#aerie's book club

[stabbyfoxandrew]

I finished Ravensong and holy smokes! Aaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!! And the end! The revelation at the end!!!

I am so glad I have the last two books because having to wait was torture!

@aftgphoenix

dude i'm so sorry this is so late!!! i can only assume you've finished the series by now and i really really hope you loved it!!! the last book ATE MY HEART okay ahhh

<333333

[cto10121]

Book Fiyero: *immediately recognizes Elphaba and stations himself at the backdoor to prevent her from evading him, stalks her halfway across town to her aerie (even though at that point in time she was only a college friend he hadn’t seen in five years), insists on seeing her again, instinctively goes to comfort her when she first cries, gets sucked into increasingly deep and fraught conversations with her about collateral damage and freedom fighter terrorism, calls her the “most individual, the most separate, the most real” DURING AN ARGUMENT, says he adores Elphaba’s looks IN THAT SAME ARGUMENT, doesn’t understand Elphaba’s “being born with a talent or an inclination for goodness is the aberration” comment because (implied) he sincerely believes Elphaba isn’t evil, changes his mind about the plight of the Animals all by himself but doesn’t mention it to Elphaba because he is afraid she would distance himself from him, buys scarves for both his wife and Elphaba even though only Elphaba likes scarves, is so concerned for Elphaba and her dangerous Lurlinemas Eve mission that he stalks her instead of staying at his club or just leaving town altogether, and is so worried about her that he returns to the aerie just to see her*

Also Book Fiyero: Am I in love with Elphaba?

[c0llisiion]

ATTENTION — K.TH

★Pairing: kim Taehyung + f!reader

★Genre: smut

★: exes , kinda toxic ig , bigdickdom!tae , choking, slight exhibitionism , reader is lowkey bipolar , angry sex/make up sex (they just went through a breakup) , mirror sex , oral, slapping, creampie , unprotected sex (please practice safe sex!) name calling, degradation, kth is kinda mean — lmk if i missed any! ^^

★W/C: 2,435

A/N: HIIIIIIII!!!!!! so yes another kth fic :’) its been a while so that’s justified! This is actually one of my first fics i ever wrote nd i found it rotting in my notes so i decided to tweak it up and post :3 (the og was shit.) will finally be able to post more often <3 anyways enjoy! Hope you like itttt

☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★ MDNI. Please refrain from reading if the topics make you uncomfortable. ☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★

Loud music was blasting throughout the crowded club. It was a huge party, hosted by one of your closest friend. There were people dancing, drinking, and giving men lap dances. It was a wild one!

You were dancing hard with your girlfriends. Those few shots you took finally hit you. 

You were approached by your friend, while having the time of your life "Hey, bae, there is someone you might like to see.." You stopped and focused on what she was saying "Who?" You inquired. She pointed out a man sitting in one of the booths. He was talking to another familiar man and didn't seem to notice you. You stood there, staring at the man in a suit with a few of his buttons undone. You were, honestly, in disbelief. This day is truly one for the history books.

"Taehyung..." You stood there wide-eyed. "Hell yeah, girly, I invited him for you and you only," she said with a smug smirk. "Go on, bae, get your tiger!" She nudged. "I-i-" you stammered. "come onnn ,, stop being a fucking pussy and go talk to him!!" She started shoving you in his direction. You stayed put, not letting her push you more. "Dude, for god's sake! It's going to be so awkward!" You turned around to face your clearly drunk friend. "Bitch, you were the one that was venting to me about how you wanted to see him almost every day since you broke up!" She countered. What she said was right. You were venting to her every day, nonstop, from the day you broke it off with him. "I-I had confidence that time..! But I don't think i will be able to show that same confidence .." Your friend narrowed her eyes at you. "PUSSY!" She shouted in your face. You both giggled it off before she spoke up. "Well if you are not comfortable yet, then it's fine. I heard that he already has a new girlfrien-" "what?" Your ears perked up. "Wdym what? Did you not hear? Apparently he is fucking that hot chick , aeri from back then; she had approached him two days after you broke up, and they have been dating ever since." You look back at the man clad in a blue suit with a white button up underneath before letting out an angry scoff, "What a bastard..." 

"Its time to get that bastard back into your life," your friend winked at you. 

"Heeeyyyy, Taehyung! How is the party going for you?" Your friend approached him, stumbling slightly. "It's going well! I'm having so much fun!" Taehyung said it with excitement. "Ouu, I'm glad to hear! Ykw, do you want to join us on the dance floor?" Your friend batted her eyelashes at him, baiting him into joining her. "haha imma pass!"  " Cooommeee oooonnnn, it’s going to be fun, Taehyung" she begged for him to join her, and he eventually did after much persuasion. He joined the dance floor and was quickly hoarded by hot girls who definitely wanted to get laid by him. After a moment, his eyes landed on someone he knew. It was you. You were with another man, kissing, hands around his neck, and swaying your hips in a very sultry way. You broke off the kiss and glanced to your side. He was standing there. A woman was holding his face in her hands, trying to get him out of his trance. You could feel the rage that was radiating off of him. You smirked and dragged your mister to the bar. You let him buy you a few drinks before eventually letting him go.

You were drinking your third shot of tequila when he approached you. "It's funny to see you here." You turned around to see the tall figure of Taehyung looking down at you. You almost choked on the alcohol. "It's my best friend's birthday; of course I will be here, dumbass!" You tapped the glass on the counter, signaling for the bartender to pour you another. Taehyung walked over to the empty seat next to you. "So what's up?" You inquired while waiting. "Oh, nothing much; Daddy has been pressuring me to start staying stable." You snorted. " 'daddy' PFFFTTT" . Taehyung looked at you blankly. The bartender poured you a glass, and before you could down it all, Taehyung snatched the shot glass, drinking every last bit, and placed it on the counter. "Yeah 'daddy'” "Omg, you are literally so insufferable." You said it dramatically. "Idek how that aeri bitch is even with you," Taehyung shot up. "What aeri?" He said plainly like he had no idea what you were talking about. You looked at him in shock. "You are dating aeri right?" You asked for reassurance. He scoffed it off. " pff- you really think i would date a hoe like aeri? Never in a million years." He rolled his eyes and chuckled. " B-but .. f/n said you guys are fucking around..??" "That is true, though," your face drowned. "Like, we only hooked up once, and you know what? She is not the person she says she is. One of the worst fuckings I have ever done," you giggled. "Who was your best?" You asked him randomly. "You." Your cheeks turned pink almost immediately. You could feel him looking at you. Eyeing your entire body. "You look good today," he complimented you. "Don't I always look good?" You joked. He chuckled, looking down. You both were staring at each other with love and lust. "I miss you" had accidentally slipped your mouth. Curse you for drinking too much! You quickly covered your mouth in disbelief at what just came out. "What?" He looked at you. "Ah ah nothing, nevermind!!" You brushed it off as quickly as you could. He looked at you with his eyebrow quirked up. "Aha i think i gotta go... f/n is calling me haha". There was a slight stutter in your speech. You got up, and before you could leave the bar, he grabbed you by your wrist, turned you around, and kissed you. You were shocked. Your hands were on his chest while he kissed you with passion. "I missed you too, baby.." The bomb dropped. Your mind went blank. "But tae.." "Please, baby, take me back. I promise to change this time. I just really need you. I don't want anyone else." You looked at him with guilt. But this was the same statement he would always give. 'i will change’ 'I will do better' 'take me back'. You were unsure of what to feel. All these months, you missed him, and now? 

"Tae you know we can't. You always say this but you never change. Just cut the act off." He let go of your waist. "I miss you, baby. I really do. And im sorry for all-" "shush. I don't want to hear another apology. You are never sorry." As much as you love and miss Taehyung. His personality is the biggest turn off. He had broken your trust multiple times, and whenever you would break up, he would come up with the same shit, and you were there to accept his lame apologies. But not this time. You took some time to think about it, and you came to the conclusion that it was best for you not to take him back. 

