#vale talk

This scene brings me so much joy as well as pain. Alicent's expression is so light. Otto's humor is brought forth. They are at peace in this moment. It's these little moments where you forget the awfulness. You forget the pain and recall laughter. You find the moment where a parent is beside you and not manipulating your every decision. They aren't your betrayer or fearmonger but someone who finds a way to lighten your shoulders. Those moments tend to overshadow the idea that your parent, your protector would use you, their child.

Otto is the last normalcy in Alicent's life after losing Rhaenyra. In her eyes, her father was protecting her. A noble man who's had years of experiences dealing with schemes, liars, power grabbers. He knows that someone will try to hurt them since he's Lord hand and they are highborn. Now Lady Alicent, a child bride, a teenage mother, and young Queen Consort of Westeros, must listen to her father. Her protector, her flesh and blood is to be listened to because he loved her mother, he loves her. Otto would do anything to ensure Alicent lives safely, right?

Alicent isn't naïve but she is holding on to her last piece of normalcy. Ignoring that her father used her womb to birth war. That her body was willfully taken over by the only relative she has for leagues away. That couldn't have been, he loved her mother, she's his only daughter? Why deform the last living memory of his wife? Alicent looks so much like her yet all she can remember are the gowns she wore to resemble an echo of a memory. Features lost but she has them like pieces of an unsolved puzzle. Otto takes away all that comforted her to be the only recognizable figure, the only half of her broken heart. He then stood behind her and guided her by voice whilst she stepped blindly. That was trust built by the foundation that he is her father and she is his daughter.

Once Alicent removed the fear of losing the twisted comfort of her father. She stepped blindly into the first comforts she had in her old life, Rhaenyra, title, colors, words. They were far from the fear she endured, the pain she clenched her throat in. And they were precious memories that outweighed the bad. Taking Helaena & Jaehaera away meant reclaiming the innocence she lost in King's Landing. She finally wants to be the parent that shields their daughter. She wants knowledge that she isn't her father, she could protect them. Alicent at least has to try because Otto never truly did.

To be the image of your parent whom you cannot help but recall the good to keep the bad from hurting, Alicent repeated the same mistakes as her father. She can't undo it. That's the worse part, she has to live with the knowledge that she was another spoke of fear in her children's minds. Spinning continuously that everything bad will happen to them, The Stranger is near. But she believed her father was saving her so she tried to save her children. What was a 14-15 year old supposed to believe? That her flesh and blood meant to manipulate her body and mind for his gain? Alicent is attempting to reverse his deep influence. And yet there will always be these small happy memories with the same man. How tragic.

VALE Talk about Alicent is always a treat. She makes me passionate, melancholic, and deeply contemplate her character. I can never escape Rhaenicent either, whoops. Her relationship with Otto will heavily influence my other analyzes on Team Green. I also want to write about why I think she agreed to allow Aegon's death. Cause there wasn't enough time to show us the progression that decision.

VALE Talk, people and it's Yellowjackets! Spoilers ahead be warned for season 1 and 2. Having only seen S1 & 2 myself, (no spoilers pls,) I noticed how important the heart is for Travis. So strap into your plane seats, don't worry I can act confidant enough to know how to fly a plane. There is a bottle of Vicodin for anyone up for grabs... Anyways here's my take on Travis' infatuation with the heart and why he does that ^, above.

He values the symbolism that the heart represents. It's like the most vulnerable piece of him that he knows. The muscle is soft whilst he acts tough to cover up the fact he has this softness. He won't let others in because they will see him in his most vulnerable form. His father was a piece of shit as he referred to him as. So Travis is already suffering from low self esteem from his father, his insecurity over being a virgin and the added years of bullying. He won't be open to just anyone entering his heart.

Nat is his expectation. In terms of love, she is his endgame. Pulling her hand to his chest in S2 Ep9 that is an important moment for him. As Travis is holding her to his highest degree of love. I see Lottie as the catalyst to awaking this symbolism to the heart when calming him down of his panic attack rather then him being attracted to her. (We never see them having sex when he's doing it with Nat. Only that Lottie is noticeably there.) A hand over his chest was a moment to bring Nat closer to him. It meant a lot to him when Lottie placed her hand over his heart so who better than his one and only.

