#i just don’t like Aly so it’s hard for me to love the books she’s in

[apothe-roses]

I Wanna Ride

modern Aemond Targaryen x reader

Part 1

Summary: After finally getting your hands on a ‘dragon’, you find yourself needing help with repairs. Enter hot yet rude mechanic Aemond Targaryen

Fic contains: swearing, Aemond beings prick, I think that’s it?

A/N: I’ve been sitting on this fic for weeks and am finally ready to post it. I tried to use the right terminology, but I know fuck-all about biker culture so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Hope you enjoy!

“No fucking way.”

Alysanne Blackwood turns and looks at you, mouth agape. “You actually got one.” You smile back at her, practically vibrating with excitement.

“I know. I didn’t fully believe it myself til I saw her in person.” The ‘her’ in question was a beat-up white motorcycle that was currently sitting in your workshop, but this wasn’t just any old bike. No. This was a dragon. The top of the line. Even non-bikers knew a thing or two about dragons. Made by Targaryen Corp., these beauties were prized for their powerful engines, speed, and endurance. The model you picked up was a Meraxes—one of the earlier models that has since been retired.

“I never thought you’d actually pluck up the nerve to buy a bike for yourself. Much less a dragon.”

“You know I’ve always wanted to learn to ride,” you tell her.

“Yeah, but you never acted on that. Well, ‘til now,” Aly quips.

“I already know more than enough about bikes,” you assert.

“Fixing a dragon and riding one are two completely different things.”

“Doesn’t mean I can’t do both.”

“We’ll see,” Aly laughs. You smile back, shoving her playfully.

That had been six months ago. You were so close to being ready, but you'd hit a roadblock in her repairs. No matter what, you just couldn't get the transmission to run the way you wanted it to.

"If you stare at that engine for much longer, it's gonna burst into flames," Alysanne muses. You look over your shoulder and shoot her a glare. She only giggles at you, hopping off the workbench she was sitting on.

"You know, there's nothing wrong with needing help every once in a while," she says.

“I know,” you sigh back. “It’s just…”

“Too stubborn to admit defeat?” she teases.

“No!” you answer back a little too quickly.

“Maybe,” you mutter, turning your gaze towards the floor. “It’s also the money.” Mechanics who worked on older bikes were hard to come by in your area, and the ones that were in the area charged an arm and a leg for their services.

"Listen, I know just the place for you to go. There’s this one place Cregan loves to frequent. He swears up and down they're the best in town. I’ve met the owners several times, and they’re trustworthy. One of them even specializes in older bikes like this gal right here," she pats one of Meraxes's handlebars. That piques your interest. You knew Aly’s boyfriend was a man of his work, so this place must be good if he says so.

“And will this specialist leave me up to my ears in debt?”

“They’re pretty far when it comes to prices for service. Plus, you can always come to me if you’re short a few bucks,” Aly replies, going to grab her phone. You grimace at the thought. You love Aly and appreciate her generosity, but you don’t like the idea of inconveniencing herself to help you (even if she comes from a rich family). Aly walked back over to you, phone in hand.

“Do you want your bike fixed, or are you gonna stay stuck at a dead end for who knows how long?”

You look at her phone, open to the Contacts app, then back at your bike. You let out a sigh.

“What’s the name?”

That's how you found yourself pulling up to Green Auto Shop in the passenger seat of Aly’s pickup truck, your precious Meraxes securely tied down in the back. It was a rather unassuming garage located not far from Blackwater Bay. Alysanne looks over at you from the driver’s seat. "Don't judge a book by its cover," she says, undoing her seatbelt and opening her door.

You scramble to follow her as she walks confidently into one of the garages. You see a pair of legs sticking out from beneath an old car. Music blares in the background mixed with the sound of metal on metal.

"Egg," Aly shouts over the ruckus. "You've got company." The man working under the car slides out, giving Aly a bright smile. You can't help but gape as Aegon fucking Targaryen walks over to greet the two of you. You've heard and seen a lot about the eldest son of Viserys Targaryen. He has quite the reputation for drinking and partying, but the Sunfyre—a model he masterminded—is one of the company's most popular. In all the photos you've seen of him, he always looked sullen and hungover, a far cry from the relaxed and cheerful man before you.

"Aye, it's Cregan's girl, "he greets, wiping his hands off on a dirty rag. His gaze shifts to you, giving a quick once-over. “And who is this?” He asks flirtatiously while sauntering over to you. “Hi, I’m Aegon,” he holds a mostly clean hand out.

“She’s my friend,” Alysanne replies, pushing her way between the two of you. “And she’s here to see your brother, not you. She’s having trouble with her bike and could really use his help.”

Aegon pouts and puts his hand over his heart. “You don’t trust me, Aly? I’m wounded.” He rubs his hands together, walking out to the pickup. “Now let’s see what my little bro’s got to work with.” Without waiting for permission, he hops into the truck bed and whistles at the bike.

“Never thought I’d see a Meraxes in person again. Aem’s gonna have a field day with this beauty.” Aly grabs his pant leg and gives it a tug. “Off,” she orders. He hops back onto the pavement, his hands raised in mock surrender.

“Where is your cryptid brother? It feels like he’s never here,” Aly asks.

“You just missed him. He went to grab lunch,” Aegon responds. “He’ll be gone a while, but we can talk pricing in the office?” He leads the two of you back into the garage, to a small office off to the side. As you feared, the service would be quite expensive, but Aegon set you up with a payment plan. That put you at ease a bit. You’re also worried about the fact that you haven’t met the person who will actually be working on your bike. You voice your concerns to Aly over burgers that evening.

“Aemond isn’t…the best with people, but what he lacks in people skills he makes up for in his work. Cregan claims he’s a miracle worker after he fixed his Direwolf following a gnarly crash,” Aly reaches across the table and gives your hand a squeeze. “Trust me, your baby’s in good hands.”

About a week later, you borrow Aly’s truck to swing by the garage and check on your bike. One of the doors was up, but Aegon was nowhere to be found. You wondered if he left the garage open by mistake, but you could hear noises coming from in the garage.

You tentatively walk to the entrance and peek inside. Your Meraxes was propped in the bay where you’d left it. Someone was kneeling in front of it, clearly at work. His back was turned, so all you could see was his back and the long, silver hair pulled into a bun at the nape of his neck.

So this must be the elusive Aemond. You knew significantly less about him than you did his other siblings. Him attending public events was rare, and taking photos at said events was rarer.

Cryptid indeed.

You take a tentative step into the garage. He doesn’t notice you approaching, completely engrossed by the bike.

“Um, hello,” you say shyly. He goes rigid, the wrench falling from his grasp. He turns to look at you, and your brain shuts down. You fully expected some kind of Quasimodo-looking guy based on how everyone described Aemond. But this man looked like a Greek statue come to life.

From his nose to his cheekbones to even his lips, he was all sharp angles. One of his eyes was covered by a simple black path. The other was a soft blue, almost periwinkle. The coveralls he’s wearing are unzipped down to his navel, showing the dirty white singlet underneath.

“Can I help you?” He asks briskly, rising to his feet and snapping you out of your daze.

You’re taken aback by his bluntness, a far cry from Aegon’s relaxed demeanor.

“Yeah…I’m here to pick up my bike,” you reply, indicating to the bike behind him.

He gives you a small ‘hmm’ and grabs a rag to wipe his hands. Your gaze is drawn to his long, elegant fingers and the prominent veins that trail down from his arms.

“Your transmission clip was loose,” he explains curtly. “Had to replace it.”

He walks over to the bike, swings a leg over, and starts her up. The engine revs without a problem.

“Crazy how something so small can cause such a large problem,” you say. He once again doesn’t respond, only kills the engine and moves away from the bike. An uncomfortable silence falls between the two of you.

“Sooo…how many of these older bikes do you usually—“

“I need to get back to work. You can talk to Aegon about payment and such. He’s in the back,” Aemond interjects, turning and walking away from you. Your mouth falls open, eyebrows raised.

“O-okay. I was just trying to make conversation,” you mutter.

“Well, I Don’t have time to ‘make conversation.’ I’ve got work to do,” he replies, back turned.

“Apparently, you Don’t have time for manners either,” you snap back.

Aemond turns to you. “Excuse m-“

“Hey! What’s going on?” Aegon rushes in from a back room. He smiles, but his eyes glance nervously between the two of you. “I see you’ve met my brother.” Aemond casts his gaze towards the ground, giving yet another ‘hmm.’

Unfortunately, you want to tell him. Instead you say, “I can give you the first payment now.”

“Awesome! Let’s handle that in the office, shall we?” Aegon asks, ushering you away without waiting for a response. Not that you needed to give one; you were more than eager to get away from Aegon’s rude brother. You pay Aegon, then the two of you head back into the garage. Aemond is nowhere to be found. Busy my ass, you think, trying not to grimace.

Together, you and Aegon load your Meraxes into the bed of the pickup. When you're done, you both lean against the side. Aegon turns his head to look at you.

“Sorry ‘bout Aemond. He’s not…the best with people. But he’s wicked good at what he does. This shop wouldn’t be running without him.”

You don’t say anything, only giving a small nod in response.

“Hey, if you’re free this weekend, there’s a meet going on near Visenya’s hill. You should come. It’ll be fun,” he explains with a small smile.”Ask Aly about it. She should know all the details.”

“Alright,” you tell him. “I’ll be there.”

