#bc of course a targaryen can never be normal about his family

[alicentalicent]

Trying to understand Otto a little more, and this scene is a good exercise. We have a Viserys who is frustrated because Rhaenyra is being a broody teen and he doesn't get why... (maybe because you married her homoromantic best friend idk). He doesn't know how to manage the marriage proposals, which is traditionally the wife's duty, and obviously Otto jumps in to help him.

My first thought about the expression Otto makes was him thinking: “I couldn’t relate LESS” but to be serious for a minute, I think he’s probably thinking “Well, aren’t you in a position to decide what happiness looks like for Rhaenyra, in the long term?”

I do think Otto believes that about Alicent, that the choices he is making for her and the things he's commanding her to do will lead to her happiness. The ambitious mind of a Hightower, Lord Hand, obviously prioritizes having his blood in the royal line, for him that equals happiness. So her feelings and wants and ideas of happiness don't really matter, cause "father knows best". And I think this is actually a good representation of shitty parenting, thinking that your child can be molded into a specific ideal of what the future should look like, in a lot of cases even getting into heights you couldn't reach yourself, and thus fulfill your dreams. Yes, Otto we know you wanted to marry Viserys, get in line Daemon also wanted to.

No, but really, in the next moment, he says that Aegon should marry Rhaenyra and in that way reconcile his desires with Viserys', thinking of their children and grandchildren as no more than pieces on the board. Full circle moment when Alicent literally points out this to Otto in 1x09, beautiful.

Otto shows his love by carefully laying a path before Alicent, with what he believes to be happiness at the end. Is it love, though? For him, it is. We have to ask Alicent, though. That love probably feels like feeding a little bird in a cage , asking her to happily sing the tune of her heart, and complaining when the bird wallows in her misery.

[meanqueens]

Hi! Sorry for the rant but as an hater of the Rhaenys speech in episode nine to another I felt like you could understand .

In my personal experience ,it’s not only the Targaryen Exceptionalism that bothers me ,it’s also the not so subtle victim blaiming .

The whole window things to me was Rhaenys telling Alicent that she’s a loser for not having ambitions other than to see her family safe ,and the fact that Alicent didn’t girlboss her way out of her problems ( read :abuse)

It’s not only Rhaenys hypocrisy here that makes me go nuts,but the way the show constantly acts like Alicent is stupid for not fighting back against her abusers is sickening .This is a feudal society and their concept of abuse was different then ours ,so what was done to Alicent by Otto and Viserys (and Larys but in this case his behavior would never be normalized) will never get called out ,and Alicent as a woman is considered a property ,first of her father then her husband .She has power and wealth as long as these men give it to her .So she’s already in a bad situation societally and one hard ti escape.

On an emotional level ,Alicent is also really scared of both Otto and Viserys .And abuse victims feel trapped ,like they can’t escape . (and Alicent is trapped ).

The fact that Rhaenys shaming Alicent for being a victim is seen as a wise girlboss moment is something so fucked up .

Sorry for the rant ,and have a good day/night !

thank u for your ask and your thoughts, and i hope u enjoy me ranting some more about (probably) my least favorite exchange of dialogue in hotd!

i’m gonna go kinda line by line with my thoughts so this might get long.

Rhaenys: And you are usurping the throne.

subjective, i think, like a lot of the dance is. who’s the usurper depends on who believes who has the rightful claim. and let’s be real: if the greens didn’t have a leg to stand on, there wouldn’t be a dance. also, let’s recall that part of rhaenys’ stance in the great council was not only that she had a claim, but that her male child laenor had a claim. he, not rhaenys, was the main contender alongside viserys i. i think hotd really messed up important details in trying to simplify everything. anyway.

Alicent: It was my husband's dying wish. Believe it or no, it is of no consequence. Aegon will be king. I came here to ask your support.

Rhaenys: Well, I must credit you for your boldness.

hey, now that’s a take i can agree on, rhaenys! while not the most powerful member of the greens, without alicent’s boldness they would not have survived long.

Alicent: House Velaryon has long allied itself with the Princess Rhaenyra and what has it gained you? Your daughter dead, alone in Pentos. Your son cuckolded. Rhaenyra's heirs are none of yours. It is your husband who grasps so heedlessly for the throne. And even he has abandoned you. Gone these six long years to fight a desperate battle, returning grievously, if not mortally, wounded, leaving the Lady of Driftmark to chart her course alone.

(going by show canon) is alicent wrong though? is she wrong????? it might not be nice but it’s the truth as she sees it.

Rhaenys: The word of my house is not fickle.

Alicent: No. But, dear cousin, you more than any soul alive understand what I say now. Princess Rhaenys, I loved my husband, but I will speak the truth we both know. You should've been queen.

Rhaenys: I little thought to hear those words from you.

but why, rhaenys, did you not expect alicent to say those words to you? what on-screen interaction have you had with her in the past that led to this conclusion? or is that the internalized misogyny talking???

see, this little quip reeks of narrative fuckery. everybody just inherently hates alicent bc *checks notes* she’s a “bad feminist”… in a medieval patriarchal society. if rhaenys doesn’t think alicent would say that, show me why she doesn’t think alicent would say that based on something other than “vibes”.

doesn’t make sense that it’s bc alicent married viserys instead of laena; doesn’t make sense that it’s bc alicent and rhaenyra fought after aemond lost his eye; doesn’t make sense that it’s bc alicent rules in viserys’ stead (if anything, that’d make it more likely she’d say it bc she and rhaenys are/were in similar positions, able to rule when their husbands couldn’t); doesn’t make sense that it’s bc alicent worked with vaemond so he could inherit driftmark (and not lucerys, another male).

so where?

Alicent: The Iron Throne was yours by blood and by temperament. Viserys would've lived his days a country lord, content to hunt and study his histories, but here we are. We do not rule, but we may guide the men that do. Gently. Away from violence and sure destruction and instead toward peace.

the “we do not rule, but…” lines are actually so important to me, because it’s alicent speaking as a woman who understands her position in society to another woman (maybe one who she hopes can feel the same). it’s alicent have a very firm grasp on what her limitations are and thus what is reasonably possible for her to do. here, i think, she underestimates rhaenys’ pride and concept of her own privilege, bc rhaenys does not view herself as a “mere woman”, she’s a targ, and she couldn’t nor wouldn’t visualize anything else.

Rhaenys: Is it in the name of peace that you've imprisoned me? And what of my dragon?

Alicent: If we are overmatched, Rhaenyra will be tempted to strike us, and war will ensue. Without your dragon, she may be persuaded to negotiate. If it's Driftmark you want, you shall have it for you and your granddaughters to pass on as you see fit.

excellent point from alicent. it’s a smart political move to keep rhaenys confined while her loyalties are uncertain. again, it’s not a “nice” thing to do to someone, but it’s not the time to be nice; it’s time to survive. giving rhaenys free reign would give her free reign to use a WMD on whoever she chooses. so, yeah, it is kind of in the name of peace to keep the user away from the weapon, because meleys is a weapon of MASS DESTRUCTION that could destroy the city and kill many.

and guess what happens later at the coronation? alicent is proven right. you let rhaenys out, you let the carnage out.

Rhaenys: You are wiser than I believed you to be, Alicent Hightower.

Alicent: A true queen counts the cost to her people.

