you're your mother, sweetling; you sunk your teeth, ragged and sharp into my mother, she let you suck her dry. now you sink your teeth into me, and I'll let you suck me dry.
inspired by this post by @15step
Mine / A Storm of Swords – George R. R. Martin / House of the Dragon / A Game of Thrones – George R. R. Martin / A Feast for Crows – George R. R. Martin / A World of Ice and Fire – George R. R. Martin / Fire and Blood – George R. R. Martin
Here is a selection of some of my favourite fics that feature Larys Strong from House of the Dragon.
Some are: character studies, fics that feature a particular paring (Larycent, for instance), and some are where he only appears as a supporting character, but I included the fic because the way the author wrote him was superb.
The fics will align with my tastes and do not appear in any particular order or rank.
I did my very best to write my notes in a way that was (mostly) spoiler free.
Happy reading!
The Hour of the Cockroach by TheSithVirtuoso
COMPLETE; 2.6k words.
Set during the events of the Hour of the Wolf in F&B, this work features a conversation between Cregan Stark and an imprisoned Larys. It's quite dialogue heavy—with all the Medieval flourishes of the ASOIAF world—but that's really where characters like Larys get to shine.
The relationship between Cregan and Larys was incredibly fascinating because their ideals and beliefs are so different; duty and honor vs. deception and guile. The power dynamic is fascinating as well, because even though Larys is the one imprisoned and sentenced to die, he dances verbal circles around Cregan and seems wholly unbothered by his proximity to the Stark executioner—it's as if his death is merely a slight inconvenience.
The work is philosophical, haunting, dark, and even in his final hours of life, Larys remains in control.
Of Rats and Weirwoods by Aliffo
COMPLETE; 3.5k words.
As soon as I watched Alys in S2, I couldn't wait to read fics that explore a relationship between her and Larys. In this fic, Alys is both an ominous and kind mentor figure to Larys. Her character truly leaps off the page, and you can just hear Gayle's Scottish drawl drip from every piece of dialogue.
The authors depiction of Larys is exceptional. As a child, he's a little bit cheeky and more than a little bit judgmental. He's an observer, a watcher, a boy with a bad leg and a talent for lip reading. He's not quite the person we, as viewers, know from the show, but it's easy to imagine how this boy becomes that man.
The writing is beautiful. Just... beautiful. It's deeply poetic, the descriptions are so vivid and rich, the foreshadowing of future events and fates is stunning, and the ASOIAF language it features would fit perfectly into a GRRM novel.
the fire spread throughout my bones and stayed by silent_heaven
COMPLETE; a little over 1k words.
This is another work that explores the relationship between Alys and Larys, but unlike the previous rec, this one really emphasises their family connection. Alys is fourteen, and is akin to an older sister. The way the author physically describes her is gorgeous. There's also some slight Alysmond, for those interested.
Larys is nine and is grappling with his greenseer gift. What I enjoyed most about his POV is his thoughts around Harwin and his father; his anecdotes of the Strong family in those early years at Harrenhal felt incredibly authentic and real.
The fic is an stunning exploration of family, of blood, of fate. What makes a family a family? If your sister is this cursed bastard, why does she look so much like you? If what you see with your eyes closed is what will come to pass, then why is your home burning? Why do you taste ash on your tongue?
Firebug by 2_ticky
COMPLETE; 2.2k words.
If you have siblings, reading this fic will gut you like a fish. Out of all the wonderful works that I've included on this list, this is by far the one that caused me to experience the most emotional turmoil. Do with that information what you will.
Throughout the TV series, Larys is depicted as being many things: a nobleman, a cripple, a confessor, a confidant, and (rather briefly, as most details are when they don't include a member of the Targaryen family) a brother.
This fic digs into that sibling relationship, and by GOD is it full of feelings and angst. Harwin, both literally and figuratively, haunts Larys.
It's so sad, guys. So unbelievably sad.
Read it.
Covenant by Halja
COMPLETE; a little over 500 words.
Although quite short, this work—all prose, no dialogue—is a beautiful look into the relationship between Alicent and Larys. Beautiful is an understatement though, because every single line of this fic is pure poetry; like, I need those sentences tattooed on my body effective immediately.
Nothing can stop us from becoming nothing by killinggame (@necrofacility).
COMPLETE; 2.8k words.
Larys and Aegon's relationship in S2 is captivating on several levels, especially their potential for romance (or, what either man could constitute as romance, anyway). Set on a ship bound for Essos, the pair are orbiting each other with all the tasty flavours of co-dependency and shifting power dynamics.
Aegon, in true Aegon fashion, is somehow brimming with insecurity and full of unmitigated confidence; is this both endearing and frustrating? Yes. And no one is experiencing these emotions more than Larys. The man balances the roles of servant, guide, and confident with practiced ease, and the author's writing transitions to each of those facets with utter smoothness and subtly.
The pair have a very "whatever the fuck these two got going on" dynamic that is quintessential to any larysgon fic, and this work does this deliciously.
