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#oa tw
kafus · 4 months
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ok i've decided i want to infodump about vee and nova a little after all! because uhh not only am i impatient because autism but i also. want to dip my toes into talking about this. just days ago i was still terrified but now i am Tentatively Brave... if i can talk about it here casually like this then i should be able to write a more formal summary later some other time
i've tagged this post appropriately (at least i think i have, feel free to suggest if i should add more) but also a heads up here too before i keep talking that while i'm not going into graphic detail on anything there are STRONG themes of organized sexual abuse of a child, sexual abuse of animals, and grooming! (there are no disturbing visuals in this post, just text)
IF YOU CAN'T READ THIS POST THAT'S OKAY I STILL LOVE U
takes a deep breath alright so the deal with these two. back all the way in 2021, i decided i wanted to make "vent ocs" as in i just wanted some concrete/consistent designs i could use in vent art drawings that weren't a direct reflection of what i envision myself to look like or whatever. i was going through a lot in 2021, in december 2020 i had just gotten my first big repressed memory back and my life was in a whirlwind of change and heavily increased PTSD and DID symptoms, so i was using art a lot as an outlet. in the end i settled on this drawing, based on the design taste i would have had as a young person (god the quality is so old now LOL i've improved a lot but anyway)
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i was intending for these two to be just visual designs and nothing more than that but i got attached and actually ended up giving them a whole storyline and everything, which is something i admittedly hadn't done in a long time up to that point so that's cool.
the reason i preface explaining the premise of the storyline with this is because i think it's important to acknowledge that these two are intrinsically tied with my real life and the feelings i experience as a CSA/OA survivor. not because i think someone has to go through awful things to write or draw about them necessarily, but because i am passionate about expressing myself. it's important for me to be seen in some way, to be heard after years of silence. it is not safe for me mentally to share the exact details of my abuse online rn (and please don't ask for them!) but i also don't want these two to be removed from the message that i survived something and this is me making art about that in an abstracted and magical way with a fictional universe that brings me a lot of comfort. i hope this makes sense lol
oh and also with that in mind if you think for even a second any of this is a weird sex thing for me or some shit please stop reading this post and go do something else with your time. this is my trauma expression and i don't need to be compared to the people i was abused by when i was a literal toddler thank you!
AANYWAY so! premise! gonna be point blank with it! vee (not her original name but shh) is born as a normal 100% human girl, aka without the eevee ears and tail. she is groomed from a very young age (like, toddler age) and eventually abducted by her groomers which happen to be members of... well right now it's team rocket because i haven't spent the time to worldbuild a new villainous pokemon organization yet. roll with me here. she is taken to a remote facility out in the middle of fucking nowhere and is never returned to her previous life or family.
Why? well i'm glad you asked! the org is running a bunch of different experiments in this facility and one of them happens to be trying to enable humans reproducing with pokemon. this doubles as both a money thing and a power thing. they seek out a child as the victim of these horrible experiments because children are easily malleable. way easier to control a child than an adult who already has a firm identity/self.
vee is the child they chose. surgery is forcibly done on her to give her working eevee ears and tail, and also like, fuck with her body chemistry and stuff. she's biologically part eevee now. yes this is bullshit pokemon magic science LMAO but she is kept in this facility and chronically sexually abused for a few years by pairing her with various mons and trying to get eggs to happen.
the experiment isn't working though so they hypothesize that giving her a dedicated partner, especially of the same evolutionary line, would help, and they raise nova from birth as an eevee to take on that role. eventually the two of them are paired together. despite the acts they are forced to commit on each other and the abuse they endure, they actually become inseparable very quickly cause like. they don't have anyone else. and also they just genuinely care about each other. additionally at this point nova has evolved into an espeon and has telepathic powers, so him and vee can communicate linguistically with each other, so you know that helps
generally my current focus of this story is in the early years, when vee is 12 and younger, before they start realizing that shit is fucked up and they need to escape (up until that hypothetical point they have been successfully groomed into believing everything happening to them was not abuse/was normal). i have left out a metric fuckton of detail here just to get across the basic premise. i am constantly exploring vee's psyche, nova's psyche, it's like an in depth exploration of the mind of an abused child in horrific circumstances and god it's cathartic. i love these two so fucking much
btw i guess this art has more context now huh haha after i infodumped off the plot to my sister they looked at this art again and was like. OHHH THIS IS EVEN MORE OMINOUS AND HARD TO LOOK AT WITH CONTEXT. AND I WAS LIKE YEAH!!!! YOU SEE THE VISION!!! THE SYMBOLISM!! ETC!!!!
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uh yeah if you read this far thank you and i just wanna say i've been building up the courage to talk about these two for GENUINELY two years, it has been over 2 full years since that initial drawing, and i am nervous and jittery posting this but i do not want to die without having shared my work with the world and i'm willing to take the risks to get my voice out there. so you reading it is very much appreciated ur like my first step into being more confident as a survivor lol
oh and fwiw despite these guys being so correlated with my trauma it's not offensive to make headcanons or ask me questions about them or compliment darker art of them however you want, in fact i love that shit!! please i've been holding these guys back for two years i have so much to say that hasn't been said. as much as i am nervous i am EXCITED
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polyfragcultureis · 10 months
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hey so i’m questioning if i might be a system and doing research on different things, etc. and i had a question about RAMCOA, specifically the OA part.
would conversion therapy count as a form of organized abuse? especially if there was more than one person involved in putting me through that?
