greenqueenhightower

[greenqueenhightower]

Thanks for the tag, @ilikefelines ! I’ve been watching all kinds of things to get inspired lately, so I apologize in advance for how messy this is:

First off, Alicent’s smirk as she realizes the tug of war that she’s in with Larys is delicious! Olivia’s acting is superb.

Then there’s this epic rhaenicent scene, the gift that keeps on giving.

These two divas on Spartacus, locking lips every chance they get, as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.

I’m sorry, but I’ll never get over Alicia and Julio, neither will I ever get over Gran Hotel. The chemistry was off the charts.

Mahidevran saying goodbye to Mustafa. I was never mentally prepared for this.

Mustafa going to his death. This episode scarred me for life.

This scene on The Americans. Philip & Elizabeth were such a well-written couple.

Margaret Beaufort seeing Henry again, after years apart.

Robb and Cat’s deaths in GOT. I haven’t been the same since.

Margaery radiating sexual aura by simply just breathing.

And that’s 10! @alicentwhore

@alicentdeservesbetter

without naming them, post (up to) 10 gifs of characters that altered your brain chemistry

Thank you so much for the tag @mermaidslabyrinth

If anyone is shocked by this you obviously don't know me because this man has lived rent free in my mind ever since I saw him sitting on the throne like a cocky asshole.

Yet again if this one shocks you, you don't know my blog. I love Alicent with every fiber of my being!

Yet again no shock I love Laena so much it hurts (and I'm not joking).

This one may seem shocking but I love Yellowjackets and Nat is such a broken character I can't help but love her.

I have my reasons for loving Daella, one of them is the fact she was one of the first Targs to hate Dragons.

This man is so fucked up I couldn't help but be intrigued by him and slowly fal for his character.

Helaena is my sweet girl whois cunning and knows everyone underestimates her.

I LOVE RHAENA! I can't explain why I took one look at her and said "protect her"

Who doesn't love aemond? That's the real question.

The saddest of my blorbos.

Tagging: @sugutoad @themoonlitquill @ilikefelines @athzhowakar @classicsimpforaaronwarner @liebgotts-lovergirl @royal-husbands

[greenqueenhightower]

It’s time for another Xena: Warrior Princess review! Just finished the second half of S1, and here’s my ranking + commentary:

*spoilers ahead*

1x21, The Greater Good: Xena is poisoned by one of Callisto’s arrows, and falls into a coma. Gabrielle thinks that she’s dead, mourns her loss, but decides to fight and defeat her enemies (in Xena’s armor!) because that’s what Xena would have wanted, to fight for the greater good, even if that meant her life. Gabrielle then has to fight to protect Xena’s body. A train wreck of an episode, so emotionally delicious, that parallels the “friendship” between Achilles and Patroclus in the faces of Xena and Gabrielle, with similarly obvious romantic undertones. 9.5/10

1x16, Mortal Beloved: Marcus is back from the dead and he requests Xena’s help in setting things right in the Underworld. A truly powerful, sweet, and heartbreaking episode as Xena is reunited with her past love only to lose him again. I loved the background and character building that we got for Xena in this episode, and in general I love it when Xena pretends to be her old (bad) self for the sake of the greater good. She’s great when she’s good, but she’s even greater when she’s bad, lol. 9/10

1x20, Ties That Bind: Xena acquires and leads an army, finds and loses her “father,” lets her dark side resurface, all the while being drawn into a trap by Ares. Nice suspenseful episode that provides moments of character study for Xena as she explores the emotional trauma of her father’s absence. Bonus points for the ending scene, with Xena calling Gabrielle her family. 8.5/10

1x22, Callisto: Callisto is introduced in this episode and I like her as the main villain and Xena’s arch-nemesis. The battle scenes were great! It just needed a little more storytelling to make this episode truly epic and spectacular, but I’m assuming the backstory of how Callisto got to be evil will be revealed gradually throughout the seasons. Bonus points for Xena risking everything to save Gabrielle again. 8/10

