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starry-bi-sky · 5 months

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Ugh im writing this on mobile but i’ve been thinking about it nonstop for an hour and I’m just- mmmmm thinking about Clone Danny and his wardrobe choice as Phantom. Cuz like, he doesn’t have any powers, right? He has no built-in secret identity and suit that he can change into in a flash of blinding circular light. If a ghost shows up he’s just got what he’s got on, and whatever he has in his bag.

And I’m just. I have a lot of thoughts about him and his canon self, thoughts that i dont think i can all fit on my phone and im. Thinking about the dichotomy between him and his canon counterpart. From an in-universe perspective, the halfa Danny Phantom looks remarkably human-like. Especially compared to the ghosts he fights, all of whom are unnatural colors, shapes, and sizes. From flaming hair to glowing eyes and pointed claws, there’s nothing about them that doesn’t scream “ghost!” “Inhuman!” “Unnatural!”

And then you look at Danny Phantom, the ghost boy fighting them. And he just… looks like a glowing human boy. The only unnatural thing about him is his white hair and green eyes - and green eyes is a natural human color. Maybe not the shade it’s in, but it occurs in human genetics. He’s about as close to human as he can get.

Think about that from an in-universe perspective, and then think about it with the idea that ghosts take pride in their ‘ghostly’ look. They pride themselves on looking scary; unnatural; inhuman. It’s a showcase of being unique, of their own individuality, of their interests and wants. Looking ‘scary’ is part of ghost culture, and if not scary, then unique and ‘inhuman’. They don’t want to fit in, they want to stand out.

And you look at Danny Phantom, as his canon self without any of the fanon customizations, and he’s none of that. He’s about as human-looking as a ghost can get. He’s got human-like skin, hell he’s even tanner than he is as a human! His hair is normal, his eyes are green but normal, his hands? Soft and round, not a claw in sight, and his teeth are blunt and ears are round.

His suit is all black, it doesn’t even tell you anything about him other than he probably died in a lab accident, and he looks like he’s straight out of a b-rate comic book. There’s no story to tell about him, he’s a book with the pages all blacked out in ink.

His name, if you take it as him only calling himself “Phantom” isn’t even all that unique. It’s a generic ghost term that you can find by googling ‘ghost’ and looking at its synonyms.

And then look at his behavior: yeah he fights ghosts, and fighting is all about ghost behavior. Its one of their social activities- but its clear from Phantom that he’s not being social. He’s being aggressive, he’s doing it for the sake of the living (which while fair, doesn’t make him look good in the context of everything else). Then he comes into the ghost zone, he doesn’t do much to integrate himself into the culture, and yeah he makes allies but it still doesn’t feel enough. He’s not participating in anything, he’s alienating himself.

All in all, Phantom looks like a ghost trying to pretend he’s human, that he’s still alive. And for a ghost culture that prides itself on not being alive? It’s insulting.

And then let’s circle back around to that human thing, but from a different angle. Probably one that’s more mindset than outside looking in. But Danny’s alienated by the rest of the town for ages despite helping them. And while him looking human likely has to do with his own mindset of viewing himself as “living, but with ghost powers” and thus reflects back as a ghost, it also makes it look like he’s trying to fit in with the humans.

“I am not a ghost” he says, with his human skin and blunt teeth. “I am human like you, see? See? I look like you.”

He’s making himself look approachable, friendly. ‘You can trust me, I’m not a ghost. I’m not like them. I’m not scary. I look just like you. I’m different.’ He looks about as harmless as a human child could be. He’s trying to be relatable. And in turn he’s giving his fellow ghosts a cold shoulder - i’m not like you, i’m better. I’m different. I’m not ghost. I may be dead, but I’m no ghost.

Danny is trying to tie his ghost self in with the living as much as possible - he wants them to think he’s almost human. The same way he wants to think that himself. He’s distancing himself from his ghost half and the ghostly qualities the others have. Whether intentional or not, he’s doing it.

He shows his face and goes ‘see? See? I’m just like you.’

And then lets look at clone Danny, mister not-a-halfa. Who doesn’t have his canon offensive capabilities, who only has his ghost sense and the ability to hit ghosts without gear, his scary eyes and pointed ears, and the ability to see weaker ghosts not visible to the mortal eye.

