#Alice daily dose

[eldritch-alicedoll]

An accurate summary of my 2 hours of teaching how to use Tumblr to my sister

😂

Not that I know how to use either lol

[your-daily-dose-of-quotes]

I'm sorry. This is not what I intended to say. What I meant to say is this: You'll write more poems. They are not lost. You are the poetry. Yours, Gaunt

- Henry Gaunt, In Memoriam

[shurisu]

As a dog and cat mom, i was tired of the real pic popping up everywhere so i tweaked it a little bit

[h0rr0r5h0w-c1ty]

your daily dose of heartstopper memes

[stylized-corpse]

This has always been my favourite Alice in Chains song. Those drums are tasty as hell.

Alice in Chains - "No Excuses" Jar of Flies January 25th, 1994 Grunge Columbia Records Seattle, Washington, USA

[pirateprincessblog]

𝐋𝐈𝐁𝐈𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐄

( 𝟎.𝟏 ) 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲.

𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨:

normal is good. it's safe. it isn't risky. and yet, normal is boring. normal job, normal family, normal relationship. makes you yawn just while reading, doesn't it? escaping it can cost a fortune, even if it is for a short, fun amount of time. when it gets bad, you don't get to regret. you don't get to complain. you don't get to cry. you don't get to go back. you wanted it. now bear the losses of your own decisions. you'll wish for things to get boring again. you'll wish to never feel an ounce of excitement again. you'll wish to be wrapped in your safety bubble, with your safe little family, safe little job, and safe little partner. and it just won't come.

!𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬! 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: park seonghwa x oc (alice dawson) x jung wooyoung 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 3.4k 𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐬: dilf!hwa, collegestudent!wooyoung, love triangle, dilf trope, eventual smut, angst, fluff 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐬: yet to come

𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: mentions of illness, mentions of drug abuse, mentions of domestic violence, MINORS DNI (18+) 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬: this series will be around 10-15 chapters :) please don't hesitate to leave feedback! thank you for reading <33 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐫: 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐲.

were you ever afraid of thinking about something risky while surrounded by people?

if yes, alice knows exactly how you feel. behind the dusty wooden counter, she hides a book. her eyes abandon the words she has read a dozen times this year already, checking if anyone is giving her weird looks. her thoughts are a loud mess, and she fears that one of those hard-working students might secretly have super hearing powers and is judging her right now. but when she notices no side eyes, her gaze drops on the worn-off pages again. this book set cost her a fortune, and it already looks like it has been through at least two major historical events. heaven forbid that her mother knows how much money she spent on that.

her heart beats faster with each word she reads, fingers excitedly flipping the pages, even though she knows all the plot twists, all the foreshadowing, a few little plot holes that only a small number of people have noticed. she wishes she could read it all for the first time again. the storyline, the characters, the villains, the twists, the tension, the steam. alice's favourite part in all the books. the steamy pages, written by her favourite author, making her sigh and roll in bed late at night as she reread them. sleepless nights spent with her eyes unfocusing and blurring out the words, her thoughts drifting away from the storyline and creating one of her own, using the very same characters. she would sit like that, fantasising, until a sound from the street would bring her back to the original story.

last night was similar, which is why she is barely keeping her eyes open while skimming over the room, checking for odd glares one more time. when she finds none, she continues daydreaming. the villain of the book has captured her heart, no matter the bad things he has done throughout the journey. she might just have a thing for evil, sassy, good-looking men. or she might have a thing for imaginary men with tongue skills.

"ah, your daily dose of porn, i see."

alice looks up, startled. she closes the book, throwing it in the already opened drawer and shuts it with a loud thud, making a few heads turn. the face standing above the counter chuckles, eyes turning into crescent moons as he does so.

"hush!"

"oh, relax. you have like three couples doing no-nos back there in the criminal section. your little mediocre book is nothing compared to them."

the girl furrows her eyebrows. her book wasn't mediocre. it was a masterpiece.

"what did you want?" she asks, annoyed with his teasing this early in the morning.

"i can't come and greet my favourite redhead in town?" the young man asks, his lips still in a teasing smile.

"not if you're going to be loud and disrupt. this is a library, not a bar."

"ha-ha. i forget just how witty my girlfriend is." he rolls his eyes. "luckily, you're pretty to make up for your lack of sense of humour."

"and your humour makes up for your lack of pretty." she tries to poke back, but it just doesn't sound right.

the young man laughs, sincerely, and rests his elbows on the wooden surface.

"you're cute when you try. you'd be even cuter if you were to join me in one of those horror sections. you know, to read. i love me some stephen king. i also love me some puss-"

"shut up, oh my god." alice hushes him, feeling her cheeks starting to burn from embarrassment.

"oh, come on. you haven't been over to my place in days. weeks even, i think."

"wooyoung," she exhales.

"yeah, sorry." the young man suddenly remembers, then scratches his neck from the little uncomfortable situation he has created. "how is your mom?"

"she has lost a lot of hair." alice says, eyes drifting towards the big library windows. "she has also lost a lot of weight. she still refuses to eat. she has already given up on herself."

wooyoung sighs, seeing his girlfriend show different emotions than last week. she has become numb to the whole situation. her mother has been sick for a very long time, and no amount of doctors, medicine, and persuading could convince her mother to start taking care of herself when alice wasn't around. now, alice has given up. she is angry with her mother, and that doesn't allow her to feel sad or bad for her.

"want me to come with you next time you visit her?"

"that would be today."

"yes, sure. of course. just tell me when."

"i finish at two, when rae arrives. i'll wait for you by the car?"

"i'll be there as soon as my classes are over. promise." wooyoung smiles at her.

there's a brief moment of silence, giving space for both of them to think. alice's mind went from fantasising to worrying, and wooyoung hates that he reminded her of the situation and changed her mood.

"baby?" he calls.

she hums, still a little absent.

"you haven't kissed me today."

alice looks at her boyfriend, heart swelling with guilt. her face drops, and wooyoung's eyes widen seeing her saddened expression.

"i'm so sorry," she says, voice almost a whisper.

"oh, no, no! baby, i just- hey, it doesn't matter. i'm sorry, okay? you're going through something tough, and my behaviour isn't quite helping. i'm being a dick."

alice stands up, hands gently cupping her boyfriend's face. her eyes examine his face, taking in his pretty features. she didn't mean what she said earlier, and she knows that he knows too. she smiles softly at him, assuring him that everything is fine and there is no need to apologise.

"i love you." she whispers.

and just like that, wooyoung softens in her hands, lips melting into hers as he finally kisses her for the first time in three days. it has become hard to catch her since she started working, especially since she runs to the hospital whenever she gets a chance. other times, she prefers laying in bed with little to no lighting, doing nothing but laying down and thinking of a way out of what her life has become.

wooyoung wishes he could help her. but what can he do, when they both refuse his help? he now realises where alice's stubbornness comes from. he smiles into the kiss, thinking about her stubborn nature combined with her impatience. she is a little handful, but she is his handful. and he will hold her until his last breath.

༺═━─━────༺༻────━─━═༻

while people tend to hate hospitals, alice likes it. it brings her comfort, knowing that the people around her are in charge of saving lives. she often visited hospitals as a toddler, due to often sickness. she is very prone to colds, and wooyoung has found himself getting mad at her very often because she refuses to wear a jacket when needed.

"but my outfit won't be visible!" she'd complain.

"i don't care. your kidneys are more important than a crop top. and i can't have you with a runny nose again. you know you have a hard time breathing as it is, the cold only makes everything worse."

