#those are just examples of the type of ships that are mentioned

[geeky-zombie]

They'll be a tiktok post saying "When you really dislike a ship but it's a popular fan favorite so you can't say since everyone will hate you" and then the comments will be like "jayvik" "shadowvanilla"

AHHHHHHHG OMFG THATS NOT A FAN FAVORITE THOSE LITERAL SHIPS HAVE CAUSED THE FANDOM TO SPLIT 50/50!!! ITS NOT A WILD UNCOMMON CONCEPT TO NOT LIKE THOSE SHIPS

[tamamita]

is it true what they are saying about Hamas having tunnels in civilian areas?

You have to understand how western media makes the statement. The statement will then be the frame by which we judge the issue, but the way they like to frame it, it's obvious that they have a bias in which Hamas are portrayed as the 'bad guys'. The actual facts are much different. 

Hamas is not engaging in conventional warfare, they are conducting asymmetric warfare, sometimes called 'guerilla warfare'. The term asymmetric warfare is the more accurate term though. Asymmetric in this context means there is a huge difference in military capability between one side and the other. For example, if there was just a strait battle, tank vs tank, plane vs plane, ship vs ship, then Hamas would definitely lose since they don't possess ships, tanks or fighter aircrafts. Because of the difference in military capability, they have no choice but to conduct their warfare, i.e. the defense of their homeland in a different way; it is 'asymmetrical'. This is not a new type of warfare and has been done throughout history any time there was this great difference in military capability between one side and the other. 

By saying 'Hamas set up tunnels in civilian areas', they are framing the subject as if this is conventional war, i.e. big army vs big army, like in WWI & WWII. What they don't mention is that in asymmetric warfare, there are no specifically 'military' or specifically 'civilian' areas. There is no front line, etc; Gaza is really small and densely populated, and every area is full of civilians. It is one of the most densely populated areas on Earth.. Those are terms that can only be used in conventional warfare, not in asymmetric warfare. Think about it for a second, if Hamas set up military bases, like the Israelis do, or like the Yanks do, it would take about 5 minutes and a few F-16 fighters to wipe them out, you've seen them raze Gaza to the ground, so you understand my point. That is why Hamas doesn't build bases. When the US / European media uses terms like 'military' and 'civilian' areas in an asymmetric combat situation, they are doing it to confuse people while they understand the reality of the situation. Hamas isn't putting its people in danger. They are part of the population. It is easy for Israel and the US to use the 'tunnel/human shield' argument as a pretence and justification for the relentless bombing and killing of civilians.

[chsopnk]

「 ✦ DADDY’S HOME ✦ 」

☆. # SHIP — gojo satoru, nanami kento, toji fushiguro x gn!reader

☆. # AUTHOR’S NOTE — the guys as the father of ur kids.

☆. # WARNINGS — mentions of puke

GOJO .

i could see him as a boy or girl dad. or both

tries to give his daughter cute hairstyles and fails miserably. crooked pigtails where half of her hair is still hanging down is the best he can do. but hey, he tries

definitely hangs his kids upside down by their feet. probably shakes them too.

the kids are definitely small gojo’s. sorry not sorry

every single day is chaos.

when he goes out with the two on his own, he loses one of them about 80% of the time (he always finds them again, don’t worry 😭)

let’s them have snacks before dinner and tells them not to tell you. they always do.

despite all of that, he’s a fun father

gojo has a lot of energy so he runs around with them all day and plays with them <33

(then he complains about how tired he is when they’re in bed :/)

lots of fun trips. to the playground, amusement parks, places in japan, different countries. the beach.

if his kids have hobbies, he’s always ALWAYS!! the loudest and most embarrassing parent there. he says it builds character and he needs to support his babies ‼️‼️

NANAMI .

girl dad. twin girls.

he definitely does their hair!! and he’s good at it too <3 nanami has done their hair since they had hair.

he spoils them TO DEATH.

the girls only want to eat the food he cooks 😒 they say it tastes better

he dances with them in the living room when no one’s home. ugh he’s so CUTE 🥴🥴

nanami’s a very very loving father but he’s also strict when it comes to certain things

example a: the girls will never not do their homework. he makes sure of it 💯

just imagine nanami sitting at a table with his two little girls while explaining math to them 🥹 he’s so so gentle and understanding but he will not let them give up

imo he really loves it when they wear cute dresses and look all pretty. he’s a girlie girl dad.

he will play with them no matter what they want to do. play dress-up? he will wear the tutu. want to play house? of course he’ll be the baby. the girls wanna do his hair + make-up? he’ll be the test subject no problem ‼️

he’s also never ever going to miss any special day his girls have. their first day of school, bring your father to school day, their dance shows — whatever their hobbies are, he’ll be there to support them <33333

also: a REAL father. never had a problem with changing diapers or cleaning up baby puke.

TOJI .

not the best father, but he’s damn sure trying

the child was definitely unexpected and not exactly wanted but once he came to terms with it, he tries his best to be there as best as he can

he doesn’t have the money needed to take care of a child, neither do you (not really)

but whatever his kid wants, his kid gets.

mostly, that includes fast food and cheap toys from the dollar store

but hey!! the kid doesn’t care where the toys are from (/gen)

definitely the type of dad to get one of those leashes for kids. he’s not risking losing his kid somewhere 💀 and he knows damn well what kind of menace that child is

he can and will bribe his son with candy to get him to stop crying or throwing a tantrum

toji cannot deal with his kid screaming or crying. honestly mostly leaves you to deal with those situations because he’s unsure how to handle them

will change diapers but not without complaining and almost throwing up 💀 it’s not his fault !!! it stinks okay?!!

acts like he doesn’t care about the kid but then shows up after a mission with a bag of candy. or pulls out some toy the kid’s wanted

cannot, will not & should not help with homework.

[essycogany]

Sonic And Amy Are A Unique Couple

This is a quick Sonamy rant /ramble session. With a few added clarifications too. Enjoy!

This couple is more unique than you’d think. It’s cool if anyone disagrees. I'm all for a polite debate and respect your opinion. But if you're willing to hear me out, I'll be willing to explain myself as clearly as possible. Great? Awesome! Let’s get started!

Amy doesn't want to change Sonic. I will scream this until I'm not able to speak any more that Amy loves Sonic for who he is. She always has but it wasn't until IDW that she expressed it out loud. Still one of my favorite moments between them.

Does that make their relationship unique? Not really. What makes their relationship unique is what Amy loves about Sonic is kind of the reason they're not a couple yet. Sonic is an ongoing force that can’t be stopped or changed. Of course, he’ll allow someone to join him on a race, but he still keeps going. Not to say Sonic won’t stop to smell the roses (pun not intended) but he’ll do it on his own time. Amy always likes to take advantage of those moments and best of all, Sonic doesn’t mind. Even during their old chases, he’d slow down for her. Says a lot about the connection they have but there’s more

Their chemistry is…something for lack of a better term. Their back and forth is so interesting to me. Sonic does like Amy back. Notable examples here but to put it shortly, Sonic doesn’t know what he’s doing when it comes to romance. Sometimes he’s not into it and other times he’s chill. Sometimes Amy is ecstatic and other times she's bashful. I'm looking at you Sonic X.

Every time Amy’s occupied, is when Sonic wants her the most. Amy on the other hand wants Sonic to enjoy his freedom. Neither of them stops to think about how maybe they can have it both ways.

I'll also mention romance isn’t about “being tied down.” That paints romance as if it’s some kind of chain being rapt around your neck or being forced to be with the person. That is not romance. It’s keeping someone hostage. Something Amy would not do. Every time she’d joke around about marrying him Sonic didn’t take it seriously. Heroes included.

Sonic’s line in Heros: “Amy, knock it off. There's no time to play!” Dude knows Amy was messing with him. She was written to be girly, childish, adventurous, and cartoony. No, it wasn’t always executed well. Hello, Sonic Freeriders Amy! But I think this scene summons it up the best.

Important thing to mention as well is Sonic is an outspoken and honest character who rarely lies. It’s either you get the truth or you get nothing. He’s not the type to spare people’s feelings either, so if he had a problem with Amy in the past, he’d tell her directly. I do think she'd also stop if he genuinely told her to. The last thing Amy would want is to tarnish their friendship because of her actions. This loyal girl is so sweet.

Not to mention this is a popular trope in Japan too. The trope was what their relationship was based on.

Back to my original point Sonic and Amy aren’t a traditional couple. That’s a good thing. If they became canon their relationship wouldn’t change if they got together, but also they don’t need labels either. Romance isn’t or shouldn’t be a burden on you. That’s not how love works and that’s not what Sonic believes Amy to be. If that’s the case he wouldn’t be friends with her. Whether you ship Sonic with Amy, someone else, or no one, there should be no doubt Sonic values her friendship.

I’ll also add that Amy is just as up for an adventure as Sonic is. It’s why she loves him so much. They’re a power couple and love going out to travel, so there’s no staying in one place for these two.

In Sonic Adventure 2 you can tell Amy’s intuition when it comes to Sonic. Close to the end, she saw him looking a bit down and noticed his mood shifting a bit. “What’s the matter, Sonic?” “Oh, it’s nothing.” She knows him so well. I don't know what connection they run on but it’s inspiring.

These two don’t have a typical girl/boy relationship. I know some people say, “Well, why can't Sonic and Amy stay friends? Not every male and female relationship needs to be romantic.” You're 100% correct. Here are some examples.

The difference between other relationships is that Amy was created to be a Minnie to Sonic’s Mickey. Which is why these two are treated differently compared to others. Including in merch. There are more examples but I digress. The point is this specific pair is always going to have nuance even if they’re only friends. It doesn’t stop until Amy doesn’t love Sonic and even if it shouldn’t define her, it should still be a part of her. She might work without romance, but we already have other amazing female characters for that.

No one’s obligated to ship them because of this of course. Again, your opinion is still valid, and I will always stick to that point.

Last but not least is their friendship (or situationship) as a whole.

The funny thing is their friendship is what makes their romance the most compelling. The appeal to Sonic and Amy’s dynamic is how much platonic energy they have. Romance doesn’t always mean you need to be lovey-dovey. With Sonamy it’s their powerful friendship that makes the (somewhat not platonic) interactions memorable. You don’t have to choose romantic or platonic. It can be both. I wouldn't be a Sonamy fan if I thought their relationship was plain. I'm here because of how different they are.

And I love them to bits. Look at this panel and tell me it isn't running with situationship fuel.

Another fun detail is in recent years despite knowing Amy still loves him, Sonic hugs her back. Even the moments in Sonic X he carries her are moments he offers to. Even when it wasn't necessary.

