#legacies season three my beloved | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

enbyzutara · 2 months

Text

Aang x Luke Skywalker Parallels: How Aang’s Hero’s Journey Wasn't Properly Finished

I read this post by @lovegrowsart and I couldn't get it out of my mind how Aang and Luke Skywalker's journeys have so much in common, yet only one of these arcs feels like it has come to a properly finished conclusion. Meanwhile, the other one feels like the character didn't learn what he was supposed to in order to fulfill his Hero's Journey arc. So, in this post, I want to expand more on why “Aang was supposed to be the Luke Skywalker of Avatar: The Last Airbender”, but the creators of A:TLA failed to properly finish his story.

Firstly, it’s important to point out that the Star Wars saga and universe are widely famous in pop and nerd culture, including Luke Skywalker, the Jedi protagonist, who himself is one of the most famous and beloved characters from the saga. So, it’s not really a reach to assume that the creators and writers of Avatar: The Last Airbender were - at some level - inspired by this famous universe and character. By doing a quick research, we can confirm this assumption, because Bryan Konietzko, one of the co-creators of A:TLA, said in a podcast that Dave Filoni helped to shape A:TLA and its story. Also, both creators said that Joseph Campbell’s writing about mythology helped them to create the Hero’s Journey and the other storylines for their show, and George Lucas was also heavily inspired by Campbell when he was writing Star Wars.

(I will refer to the Star Wars episodes of the original trilogy as one, two and three - even though, nowadays, they are the numbers four, five and six).

Bryke (Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino, the co-creators of Avatar: The Last Airbender) and George Lucas share a lot of tropes and narratives in the stories that each one of them created. Both protagonists of the sagas are the '"chosen one" of their universe: both are the last of their kind (even though in the Star Wars universe, initially there were two more older Jedi) who have the weight of the world’s future on their shoulders. Aang needs to fight against the Fire Lord and Luke, initially, against Darth Vader. By doing this, they would bring balance to the world/galaxy.

It’s also important to emphasize how Luke Skywalker and Aang are not only the saviors of the story, they are also the last of their kind. In A:TLA and in Star Wars, we have populations that suffered genocide: the Airbenders were brutally exterminated by the Fire Nation during Sozin’s Comet, and initially, it was revealed in the original Star Wars trilogy that the Jedi were wiped out of the galaxy when Order 66 happened. So, Luke and Aang not only have the destiny of the world/galaxy on their shoulders, they also are the only ones who can continue the legacy, the culture, and the survival of their own kind.

Another parallel between Luke Skywalker and Aang is that both have a Mentor From Beyond. Luke Skywalker was able to seek knowledge from the Jedis who had passed away in the original trilogy. Firstly, it was Obi-Wan Kenobi, who was his first mentor; Luke was able to communicate with him, and Obi-Wan would give him advice and directions to follow. Later, Yoda also appeared to him. For Aang, due to the fact that he’s the Avatar (and to be the Avatar means that you are the reincarnation of someone who already died), he was able to contact the Avatars from his past incarnations. In the show, Roku is the past Avatar with whom Aang most often connects, but he also seeks knowledge from Kyoshi, Kuruk, and Yangchen.

In Book One: Water and A New Hope, both characters are presented as more naive, and the narrative is not as tense as in the later seasons/episodes. However, the sequel presents a "darker" version of its universe as both characters grow and face emotional dilemmas and more hardships. The Empire Strikes Back and Book Two: Earth explore, even more, the ongoing war in their respective universes, and by the end of these sequels, things go wrong for the heroes. And what I really want to discuss is the similarity between the second episode of Star Wars and the second season of Avatar: The Last Airbender.

At some point in the second episode/season, Luke and Aang had to separate from their group of friends in order to learn more and to train. They had to seek knowledge of what they are and what they represent, because by doing this, they would be a step closer to fulfilling their duties and saving the galaxy/world. At this moment in the narrative, Luke and Aang have an older and wiser mentor who will try to help them achieve this: Yoda and Guru Pathik.

But neither Luke nor Aang finish these training sessions that they started, because during their training, they have a vision of people who are special to them currently in danger. So, even though Yoda and Guru Pathik advise them not to leave and to finish what they started, they leave. Luke goes to Cloud City to save his friends (Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, and C3PO) and Aang goes to Ba Sing Se to save Katara. And as stated before, in this episode/season finale, things go wrong for the heroes, including to the protagonists who are supposed to be the saviors of both universes. Luke and Aang left their training even though they were advised otherwise, they went to fight without properly learning what they needed to learn. So when they faced the enemy, they lost. Both at the end were defeated: Aang quite literally dies and Luke has a metaphorical death when he learns about his parentage and loses one of his arms. He also "commits suicide" when he decides to jump instead of aligning himself with the Dark Side.

Now, something really important here is to talk about how Luke and Aang's attachments to people who are dear to them made them run away from what they should have been doing, instead of bringing them closer to their duties and destiny. It was understandable the reasons why they left their training, but it still was wrong in the sense that things went wrong and it ended tragically for both characters. And, it’s never portrayed in both sagas that loving someone is wrong, but being attached to someone is. Both of their Hero’s Journeys required them to learn the difference between what is love and what is attachment, because both concepts are different and one of them (attachment) is portrayed in both sagas as wrong, especially for the protagonists.

Although I’m not Buddhist, nor was I raised as one, it’s clear that Star Wars (1) (2) and Avatar: The Last Airbender (1) (2) both were inspired, to some extent, by this religion and its philosophy. (I tried searching for articles and videos made by Buddhist people, but, unfortunately, I couldn't really find many, so if anyone wants to link more content, please, feel free). And one thing that appears to be inspired by this religion and philosophy in both sagas was the concept of attachment in contrast to love (1) (2). Before delving into the topic of attachment in the show and movie, it’s ideal to understand what attachment means from a Buddhist perspective:

In Buddhism, attachment is called upādāna, which means grasping or clinging. It refers to the human tendency to cling to people, things, or ideas in the mistaken belief that they will bring us lasting happiness and fulfillment. Attachment arises from our desire to feel secure, comfortable, and control of our lives. (...) Attachment to people: Attachment to people can become a source of suffering, as we can become overly dependent on them for our happiness, identity, and sense of security. This attachment can take many forms, from romantic relationships to friendships and family bonds.

While searching for what would be the difference between love vs attachment in Buddhism, this quote also brought my attention (I'll definitely come back to this later):

Any kind of relationship which imagines that we can fulfill ourselves through another is bound to be very tricky. Ideally people would come together already feeling fulfilled within themselves and just therefore appreciating that in the other, rather than expecting the other to supply that sense of well-being.

George Lucas seemed to understand this concept better than Bryke. In Return of the Jedi, Luke Skywalker a) trusts his group of friends way more than he did in The Empire Strikes Back, b) he was also able to let go of his anger for Darth Vader because he genuinely loved Anakin, his father. George Lucas was very vocal about how he wanted to portray attachment as a bad thing, and when it comes to this topic, he never intended to make the Jedi philosophy something wrong. Strict? Maybe, but not wrong. And in the end, as the episode’s title suggests, Luke "returns", as he also returns to Dagobah to contact his master, Yoda, one last time. (The title of this episode can also refer to Anakin returning to the Light Side, but art can be interpreted in different and many ways).

In contrast, Avatar: The Last Airbender presented Aang’s attachment to Katara in a bad light. The Guru episode shows that Aang's attachment to Katara, not his feelings, is what is making him fail to open his chakra and not being able to enter into the Avatar State.

Pathik: The Thought Chakra is located at the crown of the head. It deals with pure cosmic energy, and is blocked by earthly attachment. Meditate on what attaches you to this world. [Images of Katara appear before Aang.] Now, let all of those attachments go. Let them flow down the river, forgotten.

It’s even more important to understand that what Aang feels for Katara is not genuine love, at least in this episode, it’s pretty much stated that he is attached to her in a way that he needs to learn to let go. To expand a little bit on this, it’s necessary to analyze two Avatar: The Last Airbender episodes and how they portray what Aang feels for Katara:

Firstly, 'The Fortuneteller' episode portrays Aang’s feelings for Katara as just a childish crush. There's nothing wrong with a childish crush in general, especially because Aang is, in fact, a child, so he's bound to be childish. But in this episode, what he feels for Katara is paralleled with what Meng feels for him: something that was one-sided and lacked "emotional maturity and self-awareness". Both Aang and Meng viewed their crushes in an overestimated and hyper-idealized way, which again was portrayed as silly and in a bad light.

Secondly, in 'The Guru' episode, it shows that yes, Aang does love Katara, but is it in the right way? The Air Nomads' genocide deeply affects Aang, and he still loves the people that he lost, obviously. But in the show, Guru Pathik states that the love that Aang felt for the Air Nomads was 'reborn' in a new love - his love for Katara. So, Aang is projecting his feelings of love for the people who were brutally exterminated onto the girl who, at this moment in the narrative, was only his dear friend who shows him support and fights alongside him. Aang needed to get closure and heal from this traumatic event; it’s a huge trauma that he should work through. But instead, he was coping by projecting his feelings onto something, or better, someone.

I personally think that Aang loves Katara to some extent, but he needed to work through his trauma first. This goes along with something already shown before, quoting: "people would come together [in a relationship] already feeling fulfilled within themselves and just therefore appreciating that in the other".

The chakra/Guru plotline in Avatar: The Last Airbender is not about Aang needing to stop loving Katara; that's a huge misunderstanding. It was about how Aang was attached to something (or someone, in his case) that he needed to learn to let go of, so he could progress, grow, and heal. After he fulfilled this arc about what's love vs attachment, two things could happen: a) maybe Aang would realize that his love for Katara was more platonic and that he was projecting a lot onto her because he sees her in an idealized way, or b) that he indeed loves her but he needs to realize that he's too much attached to the comfort that she gives and brings to him, so his feelings for her need to have more emotional maturity.

And in the end of season two, Aang actually let go of his attachment to Katara, and he was able to achieve the Avatar State. But unfortunately, after this, he was brutally attacked by Azula and had his chakra blocked.

But in Book Three: Fire, not only does he not return to see or contact Guru again, as Luke did (returned to see his older and wiser mentor, Yoda, in the third and final episode), but Aang also appears to still be attached to Katara in the same way that he already was, if not worse. In the Ember Island Players episode, he: 1) gets so mad and frustrated with the Players portraying his relationship with Katara in a non-romantic light that he says that he could go into the Avatar State over this, and 2) rushes things with Katara and kisses her without her consent, disrespecting her boundaries, after she just avoided his romantic questions and advances.

Point 1:

Aang: [Angered.] No, I'm not! I hate this play! [Yanks his hat off and throws it on the ground.] Katara: I know it's upsetting, but it sounds like you're overreacting. Aang: Overreacting? If I hadn't blocked my chakra, I'd probably be in the Avatar State right now!

Point 2:

Aang: But it's true, isn't it? We kissed at the Invasion, and I thought we were gonna be together. But we're not.

Katara: Aang, I don't know.

Aang: Why don't you know? Katara: Because, we're in the middle of a war, and, we have other things to worry about. This isn't the right time.

Aang: Well, when is the right time?

Katara: Aang, I'm sorry, but right now I'm just a little confused. [Aang tries to kiss Katara.]

Katara: I just said I was confused! I'm going inside. [Exits the balcony.]

All of this shows how he still lacked emotional maturity, and how he still was attached to Katara, in a way not much different from what was shown in Book Two: Earth. Overall, this shows how his feelings for her weren't properly developed and didn't grow from where they previously were – because it was still bound by an attachment that he needed to let go of in order to grow, heal, and learn.

Unfortunately, the Guru/Chakra plotline was completely brushed aside in Book Three: Fire; Aang doesn't even seek to see Guru again or continue his unfinished training. And in the end, when he was fighting the Fire Lord, what he was always meant to do, he managed to go into the Avatar State. Not because he trained or learned how to achieve this goal; actually, it was because a rock saved him by triggering the Avatar State. So, in the end, an entire plotline was ignored and forgotten. Aang didn't learn what he needed to learn with Guru, nor did he finish the training that he was meant to do, and he still was rewarded by the narrative with achieving the Avatar State and saving the world (and also, "getting the girl").

[(...) and Aang protects himself with an airbending shield but is pushed back by the force of the attack, crashing into a rock pillar. The scar on his back is hit with a point of the rock, causing him to flashback to when he was shot by lightning. (...) Aang jumps out, now in the Avatar State, and grabs Ozai by his goatee.]

And that's why Aang is the Luke Skywalker that we could’ve had. Luke finished his Hero's Journey; he learned what he needed to learn and because of it, he saved the galaxy and his father. Meanwhile, Aang didn't learn about love vs attachment, yet he still achieved what he needed to achieve from the beginning: the Avatar State and winning against the Fire Lord. And he only achieved that because the narrative chose to give him a final new solution to resolve all his problems instead of him directly dealing with and facing the problems, difficulties, and dilemmas that the narrative initially proposed to him.

(I don’t actually mean quite literally that Aang needs or should have been the Luke Skywalker from Avatar: The Last Airbender, because Aang is his own character who has his own story. What I mean is that: Luke Skywalker is a character who is similar in some ways to Aang, and he had his Hero’s Journey properly fulfilled. I believe that Aang also deserved the same treatment by the creators of ATLA).

#atla critical #aang critical #anti bryke #atla meta #anti aang #anti kataang #kataang critical #(not really anti aang/KA but.. just in case)#george lucas #star wars #luke skywalker

69 notes · View notes

jbaileyfansite · 9 days

Text

Interview with Entertainment Tonight (2024)

Welcome to Jurassic Park, Jonathan Bailey.

On Monday, the 36-year-old actor talked with ET from the season 3 premiere of Bridgerton in New Yorkand confirmed that he will soon be heading up Jurassic World 4, the latest installment in the beloved franchise which celebrated its 30th anniversary just last year.

