yeah cause you already have one

Had some fun thoughts about Aegon’s sons while I was re-reading. This is the passage:

At the feast afterward, King Aenys compounded his misjudgment by granting the title Prince of Dragonstone to his presumptive heir, Prince Aegon. A hush fell over the hall at those words, for all present knew that title had hitherto belonged to Prince Maegor. At the high table, Queen Visenya rose and stalked from the hall without the king’s leave. That night she mounted Vhagar and returned to Dragonstone, and it is written that when her dragon passed before the moon, that orb turned as red as blood.

It’s kind of funny to me because Aenys is doing something normal - he’s just naming his oldest son as his heir (and also pointedly bypassing Rhaena as heir but that’s also incredibly normal behavior bc Westeros and Earth are a patriarchal hellscape).

But he always does shit like this. Every major decision Aenys makes is the one he’s “supposed” to make, almost like he’s following a script. The patriarch must have heirs, must make proper dynastic matches for his heirs, must support and defend his heir’s claim so the transition between their rules is smooth. He wants to live up to the legacies of both Aegon and Rhaenys, be decisive and strong but kind and charming as well, and he freezes right in the middle of the two into something obnoxious and indecisive.

So he takes the title “prince of dragonstone” a title created for Maegor by the lords and people and hands it to his son for funsies. He wants the titles and signals of legitimacy to belong to only him because he’s the first born so of course it belongs to him; that’s not just arrogance, that’s law. At the same time, “prince of dragonstone” was not an official title that Aegon gave Maegor as a sign of legitimacy, the way he tried to give Aenys blackfyre. See here:

Prince Maegor remained with his mother, sitting by her side when she held court. Queen Visenya and King Aegon were oft apart in those years. When he was not on a royal progress, Aegon would return to King’s Landing and the Aegonfort, whilst Visenya and her son remained on Dragonstone. For this reason, lords and commons alike began to refer to Maegor as the Prince of Dragonstone.

They call him that because he grows up there at his mother’s side instead of at his father’s with Aenys. And then not only does Aegon back down from fighting the Faith by betrothing Maegor to a Hightower, he is essentially rejecting this sign of legitimacy for Maegor by refusing to go to bat for an incestuous marriage that would make Maegor and Rhaena his heirs together. Maegor may have some symbols of legitimacy but they are not given to him by Aegon - he doesn't get Blackfyre or Balerion until after Aegon dies. He barely sees his father. He can't even give his father grandchildren. But he has this one thing, this title given to him by the lords and commoners of Dragonstone, the seat that once belonged to his father. And then Aenys takes that away. It’s his right! He’s the oldest son! Why is Visenya turning the moon weird colors when she knows her son is the younger!

But of course, her son is the younger because Visenya and Aegon couldn’t stand each other, and by the time they got around to really attempting to fuck, Visenya was already a bit old. And Visenya is the oldest, maybe the least loved wife, but the original, the first wife. It doesn’t matter; Rhaenys had a baby first, Rhaenys is the one the line now descends from. And her son can’t even leave Visenya’s son a silly little title given as a nickname, a nickname he earned for being Visenya’s son, always on Dragonstone with his mother and never at King’s Landing. But Aenys stubbornly ignores this because this is how he operates. They’re the ones not following the script!

It’s exactly what he does when it comes to Rhaena and Aegon marrying; it never occurs to him that people will be angry because he has the right. Never mind the High Septon making it clear he wouldn’t approve. Never mind it’ll piss off Visenya and Maegor, the only competent generals with dragons that he has bc his kids aren’t grown.

The storm that greeted the king’s announcement took them all by surprise, though the warning signs had been plain enough for those with the wit to read them. The Faith had condoned, or at the very least ignored, the marriage of the Conqueror and his sisters, but it was not willing to do the same for their grandchildren.