Next Part

[oosleepyfaeoo]

How could you be so blind? - Part II

Modern!Aemond Targaryen x Blind!Reader

Summary: Aemond sees you as the most beautiful woman in the world but you can't see that. (sorry I suck at summaries.)

Warnings: angst, reader is a female, slow burn, eventual smut

Words: 2k

A/n: English is not my first language. Also, I'm freaking happy like the first part!! Thank you so much for the reblogs and kind comments.

Part one / Part three

“The First Men.” Aemond's voice sounds through the large kitchen. “What is this?” He asks as he pulls his shirt on. 

Alys turns to him with a cup of coffee in her hand. “Oh... I bought you that yesterday. I was out shopping and saw that book.” She says while resting her head on his shoulder, taking a sip of her hot coffee. “Thought that you might like it.” 

Aemond frowns, pondering how she knew that he like historical books. He never shared his interest with her since they weren’t exactly a thing, just fuck buddies. 

“Thanks.” He hums as he goes put away the book to read later. 

Alys wraps her long arms around his waist, resting her head on his back. “I was thinking. Maybe I could go with you to your company party this weekend.” She says with excitement. “You know that your mom will freak out if you go without a date.” 

Aemond pushes her away, scowling down at her. “I already have someone in mind. Sorry.” He walks towards his bedroom, wanting to get ready for his busy day. “Now if you don’t mind, I need to go get ready. I’m gonna have lunch with Helaena.”  

Alys huffs and grabs her purse. “Whatever.” She says as she slams the front door, making Aemond roll his eye.  

Grabbing his phone, he writes a sweet good morning text to you and then hops to his shower. 

//// \\\\ 

“Is everything okay?” Helaena asks, frowning softly.  

Since Aemond arrived at the restaurant, he couldn’t stop checking his phone. Hoping to see a text from you.  

He puts his phone back in his pocket and nods. “Yes...” He takes a bit of his meal and sighs. “It’s just... Y/n hasn’t said a thing since yesterday and you know that we talk every day.”  

Helaena hums. “Yeah. You two are inseparable.”  

Aemond blushes a little at her words but was quick to hide it from Helaena. “Have you talked to her?”  

She shakes her. “No. The last time I was with her was yesterday. She needed my help to choose a book for you-Oh! By the way, did you like it?” She says excitedly, jumping a little on her sit. 

“Book?” Aemond tilts his head to the side, confused by her words but quickly disappears as he started connecting the dots. Thinking about the book that Alys said she “bought” for him. That she-devil! She lied to me! 

“Yeah! She wanted to give you a gift after you spoiled her so much.” Helaena giggles as she takes a sip of her water. “Actually, she said she was gonna pass by your penthouse this morning to give it to you before her classes.”   

Swearing under his breath, Aemond stood up quickly. Throwing enough money to pay for both their food. “I’m sorry Helaena! I need to go.” He says as he walks out of the restaurant, leaving behind a confused Helaena. 

//// \\\\ 

“Are you sure that she hasn’t been here?” Aemond asks one of your classmates.  

After leaving Helaena at the restaurant, he got in his car and drove as quickly as he could to your university. How could he be so stupid?! During the year he knows you, he never felt so happy in his life. You never judged or used him for his wealth or fame. You simply like him for who he is. Something that it's hard for him to find in someone. 

The feelings he had for you were confusing. He never felt this way towards someone, not even towards Alys and he knows her for years. Aemond never was good at talking about his feelings, especially to the person that he might think he was in love with.  

So he buried and tried to use Alys as a distraction which didn’t work since whenever he was in bed with her, he always imagine you lying underneath him, a whimpering and moaning mess, instead of Alys. One time, he almost moaned your name instead of hers.  

Helaena and Aegon always joked about him and you make a cute couple, well Aegon’s jokes weren’t very pleasant but that was something Aemond was used to.  

Aemond always rolled his eye whenever they start talking about you and him, knowing fully well that someone as beautiful and cheerful as you would never end up with a person like him. 

“Huh...yes. She didn’t come to the classes today.” Your classmate says, afraid to anger him even more. “Look, maybe go to her apartment. She might be there.” 

Aemond sighs and nods thanks, walking towards his car. 

//// \\\\ 

A loud yawn escaped from your lips as you rub the sleep away from your eyes. “Alexa, what time it is?”  

“It’s currently 16 am.”  

You hum, sitting up on your bed and grabbing your walking stick and your phone. “Didn’t mean to sleep that long.” You sigh as you walk towards your small kitchen, grabbing a glass of water.  

The morning events are still live in your head. Tears still prickle the corners of your eyes but don’t fall down. You can’t be mad at Aemond. He didn’t do anything wrong since you both aren’t together but still hurts. 

Grabbing your phone, you unmute it and order Alexa to read the messages that you might have. Alexa starts reading the messages, some from your mom asking you when you come home to visit them. Then there was a message from your professor and some classmates. 

Just as you thought it was the last one, Alexa reads a message that made your heart drop.  

“Message from Aem <3 – Good morning, Darling. Hope you had wonderful dreams. See you soon.” 

Your bottom lip trembles as tears tried to break free from your eyes. You took a deep breath and close your eyes, thinking you will not cry again.  

Taking a sit on your comfy sofa, you grab your phone and start looking for a dog trainer. You have been blind since you were little and you were trained to use a cane to see but you always wanted to have a guide dog.  

Your parents couldn’t afford it at the time so you stayed with your walking stick. But now you can get a guide dog, you have been saving money for years and finally have enough money for it.  

Alexa read all the advertisements from several trainers and breeders but a certain one got your attention.  

A breeder of wolfdogs. They breed and train them for a fair price, still very expensive but you had enough for it. You start making a search for this breed, studying carefully so you can be prepared.  

You hum happily when Alexa says that they are extremely large and very protective of their owners, making them a perfect loyal dog. You will feel safer now walking around in the streets.  

Dialing the number from the breeder, you mark an appointment for this weekend.  

Your smile dies a little when you heard a knock at your door. Standing up, walking slowly towards it. “Who is it?”  

The voice that responds to you made your heart beat rapidly. “It’s me... Aemond.”  

There’s a long silence. You stood frozen by the door, afraid to open it.  

“C-Can I come in?” His voice was small and vulnerable.  

You quickly open it and put a fake smile on your lips, trying to act as normal as you can. “Of course! Sorry, I just woke up from a nap so I'm still half asleep.” You say with a chuckle, letting him enter and closing the door. 

You heard him take a sit on the sofa as you go make some tea for both of you.  

“You didn’t go to your classes today.” He says as you give him his cup. 

Sitting beside him, you take a sip of your tea and nod. “Y-Yeah... I was feeling a lil sick.”  

You both stood there in awkward silence. Not knowing what to say. You couldn’t see the guilt on Aemond’s face but you could feel it through his body language. The way he couldn’t stop shaking his leg or how his fingers were tapping loudly on his cup. 

“Y/n... Sorry about-” 

“Did you get the book? I hope you like it!” You cut him off. You know that you should let him explain but right now, you can’t hear the truth. That he’s with a supermodel. 

“Huh... Oh, yes. Thank you for the book. It was very kind of you, Darling.” That nickname always makes you a blushing mess but now you try to ignore it which, unfortunately, Aemond notices. 

“Look, Y/n.” He starts. His hands were sweaty from the anxiety that he was feeling right now. “About this morning-” 

Again, you cut him off. “Oh yes! I met your girlfriend.” You force a smile, trying to pretend that you are happy for him. “She seems really... charming. She’s very lucky to have you.”   

Aemond sighs and rubs his hand on his face. Not knowing what to say to you. Of course, Alys isn’t his girlfriend but at the same time, he doesn’t want you to know that he has a fuck buddy. Afraid of what would you think of him if you knew the truth. 

Grabbing your hand softly, noticing how you jump a little at the contact. “I’ve been wanting to ask you something.”He starts, rubbing softly his thumb on your smooth skin. “This weekend my family company will have a party. I want you to be my date.” He states confidently. 

You know about the party since Helaena told you. And about the dress. Tilting your head to the side, confused by his invite.  

“What about your girlfriend?” You asked. 

He cups your jaw softly in his hand, his thumb dangerously near your lower lip. “Y/n she’s n-” 

“I’m busy this weekend!” You blur out. “I have an appointment with a trainer.”  

Aemond frowns. “A trainer?”  

You nod, turning your head away from his warm touch. “Yes! I finally saved enough money to get a guide dog.”  

“Darling... You know that I could have helped you with that.” He sighs softly. 

You huff and cross your arms in front of your chest. “Aemond I know very well that your help would be a dog fully trained at my door the next day.” You hear him chuckle which made you smile a little. “You know very well that I like to pay for my own things.” 

“Stubborn as ever.” He says with a warm smile. 

You two sat there in silence. Still feeling a strange mood between you two. Grabbing the 2 cups of tea, you stood up and walk to your kitchen, putting the cups in the sink.  

“Well... I need to finish some important paperwork.”You say while fiddling with your fingers.  

Aemond stood up, gets the cue, and walks to you. “Very well, Darling... See you later.” He leans down and kisses your forehead gently. He then leaves you, closing your door softly. 

//// \\\\ 

The weekend arrives quicker than you thought. You and Aemond barely talk since the last time you saw him. He still sends you good morning texts or asks you how was your day, but it’s not the same as it was. 

As you walk out of the bus that you took to meet the trainer, two girls behind gossip about the Targaryen party.  

“Did you see Aemond’s date?” One said. 

