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god give me strength to not feel intense anxiety and dread every shift i work with my new manager. and anger give me the strength to start drafting that resignation letter NOW. 😀

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The Legacy of House Strong

The male line of House Strong went extinct during the Targaryen civil war known at the Dance of the Dragons. Some said it was due to the curse of Harrenhal, while others said it was their hubris in thinking they could entwine their fate with Targaryen dragons and avoid getting burned. Whatever the case, the male line of the house was extinguished, but the bloodline found a way to survive through the house's daughters, letting the ancient lineage of House Strong to continue to flow through the veins of Westerosi nobility for generations to come.

An edit honoring the daughters of House Strong:

Abrogail, created by @emilykaldwen

Deidre, created by @darkwolf76

Cassana, created by @selfproclaimedunicorn

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Memories

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sun and moon, fire and water, flesh and spirit.

samsa vesgar & trystane strong of all things devour, commission by irlplasticlamb

i had this idea come to me forever ago and TO SEE IT REALIZED IS SO COOL!! as always it was amazing working with irlplasticlamb and i'm so pleased with how these two came out... disaster siblings, horrid creatures. i love them.

some close ups, for fun:

in the corners are the words 'sygerrik,' and 'urnekio,' meaning 'deciever' in the old tongue and 'seer' in high valyrian. in his hand, trystane holds three plants: willow leaves, bog rosemary, and a pincushion flower (:

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now, i can't say i'm anywhere close to publishing, but i do have a chapter or two of all things devour pretty much finished, and i was wondering ... would anyone be interested in beta reading?

i'm a little sensitive to criticism so i'd prefer a more gentle approach, but i'd just like to know if the direction/pacing is okay, and if i'm being too heavy-handed with my prose and the like. if the subject matter is interesting, if i'm being too dramatic, etc.

i'd be happy to return the favor to anyone who does!! (: thanks y'all,,

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For the OC dynamics ask!

Trystane + Dyana

Tristan + Tristan

had to rewrite my little thank you note like three times because i kept forgetting to answer this, i am SO sorry it took so long but thank you for being patient with me! and answering my questions! it's so fun to think about other kids growing up with trystane, especially kin...

i think the twins are a few years older than trystane, but most of the kids around his age are. that's always added to his alienation, i feel.

trystane + dyana

as young children, i have no reason to believe that dyana and trystane couldn't have some kind of positive relationship with each other, especially if deidre is picking up some of the slack in his parenting. friendship through proximity. i think the trouble comes when dyana associates more with the velaryon boys, who trystane is quite jealous of. another bit of family that is not supposed to be theirs stolen from him. i also saw a post where you described dyana as a bit of a tomboy, and i'm not sure if that entails, say, training with a sword or hanging out in the training yards, but there's a bitterness there, too, as trystane is so lost in what role he is supposed to fill in this society while others can flaunt about and do what they please.

i imagine them growing apart as they get older, no matter how close they were as children, and eventually they find themselves on opposite sides of a war.

there's also a fun dynamic here of them both being non-targaryens claiming dragons. trystane with grey ghost, dyana with the cannibal. i'm sure that makes for some interesting conversations down the road... confrontations, even. i know at least samsa is present in winterfell when jaecaerys arrives to negotiate, but i've thought about trystane being there as well — maybe dyana accompanying her beloved, too. and sam's got some choice words for jace, about trystane. "rhaenyra's crown prince has better claim to harrenhal than the iron throne. though i can't imagine my half-brother will be so quick to give up his inheritance."

burning bridges, indeed.

trystane + tristan

trystane and tristan have a good connection through helaena, even if they did not seek companionship with each other first. trystane takes comfort in helaena for a while, as they're both very... odd children. if tristan spends time with helaena, i have reason to believe he could be too somehow, haha. i can imagine many peaceful days spent together in quiet company. trystane certainly finds comfort in finding people like him, even if he isn't sure how to connect.

he fell out of touch with the targtowers (mostly helaena and daeron) as they grew older because of their connections with their dragons and their royal duties — he felt like something stunted and unfitting when everyone around him seemed to settle into their places so well. i think tristan's own duties would pull them apart, too. the princes and princesses take to the skies, train, are fostered in places of high importance — and they lie grounded... but at least tristan finds his place as a squire. perhaps trystane attends his training sessions, for a time, but he can only take so much before his jealousy and resentment boils over. i can imagine them going from good childhood friends to estranged young adults; tristan's forlorn looks at a place where trystane would usually sit to keep him company as he trained.

they're on the same side, at least, so they're not enemies, but when the war starts i'm not sure if they'd be friends. especially because, in a universe where trystane does have connections with others, when samsa shows up she's going to be isolating him like hell. no other relationships matter but theirs. and she gave him purpose, while tristan left him in the dirt — why shouldn't he believe her?

