#and Alice naturally doesn't remember the fire

[victorluvsalice]

Valicer Polyship Week 2024, Day Four: Let’s Dance (Severance AU)

We've reached Day Four of Valicer Polyship Week 2024, inspired by @polyshipweek, and our prompt today is "Let's Dance!" Because, while I don't talk about it as much as I used to, I am still a huge fan of my various ships dancing together. :D And I knew exactly what AU I wanted to pair the prompt with -- my new Valicer Severance AU! Otherwise known as "I Owe My Soul To The Company Store" after that one music video I reblogged. Severance the TV show has a rather iconic scene of the Innies getting a "Music/Dance Experience" in episode 7 (you can watch it here if you are so inclined -- warning, it takes a turn for the violent near the end, as one of the main characters is on edge after learning something interesting about his Outie's life the night before), so I figured this prompt would be the perfect opportunity to do my take on what an MDE would look like for my Innie trio. :) Hope you enjoy!

--

DeeedledeeedleeDIIING!

Smiler jerked their hands away from their keyboard, blinking. Across from them, Victor jumped, looking around. “W-what was that?”

“Sounded like it came from Smiler’s computer,” Alice said, getting up and peering over the partition separating their desks. “What did you do?”

“Nothing!” Smiler insisted, eyeing their set-up suspiciously. “I just sorted another set of numbers, and then that happened.”

“Well, you must have done something different.” Alice leaned on the partition, smirking. “Did the numbers make you feel a prohibited emotion? Ennui, perhaps?”

Smiler stuck out their tongue at her. “You know this entire job is one big study in ennui,” they said, studying their screen to see if there was anything new and exciting. There were the usual bins at the bottom, waiting to be filled with pointless bullshit; there was the giant field of numbers in the middle, a sea of remorselessly ridiculous digits; there was the name of the file at the top, the never-to-be-explained “Hill Valley;” there was the progress bar next to that – “Oh! I made 75%!”

“You – wait, really?” Victor said, getting up and coming over for a look.

“Yeah, look.” Smiler pointed at the bar. “Didn’t even realize...so I guess that was a ‘good job’ noise.”

“Huh – congratulations, then,” Alice said, looking slightly impressed despite herself. “First time any of us have managed that with a file – Wheatley!” she called over to their supervisor. “Smiler got 75% on Hill Valley!”

“They what?” Wheatley came zooming over on his rail to see, stopping just over Victor’s shoulder and making him duck out of the way. “Oh, look at that! That’s fantastic!” he declared, flexing his outer plates. “That means you, Smiler A., get an MDE!”

“MDE?” Smiler repeated, brow crinkled.

“Music/Dance experience! A five-minute dance party – DJed by yours truly,” Wheatley added, spinning on his rail. “Let me get the cart – just a moment!”

He zipped off, humming to himself. Smiler watched him go, then looked back at Victor and Alice. “I – I gotta admit, I’d kind of forgotten that was a thing,” they said, brushing their bangs out of their face.

“So had I,” Victor said, going back to his own desk. “Hang on, there must be something on it in the handbook…” He pulled it out of his drawer and flipped through it. “Here we are – yes, it’s the tier just below 100% completion and Cake Day. I’m not surprised we forgot, though – like Alice said, none of us have ever gotten that far on a file before.”

“They must have forgotten to expire yours before you hit the magic number,” Alice said, smiling. “Well, good to know that we can get rewards other than those stupid erasers and finger traps. Just don’t get your hopes up about the cake.”

“I won’t, trust me,” Smiler said, crossing their heart with a finger. “Besides, with our luck? I wouldn’t be surprised if they gave us a giant wad of tuna fish in the shape of a cake instead.”

Victor pulled a face. “If they did that, I’d burn this fucking place to the ground.”

“Can we get that in writing?” Alice asked, leaning on her hand.

Before Smiler could point out that there was no way any of them were getting access to matches anytime soon, Wheatley returned, followed by a little motorized cart that skidded to a stop beside Smiler’s desk, bearing a trio of cheap party hats in Aperture-approved orange and blue and a couple of speakers. “Here we are! Wouldn’t let me connect to it at first, but I had a few words with it,” he said brightly. “All right, so – just pick your genre of music and your accessory, and we’ll be off!”

“Accessory?” Smiler repeated – then jerked back as a drawer on the cart popped out practically into their lap, bearing a maraca, a pair of castanets, a party horn, a set of bells on a stick, and a single sad glowstick. “Oh. Uh – so – I just – pick something?”

“Yup! Grab your item, then you can choose your music,” Wheatley said, rolling his optic down toward a laminated list of musical genres lying atop the cart. “And then it’s party time! Wooo!”

Smiler snorted. “You’re happier about this than I am,” they noted, looking through their “accessory” options.

“Well, it does mean that I’ve been doing a great job as your supervisor,” Wheatley said, in a tone that said that if he had a nose, he’d be putting it in the air. “And besides, this isn’t like when you guys made those race cars out of office supplies, or went wandering off and petted those baby goats, or had your little make-out picnic in the kitchen. This is an Official Aperture Science Macrodata Refinement Incentive! Miss Glados can’t say a word about us taking five minutes to boogie!”

A grin slowly spread over Smiler’s face. “...that’s a good point.” Sure, corporate-mandated fun was probably far from the best fun they could have down here, but it was definitely the safest. And Smiler really enjoyed the idea of Miss Glados steaming over seeing them happy, but being unable to do anything about it. They picked up the glowstick and gave it a little shake, watching it light up a pleasant banana yellow (not that they ever remembered seeing a banana, but they were reasonably sure that was right). “This feels me.”

“It does,” Alice agreed, coming around to look at the list of music as the drawer retracted as violently as it had extended. “As for your music choices...you’ve your pick of Defiant Jazz, Bawdy Funk, Playful Punk, Wistful Pipes, Effusive Ska, Bouncy Swing–

“That one,” Smiler cut in with a nod, getting up. “This is supposed to be a party, isn’t it? Let’s have the happiest music we’ve got.”

“Sounds good to me! Now, everybody, this is in Smiler’s honor, but you should all feel free to get up and dance!” Wheatley announced, as if he was talking to a giant crowd instead of just three people. “Let’s get this party started!”

Right on cue, the lights dimmed, then started cycling through a rainbow of different colors as out of the cart’s speakers came the most upbeat, high-tempo music Smiler had ever heard. Not that they actually recalled ever hearing any music before, but that just made this tune all the more exhilarating, sending a thrill straight through their bones. Their feet seemed to move of their own accord, catching the beat and sending them spinning across the floor. Laughing, Smiler let their body take control, shaking their glowstick to the rhythm of the horns. Good to know some part of me knows how to dance! Would have been embarrassing otherwise!

“Yeah, that’s the spirit!” Wheatley cheered, bobbing to the beat as best he could while Smiler soft-shoed about. “Come on, Victor, Alice! Not a party with just two people!”

Victor smiled awkwardly and began very tentatively to sway on the spot, raising his arms slightly. Alice, by contrast, immediately threw herself into the music, waving her hands in the air and doing some very interesting hops and skips around their cubicles. “What is that?” Smiler laughed, boogieing over her way.

“No bloody clue, but it feels right!” Alice responded with a big grin, grabbing their hands and swinging them around before flinging them away. She promptly bounced over to Victor, grabbing his hands in turn. “Come on – we know you can do better than that!”

“I don’t,” Victor said, though he did let Alice pull him forward, closer to the cart.

“Well, we wouldn’t actually know if you messed up,” Smiler pointed out encouragingly, making their way over and bumping their shoulder against Victor’s side before fluttering their eyelashes up at him. “Please?”

Victor snorted. “You’re very silly,” he noted, picking up the rhythm more as he moved from side to side. “Both of you.”

“That’s why you love us,” Alice said, twirling herself into his arms before gazing up at him adoringly.

Victor smiled down at her, then over at Smiler, freeing a hand to beckon them over. “Yes. Yes it is.”

Smiler followed his finger, their heart going all warm and runny at the deep fondness in Victor’s eyes, and the cheeky little grin on Alice’s face. Not for the first time (or the second, or the third, or the fiftieth), they found themselves wishing they could leave this stupid fucking office and actually go outside. Go live an actual life somewhere together, where there were windows and seasons and as few numbers as possible. Where they got eat things other than tuna fish sandwiches and do things other than sit at computers all damn day. Where they could be together without constantly worrying about cameras and Miss Glados and the Break Room. Where they could dance for more than five minutes to whatever music they liked.

But that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon, if ever. Not with everything they were owned by fucking Aperture and its goons. But they still had these five minutes, and Smiler was determined to make the most of them. They slid under Victor’s arm and snuggled up to him, slipping their free arm around Alice. She pulled them in close, and together they bobbed to the music, just enjoying each other’s company and the break from the endless sorting. One day, Smiler quietly vowed, glancing at their partners. One day, we’re getting out of here, whatever it takes. And when we do, the first thing I’m doing is dancing with both of you for real.

[horizon-verizon]

tbh there was no reason to say that alicent and haelena were beloved by the smallfolk. they're part in starting the war that put the smallfolk to their knees, it's more reasonable for them to be hated than loved

(Webpage Link)

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Helaena's inactivity works well for her reputation (in-world and out) under the post-Fall of KL situation bc she's surrounded by more actively ruling women and actively ruling women are more under fire than those who ruler for a man, work behind the scenes, or directly rule. Since female rulership is not favored and even suspicious under Andal-Faith patriarchy.

Her own inactivity and the Faith-Andal social expectation of an ideal queen consort to be just a womb-for-heirs can do nothing to spoil the smallfolk's already favorable image/idea of her...bc she doesn't do anything that could affect said image.

Rhaenyra is the "bad guy" for the taxes and trying to rule; Helaena is the "good guy", for not ruling at all (and sitting there ready for symbolic use).

The whole point of GRRM writing about who was "loved" as a Queen and who wasn't was to point out how people in KL characterized a "good" Queen by her innocence, "sweetness" that is really their non-rulership and inactivity. Rhaenyra ruled obviously and directly, while Alicent ruled through others and for her sons in their absence while never having to really put down riots aside from the one she triggered by displaying a dragon's head through the streets. Alicent, unlike Rhaenyra, did not have to contend with rumors being spread about her specifically to destabilize her hand. Helaena didn't rule at all she was always just a consort who affected Aegon only once and that was accompanied by Alicent and other councilmen calming Aegon down when he wanted to imprison and kill Rhaenyra...nothing to do w/the smallfolk.

