#Dan happened before Dani so she might not be in this (yet) | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

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Hi! I don’t know if you have covered this before but do you think Jon/Dan was toxic and abusive? I feel like it was. Like the scene in Mareen where Danny tells Hizdar she has suitor on his knees was foreshadowing. ☹️I think it’s partly Dany never knowing healthy love relationships. I’m not excusing her behaviour but I think it’s a contributing reason.

Hey, Nonnie! So sorry for the delay in my response. I started to answer and had written you back a 10,000 word essay lol but then realized I didn't really answer your question so I scrapped it. And instead wrote you another 10,000 word essay LOL. Sorry! This got long.

I'll be honest, idr if I have gone into this before but no worries, I will go into it here. =)

I do feel that the relationship was toxic and abusive. One of the things I've always stood by when I've been asked why I'm anti-Jonerys (besides Dany becoming a tyrant and the KL massacre) is that the relationship was not good for Jon or Dany. Though I do think the toxicity and abuse of power was coming strictly from Dany's side. Some might disagree and say Jon was manipulating Dany the whole time (if they're willing to admit that pol!Jon or something was there that got dropped in the end) which is also not healthy but their argument gets lost in the context. Had Jon been manipulating her to get some form of power, then yes. But that wasn't why he did it as we know and he tried to do it in the kindest way possible, which falls in line with what Kit said about Jon in season 7. But, regardless, the relationship overall wasn't healthy and really helped to contribute to both of their downfalls in the story.

That's an interesting observation there, Nonnie, and I do tend to agree with you. Like you said, it doesn't excuse her actions but I do think part of it is that she never knew a healthy relationship or type of love. The purest form of love that she has known is absolute devotion from her followers and from men who were blinded by her beauty and in awe of her.

This is just pure conjecture on my part, but I do believe her abusive past with Viserys helped to contribute to that rage she had. As if each time it happened, it stoked the fire within her. I'm not saying it's the sole factor but I think it definitely added to it. She had never known any kind of love before that. She was simply a pawn, a piece to be traded, based on her looks and relation to Viserys.

Then she was with Drogo, which she ended up turning to her advantage. I do think she loved him, possibly as much as he loved her, but as we know it didn't equate to how much she loved Jon. I almost wonder how the relationship between Drogo and Dany would have gone had he survived. Like I would almost have loved to have seen S8 Dany and S1 Drogo together for a moment, to see if she would have kept him as her husband or he also would have become a threat, because she wasn't willing to share the throne. But I digress. While they loved each other, I think that love was slightly tainted due to its beginnings (her being essentially sold to him) and the fact that she had to utilize the knowledge Doreah taught her in order to change the dynamic between them. In that scene linked, to me, it's yet another foreshadowing clue/inside look into Dany's character. "Are you a slave, Khaleesi? Then don't make love like a slave." And then Dany flips her somewhat aggressively onto her back, which catches Doreah pleasantly off guard. But this also shows what Dany's real motive was. She said she wanted to please Drogo, which is why Doreah is instructing her, but ultimately she wanted to turn things to her advantage (which in this scenario, who could blame her?) so that love that develops between Dany and Drogo started a trend of the love of the so-called men in her life. Drogo has this absolute devotion to her (moon of my life), he doesn't behave like any other Khal when it comes to their wives and/or women, and she basically tames him so to speak. To his own detriment, which leads to his downfall and his death.

Then you have Jorah who she never got involved with but he had his own absolute devotion to her and was willing to do anything for her. He kidnapped Tyrion to get back in her favor and goes to find a cure for greyscale so he can go back to serving her because she tells him she needs him. She loved him in her own way, but she never returned the feelings he had for her. But she still had his devotion and he was someone she ultimately trusted and kept close. This farewell scene is very telling imho of the dynamic between them as well of his devotion. A lot of people focus on Dany's farewell to Jon for various reasons, as well as the looking back trope, but to me this was the most important piece:

Jorah was going to say something but she puts her hands into his, letting him know silently that she needs him and to return to her. Jorah sees Jon coming and kisses her hand before withdrawing. But this very image is of someone subservient to someone else. He may not be on his knees doing this but he doesn't need to be; she already has his devotion. So as pure as this love is that he has for her, it's not requited and there is a power dynamic between them. Which is a shame because I dare say that I think had Dany returned his feelings at all, he might have been a healthier love interest for her (later on in the series I mean) and would have been able to temper her impulses. And I only say that because of this scene:

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He not only convinces her to let up on Tyrion slightly but also to try and talk to Sansa. And here Dany, while lying through her teeth (about Tyrion stealing Jorah's position; thankfully her manipulation tactic doesn't work here), is not acting as his queen so to speak. (and even notice that she ends up walking away from the open fire, ending up on the other side of the room, which is interesting because Dany was facing the fire when Jorah walked in - very powerful statement the show is making here; the blocking of this scene was super important)

Then you have Daario. Daario who betrayed the other Second Sons' leaders for her and immediately bends the knee, helps her take Yunkai, and begins advising her on how she must rule. He makes a valid point that she needs to know the land she is going to rule (a precursor to the whole Westeros arc) but he also sees who she really is and encourages her to be the dragon basically. He loves her and while she has affection for him and despite getting involved with him, she doesn't return the feelings. But in this relationship, you have the power dynamic at play as well as his absolute devotion.

Then you have Tyrion. Tyrion who considers himself to be a smart man and see through people easily. While he convinces Dany not to execute him once Jorah delivers him to her, as he starts advising her, he begins to have faith in her. He believes she is the answer to the shit world they're in and wants her to make a better world for them all. And in the course of this, he falls head over heels in love with her. He is the antithesis of Jorah. He has devotion to Daenerys but it's not absolute, and Dany knows that. Hence the constant contention between them once things in Westeros starts going sideways. Tyrion saw through her, knew what she was, but he convinced himself that he could guide her and temper her impulses. So he couldn't be wrong and he loved her. This line he says to Jaime isn't just about Jaime and Cersei; it's also about Tyrion and Daenerys and the current dynamic they're in. "You always knew exactly what she was. You loved her anyway."

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(I couldn't find the scene of Tyrion walking through the destruction of the battle in 7x05)

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From Jaime/Tyrion seeing the destruction to seeing Cersei/Dany, all paralleled. Even this:

Not only does this form of love contribute to Tyrion's downfall (and he obviously didn't learn his lesson from Tysha or Shae), but it also leads to his family and house being wiped off of the map and contributes to the KL massacre. Dany didn't return his feelings but she had a form of affection for him, which lessened the more and more the chasm between them grew. (I have a post I'm currently working on that goes into this more, about Dany's expectation of absolute devotion, including giving up family; I hope to finish it soon and post it) The more and more mistakes Tyrion made that she did not want to forgive. Her line to Sansa in 8x02 proves exactly why she kept him around. "I didn't ask him to be my Hand simply because he was good. I asked him to be my Hand because he was good, and intelligent, and ruthless when he had to be." And we all know how this relationship ended. That Tyrion literally embodies "Duty is the death of love".

And then we have Jon (sorry it took me so long to get here, Nonnie). Jon would have been good for her as well, but not as much as Jorah I don't think. Their relationship, as brief as it was, started on warring power dynamics (mostly on her side), abusive power dynamics (again, from her side), and manipulation (from both). As we all know, that's not a recipe for a healthy relationship. A lot of Jonerys shippers like to point to Dany's proposal in the 8x06 throne room scene as to how this power dynamic between them would have balanced out, but they always miss three big things: 1) Jon was not going to last had he accepted that proposal (she was going to eventually kill him), 2) there was already an abusive power dynamic at play, & 3) this proposal did not happen in a romantic type setting (or even a peaceful or mellow one), it literally took place in a destroyed throne room while the ashes of those burned alive swirled in the air around them. It was not going to be a happy ending for this pairing even if Jon had never grabbed that dagger.

And sure enough, since the relationship started, it has been beyond toxic. I admit, it was more subtle in the beginning, but it definitely became more and more overt as the show continued on. To the point where we now have some very big examples: 8x04, 8x05, and even 8x06 (though this one I would say is more related to the throne and the power struggle than their relationship tbf).

