#the hotd fandom is just a dumpster fire

[bohemian-nights]

It was bad enough when Daemyra stans were trying to say Nettles was just a “plot device” and should be cut from the show or replaced with Rhaena, but now some Green stans are trying to reduce her characterization and significance to the narrative as well 🤦🏽‍♀️I can’t emphasize this enough, Nettles is not just some downtrodden teenage girl that Daemon screwed.

Nettles is the only canonically Black character in Fire & Blood. She’s possibly the only non-Valyrian dragon rider that we know of. She claimed a dragon not with blood ties or magic, but with her own cleverness. She tamed Sheepstealer, a wild dragon who had never had a rider before. Who killed numerous dragonseeds before her. She comes from absolutely nothing. She survives the dance, and she is worshipped as a freaking fire goddess. Her story begins and ends independently of Daemon.

At any rate, there is nothing wrong with Daemon and Nettles' romantic relationship. Fans are underestimating its importance to the story. Yeah, the age gap can be questionable, as well as the power dynamics, but Daemon does actually put Nettles first above everyone. Above everything. She helps him to realize the possibility that Valyrian supremacy is built on a lie. That there is more to life than power or the Iron Throne. You are more than your blood or your name and she shows that.

Nettles is his light. Daemon is not a morally gray character without her. Daemon and Rhaenyra was never supposed to be a love story. Rhaenyra was a tyrant(and yeah it’s partially Daemon’s fault) by the time Daemon and Nettles became lovers. Hell, he was already "cheating" on her with Mysaria. If he had stuck by his wife’s side what kind of man would he be? If he had gone back to Rhaenyra or let her orders for Nettles' head be executed in a bid to remain “loyal” to her and her cause, what does that say about him?

He would have have never progressed as a character. He would have remained a conniving overly ambitious man with a superiority complex willing to use and trample over innocents for a throne.

Daemon genuinely cares for Nettles. For the first time in her life, she has someone willing to do everything for her. He loves her. Unselfishly. In a way, I would say that they liberate one another from fear and dogma. So no, she doesn’t need “saving” from him. Nettles isn’t Daemon’s poor unfortunate victim.

You dislike Daemon or whatever fine, but don’t bring Nettles into it as a “gotcha moment.” Nettles can stand on her own. She’s not a good-time girl. She’s not some little girl being misused. She doesn’t serve to make Daemon look more villainous. She’s not some trivial character that can be replaced by another in the show just because they now happen to share the same skin tone.

She is an important character in her own right. She has her own story. Her relationship with Daemon is not one based on grooming or abuse. Let Nettles be complex. Let her be loved. See her as someone who is vulnerable yet resilient and capable. See her as her own force. Put some respect on Netty’s name👏🏽

[childotkw]

Happy House of the Dragon premier day!

[yoursincalendricalheresy]

It’s kind of incredible how much the fandom has embraced it as well! Granted I really only spend time in the tumblr sector of tlt but it is still one of the only fandoms I’m in that I actually interact with. I think part of that is because you do need a level of commitment and good reading comprehension to get through these books (God that sounds elitist but you’ve read Harrow, you know what I mean). But there is a really remarkable lack of absolute garbage takes for a fandom of this size.

There are all these characters that, in another work would be absolutely detested by their fandom, but in this one are adored. Pick basically any character and there is going to be at least one person going insane over them in their tag.

This isn’t to say there aren’t people who completely miss the point of these characters and this series, but there is remarkably few of them.

something i adore about the locked tomb (and Tamsyn’s writing) is that no one is just evil. everyone is the main character of their story and is internally justified in their actions. 

g1deon is actively trying to murder our main character throughout all of book two and it is a PERFECTLY understandable choice for him. that is insane, you don’t see a ton of g1deon haters out there. again harrow is OUR GAL. we do not want to see her dead and yet. he understands Harrow to be a threat to the emperor, and therefore must die. of course.

cytherea murdered perfectly innocent children mercilessly and yet it seems a perfectly reasonable conclusion of her life. if she has to kill everyone in canaan house to get john back here and killed, so be it. it is merciful even, in comparison to a universe ruled by john in her eyes.

mercymorn calls ianthe and harrow infants and babies throughout Harrow. this is incredibly infantalising to the intellect and capacity of them both. it causes harrow to be utterly uncared for in a time when she is the most vulnerable she has ever been and ianthe to be utterly underestimated. and still, that is a perfectly reasonable response for mercymorn. she is ten thousand years old and the infants are 20ish. it’s nothing. they are utterly irrelevant to her material reality for ten. thousand. years. and they present very little impact to the job she has put herself to.

even john, as much as we love to hate him, is treated kindly by the narrative. no one can say he didn’t care. he didn’t nuke the world for fun (and didn’t do it alone). he lied about alecto and yet i do not doubt for a minute that he is internally justified. there must be something about perfect lyctorhood that he deemed reproachable enough to keep it a secret.

