#but no matter what dani still made the choice

[burr-ell]

"the tendency of this fandom to only engage with what THEY want these characters to be#as opposed to what their creators are trying to do and the stories they want to tell" slap this on a bumper sticker, you just summed all cr discourse (about PCs at least) in 2 sentences

It truly is maddening (and it's not by any means exclusive to the CR fandom). The reason why the discourse always goes the way it does is that at the end of the day, the loud fanwanky people only see what they would do, if they were self-inserted into the story, as a valid choice; and they are, more broadly, fundamentally disinterested in what others think or feel. There are several examples of this, and the variety of spaces within the fandom that produce these ideas is an indicator that this isn't endemic to one specific group of people.

-Keyleth is an important character whose feelings and choices are validated by the other PCs and cast even if they still disagree with them, in spite of how she and her preachiness get in the way of the Murderhobo Jubilee? It's not because the cast are all friends and they genuinely believe Keyleth is valid and are interested in how these discussions and choices can guide the story. It's because Marisha is the DM's girlfriend, and also here's my totally unbiased theory that my pet favorite players Sam and Travis secretly hate Marisha and Keyleth.

-Vax's presence is still felt and nodded to in the post-canon VM oneshots? It's not because he was an important character who mattered. It's because Liam wants to make everyone talk about his tragedy because he has Main Character Syndrome. Scanlan Wishes for Vax to appear at the wedding? It's not because he cares about Vex or because Sam and Liam wanted a sweet tribute to Vex and Vax's relationship and by extension Liam and Laura's friendship. It's because Liam thinks Vex's life should always revolve around Vax, and Sam wants to enable him and jerk himself off as the one who facilitated it.

-Beauyasha and Fjorester become canon? It's not because the players wanted it and it happened naturally. It's because there was a secret behind-the-scenes push to "force" those ships to become canon instead, and like, Dani Carr is some sort of shipping puppetmaster who made the players do it, and "they" (whomever "they" is) decided to sink Beaujester or Widojest because it was "obviously" going to become canon before the pandemic hiatus gave them time to "make the corporate-approved ships happen".

-Beau and Caleb try to reform the Empire and dismantle the Cerberus Assembly from within? It's not because it makes sense for their stories or that people who would take this position regarding a corrupt government might have a valid perspective that differs from your own. It's because the people at Critical Role Productions LLC are all spineless neoliberal cowards who won't commit to real activism. The best activism, after all, is violent, and violent revolutions have always resulted in stable aftermaths, and the real world has never demonstrated that this mindset is foolish.

-Relatedly: Caleb doesn't kill Trent personally? It's not because the most poetic justice would be to deny Trent the thing he wants most from Caleb. It's because "Limo Brain" is too obsessed with tragedy to have the stones to do "what needs to be done".

-Asmodeus, DnD Satan, turns out to also be CR Satan? It's not because it fits with the cosmology and the lore; it's because Matt Mercer is too attached to the "establishment", and the Prime Deities should have actually turned out to be the bad guys because of my personal baggage about Western religion and Christianity they're a little mean to my blorbo sometimes.

There's a pattern here: fans had expectations that they'd built up for themselves after projecting and building up fanon and deciding what players meant before they explained themselves fully, and when the players strayed from that, they were derided for all manner of reasons. I think we're seeing that same pattern play out in C3 as the story progresses in a way that fans dislike, and in fact we have seen fanwank spread whenever someone does anything that interferes with personally catering to a) the favored ship and/or b) the favored philosophy. (Orym, Ashton, FCG, Percy, Pelor...all valid when they affirm the Fandom Opinions and all disdained when they don't.)

Don't get me wrong, I think there's a place for comfort stories that deliver a personal catharsis. And I'm not going to dismissively say "well if you want it so bad make your own" because, as an artist, I am very familiar with the fact that creating is hard and draining and sometimes you just need to consume instead. But when you become so wrapped up in yourself and your feelings to the point where your perspective is the only valid one, someone else's feels like a betrayal when it isn't. It's always "They aren't doing what we wanted and here's why they're terrible people because of it" and never "Hmm, why is this what the cast wants? Let's examine that."

This isn't a new phenomenon, but I think it ultimately stems from not assuming that other people can differ from you in major ways in good faith. There are a lot of reasons for that (some more understandable than others), but I think you rob yourself of the potential to enjoy something new when all you do is demand what you already want. No matter what you're doing or where you are in life, you tend to become a better and wiser person when you open your mind to what other people have to say, no matter how mundane the subject matter. Sometimes the stories people have to tell are challenging—and the only healthy way to deal with that is to engage with them on their own terms.

[dragonseeds]

what are your thoughts on rhaegar and lyanna?

oh i love them! there’s all this talk of them haunting the narrative and they do, but i’d take it further and say they are the black hole at the center of the story. the choices that they made, starting with lyanna’s decision to defend howland reed and what that meant to both him and rhaegar, who was very likely at his lowest point at harrenhal after the ruination of his careful plans, touched or changed the lives of every character and plot line in the series. the story itself is such a fun mashup of tristan and iseult, lancelot and guinevere, helen and paris, the fall of camelot and all of arthuriana really, the classic trope of the princess in the tower and the dragon and the knight: all of that in one couple and we don’t get to experience any of it with them. we can guess and speculate, but we can never truly know them. we experience their story only through the memories the people who survived the war they ostensibly kicked off, and those memories are all heavily colored by trauma, guilt, nostalgia—alternately faded and sharpened by time. it’s this incredibly fun and brilliant reconstruction of some of the most enduring tragedies in folklore and mythology and i adore it.

hate beyond articulation the way asoiaf.tumblr.edu approaches their relationship and the individual characterizations of both of them, though. just absolutely some of the most insufferably sanctimonious disingenuous decontextualized analysis i’ve ever experienced—much of that coming from people viewing this through a historical lense instead of a thematic one. like, imagine approaching the battle of the trident as “rhaegar is a bad person for fighting for his father who was evil! he lost the moral high ground with that one” as opposed to “rhaegar as a character exists to fail and die; he was the last dragon, carrying the unbearable weight of his family’s legacy and the burden of the prophecy for which they conquered westeros: the end of his life is the end of the targaryen dynasty. he must fail and he must die, so that dany and jon can grow up free of that weight and that power. daenerys gets to redefine what it means to be targaryen on her own terms. she and jon separately and unknowingly do the things that he thought he had to do—the things he was conceived and born to do—but never knew how: they do it because of their circumstances, because of the people that they have grown into, because they believe it is their duty, because they have the power to do it.” also, like, re: interpretations of battle of the trident, is there maybe another battle that occurs later in the series that is exactly the same thematically and contextually? where perhaps a character who was missing for a while shows up on the eve of battle, knowing that the opposition is right and their cause is just but that his family will die if he doesn’t fight with them? anything that adds an extra layer of meaning to what happens, aside from dany’s own connection—which is not as thematically similar but is still incredibly meaningful. like i certainly don’t think there’s any one interpretation of a character or story, but the worst ones are consistently applied to rhaegar.

and then with lyanna in particular, it’s like people cannot stomach her or find her sympathetic as a character unless they’re wallowing in her eternal victimhood. the constant dismissal of the importance of lyanna’s actions and what they meant to rhaegar is pure misogyny, by the way. her choices and her agency, the inherent meaningfulness of the struggle for both of those things in a system that seeks to reduce her to her body and the use men can make of it—all of that is important. the person she was and what that meant to people was important, but from the way i most often see her discussed, it’s like her gendered death is the only thing that matters. it’s okay to lament her because she got crushed by the wheel. if she hadn’t, if she wasn’t a victim to write flagellatory meta about, she would be a hypocrite, someone who needed to learn a lesson—as difficult for some of these people to relate to as dany or rhaenyra apparently are.

like, it’s just wild to me because her kindness to howland reed and her choice to defend him, to disguise herself as the knight of the laughing tree and risk her life and reputation to fight for him—is the answer to and the embodiment of one of the most thematically significant questions in the series. we see it most prominently in dany’s chapters because she asks it directly: why do the gods make kings and queens if not to protect the ones who can’t protect themselves? that’s what lyanna did, when no one else was doing it: she had more honor than any knight at that tourney or any man sitting on the small council, and it meant something to rhaegar. like what about this is hard to understand? i think he must have idealized her immediately: she must have seemed like something out of a song or a story to him, and rhaegar was a singer, a songwriter, a bard: he knows how stories are supposed to go—how to finish a song, or at least he thought he did.

bran, who also loves stories, says it himself: “and the mystery knight should win the tourney, defeating every challenger, and name the wolf maid the queen of love and beauty.” like obviously bran has some critiques i cut out, but he has the ending right—only the wolf maid was the knight, and she couldn’t have won. in the feudal gender prison, women are rewarded for being beautiful and their worth is derived from that and from what their bodies provide. she should’ve won the whole thing, but the system doesn’t allow that, so rhaegar—in a fit of single-minded capital r romantic hero idiocy—dedicates himself to winning the tourney to honor her in the only way he can: the only way the system allows him to recognize her. it was the worst possible move he could make at that time because of the romantic connotations, but i love him for doing it, as stupid as it was and even though there is no way it didn’t hurt and humiliate elia, or make him look terrible when he desperately needed to make a good impression on the lords of the realm—it’s just such a Moment. being reminded that there’s good in the world—feeling hope in the face of endless abject overwhelming despair—how do you express gratitude for that? the idea that he could only doing it by hurting someone who didn’t deserve it and making himself look like an ass is fucking awesome. i’m genuinely so sorry for people are incapable of enjoying that. could not be me!

