#no one likes daemon in this household including me

[nxpthys]

Rhaenyra: Somebody scratched Daemon's car with a key.

Aemond: Actually, it was a screwdriver- I mean, oh my god! Who could do such a thing!?

[arabellasleopardcoat]

Two ships (Daemon Targaryen x Reader)

Summary: Two people who do not understand each other, but keep coming back together. Familiar much? It’s the tale you share with your brother, Daemon.

Warnings: Crybaby! Reader. Medieval punishment for children. Canon character death (Alyssa and Baelor) Sexual thoughts. Prostitution. Mature language. Incest. Fluff.

A/N: In which we explore the complicated dynamics of the sister wife. Requested. We also suscribe to @just-some-random-blogger doctrine about Daemon being a scary unhinged man but soft for the reader.

THE FIRST TIME your brother makes you cry is when you are eight years old. It is, of course, not the first time you tear up because of him. But there is a difference between tearing up because he tugged too hard on your braid, or because he cut your favorite doll’s hair and what he did to you that day.

You shall never forget the reason for your mother’s death, not for the rest of your life. It’s one of those core memories, a truth of the universe. You cannot forget fire burns, you cannot forget water is wet, and you cannot forget your mother is dead because of you. Even if you do not know when you learned those facts, they are still there. Tucked into your mind.

As a child, you used to be quiet. You barely cried, or demanded things of anyone. As the youngest and only girl of the household, you often felt like there was an unbreachable gap between you and your family. And so, you filled your days with your lessons, and behaved well, eager for praise and attention.

Your relationship with your brothers was complicated. Your father was often far away, busy with his important position, so Viserys felt more like a parent than a sibling. The age difference didn’t help things along. While you were still learning how to walk, his betrothal was already negotiated.

Daemon, while much closer in age, is much more distant too. He is mercurial, playing the cruelest tricks on you, but also defending you from other children. Just last week, he had dyed your beloved white dog green, but he had also punched a steward’s son for mocking your braids.

He can never decide if he hates you or loves you. And today, it’s one of the days he hates you. You can’t do anything right, it seems. As you break your fast, with Viserys cutting up your food for you, he calls you a baby. When the Septa comes to get you for your lessons, you are a suck-up. His bad mood escalates during the day, and when your father arrives for lunch and dares ruffle your hair, Daemon doesn't hesitate to call you a cocksucker whore.

For his offense, his mouth is washed with soap. It is not a punishment you have ever endured, because everyone knows ladies don’t get physical punishments, but it looks unpleasant. Whatever cocksucker whore means mustn't be very nice.

By the time his punishment is over, your father is long gone again. He has disappeared into his chambers, and Viserys has been left with the bitter task of reconciling you.

“You will apologize to our sister.” He orders Daemon. “Now.”

“NO!” Daemon shrieks, face blotchy from the humiliation of his mouth being washed with soap. He has not shed a single tear, which you find admirable despite yourself. The taste alone would make you gag, and that is without including the humiliation of a servant holding you while Viserys does the deed.

You feel awkward at the thought. Something doesn’t sit right with the thought of such a thing being a punishment, but you do not dare voice it. You simply sit in the chair Viserys has pulled for you and kick your feet. It soothes you slightly.

“Take it back, Daemon or so help me the Seven…”

“I will not take it back!” Daemon screams, pushing at Viserys. “She is a little whore! She has you all wrapped around her little finger, and now you will send me away…”

“Daemon.” Viserys grabs his wrists, in warning. With several years and a growth spurt on his side, he manages to subdue him easily. You worry that will not be the case for much longer. Daemon looks very different from your peaceful Viserys, shoulders broader, hands a bit bigger. In a few years, he will become a fearsome warrior, and Viserys will still be your bookish older brother.

“Why do I have to go squire for some stupid lord, anyway? We are the blood of the dragon! We do not need those fools.” At this new information, you frown. You clutch your doll more tightly. No one had informed you Daemon had to go squire away from Viserys and you.

“Fostering is important. It helps us form bonds with other houses.” Viserys explains, with the patience of someone who has had this argument already. You tug on your doll, feeling sadder by the minute. Everyone knew but you?

“Why don’t we send her away?” Daemon points at you, and a sudden wave of fear hits you. Viserys can’t agree with him. You cannot leave. Your panic almost makes you miss his next words. “She is the reason mother is dead. I hate her.”

And the world stops for a second. The argument goes on, Viserys screaming at Daemon, but you are still stuck there. Your ears begin to ring, so you press your hands tightly to them and shake your head.

By the Seven, Daemon is right, you realize with growing horror. Your father and Septa always told you your mother had died the way you were born, from the difficult birth. Tears begin to fall down your face, but you barely notice them. It feels like you are choking.

In your childish mind, the death of your mother in childbirth, and your birth had never been connected. You never thought it had been your fault. But Daemon was right. She was dead because she had birthed you. It was your birth that killed her.

Her death was your fault. You killed her.

No. No. It can’t be right.

“That is not true.” You turn to Viserys, uncaring they have long since moved on with the argument. He has always protected you and reassured you. Even takes care to get rid of the monsters beneath your bed every night. He will fix it. “Brother, he is lying again!”

Viserys makes a strange face. A cross between a grimace and a frown. He doesn’t refute it, nor tries to comfort you.

“It’s the truth.” Daemon smiles, with the smugness of someone who has delivered a killing blow. He advances, his eleven-year-old body seeming larger than life to you, and pokes a finger in your sternum. “You killed her.”

It feels like a rug has been pulled from under your feet. You stumble back. It’s all your fault. Your mother is dead, and your father is never home, haunted by the memory of his wife, because of you. Daemon and Viserys lost their mother, because of you.

You killed her. You killed her. You killed her. The world looks the same around you, despite the revelation, and you wonder if it is so because everyone knew but you. Is it why Daemon doesn’t love you? Why father is never around?

A sob makes its way out of your throat, and then another. And another. Soon, you are bawling like a dying animal, and feel like it too. You cry so much, your little heart feels like it will jump out of your chest and you will die. You cannot breathe, choking in your own snot and tears, and panic makes you nauseous.

Never in your life had you ever cried so. A nervous fit, the Maester will call it later, after you puke your lunch and stop making heaving noises like you are lacking air. One caused by extreme distress. Daemon will be standing guard at the foot of your bed when you come to be again. They had ended up having to give you three drops of Milk of the Poppy to calm you down.

It doesn’t happen again, and you barely remember it when you grow up. But Daemon never forgets it.

CRYING IS A weakness that cannot be tolerated. The three of you had been born dragons, but sometimes Daemon doubted Viserys and you had as much fire in your veins as he did.

Said doubt intensifies when he finds you crying in the gardens. Daemon has never been fond of crying women. He is not an empathetic man, and has a tendency to think he is surrounded by fools. Such a character trait doesn’t lend itself to soothing crying maidens. At least, not sincerely.

If he wants to bed the chit, Daemon can pretend like the best mummer. It’s not hard at all to fool highborn maidens into thinking he shares something special with them, convincing them that the pain won’t last, that it will start to feel good soon. When it comes to you, though, the problems start.

You are not a common whore, like most women at court. As a daughter of House Targaryen, you are closer to a goddess than a woman. Fooling a goddess is no easy task, much less when the goddess knows you so well.

His usual tricks do not work. When Daemon tries to apply faux pity, and forced pleasantries, you see right through him. It’s not because you are particularly cunning, but rather the fact that you have a long memory.

Long enough to remember all the pranks and fun he had had at your expense when the two of you were children. With how much Daemon tortured you, it’s no wonder you prefer Viserys.

Daemon never meant to be as nasty to you as he had been. He coveted the attention Viserys paid you, as the youngest in the family. He disliked how everyone fawned over you, how his mother had died, and his father had left, and all they had gotten in exchange was you.

Another part of Daemon simply enjoyed mischief. Causing chaos for chaos’s sake. Like any young boy, he had fun playing tricks on others. The disdain he felt for you had made you into the ideal target.

When the years began to pass, Daemon had noticed you were flourishing into a beautiful maiden. Targaryen custom dictated you were meant to be his, since you were too young to be Viserys’. There was no point in fixing your relationship, or trying to win you over like he did with the other maidens. You were a given thing. No matter your shared past, you would have to marry him.

It’s only the fact that you are embarrassing the family name that prompts him to approach you in the gardens. He has no intention of comforting you. It’s not like he cares that you are crying. Really. How ridiculous.

“What happened to you?” Daemon asks, sitting next to you. “Princess shouldn’t cry.”

It is quite recent, of course. Viserys' ascension to the throne has not actually yet occurred, but the succession issue has been settled in their favor. Daemon had gathered a small force of loyal men that hadn’t been necessary in the end, but Viserys said his first act as King would be rewarding him from his loyalty.

He knows what he will ask for already. Marriage. His grandmother had tried to marry him to a Vale woman, but the idea had ended up being discarded because Viserys’ own match ensured the allegiance of that kingdom. Daemon wanted to have his Valyrian bride before anyone, especially the Hightower cunt, got any ideas.

“Nothing.” You wipe your tears away, angrily. You scoot your cute little rear towards the edge of the tree you are sitting under. As far as you can go without losing the spot of shade.

Daemon sighs. He is used to you being difficult, but it would soon change. You would be informed of your duty and behave in a manner befitting your position in life soon enough.

“Do I need to protect your honor?” The very thought unsettles him. Three years his younger, you are still barely a maiden in his eyes. A pure, unspoiled being. The idea of someone else corrupting your innocence, something that is meant to be his, is infuriating. Daemon hates when other people touch what is his.

If anyone will corrupt you, it’s him.

You laugh, bitterly.

“If only!”

“What do you mean?” Your statement has clarified nothing. He feels more confused than before. Perhaps, you have a secret lover who refuses to take your maidenhead? Or are you suffering from unrequited love? But when? With whom? You spend nearly all your time in the library, pouring over dusty books, or on dragonback. Not much time for entertaining suitors.

You stay quiet. There is a strange expression on your face, a mix of embarrassment and sadness.

“Hāedus.” Daemon prompts, gently tugging on your braid.

“Some ladies Aemma brought were talking about knights, and kissing…” You get a fit of hiccups and nearly choke, so Daemon is forced to wipe the snot from your nose so you don’t suffocate to death. Let it not be said he is a bad brother. “They laughed at me!”

“They laughed at you?” How dare them. Only Daemon was allowed the honor of your tears. You were too important.

“No one asked to dance with me at the feast! And no knight has ever kissed me.” You pout, about to go into hysterics again. “Ever.”

“Doña hāedus…” Daemon wipes your tears, fighting his smile. He has an inkling you wouldn’t think it funny. “You shouldn’t listen to them. You are a Princess, the blood of the dragon. They are just sheep.”

You pout more. Daemon hurries to comfort you. Oddly, he dislikes seeing tears on your face. It must be because you are in public. As a Princess and his future wife, your actions reflect on House Targaryen.

“Ugly sheep. In fact, the actual sheep in the Vale are prettier.”

“But knights have kissed them! And they get asked to dance, and to walk in the gardens, and…”

Daemon raises his hand.

“Knights would kiss you too if they could. But you are too superior to them. They wouldn’t dare.” Or they would meet Dark Sister. All your first should be his. “It’s excellent that you have not sullied yourself with just any knight who looks at you.”

“But I am getting old.”

You are about to cry again. Your female vanity must be hurt, thinking yourself unwanted. Daemon will never understand caring about what others think of him. Dragons shouldn’t concern themselves with the opinion of the sheep.

But there is something about you, the soft little Princess who crumbles up completely when someone is mean to her, that tugs at his heartstrings.

It is why he leans in and captures your mouth with his. You taste like innocence and salt, melting on his tongue. It’s not Daemon’s first kiss, but it feels like it. There is a tug deep inside of him, a strange yearning on his chest, that has not been present when he has kissed other women. Not even maidens.

Cloyingly sweet, dripping on his tongue like the most enticing potion. His. Never has he experienced this before. Daemon wants to drown on it, drown in you. But before he has a chance, you give him a shove and run as fast as you can.

And he stands there, as if struck by lighting, pinned down by the unmeasurable realization that this is love. Love, in its purest form, for his soon-to-be sister wife. It leaves him dazed, confused, rooted to the spot. Utterly out of control.

“DID YOU HEAR?” The serving girl whispers loudly, her voice carrying through the corridor. Night has fallen already, and you pour over a heavy tome on constellations while sitting in one of the windowsills of the Red Keep. It is the best time to put your new knowledge into practice, but the constant chattering of the maids interrupts you.

You close your book, hesitating between scolding them and sending them away, or waiting for them to leave on their own. Scolding them feels unkind. It’s late enough for them to no longer be on duty, and there is no harm in what they are doing. This corridor is a heavily transited one.

Perhaps you should move to your rooms. But you do not have a balcony, and the view from your windowsill it’s quite limited. As you ponder on it, something they say catches your attention.

“And they say the Prince asked for a blonde girl. A maiden.” The Prince. Daemon! You have not seen hide nor hair of your older brother since he stole your first kiss. In fact, you have been avoiding him.

As children, he had played plenty of nasty tricks on you. Once, in a fit of temper, he had beheaded all your dolls and hanged their little heads from a window. But adulthood had mellowed him out. Or so you thought.

The worst thing wasn’t that Daemon stole your first kiss. It was that you enjoyed it.

“No!” The other girl sounds scandalized.

“Yes. And that is not all. He took her roughly, and was kicked out before even…”

Took a whore roughly? You knew he whored around, but hurting whores was a new low. You weren’t too approving of his behavior, but whoring was normal for young lords. Everyone knew they did it, even the most pious ones. Hurting them, though? It was no better than being a rapist.

The other girl lets out a gasp, but she sounds more delighted by the gossip than anything else.

“Imagine how rough it had to be for them to kick him out.”

“I would say plenty. Poor girl.”

“He is out again, is he not?”

“Every night, like clockwork. Something has roused his appetite, it seems. He used to whore, but not…”

Their scandalized voices drift down the corridor, and you think the rumor must be wrong. Daemon wouldn’t hurt anyone. Sure, he whored around, and took plenty of maidenheads, but your brother wasn’t cruel.

Was he?

He had stolen your first kiss. Beyond the softness and the sweetness of the kiss, Daemon had ruined a moment that was meant to be special. Now, it was forever tainted with the memory of being made a mockery of. Not only by those girls, but him too.

There was a difference between stealing a kiss and hurting whores, though. Much more, when it came to hurting them seriously enough to be kicked out of the pleasure house.

Was it your fault? Had he discovered with you he enjoyed taking from women by force? Was he taking out his anger with you on them? The maid had said the girl was blonde. Perhaps Valyrian blonde.

You needed to know. You ran to your rooms and got your black cloak, set on finding him.

Finding Daemon was no easy task. You made it to the city on foot, but once there, you had trouble locating the pleasure houses. There was no sign outwardly pointing to them, but you managed to get to Flea Bottom without getting mugged. Or at least, this looked like what you thought Flea Bottom looked like.

The streets were dirtier, the crowd rougher and drunker. There were people sleeping on the floor, no Sept in sight. This was a place far away from the Gods. The few Goldcloaks patrolling seemed uninterested in actually preventing crime.

You made sure to walk with purpose, afraid of being stopped if you looked like you were out of place. The streets were badly lit, and you could barely tell apart one alley from another.

A sudden tune caught your attention. A woman was singing in a tongue you didn’t recognize. You decided to follow her voice, but before you could do so, someone blocked your path.

“… A dragon for half an hour.” It was a woman. Her hair was dark and hanging limp around her face. She swayed as she walked. “My prince, I will let you choke me.”

You made a face, realizing a strand of your silver hair was peeking on the edge of your hood. She thought you were Daemon, you realized. Both your brother and you kept your hair long, and in the darkness of the alley, with your hood up, you may have looked alike. Was she a whore?

“I’ll let you. A dragon, please, I need to feed my children.”

Children. She had babes. You imagined them, tucked in their beds, wondering where their mother had gone. What if something happened to her? If the children had a present father, he would provide for them, and she wouldn’t be here. It was how the world worked. She must be alone with the babes.

You reached inside your cloak, and pulled out a gold dragon. There was an odd sort of pity building inside you. You imagined yourself, offering up your body to strangers to feed your children, and your heart shattered into little pieces.

You had never questioned the role of whores. They were sullied women, but they served a purpose. Entertain the men so they didn’t hurt others. Tend to their baser needs. It didn’t feel so clear-cut as you avoided the woman, in fear she might attempt to service you.

The voice sounded louder, so you ducked into the next alleyway. It was then you saw them.

The woman singing was sitting at the entrance of a small house. She was scantily clad, as were the surrounding women. But there was only one of them who caught your attention.

She was tall and willowy, with long limbs. There was a haunting elegance to her that looked out of place in the Street of Silk. Her blonde hair was long, and in the right light, could be mistaken for silver. It cascaded down her shoulders. Her face was eerily similar to your own. She was tragically beautiful, stricken by some unseen grief.

Sitting down and clapping along to the song, she looked as if she was praying. There was a dark stain on her neck, cleverly hidden by her hair. The closer you looked, the more it seemed like a bite mark. Not just any bite. A vicious one.

You gasped, hands coming to your mouth to muffle the sound. Whores had never been of concern to you, but now you were seeing their reality, and it was heartbreaking. The thought of women in brothels, in cages, as pleasure slaves, made you want to weep.

Women like you. That she wore your face was even more jarring.

WHEN CARAXES HAD been born, he had not done so alone. Out of the ether, his sister had come, hands linked with his. Meraxes, goddess of the sky, an eternity doomed to hold to her sibling. Caraxes only reflected his twin’s colors, gazing up at her as the flowers did the sun.

It was said that they met only once a day, thanks to the mercy of Gaelithox, who allowed the twins to embrace every sunset. It was the reason Meraxes hated him. He held on to her too strong, and prevented her from embracing the one who she truly loved. He invaded even her reflection, seeking to make himself a part of her, even invading her sacred reflection in the waters of her twin.

