Alicent's Fifth Child, The Realm

Or a rant about where I think Alicent's character development in S2 is going:

"All my life, I've endeavored to serve both my house and the realm, and somehow none of it matters."

Wow. Just wow.

If that line alone does not give us insight into the character development of Alicent in S2 I don't know what else will. To me, it very well encapsulates the idiosyncrasy of Alicent in that moment of turmoil that befalls the realm for which she is seen as the prime instigator. And yet, she only wished for peace and happiness for the realm as its Queen. But at the same time, and ever since her children were born, it is as if her interests were divided, if not equally, among her children and the realm. Her interests as a mother and her duty towards her children battle with her interests as the realm's Queen when she is married to Viserys. And we see the constant struggle to balance the two dichotomies of service in S1: Alicent wanting to support Rhaenyra's claim and yield to Viserys' wishes, but at the same time feeling extremely worried about her children's safety and future. It is, at times, almost impossible for Alicent to choose whom to serve because she aches for her children but also wants the realm to prosper. Heck, she wants all her children and the realm to prosper and survive. So when she installs Aegon to the throne, she truly does believe that she is finally bridging the gap between the two extremes. That she is performing her duties towards both the realm and her family.

This is, of course, a more thoughtful decision than any of the ones Viserys ever proposed. Alicent is used to thinking alone for the survival of her family as well as what's best for the realm because she learned early on that her children were the weakest link in the equation. Since she equated the realm to her children and viewed and cared for it as her child, it was much easier for her to make a decision that excluded Rhaenyra. Because a) she wasn't her child, b) Rhaenyra never placed herself under the jurisdiction of true servitude to the realm to view it as "a sibling" and c) Rhaenyra had never shown any sisterly affection to any of her siblings and Alicent's kids. So in Alicent's equation, Rhaenyra had to be subtracted for her two goals to be reconciled: protection and survival for her children and the realm.

And yet, all this inner struggle, all this sacrifice, all the pain she went through, "somehow none of it matters" when she realizes soon enough that war and destruction and further pain and suffering are just around the corner to upset the balance she believed in and tried to build. It is a truly harrowing thought, that all she endured and all she hoped for... could prove to be all for nothing.

Please can an artist draw Criston wearing the

"I'm not a step-dad I'm the dad who stepped up"

T-shirt cause that would literally make my day.

The faith of the Seven-

The Father : Otto Hightower.

The Mother : Alicent Hightower.

The Warrior : Ser Criston Cole.

The Crone : Helaena Targaryen.

The Maiden : Daeron Targaryen.

The Smith : Aegon ii Targaryen.

The Stranger : Aemond Targaryen.

Aegon & Helaena & Aemond & Daeron || Muddy Waters (AU)

❝But in the world we must defend our own.❞

Luisita Recycles by Dora Przybylek

"Luisita Recycles" by Dora Przybylek is a book teaching children to recycle. Follow Luisita as she discovers the power she holds to protect our planet by repurposing plastic and cardboard items. This enchanting bilingual book, available in both Spanish and English, empowers young readers to make a positive impact on the environment.

Teach your child the importance of recycling! Grab a copy at www.doraprzybylek.com.

🆕 「 In Da Club」 by DJ KANJI, GREEN KIDS, acha, Flight-A, Swag-A, Crazy-K, BARCO Available for streaming worldwide!🌐 Added to our weekly playlist 🎧 https://spoti.fi/3lgjH73

Anne Shirley

Oliver: I knew you two couldn’t stay mad at each other.

Dick: Oh yeah. We’re closer than ever.

*Dick and Roy hold up their hands and they are both handcuffed together*

Bruce: You wanna tell me how this happened?

Roy: Well, Wally thought-

Bruce: Oh man, I wish that boy would stop doing that.

idk if this is accurate but i’ve felt like in previous seasons riz & gorgug have been one of the inter-bad kids dynamics we’ve seen the least of & this season has been so great in that aspect. gorgug having helped make some of riz’s magic gear. riz helping gorgug with his studies. the shared birthday party. gorgug’s gift to riz being something he himself made to protect riz. riz’s gift to gorgug being something he illegally grabbed to protect gorgug. gorgug who utilizes rage to put his body on the line for his friends & riz who will take deep levels of mental stress for his friends. even though it was within the context of a joke, riz calling gorgug an “absolute sweetie.” like yea they might not be in a band together or both part of a presidential campaign team or owlbears teammates, but they’d go to war for each other, because they’re best friends.

Underrated sapphic media? Fried Green Tomatoes is first on my list

The last days of judas iscariot, Stephen Adly Guirgis//Fariha Róisín//Someday I'll Love, Ocean Vuong//House of the Dragon (2022-)

The Greens as Ice Cream Flavors:

Alicent is salted caramel: she is our complex queen, our secret indulgence, with a blend of sweet compliance but also salty ambition. Perfect mix.

Otto is mint chocolate chip: you can’t really decide. Is it cool? Is it refreshing? Is it an abomination? Could be either. But it’s calculated for sure.

Aegon is butter pecan: yearning for the comfort of butter but with the twinge of pecan to remind you that nothing is as it seems and rarely do you ever get to choose. The go-to flavor for depressed Targtower boys.

Heleana is strawberry: for sweetness and innocence. But it’s not a berry, don’t let the name deceive you. Bonus points for healing (and other) properties.

Aemond is chocolate: impulsive, dramatic, intense, always the moment, craving excitement and thrill. A flavor to indulge in with passion.

Daeron is Oreo: can’t go wrong with an Oreo flavored ice cream! Bonus points for versatility and the ability to blend in and adapt to situations.

Larys is black licorice: because, ew. Also enigmatic, dark, and divisive.

Criston is vanilla: for straightforward and traditional values with a sense of duty and loyalty.

What do you think?

Bruce absolutely tells all of his kids (privately) that if they ever needed to take down Oliver (unlikely, he has a strong sense of loyalty under all the bluster, but contingencies are contingencies) they should go for his hands/arms.

Because a Bat can keep fighting with a broken arm. If you’re Dick, you can still flip with one working arm. But a Green Arrow without two functional hands to draw and fire a bow is significantly depowered.

Oliver is still dangerous, sure, but most of his fighting centers around two hands, ten fingers. In Bruce’s words? Do anything you can to reduce that number. As quickly as possible.

Frog automaton, Switzerland, c. 1820  !

some of my green art 🌿 prints