but that’s just my interpretation of what happened at harrenhal. like i said, part of why i like them so much is that we truly don’t know. while i love darker relationships in general, the idea that he crowned her at harrenhal because he wanted to impregnate her then does not work for me. it’s a popular theory, but it renders some of the very few contextual clues we are given about what happened meaningless. for one, he didn’t know that elia wouldn’t be able to have more children at that time. this was discovered after she gave birth to aegon, and that is the point at which the question of the third child appears to have become a motivating factor for him. i personally think he left for the riverlands to consult with the ghost of high heart—the one whose prophecy is the reason he was born, the reason is parents were forced to marry, the reason his family burned alive the night he came into the world—and ran into lyanna somewhere near harrenhal. it’s possible he had been in contact with her prior to this (how? without her family knowing? what are the logistics of that?) but i think it’s just as likely it was pure chance. i really like the idea that his crowning her queen of love and beauty caused lyanna’s father to set a date for her wedding to robert or talk of moving it up, maybe even suggest a double wedding at riverrun, which would have almost certainly caused her to balk. either way, high heart is located between harrenhal and riverrun. arya also stops there while she’s kidnapped by the brotherhood without banners on the way to ransom her to her family at riverrun, and they trade songs to the ghost for her dreams and prophecies. i think it’s worth noting because arya’s journey in the riverlands mirrors lyanna’s right down to her “death” as arya stark when she leaves for braavos, paying the ferryman’s fee with the coin jaqen h’ghar gave her—just as jon’s journey at the wall mirrors rhaegar’s in many ways right up until his own death.

i also don’t think rhaegar and lyanna eloped because they were in love—this is implied by lyanna’s famous quote—but that they did come to love each other deeply, which is suggested by the way they died: her roses and him saying her name. notably, rhaegar did not leave the tower of his own volition—someone had to come and get him with news of war, which is hilarious because i think the tower of joy is right in the middle of like three major battles of the rebellion? like quite frankly, if he didn’t love her or care for anything beyond the prophecy and if she didn’t love him despite how badly things went wrong, then where in their story is the heart in conflict with itself?

i do want to clarify that i love the tower entrapment and the power imbalance aspects of their relationship as much as i love (what i interpret as) the genuine respect for each other that grew into love: it’s really the tension of those disparate elements that interests me. a dragon can love the maiden, but he’s only ever a dragon—still liable to hoard her like treasure or burn her up and rip her open trying to be gentle, to protect. that FUCKS, sorry! love is sweet and hopeful, but it’s also at exactly the same time horror, consumption, destruction.

idk it’s myopic to act like the beginning or the ending of their relationship—of their lives—is the summation of it. i think people want their story to be easy when it’s not: a clear case of a villain and his victims where everyone knows who to root for and no one has to think too much about things that are difficult or uncomfortable, questions where there probably isn’t an answer that doesn’t hurt someone. what a sad, tedious way to approach any text, but specifically this one. i’ve sometimes seen it suggested that if their story is romantic then it’s an endorsement or justification of all the “bad” things that happened because of it, and that’s also stupid. grrm as an author is never going to be someone who tells us how to feel about anything: he presents these characters and situations, often as a means of exploring certain facets of the human condition, and each of us has to come up with our own answers and find our own meaning. i don’t think he always knows what he means, or what those answers are, you know? but for me rhaegar and lyanna are one of the most fascinating parts of story, and whatever the truth is—if we ever find out—i can’t imagine a scenario where i don’t love them or find them really interesting and wonderfully sad.

[la-pheacienne]

I'm the last anon you got because of your last post brought me memories lmao. I frogot to add that said person said that Tolkien believed even forcing people to do good is bad based on his interpretation about Gandalf and the ring because he said that's what Galdalf's corruption would have been. So yeah, people make all kind of jumps and hooplas to justify their biases.

Yeaaaah I'm not convinced actually. I love finding the parallels between these stories but I'm not blind to their enormous differences, due to their different point of view explained in the (kind of stupid) Aragorn tax policy statement. I say that interview is stupid because it implies a failure/lack of realism on Tolkien's part. The interview is important nonetheless because it showcases that GRRM wants to say sth substantially different than what Tolkien wants to say. It is neither better nor "more realistic" than Tolkien's work, as GRRM implies. It is, however, different, of different nature. And this is important because, as I explain in that post, what GRRM is primarily interested in are the technicalities, the contradictions, the futilities and the dead-ends that the process of ruling entails. This makes this particular story fascinating. In Tolkien's work, the focus is elsewhere. This particular focus of asoiaf means that the use of force, even violence, even ruthless violence, is sometimes necessary. The fact that it's necessary does not mean it is not a difficult choice, that it's not a 'grievous choice" as Jon says. The characters that use it still struggle with it and you see them struggle and doubt and try again and again and again. This should not be used against them, what GRRM says with it is that this is an inherent part of the process of ruling, it is an inherent part of the process of "fighting the good fight", which is what ruling should be about. The characters need to define what makes a good fight, and this is not easy, and then they need to determine the means to fight that good fight, and that is not simple either. And the reader follows them step by step. This is what makes asoiaf fascinating.

So, using Tolkien's concepts in the asoiaf universe needs to be done with caution. What is "bad" in the Tolkien universe is not necessarily bad in the asoiaf universe. It depends. If you want to draw parallels between two works of art that are substantially different, you need to choose the constants and not the variables. The constant between these two works is precisely the importance of the "good fight". The courage in the face of death, the hope in the midst of despair, the importance of trying even if you know your death is inevitable, the importance of friendship and companionship, the heroes that are dreamers, that do not give up, that go on, no matter what. This is not something I made up btw, this is precisely the only parallel to Tolkien's work that GRRM directly acknowledges (see here and here). Now that is a parallel, the only meaningful parallel, and in that parallel Dany (since that dude's argument was about Dany) shows her true colors as a true romantic hero, a dreamer, the very incarnation of hope. Which is precisely how GRRM talks about Dany and Jon. Now the variable is that asoiaf shows you a positive, hopeful, heroic character, while at the same time it shows the character doubt, struggle, fail, and make questionable choices. These two coexist in asoiaf. There you go.

[horizon-verizon]

Extremely unpopular opinion, but I would have no problem whatsoever with Tommen or Myrcella taking over the throne as long they are good rulers who cares about the smallfolk and appoint benevolent people who serves capably and with honesty and integrity. Tommen and Myrcella are genuinely good people, and Myrcella is a mature, strong-willed, and bright child. Divine right of the kings isn’t real and it’s an entirely human-made construct, legitimacy is the smoke and mirrors behind which pure political and military strategy is concealed, the rules don’t matter, and there are still people who believes that Robert Baratheon is an usurper. This fandom has a bloodline problem, this trend in reducing kingship into a matter of who had the “right” blood so they had the “right” claim is profoundly reactionary and supremacist at its core, the “pure” and “true” Targaryens/Baratheons vs the others.

I don’t support Daenerys because she’s Aerys’ trueborn daughter or because her ancestors created the Iron Throne and ruled over the Seven Kingdoms for centuries, I support her because she’s always acting in the interest of other people, helping, saving, and rescuing them even when she is loathed for her choices. And she doesn’t just do it for her people, Daenerys defends all people, even those she aren’t responsible for. She goes to war with the cities of Slaver’s Bay, delaying her grand plan to claim her birthright in Westeros over people that shouldn’t be her concern. She takes one look at slavery and knows it is wrong. She knows she has the power to overthrow it, to change things, so she does because she knows no one else will, no matter the cost to her.

I agree with the conclusion that either Tommen or Myrcella would be better for leadership--older Tommen at least more than Joffrey, Myrcella just on her own. Because bastardry is bullshit and it's truly not these kids' faults that their parents are siblings and their society would kill them if they were ever found out, yes...but also because these two aren't evil or insane, qualities that are pretty much the first prerequisite any society needs in a leader. And they are the better alternatives to what we do and could have had were not Dany or Jon extant.

I don't see how this is unpopular, it's just logical. Perhaps because these people who don't like it think that we would be saying Dany doesn't deserve it, fixing on who gets the throne base son blood instead of considering more than blood and Westerosi feudal ethics.

But Daenerys truly makes my heart go warm. She already has her legitimate feudal claim (the way things will go smoother for her and just to put in some elements to subvert expectations) but she deserves and needs to rule something and enact real change through leadership.

[domripley]

You’ll Love Me Again

kinktober 2022 day four: blackmail

pairing: dark!dani ardor x reader

warnings: blackmail, noncon, delusional!dani, forced relationship, finger sucking, fingering, past relationships, au

word count: 1,163

summary: you broke up with dani three months ago, unbeknownst to you, dani was never okay with this. now, she knows just how to get you back. whether you like it or not.

You looked at the name of the email that popped up:

Our video.

You knew Dani had kept it, but it was made five months ago. You two had been broken up for a good three months and you were starting to forget about your ex girlfriend. Clicking on the email, your heart dropped as you read the words that were on your screen.

You’re going to meet me at the park tonight at 6pm, unless you’d like our video to be out there.

You bit your lip, unsure of what to make of it. Dani never showed signs of being capable of doing things like this and you were also very confused. Why would she be doing this? And why now? You decided to meet her and try to confront her on what this was about. But all of these questions ran through your head.

What if she was hacked? What if she wasn’t the one who sent you the email, but if that was the case, who did she show?

At five you headed to the park, deciding to walk so you weren’t wasting gas and because Dani knew what your car looked like. You were still unclear about why she was doing this, but you knew you were going to find out.

At Five-Fifty, Dani hadn’t showed up and a part of you felt like she was messing with you, but as you got off the bench, a familiar voice spoke up.

“I don’t know where you’re going, I’m not late,” Dani said, walking around the bench so she could sit next to you.

“What the fuck did you mean in that email? Why do you still have that video of us, we’re not even together any more, Dani. That’s-” you began, but Dani cut you off.

“You see, I didn’t want to break up. You broke up with me and I want to get back together.” she admitted and you bit your lip.

You didn’t want to get back together considering she was the cause of your friends distancing themselves from you. You needed space from her and she wasn’t giving it to you when the two of you were dating. It was all too much. She was too much.

