#i wrote entire family histories and lines of kings like

[dervampireprince]

hey prince!! love the new video (i <3 your rendition of miguel) but i was wondering if you were participating in Artfight this year?

i am!! if you watch my twitch streams i've been talking about it a lot. i streamed a lot of my art fight drawings last year, and will be doing the same this year. my art fight profile is under my sfw art name https://artfight.net/~emptymasks . i didn't have time to do many attacks last year due to personal life issues that happened, but hoping that i'll have more time this year, and also the confidence to attack strangers, though more people i know are also doing art fight this year. if anyone attacks me, please don't get upset or disappointed if i don't revenge attack you, i may not have the time or may not know how to draw your character. i don't promise revenge attacks, but i will try and do them. i will also only attack people who have their 18+ age listed, if not in their art fight bio then in their linked social media, i do not want to receive attacks from minors and will not attack minors. my audio ocs are up on there, as well as other ocs i've had for other stories and projects not related to my audios. not all my ocs are on there, just the ones i have drawn/have designs i'm happy with.

for anyone wondering what the hell we're talking about and why i'm using the work 'attack': art fight is a yearly art event that happens every july on the art fight website, everyone is sorted into two teams and you compete by 'attacking' other artists. an 'attack' is drawing someone else's oc and submitting the drawing to the website. you can 'revenge attack' people back who have 'attacked' you. attacks earn you points, you earn more points the more complex your drawing is, and less points for more simple drawings. and even less points for 'friendly fire' which is drawing an oc of someone on the same team as you. there's no prizes or reward for being on the winning team. it's all just good fun and drawing practise, and maybe you'll get some drawings of your ocs out of it. respect other artists boundaries of what they're comfy with you drawing. it shouldn't be stressful, draw as little or as much as you want. don't get upset if you don't get drawings of your ocs. don't think that your art isn't good enough and that other's won't want you to draw their ocs. art fight starts july 1st, but you can join after that date too. all you need to be able to join a team for the event is to make a profile on art fight. (i can't remember if you need an oc or your own uploaded to the site or not to be able to attack others. if you don't have any ocs of your own but want to participate you could always just upload some blank image)

to anyone who is participating, good luck and have fun!

[chernabogs]

i really like the concept of the draconias being cursed with their love, although love is a curse and heart is a heavy burden in itself,,, it's still a fun subject to talk about. your fic in maleficia pov is such an eye opener for this 🥺 id love to see more of your insights w that trope lol

Ouagh idk if you're aiming to let me just yap away about this, but that's precisely what I'm going to do because the prospect of bloodline curses/hereditary curses is one of my FAV things in folklore. This isn't a theory as much as it is me talking about just some things I've noticed and how I interpret it

To preface this, this has absolutely no hold in canon LMAO. This is just what I've noted when taking a step back and looking at the Draconia family—which is that they have a shitty track history with things happening to them. As a secondary point, I have no idea what Yana is pulling from for her background of fae information. Myths of fae come from all over the world; you got them in Europe, in Scandinavian countries, Oceania, Africa, etc (like really, they're all over). I do know her bits and bops about Malleus loving ice cream/dairy items falls more in line with European interpretations, so I'm rolling that she's drawing somewhat from that.

Which kind of leads me to noting the poor luck the Draconia's seem to have. In a lot of European folklore, fae love to curse (most often piseóg)—be it humans, dwarves, elves, or even their own kind (this really fantastic thesis digs right into that concept via an analysis of european folk stories). One story I like a lot is The Two Sisters and The Curse, a lovely tale of pride and fae. One sister brags that her sister has a fae lover, failing to follow the stipulation that she's never to tell anyone about that fae lover. The result is tragic, as expected, but the line 'If a fay-being has power, revenge will be taken though it may be on your descendants.' really sticks out in this.

Hereditary curses are curses passed through a bloodline that, understandably, can only be broken when certain stipulations are met; the ancient Greeks especially loved them. Some might think them as geas (a curse/gift, which is kind of what Meleanor put on Malleus before he was hatched; humans would fear him, fae would adore him, etc.). A lot of piseóg in European folklore are hereditary curses intent on really fucking with a family.

In my opinion, it kind of feels like the Draconia's either have the worst luck streak on record with how many things happen to them, or they have a curse. We don't know what happened to Maleficia's husband, but the assumption is that he's probably dead. Meleanor's husband went MIA in the middle of a war that her family and her people were also dragged into. Then, Meleanor died, robbing Maleficia of her only daughter. Upon her death, Maleficia was unsuccessful at hatching Malleus' egg because he began to reject her magic; if Lilia hadn't existed or had declined to help, Malleus would have died too, leaving Maleficia.

In addition, Malleus (due to his nature as sole heir and only family) was raised in an incredibly contained environment his entire life. Hell, he was chronically alone since he was in an egg. Even now he still holds this belief in his mind that he has no one except for the same 4 people he's known his entire life, and even then, one of them (Lilia) who he cares for a lot is also about to die. Silver will die before him. Sebek will die before him. His grandmother will die before him.

Really, it looks bad when you step back. This is kind of why I focused the Maleficia fic on the concept of a curse. I wrote it like she had an inkling someone in her family line had crossed the wrong person and it resulted in a piseóg, and she just doesn't know how to break or stop it.

Frankly, I love the trope to bits. I love the tragedy, I love the many ways it can happen (pissing off fae, pissing off a tenant, evicting a fairy king from your farm because you're just tryna do your harvest, etc.), and I love when one person finally manages to figure out the niche needed to break the curse. I imagine the relief of freedom from generations of tragedy is immense.

I kind of hope that happens with the Draconia's, or at least their luck turns around with Malleus. I feel like the whole family has been dragged through the mud enough LMAO.

[beyondmistland]

I read through all your posts about Alysanne Targaryen as Maegor's daughter and am now in a rabbit hole. Thank you. I've been thinking about Maegor's wives and which one of Henry VIII's wives they represent. Ceryse is Cathrine of Aragon and Alys is Anne Boleyn. The others are hard to pin for me since there isn't a lot. What do you think? Would Maegor's reign have been more interesting if his marriages had more similarities to those of Henry VIII?

I think this is where we run into a number of problems regarding the way GRRM wrote Fire & Blood specifically and the way he setup Westeros more generally.

For one, the fairly homogenized nature of southron culture as well as the oversimplification of religious institutions and history means you can't quite get the same dynamism as from real life European history, with its dizzying array of languages, cultures, cuisines, fashions, etc., to mention nothing of the then-ongoing Protestant Reformation. I suppose GRRM could have had Maegor convert to the Old Gods a la Julian (II) the Apostate or the Drowned God (you just know the Ironborn are the one race on the surface of Planetos that would say King Maegor the Good with a completely straight face) or even R'hllor, which would be the best choice in terms of worldbuilding opportunities in my opinion.

Moving on, we run into a handful of problems with Maegor specifically, one of them being the length of his reign. Look, while I can't deny Maegor ruling for 6 years and 66 days is incredibly cheeky, it also isn't anywhere close to Henry VIII's 36 years as king. With so little room timeline-wise, there isn't a lot of flexibility when it comes to telling new stories and fleshing out preexisting ones and all that is before you factor in Maegor himself.

I won't hold back. For all GRRM's talk of moral ambiguity, the human heart in conflict with itself, good men who were bad kings and bad men who were good kings, etc., his Targaryen monarchs are, for the most part, numbingly one-note. Aegon I is a literal enigma, Aenys is weak, Maegor cruel, Viserys I a party animal, Aegon II and Rhaenyra mirror-images of each other in their disqualifying vices, etc. As I've written before with my post reimagining Maegor as more of a Ivan (IV) the Terrible figure there was room to make him a genuinely controversial figure of historiography but instead GRRM doubled down on sensationalism and apathy-inducing slasher porn for lack of a better word. The fact Maegor is also the first and last of Visenya's line just adds more salt to the wound but that's part of GRRM's more general (and for me personally, vexing) habit of keeping family trees incredibly small.

(I do recall another alternative someone once brought up to the late Steven Attewell. Namely, turning Maegor into the Westerosi version of Macbeth by way of Der Untergang.)

This brings me to my semifinal point. GRRM didn't have to write Fire & Blood as Procopius' Secret History on steroids with a dash of Suetonius' Lives of Twelve Caesars and I, Claudius (the entire Saera episode is practically lifted wholesale from the scandal that envelops Augustus' daughter, Julia) but he did, which is doubly disappointing because not only does the final product suck quality-wise as a result but also because there were so many other avenues available to him.

He could have written Fire & Blood as a proper history (with less focus on the sex lives of teenage girls for one) or as a mirror for princes or as a dialogue between two characters or even as a character study. You can even see GRRM struggling with the constraints imposed by his use of Gyldayn in certain sections like the death of Maelor and the entire Hour of the Wolf episode, where you get reams of dialogue and characterization as well as more traditional narrative trappings like build-up, mood setting, etc.

Now, to answer your actual question (lol), I don't think any of Henry VIII's other wives map well onto Maegor's. Tyanna is, more or less, his female counterpart in terms of cruelty and zero redeeming features and entirely a fantasy construct. Elinor and Jeyne are both married to Maegor for only a year (with poor Jeyne dying in childbirth because Jeyne Westerlings, like the Brackens, Peakes, and Florents, cannot catch a break in Westeros) and before said marriage takes place neither appears on the page. As for Rhaena, well, credit where its due, she was a rare (and unexpected) highlight of Fire & Blood.

Thanks for the question, anon

[tiaramania]

The Consort Crown & Coronation Jewels

Queen Camilla has a lot of options for the jewelry that she will wear to her husband's coronation on May 6th. My predictions are based on the jewelry worn by Queen Alexandra, Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, and are pretty safe choices. Other than a crown and the ring all of this jewelry is optional and Queen Camilla may decide not to wear all of it or to wear different pieces altogether.

The jewels used in the coronation are some of the most controversial ones the British Royal Family possess. I won't get into their history or what should be done with them here because plenty of others have already covered it. They have already decided to not use the Koh-i-Noor diamond but there are a few others that go along with it that are not as well know that I think should also be set aside this time around.