Yes, Helaena was a kinder, "gentler" person than those around her and even before the war she could have been loved for that....but she was also the most passive & accessory person than those around her and never effected any policies or laws, unlike Alysanne. Helaena never had be into a position as to decided what strategy or tactic to win smallfolk over or to support a city or defend against attackers to said city or to protect her family's image, prestige, etc. other than birthing and nurturing heirs. She never had to implement any unsavory taxes like Jaehaerys-Rego Draz or Rhaenyra-Bartimos or Rogar/Alyssa-Edwell or even just Alicent with her choice to drag around a dragon head. Or Dany with her opening the fighting pits to save her people, deciding not to kill her hostages, releasing a prisoner some of her council advised her not to, trying to get Drogo to stop the rape of Lhazarene women, etc. So of course she doesn't get any hate from anyone, much less the smallfolk who'd be most affected.

Remember that before the war, Rhaenyra's "Realm's Delight" moniker was also her image-advantaged(?) from the singers giving said name (bc child-Rhaenyra was seen as "delightful" at court where those singers are as they also were trying to gain favor from Viserys).

Likely, Viserys and his council used said moniker to their advantage and let their audience develop a stronger impression of Rhaenyra's overall loveliness. And not bc her child self--the precociousness, the beauty, etc.--wasn't real nor not bc she didn't grow up to be actually very beautiful, but bc it helped to bolster her image, this girl who would need a lot to supplement her newfound heirship since she was female.

Remember, too, how Daenaera Velaryon's childhood beauty was lauded and intertwined with her arrival to KL and the Maiden's Ball? Yeah.

It was worked with for Rhaenyra's later Riverland tour and worked to get the riverlords more on her side. this is the nature of the "two-faced coin" that F&B EXPLICITLY stated were of love and hate ("Rhaenyra Triumphant"):

The smallfolk did not know Helaena as subjects--esp peasants--can't personally know their leaders and their families. They love an idea of her; they hate an idea of Rhaenyra. And both images go through exchanges from the circumstances, not ONLY through the person's actions. And tbh and as the book tries to tell us, that is the best position a queen (consort) could have when she is surrounded by women (dowager, consort, regnant whatever) who take on a more active, male-conceived role in leadership.

.............................................................................

This is bigger than "who was the bitch-queen" or the "perfect queen"?...precisely bc there is no such thing as a "perfect" queen aside form the queen who does nothing at all but be a womb for heirs. And if she does do charities, it's not even guaranteed to be exclusively be for the smallfolk. Alysanne was genuinely loved as a queen bc everyone could see how she affected Jaehaerys, she used said influence to make better laws for smallfolk and it was very obvious and public CONSTANTLY, went--by herself--to create women's courts, AND was she visually pretty. Helaena does not have such influence nor initiative; so the love for her cannot be from anything she did but what she stands for in the memory of the smallfolk, who at the were starving and in constant survival mode, desperate for economic and other types of "relief" (that yes, they should have gotten but didn't from noble warfare upending their already probs not-so-great abilities to sustain themselves pre-war), looking for something and anything like safety if not outright real physical safety.

This has interesting commentary and scenarios of what queenship means and how quickly the "coin" of favor of the public--noble or smallfolk, but esp the smallfolk--can turn! And it turns for the smallfolk depending on the immediate results of a leader's actions or to contrast an imagined/real "better" past against the reality under the current leader (Aerys II vs post-Robert's death).

Even way before this, we constantly hear from Jaehaerys I's early reign about "words are wind" and words vs action...let's piece things together, people!

[panlight]

Hi,

Just a question I wanted to ask about. How do you head-cannon the familial(or perhaps lack thereof) dynamics of the other major covens in twilight? eg. Egyptians, Denali, Irish etc

I was thinking about this the other day like with the Denali - Carmen and Eleazar are physically older and perhaps frozen at a more mature age but physically younger members like Kate have been around for longer and I was just intrigued by how these factors might affect their dynamic. Also with the Egyptian coven and how with them ‘generation gap’ literally takes on a whole new definition that makes one wonder if they genuinely do have a unique rapport with each other after being in close proximity for so long.

Feel free to ignore - just my little brain dump lmao. Love reading your posts and hope you keep writing!

Have a great day!

I conceptualize Eleazar and Carmen as the 'Alice and Jasper' of the Denali coven. They are a couple who join an established, venom-linked coven sometime later. The Denali sisters had their 'mother' for presumably centuries, and then existed as a trio for a long time before Eleazar and Carmen show up, so while I'm certain they did shift the dynamics somewhat, I don't see them as 'parental' in any real way. They are similar to Esme and Carlisle in personality, but that's where it ends for me. The sisters are very loyal to the memory of their mother, and they've been around too long to let anyone 'parent' them. To be fair, I feel similarly about Jasper; I don't think Esme and Carlisle 'parent' him; he's old enough to be Esme's grandfather, for one thing, but I also think he doesn't need or want the parental stuff. Affection, friendship, companionship, mentorship (re: vegetarianism), sure! "Jasper honey wash your face and put on your boots it's time for school! Did you finish all your homework?" I can't see it.

I think Eleazar is also like 'the Jasper' in the sense that he has some useful skills and knowledge from his time with the Volturi. He's not the leader -- Tanya is -- but she may rely on him for certain things, just like Carlisle can turn to Jasper for his knowledge of newborns and vampire warfare.

Beyond that I see them as adopted siblings of the original sisters and probably each have unique relationships within that framework. Maybe Irina was closer to Carmen while Tanya is closer to Eleazar or whatever.

With the Egyptians I think there is a more parental role for Amun and to a lesser extent, Kebi. Amun is Benjamin's creator and while that bond doesn't always become parental, given how young Benjamin was (15) it seems like it most naturally would in this case. I don't think Kebi necessarily sees him as a 'son' in quite the same way . . . maybe more like a step-son. He's Amun's son and she loves Amun so okay, this kid is here to stay, but I think she resents on some level that she has to 'share' Amun's affection with him. Tia is definitely IMO a daughter-in-law rather than a daughter. Amun puts up with it because it makes Benjamin happy and he wants to keep Benjamin around. But with Amun there's always that overlay of what he REALLY cares about is the power. I think he does have a lot of affection for Benjamin but it's hard to separate that from his pride at having this amazingly powerful vampiric offspring.

There is a huge generation gap though! Amun and Kebi are literally from Ancient Egypt and Benjamin and Tia are from like, early 1800s Egypt. Completely different religion, culture, language, etc. I remember finding it a little strange in that short film that they were talking about Benjamin stealing fire from Ra; it's the 1800s, Egypt had been a Muslim-majority country for several hundred years by that point. (Also 'Ra' was probably some dude Amun knew back in the day!) Interestingly, 'Tia' was a name used in Ancient Egypt. Not sure how common it was in the late 1700s/early 1800s though.

[darklinaforever]

For God's sake, just because you don't find a character interesting doesn't mean others can't. It's just your perception, don't try to pass it off as the only truth. Different characters evoke different emotions in different people and it's okay to say "I don't like this character" or "I don't find this character interesting." But it's not normal to yell that people who think this character is deep are idiots. You're literally acting like a person who, I don't know, doesn't like the color blue and is trying to prove to everyone that blue is a shitty color. This is crazy.

You :

For God's sake, just because you don't find a character interesting doesn't mean others can't. It's just your perception, don't try to pass it off as the only truth. Different characters evoke different emotions in different people and it's okay to say "I don't like this character" or "I don't find this character interesting."

What is not understandable in these simple sentences that I said ?

(But then, if people find that Aegon II is an interesting villain in one way or another, good for them ! I do not claim to have the holy word about the love that one can have or not have for a villain. All tastes are in nature. Perhaps the depth of his pathos and monstrosity can be interesting and fascinating on a certain level ? But for me, the way he's written doesn't grab me at all and I can't really see anything interesting about him... On the other hand, I think I'm speaking completely objectively when I say that Aegon II from Fire and Blood, is not deep, complex and complicated. Sorry not sorry)

It's Aegon II, indeed, who I don't find interesting at all, even as a villain. He's just pathetic and disgusting, and anyway it seems to me that these are canonical traits of him... But some people like this type of villain and good for them, it's just not my personal cup of tea.

And yes, I said that the character of Aegon II or Aemond had no depth or complexity, which is... true ?

Interesting does not necessarily mean being depth or complex (and even fascinating does not necessarily mean complex or depth). Disney villains for example mostly have no depth or complexity, yet they are usually always interesting and or fascinating in one way or another for the majority of people. The best example I can give is Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty.

Again, I never denied that one could find Aemond, or Aegon II interesting. As I've already said I myself find that Aemond is interesting through the prism of his writing, but not Aegon II. Yet I absolutely do not want anyone who might find it interesting in one way or another, as my old comments from my last two posts prove. So before you accuse me of something I didn't say, it would be nice if you actually read what I wrote. This will avoid making comments from the start of your request.

But please, describe to me all their so-called complexity. Aemond is described as a little devil from his introduction and remains so until his death. As for Aegon II, if it's due to his so-called refusal of the throne in the first place, there are tons of posts, including mine, which explain well why this is pro-greens propaganda bullshit created by Eustace.

Then, as I already said, it is not because a villain can have sincere positive feelings for someone that he has depth and complexity to spare. (I say this in case anyone comes to tell me that Aegon II loved his brothers because of building statues of them. And no, I'm not making any reference to Sunfyre, because, sorry to shatter the dreams of Aegon II stans, but he didn't give a damn about his dragon ; @nrilliree has already explained it very well several times. It's the same for those who think that Aemond cares so much about his mother Alicent, when he didn't even try to get her back after she was captured, even though he literally had the biggest dragon in the world at his disposal. Quite funny when we remember how Alicent declared that her son would come get her... And let's not even talk about those who romanticized his relationship with Alys, when he literally took her as a woman object. This is what war prices mean. It has nothing to do with being a mistress. Translation : He raped her ! Go to see @horizon-verizon for these things about Aemond)

Again, the movie “The Frighteners” is a great example of this. There we find two villains who are madly in love with each other, but who are real psychopaths obsessed with murder simply to break records with crazy looks, including the girl who often screams hysterically. Clearly, we cannot really say, just because they sincerely love each other, that they are complex and deep villains, because they remain quite caricatured despite this particularity.

And that seems to be something that's been happening a lot lately. That we confuse interesting and fascinating, with depth and complexity for villain characters.

Villains can be deep and complex, as well as being interesting and fascinating. But not all of them are. And sorry, but Aegon II is clearly not a character with any particular depth or complexity (unless you sincerely believe the bullshit that he was manipulated by Criston to take the throne and out of fear that Rhaenyra would kill his brothers and sisters. And again, I will say that it's still debatable even if this thing were true).

And I don't think it's crazy to just describe how Aegon II was written as a villain by GRRM. It's great to have your own interpretation of a text, but after a while, there is interpretation and fanfiction that we make in our own heads.

