#✿ ─── Tyrell [ aesthetic ] only what is and what soon will be

[drachenherz]

multi muse blog in the universe of game of thrones / house of the dragon

 ───    #DRACHENHERZ   ─── independent and mutually exclusive writing blog, telling the stories of MARGAERY TYRELL & RHAENYRA TARGARYEN, canon divergent as well as headcanon based, crossover friendly, low activity

[ for more information check out my [ CARRD ] + the introduction post of each character; STARTER CALL ]

[ English & German, sideblogs or google docs; Threads for shorter: Please specify which character this is being sent to when you send it in. If not, I will decide for myself. ]

[writingwenches]

MaesterList

summary – In courts through history, all over the world, women played an important part of building the culture *tongue pop* I was inspired by the lack of courtly women in the HOTD universe, so I added a few dozen and the game of thrones began. Instead of a Fix-It Fic approach, I went with a more "explain it" direction regarding the overall plot related to the show.

House of the Dragon Explain-it Universe

Freedom From – Aemond x Peasant OC; Mixed-Race OC; status – ACT ONE complete

summary: Prince Aemond finds himself in the northern Riverlands on a quest to fetch a gift for his sister. The local Peasantry do not believe him a real prince, and enjoys the lack of responsibility…until he learns that one of the peasants will soon be joining him in the Red Keep. series found here

Aemma Velaryion – Rhaenyra's Religious Team Green Daughter; status – more to come!

I started off wanting to write a version of Rhaenyra's daughter that was staunchly Team Green, and I ended up creating a nightmare monster. I love her so much. Part One

Aegon, Aemond, Daeron — teenage brotherly bonding; status: idk lol

Aegon’s new favorite hobby has taken him away from his training, and the punishment calls for a field trip, and the only way for real men to travel is on horseback rip it’s silly, it’s dumb, I hate/love it lol

Original Character Directory

Princess Aemma Velaryon – Rhaenyra's eldest daughter. She is angry, and sad, and everything in between. Currently a ward of Queen Alicent. [aesthetic inspiration – Hozier singing "Take Me to Church" at the Victoria Secret Fashion Show]

Lyn – the main POV character we see the world through. Grew up as a lowborn peasant, in the backwoods of the Riverlands. She is living in a horror story. Have you ever dreamed of being a princess? Of having a family of untold wealth and power? To have everyone in the realm know your name? To truly have everything you've ever wanted? Be careful what you wish for, you might just get it.

She generally has no idea what is going on in this game of thrones. She can not yet read, she grew up thinking the Freys at The Twins were Lord Paramount of the Riverlands. The targtowers/courtly ladies have convinced her that Lord Larys Strong is the father of Rhaenyra’s bastards rip

Team Red

Lady Cinda Lannister – Younger Sister to Lord Jason Lannister, Lady of Coin for the Red Keep, First Lady of Honor to Queen Alicent. Childhood crush of Aemond Targaryen. Her age is described as "almost too old to bare children." Aemond has proposed to her on numerous occasions through his youth (and beyond) and she has refused him every time. (Lady of Coin makes sure the cooks/servants have the coin they need to perform their job, a “lower” job, fit only for a women, because it requires speaking to servants lol)

Lady Cordelia Lannister – Younger niece of Lady Cinda Lannister, by way of an elder brother. Both Cordelia's parents passed when she was younger, as has been living as a ward of Cinda, in the Red Keep, most of her life. She is supposed to be a friend to Princess Aemma, but she finds the princess extremely tiring. She has never had to make a decision for herself, and doesn't know if she will ever be able to. She doesn't want the life planned out for her...but what other choice does she have? Her age is described as "almost too young to bare children."

Team Reach

Lady Ivyanne Tyrell – engaged to Aemond Targaryen on numerous occasions against her will, trapped in the Red Keep, living in a horror story. Aemond Targaryen’s number one hater, a sword lesbian. The only child to Lord and Lady Tyrell, there is a rumor she was caldron made. She would rather die than marry a man, and her parents seem to think removing a few fingers could make her see reason. They were wrong. If she is to die, she will die free. On again, off again with Helaena. What started as a way to annoy her nemesis, Aemond, Ivy sometimes finds herself dreaming of the princess. Ivy believes that Lyn MUST marry Aemond, if she has any hope to be free of him. (Face inspo: masc Kirsten Stewart in a dress)

Lady Oletta Redwyne – the heir to The Arbor, a dragon pit is currently being constructed on the island, mentally engaged to Aegon Targaryen since the age of three, has shaped her entire personality around him, there is no option other than Aegon. There is a small chance she is poising him. (Face inspo: Havana Rose Liu)

Lady Alarie Mullendore – first cousin to Lyn, the fashion influencer of the Seven Kingdoms, runs her own business designing and making dresses for ladies at court. Uses fashion as a backstabbing method. Her hair is big because it’s full of secrets.

Lady Tatsu 🏳️‍⚧️ – A Nobleperson from Nososs, a place ruled by dragon lords long ago, but they all died out. Legendary fighter, “dancing master” to Lady Ivyanne. Living as a trans woman in King’s Landing. Maesters are fascinated by Nososs, but most refuse to speak with her for close-minded reasons. Wants to go home more than anything else in the world, but knows she’ll never be able to (unless…)

more characters coming soon...

Original Location/House Directory

Nososs – geography based on Japan, on the other side of the known world, pre-Dawn society, former dragon lords, noble pilgrims

Tropicos – continent southwest of the Reach, destroyed during Aegon's Conquest, home to strange and hostile terrain, cursed from chemical poisoning, based on where i grew up, more info coming soon.

House Stone – Inspired by Mongolian culture, the Newest House of the Seven Kingdoms, sworn as loyal vessels to House Stark, and named a noble house by King Viserys I Targaryen after their economic rise from the sale of ice.

My requests are always open for original locations/house content! If you want to send geographic or cultural inspiration, I can make an OC house/country based on them~

Old Valyria Original Lore

Vaestal Virgins – Old Valyrian Goddess of Luck, Dragonfire, Virgins and Dragondreams // Inspired by the Vestal Virgins of Ancient city of Rome

[geekys-corner]

Mind listing the OCs/personas and a couple facts about them? (Might help with questions lol)

Sure! I’ve written 16 below lmao *sticks in a read more*

Anthony - Originally my version of Anti, he’s now a sweet bean who really likes plants. In his backstory and the start of his story, he was found in a tiny pocket dimension inside his old apartment while he and the place around him fell into disrepair with the only thing truly alive being his plants. After losing his entire family, he was very fragile and hurt himself quite a bit, but my other characters rescued him and nursed him back to health and stability!

Onyx - My angsty punk dude who I adore. He is on the autistic spectrum and is mostly non-verbal, once going 4 months without speaking before breaking the silence to tell his best friend that Viggo Mortenson broke his toe in that one scene in Lord of the Rings. They have a twin sister who is 13 minutes older and a firm witch while he is a firm nonbeliever. Sometimes he goes to the junkyard with a baseball bat to let out their anger.

Leon - His backstory is very dark so I won’t get into it, but he’s a very shy bean with one arm and a love for sewing. He has the fluffiest light pink hair, and is just the embodiment of pastel.

Kyle - The older brother of the duo! He’s friends with Onyx and also has a punk look with spiked blue hair, but he’s an absolute sweetheart! He’s eight years older than his brother, and ran away with him when he was a newborn to escape their abusive mother. He raised Joey on his own in the streets, escaping care systems that would split them apart and shove them in to foster homes, and grew up to be completely independent, albeit unaware of what it is like to have a loving family besides his brother. He may be quick to resort to fight or flight to protect his brother and grumpy to strangers, but he’s built them a good life!

Joseph - The little brother! Joey is a smart little kid, (ranging from 10 - 14 depending) with very bright ginger hair and freckles. He’s on the far side of the autistic spectrum and is completely nonverbal, but he’s very expressive, spunky, and loving whenever he’s able to. He adores peanut butter and milkshakes, and would very happily have them six times a day. While he can’t speak, he will send Kyle countless facts from astronomy or marine life through text at any time of day or night. He’s always seen in his blue skateboarding frog hoodie, a beetle backpack filled with his supplies, and his headphones and tablet. He loves to draw and he’s great at it, and always draws sharks, especially whale sharks.

Caelan - Another punk, but this time in bird form. He is a griffin, and in some AUs a dude with prosthetic feet. He has messy blond hair covering his eyes and is based around an Egyptian falcon. He’s very quick witted and very annoying to people who don’t know him, but would go to hell and back for his family. 

Marioma - The model of a modern major general- this dude is the only one like him, meaning he has no AU counterparts! He’s different from my other characters since he’s technically self-aware, and acts in my stories if and when I want him to! He’s a grumpy, determined dude who’s trying to quit smoking per request of his boyfriend, Arthur. Before him, he was a sly, hardened, and cunning man who needed someone to rely on who wouldn’t die on him.

Arthur - Foster fails: 5. He owns a bookstore in the universe he inhabits and, just like Mari, he’s one of a kind! He lives the ideal rainy city aesthetic, with an apartment above his store with open windows, plants, cosy blankets and homemade food, handmade clothing, and animals. He’s got curly hair and his scarf is his comfort item, and he takes in animals if and when he can. He and Mari just live a comfortable life :’)

Clyde - A duo with Anthony, he was originally a version of Henrik, but is now completely different. This boy is a classic OC and therefore my teenage angst punching bag. He’s a doctor in his husband Lucas’ mafia, and is very strong-willed and the biggest sweetheart. He has water powers that I always forget about, and could very easily drown someone if he wanted to. Besides that, he does cry a lot over small things, and Lucas has walked in on him crying over their cat in a business-tie.

Levi - If he and Clyde fused, they’d make Henrik. He’s my 55 year old doctor who just the embodiment of grumpy cat and expresso. He’s very lanky and has joint problems after trauma in his late 20s, and sometimes you can hear his bones cracking as he walks. He has, can, and will slap the sense into Clyde when he needs to and hated him to begin with, but warmed up to him. But, he’s completely different to his husband Sage, and in the end, is a very caring guy who won’t take any shit. He’s also therapist, and gives sessions to most of my OCs- (he’s also the doctor at the end of Don’t Leave! Dr Allison!)

Tyrell (Cloak) - So I split the same OC into two halves, essentially from two AUs but in one? They’re not twins, they’re the same guy with separate families but they’re the same. They’re both POC with the same face, hair texture etc. Cloak-Ty is very grumpy, and is called Cloak because of the cloak he wears in his fantasy-based AUs! He wears an eye patch and lost his eye depending on the AU, and went through a lot. You can tell he’s angsty because half of his hair is buzzed off. He tried to push away his now-husband Demitri, but luckily he’s an absolute himbo who doesn’t know when to quit, and eventually melted through the icy layer to a loving, sarcastic, hard-working man.

Tyrell (Ponytail) - Same as above description wise! He’s taller and buff with a ponytail. He went through the same backstory, but was found by Daniel who took him to Lucas’ mafia where they recovered together and eventually fell in love. Half of his face is badly burned and the eye has pin-hole vision, but it doesn’t stop him from being the best sniper on the team. When at home, he loves tea, hanging with his family, and painting. He’s amazing at watercolour and earns money on the side from selling his work! Sometimes he and Dan team up and draw together!

Bloodbranded:

Wayde - He lives in the Winter Forest Region and hunts for his family with his exceptional archery skills. He’s witty and pretty spontaneous, making him good under pressure, but incredibly reckless. He has a bad claw scar across his right eye which cuts into his hair, but he can see just fine! He has beautiful green eyes with central heterochromia, so they turn brown in the centre. While he may be annoying and hot-headed, he cares a whole bunch and grows as a person to fall in love with Milo. He’s a hopeless romantic and protective as all hell, even when Milo can handle himself just fine.

Felicity - She wasn’t born in the WFR like Wayde, she was adopted by her two mothers and is Wayde’s cousin! She’s a POC with beautiful dark skin, and her parents style her hair in unique braids that are decorated by gold rings. She’s a magic user and a very skilled one at that, even when she’d just started out, and wishes to revive the old form of magic that had been taken over by the modern, corrupted magic form that’s based entirely on nepotism. She uses a staff and a book, and is clumsy to start out, but soon becomes a mage to be admired, or feared if you’re an enemy!