Rhaenys: And yet you toil still in service to men. Your father, your husband, your son. You desire not to be free, but to make a window in the wall of your prison. Have you never imagined yourself on the Iron Throne?

i will stand by the post i made back when this episode aired, that some people can only hope to make windows.

if you can see a door, that’s great, but some people can’t and can only visualize fresh air. maybe you could help her find the door, rhaenys, but you’re more interested in shaming her.

rhaenys’ hypocrisy comes out here in full force in how she views alicent’s actions vs. her own, when she has done similar if not exactly what alicent has. but rhaenys is a targ/aryen, she’s got the dynasty and the dragonfire to back her up; alicent has to work with what your typical noble lady has. so, no, alicent can’t just do whatever she wants, bc, like you said redroses, her power is what others allow her. looks like rhaenys doesn’t have a window in the wall of her prison of privilege, and instead bricked herself up with her hypocrisy.

now. while i have ranted for quite a bit now, i do think it’s okay that rhaenys does not agree with alicent and does not see her as she is. that’s character conflict! that makes a great story! i can disagree with rhaenys’ perspective (and i do), but that she has it isn’t entirely the issue. what hammers in the frustration i have is that the narrative is siding with her, not allowing for these two women to have different points of view in shades of grey. the narrative doesn’t push for any interpretation other than rhaenys is correct, and that alicent is a bigoted, self-righteous fool, bc how dare she defend her son’s claim? “that’s not very girlboss of you, alicent, so we don’t care about your reasons for doing so and how they just might be valid from your POV.”

the scene ends without a retort more from alicent, again signaling how the narrative intends this as a “gotcha!” mic drop moment. but since i’ve gone this far, i might as well argue that the following could be considered one, bc she does at least get the final word:

Alicent: I'll leave you with your thoughts.

go ahead and have your thoughts, rhaenys. see how far you go, and if you won’t end up just like the mere mortals after all.

[unusual-raccoon]

Because it’s Mother’s Day, I’m using this holiday as an excuse to gift you a prompt 🌚 So stay with me…but what about a modern switched at birth jaceluke au?

Jace always imagined he’d be a fantastic older brother, he read stories about the legendary sibling relationships in his family’s history, but somehow he’s never clicked with his younger brother Vaegon. He thought it so strange considering Jace’s first memory ever was holding his brother in his arms and thinking everything right with the world. But it would seem their relationship would not blossom further than that moment. At first he thought the problem was with him but Joffrey’s birth erased those insecurities. It was cruel to think the fault of a nonexistent relationship rested solely with Vaegon, but Jace accepted that. And besides, it seemed that Vaegon preferred it that way, never having an interest in their younger brothers or Daemon’s daughters. But it would seem that everything would change when his younger brother was assigned a school project pertaining to DNA history.

In another part of the world, Luke always felt that something was missing from his life. His family was nice, but they were just that. He always burned too brightly for them, felt too deeply. Luke was like a different species next to their normality. He was haunted by the feeling that the space beside him should be occupied. Again, everything would change when hospital staff and lawyers started calling the house.

If you are up to it, maybe write the first JaceLuke interaction when Luke meets the fam?? Or maybe some sexxy angst once they actually get to know each other? Also, In this au Rhaenyra took one look at the switched baby and decided Lucerys was too pretty, so I chose to use the name of the lamest Targ in history (other than Aemond oc). Luke lucked out namewise in this one, but once the truth comes out he can’t help but start to use Lucerys. This au is so tasty because can you imagine both of them not trying to go feral and scare the other off? Jace not knowing how Luke will react to the history of their family while Luke doesn’t know the family secret and feels like a freak because his attraction? Also bc I can’t help myself: Corlys never made Vaegon heir cuz he’s a total loser; besides he’s been too busy to choose one ever since he’s been teaching a certain new intern the ropes. Even if you can’t write anything for this, you’re a gem 🌚

My darling 🌚 anon, you have no clue how with you I am. I’m so sorry for not being able to address all of your amazing asks with the consideration they deserve, my masters thesis is kicking my ass right now.

A treat for you, and for me (ficlet under the cut):

It had started with an assignment, a history project. It had seemed an innocent enough task. Typing the name Targaryen into one any run of the mill search engine would lead to results in the millions, chock full of tabloid articles and nonsense all bound up in the family name. If Vaegon really wanted to pull out the stops, he’d submit a sample to one of those ancestry sites, BOOM, goldmine.

Of course, Vaegon hadn’t seemed particularly thrilled by the prospect. Admittedly, Jace was a little more excited by the prospect of seeing their family’s historical tree span back generations.

So, when his brother waved the notion aside, claiming he’d just ask their mother for anything important enough to warrant including in his report, as if the whole of Targaryen history wasn’t worth it. Jace took matters into his own hands.

It had changed with results…and a little fork in their family tree. A pruned branch, as it were. In the place where Vaegon belonged, beside Jace, was something else. Someone else.

Name: Luke R.

Suggested relationship: full siblings

Known Relationship: Brother

Ancestral Surnames: Targaryen, Velaryon (Freehold, Valyria)

And there it was…his missing piece.

Jace stared at the website’s message function, at it’s washed out green interface. This was insane.

His cursor blinked in the empty text box. Mocking.

There was no photo attached to the profile. It could be a fluke. It could be nothing.

Jace pressed his thumb to the name on his phone screen, watched as his brother’s name was automatically highlighted. Copied it, and pasted it into Google. He scrolled mindlessly, possessed for what felt like hours.

Stumbled on a dating profile on a hookup app that Bells had downloaded for him. His mouth was dry.

The profile wasn’t under the name Luke, but Lucy.

He tapped on a profile picture, saw delicate features, dark hair, dark eyes, pale skin. He’d seen enough photos of his mom when she was younger to know the young man in the phots was her carbon copy.

Fuck.

His thumb slipped without meaning to. He liked the profile. Jace hissed, flooded with horror, mortification, panic-

It’s a Match!

Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit.

Luke, or Lucy, rather messaged first.

L: Heyy

Jace stared at the message and felt longing pull in his gut, worse than anything he’d ever known.

His reply is quick, hungry for more. His brain wired on a feedback loop at the chime of a notification.

J: Hi

The reply is quick.

L: chatty huh

J: sorry, lol. Wasn’t expecting to match w you.

L: really? Why’s that

J: you’re hot

L: LOL that’s pretty forward. And unless ur using someone else’s photo in ur profile pic, so are you.

His cock twitched.

J: just stating facts. And Thx lol.

J: are the tats in your gallery yours?

L: yea. r the abs in your gallery yours?

J: yeah.

L: 🥵

J: you’re funny.

L: and ur strangely humble for a guy that’s as good looking as ur pictures make you seem.

J: that a bad thing?

L: no, just trying to figure out where you came from lol

J: same place as you probably

L: I doubt it, lol.

J: I could be

L: ??

J: in the same place as you

J : if you wanted that

Jace wanted that, he wanted this his entire life.

L: oh yea? What would we do in the same place together?

J: whatever you want, Lucy

L: what if I wanted to do boring stuff? Like talk about history or sumthing?

J: joke’s on you, I love history. Kinda into the idea of you talking about history.

L: yea?

J: yeah

L: Hot and ur into history, def made in a lab.

J: LOL. Maybe I was made for you?

Maybe we were made for each other, he thinks. He thinks back to the results of his test - full siblings. Jace had always felt like oil and water with Vaegon, like they’d been cut from a different cloth.

Lucy had gone silent for a few minutes. Jace felt panic dig it’s roots into him. Desperate for a scrap of attention, affection, anything.

The chime of the next message hits like a narcotic.

L: I can multitask btw. We could talk about History AND do other stuff.

Jace’s hands are shaking as he replies.

J: anything in particular?

L: yea, in about six diff positions.

Jace ducked his head with a smile, cheeks throbbing with a blush.

J: is that so? Well, please educate me.

A stock photo of two men at a cafe rolled in, coffee cups that looked suspiciously empty situated before each of them. Jace couldn’t quite hide his smitten giggle.

L: it’s not the Kama sutra but I think we could pull it off

J: I might need to stretch first, but yeah, I’m down.

L: 🥰

J: lick a spot and we can try it for ourselves

J: *pick

L: didn’t mind the 1st one, LOL

L: but, yea, I’d like that.

He masturbates like a madman that night, frantic to the sight of tattooed, lily-white thighs in Lucy’s gallery. Imagines those pretty legs locked around his waist.

