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scratchtovoid · 10 hours
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I can’t believe what a point of contention this has become. I genuinely cannot understand the animosity towards it lol
Seriously post after post bitching and crying and begging for this to be destroyed - now besides how grossly disrespectful that would be to the stone masons who worked on this for years - it’s bizarre? I understand the criticism against Viserys (as a father, husband, King) but as a Targaryen - this endeavor is probably the most noble. So, while I see the childish thought process behind “smashing his legos” - come on be ffr.
The Doom of Valyria was catastrophic and while I’m hesitant to call it a “lost civilization” it is akin to the Atlantian mythology in nature and description. It’s not only the ancestral home of Houses Targaryen and Velaryon, but it was a major hub of magic, the most advanced city in the known world and likely the place of origin of the Faceless Men. The Doom is endlessly fascinating, from its predictions to the sheer cataclysmic scale of it all. I mean 14 volcanoes erupting at once would make Pompeiis explosion look like a candle to the sun.
Recreating Valyria by painstakingly pouring over texts to replicate what once was is a tragic echo that reverberates through generations. And for a fandom that shouts back and forth about “true Targaryen” definitions it seems most of those don’t care for that echo. The epic demise of a homeland filled with magic and dragons that are never to be seen again should be more than a foot note. A generational trauma that follows every Targaryen - the ever present fear that the Doom will swallow them too - down to Dany and her dragons which would have seemingly signified the return of magic long lost. How could any “true” Targaryen have anything but heartache over the loss of Valyria and the Freehold? How could they not be plagued with the weight on their shoulders that none in Westeros could truly sympathize with?
And I’ve long held a grudge against HBO for the way they mistreat Magic (and race, gender, sexuality, etc) in these fantasy series (no I’m never going to forgive them ESPECIALLY in HotD for not doing the CGI purple eyes [somehow Witcher had it in the budget AND it looked good] because of how much that trait was a distinctly other/outsider signifier) but this stupid little model is actually one of only additions I respect. Because while it can be viewed as some petty distraction for a physically deteriorating chronically ill history buff to get away from his kids - it is the biggest symbol of devotion to Targaryen culture - way more than anything else in the series. So I’ll die on this hill. The legos must be protected.
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scratchtovoid · 20 hours
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Among the reasons I don't trust that the writers of HotD understand the story they're trying to tell is that even with the baffling changes made to darken his character, Daemon is the only one talking sense in Episode 10 and yet it's clear the writers don't want you to think that.
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scratchtovoid · 20 hours
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velaryon family 💗
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scratchtovoid · 2 days
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No one understands how happy it makes me seeing banger Jacaerys tweets… like it was sooo hard being a Stan of him back in 2022 with his ugly wig and no one was making edits of him… BUT NOW THE TIDES ARE TURNING.
It’s going to be a JACAERYS WINTER!!! I better see his ao3 tag from 4 fics to 104729294829 fics IM SO SERIOUS RN!!!
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LETS GO JACAERYS!!!! There’s a reason why the prettiest boy like you has the prettiest valryian boy name!
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scratchtovoid · 2 days
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The "B-b-but Daemon!" whiners will never cease to amaze me with their ability to blame Daemon for every single little thing under the sun. Yeah, the man is a menace and a rogue, but he's not responsible for all the wrongs in Alicent's life. I swear, Saint Puppy Eyes could break her nose and fans will theorize that Daemon went back in time to push her face first into a wall. Daemon has become the ultimate evil to Team Green when they have temperamental little maniacs like Aemond burning the Riverlands for no reason.
It's actually a product of very contradictory logic that you wouldn't believe people were operating under — if they didn't also use that logic in real life.
Because (most) of them know that there's no reasonable argument that places the fault for the Dance on Rhaenyra. But they still don't like her, or her cause, because her cause is her. Which is fine if you're a King but she's a woman which means she's selfish.
