#ulf seven kingdoms

[nart-is-a-monster]

GORGON VARIAN AU 🗣️🗣️🗣️

On this page my brain daydreamed that scene that never happened in the fic and also I fucked up that page with water oopsie 👇

Now this is about a fanfic that changed me and I will never ever ever be able to be the same again

I was planning a whole comic on my little sketchbook but then I wanted to put it on digital.... And I died bahdnsnfndmndnf I tried Lineart and I died sorry will happen again.

I exploded and fucking died (sowy Milo) ksjdjekg BUT I THINK I'll leave this be here

If someone or something or whatever gives me inhumane energy to complete all my wips then that day I'll post this as something so cool and rendered and ohhh wow omg colorrrrssss but no. I'm not completing this any time soon JDHSJFJSKGN I HAVE A JOB AGAIN AND IM IN PAIN AUGHHHH

The creator of the gorgon varian fic is the beloved Milo :3 aka @glitter-lisp

Also other stuff I did for the fic :3

This one of ulf, var and Hugo

And this one of a Hugo and varian

In case the links are upside down don't look at me

[dangara2610]

(4/10) Alive Ulla Master Post 🏣📯 - Part B

Tumblr got me at a limit of 10 links and I had 17, so I'll finish in this second post about Ulla being....

*Instert Empire of the sun music*

Sooooo alive, alive , Loving every minute couse' you make me feel sooo alive, alive, ¡Alive!, ¡ALIVE!

*Pop music stops*

Hehehe, okno, anyway, here we go:

Part 11 ⚗️

Part 12 ⚗️

Part 13 ⚗️

Part 14 ⚗️

Part 15 ⚗️

Part 16 ⚗️

Part 17 and final ⚗️

Thanks for reading 🍁🏣🌟🌼🌿💐🌟🏵️📯💐⭐🏵️❄️💐⭐❄️💐🏵️⭐🌟🌀💐🌸💐❄️🌸

[kazz-brekker]

dunk’s actor possibly keeping his irish accent is fun since i do appreciate a diversity of accents in my fantasy stories but does imply that flea bottom is perhaps the most linguistically diverse place in all of westeros

[l-uminescent]

˚⁀➷｡˚ THE EYES OF A DRAGON  ━━━ DAERON TARGARYEN X FEM! READER & JACAERYS VELARYON X FEM! READER

synopsis: the dreary weather of dragonstone results in you recalling the events of the past year. your escape from your first love, daeron targaryen leaves you with a new life as a dragon keeper where you eventually learn to love again, much to jacaerys velaryon's delight. with the calling of the dragon seeds you are needed to protect the crowd against the fury of vermithor's wrath. surprisingly however, you find yourself with a new companion, one in which the green's are keen to acquire. as daeron writes requesting to talk to you again after finding out this news, your loyalty to jacaerys velaryon will evidently be tested with the return of your old lover.

request (rough translation): hello, could you please make a love triangle story between jacaerys x reader x dareon. since she is the daughter of an ancient dragon guardian (reader's mother died when she was born) she was raised by her uncle who is also a guardian of the dragons and her other uncle was a grand maester in ancient times. when she visited her uncle she met dareon, where she had a friendship and then dareon broke reader’s heart and returned to dragonstone. the war began to recover the throne of rhaenyra and jacaerys calls for the dragon seeds. reader in dragonstone was guarding the nests of dragon eggs by order of her uncle and came across the cannibal who was going to eat the eggs. not wanting that to happen, she tried to calm and control the terrifying dragon, and let her ride it. she realises that she is a dragon seed, therefore meeting jacaerys and striking up a friendship with him. after a while, in battle she meets daeron again. he tries to apologise, telling her he loved her and that he wants her to come back with him - it could be because of her, or the dragon she possesses, as she and cannibal are capable of seriously injuring vhagar and destroying the green’s. but, the reader loves jacaerys and doesn’t plan on betraying him.

notes: thank you sm @alyssa-dayne for requesting!! i kind of went off on a tangent and completely disregarded some of the requests you made, i’m so sorry😭 i hope you enjoy what i did write in its place though bc i had so much fun writing it and absolutely loved your request!! ive also seen a tiktok fan casting harry gilby as daeron and omg i am in love ?? and will be using him from now on. both daeron and Jace have been aged up to 21.

warnings: kind of dark! daeron, language, misogyny, violence, blood mentioned, angst, fluff w jace, friendship w ulf

word count: 4.9k

IT HAD BEEN ALMOST A YEAR SINCE YOU HAD STEPPED FOOT IN KING'S LANDING LAST. the pain of it all was still an open wound. still raw, still bleeding. it would take time for it to heal, time for the cut to be fully stitched up, to pick up the broken pieces. you were prepared to take all the time in the world for it to mend itself since escaping the viper's den. but it seemed like the gods were out to get you, throwing you back into the war that cut you in the first place.

it was many many moons ago that you were brought to the capital in the first place. your uncle was a maester and after the passing of your mother thought it would be best that you were to be brought to the red keep. he kept you close, keeping it a secret from the rats in the walls that he was giving you the same education the males received. so you spent many late nights with him, studying the language and histories of old instead of the usual sewing and stitching you would do during the day with your septa.

that was where you met him for the first time. daeron targaryen. you had been studying late with your uncle in the library. you uncle was an avid believer that a girl had every right to the same knowledge as a boy. a creak of a door had broken your study of the history of the seven kingdoms, revealing a slender blonde in its place. he walked over to your dimly lit table greeting your uncle, whispering something you couldn't make out. you studied him as he spoke, hazy mind too frazzled with tiredness to fully comprehend the boy that had been brought before you.  he was an angel to you, nothing like you had ever seen before. you thought the seven had blessed you with his falling from the heavens above, with hair as blonde as the snows in the north and eyes as purple as the flowers that blossomed in high garden you could not help but be enamoured. and that was the beginning of your fall.

you often reflected on that day in the library, meeting daeron for the first time as the rain patters against the walls of stone in dragonstone. being in a room with nothing but your own thoughts and defeaning silence lead you to the edge of madness. most days, it meant you reminisced on your times in the capital and now, as you lay in bed as the fire in the hearth dwindles and your candles burn low, you think of the blonde beauty. you finally understand why your uncle fought so hard to keep you away from the targaryen boys, "cynical beings" he called them as daeron left the library that night. you would never forget how his eyes graced your figure. the soft smile playing on his lips was a definite contrast to the dark hue that took hold in his eyes. you failed to pick up on this, too besotted by the man in front. panic however, was written clear across your uncle's face. he was accustomed to the targaryen's and their 'favourites'. how a being of lesser status would be that intriguing to them that they had to keep them near was a tale that was repeated constantly in the cycle of the dynasty. "they would stop at nothing to get what they desire, my dear." you remember him warning you, "and i began to fear that daeron targaryen has set his sights on you."

you had wished you heeded the look of distain and the words of warning from your uncle. yet you were so naive to the ways of the world, so young to be thrown into the den of dragons. you recount the day he began to approach you. it was subtle to begin with, he often sought you out to walk in the gardens when your uncle was meant to be teaching him. sneaking away early claiming he was needed to train in the yard, yet it was to seek you out instead. it was every so often at the start, you used to mistake it for coincidence. but it soon turned to daeron needing to see you all the time, glancing at you as he trained, the odd walk in the garden was never enough. and so it began.

daeron began to court you in every sense of the word. small trinkets and gifts would often be sent to your chambers. blushes would stain your cheeks as looks of wanting were shared across feasts and celebrations. touches, that were held a tad too long were daeron's favourites for a while.  he adored seeing the bashfulness on your face, as his slender fingers tapped your waist as he sought you out for every dance. 

you were a fool to fall for it. the targaryen's were a messy family, a mess you had no business being thrown into. but, you were drawn in just the same. the longing glances and subtle touches, turned into stolen kisses as daeron snuck his way through the passages maegor had built. you had thought you were in love with the man, and he with you.

how wrong you were. 

and you were too late to realise.

