#qarls talking shit

[qarl-grimes]

okay so I am about 20,000 words into a fili/ofc fic that I am probably going to post at around 40,000 words. LOTS of editing to do though

[qarl-grimes]

HA

How to Make Your Kidnapper Your Bitch

A book written by Persephone

With a special introduction by Christine Daae

[pessimisticpigeonsworld]

A fantastic example of the TG hypocrisy and how they're "totally not sexist" is how Rhaenyra is criticized left and right for having a lover, meanwhile Harwin, Laenor, and even Daemon aren't criticized for their extramarital affairs (I'm including Harwin because he did still participate in an affair, he just wasn't the one married).

Greens have written fucking essays about why Rhaenyra is such an awful person for sleeping with Harwin and having and raising bastards. Harwin never catches the same shit, I mean he literally sired the Jace, Luke, and Joff (allegedly in the book). Yet, TG pretty much leaves him alone, focusing exclusively on Rhaenyra, despite the fact that Harwin chose to have an affair with the married heir to the throne. Isn't that just as immoral according to their precious Faith?

Then there's Laenor. Being gay is a sin in the eyes of the Faith, just as much as having an affair and having bastards. But I don't see any metas about how "in the culture this is perceived as wrong therefore..." No, instead they just focus on Rhaenyra. Again, there's no mention about how Laenor is a "whore" for having an affair with Qarl or for sleeping with Joffrey before marriage. Then there's the fact that Laenor is the accepted father of Alyn and Addam, meaning that, in the eyes of Westeros, he had bastards.

Daemon is hated by the Greens, which makes sense, he is their greatest opponent after Rhaenyra herself. However, for everything they hate Daemon for, none of them are about Mysaria, the fact that she was pregnant with his bastard in the book, or that he was speculated to have slept with Nettles and Mysaria after his marriage to Rhaenyra. Sure, they talk about his abuse and how badly he treated Rhea in the show, but they never bring up his many affairs. After all, Daemon frequented the KL brothels all through his marriage with Rhea, but apparently that's fine?

Then there's the fact that their favs have engaged in infidelity. Aegon constantly in the brothels and his habit of raping servant girls. Aemond, betrothed to Floris Baratheon, asleeping with (raping) Alys Rivers and getting her pregnant with a bastard as well as the Helaemond theories. And Alicent's "transactions" with Larys, began happening before Viserys died and still count as sexual infidelity.

I'm bringing all this up in order to highlight just how hypocritical TG is. They constantly berate and call Rhaenyra a whore because of Jace, Luke, and Joff. The only thing that separates Rhaenyra from Harwin, Laenor, and Daemon is that she is a woman. And the fact that TG excuses the horrible actions of Aegon and Aemond as well as Alicent's indiscretions, shows that they aren't interested in actual morality (wrong that would be). They also clearly aren't concerned with the Faith's morals, for the reasons stated. That leaves the true reason for their hatred of Rhaenyra and fixation on the Velaryon boys: misogyny. They hate the image of a woman with control over her body, power of her own, and who challenges patriarchal roles.

[viiisenyas]

It confuses me that ppl in the hotd fandom say that Laenor loved Jace Luke and Joffrey. Did he tho? cuz... he was out drinking with his buddies and there was only one scene where he was actually being a dad to them. Fr, the only time he stepped in as a dad was when he named Joffrey and that was it.

I think it's a little more nuanced than that, Anon. But if I'm being entirely honest, (if a bit controversial) those children were not his obligation yet when he tried to step in, Rhaenyra kept him at arm's length until it was convenient to her.

Episode 6:

"You don't think to consult me before you name my child?" "He's our child, is he not?" "Only one of us is bleeding." "I deserve some say in the affairs of my own family." "You haven't seemed so interest in our affairs of late."

"I deserve some say in the affairs of my own family."

I find this interesting in particular. Upon a rewatch, I paid attention to Laenor's facial expressions and his tone of voice. Now it could be me, it could be a misinterpretation, but he seemed a bit exasperated if not desperate, almost pleading with Rhaenyra. Given that 10 years has been glossed over, we were robbed of seeing their actual dynamic. But what I can see is that he is attempting to assert his place as her husband, and Rhaenyra just waved him off with the following line of dialogue.

Keep in mind his facial expression deflating after she wanders out of frame. I genuinely do think that he was trying, but again, she kept him at arm's length. And of course this sets up later in the episode when he returns to Rhaenyra's room a bit drunk with Ser Qarl.

Notice how he seems more happy to go back to war?

"After all this time, this is just what I need. A little adventure. A good honest battle to enliven my blood again... A few months maybe - to be back at sea."

I don't know about you, but no man that has been in a happy marriage (hell, even a man who has a close bond with his supposed kids) would want to return to a fucking war unless he has no other choice. The way he says "to be back at sea," was almost in yearning.

At that point, he was more than happy to leave King's Landing because Rhaenyra made it abundantly clear that he's of no use to her.

And she continues to make snide remarks with regards to Ser Harwin's little outburst that brought even more negative attention to their family.

"Are you mad? Do you know what's happened while you've been guzzling all the ale in Flea Bottom - gods know what besides?"

If you watch his expression, it can be read as "What are you talking about," or it can be read as "Excuse me?" Pick your poison. (I don't know about you, but I read that as a homophobic microaggression.)

Now moving on to my point above.

"Dark rumours are hunting us, Laenor. They nip at our heels. Questions about our sons' parentage. Vile, disgusting insinuations." "Insinuations, are they?" "They are our sons! Yours and mine. And their true father will not abandon them now to go carousing through the Narrow Sea waggling his sword, and winking at his sailors."