Queen Mary's Crown

The last few consorts have had new crowns made for them but Queen Camilla has decided to reuse Queen Mary's Consort Crown. It was made in 1911 by Garrard using over two thousand diamonds set in silver and gold. Instead of the Koh-i-Noor diamond, Queen Camilla is using the Cullinan V diamond in the center of the crown like Queen Mary did for her son's coronation in 1937. She is also going to use only four of the eight arches bringing it more in line with the other crowns used in the ceremony. All of the alterations were already possible, they just haven't been used in this exact configuration before.

The Coronation Earrings

The focus is usually on the Koh-I-Noor diamond itself but going with it are the Coronation Earrings. Queen Victoria had them made using the pear shaped diamonds from the sides of the Koh-I-Noor armlet in 1858. It's sometimes a bit confusing because Queen Victoria did not wear them to her coronation but they got the name Queen Victoria's Coronation Earrings later after being worn by Queen Elizabeth and Queen Elizabeth II at their coronations. Hugh Roberts wrote that Queen Mary also wore them for her husband's coronation but in the pictures it looks like she is wearing her Diamond Collet Earrings made from extra diamonds taken from the Coronation Necklace not these. She could have worn different earrings for the pictures or just worn the tops of the earrings. I think Queen Mary's Diamond Collet Earrings are the better choice but another possibility is that Queen Camilla will wear an entirely different pair of earrings. She doesn't have pierced ears so it may be decided not to alter such old earrings.

The Coronation Necklace

The necklace was made in 1858 by Garrard using diamonds taken from unused garter badges and a sword hilt and can be worn with the Lahore Diamond as a pendant. Like the Coronation Earrings, Queen Victoria didn't actually wear this necklace at her coronation but it has been worn at every one since. Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth II used the pendant but Queen Alexandra and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, did not. I think it's best to not use the Lahore Diamond this time because it’s from the same collection of jewels as the Koh-i-Noor. Queen Elizabeth II regularly wore the Coronation Earrings and the Coronation Necklace with the Lahore Diamond without anyone saying anything or connecting them with the Koh-i-Noor but if there is a chance to avoid controversy they should take it.

Queen Elizabeth's Coronation Necklace

In addition to the Coronation Necklace I would like Queen Camilla to wear Queen Elizabeth's Coronation Necklace. It was a gift from King George VI to his wife for their coronation in 1937 and was worn by her along with the main coronation necklace. Queen Camilla has already worn this necklace and had is shortened from 40 to 31 diamonds. It may need to be lengthened a bit again in order to lay right with the other necklace.

The Buckle Bracelets

Queen Mary had these bracelets made for the 1911 coronation using two diamond and enamel buckles that belonged to King William IV attached to four rows of diamonds each. According to The Queen's Jewels by Leslie Field, one buckle features the cypher of King William IV and the other of Queen Adelaide. Queen Mary also wore them for a few portraits and Queen Elizabeth wore them for her husband's coronation in 1937 but I haven't been able to find any pictures of them being worn since then.

The Diamond Cockade Brooch

This brooch has been worn by the last three Queen Consorts. Queen Alexandra and Queen Mary both wore the full brooch but Mary turned the side sections up so it was V shaped. Queen Elizabeth only wore the central section and I think that's probably how it will be worn by Queen Camilla since the whole piece is pretty massive.

The Consort Ring

This ruby and diamond ring was made for Queen Adelaide to wear to her husband's coronation in 1831 and has been worn by every Queen Consort since. The ring is actually part of the ceremony and will be placed by the Archbishop of Canterbury on Queen Camilla's right hand.

I can’t wait to see what jewels Queen Camilla will wear! What are your predictions?

[tragedy-peanut-gallery]

what do you think was aelor and aelora's whole deal? like, why suddenly bring back targ sibling marriage NOW? was it because they were the first opposite-sex pair of siblings in the family tree for the first time in a long while? or did aelor and aelora actively want to get married and the entire fam caved?

Oh I am totally with you on that tbh, the two of them as a married couple was a wackyyy decision on all fronts. I’m gonna try and come at this from two different points of view to try and explain this lol

So from a meta perspective, george needed to have family members picked off so 1. Maekar and by extension Aegon could be kings, and 2. The targ family doesn’t get too big and prosperous as to explain how they got extremely wiped out in Robert’s rebellion. So his problem is that he wrote these twins in Rhaegel’s line, who just so happens to be Maekar’s older brother. He needs them picked off in a way that could make sense, but would also not cause other problems like political marriages falling through- so the easiest solution?? Well have those two kids marry and have the fun added tragedy of seeing your own twin-husband killed in front of you! Yippee!!! This part doesn’t really make much sense it was more put together in my head but anyways

As for the perspective of the setting itself…. Well, tbh, I think it’s just a matter that the curse and the cycle just keeps looping back, no matter how many good kings try to stop it. Some targs down the line are bound to try and make incest happen again, no matter who in their family tells them incest is so not gonna happen (see both jaehaerys’ and their respective sister-wives). Clearly it wasn’t a product of Aelor and Aelora’s environment, since the last people in an incestuous marriage in their family had been dead long before they were born, but obviously something must’ve influenced them! Was it their unhealthy attachment to one another, maybe leading them to believe they’re one soul split in two bodies (SO jamiecerseicore omg <3), maybe they read the long history of their incestuous line, not realizing how a decent amount of those marriages ended in tragedy and failure? I don’t think Daeron would’ve arranged them to be together, not after seeing the horrors his own mother had to endure, but surely if they seem so happy together…. Maybe Rhaegel only wanted his children to be happy… Maybe they didn’t realize how strange and codependent their relationship was…. Maybe they could make the exception, just for them….

[cambion-companion]

I find it amusing how many people believe Aemond would be a good king. I mean, Rhaenyra and Aegon aren't great choices, but Aemond is not better. He may be more educated than the two of them combined, but he is actually Maegor reborn, it's funny how Otto thought that Daemon would be cruel as a future King if something happened to Viserys and Rhaenyra wasn't an heir yet, but couldn't see what truly Aemond was, a brute, thinking that force and violence is always a way to achieve everything, lacking compassion, not interested in his people like Jahaerys who travelled all across the country and was interested in them, caring only about learning to fight with the sword, being more than happy that his family is at war he started, and anyone really believe this man would bring peace to Seven Kingdoms? He would only bring terror and even more blood, he is the same as Visenya and Maegor and the best choice for the next king was Daeron, too bad he died

Yes, Daeron would be the best choice for king. However, you're giving far too much credence to the book's portrayal of Aemond even after the show's version of Storm's End...very interesting. He is certainly not like Maegor the Cruel, and would be a good king. The books are written as histories and the narrative is purposefully conflicting and inaccurate to reflect how real world histories get the facts wrong. I'm not sure how many more times I'm going to have to say that lmao because some of yall really be taking the book as 100% truth...which also translates into how people blindly believe everything in our own world 🤣

The show, which I dare say is giving us the Canon events, portrays Aemond quite differently in the book. He is not cruel, he has a lot of depth that the book/maesters simply did not provide and/or completely bastardized.

You say Aemond is a brute who thinks violence is the best solution...yet we have seen no evidence from the show to support that claim. In fact, it wasn't Aemond who attacked first after he rightfully claimed Vhagar. It was also Aemond who stopped the adults from tearing each other apart with his "lost an eye gained a dragon" line. It was also Aemond who made the Strong toast (hahaha a classic) yet it was Lucerys who swung first (again). Hahaha if anything Lucerys is the "brute"...especially with that posture, damn.

Aemond has proved himself cunning, brave and loyal. All qualities of a good ruler. If the Dance of Dragons had never happened, if Vhagar hadn't killed Arrax and Lucerys, if Daemon hadn't sent assassins to kill an innocent child...Aemond's character development would be very different.

He is going to blame himself for the events of blood and cheese, mark my words, and it's going to be very damaging to his mentality and I think that's where we will truly see the book's characterization of him start to show.

Anyway, Anon. Try to take the events from the book with a little more salt especially since the show has made it very clear they're not entirely accurate. And also George Martin has said it as well lmao that's the whole point behind why he wrote them as histories.

[lucem-stellarum]

MASSIVE Spoilers for the Summit Part II below the cut

I called it! William's the one who brought Porter back in town.

Tbh I doubt it actually was Christopher anyway. That wasn't justice, that was political theater. It went too well for William, as a xanatos gambit. Killing the King got revenge for the Inversion as an attack against Vincent and Lovely, whom William had extended his protection over after Adam. Porter set up Sweetheart to get evidence for official department action if the House of Bennett (as allies to Close Knit) managed to survive the night. Alexis was the only other who was truly considered as a possible suspect, and she was very quickly able to turn that suspicion away from herself. If she hadn't been able to convince the queen (assuming she actually did the murder), and I know exactly how ruthless this sounds, but William would have been short one "amoral hellion progeny who chronically dodges responsibility and can't follow orders without being invoked" (paraphrasing, but I'm happy to expand on those assumptions if you want). Painful, but not debilitating. Which, considering William is safely away and would have been out for blood against whoever hurt his family, would not be a good spot for the Queen's alliance with the Solaire clan. The best threats are the ones you don't have to say out loud.

The entire first video wasn't just a red herring, it was a whole school. I'm just happy that the pack was left out of suspicion. If the Baus (is there an official spelling yet? I don't trust the YT transcripts) are good enough allies to the Solaires, and tentatively extending that to the Shaws, I'd believe they were willing to leave them out of it. Part earning themselves a debt of gratitude, if David understood the undercurrents, part keeping the ignorant outsiders from meddling with the pretty story they wrote to wrap up all the loose ends. Really, the only potential thing against it being Alexis outright would be where she got the demon blood from, but we still know so little about her connections and history that's very easily explained with any number of throwaway lines (my brain jumped to "Sam turned her down so she got a new immortal demonic boytoy", but that's just a potential justification).

Poor Vincent. He was the perfect sheep for this. He was so stressed about keeping all the personalities in line during the leadup, it seems like he forgot that vampire politics is bloodthirsty and vicious. That others don't have the same aversion to dealing death that he does. The Queen tried to hint it for him at the end, but it's not her place or responsibility to point it out for him and he just didn't understand what happened in the shadows there at all. He was blindsided by it all, reacting instead of acting like Porter and Alexis were. He played the perfect genuine audience, which I'm supposing is the part William cast him for.

I'm sure I missed something in my analysis up there, but I'm hoping Porter spells most everything out for Vincent, Lovely, and us. I also hope we don't have to wait too long. I know I haven't been Porter's biggest supporter, but I'm trying to keep an open mind about his character and I want to let him try to convince me.