Milo - Unlike Felicity and Wayde, he was born in the desert region, and ends up in the WFR by mistake (which is a vast change in temperature for him). Because of the contrast in temperature, he’s always wrapped up in winter clothes, even in places where the others are sleeveless, just because he’s spent his whole life in the heat! When he’s at home, he lives with his Mother and goes out to collect lightning glass after the nightly storms to sell and turn into jewellery or windows etc. Milo was born deaf and uses sign language to communicate. He’s smart, energetic, and excited to see new things, but can handle himself with ease, and knows how to take care of himself through quick thinking and fighting skills from living in the desert. When he and Wayde start dating, he likes coming up behind him and cuddling him or giving him quick kisses!

Prism - Much like their name, they are very colourful. They are a dragon hybrid and live in a kingdom of others like them, but unlike any other dragon, their scales are - like their name - prisms. They gradient between rainbows across their body, but each scale has a rainbow shimmer when they move. Their wings are like stained glass, and their hair (as of now, it might change) is like labradorite! Prism is mute and doesn’t express much, usually communicating through eye rolls. They live as the King’s new heir after he took them in as he believes Prism is the symbol of their kingdom and species’ beauty. Because of this, they are completely untouched by any blade and don’t have a single blemish or scar as to preserve them. Many guards have died to prevent them from obtaining even the slightest scratch. Beyond their anxiety, they join the crew and act as the voice/sign of reason! Even if they are assigned to their kingdom, they soon learn that their friends truly care about them more than their appearance.

That’s most of my OCs, this is already super long so I don’t want to drag it on! If anyone is interested in any OC, feel free to drop an ask, I’d love to write one shots or answer questions! <3 ^^

[novitafm]

  *  𝓈𝒽𝒶𝓃𝑒  𝒹𝒶𝓌𝓈𝑜𝓃  𝓋𝒸  *  𝖍𝖊𝖞  𝖜𝖍𝖆𝖙’𝖘  𝖚𝖕  𝖚  𝖌𝖚𝖞𝖘  !  i’m  late  to  the  party  but  i  was  tryna  be  ~aesthetic~  &  get  my  tags  nice  !  which  is  kinda  . . .  lame  but  oh  well  !  i’m  ready  to  plot  up  in  this  bitch  !  i  just  love  the  concept  of  this  plot  ,  like  i’m  the  biggest  reality  tv  show  hoe  !  i’m  lit  binging  too  hot  to  handle  rn  cause  how  can  u  not  ?  anywayth  ,  this  here  is  my  baby  love  novita  aka  nova  ur  rags  to  riches  storyline  !  i  want  all  the  plots  i  can  get  &  if  u  wanna  plot  smash  that  lil  🖤 button  !  i  can  hit  u  up  on  tumblr  ims  . . .  but  in  all  honesty  tumblr  ims  suck  so  hit  ya  girl  up  on  dickcord  @  𝑑𝑜𝑛'𝑡  𝑏𝑒  𝖘𝖚𝖘𝖕𝖎𝖈𝖎𝖔𝖚𝖘#4904  that  way  i  can  constantly  annoy  u  !

  there’s  𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔦𝔱𝔞  𝔰𝔢𝔯𝔯𝔞𝔫𝔬  !  though  on  their  socials  they  go  by  @supernova  .  i  heard  she  is  originally  from  𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏  𝒎𝒐𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒆  𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆  𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒌  ,  𝒇𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒂  ,  but  made  the  big  move  to  los  angeles  to  join  TWENTIES  .  you  haven’t  heard  about  it  ?  well  ,  apparently  their  dream  is  to  𝒂𝒄𝒕  𝒊𝒏  𝒂  𝒎𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒆  𝒅𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒅  𝒃𝒚  𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏  𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒐  ,  but  they  have  no  chance  unless  they  quit  being  so  𝔢𝔤𝔬𝔱𝔦𝔰𝔱𝔦𝔠  &  𝔰𝔶𝔟𝔞𝔯𝔦𝔱𝔦𝔠  .  that  said  ,  those  behind  the  scenes  have  said  they  can  be  𝔣𝔢𝔯𝔳𝔢𝔫𝔱  &  𝔡𝔯𝔦𝔳𝔢𝔫  too  .  guess  we’ll  have  to  watch  and  find  out  !  ━  &  pink  highlighted  scripts  scattered  on  the  kitchen  table  ,  lacy  lingerie  peeking  out  of  clothing  &  love  letters  tucked  away  in  a  hat  box  on  a  closet  shelf  .

TW  :  drugs  

* ･. ∘  𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒔  .  ◞

𝔫𝔞𝔪𝔢  ›  novita  grace  serrano 𝔫𝔦𝔠𝔨𝔫𝔞𝔪𝔢  ›  nova  ,  novs  &  serrano 𝔞𝔤𝔢  ›  twenty  one  years  old 𝔡𝔞𝔱𝔢  𝔬𝔣  𝔟𝔦𝔯𝔱𝔥  ›  february  29th  ,  1999 𝔷𝔬𝔡𝔦𝔞𝔠  𝔰𝔦𝔤𝔫  ›  aquarius  sun  ,  moon  &  rising 𝔠𝔲𝔯𝔯𝔢𝔫𝔱  𝔯𝔢𝔰𝔦𝔡𝔢𝔫𝔠𝔢  ›  los angeles  ,  california 𝔥𝔬𝔪𝔢𝔱𝔬𝔴𝔫  ›  plantation  mobile  home  park  ,  florida 𝔫𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫𝔞𝔩𝔦𝔱𝔶  ›  american 𝔬𝔠𝔠𝔲𝔭𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫  ›  actress  &  model 𝔞𝔠𝔱𝔦𝔫𝔤  𝔠𝔩𝔞𝔦𝔪  ›  zoey  deutch 𝔪𝔬𝔡𝔢𝔩𝔦𝔫𝔤  𝔠𝔩𝔞𝔦𝔪  ›  kaia  gerber 𝔤𝔢𝔫𝔡𝔢𝔯  &  𝔭𝔯𝔬𝔫𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔰  ›  cisfemale  &  she  /  her 𝔬𝔯𝔦𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫  ›  pansexual  &  panromantic 𝔩𝔞𝔟𝔢𝔩𝔰  ›  the  coquette  ,  the  babydoll  &  the  sybarite

* ･. ∘  𝒂𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒔  .  ◞

pink  highlighted  scripts  scattered  on  the  kitchen  table  ,  an  intense  coffee  addiction  ,  lacy  lingerie  peeking  out  of  clothing  ,  strappy  high  heels  ,  floral  perfumes  with  sweet  notes  ,  love  letters  tucked  away  in  a  hat  box  tucked  on  a  closet  shelf  ,  black  lingerie  for  special  occasions  ,  glossy  lips  constantly  ,  pink  champagne  ,  sweet  breakfast  foods  ,  freshly  manicured  nails  

* ･. ∘  𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅  .  ◞

valentina  &  matteo  met  at  a  typical  high  school  party  ,  valentina  the  girl  from  a  strict  &  religious  household  ,  matteo  the  dirtbag  left  to  his  own  devices  

the  two  had  a  whirlwind  romance  ,  getting  high  off  each  other  &  off  of  crack  ,  the  drug  of  choice  that  matteo  introduced  valentina  to

after  only  six  months  ,  valentina  &  matteo  were  addicted  ,  not  only  to  their  toxic  relationship  but  to  the  crack  ,  all   at  the  mere  age  of  15  &  18

their  highs  &  carelessness  led  to  valentina  getting  pregnant  ,  when  the  two  found  out  that  she  was  pregnant  they  ran  away  

they  both  came  from  very  strict  households  &  this  was  their  way  out  ,  something  they  always  talked  about  in  bed  

they  only  went  about  four  hours  away  from  home  ,  landing  in  plantation  mobile  home  park  florida  

soon  after  getting  the  cheapest  &  most  run  down  trailer  matteo  fled 

he  left  to  find  the  next  needle  to  stick  in  his  arm  without  the  financial  &  emotional  burden  of  being  a  father

thus  ,  novita  was  born  to  an  addict  teenaged  single  mom  in   a  trailer  park

so  valentina  was  left  without  her  family  ,  alone  to  raise  a  baby  at  the  age  of  sixteen  all  the  while  trying  to  stay  sober  for  the  baby  that  changed  her  life  ,  thankfully  she  was  able  to  get  a  job  but  there  were  a  few  times  where  she  almost  lost  it  because  she  slipped  

her  mother  ,  valentina  ,  was  a  waitress  at  a  diner  making  minimum  wage

since  valentina  was  a  single  parent  that  would  work  as  much  as  she  could  nova  had  to  be  taken  care  of  by  someone  else  ,  she  was  watched  by  a  older  woman  who  she  called  kitty  who  had  lived  in  the  trailer  park  since  she  was  born

when  she  did  slip  kitty  watched  nova  ,  she  actually  had  a  small room  just  for  the  girl  when  valentina  was  either  working  late  or  disappeared  for  a  little  bit

because  of  her  mother’s  job  &  her  craving  for  a  high  there  wasn’t  a  whole  lot  of  money  for  the  two  of  them

nova  grew  up  fairly  poor  life  &  she  always  fantasized  about  her  mother  getting  swept  off  her  feet  by  a  rich  ,  handsome  doctor  or  lawyer  ,  a  fantasy  that  valentina  shared  but never voiced

when  nova  was  seven  she  was  at  the  mall  with  kitty  ,  while  her  mom  was  at  work  ,  they  were  approached  by  a  talent  company  who  thought  nova  would  make  a  great  child  actress  or  model  

kitty  knowing  that  valentina  &  nova  needed  the  money  ,  signed nova  up

at  first  valentina  was  less  than  happy  about  her  child  being  an  actress  or  model  because  of  how  it  would  interfere  with  her  job  &  nova’s  schooling

but  when  she  heard  how  much  nova  could  make  in  just  one  day  &  with  kitty  offering  to  help  by  taking  her  to  auditions  &  jobs  she allowed  nova  to  start  her  career

nova’s  first  job  was  a  commercial  for  barbies  ,  something  that  nova  will  always  remember

the  beginning  of  her  career  was  a  slow  start  ,  making  valentina reconsider  having  nova  being  in  the  business  a  handful  of  times  ,  but  each  time  valentina  had  doubts  ,  kitty  helped  reassure  her

when  nova  turned  twelve  she  got  her  biggest  role ,  a  reoccurring  role  in  a  soap  opera  as  a  daughter  of  a  main  character

she  continued  that  role  up  until  she  was  fifteen  ,  by  the  time  she  hit  fifteen  school  was  really  put  on  the  back  burner  in  nova’s  eyes

instead  of  being  concerned  with  pep  rallies  &  dances  ,  she  was  more   bothered  with  finding  what  her  next  role  or  photoshoot  would  be

finally  at  sixteen  ,  after  a  lot  of  pestering  on  nova’s  part  ,  valentina  let  nova  quit  school  & instead  get  her  ged

once  she  had  her  ged  &  didn’t  need  to  attend  school  she  had  a  lot  more  time  on  her  hands  ,  giving  her  more  opportunities  to  work  jobs

this  is  when  her  career  really  started  taking  off  ,  she  was  booking  more  modeling  gigs  , which  had  her  traveling  &  living  the  model  lifestyle

the  traveling  made  her  long  for  a  better  life  ,  seeing  where  elite  models  &  talented  actresses  could  go  if  they  worked  hard  enough

this  is  what  drove  nova  ,  she  saved  &  saved  &  saved  ,  instead  of  telling  valentina  she  was  making  more  money  she  tucked  away  the  difference  so  that  she  would  be  able  to  make  her  way  to  la  when  she  turned  eighteen

the  summer  that  her  high  school  friends  graduated  &  nova  was  about  to  turn  eighteen  ,  she  moved  across  the  country  to  la  with  a  high school  friend  (  wanted  connection  mayhaps  )  they  got  a  run  down  apartment  with  all  of  the  money  they  both  had  saved  up

thanks  to  nova  moving  to  la  she  was  able  to  get  better  roles  &  more  impressive  gigs

i’m  using  zoey  deutch  as  her  acting  claim  so  i’m  gonna  say  that  her  first  big  role  was  as  shadia  in  dirty  grandpa  when  she  was  eighteen

then  she  slowly  began  getting  more  movie  roles  like  everybody  wants  some  !!  , good  kids  , why  him  ,  &  before  i  fall

she’s  still  not  nearly  where  she  would  like  to  be  career  wise  ,  but  she’s  making  her  way  towards  stardom

when  her  agent  told  her  about  the  casting  call  for  twenties  ,  nova  was  apprehensive  ,  she  didn’t  want  to  be  seen  as  a  reality  tv  star  like  paris  hilton  or  lauren  conrad  ,  she  wanted  to  make  a  name  for  herself  as  an  actress

but  nova’s  agent  convinced  her  that  twenties  would  get  her  more  recognition  &  show  how  hard  she’s  working  on  her  craft  &  that  was  all  it  took  for  nova  to  say  yes  to  the  audition

she  didn’t  have  high  hopes  for  the  show  &  didn’t  even  plan  on  being  cast  ,  but  when  she  got  the  call  she  realized  how  eager  she  actually  was  to  be  apart  of  twenties  