“Alys Rivers?! Yeah, I saw it. They make such a sexy couple.” The other response with a high pitch squeak. 

“For real!! I didn’t know that they were dating.” You walk faster, not wanting to hear about Aemond and his girlfriend anymore. This is supposed to be the best day of your life. Finally get a guide dog that will help, protect you, and most importantly, he’s gonna be a companion.  

When you arrive, you ring the bell and wait a little. Feeling a little nervous about the interview. The door opens and a soft, sensual masculine voice sounded before you. 

“Hi! You must be Y/n.” The man takes your small hand on his larger one.

“I’m Cregan Stark. It's nice to meet you.” 

Ehehehe a new love interest? Aemond may have competition >.> Also I need help to choose a name for the new puppy. Feel free to share your ideas!

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[greenqueenhightower]

I really feel the writers are favoring TB so much on the show that it's embarrassing. They are the nland milk toast boring get along family but mostly the fans cheer for... while yhe producers still make the Greens sooo dysfunctional and creepy, except for giving really more characterization to Heleana and Aegon. Aemond's writing fell off hard for me...I don't even recognize him anymore. And when he meets Alys he's gonna get so humiliated and used so much.

Hi there 💚

It’s getting difficult to ignore how biased the showrunners and the writers are against the Greens not because they make them dysfunctional and toxic (I actually love the Greens for that!) but because they change canon events to not take the general audience’s sympathy away from Rhaenyra.

I don’t know, but as a viewer, I find this very annoying. I don’t want to be reminded by the narrative that I’m meant to be rooting for Rhaenyra and no one else just because. Every action of hers and Daemon’s is whitewashed. She doesn’t have motivations and drives of her own that lead to disastrous consequences like the Greens do, because Ryan is afraid or incompetent to write complex female characters.

Having Syrax be the mother of Daenerys’ eggs or saying B&C was written by Alicent and the Greens is stupid and it hurts me as a book reader who actually understands these characters and their motivations. For some reason Rhaenyra needs to be framed as this Messiah who ought to be respected and revered unquestionably and undeniably. Ryan doesn’t allow Rhaenyra space to exist beyond this narrative and that’s not appealing to me. I hope she gets to be a more active and faulty player in the rest of the season.

As far as Aemond’s writing goes, I feel you. Let’s see what the writers do with him in ep 4 and then we can further rant about it. I’m fighting tooth and nail to stay positive in this fandom.

[undertheorangetree]

How to Improve HOTD S2

This is truly just me feeling frustrated with the second season and screaming into the void. Feel free to ignore it I wrote it at 10pm in a hater spiral and probably have some information wrong

1. Shift away from the Alicent vs Rhaenyra thing and highlight Aegon vs Rhaenyra. It would be hard when zero relationship had been established in season 1 but after Jaehaerys’s murder it would have been SOOO easy to shift the focus of Team Green on to Aegon and make him really want to take Nyra down.

2. Speaking of Nyra I’m begging them to give her some agency. Her son was MURDERED. She spent TEN DAYS SEARCHING FOR HIS BODY. She should’ve been ready and raring to go to war at the end of episode one!! She should be doing everything she can to destroy those who took her baby boy from her!! Instead they had her crying about going to war and no one taking her seriously for 5 episodes. Let her be morally grey I’m begging you she is not a saint nor should she be

3. Introduce Ulf and Hugh WHEN they claimed their dragons. No one cares about their lives yet. Regular viewers don’t know who they are. They can talk backstory once you’ve shown why they’re important

4. While we’re introducing characters GIVE US SOME TIME WITH DAERON. Non book readers have no idea who he is. Establishing his place in Oldtown, the fact that he has a dragon, the dichotomy between himself and his brothers all would have been GREAT to see before they started throwing his name around.

5. More screentime for the younger generation! Helaena lost so much of her arc due to them removing her fall into madness (which I’m not mad at btw) but showing her grief would’ve still been nice. Baela is ride or die for house targaryen and that’s about all we’ve seen from her, plz give my girl some agency. Rhaena is angry about being cast aside and that’s got so much meat for character motivations but EVEN THE WRITERS ARE IGNORING HER AND GIVING HER ONE 30 SECOND SCENE EVERY OTHER EPISODE. Jace is also being done dirty, they should be establishing reasons why we should care about him and why he’s such a good heir before the battle of the gullet (which in an ideal world would’ve been where we ended season 2 but).

6. ENOUGH WITH THE HARRENHAL ARC!! The first few scenes were fine but now it’s just repetitive. Daemon wanting to be king in his own right came out of nowhere and will have zero consequences when we all know Nyra is just going to take him back when he’s done pouting. He’s literally just wandering around Harrenhal like a freak. That arc needed 3 episodes at the absolute max to establish the castle and Alys and the river lords and then he should’ve come back. I hate him but they’re wasting his character.

7. Aemond turning into a super villain?? After we established he regretted what he did to Luke?? Trying to take out his own brother for power is fine and I support you if that’s what you want king but maybe give us some more context other than “brother bullies you in front of his friends”?? Maybe my sister was just mean but that’s an average sibling experience as far as I’m concerned. It would have made more sense with the characterization they had already given him if Aemond had been given no choice but to burn Aegon in order to save him and take out Rhaneys and Meleys. The 180 into anime villain felt way too abrupt (like dany going mad sorry)

8. Alicent and Cole………… as much as I fly the Alicent is gay flag it could’ve made sense if they didn’t just immediately beat us over the head with it. We were immediately thrown in the deep end of them having a sexual relationship with zero context other than “everything you feel for me… as your queen” PERHAPS GIVE US SOMETHING MORE. I actually would have loved Alicent reclaiming her sexuality after 20+ years of having to fuck her rotting old husband but they went about it the wrong way.

9. Speaking of Alicent, I feel like they truly do not know what to do with Alicent. They took away every ounce of agency she could have had in order to make her a victim and now they don’t have anything for her to do. They just keep taking everything from her in a way that just shoves her character in a box while also trying to maintain her as one of the main characters?? It’s just all very odd to me

10. In that same vein, I feel like they don’t really know what to do with ANYONE honestly. Game of Thrones also had a big cast following multiple locations but somehow juggling between them all felt much cleaner than it does here. It’s as if they lose track of their characters and forget about them so they throw in a quick 30 second scene to be like “btw they’re still here!!”

11. I need more character interactions. Aegon/Helaena. Daemon with his children. Just people you expect to have some kind of relationship. I don’t think any of those characters have ever actually had a significant interaction with each other which feels absolutely WILD to me but

12. STOP WITH THE TEAMS!!! STOP IT!!! There is no good guy and bad guy here and there shouldn’t be. It’s a monarchy, a whole ass empire that has its roots in an even worse empire. None of the Targaryens are good. They aren’t gods. Rhaenyra has been completely screwed over due to the patriarchy but being a victim doesn’t make you a good person. She’s still sacrificing the country for her birthright. Let her be evil, morally grey, ANYTHING is better than her pushing against common sense in order to seem like a good guy. Aegon and co as well shouldn’t be portrayed entirely of super villains and victims. They’ve also done a shitty thing but at the very least give us some nuance no one is entirely good or bad.

13. This is nitpicky so it’s at the end but it’s called house of the DRAGON. I wanna see more rider/dragon interaction. I shouldn’t be introduced to a dragon the same episode it’s maimed (Sunfyre). You shouldn’t be telling me one of the main characters has a dragon when we haven’t so much as heard her speak about it (Dreamfyre). If a bond is so important between a dragon and it’s rider I want to see that bond

• IN THAY SAME VEIN why was vermithor letting nyra and daemon get all up in his grill?? They’re bonded dragonriders they’ve got their bestie, he doesn’t. Shouldn’t he have lit them up for that?? What makes them so special?? He’s barbecuing Targaryen bastards left and right but these two get a pass?? Why??

And now for some general overall complaints🫶🏼

1. Fix your pacing I’m begging you. They could have made 8 episodes work if they had let us move through the plots faster but instead there’s so much dead air. After Jaehaerys was killed we should’ve been FLYING through plot points. Two child murders are enough to declare a war started, but we still hadn’t seen any battle until episode 4 and then it stalled out again. Harrenhal doesn’t need this much screentime. You don’t need to hint at Rhaena claiming Sheepstealer for 3+ episodes. We don’t need to hum and ha about going to war for 4 episodes. There should be fewer long shots of the actors faces simply reacting and more SPEAKING. More PLOT. MORE OF ANYTHING TO MOVE THE STORY FORWARD

2. Stop repeating information. Characters constantly beat you over the head with the same information over and over again. One character will tell a person something then a second character tells that same person almost the exact same thing an episode later it’s like no one proofread the script.

3. Why are you having your actors use giant words in order to sound more period accurate?? You don’t need to repeat lickspittle every five seconds. You don’t need to use gainsay or comportment. I promise your audience knows it’s a medieval setting, put the thesaurus down you sound like an idiot

4. It’s almost totally inaccessible for non book readers. I watch with my mom and sister, neither of whom have done any research about ASOIAF but have seen GOT, and I’m constantly explaining shit to them. The showrunners rely too much on people having read them that they don’t explain anything. I know Helaena has a dragon, but they don’t because NO ONE HAS MENTIONED IT BEFORE!! BY THE SECOND SEASON!!