with the death of king viserys came what would be known for centuries as the 'dance of the dragons.' and you had just so happened to find yourself in the middle of it. your strong-mindedness and wilful opinions clearly saw you taking the side of the blacks. what right did anyone have to deny the heir the king had named just because she was born a girl? you often thought. you saw how unfairly women were treated by the scholars, how they were subjected to needle work with the septa's rather than the histories from the maesters. with the reign of a new queen you had hope that she would put an end to the inequality that was evident throughout the realm.

this sense of hope came crashing immediately with the entrance of daeron to your chambers. he spoke of aegon being raised as king. "it is only right." he would exclaim, "he is male. what use would my half-sister be if  she were to sit the throne, she is too weak."

you were enraged by this. the blatant disregard for rhaenyra, branding her as weak felt like a swift knife to your stomach. "you think i am weak then too daeron?" you recalled saying with a shake to your voice. "just as i am a woman, you deem me incapable. you think me stupid? hmm? you believe just because i was born this, i would not be fit to do anything other than sew, and produce heirs?"

you had always heard the people of the court say that the targaryen's were closer to god than man, something you would often brush aside. you could never picture your sweet daeron as mad as they claim the rest to be. but, you had finally awoken from whatever haze-induced state in that comes with being in love with a targaryen. the look in his lilac eyes would be one you would never forget, haunting your nightmares for moons to come. you now understood the fear of those who crumbled beneath that of the conqueror, swearing fealty. daeron's eyes conveyed the message words could not. you would learn to fear him, if you ever dared cross him.

tears, made themselves known then. spilling from your cheeks, you began to silently cry as the man you loved left you with that. daeron, would never see you equal just as he would never see rhaenyra fit to sit the iron throne. because of what you had been born. 

and thus with that you had made your decision, no amount of fear could stop you. with the news of aegon's planned crowning seeping through the walls of the red keep, and your once whole heart being left behind also, you had slipped away into the shadows, disguising as a fisherman's daughter as you and your uncle sailed to dragonstone to declare for queen rhaenyra targaryen, first of her name.

it was hard at first in dragonstone. your uncle sought audience with the queen, stating what had occurred on dragonstone and how you had managed to escape. nevertheless, the queen was wary of you. it was no secret that daeron had began to court you, how the two of you would eventually marry. they did not know you had discovered the darker side, the misogyny within. a look of sympathy was evident in the queen's eyes as she saw your heart break all over again as you recalled the story, she herself being reminded of the betrayal of alicent hightower. her good-will meant that you were allowed to stay within the castle, your uncle taking up schooling the queen's sons and you were to begin work with the dragon keepers along with your other uncle, who you barely knew. 

the many days of training with the other keeper's kept your thoughts off daeron's betrayal. you had hardened over the course of many moons, building your walls high and swearing to never give your heart to another.

that would be seen to not have lasted very long due to a certain dark-haired prince.

you had met jacaerys velaryon for the very first time when you were sent to keep guard of the smaller dragon's, vermax being one of them. you had tried your very best to make yourself scarce in his presence as you patrolled the pits. but the loud roar's of the dragon's still made you jump every so often, and in doing so you had dropped your spear. landing with a loud clatter, jacaerys' head had whipped around to see what had happened, only to find you. a chuckle had escaped his lips at your clumsiness, calling out a "new to the job?"  much to your unamusment.

"yes, well, my prince i am very much new to being this close to a dragon." you bit back in response.

a second had passed before jacaerys had beckoned you closer to him and his dragon. not wanting to anger him, you gingerly approached; still deathly afraid of dragons. 

"vermax here is a sweet dragon, here place you hand atop his snout. you will not come to any danger so long as i do not will it." he teased, but seeing your face pale he quickly announced he was only jesting.

your hand shook as it rose from your side as you slowly reached for the dragon. faltering, as vermax breathed out smoke. jacaerys noted your fear and guided your hand with his placing it on his dragon's snout. goosebumps rose across your skin at the contact and you were sure your sickly face regained some colour as your cheeks heated at the close proximity.  "see i told you, you would not get hurt."

and so it began again,except it was different this time. 

you found it almost easier to love jacaerys, or jace as he wanted you to call him. he was not as needy as daeron was, allowing you to always have your space but making sure you knew he would be with you in a heartbeat if you needed him. you adored the boy, how freckles splattered across his cheeks like stars, how his dark curls sometimes got in his eyes when he yielded as sword, and how he respected you. jace would always take the time to help you with your studies if needs be, to teach you how to wield your keeper's spear. he treated you as an equal, something daeron never did. the softness of jace was something you also never had with daeron. the kisses shared, were full of longing, full of love differing, heavily from the fierce, lustful ones of your previous lover. he was everything daeron was not.

you knew then that you wanted to marry jacaerys. there was not a second doubt in your mind. your loyalty for him was unwavering, he had made you learn to trust love again. you owed him everything, and you swore you would repay the love kindness he gave you as you still looked out at the dreary weather of dragonstone.

━━━━━━━━━━ *ੈ✩‧₊˚ ━━━━━━━━━

with jace's calling of the dragonseeds, your skills as a keeper were put to the test as many poor folk streamed in from the streets of king's landing and dragonstone alike. the drone of voices woke you from your daze as you paced up and down the stony column that separated you from the dark unknown of vermithor's cave. both men and women started to appear being lead by rhaenyra herself, jace slowly behind. you were confused with the lack of dragon keeper's accompanying her, as it seemed to be only you and your uncle who accompanied the crowd. 

you stood to the side, as both rhaenyra and your uncle called for the dragon in high valyrian - a language you were still learning to speak. a slow, menacing growl greeted rhaenyra in response to her call and movement caused the crowd to stir fearfully. from what you had studied about the ways of the keepers, was that dragon's could smell the fear of the person approaching. and with a crowd this afraid you were sure vermithor would not react well. 

the rising of the copper beast saw many yelp as he beared his blood stained teeth. despite your focus on the dragon ahead, you noticed those of higher status leaving to take shelter in the stone stands above.  you willed yourself to take a few deep breathes as your eyes met jace's worried ones, he took note of how you remained still not daring to follow the other lord's footsteps. he knew how stubborn you were, you swore to protect the people from the dragon's and he knew you would not leave no matter how hard he begged.

a forced smiled adorned your lips as you stared back at jace, a nod following, telling him that you were to do the role his mother had assigned to you.  facing the beast as jace returned to safety you pointed your spear at it, forcing yourself to remain as calm as possible, you slowly approached him. it was no use. the overpowering fear of the dragonseeds had sent vermithor into a hunger induced frenzy, sending sprouts of fire into the group. chaos erupted as the fire took hold of the first seed who had tried to approach. rolling out of the way, you had began to push a group of star-struck women who seemed to be rooted to their spot. you shouted an ear-defeaning "run"as loud as you possibly could to as many people as possible, as you stayed as close to the edge of the column trying to take vermithor's attention away from the others.  adrenaline coursed through your veins as you attempted to poke the dragon with your spear. yet it was no use, vermithor moved too fast and too furiously for you to catch him sending waves of fire to whatever living thing he could see as he did so.

jace watched on in absolute terror as you moved yourself closer to the dragon, dodging at only the last second to avoid the ripple of flame. his hands gripped the ledge of the stand he looked out upon tightly, knuckles whitening as he did. he had already tried to run down the steps to pull you to him, but the queen's guard had stopped him in the process, his mother deemed him too important as heir to be killed in such a way. so all jace could do is watch, praying to all the gods he could think of to grant him this wish of keeping you alive.

a loud shout from behind you had alerted you of the oncoming flames as you tried to help another group of people to safety, rolling out of the way you had landed up against rock who seemed to also cover the man who had warned you of vermithor's next attack. returning your gratitude, you had grabbed the man's cloak and had pulled him against the wall at the back of the cave. the two of you grabbed ahold of two of the many torches that lit the dark room, and scaled the edge of the cave, holding onto the side as you weaved in and out of the connecting paths between each lair. "thank you for saving me back there." you remember saying to the man. as the two of you walked, you had learned that he was called ulf, and claimed to be the bastard son of baelon targaryen. you did seem to be weary of the claim, you had heard from many the love the man had for his wife alyssa, swearing not to take another lover for as long as he remained alive, but now wasn't the time to question it so you left it at that. 