But once again, please try to explain to me the so-called depth and complexity that Aegon II and Aemond possess in Fire and Blood. (Obviously trying to give me examples that haven't already been dismantled and refuted...)

[tessarionbestgirl]

https://www.tumblr.com/tessarionbestgirl/764796232445116416/rhaenyra-stans-see-all-the-characters-with-whom?source=share

All this so that in the end, Alicent uses Criston as a dildo, is cruel to him, and ends up sacrificing him, exposing his location. You should be ashamed to be a fan of Criston and want him to be the servant of a woman who doesn’t care about him.

And remember that the only place where this romantic, religious relationship exists, where she is his guiding light and all that nonsense, is in the show, because in the book they don’t have this ‘deep’ relationship; in any case, they were just allies. So what she did here is canon. In reality, you all use Criston in the same way that the Rhaenicent fans use Alicent. Both ships are shit. 😭

I see anon you really like make up assumptions about people lfmao.

While I like Alicole dinamic, I never didn't critize the choices they done with he characters. I was up front commenting what Alicent done was nasty, she sacrificed everyone she loves for her own good. A character that spend most of her life sacrificing herself for others. This was a 180 degree turn with almost no building up that no character can come back. Is her character assassination.

But also you are generalizing too much. First it have been confirmed by director, there is love between them, and Olivia and Emily said that Alicent have romantic feelings for Cole since she was a child. So no she didn't use him only as a dildo.

Second, Alicole supposedly not existing in Fire and Blood, and say supposedly, because if you squint enough, you can find hints of it, it doesn't equal the fanfic that is rh@enicest, because, you can see the natural development of their relationship considering who characters are and they story and their relationship serve the narrative as daemyra foils.

While rh@icesnt hurts the narrative and drags both characters to the mud just so they can have conversations together.

Is not the same thing. Be for real anon.

[francesminos-tt]

WEDDING NIGHT JOFFRON INSPIRED BY NUHON (it's your fault that made me addicted to this dynamic)

You know wedding night in this au is not gonna be happy!! You asked for it!!

Joffrey sat in his childhood room, alone, a deep forest green cloak draping over his shoulder. The fire was roaring in the hearth, making the room so warm that Joffrey was sweating in his wedding gown. He was exhausted, nervous, uncomfortably warm, but he didn’t dare to move. The headpiece on his head was heavily gilded, decorated with various gems and tassels, which made it so heavy that Joffrey couldn't move his head freely. The omega was confident that this headpiece sent by Dowager Queen Alicent was meant to torture him. So was his extremely stifling wedding gown. What other purpose could these unnecessarily extravagant outfit have, if not to put Joffrey through a hard time?

The Dowager Queen really didn't have to go such length to torture him, because being married to her son itself was the biggest torment. Joffrey remembered the conversation with his omega brother Lucerys earlier, when Lucerys came to help him dress.

“You are very beautiful, Joff.” Lucerys said, brushing Joffrey’s hair with scented oil to try taming the wild curls, “You will be the most beautiful bride Dragonstone has ever seen.”

There aren’t many weddings held in Dragonstone, Joffrey wanted to say, but eventually he decided to stay silent. He didn't want to embarrass Luke. Luke was the only one he could turn to in terms of omega experience. Joffrey could ask his mother, of course, or consult a maester about what was expected of him as an omega bride, but Joffrey was so scared that he might let his fear show. He couldn’t. He had to put on a strong face, for mother, for peace, and for the realm.

“I can’t believe my little brother is getting married.” Lucerys chuckled as he braided Joffrey’s hair to fit into the headpiece, “Are you excited, Joff?”

“I…” Joffrey paused, not sure what to say, “I don't know, Luke. It all happened so fast. One minute I was told that I presented as an omega, and the next I am getting married to Uncle Daeron.”

“It was a necessary decision,” Lucerys said, “doesn't mean it was easy.”

“I guess not.” Joffrey replied. Rationally, he could see the importance of this marriage, a symbol of union, of reconsolidation, of peace. Joffrey might be young, but he was not stupid. He had seen enough struggles and bloodshed to understand the importance of peace. The war needed to stop, or else the realm would go to ruin. If Joffrey’s marriage was what it took to stop the war, he would gladly accept his fate, no matter how gloomy the future seemed.

“If it will make you feel any better, I can assure you that Daeron is an honorable alpha.” Lucerys broke the silence again, now proceeding to apply some rogue on Joffrey’s cheek, “I have known him since before he presented. He is fiercely loyal to those who he loves. He will make a fine husband for you.”

Joffrey’s lip twitched, the question on the tip of his tongue, ready to slip at any moment.

“What is it, Joff?” Lucerys asked before Joffrey could open his mouth, clearly noticing Joffrey’s agitation. Lucerys was always so observant and smart, which Joffrey could never be.

“Does it hurt?” Joffrey whispered, his soft voice almost drowned out by the crackling fire.

Lucerys’s eyebrows raised in confusion, but his expression soon relaxed into a knowing smile.

“Maybe a little.” Lucerys replied, brushing Joffrey’s braids aside to expose the boy’s neck, “You know how it’s done, right? Daeron will bite your scent gland, right here. It might sting, but not too bad.”

“How does it feel?” Joffrey rubbed his unmarked neck nervously, dreading the fact that by the same time tomorrow, it would be scarred by a mating bite.

“It feels magical.” Lucerys said, “The union of an alpha and an omega is the most sacred thing nature can offer. Being claimed by your alpha doesn't mean you are conquered. It just means you and your husband are bond in blood and love.”

Blood, yes, but love? Joffrey wasn’t sure. He had only met Daeron a short time ago, but from what he learned, Daeron was obviously more interested in Lucerys than him. Joffrey hadn't spoken to Daeron after the betrothal, so he had no idea how Daeron felt about their union. Did Daeron accept the marriage because he had no other choice? Did Daeron agree to marry Joffrey as a way of showing loyalty to Lucerys? Did Daeron even remember Joffrey’s name?

Fortunately, Joffrey didn't have to worry for long. The bedroom door was pushed open, revealing a tall figure leaning against the door frame. A breeze of cool air rushed into the room, mitigating the stifling warmth just a bit. Joffrey lifted his head ever so slightly, and tried to make out the face of the intruder through silver tassels. He couldn't see it clearly, but he could tell the man was Daeron from the intense alpha scent. Burned incense, with a hint of honey. It felt like walking into a holy sept.

Daeron shut the door with his feet and walked briskly towards the bed. Joffrey closed his eyes instinctively, as if fearing Daeron would somehow hurt him.

“Good evening, my bride.” Daeron said cheekily as he sat down next to Joffrey, “Why are you still in that ridiculous gown?”

Joffrey didn't know what to say. He had no idea what to do. He didn’t dare taking off the gown because he had heard that alphas liked to strip omegas with their own hand. Did Daeron think he wanted to wear this gown? For fuck’s sake, he was soaking his undershirt in this warmth.

“I thought you might want me to leave it on.” Joffrey decided on the most unoffending words, “Husband.”

“Uh, by the Seven!” Daeron rolled his eyes, kicking off his own boots and climbing onto the bed, “No, get rid of it. I hate overly decorated stuff. And the headpiece, too. It almost broke my nose when I kissed you to seal the vow.”

It was true. They had some accident when exchanging vows, and Joffrey had been so scared that Daeron might stomp out of the door and annul the marriage. He couldn't let that happen. He needed to keep Daeron on their side. The war hadn't ended yet.

“Okay.” Joffrey nodded and began to take off his wedding gown. First the green cloak. It was customary for the groom to put the cloak of his house on the bride, a symbol of inclusion. The green cloak resembled House Hightower, and Joffrey hated it. He let the cloak fall to the floor before proceeding to his gown. The heavily embroidered gown joined the cloak shortly, followed by the headpiece, gloves, sashes, belt, inner petticoat, boots, a ruby brooch and a pearl necklace. Joffrey debated whether to leave his undershirt on or not. The shirt was soaked with his sweat, a large wet patch on both armpits and the back, undignified and filthy. He would probably be better off without it.

“Go on, take your undershirt off.” Daeron said just when Joffrey’s finger moved to the buttons.

Joffrey swallowed and did as he was told. Warm air touched his sweaty skin when the shirt slipped down his body, causing goose bumps to form on his torso. He wasn't cold, but he was so self-conscious that he couldn’t help but shivering.

“You look a lot like your brother,” Daeron commented as he got off the bed and wrapped an arm around Joffrey’s tiny waist, “but not as beautiful as him.”

Joffrey tried to remain calm, but the shivering just got worse. This time, it was from shame.

“Your eyes are not as big,” Daeron tilted Joffrey’s chin up and observed the boy, “your lips are not as fuller. You have nice skin, I must say, but I prefer a paler skin tone.”

“Like Lucerys?” Joffrey murmured, though he already knew the answer.

“Yes, like Lucerys. How strange, isn't it? He never gets tanned even though he spent a lot of time in the sun on that island. He is very swift with his slender form, but you, you are stronger. Stronger than an average omega.”

Because I have been training my whole life to be a knight. Joffrey had to bite his lower lip to stop himself from saying anything stupid.

Daeron ran his hand down Joffrey’s chest, lingering at his pink nipples for a moment before continuing downwards. He cupped Joffrey’s breast, measured the omega’s waist and hip, parted the omega’s legs to inspect Joffrey’s omega parts, and finally, Joffrey’s neck. When he was done, he turned Joffrey around the pushed the omega onto the bed.

“You are untouched.” Daeron said matter-of-factly, as if Joffrey was some kind of cargo that needed to be scrutinized.

“Of course I am!” Joffrey couldn’t believe his ears, “Do you think I am a whore?!”

“No. I think you are pure and honest.” Daeron climbed onto the bed too and pressed one of his knees on Joffrey’s back to prevent the omega from struggling, “But I need to make sure, okay? Every term in our marriage pact is crucial to the realm, so I need to make sure they are met. It’s not personal. I apologize if I made you feel uncomfortable.”

“Let go of me!” Joffrey couldn’t handle the humiliation anymore. The way Daeron talked about him, compared him to Lucerys, handled him like he was a bag of potatoes, all infuriated him to no end. How dare Daeron treat him like he was an emotionless machine?

“Don't make it difficult for both of us, all right?” Daeron pressed harder, twisting both Joffrey’s arms behind the omega’s back, “Since I have proved your purity, we need to seal the pact. I am going to fuck you and bite you. It will hurt less if you stop struggling.”

