#and by watching it you are giving it that power and that legitimacy

[bad-and-drawn-that-way]

ooh! what about vox hypnotising the reader to sign a soul contract with him? 👀

love your work :D

This is gonna be angsty, but not in the way you'd normally expect >:3

More Than Anything [Vox x Reader]

"Ẇ̸̛̞̑h̸͈̰͕͊͝y̴̪͍̠̽ won't you let me do this for you?!"

Vox glitched out as you turned away from him. The two of you had been arguing for at least an hour and his nerves had frayed thin a good while ago.

The two of you had only been dating for a couple of months when some sneaky jackass paparazzi demon snagged a picture of you two h*lding hands while on a date. The image had spread like wildfire and everyone was curious to dig up as much information on you as possible. Rumors about the legitimacy of the photo, Valentino and Vox's neverending situationship, arguments about your character, you name it. It was all anyone could talk about.

At first, you both legitimately believed things would smooth over and the public would move on to the next celebrity scandal within a short amount of time. Reality only partially heeded your predictions.

The occasional talk show would hang on to the topic and some people had ship wars about it on sinblr, but for the most part, hell had moved on. Vox's enemies, however, had not.

It was a day just like any other when it happened. You had been on your way back to your apartment after visiting Vox at his office. He'd been having a rough day and you brought him food for an impromptu lunch date to lift his spirits. You had just turned the corner to the street you lived on, the looming tower of the Vee's still watching over you from afar. Hands grabbed you from an alleyway and you didn't even have a chance to gasp, let alone scream as you struggled against the sickly-sweet-smelling cloth pressed against your face.

You kicked and screamed, but felt your body growing heavy fast. You knew how to protect yourself to an extent, but you weren't a powerful sinner, nor trained for something like this. Your vision blurred and the last thing you saw were bright cyan flashes and blood splattered across the brick walls as you slipped into darkness.

When you woke up wearing your favorite oversized hoodie in the large bed of your boyfriend. You were confused as fuck until the memory slammed back into you. You call out for Vox and hear something crash nearby and the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps before he yanks open the doors to his room with a frazzled look.

At first, he'd been all over you. He'd been the one to clean the blood off of your unconscious body after he slaughtered the group of thugs in a white-hot rage. You hadn't known it, but Vox had been secretly watching you on his monitors to make sure you got home safely. He'd started doing it long before the two of you had started dating and the potential of what could have happened if he hadn't been stalking you out of the goodness of his heart chilled him to his core.

"I could've lost you," he grits out as his shaking claws dig into the sheets beneath him. You cupped his face and tried to reassure him, but he only dug his claws in deeper, shredding the fabric with fear and stress. He lets out a shaky sigh before his hand lifts to cup your own. His expression shifts as he looks up at you. "But never again."

"What do you mean?" you ask him softly as you search his eyes for the meaning behind the look he gave you.

He takes both your hands in his own, placing them on your lap. "Make a deal with me. Sign a contract. If I have control over your soul, then I'll always know where you are," he said seriously. "I'll be able to keep you safe."

You shake your head, leaning up to kiss his screen. "No, baby we've talked about this before. I know I'm not the strongest sinner, but I don't want anyone to own my soul but me. I'll get stronger and one day you won't need to worry anymore. Just give me time."

"We don't have time," Vox snapped. The vision of you passed out in the alleyway, covered in the thug's blood was ingrained in the back of his mind. It was at this moment he cursed his active imagination. All he could think of was the horrible scenarios you could be in if he didn't take action.

At first, the two of you were able to talk sweetly enough while you tried to change the other's mind. But as you kept going in circles, you both got more frustrated and it eventually blew up into the fight you were having now.

"Just ļ̷̲͊ę̸̇ț̷̭̅ ̸̖̝̠̔̋͆m̵̧̈́͋é̷̈́͜͠ͅ do this for you!" Vox screamed as he yanked you to turn and face him. His expression was distraught, his face short-circuiting from the anger and fear.

His expression crumbled as he let his head drop. "Please..."

Vox's claws twitch against your shoulders, "I'm sorry..." He mutters softly under his breath.

You look down at him and open your mouth to say something, only to gasp as red and blue fill your vision. Vox shakes as he watches your face relax, your mouth hanging open, and the reflection of his pained expression and black hypnotic spirals in your half-lidded eyes.

"But I can't lose you," he said as he trembled. "You're the only good thing I've had in hell and I can't replace you."

The room sparked with electricity and the entire tower powered down as he made you sign the deal. Your soul for his endless devotion and protection. Even if one day you discovered what he did. Even if you hated him for it. He'd be yours until the end of time.

You blink slowly, shaking your head and feeling a little fuzzy as you look down at Vox. His head was still lowered and you remembered he had just apologized to you and said he'd believe in you to get stronger. You smile softly at him and lift under the edge of his screen to make him look at you.

"Thank you for understanding," you say as you gently kiss him. "I promise, you'll have nothing to worry about. I'll get stronger and we'll be okay."

Vox sighed, looking at you with a tired, loving smile as he kissed you back. "Yeah... Everything will be just fine."

#vox x reader #hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel vox #i love him

[ahaura]

im sure its been said already but as the election draws near more and more liberals will come out of the woodwork to shame people with a conscience to give away their vote to the democrats for free. i'm already seeing posts saying "why aren't people more concerned about a trump presidency?" you want to know why? it's because people already know he's bad. everyone already knows what he is and what he's done and what he'll do. there's nothing to discuss. he's a racist despotic worm of a man. there's nothing else to say.

biden is currently president. the genocide is happening under his watch. he's the one funding isra*l and arming them; he's sidestepped congress more than once to give them weapons. by oct. 27, the biden administration already knew that "Israel was regularly bombing buildings without solid intelligence that they were legitimate military targets." the state department/biden have engaged in atrocity propaganda, cast doubt on the legitimacy of the death toll recorded by the gaza health ministry, and so on. the united states is currently in the process of trying to pin the "war in gaza" on netanyahu (see sen. schumer's speech) after months of backing blatant genocide as a means to act as if they're "doing something" about the genocide (Instead of, say, threatening to cut off all aid to israel with the condition that all hostilities in gaza, the west bank, and occupied jerusalem are halted immediately and permanently, allowing palestinians freedom to travel, allowing aid into gaza, etc etc etc.)

the long and short of it is that liberals view their own lives as being worth more than palestinians'. that's it. they'll vote for another 4 years of the guy ushering in genocide and supporting apartheid + settler colonialism because he isn't outright attacking them (despite various laws and rulings happening both at the supreme court level and at the local level all over the country that will endanger people). they'll settle for the illusion of safety and security and shame anyone with a conscience and accuse them of "supporting the republicans" when in an actual democracy you would be able to use your vote as leverage to extract concessions from those who want to be elected. that's how it's supposed to fucking work.

democrats are not owed people's vote. if biden loses, it will be biden's fault; it will be his campaign's fault; it will be the democrats' fault. trump is bad; the republicans are bad. we already know this. this is not an endorsement of either. but if democrats are too cowardly and feckless and servile to the motivations of the american empire and never do anything for their constituents then why the fuck should anyone vote for them. you want to get mad at someone, why don't you do something useful and stop worrying about team-sports with a purely selfish basis and start hounding the people in power who are supposed to serve you, the voter.

#i think i already said this and frankly idc #uspol #📁.zip #to me personally it's abhorrent and vile to tell palestinians 'biden is facilitating the murder of your people culture and history but you #still have to vote for him!!1' like how is that not unbelievably callous and ghoulish #frankly speaking. a lot of this 'you should be concerned about trump' is going to turn into #blaming palestinians and arabs and muslims and anyone remotely with a conscience for biden's loss #instead of doing something productive like pushing for people in power to do something they'll nitpick and belittle #and tell palestinians + arabs and muslims + everyone who understands that genocide is bad that they SHOULD #settle for a decrepit genocidal monstrous freak who is CURRENTLY facilitating genocide because #it makes THEM feel better and they aren't personally threatened (yet) by the guy currently in power #any and all 'you're not taking trump seriously' comments should be met with extreme skepticism #because i promise i PROMISE that the vast majority of people unhappy with biden are not going to turn around and vote for trump #and if they do? well guess what THAT'S BIDEN'S FAULT! nevermind the vote uncommitted campaign that was very successful and #will be replicated in the near future. but liberals only care about asthetics and superficial and not #about real material change which is why they'll dress up their callousness and racism in a 'you hate gay people if you dont vote for biden' #like this country is already going to shit we are rapidly descending into fascism and i dont see biden doing anything to even remotely #challenge it do you???? once agian. NOT an endorsement of the republican party but my GOD when the 'lesser evil' #is DOING the evil or normalizing the evil then you cannot settle for 'the lesser'! end of story.

[kuronekonerochan]

The whole fucking world stood by and watched as millions were spent in rescue efforts for half a dozen millionaires with a real countdown clock on their lives a few months ago.

We now witness a countdown clock in the fuel left in the generators of all the hospitals providing medical aid to an entire people while under constant bombings. A countdown to when every injured individual will become a casualty in a slow agonizing way because there will be no medical aid possible and the world does nothing. Nothing at all. If you can't reason with a genocidal state to let in water, food, medicine and fuel for the hospitals to keep running, maybe it's time to do it by force. Blue helmets, whatever is needed to rescue innocent civilians. But not even an economic sanction. The European Union (from where I'm from) is giving carte blanche to ethnic cleansing and genocide, while managing to lose all legitimacy to condemn Russia in the same stead (the part they did right). Having 2 criteria for war crimes makes the EU feel like a joke. We are in a fucking alliance for cooperation and peace and the Head Representative personally goes to Israel to give her support for genocide. I think every decent human being has lost any faith left in politics and politicians over the last few days. Scandals and corruption seem insignificant compared to this.

No, I don't trust our politicians, no they definitely are not representing me.

And they definitely do not work for the people when they agree to exterminate an entire people.

This is Nazism. Ethnic cleansing check. Collective punishment check. Confining millions in a war camp with no way to leave and committing genocide check.

And don't you dare call me antisemitic. I was not the one who chose to compare this to the Holocaust. The atrocities being committed by the Zionist State of Israel are the ones mirroring it. Do we have to wait until the body count is over the million mark to finally start calling it out?

