#it has dragon in it and is therefor superior to the others

[sourcherryandsprinkles]

Aemond goes to Storm’s End to spend some time with the Baratheon daughters as he agreed to marry one of them in exchange of House Baratheon’s banners and men. He spends time with each sisters, and ends up getting along with you the best although your older sister says she deserves the prince more. You disregard their opinion and continue spending time with Aemond. Smut happens in secret…and almost gets caught

Request: Library sex!! Aemond find someone who loves books and reading and they end up having sex or maybee not all the way

Warnings: 18+, smut, fingering, almost getting caught,

my taglists are here + you can send requests here at any time

—

When Aemond returned to Storm’s End, he viewed the Baratheon daughters as part of his duty. He was obligated to marry one of you in exchange for your house’s support for his brother’s claim. Any of you would have done the job, but Lord Borros let him choose. 

The daughters, on the other hand, saw him as a valuable prize. He was a prince. They competed fiercely for his favor, each eager to secure the final spot as his bride. 

‘’Did Prince Aemond propose?’’ you asked Floris as she returned from her afternoon with the prince. 

‘’He has not,’’ Floris said, sitting down on the end of the couch, still giddy from her outing. ‘’But he might soon.’’ 

‘’Did you kiss?’’ Cassandra pressed, wondering why her sister assumed so. 

Floris shook her head, and Cassandra sighed, turning her attention back to her embroidery. She was trying to make a dragon to impress Aemond, but it was somehow looking like an oversized bee with a long neck. 

Beside you, Ellyn breathed a dreamy sigh, thinking of the prince’s tall stature and sharp jawline. ‘’I’m seeing him tomorrow. I picked out a dress just for him.’’ 

‘’Is it the blue one?’’ Floris asked. 

Ellyn nodded with a sly smile. At the moment the dress had been made, it fitted Ellyn perfectly, but now her breasts were slightly spilling out of the neckline. It wasn’t appropriate wear for a casual dinner — not anymore. But when a prince was visiting and looking for his future wife, it was perfect. 

‘’That’s unfair. Not all of us have been graced by the Gods…’’ Maris moaned, jealousy evident in her voice.

When she spent time with Aemond, he made it clear that he had no interest in her. He didn’t say he didn’t wish to marry her, but she felt his disinterest. And he didn’t ask to see her again.

Cassandra interrupted, her tone sharp. ‘’As the oldest, I should be the one marrying the prince. I have flowered, therefore I am capable of providing heirs.’’ 

You rolled your eyes without letting her see. Three out of four of your sisters had flowered; it didn’t make her superior. Not anymore. ‘’I doubt heirs are on the prince’s mind right now, Cassandra. Not when there’s a war in preparation.’’

‘’What do you know about war?’’ She raised an eyebrow, waiting.

‘’Why do you think Prince Aemond and Prince Lucerys asked for our father’s banners and men?’’

‘’She’s right,’’ Maris said, agreeing with you. ‘’He is only marrying one of us because his brother needs our house’s support. If the king had not sent him here, he would never have thought of making one of us his wife. I doubt he even knew our names before he flew to Storm’s End on his big dragon.’’ 

Cassandra huffed, refusing to recognize that Maris was right. 

Instead of waiting around for Ellyn’s return with Cassandra, Maris and Floris, you went to the library. You didn’t want to listen to her bragging about Aemond’s eye peeking down at her chest. Using your body to get a man’s interest was not how you planned to find your husband. For seducing the prince. You wanted him to marry you for the person you were, not the size of your breasts. The conversations would be sad.

‘’A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one,’’ a voice you recognized as Aemond’s said quietly, his voice cutting through the stillness.

You raised your head from your book, seeing him standing by one of the shelves. ‘’May I help you with something, my prince?’’ 

Aemond plucked a book from the shelf and glanced at the first page. ‘’Searching for something to occupy my time. I do not mean to denigrate your home, but there is very little to do on Storm’s End.’’ 

‘’You read?’’ you asked, a hint of surprise in your voice. It was rare to find men who were genuinely interested in books.

The prince nodded once. ‘’I have a preference for history books.’’ He closed the book he was holding and returned it to its place on the shelf. 

‘’I’m afraid our library will disappoint you,’’ you said, a touch of regret in your tone. ‘’As you may have noticed, my father cannot read, and neither did my grandsire, so our collection is quite sparse.’’ 

Aemond’s gaze shifted to the book in your hands. ‘’What of the one you are reading?’’ he asked, raising an eyebrow.

‘’I bought it in town. My septa taught me how to read.’’ 

She taught all of your sisters, but only you and Maris were interested in reading. She insisted that reading was knowledge and believed that a woman should be more than just a dutiful wife and mother. Your father would strongly disagree with her; he just sold one of his daughters for a political alliance.

‘’You never brought it up during our outing.’’ 

‘’I didn’t want to bore you.’’ 

Aemond stepped closer, the distance between you narrowing. ‘’I think reading makes you more interesting.’’ 

Your heart quickened as his words hung in the air. 

Before your first outing with Aemond, Floris had warned you not to mention reading or books, saying that men don’t like that. It made you smile to find out she was wrong.

‘’May I join you?’’ He gestured to the seat beside you. 

You nodded, and Aemond gracefully sat beside you. He took the book from your grasp. You wanted to protest, but he began reading to you, his voice deep in tone, but soft and calm at the core. No one had ever read to you before. 

The torches on the walls of the library casted a golden hue over the room, creating a serene atmosphere. If your sisters knew of this intimate moment, they would be jealous. Especially Cassandra. You would love to see her reaction, watching her jaw tighten as she glared at you. 

Occasionally, Aemond would pause and you heard the gentle rustle of pages turning. You allowed yourself to steal glances at him from time to times, watching his lips move as he read. He must have caught you because sometimes the corner would twitch into a slight smile.

While he read, Aemond’s voice wrapped around you like a warm embrace, each word painting vivid images in your mind. You could listen to him for hours. 

‘’Why did you stop?’’ you asked, turning your head to look at Aemond with a frown drawing between your eyebrows. 

He didn’t say anything. He simply looked back at you, his one eye intensely holding your gaze, and you felt a magnetic pull drawing you closer. You wanted to be all up in his personal space. You wanted to touch his face, gently trace the line of his jaw and feel the warmth of his lips beneath your fingertip.

Aemond’s gaze lowered from your eyes to your lips, sending your heart racing with a newfound intensity. Maybe this unchaperoned moment was not a good idea? Or, maybe it was exactly what you needed? Before he knew it, Aemond’s hand touched your chin, guiding it towards him. He gave you a chance to pull back, to deny him, but only a fool would do so. 

You let your desire take control, closing the gap between you and kissing him. He instinctively leaned in and deepened the kiss, so tender but passionate at the same time. His scent filled your nose, his fingers in your hair while his lips pulled your bottom lip softly as he pulled away. 

A silence filled the air, your head still spinning from the kiss. You reached out to tenderly caress Aemond’s face, soft and smooth beneath your palm.  

Aemond dove for a second kiss, and you heard the thud of the book falling to the ground, completely forgotten. At another moment, you would have picked it up right away, but your mind was…occupied. 

You reached behind Aemond’s neck and pulled him closer to you, his own hands grabbing at your waist and hips as the intensity of the kiss increased. 

It wasn’t in the prince’s habits to kiss a woman like that — to kiss a woman, ever —, but something within Aemond was pushing him to make a move on you. Was this the desire his brother often told him about? 

Humming against his mouth, you grabbed at the front of his jacket, needing something to grab onto as you felt your lower belly start to tingle. The new sensation caused you to shift in your seat, the sudden throbbing between your legs making sitting on a chair very uncomfortable.

‘’Did I hurt you?’’ Aemond asked when you broke the kiss. 

You shook your head. ‘’No. I… Please keep going.’’

He searched your eyes for a sign that would contradict your words, and resumed when he couldn’t find any. 

He slid his hand up your arm and pulled down your sleeve from your shoulder, his warm palm brushing against your bare skin and rising goosebumps. You glanced down at your newly uncovered shoulder, breathing heavily. Aemond then moved down your sides to cup one of your breasts, causing your breath to catch in your throat. 

You wrapped your arms around his shoulders, pressing his chest flush against you. It was a clumsy position on the small reading couch, but Aemond manoeuvered himself to make it work. His hands slid down your back as his mouth traveled lower, to the dip in your throat, kissing your neck. You moaned under his mouth, the new sensation awakening so many new feelings inside you. He reached down your leg to find the bottom of your skirts and lifted the fabric to ghost his hand over your ankle and up your leg, bunching the hem up as you breathed heavily. 

You knew where he was going — and you wanted it. Gentleman as always, he stopped and searched for your eyes, needing your consent before pursuing. You nodded, excitement bubbling as you felt his palm on the inner part of your thigh, very close to where you wanted him. His name left your lips in a whisper, a soft beg. He covered your mouth with his, swallowing his name as he dove his hand between your legs. You felt his fingers prodding at your entrance, gently caressing the outside of you before swiping between your folds, causing you to gasp.

On the scale of forbidden things by your father, indulging in sexual activities outside of marriage — in his castle — was most likely at the top. He did not wish for his daughters to have a bastard baby or lose worth because they lost their maidenhood.

You should have asked Aemond to stop and pushed him away. But your desires were telling you to open your legs and let him in — literally. 

‘’Ahh,’’ you breathed out, your fist clenching over the prince’s clothed bicep as his long finger was deep inside of you, getting squeezed by your clenching walls. 

He pressed his forehead against yours, intently watching your expressions as you discovered a new pleasure. 

Aemond pressed his thumb down over your clit, and started to gently massage it. 

‘’Right there! It feels so good.’’ You sighed immediately and opened your legs a bit more, biting your lower lip to keep yourself from being too loud. There was no one else in the library, but anyone could come in. 

He added another finger, making you moan and pant around him. 

Unfortunately, the pleasure was short-lived as a servant calling your name. 

‘’H-here, Jeyne,’’ you replied, trying to keep your voice steady to avoid any suspicion.

You heard her footsteps approaching on the library’s floor, and you and Aemond quickly composed yourselves. You smoothed down the skirts of your dress while he picked up your book from the floor and opened it, pretending to read as Jeyne arrived.

The servant was visibly surprised to find Aemond with you as all your time in his company had to be chaperoned. She bowed her head to him respectfully before turning to you. ‘’I did not know you had company, miss.’’ Her tone indicated she was searching for gossip. 

You smiled kindly — and innocently — at Jeyne. ‘’Prince Aemond found me in the library during my afternoon reading. I was helping him find a book to take to his chamber as he forgot to bring one for his stay. You are not interrupting.’’ 

Despite their outward trustworthiness, you knew servants had loose lips, and that’s how rumors from the castle spread around town. 

‘’What is it that you wanted?’’ you asked, pressing her leave.

Jeyne glanced nervously between you and Aemond before speaking. ‘’Your father requests your presence in the great hall, miss. A raven arrived from Winterfell and he is struggling to read it.’’

You nodded, maintaining your composed demeanor. ‘’Thank you, Jeyne. Please inform my father that I will be there shortly.’’

