#aka...the other dragon riders!

[griseldabanks]

Setting down his goblet of water and picking up his sword again, Shard called, “Come on, Shynael. Let's go home.”

Shynael looked up from where he'd been playfully sneaking up on a crow that had flown into the sparring arena and started preening itself. When Shynael stretched luxuriously and trotted over to meet Shard halfway, the crow let out a hoarse croak and flapped away. They were the only ones left in the sparring arena; Glaive and Gyvael had left as soon as the lesson was over, but Shard needed to catch his breath, so they'd hung back.

As Shard buckled his sword around his waist again and swung himself up onto Shynael's back, he finally realized the word he'd used. Home. He actually thought of the Ambassadors' headquarters as home.

Holding onto one of Shynael's spikes with both hands and squeezing his neck with his knees as Vannasai had been teaching him, Shard braced himself for the breathtaking leap into the air. Shynael's huge wings beat the air, putting the crow's black wings to shame as he leapt into the air and broke through the branches of trees creating a canopy over the arena.

Shynael leveled off once he'd crested the tops of the trees. The whizz-whoosh of his wings and the howl of wind in Shard's ears was loud enough to make it difficult to carry on a conversation, but neither of them minded the silence after another long, exhausting day.

As the the tallest tree in the forest drew closer and closer, Shard wondered when exactly this place had begun to feel like home. He'd lived his whole life in the same small village, only occasionally making the trip to the next town over with a farmer's family so he could pick up paper and ink for Father Mark. That had been the only home he'd known, and he'd never stopped to wonder what it would be like to leave it, because he'd assumed he would live out the rest of his days in the same chapel where he'd grown up, and then be buried in the graveyard behind it.

But then Shynael had changed all of that, and he was thrown out into the world. He'd wondered if he would ever feel like he belonged again.

Shynael dove through the branches of the tree that housed the Ambassador headquarters with the familiarity of someone who flew this route every day. Green leaves brushed against them on all sides, not even a twig snapping at Shynael's passing. In moments, the stone amphitheater-like structure they called home came into sight, nestled amongst the enormous branches of the great tree. Shynael landed lightly in the center of the courtyard at the bottom, well away from the long wooden tables off to one side where they took their meals.

Glaive emerged from the cave-liked opening that led to the baths, raising a hand in greeting as he made his way to his room. Shard waved back. A bath sounded good. Soaking away the aches and pains of the day....

But he stayed on Shynael's back as his dragon hopped up two tiers of the bowl-like structure, till they reached their room on the top level. These rooms were smaller, more fitting for a dragon of his size. Shard slid down to the ground when they reached the cave-like doorway, and they walked in together.

Perhaps if he hadn't been thinking about home, he wouldn't have noticed the way his shoulders instantly relaxed as soon as he set foot in their room. The bedchamber that had once seemed so vast and cavernous, with its wardrobe full of rich clothes and its enormous four-poster bed with a quilted green bedspread, now felt as cozy and familiar as the little room at the back of the chapel he used to share with Father Mark.

Unfastening the pieces of his armor and setting them down on the trunk at the foot of his bed, Shard glanced across at Shynael, who delicately pinched a log of wood between his foreclaws and set it in the fireplace, before blowing a narrow stream of fire onto it, until the wood caught the blaze. Ever since he'd gotten the knack of breathing fire, it was his favorite task.

Shynael looked over his shoulder at him. “What?”

Realizing he'd been staring, Shard quickly bent to unfasten his greaves instead. “Nothing, just...you wouldn't be doing this if not for me.”

“What, making a fire?” Shynael snorted, sitting on his haunches and curling his tail around his feet. “'Course not! You wouldn't either, if you had fire in your veins like us dragons.”

“Yes, but I mean....” Shard dropped his greaves on top of the pile of his armor, frowning as he tried to put his thoughts into words. “Neither of us would be here without the other, would we? Living here. Calling this place our home. I'd be back in the village...you'd be with your mother somewhere....”

Shynael cocked his head to one side. “Sometimes I wonder where she was from. It would be nice to at least be able to visit, you know?”

A cold finger seemed to slide down his spine. “If we found out where that was...would you want to live there instead?”

Would it even work for a human to live somewhere in the dragon kingdom other than this small no-man's land carved out for the Ambassadors? Shard knew no human town would put up with a dragon living in their midst, and he had to assume it would be the same for dragons.

“No,” Shynael said thoughtfully. “I like it here. You know when we had that audience with the Dragon King? Everybody was looking at us strange—even at us dragons. I guess we don't really act like most dragons, carrying humans on our backs and living with you and everything. But nobody looks at us strange here, because everybody's like us. This is where we belong.”

A slow smile found its way onto Shard's face. “Yes...I think you're right.”

The Chesterton Challenge: Day 25

Welcome to Day 25 of the Chesterton Challenge! If you haven’t already, make sure to check out the creations linked in the notes of yesterday’s post.

Today’s Optional Prompt is: Home

Chesterton's work is full of appreciation for the comforts of home, and he advocated for the virtues of caring for home and appreciating the land you come from. You can create something based on the general concept of home, be inspired by something from your home, or just plain create something while at home. Interpret the prompt however you'd like!

Whatever you create, make sure to show us or tell us about it by reblogging or replying to this post. (Don’t forget: anyone is allowed to join in the fun at any point during the Challenge.)

Now go forth and create!

[throwawayasoiafaccount]

I love that one of the roles fire plays in this series is to represent how all consuming desire can be, and how it’s framed as something that can be world ending when uncontrolled.

So naming unnatural, untamable green fire ‘wildfire’ is therefore a stroke of genius. It’s the representation of how we humans manufacture our own doom in the pursuit power, of how uncontrolled desire will eventually blow up in our faces.

And the fact that barrels and barrels of it sit fermenting under Kings Landing, Westeros’s breeding ground of maniac desire, and the capital the ambitious and corrupt flock to for what it promises? It’s perfection!

[raineyraven]

canon tidbits i think people who've only seen the httyd movies should know that are confirmed in the shows:

tuffnut and snotlout are canonically talented seamsters

we see the prototype versions of hiccup's flaming sword and the flightsuit in race to the edge

hiccstrid's first kiss is in rtte and its perfect

VIGGO GRIMBORN aka the best httyd villain and the "hiccup's evil mirror" concept actually done right

there are multiple societies dedicated to protecting dragons other than berk

snotlout's assholish disposition is a consequence of his deeply held insecurities that if he can't be the best he's the worst, which is encouraged by his father

the other riders (namely snoutlout) have used the ship name hiccstrid to refer to hiccup and astrid

hiccup redeems so many villains in the shows (alvin, dagur, viggo - one of them later performing a heroic sacrifice to save him) that it's completely unsurprising he thought he could change drago's mind

hiccup punched snotlout in the face and knocked him out cold

the shows let the twins be smarter, snotlout be more thoughtful, and astrid more deranged

snotlout's middle name is gary

[missglaskin]

Yandere Aegon's Conquest (platonic) headcanons

AKA Aegon, Visenya and Rhaenys as your yan!parents + Aenys and Maegor as your yan!Brothers

Characters: Aegon the conqueror, Visenya Targaryen, Rhaenys Targaryen, Maegor & Aenys Targaryen, Orys Baratheon

Note: Adopted and female!reader, toxic relationships, some interpreted romance/incest, Fire and Blood spoilers

You may have joined the Targaryen family through any of them. Brought to King's Landing as an offer, a hostage from Dorne. Whatever the reason was, you have now become the obsession of three dragon riders.

Naturally, there was some opposition at first. It's enough to keep a whole kingdom together; with lords either bending the knee willingly or by force, having the faith tolerate their marriages, and now they bring a child into the fold who didn't seem to bear much resemblance.

Yet despite widespread opposition, there was utter silence when it became evident what would happen if someone were to comment on your legitimacy. It's frightening to face Aegon's wrath, but he and his sisters combined; downright terrifying. 

They tended to differentiate when it came to ways of parenting. You would have likely been overindulged if it weren't for Visenya, who adopted a stricter role in place of Rhaenys and Aegon. On the other hand, it's Aegon who adopts the role of the meditator, keeping the peace whenever his wives come to disputes.

Orys is the only one Aegon truly trusts along with his sisters and despite Rhaenys and Visenya sharing Aegon's trust, they're not exactly thrilled about sharing you with anyone else. It’s noticed how quickly Orys steps into the role of an uncle, adding more fuel to the gossip (being Aegon’s brother). Like everyone else, he's just as protective and is more than willing to personally handle anyone who dares to cross you. But also similar to Aegon, beyond being protective, he's pretty laid-back. During your younger years, he'd times have you seated on his lap or playfully throw you up in the air.

As mentioned, Visenya is fiercely protective and sometimes may come off as a bit harsh, but her intentions are solely for your well-being. Her kingsguards are not only ordered to protect the king but are specifically trained to protect their little princess. She’s involved in your education, ensuring that you embrace your ‘Valyrian’ heritage. 

Each day she’ll have you rehearse your words, recount the history of your family house, and fulfill all your supposed duties. It’s Aegon and Rhaenys who urge Visenya to give you a break from time to time (not just because they want to spend time with you). Visenya also insists on training you despite her brother and sister’s wishes. Rhaenys thinks your gentle hands shouldn’t touch a blade with Aegon claiming you’re protected enough.

While they might disagree on many things, both Aegon and Rhaenys agree with Visenya's idea of giving you your own dragon egg. Given as a gift on your nameday. And even if the dragon hatches and you may never ride it, they are sure to let it recognize you as their owner; to let it be yours and yours only. Besides it’s further proof to the rest of the kingdom that you’re indeed one of them.

Like Visenya, Rhaenys is very much involved in your life and rarely lets you out of her sighs. She’s much smothering and the most affectionate out of her siblings, known to watch you with great fondness and expect to be praised for even the smallest accomplishments.

Rhaenys takes charge of your wardrobe, dressing you in the colors of House Targaryen and embellishing you with all sorts of jewelry. The many songs she has ensured to be dedicated, praising your elegance and beauty that they are believed to have passed down generations.

That’s not to say Aegon isn’t involved, he is but tends to be overshadowed by his sisters; finding himself stuck in the middle of their disagreements. Despite this, he makes his stance known and will use all types of excuses to steal you away. Aegon goes as far as making you his cupbearer, though while the council members are hesitant to take you away from the king's side. Only Orys dares to have you come and fill his cup.