The story was always one of your favorites. You begged Viserys every night to tell it to you, sickening Daemon with your romantic tales. He isn’t sure why he is reminded of it today, of all days.

Foreboding, he will think later, when the storm has passed. But now, he chooses to focus on the coronation taking place in front of him, and bask in their triumph.

“Kings reward loyalty.” Viserys says, after the crown is placed on his head by a proud Aemma. “And my first act will be rewarding those that stood by my side.”

Daemon and you are kneeling, the first among the crowd. The first to take a knee to their King. There is a strange feeling in his throat, and he fights the urge to cry. Daemon has always considered tears a weakness, but the moment is so perfect, so magical, he feels the urge to do so.

Men don’t cry. Instead, they take big breaths, and savor their victory. Viserys on the Iron Throne, and Daemon about to be given your hand. All they have ever wanted, now ripe for the taking.

“Brother, please rise.” Viserys' voice is clear and loud. Daemon does so, pleased by the honor of being the first to rise in front of the masses. They had talked about it, of putting up a show for their political enemies, but Daemon had never expected Viserys to grant him honors before any other of his advisors. “Your diplomatic and martial skills were essential to securing my claim. As a reward, I give to you our sister’s hand, and name you my heir. May the two of you have a fruitful union and make House Targaryen proud.”

And when he turns to you, with a smile on his face, he realizes why he remembered the story of Caraxes and Meraxes.

Your beautiful, purple eyes, are wet with tears. You remain on bent knee, frozen.

Daemon pulls you up with the utmost tenderness, one reserved for family alone. The hand on your elbow seems to shake you out of your stupor.

“Thank you, my King.” Your voice trembles, but you speak the words dutifully. You know as well as him that this is Viserys’ day. Everything has to go perfectly. There can’t be any hint of division between the three of you, not when the rallying cry for Viserys had been that he was bringing back the three heads of the dragon.

Three siblings. Three dragonriders. Aegon, Visenya, Rhaenys.

“It is a great honor.” Daemon adds, tightening his grip on your arm. You look ready to bolt, and he is tasked with reminding you that you can’t.

A silent tear travels down your cheek. With your back to the crowd, no one but Viserys and Daemon can see it. Viserys gives him a long look, pleading him to do something. Neither of them had been expecting your reaction.

They had thought you would settle well into your duty. That marriage would give you a stable tether, a shield for your fragile soul. Viserys had chosen Daemon for the honor, had given you to him to care and protect.

But you seem even more scared that you were before. How wrong had they been.

“We are very excited.” Daemon hugs you to him, fighting to keep his composure. Your rejection stings, and he wants to rage, but he can’t. Because you are in public, and House Targaryen doesn’t air their dirty laundry in front of witnesses, but more importantly because your dam is breaking. You let out a little sob, and Daemon has to embrace you fully to prevent you from falling apart.

Fools that they are, the rest of the courtiers mistake it for a sound of joy. What else could you want? To marry the King’s heir, a Valyrian husband who can give you pure Valyrian babes.

“Good.” Viserys smiles, a bit strained. You take a shuddery breath, and straighten up under his arm. Daemon can practically feel the change, from scared girl, to experienced courtier. You know as well as he does the importance of presenting a united front.

You smile. It’s as fake as the silks whores wear, when pretending to be a Targaryen Princess. To the inexperienced masses, it tears all the same.

“How joyful days come ahead. Long live the King!”

You open your arms, the picture of the hopeful bride. The smile threatens to crack your face in two. The crowd cheers. A royal wedding is always something to admire, and there is no better way of celebrating a coronation than with one.

The hour is late when Daemon finally manages to catch Viserys alone. You have gone straight to your rooms after the feast, sulking. Aemma has been sat outside your door for hours by now, trying to coax you out like one would do to a skittish cat. Her talks of duty and royal wombs only got her a pillow to the face for her efforts.

Daemon and Viserys, much more used to your moods, hadn’t bothered. You were angry, but not hysterical. Both often manifested in tears in your case. Only one could prove lethal.

“I do not understand.” Viserys frowns. “What more can she want? The two of you will get Dragonstone, for a few years at least, and when I have an heir, you will not be kicked out. You are family.”

“I do not understand it either.” Underneath the simmering rage Daemon feels, there is only confusion. He is a knight, and has proven his skills sufficiently enough to be awarded Dark Sister. He is of an equal standing to you, a Prince to a Princess. He loves you so deeply it scares him.

The Seven know he has tried to get you out of his head through every means possible. He has deflowered more maidens that he can count this week alone, his cock is chafed raw, and yet, no matter how beautiful they are, your face still haunts him. It’s your name on his lips when he comes, and your body he pictures under him. The whores are never right. Their hair is the wrong shade, they are too thin or too fat, their tears taste of iron instead of your sweet salt.

You should not think it is a bad thing. Women love that sort of thing, leading men by their cocks, getting them so cuntstruck they cannot see straight. You should love it too because it is a weakness to him, but a power you can wield. And yet, you hate it. You had run.

“I cannot go back on my word now.” Viserys reaches for his cup of wine. He knows that his reign is still fragile, and if his lords see his sister defying him, they might get ideas. “She has to marry someone, and with her delicate constitution, I cannot in good conscience…”

“Handing her to a stranger is a bad idea.” Daemon agrees, not out of some selfish motivation, but because he knows it’s the truth. You have always been far more delicate than most ladies, with your books and silly ideas about the role women should play. Had you not been so closely tied to Viserys, you may have even supported Rhaenys.

If Viserys was Aegon, you were Rhaenys. The sensitive little sister, loved because of her innocence and kindness. You never tried to push your strange ideas, after all. You just looked like a kicked puppy when contradicted.

Any other man would crush you at the first hint of defiance. Daemon, used to you as he was, knew rage was futile. If you wouldn’t settle in your duties easily, he had to take action and ensure you did through other means.

Gentler means. Daemon still remembered the fits you used to have when little. Viserys did too. Neither wanted a repetition.

“I have thought about it, and you should forgo the bedding.”

“I agree. It might make her sick.” Sick is the euphemism they use for your fits when there are prying ears. Daemon gives a pointed glance at the guards. Viserys drops the topic after that.

Almost against his will, when the embers of the fire they sit in front of die, Daemon goes to your rooms. He isn’t really thinking, when he walks down the hallways that lead to your chambers instead of his. Nor is he thinking when he dismisses your guards, and opens your door.

You are laying on your side, a pillow held to your thighs. Your hands are made into fists over them, as if you had fallen asleep in your rage still. Despite it, your face is peaceful, with only dried tear tracks to disturb your childish expression.

Your body is curled into itself, tightly. You must be cold, Daemon thinks, and takes of his cloak to lay it over your form.

In dreams, you smile. And Daemon understands that he is no Gaelithox. There was a reason Caraxes and Meraxes were only allowed to embrace once a day, after all.

HORROR AND RAGE are not emotions that lend itself to permanence. At least, not in you. Not when it comes to him.

Not when he plays such strange game, and gets you strange prizes. Daemon has not asked for his cloak back. You have taken to sleeping wrapped up underneath it.

How can a man capable of such cruelty be capable of such tenderness? Confusion means ignorance, and ignorance breeds fear. You have known Daemon all your life, but you are still unable to understand him.

The only certainty you have is that when he is near, your rationality flies out of the window. It’s all instinctual. To fight, to fuck, to fucking fight.

The sleep of reason produces monsters. Monsters that take hold of your heart and squeeze it, until it is no more than liquid and pulp. Did he hurt that woman? Will he hurt you? Love you?

Daemon had stolen your first kiss. Daemon had gotten kicked out of a brothel. There was a girl in the Street of Silk with a bite mark on her neck. He had visited you the night of your betrothal and tucked you in.

It might mean nothing. It might mean everything. Whichever it is, you have no time to come to terms with it. Viserys wishes for the two of you to be married by the end of this moon. It makes you feel even more blindsided and betrayed.

None of them had thought to ask you before deciding. They had just done so.

The idea of marrying your brother wasn’t what came as a great shock. As a child, you had often daydreamed of honoring your ancestors and becoming your brother’s wife. It was the way things should be. But you had always thought you would marry Viserys.

When Viserys married Aemma, you thought you would marry someone outside your household. Daemon and you were clearly ill-suited, even before everything that had happened between the two of you.

Betrothing the two of you would be madness. You had never understood each other in the manner Viserys and him did. You were an outsider to their relationship, the other head of the dragon. Rhaenys to her conquerors.

But inexplicably, Viserys had done so. Being betrothed to him without even being asked about it stung. No one had thought to warn you, or ask for your opinion. They had simply announced it to court and hoped you would comply.

The feeling of betrayal had only mellowed out after asking Viserys his reasoning. He hadn’t been trying to blindside you, he had explained. He had thought you would be happy. Both Daemon and you yearned for Valyrian partners. It made sense to betroth the two of you, especially because Daemon had asked to marry soon.

Your brothers were just dumb. But their foolishness was a dangerous one, since they rode the two biggest dragons of your generation and sat on the Iron Throne. Common fools could undo the damage they caused.

But in your case, there was no way out but through. Viserys had begged you to give Daemon a chance, and so, you found yourself preparing for meeting him.

Viserys had chosen the place the two of you would meet. The Godswood was neutral territory, and far away from the castle that if you started shouting insults at each other, only the Kingsguard shadowing you would hear.

It only made you dread the encounter further. You had taken a liking to the Godswood, and were contemplating using it as a hideaway for when things at court got to be too much. If this went wrong, it would forever taint the place for you.

You decide to arrive early, to allow yourself some time to compose yourself. Daemon beats you to it, already waiting near a tree when you get there.

“Hāedus,” Daemon says, when he sees you. In a show of rebellion, you have decided to wear your more modest gown, with a neckline that nearly reaches your ears. Aemma had encouraged you to wear something more revealing, but you wanted to strangle the cow. “You look lovely.”

“Lēkia.” You press a kiss to his cheek, unsure if you should greet him like you always do, or the betrothal has changed the protocol. Kissing his cheek as you always do seems safer, but you regret it when his eyes flutter closed at your touch.

He is acting odder than usual. In an increasingly out-of-character charm offensive, he takes off his cloak and places it on the grass.

“So you may sit.” His tone is too formal. It makes you even more wary, but you sit. Daemon does the same, by your side. So close, you end up frowning more.

He leans in. His lips brush the shell of your ear.

“Despite my struggles, I have come to admire you.” Daemon noses along the hair right above your ear. “Rationality has left me, and no matter how hard I try, you haunt me at every corner, every hallway, every street of this damned city.”

“What am I supposed to say?” You complain, with a frown. You push him a little, to be able to meet his eyes.“I am well aware of your attempts at forgetting. Valyrian whores, Daemon? Really?”

“It was all in vain.” He pulls you back in, embracing you. His hands are warm around your stomach, his lips chafed against the skin of your neck. “Let me take down your hair.”

Your eyebrows raise. Out of all things he can ask for, this is the weirdest one. His petition is so simple and innocent, you almost think he is not Daemon.

“Let me take down your hair.” Daemon begs. The ardent tone in his voices surprises you. He sounds like a man possessed. As if he cannot survive if you deny him. “Hāedus...”

This devotion, this unexpected fit of love, surprises you. So much, you find yourself nodding.

You feel his chest contract with his sudden inhale. His hands are careful as they unmake your braid. His touch so tender, even the most delicate hairdresser would envy it. But when your hair falls down your back, in mussed tendrils, he shows himself to be Daemon.

His nose presses to your temple, breathing you in. His fingers run through your hair, and he presses feverish kisses to your scalp, your jaw, your ear. Licks the sweat behind it, samples your earlobe with his teeth.

Teeth. It makes you tense. You think of the girl in Flea Bottom, of the bite over her throat.

“I can’t stop thinking of you. You appear before me in the darkest corners, and in the brightest meadows.” Daemon inhales, hands grasping your waist tightly. “When I squired, away from home, I couldn’t get you out of my head. I didn’t know it was love then, but I have loved you since before I knew what the word meant. I fucked the tightest cunts of Westeros, sampled the prettiest maidens, and yet it is your face that I imagine when tugging at my cock.”

Something inside you snaps. Among the righteous indignation, a strange satisfaction takes place. You shove him off you.

“Don’t be crass!”

Daemon doesn’t attempt to embrace you again, but remains unbearably close. Your eyes drift to his lips. You would love him even if he were the one who mauled the whore. You would love him even if he did it to you. Because of it, perhaps.

“I want you to be mine. Put me out of my misery.” Daemon begs, tucking your hair behind your ears. “Marry me, and end my suffering.”

“You frighten me.” You whisper, without quite meaning to.

“Do you fear I will hurt you?” Daemon asks you, voice very gentle.

You avert your eyes. It’s not that what you fear. It’s how out of control you are when it comes to him.

“I would never.” He vows, leaning in. His lips brush against yours, before Daemon presses his forehead to yours. He looks into your eyes, and smiles. “Do you remember the last time we kissed?”

“Of course I do, you idiot.” You scowl at the memory. “You stole…”

“No. You were crying because no knight…” He gets up, and begins to tug you to your feet. You remain sitting. “Oh, get up, you stubborn thing.”

“Daemon!” You complain, but get up. He stands a few feet away from you. Curious about the point he intends to make, you cross your arms over your chest and glare.

He offers you his hand, as if to dance. You take it, eyes full of distrust.

“I have been a cunt. But you have to stop running.” Daemon circles you, pulling on your hand slightly. Is he…? Your confusion must show on your face because he gives you a mocking glance. “To dance from afar is not to dance.”

“What do you mean?”

“You might as well be in Essos.” Daemon keeps circling you. “Let us dance properly, for once.”

“Here? Dance?” There is no music. And your brother has never been one for bursting into spontaneous song and dance. At least, you don’t think so.

“Together. You wanted knights to ask you to.” Daemon pulls you close, into a hug, and the puzzle pieces finally fit. The day he had kissed you, you had been crying because no one had asked you to dance. That Daemon remembers the reason when you had nearly forgotten it yourself astonishes you. “Now a Prince asks you. Do not make me ask twice, please.”

“Let us try. To dance as if glued by fire. Let me prove I can be good to you. That I listen to you. ”

And it’s stupid. It’s silly, there is not even music. But you let him pull you in, this time, and realize Daemon has always been capable of tenderness. At least, when it comes to you.

[watcherintheweyr]

Can they make a post with their opinion on young alicent please? (English is not my first language, I hope I used the pronouns correctly. If not, I apologize)

Hello! I’m sorry this took me so long, I had written out this entire response and somehow tumblr fucking ate it.

So for starters, you didn’t quite get the pronoun use right, but that’s totally fine and I really appreciate you trying! Pronouns and the english language are a bitch to learn. So when someone’s pronouns are ‘they/them’ those pronouns only replace gendered pronouns- (he/his/he’s/she/her/hers/she’s). Non gendered pronouns (you/your/you’re/yours) are entirely fine. So this would’ve been ‘Can you make a post with your opinion on young Alicent?’. If you were then to talk about me, it’d be ‘I asked watcherintheweyr to make a post about their opinion on young Alicent’ or ‘Watcherintheweyr made a post explaining their thoughts on young Alicent because I asked them.’

Don’t feel bad pls- the English language is a total bitch, and genuinely you put more effort into trying to get it right than a lot of native english speakers who I interact with. And I really do appreciate it.

anyways, on to your question!

So while I have a lot of sympathy for young Alicent in a lot of ways- I don’t like her, and I never did. For starters, I absolutely despise that the show isolated Rhaenyra and made Alicent her only friend and companion, which was untrue in the books and also makes no sense for how royalty works. Rhaenyra, as the only princess, would’ve have a sizeable ‘household’ of young ladies around her age. Those girls would’ve been essentially her helpers and her companions- she would’ve been in lessons alongside them, and they would’ve worked together in matters of court, politics, and events. Canonically she had a gaggle of young girls she was very close to- to the point that when (SPOILERS) Rhaenyra is murdered by Aegon, her ‘youngest and gentlest’ lady, Elinda Massey, purportedly gouges out her eyes from the trauma and horror.

Also, I despise that Laena Velaryon’s story and importance in Rhaenyra’s life was sacrificed for Alicent Hightower- including their deeply hinted romantic connection.

Anyways, moving on. Alicent Hightower.

Ultimately, I think that Alicent is a tragic example of what happens when you buy into oppressive regimes- further and enable them because you think you’ll be rewarded for sacrificing others to those regimes, and realize far too late that you won’t. She has 100% bought into the Faith of the Seven and Otto and Westeros’ sexism, and she serves that system in the hope that she’ll be rewarded for it, for playing by the rules and sabotaging the power and autonomy of other women- especially Rhaenyra. And all the seeds and groundwork are THERE from episode one if you pay attention. Alicent is a self-righteous hypocrite and not nearly as intelligent as she thinks she is- and she is also a victim of Otto, Viserys, and the patriarchy. I also think she was never a good friend to Rhaenyra- and that she never really knew Rhaenyra.

(This post is going to be VERY long, so buckle up)

In episode one, we see very quickly that Alicent doesn’t understand Rhaenyra well, if at all. She makes the comment that Rhaenyra is ‘disagreeable’ when she’s worried- and is promptly baffled that Rhaenyra’s worry is not her position or about being ‘overshadowed’ for a son- that Rhaenyra genuinely hopes her father will get the son he’s wanted for her entire life, and that her only true worry is her mother. Emma D’Arcy and Milly Alcock both press that Rhaenyra is fully aware that due to her gender that she isn’t ‘enough’ for her parents or the realm, that she’s seen as lacking or deficient. Alicent doesn’t seem at all aware of this. Furthermore, Alicent’s question is… Odd. At this point in the story, Rhaenyra is only ‘a’ princess. She isn’t the heir- Daemon is. The only ‘overshadowing’ that could occur is Viserys’ already fleeting and inconsistent ‘love’ becoming even less present. And Rhaenyra is already expecting this; but Alicent presses more of Rhaenyra’s ‘position’.