Now for his choice to eat a bit of Javi's heart. Travis has a strong connection to the physical act of touching his heart. Eating it, however could be an act of eternal connection. Like 'Javi will always be apart of me if I eat the closest thing to my love for him.' It can also be a "dibs" per say, 'my brother will have me eat him first before any other person because he's family.' But these are doing it out of loving reason. It was all he could think of and it probably comes back to haunt him among the other memories of the woods. It's so interesting how he wanted to consume the rawest and most symbolic part of Javi because of his personal belief that that is love. No matter how twisted, deranged, and irrational Travis loved Javi enough to eat his heart.

OOOOH! WE ARE HEADING TO THE ROOTS! I will try to dissecting the question 'why would Alicent believe her father over her own knowledge of Rhaenyra?' Ah! This is so exciting because I love my girl so much and this was the exact thing to cause generational trauma in Team Green. With the power of my fingertips and an empty stomach, VALE Talk is getting started, hit the lights.

'Rhaenyra will kill your children to secure her title.' Yeah and you decided to force marry your daughter to the King, you imbecile. Is what I would've said to Otto but alas. What has Alicent seen from Rhaenyra before and since the conversation? 1st, Rhaenyra rips a precious page from an important King's library book. 2nd, she sneaked out and stopped Daemon from killing Otto on Dragonstone bridge all by herself. 3rd, Rhaenyra lied about possibly having slept with Daemon and Cole. 4th, Rhaenyra is openly pointed to other highborn. 5th, she killed a boar without any notable assistance.

What was Alicent's experiences with her best friend? Rhaenyra is driven and set to take power when she deems it hers. She isn't necessary power hunger but she does make her own rules when restricted in a certain way or unimportant. Rhaenyra will speak with power and make herself a Queenly presence. Entitled by birth title. Otto has had years in politicking. Alicent would take his word of caution because it's wise. (Not to mention she's young but I will post more about that later.) Knowing this, there was a possibility that Aegon could be killed. Rhaenyra can be capable of killing. Her own life wouldn't be at stake because it's kind of a unspoken rule, it would seem, for the pair that their lives aren't targets. Yet the child she only birthed at 15 years old is in danger.

Having doubts is natural when someone you trust is creating them and when your personality is someone of a trusting nature. The seeds were planted but Rhaenyra not confiding to Alicent about having sex before wedlock, only sprouted them. To break her trust was to confirm to Alicent that Rhaenyra is unpredictable. The idea of kinslaying isn't so far-fetched anymore. Otto's words could come true, to her horror. So Alicent will call upon House Hightower to prepare for a possible battle, make allies in the castle, Alicent will spy on everything Rhaenyra does and she will spitefully have plenty of Viserys' children.

It ultimately made her think more critically of the situation using the information she had and was given. Then took it to fit some predictability into her life. Funny how we don't remember that these characters don't see what we do, which is everything. They work with the morsels of information they have and use their own logic of reasoning.

YAY! I'm actually talking about another fandom. I don't need to change my bio after all. Yes! Bridgerton is getting a VALE Talk and it's Lord Viscount Anthony Bridgerton no less. I will talk about how the show in particular (because I haven't read the books,) shows the position Anthony is in as the "Man of the house." So Dearest Gentle readers be at ease and prepare a handkerchief for this essay. For some may have a need for it at some point of this read. (Ha! it fits so perfectly.)

Anthony Bridgerton became Lord Viscount after the sudden death of his father at the age of 18 years old. In the first episode, he is 28 years old. Ten years as Lord Viscount, we see the weight it has taken on him. He can't have a stable relationship without involving everything else he worries about. He always thinks about his family's future. But not just that, there is also the flippant nature of the ton. Unless you are of high title or from a long standing wealthy name, you are not secure in your position in the ton. Even if you are in those positions, you are at risk to go out of fashion or subjected to gossip although less so.

His siblings relay on him in an financial, emotional, socially way. His youngest siblings, Gregory and Hyacinth, the former has little and the latter has no memory of their father. With this alone, Anthony would become a surrogate father figure. To revolve your late teen and nearly entire 20s on your family forms his image from older brother to father-like. Violet acknowledges the youngest children's lack of memories of their father when recalling her grieving Edmund whilst pregnant and just given birth to Hyacinth. Violet became another person to ensure safety instead of his mother. Someone to be vulnerable with. But he can't do that because it's not his place in the family dynamic. His young siblings will only really remember Anthony as their security instead.

While we know about the eldest daughter syndrome we don't really hear about eldest son syndrome in the same light. What I appreciate is that they don't shy away from the psychological aspects of how this would change Anthony. They don't make him seem like the standard "Man of the house." In which he is prepared and doesn't see the position as a change in his place in his family dynamic.