They often find themselves in childish arguments on who you should ride with. Aegon occasionally claims victory, it helps Baelrion is the largest. In fact, whenever any of the siblings go for a flight, they are likely to bring you along. During their shared flights, they would showcase all sorts of tricks like getting close to the water or letting their dragons spit fire in the open air just to witness the excited look on your face.

Aegon spoils you (rotten) and is ready to fulfill almost all your whims and desires. While he’ll gladly gift you with jewelry and gowns like Rhaenys, Aegon is more inclined to make grand gestures like contracting statues and naming things in your honor. If you were to ask, he'd happily construct a bathhouse, a vast garden, you just need to ask.

Aegon is surprisingly someone you find it easy to turn to whenever you get in trouble, along with Uncle Orys. He's perfectly fine with you doing your own thing, playing away while he watches from a distance.

Despite their occasional arguments, at the end of the day, they are united through their care for you. You mean everything to them, and though each may express it differently, they all just want to see you happy and safe.

Adding Maegor and Aenys into the mix just makes everything more chaotic. While it's not much of a hidden secret that Rhaenys and Visenya favor you, they attempt to keep it subtle. Aegon isn't very adept at hiding it, and there have been discussions where he expresses the desire for you to be his heir instead. However, by the Westerosi tradition, Aenys is the expected heir.

Aenys and Maegor are particularly attached to you, even when their parents clearly seem to favor you. Being a bit older than Aenys, Rhaenys actively encouraged the bond between you two. She always insisted your small self to hold him and it became well-known among the castle servants that baby Aenys would cry until you came at his side. 

The death of Rhaenys threw everything into chaos. Visenya and Aegon, if possible, became even more protective, god forbid if Dorne were to make an attempt (or try to bring you back). You became the outlet for their grief, with Aegon demanding your presence more than ever. Aenys clung to you for comfort, a child who doesn’t seem to fully understand where his mother went. 

A year or two passed before Maegor was born, and he was already different from the start. Aenys, always smaller than the other kids, remained easily carried by your child self even as he grew. You'd lift him up on your back as he squealed with delight, but Visenya would scold you; your back could get hurt and Aenys is heir, he must be expected to behave like one.

Maegor, on the other hand, was bigger than most kids, with round and full cheeks that you couldn't resist poking and pulling. Similar to Aenys, he constantly demanded your attention, but unlike Aenys who cried, Maegor caused tantrums, pushing other kids you interacted with and throwing things until he got the attention he sought.

A rivalry started between the brothers, and more often than not, you found yourself in the middle of it, but it was mostly one-sided with Maegor often starting the conflicts. Moreover, Aegon directed most of his attention toward Aenys with kingdom duties and all, leaving you mostly with Maegor and Visenya.

Unlike Rhaenys, who didn't have the time to mold her son, Visenya did. She made sure that her son knows that it’s his duty to protect and care for you, deeming Aenys as weak in her eyes. Maegor learned to value you above all else. Sparring was no longer necessary, as according to Maegor he’ll be the one to protect you from now. In one incident, Maegor attacked a noble boy who had jokingly insulted you. Aegon and Visenya never punished him, with the excuse that Aegon didn't want to cause a scene.

Aenys, much like his mother, is naturally affectionate. Openly embracing you in front of the entire court or hold your hand as you walk together. Such displays of affectionate were a never-ending lecture from Visenya and Aegon and all it did was fuel Maegor’s jealousy. 

As all three of you came of age, there was a flood of suitors vying for your hand in marriage. Aegon would use any excuse to deter them, but deep down, he secretly wished to wed you to Aenys but he knows Visenya might insist on Maegor instead, further fueling the rivalry between the brothers. The reactions of your brothers toward your suitors only intensifies, with Maegor eagerly challenging anyone who seeks your hand and Aenys wearing a mask of happiness for you while secretly desiring to have you all to himself.

It becomes even messier if the brothers are wed to other women. Alyssa and Ceryse, in particular, feel the pressure to be on your good side, knowing that a gesture from you could sway their husbands in your favor. Despite being married to them, the wives can't shake the feeling of being the "other women". The awkwardness is heightened by Aenys, who insists on you being close to his children, going so far as to let you be one of the first to hold baby Rhaena. 

The family was struck with a moment of grief upon Aegon's death, leaving Visenya as the sole parent. With Aegon, and even Orys, no longer present, Visenya had the freedom to enforce her regulations and expectations without interruption. Maegor, being a wild card, proved difficult to control. Despite Aenys' perceived weakness, he stepped into Aegon's place, not directly opposing Visenya and Maegor but making it clear that you were a line not to be crossed. Your place is to be with him and his family, by his side in council. 

Aegon's death set off a chain reaction, fueling the underlying war within the family that had already been brewing.

[thebenjiblackwoodexpress]

Devil's Snare part.4

Aemond Targaryen x reader Description: Aemond has won the love of his handmaiden, but he worries that her shyness is stopping her from feeling truly comfortable expressing her affections. When Y/N receives unwanted advances from another Lord, Aemond proves just far he'll go to protect his lady.

Previous Part Part 5

Writer's note: I cannot express enough how much all your lovely comments mean to me. I still feel quite new to writing fanfic so it's amazing to know people actually want to read what I write. There's a brief mention of sexual assault in this so please don't read if this is triggering or upsetting to you in any way.

Warnings: female reader, brief mention of sexual harassment and attempted assault, protective (aka violent) Aemond, incredibly fluffy, lengthy as always, I have an obsession with Ewan Mitchell's hands; I'm being so brave about it but I will make it everyone's problem.

Aemond gently grazed his knuckles up and down Y/N's ribcage absentmindedly as he read to her, her body pressed into his side. She had appeared nervous when he'd first suggested it, a week having passed since then, but she never seemed so relaxed in his company as she did now listening to him read of ancient Targaryen dragon riders. He had been so happy, so relieved, when his shy girl had reciprocated his love. But he had not accounted for her shyness around him persisting even now that she knew he loved her. She was always tentative about expressing her feelings, and rarely initiated any physical contact with him. He had been concerned at first that she had reconsidered her feelings, a worry exacerbated by her reticence to inform anyone else of their betrothal. He thought back to the moment she'd agreed to marry him, how he'd immediately wanted to take her to see his mother and declare his intentions. It had been Y/N who had stopped him, frantically grabbing onto his arm and pulling him back to her, immediately putting him on alert.

Crouching back down in front of the chaise where she sat, his gaze had softened as he saw her eyes widened in alarm, hand still gripping his sleeve tightly. He spoke in as calm a tone as he could muster as he tried to ignore his own disquiet. "What is it my love?" Y/N smiled at him, but he noted that it did not reach her eyes.

"You might find me rather silly." Aemond brushed his knuckles lightly over her cheekbone in what he hoped was a comforting gesture. "I assure you I will not."

"It is only that I cannot help my more reserved nature. I feel comfortable with you not to judge me for it, but not others. And I know there will be whispers about your choice of a handmaiden to wife."

Aemond's good eye narrowed slightly. "I will have the tongue of anyone who bismirches you."

Y/N had lightly shaken her head at his suggestion. "I do not wish you to. Just allow me some time to get used to the idea that you love me first. I wish for it to be only us for now."

Aemond took hold of both her hands, saddened by her choice of words though desiring to be understanding of her wishes. But he would be firm on one matter.

"I do love you."

Aemond tried to oust these thoughts from his mind, comforting himself that Y/N did not shy from his touch at least, rather she always leaned into it. Though, it would always have to be him who took her hand, pulled her in for an embrace, or brushed his lips against hers. And he had begun to worry she did not think she could touch him. That their difference in status, her naturally timid disposition or, gods forbid, fear of him or his reaction prevented her from doing so. He wanted her to know she did not have to ask for his permission or wait for him to initiate, although he was more than happy to do so. He wanted her to understand that he adored her and would gladly welcome any and every affectation she would permit him.

Y/N seemed to be the most comfortable when he read to her and sometimes she would even rest her head on his shoulder, her breathing slowing so much he thought she might have fallen asleep. It made his heart soar every time for her to feel such trust in him to do so and he would always wrap an arm around her shoulder to pull her closer,  tilting his head down to lean it against hers, in the hopes he could encourage her and assure her that he appreciated and greatly desired her affection. Removing his hand from her to turn the page, he noticed that her eyes followed his movements. From their first meetings, when he'd observed her watching him weave a coin through his fingers, her gaze had always gravitated towards his hands. It had pleased him to know that she found him attractive despite his scar, though for him she was the most beautiful girl in the world. Dropping a hand down from the book he was holding, he took hold of his lady's hand, which was resting in her lap, and interlocked their fingers, a smile forming at the light dusting of pink on her cheeks at his action. He only wished she'd feel more comfortable to take his hand herself should she want to.

Y/N felt her cheeks heat as Aemond took hold of her hand in her lap, sure he must have spotted her staring. She thought every part of Aemond beautiful, but she had a particular fascination with his hands from the beginning. At first she'd just thought them elegant for someone who looked so fierce, whose sword was almost an extension of his hand. Looking down at their intertwined hands she marvelled at how large his looked over hers. There was a time when this might have frightened her. Now, along with his ever present gaze that always seemed to follow her, the warmth of his hand encasing hers just felt safe, protective. She struggled to initiate any physical affection with Aemond, still not fully able to comprehend his regard for her. So she was ever grateful for his patience with her, always taking the lead. But Y/N knew it would be unfair for her to always rely on him in this way, and she worried that he'd begin to think she did not love him in equal measure.

Resolving to at least try to set aside her nervousness for him, she separated their hands in favour of taking his in both of hers. Out of the corner of her eye she could see a look of confusion cross Aemond's face until she began to lightly trace her fingers across his knuckles, making her way slowly down his hand, tracing veins and drawing patterns along his skin. She heard his sharp intake of breath at her actions and willed herself not to be self-conscious or alarmed by this, slowly turning his hand over to trace patterns along the lines of his palm. Aemond seemed only too happy to relinquish his hand to her, awkwardly turning the page with one hand in favour of withdrawing the one she held. She continued her ministrations and Aemond continued to read without comment, perhaps not wanting to draw attention to her affectionate gesture in case it should embarass her. Y/N smiled at the thought, keenly aware of how gentle and caring Aemond always was with her. While she found it difficult to be confident in showing affection, Y/N determined to find small ways to express her love for him.

