#anti daemon and laena

[sunfyrisms]

baela and rhaena i’m so sorry. y’all deserve better than your mom dying a horrible death, your dad fucking and marrying his niece immediately after your said mom’s funeral, and being a glorified cheerleader and babysitter for your dad’s niece. respectively. like oh my god.

[ladydreamfyyreee]

𝐈𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐦𝐞.

[marysblo0d]

Guys why can’t yuri enjoyers just hold hands so we can defeat the real enemy here:

[thesunfyre4446]

'ugh, daemon is king consort rhaenys have no right -'

she has every right. that piece of shit mistreated her daughter for years. rhaenys is a stronger woman then me because if the loser that mistreated my daughter & creeped after her when she was a teenager & didn't allow her to return home and was the reason she died far away from her family would have the audacity to order me around i'd dracarys that mf right where he stood. not to mention she suspects that he was also involved in the death of her other child.

[thephantomofthenight]

[sunnysideaeggs]

I finally found out why the Laena/Daemon match made me so uncomfortable 😵‍💫

Are you really going to tell me that a little girl went from this:

To this:

In three years? 🧐🧐🧐

It makes me so upset that hotd makers really casted another actress for Laena making a 16 yo effectively look ‘elder’ and ‘grown up’ and ‘seeking’ Daemon. They’re actively feeding stereotypes about girls of color growing up faster, wanting men’s attention earlier or being ‘more developed’ than their white counterparts. Alicent and Rhaenyra, two characters who are in universe older than Laena, kept their actress after the time lapse.

Laena Velaryon’s age and appearance seems to fluctuate however it’s more convenient for Targaryen men. She’s just a cute kid when Viserys is searching for a wife, making Alicent the ‘more sensible’ choice. She’s a beautiful young woman when Daemon needs to get away from Rhaenyra for a bit. She’s a middle aged woman who’s getting boring when he needs to come back.

Also, why did they change the actress (again!) after the time lapse? Only 12 years passed, at most. And teen!Laena is 16.

Are you really going to tell me she looks 28? Don’t get me wrong, Nanna Blondell is beautiful, but she, as she should, looks her age (37). Laena didn’t need another actress for just an episode, showcase her youth and the tragedy of being a placeholder in Daemon’s life (who, btw, didn’t age a day. I’m starting to think he keeps himself youthful by feeding on little girls.)

Alas, it really bothers me. As a young woman of color, it always pisses me off whenever people find excuses to sexualize woc and especially prey on young girls. It’s even worse when big entertainment companies feed into it.

[fatum679]

A son for a son. Laenor shall be avenged!

What about Laenor? Where is "son for son" for him? Rhaenys and Corlys, have you forgotten your child? You support the killers of your kid? lmao

Everyone "forgot" about him. Also, I'm sure he was killed off-screen in the TV show.

Rhaenys talks about her daughter, but not her son. lmfao

Rhaenyra, have you forgotten about the murder of "this son"?

#anti comparing Helaena with Rhaenyra

[drakaripykiros130ac]

I am so beyond sick of having to read how much certain stans romanticize Daemon’s relationship with Laena, and discredit his entire relationship with Rhaenyra, all because of a simple sentence they read about some singers singing whatever bullshit.

Daemon Targaryen didn’t fall head over heels for Laena, and you don’t even have to read the next passage in the book to know that.

The short version of the truth is this: he wanted Rhaenyra. He couldn’t have her, so he moved on to the next best thing. Laena was the only other Valyrian bride available and heiress to the great Velaryon fortune. She was a catch, and she didn’t have much competition in Daemon’s eyes, so he went for it. Daemon never even saw Laena as an option until after Rhaenyra was denied him. Get it?

As for comparing Daemon’s two marriage lives and saying that he was the happiest with Laena: it wasn’t Laena that made him happy. It was the life away from Court and away from all the drama. And let’s not forget that there were three in this “happy marriage”. Rhaenyra was constantly visiting Driftmark. Yes, Laena was her best friend but let’s be real here. She was going over there for Daemon.

