#reyn time baby

[daeyumi]

Distant Fingertip 🗺️🏝️☁️

My full piece for @xenobladetravelzine !!!! I haven’t posted much about it here yet lol but the xenoblade series, esp the first game, is so very special to me; I was thrilled to be able to draw my favorite location from the series for this zine!! 💖

#xenoblade #xenoblade chronicles #xenoblade chronicles 1 #xenoblade 1 spoilers #xenoblade fallen arm #mechonis #bionis #shulk #xenoblade spoilers #daeyumi art #melia #melia antiqua #xenoblade locations #reyn time baby #i’ll be honest i have no idea how best to tag xenoblade content on tumblr lol

[seizeourdestiny]

#reyn time baby

[heroponnews]

Riki wants a degree in high entia technology to finally discover when “Rhyne time” is

Thesis of Riki: Reyn Time? When!?!?!?!?!?

Meh meh meh! Riki is ready for a new adventure of knowledge! Riki wants a degree in High Entia technology so Riki can finally discover when it's "Reyn time"! Riki knows Reyn is always saying, "It's Reyn time!" but what exactly does that mean? Riki is determined to find out!

Riki enrolls in the prestigious High Entia technology school, with excitement bubbling in his little Nopon heart. Riki attends classes filled with complicated equations and mind-boggling theories. Meh meh meh! Riki's brain works overtime, but Riki is determined to unlock the secrets of Reyn time!

In class, Riki learns about advanced machinery, intricate circuits, and the secrets of High Entia technology. Riki's fur stands on end with excitement, and Riki's tail wiggles with joy. Friends of Riki marvel at Riki's dedication and enthusiasm. They say, "Riki, you're a genius! You'll crack the code of Reyn time for sure!"

Riki spends countless hours in the lab, tinkering with gadgets and gizmos, trying to unravel the mystery. Riki's determination is unyielding, fueled by the thought of finally understanding what Reyn means. Riki's little Nopon heart beats with anticipation, like a rapid-fire drumroll!

As the days turn into weeks and weeks into months, Riki's knowledge of High Entia technology grows. Riki becomes a master of circuits and machinery, able to build incredible contraptions with ease. But there's still one thing missing—Riki hasn't cracked the code of Reyn time yet!

But Riki is not discouraged. Riki knows that with perseverance and a snack by his side, anything is possible! Riki prattles on about Reyn time to anyone who will listen, sharing his theories and hypotheses. Riki's passion infects others, and they join Riki in his quest.

Finally, after years of study and countless experiments, Riki has a breakthrough! Riki discovers that Reyn time isn't just a specific moment—it's a state of mind! It's when Reyn unleashes his full potential, his boundless energy, and his boisterous spirit! Meh meh meh! Riki feels like he's cracked the code of the universe!

Riki gathers his friends and proudly declares, "Friends, I've found the answer! Reyn time is when our hearts are filled with joy, laughter, and an unstoppable zest for life! It's when we embrace our true selves and let our spirits shine bright like the sun! Meh meh meh!"

And so, Riki may not have a degree in High Entia technology, but Riki has unlocked the greatest mystery of all—Reyn time! Riki and his friends now celebrate every moment, living life to the fullest and cherishing the joy that comes with being true to oneself.

Remember, friends, it's not about the degree or the title—it's about finding happiness, laughter, and embracing the unique quirks that make us who we are. So, let's make every moment Reyn time and fill the world with our Nopon spirit! Meh meh meh!

#xenoblade #xenoblade chronicles #riki #riki xenoblade #parody #chat gpt #reyn #reyn xenoblade #reyn time #oh yeah baby now it's reyn time #Heropon News

[aeriondripflame]

my mind has been developing this delusion world in which tywin lannister was the mad king’s sugar baby. aerys was “vain, proud, and changeable, traits that made him easy prey for flatterers and lickspittles” (awoiaf p.190). upon becoming king, he fired his father’s older and wiser hand and named tywin in his place, making tywin the youngest hand in the entire history of the seven kingdoms, but how did we get there?

there were childhood friends. tywin served as a page in court and we know from genna that tywin mistrusted laughter due to hearing too many people laughing at his father. at this point in time, the lannisters were a laughingstock or at least tywin wholeheartedly believed this, so the subsequent friendship he makes with the crown prince thrusts him upwards in status and into higher scrutiny. tywin is the elder, but aerys is the prince. they spend years together with the established dynamic of aerys being the one with power and tywin (albeit his friend) his servant. it is only when tywin dares to step outside this master/servant dynamic aerys has cooked up, that they begin to fall apart.

they go to war together. aerys chooses tywin, a newly made knight, to knight him. this was the war of the ninepenny kings, he could have chosen gerold hightower. he could have chosen roger reyne, or any number of distinguished knights and commanders, but no he chose tywin who had likely just been knighted himself. for added context, during this war tywin’s father stayed at home with his mistress rather than taking to the battlefield. nearly a year later, aerys is crowned and tywin is named hand of the king. as hand of the king, tywin is allowed any expense, any decision, literally allowed to do anything he wants at aerys’ leave (up until their toxic breakup era).

something that always fascinated me within this was why after gaining power of his own merit and name does he make his father’s mistress do a walk of atonement? at first, i believed this to be a way to embarrass his father further from the grave and cement his notoriety. however, right after he forces the walk of atonement, aerys and tywin rule the kingdom from casterly rock for a year (awoiaf p.194). if we believe that tywin has a subconscious or conscious shame in regards to using aerys’ fondness for him (whether you want to see it romantically or not) for seize of power and political gain, the walk of atonement is so interesting as it is a public self-flagellation of a transactional relationship that he himself mirrors. it is after this very act that aerys holds court (and tywin) at casterly rock, the scene of the crime in a sense. here tywin is, like his fathers mistresses in the same very home, flattering and bootlicking the same man for money, influence, and power. it is only after this year in casterly rock where tywin is forced to reconcile with these similarities that their relationship dissolves.

in conclusion, tywin was playing sugar baby to aerys and their relationship soured when tywin decided he wished for power that was truly his own rather than through aerys.

#additionally in regards to joanna. i view tywin and joanna as having like trauma bonded over being aerys’ mistresses #asoiaf #guava.txt #tywin lannister #aerys targaryen #aerys ii targaryen #the mad king #aerwin #tywin sugar baby au (or is it?) this is just my preferred canon interpretation thanks for coming to my ted talk #might write an aerys viewpoint on this but essentially aerys is insecure he knows the only reason he’s in power is bc of his name #he knows others think tywin a better fit and he likely does too so he abuses their power dynamic and lowers it from friends to that of #servant and master so that it makes him feel less insecure. he’s also one sided in love with tywin and likely has been his whole life. yea. #the question is: what was the last straw at casterly rock? #i think aerys gave him jewels or like clothes or some shit that his father did for his mistress and he like lost it. bam! tywin is here #this was not supposed to be so long god. i didn’t even get into my jaime thing 😥 #house lannister #tywin sugar baby au

[quaithe-seastar]

The Dragon's Gold

Chapter One

Pairing: Aegon II Targaryen x Aerys Reyne (male oc)

Summary: Aerys Reyne, son of Naerys Targaryen, the second-born daughter of King Viserys and Queen Aemma, has been best friends with Aegon since childhood. As boys, they had been inseparable. Many said that it reminded them of the early days of King Jaehaerys reign. When the princes Aemon and Baelon were still children. Wherever one boy was, it wasn't long before the other came running behind him. That was until forbidden desires of the heart forced a wedge between them. After the death of his grandsire, King Viserys, Aerys finds himself torn between two sides: stand by his oldest friend or stand by the only mother he has ever known.

Words: 7385

a/n: Dialogue in italics means that the characters are speaking in high valyrian. I was just too lazy to attempt to translate it. Though, there may be some high valyrian thrown in here and there. No beta, so I apologize for any or all grammar and spelling mistakes.

Aerys

Aerys sat on the dirt, sketching in the large leather-bound book sitting across his knees. Agana lay before him, resting her head on the dirt. The sun reflected beautifully off of her aquamarine and silver scales. Aerys’s eyes shifted quickly back and forth from the dragon to the book. The sound of laughter alerted the she-dragon and her rider. Agana let out a low rumble as she stretched her neck up. 

“Don’t worry Agana. We’re done for today,” Aerys smiled as he stood.

He ran his fingers over the dragon's scaled neck. She let out what sounded like a purr as she relaxed under his touch. Her emerald green eyes stared at him as he pulled away. She lowered her neck to nuzzle her head against his chest. Aerys laughed as he patted her muzzle. 

“I’m sorry, I have to go. We’ll go for a ride later,” he smiled.

He stepped back and picked up the brown leather bag on the dirt. He lifted the strap of his head to let it sit on his shoulder. Aerys rubbed Agana’s muzzle one last time before he called out to the dragon keepers. Aerys waved his hand until he lost sight of the dragon. It pained him to leave her chained up in this place, but he had no other choice. His grandfather, King Viserys, had told him the chains were mandatory. 

“Make sure she gets a good meal, please. I’ll return later on today. It’s been a few days since she’s gotten to spread her wings,” Aerys said as he walked with the dragon keepers. 

“Of course, Lord Reyne.” The dragon keepers bowed their heads.

The familiar sound of laughter caught Aerys’s attention. He followed the sound until he reached the two brown-haired boys. His younger cousins, Jace and Luke. Luke noticed him first and immediately ran to his side. The boy was jumping up and down in excitement.

“Mother is having the baby! We’ve picked an egg for them!” He exclaimed as he took hold of Aerys’s hand.

The older boy allowed himself to be pulled along. Aerys could feel the heat from the warming chamber without it even being opened. Ser Harwin was standing beside Jace, with an absentminded smile on his face as he watched the boy look at the large bronze-scaled egg sitting in the warming chamber.

“Jace, let me pick it on my own!” Luke smiled.

“You did good, Luke. I’m sure your mother will love it.” Aerys smiled as he patted Luke’s head. 

“Alright boys,” Ser Harwin interrupted, “You should get that egg to the castle.”

“Will you come with us?” Luke asked as he ran to cling to the gold cloak. Harwin had a look of uncertainty on his face.

“That would be safest,” Aerys shrugged. “It’s not every day an egg leaves the dragon pit right?”

Harwin stared at the older boy for a moment before he nodded. Aerys was no fool. He understood why the man cared so much for the two boys. He had heard the whispers that spread through the castle like wildfire. Ser Harwin also did not do a great job of hiding his fondness for Aunt Rhaenyra’s children. However, it was mostly the boy’s colors that gave it away, brown hair, brown eyes, and pale skin. Whatever Velaryon blood they had in their veins was quite. . . distant.

Bastards, people whispered. The first time Aerys had heard that, he threatened to feed the little pompous Frey boy to Agana. Who the boy’s father was did not matter to Aerys. The boys were still his family, his blood. They had dragons. If that did not prove they were true Targaryens , Aerys did not know what would. 

The boys made their way back to the Red Keep. They were escorted by Ser Harwin, a few gold cloaks, and Ser Lorent. Ser Lorent was the sworn shield of Aunt Rhaenyra. Luke was practically bouncing up and down the entire trip. He was excited to meet the newest edition of the family. He couldn’t decide which he wanted more, a brother or sister. He then began ranting about the pros and cons of both. Aerys sat quietly, simply listening to the little boy ramble. The boy thought of his brother, Robb, the current Lord of Castamere and head of House Reyne. Robb was his half-brother, born five years before him. He wondered if he had been as excited about his birth as Luke was about his new sibling. 