There’s soooo much going on here in why Aenys acts like this. It’s not just the general royal/noble “i have the castle and the swords i do what i want” but a very specific Targaryen “i have the dragons i do what i want” and an even more specific “i have the divine right i do what i want.”

He is Aegon the Conquerer’s first born son and he can do what he wants. It’s in the script his father followed when Aegon used The Divine Right Of Dragons to subjugate most of Westeros. He completely convinced himself that he is allowed to run roughshod over social norms, politics, religion, his own family’s feelings, because he is Aegon’s son.

And Maegor takes the exact opposite approach. He is Aegon the Conqueror’s second born son of his least favorite wife and he will always have to conquer like his father to prove he is worthy of doing what he wants.

It is in effect the same problem basically every Targaryen past Aegon has had. They see him (and Rhaenys and Visenya) just as godly as the people of Westeros do. They are all demi gods aspiring to the immortality of the Conqueror while refusing to see the bigger picture surrounding him which is that Aegon didn’t do whatever he wanted and he was miserable for large portions of his life which is why he was so effective as King! He’s an annoying bitch but he’s an annoying bitch who realized that the throne was not there to make him happy!! It is only when Aenys and Alyssa give him Rhaena, and a new family to love, that Aegon lives happily again.

Basically every Targaryen ruler misses some aspect of this. They focus on how he conquered with dragons so they use extreme force and forget how often he conceded, how smartly he chose to sort his spoils of war, and put their yes men in powerful positions only to watch those dudes get eaten alive by their post. Or they focus on the concessions, on the miracle of his negotiations, the myth making around Aegon the Dragon, and do reckless, foolish shit without a thought for consequence because They Are The Blood Of The Dragon.

The Dragon was a man and not a god! He died of a stroke! Not of dragon fire or a thunderbolt sent from the gods themselves. Ultimately, what was special was his ability to know when to fight and when to negotiate and even that wasn’t always easy for him, see: the dragon’s wroth. But every Targaryen after him believes in The Dragon, The God, and makes a claim at his godhood, even his own sons. And all of them fall short because of their belief in his godhood, even his own sons.

Me when the moots don’t see my flop posts I made at 3 am:

modern au. katara is like “if pretty privilege isn’t real then why does azula resent me so much??” and sokka’s like “hm well maybe it’s because you’re literally a communist and azula thinks that reagan was the best thing to ever happen to america?” and katara’s like “no that can’t possibly be why. it’s because i’m so hot that azula cannot handle it.” and unfortunately, katara is right :/

Warpaint

Kim breaking his one cigarette a day rule if you leave him in Martinaise is still such a deranged narrative choice to me. Kim “he relishes the control he has over his addiction” Kitsuragi from Disco “lungs are the symbol of love in Revachol” Elysium smokes an extra cigarette in silence instead of saying goodbye as he watches you leave. Like. Okay. I know everyone on the face of the planet has commented on this already but every time I watch the clip it wallops me.

I’m just a ten cent copy

Of people far more advanced than me

Some new art of a very very old oc of mine! From like, when I was an 8th grader in middle school to freshman in high school I think, I haven’t thought about this character or the world she’s from in like… years, but my brain suddenly remembered she existed! And so I drew some art of her!

Visually, she’s absolutely mostly the result of my child self sticking Toko Fukawa from Danganronpa and Peacock from Skullgirls in a blender and lettin it fuckin rip. Personality wise she’s a bit different tho… she’s into politics! As in,,, she’s in politics ghgh, she’s like the chief of the surveillance department for the country of (mostly) witches that the story takes place in. And one of the advisors to the head ruler witch,,, she sucks! Hardcore! she’s def a villain lol

My gf has been rewatching Glee while she works on a jigsaw puzzle all weekend. (She just hit the fucking Rocky Horror episode 🥴)

Two things I’ve learned:

1. The post-Glee fandom PTSD still lingers lmao

2. I have retained an embarrassing amount of plot knowledge, BTS trivia, and fandom history despite absconding from the fandom over a decade ago

Also hi if you’ve just started following me in the past handful of years, I used to be a Z-list Tumblr celebrity dedicated to the Glee fandom, specifically Brittana. We all fought in the trenches for years against Ryan Murphy’s crazy ass so that those Cheerios could get married by the end of the series, y’all are welcome.

smell pickup line based on the gasoline one because i cannot get it out of my head.

you're a black sharpie and baby? I'm in my office cubicle trying to get high.