"I will be visiting Jurassic Park," Bailey shared exclusively with ET, jokingly adding, "I'm playing a dinosaur."

For the Fellow Travelers star, the new gig -- which comes from the mind of the original Jurassic Park writer David Koepp and Rogue One director Gareth Edwards -- is a full-circle moment as he shares that one of his earliest memories includes seeing the Steven Spielberg hit on the big screen when he was a kid.

"I remember going with my family," he said. "It was the first cinema trip we all went on together. I've got three older sisters so I went when I was like 5."

As for plot details and confirmation on his cast members -- rumored to include Scarlett Johansson and The Lincoln Lawyer star Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, according to Deadline -- the actor kept tight-lipped, but shared that he is feeling ready to take up the mantle and carry on the cinematic legacy left by the previous cast.

"I am really excited," Bailey continued. "For so many of us, I know it's just like an iconic cinematic experience."

The confirmation comes just one day after he teased his involvement in the new project with a cheeky post on Instagram, complete with a photo of him on the Jurassic World water ride at Universal Studios Hollywood.

In the photo, Bailey is seen throwing up peace signs and wearing sunglasses during a visit to the theme park from over a month ago as the photo is timestamped on April 9. He also included a video of a glass of water on a table shaking, a reference to scenes from the original film.

"Hold onto your butts. 🦕," the actor wrote in the caption.

The last film in the franchise, Jurassic World: Dominion, debuted in June 2022 and starred Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard and DeWanda Wise, as well as the original Jurassic Park crew including Laura Dern, Sam Neill and Bailey's Wicked co-star, Jeff Goldblum. Deadline reports that none of the reboot actors are expected to return for the fourth installment in the franchise.

Bailey is having a hot year after the release of Fellow Travelers -- which scored him a Critics Choice Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Miniseries -- his casting in Netflix's Heartstopper, the forthcoming release of Bridgerton season 3 and his starring role as Fiyero in Wicked alongside Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo.

He stayed similarly quiet on the film adaptation of the Broadway hit, which releases in theaters on Nov. 27, joking with ET that he shows anyone who asks the final cut, including his on-screen family members and friends in Bridgerton.

"Yeah, I show everyone the whole film," he quipped. "I don't -- I haven't seen it."

Source

#jonathan bailey #jonny bailey #interviews #interviews:2024 #Entertainment Tonight #ET interview 2024 #jurassic world #jurassic park #wicked #bridgerton #NEW!

32 notes · View notes

qqueenofhades · 9 months

Note

just saw your offer for book recs and would love some fantasy/sci fi books, it seems like we have similar taste. i just finished nk jemisin's broken earth trilogy, and also loved the city we became by her.

Aha, I am at work right now and thus do not have my bookshelves at hand to make sure I'm not missing something blindly obvious. However, I will start you off with these:

The Rook and Rose trilogy by M.A. Carrick (The Mask of Mirrors, The Liar's Knot, Labyrinth's Heart). Yes, this is the series I have been screaming about nonstop for the past few weeks and thus craftily suckering unsuspecting passersby into reading. An AMAZING world, an OT3 who own my entire ass, lots of political intrigue, cultural and social commentary, a unique magic system, and also plenty of humor. It really has it all. I continue my one-man quest to make this fandom bigger. Ahem.

The Green Bone trilogy by Fonda Lee (Jade City, Jade War, Jade Legacy). Another fantastic fantasy series that NEEDS more readers. Inspired by Chinese/Hong Kong kung-fu movies, set in a gritty modern universe, kind of like the Godfather but with magical jade-wielding families. Tons of discussion of empire, culture, violence, appropriation, power, war, family, Asian identity, more. They're likewise nice and long to keep you busy.

The Daevabad trilogy by S.A. Chakraborty (The City of Brass, The Kingdom of Copper, The Empire of Gold). Another you-gotta-read-this trilogy (yes, I have many of them). Set in the 18th-century Middle East and the magical djinni kingdom of Daevabad. Politics, empire, religion, history, intrigue, magic, scheming families, ancient wars, and my most beloved, Muntadhir al-Qahtani. What is not to love.

The Priory of the Orange Tree and its standalone prequel, A Day of Fallen Night, by Samantha Shannon. Absolute doorstopper (800+ pages apiece) epic-with-dragons-and-medieval-worlds fantasy, like Game of Thrones if Game of Thrones was a) good b) gay c) feminist and d) had people of color. She is also the author of the Bone Season series (four books thus far) which is a unique blend of futuristic sci-fi and fantasy set in an alternate totalitarian London and a ruined Oxford.

Winter's Orbit and Ocean's Echo by Everina Maxwell. Two M/M space opera romances (set in the same universe, but can be read independently). She got her start as a fanfic writer and it shows; these are both delightful, plotty, funny, and full of sassy gay disaster homosexuals in space.

A Memory Called Empire and A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine (I have read the first one, need to read the second one). Historian of medieval Byzantium writes space opera set in Space Constantinople which is also Space Tenochtitlan. Explores language, history, memory, power, identity, assimilation, and more, and is also very funny.

Autonomous, The Future of Another Timeline, and The Terraformers by Annalee Newitz. High-concept social-commentary dystopian science fiction; of the three, Terraformers (the newest one) might be my favorite. They're not related so you can read them in whatever order.

Two books that I have not read yet but I really want to: Swim Home to the Vanished by Brendan Shay Basham and To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose. Both are fantasy novels by Native American authors; Basham's is magical realism and Blackgoose's is about a Native American dragon-rider facing assimilation at an English (Anglish) boarding school.

Likewise coming soon and I am excited: The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport by Samit Basu. Middle Eastern-inspired fantasy, cyberpunk, techno-magic. In space!

There are definitely more that I will get home and be like oh wait yeah. But this should get you started.

#sinistershit #ask #book recs

94 notes · View notes

ruslangazizov · 5 months

Note

Hi! My friend and I are getting into hockey and we’re kind of wondering what the vibe on Max Domi is?? I’m kind of seeing mixed messages about him so we were wondering why you like him so we can figure out what his deal is and if we should try to pay attention to him more on the leafs. Thanks!

hi anon!! just wanna say before i get going that i’m in love with this ask and you by extension for asking, and i’m sorry this took me so long!

now on to the propaganda (this is long i’m not sorry)

i’m obligated to preface this by saying i’m hugely biased as a Leafs fan who grew up in Southern Ontario. my dad has always been a pretty big Tie Domi fan, so liking Max just seemed like a natural continuation of that.

baby Max with Mats Sundin, then-captain of the Leafs. he’s just a little guy,,

born March 2nd, 1995, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, one month before Tie was traded (back) to the Leafs, Max spent his childhood in Mississauga, Ontario, roughly half an hour west of Toronto. at the age of 12, following some health complications at a hockey tournament in Detroit, blood work revealed that Max had type 1 diabetes and celiac disease.

not the end of the world, clearly, but a pretty significant shock for a kid with aspirations of greatness. of course, he was able to manage it, with time, and when i finally read his book i’ll tell y’all more about it i promise.

these pictures make me emotional,, a couple of Domis, a couple of decades apart,,, except Max looks about 200% cuntier

anyway

scored a hatty in his OHL debut (slay). won consecutive OHL championships with the London Knights in 2012 and 2013 (double slay). selected 12th overall by the Phoenix (now Arizona) Coyotes, and signed a three year ELC (!). won gold with Team Canada at the 2015 WJC, and was named the tournament’s best forward (huge W). traded to the Montréal Canadiens in 2018, to the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2020, to the Carolina Hurricanes (via the Florida Panthers) at the trade deadline of March 31st 2022, to the Chicago Blackhawks in July of 2022, to the Dallas Stars in March 2023, and finally signed as a free agent to our beloved Toronto Maple Leafs on July 2nd 2023. he’s been on seven different NHL teams since he was drafted.

sadly, as i’ve only been a hockey fan for one calendar year, i cannot provide much insight into his time with NHL teams other than the Leafs. i have ordered and am waiting for his book to come in so i can better rotate him in my mind, but i encourage anyone who knows more about his other teams’ lore to add to this post or send me what you know, so i can share it with the world. (pls i wanna know everything about him ever)

what i can say is that him and Mitch Marner were teammates on the London Knights for two seasons, (13-14 and 14-15), the second of which saw Max as captain and Mitch as an alternate captain. the season after, Mitch was named captain in Max’s stead. seeing them back together on the Leafs brings joy to my little London Knights heart.

now back to him as a Leaf.

the current Leafs points leaders, as of December 30th, are as follows:

William Nylander - 48P (17G 31A)

Auston Matthews - 44P (29G 15A)

Mitch Marner - 38P (14G 24A)

John Tavares - 31P (11G 20A)

Morgan Rielly - 27P (4G 23A)

Max Domi - 21P (3G 18A)

the first five of these are pretty much to be expected, but there’s my close good friend Max Domi right there too :) he’s doing his part, and even if he’s not the biggest scorer, assists are just as important and valuable :) if i have to kill y’all with positivity for this i will :) i love him dearly :)

also, he currently sits at 389 career points, and he’s nowhere near done, while Tie Domi earned 245 points in his entire career of 1020 games. nobody can say shit to me about him not living up to his dad’s legacy (Note: Tie also sits at third in NHL history for penalty minutes with 3515, but that’s a stat nobody will ever surpass. ever. the current PIM leader in the NHL is Corey Perry, and he only has 1392.)

and now i’m not about to sit here and pretend i know how to quantify the skills of an NHL player, let alone describe them in great detail. i do not. however, what i do know is that i love watching him play and make plays. in my eyes, he is a good player, and this is the Max Domi Propaganda Blog so if you want something less biased i can’t help you, sorry :’)

this love began in a preseason game against the Habs, on Oct 2nd. his first game as a Leaf in Toronto, he scores a tip-in against his former team, and he shrugs it off like NBD. for those of you who were following me at the time, you know i was not normal about it then and i am not normal about it now. i think about that celly every goddamn day.

much to my great sorrow, they Leafed this game up and lost in OT 5-4. but either way, this was the moment that definitively kicked off the Rick eastoncowan Domishka era.

and the only time Max ever seems to get a scoring chance, it’s either on a breakaway or from a spot that would have been absolutely NASTY if it went in. my mans only wants sexy goals, which is a stance i respect immensely.

his first regular season goal… didn’t give him any points. it was beautiful, and a game winner, but since it happened in a shootout, it didn’t count towards his points totals. personally, i think this is bullshit, but now is neither the time nor the place for me to get into my issues with some of the NHL’s rules. (Nov 10, 2023, Flames @ Leafs)

Domishka bardownski SO winner,,, you were so beautiful and so unappreciated but i will never forget you </3

now.

Max’s first real goal as a Leaf.

for those of you who followed me at the time, you may recall this post:

a post that the Hockey Gods took to heart

and obviously i followed through. what do you think i am, some kind of quitter?

and, again, unfortunately, we Leafed that one up, too. we lost it in OT again, so still no Domi belt pic for Rick :(

now i’m not going to go back and gif all 18 of his assists, because i don’t think y’all care quite that much about Visual Proof of all of them. for your convenience, though, i did go back and track down whose goals he had assisted on, and the results aren’t super surprising IMO

Calle Järnkrok, Nick Robertson (assisted on 5 each)

Matthew Knies (assisted on 4)

William Nylander, Morgan Rielly, Mitch Marner, Timothy Liljegren (assisted on 1 each)

anyway, now for what is quite possibly my favourite game that i didn’t actually get to watch live.

December 16, 2023, Penguins @ Leafs, a decisive 7-0 victory.

it was also a 3 point night for Max, two of which helped to complete Matthew Knies’ Gordie Howe hat trick, the first since Daniel Winnik in 2015. but a goal and an assist are only two parts of it, the third being a fight. a fight which Knies initiated against John Ludvig after he knocked out yet another of Max’s front teeth with his stick. a fight which was Knies’ first ever. i’m still mad i didn’t see this happen live, but i’ve rewatched the game in its entirety twice, and the highlights too many times to count. this game sparked my undying love for the 23-11-16 line, which is a line i still pray keefe will bring back.

and so, we have a goal and a fight, and we have an assist to finish off the hat trick, and none of it would have happened without Max :)

and speaking of fights, Max has had a couple of em himself in his time as a Leaf so far. granted, if you ask hockeyfights dot com, he didn’t win either of them, but that’s not what matters. what matters is that he looked beautiful doing it, whether it was against Ian Cole (VAN) or Sam Bennett (FLA), especially with the fun added bonus of him flexing his full head of hair at Bennett’s bald dome. as an aside, i fucking hate Sam Bennett, so Max trying to fight him was… well it made me feel things. all i’m gonna say.

max’s third goal was also gorgeous. stunning. amazing. another beautiful bardown, the sound of which lives on in my dreams.

this is getting far longer than it really needs to be, so i’ll take a step back and give you my true, honest thoughts.

Max Domi has been a very helpful player for the Leafs since he got here. he obviously has the drive to play here and to play well here, and 21 points is nothing to be ashamed of. you know who else has 21 points as of me writing this? Alex Ovechkin. and now i’m not saying they are players of the same caliber, but Max is 6th on the Leafs in points, and Ovi is tied for first on the Caps. 21 points is still 21 points, no matter where in the standings someone is. Max was born to be a Leaf, and nothing makes me happier than to see him here and thriving on the team he’s loved since he was a kid. he takes shots, blocks shots, defends his boys and is defended right back in turn.

and i would not be Rick eastoncowan if i didn’t mention that i think he is hot. like stupid hot. especially without his teeth. fuck, the heart wants what the heart wants, and damn if my heart doesn’t want this tiny toothless idiot.