Aerys hoped the babe would not cause his aunt too much trouble. He understood how dangerous the birthing bed could be. His mother had nearly died giving birth to him. Aerys had wished to remain at her side, but it would not be appropriate. So he had decided to spend the day with Agana, to keep himself distracted.

The castle seemed to be even more crowded than usual. Though the crowd moved to clear a path as the boys made their way through. Aerys went first, allowing the boys to follow behind him. The group made their way to Nyra's apartments easily enough. Nyra had yet to return to her chambers, so Aerys decided to return to his bedchamber to clean himself up. 

He had to promise Luke he would return as soon as the baby was here before the boy let him go. Ser Lorent had offered to accompany him but Aerys refused. Aerys quietly walked down to his chambers. A few maids giggled and whispered amongst themselves as they watched him pass by. He smiled politely and nodded.

“I’ll never understand why they flock to you.”

Aerys flinched and turned his head. Aegon was standing on his right side, with a childish pout on his face.

“Maybe if you showed them a little more respect they’d do the same to you,” Aerys sighed.

“Respect? They’re servants. They respect me.” Aegon scoffed.

“I’m sure they do,” Aerys hummed.

Aerys sped up his pace to get away from the boy. Though Aegon was quick to follow. Aerys felt a twinge of nervousness as Aegon walked closer to him. This time their arms pressed side to side, their fingers brushed against each other as they walked. Aerys had thought of stepping away but he could not bring himself to do it. 

“What’s the matter with you? Are you ill?” Aegon asked suddenly.

“What do you mean?” Aerys scrunched his face in confusion.

“Your face is red, and your hair is starting to stick to your forehead.” 

Aerys wiped his forehead with his sleeve. “It’s nothing, I'm just worried about Nyra.”

Aegon hummed, “Yes, I heard her labors had started. Mother said she would be shocked if the child wasn’t another bast- boy.”

Aerys shot the older boy a glare, his hands clenched into fists. He picked up his pace, ignoring the Targaryen prince’s pleas to slow down. Aerys finally made it to the thick oak and iron door that shielded his bedchamber. He opened the door just enough to slip through. The young man quickly moved around the door to push it close, unfortunately, he wasn’t fast enough. Aegon slammed his hand against the door to stop it. Aerys sighed and simply walked to the small desk sitting beside his bed. 

He dropped his bag onto the desk and took his seat. He ran his hand through his hair before dragging it down his face. He hadn’t gotten much sleep lately. The young man had known for days that Nyra was nearing the end of her pregnancy. Once again his worries began to overwhelm him. Surely she would be alright, this was her third child after all. Nyra had told him she had little to no trouble with Jace or Luke. So she expected this delivery to go smoothly enough. She had her handmaids and midwives to attend to her. Women who have much experience with delivering children.

“I’m sorry,” the prince apologized.

Aerys jumped slightly as he felt Aegon’s breath against his neck. He hadn’t heard the boy pull up a chair. He had been so caught up in his worries again. Aegon sat behind him, resting his head on Aerys’s shoulder. He could hear Aegon tapping his fingers against the chair, a nervous habit of his.

“I know, it’s just, you know how I feel about that. It’s bad enough they’ll have to deal with the realm whispering about them for the rest of their lives. They don’t need it from their family as well. Especially from you, they look up to you. It would crush them to hear it from you.”

“I know, it’s not their fault. I won’t say it again,” Aegon quickly sat up straight.

Aerys turned his head to see what he was doing. The older boy stood upright. He held his hand over his heart, a look of deep seriousness taking over his face.

“I swear it on my life.”

Aerys rolled his eyes but found himself laughing at the gesture. He lowered his head, not wanting to give Aegon the satisfaction of seeing him lose his composure. Aegon began laughing along with him. Aerys cleared his throat.

“How did it go with your mother this morning?” 

Aegon huffed and shuffled over to the bed, letting himself fall forward. His messy hair fanned out around his head. He buried his face deeper into the blankets.

“That bad?” Aerys questioned, as he stood to his feet.

Aegon said something but it was muffled against the blanket, so Aerys could not understand it. Aerys said nothing as he joined Aegon on the bed. Though he chose to sit with his back against the wall. After a moment of silence, Aegon rolled over with a groan. He turned his head up to look at Aerys. He scooted himself up, laying his head on Aerys’s lap. Aerys’s fingers immediately found themselves gently untangling Aegon's hair. Aegon closed his eyes with a tired sigh.

“She spent the entire time lecturing me on my duties, like always. It's like she thinks I’m some kind of idiot or something.” He scoffed.

“You're her firstborn son, mothers always expect the most of their first. It’s not fair, but that's the way it works.”

“It’s not like I asked to be born first.” He snapped, moving to sit up.

Aerys watched quietly as Aegon moved to sit at the edge of the bed. A deep silence took over the room. Aerys scooted down the bed to sit beside him.

“I’m sorry. Here I am complaining about my mother when you don’t even have one. Shit, that came out wrong, sorry...” Aegon apologized, dropping his face into his hands.

“You have nothing to apologize for Aegon,” Aerys smiled and shook his head. 

Aerys was thinking of what to say next when a loud knock came from the door. He stood quickly to see who it was. It was Ser Lorent, Nyra’s sworn shield. The older man had a smile on his face as he informed Aerys that the princess had given birth to another son. And more importantly that his aunt was alright.

Aerys dismissed the knight and quickly moved to change his clothes. He didn’t want to show up covered in dirt and charcoal. He had forgotten why he had returned to his chambers in the first place. Aegon had returned to lying on his back, glaring at the ceiling.

“I have to go, I promised Luke I would return to see the baby,” Aerys said as he finished lacing his boots. 

Aegon stretched his limbs and moved to stand up. He patted his hair down.

“You want to come? I’m sure Nyra wouldn’t mind.”

“No thank you, we need to be at the dragon pit soon. Mother wants me to stay close to Aemond. Plus, I have a few other things I need to take care of.”

Aerys let out a groan. He had forgotten all about their training today. Oh well, so he would have to be a little late.

“Alright, I’ll meet you there.”

The two nodded and headed their separate ways. Aerys wondered what Aegon was up to. He thought of asking for a moment but then decided he didn’t want to know. Knowing Aegon, it probably has something to do with some new childish game of his. Aerys shook his head and quickly made his way to Nyra’s bed chamber. As he neared, he noticed a few servants cleaning up what appeared to be a trail of blood. His heart began to race as he sped up his pace, but still being careful not to get in the servant's way. Ser Lorent was standing watch over the door and quickly moved aside to allow Aerys entry.

Aerys entered the room just as Laenor was handing the baby over to Ser Harwin. He congratulated Laenor before he moved to find Nyra. She smiled as he moved to sit by her side.

“Are you alright? I saw the blood. Should we send for a maester?” He whispered urgently.

She chuckled softly and shook her head. “I am fine, Aerys. I’m exhausted, but I’ll recover.”

He nodded in understanding, but his face must have given away his concern because she placed a comforting hand on his face. 

“I will be fine, I swear. Now, what would make me feel better is knowing you accompanied the boys to the dragon pit to keep an eye on them for me. The last thing I need is for them to get into trouble. We can visit more later alright?” Her thumb gently stroked along his face.

Aerys smiled and nodded in agreement. Laenor was trying to herd the boys together, mainly Luke, who was trying desperately to get his hands on the baby. Aerys quickly moved to help, gently pushing Luke along. He rode along in the carriage with the two Velaryon boys to the dragon pit. Luke had told him the baby had been named Joffrey. Aerys thought it was an odd choice of name, but he did not mention it. Jace seemed to be a little nervous. He was still learning how to command Vermax. Aerys could remember how he felt when he had begun training with Agana. However, he had very little difficulty with her. She learned everything quickly enough. He ruffled the older Velaryon boy’s brown hair to comfort him.

Aegon and Aemond had already arrived at the dragon pit before Aerys and the boys. Dragon keepers were awaiting them by the giant doors of the dragon pit. They followed them inside to meet with the other two princes. The dragon keepers decided that Aerys would go first. He waited eagerly for Agana to appear. The light gleamed off of her beautiful silver scales as she appeared from the darkness. She had grown much larger over the past year. Agana let out a soft growl as she moved forward.

“Serve! Halt, Agana!” Aerys quickly commanded.

The dragon came to a quick stop. She lowered her neck to press her head against his chest. He had been pushed back a few steps but he was quick to regain his balance. Aerys laughed as he rubbed his hand over the side of her face. 

“Well done.”  The old dragon keeper praised.

The sound of a bleating goat caught the dragon’s attention. She watched intently as the dragon keepers chained the goat in place, but she did not move from her spot. The dragon keepers quickly moved away from the goat. Aerys waited until they were at a safe distance before he gave the command.

“Dracarys, Agana!”

Agana quickly moved closer to the goat, raising her head back high. She let out a loud screech before a blast of flame shot from her mouth, engulfing the large goat. She scarfed it down quickly. When she was done, the dragon keepers escorted her back to her nest.

Aegon was up next, with his dragon Sunfyre. Sunfyre was truly a magnificent creature. His scales shimmered like freshly polished gold. Even the two long horns on his head seemed to shimmer. Aegon's lessons had gone by as quickly as Aerys. The two older boys had nearly mastered control of their dragons.

 Finally, it was Jace’s turn, he was the last one. Luke was still too young to control Arrax, and Aemond had yet to claim a dragon. Aerys nudged Aegon’s shoulder when the older boy let out a fake yawn. The old dragon keeper nudged the Velaryon boy forward. It was important for Jace to stay in control of his emotions. If he got too afraid it would agitate the already ill-tempered Vermax. Jace jumped back when the green dragon lunged his head forward, but he was quick to command him to halt. Which earned him praise from the old dragon keeper. Jace was practically jumping with excitement as he asked if he could give Vermax the command. There was a wide smile across his face as he turned to face the group. Aegon and Aerys nodded their heads in encouragement. 

“Dracarys, Vermax!”

The room lit up as the dragon fire consumed the goat. Aerys moved to stand beside Jace. They watched as Vermax quickly began to feast upon the roasted flesh. 

“You did well.” He praised the brown-haired boy.

Aerys turned his head as Luke began to run ahead. He moved to go after him but Aegon shook his head. Aerys listened quietly as Aegon went on about Aemond not having a dragon. He knew it was a sensitive topic for the young Targaryen. Aerys could not even begin to imagine what his life would be like without Agana. It pained him to think about it. He furrowed his brows in confusion as Aegon claimed they found a dragon for him. It did not take long to understand what was going on. 

Luke appeared from the darkness with a large pig by his side. The pig had wings tied to its body. The boys began laughing and taunting Aemond. Aerys found himself letting out a laugh, though he was quick to stifle it. The three boys ran away, leaving Aemond with the so-called pink dread. Aerys moved to stand by Aemond’s side.

“Don’t listen to them, Aemond. You still have time.”

The young Targaryen boy said nothing in return. Aerys placed a hand on his shoulder before he ran off to catch up with the other boys.

-

They had quickly returned to the castle after the dragon keepers had shown up with a very disheveled-looking Aemond. Luke and Jace waved as Ser Lorent escorted them back to their mother’s apartments. Aerys tried to wave as Aegon pulled him along. The two boys walked alone down the empty hall. Aemond had been sent to the queen as soon as they reached the castle. 

“What you did to Aemond was cruel.” 

“It was harmless fun. You laughed didn’t you?” Aegon turned his head to question him.

Aerys lowered his head to hide his smile. Aegon began to laugh. 

“That’s not the point, Aegon. It was still cruel.”

The two boys returned to Aerys’s chambers. Aerys rolled his eyes as Aegon gawked at the serving girl who brought them wine. The young woman was quick to bow and leave the room. Aerys handed a cup to Aegon, who had made himself comfortable on the bed.