He has no ghost form, no powers. And yet the first time he goes out as Phantom, he wears a mask that looks like a skull. Instead of distancing himself from ghosts, he’s distancing himself from humans. And at first it stems from the need to be unrecognizable, the last thing he wants is for his parents to find out that he’s ghost hunting. To do that, he needs to hide his face. That’s the first step.

The next step is to act in such a way that people couldn’t possibly tie him back to Danny Fenton. He’s not distancing himself from ghosts, he’s distancing himself from humans. To do that, he acts inhuman. He wears his mask and wears baggy, shapeless clothes - his hoodie and his pants - and he learns how to act unsettling. His eyes glow green, unnatural and shining through his sunken-in, skull-like mask. But it’s not enough on its own. He must do more.

He wants to be the thing someone sees at night and turns the other way. See me and run, he says, crouched on all fours and crawling across a beam like a monster you see in a movie. Twisting his body in unnatural, fluid ways, like he’s not quite sure how having only four limbs work.

Run. He says, dead green eyes glowing through his mask, piercing through black night from the rooftop. I am wild thing. Come no closer, look no closer. I am not like you. I am not your friend. I bite. Run.

You cannot see my face. This is my face, I am not alive. I am not like you. I am an animal about to pounce.

He doesn’t want people to think he’s human, he doesn’t want them to think he’s anywhere close to it. Anything to prevent his parents from figuring out its him.

And the thing is, he doesn’t have to. He doesn’t have to appear ghost-like or inhuman to keep his identity safe, wearing a mask and wearing unidentifiable clothes is enough. But he’s choosing to act ghost-like; unsettling; scary.

And in doing so, he unintentionally participates in ghost culture. And while his clothes are not anything unique, or outstanding, his mask is. His clothes don’t tell anything about him, but that’s okay.

Imagine meeting this boy from a ghost perspective. This annoying, fleshy human boy who jumps into fights to stop you and catch you. You’ve heard stories of human ghost hunters, you know there are hunters on the other side. You have heard the horror stories, you have seen the scars.

And then this boy catches you. This human, fleshy boy who yells quips at you, who puns and insults you, who wears an unsettling mask and acts ghosty. He catches you, and you think you will be the next one on the chopping board.

And then you end up in the ghost zone, untouched. Unharmed. And you tell someone about it. You were caught and released by a human child who feels touched by death. And then you hear that the ones who’d been caught were freed by a fleshy human boy who was touched by death, and a boy who they call “Phantom”.

And, isn’t that the name of the child you fought?

And he talks to you, but then he’s in the daytime. There are living around. He doesn’t speak to them - he ignores them outright. He keeps his distance, he stays away. If he talks, it’s with his hands. They will not hear his voice.

I may be alive but I am no human.

And its just — ????? So good to think about. I’ll reblog later with more thoughts when I have my laptop, but god i just needed to get that out there.

#dpxdc #dp x dc #dp x dc crossover #dpxdc crossover #dpdc #clone^2 #danny fenton is not the ghost king #danny fenton is a clone #like i wasnt thinking much about it when i made danny have no powers. like that was purely just for fun #and for a fun little parallel between him and bruce. and i thought the mask was cool #and now here we are doing a- what?? somewhat analysis of his outfit as phantom?#and his choice to appear as unhuman as possible?? as ghostly as possible???#its just so good. i love creepy phantom. he’s the thing you see crouched in the corner of the room #from the corner of your eye. you see him. and you jump but hes not there when you look #he’s the creature you see lurking in the alleyway. crouched like an animal about to jump.#‘come no closer. look no closer. i am not like you. i may be alive but i am no human’#i have teeth. and i will wrap them sround your throat and *pull*

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menuliso · 7 months

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they want each other so bad.