#ask #anonymous #toronto maple leafs #max domi #rick's gifs #domi primer #this took me far too long #but finally it is here #the 1600+ word max domi primer #heavily biased because this is my writing #and y'all have to expect that from me at this point #anyway please enjoy #i made gifs special #this was made with so much love

37 notes · View notes

charlieconwayy · 7 months

Text

seeing anti-gmw discourse on the tl so i thought i'd add my two cents

gmw was an egregious hell fire that squandered a once beloved sitcom's legacy and there is not a single thing in three seasons of that shitshow that made it worth producing BUT you guys need to stop acting like bmw didn't also have blatant propaganda.

cult fiction is one of the most famous episodes of the show and the entire resolution is about shawn finding god bc he's pressured into filling the "empty void" inside of him with something other than the cult......the hypocrisy was going crazy. (they also make a big point about the power of prayer in resurrection when josh is in the nicu, but this is a far less offensive example bc the matthews had already been established as being at least somewhat religious.) like there is an entire scene in CF w the matthews guilting shawn into finding god bc he needs something to fill that void.

rider strong also spoke about the show's weird holier than thou view about sex. he got into an argument with michael jacobs about not just saying cory and topanga wanted to have sex, but to discuss safe sex options for them bc it was the respoonsible thing to do. as usual, rider is right and the show consistently put corpanga in a pedestal bc they weren't having sex. like.....at least once an episode in 6-pre wedding 7 they would talk about how their relationship is so mature and how they're the perfect couple (......while cory would berate topanga for not being comfortable w all that). there is an episode where cory/topanga call shawn/angela "sluts" bc they are having pre-marital sex (the misogynoir of this is not lost on me either)

the bmw-gmw universe has always had propaganda, you guys just didn't notice it when you were kids

#boy meets world

13 notes · View notes

missyourflight · 5 months

Text

some stuff i read and watched in december:

the buccanneers: never really hit the heights i wanted it to and most of the cast was not great! but kristine froseth is always watchable and kate winslet's daughter is darling, most importantly scotland doubling for cornwall was beaut. as ever god bless apple for spending money on nonsense

slow horses (s3): i don't know when river cartwright became my shit friend i'm unreasonably fond of but here we are! jack lowden v funny this season and i don't think it's just because i've decided he should be lymond in the billion dollar apple tv series that isn't happening and probably shouldn't bc who else is even blonde (harris dickinson?? i haven't seen the iron claw yet)

monarch: legacy of monsters: i started this and then due to my bad personality decided i had to watch all of the ~monsterverse for context, therefore godzilla december. strong threesome energy in the flashbacks, can't argue with wyatt and kurt russell playing the same character decades apart etc, love a disaster lesbian in crisis etc

~monsterverse interlude: most of these were silly, godzilla: king of the monsters was actively bad, godzilla vs. kong somehow my favourite due to the askars/rebecca hall (long beloved) combo plus all the neon. hollow earth let's go baby!

tokyo godfathers: loved this! love miracles in the city during the holiday season, love to listen to three different podcasts talking about the nuances of trans rep in subtitle translation etc

godzilla minus one: godzilla december! this one made me cryyy, the godzilla theme goes so unbelievably hard, cutest sweetest baby in the world, was incredibly happy to be emotionally manipulated by the endings etc

not going to get into all the christmas film rewatches but: coward's edit of the family stone (repeat the sounding joy!), crying at both little women 94 and little women 19 as per, moonstruck forever, bridget jones' diary colin firth the most sexually appealing colin firth 2 me etc

the wind rises: catching up with miyazaki before the boy and the heron and straight into my ghibli top 3, the love story stuff absolutely floored me

how to have sex: absolutely devastating god

the boy and the heron: very weird and beautiful and sad - saw the dub (robert pattinson you wonderful freak), seeing again with subs this week

jon krakauer, into thin air: a personal account of the everest disaster: i got about halfway through the first chapter and had to stop and ask my dad what the hell he was up to trekking to base camp on his own in the seventies. gripping, chilling, tragic

rose lerner, sailor's delight: rose lerner one of my favourite romance authors (true pretenses i love you forever etc), m/m age of sail romance set around the jewish high holidays with SO much longing and yearning my god

lizzie huxley-jones, make you mine this christmas: fun christmas romance - fake dating but she falls in love with the guy's sister! - that made me burst into tears like five pages in for reasons entirely unrelated to romance or christmas. a 2024 project for soph etc

barbra streisand, my name is barbra: did the audio version so even sped up i reckon i spent at least a full day and a half with barbra. as ever the parts about making things and artistic choices were the best parts, i respect her energy re: including every nice letter or compliment she ever received (my version of this would be reproducing nice ao3 comments etc). wild to me that she spent like 3 decades beefing with larry kramer trying to adapt the normal heart (with bradley cooper at one point lol) but i have to disagree with her impulse to tone down the gay sex to avoid alienating straight people!!

i am not here really but i was proud i managed to keep these little roundups going through the year so. happy new year friends

#monthly media #sophposting

7 notes · View notes

hurtmionedanger · 6 months

Note

Hey bestie don't be shy

top 5 favorite podcast characters and why

YOU EXPECT ME TO PICK???? PICK BETWEEN MY BELOVED GUYS???????

I am going to try to diversify beyond the magnus archives, mostly because dbd has had me in a death choke recently

With that being said, in no particular order

1. The Obituary writer from Death by Dying

Hes such an icon, normal guy and yet so so so very weird, his best friend is the angel of death, his other best friend is in his freezer and her still beating heart is on his desk, everyone thinks he’s going to kill someone one of these days based on looks alone, he has a questionable taste in fashion, hes bisexual, he has three man eating cats, he solves murders just like as a hobby, he is the most sopping wet pathetic wet cat of a man you could ever hope to meet, he is silly, what more could you possibly want from a man?

2. Jonathan Jarchivist, see prior post about this man he is so ridiculous, mf ACCIDENTALLY STARTED THE APOCALYPSE, He has been kidnapped more then princess peach, he is the eyes special little boy, hes ASEXUAL LIKE ME FRFR, he has a boyfriend who loves him very much, he likes good cows, hot singles in his area want to hunt him for sport, hes the saddest little meow meow there could possibly be.

3. Timothy stoker, managed to convey he was wearing a hawaiian shirt by voice alone, also THIS MAN IS THE ARCHIVES BRAINCELL, THE SLUTTY BISEXUAL IS THE BRAINCELL HERE WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT THE ARCHIVES, BECAUSE SASHA VERY MUCH IS NOT THE BRAINCELL SHE FOLLOWED A DEFINITELY NOT HUMAN GUY TO A RANDOM GRAVEYARD WITH VERY LITTLE FOLLOW UP AS TO WHY SHE NEEDED TO GO, AND JON DOESNT HAVE IT FOR PREVIOUSLY STATED REASONS, AND MARTIN IS MARTIN, MEANING TIM IS THE ONLY BRAINCELL HERE. Also as my boyfriend can attest, i have a thing for angry men in hawaiian shirts, i think theyre hot

4. Not technically a Guy persay, but the beloved michael distortion for having a sick ass voice and an even sicker statement, shows up and just stabs the archivist just because he can, he is literally the embodiment of gaslighting gatekeeping and girlbossing and his design is very cool really regardless of how people draw him but ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY DRAW HIM WITH LIKE SUPER DISTORTED JOINTS AND MULTIPLE FACES AND SHIT LIKE MMMMMMMMM, he gets bonus points for having excellent hair and not being a who but a what

Number five hhhh how do i pick between all of my beloved podcast guys, leaving out martin because i already screamed about Why i love Martin Knife Blackwood Already

5. Georgie Barker I think has to go here, maybe alongside helen and Melanie, i love them all for very different reasons but they are just such girlbosses, georgie just doesn’t feel fear, had an existential crisis so hard her brain stopped processing it, she is the girl ever, also shes jons ex, automatically getting her more points, she had a skin clown break into her apartment and fuck with her lights and the only reason she was upset was because it meant she had to replace all her lightbulbs, Also georgie has a podcast where she talks about ghosts, which is really funny to me, and i would absolutely listen to her podcast

Honorable mentions:

Helen for season 5 shenanigans of showing up whenever JMart were fighting because she wanted the Tea

Gerry Keay for his defining trait mentioned by every single statement giver who saw him being “Really shittily dyed hair” like imagine that being your legacy

#danger zone #asks #the magnus archives #death by dying

10 notes · View notes

lola-andheruniverse · 2 years

Text

It's our last SDCC and I'm sad and angry because I love this fucking show so much and I'm going to miss it but at the same time good riddance because yeah we overstayed our welcome

so here's 2 lists in no particular order of

10 THINGS THE WALKING DEAD GOT RIGHT

1) Shane and his descent into madness; 2) Rick as a benevolent and kind leader that also goes batshit crazy and ruthless when needed; 3) Michonne and Carl's friendship; 4) Carol's character development; 5) Carol and Daryl and their incredibly beautiful and meaningful bond; 6) the whole concept of Team Family; 7) pretty much the whole existence of Glenn, Eugene, Lydia and Jerry; 8) siblings love; 9) Aaron having a second chance of having a family with Gracie; 10) villains with very different mindsets, goals and iconic aesthetics.

10 THINGS THE WALKING DEAD GOT WRONG

1) the mistreating of female characters in general; 2) the Rick/Lori/Shane love triangle, putting all the blame on Lori's shoulders; 3) Andrea's whole arc; 4) the non-ending pain parade Carol and Daryl have to unnecessarily endure, which got in the way of they becoming a couple; 5) killing off legacy characters (Carl, Beth, Noah, Henry, Enid); 6) introducing a load of new characters each season just to kill them before the audience can even connect so their arcs are pretty much useless; 7) killing Bob, Tyresee and Noah, three black man, one after the other and on an increasing traumatic manner; 8) Glenn's wasted potential as a character, his death and Negan's redemption arc altogether; 9) Maggie's character development; 10) yes, I'll repeat myself here, Carol and Daryl not being a couple.

and no I won't explain my reasoning

my beloved characters and show deserved better

#the walking dead #twd #sdcc 2022 #caryl

131 notes · View notes

princeescaluswords · 11 months

Note

What do you think are Gerard’s favorite lines of Shakespeare and why?

Selecting one line took me a long time, to be quite honest, but I finally settled on these from MacBeth, Act V, Scene V:

I have almost forgot the taste of fears; The time has been my sense would have cool'd To hear a night-shriek; and my fell of hair Would at a dismal treatise rouse and stir As life were in't; I have supp'd full with horrors; Direness, familiar to my slaughterous thoughts Cannot once start me.

In the play, MacBeth is waiting for his enemies to attack when he hears screaming from inside the castle. He explains to the audience that he's become so accustomed to doing terrible things that he is no longer easily frightened. The irony, of course, is that the outcry is due to his beloved wife, Lady MacBeth, having killed herself out of guilt for the murder they performed together. The irony of these lines would work for Gerard Argent just as well.

It might seem strange, but Gerard and MacBeth have an especially important thing in common: they often claim that their murderous actions are impelled by outside forces. In MacBeth’s case, the Scottish lord betrays his king and his dearest friend, even though he knows these actions are wrong, because he can point to the ironic prophecies of the Three Witches.

Gerard doesn’t have anyone supernatural oracles to blame his actions on. Instead, he insists that the Argents are at war with the supernatural. Whereas the Code argues that the Argents should only hunt in response to violence ("We hunt those who hunt us"), as embodied by Chris's interpretation, Gerard steadfastly rejects that position. He announces in Omega (2x01) that he's going after every one of them because they killed Kate, despite knowing that isn't his real motivation or that Kate struck first. After sharing the parable of the Scorpion and the Frog, he declares he "know[s] a werewolf's nature" in Visionary (3x08). He declaims on La Bête's murderous tendencies in Damnatio Memoriae (5x12) as if it were an exemplar of a werewolf rather than just another serial killer.

Derek, in a way, is wrong. Gerard isn't declaring war at the beginning of Season 2, because he acts as if he's always been at war. You can see him calculating the use of cutting down the Nemeton (though we don't know for sure he did it); he orders Kate to destroy the Hales, innocent children included. He speaks in strategies and military terms. He quotes Sun Tzu as often as he does Shakespeare. His argument is clear that war not only justifies his family doing terrible things but demands it. "When it comes to survival," he announces in Master Plan (2x12), "I'd kill my own son." He argues that Allison, too, must ready herself to do terrible things because "She'll feel the ground shifting beneath her feet time and again in her life. It is our job to teach her how to keep standing" in Party Guessed (2x09). His first mission for his 18-year-old son is selling weapons to a criminal organization without telling him in Silverfinger (3x17).

One of the keys to note is that, also like MacBeth, Gerard doesn't regret this, not in the way that say Chris and Victoria do like when they wanted Allison to have a choice. In fact, he takes pride in the strength of his will, as the Scottish king has forgotten fear. He gloats when he thinks he has Scott on the ropes about his ability to get things done in Battlefield (2x11), "and if you haven't noticed, I have a very impressive means to motivate people." Even when defeated, he remains confident, as he boasts to Allison and Scott, "I don't go easily, though, do I?" He's proud of his actions as he shares with Liam in The Sword and The Spirit (5x14) "they would call me a necessary evil, but you can call me Gerard." He wants to transform his wicked violence into a legacy through the lens of war and necessity; his entire story in 6B is Gerard trying to reframe his terrible deeds as a legacy. Even when he's making a deal with a demon, the Anuk-Ite in Genotype (6x18), he's triumphant: "The legend is, is that you need silver to kill a werewolf. The truth? You need an Argent."

While both MacBeth and Gerard try to position themselves as not as other men, their ends are the same. They are not kings or generals; they're monsters. "Turn, hellhound, turn!" MacDuff cries to MacBeth at the beginning of the decisive battle, and Chris Argent condemns his own father; "If you're looking for rationality, I think he left that behind a long time ago." These men have talked themselves into evil, and they pay the price for it. They both pay the price for it as well. MacBeth, motivated by prophecy to do wicked deeds, doesn't think that prophecy can be against him, but it is, for Birnam Wood does come to Dunsinane. While Gerard, who always saw the interaction of supernatural and human as a war regardless of the individual participants, is destroyed by someone he refused to see as his own daughter.