Notice how she finally flips it around? Now, those boys are suddenly Laenor's responsibility. And as you can see with his sarcastic reply, he has no mind to listen to it. And I don't have to point out the second microaggression against his homosexuality.

Now Laenor says this, with conviction.

"I am a knight and a warrior. And I have played my part here. Faithfully, for ten years."

Which really drives home the point that he was trying to be a dutiful husband. He was trying to be a dutiful father. But then, Rhaenyra throws his efforts back into his face.

"You are owed nothing! For ten years you have indulged yourself at court, bought the finest horses, drunk the rarest of wines, fucked the lustiest boys. This was our agreement. I have not begrudged you."

Except she just did. Four times. in the literally same episode. Laenor did what any lord living at court would have done even if they weren't in the clusterfuck situation that he was sucked into.

Now, Laenor is completely done, and it's obvious that he wants no part in it.

"You do not desert your post when the storm lashes." "The wise sailor flees the storm as it gathers." "Very well, then I command you... as your Princess and heir to the throne, you are commanded to remain in King's Landing and at my side."

I'm certain that he was well aware of the rumours swimming about regarding Rhaenyra's actions and of course, I genuinely think he did his best to cover for both himself AND her after the first two Strong kids were born - otherwise he wouldn't be looking for an out in this specific scene. He probably would have left long ago.

TL;DR. I think Laenor did care about those kids, but Rhaenyra alienated him from actually being in their lives until shit hit the fan for her.

[daenystheedreamer]

id like to hear more about the jeyne westerling + robb/theon teen pregnancy fic

thank you for asking this i LOVE talking about my insane shit. ok its super self indulgent be warned and idk how to talk about it because its a mess and extremely disorganised but ill try:

ok backstory. the greyjoys are a mafioso crime family but not in a sexy way in a gross evil way. most of them got caught and locked up when theon was twelve-ish and while asha was emancipated and could look after herself, theon was baby and could not. Barbrey The Lawyer basically thought it would be really funny to dump this freak girlson on the starks as personal revenge and thats how the starks ended up fostering theon. then when theon was like... 19? 20? he had a #mental #breakdown and ran away from winterfell and got caught up with ramsay. barbrey ended up getting him out due to personal beef with ramsay's dad and cos domeric found out and was like What the fuck,. now theon is like 22/23 unemployed but does odd jobs and makes music and pretends he isnt fucked up in the brain

robb is a footballer (football as in european football aka soccer. maybe rugby?). anywa i dont know anything about football. but he does! hes a prodigy hes gonna Go Big and Bring Home Da Gold. robb was like 15/16/17 idk when theon was in his Rough Crowd Era and it fucked him up cos thats his girlfriendbrotherworstie!! now theon is back and they have a very weird very codependant on/off relationship. robb is like 19/20ish

jeyne is a nice girl :) she wants to be a nurse :) she has mommy issues :) after graduating high school she goes on a gap year with her brother and sister and they tour westeros and she meets a cute guy named robb in the riverlands and has a whirlwind one-week holiday romance with him :) but uh oh! guess who has super sperm and got his fling preggers!! robb the idiot :) now she's pregnant and has confirmed all the horrible things her mother says about her :) she has religious issues! she wants to be a mother! she wants to be a An Independent Woman! she doesn't want to leave home! she wants too much and all of it is contradictory! she's not yet 19! she's having the worst year of her life made worse by the father of her child's sort-of boyfriend who sucks but also are they becoming friends?? what???

bonus: asha is sort of dating qarl and tris theyre kinda polycule vibes. she'll introduce tris as her queer platonic squish because she thinks its funny when he does the hide-the-pain-harold face. jon joined the military right out of high school. the only greyjoy asset the state didnt seize is aeron's sex toy shop he used to launder money but they couldnt prove it (he converted it into a restaurant that has non-discriminatory hiring practices for former convicts but the downside is he will proselytise to them.)

[sare11aa11eras]

Okay adding on to this post a little

@15-lizards and @cvrthage EXACTLYYY

The thing about Jon being the undisputed defensive player of the year is that if you bring it up, INSTANTLY there will be like 50 people pointing out that Jon’s conference is FUCKING SHIT and there used to be soooo many great defenders in it before they all retired or moved to rival teams or got addicted to cocaine or whatever. Except that literally he MIGHT be the best defensive player of his generation???? which is horrifying to everyone

Ygritte is one of those players who can put up 45 points and her team will still lose bc either a) no one else is contributing b) she tries to draw a charge and gets called for the foul instead three times in a row bc the refs fairly view her as a troublemaker or c) the other team runs a halfway decent defense on her and she’s completely locked out. Her and Jon are either a match made in heaven or the most meme-able couple in professional basketball history.

It’s important to ME to note that Sansa kept getting passed around from team to team for YEARS okay she’s been with the KL stags, the Lady Lions (not to be confused w the Lannisport Lions), the Highgarden Thorns, the Flying Falcons, the Winterfell Wolves— okay she’s been everywhere and now people make fun of her for it. There are memes. And it’s not even her fault bc she’s following her coaches.

Olenna Tyrell the terrifying and dinosaur-aged coach for the Highgarden Thorns. She was never much of an offensive threat as a player herself, very much a distributor, but now recruits raw offensive talent and makes them run some of the most airtight defense in the country (The falcons are more stifling on D but they literally can’t run an offensive set to save their lives, so who cares). Margaery is her star player— another rookie who Cersei views as an archnemesis, although in Marge’s case it’s because she can put up 30 in a game without breaking a sweat and Cersei’s CONVINCED it’s personal when her modeling ads go up in Lannisport.