8x04:

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Here Jon mentions Jorah at first (because Dany is basically Jon's Jorah in that dynamic but also because Dany wants Jon to be her next Jorah, but one she loves back). Then we get her admitting she loves him and then this breakdown:

Jon kisses Dany but he subtly moves her away from the open fire

Dany begins to try to undress Jon & only then does he return the favor

Jon stops kissing her and moves away (notice how this only happens once she's where he's moved her)

Dany then goes into her spiel about how she wishes she could forget, how she wishes Jon hadn't told her the truth (the audience's initial impression is that it's about how the truth affects their relationship in the love/sex aspect) and how she sees how many people love Jon compared to her

Jon tries to assure her that he doesn't want the IT & she tells him to never tell anyone who he really is

Jon makes it clear that he wants to tell Sansa and Arya who he really is and Dany doesn't like this due to Sansa because it will threaten her claim to the IT; she begs Jon not to tell anyone & when he tries to assure her that everything will be okay, she goes cold (aka comes out of her manipulation attempt) and basically threatens him with "I've just told you how" (and the implied '...or else') & leaves

For me, the most important lines to focus on here are:

"If I didn't know, I'd be happy right now." -> Dany only focusing on how she feels about this situation

"I told you I don't want it." "It doesn't matter what you want. You didn't want to be King in the North. What happens when they demand you press your claim and take what is mine?" -> not only is this foreshadowing for what ultimately would happen to Jon had Dany survived but it also is once again, all about her; not to mention, she now knows the IT isn't hers but in her mind "mine" -> "Dragons don't understand the difference between what is theirs and what isn't." (7x07)

"You can say nothing. To anyone ever. Never tell them who you really are. Swear your brother and Samwell Tarly to secrecy and tell no one else." -> as if this isn't bad enough just by itself, we've seen Jon's struggle throughout the series as a bastard who wanted nothing more than to be a Stark, to have this identity and be embraced as something more than a bastard - we've seen him work hard and how he has moved up the ranks so to speak - we've seen the toll it takes on him to be something he's not (aka his wildling arc, to me it's no coincidence that he falls in love with Ygritte, someone who knows who he really is, a crow, and loves him anyway; and even this hidden thing he has during his Dany arc) - so for her, his only other relative on that side of the family, to deny his identity and want to keep it hidden all because of who he is (which is literally a parallel for the bastard part of his story, like Cat hating him because of his birth, something that can't be helped & is not his fault), as we know for a relationship that's a HUGE red flag - some may say Dany is thinking proactively and politically and to an extent, they're correct, but for the relationship to thrive, both people have to be getting what they need and validate the other - not to mention, Jon is on his knees during this part while she leans over him, gripping his face & saying this, this very image is an abusive power dynamic at play (which is exactly why Jon gets to his feet, he is stunned that she's telling him to deny himself basically)

"Even if the truth destroys us?" "It won't." "It will." -> tbf, Dany is right here but not just the truth about who Jon is, it's also about the truth of Jon "kindly manipulating" her; however, the truth about who Jon is only being told to his other family shouldn't matter here and here's why: Cersei broke the wheel so to speak by becoming the first Queen of the 7K (which is why Dany is so anxious to get her off the throne btw, Cersei beat her to the punch on that one & it doesn't bode well for her destiny and making impossible things happen). Jon's claim, while being strong, doesn't automatically mean that it usurps Dany's now because he's a man. The only way his claim is a threat to her now is because she's a "foreign invader" and like she says in this scene (and in 8x05), Jon has love (and a healthier form of that devotion) where she doesn't. Dany knows if the truth gets out, Jon will have more support and people will want to see him on the IT besides Sansa or any of the Starks. So here we have manipulation coming from Dany (which we already had in this scene, like the hand grabbing for instance, but here it's extremely overt) in order to keep him quiet so she can still "take what is mine". (and the begging him is part of this) And the manipulation as we know isn't healthy either, from either of them tbf, but her endgame is definitely different to Jon's, as well as the means they take to go about achieving them.

"We can live together." "We can. I've just told you how." Her tone and expression changes on a dime here and becomes cold and flat. We then see them break apart and she leaves. -> this is a threat, she's telling him 'don't say anything or else' because of the fact that she says "We can. I've just told you how" after he says "And they are my family. We can live together." And obviously, if there's threats present in a relationship, this is another HUGE red flag and this does not lead to a happy ending. This is toxic and abusive, especially since the threat implies possible bodily harm to Jon or his other family should he tell his sisters the truth about himself.

And then of course they gave us the contrast in these two images to show us exactly who is leading this abusive power dynamic here (as well as showing us the contrast between the two characters since they're two sides of the same coin):

For 8x05, I already went into this a bit here, so I won't go into it too much but we see the abusive power dynamics come sharper into focus, becoming more overt. We see that Jon is actually afraid of what she's going to do when he refuses her advances and makes it obvious that his love devotion for her doesn't run as deep as he had been trying to portray (though we don't find out until 8x06 that his fear is not just about what will happen to the North or Bran or Arya but to Sansa, since Sansa was the biggest threat to her besides Jon himself). It becomes about fear at that point, which Dany basically says herself at the end of the scene, and once that's in the mix (which it already was but the show made it extremely obvious here in this moment), there's no hope for that relationship.

And this scene is also meant to link (as a parallel and contrast) to the 8x04 scene above since they have the open fire, Jon trying to placate her, and how Dany initiates the physical intimacy while also the mention of the truth, Sansa, and "I don't want it" comes into play.

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The other scene in 8x05 that I think shows deeper into their relationship is this one:

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Even though this is about Varys, some important lines are said:

"There's something you need to know." "Someone has betrayed me." "Yes." "Jon Snow." -> without Tyrion saying anything & her knowing nothing, she automatically assumes that it's Jon (this is not a truly romantic relationship nor is all of this suspicion healthy) - talk about toxic (and while Jorah may have betrayed her in the past & she feels Tyrion is betraying her consistently, Drogo and Daario never betrayed her so yes she may deal with betrayal constantly but there was no reason to assume that about Jon other than paranoia/worry about the truth getting out) -> this points to that Jon is already layered heavily in suspicion in her mind and foreshadows what would have happened to Jon had she survived (she had Jon there at Varys' execution for a reason; the show had Jon there purposely despite the whole Northern army traveling timeline thing they had going on)

"He knows the truth about Jon." "He does." "Because you told him. You learned from Sansa. And she learned from Jon. Though I begged him not to tell her. As I said, he betrayed me." -> even though Tyrion has just told her that it's Varys who has betrayed her, her focus is once again on Tyrion, Sansa, and Jon, with Jon being the worst since he told the truth though she "begged" him not to -> this all ties into the absolute devotion she expects even when it comes to someone's family; had Jon stayed with Dany & accepted her proposal, not only would he have eventually been executed but he would have had to give up the Starks, literally and figuratively, especially Sansa; isolating one from one's family/loved ones is obviously toxic and leads to abuse (if it's not present already)

Then we have the 8x06 scene that I think was foreshadowing Jon's eventual demise itself:

(and funnily enough, right after Dany walks away, Arya shows up & warns Jon about this very thing happening as well as mentioning how Sansa won't accept Dany as queen; "And I know a killer when I see one")

and the bonus is this look when Dany has walked away (before Arya shows up):

(he looks like one smitten kitten, doesn't he?)

So it definitely was toxic and abusive, and it was never going to have a happy ending. Even if the KL massacre didn't happen, let's say. They set it up this way from the get go:

In 7x02, when Dany summons Jon, she makes it very clear that Jon is to come to Dragonstone so an alliance can be brokered (as is indicated by Melisandre, though tbf to Mel, she said Dany should meet Jon and hear what he has to say so there goes Dany taking the words and running with it for her own gain, yet again) but he is to bend the knee first and foremost.

In 7x03, we see Jon and Dany meet for the first time, but we also see something else happening here:

1) Drogon intimidates Jon and Co by flying directly over them (quick side note here: one of the various reasons I'm looking forward to HotD is because I'm pretty sure they're going to be getting into just how much the dragons are bonded with their riders and how they represent them, like Daemon's dragon - this was something that was sorely lacking in GoT and only if people watched behind the scenes do they see David talking about it at the end of season 5 when Drogon saves Dany & in that deleted scene where Jon asks Dany how to control Rhaegal - I'm excited because this is definitely something from the world of the books & if any GoT GA watch HotD, they will finally understand just how much Dany controlled Drogon & how much he represented her)

2) Jon's boat is taken away when it doesn't need to be (they literally could have moved it further up the beach so it wouldn't wash away but the show chose for us to see Jon noticing how his boat is taken away & it plays into Jon now being a prisoner & unable to leave) - while the disarming makes sense, the boat relocation does not, especially since the Dothraki are used to do it (and not the Unsullied - very purposeful - the Unsullied aren't there to make war, they're following orders, the Dothraki are Dany's bloodriders)

3) The first shot we get of Dany (from Jon's POV) is this:

While it makes sense for Dany to make this impression, it doesn't make sense if they're going for the romance angle, despite the rough start they may have at first. If Dany was meant to be seen by Jon as regal, someone to believe in, a powerful but just queen, this shot was the wrong way to go about it. (and we all already know, this show definitely made choices)

4) In Dany's intro scene to Jon, when she doesn't get what she wants (him bending the knee), she instead becomes displeased & threatens him with "As far as I can see, you are the enemy to the North." (which calls back to Jon and Sansa's convo in 7x01 above Winterfell) & then making this point again with "It's also fair to point out that I'm the rightful queen of the Seven Kingdoms. By declaring yourself King of the Northernmost Kingdom, you are in open rebellion." (after Jon literally just explained that the Northern lords put their trust in him to lead them and he would do so as best as he could)

5) Jon likens Dany to Cersei (the enemy to the South that Sansa had been mentioning in 7x01) with "The only reason I can see is you don't want to kill thousands of innocent people. It's the fastest way to win the war but you won't do it which means at the very least, you're better than Cersei." (so now, based on the dialogue itself, we have the setup of them being on opposing sides, and that Dany is indeed an enemy though Jon tries to smooth this over - and now looking back, it's easy to connect the dots even more to that 7x01 scene, since the show was trying to tell us about Dany being another threat in addition to the NK)