Can’t forget about the recent asking Amy out to a dinner panel in IDW. He's never done that before. There's a familiarity between the two of them however you look at it. I LOVE them for it.

His moments of genuinely being excited to see her are not due to some development but because Sonic’s passion for Amy has noticeably increased. Why am I bringing these up? It’s because one thing that hasn’t been talked about when it comes to romance is actions. Sure, Sonic doesn't fully confess his feelings to her outwardly. But why do you have to be obvious and in people’s face when it comes to loving someone? In Japan, love is mostly shown through what you do more than what you say. That stuff can happen there but it doesn't always have to. The “Sharing an Umbrella, Amy,” line in Frontiers carries a lot more weight when you think about the implications.

Please read this post by @egalitarian-tomboy if you're interested in the implications of Sonamy in Frontiers.

The up-to-interpretation view of whatever they have together is the main reason I and so many people ship them. It’s not the fact that they are close, but the progression of their closeness. To make a long story short, the appeal of Sonamy is the fact that they don’t have to be traditionally romantic to be an interesting couple. Amy represents expressive love and Sonic represents emotional love.

Stay creative! 💜

[manytoonepoet]

Hiya! I'm not the same anon who brought up the shipping thing with Aglaea and Cipher. But I was very interested in their perspective and your perspective while answering them as well. So I hope you don't mind that I add on a bit with my own thoughts (feel free to ignore if it gets too long haha)

Admittedly, sometimes I feel as if I might be a hater or just anti-ship, but recently I've been reflecting and realise that it's not the ships I'm against. It's that it feels like it's being forced onto me. Anon also mentioned shippers going into non-shippers' posts to "spread their agenda", and if you don't agree, you're a hater and you're blind to what's implied in the story.

I think this might be the fundamental problem. Why can we not live with notion that people have different understandings of the dynamics between characters? Why must something be "canon" because you believe there was evidence of it? Keyword being "believe", because nothing is canon unless Hoyo explicitly states it.

You mentioned that moment when Phainon said "it's a date" to Mydei and oh wow I got kinda peeved when a lot of people seemingly reduced it to evidence that their ship is canon. A date doesn't just have romantic connotations, it's a promise to meet again. And in this context, it's a tragic and bittersweet promise between two comrades made during a time when neither can live a truly peaceful life but probably wished they could (also on a similar note, Mydei telling Phainon "I wish you could come visit my library". Same thing.)

Really long rant, but it just feels like romantic connections seem to be prized above all other types of relationships. Why? I got no clue, but it just seems that way. God forbid people be friends and comrades and family without wanting to kiss. Anyway, just my thoughts, because it feels rare to see posts like this and I just wanted to share my perspective as well. Thank you for reading all that haha!

Hi, Anon! Oh, I most definitely agree. As for why? Well, from what I've personally seen, it's usually either self-projection or aesthetic pornography. Or both. Many of these people claim it's a plea for representation, but really, it's a demand for attention. If it were truly a plea for representation, then why reduce a character to a dynamic such as "a gay sub" or "a daddy dom" and more? If it were truly a plea for representation, then why reduce a character to their potential abilities in bed and the size of their genitalia? If it were truly a plea for representation, then why reduce a character to such a skin-deep degree that a series of forcibly pasted labels will be the only thing you can see? Is this how you truly want to be represented? In such a dirty and carnal way? I understand that there might be people who will be triggered by these questions, but these are questions I have to ask, and you should too. All of us should.

Going back to Phainon and Mydei, these two are one of the many examples of what will happen if we don't consider those questions above, and I must say, I couldn't be any happier than I already am now that I've seen someone who sees the moment when Phainon said "It's a date" as a farewell and a promise between comrades, not lovers. Because, you see, that phrase can and is used to mark another meeting between two or more people, and even if one would argue that the bond between them is beyond friendship, that doesn't mean that they're lovers as well. As I've initially said in this post, a platonic bond between Mydei and Phainon is possible and is experienced by real people. Romance is not the end-all be-all to every relationship, same-sex or otherwise.

Friendships. Romantic Relationships. Families. All of them are important in their own way, so to argue that this person's view of the two characters' relationship is wrong because there's no way the bond between them is platonic is simply fallacious. So there is no use in arguing because one, a person has the right to their own opinions, and two, until there are no official statements made, nothing is canon.

[kerorokai]

it's really interesting to see how people perceive kabru cause there seems to be a bit of a disparity between how he really acts and how he's portrayed in fanart and fan memes and such

with the way people talk about him you'd think he's this huge flirt or actively trying to use his good looks or whatever to get a leg up but he really.... doesn't? at least i can't think of a significant time where he does. is it cause he teases rinsha? or kisses her as a fish? i think those are dubious examples, but also even if you do read them as genuine flirting theyre pretty small and not repeated with any other character.

it reads more like he's just genuinely charming and good with people. he never tries to make a pass with anyone, people just like him cause he's.... likeable. and in universe characters do act aware of how charming he is (see: mickbell, holm, daya), but they never seem to insinuate that he's actually a tease or that he like, gets around. i guess there's a mention of "rumours" here? have most people seen this? is this what they based it off of?

it's also worth noting that in the same comic those exact rumours (whatever they may exactly be) are proven to be unfounded, kabru is just the type of guy people feel like they can open up to. they don't even talk about him like he's doing it on purpose!

if it's cause he MIGHT be half incubus, my friend brings up a good point: it feels like an intentional subversion to not have him be a sexual "siren" in that way. ryoko kui is very intentional with her world and characters, and to have kabru's succubus/incubus-identity up for debate while also having him be not particularly flirtatious seems like the type of irony she would write on purpose.

to me, really, it seems very indicative of how fandom at large views brown men. kabru's in an interesting position cause he seems to get most angles of this type of flanderization. he's seen as both overly sinister and drama-seeking while also being extremely flirtatious and a whore when.... he's kind of neither of those things?

he's not evil or particularly more violent than anyone else, he's just really utilitarian and has this false impression at first where you think he's gonna be some sort of secondary antagonist but he's way too smart for that. he doesn't manipulate people any more than any other character. and he's not really a whore at all he just.... likes reading people? and knowing people? and people like him? idk man.

it's part of this larger issue where brown men in fiction are both demonized and sexualized at the same time. i don't even think it's on purpose, i just think that most people don't even realize this is something they need to unlearn. it's not even cause i don't like shipping kabru! i do! i just don't agree with flanderizing him to do it.

i think kabru is much more than the first impressions of him you might have, or even the first impressions of him the characters in universe may have. and while i don't think someone posting ooc fanart of kabru is directly racist, i think a lot of it upholds the racism people are already accustomed to. it makes me a little sad!

[bucktommysource]

The bucktommy hiatus event begins on Sunday June 1st - exactly one week away! You can check out our intro post here for a reminder of the list of prompts.

We'll post a reminder the day before, and each week we will make post reminders to mark the start of a new prompt. Remember to tag your content with #bucktommysource and/or #bucktommyhiatusevent if you want us to see it!

We also now have a brand new faq that can be fully seen under the read more! We can't wait to see everybody's creations!

FAQ

What is the bucktommy hiatus event?

The bucktommy hiatus event is an event hosted by bucktommysource that begins on June 1st and runs for 8 weeks to inspire fans of this ship to create new fanworks during the hiatus! We're running two sets of prompts - one more specific, and one more vague - but a prompt can be picked from either list for any type of fanwork. You can pick strictly from one prompt list for the 8 weeks, mix and match across them, combine prompts from both lists (e.g. combining the week 2 prompts of 'quote(s)' and 'baking' to form a fanwork) - anything you can think of! Participation isn't strict; if you're only inspired by 1 or 2 of the weeks, feel free to just make content for those weeks. The main purpose of the event is to have fun - it shouldn't be stressful or taxing. And just because these prompts run across two months doesn't mean you can't make content after that! If you see this in August, September, October - hell, any time! - feel free to use the prompts as inspiration. The full list of prompts can be found in our introductary post here!

What can I make for this event?

You can make anything your heart desires! Fanart, fanfiction, gifsets, graphics, edits, fanvideos, icons, headers, memes, meta - to name but a few!

Can you be more specific in what you mean by a prompt?

The prompts in this event are intentionally vague (especially in the second list!) and there's no right or wrong way to interpret them. We encourage people to be creative with the way they interpret them!

I missed the beginning of the event/I joined late/ I missed a few weeks - can I still join?

Yes! You can participate in as many, or as few, prompts as you like.

I missed a week, can I still do the prompt?

Of course! If you stumbled on this event late, or, for example, missed week 1 and we're not on week 4, you can still create content for any of the prompts you've missed! The only thing we ask is that you don't skip ahead and do future weeks early!

Can I make multiple things per prompt?

Absolutely!

Can I combine prompts? For example, can I combine week the 1 'home' prompt with the week 6 'firsts' prompt?

You can! All we ask is that, if this is something you want to do, you hold off on posting it until the later week - so, in the above example, you hold off on posting it until week 6. We don't want people to skip ahead on weeks that haven't arrived yet!

I want to create something in multiple parts (eg. multi-chapter fic, series of gifsets) for one of the prompts - do all parts need to be completed and posted during the relevant week?

No - it's 100% fine to just post the first of a fic or gifset during the relevant week!

Can I create content that is mature or NSFW for the event?

Yes - just make sure you tag everything properly both on tumblr and external sites (like AO3), especially if the subject matter could potentially be upsetting or triggering!

How do I add my fic to the AO3 collection?

1. From your fic, click ‘edit’, and scroll down to the ‘associations’ section. 2. In the 'Post to Collections / Challenges’ field, enter 'bucktommy hiatus event' and you should see the bucktommy hiatus event (bucktommyhiatus) appear in the autocomplete list. 3. Hit 'post' or 'update' and your fic will be added to the collection! AO3 has a collections FAQ that can be viewed here. The bucktommy hiatus event collections page can be viewed here.

Do I have to mention the event/prompt when I post my creation? Like in the caption of a gifset or the notes of a fic?

Not if you don't want to! Mentioning the event is a nice way to spread awareness of it so other people who might not know about it can see it, but it's not mandatory. Just make sure you use our tags if you want us to see it/know that it's content for this event!

Is this event being hosted anywhere else?

No, not by us - we're only on Tumblr and AO3. However if you want to post your content to other sites (e.g. Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky), feel free!

Can I join in a language other than English?

Absolutely! As mods, we may only speak one or two languages between us, but we encourage creations made in any language! Please just ensure that they're tagged correctly, though!

Why haven't you reblogged my post?