as you continued to walk for what felt like hours, ulf roared in happiness that he seen a light at the end of the awful narrow cave you had ventured down. the two of you began to break out into a run, thanking the gods that you had managed to make it out unscathed. the feelings were short-lived though, as the alley had opened up to the largest cave you had ever seen, and an even larger eye glistened in greeting you as you stepped out. 

the sound of blood could be heard in your ears as you realised that you were now face to face with the largest dragon on dragonstone - the cannibal. your flight or fight seemed to kick in that moment, months of keeper training seemed to as well, as you shoved ulf back down the corridor you came down and spun to point your weapon at the monster ahead. 

the dragon seemed to be almost taken aback by your courage, nose flaring with smoke as you stood eyes wide with the spear facing him. the cannibal knew you were no match for him, yet it seemed he admired your courage. he studied you, as you also studied him waiting for his attack. his black scales made him blend in easily with the darkness of his lair, only the torch you had dropped when you pushed ulf seemed to mark his presence as well as his gleaming green eyes. they seemed to bore into your own, as he assessed whether you were friend or foe. you did not break the eye contact once, your hands still tightly gripping the spear as if it was your lifeline, your only hope at survival. 

it seemed however, that this hope prevailed. the cannibal had made his decision of you, bowing slightly smoke emitted from his gigantic snout almost knocking you down. it seemed somewhat friendly. you could not believe what you had done, with your courage it appeared that you had somehow managed to claim the largest dragon alive, the first person to ever do it. gods you could not wait to show jace about this. 

you remembered that day like it was almost yesterday despite many weeks having passed since. jace had almost murdered you. he thought you had perished in the flames of vermithor. as you stumbled up to the castle to tell the queen what had occured, jace had been there too. he had kissed you in front of everyone, not caring that the rumours would swirl afterwards. he was in sheer relief that you had returned to him safely and managing to tame the cannibal in the process. 

in that time also, you had taken to flying the cannibal. only a short distance at first, around dragonstone as you were still wary of his size and his cannibalistc nature having to fight him many a time to not eat the eggs laid by the other dragons on island, it took him a while to gain your trust and he you due to his unease with having a rider. it was not until you began to speak to him in high valyrian that the bond between the two of you was sealed, completely unbreakable.

and at this, you woke earlier than usual this morning to fly him to king's landing - making it known to the green's that rhaenyra had the largest dragon on her side. a smirk was plain on your face as you sawed the skies on your beloved dragon, and you were sure he held the same expression. it almost felt revengeful as you lapped around king's landing dipping as close to the castle as possible without being in reach of arrows. your intent was to prove to daeron you were stronger than he thought - you had claimed the biggest dragon after all. you had made sure that all were to see. the cannibal seemed to enjoy the screams of terror revelling at the attention, he let out a defeaning roar as he dipped and rose again, just to sweeten the revenge. 

you knew it was time to go when you heard the rustling of trees in the distance. vhagar was indeed no match to your dragon but you weren't ready to test the water's just yet with a dragon nearly the size of your own. you drew back from the capital, as the she-dragon's body became visible in the skies. "let us go home"you spoke to the cannibal. heeding your words he carried you across the waters back to the safety of dragonstone. as he settled once more in his lair and a stern "don't eat any more eggs!" from you, you began to clamber back to the castle, your ego boosted now that aemond targaryen deemed you a threat. you had only wished now to see the targaryen brothers reactions when they discover that it was you that rode the largest beast in the realm. 

━━━━━━━━━━ *ੈ✩‧₊˚ ━━━━━━━━━

the rain pattered steadily against the window as you lay in bed, recounting these moments. the candle's in your room seemed to flicker as they reached the end of their wicks giving you the sign that it was time to go. the note clutched in your hand deemed that the whispers seemed to reach daeron targaryen's ears quickly enough, he was now informed that the rider of the cannibal was none other than his old lover. you pulled your robe on, reading the piece of parchment for the final time before the candle's fizzled out completely. daeron had requested to meet you, no violence, no fights. he just wanted to talk. your curiosity got the best of you sadly and you wrote back earlier in the day saying you would talk peacefully. he had agreed to meet you on your own shore, at the edge of dragonstone. it was safely out of the way of the black's, meaning that they would not be able to see the meeting but not far enough that a screech from a dragon would go unnoticed, so you deemed yourself safe enough.

even though the cannibal blended perfectly with the night sky, the sheer ferocity of his size meant that there was absolutely no way you would be able to bring him without being spotted by a guard of some sort. so you entrusted the help of ulf, the man you had protected from your dragon many moons ago. the two of you had struck up some sort of odd friendship despite the age difference being vast, you found the man quite funny and he you. he could not believe a girl as clumsy as you had managed to save him from the cannibal as well as claiming him in the process.

ulf was the perfect man to deliver you to daeron. as you snuck into the dragon cave silverwing resided, he had already mounted the dragon - a sense of excitement emitted from him for doing something so secretive, something the queen could never find out about. you however were the exact opposite. nerves ate at your stomach as you gripped onto elf's torso. you had thought you were going to be sick, you hadn't seen daeron in almost a year. you wondered if he looked different, if he sounded different, if he thought different.

you had to force these thoughts out of your mind as silverwing made her descent in the trees a few yards away from the clearing where daeron and tessarion stood. you did not want him to know that you had entrusted someone with the knowledge of this secret meeting, so you had told ulf to patrol the skies and you would wave at the sky if you needed him. he agreed to go reluctantly, only after making you promising to give him a ride on cannibal the following day. you huffed out a laugh at this, ulf always knew what to say when you felt anxious. 

as your friend and his dragon took to the skies again, you began to enclose the distance between you and the blonde prince. anxiety once again took reign of your body, you could feel your heart pounding in your ears and you hands began to shake uncontrallby. you forced them to play with the ring jace had given you in promise that he would marry you after the war had ended. your mind grounded itself at the thought of jace, even as you came face to face with daeron. you thought of jace, how you had to return home safely to him.

"you claimed the cannibal then." daeron spoke. he hadn't changed one bit since you seen him last, his lilac eyes still sparkled in endearment at you even after all this time. 

a sigh escaped your lips as you drew even closer to him, "didn't think i could do it?" you responded snarkily, head tilting to the side slightly as awaited his answer. 

all he could do was shake his head and laugh. "you have not changed one bit. i have missed you."

your eyes were slightly wide at his confession, taken aback by it. you weren't expecting that, you were prepared for daeron to beg you to join the green's, for him to tell you how you would be increasingly useful to win the war. you had not prepared for his expression of feelings. he took your look of bewilderment as a sign to continue.

"i still stand for aegon's claim, he is stronger than my half-sister, but i wish for you to come back. aegon said he will pardon you for your crimes of betrayal and treason if you return with me to king's landing. we will marry and you will become a princess of the realm."

there it was. you knew his confession was too good to be true. "oh speak plainly daeron." you spat. "you only wish for me because of my dragon." rage took hold as you moved close, tilting your head up, you began look him in the eyes. you wished to convey to him the sheer anger you felt at his words, just like the look he had given you all that time ago. except now, the blood of the dragon ran within you too. 

you were now nearly pressed to the boy, your voice dropped to a dangerously low whisper as you continued. "you see me as weak daeron. i alone, have claimed a dragon twice as powerful as yours and you still do not deem me as worthy, as an equal. i will never join the cause of a fucking usurper when the woman who i fight for deserves the throne."

he hummed in response, a wicked smile taking over his face. "you only fight for them because of that bastard." the look of shock on your face was clear as you faltered slightly at his sharp words. "didn't think i had heard? i have given you a chance to join me, my love and you have refused. i will bring fire and blood upon that bastard until you have no choice but to stand by my fucking side."

his hands came up to grip your jaw forcing you to look into his eyes as he spoke the last sentence. you knew what he was capable of and you knew what he said he meant to make true. that didn't stop you from scoffing at his words, your tongue rolling over your lips as you did so "he is more man than you will ever be daeron. bastard or not i will marry him, or i will be long cold and dead in the ground. either or, it would happen long before i would ever, ever stand by you and you betray the man i love."

at this, daeron used the hand he had on your jaw to shove you away, anger plain on his face. the heart that had once bled for him was replaced by something cold, something darker. the love for jace was the only thing in it that burned strong, you would do anything to protect him from the monster before you. you promised yourself, you would die before you let daeron touch a hair on his head. you weren't the same naive girl you had been when you first laid eyes on daeron targaryen. and you weren't the same stupid girl who coward when that  his lilac bore into yours the night you left. as that look returned to his face before he once again turned to leave, tears did not stream from your eyes as it did all that time ago. instead, you held his gaze, your own pupils mirroring that look - you now too held the eyes of a dragon.