-🐢
heyo! that may be considered a form of OA in some cases depending on how the therapy and abuse is structured, but i'm not entirely sure. @/cultishhellvent may be able to answer that question better than i can tbh.
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alackofclareity · 6 months
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I can't even lie to myself and tell my he did it because he loved me and needed me to satisfy his sexual needs in place of my mother. I can't pretend it wasn't intentional. you don't just offer your daughter to someone to rape together out of love. I don't fucking understand why he did that to me. I don't understand how they got away with nobody noticing. I don't understand how someone I thought was gentle and loving could do that. could do any of what he did to me. some of it was fucking intentional. he meant to abuse me.
I miss the man I thought my dad was before remembering any of this. we weren't close, but I loved him.
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goodsirs · 5 months
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The OA 1.01 "Homecoming"
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coexistentialism · 8 months
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tws in tags
i have 0 actual memories, keep in mind, save for a possible rape memory from when i was 8 but look im in denial of everything so that memory isnt real /vented joke - but my art and writing that involve csa stuff, a lot of involve like.. "being forced to be a child porn actor" for child sexual exploitation material. essentially
and just like. other stuff similar to that and whatever that really Only happen in oa settings, from my understanding
which is (partially) Why i suspect oa
*the other reason is some like. weird, out of place memories that feel weird to me, ill get to that maybe

and when i talked to my therapist about all of this, i like. couldnt even say that my artwork and writing depicted that stuff, like out loud i couldnt say "child sexual exploitation material" i just Couldn't. or even describe really what my art and writing depict
and then like a couple minutes later, i was like. able to say it, with at least just a little bit of discomfort and difficulty
like i couldnt say it when it came to explaining what my writing and artwork depicted, but when it came to explaining like what i mean by organized abuse, i was able to say it out loud, at least with less difficulty
i couldnt say what my art and writing depicted, but i was able to explain it definitionally ?? is how id explain it ig lol
and im thinking abt this bc i know ive heard of other programming and/or oa survivors describe having this difficulty with Saying The Things Out Loud and im just kinda. hm.
obviously i can type this stuff out here lol. just saying things out loud is different, obviously
"being forced to being a child porn actor for csem" is. good descriptor for it all. like yeah that about kinda sums it up. even w/out the csem part tho, still forced to be some child porn star for whoever
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verdictvast · 9 months
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i wish everyone who calls their friend group a cult a very https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/group
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a-timeless-illness · 10 months
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-multiopus
Etymology
multi ; multiple
opus ; operation ; work
A suffix to describe how a RAMCOA system [HC-DID or otherwise] works. This could be dedicated towards sub/sidesystems, a group of headmates, or the general system.
This is a RAMCOA system ; HC-DID system exclusive term.
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[Image ID: A five horizontal striped with a circle that holds a symbol in the middle. The middle stripe is larger than the other stripes but is cut in the middle by a thing black line that reaches the circle. The colors are medium gray, light-medium gray, light gray, light-medium gray, and medium gray. The circle is filled with the same light gray, and the outline is black. The symbol is three flat characters that have a semi-oval as a body and a circle as a head. The characters are color black. Below the characters is hald a gear. End ID]
-uniopus
Etymology
uni ; one
opus ; operation ; work
A suffix to describe how a RAMCOA headmate [HC-DID or otherwise] works. This could be dedicated towards fragments, programmed headmates, and general headmates. Used to describe one headmate or the role of a headmate/headmates.
This is a RAMCOA system ; HC-DID system exclusive term.
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[Image ID: A five horizontal striped with a circle that holds a symbol in the middle. The middle stripe is larger than the other stripes but is cut in the middle by a thing black line that reaches the circle. The colors are medium gray, light-medium gray, light gray, light-medium gray, and medium gray. The circle is filled with the same light gray, and the outline is black. The symbol is one large flat character that has a semi-oval as a body and a circle as a head. The character is colored black. Below the character is a gear. End ID]
To note: I am an HC-DID system ; RAMCOA survivor. I'm unsure if that is updated on my intro.
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outrunningthedark · 1 year
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FBI 5x07 // Ready or Not
(An anxious Maggie flashes back to her moments with OA before losing consciousness in the sarin lab.)
I can't open the door. Please, open this door.
OA…
Stay with me. Hey. Hey, stay with me!
Help me.
No, no! No, Maggie!
Maggie!
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system-of-a-feather · 11 months
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Dude mild like vent(?) gripe thing, but I hate when people talk about DID, Trauma, and OA and they say "well for that to happen there would have to be not a single good elder or adult in their life" and its like 1) not true but 2) it really makes me pause and go ".... yeah I really didn't"
I think it worked out ok for us cause after talking about it with our therapist, I think our autistic "branding" has us honestly innately struggling to seek out companionship and support that was only exacerbated by it - but we've really never had a single person genuinely take care of us in a way that wasn't part of a sexual or non-sexual grooming. The best we got were neglectful / negligent adults and teachers that we had a good but solely academic positive relationship with.
I don't and honestly no known part in our system really grieves it largely because we ended up (relatively speaking) fine and a lot of that ended up becoming some of our strengths that we are proud of now and with how far into healing we are, we honestly are in a weird way okay and fine with how things happened because we are happy with how we are now, but even then it feels really rude and uncalled for and inconsiderate to say "well for that to happen there would have to be not a single good elder or adult in their life" - cause yeah. We didn't.