[ingek73]

Kate Middleton the slave liberator by proxy. Are you serious?

Article in the Daily Mail

The British press — and specifically the Mail titles — have outdone themselves again. This morning we learnt that contrary to what the Sussexes may have implied about racism in the British Royal Family, it simply cannot be true. This is because an “ancestor” of Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, was the ‘greatest American abolitionist’.

Of course the Daily Mail’s brilliant writer neglects to mention that Harriet Martineau, an Englishwoman who only visited America for a few months in the 1830s, never married nor had children. The Mail itself says she’s Kate’s “great-great-great-great-great-aunt”, so how she came be an “ancestor” and an American is a mystery.

Nevertheless, this woman I’d never heard of was so powerful that it was through her lobbying of Presidents Monroe and Jackson that the slaves were freed. Including, the Mail points out helpfully, “the Duchess of Sussex’s great-great-great-great-grandfather, Stephen Ragland”. So clearly the Duchess of Sussex is beholden to the Princess of Wales for not being a slave today.

The Mail details the ‘connection’ between Kate’s ‘ancestor’ and Meghan Markle

It’s not even funny. It is deeply offensive to me, a descendant of slaves, whose ancestors fought the British like hell for over two centuries for our freedom.

It is offensive to the memory of all the freedom fighters of the Americas, from Toussaint Louverture, to Nanny of the Maroons, to Frederick Douglass, to Harriet Tubman, to John Brown — to everyone in the emancipation movement — to assert that all it took was some lobbying from one white British visitor in America to free the slaves.

The movement to abolish slavery was global, hard fought and hard won. That the writers and editors of the Daily Mail think differently is an indictment on Britain’s entire system of education. History is clearly not taught. Not the history of Britain, slavery, and the slave trade, and certainly not the history of British racism.

Another offensive part of this story is the idea that an abolitionist couldn’t be a racist. Go back and read Uncle Tom’s Cabin, written by Harriet Beecher Stowe, an abolitionist. (See what I wrote about Harriet some years ago, below.)

Many people felt that slaves should be freed in the same way they felt people shouldn’t be cruel to animals. But they didn’t think Black people were their equals. Abraham Lincoln was notoriously racist. So, an abolitionist is not automatically absolved of racism.

Whatever Kate Middleton’s distant relative’s actual feeling about Black people, it is ludicrous to posit that therefore the Royal Family can’t be racist. It’s not just the fact that Kate is only a royal by marriage, it is that you cannot inherit anti-racism by blood.

If one could, as opposed to being anti-racist because of an aunt-in-law lost in the mists of time, how much more likely would it be that Kate’s husband Prince William and her father-in-law King Charles III would have inherited racism from the long line of documented slavery profiteers and racists in the British Royal family?

Prince William’s namesake William IV, when he was Duke of Clarence, actually spoke in the House Lords in favour of maintaining the slave trade, and outlined nicely how the British Royal Family had been involved in it for centuries.

And we don’t have to go that far back to see evidence of how Black and other ethnic minorities are treated by the British Royal Family. They were banned from employment in Buckingham Palace up to the late 1960’s and probably later — since they are exempt from fair labour laws.

In 2021, Prince William and Kate declined to publish diversity figures for their Kensington Palace office, though his grandmother’s Buckingham Palace and his father’s Clarence House did. We suspect because they had no diversity to report.

So have done. No matter how much you want to exalt Kate at the expense of Meghan, please stop the foolishness. We see right through you, and you are offensive and not very bright.

Meghan Markle is probably as astonished as we feel (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

Why I’m not celebrating Harriet Beecher Stowe

The Episcopal Church celebrates Harriet Beecher Stowe on July 1. While appreciating the efforts Stowe and her brother Henry Ward Beecher made in the cause of the abolition of slavery in America, in my opinion, she was not an unmixed blessing to the ‘Negro Race’, as she’d have called us.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin was highly, highly influential. It was the best selling book of the 19th century apart from the Bible. It was the principal vehicle Stowe used to open the eyes of the good people of the US to the evils of slavery.

However, its picture of the childlike African, to be pitied and made an object of gracious condescension, has had lasting effects. The image of the good and humble Uncle Tom, who was too Christian to even dream of fighting back when he was whipped to death by Simon Legree, made white folks believe that is the quintessential good negro.

There was more. The ‘good’ woman on the plantation, who gave her master’s white child her children’s food before she fed her children. All the good Black people who put the white people first, since first is the proper place for white people.

And, the paler the black people were — the closer to white — the closer they were to human. The mulatto slave woman who drowned herself rather than be sold into slavery contrasted with the Black people who were less sensitive. Topsy, the lying child, who didn’t cry when she was whipped, because she didn’t feel it much, was very dark-skinned.

Then there were the last two mulattos, a man who could pass for white, and his very pale wife, who were so bright and articulate, who escaped slavery and went north to Canada. But eventually they realized their proper place was in Africa.

Stowe pitied the plight of the black slaves, and she thought they were inhumanely treated, but she didn’t think they were ‘equal’.

Their proper place was to be grateful for the benevolence of the good white people, but the negroes really didn’t belong in the Americas. She clearly thought they should have been returned to their native habitat — Africa — so white people would be clean from the stain of slavery.

[aboutanancientenquiry]

This is the second review of Wesselius’ book on Herodotus and the Bible, for sure far more hostile than the previous one, written by none other than Kenneth Kitchen, who combines in his person rather paradoxically the qualities of eminent Egyptologist and of fundamentalist Christian apologist. Enjoy:

“THE ORIGIN OF THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL: HERODOTUS’S HISTORIES AS BLUEPRINT FOR THE FIRST BOOKS OF THE BIBLE

WRITTEN BY JAN-WIM WESSELIUS 

REVIEWED BY K.A. KITCHEN

OLD TESTAMENT

This book claims that whoever put together the older ‘history’ writings of the OT, namely the Pentateuch, Joshua, Judges, 1–2 Samuel and 1–2 Kings (so-called ‘Primal History’), imitated the Histories of the Greek writer Herodotus, who wrote in the later 5th century bc; and hence these biblical books were put into this sequence (or even first written) at that date if not later. Wesselius gives lists of what he views as significant common features between Herodotus and the biblical books just mentioned, which in varying measure are the evidence for his proposal, Intriguing, but has it any basis in reality?

Probably not. The comparisons are mostly far too superficial and inexact to carry any weight; or depend on untenable understandings of both texts. Just nine books in both cases is mere coincidence of no value, likewise the comparisons of Moses and the exodus with Xerxes crossing water to attack Greece; why not compare Ramesses II or Muwatallis II crossing the Orontes against/for Qadesh? Or endless Assyrian crossings of the Euphrates into the Levant? Finding drinking-water was a quest for all travelling groups, at all times! Interpreting the generations from Terah to Moses as just even links like the Persian line (Phraortes to Xerxes) is a fallacy; Exodus 6:20 gives only a summary to give Moses’ tribal (Levi), clan (Kohath), family (Amran), parent (Jochebed) line, not a full genealogy through 400 years! Cf. Numbers 3:27–28 (Amramites and relatives). Lists of equally superficially-compared data, wrenched out of their original contexts could be multiplied. This is not a deep inner pattern, but modern invention (‘eisegesis’).

Treating Genesis—2 Kings or ‘Primal History’ and Herodotus’s Histories together exclusively, and (especially) isolated from the relevant Near-Eastern literatures that are the sole true context of the entire OT, is a methodological disaster, that is guaranteed to fix results (i) as desired by the author, and (ii) that will be factually false. The work of Herodotus is basically uniform in its overall approach, of a narrative that regularly alternates the history proper with disquisitions on peoples and places involved. The ‘Primal History’ of the OT is a modern concept, not an organic unit; and it is made up of sets of writings that differ radically in style and formats, which can be dated to specific successive periods within c. 1900–550 bc, by use of objective criteria afforded us by the surrounding Ancient Near East, a matter compactly demonstrated in part in this writer’s On the Reliability of the Old Testament (Eerdmans, 2003). Neither Ezra nor any other 5th century Jew probably ever saw or read a copy of Herodotus’s long work, produced in a language largely unknown to them except for a few ‘culture-words’, even as many natively English-speaking people know a scatter of such words today (apparachnik; intermezzo; bon vivre; putsch; costa) without in most cases a reading/speaking knowledge of the languages these words come from. This ‘Eurocentric’ (and tacitly minimalist) approach has almost nothing of lasting value to offer to serious students of the OT, one must sadly concede.

K.A. Kitchen

University of Liverpool”

Source: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/themelios/review/the-origin-of-the-history-of-israel-herodotuss-histories-as-blueprint-for-the-first-books-of-the-bible/

Kenneth Anderson Kitchen (born 1932)[1] is a British biblical scholar, Ancient Near Eastern historian, and Personal and Brunner Professor Emeritus of Egyptology and honorary research fellow at the School of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology, University of Liverpool, England. He specialises in the ancient Egyptian Ramesside Period (i.e., Dynasties 19-20), and the Third Intermediate Period of Egypt, as well as ancient Egyptian chronology, having written over 250 books and journal articles on these and other subjects since the mid-1950s. He has been described by The Times as "the very architect of Egyptian chronology".[2]

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Kitchen

Kitchen defends a maximalist approach on the validity of Old Testament as historical document and he defends chronologies for its composition much earlier than most other modern scholars accept, exactly in order to present it as an account contemporary with the events it relates. So, the ideas of a late composition of most of the ‘historical” part of the Old Testament in the Persian period by a unique author and under the influence of a Greek (among all people!) writer are anathema for him. 

Now, many criticize Kitchen (and with reason, I think), arguing that, when he writes on subjects outside his proper field (Egyptology), he is doing just fundamentalist apologetics for the Bible and his religion (he is Evangelical Christian). However, I think that he is right when he writes that the Old Testament must be understood above all in the context of the literatures of the Near East (although I think that he is unfair when he accuses Wesselius of “Eurocentrism”). He is also right I think when he writes that Wesselius’ parallelisms between Herodotus and the Bible are not convincing (although Kitchen sees them with hostility and rejects them as just superficial, whereas he should recognize at least that Wesselius’ comparisons are for sure interesting and thought provoking). 