Laena was never a target for the maesters because she was not a contender to the throne and so, of course, there was no point in saying anything bad about her or about her marriage life. She was a side character and not of much importance.

Of course Rhaenyra’s marriage to Daemon became tumultuous. They were fighting a war. War changed them both. Had things been different, they would have spent many happy years together on Dragonstone, flying Syrax and Caraxes all throughout the day and having sex throughout the night. I’m pretty sure they couldn’t get enough of each other, especially after how long they waited to finally get together. There’s a very good chance Rhaenyra was already pregnant with Aegon by the time they got married.

Daemon didn’t even wait the proper mourning period after Laena died, before he remarried.

It’s pretty clear that Rhaenyra was it for Daemon from the start. She was the one he wanted and he was determined to have her one way or another.

I mean, GRRM himself admitted that he created Daemon because he couldn’t find the right husband for Rhaenyra. Daemon was made for Rhaenyra. They’re the it pairing of the story. Any others who came and went in their lives were obstacles.

Had Daemon received a raven from Viserys, giving him Rhaenyra’s hand in marriage, do you honestly believe he would have gone through with that duel? He would have abandoned Laena right then and there, and flown back to King’s Landing to marry Rhaenyra.

[ashblooddragons]

The Red Queen 1\?

107 ac Kingslanding

Aemma’s pov

I sit in a rocking chair as I watch you stack blocks only to knock them over, and like always you turn to me for approval and when I clap you smile big showing your first tooth. I sigh once you gets back to playing, the lady Alicent has been coming to play with you since you were six moons stating she noticed Rhaenyra doesn’t play with you, but I know she was sent by her father to get in me and Viserys good graces. 

Today you’ve been quite pouty and upset, and I know exactly why. Daemon has been sent to the Vale to be with his wife for at least half moons turn. Viserys was lucky he got Daemon to agree to that much, as Daemon hardly leaves you as it is. It shocks the court how protective he is of you, he doesnt let anyone hold you in his presence besides me, Viserys, or himself. Because of this over protectiveness you’ve grown quite attached to him and his blasted dragon he demands you ride with him on. If the court thinks Daemon is over protective they havent watched that wyrm growl at me, your own mother, because I picked you up. Thankfully Daemon doesn't believe you should sit on the saddle yet, so he straps you to his chest via cloth wraps commeners use. I must admit my heart about jumps out of my chest everytime you fly with him, but when you come back down, and you have that smile on your face it all seems worth it.

As I’m musing someone knocks at the nursery door. “Alicent would you be a dear and see who that might be?” I ask as I stroke my stomach. Me and Viserys found out two moons ago that I’m with child…again. One of us was over joyed, the other wanted a long nap after finishing raspberry and ginger tea for my nausea and sore ankles. 

Alicent nods and gets up off the floor and goes to the door. “It's Princess Rhaenys and her daughter Laena, Your Grace.” she says looking at me to see if she should let them in. “yes please, and would you leave us darling? I need to have a talk with the princess.” I say to which Alicent nods and moves towards you to pick you up, but i stop her with a shake of my head.

Once Alicent has left and Rhaenys, and Laena are in the room I sigh. “The girl always with you?” Rhaenys asks in that cold tone she always has. 

“Yes, but I must admit she is quite helpful.” I respond through another sigh. This one is quite a mover cause I never can quite seem to chase the nausea away. “So I’m assuming you got my raven?” I ask once she sets Laena down on the ground next to you.

“Yes, I did.” Is the only answer I get, so I nod and watch as our daughters play together. We’ve sat in silence for quite a while, the only source of noise coming from you and Laena as you play and babble. This is why I about jump out of my skin when Rhaenys starts to talk again. “Has Rhaenyra truly not come around to her baby sister?” she asks with a amused smirk.