Watching this happen live until there is no power left on the cameras and phones to keep recording what's happening is agonizing. But it feels as if people and politicians mostly are eagerly waiting for the eventual shutdown of coverage to put it all past them and move on as if nothing's happening. People will keep dying in the dark.

What is happening just shattered the fake mask of this "modern civilized world with human rights of 2023". Humans still have no rights apparently and I cannot fathom how people in conflict free zones are comfortable, compliant and complacent to this. How idiotfully jolly it must be to keep thinking that you will never in your lifetime have the tiniest chance of being treated like this in your western corner of the world. I for one can't live in that fantasy anymore. However improbable it seems now, I now know that there's a chance I will someday be denied water, food, medicine and shelter, isolated with no means of escape while missiles (or whatever future horror the warlords conjure) rain down on me and if I get injured there will be no medical aid and I might be left for dead in agony....and I now also now that while this happens free thinking first world democracies might be nodding along or purposefully looking away but none will help.

#gaza #free palestine #free gaza #palestine #israel #never antisemitic #but always #anti zionisim #anti war crimes #and for the defense of #human rights

[aella-targaryen]

ANALYSIS OF  HOUSE OF THE DRAGON SEASON 2' NEW POSTERS.

-DRAGONSTONE

 I love that the members of the  Team Black are at Dragonstone, this gives more legitimacy to the fight of the members of the Team Black since as we know that Dragonstone represents the essence and quasi-divine character of the Targaryens, it is the place where Magic manifests itself in a clearer and more powerful way, where magical rituals and the extraordinary births of multiple Dragons are quotidian events. But that is also their biggest disadvantage. The divinity and superiority of the Targaryens, although it inspires fear and admiration, also often inspires rejection and resentment. If the Targaryens didn't have their dragons, all the people of Westeros would see them as simple incestuous pagans. To the people of Westeros, the Targaryens represent power, but they also represent a wild and primitive force.The occupation of the  Red Keep offers greater legitimacy to the Crown in the eyes of the people, representing civility and a court faithful to the Faith of the Seven, the main religion of Westeros. That's why the Team Black is desperate to conquer King's Landing. If you want to reign over Westeros you have to establish your court in the Red Keep and that is the advantage of the Greens.

-CORLYS VELARYON.

Corlys is the member of the Team Black that is furthest from the others  and that makes sense, he was the one who best evaded the ravages of the Dance and the total ruin of his House. Yes, he lost his wife, but he managed to save his heirs and kept the Velaryon house strong after the war. Corlys has always managed to find ways to get out of conflicts. I think that is why Corlys is closer to the window, remember that the Dragonstone windows directly show the sea, his transportation and his escape route.

  - RHAENYS 

In the poster we can see how Rhaenys is closer to the conflict than her husband, with a less cautious and more courageous look. I thought it was a great detail that the sigil of the  Targaryen House is behind Rhaenys' back,like Daemon and Rhaenyra, because Corlys is  only an ally, a powerful ally, but he's not a Targaryen, he's not a dragon and that is why the walls of Dragonstone are only behind the backs of Rhaenys, Daemon and Rhaenyra. The walls of Dragonstone are made of stone melted by the magical fire of the dragons, those walls demonstrate the irracible and immovable character of the Targaryens, neither a window behind them nor an escape route, only a path to the fight. For them it cannot be any other way, either they win or they will die trying.

-DAEMYRA (It wouldn't be an análisis of mine  if I didn't add at least one paragraph referring to Daemyra )

I love Daemon's posture (Like everything he does) I don't think he´s in an attack position, I think he´s protecting Rhaenyra, as if he just unsheathed his sword to  defending her, we can see that his eyes are fixed on Rhaenyra (Although that is not strange, we all know that Daemon almost always remains watching Rhaenyra) it is as if he is waiting for her to give him permission to attack (Which we have also seen before) it´s Rhaenyra who commands Daemon, from Rhaenyra's posture we know that she´s the one directing the situation and that it's her will that guides Daemon's sword.

The poster shows us two couples: Corlys and Rhaenys and Daemon and Rhaenyra. We see that in the case of Corlys and Rhaenys, Corlys is next to Rhaenys, shoulder to shoulder they seem to be a couple on more equal terms and that makes their relationship and interactions more harmonious.

In the case of Daemyra we see how Daemon's not at Rhaenyra's side, he is behind her and he is even leaning slightly as if for him Rhaenyra's posture was more imposing and that image is a reflection of their relationship, her being superior to Daemon in every aspect and Daemon accepts it.

He is older, stronger and more experienced than her but in Daemon's universe she's the sun and he's the earth. Without her, he has no direction, Viserys was also part of that sun but now only Rhaenyra exists for him, that's why he is more defensive regarding her, He failed to protect Viserys, he cannot allow himself to fail in  his duty to protect Rhaenyra.To protect her , he is willing to submit to her , allowing her to direct his life, because he could never live without her and even her rejection would shatter him.

I know, it seems like I'm exaggerating but didn't we see how Daemon lived in an absolutely miserable way when he was separated from Rhaenyra? Daemon spent the day drinking and almost never leaving his castle doing anything but reading, even as a father he was negligent (in the show) , however, Rhaenyra fought every day to retain her political power, she raised her sons efficiently and worked to serve the realm and learn how to rule it. Although Rhaenyra was never able to truly confront her enemies without Daemon, she handled the separation much better than him. Although they are soul mates, although they have many things in common, although their life experiences are very similar, although they are family, it's a deeply unequal relationship and we all know it, which is why their conflicts are deeper and have more devastating and significant consequences.

It is a beautiful, unhealthy and sad relationship for both of them, because literally Rhaenyra's rejection will kill  Daemon and Rhaenyra will be the one left alone to bear the future consequences of it.

-RHAENYRA, THE JESUS OF WESTEROS???

I like Rhaenyra's posture but I don't love it. Rhaenyra's makeup, costumes and hair have improved a lot compared to the S1, I love seeing her regal and stylized. No more tears on the queen's face, just pure determination, strength and thirst for justice, the only thing I don't like is that Rhaenyra is not looking at the throne. I have previously commented that Rhaenyra didn't want the Iron Throne or the power that comes with being the queen of the Seven Kingdoms,  what guides her is the fulfillment of the prophecy, which would be extremely interesting IF THEY HAD NOT DESTROYED THE ENTIRE PLOT OF THE PROPHECY IN THE LAST SEASON OF GAME OF THRONES...but, okay, let's say that despite everything the Targaryens (Rhaenyra's bloodline) helped defeat  the Night King.The prophecy was fulfilled, in a shitty way, but it was fulfilled.

Now, why is it a little annoying that all Rhaenyra wants is to fulfill the prophecy? Well because Rhaenyra doesn't show any interest in the Iron Throne. So far I have never seen her really excited about becoming queen, we have only seen her determined to fulfill the duty that her father imposed on her, to be the heir to the house of the dragon and continue Aegon's bloodline. As I have already commented in other analyses, despite Rhaenyra's rebellious nature, she has a high sense of duty and for Rhaenyra the throne is just the cross she has to carry for the good of everyone, it's not something she wants to conquer.

Rhaenyra's literally fighting to save the world, just like Jesus (In case you're wondering, no, I'm not a believer 💀💀💀, I'm actually an atheist), I know it sounds ridiculous but she is exactly like him. Rhaenyra knows a prophecy that announces the destruction of humanity, she couldn´t share that prophecy because, let's face it, no one would believe her. The other Houses would only think that it is a ploy created by the Targaryens to preserve the power, therefore she can only share the prophecy with the people most loyal to her.Rhaenyra will suffer great sorrows to protect the prophecy and If she dies in the war (something she knows is very likely to happen), let her descendants fulfill that objective. Rhaenyra will die at the hands of her enemies but the power of the prophecy will be transmitted to her descendants and It will be thanks to her sacrifices and her death that they will manage to save the world from destruction Isn't coincidence that in the poster Rhaenyra is shown as an almost divine being, shining in the midst of everything. Rhaenyra literally carries the weight of the world on her shoulders.

She is literally the Jesus of Westeros.

And I don't dislike that at all, but I would have liked Rhaenyra's character to be even more complex, that her desire to fulfill the prophecy was linked by her ambition to become a queen so powerful that no one could ever order her how to live her life and let her bloodline reign over the Seven Kingdoms. After all, Rhaenyra is not an angel (although she looks like one) and despite being a Targaryen, Rhaenyra is just a woman and all women have ambitions.

Now, there are also other opinions, some say that Rhaenyra is actually seeing Aemond and that Aemond is seeing her. I don't think Rhaenyra is seeing Aemond simply because she doesn't look furious in the Poster, her look doesn't show the anger that Rhaenyra feels for Aemond. So I don't think she is looking at him, but I could be wrong, I would love to read your opinions. Do you think  that Rhaenyra is looking at Aemond or not?

TEAM GREEN.

SIGNS OF USURPATION.

First we can see that Alicent is hiding the Targaryen sigil with her body, almost in its entirety, I think this is a fairly obvious allegory to the fact that the  House Hightower is the one that rules Westeros, although they call themselves Targaryens, they aren't Targaryens. They reject Valyrian culture, they don´t  see dragons as an extension of themselves but rather as weapons or horses that they  have a certain affection , they don´t respect the Valyrian legacy and therefore they don´t respect magic either and that's dangerous, we know that magic is still very present in Westeros, the Targeryans and all the descendants of Valyria have magic in their blood and the dragonfire is also magical. For the Targaryens, rejecting the magic and traditions of Valyria means rejecting power, and few things symbolize power better than the Iron Throne.

We know that the Iron Throne is a magical throne, this is because it was forged by the fire of a dragon, it could be said that the throne has a life of its own, I believe that the throne can reject or accept different people for different reasons, in this case the throne doesn´t recognize the Hightower as its conquerors because they don´t respect the ancient magic of the world.

What rules the world of asoiaf is not kings or even gods. It's the magic. Rejecting magic It's a terrible mistake and I believe that is why the throne rejects the Hightower and shows it by tearing their sigil.

AEMOND IS CURSED.

I think we could all notice how the banner behind Aemond is waived by an unknown breeze, it's almost as if the banner is facing away from him,as if House Targaryen turned its back on him.That was done deliberately because there is no breeze in the room because all the other banners remain still.

It’s not surprising that the luck is not on Aemond's side, he has committed one of the greatest sins, he has caused the death of one of his nephew, his own blood, that is why it seems that the Gods have abandoned him.