“We’re not getting back together.” you said coldly. You needed to be cold with her and not give in to her, or whatever your therapist said. Right now, all you could think about was getting as far away from your ex-girlfriend as possible.

“I figured you’d say something, but guess what? I don’t think you have a choice in the matter. Because that video of ours? I’m not in it, but you are. So you’re going to come back to my place tonight, and we’re going to start dating once more. Or before you know it, everyone will be seeing our video. And I don’t think you want that, now do you?” Dani asked, crossing her arms as she watched your eyes go wide.

“This is insane, why are you doing this shit?” you asked, not answering her question. You wanted to know why, but Dani didn’t seem like she was going to tell you.

“Do you want everyone to see?” she repeated, not backing down.

You swallowed, “I-I don’t…”

“Then come back to my house and I’ll cook you some dinner, like we used to.” she said as she got up from the bench.

You followed her hesitantly, unsure of what you were going to do. She was serious and there was no way out unless you were able to delete it from her phone or computer. Knowing Dani, she must have more than one copy. She was always like that - keeping multiple flash drives with the same things on it. She explained to you before that she didn’t want to lose any memories or anything important.

Dani led the way to her car and you hated yourself for giving in, cursing yourself as you followed her. You hated that you couldn’t stand up for yourself, but you were going to delete the video.

Once the two of you were in her car, Dani started it and headed out of the park. You weren’t sure if you should talk or even say anything, but you wanted this to be over.

“I’ve missed you,” she said, placing her hand on your thigh.

You couldn’t help but tense up, not welcoming her touch. Dani didn’t seem to care, keeping her hand in place while she continued to drive.

“I really wish it didn’t have to be like this, baby, but you left me with no choice. Maybe I just need to remind you why you fell in love with me in the first place.” Dani said, but you weren’t really sure as to who she was talking to. Herself or you.

“You need to not do this, Dani. At one point I did love you, but now? I don’t at all and I know it sounds harsh, but I have to be honest with you.” you sighed, hoping that would get Dani to stop.

“Oh, you’ll start to love me again, I know it.” she said coldly, pulling over onto the side of the road.

You hadn’t recognized the road you were on, but it was small enough for Dani to get away with parking for a long time without anyone passing by. Turning to look at you, Dani wrapped her hand around your throat and began to squeeze.

“Listen here, obviously you’ve forgotten who you belong to. But don’t worry your little head, I’m going to help you remember.” Dani said, letting your neck go so she could turn her car off. “Pants off. Now.”

“No-What the fuck, Dani. Stop!” you shouted, trying your best to push her hands away.

Dani pulled your pants down to your knees, ignoring your protests. You knew she wasn’t going to stop, so you tried to slap her hands away as hard as you could, but that only seemed yo make her mad.

“You hit me again I’ll just say forget it and just send the video out, would you prefer that? Hm?” she asked, and you put your hands down to your sides. You tried to steady your breath as Dani brought her hand between your legs.

Rubbing your clit roughly, Dani looked around to make sure that no one was passing by. You closed your eyes, trying to focus on anything but Dani’s fingers. Biting your lip as Dani slipped two fingers into your pussy, pumping them in and out at a slow pace. You hoped that Dani would stop soon, not wanting this to go on any longer than it needs to.

Once Dani pulls her fingers out and placing them in her mouth, she keeps her eyes on you. You look away from her and as soon as she was done cleaning her fingers off, she asks, “I’m making your favorite tonight, I know you really love my cooking.”

[what-do-1000-swords-look-like]

Jonsa Parallel: Stirring Jon Into Action - one that reiterates who Jon was protecting in 8x06

In 6x04, we get a scene where Jon is about to embark on a journey to head South after what happened in 6x03 (and his murder):

(sorry I couldn't find the scene on YouTube to link; HBO is coming hard for GoT clips all of a sudden, so far purely Targaryen/Dany/Jon-centric)

He's done. "My watch has ended." He tells Edd he'll go South and get warm. Despite Edd mentioning the NK (which we know that Jon has been laser-focused on since HardHome, why he let the Wildlings past the Wall, and then got murdered for it), Jon has made up his mind. He's leaving and that's that.

But then we hear the horn and the call to open the gate. Sure enough, we see this in the next shot (after Jon with Edd behind him):

Sansa is shown first as the doors slowly open, then Brienne and then Podrick. We see Jon's reaction to her arrival and the interaction between them after that. Even though Jon has no interest in fighting Ramsay or anyone really, he is sure of one thing: he's not letting Sansa (the only family left to him that he knows of at this point) out of his sight. He makes that clear with the dialogue from the fireplace scene.

Then they get Ramsay's letter. Even then, as horrified as he is by what Ramsay has told them about Rickon and sees Sansa's own horror, he still seems hesitant to do what needs to be done. Especially when hearing outnumbered they're most likely going to be. It's only when Sansa grabs his hand and tells him they need to save Rickon and Winterfell, that she gets him to listen, that he finally agrees. Which leads to him (and Sansa) amassing an army to fight the NK.

Make no mistake, it's Sansa who stirs him into action. Not Edd, not Davos, not Tormund, and certainly not Melisandre. Even after hearing the threat Ramsay posed to Rickon, to Winterfell (and the North by extension), to the Wildlings, etc.

He is given a new purpose so naturally this scene:

Is soon replaced by this scene:

And Edd is there to see Jon switch to his new role/purpose:

This is Jon going into his new arc. And what propelled him into it? Sansa.

Then we have 8x06:

No matter what Tyrion mentions (including being the shield that guards the realms of men), the people, Tyrion himself, Jon himself, even Arya (in conjunction with Sansa), Jon is not prepared to take action. Even after the KL massacre where a million innocent people were burned alive for no reason. Even after Arya warned him about himself (and Sansa). It's only when Tyrion says that Sansa won't have a choice, that Jon is then gotten through to. It's when Dany confirms that those who oppose her won't have a choice, that he then knows what it means "for those he loves most". It's Sansa again that stirs him into action. And we get:

It's Sansa who gets him to act, that has him taking on the two threats to her (and Westeros), and Ramsay who was an immediate threat to her. And it was even Sansa who got Ned to act (choosing to confess his treason & dishonor himself), to make the same choice in 1x09 that Jon did in 8x06.

And bonus:

Does Jon's reaction to first seeing it was Sansa look familiar?

Not to mention they have the obvious callback to "forgive me" which Jon doesn't answer here explicitly (because 1) it's unfinished/open-ended between them & 2) he needed to get Bran's confirmation here that he did the right thing). And of course the hug:

(notice how Brienne and Tormund are in the 6x04 hug shot btw - love that it's just more proof in the pudding for this whole post)

It was always about Sansa.

[esther-dot]

With the way sometimes Grrm talks about Dany "hot chick riding dragon" or her relationship with Drogo, idk how to say this, is jarring to say the least. We know he was surprised by people seeing san/san as romantic but I still don't know whether he intended Dany's wedding night to be rape (which it obviously is) but then he denied it. Sometimes I get the feeling he doesn't care for her the way he cares for say Sansa and Arya (he would never pair them with Drogo or Daario or Euron! yes Sansa married Tyrion but Grrm made it sure to be unconsummated and little more than sham), probably because he always intended for her to be doomed.

(in reference to this ask I think)

I don’t know that we can look at how much Martin makes a character suffer as an indication of how much he loves them. Tyrion has been misjudged/mistreated his entire life (even abused as in infant), and yet, he is Martin's favorite character. He’s not dishing out pain based on his affection for a character imo. I think he wants to look at certain ideas, and as much as he loves all his characters, as a writer, they’re tools he’s using to say certain things.

As fans, not the artist, it can be hard for us to emotionally disengage enough to think of it that way, but writers are trying to convey big ideas, and Dany’s lovers/husbands at times are representative of something about Dany, it isn’t always as simple as a sex scene, and if Martin is locked into that type of thinking, it may not be hitting him the way it hits us. I clearly remember being 13/14, I remember my friends at that age, so it offends me to read certain scenes or hear him talk about the girls in a certain way. I am with you in objecting to how he speaks about Dany.

That being said, I did have a new thought about this.

Martin endorsed the famous Meereenese blot essays, and in those, the author argues that Dany's choice in men indicates something about her--that she is moved by violence, that peace bores her. He relates what Martin has written about her sex life to Dany's character development, and I think that may be the light in which Martin views his choices, not the one we adopt, "this is a 13 year old child." If we want to extend that grace when interpreting his writing, we can assume that Drogo, as well as Daario, were created to show us Dany's desires--not write Dany as some sexual fantasy for pervs. They may both have been written to show us that Dany is drawn to violent means, even though it scares her, even though it hurts her, even though it may lead to her demise.

I hadn't really thought beyond my repulsion before, but this ask did remind me, there's a long literary history of writing land/countries as feminine, and seeing as how Martin has used the term, "come-into-my-castle" as a euphemism for sex, it's worth wondering what additional purposes some of these sex scenes serve. Maybe, they're conveying bigger ideas? As in, Sansa's choice to not have sex with Tyrion does mean she remains a virgin, but plot-wise, it matters because this actually protects Winterfell, the North, from the Lannisters. It can be read as Sansa (the North) will not be permanently conquered by the enemy (Lannisters), but will become free.

And if we look at Dany with the same idea, Martin's insistence that Dany's wedding day sex was consensual (yikes) and a “seduction” (fucking yikes) the literary point may be that scene is standing in for Dany being seduced by power and violent means, that rather than protecting her country (Westeros), she will willingly bring destruction and death. It is possible Martin's choices were less about whitewashing statutory rape (he goes on to write about Drogo brutally raping Dany so the way he objected to D&D's rewriting of the scene seemed odd), maybe the focus was always meant to be on what Dany loves, what she desires, it just took us getting to ADWD and her riding a dragon with some...uh, sexual sounding descriptions, for Martin to connect his dots.