[solidsnakecake]

Maybe Jace is a dragon dreamer. Because he was 100% right when he said "what if one of your baseborn, silver-haired dragonriders decides he wants to rule the Seven Kingdoms?" And THAT is exactly what happens with Hugh and Ulf, the silver-haired dragonseeds. While Addam, the black-haired dragonseed remains loyal.

Isn't that noteworthy? Maybe Jace has latent dreaming abilities.

[littleandless]

HOUSE OF THE DRAGON SEASON 2 FINALE: MY THOUGHTS

i mean, wow.

tyland getting some screen time yay. also, i was glad to see the trend of dyed beards represented on screen FINALLY. game of thrones shied away from that.

aegon and larys running away together…doomed yaoi</3

honestly i’m glad they made aegon’s broken dick part of show canon. first of all, he deserves it, but also…it means he’s about to get perverted in a different way. maybe larys will introduce him to voyeurism.

jacaerys has gone full-on bratty failson, which is kind of pathetic and sexy of him tbh.

ulf went from harmless idiot to dangerously irreverent soooo quickly. i know he has a dragon or whatever but he should at least pretend to kiss ass for the moment. like hugh! he knows the value of appearances.

how the hell did gwayne even find out about alicent and criston fucking? am i meant to assume he extrapolated that from the intense sniffing of the handkerchief?

i love how nihilistic criston cole has become. no more shiny white veneer, just a bald-faced suicide mission. he doesn’t fear death. the only thing holding him back since that night when alicent found him was her. and now he sees the futility of it all. so yeah, let’s embrace death! yippee!

this episode added so much to helaena’s character. after we see her and daemon interact in his weirwood vision, it cuts to her in the next scene, in the same outfit with the same facial expression. we’ve had 2 seasons of helaena making prophetic statements, but they were always full of metaphors, and her dreamer status seemed more like something that happened to her rather than something she did. but this episode turns that assumption completely on its head.

the weirwood vision was INSANE! BLOODRAVEN! DAENERYS! THE WHITE WALKERS! it reminded me that we’re being told this story for a purpose. grrm didn’t write a spin-off just for the sake of making a few extra dollars. it’s all connected. we’ve been hearing about the dance since shireen baratheon taught davos seaworth about it in season 5 and joffrey spoiled the ending in season 3 of game of thrones. and when ser duncan and baby egg finally appear on screen in a knight of the seven kingdoms, witnessing the blackfyre rebellions amd interacting with brynden rivers, things will be recontextualized yet again. the impact of all of these characters reverberates for centuries. you see it everywhere in a song of ice and fire. even if you’re not much of a reader, i implore you to read them anyway. and i’m not just saying that. even if grrm never actually finishes the series, i will die swearing that it was totally worth the read. if you have any love for these characters at all, give it a shot.

back to helaena: her scene with aemond was fucking fantastic. away from the eyes of their mother, each of them is more themselves than ever. aemond isn’t just an incel a wounded aggressor and helaena isn’t just a wounded dove. they both have a clarity of purpose, and they are in direct opposition to the other’s. aemond “come with me, help me defend us and all we hold dear” and helaena “it won’t change anything, it’s over, you’re already dead” it had me on the absolute edge of my seat. i felt like a dog in need of a stuffed animal to annihilate with my teeth. THIS IS CINEMA.

back to daemon: from his first scene in the episode, we see a resignation that wasn’t there before. he accepts the maddening nature of harrenhal, he accepts alys hovering over him at night and leading him to the weirwood tree, and he doesn’t brush off her words. he embraces the power of this place as well as the finality of what it reveals to him. there will be no more yearning or grasping, at least not for his own purposes. he knows what he must do. he submits to rhaenyra as he submits to his impending death.

the scene between alyn and corlys was so powerful. idk maybe it’s because i have daddy issues too, but it moved me a lot. watching your father forsake you for his trueborn heirs while you toil ceaselessly for survival, and then witnessing the downfall of everything he holds dear, and then finally…finally he acknowledges your value. knowing that all your success as a ship captain is attributed to the man who didn’t or couldn’t give you shit else. trying to compensate for decades-old wounds. all of this and he can still barely stand to meet your eyes. GOD.

another illicit rhaenicent scene! so much sexual potential and they just keep squandering it!

but seriously, that scene was insane. alicent has completely given up. “here, have the castle. take king’s landing. i’ll open the door for you. fuck, take my son too, take it all.”

all of their relationship encapsulated in a single conversation! everything boiled down to its base essence: i clung to honor and tradition and resented you because you didn’t, and now i’ve done some of the same things i always judged you for and i’ve realized it doesn’t matter. i just want this all to end.

that’s it, guys! that’s their whole dynamic! hell, that’s the whole show basically! but it’s too late! it’s too late! it’s too late! it’s too late! it’s too late! it’s too late! it’s too late! it’s too late! it’s too late! it’s too late! it’s too late!

someone redesign the sigil of house targaryen as a dragon eating its own tail and wrap this shit up

[writingsofwesteros]

https://www.tumblr.com/writingsofwesteros/757969352629862401/taking-it-all

Oh you just know as soon as Ulf arrives at Dragonstone and starts leering and flirting with his wife, Jace would go MAD.

Just pretending she’s been on Dragonstone for a while now, it’s no surprise to anyone when she falls pregnant. Jace was on her like a rabbit, never failing to cause the maids to giggle. Rhaenyra was pleased since her line would be secured further, even if the news may cause discontent and anger amongst the greens. Many of Aemond’s actions so far had been in anger for the snatching of his betrothed and he still held hope that he would be able to rescue her and return her to his side. Rhaenyra would try and hide the news to bide the blacks some time, but their plans would falter when some of the dragonseeds that had attempted to claim the dragons returned to kings landing. Aemond would be furious and it’s what incites him to ask Helaena to ride Dreamfyre, hoping to burn Dragonstone down for his betrothed.

Ulf would see Jace’s wife (is she technically a princess now?) walking down the halls clad in a blood red gown, seemingly seeking someone out. He’s never been with a high born lady before and seizes his chance, calling her into the dining room. He thinks he’ll get lucky :) The sweet girl looks at him and responds to him kindly, never giving in to his perversions, though she softly scolds him to take his feet off the table. He’s laying it on thick when Jace walks in. If Ulf was smarter, he’d know that the glares Hugh gives him mean to stop.He’s not that smart though, and Hugh can only step back as Jace begins to rip into Ulf.

“How dare you talk to my wife like that? You think because you have been given the privilege of riding a dragon, that you can take what is not yours?”

Ulf would just be confused - who is this guy? Only once the conversation continues does Ulf realise the grave mistake he has made. He had heard stories in Kings Landing of the Prince who stole his uncles bride, who rode off with her on dragonback, brutally slaying those who tried to prevent him leaving. Jace is boiling with rage at the sight of Ulf’s eyes landing on his wife once again and raises his sword.

“Take your perverted gaze away from her,” Jace says loudly, before he stalks forward. Ulf has his back into the table when Jace whispers lowly, “You truly believe she would sully herself by fucking you? You could be the last man in Westeros and she still wouldn’t touch you. She will be the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms and you-”, a quiet scoff escaping the Prince, “you may be a lowly knight allowed to escort our sons to their lessons.”