Make sure you've tagged your post with either bucktommysource and/or #bucktommyhiatusevent in the first few tags if you want us to see it. We queue our reblogs across days so we don't mass flood content all at once - so it could very well be in our queue! If you think we've missed your post, feel free to DM it to us or send us an ask and we'll take a look! Please be aware that we will not reblog posts that contain stolen content (e.g. we will not reblog posts that contain gifs made by other creators), and we will also not reblog posts that contain sensitive themes that haven't been tagged for.

For any other questions we haven't covered here, feel free to drop them in our ask - and should we have any other questions, you can find them answered here!

[guessthatrec-poll]

Welcome to the Guess That Rec tournament!

Do you like enemies-to-lovers? Non-stereotypical queer rep? A cyberpunk setting with dragons in space about friendship, family, and the dangers of capitalism?

Well, this isn't any of those things! This is Guess That Rec, a tournament by the mod of @besttropeveershowdown where we'll be voting on media based entirely on bad, Booktok-style recommendations. Inspired by @guess-that-ship and this post, the rules of the tournament are simple: submit a recommendation for your favorite piece of media, and we'll vote on which ones we like best, BUT, here's the kicker: You may not mention anything about the actual plot of the story. Instead, we will be voting based on promo-post-style recommendations, which can include tropes, representation, setting, genre, very general theme, and anything else, as long as it doesn't describe anything that actually happens in the story!

Season 1 has come to a close, with rec 15 (Red vs. Blue) taking home the gold. Submissions for season 2 will be open on Saturday 5/3!

Example:

Do you want a high school story about a neurodivergent protagonist working through their trauma by going on adventures in the big city? Queer-coded side characters? Male characters breaking through their toxic masculinity and expressing their feelings? Wholesome sibling relationships?

Then you'll love Catcher in the Rye!

The tournament will work similarly to the way @guess-that-ship does. Each rec will be assigned a number for the poll with the rec itself going in the body of the post, and each round, there will be a poll pitting 2 recs against each other. Vote for whichever piece of media sounds most appealing based on the rec alone. At the end of each round, I will reveal the identity of the loser. Guessing what work each rec is for in the comments is encouraged!

THE RULES:

Any type of media is permitted. Both fiction and nonfiction are allowed, but everything must be presented as if it's fiction.

You may NOT mention anything to do with the actual plot or premise of the story. You may, however, mention:

Tropes (ex. enemies-to-lovers, fake dating, unreliable narrator)

Representation (ex. disabled protagonist, gay side character)

Character dynamics and relationships (ex. dysfunctional siblings, grumpy x sunshine lesbians)

Setting (ex. in space, in the Old West)

Genre and subgenre (ex. historical fiction, whodunnit, workplace comedy)

Comparisons to other media (ex. if you liked Avengers you'll love this, it's Twilight meets Hunger Games)

General themes (ex. love, grief, family)

General elements (ex. murders, adventures, road trips)

Anything else that has NOTHING TO DO with what the story is actually about!

3. You may NOT make anything up: everything must be technically true, or at least up for interpretation. So, in my Catcher in the Rye example, I can't say that there are "canonically gay characters" because there aren't, but I CAN say that there are queer-coded characters. Similarly, if there's a character in your piece of media who exhibits autistic traits but has never been confirmed autistic, you can't call them "autistic", but you can call them "autistic-coded" or mention their specific traits. The use of weasel words (ex. describing a mentally ill serial killer stereotype as "neurodivergent", or a gay villain as a "major queer character") is allowed and encouraged.

4. Do not include any identifying details (ex. title, character names, identifying place names) in your rec.

5. Funnier submissions will be given higher priority. Submissions are funnier if A) they're of media that most people have heard of, and B) they are technically true while not at all capturing the vibe of the media.

5a. Additionally, remember that this is meant to be BAD recs: don't just use this as an excuse to recommend your favorite media! If a Booktok-style rec actually provides a good picture of what your media is, consider either rewriting or not submitting it.

6. Should the same media be submitted by two different people with different recs, priority will generally be given to the first submission, unless a later submission was significantly funnier by the guidelines stipulated in rule #5.

7. There is no banned media: go nuts!

Tagging @tournament-announcer!

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

To add onto that Malleus popularity speculation, I think another major reason why that you never mentioned is the simple fact that characters of Malleus' archetype are just more popular in general in the west amongst working age women.

There are plenty of adult novel containing male supernatural love interests. Fae and vampire romance novels are still extremely popular amongst adult readers. A Court of Thorns and Roses is technically an ADULT novel, NOT YA. Even m|m supernatural stories even fall into this category with Stolas/Blitz from Helluva Boss being an extremely popular over here. That pairing is from an adult animated show. Stolas shares a lot of similarities with Malleus.

Hell, even if you step into western contemporary romance novels, the male love interest tends to be more brooding and angsty with flawed leads. Everything from classic literature like Jane Eyre to modern shit like anything Colleen Hoover writes. (Don't get it twisted. I'm NOT saying that Malleus is anything like those leads. Just using those very popular example of brooding bad boy love interests in adult contemporary fiction in the west.)

Meanwhile in East Asia, those sorts of leads tend to be geared towards teenagers. Working age women want a more stable, realistic love interest that would take care of them like Trey.

Westerners seem to prefer more complex, intense romantic relationships, where the stakes feel higher and the emotional payoff is more significant. They will naturally write Trey off as a "big brother" character instead of seeing him as a romantic lead material thanks to being more used to seeing characters like Malleus as the love interest in stories.

I could be way off base, since I'm not Asian and far from being an expert on Japanese culture, but that's my two cents based on my observations. This is also based on broad generalizations. Neither culture is a monolith.

[Referencing this post and (more specifically!) my speculation here!]

Oh, for sure 💀 I made a post a while ago talking about how Malleus (especially from the yumejoshi/self-shipping perspective) reminds me a lot of the new "Shadow Daddy" archetype that has emerged in the romantasy genre. I mean, just look at how many of the Shadow Daddy traits Malleus ticks off:

is a nonhuman being (usually fae)

500 yrs old (or at least several hundred years old or a significant age gap between the Shadow Daddy love interest and typically female main character)

looks young and hot/conventionally attractive despite the age

is OP (usually with shadow/night/darkness related magic)

is royalty or in some kind of position of power

dark hair and/or skin (sometimes both)

“morally grey” and/or has issues (you can fix him)

brooding

looks or is rumored to be intimidating but is actually lonely and misunderstood, with a heart of gold

animalistic in some manner (usually with bat/raven/dragon-like wings)

has a tattoo or some kind of bodily markings (Malleus has the scales under his hair; you could also count the OB facial markings I guess)

Outside of romantasy novels geared towards older teens (18-19) and adults, the west seems to really love brooding bad boys as love interests in a lot of its media. Something else I noticed is that the "good guys" or the "boy next door" types like Trey tend to be "the other man" in heterosexual love triangles, which miiight also explain why he gets looked over in the western fandom. (I discussed some of my own observations, which are similar to the points mentioned here, in the posts linked above.)

I wouldn’texactly phrase it like westerners preferring "more complex, intense romantic relationships [... with higher stakes and more significant emotional payoff]", as that unintentionally implies that there has to be brooding or angst in order for the story or character arc to be "good". I feel a lot of it actually depends on the execution rather than the tropes present. For example, I've seen many "Shadow Daddies" that exist purely for wish fulfillment rather than emotional or story/character complexity (which, to be clear, there's nothing wrong with if this is the kind of thing you enjoy!). Wholesome or "normal" romances also have the capacity to be complex, intense, high-stakes, and emotionally significant too! Again, it all depends on the quality of writing and what one's personal preferences are. You'll find outliers regardless of culture as well--as the asker has stated, no culture is a monolith!

[traiaadd156]

Damian wayne al ghul rant

No, because the only right way/what I think is when Damian finally becomes an adult he either becomes these three things which I love or hate or both.

1# Doctor, because all and all he is more ahead than his peers not only in intellectually so but also by his experience its the most normal future for him and I am actually pushing for it to be so since(as a fan) I dont like him always suffering and be this sort of edgy thing that boys idolize because of how misunderstood his character is even in writing.

But I also would like to mention about him still saving lives without outwardly being a hero, he wants to save people but his now(healthy) mindset doesn't have to truly think he needs to sacrifice his own life for another person. Like alfred, because that trauma and how the comics portray his death as something impactful, Damian even has memories or flashback.

His death meant something, it meant something for Damian as a person.

And him forgiving Bane was just the tip of the meaning of what alfred was trying to tell him and jason(I think)

How he could not only rebirth but forgive, how he isnt always arrogant and to even put his own pride down to work with others.

And thats why I like damian being a doctor so much😔 because of not only alfred but how I think its the healthiest options for the next two Im going to talk about.

2# Him being the Demon head, yes I know it's very far from the first one but HEAR ME OUT! It's just that I enjoy the thought of him being something of a leader like Ra's but he doesn't commit to the madness it has with it because what I noticed about damian is that he wants control. Himself and others, how he could develop and actually use the organization he leads to do good.

Because what balances heroes in villains(In my point of view) is dirty work.

Corrupt officials, organized crime etc. As hard as it is to believe, I think Damian wouldn't want heroes to kill because of their own moral dilemma about a situation that is related to them(either a family member getting killed, or them being tempted to actually kill since THEY know that the person either wouldn't get punished or they truly think there is no other good enough punishment for them whether in law or jail)

Him killing those actual sick and twisted people TO help in not turning a hero into something of a criminal is rather righteous(or what I hope the writers are going to do🙏😭)

But the only down side to this want of mine is the ships trying to but in to who is better as a partner for him in this timeline. Bc I dont see flatline even staying that long, neither raven or even mari(graysons kid😬)

3# being Batman, yes he was literally waiting and trained to be just like him. Because he is the skilled in actually putting people in their place but I think he will never truly outdo cass or grayson in that pole because he resorts to violence and probably would kill. But he also understands the criminals, to why when and how they become the way they are and he knows that there is always hope for them. Because he was the example, he reflected, if he had a robin by his side who was just like him. That would be a good time to self reflect, his own faults he has to admit(just like bruce when he was a kid)

Its best to say that he will definitely be as reckless as before, but his main goal in gotham is probably control. How he needs to know everything, his obsession with protecting his own home just like his fathers because in the city where he is he sees people trying to get by and survive and he is the only person who is going to do that since he is far farr from corruption since he himself if rich(CANONICALLY)

But what I dont like about this is that the writers😞 because I read on a different issue when he turned to batman he was killing these people instead of rehabilitating them like his father did, and usually in this type of rant I would avoid the topics that might cause problems with how my audience sees and thinks about it but this is just a rant after all(so no outwardly seeking hating on the ppl that write bc im not a dc writer I repeat!)