1x17, The Royal Couple of Thieves: Xena is so hot in this episode, which has everything to be both entertaining and interesting. Xena and Gabrielle team with Autolycus, the King of Thieves, to steal back the Ark of the Covenant and return it to its rightful owners. Some witty one liners and nicely choreographed battle scenes. 7.5/10

1x24, Is There A Doctor In This House?: That episode was a little too graphic for me with all the blood and the medical procedures Xena had to perform on wounded soldiers and civilians, and I found the story draining, BUT it gets this rating for the ending scene, with Xena saving Gabrielle’s life and not giving up on her even though she’s been pronounced dead. Totally emotional scene, and you can sense the love that Xena already has for Gabrielle. I cried. 7/10

1x15, Warrior…Princess: I love the comedy in this episode with Xena switching places with a princess whose life is in danger, in order to find out who wants to murder her before her wedding. Lucy Lawless is a fantastic actress and she absolutely shines in this dual role. A fun and different episode, with a limited appearance from Gabrielle, but enjoyable nonetheless. 6.5/10

1x23, Death Mask: Xena finds Cortese who had raided her village and murdered her younger brother in the past. She also reunites with her older brother and helps him to see beyond his desire for revenge. Together they expose Cortese to his men and the King to his people. Nice episode that again allows for some character study on Xena, with some great battles too. 6/10

1x19, Altared States: Probably the best and hottest opening scene of the season so far, with Xena and Gabrielle bathing together in the lake, when they notice Icus running away from his brother who wants to sacrifice him. I wasn’t so much into this story but Gabrielle getting poisoned and watching Xena’s concern over her was sweet. Bonus points for a hilarious when drugged Gabrielle. 5.5/10

1x14, A Fistful of Dinars: Xena and Gabrielle team up with Petracles, a man who once broke Xena’s heart, and a Sumerian assassin in order to find a secret treasure and prevent greedy and bloodthirsty humans from tasting ambrosia and becoming immortal. I love how protective over Gabrielle Xena is in this episode. We also get a bit of Xena’s backstory which is always cool. The unlikely alliance trope could have been a little more interesting. 5/10

1x18, The Prodigal: Gabrielle has misgivings about her life as a warrior in constant peril and returns home to Potadeia, only to realize that peril and danger are everywhere, and that her time with Xena has taught her more than she’d ever imagined. She saves her village, saves herself from thieves on the road, and finally reunites with Xena. Good storyline but not enough of Xena-Gabrielle in this episode. 4.5/10

1x13, Athens City Academy of the Performing Bards: The first episode of the second half of the season which basically recaps the events of the first half, as Gabrielle relates her and Xena’s tales. For some reason there are also scenes from the 1960 Spartacus movie with Kirk Douglas. There’s literally only one Xena scene where she says that she’ll miss Gabrielle when she goes to Athens, and calls her her family and a sister to her. That’s literally the highlight of the episode. 4/10

Overall, S1 was great! I think I’ll continue the review into S2. Most memorable episodes this season were: 1x10, Hooves & Harlots, 1x05, The Path Not Taken, 1x08, Prometheus, 1x21, The Greater Good, and 1x16, Mortal Beloved.

[greenqueenhightower]

Thanks for the heads up! I just finished the rest of S1 and I’ve learned to roll with the blend of history, religiosity, and mythology in the show. I’m excited to find out the reason behind this blend, as well as the overlapping eras/time-periods, if there’s any.

Younger me would have enjoyed this show so much, I wish I had watched it as a child. Anyway, I’m continuing the reviews and commentary, mostly for her sake, lol. I’m loving it so far.

So I only just started watching Xena: Warrior Princess because I wasn’t allowed to as a child and never got into it as a teen but had been meaning to watch it for a long time having seen some clips and been told a little bit about the story. I’m halfway into S1 and I decided I’ll do a ranking of the episodes so far and add my thoughts about them:

*spoilers ahead*

1x10, Hooves & Harlots: Even from the title I knew this was gonna be a badass episode, and it didn’t disappoint. It was a little slow in the beginning but we are introduced to the Amazons, Gabrielle gets an outfit change, she becomes an Amazon princess, Xena fights the Queen and becomes an Amazon Queen—I feel like this is a staple episode for their character arcs and the story going forward. 9.5/10 overall.

