#helena's got it

[glitter-stained]

While I usually hc Olympics batfam as diverse in sports so everybody can kick ass, I think the image of the whole of US gymnastics team being just Robins is so funny. "And they're all related! At first we thought it was nepotism but Wayne is just THAT good at adopting talented little gymnasts. He catches them like Pokemons! In unrelated news, an onslaught of crime in Gotham and Bludhaven has-"

In the DC universe there's a petition with over five hundred thousand signatures asking Batman to let Robin represent the USA on the male gymnastic team

[thebramblewood]

Our favorite toxic trio by the amazingly talented @glockzap. I can't thank you enough, Ai!!! They are perfect!

[vpvrtment]

BRZ

for @/rolo-stuff

[bastart13]

It is not the weather for it, but it's fun drawing the L&L cast at the beach

[finchers-ipad]

MY 1999 ‘SIGHT AND SOUND’ MAGAZINE ARRIVED!!

[stagefoureddiediaz]

The Helena diaz of it all has me fascinated. I’ve said for a long while that Eddie’s real issues are his mommy issues and this episode just cemented for me that we’re gonna explore that and deal with it.

Because it’s Helena who forced Eddie to grow up to fast - because her husband wasn’t around much - so she pushed Eddie into de facto parent and husband role ls - selfishly filling her needs and ignoring the damage it was doing to her son (it is a form of abuse in my book).

Eddie then had the audacity to fall in love with and marry Shannon and get her pregnant. It’s why Helena was always so off with Shannon - she was punishing her. She is also punishing Eddie for all of this and his refusal to return to El Paso only cemented further her bitterness and resentment.

Now she does have Ramon back she doesn’t need Eddie any longer to fill that role so she is still punishing him and part of that is tied into her glee over now getting to parent Christopher - something she has always been intent on doing the doppelgänger just gave her the opportunity- as well as allowing her to further punish her son and his love of Shannon.

Her barbed comments about building a pool were all about showing what she can provide Christopher - how she is parenting him better than Eddie - it’s part of her mind games - making Eddie feel like more of a failure as a parent to his son.

The reality of course is that the reverse is true - Helena’s parenting is all superficial, flash and showy - it isn’t the hard day to day parenting when things get tough and you have to be the bad guy. While Eddie has made mistakes, there is nothing superficial, flash, or showy about his parenting. It’s why bucks comments about Eddie being a great dad are so important.

Eddie feel like a failure right now and that he is entirely to blame for everything. But in reality, while he does bear a bit of the responsibility, the truth of the matter is that he needs to learn and deal with the fact that all of it actually stems from Helena and her abuse of her young son - Shannon never stood a chance just like Eddie never has.

[nightskyfoxyy]

Storytime at the Genoa House

[necrotic-nephilim]

@sasheneskywalker i love when you enable me to ramble about things because oh my god do i have thoughts.

so recently, i made a post discussing the phenomena of DC x DP and DC x MLB crossovers and why they exist and part of that post was discussing how largely speaking, at least half, if not more of the Batfamily fandom doesn't read the comics. if they interact with canon DC material, it's adaptations that are their own sequestered universes and oftentimes not remotely comic accurate or seeking to be. the most obvious example is the Young Justice cartoon. i'm adding a cut to this post because it just got so long i'm so sorry.

a lot of times, when people are discussing the "why" of this oversaturation of fanon-only fandom, they blame Wayne Family Adventures. and i think, to a point, i agree WFA is responsible for a boom in this fandom. but as someone who's been in the fandom long before we had WFA, to me it's the other way around. WFA was DC's way of meeting the demand for this easy-to-get-into, easy-to-consume content about the Batfamily that predicates itself on the comics just enough to be vaguely the same characters, but has a more sitcom, slice-of-life sort of vibe so DC could profit off of this section of the fanbase that otherwise wasn't consuming its primary material. and well, it's definitely worked. not only that, but i have a weird theory that the decline in the MCU also led to the rise in the Batfamily fandom. when you consider the fan content that made the MCU popular within fandom, it's that 2012 "they all live in Avengers Tower and Thor is eating poptarts and Clint is in the vents and there are movie nights every Friday" sort of vibe. those were the fics that were a hallmark of the fandom. and as the MCU has strayed from well... quality content in general, but specifically well-thought-out crossover content where characters can have their own arcs but also exist in a wider story where they clearly care about each other, that fandom was sort of homeless. so where do you go, if you like a superhero found family where you can have villains for angst but also stick them all in one big family-like home for silly crack and have a plethora of options for gay ships? well. you go to the Batfamily. if you write a crack/fluff Batfamily genfic with silly vibes and low stakes instead of say, a fic about a very specific comic issue even if it's a popular comic, you're *going* to get more traction for the former. because the fanbase largely just isn't reading the comics.