"Have a goodnight." You said it sternly before turning away. "You are really going to leave me, huh?" Taehyung started following you. "I left you months ago, Taehyung." His gaze went from soft to the familiar, mean one. "You said you missed me!" He pulled you by your arm, turning you back around to face him. "It's for the better! For both of us! You know we are never going to work out!" You countered. "Oh yeah, for the 'better' , I know you will come right back to me. Quit acting, y/n. As soon as my dick enters your desperate cunt, you will be with me once again like the slut you are." His hands went around your waist once again. Mere inches separate you both. Whatever he said was true. You break up. Meet up a few weeks or days later. Fuck, and then back together. The same cycle over and over again. You couldn't get enough of him. “Let’s not play fool again.” He said in a manipulative tone. You were resisting his manipulation, but you gave in. Your lips smashed into his aggressively. He chuckled at your instinct. "Yeah, that's what I fucking thought." He said it in between the kiss.

He rushed you into the club washroom and locked the door. There was absolute rage radiating off of you guys. Kissing harshly and not letting each other go. He made you sit on the counter and grabbed you by your jaw, breaking the intense kiss. Your lips were already swollen. "How many dicks have been in this cunt?" He said,tauntingly. You looked at him with your drunken eyes. "I will make sure no one gets this. It's mine. Got it?" You nodded. He let go of your jaw and dropped to his knees. He spread your legs open and started touching your wet pussy. His fingers circled your clothed entrance. A sticky mixture of your arousal coated his fingertips. "Always wet for me. Goodgirl." he grabbed you by your waist before smashing his face into your heat and started eating you out with your lace panties on. The pleasure was too much. You threw your head back and let out a pornographic moan. He was so good at eating you out to the point that it's enough to come undone.

You tugged on his black locks. Eyes swelling up with tears and drool already dripping down from the sides of your mouth. He was lapping at your cunt like a starved man. “So good.. so fucking good…” he nudged his face closer into your sex. Breathing in your arousal. Your thighs clamped around his head, and let out a choked-out moan as he bit down on your poor clit. “T-tae..! ‘S too much!!” Taehyung found pleasure in your pleas and cries. He pulled away and stared up at you. His chin glistened with his spit and your juices, running down his neck. 

He got up and was quick to capture your lips in his mouth. His tongue swirled around the inside of your mouth, and you could taste yourself. Large hands pushed your dress further up your body; a loud snap was heard as he ripped your thin panties. You grab onto his shoulders as you feel his long, cold fingers rubbing your throbbing clit. You gasped for air as he flicked your nub. Your hands roamed all over his body, helping him take off his Celine suit jacket. Your hands went lower before you stopped at his belt buckle. “Put it in already… please … “ you mumbled into the kiss. Taehyung let out a dark chuckle; his lips traveled down your neck. You felt something prod into your sopping hole. His large tip slipped through your folds easily. You gasp as he pushes himself further into you. His hands tightly held onto your hips as he eased his way into your gummy walls. He hunched over after he fully pushed himself into you. Your cunny clenched around his big length as he started thrusting. Heavy breaths getting louder with each increase in pace. “Gon’ fuck you so good..the entire club will hear us.”

 

-fwap! Fwap! fwap!- loud sounds of your ass slapping against his hips echoed through the restroom. Taehyung had you facing the mirror. A hand wrapped tightly around your hair, pulling your head back. “See how well you take my cock..! Haah- so fucking good. Pussy sucking me in so good.” He whispered in your ear before biting it.  “Ngh- fuck Taehyung feels so g-good…!” You held onto the edge of the counter for dear life as Taehyung pounded into you from behind. Your makeup ran down your face as his thrusts had you tearing up and seeing stars. “Mmm.. haa-“ slap. “Keep your eyes on the mirror while I fuck you. Understand?” You nodded at his words. Your eyes were struggling to stay open, and your head felt heavy. “Words, doll.” He grabbed your jaws and brought his face closer to yours, making you look at him as he continued giving you harsh thrusts. Your body jerking forward at each. The hand on your clit pinching the sensitive nub “ngh- fuck! I u-understand…” a devilish smirk formed on his perfect face. He was fucking you into tomorrow. His long, thick dick abused your soft plush walls over and over again. Red angry tip bruising your cervix. Your cream coated his entire length, and your arousal ran down his balls and your thighs. “Gonna c-cum.. tae- gon’-“ His fingers worked on your clit quickly. Tugging, pinching, and drawing rough circles all to help you reach your high. “Cum all over me.. doll.” And with that, you gushed around his length. “Fuck!!” Spurts of your cum spilled from the sides of your abused hole. Taehyung continued fucking you through your orgasm. “Do you want my cum inside you- haaah… fuck doll squeezing me so good..!” He got cut off as you spasmed around him. You nod weakly at his words. Picking your head up to look at him through the mirror, He brought his face closer to your ears. “Say it. Say you want my cum in you.” He growled in your ears. Your eyes filled up with tears. “I wan’ it…” “Want what? I want to hear you say it.” You bite down on your lip as you feel his fingers draw rough circles on your overstimulated clit again.  “ i wan’ -ngh- i want your cum.. Taehyung. i wan’ your cum in me… please.” Your voice was feeble. Taehyung groaned in satisfaction. “Goodgirl. I like it when you beg.” His hips quickly gained their pace and had you once again feeling full. You let out a choked out scream as you felt Taehyung fill you up. Taehyung moaned loudly as his balls drained all the cum into your plush walls. He dropped his head in between your neck and shoulders as he slowly came down from his high. Leaving soft, wet kisses on the spot. 

He lifted his head up and looked at you before smiling. His hands caressed your red ass. He pulled out, and a stream of yours and his mixed arousal dripped down your thighs. “You're gonna stay with me forever.”

A/N: thank you for reading! I will be writing inboxes so make sure to send in :3 🎀

[brandwhorestarscream]

Despite lacking any autonomy, is it possible for Thundercracker to be spoiled? Like, he's highly treasured and could get anything he wants except freedom. So if Megatron starts a book/poetry club with him, only joking a little bit, maybe he could calm his house? Again, this all depends on how he's treated inside the aerie. Please let me know how he's actually treated!

And yessss Skywarp just going 🤩 upon realising it's actually the Megatron. I'm just getting this mental image of him nudging Starscream and going, "If I bond with you, does he become my concubine too?"

Ok ok hear me out 👀 the grand matriarchal trine of Thundercracker's family are his grandparents, and the trine leader is his grandmother. Let's just call her Permafrost (name not final), with her two mates Whiteout and Cirrus. Permafrost is typically an ice cold, incredibly shrewd, and strategic woman, but when it comes to her favorite grandsparks she's very protective. She loves Thundercracker very, very much, and only wants what's best for him: she won't have her favorite grandson being trined to someone who won't treat him with the love and respect he deserves, title as the crown prince be damned. And if the little upstart that's to be future Winglord can't be trusted not to stick it in a ground pounder, like hell does she want his tainted hands on her precious grandspark.

So yes! I like the idea of Thundercracker being very spoiled and doted on, but being unable to be free or truly control his life has him suffocating. The only way to salvage the engagement at this point would be to have him tell grandma Permafrost that he wants to trine to the prince. If he really, truly wanted it, she would concede, but as it stands now she's planning to call the whole thing off. If Megatron started a book club with Thundercracker 🥺 I think he'd be really happy. All high caste seekers are well read, naturally, but none really share TC's passion for it. He's an S-class bookworm and devours anything he can get his servos on, from adventure novels to sci-fi to horror to romance. A lot of it is considered improper or low-brow reading, so there's hardly anyone he can talk to about it.