1x05, The Path Not Taken: I loved this episode because it was so action-packed and it shed light on Xena’s evil past as a warlord. I loved Marcus as a character and the special bond he had with Xena. His sacrifice was so heart-wrenching and his loss seemed to have cemented in Xena the necessity and worth of pursuing her heroism which follows her in the upcoming episodes. 9/10

1x09, Death in Chains: Honestly, if it weren’t for annoying Sisyphus and the confusing mythology behind it, this episode would have been tops. The sexual tension between Xena and Gabrielle is immaculate, even though Gabrielle has found a potential love interest in Talus. I feel like it’s in this episode that Xena has realized her feelings towards Gabrielle and how much she already values and admires her. We get a sweet moment of them hugging at the end. As far as the story goes, it has nicely built up tension and some good fight scenes. 8.5/10

1x08, Prometheus: Interesting episode since we get cameos of Hercules and Iolaus. I haven’t watched Xena’s backstory on Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, but figured out that Hercules had a big impact on Xena, and his example encouraged her to leave her warlord days behind and strive to do good. Their self-sacrificing fight over who gets to free Prometheus and thus die in the process was delicious because we got to see how deeply they still cared about each other. Neither died in the end, of course, but still a nice character study and background-building episode. Also, bonus: Xena’s last thought being Gabrielle when she tells Hercules “Gabrielle wants to study at a bard academy in Athens, make sure she gets there” as she prepares for her death is so ughhh. She already loves Gabrielle so much it hurts. 8/10

1x12, Beware Greeks Bearing Gifts: This episode hypes me up for the rest of the season. Xena and Gabrielle fight together as a team on the Trojans' side. I liked the spin on Helen's character and her determination to stand up to Paris and stop the war, even if it meant her own unhappiness. Perdicus and Gabrielle are reunited and have some interesting moments together, but Xena is too busy war planning to show any signs of jealousy/interest in the implications of their encounter. 7.5/10

1x04, Cradle of Hope: Another action-filled episode with nice battle scenes. I loved Xena’s quick wits and Gabrielle’s instincts, and especially liked their teamwork in this. The wacky mythology threw me a bit off, but after that episode, I just accepted that this was the nature of the show and kinda rolled with it as much as I could. 7/10

1x02, Chariots of War: Sweet but forgettable episode as Xena gets wounded by an arrow, and Gabrielle spends the entirety of the episode at an inn. I still like it, though, as an exploration of Xena’s and Gabrielle’s individual personalities. I’ve forgotten the name of the guy who takes care of Xena, but he and his family meant a lot to Xena, who for the first time, saw kindness returned to her as a result of her own kindness. His daughter finally talks at the end, begging Xena not to leave. A sweet, touching episode. 6.5/10

1x01, Sins of the Past: It’s a good pilot for the series, and perhaps I could have appreciated it more had I seen the Hercules episodes where Xena is introduced in the universe first. It seemed kinda slow-paced, but it gets bonus points for the sexual tension between Xena and Gabrielle, which was literally the best part of it. Gabrielle is so attracted to Xena’s persona without knowing what it means and views her as a mentor who’s not only saved her life but just showed her the path towards freedom, while Xena is attracted to Gabrielle’s naïveté, joy, and determination. I love them together, and I’m glad that from the beginning, the writers knew where they were going with this. 6/10

1x11, The Black Wolf: I didn’t care for any of the Black Wolf pack characters. Xena had some epic fights and lines, but the episode lacked a lot of Gabrielle. The pace was slow and the story not that interesting. Bonus points for Gabrielle calling Xena “beautiful” with “piercing blue eyes.” This ship has taken sail and I’m all here for it. 5.5/10