"you just know it all, don't you?" she'd say, annoyed, while her fingers work the zipper of wooyoung's jacket.

jung wooyoung doesn't have any plans for the future, other than hopefully marrying alice and creating a family with her. he is a college student, yes. but only because his parents forced him to. he doesn't know what he wants in his life. alice is smart. she also doesn't know, so she simply didn't go to college. smart decision. it is crazy expensive, and managing those costs and the costs of healing her mother would be a disaster.

"ms dawson?"

alice stands up, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"dr clark, good day." she greets, smiling weakly.

"it certainly is a good one, ms dawson. your mother is finally showing improvement!"

alice stands still, not believing what she's hearing. wooyoung notices her lack of response, and gently takes her hand in his, hoping to shake her awake.

"what do you mean?" she asks.

"she ate everything she was offered today, and she took her medication. and yes, we checked under the bed and in the flower vase, there weren't any hidden pills."

"oh, well... that's great."

the sudden change in her mother's behaviour was suspicious to alice. still, she felt relieved. with a thankful smile and a nod towards the young dr clark, the girl took her usual path to room 257, her hand still held by wooyoung's bigger and warmer one. she pushes the door open, her eyes immediately falling on the bed in the corner of the room. out of four beds, only two were now occupied, meaning that the other two had gotten better and were probably at home with their families. it made alice's heart warm.

it made her heart even warmer when her gaze dropped on the woman in the last bed, her head hidden by what seemed like a beauty magazine. fresh flowers stood beside her bed, accompanied by a framed picture and what seemed like a jewellery box.

"mom?"

the woman drops her magazine in her lap, a smile so wide on her face that it made alice's cheeks hurt. god, she looks so different. it wasn't that long since alice's last visit, was it? the woman in the bed wore makeup, her grey hair braided, and a flower head band placed neatly on her head. her nails were painted a golden brown colour, resembling the autumn leaves that tapped on her window on windy days. she dared to say, her mother looked better than her.

"ally, my darling!" the woman calls, tucking the magazine under her pillow.

alice approaches the bed, sitting in the usual stool that was waiting for her under the elevated nightstand.

"eleanor," wooyoung greets, slightly bowing. "you look absolutely beautiful."

"oh, my, this boyfriend of yours. always a sweet-talker." the woman blushes, waving her hand at the young man. "you are so very lucky, baby, not a lot of boys your age are this sweet. let me tell you, just five minutes ago, amber's son came over, had a fight with her over their house and kicked her out! look, her suitcase is right there!"

"mom, please. can you be any more quiet?"

alice looks over at the other occupied bed, and truly, there stood a suitcase. luckily, the woman was sleeping, so she didn't hear her mother's little gossip party.

"oh, don't worry. the poor woman cried so much that she fell asleep from exhaustion."

silence swallowed the room for a while, eleanor fidgeting with the rings on her fingers. she knew alice had questions. and she dreaded that she had to answer them.

"these aren't the flowers i brought you last time."

"no... no they aren't." she trails, looking anywhere but at her daughter.

"so... whose are they?"

a mumble is heard, and alice raises an eyebrow at her. wooyoung catches a glimpse at the framed picture, but when he fails to recognize the people on it, he shifts his attention back to the woman. she looks at wooyoung, as if searching for a way out of the interrogation that is about to happen. but wooyoung sends her an apologetic smile, and rests his hands on alice's hair, moving it out of her face. he feels like she will need it. there is a reason why her mother is acting so nervous, and when alice is upset, she loves to have her hair played with.

"mom."

"hm? oh. right, the flowers. uh... they're from..."

"mom, cut the bullshit. i'm just curious. so what if a friend brought them over? you have a new crush in town? dr clark not cute anymore?"

"oh, no! dr clark is very cute. and very young. and he is married, sadly for me. no, these are from, uh..."

alice grows impatient, a frown already forming on her face. wooyoung senses her tense state, and gently drops his hand on her shoulder, massaging the knot below her neck. she sighs, and looks at him as a way of saying thank you. silent conversations were common between the two, and it just showed how well they read each other. how much they love each other.

wooyoung presses his lips to her temple, and gently caresses her back as her mother prepares to give an answer.

"so?"

"so what?" eleanor acts dumb, still hoping that alice will give up.

"mom. the flowers. the jewellery. the makeup. the nails. the picture."

the girl finally takes the framed picture. she recognizes her young mother, her bright ginger hair falling in waves on her shoulder, green irises almost invisible because of her big smile and closed eyes. the man, however, she does not recognize.

"from your father."

wooyoung halts his movements. alice sits still, her gaze not leaving the picture.

"what?"

"your father. he came every day since your last visit, and brought me all these flowers, made me the crown, even painted my nails-"

"i didn't know they let drug addicts inside hospitals."

wooyoung gulps, watching eleanor's jaw drop at her daughter's numbness to the new situation they have found themselves in.

"isn't that, like, very unsafe? for both parties?"

"you shut your mouth, right now. your father is a good man."

"he is not my father, and he is certainly not a good man."

the woman's face twists into one of anger, hands turning white as she grips the sheets she's covered with. "he is your god damn father, whether you like it or not."

"he is a scumbag. that's all he is. and, he is the reason you're here. isn't it? have you forgotten?"

"alice..." wooyoung tries, but stops when alice raises her hand as a sign to stop talking.

"didn't he throw you down the fucking stairs and smash your head through the window?"

"that was years ago, alice. you were barely four."

"and yet i remember."

"you're acting as if he killed me."

"he drugged you all the time! and you became an addict, just like him!"

the dark past resurfaces so easily, pulling both women under it's veil and swallowing them with grief. so many tears spilled, so many bruises earned, and so many cuts treated. alice was only three when it all begun, and she still wonders how it all escalated so quickly in a span of just three months. from only name calling and occasional yelling, to full fist and kick fights and screaming for help. only for her mother to go back to him, too afraid and in love to let go. and each morning the same. three months of alice finding herself in crossfire, earning new bruises every other day, and crying all night long.

she loved her mother, and she loved her father a little less every day. strangely enough, there used to be days when the house was as peaceful as it used to be before her father became what he became. she didn't know why, or how. all she knew was that she was grateful. and that whatever pills dad was slipping mom in her drinks and food were, they worked, and alice guarded them in the cupboard with her life. years later, she realized what the pills were. pills, powder, injections, you name them. by the time the monster left the house, the woman was already hooked. she craved more, and more, and didn't have any. who was at fault for that? alice.

alice was the first thing eleanor saw in the morning, and the last thing she saw in the evening. she was there, consistently needing attention, food, love. and eleanor was exhausted. she just wanted her happy pills. and what other way to express your frustration, than to punish a child who just doesn't shut the fuck up?

wooyoung presses a kiss on her head, in hopes of pulling her out of her memories. he knew that she was thinking of old times, of the man from the picture. and he knew that won't do good to her.

"what did he want?" she calmly asks, fidgeting with the frame. she wished for nothing more than to burn the picture, and throw it at the old house, letting it burn the pain away. if only it worked that way.

"why do you think he would want something?"

"mom."

eleanor sighs, in disbelief. or defeat. wooyoung can't tell yet. she looks around the room, trying to find the right words so she wouldn't further hurt her daughter. though the damage was already done, and wooyoung couldn't see how she could further worsen it. until she opened her mouth again.

"he asked for money."

"what?!"

"but look, i-it's just for a new place, so we can all be together again!"

"what?!?!"

alice stands up, head in her hands and legs carrying her hurriedly around the room. wooyoung plops down on the nearby empty bed, feeling his heart swelling at the sight of his loving girlfriend lose control over her emotions. but he knows better than to interfere. he just needs to let her do what she needs to do.