and i feel... complicated about this. because on one hand, Don't Like Don't Read has been a tenet of my fandom experience. i'm very pro-fandom and that includes fandom content i don't like. and to an extent, i do think this sort of should apply to Batfamily fanon. i enjoy having my moments with other comic purists, giggling over exceptionally painful OOC headcanons or even facepalming in pain over some content but it is on me to not interact with that content. you don't make fandom a better place by being hostile to fans who engage with canon in ways you don't approve of. and frankly? we as comic readers are not going to get non-comic fans to read the comics by being asshats to them. no one is going to want to pick up any comic if we get a superiority complex about it. and also, i feel like we're all lying to ourselves a little bit insisting comics are so, so easy to get into. they're not. we can just all agree, they're really not. i've been single-handedly helping my sister get into comics, specifically Wonder Woman and no matter how simple i make it, i watch her get frustrated trying to understand what pre-Crisis and post-Crisis and New-52 and Flashpoint and all these things mean and what a retcon vs a reboot is and what a Crisis Event is and what the hell Diana's current backstory even *is*. sure, you can give someone a beginner list of comics to start with and slowly dip their toes in the water but sooner or later, *something* is going to confuse them. comics as a medium straight up aren't going to be everyone's cup of tea. and if someone *just* wants to read silly fluffy fanfiction about the Batfamily, i can't entirely begrudge them for not wanting to take the hours and hours out of their day to understand this medium. it's not an accessible medium to get into. "read this and this, but this run is out of print and this run wasn't collected in trades at all but also make sure you read that event in order and this is a good comic but the backstory in it is retconned and you *have* to read this it's so important but it's also really bad because the author kind of sucks" sounds. ridiculous for someone who like. just wants to read some stuff about Nightwing. sometimes, we all make reading comics sort of sound like a chore, not a hobby.

so my point is, i do extend some grace to Batfamily fanon for existing. i think my biggest gripe is, as i said in my other post, misuse of tags (if you're not creating content about comics, maybe you don't need the comics fandom tag on Ao3, just the all media types umbrella tag) and my far bigger gripe: when panels are taken out of context to support fanon only headcanons. if i could impart *anything* onto the Batfamily fandom as a comic fan it'd be this: if you haven't *read* the comic, don't spread the panel. if you don't even know what comic it's *from*, don't spread the panel. it's fine to use comic panels to discuss your headcanons, but so often i see someone spreading a comic panel from a comic they haven't read, and when asked where it's from, they can't source it. a silly example that comes to mind is a post going around, taking a panel where Dick, in his internal monologue goes "here comes the sun. do do do do." and the post is claiming it's from him getting buried alive. when that panel comes from Nightwing (1996) #140, and he gets buried alive in Nightwing (1996) #127, two completely different moments frankensteined together. if you're going to not read the comics, that's completely fine, but unless you're sure of the source and the context, panels shouldn't be spread around. i'm sick of this specifically happening to Red Robin (2009), with ppl claiming Tim has totally killed people because he blew up some of Ra's' bases, when those panels within context, make it clear he gave everyone time to escape. and in a later arc in that very comic, Tim grapples with the idea of murdering Captain Boomerang, and *specifically chooses not to*, because he doesn't agree with murder, even against the person who has hurt him the most. if you'd like to write fanfiction where Tim is pro-murder and has done some sketch things, i'm totally on board and would probably like to read it. but there's no need to pretend it's canon from a few panels you saw out of context.

beyond that, i think it's not *entirely* correct to say that fanon is harmless. whenever i see very WFA-positive posts, they often default to the argument that WFA is fun and silly, and comic fans are killjoys for not liking it. which. i think is complicated because the issue is, WFA and fanon don't exist in a vacuum. if you like WFA power to you, i don't think it's the worst thing ever, but i do think it's degrading to these characters because honestly? they feel incompetent in the webtoon. it's one thing if WFA was solely a slice-of-life sort of deal, just having silly episodes where Bruce is taking on a PTA mom or they're all fighting for the last cookie. but when WFA attempts to take on more serious plots with these characters, it *fundamentally* falls flat in understanding them. i get it, Bruce comforting Jason having a panic attack because a noise reminded him of the crowbar felt cute in a microcosm, but i'm so serious when i say that storyline destroyed how like. half of this fandom understands Jason Todd's relationship to his trauma. it doesn't understand how he reacts when he's triggered, what coping mechanisms he seeks out, and how he would handle Bruce comforting him. even if i can believe for a brief moment Jason *would* be triggered by something like that, him running and trying to hide and then getting a hug from Bruce to make it okay is just. painful. WFA needs everything to be wrapped up in a nice, neat little bow. so even when it starts to tackle interesting concepts, it makes them fall flat with its need to be soft, low stakes, hurt/comfort. there was a two-parter episode that dealt with the complicated mutual hatred/jealousy between Tim and Damian that *almost* really interested me because for once, it felt like the webtoon wanted to explore canon messy dynamics. but of course, it had to be fixed with one conversation and a hug. you don't mend the *years* of issues these characters have like that. WFA isn't in character because these characters are hyperbole cartoonified versions of themselves to fit within the medium and be a cute happy family.