5. This is just a me thing but I would’ve LOVED more regional costuming. We got a hint of it with Sabitha Frey wearing a headpiece when treating with Jace and I love the idea of each region having their own specific fashion trends. The costumes are fine, some are even great, but most are lacklustre and feel too fantasy to me. I’m a history girly I want to see more hoods and headpieces and different shapes in the dresses etc etc.

Despite all this there are still some great scenes!! Aspects of this season were awesome and I think the first two episodes in particular were really strong, there is just so much lost potential this season and it has been really disappointing. I’m still gonna be sat for the finale this week but I hope that they really up their game in season three

[amber-laughs]

I’d love to know ur opinion on Jon’s ships (Jon&Ygritte, Jon&Satin, Jon&Sansa, Jon&Daenerys, Jon&val and so on). I personally like Jonerys but I also find a lot of Jon ships a bit ridiculous lmao

i like Jon and Dany in a very abstract way but it’s hard for me to really get behind them because they haven’t interacted yet if that makes sense. they’re obviously gonna have the largest part to play together in coming books where i think they’ll end up being one of my favorite ships of the series tho

Jon/Satin 10/10 i personally prefer to think of it as Jon being so fucking lonely in his command that he can’t help but take advantage of satin’s position. like when Jon said in adwd he craves company not food hmm i’m lonely and horny and here’s this handsome guy devoted enough to change religions for me and (in amber-laugh’s eyes) is attracted to me so yeah let’s give this a go and then feelings of affection develop from there but it starts out as just a means to an end

Jon/Val my personal favorite of canon possible endings i agree with people who say this is more idealized in Jon’s eyes than it should be but i think that’s part of the fun. she represents something to him that he’ll not only never have but may not even want when it comes down to it. i think that fantasy is part of the fun. if she survives and he does end up going beyond the wall in the end than they’re ending up together in my eyes. she brings out a boyish side of him we haven’t seen in a long time and it comes from a different place than what Ygritte brought out in him that seems to sit easier on his soul. also i could’ve sworn the first time i looked them up on tumblr someone was calling them JonValJon as a Les Mis reference but ive never seen it since so can we start that?

Jon/Ygritte loved it for the storyline it brought and the character development we got to see through it. i’m glad she died so they couldn’t end up together because like i said even tho he loved her she obviously never sat right with his spirit and on a personal level her “fuck me or die” stance never sat right with my spirit either. and she kicked ghost out “find somewhere else for ghost to sleep tonight” NOT ON MY WATCH! ghost’s evil stepmother ik he smiled when she got shot. on a serious note tho he seems to love her far more after she died than he ever did when she was alive and i wonder if that’s something we’ll get in to if he falls in love again in the series

i like Jon/Sansa in a non canon fictional sense. some of the AUs are cute and fun. i don’t see any plot where they actually end up together but i do think there’s a lot of familial angst and self esteem issues that could be worked in to their fanon that’s a lot of fun and their fans have some really talented authors that do it well

and you didn’t ask for this but Jon/Alys Karstark is one of my favorites and i really hope we see her again when he travels back to winterfell. Alys resents the Starks for getting her family killed while Jon resents the Karstarks for leaving Robb to die surrounded by enemies but they’ve found childhood comfort together at the edge of the world. she trusts him in a way she clearly couldn’t trust anyone else in westeros and i think she’ll easily follow him when it’s time for him to lead. and them flirting at her wedding to another man? i mean COME ON!

[6rookie-writer0110]

It's not all over

Alison DiLaurentis x Male Reader

Request: Can you do Allison from PLL x Male Reader?

When Alison came back to Rosewood, everyone was in shock. Everyone thought she was dead now there rumors going around about what happened to her. Before she disappeared, you were her boyfriend. Everyone asked you questions about what happened and where she had been hiding. You didn't have answers but no one believed you but you just ignore them.

“So, how do you feel about her being back?” Spencer asked.

“Feels unreal. Everyone thinks I had something to do with why she disappeared” You said.

“Oh, we are in the same boat. Do you still get texts from A?” Spencer said.

“I haven't in a while,” You said.

“Me too. I see you later, Y/n” Spencer said.

You put your books away in your locker. Alison noticed you, she wanted to say something to you but she walked away. She still has feelings for you but she isn't sure what to say.

“What’s wrong, Ali?” Emily asked.

“I still have feelings for Y/n but I'm not sure if he feels the same way,” Alison said.

“Did you talk to him? He has been on dates with other people but nothing serious like what you two had” Spencer said.

“It was rough for him and us. But Spencer is right, just talk to him” Hanna said.

“You have to try, Ali” Emily said.

“I will try” Alison sighed.

All day, she tried to talk with you but couldn't. You and Alison didn't say a word to each other.

✫ ✫ ✫ ✯

Alison and her friends went to a party. At first, Ali did have some fun but Noel ruined the mood. She did start drinking once she got to the party, and she got drunk. You didn't go to the party but she called you.

“Y/n, where are you?” Alison asked.

“Are you drunk?” You asked.

“You are drunk” Alison giggled.

“Yeah, you are drunk. I'm going to pick you up” You said.

You got dressed and went to the party. It wasn't hard to find her and you take her to your house. You put your arm around her waist to take her upstairs then she touches your cheek.

“Don’t tell, Y/n but I'm still in love with him” Alison said.

You didn't know what to say.

“Watch your step, Ali,” You said.

You take her to your bedroom and gently lay her on the bed. You take off her shoes and she is smiling at you. She mumbled something but you didn't understand what she said. But she grabbed your shirt and you don't move.

“Please, stay I don't want to be alone,” Alison said.

“Okay, I will stay,” You said.

You lay next to her and put your arm around her body. She moved closer to you and she lay her forehead on your chest, then you gently touch her hair.

---

The next day, Alison woke up first and she has a hangover. She noticed that you are next to her but she doesn't remember what happened last night. A few seconds later, you start to wake up and you sat up.

“Hey,” You said.

“What happened last night?” Alison asked.

“You called me drunk last night and I went to pick you up. And we just cuddle in bed and nothing else” You said.

“I have a hangover and I don't remember calling you. I didn't mean to bother you” Alison said.

“I know. But we need to talk. You are different and a lot has happened” You said.

“I'm sorry. I had to do it. Y/n, I thought about you every day and I missed you so much. I know you won't feel the same way, but I had to tell you how I feel” Alison said.

“After you left I kept to myself for a while. Then I got close to your friends and we would spend time together and stuff. I did go on a few dates but I kept comparing them to you. I know what you said is the truth, you don't express yourself unless you want something in return” You said.

“Do you want to be my boyfriend, again? We can take it slow” Alison said.

“Yeah, I want to be your boyfriend again,” You said.

She smiled then she went to the bathroom. Later, you take her somewhere to eat and she is happy being with you. While waiting for the food, she put her hand on top of your hand. You and Alison get up and then leaned toward each other and she kissed you on the lips. You and Alison start to smile at each other.

Later, you and Alison went to see a movie but ended up kissing each other. She caresses your cheek then you start to kiss her again.

[presidenthades]

⚠️HOtD season 2 ep. 4 spoilers⚠️

Your thoughts on this ep🎤?!

Adding my two cents: SUNFYRE AND AEGON WERE SO CUTE, but wtf was that fight🧍🤨 Aemond bbg wtf?? Anyhow, cuties:

TLDR: I’m not even mad anymore, I’m just disappointed (by the writing, per usual; the rest of the show is fine). I’m mostly still on the S2 boat because of the little moments like Sunny and Egg. It makes for great fanfic fuel!

Honestly, this was Criston’s best episode of the entire season so far. Getting him away from Alicent and putting him on the battlefield showcases his better qualities. Also, I love his interactions with Gwayne, it gives me life. Would totally watch a spinoff series where the two of them go on side quests.

I feel like the Harrenhal scenes aren’t super important narratively and the screentime could’ve been devoted to other characters. HOWEVER. The Harrenhal bits are just so fun to watch that I can’t really complain. TBH, it feels like Daemon is getting the best writing (in terms of character arc and narrative coherence) of all the main cast. But uh…one does wonder why he drinks a random-ass potion from a witch lady who just told him he’s gonna die at Harrenhal. (Speaking of whom, I am greatly enjoying Alys Rivers. I’m glad they haven’t made her a femme fatale. She’s just weird. Joff would love her.)

Opinion: they got rid of Kermit Tully and made Oscar the heir because the show wants to minimize Muppet memes. Very sad. 😔

If you’re following my blog, then you know I’m an Aegon fan, so I acknowledge I’m probably biased. But all of the Greens are just shitting on Aegon this episode, holy cow. I totally understand Aemond being snotty and excluding Aegon from schemes; even in the most generous interpretation of their brotherly relationship, they’re often at odds and Aemond looks down on Aegon. But Cole is the Hand of the King, not the Hand of Aemond. Even if Cole is on the front lines, he should be including Aegon.

Alicent has just completely lost the sympathetic traits she possessed in S1. I’ve never thought of her as an especially good mother, but she did love her children—definitely Aemond and Helaena, and there were the “do you love me” and standing between Aegon and the dragon scenes. She also seems to have forgotten that she was one of the people yelling at Aegon to step up and take the crown, and now she wants to hit the reverse button. 🙄 S2 Alicent is not the same character as S1 Alicent, and even S1 Alicent varied from episode to episode. For fic purposes, I’m just completely ignoring what the show writers are doing with her because it makes no sense.