* ･. ∘  𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚  .  ◞

𝔣𝔞𝔳𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔟𝔩𝔢  ›  fervent  ,  driven  ,  confident  ,  charismatic  &  independent 𝔲𝔫𝔣𝔞𝔳𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔟𝔩𝔢  ›  egotistic  ,  sybaritic  ,  guileful  ,  critical  &  histrionic 𝔪𝔲𝔰𝔢  𝔦𝔫𝔰𝔭𝔬  ›  buffy  summers  ,  jennifer  check  ,  lorelai  gilmore  ,  robin scherbatsky  ,  lucille  bluth  , margaery  tyrell  ,  jackie  burkhart  &  kathryn merteuil

given  her  history  ,  nova  has  grown  up  to  be  a  very  driven  &  motivated  girl  

she  takes  her  work  very  seriously  because  she  never  wants  to  end  up  like  her  mother  or  back  in  a  trailer  park

nova  learned  from  a  young  age  that  being  charismatic  &  flirtatious  made  you  stand  out  in  a  crowd  of  girls  the  look  the  same  as  you  &  want  the  same  things  as  you

she  uses  her  sexuality  to  her  advantage  &  she’s  a  huge  feminist  that  promotes  women  making  choices  about  their  bodies  for  themselves

novs  is  all  about  the  girl  friendships  &  is  loyal  to  a  fault  ,  if  her  best  friend  told  her  that  her  boyfriend  broke  up  with  her  nova  would  be  on  his  ass  in  an  instant

despite  her  loyalty  i  don’t  really  see  nova  making  lots  of  close  friends  easily  ,  once  they  are  close  she’s  extremely  open  but  opening  up  is  hard  for  her  to  do

she  also  likes  to  party  she’s  very  much  into  the  lavish  lifestyle  ,  wanting  to  milk  it  for  all  it’s  work  while  it’s  still  available  to  her

she’s  incredibly  independent  ,  very  confident  &  extremely  adventurous

though  nova  can  be  quite  self  absorbed  &  self  obsessed  in  the  sense  that  her  career  &  herself  are  the  only  priorities  in  her  life

* ･. ∘  𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒅  .  ◞

ride  or  die  ,  girl  squad  ,  best  guy  friend  ,  brother  like  relationship  ,  good  influence  ,  party  friends  , drinking  buddies  ,  shopping  friends  ,  gossip  squad  ,  only  like  each  other  when  they’re  both  drunk  , on  &  off  hookups  ,  friends  with  benefits  , one  night  stand  ,  ex  boyfriend  ,  ex  girlfriend  ,  will   they  / won’t  they  ,  costar  ,  producer  ,  fellow  model  on  a  job  ,  enemies  ,  rivals  ,  annoyance  ,  angel  on  her  shoulder  ,  tagalong  &  so  many  more  !!  

[ardentmuse]

Hello, my little love bugs!

2k followers is fast approaching and I am not willing to wait for it! So we’re having a celebration now.

As many of you know, toddle started daycare, which means I have 4 hours every morning just to myself. So for the next week, I am devoting all of that time to writing. And with The Good Place coming back so soon, why not do some prompts based on the wittiest, silliest, most gut-wrenchingly romantic dialogue on television? AND why not add two new fandoms while we’re at it, just to get some good stuff goin’!

The Rules:

Must be following me (@ardentmuse)

Must submit me an ask with a number of a prompt and a character

Must like this post

Should reblog, but obviously live your own life, run with your blog aesthetic and just be happy

Only one submission per person, please!

Block “#ardentmuse almost 2k celebration” if you don’t want to see these for whatever reason (though I promise they will be good. My story with the most notes ever - over 1.5k now - was from one of these challenges)

Each ask will become a reader-insert imagine. Aiming for ~1k words for each of these, but we’ll see where the spirits take me.

Note that as I am going to be devoting all my writing time for the next week to this, I am not setting a hard cut off regarding number of submissions, but do know that I won’t be addressing these forever. Once the new Good Place season starts, I’m going to be washing my hands of whatever requests still sit in my inbox.

Character list and prompt list below the cut.

Hugs, Lia

Characters:

Note: all responses will be reader inserts (no x ships). Also, this list is off the top of my head so if I missed anyone that you really want to see, let me know.

Kingsman:

Harry Hart

Merlin (Hamish Mycroft)

Eggsy Unwin

Tequila

Whiskey (Jack Daniels)

James Spenser (Lancelot)

Roxy Morton

Harry Potter:

Bill Weasley

Charlie Weasley

Percy Weasley

Fred Weasley

George Weasley

Ron Weasley

Harry Potter

Neville Longbottom

Draco Malfoy

Sirius Black

James Potter

Remus Lupin

HPHM:

Bill Weasley

Charlie Weasley

Talbott Winger

Barnaby Lee

Felix Rosier

Marvel:

Bruce Banner

Tony Stark

Peter Parker

Thor Odinson

Steve Rogers

Scott Lang

T’Challa

Game of Thrones:

Jon Snow

Robb Stark

Ned Stark

Tyrion Lannister

Jaime Lannister

Sansa Stark

Margaery Tyrell

Theon Greyjoy

Gendry (Waters)

Podrick Payne

Sandor Clegane

Petyr Baelish

Good Omens:

Aziraphale

Crowley

The Prompts from The Good Place: 

https://ardentmuse.tumblr.com/post/187504106261/collectiveyou-hi-guys-im-broken-ya

Hi, guys! I’m broken.

Ya basic.

I was dropped into a cave and you were my flashlight.

Humans only live 80 years and they spend so much of it just waiting for things to be over.

I promise I’m worth it.

Kill me. Kill me. Kill me.

I gotta stay jacked. It’s who I am.

You know, sometimes a flaw can make something even more beautiful.

This is a real low point. Yeah, this one hurts.

I never thought I’d be the one to say it, but this is getting out of hand. I think we gotta go to the cops.

Well, I’ve narrowed it down to two possibilities: yes and no.

Well, I’m sure you’re busy, you probably wouldn’t want to talk to me. I get it, I wouldn’t either. I’m as dull as a rock. Ugh, even that analogy was boring. I’m sorry, I’m so dull, and I’m ugly. I’m like a rock. Ugh, stupid! Stop talking about rocks!

She’s so pretty, like Nala from The Lion King. And she talks so smart, like, um, Nala, from The Lion King.

It’s devastating. You’re devastated right now.

Okay, bud, whatever’s going on right now, just shove your feelings way down deep, plaster on a fake smile, and pretend like you’re having fun. Okay?

Ugh, of course your hugs are amazing.

Long story short, it was all a dream.

Right now I’m just a girl, towering over a boy, asking him to admit he loves me.

Pay it forward.

Now I’m living my truth and creating my bliss.

I am attractive, yes.

I don’t think this can be solved with a book.

Searching for meaning is philosophical suicide.

Now I’m bored. Walking is dumb.

You’re awesome! Be nicer to yourself.

I would say I outdid myself, but I’m always this good. So I simply did myself.

Lies are always more convincing when they’re closer to the truth.

Why do bad things always happen to mediocre people who are lying about their identities?

Rule number one– I get to do whatever I want, and you all just have to deal with it.

Principles aren’t principles when you pick and choose when you’re gonna follow them.

It’s a rare occurrence, like a double rainbow.

We are not in this alone.

Pobody’s nerfect.

Yep, shouldn’t have said that. Regretted it immediately.

You’re kind of, you know, turtling.

You and I are very different.

I’d say it’s like 50 million simultaneous orgasms, but better.

… I can work with that.

But then I remembered that I’m a naughty bitch.

Oh come on! You and I both know I’ll never read those.

What’s the secret? Is the secret more books? How many more books do I need?

Cool stance. Counterpoint: Get over yourself.

I’m outtie. See you in hell.

That broke me. I’m – I’m done.

I am your hottest friend!

You’re barfing Wikipedia over everyone to avoid talking about your feelings.

No matter what he does, we will find each other. And we will help each other. Because we’re soulmates.

I’m going to hug you because I love you. And because you feel just as alone as I do.

That’s insane. But it’s also like the eleventh most insane thing to happen today so who cares.

A: That’s not a question. B: So you agree, it’s a fact.

[tlbodine]

Every Single Last Thought I Have About Game of Thrones

My rambling obsession with Game of Thrones has cost me at least a dozen followers so far, and I promise it’s nearing an end now that the show is finished and the fervor is dying down. But I do have some Final Thoughts(tm), and I thought I would assemble them all here as best I can. In the interests of saving you all from a million future Game of Thrones posts, I will endeavor to put Every Single Thought I Have into one monstrously long GoT masterpost. You’re welcome, I guess? 

Rambles under a spoiler tag, as much for actual spoilers as for, uh, rambling. Buckle in. This post is a monster. 

In a contentiously-named Vice article called “Game of Thrones Was Doomed From the Start,” Peter Slattery makes a point that maybe we all needed to hear: Whatever our problems with the Game of Thrones TV show, they’re not wholly endemic to the show itself. The article is worth a read, but the tl;dr is this: GRRM created an astonishingly complex world with his book series, and the story has spun out to ever greater complexity as it approaches its supposed end. 

Anyone looking for a way to wrap it all up is going to have a tough time. Just ask GRRM himself, whose inability to finish the series in a timely fashion has basically become a meme at this point. 

Now, of course, D&D did not need to try to end the story in 6 episodes. They could easily have kept the series going on forever and HBO would have allowed it, because GoT is pretty much single-handedly keeping the network’s lights on at this point. Why the showrunners chose to turn down that opportunity is a matter of speculation. 

What I will say is this: There had always been an expectation that the show would be seven seasons. The internet has a short memory about these things, but back when this all started, the intent was clear enough: There would be 7 books in the series, and 7 episodes in the show, one for each book. At the time, four of GRRM’s books were out, with the fifth being released during this time period, and there had been an expectation (even then, a bit over-optimistic) that the books would finish before their respective seasons, or maybe just trail it by a year or so. 

The anticipation, in other words, was that A Song of Ice and Fire would roughly follow the trajectory of the Harry Potter films in their relationship with the books. 

That’s not what happened, obviously. 

But I do remember there being some grumblings of unease when we audience-folk started to realize the show might not wrap up tidily in those 7 planned seasons. And I definitely remember some grumbling about how Season 8 would take more than a year to come out (surely you all remember that impatience!) 

And facing that -- a restless audience, source material that stayed stubbornly unwritten, the increasingly complex logistics of an enormous cast including young actors who were picking up other roles -- I can understand the impulse to speed it along. If your options in finishing a story are to rush it a bit to force the plot points out, or else risk being caught plodding forward indefinitely...I can see the appeal of rushing. I won’t say it was the right creative choice, but it’s one I can understand and one I don’t think is indefensible. I’m not in love with what happened, but I can think of far worse ways for the show to have gone. 