“No, nothing we do has helped as of yet. We’ve tries stories, games, walks, picnics, even going to the Dragon pit so Rhaenyra can show her Syrax, but that only ended in her throwing a tantrum and getting on Syrax, only coming down once we’ve left.” I say disappointedly, and I must sound truly pathetic, cause Rhaenys reaches over and holds my hand.

She hums in understanding and sympathy. Rhaenys has always been a woman of few words, never seeing the point in hiding ones true thoughts in words, preferring to speak plainly or not at all. I quite enjoy this as you always know what she’s saying is the truth, it’s the main reason she’s my favorite out of my cousins. 

“Well, I cannot say Laena will be here all the time, but I suppose the children and I would like to be closer to Corlys.” She says smiling as you and Laena chase each other, her running away laughing and you crawling after her giggling. “Besides a child needs a friend close in age to them.” she says as we both watch chuckling at you two. 

“I feel a life long friendship in their future, don’t you agree?” she says looking at me. All I can do is nod and smile. My little girl will have a friend for life in the little Velaryon.

109 ac Dragonstone

Your pov 

Me and Laena run out of the feast together, it’s my sisters nameday party and she demanded it be held at this place…Dragonpot? My sister doesn’t seem to like me very much, so me and Laena decided to look for dragons. We heard this place has LOTS of them, I mean it’s called Dragonpot for a reason, right?

“Laena it’s raining! Are you sure this is a good idea? I ask as she drags me out of the castle and into the rain. “Oh it’ll be fine! Stop being a worry wart! You want a dragon or not? This is our chance, might be the only we get!” Laena says back, to which I nod and follow after her towards the beach. The wind is so harsh we’re holding onto each other to stay standing, and our hair is perpetually in our faces. Because of these things we don’t notice the two dragons in front of us, well not until we hear the growls. We both push our hair back and look up at the two dragons, one white as snow and the other a slate grey. The white one is eating a pile of fish, while the other has two dead horses in front of it. 

“Um, maybe I was wrong, I don’t think this is a good idea anymore.” Laena says as we stand frozen in front of the dragons. “What are you on about, they won’t hurt us!” I say matter of factly. Caraxes never hurts me, in fact he doesn’t seem to like people around me not even my Kepus. “Watch Laena, you just walk up and pet them and then they make happy clicky sounds.” I say confidently as I walk forward smiling as I reach out to pet the white one. Laena keeps calling my name and the wind must be bad cause I hear other people calling for us too, but that can’t be true cause they’re all inside for my sisters nameday.

The white one growls abit but once i touch it, the growling stops and almost seems shocked. “Whoa that’s it? I’m gonna try.” Laena says as she runs over to the other dragon. Laena reaches out to touch the other one but it snaps at her, she frowns and yells at it. “Stop being a meanie! I will pet you!” which seems to surprise the dragon enough for her to touch it an start petting.

By this point there is no denying people are calling for us. I turn around and see mine and Laenas Mamas, Papas, Laena’s brother, my sister, Ali, and my Kepus. The Only ones who seem to be moving closer though is Laenas Mama and my Kepus. “Kepus I got a dragon!” I yell to him which catches Laenas attention and she yells to her Mama. “look Mommy, I got one too!” 

“Yes, yes we see now get over here right now!” Kepus yells at us which shocks me cause he’s never yelled at me, not once. We look at our dragons sadly before running over to them. “Dont ever scare me like that again! Do you understand!” Kepus yells and I nod trying not to cry.

Once we get in and they have us in our nightdresses and covered in furs our parents and my Kepus sit us by the fire and stare down at us. “What in the seven hells were you two thinking? Running out in a storm like this to hunt down dragons!” Laenas Papa yells as we hang our heads as we cry from their disappointment.