Bridgerton showed that Anthony didn't want to be Lord Viscount when he did. His father passed away and his mother was having difficulties giving birth. He had to make his father's decision on saving Violet or Hyacinth. His mother cannot make the decision for herself because her son is in charged now. (It should be her decision but time period, ugh.) Anthony didn't want lives to be on his hands at 18. Far too soon as to when he was meant to take that role on.

Hyacinth may not have a memory of Edmund's arms in an embrace or Gregory doesn't have his father's advice for his confusing youth but they have Anthony. Whom despite hating the role he must endure, he would never abandon his family for the freedom that it would give. He loves them enough to spend hours hunched over letters, seek suitors for his sisters, care for his mother, defend his siblings and hold his father's memory until his own image muddles.

That will be all for the moment of VALE Talk, readers. To be honest, Anthony pissed me off. I hate miscommunication! But I love him groveling for Kate and worshiping her like a religion. God, that's the dream. He's my favorite Bridgerton in love as of right now.

Yours Truly,

VALE Rant incoming. I want to rant about two critiques I have about the House of the Dragon series. No, there aren't my only ones but that being said I will talk about the color grading and the amount of episodes. Sadly to those who thought I was about to write an essay about young Nrya, sorry. More on at the end. Anyways, to love something is to able to be critical of it as well.

I miss the whimsical warm lighting that was used in the Game of Thrones series. While in Westeros, the atmosphere felt warm and more like Spain or at least adjected to a Mediterranean island. The summers truly felt hot and the colors popped so much. As soon as Ned, Sansa, and Arya left Winterfell and walked under the southern sun, they had pigmentation! Gowns were vibrant, it didn't have a grey undertone to it. HotD has a grey undertone that makes it look flat! (Get her some complementary colors. She's clearly looks a little dead in those... She's not a mute palette.) I've seen bts of the HotD and without the edited color grading of the show, I saw everything in their full galore. I saw depth and brightness.

Compare (HotD) Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen above to (GoT) Sansa Stark below. These were my best finds for the least edited gifs of each other's series.

Not everything about it is terrible, ex: I like how the Red Keep looks colder after Alicent took over the décor once Viserys was too ill to mind it. The grey makes sense. Also the scenes in Dragonstone as well since the island is described as dreary with strong winds. Yet the Driftmark outdoor night scenes in S1 ep7 are pretty bad, sorry. But for the love of fuck for the sake of Pete, don't be afraid to bump up the saturation. I didn't even know Sunfyre was gold until I started writing my fic. (or that Aemond was wearing dark green this entire time, check my VALE Talk:fashion edition for that.) Like come ON! I want at least the earlier episodes of the 1st season to be more saturated to show child whimsy; the ignorance of what tragedies are about to happen.

Okay, finally, the bane of my existence, 8-10 one hour long episode seasons. AH! I hate it! I understand the reasons for this amount of eps. Such as there is a smaller cast, less diverging plots, more of a focus to the 'The Dance of the Dragons' war. Yes, I understand but I will judge. I recently saw an edit of all the Stark siblings together in the first few eps of GoT. (I sobbed but that's bc they were blissfully and ignorantly happy.) And I noticed I don't know how each family acted toward each other before the war. I want to know if Team Green sat together as a family. Did Alicent ever call a mandatory once/ bi weekly family meal? What did a grwm with Baela and Rhaena look like? Especially for the named Driftmark ward princess, what did her duties look like? Jacaerys must've trained with Daemon and was he ever tag teaming with Lucerys to beat The Rogue Prince?

I would've loved to had seen the simpler life just to feel out the characters. I think that's why it's difficult to understand them right away also. We just only see fragments of them within the larger picture of war. Maybe that's the point. It's kinda like a documentary regarding the GoT universe's past about the names we heard in that series. But I think it loses a bit of the meat in where we can't show the characters more. This heavily leans into my analyses I work on. That's why I do them, to understand the nuances of each person since we don't see it. Yet a particular character's action I just don't quite understand what the writer's perspective was. Cause of the short time we see them in normal life. Back to the episodes, it could also be my hunger for more content but I do believe that it had the ability to expand upon flaws, motivations, actions, traits.