You watched Jeyne leave, and let out a breath once she was out of earshot. That was close. Getting caught in a compromising position would not have been good for your reputation. 

Aemond closed his book, a frown marring his composed posture. ‘’I apologize for losing my manners, miss Y/N. I don't usually engage in these kinds of…activities in public places.’’ The mention of sex seemed to make him uncomfortable. His usual confidence was replaced by a rare vulnerability.

‘’I don’t either,’’ you said, your cheeks flushed as you stared at the skirt of your dress. ‘’I…I should get going. I promised to help Cassandra pick her dress for tomorrow. Not all dresses are suited for horseback riding.’’ You rose from the reading couch, giving Aemond one last glance. ‘’I’ll see you later at dinner, my prince.’’ 

You made a move to leave, but Aemond clasped his hand over your wrist. His touch was firm yet gentle, sending a shiver down your spine. ‘’That won't be necessary,’’ he interrupted, his voice low and steady. ‘’In case I haven't made myself clear, I've already made my choice. I want you.’’

—

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[espionn]

NightWing tribe sheet!

hey guys, sorry this one took a little bit. nightwings have a lot going on. also, i talked about both the old night kingdom and the volcanic island, but i didn't really mention their new rainforest setup, bc i didn't want this to be *too* long. so sorry that there isnt anything regarding that lol

Physical Appearance + Traits

-NightWings are the only fully nocturnal tribe, going to sleep a bit after dawn and rising at sunset. Their colors are dark, not only making them invisible in the shadows but also letting them fly at night without standing out. The undersides of their wings are scattered with starlike scales and rich coloration that perfectly resembles a night sky. Their night vision is almost perfect, and their eyes flash in direct light not unlike nocturnal mammals like cats. 

-NightWing colors are usually mixed with green, blue, purple, or some combination of these. Some are nearly pitch black, and others are more gray. Their beaklike snout, horns, and spines are usually the same light silver as their scales, but sometimes these can be black too.

-Healthy NightWings are often somewhat large and even bulky, with thick tails and strong legs. After their retreat to the volcano, they were thought for some time to be scrawny and have a permanent dull roughness to their scales, but after a few generations in the rainforest they began to again be sleek and strong.

-The three moons are not only extremely important to NightWing culture and imagery, but also have a physical effect on them. Named Oracle, Perception, and Imperial, each full moon can grant a different ability. A NightWing hatched under a full Oracle will have limited prophecy abilities, and Perception will grant mind reading. Imperial added to either of these will make them stronger. The only thing that is still uncertain is whether Imperial alone has any effect. Some dragons insist it grants natural leadership abilities, but the only consistent observable effect it seems to have is a deep-rooted infatuation with the moons throughout the dragon’s life.

-Perception - mind reading - will also leave a silver teardrop-shaped scale in the corner of the dragon’s eyes. It will be reinforced with a silver circle beneath it if Imperial’s strength is applied. Oracle’s mark is more subtle, but seers’ eyes themselves will often be strikingly silver, and some have noted more clear constellations present in their wings.

-The strength of the power can often depend on how directly the dragonet was exposed to the light.

-The pattern of stars in the wings of NightWings are as unique as a human’s fingerprint. Sometimes, though, they resemble real constellations, and even when they don’t, there are seers who claim to be able to read a dragon’s fortune in their wings, similar to palm readers or even Zodiac theorists. Superstitious parents may have the wings of their dragonets analyzed by these seers. It’s very rare, but on occasion a dragon may be hatched with large, bright patches of clustered star scales, and these dragons are not only considered extremely attractive and desirable, but also may be said to be blessed by the stars themselves. 

-Albino NightWings are extremely rare, but they are practically worshipped. One factor in the bad blood between NightWings and IceWings was the feeling from NightWings that IceWings’ pale coloration was a crude mimicry of the moons, and therefore impure and insulting.

Life Cycle:

-NightWing eggs are laid in small clutches, usually between two and four. They incubate on secure clifftops, carefully watched by parents, for 3-4 months, and hatch quite physically defenseless. They take longer to learn to walk and fly than any other tribe (with the exception of SeaWings, of course). NightWings believe this is a sign of superior intelligence, as their development goes to their minds first and their bodies second; it is, in fact, true that NightWings learn to speak and even read quite early compared to other tribes.

-NightWings live with their parents and siblings in family units. It isn’t uncommon for homes to be multi-generational, with grandparents or even great-grandparents to live in the same place as their descendents, as some dragons simply never choose to leave their unit. They also sometimes live with friends and other relatives. Some also choose to live alone.

-Despite how many NightWings sometimes choose to live together, they are actually not very socially dependent dragons. Some are more social than others, but much of their lives and work will be spent on their own, even though they live and sleep with other dragons. They are self-motivated and many are quiet and disinterested in conversation. They also tend to lean toward making friends outside their families rather than having the same parent and sibling bonds that some other tribes have. 

-Dragonets spend much of their time, for several years, in school. NightWing schooling is very organized and thorough, and every dragonet is expected to attend. The vast majority of their socialization while they’re young is done in school.

Society + Culture:

-Even more so than SeaWings, NightWings have thousands of years of literature that they take enormous pride in; the main reason for their education system at all is their need to teach about their history and writings. Poetry and orchestral music are inventions of the Night kingdom, and they are beloved within the tribe. Their technology is on par with SkyWings, but instead of weaponry and armor, their focuses are on instruments, glasswork and even some scientific tools. 

-Their society doesn’t rely much on rank and structure; some dragons may have higher status, usually based on wealth, but NightWings don’t have distinct ‘high-status’ and ‘low-status’ groups like other tribes might. They are valued based on ability and intelligence, and not so much by birthright. Mindreaders and seers are usually well-known and well-respected, though there is a subtle jealousy pointed toward them throughout their lives as a result. 

-There was a time when NightWings would intentionally try to lay eggs that would hatch on full moons, especially double moons, hoping to have powerful offspring. However, many myths state that these dragonets would be cursed, and their gifts would somehow backfire; in these stories they often died, young and tragically. This practice was later discouraged and even considered taboo. 

-This hasn’t stopped some morally ambiguous experiments from being carried out. Eggs about to hatch have been intentionally exposed to meteor showers, eclipses, blue moons, harvest moons, northern lights, and a number of other phenomena with the hopes of finding some new and mysterious powers. The records of the results have been lost to time.

-Architecture is another particular piece of pride for NightWings, and while the Night Kingdom still stood, it was a marvel to any dragons who visited. Their structures - schools, homes, even the kingdom - were carved directly out of the cliffs of their jagged land, and then carefully and lovingly sculpted over time; pillars and statues and high-vaulted ceilings with intricate detailing are almost reminiscent of ancient Rome. 

-Even before their retreat to the volcanic island, NightWings were not very involved in the conflicts between other tribes. They were perfectly content in their region, and tended to think other tribes didn’t have much worth seeing anyway. Because they don’t usually bother themselves with fights like this, when they aren’t hunting, they tend to spend their time on things like art, writing, astronomy, and music, as these are highly valued in their society. Those who weren’t interested in these areas could also do limited military work, construction work, or work in service of their royalty as guards, hunters or servants.

-Once they lived on the island, though, survival trumped anything else. Food was scarce to non-existent, they lost the majority of their craft and literature, and some died outright from smoke inhalation toward the beginning. They carved rough tunnels into the cliffs with their own claws. They became hardier, but much less advanced. They also lost all knowledge regarding the stars and moons, including that of their own powers.

Diet: 

Old Kingdom: Omnivorous. NightWings could make a wide variety of food and drinks, usually eating small animals, fruits and vegetables that they could grow or trade, and even some mushrooms. They had no qualms about eating them raw without preparation, if they just needed a quick meal, but they could mix and cook food to make a variety of meals.

Island: Carnivorous. They eat anything they can find, and rarely bother to do anything beyond cooking it, if even that. Very few plants grow on the volcano, and only the most desperately hungry dragons will eat it. 

[skyeventide]

there's like, things about Dragon Age and the ancient elven empire there that I don't believe can quite be grasped unless you have a cursory understanding of either Tolkien or the Tolkien-generated trope of elves as an advanced civilisation of superior beings with magic/technology/knowledge/lore that is now lost and/or that largely influenced the remnants of the human empire, which substituted the elven one as the leading force in the continent. fantasy worlds like Dragon Age are deeply in conversation with that (and I guess like the Witcher or smth but I never read or played that, and didn't finish season 1, so my knowledge is second-hand; but either way).

the thing in Tolkien and Tolkien-generated tropes is that these elves are good. they're superior, they teach things to the second-coming races, they're narratively exalted, they're borderline divine, any kind of more or less violent colonialism (it happens) and feudalism (also happens) they instate is good, narratively obfuscated, or even justified. Tolkien has criticism of colonialism in his work, but rarely if ever goes all the way when it comes to elves. criticism of elven hierarchies based on clan and level of holiness and greatness are often narratively undermined (e.g. Eol, a character whose criticism of Turgon and the Noldor is diluted by the fact that he's awful as a person)(you can go into detail about Galadriel and Nimrodel but this post is technically a Dragon Age post lmao).

there's a Tolkien paper called "The Wretched of Middle Earth: An Orcish Manifesto" by Charles Mills, which goes into scathing detail about how the narrative sets up the elves as a superior race and consistently characterises the other groups, orcs, humans, dwarves, as racial inferiors. it's not afraid to call out "aryan" comparisons, without trying to argue that Tolkien actively believed in that ideology. the racial herarchy is there, in the text.

tl dr elves have all the rhetorical trappings of an empire... without ever being one. they're good, they're paternally helpful towards the humans they educate (who are therefore the superior humans), and they're good also and particularly in the sense that they never "fell" in a religious sense, no matter their individual actions (fastidious details and contradictions notwithstanding). they didn't abandon the true god.

what's happening in Dragon Age is that these elves, who are narratively presented as the "true" elves, the lost ideal, the immortals before modern elves turned from their ways and lost that immortality, the great advanced civilisation that probably taught humans before humans feasted on their remnants, these elves... are an empire. they conquer, enslave, pillage from the dwarves (another trope turned on its head; don't tell me the dwarves-elves peaceful companionship where the dwarves keep digging to satisfy the demand of material but they're also best friends with elves, turned to explicit war of conquest for possession of raw material in Dragon Age, doesn't elicit mithril-lyrium comparisons), have pantheon wars. this is the sole logical conclusion of those tropes. it's the subtext, the unspoken, the unspeakable, brought straight to light. it's the rhetoric of empire that's been buried in stories about elves brought to its only possible sensible end: this is an actual empire. there's no way it could have been anything else.

(this goes deeper with the numenor-gondor-tevinter comparisons, which are absolutely blatant when you know that gondor's precursors, numenor, went full empire, and that their last action before the island sank was attack the elves' blessed realm. if ar-pharazon and numenor had won, we could have gotten something very similar to Tevinter in storyline. only the Tolkien racial hierarchy simply cannot be toppled like that, it's practically divinely mandated and protected. the maker-the allfather directly and personally intervenes. but without this extremely disruptive and literal deus ex machina, that too is turned on its head in Dragon Age: it's not god who sinks the capital of the human empire to prevent their violent conquest AND traps the fighting humans underground, after the elves have fled instead of choosing to fight; it's humans who arrive, the elves flee, and then humans presumably sink the capital city into the ground. once again, when the ontological hierarchy of races and the divine decree of goodness and favour is removed, the true logical conclusion comes to the fore. one empire substitutes the other.)