“You guys said this place has lots of dragons, we just wanted ones of our own. So I can be like Mama and she can be like her Kepus.” Laena sobs out and I nod my head in agreement. “Yes well did you two need to be stormchasers as well? Those damned dragons seem to agree with you on this being wonderful weather to be outside!” Laenas Papa keeps going. We hear a silent ‘my love.’ and he just sighs and sits in a chair hanging his head in his hands.    

“We understand you wanted dragons darling, but you scared us greatly running off like that in a storm. Let alone what those dragons are. Laena you claimed Mongrel and you claimed-” But I cut off Laenas Mama. “I claimed Stormchaser.” I say confidently as my Kepus bends down to wipe my tears away. 

“Is that what we’re calling him?” Kepus asks, to which I make a face. “It’s not a boy Kepus, it’s girl!” I say resolutely, which seems to have amused him as he chuckles and ruffles my hair. “How silly of me, sweetling. Of course it’s a girl.” 

That was the day Laena and I became dragon riders, and our friendship solidified.

Special thanks to @sugutoad for making the header!

[montyluvsjasper]

The problem isn't nuance or media literacy.

The problem is fans feeling like they own the work and characters.

The problem is people not deconstructing their purity culture and just putting its structure and attitudes into social justice and fandom spaces. (working on this myself and i will be making a separate post with useful links.)

The problem is using fandom spaces as social justice vehicles.

The problem is basing someone's moral character and values on what fictional stories and characters they enjoy.

The problem is the I'm right and if you don't agree with me you're stupid and a bad person mentality.

The problem is there is zero live and live mentality anymore.

The problem is rude delusional white social 20 something girls with a god complex saying "actually sweetie your wrong" along with a long line of mean girl insults. When they haven't so much as read a nonfiction book in years, watch a documentary that wasn't some flavor of true crime or researched something off of TikTok or Instagram. Sorry not sorry for saying that. I'm guilty of it too.

The problem is attacking actors, writers and other ARTISTS.

The problem with the current fandom climate goes so much farther than media literacy or nuance.

I'm tagging this in the GoT/HotD fandom but this IS UNIVERSAL.

[spacerockfloater]

Why the fuck does Laena Velaryon, who is canonically younger than Rhaenyra Targaryen in the show, look like a fucking 20-year-old in episode 5 while Rhaenyra, her elder, still looks fucking 13? Why the actual fuck did they change the YOUNGER girl’s actress and made her look older, but it’s okay for Rhaenyra to continue looking like a preteen? I’ll tell you why.

They’re trying to distract us from the fact that creepy ass Daemon is courting a 14-year-old. A FOURTEEN YEAR OLD. Rhaenyra is 15 in episode 1 and Laena is 12, meaning they have a 3 year age gap. Then, Viserys tells Rhaenyra that she must marry since she’s 17 now, making Laena 14, maybe 15 at best. So they obviously can’t afford having Daemon thirst over a child again, therefore this is a shitty attempt to cover up the fact that Laena still is a very fucking young child.

HBO what is this? Why do your casting choices indicate that you’re trying to use some kind of ageist technique to manipulate your viewers? Why are the supposedly good guys, Rhaenyra and her children, portrayed by very young actors? Is this to show how innocent and pure they are? Why are the characters who are supposedly evil, Aegon and Aemond, or the character for whom we shouldn’t worry too much about since she’s just a tool for Daemon’s story line to develop, Laena, portrayed by obviously older actors even though they’re all supposed to be kids? Because the youth = good people and old = bad people analogy is fucking gross and lowkey paedophilic. Not to mention how weird it is to make all the black girls in the show look like fucking grown ups. What kind of racist bullshit is this?