I think TGC would’ve killed a scene where he gets to speak more fluent High Valyrian, but it makes sense that Aegon isn’t good at speaking it. Aegon has never been the scholarly sort, and High Valyrian (if you’ve been trying it on duolingo like me) is not an intuitive language for English-only speakers. I do think Aegon should’ve learned more dragon commands at least, but apparently Sunfyre decided to be the world’s first bilingual dragon and learn common tongue for Aegon’s sake. :3 At this point I’m convinced that Sunfyre is the only living creature who actually unconditionally loves Aegon. No wonder Aegon is messed up.

Back in Driftmark: we finally get confirmation of who the Hull boys are! Not explicitly, but it’s hard to deny that they’re Corlys’s kids like in the book. I kinda wish we got more scenes with Rhaenys talking about/interacting with them though. She seems to have had complicated feelings about the boys.

Visually, the battle was amazing to watch. Some of the best shots I’ve seen during the entire show. But, as I often complain about, the characters’ actions don’t make sense. If you’ve been on social media, then you’re probably aware that Aemond attacking Aegon has been very controversial, and for good reason. I cannot comprehend the Aemond stans (I’m an Aemond fan, but I’m very aware that he’s a flawed character who can act stupidly sometimes) who refuse to acknowledge that this was NOT a good move. Vhagar is a formidable dragon but she can’t win a 1 v 4 against Caraxes, Syrax, Vermax, and Moondancer (and those aren’t even all the dragons the Blacks will eventually have). Vhagar could take out some of the other dragons, but she’s definitely dying in a battle like that. So no, this was not a smart or strategic action on Aemond’s part, at all.

It could be explained as an action taken in the heat of the moment, with Aemond overcome by adrenaline and his anger toward Aegon. But we just saw Aemond two episodes ago being sad about killing Luke, against whom he held a grudge for years because of his eye. Aegon is his brother, and their interactions in S1E8 indicated that even if they’re not besties, they do operate on the same wavelength. Aegon was an idiot for making fun of Aemond in S2E3, but that should not have pushed Aemond over the edge to attempted fratricide/regicide.

At least Cole and Sunfyre care about Aegon, since clearly nobody else does. 🥲 *author shoves a Jacaera toward Aegon*

[hysteric-glamour]

Hey, Babe. I WANT IT ALL! - Sylvia Plath's Fig Tree Analogy and my harvest of fruits.

                 The over-consumption of media and the world around makes it hard to bring down the taste of this ordinary life. As a young girl who craves the experiences in movies and books, I can’t bare the hungry feeling for something more exciting in life. I’ve always felt I must pursue greatness, but oh how difficult that has come to be. I have yet to know and even less to find out what I am to become. There are so many things my mind has loved, and I can’t choose just what I want to be. Though I’ve learned to grateful for the things I have, I can’t help but want more. I want more and more and more. MORE!

Recently, people on the internet have gone into discussion about the analogy of the fig tree by Sylvia Plath. Upon hearing about this analogy and the conversation behind it, I have come to see that I am not the only girl, or person, that has been arguing in her mind over who she is, before she even gets to be anybody. In Plath’s famous book “The Bell Jar” she wrote, "I saw my life branching out before me like the green fig tree in the story. From the tip of every branch, like a fat purple fig, a wonderful future beckoned and winked. One fig was a husband and a happy home and children, and another fig was a famous poet and another fig was a brilliant professor, and another fig was Ee Gee, the amazing editor, and another fig was Europe and Africa and South America, and another fig was Constantin and Socrates and Attila and a pack of other lovers with queer names and offbeat professions, and another fig was an Olympic lady crew champion, and beyond and above these figs were many more figs I couldn't quite make out. I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig tree, starving to death, just because I couldn't make up my mind which of the figs I would choose. I wanted each and every one of them, but choosing one meant losing all the rest, and, as I sat there, unable to decide, the figs began to wrinkle and go black, and, one by one, they plopped to the ground at my feet."

Oh, how easily and gracefully Plath put the feeling of an overwhelming and overcomplicated dilemma that occurs within one’s mind. I particularly identify with the part where she states the hunger she feels, and how she starves, because lately I’ve leaned on to sitting and doing nothing, only because I can’t decide what I want to work on, so I work on nothing. How my mind decided that was the best option, I’ll never know. It felt as if somehow the answer would just fall upon me, perhaps as if one of the figs from the fig tree would have fallen off a branch and landed on my hand, fresh, plump, and purple, ready to be eaten. But, like Sylvia wrote, they were only rotting away. Therefore, I have decided to act. I still don’t know which fig to eat, but I will pluck them all from the tree, carry them away in a basket and cut them into pieces, getting a taste of each to see with one may be the best. So now, I am writing. To the world or to whoever may see this. I am starting my blog to expand my options and get a taste of all my harvest.

-Ali McQueen

[mooseyspooky]

Moz Solo was already on it @lovely-lady-fox! FamousWhenDead posted the whole thing:

Johnny Marr: How could Meryl Streep agree to be in Mamma Mia?

The guitarist lets us into his cultural life, from his love of David Hockney to making his friends watch a Joan Didion documentary

My favourite piece of music For a long time now, it’s been My Goal’s Beyond by John McLaughlin. Like his work with the Mahavishnu Orchestra, it is in a genre entirely of its own. It’s unquantifiable and makes me feel a certain way, no matter what happens in the outside world.

The lyric I wish I’d written “You’re going to reap just what you sow”, from Perfect Day by Lou Reed.

The instrument I wish I’d learnt Piano. I can play it, but only in amateurish fashion. I should say though there are guitar players who play the piano nicely like Neil Young, Paul McCartney and David Bowie. They play it as a means to an end and do wonderful things with it. But I would like to be a few levels up from there.

The music that cheers me up Any good pop music, which by definition usually means contemporary. There are things from my past that of course make me feel good. But there’s something about hearing music that’s fresh, upbeat and represents the modern world — it makes you feel that everything is OK.

I’m having a fantasy dinner party, I’ll invite these artists and authors Gary Oldman, Muhammad Ali and certainly Marilyn Monroe.

And I’ll put on this music Spirit Power: The Best of Johnny Marr.

Overrated I don’t tend to like shitting on people, but Mamma Mia!, for God’s sake, or We Will Rock You or any of those sorts of musicals. How did it get to that? We’re supposed to go along with the idea that they’re good. What was Meryl Streep thinking she was doing starring in that film, and Julie Walters? What were they thinking? There are a lot of things culturally that we’ve just gone along with and they really must stop.

Underrated

Blindboy Boatclub, the artist and musician from Limerick, is best known as one half of the Irish comedy hip-hop group the Rubberbandits. He’s amazing, has such an interesting way of thinking and also hosts the brilliant series The Blindboy Podcast too. One of the best books I have ever read is his Topographia Hibernica. I can’t recommend him or it enough.

My favourite author

Aldous Huxley. People would assume I’m thinking about Brave New World orThe Doors of Perception, but I’m actually referring to his work after he moved to the United States in the second half of his life. His essays and lectures are even better than his earlier work. I rediscovered him in the Nineties and he is my actual hero. Everything you read of his is an education.

The book I’m reading

Autobiography of Red by Anne Carson. It’s a trip, moving around from style to style. The novel is loosely based on Greek mythology, but set in modern times. It’s relatable and super interesting. PJ Harvey introduced me to Carson, an intriguing cross between an essayist and a poet.

The book I couldn’t finish

The Perennial Philosophy by Aldous Huxley. Just couldn’t do it.

The book I’m ashamed I haven’t read Ulysses by James Joyce. It just sounds so hard going. I love the idea of it and feel genuinely bad that I haven’t read it, but I do also feel like I know so much about it already. I admire it enough, without feeling the need to put myself through the hassle of reading it.

My favourite film Sergio Leone’s film Once Upon a Time in America. When it was first released, I went to see it a few times and decided then it was the best thing I’d ever seen. I recently saw The End We Start From, starring Jodie Comer. It’s so good. Amazingly, I came away from it with this feeling of triumph of the human spirit. It says a lot about what it means to be human and what we fundamentally need, which is compassion, connection, love and understanding. And Comer is just so believable in the role.

The box set I’m hooked on I’m rewatching Nurse Jackie. There’s so much good stuff out there that whenever I occasionally revisit old, great stuff, you forget how much it stands up. I like anything Edie Falco is in. I also have just rewatched the documentary Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold. I’ve watched it at least three times and whenever someone comes to my place that hasn’t watched it, I watch it with them.

My favourite TV series It has to be Mad Men. One of my friends is eagle-eyed and noticed that when they put an album on a turntable, it has the correct label from the Sixties. That’s crazy.

The film I walked out on

There are loads, often stuff I take my kids to see and they don’t even notice I’d left. I didn’t enjoy Baby Driver — I didn’t like the music in that at all.

I wasted an evening watching Manchester City play in the Champions League final in 2021.

The last movie that made me cry These days I can cry at almost anything so I can’t remember.

The place I feel happiest Running around Brooklyn, over the Williamsburg Bridge. Or around Portland, Oregon. Whenever I’m at those places, I always run unless I’m injured. I’ve done a lot of things in my life, but nothing quite beats that.

My guiltiest cultural pleasure Cheese and onion pasty, chips and peas. Anybody who says that’s not a culture doesn’t know what they are talking about.

If I could own one painting it would be We Two Boys Together Clinging by David Hockney. Any of his work would be a dream to own. Even the iPad stuff is beautiful. I went to see David Hockney: Bigger and Closer at the Lightroom and it was great.