His guilt the following day isn’t enough to quash the quick flush of excitement that surges to his fingers (and cock) at the unique chime of a message on the app.

L: morning 😊

J: Good morning

L: it’s definitely better now

J: ☺️

J: rough night?

L: I had a dream about u…

J: I think I like where this is going

L: it was pretty morbid actually 😓. There was a fire, I don’t remember much, but I remember that. And u were there.

L: not like in the house btw. U were just there, next to me.

Jace sucked in a sharp breath. Harrenhal…Harwin’s lake house had burned down when they were young. Blood frothed hot in his veins.

L: … i’m sorry that was like the most unsexy dream to have abt a hot guy 😩.

L: omg wait I didn’t mean to make a pun 😨

L: …Jace?

J: do I have to burn something to be next to you now?

L: OMG, no!

L: I mean, did you still wanna be next to me after I had some weird ass dream with u in it?

J: YES

L: I’m free this weekend. Saturday. There’s a coffee shop near by, I’ve never been to it. No burning required.

J: it’ll be a first time for both of us then.

L: 🫣

L: it’s insane how bad I wanna kiss you

J: 😚😚

Fifteen minutes later, he’s sent an address.

They exchange flirty messages throughout the week leading up to the day they’re supposed to meet.

He gets to the coffee shop early. It’s cozy, warm, the air is fragrant. There’s a gentle buzz of conversation and hiss of coffee machines and milk frothers.

His phone pings and he nearly spills piping hot decaf all over his hand.

L: are u here yet?

J: yeah

L: lift up ur shirt so I know it’s u

J: lol! Sitting by the bookshelf

His heart stops when he sees him round the corner, like something out of a dream. Lily-white legs in microscopic cut-off shorts. Delicate fingers with chipped polish wrapped around a phone.

His eyes are dark, darker in person. Brown with a touch of amethyst. His eyes are Jace’s eyes. His heart is pounding fast.

“Lucy?” Jace calls, voice shaking. A timid smile parts on pink lips as he draws nearer. He’s stood before the intimate little corner booth Jace had picked out.

He’s tiny.

“Luke,” he corrects, “Lucy is…an online thing. Most people call me Luke.”

“Luke,” Jace repeats, and there it was. Easier than breathing. His missing piece.

[star-girl69]

I Loved You Like the Sun

a/n: i’m so mean for this i’m sorry in advance

also apologies bc i suck at writing action scenes

warnings: incest, blood, death, knives, swearing, violence, tell me if i missed anything!!

Daemon Targaryen x Rhaenyra Targaryen x Fem!Reader

Chapter Thirty- Blood & Cheese

—-

Blood and Cheese.

They were odd names, Rhaenyra thought, but Daemon assured her they would get the job done.

It had taken time for news to reach his contacts, more for the response to come and for the plan to be set. It was now six days since Cannibal had returned without her.

He gave them a map of the tunnels, instructed them to find them sometime when they were all together, a dinner, something, and kill them all. Leave the children and Helaena- make it painful for the rest.

She found she couldn’t think about it anymore. Daemon climbed into bed beside her, wrapping an arm around her waist that felt good, normal, but something was sorely missing.

She felt Daemon press a kiss to her bare shoulder, and she fell asleep sobbing for the sixth day in a row.

—-

You watch Aegon wearily as he sulks in the corner- Alicent demanded the family gather, that this is the last moment of peace they will have for a while before the real war will begin.

You know you are the calm in a raging sea, that Daemon and Rhaenyra relied on you for an a calm head, a reprieve, shelter. Without you, you cannot imagine the chaos they will inflict.

Aemond sits stiffly beside Helaena on a chaise, eyes glancing to you every few minutes. Helaena watches the children happily, humming while she does her needlepoint. A beautiful red and black spider. You notice she never knits with green.

Alicent presides over it all, the chair across from yours, smiling happily. She has her family altogether. You are more jealous of her now than you ever have been before.

Her perfect family obviously does not include you, but Helaena insisted you come as well, and this was better than sobbing into your pillow alone, you supposed.

But, you just sighed as Otto took a seat- across from you, next to Alicent- staring thoughtfully off into the distance. A nervous lilac eye on yours, the feeling of annoyance in the air.

You feel powerless in this place. You know that this place should be yours, you should be the one presiding over it all. Rhaenyra is the Queen, and she will make you one as well. Daemon will be King, your children princes and princesses, happy, happy, happy.

With them, you ruled the world.

Your dragons would change the course of the winds for you, make kingdoms rise and fall at your will. A flippant hand in someone’s direction, and soon dragon fire will be blown at them. Burn, burn, burn.

Now, you cry yourself to sleep. Wake alone. Fill your days with the memory of them. The absence of power and safety weighs on your heart.

The people around you, across from you, next to you, want your head on a silver plate. To them, you are a puppet, and the string you hang from is choking you.

Helaena suddenly sets her needlepoint down, murmuring that she is quite thirsty. The only maid in the room leaves to fulfill her request of chamomile tea, and you continue to watch the children.

(They are making their way through the tunnels, pausing to consult the map. They are in the palace now, slowly climbing to the higher floors.)

You and Helaena both gasp when Maelor throws a wooden dragon, almost hitting Jaehaerys on its descent. Maelor is closest to you, so you lean down and place a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“You should not throw, honey, you may hurt someone.” He looks up at you, and you can tell he has no idea what you’re saying. He looks so much like Viserys, oddly, that you let your hand wisp through his blonde locks. He smiles, turns back to his dragons.

Aegon scoffs from across the room, and you look up.

He meets your eyes, his bottom lip curling in distaste.

(Their path is straight, now. No more stairs to climb. They come to a dead end. Consult the map. Yes, this is the place. The wall creaks open, secret door appearing from cream colored paper.

They watch two handmaidens in front of them. One is carrying a tray, while the other stands in front of her and fixes her dress.

“Down the hall, last door on the right. That is where the royal family is. All you have to do is give Queen Helaena her tea.”

“Oh, praise the Seven.”

“Do not be nervous. This is a great honor to be given on only your second week. There is not room for failure.”

Sad, she will never get to bring that tea. Their throats are cut, and the men in the walls continue their journey.)

Alicent sighs, heavily. “What is the matter, Aegon?”

“Nothing. I just… wonder what gives her any right to discipline my son.”

“It was not like that,” Helaena murmurs, and you can barely hear her. You straighten your spine, fingers detangling from Maelor’s hair.

“I’m sorry, Your Grace.” You put as much derision into your voice as you dare, and his eyes narrow.

“Let us enjoy this peaceful evening, yes?” Alicent glances around the room, before turning back to the book in her lap. She hums to herself about writing to Daeron, while you and Aegon do not back down. He stares and you stare.

Aegon is a usurper. A traitor. You will not give up, will not let him win.

But to your surprise, he simply scoffs and looks away first. You lean back into your chair, slightly surprised. You did not think him one to back down.

You cannot be in this room anymore. It is when you are about to stand, that the door opens. You take no mind, figuring it to be a handmaiden, fiddling with your dress as you take a deep breath to take your leave.

Helaena screams, Aegon startles, and Aemond grabs his dagger.

When you look up, two men dominate the room. One bars the doors, and you gasp, the other takes a step forward, and tears well in your eyes.

One is pale and quite short, dagger in a bony hand. The other is taller, muscled, tanned skin and stubble on his chin. You can tell they are hardened from a life on Flea Bottom, assassins, former Gold Cloaks perhaps. They scare you to the bone.

Dameon is not here to save you, now. Rhaenyra is not here to hold you, now. Not like last time. You are alone. Alone, alone, alone.

It is Otto who rises slowly, hands out calmly, as the men survey the room. Aegon screams that he is King. Alicent calls for the guards. You can barely make out banging on the door, opposite the rhythmic beat of your heart, dragon wingbeats. You miss Daemon.

“Who are you?” Otto calls.

“A debt must be made,” one of them says, the shorter, paler one.