“No!” Joffrey shouted desperately, “If you don't like me, why did you agree to the marriage? I will not let you claim me, you monster-”

“Don't make it sound as if you liked me.” Daeron scoffed. Even though Joffrey could not see the alpha’s face, he could picture Daeron rolling eyes, “The marriage is essential to stop the war, so I agreed to it. You have done your duty of staying pure and untouched, and now I am going to perform my duty too. As your husband, it is my duty to claim you and make your belly swollen with my child. In turn, it is your duty to stay obedient.”

“Is that what marriage means to you? Duty?” Joffrey asked, still fight the battle that he was destined to lose.

“Of course.” Daeron confirmed as he parted Joffrey’s buttocks to reveal the omega parts, two fat lips stubbornly closed, as if guarding the omega’s dignity, “Relax, or it will only hurt.”

Joffrey let out a pained groan as Daeron parted his lips roughly and inserted a finger into the place that had never been intruded before. It hurt. It hurt so much.

Daeron covered Joffrey’s body with his own, thrusting his fingers in and out of Joffrey’s pussy. Joffrey didn't have much slick to lubricate the movement, but Daeron didn't seem to care. He just carried out what he had learn in books. Find the right hole and put your cock in it.

Joffrey cried when Daeron’s cock entered him, the alpha’s teeth sunk deeply into the tender flesh of his scent gland.

It didn't feel magical at all. All Joffrey felt was pain, humiliation, and despair.

Their union was not sealed in blood and love. It was sealed by a twisted sense of duty and coldhearted indifference.

[nrilliree]

"Thanks to grrm we had a good faithful adaptation of Fire and Blood with House of the Dragon ! So he is right to preach about crappy adaptations and those who think they can do better than the author and the original story !"

I'm not kidding... I actually saw someone say that. HOTD a FAITHFUL adaptation ?! In addition, this person insinuated that GRRM is in fact subtly criticizing the adaptation of The Rings of Power... I'm hallucinating. Man, it's not all about this crap show. Plus who tells you he doesn't also talk about HOTD in a subtle way ? Who tells you he completely agrees with all the changes ?! Doesn't anyone remember GOT or something ?!

And then even talking about the screenwriters who think they are doing better than the author...

I remind you that the original story deals with misogyny, and that they preferred a discourse on everyone being equally bad. They totally tried to change the entire message of the story !

They modified Alicent thinking that their version would be much more feminist and less misogynistic ! Because apparently the trope of the bad mother-in-law is misogynistic now...

They're adding gratuitous violence that didn't exist in the source material towards female characters who were already experiencing horrible things in Fire and Blood, but apparently that wasn't enough girlboss for them.

They make people commit crimes that are literally impossible compared to Fire and Blood, like Daemon killing his first wife or Rhaenys in episode 9 !?

They also think it's feminism to say that they have female dragons that they voluntarily make smaller than the males when the dragons are basically hermaphroditic ?!

The ages of the characters ?!

The HOTD writers literally butchered their adaptation with ridiculous changes trying to be more feminist. Literally what most people complain about TOO much. I'm sick of people saying this kind of shit. And obviously, generally it's always guys who have this type of speech.

Remove most of the female characters' agency and true personality ? Literally, Rhaenyra is very basic feminine, and now she's the prototype tomboy, which she never was. They wanted to do that ? Well they had Baela !

But strangely, people don't have a problem with Rhaenyra becoming a tomboy, but Galadriel in armor ? Shitty feminist ! Not like this character was called woman man by Tolkien and she was actually a warrior in his texts...

Now Rhaenys doesn't want to be the one to use the dragons in war as quickly as possible, but Daemon is, to make him appear hungry for war and blood. Because women cannot actually want war ! They are naturally soft !

In short, HOTD's bullshit was a good faithful adaptation that made me unblocked. I have the impression that these people live in a parallel reality.

Wait… GRRM's words can be interpreted differently than that he is trying to suggest that HBO sucks at adapting his books and making too many changes, but he can't say it directly because he has contracts and it's about money? Here (in my country) even pop culture websites write about it, lol. That GRRM criticizes changes made to GoT and HotD, and potentially spin-off scenarios. I have to tell the editors that they are completely wrong and an anon on the internet just figured it out…

[mondstaub1]

hord fanfiction

Title haughtiness comes before the event

I am annoyed with Alicent so I made her suffer

Rhaenyra know Alicent like to judge others. She always had. Even as a little girl, the daughter of the hand had delighted in passing judgment over others, while painting herself and her only life as picture perfect, pouis and clean of all sin. Once they had sat in the gardens and talked about their futur husbands and how they should act. Alicent wanted a knight who would adore her. She would obey him and give him as manny children as he wished and he would defend them from harm. Rhaenyra herself did not like the idea of obeying a man and poping out babies. She wanted a man who would see her as his equal, who would put her safety and confort before that of any children they may have. She wanted to make her own choices. Alicent had laught and told her it was immposible and that women couldn't decided their own future. It was their duty to obey their husbands, if they wanted to be trieded well. Rhaenyra remembered looking at her in confusen before denying that. "My uncle Daemon says that as a true Dragon I don't have to bow down to anyone. He doesn't either." Alicent had scoffed and told her, that her uncle was a bad example and that she should not be around him so much. That had angered Rhaenyra and she had stormed off.

As the years passed Alicent became more hypocritical but Rhaenyra could not tell if her friend even noticed it herself. When she told her uncle about Alicents behavior he chuckeled and told her that Alicent was just like her father and that she should be careful. Those who snear at warriors often prefer the poisen. So the princess took his advice and when Alicent began to act strangly, she started to keep an close eye on her. Once she found out about Alicents visits to her fathers champers, late at night Rhaenyra was furious. She had trusted Alicent but that bitch betrayed her trust. So she begann to make a plan to ruin Alicents life. She know the pouis bitch better then most after all. She know all of Alicents dreams and would destroy each and ever one of them.

First she needed allies. This would be way more fun together. So she send a raven to Driftmark, inviding her cousins Laenor and Laena to court, under the excuse of getting to know her family better, which was not the complite reason but a good bonus. Once they arrived Rhaenyra brought them into the fold. The Velaryon siblings held somewhat of a grudge agaist the Hightowers. Since a while ago Laenor had been caught kissing a serving boy and Otto had used that to humiliat the boy for quiet a while. Spreding the word with the help of his oh so pouis daughter, who had the audacity to claim she just wanted to help Laenor find his way again. So naturely both were on board with her plan to bring Alicent down. Next was her uncle. It was easy to get him to return to court, a letter from her was all it took. Getting her father to let him stay was nearly as easy. A few tears and the plea for her family here to support her in this difficult time and her uncle was welcomed back. Seeing Ottos bitter face was just a bonus.

Together they planed. They had quiet a few very amusing ideas but her uncle had an more ruthless approch. Rhaenyra grinned. It was time to teach Alicent what happened when she played with fire.

----------------

Alicent had always been an obiedent daugher. She had never believed herself jealous or sinvoll. But something about Rhaenyra had alway rubbed her the wrong way. The princess shricked her duty at every turn. Paraded herself around shamelessly yet got everything she wanted presented to her. The princess belived herself above everyone and most just went along with it. Maybe that was one of the reason why she found herself in this situation she was in right now. Naked laying on the kings bed, prepering herself to became queen and possible getting pregnet with the kings son. But bevor the ling could take her maidenhead the door purst open and an enraged Rhaenyra stormed into the room, follow by a smirking Daemon. The princess raged at her and the king. Calling her father out, screaming on how he dishonered her mothers memorys by sleeping with a whore so soon after the queens death. The she turned to her and started calling her every name under the sun. Before turning to her uncle and demanding that the get her out, so she could talk to her father alone. Daemon gladly agreed, ordering his loyal gold clocks to drag her to the stocks to be wipped for her disrespekt. Alicent pleaded with Rhaenyra to stop, the she turned to the king who protested weakly but when Rhaenyra gave her father an ultimatum, he fell silent.

So Alicent was dragged through the keep, naked as the day she was born, followed by a laughing Daemon Tagaryen, calling out her shame for all to hear. Everyone from small coucil members to servents wittnessed it. Alicent wanted to die.

----------------

After everything was said and done, Rhaenyra had gotten her fathers word that he would not take on another wife and that she would be allowed to pick her own husband. Laena was made her new lady in waiting and Alicent was soon known through the seven kingdomes as a whore, who was found in a grieving mans bed (Laenor and Laena delighted in spreading the word). Her dreams of marrying a handsome man were distroyed and their would be no sibling to contest ehr claim to the throne.

[a-secret-bolton-vampire]

CW: Misogyny

(This is not an essay. This is a manic-induced rant about the fandom.)

HotD time soon, which means the dudebros will be out and about shaking their firsts cursing Sara Hess (who apparently is to blame for everything bad and must be removed from the show at all costs cuz she rightfully did not understand why people defend Daemon's actions) for hating men or whatever manufactured outrage they'll cook up next...

So, let's talk about what the show is not about first. It is not a misandrist piece of media that says men evil women good. That's so blatantly false it's genuinely baffling to me how anyone can reach that conclusion. It is also not about how the Blacks are better than the Greens or that the writers have a bias (what writer doesn't have a bias? I know I do). Remember, the Blacks and Greens are not real. This is fiction.

Yes, we get emotionally attached to characters (as I have) but there is no slander or character assassination going on. Hell, these characters literally have zero characterization (and sometimes contradictory characterization) in Fire & Blood. The writers haven't gone on twitter to cancel Aegon because he said something controversial. Because they are characters and they serve a purpose in the story, whether good people or not.

Now, let's talk about the way the fandom doesn't get certain themes. There is this recurring motif that the men want war and the women want peace. Think about it for maybe two seconds. In this very patriarchal gendered world, men are expected to be tough, hold in their emotions, be warriors and fighters. While war is considered maybe not ideal, knights are revered and men still have a particular expectation in this society.

Naturally, the toxic masculinity of Westeros is going to make quite an impression on some of the male characters in the show; Aegon, Aemond, Criston, Daemon. Mix that with their numerous neuroses and you don't get the most peaceful, calm, and rational people in the world.

Even disregarding that, there is a more thematic reason why the show went this direction. It explores the way patriarchy is an inherently violent, self-destructive system. Rhaenyra and Alicent, despite being in positions of power, are restricted by what the men around them allow them to do. This in turn adds to the tragedy of them trying to desperately avoid war even though it is unavoidable. It's sad, it's frustrating, and it's showing the flaws of the system.

This leads into a discussion for Alicent and Rhaenyra. The fandom is completely normal and not insane about these two. There is a lot of criticism about the characters being too "perfect", and that they lack agency and thus are less compelling than their book counterparts. There is so much to unpack here so lets take them one at a time.