6) Dany's speech to Jon in this scene shows who she really is (when she talks about faith, you see a glimmer of that simmering rage shining through) & how she views herself through the lens of how others have viewed her so far, her so-called believers. You can see Jon taking this in (that's not an impressed or awe-struck look he has as shippers claim) and then puts it to her point blank: "You'll be ruling over a graveyard if we don't defeat the Night King." (I really do believe he sees her for exactly what she is in this moment but he needs her help with the NK)

7) When Varys speaks to Dany and basically sends Jon and Davos to rest in their rooms, Jon asks "Am I your prisoner?" He puts voice to everything that this scene has set up to this moment. And she replies with "Not yet." But after everything we've seen, we know he is (because let's face it, Dany wants her northern kingdom, she's not sure exactly yet what she's facing as far as his following goes and how devoted they might be to him, he's not looking at her with awe and wonder like so many others have done, she just lost the Greyjoys and Dorne, and compared to her other Westerosi allies he's showing up asking for help versus the others showing up to help her go for the IT no matter their agendas of revenge)

8) In this scene with Tyrion, not only do we have Jon looking out over the sea (I would say almost longingly), he says point blank: "I'm a prisoner on this island." There it is. He's her prisoner. (and people wonder why he agreed to go beyond the Wall later on after getting the dragonglass lol) And Tyrion confirms this: "I wouldn't say you're a prisoner on this island. You're free to walk the castle, the beaches, to go wherever you want." But Jon isn't having it: "Except to my ship. You took my ship." So Tyrion tries again: "I wouldn't say we took your ship." And Jon shuts him down: "I'm not playing word games with you." And there it is for the audience in a few lines: Jon is Dany's prisoner and he's not allowed to leave, Jon and Tyrion know it, and Tyrion is trying to get Jon to play ball for Dany's benefit. And Jon is refusing to: "I'd like to leave." But Tyrion insists, accesses Jon through his mentioning of the North and his title (aka the trust the North put in Jon). But the line that Tyrion says that is so telling (about Jon and Dany themselves) it's chilling: "Sometimes there's more to foreign invaders and Northern fools than meets the eye." That line, now knowing what we know, sets up the foreshadowing for both of their characters but also their relationship and its dynamic perfectly. And Tyrion's line of "Maybe you are a Northern fool" sets up how Tyrion sees Jon in this dynamic with Dany, that he believed that Jon was really in love with Dany. This episode was written by D&D; these lines were very purposeful & now looking back, you can see it was the setup for the J/D relationship.

9) In this scene where Jon & Dany talk, it starts out with Jon stopped on the stairway, watching a dragon fly overhead. In this shot, we can also see Dany is further down the stairwell, at the Wall, watching them as well. This sets up exactly how Jon is viewing her (as the dragon or something that appears scary and intimidating) as does the beginning dialogue from Jon saying the dragons are amazing things to see. Then we have the conversation where Dany asserts her position as Jon asserts his, both are faced away from each other (in opposition to one another) except when they are asserting their positions, and the attempt to find a common ground by both of them (him mentioning the dragons; her mentioning his brothers) fails. They only are facing each other again when Dany capitulates about the dragonglass. After Jon thanks her, she turns away from him again. He tries once more and asks "So you believe me then about the Night King and the Army of the Dead?" She doesn't answer this but tells him "You'd better get to work, Jon Snow." And he walks away. Because in the throne room scene in this episode, she called him Lord Snow (purposely demoting his title because she is asserting herself as Queen) and he called her Your Grace. So for her to say "Jon Snow" instead of "Lord Snow" demotes him back to his full bastard status that he had in the beginning of the series. And this is why Jon walks away in the fashion he does. So even before their relationship begins, even before this attraction pops up that Davos mentions in 7x04, Dany had already introduced the abuse of this power dynamic and eventually this will become toxic.

10) The cave scene was not only meant to attempt to get Dany to understand the very real threat the world is facing but also shows how Dany uses this moment to her advantage in order to get Jon to bend the knee. It's still about the IT for her & her being in power.

11) In this scene, Davos tries to get him and Jon out of the situation with "You'll want to discuss this amongst yourselves" which Dany immediately denies "You will stay." There was no reason for Jon or Davos to be a part of this conversation, especially since technically Jon and Dany aren't allies yet and Jon has not bent the knee. It's not smart to have things you're discussing with your advisors in front of people who are technically not on your side and could pose a real threat. Even Varys looks surprised that she orders Jon and Davos to stay. But she does this because it's manipulation and slight intimidation. Some might look at her asking Jon's advice as her valuing Jon's opinion, but ultimately she doesn't take it. We see her use Drogon and her army to attack (and burn) the Lannister army on the Gold Road. And we also see her impulsively burn all the food in the midst of the battle. She wanted them, more specifically Jon, to see her rip Tyrion apart (because Tyrion has that link to Jon; he vouched for him in addition to Melisandre & he and Jon have a history) because she's angry and she wants them all to know it. Notice how when the camera is on Tyrion after Dany turns around to unleash on him, in the background Jon takes another step back to get closer to Davos. Varys also takes a step back, as does Missandei and even Davos himself. Tyrion is the only one who doesn't, but he keeps his eyes down as she verbally tears into him. Only in the next shot of him do we see his eyes meeting Dany's but then dropping again. When she says "Our enemies? Your family, you mean. Perhaps you don't want to hurt them after all", the camera is then on Jon, Davos, and Missandei, but the focus is Jon. Because it will come down to Jon's family (Sansa) and Dany herself. That if Jon doesn't give Dany the absolute devotion she's looking for, he will also be in danger himself (without the parentage reveal even). Manipulation and intimidation.

12) Which makes absolute sense to Jon's reaction (or lack of one) to the news of Arya and Bran here. I know people wondered why he didn't react more but the show purposely had Jon's emotional reunion with Bran in 8x01 (& then his private emotional reunion with Arya in the same episode) to show us that Jon obviously cared. He didn't want Dany to see back in 7x05. Which is interesting because technically in 7x06, when Jon bends the knee, that's when his more personal manipulation of Dany starts. But here, the manipulation (to get off of Dragonstone and back North) has already begun. He still wants her as an ally, still needs her help with the NK, but here I don't think he planned to kick that manipulation up a notch. Not until he saw the dragons in action. And in this scene, we see Jon trying to get her to let him go but she comes up with reasons why he can't (and as we start to see, this is to the beginning of developing feelings she has for him). It's only when Tyrion comes up with the Wight plan that Jon agrees to go (once again, trying to get off this island but get Dany as an ally), and when she refuses, he asserts himself again. And this time, she capitulates. The fact that he had to fight for his freedom so to speak, speaks volumes once again to their dynamic.

13) This last scene before Jon leaves Dragonstone, everyone talks about the lack of a look back to Dany from Jon but also about the infamous words Jon says to Dany: "I wish you good fortune in the wars to come, Your Grace." But more importantly, he says this in response to her "I've grown used to him". She is making her interest in him obvious in that moment, to the audience and to Jon, and he instead replies with the infamous line said between enemies. Very telling for how their dynamic is not only viewed by Jon himself but by the writers as well.

So, it was all set up from the get go. And like you mentioned, the foreshadowing of Dany and what she expected in her relationships after Drogo, that scene with Hizdahr was very telling. And we literally see that play out with Jon. So, I absolutely agree with you, Nonnie.

I also agree with you that Dany never knew healthy relationships or even knew what love was. Take her dragons for example. I'm not saying she didn't love them but she definitely used them as weapons long before season 8. I remember watching 3x01 and being shocked at what she says to Jorah about the dragons, after watching the dragons flying overhead fondly.

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"They're growing fast."

"Not fast enough. I can't wait that long." (as she's literally stroking Drogon and he's enjoying the attention from his mom - this is part of the reason I don't hate the dragons btw or blame them, it was Dany and the Targaryens that turned them into weapons)

I remember seeing that at first watch and being like 'but they're your children! Wtf?' But it was just one of many things that didn't add up about her (until they did). Plus, my thinking is: Sis, I'd like to see you try to take KL without the Unsullied, the full Dothraki force, and at least one grown dragon. Stannis had an army (and ships) and wasn't able to get it done. What makes you think you would have? Sorry, I digress, but I get irritated when I watch that scene, and slightly protective (I have a thing with fictional animals, I guess).

And she seems to agree with me. "I need an army." (and she looks irritated as she says this while watching Drogon fly off which again made me go 'wtf', almost as if it was the dragons' fault for taking too long to grow)

So even though these dragons are her 'children and the only children' she will ever have, she also views them as weapons. A means to get her what she wants and to instill fear in those she means to rule slaughter and whoever stands in her way. Tbf to Dany, she never knew her mother and she wasn't raised with love, but like you said, Nonnie, it doesn't excuse her actions.

She definitely had no reference point for a healthy and loving romantic relationship since she had never been in one. But again, no excuse. While I can appreciate what she was trying to accomplish, or maybe it's more appropriate to say what she was selling to her believers, she absolutely went the wrong way about it and it should have been no surprise to anyone that things never worked out for her in the romance department. Especially since Jon was never going to be one of those blind followers.