With that, Jace turns and walks back to his wife. Ulf rests against the table, expression gaping and heart beating rapidly. His eyes trail down to where Jace’s hand rests on the girl’s swelling belly, her gown having hid her pregnancy until she cupped the base of her stomach. She would have to be at least 5 moons along - exactly the amount of time she had resided on Dragonstone. The Prince begins to guide his wife out of the dining room, hands softly brushing across her back as she smiles widely at him and beginning to chatter to him. Ulf can only stare in shock as the Prince turns at the last moment to look over his shoulder, a smug smirk crossing his face.

(Jace would give her more jewellery every month that progresses, until each and every finger is covered in ruby and onyx rings. Nobody would ever mistake her for anything other than the future queen now)

we should all just marry Jace now thank you

Ulf is too funny, he really does not know when to stop running his mouth and Jace has no patience. Poor sweet Princess is too polite for her own good but is soon whisked away by her husband.

"Did you have to be so mean, my love.." She whispered when they were in the safety of their chambers. Jace was still annoyed as he placed his sword down.

"You are mine..he has to know that."

[strangedreamings]

S2 finale wishlist

SER HARROLD WESTERLING

The Battle of the Gullet and pissbaby Jace [redacted].

Helaena riding Dreamfyre but getting the fuck away instead of engaging in the battle.

More great lines from Gwayne.

Rhaena finding/taming Sheepstealer. If the writers insist on merging her with Nettles, then I need them to go all-out. Make her so damn badass. She's Daemon and Laena's daughter, after all.

Criston getting his ass kicked.

Alicent coming to her senses. (Hey, I said it's a wishlist, didn't I?)

Otto becoming Aemond's Hand and actually having to defer to him.

Ulf so damn drunk he falls off Silverwing.

Daeron and Tessarion (who better be a SPECTACULAR shade of blue), finally. (And if Daeron doesn't have Targaryen coloring, I'm laughing directly in Alicent's face.)

Daemon seeing Rhea. We saw his second and third wives, now it's time to see the first one.

After the episode, I want them to announce the Knight of the Seven Kingdoms start date. (Like I said, this is a wishlist.)

[aurora-light-blog]

A Good Strategist under fans’ nose

Most people wouldn’t believe this in the slightest, however Daemon Targaryen was actually a decent strategist. Let us examine the facts again under a different light.

His first official advice to Rhaenyra’s cause was concerning the Iron Islands. This overlooked fact is quite ingenious. The Ironborn don’t care for silly titles and positions. They don’t like being bossed around. So, Daemon simply asked the Ironborn to raid the western coast controlled by the Greens for the Black side. In essence, he asked them to do something that they would normally do, which kept a portion of the Green army away. This was a good and successful idea.

Now, some fans think the Blood and Cheese action was a bad military strategy. It’s definitely heinous and morally wrong, yet militarily it was sickeningly brilliant. The reason for this assertion is summed up in one word intimidation. Not for the royal Green family as much as their supporters. As Varys said, “power lies where men believe it to be.” They had tons of guards and were in a fortified castle deep within their controlled territory. Yet, they couldn’t protect their prince from harm. It might make some of the Green supporters think twice about supporting a side that can’t even protect themselves.

As for the claim it escalated the war and things could have been peaceful if Daemon hadn’t ordered the hit, that isn’t true. This assertion belittles the death of Lucerys Velaryon who was unjustly murdered under killing a simple messenger. It would prove true Alicent’s heartless thoughts of how it was just a mere bastard that died, and Rhaenyra shouldn’t take it that hard. No, it was her son. Fans forget that days and probably weeks went by between Lucerys death and little Jaehaerys’ murder. The Greens did nothing to rectify the situation except to say, “oh that’s too bad.” Aemond was never punished for the crime. Actually, King Aegon probably toasted to the murder of Lucerys. Events and attitudes were already set for a nasty brutal conflict before Daemon did this. Would the war be less brutal if he hadn’t ordered Cheese and Blood? Perhaps, a little. Truth be told, the Greens and the Blacks would have still been brutal with little justification if it suited their needs.

Wars are nasty, cruel and violent. They’re not a simple game of “capture the flag.” Daemon understood this. His suggestion of one of dragonseeds marrying into House Baratheon or another Green house was good idea that got discarded. At the time, Rhaenyra and Corlys wanted to make peace. It’s as if they forgot that there were battles still going on, and Aegon and Aemond were still on the loose. No, they were focused on ruling and issuing taxes instead of actively ending the war.

Daemon had been tasked with destroying Aemond and his dragon Vhagar. You would think finding a large dragon would be easy. With dragons being able to fly, you can compare it to trying to find someone who owns a plane. Daemon had no search party. It was just him and Nettles. It would be nearly impossible for him to locate Aemond and Vhagar over the large terrain of Westeros, unless he could stage a trap for Aemond to come to. Something like Ulf the White marrying a Baratheon daughter would be great bait. Why?

Tywin once told Jaime that Tyrion’s capture made the Lannisters look weak. Likewise, Green supporter Baratheon’s daughter marrying a dragonseed would make the Greens appear weak. Lord Baratheon wanted a royal match for his daughters. A lowborn suitor would be a show of power and authority of the Blacks. It wouldn’t make Lord Baratheon happy, and he would complain about it. If the Green don’t respond to this, Lord Baratheon would view them as uncaring or weak. “How long will people of the Seven Kingdoms stand behind an absentee king?” as Robert Baratheon stated once. It was a clever idea and the first move to force the Green dragons in a certain location to crush them.

Another thing to consider about those proposed marriages of Hugh and Ulf to the nobleman’s daughters is no betrayal. Queen Rhaenyra had promised them lands, riches and a knighthood. Hugh and Ulf were really after the lands and riches. She hadn’t delivered on those yet. Months went by, and they hadn’t received anything that she promised. A noble bride would have made the men feel secure and established firmly their position in society. These were no name bastards. It’s doubtful nobles in the Red Keep held them in esteem. This suggestion of Daemon’s would have kept the Blacks with dragons and a decisive victory against Prince Daeron and the Greens. Pity, no one heeded Daemon’s advice.

[ride-thedragon]

I personally do believe that the girls in asoiaf are better than all the men and boys no matter the era but with that being said, with the spirit of equality in mind a sequal with the boys and men of House Velayron and House Targaryen is due.

Daemon Targaryen

Daemon was ambitious, impetuous, and moody, as charming as he was hot-tempered.

Harwin Strong

Breakbones was said to be the strongest man in the Seven Kingdoms in his day. He was described as being massive and redoubtable.

Lord Corlys Velaryon

Known as the Sea Snake, is the head of House Velayron  and the husband of Princess Rhaenys Targaryen.

Though he had grown old, Corlys liked to say that he was clinging to life "like a drowning sailor clinging to the wreckage of a sunken ship."

Jaceryes Velayron

Responsible,bold,and politically savvy, Jace was protective of his family.

Luceryes Velaryon

Luke was a strong strapping lad, skilled in arms. Like his brothers Jace and Joffrey, he had brown eyes and hair, and a pug nose.

Joffrey Velaryon

Prince Joffrey Velaryon, also known as Joff, was the thirdborn son of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and her first husband, Ser Laenor Velaryon.

Hugh Hammer

Hugh was tall and huge, with hands strong enough to twist steel bars. He wielded a warhammer. Hugh was not able to read or write.

Ulf The White

Ulf was pale-haired and named for his white hair. Ulf was known for his drinking. He could not read or write.

Addam Velayron

Addam was fifteen years old at the outbreak of the Dance of the Dragons. He was relentless, determined, glib of tongue, and loyal

Alyn Velayron

Alyn and his brother Addam had silver hair and purple eyes. They were small and quick like their mother, Marilda of Hull.

What if I told you Addam and Alyn were the cause of all of this. Also just request your faves during this time now . I nominate the sapphics of the era.

[theworkprint]

The Tension Becomes Unbearable in "The Queen Who Ever Was"

Everything is ready for what promises to be a battle for the ages.... in 2025 or 2026.