I know the point isn't to say "haha look at you and your trauma" and more so to state that there is NO way someone could have no positive people in their entire childhood to look out for them and still be alive - but because it is what happened and what is true, it is literally jsut like going "Haha well you'd have to have had your friend die in your arms to have PTSD" to someone who went to war whose friend died in their arms.
Like its just really off putting and in really fucking bad taste and I really don't understand how so many people - even if they struggle to believe it being possible - would think thats a thing worth saying cause its really honestly entirely plausible and very easily you can just be being a dick.
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hauntedselves · 11 months
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tw mentions of ra/tbmc /oa, feeling invalidated
ive posted before how i was wondering if i’d experienced some kind of r/oa/mc ... doing more research on it recently and i know now i haven’t. it just... doesnt make sense in the context of my life. (though, that said - when i look at “I know now i havent” i feel a part inside vehemently disagreeing - but theres just no way it happened. or if it did it would’ve been one or two very very “mild” (if you can call any abuse that) incidents that left no physical evidence).
(interestingly, when looking at common indicators of r/oa/mc, almost all of the indicators could also be explained by a disorder like StPD, BPD, OCD, autism or non-R/OA/MC DID/C-PTSD... of course not saying that R/OA/MC survivors are mistaken, or that people with St/BPD/etc actually have R/OA/MC trauma, just something i noticed.
examples: “Obsessive, robotic thoughts, e.g., singing the same song, irrelevant number series running through one’s mind.” <-- odd thinking in StPD; “Tremendous sensitivity to indoor lights, often needing bright lights to be turned off or dimmed.” <-- autism sensory sensitivity; “Unexplained behavioral compulsions, such as a strongly-felt need to eat or drink a particular thing, go to a particular place, perform a particular act, etc” <-- OCD compulsions (though the “unexplained” bit would be explained by OCD obsessions); “Idealization of parent figures and superficial descriptions of their qualities.” <-- BPD idealisation, trauma attachment... etc.)
anyway. really whats going on for me, is that i feel unheard. like my trauma that i did experience (which was not ritual or organised abuse or mind control), isn’t being validated as traumatising. which is kinda silly cuz last therapy session we did a whole thing on what had happened, the police reports, and so on, so my sibling and i could submit a victims of crime application. if thats not validating trauma i dont know what is!
but trauma brains dont work like that. in fact i couldve experienced the most horrific trauma imaginable and i would still feel this way sometimes. thats just how it goes.
how not to feel this way? ... when i find out i’ll let you know lol...
(these were tags but im putting them here bc they may be triggering) -->
im gonna feel silly looking at this post if i ever find out i actually did experience it lol.
also like. looking at indicators & questions and stuff and someone inside tells me "say yes that did happen. say this say that“. i dont know who it is and when i ask they ignore me or say annoyed just do it. BUT . your parts are not immune to lying. and theres no. ramifications. no punishments for talking about it, which WOULD happen if i actually had programmed parts... ON THE OTHER HAND... ra/oa =/= programming ... only mc = programming (iirc)...
aaargh! i dont know ! i wish i had therapy soon!!
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so funny thing, on a whim, we decided to research ramcoa (ritual abuse, mind control, and organised abuse), and it’s looking extremely likely that we’ve experienced ramcoa and from now on, will not be talking about certain things (specifically, our trauma and how it affected / created our system) until we get things in our system and our understanding of our trauma straight
- kay & grey
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kafus · 4 months
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one day i should really just rip the bandaid off and share my trauma art online. like solely on my personal site where i can control the presentation of the content and put warnings and stuff. but i do really want to share it. the reason i don’t is not because i don’t want to but because i don’t trust the public to be normal about it.
like i am a survivor of organized sexual abuse. i’ve been thru some horrific shit. this shows in my art. i am not immune to exploring my trauma in art thru the lens of child ocs going through fucked up shit and being in distress. while my art isn’t necessarily EXPLICIT, i can imagine someone looking at my trauma art and going wow you condone XYZ abuse happening to children? instead of recognizing that i literally went through these things and maybe i am just making art about my own story and life. God
i need to be less afraid of this hypothetical internet stuff because it’s kind of inevitable people will be unhappy when you make art that isn’t sanitized and easily shareable, i just have a hard time gauging if i’m asking for some dumb anon hate type stuff by sharing my artwork or like an entire harassment campaign. i’ve been stalked before in my life and while that ended a WHILE ago i think the paranoia lives on to this day a little
idk man i just wish people were normal about trauma survivors ever. Sorry abstracted depictions of shit that happened to me as a child, that i had to go through, are so uncomfortable for you that you think it shouldn’t exist. i have to live with this burden whether you like it or not
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discovents · 2 years
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tws in tags
we’re back to stabilization work. everything’s gotten to be just all Too Much so we’re taking a step back from digging into the RA/OA/RAMCOA
it’s so fucking frustrating because we already have all the skills we should theoretically need to keep us safe but then everything just builds and builds and it feels like it’s out of control. we can do all the deep breathing and 5-4-3-2-1’s we want but that doesn’t stop the persecutors who are screaming at us to kill ourselves because we’ve uncovered too much. a med change won’t help for shit because it’s not meaningless. there’s a cause for the mood and the anxiety and the SI that won’t go away just because we increased our lamictal
the memories feel like a poison. like if we just get them all out and away we’ll be okay. but we have to remember them all to get them out and i’m not sure we’re ready for that. what we have already is bad. like unbelievably bad. so unbelievably bad that on a surface level they’re very easy to deny but on a deeper, real level, it’s just crushing Knowing. it’s suffocating.