Toxic. And abusive.

Thank you for the ask, Nonnie! I hope I was able to answer you with this 300 page paper LOL. I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day!!! <3

#ask #ask answered #got #game of thrones #antijonerys #anti jonerys #antijonerysposts #metaposts #anti jonerys meta #jorleesi mention if you squint hard enough #dark!dany does feature here quite a bit #so i'm putting those tags #dark!dany #dark!daenerys

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moribundanchor · 3 years

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The Pelle/Dani Receipts, Post 11: The May Queen

The last lap of the film is the culmination of two separate tracks: one, Dani breaking with Christian, coming to terms with her grief, and sloughing off her old life, and two, Dani being embraced by her new family and, with that final, slightly-mad smile, finding joy with them. Much as in the “Do you feel held by him?” scene, Ari masterfully keeps the final scenes of Midsommar walking that tightrope between validating the Pelle/Dani romance and minimizing it in order to center Dani’s broader character arc and story, and to that end, he doesn’t even wobble. Still, he can’t get out of this without some explicit (though not explicit) mushy stuff for the OTP, and that, of course, is why we’re here.

We already mentioned the dance competition in the context of Pelle and Team Hårga winnowing Christian real good so he can be Maja’s baby daddy, but this is yet another opportunity for Pelle to demonstrate to Dani the contrast between him and Christian. As Dani begins to dance, Pelle is right up front, attentively, patiently, smilingly watching. She has every bit of his attention and support. Meanwhile, Christian stumbles into the audience late, burdened and internally roiling after his meeting with Siv.

Now, we don’t know how Christian ultimately answered the Matriarch when she asked if he would mate with Maja. Ari, the imp, cuts away. Not to taint our favorite scene with comparison, but very like Dani’s protests in “Do you feel held by him?” Christian’s evasions, more pronounced in the Director’s Cut (“I’m here with somebody,” “We haven’t even talked.”) are frail, toothless things against the truth joined with temptation. He doesn’t love Dani. And he does want Maja. By the time he comes to watch the dance competition, Dani dancing is the furthest thing from Christian’s mind, even though betraying her is the crux of his dilemma.

And do please remember that Siv proposes this ritual snuggling to Christian as something Dani will not know about, so he really is contemplating betraying her, as opposed to what Pelle suggests to Dani.

This is the contrast that waits for Dani during a break in the dance. Pelle smiles at her flirtatiously, even proudly, and silently applauds--totally here for you, Dani--while Christian is literally looking the other direction, back towards where Maja--oops, I got myself eliminated, teehee!--has taken her seat. During the dance, Dani is, yes, tripping balls and speaking gibberish, but she is still having the best time ever. So, initially exhilarated, Dani wilts the moment she sees Christian, and if we were going to argue that Dani doesn’t reciprocate Pelle’s feelings, the visible heartbreak on her face here would be Exhibit A. Except people are more complicated than that. Relationships are more complicated than that. Dani is definitely more complicated than that. Letting go still can hurt long after you know it’s over.

All that being said, even the most complicated relationship stuff can get simple real quick with a grand, unambiguously romantic gesture, and as Dani is crowned May Queen, finally, finally, finally, we get one. No evasions, no apophasis. Stunned, still kind of high, Dani’s new family washes her away in a tide of congratulations. Odd welcomes her home again, in Swedish this time, and it’s just a lovebomb lovefest all the way down. The only ones who don’t hug and/or paw at Dani are hallucinations (or are they) of her parents in Hårgan garb, her mom laying one surrendering caress on Dani’s shoulder as she passes by, and, of course, Christian, poor dope, standing by the maypole, looking every bit as alone and lost as Dani probably has felt up to this point. The Fire Temple is a ways off, but he will never again be allowed close to her. They are over.

At the end of the procession, for maximum dramatic effect, Dani’s happy Hårgan sisters tilt her toward OHAI PELLE. As Pelle bends down to her, initially he appears to be in supportive friend mode, (“My God, Dani! May Queen!”), but then he just sweeps Dani up in a kiss that isn’t long enough to stop the ceremony, but just long enough to be undeniably romantic. In the script, the kiss is actually described as a “blunt, passionate kiss.” While so much of the Pelle/Dani ship is not scripted, here it is plain: Pelle, now wearing the Wunjo rune, is Dani’s wish for an understanding, loving partner come true, and for the minute she can be spared from the procession, he is kissing her for all he’s worth. Let’s just watch this on a loop for a while.

This is the moment that has launched several thousand “Did Pelle like Dani?” Google searches, and it looks like a freaking wedding because it kind of is. Look at all the Hårgans bursting with happiness, not just for Dani, but for them. We are all Hårgans because all Hårgans are clearly Pelle/Dani shippers. (Okay, there’s something going on with Inga, but that’s a different analysis post.) Dagny in particular looks like she’s going to cry. My sweet brother birthmate found him a newblood and they are the cutest. Both Pelle and Dani are in full Hårgan dress for this kiss, as though their relationship always had to be consummated with Dani fully planted in the fifth panel of the spoiler tapestry. Also note that the pink flower in Dani’s crown reflects her heartbeat. Notice how it speeds right on up while she’s in Pelle’s arms. At this point, Dani might yet equivocate--not that she’s very equivocal in the moment--but crown flowers don’t lie.

Christian probably doesn’t see this moment. In addition to succumbing to “the tea with special properties,” he’s watching from the maypole, and Dani and Pelle would have been obscured from that vantage by a few dozen white-clad bodies. But if he cared enough about Dani to celebrate her triumph instead of blankly witness it, if he had been able to refuse the tea...but then, if he cared that much, we wouldn’t have had a movie.

Once Pelle surrenders Dani, the happiest and proudest of all possible soft cult boys, she’s urged toward a litter in the shape of the sun and lifted high off the ground. The Hårgans serenade their queen in a procession to the dinner table, Pelle prominent among them, his hands arranged in a cradling gesture previously seen when the Hårgans burned Dan’s body. This is an assumption, but it seems a fair one, that the gesture conveys Pelle bearing Dani’s spirit, even if he’s not one of those physically carrying her litter. In the wide shot, you will notice they are sailing Dani right past an image of Terri hidden in the trees. In this scene, Dani is very literally leaving her birth family and Christian behind. When Dani takes her throne at the head of the mirrored banquet table, Pelle will placidly sketch the moment, and as previously mentioned, we’ll see him reflected in the table surface, indicating how he’s still plotting even in that idyllic moment which would seem to be the culmination of all his hopes and dreams. After all, Christian’s still breathing.

Sadly, this concludes the dramatized Dani/Pelle content. We know. We’re sad, too. In the major scenes around the kiss itself--the serenade, the photograph, the dinner after her crowning--Pelle is near Dani, but not next to Dani. No more close communicating reaction shots. We can see Pelle enthusiastically toast Dani at the dinner table, and she seems to trade a sly, flirty smile with him immediately afterward, but that’s it. We can’t even see Pelle’s reaction when Dani gags on the pickled herring. In the final ceremony, Pelle’s crowned, too, just as the movie has been promising all along, but he and Dani don’t share the stage or even a single shot. Blocking and camerawork, so suggestive of their love story up to the point Pelle lays a good ‘un on her, suddenly becomes a blue-nosed chaperone. But consider what the film would be like, what it would have to become, otherwise. Midsommar isn’t primarily a romance anymore than it’s primarily a horror movie. Nope, it’s not a horror movie either, not really. It’s Dani’s story; it just happens to have smooches and blood eagles in it. So the kiss is a great moment, but it’s going to have to last you. (Hey, would you like to see our fanfics?)

Green Man/May King or not, it would appear there’s more post-canon wooing for Mr. Pelle to do (though Ari has confirmed more than once that Pelle has an excellent chance with Dani, wink.) The script specifies that Pelle is one of the Hårgans that bears Dani’s throne to scoop her up after she stumbles in her May Queen raiment before the film’s final shot, but like so much Dani/Pelle content in the script, that doesn’t actually end up on film. The last we see of Pelle, he’s on his knees scream/crying as the Fire Temple burns, and the last we see of Dani...well, the last we see of Dani is the final, iconic shot of the film. Insane? Eh, maybe. She’s synced up with her new family and having her unholy affekts burned away. Probably should check back later for that one. Happy? Definitely. Ever after? Sure looks like. And why not? Girl got her wish.

Oh, but there’s one more topic we have not quite explored. The writing on the wall. And the ceilings and the tapestries and the clothes and the footwear and the decorative flourishes and the furniture and the tables and plinths and the...

For more, click on The Pelle/Dani Receipts Masterpost

#the pelle/dani receipts #pelle/dani #dani/pelle #pelle x dani #dani x pelle #pellani #midsommar

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theanimeview · 4 years

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Review: My Life as an Internet Novel

My Life as an Internet Novel might be for you if you like reincarnated/wakeup in another world storylines that make you question what you would do in the same situation. Just a warning before you start though, this manhwa is a little messed up.