Now bear in mind- in the past 10 years, 14 year old Rhaenyra has had to watch her father insist on and continually risk her mother’s life and health, and she’s had to mourn 5 siblings- some born, others not. So Rhaenyra being ‘disagreeable’ when she’s worried makes sense. But when she doesn’t budge on not wanting to talk about/prioritize her ‘position’, Alicent gets huffy and makes to leave. She then appears to be entirely stunned when Rhaenyra verbatim recites the current passage of history that they are learning from their Septa. This piece of information is given to us to set up and establish Rhaenyra’s clever mind and interest in learning- of the 5 episodes we have of Young!Rhaenyra, she is shown to be actively listening to and learning from her superiors in just about all of them, reading and learning from books in 3 of them, and utilizing courtly intrigue, manners, and speak in 3 of them to shut down opponents or disrespect. And yet Alicent is entirely taken aback by Rhaenyra doing this; which again lends itself to the idea that she doesn’t actually know Rhaenyra very well. In the script, at the end of the episode, it’s also expressed that Alicent doesn’t seem to understand Rhaenyra being stressed/worried about her investiture as heir- in her eyes, Rhaenyra now has everything anyone could want. Meanwhile, Rhaenyra has now been revealed the truth of why Aegon conquered the seven kingdoms- and has now been entrusted with learning to rule and govern the kingdoms, and to nurture and protect the legacy meant to fulfill this prophecy- and she is shown to be very aware of and affected by the weight of this.

Alicent, meanwhile, has become a pawn in her father’s bid for power, and a victim to his ambitions, and to Viserys’ sexism and passivity.

In episode 2, Alicent has been seeing Viserys in secret for six months- and notably, it’s 6 months into their meetings that Viserys expresses that he wishes for her not to tell Rhaenyra, as he doesn’t think she would ‘understand’. We see that she is harming herself and Otto doesn’t appear to care about it in any way more meaningful than why she would do so when she’s the most beautiful girl at court- a thing to be envied and admired. We also in this episode see how fully she has bought into the realm and the Faith’s sexism. When Rhaenyra comes to Alicent about her fears of the plots of the lords to marry her father off again now that his period of mourning is coming to an end, and as such they would be plotting to supplant her. She is struggling, because it’s shown that she is trying to act as heir, to learn and participate- because she WANTS this, wants to be heir, wants to do it and do it well- but Otto undermines and humiliates her, and Viserys simply lets it happen- practically enables it. She expresses her fears of these plots and her frustrations and desire to be the heir, to be more and grasp for more than she would’ve ever been allowed as ‘Viserys’ little girl’.

And Alicent’s response is to dismiss Rhaenyra’s fears- to tell her friend and the named heir to the throne that it ‘isnt their place to question the plots of kings and men’. Because Alicent does not believe women can or should hold genuine power- like she says in episode 9, women are meant to ‘gently guide those who [rule]’. And she does this while she is actively a part of one of those very plots that Rhaenyra fears. Now, bear in mind; I am fully aware that Alicent is a victim to her father’s ambitions, and Viserys’ complicity. It’s not Alicent’s fault what these men do to her. And it’s understandable why Alicent wouldn’t want to tell Rhaenyra, in a lot of ways.

That doesn’t change that both Alicent AND Viserys broke Rhaenyra’s trust and hurt her- and she is shown later to be trying to create distance from them- because they have both shown that Rhaenyra cannot trust them. Viserys because he’s self-serving and blind, and Alicent because her ultimate loyalty and obeisance will always be to her father, not Rhaenyra. And Rhaenyra is keenly aware of this after the reveal, even though it is never made clear to Rhaenyra that Alicent wasn’t seeing Viserys in secret of her own volition. That doesn’t change that for six months, since the *night* of Aemma’s funeral, Alicent was seeing Viserys in secret, whilst dismissing Rhaenyra’s fears of that exact sort of plot to her face. That doesn’t change the fact that Rhaenyra has every right to feel hurt, feel betrayed, and not want anything to do with Alicent- or Viserys, beyond what she cannot avoid.

On a note that’s entirely personal, while I know that Alicent was attempting to share something important to her with Rhaenyra in an attempt to help her feel better, to me, Alicent having Rhaenyra partake of her faith felt… strange. Rhaenyra, who named the dragon she shared a cradle with after a goddess of Old Valyria and who has no idea how to pray in a Sept to the Seven, clearly either is not religious or follows Valyrian faiths- and considering her Valyrian marriage to Daemon, it’s likely the latter. Personally- I would not want a friend of mine to try and have me participate in their religion, and I wouldn’t push them to participate in mine either. For me, that was just uncomfortable; but again that’s a purely personal issue.

In episode 3, we see these traits of Alicent’s repeat, as well as her inability to introspect or consider someone else’s feelings. Immediately in the Godswood she uses her ‘weight’ as queen to disregard Rhaenyra attempting create space and distance between them. And while yes it was on command from the King- the way Alicent does it is almost… Smug. She then attempts to tell Rhaenyra that ‘things need not be this way’- as Rhaenyra, upset, goes to change and ready herself for the hunt, despite the fact that this is the last place she wishes to be. Alicent is upset at the loss of her friend, and likely lonely- but she disregards Rhaenyra’s feelings entirely. This is further compounded by the scene in the carriage.

Despite the fact that she and Alicent are not friends, nor truly even speaking, Rhaenyra, who watched her mother struggle and suffer pregnancies, and lose multiple babes and her life, expresses concern that Alicent is traveling in her condition. In an incredibly clumsy attempt to soothe her concerns, Alicent makes the comment that ‘Aegon came quickly and without fuss.’ Again; i understand that this was a very clumsy attempt to ease Rhaenyra’s worry, however everyone in that carriage sees how poorly the comment lands, and Alicent makes no attempt at apology. ‘Aegon came quickly and without fuss’ is.. very insensitive to say to the girl that lost her mother to the childbed, and especially when you are quite literally sitting in that mother’s place- when you’ve replaced her because her last child killed her and died alongside her. If she had made any attempt at apology (the way Rhaenyra did when she saw a comment she made while expressing her frustrations hurt Alicent in e.4), that would be one thing; but she doesn’t.

Rhaenyra is heir- and canonically the only duty she has balked at is marriage. She is currently desperately holding on to being ‘the heir’ with everything she has- because it is all she has, the only thing that doesn’t make her replaceable with the new family that Viserys is building with Alicent- and as such it’s understandable that she doesn’t wish to go to Aegon’s second Name-day celebration, as she is keenly aware of the thing Viserys is blind to and that Alicent is passive to; the realm considers a 2 year old boy child more valuable and more worthy than the 17 year old princess who has actively been learning to be and acting as heir for three years at this point. Alicent’s uncle, Hobart Hightower, welcomes them by crying out ‘All Hail Aegon the Conqueror-Babe, second of his name!’ and neither Viserys nor Alicent does anything. Hobart is not corrected, nor taken to task, and the crown is rabidly enamored with the two year old child all because his genitalia makes him more ‘valuable’ than Rhaenyra. By calling Aegon ‘second of his name’ Hobart is saying the quiet part out loud- the realm all expects and wants for Aegon to be heir, for Rhaenyra to be set aside. Alicent is the queen- but she doesn’t care enough to correct her uncle, either because she does already think her son should be heir or because she doesn’t think it’s a woman’s place to correct a man.

Later in this same episode, she gives an incredibly half-hearted defense of Rhaenyra when Otto begins to speak literal treason- but she does bend to his will yet again, and goes to Viserys with the intent of pushing Aegon’s claim. She is aware in *episode 3* that her father is conspiring against Rhaenyra’s ascension, and she never says a word of it to Viserys or Rhaenyra, because she is Otto’s creature first, and because she agrees- Rhaenyra is a woman, and thus cannot and should not rule.

Episode 4 and 5 really bring Alicent’s hypocrisy and self-centeredness to a head and set the stage for the cruel abuser that she becomes. She is the story of a victim-turned abuser, in the end.

It starts out more positively, with Alicent and Rhaenyra attempting to rekindle their friendship, and discussing Rhaenyra’s tour. Alicent expresses an almost childish lack of understanding of the truth of Rhaenyra’s courtship tour- calling it romantic, seeing it as something dreamlike. Rhaenyra exposes the cold truth of it- after we had earlier seen that none of the options she’s offered (that we see) are actually suitable. She uses courtly manners and speak to have Lord Dondarrion essentially take himself out of the running, by getting him to speak of his age and simply agreeing with him- and is then presented with a literal child. She is fully aware that every man ‘courting’ her doesn’t love her, doesn’t want HER. They want her valyrian blood. They want their children to be dragonriders. They want proximity to the throne and power. Rhaenyra has to choose a consort; and the consequences if she chooses wrong are disastrous. She could choose a man who turns her into what Viserys did to Alicent and Aemma, she could choose a man who utilizes Westerosi patriarchal views and values and turns her into a puppet queen so that he has the actual power, or she could choose a man who is, ultimately, weak- and thus would not be able to support her claim, would not be able to support or defend her when she ascends. She expresses these frustrations- but when she sees one of her comments hurts Alicent, she immediately holds her hand and squeezes in an attempt at comfort and apology.

Alicent expresses that she has found that she has few friends, lately; and this comment is.. Interesting, in what it says of Alicent. That even at the height of female power in the realm, she cannot inspire loyalty or affection in those around her, that the only prospect she has for a friend is her childhood companion. Rhaenyra expresses a hope to grow closer again as well; but well.

Immediately we shift to the scene in the Godswood where Alicent confronts Rhaenyra with her father’s accusations. She comes into the confrontation immediately condescending and judgemental, looking down on Rhaenyra’s rebellious and adventurous nature, as well as her ‘queer Targaryen customs’, and the ‘crimes’ of which she is accused. Because remember; at this point, Alicent has bought entirely into the way the realm and the Faith views women; women who follow the rules, subservient and obedient, never reaching for more, sacrificing and doing their duty, are good, should be rewarded. Anything else is morally deficient, wrong, lesser. Given this and how she approaches the conversation; it is entirely understandable that Rhaenyra doesn’t trust Alicent, and relies on misdirection and her mother’s memory as well as their former closeness to protect herself, because through this entire conversation, it is obvious that if she knew the truth, Alicent *would not protect Rhaenyra.*

Now remember, Alicent speaks with Viserys in ‘defense’ of Rhaenyra- and she knows FULLY well that Viserys doesn’t believe that nothing happened, that Rhaenyra is restless, chaotic, and willful, and that she would have done as she pleases. (Made worse by Viserys bemoaning that Rhaenyra is ‘just a girl’ when 5 years ago he married Alicent and has had 2 children by her at this point and will have 2 more- plus he has been pushing and pressuring for Rhaenyra to marry for at least 3 of those years.)

Later, when Otto is dismissed, Alicent states what we all know to be true; he got himself into this position, because he kept pushing for Aegon to be made heir, to the point of committing treason and spying on the princess, salivating for a moment where she misbehaves that he can use against her. Here we see Alicent begin to believe the seeds Otto has been planting; that Rhaenyra would kill her siblings to secure her ascension. (Remember, the whole reason of the juxtaposition between the boar and the white stag in episode.3 is to directly contradict this. Rhaenyra attacks and kills the boar only because it harmed her and her knight. Killing the white stag would have helped her- it would have made the lords of Westeros see her as chosen, especially since she caught and killed it the day AFTER Aegon’s name day, and it revealed itself to HER [symbolizing that yes, Rhaenyra is the rightful heir and the RIGHT heir]. Killing it would have given her legitimacy beyond legitimacy and silenced MANY of the tongues that are conspiring against her. However she shows it mercy- despite the fact that its’ death would have served her) Despite having once ‘loved’ Rhaenyra, and ‘known’ her, somehow these lies make sense to Alicent and she believes them. (Furthermore, she somehow is shocked in ep.9 that the reverse is true- that to secure Aegon’s ascension, the easiest and most acceptable route to all the men around her who wield the true power, is to kill Rhaenyra and all of her children).

When later Larys mentions the delivery of a tea to Rhaenyra’s chambers on orders of the king (despite, again, her KNOWING that Viserys doesn’t believe nothing happened) she decides to look further into the matter; even though clearly Viserys wishes it dead and buried, left behind in the dust of her father’s departure of the capitol.

In ep.5, when Alicent discovers that Criston Cole slept with Rhaenyra, it all comes to a head. Despite the fact that Rhaenyra didn’t ‘lie’ (she did not sleep with Daemon), in this moment, Rhaenyra has solidified herself in Alicent’s mind as morally deficient, as less, and it infuriates her. The fact that Rhaenyra has taken charge of ehr body and autonomy in a way that Alicent would never have dared infuriates her; because a part of her had always accepted and even wished for what she assumed would be the order of things. That Rhaenyra would ‘sacrifice and do her duty’ and lay down to suffer the whims and wills of the men around them at Alicent’s side. That they would be united in that suffering. That they would be defanged and declawed the way the Faith extolls women must be, to ‘gently guide’ the men in power alongside them. (Ironic considering how later Alicent utterly fails in ‘guiding’ every man in power around her.)

Alicent has followed every rule and every tradition, does her duty no matter the discomfort, and the fact that Rhaenyra is daring to grasp for more, for power of her own, for happiness and autonomy, and isn’t being punished for it infuriates her. Infuriates her to the point that only Rhaenyra’s trasngression matters. To her, it doesn’t matter that Criston Cole broke his vows and slept with the princess because he valued desire over duty (as explicitly stated by Fabien and by ep.4’s directors)- he is a man. Only Rhaenyra must be punished. It doesn’t matter to her that Rhaenyra has bowed to her father’s will and that the choice of who she will be marry has been taken away from her so that he can use her to fix the political wounds he has caused; from this point forward, nothing Rhaenyra ever does will be enough for Alicent. Supplying heirs to the throne and Driftmark? Not enough- especially since Rhaenyra doesn’t assault her gay husband to do so. Acting as heir and putting forth wise, responsible suggestions in politics and problem-solving in the small council? Absolutely not, especially since in Alicent’s mind Rhaenyra has no business ruling over the men in the Small Council. Ruling from the heir’s seat of Dragonstone in preparation for the throne? Not enough. Offering apology when the poison that Alicent has been feeding her children about Rhaenyra and her children causes a fight between the children where her son is injured after throwing around death threats and claimed a dragon without the King’s leave (which IS established to be necessary in Jaehaerys’ reign) Not enough- she must have Lucerys’ eye as well. From this point on, *nothing Rhaenyra can or will do will ever be enough.*

And the irony is that her own hypocrisy never takes herself into account. She uses a dress to declare war at a wedding; insulting the Velaryons and her stepdaughter, and she faces no consequences for doing so, nothing for the disrespect- but only Rhaenyra ‘never’ faces consequences, right? Criston Cole murders a knight of the kingdoms and strikes the future king-consort to the Kingdoms- and Alicent protects him from every consequence, brings him into her own household as her own sworn knight.

In essence; young Alicent is a victim of the Faith, the Patriarchy and the men around her; but all of the seeds for the abuser that she becomes are there. She’s a hypocrite, blind to anything that doesn’t fit the narrative she wishes for, and to a degree, very narcissistic, and not as clever or as powerful as she thinks she is.

Mind you her being self-serving or self-absorbed isn’t some unforgivable crime; but in juxtaposition to how Rhaenyra expresses concern and care for her at multiple points, it just sits very poorly, for me.

Moving on;

Alicent, when younger is… Deeply interesting, deeply flawed, and incredibly tragic. Her younger self sets the stage for how her story ends; (SPOILERS) with her outliving all her children and grandchildren, all of them dead for her grudges and ambition, with her mad and alone.

She’s also, in some ways, very clever; she’s observant, knowing much of the court gossip, even potentially dangerous secrets in e.1 (speaking of that one Lady’s ‘swollen belly’ aka suspected pregnancy). She’s very duty-oriented, though mostly because she wants to be rewarded for how dutiful she is. She’s subservient to the men around her due to how Otto uses her, and short-sighted. I don’t think she’s a particularly kind individual, but I think she did have the POTENTIAL to be kind. She’s a little boy-obsessed- she was confirmed to have had a crush on Daemon and on Criston, plus how she viewed the courtship tour as ‘romantic’, but she’s also so obsessed with Rhaenyra that it blinds her to the truth both of herself and of Rhaenyra- obsessed with an image of Rhaenyra that isn’t actually the truth. She takes solace in her Faith, it seems, more than anything else, and she struggles to connect to people around her in meaningful ways. She has moments of deep insight- such as how she told Rhaenyra that any effort in hers and Viserys’ relationship would have to come from Rhaenyra, as Viserys, a man, is useless to ‘the language of girls’. She doesn’t like risks (no interest in flying with Rhaenyra) or adrenaline, and likely pursues only more ‘feminine’ pursuits- canonically we know Rhaenyra loves to ride horses and to fly Syrax, to hawk and hunt, loves fashion- even in the book I’d say Rhaenyra is a ‘fashionable’ tomboy in a lot of ways. But we don’t really know.. ANY hobbies of Alicent’s. We don’t know her passions, we don’t know her interests outside of the Faith and the ambitions of her family.

We don’t know her relationships with her children or motherhood- though we know she’s jealous of what a good mother Rhaenyra is.

Honestly it’s a shame. S1 really needed to be 20 eps- 10 with the younger versions of Alicent and Rhaenyra, and 10 with the older. It would’ve let us KNOW the characters more and get far more invested in their fates.

Anyways this… is a novel. But I hope I answered your question alright lmao. I think Alicent as a character is very interesting- but good lord I don’t like her, and yeah I didn’t like her younger version either.