#THEIR EXPRESSIONS #the way izuku looks at katsuki with pure love and awe in his eyes #bkdk #dkbk #bakudeku #dekubaku #bnha #mha

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uhbasicallyjustmilex · 9 months

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someone help them

(x)

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kaladinkholins · 4 months

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i know I've mentioned my interpretation of mizu's gender a million times on here but i don't think i ever fully elaborated on it.

so on that note i just wanna ramble about that for a bit. basically, it's my reading of the show that mizu is nonbinary, so let me dig into that.

putting the rest under the cut because it ended being pretty long lol. also here have a cute mizu pic of her being happy and most at ease with herself, symbolised by her letting her hair down. <3 ok let's proceed.

okay note that nonbinary is an umbrella term, and applies to a vast range of gender identities, but it's my personal preference to use it as is, simply because i'm not a fan of microlabels. more power to you if you are though, but anyway.

essentially when i refer to mizu as nonbinary it means that i interpret mizu as a woman, but not ONLY a woman. not strictly a woman. she is also a man. she is also neither of these things, she is something in between, while at the same time she is none of these at all. i've said as much many times, but i just don't want people to think that by nonbinary it inherently means a "third androgynous gender" that essentially turns the gender binary into a gender trinary. not only is that going against what the term nonbinary was crafted for (to go against rigid boxes and categorisation of gender identities), but also, not all nonbinary people fall under that category or definition, and that's definitely not the way i interpret mizu.

also, before anyone fights me on this, let me clarify further that gender means something different to everyone. it's not your biological sex or physical characteristics. but at the same time, gender is not mere presentation. you can be a trans woman and still present masculine—either because you're closeted and forced to, or because you just want to—and either way, that doesn't take away from your identity as a woman. same goes for trans men. if you're a trans man but you wear skirts and don't bind or don't get top surgery, that doesn't make you any less of a man. because gender non-conformity exists, and does not only apply to cis people! some lesbians are nonbinary and prefer using he/him pronouns while dressing masculinely, but that doesn't mean they're a man, or that they're any less of a lesbian. neither does this mean that they're a cis woman.

the thing about queer identities in general is that, like i said, they mean something different to everyone, because how you identify—regardless of your biological attributes and fashion or pronouns—is an extremely personal experience. so a nonbinary person and a gnc cis woman's experiences might have plenty of overlap, but what distinguishes between the two is up to the individual. there's no set requirements to distinguish you as one or the other, but it's up to you to decide what you identify as, based on what you feel. either way, by simply identifying yourself as anything under the LGBTQ+ umbrella, you are already communicating to the world that you are not what a conservative, cisheteronormative society wants you to be.

which is why i find all this queer infighting on labels to be so ridiculous. because we're all fighting the same fight; the common enemy is a societal structure that divides us into set roles and expectations purely based on our biological parts. that's why biological essentialism in the queer community is a fucking disease. because by arguing that women are inherently weak and fragile and soft and gentle and must be protected from evil ugly men, while men are inherently strong and angry and violent and exploitative of women, these people are advocating for the same fucked up system that marginalises and abuses women as well as effeminate and/or gay men.

anyway. i'm going on a tangent. this was meant to be a blue eye samurai post. so yeah back to that— the point i'm trying to make is that there's no one way to identify as anything, and everyone views gender in a specific way.

so with that being said, yes you can definitely interpret mizu as a gnc cis woman and that's a totally valid reading. however, interpreting her as nonbinary or transmasc also doesn't take away from her experiences with misogyny and female oppression, because nonbinary and transmasc folks also experience these things.

me, personally, i view her as nonbinary but not necessarily or always transmasc because i still believe femininity and womanhood is an inherent part of who mizu is. for example, from what we've seen, she does not like binding. it does not give her gender euphoria, but is instead very uncomfortable for her both physically and mentally, and represents her suppressing her true self. which is why when she "invites the whole" of herself, she stands completely bare in front of the fire, breasts unbound and hair untied. when she is on the ship heading to a new land in the ending scene, she is no longer hiding her neck and the lack of an adam's apple. we can thus infer that mizu does not have body dysmorphia. she is, in fact, comfortable in her body, and relies on it extremely, because her body is a weapon. instead, what mizu hates about herself is her face—her blue eyes. she hates herself for her hybridised identity, hates herself for being a racial Other. hates that she has no home in her homeland. these are not queer or feminist themes, but postcolonial ones.*