Moreover, I think that Wesselius’ thesis takes as granted an intense cultural interaction between Greeks and Jews in the fifith century BCE, which is not supported by the evidence. I think also that it is almost sure that Jewish intellectuals came into contact with Herodotus’ work only after Alexander’s conquest and the progress of Hellenism in the Near East. Now, I don’t think that the main body of the Old Testament as we know it today could be dated in the Hellenistic period (it seems that most of it comes from the Persian period), so I tend to exclude an influence of Herodotus on the Bible (except perhaps on the Book of Daniel, which is a work of the second century BCE). But this does not mean that the research for similarities and parallelisms between Herodotus and the historical narrative of the Bible is fruitless, although we should not forget that major differences also exist between them (the Bible is above all mythohistory and sacred history, whereas Herodotus’ work is, despite its more traditional layers, the first work of history in the proper sense of the term).

[bellascarousel]

So, I read a post on here that got me thinking about possibly my favorite extremely minor character that I've ever written. And now I want to tell you all about him. Partly because I just want to talk about him, and partly because he may never see the light of a publication and it's not fair that he only exist in my head. He is in one scene in a book that I may decide not to try to finish. Said book is a prequel to my Urban Fantasy and is about Andros getting ready for the events of the main series. Sean's scene takes place a couple hundred years ago and is during a time when Andros is bouncing around like a crazy person getting the current row of dominoes properly lined up.

Now, before I can properly introduce you to Sean, you need to understand a bit of how my magic system works. Because Sean has a very specific purpose that makes no sense without that understanding.

The basics are that magic is something you are born with. There are several different types, and sometimes one particular type will run in a family, but not always. The Aurelios family (Andros's family) are almost exclusively Time Mages, but there is at least one notable exception. Other families might have a bit of everything. But, the important thing, when it comes to where Sean fits into all of this, is that each Mage has their particular type of magic that comes naturally to them. For everything else, they have an amulet that can store magic given to them by someone for whom the other types are their natural magic.

Andros is a Time Mage. He can see the future, stop time, actually sees different versions of the future and can use what he sees to guide time onto the proper path. (I'm explaining that last bit badly. I guess the easiest way to understand it is to think of Dr. Strange. Which is funny since I created Andros before I ever even HEARD of Dr. Strange.) He's been on a 1300 year mission to prevent the premature end of the world in a nuclear war.

The past few hundred years Andros has been fairly busy getting the dominoes in place. And in order to do that, he's had to use a lot of magic that does not come naturally to him. His amulet has been getting quite the workout. And a LOT of the magic he's been using has been Energy Magic.

Enter Sean King. He's an Energy Mage, and he's been keeping Andros's amulet charged while Andros does his thing. Though, as it turns out, some of what Andros has been doing is fucking stupid. And I wrote a scene of him showing up at Sean's house to get his amulet recharged. The very first thing Sean says is "Ya look like Hell, Andy." Andros holds up his amulet and announces that it needs to be recharged. Sean replies "I can see that. What the heck have you been doing with it?" And then Andros tells him hes been teleporting, with Energy Magic. When there is actually a type of magic (Spatial Magic) that is much better suited to that. Sean's response? "Ya daft fool! It's not meant for that! No wonder ya look like death." Let me explain something about Andros. He is the most powerful Time Mage the world has ever seen. (Second most powerful Time Mage in the ENTIRE history of the world - including the part that hasn't happened, yet.) This is a man who has watched THOUSANDS of versions of the next MILLENNIUM play out in his head and his entire reason for continuing to exist is to ensure that the version he wants is the one that happens. He has sped up the aging process of one woman, and stopped another from aging at all. This is a man who could have aged our friend Sean into oblivion, deaged him back into an infant, trapped him a single moment in time, sent him back to the stone age or forward to the end of the world. Every Mage on the planet is fucking TERRIFIED of Andros Aurelios. And our boy Sean just sasses him to Hell and back. And I love him for it.

But! He wasn't done! It wasn't enough for him to be a sass machine who gives Andros Hell. No! He has to go and create an entire CONCEPT in my magic system that I never thought of. A concept that became a MAJOR plot point. What did he do, you ask? He told Andros "You aren't the only Time Mage I know, Andy." And then Andy referred to him as "Mr. King." And suddenly old boy is the ancestor of another character and has introduced the concept of people who have Mage blood, but aren't Mages themselves. Which gave me vampires that have some limited magical abilities. Because I decided that the catalyst for unlocking those abilities was a combination trauma and magic. Drinking vampire blood certainly counts as magic, and it doesn't really get much more traumatic than your own death. Now, in theory, I already had two of these people. My MC's love interest is an Empath. And Andros's little sister is a vampire who also happens to be a Seer. But, Sean is where I finally started to put together the explanation for that.

And the major plot point that this introduced? Eli, my MC, is a freaking firestarter. Eli became a firestarter because of the existence of Sean fucking King saying the words "You aren't the only Time Mage I know, Andy." This man single-handedly turned my entire story world on its head and created a major conflict. Just by existing. And being snarky and sassy. And I adore him - even if I may have to cut out the entire book he was originally a part of.

[letsnaththings]

Again, memeage

Memeage

Tagged by @cairistiona7  Thank you!

Rules: If you’re tagged, make a rec list of your own fics that you’re most proud of. The ones you personally want people to read because you know they’re good. The ones you get extra excited when you get comments on them because people are responding to what you know is your best work. As part of the list, say why you’re proud of them! Participant’s choice on how many that is and where you draw the line on pride, but the more the better. Bonus points for fics that you like to reread yourself or fics that have low engagement because they’re in a small fandom or an unpopular ship/trope. Then tag however many people you feel like to continue the game. (If you want a guide number, try for seven or however many fics you listed)

Secondary rule: If you get tagged and you’re not a fic writer, consider doing the same for art you’ve done or meta you’ve written that you’re proud of.

Tertiary rule: This is the time to be the opposite of humble! Hype your own stuff! Share why you’re proud of something. Do some self love! And please give the game a chance even if you haven’t written much or are just starting out etc etc.

Do or do not – there is no tag.

 All these are in the Tolkien fandom – the list got a bit longer than I had planned, even with vigorous weeding (and would therefore probably look partly different if I made it at another time). They’re all stories that I like to reread for one reason or another. Even if I felt a ‘must edit’ itch for some of the older ones as well *g* I’ve tried to say something more than the original summary for them, but didn’t succeed for all.

  Eriador

An excess of weather - Life in Eriador can often be harsh, even more so when the weather becomes as much an enemy as Orcs or wolves. A look at how the Fell Winter of 2911 affected the Dúnedain. 

A gapfiller story with mostly OC Rangers. What I like about this one is how the circumstances test the Rangers to their limits, and in some cases beyond.

 Troll country - Where were the Rangers when Thorin & co. encountered those trolls?

A gapfiller I didn’t know I needed until the plotbunny turned up

 Out of time - FA 83 - King Elessar visits the North and realises something that has been bothering him

There are precious few stories about the Fourth Age – another gapfiller I had to have.

Inheritance – Recipe fic:  A taste from history in two drabbles and a double drabble - originally written for the October 2014 challenge, Sweet or Savoury, at the Lotr-genfic LJ community; my element was 'spicy'.

My only recipe fic, and therefore also my best recipe fic *g*

 2nd Age

Et Eärello Andorenna utúlien - Númenor: thoughts upon arrival and departure.

There’s a lot more to explore for both Elros and Ar-Pharazôn I think, and maybe someday I will. Until then, this short sketch will have to do.

 Spindrift - Of the seven palantíri, it is said that the one kept in the tower of Elostirion is the chief, and that Elendil looked in it often to alleviate the yearning of exile. This vignette examines one such viewing in the year 3423 of the Second Age.

 Opening - Sometime early in the second millennium of the Second Age: a moonlit night in Eregion, and two craftsmen anxiously wait the unveiling of their latest work.

 Other

Edge of the world - After the Downfall it was believed by the remnants of the Dúnedain that the top of Meneltarma rose once more above the sea level. If so, sailors of later Ages may have found it on occasion.

 Recall - Thengel, captain of Gondor, deals with a small family crisis, considers the past and receives some news.

 Holiday - Snapshots of a summer spent in Dol Amroth. Gimli is ambivalent about it all.

This entire fic was written to justify the use of one specific word in a Tolkienian context. I’ll leave it up to the reader to spot the word.

 Collections

Back to Middle-earth month 2012 - A collection of the various drabbles and short stories I wrote for B2MEM 2012

A very miscellaneous bunch of stories, but one I’m pretty happy with. Definitely my best BMEM year.

 Tales of the North - banner

And in hope… –  Arwen finally understands one particular vision she saw in Galadriel's Mirror, and starts work on a special project.

Watching from afar – It is said in The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen that Arwen watched over Aragorn in thought. At times, this must have been a harrowing experience.

Envinyalë –  About a week after their wedding, Aragorn and Arwen spend an evening by themselves. Arwen has plans, but the evening does not turn out quite the way she had in mind.

A small collection of three stories in which I explored Arwen a bit, of course also against the background of my related stories on Aragorn and the Dúnedain.

 AUs

Some that live - It is 3013, and Orcs are raiding and destroying Dúnedain farms in Eriador. Aragorn sets out to stop the raids. Alternate timeline leading up to the War of the Ring.

This story… During the writing its working title was “the Heap O’Angst”, and I’ve also been known to refer to it as “the story that ate my life”. It took some work to get out of its headspace once it was done. Without giving away too much, it’s an exploration of honour, guilt, redemption, friendship, loyalty. It may also be the best story I’ve written so far.

 As may be obvious, I like writing AUs, both long ones and shorter stories, because they allow exploring different approaches to characters, events and themes They’re also a lot of fun to play with: “what breaks if I change this…?”

 Unto the ending of the world - Dark AU, diverging from the end of the Two Towers: Sauron regains his Ring in Ithilien, and a very bleak world emerges for those who survive the Ringwar to make their way in. 

This is the only still ongoing story in the list. I started it in 2007 and am still writing it. I do actually know how it ends, but I’m a slow writer to begin with, and it’s taking just a bit longer than I expected to get where I want to go – plus I spent some time away from it writing the Heap O’Angst. The basic idea was quite simple, Sauron gets the One Ring, so what happens now? Quite a lot, as it turns out, and not much of it good.

 Elenion Ancalima - Nerdanel wonders whether perhaps it would have been better if Fëanáro had not listened to his father.