Ok I don’t think Asha Greyjoy plays basketball, or at least she doesn’t play professionally for the Wild Krakens bc I’m pretty sure they don’t have a women’s team. Possibly plays rugby or football (⚽️) and she makes CRAZY money there. But she does show up at Theon’s practices sometimes and fucking trounces him because psychological warfare DOES work on his ass. Huge trash-talker. Do NOT play pickup with her. Distressingly engaged to Qarl Maidenson who no one has ever heard of.

Duncan Tall being traded from the Fleabottom Browns to the KL Dragons (ownership changed hands about 20 years ago, it was a whole thing) national fucking incident in the professional basketball world fifty years ago. people STILL talk about this!! “So what if he averaged two points a game and always fouled out by the half with the Browns okay he was SEVEN FEET TALL and bam look!! he got traded and became a double-double MACHINE for the fucking DRAGONS of all fucking teams!! That should tell you something!”

I know I post intermittently abt the basketball AU of ASOIAF that lives in my head rent free but anyways the women’s college basketball season in the US just ended and I really do have some thoughts:

Sansa Stark 6’3” and kind of stacked she SHOULD be a post player but has never once driven to the basket in her LIFE. Somehow manages to make up for this in sheer volume of 3 pointers. Keeps getting compared to her mom who was the most terrifying power forward you ever saw in the Riverlands 20-something years ago despite the fact that there is almost nothing in common with their game styles.

Arya Stark, guard, has a really sweet mid-range game that everyone always forgets about but she’s got like 18 points in 28 min, makes about 5 steals a game. Unfortunately, gets in foul trouble. Keeps getting compared to Jon which drives her nuts.

Robb, went to the Westerosi National Basketball League at like 18, but before the championship game, the coach of an opposing team got a second coach to get players to deliberately injure him during a game. Somehow he got called for a technical foul on this. Ended his career in professional sports.

Dany, 5’6”, floor general and sharpshooter. Regularly beats defenders with more than half a foot on her to rebounds. Plays internationally full-time but her highlight reels still end up on Westerosi ESPN bc her family was at one point a dynasty in the basketball world. 90% of her instagram page is her with her three lizards.

Brienne is the Post Player’s Post Player— always boxes out, gets the rebound, blocks shots, drives etc, impeccable footwork. And then she also hits from distance and can guard. Cersei, the aging vet on the Lannisport Lions, wants her dead for once committing SEVEN blocks on her in a game when she was a rookie. Currently coached by Cat for the Riverlands Fighting Trout. There is a not insignificant fanbase of lesbians who want her to crush their heads with her thighs online but she is tragically into disgraced ex-Lions player Jaime Lannister who keeps bumming around the Riverlands for unclear reasons.

<insert that one post about Aeron Greyjoy as a basketball player here>

Jon Snow has been fouled out of games with technicals. He has never made a basket apart from a fast break layup or a free throw— except for like, two separate years??? where he got his team to the semifinals through a buzzer beater logo 3????? Somehow the undisputed defensive player of the year, the most universally loathed player in his conference, beloved by his own team, and a guy who once went viral for a video of him crying on his girlfriend after HER team lost while she just sort of patted his head.

[all-about-that-rec]

I posted 89 times in 2022

That's 83 more posts than 2021!

80 posts created (90%)

9 posts reblogged (10%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@neptune83

@fandomsandfeminism

@maddiesbookshelves

@all-about-that-rec

I tagged 80 of my posts in 2022

Only 10% of my posts had no tags

#fanfiction - 69 posts

#fanfic - 69 posts

#ao3 - 66 posts

#fanfic recs - 66 posts

#asoiaf - 29 posts

#game of thrones - 29 posts

#fic recs - 29 posts

#a song of ice and fire - 29 posts

#got - 29 posts

#jaime lannister - 24 posts

Longest Tag: 38 characters

#sixty million frenchmen can’t be wrong

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: House of the Dragon (TV), A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Alicent Hightower/Rhaenyra Targaryen, Rhaenyra Targaryen & Laenor Velaryon, Alicent Hightower/Viserys I Targaryen, Daemon Targaryen/Rhaenyra Targaryen, (background), Harwin Strong/Rhaenyra Targaryen (mentioned) Characters: Rhaenyra Targaryen, Alicent Hightower, Daemon Targaryen, Otto Hightower, Laenor Velaryon, Qarl Correy, Rhaenys Targaryen Velaryon, Corlys "The Sea Snake" Velaryon, Viserys I Targaryen, Criston Cole, Harrold Westerling, Larys Strong Additional Tags: Crack Treated Seriously, Hurt/Comfort, Canon-Typical Homophobia, Fix-It of Sorts, Episode: s01e07 Driftmark (House of the Dragon), Self-Harm, Canon-Typical Violence, One Shot, No Beta we die like the Bracken Kid, Love Confessions, Idiots in Love, Implied/Referenced Incest, Otto being Otto, Blood and Injury, Bisexual Rhaenyra Targaryen, Lesbian Alicent Hightower Summary:

Instead of yelling at each other during the knife scene in Episode 7, Rhaenyra and Alicent kiss in front of everyone. There is emotional and political fallout.