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goodsirs · 2 months
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The OA 1.05 "Paradise"
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dgct2 · 2 years
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FBI 1x07 Cops And Robbers 
“3 Days. I was in that basement 3 days.” 
MAGGIE: Yeah, he just said the story he just told Jason was a lie. He's just trying to get him to flip. 
DANA: I've read his file. Keep an eye on him.
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bluelikebruises · 2 months
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whispers of summer fervor || aegon ii targaryen
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Aegon II Targaryen/TargaryenF!Reader summary: Fire and Blood—you were etched out of those great words. Born covered in a veil of maroon with the stench of death. A hollow child with sunken eyes kissed by the very fire that gave your family their power. When the dragon egg in your crib never hatched you were thrown into the dragon’s den. Ignited by a dragon who was not yours to claim, your skin holding the memories of your failure. The Cursed Targaryen Princess—without a mother, without a dragon, and maimed. Your misfortunes were a stain upon the tapestry of the Targaryen legacy.  or Being the disgraced child of King Viserys and abandoned by your eldest sister pushes you into the arms of her opposition, leading to your support of Aegon’s claim.  wc: 5.1k tw: slight ooc aegon, angst, rhaenyra is usurped, rhaenyra slander, daddy issues, mommy issues, viserys is a shity dad, burn scars, reader is born from aemma but skintone & physical features are never discussed, canon divergence, incest cause yknow targaryens, bastard slander, hints of misogyny
a/n: i usually write (or try to) a reader who is neutral to the whole blacks vs green, but not today! rhaenyra is the rightful heir—always—but for the sake of this fic she is not. also i’ve been neglecting completing my uni assignments to finish this lol, enjoy!!! p.s. not proofread
☆━━━━☆━━━━☆
Fire and Blood—the words of your House. 
Fire and Blood—a warning to those who would ever think of opposing the Targaryen dynasty. 
Fire and Blood—a declaration of war met with threats disguised as promises. 
You were etched out of those great words. Born covered in a veil of maroon with the stench of death. A hollow child with sunken eyes kissed by the very fire that gave your family their power. When the dragon egg in your crib never hatched you were thrown into the dragon’s den. Ignited by a dragon who was not yours to claim, your skin holding the memories of your failure. The Cursed Targaryen Princess—without a mother, without a dragon, and maimed.  Your misfortunes were a stain upon the tapestry of the Targaryen legacy. 
A fate you were lucky enough to not shoulder alone, Aegon like you was born of your mothers blood. Born out of a desperate need to uphold old customs and beliefs. While his birth was celebrated it also split the Realm, whispers of his right as future king followed him throughout his life. The notions of king left heavy expectations for him to shoulder, expectations he never met, always falling short in one way or another. Resulting in his feverish drinking and promiscuity.
You are both young when you realize the shortcomings of your livelihoods. The drop in your father’s voice whenever he spoke of you. The frigid overcast that glazed over his eyes when his eyes set on you. The blatant favoritism he showed towards your much older sister—the tenderness in his eyes was a warmth you had never felt. His disdain leaked into your interactions; an uncomfortable shadow fell upon his brow whenever you were in his presence. As if your very being pained him, and how could it not? You were the walking reminder of his wife’s death, of his failure as not just a husband but a King. 
Aegon knows the resentment his mother harbors towards him despite her denial. Her first born conceived of a loveless marriage. She had been a girl and made a monarch overnight and some months later a mother. She was robbed of her girlhood and tied to the crown forever and Aegon had been the first nail in her coffin. Aegon represented every sacrifice she had made and his constant rebellion felt like an insult to everything Alicent lost. 
You understood one another, in ways many could not. Cut from the same cloth amalgamations of Targaryen indulgence, stubbornness, and passion. The least favored children of the King and Queen, bonded over neglect and resentment.
Years forged your attachment into blind fidelity, a sickly devotion that was rooted in your hearts like oaths. The world hardly existed outside the two of you and it didn’t stop for anyone without the Targaryen name. While many believed there were no exceptions to your coterie, they would find themselves proven wrong. For nearest and dearest to you was Helaena and Aemond, both as intertwined with one another as you and Aegon. 
Though the four of you were close none of you shared an inkling of a relationship with your eldest sister. Rhaenyra had left for Dragonstone and never turned back, no word or ravens ever arrived in her stead. 
When she had resided in the Keep she made no effort to hide her aversion towards you. She was a specter in your memory and marked as a heathen by the Queen. The Queen marked Rhaenyra a great many things and left a bitter child you swallowed her words like water.
It came to no surprise to anyone when the Queen announced that Vaemond Velaryon was bringing into question the validity of your nephew’s claim to Driftmark. After all Rhaenyra had done a very poor job of hiding her indiscretions. 
━━☆━━
On the day of the trial you sit in front of the hearth dreading the affair that was to come. As the hours passed you prepared to become a part of the circus, another spectacle for the Lord and Ladies of the Kingdom to gawk at. Prying eyes were always trying to glimpse at your injury, trying to validate the whispers of gossip they had heard. They were children and you, a parable came to life—a reminder of how cruel the Gods could be. The Cursed Targaryen Princess who could not hatch or claim a dragon. A clear demonstration that even the Targaryens were exempt from their own fire. 