I think I was a little bit too dramatic on this rant so apologies for that😬 but its just my personal opinion because even as a reader I do get a bit irritated with how the story does go but I still read it(bc the art is ALWAYS good)

[atiny-for-life]

A general rant about shipping and all that stuff...

I was asked by @thirstkanaphan for my take on this post so I've gathered my thoughts and realized I actually have a lot to say about the topic, broadly speaking and beyond the scope of what was mentioned there.

Before I begin, I'll preface this by saying I think about all of this extremely differently than what's talked about in the post. I personally also don't feel comfortable applying fictional shipping dynamics onto real people, but I also don't view it as harmful as long as it maintains restricted to fandom spaces and doesn't get pushed out to the ones it's about, so I hope we can all be cool about this!

Also, I'm 29 now and I've seen the way shipping culture has impacted real people's friendships and such, so I'll abstain from interpreting into any of their dynamics - I'll just go based on what I see and what they've said.

#1 - The Current Drama (apparently. I was previously unaware of this.)

Regarding the whole WooSanSang shipper-drama, all I can think is... this is just history repeating itself. We had the same stuff going on in the BTS fandom when certain Taekook shippers started piling onto Jimin for no reason. And what did that accomplish? Nothing. Precisely. It just made everyone, especially Tae and Jungkook, uncomfortable.

Back then, Tae even specifically called those shippers out and yet they still wouldn't stop:

So please, guys, let's not follow in those footsteps. Be better than this!

#2 - The Main Topic: Ateez vs Fanservice and Group Chemistry™

I definitely won't sit here and claim Ateez don't do fanservice - they do a lot for the fans directly (certainly more than I think they should feel obligated to) and they're obviously aware fans scream louder when any of them get close to each other, so they most likely know the most popular "ships", but I personally think comparing any of this to the Thai BL industry is taking things too far. Way too far, even.

But I'll explain myself:

I remembered them directly addressing this type of thing before so I dug around a bit and found the discussion I was thinking of in this 2020 video:

From that, we can already gather that group dynamics and chemistry have always been fluent in their heads and it's not about couples - duos, trios, the 99 line, Tropical Boys - it's all on the same level for them, all of it contributes to the Group Chemistry™.

Hongjoong here is still hilarious to me though:

On top of that, I genuinely don't think the company cares much about any of this. They just let them do whatever as long as they don't go causing controversies. That's also why they let the guys loose without media training. (The Jumping Ban™ was always a joke btw - it was never real.)

You gotta keep in mind KQ was originally a management agency - they were never following the same grain as BigHit. They also never had Ateez on a dating ban. I really don't think ships were on their mind much at all for a long time, probably right up until WooSan shippers felt the need to act up and start micro-analyzing and interpreting a million things into every small exchange which must have been impossible to ignore.

I do think that sudden shitstorm made all eight of them more aware of the many eyes that have been newly aimed at them and it's made them more careful and reserved in regards to certain things like having arguments on camera and such - they used to include moments like those in Logbooks sometimes.

But regardless, as someone who's been on top of Ateez's content since 2021, I honestly can't say I ever sensed a strain in any of their dynamics. They all very clearly adore each other a lot and, as time passed, they all collectively got closer and closer, but as they've matured, new dynamics also emerged (Topaz, for example, got really close really quickly, but also JongSang have gotten wilder, SanSang obviously got closer, and Wooyoung's lil crush on Yunho was addressed openly - and often jokingly). But that's just what happens when you're around the same 7 people day in and day out for years.

We see the same thing in groups like NCT Dream who all grew up together and have been together for ages. They constantly shift who they're obsessed with, but the overall family dynamic never wavers. I think that's just human nature - you switch up your favorite person to hang out with which keeps things interesting.

What I think is generally noteworthy though is that multiple duos can be doing the exact same thing, but only the most popular ships will be talked about and it'll be seen as A Moment™. This happens all the time.

But if you zoom out and actually keep track of all of them, it's clear to see they're all constantly all over each other - both with words and actions. I mean, all of these are from the same recent Logbook alone:

These guys just really, really love each other a lot and they're super comfortable in each other's space. They also all talk about each other all the time, whether the others are around or not. And whenever they have a solo schedule it's all "the members this", "the members that" - it's super sweet.

But more importantly, as they've gained popularity, they've also gotten more and more opportunities to build their careers, both as a group and individually. And this is exactly why I think this is no way comparable to the Thai BL industry which is wholly centred around couple-dynamics.

Ateez have been and always will be primarily about music, dancing, occasionally modelling, and whatever other passions they have. Since the beginning, they performed in zombie make-up, with masks on, etc. - they want to be known for their performances, their achievements and that's what they promote.

Whenever they do do fanservice, it's very obvious, honestly. For example, the duo fancalls recently where they were acting out what the fans wanted (the SeongJoong hug, Wooyoung sucking at Yeosang's cheek). Or when they play games where they have to get really up close and personal, they'll often exaggerate it and make teasing comments. Or when Wooyoung rubbed up against everyone while dancing to "Sexy Back" (San and Seonghwa's faces here are so friggin' funny lmao). But even when they do this type of stuff, they clearly still have fun with it themselves.

#3 - So what do I think of SanSang?

I think San just adores Yesoang a lot and he feels very protective of him. San's always been a protector even before he bulked up and, now that Wooyoung's really grown into himself and gained a lot of confidence, San may have instinctively moved to Yeosang who, honestly? Needs a protector more than anyone else in this group.

Wooyoung's already protected him for a long time and we've heard the stories of how that went - Yeosang getting fooled by a prank call, accepting strangers' invitations to pet their dogs, often needing instructions explained twice because he zones out a lot. He's not incapable - far from it (I mean, he chose to leave BigHit for his own good, thinking Wooyoung wouldn't follow, he's LOCKED IN whenever he performs, etc.) - but it is good he has people around who'll stick by him and watch over him.

#4 - San hiding his anger?

I also think San being different on- and off-camera isn't all too surprising. From the beginning, he's always acted the most while filmed (pitching up his voice, acting cutesy) because he was worried about coming across as scary or intimidating , and now he's likely concerned about being misunderstood or causing negative press if he allows himself to slip and let his anger show.

Mind you, I think his anger is likely primarily directed at saesangs, reporters, perhaps certain interview questions or other shit going on in the Kpop industry or just the world at large (politics, social injustices, etc.). We know he has a huge heart and he cares deeply and feels very protective, so seeing the state of the world right now will likely make him no less angry than it does the rest of us. But since he's a public figure, he has to sit on it a lot more.

#5 - 8 Makes 1 Team!

Now regarding what I think whenever the members flirt with each other, bicker, hug, kiss, etc. - I think they just do it because it's fun! They enjoy the fans getting so loud and hyped up while they're on stage, but they clearly also love seeing each other's reactions, pushing each other's boundaries, exploring how far they can go before the other one puts a stop to it. I mean, they've always been equally affectionate off camera too.

For example, Wooyoung biting Yeosang shortly after meeting him, WooSan being seen with their arms around each other while walking down the street years ago, all the 99 liners going to Seonghwa's bed for cuddles when they were still all sharing a dorm as eight (Seonghwa mentioned it in a live once when Yunho came to lay down with him).

They always pile onto each other, whether they know they're being filmed or not. It's likely what happens when you've been through hell together and we know their path to success was tough and included lots of abuse at the hands of Mnet, people who called themselves fans but aren't, award shows, and more. Not to mention the shit Jongho's been through with his former label and Mingi needing a mental health break and time to reconsider whether he even wanted to continue on this path or not.

Them having been this open with their words and physical affection from early on (thanks, Wooyoung <3) is clearly also what has gotten Jongho to be so much bolder now compared to when they first debuted. He even thanked them for it in 2019:

Ultimately, I don't know if any of them are truly dating or have ever dated. Just as I don't know if any of them have had or currently have romantic crushes on each other. All I know is what they show us and what they say and anything beyond that is for them to know and them to know only. I'm just happy to see them happy and thriving.

In conclusion:

I don't want to shame anyone for how they interpret and interact with the content Ateez puts out. If you like to ship, ship away within fandom spaces. All is good as long as personal boundaries are respected and everyone remains conscious of where they post and who might see it.

Please also keep in mind that everything I said here is simply how I see it, but if you'd like to chat about differences in opinion and such, please do feel free reach out - my ask box and messages are always open! <3

[velvetvexations]

Honestly the whole "cringe queer identity VS Cool Real Edgy queer identity" has been going on for a while and it's extremely annoying. It's always the same concept too.

It was the same during ace discourse. It's now seen as somewhat tasteless to openly and proudly make random hateful comments about ace people, but you can still frequently see people make these kind of "jokes" where ace people are the stand-in for some sort of "annoying", naive person unlike the real queers who go to the club and take drugs and fuck and have real problems in the real world. The whole "Steven Universe queer VS Ketamine queer" type of comments.

There seems to be a whole subset of the queer community who clearly has a superiority complex and feels the need to see themselves as the edgy, cool queer people, mocking some other group that they see as childish, whiny losers who don't truly understand queerness (unlike them, the True Enlightened scoffing at these pathetic pale imitations).

Transmascs and nonbinary people AFAB (or those perceived to be) are often a target of this. This is how you get all the "trender" discourse. This is how you get a million different frameworks trying to define a subgroup of trans people as The Real Oppressed and stereotype another group as the Whiny Annoying Ones Who Don't Understand Oppression. It's also how, for example, you get people complaining that forcemasc is a cringy copy of forcefem (with forcefem being positioned as a kink for the Enlightened), that transmascs make cringy music unlike transfems who make cool music, and so on.

It's not even just within the trans community either. Another example of this mentality : the stereotype of the "toothpaste flag" or the achillean flag (or even using words like "achillean" or "MLM") as markers of being some sort of naive, childish UwU blue haired transmasc (the stereotypical "cringe person") who doesn't Truly Understand the gay label and probably spends all their time squealing about their cartoon character ships, unlike Real Gay Men, who would never behave like that as they are busy hooking up, doing drugs and being hatecrimed IRL (the Cool Person faces real oppression and does Cool Adult Things that would surely shock the innocent sheltered cringe person naively trying to imitate the Real Queers).