I can’t understand HBO’s decisionmaking for the love of me. Like, on the one hand, it’s so obvious that they’re forcing Daemon and Rhaenyra down our throats, to the point that I actually laughed out loud when the show runner said “he doesn’t get why people like Daemon”. Like, my guy, you MADE the show. You made him look like an appealing, dangerous, sexy, strong, victorious and mysterious man, so what do you mean you don’t get the appeal? On the other hand though, most of the actions that they allow Daemon to perform are so horrifying that it makes it impossible for a sane person to stand beside him and defend him. Like, they try to sugarcoat that he’s an abusive piece of shit yeah, but they somehow don’t shy away from the fact that he’s terrible? Are they doing both of these things on purpose? Are they trying to challenge the viewer, to show us how abusers, despite being openly deranged, still have their way of dazzling their victims, the average person, and hypnotising them with their charm? Is Daemon doing to us (and by us I mean you Daemon stans, not me, stay safe though) what he’s doing to Rhaenyra and Laena? Are the show producers testing the average viewer’s intelligence and ability to recognise an abuser? Will there be a lesson to be learned?

I would like to hope so but I highly doubt it, because while one could support this theory by arguing that changing Laena’s actress is an attempt to mask Daemon’s degenerative nature a bit so that it isn’t completely obvious that he’s a bad man, someone else could counter this argument by saying that we’ve already seen Daemon groom a minor so this wouldn’t be something new. We’ve seen him do much more violent crimes actually, so why shy away from the fact he’s a groomer when we are already aware of this? Idk man, I really want to think that HBO is trying to make us see that Daemon is an evil person, but then indirectly glorifying him constantly makes me believe they just want people to root for him.

P.S. I may anger a lot of people by saying this, so I’ll make myself clear by stating that I love and greatly respect actors who specialise in portraying evil characters, because doing so and not losing yourself is a challenge (*cough* Leto *cough*) but if done correctly, it’s a true showcase of one’s talent and hard work. Lee, De Niro, Hopkins, Bardem and Rickman are just a few to name. However, Matt Smith has never rubbed me the right way. No hate to the guy, I don’t even know him, but I’ve seen him play the villain in three separate occasions (HOTD, Last Night in Soho, Morbius) and I just get these weird vibes, but I usually told myself it’s just my imagination running wild. However, I recently found out that Smith claimed that Daemon is a loyal man who loves deeply and that his “heir for a day” brothel feast was his way of honouring Aema, which really disturbed me for obvious reasons. I don’t know if he said this because he’s trying to defend his character and by extension himself, or if he just wants to promote the show, or if he doesn’t understand Daemon or if he funnily enough has fallen victim to his own character’s charm and I don’t care because it is a dangerous thing to say. Painting this character, the arrogant, obnoxious, self serving, people slaughtering, wife murdering, backstabbing, abusing, grooming, lying, manipulating, war criminal of a man, in such a positive light while being a man yourself, knowing that most of this character’s supporters are young impressionable women who just find him hot, makes me lowkey wanna cover my drink in his presence, I don’t know.

[ophelieverse]

So you are telling me that the dynastic dispute that divided a family and the realm in two,that had siblings hating each other,best friends becoming mortal enemies,brother against brother.The civil war that had innocent people dying,children brutally killed,starvation,violence,blood and fire everywhere.The civil war that lasted three years which basically ended the dragons existence and almost the Targaryen line,is now made pass as a misunderstanding?

First Aemond killed Lucerys by accident.Then Daemon has a toddler murdered but it was a mistake and now the throne is usurped because it was a misunderstanding?

Writers please…

*SPOILERS*

In the last episode I expect Aegon killing Rhaenyra to be an accident too.Like he sneezed and Sunfyre understood “dracarys” instead.

[daeneryseastar]

“He’s always angry, but we haven’t done anything.”

“…but I have a crooked finger, just like Mama!”

“We were born here. Mama is our mother.”

“I do not wish to be different.” “Nor do I.”

“So let us be good sons and please those who love us, so they may forget what we lack.”