"alice, please. i just want a family. a proper family."

"well you sure as fuck aren't getting that from him! how much?"

"what?"

"how fucking much?!"

"all of it! god, just stop screaming at me!"

now the other woman was the one holding her head, while the younger one shot her head up wide-eyed.

"all... of it?"

"yes, yes! all of it! he wants to create a better future for us and you're acting like a fucking lunatic for no re-"

"you- you bitch."

a gasp escapes the young man's mouth, and he looks over to the woman in bed for her reaction. she grits her teeth, trying to keep her composure. wooyoung notices how red her eyes have become, and how glossy they look. she is trying her best not to let her tears spill, but the more she looks at alice, the less control she has. she watches as her daughter grabs the picture and smashes it on the floor. when alice grabs her shoulders and starts shaking her, screaming in her face, she loses it. big drops roll down her cheeks and neck, ruining the makeup she had so carefully put on.

wooyoung hated that he couldn't help. the best way of helping was to stay back and do nothing. no matter what he said, it would only light up the fire in one of them, if not both. so wooyoung settled for glancing over at the stranger in the other bed, giving her a nod as a sign that everything is okay and that she doesn't need to worry. he doesn't know if it managed to calm the woman or not, because he gets pulled into the mess by eleanor. she grabs his wrist, pulling him closer as if asking for help.

"wooyoung can't help you right now! let go of him!"

"wooyoung, please- please! i only wanted to make it better for us-" she hiccups through sobs, desperately clawing at wooyoung's hand.

alice yanks his hand out of hers, and when a loud slap echoes through the room, wooyoung decides it is time to finally step in. alice might get mad, hell, she might even slap him too, but he doesn't care.

"alice." he sternly says, grabbing her shoulders.

"no, we're not doing this! wooyoung, i am breaking my back every day, i am working overtime, running here making sure she eats and stops acting like a child, only for her to give away all my hard work for empty promises?! to who?! a man who doesn't even recognize me anymore?!"

she is furious. she sees red. no amount of comforting from wooyoung's side will make her calm down.

"take me home."

"are you sure-"

before wooyoung can finish, he can only catch a glimpse of her dark red locks bouncing as she rushes out of the door, slamming it shut after.

"wooyoung, please talk to her."

the man sighs, torn between the two women. he hates this. letting people down. but more than that, he hates letting his girlfriend down.

"i'm sorry, eleanor. there's nothing i can do."

he gently picks up the picture from the floor, careful with the cracked glass, and places it on the nightstand. he glances at the older woman one last time, before sighing and following his girlfriend's path.

[greenqueenhightower]

Alicent “where’s my daily dose of mental illness? oh, I had it on me all the time” Hightower—

[luuhy-blue]

I wrote a post about Davos and Aeron's Hogwarts houses, and I think I still have a few things to say about these two, so here's my daily dose of Davron obsession. First about Aeron.

Aeron is a Hufflepuff and I think he would be very happy and proud of that. I know people have an image that Hufflepuff is the worst of the houses but that's purely the fault of that crazy JK Rowling who didn't bother to develop the characters of each house better besides the protagonists. Hufflepuff is about effort, dedication and loyalty and I feel like those are some of the pillars that make up Aeron. Aeron is not someone who is super talented, he is not someone who stands out right away or who people put a lot of faith in. When he appears (during the three measly minutes of the episode, seriously I hate this damn show-), his friends even call him "the worst knight among us" and he just laughs with them. He knows how people see him, he is fully aware that he is not the best or strongest among his cousins ​​in Stone Hedge, but he seeks to improve upon each failure.

And that is what he does. He is someone who strives and dedicates himself to the maximum, he knows what he wants and will do whatever it takes to get it. He also values ​​courage, but I think that hard work and persistence are much stronger in him than the fearlessness and boldness of the Gryffindor.

He can also demand a lot from himself at times, especially when his insecurity gets the better of him. He wants to be good, he wants to be a good nephew, a good knight, someone who will honor his house. For a while, this came from a desire for glory and recognition (due to all the doubts people had about him) but, in the future, he realizes that he doesn't need that. His relatives love him for who he is and he trusts his ability and effort enough that he no longer needs to seek their approval. He fights for loyalty and for the love of his house.

Another point, and one that is explored a lot in fanfics (In fact, "Kiss a Man or Slit His Throat" addresses this very well and I LOVE IT) is Aeron's relationship with religion. We know that the Brackens follow the Faith of the Seven and I personally agree with many authors who show Aeron as someone devout and who deals with a lot of religious guilt. I feel like he's someone who's very attached to a sense of duty and right and wrong, which is something that's very present in Hufflepuffs as well (his element is earth, stable and firm in his judgments). I think he would agree with Alicent's phrase "Where's the duty? Where's the sacrifice?" because for him it's much more about what he should do or what's "right" and much less about what he wants. I think his relationship with Davos becomes so interesting because the two are very opposite in that regard.

I think I had more to say but that's enough for today. I was going to talk a little bit about Davos and his relationship with Gryffindor but this poster would be huge so I'll leave it for another time. These are some thoughts from the middle of the night because these two haven't left my head since they appeared in that episode, (someone needs to put Kieran and Ryan together more often, seriously, so much chemistry). Also, many of my headcanons came from @herofumi fanfics on AO3 so they are to blame for all of this (that's a lie, I'm just dying for the next update). Thanks for coming to my podcast.

[gumballavocadoharry]

Zero kisses; Jack Chambers:

*Warning! Extremely adorable with a bunch of fluff and some angst, but mostly FLUFF!*

One of the first plagues of affection that Roger received in his life; coupled with a warm embrace in the arms of his mother- a touch that heated a flush of warmth through his body, somehow snipping away all the harsh jabs of the world from his focus. His father loved giving them to him: at bedtime, in the morning, when Roger felt sick or was hurt or when he was scared, sometimes they were given as an apology gift, he was given tons of them whenever he was farewelled from the presence of his parents and finally... just because. Because he was loved- they wanted him and never wanted a day to fly where he couldn't feel that love even for a second.

Granted, it was given to him mostly as a baby and as a small child. But they had merit still and even at the tender age of eight, Roger still had a daily dose of them coming from every direction he could think of. But, he didn't crave them anymore the way he used to. In fact, he became red-faced by them- unsettled that they were public displays most often. It made him icky sometimes, it made him feel slight agitation and unripe. The callowness of the notion even being identified with him made him choke now.

This very notion, was kisses. Kisses by, Jack, Alice and Susan.

Alice's dainty hands grabbing his face and squishing his cheeks in 'mommy kisses', or Susan, planting little pecks to her 'baby brother's' forehead or cheek every now and again. But Jack's stood among them all: scooping Roger up in his bulky arms, squeezing him into a lung crushing bear hug before puckering his heart lips and pressing a loud kiss to his son's cheek. Roger would be cuffed in Jack's grasp; unable to move away from the incoming smooch that would usurp him in a blushing faced contract.

A 'papa bear' hug and 'kissy snooks' for his 'little tootsie bear' he would call it. Roger hated it. "I'm not a 'tootsie bear'." He would mutter under his breath.

It seemed to be a whole season full of kisses from Jack to Roger. Small pecks to his nose; loud ones to his cheeks; whistling and humming ones to his forehead; sloppy goodbye ones; long goodnight ones that Roger timed to a full minute; surprise scalp ones that Jack would give when Roger was sitting on the couch or at the table and soft ones after Jack would send a salvo of pet names to Roger and then sprinkle him with the coddling affection gesture.