All the same, I will not defend him. I am repulsed by how he has spoken about Dany in interviews, and I don't like how he sexualizes little girls. It disturbs me.

[nativestarwrites]

"How long were you planning on hiding this?" writer's choice for fandom

Thanks for the ask! This one was harder than I thought it would be, mostly because all the options I had were begging to be a longer fic. I think I managed to eventually work it into a passable mini ficlet.

Set shortly after S3.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As much as it pained Roy to admit it, he’d grown attuned to Jamie. He hadn’t spent hours upon hours training him, to not notice when his movements were off. A little slow. Somewhat guarded. Slightly distracted. And maybe he was being a bit paranoid but when Jamie lingered in the locker room, messing around on his phone until the last person had left before hitting the showers, Roy wasn’t so sure.

It all meant that Roy felt justified for lucking in the shadows until Jamie came out again, with only a towel wrapped around his waist. Jamie froze the second their eyes met, before Roy’s gaze was drawn down, to the painful red and purple mess of a bruise that was splashed across Jamie’s ribs on his right side.

“Shit.” Jamie breathed.

“Fuck.” Roy echoed.

“It ain’t what you think.” Jamie said quickly, striding over to his cubby and pulling a clean shirt on with a wince as if hiding the evidence was going to change anything.

“Uh-huh.” Roy muttered, really hoping that Jamie was right because his thoughts had immediately gone to shitty fathers and if that was the case then Roy was going to fucking kill James.

“It was Dani, okay? When we totally messed up that play yesterday, I might have, maybe, lied a bit when I said his boot barely touched me.” Jamie confessed, not meeting Roy’s eyes as he finished getting dressed.

Roy took a long deep breath, held it, and let it out. Dr Fieldstone would be proud. A bad tackle was better than the alternative but not by a huge margin when Jamie was still in pain and concealing injuries.

"And how long were you planning on hiding this?"

“Weren’t planning on saying anything at all.”

“Why the fuck not?”

“Uh, you remember Earl?” Jamie said, as if it was obvious. “I didn’t want this messing with his head, its not worth it.”

“So the plan was to play with fucking broken ribs?”

“They ain’t broken, man. I’m not that dumb.”

“Did you at least get it checked out?”

Jamie didn’t reply.

“For fuck’s sake.” Roy muttered under his breath. “Jamie. You fucking tell me when you’re injured. I don’t care if no one else knows, but you fucking promise me, that you will tell me when you’re injured.”

Jamie frowned at Roy, as if confused by what Roy thought was a perfectly clear instruction. Or maybe it was because Roy had been the one to tell him. It wasn’t like Roy had been good role model when it came to playing with injuries.

“Uh… okay.” Jamie agreed after a moment.

Roy wanted to say more, to explain why it bothered him so much that Jamie hadn’t told him. That he’d been in pain and Roy hadn’t even known about it. It made him feel like a shit coach and an even worse friend. It bothered him that Jamie had said it wasn’t worth it, made him wonder what would be worth it. But he didn’t know where to begin and the words stuck in his throat.

“Dani’s not the only one on the team that fucking matters, you muppet.” He settled on and maybe Jamie was getting just as attuned to him as well, because he stared at Roy, like he was studying him intently, before smiling, the same smile Roy saw when someone paid him an unexpected compliment he wasn’t sure he deserved.

Idiot. Roy thought fondly.

He sure wasn’t going to be smiling when Roy dragged him to the medics next.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Prompt List

[jessilynallendilla]

Danny Phantom Episode Breakdown

Part 2

FUCK UP FACTS IN BOLD

4 ATTACK OF THE KILLER GARAGE SALE 

Jazz is trying to tutor Dash in basic algebra and he’s distracted by her hotness and he’s disproving her thesis that no one is untutorable he can’t even pronounce that word 

Danny still can't control his powers making him a klutz and Dash calls him Fentonowski and a twink 

Jazz is unimpressed he was rude to her brother then tried to ask her out to a party but she’ll go on one condition 

First appearance of Technus ghost Master of Science and Electrical Technology and Danny’s the one who accidentally released him from the portal 

Danny also accidentally gives him the idea to use the technology in the lab to take over the world Technus declares it a great idea and Danny should consider tutoring 

Using the new Fenton Weasel to suck up Technus Danny overloads it causing it to explode green ectoplasm (presumably Technus’s remains) everywhere Jack doesn’t notice any difference in the mess 

Sam offers to pay them the 80+ dollars so they can get into the new amusement park Tucker refuses since he can’t pay her back 

Danny is distracted that everyone including the perfectly flawless Paulina is getting invites to Dash’s hottest party of the year 

Sam tells them in the social circuit they’re invisible it won’t matter in five years but the point they have each other is ignored when Dash gives Danny an invite because Jazz made him 

Now that he’s invited the cool kids notice him 

The next day even Tucker notices Danny acting different now that he’s a part of the in-crowd Kwan calls him "Fentonmiester" (Valerie is with him is she reaming him for ditching their date for the dance) 

Dash gives Danny the magazine Jock’s Quarterly picturing the expected outfit to wear a “chique” sweat suit (the magazine says it has an exclusive Butch Hartman interview) 

Dash won’t be embarrassed so threatens Danny to wear one  

Sam says she almost hates to offer Danny the money for it (so she’s willing to help out her friends even though she doesn’t like their choices) but is cut off by Paulina telling Danny to listen to her “totally krunk” CD and Sam is annoyed by Danny ditching them again 

Maddie's and Jack’s invention to cook hotdogs ten times faster than a microwave reanimates the hotdogs 

As inventors the Fenton’s have plenty of money (so who’s buying these weapons and patents) but as parents they want Danny to earn his own money to understand its value either get a job or sell his old junk and comic books 

Maddie wants the exploded Ghost Weasel to go to the shed and is annoyed it hasn’t been cleaned out in years 

Jack is attached to the junk even though he doesn’t know what it does but does think some of should be gotten rid of giving Danny an idea 

Now the ectoplasm ominously glows 

The next day Dany sells the old junk 

Tucker makes a crack about Lancer being bald and Lancer threatens that he’ll remember it when he’s grading tests 

Sam tells Danny he’s still welcome to hang out at her place Saturday Danny notes they’ve never been to her place 

Danny gets the last twenty he needs from selling Dash “Fentina” computer upgrades and ditches his friends to clean up while he buys the sweats and while Sam complains Tucker also ditches her 

Later Tucker questions that Sam tipped the pizza guy a ten Sam deflects saying she thought it was a one 

Tucker is speechless at Sam’s home theater set up (she has a Jaws poster)  

Sam confesses her family is filthy rich her great grandad Izzy invented the machine that puts cellophane on toothpicks 

Lancer can’t think of a better way to spend a Saturday night than shaving the animal on his back but when he turns it on it glows possessed and grows longer blades shaves an # and flies out the window 

As Danny is driving his moped the shaver attacks him and turns its blades into a cleaver 

It turns into a giant pair of scissors during the fight and Danny tosses it far away and just manages to save his outfit from being ran over 

He sees a bit of glowing wire on the ground noting he should be concerned but has a party to get to 

Sam is annoyed by Tucker asking how rich she is Sam can’t buy a bowling alley as they already have one and there's no room for a second 

Sam’s grandmother bowls a strike (she calls herself Bubbie Yiddish for grandmother already hinting that Sam and her family is Jewish) 

When asked why Sam hangs out with them when she's stinking rich she confesses she didn't want to buy popularity tucker tells her to tell that to Danny  

The remote Sam bought from him is ominously glowing and it cuts to Dash’s computer screen making an evil grin (so after being blown into ectoplasm can ghosts reform after a while) 

The Fenton’s keep the reanimated hotdogs in the fridge 

Danny asks Jazz if new look is “stoopid” Jazz says it is stupid and reveals she’s not going to the party despite being the only reason Dash invited her 

Jack is now freaked out because the stuff is missing from the shed Danny lies that he didn’t see anything 

Jack decides to secure the lab in the meantime and has the hotdogs cover him for protection 

When Danny gets to the party Dash reveals since he’s wasn’t part of his posse he didn’t send him the email that the dress code was changed to loser chique now everyone is dressed like Danny Sam and Tucker Paulina sees Danny's outfit and gags asking if his mom dressed him 

Technus takes over Dash’s computer calling all mechanized spirits to him 

Sam has a toaster from Denmark the glows and floats in the air 

Sam figures that the junk Danny sold was contaminated with ghost stuff 

They gleefully go to ruin Danny's big jock party to warn hm of the haunted technology 

Danny has a terrible time at the party and goes upstairs realizes even though they all all dressed like his friends they aren't (there’s a buff dude dressed like Sam) 

Danny's ghost sense alerts him to the swarm of haunted tech in Dash's room 

Technus’s new tech form is glitchy because Dash didn’t install the upgrade yet and stupidly announces it out loud so Technus can hear and Technus declares it another great idea Danny should be a teacher 

Danny gets blasted into Dash’s closet and finds his collection of letterman jackets and pink and blue teddy bears 

The fight trashes Dash's bedroom and accidentally inserts the upgrade disc 

Tucker gets the Fenton thermos and says Danny should carry it in a lunch box 

The fight gets to Sam and Tucker and the giant Technus mech asks who’s your daddy Danny's punching has absolutely no effect 

Sam and Tucker refuse to help until Danny apologizes that he was stupid and shallow to choose to hang out with the popular kids over them and won't do it again  

Sam declares the old version of Portals XL technus is running on is vaporware the worst software ever 

Technus has a remote that can transform Danny into a cowboy Vanna White and Spock  

Tucker can't bypass the program because Technus had upgraded 

Sam makes a call to have the latest version of Portals XL delivered Tucker makes a pass at the delivery lady 

