#old ghosts

Roanoke, Virginia

138 Amenia Road, Sharon, CT 06069

$7,500,000 • 10 beds • 8 baths • 12,057 sqft

"Seize the rare opportunity to own Filston, one of Litchfield County's most distinguished Gilded Age estates. Designed in 1903 by renowned architect William Cromwell, Jr. for Mr. and Mrs. Romulus Colgate, this Neoclassical treasure seamlessly blends Italianate Renaissance Revival, Palladian, Neo-Gothic, and French Empire influences, creating a singularly breathtaking country estate. Every original detail is meticulously preserved in impeccable condition. Spanning just over 12,000SF of livable space, there are 10 bedrooms, 5 full bathrooms, and 3 powder rooms. Set across 106 acres on three distinct parcels, the property showcases a breathtaking landscape designed by Edward Hamilton Bell. Rolling hills, pristine woodlands, and majestic estate trees frame scenic equestrian trails, offering an idyllic retreat for nature lovers and equestrians alike. Complementing the main home is a historic 5,700-square-foot, three-story carriage house on its own dedicated parcel, adding versatility and charm to this extraordinary estate. Recent Upgrades * Complete electrical overhaul, with new wiring throughout the home and buried power lines from the road for enhanced aesthetics and reliability. * Landscape restoration, reopening original trails, removing dead trees, and treating the estate's magnificent mature trees to ensure their longevity. * Commercial-grade generator * New propane furnace and updated plumbing Serious inquiries only; proof of funds required."

Listed by: Dan Kessler, Compass Connecticut, LLC

She won't become irrelevant, she was too important for that. Songs and books will occasionally brush against that old world and leave a mark. But the active ache, the compulsive wanting-to-know, the feeling that her life is happening somewhere you should still be allowed to stand near, that will fade.

Not because you replace her, but because your own present gets fuller. Because she stops being the only doorway back to a version of yourself that felt alive, understood (really?) and chosen.

She was never just one person.

She was an era, a language, a possibility. A witness who knew you before you had to explain yourself.

You will probably always know she mattered. But you will not always miss her like an exposed nerve.

Book 1: Prophecy

Chapter 6: Old Ghosts

Chapter 6: Old Ghosts

Avatar: Rise of the Dragons Book 1: Prophecy - Chapter 6 - TheRiseoftheDragons - Avatar: The Last Airbender (Cartoon 2005) [Archive of Our Own]

Summary:

Aang chooses mercy over prophecy. Zuko makes a radical choice. As Zuko brings his father back to the palace, they confront the old ghosts haunting within.

An Excerpt from the Chapter: "I didn't see a reason to change it," Zuko said, his voice dropping as he scrambled for a defense. "I thought... there might be documents I needed. Records of the lineage." He swallowed hard, desperate to fill the silence before it crushed him. 

"Official charts. Things for the transition."

Ozai didn't move. 

He simply waited.

"I didn’t rummage through your drawers," Zuko added, the words tumbling out sharper than intended. He remained anchored to the doorway, unwilling to step further inside. 

Possessed pines twins! HAPPY LATE HALLOWEEN!! 🎃👻🍬

There we go, folks, the audio version is now live and available for five dollar or more subscribers, but y'all can have a four-minute sample clip as a treat. The full story's around 18 minutes long, but according to my test audience, it's worth the listen. Go sign up and check it out? I'd love it if I could justify getting to do more stuff like this in the future.

As last week was winding down and I was reviewing our weekend plans, my attention was called to one of my radios and I listened to an EMS call for a child struck by a car on a rural, yet busy road.  From the radio transmission, I knew it was serious, but I didn’t give it too much thought and went about my day Later that evening, I read on one of my news feeds that a 10-year old girl had been…

Still on catch up time

Viserra's line- decades after leaving the south Viserra gets dark news and faces the dangers her parents and nephew's failing have put her family in with most of them far from her reach.

For @whumpril 2025 day 10 - Bandages

For @chaos-company's Angstpril 2025 day 10- Old ghosts

----

It was foolish, a reaction unbefitting of her age and station.

She knew of Viserys’ failing health and the tensions between the two fractions thanks to the letters of her grandchildren and yet as she had read it letter she had clutched the letter opener's blade

“Princess, are you ready?” Cora asked, holding the bandages stretched above her open palm.

Once soft skin hardened but years petting and handling hard, jagged dragon scales, yet it had spilt so easily to steel, a reminder of her humanity and frailty.

She was eight and fifty, far from the teenager that claimed divinity but so much time with Sheepstealer had let her grow distant- overconfident, the wild dragon may have been her other half but Caraxes hadn’t saved Aemon from the arrow bolt.

In her youth she had been proud of her beauty, the only thing she had over her sister and mother

Now a mother, grandmother and great grandmother, even if she wasn’t fully sure which of her grandsons had fathered Hope, she wished she had appeared more of her age.

That the scars and experiences she had lived showed more, even the scar that she had gained from the wildling attack decades ago only remained a pale line down her cheek.

Cora didn’t waste a second once she nodded and quickly wrapped the bandage as Viserra forced herself to breath though the stinging discomfort.

Her closest friend, the only one that had taken Baelon’s offer to travel to the cold north to serve her where all the other servants had chosen her ladies and better climates, and stayed through long cold winters and storms for nearing fifty years.

Cora at least looked her age, with the grays in her hair and laugh lines.

Viserra rarely let her hair show since she realised it was, like her mother’s, turning pure white, although her Manderly family had only ever given her compliments on it, she disliked seeing her silver slowly be replaced but her skin seemed to escape the lines of age.

She had six years until she was at the age her mother met the Stranger, in her youth had never feared becoming her mother; now she worries about the days she’ll look in the mirror to see Queen Alysanne staring back.