In Jack's eyes, Roger was still that chubby cheeked baby who melted into his arms and would squeal at the kisses upon kisses being placed onto his cheeks. The feeling of his bubble cheeks squishing under his thumbs, while his lips would place itself onto Roger's forehead. It was a warm feeling that simmered in Jack. Holding Roger soothed Jack. On chilly days where Roger would snuggle up against his torso in the safe latch of his father's arms was pride for Jack. Giving his son the glowing warmth of love was more than anything Jack could've wished for. Giving kisses was a part of that.

But to Roger, they became a nuisance. Especially the public ones. In the schoolyard, in front of the babysitter, in front of his friends when Jack would wish Roger a goodbye, or after long days at work where the first thing Jack would need to do is to scoop his children in his arms and kiss their faces. Sometimes, Roger would run and hide. School was the worst.

Kids can be cruel Roger would say, and it was right. They didn't seem to understand when Jack would drop off a pair of pants for Roger because of the 'cool' weather strike in the middle of the week. Or on field day when Roger bumped his head on the monkey bars and Roger's goose ache sent Jack snatching him up into his arms and cooing and fussing over him. Jack didn't understand how being called "daddy's boy" or "a soppy milk drinker" weren't goofy names of endearment. Roger didn't bother to explain this to Jack, as he would just brush it away as nonsense. 'A father expressing his love was something that shouldn't be shamed in public', he would always say. But it was. At least to Roger. Roger would spend those nights in his bedroom- his face buried in his comics or his attention kneaded deep into a plan to retract the unneeded attention at school.

One idea shoot through his head. A rainy day tomorrow, meant Jack would need to drive the kids to school. Roger thought that Jack could just get all his kisses out before they left the house, or while they were in the car on the way to school. Roger thought about how the kids wouldn't see his face being covered in kisses; babyish and infantilized in some way where the high regard for his esteem as one of the in-crowds, would be shattered and splatted over the ground like a broken glass full of milk. The very thought of it soured Roger's face. He could recall once in his first grade years, Jack had an extra rocky evening that Sunday. Roger suspected it was a movie that had shriveled Jack into a slump: a father and his grown son were fighting and then the son passed away in a tragic car accident. Roger and Susan hadn't been allowed to watch- the movie unsuitable for children- but Roger couldn't ignore how ruffled and emotional Jack was afterwards.

His goodnight routine consisted of Jack not wanting to leave Roger's bed, as much as Roger wanted another goodnight story read to him. Jack stayed an extra thirty minutes and even after showering dozens of goodnight kisses, Jack couldn't seem to move himself from his grasp of Roger in the warmth of his arms. Even long after Roger fell asleep, Jack only watched from the crack of his bedroom door. His soft little snoozes that sent little sweet shivers into his heart. It brought a smile to Jack's wore down tired face. The results for Monday morning in the schoolyard?

Tons of kisses pressed to Roger's cheeks and a tight bear hug that smushed his little face was given to little Roger in front of his 'friends.' 

Roger, slamming his fist into his palm, promised that he would make things different this time. That Jack would not baby him for the public to laugh and mock him this time.

***************************************

Monday morning came bright and earlier than expected. Roger hadn't anticipated the school day to appear so soon.... and maybe because he just didn't want to go. "Rise and shine, little duckling!" Alice cheered, coming into his room. "I made you some oatmeal. It's on the table, so come on downstairs so it doesn't get cold, sweetie." She gave a quick peck to Roger's temple, making him jerk a bit in displease. Roger stretched himself awake- yawing wide and scratching the back of his head before climbing out of bed. His ruffled hair met the little twinkle of sunlight glimmering through his hair, streaking light streaks through his thick mop of brown strains.

Roger's little presence appeared from the bottom of the stairs, beelining towards the table. "Good morning little bear!" Jack cheered peering his sight from over the edge of the newspaper. "Mommy made oatmeal- with blueberries- your favorite!" Roger gave a stern smile, before sitting down at the table, lowering his head to his bowl like a guilty puppy. Roger didn't want to make breakfast conversation and instead let Susan take the lead in stealing away their parent's attention. Looking up for just a brief moment, Roger caught eyes with Jack, who assumed he wanted to say something. "Rogie?" Roger's cheeks blushed. "Huh?"

"You wanted to say something?" Jack's face comepletly enamored with his little ones. Roger shook his head, but everyone's eyes were locked on him now- even Susan's. "Oh- uh.... I was just listening to Susan talk about her upcoming History lecture with one of the visiting professors at the school."

Susan smiled a cheeky smile before joining back to her conversation. Roger sighed to himself quietly before working to finish his breakfast to rush to school. Once his bowl was in the sink, Roger darted upstairs and changed into his school clothes. Hair freshly styled in a James Dean cut, making his eyes pop in the glow of his clean cut look. Roger saw this as mature- styled in such sophistication. Jack saw this as 'cute' his 'little man' dressed like a movie star. Roger scoffed this remark and continued out the door, already trailing down the sidewalk hoping to make it to school without his parents noticing his missing presence in the car. "Roger!" He cringed- eyes shut tight when hearing his name called from just a few steps away.

"I'm gonna drive you to school, bud!" Jack waved his arm to usher Roger back to his green Chevy Bel Air. Roger bit the side of his lip before joining his father and sister in the car. As the roads seemed to dart by, Roger's stomach felt this shaky sense- like an earthquake was threatning to erupt at any moment and spew all over the backseat. Roger choked it down and just let his mind blur for a moment while he took in the whizzing pictures of stores and trees they passed. Roger then forced his mind to conjure up a plan to escape a possible audience to see him getting his routine goodbye kisses from Jack. Like a light switch clicking on, Roger had come up with an idea.

As the car settled into a parking space, Jack turned around with the sunshine smile he usually had on his face. "Alright my little kiddos, we're here," As Susan was stepping out of the car and Jack had wrapped his arms around her and was getting ready to plant a sweet kiss to his cheek, Roger had 'spotted' something- something more important than a goodbye kiss and darted off towards waving behind a distant "goodbye" to Jack. Roger could practically jump up and click his heels with glee over his pride of dodging Jack the way he did. Although, Jack- and Susan- felt differently about it; Susan irked at Roger's typical callousness and Jack questioning himself for having 'cooties' or something to make Roger run away from him.

He decided to catch up to his small son, running towards him with a heart full of love that wanted to spill out. But Roger- in the midst of trying to escape Jack- found a brunette beauty- Daisy, one of the sweetest girls in the whole school. Rosy cheeks, a bubbly smile so sweet it was as it were animated and she was wearing the brightest lavender summer dress that bellowed over her little legs with prim white socks and Mary Janes on them. A blush fell over Roger's face. As he carried the pounding of his heartbeat through his ears, he found himself wandering in her direction. "Daisy," He called out to her, making her turn around with the same sweet smile she flashed to everyone.

As if the clouds had somehow mellowed into a thick taunting grasp, Roger felt the gruff presence of his father lingering. Before he could turn around, a loud echoing cloying voice piped: "Baby bear! You forgot your kissy!" And with that a puckering whistle kiss was planted right on his cheek- just enough to make out Jack's puckered lips slamming onto Roger's face. "I love you cuddle bug..." he cooed as he wrapped a tight hug around Roger. He stood paralyzed; cheeks enflamed in his own shame like a puppy who had just took a pee on the carpet. Daisy stared on- as did the rest of the schoolground who witnessed the spectacle. As he could hear Jack disappearing from his space, Roger found the hidden adrenaline inside him and bolted all the way up to the school doors, not looking back once. Of all the days- of all the times! But it had to happen in front of Daisy. Roger knew she wouldn't laugh like the other children, but just the thought of her seeing it, was enough to make him want to throw everything from his dinner up into the toliet in the boy's bathroom.