[I'm not mentioning stuff about hookups and drugs because I have a problem with these (perfectly fine things to do lmao), but because the queers with a superiority complex will definitely judge others based on their expression of sexuality for not being "subversive enough" (see: the forcemasc complaints, ace discourse, anything about "bi women with a boyfriend / who only date men"...) and pride themselves because their own sexuality is more "cool", "real", "truly queer" than the one of Cringy Losers. And they will often bring up that stuff to more or less subtly imply they're the Real Queers, because apparently the Cringe Identities wouldn't do these things (and if the Cringe People did, they wouldn't do it the Right Way so it wouldn't be as cool, edgy or morally right as when they do it, of course).]

It's hilarious when you can tell how insecure they are in their position as the Real Queers, e.g. "no trans woman is binary in a way that counts."

[only-lonely-star]

Request Rules/Links

Requests are always open!

⁠♡ - fluff

☁︎ - angst

୨୧ - drama

Short Stories

Caught ⁠♡

Night to Remember ⁠♡ ୨୧

Too Young ☁︎ ୨୧

Not What It Looks Like ୨୧

A Soc ?! ⁠♡

The Accident ☁︎

⁠Charm ⁠♡

⁠Brown Eyed Girl ⁠♡

Unexpected Illness ⁠♡

⁠Father Duty ⁠♡

Bruised and Bare ⁠♡

Pretty in Pink ⁠♡

Snuck Around and Found Out ୨୧

Just One More? ⁠♡

Hidden ୨୧ ☁︎

Sweet-Talk ୨୧

Best Dressed ⁠♡

Smitten ⁠♡

Smitten (pt. 2) ⁠♡

Caretaker ⁠♡

Headcanons

Dating Dallas pt. 1 ⁠♡

Dating Ponyboy pt. 1 ⁠♡

Dating Johnny pt. 1 ⁠♡

First Date With Curtis Gang⁠♡

Halloween ⁠♡

Sodapop Curtis (General) ⁠♡

Curtis Gang x Big Spoon Reader ⁠♡

Dating Sodapop Curtis ⁠♡

Ponyboy Curtis (General) ⁠♡

Ponyboy Curtis x injured!reader HCs ⁠♡

Sodapop Curtis x Afro!Reader ⁠♡

Mr. and Mrs. Curtis HCs ⁠♡

Curtis Gang x anesthetized!reader ⁠♡

———————————————————————————

I can write for all characters in The Outsiders! I mostly do short stories and headcanons, but I love just chatting with you all about The Outsiders in general.

RULES

Don’t request anything regarding:

Self harm, Suicide, Disordered eating, sexual assault, incest, illegal age gaps, abuse, racism, homophobia, or any form of discrimination against race, gender, homophobia, mocking religion, etc; ships between any of the greaser boys (ex. no JohnnyBoy ships)

Some of those topics are incorporated in angst stories. Only if requested I will MIDLY mention some things briefly. This is a safe space for everyone!! This is a place where everyone can have fun and enjoy my content. Good vibes please.

I will say, if a request revolves something around death canon to the book, I will allow it. For example, Dally’s suicide - if you want something angsty revolving around his death that’s totally fine. Same thing goes for neglectful and/or abusive parents (Johnny). Just not like a ‘reader commits suicide’ situation yk?

I’m slowly bringing back my NSFW content, but I don’t post links to those above. I will only make content as such by aging characters up!! Regardless of aging up, I will not do any writing for Ponyboy that is suggestive. (I think he’s too young to be characterized properly as an adult. I could make it work with Johnny & Dallas for example because 16 and 17 are a lot closer to 18+ than 14. Is that a little confusing? Hopefully not. 😭

REMINDERS

Don’t spam the same request please. I’ll get to your request eventually, I promise! 😭🫶🏼

Don’t be afraid to be specific!! Being more detailed can help me make the request both longer and more accurate. I promise I won’t get mad if you type a whole essay for a request. Get creative!

You can make as many requests as you like! As long as you’re not spamming the same request at once, a couple of different requests are totally fine by me.

I won’t take requests such as “___ for a (insert disability or disorder) reader” simply because I don’t want to spread false information or offend anyone. I haven’t been diagnosed with any disorder nor disability, so I can’t use my own experiences if I’m writing or creating headcanons.

I can refuse any request, but I will do most!!!

[kalpeavaris]

Totally for unrelated reasons, what are some more facts about communication drones? Like uhhh specific anatomy ect?

Prepare to get spammed with information! 👀

Communication Drones Infopost

Communication Drones (calling them CDs for short here) are a sub-type of Worker Drones fitted with antenna and special storage systems meant to analyze, store and transcrypt incoming and outgoing signals between Outposts, (human) landing pods and machinery.

CDs can also communicate with each other & Workers around them in a certain range which allows them to be very effective in sending out orders en masse to other Drones.

(more below the cut for their anatomy, specialities and more!)

Most CDs have two to four antennas fixiated to their head which are directly connected to their auditory entrance (or well, 'ears' as we would call it in human terms) which makes their antennas vital for their work and general hearing. Damaged or removed antennas may result in a CD losing their ability to hear or at least reduce it greatly.

Depending on the size of the antennas it's easy to see what purpose the CD served - long antennas are usually paired with long-range signals which put the individuals at use to distribute orders, arrange communication between ships & pods on their way to other exoplanets (when humans were still around) and to manage incoming signals from other planets & stations/outposts.

Short antennas usually indicated a more localized position for the drone in question - mainly within a singular Outpost or in ships to work directly connected to the local machinery and computers, sending orders in smaller ranged areas and storing security data.

Most CDs have secondary enhancers which work similar to a short-range antenna allowing them to switch between long and short range at will (mainly used for CDs that had flexible working places between ground & flight).

Generally, the antennas also function as "mood indicator". They can rotate around themselves and change position dependant on a fixed motion range around the head - similar to how e.g animals use their ears to indicate mood, CDs quickly took these habits from dogs that were around Copper-9 and video material of animals and copied them. Not all CDs did or do that, but alot of them do. For example if an individual is excited/attentive, the antennas would stick right up. If they're overwhelmed/annoyed/angry they'd usually be lowered down or pressed against the sides of the head.

They were expected to be very attentive and pay close attention to details. Their inner storage was designed to hold literal months and even years of auditory data that they recieved which was usually extracted every 4-6 months via the ports on their back which connected directly to the storage. Without these "clear outs" most CDs experience involuntary deletion of audio files which is out of their control and might result in them forgetting things they've heard/analyzed before.

Other than those two features their anatomy is fairly similar to that of normal Workers, height etc. as well.

After the humans disappearance alot of CDs lost their use as there... well, were no orders to share and no signals to analyze. Some of them struggled with this loss of "useability", some were fairly happy about this.

Lost/destroyed antennas cannot be restored by themselves (well, unless a CD is a Solver User like Kira) and CDs usually do not take well to losing or damaging antennas. Enhancers aren't as sensitive, but still hurt. Touching them might also cause disruption in hearing for CDs, it would be like someone rang a bell next to a humans ear for them. :'D (no touchie!)

CDs are generally connected to ECHO in the MD: Echo story (outside of that this plot point doesn't matter, just mentioning it here haha). Since Kira was the first CD Echo tried to use as host it developed an interested in them since CDs are great tools to be used for mass-ordering hosts.

Alot of CDs were destroyed while the humans were still around, especially if their warranty expired or they became damaged, to prevent sensitive information (such as orders and analyzed data) from leaking or being stolen by enemy forces/entities.

CDs infected with a Solver usually had enhanced auditory strenghts, capable of sending much stronger signals regardless of their antenna's natural range of reach - and they could also "ping" other Users & Hosts which makes them easy tools of manipulation. Luckily the only known CD which acted as AS Host was Kira who was "patched", so it couldn't spread for now (excluding Echo :'D)

[celtigxr]

THE PINK DREAD - CH. 33 (Masterlist)

Chapter Summary: As the Valyrian houses gather for the anticipated dinner party, King Viserys has an unexpected announcement to share. Word Count: 6070 CHAPTER WARNINGS: We're still talking about menstrual blood. I also only proof read this once, cause ya girl is getting lazy. So apologies for types/grammatical errors, and odd sentencing/wording.

Series tags: Aemond x Plus size!OfC, Aegon x Plus size!OfC, Celtigar!ofc, Plot with Smut, mdni 18+, Aemond End Game, Angst, Comedy, The Dragons Don't Dance, slow burn, friends to enemies to lovers, enemies to friends to lovers.

Credits: Lace Banner by Aquazero, pearl divider by Pommecita

Notes: This is another one of those chapters I'm not particularly happy about. I think my problem is that I absolutely LOATH writing scenes where there are more than four people. Because there are just too many moving parts and I feel like I need to acknowledge everyone's existence. It's tiring. Anyway, I hope this reads better than I feel like it does.

The Small Council Chamber was at its fullest for the first time in years. Though there was a single marble left unclaimed in the centre of the table, a white and grey granite sphere that would belong to the Master of Ships. Alas, with Lord Corlys occupied near a decade in the Step Stones, and now incapacitated to near death, the subject of anointing a new master of ships was broached several times in the past, and that day was no different. 

“Word has it that the Cannibal has moved all the way north west, settling in the mountains around Iroman’s Bay. Dalton Greyjoy told me himself that the Ironmen have begun preparing ships with scorpions, and arming themselves with harpoons, ready to take down the beast,” Larys leaned back in his chair, eyes casting over the nearly full table before landing on the King. “He said that he is willing to take down the nuisance at your pleasure, your Grace, and all he asks is for a seat on this Council and a bride with a generous dowry.”

“Of course he did,” Lord Bartimos rolled his eyes.

“Your Grace, we do need a Master of Ships,” the Lord Hand reminded, and everyone’s eyes strayed to the lone marble in the hexagon. “Lord Dalton is an exceptional sailor and captain, and has one of the largest fleets in the Seven Kingdoms, next to the Redwyne’s.”

“Yes, but might I remind you of his reputation,” Daemon shot Otto a look. “He’s done far worse than I, and yet you kept me farther away from this Council.” 

“Daemon, please,” Viserys lifted his hand, already tired. “We are not going to bring up the past today…” He turned to look at Barty, who appeared to agree with Daemon, predictably. With a sigh, Viserys lifted his arms, “Tell Lord Dalton I will think on it. Until then, there are many others that we must consider.” 

“Like who, your Grace?” Lord Wylde raised an eyebrow. 

“Lord Manderly, for example, or Ser Cedric Redwyne, Lord Corwyn’s most accomplished son,” The King answered swiftly. “Not to mention, Lord Clement and Arthor Celtigar, Bartimos’ sons. Clement has possessed the seas since his youth, and knows Lord Corlys personally.”