because that right there, is the crux of it. the Batfamily fanon seeks to simplify the Batfamily and force them into a nuclear family. there are so many fantastic posts on here discussing how the nuclear family-ification of the Batfam is eroding decades worth of complex histories so i won't go too far into that. but what i will say is that there's this need, in the Batfamily fandom, for the Batfamily to exist as a unit. they are a *family*. (honestly i think calling it the Batfamily is a misnomer and has been for years but we're in too deep now.) they exist to each other first, and any teams or friends they have come secondary to this family unit. you can *specifically* see this demonstrated in what headcanons are becoming popular these days. i have an entire lengthy meta in my drafts about how i *loathe* the "the Batfamily meets the Justice League" genre of fanfic because it makes no *sense*. in order to have this genre of fic exist, you must operate under the assumption that no one in the League, or adjacent to the League, knows the Batfamily exists and are thus utterly shocked to discover Batman has kids. and to make *that* work, you have to strip *every single Batfamily member* of such important dynamics and friendships so you can lock them all in Gotham for their whole lives. Dick can't have the Titans, Tim can't have Young Justice, Duke & Cass can't have the Outsiders, Jason can't have the Outlaws, Damian can't have the Supersons, Babs can't have the Birds of Prey, and so on. because if they had these relationships, they would be known to the League. the Batfamily fandom doesn't care about this, it's just "silly fanfiction", it's not trying to be serious. but how can you say you like Dick Grayson as a character if you don't understand the Titans *are* his family? at some points of his life, moreso than the Batfamily even is. it is constantly repeated to us in most comics with Dick how much the Titans mean to him. he *needs* them to be who he is. the same extends to every other Batfamily member, most of which have been full League members at this point. but in fanon, that doesn't matter. the Batfamily are a sequestered unit first, and all of those side relationships are secondary and easy to toss away, if it makes your fanfic work better.

and because they have to be a unit first, you have these forced relationships that dump years of actual canon material for the sake of making them get along. the Batfamily fandom has its favorites and well. it's no secret it's usually the boys. Jason and Tim by *far* stand out as fandom faves so, their dynamic is a heavily explored one. it does matter that in canon they don't tend to get along and especially don't see each other as family. what matters is that you can push dynamics onto them. and so fanon gets all twisted up about which Robin Tim actually idolized as a kid (Dick) and what member of the Batfamily is pro-murder but still an older sibling figure to him and looks out for him (Helena, or if you want the dynamic of once tried to harm Tim but they've reconciled, Jean-Paul) in favor of who's the most popular. Dick, Jason, Tim, and Damian are always going to be the standouts for popularity, but it's specifically Jason and Tim who are getting fanonized the most. and that's because really, we don't have much canon content of Tim that *isn't* the comics. for Dick you've got Young Justice (tv), for Damian you've got the DCAMU, for Jason you've sort of got the Under The Red Hood movie, but Tim sort of lingers in this limbo. (yes, he's in Young Justce (tv) and Titans (live action) but in neither is he the main character nor given much depth) so, he gets a *lot* projected onto him and has become fanonized. and even with Jason's animated movies, you don't see him interact with Tim, so people build it from the ground up how they want to see it, disregarding of canon comics. i think it's what makes him so popular in the first place- he's malleable into whatever you want or need him to be.

and of course, the fanon ignores other characters in the Batfamily it doesn't know about. i feel like you could create a tier list of Batfamily characters by their popularity, going from the fandom main characters: Tim, Jason, Bruce, Alfred, Dick, Damian. to the underrated: Steph, Duke, Babs, Cass. to the forgotten about unless they're convenient for a story: Kate, the Foxes, Helena Wayne, Carrie, Selina, Harper Row, Maps, Minhkhoa Khan. to the absolutely unknown: Helena Bertinelli, Jean-Paul Valley, Onyx Adams, the Clovers, Julia Pennyworth. it's not lost on me that the ignored characters tend to be women and people of color. which is both a canon and fanon problem, DC will continue adding interesting characters to the Batfamily, play with them for a few years, then drop them to default to the "Batboys" again. and it's a vicious cycle of the fandom only caring about the "Batboys", and thus people entering the fandom via fanon osmosis won't have content about the other characters, therefore, they won't be interested in those characters enough to create it, and it's just this ouroboros consuming itself, no matter how much canon content we have of these other characters. and it's ridiculous just how large the Batfamily is becoming because of this, which is why i'm a pre-Flashpoint fan, because then the Batfamily was contained enough to actually feel like a family with every character having nuances relationships with each other, but i digress because those thoughts could be their own post.