[fourthwingfan]

Madness - Chapter 17

Hi, guys. Enjoy the new chapter :)

It is therefore only natural that the more powerful the dragon, the more powerful the signet its rider manifests. One should beware of a strong rider who bonds a smaller dragon, but even warier of the unbonded cadet, who will stop at nothing to seize a chance to bond.

—Major Afendra’s Guide to the Riders Quadrant

(Unauthorized Edition)

After sleeping in the crowded barracks for the last two months, it’s weird, and oddly decadent, to have my own room. I’ll never take the luxury of privacy for granted again.

I close my door behind me as I step into the hallway.

Violet’s door is to the right of mine and I see her limping towards me.

“Hi, there rider.” I greet her with a smile. “How is your leg?”

“Hi, Aelin.” She smiles back. “It’s not that bad. I’ll be fine in a couple of days.”

“Good morning, neighbours.” I feel an arm around my shoulder.

“Hi, Liam.” I look up at him. His room is the one left of mine, and Ethan’s next to him. We are the only first-years who survived Threshing in our squad.

“Hi.” I hear Vi whispers and I can see a small blush? on her face.

Oh, my god. I love it!

“Are you okay, Vi? You’re face is a little red.” I say with a sly smile.

“Yes.” She glares at me and turns around when Rhiannon’s door, across the small hall from us, opens and we see Sawyer’s tall, lean frame come out. He runs his fingers through his hair, and when he sees us, his eyebrows rise and he freezes—his cheeks almost as red as his freckles.

“Good morning.” I grin.

“Guys.” He forces an awkward smile and walks off, headed toward the main hallway of the first-year dormitory.

Rhiannon walks out of her room and smiles as soon as she sees us. “No more breakfast duty?” She turns to Violet.

“I was told last night that all the less desirable duties were being handed off to the unbonded so our energy can be redirected for flight lessons.”

„One more reason for the unbonded to hate us,” Rhiannon mutters.

“It doesn’t matter. I think our dragons existence are already pisses them off.” I shrug.

„So, Sawyer, huh, Rhi?” Vi asks as we start down our hallway, passing a few other rooms before meeting up with the main corridor that leads to the rotunda. Have to say, the first-year rooms aren’t as spacious as the second-years’, but at least we all got ones with windows.

A grin curves her lips. “I felt like celebrating.” She darts a quick side-eye at her. “And why have I not heard of you celebrating?”

We melt into the crowd moving toward the gathering hall. “Haven’t found anyone I want to celebrate with.”

“Really? Because I heard that you and a certain squad leader had a moment last night.”

She nearly stumbles over her feet.

“Come on, Vi. The entire quadrant was out there, and you don’t think someone saw you?” I roll my eyes.

„Who gives a shit if it’s frowned upon to be in a relationship with a superior officer? There’s no regulation, and it’s not like any of us is guaranteed to live through the day.” Rhiannon says.

“Solid points,” she admit. “But it’s…” she shakes her head, searching for the right words. “It’s not like that with us. I’d always hoped it would be, but when he kissed me—there was nothing there. Like. Nothing.”

“Well, that’s shitty to hear.” She hooks her arm through hers. “I’m sorry.”

“Me too.” She sighs.

“I’m not.” I glance at them. “I never liked him. And he doesn’t support you, Vi. You deserve someone who sees you. Because you’re awesome.” I squeeze Vi’s hand.

“Thanks, I think.” She smiles at me with gratitude.

„Good morning, ladies. And Liam.” Ridoc forces his way through the crowd and slings an arm around Rhiannon and Vi’s shoulders as we enter the rotunda. “Or should I say, riders?”

“I like the sound of riders,” Rhiannon replies, shooting a smile in his direction.

“It has a certain ring to it,” Ridoc agrees.

“It’s definitely better than dead. Where’s your relic?” Vi asks Ridoc as we pass through the columns of carved dragons and take the steps into commons.

“Right here.” His arm falls off her shoulders, and he shoves the sleeve of his tunic up to reveal the brown mark of a dragon silhouette on his upper arm. “You?”

“Can’t see it. It’s on my back.”

“That will keep you safer if you’re ever separated from that massive dragon of yours.” His eyes dance. “I swear, I thought I was going to shit myself when I saw him on the field. What about yours, Rhi?”

“Somewhere you’ll never see,” she responds.

“You wound me.” He slaps his hand over his heart.

“I highly doubt that,” she retorts, but there’s a smile on her face.

“And you Aelin? If it’s somewhere private than I’d like to volunteer to check it out. Just you, and me.” He winks at me.

“Nice try.” I laugh at him. “But I’ll pass.”

“Are you waiting for someone else?” Liam whispers in my ear.

“Shut up.” I elbow him in the ribs while I feel myself flush.

Before anyone can ask another question we move through commons and into the gathering hall, then make our way through the line for breakfast.

“Asshole,” Ridoc mutters in front of  me. “I still can’t believe they tried to kill you.” He says to Violet.

“Who?” I ask and look toward the counter. There’s a man behind it and he glares at Violet with hatred in his eyes. “Oh wow. What did you do to him?”

“I beat him during the challanges.” Vi turns to me. „And before Threshing he said that I better watch my back.”

“Hm. He really holds a grudge.” I say while we collect our breakfast. „But don’t worry, now you’re a rider with a badass dragon. Still… I can’t believe he’s this petty.”

„I’m the weakest link, right? Unfortunately for me, that means people are bound to try and take me out for the good of the wing.” Vi says.

“You’re not!” I say firmly.

We head toward the Fourth Wing section and find a table with extra seats.

“Mind if we—” Ridoc starts.

“Absolutely! It’s yours!” A couple of guys from Tail Section scurry off the bench.

“Sorry, Sorrengail!” the other says over his shoulder as they find another table, leaving this one empty.

What the hell?

“Well, that was really fucking weird.” I say as Rhiannon rounds the other side of the table, and I follow, putting our backs to the wall as we step over the bench and sit, setting our trays in front of us.

“Even weirder?” Liam remarks, gesturing across the hall toward First Wing.

Following his line of sight, my eyebrows lift. Jack Barlowe is being squeezed out of his table. He’s forced to stand as others take his seat.

“What the hell is going on?” Rhiannon bites into a pear and chews.

Jack moves to another table—whose occupants won’t make room for him—and then finds a place two tables down.

“How the mighty have fallen, Ridoc notes, watching the same show I am, but there’s no satisfaction in watching Jack struggle. Feral dogs bite harder when they’re cornered.

“Hey, Sorrengail,” the stocky girl from First Wing says with a tight smile as she walks past our table.

“Hi.” She wave awkwardly as she walks away, then turn to whisper to us. “She hasn’t spoken to me since I took one of her daggers in that challenge.”

“It’s because you bonded Tairn.” Imogen blows her pink hair out of her face and throws her leg over the bench across from us to sit, pushing up the sleeves of her tunic and revealing her rebellion relic. “The morning after Threshing is always a clusterfuck. Power balance shifts, and you, little Sorrengail, are now about to be the most powerful rider in the quadrant. Anyone with common sense is going to be scared of you.”

I blink, is that what’s going on? I look around the hall and take note. Social groups have split up, and some of the cadets I would have considered threats are no longer sitting where they usually do.

“Which is why you’re now sitting with us?” Rhiannon arches a brow at the second-year. “Because I can count on one hand the number of nice words you’ve said to any of us.” She holds up a fist with zero fingers raised.

Quinn—the tall second-year—takes a seat next to Imogen, and Sawyer arrives, sitting on Rhiannon’s other side. Quinn tucks her blond curls behind her ears and brushes her bangs out of her eyes, her round cheeks rising as she smiles at something Imogen says. Have to admit, the hooped piercings that line the shells of both her ears are pretty awesome, and among her half dozen patches, it’s the dark-green one—the same color as her eyes—with two silhouettes that’s most intriguing. I should have studied up on what all the patches mean, but according to what I’ve heard, they change every year.

I’m personally a fan of the first ones we’ve been given. I had to sew the tail-shaped patch with the emblem for Fourth Wing and the centered number two with great care, being sure to only stitch the fabric of my corseted armor, since it’s not like any needle is going to penetrate the scales.

„You weren’t interesting enough to sit with before,” Imogen responds, then bites into a muffin.

“I usually sit with my girlfriend in Claw Section. Besides, no use getting to know you when most of you die,” Quinn adds, tucking her curls away again, just to have them spring forward. “No offense.”

“None taken?” Vi says.

Then Heaton and Emery, the only third-years in their squad, flank Imogen and Quinn on the bench across from us.

“Wow. Is it a squad meeting?” I ask while munching on an apple. “Liam, I think we stand out too much.”

“You’re right. Why don’t you sit with your own squad?” Imogen asks with a raised eyebrow.

“Because they like us more than you. Even though you are their squadmate.” I smile at her coldly. “We have every right to be here. If you have a problem with it then the challanges we’ll start over soon.”

She swallows and looks at her plate.

“Is it just me or is anyone else surprised that Barlowe bonded?” Ridoc questions. “Though from what I’ve heard, his Orange Scorpiontail is on the smaller side.”

“She is,” Quinn confirms. “Which is why he’s struggling this morning.”

“Don’t worry—I’m sure he’ll make up for his lack of social standing in other ways,” Rhiannon mutters, her gaze narrowing. “You have to have some protein, Vi. You can’t just survive on fruit.”

“It’s the only food I can be sure isn’t tampered with, especially with that guy behind the counter.” she peels an orange.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” Imogen scrapes three pieces of sausage onto her plate. “She’s right. You’re going to need all your strength to ride, especially with a dragon as big as Tairn.”

I stare at the sausage. Imogen hates her just as much as me. Hell, she’s the one who broke her arm and ripped out her shoulder on assessment day.

“You can trust her,” Aon says, and I startle, almost dropping the apple.

“She hates us.”

“But she has changed.” He says and I can feel him pulling back.

No other explanation? Fine.

Vi starts to eat, and I focus on the conversation at the table again.

“What’s your signet?” Rhiannon asks Emery.

Air rushes down the table, rattling the glasses. Air manipulation. Got it.

“That’s epic.” Ridoc’s eyes widen. “How much air can you move?”

“None of your business.” He barely spares him a glance.

“Sorrengail, after class is out today, you’re mine,” Imogen says.

“I’m sorry?” She asks in surprise.

Her pale green eyes lock on her. “Meet me in the sparring gym.”

“I’m already working with her on sparring—” Rhiannon starts.

“Good. We can’t afford her to lose any challenges,” Imogen retorts. “But I’m going to help you with weights. We need to strengthen the muscles around your joints before challenges resume. That’s the only way you’ll survive.”

The hairs rise on the back of my neck. “And since when do you care about her survival?” This isn’t a squad thing. It can’t be. Not when she didn’t give a shit before.