 Still standing - Six vignettes from Halbarad's point of view - from the siege of Minas Tirith until the day after Aragorn's coronation

[embrassemoi]

Surrounded by the Moon and Stars ✷ 20

Pairings: Sirius B, Remus L, [F]Reader      Content: Language, possible errors  A/N: Some ppl asked for a playlist... so ofc I made one! 

Series Playlist or Chap 20 Playlist

【 Masterlist: Previous Chapter | Next Chapter 】

Chapter 20: Little Lion Man

━━━━━━━━━༻✩༺━━━━━━━━━

When Regulus was younger, his aunt Andromeda and Sirius were obsessed with Muggle stories. Andromeda would send them loads of books every month to the local Muggle post office to prevent their parents from confiscating them. He remembers the ten minute walks there and back, Sirius holding his hand tight, even stopping to buy ice cream during the warmer seasons. They would greet the delivery men and women, picking up a heavy stack of wrapped books before waddling out, each boy mirroring a large grin.

Every night at twilight, when their parents were asleep, Sirius would crawl into his bed and read to Regulus in a hushed voice. He would read a different story every night, lulling him to sleep. Sirius spent hours gushing about the fantastical tales Muggles wrote; how magical and mystical their minds were despite not having an ounce of magical blood. From Superman to Batman, the Joker to Daleks, Prince Caspian to King Miraz; Regulus quickly learned that they all had one common theme: the good guys and the bad guys.

Regulus often spent his time grappling with the notion; what made someone good? Because the definition changes depending on the person.

Were the good guys good because they were selfless — passionate? Those deemed good never let themselves be seen as selfish. The heroes would sacrifice themselves for the greater good, even going as far as giving up their loved ones. Or maybe it was because they went against the odds. But villains did that too.

So he re-worded the question; what made someone bad? Was it their selfishness or greed? Was it putting themselves above others? Did they know they were on the wrong side of history? Make a mistake, once, twice — but surely, that didn’t make someone bad. Did it?

If virtue is understood by both sides, then the bad guys would immediately cross that line time and time again. They lacked wisdom and truthfulness, filled with too much pride and vanity.

But now as he began to grow up far too quickly for a fourteen-year-old boy, he realized that there was more to people than just being good or evil, a saviour or tormentor, light versus darkness.

The definition of good and bad depended on who told the story and Regulus didn’t know who controlled his; him or his parents. The line was so blurred that he couldn’t objectively make the decision himself anymore. Was he more bad than good?

Laughter — rich and inviting beckoned throughout the library, snapping him out of his thoughts again; but it did nothing but chip away at his heart. Regulus got up, shoving his books and parchment into his bag, making sure to hide his face before they saw him. Today, the Marauders had come earlier than expected and he was caught off guard. He’d been doing everything to avoid them out of pure shame.

Before he went to turn, he eyed Sirius from the shadows. He smiled, carefree and happy, clinging onto Pettigrew, ruffling his hair like he once did to him.

What made them so special, so loved and cherished by Sirius? How were they able to make him laugh so effortlessly, able to brighten his day with a mere glance? What made them more of a family than he ever was to him?

But he knew, it was their family’s values and it had been taunting him every waking moment.

It’s not like he didn’t want to escape that night, but he wasn’t Sirius. He was never as bright or strong or as good as him. Sirius was bold and courageous and certainly had more bravery than he would ever have. Regulus was far too weak, a puppet for his parents to control. Sirius was everything Regulus was too afraid to be — a reminder of what he could have turned into.

Besides, there wasn’t a single doubt in his mind that his parents would have killed Kreacher had he left. And this way with Sirius gone, it left Regulus to be the sole heir. Sirius was free, not being hunted down by his parents now that he bore the title. That was his gift to him, freeing Sirius of all the responsibilities, pain and grief. He owed him that much. Besides, Regulus had already mourned the childhood he never had; that made everything easier.

The day Sirius left was the day before they were set to leave for Hogwarts again and the impact of his absence was massive. He no longer heard the thumping of loud Muggle music nor the clanking of piano keys or doors slamming shut. There wasn’t any screaming aside from his parents shrieking at him for taking his father's wand. The stairs creaked; he could even hear Kreacher padding his way to his room.

It was eerily quiet and lifeless in that damned house, and he was only gone for a day.

Regulus hadn’t been taking it well. Nearly every night, his face was pressed into a pillow muffling his sobs. Sirius had kept his promise, he hadn’t talked to him since.

If only he had a scarlet tie…

Ha! He could laugh; he’d been trying to get his attention in little ways. He’d even gone as far as growing out his hair to match his — coping by writing letters every night with words he wished he could’ve said before storing them in a box under his bed. Forever unsent. Hell, Regulus was a coward, every bit as pathetic as Sirius deemed.

Ever the winter break, his parents were relentless, dumping everything that was meant for Sirius onto him. Letters were sent daily; there were talks about an arranged marriage, lumps of money now being transferred under his name, getting the dark mark… and he was being watched. Every interaction he had, his parents always knew. Especially with Muggleborns; he had to limit his interactions with them to almost nothing, or it wouldn’t end well for either.

His mind reeled back to that night, where his parents and extended family toyed with that blonde Muggle, leaving her half-dead on the dining table, the image branded in his head. It made him sick just thinking about it, he never knew what happened to her, he was too busy trying to muffle out her screams.

Regulus had been questioning everything he was taught. Sirius’ words echoed in his head; was he willing to kill Muggleborns solely because of their blood status? He's a believer in old values and traditions: yes, blood should be kept pure, but to kill Muggles… that was completely different. He’d seen how his dearly beloved aunt was burned off the tapestry, threatened and almost killed for marrying a Muggleborn — a Muggleborn who he’s met and liked and respected. His family tortured them for the sake of it and more. That wasn’t the move of someone good, those were the actions of someone evil; filled with greed, spite and selfishness. But how was he going to stop a whole bloodline from their mania?

Some may call it obedience, the way he’s listened to his parents all these years blindly, but to him, it’s respect. But did he believe that? Did they deserve to be respected? He was miserable and this wasn’t a healthy way to show filial piety.

What did he believe in?

Perhaps there wasn’t such a thing, good or evil, maybe there was only power.

Regulus was lost and confused and most of all, lonely. He remembered Sirius promised him once, before the day he was set to leave for Hogwarts for the first time, that he would never be alone. What a funny thing, promises.

Tears were forming fast and if he didn’t leave then, they would fall any second now. He needed to get out of the library.

Regulus asked himself again; what made someone good or bad — or rather, was he good or bad? He’s veering towards bad.

━━━━━━━━━༻✩༺━━━━━━━━━

After catching word from Mary that Remus’ birthday was approaching, Y/N had been knitting him a sweater in her spare time (or trying to). It was sweet, simple and showed that she’d put effort into it, especially since he taught her. Although, the sweater was lopsided and she hadn’t quite gotten the hang of a certain stitch or how to close sections. Perhaps she should use magic.

Her fingers fiddled with the needle, looping the yarn over the other side. Without looking up, she made a sharp turn into the library before crashing into a hunched-over figure; sniffling and a complete mess.

An apology dangled from her lips before recognizing the figure as Regulus. It had been two months since she’d last seen him and in short, he looked like shit. His skin was grey and lost all sense of a youthful dewy glow. If Sirius had dark eye circles or Remus looked tired, Regulus beat them by miles.

Y/N stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do before gently patting his shoulder. “Regulus?” She asked softly, nothing more than a whisper.

There was a flash of pure terror as he looked up, his eyes nervous as his head spun around to look around the place like he always did. He looked mad, almost unhinged as his hands gently pushed her away, signalling for her to leave. “I — I can’t be seen around you.”

“Can’t? What are you going on abo —” She cut herself off, ignoring the matter entirely. He clearly wasn’t in the right mindset.

His voice was strained, quiet as he kept on murmuring, he almost sounded angry. “You can’t — we’ll both get in trouble. Y/N, go — please… ”

At this, Y/N felt her skin rise in small goosebumps. She looked back to the library, just making out her friend’s figures before looking down at Regulus again. She wasn’t going to leave him like this: crying and delusional.

She took a deep inhale before bending down, picking up her needles and yarn off the ground and slipped them into her bag. She placed a cautious arm around Regulus to keep him upright. “Come with me.” But Regulus wouldn’t budge, not until she flicked down her hood, obscuring her face.

She led him up to the astronomy tower, walking and twisting around before setting him down on a nearby bench, making sure to lock any entrances. They sat in silence, aside from Regulus attempting to regulate his breathing. The cold whipping wind tossed his hair and sank into her bones. With a few charms, they were both warm again, but still able to breathe in the crisp air.

He remained quiet. Y/N didn’t push. Instead, she began babbling softly about random things to distract him. When she heard a sharp exhale of air, mimicking a half-hearted chuckle was when she knew he had calmed down.

“Thank you,” he muttered. It’s quiet, barely above a whisper. Regulus’ cheeks were pink, colour finally returning to him from either embarrassment or the cold.

“Any time,” she smiled warmly. Her hand reaches into her bag, fishing out the snacks that were meant for the study group: blackberries that were for Remus, a muffin for Marlene, were now shared between them. She tried to encourage him to eat, to regain any sort of energy.

He listened without complaint, a tense yet thankful air engulfed them. It was only until he finished the food, about an hour gone by, was when he spoke again. “Why are you being so nice to me.” It’s not even a question, just an odd accusation.

She thinks for a while, searching for the best answer. “I wished someone was there for me when I was going through a hard time.”

“But you don’t know me.”

Her eyebrows raised, “Well, let’s get to know each other then. I’ll tell you something about myself and then you can go?”

Regulus looked up at her with a calculated expression, cautious and looked uncomfortable but he nodded.

“Let’s start simple. I have an owl named Celeste.”

He gulped, looking back to the entrance. His answer came delayed, strained and she wondered if she had pushed him too far. “I play the violin.”

Y/N smiled largely. “The violin is beautiful! Hmm… I can’t ride a broomstick to save my life, unlike you.”

At this, he smiles — a real genuine smile that causes his eyes to crinkle and sparkle. “Really?” His eyes burned with curiosity before he looked down, “I can’t swim.”

“Swim?” She repeats, chuckling to herself, “Who doesn’t know how to swim?”

“You’re making me feel grand. Terribly uncalled for.”

Her eyes rolled, “You should learn. It can save your life one day. Who wants to drown?”