Here’s more analysis on that which you may find interesting: https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/21/18633029/game-of-thrones-got-ending-season-8-george-rr-martin-apology

Scope Creep & Themes that Get Away From You 

So why is the ASOIAF universe so gosh-darn complex, and why are these books so hard to finish, and why is the show’s ending so hard to stick? 

It’s not just because GRRM is pantsing his way through the story (excuse me, tending his garden) but because ASOIAF is not actually a story so much as it’s a history. Part of what makes this world so compelling is that it is indeed its own world. And not just in the Tolkien sense of multiple cultures and complex histories and languages fleshing out the world. What’s made GRRM’s work the most interesting and compelling from the beginning is that it promises even more than that: Here is a richly textured world of geopolitical intrigue, populated by real people; each and every character has their own fears and hopes and aspirations and petty squabbles. 

ASOIAF tells a story about normal people and the way they get caught in the machinations of war, and it doesn’t take any shortcuts. And I think we need to take a moment here to appreciate how unique that actually is as a concept. 

In Lord of the Rings, we receive a richly detailed world with its own history and culture and grand war, but the war is also limited by the parameters of the story: It can all be ended if Frodo destroys the ring. 

GRRM did not give himself such a straightforward McGuffin for ending his story. 

And that, indeed, is part of the appeal of the ASOIAF series. A big part of what makes it all so compelling is that it’s a deconstruction of the fantasy genre and, really, a deconstruction of epics in general. 

Game of Thrones, the first book in the series, dares to ask: What happens when being the good guy is what gets you killed? 

Maybe GoT has been part of our cultural fabric for so long that this doesn’t seem all that shocking, but let’s just take a moment to appreciate here how utterly wild it is that this story begins by spending hundreds of pages (or many hours of film) with a protagonist, only to lop his head off -- and that, really, the rest of the series isn’t even about avenging that death. Oh, sure, vengeance for Ned Stark colors the motivation of some characters, especially in the beginning...but the story soon spirals way beyond that, because the Starks are just one piece in the epic machines of war. 

So by its very nature, ASOIAF is not just complex in terms of its sheer scope and number of characters and storylines, but also in terms of its themes. It’s a story that raises a number of difficult questions about the nature of good and evil, of the influence of power, the personal vs the political, and so forth. 

These are difficult questions, the type of questions at the very core of the human experience, questions that we’ve been grappling with for thousands of years, and GoT’s deconstructive nature means that it can’t take shortcuts to answering them. The answers simply cannot be as satisfying as “good triumphs over evil” or “evil wins” because the very nature of ASOIAF is complexity and the rejection of such simple platitudes. 

From that angle, I think the show did a brilliant job of wrapping things up. The plot had its share of inconsistencies (although not as many as people argue, more on that in a minute) but I think it stayed true to the spirit of what Game of Thrones had always been about. Season 8 raised some really important questions and touched on some extremely interesting themes, and I personally found it both thought-provoking and powerful. 

But, well, I will confess that my aesthetics have always leaned more toward intricacy, and that I do not have what many would call “good taste” about a great many things. I always prefer for things to be interesting rather than beautiful, and from my perspective, the home stretch of Game of Thrones was exceedingly interesting. 

How Did You Honestly Expect It Was Going To End? 

For all of the belly-aching on social media about the ending of Game of Thrones, I have both a rebuttal and a genuine question: What did you think was going to happen? 

A lot of people seemed to think that something like this would happen: 

(art by https://www.instagram.com/raymondwaskita/?hl=en and no, this isn’t saying the artist believes or endorses any of this, just saying I saw this image on Facebook accompanied by a lot of wistful sighing) 

I saw so many people who were all so very angry that Daenerys doesn’t walk away the winner of everything, that Cersei doesn’t get a more satisfying death, that Jon didn’t get to be the true king, that Jaime and Brienne don’t get a happily-ever-after, etc. etc. etc. And to all of those people I have just one question to ask you: What the fuck show have you been watching? 

Daenerys deserved better? 

Tell that to Ned Stark. Tell that to Robb and Catelyn and Shireen and Margaery and all the rest of the Tyrells. Just for starters. We could do this all day. 

Just because we had a few bad guys get some deliciously just endings does not mean that the Game of Thrones universe is fair or that anyone gets what they deserve. That’s just silly. 

But okay, fine then: Was it fucked up to tell a story where the breaker of chains and inspirational strong woman becomes the villain? 

I mean, sure, maybe. But doing so allowed us to ask some other really interesting questions (and, as previously noted, I always prefer when things are interesting). 

Is excessive force justified when it’s against evil men? Who gets to decide who is good and who is evil? How many losses are acceptable? Can you fight monsters without becoming a monster yourself? Should you be uncomfortable with how happy you are when “others” are slaughtered? Are you a little bit culpable too? 

Was Dany’s heel-face turn perfectly executed? No. But it was believable, and it was powerful, and I think the questions it asks are good questions that deserve to be talked about. 

Game of Thrones is all about subverting tropes, and Daenerys is the obvious Chosen One. She’s the one with the fantastic birth and the underdog story and the magical powers. She and Jon Snow are both the characters that every story tells us will be the heroes. So of course they don’t get what they “deserve.” 

If the first episode of Game of Thrones asks, “What happens if being good doesn’t save the hero?” then the last episode asks, “What happens if being the hero doesn’t make you good?” 

And that, to me, is interesting enough that it more than makes up for shortcomings in the road we traveled to get there. 

A lot of the criticism of the show -- take, for just one of many examples, this: https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a27527950/game-of-thrones-finale-character-endings/ -- seems to fundamentally misunderstand what the show actually is or what it was attempting. 

And like...I can understand being disappointed, but...like the scorpion & the frog...you knew what this show was when you picked it up. 

Here’s a Twitter thread I really liked about this point: https://twitter.com/leighalexander/status/1130750999684161537

So Am I Just Some D&D Apologist Who Loves Everything About This Show? 

I’m so glad you asked, hypothetical reader! 

No. No, I am not in love with every creative decision made by the GoT showrunners. There are plenty of things I disliked about the show and its creative choices. 

Re-framing Daenerys and Khal Drogo’s sex as rape, and then making the same mistake later when Jaime and Cersei have sex after Joffrey’s death. 

Giving Sansa to Ramsay Bolton. Not only do we get more unnecessary rape plots (and, honestly, wasn’t there enough rape in the source material?) but it just is so much less interesting than what was happening with Book!Sansa, who is my favorite character (and was my favorite long before it became cool to love Sansa). 

The entire three-eyed raven arc and “hold the door.” I mean, it was cool and tense, but I never got a really good idea of wtf the three-eyed raven’s powers actually do and what Bran inherited, and I kind of got the feeling that the showrunners didn’t understand it either and thus skirted around it. (Overall the show seemed uncomfortable with its more fantastic elements and knowing what to do with them). 

I thought Rickon was a wasted opportunity of a character. I wanted to see him do something cool. I admit that this is based entirely on my pet theory that the direwolves represent the souls of the Stark children, and I hoped Shaggydog’s vicious nature meant that Rickon was going to become a badass somehow. Alas. (I am also deeply sad that Arya and Nymeria don’t reunite to go fuck some shit up together)

Euron Greyjoy was a disaster. He is so much more interesting in the books, and so much weirder, and he’s just so pointless and annoying in the show by comparison. 

I didn’t like the “let’s go beyond the wall and oops there went my dragon” storyline very much, and honestly at no point did I ever really believe Jon and Dany’s relationship because it was rushed and the actors have zero chemistry. 

So no, I don’t think the showrunners made a perfect TV show. But I do think it’s deeply unfair to say that they are incompetent writers or that they can’t work without the original source material. 

My Criticism of the Criticisms 

The internet is full of idiotic opinions, and I could be here all day if I addressed all of them (I’ve already been working on this for two hours) but I will address a few of the complaints I’ve seen that have most rankled me. 

“Daenerys goes crazy because a boy rejected her” 

I think calling Daenerys the “mad queen” and writing off Targaryen madness as A Real Thing That Definitely Exists And Is Not At All A Metaphor For Power And Entitlement is silly and reductivist. Yes, generations of inbreeding have probably unsettled the Targaryens a bit. But Dany didn’t just go crazy. As I’ve said before: She was already prepared to sacrifice the lives of the commoners on King’s Landing. She knew that Cersei would use them as a human shield and Dany wasn’t going to let that stop her. She had endured so much on her journey to get to this point, and nothing was going to stand between her and the Iron Throne. I talk about this in great length in another post so I won’t get into it here, but just...don’t be stupid. 

“Cersei’s ending was stupid and pointless”

I’ve spent so much time dissecting Daenerys that I haven’t had a chance to talk about Cersei, which is a shame because I love her character a lot. I really loved her ending. All this time, the only thing she wanted was the security that power would bring her. Watching the look on her face when she realizes that Daenerys is going to destroy everything and that no political maneuvering can save her -- it was really powerful acting, and a major moment of change for her character. That she dies in Jaime’s arms, admitting at last that she is frightened, that she doesn’t want to die, that she doesn’t want her baby to die -- not only is it heartbreaking, but it’s honest. That is Cersei laid bare. She is who she has always been. That encapsulates her arc in a way that no other death really could have, and I personally found it a lot more satisfying than if Arya or whomever had just stabbed her in the back. 

“All of Jaime’s character development just went out the window”

I’ll give you some of this. I don’t know that the show has ever fully understood Jaime. Just as Cersei is so much more sympathetic in the show, Jaime is much more sympathetic in the books. But I don’t think that all his character development is for nothing. I think we still have his journey, no matter what. And in the end, I can understand why he chose to leave Brienne. He didn’t think he deserved that happiness, for one; Brienne was too good for him, not just as a person but as a knight, and he knew that. And what was his long-term plan, anyway? Daenerys certainly wasn’t overly fond of him. There’s a non-zero chance she might have executed him for killing her father once he’s outlived his usefulness. Cersei and his unborn child were in the path of danger. He had a chance to maybe go rescue them and save the family, somehow, as he’d so horribly failed to save any of his other children. It was a stupid choice, but Jaime is the dumbest Lannister, and his self-loathing go deep. Did we think that Brienne’s redemptive vagina was going to save him from himself? Come on. 

As for his last moments with Cersei...well. He was already mortally wounded by Euron. And I loved that the fight was so inglorious, so raw and dirty and stupid. They wrestle in the mud and it was perfect, as far as I’m concerned. So Jaime knows he won’t get out of this alive, and here’s Cersei, frightened and vulnerable. What else CAN he do but try to comfort them both? I thought it was a beautiful end for both of them and just because Jaime’s story ended up being tragic doesn’t invalidate his redemption arc. (I mean, for fuck sake, how many people go through rehab just to die of an overdose when they backslide?) 

“The scorpions are deadly weapons except then they’re useless”

Okay like. This is annoying to me. By the time we see Rhaegal, he has suffered a lot of damage courtesy of the white walkers. His wing has a big freaking hole in it. He’s not 100%, and he’s not being ridden by anyone, and the attack comes as an ambush. Drogon evades being shot down because he’s being steered by a rider and he’s not injured and exhausted. 

“D&D are incompetent writers who have no idea what they’re doing”

This one just makes me mad, and not just because of the fandom entitlement that I hate so much. (in this house, we stan for creators). Look. If they’re so incompetent, how did they manage to make a show that y’all loved for seven seasons previous to this? Also, like it or not, they know exactly what they’re doing. Like, they had such a clear idea of what they were doing that they managed to foresee the exact counter-arguments that fans would have and directly address them in the show. 

Like. Hot damn. I will admit: I was very nervous about this season in the first few episodes. Dany was making me uneasy. She was acting selfish and entitled, and her attitude toward the war was making me uncomfortable -- because she was still in the role of hero, and I wasn’t sure if we-the-audience were meant to just swallow this as being OK. And then Varys and Tyrion have a conversation about exactly that, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Because that made it clear that the show knew what it was doing. 