No, Alicent and Rhaenyra are not perfect. Both make a ton of mistakes, do awful things, all the while they try to be decent and honourable. Rhaenyra has lied and killed for her own gain. She spared Laenor, but still killed an innocent servant and caused a massive deal of grief for the Velaryons by making them believe their son was dead. Not saying she is the worst person ever, but that was a pretty big political mistake even if she needed Daemon to be her sword to wield.

Alicent too is imperfect. I have so much sympathy for her and Rhaenyra, which is good since they are the two people at the core of the story, and being sympathetic is a very good trait to have in a protagonist! For me the biggest highlight of all is the way she treats her children. She is abusive. They do not feel that unconditional love from her. Aegon especially had a raw deal, with the way she not only verbally and emotionally abuse him and put immense pressure on him to becoming king, but also the way she physically abuses him. He's probably got PTSD from a lifetime of parental abuse (a lot of what Alicent and Viserys do to their children is something I have personally experienced with my own parents). This isn't even mentioning Helaena or Aemond. All of her and Viserys's children are like this. It's a huge, huge flaw of hers.

Now, what about agency? Alicent and Rhaenyra lack agency and they can't be the bad bitches like Cersei before them. I'm just gonna say it: I am glad they aren't like Cersei.

This is a story that, at its core, is about patriarchy and misogyny. Anyone who says that is not present in the book is honestly delusional or stupid. Is it the only theme of this story? No! But is it a major theme? Yes! It can still be about this and something else too! But anyways, the complaining about "lack of agency" is so weird considering this. Did we not watch the same episode 9? I feel like I took crazy pills with everyone talking about the "inconsistency" of Alicent's character.

Genuinely, this is such a pervasive idea in the fandom and it drives me insane trying to figure out how they missed the fucking point of episode 9! Or to explain more calmly, that was an episode of Alicent trying to regain agency. When she is upset by the Green Council, it is not because she doesn't want to crown Aegon. The opposite actually. She is upset they plotted behind her back without her input, and so the race to find Aegon is the race to find who will ultimately influence the king. Alicent finds him first and Otto accepts defeat.

And yet in the end her actual influence is in question. Because Alicent is trying to work within the confines of a patriarchal system, which further restricts her actual agency. This is a Shakespearean tragedy, and Alicent's own decisions ultimately spell her doom (based on what we have been told of season 2, which I will get to later).

Here is the thing: in exploring a show about misogyny, you do not need the characters to be triumphant. The story of the Dance is not a story of triumph. It is a story of trauma, bad decision making, bloodlust, and loss. To think this is gonna be a story about how Alicent and Rhaenyra stick a middle finger to the patriarchy is a fundamental misunderstanding. Instead, this is a show about how patriarchy is not a stable or rational system of power structure. Having Alicent and Rhaenyra have to claw their way to have agency is the fucking point.

Also I might add that in the book neither character actually displays much agency. Rhaenyra sits around and cries while her son makes the big decisions, and Alicent just disappears from the story after Aegon is crowned. What "agency" is there to be had? I have a sneaking suspicion that chuds don't like Alicent or Rhaenyra not being misogynistic caricatures...

People say that women should be rich, complex characters all on their own and then want them being literal caricatures of what misogynists view women in power as. That is not complexity. Saying "mayhaps the whore will die in childbirth" is not complexity. That's just Alicent being an asshole. Rhaenyra's entire character going "this is my birthright and I will have my brother's head!" is not complexity. "Rhaenyra not leading is the point" is not complexity.

As much as I really don't like Fire & Blood, even I am aware that the book is bias due to the perspective of the maesters that wrote it in-universe (and yes the book is the book and the show is the show but I'm making a point). Women are often smeared in the histories, and even today men pay much closer attention to any real or perceived faults women have and hone in on that with intense scrutiny men don't usually have to worry about (especially women who go outside gender norms).

This bizarre call to make Alicent and Rhaenyra more unlikable because "muh complexity" is nonsensical because it's asking to fall into the same stereotypes about women the book does (uncaring power-seeking bitches who are incapable of friendship and have uncontrollable emotions).

On that note, Rhaenyra and Alicent's old friendship is the best change made book to show. There is an extra layer of tragedy to it all and makes the characters a lot more complex. But wait, isn't the war between Aegon and Rhaenyra? Why is this Hightower whore stealing the spotlight on my war crime king?

No no no. This is another misunderstanding. The war is between Rhaenyra and Aegon, yes. That is how everyone remembers it. Aegon is a character I actually quite adore for just how messy and utterly vile he is. I can't wait to see him in action. But there is no relationship between Aegon and Rhaenyra. Not in the show, and definitely not in the book either. The main rivalry has always been Rhaenyra and Alicent.

This is in Fire & Blood. Who created the Blacks and who created the Greens? Rhaenyra and Alicent. Who has an established relationship and history (as badly written as it is)? Rhaenyra and Alicent? What was the novella in which the Dance is first described called? The Princess and the Queen. The war may be between Queen Rhaenyra and King Aegon II, but the rivalry has always been focused on Rhaenyra and Alicent. This insistence to remove Alicent off the promotional posters and place Aegon is... kind of misogynistic? Like, Alicent is narratively more important to the story and people want to replace her with her son who, while important, is not as important?

And also, you can like Aegon and want to see him have a larger role. I know I do, even if he is a fucking bastard. You can dislike the show or what I said for any number of reasons. Some people who aren't raging misogynists have perfectly valid reasons to dislike it. I'm just explaining about the most vile part of the fandom that grinds my gears so badly it hurts.

Also, I'm not even going to go into the whole Team Black/Team Green thing. All I'll say about it is: I hope they all look sexy while doing war crimes <3

[rhaenin-writing-time]

I saw that it is okay for us to send you comments? I find your outline fascinating because of how you keep things moving and intertwining, these little spoilers also give me life and I can't wait for the full chapter and see how it translates there.

There are many things I want to say but I prefer to wait until I have the complete chapter. For now I will comment on 4 because they seem to be more of a meta-textual part?

-I genuinely laughed because Corlys is so happy that Luke apparently likes girls.Corlys, bro, why are you like this? 😂I wonder if Laenor saw that little exchange and that's why he doesn't want to be alone with his father 😔

Laenor in general is so lonely without Laena that I just want to wrap him up and hug him, especially since I'm sure he's heard those homophobic comments. Also, the dichotomy between Aemond "warning" Jace and Luke because Laenor might abuse them (🤢) while we know Cole abuses them verbally and even physically by "training" them, it sure is something.

-With the last fragment when the fire appeared I almost shouted: will-o'-the-wisp!! And then not Aemond! Alicent what do you teach your children?!I'm crazy excited to know what you'll do with it as someone who was super obsessed with any legend or myth as a child and whose mother used to tell them to me when we went on walks and camping.

-There is something very painful about Aegon being old enough to recognize and envy what a good mother is, but a deeply adult Aemond only recognizes it instinctively but not intellectually.Then of course I remember how intolerant Aemond is and it goes away 🤗🙃

-The language part particularly fascinates me, especially in this part of Targ history.Can I ask you for more details? How do you explain Jace not speaking it/being bad at it?There is a small audioarticulatory processing problem (I don't remember the name, sorry) that makes intonation difficult when speaking.In fact, I suffer from it and it has been very difficult for me when I learn another language, there is no way for me to articulate well. I like to think that's actually Jace's problem 🙈

I am quite interested in Rhaenys who does not use it as a main language either, there must be a difference between those who learned it in everyday use and those who limit themselves to commands. I especially like the point of associating language with motherhood. Here we have a study on our indigenous people that indicates that the Wuarao language was maintained when they mixed with the Caribs because normally the women were Wuarao and taught their language. But Rhaenyra probably knows it from Daemon... Who do you think taught him? Do you think that at some point the Targ were instilled with shame or rudeness for speaking another language in front of non-speakers?

Really very excited to read more of your fragments and writing❤��

haha yeah send away

I'll warn that a lot of the finished scenes might actually be shorter than the description, and might often just show instead of tell.

Laenor and Corlys... oh boy.

Aemond's about to stumble into something... not sure if I'll post the summary before the chapter though because i might just finish it up.

Jace and Valyrian. I think the writers were just trying to portray him as "dedicated" but just fumbled the ball, because Jace would realistically be fully fluent by then. But... I'm going to go with the interpretation that he's like a lot of those 2nd gen kids who only speak their language with their immediate family and so especially if they're the ELDEST child, they end up speaking a childlike version of the language that's almost a dialect specific to their family home, so they'll often speak their language naturally, but they'll struggle in a formal language course. Anyways, headcanon is that since Rhaenyra and Daemon have really young children, the Valyrian they speak in the family would be somewhat childlike, and Jace would... go out of his way to ignore them when they're speaking more ADULT Valyrian. also, Jace is really dedicated to a formal Andal education because of his position, and wouldn't have as much spare time as the others for the more advanced Valyrian studied.

Oh... we'll get into why Daemon's Valyrian is so good. I'll leave it there for now. I'll also say that while Baelon and Aemon were close, I'm going to interpret them as having... different approaches to a variety of matters. But as for Rhaenyra's Valyrian, I'll say that Daemon was of course an influence, but also Viserys knows it for his studies, Aemma learned it out of duty, and she also had Laenor and Laena who in turn had Corlys.

[charlieslowartsies]

So in your park ranger Au Mike is friend with Freddy, who's a bear. Like a regular bear.

I mean he doesn't talk or anything like that? Just a guy and his animal pals, correct?

Ok I'm interested, drop some lore anytime you want.

haha he does talk, but at first it's just to the gang. THEN it's too Mike, who honestly does feel at times like he is going completely out of his mind a lot during this au. The gang can't speak to other humans, nor were they technically human themselves, only they kinda were? Magic/ghost business nonsense at hand.

Found all my notes! Been percolating the park ranger au since 2017. Might be able to write something for it, and I'd stick it into AFN2 if I did. BIG post I'm sorry.

Notes: 

AU: Park ranger au & real animals au

-The fun of this au is that a) it still has canon impossibilities to rely on. Don’t sweat the big stuff and have the most fun with the small stuff to create a more immersive world. B) making it a fever dream for AFN2 also helps the story just ‘be’ instead of trying to iron out the wrinkles and make it ‘make sense.’ Explore the possibilities, even if they don’t quite make sense. 

It is a mild play on Alice in Wonderland.

Still horror. Always horror. Now just with 100% more woodsy nature type horror. The fear of being chased, but the more out of breath you become, the more calm and ready the thing chasing you is. 

The fear that people who sit at campfires by themselves have. The primal reawakening where your caveman ancestors stare into the fire and remember, thousands of years ago, what it was like when this was all the warmth and light you had to keep you through the cold, deadly night.