FamousWhenDead's post of the article

[bluecladone]

Beat Veilguard last night, here’s some of my thoughts (SPOILERS BELOW):

First, some positives: Holy shit this game is a visual gem. The art direction and set pieces really blew me away in some places. That mountain with the titan corpse? Treviso? The lyrium chamber with the Oracle? I can’t wait for the art book lol. Also the animations and hair physics are *chef’s kiss*. I was really worried about the animations as Bioware has repeatedly gone on record saying how difficult the Frostbite engine is to work with (and I’m still a bit scarred from Mass Effect Andromeda lol) but they seem to have finally mastered it here. I was surprised at how expressive Rook was and loved how nuanced the dialogue choices were. Somehow, no matter which dialogue option I chose, I felt that the delivery was exactly what I wanted or better. There were times where I wanted Rook to be angrier or meaner though lol. Also, the worlds weren’t nearly as linear as I feared they might be. I thought it was a good balance between open-world and linear level design.

Now for some things that irked me:

There were a lot of bad line reads, especially at the beginning. Bellara springs to mind, though when she wasn’t trying to sound quirky she actually sounded alright lol. Looking up her actress, it doesn’t look like she’s done a lot of voice work, so it could just be rookie mistakes. Then again, Ali Hillis—Harding’s actress (and Liara T’soni and Aloy)—also had some clunky line reads. My guess is that they probably weren’t directed very well. Considering most of the clunky dialogue is in the beginning of the game, it’s not too egregious. I think they both found their footing with their characters as they went along. There were also some things that were worded or represented weirdly but I don’t know if it was on purpose or not? The two instances I’m thinking of are when Bellara tells Rook about her brother, and when Caterina was killed. My problem is the refusal to really say “killed.” Bellara says something like “wherever [her brother] is” and the implication is that he’s dead, of course. But the dialogue choices were either offering condolences or asking intrusively what happened so I wasn’t given a hard confirmation of his supposed death until a later conversation. The same happens during Lucanis’s recruitment mission where, after returning to Crow headquarters, Illario tells us that Caterina was “taken” by Venatori. I automatically assumed she was kidnapped, (which turns out to be the case, but I digress) since we just sprung her grandson from mage jail. That is, until Lucanis later swears that her death will be avenged, and I was like “Oh. Well maybe I missed something, even though I don’t think I did?” For hours afterward I was really confused by the coded language used and wondered why no one would just say dead or killed lol. But then it turns out that both characters are alive after all, so maybe it was on purpose? I guess? It was a clunky set up, if so.

Which leads me to my next gripe: during the mission to help with Caterina’s funeral, Lucanis tries to ask Illario about the details of the murder, (where did it happen, how was she killed, etc.) and doesn’t get a straight answer. Then Illario is weird about picking up “Caterina’s” ashes, which not only immediately made it obvious that he was a traitor, but also baffles me that the Crows somehow fell for the body double ruse twice in a row?? Not a lot of discerning people in a faction where the correct body should be tantamount to their success, no? Then, when it is glaringly obvious to the cast that Illario is the traitor, they just...kind of sit on that info and do nothing about it?? No warning to Teia and Viago, or anything? Honestly, everything about the Crows bothered me a lot lol. I didn’t like that they were portrayed as this plucky, lily-white faction of underground freedom fighters when we know that’s not how they operate. Not saying that they can’t be a terrible organization and patriotic, but the game does nothing to portray them as the neutrally evil entity they’ve always come off as. According to Zevran, they buy children from brothels and if they fail training, they’re killed. If they survive, they’re tortured to build their resistance to pain. Not to mention how Caterina used to beat Lucanis with a cane to correct him as a child, yet they still act weirdly warm toward one another. I get family is complicated, but geez. Maybe the Crows of Treviso are a softer touch, but I doubt they’d last long if that were so. I just wish the writers had tried to make them more morally gray than what we’re shown. I honestly forgot they were supposed to be scary assassins most of the time lol.

Some other little things before I move on to the big ones (besides the Crows lol):

While I loved Taash and loved getting to help them discover themselves, I was a little sucked out of the narrative by the ham-fisted lesson on gender identity lol. I get that they probably wanted to give a rundown for people who aren’t familiar with the topic, but I don’t think anyone who’s made it this far in the series isn’t at least somewhat familiar with the concept or are trans/non-binary/genderfluid. The Dragon Age fandom is very colorful that way lol. I could tell it came from a good place, at least. It was just funny to see the characters all but face the camera and say, “Hey kids, here’s a primer on gender identities for the uninitiated.” I didn’t really understand why Shathann was so hung up about Taash’s identity when Iron Bull flat-out tells us in Inquisition that the Qun has words and beliefs for people who identify that way and that they’re pretty chill about it. Not to say that EVERYONE in the Qun is likely to be chill about it, but still. Shathann even gives the same explanation before being interrupted, so it had me scratching my head a bit.

Then there was Bellara’s little “follow your heart” speech which made me roll my eyes a bit. Just a bit too corny and stereotypical for me personally. There are plenty of anecdotes about staying true to oneself without having to explicitly rely on the words “follow your heart.”

I got locked out of Lucanis’s romance without realizing until it was way too late lol. I don’t expect the game to be like “WARNING: CHOOSING MINRATHOUS OVER TREVISO MEANS YOU CAN’T FUCK THE HOT ITALIAN” but I feel like locking the romance entirely is kinda mean, especially after I looked it up and saw you could still romance Neve if you choose Treviso instead. As far as I know, Lucanis is the only romance option that gets locked because of a choice you made. I didn’t realize why I wasn’t getting flirt options until several hours later when I looked it up, after completing a shit ton of sidequests lol. Didn’t help that Lucanis is absent from the team for a good chunk of time afterward, and I’m a stickler for getting as many sidequests done as I can before moving on with story missions. I knew I could flirt with any of the other companions but it felt a bit late in the game to start at that point, and I was worried it might effect the pacing of the romance, so I just went without. Romance is kind of a big part of the appeal of these games to me, but it’s not everything. I thought about reloading an old (very old, by that point) save, but I didn’t want to deal with the frustration. Besides, I thought, if the game still holds up despite missing out on this one thing I was kind of looking forward to, then that speaks to its merits. I still had a good time overall, and am already starting a second campaign to explore some other choices and finally make that manlet mine lol. Still, it is quite annoying when choosing to save Minrathous is clearly the right call in my opinion. The game itself doesn’t make much ado about the consequences of leaving Treviso to fend for itself besides the civilian casualties. But it definitely makes leaving Minrathous sound more alarming. (You’ll basically be handing over the most powerful city in the North over to the Venatori and Evanuris. Treviso doesn’t have a giant floating castle with magic weapons that can pick a single target out of a crowd of people lol. Also the game acts like there wouldn’t also be a high civilian toll for some reason.)

While I feel that reading the tie-in books and comics isn’t required to get an understanding of certain characters and whatnot, I feel like it adds important context and makes you actually somewhat care for the fate of a lot of the characters in the game. It’s frustrating to track all that stuff down and read it, though most of it is covered in Tevinter Nights, however I might feel about some of the writing in that one lol. I suppose it could be argued that none of the Dragon Age games have ever been guaranteed sequels since its inception, so this was the next best thing to offer closure and/or extra worldbuilding just in case. In fact, the ending to Veilguard kinda feels like they’re trying to keep it open for a sequel since there are some minor loose threads, (And an end screen that basically says the Veilguard stands prepared lol) but who knows if we’ll see one. EA has never seen Dragon Age as a priority IP, since it’s an RPG and those can be hard to make into bestsellers. They’d rather focus on something more like Mass Effect— a traditional third-person shooter with some RPG elements—which we’re almost certainly getting another of. Hopefully. If there ever is another Dragon Age, I really struggle to imagine what in the world it would even be about.

Another gripe is the fact that Morrigan is not at all as prominent in the game as we maybe expected. (At least, I did lol) It’s not that big of a deal to me, but it does make me wonder why they even put her in the game. I guess to give the player an explanation about Mythal and her relationship to Solas, and to give over the aspect thingy if you do all the sidequests in the Crossroads. It didn’t really warrant Morrigan’s presence, though. Then again, I’m sure the fans would have rioted if she hadn’t been there. I guess I wish they would have utilized her more, and better lol.

The same can be said of the Inquisitor, but at least they had the excuse of keeping the South together while Rook did their thing. (Which would be a great idea for a dlc/expansion; playing as the Inquisitor and maybe seeing more about the choices made in the last game since we didn’t get to see many in Rook’s journey.) Though I do have a big problem with an Inquisitor who still wants to redeem Solas after everything he did, which I’ll get into more detail later. An Inquisitor who romanced him and still wants to get back together with him is doubly icky, but once again, I’ll come back to it lol.

