My husband and I are in the IVF trenches atm, with 3 years of resolutely failing at getting pregnant. I'm dealing with this by obsessively reading mpreg fic, which I think is a normal and healthy thing I do but also I will never tell a single soul. I cannot wait for your mpreg fic. Please imagine me, sweating anxiously in the clinic waiting room, calming myself reading about men being forced to be pregnant by a mysterious force.
omg just knowing that this fic may provide you with a bit of distraction during this time is giving me so much joy and motivation. i’ll provide a list of reproductive related triggers at the start of the fic, but please let me know if there are any topics you’d want to be warned about or anything you’d like tagged on my blog
a little bit of my own experience (babies mentioned): four of the closest women in my life experienced infertility that lasted 3-7 years until take home baby or is still ongoing. mostly unexplained 🫠 i’m not a member of horrible club, but i can speak the language of it and can utter the foulest malédictions about those who get free first try babies. 😡 i have diminished ovarian reserve (at 29, the egg quantity of a 43 year old for reasons unknown) but this ultimately didn’t impact my time to conception. i did have threatened early labor and a late preterm baby, but which while a very scary time all ended up fine. two close friends have had babies with extended NICU stays.
i say all this to acknowledge what a FUCKED UP SCARY BAD PURGATORIAL trial reproduction can be and to assure you that the fic will not diminish the grief of it, even when I’m writing a millionaire man with constipation. ✊🥹 it’s lighthearted without being demeaning, if that makes sense. thinking of you and if you ever need a buddy who will never suggest you ✨try this✨ or ✨just relax✨ im always here. truly! ❤️
ivf egg retrieval with pcos is no fucking joke, nor is ovarian hyperstimulation. it's been four days and i was FINALLY able to sleep in a bed instead of upright on the couch for the first time since tuesday. if i've been a ghost this week, it's because i've been slowly becoming one with my couch and heating pad and pain medication but i'm back, baybee!!
FYI- I am going through another fertility treatment cycle so replies might be slow. Need to take care of myself and all that jazz. I will reply when I can! (Will try to get to some before bed)
Idk how you feel about it but I get "vibes" that Rendon was holding Anora with hopes of marrying her to either Thomas or Nathaniel and getting himself the crown. If Loghain won the Landsmeet, what would Anora do if faced with the reality of having to marry one of the Howe sons?
unprompted asks my beloved . @valorcorrupt
God Rendon Howe what a weasel of a man you are.
If Loghain won at the Landsmeet, he'd have to really put the pressure on Anora if that were to work. Not because she would be against the marriage to either Thomas or Nathaniel. But because once more there are these people drilling into her what she should and should not do when she is the fucking Queen.
The thing to remember though is that while Anora and Cailan were in love when they first married, Anora had drilled into her from a relatively young age that this arragement wasn't necessarily based on love. Love happened and that's great, but it was still an affair of implementing stability in a nation that desperately needs it.
Here's what I see happening: Anora after the Landsmeet is rattled at how fucking close it got. Loghain will fucking hear it in private, and she will start putting her foot down. If such a proposal was brought to her, after the last stand in Denerim, she would consider it. Realistically, if she knew that Fergus Cousland was alive, it is more likely that she would try to make some checks and mental math to understand how much support and influence they had after all that happened - if we are talking about a (female) Cousland Warden here. If we are talking about a male warden, Anora might consider it but the issue is that marrying a warden already lowered the chances of having children as far as she understood it and they can't have that when (she believes) she already has issues conceiving.
So, after all of this, she would likely reach the conclusion that Thomas or Nathaniel might be the best. Likely being Nathaniel since he is the oldest and the one closes to her in age. However, she would put her foot down on one thing: She is Queen. Nathaniel or Thomas would be Prince Consort. And she will bang on this bell until the cows come home.
on daenerys' fertility - pt. two of three
tw: child loss, fertility, pregnancy
pt. one ; pt. three.
𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐍 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐃
it's interesting that blood magic sits at the center of daenerys' perception of her own fertility. and how this perception arises without any true knowledge of the fact that blood magic, particularly valyrian sorcery, seems to go hand-in-hand with fertility and reproductive health outcomes in house targaryen. as the targaryens lean more into assimilating to andal values, the magic, which is deeply tied to the women of the house, dwindles. as the house begins to favor sons over daughters, it dwindles. as the men of the house begin to stake claim/ownership over the women and begin robbing them of all autonomy, it dwindles. when the kings begin locking targaryen women in towers, it dwindles. when the house passes over the first princess daenerys, then rhaenys, then rhaenyra as heirs to the throne, it dwindles. the targaryens are the only tie the world has to valyria, specifically its magic and the dragonlords. and very specifically, targaryen women are the ties to valyrian sorcery, as we see in rumors of targaryen women, like visenya and shiera seastar, practicing "dark arts".