The final irony would be that Gerard would quote MacBeth as part of his arrogance and vainglory, because he stands apart from other humans as one who hunts monsters, but like MacBeth, he would fail to see that his own arrogance caused his destruction.

#gerard argent #teen wolf #teen wolf meta #shakespeare #shakespeare still influences culture today

12 notes · View notes

theurbanspaceboi · 1 month

Text

TAG GAME: nine people i'd like to know better.

last song i listened to:

she's so high, tal bachman.

currently watching:

watching: star wars: the clone wars, ahsoka, and game of thrones.

rewatching: ted lasso and the umbrella academy.

up next: the witcher (season three,) the mandalorian (season three,) monarch: legacy of monsters, daredevil (seasons two and three,) echo, as well as several other disney+ marvel shows, and reservation dogs.

sweet/savory/spicy?:

savory! i enjoy sweet and spicy in moderation but i cannot resist a savory snack.

relationship status:

single and mingling!

current obsession:

ted lasso, mainly. star wars, too. i've been wearing a padawan braid in the back of my mullet. it's a sickness.

tagged by: my beloved mutual @belladonnafey.

tagging: homies and mutuals @dear-galileo, @devinwolfi, @deathsdaisy, @milesmain, @kitausuret, @bigmanroykent, @watcherswill, @spcecowboyyy, and @tri-punisher. i hope you do not mind the tags! there is no pressure whatsoever to participate. untagged friends and mutuals are also welcome to participate too.

#tag game

4 notes · View notes

haveamagicalday · 4 months

Text

Books read in 2023

Here is a list/short reviews of the books I read in 2023! My top ten can be found here.

4 Stars

All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham - A year prior to the start of our story, Isabelle's beloved toddler was stolen in the night while she and her husband slept. Since then, Isabelle rarely sleeps and won't rest until her son is found. When a podcaster comes to town looking to interview her about the case, Isabelle sees this as a chance to dig up new clues that may lead her to her son. This is a great follow up to Willingham's debut and I loved the setting and overall vibes of the book.

Delicate Condition by Danielle Valentine- What's interesting about this book is it was released about a month before American Horror Story premiered their season that is based on it. So I don't know if it was commissioned to be written for that purpose or if Ryan Murphy got wind of it prior and sought to make the adaptation or what. I have not seen the new season and I've heard it isn't that good but I really ended up liking this book! Anna is a young actress determined to have a baby. After many rounds of IVF it finally happens. But then tragedy strikes and Anna miscarries the baby, or so she is told. She can still feel the baby inside her and the doctor's confusing answers and explanations are just a further mystery to the phenomenon. As her miracle pregnancy goes along, threats to her safety and strange instances build up to a shocking conclusion. I was expecting it to be kind of silly but it was an engaging read with a surprisingly happy ending. It did not go in the direction I thought it would and I was pleasantly surprised by that. Would not recommend it if you are pregnant or trying to be though.

The Ghosts of Rose Hill by R.M Romero- Illana, a biracial Jewish girl, is sent to Prague to live with her aunt for the summer. Illana discovers a Jewish cemetery behind her aunt's house where she meets the ghost of a long dead boy, named Benjamin. The two become friends but their happiness is threatened by a mysterious man with no shadow that also takes a keen interest in Illana. Written in prose, this is a hauntingly beautiful fairytale.

Greymist Fair by Francesca Zappia- I didn't realize going in that this would be divided up into a collection of short stories rather than a linear story. However the stories are all connected and often explain things that may have happened in the previous stories and there is a conclusion at the end. I really enjoyed the take on some of these lesser known fairy tales. My favorite was Doctor Death and the Prince's Riddle.

I Will Find You Again by Sarah Lyu- This is Lyu's second book and I have to say that she does toxic relationships really well. Both of her books have a mystery to be solved but they both read more like a character study and deep dive into a tumultuous relationship that the MC has. Chase and Lia are best friends that are estranged but when Lia goes missing, Chase's world is turned upside down as she follows a trail of secrets and betrayals to find out the truth of what happened.

The Legacies by Jessica Goodman- Another fun teen thriller from Goodman! Eight students from a prestigious prep school are selected to join New York City's exclusive Legacy Club. But tensions rise the week leading up to their induction Ball leading to a shocking death. There are moments you have to suspend your disbelief but that doesn't take away from the story. My only complaint is that it is told in first person with three different narratives and at times they don't sound much different from one another. I still flew through this one and look forward to the next book from Goodman!

Lying in the Deep by Diana Urban- Jade is off on the adventure of a lifetime, a semester at sea visiting 11 different countries. But the presence of her ex boyfriend, now dating her ex best friend, leads to an obsession which spirals until a shocking murder takes place. Now Jade must clear her name and try to stop the killer from murdering again. I honestly enjoyed this way more than I thought I would. It was a page turner that was a lot of fun. I read after that it is apparently a loose retelling of Death on the Nile but for me it felt like murderous version of Suite Life on Deck lol

The Narrow by Kate Alice Marshall- Eden attends a boarding school haunted by a river that takes all who fall in. All but Delphine who fell in six years prior and somehow survived. Now Delphine lives isolated in quarantine for a mysterious illness and Eden is tasked with being her companion. But the more time Eden spends with Delphine, the more she feels haunted by a dark presence. This was a very engrossing ghost story with some gothic vibes. There was a sweet love story and I loved the complexity of Eden and her relationships with her friends. There were a few creepy twists throughout but the most interesting aspects were the human relationships, especially between Eden and Delphine. A real fun spooky read!

Out of the Ashes by Kara Thomas- This is going to sound bad but I really don't remember this book but I gave it 4 stars so I guess I enjoyed it. This is Thomas's first Adult novel and focuses on Samantha, whose home was burned down and her entire family murdered years prior. However, renewed interest in the cold case reveals the shocking revelation that Samantha's baby sister may have made it out alive. This turns Samantha's world upside down as she desperately seeks answers. I do remember the ending of this and it was pretty satisfying

Royal Blood by Aimee Carter- Evan is the secret illegitimate daughter of the King of England in an alternate history. Circumstances force Evan to spend the summer with the father she never met before and her secret is quickly found out. What was supposed to be a fun night out with her half sister and others turns deadly and Evan finds herself the main suspect. This is another book I enjoyed more than I thought I would. It's like the Princess Diaries if it were a thriller. I also love that despite being a series, the mystery and storyline was wrapped up in the end

The Sandman by ETA Hoffman- I had no idea the ballet Coppelia was based on this! The ballet is so cutesy and this is so dark and creepy. I would love to see a version of Coppelia that followed The Sandman more closely.

Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher- This is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty that tells the tale of Toadling, the fairy that was sent to bless the princess on her birth. Now that the princess is asleep, Toadling guards the tower but in a shocking twist, she is determined to keep everyone out of it. A fun and interesting take on a classic fairy tale!

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins- This is an interesting retelling based not on Frankenstein, but the story behind the novel's creation. Emily and Chess are two friends that are spending the summer in Italy at a beautiful Villa. The Villa just happens to be the same place that famed rock star Noel Gordon spent a summer in 1974. Along with Noel is Pierce Sheldon (an up and coming rock star), his girlfriend Mari, and her stepsister Lara. The summer turns deadly for the group which inspires Mari to write a prolific horror novel and then disappear from the limelight for the rest of her life. Now Emily is determined to discover what really happened that summer by using clues from Mari's novel. This was a really fun read and while the big mystery was honestly not that solid, the characters and unique premise were interesting enough to hold the plot.

3.5 Stars

Mister Magic by Kiersten White- A mystery children's show called Mister Magic was canceled and nearly erased from history 30 years prior to the start of the novel. Val was a child actor on the show but has no memory of it. When her fellow castmates find her, they bring her along for a reunion which is bound to expose dark secrets along the way. So, this had to be partly inspired by Candle Cove, no? I really enjoy all things to do with lost media and was super excited when I read the blurb for this book! For the most part, I think it lived up to expectations. The ending wasn't a let down but it did leave me wanting more. There was also an reveal about two thirds of the way through which I wish would have been made sooner. It wasn't really a twist or anything but it did add a lot of context that could have been used earlier. Otherwise it just felt really thrown in at the end.

The Night Shift by Alex Finlay- At the end of 1999, four teens are attacked during their shift at a Blockbuster. Only one survives and the killer is never found. Now it is 15 years later and a similar crime takes place at an Ice Cream parlor. A solid thriller.

The Quarantine Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot- A welcomed return to the diaries of Princess Mia. This was a fun read but it was also kind of tough to read about people dealing with the beginning of the pandemic. Not the best of memories to be honest.

Where He Can't Find You by Darcy Coates- When I started this I was expecting more of a mystery/thriller based on the blurb but it became apparent pretty quickly that this is a supernatural horror novel instead. A small Midwest town is haunted by a mysterious figure known as the stitcher. When someone goes missing, the town knows that there is no hope of ever finding them until the stitcher wants them to. And they'll always find them in pieces. When Abby's younger sister goes missing she is determined to find her no matter the cost. It becomes a race against the clock to find her with the help of Abby's friends. This was very reminiscent of horror like It or Stranger Things. TW: Body Horror, Gore

You Can Trust Me by Wendy Heard- I flew through this one but in retrospect, it was very cheesy and what I would deem a Fast Food Thriller. Fun, but you really have to dispense your disbelief throughout. Summer and Leo are best friends who swindle and pickpocket. Leo makes the mistake of going after a self made millionaire and when he offers her the chance to visit his exclusive island, she jumps at the chance. When Leo doesn't return, Summer is determined to infiltrate the island to get her friend back.

3 Stars

The Blackhouse by Carole Johnstone- I loved Johnstone's Mirrorland but this one was a let down in comparison. The book takes place in a small island town and I could not keep all of the townspeople straight. Plus the mystery just wasn't that interesting and it dragged in a lot of places.

Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie - A ghost hunting reality tv crew decides to make their thirteenth episode about the infamous Paranormal Research Foundation. Written as journal entries and transcripts, things get creepy real quick for the crew. I felt like this book started off strong but faded as it went along. I was not a fan of the last third but recognize that others might like the direction it went.

Loved by PC Cast- The first book in the Night of House sequel series. I decided to read this because the tumblr blog: @houseofzoey was making me feel nostalgic. It was not good but it was fun to revisit the characters and world. As always, the stakes are high but the conflict is resolved ridiculously easy. Zoey continues to be one of the worst characters in existence but the others are enjoyable in a dumb way.

Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O'Neill - This was kind of a tough one to get through. I love the author's later work and this had the same style of writing but felt lacking in comparison. I found both The Lonely Hearts Hotel and When We Lost Our Heads oddly whimsical despite the heavy subject matter but this was definitely just bleakness with no hope in sight TW: Child Abuse/Neglect, Pedophilia, Drugs/Alcohol

Midnight is the Darkest Hour by Ashley Winstead- Ruth is the preacher's daughter in a small southern town. Ruth's only friend as a teen was the bad boy Everett who she was bonded to with a dark secret. Now as adults, bodies are being found in the swamp and Ruth and Everett want to get to the bottom of things. This book had such a great premise but did not deliver. The religious town is portrayed as cult-like but the messaging behind this book was confused and all over the place. We are clearly supposed to root for Ruth and Everett but by the end of the book, I wasn't rooting for them either. Also there are way too many references to Twilight. At one point Ruth seriously thinks that Everett is a vampire and I don't know if that was just to be funny or if we were actually supposed to believe that as well.

Nothing but Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw- People on Goodreads hated this. It has one of the lowest ratings I've ever seen and I really don't think it deserves that. It's not the best but it's not that bad. A lot of people were bothered by the "purple prose" but I didn't mind it (I also hate that phrase). However, it was somewhat confusing and anticlimactic.

Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno Garcia- Garcia's last few books since Mexican Gothic have been really disappointing to me. I was expecting a lot of spooks with the cursed film premise but there really wasn't much of it. When we finally did get some magic towards the end it was pretty cheesy. Neither of the characters were really likable and the ending with them was weird. Overall not my favorite of Moreno-Garcia's but also not the worst.

This is Why We Lie by Gabriella Lepore- I'm going to be honest, this was one of my first reads of 2023 and I don't remember a single detail. Two teens find a body in the lake and mystery ensues!

To Make Monsters Out of Girls by Amanda Lovelace- This was not my favorite of Lovelace's. I'm starting to notice she writes a lot of her poetry based on a past relationship and at this point it's like, girl move on!

We'll Never Tell by Wendy Heard- Another book I really don't remember. The official blurb describes it as a whodunit doused in Hollywood lore. I remember it being a fun little read but apparently not that memorable.

Winterset Hollow by Jonathan Edward Durham- The idea behind this was really fascinating but it lost its appeal one third of the way through. Three friends visit the island that an author wrote and based a children's book on in a similar vein to Watership Down or The Wind in the Willows. To their surprise, the characters in their beloved book are real and they want their visitors to celebrate the famed Harvest Day with them. Pretty quickly things fall apart and the majority of the book is the characters being hunted and it got old pretty fast. There were definitely parallels and themes of colonization but the colonized and mistreated characters were also the villains seeking revenge so... make of that what you will

Wolfpack by Amelia Brunskill- Written in prose this book is about nine girls who live together in a cult commune. It was a very quick read but nothing really happened. One of the girl's goes missing and the rest of the book is trying to figure out what happened. The book's biggest problem is that it's told from 8 different perspectives and they all blend together. When the reveal comes at the end it leaves little impact because we don't know or care about these characters.

2 Stars

Daphne by Josh Malerman- Daphne is a local boogeyman. A seven foot tall, denim clad woman who always has her face painted like Gene Simmons. That image alone was too ridiculous for me. Kit is a teen on the basketball team whose teammates start disappearing one by one. She believes Daphne is the culprit. The book was more so a metaphor for mental health struggles but it was just too silly and boring for me to enjoy. I couldn't picture any of the scary stuff that was happening very well and people seemed to under react to a lot of things. Plus I learned way too much about basketball.