Eyes followed you even when not a single body was around. They haunted you mercilessly. The constant feeling never allows you to inhabit your body comfortably. It was the reason many of your dresses had been tailored towards your lesions. Tailored towards the concealment of the damaged  skin of your shoulder and upper arm. 
Your dresses always had long sleeves even during the hot summers. The scars that could not be hidden with fabric were hidden by your hair. Never was your hair tied up or styled in extravagant fashion. It was only ever neatly placed out of your face in a simple manner. 
With the sound of your chambers doors opening you surface from thought. Aegon steps into view, freshly bathed with his hair combed and wearing an exasperated look. 
“The Keep is a mess” he says slumping down next to you. He throws his head back leaning uncomfortably on the divan 
“Your sisters arrival warrants pageantry” 
“Your sister” he clarifies 
You scoff, Rhaenyra had not been your sister in years. She had always tried to marry you off to a Lannister or whatever Lord presented himself as willing. She thought you incompetent and arrogant, endowments she believed were smears of her mothers memory. 
She was one to cast judgment, you’re sure Aemma would not have been keen on having illegitimate grandsons. What was the saying of House Arryn… As High as Honor. Bastards were anything but. 
“Has she not summoned you?” he looks at you curiously
“She has,” you respond boredly. A servant had entered your chambers the day prior, her head tilted towards the floor as she spoke. Her timidness struck you as odd and instantly you knew she was one of Rhaenyra’s. With a smile you sent her back to her mistress, refusing to tangle yourself in her web.
Aegon smirks, “She is to be Queen and you deny her” 
“She pedals falsehoods and you forget she is not Queen yet”
He laughs shifting in his seat, his eyes never leaving you. While you hated being watched, Aegon's gaze was different. He was never trying to pry you open or overzealous with morbid curiosity. He always regarded you with esteemed affection and tenderness. 
After a long pause you say, “Is there something on my face?”
His stare doesn’t waiver and he doesn’t respond. It is rare when he forgets how bewitching you could be but when it strikes him, he is at a loss for words—overwhelmed by the realization. His eyes shine with novelty as if it is the first time he has ever laid eyes on you. As if you were the grand encompass of the ocean and he was ready to dive in.
You utter his name and he’s awoken from the spell he had been under. 
He stands offering his hand, “We should take our leave now”
“You’ve never been one for punctuality” you tease and he smiles
“No, but I have been informed to behave. To present an image of regalness and grace” a laugh escapes his lips, “As if I am Aemond”
Now you laugh taking his hand, “He is much more regal than you” 
Aegon clutches his chest just over his heart, feigning hurt, “You injure me”
With your arms laced together you set off to find Aemond and Helaena. It would have been improper for Aegon to enter without his wife and for you to show up in the arms of a married man—regardless if he was your brother. It was a rule the four of you rarely followed but today was not the day to deter away from customs. 
Helaena is the first to spot you in the halls, Aemond is with her. A bright smile displayed on her face as she said your name. You can’t help but admire her, always effortlessly beautiful and far more intelligent than anyone gave her credit for. The picture of what women of your house were to be, beautiful, intelligent, and dragon riders. Everything you were not and though she did not hatch an egg she had claimed Dreamfyre. You should have been mad with envy but no such ill feeling ever came.
You loved her, perhaps no envy was born due to your ever present feeling of having to protect her. Of shielding her from the claws that embedded themselves into Keep. Destroying any sight of light or innocence. Fearing she would be treated like you had been. 
You depart from Aegon to greet Helaena with a kiss on the cheek. Moving towards Aemond to do the same, he greets you with a compliment before extending his arm for you to take. 
“Always so chivalrous” you say loud enough for Aegon to hear
━━☆━━
The hearing had gone to shit. Your father made a surprising appearance, Vaemond had died, Lucerys was still heir to Driftmark, and everything was as it had been the day before. 
You stand beside Aegon and Aemond in the dining hall, the room is lit by candle light as chatter fills the air. 
“What a waste of time” Aegon huffs
“Dinner or the hearing?” 
“Both. Lucerys is still heir and Daemon suffers no consequences.”
Aemond chimes in, “Their breaths are an insult to everything we stand for”
You nod about to speak when the sound of the wooden door opening announces the arrival of the King. Quickly everyone settles to stand before their seats, seating only after the King is seated. 
Your father greets everyone with a hoarse voice. He wears a golden mask on the rotten side of his face and he breathes as though it pains him. 
“Prayer before we begin?” The Queen asks and he nods 
Instantly your head is bowed, your hands are in your lap, and your eyes are closed. Prayer had become a daily ritual before dinner and it was always led by the Queen. 
Before the prayer is over you feel the sensation of eyes on your skin. You think it to be one of your nephews but when the prayer is over you see it is Rhaenyra. 
Her eyes are casted with an emotion you cannot read and they soon drop to your shoulder. Eyeing the scars that edged just above your shoulder and the base of your neck. 
Feeling the scrutiny of her gaze, your hands find your hair moving it to disrupt her viewing. You had been judged by the vultures of the Seven Kingdoms, you would not allow Rhaenyra to do the same. 