[witheredoffherwitch]

So... I finally saw the leaked bits and wow? That had to be THE most underwhelming finale I have seen in years 😭

I've been struggling through the writing for a while now, but this is the final straw. I am officially saying goodbye to HOTD and don't plan on returning for season 3 - two years of waiting just isn't worth it. Time to hop over to the Dune universe instead. Don't worry, I'll still be part of this fandom and love everything we've been through, but my hate-watching days are over. No more discourse about this snooze fest - sorry in advance for your asks, guys.

On a much brighter side, this dumpster fire of a season has reignited my passion for writing. So, AUs here I come! But seriously, no more toxic show debates. I'd rather stick a fork in my eye.

[mejcinta]

Well ... this is interesting.

So, guess who just got his contract suspended?

George RR Martin

All of his development deals and HOTD are suspended indefinitely and when the strike is over they're going to "Reassess" their deal with him and any further developments in the ASoIaF franchise.

Which means that HOTD and any other project in the ASoIaF Universe is hinging on the success of Season 2 and looks like someone at the top of Warner Brothers has had about enough of the disfunction in production and in the writers room.

It's so fucking weird that you hear everyone outside the fandom or the normies talk about how HOTD is the best and they can't wait for Season 2. But they don't realize or know about the absolute dumpster fire going on behind the scenes with cast members fighting with producers over anal rape scenes, and scripts not meeting deadlines, and losing almost all of their Spanish locations due to mismanagement of production.

Now, GRRM lost his contract with WB/HBO and everyone is like - 'Nah, he'll get it back after the strike' - and it's like ASSHOLE! How do you know know about the absolute trash fire that going on out back?! At this point they'd make more money licsensing "Game of Thrones" to other platforms than making any more ASoIaF spinoffs. Season 2 and the blunders in making it have cost Warner Brothers 100's of Millions already.

Sometimes you can get too close to a fandom/project and not see the forest for the trees, but sometimes I wonder if people pay enough attention to what's going on to realize the forest fucking fire coming toward them.

My honest reaction reading this:

Thanks for the update. I saw a YT video yesterday in passing, just didn't bother to click on it. I thought it was just speculation.

But now that it's confirmed...well, let fire BURN!!!!! Mismanagement has been hotd's biggest enemy since day 1 with Miguel Sapochnik at the helm.

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

[coleoffduty]

tysm @sapphireblueye for tagging me and for all the wonderful things you do for this little corner of the fandom!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

9! [but i have 17 wips breathing down my neck rn]

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

282,695

3. What fandoms do you write for?

only hotd rn but i really wanna try writing for marvel (nashuri) or dc (batriddle)!

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

- brutus - The Watcher - The Realm's Sweetness - phantoms & fishbowls - legacies

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

yes! i think it's so sweet and intimate when someone takes the time to not only read and kudos my work but also leave an appreciative response,,,, i reciprocate a lot and as a reader, commenting is a bit intimidating so i rlly value the initiation!

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

i don't think anything i have out yet is too sad (but i'm angst tone deaf at times) although 'The Realm's Sweetness' is def the one that comes to mind. it's based on canon/my take on a lore accurate asoiaf storyline for lucemond so,,,,, yikes,,,

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

'love in the dark' and 'brutus' are a tie for that one. rhaenicent get to run away together and live domestically while lucemond get to rule and start their own little family despite,,, the horrors.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

actually not really. i've gotten condescending/backhanded comments but the only fic i've gotten a crumb of real hate on is my fic concept art which was.... interesting....

9. Do you write smut? If so what kind?

i do! i write the bad kind <3 no but srsly it's just nothing crazy or fun (imo)

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

no,,, maybe when i was like younger but as of now, no,,,

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

nope! but i think most of the ideas/plots i make up are really out there and abstract so if anyone tried-- good luck. i can barely keep up with some of my fic lore and that's because i have it all written down in my notes app.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

no, but i was thinking about translating my english stuff into spanish myself,,, and then i realized how much work that is so,,,

13. Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

nah. i've thought about it... i just feel like my writing process takes a while and anybody stuck writing with me would end up regretting it lol

14. What's your all-time favourite ship

i ofc love my hotd dumpster fires (lucemond, rhaenicent, luaena, alysmond, jacegan, etc) but the first pairing that forever has a special place in my heart are soul&maka from soul eater,,,

15. What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

i have this rhaenicent fic that was in the works but i just sort of lost any new plot to add to it. that tends to happen and my brain randomly picks things back up, but this one has been radio silent for a while,,, nothing i've teased or already have a preexisting work out for though!

