#even if i only drew mae >.>

[summercomfort]

in my pursuit of ever-increasingly niche comics, I drew a 13 page comic about Tape v Hurley, a court case about Chinese-American school segregation in 1885. The rest of the pages are after the readmore, as well as on AO3 here. More obsure Chinese American court case comics are there, as well.

Historical Notes

Mary and Joseph Tape were not born in America, but their names and identities were very much formed in America. Joseph Tape was born Jeu Dip in Guangdong, China, immigrated the America when he was twelve, and spent his teenage years working as a house servant in an Irish household. Mary arrived in America at the age of eleven, and was found and raised as Mary McGladery in a Protestant orphanage as the only Chinese child amongst ~80 children. Both Mary and Jeu spent their formative years amongst White Christian families, so when Jeu Dip and Mary married in 1875, little wonder that Jeu picked the English name of Joseph Tape -- Joseph to match with Mary, and the German last name Tape as a nod to his former name of Dip.

The Tape family lived about 14 blocks outside of Chinatown, in a primarily white neighborhood. They dressed in Western clothing, spoke English at home, and Mamie grew up playing with non-Chinese kids. Naturally, they wanted their children to attend the local elementary school, a mere 3 blocks from their home. The principal, Ms. Hurley, denied her entrance, claiming that she was “filthy and diseased.” At the time, there was no public school option for Chinese children -- the 1870 state law stipulated separate schools for “African and Indian children” only, not Chinese. The Tape family, with the help of the Chinese Six Companies, their church, and the Chinese consulate, decided to sue, claiming that the 1880 California school code guaranteed everyone a right to public education and that this was a violation of the 14th Amendment.

They won.

But this was 1885, three years after the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act and six years before Plessy v Ferguson. Regardless of what the California Supreme Court might decide, public sentiment was on the side of the San Francisco school district. Determined to keep out this “invasion of Mongol barbarism”, the California State Legislature passed a law permitting separate schools for Chinese children, which then allowed Principal Hurley to reject Mamie Tape once more.

While Mamie was rejected from the Spring Valley Elementary School for being Chinese, she also had a hard time fitting in to the Chinese public school. The Chinese merchants saw Western education as something primarily for boys. (Their girl children learned from their mothers at home.) Mamie, a girl dressed in Western clothes, would have stood out like a sore thumb. The final panel of the comic was based on a photo from three years later, and even then, Mamie was the only girl.

Places where I fudged the history: Frank, Mamie’s younger brother, was actually six years old and should have been more present in the comic, but I wante to keep the focus on Mamie and Mary. Also, Mamie had actually shown up to her first day of school in Western clothes. An earlier draft of the comic had a separate arc involving Mamie feeling rejected at school and Mary buying her some Chinese clothes, but that got too long and complicated.

Much of this was drawn from Mae Ngai’s book about the Tape family and their experiences as 2nd and 3rd generation Chinese Americans, titled “The Lucky Ones.”

----------

Here is Mary Tape's letter to the San Francisco School Board, 1885:

1769 Green Street. San Francisco, April 8, 1885. To the Board of Education - Dear Sirs: I see that you are going to make all sorts of excuses to keep my child out off the Public schools. Dear sirs, Will you please to tell me! Is it a disgrace to be Born a Chinese? Didn’t God make us all!!! What right have you to bar my children out of the school because she is a chinese Decend. They is no other worldly reason that you could keep her out, except that. I suppose, you all goes to churches on Sundays! Do you call that a Christian act to compell my little children to go so far to a school that is made in purpose for them. My children don’t dress like the other Chinese. They look just as phunny amongst them as the Chinese dress in Chinese look amongst you Caucasians. Besides, if I had any wish to send them to a chinese school I could have sent them two years ago without going to all this trouble. You have expended a lot of the Public money foolishly, all because ofa one poor little Child. Her playmates is all Caucasians ever since she could toddle around. If she is good enough to play with them! Then is she not good enough to be in the same room and studie with them? You had better come and see for yourselves. See if the Tape’s is not same as other Caucasians, except in features. It seems no matter how a Chinese may live and dress so long as you know they Chinese. Then they are hated as one. There is not any right or justice for them. You have seen my husband and child. You told him it wasn’t Mamie Tape you object to. If it were not Mamie Tape you object to, then why didn’t you let her attend the school nearest her home! Instead of first making one pre tense Then another pretense of some kind to keep her out? It seems to me Mr. Moulder has a grudge against this Eight-year-old Mamie Tape. I know they is no other child I mean Chinese child! care to go to your public Chinese school. May you Mr. Moulder, never be persecuted like the way you have persecuted little Mamie Tape. Mamie Tape will never attend any of the Chinese schools of your making! Never!!! I will let the world see sir What justice there is When it is govern by the Race prejudice men! Just because she is of the Chinese decend, not because she don’t dress like you because she does. Just because she is descended of Chinese parents I guess she is more of a American then a good many of you that is going to prewent her being Educated. Mrs. M. Tape

[chevelleneech]

Leslye’s latest interview kinda makes me seem like a writer or something, idk🧐

J/k! But on a serious note, I do think my interest in screenwriting informs a lot of how I interpret the things I watch. I’m not pretending to be exceptional or better than anyone else, but I am going to pat myself on the back the tiniest bit, because I said something similar to what she said about Qimir knowing Osha wasn’t Mae in the apothecary. He knew, and her power drew him in almost instantly.

As well, in this post about Sol confusing Mae and Osha when they were younger, I said I was pretty sure it was done to highlight just how little Sol understood his emotions and his supposed connection to Osha. He felt one, yes, but that doesn’t mean he knew enough about the twins to decide he had a right to act on it.

Anyway, this was fun to read and kind of learn what I (and many other people surely) were right in our interpretations of. Sol meant well, yet acted wrong. And although Qimir was painted as the antagonist this season (even though I think the secret of what happened on Brendok is the true villain) he still sees Osha for who she is, no matter the fact that he wants her to tap into her power for personal gain, to an extent.

This understanding also informs why and almost how Leslye foresees Oshamir coming about. Because in other parts, she speaks about how Qimir still doesn’t say directly he is a Sith, and above she mentions how he feels the pull of her power and wants to train her same as Sol, and how that points to who her true Master will be.

If her words are to be taken at face value, Oshamir will happen, I think, because their Master and Pupil relationship won’t work. Sol was a Jedi raised on honor, peace, loyalty, control, and authority. Yet he struggled well into adulthood with most of those things, which caused mass murder. Qimir, based on what he’s said, was also raised on those things yet realized the latter three were unsustainable. Which Osha has felt since she was a child that unquestioned loyalty to authority figures whom only give you a semblance of control wasn’t what she wanted forever.

So Qimir is going to be training someone who is almost too much like him in beliefs, yet someone who likely isn’t as non-discriminate in her killing. Meaning they’re going to butt heads over what is right and wrong, and end up having to talk more to understand each other’s side better. And getting to know each other’s moral lines and triggers to avoid, inevitably grows them closer together. Therefore, their Master/Pupil dynamic is thrown out the window, because there’s already sexual tension between them and they haven’t even fought for real yet, lol.

[aniseya]

i saw some things on the hellsite of twitter that i’ll just rant about here because god knows i don’t have the strength to deal with swtwt.

i feel like there’s kinda a misconception around qimir kidnapping osha being something that stans gloss over. like yeah, it is kidnapping, and more problematically in his head it’s justified, but people forget that’s how so many ships/especially enemy ships happen. how i take it is that qimir took osha not only because he was interested in her power but because he also knew mae was gone/the jedi were too.

in his head, he sees that they left osha for dead or were gonna kill her anyways because she’s dressed like mae. and so what, he’s just supposed to leave her there to be murdered for a misinterpretation or worse, killed because they don’t want anything to do with her (in his mind)? not saying that was SOLELY his intention, because he’s got warped perspectives left and right, but like even if he was on the light side would anyone do any different than this? and was he supposed to just tend to her wounds on the goddamn battleground of fallen jedi awaiting to be slaughtered by jedi and have osha get slaughtered with him (in his mind)? he basically HAD to take her even if he didn’t want anything directly from her. his own personal mantra was that he strikes down jedi, but others, so even if it wasn’t osha i believe he would’ve done the same thing for a person who had been abandoned and left to die by the people he considers his own oppressors.

once again, i am not saying he doesn’t also not want something from her, but i do think he’s just a low that while he does want something from her, he doesn’t necessarily expect her to believe or join him. he is vulnerable, feeling a little hurt from mae, and now has to reorganize his plan to strike down jedi because his cover was blown. they could find him easily now if they wanted, ESPECIALLY since he is with osha. remember him saying that her place in the force is what drew people near to her? he’s basically in a position he could quite literally not gaf if he was killed, just a frayed wire with no intention right away of having himself reconnected and at the height of his power.

even leslye said that qimir was ready to die if osha wanted to ignite the saber, genuinely. so many vibes i picked up from him this episode were depressed and defeated. he’s vulnerable with all these emotions and while he’s interested in osha, at the moment of the episode he’s just ready for whatever happens, even if that meant death.

manipulation/inherent toxicity is present in *just* about every star wars ship that starts off on enemy frontlines. but what everyone means when they say there’s no manipulation they mean the kind of manipulation that leslye is referring to: twisting the truth to make osha submissive to him, wholeheartedly knowing what he’s saying is just a power play to get her to become his toy. leslye admitted that he’s being honest, as much as he thinks his version of honesty is, so even in his own honesty he could be using that to “enlighten” her, but not in the way where he knows he’s being disingenuous and purposely trying to create an unequal dynamic with him in the lead.

this is the kind of manipulation that so many have thrown at the ship as a reason against it, which is why so many stans talk about it and celebrate that leslye had our back because the idea of a more equal, non-manipulative (in that above sense) etl relationship being confirmed allows us to shrug off discourse like that without feeling the weight of its dogpilling.