* and as a tiny aside on this subject, i really do wish more of the fandom discussion would talk about this more. it's just such an essential part to reading her character. like someone who's read homi k bhabha's location of culture and has watched this show, PLEASE talk to me so we can ramble all about how the show is all about home and alienation from community. please. okay anyway—

nevertheless, queer and feminist themes (which are not mutually exclusive by the way!) are still prevalent in her story, though they are not the main issue that she is struggling with. but she does struggle with it to some extent, and we see this especially during her marriage with mikio, where we see her struggle in women's domestic spaces.

on the other hand, though, she finds no trouble or discomfort in being a man or being around other men—even naked ones—and does not seem stifled by living as one, does not seem all that bothered or uncomfortable navigating through men's spaces. contrast this to something like disney's mulan (1998), where we do see mulan struggle in navigating through men's spaces, as she feels uncomfortable being around so many men, always feeling like she doesn't belong and that she's inherently different from them. mizu has no such experiences like this, as her very personality and approach to life is what can be categorised as typically "masculine". she is straightforward and blunt. her first meeting with mikio, she tells him straight to his face that he's old while frowning and raising a brow at him. she approaches problems with her muscles and fists (or swords), rather than with her words or mind. compare this with mulan, who, while well-trained by the end of the movie, still uses her sharp wits rather than brute strength. this is a typically "feminine" approach. it's also the approach akemi relies on throughout the show—through her intelligence and persuasive tongue, she navigates the brothel with ease. mizu, in contrast to someone like mulan and akemi, struggles with womanhood and femininity, and feels detached from it.

thus, in my opinion, mizu is not simply a man, nor is she simply a woman. she is both. man and woman. masculine and feminine. she has to accept both, rather than suppress one or the other. her name means water. fluid.

as a side note, while i do believe mizu is nonbinary, i also primarily use she/her pronouns but this is a personal preference. i find it's easier, plus it's what the creators use, and because, in general, being nonbinary simply doesn't necessitate the use of they/them pronouns. nonbinary is not just a third gender. it's about breaking the binary, in any which way, and that's exactly what mizu does.

also, i'd also like to mention that one of show's head of story even referred to her with the term "nonbinary", rather than simply "androgynous" (see pic below). and it's possible this could be a slip up on his part, in which he believes the terms are interchangeable (they're not btw), but regardless i find it a very interesting word choice, and one that supports my stance.

so anyway yeah that's my incredibly long rambling post.

TL;DR nonbinary mizu rights 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 congrats if you reached the end of this btw. also ily. unless you're a TERF in which case fuck off. ok i'm done.

#mizu blue eye samurai #mizu bes #blue eye samurai #blue eye samurai meta #sorry if this is redundant btw i just cant stop thinking thoughts :3 #btw i am a mixed* southeast asian who is also nonbinary. just in case that's important context #by mixed* i mean i'm asian+asian but diff ethnicities lol. i dont have a white bone in my body god bless<3 #my whiteness is purely learned thru cultural osmosis + bcs my parents taught me english as a first language (boooo 🍅🍅🍅)#also i live in the global south so i think EYE know a thing or two about being gnc in a society of rigid awful gender roles‼️#so likeee i think its ridiculous that its an either-or thing #mizu can be nonbinary while still being a woman of colour ¯\_(ツ)_/¯#also ummm as much as i love queer themes and gay people i wish people would talk more about the racial otherness / community aspect #as mentioned in the post above #you don't need to read bhabha's whole book btw but just take a look at some of his ideas and you'll get what im talking about #like the fact that the fandom mostly ignores those themes in the story makes me feel like :( :/#cuz to me THATS the thing that spoke to me most and its a shame that its just not talked about enough #i mean i know why thats likely the case. but still.#whoops im rambling again 🤪#fandom.rtf #shut up haydar #meta dissertations.pdf

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oatbugs · 3 months

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my research partner and i are huddled in a blanket in paddington waiting for a too-late train i already miss you and you and you