16. What are your writing strengths?

detail. foreshadowing. outlandish things galore. you could give me an inanimate, random household item and i'd probably come up with a rlly intricate backstory for it.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

probs smut and the amount of writing i do. average trs and legacies chapters are 5-10k and that leads to slow updates. but hey, i'm trying to learn about quality over quantity.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

hmmm the only other language i'm fluent in is spanish but none of the characters i write speak it so,,,, valryian is rlly the only language i write dialogue in for fics but that's generated through a translator so eh. things get lost in translation or don't come across with the initial intended meaning. at first, i used to think high valryian was such a nice, intimate undertone for fics but now as someone writing the dialogue and sourcing the translations-- i've become a bit immune. i just use it for plot reasons now.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

b-bts ff- on wattpad- [gunshot] (this was actually a really nice experience and intro into fic writing so,,, army borahae asf)

20. Favourite fic you've ever written?

probs 'is this fate (or is this fear)'! i love black mirror and the actual premise is based on one of my own nightmare sequences, so how fun <3 no but yeah i wrote it in a week and felt so immensely pleased with myself for having stuck with the idea and then completing it,,,

tagging @droppofsaltt, @spiderlilac, @unohanabbygirl & anybody else who sees this and feels like doing it <3

[alethiaii]

Me, House Stark/North trash through and through, every time I read something about a Jon Snow show and Long Night prequel show, whether it's cancelled or not:

Omg Targ antis are truly pathetic lol. Imagine watching a show about a family you hate just because you want to see them destroy each other. I think they’re also just really salty that the Stark prequel got cancelled and a Targaryen prequel was made instead. I also find it funny how they hate the Targaryens for conquering Westeros but yet are okay with the Starks who also conquered the north. They really need to read more about Stark history so they can see all the horrific things the Starks did to take over the north.

Hating on the Targs because they "start wars" and because they "colonize" the east or south or north is the result of the ridiculous anti-war agenda that SO many of the (mainly american) fans share. I have written a very long rant on the anti-war agenda where I explain that GRRM is not "anti-war" in the way these people interpret the term and that it's ridiculous to be anti-war while reading a series of books and watching a decade-long show whose SINGLE theme is war. Like, if Game of Thrones has ONE theme, that is war. All of the main characters are warriors or leaders to battle. Daenerys, Ned, Jon, the Lannisters, Brienne, Stannis, ALL OF THEM. If you are "anti-war", do not watch the show, period. It's like watching Breaking Bad, a show about drugs, and hating on the characters because they sell drugs. No shit Sherlock. I personally don't sell drugs, I have never taken any drugs and I don't like people that sell drugs, but criticising a BrBa character for selling drugs is simply not relevant in the context of the show because everybody does it. If that's your criteria, who are you going to support, Marie? Same thing with war, I don't particularly fancy decapitating people that piss me off but in a TV show where literally everybody does the exact same thing, which character is left to support? Even Sansa goes to war lol.

Thing is, these people are not even properly anti-war, they are anti-war only when Dany is concerned. That is an entirely different problem. @jackoshadows explained it BEAUTIFULLY here : the sexism and the double standards regarding Dany are insane.

So you are either hating on Dany and every military leader in GoT because you are "anti-war", in that case you are a moron. Or you are hating on Dany but stanning other characters that are military leaders, like the Starks or Stannis Baratheon, in that case you are a moron and a misogynist.

[therealjammy]

Can't believe that, in December of last year/January of this year I was a bit determined not to watch HOTD because I was afraid of it being a dumpster fire like the latter half of GOT turned out to be (don't attack me please, that's exactly what I thought) but here I am, nine months later, re-watching the show for maybe the 6th time and still working on projects for it and drowning in brainrot and thinking of Rhaenyra and Alicent and their tragic relationship and how, in their own ways, these characters have made me feel as if I'm not alone in a world that is constantly against me

It's also got me into realizing that I hate how quickly people move from one thing to the next, when I just want to stay in a show's world and fandom that I like for as long as I have the creative drive and passion for it

[thundersnowstorm]

love 2 see all the jokes about alicent and feet and rhaenyra and choking. ha ha. sexual harassment and domestic violence. hilarious.