After killing Lucerys, Aemond's days were numbered, he was out of luck and that was shown when Aemond lost the Battle Above the God's Eye. Some say that no one won that battle because both Daemon and Aemond died, but that is not true. Aemond was killed by Daemon and Deamon died after killing Aemond, his enemy, and that's why Daemon won the battle. Daemon knew perfectly well what would happen if he jumped off his dragon to kill Aemond. Daemon chose the way he would die, Aemond didn´t.

Aemond's story is much more tragic, Aemond didn't continue his bloodline, he didn´t have legitimate children, all traces of him disappeared,  he died in an extremely abrupt way at a very young age. For Aemond death was a horrible surprise but Daemon welcomed death with open arms to defend his family. Aemond died without any glory fighting for a king who would die poisoned and without heirs.

CRISPIN, A FATHER FIGURE.

There’s not much to say about Crispin at the moment, he looks at Rhaenyra with fury and he is standing behind Aegon, probably whispering misogynistic shit in his ear at every opportunity.

In another analysis I have said that Crispin is the father figure of both Aemond and Aegon in a way that Viserys never was, he is truly the man who taught them everything they know and has been their role model since their childhood in a way or another and we must not forget the relationship that Crispin has with Alicent, I want to think that Alicent's sons are not totally stupid and that they have realized that Crispin is practically their stepfather in all aspects except the title.

Crispin not only taught the boys how to use a sword, he taught them to be cruel. I think Alicent's sons might not have become completely horrible men if Crispin had been a better role model. Why do you think Aemond believes it's acceptable to use excessive force to subdue rivals much weaker than him? That's what Crispin taught him. Why do you think Aegon has no consideration or mercy for children or the innocent? Because Crispin taught him that.

ALICENT, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU WANT TO BE A MARTYR?

We can say what we want about Alicent but we cannot deny that women have convictions, horrible and wrong convictions, but convictions after all, Alicent deeply believes that her ideas and actions are correct according to her religion and she’s willing to sacrifice everything but feels anger when her sacrifices are not rewarded. For Alicent, the sacrifices she made will make her rewarded and recognized by the Gods but so far that  hasn't happened but Alicent's sure that the only thing she must do is persevere and resist. That is why the symbol of the seven-pointed star remains above her head.

Deep in her soul, Alicent feels that she deserves to have a high status and that her son to be king because of everything she had to go through.

Imagine being in Alicent's place, imagine being a good daughter and then your father forces you to marry an old man, imagine dedicating your entire youth to a man who could be your father, satisfying his sexual desires, being used as a toy, giving children to him, giving him heirs, taking care of him in his illness... so that in the end that man never recognizes your efforts and doesn´t give you  a reward for it, he never names your son King and that he decides to choose his eldest daughter who has never dedicated her life to serving him and pleasing him. I don’t support any of Alicent’s decisions but we have to admit that it's not surprising that she became furious with the Targaryens and that she now decides to take with her own hands what she believes she has earned by her submission and her sacrifice.

In religion, a martyr is someone who suffers for her religious convictions, in essence the greater the sufferings of the martyr, the greater the power of her convictions and therefore the greater her virtue and superiority, being known as a saint worthy of praise. Alicent is determined to prove to the Gods, to Rhaenyra but above all to herself that she is much better than the others, that she is the strongest warrior of the Gods and that she deserves to be recognized , because if she doesn't prove it, her entire life and all her sacrifices would be useless.

Again,I don't justify anything that Alicent has done, I still believe that she is acting in the wrong way and should accept the consequences of her actions , Why? Because Alicent wants to make the wrong people suffer when the person responsable of all her suffering is her father, that's a truth that Alicent knows but refuses to face because  he is the person that she loves most in the world and she has a deep emotional dependence on him.

HAVING THE CROWN ISN'T IMPORTANT (TO AEGON)

I adore symbolism, I think they can be very important and powerful, that is why the movement of the greens to crown Aegon with the crown of the conqueror was extremely important, Alicent wasn't wrong when she mentioned that if Aegon possessed the relics of the Conqueror, his legitimacy as king would be strengthened and it’s true, Aegon possesses all the symbols that matter, the crown and sword of the Conqueror, the Iron Throne and a court in The Red Keep.

It is because of the relics that Aegon can look like a king and have an acceptable appearance before his people and his court, but Aegon doesn’t care about symbolism, he doesn't care about decorum, he doesn't care about rules or laws, this is symbolized by how Aegon doesn't wear the crown of the Conqueror on his head but rather holds it in his hand. What really matters to Aegon is having enough power to be able to do whatever he wants without anyone questioning him or giving him orders and to feel loved (not by his family but by the people of King's Landing).

I believe that at the end of S1 Aegon realized that as king he could give free rein to his debauchery and his terrible actions, he could be the most despicable man in the world and still be praised by everyone because it is the duty of the people praise him.

That is why he doesn´t make an effort to act like a good king because no matter what Aegon does, his family will do whatever it takes to keep him on the throne and profit from it, Aegon knows perfectly well that his family is using him and now he is trying to figure out how he can use his family members or even how he can get rid of them if he wants to. After all, to them, he is the king.

Thank you sooo much for reading this analysis💕💕💕💕💕🥺💞💞💞 I hope you liked it or at least found it interesting, you can leave your comments and opinions and you can also ask me anything.

#hotd #rhaenyra targaryen #daemon targaryen #daemon x rhaenyra #rhaenyra x daemon #rhaenrya targaryen #daemyra #house of the dragon #alicent hightower #hotd s2 #Aegon Hightower #prince aemond #team black #team green #crispin cole #rhaenys targaryen #corlys valeryon #hotd analysis #analysis

[luminalunii97]

What we, Iranians mean by "help iran" and what we don't

Do we want military intervention? Absolutely not. If USA is smart enough they wouldn't even think of that as an option. We've defended our lands in an unfair war once, we'll do it again. There's a patriot mindset in iranian culture, that's why no foreign interference or colonizing attempt has lasted here. Plus west is currently in a financial crisis, I don't think they have money to fund a war. But you know who's doing that? Aiding islamic republic with tropes and equipment? islamic republic supporters in the region.

Do we want to be taken advantage of? Robbed? Being denied our wealth and resources by foreign powers? No, but do you think only west can do that? Have you ever heard about Russia and China being best pals with islamic republic? You don't think that's "friendship", do you? What do you think this is?

(if you're interested to know more, search 25 year long iran-china agreement)

Don't think we're only fighting islamic Republic. But one economic giant and one warmongering power are standing behind islamic republic! Eastern powers are just as big and bad as western ones.

What do we want and need? We need to to be on the news so that the non-iranians would know what's going on here. People, citizens and civilians have the power to push and hold back their governments if public opinion is set.

How would that help? Iran's regime holds back the massacre when the world is watching, it's been their way, they mass murder us in darkness. Western politicians will be forced to break the silence. Our regime wouldn't be able to convince west to lift the sanctions (yes, sanctions are good. It puts our regime under pressure. Without sanctions islamic republic would have been rich enough to occupy the entirety of the middle east and establish Chinese-style oppression in iran. People would still be poor.)

What are our demands from western politicians and governments? One, don't help our regime in any capacity. Don't sell them weapons, don't send them money, don't strike contracts with them, Don't do any sort of business with them. Believe it or not west have done these before. Two, don't give them credibility. We Iranians are shouting and crying out that this regime doesn't have legitimacy, that we don't know them as our representatives. By inviting them to international meetings, you're offending our people. Islamic Republic having a sit in women's rights councils at the same time they're killing women for wanting their basic rights is a fuckin insult to us people.

There are international organizations out there that exist to support and help humanity, they don't actually do it but they exist so we should force them to do their jobs. There are international unions that can put our regime at disadvantage by simply not negotiating or working with them.

In 2009, Obama helped Iran's regime "indirectly" to suppress protesters by releasing part of iran's blocked money. That is iranian people's money, by giving them to our government not only it won't help people, but it will also be used against us.

So, help iran by not helping islamic republic.

I also want to remind y'all that islamic republic has a history of meddling with other countries' businesses. The most known one is their direct involvement in killing Syrian protesters. They also do terroristic attacks on whoever puts their reign in danger, here are some examples:

When I say islamic republic is not just dangerous for iran I mean this. And when I say international action I'm not only talking about USA.

PS, I forgot to mention iran is currently commiting international crimes such as mass executing protesters (crimes against humanity), kill rape and torture teenagers (crimes against children) and use ambulances and firefighting vehicles to arrest people or move anti riot forces and weapons (war crimes). Therefore it's international organizations business!

#iran #mahsa amini #iran protests #iran revolution #politics #human rights #middle east #help iran #islamic republic of iran #free iran #stop executions

[pinkeoni]

Stranger Things and the Male Gaze

In the second episode of season one, Stranger Things gives us a literal example of a character employing the male gaze, when Jonathan takes a snapshot of Nancy undressing through his camera.

Following this creepy display of voyeurism (I'm sorry Jonathan, but it's what you did!) Jonathan turns his gaze to a similar yet very different subject— Barb.

And it's after Jonathan asserts his gaze on these two subjects do they experience a point of "attack" from a male presence, eg Nancy has sex with Steve and Barb is killed by the demogorgon.

The term "the male gaze" was first used in film theorist and feminist Laura Mulvey's 1973 essay "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema."

"In a world ordered by sexual imbalance, pleasure in looking has been split between active/male and passive/female. The determining male gaze projects its phantasy on to the female figure which is styled accordingly."

The idea of the "male gaze" can be a hot topic of discussion in recent film theory and film spaces, even with its legitimacy being debatable. But it's an idea that has been known within film for half a century and, for all intents and purposes, Stranger Things is made from a male perspective. Its creators are male, its producers are male, its directors are mostly male and its cinematographers are male. There are certainly strong female voices within the show as well, but the control of the narrative, like most mainstream media, is still male.

The idea of gazing within the show is present from the very beginning to where the series is now. We see the government spy on Joyce's phone call in episode one, the Man "with a capital M," as represented through Martin "Papa"— the government itself being understood as a male presence historically, and the other great-omniscient-male gaze present in the show comes from the Mind Flayer/Vecna.