Sam gets Technus to scream out his name and shout out his motive distracting him as she plugs him into Tucker’s PDA because every new version of Portals XL has a gigantic hole in its security system 

Danny shoves a giant claw into the disc drive and Technus yells that it doesn’t go there as he is shut down 

Danny sucks Technus into the thermos which depossesses the tech (and no one in the city noticed the giant shouting mecha) 

Danny put al the old stuff back in the shed and his dad is checking it all for government bugs (is he that paranoid or is the government really watching them) 

Danny has to return the sweats to return everyone's money and apologizes again for how he treated them he should know how it feels to be invisible 

Dash opens his locker causing an avalanche of teddy bears (why is he still wearing his geek chique outfit)  

Danny says he learned one person's trash is another's revenge 

5 SPLITTING IMAGES 

Sam roped her friends into helping her with her agenda to save the frogs since she claims dissecting frogs is bad and offers humane alternative of mechanical frogs “I can’t believe it’s not a frog cadaver” (why are the robots slimy) 

The Box Ghost attacks and when having scalpels thrown at him Danny thinks Sam has a point about dissection (oh oh Danny don’t go on tumblr or AO3) 

In the auditorium the Box ghost launches costumes and props from the musical My Fair Lady and a depowered Danny 

Sam goes on stage and announces she has something sick and disgusting going on their school she’s about to show them when the curtain is pulled up it reveals Danny in a dress and tucker says he should take it off it’s weird (but that soft pink does looks nice on him) 

Sam is angry at Danny for ruining her assembly and Tucker says that puce bra wasn’t his color 

Because Boxy trashed his locker he was assigned a new one 724 (it’s extremely rusty did maintenance just ignore it and never replaced it) 

Danny is apparently ignorant about the legend of this locker being curse and touches the mysterious mirror inside it 

Dash bullies him by shoving him in his new locker 

Danny is petty with his powers again and possess Dash to slam his head on the lockers repeatedly and dunk himself in the janitor’s mop bucket 

When they leave and eerie voice from the locker chants bullies  

Maddie and Jack heard Danny got a new haunted locker and will stake it out during school Jazz tries to defend him by saying he doesn’t need them confirming he’s a clumsy nerd 

Jack wrecks the kitchen trying out the new Ghost Gloves 

As some jocks bully the marching band tuba player the 724 locker door flies open knocking one out  

As Paulina flirts with the AV nerd to distract him as Kwan ties his shoes together the locker causes a trophy to fall on Kwan's head making him knock into a fire extinguisher and spray foam in Paulina’s hair and the spirit also reties the kid’s shoes 

At lunch Danny swears to Sam it wasn’t him then he possesses Dash and tosses the tray of food on Paulina (so his crush on her is over I take it) 

Sam tries to tell Danny he shouldn’t use his powers like that but sees Lancer and books it outta there 

Tucker then expositions the legend of the haunted locker  

It was originally owned by a Poindexter named Sidney back in the fifties 1954-1958 it was class of 55 Sidney was the most bullied kid in Casper High history to the point it was a graduation requirement and he was shoved in his locker so much it’s believed his spirit haunts it (so did Sidney kill himself or did he die from a prank gone wrong) 

Sam comes back with the box of frogs she smuggled out of the biology lab 

Dash throws food at Danny and he’s had enough (the jumping frogs reflecting in Danny’s sclera look weird) 

Danny gives Dash and atomic wedgie and dumps the frogs in his pants as revenge (him standing in the shadows of a deserted hallway looks menacing) 

Sidney is finally free of his locker the doorway has been opened (so objects can be portals to the Ghost Zone well some cultures do believe mirror can be a way into the afterlife) 

Sidney accuses Danny of being a bully and poltergeists the school Lancer sees the exploding lab equipment and shouts “Great Gatsby” 

Jazz tells her parents there’s nothing weird in the school as the student body runs out the doors screaming in terror 

Sidney calls tucker a nerd which he takes offense to (he’s a techno geek) 

In the fight Danny depowers shocking Sidney that he’s the Halfa everybody in the Ghost Zone talks about him he’s half a boy half a ghost 

Sidney is angry he was using his powers for evil and won't listen as Danny tries to explain why he took over Dash’s body giving Sidney the idea to take over his body (Danny’s body glows green and he starts to painfully contort is this what happens when the host fights back or when a ghost possesses another ghost in the fight for control)  

Danny’s spirit is sent to Sidney’s world as Sidney (in Danny’s body he has Sidney’s red eyes from the possession and in Sidney’s world Danny sees in the mirror he looks like Sidney but has his green eyes) 

Tucker covers Danny/Sidney from his parents (so can people slightly see the outline of a ghost when they’re technically intangible) 

As Sidney Danny is bullied by the students (if this is Sidney’s lair why is it so awful if it goes with the suicide theory are ghosts punished for it in the afterlife or could Sidney just not picture a life for him other than being abused) 

When Danny tries to escape the school it’s just floating in the Ghost Zone and he almost falls (so can he not use his powers here or did he panic and forget to fly) 

Danny/Sidney is just happy to have friends and they ask if he’s alright since his voice is weird (he’s been using dated slang) Danny/Sidney says it’s puberty  

Danny/Sidney uses his powers to get Dash (who also notices he’s talking weird and also thinks its puberty) a bunch of sodas from the machine since he thinks he’s a poor kid that already lost a bunch of quarters from the school bullies he tosses them to everyone calling them egg creams (the drink doesn’t contain neither egg nor cream) 

Danny is able to possess the mirror enough to open the locker on the living plane and see what Sidney is doing and his friends can't hear him 

Kwan invites Danny/Sidney to touch football when Danny/Sidney sees the locker open he slams it closed throwing Danny back in the ghost school 

Danny forces enough energy through the mirror to track his friends to the football field and write in the dirt 

Dash and his goons leave Danny/Sidney to get pummeled by the opposing team’s tackle but he uses his intangibility to escape impressing them with his game (Sam and Tucker look happy he has this moment)  

Danny’s message for them to open locker 724 is ruined by his parents hunting for the ghost but Maddie doesn’t believe their machine when it says Danny is a ghost  

Jack gives Tucker the Ghost Gloes as he goes to the bathroom 

As they’ll be staking out the school all night Dash declares there’ll be a party at Fenton’s house Danny/Sidney asks where he lives (so the ghost doesn't have the memories or habits of the person they are possessing)  

Tucker thinks something’s up since Danny’s acting off Sam plans to use his residual popularity for her save the frogs crusade 

As Sam and Tucker go to get more frog pins Danny contacts them from the locker mirror and tells them Sidney took over his body and sent him to this bizzarro spirit world 

Danny proves it’s really him by saying in the second-grade tucker threw up in Sam's lunch box and blamed it on Ricky Marsh Sam kicked him off the monkey bars for it 

The mirror is some kind of portal but he can't phase through it he thinks it serves him right for using his powers to act like a bully now he’ll be bullied for the rest of eternity 

They need to send Sidney back in so Sam gets Danny/Sidney saying a nerd is being shoved inside his locker (Danny/Sidney just assumes it’s Tucker) 

Tucker uses the ghost gloves to shove Danny/Sidney through the mirror 

Danny/Sidney fights Danny but he’s terrible at it “You may have my powers but you sure don’t know how to use ‘em course I don’t know how to use them but at least I know how not to use ’em better than you do” 

 The students watched as they believe Sidney is fighting the Halfa and winning 

Danny gets thrown into his locker but takes the mirror threatening to smash it stranding them both there (so is this Ghost School cut off from the rest of the Ghost Zone then how did they know about Danny being a Halfa) 

Danny/Sidney takes the bait and possesses Danny again Sidney’s body contorts as Danny gets his body back and escapes through the mirror 

Sidney’s plans of revenge are put on hold as the fight with Danny made him popular 

Danny falls out of the locker landing on Lancer as he’s carrying the frogs releasing them 

Danny says he used his powers to become the kind of person he hates and won't do it again so they believe it’s the real him 

Danny then smashes the mirror getting him in trouble with Lancer for destroying school property (but it was Sidney’s mirror school lockers don’t have mirrors) 

Lancer would hold him responsible for the escaped frogs too but as upstanding students like Dash have a problem with it he’ll overlook the frogs then tells Sam she could learn from them about activism 

Lancer assigns Danny a new locker (why the locker wasn’t damaged just the mirror or did you just now decide it’s a rusty piece of shit) 

Danny’s new locker is in the band room and he loses his new popularity  

The Box ghost then steals Sam’s mechanical frog declaring he’s now the mechanical frog ghost but changes his mind when it starts sparking (all it will take is one student with an over protective parent to be electrocuted for the school to go back to real frogs and avoid a lawsuit) 

[yourneighborhoodneighbor]

and you're always free to begin again ch2

(masterpost to my fics while ao3 is down) AO3

fic under the cut

previous chapter

Dany hadn't always lived with the Fentons.

He wasn't really sure where he had lived before, as a matter of fact, he didn't know at all.

One day he had just… existed, knowing nothing but his name (he was Dany, of that he was certain, but then why did the name Daniel feel so wrong?). Then, there had only been fear, and there had been sadness, and a deep, deep buried anger, a little voice inside his head slamming against his skull saying “It isn't fair! It isn't fair! It isn't fair!”. Dany didn't even know what exactly wasn't fair, but it was a feeling that hadn't left him since then.

His first memory was of the orphanage, an unkempt place with too many children and too few adults to mind them all, and even less money to take care of things. The Fentons had come in, too loud and too weird and too wrong, and tiny Daniel Doe (the name was wrong, he knew, but he had no memories to provide any better, so he accepted it) had made himself scarce, blending in with the shadows, quiet and unseen in a way that was more instinct than thought, as had worked so many times before in the year he had been in that place.