[valkyriepegusus]

Also, I honestly just pity GRRM. I know he’s somewhat allowing this to happen, but I can’t imagine spending so long writing these books with such important messages/themes, only for not one but two of my biggest pieces of work to date be so utterly ruined by writers/producers/show-runners, who believe they can add their own biases and personal statements to it and “make it better”.

I mean, the majority of the ASoIaF fandom is from the GoT show (and now the HoTD show), which was a giant dumpster fire from season 6 onward, I’m sure he’s not ignorant to the vast amount of people who take the show version of events as canon and choose to view the rest of his work through a single, biased lens. He’s probably just so fed up with it he’s just like “I truly don’t even give a fuck anymore, y’all can hate me all you want for not releasing WoW, look what they’ve done to my work so far!!! What’s the point!!!”

Idk maybe not and maybe I’m just too loyal to the books but that’s just my thought

I think we should all be glad that House of the Dragon was an illogical, pathetic, mediocre show to begin with.

I mean, we'd all be deeply disappointed if the first seasons were good, like Game of Thrones, but the later seasons would be a complete disaster.

And now, some people, including me, even after watching the first season of HOTD realized that this show is nothing more than an adaptation of HBO fanfic. So when I hear leaks and news about the second season from the Internet, I don’t get upset because I knew that this show was doomed.

The only thing is that I'm disappointed that HBO has such unprofessional writers. I think there are more talented writers to be found on ao3.

[ewanmitchellcrumbs]

Throwing in my two cents, not to try and play Devil's advocate, but to give my perspective on things, as what's considered a "larger" blog in fandom.

The HotD fandom is enormous and it's impossible to keep on top of everything. I try my best to read and reblog what I see on my dash, but I miss things - I'm also painfully aware that as this blog is a sideblog it jumpscares people to see me comment and follow as @bouncehousedemons when they're used to interacting with @ewanmitchellcrumbs - I do my best to follow back who I can on main, but am not unaware of the fact people may be thinking "who the fuck is that?!"

I'm past the point of trying to search through tags for stuff, as much as I'd like to, it's a dumpster fire of irrelevant content and authors who refuse to use a read more. With that in mind, I am limited to reading and reblogging from the people I follow, and I get that it can feel like an echo chamber at times.

Please never feel like bigger blogs are trying to ice you out - it's not intentional, it's just not feasible to sift through everything, especially when you're trying to make time to write your own stories too.

I am always happy to check out other people's stuff and on the occasion where people have slipped into my DMs or asks with their fics I will make the effort to read and reblog.

I hope this is at the very least a little reassuring for anyone reading - any cliquey behaviour you may perceive from my end is absolutely not intentional. I am here to support everyone to the best of my ability.

RANT because I have to get this off my chest…

I doubt anyone will see this, because I don’t think my posts show on people’s pages but whatever.

and whether you agree with me or not, I don’t really give a fuck but this needs to be said, because this is my personal experience.

as someone that’s been on Tumblr for a few years now & in quite a lot of fandoms, I’ve never really experienced what I have since joining the HOTD fandom. and no it shouldn’t be reasoned with because I joined later AFTER the show aired, nor should it be because I’m a “small” blog. these bullshit excuses should not be the reason for being so fucking uninviting, period. why must I reiterate this…

most of the reason why I get turned off easily within the HOTD fandom is because of how often I see pages forming little cliques and being selective in their inclusivity. “oh but they’re my mutuals” okay great!!!

there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, in fact I have met my own amazing people through this fandom that I would die for, and I encourage you to meet friends (side note - be careful online) but that doesn’t mean you have to strike out or ignore anyone that tries to initiate a conversation or shows support for your blog/work and for it to be not be reciprocated. you guys are so quick to talk about how difficult it is to be a fic writer and to appease people, and yet how exactly are you helping? like cmon I thought I left this shit in high school man, it’s just embarrassing now…

the mutuals I first met in this fandom, as lovely as they were I don’t talk to anymore. why? because I showed my genuine support, put the effort in although it wasn’t being reciprocated, it felt very one sided. and that’s okay, life happens I completely understand that and don’t hold that against you for being inactive. but seeing them later constantly interact with other “big” blogs, all very back and forth between the pages, and be pushed to the side is a very shitty feeling. don’t be an asshole, it’s really not that fucking hard…

and I still support works that aren’t necessarily my cup of tea, and no I’m not bragging but it’s what I fucking do. and the fact I wasn’t receiving the same fucking hurts.