“Maybe I’ll ask McGonagall — I heard for tougher punishments she’ll throw you into the black lake.”

“You’re the perfect candidate then.”

After a while, way past curfew, Regulus seemed cheerier; his tear-stained cheeks now replaced with a smile and relaxation. That day, Y/N unaware, was a day Regulus would never forget.

━━━━━━━━━༻✩༺━━━━━━━━━

March 8th, 1976

“Sirius, shut up.”

“You’re the one yelling!”

“... Right.”

Excused from their afternoon classes because their Puffskein was about to hatch, the Marauder’s dorm was bustling with panic and bickering. When Y/N partnered with Sirius for their project, she expected fighting (which happened every day) but not for Sirius to be like this. He’d been running around the dorm, grabbing warm towels, bowls of water and taking out his panic on her. He gripped his textbook, flicking through notes to see if they had everything. It was as if he was preparing for the birth of an actual baby.

She silently watched him, her mind thinking about Regulus rather than their project. This was the only time she and Sirius were alone and wondered if she should mention his freakout the other day but stopped — it didn’t take a genius to know they weren’t on friendly terms.

Since that night, she’d seen Regulus almost daily, but only at night before their study group. She would spend an hour or so with him before the Marauder or girls came barraging in; Regulus left before they appeared. The entire situation left her deeply confused, worried and most of all, suspicious.

“We need Kettleburn —”

Annoyance began nipping at her. “Calm down.”

“I’m not going to calm down!”

Sirius paced, both firing snide jabs. Too preoccupied in his panicked state, he didn’t hear the quiet cracking of the white shell, forming the shape of a lightning bolt before cascading over.

“Um, Black?”

“Let’s not start. How are you so —”

“Get your ass over here now!”

Sirius pressed his lips together immediately and rushed over, both huddled side by side near the roaring fireplace. The shell twitched, cracking more and they both gasped in amazement. The process was faster than either expected as they saw the small tuft of cream fur peek out along with a pair of black eyes. Its long pink tongue slipped out, already looking for its first meal. Y/N scrambled to grab a nearby dish of dried spiders to feed it while Sirius cradled it in his hand. His smile was wide, buzzing with excitement as he observed it. His hands gently glided over the soft fur as it emitted a low humming sound.

A deep chuckle erupts from Sirius and she could feel the vibrations from how close they were. His laugh, which once made her cringe, now made her skin feel fuzzy and heart flutter. But, it wasn’t like that, she thinks. Of course not! She still wants to jinx him, maybe even throw him into the fireplace. Yes, that’s it.

She snaps out of her violent thoughts when she finds Sirius already looking at her, a pretty flush to his skin as he observes her softly. Her brows crinkled; instead of a frown or on the cusp on an insult, he smiles.

“Do you want to hold it?” Y/N nods eagerly. Sirius shifts his body, placing the Puffskein in the palms of her hands. It’s incredibly soft, adorable and when it leans into her, falling asleep, she swore she fell in love.

“What do you want to name it?” She mumbled, afraid that if she were any louder it might wake it up. Sirius takes a long time to ponder and Y/N braces herself for an insult, already thinking of a plethora of her own.

“It looks like porridge… Oatmeal!”

“Are you serious?”

“I’d be worried if I wasn’t.”

Y/N tries to suppress her smile but fails. The Puffskein did look like a grain of oatmeal. Plain and simple, she liked it.

“Hello, Oats! You’re so cute — I could just eat you up!”

“Morbid much.”

Hours went by before they ultimately decided to head down to Kettleburn’s office for an examination of Oats’ health. Sirius cradled it in a small blanket, shielding it from the rest of the world. Marlene and Dorcas were standing by the sidelines, joining them as they walked past.

“Yours hatched already? Aw, it looks so cute!” Dorcas squealed. Her hands reached out, giddy as Sirius gently placed it into her arms but not without fretting. Marlene only looked down at her with a soft gaze, her face becoming pink as she wrapped an arm around her.

“Give it a rest. She’s not going to drop it.”  

“Now you, McKinnon?! I’m a father now! Our kid deserves the best care! Right, L/N?”

It catches her off guard. Sirius trying to include her in a conversation? That’s a new milestone. “Of course; the proudest parents.”

━━━━━━━━━༻✩༺━━━━━━━━━

Once done with Kettleburn, Sirius went to bring Oats back to his dorm, parting as Y/N went to find Lily who took her notes for her afternoon classes.

Out in the courtyard, walking around in the snow, both Lily and Snape wandered around before she picked up a snowball, throwing it at him. Snape sent her a deadpanned look as Lily kept hurling snowballs. Most missed him, others hit him before he retaliated and threw some back.

Y/N halted, watching the scene play out and debated whether or not to approach them. But decided to, shouting while striding up to them.

“Petals!”

Lily’s smile grew before her head whipped to her. She stopped her snowball fight, getting up to bounce her way over to her. Snape followed in suit, but as Lily began to babble on and on about what she missed, Snape’s eyes bore into her, vice versa.

“I’ll see you later, Sevy! We need to go,” said Lily, already turning to walk away. Y/N lingered back a pause, just enough to see Snape draw his wand and shoot a spell at her. She had just enough time to block it. Whatever spell it was, it sparkled like a firecracker. If Snape could easily send a hex or jinx her way inboard daylight with Lily just a little ahead, what was he willing to do had they been alone.

His angel persona around her was dropping quickly.

“Whiskers!” Shouted Lily. Her arms raised in question. “Get over here!”

A flurry of thoughts bombarded her before she could process them. She was about to cause a scene, yell and scream until that nasty sneer fell off his face until she felt a tug on her arm. Lily hooked her arm around Y/N, pulling her away. But she still had her wand drawn, ready to block another spell. She tossed one last look at him; he smiled wickedly.

“Are you okay?”

She had enough tip-toeing around Snape. She remained tranquil, gave him the benefit of the doubt and respected their friendship but that was enough.

“No, I’m not actually,” keeping her tone as soft as possible, trying not to sound defensive, “Why do you waste your time around him?”

Lily paused, her eyes going wide. An offended expression crossed her face as she took a moment to digest the remark. “Sev? What are you getting at?” Her tone was guarded which had Y/N debating whether or not to drop the conversation entirely. A fight with Lily was not on her to-do list.

“I just think you should be careful around him.”

“I can look out for myself,” she grumbled, “Severus has been there for me for years. I know how to separate myself from the wrong sorts.”

“I’m only saying this to look out for —”

“I know, but he isn’t like what you’re thinking.” Lily didn’t look mad, just tired as she nodded sharply. Taking a stack of parchment from her bag, Lily handed it to her and walked faster. “You’re around Potter too much. He isn’t like what he says he is.”

Y/N felt annoyance blossom in her chest at the accusation of James but bit her tongue to avoid more conflict. Right now, they trod on dangerous waters.

Neither spoke to each other for the rest of the day.

[kellyvela]

There was one person who commented on grrm blog about Dany being their most hated character and hoping she would die. Grrm replied 'tsk tsk'. Do you know about that post?

This one?

The comment, now deleted, is from this post: Dany and the Dragons - Jul. 8th, 2013.

What about it? Is this about targies clinging to that "tsk tsk" for their lives?

I remember that the user belomor555 wrote that comment as an answer to another user mentioning them, as you can see here:

I like the conversation under grrm's comment, because those users didn't assume that George was saying he won't kill Dany:

We also know that when someone said to George that he’s not allowed to kill Dany, he answered that "Parris has proclaimed that Arya cannot die!" [Source]

Classic George!

But what is that "tsk tsk" compared to all this:

July 21, 2018

In the earlier published Targaryen family tree as found in The World of Ice & Fire, Princess Daenerys did not exist. In her place was Prince Aeryn Targaryen, Jaehaerys and Alysanne’s sixthborn son who died young. Besides Aeryn having been exchanged for Daenerys, several other children of Jaehaerys and Alysanne were shifted in their order of birth.

Regarding these changes, Elio Garcia has stated the following:

… George had some new ideas for some of the names and the stories of the children who died young, and corrected some issues that came out of his original birth order (we actually got the names of all the kids quite late in the production of TWoIaF—literally a month before we had to finalize the book—so there was not much time to interrogate it). However, the stories of those who live to adulthood, as published in TWoIaF, do remain the same (just, of course, much more detailed).

[Source]

November 20, 2018

Jaehaerys loved all three children fiercely, but from the moment Aemon was born, the king began to speak of him as his heir, to Queen Alysanne’s displeasure. “Daenerys is older,” she would remind His Grace. “She is first in line; she should be queen.” The king would never disagree, except to say, “She shall be queen, when she and Aemon marry. They will rule together, just as we have.” But Benifer could see that the king’s words did not entirely please the queen, as he noted in his letters.

(…)

It was the hour of the owl when Queen Alysanne was awoken by her daughter shaking her gently by the arm. “Mother,” Princess Daenerys said, “I’m cold.”

There is no need to dwell on all that followed. Daenerys Targaryen was the darling of the realm, and all that could be done for any man was done for her. There were prayers and poultices, hot soups and scalding baths, blankets and furs and hot stones, nettle tea. The princess was six, and years past being weaned, but a wet nurse was summoned, for there were some who believed that mother’s milk could cure the Shivers. Maesters came and went, septons and septas prayed, the king commanded that a hundred new ratcatchers be hired at once, and offered a silver stag for every dead rat, grey or black. Daenerys wanted her kitten, and her kitten was brought to her, though as her shivering grew more violent it squirmed from her grasp and scratched her hand. Near dawn, Jaehaerys bolted to his feet shouting that a dragon was needed, that his daughter must have a dragon, and ravens took wing for Dragonstone, instructing the Dragonkeepers there to bring a hatchling to the Red Keep at once.

None of it mattered. A day and a half after she had woken her mother from sleep complaining of feeling cold, the little princess was dead. The queen collapsed in the king’s arms, shaking so violently that some feared she had the Shivers too.”

—Fire & Blood - Volume I

May 19, 2019

Standing before the Iron Throne, Dany steps forward and kisses the man she loves. A perfect kiss, an expression of pure love and passion.

We push in on them until we’re tight on their faces – their eyes closed, his hand behind her head, her hand on his cheek.

Dany’s eyes open suddenly as she draws a sharp breath.

Jon’s eyes open as well, already filling with tears. For a moment, neither moves, as if moving will make this real.