Then Megatron comes along and recognizes one of the titles he's engrossed in--probably slipped away from the ball to get a break and finish the most recent chapter he was in--and they immediately hit it off. Thundercracker has stars in his optics pretty much the entire time, and when the two of them are found hours later, he's practically glowing. He's never had anyone to talk about his interests with, and certainly not someone who matches his enthusiasm. They lose track of time getting lost in their conversations, and when they're found, Thundercracker is practically walking on air. He's elated, the conversation was so invigorating and he leaves with a radiant smile on his face.

Permafrost has never seen him like this, no one has, not since he was very young. Thundercracker asks her to hold off on canceling the engagement, leaving them in a state of limbo. They're not out of the woods yet, he's not sure what he wants, but agrees to let Megatron (and Starscream) continue trying to win him over. It's a really weird reversal, of the royal line having to court and petition someone of lower status for their hand, but their relationship so far is anything but the norm 🤭 it's shaping up to be a proper courtship, and Thundercracker let's them set a date to meet with him again (for a coutship date, totally, definitely not the beginnings of a book club with Megatron, oh no, never 👀)

...

Now, for Skywarp. Starscream firmly tells him that no, Megatron wouldn't be their shared concubine. He's not some piece of shareware for them to pass around! That's the carrier of his children, thank you very much, and he won't have him disrespected and pawed at! Skywarp pouts about it, but takes it in stride. Says he'll continue the engagement if he gets access to Megatron too, as company if nothing else. They’re both aliens in the world of high society, so he feels smthn of an understanding kinship between them. He wants to hang out with his favorite gladiator, and even offers to keep him entertained while Starscream is schmoozing with Thundercracker. Little does he know TC wants to see the new concubine too 🤭

[gcantread]

October 2024 reads

[loved liked ok nope dnf bookclub*]

A Dark and Drowning Tide �� The City in Glass • We'll Prescribe You a Cat • Five Broken Blades • The Professor • The Wood at Midwinter • Murder on the Orient Express*

October was a slooooooow reading month for me! I traveled, I hosted, I did irl stuff generally, but I didn't make much of a dent in my TBR. Oh well! One thing about living in this frozen mountain wasteland is that as soon as the weather turns, it's Reading Season. Fingers crossed I'll have more time to read in November.

A Dark and Drowning Tide ★★★☆☆ - Eh. It was fine. Nothing special, but fine. I can now definitively say that I've given Allison Saft's work a fair chance and it's not quiiiiiite my thing.

The City in Glass ★★★★1/2 - Nghi Vo never flops!! I was stoked about this new release and I was right to be. I didn't looooove the ending, but I loved the prose and really enjoyed the angel/demon "fucked up Good Omens" dynamic at the story's core.

We'll Prescribe You a Cat ★★★★☆ - This one is just fun. If you like cats even a little bit, it's a silly sweet time. I love reading works translated from Japanese/set in Japan in general for the way the cultural differences translate.

Five Broken Blades ★★★★☆ - Listen, I am Not Immune to books hyped by booktok/booktube. I 100% get the criticism of this one, but I still had a blast reading it. There are so many characters and they're all soooooo delightfully dumb in such fun ways. Also Aeri and Royo are like 80% jalice-coded and we all know I'm EXTRA not immune to that

The Professor ★★1/2☆☆ - Read this because I'm slowly making my way through the entire Brontë canon, and oof. Boy does this read like a shitty first draft of Villette (where's the beef??) I will not be inflicting this one on Bella's Book Club. That said, I had a great time laughing at the virulent Victorian xenophobia as usual (we get it, Charlotte, you hated your French boss.)

The Wood at Midwinter ★★★☆☆ - Susanna Clarke is another of those authors whose grocery lists I would treasure. This little snippet was fun in both a "picture book for adults" way and in a "Please elaborate on that" "No" way. ily Bear Jesus

Murder on the Orient Express ★★★☆☆ - A reread for Bella's Book Club's Detectober! It was fun to reread while already knowing the twist this time around.

DNFs: None, but I'm starting to stall out on The Wise Man's Fear because I suspect I'm gonna dislike the second half. Go back to the universityyyyyy I'm booooored 😞

October superlatives

Next up:

I'm currently reading my ARC of Sundown in San Ojuela, and so far it's truly the perfect "October into November" book. I'm also gonna keep on trucking through The Wise Man's Fear. In more exciting news, I get closer every SECOND to cracking open my beautiful shiny copy of Absolution—I can't wait!! I've been informed that November is The Scorpio Races month, and that one's been on my tbr since @catja recced it for BBC summer reading, so I'd love to pick that one up. Other than that, I'd just like to get to everything I didn't get to this month! (In addition to my reread of Wuthering Heights for @bellasbookclub Brontë November, of course. I'd never miss Wutherin' Time.)

previous months:

july august september

[redheadgleek]

August books

​I finished a bunch of books that I had started some months ago and had put aside for one reason or another.

-The Will of the Many by James Islington. Excellent world building and an interesting magical premise. I didn’t understand the ending at all.

-Exit Strategy by Martha Wells (Murderbot #4), audiobook. Listened to this one on a trip to the beach. Ah, Murderbot and its feelings.

-Possession by A.S. Byatt. Took me over 2 months to read this one. There were parts I enjoyed and then other parts that were slogs. I didn’t really like either of the main couples.

-A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher. The Goose Girl is a favorite fairy tale and TK definitely increased the creepiness factor here. The horse will give me nightmares for weeks.

-The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. Lots of fun characters and twists.

-The Year Without Sunshine by Naomi Kritzer. A post on Tumblr recommended her short stories as dystopias with hope and community, well worth it to track them down.

-Compulsory by Martha Wells. Before going on to the next book in the series I tracked down some of the short stories in the verse. I like early Murderbot where it’s figuring out its morals.

-Home by Martha Wells. Another short story this one from Mensha’s perspective.

-The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by Victoria Schwab. I really loved this book and I loved the ending.

-Any Way the Wind Blows by Rainbow Rowell, audiobook. There were definitely flaws to this last book. The motivations of the villain character were never fully fleshed out and I really missed the Trio’s friendship.

-A Walk in the Wooda by Bill Bryson. I started reading A Short History About Nearly Everything which was great for a couple of chapters and then got boring. This was much funnier and more engaging, but holy hell fatphobia.

-A Darker Shade of Magic by Victoria Schwab. Again, excellent world building and fascinating magic world. There’s another two books in the aeries that I hope to read soon.

-Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May. I started reading this back in February while I was also reading Rest is Resistance and I just wasn’t feeling it. It resonated more now and I thought it was a lovely book about allowing yourself to experience the hard times.

Currently reading: The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkinson, Better Living Through Birding by Christian Cooper (audiobook), Network Effect (audiobook).

[ofthepyre]

I don't know if you agree with me, but I think Cersei's whole existence makes it hard to believe that Dany will have the same ending in the books and in the show.

GRRM used to call himself a feminist (he stopped because he was told that the term doesn't suit men). We know he's made mistakes in his writing of women, especially regarding sexualization and the dead ladies club, but I think we can agree that he's far ahead of many other male authors when it comes to creating multiple and different female characters with a lot of depth, exploring them in a toxic, patriarchal society and deconstructing a few stereotypes.

I can't, for the life of me, believe that a man like himself, who has the minimum understanding of misogyny and sexist tropes, would make his two main female rulers, both of them, tyrannical queens.

And it's not like we can say "Oh but GRRM maybe didn't realize, as he wrote Dany's fate, that his other main queen was also a Mad Queen and that it would look weird", because he literally said that one of the reasons he hesitated in splitting AFFC and ADWD was the fact that he wanted us to read Dany and Cersei at the same time, to "explore different approaches to how a woman would rule in a medieval world dominated by men".

Having both of these women, who will be the two POV characters that would spend the most time acting as rulers of a kingdom, both end up as villains and mass murderers will really be GRRM's message?