The type of terror of being in a forest all alone, which awakens the human’s desire to have a pack/community. Yet here you are, by yourself, and there’s something in the dark watching you, and you are on it’s turf…and your radio just went out, and there’s nothing to save you but yourself. 

It is also a play on Winnie the Pooh, of course.

Marion is prolly the closest to his canon self. 

Edit 5/21: having written LS/LW I’m redesigning him towards his Revived size. (which is actually just his canon size since Help Wanted didn’t exist when I thought of this au in… *squints at calender* 2017. RIP. 

Think more grisled and shriveled toy that a kid lost in the woods. No present box to protect him here. Nature has crept in and nature is heartless as it is stunning. Like a porcelain doll in an abandoned house. Dirt covered, like he was buried. Splintered into odd shapes, like he fought something bigger than him trying to escape. Lurks in the lake mostly but when he emerges, he smells of old water for a while and weeds drip from his limbs.

In KGA, Mari’s powers limited him to the restaurant he lived in and the ones he visited. In PRA, Mari just kinda becomes the forest and it’s lake, and his powers are miles long. So is his initial anger.

The animatronic gang are animals now. Afton’s murders are still for the same reasons as KGA for the most part. (It’s arguably almost easier to imagine/swallow the dragged out concept of him as a serial killer for this au. Kids going lost in the woods, being kidnapped, etc. He could also take children from the nearby town and bring them to the woods.) 

The gang were kinda once toys and also ideas, enhanced and enchanted by the Lake Monster’s ghostly powers and thirsts for revenge/defense. 

Freddy– his kid wanted to be brave, tried protecting the other children, earned Mari/Crying Child’s respect and thus, looking at Arthur clinging to his Fredbear plush, saw no better animal than a bear to embody that type of strength and fierceness. Freddy is larger than average for his supposed species and lighter colored, to say nothing of his far too human gaze. He has a terrible fondness for all types of fish and sweets, and finds it the easiest to forget himself and turn more dangerous, more animalistic.

Bonnie- his child wanted to run away. To be fast and clever and dash to freedom, to her parents, to go get help for the others. She wanted it so bad it was all the Puppet could taste in her fear, the need to be swift and forgotten in a flash. The purple bunny barrette in her hair made him wonder, drawing on Arthur’s memories of seeing little cotton tails well after they’d darted off. Bunnies always seem to spot the Bad before anyone else, and flee accordingly. Bonnie too,is larger than average hares and never seemed to get the memo to be frightened by things. He’s still best friends with Freddy, and mouthy in all scenarios, even when he has no right to be. 

Chica- her child wanted his mother. He wanted her to hug him, kiss his hair, tell him everything would be alright, that this was only a bad dream. As he died, the Marionette came to him and asked what that meant, for Arthur couldn’t explain it well himself, far to lost from humanity by now. The boy lived on a farm, and rooting through his memories showed Mari the concept of hens and their chicks. Safe, tucked under their feathers and warm. Chica is average/typical for her species, and she is arguably the one animal in the group that exists comfortably around any humans. No one quite figures out how Schmidt always has fresh eggs to share, but when they see the coop he put together, they’re more worried how Mike keeps her from being eaten. Little do they know, Mike has more pity for the animals that try than the hearty little hen with a fox at her beck and call. 

Foxy- The earliest to join the Marionette, even before Freddy’s creation. He however did flee into the woods, vanishing for months before slinking back. He considers his existence more of a curse than a gift, regardless of how much he loves his eventual family. Alexander Afton was supposed to be watching his youngest, not playing with his friends. He was supposed to mind his father, and not fill the child with ghost stories and bear-eating-boy stories. He was supposed to keep him from the old dock, not let him near the lake. 

He was supposed to do so many things. He was a child himself, too. 

He was always playing pranks, being sly, being cruel and thoughtless and predatory. The Marionette saw fit to make him resemble his true nature after his father was done with him. It’s unclear what Alexander’s last thoughts were, but Foxy’s body is covered in missing tufts of fur, scars and he’s even missing his front right paw. He is taller than most foxes but scrawny, embracing his instinctive traits to better help and protect the ones who accepted him when he didn’t even accept himself. There is a strange little albino vixen that seems fond of him, though for the life of him he cannot figure out why.

Edit 5/20: Max and Scrap didn’t exist when this au was imagined. For ease, I’m not putting him in right now. I could always do a part III tho.

Mike- Simply taking the job after a rough patch in his life. He needs the money and knows the work won’t be easy. He’s not exactly a shut in but he’s never been able to be the outdoorsy type. He thinks he can handle it, because he was told he could work at a desk and it wouldn’t be too strenuous. 

He was lied to. They drove him out the ranger stations and the living quarters and told him the next bus wouldn’t be for a week anyway. You’ve got everything you need. Cabin, outhouse, radio, gas stove. Dehydrated food, the water’s clean enough to read underwater! Weather’s nice this time of summer, even when it’s hot there’s shade. You’ll be fine, Schmidt. You signed your life away, kid. 

Just one week. That’s all. Then he head back to Hurricane and find another job, put this behind him. His stint as a park ranger for this lake and the miles of surrounding deep, dangerous woods.

Nothing is handled correctly by the humans in this au. Same to be said for canon/fanon FNAF, so. 

The gang is lurking around, easily able to communicate with one another and Marion (when he shows himself) but not with Mike initially. Mike gets Gifted that ability later, after Mari decides he would make a fine ranger/protector for the area…he just needs to be…better suited for the job. 

Fredbear/Golden Freddy is still a spirit??

Used to be a sort of Smokey the bear type figured head, for when the kids visited the park to learn about why we shouldn’t burn down nature, and leave nothing but your footprints, that sort of thing.

Edit 5/22: Just a suit though, no metal here lmao. Mari gets the idea to put the two together and give Mike his KGA set of powers/strength. Like usual, he doesn’t quite consent/gets roped along until he feels too bad to say no, until he realizes how less lonely he is around this cast of characters. 

Mike is still Mike. He makes bad life choices when he thinks someone needs help, or someone's in danger. He knows it's a bad idea, and he might terrified, but if a child's voice in midnight asks for help, he'd still want to check it out, just to make sure, armed with an old flashlight and staring down into the deep dark trail. They never did find those kids that went missing. Not even their bodies.

What could it hurt to take a few steps in, and just look?

[dcviltry]

❝𝕴 𝖜𝖊𝖓𝖙 𝖒𝖆𝖉, 𝖆 𝖌𝖔𝖉 𝖍𝖚𝖗𝖙 𝖒𝖊, 𝕴 𝖋𝖊𝖑𝖑.❞

                                     witchy mumu penned by sam.

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖗𝖆𝖈𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖘.

MERYEM KAPLAN | air witch & kaplan coven

the youngest daughter of the kaplan coven, mery is a breath of air in the weight and grounded nature of the earth witches. she's flighty, and prone to laughter and trickery, often escaping her lessons to find some sunshine or the company of unassuming tourists. the lack of pressure for her to take on responsibility or leadership within the coven has spoiled her, but she minds very little, experimenting with the magic that feels entirely her own and leaving all of the difficult tasks behind for her siblings.

VINCENT 'SAINT' CORVIN | fire witch & unaligned

they say that he's from rhode island, from a coven that now exists in cinders. whispers swirl around saint corvin's ankles, they hover like soot. he's a dark creature, whose blade of a smile is too sharp for most pleasant company. instead, he is often found under the morgue of the funeral home that he owns, shifting through his collection of magical artifacts or poring over old grimoires. his magic is raw and instinctual, lashing out like a whip. those who dare speak behind him murmur that he's up to no good, and they'd be entirely correct.

FRANCIS MONTUORI | fire witch & montuori coven

the eldest son of leon montuori was conjured in his own image. francis is cold and cunning, whose mannerisms mirror that of a whetted blade. manipulation comes just as easily as flame to his fingertips, and he twists and twines through interactions and connections with an alarming lack of genuineness. with francis, everything is theatric and done loudly: when he is good he feels god-like, but when he has fallen from his roost: he is craven and despicable. often he is found walking through the city without true destination, completing the menial tasks that his father has set out for him to keep him out of trouble.

MATEO AGUILAR | water witch & montuori coven

he's noone's son, a water witch in the heart of many inclined for fire. no one remembers how he came to be, or when mateo blew into town– just that he has found his place with his crooked-fence smile, curving charming words into willing ears and putting out blazes without a second thought. he doesn't often work for a living, in fact– some would say he doesn't work at all. mateo finds employment as a club promoter and the occasional dj, shifting from one party to the next, causing trouble in his wake.

VICTOR MARIN | air witch & marin coven

son of the former luis marin, victor finds himself lost in the wake of his father's death. the marin coven has elected a new leader and he has shifted his way to a position behind them, scrambling to find a purpose and a place in a world where he had always been preparing for a role that he finds himself unready for. he's more of a pitbull than a man, baring his teeth and falling into anger before reason. vanity is also the king of his sins, holding hand with grief as he navigates NOLA with new eyes.

ALICE BURTON | water witch & delmare coven

the burton family coven was once prominent in england. they were renowned for their glorified righteousness, for their power to wipe out dark magic and those who wielded it. it was fire that swallowed them up and their great gift, and when alice was too young to understand it: she was without a manor and without a family. it was her sister that she tried to find, wandering europe with little in the way of magic or street smarts. she grew that way, a student of the wide world, learning lessons the hard way. her spirit is empathetic, and it has lead her to new orleans, seeking out the name of a woman who could very well now be a ghost.

YASEMIN KOZEN | fire witch & covenless

the kozen sisters are enchanting: they have been taught to be by their mother, a cruel woman who sent them into the world with little else. yasemin is a fire witch, whose temperament matches her element: she's hasty and destructive, but fiercely loyal to those whom depend upon her. it was a marriage that secured her stay in NOLA, but the dissolution of it has left her and her sister stranded. left behind at a hotel with little to their name, yasemin is angry and desperate, seeking out any avenue to find security for herself once again.

[spells-and-liquid-luck]

OMG YOU SERIOUSLY DO TWILIGHT ILYSM

would you do Jasper accidentally turning a seventeen year old y/n in the forest because she cut her knee open or something and he deals with her terrible moods because she lives with the cullens now. her ability is to like 'fall asleep' and be able to wander around like her spirit can. but she doesn't like feeding on the animals cause she thinks its stupid so the family kinda dissaproves

Headache- Newborn x Cullens

Pain— constant pain. I was writhing in it, and groaning in agony. It felt like my body had caught on fire and I was burning alive. I had to endure three days of pure torture to become a monster. I really didn't feel the need to be a vegetarian as the Cullen's liked to put it. Not that I wasn't hungry, the thought of sinking my teeth in an animal kind of grossed me out. Besides, I'm a seventeen year old new born. I'm going to be a teenager forever. If hell was a feeling, I was going to be in it forever.