and the thing about fanon is it doesn't exist in a vacuum. DC has started turning the comics to accommodate for what fans are asking for, because fans will beg and beg for content they're not going to consume. Tim Drake: Robin had Tim as a coffee drinker because that's the fanon accepted headcanon. and the resolution of the recent Gotham War arc was for Bruce to buy this new manor for everyone to move in and call him. nevermind that most of these characters have their own homes and have zero reason to be moving in with Bruce. Tim had his marina in Tim Drake: Robin, Dick has Bludhaven, Cass and Steph have their little side of town in Batgirls (2022), and so on. these characters are being forced together as a unit, as one big happy family living together, to appease what non-comic fans want and it's damaging comic relationships. Robin: Knight Terrors saw Jason and Tim team up and working together, which i've seen varying opinions on but i personally despised. their interactions made zero sense for any of their canon history, but it appeases them being this close sibling relationship that fanon acts like they are. also the fears they faced in their respective knight terrors didn't make sense for either character and *only* worked as a moment of bringing them together so they could reassure each other and have this weird dreamscape bonding moment. the canon is bending itself to the will of fanon rather than building on the pre-existing complex relationships. Tim barely even gets along with his most important team in Dark Crisis: Young Justice because it seems the only important relationships the Batfamily can have is with each other. and when we do see them outside of the Batfamily, it only seems to be to relive the glory days like with World's Finest: Teen Titans, instead of developing them as they currently exist. this isn't recent in the comics, it feels like you can trace it back to the New-52, but it does feel a *lot* worse over the recent years. WFA is fine when it exists in its own bubble, but the simple truth is, DC content never exists on its own. the adaptations will reflect back onto the comics. (the damage the Young Justice cartoon has done to some characters should honestly be studied) and so it does frustrate me a bit when fanon-only or adaptation-only fans act like we're being nothing but killjoys for being frustrated with this. since they don't read the comics, they don't see how the comics are suffering as a result of this.

people argue about what's out of character for the comics they don't even read. i'm sorry, but "bad dad Bruce" is consistently canon. that man is just kind of shitty. when you take someone who has the drive he has, who has this need for the Mission first, who needs a teenager in spandex next to him to keep him off the ledge, that guy is sort of going to be a shitty father figure. he just is. not on purpose or with malice, but when you compare him to any other dad in a big DC family, he sure takes the cake. it's why characters like Oliver Queen tend to *really* fucking hate Bruce for how he treats his kids. Bruce loves fiercely, but he doesn't do well with putting that love first. and his love is a controlling one, he is very particular about controlling how others in the Batfamily are "allowed" to operate. it's what drives the wedge between him and Dick, it's why Steph is never a true daughter to him. (besides the reason of her needing to be a love interest to Tim first, anyway-) i've never understood the massive outcry of people reacting to Bruce kinda being shitty in comics they're not reading. there are some moments that get ridiculously OOC with how cartoonishly evil he is (the whole Gotham War arc and that... complicated mess with Jason) but largely if you want sitcom loving nuclear father Bruce, you have to accept that is a fanon thing, not a canon one. the Batfamily being a nuclear family in *general* is fanon. most of the "Batkids" don't actually see Bruce in a particularly fatherly light and begging for moments where he calls them his kids or they call him dad outside of incredibly specific circumstances is just OOC.

it's getting harder and harder to exist peacefully in this fandom it feels like, if you don't comply to the standard fanon has set. i'm happy people are having fun with their blorbos, even if in ways i dislike, but that "harmless fandom fun" does ripple it's way back to canon, eventually. so i end up pretty tangled with my feelings because are fans at fault for DC making these poor decisions? probably not, but it certainly feels like an unfortunate cause-and-effect situation whether at the end of the day, nobody is happy. and of course, i know some fanon-only fans are striving to be more canon accurate and care about canon dynamics more than others, but for them it's always going to be an uphill battle with the above-mentioned out-of-context panels thrown around and ever-pervasive fanon overtaking anything that's truly seeking to be canon compliant. so really, it sometimes feels like we're all losing.

[trinitea-fics]

Bonus: You will receive my everlasting love if you justify your choice.

[forthekeres]

growing the collection....

[ratstar9802]

HAPPY 25TH BIRTHDAY TO MY BELOVED FIGHT CLUB!!

The set I’d go back in time just to work on literally

[arabellasleopardcoat]

Lay me down (Helaena Targaryen x Reader) 

Summary: Helaena cannot sleep. You offer to keep her company, but find yourself addled by the same malady she has. 

Warnings: None! Just the Princess and the Pea, and grief. Also, friends to lovers. 

A/N: This one was hard. Little hope in regards to comments.

“Helaena. Helaena.” The dowager Queen says, voice harsh. “Helaena, are you even listening to me?” 

And you do not mean to listen in. You really don’t. But her tone is so urgent, and you are only a few benches away from them, hands joined in prayer. 

You had asked the dowager Queen if you could tag along with them today, promising to leave them pray privately. You had your own grief to keep you company, after all. 

The news of your betrothed’s death reached you this morning. He had fallen during a battle near Duskendale, marching with the Royal Army under command of Ser Criston. 

Your eyes were swollen from so much crying, your nose sore and raw. You had liked the man. Perhaps not as a lover, but he had been very cordial towards you, constantly writing and sending you trinkets. You had considered him a friend, and always found yourself excited to open his letters. 

Now, your friend was gone, and your father had callously informed you that you were back in the marriage market. Not even an afternoon had you been allowed to grieve. The Sept was your sole respite from his constant nagging.

“Helaena. Please. Do try to pray.” The dowager Queen begs of her daughter, holding her hands. But the Queen only makes a sound of discomfort, trying to avoid her touch. “It will make you feel better.”

