the Braavosi sellsails hired by the Vale would outmatch Greyjoy's fleet. Cregan could also have made the Crown's amnesty and support against Greyjoy dependent on supplying food to the North during the coming winter. Instead, Dalton Greyjoy remains at large until his murder in 133 AC, while the war between the Westerlands and Iron Isles only concludes the following year.

#house of the dragon #hotd #team green #team black #grrm critical #fire and blood critical #asoiaf critical #asoiaf #me #duxbelisarius

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