It was all because of that damn forest. If I hadn't hadn't there, and hadn't been so clumsy then I would still be human. All I remember was that I was supposed to be going hiking. My brown hiking boots were strapped up, and against my better judgment, I strayed away from the trail. The wind was blowing nicely and it made me feel like I could really breathe up there, and I was soaking it all in. I had stepped on so many crunchy leaves and twigs that the ground didn't feel much like ground anymore so I tried to be cautious and step over some but that was when I not so graciously tripped on an uprooted tree. I ended up scraping my knee and I didn't think anything of it. The blood wasn't too bad so I reached for my backpack that was still attached attached me to quickly grab a band-aid, but the wind had blown a bit harder, and vampires are natural hunters so I didn't hear him coming. Next thing I knew, he was drinking my blood as if I were a human juice box.

Lots of people would have resentment for being turned, but I didn't blame Jasper. I knew that he felt guilty enough afterward. He had enough restraint to stop himself from really killing me, but if I can be honest I hate this place. The perfect family. That's what we had to be. Not to be seen for what we truly are, even if they just killed animals like every other hunter in this town. The whole thing was stupid to me, and now my new family hates me because I refuse to kill an animal. Well, Rosalie hates me to be more specific. She thinks I'll draw too much attention to myself and get us us killed by the Vulturi. Carlisle is just a bit disappointed, even though he doesn't show it, it is still obvious that he is. He gives me the choice on what I want to do, but he's hoping that I choose the option that aligns with their morals and lifestyle.

The only cool thing about being a vampire is that we all get our respective abilities. Alice can see the future, Edward can read minds. Mine being me comfort. As everyone known, vampires don't sleep, but us sort of like being in a state of meditation. Being still and quiet without the restfulness of a good night's sleep. I can travel the world like a ghost. Nobody sees me and I can't hurt anyone if there is nobody around to hurt, and I can see the world like the way I used to see. Colorful and cozy. I can feel things like the way I used to feel it, like the way the rain water hit my skin and didn't make me feel like a wet stone statue. I am ghost-like in that state, but I can feel somewhat human when I use my powers.

Today was a day that I planned on using my power to its full extent. Why today? Because it's the Cullen's favorite day. Hunting day. I certainly don't feel like joining them. My plant for today is to be in my room and escape like I always do. Emmett stomped into the blinding white living room. "You're going to have to do this at some point." Emmett stated his eyes looked almost feral as he was mentally getting ready to fight off a mountain lion. I gave him my best death glare, but I'm not as threatening as I would like to be. How could I be threating to someone who had the muscles of a bear? I just couldn't. "You're either going to go on a human blood frenzy or starve yourself to death! Pick the better choice and hunt a damn deer! You're going to get us all killed one day!" Rosalie said as she looked like she would murder me right here. Esme and Carlisle's eyes looked at me in sympathy. They treated me like something was wrong with me and that made me nauseous. If I could be sick, I would. "She can decide for herself what she wants. Let her be, but I'm trusting her to make the best choice." He gave me a stern fatherly expression before turning away and grabbing a navy blue coat off of the coat rack like he needs it. Esme put a loving hand on my shoulder before she left. "I'll try to bring something back for you to eat. I'm not letting you starve or find out that you sunk your teeth into an innocent human." Esme was always motherly to me. She was the closest out of all of them to being human. She had compassion and love for everyone, and she is the only one who had the patience to deal with me; I respect her the most.

As they left, I quickly headed to my room, closing the door behind me and lying down on the couch next to my CD player that Edward had gifted to me. I let my body sink down into the couch and I closed my eyes. One...two...three. I counted to myself and concentrated on my power. Soon enough, the usual feeling overcame me. It felt like I was falling, but I knew it well enough to not be scared of it. Focusing on what I could feel in the state that I was in. Mossy covered trees, brown twigs, rocks, lake water. I could feel and see all of it. I walked through the forest just like I used to and it was beautiful. The trees were covered with moss and rain water just as it was that day. The breeze that ran through the forest left chills on my arms as I soaked it all in. The feeling this gave me felt like a dream yet also felt like I was really human and that's what I loved about my powers. It felt so real. Suddenly, the smell of a human threw me off completely. I walked cautiously to the root of the smell, and to my surprise, it was me. It was me on that day. I tried to warn her but I couldn't because she wouldn't hear me. I watched myself trip and saw as the blood ran down my leg in a small trickle, but there was nobody there to bite me. The smell of ran through my nose and rushed through my senses leaving a horrible feeling of insatiable hunger that ran through me. This wasn't like the other times that I drifted. This was different. This was scary. I tried to hold myself back but the restraint that I needed was almost impossible to achieve at his point. The only way was to try to get back. Closing my eyes and focusing on my world. The Cullen's house. Thr cold atmosphere. The classical music that played throughout the house. Focusing on the last miniscule detail of Carlisle and Esme's faces. I was instantly pulled back, surrounded by everyone. "Are you okay, newbie?" Emmett asked. "You've been out for hours." Edward stated. "We tried shaking you out of it, because your emotions were going crazy. You were scared..and hungry. Like ravenous." Jasper explained. I sat up with slight confusion washing over me from the experience that I just had. The blood-thirst that was still running through my veins still burned my throat. It wasn't hard to see what I wanted as they all could see and feel it. "I told you she was hungry." Rosalie said while rolling her beautiful golden eyes. "Here, drink it. I told you I'd bring you something." Esme handed me a bag ofbblood that she somehow collected for me. I took it immediately with no questions and sipped on it hungrily. A small thank you left my lips as I finished. The feeling of hunger was quickly replaced with a feeling of contentment. "All better now right?" Emmett said with a smirk. "Hopefully your mood swings will subside. I was getting tired of leveling them out." Jasper said. "You should've read her mind. That was a horror movie all on its own." Edward chuckled. "Do you need anything else?" Carlsile asked. I thought about asking him about what I just saw, there was not point in keeping secrets anyway. "I saw myself the day that Jasper accidently turned me, but I was the one standing there instead of him. I felt like I had no control." Carlisle instantly went into doctor mode as he listened intently. "I feel like it could be that you used your gift while you were too thirsty. It sounds like it was just a side effect. You need to be more careful." The parental nagging; it felt endearing. "You'll be okay." Carlisle patted my shoulder. "I think we should all give her some space now. Let's go kids." Esme said as she escorted them all out. "I'll check on you later." She said as she lovingly left a kiss on my forehead. I was taken aback by her motherly gesture, but I didn't hate it. I relaxed back down and reached for the on button on the CD player as I let Bach fill the room.

Tag list:

@flamey-0

[writinglittlebeasts]

bc i've been in motivation hell i'm looking back through old fic wips + well i was certainly working through some things w/ this 1

Alice is secretly envious of Julia's discipline. While Julia has a natural gift for the acquisition, and almost perfect implementation, of knowledge, Alice needs to claw her way to a thorough understanding of any concept before it will be of any use to her. She needs to resolve her reality with the circumstances of any new information with frustrating hours of study and reconciliation. It's unfair, she thinks, to resent Julia for her ability to accept things as they are and find the truth as it applies to herself, but it's just as unfair that Alice should struggle so much with the nature of magic. And damn whoever had placed so much importance on a magician's belief, that their far-gone decision ought to dictate Alice's success in a world that hasn't given her much of a reason to put her faith into anything! 

This is why Alice gravitates towards Julia, isn't it? Her faith and her talent, which make her the envy of academics. Irresistible, effortless power.

It doesn't hurt that Julia is also so kind and patient. Alice feels almost like a petulant child beside her, something that she can't bring herself to resent Julia for even if the feeling sometimes climbs up from the tips of her toes and leaves its ichor burning Alice's stomach as she pushes it back down.

✩

Autism isn't something that Theodore has ever worried about. In his time, it had hardly mattered if a man kept to himself, or took a moment to think. Repetition was all the rage in manufacturing, intricate muscle memory and tacit understanding of mechanical tasks at which Quentin has always excelled. Even as Quentin has grown into a young man with sharper angles and his environment shapes his behavior, Theodore has never treated his son any differently. Still, Quentin thinks it remiss to pretend that he was without blame in his parents' divorce. He remembers cruelty from neighborhood children that he'd forever let go unchallenged, frustrating Sarah until she shook him by the shoulders and demanded he be a man about it. He remembers sickness at her dinner table, laundry in a mound on the floor and the crawling skin of his hands. He remembers the meltdowns, and he remembers Sarah leaving him for hours at a time to escape his repetitive muttering and flailing limbs. Sarah had left Theodore because she didn't love him, but she had hexed them because she hated Quentin. No amount of paternal acceptance-- though it feels rather like purposeful ignorance --will divest him of this self-loathing.

✩

"Lift this feather," Alice demands. She points down at it where it rests on the side table. 

Quentin folds his hands in all of the ways that she's shown him to no luck. 

"Like you mean it!" she says. 

"I don't know how to mean it!" he fires back. When he repeats the spell, nothing changes. He thinks that the feather must rustle in a breeze. Magic is meant to feel like something, but he's sure that he doesn't feel it. There isn't any electrical tingle in his forehead or dizzying weightlessness to his fingertips. There isn't anything there at all to suggest that Quentin's casting is doing a damned thing.

Each of his friends has a different teaching method. Julia explains a spell piece by piece, with slow, dissected hand gestures and more encouragement than Quentin likely deserves. Alice tells him to imagine the spell in his mind and becomes frustrated when this method does absolutely nothing. Penny and Kady come as a package set, with Kady asking him questions about his thoughts on a given spell and Penny roughly turning Quentin's hands this-way and that, ostensibly trying to guide him through the motions as if Quentin is only doing it wrong. Margo tells him that if he gets frustrated enough, the ambient magic will be too afraid to disobey him. She also tells him that the circus is always looking for new hands, if the magic thing doesn't go his way. 

He would be convinced that the lot of them are tricking him, setting him up with impossible task after impossible task to watch him fail and come crawling back like a pathetic mundane, if it weren't so consistent. 

As a child, in the Library, surrounded by proficient magicians, Quentin had felt out of place. Harriet, closer to his age, had come into her magic before Quentin and Theodore had even arrived. She had seemed to excel at everything, and Quentin had taken up close-up magic in a childish, misguided attempt to keep up. In their shared youth, this difference in skill was inconsequential. Their practices were fun, until they weren’t; until Quentin would become frustrated with his lack of progress in the realm of real magic, which came so easily to his sister. In her moody adolescence Harriet had grown tired of his insistence on being her hanger-on, self-pitying whelp that he had been, and their shared lessons had abruptly stopped.