“Since now,” she says, gripping her fork in her fist, but it’s the lightning-fast glance toward the dais at the end of the hall that gives her away. Her concern isn’t coming from the goodness of her heart. Something tells me it’s an order. “Squads are about to be condensed at morning formation. We’ll be down to two in every section,” she continues. “Aetos kept the highest number of his first-years alive—hence the patch—so he’ll be allowed to retain his squad, but we’ll probably gain a few when they strip the squads from those who weren’t as successful.” She glances at Liam and I.

As discreetly as I can, I look to my right, past the other Fourth Wing tables and to the dais where Xaden sits with his executive officer and the section leaders, including Garrick, whose shoulders look like they should take up at least two seats. It’s Garrick who looks my way first, his forehead lining with… What is that? Worry? Then he looks away. The only reason he’d be remotely worried—he knows something.

Imogen helping Violet. Violet bonded to Tairn. Ohh shit.

“Aon? Is Tairn and Sgaeyl are mates?”

“Yes. They have a bond.” He answers.

“Then Violet and Xaden are somehow connected too?” I have my suspicions.

“Yes. They have a bond through their dragons.” He answers. “But it’s not an emotional one, little one.” He adds silently.

Then it means Garrick knows Violet’s fate is tethered to Xaden’s.

My gaze snaps to Xaden, and my chest tightens. So. Freaking. Beautiful. Apparently my body doesn’t care that he’s as dangerous as they come in the quadrant, because heat rushes through my veins, flushing my skin.

He’s using a dagger to peel an apple, removing the rind in one long curl, and the blade continues its path as his eyes lift, locking with mine.

My whole head tingles.

Gods, is there any part of my body that doesn’t physically react to the sight of him?

He glances toward Imogen and back to me, and that’s all it takes for me to know for certain. He’s ordered her to help train Violet. Xaden Riorson is now in the business of keeping his mortal enemy alive.

…

A few hours later, after the squads are rearranged and the death roll is read, all the first-year riders in Fourth Wing stand in our newly issued flight leathers, waiting in front of our dragons on the flight field.

We were the smallest squad, it was logical to disband us. I don’t know why, but fortunately Liam, Ethan and I was assigned to Fourth Wing, Flame Section, Second squad. It’s Violet’s squad. Our squad’s second- and third-years went into the same squad too. I don’t complain. I’m glad that we’re still together. So now it’s our first flight lesson as a member of a new squad.

The uniform is thicker than our usual one, with a full jacket I’ve buttoned over my dragon-scale armor. And unlike our regular uniforms, whatever we choose them to be, flight leathers bear no insignia besides our rank at our shoulder and any leadership designation. No names. No patches. Nothing that could give us away if we’re separated from our dragons behind enemy lines. Just a lot of sheaths for weapons.

I try not to think about possibly fighting in the war effort one day and focus on the organized chaos evolving on the flight field this morning. I can’t miss the way the other cadets look at Tairn or the wide berth the other dragons give him. Honestly, if I had those teeth bared at me, I’d back away, too.

„No you wouldn’t, because you didn’t. You stayed and defended your friend.” Aon’s voice fills my head as he stands next to Tairn, and I can tell from his tone there are places he’d rather be.

“Only because there was a lot going on at the moment,” I respond.

“I don’t think so. Now pay attention!” He ends the discussion.

I roll my eyes but focus on what Kaori is saying from the center of the field. His hand is up, using common lesser magic to project his voice so we can all hear.

God help us when Ridoc figures out how to do that. I bite back a smile, knowing he’ll find some way to annoy the shit out of every rider in the quadrant, not just his squad.

“…and at only ninety-two riders, you are our smallest class to date.”

My shoulders dip. “I thought a hundred and one were willing to bond, plus you and Tairn?”

“Willing doesn’t mean they found worthy riders,” Aon answers. “You’re worthy. At least I think you are, but you apparently don’t pay attention in class.” He chuffs and a warm puff of steam blasts the back of my neck.

“There are forty-one unbonded riders who would kill to be standing where you are,” Kaori continues. “And your dragons know that your bond is at its weakest point right now, so if you fall, if you fail, there’s a good chance your dragon might let you if it thinks the unbonded will be a better choice.”

“Comforting,” I mutter.

Aon makes a noise that reminds me of a scoff.

“Now, we’re going to mount, then follow a series of specific maneuvers your dragons already know. Your orders are simple today. Stay in your seat,” Kaori finishes. Then he turns and breaks into a sprint, racing the dozen feet toward his dragon’s foreleg and making the vertical climb to mount.

Just like the last obstacle on the Gauntlet.

I sprint up the same way and I navigate Aon’s spikes to find the seat. My tighs ache a little from yesterday, but it’s bearable. I grip the pommel. Okay, I’m ready.

Kaori’s dragon launches into the sky.

“Hold tight.”

I feel as Aon crouches a millisecond before he hurls us skyward. The wind tears at my eyes as my stomach falls away, and I risk holding on with one hand to lower my flight goggles. Immediate relief.

“We had to go third?” I ask Aon as we fly out of the canyon and higher into the mountain range. I get it now, why I didn’t see the dragons training often even though I’ve basically grown up at Basgiath. The only people around us are other riders.

“I only agreed to follow Smachd because his rider is your instructor. Tairn should be the first.”

“So you’re an in-front kind of guy. Good to know. Remind me to spend some time at temple so I can make multiple appeals to Dunne.” I keep my focus on Kaori, watching for when the maneuvers will start.

“The goddess of strength and war?” Aon clearly scoffs this time.

“What, dragons don’t think we need the gods on our side?” Shit, it’s cold up here. My gloved hands tighten on the pommel.

“Dragons pay no heed to your puny gods.”

Kaori banks right, and Aon follows suit, leading us into a steep dive down the face of one of the peaks. I clench with my legs to remain in the seat.

We go into another climb and even a near-spiral of a turn, and I can’t help but notice that he’s taking everything Kaori is doing and making it harder. The same as Tairn.

“Why did you make it harder?” I ask. “It’s our first flight lesson, I don’t want to fall off.”

“You won’t. I chose you, now trust me. Unless you’d rather be scraped off the glacier below like Gleann’s rider back there?”

I whip my head around to look, but all I see is Aon’s tail swinging, his massive spikes blocking the view.

“Don’t look.”

“We already lost a rider?” My throat knots.

“Gleann chose poorly. He never bonds strongly anyway.”

At least I can hold my seat. It’s not that bad.

As soon as I think this, I see Violet as he falls off from Tairn.

“Violet!” I shout without thinking.

“Don’t worry. Tairn will catch her.” Aon says.

“What? But I thought the dragons never catch the newly bonded riders.”

Then I see Tairn’s claws catch her. He climbs high, then tosses her again, his back rises to meet her falling bottom. I sigh with relief as she takes her seat. She’s safe.

“Worry about yourself, little one. You have a lot to learn. Leave your friend to Tairn.”

I try to concentrate, but I can’t help and notice as Violet falls again.

And again.

And again.

Shit. We have to figure something out.

[sheikah-simp]

Okay fuck it today I’m finally gonna talk about how cheap Zelda’s draconification was and how it robbed so much from not only the player but also undercut the entire premise of botw.

Long post below because boy do I have some THOUGHTS.

First, I do wanna say that I don’t completely hate totk. It absolutely hurt me at first and I despised it because it was a betrayal of botw in so many ways, but it does do some things well, and it’s grown on me. Despite the story being shit, the execution of it is done very well. Genuinely I cried multiple times through the game because they just made certain things so beautiful. Even during the draconification scene when I was pissed off beyond belief. And the ending fight is admittedly really cool. Some of the bosses are a bit too easy despite being really fucking cinematic (colgera) and I like how versatile the devices are. Link’s abilities also mesh with the game really, really well. As a “game,” I think totk supersedes botw. However, as a narrative, botw is far superior.

Alright. Let’s just rip the bandaid off. I absolutely despise Zelda’s transformation into the Light Dragon. It completely destroys her entire arc in botw and completely destroys botw itself. Not only have we CLEARLY split the timeline again (ugh) it just seemed so out of character and they helplessly damselfied a Zelda we had just watched grow so so strong. (Maybe how well Age of Calamity handled Zelda’s arc has also colored my perception of this but I digress).

In botw, we watch Zelda grapple with failure, duty, and selflessness. She is constantly faced with her feelings of failure and the looming threat of the Calamity and undue pressure from her father, trying to convince her to give up the one thing in her life that actually brings her joy (researching ancient sheikah tech). This pressure occasionally leads her to acting really bratty, especially towards Link. She is selfish not in a way that is arrogant, but rather is self-conscious because she is so consumed with her own thoughts of failure she can’t often see what other people are giving up or going through - it’s a very natural human reaction many people with low self esteem have. It is still, however, a self-centered outlook. She can’t get out of her own head and stop blaming herself for her problems.

But then!! Just when all hope is lost and the Champions are caught in the Divine Beasts, she and Link are cornered, she steps up and does one big selfless thing. She jumps in front of Link to protect him from the blast of a guardian, and this awakens her powers. This is significant to her story for a couple reasons:

#1) Zelda does something selfless for Link. Even in this situation that seems hopeless, and how in a scene before she’s shown blaming herself, she finally decides to take action in spite of the circumstances. She defies hopelessness even when all hope seems lost. She’s demonstrated not only does she deeply care for Link, but she isn’t going to let a hopeless situation stop her.

#2) This is the bigger one for me. Zelda deactivates a guardian. In that cutscene, her blast is shown to be so powerful that it actually deactivates most all the guardians at Fort Hateno, and maybe across all of Hyrule. All those decayed guardians you’ve been seeing throughout the game? Yeah. Half of them or more could be directly because of Zelda. Her connection to ancient Sheikah tech is ultimately what helps her save the kingdom. No, in that moment she didn’t sit there thinking “Aha! I know how these operate and therefore—“ but it really isn’t lost on me thematically here that Zelda’s major interaction with a major piece of Sheikah tech is what saves everyone. Her own talents are her strength. (This is even more pronounced in Age of Calamity but again. I digress).

So then Zelda buys them enough time to take Link to the Shrine of Resurrection. She drops the Master Sword off with the Deku Tree and then you know what she does? With her newfound power, she goes and fights Calamity Ganon in a cage match, herself, for 100 years. She is locked in that fucking egg with him holding him back one on one, and she is still able to communicate with Link while doing so. That is objectively badass. After overcoming hopelessness and failure she is so strong she can hold back a literal force of nature, herself, for a century. And it’s another selfless act. She’s been in there one hundred years keeping Hyrule safe until the Master Sword is restored and Link is better enough to finish the job.

And then when everything is done? The final shot in the completed ending of the game is Zelda setting out on her next adventure. She’s still talking about the Sheikah tech (Vah Rutah) and what to do about it. Her power is fading, but she’s ecstatic. And the final thing we see of her is her smiling and laughing (the first time she’s really done so!!) and then the camera pans out to this entire field of Silent Princess flowers - the flower that cannot thrive in a domesticated environment. A flower that can only thrive out free in the open - in the wild - and is such a clear metaphor for Zelda I feel like I don’t really have to get into it at this point. Zelda is free of all the chains that once held her back and now she is free to explore her actual interests and talents, out in the field, out in the wild. And it’s fucking beautiful I still cry thinking about the last shot of those flowers. It’s some of the most powerful imagery I’ve ever seen in media, let alone in a video game. It’s on the fucking cover art with the Master Sword. It’s about rising from the harsh, uninhabitable ground and thriving. You show me a silent princess flower and to this day I will weep.