[chaifootsteps]

Sallie may's valentine's day merch feels so fetishy... all but one of her merch pieces gives her a huge bulge and out of all the characters she has the most merch showing a buldge. except for blitz who has the same ammount (4 that i counted) but he has 4 others that don't give him a bulge. sallie has 5 merch pieces total but 4 out of the 5 have a bulge and only 1 that doesn't. she has more bulge merch pieces than asmodeus! the embodiment of lust! why does the single trans woman character have the highest percentage of prominent bulges in the character's merch? i know a lot of trans women don't get bottom surgery, but i highly doubt any of the merch designers are trans women. one of the designers said that sallie's VA specifically requested the bulge but like? why does that mean most of her merch needs a bulge? why doesn't she get to show off her legs or ass or back or boobs like all the other women? why so much focus on her buldge? is that what these merch designers see trans women as? just "ooooo you got a penis how sexy!!!" if there was only a couple of pieces that had the buldge i wouldn't care but it's every single piece of merch she's in except for one! it just feels like these merch designers are fetishizing the fact that a trans woman has a penis! sorry for the rant i just find sallie's merch really distasteful. it reminds me of that one artist who drew trans steve rogers with huge boobs. nobody had a problem pointing out how fetishy and gross that was but because sallie is a trans woman i guess nobody cares

Pretty much. Sallie Mae's a trans woman and voiced by one, which not only invalidates all criticism of Sallie Mae, but any and all criticism of anything Viv writes or says about trans people, past or future.

I'm not exaggerating. Point out the transphobia doc and they won't even read it, they'll just say Viv is friends with Morgana so it's impossible for her to hold any transphobic opinions ever.

[highfantasy-soul]

While I am sad that Kelnacca was killed so early and we didn't get to spend time with him, I think people are forgetting how to read into what's not said when thinking about characters. No, Kelnacca didn't have any speaking lines nor did he interact with any of our characters (present day) BUT we saw he was living alone in a forest world that wasn't his own. He stopped responding to the jedi's communications, he drew the coven's swirling mark all over his house, and he seemed to have been killed without even a fight.

This is similar to how much we got from Indara, lore wise. There were no declarations of intent or explanations as to what she was doing on that planet or why - we simply saw her interactions with Mae when she didn't know who Mae was and was killed before we could learn what was going on between them.

I think it would actually be a really cool choice to never fully answer all the questions about intent and the mental state of the jedi who were 'stationed' on Brandok - like a real criminal investigation, there are a lot of open questions and unexplained motivations that just have to be dropped or theorized about without any solid proof of whether your theory is right or wrong. We're only given fragments of lives and we try to stitch together a story that fits - all the while theorizing from our own perspective and experiences in the world.

I like stories that show, in detail, the inner workings of the characters' minds, but it's equally good storytelling to mislead the audience or leave much up to the interpretation of the viewer without a solid answer. Overall, I think the acolyte is doing a great job at making you think about what's happening and opens the doors for you to theorize and speculate about ALL the characters and their motivations in a very freeing way.

[angled-blade]

May I request Thomas Hewitt comforting a reader who is over sensitive? She has been belittled and made think that she is stupid and clumsy in every way possible, so whenever someone *cough* Hoyt *cough* is particularly harsh on her she shuts down until she gets the opportunity to hide away and cry? Thank you ❤️

Thomas Hewitt comforting you.

Pairing(s): Thomas Hewitt/Reader

Type: Angst, Comfort | Headcanons

➻ Thomas is very much aware of your gentler personality even before he had first gotten into the relationship with you. As a matter of fact, it was what drew him toward you to even form such an attraction. Thomas adores you, associating you similar to a comforting blanket that once wrapped around him whenever he had gotten patched up for any injuries. There were so many words and phrases Thomas is unable to associate you with—but the fact of the matter is that you are endearing to him.

➻ It had definitely been a long day for Thomas, having been hard at work chopping up the food and storing them for later. Thomas has already blocked out Hoyt’s demeaning words for quite a long while—the words from the older man practically bouncing off him with how often they are used to pin Thomas down. He’s grown used to ignoring, knowing how it could be either that it’s true or not. Even then, Thomas has never quite gotten that much free time to dwell on whatever it was that Hoyt’s said—he has work to do, leaving him no choice but to take it as it is and move on after it has been said and done. The only thing that he can’t leave sitting about is you, the newest member to the Hewitt family.

➻ Thomas knows what it feels like being belittled, though he has never stood up for himself when the remarks had been made by his own kin. Of course, this is more often than not the fault of Hoyt’s reasoning that it was to ‘toughen ol’ Tommy’, much to Ludae Mae’s chagrin and protest. The only reason that Thomas had any problem with it was when he noticed how affected you were with the sheriff’s words. 

➻ It was one of those nights where he resigned himself back into the shared bedroom—Thomas feeling more than ready to return to the bed, his exhaustion prevalent with every footstep made as he headed toward the door to the room. In spite of that, Thomas’ hearing is still as acute as ever, immediately picking up on the shift in the room as he opens the door ever so gently before entering. He sees your body curled up in a fetal position, back facing him. Thomas didn’t know what came over him, but seeing you in such a position had his immediate attention. 

➻ It didn’t take long for you to notice the shift in the mattress as he takes a seat next to you—he didn’t get a good chance to look at you, which made him all the more concerned for you. 

—

“Ah—T..Tommy. I didn’t hear you come in, sweetheart.” You whispered, voice low in an attempt to mask the fact that you had been crying. You kept your face obstructed from Thomas’ line of sight with your hands, already feeling unsure of how he’d react to it. You honestly were not ready to find out anytime soon—not after what the Sheriff said. 

The only response you received from your lover was a concerned grunt before you felt a familiar large hand hold onto one of your left wrist, gently tugging it away to reveal your face before him.

—

➻ The wave of emotions he felt was shock, not once had he seen you break down as you did now, this time being the only time he saw it for himself—never having the time to see you when he works away in the basement. The feeling that bled into him after was anger, an emotion that drove him to react violently, chainsaw in hand or not. He saw it all on your face, you had been crying for maybe even hours—and yet, he doesn’t know what it was that caused you to feel that way. Thomas was nothing short of livid. What, or who dares to make you cry? Thomas’ rage dissipates however, once he had heard your voice through the barrage of thoughts swimming past him call out to him.

—

Thomas seemed to untense when you whispered his name, as if it were a hidden sin to call for him. He stares back, no longer zoned out in his own headspace as he refocuses his attention on you.  

“Am I..—You know—Am I really that stupid, Tommy?” You whimpered out, voice no longer low as it seemed to have returned to its original pitch. The question had Thomas dumbfounded. You? Stupid? Those words did not have any particular correlation, nor did he want to think that it was even a palpable thought in his mind—There was simply no way you were and Thomas was extremely confident in that as fact. You are smart. Much, much smarter than him.

He urges you to elaborate on why you began thinking so lowly of yourself. He’d like to know what it was that caused you to shed as many tears as you did.

~

You couldn’t help but let out all of your grievances for Thomas to hear. There was no point keeping it away from him any longer, you were in the comfort of your room—a space that only you and your lover occupied with nobody else to intrude. 

And so, you broke.

“I know–It’s.. You don’t hear me say this stuff, but—Hoyt was..” You took a sharp breath to collect yourself, your gaze focusing on your hands that were now moving to hold onto Thomas’. 

“Hoyt’s been telling me all these things—I’ve been.. I’ve been trying to help around the house, you know. Help Mama with the chores and clean up the house. I struggled with some of it. Hoyt saw me–I think after the last two he brought back for you to take..” 

Your voice trailed off, sighing shakily.

“He’s been calling me stupid for being so clumsy—he’s been doing it for a while.. I’m.. I just think today’s not my day. Maybe.. Just maybe, I’m just overreacting and it’s stupid for you to hear this from me.. ’m probably wasting your time.” You gently squeezed his hands once you finished. At the last sentence, you could hear a hitch in Thomas’ voice.

It took you a while to look in his eyes. But when you did, it was only then did you see an equally familiar sight in those brown eyes you adored. 

It was the look he had when he was hunting people down.