13 notes - Posted October 22, 2022

#4

Chapters: 13/13 Fandom: Game of Thrones (TV), A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Jaime Lannister/Brienne of Tarth, Jaime Lannister & Sansa Stark, Tyrion Lannister & Brienne of Tarth, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Theon Greyjoy/Sansa Stark Characters: Jaime Lannister, Brienne of Tarth, Sansa Stark, Theon Greyjoy, Tyrion Lannister, Bran Stark, Jon Snow, Tormund Giantsbane Additional Tags: Everything follows canon except Jaime and Theon are alive, because fuck season 8 that's why, Angst, Mutual Pining, sad salty exes jaime and brienne pine annoyingly while miles and miles apart, irritating the shit out of their respective besties sansa and tyrion, who write letters about how much they hATE them, Hand of the Queen Jaime, Kingsguard Brienne, alternating pov, to be clear i fuckin hate the kingsguard ending, which is why i wrote this thing where it happens and it sucks, also there's a lot of talking in this fic, they don't do much action Series: Part 3 of we should kind of forget about season 8 Summary:

"Stay with me," Brienne begs him, standing in Winterfell's courtyard.

Jaime can't refuse. He stays with her.

Brienne's the one who leaves.

15 notes - Posted October 15, 2022

#3

Chapters: 3/6 Fandom: House of the Dragon (TV), Game of Thrones (TV), A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Alicent Hightower/Rhaenyra Targaryen Characters: Alicent Hightower, Rhaenyra Targaryen, Daemon Targaryen, Laenor Velaryon, Laena Velaryon (Daughter of Corlys), Viserys I Targaryen Additional Tags: Canon-Typical Homophobia, Targaryen bullshit as per usual, Not Canon Compliant, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Mutual Pining, Possessive Behavior, Friends to Enemies to Lovers, Gals being pals, idk they just make me crazy, let the girls be happy, Secret Wedding Summary:

A version of the world without Rhaenyra’s decision to sleep with Criston and without quite as much of Alicent’s insistence on decency and, most importantly, without 90% of the strife that makes the Dance of the Dragons an actually compelling story.

OR

sometimes a family can be a lesbian, her stepdaughter, her gay husband, his gay lover and their eight children

17 notes - Posted October 3, 2022

#2

Chapters: 37/50 Fandom: Shazam! | Captain Marvel (Comics), DCU (Comics), Justice League - All Media Types Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Billy Batson & Captain Marvel, Billy Batson & Justice League, Billy Batson & Jonathan Samuel Kent & Damian Wayne, Captain Marvel & Justice League Characters: Billy Batson, Captain Marvel, Black Adam | Teth-Adam, Justice League (DCU), Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent, Diana (Wonder Woman), Barry Allen, Hal Jordan (Green Lantern), Oliver Queen, Dinah Lance, Arthur Curry (DCU), Zatanna Zatara, Damian Wayne, Jonathan Kent Additional Tags: Billy and Captain Marvel are separate but connected beings, Trans Male Character, Trans Billy Batson, Captain Marvel is kinda genderless, Homeless Billy Batson, Faking being Father and Son, Lying without actually lying, Billy Batson Needs a Hug, eventual identity reveal, Canon-Typical Violence Summary:

After a fight with Black Adam goes horribly wrong, Billy Batson and Captain Marvel are forced to navigate the world as two beings instead of one. But such a separation comes at a cost and they must race against the clock to fix what's happened to them before it's too late.

Unfortunately the Justice League is all too eager to help their trusted colleague and his 'son'.

28 notes - Posted September 30, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: House of the Dragon (TV) Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Harwin Strong/Rhaenyra Targaryen Characters: Harwin Strong, Rhaenyra Targaryen Additional Tags: i'm back with another massive one shot with a taylor swift lyric for a title, feat. harwin wants to be a girl dad, feat. hating criston cole hours, feat. laenor being a wingman, you cannot convince me there wasn't at least one l/h/r threesome i will die on this hill, Use of the C Word Summary:

Harwin had learnt to watch his words, his actions but these moments where he first holds his sons are the most honest of his life. Tiny, little creatures unable to remember the words he murmured against their foreheads and their fingers. This is where he makes the vow that will mean the most in his life, even if he knows he may die keeping it.

Holding Jacaerys’ tiny little fingers against his lips, Harwin whispered so softly even Rhaenyra would not hear. “You are my son, and I will always be here to protect you.” 

or, the ten years that hbo were too cowardly to show us.

28 notes - Posted September 30, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[thewingedwolf]

anyways so my final opinion on s1 of hotd is that the ten year time skip was too much. it should have been 9 years and it should have started with Rhaenyra finding out she’s pregnant again with little Joffrey. The season should have ended with either Rhaenyra finally deciding to go to dragonstone to be left alone OR with her and Daemon’s wedding. They skipped over too much and it made the deaths of the Strongs and Laena feel very cheap, as well as rushing too much of adult Laenor’s character (who all of a sudden is a very absent husband and father, but we see none of his depressive spiral or of his relationship with Qarl). I get they wanted to get to the war and the dragon fighting but they could have built up Laena’s death to be a really awesome and terrible scene PLUS they clearly don’t mind writing in big scenes with the dragons that never happened in the books, they could have just ✨invented✨a dragon fight or whatever. And showing more of the actual politicking from the greens might have made them look less stupid lmao. PLUS I miss baby Aemond and Aegon, they were amusing and incredibly good actors, and i wanted more of the other little ones! they deserved more than like 2 episodes. i think the emotional beats were all good, they were just too rushed!! if they wanted to end with the beginning of the dance, they should have had a 16 episode season 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

my other main criticism is LIGHT YOUR FUCKING SHOWS HBO. there were whole scenes were i couldn’t see SHIT like i did Not even know who was talking because the scene was so dark even Rhaenys pale ass and bright white hair were GONE. COMPLETELY UNSEEABLE. WHAT THE FUCK. they used that big budget on better wigs, better CGI, better costumes, better sets, but NOT A SINGLE DOLLAR ON LIGHTING APPARENTLY. RYAN CONDAL PLEASE LEARN FROM YOUR PREDECESSORS MISTAKES!!!! you put those gorgeous dreads on Corlys, that immaculate armor on Rhaenys, just a never ending parade of the coolest outfits on Rhaenyra, spared no expense to make Matt Smith as weird and hot as he’s ever been BUT CAN I SEE THEM? NO. I CANNOT.