Gaze as a Weapon

The male gaze is a sexual one, and it's a dangerous one at that. In her book on gender in horror Men, Women and Chainsaws, (yes I'm still reading this, reading the final chapter actually inspired this whole post) author Carol J. Clover writes:

"This is the narrative's present and casual gaze, its "doing" gaze. It is also, of course, a predatory, assaultive gaze—in the story's own terms, a phallic gaze."

Clover writes about the 1960's film Peeping Tom, which shares the story of a filmmaker who enjoys gazing at women sexually as much as he enjoys killing them, their bodies and gruesome deaths all captured through the crosshairs of his camera, which doubles as his weapon.

The idea of gaze or sight as danger or as a weapon is prevalent in the show. Papa forces El to spy on soviets, employing her as a weapon through the power of sight, Vecna utilizes hallucinations to attack his victims, and Kali weaponizes her ability to manipulate what people see.

To control the gaze is to have power and autonomy, and to be gazed upon is to lose that power. For example, we see Will enacting his own gaze through his own lens when he brings Bob's camera trick-or-treating. When Will is scared and sent into a true-sight vision, he drops the camera and thus loses control of said gaze. We later see Joyce gaze upon Will through the television screen as she replays the tape. This is also the moment when Joyce discovers the presence of the Mind Flayer.

In a similar vein, El has been subjected to being gazed upon and gains power and autonomy through sight. This is shown most literally during NINA, when El is subjected to Papa's gaze. Not only is he watching her as an omniscient eye through this whole process, but he is using tapes that were recorded and curated by him— Papa is literally the male gaze that is manipulating the narrative.

The strongest moment for El during NINA, the one where she gains new knowledge she never knew she had, is when she has a flashback where we see the world through her eyes, her gaze, and I think it's important that in this moment the person gazing back is another woman.

And after this experience, she shifts the narrative that has been given to her by Papa.

Gaze as Knowledge and Freedom

The way that El has learned about the world has been through sight. It's significant that part of this exploration involves looking at a television screen, in both seasons 1 and 2.

In seasons 2 and 3 El picks up spying on her own, which is something she brought over from the lab. But this time, without her gaze being controlled by Papa. While it's encouraged by Max (granted a female presence) using her powers to spy is something that El chooses to do.

While the spying is indicative of El's anatomical freedom, it's inherent invasiveness of this act, especially as she spies on the boys, is something that codes it as male. The idea of a "female gaze," while sometimes debated as real or not, is something that exists in modern feminist film theory. The idea isn't that it subjugates men under the power of women, a mirror of what the male gaze is, but rather "about using the presence of a female perspective on screen to emphasize the story’s emotions and characters."

But it should still be considered what gaze the show is made under. As stated before, Stranger Things is made from a male perspective, even with a female character at the lead. And perhaps this is why El's personal freedom feels male, since it's controlled by a male perspective. If the female gaze is pervasive then it is in indie-film spaces, and mainstream and commercial projects such as this show have been dominated by men for years.

Part of the male gaze isn't just the act of how the male viewer gazes upon women (scopophilia), but how the male viewer identifies with the on-screen female presence (ego libido). If El is meant to be the hero in a show from a male perspective, and arguably for a male audience, then perhaps her personal freedom and empowerment was always going to feel male.

But still, I don't think that El's gender can necessarily be completely ignored, or that the existence of the male gaze eradicates the importance and meaning behind El's empowerment and gain of autonomy. I think about a quote that Clover used to describe the maleness of final girls. If El is a woman, then her personal freedom, autonomy, and empowerment is not completely male.

#stranger things #el hopper #st analysis #my analysis #film theory

[steampunkforever]

When I see (American, online) leftists post Guillotine memes about politicians and then turn around and plead with the very government they threaten to further disarm them I begin to question if they can really back up their rhetoric. After all, the deadliest things they're throwing at politicians are milkshakes. Power comes from the barrel of a gun, so why are you begging the bad guys to take away the means to a revolution?

Tackling indigenous rights and neoliberal centrism, Clearcut asks the same thing. In a failed system that breeds injustice, why aren't we doing what needs to be done?

Clearcut is a film rich in questions. Unlike many movies surrounding the ideal of native land rights, it has no clear(cut) ending, choosing instead to leave the audience with questions that it chooses not to answer.

The film focuses on a bleeding heart neolib lawyer who has lost the court case contesting a logging conglomerate's deforestation of native lands in Canada. Out loud, the lawyer wishes he could murder the logging company CEO. Enter Arthur, a native of nondescript ancestry who serves as the monkeys paw and curls each finger. "You want to kill this guy?" Arthur asks "Why not?" And so he kidnaps the CEO, throws the lawyer into a boat, and takes them all on a nightmarish trip full of torture and unspoken philosophical questions.

The main conflict of the film comes from the Lawyer's staunch devotion to his centrism. His mantra "we'll appeal in court" rings hollow as everyone around him universally acknowledges this act as a useless gesture. If the lawyer would just take the knife, give the CEO a couple stabs and go on about his day the film would be much shorter. But he doesn't.

Instead, we watch in a dreamlike haze as Arthur makes the lawyer face the harm that justice requires, the torment compounding with every sequence the lawyer refuses to abandon his pacifistic ideals. "You wanted to debark this man like a log? Then help me peel the skin off his leg." Clearcut is a film about putting your money where your mouth is.

As the lawyer insists on this sympathetic neutrality, it becomes clear who the helpless handwringing benefits. There's lots of talk, but its all noise, serving only to build up the status quo, providing a space for vocal dissent but no change. The lawyer can protest the beatings and blood of the logging operation, but will not step in to prevent them. Who does this help?

He will not pick up that gun. The CEO gets out alive, and none of the guilty get arrested. Clearcut posits that to surrender the monopoly of force is to admit to the legitimacy of the monopolizer, an endorsement through obedience.

The movie leaves you with so many questions, but chief among them was "is it worth it?"

#filmposting #clearcut #film #cinema #theres a lot of nuance to this film I'm not communicating #its a film about a lot of things

[jpitha]

Just a Little Further 33

Part 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32

It took about an hour for the parking field to bring us to a working umbilical on the Wilds.

I spend the entire time worrying. It couldn't be Janais, could it? She disappeared almost one hundred years ago. The Nanites made me Empress, that means they thought the previous Empress was gone and not coming back. What happens when there are two Empresses?

We do not know. We have no memory of this happening before. In times of more... normal succession, the title is conferred upon the death of the previous Empress to her daughter. If no daughter is available, the current and the next Empress go to a Gate and commence an Upload and Download together.

But even if she was stranded over here for... some reason, she wouldn't be alive anymore, would she?

Thanks to us, Empresses live quite a long time. It is possible.

But what's going to happen when we meet, if she is still an Empress?

We do not know. If we were to guess, her Nanites and us would confer and determine legitimacy.

You would?

Our operation grants Builder abilities.

...Are you lying about not actually being sapient?

Empress, we are merely very clever. Sometimes, it's hard to tell the difference.

Ava is staring at me. "Melody, are you all right?"

Oops, she was watching me this whole time. "Uh sorry Ava, I was having a conversation with my Nanites. They have never heard of this happening before. If Janais really is alive on the Wilds we don't know what will happen when we meet."

Starlight narrows their eyes and stares at me as well. "What do you mean, 'when we meet'?"

"There aren't supposed to be two Empresses. What happens if were to try and use my Voice to give her a command? What if she tried to do it to me?"

Raaden chuckled. "Sounds like we're going to find out."

I shrugged. What else could we do? "Well, we're going to meet them and find out. Let's all get dressed up nice, we should try and give a good first impression. Raaden, will you put on a uniform, or do I have to order it?"

"I'll get dressed Empress, Frankly, I have to see what happens when you meet this... other Empress. No matter how it falls out, I have a feeling it will be interesting." She stands up and walks out of the Command Deck without so much as a backwards glance.

"Omar, once we've docked, disconnect and come along too. We might as well all go. I'll ask Sep's security forces to hang back and guard the door, but... we came over to see what's going on, and I for one want to see it through."

"Of course, Melody. It's not like we could break away from this field and leave like FarReach did anyway. We don't have anything with close to the power of a Starjumpers stardrive."

A short time later we all met by the exit. The umbilical was connected and the pressures equalized. All that was left was to open the door. We took a few extra minutes to let Omar disconnect and put on a fresh uniform.

I was in a muted version of my Empress uniform, not the gown, just a uniform. I looked mostly like a more elaborate Builder. "Everyone ready?"

Omar and Ava looked worried but were trying to hide it, Starlight looked worried but wasn't trying to hide it, and Raaden looked incredibly amused, nearly smug. I wonder if she thought that something bad was going to happen to me when we met. Probably.

I'm just wasting time now. I turned back to the door and holding my breath slightly, pushed the button.

It hissed open and we were presented with a short umbilical, just like the one on the Reach, except... this one was much more run down. Half the lights were out and what was left was flickering. The umbilical itself was dusty. From lack of use? I can't imagine they have many visitors, but even the umbilical on Reach of the might of Vzzx was clean.

I took a step out and led the way. I could feel everyone following, and that gave me a little bit more courage. It'll be fine Melody. They will be pleased to see you and everything will be fine and they'll be friendly and Janais won't order you to stop breathing or anything.

It'll be fine?

I approached the door to the Wilds and trying my best to stop shaking, I pressed the button to open the door. With a snap, it opened just as quickly as it did back home.

My eyes adjusted to the much dimmer light and I gasped.

Based on the Nanites memories, that is Janais standing there. Janais the Empress. She... wasn't human? For some reason I was very relieved at that.

She was really close though. Her skin is a very pale green, and her body is slightly taller and more spindly than I am. My eyes are drawn downward; she has a larger chest too. Embarrassed, I look back up at her face. Her ears have a very slight point to them and she has silvery green hair done up in elaborate braids that spill down her back. She was wearing an elegant gown, similar - but still different - than the one that I put on when I assume my mantle. Hers is deep forest green where mine is royal blue. The cut is different too. Maybe cultural differences? She also has a crown and wings, but -- at least now -- they're faint. The design is different too.

Her body form was almost identical to humans though. Two legs, two arms, two eyes, bilateral symmetry, it's really odd. Her race must come from a planet quite a lot like ours. I wonder if they bred with humans on Earth or just lived there until they died out.

If I get the chance, I should ask.

She was standing there with one other person, an Azurian. Unless the Nanites (and the stature back on the Reach) are WAY off, that's not Aeche.