The room is silent besides for the sounds of crying children and Helaena’s erratic breathing. Alicent has crossed the room to hold her- you want to be holding your children. You want to go home.

Tears fall down your face, down your necklace Helaena had ensured you kept. Made of Valyrian steel. Two initials on the back of it.

You grab at it, clutching it between your nervous fingers.

You admit, you often forget it is even there. It’s comforting weight is always on you, it is as if your body has grown around it. Daemon and Rhaenyra, always with you.

“What fucking debt?” Aegon shouts, tearing through the room and coming face to face with them. “I am the King, and you will be hung as traitors!”

The bigger one sends him a deadly glare.

“You may be King, but you are foolish. Your treason spreads like water throughout the realm.”

“What- what treason?!” Otto sputters, “Who do you work for?!”

“The entire Realm knows you murdered Lady Targaryen, Prince Aemond. They hiss at the sound of your name and call you Kinslayer.”

“No, no, no,” you breathe, and everything falls into place.

“The Queen and her husband have sent us for revenge. The Realm will know the meaning of fire.”

“No!” You scream again, throwing yourself off of the couch and towards them. They cannot kill them, because they have to take you home. You need to go home.Your blood is singing, your heart is twisting.

You stand on shaky legs, holding a hand out.

“I- I am Lady Targaryen. I’m not dead, I’m not. Please,”

“She’s lying,” Aemond hisses. “She is nothing. Discard her.”

“No! No, I am telling the truth!” You grab the bigger man’s wrist, and he stares at you, uncertain. But he also knows that even if there is a modicum of truth to your words, and if he hurts you, he will know the meaning of fire.

You see it in his eyes. Some part of him is cautious, some part of him wants to believe you. To return Lady Targaryen back to her family would make him a hero. Riches shined upon him, women fawning over him, the Queens and King in his debt.

“My necklace!” You gasp, suddenly, hold it out to him, he grabs the end of it, studying it while the smaller man keeps watch, daggers looming. “It- it’s Valyrian steel,” he turns it over, traces the inscription with his finger.

“D and R,” he murmurs, before it clicks in his brain and he pulls you to him. “Cheese! Abandon the fucking mission, we’re gonna be hero’s!” The other man laughs greedily, backing up slowly.

You sob into the man’s shoulder, and he wraps an arm around you to keep you steady. Not quite Daemon, but if you close your eyes, it’s close enough.

Home, home, home, you think, over and over again, repeat your family’s names.

Daemon, Rhaenyra, Jace, Luke, Joffrey, Baela, Rhaena, Aegon, Daenys, and Viserys. Daemon and Rhaenyra. Daemon and Rhaenyra. Cannibal, Cannibal, Cannibal, your Cannibal.

It is sudden when he falls, the other man, Cheese, screaming out “Blood!” before murmuring that he’s sorry and running out. You fall with him, trapped under his arm.

When you get out from under his weight, there is a knife in his back, you pull his head into your lap, sobbing.

“I’m sorry,” you say, over and over, because it was Aemond’s dagger but your doing. You hold him until the light fades from his eyes, and the blood seeps around you, soaking your dress.

When he stops convulsing, when you realize the other man is gone, without you, you raise your bloody hands to your face, shaking, shaking, and scream so loudly you hear the children screech as well.

(You would later find out that Cheese was caught by guards, tackled to the ground. They meant to just restrain him, but he fought back, screaming that he must save the Queen. They killed him, and his blood is on your hands too.)

You scream until you run out of breath, until Helaena, sobbing as well, places a gentle hand on your shoulder. She whispers that she’s sorry. You sob into your bloody hands, stained with your freedom.

—-

taglist:

@wondergal2001 @akiraquote @a-lil-bit-nuts @anginoguera @thatkinkylesgirl1 @stitchattacks @honeypillowsblog @kaloafd @blackhoodlea @softtina @wallace02sblog @tetgod @hotd-fanfic @rxscpctals @iramagnus

[a-libra-writes]

Game of Thrones - Love Letter and Handwriting Headcanons

In this preference, you'll be writing to: Ned Stark, Robb Stark, Sansa Stark, Jon Snow, Benjen Stark, Jory Cassel, Eddison Tollett, Yara Greyjoy, Daenerys Targaryen, Jorah Mormont, Missandei, Grey Worm, Tywin Lannister, Tyrion Lannister, Jaime Lannister, Sandor Clegane, Bronn, Petyr Baelish, Stannis Baratheon, Davos Seaworth, Margaery Tyrell, Brynden Tully, Edmure Tully, Brienne of Tarth, Ramsay Bolton, Roose Bolton, Oberyn Martell, Arianne Martell

my own silly fanfic made me think of this bc there’s letter writing later on in that. whee!

Ned Stark

His handwriting is neat, evenly spaced and fairly plain. It’s easily readable, which is the point - he knows not everyone is well-versed in letters and he tries to make it easier. Ned typical sends ravens, only writing a full letter for when he has to give instructions or relay something important. He has a formal Stark wax seal for this… and yes, he uses that same formal seal when he sends something to you. The more you exchange letters, the more relaxed he clearly becomes in writing. He knows he isn’t romantic or poetic by any means, but he hopes his affection for you comes across.

Robb Stark

Goodness knows he’s had endless lessons on writing properly and expressing the right words, but Robb just has no interest in it. His handwriting is perfectly legible but obviously hastily written, and he doesn’t care if there’s a few smudges or the paper gets dirty. When he’s writing to you, he’ll try to be neater… but sometimes he’s just got so much to say, and he’s so eager to send it, he doesn’t even notice the mess. Robb never thought he’d anticipate letters, especially romantic ones, but he loves receiving things from you. If you live far away, he feels the distance strongly and starts to rely on your letters to feel more connected to you.

Sansa Stark

As expected, her penmanship is pretty and neat. If she's in a good mood she'll add little flourishes here and there, but normally she's a bit embarrassed to do it. It feels childish to do that now. When she finds a nice stationary, she saves it until she writes to you. Her envelopes have the usual Stark direwolf with some wildflowers along the border. Honest and romantic words used to come easy to her, but now she’s more subdued. She’ll include pretty poetry she heard and wanted to share with you.

Jon Snow

His writing would be neater if he just slowed down, but he’s often in haste, especially once he becomes Lord Commander. He never cared about the proper penmanship or address because who would a bastard write to? Really, it’s lucky he was taught letters at all. He’d do his best to write neater for you, but the words keep escaping him - It’s hard enough to express how he feels in person, writing it isn’t any easier, no matter what Sam says. Jon always responds if you write to him, even if he’s blushing and feeling stupid the whole time.

Benjen Stark

He’s perfectly capable of writing neatly, but Benjen rarely bothers to. He jots down what he needs, though he at least has to make it legible - there’s only so many men that know their letters at the Wall, and Benjen has to keep his orders neat. When you pass him a secret letter, he’s grinning like a boy. He thinks it’s adorable that you went through the effort of finding supplies and writing something so sweet. He’ll ask to read it in front of you, but if you make him do it in secret, he’ll want to run and find you as soon as he’s done. He’d fold it up tight and keep it in a safe pouch tied to his belt. 

Jory Cassel

His handwriting is pretty messy. Jory was never bothered by it until he had to write you something. Oh no. Wasn't there a proper way to address you? What if it was too personal, or too standoffish? Poor Jory overthinks his letters unless you two write with frequency. His handwriting won't get better, but he's more comfortable writing sweet things. He likes to keep his envelopes and papers plain so no one suspects anything, which is a good habit if you’re dating in secret, but a silly once if you’re married. 

Eddison Tollett

He jokes it’s a small miracle that he knows his letters, poor as his family was. He likes to pretend he doesn’t, just so the higher ups on the Wall won’t give him extra duties like they did Sam. Reading never interested him, and he had no one to write to, so it’s just not something he thinks about. When you slip him a letter, he just stares at it dumbly for a minute. Once Edd has a chance to open it up, he’s a little taken aback. What… should he do? Should he talk to you? Respond to it? He’s never had such a nice gesture given to him, never had anyone write such nice things to him (has he even received a letter before??). So the next time to meet him, he still has a stupefied look on his face. And here he was thinking nothing on the Wall could surprise him anymore.. 