Aemond was pleasantly surprised to see Y/N grow in confidence each day, his gentle encouragement helping to make her more sure of herself. She'd begun by simply taking his hand of her own accord. Yet this small attention still served to drive him almost to complete distraction as he tried to focus on reading the words before him rather than the soft touch of her fingertips against his skin. It was not long before Y/N was comfortable to take Aemond's hands whenever she wished, assured he would only grasp hers tighter in response. Thereafter, she would reach up on tiptoe to sweetly kiss him on the corner of his mouth as she saw him off to the training yard each morning. She had looked away from him sheepishly the first time she had done so, but quickly lost her embarassment as he eagerly pulled her in to kiss her himself.

The Prince came to realise that Y/N would always retain her shy disposition, but his heart was gladdened to find that this was not a reflection of any wariness towards him any longer.  Throughout Aemond's life, he had lacked the unconditional love he'd longed for, ignored by his father, relentlessly teased by his brother and bastard nephews. The loss of his eye had only served to distance others from him further, and it was only the strength of his bond with Vhagar and the kindness of his gentle sister Helaena that prevented him from succumbing to his overwhelming feelings of loneliness. He could not understand how Y/N, who seemed to be made of pure light, could be drawn to him in spite of the darkness that festered within his heart. But he was everyday grateful she had chosen to love him and he admired her bravery to push through her trepidation and show him as much. This only emboldened him all the more in his own expressions of his love for her.

Y/N was lost in thought as she passed along the halls of the Red Keep. She often found herself so, thinking of Aemond when she was not with him and pondering on her own apprehension to marry the man she loved. She knew that Aemond would have married her the instant she'd agreed to be his wife. He'd told her as much. Yet she could not fully suppress her fears over the judgements of others, the potential opposition they would face for such an unorthodox match. Though, day by day she found herself growing less concerned by these possibilities, moved by the extent of Aemond's love for her and patience to wait until she was ready. With her mind thus preoccupied, she was thoroughly startled when a hand encircled her wrist and tugged her into a sequestered passageway, letting out an audible shriek. The momentum caused her to fall forward into whoever had accosted her. Arms wrapped around her, hands splaying out to cover her waist...Aemond's hands, she realised as she looked up to see him grinning at her playfully.

Before she could scold him for scaring her, he crashed his lips against hers. Y/N's hands flew up to grip Aemond's shoulders as he slowly shifted them backwards until she felt the cool stone of the Keep's walls pressing against her back. Aemond brought a hand up to rest against her cheek, tilting her head up to his to deepen the kiss. Y/N broke away from him a few moments later, shoving lightly against his chest, out of breath. She was sure she didn't strike a particularly intimidating figure, panting for breath, her hair mussed and cheeks surely ablaze. But she tried to fix the Prince with a stern look nonetheless, lightly swatting at his chest. "Aemond, you scared me half to death."

Aemond only smiled wider and grabbed her hand before she could retract it, placing a gentle kiss upon her knuckles before lowering his head to brush his lips against her jaw, his breath tickling her skin as he spoke. "Are you very angry, my love?"  Y/N found herself unable to reply at all as he slowly planted kisses along her jaw, her cheek and finally her forehead. He paused briefly to hum at her questioningly, having received no response. When Y/N only gripped his tunic to pull him closer, he recaptured her lips with his. She reached up with her free hand to entangle her fingers in his hair, feeling him smile against her lips as she did so.

It was Aemond who pulled away then, resting his forehead against hers. "I earnestly apologise for scaring you my love. I missed you and it could not be helped." Y/N ran her fingers through the lengths of his soft white hair.  "You are forgiven." Aemond smiled at her and went to kiss her again but she quickly turned her face from him, laughing at his boyish eagerness. "Aemond, I have my duties to attend to and I am certain you have your own. You are Prince Aemond Targaryen of the Seven Kingdoms, you cannot spend all your time with me."

Her tone was jesting but she laid a particular emphasis on his title. She did not wish to distract him from his duties as a Prince of the realm.  Aemond shot her a smile so dazzling she felt her heart stutter, before tilting his head down to meet her eyes and speaking so softly it was almost a whisper. "I am your Aemond." Y/N gulped, her hand subconsciously tightening its hold on Aemond's tunic. Seemingly pleased with himself at having once again left her speechless, he pulled back. "But if you insist, I will accede to your wishes and withdraw." Y/N shook herself from the dazed state she too oft found herself in around the Prince, taking embarrassingly deep breaths to calm the uneven fluttering of her heart.

But she grew suspicious when Aemond remained planted to the spot, a strangely knowing smirk upon his features. "Aemond, I promise to see you later. But we must go our separate ways for now." Aemond's eyebrows glinted mischievously, in complete contrast to the seriousness of her tone.  "In order to do that you would have to let me go, little one." Y/N's eyes widened with alarm as she looked down to find herself still clutching onto Aemond's tunic, abruptly releasing her hold. Aemond laughed before affectionately tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "It is alright my darling, I did not wish to let you go either." The rogue did not wait for her response before turning to walk briskly away from her and out of the passageway.

Y/N's heart leapt in her chest as she watched an ornate vase emblazoned with the Targaryen House sigil shatter on the stone floor of Aemond's chambers. She'd knocked it off a side table by accident whilst she'd been making her survey of the room for the evening, and as she cleared up the mess she was racked with nerves at the prospect of telling Aemond, not knowing if the vase was valuable to him in anyway and if he would be angry with her for her carelessness. In her guilt she took him by surprise as he returned to his chambers for the night, all but barrelling into him, wrapping her arms around his torso and hiding her face in his chest.

Aemond had immediately brought his own arms up to wrap around her and return her embrace, letting out a pleased laugh at her display of affection. "While it gladdens my heart that you are happy to see me, might I ask what fortuitous circumstance has prompted you to throw yourself at me?" He spoke low and teasing close to her ear. When his lovely handmaiden only tightened her grip on him in response to his jest he grew truly concerned.

Pulling back from her slightly so he could see her face, he was startled by her penitent expression. "Has something happened?"

Y/N looked up at him regretfully.

"Promise you won't be angry."

Aemond's face had fallen at her request. While he had kept his promise to never again raise his voice to her after he'd first done so and frightened her, the memory still pained him.

"I give you my word."

Y/N nodded, taking a deep breath before rushing out "I broke the vase on your side table. It was done accidentally and I am sorry for it."

Aemond nearly laughed again with relief that it was such a small thing that concerned his lady, but did not wish her to think he was being cruel or laughing at her. He bent his torso slightly so he could look into her eyes. "Is that all? You can change anything to your liking or break it if you will, these will be your chambers too one day when you are my wife. I do not wish you to worry yourself about such an inconsequential matter."

Y/N was grateful that Aemond had not been angry, indeed he was not in the slightest bit perturbed at her clumsiness. But his allusions to their marriage and shared life together had her cheeks turning red with embarassment and she quickly returned her head to his chest to hide the fact. She'd felt his chuckle resound in his chest as he gently extricated her from him oncemore to hold her face. "Do not hide from me, my love. I will not rush you. We will marry when you are ready."

Y/N rushed from Helaena's room, brushing aggressively at the tears blurring her vision. She'd hoped to visit the Princess and return a book she'd borrowed, having grown to see her as a friend. But she was surprised to find her chambers empty save for Martin Reyne, one of Prince Aegon's retinue of friends. His lecherous smirk upon spotting her sent shivers down her spine, as she watched him mentally undress her.

"No need to leave on my account, I was just looking for Prince Aegon. Alas, he is not here."

Y/N bristled at his presumption to skulk about the Princess Helaena's chambers, only shooting him a furtive look before she turned to leave, not wishing to remain in his presence alone any longer. But he quickly closed the distance between them, grabbing her arm forcibly and pulling her further into the Princess's chambers. No sooner had his hands began to wander than the door was flung open by Ser Erryk Cargyll, who'd angrily shoved the Lord away from her. She had only just been able to whisper her thanks to the knight before falling apart and fleeing from the room. Y/N could hardly breathe through her attempts to stifle her sobs as she stumbled down the halls of the Keep, hoping she could avoid running into anyone. She needed to be find somewhere to calm herself and found herself headed in the direction of Aemond's chambers, where she felt safest, before she had even consciously made the decision to do so. He was never in his chambers at this time of the day so she did not expect to see him standing by his desk, back turned to her. She let out a startled gasp at which Aemond instantly turned to face her. Falling against the nearest wall for support, she placed a hand on her chest in an attempt to calm her frantic breathing and stop the flow of her tears, aware that both were causing her to feel faint and unsteady on her feet.

At the sight of her distress, Aemond ran to her side, lightly taking hold of her elbows to keep her steady as he looked over her rapidly for any signs of injury. Y/N couldn't speak, she could only fall against him and sob into his chest as his hands flew up to hold her against him. One hand stroking her hair, he tried to whisper words of comfort to her and hush her cries for long enough to ascertain the cause. "It is alright, you are safe. Can you tell me what happened?" When her breathing only became more erratic, Aemond swept her up into his arms, her own instantly finding purchase around his neck, and carried her over to his favoured arm chair before setting her on his lap.

In any other circumstance he would have been deliriously happy to be able to hold her this close, to have her nuzzle into his neck as she did now. But he had never seen her so upset, not even on the one occasion when they'd argued, and he felt his own heart race and dread seep into his very bones at what could have prompted such a response from his lady.

It was a long time before Y/N felt able to tell Aemond what had happened and she could not bring herself to meet his gaze as she did so. Aemond had to tilt his head to hear her voice muffled against his shoulder, stiffening and feeling rage rise up in him at every word. He did not interrupt her, only speaking once he was certain she had finished. Kissing the crown of her head, Aemond tried to contain his anger so as not to frighten her further, promising to himself that he would deal with the bastard who'd dared touch her later. But for now he knew Y/N needed him more. "No one will ever harm you again."

A short while later, Aemond stormed into the throne room, where Ser Erryk had informed him Aegon and his lickspittle friends would be. He heard their laughter before he saw them, and that only served to fuel his rage further. It did not take him long to pick out the object of his ire. Aegon had turned upon hearing his heavy tread "Ah, brother."