I might sound vain but I can't help but disagree.

hey, anon! you put it pretty perfectly and i agree.

i have a lot of Thoughts when it comes to GRRM's handling of his female characters and the misogynist elements in his writing (and this applies to Cersei' own arc as well; all the gross implications of a woman going mad and getting killed by a man potentially being framed as a heroic (or redeeming) act still exist even if said woman is a villain, you know).

that being said, Cersei is a villain. she's the one with the Aerys parallels, the one who has always been build around the "evil queen" fantasy trope. people who say Dany is going to be the Mad Queen of the story clearly didn't read their chapters. GRRM deliberately wrote them as foils with the intention of compare and contrast them as two women with power in a patriarchal society. it's a theme he set out to explore, he said so himself. he's not going to give them both the exact same arc. i would argue it's not even about how it would send a misogynist message; it's that it would be redundant and makes no sense narrativaly in any way, from any angle.

[changqwi]

i describe my female muses ( mostly ocs ) using 1-2 lines in the shittiest way possible to entice y’all to check them out and write with them  .  i refuse to cut . . . :) because i want everyone to see them  .

damarys -- misunderstood woman who’s a walking human experiment and is super duper really worried for her siblings

hyesung -- a club dj and online music artist with daddy issues  ;  is actually a runaway heiress  ,  hiding from her family  .

kozue -- a volleyball player with huge dreams  ,  wants to be the ace setter of japan and wants to be a setter for all the top ace spikers  .

reiko -- your local rent-a-girlfriend and someone who can bring your fantasy girl to life with the right amount of money  .

lumine -- unhinged traveler from a different world  ,  maybe even dimension  ,  wants to bring an entire continent to it’s knees and always ready to fight gods

colette -- a misfortune teller  ,  can tell you what misfortunes may come your way and will advise you on avoiding them  .  

rosalea -- a magical weaver and storyteller  ,  on the run from her captor  ,  can make magical tapestries that move  (  like an old style gif  )

althea -- a teacher hailing from a super prestigious family  ,  had her heart broken and is too ashamed to return home

renata -- a knightess with the ability to trade years of her life to change another person’s fate  ,  basically gives years of her life to someone else to stop them from dying early  .

caelia -- an artificial angel who was made to see if humans can make life with magic and science  ,  a former saintess who was made fun of by the divine

cordelia -- a matchmaker who can see the red string of fate  ,  cannot see her own because she wished to not have her heart broken again

lucinda -- a siren with the ability to heal people with her voice  ,  captive and trapped  ,  doesn’t know what the outside world really looks like  

arlette -- the forgotten middle child who decided to chase her own happiness and is now just traveling the world and having fun 

theodora -- a librarian and archivist with a thirst for knowledge  ,  does not tolerate people damaging her books

raelyn -- a perfumist in search of her loved ones  ,  lives on the edge of the forest much like a hermit and earns a living by making perfumes

nerissa -- a puppet to a family  ,  nothing she owns belongs to her and she’s to give up her entire life for her adoptive family’s ailing daughter

arwen -- princess turned mercenary  ,  trying to find the remaining people of her country so she can rebuild her home  

leonia -- an informant and witch that’s been cursed to forget everything constantly so requires a lot of notes to remind herself

meixiu -- a former mercenary turned farmer  ,  is probably a war criminal but doesn’t remember anything about that  

liqiu / lydia -- a junior lawyer working in a prestigious firm and working on a secret project called nxx with her childhood friend  ,  colleague  ,  a rich boy and psychologist

suyin -- a designer with psychometry . . . that’s it

youran -- a television producer who’s trying her best to make the best show  ,  has dormant abilities she has yet to fully discover

meiyin -- an artist who got isekai’d into a different world with people who looks like people she knows

asami -- a candidate for the aratani family  ,  a ruthless boss who will fuck people up just for using her sex as a reason for being incompetent

marlene -- ceo of a bodyguard firm  ,  single mother to one son who’s been trying his best to set his mom up with a new partner

jieun -- a camgirl with a lot of debt that had been left by her parents who ditched her with them  ,  is also a vtuber during the day

aeri -- the perfect secretary and single mother to ONE son  ,  moved away from her old home to avoid her son’s potential father  ,  is afraid of becoming like her mother

mulan -- a clone made in the likeness of the chinese legend  ,  hua mulan  .  meant to be created as a super soldier but as the prototype  ,  she’s falling apart  .

junko -- had been hailed as the FEMALE HOLMES but was quickly overshadowed by her friends that never cared for her  ;  was briefly a criminal mastermind

snezhana -- the cryo archon of snezhnaya,  a regent with a lot of love for her people and is often misunderstood

guizhong -- the goddess of dust  ,  an engineering nerd  ,  loves tea and being with her friends  

shizuka -- a shamaness in the jujutsu technical school and has a skill similar to inumaki but prefers using cursed techniques and tools over her innate ability

yuriko -- a shinigami that’s over 2100+ years old and has been around since the founding of seireitei  ,  hasn’t moved from her seat since she joined

lucie -- the archon of time who’s true name is forgotten  ,  has a twin  ,  her state is rapidly diminishing as she faces corruption

yura -- the saniwa to many touken danshi  ,  a historian and takes her job super seriously  ,  trying her best to get along with everyone

rosalyne -- la signora of the harbingers  ,  the crimson witch  ,  a woman who’s faced the scorn of the world

[ficthisficthat]

SVSSS WIPs

A) Instead of Wu Yanzi, SJ is taken under the wing of Aeris and her spiritual beast, Zack.

B) Book Club Ch 2: SQH tries to find the author of books that seem to predict the future. TLJ is there to help?

C) When Linguang-jun left Mobei-jun in the human realm, instead of being chased by Huan Hua Palace, he encounters a young LQG.

D) Love goddess LMY goes on a vacation with her fiancé and leaves her responsibilities to her War God brother. This causes more problems than expected.

E) Disciple Cass Ch 2: LQG tries not to start a fight with SJ. Neither LQG nor SJ project on LQG’s new disciple.

F) DN Angel Bingliushen fusion.

G) Damian Wayne wakes up as LBH.

H) LQG unknowingly ruining then becoming a part of MCS’s plans.

I) Bingliushen version of Disciple Cass. LQG takes another disciple after YYX: Sin

[stabbyfoxandrew]

Wolfsong is going to be the death of me, I swear! (Also the second book had better get here soon from the library I requested it from)

ahhh i hope you enjoy it and ravensong gets to you soon!!! i hate waiting for sequels TwT

[thesunwillshineonusagain757]

𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐎𝐍 𝐅𝐄𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒

This is the third part in the series, where I put my headcanons about Rhaegar Targaryen, and about his personality. This came as an idea from a post from @dragonstemper . So yeah let’s get this started…

𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬

Rhaegar has a unique perspective and vigorous intellect, often losing himself in his thoughts and own world inside his mind, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, hardly ever stops thinking. From the moment he wakes up, Rhaegar's mind buzzes with ideas, questions, and insights. At times, he may even find himself conducting full-fledged debates in his own head. Imaginative and curious, Rhaegar Targaryen can find endless fascination in the workings of his own mind. So sometimes on his own, with no interruptions, is what gives him the greatest feeling of happiness.

Any stress or daily worries shed from his mind, giving him an amount of time to focus on what he really cares about: deep, complex thoughts that he can analyse and synthesize into entirely new concepts, that brings Rhaegar a deep feeling of joy and fulfilment. Although Rhaegar can be quite content with just his ideas, books being the greatest catalyst in order to initiate it. Books about science, and philosophy or even how to cook the best omelet, or maybe even a romance book about Jenny of Oldstones. Either way, the book has to carry him away to a point, where the next fascinating thought comes into the next grand idea.