“I have not slept.” She weeps, face twisting in agony. Her whole body cringes away from Queen Alicent. 

“It is only normal, after…” And you cannot bear it. Cannot bear to hear them discuss their loss, their own grief, when you are suffering through yours. You get up, choosing to move towards the altar. 

You will light a candle and leave. The carriage will provide the same solitude you sought by coming here.

“That has nothing to do with it. Something is wrong. Wrong with my room. Can you stay with me tonight?” Queen Helaena untangles herself from Queen Alicent, who seems desperate to hold her. 

“Helaena… I cannot… The lords and…” Her mother is clearly unwilling. A wave of pity for the Queen hits you. Your heart feels torn to shreds already from the loss of a friend, you cannot imagine what it would feel like to lose a son. 

Were you her mother, you would hold her all night if she asked. Or even sit by her, if it helped her feel less alone. The Seven knew you would have liked your father to support you in your grief.

“I’ll do it.” You offer, bravely. A few tears have fallen down your cheeks. You barely realize, focused on her. This is something you can do. You can help her. Comfort her. “I’ll stay with the Queen tonight.” 

“Were you listening to..?” The dowager Queen’s voice is harsh, grating in your ears. A tad embarrassed, you lower your eyes, but do not apologize nor take back your offer. You had been eavesdropping, of course. But they weren’t trying to be quiet either. 

“Yes. She will.” Queen Helaena says, absently. And that is it. 

That night, you find yourself in the Queen’s rooms. After her son was murdered, she moved into a more spacious and better guarded chamber. 

There are no maids in sight, so you draw the curtains shut yourself and blow off some candles as the Queen changes into her nightclothes. When she comes out of the bathing chamber, she sits on the bed and offers you a hairbrush, in absolute silence. 

You wonder if grief has taken her voice, as it has taken yours. You have not brought yourself to even name your betrothed aloud because a knot makes itself known in your throat each time you try. 

Instead of trying to hold what will surely be an awkward conversation, you obey her. You are careful to touch her as little as possible when unpinning her long, blonde hair and brushing it until it shines. Then, she gets under the covers. 

“Lay next to me.” She pleads, eyes closed. She pats the space next to her. 

The bed is marvelous. You are warm and tired, the covers just the right weight for you to feel comforted under them, but not smothered. 

You turn to face her. But the Queen has her back to you. You quietly say your nightly prayers and blow off the candle. 

It is then that it starts. 

Queen Helaena lets out a sigh, rolling on her side. You tense. 

“Can't you feel it?” She asks you, face scrunched up in discomfort. “This bed is so uncomfortable.” 

Buried under her blankets, warm and safe, you disagree. But you sit up regardless. 

“Shall I get you another pillow?”

“Leave it.” She scoffs, throwing her pillow away. 

Her tossing and turning doesn't stop the whole night. You understand why the Queen dowager didn't want to stay with her. 

You continue to offer her to change her pillows, to fix the bedding, but she denies you every time. When sunrise approaches, you have resigned yourself to just laying there, watching her twitch restlessly. You had given up on sleep a long time ago.

But a night is enough to convince you. Something is wrong. Not with the bed, but with the Queen. 

She requests your company again the next night. This time, you come prepared. Your fear of whatever is happening to her has turned into a dull sort of pity. 

“I have brought you chamomile tea, but also Milk of the Poppy. Perhaps it might make you sleep.” 

“I would like to try both.” She says, reaching for the vial of Milk of the Poppy without hesitation. She downs it fully, face strained. The lack of sleep has taken its toll on her. The dark circles under her eyes are darker than they had been yesterday, her cheeks a tad more sunken. 

No one can go without sleep for long. This, you know. 

The two of you lay down on the bed, and this time, she falls asleep. You allow yourself to drift off, knowing that the dose was big enough to have her rest the whole night. 

Milk of the Poppy is addictive. It probably is why the Maester hasn’t given her any, but the Queen needs to sleep. A night of good, deep sleep will be enough to get her by a few days. 

It feels like only a few minutes after when you jerk awake. Still in the clutches of sleep, you frown, wondering what is wrong. You can feel something is; otherwise you wouldn’t have woken. 

You turn on your side and notice the space next to you is empty. Your eyes open. Had someone entered and taken the Queen? You would have thought it impossible once, considering the Red Keep the safest place on earth. But after the death of Prince Jaehaerys…. 

You sit up and find her on the rocking chair, eyes bright as those of a cat. Her gaze is vacant and she doesn’t reply when you call for her. Alarmed, you shake her shoulder. Has the Milk of the Poppy poisoned her somehow? By the Seven, what had you done?

“There is a beast… Oh. It’s you.” The Queen says, after a few minutes of you frantically trying to get her attention. Her voice is rough, as if waking from a deep sleep. Her hands cradle your face, as if committing your features to memory. “It’s you.” 

You do not sleep after that. Neither does she.  For some reason, you do not feel tiredness. You are glad to be awake. Queen Helaena’s eyes are all pupils, and she doesn’t look tired either. You need to keep an eye on her. 