So now this brings us to how totk betrays this (and uses the silent princess flower to slap me in the face I guess idfk).

Look. I get that they cannot keep Zelda in god mode. I get that her letting go of her power is actually an important part of her arc. But you’re telling me she has nothing? This awakened Zelda we already know who’s saved Hyrule doesn’t have any remnants of her light power? I guess they needed it all for Mary Sue- I mean Rauru jfc. And I get the time power thing is a callback to previous games but in the context of this incarnation of Zelda it seems really out of place. I’m glad she got a mother figure for a little bit though. Even if she was then murdered directly in front of her face.

So now we have this Zelda, who we KNOW is kind of a genius at all things ancient tech. And who we KNOW has already saved the world once. (Putting aside how this game can’t decide if it’s a sequel or not). And. Oh my god! She was sent to the past! She was sent to the past to interact with a highly technological race! This should be like a dream for her! She should clearly be able to demonstrate how knowledgeable and competent she is in these situations, right? Right? RIGHT!?!

No! She isn’t!! She is flopping around completely useless back there!!! Rauru and Sonia are shown doing everything while she just watches and kind of picks up her time power eventually. We get little tidbits more of her interactions in the Ring Ruins, but none of this is shown in game. The Zelda we get on screen is helpless, has no idea what she’s doing there, no idea how to get back, and sits having conversations with her mommy about how much she loves this boy back home. And maybe she needs that ok. She didn’t have a mom. But still. Come on. We see NONE of her old talents and capabilities showcased in an era where she was perfectly poised to do so. SHE IS OUT THERE FREE IN THE WILD. She regressed in personality and has less interesting traits than when she was being a selfish brat to Link. Come on. Look how they butchered my girl. She is a damsel. It’s really sad.

And so then!! Then!! They have the balls to sprinkle in this dragon stuff and SUDDENLY make it the big overarching thing of the game. I think the dragons are very cool and an awesome idea for a game, but I don’t think they’re integrated very well into botw, let alone totk, to justify what a suddenly massive role draconification plays late in the story. I wish they were. Because it’s a really good idea. But it is NOT well executed here and serves to undercut her arc and her personality further. The immortal dragon thing is like a side throwaway line in ONE CUTSCENE from Mineru. No one dwells on it. It is not presented in a way where it seems like it’s gonna become A Thing. But it’s made clear to us that OOOO IF U BECOME A DRAGON U BASICALLY DIE. U ARE NOT URSELF ANYMORE U DESTROY YOUR SPIRIT AND SOUL AND PERSONALITY AND DIE. Like oh god ok I get it. Swallowing ur secret stone is suicide by dragon. I get it. Okay.

And so then, instead of being competent in this situation and environment like she should be, we have a useless helpless Zelda floundering around in a hopeless situation where once again all of her friends die. This Zelda who has already overcome this hopelessness and all of her friends dying once and rose above it with god level power. And they are on the brink of failure and all her friends die and what does she do?

(bottoms up, and the devil laughs).

AND SO WE KILL OURSELVES???? KILL OURSELVES!!!???!!

On one hand I really don’t blame her. The devs gave her absolutely no power or agency in this situation and so this is the only option she has. Because she has no power, this is the only way she can get the Master Sword to Link. It’s forced and cheap, but also makes sense on her end given what she’s working with. But I cannot emphasize enough how much she does not know if this will even work or not and how from her POV and everything we have been given to know about this process in game, she is just killing herself over this sword. And that is not MY Zelda.

Not only is she killing herself over Link and the Master Sword, but it makes you feeling invested in the scale of her sacrifice in botw seem cheap and stupid in retrospect. Like, Oh?? You thought it was bad Zelda was locked in a fight with Ganon for 100 years?? WELL TRY ONE MILLION BAJILLION SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME AS A DRAGON WITH A SWORD STICKING OUT OF HER HEAD!!!!! Like god ok I get it!!! Sorry for caring!!!! Sorry for thinking her sacrifice in botw was really badass and cool and meant something!! you’re right this sacrifice is waaayy bigger and waaayy worse and scarier god im sorry!!!!!

Like. I'm kind of glad she doesn't remember any of it then. But then why the hell did you need to make this seem like a bigger scarier deal that took a shit on all of her choices in botw? 100 years with Ganon seems pointless and like nothing in comparison to that, and as a sequel, that's bad.

But like I'm sorry. I just can't get over Zelda killing herself in this environment she's supposed to be thriving in. She has NO options?? she can do NO research with Mineru? She can make NO PLANS to get herself OUT of draconification (we're returning to this is a second, don't worry) or find a different way to get the sword better?? My god. What have they done to you girl.

And then. Then these fuckers have the absolute GALL to slap down a ton of silent princess flowers at the end of that final scene. You fuckers didn't even make that a recurring symbol in this game. How dare you put the silent princess flower, the symbol of breath of the wild, the symbol of a girl who rises up out of hopelessness against all odds, who thrives her best out in the wild, tacked on to the end of a cutscene where she does exactly the opposite of all of that. Seriously after watching that entire sequence it felt like they spat in my face. I was pissed.

So then you do the rest of the game that's a wild goose chase except you know the goddamn answer the whole time. You know where Zelda is. She's up there in the sky. You don't need to find her. She's right there. And the ending fight sequence is cool, but as we've established, Zelda was not conscious during that, so really she had no part in the badassness at all. She didn't even actively choose to fly in and face Ganon. The dragon did that.

And THEN!! AND THEN!!!!!!! Rather than create some interesting postgame content (which could have involved the ring ruins!! which could have involved Purah or the forgotten temple!!! you know that room you have to walk through where you very clearly have to walk around this object that looks like a fucking lotus?? yeah?? that one?? that LOTUS that does FUCKING NOTHING????) we just get not even a deus-ex-machina, we get Rauru-ex-machina, yet again, stepping in and fixing Link's arm and turning Zelda back just because he can do that now or something. Because suddenly they can defy all established laws of the game and it means nothing. That big sacrifice we cheapened botw to make also meant nothing because Rauru can just. Reverse it lmao. There is no reason they should just be able to do that now. And if there is, why does the player not get ANY part of this? (Such as in Age of Calamity, where after the main storyline you can go back and put together Terrako and unlock the true ending. Age of Calamity was a better companion story for BOTW than TOTK ever was, in this essay I will--)

Anyways. Those are my thoughts. I was really excited for the Ring Ruins to have some sort of meaning in terms of turning Zelda back (especially because you know. they're a big ring. a circle. like the logo of the game. like. an ourobouros. like. yknow what nvm.) and the whole, Impa being a part of that. and the rest of the Sheikah. But instead I just got Mary Sue Rauru fixing everything and taking his arm back (because I guess he could have just fixed Link's arm regularly the entire time) and the Sheikah, descendants of the OTHER highly technological race, floundering around completely useless at the foot of these mysterious rocks that do nothing but get you an armor set that gets you to a skippable dungeon. Totk. Stamping all over my cool ideas and hopes and dreams once again.

I could go on about this. But I can't. I just can't go on anymore. They've broken me enough already.

[darklinaforever]

Anti-Targaryen people are really sick...

A headcanon that the Targaryens brought peace to Westeros ? Someone hasn't read the books...

I'm not even going to bother debunking the bullshit about Rhaegar other than to say that Lyanna was 16 and not 14. But hey, that's common among these people to lower Lyanna's age to further victimize her.

We also love the fact of never taking into account the rules of the feudal world / GRRM to impose a modern perspective...

Denying that Targaryen women had more freedom in the age of dragons, etc.

Saying that the Targaryens are worse than other families, under the pretext that they were in power, when no.

Once again, their reign brought peace. Before their arrival, the lords of Westeros went to war every week. The Targaryens did not bring war to Westeros ON THE CONTRARY !

“But it’s not good that they conquered Westeros anyway!” Okay, so the best thing was to let Westeros be destroyed by lords more hungry for power than the others who were at war all the time I suppose...

Knowing that in addition a prophecy essentially predicting the coming apocalypse was added to the picture.

Of course the Targaryens are so horrible for stopping the war between the lords and trying to save Westeros from this prophecy...

Supremacist and racist ? Just because they talk about preserving their bloodline and magical blood ? I remind you that the Targaryens once again married more outside their family than within their family... We will come back to racism.

Plus, all the houses in Westeros tend to feel superior, does that make them racist ?

It's a noble and lordly thing in general, nothing to do with racism !

Implying that conqueror goes hand in hand with colinizer when NO.

Also the fact that women marry young has nothing to do with the Targaryens... It's a thing of society in general.

Not to mention that the Targaryens are the ones who hurt women the most with some example who are in fact not more numerous than other members of the other Houses of Westeros...

Once again there were so many assholes among the Targaryen than in the other Houses.

And the treatment of Targaryen women got worse when the dragons disappeared because before they had much more freedom as a result of their existence.

You just have to read the books to realize it !

Not to mention the fact that this person can spit on ancient Valyria all they want, but it's definitely suggested in the work that women were treated better there than in Westeros, which makes sense when you consider sees how Targaryen women were in Westeros compared to other women before the loss of the dragons and therefore that Targaryens unfortunately adhere more and more to the traditions of Westeros, to which they had already acclimatized, which the colonizers do not do...

But I guess these canon facts don't agree with the view of the Targaryens being the worst with women so we'll just say it doesn't exist to demonize them ?

With the logic of these people, the end of GRRM's story is just going to be the destruction of House Targaryen or of its entire universe ? Like the apocalypse is going to happen and everyone is going to die ? 😂

Are they stupid or what ?

No, because let's be honest, the anti-Targ people who try to qualify their remarks like this person by saying that everyone is bad don't really mean it since they always try to make the Targ worse for obscure reasons.

Even though they loudly proclaim that everyone is horrible I doubt that at the end of GRRM's story they want everyone to lose, not at all.

The reality is that they just want the Targaryens eradicated and nothing more. Frankly, if GRRM one day finishes his story, or simply delivers what he had planned for the end... all these people risk being deeply disillusioned.

I can't stand all these idiots anymore...