No; the effort that the physical kids put into trying to teach Quentin magic could be better spent elsewhere, and everybody knows it; their frustration can't be misconstrued as amusement to any degree.

✩

Sarah flicks cigarette ash into the ashtray, one eye on the pot on the stove and the other far away in dreamland. She dreams about her youth, before the husband and before the boy. Life was simpler when she had no attachments. She'd been too young and had too much to lose to get married, Sarah thinks now. Not that she'd had a choice, once the baby was on the way. 

It's easier to pretend that she hadn't been excited to be a mother before the little thing had come bawling out of her and become the sorest pain of her life. She feels less the model of a simple, terrible mother when her baby's crazy isn't why she doesn't want him. In her old diaries she has magical portraits of herself, beaming, with Quentin's infant head squished to her cheek. She had wanted to love him. He'd only grown wrong.

[reginarubie]

Sneak peek of next chapter of KBF~KBS — TEAM GREEN

So, let's analyze the roots of Team Green in my new story, Kissed by Fire ~ Kissed by Steel (a time travel fic in which Sansa gets transported back at the time of the Dance of Dragons, a couple of years prior Viserys' death, ft. Firesteel — Sansa/Aemond — Sansa & Helaena friendship, etcetera).

As things stand during the Battle of Winterfell, Sansa Stark, lady of Winterfell has been wounded to death in the Godswood and somehow got transported back in time to 126 AC, barely a couple of years before the beginning of the Dance of Dragons, where she has been found by ser Criston Cole and prince Aemond Targaryen starving, almost frozen to death and mortally wounded outside the gates of the Red Keep).

Since the Dance will explode anyway, I'm giving you a resume of the main players by what you already know (keeping out important bits of the fanfic's plot so that it doesn't get too spoilerish)

The Greens

Opposed to the succession to the Iron throne of princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and her natural born sons. The main players of this factions were (with quotes from the next chapter, chapter 4):

Otto Hightower, lord Hand of the King

Grandfather of king Aegon II, queen Helaena and princes Aemond and Daeron Targaryen; he defended strenuously his grandson's claim to the Iron throne as opposed to princess Rhaenyra's.

“Jaehaerys needs to be prepared, sweet one,” he said, his tone carelessly gentle, as he made to touch princess Helaena's hand, but the girl squirmed away, almost violently, from his touch “or he'll be defenseless and we'll have you to thank for it”

The Lord Hand, Otto Hightower, as depicted in a painting still hanging in Oldtown, circa 125 AC.

2. Alicent of House Hightower, Queen Dowager of the Seven Kingdoms.

Mother of king Aegon II, queen Helaena and princes Aemond and Daeron Targaryen; she was the heart and moral compass of the Greens.

“My love,” queen Alicent tried, her voice was sweet and filled with that motherly love Sansa could scarcely remember “let me help you...” yet princess Helaena avoided her touch, consistently ignoring her, by continuing to stitch a red and black spider with eyes as yellow as grain and pupil-less.

Queen Alicent of House Hightower, Queen Dowager of the Seven Kingdoms, as depicted in a painting still decorating the hall of Oldtown; circa 124 AC.

3. King Aegon II of House Targaryen, “rightful” king of the Andals, Rhoynar and First Men.

Firstborn son born from king Viserys II's second marriage with lady Alicent of House Hightower, first son of king Viserys to survive to adulthood, eldest trueborn son of the king.

“Helaena has found an intriguing playmate,” he said, arching a brow and scoffing “who knows maybe she'd willing to be m'playmate as well”

King Aegon, second of his name, king of the Rhoynar, Andals and First Men, Lord Protector of the Realm; as depicted in the painting sent to several lords to inform them of his ascension and remind them of his “right to rule”, wearing all the symbols of legitimacy (the crown of the Conqueror, the ruling chain and depicted inside the Great Sept), circa 129 AC.

4. Helaena of House Targaryen, queen consort of the Seven Kingdoms

Sister-wife to king Aegon II, she was a dragon rider and a dreamer of House Targaryen. Heavily misunderstood, but not for that less loved by her family. Mother of Jaehaerys, Jaehaera and Maelor Targaryen.

“Nine flames of white meet one flame of green,” she lulled as she stroked mindlessly her son's cheek as she rocked him back and forth of the swinging ironwood chair “the fourth ring from the tail rises up, and on and on it goes, its spikes drip blood on whitefield of roses blue”

Queen Helaena Targaryen, sister-queen to Aegon II Targaryen, as depicted in a painting still hanging in Kings Landing; 129 AC.

5. Aemond One-Eye Targaryen, prince of the Seven Kingdoms

Second son born of the marriage between king Viserys II and his second wife, queen Alicent Hightower. Rider of Vhagar, queen of all dragons.

“I may lack one eye, but I lack of no wit. Do not test my patience,”

Prince Aemond One Eye of House Targaryen, as depicted in 128AC; the painting was to be sent to many noble Houses, as his hand was yet free to be given in promise of marriage to help his brother's cause. [The painting never left Kings Landing] It was the prince's choice that his eyepatch was to be on first line, but his scar as hidden as possible to not scare the ladies of the kingdom.

6. Ned Rivers, the Lady Ned, the Lady in Grey, Lady Bat

Also known as the Needle of the Greens, no one knows whence she comes, save that her origins somehow connect her to the Riverlands and perhaps to a small House of landed knights who have not yet distinguished themselves (House Whent); whose banner depicts several bats.

“In my name,” she said almost softly to Jaehaera as the girl looked up at her “my father and my mother are wed”

The Lady Bat, as depicted in the first moons of 130AC, some say by her lover, some say by some unnamed painter who got his eyes' cut out for having dared to presume to capture her beauty on oil and canvas.

6. Guest star, Daeron of House Targaryen, prince of the Seven Kingdoms

Third son of king Viserys and queen Alicent Hightower. Currently squiring in Oldtown.

“My brother, Daeron,” she said “I miss him, he always make me laugh. And can charm anyone, he's a sweet boy. Everyone loves him” somehow that reminded her of Bran.

Daeron the Daring, prince of the Seven Kingdoms, in a painting still hanging in Oldtown, next to his mother and grandfather's; as depicted aged 16.

To come soon the Blacks (queen Rhaenyra Targaryen “rightful” queen, consort Daemon Targaryen, princes Jacaerys and Lucerys Velaryon; lady Baela and Rhaena Targaryen, princess Rhaenys Targaryen and lord Corlys Velaryon).

Also, yes, I know that the first mention of the Whents is during the reign of Maekar, yet, that is the first recorded mention and as House Lothston has to come from somewhere, the same goes for House Whent. So I have them mostly unknown little House of hedge knights of the Riverlands. It is fitting since Sansa's grandmother was Minisa Whent (whose banner spots several bats) and Sansa herself is said to have killed Joff with a spell grown bat-like wings and flown away.

[tessarionbestgirl]

If you could fix S2. How would do it?

Oh boy.

I, look there is so many things I would change about the show.

But, ok, second season only, plot wise. I would have had more locations to the story.

In the show we had, technically 5. Kingslanding, Dragonstone, the Driftmark the Arryn and Harrenhall. But truly there were only 3 relevant ones. I would change that.

For the first 4 episodes I will had Jace and wall 3 episodes focused on him the North, bounding with Cregan and Sarah. Make him seeing the nature of what being a bastad means, show him people making less of him. I would even make Sarah Snow older than Cregan and actually, in this sense, the royal heiress, would add so much in the sweet irony of his life, have to bargain and becomes close with people that have the same mentality of his enemy.

Meanwhile as close he get to Sarah, we saw Baela frustration with her father getting bigger and then receiving news that Jace didn't texted her. In episode 4 Jace cames back, he ignored her over shame and the. her grandma died. But she wouldn't go to Rhaenyra, because one thing I would change was Rhaenyra sending Rhenys, so she would not feel comfort to talking to her. In my drafts for the fix fanfic I had for S2, this scene was one of the first that come in mind.

Alyn walked to the docs at night, and see Baena sit there, he turn around, not wanting to disturb the young princess, but she stop him by making him a question in a defeated voice.

"What was my young mother like?", Alyn turns around and swallows noticing the young princess was looking at him. Baela laughs dryly.

"I know.... My father, my sister and even Jace don't think I understand, just because I don't say, but I always observing, I am always listening, and listed when Rhenys told me years ago Driftmark had a direct male sucessor."

"I don't pretend to hold such responsibility, a man like me.." Baela laughs again, interrupting him.

"The future king, my future husband is a man like you." Alyn is surprised and shocked by her honesty. He doesn't know whether to leave or stay there.

"For the days I only had my mom, my grandmother and my sister." She closes her eyes holding back tears. And open again, there is anger there. " Now I lost them both, 2 by dragon fire, and the other for the Vale."

She pauses and a tear runs down her cheek, Alyn is touched.

"But the worse part, I I barely remember my mother." Alyn sits next to her.

"I don't remember mine either." Both looking at the sea ahead. " But I do remember yours, she had the fire of the dragon on her, it took awhile for her that fire to burn inside her, but when it did, everyone saw how much it shone, you have the same fire on you."

Then after in episode 5 I would have choose to show add another location the Reach, Otto would be captured and they could introduce Daeron here, and show the conflict there because Ryan had the brilliant idea of making kings landing lack of food because of a barricade at sea, but forgot to explain why neither Reach or Stormlands are not sending food into kingslanding and plot would be useful for this, and I would end with Daeron marching.

Then in Kingslanding I would change some things. First I would make Alicent being conflicted about the war, but after Jaehaerys, that would confirmed every fear she had, and that would make her embracing revenge and the desire to make them pay and since the show likes to play this as Rhaenyra vs Alicent I would have make Alicent actually advising Aegon behind the doors, until the battle in which he became a dragon barbecue, now that would male sense for Aemond shut her down and seeing how dangerous he is all the power she lost she goes to the Harrenhall with Healana and met Daemon and Rhaenyra with Cole and the green army to propose to separate the kingdom in half.

For Rhaenyra I would have make her saying " A son for a son." Instead of only "Aemond." Because at least when Daemon and her fight the blame not only would fall on him, and would be a better transition to her character accepting she needs to do bad to win, and you could read her mind going "oh well That was horrible but it suits me, maybe the ends justify the means."

Helaena is other story but all her arc that happened off screen I would make on screen. She realising her visions are a thing, probably through a conversation between her and Aemond where he would say to her he feels sorry for the Jaehaerys' death.

Then she accepting his fate, and meeting Alys in a dream, and probably dreaming with Maelor and having sex with Aegon after he got burn. Because that only would add to the tragedy of her conceiving him because of a vision she had and then he dies. That would drive someone suicidal.

Is that good enough? I don't know but maybe when I was not tired as I am I even write that fanfic.