And then later? Jon and Tyrion have a so-accurate-its-painful discussion about Dany’s heel-face turn and her potential motives, and it so perfectly mirrored the discussions on Twitter the week prior that I almost wondered if they’d snuck off to film it last minute. 

The point is: Like it or not, D&D knew exactly what they were doing. And, remember, GRRM gave them an outline, and while we don’t know for sure what’s their invention and what’s his, I think we can safely say that the broad strokes of the ending were GRRM’s invention, not theirs.   https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/game-thrones-showrunners-know-how-687589

So love it or hate it, the ending of GoT cannot be blamed on incompetence. 

Okay Fine But the Pacing Was Still Really Bad 

Yep. I’ll grant you that. 

The ending blazes through plot points at breakneck speed. A lot of really important character development is left to performances; we’re forced to infer, as the audience, what a character is thinking or feeling at any given time. A lot of really important plot information is delivered by way of single dialogue lines. There’s a lot of “if you blink you’ll miss it” storytelling. 

It’s not ideal by any means. 

But it’s still pretty fucking good. The performances are good enough that, to me anyway, it’s pretty easy to intuit what’s going on internally. And the show still gave me things to think about, and made me feel things, and the impact may actually have been stronger by virtue of leaving so much to the imagination. By leaving a lot of questions unanswered, the show invites conversation and thought and speculation, and I think that’s valuable.

Would I Have Done It Differently? 

Here’s a fun relic from history -- check out GRRM’s original story pitch, back when he thought this would be a trilogy: https://www.insider.com/game-of-thrones-original-story-2017-8

Talk about scope creep. 

It’s fascinating, though. I know myself all too well that the book I set out to write and the book I end up with are never the same. There are some really interesting ideas in here, but I think the story we ended up with is a lot better. 

But as for the ending of the Game of Thrones. Was it perfect? Would I have handled it differently? 

Thematically, I think the resolution is mostly fine. Putting Bran on the throne is...well, it’s a choice. I have a little bit of a hard time with it just because it’s not really clear what Bran is, exactly. What are the scope of his powers? Is it a bit of a cop-out to put a supernatural king on the throne? 

But what I do like about it is the idea that it doesn’t actually really matter who we put on the throne. The story makes a difference -- we need something that makes for a good song, because maybe at the end of the day one of the messages is that we need to believe in all these tropes we’ve deconstructed because reality is hard, it’s painful and boring and often nonsensical, and maybe we need stories in order to survive. 

But at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter who we put in charge, because the people who are actually in charge are the council, and they will deal with everything the way they always had. After years of bloody rebellion, maybe the best thing really is the status quo. Maybe the solution to the game of thrones is to just stop fucking playing it. Put somebody on the damn throne and get back to running the country. I like that a lot. 

I also like the idea that change is important, and it’s possible, but it’s slow. That strikes a good balance of realism and optimism. No, we’re not bringing democracy to Westeros, but we’re establishing the roots of a Republic. No, a queen doesn’t sit the Iron Throne, but a queen does get to rule in the north, and the north gets its sovereignty. No, Jon Snow doesn’t get to be the hero, but he does get to go beyond the wall with the Freefolk, which honestly will probably make him happier than anything else (and while he doesn’t get to claim his birthright, he does know now why Ned did what he did, and gets some closure on the daddy issues front). 

All in all, it’s good. It’s not a happy ending, but we were never going to get a happy ending. And it’s not a particularly dramatic ending, because we weren’t going to get one of those either. 

THAT SAID. I will say there are a few things that really bothered me about the way the finale plays out. 

Drogon spontaneously melting down the throne for....some reason? Uh? I mean thematically it’s great but like....why though? 

It would have made more sense if the dragon roasted Jon, except Jon doesn’t burn because fire can’t burn a dragon, but the throne behind Jon melts down. It also would have made sense of Jon hopped on the dragon and melted down the throne himself, and maybe went and either killed Dany’s force or made them surrender/yield to him. 

I also have a hard time believing that the Unsullied who were just executing Lannisters would have locked Jon up instead of executing him immediately for treason. 

And wtf have they all been doing after Dany died? OK, fine, maybe the Unsullied don’t have any ambitions of their own, but you’re telling me the Dothraki were like “oh, ok, queen’s dead, guess we’ll just hang out and not do anything then?” 

None of that made any sense to me. 

Also wtf how are there still so many Dothraki and Unsullied left? Didn’t, like, a whole lot of them die fighting zombies? 

Ugh. 

Anyway. 

Perfect? No. Thought-provoking? Absolutely. Thematically on-point? Yeah, I’d say so. One of the best shows on television, still? Definitely. Are there valid criticisms? Yes. Are most of the criticisms valid? Not by a long shot. 

One final thought: 

We never do learn why the Night King doesn’t burn. Our pet theory in the house (courtesy of my husband) is that he is of Targaryen descent. He can ride the dragon, after all. What if that’s not just because he resurrects it with his powers, but because he is himself a dragon-rider? 

So with that as a possibility...Well. I’m just saying. 

We don’t know where Drogon took Daenerys after she dies. But wouldn’t it be interesting if she is somehow resurrected, and somehow gets to spend the next few centuries amassing an army of the undead to come back and take what’s rightfully hers, effectively re-starting the cycle and bringing winter back once again? 

(this is what happens when you give a fantasy series to a horror writer) 

[aslee1x1]

Name/alias: Aslee, or Az, if you’re feeling lazy

Age and timezone: 24/CST

Discord: Aslee #3389

Favourite ASOIAF character(s)?: Renly Baratheon, Sansa Stark, Jon Snow, Loras Tyrell, etc, etc! Sometimes I feel like I only like Jon because the plot demands I like at least one Targ, but the more time I spend reading about the other dipshits in Westeros, the more beautiful Jon becomes to me. Truly, we deserve someone level-headed and moral on the Iron Throne???? If not Jon, then Sansa, right? Literally anyone who doesn’t declare war at the drop of a hat. We stan a man with critical thinking skills and problem solving. Funnily enough, the first time I read the books, I hated Jon and loved Dany. URP. Not that Dany isn’t smart, I just wonder if dragon fire is really a sustainable governing method. ANYWAY, RENLY, yeah, he would have been the best King. Like, I genuinely think George Knows This. His quote about the Baratheon brothers as precious metals? Yeah, he made Renly copper because to a modern audience, the fact that copper is the most valuable is common knowledge!! ... And yet, because the characters disparage Renly, so does most of the general audience. RIP RIP RIP. Renly really had to die because his rule would have ended the books too soon. 

Character(s) you’re most interested in at TKAK: Renly! I’m a Baratheon babe 100%, and also I don’t have time to apply for 300 characters like I usually do. However, the characters I’m interested in that I don’t plan on playing are all the Tyrells, Stannis, Tommen and Myrcella, THEON!!!!,  basically anyone gay tbh, also I really want to see what happens re: Cersei and Sansa’s relationship in this AU. Actually, I think I want to see what happens to Cersei in this AU the most because I think that, in a world where she had more room to be her own person, she wouldn’t be such a heinous motherfucker all the time!!!! Letting women be human in 2019? A blessing.

What you’re most looking forward to in the group: Uh  I think I answered this too early but like as a person, I really look forward to uhhhh filtering my current political rage into creativity. Also? Just the sheer ability to see matchups that couldn’t happen in the books. Like I just want Renly and Sansa to have One (1) conversation and then I could die happy. Also, Renly doting on his nieces and nephews because he doesn’t really want kids. 

What you’d really love to happen in game: VICIOUS MURDER ATTEMPTS. Uh, realistically, I think that given the focus on activism in Margaery’s bio, it would be cool as hell to do a pride parade plot? Or like a scandalous interview in Cersei’s magazine-- Maybe one of the interns got the Key Quote someplace? I would also love love love if maybe there were false positives in this whole whodunnit quest. I want more accused parties than a Murder, She Wrote episode, and plots to hide/rescue loved ones from the long arm of the law. 

Describe what the aesthetic of this verse is to you: A world slowly draining of colour, cleaner than it should be. The cleanliness lends no comfort; You realise how much the trash and graffiti of the city meant home to you. People are arranged in a line, starting in sharp suits and meandering down to sharper tongues. No one looks you in the eyes, and you’re too busy staring at the blood dripping from their hands to notice. Ned Stark lays dead on the table in front of them all, wreathed in garnish like a suckling pig. Music, unique in its genericness, cues up and the people start a stiff, robotic dance. 

Who killed Ned Stark?: God, I hope it’s Stannis. I don’t even know why, but I just really want Stannis to ascend to his rightful throne as murder hobo.

Is there a meme for the state of TKAK’s London right now? 

[omgellendean]

Ten questions from @rainhalydia :3 The answers turned out long-winded, hope you don’t mind.

1. Who is going to survive and rule each region by the end of the series, in your opinion?

The north — Sansa as a rightful ruler, not just a regent, because what are all these lessons about good rulers in her storyline for if there’s no ruling position for her in the endgame. That doesn’t mean I want Bran and Rickon to die, they can be ok and still not rule, this isn’t mutually exclusive.

The Iron Islands — Asha/Yara, with Theon as her co-ruler/right hand (I actually have the whole post about that in the drafts which I need to finish). Needless to say, they are both going to live. The riverlands — Edmure, I think he and Roslin have one of the best chances to survive and live happily ever after. The westerlands — Tyrion, out of three heads of the dragon he is the one in whose survival I don’t doubt. The Vale — Robin will survive and grow up a decent person under Royces’ care (seems that this already has happened in the show). I’ll accept no alternatives, I’ve read too many theories that treat his death as a given.

About the stormlands, I have no idea. Mostly because I don’t give a fuck about Baratheons aside from Shireen. Ok, dream ending — the rule goes to House Tarth because they are related to the Baratheons/Durrandons/Targaryens and because Brienne deserves it. Another possible ending for the books — Edric Storm will return from Essos and become the new stormlord. Long may he reign, whatever.

The Reach: the show seems to push towards the Tarlys (meaning Sam, who is obviously going to soon be free from his vows) becoming the new ruling lords. Which is good, because Sam is Sam, and his mum and Gilly have enough steel in them to support him. Also, it’s fitting that the Tyrells, which supplanted the previous rulers they served to, are replaced by their vassals themselves. Fits into the Reach’s aesthetic too. In the books, there are more Tyrells, so they may as well stay in power. I don’t mind it, Willas seems to be a nice man. Either way, this land of hollow chivalry and strict gender roles is going to be ruled by HUGE NERDS, and I’m all for it.

Dorne. It’s similar to the Vale’s situation: almost everyone thinks that Arianne is going to die, sometimes together with her whole family, and this really irks me. She is the main character of this storyline, this her coming of age story, not to mention how unusual her PoV for Martin’s writing. And yet, people believe she’s going to kick the bucket and leave the rule to some younger brother nobody cares about. Fuck them, honestly. Arianne is going to live, and she will be the greatest Princess since Nymeria, and that’s it. That being said, I have no idea what’s going to happen to Dorne in the show, because it’s such a mess. I have a suspicion that Ellaria (or Tyene?) might still survive and return home to rule and take care of the baby Sand Snakes. In season 4 Oberyn mentioned that he has four daughters from Ellaria, counting Tyene, so unless the writers forgot about them, they’re still alive. Other than that? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Overall I think that Westeros is in for the massive cultural shift, with women coming into power. Similar to the situation after the Dance of the Dragons, but on a much larger scale and, hopefully, more permanent. There’s going to be a big storm, after which nobody will be able to live as they lived before.

2. What song do you associate with your fave character?

I know almost nothing about music aside from classics. Like, the only time I listen to music is when I’m going to the opera. But I have a favourite music video about Sansa! 

Disclaimer: I don’t actually think she’s a bitch.

3. A pov you wouldn’t mind not having and why.

QUENTYN. Yes, it’s a writing experiment and a chance to look at the story through the eyes of the redshirt, etc. But Quentyn is an unbearably boring guy with equally boring friends. He belongs to the same type as Sam and Davos but has none of their best qualities. Not to mention that he also is a big prude. Meh.