When last we saw Westeros, Aemond had chased Ulf and Silverwing back from King’s Landing, only to be forced to turn away when he saw Rhaenyra with her new dragon riders. After this humiliation, Aemond and Vhagar let off some steam by destroying one of Rhaenyra’s banner towns, Sharp Point. Yes, good. Totally normal behavior. The Seven Kingdoms will be in fine shape with you in charge. While Aemond…

[nart-is-a-monster]

How to do kaleidoscope effect tutorial search (I didn't understand shit of the tutorial)(⁠╯⁠°⁠□⁠°⁠）⁠╯⁠︵⁠ ⁠┻⁠━⁠┻

But hiiii I'm joining the section of I drew a family member for Varian that is not his mother or his dad lol

Aaaaaallsooooooo HIIII MILO HIIIII you already know what I'm working on regarding ur fic so shagsjfkshagshf hi

AAAAaaaaaaand talking Abt fic... FIC LIIIINK 🗣️🗣️🗣️

And also some context regarding the fic!

Here Varian is a gorgon and is the struggler.

Also go give some love to @glitter-lisp too :333333

[dangara2610]

Alive Ulla Master Post 🏣📯 - Part A

Hello everybody

I finally finished, from beginning to end, my forth idea of ten xD

This one is more Ulla centric and the consideration of her not dying on the Library, but ...

*Playing BeeGees music*

Staying Alive , Staying Alive , Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Staying Aliveeeeeeeeeeeee~

Any way, hope you like it :

4.- Alive Ulla 🧪🥽⚗️

Part 1⚗️

Part 2⚗️

Part 3 ⚗️

Part 4 ⚗️

Part 5 ⚗️

Part 6 ⚗️

Part 7 ⚗️

Part 8 ⚗️

Part 9 ⚗️

Part 10 ⚗️

Part 11 ⚗️

Oups, there is an error on the Save button , let me check ✅ 🔘 It persist, maybe I have too much links? Let's erase some...

Yes xD the limit is 10 links.

Part B coming soon 💐🌹🌺🌷🪷🪷🌸🏵️🪻🌿🌱🍁🪻🍂🌻🌼🪻❄️🌊🫧🌈🌀⭐🌟💫☄️🏵️🌸🪷

[sapphic-writing]

Screw boys

VENT FIC **** I wrote it for me but maybe you can enjoy it

Mentions of alcohol and bad language

Edit and beta reading are for pussies, we die like women.

Modern AU with Ulla, Donella and Ulf (or in the mid 90's). OOC.

What happens when a college student passes his exams and that the parents of said student own a field on the side of the town, that isn’t rally occupied yet? Well first he thinks he could invite the people of his promo to celebrate their results on a hot summer night. Then he thinks he might as well invite people he knew in high school. A few people ask if they can bring some of their friends with them, nothing crazy. More and more people are invited and inviting. Before you know it, the upcoming party have the reputation of the most crazy party thrown in town for the upcoming decade. And the starter of it isn’t sure he could stop it even if he wanted to.

Ulla, being Ulla, counts herself in the first wave of guests. Mark, a close friend from high school had gotten her into it. And she herself, had gotten her brother and Donella on the guest list, alongside with other pears. The only thing that kept her two acolytes from bailing on this party as they witnessed it growing with horror, was the idea of leaving Ulla alone at a huge event like that, without backup. Ulf especially, being the designated driver.

And they couldn’t have greater regrets, when they found themselves sitting anxiously in the grass. Observing the other teenagers drinking like it was the end of the world.

Ulla had wandered off with Mark, glad to catch up with him, but most of all, she needed to get one thing straight ass there was one thing that had been bugging her for a while.

“Hey, dude. Can I talk to you for a sec?” She asked, now merry. “C’mon, let’s go where there’s less noise. We can’t hear shit here.”

It wasn’t really out of the party, not even outside of the land that the parents of the holder of the event actually owned, because of course people had taken the party well pass it. But they found a tree and it was a good enough thing to lay against.

“Okay, alright. So you remember how you told me about having regrets and stuff, and you wanted to ask me one thing but in the end you didn’t? I wanna know, man. I know it has something to do with me. I need, I need to know what it is. Like, if I want to trust you again.”

“Hmmmm okay, you wanna know?” He asks with a smile, rolling against the trunk to face her. “Do you have regrets about that time we both had a crush on eachother but none of us made a moove?”

“What if I did?”

He detached himself from the tree to stand in front of the girl. “I don’t know. But I mean, it’s never too late.”

“Aren’t you dating Millie?” Ulla asked playfully as he approached her.

“I think she could be okay with this.”

Ulla got closer to him, her breath brushing his lips as she spoke.

“So, now that, out of high school, I take more care of myself, put make up on and make efforts to wear nice clothes, I become interesting to you? Because you find me just so pretty. Better than the girl in high school?”

“You know you’re so god damn pretty now, doll.” And as he was playing with her hair, slowly closing his eyes as as he was opening his lips and getting closer, she spat right in his mouth.

He backed up with a sound of disgust and Ulla took the opportunity to get away from the tree and him.

“Won’t be seeing you again, Mark. But since you were so eager to put your tong in my mouth, I’m leaving you a souvenir. Bon soir.” she finished with a terrible accent and a reverence. Getting out of his sight before he got mad or violent.

Wandering through the many faces of wrecked students, she eventually found her brother at the exact same place he was when she left.

“Where’s Donnie?” She asked. He gestured to somewhere to her left, and she saw her with what was definitely not her first cup in hand.

“I don’t like you.” She told a guy, straight up to his face. The girls around them laughed hysterically as he started crying.

Ulla turned away from the scene and dropped her forehead on Ulf’s shoulder. “I wanna go home.”

“You okay, Ul’?” He asked, putting a hand on her back. She groaned and threw her head backward.

“The second I become fuckable, one of the guys I consider one of my best friends starts to want to do me like I take care of myself only for his pleasur or something.” She look at him in the eyes and tries to play it less hurt than she was. “He ignored my strong personality and one, it doesn’t work. Second, I don’t appreciate.” She continued mumbling a third, fourth and more reasons of ways it had offended her. Ulf nodded without trying to understand more and called the other mess he was in charge of. “Don, we’re going home!” Once she registered the information, she went in their direction without a protest. The girls behind started booing and asking her to stay because she made them laugh.

“Men are shit.” Ulla declared as she threw an arm around the shoulders of an already legless Donella.

“Tell me about it.” She responded as Ulf was helping her not to fall. They started walking to Donella’s parents car.

“Also, we’re not talking to Mark no more.” and before any of the two others could answer, Ulla’s name was screamed not far from where they were. “Ah, shit.”

“God, Ulla. You pissed him off!”

“Like it’s a surprise.”

The scream had made a few heads turn for a second before going back to the madness. The redhead girl let go of her arm around Donella and turned around.

“You want to complain because I didn’t let you screw me? Big, big dick move since your girlfriend’s around.” Indeed, Millie was looking at the scene with confusions. “Better, you want to pretend that nothing happened and keep dating her. So you can cheat more or something.”

He didn’t answer. Ulf’s guess was that he was expecting to find her alone and not with two other people who would completely be on her side. Millie came closer and looked at him, waiting for a reaction from her boyfriend. He looked at her in the eyes.

“C’mon, babe. You can’t believe her. She’s just drunk and jealous and…”

“Tell me the truth.” She calmly said with a determined stair. And suddenly he wasn’t able to hold on her look and he fell silent.

Ulla advanced to be at the poor girl’s side. “It’s okay, Mil. We can take you home if you want.” Ulf wasn’t certain their parents would be okay with a surprise guest, but he wasn’t about to open his mouth right now.

He took the three girls to the car. Ulla on the backseat, against the window, with Ulla next to her to take care of her in case there was a puking accident. And Millie on the sit next to him as the conductor. First they trash talked about Mark. Then uplifted each-other in that way that girls do. Donella did have an accident and they managed to keep the damages in the car minimal.

The next day, Ulla and Millie were dealing with a hangover while Ulf and Donella, who never had had a bad hangover in her life despite being the one drinking the most in the trio, were explaining to the Rusf parents why there was another girl in their flat. Not that they took it as badly as Ulf’s anxious mind had anticipated.