I’m never going to recover from this. Once again scenes were removed that would add to both boys characterizations, and we all know why. The scenes would make the audience realize how Aemond’s ‘I’m being bullied for not having a dragon :( I’m the real victim!’ storyline so fallible and easy to shatter in universe because it’s a completely normal occurrence for Targaryen’s. Aemond is not the first child to not have a dragon by the age of ten, the original conqueror’s, Baelon, Alyssa, Rhaenys, Laena, Viserys, Daemon, Aegon II, Helaena, etc. all claimed young or fully grown dragons somewhere between the ages of 11-18.

The only character that had the potential to be marketed as his biggest bully is his brother. They’re never going to convince me (and many others) that it was Rhaenyra’s sons who would ever go after another child for their lack of a dragon, especially given that they were almost surely taught that hatching a cradle egg is but one way for a Targaryen to have a dragon. Aemond felt lesser than his nephews due to the way Alicent was parenting him. She led him to believe that his nephews were bastards, that due to their blood they were beneath him, and this is what led to his inferiority complex. It makes more sense than the crock of shit the show runners decided to include in the show.

Rhaenyra and her sons were subjected to actual abuse and bigotry over the timeskip due to their gender and their blood, respectively. It very much makes me sick how they’re being treated by not only the show runners, but a decent portion of the audience as well. Bastardphobia is not cool or edgy. Looking down on someone because their parents weren’t married is vile. It falls into the same category as believing in blood supremacy. It’s 2024. Do better.

Jace and Luke will forever be Mama’s boys and are never beating the best brothers/sons allegations.

</3

[marysblo0d]

you could live a million lifetimes and never deserve those girls

[thesunfyre4446]

i need to talk about laenor for a minute

"he was happy!" "ha wanted to leave his family!"

mmmm are you sure?

because in ep 6 he wants to leave KL, yeah, but he def does not want to disappear. he wants to join his family in the stepstones. he's tired, he's done. he has "played his part". was he really that happy with his modern family in KL? because it sure didn't sound like it when rhaenyra has to command him to stay by her side because she needs him to keep covering up for her.

when rhaenyra and daemon had that convo in ep 6 when rhaenyra wanted to have laenor killed and daemon convinced her to give him a choice.

the choice was go away or we'll kill you.

they actually went to laenor on his sister's funeral, when his family needed him the most and made him leave. laenor wanted to leave KL to join his family in the stepstones. he never wanted his family to think he's dead, especially not when they've just lost laena.

and that plot makes 0 sense because if laenor ever comes back rhaenyra and daemon will be branded as liars and traitors & their children will be declared as illegitimate. not to mention, if rhaenys and corlys ever find out about what they did their alliance is over. like rhaenys will literally burn them. the fact that they knew how much corlys and rhaenys suffered and still chose not to tell them about laenor is so messed up.

[sunfyrisms]

i always find it weird when team black stans are happy to point out the fucked up family dynamic of the greens but never with the blacks. like please, let’s remember that daemon groomed his niece, fucked and married her within twenty four hours of his wife’s funeral, then choked her when he had a tantrum. let’s remember that he and rhaenyra had children that, suspiciously, looked absolutely nothing like their elder brothers, they look like targaryens. and thought it would cause absolutely no trouble for the succession rhaenyra has been fighting for. let’s not forget rhaenys died thinking they killed her son right after her daughter’s funeral. let’s not forget corlys is their version of otto, he is extremely ambitious and is willing to do whatever it takes to obtain power. yes, he sided with rhaenyra and grew fond of her, but before, he would absolutely betray her at a moment’s notice if it meant he got more power. they are not a perfect happy family like everyone suggests, they are not better than the greens, everyone literally just sucks. it’s much more fun to consume the media when you recognize they aren’t two distinct families, they are a singular family that is at war and makes it everyone’s problem (a problem that results in the near extinction of their very house and the death of their dragons). they’re all fucked up. it’s exhausting seeing team black stans act like their favs are perfect and happy and the greens are awful because they’re messy. everyone is messy and fucked up and everyone dies.