1x06, The Reckoning: This episode pissed me off so badly because Ares is such a hateful character; he got innocent people killed and blamed it on Xena, then stood back and watched as they almost executed her multiple times for the crimes he had committed all the while pursuing her romantically and trying to convince her to return back to him and to her evil ways, and Xena relents and even sleeps with him?! Like, girl, what has he done to you? Why are you drawn to him like a moth to a flame? I loved her comeback at him, though, and how she manipulated him at the end, winning in his own game. 5/10

1x03, Dreamworker: Overall weird episode. We’re supposed to be in Ancient Greece and not in some medieval Celtic village. Didn’t know what was going on half the time. Loved how determined Xena was to rescue Gabrielle, though. Couple goals. 4.5/10

1x07, The Titans: The most memed episode of the series in my country, so I was excited to get to it, but it was by far the worst. I hated Hyperion as a character, the whole storyline was boring, but bonus for being somewhat mythologically accurate, why was this supposedly Ancient Greek temple for Cronus looking like a mosque we’ll never know, Gabrielle’s Greek being some random greetings and city names was somewhat funny. This episode still stuck with me, though, and it might grow on me as the series goes on, who knows. I am still thinking of how Xena grew jealous when she suspected that Gabrielle had given her maidenhood to that monk. It gets the 4/10 just for that single scene alone. And that’s my ranking + commentary done for the first half of the season! I’m excited to be finally doing this.

[greenqueenhightower]

Chapter 6 of The Dreamer and the Flame is up!

Favored By the Gods--First Showdown

As Aegon and Alicent fly to what seems to be their death towards Dragonstone, they stumble upon a revelation. Could it be that the gods are swinging their favor to their side? By the time the news reaches Rhaenyra, the Greens have the upper hand again, which instills a newfound confidence in Aegon as he reaffirms his position as the King and leader of the Green Council. Rhaenyra stumbles upon a discovery of her own, which inspires her to act drastically and go after Aegon and Alicent herself. This chapter presents the first major confrontation between Alicent and Rhaenyra.

[greenqueenhightower]

So I only just started watching Xena: Warrior Princess because I wasn’t allowed to as a child and never got into it as a teen but had been meaning to watch it for a long time having seen some clips and been told a little bit about the story. I’m halfway into S1 and I decided I’ll do a ranking of the episodes so far and add my thoughts about them:

*spoilers ahead*

1x10, Hooves & Harlots: Even from the title I knew this was gonna be a badass episode, and it didn’t disappoint. It was a little slow in the beginning but we are introduced to the Amazons, Gabrielle gets an outfit change, she becomes an Amazon princess, Xena fights the Queen and becomes an Amazon Queen—I feel like this is a staple episode for their character arcs and the story going forward. 9.5/10 overall.

1x05, The Path Not Taken: I loved this episode because it was so action-packed and it shed light on Xena’s evil past as a warlord. I loved Marcus as a character and the special bond he had with Xena. His sacrifice was so heart-wrenching and his loss seemed to have cemented in Xena the necessity and worth of pursuing her heroism which follows her in the upcoming episodes. 9/10

1x09, Death in Chains: Honestly, if it weren’t for annoying Sisyphus and the confusing mythology behind it, this episode would have been tops. The sexual tension between Xena and Gabrielle is immaculate, even though Gabrielle has found a potential love interest in Talus. I feel like it’s in this episode that Xena has realized her feelings towards Gabrielle and how much she already values and admires her. We get a sweet moment of them hugging at the end. As far as the story goes, it has nicely built up tension and some good fight scenes. 8.5/10

1x08, Prometheus: Interesting episode since we get cameos of Hercules and Iolaus. I haven’t watched Xena’s backstory on Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, but figured out that Hercules had a big impact on Xena, and his example encouraged her to leave her warlord days behind and strive to do good. Their self-sacrificing fight over who gets to free Prometheus and thus die in the process was delicious because we got to see how deeply they still cared about each other. Neither died in the end, of course, but still a nice character study and background-building episode. Also, bonus: Xena’s last thought being Gabrielle when she tells Hercules “Gabrielle wants to study at a bard academy in Athens, make sure she gets there” as she prepares for her death is so ughhh. She already loves Gabrielle so much it hurts. 8/10