Dragging his feet to his locker, Roger then begin to fume- ears pouring steam from them like a dragon. Shoving things into his locker then became slamming his books and folders onto the shelves. Roger had never been this humiliated. This was more than being seen as a 'Daddy's Boy' or a 'Baby.' This was about dignity and the lack of respect for it that was shown. At least, according to Roger it was. All through class, he was thinking up more schemes and plans to dodge Jack's kisses, until he hit the jackpot one. A smirk crossed his mouth as the thought of it tasted so sweet that even Roger couldn't contain his excitement. Ignoring the taunts of his peers and even the questions of his sister, Roger carried that thought with him all the way home and he decided he would make his annoucement over dinner.

If it wasn't the steamy smell of potroast that simmered through the kitchen, it was the steamed carrots or the fresh salad and rolls that were set on the dining room table. As the family sat down to eat, Roger could feel the moment heating up perfectly till it hit perfectly to annouce his new rule. "So kids, how was school today?" Alice asked, glancing around the table to everyone. "It was great! We had a surprise pop quiz, but I scored a hundered because I had studied last night- I didn't even know we were going to have a test." Susan chirped. Roger internally mocked her. I'm the best cause I'm a little genius and everyone loves me....

"Roger?" The table's attention went towards Roger. Summoning up the courage and the fresh breath, he decided to join in with his own motive. "It was great... a pretty easy day."

"Yeah, because Daisy talked to you," Roger glared at Susan. "Yeah, she's nice... she's smart and doesn't rub it in."

"Alright you two," Jack said. 

Roger cleared his throat. "Although, I do have an annoucement," the table listened in as Roger set his fork down for a moment. "I have decided that I will only take handshakes or short hugs from now on- no more kisses." 

As utensils clinked harshly against the plates, Roger kept his focus on his dinner even though he felt eyes boring into him. "No more kisses?" Jack said with a slight whine. "But why?"

"For goodness sakes Roger-"  "Susan, I'm warning you!" he piped. 

Alice looked to Susan as if to ask her what the reason was. "All because Dad kissed him in front of the girl he likes."

"Well, it got me thinking... I'm too old for them anyway, so it's no big deal." "If it's not such a big day, then why are banning kisses?"

"Because it's just my choice...." 

"I'm sure..." Susan huffed. Roger rolled his eyes. "I said I wouldn't mind a handshake or a side hug or something like that...." 

"You ruined this whole dinner," 

"Susan, that's enough." Alice finally spoke. "Roger did not ruin dinner," she turned to Roger, "sweetie, are you sure that there's nothing bothering you?" Roger nodded, while Alice sliently thumped her forehead, knowing the real answer to contrast to Roger's response.

Dinner continued but silently. Few words were spoken and for a minute, Roger regretted what he said.

***************************************

Bedtime rolled around and Roger was forcing himself to adjust to the new rule he had set. Shirtless, Roger stood in front of the mirror counting his muscles as to impress Daisy the next day. Maybe it would make up for the bad impression he had made earlier that day. A knock at his door startled him. It was Jack. He knew it was. The only silent one at dinner after his big annoucement, he could just imagine everything his father had to say to him. Taking a deep breath, Roger made his way to the door, slowly opening it- eyes already ready to look up into his father's intense eyes.

But instead... it was Susan. Storming into his room- practically pushing Roger out of the way- Susan took a stern seat on his bed. "Roger," She started, "close the door." Roger obeyed and walked towards Susan with a crinkle in between his brows. "Mom and Dad are downstairs talking right now about what you said. Dad thinks he hurt you and so now he's hurting!"

"Shh, keep you're voice down, and first of all- it's not my fault if Dad can't handle it. He did hurt me- he embarrassed me in front of Daisy." 

"Who cares?! You'll probably be onto some other girl within a week- why are you blowing one kiss out of proportion?!"

"Because it's not just one kiss! I've been thinking about this for a long time- but if it makes Dad feel better... I'll talk to him. Maybe that'll do some damage control."

"Geez Roger.... wouldn't even have to do that if you grew up a little and started acting more mature!"

"Oh like you? Miss brags-about-her-studies-and-perfect-records-all-the-time?" Roger said in a mocking voice. 

"See? Like that- you are so childish!"

"Well....you're so ugly!"

"Alright, knock it off you two!" The children turned around and were met with their father standing in the doorway. A shudder ran through Roger's spine. Susan gave a disapproving look to Roger before running out of the room, leaving Jack and Roger alone. Jack came in, closed the door, and threw Roger a shirt. 

Jack took a seat on Roger's bed and after a minute, managed to meet his gaze. "Son... why the no kisses rule?" Roger raised an eyebrow before taking a seat in his desk chair. "I'm too old for kisses,"

"You're never too old for kisses."

"I am. I don't feel they're necessary anymore." Jack felt his heart break more than he would've liked. "Roger...." his voice trailed. Jack knew this was Roger's stance of growing up- something he was forced to deal with. Careful not to tread too ruthless over the boundary line, Jack would slightly try to nudge Roger his way. "But what about your goodnight kiss tonight?"

Roger shrugged. "Maybe a handshake will do." Jack bit his lip, took a quick gander at the floor and then looked up at Roger again. He sat up and walked over to Roger. He gave him a pat and rub on the shoulder before leaving the room silently with a small creastfallen smile. Roger would be lying if he didn't feel slight guilt over the hurt he put onto Jack, but he was in too deep already and he didn't want tp stop. 

"They'll get used to it," he said to himself. He looked to the corner of his room where the large teddy bear Jack had bought him was nuzzling. With a well wished sigh, Roger turned his stare away. "He has too."

******************************************

The clock struck two o'clock. Roger's eyes- still wide open- darted around the room. Dim and dull it seemed even with the gloss of the moon beating through the slit of curtains. Roger turned to his side, squeezing his teddy bear as the light of the lamp shimmered in the bears round black eyes. Roger climbed out from under the covers and quietly tiptoed down the stair and into the empty closed kitchen. Roger took in the now misted away presence of his family; Jack and Alice and their soothing warm cuddles and happy gentle voices that tickled his eardrums and softened his heartaches. Jack's warm inviting love softened Roger- softened him enough to want to speak about Daisy and tell him everything from her soft silky feather like hair, to her daring yet remaining coco brown eyes. His perfect little fit, he thought.

Roger felt this glare of shame slither through him like a snake around a tree. Roger carried on back to his bedroom, making due with his new adjustment and forcing himself to live with it. Everyone else had to, even if he was the one that found it most difficult.

************************************************

Waking up before the sun, Roger went downstairs and fixed himself a decent bowl of coco cereal with fresh milk. He kept his mind busy away from the pulsing thought of classmate's chuckles or Daisy's face of sympathy the moment he would step head first into the school.

Meanwhile, Jack had taken an extra shift of sleep; last night was spent brushing his teeth for a longer time along with gargling the mouthwash for even longer. Self conscience over his breath as the cause of Roger's disgust for his kisses. Maybe he puckered too hard and it hurt Roger's cheek. Did I spit on him? he thought, maybe I grossed him out. Jack layed in bed that night wondering why Roger banned his way of affection.

Picture shows of Jack holding an infant Roger; kiss after kiss pressed to his chubby cheeks and rosy forehead. Jack felt this sense of pride with such a notion of affection- something that he was starved from as a child, he was happy to pay for his children. Jack had realized his arms formed a cradling motion while he was thinking over everything. Relaxing his arms, Jack decided to respect Roger's wishes. He wouldn't sneak in soft barely sensual scalp kisses or quick ones to Roger's cheeks. He would give Roger a firm manly handshake and a hair ruffle after a long day from school and work. He would read Roger his bedtime story and tuck him into bed with a forehead rub and strain himself against not planting a soft smooch to his temple.