honing in on the targaryen family and their loss of power, we see that, as time goes on, they, as a family, begin to diminish with massive blows arising from the family cannibalizing itself for the sake of andal values ( as opposed to valyrian values, which place strength of various forms at the forefront, no matter one's gender identity; after all, sexual and gender identity are both fluid in terms of dragons ). and, as the targaryens stray further from valyria, we see that their dragons perish, as well: literally and figuratively. in a figurative sense, the dragons are further and further separated from valyrian norms once the targaryens begin giving them non-valyrian names. the dragons of old are named for valyrian gods. names like silverwing, dreamfyre, sunfyre, etc. break away from this tradition, and because names are so important in magic, we can think of this as a severing of power. we also have a full-on civil war, which once again, is brought on by a deep subscription to andal values, break out that kills just about all of the targaryen dragons. additionally, as time goes on and traditions are lost and dragonkeepers are introduced ( during the rule of jaehaerys ), eggs are kept out of the cribs. and the house suffers; the targaryens need that tie to the dragons and to valyrian sorcery to survive because there are remnants of valyria within them.
loss of power ties directly to targaryen women and their historic struggles with conceiving children who live and survive. as the targaryen women are punished and oppressed by the men of the house,d as the house becomes further and further assimilated into andal values, so are they punished by the power they once wielded. if we think of valyrian power/magic as a personified form, think of it as a greedy thing that wants to survive; it devours worship in the form of its desires, values, memory being expressed, for its physical body is no more. valyrian power/magic favored the targaryens when it gave daenys the dream. it favored the targaryens when it enabled their survival, when it gave aegon and his line the prophecy and duty to save the world, and yet, the favored ones have not only forgotten this entity, but they have essentially ruined its memory. if it cannot survive, why should they? and if the house has forgotten itself . . . and the women have released their autonomy, why should the house continue? valyrian sorcery/magic punishes the targaryens through the women.
but, daenerys — — — who is the prince that was promised, who is destined to save the world, who was born unknowingly through valyrian sorcery ( the storm she was born during is the marker of this; rhaella's death pays for her life ), who is, in a way, favored by this magic, who listened to the traces of sorcery in her blood, who cuddled the dragon eggs close and felt her son reach for the eggs child-to-child, who saw the auras emanating off of them, who felt that they were more than stone, who cherished them, who sought to restore her house in the only way she knew how, who, during a march west to reclaim the family's home, unwittingly sacrificed her baby to restore her husband, who was supposed to aid in this reclamation, and upon understanding prices and the balance of magic, brought dragons back into the world ——— enters the scene. she, heir to her house, changes everything.
࣪𓏲ּ ֶָ 𝑤𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑠𝒕𝒗 ⁝ annabelle wallis, 38 , cisgendered woman , she / her. announcing the arrival of 𝐑𝐇𝐀𝐄𝐍𝐘𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐇 𝐍𝐄𝐄 𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐆𝐀𝐑𝐘𝐄𝐍, the 𝐋𝐀𝐃𝐘 of 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐋. whispers among the court name them to be both gregarious and dogmatic in disposition, and those closest to them speak to their interests in travelling. if we bards could compose a song for them, it might tell stories of scintillate gemstones quarried from the depths of castamere proud against moonbathed flesh , enticing waters lapping at the hem of yitish silks as tendrils of molten platinum tease in the breeze , fire forged and storm bound ; a widows watch and mournful yearning for beast not man . the seven whisper to their most devout queen as she sleeps, making her question where their loyalties truly lie. are they right to whisper? for their loyalties truly lie with 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐆𝐀𝐑𝐘𝐄𝐍𝐒 .
# 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 .
official name: rhaenys tarth née targaryen. nicknames: the jewel of castamere , the sapphire dragoness , lady moonfall. noble title: lady of castamere , lady of tarth , lady of the sapphire isle , lady of evenfall hall. date of birth: tbd. age: thirty 8. birthplace: tbd. home: castamere , westerlands ( formerly ) evenfall hall , tarth. nationality: westerosi. gender: cisgendered woman. pronouns: she / her. orientation: heterosexual. languages: common tongue , high valyrian , low valyrian . accent: westerland.
# 𝐩𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 .
faceclaim: annabelle wallis. ethnicity: valyrian & westerosi. hair: platinum blonde akin to the glow of a full moon. eyes: pale violet. height: 5ft 8. build: ectomorph ; slender and elegant. scent: lavender and amber. dominant hand: right. allergies: n/a. scars: none distinctive. distinguishing features: large almond shape eyes , long moonlit tresses that fall to her lower back in well defined waves. clothing style: draws on popular stylings from her travels in essos , prefers lightweight fabrics usually in various shades of purple , pink , pale blue and gold . she is seldom without some form of statement jewellery , particularly adoring precious gems such as moonstone , diamonds , rubies and pearls .