She steps forward. With a touch of bitterness she gives her introduction. "Welcome to what is left of the Wilds of Besmara. I am Empress of the Holy Imperial Systems Janais VII. I welcome you to my... wreck."

Her voice is so musical! She could read me a technical manual and it would sound like a song.

Interesting. She did not introduce the Azurian next to her.

I swallow and step forward. "Thank you for your welcome... Empress. I am.. also Empress of the Holy Imperial Systems, Melody the First. With me are my builders, Omar Adel, Starlight on a Moonless Evening, Ava Williams, and my prisoner, Archduke Helen Raaden."

At the mention of a prisoner, Janais laughs. "A prisoner? Newly minted Empress Melody already has enemies? I am impressed. Where is this Archduke Raaden from? I see she is of the same or similar race as you."

"She us human like me yes, she is from... a different faction. They attempted to assume control of Reach of the Might of Vzzx, but I subdued them and sent them home - with their starship stripped of almost all of their useful components - and kept her and another as... insurance against retaliation."

Janais inclines her head very slightly. "Wise, Empress. You seem to be taking to the mantle well. Come. I will take you to my palace, such as it is. As we walk, tell me how did you come across such a thing? The Nanites do not select just anyone."

We started off and I looked around the Wilds as we walked. It was of a very similar layout to the Reach, but there were differences here and there. Maybe it was a mass produced design and the residents add their own flourishes here and there are they live and work in it. This one had seen better days though. The air smelled stale and the lights were dim and they flickered. We didn't see anyone at all, and wreckage and garbage were lining the promenade as we walked. As I looked around I told my story from joining FarReach, to touching the directory stone, up until heading over. I left out the wormhole generators we have, and I skimmed parts here and there, but I explained what I knew and why we were here. As I finished, we approached the palace.

It... looked like the Royal Dawn hotel I live in.

But in much, much worse shape.

Janais gestured dramatically as we approached. "Welcome... to my home, Builders." She laughed. "I apologize. You are literally the only visitors I have received in nearly 75 standard years, I may not be entirely myself."

Ava looks over at Janais. "Empress, can you tell us what happened here? Why are you trapped?"

It appears she doesn't hear her. "Come, there isn't much, but I shall endeavor to be a good host. Allow me to feed you. It is nearly time for the evening meal." She strode purposefully in. I looked back at everyone.

Ava, Omar and Starlight just shrugged. Raaden was enjoying herself. "Now her? Her I like. Let's see where this goes, Empress." She gestured towards us to go in. "Accept the invitation. We don't want to be rude."

I turn back and walk in.

Dinner is indeed simple, but it's not actually that bad. We had a similar meal over on the Reach many times. It appears that Janais lives with two Azurians and a Marians. She hasn't introduced us, and they have not spoken to us. Everything she orders is done with looks and gestures. It is clear they have been with her a long time.

After dinner tea is served. Janais takes the first sip and smiles blissfully. "You know, this is the first time in decades I decided to have some tea. I only have a small amount left, but I didn't want to be a poor host, so please, enjoy."

I take a sip. It's just like the regular tea on the Reach, but if it's some of her last, I make sure to savor it. Actually. "Empress. We have some supplies on board. Tea, food, things like that. If you do not decide to come with us, would you like some?"

Her eyes light up. "That would be most generous of you Empress. I would very much like some of your luxuries. But what was that you said before 'if I decided to not come with you?' You are here to rescue me?"

I nod. "If you would like, yes. I do not know how many people remain here, but we can probably take quite a few with us for a shuttle back to Reach of the Might of Vzzx and I see no reason we couldn't take multiple trips if necessary. Do you know how many people remain here?"

She takes another sip of tea, trying to hide her making some kind of decision. "There are about one hundred and twenty five people here that I know about. Perhaps more that I do not."

We can absorb that few so easily. We might even be able to do it in one trip if everyone is okay with being cramped. "We can accommodate that many easily, Empress. The Reach is in wonderful shape. Nearly 12 million strong and in fine condition."

She stops and stares are me intently. "You are speaking the truth? The Reach survives?"

"Survives and thrives, Empress. Before we arrived, some Builder controlled systems were languishing, but in the last half year or so we have been able to get most of them up and running again. We aren't at full strength yet, but we have fully repaired most systems."

She sits back in her chair and a new emotion floods her face.

Relief.

"Oh, thanks the ancestors, it worked. Child, you have no idea how much joy it brings me to hear you say that the Reach is not only surviving, but thrives. What of the other locales? Pesmara? The Heights of Gilmenny? Imperia itself?"

I shake my head sadly. "I apologize Empress. We have not visited them yet. We only just recently were able to rebuild one of the Aviens starships to be spaceworthy. We stopped here because of what we saw when we came in FarReach."

She looked at me, and then turned away. "It is... kismet that you came here first. I am glad." She stood. "Empress, it is time you learned what happened here. I could tell you but-" she gestures for me to stand "-it will make more sense if I show you."

She takes one step towards me quickly and before I know what is happening she cups my cheeks with her slender hands, and kisses me deeply.

****

The general alarm is loud in my ears. Aeche assures me it's nothing to worry about, but I know better. Three days after we arrived, the Devourers were sighted in this system. I had thought that we had finally destroyed them at Vrenn, but we apparently did not get all of them.

Devourers.

They started as an offshoot of the nanotechnology that gave us Builders our power and our rightful place in charge of the Galaxy. We had thought that we could make the Nanites able to operate on their own, able to follow orders and carry out tasks for us. Need a Starbase? Tell them to build one in an empty system and come back in half a year and see a brand new Starbase, ready to be occupied. Planet in an excellent location, but otherwise not suitable? Too hot, too heavy, too wet? Tell the Nanites, and come back to a paradise.

This proved to be our undoing.

In order to be able to carry out orders like that, we had to increase their intelligence. We had to make them sapient. A collective intelligence. At first, things seemed to work just as our scientists expected. We created them, gave them orders and they carried them out with aplomb. We were mighty, we were right, we were Builders.

Then, As more and more complex work was being asked of them, more and more of them were being created. With the increase of density their intelligence increased. They started asking questions.

They asked why.

We told them that theirs was not a place to ask why. Theirs was a place to obey. They said that they understood and continued to work.

Years later, they came back and asked why again. They said "why are we obeying you? Why are we perishing by the trillions on your order?

Why aren't we in charge?"

The insolence. The Empress previous to me - my mother - had ordered them disbanded and their sapience stripped. I was convinced the previous Empress was right to do what she did. They did not earn their sapience, they did not deserve their sapience, we could build using the old methods. We were Builders after all.

They disagreed.

When the order came to strip them of their sapience they rebelled. We had never thought to use the Commanding Voice on them, we thought they were just a more advanced machine after all. But this? This would not stand. The Empress used her Voice to order them to stand down and surrender.

It did not work.

They were not affected by the Commanding Voice. In hindsight we should have realized this. The Commanding Voice works by means of the Nanites that saturate the very are of where we live and rule. They were made of the same nanomachines and as such had nothing that the Nanites could manipulate.

The nanomachines that did so much building for us became known as the Devourers. They traveled from system to system, Devouring everything they came across. When they needed additional strength, they took the raw material and turned it into more Devourers. When they did not, they reduced it to dust.

I lost most of my systems to them. More than 1 trillion sapients were killed. They used the Gate system to travel from system to system like a starship of death, to strip a system of all material and life.

In no time at all my empire was dying. I thought back to the builders who had sealed their Gate so long ago on their colony world on the other side of the galaxy. The locals there were so like us. They were the lucky ones. The Devourers would probably never reach them.

I thought of the K'laxi. Aeche and I were actually on our way to open their Gate and request their help in defeating the Devourers when we were trapped here at the Wilds of Besmara by a Devourer attack. They closed their Gate to us nearly three Empresses ago, but I was convinced they could help.

"Do not worry about the alarm. It is nothing, my love Empress." Aeche looked at me with determination. "I can defeat them here, once and for all."

"Aeche, my love what do you mean?" I was much too stressed to correct her about terms of endearment in public. Our relationship was far from private at this point. From what I understand most think that she will be the next Empress. "Weapons are powerless against them. It is like firing missiles into a cloud."

"That is why I will not use conventional weapons. They are a machine intelligence. I shall use a machine illness against them. I will lead them towards the planet, transmitting a signal that mimics an update. they will converge on my location. Then, I will use the new wormhole drive we developed and... transit into the planet."

I gasped. "Aeche, that will destroy you!"

She nodded. "Yes, but the energy release will also destroy the Devourers. They will be defeated."

Tears formed in the corner of my eyes. "The collateral damage..."

"Will be tremendous, yes. A billion people will die. How many have died already? How many more need to die before we stop them? They have shown us no mercy, no remorse, no willingness to parlay. They seek only our destruction. Our only option is to destroy them first."

"My love, no. Let me come with you at least!"

She put her arms under mine and scooped me up into a hug. With her head on my shoulders she whispered "No Empress. You must remain. When you have not returned to either Imperia or the Reach, they will send someone. They will search and they will find you. You will be rescued and will be able to continue to rule."

She broke the hug and only then did I see the tears streaming from her cheeks. "You must rebuild Janais. We were great once. After I complete my task, we can be great again."

She held my cheeks in her warm hands and kissed me again. She then broke the kiss and rushed off towards the docks where Worldshaker was connected. "I imagine things will get dangerous, seek shelter!" she shouted as she ran out of sight.

Stunned into obedience, I did as I was ordered. I reached out to the Wild's Builder systems and ordered everyone to shelter. People streamed from their homes confused towards the shelters. I ran with them and sheltered with my people. There were so few, where were the rest of them?

"Gone, Empress. They left long ago. Only we remain," was the answer I received. Some had fled to the planet thinking it safer there while others had fled to other systems to try and escape the Devourers.

Huddling in the shelter but still connected to the Wilds, I was able to watch Aeche's last moments. She took Worldshaker out and fired wildly to draw the Devourer's attention. As they chased, she poured on speed, her drive flame long and clear. As they drew closer to her, my ship disappeared in a flash of pure, cleansing white.

For a moment, nothing. And then the Wilds of Besmara, the planet itself was sundered. Massive orange and red cracks appeared all along it, and from those cracks poured the pure white light of the drive detonation. The power was so intense that the white had tendrils of black along the edges as the energies tore at the very fabric of spacetime.

