#good old alfie d giving us absolutely NOTHING

[dollypopup]

"Penelope should have chosen Debling!"

My sister in Christ. . .he literally dumped her???

Like just before Colin Bridgerton was on his knees after outrunning her carriage to profess how he can't stop thinking about her in his love me, choose me, I'm yours speech, Debling did the Regency equivalent of calling her a floozy who would undoubtedly cheat on him when he abandoned her for several years to chase his passions (because she would never be one of said passions since she asked outright if he could ever come to care for her and he went 'hmmmm seems unlikely! good thing you have solitary hobbies to occupy you instead!') when he has been given 0 evidence of such other than realizing she liked to look out the window because she had a crush on the boy across the street. I was ready to challenge that man to a duel for Pen's honor

His feelings for her were middling at best, I mean Christ on a Pogostick, after he asked her mum for permission to propose he isn't even happy when he opens the door and Pen is there? She's looking like a snack- nay, a whole ass MEAL, and he can't even smile? He just nods at her and dips the fuck out? You don't think it would kill Penelope to know that both her sisters have husbands who absolutely adore them and she's out here with an absent dude who likely won't even write to her?

Portia's 'Love is make believe!' speech is so transparently full of shit when you realize that we've got Dankworth who is so obsessed with Prudence that he makes heart eyes at her every waking moment and considers her his little bonbon and Albion who loves Phillipa so much that he was waiting for her to consent to sex (not realizing she didn't know what it was) for two entire years because he would never pressure her and so he was content with finishing in his pants when he kissed her to make sure she was comfortable. And you want Penelope to settle for a life of loneliness? When Colin is so besotted with her that he dreams of her and breaks every societal expectation in the book as a notorious People Pleaser to run after her and cannot even wait for the morning after being intimate with her to introduce her as his wife to his family in the middle of the night? You want her to turn down Mr "When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible" Bridgerton? For LORD PENGUIN?

Be so serious right now

[rayewriting]

Things Left Unsaid

Fandom: Batman

So… I’m using Damian’s new Teen Titan group. Or parts of it anyway. But I absolutely refuse to touch the “Ric Grayson” bull DC was shoving my way. So, Damian is just beginning with this new group, Damian’s first team (I use that phrase very lightly), of Starfire, Raven, and others did not happen—but Wallace did work with Robin from sometime, I don’t know, like a one-time-off-deal-type-thing, okay? Okay.

Dick finished his Sypral mission and is recovering at the Manor with some type of injury.

Damian Wayne, Troublemaker?

Dick picks up the Gotham Gazette issue, lets out a sigh, and begins to read the article, wondering if he should call the lawyers, his sides protesting from the lingering injuries from his long-term stint as a spy as he takes in a too deep breath to release another sigh. The paper in his hands already rustled from Bruce’s reading when he was eating breakfast before he left for the office with Tim.

Damian Wayne was seen in Brooklynn, meeting with at least two other unidentifiable people. Witnesses say they had skin so pale it looked blue, the taller one had a chain and the other one wearing a bizarre suit. Rumors are spreading about the youngest Wayne…

Dick’s reading was cut off as Damian rushed into the room, grabbing a spare apple from the fruit bowl and lunch from the counter before Damian was about to leave the room, but Dick spoke up, “What, no hello?”

“Hello, Grayson. Now I have to get to school, Alfred is waiting for me at the helicopter pad,” Damian informed, running out of the room. Dick rolled his eyes and finished reading the article and eating his breakfast. The article was full of lies, but Damian was spending a lot time in Brooklynn, and Dick can’t remember the last time Damian had free time. Obviously, this caused Dick to feel anxious for a second opinion, maybe he was being paranoid? Or Damian more friends than just Jon? Why was Damian even in Brooklynn?

By the time Alfred returned, Dick was in the Cave, finishing his reports from the Sypral mission, prompting Alfred’s frown of disapproval. But Dick could not stay in the Manor all day doing nothing and he was going to worry himself crazy until someone told him what Damian was doing, because last time Damian was acting this secretive there was a clone. Speaking of someone knowing what was going on, “Hey, Alfie?”

“Yes, Master Dick?”

“Has Damian been around the Manor very much? Because I can’t remember the last time he actually sat down,” Dick asks.