[qarl-grimes]

Hello and omg Ben x reader lover on 2023?!!!

I requesy Ben being thoroughly kissed pinned to the wall of his home library

Sorry this took so long! It’s short and sweet with a little backstory because I can never help myself.

Pairing: Ben Linus x Reader

Warnings: mentions of past abuse (doesn’t go into details), mentions of death, kissing.

It’s only afterwards that you’re able to touch him in ways that you’ve always wanted to.

It took you a while to love him. You were on the plane, on 815, and you lived through the manipulation and the hunting of the Others, if his people, onto yours. You were in the hatch when he was Henry Gale, and he watched you, even then.

You felt it.

And you always seemed to be drawn to him, didn’t you? You defended him weakly, insisting to Jack and Sawyer and whoever else decided to punch him that day, that maybe there were other ways to communicate with Ben Linus, other than a fist to his face.

And then people started dying because of Charles Widmore, and you became a little less sweet and a little more angry. You gasped and cried when Alex was shot, and you hugged Ben once the others had trailed off into the jungle, speechless and deciding that words could not help.

He looked at you, blue eyes wide and mouth a flat line, before nodding once in thanks.

You followed after Locke, Sawyer, and the others, and he didn’t touch you again until you were deciding whether to follow Kate to the helicopter, or stay on the Island. You weren’t…like the others. You were never keen to leave.

What awaited you, but a penniless existence, a dead family and an abusive ex?

He grabbed you before leaving Locke in the Orchid, his shaking hands touching yours. He opened his mouth to say something, but his words were stuck, and you smiled and cried and pushed him toward the exit.

‘You better come back for me, Benjamin Linus,’ you said. For all of us.

And then you were back with your friends, with Sawyer, but you were way back, back in time. You met him, met Ben, when he was little, and you think you understand him a little more. You met his dad, after all.

You knew that kind of abuse. You had lived it.

You remember thinking that if you died there, in the 70’s, you hated what a coward you had been for not kissing Ben before he moved the Island. You now realise that was the wanting feeling you felt whenever you looked at him.

Only Juliet suspected your feelings. In the years you spent together in the 70’s, she found you sitting outside of your little Dharma house, and she kicked your foot and offered you a warm beer. After a while of sitting under the stars, she said, ‘Ben?’

And you knew she knew, so you nodded and snorted and shrugged a little. ‘I don’t expect you to get it,’ you told her, smiling at the woman who had turned from Other to friend. ‘He made your life a fucking misery, Juliet’.

It was her turn to shrug. ‘I didn’t expect James,’ she tells you, love blooming in her smile. ‘And you certainly didn’t expect Ben’.

No, you think. You had not expected him to crawl under your skin. At least, not in the way he had.

And then you were back in your time, and so many more of your friends died. You cried and you ran, and you did it, all of you, you saved the Island, you stopped him from leaving.

And Juliet died, and Sawyer’s screams will live with you forever.

And afterwards, when Hurley asked Ben to be his Number 2 and Ben said yes, Hurley turned to you and said, ‘You’re staying too, right?’

And Ben looked at you, wide-eyed and open in a way that had changed since you first met him, years ago. The manipulation and lying were like an old coat he had shrugged away. You smiled, cheeks dry with tears. Somewhere in the distance, you hear a plane leave the Island.

‘I’m staying too,’ you agree, and Ben’s shoulder sag. ‘Where else would I go?’

-

You take the house next to his. Next to Ben’s.

It’s the one he just kept insisting was the best during rain season. You’re sure it has nothing to do with the fact that your bedrooms face each other, a little apple tree sitting between the windows.

It’s two weeks after the end, after burying Jack and hearing from mainland that Kate, and Sawyer, and Claire, and all of them made it home okay. There’s a lot of graves on this Island, but Jack’s hurts to dig the most.

Live together, die alone. And he had made sure that you’d lived together.

Hurley stayed behind for hours after Jack’s burial. You didn’t see him walk back into the barracks until the early hours of the morning.

You’re a little braver after…after everything. Before, you were a mouse. People stomped all over you, and you let them. You rarely took what you wanted, because you so rarely got what you wanted.

Now, though, you knew. You wanted him. You wanted Ben. You wanted him, knowing his past, knowing his faults - but thats’s what this Island is, isn’t it? It’s a second chance.

And you’re quite sure he wanted you back.

You’re not sure why you suddenly decide to do it that night. Perhaps it’s the relocation after nearly two weeks of knowing it’s all over, that no longer will you be flashing through time or struggling to survive or mourning new deaths. Now, there is only mourning those already lost, in making a new life for yourself. You were young, you had all the time in the world.

You were starting to find you loved the Island, and that made you happy. Finally, a home you enjoyed, that you respected.

It’s a Thursday night, and the Barracks are quiet. Hurley’s house was dark, and you slip out of yours after spying from your bedroom window the lights still on at Ben’s.