[ellewod]

Aemond has always felt inferior in general but feels he has been cheated out of the crown. He considers himself the superior candidate and openly tells Criston so, saying he has Vhagar, studied swordsmanship, the histories and philosophies. He's been preparing for the crown since childhood even as he knows he is probably never going to get it. It's a dream he's probably held onto. But now he's starting to put it into a reality. He was going to let Aegon go when he ran away but for some reason didn't. He's probably regretting it now. If Aegon had disappeared and was known to run away then Aemond would have willingly taken his place. Where that left Aegon's children I don't know, would Aemond kill them? Maybe. The show is deviating from the books and not well executed either. Aegon should have punished Aemond for Lucerys's death whether it was an accident or not, he actively pursued and threatened Luke with his dragon. I know Luke cut his eye out but they are at war now and Aemond was told to just be an envoy, not to kill anyone. Its all fucked up. Now Jaehaerys was murdered through Aemond again and Aemond expressed no grief or guilt, only regret over Luke and misplaced pride that Daemon came after him. Therefore Aegon is entitled to do as he pleases to Aemond because Aemond shows no feelings whatsoever in his part in Jaehaerys's death

true!! aemond is sooo intriguing that way imo.

he’s insecure af, yet at the same time he’s like ”i’m sooo much better than everyone else. listen to my perfect high valyrian. look at my BIG dragon. my loooong targaryen hair. the way i swiftly wield a sword. my war plotting skills, earned by reading and studying meticulously. the way i don’t even need armor — since i’m invincible anyways. look at ME. the man who is superior to everyone — especially my foolish, drunken, older brother who does not deserve my crown.“

if aegon ran away, like you said, show!aemond would DEFINITELY kill aegon’s children.

yah, show!aegon should have whooped his little brother’s ass for killing their nephew! it was a dumb af move, even if it was an accident. everyone knew that rhaenyra would answer one way or another. and since aegon is her true opponent and not aemond, there was a high risk of rhaenyra’s side punishing aegon for his impulsive brother’s actions.

haha the way aemond felt sorry for the murder of luke, but was never shown to feel any remorse for his brother’s little boy being butchered in his stead, was a fooooooolish writing choice imo.

they should have never shown aemond admitting to feeling any remorse in general! especially not for the murder of the nephew who stole his eye and cruelly laughed at his face. he should have owned his irrational decision to hunt luke while being fully aware that vhagar is a hungry old war dragon……..

to wrap it up; i agree with everything you said.

aegon should have been the one to burn his brother’s ass. or better yet; they should have ignored each other’s mistakes, fight side by side to ensure their SHARED triumph, and stay a fucking team, like the one we witnessed at the dinner scene in season one.

[silviakundera]

re: Story of Kunning Palace. If we get into Themes of the Novel...

I can see why Xei Wei is positioned as her ultimate romance.

The story seems to be a character journey for FL. Part of this jouney is coming to terms with herself and not just being "redeemed" but FEELING redeemed. Look at her conversation in jail w Yan Li. I'm bad, she says. It's something she still believes.

JX enters the story thinking of herself as unworthy of ZZ and in her mind, getting to be accepted & loved by him would be a barometer of goodness. But that's not what she NEEDS. She doesn't need a gold star blessing from a paragon of justice. She needs to accept the ugliness of her past and her imperfections and be able to live with it, to no longer be ashamed. As trite as it sounds, she needs to learn to love herself.

Look at this MTL passage from the novel, on the barrier between her & Xei Wei in her 1st life....

No one knew that the reason why she didn't want to learn the qin after entering Beijing was because of Xie Wei.

Four years ago on the way to Beijing, Xie Wei was holding a qin. She thought this man was really a distant relative of the Jiang family, he was dressed in white clothes, he had nothing but a qin, and he looked sick. Although he was in the same vehicle as her, he didn't like to talk to others, and closed his eyes most of the time to rest his mind. Only when he stopped occasionally in the middle of the journey, he would touch the qin.

Jiang Xuening didn't understand, and she didn't like him either.

Only then had she learned her true background, and knew that there was a "sister" who was praised by everyone in the family. She was afraid that she would be looked down upon by the maid who came to pick her up in Beijing along the way. One has to put on the posture of a young lady, for that humble and pitiful "self-esteem".

Young ladies are all condescending and domineering. Therefore, she was also superior to others and bosses them around - and "others" included Xie Wei.

She grew up in the countryside and didn't learn any rules, but this person had rules when walking, sitting and lying down; whether it's the posture of holding chopsticks when eating together, or when leaning in the carriage for a nap, he was always in order. It hurt her to see it. At that time, she felt that this man was shabby but still carried himself well.

It was only after a long time that she was willing to admit that the reason why she felt uncomfortable was because even if she didn't understand, she could still feel the difference between cloud and mud. And this difference is exactly the difference between her who grew up in the countryside at that time and the bustling capital she was about to arrive in.

But people are always reluctant to admit such truths.

Even after she became a queen, she didn't want to see Xie Wei, and Xie Wei's name was always associated with the qin, and she didn't want to see one.

When she was most terrified and miserable in her life, she was seen by this person. As long as she saw this person, she would think of that past.

And this was what she tabooed the most in her previous life.

Who knows what Xie Wei thought of her at that time? Today's empress was just a country girl who wore a dragon robe and didn't have the look of royalty.

As long as she thought about it, she felt embarrassed, so Jiang Xuening always just told herself that this past does not exist.

The insightful Xie Wei probably knew what she was thinking. Even though he had a high status in the ruling and opposition parties, and frequently goes in and out of the court, he rarely appeared in front of her, and never mentioned it.

As for the scar on her wrist, she asked the imperial doctor to prescribe a prescription, and carefully applied the medicine for two years, and it disappeared completely.

// What i can't stop thinking about is Xei Wei telling her in the drama that he liked the miss ning'er that met during that journey. The girl she was so ashamed of in her first life (before she realized there are worst things to be). He thought she was unpolished jade and was upset to see her sink into the habits of a cold hearted noble in the capital.

She misunderstood him but more importantly she misunderstood herself. She repressed the parts of her that didn't fit the lifestyle she was trying to gain. But in her 2nd life she no longer feels the need to fit in with the other capital nobles, to take back from her sister, to climb the imperial harem. Letting all sides of herself free and meeting Xei Wei head-on is thematically important.

[throwawayasoiafaccount]

magic in asoiaf is genetic. and that is intresting. and the fact that grrm doesn’t shy away from the implications of this makes me love asoiaf even more.

because it’s very understandable that these people who could ride dragons would see themselves as more gods than men. it’s understandable that the practice of sibling-sibling incest would become common in order to keep this ability in the family/to not lose said ability. it’s also understandable that these people would see their race as superior because they are able to do these things that others could not.

it also makes complete sense that this human civilization collapsed in a horrific magical event due to their own hubris because they saw themselves as gods when they were always only men.

and that is peak world building.

some more peak world building is that the noble houses of westeros also clearly gained power and held onto their power through the use of their magical abilities inherited from their ancestors.

a godlike existence like Garth the Green being the ancestor of all the oldest and most noble of the reach houses makes perfect sense for this world!and it also makes sense that the lords without this ancestry are discriminated against in this region that still holds onto the values their society cultivated in the past in order to maintain their magical superiority, even though most of these noble and old houses no longer exhibit these abilities.

and it also makes sense that these people no longer have access to these abilities as they no longer practice the religion that was centered around these powers; plus their blood is simply diluted at this point as these houses have married into a different ethnic group so often that the magical gene just doesn’t surface anymore.

but the fact that it still matters if you can trace your ancestry back to Garth the Green? peak! peak! peak!

george does such an excellent job showcasing the stagnation of westerosi society here because why should it matter if you’re connected to this magic guy if magic is no longer commonplace? however, it also makes total sense that the ruling class of the reach still harps on and on about this as it’s how they maintain the status quo and differentiate themselves from those they consider lesser now that they no longer have access to magic themselves.

and this is also why it’s very important that the Starks still retain the blood of the first men. because the first men interbred with the children of the forest and other elder races, which is what gave these humans these powers. it’s also worth noting that before the direwolves connected with the Stark children, none of our current Starks were able to awaken their abilities by themselves, which shows that even now they are very far removed from their ancestor who’s genetic makeup gave this bloodline these abilities. and it makes sense that the Starks experienced this slow magical decline because magic itself was declining in the world after the doom of valyria.

another reason for this decline is because Andal culture started heavily influencing the North and slowly changed the way magic was perceived. so now in the present, a warg/skinchanger/greenseer has become something to fear being because that’d make you different and therefore puts your life at risk, which means that there’s now practically no safe environment to cultivate these abilities and no secure way to pass down any knowledge you do have about said abilities.

i can’t help but be reminded about how Jon Snow has rejected his nature and how that has led to the stagnation of his abilities, and then i think about Arya and Bran and how their new environments have led to an astonishing growth in their abilities, which shows that it’s not just genetics that matter, environment is also just as, if not more, important.

i bring all of this up because magic being genetic in asoiaf is not as problematic as people try to make it out as. in real life, sometimes people just have genetic gifts. some people can become olympians, and some people are disabled. some people are born 10 times smarter than the average human, and some people believe that covering their faces in lemon juice would turn them invisible. that is reality. and in this universe, some people have access to magic and some don’t, and it’s all based on genetics. it’s unfair! and that makes it realistic.

not everyone gets to ride dragons and not everyone gets to travel back in time, and that grounds asoiaf, which is what grrm was going for.

and how these societies have organized themselves in response to these genetic abilities and the dangers they pose makes absolute sense. on one hand we have the valyrian freehold, which was a magic hotspot and the people who lived there used magic to propel their society to new heights, and on the other hand we have the seven kingdoms that demonize anyone too different, and all magic practitioners are different from normal humans.

and the fact that george decided to go this route with asoiaf is so juicy to me cause:

we have characters like Varamyr and Euron who use their abilities to commit great evils and we know that their powers have influenced the way they see and interact with others. on the other hand we have characters like Dany who use their abilities to fight against evil violent institutions. and through characters like her we learn how vulnerable fledgling magic practitioners/characters with these abilities are to these older and more dangerous institutions and individuals who are perfectly aware about the knowledge gap between them and these younger characters and know exactly how to exploit them.

so, while it’s understandable that the fandom is uncomfy with the practices and values that grrm has written about, this isn’t bad world building by any means. it’s logical and well thought out. and i truly enjoy that grrm doesn’t shy away from writing about the more worrying aspects and implications of magic being a matter of genetics. i also like how the seven kingdoms and the valyrian freehold are kinda extremes on the matter of magic and how this is/was detrimental to both of these societies and at the individual level. a horrific magical firey doom is not any better nor any worse than a slow drawn out icey decline.

imo, what is important to remember is that in the world of asoiaf, people with magic are the ones who are discriminated against (bc most POV characters are in Westeros and magic is a no no there). so they are the ones who are in danger if they out themselves as magic users. now, it is true that some societies are more tolerant (Qarth is a great example of this and Valyria before the doom was likely the most tolerant to have ever existed in this world), but as of now most societies simply aren’t. remember jojens warning? he didn’t pull that out of his ass. bran would’ve been in a lot of danger if he came out and told the wrong people about his dreams/abilities. also, jon’s assassination may have been partly motivated by the mutineers fear of wargs. this is the life-threatening danger magic practitioners are in for simply existing in an intolerant society.

tbh the reason i typed all this up is because it’s very annoying when people try to ignore the reality, which is that the dragonbond depends on genetics. now, i’m sure there are other ways to ride a dragon, as dragons are magical animals so of course there may be a one in a million chance of a dragon allowing some rando to ride it, but this doesn’t change the fact that there is such a thing as a genetic ability that gives these certain humans the ability to form a connection with a dragon.