Yara Greyjoy

She was taught writing and reading by her nuncle - because the Gods know her father hardly bothered - so she actually has fond memories of both, even if she hardly does it. Yara would be very curious by anything you sent. Was something wrong? If it smelled of perfume or had a pretty stationary, she’d snort… but once she read the contents, she’d just grin and laugh. If the letter is more romantic, she finds it silly, but so like you. Very endearing. If it’s more saucy and risque, well … she’s going to read this in private and take her time.

Daenerys Targaryen

Her handwriting wasn’t as neat as it could’ve been, given her upbringing. It’s a point of embarrassment, so Dany practices pretty lettering and uses interesting inks she’s found around the markets. It’s a bit relaxing, though when she’s writing something official as Khaleesi and Queen, she makes sure it’s perfect. She’s pleasantly surprised when you write her something - has she ever actually received something this sweet before? She’ll write you back with a smile on her face, and she likes any chance to use that fancy Targaryen seal. Dany will still love to receive and send letters even if you both are staying in a palace together. It’s just one of many romantic gestures she thought she’d never enjoy.

Jorah Mormont

Jorah's handwriting is nice, but he usually writes in haste, so several letters end up smudged. He doesn't like to waste paper and start over. Jorah really can’t believe that you’d send him something romantic and sweet; he tries to hide his grin and blush, but he’ll wear it the whole time he’s reading. When he's writing something really sweet to you, it gets him flustered and happy, so whole words end up smudged. He doesn't notice the ink on his hand until he's already put the letter in the envelope. He keeps whatever you’ve sent him in a protective leather book so they can’t get damaged.

Missandei

She has lovely handwriting in many languages, as she was taught. The neatness of the lines and letters really is impressive. When she's writing something sweet to you, she pauses and struggles with the words for a while. Missandei always has the sweetest, most thoughtful letters - more sentimental than romantic. Her letters are punctuated with citrus smelling paper and a modestly decorated envelope.

Grey Worm

He’s only recently learned to read, and writing is still a struggle - he’d be very intimidated at the idea of writing something to you. When you give him something to read for practice, it takes Grey Worm a few minutes before he realizes it’s something you wrote. And it’s for him! And about him! He’s very happy but also very flustered. It takes him longer to get through it, but he can’t stop smiling all day once he’s done. He aspires to write something just as nice, once he’s practiced more. He’d keep your letters in a safe place, and wouldn’t want anyone else to see them.

Tywin Lannister

His penmanship is near perfect, which you expected. It’s always written in a stark black ink on fine, almost marbled paper that has an equally officially looking gold Lannister seal on the envelope. People whisper it’s liquid gold that seals it, but you know better. Tywin’s letters are for business only, so he doesn’t expect you to send him anything romantic… He wouldn’t know what to do with it, besides read it with some amusement and tuck it away for later. You might think he never read it, until he’ll tease you by quoting it weeks later. 

Tyrion Lannister

His handwriting is elegant and flawless, as it was meant to be. When Tyrion’s tired he’ll smudge here and there, and depending on how important the letter is, he’ll start over entirely. When he receives your first letter, he’s surprised by the pretty stationary and envelope - this is for him? - and the contents are even better. Tyrion might have a small mental shutdown if you write him something romantic and kind. He’ll re-read it over and over and be distracted through much of the day. This is really for him? He has to respond, of course, and he’ll do it while his emotions are high. For once he doesn’t think on carefully crafted words, he writes what he feels and picks a more subtle stationary (no giant Lannister seals) so attention isn’t drawn to you.

Jaime Lannister

Gods, he hates writing. Just sitting down to write a report is bad enough, but when it's something important? When it's a response to something lovely you wrote? He struggles. The letters start moving around like they used to, he remembers those awful lessons with his father and he's just put off by the whole thing. Seeing you in person is far better. Jaime's handwriting is neat, because it had to be, though when he's upset he'll write a few letters backwards.

Sandor Clegane

It's a mess. Really, the fact his words are readable is a miracle. 'Chicken scratch' is a generous term, though his name is passable. If you wrote him a letter, he'd have no idea what to do with it, let alone how to respond. Sandor doesn't do sentiment like that; seeing you in person can be conflicting and confusing enough. He'd probably rip it up and burn it after drinking too much (and immediately regret that in the morning).

Bronn

He's barely literate, and not a man of flowery words anyway, so don't respect a response. If anything he'd hand the letter to Tyrion and ask him to read it - only for it to be handed back once Tyrion realized it was very personal and... revealing. Bronn doesn't worry about a response or consider you getting upset about it. If you are, he has ways to make up for it. 

Petyr Baelish

You expected him to have neat penmanship, but you didn't expect it to be this nice. And of course, his way with words shows in his letters, but it's even better. You might even blush and have to excuse yourself to read it in private. Petyr loves to write on fancy paper with fancier envelopes that have his sigil, but if they're meant to be secret, the only indicator is a little symbol on the envelope's seal. He delights in anything you send him, especially if he can smell your perfume on it.

Stannis Baratheon

Stannis writes very neat letters with equally impossibly neat rows. He has a habit of gripping his quill too tight, but his letters are concise so his hand doesn’t hurt. While he usually writes quickly because he knows what to say, when he writes to you, he pauses far too often. Sometimes ink drips on the paper while he’s thinking, sometimes he misspells a word he’s never gotten wrong before. It takes a long time, especially if he’s responding to something that was very sweet and romantic. His first letters were very awkward and halting, but they’ve steadily improved. Mostly. 

Davos Seaworth

You were the one who helped him with writing, after helping him read as well. Davos isn’t happy with his penmanship, but he didn’t think he’d make it this far, so he keeps trying when he has time. It’s messy but legible enough. Davos is always pleasantly surprised when you write to him; he loves that you took the time to send something so sweet. It’s hard for him to reply efficiently, or to put what he’s thinking into words, so sometimes he’ll wait for you to get back instead. He would use your letters to practice reading… but it gets him terribly flustered to read the same kind things over and over again.

Margaery Tyrell

She doesn't mind taking the extra time to make her letters extra beautiful, to press dried flower petals and put them in the envelope, to look through dozens of stationary to find one that's just right for her mood. For most people, they're lucky to get one of these little rituals - you get all of them. She'd be delighted if you took extra care in your letters, too, and naturally she keeps whatever you send her in a special box (that absolutely no one will find). 

Brynden Tully

It's no surprise that his handwriting is simple and gets the job done. His brother used to complain that he wrote like a soldier, not a lord, and Brynden is proud of that. He won't wax poetic to you, but he will plainly state that he misses you and he always writes back promptly. Brynden feels bad that his letters take so long to arrive, so he'll make them longer with funny anecdotes and things he's heard from travellers. He folds his letter a few times and wraps it in a protective parchment, just in case rain comes or some idiot drops it.

Edmure Tully

He writes well enough, with neat letters that are jotted down in haste. Edmure almost never stays and lingers on words and sentences, he just writes what comes to mind and moves on. He’s shocked in a good way when you write something to him - you missed him that much? Enough to write all this? He re-reads it several times, and keeps whatever you send him after that. He’ll eagerly write back, and even if it’s silly and awkwardly worded, you can feel the love in every letter. His letters are often a bit crumpled and are plain except for the Tully seal.

Brienne of Tarth

It might surprise some that she has a lady's penmanship. It was never something Brienne had trouble learning, though she often accidentally broke the quill by holding too hard. Though she cherishes the kind things you send her (and she blushes terribly as she reads them), she struggles to send something in return. Her words fail her and she feels embarrassed for trying, but she does try. Seeing you in person is so much easier, though. She likes to keep your letters in a safe place and read them when she's feeling down.