In a wider angle, we see Jon with his hand still on the hilt of the dagger he just lodged in Dany’s heart.

Her strength leaves her and she collapses to the marble; he keeps her in his arms as she falls, kneeling down to the floor beside her.

He looks down at what he’s done. Terrible. And necessary. He hopes for one last moment with her.

But her eyes are already glazing over. Winter has come to the Throne Room. Dany lies dead in his arms, Pieta-style, as the snow drifts down.

—GAME OF THRONES “The Iron Throne” - Written by David Benioff & D.B. Weiss - Based on A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin

January 19, 2020

WELT: Again: We know what will happen to the Mother of Dragons. How do you want to surpass that in a novel – with an alternative literary version?

GRRM: Counter question: How many children did Scarlett O'Hara have? In Margaret Mitchell’s novel “Gone with the Wind” she had three children. But in the cinema version of the novels she only had one child. Which version is the only one valid - the one with one or the other with three children? The answer is: neither. Because Scarlett O'Hara never existed, she is a fictional character, not a real person, who would have had real children. Or take “The Little Mermaid”. We know her from the fairytale of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen and from the Disney movie. Which one is the true mermaid? Well, mermaids do not exist. So you can chose the version that you personally like the best. Changes are inevitable in this process. Even if the adaption is as faithful to the literary source material as it was the case with “Game of Thrones”.

—GEORGE R. R. MARTIN “Die Leute kennen ein Ende – nicht das Ende” - WELT 2020 - (Translation)

April 18, 2021

Q: It is my impression that there are parallels between Westeros history and current events in ASOIAF. so in your opinion to what degree is George martin’s history cyclical? Because we have a lot of parallels. For example with the current history and the dance of the dragons.

Elio: You know George even uses that line from talking about the the arms of house Toland, the dragon eating its tail, but it was from the Archmaester Rigney which is a reference to Robert Jordan the writer of the wheel of time, that history is a wheel or time as a circle. I think George certainly deliberately sees, creates parallels. I mean this is a very obvious example, you know if you read The World of Ice and Fire, you saw the family tree of the Targaryens, and the family tree for Jaehaerys and his offspring changes quite a lot when fire and blood comes out. Because George realized that he wanted to create a kind of parallel by introducing another Daenerys. and he said like, i like the symmetry of it, I like the the sort of the way. You could perhaps read it as reflecting on Daenerys’s story, maybe. I wish it was true. I mean I think fans of Daenerys need to be really worried about what’s going to happen to her. Although I guess Game of Thrones maybe has revealed kind of where things may possibly end. Again the journey is going to be very different. I think you know circumstances, things are going to be very different. So there’s a journey that matters. But in any case, so yes I think George uses cycles and things a bit. He likes setting up parallels of events, he likes paralleling characters, he likes paralleling events, and he likes paralleling the past and the present as well.

Linda: I think certainly that when he fleshed out the details of Fire and Blood, even when he first did the sidebars for The World of Ice and Fire, and they just grew. We could see that, okay here he’s looking at foreshadowing or commenting on current events by doing a similar scenario in the past and he definitely likes to play around with those aspects.

[Source]

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[danny-chase]

Warnings: violence, blood, realism in comics, me mentioning things stans want to ignore to make a point, you don't have to consider them canon, I'm just making a point don't hurt me

Right. Been seeing dialog about Jason's decision to give up guns that i feel is missing a few points.

1. Bruce is traumatized by guns. Yeah he jumps in the line of fire every night but that doesn't mean he isn't scared of/triggered by them:

[Image ID: Oracle!Babs and Robin!Tim roll/walk through the clocktower. Babs: (about guns) Hates them. But doesn't fear them. Tim: Not the way he jumps in the line of fire night after night. Babs: Line of fire... Babs: I was afraid of them for a long time. I'd go faint at the sight of a gun on TV. Tim: You have reasons, Barbara. So does Batman. Babs: But I. worked through them. Babs: Maybe Bruce hasn't. Maybe he's not the rock we thought he was. Tim: He bought a gun as therapy? Babs: Look at the facts. He bought it just like any other citizen. Like he wanted to experience it as someone else would. Tim: I don't think- Computer: Keyword media search alert. Tim: What's that? End ID]

Birds of Prey (1998) #40

Bruce's opposition of guns is partially based in trauma - it's not completely a moral stance or completely logical rule. Jason giving up guns is for himself, but it allows him to be closer to Bruce and for Bruce to be more relaxed in his presence -> can make their relationship closer.

2. [X] weapon isn't even lethal. Getting cut/hurt + no health care = possible death from infection -> shooting a henchman with regular bullets in the foot can be lethal. Or cutting them with a batarang.

[Image ID: A girl walks home getting off the school bus. Girl: "Mama, I know you don't want to hear this, but --" She opens the door to an empty run down house. Girl: "Mama? Mama are you --?" She opens up the bathroom door, revealing her mother sweating and bleeding out on the ground, trying to press a towel to a wound on her side. Her mom is wearing a henchman outfit for the H.I.V.E. Girl: "Mama!" Mom: "Why -- Why are you home so soon?" The girl holds her mom in a sitting position. Girl: "This isn't the flu. You said you had the flu." Mom: "I -- I will be better soon. I just need to rest." Girl: "You need a hospital, mama." Mom: "No. If they find out -- they'll take you away from me. Send me back to Guatemala." The final panel shows a wisp of Ravens cape, the view zoomed out. Girl: "I know you want to protect me, but you need help now -- no matter what happens later." Raven: "Maybe I can help." End ID]

Titans: Titans Together #4

Similarly could ppl stop acting like rubber bullets are non lethal, everything the batfam uses can be lethal and cause scenes like above. Literally none of them can claim moral high ground they've all thrown batarangs in people's faces (off the top of my head, Jason nailed Dick with one in the face in BoC and Bruce got Jason in the neck in UTRH so there's the two characters at odds).

3. Jason/Bruce has never hurt an undeserving person. Jason isn't a mass murderer and you're slandering him. Bruce is the best dad ever you're an idiot for thinking otherwise.

...did you miss the times he tried to kill Tim? Or sprayed Dick with fear gas? Or shot Damian in the chest (not rubber bullets mind you). All of this happened in Battle of the Cowl. He poisoned 82 prisoners indiscriminately in Batman and Robin (2009) #23, went around killing random "thugs" in Brothers in Blood arc of Nightwing. Is it slander if he did it? Idk. If anyone can answer that lmk but everything is canon now so the point is moot.

And let me also say if everythings canon Bruce has also hurt/hit/abused his family (i don't have the specific issue numbers but runs that I've seen bad dad Bruce in are The New Titans, Batgirl (2000), Nightwing (1996), Tom Kings crap, RHATO rebirth, etc. I don't feel like going into detail but if hard pressed i will) don't try to paint me as a Bruce or Jason apologist/hater please

Also literally see the panel above 💀 the mom is an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala with an engineering degree she can't use because the US gov is literally fucking flaming garbage, so she had to take that job to provide for her daughter. Quit thinking extrajudicial murder/vigilantism is a woke take. No. Stop. Bad. Criminals have rights for a reason.

Can you choose to call the above things Jason and Bruce have done ooc and bad writing. Yep. Go ahead, be my guest. Just it's weird to me that ppl always seem to do it for one character and not the other. Like... that's not productive dialogue? And yeah both Jason and Bruce stans do this i just happened to see a post from a Jason stan so he got to be shamed first. If you think i think my fave is wrong, i literally made a post publically shaming him at one point, and wrote an entire fic dedicated to me pointing out why i think characters would hate him the most 🤷‍♀️ if someone read a comic that shows your fave in a bad light don't call them stupid for not liking that character just point them in the right direction and if you don't want to. Don't. Just block them. I'm tired of watching ppl act like their better than each other because they don't consider things canon (unless you stan a minority character and don't consider their racist/sexist writing canon in which case, same, you're the best ppl in this fandom)💀 or referencing fanon as canon and telling ppl to go read more comics 💀

Anyways the takeaways I've come out with are, this debate between the two is more than just morals, they've both wronged each other, and trying to simplify it down into victim and abuser is just - missing nuance and ignoring their full histories in my opinion and kinda just ends up flattening both characters and making both of them less relatable

[sayruq]

Hahaha okay. Illyrio was point blank talking to Tyrion about the history of house Blackfyre and how contrary to most people’s beliefs, it has survived via the female line, but somehow, through your insane logic, that equals him REALLY referring to Elia. Gimme a break.

Hey, this may shock you, but he also wrote a large passage of information on the multiple Blackfyre rebellions also, the last one was recent enough to still have people who remember it and were there.

Bloodraven is still around for fuck sake. Oh yeah, I’m racist because I have the nerve to question the veracity of the spymaster and lying Eunuch and his slave-owning co-worker, where all of a sudden, we’re expected to believe that these two are trying to engineer a perfect king out of the goodness of their hearts.

He never confirmed who Aegon was to Kevan, just how he’ll be a better king than Tommen. Nothing about what his real identity was.

varys did confirm aegon's identity

"Aegon?" For a moment he did not understand. Then he remembered. A babe swaddled in a crimson cloak, the cloth stained with his blood and brains. "Dead. He's dead." "No." The eunuch's voice seemed deeper. "He is here.

also didn't i just tell you that the blackfyre rebellion is important? aegon's similarities with daeron ii are already evident and he hasn't won the war yet - elder son and heir to the crown prince, ties to house martell, born in dragonstone, a father who is like aegon the unworthy, parentage being questioned, etc. - and dany's similarities with daemon are also numerous - ties to tyrosh, younger, came into prominence at the age of 13, married an essosi noble, closer to the targaryen ideal, etc. - so the blackfyre rebellion is very relevant. i also happen to think aegon will wage battles like baelor and maekar did.

secondly, nothing is funnier than you thinking that:

serra is a secret blackfyre through the female line that no one has kept up with in universe

despite their vast resources, the golden company was unaware of her existence despite fighting for and against lys, leaving her to suffer in slavery

but somehow illyrio and varys found her and illyrio had a child that looked like rhaegar enough to fool a man who has been in love in rhaegar for decades

decide to put that child on the iron throne even though the free cities are wealthier and probably safer

the cunning illyrio, who also married serra despite the political setbacks, chooses to support a plan that includes his supposed son fighting a war against the dothraki in a foreign land illyrio has never been to. the man who kept his wife's hands is letting his only family

anyway he raises his son to think of himself as elia's kid without slipping up once or making joncon suspicious and never getting the chance to be his supposed son's true father

do you hear yourself? you think this is less complicated than children being switched in the same book where jon switches gilly's baby and mance's baby? you think this is less complicated than illyrio helping varys' scheme out of loyalty to an old friend and a chance to make a little profit along the way, and in the process illyrio ended up growing fond of aegon during the 7-8 years aegon lived with him? you think this is less complicated than

"And Daenerys will give the exiles what Bittersteel and the Blackfyres never could. She will take them home."

aegon doesn't have to be blackfyre to get the support of the golden company because dany isn't a blackfyre and yet the golden company was willing to sail to meereen. the only thing either of them have to do is bring the exiled lords, knights and common soldiers back home.

and yes, illyrio was referring to elia. he and tyrion were on the road to the rhoyne and he was only telling tyrion part of the plan, making it seem like illyrio was interested in putting daenerys on the throne. he refers to aegon as griff's son over and over again. even when tyrion met joncon, he still believed the entire affair exists to put daenerys on the throne.