—

➻ Thomas couldn’t believe what he was hearing. You weren’t–No. You can’t possibly believe whatever it was that Hoyt said. To think that you’re wasting his time? Thomas thought otherwise—He never knew. He really did. Now, he feels as though he has failed his role as your lover. Guilt is what he would feel now, self-deprecative thoughts eating away at his mind as he looks over your disheveled state. As much as the hateful thoughts began bubbling up in his head, he shoved it aside to tend to you. He needed to show to you that he was there for you, there would be no point if he wallowed in his own guilt.

—

Thomas’ sudden surge of rage quickly transitioned into one that was saddened, exposing his vulnerability in the process. He felt a sense of obligation, his hands quickly moving to pull you right toward his chest. His arms wrapped themselves around you, hugging you firmly in a comforting embrace.

As he leaned his head down to nuzzle against your neck, he heard you break into sobs once more. Every tear you shed tugs at Thomas’ heartstrings.

Each tug was an ache that tore at his previously docile behaviour whenever his family members demeaned others. It tore at him.

Thomas gently rubbed circles into your back, an assuring coo reverberating from his throat as he did so. He shut his eyes, planting a soft kiss against your temple. 

He felt your heart beat slow down and relax, an indicator that you appeared to not be as distressed as you were before. It relieved him that his comfort, while it was quite subtle in providing, hearing your sobs quieten down.

—

➻ Thomas still felt some form of guilt remaining with him by the time you admit multiple more accounts of you being harassed by Hoyt. Seeing how he had, in a sense, ignored the signs and the possibility of you being affected by Hoyt’s words, he felt useless. From that day onwards, Thomas made an arrangement to remain by your side. Luckily for him, there were little chores for him to complete for the day—they were quickly tended to before returning by your side once again. He also made sure to let Ludae Mae know about what happened, too. 

➻ By the time the grandfather clock struck noon, Hoyt came strolling in. The sheriff was stopped by Mama, matched with Thomas side-eying the older man as he was reprimanded. He may not have the voice to scold Hoyt, but he had his Momma in his favour. Thomas will go at great lengths to keep the sheriff in line and careful in what he’s saying. Everytime he does slip up, he’s met with Tommy’s glare and his huff of disapproval. It’s gotten Hoyt to back off on his words a smidgen.

➻ Whenever you do feel the need for an outlet to cry your heart out, you can be assured that you can safely do so in Thomas’ arms. He’d happily welcome you in them if you seek it, knowing himself you aren’t similar to the words Hoyt said. Expect his affection in the bedroom to increase tenfold, his shy kisses now directed with a narrative to comfort you just as much as you comforted him.

—

It was late again, though this time around, Thomas was in bed with you. He remained awake as he glanced over your features.

He could hear your light breathing, unaffected as you slept content. No longer was it laboured from crying, much to his relief, finding that his tactics of intimidating Hoyt had gone well after a few weeks. 

Thomas held his hand out, his finger parting aside a lock of your hair that obstructed your face slightly from his view.

Despite him failing to protect you from Hoyt, you still stayed and continued loving him in the relationship.

Taking this as a second chance to be a better lover, Thomas made a promise to himself to protect you in any way that he could do so.

It felt right for him to do so, seeing it as the least that he could do to repay you for your love.

It was the least that he can do as your husband; that was fact.

—

I hope this is what you wanted, anon! I apologise for any mistakes you may find in the piece, but I once again hope that you enjoyed reading it. (: For anybody interested in requesting through the ask box, be sure to look through the list of rules and slashers available if you aren't sure if your request would be accepted. Again, please reblog this post! Thank you in advance!! Thank you again to whoever is reading this, please take care of yourself and have a wonderful day/night!! (:

[tgrailwar-zero]

This is our first time getting to sit down and eat somewhere in the solar cell and i love it, im curious if this is your only location or have you branched out to the other cities?

TAMAMO CAT: "Oh, I'm wherever the wind takes me! That's what makes the food so good!"

She was silent for a moment.

TAMAMO CAT: "…Tamamo-no-Mae is a country-ruiner. All throughout Asia, we bring ruin through beauty. China, India, Japan… no matter what, any 'love' that we experience is soured by our ambition."

Her voice was quiet, uncharacteristically so compared to the loud, boisterous energy she was outputting earlier. There was a entrancing allure to it, one that held attention- or more like 'compelled' one to listen, but held a sense of restraint- her tone far too quiet for anyone to overhear.

A 'country-ruiner', she said. The legends surrounding the fox-demon that jumped from kingdom to kingdom over centuries, watching with repose as people drove themselves to ruin. A great beast, terrible and mighty, that took the form of someone beautiful. That was the legend surrounding the fox that was given the name 'Tamamo-no-Mae' when she reached the shores of Japan.

A demon, who watched the fall of others with a cruel smile. That was certainly a face you were familiar with, as she wrenched AVENGER away from you with a smirk.

As she watched you flounder and beg for help. A cruel entity, a great monster that relished in such cruelty.

Still…

ARCHIVIST: 'She’s a fool. She loves humans, and wants to understand human love, but exists in an incompatible vacuum. She was summoned by a horrid man who she adored, watched a beautiful soul die, and was left alone. And so, in an attempt to understand the dreams of those she’s left behind, she’s given herself far too many faces than one needs.'

You saw her in that dream, with the former Slayer and PTOLEMAIOS.

She was there. Present. Happy. That wasn't someone who wanted this world to perish, who believed that the only way forward was destruction.

The cat continued, her voice simple and plain.

TAMAMO CAT: "That's who we are. That's who she is. She's not afraid of being seen as cruel or evil anymore, thinking stuff like 'even if they see me as a villain in the end, it'll be worth it'. She's used to it, so if humanity curses her a thousand times over but survives, then that's better than them dying, right?"

She drew in close to you, her voice barely louder than a whisper.

TAMAMO CAT: "That's why… being loved by this world and then bringing forth its 'Collapse' by her own hands is the only way she sees herself winning."

She got up from the table, smiling again, her tone returning to its normal bouncy state.

TAMAMO CAT: "…Or something like that! But don't tell the others I said that, or they'll have your heads and mine~!"

The waitress began to walk away, as NERO hopped from her seat, abruptly. Her voice was loud and booming, echoing throughout the cafe.

NERO: "Hang on! The Lunar Holy Grail War, my memories, these scraps!"

She pulled out the acts of Chaotic Heroic. The scraps of her fractured memory, still lost.

NERO: "What did we lose there? What happened? Why did you-- why did 'she' keep me here? What do you know, fox?! No, Caster!"

TAMAMO CAT: "...There are some tales that not even a tail can share, you know?"

TAMAMO CAT: "So, just please enjoy your food! You're always welcomed as valued guests, masters!"

...And she skated away.

[dreamfyre03]

A Dragon's Love

Trigger Warnings: Blood, mutilation, mention of death and funerals.

Chapter 2: Lose an eye, gain a dragon

Dividers by: @zaldritzosrose

Header by: @zaldritzosrose

The death of Leana Velaryon and her subsequent funeral brought the entire royal family to Driftmark. As they stood listening the Vaemond Velaryon perform the last rites, Aemond looked at his older sister subtly. She had tears in her eyes, even though she never met Lady Leana, but Aemond knew her well enough to know she was crying because the loss of life was enough to prompt such sadness within her. Even when she cried, she looked beautiful, Aemond thought to himself. He saw Helaena hold her hand in a comforting gesture, and Daenys graced her with one of her kind smiles, the kind that never ceased to bring young Aemond at peace, no matter what.

Aemond loved and admired her like no other, she was the only one who made Helaena feel at ease, who could make their mother smile, and even saw something good in Aegon. She was a ray of sunshine that no one deserved, it was she that deserved the world, in his eyes. “You’re gawking.” Aegon whispered, the scent of wine obvious on his breath. Aemond tore his gaze away to look at Aegon. “What are you talking about?” He mumbled.

Aegon rolled his eyes, “Daenys. Better be careful, little brother, or everyone will noticed how obsessed you are.”

“I’m not obsessed.” He muttered. They were distracted however, by the untimely and no doubt inappropriate laughter that came from his uncle Daemon, Leana’s husband, which drew the attention of all.

After the funeral gathering, and everyone retired to their rooms, Aemond saw Daenys in her nightgown walking quietly, and asked, “Where are you going?” She rolled her eyes affectionately and said, “I’m afraid our dear brother is once again severely hungover. Your mother’s a bit on edge, so I told her I’d check in on him.”

“Aegon doesn’t deserve your kindness” Aemond muttered. Daenys smiled and ruffled his hair.

“Maybe. But he is our brother, and everyone deserves kindness, especially from one’s family.” She answered, a flicker of sadness passing her eyes. Aemond knew she thought of Rhaenyra, who she still wished would show her said kindness, or even their father, who whenever he saw her, either called her Rhaenyra or Aemma, but rarely her own name. She deserved better.

“And where are you off to?” She asked him.