Rhaegar has a very reserved nature, so he likes to stay indoors , sitting in the library reading books and debating ideas. But he found that he also has a particular liking for going outside, it helps him to connect with the world and other people. It was easy for him to skip things and isolate himself, and not think about the surrounding people ( in particular his father and his tantrums and episodes of craziness ) . He found comfort in his loneliness, yet he found going outside especially with his children helped him feel better.

In his life he had lived with people who are very negative ( such as HIS FATHER ) so he also found that avoiding him the most was a blessing for his mental health and happiness, of course he could be honest and tell Aerys to stop being so negative or confronting him because he knew dire consequences would follow, so he just avoided his father all together.

New ideas, bring Rhaegar Joy. Some grand possibility opening up to him, paving a new path to truth and meaning. A spark of curiosity and he goes into his realm of familiarity, searching for conceptual precision, piqued by a word or thought, and when Rhaegar arrives at an answer and conclusion that makes sense to him, he places it gently in his framework of truth like a delicate feather dangling from a spider’s web, liable to be blown away at the slightest wind that his storm of new possibility. He is terribly happy to go on thought journeys, even with the people he loves . It gives him an overflowing feeling of pure joy.

Now happiness, to Rhaegar comes a lot from the feeling fulfilment, and a friend to share in the crazy in the way to go. Rhaegar doesn't consider himself crazy ( as you know cough cough you know who ) but he has very particular things he likes and thinks about, that to outsiders, and people that don't know about what he is talking can sound crazy, a whole lot of crazy. So sharing his thoughts and particular wondering points brings him a lot of fulfilment, he can go on and on for hours discussing and debating about his areas of interest.

The best-case scenario would be if it takes no effort , if he ever found someone who is already on the same page as he is. Someone with whom he can talk has the same wave level of loco as he does. Someone to listen to his thoughts and theories and discuss the ideas and discoveries and latest findings. Furthermore, someone to agree, validate and debate with him! But most importantly of all, listen without judgement and engage him without fear of social consequences.

But why? Simple, because all he wants it's an individual with mutual understanding that nothing in this life is even real, much less fathomable or truly tangible. Something to unites him and this individual or group of individuals in a way that means everything is up for discussion. This unity provides him with a sense of camaraderie, something Rhaegar forgets to acknowledge sometimes, that he needs this will bring him a spirit of true fulfilment.

Summarizing: A few hours alone with an interesting book. People might say no man is an island, but Rhaegar feels ' with himself' when he has a nice chunk of solitude and can stretch his intellectual muscles during that time without any interruptions from the outside world. And also some people with whom he can discuss those books. The man is not demanding, he just needs a book club.

𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓'𝐒 𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐑𝐇𝐀𝐄𝐆𝐀𝐑 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐒 𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄, 𝐁𝐔𝐓 𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐃𝐎𝐄𝐒 𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒 ?

Rhaegar is someone who struggles with showing kindness, he had his mother Rhaella as an example of warmth in his own way. She thought to him that love only grows by sharing, but she was also very sad, and grief stricken for good reasons, she lost a lot of babies and her husband was a psychopathic maniac, so yeah showing kindness wasn’t easy, so he didn’t have many good examples that stuck with him about being kind. Unkind, selfish, and inconsiderate were most of the things that Rhaegar learned from his father, and from most of the surrounding people, he was the prince, but he could see the shallowness of their actions. It was almost certain that he would turn out as fucked up as his father, but he didn’t.

Most people thought that for him to be kind, he needed to make kindness his most important way of doing things. But he came to be kind and helpful, but the thing is that he doesn’t see fit to be kind and show kindness to those who he isn’t sure deserve it. It also would be worth mentioning that Rhaegar has promised himself never to be, like his father, to never have that erratic behaviour, to not be envious, jealous, suspicious, and violent, to not be prone to furious outbursts. So kindness could be somewhat of a handicap. He can be prone to over-giving to the people closest to his heart, in things such as self-sacrifice, and other actions that might be deleterious to him and his health. He is a very mature person so poor value judgment doesn't often happen to say it even happens with Rhaegar, so he would never expose himself to ruthless individuals, but over giving to those who have his trust and love before thinking of his own health might happen.

Rhaegar will show his empathy and kindness, the fact that Rhaegar is very emotionally and intellectually deep makes his act to be very significant. So that's why he shows empathy when he concerns himself, and understands the feeling like your pain others feel, on a very deep level he might not show it much, but he feels intense emotion just not too outwardly. So in the same breath that Rhaegar will be very calm, he will be taking it all in, almost in a sombre sober way, but somehow he lets people know that he gets it, and he understands profoundly the essence of what the pain or uneasy feeling others around him experience.

The dragon prince shows his empathy with the soothing, feeling his understanding and sympathy bring the people he is close to. He is a shoulder to cry on. Even if Rhaegar in the situation in question remains calm while trying to understand the feelings from people around him. It's like he hits people with a tsunami of understanding, most of it is underwater and not displayed outwardly, but there is a tremendous depth, because he'll be there by the people he has closest to his heart, as he deals with their feelings and turmoil.

Summarizing: Rhaegar’s kindness is not given easily, and it’s not given to everyone, only to those close to his heart, but when given to an individual it comes as understanding. Understanding free of judgement, and helping to solve problems and turmoil, or soothing and comforting when the problem presents itself as pain, anything to make these people feel understood and valued .

𝐈𝐍 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐂𝐋𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍 :

Rhaegar's happiness comes from very reserved activities, his mind always races with thought so to relax he will read a book about space, magic, romance, and keep it to himself to recharge his energy. The dragon prince’s kindness comes from him trying to understand people around him, understanding their turmoil, problems, doubts, likes, dislikes, likes, he shows his empathy and kindness by understanding.

───── ⟨ 𝐑𝐓 ⟩ ─────

So what do you guys think of it @rhaelyas @dragonstemper @aerltarg @vivacissimx @imaginaryvane @valaenarhaegarovna @rhaegar-and-lyanna @rhaegarxlyanna @lorelei-4 @rhaelyanna @intheairwewilllookmonstrous

[bunkershotgolf]

AUBERGE RESORTS COLLECTION WELCOMES PRIMLAND, HOME OF THE ACCLAIMED HIGHLAND COURSE, TO ITS PORTFOLIO

The scenic Blue Ridge Mountains resort welcomes golfers, families, friends and couples looking for a one-of-a-kind retreat in the great outdoors

Auberge Resorts Collection is delighted to announce that it will welcome Primland, a majestic all-season mountain retreat in Virginia, to Auberge’s portfolio of award-winning hotels, resorts and residences as of June 1. Located at the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains on 12,000 expansive acres, Primland, Auberge Resorts Collection offers luxurious accommodations, a championship golf course, exquisite farm-to-table cuisine helmed by new Executive Chef Elliot Cunniff from Soho House in New York City, a serene spa and a level of outdoor adventure that is unrivaled on the east coast. In one of the most breathtaking mountain settings, the resort boasts impressive year-round activities for the entire family, including golf, horseback riding, fly fishing, alfresco yoga and meditation, kayaking, hiking, sporting clays, archery, stargazing in one of the largest observatories in the Eastern U.S., RTV trail riding and tennis. With Auberge Resorts Collection’s highly personalized service, Primland will be the quintessential escape this Summer.

“We are incredibly honored that the Primat family has chosen Auberge to be the stewards of Primland, one of the most spectacular resorts in the country,” said Dan Friedkin, owner and chairman, Auberge Resorts Collection. “It is an absolute privilege to bring our brand to this unparalleled experience in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.”

Primland, Auberge Resorts Collection was initially purchased by late French industrialist, Mr. Didier Primat, in 1977 as an outdoor activity retreat for his family. In the early 2000s, Mr. Primat decided to expand the land’s capabilities and construct the resort and golf course in an eco-conscious and thoughtful manner. Primland, Auberge Resorts Collection is rooted in a love of the land, which is expressed in the resort’s extensive efforts to minimize the impact on nature while enjoying its beauty.