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The Lion and the Lamb

Part II. The Dressing of the Lamb

(@sikudastoner I’m back with them again - this one’s a bit shorter too, mostly setting the stage for what’s to come)

With delicate hands, Elinor Hightower tied the crimson satin lace of Nadya’s dress, pulling it tight against her bruised body. She bit back a wince, although she couldn’t stop her muscles from tensing at the sudden, slight pain pulsing beneath her skin and through her bones.

She wore a fine golden dress with elaborate red embroidery that fit her figure well. Her hair had been done up in a traditional Southern style, and a golden headpiece of ruby and pearl sat atop her head, matched by the necklace at her throat. Her cheeks had been made rosy, her lips painted as red as a rose, and her wounds covered as best as they could be.

She was sure that if she saw her reflection, she would scarcely recognize herself.

“My lady, are you alright?” Elinor asked. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“I’m fine, Elinor,” Nadya responded quickly.“Its just been quite a while since I’ve worn such a tight dress. I’m afraid my body has grown weary of such things when it has still yet to heal.”

“Well, then I hope Lord Darren will be gentle during the bedding,” Elinor remarked. “If he is even capable.”

Nadya frowned. “What is that supposed to mean?” she asked warily.

“Your betrothed has a certain reputation,” Elinor responded as she finished tying the lace. There was no softness to her words. “He is never without a woman in his bed, and he is never satisfied with any of them. Nor anything really. He discards them as soon as he’s finished, then moves onto the next.”

“Do you think he’s compensating for something?” Nadya asked.

Elinor snorted. “He has to be,” she said. “What Lannister isn’t?”

“He really does sound just like the rest of them,” Nadya murmured. “Lannisters.”

She spat out the word as if it tasted like salt. The idea of being married to one was still vile to her. Especially Darren. If she had to be married to one, she would have preferred his older brother, Jaime. Even Lymond seemed preferable.

Elinor moved around to face Nadya, her blue eyes clear and piercing, full of a fiery intensity that Nadya admired. She clasped her hands in her own, giving them a tight squeeze.

“He is just like the rest of them, and yet not at all,” she said. “I do hope that he will be a good husband to you, Nadya.” She cupped Nadya’s face in her hands, her grip surprisingly strong. “But a lion is still a lion, and you are another pretty lamb wandering into his waiting teeth. Do not let him devour you as he has all those other women. Perhaps you will come to love each other, or perhaps you will not. But you are not his prey, Nadya Dormaire. You will never be. Remember that.”

Nadya felt as though she could hardly breath as she stood outside the Sept of Baelor, her arm intwined with Alistair’s, waiting to make her entrance. Her heart pounded in her chest, frantic like a caged bird desperate to escape.

But there was no escape for her.

The doors to the Sept swung open, revealing the crowd of people gathered for the wedding ceremony. She saw her brothers and cousins and grandmother, all standing together. Her children, Ren and Lena, were there too, held in the arms of two nursemaids.

Nadya’s lower lip quivered. She didn’t like that her two infants, the last of Robb’s line, were so close to the lions who wanted them gone. But she had to believe that they were safe with her family. Perhaps the one good thing to come from her marriage would be some leverage for their protection.

Standing across from the Dormaires and Tyrells were the Lannisters. Nadya could feel Tywin’s gaze on her, and she could see the triumph in his eyes. He thought he had won.

The realization made her skin crawl, but she forced herself to look away from him, instead focusing ahead of her, where Darren stood with the High Septon.

Darren wore an expensive red doublet with trailing sleeves, accented with gold and embroidered lions. His golden hair was slicked back, and his ears neatly trimmed. Nadya had to admit to herself, he was very handsome.

She could see how he drew so many women in.

Darren’s expression was unreadable as Nadya let go of Alistair and ascended the steps to stand beside him. She wondered what he was thinking. He wasn’t happy with the arrangement, she knew. But what was he hiding behind those plump lips and sharp eyes?

“You may now cloak the bride and bring under your protection,” the High Septon instructed Darren.

Knowing what was expected of her, Nadya turned so that her back was to Darren. She felt the sudden weight of the cloak as it was draped over her shoulders with a surprising amount of care.

As she turned to face the Septon again, Nadya ran her hands through the pale red and gold fabric now adorning her shoulders. She tried to keep her hands from shaking, with little success.

Darren wouldn’t look at her, his hands clasped behind his back and his jaw set with barely contained emotion.