“You could at least take off your boots, they’re filthy.” Aerys scoffed as he kicked off his boots.

Aegon huffed and lifted his right foot. Aerys chose not to argue and simply pulled off Aegon's boots. He dropped them to the ground and climbed onto the bed. The two boys lay beside one another quietly. Aerys groaned as he stretched out his limbs. Perhaps he could slip in a quick nap before he had to train with Ser Criston. Aegon slowly crept his hand closer to Aerys’. His fingers toyed with Aerys’s hand until the boy lifted it, allowing Aegon to intertwine their fingers. He turned his head to find Aegon already watching him.

“We should go to Essos,” Aegon said.

“Essos? What would we do there?” Aerys scoffed.

“We could do whatever we want. We have dragons, the people there would treat us like kings. We’d drink the rarest wines, dine on the finest food, and have all the beautiful women we could ever want.”

“If only it were that simple. Your mother would never let you go. She’d send Ser Criston after you.” Aerys snickered as he poked at Aegon’s side. 

The Targaryen prince swatted his hand away. “I doubt that. She’d probably cry tears of joy.”

Aerys laughed at the comment, making Aegon punch him on the arm.

“You could at least disagree!”

Aegon sighed and turned his head back towards the stone ceiling. Aerys began to think of what their life in Essos would be like. The idea did not appeal to the boy very much at all. His life and his family were here in Westeros. Wine, food, and women were not so important to him that he would abandon his family.

“I’m sorry, I’m sure she would be very distraught.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Aegon grumbled. “Forget I said anything.”

There was a sadness in Aegon’s voice as he turned his head away. His grip on Aerys’ fingers lessened and he moved his hand away. Aerys did not understand why the boy was so upset so he decided it was best to move on.

“Sunfyre has grown quite a bit,” He smiled. 

The mention of Sunfyre always seemed to perk up the elder boy’s mood, but Aegon only hummed in agreement.

“Perhaps you could join me later. Agana is growing restless, she needs to stretch her wings.”

“I would have to ask my mother first. You know how she is,” Aegon sighed.

An awkward silence filled the room as the two boys stared at the ceiling. Aerys struggled to find the right thing to say. Aegon could be very difficult when he got into one of his moods.

“So, tell me more about this street of silk. How was it?” Aerys asked.

The older Targaryen boy scoffed, but a sly smirk slowly crept onto his lips.

“Was it that good?”

“Good? Gods be good Aerys, it was riveting. The people are absolutely mad. The girls are willing to do anything for a bit of coin. You will join me next time.”

“No thank you, that’s your thing. I think I’ll stick to my boring late-night reading.” Aerys shook his head.

“It was not a request. We shall go tonight.” Aegon proclaimed as he stood up triumphantly.

Aerys’ protests fell upon deaf ears as Aegon pulled on his boots, murmuring about his plans for the evening. Aerys, deciding to stop wasting his breath, moved to sit at his desk once again.

“We shall meet tonight by Balerion’s skull.”

Aegon declared as he made his way out of the room. The thick wooden door slammed loudly behind him. Aerys let out an amused sigh as he shook his head. What has he gotten himself into now, he questioned himself. Aerys grabbed a hold of his leather bag to hang it on his chair. As he lifted it into the air the strap snapped off sending his belongings tumbling onto the floor. The clink of metal caught his attention first. He was quick to scoop the ring into his hands. His eyes trailed over the bejeweled ring for any sign of damage, before unclasping the hinges on the side.

“I apologize muna,” he whispered as his finger trailed lightly over the enameled portrait within.

The young man closed the ring and slid it back onto his finger. He had forgotten to put it back on earlier. He only took it off because it was a bit difficult to sketch with it on. A feeling of sadness began to creep into his mind. How desperately he longed to have his mother and father back. It has been a little over a decade and yet the wound remains fresh in his heart. Aerys could feel his lips begin to tremble and his eyes well up with tears. He quickly cleared his throat and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. There would be time for tears later. For now, he had to prepare for his training with Ser Criston.

-

Aerys sprinted through the halls of the castle. Trying carefully to avoid contact with the passing nobles. As he rounded a corner a woman appeared. He tried desperately to come to a halt but was too slow. Aerys was quick to grab the woman before she could fall, but the tray in her hand clattered against the stone ground.

“I apologize, Lord Reyne. It was an accident,” the young woman began apologizing profusely.

 She pressed her hands together as she prayed for mercy. Aerys shook his head. His hands gently closed around hers, as he tried to comfort her. He didn’t recognize her, Aerys assumed she must be new. The woman seemed to be around his age, maybe two or three years older. But she stood a head taller than him.

“It’s alright my lady, it is I who is to blame. I should know better than to be running around the halls at this busy hour. Come, let me help you.”

He smiled as he knelt to the ground. Fortunately, it was only cheese, grapes, and bread, so it was easy to pick up. The girl quickly knelt down and gently pushed his hands away.

“No-no my lord! I will clean it, don’t worry!”

“Nonsense, it's my fault.”

Aerys quickly snatched up as many of the fallen items as he could and placed them back in their bowls. It had almost turned into a competition. With everyone he reached for, the woman was quick to grab it first. When their work was done the woman quickly stood and bowed her head. Aerys watched as she scurried away, mostly likely back towards the kitchen. His gaze remained on her until she disappeared. He stood there for a moment longer before cursing under his breath. He was late.

By the time Aerys made it to the outer yard the rest of the boys were already swinging at dummies. Ser Criston spotted him first. Suddenly Aerys wished he hadn’t shown up at all. Ser Criston detests tardiness. The scowl on the white knight's face as he approached him filled his stomach with dread.

“Nice of you to finally show up, Lord Reyne, we feared you were unwell.”

“My apologies Ser Criston, I accidentally crashed into a maid on the way here. I had to help- my apologies.”

He silenced himself as the knight gave him a bored expression. Ser Criston nodded before nudging his hand towards the wooden swords. Aerys quickly took one before moving to the free dummy in the center. Aegon snickered as Aerys passed by him. Aerys swung his arms, striking the dummy with his wooden sword. He did this five more times before they began rotating. Aemond took his place as Aerys moved to take Jace’s place. Aegon groaned loudly as he struck the dummy with all his might. Aerys did the same. Aerys was not a fan of swords. He was adequate with a sword, but he did not believe anyone would be singing songs of his skills for years to come. His skill with a bow, however, was much better. However, sword training was a requirement. He had no say in the matter.

A quick thwack to the nape of his neck caught his attention. He turned his head to find the culprit. Aegon nodded his head ahead. Aerys followed his gaze to find two incoming maids. When they spotted the prince they quickly turned their gaze and scurried away. Aerys let out a weary sigh. He switched places with Jace again, moving away from Aegon. He gave the young boy a light pat on the shoulder as he passed. Ser Criston called for Aegon and Aemond to try and attack him. Aerys grabbed hold of Jace and Luke, gently pushing them back so they would not be in the way. 

The two boys groaned as they threw their full weight into their attacks. Yet Ser Criston evaded them all, skillfully dodging every swing.

“You’ll have to do better than that,” he taunted.

The white knight quickly deflected Aegon's next blow. Sending the prince rushing forward. Ser Criston whacked the prince's bum as he stumbled. Ser Harwin called out to Jace and Luke. Aerys turned his head to listen as the gold cloak gave instructions. The boys followed his instructions, quickly lifting their swords. Aerys found himself doing the same. Ser Harwin’s gaze drifted over to Ser Criston. Aerys could feel the tension between the two men. It was no secret that there was bad blood between the two men. Though the reason why was unknown to Aerys, he knew it had something to do with Nyra. The white knight seemed to hold no love for the Princess.

“Seems the younger boys could do better with a bit of your attention, Ser Criston.”

“You questioned my method of instruction Ser?”

“Oh, I merely suggest that method be applied to all your pupils.”

Aegon and Aemond moved to stand with the rest of the boys. Luke smiled as he tried to taunt Aegon. The elder boy merely pushed him away. The young boy chuckled to himself. Aerys gave him a nod to get back in line. His smile slightly dropped as he moved to stand still.

“Very well,” the white knight replied to the gold cloak.

“Jaecaerys, come here.”

Aerys furrowed his brows as he watched the white knight grab Jace by the collar, roughly pulling him along with him.

“You’ll spar with Aegon.”

Aegon and Aemond chuckled to themselves. Aegon quickly fetched his sword before moving forward.

“Eldest son against eldest son,” the knight announced.

“Hardly a fair match-”

“I know you’ve never seen true battle Ser, but when steel is drawn a fair match isn’t something anyone should expect.” Ser Criston quipped.

Aegon gave Jace a pat on the back as he passed him. The two boys raised their blades as Ser Criston instructed.

“Engage.”

Aegon lunged forward with a yell. Jace was quick to deflect the attacks, but he was quickly becoming overwhelmed. Aegon forced him back with every blow. The elder prince moved his hand out, pushing the dark-haired boy to the ground. Aerys cursed under his breath. 

“Come on Jace,” he whispered encouragingly.

The brown-haired boy was quick to his feet. This time it was Aegon who was pushed back with each attack. Jace swung the sword with all his might. He was fast, so fast that as soon as Aegon blocked a hit, another was right behind it. Aegon, clearly growing frustrated, moved behind a dummy. Pushing it forward so that it nearly toppled onto Jace.

“Foul play!” Ser Harwin called out as he moved to advise Jace.

“I’ll deal with him,” Ser Criston retorted as he pulled Aegon towards him.

Ser Harwin smiled as he quietly advised Jace, his gloved hand gently holding Jace by the chin.

“You!” Aegon yelled, gaining the younger boy’s attention.

Once again the two began their dance. Aegon’s attacks were unrelenting. The younger boy struggled to keep up once more. Ser Criston yelled out instructions to the elder prince. Aegon raised his leg kicking Jace in the stomach, sending the boy to the ground. The brown-haired boy was forced to try and defend himself on the ground. The white knight refused to allow Aegon to ease off. Instructing him to keep attacking.

“Enough!” Ser Harwin yelled as he grabbed Aegon, pulling him away from Jace.

The prince struggled against the gold cloak’s grasp. Ser Harwin released him, sending the prince stumbling.

“You dare lay hands on me?!” Aegon howled in anger.

The noise made Luke jump and tense up. Aerys put a comforting hand on Luke’s shoulder. He moved to stand behind his cousin. Resting his hands upon the small boy's shoulder, keeping him close.

“Aegon!” The king called, from where he usually sat, watching the boys train.

“You forget yourself Strong, that is the prince.” Ser Criston voiced.

“Is this what you teach Cole? Cruelty to the weaker opponent?” Ser Harwin said as he picked up the wooden swords.

Ser Criston dropped the wooden sword he had been holding to his feet. Ser Harwin kicked it away, refusing to bend down and pick it up.

“Your interest in the prince's training is quite unusual, Lord Commander.” Ser Criston replied. “Most men would only have that kind of devotion towards a cousin, or a brother... or a son.”

Aerys could feel his breath get caught in his throat. Cole would be so bold as to say such a thing in public? He watched the two men with uncertainty. Ser Harwin was not known for his tranquility. Nor was Ser Criston. Aerys remembered hearing the tale about how the white knight beat a man to death with his bare hands. It was on the very same night that Nyra married Ser Laenor. The gold cloak paused for a moment before he lunged towards Ser Criston. His large gloved hand connected to the knight's cheek. Aerys quickly grabbed Jace and Luke, pushing them behind his back.