So you do. The both of you pace the room, sit on the bed, alternate places on the rocking chair. Neither of you sleep. 

It is then you realize. There is something wrong with the bed. 

The third night, the two of you ask the Maester for a concoction to help you sleep. A herbal tincture is delivered to Helaena’s rooms, and both of you each drink a cup.

Nothing happens at first. The two of you sit, side by side, on the bed. As you wait for sleep to come, tucked under the blankets like overly excited children, the Queen turns to look at you. 

Her eyes are wide and unnerving. Tonight, her pupils are normal, and she smells of herbs. You find yourself feeling impossibly shy, her gaze too lucid, too attentive. It feels as if she sees you to your very soul. 

“My name is Helaena.” She offers you, after a while. “I would like to use yours, if you allow it too.” 

“Of course.” You mutter, softly. And as you look away from her, the strangest thing happens. You see yourself, sitting on the floor and playing with a silver haired boy. You sit up. 

The image of yourself ripples. You are now laid on the carpet, and the Queen… Helaena cradles your head on her lap. 

You see your mother, sitting on the rocking chair. There is the Queen dowager, kissing Ser Criston. 

“What in the Seven..?” 

“So you see it too, tonight.” Helaena says, voice dreamy. Her hands come to your shoulders, pressing you back down on the bed. “It is like this for me. Always.” 

“What is happening?” You start to panic. You can tell the images around you aren’t real, but more like ghosts. It frightens you. Are they dead? But you just saw yourself. It can’t be that. “What is this?” 

“Dreams. Futures. Some of them. Some shall never pass.” You get a glimpse of yourself again, cradling the boy. The Prince, you realize. Prince Jaehaerys. “They are my dreams, and yours too.” 

“Oh.” Despite your frustration at not being able to sleep, you find them beautiful. You watch the little princess chase the boy, both playing with a ball. It's peaceful. 

The two of you spend the night awake, surrounded by children’s laughter. And if you drift a little closer, no one’s the wiser.

It all seems so peaceful, it doesn’t occur to you of what consequences it might bring. You do not feel your creeping exhaustion, but you begin to look it. There are dark circles under your eyes, your cheeks grow more gaunt. 

As you are having breakfast with the Queen dowager and the Queen, it occurs to you that you do not want to eat plain toast. You wish to ask one of them to pass you the small, yellow cube that is laying on top of a plate. Much to your horror, you cannot recall the word for it. 

“Could you please pass me the..?” And you point because you cannot name it. It’s yellow, and you use it to spread over the toast, but you do not know its name. 

“The…?” The Queen dowager asks. 

“The…” You point to it. You spread it over the toast with a knife, you wish to say, but you can’t remember the word. It begins to upset you. A sudden urge to cry out of frustration hits you, making your eyes water. 

“Oh, not you too.” The Queen dowager says, annoyed, as Helaena passes you the plate containing it. “What are the two of you doing? Playing a game?” 

“What do you mean, my Queen?” You frown. What is she referring to? 

“Helaena and you. Is that what you do at night, plan the tricks you will play on us?” 

Her statement only serves to confuse you further. You frown. 

“You should stop it. If you must, do it during the day, you both look too gaunt for my liking. Honestly, pretending not to know words…” 

“Helaena…” The Queen dowager sends you a withering look, so you correct yourself. “The Queen is forgetting words too?” 

“Honestly! I have had it with you two, girls. We are at war.” The Queen slams her hands on the table. “It is not the time to be playing tricks.” 

She leaves the room, huffing. It is only when she is out of earshot that Helaena speaks: 

“I have been missing words too. I think it’s from the lack of sleep.” 

“Gods.” You say, cradling your head between your hands. You really need to sleep. 

Helaena hums. The two of you start placing small notes on the objects in her room that very night. 

“This is the hairbrush.” You read the next morning, flabbergasted. “It serves to brush your hair. Comb it through.” 

“Pass it to me.” Helaena replies, taking it from you. “I think it is done like this.” 

She passes it through your hair. You wonder how you could forget such a heavenly feeling. 

The next and last night is nowhere near as heavenly. Helaena and you hug on the bed, terrified out of your minds. You had tried drinking another herbal concoction. Tonight, Helaena’s dreams weren’t so pleasant. 

There were two dragons, one large and dark-colored, and a red one. They were shrieking at each other, and roaring. Spitting out flames. And the two of you could only watch as they set ablaze the room. 

“Enough! Enough!” You suddenly jump up, and begin to try to drag a terrified Helaena out of her room. You manage to do so, and you lead her to your room. Both of you settle on the bed, cheeks still wet with tears. 

You fall asleep still holding hands. 

The next morning, a maid comes and changes the sheets on Helaena’s room. As she shakes the pillows and the mattress, a single pea rolls to the floor and hides underneath the dresser.

[thebramblewood]

A lady vampire may be forced to spend half her day cooped up inside a dark coffin, but that doesn't mean she shouldn't always look her best. After all, you never know when an unexpected snack guest might arrive. And if you see a spot or two of blood... well, that's quite frankly none of your business!