Unrated

The Little Book of Manifestation by Astrid Carvel- I was going through it when I read this lol. Whether you believe that you can actually manifest things in your life or not, I do think positive thinking goes a long way and this was a nice little reminder of that.

Brother by Ania Ahlborn - Just a big bummer all around. I read this in one sitting but looking back some of it was kind of boring? The book was much tamer than how it was advertised to me. Don't get me wrong, there was a lot of implied gore and horror but we didn't see much of it. To give some background, the main character lives out in the Appalachians with his murderous family. He helps kidnap women, the mother tortures them and then they eat them. With a premise like that you think this would be horrifying. We are given very little backstory as to why they do this. Well, it turns out to be rather boring as Michael (our lead) spends most of the book feeling sorry for himself and trying to woo a girl at the record shop. He also has a tumultuous relationship with his abusive older brother, who he fears but craves approval from. Not much happens for the majority of the book and then we have an explosive ending in the last 1/3rd. And it's just a huge bummer. TW: Rape, Murder, Gore, Cannibalism, Attempted Incest, Abuse

Not Since Carrie: Forty Years of Broadway Flops by Ken Mandelbaum - A look into Broadway flops over the past 40 years. The flops are categorized oddly and usually there is only a page or two dedicate to each one which made it really repetitive. I think would have preferred a detailed deep dive into maybe 10 or so Broadway flops.

Slenderman: Online Obsession, Mental Illness, and the Violent Crime of Two Midwestern Girls by Kathleen Hale - This book doesn't focus so much on the crime but the aftermath. For those who don't know, Morgan and Anissa, two preteen girls, stabbed their friend (who lived) in an attempted sacrifice to please the popular Creepypasta character, Slenderman. Of course, all the coverage of this case focused on Slenderman and the dangerous of the internet but really this is a case of severe mental illness that went untreated for a long time. Anissa did the stabbing but ultimately it was Morgan that concocted the whole plan. Morgan showed signs of schizophrenia (a disorder her father was also diagnosed with) at a young age but this was ignored by the adults in her life. After the crime took place, Morgan was denied any kind of treatment or medication during her time in prison prior to her sentencing. Morgan was left to live in her delusions and hallucinations for over a year before she was finally given help. In a harrowing section of the book, Morgan describes "waking up" from her psychosis only to be flung into a nightmare where she had committed a terrible crime against her friend. No where am I saying that Morgan does not deserve the prison time she was given but the prison system's treatment of mental health was really highlighted here and was horrifying to read about.

#books #book reviews #book review #book recommendation #book recomendation #literature #my post #non disney #my reads

5 notes · View notes

enigma-absolute · 1 year

Note

What is Eddsworld about?

3 British idiots (and occasionally an additional Norwegian one) have silly misadventures in a long-running animated webshow. There’s been zombies and clones to fight, movies to make and even a trip down to hell AND Atlantis. It’s a bit of a wacky show.

To make a short story long, Eddsworld was made initially in 2003 by Edd Gould, and featured him and his friends as the main characters. Over the years after Gould passing from leukaemia in 2012, the show, show crew and fandom has seen some rocky times (I could make a tome of lore about all this but NO THANKS), but is still a fond spot in many people’s hearts - including mine. Without coming across it in late February 2013, I genuinely wouldn’t have a foundation for my current art style and the push to pursue my passions in animation.

That and if you come into Eddsworld fandom (not recommended if you go into the main body, just find a few folks and stick with them), be expected to draw a LOT of hoodies and develop an annoying (affectionate) habit of making puns.

So who are the three British idiots anyway? Keep in mind: while they were initially based off IRL Edd and his friends, they’re not the same as them and are seperate things. It’s seen as VERY disrespectful to keep using IRL surnames for the characters, so we often substitute our own made-up or similar-sounding ones.

Edd: Head of the trio, brown hair, green hoodie. Looks like the most normal. Is not, really. The artistic one and pun-maker. Loves cola to a fault, to a point where in canon, his future self went back in time to kill his past self because cola got banned globally. (And it’s the highest ranked Eddsworld episode and the one with the most views.)

Edd is my personal favourite character and I will fight on the hill for him to have a good Edd-centric story that isn’t about shipping him with the other lads or as an angst punching bag. He doesn’t even get enough fanart as the title character of his own show! Let my boy have PEACE AND A FUN TIME FOR ONCE.

Tom: Blue hoodie, spiky hair, weird eyes. The grumpy ‘voice of reason’, but he is also not immune to the Shenanigans. Often the alcoholic, but less so in canon. Has a beloved monster form since it was seen in the eddisode PowerEdd. If you’re asking why his eyes are Like That, we don’t have a concrete answer either. Are they voids? Portals to other things? Just black? Who knows? (The void though is my favourite bc it’s funny.)

Tom is one of the more popular characters of the fandom, and I can see why! However, as an Edd girlie myself, I will admit that it has been a bit TOO much to see over the years. Him and the Norwegian character, but that’s another story.

Matt: Ginger, purple hoodie and green overcoat. Highly narcissistic, with (and I quote the theme song here) ‘the intelligence of a kitchen shelf.’ Can often be found admiring himself in mirrors. Surprisingly has the highest body count of all his friends from over the episodes. Was at one point, a vampire from a Halloween special - that has still carried through into many fanon designs of him. And he was also leader of a zombie army too.

I remember a time when Matt wasn’t so popular as Tom and the Norwegian one, but now he’s just very shipped with the rest of his mates and given plenty of fanart as he likes. And good for him! Now at this point you'd expect me to talk about the Norwegian.

And you know what? No.

I respect him, I can enjoy him as a character and part of the unit with the boys, I can enjoy some takes on the concepts his latter days brought to the table, but overall? I would like to see him Goncharov'd OUT of relevancy.

That character has done too much damage on the fandom, tbh. The days in the fandom where he was basically nonexistent were peaceful. The final episodes of the Eddsworld Legacy season were a flashpoint (derogatory) and while it did unearth old (metaphorical) cursed relics from under the surface, I'm becoming more convinced by the year that he and his last two episodes have done MORE harm than good - stretching even into now!

I'd rather be careful to talk about him. And we don't make any mention of the person he was inspired by, just for the sake of the IRL man to be LEFT ALONE. As should most of the others and their families who played these characters.

Speaking of these kinds of things: A warning.

As for the more recent episodes in the Eddsworld Beyond season: tread with caution. From the first proper episode, people from the crew have been kicked off for genuinely serious reasons that are too dark to explain here and discourse has been rife about the current showrunners.

If you decide to take a look at what had happened - take everything with a grain of salt and come to your own conclusions. The bias can be easy to fall into one group or another so I strongly don't recommend to go looking for it. If you're here for a fun time, do NOT go near the discourse. Especially on tumblr.

So, rant aside, I'll stop myself here. If you want some recommendations on where to begin on Eddisodes:

The Zombeh Attack Trilogy (yes it's spelled like this on purpose): The lads encounter zombies. Not all of them will survive.

Ruined: The lads investigate an egyptian temple.

Spares: The lads get cloned by an evil director. Who is also an idiot.

Hello Hellhole: The boys go to hell. For a vacation.

Moving Targets: The boys join the army.

The Zanta Claws Trilogy: The lads encounter and fight against a Zombie Santa Claus. Shenanigans ensue.

Matt Sucks: Halloween special in which Matt is bitten by a vampire.

Moviemakers: The lads make a movie.

WTFuture: Edd and his friends are chased after his murderous future self. Fan favourite, and if you only watch ONE Eddisode, I HIGHLY recommend this!

Hammer and Fail (Parts One AND Two): The lads try to renovate due to Matt's kleptomaniac tendencies. (Also the introduction to fan-favourite side characters.)

Space Face (Parts One AND Two): The last of Edd Gould's work and animation before his passing and the start of the Legacy season. The lads get abducted by aliens.

Hide and Seek (minisode): Matt tries to play the titular game.

Fun Dead: The lads go to a zombie-infested theme park.

Mirror Mirror (minisode): We meet the genderbend version of the lads and spend the time with the girls, Ell, Tamara and Matilda! (I've also lost count how many times I've cosplayed as Ell. Best girl, you can't change my mind.)

PowerEdd: Edd gets superpowers and has a rivalry with his neighbour.

Saloonatics: The radically different art style and some of the story was quite divisive among fans upon release, but has now become a beloved cult classic. A spiritual sequel to WTFuture, we go back in time and encounter 'ancestor' characters of the lads in the wild west.

Surf and Turf (Part One): (Shh part two is currently in production) The lads go to the beach. What could go wrong?

Should be all I can wholeheartedly recommend to a first-time viewer. If you decide to take the plunge, good luck!

#Enni answers #tzarina-alexandra #chris rambles #good lord have mercy that question took me out to see it from a mutual in the faith

9 notes · View notes

charliethomascoxuniverse · 1 year

Text

Marvel Star Charlie Cox Took Massive Pay Cut to Work With Snyderverse Legend Ciaran Hinds: “It’s definitely in my top 5 experiences”

by Shazmeen Navrange March 31, 2023 (X)

Many actors take the risk to work for less pay just to reflect the best experience in their acting resumes. Well, Charlie Cox is one such actor, who doesn’t regret doing a film with the Snyderverse legend even with a pay cut. Cox is popularly known for his role as Daredevil in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He starred in the marvel series for almost four years and did three seasons. The show was then canceled for another season due to the rights issues between Disney+ and Netflix.

Charlie Cox will be returning to MCU with a stand-alone series of his own named Daredevil: Born Again. Apart from his franchise work, he has also been a part of films like The Merchant of Venice, Legacy, Eat Locals, The Maiden’s Conspiracy, Hello Carter, and others.

Why Charlie Cox Took The Pay Cut?

Ciaran Hinds is considered one of the most well-known actors in the industry. He has also been a part of DCEU and played the role of the supervillain named Steppenwolf. His character was a part of the 2017 Justice League as well as the Snyder Cut of 2021. He has been a beloved villain of the DCEU and who wouldn’t take a chance to work with him? That’s the reason Charlie Cox took this opportunity and was ready to work even with a pay cut. Apart from Hinds’ work in the DCEU, he has been associated with big films like Harry Potter and The Death Hallows: Part 2, Ghost Rider, Munic, Persuasion, and many others.

Charlie Cox played the lead role of Michael Kinsella whereas Hinds’ had the supporting role of Eamon Cunningham in the Kin series. The Stardust actor didn’t regret his decision as he thinks it was one of the top experiences of his overall career.

“Oh Yes. Yes I did. But it’s definitely in my top five experiences of all time. I thought I was doing a small low budget gritty series. I never thought we would have some of the other actors we got like Aidan Gillen, Maria Doyle Kennedy, and Ciaran Hinds, etc. A lot of those guys can demand very high paychecks on American jobs. The fact that they wanted to do this says a lot about them. Putting all of us together led to an amazing dynamic.”

Ciaran Hinds has also won the award for Best Supporting role in the series at Irish Film & Television awards. The show was worth Charlie Cox’s experience and also was a delight to the Irish Audience. The team did an incredible job in creating something so great on a tight budget. There are in total eight episodes in season one. The show was also renewed for a season 2, this year. The first two episodes are already streaming on RTE.

Marvel’s Big Paycheck To Charlie Cox

Well, Charlie Cox might not get the deserving pay in some other films, but he gets a good payday at Marvel. Even before the announcement of Daredevil: Born Again, Charlie Cox appeared in Spider-Man: No Way Home which was a complete surprise for fans. It was known that the Stone Of Destiny actor was paid an amount of at least $4M. Other reports also suggested that he may have got up to $7M.

Well, Charlie Cox is now getting his own stand-alone masked superhero series. So it can be expected that he will get even more than the amount he was paid for a film like Spider-Man: No Way Home. Daredevil Born Again will be an 18-episode-long series that will stream on Disney+.

As of now, the release date isn’t confirmed but it’s known the series will be released in 2024.

~*~

#holy crap 4-7 million for Charlie's cameo in NWH?!?! *whistles* 👀✨#good for him 👏#they better be paying him hella well for an 18 episode long season of DBA too lol #happy to hear he's enjoying his experience with the Kin cast so much <3 #*no wonder* he said in that interview that he no longer has to worry about doing jobs for the money anymore #and can just focus the roles that interest him as an artist #that's basically the dream of every artist <3 #charlie cox #ciarán hinds #kin amc #daredevil born again #interview #article

10 notes · View notes

hyacinthsdiamonds · 2 years

Text

For the most part, F1 has been a generally safe sport in the last decade or so. Sure, we've had bad crashes, Romain Grosjean's in Bahrain 2020, Zhou Guanyu and Max Verstappen's in Silverstone (2022 & 2021 respectively) to name a few but they've all thankfully walked away from them when in the past (before the sport's advancement in technology and safety) they wouldn't have.

Those of you who are newer to the sport or are younger fans, won't know or remember a time where this wasn't the case. In the sport's younger years, it was not uncommon to lose at least three drivers in various crashes over the course of a season. Drivers like Jackie Stewart pushed for more to be done to ensure better safety for drivers, marshals and spectators but it wasn't until the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix that the sport as a whole pushed for better safety.

That ominous race weekend in Imola saw multiple incidents that injured driver Rubens Barrichello as well as mechanics, marshals and spectators alike and horrific crashes that ended the lives of Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger. The events of that weekend devasted the sport and it's impact is still felt nearly three decades later. The measures that were taken in the aftermath to improve safety had a substantial impact; the 2000s remain the only decade to date where there were no driver fatalities in F1.

Unfortunately twenty years after that fateful San Marino Grand Prix weekend, Jules Bianchi was involved in a crash at Suzuka, a crash which he sadly never recovered from. He passed away seven years ago today.

Jules' legacy is one that is still being written. He has helped save countless lives due to the safety procedures that were implemented to prevent another crash like his. Romain Grosjean credits those with saving his life in Bahrain. His godson Charles Leclerc, the promised prince of Ferrari, il predestinato is battling for his first world championship with the team they both loved so much. His number, the number 17 was retired in his honor.