“Your Grace,” the High Septon said, addressing Joffrey, who was with the rest of his family on the steps. He was grinning from ear to ear, finding the whole thing quite amusing. “Your Grace,” he added to Cersei. “My Lords, My Ladies, we stand here in the sight of gods and men to witness the union of man and wife. One flesh, one heart, one soul, now and forever.”

Nadya could not bear his words, and she was suddenly overwhelmed with the urge to cry, and she fought back against the tears threatening to escape her. When she finally looked into Darren’s eyes, and he met hers, she saw the same despair, and her heart only ached more.

The lion and the lamb had been made one, and she was not sure she would survive it.

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@nshtn this is it Lol um supposedly baby birkin but all I was recognizing at the time was Paul Dano. You are the connoisseur, give me your opinion

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“whatever the fuck these two characters had going on” is a vastly underrated character dynamic

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Alexandre Cabanel, Une Patricienne de Venise (detail)

1881

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Readers, make sure you have all your favourite Ao3 fics downloaded.

Writers, make sure you have copies of all the fics you have posted on Ao3.

I don’t want to be alarming, but things could get really bad really fast. OTW shared this today on Twitter, and I'm a bit worried about it 😅

Ao3 is a non-profit organisation. If they have to start paying taxes, I have no idea what will happen.

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Because I do love all things House Strong, tell me more about Cassana Strong!

Cassana Strong, my darling, my sweet pea 🩷

She's my Default Strong Daughter & the youngest child of Lord Lyonel. I initially made her to fit into my next planned HOTD fic as a friend & companion to my Rhaenyra Sister/Daenys Targaryen, & I just ported her into Sins Of The Father because I didn't want to make the Strong family tree over agan.

She's very soft & kind & she just wants to have friends who love her. She is ride or die for her loved ones & but she's pretty understated about it. Not a whole lot about Cass's personality is really big or loud. She's a little judgey & gossipy, but not in a super malicious way. Just, like, recreational "did you hear who's pregnant out of wedlock?" whispering to friends if she thinks your fit is ugly, side-eye if you've got a bad reputation type stuff. Unfortunately, her self-esteem is hanging on by a fucking thread. She's a bigger girl & she takes mostly after her dad as opposed to her mom, which isn't a bad thing but she's insecure about it. Not really helped by her mom, well-meaning as she is, being kinda prickly & harsh--Lady Brialla/Cass's mom isn't mean or cruel, she's just not soft or warm & doesn't really believe in mincing words or making her words come off as kinder. Just a lot of little nit-picky things that are, again, well-meaning & come from a place of love, but a little confidence crushing if they come from your own mom & you get them enough.

So Cass is very much on a self-love journey in both the fics she features in. A lot of it is "off page" in Sins Of The Father to 1. avoid repeating myself & 2. not spoil a lot of things in The Red Princess where she's gonna have a bigger role. Granted, the arcs aren't the same & the supporting casts are a little different, but still. Y'know? Some events are Canon Events for her. Namely, an incident with a knight named Ser Androw Selmy (which gets attention in TRP) & her marrying Ser Yarwyck Royce (although the reasons between the 2 fics are different & the reasons for SOTF get explained in text). Casswyck OTP at this point for me, btw. Not platonic, not explicitly romantic, but a secret third option that I cannot fully explain.

Also, within SOTF, she is the mom of the Royce Variant of @emilykaldwen's Abby because "lol, what if Abby got to interact with the Roycegaryens?" jokes stopped being jokes after a while & actually started making a lot of the plot once Gen 2 (Ella's & Yorick’s kids) start coming in as characters make sense & fall into place. So she kind of accidentally became important for this fic too, lol. Not major character important, but still fairly plot relevant & a lot of what einds up going on wouldn't happen without her.

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i know most people have pretty good reading comprehension but there is still a small part of me going, 'oh, GOD, i hope you guys don't think i hate alicent. samsa is just an annoying, cocky thirteen year old,' when i'm writing my first chapter

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ear congestion ... save me flonase ... flonase save me ...

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Let’s spread a little sunshine ☀️ drop this sunflower 🌻 into the inboxes of the blogs that make you happy! 💛

thank you so much <3 <3

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ohhhh. oh. fish inside a birdcage for trystane and samsa. especially if you look at the red keep as the ‘bird cage’ … all the targaryen kids he grew up with who are princes and princesses and can fly and be free. even if only for a moment. while he flounders on the ground, useless, not the man the world wants him to be and not the lady he never love have been. and samsa, ‘real’ family, choosing to love him, lifting him up and giving him purpose — her purpose, but a purpose nonetheless.