“I believe Master Damian is usually in the cave by eight to prepare for patrol and eat dinner. However, between dropping him off at school and him showing up for dinner, I do not see him. He requested that I only pick him up on days when the young master patrols with the younger Mister Kent, on other days he brings himself home,” Alfred informs.

“Do you know what he is up to? Because the paparazzi figured out he is in Brooklynn,” Dick’s voice is hesitant, not wanting to cross a line, but willing to find any evidence that Damian might not be safe.

“No, what Master Damian does outside of the Manor and city is his doing, unless I am informed otherwise. Is there anything else you need Master Dick? Perhaps a cup of tea, or sleep?”

Dick’s head drops in embarrassment, “Um, a cup of tea would be nice. I’ll be up in half an hour, okay?”

“Splendid, Master Dick, I will set it out for you then.”

Damian’s pattern of rushed mornings and staying out all day continued for a couple of weeks, sometimes resulting in more Gotham Gazette articles and Dick read every single one of them. But this last one was the last straw.

Confirmed, Damian Wayne, Brooklynn Bad Boy

The article in question was describing Damian’s actions in Brooklynn- ranging from rooftop meetings with a dark-skinned girl, meeting in alleys with two males, and even meeting Emiko at a small café. It also has a picture of Damian with two dark figures, Damian holding out his hand in a handshake with the tallest figure. Dick was beginning to worry about his brother, needless to say, not that Damian was getting into trouble or anything like that, but that Damian would feel he could not come to Dick with his problems and needs to run off to feel better.

So, Dick called Damian’s school, saying the thirteen-year-old is sick and would not be in today. And when Damian runs in the kitchen Dick calls out, “Damian, sit down, please.”

“I can’t, Grayson, I—”

“I called you in, said you were sick. Now please sit down and eat something better than an apple. You look thinner than normal,” Dick gently demands, pulling out a chair for the teen. Now that Damian was in Dick’s view for more than a minute, Dick notices Damian’s physical changes from the last time he saw the teen. He was thinner, shirt and jacket hanging off his frame slightly, bags under his eyes look like bruises, and his hair-though perfectly styled- had lost part of its shine. Dick calls out to the kitchen, where Alfred is, “Alfred, can you make Damian something to eat, I would try, but—”

Damian cut him off, “As I would eat anything you make, Grayson.”

“Exactly.”

“Of course, masters, in fact I already have something prepared,” Alfred walks into the room, with an omelet with green bell peppers, tomatoes, and onions and a small cup of Greek yogurt with strawberries and granola, then places them in front of Damian. Alfred’s eyes shine in a way Dick knew that Alfred wants to smile as Damian began to eat, so Dick smiles at both of them instead. “What would you like to drink, Master Damian?”

With cheeks turning a slight pink, Damian finishes his bite of egg and requests, “Anything is fine, Pennyworth. I appreciate it,”

“Of course, I believe tea with brown sugar, fresh lemon, in a china cup would be best,” and with that Alfred walks away, leaving the younger men alone.

Dick lets Damian eat silently for a few more minutes before bringing out the newspaper and placing it on front of the teen, “Anything you would like to say, Little D?”

“Nothing that you need to know of, Grayson,” Damian answers as Alfred places his tea on the table and exits the room again.

“Really, Damian? Because I can list multiple reasons why I would need to know why you are being spotted in Brooklynn.” Damian gave Dick a dark look as he finishes his eggs and begins his yogurt, but Dick did not let that detour him from his goal, “I could be asked why you were in Brooklynn by reporters, like Vicki Vale. You could be having an emergency and I wouldn’t be able to find you. I could—”

"Father does not care about my afterschool activities, so why should you?" Damian says, then he takes a sip from his tea.

Dick’s shoulders slump slightly at that, "Bruce does not have a good track record of asking his family what they are up to. I just want to make sure you are safe. Because if something happ—"

Damian stands up from the table, food forgotten, and yells, “I get it! I do! But it is not like you have not kept secrets from me! Perhaps it is my turn to keep you in the dark, make you feel unnecessary emotions and think of 'what if's!”

