[amtva]

What if Daemon swapped with Alicent?

What if, instead of Alicent visiting Viserys in S1E4, it was Daemon who came to his chambers?

The twist is inspired by Hannibal and the setup by 1994's IWTV, evoking the scene where Lestat slips in to offer the dark gift.

Commission by strongconnection See also: IWTV, Hannibal & HotD parallels

[amtva]

Dooku — the Anakin we never got

We all know the prequels echo the original trilogy so closely that it’s hard to tell whether it’s self-copying or pure poetry.

Just look at how the plot and certain scenes mirror each other:

Ep 4/1 — Newbie pilot Luke/Anakin blows up the enemy space station

Ep 5/2 — Newbie Jedi Luke/Anakin loses a hand to Vader/Dooku, a former Jedi turned Sith

Ep 6/3 — Luke/Anakin confronts Vader/Dooku on a spaceship in front of the main villain and takes his revenge

The more I think about it, the more convinced I am that Dooku isn’t just the prequels’ Vader, but actually the Anakin we deserved.

The one with a longer, more respected Jedi career & a far more convincing turn to the dark side.

Though barely on screen, it’s pretty clear he:

peacefully left the Order to pursue politics — something Anakin could have done, to start a family with Padmé

turned to the dark side to destroy the Sith in revenge for losing Qui-Gon — as Anakin might have for Padmé, had the Jedi failed to protect her from yet another assassination attempt

See also: Count Dooku headcanons

[amtva]

Dooku deserved better

TCW and the EU did Dooku dirty, so here are my ROTC headcanons to fix that mess:

Dooku didn’t kidnap Palpatine. They just got caught sneaking around, so they staged it as a kidnapping.

Dooku didn’t let Anakin defeat him to get captured. He was just holding back to avoid killing him, like in AOTC, and this mercy cost him.

Dooku considered turning Anakin after Obi-Wan refused him on Geonosis, but hesitated, and Palpatine was faster.

Dooku was never truly a Sith. Red saber and “Darth Tyranus” were just for show. Deep down, Dooku still saw himself as Jedi and secretly planned to destroy the Sith. That’s why he says “My Jedi powers are far beyond yours,” and why his Sith name is hilariously bad.

Dooku was an ally, not a pawn. That made him dangerous, so Palpatine discarded him. He never kneeled before Palpatine, not once.

Dooku said nothing so that Anakin would live. A move for his legacy (yeah, only Qui-Gon counts for Dooku, only Obi-Wan for Qui-Gon, everyone else doesn’t exist for me).

P.S. And yeah, he’s not a human supremacist. His allies are aliens, and his army consists of droids. Dooku is perfectly fine with both!

See also: Count Dooku fic recs.

[thats-ee]

hello brother I am on my knees. Do you have any good dooku fic recs

hello I am also kneeling, albeit apologetically. I don’t really read fanfic, largely because I am so overwhelmed by the sheer volume available 🥹 (if any kind souls with recs see this, please share your knowledge)

[amtva]

My faves: fics where Dooku isn’t always the lead, but always worth it.

Coalesced Matter Gen | G | None | AU Master Dooku’s quiet mission unravels when Obi-Wan and Anakin send a call for help.

All But Name Gen | G | None | AU Obi-Wan trains Anakin outside the Temple. At some point, he starts working for Senator Amidala and meets an elderly Jedi assigned to guard her after an assassination attempt.

Protégé: Chosen (and the sequels) Gen | T | None | AU Master Dooku steps in to offer to train Anakin Skywalker.

The Two Sons of Tatooine F/M | T | Padmé/Anakin | AU Rejected by the Jedi Order, Obi-Wan is captured by pirates, sold as a slave on Tatooine and adopted by Shmi Skywalker. 

Fire M/M | T | Dooku/Qui-Gon The former master comes to bid a farewell to Qui-Gon.

You are a call to motion M/M | T | Dooku/Anakin | Time Travel A mysterious Jedi Knight from the future arrives at the Temple, capturing Padawan Dooku’s attention.

[amtva]

Blorbo tag game

Tagged by @pumpkinthreat28blog here.

Over to @thingsthatneedtobesaidsblog, no pressure.

Without naming them, post (up to) 10 gifs of characters that altered your brain chemistry.

They’re all pretty well-known, but I haven’t really talked about them here yet. Something tells me that might change tho.

So, on to the list!

1 - He showed me that I could truly empathize with a villain.

2 - He made me realize that older characters can be just as cool, fascinating, and magnetic as the younger ones.

3 - He was my gateway into what I would later learn was called slash shipping. Pity the pairing doesn’t get the credit it deserves. And he’s the only one on the list I originally met through the book.

4 - He was the first character I didn’t immediately recognize as that famous actor, and even when I did, I could hardly believe my eyes. He also got me into vampires.

5 - She’s the first female lead who truly felt like someone I wanted to model myself after.

P.S. Apparently, all my faves have one thing in common, superpowers! And I met almost all of them back in childhood, except for #4.

P.P.S. Hints in the tags. Took me a while to write this one, sorry!

[istumpysk]

Despite being similar, Stannis and Dany fans never wanted their faves to be associated with each other. Stannis fans think that Dany is a tyrant who Stannis is a true king. While Dany stans think that Stannis is a monster. Hilarious 😄

The Stannis/Daenerys fandom rivalry is easily one of my favourite things.

Please nobody ever tell them.