Between the soft glares from Susan with every look or glance Roger would give her, there was the consistant nagging and guilt trips over how 'selfish' he was being or that he should be nicer to his parents who love him dearly. "It's as if you're rejecting them," Susan started, "they're hurting, Roger... especially Dad... you know how sensitive he is to these kinds of things."

"Susan, they'll be fine. They're adults- I'm sure they've gone through worse."

"You should hear yourself right now- it's disgusting... honestly Roger-"

"Susan, shut it! Just stop talking!" Roger's face was flushed with irritation, "stop making such a big stink over nothing!" Susan kept quiet, but with the sack of censure still still swimming inside her.

At school, the children still mocked and teased Roger somewhat- nothing he couldn't shuffle through as long as he kept his head down. "Hello, Roger..." looking up from his desk, his eyes met with the pretty coco ones he saw yesterday. 

"Daisy? Hi..." the young girl blushed. "Um, I'm sorry about what happened yesterday... I know how immature some of the kids can be... but I think it's really sweet that your Dad so open with his emotions." Her voice was soft like vanilla, rich like cinnamon and calming like a tropical ocean. It flowed through Roger's ears like a gentle lullaby. His heart felt light and so did his head- like a sugar high that wasn't about to crash for a moment. He let Daisy lean in and they talked about nothing until the teacher came in. Finishing their conversation on the playground, Roger begin to feel a real connection to Daisy. 

And their bond continued on the walk home from school, where Roger treated her and him to ice cream cones. "You're so sweet, Roger..." Daisy said shyly, taking a lick of her vanilla cone. "You're beautiful, Daisy...." Roger nearly kicked himself for talking out loud. Daisy looked at him and smiled brightly with a blush forming over her face. "Thank you... you're handsome too." Roger felt a thick sense of pride from his outgoing bold comment. It made him forget all about his ban on kisses. That is until he checked his watch and realized he was going to be late for dinner. "Oh gosh- I gotta get home now, Daisy... I'll see you tomorrow though." 

The girl smiled sweetly. "Okay, I'll see you tomorrow, Roger. Thanks for the ice cream!" She called as Roger ran down the road to his house. Upong reaching his street, he realized Jack's car was now in the driveway, making a shiver run through his spine. "How long was I gone?" He said to himself. Taking a deep breath, Roger came through the front door where Susan was sprawled over the couch and Jack and Alice were chatting over the bar counter in the kitchen. 

All eyes turned to Roger as he came into the living room. "Roger, dinner is almost ready- where have you been?" Alice questioned. Roger looked away for a moment before turning back to his audience. "I was hanging out with friends and we got ice cream and lost track of the time." Roger tried to stifle his cheeks from any tints of rose color hueing over his face. Jack took notice but kept silent as Roger and Susan made their way to the table. Alice and Jack took a quick glance at each other before Alice went to the stove and pulled out the ham that had been cooling off. 

The dinner was quiet- something Roger wondered about to himself, but didn't make any effort to speak himself. "We had another test today," Susan piped up. Alice looked up with a smile. "Really?" Susan and Alice went back and forth like this, something Roger was pleased about as the tension from his suspicious late dinner arrival was trying to dissipate from the air. Jack kept glancing from his plate to Roger with a concerned look etched over his face. Maybe he was thinking of way to smother Roger in affection again, at least that's what Roger thought. To him, Jack was already scheming- his face caculating what to do now since Roger was dangerously slipping from his fingers like melted butter.

Roger worried what Jack would do: reach for his hand even more so and hold it close to him, spew pet names from his mouth with every conversation they would have, face rubs, cheek pinches, chin tickles.... it drove a nerve in Roger, one that wanted to snap. But a piece of him didn't mind if Jack would do those things. If Jack were to hold him in his arms as he read a bedtime story with a plate of cookies and warm milk besides them. Jack's soothing voice- soft as a milky chocolate bar- reading every word with grace and such a delicate tone, one that seemed like it was made for sleepy nights where you needed a good night's send off into dream world. Roger could even embrace the memory of his little hand gripping Jack's big long finger as he knelt down and kissed his little forehead with such a sweet little tune. Then Jack pressed another one to his chubby little warm cheek with the same gentle pillow touch tune that knocked Roger into a goodnight's sleep. He felt the warmth of his father's presence with him in someway like he was being held inside his big arms that felt like warm blankets that lingered a fond scent of spicy floral citrus.

To Roger, Jack's kisses felt like candy ones. They were sweet and gave a burst of passion whenever they pierced his skin. Jack had a passionate love for his son and Roger couldn't deny how evident it was and still is. As the savory bite of ham swam in Roger's mouth, combined with the memories of his father's unconditional devotion to him, it was as if Roger was in a perfect fever dream. The thought of Daisy tickled his brain and a weightless feeling ballooned over him now. But as soon as he remembered Susan's scowl and her intense disappointment appeared inside of Roger's brain, his weightless turned back into broken rocks that piled on top of him again.

Of course it didn't matter what Susan thought... at least usually he just tried to ignore it. But this was a deeper guilt. Roger hurt Jack more than he could've ever known when he rejected kisses. His kisses especially. Something that should've been celebrated was seen as disgusting or revolting like maggots inside a garbage bin. And it hurt Roger. He could sense his father's pain over his quietness. And it bleed with his own pain as well. Roger missed those sweet kisses from Daddy. And Jack's presence- his love along with them.

Even though he knew they still existed, it wasn't as bold as it was before. Roger had hidden it... and had forgotten where it was now.

**************************************************

Roger was the last to enter the bathroom for the night. The strong smell of facial perfume and bubble soap still lingered through the air. Roger took it all in as he was brushing his teeth. Between the brash sounds of his toothbrush on his teeth, he could hear the loud smooch sounds of Susan's goodnight kisses being pressed to her face. "Mmm, goodnight sweetheart," Alice cooed. 

"Sleep tight my baby bunny." Jack pressed another kiss to Susan's temple. Roger let a slight furrow carve over his eyebrows. Staring into the sink bowl and watching the toothpaste water swirl down the drain, Roger's mind flickered to Daisy and the sweet sunflower colored dress she had donned that afternoon. His cheeks stung with love as he pondered what her dress would be like tomorrow at school. Maybe it would be navy blue or minty green and she would have a ballet pink or baby blue bow in her shiny hair. 

Walking back to his bedroom, it felt empty and cold. The warm hue of love that simmered through it had vapored away and Roger was left with only himself to fill those holes. "Goodnight sport." Jack hesitantly rubbed Roger's scalp before tucking him under the covers. "Can I blow you a kiss?" Roger thought for a moment. "Sure." He shrugged. Jack blew a big kiss into the air, hoping it would find its way on Roger's cheek. Alice could only do the same from the doorway before the parents left and let their little one slumber away.

But Roger was far from being sleepy. His eyes felt droopy, but his mind kept him awake thinking of all of friends and Susan being kissed by their parents. Daisy probably was getting her goodnight kiss from her own parents right now. Roger felt isolated- his own doings- being the only kid in the city who was missing out on his goodnight kiss. Roger closed his eyes anyway, hoping to drown out the banging pain of physical touch not being allowed against his skin. Tossing and turning in his bed- flashes of angry drooling monsters echoed through his head. They yanked Roger up from his sheets that he desperately tried to hide under and shook him around like pepper shaker. He called out- screamed for his parents but they wouldn't come. He spotted them all the way down below, as he wailed and cried for them. Apologizing endlessly for them to take pity on him and turn around to face him and save him. But as if the monster was mocking him- knowing they wouldn't come for him; chucking the poor boy into its mouth and swallowing him whole, leaving him to scream and beg for help until his voice died out from drifting further and further into the unseen belly of the ugly beast, never to be seen again.