Dick’s temper is beginning to spark, but Dick stomps it out before he says something stupid, “I’m sorry that I hurt you—”

“It was not just me your fake death affected! Todd went off on a killing spree, Drake left the Manor to work with the Titans, and if Gordon visited- she would not look me in the eye! But the worst was that I came back from the dead—the dead to find out that you were never coming back! I could do things people could only dream of! I could fly, I could lift the Batmobile, I was bulletproof! But none of it mattered- nothing mattered because you were not here…” Damian screaming pattered off into whispers as he looked down, as if these thoughts were sacred, as if this was the first time he ever spoke them into existence.

“Oh, Dami…” Dick starts to get up pushing his chair back, but Damian leaps backwards as if burned and turns his back to Dick.

“So, I do not think I can trust you, at least not yet. Perhaps it can be recovered- over time and space- but not—not right now,” the teen’s voice wavers and hiccups at the end.

Dick can see a tear hit the carpet, feels his heart shatter- all the pieces jagged and sharp, but he accepts this- this distance if it means that one day Damian can trust him again, “Okay, Damian. Take the time, all the time you need. I’ll be here when or if you are ever willing to give me a second chance.”

[janiedean]

There are people in the Theon tag saying we need to stop using the "I should have died with him" quote because it only holds Theon back and then others are reblogging it and tagging it with "Get over this line" and then someone made a gifset with that line and the same person was complaining in the notes about it saying that line has no place in the episode 4 scene with Theon and Jon. and yes these are the same people who hate the books and love the show. They've taken over the Theon tag.

hmmm. OKAY. SO. I cannot sadly reblog that post because I’m blocked by both parties in this story and whatever (NOT the person who made the gifset we all know who we’re talking about trololol *sigh*) but like, I read that post and fuck this noise, as someone who has basically started going into throbb hell thanks to that line and a lot of other shit I honestly have no fucks left to give on this matter so please let me say a few things.

first thing, saying that theon ‘can’t get over that line’ is already not understanding what the fuck that line is there for. thing is: he’s been feeling guilty SINCE A CLASH OF KINGS. the moment he realizes that robb was the person who was his home is the moment he accepts that he did wrong things and he lets it fucking go. or at least he lets it go enough to save jeyne’s hide and do one of the two heroic things people did in these books along with jaime saving brienne. that’s not about him being ridden by guilt, is theon admitting to himself what he had been denying since book two therefore making peace with the part of him who had betrayed robb which is what had been haunting him since acok among the rest but that he hadn’t quite been able to put into words.

like. he realizes he should have died with him. he realizes he’s lost the one person who liked him/cared about him for how he was. that’s the exact moment where every other thread in his story comes to a turning point and where he has to decide who the hell he is and what he wants to do with this life.

turns out he wants to be theon (not theon greyjoy or reek or whatever, theon, aka the person robb knew and who robb thought was an a+ person enough to stay friends with him for years but NEVER MIND THAT) and that what he wants to do is saying fuck you to ramsay, saving jeyne and jumping out of the castle. says something about how realizing that is not a bad thing for him that he put two and two together.

he wasn’t with robb but he wanted to be, and if he had died with robb he wouldn’t have gone through torture and shit which is honestly a good appeal, but the point is that he wanted to be with robb because robb was the one person who valued him and he’d have suffered a lot less but whatever. obv I’m glad he’s not dead. I also wish robb was not dead. but idk last time I wrote fanfic where they did die at the RW all the comments were ‘still less sad than canon’, everyone draw their conclusions.

I also want theon to move on and live a happy life, and the reason he can do it is that he realized he should have been with robb who was the one person who thought the world of him and he’s actually being that person right now without having to hide it because he can’t give two fucks. if he hadn’t come to that realization he could not live a happy life. because he’d be still torn by it. now that he realized it and he made peace with it, he can move on. he couldn’t move on if he hadn’t reached that stage and now that he’s lived up to what robb thought of him he can move the hell on.

he’s not beating himself on the head. he’s working through his guilt and succeeding at it, which the show is doing two seasons too late but never mind, and I hope he gets that defining moment in here too because he didn’t (yet, idk, I haven’t watch the last episode) and THAT WAS HIM REALIZING HE HAD TO MOVE ON. IT’S NOT UNHEALTHY GDI and tbh from two people who love the show best to say that when theon’s been carrying a lot more guilt on the show than in the book is like… what the fuck? then complain to d&d. book!theon’s been done with guilt the moment he jumped out of the walls with jeyne, or at least he’s been done with it enough that he can move on. show!theon hasn’t done that yet.