You were nervous, but dizzyingly so. It felt good.

You knock on his door and he answers quickly, and you wonder if he had been watching you already. You wonder if he had seen you hurry from your house to his, his face hidden behind the curtains of his home.

The thought doesn’t bother you as much as it should.

‘Y/N!’ He greets, smile polite and cheeks a little red, and you grin, because you can’t really help yourself. You step forward and he watches you. ‘It’s late, are you-’

And you kiss him, because it’s all you’ve wanted to do for years, now. After the shit you’ve been through, all of you, you deserve some good.

He makes a huffing sound, one of surprise, and then he’s kissing you back, arms around your waist and mouth solid against yours.

And you push, because you were a mouse before, but you refuse to be one now. You push until his back is against his bookcase and your hands are grasping the buttons of his shirt. And you like this - this control, because it’s something you’ve always lacked, isn’t it?

You wonder if Ben might quite enjoy relinquishing his control, just for a moment.

You make a noise and he rumbles in reply, holding you all the tighter to him as your mouth moves to his jaw, and then he does make a sound - a low, needy one that has you surging forward to kiss him harder, with more warmth.

You feel the last slot of your happiness fall into place. Yes, you think, you could imagine a life in this Island more fully now. With him.

You would bicker and discover and live.

You stop after a few minutes of grabbing hands and sharp groans, and you realise with a flush that you’d unbuttoned the first few buttons of his shirt. Ben gapes at you, flushed and breathless, and you giggle a little at the sight.

You’d figured out, then, what drew the man speechless.

‘Sorry,’ you said, a little bashful. ‘Been wanting to do that for a while’.

Ben blinks and, finally, shuts his mouth. His smile is a little teasing. ‘Don’t let me stop you from doing what you want to do, of course,’ he shoots back, mouth quirking a little at the corner.

‘If you insist,’ you tease.

So, you kiss him again, shorter this time; sweeter.

You figure they’ll be room for plenty more.

[unserenedreaming]

I'm also going to go through your responses point by point.

Rhaenyra did grow up beloved, that's not a lie. She did not have a "fruity as fuck friend" because if we're going by book logic (and you mixed show and book logic above) she had several presumable hetero ladies in waiting - unless you're talking about her cousin Laenor.

2. Rhaenyra and Daemon were messy for this, I won't lie. But the show writers again showed their disdain for the Blacks by having Rhaenyra and Daemon fake Laenor's death in what appeared to be the same week as Laena's funeral. In the book, Laenor dies six months or so after Laena. He was killed by Qarl in Spicetown while Rhaenyra and Daemon were both on Dragonstone. It was at his funeral that Aemond claimed Vhagar btw. Them having his claiming occur at Laena's funeral is one of the few times they made TG look worse. And both Corlys and Rhaenys were loyal to Rhaenyra, the latter of whom died for her cause.

3. The bullying was shitty, that much is true. But do you know who was rumored to have instigated it, and who at the very least stood back and laughed as his brother was ridiculed? AEGON. Alicent even confronts him about it, which he brushes aside. And again, this is show-only. Also don't forget that in the show, right before Lucerys swung the knife, Aemond told them that they would die screaming like their father. What a kind guy. In the books the only mentioned bullying is when Aemond pushes a three year old Joffrey into a pile of dragon shit after the toddler tried to stop him.

4. You said we have no evidence that Rhaenyra ruled Dragonstone well. You aren't wrong, but we also have no evidence to prove she was a bad ruler. After Lyonel Strong died, Viserys was planning on making Rhaenyra his hand but he chose to give the pin back to Otto.

5. I don't have enough information to either dispute or agree with this point so I won't say anything about it.

6. You are correct, Aegon is the eldest son of Viserys.

7. There were two accounts that stated that Aegon had a TWELVE YEAR OLD PARAMOUR at the time of Viserys's death. Viserys died in 129, making Aegon 22 to the girl's twelve. The first and more salacious account was made my Mushroom. In general I don't believe almost any of Mushroom's claims, as he also claimed that 15 year old Jace went down on noted lesbian Jeyne Arryn. However, Mushroom was not the only one to comment on this. Septon Eustace also spoke of this, saying that the girl was a daughter of a trader and "well cared for besides." do you know what is missing from his contradiction? A point about the girl's age. Septon Eustace, who is so pro-green he probably shits green, never disagreed or discredited that the girl was twelve or so. To me, that screams rape.

8. In the books it's never implicitly stated that Helaena and Aegon have a poor relationship, but she is the second youngest bride in Targ history. Married at twelve, gave birth to the twins at thirteen. She's only beat by the egregious marriage of Viserys and Aemma when he was 16 and she was eleven.

9. Alicent didn't manipulate shit, but she also didn't say anything at all. One hint of what her father was making her do (and yes, her father was absolutely pimping her out, yet another great fatherly trait from Otto) Rhaenyra would have immediately told her father. And Viserys actually listens to his daughter. There would definitely be some drama but that could have been nipped in the bud if she said something. Yes, Alicent was a victim in the show, until she became an abuser.

10. I'm honestly curious about this one. I will admit that my knowledge of Fire and Blood isn't the greatest, but I can't seem to remember where it's mentioned or even implied that Helaena is a dragon dreamer. If she is, please let me know in which novella it's mentioned.