Roger awoke in a terrible sweat. A cool sweat that drenched his pillows even as the cool air struck his face. He frantically looked to the clock that read a little after three in the morning. The snoozes of his parents and sister were all that could be heard besides his soft whimpers. Roger tried to fall alseep again, but sleep wouldn't come. He was too afraid to dream badly again. Unsafe and out in the open like a lost sailor in the middle of choppy frozen ocean waters. A soft voice whispered out calling for the one person who could make it all go away.

"Daddy... Daddy..." Roger cried. Then louder. "Daddy! DADDY!" 

Like the flick of a magic wand, Jack was in Roger's room within seconds. "What's wrong?" he asked, worriedly. "It... I-I can't sleep..." Roger's puppy dog eyes looked into Jack's. "I had a nightmare..."

Without a warning, Jack scooped Roger into his arms and held him tightly against the night. Then he planted bunches of kisses all over Roger's now blushing little face. His heart swelled happily as he finally embraced the tight binds of affection that he missed so much from his parents. Alice soon joined in, turning the bedroom light on and pressing her own sweet kisses to Roger's face. Susan stood in the doorway; awoken from the noises, she was pleased to see the happy loving parents of her's and Roger's be so open in their love.

Alice invited Susan in, where they all huddled around Roger- all coming to a silent agreement that the ban was lifted, and kisses would not be dismissed but embraced and appreciated.

[hotdaemondtargaryen]

OLIVIA COOKE PHOTOGRAPHED BY EVELYN FREJA FOR LA TIMES.

RYAN CONDAL TALKING ABOUT ALICENT HIGHTOWER'S CHARACTER ARC IN S2.

Condal describes Alicent’s journey this season as “an ongoing expansion of the character,” although he admits the episodes “really put Alicent through her paces.”

That was something Cooke felt deeply.

OLIVIA COOKE TALKING ABOUT ALICENT HIGHTOWER IN S2.

“In this season, she’s so adrift,” Cooke says, joking that there are only so many miserable faces she can make.

“She’s losing her power. With Rhaenyra and Alicent, it’s like a butterfly effect, so as Rhaenyra is gaining power, the hourglass is turned over and the power is waning from Alicent, and her influence is waning as well. There’s an imaginary rope between [the two characters] that carries them throughout seasons.”

Cooke says Alicent “gets a massive dose of the reality” when her “psycho sons” take control of the realm.

On a more positive note, Alicent has the opportunity to explore her sexuality this season, coupling up with a character who will, for now, remain unnamed (let’s just say he matches her freak).

It’s a rare expression of freedom for a woman who has lacked agency, which Condal says has “greatly affected who her character is.”

“That was really important because you’ve not seen Alicent experience that in her adult life, and all of a sudden, she has all these teenage, passionate feelings toward someone,” Cooke says.

“I think that makes her feel insane.”

ABOUT FILMING 'HOUSE OF THE DRAGON' S2.

After seven months of production, which wrapped in September, Cooke was “absolutely knackered” — a polite British way of saying the experience had completely depleted her.

“Last season, Emma and I were only in four episodes each, so we’d walk in and be full of beans when everyone else was at death’s door. Then I think we both really felt the enormity of the schedule. And it’s so emotional.”

“Both of us are just either sobbing or screaming all the time. I don’t know if I smile in Season 2.”

Despite the exhaustion, Cooke loves playing Alicent.

She’s a character of “so many subterranean levels of repression and anger and despair and passion,” which is a huge gift.

Has compassion and empathy for her, and she understands why Alicent does manipulative, devious things.

“She’s smarter than all the men as well and she could rule and she’d be really f— good at it.”

“It’s so frustrating that she can’t believe she would be this amazing ruler because she’s so indoctrinated by the patriarchy and by her father.”

“She’s been molded to talk sweetly into the ears of these powerful men, and it’s such a disservice to who she is and what she’s capable of.”

ABOUT HER PERSONAL LIFE.

Before Season 1 premiered, Cooke was worried that her personal life might become too public for comfort.

“I just didn’t want my life to change. It’s such a big TV show, and I hadn’t ever done anything to this scale before. Or if I had, it was a film that comes out and then goes away and doesn’t live in the culture for years and years and years.”

So far, Cooke’s fears have gone mostly unfounded. She’s recognized, sure, but not in a way that disrupts her daily life.

And when it does, fans are generally nice about it, like recently when she was on the London Underground going home and a group of drunken girls started shouting “Alicent” in her direction.

“It’s actually been all right. I think you notice an uptick as the show is about to come out because they’re promoting it more.”

ABOUT ACTING.

She calls herself a “catastrophizer” and admits she can be hard on herself when reflecting on a performance.

ABOUT THEIR UPCOMING PROJECTS.

She wants to “embark on more of the unknown,” something the actor is aiming to do with her production company Chippy Tea, which she formed two years ago.

Her first production, a romance film called “Takes One to Know One,” will shoot in Rome early next year and stars Jamie Bell alongside Cooke.

She also wants to try her hand at directing.

“When I’m on set, I’m always figuring out how things work and almost shadowing the director.”

“I find acting a lot of the time to be so insular. You can get in your own way. I like the collaborative process of making something from the ground up, and I want to do more of that.”

“It’s also taking control of my own destiny a little bit more.”

ABOUT ALICENT HIGHTOWER FOR 'HOUSE OF THE DRAGON' SEASON 3.

As for Alicent, well, she may not be so lucky. But, she wants to play her for as long as possible.

“I really want her to just go off and be in the forest with some chickens,” she says, jokingly.

“But really, there’s some good stuff for her for Season 3, if we get it. Really exciting stuff.”

[darkmaga-returns]

10 stories the media buried today.

The Vigilant Fox

Nov 15, 2024

#10 - Joe Rogan GUARANTEES Joe Biden voted for Donald Trump.

“Look at his f—king smile, dude! Look at his f—king smile, man. That’s like when your kid gets married.”

“He lost! His party lost. He was happy.”

Rogan went wild after he pointed out that when Hillary Clinton lost in 2016, Obama looked miserable during his transition meeting with Trump.

On the other hand, Joe Biden smiled so big that he looked like the “Cheshire Cat” from Alice in Wonderland.

“Biden voted for Trump. I guarantee it. I f—king guarantee it,” Rogan declared.

“He’s like, ‘That b*tch [Kamala], she went down.’ You can’t tell me he wasn’t happy... I guarantee you. I guarantee you that motherf—ker was happy. He had a giant smile on his face. He said, ‘welcome back’ to him [Trump].”

“Four months ago, that guy was gonna be running again. And now here he is, smiling like the Cheshire Cat,” Rogan marveled.

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(See 9 More Revealing Stories Below)

#9 - Jillian Michaels Goes Scorched Earth on RFK Jr. Haters With a Series of Stunning Truth Bombs

“If you're afraid of RFK, you've lost your mind! Take a back seat. Let the professionals in this space handle it.”

• Infertility rates are the highest ever.

• Early-onset cancer diagnoses are up 79% over the last three decades.

• 74% of adults in America are overweight or obese.

• Health-related conditions are the number one cause of bankruptcy.

Moreover, @JillianMichaels says it is hard to be healthy in America because it is difficult “by design.”