Ramsay Bolton

The letters are messy, but legible enough. The real issue is all the stains on the paper, usually a combination of mud, blood or water. He has little care for the proper way to write or address others; Roose may have given him the bare minimum and not expected him to actually use it. Ramsay is very surprised and amused by anything you send him, though. He considers writing something back, but decides to wait or just go and see you directly. That’s far more fun.

Roose Bolton

His handwriting is functional and his words are to the point. There's nothing outstanding about the letter or its contents, save for a blood-red Bolton seal on the envelope. Roose rarely sends full letters, though; it's a quick Raven or nothing. Though he won't mind anything you send… he'll be very pleased with how personal they become, and he still won't send anything back right away, if he does at all. Better to keep you in anticipation.

Oberyn Martell

Oberyn has a stylish flourish to his letters that’s unique to him. If that didn’t give it away, the pretty gold ink or embellished envelope will. Often it has the spear as a seal, sometimes it’s some interesting and strange stamp he picked up from his travels. There’s always a slight scent to his letters, and you can’t always place it. The actual words themselves are often scandalous and teasing, though he’s sent plenty of heartfelt things, especially if you enjoy it. He’s no poet, but he’s honest and romantic. Oberyn much prefers to see you in person, but he likes to receive sweet things and re-read them.

Arianne Martell

Her handwriting is beautifully elegant, and she loves getting ahold of pretty colored inks and papers. Her letters straddle a fine line between romantic and a little scandalous, and she likes to use pet names, as if you both are writing in secret. Her envelopes have a pleasant smell, and the official Martell seal. If she wants her letter to be sent especially fast, she’ll take her father’s seal. She keeps anything you send her in a pretty, hand carved wooden box with a lock and key.

[astranne]

Crossover idea MCU/GoT

I was watching a Game of Thrones edit and this idea came in my mind. 

2012, when Loki attacked New York, he had Clint Barton (Hawkeye) under control. But not only that. Clint had a strong mind, so Loki took all his memories of his personal life, only leaving the ones full with violence and darkness. He doesn’t remember his family, his loyality to S.H.I.E.L.D., his friendship with Natasha. He thinks, that he’s a mercenary and just working for this Loki guy. And when his job is finished, his handler sends him away, through a portal. 

Now, Loki made some mistakes, especially with this archer. He talked to much about his plans, he can’t risk his victory and reign over earth. So, he stole many memories, happy memories of this mortal and send him to another world, another dimension. But he isn’t too cruel, he enchants the quiver, so the mortal has an infinite amout of arrows. He makes him faster and stronger than any human, like a super soldier and sends him away to a world full of knights, kings and other dumb mortals. His mortal will be the best of all. 

Clinton lands in the middle of snow and trees. He just sighes and makes his way through the forest, until he comes to a town. There he sees, that his clothes are not really usuall and he steals a cloak. Since he’s trained as a spy, a mercenary, he does his ‘magic’ and makes some money. He now knows, he’s in Westeros, in the North and wants to go to Dorne. He buys a horse and makes his way. Some years pass and he makes himself a name. The common folk calls him the Hawk, since he never misses and also has a tamed hawk as a pet. He even goes to the King, who is the biggest joke he ever saw, and asked for a house. House Barton, we never miss. Naturally a hawk and an arrow are his house sign. He goes to his castle, the Nest, which is in the north. That makes the Starks his ‘bosses’. Not that he really cares, they are honorable and good fighters. Soon Barton men are known to be the best archers in the whole world, but also woman become ‘Hawks’, as everybody calls them. Clinton takes his job as lord seriously, he is loved by his common folk and feared by many lords. He’s ruthless, but kind to innocents. He’s a hunter and always finds his prey. He makes money with training hawks, eagles and other birds, but also his bows and arrows. His weapons are the best in whole Westeros, even Essos. They are made with metal and cost a fortune for anyone who is not a part of the Barton household. He personally trains his archers, in many ways. Since he’s known to be a good, fair but also strict lord, many come to pledge loyality to him. Bc of this, his army grows, his ‘Hawks’ become more. He lives is peace, trains a elite group to be like him (mercenarys (only loyal to him)). Then he hears, that Lord Stark goes to Kingslanding and offers a place over night for the King and the Lords, to stop, before they leave the north. Naturally, they accept, since Ned wants to talk with him and Robert enjoyed his presence. The King’s and Lord Starks households are in awe with the nest, the caste, which grew in the past years. There are hawks, eagles and other birds of prey. Lord Clinton Barton welcomes them, as well some of his best fighters. Since he knows, that Robert is the biggest whore alive, he sent most of the woman away. While his guests eat, he observes them and finds out, that Lord Stark is worried. Before they march to Kingsman, he asks, if he could make Arya as his ward, since he sees great talent in her. Ned hestiates, but Robert just laughes and says he approves. So, Clinton takes Arya under his wing, teaches her everything he knows. She becomes his shadow, which many find amusing, they can see the stars in the girls eyes, whenever Clinton talks with her. 

Then the whole shit in Kingslanding happens, well, almost. Clinton has his birds (of prey (he definitly doesn’t call them his little birds, like Varys)). They save Ned Starks life, but there is war. Ned recovers in the Nest, while Clinton makes preparations to go to Winterfell. He sends many forces away, telling them, they need to hide in the common folk. He takes 1′000 archers with him, and leaves the elite group in charge of the nest. 

Ned Stark remains in Winterfell, while his son goes at war to rescue his sister. Clinton becomes one of his best advisors, many Lords don’t know him personally but are impressed. He keeps his eyes close to Roose Bolton and when he’s sure, that this man will betray the Starks, he kills him. Well, his eagle kills him, and blames Roose for this. His animals are loyal and would never hurt a friend, they remain peaceful, as long they are not bothered. And instead that Roose asks for help, he tried to hurt/hit/kill the animal. When Clinton is sure, that they don’t have spies anymore, he calls every archer, he sent away from the nest. Robb is baffled, when he suddenly has 5′000 soldiers more. They are all great swordfighters, but even better archers. With new strenght, they walz the Lannisters to the ground and defeat Tywin. Well, Clinton defeats him (his army) and takes him as hostage. 

Robb almost dies, but Clinton could save his life. He sents the young Lord home and leads the big army himself. At first, the lords start to protest, but then Robb himself says, that this is the best idea. Clinton is now always seen at the front, with his two eagle (Artemis and Apollo) and his three hawks (Ares, Mars and Tyr) He marches in only three months to Kingslanding, defeating every army and winning every battle. When he’s finally at the capital, he kills Joffrey, says that Tommen would be the better king than his mad brother and safes Sansa. He keeps some of his Hawks in Kingslanding, so he still has informations. He’s grinning the whole day (many are terrified, when they see his grin), when one of his Hawks told him, that she’s now the secret lover of Tommen Baratheon. 

He goes back to the north and starts his normal life again, bc of his glorious victory in the war, more people come and want to be trained by him. Slowly, his army becomes bigger than anyone’s, but he hides the number before everyone. His official number now is 10′000, but he has around 15′000. Since he saved a Stark’s life, twice, he’s now a true friend to the house. Everything is good, until he hears of Daenerys Targaryen, who is now the queen of Mereen. He takes some of his men/women (something like 100?) and makes his way to Essos. He sends some spies, gathers informations and is intrigued by this young woman. Clinton offers his alliance, at first Daenerys is very skeptical, but then she hears what people say about him. Clinton remains some weeks at Essos, starts to teach the young Queen and promises her, that he will fight for her. He isn’t a big fan of Baratheons and Lannisters, there is a reason why Targaryens are Kings and Queens. He leaves 10 Hawks with her, to protect but also train her. 