He shrugged his shoulders, replying, “Just for a walk.” She pressed a kiss to his forehead and said, “Alright. Be safe, brother.” As she slipped through the doors to Aegon’s rooms.

Aemond savoured the feeling of his sister’s presence, before he began wandering around Driftmark aimlessly, until he found himself on the beach. He wandered too far, he knew it, but he felt as though something was drawing him there, and when he got closer, he saw exactly what it was. Vhagar, the Queen of Dragons.

Screams. Shouts. Blood splattering. Accusations being hurled. A knife that slashed through Aemond’s eye, and changed the course of who he would one day become.

“Gods Aegon, you never fail to drink yourself into a stupor, don’t you?” Daenys grumbled as she helped Aegon sit up to drink some water.

“Ah yes, but why worry when I’ve my lovely sister to tend to me always?” Aegon teased with a grin, and took a sip from the cup. Daenys rolled her eyes, but before she could respond, shouts and loud noises were heard outside the doors, and Aegon and Daenys looked at each other with confused expressions.

Helaena’s head peaked through the door and whispered, “You must come at once, something’s happened.” The two siblings quickly ran to the door and made their way down with Helaena, and were met with the sight of impending chaos around them.

She could hear her father shouting at Ser Criston, and as they entered and stood near the fireplace where their mother knelt near a chair where Aemond sat being attended too by a maester, Daenys felt a sick feeling arise in her stomach.

“It will heal, will it not maester?” Alicent asked worriedly, and Daenys gasped as she saw her little brother, blood coating one side of his face, a gash through his left eye. She immediately moved to go to him, but Helaena held her back.

“He’s being attended to sister, we mustn’t crowd him.” She said in an eerily calm manner.

“The flesh will heal. But the eye is lost, Your Grace.” The Maester told the Queen, and Daenys gripped Helaena’s hand tighter, stifling a sob behind her hand.

Alicent moved to face them and asked Aegon angrily, “Where were you?” Before slapping him hard across the face, the sound being heard throughout the hall, causing Aegon to whelp in pain.

“That is nothing, compared to the abuse your brother suffered while you were drowning in your cups, you fool!” She admonished. Daenys couldn’t imagine how her step mother felt in that moment, the pain she must feel at the sight of her child in such pain, and sadly she retaliated at the nearest person, in this case it was Aegon.

She could see her nephews Jace and Luke standing there, gripping each other, and as much as she pitied them, she could not bring herself to go to them, and she began to wonder; where in the name of the Seven was her sister? Her sons stood in the great hall bleeding, why wasn’t she here?

As though the gods heard her, Rhaenyra burst through the doors and ran to her boys, as their uncle Daemon leaned against the door, taking in the scene.

As Rhaenyra consoled her children, and Alicent stood in the centre of the room, her long auburn waves falling down her back, her eyes in a wide helplessness, and pure anger, Daenys silently moved and knelt next to Aemond on the chair as shouts were being exchange across the room.

“Do no look at me.” Aemond whispered, clearly trying to hold back on the pain he was in.

“I am here. I will always be here, and I will never look away.” Daenys replied in a gentle whisper, taking his hand in hers.

“Prince Aemond must be sharply questioned, so we might learn where he heard such slanders,” She heard Rhaenyra say, drawing her and Aemond’s attention. “

Over an insult?”Alicent asked incredulously.

“My son has lost an eye!” She cried out angrily.

Daenys watched as her father wobbled over to where Aemond sat, and said, “You tell me boy, where did you hear this lie?”

Alicent spoke but Daenys didn’t hear her, focusing on Aemond, and holding his hand as their father spoke.

“Aemond, I asked you a question.” Viserys said, and Daenys opened her mouth to speak but Viserys held up his hand, silencing her, and she met gazes with Rhaenyra, who shot her an icy glare.

“Where is Ser Laenor? I wonder, if the boys father might have something to add to all this?” Alicent drew the King’s attention by asking. “Yes, where is the boys’ father?” The King asked.

The voices faded out once again, as the adults argued further, and then Viserys turned back to his injured son and asked, “Where did you hear it boy? Answer me!” He shouted, and Daenys clutched his hand tighter, but Aemond kept a hardened expression on his face.

He remained silent, glancing at his mother before saying, “It was Aegon.” Daenys sighed, knowing he was protecting Alicent, but also knowing that it was at Aegon’s expense.

“Who told you this, Aegon?” The King shouted at his eldest son, who simply answered, “Look at them. It’s obvious.” Silence enveloped the room, as the weight of the words spoken hung in the air. The whispers about her nephews’ legitimacy bubbling to the surface, out in the open for what she had a feeling would not be the last time.

As the King declared there would be no punishment but death for anyone who questioned the legitimacy of Rhaenyra’s sons, Daenys looked at Aemond intently. There was a change taking place in him, more than just a physical one, she saw the little boy she loved disappearing behind his remaining eye, slowly, and she knew he would no longer be the brother she once knew.

“This interminable infighting must cease! All of you!” Her father shouted, causing her to jump slightly as his cane hit the ground suddenly.

“We are family!” He went on, and Daenys watched as Aemond looked up at his father with a look of what could only be disgust.

“Now make your apologies and be good to one another. You father, your grandsire, your king demands it!” He commanded, and Daenys stayed frozen in her spot next to Aemond.

She saw her step mother look at the King incredulously, tears in her eyes, and broke the silence in the room by saying, “That is insufficient.” The King turned back to look at her, and everyone kept looking on at the interaction taking place.

“Aemond has been damaged permanently, my king, ‘good will’ cannot make him whole,” Alicent said, fighting back a sob. Daenys wiped a tear that slid down her face, looking back at her brother, who kept his expression hardened.

“I know Alicent. But I cannot restore his eye.” The King said.

“No, because it has been taken.”She quickly replied.

“What would you have me do?” Her father asked in frustration.

“There is a debt to be paid. I shall have one of her son’s eyes in return.” Alicent said, and the room erupted into murmurs. Daenys gasped softly.

Aemond didn’t move exempt to turn back and look at their nephew, Lucerys, the perpetrator.

“My dear wife,” The king began, but Alicent would not let him finish.

“He is your son, Viserys. Your blood.” She insisted, and the King stepped closer to her.

“Do not allow your temper to guide your judgement.” He warned.

The King turned to leave once again, but Alicent said, “If the King will not seek justice, the Queen will. Ser Criston, bring me the eye of Lucerys Velaryon. He can chose which eye to keep, a privilege he did not grant my son.”

Luke cried out and ran behind his mother, who said, “You will do no such thing.”

“Stay your hand!” Ser Harold Westerling commanded, as Ser Criston’s hand moved to the pommel of his sword.

“No, you are sworn to me!” Alicent shouted. “As your protector, my Queen,” Ser Criston said, as though it pained him to do so.

The king approached his wife once more, and said in a quiet but reprimanding tone, “Alicent, this matter is finished. Do you understand?”

The room returned to a state of tense silence, until the king declared, “And let it be known; anyone whose tongue dares question the birth of the Princess Rhaenyra’s sons, should have it removed.”

Daenys watched the entire exchange, and couldn’t believe their father really wasn’t going to do anything about what happened to Aemond. He was never going to get his eye back, how could he only focus on the legitimacy of her nephews at a time like this?

“Thank you Father.” Rhaenyra said quietly, as she turned to leave with her sons in tow. Alicent stood there, and then in a flash, she grabbed the king’s dagger and ran towards Rhaenyra letting out a painful, guttural scream. Daenys tightened her grip on Aemond’s hand as utter chaos erupted, shouts echoing through the air, children screaming.

“You have gone too far!” Rhaenyra said to her, using her strength to hold Alicent’s hand with the dagger at bay.

“I? What have I done but what was expected of me?” Alicent asked desperately, and Daenys couldn’t see, but she knew there were tears streaming down her face.

“Forever upholding the kingdom, the family, the law. While you flout your all to do as you please!” She shouted. Alicent ignored the King’s shouts to let Rhaenyra go, and Daenys didn’t know what to do, who to run to, but she let go of Aemond’s hand to go anyway, only to be pulled back by Aegon, who held her tightly and said, “No sister, you mustn’t. Stay here.”

“Where is duty? Where is sacrifice? It is trampled under your pretty foot again!” Alicent cried out, everyone’s eye on the knife she held between them.

“Release the blade, Alicent.” The voice of Otto Hightower was heard, in an attempt to reach his daughter who appeared to be far gone.

“And now you take my son’s eye, and to even that you feel entitled!” She sobbed, her grip on the blade never once faltering.

“Exhausting wasn’t it? Hiding beneath the cloak of your own righteousness” She heard Rhaenyra say, so quiet she almost didn’t hear it.

“But now they see you as you are.” The whisper was so soft it was almost inaudible.

The sound of the blade slicing echoed throughout the room, and Alicent pushed back, and the two women broke apart, and as the sight of blood dripping from Rhaenyra’s hand to the floor was seen, the sound of the blade clattering to the floor could be heard.