1. Big farming proliferates these cheap, toxic calories.

2. Big food picks up those calories and tinkers with them a bit more with their food scientists to make them more addictive and omnipresent.

3. Then Big Pharma catches us on the other side and starts treating all of our sicknesses with their pills for every ill.

“We need change. We need it now. What they're doing isn't working, and it's not working on purpose because it's profitable for the very few.”

[chronicallyblyrie]

TMAGP 20 Live thoughts! spoilers ahead

this one is a day late simply because I'm on summer break now and I'm already forgetting what day of the week it is

-I already saw something in the description about ink5oul lets go I'm ready

-okay its our little trio hi guys

-Alice i swear to god fucking LISTEN TO HIM PLEASE

-Who killed it???

-whaaaat??

-Oh shoot is this going back to the ennacting the protocol thingy??

-the government conspiracies are fun though Alice :(

-ah yes the case that made Isaac Newton canon to the TMAGP lore

-no its definitely the same protocol

-WHAAAAT

-oh god its another email from John isnt it

-gibberish email address???

-Okay so Alice does believe in the horrors then???

-I mean yeah Sam she is very right you chose to work for the government that is the most shady thing you can do

-oh so they were trying to end the world AGAIN

-Celia might just be right, its almost like she has PRIOR EXPERIENCE

-yessss keep celia in on this shit show please

-GWEEN

-IN5OUL??

-Oh! tattooing corpses!

-Gwen is not the type for tattoos ink5oul

-"you've got lovely skin" that was a very nikola orsinov line

-Yes the government

-No they want you as an "external"

-Yeah shes new sorry ink5oul

-So they dont even wanna mutilate people with tattoos???

-So somehow having fans made them into an avatar or smth??? im just guessing externals and avatars are basically one in the same

-is this our statement/case for today

-this podcast really makes you look at social media in a different way

-tattooed WHAT

-damn so this is where the fucked up ink comes from that mutilates people right?

-yeah as a tarot lover I can't tell if I'd be pissed off too or if I'd be happy with the tattoo artist giving me a detailed ass sun tattoo after lying and showing me the wrong design

-"ITS BUUUUURNS"

-oh!

-oh so this is how you become an avatar

-guys.. I think I know how to kickstart my youtube career

-I imagine Gwen just standing here rn while listening to this mf yap

-so the tattoos are the ultimate anti-aging skincare

-rather disturbing is probably putting it lightly

-CHEMICAL COCKTAILS??

-were they chloroforming these clients

-mf you get a high on tattooing???

-okay so definitely an avatar, the whole talk of "wanting to make people afraid" and "needing" it is just a fear avatar needing their daily dose of people being horrified

-Oh so thats why they have corpses

-eloquent indeed!

-GWEN THEY ARE GOING TO KILL YOU SHUT TF UP

-WTF

-GWEN IS GONNA GET FUCKING KILLED SHE NEEDED THAT SECURITY

[poisonblossoms12]

WELCOME!!!

(It's about time I did a welcome post lol)

Hey there, I'm Poison, but you can also call me PB or PB&J ^^ I do a bunch of silly stuff about Kindergarten, My Singing Monsters, and some other things :D

Some facts about me:

-I use they/them (preferred), she/her, it/its, and xe/xem :3

-I'm a lesbian :D

-My favourite Kindergarten characters are Carla and Alice!

-My ultimate OTP is Almy (Alice x Emmy) 💜💚

-I am emo, punk, and goth. I do understand that they are not exactly interchangeable, but my style fluctuates a lot between those three

-Here is my list of Kindergarten ships in case you're curious :3

-And here is my list of fandoms! :D

Other blogs:

Art blog - @poisonblossomsartbox I am no longer active on my art blog bc I post my art on here now

Meme blog - @daily-dose-of-kg-memes

KinderKiller AU - @kinderkillerau

MSM blog - @poisonblossoms-msm I no longer post on my MSM blog because I made this one multifandom

Penguin Penny - @penguenny

Monstergarten AU - @msm-kg-au

Kindergarten confession blog - @kg-confessions

My tags:

#poisoned rants - I rant about silly stuff

#poisoned arts - Art tag

#poisoned vents - Vent tag

#poison dies - Shitpost tag

I also sometimes do oddly specific tags if I find it funny enough to the situation >:3

My schedule:

I'm doing homeschool, so I'm available very often! >:3

AND YES, ART REQUESTS ARE OPEN!!

That's all for now! I might change it up over time tho :P

[not-so-lost-after-all]

Fanfiction Master List

Baldur's Gate 3

Here are my favorite pieces of my writing about certain tragic vampire gremlin called Astarion:

There are worse things I could do (This little thing is inspired by Dicken's A Christmas Carol and visions of the past, the present and the future - all of them dark. After all, a romance with Astarion can go so horribly, horribly wrong...)

Moments before the distaster (Astarion and Tav having supposedly the last chance to have some fun time together AKA the missing opportunity to go on a date)

The rest is still unwritten (Astarion reunited with his family and leaving the past behing)

Astarion earns a princess... (and a brother who seems to be his unbroken mirror image)

Ascended Astarion and his consort. Make it hurt...

My Tav and Astarion and an epilogue to the epilogue

New memories with Tav are the counterweight to the two centuries of misery

The alternative version of the infamous scene at the docks

Something Halloween-y about ascended Astarion meeting the ghosts of his past

My contribution to the papastarion topic (yes, a daughter who looks like him, except she is mortal :D)

My Tav, Astarion and their big fight concerning the heated topic of Halsin

Tav breaking up with ascended Astarion (for the daily dose of angst)

A Song of Ice And Fire

Final veil (Buckle up because this isn't exactly a fix it fic but Jaehaera Targaryen gets a shot at happiness. Or, how I wanted to give the little queen a voice.)

A tale of wars and mercy (Aegon II and Alicent in the future, so spoilers for the series, obviously. Hurt but no comfort andvI mean it.)

[missorigamimk]

Gimme your Treatment 😉

«My Doctor prescripted me watching Alice in Borderland Series, Daily Dose x 2

EVERY morning & before sleep»

Who is your Doctor?

Dr. Shuntarō Chishiya

...........

2. Chishiya Shuntaro is the painkiller :

Me :

[charminglygrouped]

[ID: A series of beverages drawn in a colorful style with block shading. Each one is labelled with a genre as follows:

Strawberry drink labelled "Fluff; extra sweet; oneshot portion"

Ramune bottle labelled "canon divergence: shake before consuming"

Hot sauce labelled "Plot, what plot? 18+ Smut, 80% extra spicy"

Boba tea labelled "enemies to lovers"

Latte labelled "No beta; we die like men; > 50k words; Slowburn." Boxes labelled "angst" and "pining" are ticked off.

Electrolyte-style drink labelled "soulmate AU Red & blue edition; Now with only one bed!"

Soda can labelled "mutual pining; 50% more angst; now with misunderstanding"

Fiji water bottle labelled "angst. Warning: use descreet [sic] dosage. 100% organic tears"

Lemonade in a mason jar labelled "Quality old-fashioned lemon; original"

Cocktail with orange wedge and sugared rim labelled "alpha, beta, omega"

Rum bottle labelled "PWP; BDSM Dom & sub collection. NSFW 18+. Explicit content"

Poison bottle with label reading "Dead dove" and an Alice-in-Wonderland-style tag reading "Do not drink"

Drinkable yoghurt bottle labelled "3k words; One shot! Daily dose"

End ID.]

I didn’t realize you were the person who did the fanfiction tag drinks.

ahah yeah that's meeee!!

If you guys are interested they are all available as stickers on my RB!!