Ser Harwin landed another hit, sending the white cloak to the ground. Yet he refused to relent, quickly climbing on top of the man, and continuing his assault. Ser Criston did not even put up a fight against the gold cloak. It took four other white cloaks to pull Ser Harwin off of Ser Criston. Though they struggled to hold him back.

“Say it again!” Ser Harwin roared. “Say it again!”

The lord commander had to be dragged out of the outer yard like an animal. His reputation would certainly take a heavy blow. Attacking a member of the king's guard was madness.

“What do we do now?” Luke asked, clinging onto Aerys’ sleeve.

“Don’t worry, let’s get you both back to your chambers.” Aerys smiled as he pulled the two boys along with him.

Luke still held on tightly as they walked quietly down the empty hallway. Jace had yet to speak, choosing to keep his head down. Ser Lorrent walked ahead of them, escorting them back to the young boy’s chambers. Ser Lorrent pushed open the thick oak doors. He moved out of the way, allowing the three boys to pass. Aerys gave him a nod of appreciation before the white cloak closed the doors. It was just the three of them now. They were in Jace’s room. Luke’s room was next door, but the boy wished to stay at his brother's side.

“Is Ser Harwin in trouble? What will happen to him?” Luke asked.

Aerys looked down at the small boy. He used his right hand to ruffle the boy’s curly hair. Aerys was aware of how close the boys were to Ser Harwin. Luke practically idolized the man. Ser Harwin’s father was the hand of the king, surely his punishment wouldn’t be that severe. Aerys gave him the best reassuring smile he could muster.

“I don’t know Luke, but I’m sure everything will be fine. Why don’t we go play with your toys hmm?” 

Aerys waved his hand out towards the large wooden toy chest against the wall. Luke nodded before running off. Jace remained silent, staring at his shoes. Aerys placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder breaking whatever trance he was in.

“Come on,” he whispered, attempting to coax him into following Luke.

But the boy would not move. Aerys craned his neck to try and get a good look at the boy's face, but couldn’t. He finally placed a finger under the boy's chin, forcing him to look up. The poor boy was desperately fighting back the tears threatening to spill from his eyes. His trembling lips were curled upside down. Aerys kneeled on the floor to be at eye level with Jace. He placed a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder.

“What’s wrong Jace?” Aerys asked, as gently as he could.

“Is Ser Harwin my father?”

The young lord froze. He felt like he had been punched in the gut. His eyes glanced over to Luke, to ensure the boy had not heard the question. Fortunately, he seemed too preoccupied with his toys. At that moment it seemed like all the words he had ever learned were now lost to him. What could he say? What was he supposed to say? He supposed it was only natural for Jace to be curious. The boy was growing older. It was only a matter of time before the whispers of the court began weighing on his shoulders. He may still be young now, but he certainly was no fool. But it was not Aerys' place to confirm his suspicions.

“Ser Laenor has raised you since you were born. If that is not a father, I don’t know what is.”

“But Ser Criston said-”

 “The Velaryons have claimed you as their own. The opinions of others do not matter.”

The brown-haired boy went silent. The look on his face made it apparent to Aerys that his words did nothing to satiate the boy’s curiosity. But regardless, Jace nodded his head and moved to join Luke. Aerys remained on his knee, cursing himself in his head for his tone. He had snapped a bit after the mention of Ser Criston. It was not intentional, but the boy's questions had left him feeling like a trapped animal. He would have to apologize later.

-

Aerys used the tips of his fingers to light smudge the charcoal, giving the dragon’s wing a more blended finish. He could feel small beads of sweat beginning to form on his forehead. Quickly, he used his sleeve to wipe them away. The young man had been working on this piece for nearly a week now. It was proving to be one of his greatest challenges yet.

“You’ve improved.”

Startled, he jumped in his seat. Aerys turned his head to find Nyra standing behind him. He hadn’t even noticed her come in. She gave him an apologetic smile as she gently rubbed his back.

“My apologies, I thought you heard me coming.”

“No worries, I just got a little distracted with this.” Aerys shrugged.

He turned his gaze back towards the drawing. Suddenly he was hyper-aware of all the flaws, little or imagined. Aerys moved to cover it but Nyra stopped him by placing a hand over his. Her eyes trailed over every inch of the dragon.

“Is that Syrax?”

Aerys gave her a simple nod. It was the first time he had ever drawn another dragon beside his and Aegons. Agana and Sunfyre were the perfect studies. They were able to lounge about for hours on end, allowing him to capture their magnificence. Aegon would mumble and groan every time Aerys dragged him along to the dragon pit just to sit there while Aerys sketched, but he always went along anyway. Though most of the time it would end in the two of them racing through the skies on dragonback. He had countless drawings of them, but Aerys wanted to do something different. In time he hoped to capture the beauty of all the dragons of the realm for his book. Dragon lore was scarce in this world. And who better to record it, than a dragon rider? Syrax was his next target. The she-dragon had recently brought forth another clutch. Before the new additions arrived, Syrax had become even more slothful than usual. So it was easy to sit and draw her while she lounged about in the dragon pit. 

“I love it. You’ve captured her perfectly.”

Nyra pressed a quick kiss to his head.

“Though there is something else I’ve come here to discuss with you, Aerys.”

The young man nodded before turning his body to face her. She looked tired, which was understandable. The woman had just given birth to a child. Something Aerys understood was much more taxing on women’s bodies than men gave them credit for. He stood to his feet, offering her his chair. Aerys waited for her to be seated before fetching one for himself.

“What is it?” He inquired politely.

“Laenor and I have decided to leave for Dragonstone. The ship is getting ready as we speak.” Nyra spoke gently, as she caressed the back of his hand with her thumb.

“Oh,” Aerys furrowed his brow. “Alright...it shouldn’t take me long to pack my things.”

Aerys moved to stand but Nyra stopped him. He tilted his head in confusion. There was a sadness behind her violet eyes. His body stiffened under her touch, as she held his hands in hers. A sharp ache stabbed away at his chest. That familiar burning sensation reached his eyes. And he struggled to keep the frown away from his lips. He pursed his lips and turned his face to stare at the desk beside them.

“You’re not taking me with you...” he murmured.

“The king wishes for you to remain at court.”

A pregnant pause filled the air. Aerys was unsure of what to say. He did not trust his voice, too scared of possibly showing his affliction. Rhaenyra owed him nothing. She was not his mother and he was not her son. The princess was not required to take him with her. He was the king's ward, not hers.

“But that does not mean we’ll never see each other again. We’ll exchange letters, and you’re always welcome to come visit when the king permits it.”

Aerys said nothing.

“You have friends here. I understand you and Aegon are...close. Surely he would be upset if you left. You’ll be happy here, just like you’ve always been.”

“Of course,” he smiled. “I wish you a safe journey, Princess.”

Her face fell upon hearing her title come from his mouth. She opened her mouth to speak when a knock upon the door stopped her. Aerys quickly called out to them to enter. He pulled his hands away and stood to his feet. It was Elinda Massey, one of Rhaenyra’s handmaids.

“The ship is ready, Princess.”

“Thank you Elinda.”

The woman bowed before taking her leave. Aerys still refused to meet the Princess’s gaze. Instead choosing to stare at the tapestry next to his door. It was a man, pale-skinned and bare. His long white hair flowed down his body, which was entangled with a green dragon. The soft click of her shoes echoed as she moved to stand in front of him. Her fingers gently brushed his hair away from his face, before trailing down to cup his chin. That sweet sad smile returned to her face.

“This is not goodbye Aerys,” she pressed a gentle kiss to the top of his head.

Something she had done a million times before. Yet now the kiss that had always made him feel so warm, so safe, left him with nothing but a hollow feeling in his chest. He gave a simple nod. It was all he could do to not beg her to take him. To plead with her to not abandon him in the stony confines of this castle. But alas, he would not. He was nearly a man-grown. A man of the houses Reyne and Targaryen. He must always act with poise and good deportment.

“Perhaps you would like to see the boys before we depart?”

“No,” he snapped. “I mean, the hour is growing late. You’ll have a long journey ahead of you. I’m sure you’re all anxious to get out onto the sea already.”

“Aerys,” she sighed, gazing into his iris-colored eyes. “I know-”

Another knock sounded at the door. This time it was Ser Lorent who entered.

“We must be going now Princess,” he declared.

Aerys used this time to step back, pulling away from the Princess’s grasp. The woman pursed her lips and gave the young man a small nod.

“Alright,” she whispered.

Aerys said nothing as he watched her walk away. Her white hair slightly swayed behind her as she walked. Aerys moved to call out for her, yet he could not speak. The young man moved back to his desk. Allowing himself to drop back into his seat. He was alone now.

A/N: If you've made it this far, thank you so much for reading my work!

#hotd aegon #aegon ii targaryen #aegon ii fanfic #aegon ii x oc #original character #house of the dragon #house of the dragon fanfic #hotd fanfic #house targaryen #fire and blood #king aegon #targcest #hotd #male!oc

[authurials]

𝑺𝑻𝑰𝑳𝑳 𝑶𝑭 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑵𝑰𝑮𝑯𝑻 … chapter one

𝐓𝐈𝐓𝐋𝐄 . a council of snakes

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 . here

𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐒 . no warnings

𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄 . here is chapter one of still of the night--cross posted here as well as on ao3. this first part is give a little insight on aemond and his small council, next part will be keeley's intro and first glance of baby aerion! please let me know your thoughts and make sure to leave a like to show your support.

𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐍 a time, in his youth, where Aemond Targaryen would have given anything to be King of the Seven Kingdoms. He had been an envious child–a second son–constantly longing after what he could not have–whether it be a dragon, a father, a birthright; none had ever been given so easily, and so Aemond Targaryen had learned how to take. It was he who had claimed Vhagar at the mere age of ten, it was he who took his revenge against the bastard Lucerys Velaryon for cutting out his eye, and it was he who had won his brother’s war when he killed their sister’s greatest weapon, Daemon Targaryen. And yet it was Aegon who had been crowned all the same, it was Aegon the Greens had fought for, and Aemond had been nothing more than a weapon to be wielded–a means to an end. For no matter his years of training and studying and dedication, no matter if his elder brother had never been suited for duty, Aemond would never have been anything more than a second son–a spare to an heir, until Aegon had solidified his rule by having children of his own.

And yet none of it had mattered by the time the dust had settled on the battlefield and the poison had taken root in Aegon the Elder’s body, for there Aemond Targaryen now sat at the head of the small council table–king, and hating every second of it.

The monarch sighed in disinterest, poorly feigning paying attention as the men around him once more discussed what they believed to be a most pressing subject–the potential future arrangement of his second marriage. One might mistakenly believe that there were far more important things to set the crown’s attention and resources to; the debilitating poverty in Flea Bottom to begin with, or mayhaps the areas of the realm still in need of repair after the dance had left them decimated and in some cases unlivable, or even the ever persistent fragile state of the realm, that still found itself torn asunder by the fracturing of the house of the dragon. Yet, it was the misguided belief of Aemond’s small council that all could be fixed with the right marriage–one that would see the seven kingdoms once more reunited, and begin an era of prosperity under his rule.

Though, Aemond saw the prospect of his rule being ‘prosperous’ rather unlikely and in fact laughable in the face of all that he had done; so many still saw him as cursed–

A kinslayer.

They would never see him as anything but a monster, and maybe that was what Aemond was; but, at least it was his blood that would sit the throne, the price that had been paid in blood and fire had seen to that–

He had seen to that.

“--it would be the most practical choice, your grace, if you were to marry Lady Rhaena, ” Lord Edric Reyne, Master of Law, pressed once more to regain Aemond’s attention.

“However,” Lord Hendrik Lannister, Master of Coin, added, “there are other choices we may consider that would be just as advantageous.”