Now the big things:

Varric. Oh, my poor, poor Varric. I made a post a while back about how I thought I might not enjoy the game as much if it turned out he died right at the beginning, and well...I was half right. His death was a twist I really didn’t see coming, and I’m honestly not sure how to feel about it right now. I admire the bait and switch for how clever it is, but am a bit frosty about how cruel it is, too. It feels a bit dumb to say for a fictional person, but I truly think I’m in mourning for Varric. I remember how I lamented in my old post about how it would have been so unsatisfying for him to die among strangers who barely knew him, away from the people that loved him best. This was softened somewhat by his relationship with Rook. Clearly, Rook cared about Varric a lot as a mentor, and possibly even as a father figure. (It helped that I headcanoned my Rook as someone who was separated from her parents at a young age and therefore craved that connection.) It’s still upsetting that I was half right with my prediction, and my heart breaks when I think about the Kirkwall gang not being there when he died, especially Hawke. Once again, I’m unsure of how I’m feeling about all this. I’m upset, but also aware that he couldn’t last forever, despite my wishes lol. Would it have been better to hear about him dying offscreen in a supposed sequel or tie-in book/comic? I’m upset Solas killed him, but I can’t decide if it’s out of character for him to have done so. I was surprised he stabbed Varric when it happened, but it’s not like he didn’t give Varric a warning when he broke Bianca. And he did kill Mythal, who he was closer to than anyone, despite how complicated their relationship got. I still need to reflect on all of it, and maybe my opinion will change when I have a clearer head. What I took the most exception to was the Inquisitor’s reaction to it as one who both romanced Solas and wanted to redeem him. Looking back on how you get to choose whether she gets back together with Solas or not leaves a bad taste in my mouth. At this point, the Inquisitor is obviously aware Varric is dead and that it’s Solas’s fault. I feel like even the most besotted, kindhearted Inquisitors would have trouble reconciling that, regardless of how close they might or might not have been to Varric. He was part of the inner circle, integral to stopping Corypheus. I feel like that should warrant some kind of reconsideration on her part. I’d be fine if she still wanted to redeem Solas, but pursuing a romantic relationship with him despite everything he’s done not only to Varric, but the world...it’s just gross to me. Maybe the Inquisitor sees Rook’s encouragement to get back together as some kind of forgiveness towards Solas on Rook’s part? I don’t know...it takes quite a bit of mental gymnastics on my part lol. But maybe others feel differently. I’d love to hear someone else’s opinion on the matter. As it is, the kiss before Solas and the Inquisitor disappear was soured for me. I might go back and try some of the other ending choices to see how I like those, but for now I’m focusing on another playthrough with an Inquisitor who did not romance Solas and swore to stop him. We’ll see which I like better lol.

Another big issue is, while I totally expected Solas to betray Rook at some point, the way it was handled was not very good in my opinion. Why, of all times, would Solas turn on us after killing Ghilan’nain? I know it’s likely a pride thing, or possibly he’s lost faith in Rook’s efficiency after they get one of their people killed. (Or more, depending on your choices for the assault, but I looked up the optimal choices after getting Harding killed so I didn’t traumatize myself further lol. Sorry Davrin and Assan :’(.) In fact, I was so confused by Solas’s timing that I thought it was actually Elgar’nan fucking with Rook’s head as revenge lol. Anyway, deaths in the line of duty didn’t seem to phase Solas in the past, though we do see that memory in one of his regrets. It just seemed hasty for him to immediately banish Rook to the Fade prison when they’re the one who’s done all the heavy lifting so far. And somehow, Solas seems surprised shit doesn’t work out like he planned later, but once again, I guess that’s his pride at work. This is also a complicated one for me that I think I need more time to puzzle out. I just have a hard time reconciling how someone so smart could be so dumb. Even when he was at his most powerful, he still had help from Felassan and other rebels. And yes, while Solas does take charge of Rook’s faction after trapping them, I highly doubt they compare to ancient elves with powerful magic and spirits. Credit where it’s due though, I was concerned when Solas had that line in the beginning about “abhorring blood magic” when he says the opposite in Inquisition. I can see now that it was clearly a lie meant to put Rook more at ease. Or at least, that’s how I saw it.

Overall, I did enjoy the game, despite my many problems with it. That being said, I think the mass layoffs at Bioware really made the game suffer in the writing side of things. Hopefully the new staff finds their footing after this, and I wish them the best of luck.

R.I.P. Varric Tethras, a self-admitted liar who could be honest to a fault, whose charm captured me from the moment I met him. He’s the charismatic character all writers strive to create.

[sunsoaked-living-blog]

I love STEM romance so mf much. As someone who studied STEM I really enjoy watching/reading STEM media for the general audience, in both what I studied in higher education and topics I have 0 background in.

Theoretical Physics? So mf interesting, but I could not for the life of me do any of the math for that.

Statistics & Mathematics? Very important applications in all things, but again could not do that if my life were on the line.

Biological Sciences? My personal cup of tea (absolutely adore genetics & biochemistry)

Artificial Intelligence? Honestly, imho it’s absolutely terrifying and I don’t find joy in it of itself (especially bc I have no desire to learn to code and know the bare minimum to get by using my computer), but I still can’t deny it’s an absolutely fascinating technology and field of study.

Chemistry? My original true love. She is the IT girl of STEM and you can’t convince me otherwise.

I could go on and on. But STEM is truly so interesting, pioneering, and diverse; and while there are plenty of negatives (academia can be toxic, cut throat, discouraging, and at times so damn hard) STEM is so damn incredible at the end of the day.

So for me, when you’re in the thick of studying these fields it can feel so frustrating it feels like your simultaneously pulling your hair out and having you fingernails yanked from their nail beds, something about translating them into stories like these, in a way that’s respectful to the material and the people that are within these fields, is so refreshing and brings such a special joy.

Books like The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood and The Soulmate Equations are amazing personal examples of this. I just finished Ali’s new book Love Theoretically and absolutely ADORED it. This one I had the least amount of scientific background knowledge about (as I’ve already said, I think theoretical physics is so mf cool and if I were more of a math whiz and brain for it, I definitely would studied that too) I still thoroughly enjoyed the book. I loved the characters as individuals, but I also loved how familiar academia comes across to me in the book.

(It also 100000% helps when you have authors that are in the field themselves like Ali Hazelwood, bc they have an inherent and personal knowledge of what it’s like to be a women in STEM and how to translate that across paper)

[ihavetoomanythoughts3]

Okay, since it has come to my attention that it has been 10 years of Lockwood and Co., (Thank you @wellgoslowly) I want to talk about the effect Lockwood & Co. has had on me.

I did not find Lockwood & Co. until a few months after the show’s release, but that did not stop me from quickly becoming obsessed with this world. Well. Obsessed conjures up a more negative image.

I fell in love with Lockwood & Co.

Very quickly, I found that 35 Portland Row would bring a sense of home that my house, no matter how full, could not generate. Every little detail was perfect, and I can not honestly tell you of a more homey house. I want to live, if not in the world of Lockwood & Co., then at least in their house. The little things in 35 Portland Row brought the house to life. The house itself had so much character, there was a feeling that it was not just lived in but lived in, you know? It felt like our characters weren’t just on a set, or in a museum, but a place where they could relax and just be kids in a world where that wasn’t allowed.

Now, the only thing better than living in a home like 35 Portland Row, in my opinion, would be to have people like our Iron Trio. Everything, and I mean everything, about Lockwood & Co. makes me feel a bigger sense of belonging, just being a reader, than I feel in my own life. But I’ll talk about that later. What I want to talk about now is Lockwood, Lucy, and George.

Each of them are perfect, beautifully flawed, and human. I work so hard at being a “perfect” person that seeing these people be flawed and broken, and be accepted, not despite of, but regardless? Seeing these teenagers mess up, ruin something (admittedly to a much larger scale than mine) but still have friends to turn to? It felt like a wake up call. A reminder that I don’t have to be some society-defined standard for what is “normal” or “perfect”. More than anything, the Iron Trio more or less looked me in the eye and told me that I can be myself, and my true friends, my true family, will accept me for me.

I see a bit of myself in each of the Iron Trio. I have Lucy’s insecurity, her anger. I have Lockwood’s need to win, because who will pick up the pieces for me if I fail? I have George’s social awkwardness, his tendency to prefer books over people. That might be why these characters are so beloved. Whether it be their strengths or their weaknesses, almost everyone can find something to relate to in them.

I think Netflix did an amazing job with the Lockwood & Co. adaptation. I am not saying that because I found the show first. I have read the books as well. The casting is top-tier, especially for our beloved Iron Trio. But it’s not just the actors I am praising here, although they deserve all the praise in the world and more. Everyone behind the scenes, from the big names in the intro to the assistant to the assistant of somebody, made this masterpiece of a book-to-screen adaptation possible. From the bottom of my heart, thank you to all involved in the slightest in the transition from beloved book to screen.

Back to what I was saying earlier, I genuinely feel like I belong more in Lockwood & Co. than in my own life. I’m not saying “I’m too good for this world” or “I hate my life” or anything like that. Maybe it’s not that I belong more in Lockwood & Co. but that I want to belong in something like Lockwood & Co. I want the found family. I want the people who care for me, not because they’re supposed to, but because they chose to. Reading from Lucy’s perspective, it is evident that Lucy feels as if she belongs, thus bringing the reader (at least in my case) along with her. Watching the show, I think Ruby, Cameron, and Ali did a phenomenal job of portraying this. This little family at 35 Portland Row will always be in my heart, getting me through even more than they already have.