Ignoring his brother entirely, Aemond headed straight for his friend, his voice booming across the hall. "Reyne!" The Lord in question looked thoroughly alarmed at being addressed in such a manner by the one-eyed Prince, taking a cautious step back, his own voice wavering. "My Prince?"

Aemond roughly grabbed hold of the Lord's front. "Did you think your actions would go unpunished you craven bastard?"

Reyne's eyes widened with alarm as he took note of the dangerous glint in the Prince's eye and his venomous tone. "My Prince, I do not recall committing an infraction against you."

Aemond shoved Reyne against a nearby pillar, hearing a satisfying smack as the Lord's head resounded off it. Aegon swiftly stepped in to aid his friend.  "Come now brother, what is the meaning of this?"

"He assaulted my handmaiden in our sister's chambers" Aemond all but growled through gritted teeth. Realisation dawned on Reyne's face and Aemond narrowed his eyes, feeling the blood of the dragon heat within him as a light-hearted grin broke across the bastard's face. "All this over a girl? It was only a bit of fun, she didn't need to go getting upset over it." Aegon saw the danger before his foolish friend and made a grab for his brother, but Aemond was stronger and quicker, merely shoving his brother aside before punching Reyne in the face with enough force to break his nose. As blood began gushing from the Lord's nose and he unceremoniously fell to the ground clutching at his face in pain, Aemond grabbed him by the back of his neck, roughly dragging him from the hall. He dragged him all the way to the front entrance of the Keep before throwing him atop the stairwell, leaning down into the Lord's face, his voice low and dangerous. "If I catch you within the walls of The Red Keep again I will fucking kill you."

When Aemond returned to his chambers dusk had fallen and Y/N had yet to move from where he'd left her, curled up in his favoured chair. Seeing her look so fragile, her arms wrapped about herself, he wished he'd killed the blaggard after all and resolved to comfort her as best he could. Her head snapped up at the sound of his footsteps and she jumped up to greet him, her eyes gravitating towards his still bloody knuckles. He quickly moved to assuage the concern forming in her eyes. "The blood is not mine. Mostly. He will not touch you again." Y/N took his hand to place a tender kiss upon his grazed knuckles. "I am grateful, Aemond. Though I would not have you hurt yourself in defence of me."

Aemond was moved by the sweetness of  his beloved's temperament and her concern for his wellbeing. But he wanted her to see him as her protector, for he always would be. He levelled a charming smile at her. "Do you really think me so fragile and weak?"

Y/N's eyes widened. "Of course not Aemond, I did not mean that."

With the hopes of amusing her, and thereby distracting her from her current troubles, he feigned offence. Pulling away from her he paced to the other side of the room and sighed exaggeratedly. "Alas, my lady does not think me fit to protect her. I do not know that I can stand the shame."

"Aemond, I know you are powerful and perfectly capable of defending me. You are a formidable swordsman. That is not..." Y/N started to apologise but stopped mid sentence as she looked suspiciously at the upturn of his lips, realising he was just teasing her. "Aemond that isn't funny", she tried to look stern but struggled to repress her own smile at his antics. Aemond quirked an eyebrow up at her. "So my lady thinks me powerful, does she? Formidable even?"

Y/N blushed at her own words thrown back at her, stuttering out her response. "You know what I meant, Aemond. Don't be arrogant."

Aemond's smile broadened in response and he slowly began stalking back towards her. He had a playful gleam in his eye that had Y/N stepping backwards in response and moving around his desk, unsure of what game he was playing. "What are you doing, Aemond?"

Aemond halted on the other side of his desk. "It would appear I have to assure my lady of my capability to defend her."

Y/N's confusion at his words lasted only a moment before he darted around the desk, reaching for her, and she turned to run from him. It wasn't long before she found herself giggling as he chased her about the room. She knew he was only pretending, purposefully allowing her to escape his hold each time his fingers grazed her waist, but that only made her laugh harder. She'd not known Aemond had such a playful side to him.

Wishing to hold his lady, Aemond decided to end their game, pleased to have made Y/N laugh and to have distracted her for the moment. He caught up to her and swept her back into his arms, her back flush against his chest as he spun her about, picking up speed in accordance with her laughter. Placing her gently back down he cupped her face between his hands and looked at her seriously, wanting her to know he was in earnest now.

"I will always protect you, defend you with my life if I have to. You are my love and will be my wife one day, whenever you give the word."

Y/N smiled up at him with gratitude and love in her eyes. "Aemond, I think I am ready to be your wife now."

Aemond could not contain his joy at her words, feeling a weight lift from his chest. He had been willing to be patient for her, but each day Y/N continued to feel unsure of their marriage, of him, the deep seated insecurity that had haunted him since childhood had grown stronger.

"Truly, my love?"

"Truly." That was all he needed to hear before he captured her lips in a passionate kiss.

You were expecting Aemond fanfiction and instead you got an ode to Ewan Mitchell's hands. Whoops 🤭

@jjkysnk

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[just-some-user-hunny]

The Cannibal thoughts...

~ The Cannibal has survived and adapted to hunt other dragons, therefore he'd have an advantage when it comes to fighting/battling his own kind. As a young dragon he definitely only picked on eggs and hatchlings like a scavenger, perhaps out of desperation/convenience. The bigger and older he grew, the more ambitious he got with his prey. He'd start to hunt bigger and bigger dragons, hence why he's covered in so many scars from many hunts- some successful, others not. He'd grow smarter and adapt the way he hunts. he stalks and goes for weak areas. He definitely goes for the throat and jaw (either he tears a lower or upper jaw off so his opponent cannot bite or tear, and the throat, to damage their ability to efficiently breathe fire. He'd also try to mangle the others wings with his claws so they cannot fly well, so basically he pulls a lot of dirty, but effective moves to win.

~ His appetite towards his own kind, and the experience/adapting he's gone through to actually kill other dragons makes him ferocious- not particularly his size. Considering Caraxes was able to take down Vhagar, and cannibal is just a tad bit smaller than her, his size doesn't always grant him advantages. He's not particularly swift or quick like Moondancer, but much like Vhagar, he's steady and heavy on his wings- but he is clever and strategic. He'd probably do things like fly/hunt at night so his black scaled body can blend in with the night sky above (he'd hunt by flying above his prey, where's he's almost invisible to their eye, and strike down). He's adapted and survived by becoming a hunter, not a loud prowling monster (most of the time).

~ Also you know how cannibalism has an abnormal effect on the brain and behaviour? That definitely adds to his uncanniness. His stare is too... Human looking. There's this something that disconnects him from the other dragons. He stalks around with his head still like a panther, and he grins. His jaw is heavily scarred, and he's missing flesh and scales around parts of his mouth- exposing his teeth and gums. It kinda gives an illusion that he's open mouth grinning, like he has a Cheshire grin. (I love the idea of an uncanny, Lovecraftian horror dragon that is just unsettling to look at). His intimidation itself puts him high on the hierarchy amongst the dragons.

~ He's sadistic and likes playing with weaker prey. Like the indoraptor for example- that scene where he was pretending to be asleep, and started swiping his tail in the air to let the man know he was very aware and awake. He didn't spring to attack- he let it draw out slowly. Grinning and playing, acting slow and unpredictable- like he was torturing him by pressing his muzzle straight the man's face, just to let him feel his teeth pressed against him, before striking and chomping him into pieces.

~ He's very independent and likes his freedom. The only way he'd tolerate a rider, is if they wouldn't try to keep them confined to them. Whether it be a pit or a cage, he hates it. He wants to do his own thing.

(That's one of the main reasons bastard!reader and Cannibal bond together- over their mutual focus and longing on freedom). He may disappear for days- weeks, even. Just to travel and hunt and stretch his wings- he doesn't like staying cooped up on the beach forever. He's like a cat who enjoys roaming outside and hates being trapped indoors- but definitely comes back for biscuits and snuggles in his warm bed. (Aka, the beach).

~ He's very endurable and strategic and strong. He isn't very quick, however, so that's a weakness that can be exploited by a smaller opponent. He's dangerous- but not untouchable/overpowered. He can most likely fare well in combat with another dragon, even vermithor and Vhagar if he is feeling ambitious or driven enough to.

[dragonsbluee]

I'm trying to count how many times Hiccup is captured/kidnapped throughout both series, the movies and the short films, so here's my criteria:

Any time he is unwillingly moved from one location to another by a dragon, viking or other character.

This includes any dragons picking him up and flying off somewhere, even if he is okay with it later.

This does not include when Toothless/his friends drag him off to show him something.

Any situation that prompted the dragon riders to rescue him.

Any plans that involved him giving himself up or joining up with a villain/antagonist.

This does not include the time he and Dagur were trapped on that island together.

Any time he is tied up and led somewhere or locked up/held in place with a guard.

Here is the list of situations I have compiled in (hopefully) chronological order:

HTTYD

Congratulations, no captures or kidnappings.

GIFT OF THE NIGHT FURY

When Meatlug (accidentally) brings Hiccup along to the Rookery.

RIDERS OF BERK

S1E6 - Hiccup gets taken to Dragon Island.

S1E16 - Hiccup is captured by the Outcasts on their island.

S1E19 - Alvin Captures Hiccup and Toothless at the "Isle of Night".

DEFENDERS OF BERK

S1E20 - Hiccup gives himself up to Dagur as part of his plan with Alvin.

RACE TO THE EDGE

S1E1 - the Dragon Riders get captured by Daugr on a hunter ship.

S1E7 -The twins put him in prison (this one's just here because I think it's funny).

S2E6 - The Dragon Hunters capture him.

S2E11 - The Dragon Riders get captured trying to save the Skrill.

S3E1 - Hiccup is captured by Dragon Hunters while trapped on an island with Dagur.

S3E8 - Hiccup and Toothless get caught in a Dragon Hunter Trap and are kidnapped and forced to participate in dragon fights.

S3E12 - Viggo captures all the Dragon Riders at the auction.

S3E13 - The Defenders of the Wing capture the Dragon Riders.

S4E3 - First Hiccup is caught by Amos and Berthel.

S4E3 - Then he's caught by Savage.

S4E3 - Then Krogan gets him after Throk saves him.

S4E3 - Ryker captures him for the tiniest bit right before the riders arrive.

S4E10 - Hiccup is caught with Ruffnut when he tries to rescue her from Viggo's trap. Unlike the other traps, he needs the other dragon riders to rescue them.