Daenys covered her mouth with her hand in a gasp, just realising that Aegon never released his grip on her other hand. Everyone in the room stood frozen, Rhaenyra and her children with Lord Corlys, Princess Rhaenys and Daemon on one side, and Alicent and the King on the other. As Aemond got up slowly and went to his mother, Daenys moved to go to him again, but this time it was Helaena who stopped her with a gentle touch.

“Do not mourn me mother. It was a fair exchange.” Aemond began, as Rhaenyra harshly eyed Daenys, who had nothing but tears sliding down her face as she looked at Aemond. “I may have lost an eye. But I gained a dragon.”

And with that, Daenys knew the little boy she loved so dearly was no longer there.

[girlymatsu]

if no one asked u this yet, how would erina and blythe interact?? i was just thinking about blythe i miss her... HOW WOULD ERINA AND EUNIE INTERACT???

HI MAE AHEJEJFK I don’t think the erinanistas know about my other ocs so no one ask yet, but I introduce them a little bit :)

BLYTHE my mean girl, she is so cold hearted evil young woman like a Young CEO… I think she always starts off nice and sassy but pretty charismatic.. so erina would like her and admire her girlboss ness… similar to totoko-chan she doesn’t mind that blythe is blunt and has piercing words… Erina would not want to get on her bad side so she is a suck up and tries to not make her upset ( Even though blythe is younger than erina)

Though Blythe already doesn’t care for nice suck up girls she just takes advantage of her being nice. Blythe hates moe blobs she doesn’t find anything but herself cute LOL

Blythe probably drags Erina around when she needs an underling… maybe even dresses erina up so she matches herself like ok coquette prep girlies time!

I think Blythe gets annoyed by Erina being soo kyaa lovey dovey over some guy, and is even more shocked to find out how much of a loser he is. Her heart goes out to Erina a little bc of this

AND EUNI MY EUNI!!! Eunice is so sweet and not awkward around strangers they would be so friendship right away. Erina loves Eunice bc she’s kind and goofy! Maybe a bit hyper for her but they both are kindred spirits like guys who were in anime club except Eunice embraces cringe happiness

Both have cringefail bfs, but Eunice and Oswald are like o no we’re bestieeesss and erina is like I see Love 👁️_👁️

Also like tldr eunice has a weird deal with being a fucked up being with godlike powers in her story crazy corruption arc character, and I have imagined her vs erina who has an au Demon self Lilith… having a crazy girl battle… epic rap battles of history

Blythe, Eunice, and Erina are my crazy poster girl trio of ocs only the real ones would know my history with my old ocs

Here’s their refs I drew long while agos

[trash-gobby]

Hello, love!

I was wondering if I could request some HCs for Severen and how he would be with a mate that is a pinup & girly and how he’d be around them and maybe what the Hooker clan would be like towards them as well? Thanks so much 🖤

Severen With a Pinup Girl Reader Headcanons

Pairing(s): Severen Van Sickle X PinupGirl!Reader

Characters: Severen Van Sickle, Reader, Jesse Hooker, Homer, Mae, Diamondback, Caleb Colton

⚠️ Warnings!: I do bash Jesse Hooker for being the grumpy old confederate he is

______________________________________________________________

✨Severen wasn't really sure about his S/O at first. Warming up to anyone is a little hard for him, and your overly girly peppy demeanor.

✨What really drew him to you was your dedication to your aesthetic choices. Your love for the Pinup Style and culture, not giving a crap if people would judge you on the street, or men giving you lecherous looks.

✨Pinup culture of old was very much about exoticizing and sexualizing women for the pleasure of soldiers at war. That was Severen's only impression of the culture and his first impression of you.

✨You convince and show him however how the modern movement of pinup culture is about sex-positive empowerment. Your style is a part of expressing your sexual nature and making it your own. Not just for the male gaze.

✨The way you are willing to passionately and staunchly defend your choices in the face of the often grumpy, judgmental and toxically masculine Jesse is another thing which attracted Sev to you.

✨Severen has always been a rebel who enjoys defying authority. Seeing your bravery and willingness to go to bat for your sub-culture is something he finds super attractive.

✨Your obsession with tight high waisted pants, spending your time perfecting the victory roll hairstyle, and applying a balanced red lip was another big turn-on for Severen. He isn't a perfectionist when it comes to style in the same way, finding your dedication interesting and worth learning from in your relationship.

✨Jesse is gonna judge Severen's choice to make you his mate pretty harshly. He still holds the Pin Up culture as something sexualized only and that you're not gonna be loyal. He doesn't take you seriously or how you feel for Sev. Jesse's entirely conservative attitude won't allow him to even consider the possibility of sexual empowerment through this sub-culture.

✨When Severen confronts Jesse about it and backs up your position stating: You're just stuck in the past, and I ain't gonna waste my time on you if you keep pushing this bullshit on my girl. Jesse decides it's better to just deal then fracture their family due to a disagreement.

[fanficapologist]

Of Dragons and Maelstroms

Themes and Warnings: slow burn, enemies to lovers, blood, violence, explicit language, sexual violence, period-typical misogyny, sexual themes, smut, tension, marriage, jealousy, pregnancy, childbirth, miscarriage, attempted sexual assault, breastfeeding, major character death, divergent timelines

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the House of The Dragon/Fire & Blood/Game of Thrones characters nor do I claim to own them. I do not own any of the images used nor do I claim to own them.

Chapter Seventeen

Stepping into her own chamber, Maera shed her wet garments and wrapped herself in a thick robe. The warmth of the room was a stark contrast to the rain-soaked chill outside. She paused by a window, gazing out at the courtyard where she had danced with Helaena, the memory a vibrant tapestry in her mind. Before long Thena entered, carrying a steaming basin of water and a selection of fragrant oils. Maera smiled gratefully, removing her robe and sinking into the welcoming embrace of the warm bath. As the maid tended to her, Maera's thoughts drifted back to Helaena, hoping that the soothing waters would wash away the last traces of the storm's grip on her friend's spirit.

With each gentle stroke of Thena's hand through her hair, Maera felt the tension in her muscles begin to dissipate. The scent of the oils filled the air, mingling with the sound of raindrops tapping against the windowpane. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to be enveloped in the serenity of the moment, grateful for the respite after the tumultuous events of the night.

As Maera luxuriated in the warm bath, feeling the tension gradually melt away, a muffled knock at the door drew her attention. The maid, ever attentive, moved to answer it. Thena turned towards Maera, a questioning look in her eyes. “It’s Prince Aemond, my Lady. He’s asked to see you, rather urgently.”

Maera's eyes widened slightly at the unexpected visitor. The prince's must have only just returned from the Reach and Riverlands. Great, Maera thought. He wants to try to humiliate me again, just like he attempted to all those nights ago when Ēbrion first landed on the shoreline

"This is most improper," she muttered under her breath, frustration tinging her voice as she continued to bathe. The audacity of Aemond's demand was galling, and she was determined not to allow him to disrupt her dignity any further. With a quick decision, Maera directed Thena to pull the wooden room divider across the alcove where her bath lay and urged the maid to stay present during the encounter. She needed to maintain her honor and modesty, even in the face of Aemond's impertinence. Maera was not about to allow him to invade her personal space, especially when it was the only sanctuary she had left in the Red Keep.

Thena, ever the dutiful maid, followed Maera's instructions without hesitation, ensuring that the room divider provided a barrier between the bathing area and the rest of the chamber. Moments later, Aemond entered the room, his presence an unwelcome intrusion on Maera's solitude. She remained in the bath, her demeanor composed despite her inner turmoil. A fire crackled in the hearth, casting flickering shadows across the room, and Aemond took a seat in front of it. She continued to bathe, with Thena's assistance, to show to the Prince he would not interrupt her most private moments.

"Prince Aemond," Maera acknowledged, her voice carrying a touch of formality. "Your concern for propriety is duly noted."

"What happened to Helaena out in the storm?" Prince Aemond's voice was laced with genuine concern for his sister.

Maera's could only catch a glimpse of him through the patterned holes in the wooden divider. He sat staring at the flames, a neutral expression on his face, but she could see by the way his shoulders tensed that Aemond's truly cared about his sister's well-being. She felt a pang of sympathy for him, despite the complex emotions she felt towards him.

"Helaena is safe," Maera confirmed, her words gentle as Thena began to rub the soap bar up Maera’s arm. “She has not been the same since that dragon arrived. I managed to get her out of the storm by dancing with her. Alas we both got soaked, so here I am, trying to ward off any illness” Maera leaned back against the edge of the bath, her fingers tracing ripples in the water.

Aemond's voice softened, carrying a hint of understanding. "You always had an unspoken bond with her."

Maera's retort was tinged with sarcasm, a defensive wall against Aemond's unexpected empathy. "How unusually kind of you to notice, Prince Aemond."

Ignoring her sarcasm, Aemond offered a sincere gratitude that caught Maera off guard. "Thank you for pulling her out of the storm, Maera."