Our main character, Ham Dan-I, who I will refer to as Dani for the rest of this analysis/theory/review, is featured center stage holding a green book in the cover image above. On her first day of middle school, she wakes up in an alternate world. The only difference she notices at first is that her uniform has changed. Upon exiting her apartment, Dani meets a girl, Ban Yeoryeong, who thinks she’s Dani’s best friend. From there the story takes off. Dani realizes she’s living in the world of a web novel where her childhood friend is the protagonist and, sure enough, it plays out like many tropes we’ve seen in rom-com reverse harem tales from the shoujo genre, with Dani’s personal experiences quickly being overlooked in favor of Ban Yeoryeong by the “four kings” of their school (aka, four hot romantic leads for Ban Yeoryeong to fall in love with).

It starts off comedically enough until you realize the darker under layers of the work that are slowly building momentum, the first of which (aside from being in a new world) is one that she still hasn’t noticed yet: her parents aren’t her parents. They’re the Dani of this world’s parents and, as such, even though they act the same as her parents, the ones she’s always known, they have different memories from our Dani. The next trouble is that her best friend of this world, Ban Yeoryeong, is a stranger, and her original-world best friend is gone. She doesn’t share Ban Yeoryeong’s memories, so Dani can’t reflect on the past with her, and their new friends--the four kings, who are targeting Ban Yeoryeong as a love interest--are hard to approach as Dani is the forgettable best friend to the heroine they’re attracted towards. It’s really messed up as you think of the psychological damage it’s causing her to put on the act of being the Dani of this world, and that’s doubled as we see her break away from what’s happening in the present to compare it to story tropes. Her internal turmoil over the events laying out before her is clearly a significant stressor as the story continues, turning the light-hearted and funny premise into a darker and darker tale as Dani experiences shifts between the two realities on the anniversary of her first transfer to this world, March 2nd.

Can you imagine waking up in an alternate world? Your whole life shifted with no one to talk to about it? Your closest friend is gone. Your family doesn’t understand and treats it as a joke. The new friends you have aren’t really yours, their someone else’s who happened to look exactly like you. It’s dark and yet wrapped in a pretty pastel bow of a shoujo rom-com set-up.

At first, Dani wanted to return to her original world and tries to avoid being pulled into the shoujo web novel-like plot, but as time progresses, she begins to build a life in this new world. However, on March 2nd, she’s thrown back, for a short time, to her original world--a world that’s progressed without her. It’s traumatizing. Especially as she returns to this new world where she’s begun building a life only to find that in the time she was gone, she was erased completely--even from her new “life-long, childhood” best friend, Ban Yeoryeong.

Its story feels like a new approach in the growing isekai genre, though I’m pretty sure I’ve read a similar premise to this many years ago. Still, I like how the dark twist isn’t something like being bullied or an addition of some supernatural cult of people who can walk between realities that try to recruit her (not going to lie, I kind of expected the latter). It’s a pleasant switch from focusing so much on the cause or magic behind the unexplained world switch to the discussion of what would you do and how could it change your life? With Dani, the answer is complicated. She tries at first to hold onto her original world, like many of us might, but over time she’s worn down by time, social pressure, and perhaps even loneliness of trying to avoid making friends.

The more she integrates herself, we see physical changes, something she notices too as she comments that her hair and eye color are growing lighter, which seems to make the shift back to her original world that much scarier to her. For her, and for us, it starts to become a question of what’s real. I think that both are real, but what does that mean for Dani, who’s split between the two worlds.

If she disappears from her current one, there is no other “Dani” to replace her; it seems because her friends, and again even “her” childhood friend Ban Yeoryeong, forget about her existence. Moreover, when she does arrive back in her original world, we never see her parents or their response to her--so what happened to the other Dani? The one that we’ve been guessing replaced our Dani in the original world?

My Life as an Internet Novel is the kind of story that makes you start thinking about what’s really going on beyond the fake smile of our main character. It makes you question what you might do in the same position and how you might feel. The writing is good, and the beginning chapters are funny as Dani sees trope after trope from the genre enacted by “real” people while still keeping that thought and feeling of otherness at the forefront of our minds.

It’s not a very exciting story, but it is a nice read if you enjoy stories that make you think and imagine yourself in a similar situation.

I can’t say I’d give the series a total 10/10 as of yet, mostly because when I first started reading, I felt like I had read a similar starting premise before. That’s not entirely uncommon to the reborn/isekai genre as many start with the same premise and even take similar paths in storytelling, but, still, my judgment stands... -0.5 for that. I’ll add a full negative point for the main character forgetting her parents repeatedly. They only appear at weird times. Had they been used in the beginning set-up and forgotten afterward I could probably forgive and forget but with recent chapters showing the parents popping back up in weird moments not important to the plot after playing a part in the kick-off of said plot (changing worlds).

Recommendation: 8/10 Would read.

My Life as an Internet Novel is available on TappyToons.

#inso's law #My Life as an Internet Novel #Rules in the Web Novel #law of insomnia #analysis #review

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elounorfluff-blog · 5 years

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Inhaling Every Moment

A/N: OK I already apologized for this in my previous post. The whole thing isn’t heart-wrenching, I promise. Like and comment, reblog or DM with feedback! And a super fluff-filled nothing sad at all Christmas one-shot is coming in December. So here’s Christmas 2016....

The air felt colder than usual, but it had nothing to do with close to freezing temperatures outside. Louis wasn’t sure his life could have been in a more horrific state than it was that chilly night in December. The funeral had been held two weeks ago and he didn’t know how there were any tears left in him. After that awful day, it had been too much for him to keep leaning on Dani. Snapping at her when she was just trying to help and then apologizing over and over again until their relationship had more tension than comfort. She had left two days after his X-factor performance, on amicable terms. He knew it wasn’t her fault he was so upset with the world right now, but he didn’t think he could be with anyone in his current state. And of course, she had been at the funeral. Some part of him had expected to see Eleanor there, but when he actually saw her in living, breathing, form, it was like someone had sliced open freshly sewn stitches. He’d barely been able to say more than a few words to her.

His birthday had passed yesterday without any festivity beyond reading a hopelessly long letter his mother had left behind for him, telling him how proud she was and that she wished him only to find peace in the coming year. Lottie had also made him eat something and changed his sheets, and then taken him and Fizzy, along with the older twins to get hot chocolate. It had been a sort of quiet he wasn’t used to, but he had never been more thankful to have so many sisters. They were all in this together, at least.

And there had been today. Christmas. In their rented London home close to the hospital that no one could bear to leave just yet. Nobody woke up early to open gifts, but Dan and Fizzy had started making pancakes around noon as people drifted downstairs. It was an odd kind of relief to have things to do that day. Traditions that simply had to be upheld lest they have one more reminder of Jay’s absence. And so, they had decorated the tree that had sat neglected for the past month as they had been too busy with goodbyes and funeral plans and grieving to worry about something as trivial as ornaments. The memories held in each little trinket he hung up ended up being of far more comfort than he thought they would. He had found all the little things he’d made her in primary school, ornaments from different years which read “the Tomlinsons”, and listed names on some item. The first looked like a cookie sheet and simply held Marks name, his mum’s, and his own. The most recent was in the shape of a large snow globe and held at the top “The Tomlinson-Deakin Family” and read on tiny name plaques, “Jay, Dan, Mark, Louis, Lottie, Fizzy, Daisy, Phoebe, Doris, Ernest”. He’d smiled, wondering what the person who had done the calligraphy must have thought, writing all those names. Every single one of the kids had some creative ‘Baby’s 1st Christmas’ one as well, his own simply stating those words on a tiny silver frame that held a photo of his Mum with him at one day old, not even discharged from the hospital yet.

They had sat in the living room and opened a few gifts from each other, before they had finally addressed the tense absence hanging in the air. Each of them had gone around and told the happiest story they could think of about Johannah. And for awhile they had laughed even though the pain was still fresh. She had brought so much joy to their lives. They had stayed in their cocoon of togetherness, not wanting to leave the warmth and comfort of seeing their mum in each other’s eyes, but then children started to fuss, and the night had to end as Lottie and Fizzy got the younger twins off to bed. He had to let the great world spin, whether he wanted to or not.

It was close to midnight now. He knew all the older girls were probably crowded into one bedroom, asleep on each other, as they had been since the funeral. He sat downstairs, in a back room with vaulted ceilings that was full of windows to let light in during the day. He was curled up on the couch, with his knees hugged to his chest feeling completely numb. He took out his phone in hopes of finding a distraction, scrolling mindlessly through the names in his phone. Louis wasn’t even sure how or why he had hit call on Eleanor’s contact, it just happened.

Meanwhile, El sat in her sweatpants alone in her London flat. She couldn’t bring herself to go home to Manchester. She’d tried to enjoy herself earlier with a friend who’d invited her to dinner, but now she simply felt alone, save for Bruce, who she was currently using as a pillow. She missed Jay with everything in her, but more than that, she missed the normalcy of being around the Tomlinsons and how comforting it had been just to wrap Daisy and Phoebe in her arms at the funeral. His family was the only one that was going through this process with her, but she felt like an intruder, so she kept her communication to a minimum. When her phone rang, she didn’t intend to answer it until she saw the contact name flash.

“…. Hello?” She answered hesitantly.

“Hey,” Louis said quietly.

“You’re up late,” she mumbled.

“Surprised you’re still awake,” Louis replied awkwardly.