He had not factored in Jazz. Jazz, who looked so pretty and harmless at first glance, but was all untameable flames and unmovable rock and a storm all at once, carefully tucked away inside a crystal ball of her own design, not to hold herself back but to lure unsuspecting idiots in, make them think they were safe and things were calm, until she broke the glass with a sledgehammer and made them learn why it was that there were beasts that simply would not be tamed.

Jazz, who had walked in with a pleasant smile on her face (a fake) and fury concealed behind her eyes (directed at her parents, why?), who had ignored the lady offering to show the family around (like showing cattle from a farm-), who had taken a few seconds to look around and had made direct, unequivocal eye contact with Dany himself. Jazz, who had let loose a carefully calculated storm until suddenly, Dany found himself sitting on the couch of his new house. Jazz, whom Dany had looked at and understood, if no one else, she could (she would) fight the world to give him a home.

Despite all his misgivings and the constant yelling in his head that had pushed him to fight-hurt-break anyone who came close at all, ever, he had taken her hand when it was extended. It may have been the first good choice he had made in the life he could remember.

That had been a year ago, and now, at twelve, he felt pretty confident in saying that, while he could do without Jackson and Madeline in his life, he would not hesitate to kill for Jazz. Except that Jazz wasn't too on board with murder, so maybe not that. He still needed to work on what he could do as a nice gesture for his sister (and she was his sister, even if not by blood, she was the only family he accepted, even if sometimes he felt a hollow feeling and a want for more).

That would have to come later, though, as right now he was showing the only other two people he even marginally cared about around the Fenton Lab.

Sam and Tucker were his only friends, a fact that had come to pass because, according to Sam, he had “mad cool vibes”, a status he had somehow achieved because of his quiet and reserved disposition, as well as having broken Dash's arm in two places within his first week at the school. He had gotten in trouble for that, but he didn't care, doing what needed to be done (according to his own rules) would never make him feel bad. Tucker had just been grateful to have been “saved”, as he had put it.

Somehow, the same violence that had gotten him nothing but trouble at the orphanage had gotten him two friends here. Who would have thought.

Regardless, the trio of friends had gone down to the lab to see the Fenton Portal after much insistence of the two who didn't share in the unfortunate surname.

He really should have seen something going wrong coming. He knew, he knew Jackson and Madeline, while actually very smart people, were terrible scientists, and that was reflected in their safety measures (which were non-existent, which was his point). But he had gotten careless (in relation to what? he didn't know-), and so he had not been paying attention to everything around him as he usually did, as he should have.

Just one picture, that's all Sam and Tucker had asked for. And Dany had given in. For his friends, Dany would do anything, subject himself to everything, even things he didn't want or like, without much care of consequence for himself, because he cared for them.

This time, though, the consequence was not so easily solved.

This time, the consequence was almost too much for Dany to bear.

Dying, Dany found he could deal with, even through the indescribable pain it came with. Half-death, he could grow accustomed to, could learn to live (half-live?) with. But the memories…

The moment Dany had tripped on the misplaced wire and his hand had turned the machine on, the moment the portal had opened through him and with him and from him, Dany had experienced first hand the phrase “there are fates far worse than death”.

It had started with a flash of green, all consuming and familiar in a way his amnesiac mind couldn't comprehend…until it could.

Until the green became not just ectoplasm, but Lazarus Water, and Lazarus Water became blades in his hands, and blood on his blades, and bodies and faces and training, and grandfather and mother and… and Damian.

And Damian became moments stolen away to look at the stars, hands gripping and pressing against his skull tight when things were too much, and a soft song sang in hushed voices like a lullaby, and whispered words of running away, of running not towards death but towards life, for once. And then… and then falling into death regardless, his brother's (he had a brother! a twin!) body, bloody and still and dead-

Dany had woken up with a scream.

Sam and Tucker had assumed it had been because of his recent passing away, and he did not have the mind to correct them, nor did he feel inclined to, at the time.

Dany had woken up with a scream on his lips and hands clawing at his hair, fists hitting at his legs, body rocking and muscles clenching, and it was not because he was dead, but because someone he had until now forgotten (how?! how had he forgotten his own brother?!) was instead.

Sam and Tuck had not known what to do in the face of their friend's death and subsequent meltdown. They had all stayed in the lab until Dany had shut down, hollowed out with exhaustion and grief, finally having a reason for the ever present feeling of unfair, unfair, unfair that plagued his every moment.

The young ex-assassin child, because he knew now, that that's what he was, after surprisingly changing back into a human form, had managed to convince his friends to leave with the argument that they all needed some rest.

That night, he did not sleep.

Dany had already had a relationship with death, both causing it and feeling it, but even with all of his personal experiences with it, he had never once given any merit to the idea of your life flashing before your eyes when you die.

But now, all he could see were eyes, so much like his but in a different colour, so full of life until they weren't. Could see blood in between flashes of hidden smiles and hands so deadly yet so gentle when they came close, mixed with uncaring looks and desperate protective worry and “Kill the spare”.

Dany would hold on to all of his memories, previously gone and now regotten, and would not let them go again. He would love his brother in the only way he could not, in memory, and he would live out all they had ever talked about under the stars in the few moments of peace amidst a world that had shown them nothing but violence and expected the same in return.

He had failed to protect someone once. He would not fail again.

next chapter

[jerzwriter]

Countdown to 2023 - Day 1

First, am I the only one that is in total denial that we are just days away from 2023? Excuse me, but I'm still trying to figure out how it's not 2010... and here we are in 2023. One thing is true, my friends, time is swift, and while days may seem long, years go by in the blink of an eye. Please keep that in mind, always.

Day 1 - 3 writers or stories that made this year bright

Well, I'm so grateful to Dani for providing this directive: The number is just for fun; you are welcome to include more or less than the daily "guide" number. Because 3 just will not cut it.

I'm often hesitant to do these things because I absolutely hate leaving anyone feeling left out, but then I also lose the opportunity to celebrate some who have really been special to me. So, in that spirit, please understand that there is no way today's post, or those that follow, could ever completely capture everyone who has been an important part of my fandom experience this year. If we have interacted in any way, big or small, I see you, and you matter.

So, without further ado... here are my definitely more than 3 mentions for 2023.

@a-crepusculo My sweet, sweet friend. Your poetic writing, which often leaves me with the greatest case of imposter syndrome, is made more special for me because I know the beautiful soul that lies behind it. It's a reflection of you and who you are, and that reflection is beautiful. How happy I am whenever I see a notification that you've posted, and I know it's not something you can focus on now, but just know it's missed - and I hope you'll grace us with your work again. You're amazing.

@alwaysmychoices

Writing that is always absolutely captivating. I still am enthralled with watching Ethan and Charlie's relationship grow, unfurl, and grow again. You've made me dissolve into tears more times than I can count, and for this angst-lover, that is SUCH a GOOD thing! I'm so glad you're still sharing with us!

@genevievemd

How fortunate are we all to still have the love that is Gen and Ethan to look forward to? I'm serious. The fandom has dwindled for sure, but we are so lucky to still have cornerstones that remain - and you, my friend - are among them. I know it's been a bumpy ass year, but I'm so glad you're still here!

@jamespotterthefirst

I mean - the fics are incredible - but they're almost secondary at this point. I don't think I'd still be here if not for you this year. Thank you. Sincerely. But that doesn't mean your fics get to be ignored. The Allende family forever has my heart, and I find it hard to determine what I love more: Your heartwarming fics about them that leave me a puddle on the floor or your Ethan/Lilac smuts that leave puddles in other ways. 😂 I'm sitting here trying to pick one or two fics to highlight, to say this is what I remember most this year, and I can't because there are too many to name. I am so, so grateful for you, for your talent, and for still being willing to share it with us. Adjust that crown, baby, if you must - but never take it off!

@julia-highstorms

This year I fell in love with a new Choices story for the first time in a very, very long time. I'm now an official Wake the Dead stan. But, how sad that factors have led to the fandom being almost non-existent for new Choices stories. So, you can only imagine my excitement when I discovered Julia's incredible stories about Kiera and Eli. My only regret, I've already read them all! But I anxiously look forward to more.

@liaromancewriter

While I am a lover of all things angst, I am always so grateful for a soft spot to land after my heart is ripped to shreds. When I need that respite, I always know where to go, and that's to Mal. Though I have to admit, this year, she got me with a few angstier pieces too. You Weren't Meant for Me, and Reflections and Renewals come to mind. Our fandom may be growing ever smaller, but I'm so happy you're still here creating! 💕

@lilyoffandoms

I have to thank you for the lovely surprise fic where you brought your Merida and Ethan, Dani's Bryce and Olivia, and my crazy little Tobias & Casey together. I was just giddy, and I love that these three couples now have a shared moment in fandom history. I just wanted you to know how special that was to me! 💕

@lucy-268

Girl, what would I do without my favorite fellow Tobias stan and her incredible creation of Tobias and Samantha? You know how much I simply adore these two, and I love getting the backstories behind them. The original Tobias queen, I will always bow to you! 💕

@missameliep

Continuing on my reasons to be grateful for Wake the Dead, it also led to me being introduced to Dani's work and Dani as a person. Both of those things were highlights of my fandom experience in 2023. I simply adore her writing, her strong, beautiful MC Malia, and the special relationship she has with Troy. Safe is an absolute masterpiece, and the only reason I have not finished reading it yet is that I truly don't want it to end! I love your work, I've loved our conversations, and I'm so glad we've gotten to know each other better.

@storyofmychoices

This year, I had the pleasure of being introduced to Bryce and Olivia, and my heart will always be grateful! The only bad thing is time has yet to allow me to go back and follow this absolutely lovely duo right from the start. But I will, I assure you I will. This heartwarming duo is delightful on their own or when they're engaging with the little firecracker that is Keiki. I simply adore them all!

@trappedinfanfiction

My lovely "Tif". 😊 When I think of fandom joy this year, you immediately come to mind. I'm always so excited to see a notification from you and since I can't get enough of Ethan and Celia, I'm now happy to be going back to the past to find more. You're such an important part of the fandom, and you made 2023 infinitely better.