# 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 .
label: the tempest. mbti: entj. enneagram: the achiever. element: fire. star sign: aires. temperament: sanguine. character inspirations: queen gorgo ( 300 ) , cleopatra , elizabeth woodville. deadly sin: greed. heavenly virtue: dilligence. godly parent: hera.
# 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 .
hobbies: collecting shells upon tarths sandy beaches , swimming in the sapphire lakes , soaring through the skies aback her dragon. religion: the seven formally , leaning more towards old gods. alliance: the targaryens. personal goals: to ensure the prosperity of her family and some other shenanigans probably. would they choose family or power? family ... probably .
the bountiful mines of castamere lure the second child of lucerys and alys targaryen from her mothers womb ; a true dragon , of folkloric proportion , for what literary dragon can even resist such a hoard ? rhaenys they call her , for the queen who never was , so too shall she never be . a tragedy , for what a queen she should have been , but the bards seldom dabble in the tragedies of what could have been & so it will remain unwritten . her name a mere footnote within the annals of history . simply another daughter of the dragonlord dynasty with the same moonbathed hair and violet eyes , the last remaining vestiges of old valyria . but centuries have past since the fragile remnants travelled over the narrow sea aback three mighty beasts , their seed has taken root , the tendrils of their legacy saturated within the soil of westeros and beyond . to be a targaryen is no longer tantamount to godhood , but it is a prideful epithet all the same .
second born , she is spared the burden of heirship but that does not mean she's void of duty . they may not be born of the ruling line , but they still hold value , their name carries weight amongst the westerosi lords , ladies & lieges . for as long as memory serves , rhaenys is aware her future lies within the stormlands ; tarth to be exact . she is to be compensation of sorts , a conciliatory prize to house tarth for the sorry affair with the baratheons ruling lord & their beloved lady – she is a subtle to the stormkings reminder that the true crown is watching . her opinion matters little , her mournful departure from castamere , from her family , a small sacrifice willingly made to maintain peace .
life is not easy for the dragoness , though her days are filled with ease ; there is little for her lord husband to do whilst his father still draws breath , lesser still for herself , save for the making of heirs & even with that she falters . years flitter by & her womb remains barren , but they do not remain childless . the gods wreck a ship and bless her with her first child ; orphaned by the storm they are in want of a family and rhaenys is desperate for motherhood . laena finds them next and with their children at their side , they leave the sapphire isle in search of purpose .
essos is explored , alliances and trade deals are brokered , they are feted by magisters , princes and other ruling nobles – her family thrive & still there is an absence in her heart . there will be a price , the woman is quick to warn , but the dismissive wave of her hand encourages her onwards . it would not work , such things are tales of fantasy and nothing more . when she does not bleed the following month she deems it a fluke ; when her belly swells she blames it on the richness of pentoshi dishes . when she feels a kick , her heart stop still . her twins are born across the narrow see , in blood and sweat stained sheets ; her screams carrying upon the winds to the dragonpit of castamere , where her slumbering beast echoes its mistresses cries of agony . as dawn breaks , rhaenys barters with the stranger for more time ; there will be a price , the womans spectre whispers – but it won't be her , not that day at east .
there will be no more children with violet eyes and moonbathed hair , the maesters had informed her as much . that is my price , rhaenys thinks , wishes , preys . and in time she puts it to the back of her mind , her children flourish & that woman becomes nothing more than a fraud , an easy declaration to make , when distance is put between you . maegelle and maegor complete her family , but there is no ease to be had . they are sickly too frequently , the strain of her worry threatening to fracture all she holds dear . no expense is spared when it comes to finding remedies , it consumes her & she can become neglectful of all else she holds dear . her twins are needy and it is draining , paradoxically she seeks her distance from them and yet cannot abide their absence . this is the price , rhaella whispers , her sanity loosening with every sleepless night .
recent events at king's landing have only compounded her fears ; blood magic , they whisper , and her blood runs cold at every utterance . determined not to succumb to her price , rhaenys has travelled to highgarden in hopes of finding some peace amongst her kin and perhaps even finding some form of purpose .
where: Cori's house - downtown
when: April 2024
who: Cori & @docolives
Cori had spent her afternoon getting her final ultrasound and blood work taken care of before getting the go-ahead to officially start her treatment cycle later that evening. As soon as she had that clearance, she let Livvy know that they were on for dinner and injections once Olivia was off of work and done with the riding program for the night. Before returning home, she made sure to pick up some food to make for dinner, both for herself and her best friend. She was in the middle of preparing dinner when she heard her door. Cori quickly rinsed her hands, kitchen towel in hand as she rushed to the door to open up for Livvy. "Hi babe!" she greeted the blonde with a smile, reaching to hug her before stepping aside for her friend walk inside. Shutting the door behind them both, Cori led the way over to the kitchen. "I figure we can do the shot first, then see how I feel while the food finished cooking. I don't want to eat first, in case I get sick or something.. I don't know, sounds better chances to me, you know?"