[lya-dustin]

Shock and Delight

Or the Aemond x Aemma (oc) Bridgerton!AU no one asked for x this week's prompt from @hotd-bigbang (September 22nd: "All my means are sane, my motive and my object mad." (Moby Dick))

Please do not ask when i am returning to my other wips as i have no control and by the looks of it just started a new one.

The household of the Princess of Dragonstone is always a sight to behold at court. Whether it is by its sheer size ---the Realm's Delight in her piety has had a child for each of the Seven and her mother’s heart welcomed Lady Laena's daughters as if they were her own bringing her up to the unholy number nine---, the cohesion of it or its variation in coloring, you find yourself looking at them.

Unfortunately, their good looks, dragons, and enviable familial bond do not make up for the fact that, in comparison to Queen Alicent’s four children, they are rather ordinary. Yes, dear reader, that observation includes newborn Princess Visenya.

One has to wonder if their rank in the succession and dragons will be enough to find them all good matches now that the eldest two are to join the violent and bloody melee that is polite society.

--- the Morning Scandal

“I told you the printing press was a bad idea.” Daemon comments as the week’s scandal is read to him by his wife and niece.

“You sound like Otto.” Rhaenyra said refusing to take down her idea of a free ---but moderated--- press. “Besides it’s not hinting at It, the printer checks with me before letting things like these harmless little paper circulates around the world.”

“If the scandal sheet is as harmless as you say, then why are you going all out on the twins’ debut, sweetheart?” he asked looking smug at knowing it got to her.

No one could see them as ordinary, if people know they are not as special as they appear they will begin doubting the place they have in life. They would see Rhaenyra was an ordinary woman and wonder why ordinary bastards were called so and hers cannot.

The myth created by their culture protected them, if the smallfolk believe the gods spat the Valyrians onto land and gave them dragons and dreams to conquer the land they would not dare to harm her family.

Aemma, the elder of the twins and her heir, could not be seen as an ordinary girl. Not when her crown would pass on to her and give them the boost needed to push for absolute primogeniture as Queen Alysanne and Prince Aemon had hoped to do so only to have his own fucking father deny the legality of his will by calling the Great Council.

People will contest her father’s will; Otto Hightower was not wasting his time hoping to change her father’s mind as Alicent did and was doing everything to have enough allies for when the time came.

“You saw Maester Orwyle and Lord Beesbury’s letter, he is dying, and it won’t be long before Otto shoves me out the way to put Aegon on my throne. If Aemma weds the right man, we can prevent needless bloodshed and make sure we keep on this path of peace.” Gods, Rhaenyra hated how much she sounded like father these days. It was as if the roles were now reversed ---only she knows Aemma wouldn’t be so naïve as to give up her maidenhead to the only young man who treats her as a person and not a meal ticket.

Jace could only marry a Celtigar, a Velaryon or someone with Valyrian coloring to secure his place as future Lord of the Tides. Despite truly being Laenor’s son, her sweet little boy did not look the part. Something that could be remedied if he wed, say, Vaemond’s sweet girl, Daena.

Aemma needed to have an advantageous marriage. She needed a lord with a title, wealth and something to get the Greens to rethink their plans. Rhaenyra could have her wed to Aemond knowing her father will say yes, but there is a possibility that her little brother, like her late first husband, prefers roast duck.

Even Mysaria cannot find a woman in his past or present save for the whore Aegon hired when he was three and ten. Poor boy must have been traumatized, as if him losing his eye and that clusterfuck afterwards hadn’t been enough.

Nothing wrong with his preferences if it was true. Rhaenyra enjoys a good goose from time to time as does his mother, she just didn’t want to damn her daughter to her life. Her sweet Aemma deserved a man who would love her as a husband should.

Unfortunately, the younger generation was plagued by an unholy number of heiresses and hardly any heirs. The Princess of Dragonstone could count on her hands the number of men young enough to wed Aemma without being old enough to have courted Rhaenyra.

“I thought you wanted her to marry someone of her choice.” Her husband reminded her, they had agreed no arranged marriages for their children.

“I do, as long as he fills all the requirements we need.” His wife assured him and pretended not to see the scandal sheet go under the rest of the news printed on this morning’s newsletters. He thinks she doesn’t know he reads it while in the privy, but she does, just as she knows who writes it.

“You are a madwoman, Nyra. How will you manage to find this mythical creature?” the Rogue Prince asked. This was the same man who managed to find two women perfect for him ---after the convenient death of his first wife--- through blind fucking luck.

“All my means are sane, my motive and my object mad.” Rhaenyra laughed and asked him not to speak of this once the children came in and sat down to break their fast as they always do.

[elleinmotion]

Out of curiosity is Lucerys at all aware of the "rumors" around Daemon's involvement in Lady Rhea's death. Did Jace or someone else tell him about it when he started his correspondence with Alyssa or is it kinda like the whole 'Strong' situation and just Not Spoken Of in that household.

hello darling!!! thank you for the ask!

if Lucerys is in any remote sense of the word "aware" of what's swirling around his step-dad slash great uncle's alleged uxoricide of Rhea Royce, it's likely not believed as gospel and chalked up to a malicious rumor and total poppycock, another one of the tall tales built up around the infamous Rogue Prince.

even then, the rumor likely isn't circulated at all in the household on Dragonstone (I myself wouldn't traffic in rumors about spousal murder and suspected criminal acts if my head of household or boss had a fire-breathing lizard the size of an A380 and was known for his loose cannon demeanor).

we gave that "it's a known rumor but not spoken about" a nod with Rhaena and Alyssa's interaction in an earlier chapter. they know the topic is somewhat sensitive considering the rumors, but I'm sure most of the Team Black kids don't believe that their father/step-father/great-uncle could do such a thing as harm or kill a woman in cold blood

(yet)

also, it's far removed in time that many have forgotten the circumstances surrounding Rhea's death overall. Luke wasn't alive then, neither was Jace or any of Rhaenyra's boys since Rhea died prior to Rhaenyra and Laenor's wedding.

But with the Royce words being We Remember, it's unlikely folk that held Rhea in high regard are going to let it fall out of living memory; Graves builds Rhea up as highly regarded both locally to Runestone denizens and at a macro level in the Vale to include having Jeyne Arryn's regard.

the timing of Rhea's death and the manner of it was enough to have some doubt the circumstances. we see that in the show when Gerold, bold old Gerold, comes to the wedding feast and accuses Daemon outright (with the absolute balls and conviction to do it in front of the king himself) before withdrawing when Daemon starts suggesting he's due to press his spousal inheritance rights for Runestone with Jeyne at the Eyrie.

just imagining an off screen aside way back in the beginning of Graves where Rhaenyra told Daemon that Lucerys was corresponding with "the Royce girl" and Daemon thinking internally with so much exasperation '...oh that sodding, sheep infested mess of the Bronze Bitch comes back to haunt me'

get nae nae'd, Daemon

[bronzebtch]

wishlist — settings and dynamics to explore. a continuation of the first part. again, if we're mutuals, and any of these are sparking joy, for you, you let me know cause im gonna yell about our muses so much

not yet lady of runestone AU — jeyne arryn's father and brothers were never killed in a mountain clansmen attack, prompting her own lord father to stay in runestone and rhea having to adapt to king's landing slightly longer than in canon. she's trying to adapt to this foreign court, her husband's dismissal of her, and accompanying her good-sister. except... she got bored. so she'll start to shadow queen alysanne if only to look at the charities she's been involved in and thus got herself roped into continuing the work, sneaking away to ride in kingswood and to hunt alone, always praying she will be summoned home or this marriage will be annulled soon etc.

lady in waiting AU — rhea was apart of princess aemma's household as her lady-in-waiting and companion. she spent her childhood since she was eight / nine years old in king's landing, alternating between the springs to return home to the vale and resumes her education as her father's heir. this au may include an alternative fate where she was never considered as prince daemon's bride since she may grew up alongside daemon and queen alysanne deemed rhea "too similar" to her grandson¹, thus dismissing her as a candidate.

thought to have died AU — in the year 115 AC, rhea royce was declared dead after a voyage she was on never returned to dock. she returned years later, miraculously from out of nowhere, with her lord husband having already moved on, and the dance of the dragon leaving its damages. ( circumstances of her disappearance can be discussed on a case-to-case basis. )

her brother is alive AU — only the secondborn and the middle child to her parents, rhea was often overlooked for her typically dour look and dull appearance. she is, however, the best hunter the vale has ever seen - competing all around the seven kingdoms for the title ( though she was never sore when someone else brought a larger game ) and, in her quietness, is her brother's best advisor. though she was meant to marry several times, many of her engagement fell through — twice had been because her intended had fallen ill and passed; once, because the poor man was caught in a skirmish and passed; and another one because she, herself, rejected the proposal. rhea does intend to marry, deep down, though her reputation as the accursed bride-to-be had since kept her.²

daemon was king and she accidentally became queen AU. the line of succession on this would be tricky because not only laeanor (and in extension, rhaeanys) and rhaeanyra would have a good claim on the seat, but come ooooooon ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ tis simply an enticing idea that could potentially be hella good for both our muses but also. rhea's gonna be like "oh thank god, now [da3mon] has the power to dismiss the marriage" lmaooooo

Footnotes: ¹ Long story short - if Rhea and Da3mon had actually gotten along, more than likely Rhea isn't the kind to actually hold him back or "tame him", as Queen Alysanne had most likely intend with the marriage. She's more like the person who'd go around gathering bets if Daemon ever found himself in a fight. She'd also bet against him skajdhksjf. ² This AU can actually go by many ways - but for now, this is the default version I have in my head. The details, of course, can be changed with respective RP partnr(s) or even mashed with point #2.

[m00nchildthings]

Familliar (revamped with added content)

Authors note: So yall remember the first chapter of familliar? Scrap that hoe this the new one it’s dumb long though 11 pages on Microsoft Word TnT Also @alfmoimagines i remembered to tag you

Content Warnings: Dubious Consent, Virginity Taking, Teratophilia, demon fucking, virgin training? ear fucking(with a tongue i’m not that wild). breeding, creampies, cursing, full nelsons, ruts, and i feel like that is all? Enjoy

Familiars were tricky and malevolent creatures, demons that were so lowly in the castes of hell that they lived life better off in the land of mortals then they would in their own native realm. Not that any of them would be humble enough to admit it though. Most familiars stayed under the care of witches for protection, being incapable of possession made them extremely susceptible to attacks by clergymen. Most lands decreed that any demon living as a witch's charge were free of fear of clergy assault, as long as said witch could manage them. For witches, handling a familiar was a precocious balancing act at best and a near soul threatening experience at the worst, especially during their times of rut. This was when only keeping one familiar in service, which is why so many gave you confused looks when you stated that you kept not one but two under your gifted hand.

 Izuku was your first familiar, a small token gifted to you by your mother the eve before you set off to live yourself as every young witch does when they hit that special age. A small rabbit daemon, one of the easiest to handle, was her gift to you. His eyes were a clear emerald and his pelt a slick black that shone green whenever the moonlight encased him. He was a very helpful familiar as far as they went and you were very appreciative of the fact. After near hermiting yourself away in a decent size hut not too far from a village, you found Izuku to be a very beneficial part of your day to day life. Whenever you were off in the town square buying food and supplies for the week you could always count on Izuku to scamper off and find you roots and herbs for your potion. Or in his human form he would help you around the house cleaning and organizing your books for you. He even seemed interested in your craft, helping you with concocting potions and studying spells.

 Now handling Izuku was fairly easy, at least in comparison to the horror stories you heard, during his roots. All it took was a snug leather collar with a calming charm placed on it to keep him from humping anything within a five-foot radius (including you.) Throw in some romance novels of yours for him to read and staying out late at taverns to give him alone time with his hand and Izuku was fairly decent to stand. You just had to make sure to ignore his eyes on you at night as you slept.

 The second familiar you kept was very different to your snuffly little Zuzu. Katsuki as he went by was an absolute brat that wasn’t grateful for anything you had done for him whatsoever.  It had only been a few months since you had found him after leaving the local butcher to make your way home to Izuku. A group of kids were toying with the poor battered creature, a pure white canine with a clergy trap biting into his ankle blood matting his fur. After shooing away the little bastards you pried open the chat wincing as the teeth of the trap sliced your fingers. He stared up at you with one big red eye before groaning and going limp. You took the poor thing home and cleaned his wounds shoving Izuku away as he came to snuff around the new daemon. For the first few days Katsuki was fine to be around, as his wounds healed, he mostly rested, coming in and out of sleep as he gained back his strength. He was quiet and agreeable letting you bathe him to redress his wounds and even crooning as you held his head to feed him. This calm quiet Katsuki lasted for exactly for the first week he lived in your small home.

 The moment he regained his strength it became apparent what a brute Katsuki was as he uprooted your life from its regular calm feeling. Whenever you went out to gather supplies you returned home to find your Izuku cowering in the corner and Katsuki standing in the middle of your ruined living room, smoke billowing off of your singed furniture. He constantly berated Izuku, cursing and complaining about every little thing he could find. He constantly picked fights with Izuku it wasn’t an uncommon sight to come home to find Katsuki pinning Izuku to the ground as your poor bunny kicked at his tummy trying to worm from your grasp. It got to the point that you would have to keep him chained in the cellar and bring Izuku out with you as your familiar refused to be left alone with Katsuki. As ever docile as he was you found Izuku complaining about keeping him around.

 “Mistress,” he whined walking beside you in the town square “why must we keep him with us he’s rude and aggressive and has only made life harder for us since you took him in.” 

 “Zuzu,” you scolded “you know very well why we can’t just throw him out, the clergy would get to him, besides, he’s probably just defensive being in a new environment after such a traumatic experience, we have to be patient with him.”

 “But he’s so disruptive,” Izuku huffed crossing his arms as you stopped by a fruit vendor “he’s taking up so much of your time, you don’t have time to practice, time for me- “

 “Time for you?” you raised an eyebrow placing a few plums into your satchel, paying the vendor and walking away “perhaps your annoyance comes less from our new friends’ unruly nature and more from a place of, dare I say it, jealousy?”

 “I’m not jealous of him!” Izuku exclaimed red smattering underneath his freckles “I’m worried about you, mistress,”

 “And why is that Zuzu?”

 “Rutting season is coming, and if this is how he acts on the regular, imagine how he’ll be during his time,” he turned to you placing a hand on your arm “you might not be safe mistress,”

 You paused mulling over what your familiar had said eyebrows furrowing, he wasn’t wrong. You had grown comfortable with keeping a familiar with easily suppressed ruts, cat daemons were notoriously known for having aggressive ruts. You had overheard a friend of your mothers as she stopped by from afternoon tea, confiding in your mother that her own cat daemon had been so difficult she had no choice to put aside her pride and pull down her panties to keep peace in her house. It was seen as very taboo for a witch to lay with her familiar, shameful even, to be seduced in the bedroom by such a lowly daemon. You yourself had been worried about what would happen when rut time would come with your new household member to worry over.

 “Don’t worry my fluffy little companion,” you placed a hand on his cheeks smiling as his eyes closed and he nuzzled into your palm “I’ll be fine, you should worry about how you’ll be dealing with your time of the year,”

                                        ……………………………………….

It had been about nearly a week since you and Izuku had your little conversation, and you had begun to notice the signs of rut season in your daemons. Izuku was becoming much more grating constantly moving around your stuff in your room rubbing against everything and even snapping back at Katsuki when he would try to intimidate him. Katsuki became the exact opposite of his usual self, at least towards you. He would stalk you silently through your own home eyeing you like prey as you sat reading in your armchair. It had gotten to the point where you would step out of your bath to find Katsuki waiting outside your washroom nostrils flared as he stared down at you, pupils slit. You almost felt scared in your own home, almost. You had two daemons about to reach a sexual peak and you were only fairly sure you could keep one of them in check. This especially became apparent to you one day as you were working on charming Izuku’s heat collar.

 “That won’t work on a daemon like me you know,” Katsuki had grunted from across your kitchenette “I’m twice as fucking powerful at that little runt you keep running after you,”

 “Well what do you suggest I do to make this time easier for you Katsuki,” you say not looking up from your work “did you not have a witch before me to help you through these times?”

 “Yes,” he said pacing closer to you as you worked rubbing the salve into the leather.

 “Well what did she do Kats- “you paused at the hot wet feeling of breath on the back of your neck, his toned arms came to rest on either side of you. Your body seized as you felt his nose bury into your hair and take a deep inhale.

 “She was a good little witch and let me fuck her cunt till I was through,” your eyes widened as you turned your head to stare at him. His red eyes bore into yours as a lecherous grin spread across your face.

 “Come on,” he said leaning down to rub his nose against your cheek “little witches like you act like prudes till you got a big fat daemon cock in your face, let’s just skip the theatrics and get to the part where I’m balls deep in that little witch cunt of yours,” he groaned throatily pressing his hips into you. You shuddered feeling his massive print against your back wondering what it would feel like to have it pressed inside your-

 “Mistress” you heard Izuku’s voice cold and unnervingly steady from across the room, your eyes shot over to Izuku who eyes were glued onto you and Katsuki. You immediately regained your composure pushing Katsuki away from you. Izuku kept his eyes trained on Katsuki glaring at him as you made your way over to him collar in hand. He took it from you when you offered it to him, but his eyes didn’t leave his fellow daemon.

 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 It had been a few days since the incident in the kitchen, spring was coming in and the tension in your household was so palpable you could carve it with a knife. Izuku stuck to you like a barnacle to a ship and Katsuki was never too far behind. It had come to the point that you had begun to hex your door locked, not even allowing your little Zuzu to sleep at the end of your bed. It had been on one of those locked door nights when an interesting discussion occurred between Izuku and Katsuki.

“You know Deku, you’re pretty fucking pathetic, you know that right?” Katsuki said sprawled out over your couch eyes glowing crimson in the moonlight lit room.