This story does not exist to be a girlboss story. If it had, it wouldn't have ended with Rhaenyra being burned to death by her usurping half-brother while her only remaining child (as far as she knew) was forced to watch. It's about how men will always seek to take, especially from women. And you said that if the OP wanted a girl boss story she shouldn't be reading any of GRRM's materials. On that I disagree. We have virtuous girl bosses and evil girl bosses. Dany, Arya, Cersei, Brienne, Arianne and countless others all exist on the girl boss spectrum. Arya and Dany are GRRM's favorite characters after Tyrion. Just a final thought to leave you with

You have to choose ? It's true that the choice is really difficult.

On the one hand we have the king's eldest daughter with two parents of Targaryen blood. Her father appointed her his heir before the Seven Kingdoms and her mother was a true Queen who inspired respect and love. There was no doubt that she loved her daughter more than anything.

An heir who made a love marriage to a Prince Targaryen, who is the most feared man in Westeros and probably Essos. After so much suffering they are finally reunited and are in love with each other.Both are dragon riders.

They have children who are educated and respectful of others, whom they truly love. A true loving family.

An heir with a proven track record in managing and making Dragonstone prosper.

Every member of their family knows and respects the traditions of the Taragaryen line.

On the other hand, we have the king's second child, whose only claim to the throne is that he is a boy.

Who is a serial rapist, who abuses his power over the weak, who takes pleasure in watching starving children fight each other like animals.

Who cheats on his wife, who has several bastards he doesn't even care for, abandoning them in the Street of Silk.

Who has a mother who uses him as a pawn to steal a throne to which the Hightowers have no right.

A mother who manipulated a grieving man into crawling into bed with her on her father's orders. And we all know what that kind of woman is called. Who hides behind a virtue she doesn't possess and takes the liberty of judging others, she's the worst hypocrite there is.

Her children are only there to serve her thirst for power (three psychopathic sons and a daughter who has nothing exceptional and no, she never had the gift of being a dreamer - you've got to stop with all this nonsense!).

A woman who's bitter about her life and all the bad decisions she's made. A woman who is jealous of Rhaenyra's marital and maternal happiness.

Who, even though she's an adult, is still under the control of her pimp father.

So yes the choice is definitely a difficult one.

[lalo-vault]

Things I Enjoyed This Episode of HOTD

Daemon giggling like a crazy man at Laena’s actual funeral

Viserys being the first one to talk to Daemon upfront (it was honestly like fuckin’ Russian Roulette guessing who was going to talk to Daemon first after 10 years, Rhaenyra, Viserys, or one of the Velaryons)

Viserys calling Alicent ‘Aemma’ and everyone being mortified

Larys being a little creep

Otto kicking the shit out of Aegon’s drunk ass

Aemond claiming Vhagar like the brave little guy he is (and proceeding to give me a heart attack by almost falling off 5 million times)

Aemond using the same hurtful words Aegon used to hurt Rhaena

The children having an all out BRAWL and just straight up jumping Aemond

Aemond being a tattletale and none of the kids revealing the true source of the bastard rumors

Alicent going APESHIT and her and Rhaenyra revealing their true feelings in the heat of the moment. just two boss ass bitches being meanies

Otto being annoying

Viserys just stressed and wanting everyone to shut their fuckin’ mouths

Laenor having the free ending he not only deserved but NEEDED (I hope him and Qarl get married and go on to live their best lives)

[alethiaii]

Now that I have confirmation that episode 7 was shot first, it defo proves that Rhea being finished off by Daemon was a tacked on, afterthought scene. He even wears identical fucking outfit to the scene where he talks with Qarl. It's like, before they shot the wedding scene, Sapochnik and co. went 'Oh shit, we forgot that Daemon's wife exists, quick let's just be rid of her and Matt is already wearing the suspish clothes so why not?'

-.-

[kataraavatara]

Well, I’ve already established that “assumption” was both wrong and more than a little homophobic here, especially the wording. Just pointing out that the tweet that started this whole thing is, you know, incorrect. We as the audience Laenor was not “entertaining his young squires” because his partner is a singular, adult man.

But ok, let’s say for arguments sake Alicent doesn’t know about Qarl so the insinuation Laenor would be spending time with multiple young boys is a fair one to make. But he was seen by literally everyone at that damn funeral, including Alicent, crying, standing in the sea and being lost in his grief. A bit nasty to insinuate he magically got over that so he could go back to a party, isn’t it?

“The way Rhaenyra and Alicent speak about Laenor not being present while shit goes down is quite similar. Rhaenyra is just more blunt about it.” Here’s a big difference, though: Rhaenyra says it in private. Being gay is seen as something shameful in Westeros. Pointing it out in public, especially in front of his parents, extended family and the King is still a dig, whether it’s an open secret or not.

Let’s talk about another difference, the context in which the two women were speaking. Rhaenyra is speaking candidly to her husband after a decade of frustration and being humiliated and bullied by Alicent (if you think the opening scene of episode six is anything other than cruel, you’re delusional and just block me). Now for Alicent: here, at about 0:53

When Alicent brings it up, Viserys is interrogating Aemond about where he heard the rumors Rhaenyra’s sons were bastards. First she says “It was training yard bluster, it was nothing.” This doesn’t deter Viserys. Then she asks where Laenor is. We then get Rhaenyra’s explanation and Alicent’s dig. Viserys asks Aemond a final time who told him these things, and then Aemond looks to Alicent, prompting everyone to look at Alicent. The musical cue and Alicent’s facial expression could not be more clear- she’s worried she’s about to be outed as the rumor monger. Only Aemond’s quick thinking saves her, and by Aegon’s surprised “me?” we know damn well Aemond was lying to protect his mom. (And good on him for being a good son). All this to say, Laenor’s whereabouts and sexuality were obviously an attempt at distraction to take the heat off Alicent.