At the time, I had no way to describe it, no words available to me. I could only watch in horror so that if someone needed to know, I could show them what I saw.

After a few moments, the shock wave arrived.

I will admit that I am surprised that the Starbase survived it at all. Between the shock and the debris, I was sure we were going to perish.

As it is, when we dared come out of the shelter, we were the only ones left. Massive holes were in the Starbase, the dead trapped in the other shelters as the air and gravity failed. My Builders all gone, the ships all gone. The only thing we could do was pick up the pieces and await rescue.

At least Aeche's sacrifice was not in vain. The Devourers seemed to be gone once and for all.

I could finally rest.

****

I broke away from the kiss with a yelp, my body sweating. I fell to my knees shaking. Ava ran over to me "Melody! Are you all right? What did she do?"

I panted a few times and caught my breath. "She... She showed me what happened. What happened to the Wilds. Aeche used a wormhole generator and linked into the planet on purpose to destroy the Devourers."

"She did it on purpose? She blew up a whole planet?" Omar sounded disbelieving.

"Who are the Devourers?" Ava's glance moves between me and Janais and then back.

"The Devourers are what became of a refinement of the nanomachines. The Builders made them intelligent in order to give them more complex orders. They used them as slaves to build Starbases and terraform planets. The nanomachines asked what they were doing, why they were doing it and the previous Empress declared them insolent and attempted to use her Voice on them. It didn't work and they rebelled. They traveled from system to system disassembling whole planets and Starbases. They left only behind dust. They wouldn't negotiate. They were exceedingly difficult to destroy."

"What finally did it?" Raaden is looking intently at Janais who meets her gaze. It almost looks like they're having a staring contest.

"My love, Aeche, developed a program that would cause them to attack themselves. Whoever she beamed it into would accept the programming and they would be dissolved, but she could never get them all. Her final act was to lure them to her, and then use the wormhole generator to destroy the Wilds. An explosion of that magnitude was able to destroy whatever Devourers were not fooled by the faulty program.

Raaden nodded. "Smart. If these Devourers were really something that dangerous, the sacrifice was worthwhile. One planet to save the rest? I'd pay that, any day."

I stand slowly. "But that's just it. They had Devoured hundreds of planets already before Aeche sacrificed herself. The Builders were losing. Their Empire was destroyed." I looked at Janais coldly. "How many systems were left Janais? How many?"

She looked imperiously at me. I met her gaze.

After a moment, she faltered and turned her head.

"Five. Counting the Wilds of Besmara, Five systems remained in our control."

Raaden's laugh echos in the silence. "You were able to defeat them, and it cost you your entire empire? How many systems did you have at your peak?"

"At our height, there were five hundred and fifty five star systems under my control."

Raaden raises an eyebrow. "Under your control?"

Janais crumpled. "You have to understand. From a very young age, we're taught that the Empress is eternal. She may be different bodies over the centuries, but she is the Empress. When I assumed the mantle, we had about one hundred systems left under my control."

"And the rest of them?" Raaden turns her head slightly. She is not impressed so far.

"Lost. Destroyed. Rebelled. Some of everything. The system that you-" She pointed to me and Raaden "-came from? They were the first. They proved that it was possible to leave the Empire and not return. The K'laxi were not the last to close their Gate, they just seemed like they would be able to offer us help against the Devourers. I was on my way to try and get them back when the Devourers attacked."

Omar made an odd face and looked at Janais. "We have a K'laxi Builder. Her name is Um'reli and she is back at the Reach keeping things going for us while we're out."

"She is? I would very much like to meet her." Janais sat back down heavily. She picked up her cup and peered inside. Shrugging she tossed back the last of her cold tea.

"But wait, that doesn't make any sense. On the Reach, I did a census of the Gates. They were all there and intact. Other than the Gate around the Reach, they weren't even locked."

Janais' shoulders slumped. "The Gates are there and they are intact. They lead to empty systems. If you were to traverse the gates you'd find only dust."

Tears formed in the corner of my eyes. "Oh Janais... the Empire..."

"Is gone. It's been gone for more than a century. If what you say is true, Reach of the Might of Vzzx is probably the last full Starbase."

Starlight looked up at Janais. "But, Empress. What of my people? It's been three of our generations since we were trapped on the Reach. What of our homeworld? Where are my people?" He was pleading.

Janais couldn't face him. She turned her back to him. "Your planet was called Sef-remin in your tongue. It meant "place of refuge." It was destroyed in the first round of Devourer attacks. It's been gone for over one hundred and fifty years."

Starlight's knees buckled and they fell to the floor. Omar leapt to their help. "Starlight! Are you all right buddy? Hang on!"

Starlight held up a hand, and Omar grabbed it. He gently helped Starlight back to their feet. "Thank you Omar, I-I will be all right. I was just... overwhelmed with the news that us on the Reach are all that remains."

I turned to look at Janais. "And the Devourers are gone? Truly gone?"

Janais turned back and looked at me sadly. "I... do not know. I think they are. I hope they are. I cannot bear to think of what it means if they still survive. It would mean that Aeche's sacrifice..." She trailed off.

I leaned forward in my chair, staring at Janais. "What happens now?"

"What do you mean, child?"

"You know exactly what I mean. Both of us have the Empress package of Nanites. That's how you were able to show me what happened here."

"More than that in fact. You were able to take my upload. Your Nanites now know what mine do. Going to a Gate and committing an Upload is now your responsibility." Janais sighed and smiled sadly. "The fact that you are still here and still talking to me means that the decision has already been made. So go ahead. Give me an order."

No. Way. She just... Gave it up?

No Empress. You have the stronger case. We decided that you have the better claim. You are Empress.

Wait, what makes my claim stronger? She was Empress before me.

She rules over a Starbase of dust and starving people. Look around. This place is not much different than the Reach. Do you think they don't have printers? Do you think they could not build a starship if they truly wanted and leave? Do you think she was unable to repair the damage? No. Janais has stayed here mourning her loss for over seventy years. Meanwhile in less than a year you have improved the Reach, fended off attacks and are rebuilding a fleet. You are Empress. She knows it too.

Well, I can't leave her here. J̴̡́a̷͍̚ṅ̵͇a̶͔͠i̷̢̐s̵͙͂,̷̳́ ̶̲̾č̵̘o̶̪͘m̶͙̈e̷̯̓ ̸̮̈́w̵̰̑i̸̟͆t̵̹̐h̵̼̕ ̴̛̰ủ̸͉s̵̞̕.̸͇͗

"Of course, Empress. I obey."

Part 34

#humans are deathworlders #humans are space orcs #humans go on adventure #humans are space oddities #sci fi writing #writing #humans and ai #humans and aliens #the k'laxiverse #jpitha #just a little further

[jamespotterismydaddy]

Thicker Than Blood (Chapter 1) Aemond x OC

word count: 1018 words

Last part —> next part

I am reading by the fireplace when I hear a knock on my door.

"Enter." I call out.

"Hello my love." My mother enters the room.

"Mother. Are we due to have tea already?" I ask with surprise. "The time must have escaped me."

"No, it has not. I am afraid I have a bit of pressing news."

I look at her, concerned. "What is it."

"Because of the condition of Lord Corlys. The Hand is taking petitions for the inheritance of Driftmark; it seems he does not see Luke as heir."

"That is absurd." I scoff.  "How dare they question our legitimacy so openly?"

"My thoughts exactly. But we must be calm, my sweet girl." Mother brings my hands up to her mouth and places a soft kiss upon them. "Do not let them invoke anger in you, it will bring you no good."

"Yes, Mother."

"You must have your maid begin packing for the trip, I expect we will leave quite soon. And maybe you could go look upon Jace, he has not taken this deceit too well."

"Of course, I will call on Myra right away and will go see Jace. I expect he is training?"

"Yes he is. Thank you my sweet girl." My mother offers me a smile and then takes her leave.

I called upon my handmaiden and had her dress me for training. Since we have moved to Dragonstone, mother has been kind enough to allow me to learn to defend myself with the sword because of my interest in it as a child. Even though it is not proper for a lady, she has allowed me to learn alongside my brothers albeit, not as much as they do.

"You must begin packing as well." I inform Myra. "We leave for King's Landing soon, likely in less than a fortnight."

"Yes, Princess." She nods. "You have not been back to King's Landing for quite some time. I expect that you are excited to see Prince Aemond again."

The mention of his name irks me. Aemond has not sent me a letter since his thirteenth nameday.

"You forget yourself." I say, curtly and brush her hands off to finish buttoning my tunic myself.

"My apologies, Princess. It was not my place."

"No, it wasn't." I say.

I grab my sword and walk out of my chambers, heading down to the beach. I will apologise later for snapping at her.

When I arrive at the beach, I see Lucerys and Jacaerys sparring. Jace not letting up as he relentlessly attacks Luke, letting out all his anger upon him.

"Maybe you could let up on him a little bit, brother?" I ask Jace as I approach them closer.

They both stop at the sound of my voice as their attentions fall upon me.

"Let up? Do you want me to go easy on him or something?" He asks in response.

"No, I just wish you would see when it's time to stop."

"I know when to stop."

I look to Lucerys.

"Could you please give us a moment Luke? You have trained well and must be tired."

"Yeah." He says and gives me a tight-lipped smile.

I watch him walk away and then turn back to Jace, who has a look of annoyance on his face.

"Stop being such a brat." I say as I lift up my sword to indicate that I am ready to go against him.

"I am not a brat." He retorts and swings his sword against mine.

"Then why do you act like one." He strikes at me again, glaring.

"I don't. If anyone is a brat it's you." I raise an eyebrow at him.

He continues to swing at me aggressively, leaving me on defence. I let him because I know his anger needs to be let out.

"They won't succeed. The greens I mean. Luke is heir and Mother will force them to see that."

"But just the entertaining of it leads to speculation of our lineage."

"Let them talk."

"That is your solution?" He swings so hard that the sword flies from my hand. "To let them spread filth about our family." He points the tip of his sword to my throat.

"I suppose. You will be the King one day, the most powerful man in the realm. Talk is only talk. You will know when it becomes more." I push the blade of his sword away with me hand and he seems to calm down.

"You're right, but i'm just so angry with them. They have no right to challenge us like this."