Thena's assistance helped Maera continue with her bath as Aemond's presence lingered, her mind processing the strangeness of his gratitude. Just when she thought she had Aemond figured out, he managed to surprise her once again.

A pause hung between them, the echoes of the storm outside serving as a reminder of the world beyond the chamber. As a flash of lightning lit up the room, Maera saw Aemond had turned his chair and was now facing the wooden screen. She was unsure if he could see her staring right back at him but his eye was intensely fixated on the divider and it sent a shiver down her spine. Could he see her?

As Maera tried to maintain her composure behind the wooden panels, her sense of vulnerability stirred something deep within her. A part of her, hidden and forbidden, had an underlying urge for him to see her naked, to bear herself before his scrutinizing gaze. What would he think of her body? Would he be disgusted, repulsed by her imperfections? Or would he find her alluring, her form stirring some primal desire within him? The mere possibility of it all stirred confusing emotions within her, and Maera had to fight to keep her thoughts in check. Desperate to regain her common sense and clear her head of the impure thoughts that threatened to overtake her, she abruptly dunked her head underwater, the coolness of the bath momentarily jolting her senses back to reality.

As she resurfaced, the soap from her hair rinsed out, she called out to Aemond behind the divider. “Is there anything else you wish to discuss with me at this time, my Prince?” A question she hoped Aemond would respond to by leaving, allowing her to enjoy the peacefulness of her chambers.

But the Prince wasn't finished. He shifted the conversation to a proposition that took Maera by surprise. "I would like to propose a truce," he stated, the words hanging in the air as they hovered between them.

Maera's response was swift and tinged with skepticism. "A truce?" she echoed, her voice sharp with incredulity. "Is this your way of apologizing for all the years of torment?"

Aemond's jaw clenched as he replied, his voice taut with tension, "It's not about apologies, Maera. There is war coming. And we need to be united here, or else how will we face our enemies?”

It was a rare moment of vulnerability from him, a stark contrast to the years of torment she had endured at his hands. But Maera had learned to tread carefully in the waters of courtly politics, and she couldn't help but respond with a touch of skepticism.

Sensing her apprehension, Aemond spoke once more, his tone surprisingly earnest. “You are the daughter of Gael Targaryen and the great-granddaughter of King Jaehaerys. We are bound by blood, Maera, whether we like it or not.”

Maera's mind raced as she processed Aemond's words. His sincerity, however reluctant it might be, had a certain weight to it. A truce, for the sake the crown, for her dearest friend Helaena and her children, was a noble goal, and yet, it also carried the unspoken complexities of their shared history. She let out a sigh before rising from the water and stepping out of the bath, with the assistance of Thena. The warm embrace of a thick robe enveloped her, and the diligent maid carefully tended to her, ensuring that she was comfortably wrapped.

Thena removed the panelled divider, allowing Maera to see Prince Aemond, his tall, muscular frame stood with confidence, his arms placed casually behind his back. Long, flowing white hair cascaded over his shoulders, shimmering like moonlight. Their eyes met, and a silent understanding passed between them, a recognition of the delicate bridge they had just started to rebuild.

Aemond cleared his throat, his gaze steady. Maera's gaze met his, and a subtle tension hung in the air, a mixture of unease and something deeper, something that had always simmered beneath the surface of their interactions.

"I'll consider your proposal, Prince Aemond," Maera replied cautiously. "But know that actions speak louder than words."

“I agree, my Lady,” he replied, his gaze lingering on her features. Despite herself, she found her gaze tracing the contours of his face, watching intently as he continued to speak. “So I would also like to suggest a daily sparring session at dawn. A chance for us to set aside our differences and test each other's skills as warriors."

He awaited her response, silence reigning in the room as Maera studied him for a moment, her emerald eyes narrowing as she considered his offer. It was an unexpected proposition, to say the least, and the thought of training with Aemond after all they had been through seemed both daunting and intriguing. But his suggestion was more than just a way to improve their swordsmanship. It was a gesture of goodwill, an olive branch extended to bridge the gap that had grown between them over the years.

With that thought, Helaena’s previous words echoed in Maera’s head. “Dragon fire melts the steel to bridge the gap between sky and sea.” Could this be what the Queen was speaking about?

However, a shadow of disappointment passed over Maera's face as she responded. "My father has forbidden me from participating in activities with the sword," she admitted with a hint of sadness. It was a painful reminder of the constraints placed upon her by her duty and station.

A sly smile crept onto Aemond's lips, and he leaned closer, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "Lord Wylde need not find out," he whispered, his voice carrying the weight of his princely authority. "And if he does, I sincerely doubt he would challenge a prince.”

Maera couldn't help but smile in response to his cunning suggestion. It was a daring plan, one that would allow them to train together without defying her father's orders openly. The thought of sparring with Aemond again brought a mix of excitement and trepidation, but it was a chance for something new, a chance to build bridges instead of burning them.

"Very well, Prince Aemond," she agreed, a note of determination in her voice. "I will see you in the courtyard at dawn."

As they concluded their conversation, Aemond bid her a nod before leaving her chambers, seemingly content with their agreement. Maera took a moment to collect herself, before sitting at her vanity, allowing Thena to dry her hair. The towel glided through her locks, and Maera couldn't help but smile as she spotted the distinctive silver streak amidst the strands. The fact Aemond had acknowledged her Targaryen heritage and the link she shared with him caused a feeling of pride to swell within her, the connection to her mother more evident than ever.

Her thoughts drifted to the unusual visit from Aemond and the unspoken truce they had forged. It was a surprising turn of events, one that had the potential to bring a sense of normalcy to her life in the Red Keep.

Apologizing to Thena for having to witness such impropriety, Maera couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. "I'm sorry you had to be put in such an uncomfortable position," she said softly.

Thena smiled warmly. "It's quite all right, my lady. I'm here to serve and assist you in any way I can."

Maera, feeling the weight of her request, leaned in closer to her maid. "There's something I must ask of you, Thena," she began, her voice low and earnest. "I need your discretion. Please, promise me you won't speak of the Prince's visit to my chambers while I bathed. It would call my honor into question."

Thena's eyes met Maera's, understanding the gravity of the situation. "I promise, my lady. Your secret is safe with me."

Relieved, Maera continued, "And there's one more thing. I'll be practicing with Prince Aemond at dawn every day. My father must not find out.”

Thena's eyes widened slightly, a mix of surprise and concern flickering in her gaze. "You will spar with the Prince?" she asked, her voice tinged with worry.

Maera nodded, her determination clear. "Yes. I believe it is a way for us to find common ground and, perhaps, mend old wounds. But it is a sensitive matter, and I must ensure that no one knows."

Thena's eyes widened slightly, and she offered a cautious warning. "Yes, my lady, but do take care. Prince Aemond can be unpredictable."

Maera nodded, understanding the gravity of her decision. "I will, Thena. Thank you for your understanding and your loyalty. It means more to me than you know."

With a grateful smile, Maera knew she could count on Thena's loyalty. A silent pact had been formed, one that would allow her to navigate the delicate balance between her duty, her honor, and the unexpected path she had chosen to tread with Aemond Targaryen.

Note: I’m very happy that I managed to persevere with my writing and story-building to get to this point. Now we’ll have a lot more Aemond and Maera chapters! 👀

Thank you so much for reading! Comments, feedback, likes, and reblogs are greatly appreciated 🖤

[mariesocuniverse]

Fan

Mae runs into another idol when walking around Japan

A/N: Remembered this drafted existed and wanted to finish and post lmao

Mae walked with a pep in her step. Yuta and Mae were walking back to their hotel after their mini tour around Tokyo. Considering that Mae had never been to Japan before, Yuta wanted to take her around the city.

“Ahhh that was so fun.” Mae said stretching. They walked around the whole day so Mae was feeling a little tired from their adventure.

“I’m surprised you haven’t asked for a piggy back ride yet.” Yuta said amused, walking beside her.

“I’m not that tired but if you’re offering...”

“The opportunity has passed but next time.”

Mae pouted but pressed on. As she walked, she felt entranced by all the lights surrounding her. 

Pictures could never compare when you see and walk around the whole thing. She was so distracted she didn’t even notice the person in front of her until she bumped into them. 

“I’m sorry!” Mae said, quickly apologizing to whoever she bumped into. She heard the boy start to apologize but slowly came to a stop when she lifted her head up.

Looking at him closely, the first thing she noticed was his short blond hair and his emerald green eyes. The second thing she noticed was the starstuck look in his eyes. Noticing Yuta beside her, his eyes got widered.

Fans usually had the same expression when they noticed one of them. Not that she minded, as long they were respectful of their boundaries.

“Ah, you’re NCT.” He stuttered out. It was actually really cute how starry-eyed he was.

“Guilty as charged.” Mae said, rubbing the back of her neck with a sheepish smile. Strange enough, Mae felt like she he recognized her from somewhere. 

Narrowing her eyes, she tried to rack her brain to remember who he was. The boy drew back noticing her gaze. 

“Uh, did I do something wrong?”