#he keeps falling asleep almost on my shoulder and waking up and readjusting but i want to tell him its ok weve seen a lot #of each other ive seen your brainwaves you called me crying a few nights ago. research partner right now is a potentiality #friend is a certainty. i met a banker passionate about finance. he said his advice made the lives of others better and he likes the numbers #more than he likes anything else. on a high rise near canary wharf the view was wonderful and the people even moreso #he said i loved her but i spent 33 grand on her and i cant do this anymore. his voice cracked talking about her. he did love her.#and she talked softly she grabbed my hand she bought me a pack of Marlborough gold she told me to snap #the russian menthol cigarettes of the tortured polish man near us with my teeth i kept staring at her teeth #bright white and sharp. i couldnt find her heartbeat but i did find warmth and i did find her lips and i did feel #how she felt pressed against a wall. a pretty boy held my hand and i gave him my number. i couldnt stop smiling about her no matter #how many runways youve walked on how many collections youve designed how many students youve taught. senior lecturer teaches me how to do #very unethical things ethically over a double shot of vodka made by the half-persian with broken farsi. she talks softly #and she says her eyes are hazel but they appear a shade of red. pure gold on her hands and leather on her back and her fingers on my lips #(she talks softly sees through me she says something i cant hear but i wont forget the way she flies) she talked to my research partner #about the possibility of moving to sunny dubai with the rest of her family and my heart felt pierced. on her arm i traces a tattoo of a #knife passing through a rose. she told me she thought there was romance in severing so i kissed her some more.#he sat me down and asked me what i loved and i told him and he said no romance no person no tragedy will take that from you.#the room was filled with a collection of people in love with something that wasnt a person and i kept looking at her.#red eyes bitten jawline beautiful hands. it is 3 degrees Celsius my head is on his shoulder i miss my friends #we walked out the lecture hall with arms linked a photo of two years ago and we both said #jesus christ. i miss you all. and i miss logic metatheory lectures. im glad i get to stare at the depth of your eyes #i wish i had met you years ago.#crushposting

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sketchncanto · 2 years

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No more happily reunited Bruno. I want sad, lonely, isolated Bruno. ANGST ANGST ANGST!!! JK, love your work.

Y’know what? Y’all want angst?— FINE

#LOL I was being dramatic #these were really fun to do though #I’ve been pretty down lately so i figured now would be the best time to draw some angst lol #to answer that second question #yes i love angst but i don’t draw it that often unless im really in the mood to #it’s hard for me to draw grief and sorrow on a normal/neutral day #i have to be a little sad and angsty myself to really feel it y’know?#so #here’s the result!#im not an evil bruno stan #but im definitely an angsty bruno stan 🤌🏼#i can’t see a universe where he’s evil #the source material is too pure LMAO have you seen his EYES #there’s not a single evil bone in that mans little string bean body #ask #my encanto fanart

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amazingspider-z · 1 month

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Back at it with Bleach!

AKA the: If arrancar get to look kind of like shinigami despite starting off as hollows, Visored should get to look a little bit hollow all the time despite starting off as shinigami. As a (not) treat. post

(Bonus: some more floating heads under the cut)

#bleach #ichigo #ichigo kurosaki #kurosaki ichigo #vizards #shinji hirako #hiyori sarugaki #lisa yadomaru #kensei muguruma #love aikawa #rojuro otoribashi #im not tagging everyone under the cut bc i WILL go over my tag limit #anyway. i stand that even pure shinigami look a little uncanny next to humans #especially noble/born-spirits and high level soul reapers bc well. spirits! dead people! people who were never alive! etc #but vizards take it to another level bc of the hollow influence even when im not giving them permanent hollow eyes #and well. ichigo is kind of his own thing bc i figure he hollowfied twice btwn Zangetsu and the Shattered Shaft but like.#what else are you gonna call him? he's already so many things. anyway thats why he has a hollow hole please-just-let-it-be-a-tattoo marking #and as a bonus. yuzu and karin get to be a little weird too. as a treat. from the remnants of Masaki's infection.#hence as they start to awaken their powers they get one eye off color on the way to being hollowfied #i am cringe but i am free #if this posts multiple times its bc yet again. tumblr loathes me

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ghouljams · 10 months

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Price can collect dangerous pretty boys. As a treat

If they didn't want to be collected they should've tried to be less pretty.