The expression on your face is clear, Rhaenyra has gotten to you. 
Aegon notices your discomfort, notices how your hair now falls over your chest, and how your eyes are focused on the empty plate before you. Instantly he knows someone is to blame. He first assumes it to be Daemon, his uncle was crude and unceremonious. Having little regard for the people around him, not bothering with niceties. 
But when he sees Rhaenyra attentively watching you—casting judgment—he knows it was her. Aegon almost laughs at her hypocrisy, as if she out of anyone had any right to look down upon others. 
If his sister wanted something to look at, then he as a gracious brother would oblige in the only way he knew how, by causing a scene. The one thing Aegon was adept at was getting under people's skin, poking and prodding until they burst. 
He leans towards Jacaerys spewing his obnoxious rambling. When his nephew bites back Aegon leans back in his chair reveling in the beginning of his antics. 
The sound of wood scraping against stone makes you cringe, your father is standing removing his mask displaying the rot that has taken over the left side of his face. Eye’s are averted at the bare sight of the King’s face, but you are accustomed to seeing rotten skin. His teeth can be seen through his cheek, the muscle stretching and contracting as he speaks—it's a morbid sight. 
He speaks of reconciliation and forgiveness but you pay him no mind. Besides you, Aemond keeps his eyes forward, Helaena has her eyes on the wooden table, and Aegon’s jaw is tight as he stares at his wine cup. 
You spent the next couple of moments with your head in the clouds. Surfacing from thought when Rhaenyra toasts to the Queen, thanking her for looking after the King. You’re surprised when the Queen follows after, her kind words confound you. But you have no time to think them over as Aegon stands from his seat. Stepping between Jacaerys and Baela pouring wine into his cup.
Aemond looks suspiciously towards you but you had no answers to give him. When his eye leaves you the table shakes and Jacaerys stands as Aegon sits. With furrowed brows you look at Aegon who sips on his wine with ease. 
The room falls silent and Aegon is reviling in the tension, trying not to smile triumphantly as he uses his cup as a shield. 
The tension in the room grows thicker when Aemond stands. He’s looking at Jacaerys with the marksmanship of a hunter who had spotted their prey. 
Eyes shift and concern is painted on the faces of almost everyone. 
Jacaerys playfully hits his uncle on the shoulder, raising his cup as he smiles at Aemond, “To Prince Aegon and Prince Aemond. We have not seen each other in years, but I have fond memories of our shared youth” Jacaerys pauses looking between his uncles, “And as men, I hope we may yet be friends and allies. To you and your family’s good health, dear uncles”
Across the table you see the snarky smiles of Jacaerys’ betrothed and Lucerys. Their smugness lights a flame in the furnace of your heart. You have half a mind to stand with Aemond, to show that their disrespect would not be tolerated. 
“To you as well,” Aegon says 
When Aemond sits you lean towards him, “Fucking miscreants”
“Vermin” he responds as Helaena stands. 
She smiles excitedly holding her cup of wine, “I would like to toast to Baela and Rhaena. They’ll be married soon” she turns to them, “It isn’t so bad. Mostly he just ignores you, except sometimes when he’s drunk” she smiles
You let out a small laugh at her words. Aegon was rather whinny when drunk, he became a rambling needy mess who desperately wanted attention. And you were always there to give it to him in any shape or form that he needed it in. 
Smiling, you raise your cup towards Helaena, “Hear, Hear”. The scarlet wine falls down your throat with ease and your moment of enjoyment is shortly ruined by an approaching Jacaerys. 
His eyes are set on Helaena as he extends his hand asking her to dance. To your dismay she takes his hand without hesitation. You’re staring daggers at the Prince, indignation replaces the taste of wine in your mouth. Helaena was far too kind for the world. 
Aegon’s eyes catch yours before he looks at Jacaerys dancing with his wife, disbelief and annoyance clear in his face. 
In one swift motion you move to stand beside Aegon, “The apple does not fall from the tree” you glare at the hazel haired prince, expecting a response from Aegon but you get none. Confused, you turn towards Aegon only to find him gazing across the table. He’s quiet as he sips from the cup in his hand watching Rhaenyra laugh and talk with their father. Viserys is smiling and coughing through his laughter and it is the most alive he has been in years. 
“She arrives and suddenly he can will himself to walk and attend supper” he says only for you to hear 
You look up towards the sight of his words—your father and Rhaenyra and you understand. His jab was not said out of anger but out of a feeling of lacking. All the traits and characteristics Rhaenyra had that he did not, the love of their father she had that he did not. 
“You’re jealous” 
He turns towards you, “Are you not?”
“No”, you lie
“She’s father’s favorite”, he’s looking up at you through his lashes, “I’m the son he killed for and it is not enough”
You avert your gaze, his words struck like an arrow. A part of you had always felt responsible for the birth of Aegon. At fault for the death of your mother, the death of your brother, and the birth of Aegon. If you had not been a butcher, if you had been a boy his burden would be yours.
“You didn’t kill anyone Aegon” you sip wine solemnly, your posture falters, and your head is half hung. 
Aegon notices your somber spirit and his eyes soften realizing the error in his words, “I’m sorry, I meant no offense”
“I know”, is all you say returning to your seat
As the night passes you eat and make conversation with Aemond. For most of the night his eye is set on the dancing prince and princess. Occasionally when he looks at you his lips pull upwards in a smile.