“Still trying to see your niece as queen, Lord Hendrick?” Ser Garth Swyft, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard,  snorted.

“Gentlemen,” Oberon, the Grand Maester, hummed disapprovingly, quieting the playful squabbling; he turned his attention back to the king, whose indifference continued. “My king, I understand that this decision might be a difficult one, however without a queen we fear some might begin to question your–”

“My what, Grand Maester?” Aemond interjected finally, his voice sharp like the Valryian dagger he kept strapped to his side at all times; his singular pale eye was piercing as he stared down the older man. “You fear they might question my rule if I do not take another wife? Yet it is so soon after my beloved Floris’ death.”

He used the term beloved loosely, as there had certainly been no love between Aemond and his wife. They had married not long after the war had ended, his mother the Dowager Queen pressing for the ceremony as a way to raise spirits and appease the Baratheons; the latter of which had still been reeling from the loss of their patriarch on the kingsroad. Floris herself had been apt enough to do her duty, and had taken to the title of queen rather well when her husband had ascended the throne; and though there had been nothing in regards to affection between the pair, Aemond had admired her loyalty and determination. He would not say he truly mourned the loss, but her presence in his life would be missed, as she had never bothered him for love or tenderness, but simply loyalty and respect in return for her own. Theirs had been a mutually beneficial partnership, and he doubted he would find that so easily in his next marriage–hence why he was so hesitant, among other reasons, to remarry so soon.

“I have no need for a queen by my side to be able to rule,” Aemond frowned, continuing, “nor do I feel the need to solidify my claim more when my late wife has already given me our son. Now, I do not know why you all bother me with such trivial matters when I have already made my opinion quite clear–I will marry no one else as of right now, and I will certainly not be marrying Lady Rhaena.”

He fixed his singular eye on the crux of the issue–Lord Alyn Velaryon, his previous Master of Ships and his newly named Hand; though he was greatly beginning to regret bestowing the honor upon the ruler of Driftmark as the man had done nothing but press his own agenda much like the previous Hand before him. Aemond had believed extending this olive branch to the only other remaining Valryian house in Westeros would see the matters of the dance finally put to rest; however, it appeared he had allowed the Velaryons too much leeway, as they were beginning to become a thorn in his side. If it was not Alyn scheming to marry his wife’s twin to the king, then it was his cousin Baela testing the bounds of his mercy as she made no attempt to hide her hatred and was constantly finding ways to impede his ability to rule–primarily in her control of  the Velaryon fleet.

“My king,” Alyn shifted in his chair, attempting to make himself look bigger under Aemond’s scrutinous stare, “although we may understand your stance on the prospect of a marriage arrangement so soon after Queen Floris’ passing, we must insist that this is what is best for the realm. A marriage to Lady Rhaena will finally unite our families once more, and if you were to have a child together, any bad blood that remained would be squashed. The people of the Seven Kingdoms can once more rest easy knowing the royal family is at peace, with no fear of further warring tearing the realm asunder once more.”

“I agree,” Lord Edric nodded. “Lady Rhaena would make a suitable choice for the next queen. She is of Targaryen blood, she is a dragon rider, and from what I have heard an intelligent and dutiful girl. A marriage between the two of you could restore House Targaryen to its former glory, and bring rise to a new generation of dragons.”

“If we can somehow manage to get the few eggs that do remain to hatch,” Lord Dagmar Greyjoy, Master of Ships, snorted before downing the rest of his wine; slamming his cup on the table, he gestured for the cupbearer to come forth, “more boy!”

All it took to silence the drunken man was for Aemond to turn his gaze on the Lord Regent of the Iron Islands, who only held his position simply to garner support of the Iron fleet; and even then, when the time came for the young Lord Toron to take his helm finally as his peoples’ leader, Dagmar would find himself out of a title–if he managed to even survive that long.

“Lord Velaryon, Lord Reyne,” Aemond hummed, turning his attention back to the matter at hand, “your words have been heard, and although I may understand some reasoning behind why you would want to see Lady Rhaena and I marry, I must disagree. There is much history between the pair of us, and not much of it good at that, and I fear that that has irreparably  damaged our opinions of one another. I have no desire to see us stuck in a marriage where neither of us can rest easy for fear of what the other might do, as I know I would not be able to find it in myself to trust her after everything that has transpired between our families. That in of itself would cause great complications in fulfilling our duties as I am sure a marriage between the both of us would bear nothing of fruit, of that I am certain.”

Silence stretched out across the long table of the council, the king’s advisors sharing looks–as if to ask one another if anyone else had any other ideas.

“Besides,” the king chose for them, breaking the silence as he continued on, “it was my understanding that Lady Rhaena was entertaining suitors even as we speak. Is that not correct, Lord Velaryon?”

“My king?” Alyn feigned confusion.

“Come now,” Aemond rolled his eyes. “What was the name of that Corbray knight I have seen my cousin speaking with as of late…Collin?”

“....Corwyn,” Alyn sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose in barely concealed frustration. “But I assure you, your grace, nothing untoward has transpired between the two. I have certainly not given Lady Rhaena leave to marry, nor do I intend to.” 

“And why is that? Last I saw of them they seemed rather taken with each other,” Aemond hummed. “She will surely be happier with him than she ever would with me.”

“I have already spoken with my good-sister on the matter,” the Hand admitted, at least having the good sense to look uneasy under his king’s accusatory gaze. “That is to say, she would be amicable to a marriage if we are able to reach an agreement as a small council.”

“How kind of you to include us in this arrangement, Lord Alyn,” the Master of Ships quipped, paying more attention to his wine than the conversation.

“I agree,” Lord Henrick supplied dryly.

“Your grace,” Lord Edric came to the rescue, a voice of reason among the rising tensions between Hand and King, “let us at least hear what Lady Rhaena had to say to her good-brother in regards to the match.”

Snakes, the lot of them, Aemond could not help but think to himself as he assessed the men that surrounded him at the long table; there was not one among them that would do anything that did not benefit himself, that did not elevate his position in some way. He knew ambition when he saw it, had seen it etched across the cold and calculating plains of his grandsire’s face many a time growing up; and had felt it most viscerally himself the night he had claimed Vhagar–the night he had lost his eye. No one knew ambition better than Aemond Targaryen, especially how dangerous it could be when fed improperly.

“Very well,” he conceded with a stiff nod.

“My king,” Alyn began, saying the words as if in an attempt to reassert his loyalty to Aemond’s crown, “I have spoken in great depths to Lady Rhaena in regards to a potential match between you and her, this is true; and during our talks, my good-sister has expressed of course the same hesitation that you do, however she understands that if we as the small council can agree that this marriage is what is best for the realm then she will do her duty. However, she does ask that certain demands be met before doing so….”

“Aye, of course,” Aemond sneered in response, “and might I ask what my cousin would have of her king?”

“She asks that she be allowed to spend her summers on Driftmark, with my lady wife,” Alyn responds, unwavering under his liege’s burning stare, “and that the rest of the time will be spent here in King’s Landing. And even though we had already made plans to rebuild the Dragon Pit, she requests that it be completed post haste so that Morning may live in greater comfort if she is to live in the capital permanently.”

“Is that all?” The one-eyed monarch raised a pale brow.

The Hand of the King fell quiet for moment, for the first time showing unsureness before answering, and quickly the reason for such hesitation became clear as he continued, “Lady Rhaena would also see that her half-brother, Prince Aegon, be returned from his wardship in the North and instead be allowed to foster under the both of you.”

The other members of the small council exchange uneasy looks even as Aemond’s remained locked on Alyn, singular eye unwavering as if he could somehow fell the man with simply his gaze. For all he wanted to do in that moment was be rid of Lord Velaryon, and his cousins, once and for all so they may no longer plague him with any mentions of Aegon the Younger’s existence. The boy was an all but forbidden subject in the Red Keep, most if not everyone knew not to breathe his name in the king’s company for fear of reprimand–or worse.

After the war, the eldest son of Rhaenyra and Daemon Targaryen had only been spared execution after barely surviving the sword the first time under Aegon the Elder due to Aemond having no desire to feed the title of kinslayer any longer; that did not stop him, however, in essentially banishing him from the capital with the threat of dragon fire in the North if Lord Stark attempted to raise the boy for usurpation and revenge for his fallen mother. Along with the boy’s exile, Aemond had also put a stop to the ill-arranged betrothal between Aegon III and his remaining niece, Jahaera; he could not stomach the idea of his sister’s only living child being forced to bear the burden of reunification of their fractured house, as it was not her responsibility to fix what she had not broken. To marry the blood of her twin brother’s killer was not something Aemond would allow his niece to be subjected to, no matter how much his small council pressed him to see reason.

“Well,” he cleared his throat finally, “I suppose it is good that I do not intend to marry Lady Rhaena then, as I would not see my nephew return to King’s Landing so quickly. The envoys I receive from the North tell me the child seems agreeable to the arrangement, and that Lord Stark is a firm but fair warden. What reason would I have to bring him back to the keep?”

“Your grace–” Lord Edric began.

“I grow tired of these discussions,” Aemond interjected with a sigh, leaning back in his chair as he assessed the men of the council. “Have I not made myself clear in regards to my intent–or lack thereof–to remarry? My late wife–your queen–has given me a son; I have my named heir–for now that is enough.”

“My king, I am afraid we cannot guarantee the prince’s continued health,” Oberon stated boldly if not foolishly, “we must ensure the security of your bloodline by procuring a spare as soon as–”

“My son shall live!” Aemond asserted loudly, finding himself standing from his chair, planting his hands loudly atop the table as he glowered at the older man. “He is my blood, the blood of the dragon! He is my heir, and he shall be king when my body no longer draws breath.”

The Grand Maester tried not to quack under the king’s anger, looking to the other council members for help but there was none to be had as they avoided his gaze.

“It is my fault really, as I have allowed you all to bicker and to plot for far too long,” the king laughed without humor, “but no more, I am afraid. I will hear no more of this nonsense–no more about marriage–”

He slammed his fist on the table, startling the men of the council and even the guards who stood at attention.

“No more about my son–”

He fixed a cool stare on the Grand Maester, who bowed his head under the pressure of the Targaryen’s pale gaze.

“And no more about Aegon,” he finished, turning the look onto Lord Velaryon, who sat still as a statue as he returned the king’s glare with one of his own.

Sinking back down in his chair, Aemond never broke Alyn’s stare as he continued, anger leaving his body as quickly as it entered,

“Am I understood?” He only broke away from the Velaryon to ensure he had the men in the council’s agreement to his newest commands; he would leave no room for doubt on how serious he was, even if he had to draw blood to get his point across. He would no longer suffer their ambition or their defiance, as he had for years under his grandfather and mother’s whim; he was king now, and though she had not flown for many years, he was still the rider of Vhagar, the Queen of Dragons–his word, at this current moment, was law–

And it would be obeyed.

“My king,” his title rang across the group of men, who bowed their heads in acquiesce until they got to the Hand, who sat stoically across from Aemond, still looking upon him unwaveringly.

“Lord Velaryon,” he pressed, “do you wish to say something?”

For a moment, Aemond welcomed the idea of the man’s resistance–even if it were a singular quip once more asserting his desire to see Rhaena wed the king. That was all he would need truly to rid the Lord of the Tides of his title as Hand of the King, and see him far from the council room–let that be a lesson when one’s ambitions stretch beyond the realm of propriety.

“No,” the man gritted out, “no I do not, my king.”

Like the others, Alyn Velaryon bowed his head to King Aemond’s demands, and with that the small council’s gathering was brought to an end.