Ghost mentions to Price that it's nice having eye candy(Soap and Gaz) around, Price without missing a beat goes, "I know that's why I hired you." Ghost just points to himself in disbelief, him? Eye candy? Yeah Price isn't backing down on this one.

#ghoul speaks #Love and Price are founding members of the Ghost is so pretty club #both of them have had that man on his knees begging #there's no recovering from that sight #you either go insane at the pure pretty boy energy or you join the Ghost is eye candy club #Ghost asks Soap and Gaz if they think he's pretty and they both are like #who told you that #if Ghost knows he's hot he'll be unstoppable

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completeoveranalysis · 1 year

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IT’S TRUE HAVE YOU GUYS SEEN THEM?

I don’t own any other Nendoroids myself but I would buy these in a heartbeat if I could.

THEIR LITTLE HANDS. THEY HOLD.

I also eagerly kept watch over THESE ones for months:

And I had the Yuuko one preordered for the longest time until my financial situation went dire and I had to cancel everything. But still! I covet from afar!

If any of you guys get these for yourselves please send me photos so I can be consumed with adoration.

#I hold out hope that I can fix the universe in time to get one of them #we'll just have to wait and see #Nick also talks about other things #Tsubasa #xxxholic #replies #Like LISTEN the Watanuki one comes with a face screaming with rage!#And a CLEANING OUTFIT #YUUKO ICHIHARA COMES WITH ALCOHOL #UGH they are pure perfection #I believe the Syaoran one also comes with his alternate eye colours #with the same blood splatter he gets in Acid Tokyo when that happens #Which is TWISTED and I love it?#And perhaps the closest thing there will be to a Fai nendoroid lets be real #(Please prove me wrong Clamp)

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leonsliga · 4 months

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Because Thomas can’t help but spend his entire postmatch presser talking about Manu

#he loves him so much #just the pure delight in his eyes when he talks about his decade partner is everything 🥰#even the way he describes Manu and his style of play…there’s just so much reverence in his words #it’s so beautiful 🥹#neuller #thomas müller #thomas mueller #thomas muller #manuel neuer #fc bayern #fc bayern munich #fc bayern münchen #videos

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childotkw · 1 year

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I've been thinking of this for a few days and didn't have anywhere to put it, so here it goes.

Viserys has ordered for a feast, perhaps his last he will ever get to witness, and he has made the mistake to give the organizing responsibility to Alicent. Alicent worships the Seven however, so she is very much against partying. So is Otto, and the other Greens. Save perhaps Aegon.

Rhaenyra hears this, for Daemon still has friends in the court in King's Landing, and she sends two of her children to help these miserably serious people out. They desperately need the help, it seems.

These two children of Rhaenyra are Lucerys and Rhaena, they are to inherit Driftmark together one day, and they have been in the bestest of celebrations, for House Velaryon loves to show everyone just how rich they are.

Lucerys and Rhaena comes to King's Landing to help for this supposed feast, only to find that Mother had been right. King's Landing is silent. There are no children running around, no celebrations being held in Flea Bottom, no tournaments, no nothing. Red Keep is stripped from its cultural Targaryen patestries and arts, instead Seven Pointed Star is everywhere they look. This simply cannot do. They quickly understand that they have to interviene, or else this isn't going to be anything fun like the ones Rhaenyra and Daemon throw back in Dragonstone, or the ones Rhaenys and Corlys throw in Driftmark. These people just dont know how to party. So they take it upon themselves to organize this feast, and the Greens are furious.

Lucerys notices Otto and Alicent first, the looks they give especially to him. He supposes Alicent is justified though, for he was the one who had taken her son's eye all those years ago, but Otto looks at him like he is some feral animal that needs to be put down. Then he notices that he has missed Helaena, his aunt and the least irritating of the Greens. Helaena tries multiple times to involve her creepy crawlies in this feast, Lucerys and Rhaena do not let her however. Then comes Aegon, who is more than happy to have them take over and put an end to the castle's suffering. Aegon claims the keep's walls cry at night, he hears them, he tells Lucerys. He tells him that he is grateful they are stepping up to bring Red Keep back to its full glory again.