S5E2 - The Sandbuster captures Hiccup and Snotlout.

S6E8 - Viggo hands Hiccup over to Krogan as part of their plan.

HTTYD 2

Valka kidnaps Hiccup and Toothless.

HTTYD 3

Grimmel captures the dragon riders.

HOMECOMING

Once again, no captures of kidnappings

Up For Debate:

There are a few situations which technically fit the criteria, but I'm not sure if they fit considering the context of the show:

S5E5 - the riders are stuck on Vanaheim, guarded by the Sentinels. (Rtte)

S1E3 - This is a technicality, but when Hiccup joins up with Dagur to keep him away from the other dragons. (Dob)

EDIT: I forgot that even though my criteria says that the time Dagur and Hiccup are trapped on that island together (S3E1 of RTTE) doesn't count, because he is joining up with an (at the time) antagonist, there is a moment when Hiccup is captured by Dragon Hunters near the end of the episode.

After careful discussion (aka me ranting at my roommate) S4E10 of RTTE is also moving from "up for debate" to the official list. These changes are reflected above.

This brings our official count to 22 captures/kidnappings!

Honestly, the hardest part about this was finding the distinction between being captured or being trapped and what I wanted to count. When Hiccup isn't captured, he spends a lot of time in traps.

[lilliths-httyd-blog]

Weak: "There are other dragon riders?" is just a continuity error

Strong: "There are other dragon riders?" refers to the fact that Hiccup has never seen this kind of dragon attack before, so what he's actually thinking is "There are other dragon riders besides the ones we know of?"

Godly: "There are other dragon riders?" is Hiccup expressing interest in knowing who these mystery riders are while pretending like he doesn't know who Heather, Dagur, the Wingmaidens etc are (aka the first time Hiccup has ever convincingly lied to someone without someone else backing him up) in order to protect them because he recognises that Eret sells and profits from the dragon trade just like Viggo did, and he's thinking something reminiscent of that one line in RttE about "Eventually, he will set his sights on Berk, and on our dragons" in reference to Viggo, and about how if Eret knew about the other Riders he would absolutely go after them because that's exactly what Viggo did

[thesunfyre4446]

I remember when the scripts for deleted scenes were being posted and Team Black was praising Daemon as father of the year for awkwardly saying “Let’s have you with us for now” to his daughter he had not seen in years even though he lived like a 1/2 hr - 1 hr fly away.

They are now pissed that this season will explore Baela’s feeling distant toward Daemon and Rhaena feeling resentment that Baela got to live with their Grandmother while she was left alone on Dragonstone with the “Braedy” Bunch. TB built a fantasy in their heads of “Girl Dad” Daemon and of Rhaena being Rhaenyra’s “favorite child” because she gives her handmaid Rhaena hand me down dresses and jewelry.

We’ve seen no evidence of Daemon being a good father or a good stepfather. We have seen Rhaena’s distressed being ignored by him because he can’t be a grown man about her not having a dragon. We have seen him hang back in the shadows and not show any concern towards his daughters who were just in a fight that ended in another child losing an eye. We saw him only step forward to (according to the script) to try and Attack Alicent from behind and to see about Rhaenyra’s wound.

We’ve seen this blood purist hate his nephews and niece who are all dragon riders that look like the picture of Old Valyria because they have a Hightower mom. Yet people believe he actually cares for Rhaenyra’s Strong sons who are more Andal than Valyrian?

While we DO see Aegon’s pride in his children. His subtle acknowledgement of his daughter who he knows enough about that he knows she has an aversion to touch like her Mother. We see him show his son more attention than both his father and his uncle have ever shown their children. We see Daemon help Rhaenyra steal his daughter’s birthright, while he see Aegon show enthusiasm in training his son to be King.

We saw Daemon not come to Rhaenyra’s aid when she was calling for him while painfully delivering a malformed stillborn baby. We never see Daemon grieve this baby, we do however see his fans say that he’s grieving the loss of the baby to excuse him abusing his wife, being a dick to his stepson and plotting the murder of a toddler.

We will however be seeing Aegon’s anguish, grief and pure unrestrained rage over the murder of his son.

yep. that's the thing that gets on my nerves anon

they've just decided that daemon is a good father despite one of his children literally saying "father ignores me", despite him not even bothering to check on his daughters after they were in a fight, despite him making rhaena feel useless because she has no dragon. we see him looking at her in silent judgment and her looking hurt. at least aemond had alicent for support when he didn't have a dragon... poor rhaena.

we never see rhaenyra interact with her stepdaughter, she invites them to join the family at the table in ep 10 - wow! congrats on not excluding your stepdaughters !!!! best mom evehhh!!! we do know, however, that she planned their marriages with rhaenys behind their back, not even bothering to ask for their consent. you'd expect rhaenyra "i do not wish to get married" Targaryen to at least let her stepdaughters know before she marry them off. we have 0 evidence of rhaenyra being a good stepmom.

and yeah, daemon is obsessed with valyrian blood and bloodlines. this man cannot even be bothered with his own children and i'm expected to believe that he gives a fuck about the strongs? he was literally angry at rhaenyra for "neglecting her roles as queen" AKA looking for her son's body.

and as for daemon as a husband... i don't think anyone's claiming he was a good husband to rhae and laena but he's horrible to rhaenyra as well. he ignored her when she was screaming in pain for him, he physically assaulted her !!

so we have daemon who ignores his children when they're bleeding, openly prefers one twin over the other, assaults his wife, ignores her when she's in pain and i'm supposed to think that he's a family man?

BUT when aegon takes his son to the council meeting, gets angry at one of his most powerful allies for snapping at his son (not really i love tyland and that scene was adorable), looks at his son lovingly and proudly, knows his son's fav games, gently taps his daughter's shoulder (idk if she doesn't like touch like hel, she just looked happy minding her own business), immediately can tell his identical twins apart WE'RE wrong for calling him a good dad? as far as westerosi standards go , yeah, i'd say he's a pretty decent dad.

and then they really try to bring up half a sentence from a TGC interview conveniently leaving out the parts where he says that aegon wasn't an absent father & he loves his kids very much lmao

[dia-viller]

I think that Du Namar Aurboda, aka The Banishing of the Names, was much worse than the death of the Dragon. The bond between a dragon and a rider is so deep that they know each other's inner thoughts, their minds can function as one, and they share all feelings. (The best example is Eragon and Saphira's bond. Even Saphira has referred to Eragon as a "partner of her heart and mind")

Yes, the death of a dragon can be considered for Riders as a death of their soulmate. (e.g. The death of Saphira I and all the pain that it caused Brom, the death of Jarnunvösk and how much it has affected Galbatorix)

But with the Banishing of the Names, dragons were still alive. They started to forget everything about themselves, their Riders, and, in the end, lost the ability to even think. The fact that at the same time, Dragons were still mentally bonded to their Riders, so that means Riders could sense how their "other half" can't recognise them, and the only feeling they could sense from them was just a requirement for a basic survival needs. They couldn't even call their Dragons by their name, the names they've been using since the Dragons hatched for them!!!

No wonder why half of the Forsworn lost their minds, watching how someone they have loved for so long slowly became just an animal, that can't even recall everything they went through, can't remember their own Riders.

(maybe that's why Morzan lost to Brom and was addicted to alcohol)

[thedinanshiral]

What's in a name? A (very) simple guide to find your Rook's name.

I’ve seen some people are wondering how some of us already have named Rooks, others have no idea how to get names or which names could be good, and since i kinda overdid it and have 11 Rooks already planned and named i thought i’d share some of my process and drop some ideas. This works for me, but maybe it can help others find their Rook’s name(s).

Keep in mind these are also fantasy names, they don’t have to make sense or have a specific meaning, you can literally make them up. I also take into consideration known naming conventions, for example in Elven we have Solas and Abelas’ names, with specific meanings (Pride, Sorrow) and judging by what Solas tells Abelas, it’d seem ancient elvhen would change their names according to roles or events in their life. Similarly in the Qun, we know their names aren’t names as we understand them but simply descriptors of the role that is assigned to them within the Qun.

It’s probably easier when it comes to human nations in Thedas: Orlesians are likely to have French names, Fereldans to have anglo names, Antivans to have Spanish and Italian names. Tevinter is a bit trickier because it’s based on the Roman empire and Latin is a pretty dead language, but they sure liked to make records so we have names there too.

Elvhen names:

I literally opened a tab with the Elven language DA wiki page and read everything -for the bazillionth time tbh-; DA elven language is a cipher, not a conlang, so feel free to make things up because we don’t have the full cipher -i’m not even sure BW does- .

For Elven names i check the wiki for words that i like the sound of, the meaning of, ideally both. If i feel something is “missing” i may add a letter or combine different words into a new one.

Here are some examples:

Athima, from athim, humility

Atisha, from Atish'an, atisha is peace

Sethena, from Sethen'a or Setheneran, land of waking dreams or where the veil is thin, aka the Fade.

Revaren, from Revas, freedom, and Renan, voice.

Alasan, from alas, earth/dirt, and suffix an, place.

Sulahni, from sulahn, sing.

Samahli, from samahl, laughter.

Vardanehn, lit. Our little joy.

Mir'as, Banal'ras is shadows, implying ras refers to light, Mir is mine. Lit. "my light".

Qunlat names:

Same process as elven, but trying to modify as less as possible, keeping in mind the Qunari are very rigid in their ways and can be very literal as well.

Anaan, victory

Asaarash, rivaini horsebreed used by the antaam.

Kaaras, navigator.

Asaara-kaaras, wind navigator, wind rider.

Saar, dangerous. Saar-asaara, dangerous wind. Saar-meraad, dangerous tide.

Sata-kasi, mauler.

Vattic-kos, vat is fire, tic is cold and kos refers to nature damage, all three words are in reference to damage done with a mage staff. So Vattic-kos could be elemental damage.

Shokra, shok is struggle or war, shokrakar is rebel.

Antivan names:

These were way easier as i’m Latina of Spanish and Italian descent which in this case feels a bit like cheating. I think any Spanish and Italian name could work, these are just some i like.

Vittoria/Victoria

Chiara

Alessandro/a

Stefan

Dante

Aria

Tevinter names:

I literally googled for Latin names for this one, and also checked previous Tevinter characters’ names. Some of this could also work for an Antivan Rook.