@potionsprefect

Another lovely cornerstone of our community. We can always count on you to bring Ethan love to us and, more importantly, bring the beautiful, spunky Victoria along with him (you know I'd pick her over him. lol) I know we say we'll be doing this together until we're in the old-folks home (though I'll be there LONG before you lol) and I hope we keep to that! The fandom wouldn't be the same without you!

A special shout-out to the newcomers who have joined the fandom this year. Some are new to Tumblr, and some are just new to creating, but they helped breathe new life and creativity, and I know I'm not alone in being so grateful for their presence here. @cariantha @mydemonsdrivealimo @mysticalgalaxysstuff @ofmischiefandmedicine @openheartforeverinmyheart Thank you for being part of this craziness and bringing joy to my year - and I'm sure others.

I know they're not really here anymore, but that does not mean that they weren't appreciated this year, and if they check-in, I want them to know that they're thought of: @choiceskatie @lem-20 @bex-la-get

Honorable mentions to @alj4890 @ambraambrose @choicesfanaf @coffeeheartaddict2 @gutsfics @heauxplesslydevoted @headoverheelsforramsey @hopelessromantic1352 @inlocusmads @lsvdw-blog @parisa-kh @peonierose @secretaryunpaid @socalwriterbee @takeharryandgo @takemyopenheart @the-pale-goddess @utterlyinevitable Each of you has helped keep our little crazy thing going despite the odds, and I hope you know you're appreciated!

I am confident I've forgotten people, and I'm even more confident I'll feel like shit about it, but trust me, as I said, if we've interacted in any way, you've made 2023 better!

@choicesfandomappreciation

[finitefall]

What do you think of Khal Drogo? As someone who relates to and projects onto Daenerys more than any other fictional character, I have really complex feelings about him. I relate to Dany so much that I feel what she feels as I read. I felt her fear of him at first, then her love, and her grief. But as a 24 year old woman now, I cannot help but feel revulsion in my gut about a man older than I am bedding a girl of her age. I know that we can assume taking wives that young was acceptable for the Dothraki but it still twists my gut that he felt attracted to her. I also question the nature of their love. She certainly loved him, but was it a love born out of Stockholm syndrome? Of survival? Did she come to love him because if she didn’t, she would’ve gone mad? And did he truly love her? He was gentle when they consummated their marriage but then continued to bed her even when she cried. Did he simply love her as the mother of his unborn child? Would he have loved her had she not conceived? There’s also the matter that he declared that he wanted to rape the wives of Westerosi knights and enslave their children, which are things that are obviously condemnable, things that Dany herself is not okay with. What do you think?

Hi nonnie! I totally understand relating to Dany, so first of all there's nothing wrong with feeling her love and grief for Drogo. It just means Dany's chapters are very well-written, and Dany is herself a very-well written character. You can feel what she's feeling when you're reading and still know that Drogo raped her. If some people come at you for this, ignore them.

He did rape her even the first time. Some will argue that she said yes in the end, but she said no before. She was sold to him, she spent the whole chapter fearing what would happen, and she didn't have a choice. What would have happened if she hadn't finally said yes, one time? He would have let it go? Of course not. I also have to talk about the reactions someone’s body can have, as it’s used to say Drogo didn’t rape Dany as much as her finally saying “yes”. It happens more often than people think it does. A man can be raped by a woman, for example, and his body will react to make it possible. I’m trying to not be too graphic here, but it’s important. Well, a woman’s body can also have a reaction that people will consider as consent, when it’s not. This belongs in the list of the very long reasons why a victim of rape or sexual assault will not consider themselves as a victim, or will not dare to go to the police nowadays.

Another thing: when I say Dany was sold to Drogo, I'm not just talking about an arranged marriage which benefits both parties, like it happens in Westeros. First, the Dothraki culture is very different (for example, Drogo could have shared her), and Illyrio made profit of this wedding, which means she was traded. She was a slave, not just a woman in an arranged marriage. She knows what it's like, and that's why she's fighting slavery afterwards.

Basically, Dany didn't have a choice during her marriage to Drogo. Never. Yes, she cried. Yes, she was afraid. Yes, he raped her more than once, because she didn't consent. And saying yes once (although I’ve talked about how this “yes” doesn’t mean it wasn’t rape) doesn’t mean you consent for the next times. While the concept of marital rape didn't exist in those times, we know what it was:

“Yet every night, some time before the dawn, Drogo would come to her tent and wake her in the dark, to ride her as relentlessly as he rode his stallion. He always took her from behind, Dothraki fashion, for which Dany was grateful; that way her lord husband could not see the tears that wet her face, and she could use her pillow to muffle her cries of pain.”

Daenerys III, A Game of Thrones

She thinks about suicide as the only way out:

“Day followed day, and night followed night, until Dany knew she could not endure a moment longer. She would kill herself rather than go on, she decided one night.”

Daenerys III, A Game of Thrones

She made the best of her situation though, to survive. What's interesting in Dany's chapters is that she blames her brother Viserys. I'm not saying she's wrong, but she's not blaming Drogo. Why? Because after adapting to the Dothraki culture, Dany felt safe with Drogo, loved even. It's called being an unreliable narrator, and as we read Dany's chapters in the first book, we can start thinking she's with a man she loves and who loves her. It's not the case: she's his slave. It’s only when Dany stops showing weakness that he seems to care about her. But Drogo also had a powerful impact on her. Dany starts to make decisions and come into power after her marriage to Drogo. She starts to stand up to her abusive brother after her marriage to Drogo. So her own feelings towards Drogo are still very confused:

“Do you know what it is like to be sold, squire? I do. My brother sold me to Khal Drogo for the promise of a golden crown. Well, Drogo crowned him in gold, though not as he had wished, and I... my sun-and-stars made a queen of me, but if he had been a different man, it might have been much otherwise. Do you think I have forgotten how it felt to be afraid?”

Daenerys II, A Storm of Swords

This is just one example, but while Dany is against slavery and does realize she was Drogo’s possession, in her mind Drogo was good to her.

No, I don't believe Drogo ever loved Dany. The nicest things he says about her is when she's carrying his son. But it's very hard to guess what Drogo is thinking, as we don't have his POV. In fact, a huge issue with GRRM is that he doesn’t give any backstory to Drogo or any Dothraki. We do have a backstory or a POV for characters who are abusers and/or rapists, but they’re white. Without knowing anything about Drogo besides Dany’s thoughts, it’s easy to either romantize him or villainize him more than the others.

In the Dothraki culture, for Drogo, there’s literally nothing wrong with what he said he would do to get the throne for his son (again, it’s not for Dany). She’s not okay with it, because as much as she adapted to the Dothraki culture to survive, she’s against rape and slavery. She put a stop to the rape and enslaving of the Lhazareen women because she believes it to be wrong, despite having come to value aspects of the Dothraki culture.

“Princess”, he said, “you have a gentle heart, but you do not understand. This is how it has always been. Those men have shed blood for the khal. Now they claim their reward.”

Daenerys VII, A Game of Thrones

When Jorah tells her this, he’s stating a fact. Is there even a word for rape in Dothraki? They don’t understand why Dany says she wants no rape, she’s even being told that those riders do honor to those women. Why am I going there, after explaining that Drogo didn’t love Dany, that she was raped many times, that she was a slave? Because you asked me what I thought of Drogo, not just his relationship with Daenerys. And the answer is: I don’t know, because I don’t know him, only what he did to Daenerys.

[gendrie]

in asos arya and sandor cross the trident in a ferry that should not be that significant of an event? and yet grrm made a lot of interesting symbolic choices that make me suspect it could be foreshadowing

"Where Lord Roote stables Old King Andahar's two-headed water horse. Maybe we'll ride across." Arya had never heard of Old King Andahar. She'd never seen a horse with two heads either, especially not one who could run on water, but she knew better than to ask. (Arya, ASOS)

The Horse Gate of Vaes Dothrak was made of two gigantic bronze stallions, rearing, their hooves meeting a hundred feet above the roadway to form a pointed arch. (Dany, AGOT)

the ferry itself has a unique design. it’s a two headed horse; with one mounted in the front and rear of the ferry. which is more than a little similar to the gate at vaes dothrak - the only dothraki city. when she hears of this ferry arya thinks to herself that horses can’t run on water. the dothraki are a horse people and have been kept in essos due to the fact actual horses cannot run on the sea. 

"He would say that even a million Dothraki are no threat to the realm, so long as they remain on the other side of the narrow sea," Ned replied calmly. "The barbarians have no ships. They hate and fear the open sea." (Eddard, AGOT) 

but we all know that under dany they will cross. which is obviously a big deal. on arya’s trip across, stranger, sandor’s horse, becomes highly agitated which isnt unusual but there’s a big horse presence in this scene. there’s also the matter of price. 

"Three dragons?" Clegane gave a bark of laughter. "For three dragons I should own the bloody ferry." (Arya, ASOS) 

it costs three dragons to make the crossing which sandor finds absurd and actually refuses to pay in the end. the price is doubled by the time the get across too. but still, three dragons to start. dany will not simply cross with the dothraki and their horses but her 3 dragons as well. the trip is not without incident. the river is raging and a tree almost takes the boat out:

Then she saw it: an uprooted tree, huge and dark, coming straight at them. A tangle of roots and limbs, poked up out of the water as it came like the arms of a great kraken […] Glistening brown and black, the tree rushed towards them like a battering ram. (Arya, ASOS)

arya compares the tree to a kraken that rushes towards the ferry like a battering ram. one of the “monster’s limbs” catches the boat and a man is thrown overboard, dying. ok honestly? this is a lot of excitement for what should be an unremarkable river crossing. what is the point of grrm writing this scene in the first place? the kraken imagery certainly brings another to mind. 