4. A moment in the books/show you found cringe-worthy.

“Bad pooossey”. Nothing will ever outshine this cinematic masterpiece. I also tend to cringe during all sex scenes in the books (I feel that some of them are intentionally written like that, but still wish GRRM had a female editor specifically for this kind of writing). Also, GRRM’s writing of prostitutes often bothers me.

5. What are your faves worst characteristics?

Sansa can be haughty and prone to close her eyes on facts that she doesn’t like. But since her story is about growing up, I’m pretty sure she will overcome these moments very soon. In fact, in the show she already did. Theon is an asshole (in the books), but that’s what keeps him going, so I hope he won’t change too much, lol.

6. Your most hated character best characteristics?

It amazes me how LF, both in the books and in the show, managed to use everything for his own benefit and turn around most of the situations to fit him better. Until winter came, of course.

7. How would your fave fare in the real world?

Sansa would fit in perfectly. She is basically Austen’s heroine, with the same flaws to overcome, of course, she would be fine. That being said, I think that almost all female characters would be ok in the real world, as GRRM tends to write women as mature and well-adjusted people. It’s his men we should worry about because they all desperately need therapy and a nap.

8. What do you think will happen to the Night Watch in the next book?

Hope it will be gone forever because it’s a horrible organisation that shouldn’t exist. Maybe there was something noble about it at the beginning, but the Night’s Watch as we see it in the main series should end. Same with the Kingsguard, btw.

9. Who is going to bite in before the end, and who’ll survive winter?

Cersei and Euron are goners, everyone else has a chance, I think. There are two people, which I’m sure are going to survive, no matter what: Dolorous Edd and Bronn.

10. Who GRRM killed and then realized he shouldn’t have?

It’s going to be an unpopular opinion, but I’m pretty sure it’s Beric Dondarrion.

Here’s a thing: Beric, while being a small, background character, is tied to several important for Martin themes. It’s the meaning of the knighthood, things that make us human and that stay with us even after everything else is gone, life and death, the meaning of life, the existence of god... All this is explored through Beric’s story. Neither Stoneheart nor Thoros can replace him in this role. He is a tragic character that fights the death itself — and he is killed behind the scene, almost as the footnote. It’s anticlimactic at best. It’s disappointing even.

There are also plot-related issues that rise from Beric’s death. He was the heart of the Brotherhood, without him it decays and turns into the common band of outlaws. To be useful in the coming war, they need to be united again. But by whom? Stoneheart is the part of the problem and needs to die herself, Thoros and Gendry obviously don’t have enough influence for that, and Edric Dayne is a sweet boy, but he has almost no personality. Of course, there is Arya, and I guess, that’s how GRRM will (lol) deal with that, but with Beric, everything would be easier. We can see it in the show, where Beric is still alive.

[stormrp]

two announcements in one day, i know - we’re just outta control. anyway!! we’re here to give you our first preview!! seeing as we think it ties in nicely with our development contest we’re giving you the chance to check out the storm’s member groups!! you can see them all below the cut and hopefully you can find somewhere to drop your character! 

examples: molly weasley, lexie grey, ned stark, mary winchester, sookie st. james, phoebe halliwell, charles boyle, wendy darling, diana prince, samwise gamgee.

Caring, trustworthy and warm – these characters will always put other people’s needs before their own. That’s not to say that they’re pushovers; but they are more than willing to put themselves on the line to help others. They’re family-orientated and work better surrounded by people that they care about rather than on their own. A little stuck in their ways, they tend to like routine and knowing what’s going on – but that’s not to say that, with a gentle push in the right direction, they’re not willing to bend every now and again. They’re the problem-solvers and the ones you go to for advice or just a shoulder to cry on. They’re compassionate, understanding and honest whilst arguably a little meddlesome; but it’s only because they can’t help but try to get stuck in and help solve a situation if they see someone struggling. Principled and empathetic, they make the best kind of friends and add just a touch of calm to your life.

aesthetic: open fires, fluffy blankets, picnic baskets full to the brim, honey covered pancakes, hufflepuffs, freckled skin, handmade get-well-soon cards, bubble baths, chunky knit sweaters, old vinyls, reading glasses, cluttered kitchens, the smell of freshly baked bread, mom-jeans, the colour of leaves changing at fall.

examples: ryan reynolds, steve trevor, jim halpert, glenn rhee, rebecca pearson, neville longbottom, gale hawthorne, april kepner, mushu, chandler bing, robb stark, jake peralta.

These characters are your regular joe bloggs: they’re content and happy to drift through life without causing a scene or making a fuss. That’s not to say, however, that you should underestimate them -- though they’re not constantly battling to be the centre of attention, they’re smart, realistic and have a tonne of creative and fun ideas to throw into any situation. They’d be the person you called at 3am to help you bury a body without asking questions, basically. They’re the type of person to keep you grounded but can also be easily persuaded into some grand adventure, even if that’s just ice cream at 2 in the morning. Sure, maybe they pass up opportunities in favour of living a quiet life – but they’re a big personality that make any room fun and engaging. They won’t leave someone sat by themselves at a party, that’s for sure, and you’ll usually find them with a smart quip or funny joke to make the mood lighter.

aesthetic: fresh bed sheets, the smell after rain, street lamps reflecting off the pavement, listening to rain whilst wrapped up in a blanket, dog-eared books, slightly burnt toast, messily packed suitcases, dishes piled by the sink, thirty phone notifications, overgrown pot plants.

examples: katniss everdeen, prue halliwell, betty cooper, legolas, mary crawley, peggy carter, hermione granger, spock, cristina yang, amy dunne, arya stark, margaery tyrell, miranda priestley, shuri.

These characters ooze class and sophistication from every pore. They’re your studious, practical and just downright smart characters. They hold themselves, and everyone else, to pretty high standards and honestly believe that they know best in every, and any, given situation. They can be a little condescending without meaning to be at times but it usually comes from a place of good intention. No one can question the drive these characters have and, nine times out of ten, when they set a goal for themselves: they’ll achieve it. Whilst their minds are brilliant things to behold, they sometimes need a little help when it comes to the more emotional side of life. They hate to show weakness but despite their hard exterior, these characters feel a lot - probably because they’re notorious overthinkers. They’re definitely people that you want fighting in your corner with their quick wit and determination – just make sure you don’t wrong them, because if they’re good at anything then it’s holding a grudge.

aesthetic: to do lists, post-it notes on the fridge, colour-coded diaries, black coffee, late nights in the office, bulging bookcases, crisp white shirts, half-eaten toast, organised desks, the cold side of the pillow, early morning sun creeping through a crack in the curtains, opened take out containers, pinterest boards, alarm clocks, flickering light bulbs.

examples: haymitch abernathy, ginny weasley, alex karev, han solo, rosa diaz, cersei lannister, tony stark, jessica jones, draco malfoy, thorin oakenshield, jon snow, nick carraway, laura moon.

Dark and brooding; these characters are the ones most likely to pick a fight. They’re opinionated, feisty and it constantly feels like they woke up on the wrong side of the bed. These characters act like they carry the weight of the world on their shoulders and usually aren’t willing to let anyone else in to help them. They’re independent, resilient and incredibly resourceful but it often hinders their likability by… a lot. They can get incredibly narrow-minded and focus on what they don’t have instead of what they do. Stormy and tempestuous they’re most likely to pick a fight with you over nothing just because you looked at them the wrong way. It’s not all bad though; they’re fierce protectors and are unfailingly loyal to those they consider close. Yes, they have hot tempers and they’re prone to serious bouts of jealousy and possessiveness… but the bottom line is that they don’t really care what you think about them so, in a way, they’re arguably the freest type of character.

aesthetic: unmade beds, thunderstorms rolling in, cracked mirrors, cups of half-finished coffee, whiskey, leather jackets, ripped knee jeans, beaten up converse, piles of clothes, organised chaos, park benches at night, seedy bars, haphazardly open drawers, half-smoked cigarettes, shattered glass, lipstick stains on shirt collars.

examples: luna lovegood, arwen undómiel, george o’malley, cinderella, rory gilmore, veronica lodge, jane villanueva, jane porter, arthur weasley, lucy pevensie, jane bennett, bilbo baggins, phoebe buffay.

These are your happy-go-lucky characters. The dreamers, the trendsetters… the ones who brighten up a room every time they walk in. They dream big and sometimes get a little lost along the way, forgetting about reality for a little while. They’re rebellious and brave and are willing to put everything on the line to achieve what they want to achieve. They’re the inspirational friend who manages to juggle two jobs, ten hobbies and writing a book on the side – you know? They feel a lot pretty much all of the time – from one extreme to the other. They fall in love at least twice a day – three times on a Sunday – and they cry at sad television adverts every single time. It’s hard not to feel moved when you’re around one of these characters or even just a little inspired by their total acceptance of who they are as a person. They might not know exactly who they are yet but they’re sure on their way. Just don’t mistake them for being the wishy-washy type because they’re determined little creatures who tend to get exactly what they want without fail.

aesthetic: surprise parties, quaint coffee shops, the first signs of spring, oversized cardigans, personalised thank you notes, sun kissed skin, movie marathons, dainty jewellery, potted plants, binge watching Netflix, brightly coloured rooms, belly laughs, vintage furniture.

examples: ron weasley, cheryl blossom, petra solano, sirius black, james t. kirk, monica geller, flynn rider, meredith grey, jyn erso, lara croft, elizabeth bennett, claire fraser, amy santiago.

These characters want to stand out. Whether it’s for their brains, their looks, their charity or their scandals… they want to make a difference. It’s not always entirely for the good of others either; they like the praise, attention and constant affirmation. Sometimes it’s selfishly motivated and other times these characters are just genuinely looking for some love and validation. Honestly? Most of the time, deep down, these characters are cripplingly insecure and make up for that by throwing themselves out there; whether that’s with their sense of humour, their work ethic or even just straight up being rude… whatever sets them apart from the crowd and gets them noticed, right? They might be the most morally-loose of the groups and they may get a little… crazy sometimes; trampling on other people’s feelings and forgetting that their actions have consequences but they’re just searching for that big-time confirmation that they matter… to someone.

aesthetic: drunk phone calls at 3am, photo albums full to the brim, eyes rolling, clothes left in the washer, the first bout of frost, way too loud music, staying in the club until closing, bold colours, thunder and lightning, over the top gestures, first over the finish line, shouting matches.

[tyrellsimsoficeandfire]

Huge Replies of a Month 🌸

Recently, I only manage to do such a post once a month. To some of you I’ve already replied under the posts or via PM. Hope, I didn’t forget someone.

@treason-and-plot:  I really like the intimacy of this scene 😊

@declarations-of-drama:  Sumptuous! Was the word that came into my head when I see the legs in the bath-tub. Very nicex

Thank you! I found that scene really sexy, too! Jaime is my favourite sim. I love is looks because I modeled him a bit on the actor who portrays him:

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau vs. my Jaime

Hope, you see the resemblance! I’ll release him for Download when I reach 500 followers soon.

@mentally-restless:  rip the real queen of westeros

@dreamywritingdragon:  MY BABIES!!!!!!!! Fuck this show, like, so much :/

@westerosims: thank you for this ive been so annoyed since Sunday's weirdly inaccurate interpretation of highgarden

@owly-sims:  Thanks for this! It's a great tribute to Lady Olenna.

It’s good to be in company of more Olenna fans! I know that at least two of you read all the books. You are book purists as I am. And yes, I did this to show GRRM’s TRUTH!!!!!! The Reach is renowned for its fine knights. They totally fucked that up in the show.

@treason-and-plot: It's such a richly layered world. 😍

Thank you! I try to have some variety for it’d be boring if I would always show the same sets. And I want to portray the different cultures of the series. I google a lot for castles and inspiring locations. This one is just a small corridor built without much effort. Sometimes I re-use sets but in a way, you would not recognize.

@andantezen:  wonderful scene!

@lifeasasim: True!

THANKS! @andantezen    You love classical greece. You must know that one of the pictures was inspired by the Statue Apollo and the Nymphs from Versailles. 😊

@treason-and-plot: It also reminds me of Norman Lindsay's paintings.