As they left, Aemond remained seated, eyes trailing after them coolly until the last man disappeared through the double doors of the council room and they were once more closed. Left with only the guards and the cupbearer, Aemond picked up his own forgotten chalice of wine and took a sip, humming,

“Boy.”

“M-My king?” The cupbearer stepped forward, holding the pitcher of Arbor red; he had remained quiet as his position requires during the whole council meeting, and he was not often used to being addressed directly by the king himself.

“See to it that Lady Rhysling is made aware that I request her presence in my chambers after dinner,” Aemond instructed, “and inform the servants that I require a hot bath to be brought up afterwards as well.”

“My king,” the boy repeated, this time more sure as he bowed his head and set the pitcher once more on its pedestal, hurrying to leave the room and fulfill Aemond’s requests.

As the door clicked once more closed, the king downed the rest of his wine, taking a moment to himself–now all he had to do was make it through dinner with his niece.

#˚ ₊˚ˑ༄ؘ 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐇 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐘𝐏𝐄𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐑 : #/still of the night #aemond targaryen #aemond targaryen x original female character #aemond targaryen x ofc #aemond targaryen fanfic #house of the dragon #hotd #house of the dragon fanfic

[kinslayer-sapphire]

Why Tywin didn’t plot with the Tyrells to kill Joffrey!

Some people assume that Tywin plotted with Olenna and the Tyrells to kill Joffrey, make Tommen king, and scapegoat Tyrion.

Granted, it sounds like a smart plan and one with many benefits to Tywin such getting a puppet king and having his loathed dwarf son killed as a “obvious” offender.

However, just because it’s obvious doesn’t necessarily imply that it’s true. In fact George R.R. Martin loves the unexpected and challenging expectations but not in the Dumb and Dumber way…

As much as Tywin thought of Joffrey as a foolish brat without the knowledge or aptitude for being King of Westeros. He did try to help Joffrey govern and learn as King. He even gave Joffrey lessons on how sometimes mercy against your enemies is beneficial.

Whether or not that Tywin like having Joffrey as king; he is still his grandson and son of Cersei . . . and Jaime as well. There is NO WAY Tywin would commit kingslaying and kinslaying against his OWN grandson when he refused to king-slay Aerys Targaryen, who molested and insulted his wife and refused to kin-slay Tyrion during his childhood who caused his wife death in childbirth.

Tywin might not have been the most faith man to the Faith of the Seven but kingslaying and kinslaying is a massive taboo and crime against the faith and gods that Tywin wouldn’t commit.

For all of Tywin faults, the man loves his legacy and family. It one of main reasons he didn’t assassinate Tytos and Tyrion despite his hatred of them for being lighthearted fools and manwhores that weaken his family name. Despite Tywin hatred of Tyrion he refused to let Lysa, Vale, and Riverlands get away with imprisoning Tyrion. I’m inclined to believe Tywin would be the same regarding Joffrey. Joffrey is his grandson, Cersei’s son, Jaime’s son and a pure-blooded Lannister. I can’t see Tywin being cool with the Tyrells poisoning his first-born grandson and first Lannister King in centuries because of his cruelties.

Tywin is a cruel man that massacred and genocided the Tarbecks and Reynes of Castamere for refusing to paid their debts to their Lord Paramount of the Westerlands and Head of House Lannister; his father. While Joffrey executing Lord Eddard was a ruthless, brutal, and brash decision. I believe Tywin could understand Joffrey’s fury and rage at Ned for trying to steal his “birthright” away for Stannis, a man that probably wants Cersei, Jaime, Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen heads on spikes for treason against the Crown and House Baratheon.

I believe that with time, experience, and tutelage. Tywin believes he could mold Joffrey’s cruelty and brutality into an effective sword rather than a brutish hammer for House Lannister. Considering that unlike Jaime he has a penchant for Power and Authority and not the physicals of being a dwarf like Tyrion or a female like Cersei. The difference between Tywin thoughts and treatment of Tyrion and Joffrey is that Tywin truly LOATHES Tyrion on a personal level over Joanna’s death in childbirth along with being a lustful drunkard dwarf that hinders Tywin’s and House Lannister image in bigoted Westerosi society. Tywin can handle Joffrey’s cruelty and ruthlessnesss just as he had previously with Aerys II and his own daughter Cersei. Seven Hells, Tywin is ruthless and cruel himself. He brutally murdered Reynes & Tarbecks along with Elia Martell and baby Aegon & toddler Rhaenys Targaryen. Tywin doesn’t want Joffrey to be a kind king but an effective and efficient king. Joffrey just need Tywin’s guidance and training just like Tommen did.

#asoiaf #agot #game of thrones #asoiaf meta #game of thrones meta #game of thrones headcanon #asoiaf headcanons #house lannister #house baratheon #house tyrell #tywin lannister #cersei lannister #jaime lannister #tyrion lannister #joffrey baratheon #myrcella baratheon #tommen baratheon #stannis baratheon #eddard stark #olenna redwyne #olenna tyrell

[wot-tidbits]

JordanCon2023 Costume Contest winners!

(it is time for the traditional JordanCon cosplay! Part 1)

Audience Choice: Kritter XD, Ali from Wheel Takes Podcast, and Dani from Wheel Weaves Podcast as Valan Luca’s Wondergirls!

Judges' Choice: Judge Aubree Pham: Maya Koelewyn as Aes Sedai of the Blue Ajah Judge Elizabeth Murphy-Spivey: Serafina as a Gleeman Judge Seth Lockhart: Jezling as Min (in found vintage items)

Workmanship Award: Leslie Annis as Moiraine Sedai

Winners: Novice: Mark Lienhart as Dhearic, Clan Chief of the Reyn Aiel Journeyman: Kevin Davis, April Davis, Penny Laspina, and Michael Laspina as Kevos, Sha’Allan, Number 1, Geordi LaForge, and Baby Tribble Master: Kaylee Godley as Syl Best in Show: Molly Weiss as Moiraine Sedai SOURCE

#wheel of time #cosplay #JordanCon #photo #moiraine damodred #the stormlight archive #aiel #aes sedai #blue ajah #birgitte silverbow #nynaeve al'meara #elayne trakand #the fires of heaven

[ludcake]

can you tell us more about your oc cassanna? we’re piecing together her backstory with a cork board and some string rn

ok you literally do not KNOW how much i have of her. I'm currently writing a dedicated halloween fanfiction of her with the Red Keep-as-monster because I felt like it was a vibe. She's everything to me she's my baby.

Casanna Lannister (with one S because it looks nicer and medieval languages have no consistency :D) is the only child of the Lord of Lannisport. Her mother was Jocasta Reyne, who died in childbirth after several previous miscarriages - and her father, Lord Tommen Lannister, was completely wracked with guilt. (After having pushed his wife to *that*, of course. Because the guilt only matters when it can't be helped anymore.)

Her father turned into a total catholic religious freak. Just, self-flagellation, fasting, wearing hair shirts, threw away the entire finances of House Lannister of Lannisport into giving money to charity and the Faith. Complete freak. He thinks that he's sinned for the murder of his wife and must repent to the Seven and is carrying that guilt *everywhere*.

Meanwhile, little Casanna was being raised by Septas like a proper little lady - except she was very sick. Or rather, very frail - frail on the level of the Maesters saying "she probably won't make it to six", except that since her father sees her survival as the imperative to his own moral redemption, he went crazy on it. Got the entire court praying for her recovery, didn't trust any maesters to touch her, regular leechings performed by the Septon - and while she hung on there as a child, things still weren't great.

That is, until Septon Joffrey showed up.

He was a wandering Septon, who'd taken vows of poverty, and no Septry would take him for his own... Unorthodox views; he was an expelled acolyte of the Citadel, because he saw the Seven and scripture as utterly paramount, to the point of getting into fistfights with his peers over it. Still, he was charismatic; he was a young man at the time, and he was invited into the keep of the Lannisters, as Tommen saw all men and women of faith, and he offered his services.

Casanna improved, and he tutored her. He taught her that the Seven were also One-in-Seven; that the Stranger and the Warrior were just as worthy aspirations for her as the Maiden and the Mother. She'd never be a mother, she replied; the maesters had told her, she did not have the constitution for it. He assured she could find still solace in the Seven, that Maiden-Mother-Crone wasn't all of God's teachings she could hold; his teachings as Maester worked pretty well, and her health recovered considerably, enough she could hang out with other children - enough that he was made Lord Tommen's right hand for it, given the resources of the realm, feast and gold alike at his fingertips.

She was twelve when she was first betrothed to be married, to a third cousin of the main Lannister line; she was twelve when she watched him, twice her age, bring out a mountain lioness to be slain in her name, to honor her, and watched the lioness maul him. Lord Tommen insisted that Septon Joffrey treat him, against the advice of his liege; when the cousin died, Joffrey was cast away.

Five more times she was betrothed, and five more times tragedy befell them; men from the Westerlands, Reach, Riverlands, as far away as Dorne came to ask for the hand of a child upon whom rested the possessions of Lannisport, third and fourth sons aiming to have something to their name. She rejected them all, a sad and small child, who did not wish to see tragedy again.

By pressure from her uncle, who wished to be heir to Lannisport - and by the other houses of the city, who saw her as an unreliable heir - she was sent away, to King's Landing, at the age of sixteen to be a lady in waiting to a princess. And here's where things diverge.

The *main* version of her is from the RP server I run, Birthright, and it's where a lot of her being crazy comes from; there, Daeron the Daring became King after the death of Aegon II, and things spiraled out from there to a general Green Victory. In that scenario, she's lady in waiting to Princess Rhaenara Targaryen, whom she fell in love with - and who loved her back, until Rhaenara was betrothed to Casanna's cousin through the Reyne line, who is the Lord of Casterly Rock. The main thing is that Casanna's approach to that relationship is... Very toxic, and very central to her character - she cannot be a maiden anymore, but she'll never be a mother. She used to fantasize about being a knight to her Princess, but someone else took that away. She created her confidence around being her confidante, about serving her, and her father died and she put a crown on the Princess' forehead and now the realm is dying and the gods aren't answering her prayers and she has to grip onto the idea of that idyllic, perfect relationship she had in her teenage years with all her might because otherwise there might be nothing left. So she became Lady Confessor and Mistress of Whisperers, and she can't handle the torture and murder, but she doesn't stand being unable to serve, so she pushes on and punishes herself through hurting others, including, ultimately, one of the hostages at the Red Keep - Daenaera Stone - whom she slowly falls for after months of very much being in a position of almost killing her, because Daenaera has accepted death enough that it's the only moment of peace Casanna has now. Because they can just sit together, and talk, and hate each other, and that's as good as bliss. Because nowhere else can she be like that. Because she can say the truth, because she can say what she feels, because she knows nobody will ever believe a prisoner. Nobody will ever listen to the words of a madwoman. A dead woman.

MEANWHILE, there's several other versions of her I play with. The constant with her are - toxic catholicism, usually involving the worship of a person as an outlet for her own frustrations with herself (my sin doesn't count if it's for them) and - being gay and also really mad that she can't be straight and have children and a husband and feeling lonely and isolated because of it, because in a society where the worth of a woman is measured by her womb, by her beauty, what happens when you can't have children, when you can't love men, and you're aging??

The main version I'm playing with for my Halloween fic is one wherein she's a lady-in-waiting to Cersei during AFFC, and her obsession revolves both around Cersei but ALSO around the Red Keep itself, and thinning the line between the two as an entity until the ghosts of the Red Keep eat her because the Red Keep is alive and is also a monster.

I can talk a lot about her, but just gonna. Leave this bit from a scene where I'm writing her.