At the mention of his sons, Barty’s chest swelled, “It would be a great honour, my King. My boys would make you proud, should you have them.”

Rhaenyra glanced at the Hand of the King; he appeared as if he was holding on by a thread. His mouth opened to say something, but instead he clamped it shut after sharing a look with his daughter beside him.

Having a Celtigar on the Small Council again would impede Otto’s ambitions. With Bartimos back, Rhaenyra could tell that the Hand was becoming more irate and impatient, making his motives clearer with every desperate attempt at salvaging Hightower power. His plan was thwarted when Viserys’ health improved; he was no longer addled with Milk of the Poppy and strained with pain, making it easier for Otto to manipulate by the power of suggestion and urgency. Ever since Lyonel Strong had stepped down as Hand and was tragically killed in the Harrenhall fire, Otto’s re-admittance into the position was merely due to the lack of better prospects. At that point, Viserys’ relationship with Bartimos was strained, otherwise the Claw Isle lord would have taken Lyonel’s place. 

However, now they are friends again, it was only a matter of time before Viserys realized he could replace Otto with him. The man’s presence in the Small Council while not having a title to belong there was enough of an implication. It would only take a few pushes until Otto finally snaps, forcing the King to do so. Ultimately, that would be a win for Rhaenyra, ensuring that there is no more Green influence whispering in her father’s ear.

Rhaenyra swiveled her eyes to Alicent for a moment, before moving her gaze onto her hands folded on her lap. She and the Queen have been cordial since Visenya’s funeral, though they have yet to share any true moment of reconciliation. At most there were glances of pity, sadness, longing, mutually understanding that they both wished to bury the axe. It was just a matter of who was going to lower their weapon and make the first wave of the white flag. After her conversation with Jacaerys the night prior, it would appear that she would be one to do that. 

Otto was wrapping up the final details of the Tourney, after making suggestions for possible low-born men to be knighted and even chosen to be a Kingsguard. Then he asked if there was anything else that needed to be brought up before they departed, and Rhaenyra felt a sense of deja vu. 

“Yes, there is, as a matter of fact,” she stood up slowly as everyone remained seated. “Several years ago, I stood in this Council Chamber with what I believed was a wise and honourable offer… I said it then, that we are one house, but we have since been divided all these years.” Her eyes roamed the table, noting everyone's expressions one by one. Daemon looked expectant, Otto looked too controlled, Alicent appeared conflicted, and her father’s pleasant smile of encouragement filled her with hope. The first and last time this was mentioned in this room, Alicent barred more mental strength than he. 

“His Grace wishes this to be a season of peacemaking, which I heartily agree… As does my son, Jacaerys, who was the one to bring this up to me.” Bartimos tilted his head towards Daemon, his brow furrowed.

 Rhaenyra turned to address him first, “Lord Bartimos, your daughter is simply lovely. You know well that I adored her when we both resided in the Red Keep, as I did her mother… A union between our families would have been ideal, yes, but I made a promise to my son that I would give him the liberty to choose, as my father gave me when I was his age.” 

The Lord of Claw Isle seemed to deflate in his seat, his eyes seemed to age as he blinked defeatedly, “My Princess, I would like to apologize for any insult my daughter has—”

Rhaenyra smiled and lifted her hand up to stop him, “Apologies are not necessary. There was no insult to be had… On the contrary, Jacaerys and Valeana got along well enough, but nothing beyond cordial companionship. Instead, your daughter has inspired my son…” Rhaenyra trailed off and looked back to Alicent. “He has approached me to inquire about the possibility of taking Princess Helaena’s hand in marriage. As it happens… He has already discussed it with her privately.” 

Alicent straightened in her seat, her mouth hung open with the incapability of articulating a response. Her eyes casting over to her father did not go amiss, and neither did Daemon’s look towards Bartimos. 

“Helaena has not mentioned this,” Alicent stated, her tone betraying her need to disbelieve her ears. 

“It appears to be a new development,” Rhaenyra folded her arms in front of herself diplomatically. “Though Jace has said he wished to court her quietly and without stress to ease Helaena’s mind.” 

“Well now,” The King finally spoke, his smile widening. “I did not wish to say it… But this was something I always wished had happened all those years ago.”

“But your Grace, we have already discussed betrothing Aegon with–” Otto was promptly cut off by Viserys.

“It was discussed and I made the decision of it not being discussed further,” Viserys looked at Otto, his purple eyes wide with the unquestionable authority of a King. “Helaena is too soft for Aegon. You of all people understand his appetites, as you spend most of your day containing the deplorable truths he hides in Flea Bottom. I know he loves his sister, but it does not go beyond that… And I believe everyone in this very room could all agree… He does not wish to marry Helaena, as much as she does not wish to be married to him.” 

The Lord Hand visibly sunk into his chair, his hands lifting in a feeble attempt to convey surrender. “Aegon is your first born son, your Grace. If there were anyone to marry first, it would be him. He is well past the age.” 

“I’m aware, Lord Otto,” The King smiled ironically. “Though as you are all aware by now, Aegon is in a very unique situation. And if the whispers have any merit,” His eyes flickered over to Larys, “It’s the same situation as my other son.” 

The King fell quiet, looking down at his four fingers as they drummed the marble sitting in its nest in front of him. Then he moved his eyes onto his friend, Barty, who sat at his right. Bartimos stared back, his jaw taught as they silently communicated the obvious. 

“I am inclined to allow the chips to fall where they may,” Viserys finally says, lacing his eight fingers in front of himself. “For my daughter, Helaena, however, I wish the world for her… And what better world can I give her than one where she is to be a future queen of the Realm, to be married to a honourable, compassionate, and strapping man like my grandson? Alicent, my dear, do you not agree?”

The question was a challenge, to gouge a reaction out of his wife. If Alicent did not agree, she would voice it. But something kept her lips buttoned, and she looked wide eyed between her husband, her father, and her former friend. If only Rhaenyra could read her mind, to know what she knew, to feel what she felt. Instead, the Princess waited with baited breath. 

Alicent slowly stood up from the table, her fingers anchoring her body on the table as she did. Her eyes found Rhaenyra above everyone else’s, effectively avoiding the imploring eye of her father. With a swift movement, she grabbed her goblet, and raised it to the Princess. 

“I agree,” her answer fills the room, stirring emotions. “It is time we repair the rift between our families, and make our house whole again.” 

When Valeana woke up that morning, it was earlier than she typically would find herself in. Shyla was missing from her bed, which only reminded her of her dream. A wave of nausea hit her; it felt like guilt, it felt like loss. It was so much simpler then, to choose both and have them willing. But it was not reality, as much as she curled back into her pillows, hoping to fall back into that dream that ended so unsatisfyingly. 

There was a distinctive squish between her thighs when she moved, and she internally groaned and threw her head back. She must have bled through her rag during the night. Carefully she moved her body over to inspect the sheets underneath her, finding it clear, thank the gods. Then, Valeana quickly strapped on Lady Footlyn so she could clean herself at the washing basin in the corner. A meticulously humiliating process she had to do every single morning the last few days; every moon for the last 8 years. Only 40 more to go. 

Though when she pulled up the damp cloth, she didn’t find what she expected. Her moon’s blood was over, what remained was slick, translucent, with a pinkish hue (likely remnants of her blood). Cringing at herself, she resumed her cleaning, ensuring that her thighs were thoroughly dry. At least she didn’t need to plug herself with cotton anymore. 

Over breakfast, it was collectively decided that Shyla should no longer suffer another night trying to sleep next to Valeana. Apparently, she had snored so loud and stuttery, Shyla had to check to make sure she was breathing several times.

“You sounded like you were a street cat being mounted by a direwolf, Val,” Shyla rubbed the corners of her eyes. An apt description, considering what she was dreaming that night. Unfortunately, there was a lack of Cregan. Perhaps another night. 

Floris was violently reluctant in giving up her single bedroom, but it was put to rest when Shyla expertly handled it. 

“It’s alright, Floris. The settee is kind of comfortable… I guess I can stay there for, what…two more moons? My neck won’t hurt forever.”

So, it was decided. Floris’ single room would be Valeana’s. The transition between rooms was a series of glares and muttered remarks as trunks of clothing were moved from one room to the other. When it was all settled, Val collapsed on the larger bed with a sigh. Floris’ former bedchamber was smaller, situated just above the one Valeana shared with Shyla. Stairs lead to it, a circular room in the spired tower above their family’s wing of the Holdfast. There was a larger tower on the opposite end, where her parents’ were. Unlike her former accommodations, this one’s balcony was considerably smaller, just enough for a lounging chair and a tea table.

Aemond would have a harder time climbing up there. 

Val lolled her head towards the inconspicuous bookcase, now empty of Floris’ belongings. Almost forgot about that. She lifted herself up on her elbows and looked around the room, now truly taking in how blissfully removed it was from the rest of the apartment.

A smile crept on her face, slow and devious, just as her hand moved up the hem of her skirt. 

The highly anticipated, but even more dreaded gathering of the Valyrian houses would take place that evening for supper. Valeana had spent the entire day making Queen Alicent’s dragon dress with Rosy in the private confines of her new bedquarters to kill the day. While her maid could not talk, she was actively listening as Valeana imparted ideas for her own gown for the Creature Ball. In the end, she decided to be a white lioness, a homage to her mother.

By the time it was time for her to get dressed for supper, the Queen’s dress was practically finished. All that was left was a final fitting to ensure everything was in place, which they had plenty of time for. The Creature Ball would not happen for another moon, at least, some weeks after the Tourney and the Victor’s celebration in the pavilions was over.

There was, however, a formal dress code for the evening. Everyone must wear the colours of their house, which meant that the Celtigars will be garbed in whites and reds, including Floris. 

“Why was she even invited,” Valeana ranted to Rosy as the girl helped her pull the solid vermillion dress over her head. “She’s not a Celtigar, she’s not Valyrian.”

And yet Floris wore Celtigar colours, a red bodice with matching tiered layer, an ivory skirt underneath and trumpet sleeves. A ridiculously extravagant dress that expressed something that she clearly is not. All that was missing were crabs embellishments, like Shyla’s. 

Her younger sister’s dress was mostly white, save for the inside of the corset in the front, and the stripe of red on the hemline of her skirt, sleeves, and square neckline. Her mother wore a solid red dress, much like Valeana’s, but hers had far more bedazzlement with pearls and polished quartz, which matched her statement necklace. 

Valeana had a fair amount of vermillion and ivory coloured dresses, enough to fill two trunks over had she brought her entire wardrobe with her to King’s Landing. Though there was one in particular that was her favourite, one that she had only worn once at her coming out ball on her 18th name day two years ago. It was a bit romantic, perhaps a little much the evening, but the King did request his guests to wear formal attire. And Valeana was feeling particularly romantic that evening. 