Daemon is morally grey and has a reputation for being ruthless, and unlike Rhaenyra he doesn't need to conduct himself as a future ruler. He's the future ruler's attack dog. So it's easier to project all the wrongs of the world onto him. And while plenty of rulers have "attack dogs" in their circle, that when Viserys was heir Daemon was his attack dog, the fact that Rhaenyra's a woman means sexists can say "well, actually it will be DAEMON who's in charge." Even though they'll then use the fact that she is in charge to blame her for his actions. And not just his actions. Because keep in mind, out of all the grown princes in the war, Daemon and Jace were the only ones to not only not do mass murder, but to also actively avoid mass murder.
And yet you see people justify the usurpation based on actions he doesn't even do but they can imagine him capable of if he occupied Rhaenyra's position without adjusting his behaviour to fit that position.
Now add to that the fact that we tend to use bad women as mascots for the bad men around them. Alicent the good woman is good because she goes along with convention and (mostly) appears to act within her role as a woman. Which means she's a poor innocent flower who's not responsible for the actions of the men around her, even if she's the one who influenced or empowered them. She's an object who 'knows' she's an object and even though she's the enemy's object, you tend not to punish the possessions of an enemy. (Though of course it does still happen but it's accepted as a 'bad' thing to do).
But Rhaenyra is a BAD woman and an object who refuses to act like an object which means she is responsible for her own actions — and also for the actions of the men around her. But only the bad actions. Her men's accomplishments are simply her having men do the work for her, of course. But she's also still an object of the enemy (Daemon) which means she's his but unlike Alicent, because she refuses to act the object, it means she can be held responsible for the actions of ALL the men around her. It means she can be seen as an extension of the men around her in a way Alicent is not.
Basically, it's about Rhaenyra.
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scratchtovoid · 2 days
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“we need to teach media literacy in schools” guys was i really the only person paying attention in english class bffr
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scratchtovoid · 2 days
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Like her father, Prince Daemon Targaryen, Baela was wild, willing, and fearless
Baela and Moondancer both making their roaring shouty faces in the house of the dragon season two teaser and trailer
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scratchtovoid · 2 days
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It’s amazing the discourse over how Rhaenyra somehow has no flaws and yet is ripped apart on this app every damn day.
Aegon is “more interesting” because he holds the crown like a sad boy and maybe he doesn’t really want it, maybe he does.
Let’s just ignore Rhaenyra having a similar internal conflict in episode 8 where she tells Viserys the burden is too great. A moment where she is facing not simply being displaced but having her whole family murdered.
The strange idea Aegon is somehow a “boy-king” although he is a grown man in his twenties.
Yet this app will call Rhaenyra whiny and immature.
What is the distinction between immaturity and infantilization here?
“Well the show presents Rhaenyra as being right and Aegon the villain so I feel forced to root against her!”
Yeah yeah, just like literally any other time there was a woman in the role of the “hero” - because it’s not even about Rhaenyra. Once a woman is put in that role, it doesn’t matter how perfect or how flawed she is. Some people are going to just start looking elsewhere.
Because they don’t want to understand that character. “Heroic woman” will never interest them because they simply aren’t interested in a woman being the hero of the story.
And it’s so funny because that’s not what Rhaenyra even is. She couldn’t even save herself.
It didn’t matter how good or bad or flawed or perfect she is.
And this is like our own internal programming we’re fighting against. It’s hundreds of years of men’s stories dominating fantasy spaces. And male characters who determined all the tropes. So we have to take a step back and say is this really an issue with the character? Or are we just not used to seeing a woman in that position?
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scratchtovoid · 2 days
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I’m glad they changed this. This version is too focused on Daemon. And the reason the scene works at all is Rhaenyra’s reaction, her moment of validation.
Because what we learn about Daemon and him seeing this as a betrayal is the same in both versions. No matter what happens after, Daemon hearing Viserys never truly considered him his heir is enough to break him.
This version lines up more with the missing scene from the first episode which had a conversation between the brothers where Viserys wanted to Daemon the truth.
(Which we can’t call back to because it was cut.)
But the point is Viserys didn’t tell Daemon. The point is Viserys only told Rhaenyra.
It was always her burden to bare. And now she’s the only person who understands that burden. Which is why in the final scene when she laughs, it’s like “I have bigger considerations than this game of politics.”