“I haven’t really slept much since….you know. Did you need something?” She asked with curiosity rather than annoyance.

Louis paused as if trying to remember something. “Not…not really, I guess. Just can’t sleep either, although apparently everyone else can.”

Eleanor spoke before she thought, “Do you want me to come over?”

“I can’t say the answer is no. I promised you no more lies, but if you’re tired, I understand” he told her, which was true. They had spoken briefly after Jay told her about Brianna’s pregnancy. It had been a strange conversation where she questioned why he felt the need for her to know before the public, and he’d answered her that despite not feeling they could reconciliate, he felt he owed her honesty, and that honesty wasn’t letting someone you had been with for three and a half years find out you were having a child from the media.

“I’m a little tired, but that doesn’t mean I can fall asleep anytime soon. Be over in ten?” El didn’t know why she agreed. A little birdie (actually twin ones with iPhones) had informed her when Danielle had gone back to America and their general understanding that Louis and she had split.

“Yeah that works…. See you soon.” The line went dead as he hung up.

El turned to Bruce, “I have to go, love.” The dog answered by putting his head on his paws. “….Actually? Do you want to go for a ride in the car…yeah?” The dog’s ears perked up and he sat, pawing at her. “Alright, but we have to be very quiet.”

She grabbed a clean sweater, double checked she had on deodorant, and didn’t bother beyond that. She packed up her golden-doodle and started her car.

Lou texted her to come in the side door, where the deck was waiting off the room where he currently sat. He heard her pull up but didn’t see her until she was at the glass door, holding a giant bundle of tan fur in her arms. Lou gently slid the door open as she stepped in and set Bruce down. “You brought your dog?!” He whisper shouted.

El shushed him in reply, quietly telling Bruce to lay down. “Yes, I brought my dog. You have to take care of them you know.” She wasn’t sure why she was being so forward, although Louis had purchased Bruce for her and known him quite well. He had been their dog. “Besides, you can’t tell me that fluffball is anything other than comforting,” she told him quietly.

Louis gave her a look but then his eyes softened as he crouched down to pet the dog. “Hey Bruce-y. How’s life been?” He sat down on the ground against the back of a couch and pet him.

El joined him on the ground, still wearing her coat and boots, rubbing her dog’s belly as she talked mindlessly. “He’s been okay. Definitely missed you when you first left.” She tried to fill the endless silence. “What’s on your mind?”

Louis sighed, “Just…how lonely things seem without her. I didn’t even see her all that often before she was diagnosed, I was busy living it up in LA, but then I was here constantly after that call. I was afraid if I left for too long, I might never see her again,” he said without looking up. He scratched Bruce’s ears as a distraction.

“At least you got to say goodbye?” El tried to look for something comforting but wasn’t coming up with much.

“You’re only the hundredth person to say that to me”, Lou rolled his eyes, standing up. “I need to smoke,” he told no one in particular, slipping on his shoes and heading out to the deck. Eleanor followed him, since Bruce had fallen asleep in the warmth of the house.

El pulled her coat tighter around her in the still night air, watching Louis take a pack and a lighter out of his sweatshirt pocket. She leaned against the railing and put one of her hands out. “Give me one those,” she said.

Lou gave her a strange look, “Didn’t you quit smoking…. four or five years ago?”

“I quit because I was dating someone in a band who had in image to uphold for millions of thirteen-year-old girls in 2011, you hypocrite”, she deadpanned, but he still didn’t look like he planned on surrendering any. “Give me a fucking cigarette!” She whisper-shouted.

Lou looked he had been shaken out of trance as he handed one over to her and lit it for her. “Well at least I can count on you not to lecture me about the hazard”, he told her, taking a drag off his own.

El almost laughed as she exhaled, “I’m pretty sure the fact that Jay hated smoking is enough of a lecture by itself.”

“You’d think. I’ve been awful about it though. I can go through a pack in two hours easily,” he informed her. It was true. His nerves never seemed to calm down and for some reason the routine dispense of nicotine into his system felt at least somewhat relaxing.

“Well, we all have our vices,” she knew it wasn’t worth lecturing him about anyway. He was going to do it either way until he worked through Jay being gone. They were silent for a few minutes as they smoked, until she stomped hers out on the ledge, too cold to continue. “You almost done, it’s bloody freezing out here?”

Louis saw her shivering and threw his in the ashtray. “It’s warmer upstairs, inside I mean,” he said as he offered his hand to her to walk back in. El glanced at him suspiciously before accepting it.

“What have you been doing down here, then?” She asked as he slid the door open.

“I…I couldn’t fall asleep alone. The girls are all piled in with each other, and if you hadn’t heard, things weren’t really working between Dani and I. She left two weeks ago,” Louis pat his leg to call Bruce over while El took her boots off. He had forgotten how much he cared about the dog.

“I heard,” she said quietly, looking for a subject change. “He remembers you. I can tell, he wouldn’t let Max near him for months, but he doesn’t even make a sound when you pet him”, she said watching the two interact, “are we going upstairs?” She gestured to the staircase down the hall as she hung up her coat above her boots.

He figured she was cold from being outside, and it wasn’t going to hurt anything for them to go up to his room, “I guess…as long as Bruce is quiet.” El nodded in reply and picked up her overgrown puppy. Lou shook his head at her, hinting at a smile. He crept down the hall and up the stairs with her in tow, until they got to his room. He shut the door and turned on a lamp.

El set Bruce down on the bed, while Lou cleared away random things from it. “What’s that?” She asked of an unopened gift bag sitting on the ground.

Lou looked to where she pointed, and his heart sank, “birthday gift from Mum. I read the letter, but I haven’t opened it yet.”

“Oh…well do it now then. While I’m here for moral support,” She knew it might be months before he got around to it if she didn’t push him. Lou gave her an annoying look but picked it up and sat down next to her.

He took out the tissue paper and removed the two items inside. The first one was an engraved picture frame with one of the last photos of him and Jay before she was hospitalized. It simply read ‘Love you always, Mum Xx’ in what was clearly her handwriting. He smiled at it before setting it down gently on his dresser and picking up the other gift. It was a flat silver circle with an inner an outer ring, hung from a ribbon. The inner circle had a teddy bear holding a gift etched into it, while the outer one read ‘Baby’s first Christmas 2016’. He blinked back tears as he showed it to El. “She has one of these for all seven of us. And everyone’s is different, even Daisy and Phoebe’s. They were some of her favorite ornaments, she always talked about getting one for Freddie.”, he said it solemnly, leaning against her shoulder without thinking.

El squeezed his hand gently and set the trinket down next to the photo. She went to kick the bag aside but noticed something white in the tissue paper and picked it up for Lou to see. It was a Polaroid of all things, from Jay’s wedding. “Is that us?” Eleanor asked, even though she knew it was her because she remembered taking the photo.

It was while everyone was still getting ready and somehow the bridesmaids had found themselves running around barefoot as they finished up. Sophia had come to help her fix her hair, and brought Liam with her, who had brought Niall, and before she knew it all of One Direction was in the house and her hair still hadn’t been fixed. Someone was taking Polaroids for fun and had gone to grab one of Louis and Liam after he first walked in. Joke was on that photographer, because Lou had called her over, which of course led to Liam calling Sophia over, and then Louis told Zayn and Perrie they may as well join, which led Niall and Harry to sarcastically complaining about not being included. Louis had told them it was a couples only photo, and they needed a date, which they responded to by waving over Daisy and Phoebe, also barefoot and dresses still untied, and putting the girls on their backs.

The end result had been a set of laughing twins on the backs of Harry and Niall with linked arms and ridiculous facial expressions on one end and Zayn and Perrie looking relatively normal on the other end. In between that mess was Louis holding El’s waist and kissing her on the cheek while she looked slightly to the side, bursting with laughter at Sophia who was standing on her tiptoes in her black dress, trying to be as tall as El in her bare feet while Liam had covered half his smile, trying to hide his laughter at Soph’s attempt to be taller.

Louis took the photo from her after studying it, wondering why his mum had included it. He turned it over where the back of it had written in sharpie, ‘Louis, never stop making people smile. :)’. He looked at El, “that is definitely us.” He wasn’t sure what else to say. The photo only stirred up more feelings, although not all of them were bad.

“Can I borrow a sweatshirt?” El asked out of the blue once the silence got to be too much. Her sweater felt tight and uncomfortable now.

“Yeah, I’ll grab you one”, he exhaled heavily as he set the photo down and pulled one of his drawers open, surrendering the warm fleece. “Did you want one of the guest rooms?” He turned to pet Bruce while she changed.

El pulled her sweater off and unclasped her bra, before discarding that as well. She pulled on his warm sweatshirt and scooted back, “I’m fine here.”

“You want to sleep in my room? As in….” Louis was confused.

El rolled her eyes, “I’ll sleep with you. Wait not like that, I didn’t mean-”

“I got it,” he cut her off, understanding her meaning. Bruce stayed curled up at the end of the bed as he went to lay beside her, taking the Polaroid with him to examine it further.

She put a hand on his arm out of habit, “You alright?”

Louis shook his head. “I know that was probably one of the happiest days of her life, but it’s definitely in me own top three. I got to walk down the aisle with you. And nobody was fighting, not the band or my siblings, or…us”, he tilted his head slightly.