This would've been a great opportunity to really use the beautifully crafted set pieces. Emma D'Arcy (Queen Rhaenyra) pointed out that while filming in the Dragonstone library set, they could pick up a random scroll and there'd be a full script inside with a bit of historical Valyrian text. Or that Steve Toussaint (Lord Corlys Velaryon) wanted a story of each item in his Hall of Nine so as when he looked at the treasure he had a memory to coincide and bring a believability to his performance. To have more ep would mean to draw attention to the people who built everything and to show how little C.G.I was used. The painstaking time and love everyone had on this series goes unappreciated until an obsessive person as myself comes along and screams into the void and makes a tumblr post.

Phew, VALE Rant ended for now but as long as I breathe, I shall have an opinion. Great for those who want to read these long ass essays. I should never say I'm going to write something short because I blab so much. Guys, never believe me when I say I have little to say about a thing. That is until I actually don't have a lot to say about something. But yeah not much that the production can do now I understand yet it's therapeutic to write and hopefully to read. And who knows maybe someone working on any future GoT universe projects might see this. Hi. I'm normal, just not about this.

VALE Talk for my old flame, Prince Aemond Targaryen. (Old flame? seriously? As if your 500+ page wip fic doesn't have a bit of the one eyed bastard in it..) Well I'm not too pleased with his involvement killing off Princess Rhaenys Targaryen. So yes, old flame. I wrote this during my birthday and kinda pushed it aside because it dives into Alicent's parental troubles. So! That meant postponing but now you get my thoughts on why Aemond rejects Alicent's affection in the bottom right gif. (My opinion of course.) Without further ado, time to conspirer on the deteriorated relationship between Aemond and Alicent.

I didn't quite understand why Aemond rejected Alicent's maternal love because we have seen their "closer" relationship. She always tried to make him see himself as an equal to his dragon rider siblings. She went as far as committing treason and assault against Rhaenyra and her children. And demanded an equal exchange of punishment for Lucerys. Yet once he become Prince Regent he completely went off the deep end.

Aemond has been on his own since his youth. Aemond saw his mother, a woman confined to a position of lesser power and his father, a dying king who fights only for Rhaenyra. Even though he was seemingly the voice of reason during the night in Driftmark castle, he didn't want to be. Aemond wanted Alicent to rise above Viserys and prove to him that he is someone worth defending. When the only outcome was a cut arm, Aemond saw that as weakness. Because if he lost an eye, an entire organ, why should he believe that his mother had any power? In his eye she had as much power as he did, very little.

He grew angry at the fact that a child wasn't worth the bloodshed. Overtime he feeds into his anger because Alicent never told him otherwise. I think if Alicent caught onto it early, she could've said 'I'm sorry that you lost an eye and you have a right to be angry but it's over.' Or something along those lines. Even if Alicent wasn't pleased with the circumstances a child shouldn't harbor that much baggage. He has every right to be angry. I'd be fucking pissed that one of my bullies got away scot free while I'm without a pretty important organ. But to have it explained as a difficult position for the adults instead of demonstration of weakness would've created at least a tiny voice of reason in Aemond.

A grasp for power after living a powerless youth. Aemond couldn't accept his mother's affection because he didn't want to be reduced back into the helpless dragon-less boy. He needs to subvert everyone's expectation of him. 'Prince Aemond is the only child of the king to never claim a dragon.' Claims the largest living dragon in their lifetime. 'Oh, he has an eyepatch, he cannot be a very good fighter.' He becomes better then the Queen's guard. 'He is the second prince, he won't be very sufficient in war.' The one to force allegiances with large armies better than his King brother.

To have his mother in the Green council meant having to reduce his power. One of his tormenters is dead, An notable enemy was slain by him in battle, Aegon is singed to a crisp. All that by Aemond's hand, he became God-like. The Seven Gods all in one. Which is why he seeks comfort to a motherly figure without the reduction of power. He can be seen as youthful but no less powerful. Alicent's affection is his weakness that he tries to remove so he is an enemy without fault. Yup, Prince Regent you are a very sneaky character.

I'm back!! Did you miss me? (It's been a few hours but I'm clingy when I like you.) Anyways, this will not be a VALE Talk analysis on our cynical, homicidal, vengeful, bullied Prince per say. Wait! it will come soon worry not my pretties. No, this post will talk more about his outfit. I know. "This is unnecessary Vale, why do I want to read about Ameond's outfits?" "He barely had any notable garment changes and it doesn't matter." Wait, I'm going to try to convince you that it does matter. And sprinkle a little Daemon in the mix, just a pinch. Alright? Okay, time for a mini VALE Talk: fashion edition.