And when you look at the bigger story of the episode, she starts at the lowest she’s ever been and it’s this moment she realizes it all means something. She has to fight because she’s meant to.
She shouldn’t have to want the throne for ~more~ but also it’s a nice addition to the show in my opinion. And it also helps drive her story forward. Why would she keep sacrificing when her whole world is crumbling around her? Because she knows this is bigger than just her. And compared to some of her earlier rationale, I prefer: my father chose to give me this huge responsibility over I feel I have to make the choice that holds the realm together and maybe that’s giving up because they can’t accept a woman.
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Excerpt From the House of the Dragon
"The Black Queen" — Season 1 Episode 10
Daemon chokes Rhaenyra. He resents Viserys' slight against him and she remembers her vision in front of Balerion's skull.
Details:
Draft Date: Jun 20, 2022 — Buff Pages
Teleplay by Sara Hess
Announcement & FAQ
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scratchtovoid · 2 days
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i'm sorry but it’s soooo insane to expect a mother who couldn’t even find the last vestiges of her beloved child and was unable to put him to rest properly to behave rationally. rhaenyra better than me cause if something like that happened to my child I'd burn the entire world before going down with it.
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scratchtovoid · 3 days
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Among the reasons I don't trust that the writers of HotD understand the story they're trying to tell is that even with the baffling changes made to darken his character, Daemon is the only one talking sense in Episode 10 and yet it's clear the writers don't want you to think that.
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scratchtovoid · 3 days
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This is brilliant!
Here's a fanfic idea: A self-insert oc who just so happens to be Team Green dies and wakes up in the world of hotd as the daughter of Alicent Hightower. Between adjusting to life without the modern comforts of home and growing up in a nest of vipers, the self-insert quickly realizes that her favorite Greens are different from the lovingly written headcanons she shared on her Discord server, that Aegon II is a total monster, that being the daughter of her favorite character is not for the faint of heart, that Otto Hightower is not a well-meaning political mastermind who loves his grandchildren, and that her half-sister Rhaenyra was never an evil wicked kinslaying witch.
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scratchtovoid · 3 days
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Ok I’m determined to make tomorrow a fresh start for writing!
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scratchtovoid · 3 days
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Lady Baela Targaryen and Moondancer from the TV series “House of the Dragon 2”
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scratchtovoid · 3 days
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This is good. I think this would have given us an understanding on how Daemon and Rhaenyra see each other’s political stance.
To Daemon, Rhaenyra is looking for omens and signs and that is too similar to Viserys’s indecision. And he knows if they have any hope for the throne they need to be committed and decisive. She could throw it all away for something that may have happened even in a time of peace. They’ll never know so they have to keep moving forward.
(It also puts Daemon’s reaction to the prophecy in a different context.)
But to Rhaenyra, Daemon can never understand the position she is in. It’s a nice call back to Aemma’s funeral where she told Daemon she would never be a son. For her the battle ahead is futile. She hasn’t discovered her will to fight yet. She knows if she presses her claim she could lose the little stability she has secured for herself. And having just lost the daughter she always wanted, it’s a reminder that she really can’t have it all.
To be honest, I think a lot of the cut scenes in this episode (and all of them tbh) were cut for good reason. But this one would give us so much context for both characters and show us exactly where they’re both coming from. And why they have tension almost immediately in the episode.
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Missing Scene From the House of the Dragon
"The Black Queen" — Season 1 Episode 10
Rhaenyra doubts her role as heir to the throne while Daemon tries to encourage her to call her banners.
Details:
Draft Date: Jun 20, 2022 — Buff Pages
Teleplay by Sara Hess
Announcement & FAQ
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scratchtovoid · 3 days
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scratchtovoid · 3 days
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Excerpt From the House of the Dragon
"The Lord of the Tides" — Season 1 Episode 8
Two scenes of Daemon and Rhaenyra reuniting with Viserys.
Details:
Draft Date: Nov 25, 2021 — Goldenrod Pages
Teleplay by Eileen Shim
Announcement & FAQ
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