Then fast forward, Cersei kills Tommen, becomes Queen, bla bla. The Starks don’t care about the shit in Kingslanding. Ned makes Robb the Lord of Winterfell, since he fears his health. (someone tried to poison him (totally the Lannisters)) Then all the shit in the series happens, until Daenerys finally comes to Westeros. She immediatly has the support of the Starks, since Clinton spoke with them. (more manipulated, but eh- does he care? Daenerys is the best choice for the Iron Throne) Bc of this, the whole North follows now Daenerys. Clinton leaves Nest and goes to Dragonstone, with some hunderts archers. The two spend some time together, become rather close, until they are lovers. They don’t let anybody know for a long time. When the time came, and Daenerys wants to attack Cersei, Jon Snow visits with Robb Stark. They talk about the Army of Death and Clinton wants to bang his head against a wall. Of course something bad needed to happen. 

The whole fight with the Night King hapoens, Clinton is a proud dad™, when Arya kills him. Then they go at war with Cersei, totally win, bc one of Clinton birds who kills Cersei, while she fucks Jamie. Naturally everybody knows and is disgusted as fuck. Daenerys becomes the Queen, Clinton her Queen’s Consort. 

Happy ending? You wish. After 20 years he came to Westeros, he slowly starts to remember. He’s torn, he has a family on earth, but here too, he loves Laura and Daenerys, he’s an agent but also a Lord. How should he even go back? Well, either, he slowly becomes depressed, but hides it or the Avengers come to his rescue. I don’t know and I’m really torn, since Clinton loves Daenerys dearly as well his children in this world, but still Laura and his other family.

So, if anyone wants to write a story or a HC, please tag me, so I can read and reblog it :)

Masterlist

[thecloserkin]

fic rec: Are You Mine? and I Want Some More by PoetHrotsvitha

fandom: Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate

pairing: Evie Frye/Jacob Frye

word count: 54k and 50k respectively (one is a direct sequel to the other)

Is it canon: yes

Is it explicit: this is the most explicit material i have thus far reviewed on this blog

Is it endgame: yesssss

Is it shippable: yes

One thing you guys should know about me is I don’t read a great deal of smut. I don’t actively avoid it either, and I for sure consume more smut in the context of fanfic than in professional published fiction because I feel the following quote in my bones: “It wasn’t that friendship needed to be sexualized, it was that erotica needed to be … friendship-ized.” So when I stumbled on this fic that is 80% smut stretched over the thinnest pretext of plot, based on source material I have zero familiarity with, what did I do but fall headlong for this pairing and this story. Bless you, anon who brought Fryecest to my attention, and praise the Lord for modern AUs where knowledge of canon is not mandatory.

Jacob and Evie Frye are twins born into an Assassin family and raised by their exacting taskmaster of a father to take down the Templars. There’s no Templars or Assassins in this modern AU of course, just Evie’s looming A-Levels and their absent academic of a father. Evie’s still the golden child, of course—she’ll follow in their father’s footsteps and get her Ph.D. Jacob is the problem child. He’s already fallen in with the Wrong Crowd, he’s impulsive, he drinks and gambles and mostly solves problems with his fists. His relationship with their dad is hella strained. And because this is supposed to be PWP the author wastes no time in ratcheting the sexual tension up to 11 by having Jacob pick Evie up from her posh school on his MOTORCYCLE, each of them pretending not to be so turned on they could have combusted from desire by the end of the ride. Cool cool cool.

Their relationship begins barreling in a dom/sub direction almost from the word go. Evie is one thousand percent the take-charge, Type-A personality, so the idea is that she needs to relinquish that control in the bedroom, and Jacob is the only one she trusts to dominate her. Because they’re twins and they balance each other out adfkdfkdfjdkfd. The scene in the beginning where Jacob tells her not to button up her blouse while she’s making breakfast, and she actually listens to him instead of ignoring or insulting him, holy shit that was hot. It starts so small but eventually he’s got her wearing a wireless vibrator to class and begging for her “punishment” when she takes it out without his permission because it was too distracting.

I imagine this is what the 50 Shades of Grey phenomenon was about. I haven’t read 50 Shades of Grey myself, but I’ve interacted with people who rave about it and clearly got something out of those books, bad as they were. I’m not trying to compare the quality of this story to 50 Shades of Grey—it’s lightyears superior to that dreck—just that when I finished this fic I had the dazed realization that this was why people read smut.

There’s a throwaway line in Jacob’s internal monologue where he muses “they seem to be going about this backwards,” because he’s buying flowers for her the day after fingering her to a screaming orgasm, and yes I am 100% here for this trope. Ffs he sits with her in the library to keep her company while she studies! He waits for her/escorts her to her one hundred and one extracurricular activities! He’s a really immature 17-year-old and he’d never dream of doing this for anyone else, but when it comes to Evie he becomes suddenly sweet and thoughtful and solicitous. He’s constantly pausing in the middle of sex to ask for her enthusiastic & affirmative consent and reminding her to use the safe word. At the same time he’s madly jealous when anyone else shows a flicker of interest in her and he regularly makes her admit he “owns” her during their role-play. They are each other’s firsts which for some reason is really important to me in these kinds of they’re-teenagers-exploring-their-sexuality setups. This is Evie hitting up the lingerie boutique in preparation for their FIRST WEEKEND GETAWAY:

“I’m going away for the weekend with my-” Evie almost stumbled on the word, “-boyfriend.” What a strange concept.

I AM TRASH FOR THIS INCEST TROPE i love the way she stumbles over that word. Bc that’s not the box that Jacob occupies for her, is it? He’s much more than that. I love the way she alternates between begging him to put it in her cunt and calling him a prat and a shitheel; just because he’s the love of her life doesn’t make him stop being her insufferable little brother. You know what else I’m trash for? ALL the sneaking around tropes. One time while sexting with him in a storage closet at school she’s busted by one of the teachers and only barely has time to lock her phone before he confiscates it.

So the first fic ends with their dad finding the sexts and nudes on Evie’s phone, disowning them both, and Evie choosing to go to University of Edinburgh because their dad knows too many people at Oxbridge. The twins get a flat together and it’s happily ever after. Except no! In the sequel it’s ten years later and Evie and Jacob have returned to the house they grew up in to say goodbye to their dying father, and they’re ESTRANGED OH NO WHAT HAPPENED. Evie has a four-year-old in tow. We find out in fairly short order that the kid is Jacob’s, but Jacob doesn’t find out the truth until we’ve sent him through the angst wringer. The fic is about how they grieve and reconcile and how Jacob learns to parent, and this one is actually like 60% plot and I think I like it even better than the first one. This author’s note really spoke to me:

I’ve read a fair number of sibling incest modern AU fics in a few different fandoms and they all tend to end at “and then they ran away from their families and lived happily ever after/epilogue of sexy fun times possibly with the introduction of hey they've had a kid!”. And I mean I love that, don't get me wrong. But I guess I’m also weirdly preoccupied with the part about what comes after that, because it always seemed far too dreadfully simple an outcome. Normal relationships are rarely that easy, so why would these be? Then again I'm probably putting too much thought into a porn fic, LOL.

DEAR @poethrotsvitha, THIS IS A SIGNED PETITION TO PLEASE NEVER STOP OVERTHINKING THE PLOT OF YOUR PORN FICS. Like, nobody starts fucking their brother unless they really mean it, because the risk of the relationship going pear-shaped and the two of you still being stuck in each other’s orbit because there’s no “breaking up” with family? That’s a big risk. And also why incest pairings feel so high-stakes and I am trash for them, obvs. One of the reasons the dom/sub dynamic is so integral to their relationship was because Evie had a tendency to dictate to Jacob what he “can and can’t do,” and he understandably chafed against it sometimes. It’s what led to their breakup five years ago. And so him taking charge in the bedroom is a kind of counterbalance, and there’s a scene in this fic where she lets him role-play a noncon situation as a way to partly soothe his jealousy.