Bonus I wanted to include but couldn’t :

(After Mark called after Ulla, she is talking)

“And what’s with you and red heads? Do you have a fetish or something? You’re gonna try and fuck Ulf next time?” Mark makes a disgusted face. “What? Oooooooh, but that’s gay! You can’t say that to a manly man like me!” She says in a high pitched voice, pretending to look offended. “Well look, I’ll be fucking your girlfriend before you. She is ways more fuckable than you are.”

[silverhart-makes-art]

I finished ‘The Rise of Flynn Rider’ last night. Had a really good time with it; it was like reading a wild episode of the series.Thoughts are below, but be warned of potential spoilers.

So many cameos of characters from the series that we know and love - Edmund, Eugene’s mother, the Baron, Stalyan (I love Stalyan more and more with every appearance, but especially sassy little Stalyan here), Captain, Maximus, Anthony the Weasel, the Stabbingtons, Hook Hand and Hook Foot, Ulf, Vlad, Big Nose, Attila, Shorty (I think?), the rest of the Pub thugs, the Tower randomly drops in, Pascal's mother (Pascal's mother?!), a new Brotherhood member we knew nothing about (what?!), the king and queen show up, Baron actually stole from the Spire Vault, which is impressive, Vardaros is mentioned, Cap randomly mentions Cassandra at one point. Just a wild cameo-fest. Pretty much every chapter had me going 'oh, I know that thing, that's from the series!' And with the exception of the Baron, Lance, and the Stabbingtons, none of these cameos really amount to much in the story. But they sure are a lot of fun. I appreciated them, even if some of them made no sense. It's just pure fandom fun.

Also something interesting to note, both in this book and 'What Once Was Mine' the kingdom is always just called 'the kingdom'. It's never referred to as Corona, or the Kingdom of Corona. I'm curious if recent events had something to do with that. It does make the reading a bit awkward in places, especially here where there is mention of the Dark Kingdom and the Seven Kingdoms, but Rapunzel's kingdom is just 'the kingdom', never capitalized or named or anything.

Spoilers ahead, but I was honestly surprised Vedis didn't turn out to be Quirin. Quirin coming to Corona with a circus is an amusing thought, and I don't see how it would mess up continuity any more than it already was in the book. But it is hilarious to me that pretty much everyone and their mother gets a mention in this book except for Varian. Too bad Varian, you weren't tall enough to be in this book.

This book sets up a lot of stuff that just... never comes to fruition. I like seeing Edmund and his wife getting a bit of backstory there, but there isn't enough there to justify it. There’s not even enough to really add to fandom speculation or headcanon, and the story doesn’t do anything with it. Edmund never comes up again, and eventually the whole Dark Kingdom plot is kind of dropped. It makes sense in the story to drop it, but then there’s no need to establish Edmund and all this Dark Kingdom lore in the first place. It would be stronger if the prologue were cut, and the reader had to discover the mystery along with Eugene. It feels like there should be a payoff, but the payoff comes years later and in another story called 'Tangled the Series'. They find Rapunzel's tower, and proceed to do nothing with it. The Brotherhood is mentioned, and is almost set up as this big interesting thing, and that goes nowhere. If I wasn't familiar with the series I think this book would be very frustrating to read (On that note, I would be so curious to hear the thoughts of someone who read this book and hadn't seen the series). But the absence of Lance Archer as a character is, I think, the most disappointing thing, since everything else is wrapped up in the movie and the series. Lance Archer is constantly referred to in this book, from the very beginning, up until the end, but the actual character makes no appearance. Having little Eugene and Arnie meet a childhood hero and either be inspired or discover they’re not as heroic as they thought, would’ve been really interesting and would’ve tied into the themes very nicely. Also the big twist could be that Lance Archer is actually a Lady-thief, or Lady Caine’s father, or something else fun like that.

It's not a well structured story, but like with 'What Once Was Mine' the characters are really what stands out most. The main theme of making your own family, is more or less solid. The beats it goes through are pretty formulaic, and some of the plot points are a bit convoluted, but Eugene and Arnie are very cute and I enjoyed reading about them. Also the fact that it is such an easy read makes me pretty forgiving of it's flaws. I read through it in about half a day. It's like the book equivalent of popcorn - it's just fun to munch on.

Also love the weird logic that an orphanage has to receive money from the kingdom in order to pay taxes back to said kingdom. But the same taxes get stolen on the way by a Robin Hood-esque Lance Archer who gives it back to the orphanage. It's the most convoluted tax program I've ever heard of. I'm not criticizing it, because it's clearly working - the money eventually gets to the orphanage. But wow, I've never been more curious about fictional taxes then I was reading this book. It's kind of hilarious that for all it's talk of cracking down on crime, Corona would cease to function without do-gooder criminals. All just a part of the kingdom's unique charm, I guess!

As a last note, this book also made me really interested in the Flynnigan Rider books. Like I know they don’t actually exist, but I wish they did. Every time I read or hear about them, I just want to get my hands on them. They sound right up my alley - swashbuckling adventures, just two friends against the world, fighting off bad guys, rescuing horses, swinging from ropes. Those are my kind of stories. Can someone please write the Flynnigan Rider book series into existence? Thank you.

[whitecatindisguise]

The Sundrop Alchemist (6)

Ooookay. I’m terribly sorry it took me so long to update, but life’s been kinda hard lately and I had more pressing matters than writing and posting stories. Anyway, I’m finally back with another chapter and, to compensate, this one is longer than usual.

Enjoy~

Summary: Hugo gets a brilliant idea of scaring Varian by taking the boy to a place crowded with ruffians and thugs. What he didn't take into consideration was the boy's determination... and some other, more surprising events.

Warning: swearing

AO3 link is here

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Chapter 6: Of Thugs And Ruffians

Varian with curiosity, and a little bit of scepticism, trailed after Hugo through the woods. The older teenager seemed to know where he was going and going in random direction at the same time. The blue-eyed boy’s stomach rumbled again and he looked up at his guide.

“How much further?” He asked, trying to spot anything between the trees and high bushes in front of them but to no avail. 

“Almost there, Blondie.” Hugo replied, earning an angry huff from the boy. His nose picked out a familiar smell and he grinned. “This way.” He said, pulling away the high bushes.

There, in the middle of the forest, stood a building. Varian scrunched his nose at the state it was in. The planks were old, some of them falling away and creating holes in the walls. Windows were smudged, some of the glass broken, as if someone threw a boulder at them. All in all, the building seemed to be past its grand days. 

Hugo must have seen Varian’s face, because he quickly added.

“Looks worse than it is, Goggles. Trust me, you’ll love it.” And before the boy could argue, he grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the door. 

Varian managed to catch a glimpse of the sign hanging overhead, the paint falling off but the picture of a small yellow bird and words “S_UG_LY DUC_LI_G” still visible. 

“Snuggly Duckling?” He questioned, managing somehow to decipher the name of the place. Hugo grinned and pushed the door open with one strong movement. 

“A table for two!” The older blonde called out into the room. Varian looked inside and froze, along with the occupants of the place. 

His eyes widened, body stiffening in shock, as he took notice of the people sitting by the tables. His body trembled at the sight of bulky figures in leather and fur clothes, horny helmets on their heads, pointy teeth visible in their angry snarls and eyes filled with rage. 

Hugo didn’t seem to notice the boy’s discomfort, as he pushed him further inside, a smile plastered to his face.

“Smell that, Sweetcheeks? That’s the smell of the real world.” He rambled as they traversed deeper into the room. Varian reached for his frying pan, holding it in his trembling hands, and pointing at the men surrounding them, Ruddiger hissing from his place on the boy’s shoulders. “Take a deep breath in. Feel it with your whole body.”

Varian felt a pull on his hair and noticed one of the thugs picking a lock, staring at it dumbly. 

“That’s a lot of hair.” The man commented and Varian yelped, pulling his hair closer to himself. 

“What’s wrong, Blondie? The outside world is too much for you?” Hugo asked, a grin on his face. If Varian wouldn’t be so terrified right now, he would smack the teen right there. Of course he knew what kind of place it was. He was playing him the whole time! Hugo started to back down towards the exit. “Well, in that case I’ll just take you back, you give my satchel back and we’re-”

He was cut off by the door slamming and he turned, noticing one of the thugs holding his large hand on the door, holding a paper. 