After your father retires for the night, servants enter with more food. A cooked pig is laid out before you and before you can think Aemond’s fist hits the table as he stands. 
“Final tribute” 
All eyes fall on Aemond and the room goes quiet.
“To the health of my nephews. Jace…Luke and Joffrey. Each of them handsome, wise…” he pauses and it is as if all the air in the room has been cast out, “strong”
Your eyes widen in shock as the Queen pleads with Aemond. 
“Come let us drain our cups to these three…strong boys”
“I dare you to say that again” 
Aemond turns towards Jacaerys, “Why? ‘Twas only a compliment”, they both walk towards one another, “Do you not think yourself strong?”
Lucerys rises from his seat as Jacaerys strikes Aemond, Aegon is not far behind grabbing his nephew and slamming him against the table. 
Bolting upwards you grab Helaena pulling her away from the chaos. She grips your hand tightly frightened by the scene. 
“Are you alright?” you ask
She nods, “Yes but Aemond” her hand points at the exiting prince. Understanding, you pull Helaena, following Aemond. 
Once you’re in the halls you follow the sounds of Aemond’s steps, Helaena runs towards him. She latches onto the side of his arm soothing the riled prince. You’re about to do the same when laughter echoes from beyond the hallway—Aegon. 
Grabbing the side of your dresses you hold it up allowing yourself quicker movements. With your approach the shadow of Aegon grows smaller and his laughter grows louder. 
You say his name as you grab his arm. When he lays his eyes on you they widen excitedly, your name falls from his lips, “You are a vision. Have I told you that? Come, come, let us retreat into our burrow”. He gives you no time to respond as he throws an arm around you and leads you away. 
The burrow was a small unfinished room at the far end of the Keep that had been hidden by a suit of armor; it had been discovered by Aegon when he was ten and two. Immediately he ran to inform you about it, dragging you into the room. It is not large like either of your chambers but it’s spacious enough that both of you can move without bumping into one another. Rugs and sheets hung throughout the floor and walls hiding the decaying walls. Bottles of wine littered the room, both empty and full. 
Aegon is drunkenly rambling, as you make sure there is no one around to see you gently push past the suit, “”Twas only a compliment” he mimics Aemond’s voice. 
Sitting near the corner of the room you grab a bottle and Aegon moves towards you. He rests his head against your lap spilling wine into your dress, not that you cared. He’s laughing recalling the events of the night.
With a laugh you respond, “Jacaerys’ stance was laughable, he looked like a child throwing a tantrum” 
“He is to be King”, his laugh dies as the sentence leaves his lips, “He is to be King” 
You both grow quiet, the words weigh heavy over the both of you. The realities of a future that is so close to becoming reality. If you were believed to be a stain on the Targaryen legacy, Rhaenyra's children were desecrations to the Targaryen dynasty.
“Perhaps your mother is right,” you sip from the bottle of wine not fully thinking about the words as you speak, “Perhaps you should be King”
Aegon half laughs, pushing himself into a sitting position, “You speak of treachery” 
“Your mother says—”
“My mother is crazed on a notion that we will be slain” 
You wish you could believe him, but the image of your sister's husband swinging his sword without mercy does not leave your mind. How easy it would be for Rhaenyra to rid herself of you once she is Queen; there were fates far worse than death. 
“Enough talk of foreboding futures. Let us drink ourselves blind” 
“Hear! Hear!” you eagerly agree
True to Aegon’s words you both drink until your visions are blurred and the room spins. You both dance and drink carelessly, laughing as though the events of the night had no effect on you. It comes as no surprise when Aegon leans towards you and presses his lip on yours. The kiss is sloppy and full of hunger, your teeth clash and tongues swipe over one another. There’s a desperation in his hands—in the way he holds your face obstructing any movement. In the heat of passion you bite his bottom lip earning a yelp from Aegon. 
He pulls away with a smile, “Ow”
Your hand rest on his chest playfully, “Don’t be a child, I didn’t draw blood” 
The rest of the night blurs into a giant mirage of jubilation. 
━━☆━━
As the sun rose you wake with a yawn, your body aching from the uncomfortable position it had been in all night. Your head had been on Aegon’s lap and his arm had been thrown over your body. Maneuvering from his embrace you press your back firmly on the brick wall, your head throbbing feeling as though it had been repeatedly bashed.
The sun’s rays kiss your cheeks, it's warm and gentle and for a brief moment the world around you falls into obscurity. Nothing else matters beside the sun’s golden touch and the beating of your own heart. 
The body besides you grumbles and your moment of serenity shatters as Aegon slowly stirs into consciousness. You’re brought back into the arms of reality.
“Wine,” he says, “More wine”
You don’t waste your breath, instead you make your way to your chambers. Stumbling the first few steps out of the room. Peeking your head out of the door way you make sure there is no one around before exiting. 
Walking down the corridors there is an air of urgency within the Keep. There were twice as many Knights as you were accustomed to seeing and servants hurried into the direction of the Great Hall. Regardless you carry on, not bothering to greet any of the people who greeted or called after you. 
Approaching the hallway to your chambers you’re unexpectedly faced with the sight of your wooden doors wide open. Stepping closer you see three figures standing at the center of your room; Aemond, Ser Criston, and the Queen.
Puzzlement rests on your brow, what had transpired in the hours you and Aegon had disappeared. As you continue your approach you can see the faces of your visitors all displaying an array of emotions.