Then there is Aemond. The looks he gives Lucerys dont go un-noticed. Lucerys has changed, yes. He is not the small boy he was anymore, he is still quite young, but not a literal kid. This change must've been peculiar to Aemond, for he comments on his choice of clothes and jewelry, he tells him that he looks like a maid more than a man. This does upset him, Lucerys cannot lie. He prefers to look good is all, he isn't some maid. He is very much a boy. Rhaena shoo's Aemond away whenever she can, but his uncle finds ways to cross paths with him. Lucerys is tired, he is tired from the constant organizing of this big feast, so he decides he'll ignore Aemond.

Days pass and the keep is more lively than its been for years, Viserys is content and praises Lucerys' and Rhaena's work. The servants are happier and the knights aren't as miserable. Rhaena sends Lucerys down to Flea Bottom, she tells him to do his magic there too. In the mornings when there is still light he helps the people with their errands. And when the sun sets and night life begins he visits pleasure houses and bars and all the other places. He provides the owners of these places with coin and advices. When the smallfolk starts calling him the new Realm's Delight, and the new Prince of the City he cannot help but smile.

With these new titles given to him, Lucerys notices Aemond even angrier than before, and he cannot take it anymore. He goes to him, one night. They are in the God's Wood. He sits down beside him and they talk, they talk for hours. Lucerys admits the remorse he feels towards Aemond, not because he stopped him from possibly killing Jace that faithful night, but because his actions has caused him so much loss. An eye, for godssake. Aemond admits his ignorant behavior and his insulting words too. He admits to find Lucerys' care for his looks endearing too. They look at each other, all these years, they have been away from each other, and for something that they solved in one night, with one talk. What they do after is only for them and for the gods to know.

When Viserys speaks to Lucerys and Rhaena of his wishes for a tournament they get to work quickly. With this, they struggle. They are all about the aesthetic and the food and the scent and the everything. What they don't know are the safety measurments of tournaments. Lucerys goes to Aemond, and Aemond agrees to help them. So now the three of them are running from places to places, always occupied with some Lord or servant or maester asking for their opinions on the seat arreangments or the colors of the carpets and the curtains or the songs that will be needed to play.

It is exhausting, they do admit. But it is so worth the effort when it is finally done, for there are so many guests. So many high lords and ladies of Westeros are present, there are even Martells, people from Essos, the Summer Islands. It is a sight to see.

Rhaenyra and her bunch come next and Lucerys sees in her eyes that she is proud. It is even better when Aemond asks him for a dance, in the same feast he has been so busy with organizing.

And when Aemond asks for Lucerys' favor in the tournament, and wins the whole damn thing, Lucerys feels as though he could spend all his days with him.

Oh god I love this so much. Mainly the fact that it all starts because Rhaenyra goes "oh those poor repressed fools have no idea how to have a party" (sympathetic). And then Lucerys and Rhaena both get there and immediately are like "oh gods these poor repressed fools have no idea how to have a party" (derogatory).

Perfection.

When Lucerys is first told he and Rhaena will be going to King's Landing to assist with feast preparations, he's both excited and nauseous. Excited, because a small sliver of him will always consider the Red Keep home, and nauseous because...well...it's obvious why.

But arriving there and seeing what's been done to the place - no red and black, no Valyrian art, no heritage carefully, meticulously chiselled into the walls, no three-headed dragon - it's distressing.

Rhaena takes one look at Lucerys (her brother, best friend, confidant and maybe, hopefully, future husband), sees his little frown and sad eyes, and decides then and there that they would bring the glory of their family back to this bland and disappointing keep.

Luke's always been her favourite, after all, and it's not like anyone can judge her because he's everyone's favourite - so silently declaring war on the Queen's idea of what makes a good feast is par for the course.

It's Rhaena who slips into the King's chambers one afternoon, not even blinking when it takes him a long minute to remember who she is. It's Rhaena who, with the smile and eyes of her father, convinces Viserys to pass control of the feast over to her and Lucerys. It's Rhaena who stands, arms linked with her favourite person, before the Queen and the Hand and her Hightower cousins and members of the Small Council, as the King makes the change known publicly.

Lucerys' smile makes the oncoming headache worth it, in her eyes.