Lady Confessor. My due was to be her Hand, to rule Lannisport, to sit beside her, that our blood be one and our flesh be united; my due was to speak as her voice, to act as her will, to breathe at her command and caress her as leal companion. Rather, mine is the charge of dungeons, of torture, of questions and answers, of the dread that come to men's hearts when they hear the whisper of her name; mine is the charge of spycraft and rats, of shadows and death, the Stranger's work. A lioness ought to have her pride, but none may hear me roar. Casanna's heart weighed and sunk deeper into her gut, that ever demanding ache for a past she'd lost a millstone round her neck; for sweet spring days where she blossomed to a woman, laying beside her heart's delight, her deepest desire. Those few nights not plagued by terrors, the images of her father's ghost haunting her, of Aegon, of Rhaegar, of the King and Lord Mallister passing to her eyes, their dead eyes, final sigh, their blood drowning her - those few nights not plagued by the weight of her actions, she dreamt of how her hair smelled in those drowsy mornings, of how the sun shone to her face, how her skin felt to her fingers, her voice to her ears. Her hands shook and spilled ink over the parchment, staining the words she'd penned; her ears echoed the sound of screaming, the insults and the sobbing, the pain and the despair of the Black Cells she now oversaw. A lady is never fazed by her circumstances; merely inconvenienced, the voice of Joff returned to her. The Seven made each of us in Their image, and given us the duty and the right to take Their Works into our hands - Maiden and Crone, Warrior and Smith, Mother and Father, even the Stranger; righteousness and piety comes through all.

She'd crowned her, laid the steel circlet to her forehead and proclaimed her Queen as she'd done a thousand times amid kisses and whispers; yet though her gaze still lay fondly upon Casanna, the duties of a Queen called her away - the realm tore itself apart for the grief they shared, the grief which parted them, the grief neither knew how to bear. Had it been a mistake, she'd questioned? Had she taken to action too quickly, and now she'd share the fate of the Black Queen's favourites, her Queen given to the flames? Her cousin had taken her from Casanna, wed her, given her a swollen belly and a happy smile through sorrow and thorn; Master of Laws, Warden of the West, Lord of Casterly Rock, Shield of Lannisport - yet that shield did nothing to prevent the incoming blow from the Ironborn. That shield let her father die, gave away her birthright, the Rock that now stole her treasures. She penned down her letter again; to a cousin she'd grown beside, a Lannett of a cadet line, a boy when they'd last met and now a man grown. Were her father alive, he may have encouraged that she match her hand to his, so the line may persist beside another junior of the Rock; rather, he'd serve as her castellan and first officer so long as she remain in King's Landing - she'd hoped that mayhap she may charge him with the affairs of the Rock, too, if she could persuade her cousin, but he now went to campaign, warring across the Riverlands, reaping the seeds of rebellion she'd sowed. Encased within the envelope to be sent was a badge of office - a golden key with the bow of a lion, twinkling eyes of sapphire and fangs of ivory. She had five made - one for herself, one for Lord Damon, one for Ser Lannett and the two remaining ones... Well, she needed bait to find new stakeholders.

The Golden Bank of Lannisport - as it would be called, as per its charter - was to finance the reconstruction of the city, a new fleet for the Rock, to rival Oldtown and even the Free Cities; without Gulltown or White Harbour beside the Queen, her domain may expand, and though her holdings would always be those of a cadet, she may find fortune elsewhere. Or so ran the thought. Lord Royce had passed not a week before, and the rotting smell of his body still stained her clothes, she felt; her hands seemed bloodied no matter how much she washed them, and she could hardly focus anymore, her tired expression hidden by the steady work of her servants and ointments and paint from lands as distant as Lorath and Yunkai. Casanna had torn the realm apart, laid beside a woman, killed those who trusted her; it had been the Seven's own punishment that she lose all that she love most, that she be shackled like a hound, that she be put to serve her Queen as her left hand, do the darkest bidding and shed the blood and whisper the evils necessary for the realm. She had her duty, and she'd do it to her best ability - but her heart hurt that she felt it unrewarding, a punishment, her mind taken by guilt she'd never felt before. Casanna had never questioned the direction her heart took her, the winding roads that service to her Princess led her through; she'd lied and betrayed, she'd even been accomplice to death when it was required - but that was when she was rewarded with kind words and caresses, when they were one, when she still held out hope they may be together, as the Maiden's light bless them. Now she was a spinster, a gaoler, a rat-catcher in the walls; Mistress of Whisperers, Lady Confessor, Child of the Stranger, a bloodied sapphire to adorn her Queen's crown. No true lioness should be sneaking about without a pride to follow her.

What had once been the Queen's was now hers, and she sat at her chair on the Small Council; as she busied herself with royal affairs, now Casanna looked after the wyrms and drakes along the realm, whose whispers and blades served the line of the dragon. They said the usurper courted the favour of the Iron Bank of Braavos, and that the Rogares lay close with the court at Sunspear - the Martell had not yet recognised the legitimacy of Her Grace's reign, but they'd always been a troublesome lot. She set the letter aside upon a stacking pile of missives to be sent to the rookery by a servant; her livelihood had become to writ letters, learn the weakness of flesh and bone, demand answers, reminisce and fall to night terrors, at times interrupted by the counsel of the Small Council. Her cousin rode out to the Riverlands, her Queen was beset by treason and flattery; Casanna's affairs were not war, and war was all the realm was set against. She'd grown in times of peace, blossomed to a woman in strife, but when it came again, she was beset by matters she'd not learned, powerless in the face of it all. She paused, and cleaned after her desk, standing up and taking a deep breath - her corset felt tight around her waist, months of indulgence to hippocras and honeyfingers to console her heart taking their toll on her shape. She'd not gone out hunting or riding on horseback since the Great Council, and she missed the fresh air of the open fields of the Kingswood; but duty took its price, and it was rather that than her blood. The Lady Confessor placed her cloak upon her shoulders, and pinned it together with a golden brooch; with firm steps, she ran down the stairs, the stink and musk of the gaol bringing her insides to a simmer. She withdrew a dagger, a pretty dirk from Lys, and got well to work. For the Queen.

#rustwood #ask #oc casanna!!!!! #.txt #i promise i'm not crazy she gives me life #<- crazy person

[that90sshowgoldencouple]

Another Q - you were there for the finale episode, right? And saw Laura and Wilmer? Were there any cute behind the scenes moments with the OG cast? And what was it like to see Laura as the director?

@thatseventiesbitch thank you SO much for the question!! I love talking about attending the tapings, honestly, it's not to brag, it's because it was that much fun! I remember when coming back from the first taping I would not shut up about it on the ride back to my friend's house.

Back to your question, yes I did attend the taping for the finale and it actually was pure luck that I did, when I booked those tickets they still had two other tapings listed, I was so surprised when they announced to use we'd be seeing the finale.

Yes I did see Wilmer and Laura! They did not see me, sadly but I saw them lol My dad actually saw Laura driving into the studio as we were waiting to go inside! Wilmer we didn't see until Fez came into the scene, it was a complete surprise, the audience went wild.

It was really awesome to see Laura direct, the only thing that I didn't really like but at the same time I understood why it had to be done, but since Laura was directing her scenes as Donna had all been preshot and played to the audience on the TV screens they have there. Most of these scenes has Red and or Kitty >:( But like I said, I get why they were pre-shot and at least I did get to see one scene with Red and Kitty together at the beginning.

You could tell Debra Jo Rupp was really proud of Laura and her directing them tho, I remember she made a comment to the audience about it. It was really sweet.

Wilmer and Kurtwood clearly had alot of fun filming the scene in the driveway as Fez and Red. Must've reminded them of the mess ups during the shower scene from season 6 that also happens to be called back in the driveway scene. I remember to Wilmer kept flubbing on the 'Baby Back' joke and had to do several takes, once trying a different joke but when it fell flat he said something like 'You just want me to say it now don't you?' and ten he ended up doing the 'Baby back' line again. I also remember between takes of this scene, Kurtwood swinging his cane like it was a golf club, towards the audience. That was kinda nice to see, it told me he wasn't dependent on the cane but it was something that was helping him. I was honestly happy (and relieved) to see they'd given Red a cane when I came back for this episode.

More cute moments from this episode that I remember were:

Debra Jo, Callie, and Ashley jumping and dancing around to 'Jump Around' The music they play between takes is a lot of fun 90s music.

Debra Jo Rupp and Kurtwood Smith having a discussion at the kitchen table between takes of their first scene. Couldn't hear them but I know once Debra Jo Rupp was refolding the newspaper while talking with him. And another time she was talking to him with her hands on her hips and Kurtwood moved his hands up to his chest in a sorta 'Me?' kinda movement-wish I knew what they'd been talking about, but it ended with her hugging him before they shot their scene.

Reyn actually got the mic for a bit and talked to the audience but it was Wilmer who made a really nice speech about coming back to do the show and how talented to new kids were, it was really nice.

The scene in Sherri's kitchen, I remember Wilmer at Laura sorta having moment with figuring out how Fez should be sitting and him playfully saying something like 'Now that she's the fancy director' lol

The Kitty and Jay scene was the last scene to be shot and it was way off on the set the audience could only see it filmed through the monitors, but there were quite a few bloopers from that scene most from Debra Jo

Thank you so much again fro sending in this question! I know you sent in another one and I'll answer it soon. Hope you don't mind me answering this one first. Your other question, I think I'm gonna share possibly my favorite moment that I saw at the taping. :)

My inbox is like The Forman House, it’s always unlocked and open! Stop in anytime 😀

#that 90s show #that 70s show #red and kitty #red forman #kitty forman #leia forman #behind the scenes #donna forman #fez #red and fez #cast #taping #filming #answered asks #laura prepon #wilmer valderrama #callie haverda #ashley aufderheide #reyn doi #debra jo rupp #kurtwood smith #just love him! #she's the best! #that '90s show #thatseventiesbitch

[otsukimi-sunshine]

did he just tell the mc "now it's reyn time, baby" after the mc asked for him to give them a minute for some "ryme time"

He did.

#pokeblogging #rotomblr #hibiya speaks #elena speaks

[gay-hoodie-boy]

f/o rankings by their level of silliness?

from least silly to absolute clown!

Not Very Silly-

they've still got a sense of humor, but they're either too smooth or too serious to act all that silly.

Jackie- quips and oneliners for the most part. Althought he did dress as a clown for a disguise in the movie, but I would classify that more as whimsy than silly.

Hobie- he was always that cool. He may be dorky in the "I'm so cool" sense, but he's not much of a goof.

X- far too cute and calm to be silly. Jokes sometimes go over his head, which retroactively increases his silliness levels.

Osfala- once again, far too calm. He has his slightly overconfident moments, but they're rare these days.

Tonbo- too much of a knight/househusband type to make brainspace for being silly, but he does tend to take things at face value which once again retroactively adds to his silliness.

Normal Silly-

they enjoy a good laugh, but won't go out of their way for a joke unless it's a special occasion.

Link- he would be in unintentional, but that's only a half truth. he's got a carefree childlike attitude and is aware he might look silly when doing some things.

Joe- food puns, the fucking dork /aff. other than that, his silliness is mainly displayed via moments of random affection.

Tauro- he either makes fishing puns, archaeology puns, or tells those intelligent jokes you don't understand unless you're a NERD.

Clark- you would think his main silliness source is his awkwardness, which is true, but he also very much can make someone laugh on purpose. he likes making people smile, and making them laugh is one way to do that.

Luke- he's pretty shameless about PDA in public, so his silliness factor is mainly in his energetic displays of affection. but he's also generally a fun-loving guy, and won't turn down a chance for a joke or two, and maybe even a bigger prank if the mood strikes him (see my fake reddit post)

Unintentionally Silly-

exactly what's on the tin. they're silly, but they don't do it on purpose.