“Is that you?” The man grumbled. 

Hugo pushed his glasses further up his nose and moved the man’s finger slightly, to uncover the wanted poster. Varian stared at the paper in shock. It depicted Hugo with a smug expression and the most hilarious pair of glasses he could think of. Instead of the teen’s circular frames, the author of the poster gave him heart-shaped glasses. Underneath the picture there were words “Hugo The Human. Thief.”, and the price for bringing him up to justice. If he wasn’t terrified by all of the thugs and ruffians, he would have probably laughed. 

“Now that’s just mean.” Hugo huffed, pointing at his glasses and then to the ones at the poster. “Do these look any similar to those?” 

“Oh, it’s him, alright.” Another man commented and came closer, Hugo somehow dodging under the man’s grasp and running to the centre of the room.

“Greno, go get the guards!” The first man called and the one called Greno sped off through the door. 

“Guys, seriously. The guards?” Hugo asked, backing away but soon noticing he was surrounded. “Come on. Would you really hand over one of you?”

“You are not one of us.” The thugs growled and jumped at the teen. 

Varian stared in shock as Hugo tried to escape the grabs, but it was proving extremely difficult with so many enemies. For a moment he entertained a thought of running away while they were busy, but he had no idea where to go, not remembering the way back to the tower, nor knowing his way to Old Corona. He needed Hugo.

Coming to the decision, he quickly grabbed a lock of his hair and threw it, securing it on one of the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, but one away from the fight. With a grunt he pulled hard and the wooden structure gave a creak and fell down, shattering to pieces. The noise was enough to startle everyone, the men freezing mid-tying struggling Hugo. 

“ENOUGH!” Varian shouted, eyes burning with anger. “I-I have no idea what Hugo did to earn that wanted poster, but I need him to be my guide and he’s coming WITH ME!”

“Oh, and why would we let him go just because you said so, kid?” One of the ruffians turned to him, a malicious grin appearing on his face. “How is something so small and fragile going to stop us?”

“I…” Varian faltered and backed off, the large man towering over him. Ruddiger chittered from his shoulder and the boy took a deep breath, before looking up at the man. “Look, tomorrow in Old Corona they are having this celebration with alchemical lanterns and I want to see it. But, I don’t know the way and Hugo offered to take me there. Please, it’s been my dream for as long as I remember. Haven’t any of you ever had a dream?”

He looked around pleadingly. Hugo stared at the boy in shock. Was the kid really so dumb as to think the talk about dreams would get them out of this situation?

The ruffian from before strolled closer to the blue-eyed boy, his hook-hand moving threateningly towards his face. Varian froze. Then, as the man was mere inches from his face, he looked away with a distant look in his eyes.

“I.. had a dream once.” The man said and Varian blinked. 

“W-What was it?” He asked, voice trembling. The man stared back at him and, for a moment, Varian thought he said something wrong. 

“I always wanted to become a pianist and travel the world, giving concerts in all Seven Kingdoms.” The man replied and Varian blinked again. “But what good is a pianist with only one hand?” He pointed at his hook.

“H-Have you tried to play, even with your… predicament?” The boy asked and this time the man blinked. 

“I… haven’t thought of that.” He said and rubbed his chin with a hook. He eyed the piano standing at the back of the room and then looked back at the boy. “You think it could work?”

“Doesn’t hurt to try.” Varian replied with an honest smile. 

The man slowly approached the piano and sat down, staring down at the keys. He looked up at Varian, and the boy gave him an encouraging nod. The man raised his hands and slammed them on the keys. The fingers of his right hand dancing on the keys, his hook doing no worse. The music filled the room, everyone quickly catching the tune and starting to dance. The performance ended and the man received a round of applause. He turned to Varian, a genuine smile on his face.

“Thank you. I never thought I could do it. Now I can achieve my dream.” He said and Varian smiled back.

“No problem. I’m Varian, by the way.” He reached out his hand to the man and he shook it gingerly.

“The name’s Hook Hand.” He replied and Varian giggled at how fitting it was. 

“I have a dream too!” Another man spoke. He was a tall man with a really big nose. “Name’s Big Nose, by the way.” He added and Varian snorted into his hand. 

“What is your dream, Big Nose?” He urged and the said man gave a deep sigh.

“Well… my appearance isn’t something people like to set their eyes on.” He started and the thugs nodded. “But I would really love to find a girl for myself. Someone who would love me and who I could love back. We could go on romantic boat trips, and picnics, and walks by the moonlight…” He sighed lovingly and looked at Varian. “You think that’s possible?”

“Well… I can’t say for certain, but I feel somewhere out there is a girl who will see you for who you are, not for how you look like.” He smiled honestly. 

“You really think so?” Big Nose asked and the boy nodded. The man smiled widely and shook the boy’s hand gingerly. “Thank you so much! That means a lot to me!”

Suddenly, all of the thugs started to shout out their dreams, all seemingly wanting Varian to confirm their dreams are possible. He encouraged Toll to become a florist after seeing his beautiful flower composition. He awed at Gunter’s interior design ideas. He applauded Ulf’s mime performance, swooned over Attila’s cupcakes, admired Bruiser’s knitting and Killer’s sewing skills. He laughed at Ven’s puppet show.

“You guys have such amazing talents and dreams worth fighting for.” Varian commented after Vladimir showed him his ceramic unicorn’s collection and broasted about a particular figurine that was one-of-a-kind and took him almost four months to paint.

“Great dreams, wohoo. Can we go now?” A voice cut in from the back of the room and the group turned around to see a very bored-looking Hugo. Varian’s cheeks turned red. With all of the thugs dreams and performances he forgot about the teen being there. 

“Say, what is your dream?” Varian asked and the teen froze just for a second. He then huffed and turned his face away.

“Not your business.” He muttered. Varian frowned. 

“Come on, Hugo. We all shared our dreams.” The boy urged but Hugo wasn’t budging. 

Just then, all of the thugs circled Hugo, pointing their weapons at the teen.

“He asked. what. is. your. dream.” Hookhand snarled and Varian panicked. Were they back at the square one? Why couldn’t they go five minutes without threatening anyone?

“Fine. You want to hear my dream?” Hugo huffed in annoyance and turned to face them directly. “My dream is to earn enough money so I can leave this kingdom once and for all, buy some posh house in the middle of some very posh town and lazy out for whole day, not needing to wonder how will I survive the next day!” He shouted out on one breath. “I would have so much food I can’t even eat alone, a bed with my name on it and I wouldn’t give a shit about what’s going outside my house, because I DON’T CARE!”

A silence that followed was deafening. Varian stared at the teen in shock. He was sure something was wrong. Mere talking about dreams wouldn’t anger anyone so much. He was sure that wasn’t Hugo’s real dream, but he wouldn’t push. Not now, at least. 

He wanted to say something to lighten the mood, when the door to the pub opened harshly and the man from before, Greno, if Varian remembered correctly, stood at the door frame. 

“I’ve found the guards!” He called happily. The pub immediately erupted into chaos. 

Hugo jumped and grabbed Varian’s hand, pulling him along to hide behind the counter. Varian was trembling, not knowing what to do. If the guards were there, they would arrest Hugo and he would be completely lost. He would never see the alchemical lanterns. Heck, he wasn’t even sure he could go back to the tower by himself, at that point. 

A quiet whistle gained his attention and he noticed Hookhand motioning for them to follow. The man pulled on the hidden lever and part of the counter opened, revealing a tunnel. 

“This will lead you safely away from here.” Hookhand whispered, motioning for them to go inside. “Go, live your dream.”

“Thank you, I will.” Hugo replied and Hookhand shot him an angry glare. 

“Your dream sucks, I was talking to him.” The man pointed his head at Varian and the boy giggled at Hugo’s hurt expression.

“Thank you.” Varian hugged Hookhand. 

“Don’t get caught, Varian.” The man replied. 

Varian nodded and slipped inside the tunnel, following Hugo into the darkness. The hidden door closed behind them