Like, please look at Corlys and Rhaenys faces in this scene and tell me this was an ok comment to make.

And finally “wHaT aBoUt DaEmOn and rHaEnYrA?” Sigh. I’m just going to include a screenshot of a different post I made addressing the exact same thing, because…

Mind you, these are the same people who will write literal essays on how Alicent is flawed and complex. They would rather defend Alicent’s assumption that a gay man—who was in the sea going mad with grief hours before—was away ‘entertaining young squires’ than admit that an aspect of her character is that she is bigoted.

Like, why are YOU—a 21st century civilian—agreeing with the conclusions of a woman clearly just trying to out Laenor/shock people???

[sayruq]

Do you have any thoughts on GGRM new interview?? He talk about the differences of show and book of Dany/Drogo wedding night. He said "It's not rape in my book... it is a seduction...Dany is a little scared but also a little excited and drogo is being more considerate". How can a 30 years old "having sex" with a 12 old child not be rape? George sometimes creepy me out.

oh fucking hell. see this is why i’ve become hesitant to say certain scenes are rape- i mean they are rape but i doubt that’s grrm intention. like the dany-drogo one where he is brain dead, to anyone who understands consent, that scene is rape but i doubt grrm agrees. in fact i don’t think that he thinks having sex with someone who is unconscious is rape- there’s asha- qarl the maid scene where she has sex with him while he is asleep which is rape but it’s played off as sexy. same with lysa raping littlefinger twice, i don’t think grrm has it in mind while he is writing littlefinger, littlefinger seems motivated entirely by his duel with brandon stark and catelyn rejecting him. there’s the cersei-jaime sex scenes where cersei says ‘no’ but eventually she says yes, to me that’s rape but to grrm, i don’t even know. if he thinks dany at 13 (she even looks younger than her age) can seduce a man she’s been forced to marry (something that happens a lot in westeros).... that is so fucked up. 

i mean roslin was sobbing in her wedding night (and edmure notices but everyone says it’s normal) but later, she sounds wistful. it’s possible that edmure was gentle but she’s 16 and she knew people were being murdered, i just don’t know how she could be happy- maybe she’s grown used to the idea and she does live in a society that doesn’t think the bedding ceremony and all the trauma it causes is a big deal but still, i wonder if grrm realises how fucked up it all was.

just i realised something, it makes it dany’s fault when drogo continues raping her to the point where she’s suicidal. it means that dany should have continued ‘seducing’ drogo so he wouldn’t hurt her. does grrm genuinely think it’s empowering when dany starts acting like a dothraki woman and has sex with drogo in public??? because that is one of the horrific things i’ve ever read. a giant of man and a underdeveloped child, yet no one intervenes to help dany and it’s treated like the start of a good marriage where dany gains acceptance and love for the first time in her life. holy shit that is so fucked up.

[aizenat]

So after watching some podcast talks about episode 6 and 7, I guess Alicent’s beef with Rhaenyra is that she had to be the perfect noble growing up while Rhaenyra “gets away” with everything. Like the oldest sibling pissed watching the younger sibling get away with all the shit they know they would be punished for. And as an oppressed eldest daughter, I totes get that.

But god was that not expressed enough.

I think the story honestly is moving too fast leaving certain things not to be developed. This show is huge and considering the fuckery of the og show’s ending, HBO knew this show would be a hit. We’re obviously going to get more than one season. So you could have spent the first season fleshing out the relationships more and slowing the action.

We introduce adult laena and then kill her off that episode? Harwin (???) is barely seen in the entire show and then he’s introduced as not only Rhaenyra’s paramour but the father of her children and then he dies that episode? How did that relationship even start? What was the dynamic? Even with laenor and qarl (or whatever) we get nothing from them for me to not immediately believe he would totally kill laenor for some coin. Like build that relationship up so that when daemon approaches him I’m like “what what what??!!!!!!!” Instead of being like “oh, I guess he was an opportunist.”

As much fun as this show is, I think it would really have benefited from slowing things down instead of trying to rush to hit certain plot points. Alicent is obviously supposed to be a sympathetic character and yet the story does nothing to make me feel bad for her. I have to hear fans discuss the psychology probably influencing her that the show itself barely touches. Why is it that I don’t understand Alicent until I hear fans talk about it? Fans who read the book and so have more details and backstory and history to pull these conclusions from????? Why is it not obvious? The interaction between Rhaenyra and Alicent when they were kids was mostly then getting along. We don’t see Alicent looking at Rhaenyra doing as she wants and looking frustrated. Other than her father pushing her on the king, we don’t see him constantly chastising her every move talking about “remember you are the Hands daughter and a lady act like one” or something. They give us nothing other than her nail picking and her dad telling her to stop that then he pushes her on the king and I’m supposed to conclude she’s had to be perfect her whole life and resents Rhaenyra for having more freedom despite being a princess and heir apparent?????????

The writers need to develop these characters better. I’m not getting enough from the show itself.

[qarl-grimes]

guys I am GOING to update soon. ngl, writers block has hit hard since moving homes to wales, but I almost have the new chapter of infinite jest finished, and I’m starting the new chap of ophelia tomorrow!! I have a definite plan for how I want all of these fics to finish (infinite jest will finish sooner than ophelia, that fic has a whiiiiile to go) but pls be assured I will never abandon these, and once I start updating I WILL get back into the swing of things. I appreciate everyone who is still waiting xxxx