 “Shut up Kacchan,” Izuku grumbled, awkwardly curled up in your armchair broad arms hugging his haunches and leather collar tight around his neck, ignoring him Katsuki continued.

 “I mean how long have you been in service to her, how many springs have passed with you jacking into your own fist like a fucking loser, what you think if you’re a good enough pet she’ll let you hump her leg or something?” Katsuki asked picking with his claws at a piece of cotton sticking out of the arm of the suede couch.

 “I don’t know how you and your previous witch worked but y/n and I do not have a relationship like that, she is my mistress and I am her grateful servant, nothing more nothing less,” Izuku huffed tucking into himself even further.

 “Get off your damn high horse, you’re how old now, and never once went through a rut without just your own hand?” Katsuki sucked his teeth and turned to his brethren, red eyes glowing inhuman in the moonlight “you and me together we could probably convince her to give us a hole each,”

 “Kacchan don’t be lewd,” Izuku said sitting up in the chair to glare over his shoulder at Katsuki, who barked out a laugh standing up and uncharacteristically, placed a clawed hand gently on Izuku’s face thumb brushing his cheek.

 “Come on little bunbun,” he rasped a wicked gleam in his eyes “don’t you wanna get your dick wet tonight?”

                       ………………………………………………

 It had been fairly quiet that night, a few growled whispers from your living room but overall quiet compared to usual. Though worries of Katsuki’s impending rut had plagued your brain, worrying if the collar you had made for him would stick, you had been resting peacefully for the majority of the night. Until a loud rapping noise pulled you from out of your slumber. Your eyes opened face twisting in worry as your sat up throwing off your bedsheets.

 “Who is it?”

 “Mistress, it’s me,” your body relaxed as you heard your bunny’s’ voice from outside your bedroom door.

 “What is it Zuzu?” you asked standing slowly, nightgown flowing down your legs.

 “I- I can’t sleep, I know my ruts started, but can I just spend one more night with you, please mistress?” your heart lurched for your boy, his ruts as easily managed as they were, were still hard for him.

 “Ok Zuzu,” you chuckled unlatching one of your locks “for you anything my- “

You felt a hand around your throat before you could finish your sentence, you had expected a pair of pure emerald green eyes to meet your, but you were instead met with scarlet. You were quiet as you were pushed back towards your bed by Katsuki refusing to break eye contact with him as you were forced to plop down on your bed. You stared at the both of them, the collars you had spent so long on were removed from their necks, of course, you had never had to worry about putting on a charm to keep Izuku and Katsuki from taking off their own collar, you hadn’t even thought of the two joining forces.

 “Izuku,” you said turning to find him just behind Katsuki nervously staring down at you, biting at his lower lip “what is the meaning of this?”

 “Mistress I-I can explain- “

 “Then explain yourself!” you snapped watching his looming figure begin to shake and quiver at your tone, you figured if you could get one to balk on their advance the other would be soon to follow. Besides, if the two of them would start to ravish you in their lust filled rut induced haze, you wouldn’t want them to stop, and that thought scared you.

 “Hey, don’t take that tone with us shitty witch,” Katsuki said grabbing your jaw and leaning down till you were eye to eye, invading your space “we’re just the two demons who are gonna take out that stick you got shoved so far up your ass, if you let us,”

 “And pray tell, why would I do that?” you ask folding your arms. Katsuki smirked, and stood up to his full height, before shoving Izuku to you. He landed on top of you wide eyed and red face, the moment your hands pressed against his chest you felt his entire demeanor change. His eyelids begin to droop and his breathing became uneven as his body began to sag pressing into you. His rut had come in fully.

 “M-mistress,” he mumbled eyes darting lazily between your lips and your eyes unsure of which to focus on. Choosing to ignore both he instead pressed his nose into your neck nuzzling you and inhaling your smell moaning dreamily. His wet tongue poked out laying small little kitten licks on you quickly turning to open mouth kisses sucking at your neck.

 “Look at him little witch,” grabbing hold of your hair turning your eyes to him as you tried in vain to push off Izuku “you’ve turned him into a needy little bitch hanging off you for the barest scrap of emotion, you must have known how badly he wanted to fuck that cunt of yours,”

 “It’s true mistress,” Izuku said droopily pulling off trying to cover your neck in his saliva “I want you all the time you’re so amazing, so smart, so powerful, I just want to make you feel good ma’am,” he chirruped loudly staring down at you like you put the stars in the sky. He shifted and you can feel his cock hard and throbbing against your leg. Your face heated as he began rutting against you, he moved to give the same treatment he gave your neck to your chin. You couldn’t lie, it felt good you thought as you bit your lip to stifle a moan.

 “T-this is wrong,” you stuttered as Izuku trailed down sucking on your nipples through your nightgown leaving dark wet spots on the pale silk.

“Is it really,” Katsuki snickered grabbing Izuku by the hair. He moaned in distaste as Katsuki pulled him off of you “don’t complain just yet rabbit, you get to do the most important part, hold her from behind,”

 “Izuku please,” you huff as he wraps his burly arms around yours pulling you close so Bakugou can get to your panties easier “you’re better than this bunny” Midoriya pouts staring down at you with those big green eyes.

“Please mistress, I’m always so good for you right, I never try to run away, and I always help you even when you don’t ask” he pauses for a  second to moan as his hips rut into your ass a few times and then move in close to your ear “the least you can do is let me make love to you mistress I promise I’ll make you feel good,”

“HAH,” Bakugou barks out a cruel laugh from his place in front of view finally managing to rip off your panties “a daemon can’t make love to a witch Deku, but we can fuck them senseless,” he grins lecherously as he pushes a finger inside your cunt already moist from their actions “because as high and mighty as witch bitch might be they all turn into slobbering whores the moment you get your dick in them they’ll beg for it you’ll see.’’

Midoriya groaned, now humping at your naked ass seemingly pleased with that visual image Bakugou had given him, thick cock dragging and leaking precum on your skin. He buried his face in your shoulder softly sucking a spot into your skin as his hands trailed down until his fingers found your clit.

“I read in one of your books that this feels good for girls,” he says swiping back in forth lightly tugging against the hood of your clit as if searching “there’s supposed to be a little “pearl” here, right, it’ll make you go feel good right mistress, I wanna make you feel good,” he croons as his fingers succeed in revealing your clit to the cool bedroom air. He lets out a little happy chirp bringing his other hand down to rub small hard circles on it and you choke eyes crossing at your sensitive nub being played with. Bakugou tsks, sucking his teeth as he watches you pay more attention to the damn bunny daemon then him.

“Hey shitty witch,” he grabs your hair and tugs forcing you to look at him through your pleasure induced haze “don’t get too wet over your little rabbit it’s gonna be my fucking dick in you so pay attention,” he leans forward swiping his rough tongue over your shoulder before biting down groaning as the skin broke and the coppery taste of blood began to fill his mouth, dick jumping at your pained squeals.

“Kacchan be nice it’s her first time,” Midoriya scolds moving one of his hands to pat at your head trying to soothe you “you have to be gentle on a girls first time,” Bakugou groans rolling his eyes before letting your shoulder go and lapping at the little pinpricks of red still there.

           “It’s not my fault she’s too prudish to have gotten human dick before we jumped her,” he grumbles and adds another finger to your slick cunt scissoring to loosen you up for them “don’t expect me to be gentle when I get in here either I’m gonna destroy this little cunt of yours shitty witch,” he growls and adds a third finger curling up into a spot that has you seeing stars and chuckles as he watches your hips start to try to ride his hand.

 You try to hold it back but soft pitiful moans leave your lips, eagerly swallowed up by Izuku as he goes to kiss you sloppily shoving his tongue down your throat. Between Katsuki’s rough thick fingers pistoning into you and Izuku playing with your clit while simultaneously sucking your tongue into his mouth it isn’t long before you feel a tug in your abdomen that quickly turns into a pee like sensation as you cum, squirting all over Katsuki’s hand. He groans speeding up to see your squirt spray as Izuku soothes you pulling away from you to gently massage at your breast and kiss along your neck. Katsuki frowned watching the way Izuku fawned over you, taking all your attention. He sucked his teeth before grabbing you and pulling you close.

 “C’mere, be a good little witch and spread those legs for me,” he growled staring into your eyes as you gulped at his words.

 “Katsuki no,” Izuku said grabbing you and pulling you away “it should be me who gets her first you’re too rough,”

 “I’d like to see you try fucking rabbit,” Katsuki grabbed your hips dragging you till your crotch pressed against his and you could feel his print through his trousers “Your virgin ass would probably only last two pumps before you come in her,” There was a palpable moment in which your room seemed to pulse with Katsuki’s challenge as the two daemons stared each other down over you. You knew that it was up to you to pacify the situation.

 “Wait, wait,” you say sitting up as both their eyes immediately dart to you, you place a hand on Katsuki’s chest “you should at least allow me to choose which of you is first,” You see Katsuki smirk and roll your eyes mentally at his arrogance.

 “Ok then little witch,” he grabs your chin in his hand before pulling you into a domineering kiss, much more practiced than Izuku, rolling his tongue with yours before biting and pulling your lip “you pick.”

 You pull back from Katsuki admittedly shaken by his lustful kiss as you kneel between the two daemons trying to figure who you would want to take you first. On one hand you were more comfortable with Izuku, you knew he would be kind and gentle with you as new to all this as you were. But despite Katsuki’s dominating nature he was more experienced, and you have no doubt that he would take the reins if you let him, as you were rather inexperienced in comparison. The air was tangible in the moment of you deciding.

 “I choose Izuku,” you say. Izuku visibly brightens and shuffles closer to you as Bakugou growls scooching over to the headboard. You helped Izuku take off your nightgown fully as his hands shook with eagerness when he tried.

When the offending garment was finally off Izuku stared down at you wide eyed and all smiles taking in your naked body. His hands reached out slowly trailing over your body, over every curve and dip leaving goosebumps in their wake, before resting on your ass. He cupped a cheek in each hand and pulled you up until your rested on his thighs legs wrapping around his waist. You blushed as you felt his cock press against your stomach, thick in ways that made you tremble in fear or anticipation you couldn’t tell.

 “Shh Shh mistress,” he maneuvered you again until you were on your back and he loomed over you as he leaned down “it’s my first time too we’ll be each other’s first.”

 “God are you gonna fuck her or fuck around Deku?” Katsuki growled from his spot next to you by the headboard dick in hand. Midoriya huffed angrily before turning back to you.

He kissed lovingly at the column of your throat stroking your thighs before spreading them practically cooing at the sight of your virgin cunt glistening with your arousal.

           He grabbed one of your legs wrapping it around his waist as he clumsily fumbled with his member until the tip pressed against your twitching hole. Your breath hitched and your face screwed up tight as the head of his cock caught on your clenching entrance, your Zuzus back hunched as he slid just a fraction into your tight heat shuddering breaths fanning your face as he fought the urge to slam into you. It was unpleasant and foreign feeling the stretch of his cock as he slowly pressed into you, a burning sensation that had you clawing at his back and clenching down on the intrusive member spearing into you.

             “P-please y/n, you’re too tight I- I can’t,” his hot breath filled your space as he paused his breach of your too snug pussy. A rough hand grabs at your jaw directing your attention to Katsuki as he glowers down at you.

             “You need to relax dumbass, if you keep clenching down he won’t be able to push it in all the way,”

 “It isn’t in all the way in yet,” you whimpered, squinted one eye open you looked down to see that only half of Izuku’s cock was inside of you, a good portion of it sitting outside of you.

 “Fucking virgins,” Katsuki growled snapping his fingers at Izuku “you gotta get her to relax, kiss her or something touch her other sensitive parts,”

Midoriya nodded sharply before smashing his lips to yours messily moving his lips against your and knocking your teeth together before Katsuki grabbed his neck dragging him away from the sloppy kiss.

           “Jesus do I have to show you how to do everything dumbass,” Katsuki grunted at an irritated Izuku, annoyed at being interrupted.

           “Katsuki stop butting in-“he’s cut off when Katsuki’s lips press against his own, you watch as the cat daemon showed Izuku what a proper kiss was. Their lips moved together Katsuki pulling out little moans from your Zuzu when he bit his lips demanding entrance to his wet mouth before sliding his rough tongue in. Izuku shuddered wide eyed, cock pulsing inside you as Katsuki’s tongue danced with his own until he pulled away a thin trail of saliva breaking of from the corners of their mouths.

           “That’s how you’re supposed to kiss dumbass,” his rough hands cupped Izuku’s jaw jerking his head to you “now kiss her that way,”

           Izuku again bent down to kiss you, but this time with more tact, your lips moved together more gently and his tongue kitten licked at your bottom lip as opened your mouth tongue immediately running over your mouth as if trying to taste you. A pair of rough fingers began to circle your clit, Izuku’s or Katsuki’s you weren’t sure, but the stimulation of your little nub had you groaning into the kiss legs relaxing around Izuku and wrapping around his waist as he slowly slid the rest of his girth into you. It was a burning deep within you now, not the tearing feeling from before, but a satisfying stretching that had you sucking on Izuku’s invasive tongue as the both of you moaned into each other’s mouths. Finally with a small circulation of his hips Izuku sat snugly inside of your of warm wet cunt he breathed heavily breaking away from the kiss to loom over you, eyes lidded with lust he stared down at you debauched expression not knowing how to handle the feeling of being filled to the brim with a throbbing hot daemon cock.

           “You, you feel amazing mistress,” he groaned clumsily circling his hips into you, your breath caught at the foreign feeling as he his hips rabbited into you, quickly little juts that barely made room between where his thighs pressed into your soft bottom. Behind him you heard Katsuki suck his teeth, clearly unimpressed with Izuku’s method of humping into you, you watched as he grabbed Izuku’s hips biting the rabbit daemon’s sensitive ears. He pulled his hips back ignoring Izuku’s moans as he was dragged out of your clenching cunt wanting nothing more than to thrust back in and snuggle fuck into your intoxicating pussy.

           “No tact whatsoever,” Katsuki growled pulling on the lobe he held in his teeth “no idea how to fuck a pussy, and I though little bunnies like you were supposed to be good at fucking, figures I’d have to show you how to do this to,”

           Katsuki slowly guided Izuku’s hips in and out of you dragging his cock nearly all the way out till the tip caught on your drooling entrance and smoothly sliding it back in angling it so that he knew that spot deep within your gummy walls was graciously caressed. Your back arched off the bed as you moaned hands reaching out for either but ultimately catching on Izuku, nails leaving crescent marks on his biceps and back. His head fell to your neck mouthing there as Katsuki slowly released his hips as he found the rhythm Katsuki had shown him, Katsuki’s hand rested instead rested on Izuku’s freckled behind putting him back on track whenever he lost the beat.

           “That’s it rabbit,” he said guiding him to pick up the pace “give that pussy a good fuck and you’ll have that witch on all fours for you,”

           Izuku got the picture as he pulled up leaving purpling marks on your skin and ignoring the way you whined missing the feel of his weight pressing into you. Instead he grabbed your legs pulling out shuddering as your hole clenched desperately trying to keep him inside. He grabbed your waist flipping you over onto your hands and knees before sliding into you with a fluidity that had your upper half sinking into your pillows. He groaned hands grabbing your sides in a tight grip using his handle on your hips to drag you back to him, as the new position had him so deep in you you found yourself trying to crawl away from him. A sharp clawed hand grabbed your hair jerking you still as Katsuki leaned in close.

           “Stop fucking running witch,” behind you you heard Izuku moan at the sight of Katsuki manhandling you as he jackhammered his cock deep into you kissing your gummy cervix with every thrust.

           “So, so guh mishtress,” his words slurred he threw his head back now fully lost in the throws of his rut “squeezing me uuhhn tight fuckin’ pussy ‘round my cock,” he groaned hips picking up pace. Katsuki moved his hand to play with your painfully sensitive clit the attention causing your legs to tense you came around the cock fucking deep into you, spraying your own cum over the bed with each thrust of Izuku’s cock.

           “Holy shit,” Katsuki breathed biting his own lip in anticipation as he watched you get fucked through your squirting orgasm “you better hurry up rabbit I want my turn,”

           “I’m almost, almost-,” Izuku grunted hunching over you as his hips lost their tune humping sporadically into your still spraying cunt “Cuuhhhmmmiinnng,” he pressed in deep one final time head pressed to your cervix opening pumping your womb full of his heady spunk till it spilled out from you. You both shuddered, you at the feeling of being pumped full for the first time and him at the feeling of having a cunt accept his load for the first time.

           “Damn,” Katsuki said, watching Izuku pull out of you his spunk following suit when his soft cock fully slipped out. Izuku bent down immediately licking his spunk back into your trembling cunt as you whined trying to wriggle away from his prodding tongue on your sensitive cunt. Izuku whimpered as Katsuki grabbed a handful of his curly emerald locks pulling him away from your poor tired cunt before scooping you up in his arms positioning you till you both rested against your pillows and headboard. Your pussy, throbbing and puffy from the pounding it just took jumped as Katsuki slapped his cock up against it, the angry red tip dripping pre on your abdomen. You whimpered squirming away from the pleasure that was already too much.

           “Don’t think about trying to run away from me witch,” he slowly pressed into you before his arms came under your limp thighs pulling them up to your chest and locking them in position as his hands slipped behind your head “not like you’ll be able to though,”

           His planted his feet firmly on your mattress gripping the blanket with his toes before thrusting up, you choked, eyes crossing as his cock seemed to press into every oversensitive spot of your walls. You felt his wet lips latch onto your lobe tongue slipping into your ear lathing slow strokes matching the maddening strokes that his cock dug into your pussy. Futilely your hands pressed into his thighs trying to cease his pumping hips, you heard him chuckle hot breath fanning your ear around the tongue that delved deep into it. You couldn’t make a noise, could barely breath as Katsuki seemed to dig out all thought of anything besides his throbbing cock claiming your greedy pussy that desperately latched on to the pleasure that drove your brain stupid.