1x12, Beware Greeks Bearing Gifts: This episode hypes me up for the rest of the season. Xena and Gabrielle fight together as a team on the Trojans' side. I liked the spin on Helen's character and her determination to stand up to Paris and stop the war, even if it meant her own unhappiness. Perdicus and Gabrielle are reunited and have some interesting moments together, but Xena is too busy war planning to show any signs of jealousy/interest in the implications of their encounter. 7.5/10

1x04, Cradle of Hope: Another action-filled episode with nice battle scenes. I loved Xena’s quick wits and Gabrielle’s instincts, and especially liked their teamwork in this. The wacky mythology threw me a bit off, but after that episode, I just accepted that this was the nature of the show and kinda rolled with it as much as I could. 7/10

1x02, Chariots of War: Sweet but forgettable episode as Xena gets wounded by an arrow, and Gabrielle spends the entirety of the episode at an inn. I still like it, though, as an exploration of Xena’s and Gabrielle’s individual personalities. I’ve forgotten the name of the guy who takes care of Xena, but he and his family meant a lot to Xena, who for the first time, saw kindness returned to her as a result of her own kindness. His daughter finally talks at the end, begging Xena not to leave. A sweet, touching episode. 6.5/10

1x01, Sins of the Past: It’s a good pilot for the series, and perhaps I could have appreciated it more had I seen the Hercules episodes where Xena is introduced in the universe first. It seemed kinda slow-paced, but it gets bonus points for the sexual tension between Xena and Gabrielle, which was literally the best part of it. Gabrielle is so attracted to Xena’s persona without knowing what it means and views her as a mentor who’s not only saved her life but just showed her the path towards freedom, while Xena is attracted to Gabrielle’s naïveté, joy, and determination. I love them together, and I’m glad that from the beginning, the writers knew where they were going with this. 6/10

1x11, The Black Wolf: I didn’t care for any of the Black Wolf pack characters. Xena had some epic fights and lines, but the episode lacked a lot of Gabrielle. The pace was slow and the story not that interesting. Bonus points for Gabrielle calling Xena “beautiful” with “piercing blue eyes.” This ship has taken sail and I’m all here for it. 5.5/10

1x06, The Reckoning: This episode pissed me off so badly because Ares is such a hateful character; he got innocent people killed and blamed it on Xena, then stood back and watched as they almost executed her multiple times for the crimes he had committed all the while pursuing her romantically and trying to convince her to return back to him and to her evil ways, and Xena relents and even sleeps with him?! Like, girl, what has he done to you? Why are you drawn to him like a moth to a flame? I loved her comeback at him, though, and how she manipulated him at the end, winning in his own game. 5/10

1x03, Dreamworker: Overall weird episode. We’re supposed to be in Ancient Greece and not in some medieval Celtic village. Didn’t know what was going on half the time. Loved how determined Xena was to rescue Gabrielle, though. Couple goals. 4.5/10

1x07, The Titans: The most memed episode of the series in my country, so I was excited to get to it, but it was by far the worst. I hated Hyperion as a character, the whole storyline was boring, but bonus for being somewhat mythologically accurate, why was this supposedly Ancient Greek temple for Cronus looking like a mosque we’ll never know, Gabrielle’s Greek being some random greetings and city names was somewhat funny. This episode still stuck with me, though, and it might grow on me as the series goes on, who knows. I am still thinking of how Xena grew jealous when she suspected that Gabrielle had given her maidenhood to that monk. It gets the 4/10 just for that single scene alone. And that’s my ranking + commentary done for the first half of the season! I’m excited to be finally doing this.

[greenqueenhightower]

[greenqueenhightower]

from infancy to adulthood, alicent hightower’s targaryen children / sacrifice by bilal al-shams

[greenqueenhightower]

HOUSE OF THE DRAGON + parallels

— 2.04 | "The Red Dragon and the Gold"

[greenqueenhightower]

ALICENT + COLLIER PAINTINGS [II]

The Child Bride (1883) Clytemnestra After the Murder (1882) Cassandra (1885)

[greenqueenhightower]

Can I just say I’m still mad at hotd and grrm for not giving us the westerosi equivalent of Xena x Gabrielle between Rhaenyra x Alicent?