Up above you can see a beautiful gif of the Prince Aemond Targaryen in all his vengeful galore. The color grading is more saturated. Meaning Vhagar's wings are more green, hair more white, bluer eyes. Well, what else do we see? Yes, green attire. In the show what Ameond wears seems to be black training/formal attire. Because of the color grading, we loose the true color. (I can and will post a short rant about the color grading in the show.) This may not be a total lose because now it gives me a chance to think way too much about the psychology behind this.

Aemond is being deceptive. He comes across as a full fledge Targaryen by wearing near black clothing. But when you look closer (a lot closer,) you see his true intentions. He is a Hightower first and foremost. Everything he does is for the Hightowers to win instead of the Targaryens. Yet he must act like a full Targaryen because he needs Aegon to usurp the Throne first. So as to show even more that Rhaenyra's children shouldn't be in line for the Throne, he wears black green clothing.

Compare that to Daemon, who is a fully fledge Targaryen. He wears true black as seen above. (We all can collectively stare for a bit...) Anyways, my point is that it's a subconscious effort to be a petty, deceptive, sneaky guy so he may acquire the Iron Throne in the name of Hightower and himself. Clever, Prince Regent, clever.

VALE Talk for Team Black por fin! This is the moment where we pleaded for Rhaenys to come back! What do you mean you aren't going to kill your abductors? Wait, you can just say a quick 'Dracarys' and then problem solved. Okay, the body count isn't exactly zero but the ones that should be counted are still alive. This would stain Rhaenyra's name, yeah but it would no doubt make her the only option for ruler.

Bare with me as I, Vale, shall discuss why I think Rhaenys didn't choose to end the war before it began.

Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, only child of the named heir of the Iron Throne and first son of King Jaehaerys I, Aemon Targaryen. She was meant to be first in line for ruler as what was supposedly thought to be the monarchy custom. King Jaehaerys had a reason to not name her queen as she was pregnant (in the books,) and Baelon, his second son was alive. Now that both sons died, Jaehaerys named Viserys king for no other reason then, 'Princess, your nature does not appeal for authority over a kingdom. You are best suited for the title that is bestowed to you instead of more tasking issues in which are best for the more sturdier of natures.' Translated really just means, 'hey niece. Yeah you're a woman, yeah you are, so no you can't be Queen. This is a job for big strong men.'

She wanted to be Queen, don't get it twisted. She knew that by law she was the next in line. Once Viserys was crowned, Rhaenys let the prospect go. She taught herself to be unprovoking in every situation where her gender was slighted because she couldn't beat the system. It doesn't stop her from being open about it. "Men would sooner put the realm to the torch than see a woman ascend the Iron Throne." Rhaenys just says it how it is because there's no point in saying otherwise when she's clocking men's true intentions.

Yet she doesn't speak about this to Corlys or Viserys. Rhaenys chooses to be relaxed. She chooses peace. This is a habit she has formed since Jaehaerys' reign. It guides her into agreeing with Rhaenyra and Laenor's marriage. Then it pulled her back to not pursue after her suspicions about Daemon's involvement with Laena's suicide. It also takes over to not push Rhaenyra into admitting the questionable parentage of her grandsons or Rhaenyra's involvement in Laenor's death. Rhaenys fully supports Rhaenyra's title as heir to the Throne after her crowning. She decides for Corlys to forget the shame of his affair and take care of his bastardized sons because they shouldn't be punished by his negligence. These are among many instances where she chooses peace because it was the reasonable option. It's ever present with Rhaenys' character.

Also something else was that it wasn't her battle. The way Rhaenys fights has influenced this decision. If she did burn Aegon it might've been the wrong choice. (Mind you this is from her current knowledge and perspective!) She plays in an observant way so she chooses her battles very carefully. Bringing the news of Viserys' death and Aegon's usurping was more important. A meticulous person because everyone has their own agenda. To burn the Greens was to do something beyond her natural decision making and fighting strategy.

And thus we have the famous act of flying away instead of burning the Greens. Rhaenys, in my mind and based on her habits, did this because it was the best thing to do. It's not because she was a weak person or even that she couldn't kill a mother and her children. This was demonstrated by having Meleys roar, the act of showing dominance without physical harm. (Kind of a cunty move tbh.) Not instigating was a habit engrained into her. She was the observant one and aware of those who do the provoking. It was a decision she thought was the best. Oh and isn't that the case for everyone and their plots? (Yes.)