I always think of Jules during this time of year and I know he'll not be far from my thoughts in October when F1 returns to Japan for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic. The week of the Japanese grand prix also marks the eighth anniversary of his crash. I'll never forget that weekend, that sickening, sinking feeling as I can began to understand that something had gone horrifically, horribly wrong. Those are moments I hope I never see the like of again. Those are the moments I remember every single time I see someone hoping for a driver they dislike to be involved in some sort of crash. Those are moments no one should wish on anyone.

Jules Bianchi... Seven years on, it almost feels like yesterday. People like to talk about the career he could've had in F1 but today let's simply remember the beautiful person we lost. Jules, a beloved son, godfather, friend, etc, who had an undeniable talent and who was taken too soon and is greatly missed.

#f1 #formula 1 #formula one #jules bianchi #tw crash

38 notes · View notes

mononijikayu · 2 years

Text

chapter vi.

Rating: M

Warning: Targaryen Incest, Nude and Sexual Depictions;

Summary: MELLARA TARGARYEN breaks the chain of rules to meet DAEMON TARGARYEN three years after;

[the matriarch of the princedom of blackhall, princess dowager elaena was a woman of great virtue, of great intelligence and character. but she was also regarded as blunt to the point of disregarding the feelings of others. still, this widow was a loyal and loving supporter of her daughter’s happiness and hopes. even if it meant that she would get nothing but headaches from her daughter’s insistence to live in her own way, unlike any other lady of the realm.]

- maester aeron targaryen; adust

A D U S T m a s t e r l i s t

< you and i burn together or we shall die trying >

chapter i / chapter ii / chapter iii / chapter iv / chapter v

chapter vi / chapter vii / chapter viii / chapter ix / chapter x

chapter xi / chapter xii / chapter xiii / chapter xiv / chapter xv

chapter xvi / chapter xvii / chapter xviii

The hail of dark smoke poured through ambers gathered atop the fireplace, almost like birthing a dragon from the ashes. Elaena Velaryon had always been told that fire does not burn dragons, and often they called themselves blood of the dragon. That would be a lie, she thinks to herself as she pierces her lips into a flat line. Dragons burn. Her beloved Aelor had burned just as much. Her husband’s tears poured from dragon dreams that burnt him heart and soul. He had always told her that dragons were flesh and bone, easily vanquished by sword and flame. They are either cursed to die in the flames or let themselves be foolish enough to succumb to them. Aelor had cried so often that fire will burn him, just as much as the curse the gods have gifted him.

The seasoned princess dowager had been a spectator to much misfortune in her family, much too much to count with the fringes of her aged fingers. The flashes of memories came constantly, a river’s pace as it crawled to the sea with haste. It was hard to be the one, to be left behind, and to remember. To bear the wishes of the dead, to continue a legacy that you were not meant to carry. But Elaena knew that no one else could take that mantle. The rest have gone too soon, so young, to aged time and to accidents that the hands of gods made in the thread of gold. It was her responsibility to keep this fledgling family together, as she was the only one who remained - the only one who could keep their family’s word of truth alive. Even if that meant going against her nephew, the king.

"Time and time again, you have disobeyed me.“ The king’s loud voice echoed with venom, his dark purple eyes shining in anger. There is no doubt it could be heard from outside. "Once again, you prove to me how you cannot be trusted, aunt.”

"What is your proof, nephew, that I disobeyed?“ The princess dowager calmly replied, hands resting on the small of her lap, eyes tethered to the king. "You only have the lying, self serving tongue of a repetitive offender like lord Hightower, don’t you?”

"I know that you detest that I have remarried, I know you still mourn Aemma.“ He frowned softly at her. "But do well to act gracefully towards the queen and her family. Do well to speak of my good father in such a manner, dowager princess. He is my good - father.”

"And your grace does well to remember that hostility towards his elders forgets the rule of respect. Am I not the matriarch of this family, nephew?“ Elaena responds, unmoving as she watches the king frustratedly pace.

“You are, aunt. But Alicent is now part of our family. You have need to guide her, not chastise her or her father.”

"The queen or her father have none for me. What shall I do if they do not want peace with me and mine own kin? I had done what I felt best, to reprimand her and her behaviour. You know just as much your own mother would have berated your wife for her behaviour just as much as I.”

“And you let your own daughter to be disobedient and isolent? You let Mellara leave court without my leave, without my permission!” Viserys exclaimed, his fury engrossed in his features. “You excuse her behaviour of disrespect but not my own wife, who is still learning our ways?”

The princess dowager’s lips opened, chortling sounds leaving. “Why, has my daughter not served our house dedicatedly, nephew? If anything, her insolence has more to do with the burdening of duty. You ought to forgive it, as her dear cousin.”

The king shook his head. “I am still her king, just as much as I am her elder cousin. I am the one who she must obey and support in such duties. No matter how they burden her.”

“You act as if she will not return to do so again.” The glistening of the rings upon her finger shone lowly against the fire. "And besides, she has all but succumbed to your will in the thought of marriage. Are you not delighted that she will return at all?”

The loud snickering of the king echoed. “And what say you, now that she too has abandoned my daughter, the princess she serves?”

"Rhaenyra knows just as well as I that she will do her duty and return. I am here in her stead until her return.“ Elaena responds, sighing against her arm rest. "And besides, nephew, my daughter has waited long enough. It is a mercy to finally let her leave. As it is for my grandson, to see his father finally.”

Viserys shook his head. “A child who has not yet known of his father, five years.”

"And was it not you who has kept them apart for that long? For duty?“ The dowager princess’s eyes pierced through her nephew’s own as it filled with morose and guilt. “You were cruel to do so, Viserys.”

The king shook his head, sneering deeply. “My vagabond brother had made that choice.”

"And yet you still rob your vagabond of a brother from being a father to his only child. War is bad enough.“ The seasoned woman reasoned, the silk of her veil following her body’s straightening. "And i should implore you, nephew. The child is Daemon’s heir as much as he is Mellara’s own. With this proof, there ought to be a marriage already.”

"Daemon is married. To lady Rhea of house Royce, aunt.”

The marriage was a sham, the princess dowager wanted to say out loud. Her lips twisted as the memories flooded her mind like an ocenn wave crashing to shore with vigour. Aelor was not in favor of the match, as was her good - brother prince Baelon. In the same stroke queen Alysanne had made the loving match between Viserys and Aemma, she had made her vegenence against Jaehaerys at the loss of her daughters. By depriving him of another male heir, her husband said as much. Baelon had wanted his son to wed for love, or at the very least wed to kin. Her good - brother had told how he looks at their daughter Mellara, on the rare occassions Daemon would see her. The match would have been successful.

But the queen has made up her mind. Any sense had gone out the window with all the contradictions between her good-mother and her sons. The two sons of queen Alysanne had not spoken with their mother for moons, not until the miserable wedding that occured in Runestone. Elaena Velaryon knew it was hard to forget, the despondent look from her younger nephew at the sight of the septon wrapping his hand to a woman who reflected his distaste. Prince Baelon had drunk merely with his younger son, disappearing together to avoid any commitment to bedding his unwanted wife. But queen Alysanne had them to find Daemon, and reprimanded her son for encouraging her grandson’s rebellion.

In these many years, Elaena had wished she had spoken to her husband. That she had agreed with Baelon. The way her daughter had looked at her lover like he was the wonder of the infinite stars. The princess dowager in truth had not understood it then, when they had started to blossom their love as youths. Yet it was when Daemon smiled at Mellara, Elaena came to realize it all. It was as though she was the beginning and end of his world. The universe he dwells upon. The sun that allows him to be blessed with life. She was the air he breathes, the water that sustains his body and flesh. Mellara was everything to him. She always will be.

‘Aelor used to look at me like that. And I him.’ She mourns to herself years ago. ‘He loved me so deeply, just like that. Just the same.’

In these years, the idea of Daemon’s vagabond nature had all but melted away in her mind. Her daughter’s sorrows were poured into endless tears at the thought of missing him. At the thought of all he had missed in her grandson’s life. Her bitterness was not worth encouraging the pains of all she had left of her husband. In truth, she knew deep inside that her nephew was what her daughter deserved. He was good to her, he loved her. He would burn the world to the ground before he would ever breaking apart from her. That she knew too well. These years had not been kind to them, she knew that much. it was better they return in each other’s arms than not at all.

"To a woman he does not seek the warmth of, nor a woman he does not love.Is it so bad for my daughter, for your brother - to be want to be together?” She retorted sharply. “Mellara is his choice. They have had two children together. And yet, just as much you deny them of the chance to be together. Just like your cruel grandfather.”

“I am not my grandfather,”

Elaena snickers. “You’ve barely proven yourself not to be, nephew. With the way you act, you seek to deprieve my daughter and her son of someone they love.”

His gaze hardened as he moved, towering over her. “I will not dissolve the marriage.”

"You do not have to.“ She did not break eye contact, staring back just as intensely. "Aegon the Conqueror had a second wife—”

"I will not humour it.“ Viserys gritted his teeth, his jaw tightening. "It would insult house Royce.”

Elaena felt like she had to laugh. “Oh? Now you care for insulting those in the Vale? Did you not think of afrront you have caused when you remarried so suddenly? Did you not know how that has offended her beloved sisters in the Vale?”

The kings brows furrowed. “Lady Elys and lady Amanda has written to you?”

“Why would they not?” She retorts back to her nephew. “Elys may have been dismissive of Daella, but she adored Aemma. Amanda more so than her sister. But what may I say? They cannot of course fight the king’s noble desire.”

Viserys Targaryen did not reply to her, but a deep grudge in his glare beckoned to her like dragonfire. The reminder of his failure, of his sin had always followed him like plague. A vengeful ghost that refuses to rescind its right to haunt him. Elaena had not meant to be personal, to hit her nephew where she knew his heart still dwelled unhealed. But she felt no choice any longer, how to settle her nephew straight. He was a man grown and he was king. He could take her voice into account and he could reject it all the same.

Elaena wondered what Baelon would think of his son’s actions. What Alyssa would feel about her son’s carelessness and heedless folly. For a moment, the princess dowager could not help but feel as though she has failed them, have failed queen Alysanne. She was all that remained, she knew that to be true. Aelor had implored her to care for this family, those were his last words to her. And she now fears, that she is failing their house, failing him who is watching her.

“It is not that simple.”

“You had simply decided to do what you did for yourself, nephew. You had gone against your grandfather’s words on the succession just as much. As you also did for your second marriage.” Elaena whispers to her nephew, a small sly smile on her lips. “If your will could do as you wish, why not here, upon this matter?”

“The faith–”

“Ah, and there it is.” The princess dowager snickers hollowly. “You are afraid that house Hightower would intervene. That they would be displeased to see your brother be allowed do as he had always wished.”

"Maegor the Cruel–"

"Are you tired of speaking Otto Hightower’s tongue?“ The elder woman asked, watching the king close his eyes in exasperation. The dowager princess’s eyes glimmer with a dark shine. "I, for one, am exhausted of hearing his words poison you with venom, nephew.”

"Have you had enough of criticising the hand, aunt? Of blaming him for your misfortunes?“

"No, I have not.” Elaena replied honestly. “Why should I when he dares tear this family apart? We have suffered too much for his greed, nephew.”

"Lord Otto is a loyal servant of the crown.“ The king argues with his aunt, moving away from her. "He has served my grandfather, the old king.”

"His loyalty is to himself, nephew. A foolish errand for his glory. Nothing more and nothing less. He has been tearing us apart.“ She disagreed, watching him gaze at the fireplace. "I have seen his loyalty. And ‘tis nothing but falsities. He has alienated you from your family, nephew. Could you not see it?”

The king snorted, unbelieving at his aunt’s words. “Daemon chose his war and has left this family alone. He had come to abandon it for ambition, and disobeyed me as a lot of you have. ”

Elaena tilted her head to the side. “You have not been keen on seeing it the way your brother has, blinded by your wanting for all those cruel presumptions to be true. To validate your wrongs.”

The king raised his eyebrows, confused. “And pray tell, what does the dowager princess think my mischievous brother sees better than this blindsided king?”

"You know better than I that your brother has thought that he must prove himself.“ The princess’s explanations gather through the air. "My nephew Corlys offered him an opportunity and he took it. As any second son would have.”

"He had every opportunity to prove himself.“ Viserys shook his head in despondency. "I had given him at each turn a chance to have a moment to shine.”

“Is that the whole of the truth, nephew?” The princess dowager dismissed his words, moving closer to see the storm of emotions on his eyes. “Or is that what the king wishes to believe? For of course, this is only the king in front of me. Forgive me, your grace.”

“Aunt,” Viserys found himself frowning. “I am your nephew more than I am your king.”

“You have not given me any other reason to see you nothing but as my king.”

Viserys shook his head, taking a deep breath. “What should I do?”

"Let your brother be and let him prove himself. He is not against you, let me reassure you. not against those who wish to destroy us.“ She smiles at him. "The trade can continue without the interference of the Triarchy and our ports will flourish once again. High Tide will slowly return to heel.”

"You say that as though it was easy.“ The king chuckled bitterly. "Those two have yet to have cause to forgive grievances.”

She nodded, “That may be true, but it is a first step.”

"And do you think it would work?”

"In your years as king, he has done what you asked of him. He is your brother. He will do as you bid. At times, we may not agree with him but he is one of us.” Elaena whispers to his nephew. “Welcome him, let him come home with open arms. There are so very few of us already, Viserys. We need each other.”

"If I recall, my aunt has a deep hatred for my brother for corrupting her daughter.“

“Yet he is still what my daughter will choose.” She smiles, narrowing her eyes towards the flame. “I would rather her be happy, than not at all.”

“You say that as though it is your truth, aunt.”

“It is my truth, nephew. Just as it is truth that both of you are the sun and he the moon.”