CC linked below the cut!

Look 1: top + bottom + accessory bra / slippers / nails / towel (Spa Day)

Look 2: top + bottom / accessory robe / earrings / hair

Look 3: outfit (Simtimates) / blood 1 2 3 / hair

Look 4: outfit / accessory robe / hair

Look 5: outfit (Vintage Glamour)

Look 6: top / bottom / accessory robe / eye mask

Look 7: top + bottom

Look 8: outfit / hair

Look 9: outfit / hair

[the-phoenix-heart]

okay so I've been spending a lot of time thinking about Harry Potter recently and trolling the wiki for reasons and I have the weirdest observation about the series.

What is JKR's deal with Ravenclaw women?

I mean consider our main Ravenclaw girls: Luna Lovegood and Cho Chang (and Marietta Edgecombe). Luna in the movies is portrayed as whimsically queer, and that's not inaccurate to the books, but in the books she is more often a punchline than anything. She's a parody of the Ravenclaw ideals of creativity and openminded-ness to the point where she believes crazy conspiracy theories.

But she's our most positively portrayed Ravenclaw. Which is more than I can say for Cho and Marietta. Cho is portrayed as a pitiable character, someone so emotional and loyal that she is sympathetic, but the narrative portrays her overemotional nature and loyalty as bad traits. She's so emotional she'll blow up over perceived threats, and dwells on trauma, and it makes her a drag to talk to. And her loyalty is a bad thing because she chooses to be loyal to Marietta. Marietta is ESPECIALLY treated awfully. Marietta is scared for her mother's job that she rats out the DA and for her choice she is forever branded a traitor at 16, and this is completely justifiable. Like, if Hermione can jinx a paper to disfigure a person's face than couldn't she just jinx the paper to make it physically impossible to reveal the DA, except perhaps under the influence of veritaserum? Like the film did? But no, Hermione is instead more preoccupied with punishing than preventing (an insane thing for me to say, I'm sorry Hermione it's not your fault that your author is kinda insane about women).

(And just as a sidebar but Marietta is also given an illustration that makes it clear she was kinda ugly before the pimples which is so rude, but also so like JKR.)

Then you have very minor characters like Padma who are just generally portrayed as kinda bitchy. Padma gets off better than her sister in terms of being treated as bitchy, but it seems like Padma always carries the stigma of being disappointed by Ron at the Yule Ball.

But this goes back even FURTHER, to the oldest Ravenclaw student we are introduced to, Helena Ravenclaw.

In the films, again, Helena's scene with Harry is haunting. She's treated with respect and tragedy (almost all of the dialogue in the film is original). But in the books, yes we actually get her tragic backstory, but she is portrayed as haughty, vain, and prideful.

You can also add in Trelawney there as a Ravenclaw who is treated like a joke (crazy* and alcoholic).

And consider that the two women we know were almost in Ravenclaw, Hermione and McGonagall, end up going to Gryffindor and are portrayed as better off for it.

And like there is more to explore here. The four Ravenclaw men we really get to know are Filius, Ollivander, Xenophilius, and Lockhart. Xenpohilius is a conspiracy theorist (and a death eater sympathizer I just know it) and Lockhart is a buffoon who only really upholds the Ravenclaw wit and is skilled at memory charms.

(There's this crazy part of the Ravenclaw wiki page that actually compares Lockhart to Cho Chang because they both wanted to be popular. WHAT.)

Meanwhile you have Ollivander who is a positive Ravenclaw character, but is also barely in the books and Filius Flitwick. And Filius is a positive character but it is also canon that the Sorting Hat almost put him in Gryffindor, which seems like a pointed attempt to make it clear he's better than most Ravenclaws. Because he's got something of a Gryffindor edge to him.

I don't really know what the whole point of me going on this rant was about, other than just to point out that JKR is weird about Ravenclaws and the women in general. Almost all of them aren't allowed to actually uphold the actual values of their house: Wisdom, Intelligence, Learning. The only traits they ever really uphold is Wit if they are popular and Creativity, which seems to be a nice way of saying they're crazy conspiracy theorists. The only characters that really get anything good out of the house are Minerva and Hermione, and them being hatstalls is only meant to emphasize their intelligence in comparison to their Gryffindor peers. Otherwise Ravenclaw seems to just be JKR's go to bitchy/we need a villain who isn't Slytherin house.

*When I say "crazy" in this post I am referring to how JKR treats the characters. Babbling, loony, conspiratorial, and not in their right minds.

[bastart13]

This is not how anyone designs visual novel sprites, but I always have to make sure they're height-proportionate because I get freaked out when characters are described differently to their sprites

(also I may or may not be recreating Love & Legends)

[writer-jamie]

| Aphrodite's Spell | Chapter One |

Summary: Aegon was the definition of fuckboy. He didn't care about people's feelings, fucked with no strings attached and used whoever he wanted. He never got attached. Never made friends. That was until he met you online. You didn't know him, nor his family. You were an innocent his family and their legacy tainted. Someone new. Something new.