(another example that i can’t help but remember is that melisandre was able to get ghosts approval by using some of her tricks. of course there could be other reasons for ghost to have done this, but the most likely reason is that ghost simply fell for melisandre’s trick and this influenced how jon saw mel. but this doesn’t change the fact that melisandre will never have the kind of bond jon and ghost have because melisandre is not a warg. this is also another example of how vulnerable fledgling magic practitioners are to older ones.)

so, sorry not sorry that george decided to create a realistic representation of what a society would look like if only certain bloodlines were able to ride dragons <\3.

[wodeworm]

The Spirit Mercurius Alchemical Dragon

𝔖𝔠𝔞𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔪𝔟𝔢𝔯 13

The spiritus mercurialis and their transformations represented as a monstrous dragon. It is a quaternity, in which the fourth is at the same time the unity of the three, the unity being symbolized by the mystagogue Hermes. The three are; Luna, Sol, and coniunctio Solis et Lunae in Taurus, the House of Venus. Together they form ☿= Mercurius

notes from Nazari's allegorical alchemical epic Three Dreams

Listen, see, and understand my words; and write them deep in your heart: for what I shall tell you is that which many seek, but few find; and many know and do, but few comprehend; for many see me, but few recognize me. Listen now, and understand if you can, and you will learn all: I am the Hen, or the worst and most ferocious Dragon, and I endure throughout time. I revive myself from death, and kill the death that killed me. I resuscitate the corpses that I created; and, living in death, kill myself: for which you should rejoice, since without me, and my life, you could not rejoice. I carry poison in my head, but the remedy is in my tail, which I bite in my fury. Whoever tries to sport with me dies by my penetrating gaze. Whoever bites me must first bite himself; if I bite him, death bites him in the head, unless he bites me first; for my bite is medicine for my bite. It is in the high mountains that I find my rest and repose, yet it is in the plains and valleys of the earth, and in the dunghills, that I reside; it is in the vaporous water that I am conceived, yet it is in the air and fire that I find my food. My sweat smells of the grave: he who does not understand this will learn nothing of me. Hear me: I am known to all people, races, and tribes, to the poor as well as to the rich; and they all call me worthless, and countless other names and epithets. But anyone who knew me well would call me precious indeed. I am a stranger in my own country, but known to all climates of the world.

 Whoever sees me, or has seen me, does not recognize me; and whoever neither sees nor knows me, seeks me. My father and my mother conceived me, but I first conceived them. I am father and son; I am mother, father, and son; I am invisible when I fly, and impalpable when I flee through the air, but visible and palpable to the touch. Therefore recognize me, and kill me, and know that I cannot die by the sword, or other arms; but present me with a mirror, and my own reflection kills me. If you feed me in fire, so that first my members change shape; and then my body is purged of all fatal poison; and then you see my body, soul and spirit joined together; then you will prove superior to all. He who hears me, but does not understand, consumes his days in useless labors, and employs his time to no purpose

[maximusblack-hp]

Loras Tyrell x OC Male

Technically an Self-insert

He knows which universe he’s in, from his last life he remembers pirating the three-season shows and having to look away from the screen every other second due to his confusion about what he was seeing. As if he knew he shouldn’t be watching for his age.

He was supposed to be killed as an infant but instead, he was safe by his only uncle. Turns out he wasn’t the only reincarnated but so was his half-brother Jon Snow known now as Jaehaerys III Targaryen. Then there is also his uncle Viserys III Targaryen and his aunt Daenerys Targaryen. His aunt is technically the third of her name but apparently, it only counts if the person before you was a ruler. There has never been a female Targaryen ruler so therefore she is considered the first of her name.

The four of them are reincarnated and they have this theory it’s due to their Targaryen blood. It’s not that far of a stretch after all Targaryen can command dragons, walk through fire, and have visions of future or past events.

All of them seem to be immune to fire but Viserys is the only one who feels pain from it and sensitivity to light. He and Daenerys have visions but Daenerys focuses on the past while his focus is on the future. Jaehaerys has a mental link to all of them. He’s practically the medical version of a phone call.

Viserys who is the oldest among them whether in this life or the last will never stop being flabbergasted on how long it took for them to realize they all had past life memories. Maybe it's an old age superiority complex Aegon doesn’t really know. Though Aegon and Daenerys died very young in their last life so they don’t really feel that deep connection to the past like Viserys and Jaehaerys are.

Aegon has this theory that their memories aren’t due to their Targaryen blood but due to their connection with the world they’re in. In one way or another, they recognize this world from one source of media to another from their worlds.

In Daenerys’ World, it was a cartoon for kids about dragons and royalty. In his world, it was a three-volume novel with a three-season show about Dothraki and Sullied fighting against the hierarchy. Though really it was just a premise for NSFW content instead of any actual real plot.

In Jaehaerys’ world, it was a comic about ice monster zombies that could only be killed by fire from a dragon fire. And due to the Targaryens being extinct the nation as a whole was screwed. There were even plans in the making to adapt it into a post-apocalyptic movie of what happens to the ancestors of the main characters' kids in the comics who manage to get over the seas.

Then there is Viserys’ world, the one with the most complex version of the story. When Aegon first asked Viserys about it he got a 10-hour rant about how much it sucked and that he hated it except for the Dothraki and Dragons. Although Viserys seems to hate this world he is oddly very passionate about, with his so-called ‘hate.’ Then again there is a very thin line between love and hate.

Aegon is just happy that the craziness of this world seems to be in a calm trance. Though he knows it won’t last for long but he’s content. He is to be crowned soon by his uncle, no longer needing to hide his true identity or the person he loves.

Everyone knows that Lores is his lover and future spouse and there is nothing they can do. It’s nothing new among Targaryens and it doesn’t matter as long as there is a blood heir. Which shouldn’t be a problem for him since apparently his cousin Rhaegal was birthed by Viserys. The number of secrets among the Targaryen bloodline will never cease to amaze them.

It might take a while before he and Loras have children, if anything it’s shocking it hasn’t happened yet. From how often they fucked like bunnies in the heat but then again he needs to bottom for it to happen. Ageon is willing to do it but it will take a while for him to get Loras to agree since his lover loves Bottoms and never thought of them ever doing it the other way around.

Sighing, Aegon turns around to snuggle Loras’ body under him while giving a kiss to Loras' bruised nape from all the love mites on it. It’s too early for him to worry about other events he’ll deal with later. And not on his own for he no longer needs to hide who he is whether be it his identity or who he beds.

[bietrofastimoff23]

Hello! all good? I hope so, I recently saw a post of yours talking about Tai Lung and I just love how you write about he! therefore, I wanted to show you a headcanon/part of my kfp au that I've been doing that involves Tai Lung, to know what you think about this headcanon of mine, hehe, anyway, let me start

For a while, I stopped to think about how Tai Lung ended up with evil in his heart, then I remembered (my favorite character) Fenghuang.

She ran away from the jade palace for wanting to dominate the jade palace and for losing a fight against Oogway, but she still saw a sense of home emanating from the palace, so she went there from time to time (hiddenly, of course) on these visits, met Tai Lung (still young) and told her story and her powers that left her invincible

She said that if he really were the next dragon warrior, he would have all the powers she had, that he would be invincible, that he would be worthy of dominating the weak, and he believed.

Tai Lung never told anyone in the palace about Fenghuang, and Fenghuang stopped visiting the palace after he was arrested...

hehe, first, sorry for the big text, but that's it, what do you think? I can change over time

hey! I'm fine, thanks for asking) I hope you're having a great day too <3

I'm glad you like my posts. It's nice to share your thoughts and feelings with other people.

warning: bad english.

Tbh, I haven't watched the show, but your message prompted me to read her biography. what can I say, you have great taste!) I'm even thinking of watching episodes with her now.

I really like your au! and I am glad of any communication here. I'm not sure how accurately my idea of her personality is formed, as far as I understand, she is ambitious and power-hungry in her own right. I mean, there is no predisposing tragedy. her own power became the ground for a sense of exclusivity, superiority.

My first thought was that she contacted Tai Lung not only because he had no preconceptions about her (cause everyone needs an understanding listener at one time or another), but also because she mistakenly could see herself reflected in him (this erroneous distortion probably arose from the fact that Tai Lung himself is not of interest to her, he is more a instrument, and without a deep understanding of his personality, it is more convenient for her to project onto him).

She sees in him the same exceptional talent, great potential, and a thirst to achieve great heights. but if in her case it comes from the belief that she has the right to do so because of her own exclusivity, then in Tai Lung it comes from the desire to prove to everyone, and first of all to himself, that he has the right because he deserves it (I do not know if I was able to express myself clearly. in general, she sincerely believes in herself and her right, and he is struggling with impostor syndrome).

and her comments ("if he really were the next dragon warrior, he would have all the powers she had, that he would be invincible, that he would be worthy of dominating the weak") could just fuel Tai Lung's desire to become stronger, faster, master all the techniques of kung fu, become the best, and all this to prove that he deserves to be here. perhaps there is some genuine pity for this unfortunate in her words, but I think there is more sadistic pleasure here because of her own frustration. Like, "I've been here, I've been down this path. You're going to fall too, kid."

life consists of persons coming and going, and this is probably their story. Tai Lung is part of why the owl was still coming back here, because he is her only listener, because she sees herself in him. and when he disappears over the horizon, she loses the last reason to visit the palace, which has long ceased to be her home.

As you can see, I also came up with a lot of words. let me know if I made a mistake somewhere, because now I'm sharing my opinion like a person who has only seen movies. and I will be glad to know further changes to your au :)

[esther-dot]

According to D stans, Dany was a underdog unlike Starks who are born in castles and have privileges. But Dany had to grow in poverty and with no proper home. While Dany and Viserys did struggle growing up it can't be ignored that they still have Targ names and titles which help them. Otherwise Dany wouldn't have dragons and Drogo won't choose her as his bride. Also Starks are going through same difficulties since they lost everything at young age.

It’s true the Starks have suffered, but Dany had a special kind of hell in that her only surviving family was an abusive brother. The Starks had security that Dany didn’t, a good family that she didn’t, people who truly loved them and wanted to protect them. We could compare the Starks relationship with, and hero-worship of, Robb to Dany's romanticization of Rhaegar. She doesn't have any connection or knowledge of her brother, while the Starks had warm memories of theirs.

I feel a great deal of pity for book Dany. I'm not sure that marrying Drogo and getting dragons is at all a positive thing, being a nobody seems like it might be worth it in ASOIAF. Murdered families, exile from their homes, fleeing for their lives, forced marriages...the family names become something like a curse to all our young POVs, for the Starks and Dany. A privileged life in some regards, a horrible fate in others. Poor Elia and her kids, for example. Being highborn is a privilege, but there’s a reason why even at it’s happiest, the life before her was intolerable for Arya, and of course, everything Sansa has to endure because she’s key to the North…yes, the Starks certainly suffer as well. I am particularly interested in the connection/overlap of Bran and Dany’s stories, since Bran is the endgame king, I think there must be a lot that Martin is saying in the juxtaposition although I haven’t reread their chapters to look for it 🫣.