“Auberge Resorts Collection has mastered a crafted approach to unique and personal service,” said Harold Primat, president of Primland. “We are excited to partner with the award-winning brand to realize our family’s vision to create one of the top-end mountain resorts in the U.S. and share the Primland experience with guests from around the world.”

Primland, Auberge Resorts Collection features 62 rooms, including standalone cottages, cabins and treehouses. At the center of the property—which was recently voted "Best Resort in the U.S. South,” in Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards 2020—sits the Lodge, featuring a soaring great hall with twin fireplaces, a full-service spa, fitness center, indoor swimming pool, private theatre, game room and one of the largest telescopes and observatories in the Eastern U.S. The resort’s exceptional culinary program boasts three regional cuisine restaurants, a two-story wine cellar and private dining experiences for intimate gatherings and celebrations.

One-of-a-Kind Accommodations

Accommodations boast beautiful mountain settings with amenities such as in-room fireplaces, private balconies with undisturbed views and deep soaking tubs. The main Lodge features nine Mountain Rooms and sixteen Blue Ridge Suites. The Lodge’s most exclusive suite is the Pinnacle Suite, a two-story 1,800-square-foot glass-walled aerie located in the observatory tower, providing stunning views of the stars and vistas.

Across the property are several styles of standalone accommodations. The chalet-like Pinnacle Cottages and golf course Fairway Cottages each contain separate wings with rooms and suites that can be booked individually or groups can lodge together by opening up the common living room. The resort also features 11 spacious Mountain Homes containing between one and seven bedrooms.

Just a short drive from the Lodge, three Tree Houses are perched on the edge of the mountains, offering an experience that nods to Primat’s love of nature and the region. These intimate cabins are set in the strong limbs of the property’s oldest and most beautiful oak trees, giving way to treetop views of the majestic Kibler Valley and North Carolina piedmont from a vast private deck. While conjuring childhood memories, each of the Tree Houses is unique, taking on its own personality through bespoke decor.

Farm-to-Table Blue Ridge Mountain Cuisine

Primland, Auberge Resorts Collection’s exceptional culinary destinations and programming are overseen by Executive Chef Elliot Cunniff, who joined the resort in Spring 2021. Chef Cunniff comes to the resort from New York City, where he got his start working under Daniel Boulud before moving up the ranks to, most recently, executive chef at Soho House New York. Chef Cunniff brings a wealth of creativity to all of the resort’s exceptional restaurants, including the signature restaurant, Elements, a harmony of the Virginia Highlands’ natural abundance and Southern comfort flavors, beautifully presented in a fine dining atmosphere. The property’s more relaxed eatery, 19th Pub, serves casual, hearty pub fare alongside a bar well-stocked with draught beers, single malts and spirits, as well as moonshine cocktails, which harken back to the region’s rich bootlegging history. The Woodland Grill is located at the Outdoor Activities Center for easy grab-and-go sandwiches between adventures. Schlumberger Wine Cellar, located in The Lodge and perfect for private events, features varietals from the world’s finest vineyards, including the resort’s sister property, Domaines Schlumberger, in France’s Alsace region. Set on its own ridge top is Stables Saloon - located in Primland’s former horse stables - where traditional Southern food and live bluegrass music come together for a rustic and convivial dining experience.

Adventure and Wellness

Primland, Auberge Resorts Collection centers around its vast acreage and outdoor activities, just as Mr. Primat intended when he purchased the property as an outdoor retreat. One of the most beloved experiences of The Lodge is deep space star gazing through the professional-grade telescopes at the Observatory. The Outdoor Activities Center offers fly fishing, horseback riding, hiking, biking, archery, RTV trail riding, sporting clays and water sports on the 3-mile long Talbott Lake. For golf enthusiasts of all skill levels, the Highland Course at Primland is an 18-hole, Audubon-certified, all bentgrass greens course carved from the mountains’ natural landscape by renowned golf course architect Donald Steel.

After a day of adventure, The Spa at Primland offers rejuvenating and energizing treatments that combine Native American healing rituals and European spa techniques.

A Destination Worth Exploring

While guests may find everything they need and more on the property, Primland, Auberge Resorts Collection is surrounded by enchanting mountain attractions and numerous local towns that are well worth exploring. From the quaint shops of Meadows of Dan to the historic Mabry Mill, Fairy Stone State Park, Blue Ridge Parkway, local wineries and an abundance of bluegrass and country music festivals, there is so much to see and do on a day trip outside the gates of the resort.

“Each of our properties is unique and captures the soul of the destination, and Primland encompasses the best that the Blue Ridge Mountain region has to offer. It is a natural fit for Auberge Resorts Collection,” said Craig Reid, president and chief executive officer, Auberge Resorts Collection, “We look forward to welcoming our guests to this extraordinary destination.”

Primland, Auberge Resorts Collection is conveniently located two hours from Charlotte, five hours from Washington D.C, and just 90 minutes from two regional airports, Piedmont Triad (PTI) in Greensboro and Roanoke Regional. The resort’s partnership with NetJets provides guests with special benefits when flying privately through two nearby airports, Blue Ridge and Mt. Airy-Surry County, only 45 minutes away. The property also features a helipad located at the North Gate.

Primland, Auberge Resorts Collection is now accepting reservations. For more information, please visit aubergeresorts.com/primland.

About Primland, Auberge Resorts Collection

Primland, Auberge Resorts Collection resonates with people who immerse themselves in luxurious elegance whenever possible. Value Mother Nature’s masterworks. Celebrate the scintillating moments when fish take the bait. Cherish the soothing serenity of golden mountain sunsets. Rush with adrenalin while traversing RTV trails. Feel child-like wonder while stargazing through a professional-grade telescope. Embrace treehouse lodging perches with panoramic views. Relish playing an award-winning trophy golf course. Rejuvenate through caressing spa treatments. And covet organic ingredients served tastefully in farm-to-table culinary dishes.

For more information, please visit aubergeresorts.com/primland/

Connect with Primland, Auberge Resorts Collection on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About Auberge Resorts Collection

Auberge Resorts Collection is a portfolio of extraordinary hotels, resorts, residences and private clubs. While each property is unique, all share a crafted approach to luxury and bring the soul of the locale to life through captivating design, exceptional cuisine, innovative spas and gracious yet unobtrusive service. With 19 hotels and resorts across three continents and eight new hotels under development, Auberge invites guests to create unforgettable stories in some of the world’s most desirable destinations.

For more information: aubergeresorts.com

Connect with Auberge Resorts Collection on Facebook Twitter and Instagram @AubergeResorts and #AlwaysAuberge

About The Friedkin Group

The Friedkin Group is a privately-held consortium of automotive, hospitality, entertainment, sports and adventure companies. These organizations include: Gulf States Toyota, GSFSGroup, US AutoLogistics, Ascent Automotive Group, Auberge Resorts Collection, AS Roma, Imperative Entertainment, 30WEST, NEON, Diamond Creek Golf Club, Congaree and Legendary Expeditions. The Friedkin Group is led by Chairman and CEO Dan Friedkin. For more information, visit www.friedkin.com.

[brandwhorestarscream]

Starscream definitely ends up joining the book club! It's only mildly motivated by jealousy, but mostly, if this bonding goes through, Megatron will definitely be safe. He hopes. He might prefer non-fiction over fiction, if he's still interested in science, but this is a simple task. Perhaps he even ends up enjoying it!

The future appears bright, at least for the moment. The bonding appears to be back on track. But there are probably still some elements quite upset about the whole situation. Like, are Starscream's parents more accepting now? Or are they still angry?

I mean, his parents were never angry, exactly, more just very concerned and desperately trying to do damage control. They've managed to salvage the situation with Skywarp and Thundercracker--the latter was won over after Starscream took Megatron's advice and started actively taking an interest in his books and recommending titles he thought the other might like. But they've still got a lot to do.