“You really want to do this right now?” El turned on her own side to face him, leaning on her arm, “talk about us?”

“You say it like it’s such a bad thing”, his tone didn’t convey any particular emotion, besides the grief he was clearly carrying in general.

“Not bad, per say…. just doesn’t do anybody a lot of good. Reminiscing about a girl you used to be in love with,” Eleanor stated like it should be obvious.

Louis raised an eyebrow at her as if she had just told him something completely inconceivable, like the sky turning green. He took one of her hands and looked straight at her, “Eleanor, I didn’t used to be in love with you… I still am.”

El blinked back a tear and looked at their hands instead of back at him, “You promised… no more lies.” She didn’t ever want to risk having her heart shattered again.

Louis wasn’t holding back his tears as they slid down his cheeks. “I’m not lying. You’re my girl, Eleanor,” El tried to look anywhere but at his eyes. “I know I fucked up, and got really lost the last two years, in too many ways to count, but I promise I’m not lying about this,” he pleaded with her.

El let the tears fall down her face. “Why did you call me?” She asked through her tears, swallowing thickly. She stared at their fingers, still laced together between them.

��Because”, Louis choked out, “because you’re my family. Nobody can ever be you, which means no one can ever understand losing her the way you would. You don’t treat me like some…broken, fragile thing. And because…maybe, I missed you.” He blinked hard and wiped at his eyes with his sweatshirt

“Maybe?” El finally met his eyes.

“No. Not Maybe. I did miss you. Shit, El. I missed you so much”, it was like a million emotions came flooding back in one second.

El wiped at her own tears. She crept closer to him, feeling her heartbeat pounding in her ears. She lost herself in the ocean of his eyes.

“I missed you too,” she whispered. She wasn’t sure why she admitted to that so freely, but she knew with every part of her that it was true.

Louis didn’t stop to wonder if her reply was genuine or second guess her, at least not with words. He just gave her a half smile and squeezed her hand gently, “Yeah?”

El nodded and pushed her palm against his so he fell on his back and pressed her lips to his. Her thought process was completely gone at this point. She had meant to be gentle and quick, but before she knew it, his other hand was tucking a stray hair behind her ear as she found the familiar taste of cigarettes and some expensive whiskey he must have been drinking earlier and him. She surrendered all her oxygen to it, kissing him as they both cried silent tears.

Lou wanted her back the second she pulled away to breathe, but he decided he could definitely settle for her body pressed to his as she curled around him and rested her head on his chest. He swallowed and found his tears finally subsiding as he wrapped his arm around her. “I can’t lose you too, not again.”

El didn’t look at him to argue or try to declare her love enough to convince him she wasn’t going anywhere. She didn’t have the energy or the motivation to do any of that. She simply snuggled closer to him and ran her thumb over his where they knotted together. “You won’t,” she stated simply, glancing at the clock reading eleven fifty. “Merry Christmas,” she said sleepily. And then her eyelids were getting heavy as she wrapped her body around his and shifted most of her upper bodyweight onto him.

He yawned under the comforting pressure of her head tucked beneath his chin and her chest against his abs, one arm wrapped lazily around him. Eleanor drifted off with her nose tucked to his shoulder. Louis’ breathing finally became slow and even as he listened to her breathe and smelled the same perfume that had been a constant for almost four years of his life. Bruce came and laid beside them. This was the furthest thing from happily ever after as their tear stained faces dried, but there was no denying it was love. It didn’t matter how many mansions he bought, or how hard he tried to escape his feelings for her, she was his home.

“Merry Christmas, Eleanor, I love you,” he whispered in the darkness before sleep finally found him.

A/N: Please like and comment! Title from “First Time” by Ellie Goulding and Kygo

#elounor #elounorfic #elounor fanfiction #eleanor and louis #eleanor calder #louis tomlinson #christmas fic #oneshot #im sorry

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ginmo · 5 years

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I’ve been sure since I read AFFC/ADWD that Jaime’s getting one of the better endings because House Lannister isn’t gonna be wiped out and both Cersei and Tyrion are now Too Dark To Live. But I’ve seen a lot of people rewatching bring up that awful sept fuck up and consensus is that it renders him irredeemable. The show is gonna have to WORK to avoid a million thinkpieces when he gets both power and a family. I’m not convinced they’ll pull it off.

That scene was gross af, but we’ve since learned that the intent of the scene was not for it to be rape. We also know that canon Jaime is not a rapist. So if the narrative intent was for it to NOT be rape (and ended up being just a really bad fuck up from writers, director, post production) then we can’t blame the non-rapist character for the shitty product. What’s gross is they didn’t realize they filmed a rape scene, so people need to shift their blame from Jaime to the filmmakers. If people are really stuck on Jaime being a rapist even though in canon he isn’t and wasn’t even meant to be on the show, then they’re going to really hate the outcome of this story, because there won’t be anything to revisit Jaime being a rapist in the narrative (such as redemption for that) because he isn’t supposed to be. This is why most of fandom acknowledges that scene was an oops from the production and don’t use it to judge the character.

In other words, since the show was doing a direct adaptation of a consensual canon sex scene from the books, thinking their adaption was also a consensual sex scene, then the narrative itself doesn’t need to, and will not, do anything to have Jaime redeem himself for something he didn’t do, but that the filmmakers stupidly did.

My friend Koops went off on this topic a while back, so I’m going to add a read more where I quote her posts. It’s way more than you asked about, and I already answered the question, but I just really love her rant over the sex scene lol. So for those who want cast, crew, and GRRM quotes, discussion of that D&D video people love to refer to, and a total take down of basically why using that scene against Jaime is completely moronic then here it is:

In response to this D&D video:

I don’t think this video disproves anything. The girl is calling it “rape” but they are not once owning up to it. They’re calling it “this” and insisting that’s something Jaime would do in that moment, but it feels to me like what they were trying to do is avoid getting into a debate about whether it’s rape or not, because they know that can get them into all kinds of trouble. ETA: Also, notice how David rolls his eyes towards the end and the person who captioned the video interpreted it as him rolling his eyes at the girl who asked the question. I don’t think he is at all, that was 5 minutes earlier, talk about a delayed reaction. I think he’s rolling his eyes at KIT stepping in just as David had finished answering with that stupid comment calling it rape and saying how great it is that the show has rape scenes, when David had been so careful in avoiding using that word all along in order not to get into an argument. And they’re emphasizing how hard this was for Lena and so on (despite, IIRC, her always saying it wasn’t intended as rape), just to earn feminist points of “we know how tough this is for women, look at how distraught we all were filming it”.If that had been their intention, they would have followed up on it in subsequent scenes/interactions, which is something the show does with rape scenes (see Sansa). Yet it was never mentioned again and it’s like it never happened. I think D&D sometimes have a bit of a rape-style fetish when it comes to sex scenes because it makes them come across as “edgy”. See the way they wrote the broken tower sex scene in the original pilot script or the way they changed Dany and Drogo’s wedding night. But they refuse to admit it and hide behind nonsense like “this is something the character would do”. They want to see how far they can push it, basically.Even if we want to say they’re admitting to have it intended as rape, saying this is something Jaime would do is absolutely ridiculous since not only he saved Brienne from rape but in the books he even has one of his men executed for TRYING to rape Pia. It’s nothing to do about having a linear redemption arc or not, it’s about WHAT kind of “bad things” the character does and whether it’s consistent with its characterization or not. Rape, for Jaime, is absolutely NOT. Equating that scene to Jaime pushing Bran out of a window is completely insane since the two things are dramatically different in motivation and intention and while Jaime is a complex guy that can do horrible things for his family and for Cersei, he doesn’t do them out of his own selfishness, especially when it comes to sex when he even refuses women throwing himself at him. Not to mention the entire point of Jaime’s “bad deed(s)” is that he has to own up to them and deal with them and their consequences. If you just ignore that sept scene ever happened and never deal with it again then you either think it isn’t a big deal, or it wasn’t a bad deed in the first place. Otherwise it adds absolutely nothing to the character’s arc. It’s like they think that a “complex/not good guy” engages into all sorts of “bad behaviour” just by virtue of being complex/not good, which actually does precisely what they’re claiming they don’t want to do; i.e. making a clear cut distinction between good and bad guys, since they’re equating all possible bad actions as being equal and the same and stemming from the same psychological motivations, which is ridiculous. The bottom line to me always comes to the fact that, unlike most stuff post S5, we have the scene in the books, in written format, and we KNOW it’s not meant to be rape. It’s meant to be the kind of gross, rough, angry sex those two have. To change the intention of the scene just because you feel “that’s something the character would do”, to me is not really caring about really understanding the character’s intentions in the first place, since you have source material and an author you can check with. They simply didn’t care in order to get HBO points.