“Your Grace,” Ser Criston states as you walk through the threshold, “The Princess”
The Queen turns towards you instantly, wasting no time in embracing you, “Oh sweet girl” 
Her embrace wasn’t foreign but the sudden action confuses you further. 
“Where have you been? Where is Aegon?” she pulls away but keeps her hands on your arms
You looked towards Aemond trying to find any answers on his face but there were none. 
“I’ve just left Aegon. Has something happened?” 
“Where is he?” The Queen’s grip on your arm tightens. Desperation is in her eyes and it frightens you, enough that you decided to keep Aegon's whereabouts to yourself for the time being.
“We snuck out of the Keep last night. Upon returning to the castle Aegon left my side” 
She turns towards her sworn Knight an unsaid order ushering him quickly from your chambers, Aemond follows suit. 
When they’re gone you repeat your question, “Has something happened?”
“Your father is dead, he died in his sleep”
Her voice was grave and her words echo in your mind but you can’t decipher them. It’s as if you have lost the ability to comprehend the common tongue. 
A moment passes and you realize what your step mother had said. Silently you wait for grief but it never arrives, there is no sadness in your heart, no invading sorrow. Your father is dead and you shed no tears for his memory. 
“I–I need a moment,” you pull away but before you can leave the Queen pulls you towards her. Her hand is under your chin lifting your head just enough to meet her gaze.
Her eyes are round and full of distress, “You know where Aegon is, I beg of you, bring him to me. It was the King’s dying wish. Do not let my father get his hands on him first”
You nod and hurriedly walk out of your chambers, returning to your burrow. The throbbing in your head returns but you try to disregard the discomfort, there were far more pressing matters. 
The closer you got towards Aegon the faster your move, breaths of air forcibly escape as enter through the hidden door. You thank the Gods when you see Aegon in the same position he had been when you left. You rush to his side, dropping to your knees shaking him.
“Aegon, Aegon. Wake up, Wake up”
He groans and his speech is slurs. Letting his arms go, he slouches into a half sitting position half laying. His eyes flutter open for a moment and your name falls from his lips. 
“‘Tis me,” you cup the cheeks of his face almost painfully. He tries to move away from you but you do not yield, “Aegon, father is dead”
You watch your words register in his mind. He blinks his eyes open and takes a breath, pushing you aside. 
“Your jest are not appreciated, my head is murderous” 
“It is no jest, the King died in his sleep” 
Like you had with the Queen, Aegon takes a moment, his eyes are wide looking through you making sense of your words. 
“Father is dead” he repeats. His hand passes through his hair, a look of distress clear on his sunken face
“Yes and your mother and grand feather are searching for you”
“For me? What could they want—”
Realization hits you both like a strong gust of wind, knocking all the air out of the room. The line of succession crosses your mind for the first time. You had thought nothing of the Queen’s words about your fathers dying wish but you understood them now. Of course, the Keep was in disarray because the Hand was trying to sit Aegon on the throne before news of the King’s death spread.
“They mean to crown you” 
Crowning Aegon would be treason and all those who participated would be punished with death. The idea does not frighten you as much as the idea of Rhaenyra on the throne. You’d surely be sent away, sold off to be the pretty little Targaryen wife of Lord who’d defile you. And the realm would fall to pieces with a spiteful malicious woman at its helm. 
Aegon looks at you horrified, “No. They can’t. I am not heir”
“That does not matter, it was the King’s dying wish to have you succeed him”
“On whose word?”
“Your mother’s”
Aegon scoffs, “She is crazed, fuelled by her hatred for Rhaenyra”
“You may think her crazed, but your mother is a woman of the Gods, she would not lie about a matter of this caliber”
He opens his mouth to speak but closes it quickly. His back is against the wall, he looks disheveled, dirty, and disarranged. Tears swell in his eyes and he swipes them away with his sleeve. 
“A dying wish he had years to fulfill” 
“I know not the whims of old Kings, but I know regret. It is clear in the words he spoke to your mother that he wanted you on the throne, his first born son” 
“What kind of brother would I be to take the throne from Rhaenyra?” 
“By the law of Gods and Men the throne is yours. You cannot steal what is rightfully yours” 
“I do not want the throne” he argues 
“Aegon” you plead 
“No! I will not take it,” swiftly his hand grab yours, “Let us climb on board a ship escape to Essos or on dragonback—”
You interrupt his crazed thoughts squeezing his hands, “Listen, Rhaenyra only cares for her own, she has never cared for us. If you let her ascend the throne what will come of your mother? Of Aemond? Of Helaena and your children? ” you pause, “Of me? She sees my existence as blasphemous and yours as opposition. If we leave we are leaving those we love to die. Ascend the throne Aegon, protect us” 
Silence encompassed the room, Aegon ran his eyes over your face searching for answers, trying to understand what was being asked of him and if he could undertake such a task. You return his gaze with soft eyes and gentle hands. 
He had never thought himself a leader let alone a King. He did not want the pressures and responsibilities of leading an entire land. Aegon would no longer be able to hide under his title of prince, as King. He would have to be the picture of Targaryen greatness and regalness—heavy is the head that wears the crown. He wants to laugh at the notion but his chest is heavy with your words. 
“Do you understand?” there’s a desperate edge in your voice and he doesn’t respond, “Aegon, do you understand?”
“Yes,” he nods
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