Finally Griff looked up from the parchment, and those pale eyes narrowed. "Tywin Lannister dead? At your hand?" "At my finger. This one." Tyrion held it up for Griff to admire. "Lord Tywin was sitting on a privy, so I put a crossbow bolt through his bowels to see if he really did shit gold. He didn't. A pity, I could have used some gold. I also slew my mother, somewhat earlier. Oh, and my nephew Joffrey, I poisoned him at his wedding feast and watched him choke to death. Did the cheesemonger leave that part out? I mean to add my brother and sister to the list before I'm done, if it please your queen." "Please her? Has Illyrio taken leave of his senses? Why does he imagine that Her Grace would welcome the service of a self-confessed kingslayer and betrayer?"

aegon's existence is still a secret so yes, illyrio and grrm were hinting at aegon's survival through elia before tyrion figured it out himself.

it's funny you brought up bloodraven, the man who has killed more blackfyres than any other. sure, he would be chilling in his cave as yet another blackfyre makes an attempt at the throne 🙄.

varys has no reason to lie to a dying kevan. you keep dodging this and it's embarrassing. if there's anyone varys would ever tell the truth to, it's a man who won't be able to tell anyone. anyway, it tracks with varys' earlier behaviour- he always mentioned rhaenys' death but not aegon's, he has been undermining the lannisters and baratheons but has done very little to help daenerys (she only became useful when she was married to drogo and when she hatched the throne) esp in comparison to aegon.

i don't know what to say except you will never get a blackfyre reveal. not that aegon being a blackfyre will make king's landing's destruction any less horrifying.

[cinearia]

The "Morally Grey" in ACOTAR

I decided to write something I have been thinking about since I saw some people saying this when pointing out the wrong attitude of some characters in ACOTAR (aka Rhysand and company), but I think this can apply in general. In another specific story, but I will focus on ACOTAR.

And please, if you disagree, that's fine. This is an opinion of mine that I decided to write and post, because I find it an interesting subject that does not necessarily apply only in ACOTAR, but that is in the saga and I have seen people commenting on it. I don't want to fight with anyone, okay? I put in the tags that fit in.

So...

I love morally gray characters, but just to make it clear right now, I don't think that EVERY story has to have ambiguous characters. It's okay if the story is to follow a line more heroes versus villains line. But one of the things I saw here on tumblr and twitter about the attitudes of IC, Rhysand and Feyre was using that same argument, that they are not perfect, that they have their flaws. I definitely agree with that.

But history itself does not recognize this (and some fans too). Because nobody seems to call their shit out.

Starting from a general view that can include all of the IC. Like, how not to worry about your image while protecting your city? Okay, i get it, we had to be the tHe BaD gUyS, but y'all will suffering the consequences for this, especially if its to protect your own city. Some other people are protecting their citys too. Doesn't mean that you are wrong, but everything has consequences.

Or, how they constantly abuse their power; how Rhysand threatening and using his powers even at a political meeting sound good? How Feyre ended up hurting someone during that same meeting, even if unintentionally, was just fine? No one will call their shit about using their powers? Do you really seek to make allies and friends in the middle of a war by showing abuse of power and threatening others (and not just feysand doing this)? Or saying that they should step over the others so that there is only one king and queen in Prythian (that was right for you, Amren).

And that is partly the fault of writing. Now, more specific:

They lie and steals a valuable artifact from a possible ally and political leader of an entire court? Ah, but it is for a greater good. It will not jeopardize the confidence of a HIGH LORD OF A COURT who was supposed to be his ally in the midst of a war.

Did Feyre decimate an court? Ah, but the leader was abusive to her, she felt trapped in the place that was rebuilding because of a curse of hundreds of years, even though there are innocent people. And, of course, you will have the consequences for this.

(this one more personal and less political) Elain, perhaps the least worst of all, neglected Feyre as much as Nesta did, and also do nothing when she went hunting? Ah, but Elain is Elain.

Did Rhysand hide information from Feyre's pregnancy that she and the baby could die in childbirth? Ah, but he didn't want to worry her, he was scared to lose her and her son. And the whole IC agreed not to tell her anything? Ah, they also care about her, the High Lady.

(And this is the worst and yes, I’ve seen someone say that) Rhysand did it all with Feyre UTM, drugged her, put her in a dress that didn’t cover anything, made her dance all night on his lap? But because he wanted to protect her, we need to hear both sides of the story.

And that's fine because they are the good guys in the story. But it is nothing more than pure hypocrisy, and no consequence falls on them. If it happens, it will be unfair, is just to move the plot.

Do you want us to believe in the heroes of history, do you want us to side with them? Great, we can do that. We could have liked Feyre and Rhysand and the whole IC more, as a group that doesn't always do the right things, except that would have to change literally EVERYTHING (a little bit of charisma would be good).

Instead, for me, it became an egocentric boring FoUnD FaMiLy group that only cares about their own city - and it's not necessarily wrong to be concerned only with Velaris, it's part of their history. But forcing an image on them that doesn't match their actions makes me believe the opposite, especially cause started in ACOSF, again from AMREN, about a King and Queen in Prythian.

So, I came to believe that it was a POV issue. For IC, they are the heroes of history, and think they are better than the rest.

It would be curious, in fact, if the whole point was that Feyre's POV would incapacitate us from seeing the flaws that she doesn't see. And totally proposital. That is why we have to see her as a saint, but at the same time so badass. Wow, no one, i repeat, NO ONE, suspect of me while i pretend to be innocent.

Or how we see her mate so perfect, to the point that history doesn't allow us to stop and think 'wait, this is kind of ...weird'. Or that, as much as there is an error there, but not leat the reader question the characters themselves. Rhysand, for Feyre, is perfect.

We have to see Rhysand as that altruistic, laid-back person who does everything for others, mostly because he did it for Feyre, and that can't be denied. He saved her, took her to her city, her family. What made me stop to think is how Feyre may be reproducing their behavior. How he seems to want her to be part of it so badly. I don't know how to put it into words, but that's more or less what I wrote in another rant I did.

Everything she does is justified by the other characters. At the same time that she, Rhysand and everyone in the IC have hypocritical and very wrong attitudes that history itself does not recognize. And, worst of that, the story seems glorify her POV.

Seriously, when she disobeys the instructions given to her (what she does the most) she has no one to say 'girl, please stop. Just STOP)

And with this said, i add:

We don't have to agree with everything that the characters and the protagonist do. We can love them and still disagree with them, because they are people, or fae, like any other, and there will always be something in them that we will disagree with. It makes them real. They can be heroes and still have their dark side.

The reasons may be as noble as possible, but that will not exclude the consequences, it will not exclude them from being wrong. They do not necessarily need to take a spur or a lesson in morals, but just do not miss out on what every action can bring, especially political leaders in the midst of a war.

Whenever the IC does something, it is for a "bigger" reason, but without giving us the chance to even question it. We don't see them paying for their words, without necessarily moving the plot of the story, in a story that focuses so much on the development of the characters themselves and putting the war in the background (or how should been). Without us being able to question the motivations of the good guys and always doubt the villains.

And this is where I’m going to focus on a more specific point; funny like any character who is "MoRaLlY GrAy" and who "have YOUR rEaSoNs" are men or with history of abuser. Thats funny, right? The new one now is Eris, who was part of Mor's trauma and one of Lucien's nasty brothers, that one who already attacked Lucien, the one who was going to kill Feyre. Who did all that to Mor.

But having Eris saying that she, the victim, didn't tell the whole truth, and the history is now showing that we will see his side...

It just makes me ask, how, in ALL the process of creating and writing these books, passing for her editors, in the books that she wants to pass the message of feminism so much, SJM didn't stop to think, or didn't have a friend to put their hand on your conscience, how wrong does it sound for the abuser to say that the victim is lying?

Why are the men in this saga constantly gaining the gift of doubt?

I can no longer see Rhysand as being morally gray precisely because of what SJM wants us to believe as he is and justifies his actions. What could have been in ACOTAR stopped being completely from ACOMAF, probably because SJM wanted that in her story, the girl would stay with the """villain"""

For from then on, every action of Rhysand is justified and without future consequences, since we are supposed to root for him. Now he is the protagonist's new love interest. So we don't blame him for what he does. So, everything is fine. He's not the bad guy.

And meanwhile, Tamlin comes down to being the bad, abusive guy and... That's it. And no, I don't think he's a good person, he doesn't have to have an arc of redemption, what he did with Feyre is still wrong. The difference now is that Tamlin is just that, those are his only attributes now, while Rhysand has attitudes as bad as, perhaps more, than he had. One is being extremely vilanized while the other is the hero of history, when they are only two sides of the same coin.

I can share this hatred as ALL characters feel for Tamlin, if I didn't see how everyone else did such bad things. Let's remember too, one has the job of torturing people, another has decimated an entire village. They really do what they want and... It's okay.

Doesn't work say that the story has a morally grey area with the characters if the consequences balance it does not lean towards the protagonists.

It costs me less to believe that they are what they are every time SJM reinforces in Feyre's POV how selfless Rhysand is and how much Feyre talks about how badass she is and the two of them such a powerful couple. Literally, I start to think the opposite.

(I did a second part of this rant, but I think it can get a little more personal cause focus in Nesta and Feyre that I decided to split it in two)