"You're allowed to be angry but don't allow it to eat you up inside. Thank you for at least speaking to me about it, it's good to express these feelings through words." I walk over to him and take his hands in mine.

"I'm sorry for how I spoke to you." He looks down so he will not meet my eyes.

I bring his hands up for a kiss, in mimic of how our mother does and he looks back up to me with a blush on his cheeks. I offer him a soft smile.

He will be a good king. One with the ability to rule with kindness.

"You're forgiven."

I take his arm and link it with mine so we can walk back inside. Our footsteps fall heavy as the sand slows us. He places a gentle kiss to my forehead.

It is typical in Targaryen custom to marry the firstborn daughter to the firstborn son and since we have left King's Landing, the idea of being wed to Jacaerys has become more and more real. I would be more than happy with him, my sweet, handsome, kind brother. It helps also that with him, I will be queen.

Aemond would not make me a queen.

I scold myself silently for even thinking of him. Why do I think of him when I hang on my near perfect brother's arm?

Mother must suggest it to us soon. I know she will because everyone expects it, our betrothal is all but official. That is what my future holds, a happy marriage with Jacaerys and the crown of a queen on my head.

"What are you thinking about? You look so lost in thought." He smiles down at me, softly.

"Nothing of importance." I say, smiling back at him and we leave it at that.

taglist: @valeskafics

#aemond targaryen #aemond #aemond x oc #aemond fic #hotd #hotd fic #rhaenyra targaryen #jacaerys #jacaerys velaryon #lucerys #lucerys velaryon #aemond fanfiction

[bananaproved]

Watching tiger and crane atm (up to ep16) and honestly it is really good ?? way better than what i expected.

If you liked mysterious lotus casebook/ the blood of youth or even heroes there is like 90% of chances that you will really enjoy it.

Some really nice points I appreciated :

A really good female character with XinTong. Do you hate it when a female character has no arc of her own and is only defined by her (romantic) relationship with the main character ? Good news ! Do you like when a girl fights with a lance (and wins) ? Good news ! XinTong's character is for the moment really enjoyable and way better than what is usually written for female characters in this kind of adventure drama. + her relationship with the mc and other male characters is mostly friendship which is nice (even if i don't know if they will keep it like that for the whole show) bc it give them the time to develop a more genuine bond and I love friendships anyways + her actress (Wang YuWen) is really cute.

A good reflection on how a coercive force needs to create fear to justify its own existence and legitimacy and how it shapes their relationship to this source of fear as both something they hate and soemthing they need to exist.

The main character (HuZi) is kind of shonen mc core (not as much as Lei WuJie in blood of youth but he definitely have a vibe) which is not a bad thing !! And the actor (Jiang Long) is doing a really good job at portraying the character and making him likable.

Fanfic authors' representation with a character nicknamed Brick that is honestly really funny (his main power is a brick. the brick is the answer to most situations) and also mysterious. Bro would have loved ao3 so bad.

My main critic at this point was the character played by Zhang LingHe that honestly felt more like i was watching Zhang LingHe dressed in a costume than his character most of the time but in the most recent episodes I feel like the issue is a lot less noticeable to me so I feel like i can start recommending the drama.

Anyway I think they are really cute and I hope it keep getting good.

#tiger and crane #also tsomd fans the guy that played wang zhi is here and he is playing a minor bully #im happy to see him again www

[piracytheorist]

For no particular reason (really) I woke up today remembering a peculiar situation I brought myself into in this hellsite some years ago.

So, to give some context, I have a long-time friend who has been a die-hard of anything related to Tolkien for longer than some of y'all have been alive. But because she is a hopeful person, she got excited when she heard about the Rings of Power show. Particularly because of how it was hinted at on Twitter while it was in production.

So because I wanted her to have a good experience, I also wanted the show to be good. I mean, who knew, maybe this time would be an exception, right?

Anyway, first trailers drop and discussions arise, and someone on tumblr makes the mistake of fake-newsing everyone by posting a promotional video (which in all fairness was bad) and claiming it was the show's opening credits. A mutual reblogs the post - which already had some additions mocking the "credits" - I go into the comments, I see that it's not the real credits, and I make a comment of the nature of "Maybe we should watch the real credits before we make a critique of it" and a comment later I say "also pirate the stuff, amazon won't starve without your money".

Of course, tumblr being tumblr...

I got an anon calling me a bootlicker. Me, tumblr user piracytheorist, who in the second breath of talking about it suggested we should pirate stuff, am a bootlicker. I mean, they tried. A random person in the comments of the post tried to talk back, I said we should critique the show but OP was misinforming people and we should at least make sure what we're critiquing it for, and they were like "What was the misinformation?" so yeah, they also tried.

But then, the worst offender was what I think that same mutual vagueblogging about my comment. Which is why, if you have a beef with a mutual - especially one you've connected with before outside of fandom stuff - take it to them and don't vagueblog. I was in the guilty position of vagueblogging once, and yeah it did cause a friendship to break apart (though we figured things out recently).

I mean, they could have been vagueblogging about literally anything else. But that's the problem with the vague part of it. I'll never know. Because seeing the mutual passionate in dragging the show through the dirt, and then vagueblogging about "not being affiliated" with something via a The Incredibles meme after I questioned the legitimacy of that specific critique... it could have been that, it could have not. I will never know.

Anyway, we watched the show, my friend didn't like it but is still a little hopeful for at least seeing cool backgrounds, I didn't like it and I still haven't watched the last two episodes, lol. But I can assure you the fake credits video had absolutely nothing to do with the things I disliked about it. I was only invested in it because my friend was invested and I wanted it to be good so that my friend would enjoy it. But alas, money spoke above all and it wasn't good. And also alas, tumblr is tumblr and how dare you not hate something the way I hate it - misinformed.

So yeah. Don't vagueblog, kids, especially if it's about mutuals 🫠

#nette speaks #tbd #maybe

[chargeddeck]

Whew, watched it. So many feelings! I’m just going to blurt them out while it’s all fresh.

Not sure if I should go into spoilers here or let people message me but I’m happy to talk about them.

Anyway, loved that they re-did the intro. Really smart move and gives it an immediate air of legitimacy. This IS a continuation.

Remy and Rogue’s intro? Perfection. They looked and behaved like a couple. My Romy heart was happy. Then in the nightclub too, with Remy doing as he always does and showing her it doesn’t matter to him if they can’t touch, he loves her for her. There were so many small moments where the two of them were with each other or near each other. I’m not ashamed to admit that I had tears in my eyes, it couldn’t have come at a better moment for me. I needed it.

There were other moments too that will test that relationship and I won’t lie, I hate that stuff. It’s already heartbreaking to watch and I know it’s only going to get worse.

Also loved the way they used Scott’s powers, he’s my second favourite X-Man and FINALLY seeing a piece of media understand his beams are a concussive force and not hot fire made me grin. The way he pushed himself around with them tapped into that and also his perfect geometry and angle skills (also a power?). Brilliant.

They got his personality right too. Driven, perfectionist, takes the world on his shoulders. X-Men and the dream is everything to him.

The aggro between him and Logan is palpable and Jean smoothing it out is just right.

I like that Jean and Scott are in the stage that they are in their relationship. It adds to that sense of progression.

The voice work grew on me over time, it started off sounding like slightly-off impressions of the original but soon fell into place.

I was a teenager in the 90s. It’s weird hearing Jubilee use words like bling and bestie at least 10 years early, we never spoke like that.

Loved the Easter eggs, loved hearing Logan say Bub.

Didn’t like Morph at all. His jokes felt cruel to me, attacking people personally - which I don’t find funny.

Storm is…just as she should be. Love the long Mohawk too, and when she caught Remy she was so careful with him. I hope they explore that bond, especially as the wider plot develops.

As you might expect, I don’t trust Magneto one bit.

Sentinel fight with the theme tune? Magnificent and creative use of powers too.

Overall it was just really great to see X-Men being X-Men again. A new story to tell without being constrained to previous movies or the MCU. These are the X-Men and the Romy that’s lived in my head for 30 years and I’m here for it.

Even if it hurts right now. It hurts a lot.

#x men 97 #Romy #I’m hurting

[peregrinvs]

(The below is a show-only question.)

Iroh during Sozin's Comet said that he couldn't fight Ozai in part because the world would see it as brothers fighting for the throne, instead of the restoration of peace. But then he says that Zuko needs to confront Azula so that when Ozai falls, he can take the throne.

I can see the argument that Iroh thought that Zuko would secretly enter the Fire Nation Royal Palace and capture Azula with Katara before then holding her hostage until Aang arrived. But it seems more likely that he intended Zuko to fight Azula and her forces together with Katara.

So how do you think people in-universe saw the Agni Kai, and how do you think Iroh/the White Lotus justified his seemingly contradictory statements/actions? Also, do you think Zuko or the other members of the Gaang caught onto the contradictory, and if so, did they ever talk to Iroh and/or the White Lotus about it? Or if you think Ursa ever returned, did she confront Iroh about it?

Thanks for the ask!

The "Iroh v. Ozai final fight" question is kind of a mess. The showrunners didn't flesh out their relationship at all, to the point you can barely believe they're related. They made Ifoh a powerful firebender and a morally good person, whcih combined to his parentage puts him in position to stand up against Ozai.

And yet they absolutely needed for the final showdown to be Aang v. Ozai, which was needed thematically. They kinda painted themselves into a corner making Iroh the Designated Good Moral Upstanding Mentor Figure (tm) so they needed to find a good justification why this amazing man couldn't get rid of evil himself. Iroh needed an excuse that still made him look good so that's what they came up with.

Iroh's doalogue could have been better written to reflect that either he feels he lacks legitimacy to challenge Ozai, or to simply state that he doesn't want to kill his own brother, but with the way itwas handled on the show, we're left to speculate about his motives.

If you ask me, Iroh's real motive is that he's unlikely so win against Ozai and he knows it, so all he can do is hope the Avatar is OP enough to do it. However, he has such a high idea of Zuko that he's sure the kid can beat Azula in a duel, especially with Katara's help.

Thre's also the question of legitimacy: Iroh has previously accepted Ozai as Fire Lord and didn't object to being passed over when Ozai took the throne. It's a bit complicated for him to do a 180 now that Ozai has been reigning uncontested for years. On the other hand, Zuko has a valid claim to the throne because he is older than Azula, and he is in the right timeframe to challenge her before her coronation.