The king raises curious look at his aunt. “What do you mean?”

"It is hard to shine when your brother is the sun.” The older lady sighed, her hands retreating to her empty side. He glances for a moment, trying to see her reasoning. “On everything, he will always be overshadowed by your shadow on everything. The moon will always shine behind the sun in an eclipse. He will always try to find a way out of it.”

"If he feels that way, he should tell me.“ Viserys rests his hand above the marble facade of the fireplace. "He should come to me...He knows he can.”

"It is not as easy as you dare declare, nephew. You are his king, more than you are his brother now.” A sorrowful look blossoms on his aunt’s seasoned features. “And he, well knows he is a sword. The sword you do not want to wield. Even he wants to serve you, you would not allow him oout of the sheath.”

"A sword that does not do as its master commands is of no use.“ A deep sigh is released from the king. "It is not meant to be wielded if that is the case.”

An observant smile slivers through her lips. “Is that what you are forcing yourself to believe, my nephew?”

"I do not force anything, aunt.“ The king released his hand from the marble surface and rested his arms behind the small of his back. "Perhaps age has made you weary, aunt.”

"I make no mistakes on the matter.“

"What do you mean, aunt?”

Elaena Velaryon soon felt all her burdening sorrows pour down on her like a sudden downpour.At that moment, she felt like she had seen the young boy again. That young boy who cried for his mother at the dawn of the morning. The young man who stood vigil at his father’s corpse. The man who had felt his world shatter when his name was called for all the realm to hear was back. Almost at the moment, Elaena recalled how much this young boy had relied on her hand at each turn. To fill the void of a mother he had lost so dreadfully young. He needed to lean on her wisdom when he needed advice. She felt her heart drift away from her, almost as though stone had become her heart and shattered into dust. It hurts, to admit it all.

It made Elaena fear for what the future would become. Viserys Targaryen was a good king, who had a sane mind and an able spirit. However, joy and eagerness do not compensate for flaws.It had been so long since Elaena had seen greener pastures, a time when a silver reign gathered atop the iron throne’s shined with truthful power. All she had seen since had been stone dragons tumbling into dust, a crumbling of such glories living in the memories of stories her mother had whispered to her in her sleep, of a king who conquered and a king who had ruled.

"There is a distance between us.“ Elaena whispers somberly, watching the king’s features turn a perplexed turn. "One that had never existed before. You have changed, your grace. And not for the good. ”

"You speak in riddles, aunt.“

Elaena finally stood, standing in front of her nephew.

She takes his hand on her own, squeezing it.

"It is better that way, Viserys. For our sake.”

The fluttering winds gracing the complexion of snow upon the three headed dragon standard under the black field beckoned across the sails. It had been the scent of salt and cool waters that had caused a good breeze away from the hot weather glaring down upon the royal party. The bustling of men dressed in fine black Riverlander linen, moving about the massive wooden bow of the ship as it crossed the heaving waves of the sea. The ladies stood slightly farther with a graceful posture, dressed in fine silver silk, prompt with gorgeous Myrish lace. The ship’s crew were loud, orders being thrown back each and every motion. This was happening in all ten of the ships that had come with them from Blackhall.

Standing by the edge where the massive screeching dragon pelted with gleaming silver, Aemon Targaryen stood, dressed in the finest black cotton doublet trimmed with ermine and white silk across it. His fine silver hair sprung away with the wind, eyes beaming with sunshine as he held the small dragon as it screeched to the sky. Soon enough, the song was reciprocated as the monstrous shadow of night swallowed the sun away. Blacknight sang with pride as they flew past, screeching a song that had become the song of freedom. The young prince looked in awe, watching the dragon fly further and grinned, watching long silver strands spun to reveal a face. The gaze of warm lilac eyes against his own made him happy. His cheers grew excitedly, a free hand raised soon enough to wave.

Mellara Targaryen felt her entire body light up in joyous jubilation as she gazed with love towards her young son. It had been a long time since they had come together. Every heir of Blackhall could not leave it be. They must grow there, to be loved by the small folk. A hard decision no less, upset that she had missed much time with him as he grew. It had been a relief to have him be taken to court, though she detested having to bring him in such a place of vipers at all. Perhaps it was a mercy on her cousin the king’s part. Looking at the sea that was ahead of her, she smiled softly. Even in her moments of loss, it was a good reminder that she still had a part of Daemon with her, one that would intertwine them together even when they were apart.

Taking in the wonder of her son’s smiling face, she recalled the day he had chosen he had met his dragon. Her son had loved dragons the moment he was born, his small infantilized hands gathering themselves towards a shattering egg where young Aelyx breathed the first spin of life. Mellara had recalled from her mother’s stories that Daemon too had been like that as a boy, mischievous and too eager with Caraxes. Aemon had been much too eager to pull at Aelyx and so was Aelyx who nibbed at the young prince’s skin.

The dark shade of red and black eagerly shining across the dragon’s young body, its scales as strong as Valyrian steel. Yet so fragile, so young. There was much that still was needed for the dragon to grow. But it will come, with time. Alyx will grow together with her son, as they should be. And they will live a good and long life, that Mellara was eager to ensure. Especially with a father by his side, one that she knew craved his son to be at his side. As she flew further, the sight of land became more and more evident with the figure of green gracing the presence of white chalky cliffs through a sparse area through the wide sea.

It had been a long time since she had last been here, flying atop the desolation of the Narrow Sea. The last had been with her princely father when he had still been living, gracing a laugh as she held tightly to him through the speed that Blacknight went through diving narrowly just ever so slightly against the sea water. Mellara had been crossed with her father, fearing pirates would come and eagerly shoot at Blacknight and in turn hurt her and father. Her father’s laughter completely drowned such complaints, with reassuring tones beckoning her to enjoy the moment.

Mellara at the time had wished she had never come, owing to the fact that her father had decided to drink himself to a stupor and found himself dancing with Tyroshi merchants who merrily obliged his every request for another pour of wine. But now that she had looked at this place, recalling each memory with longing to see him laugh again and even merry with wine again made her appreciate the time she had with her father here.

They had seen the sunset together, sitting beside one another in tranquil quiet. There was nothing but each other’s hand warming the other that spoke all that needed to be said. Mellara had not wanted Aemon to miss any more of the father he had not been allowed to know. In many years, her son too would look back at all these moments, all these memories wishing that for a life that had been lived with his extraordinary father around.

Least of all herself. The young woman felt her eyes turn glassy as she let her head slowly fall onto the saddle. She had played it over and over in her head, how she would come to approach him when the time came, that she would see him again. After all the days that passed with much too much yearning, such grief felt all too familiar to her. In so many years, the princess has tried so hard to remember what it had felt like. To have him in her life, in her arms; his warmth which she desperately craved in the cold nights where she could not bear to sleep alone. Like the emptiness she felt when her father had passed, the long distance she had to live through from her lover had caused her nothing but wanting. Even for a moment.

Mellara Targaryen could not help but be overwhelmed by much too many emotions she could not explain as Blacknight lowered them onto the full few of rocky peaks and harsh land. He was nearby now, she thought to herself. Somewhere on these isles, she knew that her heart still beats. That there could be life blossoming spring in these desolate deserts she had drifted through with aimless wandering. As Blacknight landed with care, she turned back to see that the ships had yet to arrive. Breathlessly, Mellara had realised that she had gotten here first. Turning back, she could not help but raise her hand towards the land that was now so near and yet still so far away.

They would meet again.

This was real.

Her heart skipped a beat.

The young princess was immediately welcomed. The tension of her body quickened even further as she brought herself forward towards the red manse, glaring over the isles. It had been tiring to walk, but Blacknight had worked tirelessly to get her through the seas, she would not ask more of her beloved dragon. Walking through as Blacknight followed her, flying above her with endless abandon, they made it through the hard plains, where the sight of men ushered forth to work. Endless corpses were being carted away, comrades and foes, to the farther shores to burn with Caraxes’s flame. That’s what Mellara had heard from a soldier who had bowed his head to her.

Though what had confused her was that he had called her queen. As did the many that had passed her by, eagerly greeting her with marvel. They bowed to her as though she was a goddess walking among them with the mandate of the heavens and their favour. At each turn, Mellara could only shake her head and dismiss them. Mellara had not been born to be a queen. It would never be. Her father was not heir, nor was she eager to bear a crown upon her head. The young princess had always been content with her life without the interference of the whispering of endless games for power. Tranquillity and peace had been her delight and it shall always be. She does not live for glory, unlike Daemon. She craved the silence.

When the silver princess gathered herself atop the red manse, servants had come to welcome her with endless praise. Mellara shook her head at such a thing, eager to avoid more of this. There was no need to ask where Daemon would be. She knew this house just as well as he did. They too had come here together, much too many times before. He would be there, waiting on her. Bypassing the steps, Mellara readied herself as she bit her lip. This was this moment she had been yearning for many of her endless days for. Stopping at the massive red oak entrance, she gathered the strength from the gods.

Her hands yielded its presence to the doors.

Pushing it open, Mellara let the sun pour through her.

The ornate room smelt of the strong scent of wild daisies as the burnt out candles glistened through the sun, the hearth that had been burning hotly through the room had been gone many hours ago. The young princess was impressed with how nothing had changed. The chambers were just the same as they had been before. Just the same as the day he had told her he loved her for the first time.

The endless charting of clothes rested upon the ornate sofa, as fresh as they had been when he had first worn it. She could smell the essence of war drift through each cloth as she got near them. Maps were everywhere, scrolled across the chambers. The long sword Dark Sister rested upon the beautiful oak table in the corner, the baldric intertwined with it. It had been the one she had gifted him all those years ago. Her soft fingers felt the rough edges, almost wondering if it had been real. That she was touching it truly, as she had all those years when she would help him remove his clothing.

Big wooden shelves lined with blackened oak gathered itself with endless memories. She could feel her lungs gone from her body as she gazed at the many books that had been resting through the oak. Pulling a book off the shelves, Mellara could see that each and every one was the book she had loved to read. Many of which had been long forgotten from her memories. But they were still buried in her, almost like a long time ago had been the yesterday she had quickly forgotten. Turning away after she returned the book, Mellara turned to the adjoined rectangular table with many drawers filled with parchments, quills and ink pelted to the surface. Her name sprawled across a letter that would never be sent.

She felt tears sprawl down her porcelain cheeks.

“It seems like you have seen it.” The voice asked her as she stopped, her body frozen from shock. “It was not something I was willing to change. After all this time. That would have been stupid.”

Bitter tears fell across her eyes more and more as she tried to make sense of her reality. The forlorn on his face as he watched her. Mellara placed her hand against her mouth, choking through her tears as she fell onto the floor, her legs weakened against her. The shine of Targaryen tapestries weaved through with silver and gold glistened against the sun, Daemon could only walk past each of them and fell to his knees beside her. She had not changed, her features still the same as when he had lost seen her. His fingers could only trace its flesh against her cheeks. Mellara huffed a cry, pushing him away.

His arms spread wide open and soon enough wrapped them around her tightly, bone crushingly. Mellara Targaryen felt her hand drop, tears yielded with screaming and her hands soon enough brutalised themselves on his body with thundering force. Daemon did not stop her, he let her do as she pleased as he held her closer, not willing to let his touch leave her warmth.They had been apart for too long, he thinks to himself. Too much for his liking. For all these years, he had always thought that he was barely breathing, without the air to bring life to his lungs and his blood unwilling to blossom through his many veins. Without her touch, without her words or her warmth near him. He was nothing but a shell of the man he truly was.

“You bastard!” Mellara cried with a loud tone, her arms pushing him away. Her tone was full of mournful discern. “You horrible fool. You stupid, stupid man! You abandoned me, you left me! You left us! How could you do that to me? How could you leave me, Daemon? How could you?”

“I’m sorry. My beloved, my little dragon, I am sorry.” He whispered to her as he continued to hold her to his body. He could only embrace her deeper in the enveloping of his warm arms. “I am sorry for staying away for too long.”

“You hurt me….” She cried weakly, her fingers fisting through his body. “You hurt me, Daemon.”

“I know.” Daemon nodded softly, his free hand brushing against her hair. “It will never happen again. I swear.”

The two of them had stayed like that for a moment, letting out all she had wanted to say to him, all her grief and pain. Slowly through the moments that passed through, Mellara had felt her body become less shaken. Tears were slowly getting sober. Moving away from his body, the two of them let their eyes meet in an intense embrace, almost as if they had already bedded one another with just looks and gazes. Her eyes had gotten red and puffy from all her salty tears. Daemon leaned forward and carefully placed a kiss upon each eye, gently whispering sweet words to her.

Perhaps she was just it was her longing, perhaps it was just nothing but she felt everything magnified into a chaotic unknown. She felt wanting as she looked at him as she looked at him, the feeling of being near him somehow made something spark for her. Something that made her feel such eagerness but also felt safe and warm. She could feel her heart pounding from her begotten chest, the blood on her veins pumping hard at the thought of everything that could happen now and through all these years. Daemon too felt it, she was sure he did. This was the moment they had been so eagerly yearning for. This is what they deserved.

Daemon leaned forward his beloved and placed a hand on her soft porcelain cheeks. "I want only you, my little dragon. You are mine. My little queen. My beloved. My wife of choice. My only wife.”

"I choose only you, my only truth and my only want.” She responded to Daemon as she ran her hands on his arms. Daemon closed his eyes eagerly, taking in all her touch, her touch that he had missed. “I want to marry you, in our only way. Our true way. As we always had in Valyria, just you and I.”

“It shall be done, all you ask of me.” Daemon leaned in, whispering hotly in her ear. “I will give you all you desire, my love. Just let me do it.”

She removes his hand from her face and places it towards the laces of her dress, looking at his handsome clean shaven face. He opened his eyes as he followed the sight of her hands. The rogue prince pursed his lips at the sight of her face eagerly seducing him as she came closer.

“Then take me, Daemon Targaryen.” Mellara says, leaned closer to him. “Take this wife who yearns for him.”