Midoriya groaned watching your cunt cream around Katsuki’s cock leaving bubbly rings of tantalizing white that had him licking his lips. He leaned down licking a stripe up Katsuki’s cock till his tongue pressed the mixture of all three of your combined messes into your clit. He wrapped his lips around the nub and sucked. You screamed, the first sound your had truly been able to make since Katsuki had entered you, piercing and long like a banshee that had Katsuki leaving your ear alone to laugh at you, laugh at the dumb little witch fucked even more stupid on his cock. Damn, the old crone that had him before wasn’t even this good a fuck he thought as he began to piston his hips into you feeling his own end creeping on him between your cunt seemingly try to strangle his cock and Izuku’s tongue lapping at your joined sexes.

Without any warning you came moaning and thrashing as much as you could in the full nelson Katsuki had you in, squirting again against the tongue that seemed to be molded stuck to your clit. Katsuki cursed as his feet pressed deeper into the bed hips stuttering up into you as he came, your cunt pumped full for the second time that night with daemon spunk, Izuku finally pulled away from you face dripping in your squirt as he bent down to kiss while Katsuki’s thrust slowed to stop. He released you from your position breathing heavily while you fell forward into Izuku’s arms legs shaking and cock drunk.

“There there mistress,” Izuku cooed, you lazily stared up at his and his eyes seemed to glow an almost sinister green in the moonlight “It’s my turn again and I promise to be gentle,”

You gulped backing up only to be met with Katsuki’s already hardening cock glide under your still dripping pussy. Izuku chuckled gleefully as he shuffled forward his own dick nudging at your poor abused clit. Katsuki growled pinning your arms to your sides before licking a long stripe up your still wet ear.

           “I think you mean that it’s both of our turn rabbit,”

[hekateanwitchcraft]

Signs from Hekate

The question I receive the most on here is people asking me to interpret signs or whether or not something may be a sign from Hekate. So I decided to make a post about it. A caveat first though, this is not definitive and is not authoritative. These are my opinions based on history and my personal experiences. If you want to disagree with me that’s fine, and that’s allowed, I’m only expressing these things because I’ve been repeatedly asked. With that being said, let’s get into it.

Am I Seeing Signs?

This is probably the question I get asked the most. And it’s a complicated one. Ultimately, I cannot tell you whether or not something is a sign from Hekate. I would not dare say that I could discern that, as She is a goddess and I could not hope to know all that She does. But here are my general thoughts.

If you have not asked for signs or do not already venerate Hekate, or any deity really, you are probably not receiving signs from them. Deities are just that, deities. Their concern with the individual usually stems from an already existing relationship that individual has with them. Though there are scenarios in which the gods took personal interest in mortals for one reason or another. Perhaps in modern times this could be due to someone’s future as a leader or politician. But that’s not really for me to say. My general rule with the Theoi is that you have to give first as a practicioner before they intervene in your life. So my general answer for “Is Hekate reaching out to me?” is that if you haven’t asked for it, the answer is probably no.

Now if you have expressed interest in Her, and you’re seeing things, for Hekate, I’m inclined to say yes. Hekate is a household goddess, and is considered the Cosmic World Soul by many of Her followers, so it’s not unreasonable for Her to want to reach back if you reach out to Her. She is a very active goddess in Her follower’s lives. So Her sending signs has been very common in my journey with Her.

I’d say the best way to be sure, is to give an offering and ask Hekate to show you signs if you have interest in following Her. If you see signs after that, it’s a pretty good bet that they’re from Her at that point.

What are Hekate’s Signs?

So this is the second most asked question: “Is (insert symbol) a sign from Hekate?” To answer this question I am going to stick with traditional approaches, because those are verifiable signs that people have received for centuries. The following is not the end all be all, nor a list of symbols associated with Hekate. This is a list of symbols or signs that one might reasonably come across like crossroads, without being too absurdly common, that may indicate Hekate’s communication with you. Hence why things like lions and polecats aren’t included, though depending on your geography those might be common and could definitely be signs.

Dogs Barking/Black Dogs/Wild Dogs

Hekate’s presence is usually said to be accompanied by the barking of dogs. Dogs are sacred to Hekate and are likely aware of Her arrival for this reason. Furthermore, She is said to be attended by dogs which may be the deceased (like queen Hecuba) or spectral in some way. So the barking that may seem like it’s coming from nowhere may be these hounds. In my own experience I will often hear dogs barking after invoking Hekate or after I’ve finished a ritual in Her name.

Black dogs specifically are considered sacred to Hekate, so seeing black dogs may be a sign from Hekate. Wild dogs are also holy to Hekate. Feral dogs, coyotes, foxes, and wolves can be sent by Her. In my journey with Hekate, I often see foxes on nights when I’ve asked Hekate to show me a sign for one thing or another, or on nights when I’m having a rough time.

Snakes

Snakes are also considered associated with Hekate, and and Hekate was often said to have snakes in Her hair. This association could be due to a number of things, their being creatures of the earth that live in the ground and also visit the surface (much like how She comes and goes from the Underworld to the surface), their associations with magic, or the fact that certain daemons like the Agathos daemon were said to appear as snakes (indicating Her role as goddess of spirits). It’s hard to say why exactly. But either way, they show up frequently in literature and art as being associated with Hekate. So seeing snakes, a relatively rare animal to spot for a lot of people, may indicate that Hekate is sending you a sign.

Keys

Keys are associated with doorways and thresholds, and as a goddess of both, Hekate is sometimes represented with keys and may use them as a sign. If you come across a key as you’re walking or find some old keys, that could be a sign.

Torches or Lights

Hekate is the Torch-Bearer and is most commonly depicted carrying torches and She is also called the Light-Bearer. Granted we don’t really use torches anymore, so this one may seem out of place in terms of signs, but hear me out: streetlights. Now this is based on personal experience, but I’m including it because it’s the most common sign I receive. When I ask for signs, I usually see streetlights turn on or off. And what are streetlights but modern torches on roadways? So for me there is a continuity between torches and lights. If you ask for a sign and see streetlights turning on or off, especially in multiples of three, I’d consider it a sign.

What May Not be Signs

A lot of the symbols I am frequently asked about are not historically mentioned in association with Hekate. This does not mean that they can’t be signs, and I’m not trying to tell you Hekate isn’t sending you signs. However, I’ve been asked questions about these and there’s no verifiable evidence of their connection with Hekate, so that’s the answer I’m giving. Bats, cats, spiders, owls, crows, and ravens have no documented link with Hekate in ancient Hellenic religion. These symbols have come to be linked with Her through the Neo-Pagan movement, through literature like Shakespeare, art, and due to their associations with other gods who preside over similar domains as Hekate. Now I’m not going to say definitively that they aren’t signs (because who am I to say so), or that they haven’t evolved to be symbols of Hekate, but I would say that they have no evidentiary basis and that it might be helpful to look into other things these symbols represent. But ultimately, the rule of thumb is if it feels to you like a sign from Hekate, it likely is.

How Do I Know it’s a Sign?

This is a question I cannot entirely answer. I cannot dream to know the workings of Hekate and Her grand design, so there’s no way to ever know for sure if it’s a sign you are seeing. But that’s where faith comes in. I often tell people that if you feel in your gut it’s a sign, then it probably is. If you ask and you receive, then take that sign and run with it. Ultimately, trust in Hekate and have faith in Her and She will steer you in the right direction.

Sources:

http://hekatecovenant.com/resources/symbols-of-hekate/

https://archetypicalwitchcraft.wordpress.com/2014/01/24/understanding-hekate-part-5-the-meaning-of-her-ancient-symbols/

[teawiththegods]

My 2020 Festival Year

It’s a new year! Which means it’s time for a new festival calendar! Oh joy! This is actually my first year doing anything like this. And trust me it took a lot of time, a lot of wine, and a lot of me shushing my perfectionism. It was a huge pain in the ass to put together, I’m not going to lie to you, babycakes. But my hope is that now that I have SOMETHING, it’ll make the process less of a hassle in the years to come. And also hopefully this will help you not want to smash your face into the keyboard when you go to plan out your festival year.

Before we get to the actual plan, I want to talk a bit about how I went about constructing the year.

I mainly used the Hellenion.org calendar as a basis along with Baring the Aegis. I went through both month by month looking at the festivals listed and deciding whether I wanted to celebrate those festivals and when exactly I wanted to celebrate them. Both websites provide information on each festival they mention, but I also did independent research just to back everything up and see if I could find any additional information.

 It’s important to note that the Hellenic year follows the lunar cycle, so it doesn’t line up with our modern calendar. It’s up to you to decide how you wish to approach that. The Hellenion calendar transfers the Hellenic calendar onto our modern one which is extremely useful for those of you who want to keep your worship as traditional and historically accurate as possible.

I did not go in that direction (shocker!). I chose to instead adopt the calendar to not only fit the modern calendar but fit my own life. I wanted to make it as easy as possible for me so I won’t get overwhelmed.

Some festivals line up with when about they were traditionally celebrated, but others I decided to move around for various reasons. I tried to spread out the holidays because again I didn’t want to get overwhelmed and some festivals I put on the sacred day of the god being honored because why not? I’m already giving them an offering so why not just make a whole celebration out of it?

Like I said, I designed this calendar specifically with my needs, interests, and life in mind. And I encourage you to do the same. In no way are you required to celebrate every festival so don’t put pressure on yourself to do more than what you can manage. Remember you can always alter and update the calendar each year to add more so there’s no need to jump into the deep end right away. Do what makes sense to you, your worship, and your life.

Okay one last thing before the calendar. I want to note that there are some special days that I will be celebrating monthly which are:

Noumenia - Celebrated the first of the month (traditionally on the New Moon) this holiday is used to prepare for the new month. Great time to set goals for the month, reset your energy, and of course ask the gods and any household daemons to bless and protect you.

Sacred Days - Some of the gods had days of the month which were sacred to them and were given offerings or libation in their honor on those days. Athena (3rd), Aphrodite and Hermes (4th), Artemis (6th), Apollo (7th), Poseidon (8th), and my own personal addition Persephone (First Quarter Moon).

Hekate’s Deipnon - Celebrated the last day of the month (traditionally on the Dark Moon) this holiday is all about doing what needs to be done to let go of the old month. Tying up any loose ends, making sure all debts are repaid, all obligations have been fulfilled, reflecting on the lessons learned, and just doing what you need to so you don’t bring any baggage into the new month. You wanna start fresh! Also it’s time of the month to honor Hekate to make sure you stay on her good side and a good day to do some charity or volunteer work. Especially anything involving feeding the homeless and those in need.

And now we can finally get to the calendar! I didn’t include descriptions of the festivals because I’m going to make separate content for each one and update this post with links as I do. Also if you don’t want to wait you can research them with the resource links I already provided!

Okay finally! Here’s my festival calendar for 2020!

 January

3rd - Athena

4th - Aphrodite and Hermes

6th - Artemis

7th - Apollo

8th - Poseidon

23rd - Theogamia

31st - Hekate’s Deipnon

 February

1st - Noumenia

2nd - Imbolc, Persephone

3rd - Athena

4th - Aphrodite and Hermes

6th - Artemis

7th - Apollo

8th - Poseidon

14th - Valentine’s Day (Aphrodite, Eros, Psyche)

29th - Hekate’s Deipnon

 March

1st - Noumenia

2nd - Persephone

3rd - Athena

4th - Aphrodite, Hermes

6th - Elaphebolia (Artemis)

7th- Apollo

8th- Poseidon

9th- Dionysia

19th - Ostara

31st - Hekate’s Deipnon

 April

1st- Noumenia, Persephone

3rd- Athena

4th - Aphrodite, Hermes

6th - Artemis

7th - Apollo

8th - Poseidon

10th- Mounykhia

13th - Olympeia

22nd - Earth Day (Gaia)

30th- Hekate’s Deipnon

 May

1st - Beltane, Noumenia

3rd- Athena

4th - Aphrodite, Hermes

6th - Thargelia

7th - Thargelia

8th - Poseidon

10th - Mother’s Day (Hera)

30th - Persephone

31st - Hekate’s Deipnon

 June

1st- Noumenia

3rd- Athena

4th - Aphrodite, Hermes

6th - Artemis

7th - Apollo

8th- Poseidon

11th - Death of Alexander the Great

21st - Litha, Father’s Day (Zeus)

28th - Persephone

30th - Hekate’s Deipnon, MY BIRTHDAY!

 July

1st - Noumenia

3rd - Khalkeia

4th - Aphrodite, Hermes

6th - Artemis

7th - Apollo

8th - Poseidon

17th  - Aphrodisia

27th - Persephone

31st - Hekate’s Deipnon

 August

1st - Lammas, Noumenia

3rd - Athena

4th - Aphrodite, Hermes

6th - Artemis

7th - Boedromia

8th - Poseidon

25th - Persephone

31st - Hekate’s Deipnon

 September

1st - Noumenia

3rd - Athena

4th - Aphrodite, Hermes

6th - Kharisteria

7th - Apollo

8th - Poseidon

23rd - Mabon

24th - Persephone

29th - Thesmophoria

30th - Thesmophoria, Hekate’s Deipnon

 October

1st - Thesmophoria, Noumenia

3rd - Athena

4th - Aphrodite, Hermes

6th - Artemis

7th - Apollo

8th - Poseidon

23rd - Persephone

31st - Samhain

 November

1st - Noumenia

3rd - Athena

4th - Aphrodite, Hermes

6th - Artemis

7th - Pyanepsia, Oskhophoria

8th - Poseidon

22nd - Persephone

30th - Hekate’s Deipnon

 December

1st - Noumenia

3rd - Athena

4th - Aphrodite, Hermes

6th - Artemis

7th - Apollo

8th - Poseidon

13th - Poseidea

21st - Yule, Persephone

31st - Hekate’s Deipnon

Hope you all have an absolutely blessed year in 2020! <3

[chillyravenart]

Thoughts on Seara Targaryen?

I've mentioned this briefly here but let me add a few more of my thoughts.

I feel like Saera is treated like some faultless feminist icon in the fandom (how surprising lmao) but let's be absolutely real here: she was a spoilt, headstrong princess who was never going to cave into societal/parental pressure. I’m personally not a fan at all but I want to list a few things about her personality and upbringing that may be of some use in understanding her better. Forgive my rambling in advance!

Princess Saera, three years younger, was a trial from the very start; tempestuous, demanding, disobedient. The first word she spoke was no, and she said it often and loudly. She refused to be weaned until past the age of four. Even as she ran about the castle, talking more than her siblings Vaegon and Daella combined, she wanted her mother’s milk, and raged and screamed whenever the queen dismissed another wetnurse. “Seven save us,” Alysanne whispered to the king one night, “when I look at her I see Aerea.” 

Not to forget, George loves hitting characters where it hurts and that's through their children. And George went in particularly hard with Jaehaerys and Alysanne's children. I absolutely adore the older bunch, Aemon, Baelon, Alyssa... but the younger bunch didn’t exactly speak to me the same way. I suppose with so many children, it was natural to have a few bad eggs, and Saera was one of them. Jaehaerys spoilt her as child and she grew up to be very bright but also had a cruel streak too. 

... and long before she was half-grown, Saera had learned the art of getting anything she wanted from her father: a kitten, a hound, a pony, a hawk, a horse (Jaehaerys did draw a firm line at the elephant). Queen Alysanne was far less gullible, however, and Septon Barth tells us that Saera’s sisters all misliked her to various degrees.

The border between innocent pranks, wanton mischief, and acts of malice is not always discerned by one so young, but there can be no doubt that the princess crossed it freely.

Septon Barth also commented on Saera’s disposition, and her hunger for the attention her older siblings received:

“She is the king’s daughter, and well aware of it. Servants see to her every need, though not always as quickly as she might like... If she were the king’s firstborn, or better still his only child, she would be well content. Instead she finds herself the ninthborn, with six living siblings who are older than her and even more adored.”

Saera pranked her sister Daella with cats and bees, dyed the KG cloaks pink, and would show up drunk to the sept for prayers. And since Saera had every whim granted to her, it's natural that she would want more from the world and succeeded in carving out her own kingdom across the Narrow Sea. I definitely don't think she would have been content with living a normal life in Westeros, married to some lord and running his house.

“She wants what she wants and she wants it now,” Grand Maester Elysar wrote of the princess in 69 AC, when she was only two. “Seven save us all when she is older. The Dragonkeepers had best lock up the dragons.” He had no notion how prophetic those words would be.

At fourteen, she told the king she meant to marry the Prince of Dorne, or perhaps the King Beyond the Wall, so she could be a queen “like Mother.”

By fifteen, Saera had other ideas however.

Why dream of distant monarchs when she could have as many squires, knights, and likely lords as she desired? Dozens danced attendance on her, but three soon emerged as favorites. Jonah Mooton was the heir to Maidenpool, Red Roy Connington was the fifteen-year-old Lord of Griffin’s Roost, and Braxton Beesbury, called Stinger, was a nineteen-year-old knight, the finest lance in the Reach...

And initially it was Queen Alysanne who voiced her dismay regarding Saera’s behaviour with her newly acquired suitors. “Saera is clever, but not wise” and she also criticised her choice of female companions as well as Beesbury/Stinger who was rumoured to have sired a bastard. However Jaehaerys brushed it off unconcerned that she would get up to any mischief at court with so many watching eyes. Unfortunately, he was wrong.

Then came the incident at the Blue Pearl with Tom Turnip, and her three favourite lordlings (including Stinger who later fought Jaehaerys in his trial by combat) which made matters worse. I highly doubt any other noble lord would have been ok with his daughter cavorting with household knights in a brothel- least of all a KING. When questioned about her actions, Saera really didn’t do herself any favours:

I could marry all three of them, why not? Why should I have just one husband? The Conqueror had two wives, and Maegor had six or eight.” She had gone too far. Jaehaerys rose to his feet and descended from the Iron Throne, his face a mask of rage. “You would compare yourself to Maegor? Is that who you aspire to be?”