“Others seek Daenerys too […] One most of all. A tall and twisted thing with one black eye and ten long arms, sailing on a sea of blood.” (Tyrion, ADWD)

euron is after dany and its possible he will attack her as she makes the crossing to westeros. arya has mentioned seeing sea monsters and dragons before too. sure, this could be a meaningless ferry crossing and its all coincidental but the symbols all point to dany crossing the narrow sea: horses, dragons, krakens. idk why this would appear in arya’s chapter if she wasn’t involved. 

[kingsansa]

Help - I’ve fallen down the rabbit hole again. Currently rereading IY and have some questions (if you have time to answer):

1. Does Jeyne, Cat, or Ned know about Joffrey’s abuse? If so, how did they react?

2. After Sansa left Joffrey, why didn’t her family pay off her loans?

3. Will almost one night stand guy or Joffrey make an appearance? Will Ygritte?

4. Was the camping trip the only interaction between Ned and Sansa? What does Ned think of Jon/Sansa?

5. Do Jayde and Sansa share daddy issues?

6. Would you ever write a prequel with Ned Danye and Sansa? - their relationship seems so very sweet and I love sweet.

7. Sansa seems so very secure considering she looks nothing like the women from Jon’s previous two relationships. Will that security continue or will she freak out at some point?

Thank you for taking the time to read my list of questions. Sorry if these have been asked and answered.

That’s okay! Sometimes when I’m writing, I forget you guys aren’t in my head so you can’t see the big picture like I can and I forget to add some details. I’ll fill you in!

1. Nobody knows but Jeyne. Ever since, Jeyne has been really protective of her when it comes to guys since. Hence her distrust of Jon.

2. She didn’t go back to her family until recently, which was just two years ago. She was too ashamed to ask them for help. By the time she came back, she’d been out of school for quite some time. They asked her if she needed help with money or anything, and she told them that she was fine and she had a great new job (by this time, she had just started working with Jon, so this was true) but they don’t know the extent of Sansa’s debt. They’re aware that she might have a little, but they’re under the impression that Cersei was paying for her tuition—which she was….until things went left. She couldn’t tell them what happened, so she just didn’t tell them at all. So no. They do not know about her loans.

3. No and no.

4. They’ve had some exchanges, but nothing in-depth. Like you’ve probably gathered, their relationship is still healing. But they do have a conversation next chapter. While he was taken aback but Sansa’s marriage and certainly hurt that it happened without him, Cat’s feelings kind of took center stage, and his focus was playing the peacemaker. The last thing he wants is to chase Sansa off again like he did all those years ago. Other than that, he was always a fan of Jon and he does like him as a person for his daughter. So he’s content in that matter.

5. Sansa has daddy issues, but in a similar respect that bee stung sansa has daddy issues. Ned (and Cat to and extent) has always viewed Sansa as his most put together child. So if he didn’t spend as much time hovering over her, it was because he didn’t think that she needed it. No, he doesn’t say it because he isn’t the type to express his feelings like that, but Sansa has always been his golden child (which is why she got away with so much, ie underage drinking and partying. Brynden bailed her out after Frostfangs btw) In comparison, the Poole girls are their daddy’s little princesses, with Jeyne being the littlest princess of them all. So no, Jayde does not have daddy issues. They all have a good relationship with their father. And mother. Jayde is just unhinged.

6. MMMMMMMM. I don’t know. I do adore them as a pairing, particularly in the pre canon of this universe, but I have already gotten people in the comments beating me with a stick, saying that Jon is second choice and Ned was her one true love. I don’t think I’m gonna volunteer to give them anymore of my writing to misconstrue 😭 I love that you love them though! Thank you!

7. Sansa might over think and fall into anxious patterns from time to time, but one thing she is very secure about is her looks. She knows she’s pretty. She’s been told this her entire life. This is a fact. Dany and Val were also very beautiful. But after Jon made it clear how him and Dany ended, she doesn’t really view her as competition. Especially now that she knows that Dany viewed her as competition and since she’s the one that ended up married, she won! So no, she isn’t insecure in that regard. Val was different. If you couldn’t tell, Sansa was half obsessed with Val herself 😭 And despite the fact that she’s blonde, her and Val are of similar build. Also she was so cool, she wanted to be her! So being attracted to her isn’t something that she really holds against him, nor can she considering the fact that they weren’t serious, and he didn’t even seem to care after they broke up. So yes, his ex girlfriends were blondes but I feel like the security in regards to his past comes from the simple fact that Jon has made it very clear he is all about her from the very beginning. He is a one woman muffin. It doesn’t matter what his “type” was before! She’s his type now! He gave her head in a TENT like he is so obviously obsessed with her she isn’t worried about that. I think she’s more worried about it not lasting/changing in the future. Thanks for reading!

[reginarubie]

The first time I read asoiaf -I'll be honest- I felt weird. Then I read your metas and realized why I felt this way, it was my love-horror sense tingling 😭

reading D@ny chapters in agot -or any of Bran- gives this feeling of watching Ari Aster movies or The Witch, like they are making deals with devil 😭😂

Ciao nonny,

Asoiaf is very complex, and some of the horrors of it are not so clear to a first reader; there are multiple layers to it. Most of my metas have been caused by people sending an ask and causing a light bulb to light in my mind (see the dark!Dany and blood sacrificing Dany metas)

Or simply I made the connection out of the blue (like my Lucifer means Lightbringer metas).

And to be quite honest with you, even those could not have seen the light of the day without my amazing mutuals to whom I have privately whined and run a first rough draft through.

I mean, @sansaissteel has been of tremendous help especially with the realization that, all in all, Rhaego is what the valyrian would've called a chimera and that it happened after a blood sacrifice, like it happened in old Valyria.

In the same way @fromtheboundlesssea has been instrumental for the new (still yet to come, I've just started to scratch at its surface) biblical meta.

And more often than not the whole thing is spurned by some convo (like the latest biblical/secular meta about the figure of the Virgin Mary, the Mother and the mothers of asoiaf) for which we can thank @esther-dot and @minitafan.

And most of my metas have been born that way. From some comment someone made, or the light bulb going off in my mind out of the blue, and from the amazing conversations we can engage in, in this corner of the fandom.

And I couldn't agree more, the AGOT chapters of both Dany and Bran are like already foreshadowing the line they are walking on, and that they either will cross or remain on the right side of. We always comment on how Dany and Jon are foils, and Dany and Sansa are written to become moral rivals, and Arya is supposed to outgrow her childish awe at the dragons to see the horror they actually bring in the world (after the whole point of her growing fiercely more hating of how fire is used during warcraft); but the real antitheses and foils are actually Dany an Bran.

Horror follows them almost more closely than others, and certainly more closely than others they toy with it. Imo Bran is foreshadowed to sacrifice his abilities (and thus his possibilities to not feel like a cripple) for the good of everyone, which is the choice I think Dany will fail to make in the end; as we see Bran growing ever so restless but realizing that something is afoot and having the advantage of having been raised by Ned Stark; Dany is just a slow descent.

Horror is a great part of asoiaf and so layered I think not even Martin has done everything on purpose; some of it might have happened by chance and actually fit the plot. As I myself write stories and fan fictions I have noticed my brain at times plants the seeds of plot-twists I haven't even started to plan, before I realize I want to write them and then suddenly start to fit as if I had planned it beforehand.

Both Dany and Bran are actually engaging with “devils”.

The dragon for Dany and the three eyed raven for Bran... and come to think of it:

both creatures are symbolically connected between them and to the number three (three dragons, the dragon must have three heads; and the three eyes of the raven in Bran' dream and the three eyed raven); both connected to the color black (which would beg on a meta in itself) and red (might actually had another layer to the red decoded series of meta).

And.....I am stopping there before this gets out of hand, but trust me on this nonny, I will return to this matter, because you just opened the lid of a Pandora box and my hands are already itching to write it, but it needs research and a more throughout writing method. But I will address this matter because damn what you haven't just exposed in my mind.

Thank you, as always for dropping by. Sending all my love; I hope you have a wonderful day/afternoon/night, whatever depending on where you live!

Do drop by again, I'm always happy to hear from you all and you all are extremely instrumental in the insanity that is my writing-metas-method!, I'm always ready to be unleashed on the fandom with brand new ideas and metas sparked by all of your genial comments and asks!

*demonic mumbling*

Forever itching to write new metas,

~G.

[golnarghorbani]

My thoughts on 3x09

I'm sorry but it's WAAAAAY too early for Dre to be saying 'I love you'

I mean... I get it, I fell in love with Dani Nunez the first time I laid eyes on her, but I don't buy that their relationship is anywhere near that stage

And I'm gonna guess from Dani's face/avoidance of Dre that she's not going to say 'I love you' back to them

I found it weird that they brought up Alice outing what's-his-name from back in the day and had her showing no remorse at all

Yes times change, but you can still reflect on what you did in the past and acknowledge what was wrong about it

Idk, the convo between Alice, Dani and Sophie seemed very meta, like it was instead the writers (Alice) using it to defend the choices they made in the original show to their modern, critical audience (Dani/Sophie)

Not stoked about Alice's reaction to being called out for it but I'm blissfully moving on to the most important matter of the episode, nay, the season

TASHA WILLIAMS

Tasha's return did not disappoint!!!!!

The squabbling was perfect, their dynamic and the comedic tone to their banter is literally what has been missing, these other couples can't compete 💅

And look, I don't know what their beef is, I don't really care either, they belong together and Tasha is back and that's that

Not to mention Tasha has me 🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵 looking that good in her firefighter uniform

IF ONLY they brought her back two damn seasons ago, not one episode before the end of this season (especially since I highly doubt they're getting renewed for a fourth)

I need more time with her, and she needs more time with Alice

I'm gonna continue watching their scene on a loop and sobbing to myself about how ridiculous but perfect they are together