We can’t start smell posting it’s going to get out of hand.. too out of hand for a Sunday night

coughs. Anyway

Gabe is a gold sharpie.. like the one for the print signings (I am executed before I can continue)

You ever read a book or watch a movie and relate to a character so hard that it scares the crap out of you and then proceeds to trigger a full on mental breakdown? because that was Brian Lackey from Mysterious Skin for me

I love how two of the best lines in all of AT (“Finn this is literally serious” and “see this is a good example of why I want to kill you”) are in the same episode

Viktor is making bad decisions, per usual

There’s so many concepts I want to include in the demon!Kyo story and idk how to get through them all!! This story literally doesn’t have plot it’s just. One dramatic angsty conversation to another with some possible sex scenes between (if I can work up the nerve). So anyway

Drinking blood??? I truly do not understand how demons are made because I would have thought if someone drank demon blood that they’d turn into a demon but clearly Genya can do it and be (mostly) fine so. Kyojuro giving Giyuu his blood if he’s wounded in a battle to heal him???? His blood making Giyuu a little 🥴🥴🥴???

Vice versa? Kyojuro being weak and hungry and Giyuu having to let him drink HIS blood??

Something something men will construct intricate rituals that allow them to touch (with their mouths) the skin of other men

Idk

Some Tengen and Kyo alone time/conversation? I just love writing Tengen I don’t have another excuse. Just to explore what Tengen would think of the new Kyo. I think they’d eventually come to some sort of a mutual understanding. Or maybe Tengen would like totally hate him. … it’s hard to say. Open to debate on this one

I’m DEFINITELY throwing Senjuro in there at some point I just am not sure when or how. Maybe even Tanjiro having to lie to him for Kyojuro’s sake, and Tanjiro hates lying especially to his friend :(. Maybe Senjuro seeing through him instantly. Maybe Senjuro actually sees Him, his dead brother, all glowing and unnatural and so so familiar. I can’t decide if it’s more heartbreaking if Kyojuro doesn’t recognize him, or if he does ..

Oof ouch my bones

Giyuu and Urokodaki. I figure Giyuu realizes he’s a little in over his head and needs advice but is worried that if he goes to the Master they’ll want to kill Kyojuro. He knows Urokodaki will understand. Also I have daddy issues and want to inflict it on my blorbos

Akaza attacking Giyuu. He’s held off for Kyojuro’s sake but seeing how Giyuu makes Kyo more and more human the longer they’re together pushes Akaza over the edge because it’s undoing all his work trying to get Kyo more and more demonic

Grabbing him by the throat like “what’s so special about you anyway? Why can’t Kyojuro keep his eyes off you?” Kyo has to step in and split them up

YOURE IN LOVE WITH THE HASHIRA ARENT YOU SQUIDWARD

There’s so much I want to do with this fic and it’s funny because I have absolutely NO idea where the plot is going. Truly I’m just here for the vibes and I hope you all are too

do y’all think Web avatars ever get bored and have spiders write people spiderweb messages like in charlottes web? like imagine someone runs into a lamppost while looking down at their phone and texting, and then a bunch of spiders descend from the lamppost and rapidly weave a web which spells out “LOL”

popping off so hard for new Hong Lu id because it can mean so many things if you think too much about this guy and also are incapable of separating Hong Lu from his book counterpart in any way

also he’s silly and cute and this is our first Hong Lu id 000 we’ve had in 6 months, as well as his first non season 000 :)