Aelius

Amadis

Bastian

Caelus

Camilla

Dena

Dante

Desideria

Ella

Enora

Favian

Fausto, Faustino, Faustus

Gaius

Gloria

Grazia

Klaudia

Laurena

Lavinia

Liberia

Merit/Mérita/Mérito

Remus

Salena

Sarina

Sidonia

Sollemnia

Tatius

Terentius

Tiberius

Urbano, Urbanus

Valentio

Varinia

Viatrix

Virgilio, Virgil

Vitus

Xandros

I’m leaving out the numerals like Primo, Segundo, Quintus, Octavio... check Cesars' names, that could work too. I think you could just search the scientific name of any fauna (hello House Pavus) or flora and pick whatever sounds nice too. Also we recently got a new Magister’s name in the Dragon Age: Vows & Vengeance trailer, Magister Andante. Y’know what “Andante” means? Walking. Magister Walking. Fear nothing and go wild with these names, seriously.

You could also check other cultures and native names, respectfully of course. Here are some guaraní and mapuche names i like, i didn’t modify these at all.

Kerana, guaraní “goddess of sleep”, or sleepy one.

Karai, guaraní, “respectable man”.

Luriel, guaraní, “lord of the wind”.

Amaru, guaraní, “rain”.

Anahí, guaraní, from a legend, the name of a young woman burned at the stake by the conquistadors, after which she is transformed into the flowering tree.

Newén, mapuche, "strength"

Nahuel, mapuche, “jaguar”

Ayelén, mapuche, “laughing”.

Tahiel, mapuche, “hombre libre”

For Dwarven names, i am deeply sorry i haven't decided on a Dwarf Rook yet so i haven't done my dwarven research, but the same process applies: check the canon dwarf names we got so far, if the lore says anything about dwarven naming conventions, if they're a commoner or noble, if there are caste-specific names too, and so on. And if you want to name your dwarf Rook Bob, that's fine too! ( if DUNE can have Paul and Jessica, why couldn't we have a dwarf named Bob?? like i said, go wild, name freely, be happy)

I understand some people don't want to or aren't sure about naming their Rooks until we learn what the different canon surnames will be, and i totally get that, i felt the same way. But i couldn't resist until we got that info so i overdid it, particularly with my Tevinter-Nevarran mage whose name i picked clearly inspired by Cassandra's full name, only for me to end up calling her by the first of her five names that i kinda struggle to remember. So far we've only seen one canon surname, "Thorne", and since surnames are defined by factions, Thorne seems to be the Grey Wardens' canon surname. The elf Grey Warden champion seen in the recent high-level combat gameplay is named Esha Thorne.

I think maybe surnames should depend on what they're now calling lineage (elven, qunari, human, dwarf) rather than on factions, or they could have offered options, one per lineage and one per faction, and let us decide which one to keep. An elf named Thorne sounds a bit odd to me, even if they're a Grey Warden. Will any of my chosen names match the canon surnames? Probably not, but at least i had fun while naming them. My only GW for now is Favian and Favian Thorne doesn't sound bad.

Anyway, I hope this helps those who are a bit lost to find names that works for you and your Rooks, have fun!

[banefort]

Already seen a lot of people use the Cain and Abel archetype to describe Aegon and Aemond’s fratricidal relationship, when more importantly I’d argue that they represent an inversion of the trope.

Traditionally, the tale represents settled lifestyles (Cain the farmer) overcoming nomadic Neolithic customs (Abel the shepherd) through the allegory of fraternal murder- aka, the Cainist cultural revolution defeating Abel’s tradition. Given Aemond is the one who, possessed by jealousy over his brother and a desire for control, turns to fratricide, one would expect him to be characterized as the homicidal Cain-figure, and Aegon as the unsuspecting Abel-figure. However, due to Aemond’s continual fulfillment of tradition and the status quo, and reliance upon Valyrian tradition as the basis for his claim, ideologically-speaking he’s a closer match to Abel. Not to mention, given he also flaunts the qualities which his father continually attempted to emulate (dragon-rider, scholar, fluent Valyrian speaker, pious, etc) - he closer matches the image of the father’s ‘prized son’, we can argue that the Viserys-Aemond bond closer matches the God-Abel dynamic.

Conversely, Aegon is constantly affirmed to be a break from ruling tradition - from a psychological standpoint he departs from the archetypal image of the ruler by being shown to be melancholic and tempestuous, not to mention alienated from his paternal culture and language; whilst from an ideological standpoint, he openly argues against the practice of Valyrian sibling incest and advocates for an embrace of monarchial socialism, departing from the wishes of his advisors, and the traditional customs of the kingdom. Thus, Aegon embodies a cultural revolution, and aligns better with Cain.

The Cain-Abel reading of Aegon and Aemond’s actions doesn’t work out because their fratricidal actions align Aemond with Cain as an antagonist, and Aegon with Abel as a victim - but their ideologies match Aemond with Abel as traditionalists, and Aegon with Cain as revolutionaries. One can make the argument that the analogy still works, due to it being a deliberate inversion of the tale, with tradition striking down any act of upheaval, as opposed to revolution destroying tradition, but I feel that there isn’t enough evidence to support that decision. Naturally, creatives always reflect on Cain and Abel to some extent due to its prevalence as a touchstone of fratricide in the arts, but due to caveats like the action-ideology dissonance and the lack of a father figure endorsing Aemond (or either of them for that matter), amongst others, I think it’s a tenuous stance on its own.

[tryan-a-bex]

100 fics

Today I posted my 100th fic on Ao3!

My first was Pottery; or Function, Purpose and Heart on Mar 11, 2023. It was a retired Dreamling fic with Destruction (who I call Joe) as the main character.

I moved fairly quickly into my Spy x Family crossover series. Anya is so cute, and throwing her in with Dreamling and the Endless family led to a lot of fun shenanigans! (Generally you don't need to know Spy x Family canon to follow these.)

Next I started on my Sandman x Scooby Doo shenanigans! I really like the Scooby Gang, and there are definitely some mysteries to solve surrounding the Endless! (With awesome art by @sab-draws!)

Gaulcienne caught my eye next. Lucienne, my beloved librarian, and the shape-changing dream-fairy? Oh yes! A Quiet Love with Wings has most of my commissioned art, with pieces by @athymelyreply for Sometimes when You Fall, You Fly, @ibrithir-was-here for Fireflies and a Missing Person, and @designtheendless for The Dragon Rider!

King of Night and Prince of Day, for @nathanwonderwolf's wonderful art, has the second highest kudos of all my fics.

Then I invented an OC who is the preteen personification of the consciousness of humanity, aka Social Media. I thought this was pure crack but people liked it and now it's a series! Dinner and Play was created with @carnelianmeluha's food ideas in mind!

My Dreamling works tend to be short and sweet, often prompted by something on tumblr or discord, and are collected as Dreamling vignettes.

I have recently written (but not yet posted) my first honest to god smut, but early dabbles in the craft were mostly crack, like my Helm Fucking Crack series. I'm unreasonably proud of how cracked it is, and thank everyone who enabled me (notably @sleepsonfutons, @windsweptinred, @tickldpnk8, @zzoomacroom, read their fics!).

My obsession with Fuckboi Dream (mind the tags) is ongoing, and included creating a chapter index with notes so I can find things, a series about Murphy's childhood (somebody please read these, they are so cute), and others, fanart as well!

In The Dragon's Tongue, Lucienne takes on Titania! I commissioned @lostelfwriting to write the bdsm continuation of the scene, and she did a fantastic job!

A Reunion in the Dreaming (picnic recreated here) was the first fic in Walking with the Walkers, my series about Rose, Jed and Unity. It features Rose and Ara (Barbie transformed in Life is but a Dream), Rose and Jed meeting their Endless family members, Jed and Gault having adventures, and Unity throwing family parties in the Dreaming (with art by @ilya-halfelven).

Trials of a Shapeshifter in Love (in which Gault tries to surprise Lucienne with a romantic dinner) was my favourite fic from October 2023 -- Femslash weekend (by @sandmanfemslashfans ) and Monsterfucktober (by @seiya-starsniper and friends) made it a really fun month! I also wrote Chantal and Zelda, Johanna and Death, and zombie Lyta (my most angsty fic, I believe).

Just Get Me Off the Damn Mountain was written for designtheendless' contest and omg, I won! It is my most popular fic, at 185 kudos!

I also wrote an OG story for NaNoWriMo! At 23k, Wander Witch is by far my longest story (the next longest is under 9k).

After a bit of being stuck, I got started again by writing continuations of @gabessquishytum's asks! Thank you to Gabe and to all the anons and contributors who allowed me to post their parts of the story!

Asmi, @weirdly-specific-but-ok, argued that he does not have a fandom, so (with permission) I proved him wrong by writing fanfic where he meets Crowley and the Maggot Fam. I love you, Asmi and the maggots!

Heading on an Adventure, the story of Rose and Orpheus' road trip, led to a series of library adventures for Lucienne (often featuring Meowpheus), starting with The Library Cat and continuing in the Lucienne my Beloved series.

I wanted more Lucienne and Walkers content, so I started a side blog, @lucienne-my-beloved, and am open to prompts there! On ao3, the series is called ficlets for lucienne.

Hob Meets the Doctor June 7, 2389 and The line I will not cross and the line I will (Gaulcienne) are my space fics, and I am unreasonably happy about them!

I'm now writing for @augustwritingchallenge! (They got me over 100 in my wips a week or two ago!) I combined prompts so you'll see a fic every 2-5 days in various series and fandoms, including Good Omens (Aug 30) and Dead Boy Detectives (soon).

And my 100th fic! Why are you whispering? a Jed and Rose fic for the late night call prompts. Woohoo!

Thank you so much to everyone who has supported my fandom journey! I'm the least depressed one in my long covid cohort, due to your support and friendship! I cherish every kudo and comment and bookmark and reblog, and the art and fics you all create as well!

[lalalian]

dragon riding equipment | aethergarde academy dr

date: november 23, 2024

it's been a sec since i've done a longer post (like a little over a week or smth.. right?)

I was busy with my finals... I still am, but like... I miss posting 😭😭

Equipment will be outlined in aethergarde's student handbook too!