The door slamming open brought her back to the present.

Viserra smiled as Daehlia appeared in the doorway, dressed in Mikael’s riding leather. 

“Grandmother!” The title dismissed the mirage and brought her back to the present sharply, it wasn’t the first time she had seen the old ghosts of children in her grandchildren. “What happened?” he demanded almost tripping over himself to reach her

“Haenrik, it's alright.” She told him as she reached to trace his face, Haenrik took after Kol and Aelijah, who told after Daehlia in their dark hair of the first men and dark purple eyes but Haenrik also had her husband’s nose and Aemon’s smile.

Kol had Alyssa’s crooked grin that she had thought she had forgotten, and Aelijah was a painful mix of Vaegon and Baelon.

Sometimes Viserra wonders if her mother and father had seen and haunted by their long lost siblings in their grandchildren, had Jaehaerys seen Queen Rhaena in Rhaenys, had Alysanne seen the brother sacrifice for them in the grandson that got his name.

“What happened?” He repeated almost an order, dragging her from her thoughts. 

She raised a brow at him until he winced and added a ‘please’, he may be a prince but she was the daughter of a king and his grandmother she would have respect. 

She loved them and would die for them and try to shelter them but she had allowed her children far too much leeway, perhaps to make up for her own parents faults or because of her own young age and new freedom but whatever excuse it had ended with all of her children gone and the marks they left on their own children clear.

Freya lost, Finn ran.

Aesther and Mikael failed to see Aelijah as anything more than a shadow of Daehlia and the poor child found all the responsibility placed on him until he found an escape.

The only reason those younger had fared better was for Aelijah.

None of her son’s sons mourned him even Rebaekah barley had, Haenrik had few memories of his parents at all.

“The news from the south.” she told him, “It shocked me, that’s all.”

“Damon cut off Vaemond’s head,” he blinked at her with confusion, “serves him right for attempting to steal-”

“No,” she interrupted, honestly she had know Vaemond’s fate the moment he placed himself against her nephew’s interest and Rhaenyra’s boys were that, as much his since he had taken a hand in raising them.

Dragons’ were possessive of those they saw as theirs and Damon was as much as dragon as any of them could be. 

It left her wondering if the world would have been better, if her mother had managed to let Gael go, seen the more positive parts of it and betrothed Gael to Damon.  They were of age and Damon had always held their family above all else, he would have had a princess of his own and she would have had the fierce defender that Viserra’s sweet simple sister had needed.

But that option was long past and now they were facing a war that her parents failures and Viserys failings had led to.

“You haven’t heard?” she asked as she stared at her sweet summer child, her most sheltered grandchild, unblooded and innocent and yet no doubt already a target on someone’s war plans.

A ten and one boy with a dragon hatchling.

“Lord Manderly is likely keeping it quiet until we’re aware of all the facts.” Cora cut in to explain.

She swallowed as she was forced to face the fact all her grandchildren were nothing back targets and pawns to those who had started this, the politely written letter that spoke nothing of the two grandsons already within the keep when Viserys died was clear in that as well as the knowledge of the other two grandchildren on Dragonstone.

Two in Green hands and two in Black.

“What haven’t I heard?” Haenrik asked close to pouting

“King Viserys is dead and Prince Aegon was crowned.”

“A-aegon!” Haenrik choked, as his eyes widened in shock, horror of the meaning of it and fear for the reaction it would cause. “Aelijah’s visions! Aelijah and Niklaeus were at the red keep they wouldn’t have-”

She told herself that the greens truly had no chance at holding Aelijah or Niklaeus and if they had harmed them either of them news of Silverwing or Cannibal burning down the city would have reached them.

Her grandchildren had been preparing for this.

She echoed those thoughts to calm him, gently pulling him closer, he despite his recent demands of being too old to be coddled allowed it and turned his face into her shoulder.

“Will we be needed?”

“Of course not,” she scoffed, to hide her panic at the question, none of her children or grandchildren should have ever been needed for a war, but Mikael had thrown himself into one and died for it and now it seemed the seven wanted to drag her grandchildren into another. “I’m an old woman and your Hatchling isn’t rideable yet.”

“But-” he pulled himself back and looked down at her with big eyes, the guilt clear, his siblings were in the middle of it all and he was safe.

“No.” she cut him off, he was the one she could protect, so she would, “no doubt Aelijah has plans and if they fail, both Niklaeus and Kol are likely more than happy to cause problems.”

Besides, while the Blacks were likely aware of the power Aelijah, Niklaeus, Kol and Rebaekah gathered years ago from right under their nose, the Greens had no idea who they were dealing with.

“I do, however, want you to prepare to travel.” she added as she noticed the guilt hadn’t left.

“Where?” he asked earnestly, looking so much like his brothers and her own long lost ones.

“Winterfell.” She told him, the heart of the north and safest place beside here, and no doubt where the young lord Stark would call his sister and her children, once he learned his good brother and Lord Knott had been caught up in the southern mess. “Lady Hayley and her children must be worried with both Aelijah and Lord Jackson away.”

He straightened up at the task and he bowed before turning and fleeing from the room, he always felt left out from his older siblings, given their age differences and would take any chance to help with the utmost seriousness.

She smiled as she watched him leave, he was also the worst out of her grandchildren when it came to lying so she knew he would follow her request, where Niklaeus and Kol would have smiled and been found on a ship south within an hour and Elijah and Rebaekah would have accepted and their deception would only been discovered by the time they were found in the south. 

If any harm happened to befall her grandchildren she would be reminding all the kingdoms who she was; she was the daughter of the Councillor and the Good Queen, last of their dragon riding children and first rider of a wild dragon.