To end this rant, I just want to say thank you. Thank you to Jonathan Stroud, for creating Lockwood & Co. and all that it has brought along with it. Thank you to Joe Cornish, for putting his all into the Lockwood & Co. tv show. Thank you to Ruby Stokes, Cameron Chapman, and Ali Hadji-Heshmati. All the actors were amazing, but these three truly brought the Iron Trio to life on screen in the best way possible. And thank you to everyone in between, who I didn’t name, but who were a part nonetheless in giving us this wonderful, wonderful world, Lockwood & Co. Thank you, thank you, thank you all for giving me, for giving us, a world to fall in love with. ❤️

[wereoz]

YAY when i saw u tagged me my mouth literally dropped open THANKS @belleandsaintsebastian

last song: dancing barefoot!! was so obsessed with that song around… 2022? and about every other time i encounter it

currently watching: twd & the mentalist!! love twd sm i love long series and how they become homey and i love thinking abt constant underlying messages which twd is RIFE with. i am watching this season quite infrequently tho just cuz i don’t enjoy it as much as the others and i have been angry ranting abt it tbh………

the mentalist is quite frankly…… bad. 😭😭 WELL actually idk…… like it has strong points and obviously something abt it hooks me cuz hello i’m on s4 but in s1 & 2 i was like thats so cliched and annoying and that’s literally just police brutality so….. but in s3 i was enjoying parts & building little fantasy worlds abt it in my head & oh my god im obsessed w teresa lisbon & i LOVED the finale because it had DRAMA!!!! but then all the drama surrounding one plot avenue is just SUCKED OUT (imo) in the beginning if s4 so??? and one plot thread was just left so like thats annoying….. and the main guy at the last few minutes of an episode was literally told. i’ve diagnosed u with aspd (well. he said ‘psycopath’ i think but then when he lightheartedly asked a coworker he used the term ‘anti social personality’ so) and its like…. a joke basically so…… thank u very cool. literally that one house autism GOTCHA moment i had flashbacks

currently reading: love and marriage by monica ali, i got it from my english teacher cuz she brought in her favs. it was funny cuz last minute she was like oh no i forgot!!!! theres a lot of sex!!!!ask if u have questions i’m ur pshe teacher!!! very earnest & giggly shes great. i like it so far and the style of writing, im VERY interested in where its going, so glad i’ve found a book i enjoy sm

‘how far we’ve come’, for a competition…… ough i need to pick that up again before time runs out.

fever wake, very interesting to read, especially cuz i always read it before bed , all hazy and tired lmao

lesbians guide to catholic school, just for the mandatory 10 mins reading at my school in english. don’t really like the writing style, but i find the main character, yamilet’s, unique relationship w her family SO interesting. being the second favourite just bc shes a girl, how she reconciles her love for her brother with how frustrating that is, homophobia from beloved family members, and her dad being deported all interest me a lot

current favourites: …..always hot chocolate & whipped cream, my binder!!!!! oat biscuits, pasta, painting in acrylics & just working in my gcse sketchbook in general, collaging, imagining scenarios & fic scenes in my head especially w music, listening to music to and from school, when i make people laugh, that i’ve become more social and less afraid to talk to people,

no pressure tags <3 : @gayfilmbro @preordainedplace (again!! no pressure esp for u!! cuz ik were not mutuals but i love ur blog & art <3 and with it being so hard to find anyone posting abt one deranged movie released 13 years ago it feels like were locked in the same cage already lmao) @1985houndsoflove @thelastdaysofrocknroll @thepunkmuppet @doctorgregoryhouse @pnt03prcnt

[tartheanmaid]

Can I ask why you ship Jon and Sansa? (I'm assuming that's what the Jonsa means in your bio) Not attacking you or anything just curious. They are half siblings and while Jon was a bit separated due to him being the bastard they still were raised together and he's much older. Ik incest and weird relationships is normal in GOT but still

i’m not much involved in the show fandom anymore, but going by medieval and asoiaf/book lore, jonsa isn’t incest. i can direct you to much more lovely people who could explain this way better if you like, but they aren’t half-siblings. ned is not jon’s father, rhaegar is. jon is lyanna’s son (ned’s sister).

westeros is very culturally against incest in all forms, but their definition of it is quite different from the modern world’s. i’m the kind of person who, when i engage in a piece of media, i try to do it through the lens of someone who would actually live there. that is why i don’t consider jonsa incest, because in westeros cousin marriage is not only accepted but extremely common. lysa, sansa’s aunt, wished to marry sansa to her cousin/lysa’s son sweetrobin. additionally, ned, lyanna, brandon, and benjen’s parents (the starklings paternal grandparents), were first cousins.

the only kinds of incest westeros and essos condemn are sibling/sibling, aunt/nephew, mother/son, and father/daughter.

i believe george intentionally didn’t make them interact at all in the chapters where they’re both in the same location. i also believe it is sansa, not arya or jeyne poole or alys karstark who is the girl in grey.

why do i ship them in a general sense? 1. i believe they are compatible and would work well together as a couple based on their own internal wants and feelings about love and marriage.* 2. if sansa is to hold some sort of northern leadership, she must marry a man who is willing to give up all of his titles + name for her so that they may continue house stark. jon is the perfect fit for that in my opinion ( @istumpysk has a great meta on this titled “find sansa’s husband”).

* “Sansa, two years older, drew the crown prince, Joffrey Baratheon. He was twelve, younger than Jon or Robb, but taller than either, to Jon's vast dismay. Prince Joffrey had his sister's hair and his mother's deep green eyes. A thick tangle of blond curls dripped down past his golden choker and high velvet collar. Sansa looked radiant as she walked beside him, but Jon did not like Joffrey's pouty lips or the bored, disdainful way he looked at Winterfell's Great Hall.” - JON I, AGOT

as for the age gap, that part does make me sort of uneasy, but i do believe george feels the same way about that. which i think is why he tried so hard to make the 5 year gap work (if you’re not familiar, the 5 year gap was a scrapped time jump that was to happen in between ADWD and TWOW). if the 5 year gap had ended up working out, sansa would be around 17/18, and jon around 20/21. their age gap may seem like a lot because of how young they are, but when you age them up just a bit it starts to make a little more sense.

hope this helps! /gen

[paivinha19]

we are not strange

“you are so cold”, “heartless”

that’s what I’ve been told. That’s what my own mother has told me!

it’s hard, it’s exhausting, and worst of all, it’s suffocating, to live in a space-time that overvalues sex, marriage, dating, and romantic relationships in themselves. But what about the rest of those who aren’t part of this? Who have never felt comfortable, being forced to do something that makes them uncomfortable. Well, think about it: just like for you, don’t be surprised, it’s good and comfortable to be part of this social behavior, for us it simply isn’t, and it never was. We feel good this way. There’s nothing wrong with us. There’s nothing wrong with me, mom!

This isn’t a disease, it’s not the devil’s work, because if it were, it would be hurting me, and let me tell you: for me, for us, it’s never hurt us, quite the opposite, it makes us much happier than we’ve ever been when we accept who we are.

It’s much better to be yourself than to be someone who’s forced on you.

Society will always demand something from us that we can never give, but know one thing: Whose life is it? Hers? No, everyone's life belongs to each one, so live for yourself. They will talk, oh yes they will, but never let them stop you from being yourself. Because their lives may be good and already made, but you, dear young person, still have a long way to go, so be happy, be aromantic. You don't need to get into a relationship just because they're bugging you to do so. Confuse their minds, yes, they may not understand you (and they may never will), but the only person who should play the role of understanding you is you.

"But how come you're not attracted to anyone, or to just a few people? That's practically impossible!"

No, it's not, my friend. I'm proof that this has never been, is not, and will never be impossible. People who feel very little, or no attraction at all, whether romantic or sexual, are not monsters. Nor are they psychopaths. Because she doesn't feel romantic attraction doesn't mean she doesn't love anyone. It's different, my friend. We are normal people. This may not be common in this relationship-crazy society, but we are normal.

It's not because we don't feel romantic attraction that we are strange. You are the one who is strange and crazy about any love, which will never fill what has always been missing inside you.

Excerpts from the book: I Declare You, Aro (ALIE)

“If you don't love the person who will be the only one with you at all times [yourself], how the hell will you love another person correctly?”

“Life was too short to make other people happy and turn your own into nothing”

[florisbaratheons]

You spoke nothing but cold FACTS. I was an active part of the fanbase for a while on twitter and I think most people can objectively say that Helaena/Aemond fans were one of the worst groups on there and constantly made themselves the victims. No one would have an issue with headcanons if they didn’t try so hard to tell people they’ve totally misunderstood Aemond as a character, that there will somehow be enough time to include a convoluted, pointless plot twist that adds ZERO to the show (since he already has his own arc in Harrenhal), and that everyone who criticized this theory is a “hater” who’s “harassing” them. They make Helaena’s death about some forbidden love with Aemond rather than about the grief of a mother losing her child in a sickening manner. Most people who dislike this theory don’t even care about something as trivial as “ships.” It’s about solid, consistent storytelling and it’s fine to have fun with characters but to act as if people who don’t agree are ignoring “subtext” when they haven’t had a single conversation is wild.

I was totally fine with H*laemond before. It weirded me out less than L*cemond (in a show about incest, ya gotta pick your battles). But then the behavior began to change and when folks were getting jazzed up about Alys and getting excited when the rumored castings were getting out, other folks were just being so darn rude about her - calling her a "hag" and saying she "brainwashed" Aemond, etc etc. (Never mind the fact that AEMOND had more power in the relationship from day one.) And so because of that, I started hating the ship and being so annoyed by it. Especially with the whole "Subtext" argument. H*laemond was not a thing in season 1. There was no "subtext", there were no "hints" about them. There's no forbidden love. The dinner scene was about Aegon being insulted by Jace taking Helaena to dance - that is lifted DIRECTLY from the book. Helaena's line about "wanting something you can't have" had nothing to do with herself - it was about Aemond wanting the throne. Like, jeez, the show spells it right out for you. But nooooo.

I feel like a broken record on repeat lol.