and yes it’s easy to shrug and say “write for yourself, you should be writing for yourself.” which yes I have been, and the whole reason why I began writing in the first place was for myself, cause these ideas that I write and indulge in are mostly for my own “personal” entertainment LOL. but don’t sit there and tell me you don’t get a rush of excitement when someone reblogs/comments on your work, that genuine, incredible feeling when you can bond with other people over your work or when people commemorate your efforts. it’s easier to say “write for yourself” when you haven’t experienced poor or no engagement, and see others receiving constant appraisal and instinctively compare. it’s a natural, normal human response, people will and can’t help themselves to compare.

so stop with this whole clique shit, I’m so fucking over it.

and to the newcomers I’ve met so far, you’ve all been so incredible and your work sensational, continue doing you. it’s THEIR losses, not yours. for the people that can relate to me, I’m sorry you have to go through this but just know you’ll have my full support always.

and I mean… if you want I can be a bitch too, but you’re not going to like it. that’s for fucking sure…

[ewanmitchellcrumbs]

Don't mind me. I am sobbing. I love you. But I would be remiss if I didn't write a love letter back, because you deserve one.

I first discovered your work when I only had one or two Aemond fics under my belt - the fandom was still pretty fresh at the time and I wasn't the war hardened shit heel I am now. I was thirsting hard for Uncle Daddy too, but struggling to find fics I felt characterised him well.

And then I happened upon Terms of Endearment. I think you were maybe a few parts into Little Slut when I found your account, and I devoured everything you'd written in a matter of hours. I've never really felt compelled to reach out personally to an author after reading their work before, but there was something about your writing that really struck a chord with me. It was unthinkable to me that there are dumpster fires like Colleen Hoover charging actual money for their sloppy turds, and here you are turning out some of the most stunningly written prose I'd ever clapped eyes for fucking free.

I didn't expect a reply from you, but you did reply, and you followed me back. I felt a little star struck. Then we got put in a group chat together, and you've already outlined the rest.

You are more than just a Tumblr mutual to me, you are my friend, and I would do anything for you. That's not something I say lightly. You make me laugh so hard I have to clutch my chest and walk away from my screen to collect myself, lest my diaphragm collapses and I suffocate. You have made me a better writer, and a better friend. I have learned what it is to be feral over a person, to go to bat for them no matter how shitty the circumstances are, and that is invaluable.

I love that if I message you and say "I am on the toilet while I write this", your response is usually "me too!" I have never felt so free to just be myself and safe to say whatever I think with anyone in an online capacity before. I know HotD is not forever, but our friendship definitely is. I love you my boobear, and that is unconditional xoxo

A Letter to Slap Daddy

Dear Ange, my boobear, my lobster and my partner-in-crime @ewanmitchellcrumbs -

Fuk u. NO, JOKES!!!! But I just wanted to say that meeting you toward the end of last year (literally, I was attempting to scroll up the chat and gave up somewhere around December 2022 with no end in sight) has honestly changed my life. I've learned so much about what it means to self-advocate, to set boundaries and to accept nothing more or less than what I deserve.

I'll admit - when I first started up here, I was in a pretty dark place. My grandmother had passed a few months prior; and, even though I'm the baby of the family, I was the one to organise the funeral, to dress her body, to pay the funeral home and to close her accounts. And then, I discovered some really devastating family secrets that shook me to my core. So, suffice to say, I was in a really poor place.

And then I met you, Ange.

You're just this... literal burst of fun. Fun personified. Outrageously funny, unbelievably friendly, you ALWAYS made time for me even though I was a sad little nerd from Australia and we live in completely different timezones. We were messaging every day, making obscene edits of Aemond and Daemon to cackle over, coming up with ideas for crackfics (still waiting on my Vissie getting railed to death one lol), and just generally having the MOST fun. It started with fandom, but, like all friendships do, we began peppering in personal real-life stuff.

Now, we still talk every day. It's one of my favourite parts of the day! We'll talk about work, about my dumbass cat, about your dumbass Max (lol still screaming over the fact that he's a nervous hand-washer), about personal struggles. And, of course, about Daemon and Aemond (and Otto and Vissie T and your peepaws lololol). I remember you've made me laugh so hard I threw up twice - I didn't even know that was something my body did until I started chattin with you!

Not only are you an unbelievably talented writer - that's an understatement - but you just give so much of yourself to everyone you meet. I have no idea how you do it. I'm so honoured I get to be your friend, and I'm MAD excited for the day we can finally meet face-to-face and go nuts over our Targ bois (sigh. and the peepaws.).

I love you, Ange. You are so strong. What you've had to put up with from fandom, from work, from life is insane, and it's a true credit to who you are as a person that you're still here carrying on as usual. Here's to a looooooong and storied future with you!

Lots of love,

EM xxx