“Aha!” Mae exclaimed, as a lightbulb lit up in her head. “You’re ALKALOID’s Aira Shiratori, right?”

“You know who I am?” Aira said in disbelief, wondering how someone like Mae would know someone like him.

“Ah, he was one of the members of that band you couldn’t stop blasting the music too.” Yuta said amused.

“Exactly! I loved listening to you guys sing Kiss of Life!” Mae said, grabbing his hands on instinct. In her excitement, she barely noticed that that the boy froze or the fact that she was speaking Korean.

“Miyoung I think you’re scaring him.” Yuta said, pulling her back from the poor boy. He wasn’t even speaking coherent sentences, more like broken words. He swore he heard a “I don’t understand Korean” among it.

“Ah sorry!” Mae said, letting Aira’s hands go, prompting him to move again. “I guess I was a little too excited.”

“It’s fine, I was just a little surprised.” Aira said, a little dazed at the encounter. He couldn’t believe this was happening to him. 

Mae checked her watch and her eyes widened. Her and Yuta were supposed to be back at the hotel room soon.

“Ah! We have to get back to the hotel soon, but is it okay if we could take a photo real quick?”

“You want to take a picture with me?!?”  

“Of course!!!”

After a stuttered “Yes,” the group shuffled to the side to take a quick photo on both of their phones. Aira wanted to speak more, but a call from his name distracted him.

“Thank you and I hope to see you again! ALKALOID Fighting!” 

Aira could only watch as the two watch away waving before disappearing in the crowd. He didn’t even realize he standing in the same spot until his red-haired friend went beside him.

Bonus:

“Ahhhhhh! I can’t believe what happened!!!” Aira exclaimed. “I never want to wash these hands ever again!!”

“Isn’t that unsanitary?” Hiiro said confused. He just wanted to find his friend after he wandered off. “Who was that anyways?”

“This is why you need to learn more about idols!!!” 

[salty-an-disco]

Drew that thing I was thinking about- now, what is this about Mae and Gregg and Cold and Contrarian parallels? (Looking at you very politely)

Him melting aomsksjdxkdoke. so cute <3 Augh. Thank you so much for the contrahero, I’m love them T^T

Now– onto the Gregg&Mae and Contra&Cold parallels– *cracks knuckles* (warning: long ramble ahead)

The most obvious similarities is how dismissive all these characters are of danger and death. One of the first things Mae does when she comes back to town is climb to the wire lines so that she can go over a fence. And before that, she almost got crushed by some tree trunks and this is her reaction:

And on your first encounter (and Mae’s reencounter) with Gregg, those two easily fall back into a familiar bit: listing off horrible things that could’ve happened to the other one, seemingly trying to one-up each other in tragedy levels (that ‘too bad…’ game). To these two, danger, risk of death and injury, it’s all entertainment. Something fun to do with your closest friend. Each of Gregg’s hang out is a dangerous and illegal activity that Mae is happy to go along with (smashing lightbulbs with bats, firing a crossbow on a statue or birds, the knife fight, stealing an animatronic, etc, etc, etc).

Just from this, you can already see where the parallels start. Much like Mae and Gregg, Cold and Contrarian also don’t really care for danger, not really believing consequences are a thing, and going along with whatever would be the most fun.

There’s a very crucial difference though, and it’s that Mae and Gregg are actual people that grew up in a community full of other people; and I think looking into their character arcs more thoroughly could really help to see how Contra and Cold could develop in the real world, or even the kinda people they could be if they were always humans.

First, Gregg:

When you first meet him in Snack Falcon, he’s incredibly energetic and excited to see Mae, happy stimming, screaming, and immediately deciding they need to do a band practice. Those are the first things we learn about Gregg: energetic, impulsive, has a bit of a morbid humor, and really missed Mae. And after meeting with the rest of the band, Bea and Angus, he’s apparently the only one there who missed Mae; both Angus and Bea seem more bemused than enthusiastic, and Casey (someone both Mae and Gregg mention fondly) is nowhere to be found.

That immediately presents Gregg as Mae’s main support, besides her parents, back in Possum Springs, since everyone in town seems to dislike and distrust her for one thing or another she did in the past, but Gregg never seem to care. He’s on the same wavelength as Mae, and because of that, Mae thinks fondly of him. In the midst of all the mess that was dropping out of college and going back home, hanging out with Gregg, doing stupid and illegal shit is a reliable, and maybe even cathartic, source of comfort.

At least– that’s what Mae was hoping for. But Gregg is planning to move out with his boyfriend, Angus, sometime in the future.

And when you think about it– that’s perfectly fair. Gregg is a queer man, heavily implied to be neurodivergent (bipolar is mentioned at one point in the game), living in a conservative small town; of course he’d want to leave as soon as he could. And it’s not like it’s easy for him either, he knows what kind struggles they’ll run it, Possum Springs may suck, but it’s familiar and where everyone he knows is. But he HAS to go, it’s the only way he can grow. (Let’s shelf this for later for now).

And not only that, but much like Mae, Gregg’s also dealing with his own mental issues.

With some more prodding from Mae, we learn that Gregg and Angus have been arguing, and it’s really heaving on Gregg, making him feel like he’s not good enough. Paraphrasing his own words– “Maybe I’m inconsiderate. Maybe I’m not good. I’m just parking lot trash. I’ve known it all along; I’ve got no future if it was just me.”

And that’s what he’s scared of. Being with Angus gave him hope and a future to look forward to, when before, he was most likely just trudging along and whatever happens, happens, much like Mae is doing for the entire game. But now, he has a future, and someone he cares for. And he’s terrified of screwing it up, of losting the one thing, failing the one person he so badly wants to do right by (*gestures vaguely towards ContraHero*).

And Mae doesn’t really understand. She doesn’t know what it is like to have something to worry about, or a future to prepare for. She went to college, yes, but her heart was never in it, she only went along with what her parents wanted and as soon as it got too bad for her to handle, she dipped and went back to Possum Springs, where everythings more simple. Except, it isn’t anymore. Bea hates her, her parents are disappointed in hee, Gregg will be moving out soon, and everyone remembers what she did to that kid in the softball game.

Speaking of–

Let’s talk about Mae’s reputation in the town.

(sounds familiar........ 🤔)

We immediately catch up that Mae was a troublemaker in town by how everyone talks to her. Her aunt mall cop already sounds exhausted (if unsurprised) after seeing that Mae jumped over the fence instead of going the longer way around to the town’s entrance. Mae is known for stealing, vandalizing, causing trouble to the elders, and, more predominantly, of sending a kid to the hospital back in high school (where the ‘killer’ nickname came from). That last one is treated as one of the main mysteries from Mae’s past, together with the reason she dropped out of college. No one in town, and we, the player, really know why she did that, and Lori M (the rat girl up there^) mention their mothers warning kids to stay away from her in case she snaps again.

Mae, for the most part, acts unaffected by this, and seems to embrace her troublemaker status; in a confrontation with an old man that was directly affected by Mae’s behavior in the past, you have the option to double down and insult him back, basically confirming his statement about how Mae hasn’t changed, and is still just the same kid that’s always searching for trouble.

And, yeah, during the day, with other people around, Mae acts like it doesn’t affect her, says she enjoys being seen as a miscreant, and plays into what everyone expects of her. But alone? There’s this very poignant scene where Mae is standing in front of a mirror, preparing for a party, where all her insecurities and self-consciousness comes to light:

(note: the other option you can choose in the second pic is: “You don’t like people. Clearly.”)

We see that not only is Mae self-conscious about her appearance, she DOES care about what people think. She craves connection and a community, that’s why she came back to Possum Springs, but for some reason, it seems like she just can’t hold on to a relationship for long before fucking up.

She’s impulsive, doesn’t have much of a filter, and struggles to understand other people’s perspectives. We see that clearly with Bea. It was Bea’s dream to go to college, but because of personal issues, she can’t; and Mae, someone who GOT that chance, simply threw it all away and dismissed it as ‘college just wasn’t for me’ upon coming back, and expects everything to be as it always was.

Mae isn’t an understanding person. She tries, and she really wants to help the people around her, but she just isn’t very good at understanding people, and will often run her mouth at the worst moments. Bea’s hangouts has some of the best (or worst, ig) examples of that. I’m not gonna get too deep into what happens, but, uhm. It gets BAD, and those moments can make you really unsympathetic towards Mae; but you gotta respect this game for not pulling its punches when showing off its protagonist’s worst traits (and honestly, it made me love Mae all the more, she’s so beautifully flawed).

You can see the familiarities to Cold? Struggle with understanding others, impulsive decisions made with the main goal of entertaining yourself, no sense of danger, disregard of own life, no filter– the main difference is that Mae is much more emotional and prone to snapping, but I feel like their core struggles are very similar.

I could go more into how Mae’s derealization is also very similar to how Cold views the world, but while Cold embraces that feeling as a reason to why you can disregard pain and consequences, that thought terrifies Mae and the kind of person that makes her (it doesn’t make her a bad person, btw, she’s mentally ill and traumatized, but ‘bad person’ is what she internalizes after being told so for so long), but anyway aaaaaaaaahhhhhh this got so long and pretty rambly akaksjsmsjd)djsjdj. Hopefully it made sense though? This has been turning around in my head for days now, glad to finally put it out.