I didn’t know his name, but I’ve seen his works before. I totally see the similarities. Sometimes I get inspired by the art of British pre-raphaelite artists. I like the romanticised Middle Ages there.

@danjaley:  This scene has quite a Wagnerian aesthetic! :P

Thank you! The Wagner comparison made me smile. I like that for I understand you find my stuff quite epic. Not a fan of his music but I like how he turned myths into a very own epic saga. And yet, as a German you might understand why I find it a bit problematic. But thanks for your compliment!

@simblu:  SUMPTUOUS pix! I lingered over the details. :)

Thanks! Too much details are my “guilty pleasure” as many of you might know. I can’t even do normal gameplay anymore because I’m so obsessed with detailed scenes. I always imagine people living in these rooms. Real people would have many decorations and many objects laying around. I want to catch such an atmosphere of a vivid place. Also this Throne Room, I have in many versions under different rulers: One with Dragon decor, a neutral one and a version with lions.

@andantezen: I love it now that we can actually enlarge the pictures :)

Wasn’t this possible all the time? But still, a high quality picture loses quality when uploaded.

@treason-and-plot:  I love the contrast between this scene and the last 😊😊

I absolutely need a balance between epic/dramatic and light(funny scenes: I love the dark and action-loaded stuff. But this takes too much time I don’t have. Therefore, when I’m in simming mood I create some jolly stuff. Mostly these are some sex scenes or very unrelevant scenes. So I hope followers will for give me that there was more nudity than serious stuff during the last weeks. I really needed a break (and I was attracted by some sexy male characters I recreated as sims)....

@declarations-of-drama: Didn't get chance to comment on ipad yesterday. Wonderful recreations here! I love the dragon/bat statues looking on. It all looks so grand! 

You told that before: Is commenting impossible from tablets?

The dragon statues were actually a late solution: In the original story, the throne room is decorated with skulls of extinct dragons. I didn’t find such stuff or dinosaur skulls for Sims3. But I think the statues look even better.

@dreamywritingdragon:  Your Jaime has such fancy hair :p And he looks great on that throne :p Great scene!!

Thank you! That’s my young Jaime. It’s such a cliche that in movies, persons always have more fancy/ longer hair when shown in flashbacks. I used tat too! And isn’t he hot on that throne?

@murfeelee:  Why you so perfect? I love this. So much detail; beautiful screenies as always!

THANK YOU, my dear! I’m not perfect at all. But I’m an annoying perfectionist ;-)

@dreamywritingdragon:  MY CHILDREN!!!!!! This is all so beautiful!!! The Princess of Dorne reminds me of Olenna Tyrell, but that must be the clothes :p Oberyn looks like trouble^^ Ashara doesn’t seem happy, and Elia’s dress is so beautiful!!

Actually, the Princess is just an older version of Elia that gained some weight. I didn't even edit the face. And Ashara...I wanted an expression that shows that KL will be a dangerous place as Oberyn suspects, too.

@danjaley:  Aww, I spotted some poses! :)

I have so many poses but I always end up using yours. Looking forward what you come up next!

@andantezen: I love it how you choose poses to convey the difference between the characters' personalities -- it's so clear between the two men, and again between the two ladies. Very nuanced. Always pretty.

For the men, I wanted to show how the princess’ brother is not amused about the royal match. But I didn’t intend tension between the young ladies. It was like a mistake. The poses I used on the one in purple actually were neutral ones. Maybe her facial features made them look different? But it doesn’t matter. In the books, that lady becomes a lady-in-waiting after her princess weds the crown prince. She is admired at court and that may be dangerous. Her expressions might be foreshadowing.

@simsos:  Beutiful photos and environment!The story of Elia and Rheagar is very tragical.Regards!

Thank you! And welcome to the community. Nice to see another GOT-inspired simmer from Europe!

@treason-and-plot:  😮where is the snoring coming from?

Apparently, from the blue parrot. I didn’t notice until you pointed out.

 @mentally-restless:  elia!!!!! i really want to know more about her! lovely scene as always :)

I think, we’ve discussed her a lot. Let’s go on whenever we want.

@andantezen:  I wish I were an insect to get closer :)

Oh, you aren’t the only one who wants that. Just getting really close... Hope, others are ok as well if I’ll do more gay scenes with them There isn’t much plot with them I could tell.

@lifeasasim:  Love the yellow flowers covering them. Artistic :)

@owly-sims:  I love the last picture! Beautiful composition

Thanks! That idea came to my mind while creating. I didn’t really know what I wanted. I needed golden roses but didn’t have. I thought daffodils would do.

@murfeelee:  Yaaaaaas! I totally shipped them. Loras was hilarious, and Renly was awesome, full stop. <3

I love them! The actors were hot. Nothing to add.

@treason-and-plot:  I love the dappled sunlight on the book. Gorgeous!

I never plan those things. They simply happen in Monte Vista. Every world has its own light.

@sabrinastarkmartell:  Yas Dorne makes me so happy

Me, too!!!! But many people don’t like Dorne for the things the show did. Or they don’t even care. And they don’t know Arianne or recognize that Tyene.  

And I found Arianne x Oberyn somehow intriguing! I’m guilty, yes! But I thought of Rhaenyra and Daemon.

@declarations-of-drama:  MMMM!!! The scenery! The mood! This makes me want to sweep my Sims off their feet and go to Egypt, don't know if it's safe though - are they still rioting in Cairo? :/

Well, I think Al-Simhara is safe. But RL Egypt is a dream of mine I may never fulfill. I don’t feel it’s safe going there now. Ancient Egypt was my first passion. I really got into the history and I am some kind of expert. There was plenty of Egyptian CC for sims 2 but almost none for Sims 3.

@declarations-of-drama:  Wow!!! That bathtub scene is so sensual with the way you've posed them! CAn almost feel their bodies touching!! :D

Thanks you like it! This was one of those show sex scenes I did just for fun. The silver-haired guy Viserys is kind of an asshole. But I find him kind of attractive.

@mentally-restless:  Amazing as always 😌😁

@lifeasasim: #TEAMDANY  Btw i love this... and so much depth. 

@i-am-a-lady-damn-it:  Gorgeous!!!

@andantezen:  very beautiful and dramatic and atmospheric!

@treason-and-plot:  Wow that was very intense in all senses of the word. And hugely enjoyable too  ❤

@murfeelee:  Don't do this to meeee~~! That was my favorite chapter. I was so glad when that evil witch heifer wench died. Doing my baby's daddy like that! U_U

THANKS TO ALL OF YOU!!!!! This was by far my favourite scene to do. I love the effects fire creates during night in game. And I finally wanted to use Severinka’s Mongolian huts. They just fitted perfectly for Dothraki!

@declarations-of-drama:  This is wonderful! I can't imagine how long it took to get all of them posed and lined up for that scene. And the baby dragon!!! Makes me want to hug it!!!!  The way she is holding it in the last shot! 😍😍😍

It took quite some time. But the background sims always stayed in the same pose. Just moved them around a bit. The Dragons are actually the Wyverns by Severinka. I placed them on lots of OMSP resizers.

@andantezen: in one word: Lush!

@lifeasasim:  Goodd, look at that room. The details!!!

@declarations-of-drama:  Very cool! The snake shot is very clever

Thank you! That room is one of my favourites. Not the usual medieval style. The people of Dorne are a more oriental culture and I tried to build in their style. They love luxury and lead a life of free love. I liked to put a lot of gold and glitter there. And the snake is there for Oberyn’s nickname is “Red Viper”.

@simblu:  Now to come back and comment..how gorgeous, as always, such lush settings, so true.

Thank you! That bedroom is one of my favourite creations!

@murfeelee:  I shipped these little nutcases so hard, ngl.

You did? I thought no one would be perfect for Joffrey. Margaery would have known how to control him but I don’t think this was a been a perfect match.

@lifeasasim:  Margaery is one smart woman.. ashamed cersei killed her

I’d like to chase Cersei through the streets for this ringing a bell and calling “Shame, Shame, Shame!!!”

@treason-and-plot: I am excited i knew that was Joffrey! Go me! 😁

Who doesn’t know that little cunt? One of the most hateable characters on TV.

@declarations-of-drama: This was so erotic in a twisted way! I love the story here! And the way you captured their expressions aiming the weapon. If she killed something he would probably bend her over that fruit bowl and show her his. . . blade of passion because they seem so aroused in the moment! hahaaction

You get the point! Joffrey is really twisted. He likes violence but he doesn’t dare to touch his future wife Margaery. She plays him. And I had a feeling that stroking the crossbow was as if she touches his cock for him. 

@sabrinastarkmartell:  THANK YOU

You were actually one of the reasons I decided to do this. You brought Tyene back to my mind.

@andantezen:  did they castrate him? :O

Luckily not. They wanted to have a threesome but he came too early. I just found the idea of them using some mysterious drink interesting. Maybe it’s something for his “Manhood”. I didn’t pay attention that there was a skull on the bottle. Maybe they wanted him to be a better lover but that plan didn’t play out. That was just for fun. I’ll get back to more serious scenes.

@declarations-of-drama:  He so reminds me of Prince in these shots!

Yes, a little bit. But I didn’t have him in mind for I don’t have associations with Prince. I just wanted to create a dark southern, handsome lad.

@danjaley:  I guess it wouldn't be Game of Thrones without these kind of scenes - but now I'm looking forward to Jayne being rescued!

@lifeasasim:  Poor girl... :/

Thank you for I didn’t get hate for this one! I really left out the last sentences which implied how Ramsay abuses Reek/Theon and Jeyne. One can only guess what terrible things happened during that night. I believed, showing this one first wouldn’t raise much questions when I do the rescue scene. 

But it’s harder to do than I thought. I want to show the dramatic action when they finally save her...

@murfeelee:  Which is one of the many reasons why Theon will always and forever be on my Piece of Sh!t list

I’m always here to defend Theon. What should he ave done? He’s a victim of Ramsay as Jeyne is. He humiliated him, brutalized him, hurt him, abused him...That man was broken. He wasn’t strong enough to be brave during that night. I thought a lot about it. What if he stabbed Ramsay? Would he save Jeyne? I think, no. With Ramsay dead, they had to escape. But how? Others would have come to punish him for murder. And what would to innocent Jeyne. All that stuff tat happened to them is unspeakable. I can’t imagine such horrors they went through...

This is too long. I need to do replies more often.

[itsjaybullme]

'Iron Fist' Star Finn Jones Talks About a 'Much Different' Season 2

Courtesy of Netflix

On Friday, September 7, the second season of Netflix’s Iron Fist will premiere to a host of skeptical fans. The good news: it won’t be hard to live up to the not-so-binge-worthy first season. Let’s be real, the inaugural season of Iron Fist was, well, not great. Compared to Daredevil, Luke Cage, and Jessica Jones (which all averaged an 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, with Jessica Jones raking in a Peabody award in 2015), the show proved to be the weakest of the crop, earning a measly RT score of 19% and a bunch of hate from fans. The biggest gripe came at the expense of the lackluster, choppy fight scenes—one of which featured a baffling 56 camera cuts in 35 seconds. For a show with deep roots in the world of kung fu, this was a real Mantis kick to the gonads.

The actual good news: This season seems to boast a bunch of new badass fight scenes. (Check out the video below to see what we mean.) You can thank expert fight choreographer Clayton Barber (Black Panther and Creed), who was brought on to breathe new life into the action sequences. Also, the actors were given more time to prep compared to the 10-15 minutes that they had to learn the scenes beforehand. To learn more, M&F sat down with leading man Finn Jones, aka Danny Rand, aka the Iron Fist, to discuss his prep, the power of meditation, and his newfound love for discipline.

M&F: What was the biggest positive change that you guys made leading into season two of Iron Fist?

FINN JONES: The only difference is that this season I have time. They [Netflix] provided the situations for me to thrive. Last season I didn’t have as much time before we started shooting. But anyways, that’s last season, we don’t want to speak about that because this season is much different.

Different how?