After the horrors Jaehaerys and his siblings had endured under Maegor, it’s no wonder he was so shaken by her blase attitude. And again, Alysanne was able to soften his anger and reconcile him to forgive Saera, but she ran away that very night and tried to steal a dragon which sealed her fate.

Alysanne wept when she heard, for she knew her cause was hopeless. Jaehaerys was hard as stone. “Saera with a dragon,” was all he had to say. “Would she have taken Balerion as well, I wonder?”

One of my favourite aspects of this whole saga was Jaehaerys fighting Stinger for her honour, "This old man," just takes me out every single time. Forty-nine year old Jae, taking out nineteen year old Beesbury just reminds me too much of Daemon vs Aemond - WHY ARE FORTY-NINE YEAR OLD TARG MEN SO BADASS?

I also understand that Saera was a plot device to add filial conflict to Jaehaerys’ reign, after all a successful king doesn’t always make a successful father. Jaehaerys was the quintessential medieval monarch with a kingdom to run and keep in order after a very volatile period and Saera was a royal princess and expected to uphold those standards. As Grand Maester Elysar put it, “He was better with roads than with daughters.” I think Jaehaerys had his flaws for sure, but again, this is asoiaf and I really don’t understand how people expect paternal relationships to be as open and affectionate as they are today- seriously look at how fatherhood has evolved in the last fifty years alone and tell me a medieval king would have been braiding his daughter’s hair and having heart-to-hearts with her. He could have done more to understand her, but then we wouldn’t have this embittered storyline and everything would be hunky-dory. That’s not how GRRM works unfortunately.

I am certain Jaehaerys had loved her as a daughter, and her actions had caused him pain which had hardened his heart at the time. But it is also apparent later on that Jaehaerys was hit hard by this event and also mistook Alic*nt for Saera on his sickbed. I also feel heartbroken for Alysanne who lost so many of her children and felt Saera's loss very acutely too. She also became withdrawn and was clearly shaken by all the losses she had endured.

The years had taken their toll on him, and those who knew him well said that he was never the same after his daughter Saera had disgraced and then abandoned him. He had grown thinner, almost gaunt, and there was more grey than gold in his beard now, and in his hair.

The Old King sometimes mistook her for one of his daughters, calling her by their names; near the end, he grew certain she was his daughter Saera, returned to him from beyond the narrow sea.

Anyway I am glad Saera got to set up her own empire and lifestyle (Hot Girl Saera ™), she is arguably the first Targaryen entrepreneur of sorts too. She is most certainly not the feminist kween this fandom treats her as IMO, raise ya standards! Ultimately I wouldn't say I'm a fan mainly because her character didn’t appeal to me, particularly when I read Fire and Blood. Besides, Saera’s domain lies outside my circle of interest and I'm more concerned with what happens to subsequent characters in Westeros.

Hope that answered your question!

[kylermalloy]

TO Fic Recs

Seeing as this show will not be letting me go anytime soon, I figured I might as well collect all my favorite fics and authors into one post. For anyone who’s interested, but mostly for me.

You Are Loved by ywhiterain, <1k. Hope and Elijah bonding moment in season 4. Hope wonders why her uncle is keeping his distance.

The Howling by Aeruthin, 8k. Pre-canon. Klaus, still under the hybrid curse, is bitten by a werewolf. Elijah and Rebekah struggle in search of help for him while he suffers.

I will never let go by sicklyscribe, 2.5k. A fic detailing the flashback in which Klaus duels Mikael. Elijah helps tend to his wounded brother. Klelijah angst and hurt/comfort. (right in my wheelhouse, I live here)

Bad Blood by royalstandard, 76k. Period fic set in 17th century France. The four Mikaelsons assimilate into the nobility for power and safety from their father. Shenanigans ensue. Ends on a cliffhanger!

In Another Life by Aeruthin, 4k. AU. Freya is never taken away and so she, Finn, and Elijah grow up in a radically different family environment full of love, support, and magic.

Midnight Adventures by icebluecyanide, 6.6k. Set in season 4, Hope visits her Uncle Elijah in the soul pendant. Klaus makes an appearance as well.

Without Hope by Amber_and_Ash, <1k. An AU of season 2 in which Dahlia wins. Heavy angst.

In the Name of Mercy by Aeruthin, 2.8k. AU in which each character has a daemon. This is the first in a series of fics detailing canon events in this AU and exploring the Mikaelsons’ relationships with their daemons.

None Loved Her More by sicklyscribe, 8.5k. An exploration of Klaus and Elijah’s relationships with Tatia, the original doppelganger.

We Remain Together by WayLowHalo, 1.4k. A short fic of Klaus under the Hunter’s Curse in the twelfth century. Elijah struggles to keep him grounded in reality.

Lame by djin004, 1.9k. The trip back from New Orleans after 4x02. Klaus is still suffering from the blade Marcel buried in his chest. (In French! Well worth the translation!)

Nothing Else Mattered by we_remain_together, <1k. The Hunter’s Curse. Rebekah takes care of her brothers.

Momentary Respite by we_remain_together, <1k. Another Hunter’s Curse fic. Klaus can hardly recognize his own brother. Blood sharing!

Turquoise by ALostHeart, 1.2k. Elijah’s anecdote from 5x12, realized in all its painful glory.

Enchanted to Meet You by icebluecyancide, 2.4k. Two fics set a thousand years apart. Elijah meets his newborn niece, and his newborn baby brother.

Hope's School Adventure by Aeruthin, 1.3k. In an AU where everyone is together and happy, Hope perplexes her second grade teacher with a drawing of her weirdly interconnected family. Everyone has as many hands as they need. Cute and fluffy!

Scattered Pictures by WayLowHalo, <1k. Set between seasons 4 and 5, an amnesiac Elijah ruminates on a broken, isolated memory.

they run under the clouds and pray for longer days by Taste_of_Suburbia, 1k. Pre-canon Klelijah. FLUFF. Light incest warning.

Abandon All Hope by icebluecyanide, 1k. The beginning of the Hunter’s Curse in the twelfth century. Klelijah hurt/comfort and angst.

Somewhere Safe by WayLowHalo, 3.7k. Modern AU, all human. Klaus runs away from Mikael’s abusive household to Elijah, a sanctuary from the violence.

Waste Not, Want Not by we_remain_together, 1k. A coda to Klaus and Elijah’s reunion in 1x05. Elijah is a bit put out.

A Family, or Something Like It by ZenyZootSuit, 26k. Mpreg AU, in progress. Tragedy, pain, angst, only some pain alleviated. Heed the warnings!

A Lesson in Immortality by Aeruthin, 2.9k. Set between seasons 2 and 3, Elijah and Marcel work together to train new vampire recruits at St. Anne’s.

and miles to go before I sleep by icebluecyanide, 2.6k. 4x09 fic. Elijah’s life flashes before his eyes as he dies at the hands of the Hollow.

Love Turned Inside Out by we_remain_together, 4k. An alternate origin story for Elijah, Rebekah, and Niklaus. They might live in a different time period with different siblings in a completely new environment, but the love they have for each other is the same.

The Wolf Under the Apple Tree by ALostHeart and icebluecyanide, 7k. Two of my favorite authors team up to personally murder me in a WWI Klelijah AU. Hurt/comfort and angst. Right where I belong.

Not Today, But Soon by King_Of_New_Orleans, 2.4k. Modern AU, all human. Klaus is the youngest sibling, a tiny and truly adorable punching bag for Mikael. Elijah and Rebekah do their best to protect him.

ne m’oublie jamais by ALostHeart and icebluecyanide, 3k. Elijah, memory-free in France, catches the eye of a mysterious stranger, whom he feels drawn to for reasons he doesn’t understand.

Aftermath by Aeruthin, <1k. Coda to 2x07. Elijah and Klaus commiserate after Elijah wakes. Incest warning!

Last Whisper by royalstandard, <1k. 3x22 fic. Klaus has to bid his daughter farewell.

auribus teneo lupum by Queen Edmund Pevensie, 7k. A chronicle of events through Klaus’s childhood, up to his vampire and werewolf transformation and hybrid curse.

dreamed a dream last night by sicklyscribe, 1.9k. Set between seasons 2 and 3, Klaus and Elijah find a moment of solace in their estrangement caring for Hope.

Unfixable by ALostHeart, 1.3k. A Hunter’s Curse fic. Everyone is in pain. Including me.

and here’s some shameless self-promotion, because I read my fics over and over again too:

I'll be good (for all of the light that I shut out), 1.1k. Set during the season 3 flashbacks, Klaus mourns his wolf aspect on a full moon.

I’ll be the one to keep you warm and safe, 3.1k. Pre-canon. A young Klaus and Elijah go on a hunting trip with Mikael, but complications arise.

J'avais rêvé d'un autre vie, 1.4k. Elijah plays piano in France, blissfully free of memories. A certain song finds its way under his hands and shakes him to his peaceful core.

Entre Tus Alas, 3.2k. Modern AU, all human. Murder mystery! Well, not much of a mystery. Elijah comes home to find Klaus crouched over a body.

Hard to hold onto, anyway, <1k. Coda to 3x02. Klaus suffers, hearing Hope across the street, happy with Hayley and away from him.

Will I Recover, 1.1k. Set in between seasons 2 and 3, Elijah flashes back to a happier time, when he and Klaus were in a better place.

Knee Deep without a Plea, 1.1k. Rebekah and Elijah console Klaus after one of Mikael’s beatings.

Buried in Broken Dreams, <1k. Elijah comforts his little brother at night.

in the quiet, 2.2k. Set after Esther puts the binding curse on Klaus. Elijah tries to be there for him, after possibly the greatest betrayal he’s committed.

[avani008]

Dear Yuletide Author 2020!

Here are some things I think are rad: snark. friendships. sneaky twisty endings. stories with bite. characters with personalities. stories that make their writers happy. mythology. humor. stories that dig into and expand on the canon, whether that’s backstory or minor characters or worldbuilding. brown paper packages tied up with string.

Stuff I’m not so keen on: rape, incest, mentions of RL pandemics/quarantines? more into het and femslash than slash.

(Fandoms: Devil’s Cub, Jodhaa-Akbar, Mystic Pop-Up Bar)

Fandom 1: Devil’s Cub

Characters Requested: Mary Challoner, Dominic Alastair

Where to Find Source Material: your local library or bookstore!

Problematic as this book is, I read it at an impressionable age, and so can’t help but have a reluctant soft spot Mary/Dominic—but mostly Mary Challoner and the wit and sparkle of Heyer’s prose. Not to mention Mary’s snark and competence, and Dominic’s grouchiness paired with his utter adoration of Mary, or everything about the utter farce that leads up to the climax in Dijon, or—like pretty much every reader of this book ever— that one scene where Mary shoots him. I have been lucky enough to get an amazing fic for this fandom for several years, but greedily I want more--and my amazing writer was kind enough to encourage me to prompt again, especially for that last racebending prompt. Consider:

* Dominic and Mary meeting the first few times, Sophia included with Mary (I’m sure) crankily falling for him while Dominic remains oblivious (or does he?)!

*A tropey AU (or multiple in one fic), whether social media/fandom-based, daemon AU, or any other fusions you enjoy!

* Finally, this is completely optional, but I’ve had this prompt rattling around my brain since I created this graphic—I would love a racebent version of Mary and Vidal, whether that means they’re Indian immigrants who’ve settled in Victorian Britain, or transplanted into the intrigues of the Mughal court, or whether involvement in the Quit India movement, or lack thereof, is an additional tension in their relationship!

Fandom 2: Jodhaa-Akbar

Characters Requested: Hamida Banu Begum, Maham Anga

Where to find source: Netflix

First off, I adore the movie’s themes of adaptation and acceptance, as well as the way it strategically incorporates Mughal history! I also love the slow burn between Jodhaa and Jalal, and their cautious, ever-changing interactions with one another. That said, my prompts, oddly enough, aren’t about either of them! Instead, they’re about Jalal’s two moms, pre-canon.

*To start with, I love Hamida and if you want to focus in on her early life and leave Maham Anga out, you are welcome to! All you need to know if the juicy details can be found link text“>on Wikipedia and for all the following prompts, you are welcome to only extrapolate from movie canon about Hamida’s past! I hasten to add, if research isn’t your thing, you certainly shouldn’t feel obliged to do it! But assuming we at least assume that given her silence regarding her husband, it’s clear Hamida wasn’t too keen on Humayan for a variety of reasons, but what might have Hindal been like in this universe? Her biting wit as recorded towards her suitor never fails to amuse me, and other examples of it towards others would be grand. Jalal and/or Jodhaa interacting with or discovering Hamida’s past could be interesting too!

*Incorporating some of the other prominent women of this time might also be interesting if you choose; there’s Gulbadan, female historian for her brother; Bega Begum, Humayan’s formidable chief wife; Sham and Mihr-angez, female life partners who seem very likely to be an early Mughal example of a Boston marriage (more details and suggestions can be found at this link here)

*That said, I also love the period after Humayan’s death—Hamida and Maham Anga are, between the two of them, trying their best to keep this child Emperor alive and against all odds, prevail. Their relationship has broken down by canon, but what was it like in the past? Did they trust each other more? Less? I imagine they had to cooperate and compromise; how did Maham Anga managing the household while Hamida saw to external affairs affect matters between them?

Shipping-wise, I’m fine with Hamida paired with Hindal or Maham Anga or any other pairing you want to explore—I’m also okay with a canon-divergence or alternate history version of events, in case you want Maham Anga or Hindal to live longer than established, or for Hamida’s life to take different turns than those we know!

Fandom 3: Mystic Pop-Up Bar

Characters: Weol-joo, Gwibanjang | Yi Hon

Where to Find Source: Netflix

This was a delightful canon to find during a stressful time, and the honest sweetness of the main leads always brought a smile to my face. SPOILER warning from now on, just to explain what I enjoyed the most about canon--

--but I really adored Weol-jo and the Crown Prince’s romance above all else. 500 years of pining, secret identities/identity porn, and bonus bickering friends turned lovers the second time around made for everything I wanted, especially with a fantasy twist. The story was always Weol-joo’s, in all her prickly glory, and Gwi was--in his own words--only there to help her. I also really, really loved that despite their shared sense of humor, Weol-joo and Gwi are both extraordinarily competent and good at their jobs, and canon goes out of its way to emphasize that. Yes, they might bicker about nonsense --and my reading of the situation is that most of this is being intentionally facetious, both to be underestimated and because it appeals to their shared sense of humor. So some prompts, to be combined as you wish:

* More about how Yi Hon and Weol-joo met and fell in love! If I understood the prologue correctly, they both entered Yi Hon’s dreamworld to put down multiple angry ghosts, with a vendetta against the royal family, and I’d love to see how this played into the start of their romance. For one, their feelings--shallow as they initially seem--were strong enough to last half a millenium, and so must have been born in adventure and magic; for another, as demure as young Weol-joo was, I refuse to believe her usual snark didn’t show its head as she got to know the Crown Prince. 

* Chief Gwi’s first eleven months as Weol-joo’s manager, complete with silent pining and unknowing painful jabs on the part of an oblivious Weol-joo, and how exactly Gwi manages to break through Weol-joo’s shell so effectively by the time we meet them. (Potentially the answer to that might be an impetuous, desperate hookup Weol-joo at least is going to pretend never happened.)There is such potential for adventures and plotfic we missed, and I’d love to see that too!

* Finally, if you want to write post-canon casefic, what about another grudge that the family settles (along with getting accustomed to be an actual family)--potentially something where the reincarnation of Won-hyung’s sister (she was jilted by her childhood friend and orphaned by the same man on her wedding day; and we saw everyone else who was affected by the tragedy leading into Weol-joo’s death, except her) appears, either for revenge or to have closure; or--and this could play into the previous prompt too!--any ghost/grudge-holder who forces the trio to explore either his parents’ past lives or a canon-divergence AU where Weol-joo and the Crown Prince never died, and Kang-bae was born to them, either as a royal prince, or as their child in hiding? (Of note, if you go with this one, I love Weo-rin to bits, and I’d love to see her get to discover her boyfriend’s big secret at last!)

I hope at least some of these help, Mystery Author! Thank you in advance and have a wonderful Yuletide yourself:D

[nellie-elizabeth]

His Dark Materials: The Fight to the Death (1x07)

Lyra Silvertongue! Oh man, this was a good, good episode.

Cons:

My main and really my only complaint is something that I think the budget is responsible for. It's been a while since I've read the books, but I remember the fight between Iorek and Iofur being outdoors, in this big arena with all the other bears watching. I've been mostly very impressed with the CGI in this show, and the bears in particular look great - the fight is truly impressive. But it doesn't have the grandness of scale I was maybe hoping for, in my ideal universe.

I'll just lodge my regular complaint that daemons need to be more ubiquitous. The man in the prison cell with Lyra didn't have any significant interactions with his daemon, for example. I don't mean to nitpick, but come on.

Pros:

This is the best episode of the show thus far, though. I really, really liked it. I think I'll start with Will, before we get in to the main story of the week. Boreal is getting impatient, and tries to talk his way into the Perry household. He tells Elaine that John might still be alive. She freaks out and runs to Will, and it looks like Will is ready to believe that there's something more going on here, besides his mother's paranoia. He takes her to a trusted neighbor and then hides out in the dark in his own house, awaiting Boreal's men. They break in, looking for his father's belongings and notes, and Will pushes one of them over the banister, killing him, and then runs off.

With only eight episodes in this season, so many plot points have been happening so quickly. I appreciate that alongside Lyra's fast-paced and ever-changing story, we've gotten this slow-burn with Will, which sets off his character's journey and fast-tracks him to the point where we first meet him in the books. I had my doubts about including his story when I first realized that's what they were doing, but now I'm really happy that they've done this. I'm also really happy with this kid's performance as Will. He manages to portray the kid who's had to grow up too quickly really, really well, and I'm definitely ready to see his energy play off of Lyra's when they finally connect.