ANYWAY-- enjoy this incredibly long post! I'm sorry if there are any typos, I don't feel like looking over everything (T-T)

how to get your equipment (kinda)

It's pretty easy to find shops that sell dragon riding equipment in cities-- but in rural towns and villages, this kind of equipment can be almost impossible to find near you.

If you are not starting off as a noble like me, buy your equipment within the first week of school-- actually, no, get it ASAP. You should, ideally, start looking for equipment after you retrieve your egg (you need to get your egg as soon as you get to campus).

What if you don't have the equipment by the time you need to start using it? You'll be left out of lessons, standing off to the side while your peers fight or fly, which will absolutely tank your grades.

You should have your equipment before the first month of school ends.

If I have a month to get said equipment, why not wait?

There are lots of dragon riding equipment shops, but not all of them are of good quality. Rough half of the students attending Aethergarde will not be nobles, on top of that, nobles will commission the best shops-- especially luxury brand shops-- to custom make their armory, saddles, etc.

This makes the dragon equipment market rather busy around this time of year.

BUT

I'll help ya'll out, though, I can't promise you'll be the only commissioning things from these places.

school supplies list

let's start with the obvious, you'll need either an enchanted fountain pen, a regular fountain pen + ink, or some quills and ink. Quills and ink are cheaper, they're the equivalent to like, wooden pencils. Fountain pens have the same reputation as mechanical pencils. Enchanted fountain pens are really trendy! Definitely also get a set of gum wax, aka waxers (erasers); kids like to call them gummies (fruit gummy resembling snacks are called jellies here!)

You should get basic stuff like loose parchment (loose leaf paper), an academy bag (a backpack, highly recommend a messenger type bag), and writing books (notebooks to take notes in)

dragon mounting gear: includes such things like a saddle and reins, very similar to horse gear

wind-breaking charm OR riding goggles OR a riding visor: Wind-breaking charms are pretty hard to find-- I mean it's not impossible, but it's just not cheap. Riding goggles are an old rider thing, they aren't used much anymore. Riding goggles look like your typical steampunk-esque goggles. If you want a physical facial wind breaker, get a riding visor. Riding visors look similar to ski visors, but the glass lookin part tends to be tinted orange due to a strong sunglasses effect.

kinda like this ^^^^ but w/o the gas mask; if anyone's got a better idea for this btw, plz let me know!

I'm still in the works with this aspect.. mostly bc I feel like the visors don't fit the fantastical aesthetic-- but I didn't want to immediately default to using magic and charms because I want the rider uniforms to be more unique than the typical 'fighting leathers', yk? Idk, maybe the décolletage cover is unique enough.

Other sight wind-breaking options:

wind-protectant eyedrops: these are rather new (has been released to the market a year before you shift here) the liquid is runny like normal eyedrops when you put them in your eyes, but the substance begins to form a film over your eyes. The film feels exactly like contacts, so it's easy to forget the substance is still on your eye. The film only lasts for a few hours (the film will eventually dissolve), and does not do any damage to the eye. To manually remove it, use the 'antidote' eye drops (wind protectant eyedrops and antidote eyedrops are sold in a set) to lubricate your eyes, then after blinking a few times, remove the film by softly pinching it out of the eye (NOT WITH UR NAILS, USE THE PADS OF YOUR FINGERTIPS!!!). The downside to these eyedrops is that they do not protect against the sun; though, sun-resistance eyedrops are starting to come to the market. You must make sure the sun eyedrops are wind-protectant friendly, or the sun eyedrops won't stick to the film, causing the sun eyedrops to leave your eyes too quickly. These eyedrops are also pretty expensive, but it's still less expensive than rider grade wind-breaker charms.

rider grade sun-resistance charm: A lot of people carry these around just in general, especially during summer, but the one's you should buy should be rider grade. Rider sun charms are stronger and are made to be used when you're flying in the sky for long periods of time. Sun charms need to be replaced every few months; all sun-resistance charms have to (legally) have a label that gradually changes to black-- the darker it is, the less it works. It typically starts to darken after two months of use.

moving on--

fighting attire: Unfortunately, it's not ideal to fight in aethergarde's uniform-- But, it's not like it's impossible if you take the outer coat off. Speaking of uniforms, Aethergarde provides a fighting garment set that comes with the formal uniform (the pretty one). You're required to wear it for fighting lessons, including outside missions; in your third, fourth, and fifth years, you can start replacing elements of your uniform with better material. Why not simply allow students to get their own fighting garments from the start? Students need to know how to fight wearing armor made for higher ranking riders-- the material is different from lower ranking riders' uniform.

you'd be wearing smth like this but w/o all the stringy bits! consists of a lot of wild dragon hide.

a weapon: you'll need to have chosen a weapon before the end of the second month!

optional riding supplies

décolletage cover: Main purpose is to provide warmth for the face and neck area without compromising movement. It's highly recommended-- plus, you'll look cool. Many décolletage covers are charmed to always be warm and protect against harmful gases.

often looks like this but less kinky looking and the bottom part is fitted to the chest-- also not all of them have this same design, but they all do cover the same areas.

it'd fit like this ^^^^ to the body!

riding gloves: helps you have a better grip with weapons or to your saddle. If you're planning to sleep on your dragon while it flies, there's a little belt mechanism that you can loop through the front of the dragon saddle that attaches your hands to the saddle. This helps keep your body from sliding off the dragon during flight. If the front of your saddle isn't comfortable, you can loop the belt through any belt buckle on the dragon; the most common place is around the bottom of the dragon's neck (pictured in the 2nd pic). It's best to get black gloves, but brown can also work.

the highlighted yellow area is, relatively, where the most popular glove attachment is (for napping). There'd be more belts and stuff around the dragon btw, I just didn't feel like doing all that shit.

belt vial holder: you can place travel sized containers of potion bottles in the best + you can attach charms to the belt too

flight bag(s): This bag can be easily attached to your dragon's saddle, most saddles can hold up to 2-4 bags. Bags in general can be tailored to become flight bags, but it's best if the bag has some sort of tight buckle-- you don't want your bag to fall open when you're flying around!

these kinds of bags are common riding bag designs! if you have a smaller satchel you like bringing around, you can put it inside of one of these bags

how to get your equipment (actually) pt.2

Like I mentioned earlier, it's better to buy rider equipment in cities rather than villages and small towns. During rider season, it won't be uncommon to see a bunch of stalls along the streets selling rider stuff.

Getting stuff like academy bags, belt vial holders, and travel bottles from stalls isn't a bad idea, but it's always best to get your most important equipment from an expert with a good reputation.

Unless you know the crafter is great at making everything-- extremely durable saddles, reins, weapons, and fighting attire, you should go to shops that specialize in each part.

recommended shops:

Since common street shops will be busy this time of year, I'm going to recommend you some underground shops.

I cannot guarantee that these places will be completely empty, as they're all well-known in their own right, but they all will be able to cater to you before all of your deadlines.

Make sure you bring the actual school supplies list with you!

middle steed

Name: Aadam El-Hussein

Specialization: dragon saddles, belts, and flight bags

Summary: After his father's arthritis in the hands started becoming worse, Aadam took over Middle Stead. His dad still helps around at the tannery though! As with all the shopkeepers, Aadam and his father are extremely passionate about their jobs. Don't be afraid to ask for any innovative features; like if you think you'd sleep a lot on dragonback, you can ask Aadam to make the saddle more comfortable for you to lay in a certain position. If you're extremely worried about safety, you can always ask to have other safety features implemented in the design.

To get here:

Find the Dragonmead Brewery in Itresal (the city Aethergarde Academy is located in) the alehouse is located on Millmount Street.

There should be a space between that brewery and the bakery next to it-- go down that alleyway and pass two wooden doors. When you get to that third door, knock; either an old man (Aadam's dad) or Aadam himself will open the door

From there, you can order a saddle and all the appropriate equipment you need

Some tips:

Get another saddle commissioned by him every two years; dragons grow relatively fast, so simple tailoring won't always suffice

You can put off getting saddles until your dragon near rider flight age

Instead of bringing your dragon to Middle Stead, bring him into Aethergarde. He'll need measurements to make a proper saddle

Any metal (like in the buckles) should be plated with a matte coat or cold black iron

storm forage

Name: Reynard Ulysses

Specialization: Dragon rider armor and rider fighting attire

Summary: Reynard was born into a rural farmer family, but after his older brother ended up being a rider, Reynard moved to Itresal with his brother. Since Reynard was often tasked with preparing hide, he decided to work at a local butcher shop to help his brother financially. Oftentimes, his brother would come home and complain that he needed to replace his fighting garments. The two of them couldn't afford to keep buying cheap fighting attire, so Reynard started learning how to make it himself. Eventually, he started selling his products to other people-- over the years, he's honed his skills, and became known in underground spaces for having great fighting attire.

To get here:

Located in the southern part of Itresal in Ranger's Way

Go down the alleyway between Steel Whim (blacksmith) and the Loving Fowl Inn

Walk straight until you reach a fork; walk through the rightmost path, then go left at the end of the path

There should be a wooden sign that says Storm Forage on a door; knock on that door, you can order from there

Some tips:

You may see Callisto here

Everything you wear has to be matte; tell Reynard to plate any metal on your fighting attire with cold black iron

waning moon burrows (face wear)

Name: Yessuf Yohannes Tarik

Specialization: rider goggles, rider visors, cloaks, aerodynamic magitech

Summary: Yessuf is the only one out of all the merchants so far who was born of noble status; however, he left home to escape from the classic noble lifestyle in his early 20s. He no longer wants to be a noble, and simply identifies as a commoner. Yessuf was particularly driven to escape his luxurious life to pursue his passions and sell his products at a more reasonable price. Ever since he was young, he had a strong affinity for engineering, but when magitech came around, he took his passion to a whole different level. Though is not a dragon rider, he was always fascinated by dragons, this spurred him on to make technology that would aid riders. Yessuf is an innovative prodigy; Yessuf's shop is most likely to be busier than the all of the ones I've mentioned so far.