For example 🤭 there's probably still a great rift in Starscream's family regarding his new concubine. Remember the og post, how some were calling for him to be disowned by the aerie? Part of that was disgust from him interacting intimately with a grounder, but, consider: other parts of the Winglord's family scheming to snipe the throne for themselves. They already have plenty of power still being royalty, but as of now only Starscream is eligible for the throne as the firstborn to the reigning monarch.

So! Someone within the aerie is scheming to use Megatron to get Starscream removed as the heir, perhaps through threat to the sparklings' lives or making his concubine make some critical error in a social situation 🤔

[vanimeldes]

can you elaborate a bit what made you divorce from asoiaf/got as you say?

Ooof, so, after the G0T finale, I think my reasons should be obvious, but you also mentioned the books and yes, I lost my interest in books too and I will try to not make this answer too long, but in the same time, to convey all my thoughts on this matter.

*Putting it below cut because.... when I`ll explain the problem of Martin`s fans later, you`ll understand why*

It`s amazing that just a year ago, AS0IAF was my second favourite franchise ever, second only to Tolkien legendarium, but even then, I didn`t love it for the fantasy elements in it, but rather for its characters and some twists and how Martin does forshadowing and writes the dualistic nature of the human being, but...as I read other fantasy series that do these four things AND have fantasy elements, I paused a bit and thought that these series would be just as popular, if they had popular adaptations such as G0T. But I got that AS0IAF was the first that had the opportunity to be adapted and I accepted that. Yet the show highlighted (and in some cases, amplified) some of the very big issues of these books and yes, D&D have many things to be blamed of, but it`s not as if they didn`t have a basis for their fuckery in the books. Martin is just as guilty. So here we go.

1. I am not sure if Martin has ever seen a 13 year old girl, but he writes grown-ass men having fixations and being sexually attracted by Daenerys and Sansa, two prepubescent girl. Martin would call it the gritty realism of the medieval times, but last time I checked, he was writing fantasy, not historical fiction. Fantasy means you can do what you want in your world, so even if you are inspired by the medieval times, it`s still YOUR fictional world and no one will question your research or accuracy if you want to have a female character married when she is at least, say, 18, not FUCKING 13. Not to mention that even in our real world, child brides existed but, guess what, in most the cases, both spouses waited until the wife reached a certain age (16 or older) to consummate their marriage. @eyes-painted-with-kohl explained in the notes of one of my posts and even gave an example or two. I can think of Isabella of France and Edward II. They were married when she was 13 (according to some historical evidence)/16 (according to others). Yes, I know he was homosexual, but he still needed heirs, so they still had children...4 years later, when she was 17/20.  

2. In this same vein, the treatment of his female characters (with the exception of Arya and, maybe Catelyn) is egregious. Daenerys and Sansa are sexualized by the male characters (don`t get me started of the bullshit that is S/ansan, because The Hound is still a murderous man who is aroused by a 12 year-old girl, who invaded her personal space and even pointed a knife to her; do not get me started on book!Jorah, who is a creep). Cersei is paraded naked on the streets and needless to say that during the walk of atonement for an adulterous woman in medieval times, she was never stripped naked; she only had her hair shaved and walked BAREFOOT. That`s it. What Martin did to Cersei is just disgusting. We are shown how Arianne uses sex to have Ser Arys help with her plans and it is implied that Margaery uses sex also. I get that sex is Cersei`s mechanism, but you have two more feminine (this is important) women in power and both of them explicitly use, or are implied to use sex as a mean to gain that power. I get Brienne`s point, her treatment bothers me the least, but it`s annoying from time to time how most of the other characters see only her ”ugliness” and nothing else. Of course, this is the result of the heavy patriarchy in Westeros world that I will discuss in the next paragraph.

3. The heavy patriarchy in Westeros world is nowhere similar to the patriarchy in the medieval times, and that was Martin`s choice and his only. A clear example is what was dubbed the Dead Ladies Club, namely a group of dead female characters whose only purpose was to serve as object of desire for one or more men, to give birth AND to die (gruesomely in some cases). Joanna Lannister is meant only to further fuel the enmity between Tywin and Aerys and Tywin`s hatred towards Tyrion. Elia exists solely to die gruesomely and motivate Doran`s desire for vengeance. Lyanna (the most explored dead lady still exists mainly to give birth to Jon and to be one of the reasons behind a war started by men. Rhaella exists solely to be raped by Aerys and give birth and die. Ashara Dayne exists solely to commit suicide. Ned, a POV character, spends chapters thinking about his father and siblings and never to his mother. Martin had the audacity to say that Tolkien himself didn`t left notes about Aragorn`s mother, but Tolkien had an entire story when Aragorn`s mother and her impact of his life is explored (more than his father, for that matter). The heavy patriarchy serves as reason for the utterly disgusting right of the first night (read Fire & Blood for more). I am not so versed into history as @mydaylightruyi who discussed this, but I too know that in our real world, this practice was a MYTH. But GRRM made it very present in his world because of reasons I guess. 

4. The racism is just rampant and disgusting and even I didn`t notice all the racism until I read @polysorscha `s insights. There`s a to be discussed here, mainly about the portrayal of the Dothraki and how they are reduced to barbaric rapists - interestingly, they are supposedly inspired by Huns, but guess what: the Huns formed a very permisive society, where any religion and culture had its places, where women were very respected and, while cruel  in the European people`s POV, were never....like THIS. 

5. The rape cultures. The Ironborn. Similarly to the Dothraki, their culture is reduced to pillaging and rape. That scene when Euron conquers that castle in the Reach ( I forgot its name) and how he had the daughters of that lord stripped naked and serve his men the meal, and how his men started raping them was....honestly, I wish I could have skipped this chapter. I still read fantasy books written by men more than I read fantasy books written by women, but never in my life did it occur to me to read something like this in a novel that is so hailed for fantasy (?) and realism (???????). I`m not saying that things like that didn`t happen in our cruel history but, again, Martin writes a fictional story. He could choose not to include the rampant violence against women, cultures whose practices are reduced to this utterly gross things, racist and orientalist elements, but he chooses not to. Why? I don`t know. I am not sure I want to know. And Victarion`s POV...oh boy. Or Theon, in ACOK, when he literally rapes that Kyra girl after takes Winterfell. Not only that it`s very disturbing, especially coming from a character that is supposed to be redeemed in some way (yes, I know how he`s been through in ADWD and I also know this is meant to be his redemption arc, but I personally still can`t get over this). And in the same time, while we`re still at the redemption discussion, Theon will surely undergo a redemption of some sorts, Cersei (a female character) will most likely be killed by her lover/brother, who will strangle her to death, most likely while he will embrace her, without a second chance of a droplet of redemption. 

6. I love Tyrion and I love Tywin but in the same time, I acknowledge their misogyny, but Martin chose to write them as misogynists, but in the same time, writing them in such ways that they are inherently labelled as „badass”. He also says that Tyrion is his favourite, but his POV is utterly misogynistic. The reason he kills Shae is because she dared to sleep with his father, but let`s unpack the things a bit: she was a former sex worker with no power, who was forced by the most powerful man in Westeros. She had no choice. She couldn`t refuse him. Yet, for Tyrion, she is ”the lying whore” and that`s it. We are given no chance to try to see the things from her POV (I am not implying that she should have been a POV character, but Martin should have written Tyrion considering for a moment what other choices Shae had). 

7. I discovered that Martin straightly ripped-off many plot points and themes from another series who isn`t half as popular, sadly. 