Mrs. Coulter was barely in this episode, but every second of her was dripping with intensity. I loved her scream of outrage at Bolvanger, and the way she kept herself poised when she found bout about Iofur's death and Asriel's freedom. Even when she's clearly at a disadvantage, she knows how to control a room. She's such a creepy, intense person, and she really is one of the show's biggest asset.

Another huge asset is McAvoy as Lord Asriel. He played the hell out of his own few moments in this episode. Holy moly. When Lyra shows up, he is in agony, demanding that she leave, insisting that he didn't ask for her. Book readers know why he's so upset, and also why he's so... eager, when he sees that Roger is there also. It's creepy when you know where it's going, and I imagine it's creepy even if you don't. There was so much goodness and angst and energy in this final scene, and it makes me so excited/terrified for the season finale!

Speaking of characters who only got a bit of screen-time, I loved that little moment with Lee and Serafina at the end. We see Lee and Hester working on repairing the ship, and Lee is singing and trying to distract himself, and then Serafina shows up. He learns that Lyra, Roger, and Iorek are all alive, and that his part in this fight isn't over. I just loved getting to see Lee learn that his friends weren't all dead. Poor guy was really suffering, and his relief at Lyra's survival was really touching to see!

Roger sure is adorable. He and Lyra sure are cute. I'm really glad that we're getting to see more of their friendship here at the end of the season. Roger is just such a good person - so supportive, so caring. We didn't get to spend too much time with them together at the start of the show, since the plot really had to take off and get moving, so I'm glad in this episode we got to see their connection shine. It's important that we care about them as friends.

But now, finally, to turn to the main aspect of this episode. Lyra, finding herself a prisoner of the armored bears, decides to go for broke and lie to Iofur, telling him that she is Iorek's daemon, and that if Iofur bests Iorek in single combat, Lyra will become his daemon instead. It's a balls-to-the-wall crazy lie, the kind of thing that only a kid who has been through what Lyra has been through would be able to think up. I love how her deception of Iofur is built of so many character traits we've seen in Lyra up to this point. She does what she does out of her love for Iorek, but she also proves herself to be cunning and formidable - Iorek told Lyra earlier in the season that a bear cannot be deceived by a human. She's also employing manipulative skills that she's surely gotten at least in part from her parents, both of whom are deliciously cunning.

And despite my dream scenario of a really intense battle with a cinematic budget, the fight between Iorek and Iofur was still pretty cool. I liked the "less is more" approach to Iofur's death, where we focused on Lyra's face as she turned away and huddled in fear. In the background, we can see the shape of the bears, as Iorek kills his erstwhile usurper. Lyra is realistically a child in this moment, a child who loves Iorek and trusts him, but also isn't allowed to forget how dangerous he is.

I could go on, but that's where I'll leave things for now. I can't believe next week is the finale! This show is doing some really cool things with this story, and next week is sure to be... explosive!

9.5/10

[lya-dustin]

Rules: Share 15 or fewer lines of dialogue from an OC, ideally lines that capture their character/personality/vibe. Bonus points for just using the dialogue without other details about the scene, but you’re free to include those as well.

Thanks for the tag @queen--kenobi

Tagging: @slytherincursebreaker @redwolf17 @arcielee @mini-kunoichi @toms-cherry-trees @zablife @justrainandcoffee @dreamlandcreations

Going with dialogue from All is Bliss for this

1)“You get to inherit his claim.

Although mine is much higher, so really, your brother dying without legitimate issue is more of a problem for the Greens than it is for the Blacks.

I get to appoint an heir from those available or marry someone of my choosing and have my own.I might even marry you if you’re still available and prevent your mother and grandfather from putting my family to the sword.” She answers, having thought all of this through already.

2)“I wish it had been you.” She said with such melancholy in her eyes as he rested his head against hers wishing it didn’t have to end with her going back to his brother.

3)“I must do this, I cannot be turned into a second version of my mother for their personal gain.

Aegon must not have heirs and I cannot have a sword hanging over my neck by giving him one.” The princess said as they took the tonics from the apothecary's wife who gave loud instructions for the tonic she did not buy.

4)“Silverwing may be the most docile of the dragons, but she is a dragon nonetheless. I merely reminded her not to forget I am a dragon.” Aemma answered.

5)“I am sorry for humiliating you in front of everybody, had I had a choice, I would have not done it.” The princess means it, her periwinkle eyes serious and her face showing genuine guilt.

6)“Yes, he does, but have you considered that this would invite speculation on any children Aegon claims as his?” this she asks looking at her directly. “We all know any child I have will not be his, who is to say someone will speak the truth as my great uncle will do tomorrow and call into question the succession?”

7)“I ask that you spare him only because he is the grandfather of your granddaughter and he is my blood.” Aemma had said when she asked him to spare Vaemond’s life. “Give him whatever punishment you believe is just, but I only ask that you do not make a martyr for the Greens to uphold the moment you die.”

8)She looked up at him with bewilderment and dried her tears with her sleeve. “Out of all the things you could have said you chose that. Has it ever occurred to you that the same insults you used tonight will be used against our children?”

9)“I would have believed my husband to be man enough to come here, Lord Borros. But then again, he was never expected to be more than his grandsire’s puppet.” Aemma said not bothering to look like the innocent maiden she was before her wedding.

10)“Ah, but you see, Ser Otto, Princess Aemma Velaryon is no more. I am Queen Aemma Targaryen now, I have been so since the day my mother and sister died because of your and your daughter’s treachery.

Present your queen’s terms.” Aemma felt nervous, a thrill at being able to say what she wanted to say and know there were no longer any consequences for it.

11)“Fine, I put the pillow over his face until he stopped thrashing, and the maid took the blame when your mother heard we killed him.

I do not care that it is sin and a crime and everything in between because gods-damnit it felt good to know I was finally free of him.” she cannot stop once she gets started and by the end of it, the queen sees the shock written in his face.

12)“I am sorry for your loss, goodmother.” Aemma says the words genuinely, which makes it all even worse.

13)“Thank the gods, I felt dirty and used when it hit me that I was whoring myself ---and you---for a semblance of power here.” She admitted avoiding his gaze through the looking glass.

14)“We could always offer her to Daemon, he is a widower with four healthy children, and sure he has no household, but the Stepstones are still his technically.” Aemma says as if Aegon was jesting, making it seem as it was all a joke and that he wasn’t considering his mother as chattel.

15)“Don’t get pregnant, Baela. It’s like a coup on your body.” Aemma jokes to try and lighten herself up. And sure, enough the flutter passes as Aemond charges at his opponent.

Went only up to chapter 43 because holy shit the fic is long

[nehetisingsforhekate]

Epithets: Drakaina

Serpent, dragon

PGM IV 2241-2385

Mare, Kore, dragoness, lamp, lightning flash, Star, lion, she-wolf, AEO EE. -PGM IV 2241-2385, lines 2301-2302, trans. Betz.

The word drakaina and its masculine form drakon can be found in many stories. Apollon is responsible for slaying several of them. Python, the drakon at Delphi, appears in several stories. Hera sends Python to torment Leto, and in one version, Python hoped to rape the Titaness. And it is Apollon who shoots the Drakaina (female serpent/dragon) dead in the Homeric Hymn to Apollo. Both were killed by the arrows of Phoebus.

Ares had his own drakon, and it was slain by Cadmus, the Illyrian king and husband to the goddess Harmonia (and daughter of Ares).

So there are numerous dragons and monstrous serpents in Greek mythology, and we see them associated with lots of Gods and Daemonic Beings. There are the Gorgones, Skylla, and the Erinyes.

In Hekate’s case, we have surviving images and descriptions of her as being ‘anguidede,’ of having serpents for legs. For example, Lucian shares the following description in his Philopseudes:

Soon, there was an earthquake and, simultaneously, a shout like thunder, I saw a fearsome woman approaching me, almost half a stadium’s length high. In her left hand she held a torch and in her right a sword twenty cubits long. Below the waist she had snake-feet; above it she resembled a Gorgon, so far as concerns the look in her eyes and her terrible appearance, I mean. Instead of hair, writhing snakes fell down in curls around her neck, and some of them coiled over her shoulders. – Lucian, Philopsuedes 17, 22-4

Elsewhere the Orphic Argonautika describes Hekate as having three heads, one of a horse, one a dog, and the middle being that of a snake. Apollonius Rhodius also gives Hekate serpentine hair. Without a doubt, Hekate is associated closely with snakes. She has them coiling on her head, about her person, and even manifests with serpents for limbs and head. She has numerous epithets that highlight this connection, of which Drakaina is but one. Her priestess, Medea, escapes the rage of Jason on a chariot drawn by Dragons in Euripides’ Medea.

Snakes are chthonic beings, associated with the earth and home. Zeus Meilichos, the Kindly One, has the form of a snake. There are stories of snakes adopting abandoned children. Snakes lived in the sanctuaries of Asclepius. The heroic dead appear in the form of snakes. The Agathos Daimon, the Good Spirit, had the form of a snake as well, and we have stories of snakes serving as protection of the household.

So, my own thoughts turn to Hekate’s serpentine traits as indicative of Her association with the Dead, with Her role as a Nurse to the young, and Her role as a Chthonic Titaness. And for myself, personally, I think it also ties into Her role as my Patron, for often I seek Her out in the course of listening to my own agathos daimon.

Khaire Hekate! You whose hair is coiled with snakes, You who is dressed with flaming serpents, You whose whip lashes forth in fury, Oh Drakaina! You who, like the Furies, brings justice, You who, glides on serpent scales, You who are known as the Oroboros, I lift up your names, I sing your praise, and offer you my devotions. Let your kindness warm the hearts of children, Let your wisdom guide those who follow your light, Let your grace bless the homes of your devotees.

Sources:

Betz, Hans Dieter. The Greek Magical Papyri in Translation: Including the Demotic Spells, Chicago, 1992. Ogden, Daniel. Drakon: Dragon Myth and Serpent Cult in the Greek and Roman Worlds, Oxford, 2013. ------------. Magic, Witchcraft, and Ghosts in the Greek and Roman Worlds, Oxford, 2009. Ronan, Stephan. The Goddess Hekate, Chthonios, 1992.

Images:

Croft, Sara B. “Hekate’s Gorgon,” Wicket Icons, 2013.

[m00nchildthings]

Little Witch pt. 1

Author’s note: This story is actually probably the longest I have ever written😭I had to cut it into two parts, this first one part is only rated T+ so be careful 

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 Familiars were tricky and malevolent creatures, demons that were so lowly in the castes of hell that they lived life better off in the land of mortals then they would in their own native realm. Not that any of them would be humble enough to admit it though. Most familiars stayed under the care of witches for protection, being incapable of possession made them extremely susceptible to attacks by clergymen. Most lands decreed that any demon living as a witch's charge were free of fear of clergy assault, as long as said witch could manage them. For witches, handling a familiar was a precocious balancing act at best and a near soul threatening experience at the worst, especially during their times of rut. This was when only keeping one familiar in service, which is why so many gave you confused looks when you stated that you kept not one but two under your gifted hand.

Izuku was your first familiar, a small token gifted to you by your mother the eve before you set off to live yourself as every young witch does when they hit that special age. A small rabbit daemon, one of the easiest to handle, was her gift to you. His eyes were a clear emerald and his pelt a slick black that shone green whenever the moonlight encased him. He was a very helpful familiar as far as they went and you were very appreciative of the fact. After near hermiting yourself away in a decent size hut not too far from a village, you found Izuku to be a very beneficial part of your day to day life. Whenever you were off in the town square buying food and supplies for the week you could always count on Izuku to scamper off and find you roots and herbs for your potion. Or in his human form he would help you around the house cleaning and organizing your books for you. He even seemed interested in your craft, helping you with concocting potions and studying spells.

Now handling Izuku was fairly easy, at least in comparison to the horror stories you heard, during his roots. All it took was a snug leather collar with a calming charm placed on it to keep him from humping anything within a five-foot radius (including you.) Throw in some romance novels of yours for him to read and staying out late at taverns to give him alone time with his hand and Izuku was fairly decent to stand. You just had to make sure to ignore his eyes on you at night as you slept.

The second familiar you kept was very different to your snuffly little Zuzu. Katsuki as he went by was an absolute brat that wasn’t grateful for anything you had done for him whatsoever.  It had only been a few months since you had found him after leaving the local butcher to make your way home to Izuku. A group of kids were toying with the poor battered creature, a pure white canine with a clergy trap biting into his ankle blood matting his fur. After shooing away the little bastards you pried open the chat wincing as the teeth of the trap sliced your fingers. He stared up at you with one big red eye before groaning and going limp. You took the poor thing home and cleaned his wounds shoving Izuku away as he came to snuff around the new daemon. For the first few days Katsuki was fine to be around, as his wounds healed, he mostly rested, coming in and out of sleep as he gained back his strength. He was quiet and agreeable letting you bathe him to redress his wounds and even crooning as you held his head to feed him. This calm quiet Katsuki lasted for exactly for the first week he lived in your small home.

The moment he regained his strength it became apparent what a brute Katsuki was as he uprooted your life from its regular calm feeling. Whenever you went out to gather supplies you returned home to find your Izuku cowering in the corner and Katsuki standing in the middle of your ruined living room, smoke billowing off of your singed furniture. He constantly berated Izuku, cursing and complaining about every little thing he could find. He constantly picked fights with Izuku it wasn’t an uncommon sight to come home to find Katsuki pinning Izuku to the ground as your poor bunny kicked at his tummy trying to worm from your grasp. It got to the point that you would have to keep him chained in the cellar and bring Izuku out with you as your familiar refused to be left alone with Katsuki. As ever docile as he was you found Izuku complaining about keeping him around.

“Mistress,” he whined walking beside you in the town square “why must we keep him with us he’s rude and aggressive and has only made life harder for us since you took him in.”

“Zuzu,” you scolded “you know very well why we can’t just throw him out, the clergy would get to him, besides, he’s probably just defensive being in a new environment after such a traumatic experience, we have to be patient with him.”

“But he’s so disruptive,” Izuku huffed crossing his arms as you stopped by a fruit vendor “he’s taking up so much of your time, you don’t have time to practice, time for me- “

“Time for you?” you raised an eyebrow placing a few plums into your satchel, paying the vendor and walking away “perhaps your annoyance comes less from our new friends’ unruly nature and more from a place of, dare I say it, jealousy?”

“I’m not jealous of him!” Izuku exclaimed red smattering underneath his freckles “I’m worried about you, mistress,”

“And why is that Zuzu?”

“Rutting season is coming, and if this is how he acts on the regular, imagine how he’ll be during his time,” he turned to you placing an hand on your arm “you might not be safe mistress,”

You paused mulling over what your familiar had said eyebrows furrowing, he wasn’t wrong. You had grown comfortable with keeping a familiar with easily suppressed ruts, cat daemons were notoriously known for having aggressive ruts. You had overheard a friend of your mothers as she stopped by from afternoon tea, confiding in your mother that her own cat daemon had been so difficult she had no choice to put aside her pride and pull down her panties to keep piece in her house. It was seen as very taboo for a witch to lay with her familiar, shameful even, to be seduced in the bedroom by such a lowly daemon. You yourself had been worried about what would happen when rut time would come with your new household member to worry over.

“Don’t worry my fluffy little companion,” you placed a hand on his cheeks smiling as his eyes closed and he nuzzled into your palm “I’ll be fine, you should worry about how you’ll be dealing with your time of the year,”

                                       ……………………………………….

It had been about nearly a week since you and Izuku had your little conversation, and you had begun to notice the signs of rut season in your daemons. Izuku was becoming much more grating constantly moving around your stuff in your room rubbing against everything and even snapping back at Katsuki when he would try to intimidate him. Katsuki became the exact opposite of his usual self, at least towards you. He would stalk you silently through your own home eyeing you like prey as you sat reading in your armchair. It had gotten to the point where you would step out of your bath to find Katsuki waiting outside your washroom nostrils flared as he stared down at you, pupils slit. You almost felt scared in your own home, almost. You had two daemons about to reach a sexual peak and you were only fairly sure you could keep one of them in check. This especially became apparent to you one day as you were working on charming Izuku’s heat collar.

“That won’t work on a daemon like me you know,” Katsuki had grunted from across your kitchenette “I’m twice as fucking powerful at that little runt you keep running after you,”

“Well what do you suggest I do to make this time easier for you Katsuki,” you say not looking up from your work “did you not have a witch before me to help you through these times?”

“Yes,” he said pacing closer to you as you worked rubbing the salve into the leather.

“Well what did she do Kats- “you paused at the hot wet feeling of breath on the back of your neck, his toned arms came to rest on either side of you. Your body seized as you felt his nose bury into your hair and take a deep inhale.

“She was a good little witch and let me fuck her cunt till I was through,” your eyes widened as you turned your head to stare at him. His red eyes bore into yours as a lecherous grin spread across his face.

“Come on,” he said leaning down to rub his nose against your cheek “little witches like you act like little prudes till you got a big fat daemon cock in your face, let’s just skip the theatrics and get to the part where I’m balls deep in that little witch cunt of yours,” he groaned throatily pressing his hips into you, grabbing your neck just under your jaw lifting your head to face him. You shuddered feeling his massive print against your back wondering what it would feel like to have it pressed inside your-

“Mistress” you heard Izuku’s voice, cold and unnervingly steady from across the room, your eyes shot over to Izuku who eyes were glued onto you and Katsuki. You immediately regained your composure pushing Katsuki away from you. Izuku kept his eyes trained on Katsuki glaring at him as you made your way over to him collar in hand. He took it from you when you offered it to him, but his eyes didn’t leave his fellow daemon.

Tag : @icythotsenpai