The skirt was slimmer than her usual gowns, but still held a petticoat underneath to keep shape. Though unadorned with embroidery, it was flowy and delicate. What made the dress her favourite work was the sleeves and the neckline. The sleeves were trumpet shaped, though entirely made out of vermillion dyed veil-type lace that exposed her arms from shoulder to wrist. The dress itself was designed around this fabric, so the lace was the focal point. The bodice had a lace corset in the front, and the neckline was sweetheart shaped, bordered by more lace that framed the tops of her bosom, clavicle, and over her shoulders with a patterned fringe. 

Rosy plaited her hair intricately, though its loose appearance made it appear effortless to anyone who didn’t look too close. Four smaller braids beginning from her scalp met in a knot at the back of her head, and the rest of her hair was pulled into two thick messy braids. 

Valeana stood after strapping on Ser An-toe-knee Woodsby, then shook her hips around, making the dress swish around her legs. Looking up at Rosy, she asked, “How do I look?”

The mute girl communicated with her hands, a language that Val slowly learned over time. Her fingers made a crown on her hand, and then she covered her left eye before pointing at her heart. 

Prince Aemond will love it. 

Valeana smirked bashfully, “And what about Prince Aegon?”

Rosy stared at her with a tilt of her head as she considered the question. Then she motioned with her fingers around her chest, and made a squeezing motion. 

He will enjoy that part.

Valeana threw her head back in a laugh, then turned around to go find her shoe for her right foot. Her eyes glanced at the bookcase, the one that hid the hidden passageway, and she couldn’t help but involuntarily swallow at the mere possibilities this room offered. 

The dinner was being hosted in the Holdfast’s private ballroom, designed for family-only events and intimate parties. The Celtigars are the first to arrive, Bartimos leading the charge in his ivory doublet, trimmed in red, marching red grabs on his shoulders. Ursula behind, then Clement in a dark red doublet, and Arthor wearing similar. The girls filtered in right after, Floris, Valeana, Shyla. 

There were two tables positioned in a T shape, but separated by a platform. The smallest table sat horizontally on the platform with larger chairs. Two in the middle that faced the hall itself were the tallest, and the most ornate, a visual indication that it belonged to the King and Queen. The longest table was placed vertically below the platform some distance away; it had a total of fourteen chairs.

“I suppose that is where us kids sit,” Arthor comments as he moves around his family to take a gander around the ball. 

There was a band in the corner, playing lightly to create a background ambiance. Drapes were pinned to the ceiling, red, black, white, aquamarine; the colours of the Valyrian houses. Valeana noted green was distinctively vacant in the decor, as were the Hightower banners. On poles that flanked the fringes of the ball room, the sigils of House Targaryen, House Velaryon and House Celtigar stood proudly one after the other. At the very end of the ballroom, beyond the modest dance floor, was a statue of a dragon with three hands, candles were placed on its pedestal, illuminating it from below. 

Valeana stared at it for a moment, examining each head closely, particularly the one in the center that faced the room, eyes trained forward. 

The dragon must have three heads, a voice echoed in the back of her mind.

Not long after their arrival, Princess Rhaenyra and Prince Daemon strode in with their litany of children, save for the younger ones, Viserys and Aegon, who likely were put to bed by then. After the obligatory formal greeting, the growing crowd began to mingle. Clement went to crowd Daemon, and Jacaerys slowly made his way towards Valeana, who lingered around the statue. 

“The milkweed plant worked,” Jace said cheekily, his hands behind his back. 

Val grinned at him, “I told you. Did you talk to your mother about it?”

He nodded, “I did. She told me she had wished for it years ago, but was thwarted by Alicent. I’m guessing the Queen wished Aegon and Helaena to be wedded, but that was not going to come to pass…”

She hummed in understanding, “And what does Helaena think of it?”

“She has told me she cares for me, but she does have reservations about being Queen. I assured her that if she wishes it, she will be Queen in title only, and that she does not need to be obligated in affairs of the court. I only wish for her to be contented, and not forced into a loveless marriage where she is not appreciated.” 

Valeana smiled softly and placed a hand on his bicep, “You’re a sweet man, Jace. She is very lucky to have you.”

He looked down, suddenly overcome with bashfulness. Jace nodded his thanks, and then lifted his gaze up at her, “You look very pretty, by the way. That colour suits you.” 

She pursed her lips sheepishly, “Thank you, my Prince.” 

“Are you sure I can’t change your mind about us? Aegon the Conqueror had two wives—”

“Don’t push it.” 

Upon entering the ballroom, Aemond’s eye immediately found her, like a moth to the moon. The vibrant red of her dress contrasted greatly against the canvas of grey stone and wooden floors, like an orange-red rose growing on a vine along the face of the castle. He barely registered the formal greetings towards the King, he was too busy examining the narrow space between his Valeana and Jacaerys. He locked eyes with his nephew, and the insufferable bastard smirked at him before turning to her and saying something. 

Aegon appeared at his side, just in time for Jace to walk away from her, “Does he believe he still has a chance with her?”

Aemond could only grumble in response as Jace strode by them. “Uncles,” he greeted with a short nod of his head, and a faint smirk at the end of his lips. Aemond’s body prickled; he was so worried about Aegon, he had forgotten about Jace. He did not seem to appear a threat anymore, with Valeana very obviously showing disinterest in the forced courtship, but that was contradicted by their show of friendliness. 

Did she grow close to him during that day in the Godswood? He didn’t ask how the ride had gone when he was on her balcony, he was too consumed with the need to be with her, he had pushed it out of his mind completely. 

His father and mother moved to their centered seats at the table on the platform, which signaled everyone to do the same. Without being instructed, it appeared that everyone knew where they were to be seated. The elder generation took their place at the King’s table; Bartimos on Viserys’ right, and Otto on Alicent’s left. Rhaenys sat across from him, Daemon across Alicent, Rhaenyra across her father, and finally, Ursula sat across from her husband. 

At the longer table, it was a bit more chaotic as people scrambled to claim seats next to people they wished to be rooted next to, and actively avoided those they didn’t. Aegon and Aemond shared a look before they practically scrambled towards the approaching Valeana, who was about to take a seat next to her brother. Aegon, though, rested his hand on the small of her back, and guided her to the other end of the table. 

“Where do you think you’re going, Lady Valeana?” He smiled against her ear as he pulled out a chair near the end of the table. After he tucked her in, Aegon settled into the seat on her right, next to Helaena. Aemond took the seat on Valeana’s left, the very end of the table. 

Even though everyone in the room presently was aware on some capacity of his affection for Valeana, Aemond still had to keep the appearance that he wasn’t. He hadn’t the opportunity to end things with Maris, and the servants and guards that milled the room were just as responsible for the whispers as the ladies of court were. The last thing he needed was for Borros Baratheon to learn about his dishonourable snubbing of his daughter through a maidservant. 

Aemond was about to place his hand discreetly on Valeana’s knee underneath the table, but he looked up to realize he was sitting directly across from Lucerys, who watched him with oppressive entertained scrutiny. Valeana must have sensed the tension, because she turned to him with concern etched in her features. No words were said, but her hand reached under the table and squeezed his thigh comfortingly. The corner of his lip twitched at the contact. 

The long table was quiet as everyone settled, only the sound of music and the shuffling of servants were heard. Even the King’s table was subdued with its chatter, reduced to murmured compliments. The tension hung in the air like the wrought iron candelabras that were suspended from the ceiling with thick chains. The weight of Vaemond’s sudden and brutal execution was still a fresh memory, but there was also something else amongst the adults that appeared to keep their shoulders squared. Particularly the Lord Hand, who’s eyes were darker than usual. Aegon caught his eye before their grandsire moved it onto Aemond. A silent reprimand, though neither prince knew what they were being scolded for. 

The first course was gradually spread along the tables; smaller fare such as mutton stew, fresh bread and soft butter, cured sausages and spiced olives. Grilled vegetables and various sliced cheeses, accompanied by jams from different fruits; fig, grape, strawberries. Salt water oysters were piled high on a bed of salt, next to it were steamed mussels in a red sauce. 

“Let us pray before we begin,” Queen Alicent said loudly enough for all in the room to hear. Her piousness is not shared with most in the room, but none seemed to protest, save for the slight exasperation found on Daemon’s features. Everyone collectively bowed their heads and wove their fingers on their laps, everyone except for the Blacks, who only folded their hands. 

Aemond respected tradition, even if it was from his mother’s side. He and his siblings may have been raised to worship the faith of the Seven, but They held very little value in their life. Aemond, too philosophical, too agnostic, would say that Their existence is both plausible and impossible. If the Father was just, the man sitting in front of him would have paid for the sin of slicing Aemond’s eye clear from his head. If the Mother was merciful, the woman sitting next to him would have both of her legs. Life was not fair, the gods less so, but out of respect for deities that he may one day face, he bowed his head and prayed when he was supposed to.

Aegon, on the other hand, was different. He believed in the Seven, sure, but also believed they didn’t love him; that they turned their backs on him the day he was born, and decided that he was their mistake that they were trying to forget. It should have been Baelon that survived, not him. Baelon would’ve been the heir his father always wanted. 

“May the Mother smile down on this gathering with love,” Alicent led the prayer. “May the Smith mend bonds that have been broken for far too long. May the Maiden shower us with love and light during this Royal Conclave. And to Vaemond Velaryon, may the gods give him rest.”

There was a notable shift to the atmosphere that could be tasted on the tip of everyone’s tongue at the mention of Vaemond. Lucerys’s mouth pinched and his eyes roamed the table before resting them on his lap; his step-sister beside him blinked rapidly, as if she was trying to keep a stoic face; Rhaenyra stared vacantly at a spot on the table, her nostrils flaring; Daemon rolled his eyes to the back of his head; Valeana gave a barely audible sigh through her nose, the creases between her brows deepening. 

Before people could tuck into their meals, the King pushed himself up, his weight held up by his cane; ivory and ironwood, a dragon nesting on the top. Everyone looked up at him expectedly and he looked at all their faces with a smile so contented, so peaceful, it was enough to forget that all other individuals in that room hated the other for one reason or another. 

“This is an occasion of multiple celebrations, it seems,” his mouth widened as his teeth peaked from behind his lips. “Tonight is the first night in generations that the three great Valyrian houses are united under one room. The Targaryens, the Velaryons, and the Celtigars all survived the Doom of Old Valyria.”