He needed no more convincing as he pushed her towards the table and removed her laces. He allowed himself to devour her mouth with his own and was surprised to see her return the favour as she kissed him back just as passionately and just as fiercely. Both fought for dominance like animals, needing to resolve their hunger. His strong hands were undoing the laces of the bottom of her dress as her arms were wrapped around his neck, massaging it gently earning little grunts from him.

His tongue inserted inside of her mouth, fighting against hers in a fury as he managed to remove all the laces of her dress. They were now intertwined with one another in this heated mess, his hands ripping off his Mellara’s clothing from her as quickly and as carefully as he could as she continued to kiss him. The silver haired woman moaned as she felt his touch on her breast, being only in her shift. Daemon broke the kiss to move all of the shift and lower undergarments of his beloved and continued to kiss her, earning a laugh from her in his eagerness.

He sat her on the table and as he stopped kissing her lips and moved on to kiss with such tenderness, her shoulders, her neck and then her breast. He looked at her as she nodded. He smiled and squeezed both of her breasts. There was so much in her self that felt pleasure burning her there but when she found him suckling her right breast as he squeezed hard on the other, that is when the pleasure intensified. Mellara kept moaning; he continued to lick and suck like a babe would to its mother, wishing to taste the nectar that only gods could take.

"I have waited for this moment for years, to have this moment.” He said, continuing to squeeze her breasts as she tried to calm herself. “To worship my beloved little dragon again.”

"Love me, Daemon. Love me in the way only you could.” Mellara replied to her lover as he grinned at her and kissed her, moving her breasts around before putting his mouth on her other breast, causing her to moan hard and throw back her head at the pleasure. Her hands touched his hair, encouraging him to ravage her breasts.

Their bodies were melting into one.

When Daemon finished with her breasts, he kissed her again and took the princess’s legs to wrap around his waist. Daemon eagerly carried his Mellara towards the direction of their bed, continuing to respond to her kisses. Mellara was laid by her lover onto their wide sofa, her hands deep into his long hair. She could feel herself getting into it more, feeling more sober than drunk. Breaking away from his lips, she eyed him as she took time to breath, having been overwhelmed by his passionate lips.

“Don’t you think that you are too fuly clothed?”

Daemon chuckled at her words. “I suppose so, my dear little dragon.”

Mellara then kissed him as she helped him out his clothing, her hands removing the white shirt he still wore from him and without breaking the embrace, removed it off him. As she moved towards the breeches heeagerly tried to help her but she kept diverting his hands elsewhere on her body. Once she successfully removed his breeches, she was aware that he wore nothing else underneath. Mellara felt pleasure at the fact that his manhood was touching her skin.

Mellara could only moan in pleasure as he kissed her body moving down to her womanhood. From her ear to her legs, her unique hair scatters into a form of a beautiful halo. Daemon had felt like he was a pilgrim begging whatever gods there was and ever will be to come and give him direction. And here was one goddess who had come before hiim, giving him all he ever wanted and he was worshipping the goddess for her gifts each and everyday at her temple. Daemon placed a kiss to her womanhood, causing her to moan. Then, he allowed himself to look at her cunt and smirked at her before allowing his finger to move about it.

She could not help rolling her eyes back at the pleasure her beloved Daemon was giving her, after all they had been through as he continued to continued his conquest across her body. He moved to lean over to her, kissing her neck and then moved to her ear to whisper, causing her to giggle. Mellara felt the pressure inside of her body build up as he continued to pleasure her well. Daemon had always loved the sight of her body being consumed by him, little by little with every bit of her becoming his once again. He kept moving and whispering to her until she could not hold on any longer, taking his forearm and holding it in place as she came.

“You are so beautiful.” He commented huskily in that tone she had never heard from him in a long time. He had always been so eager, but more so tonight. He was man who was hungry for her. He kissed her body once more, watching her still release herself from the high of his touch. “So beautiful, my beloved wife. My Mellara.”

Damon looked to her and allowed his tongue to lick her juices, earning great favour from the goddess in his arms as he did that, She did not expected him to put add his fingers slowly but she should have. Daemon was willing to take care of her. The loud pleasure-filled noise exploded out her mouth like a thunder storm out to sea, revelling in sensual gratification in the pleasure he was giving her. It was even more than what she had expected, what she had wanted. More than what she could do to herself in his absence. This is where she belonged. Daemon smirked slowly as he continued to lick her cunt as he placed his fingers back inside of her, making her throw her head back against the pillow once more.

He pumped his fingers in her deeply, finishing with her cunt and focused more on causing his wife pleasure. Mellara felt the arch her back with wordless nonsense and satisfied moans gracing her lips as her heart like it had burst out of her.

Daemon kissed her gently once more, her pleasure growing through their lips. “So wet, you are, my dear little wife.”

Daemon leaned down to look with wanting at his Mellara being so consumed by the pleasure he gave her. It was filling him with so much lust, lust beyond what was there to be had. It had all been bubbling up inside him. Not once did he bed any woman in the three years in the war. Not once even offered. He had been yearning for his little dragon, she was the one he needed. She was the only one that could satisfy him, the only one that made him greatly filled with eagerness to continue to please her. No one can make him yearn for it so much, to wait so long for one moment. None had ever had the power to do so. Only his Mellara.

She could feel herself getting tighter around his fingers and as he kept pumping into her, all she could ever think was the amazing feeling, almost intoxicating and devouring. Mellara can only called out her husband’s name over and over again, which pleased him with delight. It had been something he had been wanting. Each time she screamed his name, calling him her husband had energized him so much as he pumped into her even harder. She felt then that she had come, the swirling pool of desire flowed through her.

As she sat up when the high of pleasure ended, it caused her more pleasure to see her husband lick her juices from his fingers. “You taste wonderfully, wife. You are the marvel of the world.”

Mellara could smile at him in her fantastical delirium and he did too but he was not done with her. Before long, the rogue had lunged towards her womanhood with his lips causing his little dragon to whimper as he entered his mouth into her, his tongue swirling around her insides like it was the fountain of life. Youth sprang through her and through him. Mellara had not known anything like it, not even when they had laid together all those years ago. Her wanting of him, her already releasing of pleasure before – it had all excited her body to react.

He continued on and on and on and on, not giving his beloved any rest. Only the scent of pleasure consuming them all at once, not caring for who shall see or who shall come to expose them.

Mellara could hardly care as she allow her fingers to grab his long silver locks that flowed through the small of his back as he continued to awaken her desires. Daemon groaned as she did so, pushing even harder and harder as she started to move against his tongue. The young princess used her other hand to grab the soft linen lines as she cried out in ecstasy, feeling herself come once again. He removed his tongue from her womanhood and kissed her, making her feel the womanhood he loved. Kissing her thighs lovingly, Daemon watch her body limp through weariness as pleasure slowly shook her body.

“You did so well, my wife.” Daemon praised, heavy in pleasure as he watched her shift her body after she recovered herself. “You did so well.”

She kissed his palm as she leaned upwards. “I am so delighted by you.”

“As am I wish you.” Daemon whispers, kissing wrist. “I have missed you.’

“As have I.”

"Are you willing to make up for our lost time, my love?” He asked her warmly as The princess shook her head. “Why? Is there something you wish to do? Should we stop?”

“I want to touch you.” Melalra said as she neared his manhood and looked at his eyes. “Grant my request, my beloved husband.”

"I cannot say no to you, my love.” Daemon says, sighing as he smiled. “Go ahead my beloved wife. Touch me as you wish.”

The young princess smiled at her husband as she looked at him, bending her head down with her hair following. She allowed her fingers to touch the tip of his penis, causing him to grunt a little. Usually this was a whore’s job. Mellara had no business to do such a thing, as a noble woman, a princess. But she wanted him. She wanted him to remember that she wanted this. That he will only have this moment with her. She will enjoy this. She grinned as she allowed one hand to grab it into a small fist. Daemon grunted more as she started to allow the fist to go up and down, swloly and then gradually with speed. Melalra watched his face become contorted with pleasure as he started to become undone as she started to move her hand faster and faster and faster.

Daemon felt her stop. He lowered his body, gazing at her before finding himself throwing his head backas she took hold of the cock with both hands and took it in her mouth. Mellara allowed half inside then little by little she allowed all of it inside of her. Once he was fully inside her mouth, she started to bob her head deeper and deeper at her pace. Daemon was groaning and moaning, holding onto the the linen as started to reveal her hidden mastery. Her right hand massaged his balls while her other hand touched her womanhood and moved her finger inside, giving herself to pleasure just as much as she would for him.

Daemon felt his hand rest upon her head as she continued to bob into his manhood and soon he was helping her as he thrusted into her mouth and his hand forced her head to thrust into him deeper. The young silver princess had felt herself gagged at the tightness of his manhood in her mouth. She finally came with a small sound bellowing from her. Daemon groaned hard in pleasure as he continued to thrust and thrust into her and came inside of her with a loud roar. Mellara had drank all of her husband as the sweat of pleasure was evidently slick to their bodies.

The high had taken them both, the two falling atop each other as the pleasure belted through the dragons. It had been so long, since they had found themselves pleasuring each other. This was not what Mellara had expected. But it was hard to understand, their relationship. It was what it was. They felt resentment at times, they part from one another with constant anger and disappointment. It could not be helped.

That happens. But they know they could never have anyone besides each other. One soul cannot survive without the other. Not even if the gods decided to end this life and tear them apart in another. Mellara Targaryen was certain. She would continue to find him over and over again. She knew with certainty that he would do the same thing too.

“I meant it. I always have, my beloved little dragon.” Daemon says as he gathered his breath. Mellara raised a brow, brain fogged with weariness. “All these years waiting, playing by the rules. I want to correct that mistake, my love. At this very moment.”

“Do you really?” She sobered from her high, moving closer to him. He nodded, eyes full of determination. “Daemon, I want to tell you that this would not be easy. Viserys will not sanction it and he expects me to return, to wed.”

He took her hand, playing with the small of her fingers. He smiles down at her. “I would not have chosen you if I had known it would be easy. My love, I have loved you. Since I saw you holding flowers in your hands in Dragonstone, I had chosen you.”

Mellara felt her eyes water, smiling at him with joy. “As I have you, my love. I have always loved you, I just did not know then, to admit it. Even when we had it hard, you stuck by my side. Even when I pushed you away, you still stood beside me.”

“Hm, and its because I have none other than you.” He whispers back to her, kissing her fingers softly. “That is why I want you. I want to be your husband, Mellara. Fuck the world, what my brother thinks. All that matters is us, you. Our son. Nothing else matters.”

Her eyes gleamed. “Then I take you, my beloved, as my husband. If you would have me.”

“I will.” He swears to her breathlessly, brushing through her silver crown. “I take you, only you. My wife.”

Daemon stood from his position, lettind her hand rest upon her side and gathered Dark Sister upon the table nearby. Daemon unseathed the sword from its sleeping confines. Mellara gazed at the sword, awe-stricken. Daemon knelt in front of her, holding out the Valyrian steel sword and placing the small of his palm on the blade and squeezing it. Blood poured through the sword and soon enough, his eyes drifted to her with so much love in his eyes. She could feel her heart pound, as though she was one of the living again. She no longer was wandering.

Her heart was here and her life was here. This was home. Soon enough complete. She let her hand rest atop the blade, squeezing it tightly just as he did. It did not hurt her, but she had flinched at the size of the sword. Her blood poured against his, dripping through the sword’s hilt. Mellara let go soon after and as did Daemon. He placed the sword carefully upon the side and turned back to her. Taking her hand into his, their blood continued to drip down their arms, intertwining like it had been an endless knot being put together over and over. Daemon smiled at her as he placed a kiss upon the top of her hand and soon she too followed, returning his smile.

“I take you, Mellara Targaryen, as my chosen wife.” Daemon’s voice deepened in Valyrian as she watched him. “Ashes to ashes, we may become. The fourteen fires and fourteen gods guide us through. I chose you till the end of my days as I do return to home. Through fire and through blood, we shall unite as one. Husband and wife, from now till forever.”

“It is my turn.” Mellara whispered to him, watching him nod and smile. She could not take her eyes away from him. “I take you, Daemon Targaryen, as my chosen husband. Ashes to ashes, we may become. The fourteen fires and fourteen gods guide us through. I chose you till the end of my days as I do return to home. Through fire and through blood, we shall unite as one. Husband and wife, from now till forever.”

“Then we are married by the eyes of Valyria.” Daemon beamed proudly, parting their hands. Mellara squealed of joy as she and Daemon leand forward and kissed one another, sealing the matrimony. “This is the truest marriage we have. We have chosen each other, without pressure or mistake. I chose you, wife.”

“As I did you, husband.” She liked that, to call him such a word. “I chose you too.”

“No matter what comes, my love.” Daemon whispers to her, taking her face into his hands. “Nothing else will matter. Other men, other women. Whoeever my brother says we are married to. They are falsities. You and I, we are the truest one. Do you understand?”

Mellara nodded, smiling happily. “Yes, my love. I do.”

Daemon grinned happily. “That makes me happy.”

“We have much to talk about.” Mellara says in a mumble, taking his hand onto his. “Much to plan. Much to say.”

“That can all wait.” Daemon says to her, shaking his head. “Our son, I would like to meet him.”

Mellara smiled. “He will be here soon. You will see him for yourself. He is you.”

“My, then he will be breaking hearts.” Daemon jested as he gazed at his wife. “He will grow up well, if he has your mind.”

“He will.” Mellara giggled at his words. “But most of all, he will grow happily loved by you and I. We will be complete.”

Daemon could not help but agree. “Yes, we will. I am sure of it.”

The gods gave man three chances at life, she thinks.

Her first wish was for her mother and father.

Her second wish was to be with her husband.

But the third, the third was for this happiness.

#house of the dragon #daemon targaryen x oc #daemon targaryen #house targaryen #hotd #stepstones #valyria

43 notes · View notes