To a large extent it’s their son who brings about their reconciliation, but their son is also a hyperactive little git who throws a monkey wrench in their sex life, so now instead of hiding their relationship from their dad they’re tiptoeing around a four-year-old. And the big character development that happens on Jacob’s part is him recognizing that Thomas is Evie’s #1 priority now, and there comes a moment where he has to make a difficult decision to prioritize the two of them in his own life, too (by quitting his job and ending a toxic relationship). The other thing I really liked was how Jacob thinks ruefully he could have gone a another round if he were ten years younger, which he’s not, but Evie seems satisfied and that’s what matters. The recognition that he’s not a teenager anymore, and doesn’t have the stamina of one, but he’s also more mature and this time he’ll be able to give Evie what she needs? Oh, my heart. Like I said I loved them being each other’s firsts as teenagers but this, this second chance they’ve got as adults, this is beautiful.

Ok so this is Evie begging Jacob to fuck her in a closet in the middle of their dad’s funeral service??!:

“Please, I just need to forget. Just for a little bit- I need to forget, please-” Oh, God, this was a terrible idea. A terrible idea that she would die before she stopped- she felt like an addict after years of sobriety, pushed by stress and grief to needing that all-consuming high that she'd never quite been able to forget. Her fingers worked at his belt, pulling it open, unbuttoning his trousers to draw the heel of her palm along where he was already hard. “Evie,” he rasped, shuddering against her touch. “Shh,” she said, tucking his pants down enough to pull his cock free, giving it a few firm strokes. “Shh.” If they talked, it would be too real. It had to be rushed and frantic, to feel like it was just the once, to ease the ache in her chest.

And this is after they finish (“if only it could have lasted forever”):

Silently, she turned to let him zip up her dress … There was a warmth against the back of her neck as she felt him draw her hair aside and press a kiss to the sensitive skin, hesitant and uncertain.  "Thank you," she breathed into the darkness, listening to the click of his belt as it slid back into place.  He just sighed, leaning his forehead against her shoulder, saying a million things without speaking a word. 

LEANING HIS FOREHEAD FOR A MILLISECOND AGAINST HER SHOULDER OMFG I AM DECEASED

Ok so to return an earlier point: When you want a canon incest happy ending in a modern setting (as opposed to if you’re both Targaryens) the most popular option is run away and live as an unrelated couple, which necessitates cutting ties with everyone you’ve ever known. This may be more or less difficult depending on the quantity and quality of those ties; unless this is Flowers in the Attic and you’ve literally been locked in the attic for years there’s bound to be people you care about other than your sibling so this is a monumental ask. The Fryes choose option B, “living openly as siblings and keeping the incest on the dl”. This option is not without risk, of course, since exposure is always a possibility, and Evie has to put up with the other moms at Thomas’s preschool eyeing Jacob like a piece of meat. Still, it means Thomas gets to bake cookies with his grandmother, who would not have let Evie and Jacob back in her life if they flaunted the truth. I mean, it’s not that she doesn’t know her kids are fucking, it’s just that a don’t-ask-don’t-tell policy allows everyone’s relationships to remain intact:

She seemed to be struggling to get the words out. “Is Thomas…” There were a few ways that this question could go, as far as Jacob could see, and he didn’t particularly want to deal with any of them. He leaned against the counter, palms rigid against the cold surface. “I’m really tired, Mother.” “I know. I just…” There was a terrible pause. “Are— are you and Evie…” Still facing the toaster, Jacob closed his eyes. He couldn’t muster a lot of fake outrage, but he planned to deny everything anyway. He didn’t care about how plausible it was. It was easier for everyone that way, especially Mother. Before he could open his mouth, though, Mother’s chair scraped back. “Actually, never mind. It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

Every Wednesday Evie (who’s moved back in with her mom) leaves Thomas with his grandma and goes to “book club” which is really date night at Jacob’s. And the two of them get right up to their old tricks:

When he gave her just the slightest nudge upwards with his hips, she finally let a broken whisper rasp out. “I can't- I want- please-” Jacob clicked his tongue. “You know what I want you to say.” She twisted her neck around again, and he could see that her eyes were now glassy with longing. “Huh?” “It's simple— just ‘My greedy cunt belongs to my brother’. “ “I will not."

The process of turning that initial “no” into a “yes” is scorchingly hot so there you go, I love these two, I love this fic, I have definitely seen the light and I'm ready to embrace smut.

[sleepingfancies]

Why is Jonsa even a thing? Even if they're not siblings, they still grew up thinking they were and are still first cousins. At least with Jon and Dany, they don't know the truth yet; Dany might not care because it's common in her family, but Jon likely will. The series also repeatedly condemns incest. I know it's just a fan pairing and (hopefully) won't be canon, but that doesn't make it any less uncomfortable.

Hmm this is tough for me to answer.

As far as why it’s a thing, generally I think it’s been a thing for a long time. It really took off publicly when the whole forehead kiss thing happened when Jon and Sansa reunited. From there, it’s just gotten more steam. I’ve even heard a lot of theories that say Jon loved Ygritte’s red hair so much because of a subconscious, long buried love for Sansa. I really don’t know how much of that may be true, I can’t possibly begin to guess GRRM’s mind.

For me personally, it’s about the Ned/Cat parallels. I’m neither here nor there on the idea of Jon and Sansa being romantic with each other (I used to support it wholeheartedly during S7, but I’ve cooled on that idea during the hiatus. I do still like/reblog romantic Jonsa things I think might have some validity to them, but that’s kinda how I approach all GoT theories) - but I do like the partnership they have and the way they support each other. Like... the stuff we saw in S6 and S7 before Jon left for Dragonstone. I like how they work together, I like how they balance each other out, I like how they respect each other and each bring things to the table that the other should pay attention to (Jon’s military expertise, Sansa’s knowledge of The Game, Jon’s good speaking and persuasion skills, Sansa’s kindness and empathy that gives her strong and personal allies). They work together very much like Ned and Cat worked together, and it would be sweet to have Ned and Cat 2.0 watching over Winterfell at the end of all this - whether they’re romantically involved or not. I would like for Sansa to have some romantic ties to somebody at the end of this just bc my baby deserves to be loved, but I also think there’s something to be said for the Queen Elizabeth I parallels people have pointed out with her.

I honestly don’t know how canon Jonsa may or may not be. I do agree that some parts were shot kind of... ineffectively, if they were only supposed to come across as platonic. To me, the weirdest part is his over-protectiveness, because that’s something we’ve never seen before. The fact that this over-protectiveness is only directed at the men in Sansa’s life (it wouldn’t have been that hard for Jon to be all “after what you did to my sister, why should I trust you to keep the truce” @ Cersei during the peace conference, but he didn’t) doubles the weirdness.

Now maybe that all chalks up to brotherly protectiveness or shitty OOC writing for Jon, I don’t know. I really can’t say. I’m just saying this to illustrate where I understand Jonsa being a romantic thing. But you’re right, GRRM damns incest pretty firmly, even giving credit to incest as one of the reasons the Targaryen dynasty fell apart (and of course the whole Jaime/Cersei thing).

I don’t think Jonerys will last either. I just don’t see Jon being comfortable with banging his aunt once he knows she’s his aunt, even if Dany is totally “whatever, works for me” about it. Plus I dunno if Dany will be bothered by the incest thing, but I definitely think she’s gonna be bothered by Jon having a stronger claim to the IT than her (if R + L = J is also canon in the books, which I assume it will be). Whatever the reason, I think they’re gonna fall apart after they learn who they are to each other.

So yeah, TLDR I guess for me personally I think they’d make a good ruling partnership based on how they work together, but I can see where Jonsa shippers have found romantic inclinations. I also see where non-Jonsa shippers don’t see it at all. I definitely see where people find it uncomfortable, and that’s okay. Not all subjects are for everyone, some are, and it’s perfectly normal to have differences in shipping boundaries.

For now, it’s just a fan theory, like you said. We’ll have to see what GRRM and S8 bring us.