Initially, the adults in the room grumble and nod and stiffly smile, thinking they still have control, but Lucerys and Rhaena quickly debase them of the notion.

(Why people always assume she and Lucerys are the nicer of their siblings, Rhaena will never understand. Daemon had chortled when he saw them off, ruffling Luke's hair and kissing Rhaena on the forehead, and actually ordered them to behave.

Daemon Targaryen, asking for restraint from someone else.

If anyone else saw that they would think themselves going mad.)

But regardless, Lucerys and Rhaena are now in charge. A boy of fourteen and a girl of fifteen, coordinating an entire keep of people. It would be ridiculous if they weren't, somehow, good at it. They're a team, making decisions with an easy confidence, and there's a begrudging sort of respect that crops up in some members of the Small Council.

Because bastard or not, girl or not, Lucerys and Rhaena have been educated in a variety of subjects, and they put that knowledge to good use.

And they might be outnumbered by Greens but they stand back-to-back and protect each other, and nothing is stronger in the world than two Targaryens in agreement.

They steamroll over detractors, aware of the eyes on them, and slowly the wider social circles begin to whisper of how delightful the Princess' children are.

That Princess Rhaena is warm and kind and engaging. That she remembers the names of servants she has met once and goes out of her way to thank them for even the smallest tasks. That when her smile goes impish she is the image of her father, a man still remembered fondly by many of the small folk despite his absence.

That Prince Lucerys is gentle and sweet and compassionate. That he walks through the halls with a dancer's grace and dazzles the ladies of the court with shy grins and compliments. That he is the Realm's Delight come again, and the very image of Jocelyn Baratheon.

(Rhaena, again, is the one to slip that into conversations, and she watches with deep-seated satisfaction as people start to think Baratheon when they see Luke's dark hair, rather than Strong.)

Her decision to send him into King’s Landing is just another step in her master plan; and the compliments keep rolling in. Rhaena knows just how effective Lucerys’ charm is, and she revels in inflicting it on others.

Alicent is frustrated at how quickly things are spiralling out of their control; but Otto is seething. He thinks Lucerys and Rhaena are the worst of both their parents, but no matter what he says, Viserys is adamant the children are to remain in charge.

As for Aegon, Helaena and Aemond...

Aegon is, in a word, relieved. He wants to feel guilty for thinking it, but the fact remains that whenever Lucerys is around, attention is off him. His mother tracks his nephew's movements with half-wistfulness, half-fear. His grandsire is too deep in his scheming to pay attention to Aegon. He's free of the stifling weight of their expectations, if only for a moment, because Lucerys is there to take the heat.

Helaena is content in her own world, but surfaces occasionally to watch in quiet joy as her nephew and cousin work. The Dance isn't stopped, not yet, not so easily, but they are a step closer and Helaena whispers thankful prayers to the gods for giving them this chance.

And Aemond - well. Aemond. Lucerys does his best to avoid his uncle, shamefully using Rhaena as a shield whenever he approaches, to her endless amusement. He doesn’t ask what the two of them speak about the few times he has seen them together, he only knows that Rhaena always makes sure to touch him, to hold his hand, to press a kiss to his cheek (damningly close to the corner of his mouth) whenever Aemond is nearby. Rhaena abuses the closeness they share, delighting in how her cousin flares up in jealousy mistaken as anger.

But she also knows Lucerys better than most, and so she sits back and watches the slow, slow, slow progression Aemond and Lucerys make towards each other.

Lucerys will very likely be her husband one day, but Rhaena isn’t so insecure as to worry that he might drift towards his uncle as well.

(And if in some nebulous future, they’re amicable to it, she sees no reason why she can’t have two handsome, intense men in her bed.)

#anonymous #HOTD #lucerys velaryon #rhaena targaryen #aemond targaryen #lucemond #lucerys x rhaena #god #i love this so much #rhaena is the MVP #and a genius #and daemon is definitely proud of her cunning little mind #far far in the future #aemond is *upset* when luke and rhaena marry #only to be invited to their bed within the week #luke and rhaena are platonic soulmates in my eyes #that would occasionally fool around together #and rhaena is definitely the one to proposition aemond purely so she can see his reaction firsthand

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