Four to five months ahead of schedule, I started working with various different people. I worked with a personal trainer, training with her three to four times a week. We approached weight training from a gymnastic point of view—what that means is I'm using my own body weight to become strong. What I didn't want to do is put on muscle, because A) that's not the aesthetic of the character and B) that would make you be tight, and to be a martial artist you need to be flexible. So through using gymnastic-style training, I was able to stay lean and add muscle but also be physically flexible.

What about in terms of honing your fight skills?

I worked with a guy, Shi Foo Ming, who runs a dojo down on the lower east side. He's an ex-Shaolin Monk, and I'd work with him multiple times a week on traditional Kung Fu and tai chi and we also mixed in the more metaphysical and spiritual ethics of martial arts, which was really cool. I’d also go to a place for daily meditation.

Meditation?

Yeah, why not? It’s fucking awesome. I went to a place called MNDFL, which they have several in New York City. It's a wonderful, amazing space, and I would go there daily to practice meditation. It allowed me to handle the stresses of a television schedule.

How’d you eat to fuel all of your training?

I cut out all unhealthy foods like sugar, salt, and unhealthy carbohydrates. All I was eating was like warm chicken, sweet potato, broccoli, asparagus, quinoa, and brown rice. That was my diet for 10 months. It was very boring. I also didn't drink for 10 months, which was really interesting and really beneficial—I loved it. I actually can't wait to get back into training so I can stop drinking, not that I have an issue but it's more about being disciplined.

Courtesy of Netflix

Was it more difficult to be social while sticking to such a strict regimen?

It’s really hard—that’s an interesting point you hit on. How do you have a social life and not drink? I love to go out and listen to music and dance. What I’ve learned is that I love to go out now and not allow the alcohol to be the crutch and to rely on being present instead—meditation helped with that.

What’s a piece of training gear you can’t live without?

My Bose SoundSport Free headphones and a tennis ball—it’s great for loosing up your glutes and back.

You played Loras Tyrell in Game of Thrones. Which universe draws a more intense fan base—Marvel or GoT?

I think the comic book fans are definitely more passionate—they pay attention to details for sure. It’s all love, though. I go to a lot of Comic Cons and that’s where the true fans are. Online is it’s just a bunch of ones and zeros. I love going to those things because I get to really meet the people. And I love the fans and having an open dialogue with them.

If you could have a drink with any character from The Defenders, who would it be?

My boy, Luke Cage. I’d like to have a Mezcal with him. I like a good mescal, but I’m going to have to give it up soon. I have like one more month, and then I start training again.

No

from Bodybuilding Feed https://www.muscleandfitness.com/athletes-celebrities/interviews/iron-fist-star-finn-jones-talks-about-much-different-season-2 via http://www.rssmix.com/

[zak-graphicarts]

“Scrappers” - Visual Analysis & Inspiration

In this post, I’m looking at a few examples of sculptural work, exploring the materials and processes used, looking at the visual language and attempting to personify and add character to each one in order to inspire my own practical developments and ideas.

Here, I’m going to look at sculptural pieces created throughout history which present the audience with a character in some way. As a final response to looking at each piece, I decided to write a quick “bio” of each character - an idea I took from a university handout focusing on character design. The idea allows me to explore the character, and add a personality to the piece. The purpose of this session is to characterise the objects, give them a personality based on their physical appearance - consider who these characters could be, and a potential story.

Let’s begin by going back to the Stone Age, 5000 BC.

“The Thinker of Hamangia” is an incredible work of art. Crafted in the Neolithic Period, these two sculptures are made of marbled stone, with details and features all carved in using polished or ground stone tools. As such, there’s even a polished finish, with the two characters possessing a real bulk and weight to them. There’s an organic shape to the pieces, with strong curves on each figure.

My initial response when looking at these pieces, in terms of character and personality, was an existential individual. The main character, Thinker, is clearly doing just that, and pondering the nature of his life. I felt that he might be apprehensive, a stoic and intellectual character ultimately searching for meaning. He doesn’t really look happy, rather, there’s a look of tiredness and boredom - but perhaps there’s a more melancholy feeling? The action of putting one’s hands to their head is, ultimately, one of desperation. To be fed up of everything around you, and have a desire for better things.

My interpretation of this character was named “Austin”. He’s a hunter gatherer, living in a Nomadic tribe of cavemen. Along with the others, Austin is forced to hunt, capture and kill animals to survive, and to provide for the community. However, when he meets fellow cave-dweller Lana, his whole world is turned upside down as she shows him the beauty of nature and the animal kingdom. Lana offers another way of living, eating plants and vegetables in place of dead animals. The two fall for each other, and Austin soon no longer has any desire to hunt animals, becoming a peaceful, stoic individual- often sitting down to ponder the meaning of life, and his savage ways. The other hunter-gatherers, however, do not approve of this change in Austin’s character - and kick them both out of the tribe.

Next is a 19th Century wooden figure, titled “The Man With Many Heads”. Carved from a single piece of fine-grained wood, it’s a statue created by Lega culture, an ethnic group of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in Central Africa.

The piece has one large central head sitting on an elongated neck, with two smaller heads rising out of the shoulders. There’s a misshapen, imperfect quality to the sculpture, with irregular and rigid shapes - and a sense of refinement, possessing a smooth textural finish whilst also sporting a rough, course aesthetic. Each head has an oval, carved face with small holes for eyes and a larger hole for a mouth, with four notches down the torso. Much like The Thinking Man, the statue possesses a timeless quality, a hand-crafted appeal with a real weight, substance and sentimental value - someone made this single figure especially for another person. There’s a personal meaning behind the figure, a story.

This Lega figure would have been owned by a man who belonged to Kindi, a group of people regulating social and political life, of the highest rank in the community. What differentiates this figure from The Thinking Man, however, is the movement away from representational sculpture, and towards realising conceptual ideas - The Man With Many Heads is fantastical, mythical and metaphorical. The two extra heads on the figure represents the qualities of fairness, wisdom and trust - a sign of power and respect amongst the community.

The large open mouth and timid stance made me consider a worried, nervous character - surprised at what he’d just seen. My interpretation of this figure was a shy character named Tyrell, a lone wolf who likes nothing better than embracing the wilderness, and exploring the natural world - away from other people. Timid and worried by nature, Tyrell wants to live in the forest, and explore the deep caves of Damau, said to be home to unimaginable creatures and monsters. Although he wants to be isolated from everyone else, and live a quiet life, Tyrell has the uncanny ability to tell if someone is good or evil by nature, effectively becoming a human lie detector, thanks to his two other personalities, heightened versions of himself. Tyrell lives a life of inner conflict, wanting to stay isolated from humanity and live amongst the wild, and also feeling the need to help people with his amazing ability.

Next, I’m looking at “Block Toy” from sculptor and artist Joaquín Torres-García.

Working in the early 1900s, the artist produced numerous wooden figures, introducing ideas of Constructivism into Latin America. This piece effectively represents all of the artist’s work in this field, possessing a strong geometric and rigid visual language, with vibrant colours and an understanding of solid shapes. Both timeless and lively, this piece shows a love of simply making things, with an endearing, hand-painted visual style showing rushed, quick strokes which fit the playful, fun aesthetic Torres-García establishes for himself through his library of wooden characters.

Created with a humble mix of wooden blocks, sand paper, paint and glue - there’s a certain naivety to the figure, something also suggested by the bright, colourful paint job - it’s clearly a “toy”. Torres-García has made this figure with a clear audience in mind, children, and as a result, has tailored the work towards a younger audience, one who appreciates a solid shape and bold, vibrant colours.

What’s interesting is his choice of a neutral expression - if we compare it to the works of modern-day artist Rob Hodgson, we can see that Torres-García has challenged the stereotypical “happy” character for a more neutral, nuanced face. Whilst this helps with audience identification, allowing a child to then project themselves onto the figure, it also hints at Torres-García’s own philosophy and outlook on life - everything isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Even the single hand underneath her other arm suggests a sense of discontent - things could be better; something that challenges the happy and lively approach most products aimed at children possess.

This idea of a neutral, even melancholy character inspired my approach when creating a personality for the figure. From her stance, I thought the character should be a humble and reserved one, invisible to the masses.

Sarah is a writer, and an avid bird-watcher. She helps manage a news site online, and writes a weekly column for her local paper, discussing what’s happening in her home town - and what amazing species of bird she’s been reading about in her own time. When she’s not writing or reading, Sarah is at the local nature reservoir, holding a pair of beloved binoculars and observing a sparrow find her soulmate in the sky. Her life is an isolated one, feeling invisible to everyone around her and more than aware that her hobby is a little out of left field. Although she puts on a confident facade in her writing, Sarah is inherently lonely, wanting to meet someone who she can truly connect to and start a family with. Her dream of being a successful novelist reduces this ache for human connection, and attempts to solve this problem by becoming lost in her art - but she will soon find out that fame and love are not the same thing.

Jumping finally to modern day Britain, this next piece was created by Bristol artist Rob Hodgson, a part of a set called “Wooden Toys”. Possessing a similar visual style to Torres-García’s, it’s likely that the artist would have inspired Hodgson, especially with his sculptural experiments.

Part of his work exploring the world of sculpture and toys, this piece is made from scrap wood, following the ideas of the brief nicely. The piece has a hand-crafted appeal, with a purposely uneven and irregular paint job, embracing ideas of the hand-made, but also ideas of imperfection with the scratched, large dent in the figure’s chest . With a highly geometric and simple visual style, Hodgson is able to create a lively, happy character. There’s a child-like appeal to the piece, with a bright yellow, the white dashed marks and smile resulting in a playful, fun wooden toy.

I think the success of the piece, and why it’s so appealing lies in it’s simplicity and honesty in terms of material. The solid, disproportional shapes and large hat add a personality to the figure, a charming naivety which illustrates Hodgson’s passion for making things.

My initial reaction to this figure was a charming smooth-talker:  a persuasive, slick character with a silver tongue. Developing on from these ideas, I considered him being a pick-pocket, or a fisherman. This was the final character synopsis I created:

A charmer by nature, Marcus grew up on the streets after running away from his family as a young boy. At first appearing humble and unassuming, Marcus makes a living as a street con artist, making money out of unsuspecting tourists. Part of a group of con artists, he was picked up at the age of ten and taught the basics of the hustle, and before long, became a master himself. Although his living comes from conning people, Marcus’ true ambition is to leave the con artist game and become a street magician, entertaining the public rather than stealing from them. The only thing is, doing so would cause a rupture in his adoptive family - and cause him to lose any love and respect that they had for him.

The purpose of this independent session was to look at examples of sculptural works that present the audience with a character, something we will be doing in response to the brief “Scrappers”. I’ve been able to describe the visual language of each example, identify the materials and possible methodologies used to create the piece and attempted to give each piece a personality and a narrative. This has been an exercise in visual analysis and the ability to construct a story and narrative around a character - the fundamental idea of visual storytelling, and a key concept in animation. Not only have I been able to create a personality for each piece, I’ve written a premise for a story exploring the character in more depth - almost like a film pitch. As an animator and visual storyteller, this is a great skill to develop - and something I will work on throughout the coming projects.

My initial concept for a character is to create a wooden robot figure, and as such, I thought about looking at examples of these that are already made. However, I decided to skew my research into looking at sculptures using the same processes and materials that I will use, and not the same content. This was to challenge myself creatively, and to take ideas outside of my own concept - allowing my visual analysis to be more varied in terms of content and aesthetic.

Moving forward in my project “Scrappers”, I will begin developing my initial character sketches into potential concepts, producing a finished character design for my 3D figure, considering shape, materials and a geometric visual language working on the inspiration of Joaquín Torres-García and Rob Hodgson. I also hope to look at artist Rob Hodgson further, exploring his portfolio of work, approach to art and character design and visual language in more detail.

Actions:

Produce sketches and a finished character design for my character, thinking of shapes, materials and visual style

Produce a finished design board for “Scrappers”, showing initial sketches, influences and inspirations, key words and ideas of my character, possible colour palette and notes on production. This will serve as a plan when I go to the workshop

Potentials:

Look at artist Rob Hodgson in more detail