Aemond’s eye drifted over all the faces here present. There wasn’t a single true Velaryon by name present; the only two that held blood of a Velaryon were Targaryens by name. No, the Velaryons were nearly a dead line. Vaemond’s sons were the last true Velaryons, but they were not here. They were no older than Aemond’s nephews, Viserys and Aegon the younger, and by now they would be learning that their father was dead. That half his head rolled around like a flipped coin on the flagstone floors of the Throne Room, less than a minute after he shouted ‘bastards’ at the top of his lungs.

“And we sit here today, as one house: The House of Valyria. Proud, ancient, and forged in fire and blood, in salt and sea,” Everyone raises their goblets in murmured agreement. “It truly gladdens me to be part of this historical moment. Our families will now no longer be divided, but blended. My grandsons, Jace and Luke are set to be married.” 

Aemond felt his blood drain from his body instantly. His brow furrowed, his heart ached in a pang of betrayal. His brother felt no different; they both turned to the woman seated between them. Valeana hadn’t seemed to notice this, as she was looking at Jace with a slight smirk upon her lips, and that made it all the worse.

The implication of their father’s speech was thick in the air, and hard to ignore. Both Princes exchanged glances of disbelief, and yet the way Valeana and Jaceaerys were speaking with each other when they first entered… What the hell was going on? Was… did Valeana…? No, no, surely not…

Aemond’s fingers were visibly trembling under the table, his eye prickling, and his ribs felt like they were going to crack under the pressure of his rapidly beating heart. Aegon was less conserved than he; his mouth twisted as if he was trying to swallow down bile. He lifted his hands and placed them on the edge of the table, ready to push his chair away and leave the room. 

But then the King continued. 

“Luke will marry his cousin, Rhaena, and together they will one day become Lord and Lady of the Tides. And as for my eldest grandson, Jacaerys, my daughter’s heir… Well, he has asked for the hand of the purest soul in this room. It fills my old heart with immense joy to announce the betrothal between Prince Jacaerys and my little butterfly, my daughter, Princess Helaena, the future King and Queen of Westeros. I wish them a lifetime of happiness, peace, and prosperity.” 

“Here, here,” someone had said through the sounds of clapping. 

Aegon had made a brief screeching noise with his chair in his failed attempt to leave. He instead spun to Helaena sitting next to him, who held a sheepish, shy smile, lavender eyes avoiding everyone in the room, other than Jacaerys who was watching her with fondness. 

“Helaena and–” He began, but cut himself off, turning back to Valeana. “Were you aware of this?”

Val leaned back into her chair, her fingers laced innocently in front of her, “I kind of had a hand in it.” 

Aegon practically sunk in his chair, his hands raking into his scalp. The adrenaline seeped out of his pores and landed on the floor. He lulled his head to look at his sister, and then back at Valeana, “I do not know if I feel better.”

Valeana raised her eyebrows, “Did you think he was referring to me?” 

He leaned into her, his voice a whisper, only loud enough for her ears, “Darling, I was very nearly going to kidnap you right here and now.” 

Aemond physically felt like he nearly avoided a landslide; visually, he remained impassive, if not a bit bothered around his one expressive eye and flared nostrils. Still his shoulders relaxed once the relief washed over him like a cool breeze on a humid day, which softened the blow of the knowledge that Jacaerys was marrying his fucking sister. A development that he realized was his second least favourable probability, right next to Jace marrying Valeana. 

No, he thought as he glanced at Aegon, leaning into her space like she was the only source of heat in the middle of winter. The third least.

Facade be damned, he could not sit silently by while his brother was allowed to publicly stake his claim on his woman, like she was some newly discovered, unoccupied patch of land. Aemond leaned back in his seat haughtily, and without a word spoken, he reached under the table and scooped up Valeana’s left hand that sat idly on her thigh. Ignorant to his intentions, she instinctively wove her small fingers in between his large ones, likely believing for a split second that he simply wanted to convey relief in the shadows. However, he had no intention of keeping it in the dark any longer, not now when the stakes were growing too high. 

It was a simple gesture, but one that conveyed a very large statement. Aemond pulled their conjoint hands above the table and laid it between them, his thumb moving rhythmically over the back of her palm. Those closest to them had their attention ripped away from their plates and conversations to stare. He could feel her hand tense in his, and he watched her in his peripheral as she turned to him, mouth ajar, eyes wide. 

Aemond tilted his head in her direction, eye lifting to meet her marbleized peridots, blinking up at him in shock. His smile coiled at her reaction.

“Ao jurnegon gevie isse bona grēza, ñuha jorrāelagon (You look beautiful in that dress, my love),” his voice was velvet on bare skin, soft, sensual, erotic. “Absolutely stunning.”  

On her otherside, Aegon leans forward into the table to openly glare at his brother. His jaw rotates as he grinds the back of his teeth; the only visual proof of him trying to contain himself. In the end, he huffed an ironic laugh, and then smirked at his brother’s brazenous. 

Aegon moved his chair closer to Valeana, the legs roughly screeching against the floor hollowly. With his side now flushed against hers, he draped his arm around her shoulders and leaned in to give her a peck on the corner of her mouth. 

“How lucky am I to have the most gorgeous creature on earth at my side,” his tone was saccharine and sanguine, his eyes were predatory and possessive. 

Valeana could do nothing but remain trapped between them, not knowing where to rest her eyes. When she found the most neutral point, it was Lucerys and Rhaena who sat across from them. The latter looked partially mortified, partially intrigued, and the former seemed like he was about to combust from amusement. 

On the other end of the ballroom, on the platform, seated at the end of the shorter table, Otto Hightower watched the whole thing from his perch. His chest swelled with a sigh of exhaustion and growing impatience. He was getting too old for this shit. 

“Seven bleeding Hells,” he muttered, loud enough to garner the attention of his daughter beside him. 

“What is it?” Alicent asked in a low tone, her brow creased in concern. 

Otto turned to her slowly, “Your fucking sons.” 

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR SNEAK PEEK Slowly he turned around, his one eye peeking over at Luke over the bridge of his nose. His nephew was laughing; eyes squinting in a mischievous glint as he stared at Aemond, and then back at the roasted pig…  And then onto Valeana, who was unaware of it all.  Suddenly the table jostled, the bang of Aemond’s fist on the table immediately halted everyone’s chatter and movement, bringing their collective attention to his side of  the table.  Fisting his cup, Aemond ascended from his seat and extended his arm, his eye trained on his nephew in front of him. “Final tribute...”

Notes: F I N A L T R I B U TE Get ready for a whole chapter dedicated to fucking speeches XD Because by god... I'm never...I'm never gonna watch that episode again, I've seen it too many times to write this chapter and the FemAegon oneshot.

Tag: @queen-of-elves, @keylin1730, @anakilusmos, @weepingfashionwritingplaid, @sugutoad, @desireangel, @t0biasparabatai

( if you wish to be tagged for this story, just give me a reply! )

Please do not re post, redistribute or plagiarize my work. The only other place this story is posted on is ao3 under the same username.

[keen-eye]

What is your opinion on Wincest?

thank you for asking. i hope you're ready for me to go very in-depth into my personal opinions about the ship and about the fandom, but if not:

TL;DR: take it or leave it, but you cannot deny that sam & dean do not act like normal siblings. and most importantly, bullying is never okay. these are fictional characters

okay here we go ⬇️

if someone hates wincest they should block the tag/blog and move on, it's as simple as that. i myself had the tag blocked when i first started my rewatch. they are only embarrassing themselves by coming on here and crying about it. if fictional incest upsets you so much then i don't think this is the right show for you

jared and jensen have insane chemistry, they and the crew recognized it very quickly. so when you have two people with that much chemistry playing siblings their relationship will come across as very questionable and the audience will pick up on that. they didn't make it up out of nowhere. also, the cast and crew joke about the ship outside and within the show. it's not that serious

do i personally ship wincest? i guess technically i do. but i never watch shows for shipping, i never watch shows just for hot people. power to those who do, though. i watch this show because i've never come across a more unique character than sam (reasons too long for this post). so the content i engage in/the blogs i follow are centered around sam and his and dean's canon dynamic, sometimes mixed with this hypothetical version of their relationship because i find it interesting to speculate on. because i do believe something more explicit than what was already shown could absolutely have fit into canon. and that's the only type that i find interesting, where they are not regular boyfriends but as they already are: brothers with a very fucked up and power imbalanced relationship. but i am not actively wearing shipping goggles when i'm watching

i understand that incest makes people uncomfortable. but the show was (originally) a gothic horror. taboo subjects, like incest, are a fundamental part of that genre. emotionally incestuous undertones were ingrained into the show from the beginning. sam & dean are not normal about each other. if you think that they act like regular siblings then i don't even know what to say. and even though the show shifted genres their codependency only intensified as it went on. many characters commented on their weirdly close relationship throughout the show

on that note, this taboo has been around literally forever. it's in literature, it's on tv, it's in porn. it will never not be a subject many people want to explore in fiction. on that note, i see a lot of people say that fictional incest ships will affect reality. i can promise that it will not all of a sudden make everyone want to start fucking their family members. and if someone believes this then i'd also expect them not ship other "problematic ships" (e.g., hannigram, a relationship between a murderous cannibal who physically and psychologically tortured the other person). sam & dean are serial killers but you don't see people saying that being okay with that in a fictional show makes someone a bad person

i can't say from personal observation (because i only joined tumblr in october last year) but i have seen many mentions that more people are becoming increasingly sensitive/engrossed in purity culture compared to fandom years ago and this is evident in how they behave on social media (i can at least corroborate that last part)

for example, seeing someone's sam & dean edit and freaking out in the comments about whether it's meant to be wincest or not before they reblog. or joining in bullying wincest shippers to fit in/appease other antis. or making a post about how disgusting wincest shippers are and directly tagging wincest. i don't know if this is something from the new generation or maybe something else but i will say that when i see people acting like this my immediate thought is that they are children who never learned social media etiquette

attacking and insulting anyone over any ship is extremely wrong and immature. going after people who worked on the show for not condemning a ship is wrong. i also see a lot of people say to wincest shippers that they are probably attracted to their own siblings. once again, these are fictional characters. if you feel comfortable saying that to a real person and without any shame then that says a lot about you. people ship things and explore subjects in fiction for different reasons and it does not mean that it is a one to one reflection of their morals

and lastly, maybe slightly unrelated, saying that wincest shippers have invaded tumblr, ao3, or now rednote is dumb. they were there first, they've been around since 2005. they made these platforms what they are today and they aren't going anywhere no matter how much others bully them

if you got this far then thank you for reading