[amtva]

This rivalry even made me ship them, along with the character parallels.

Seems like it will never end and now continues in HOTD with Stannis fans backing Aegon and Dany fans rooting for Rhaenyra.

Remember why the MCU’s Civil War started back then? 🤭

source: X

[amtva]

Top 10 songs on repeat

Cheers to @pumpkinthreattheelder for tagging me here.

Passing it on to @politicalmamaduck, jump in if you’d like!

Alright, let’s go! Hope you enjoy it.

1. A beautiful song about a woman facing and overcoming challenges, one I truly relate to. I’ve been a longtime fan of the band and absolutely love their distinctive sound.

2. A tense indie track about inner breakdowns. Just like with the previous band, I really enjoy their unique style.

3. A tuneful song about long-distance love or parting that I always come back to.

4. A catchy yet somewhat sad pop song about a guy’s futile attempts to win over a girl. Nostalgic for when it was everywhere.

5. An uplifting rock ballad, timeless and enduring. Always taking me back to the Spanish friend who first got me into this band.

6. Upbeat melody paired with a sad tale of missing an ex. I could play it on loop endlessly.

7. Very similar to "Ninguna", longing after a breakup, apparently my favorite topic following general life cruelty. 🫠

8. Recently discovered this guy—sounds a bit old-fashioned, but I love the raw emotion and the depth of his lyrics.

9. Driving rhythms and empowering lyrics, perfect for boosting motivation and feeling unstoppable.

10. Bittersweet and heartfelt, capturing the intensity of being with someone special.

[amtva]

Why a king consort?

Warning: HotD spoilers ahead

Rhaenyra is often compared to Empress Matilda, but she may have more in common with Spain’s Isabella II.

Perhaps the showrunners spotted the parallel and decided to reference it subtly. See for yourself:

Both were deposed but their sons still got the throne

Both married relatives they did not love

Both faced endless gossip about illegitimate children

Because their husbands were rumored to be either gay or impotent

And ta-da ✨️, their husbands held the title of king consort (not a prince like usual)

Turns out the title comes with some… extra implications 🤭

I mean… was trading Laenor for Daemon even worth it? Hot take?

[amtva]

Same vibe, no?

Warning: HotD spoilers ahead

You can almost hear Daemon say, “half Viserys, half Hightower.”

See also: Is show Daemon relying on book Stannis?

[amtva]

Hannibal & HotD: same misread, same hint

Warning: Hannibal spoilers ahead

Remember, people thought Hannibal was just another killer cop show, totally unaware they were actually watching Interview with the Vampire — cannibalism instead of vampirism?

Looks like something similar's happening with HotD: most viewers see it as a love story between Rhaenyra and Daemon — when it’s never really been that.

See also: What's wrong with this fandom?

What’s more, both misreads seemingly missed the same clues:

Hannibal featured a parallel intimate scene between Will & Margot and Hannibal & Alana, hinting at partners switching later.

HotD went there too — didn’t swap partners, but the framing implied the characters’ true desires.

Another striking parallel across LesLouis, Hannigram, and Visaemon is the dynamic of partly unrequited feelings — where the “bad guy” can’t let go, while the “good” one’s trying to get away.

See also: Brother—the word that says it all

Maybe it's just me overthinking, but aren’t the HotD writers kinda Hannibal/IWTV fans?

[amtva]

What's wrong with this fandom?

When talking about the love of Daemon’s life, the HOTD fandom be like:

Meanwhile, in the writers' room:

See also: Daemon’s season 2 arc summary.

[amtva]

Is show Daemon relying on book Stannis?

I guess Daemon and Rhaenyra are so popular because people view them as the new Jon and Dany — but to me, they feel more like the Stannis and Daenerys we never got to see — especially with how much show Daemon borrows from book Stannis.

The parallels are pretty surprising:

Both craved the approval of their older brother-kings — and both wanted to be Hand.

Both blame their brother’s death on the queen — and neither intends to let it go unpunished.

Both lack skill in diplomacy, and Daemon almost directly quotes Stannis after Oscar Tully points out how hated Daemon is by the local lords.

Both share a similarly dry, deadpan sense of humor — “a big chair made of swords” sounds exactly like something book Stannis would say.

If Daemon keeps channeling Stannis next season, I’m totally here for it — it really suits him!

P.S. Just watch them — a mere coincidence, but this is priceless.

[amtva]

Brother — the word that says it all

It’s striking how Daemon always calls Viserys “brother,” while Viserys seems to avoid the word altogether.

For Daemon, the word carries weight.

It may be:

a way to separate the flawed man from the ideal of the family leader he worships

a quiet claim to the roles he believes he was born into — the Hand, the heir, and [arguably] the consort.

Daemon uses his brother's name only once — to call him weak.

For Viserys, sidestepping it is a subtle act of distancing.

He doesn’t reach for “brother” until he’s trying to stop Daemon from leaving — after Daemon nearly says “I need you” on Driftmark.

See also: What if Daemon heard the right words—and stayed?

[amtva]

What if Daemon heard the right words—and stayed?

Did you catch him mouthing "you" before spitting "nothing"? Daemon only longed for Viserys to tell him that he needed him too.

Commission by @lopata-four.

[amtva]

Daemon's season 2 arc summary:

Credits | Reference

[amtva]

Stannis and Daenerys playing a Nim-like game with Westeros cities.

Inspired by an old codeforces task. Commission by @lopata-four (deviantart). Previously published on pinterest.