[lovelyrotter]

alright big post of alter art here we go

our headspace/internal/metaphysical(??) looks tend to change as we integrate and resettle into ourselves so theres a few inconsistencies which tbh is fascinating af. first off heres me. its only literally the other month since i could actually percieve myself bc my system twin came back after 10 years of being somewhere else(tm) and hes the one who can percieve me the best. i drew this off of his instructions

dirks talksprites ^^^ also my system twin. were two of the oldest fuckers in this headspace along with bro and ambrose. we both have a ton of splits/splinters which is why most of this post just looks like au versions of the same guys. more under the cut cause it got long real fast

below we got hal and timaeus, or mae (he/zem/hir for mae) one of our intersystem relationships. the ones just below are the most recent for both of them. hals looks change a lot bc he likes to customize himself. he really loves how he looks and were super happy about that cause hes really fought to be where he is right now

hal draws mae as often as he can and its so fuckin sweet he really adores zem

the orange 'freak' was written by dirk whos just recently became his kismesis so i promise its nothing but affectionate. the 'asshole' was written by hal in retaliation lol. 'if mom strider was a thing' is my handwriting. hals hair got curly without his permission when dirk came back to the concious system too. he also sometimes popps human ears and it wigs him out its hilarious

dear sweet crow with his glowing eyes. we all think hes pretty. his freckles are actually shifting motes of light. they kinda float around just under his skin. needless to say this guy is universally really precious to us

below is when crow first came back to the concious system. the other guy with him is dietrich who we all just call deet. hes also incredibly beloved and ambrose's forever baby. deet was so excited to have crow back he drew this entire thing in half a day

and ambrose and D whos in our partner system (they are so especially married but D is with all our dirk-type guys, its cute)

bros talksprites for streaming and playing games w/ our friends. he insisted on his talksprite being a chibi even though were not really good at those anymore

aaand heres bro unchibified. he and dirk look like identical twins with a few minor differences to differenciate and maintain their structure in the brain

rox and his talksprite. he really does look like me and we like that a lot

the only drawing i have of damien rn which is a shame cause hes hot as hell

and last is jake and dirk from our partner system. theyre cute as fuck and i should really finish this.

[ncfan-1]

Wait. All this time, I’ve been operating on the assumption that Vernestra knows the truth about what happened on Brendok, but what if she doesn’t?

I’d jumped to the conclusion that Vernestra knew what actually went down on Brendok because of the way she confronts Sol over having potentially left Mae to die on Brendok in Episode 4. I’d read Vernestra as a very stern, by-the-book sort of person, someone who prioritizes the safety and security of the Jedi Order over all things, and I’d marked her horrified reaction to the idea that Sol could potentially have knowingly left Mae alive on Brendok as a sign that she knew that Mae wasn’t responsible for any of the deaths of the Coven. I’d thought to myself “Would Vernestra call Mae ‘that poor girl’ if she thought that Mae had murdered her entire family?”, and come to the conclusion that she wouldn’t.

But I’ve since come to realize that maybe I was doing a disservice to Vernestra, and that it’s equally possible that she’s just a more compassionate person than I gave her credit for being. That she does believe that the fire Mae set killed the Coven, but that she didn’t make the leap from that to believing that Mae was some sort of Evil Child. That maybe her stance on things was that Mae was plainly an emotionally disturbed child who desperately needed help, help that the Jedi could have provided her. Or maybe she’d actually sussed out the way things really went down with Mae and the fire, that Mae, being an eight-year-old girl, never meant for it to get so out of hand but couldn’t put it out once it had taken hold, because again, she was only eight years old. And that now she thinks that this troubled child was left behind on Brendok, troubled and now profoundly traumatized, left alone, the only person alive on Brendok, surrounded by the corpses of the family she accidentally killed for who even knows how long. Powerful, troubled, traumatized, completely alone. The easiest prey imaginable for whatever predator eventually found her there. That could well be the conclusion Vernestra drew.

So Vernestra is trying to do damage control in the wake of what happened on Khofar, but maybe she has no idea the full breadth of what she’s doing damage control for. Maybe if the truth of what happened on Brendok comes out in Episode 8, it’s just as much of a surprise to her as it is to the rest of the Jedi. Maybe she had no idea what actually happened, after all, and damage control winds up blowing up in her face because she got caught flat-footed and can’t course-correct in time.

So maybe, just maybe, if Sol does wind up being blamed for the deaths on Khofar, it’s not because Vernestra has framed him to try and do damage control, but because she genuinely believes that he did it. Because if he and the rest of his team could do what they did on Brendok and cover it up, and more damningly, cover it up by pinning all of the blame on an innocent girl, what else is Sol capable of? Did someone expose the truth on Khofar, either Mae or Kelnacca, and did Sol kill everyone to silence them? Sol can protest that someone else killed them all he likes, but he can’t produce that someone, and he has form for doing murder and then pinning the blame on someone else.

Because Sol lied sixteen ago, no one will believe him now.

[mimjandoodlesstuff]

April Fusions haha

They kept rotting my brain for a hot second so I started writing up concepts myself, but then this ask properly sprung me into action. @bluepeachstudios you've done it again with the hinting!

I suppose the only really interesting things about these takes are how I named them. I already have a fusion storyline planned for my own TMNT iteration, and the Turtles fuse with April in it so I combined their names there. I didn't want to do that again here, so instead I took a more unique approach. I named them after each of the Turtles' VAs' birthday months (because, you know, April). I mean, why not utilise canon/meta/out-of-universe facts for a project like this? I can't do this for my own characters. I did have two rules in place in case any of them overlapped, of which I was forced to use one.

May

May is probably my least favourite out of the bunch. There's really nothing about her that screams Leo besides like- a shell, blue eyes, injuries... It's probably therefore not surprising I drew her first, so I really didn't know what I wanted to emphasise and so on. I should probably have had her face the camera more to get a better sense of her jawline. Make sure to make it nice and boxy lol

The plastron pride flags are demigirl, aroace and lesbian. While I do in my heart of hearts believe Leo has a not insignificant crush on Captain Ryan, I still wanted our gal to be a flaming lesbian despite that lol.

March

March was incredibly fun to draw, and not just because @bluecookiesabi is an absolute joy to hang out with (thank the heavens for Discord streams!). I just really like drawing more feminine characters. I had most likely already sketched both May and March before I found the ask so I didn't know March is agender, but I don't think that's a problem at all. Agender people are allowed to be feminine, after all. And I don't consider Donnie to be some pinnacle of masculinity to begin with.

I figured, since the fic tags state that Donnie's autistic here, I'd give March just fluffy socks and slippers to keep dust and dirt from their feet for sensory reasons. That is definitely not projection on my part.

They're kind of giving 2003 April vibes with their hair in a bun. That was a happy accident which I'm really glad I kept to.

January

January is just green April. Hers and Mikey's designs are already so incredibly similar in-canon I'm convinced she'd look pretty much exactly like him had she been mutated into a turtle. I didn't even feel the need to open January's eyes since they'd just be the same shade of blue more or less.

I don't have much to say about him other than she was fun to draw. Gymnastics poses are honestly kind of therapeutic to draw. But also, how are they able to make that pose? The answer is simple: January is just built different.

I also labelled xir as only aroace since I don't know what you have planned for Mikey.

September

I'm really happy with how he turned out. While sketching I couldn't get the pose really working but once I did she really came together. I'd say September is the only Fusion (besides maybe March) that actually looks like the people he's made up of merged. Raph's stocky build fits April surprisingly well. And the choice to give her April's kunoichi getup but tattered was a really good idea in my opinion, and I'd like to give @pechtothevoid the credit they are so deservedly owed for that idea.

While not fic accurate at all, I had such a difficult time coming up with a good weapon for September. Who knew combining sai with tessen would be difficult? So instead I gave her a boomerang, which reminded me of Sokka, so I just straight up gave him Sokka's boomerang. I like the idea of her, upon fusing, just snagging Sokka's boomerang from the Mae Whitman-verse and using it as a blunt force weapon. I wanted to in a similar vein give him the One Ring from the Sean Astin-verse, but I couldn't get that to look good no matter how I placed it.

I like the name rules I came up with. Basically, since I didn't know in which months any of their actors were born in I had to come up with a replacement idea for naming in case any of them happen to overlap. The first rule was that if Rob and Greg happened to share a month with anyone else, the Donnie and Mikey Fusions would automatically get assigned December and May respectively. If Seth or Sean were to have overlapped with anyone, Leo's and Raph's Fusions would get the/a month whose first letter is the closest to either character's first name. March and January checked out, but since Seth and Sean are both born in February, I was forced to assign Leo and Raph May and September each. Small price to pay, honestly.

Tcest DNI and NO REPOSTING. Both groups can go die UwU