[greenqueenhightower]

What kills me is that Rhaenyra is always so aware of Alicents sacrifice. She knows Alicent is "trapped in a castle pushing out babies", she knows Alicent has no friends after they grew apart, she knows Alicent keeps her true feelings behind a exausting facade, she knows no one was more loyal to Viserys, and she knows Alicent did not want a war. The whole show, Rhaenyra has protection from her father, then her allies. Alicent had Rhaenyra, then she had no one.

[greenqueenhightower]

I desire violently, and I wait gif by @laryssstrong

I was rewatching this scene, and all I could think of was this Anaïs Nin quote because it feels as though it was written for Larys himself. The way he looks at Alicent, with that sharp, almost curious gaze, laced with an undercurrent of desire, is unsettling. Is he aroused by her pain? It feels like he feeds off it. The way he gazes at a vulnerable Alicent in pain is almost predatory: sharp, inquisitive, and threaded with a quiet, forbidden longing. There’s something obscene in it, as though her suffering stirs something in him he doesn’t care to hide.

And then there’s Alicent, deliberately avoiding his eyes for a second, breathing in deeply, because she knows exactly what that look means. He sees straight through her; no matter what mask she wears, she’s utterly transparent to him. She knows he reads her too easily, that in his presence she is stripped bare, every defense useless, so she doesn’t even bother hiding anything. His visits are rituals cloaked as courtesy, subtle performances of power, but she knows they are a means for Larys to exercise his control over her. The pause in their conversation as Larys takes all her form in, that almost feels like an eternity to Alicent, reminds her that beneath his stillness, there’s always that flicker of hunger, thinly veiled and impossible to ignore. And Larys, feeling so confident in his control, barely bothers to hide the hunger beneath his composure. Just, wow.

And the undercurrent of violence is always present: Larys didn't hesitate to inflict violence against his own family, and now he realizes that Alicent has done the same to herself. He discerns how much alike they’ve become, and that’s more than a win in his part. That’s filling him with even more desire for something he perceives as his creation.

I feel like every fleeting Larycent interaction is a study in itself, deserving hours of dissection and theorizing. Their relationship is so disturbingly intricate, toxic, and tangled; they’re so beautifully twisted together, and I’m savoring every second of it.

Needless to say I’m obsessed.

[greenqueenhightower]

Favorite Aligon Moment from S1

[greenqueenhightower]

Chapter 5 of The Dreamer and The Flame is Up!

A Fateful Council

The Green council learns the news of Daeron's capture, and Aegon and Alicent make a rash and dangerous decision, which suits Aemond well.

[greenqueenhightower]

myrcella is the one of the girls of all time and she does not get nearly enough recognition from the fandom

her relationship with her parents and her brothers make me wanna chew glass

she’s a chess prodigy, a girl with all her mother’s beauty, but none of her nature, a girl who acts like a child because she is one, a girl with her father smile, an older sister, a younger sister, a daughter, always a daughter, her mother’s daughter, her father’s daughter, the family’s daughter who they sold like a piece of meat for a political alliance, a princess, a queen in the making, a lover girl who’s not sure if she’s in love with her husband-to-be, who’s not sure if her husband-to-be loves her, the sister of a psychopath, the sister of a religious fanatic, the girl who died too young, the girl who isn’t dead yet, but is destined to be, the girl wITH THE SICK ASSS FACIAL SCAR

myrcella I love you. myrcella the fandom does not deserve you. Myrcella—

[greenqueenhightower]

ALICENT HIGHTOWER HOUSE OF THE DRAGON (2022-)

[greenqueenhightower]

Can it be? They took my sword hand. Was that all I was? A sword hand? —JAIME IV, A Storm of Swords ALICENT HIGHTOWER & DAEMON TARGARYEN HOUSE OF THE DRAGON (2022-)