Warnings: Talks of alcohol and drugs, some slight smut, angst.

Author's note: Welcome to chapter 1. This is basically story set up rather than much of the drama/slow burn. Aegon is troubled and I wanted to set up this part of the story before introducing the reader properly and the romance.

Taglist: @neithriddle @sab-falco @prp-butterf1y

Click here to be added to the tag list!

Divider: @fairytopea

He promised he would be good.

That was five hours ago. He now sat in the holding cell next to familiar faces and the same cops as every week. Drunks, addicts, underage drinkers, random men who never had a criminal record but got cocky with a bouncer and got arrested.

He promised he would be good.

But when did anyone really believe his promises?

"Targaryen. Your sister is here." Derrick shouted from across the cell, opening the door a crack to allow the blonde outside. He stood up with a bounce and walked past the other sorry looking idiots who managed to land themselves here on a Sunday evening. "Same time next week?" Derrick chuckled, passing Aegon his belongings, including his keys, phone and a dragon keyring he kept on his belt for good luck. "Most definitely, wouldn't miss it." Aegon remarked with smirk. He walked towards the front desk, pushing his blonde locks out of his face. Helena stood there with a less than pleased expression on her face.

"One Sunday night, Egg. That's all I ask." She started, slapped him around the head. "One Sunday i'll be able to relax and not have to be bailing you out of jail." She huffed, opening the front door to the station. "Maybe even one day you'll grow up?" She suggested with a slight smile. Aegon rolled his eyes, unsure of what lecture was awaiting him in the morning once news of his arrest made it's way to his mother. He was the disappointment of the family so he was just doing his job really. It made everyone else look good. "Maybe.." He said with a sigh and got into the passenger side of Helena's car. He had sobered up enough to not throw up in her car but still felt the buzz of the nights drinks and drugs. He emptied the plastic bag of hid belongings into his lap, replacing all the jewellery he was told to remove.

His phone started to buzz in his pocket seeing multiple texts from Aemond and his mother.

"Aemond was worried about you." Helena started, causing Aegon to chuckle under his breath. "Seriously Egg, he's never seen you that bad. Not since Dad died." Aegon released his breath, not even realising he was holding it. Dad. God he would be so dissapointed in him. "What's going on?" His sister continued, placing a caring hand on his arm.

"I'm fine Hel, just took shit too far...again." He replied, putting his hand on top of Helena's, reassuring his younger sister that all was well. They spent the rest of the car ride in silence, Aegon leaned back into his seat, watching the lights from the lamp posts whiz past as Helena drove her normal route back to his apartment. Not even fifteen minutes since she picked him up, she dropped him off again.

His apartment was cold when he opened the door. The winters in Kings Landing weren't as cold as in the North but they could be nippy. Aegon didn't bother turning on the lights, just went straight to his liquor cabinet and opened a bottle of whiskey. He started to drink it, enjoying the burning sensation as it went down his throat. Not bothering to close the blinds, or curtains, he collapsed into his bed, whiskey in hand.

"Why is it so hard for you to blah blah blah blah." Aegon pushed his hair out of his face as he lifted his head up off the table, unable to listen to his mother and grandfather's moaning anymore. "Am I done here? I have things to do." He pushed his chair away from the glass table and stood up. "Like what? Nurse a hangover? Or get so drunk you aren't hungover anymore?" His brother joked, raising his eyebrows at his older brother.

"Aemond, not all of us are prudes and can't handle our drink." Aegon crossed his arms before turning to face his mother. "Mother. I will see you tomorrow for dinner." He didn't bother saying goodbye to his grandfather or brother. They were cunts. As much as he disliked his mother, he had the decency to say goodbye to her.

He closed the office door behind himself, leaning against the door to steady himself. He could hear talking from behind the door. Most definitely him being slagged off. But he didn't really care. Aegon stood up straight and walked towards the elevator, pressing the button to the ground floor. "Bye Maria. See you later." He waved to the older receptionist who was bust typing away on her computer. She put a hand up to say goodbye to the young man before the elevator dinged and Aegon left the dragons pit.

Once Aegon stepped outside, the weight from his shoulders was suddenly lifted. He was back in his own head, rather than the Targaryen head. He walked over to his car and hoped into the drivers seat, watching in the rear view mirror as the paparazzi began circling his car like flies around a dead body. He took a deep breath before setting off home.

Aegon returned home, stopping only at a drive thru coffee shop to get his normal order as well as a hangover cure. He opened his door before walking straight into his bedroom and shutting the door behind him. Knocking the empty whiskey bottle onto the floor, he sat on his bed with his coffee and opened his laptop.

Opening his an online chat room he frequented he began to message his 'friends'. A few were online, many weren't as it was a Monday afternoon and many actually had to work for a living. He scrolled through the blog board, looking for anything interesting before he would crawl under his sheets and sleep off the horrible hangover.

Something caught his eye.

Y/N: Can a blonde bitch please come into my life and fuck it up? I'm bored of working and sleeping. I need a man to come and fuck me like a hound. Is that so much to ask?

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