and he’s looked ahead THE MOMENT HE SAVED JEYNE RATHER THAN LETTING THE BOTH OF THEM DIE AND GO BACK TO RAMSAY like good lord how you don’t read that that way idk but it’s plenty obvious.

if they don’t like that quote, fine. but they really didn’t understand what the hell it’s about and if they didn’t realize that throughout all of adwd theon thought of robb when he wanted to think about when he was happy and not when he was feeling guilty idk what they were paying attention to. too bad because that’s exactly what happened but I guess it requires actually…… paying attention to the book which they already said to hell and back that they don’t like, which is okay. but can they let us people who like the book fucking live?

I’ve been throbb trash since I read that quote. I’ve been throbb trash about that quote for six years. I am never going to get over that damned line. a lot of other people will not either. They can go and make peace with it because the theon tag is full of people who like his and robb’s relationship and seeing it reduced to that and being told that we should get over it when theon’s relationship with robb is what saved his hide because if he didn’t have it he wouldn’t have had a point of reference for good memories/a support system is frankly ridiculous and I have no time for this. No, I’m not getting over it. Yes, it’s a fundamental line for theon’s char development. Feel free to dislike it but then stick to the show and don’t tell anyone to get over that fucking line. And given that basically that line is 90% of the reason why I’m this fandom, this sub-fandom and this ship and I certainly want theon to move on and be happy and so would robb, I find it honestly ridiculous to be told I should get over it. If there’s a reason so many people like it, ask yourself why and for the love of god stop trying to convince us all that the show version is better or that there’s nothing special about the book version.

(Now, this is not on the line but you mentioned the gifset so since I’m here: nice totally unwarranted trashing of poor kit’s acting huh? because obviously he can’t act and he has ‘his usual blank look’? listen, this is a post about theon and I love alfie’s acting and we all know that and I really goddamned do but I’ve seen just that frame and went like FUCKING HELL KIT WHY DO YOU HURT ME SO and like…. wow, nice putting them against each other when kit’s actually fairly good, has gotten really better from S4 onwards, is basically dragging half of this show on his shoulders and is not a bad actor at all all the contrary? christ, wow, amazing, apparently every single intention behind alfie’s acting is crystal clear and they know better than all of us but kit’s acting is ‘blank’ because he always has the same face? yeah no he doesn’t and it’d take watching any scene he was on in the last three years to see that he doesn’t and that it was really low. like. amazing. I knew someone was gonna put it on the acting side. I’ve known that since I knew jon and theon were meeting again. I’M NOT SURPRISED.)

tldr: no I’m not getting over this line, no a lot of other people are not getting over this line, and they should make damned peace with it because there’s a reason it’s a lot of people’s favorite line.

in conclusion:

Theon led the way up the stairs. I have climbed these steps a thousand times before. As a boy he would run up; descending, he would take the steps three at a time, leaping. Once he leapt right into Old Nan and knocked her to the floor. That earned him the worst thrashing he ever had at Winterfell, though it was almost tender compared to the beatings his brothers used to give him back on Pyke. He and Robb had fought many a heroic battle on these steps, slashing at one another with wooden swords. Good training, that; it brought home how hard it was to fight your way up a spiral stair against determined opposition. Ser Rodrik liked to say that one good man could hold a hundred, fighting down.That was long ago, though. They were all dead now. Jory, old Ser Rodrik, Lord Eddard, Harwin and Hullen, Cayn and Desmond and Fat Tom, Alyn with his dreams of knighthood, Mikken who had given him his first real sword. Even Old Nan, like as not.

And Robb. Robb who had been more a brother to Theon than any son born of Balon Greyjoy’s loins. Murdered at the Red Wedding, butchered by the Freys. I should have been with him. Where was I? I should have died with him.

thanks for the attention, I realize I’m coming off like an asshole, I honestly can’t with this thing where important lines from the books get demoted to ‘but they’re not important’ anymore and I’m not required playing nice at this point.

and given that jon’s had survivor’s guilt since he learned that robb died (but they wouldn’t know since from what I gathered they only read theon’s chapters so they obviously hadn’t read jon’s) it’s absolutely plausible that jon’s thinking the exact same thing. let that damned gifset live and let us book fans live.