Dany is informed of what her family suffered, but Bran was older when he lost his and therefore will always remember them and their loss, his castle being taken, fleeing for his life with a brother. I’m sure they share similar passages, if we were to look for them, I believe there was a similarity in the description of Summer and the horse Drogo gave Dany and I’m guessing they pile up from there. It's interesting that they both have the flying idea in their chapters, although Bran's begins with his great trauma of falling, while for Dany flying is equated with freedom from the outset, and considering the passages that indicate how essential it is to be near to death so that you bear the burden of taking it, it seems flying so far above those you're killing isn't a good thing. That's tied into the feeling of being a god/superior to others Dany has, and I'd assume Bran will have to resist that temptation, hold tightly to his humanity.

Back on track! I don't think we can weigh how they've suffered against each other, all of our POVs have in different ways, the important thing is to understand what they have done with that experience. Will the perpetuate more harm, or will they rise above their pain/desire for revenge and find a path forward that gives peace to the powerless? Bran chose to give up his home to spare his people, Dany will bring great suffering to Westeros to reclaim hers. Perhaps that is the contrast that tells us why it is Bran who ends up king.

[beauzos]

Spirit of Justice is such an interesting game to me because although it's about revolution and overthrowing tyranny, it is also a game that is so aggressively about maintaining the status quo at the same time. despite the fact that Khura'in appears to be an absolute monarchy and SOJ shows how damaging it is, they do absolutely nothing to change the institution beyond deposing Ga'ran and just instill a good queen instead! problem solved, i guess! never mind that it seems like the only qualification you need to be queen is to have spiritual powers, and the only reason Ga'ran is removed from the throne is because she doesn't have near the amount of spiritual power (if any at all) necessary to perform her duties as queen compared to Amara or even Rayfa.

but the only reason they even need to depose Ga'ran through proving her lack of spiritual power is because the game is obsessed with the idea of a "clean" revolution; Dhurke has to make it clear that they are actually all totally peaceful and non-violent so the player has no reason to feel guilty or uncertain of supporting the revolution. i think the issue with Ace Attorney tackling revolution is that because it's about characters who participate in the corrupt legal system nigh-unquestioningly (barring in SOJ itself to an extent, of course, considering being a defense lawyer at all is radical within Khura'in), it basically can't allow like. actual revolutionary dogma to exist in SOJ because it goes against the tenets of such a legal system that the gameplay is based on, almost diametrically opposed.

it does attempt to tackle the concept of people using the legal system to abuse others, such as how Paul Atishon manipulates Phoenix to get what he wants, or Nahyuta actively aiding and abetting the corrupt legal system that is destroying his country because he feels he has no other choice. i find the concept compelling, questioning how the legal system can be used for great harm when in the wrong hands. i also think it's completely silly at the same time just how cartoonishly evil the legal system in Khura'in is, as if Japanifornia itself isn't already ripe for examination in terms of corruption.

and yeah, yeah, i know. Dark Age of the Law and all that, but the legal system in AA has always been deeply corrupt, they just kind of act like it's singular characters doing it rather than a cultural encouragement. the legal system is seen as absolute, and therefore, questioning its conclusions is frequently not even considered until Phoenix decides to take a crack at it, and is eventually swallowed up by the corruption himself. even in the Dark Age of the Law arc of the games, corruption and lack of trust within the legal system is attributed to single people (Phoenix, Blackquill) instead of long-standing issues that existed well before Phoenix was likely even born.

SOJ was the first time they tried to address corruption in the legal system on a more systemic level, and although it can still be attributed mainly to Ga'ran as the source, they at least demonstrate that corruption is present everywhere, among every member of the legal system because they're grown accustomed to getting away with anything they want. they even add some nuance by sprinkling Nahyuta's story in there as someone who is unwillingly a part of this tyrannical machine, but... well, since this is the Funny Lawyer Game, revolution can only be done through legal means.

it makes perfect sense for the series, but to me, it feels like it bit off more than it could chew with the revolution tale. i kinda hate how they have to validate the dragons' revolution by insisting they've never done anything hurtful, reinforcing this idea that you have to be perfect and endlessly patient and Morally Superior (in a legal sense) to be a "good" or valid revolution. i don't think Dhurke and Datz should be out there fuckin killing everybody, but i just found that pacifism thing a bit silly, though i suppose it suits Dhurke as someone who was also formerly a part of the legal system.

TGAA does the revolution themes a lot better because it feels much more focused. the rot and corruption goes all the way to the top, but the rot we choose to focus on is in the legal system, rather than Ryunosuke trying to overthrow a whole fuckin monarchy lol. i also think it works because they allow the characters to be more morally grey or in the middle, rather than trying to make everyone you're supposed to care about squeaky clean like in SOJ (albeit you can argue Nahyuta isn't, but SOJ considers him to basically be totally fine at the end because it doesn't want to deal with him being morally grey?). Kazuma may not have killed anyone, but i'd consider him to be morally grey and i LOVE that about him.

idk if this makes any sense. i just think about how strange the themes of revolution are in SOJ. it's all about overthrowing tyranny, but then continuing to happily uphold the absolute monarchy that got them there in the first place once the "evil" is defeated! yeehaw! the monarchy shit seriously feels like a positive spin on the Divine Rights of Kings, and we must have taken a wrong turn somewhere because what the fuck. it's not like overthrowing Ga'ran fixed everything, the epilogue makes that clear, but it is so weird how the revolution is handled. they act like it's all over now that the big bad is gone. buddy, they got a big storm comin'.

overall, the issue with SOJ is scale. it has big dreams it can never possibly live up to because of the themes, gameplay, and nature of the stories told within Ace Attorney. there's ways to do it right, but it was not done very well in SOJ imo.

[ankoku-teion]

Dioraden: World Religions - Vathism.

Vathism worships a monotheistic deity called Vathimer, whos teachings are recorded in the “Vathic Scrolls”. The faith preaches that Vathimer created the world in the dawn age and began to populate it. His first, and crudest creation was the dwarves, a strong, but ugly and squat race, he placed them deep under the earth, that their visage would not offend him.

His second creation was the Elves, beautiful race, but given to vanity and cruelty. Vathimer gifted them with the power to weave magic, but though their art they came to believe themselves equal to their creator and committed terrible blasphemies. Those who would not repent were cursed to become the first goblinoids.

Thereafter he created humans, and finally perfected his creation. Taller and weaker than than dwarves, and thus less given to brutish behaviour and more to higher things. Not as beautiful or graceful as the elves, and thus less given to vapidity. He shortened the human lifespan such that no man can achieve great feats alone, and must instead rely on community. this is, they believe, the greatest strength of humanity. Their ability to work together in immense numbers. Humans therefore are the inherently superior species to whom god has granted all the lands of the earth.

Tieflings, Dragonborn and Orcs are seen as abominations. Perversions of the divinely created human form. The scrolls decree that none should be suffered to live, and so the ancient laws do say. The Goblinoid races are permitted life by the scrolls, but they are granted only the status of dogs and other such animals.

The scrolls forbid humans from “defiling the divine power” (using magic) upon pain of death, the only use of magic permitted is by those of holy orders who have been granted the divine power (clerics and paladins). This law is one of several that have slowly fallen out of favour. By law the punishment for being a wizard or sorcerer is life imprisonment in one of half a dozen mage towers. It is only those who refuse to accept this confinement who truly face death. Warlocks are a different matter, they have made a compact with unholy forces and are thus abominations who must be destroyed.

Once confined to a mage tower, and out of the eyes of the public, wizards and sorcerers are trained in the use of their powers, such that the towers act more like schools than prisons. Sorcerers are encouraged to develop combat skills so that they may be put to use in times of war. Wizards are set to the task of developing new spells and cantrips that might be taught to the priests and paladins.

the first of the 50 prophets of Vathimer came to Man in the first century of the second age, and one in every century from then until the end of the 3rd age. The last of these prophets predicted that a time of great tribulation was to follow their death, in which the righteous would be assailed by abominations on all sides. Shortly thereafter the Dragon Empire formed and the 4th age began. In the beginning of the 5th age a messiah appeared. This messiah preached a message of  blood, warning that the holy land was being corrupted by the abominable tieflings in the south and the orcs in the north.  he led a holy crusade against both and in doing so ended the time of tribulation. He foretold that the 5th age would be an era of prosperity, a reward from Vathimer for withstanding the tribulation. He also foretold that the 6th age would bring a second great test.

[allyriadayne]

yeah i don't get the whole daemon is a valyrian supremacist thing?

and from another anon:

Yeah why is Daemon the only one who gets called a Valyrian supremacist?

i posted this question to my twitter mutuals some time ago and got one answer that actually made so much sense when you really think about the issue. it goes something like this (sorry couldn't find the og tweet 😩): most people think of valyrian supremacy/blood purism with a harry potter background and the pureblood ideology when it's a completely different thing that doesn't actually happen in the show or books at all. and everything clicked!!

going back to daemon, show!daemon to be more specific, he does show a preference for reading the histories and knowing the language of old valyria but i wouldn't call it him being a supremacist (very weighty!) or feeling a specific superiority about it that it's not already tied to him being a prince and one of the highest ranking man in the realm. i think what most people forget about this is that targaryens are one of the last scions of a dead culture (well you'll never call a culture dead, only transformed because a part of it will always live in its people etc. but for clarity's sake. i know we are not here for an anthropology class) and to me it's normal that its member would want to preserve it in a way. viserys has his big lego model and the others have the language and their dragons as a way to connect with what it once was. i wouldn't call that a cultural superiority at all esp when daemon or any targaryen try to exterminate or oppress that which is not valyrian (again, very weighty terms! and i wish people would have more care when talking about these issues).

most of the examples i've seen about people calling daemon a purist come from 1) daemon sleeping with silver haired women 2) criticizing alicent's new decor 3) marrying laena/hating rhea 4) speaking old valyrian. which really doesn't cut it for me?? most can be explained by daemon being a hater in general. we know he hates otto and the hightowers because he's always thought they've kept viserys and him apart and therefore made viserys weak. he /would/ had a comment about alicent changing the decor and covering the dragon orgy murals. the silver haired women well, he's still the creepy uncle, we've known he's been fixated on rhaenyra for a while and it's probably also a manifestation of being cast out of the family since he was 16, an illusion of being close to his family. same thing with rhea, he doesn't hate her because she's not valyrian, i thought that was pretty obvious.

lyonel strong is the one who advises viserys to marry laena velaryon because she is of "pure valyrian stock", would you call him a blood purist? i mean there is also the issue that most men in westeros are very proud of their heritage and i wouldn't put daemon above them at all, he's squarely in the middle. would you call the northerners blood purists because most marry in the same area with descendants of the first men and don't care about southerners? i've always thought daemon marries laena in the show because she's one of the few people who could understand him and after spending almost 20 years with a wife who hated him and he hated in return, he wanted someone more compatible and who could share his hobbies (and of course, she grabbed his attention at the wedding and the storyline about the sea lord of braavos' son was someone laena wanted to get rid off too + rhaenyra marrying and him needing to forget her fast).

what i'm trying to say is that i understand there is a sort of need to keep the line "pure" but it is to keep the dragons inside the family and i wouldn't even call it purism because targs are marrying half targs like jocelyn baratheon, aemma arryn etc, at least in this side of the dance. on the other side, after it, it's another different issue altogether where targs start practicing exogamy more often. but i don't think daemon is more or less proud than other people in the same timeline even.