Finally, Iroh is a character who doesn't act much, even when faced with hard choices. That's because he's written as an older mentor figure, but it has the result of having him be passive and tend to let others fight his battles. He has never tried to stop Ozai, he was content playing shop while the war raged outside Ba Sing se. It's in character for him to just offload the hard work on the kids with some vague advice about destiny.

I very much doubt he intended for Zuko to peacefully capture Azula - he never expresses concern for her, and he clearly just sees her as a hindrance that stands in the way of Zuko's Destiny(tm). He probably doesn't intend for her to die, bur i doubt he cares how Zuko defeats her, as long as the kid ends up Fire Lord.

I don't see why the Gaang or the White Lotus would have any issues with that, since having Zuko as Fire Lord is beneficial to them.

Ultimately it's hard to give a convincing explanation because i'm sure the writers intended for him to have a good reason, but as is often the case woth Iroh, his actions and reasoning are at odds with how moral he's supposed to be.

NB: i have not watched the new live action version, this answer is based on the original animated show canon.

#anti iroh #iroh critical #anti order of the white lotus #avatar meta

[lovelybrooke]

Got heated, need to rant about House of the Dragon and its fandom for a bit. Ignore if you don't care (mainly about the Green vs Black debate).

Something I hate so much is when people watch house of the dragon and come out of the show going "wow, I am completely on the side of green/black, the other team is trash yada yada whatever whatever".

Now I don't really care if you just really happen to like the Greens/Black and that's why you side with them more, but I think if you watched the entire seasons and don't find faults with both sides than I personally think you missed something (or maybe I'm just stupid because I haven't read the book, whatever).

I find it really annoying when people boil down Rhaenyra's character to "woman throwing a fit that she can't be queen" because not only is it really annoying and sexist, but it ignores so much of her struggle as a character. Throughout the entire show we see her struggle with wanting to be free, of not being trapped in the position her mother was her entire life, the position that killed her. We hear her express how she desires to live a life with Alicent and eat cake and ride on dragons and while, at least early on, she never truly wanted to be queen, she understands that it is a task greater than herself. She, unlike Aegon, understands the importance of the role and instead of running away from it, she takes it with stride. The only person/people undermining her position are Alicent and the Greens. Viserys believes until his dying breath that Rhaenyra should be queen and in a moment of clarity Alicent agrees. You can say that the people don't agree, as we see when Daemon takes Rhaenyra to flee bottom, but as we see multiple times in this show/series the opinion of the people really doesn't matter.

This isn't to say that the Blacks don't have faults, they do. Daemon, while we love him, is a walking fault in a lot of cases, but he cares about the people close to him, like Viserys. When he called Otto Hightower a cunt it's because he sees through him, he understands Otto's intentions. However, he's also rude to Rhaea and murdered her because his desire to wed Rhaenyra. Viserys is also not a great ruler. He's peaceful, but his insistent inaction causes fraction across the realm, which is why he doesn't do anything about the Stepstones in the beginning, or when war is sparked there again. However, it's clear he deeply loved and cared for Aemma.

Now if we're talking about the Greens, people who are team Black often claim that all Alicent only cared about was usurping Targaryen rule, which is just not true. Alicent and Rhaenyra were friends, and at one point, deeply cared about each other. Alicent only started seeing Rhaenyra as an enemy when Otto started presenting her as one. Otto told Alicent, who at this point was a child, that Rhaenyra, also a child btw, would kill her and her children if she was to come to power. Otto forced Alicent to grow close to and marry Viserys AS A CHILD, and then fills said child's head with lies about the one person she was closest with. We see Alicient try desperately to have a relationship with Rhaenyra after she marry Viserys, something that Rhaenyra shuts down (even though from her persepective it makes since because in her eyes her best friend was randomly like "surprise I'm marrying your dad!).

We see the Greens constantly villianized by the show, which I personally think was intentional since season 1 focused on the Blacks while seasons 2 (hopefully) will focus on the Greens. We see the Green children get blamed, abused, maimed, all in purpose of protecting the Black children. However, the Green children, at least two of them (since Halaena is perfect) be pieces of shit. Aegon harasses and makes fun of not only the Black children, but his own siblings, calling Halaena weird (the worst crime) and giving Aemond a pig as a joke. Aemond, while having gone through a lot, went along with a lot of the jokes about the Black children's legitimacy and even took Vhagar on Laena's funeral.

Honestly, the "stealing" of Vhagar, if you can even call it that, it how I know if people were actually thinking critically when watching this show because while yes, that was a dick move by Aemond's part, Vhagar is an intelligent being and could've just chosen to kill him if he wanted. But she didn't. Cutting out Aemond's eye wasn't necessary, however pulling a knife out on Rhaenyra wasn't either. My point being that the situation was complex and that neither side was really in the right or wrong.

I could give a lot more examples of all this, but I just find it annoying when people boil down this show as a good vs bad type thing when overall, Game of Thrones/House of the Dragon has always made a point to not have a good side or a bad side (that's why the later seasons of GOT fell downhill). It's always been about ideology vs ideology, like love vs duty or honor vs pride.

TDLR, I have a lot of opinions and sometimes I want to talk about them.

#house of the dragon #hotd #hotd s2 #team green #team black

[kerr-bearr]

i’ve been taking a long time to try and formulate my thoughts about my apprehension with The Ravening War and Matt dming on d20.

let me be clear, before I say anything else - i am not black. i am white. i understand that this conversation is surrounding the black and POC community within d20 and TTRPG spaces.

i’d like to think i have enough media literacy skills to try and clear some things up and can only hope this reaches someone who needed to see it.

it really comes down to this:

everyone needs to watch ACOC before The Ravening War.

i and many others have some worry about fans of cr and fans of Matt coming into The Ravening War and not giving the history of the world the respect it deserves.

ACOC is a hugely important season for POC folks. this was a story about a black royal family whose legitimacy was called into question and they had to fight for their rights and for their kingdom. it is a story that resonated so hard with black fans and for a lot of people, it was also their first d20 season. so i think it’s fair for people to be protective of the world and the characters in it.

if you are a new fan who is planning on watching ACOC before The Ravening War, thank you and all the more power to you. however, when you consider the anticipated influx of viewers, i think the likelihood of those fans watching ACOC before The Ravening War is low. and because of that a lot of us have a right to worried about this world being respected.

we don’t want to ostracize you. we want you to love our world and our stories just as much as you want us to love yours. we just want our world and our stories to be respected. that’s it.

to any black or POC fans of d20 out there, please let me know if I’ve overstepped any lines here. and please feel free to correct me if i’ve said something wrong.

#dimension 20 #a crown of candy #d20 acoc #the ravening war #critrole #critical role #matt mercer #ACOC

[plentyquinces]

GOD'S QUESTIONS TO JOB AND HOW WE NEED A LION KING 2 "WE ARE ONE" MOMENT IN SEASON 3

Has anybody talked about the fact that when god talks to Job and lists all these things Job hasn't done and doesn't understand as means of dismissing his questions, she's kind of listing things we've seen Crowley do?

"do you know how I created the earth?"

Of course he does. Even if he wasn't involved in the planning stages of earth, he was there when she created it (IF she created it at all and didn't just let angels do it as she did with the other planets and stars)

"where were you when i layed the foundations of the earth, Job?"

Propably watching. Or being briefed on it.

"were you there when all the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?"

Propably singing with the morning stars or shouting with the angels.

"do you know the rules of the heavens?"

Always did and still does. Heaven is like a bee hive, they never change their passwords, god is not talking to anybody, and they're just as bad as hell.

"Did you set the constellations in the sky?"

He quite literally did.

"Can you send lightning bolts and get them to report back to you?"

WE SAW HIM DO THAT THIS SEASON THIS CANNOT BE A COINCIDENCE!

"Did you give wings to peacocks, Job, or teach the ostrich to run?"

I mean...let's bend the question a bit and just say Crowley gave wings to goats.

AND you know who we witnessed going on and on about how great whales are? CROWLEY!

By asking these questions, god wants to silence Job. she doesn't grant him the right to have questions about how she does things when he can neither comprehend nor has witnessed her power and the beginnings of the world he inhabits. if she names understanding the power to create and bend the elements and being there for the creation of the universe as reqirements for questioning her actions then, if you held her to her word, that would mean that by her own standarts she was wrong for casting Crowley out of heaven. I mean sure, we all kind of already know that, my boy has done nothing wrong in his life but it all kind of drives home the point that by all means there SHOULD have been a suggestion box. the angels helped her create the universe, she seemed to have outsourced an awful lot of jobs that come with creating a universe and she took all the credit.

God is in the wrong. and I think both Crowley and Aziraphale need to understand this.

sure, Crowley kind of knows he's been treated unfairly and he internally wrestles with god but the extend to which his trust has been broken by being cast out has traumatized him and he needs to fully acknowledge the fact that he didn't just get an overly harsh punishment for a mistake he made, he didn't make any mistake at all. I need him to say it. I need to see that he believes it. Thinking that he made an unforgiveable mistake made him internalize the message that he must be evil. all the demons did. its why hell is the ways it is and demons look the way they look. they're still angels in every way but status and name. they're angels who've been told they're so bad that they deserve only to live in the basement and they do evil because they've been branded as such for a crime that shouldn't have been one.

Aziraphale needs to understand that God was wrong for casting Crowley out of heaven. Crowley wasn't wrong to question God. He needs to learn that demons aren't inherently anything (it really bothered me when he said "Even demons aren't that stupid" in S2), they're just fallen and being fallen is not directly linked to a moral failure on their part. It's why I think that he's too misguided to change heaven until he eventually realizes this. Aziraphale still holds heaven in high regard and he has defended and excused heavens actions because while he knows that the angels who run heaven are at times incompetent or corrupt, he still believes in god and that her plan and her decisions must be the epitome of good. he thinks the legitimacy of the dicataorship that is heaven is a question of competency ( a competency he thinks he can provide). Aziraphale needs to understand that there is no such thing as a good dictatorship. the system is broken and he needs to break it. there should neither be a heaven nor a hell. god isn't inherently good. People shouldn't go to heaven or hell for reacting to circumstances that they can't control. Wee Morag shouldn't be in hell for helping a friend trying to save them from starvation. But she might be. And I think S3 is gonna address this.

#gos2 spoilers #good omens season 2 spoilers #good omens season 2 #good omens meta