To get here:

Located in the central part of Itresal in Quarry Avenue

Find The Pioneer Brewery and ask for a "vermond tea served with a stick of sweetbark"

The bartender will ask you to come to the back to see the new selection of sweetbark; follow the bartender, they will take you to Waning Moon

Some tips:

Literally every single product this guy sells is amazing. Not a single one is bad, he puts in a lot of effort to make everything he sells as good as he can make it

Only sells wind-resistance charms on the weekend, but sells wind an sun-resistance eyedrops Monday, Wednesday, and Friday

His wind-sun resistance eyedrops and his wind-resistance charms sell really quick

if there's something you want that he doesn't actively sell, like, perhaps... a flying ship.. you can commission him to make one, but you will prob need to provide him with a lot of the materials

You should get wind-sun resistance charms here; they're cheaper because Yessuf does not base the price on existing market value

the dew drop: potion's shop

Name: Katherine Dowenstein (Blonde lady), Lorelai Dowenstein (Brown hair)

Specialization: Potions, tonics, elixirs, balms, herbs

Summary: Katherine Dowenstein grew up in an orphanage. Despite that, her life was rather peaceful growing up. Since she loved going outdoors, cooking, and baking, her caregivers often remarked that she'd be a great apocathary when she's older. Determined to meet their expectations, she began learning all about different plants and potions through both books and experience. When she was older, she decided to work in a potions' shop, but hated the restrictions placed on her. Kathie grew to hate her job, and her love for potions waned, but it wasn't until she healed a child who was thought to have an incurable disease secretly by giving the child tonics Kathie believed had a chance at helping her through her illness. That child was Lorelai; after she recovered, Lorelai begged to become Kathie's apprentice. By Kathie's request, Lorelai lied and told her parents and everyone else that her body simply fought the virus on its own. Kathie didn't want a lot of people knowing about her skills, as she didn't want to be confined by strict regulations any longer. Kathie started her own potion's shop; Lorelai helps her out.

To get here:

There's two different ways

One way is to find Lorelai; she frequents a bread shop called Crumb Hours at 8AM-10AM to read a book and eat before she goes to work (Mon-Fri)

Ask her if she's reading Time of Barbury by Guinevere Roth; she'll say yes, and she'll ask you to join her on her walk back to The Dew Drop at 10AM

Another way is to find the way to the shop yourself

To do this, go to the same bakery that Lorelai likes to go to, Crumb Hours, and go down the alleyway located between the bakery and Utred's Lenses

Go straight down until you reach the area where the path deviates; go left, continue down the path until you come across a fork

Go down the middle path; then knock on a door labelled The Dew Drop

Notice that the area is not the shop is not selling any potions-- only herbs

Lorelai will answer; tell her if she's selling the book Time of Barbury

She'll nod, and she'll take you down a trapdoor, which you lead you to the actual store

Once you see Kathie, you know you're in the right place

Some tips:

Katherine prefers to go by Kathie!

Ok so do note that the regulations placed on potions and tonics are there to (obviously) make sure that potions and stuff are safe to consume, but since it's so strict, it's hard to be innovative, and use different kinds of ingredients and recipes to make potions

"but what about weapons?"

You'll need to go to a shop that specifically caters to your weapon type; if the store sells weapons that aren't closely related to each other (like swords, bows, and scythes), it's unlikely that to shop is of the best quality. if a shop sells only daggers and swords, that means that the people making the equipment are actually specialized in making those weapons. Since there are so many weapon types, I don't think I can make shopkeepers for each!

[wazzuppy]

A Very Tangled Halloween

(AKA what I think various Tangled characters would dress up as for Halloween 😋)

Rapunzel: The girl from The Ring. For one thing it matches the Decay Incantation, but I also just think that Rapunzel would prefer to dress scary over dressing cute. She gets to be cute every other day of the year! She wants to be SCARY for once, damnit!

Eugene: He would love any kind of cheesy matching costumes. But if he can't match with Rapunzel or Lance (which has a 50% chance of breaking his heart), he'd dress up as a sexier version of other, normal Halloween costume. Nothing too crazy or revealing, but he's definitely prioritizing prettiness over spookiness.

Pascal: There is no way Rapunzel wouldn't dress him up. I think she'd dress him as a tiny version of whatever she's going as. (Also, Eugene would be so salty over his wife matching with her pet frog instead of him.)

Maximus: NOPE. Nuh-uh! That horse is NOT dressing up— at least not without a fight. It'd take the entire castle to wrangle him into even just a festively decorated saddle, and then he'd pout for the whole night.

Cassandra: You would have to force her into dressing up. She's way too busy (and proud) to wear a costume, but if she absolutely HAS TO then it'd be something that she can easily DIY— like using some of the castle guard's uniforms to make herself into a musketeer. Just something easy but that doesn't look cheap.

Varian: He is definitely the type to come up with a LOT of costume ideas. Mad scientist is an obvious one and so is a vampire (since there's quite a bit of fanart I've seen of him as one), but I could also totally imagine him as dressing up as someone he knows. Maybe him and his dad dress up as each other one year. Oh, and he's of course dressed up as Flynn Rider more than a few times.

Lance: Like I mentioned before, Lance and Eugene are the KINGS of matching costumes. You know those two-person horse costumes that you see in cartoons? That's them. I think Lance is more willing to do an individual costume than Eugene would be, though. Lance would probably dress up as something traditionally Halloweeny— like a skeleton or pirate— and then add his own twist on it. Instead of just a skeleton, he's a cowboy skeleton. Instead of just a pirate, he's a pirate on vacation.

Red/Catalina: While she and Angry matching would be adorable, I actually don't think Red would want to do that. She also wouldn't want to be a werewolf, because that'd just be too easy. She wants to be able to stand out. I could definitely imagine her going as something that's both cute and spooky, like a ghost princess, and asking Rapunzel to help her with the costume.

Angry/Kiera: Any kind of animal and/or magical creature. She prefers the cool ones, like a dragon, but she can be convinced to dress up as something cuter if she thinks it'll get her more candy. Lance obviously helps her make the costume, and if cameras existed, he would be taking dozens of pictures of the girls and sending them to everyone he knows.

[performativezippers]

When writing romance, what causes the relationships to feel like they lack a 'spark'? like, chemistry? I got these two characters who are opposites, they have a lot of things in common, potential for conflict and/or love, but despite that, it still feels like there's Nothing Fun happening there. They have more chemistry with the villain than with their love interest, and... i have no idea why! XD what could be missing?

ooh this is a great question! I have no idea what's going wrong in your piece specifically (although if you want to send me a page or so of them interacting i'd be happy to look at it and let you know what i see) but in general, here's what comes to mind first.

on-page chemistry is hard to write. it's hard! this is why actors are required to do chemistry reads, right, because if it could be guaranteed on the page, it wouldn't matter if the actors were limp socks. movies and TV shows have so much more to work with: not just actors, but camera angles and cuts, framing them in one shot together, lingering glances, MUSIC, lighting. fiction writers just have...words!

so those words need to try to fill in all of those gaps.

you've said your characters are opposites with a lot in common and potential for conflict or love. my first thought is where is the tension between them? are they attracted to each other? are they in competition with each other? what is keeping them apart and why is it integral to your story? if it's enemies to lovers, why are they enemies and why can't they just make up and get along? if they're friends to lovers, why can't they just start being lovers? if there's an external obstacle, like they'd both be kicked out of the dragon riders for fraternizing, why don't they just do that? and once you have that why, is it infusing every scene they have together? because it should be!

Not that you want every scene between them to be, "Sam, I wish we could kiss but we would be kicked out the dragon riders if we did," "I know Jamie, I do too," that would be repetitive and boring and annoying as fuck for the reader, right, of course. But every romantic interaction could be tinged with regret, with want, with yearning for a different situation. What if when Sam looks at Jamie before a big battle, they see an alternate reality in Jamie's eyes, a world in which everything were different--no war, no riders, no command--just the two of them with a cabin and a woodstove and a warm quilt Jamie's made on their bed, a world in which nothing would come between them, where Sam would never have to see Jamie saddle up to fight in the sky, would never have to wonder if Jamie would ever come home, would never have to wonder what Jamie's lips would feel like against her own?

in that example, there is want (we want to live happily together) but there's tension (we can't be together and also there's war that might kill us) which rubs against the want and creates sparks.

so I'd say think about your piece and your characters, and look at if their desire is sharp enough, and the tension keeping them apart is jagged enough, to rub up against each other and send up sparks that will eventually devour everything in flames.

because you've said they have more chemistry with the villain, i think you're close, because usually villain/hero chemistry comes from exactly this. the hero wants something (win the war for my side, save my dragon and my friend) and the villain wants something else (win the war for the other side), those wants are in direct contradiction (aka in tension), and that tension is taut enough to shoot up sparks. so you can do it! you're already doing it! just try to add that tension and this-is-what-is-keeping-us-apart to everything between the two romantic leads and see where that takes you.

in terms of the writing on the line level, make sure you're giving enough non-dialogue narration for the reader to understand the impact of the dialogue or actions. we've all read "flirting" that falls flat, which is usually because the words are flying back-to-back without any non-dialogue ("narration" or "inner life") to give it weight. i'm known for using lots of body examples (how does it feel in her body, does her heart clench, her teeth grind, her speen rise) but there are a ton of ways to do it! what does it remind her of, how does it feel in emotions, how does it feel in her body, what is she thinking, what is she imagining, what else is she noticing, what does she wish would be happening instead? those are all questions that might get you to some real, raw richness inside your POV narrator. here's a little example I made up:

instead of

"you look great up there," sam flirts as jamie vaults into her saddle. "you too," jamie blushes. "stay safe." "fight strong," sam intones. "see you after."

try adding in depth via narration, like

Jamie vaults into her saddle, and Sam's heart clenches. "You look great up there," she says. It comes out more flirtatious than sad, just what she wanted. She feels so weighed down by her feelings for Jamie, but she wants Jamie to fly unburdened, light and creative and free, the way she fights best. Jamie blushes, and Sam blinks back tears. God, what if this were all different. What if Jamie was safe, what if it were five hundred years ago and the dragons were merely pets and modes of transportation, not war machines. What if she could make Jamie blush out of memory of how they'd spent the morning tangled up together in their furs, instead of this--this bleak, unspoken, never-to-be-consumated, possibly unrequited thing between them. "You too," Jamie says, just as softly. And then, somehow even more tender, "Stay safe." Sam knows there are other rider saddling up around them, that command is always watching. She says what she's supposed to in return, hoping the words have magic to them. "Fight strong," she says, hearing others around the paddock saying the same incantation to each other but not meaning it the way she does. "See you after."

I hope that's helpful! Let me know your thoughts, everyone!