Herlock- he's kind of on a border because while his investigation methods looked silly across the game, it was revealed that he messed up on purpose to help ryunosuke learn how to make his own deductions. even then, there was no reason for him to hang on the coatrack or talk about his personal experience eating soap.

Masa- he's just a dumbass. it's not his fault.

Pierce- he's also just a dumbass, but he's been put in an unfamiliar place and has no idea what the culture of said place is like.

Jamie- he gets intoxicated on tea. he's a self-proclaimed peacekeeper who almost definitely would say acab (we ignore beta Jamie). he walks as if he owns Metro City's China Town like he's not 5'9 wearing eyeshadow. wearing a jacket that makes him look bigger than he is like a long-haird cat. he's lucky that im into all that, but he's still absolutely ridiculous.

Rouxls- A man that speakse liketh this doth be far too sillieth for his own goode. While i do believe he's smart and has some semblance of class, so does he- to a detrimental degree. Possibly the silliest man on this list, and he doesn't even mean it.

Total Goof-

incredibly silly, mostly on purpose.

Itto- he has so much confidence but also loves fun so much that it all culminates into the adorable prankster that he is. he knows when he's done something that makes him look/sound silly, and he capitalizes on it.

Leon- yes his bad senses of direction and fashion make him silly, but he's also big on just generally acting like a goof. champion or not this man is silly!

Reyn- stupidity + constant jokes = perfect recipe for silly. one of his best features is how much he loves to smile, and make others smile. he's just a big rowdy sweetheart who wants everyone to have a good time, and that results in him being an affectionate and goofy jokester. i will never let go of "you can't have a rainbow without reyn, baby."

thank you for the ask i love pointlessly categorizing/ranking my f/o's JDBGJSDFS.

#miscellaneous items

[monstersnmayhem]

I have been looking forward to this read ever since A Soul to Keep released on Kindle Unlimited.

And so I tried my best to go blind into this story to temper my expectations. As such, I ran into both off-putting and pleasant surprises.

Like all of my reviews, this will contain spoilers, but I try to keep them to a minimum.

The story starts right away when we meet Delora as she’s being thrown over a cliff, tied and gagged, into the Veil.

In a fit of rage, she stabbed her husband and his mistress to death when she found them in bed together. A perfectly reasonable response. But the mayor disagrees and has her left to die.

Luckily for Delora, her fall is stopped by the fox-skull Mavka that Reyne introduced in book 1. The duskwalker, once his spine reforms, decides to take the little human in and heal her; hoping that she might agree to be his bride or a quick snack. He’s not particular. To his surprise, she agrees to give him her soul, and thus, their story begins.

One of the things I enjoyed about this book was how it treated depression and trauma. As someone with depression, it was refreshing to read a character you could relate to; one who makes reckless decisions not because they are the main character and they have to move the story along, but because she could care less whether she lives or dies.

Magnar, as Delora names him, vows that he will heal her emotional scars and sets out to woo her.

I liked the change of pace in this story as well as the fun action scenes. Magnar is adorable and he tries so hard to please his bride. However, this is a sloooow burn.

Like I said in my last review, I am not a fan of Reyne’s writing style. It’s like running into a brick wall. But I found that I could ignore the writing in favor of the story.

Now to the offputting surprise, right after Magnar and Delora have sex for the very first time, spoilers, she gets pregnant.

I know, I know, the pregnancy trope is not popular and I am not a huge fan of it either. Nor am I a fan of when having a baby is the key to the healing process of someone’s emotional turmoil. Especially not when it happens 35% into the story.

Maybe that is why I had to drag myself through the last half of the book, or maybe it’s because Delora all of a sudden had a 180 character change. Depressed Delora turned into micromanaging, selfish Delora and it’s so far removed from how she is written in the beginning. One of the things I liked about the first book was that Rhea deviated from the traditional female lead with perfect morals to this morally grey, sword wielding badass. Delora is nothing like that. Despite murdering two people in the beginning of the story, she has issue with Magnar eating demonslayers that attacked them. Make it make sense. And this translates to the way she treats her baby. She throws a fit when they eat anything because it means they will get bigger. Miss girl, you know what a duskwalker is, you know they have to eat constantly to develop physically and that they need to consume humans to gain humanity, and yet she actively stunted the kid’s growth by refusing to let them be what their nature demanded.

Little things like that at the end of the book just really killed it for me. There are more that I could bring up, but I’ll leave it up to you to read.

But the spicy scenes can redeem anything. I enjoyed those quite a lot.

All in all, I’d give this book 3 out of 5 stars. Entertaining, but I really think that Reyne needed an editor to catch the multitudes of grammatical errors and fix some poor character writing. Will I read her next book? Yes, but with some apprehension. She has promised that this one will be much different than the first two, so here’s hoping!

#monster romance #ice planet barbarians #monster fucker #a soul to keep #a soul to heal #opal reyne #book review #bookish #booktok

[tbtgtr-incorrectquotes]

"a quadruplet Jocelyn, Alyssa, Aemon, and Baelor, "

Could you guys tell us more about this AU?

Other than Leonyra (and her midwives) probably being made a saint for having a birth of 4 babies, who all survive and thrive

Well this AU is called Sweet Briar, and it's the one that's supposed to come after we finish Red Falcon. (I know, it's a while away) but basically, the plot revolves around four points of view, Rhaenyra's, Baelor's originally and then two more later with the occasional sibling interlude. This time, Rhaenyra is a bit less reluctant to make the Baratheon girls offer to Borros since Aemon is older, and Baelor is the image of a romantic knight, although how he pictures romance is a big point of contention in his family as he refuses to marry someone he's not in love with despite him being a pragmatic fellow in everything else (you win some you lose some).

Unfortunately, it's Sara Snow that he's in love with despite already being promised to Kathryn Greyjoy, Lord Dagon Greyjoy, the Red Kraken's sister. As you can imagine this dissolves into a conflict even more dangerous as the Realm recovers from the Dance of the Dragons and everyone seeks to get this boy under control as Aemon strives to become the perfect heir, Jocelyn adjusts to being Lady Reyne, and Alyssa has to fight in the Eyrie against Osgood's rivals. It's more of a romantic-political novel than the Red Falcon which is more coming of age + politics, and I'm really excited to start it after we finish the Red Falcon.

#Anonymous #sweet briar #thank you for the ask! #sorry if this spoilery but all of our plotting shouldn't lay in the server not privy to the world for two years

[marron121]

I'm playing Xenoblade Chronicles for the first time ever and Reyn is the best character in existence.

He's the himboest of himbos. He clearly has feelings for Shulk but neither of them realize it. He jumps by saying "alehop!" He is the dumb (tm) character but is the one that teaches the protagonist one of the most important lessons so far. His memes are godlike. One of his catchphrases is "You can't have a rainbow without Reyn, baby!"

I love him so much. This guy is gonna cure my mental state.

#xenoblade chronicles definitive edition #xenoblade chronicles #reyn xenoblade #please no spoilerinos I jsut love Reyn #Youtube

[asongofsilks]

ASOIAF FANCASTING --> EVERY NAMED FEMALE CHARACTER ABOVE THE AGE OF FIVE, PART XV

Cyrelle Tarbeck (b. 241 AC): Daughter of Lady Ellyn Reyne and her second husband, Walderan Tarbeck. She had an older sister, Rohanne, and a younger brother, Tion. When House Reyne and Tarbeck were crushed by Tywin Lannister, Cyrelle's brother, husband and father were all killed. Cyrelle and her sister were sent to the silent sisters. Fancast: Riley Keough.

Cyrenna Swann (c. 230-255 AC): Second wife of Lord Walder Frey and mother to two sons. Fancast: Lára Jóhanna Jónsdóttir.

Dacey Mormont (c. 272-299 AC): Eldest daughter and heir of Lady Maege Mormont of Bear Island. She is an accomplished warrior and rides with King Robb Stark in the War of the Five Kings. She is murdered by House Frey at the Red Wedding. Fancast: Natalie Hoflin.

Daella Targaryen (64-82 AC): Fourth-born daughter of Jaehaerys I and Good Queen Alysanne. She was delicate and shy, and was bullied by her younger sister Saera. Many eligible lords and sons of lords courted her, but in the end she chose to wed Lord Rodrik Arryn, who was more than twice her age, but a gentle man who would take care of her. Unfortunately, Daella fell pregnant and died shortly after delivering a healthy baby girl, Aemma. Fancast: Elle Fanning.

Daella Targaryen (b. 199 AC): Eldest daughter of Prince Maekar Targaryen, who would later become king as Maekar I, and his wife Dyanna Dayne. Her mother died when she was under 10. She had four brothers, including Aegon the Unlikely, and one sister, Rhae. Fancast: Therica Wilson-Read.

Daena (main series era): A mummer at the Gate in Braavos. Fancast: Jodelle Ferland.

Daena Targaryen (c. 145-175 AC): Eldest daughter of King Aegon III and his wife Daenaera Velaryon. Her two elder brothers, Daeron and Baelor, became kings consecutively after her father's death. She was married to Baelor at the age of fifteen, but he refused to consummate the marriage. When Daeron was killed in Dorne and Baelor became king, he annulled their marriage and locked Daena away in the Maidenvault with her two younger sisters, so that they would not tempt any man. Daena hated this unjust imprisonment and became more and more defiant, finally giving birth to a bastard son that turned out to be fathered by her cousin Aegon. Baelor, aghast, fasted for forty days after the boy's birth and eventually collapsed and died. Many thought that Daena, being Aegon III's oldest surviving child, would become queen, but she was without political support during her imprisonment and the throne passed to her uncle Viserys instead. Daena's son would go on to become Daemon Blackfyre, who sought a crown for himself and caused the ruinous Blackfyre Rebellions. Fancast: Ellen Hollman.

Daenaera Velaryon (b. 127 AC): Second wife and queen of Aegon III and mother to five children. She was presented to Aegon at the age of six at the Maiden's Day Ball after the death of his first wife, Jaehaera. They were wed later that year, but their first child was not born until ten years later. Fancast: Alicia Agneson.

Daenerys Targaryen (53-60 AC): Eldest daughter and first child to survive infancy of Jaehaerys I and Good Queen Alysanne. She died of the Shivers when she was no more than seven. Fancast: Olivia Tennet.

Daenerys Targaryen (b. 172 AC): Only legitimate daughter of Aegon the Unworthy and his wife, Queen Naerys. At the time of her birth, her elder brother Daeron was already married and had a son. Daeron had been married to Princess Myriah Martell as part of the peace pact between Baelor I and Dorne. When Daenerys was fifteen, she was married to Maron Martell, the ruling prince of Dorne. With this marriage, Dorne was finally brought into the Seven Kingdoms under Targaryen rule. It was rumoured that Daenerys had been in love with her bastard half-brother, Daemon Blackfyre, and that her marriage to Maron instigated the First Blackfyre Rebellion, but Daenerys and Maron were, by all accounts, happy together. Maron built the Water Gardens as a gift for Daenerys, where their children could play in the summer heat along with the children of other nobles. It was Daenerys who declared that the children of the servants could play there too, starting a tradition that continues to this day. Fancast: Sinja Dieks.

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#asoiaf fancast #valyrianscrolls #daenerys of dorne #daenerys daughter of alysanne #daenaera velaryon #daena targaryen #daena of braavos #daella targaryen #daella daughter of maekar #dacey mormont #cyrelle tarbeck #cyrenna swann #asoiaf fashion #maron martell #allfancasts