8. Last, but not the least, the snake pit that is THE FANDOM. You know, as much as I tried to stay away from its toxicity because „it`s just an internet thing, it can`t affect me”, it did affect my online experience in ways that I hadn`t imagined. To sum up, if you don`t like a character or hate another, you are  a pariah. You are dumb because you don`t understand that character or you are a misogynist (because, sadly, this discourse is mostly about the female characters). If you dare to voice up your thoughts about a certain event and/or a certain character and tag your post as #asoiaf or #asoiaf meta (you know, because this is it to me: a meta; plus, I want to have an ordering system in my blog so that whenever I want to look for a certain post in a certain topic or fandom, I would only look into the tag) or #my meta (highlighted „MY” because this is also important, as in it`s MY OWN PERSONAL OPINION), and those thoughts happen to not fit into the general consensus of the „great AS0IAF bloggers” (namely those meta writers with many followers who sound like they already read TWOW and ADOS), you are trashed and called an idiot. Granted, I met enough great people, meta writers included, in this fandom, and it was a real pleasure to chat with them, but I also had bad experiences with others and idk, I thought we were all mature people, but the way they reacted can hardly be described as mature. And in the same point, it`s just funny to see the hardcore Martin stans reacting in front of the clear evidence that Martin isn`t half as original as they thought (see 7) and acting like they are personally attacked.

Ok, it took me an hour. There is a lot more to discussed, but I got bored and I honestly want to shut the door to this fandom forever. To answer another question, yes, I will be reading the last two books  if when they will come out. I invested many months in this series not to finish it. I`ll probably block all the ASOIAF-related tags to avoid any interaction with its fandom during those times.

[thecloserkin]

fic rec: there Minos stands, hideous and growling, examining the sins of each newcomer by houselannister

fandom: A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones

pairing: Cersei Lannister/Jaime Lannister

word count: 6k

Is it canon: yes

Is it explicit: yes

Is it endgame: yes

Is it shippable: yes

Bottom line: choo choo all aboard the pain train to Valonqar City

Cersei Lannister was born to be a Hollywood icon. Film is the family business, but there has never been any doubt which is the goose that lays the golden egg:

The woman is the money. Not Tywin Lannister, safe behind his big mahogany desk. Not Jaime Lannister, safe behind his heavy camera. Not Tyrion Lannister, safely hidden behind his books and papers and pretty words.

Can you imagine Cersei’s sheer star power? The sun is setting on the golden age of Hollywood, and here stands Cersei in all her raw uncompromising glory. The thing I love about this line, The woman is the money, is how it DIRECTLY contradicts this assessment of her from Littlefinger in canon:

“Her strength rests on her beauty, birth, and riches. Only the first of those is truly her own, and it will soon desert her.” (Sansa VI, ASOS)

Obviously we all stan Cersei Lannister as a character, but as far as her actual social position in Westeros? Littlefinger ain’t wrong. She has no independent source of power; the only way for her to wield power is through men. Now if there is one thing we learned from #MeToo it’s that people in front of the camera have a whole lot less power than the people behind the camera, and the people in C-suites wield more power still—nonetheless I think it’s clear that Cersei has a lot more leverage with Tywin & Lannister Studios than most workers do with their employers. It’s like how Taylor Swift can demand the rights to her backlist, or pull all her songs from Spotify—moves that artists with 1/100 of her cachet could never dream of pulling off. I just love that Cersei is the one breaking box office records, Cersei is the source of the family’s wealth and prestige. Without her Tywin’s whole business would be worthless.

We all know what happens to these kinds of stars, they go supernova and they fade fast. A downward spiral of drugs and alcohol. Cersei’s is triggered by the casting of Margaery Tyrell as Cleopatra in a new production—because brunettes are in vogue? Because Tywin owes Mace a favor? Doesn’t matter, Cersei flips the fuck out. But here unlike in canon her paranoia is not entirely unjustified; it’s not even misplaced. There really is a dearth of roles in Hollywood for women over a certain age. Cersei to Jaime upon hearing about the Cleopatra casting decision: I WANT THAT TWINK OBLITERATED.

The fic is Jaime POV (other than the prologue, which does that omniscient-Victorian-narrator trick of setting the mood and does it gloriously) and the main thing to understand about Jaime the Academy-Award-winning filmmaker is that his skillset puts him firmly under his father’s thumb. There’s no option to join Aerys’s Kingsguard. Lannister Studios is the only game in town. There is no out for Jaime at all.

Cersei doesn’t like Tyrion, and Tyrion certainly doesn’t like Cersei, and there he is, between a rock and a hard place. The words are on the tip of his tongue, I just need her to be me again

THERE HE IS BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE aka my boy Jaime the only member of House Lannister who loves all the other members of House Lannister?? Oof. I JUST NEED HER TO BE ME AGAIN??? Double oof. Tyrion appears for like 5 seconds but this fic fucking nailed the Jaime-Tyrion dynamic, which is so underrated & important. Tyrion appears mainly in order to deliver the iconic “she's been fucking Lancel and Osmund Kettleblack and probably Moon Boy for all I know” line, and the revelation plays on loop in Jaime’s brain for the next however many days:

He doesn’t want Cersei, not tonight. She’s been fucking Osney Kettleblack. However, he wants no one but her for the rest of his life, and therein lies his problem.

Love is not a victory march and nobody messes with Jaime’s head the way Cersei does.

If he doesn’t see her ever again, he will be able to remember her golden, bathing in the pale moonlight. She will be a marble statue in the temple of his mind, an idol for prayer. She will be bright and beautiful and untainted.

Well GOODBYE WORLD. I love how this fic exploits the gap between who we are and who we try to be, between aspiration and effect, intention and performance. Jaime and Cersei are after all artists employed in an industry whose job is to make art and yet. Jaime suffers from the worst case of imposter syndrome I’ve ever seen, he’s literally walking around with an armful of Oscars and he’s like is any of this real?? Am I actually any good at my job??

Ok so when @azdaema recc’d me this fic using her very own proprietary Lannicest Taxonomy (“do you want ‘morning all golden and hopeful’ or ‘sunset all crimson and bloody’?”) I asked for the latter. And the tags for this fic literally read #VALONQAR UP IN DIS CLUB so I was duly warned. But I saved it to read later and I have a memory like a sieve and so when this happened I was genuinely wrecked:

In depriving her of oxygen, he feels, perversely, as if he’s claiming the very air for his own. He feels the life, her life, in him, because it’s his, his, and she never should have given it to anyone else.

i’m totally fine nobody touch me

[imasexyfraud]

Book!Varys: an enigmatic character who among other things whispered in King Aerys' ear and contributed to make him even more paranoid, told him Rhaegar wanted to usurp his throne, used mutilated orphans as spies, helped multiple times to destabilize the realm and was willing to let thousands die to accomplish his goal, which seems to be more than just finding a good ruler for the people as he constantly claims

Ser Barristan once told me the rot in King Aerys's reign began with Varys. The eunuch should never have been pardoned.

—Stannis Baratheon to Davos Seaworth

Show!Varys: A sorta good guy who is shady but in reality has no ulterior motives, he apparently really "cared" about the smallfolk. When the showrunners didn't know what to do with him he became a walking subtitle that was supposed to tell the audience about the mAd QuEeN and how this guy he just met was a better option. He also did most of the stuff book!Varys did, and thousands died for it, including innocents, except he had no clear objective here, after season 4 everything is kind of improvised, so he's either stupid or a hypocrite... who is also stupid, but whatever 🙄 Oh, he's also an excuse to tell dick jokes

I thought the crossbow fitting. You shared so much with Lord Tywin, why not that? Your niece will think the Tyrells had you murdered, mayhaps with the connivance of the Imp. The Tyrells will suspect her. Someone somewhere will find a way to blame the Dornishmen. Doubt, division, and mistrust will eat the very ground beneath your boy king, whilst Aegon raises his banner above Storm’s End and the lords of the realm gather round him.

—Varys to Kevan Lannister

Varys is yet another member of the "they butchered my boy" club. If you haven't read the books and were disappointed with how unidimensional Varys turned out to be in the show please watch this video