And for some quotes

I find the idea that we are meant to read into Cersei’s actions after the sept encounter in the books as indicative of a woman who experienced rape, or that George did not come out to straight up say the words “I did not write it as rape” (he would never throw D&D under the bus that way, come on) as evidence that it was indeed intended to be rape all along in the books, even more of twisting oneself into a pretzel than trying to explain away the scene in the show as not rape. Neither D&D nor George have ever shied away from calling rape out for what it is in the show or the books. Why would they suddenly tiptoe around this one particular scene? I think it’s because the issue here is much more nuanced than just filming a rape scene; it’s about the grey lines of consent and it’s about changing something from the books to make it look much worse than it originally was intended to be, for a character they know it will be regarded as very controversial/OOC, which raises all sorts of uncomfortable questions about how far D&D are willing to go for shock value. This is what GRRM has to say on the issue (bolded and underlined for emphasis):

“I think the “butterfly effect” that I have spoken of so often was at work here. In the novels, Jaime is not present at Joffrey’s death, and indeed, Cersei has been fearful that he is dead himself, that she has lost both the son and the father/ lover/ brother. And then suddenly Jaime is there before her. Maimed and changed, but Jaime nonetheless. Though the time and place is wildly inappropriate and Cersei is fearful of discovery, she is as hungry for him as he is for her.The whole dynamic is different in the show, where Jaime has been back for weeks at the least, maybe longer, and he and Cersei have been in each other’s company on numerous occasions, often quarreling.The setting is the same, but neither character is in the same place as in the books, which may be why Dan & David played the sept out differently. But that’s just my surmise; we never discussed this scene, to the best of my recollection.Also, I was writing the scene from Jaime’s POV, so the reader is inside his head, hearing his thoughts. On the TV show, the camera is necessarily external. You don’t know what anyone is thinking or feeling, just what they are saying and doing. If the show had retained some of Cersei’s dialogue from the books, it might have left a somewhat different impression — but that dialogue was very much shaped by the circumstances of the books, delivered by a woman who is seeing her lover again for the first time after a long while apart during which she feared he was dead. I am not sure it would have worked with the new timeline.”

Nothing whatsoever of what GRRM is saying above in explaining how he wrote their sept encounter even remotely hints at the fact that he intended consent to be even a question in his original work. He is not pointing out that he is writing from Jaime’s POV to build a contrast with Cersei’s, he is pointing out that he is writing from Jaime’s POV to build a contrast between the books medium and the camera medium and what each does or does not allow. And he goes further by saying that Cersei’s dialogue from the books might have helped giving a different impression of the scene: i.e. that it was NOT rape. What is happening is George trying to distance himself from D&D’s choice while at the same time being a professional and not bashing their botched adaptation of his work, by explaining why perhaps they might have decided to approach it differently from the way HE wrote the original scene and how maybe some of his material might not have fit because of the timeline.We actually have Cersei’s own POV later in the books, where she reminisces about tons of events from her close and distant past, and not once does she ever think back upon that incident in the sept in a way so as to indicate it was in any way a “traumatic” experience for her, while she does plenty of reflecting back upon her unpleasant sexual experiences with Robert, for example. Meanwhile, Cersei being disgusted with Jaime’s loss of his hand, or the way his looks are changing and his personality is changing, is very much a plot point that she comes back to over and over. “How could I have ever loved such a wretched creature?”, or getting up naked from a bathtub in front of Jaime thinking he still wants her and even taunting him with “Pining what you lost?” and then getting annoyed that Jaime pretty much tells her she’s a fool for thinking that? Hardly dynamics one has with their rapist. And also GRRM also says:

The scene was always intended to be disturbing, but I do regret if it has disturbed people for the wrong reasons.

“It has disturbed people FOR THE WRONG REASONS”, means that he wanted that scene to cause controversy because of how damn gross it all is, them having sex next to the corpse of their incestuous son, not because there was an issue of consent. So, no. The book scene was not intended to have consent be a central point, let alone rape. Yes, something happened in the adaptation to make it come across as significantly more forced, in a way that can very rightfully be interpreted as rape, while at the same time not being intended to be rape for plot point’s sake. But, when it comes to the filming of that scene, this is what the director had to say:

Of course Lena and Nikolaj laughed every time I would say, “You grab her by the hair, and Jack is right there,” or “You come around this way and Jack is right there.“

Yeah. Lena was SO distraught and it was so difficult for her to film that “rape” scene. They was totally totally totally directed to play it as such, and were so serious and affected by it. Give me a break, David. And also:

The consensual part of it was that she wraps her legs around him, and she’s holding on to the table, clearly not to escape but to get some grounding in what’s going on. And also, the other thing that I think is clear before they hit the ground is she starts to make out with him. The big things to us that were so important, and that hopefully were not missed, is that before he rips her undergarment, she’s way into kissing him back. She’s kissing him aplenty.

So there’s two possibilities here: either D&D intended it as rape from the start, but didn’t give clear instructions to the director, and, in turn, Nik and Lena, so that they didn’t set out to shoot it the way D&D intended, or nobody intended it as rape but something was messed up in the editing process (apparently after this scene, they made some changes to the editing process? Not sure how reliable this info is, but maybe someone can dig it out, if they remember). Regardless, what they ended up with is a scene that has some serious, serious issues of consent, and the comments afterwards, trying to downplay the consent in favour of highlighting the context or the way Cersei did give non-verbal consent, only ended up stirring more criticism of the director and actors being rape apologists. So, it doesn’t surprise me if they’ve just given up trying to defend their original intentions, since it only made things worse (and rightfully so), in favour of trying to explain it away the way GRRM did; by trying to make up explanations that the narrative required it and it made sense to be filmed that way.So, to conclude and link everything back to the reason why we are debating this (i.e. “NCW is a misogynist for disliking Dany when Jaime is a rapist and he excuses him”), while I can totally sympathize with a show-only person who watches that scene and sees it as rape, I also think this particular scene is not something we can use in the discourse about Jaime’s character and arc, given that not only there are huge question marks about what was intended with that scene in the first place, not only it is forgotten like it never happened to the point that you could skip it and nothing would change, but we know for a fact that it was NOT what was intended in the original source material by the original author. The one who decides where the characters’ arcs are supposed to go. You cannot say “it doesn’t make sense that Jaime does X and Y in his endgame because he’s a rapist” when that endgame is being decided by someone who never wrote Jaime as a rapist in the first place. All you can say is that D&D messed up big time with that scene because it literally does not line up or fit with anything else that is going on at the time or in the past or in the future when it comes to Jaime.

- Koops (jaimetheexplorer)

#.#..#...#....#.....#sept sex #rape

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cinema-tv-etc · 5 years

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‘Game Of Thrones’ Built Up Its Female Characters Just To Watch Them Fall

The women we championed for nearly a decade suffered confusing character shifts in the final season.

By Leigh Blickley 05/14/2019

Bells continuously chime as Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), sitting atop her fire-breathing dragon Drogon, stares out at King’s Landing. She’s enraged, having recently watched Queen Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) order the execution of her best friend, Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel), shortly after her dragon-child Rhaegal was speared to death.

Before facing those losses, Dany fought the army of the dead, held her adviser Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen) as he took his last breath and discovered that her new love, Jon Snow (Kit Harington), was actually her nephew, the true heir to the Iron Throne. At this particular moment, she’s unhinged. And bells are ringing. And ringing, and ringing.

With the Red Keep in sight, Dany snarls as she decides to forgo everything she’s become in favor of an old Targaryen tactic: “Burn them all.” She goes full villain in the penultimate episode of “Game of Thrones,” scorching enemies and innocents alike as she surrenders to madness.

Yet many viewers saw little forewarning that a character twist of this magnitude was coming, and her erratic change of heart was a punch to the gut. Instead of the satisfying conclusion of a long descent to depravity, Dany suddenly shifts modes, from a woman who graciously earned loyalty over seven seasons to a power-hungry monster who murders thousands of men, women and children.

Sure, she wasn’t always perfect, but the Daenerys Targaryen we knew was the fearless Mother of Dragons. She was Khaleesi, who united the Dothraki after the death of Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa), later rallying them to fight for her claim to the Seven Kingdoms. She was Mhysa, who freed the Unsullied and was lifted up by the slaves of Mereen. Dany rose from the ashes to break chains and then risked everything to protect Jon and the North from the Night King’s army.

To see a woman so fully represented over 70 hours of television, especially in a fantasy epic, was groundbreaking. But, with a final season of just six episodes, showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss decided that a couple of scenes were enough to turn the unburnt beauty bad ― and essentially muddied her yearslong journey.

The “Game of Thrones” audience had devoted so much time to Dany, and other characters, only to now watch Benioff and Weiss hurry along the ending (and move on to their “Star Wars” trilogy). Why couldn’t they, after spending nearly two years crafting the final season, show us Dany’s slow decline into madness? Why do we have to watch “Inside the Episode” to figure it all out?

Surely George R.R. Martin, who wrote the unfinished “Song of Ice and Fire” book series on which the HBO show is based, told Benioff and Weiss where he wanted the storyline to go: “Mad Queen” Dany destroys King’s Landing, demonstrating that humanity, not necessarily the dead, is the true enemy. The thing is, the showrunners decided to shorten the final two seasons of “Game of Thrones,” to seven and six episodes respectively, and rush through key plot points to reach Martin’s goal. And it’s turned into a bit of a nonsensical mess.

Sure, make Dany evil ― women can be monsters, too. We’ve certainly seen glimpses of her “madness” in the past, whether it be callously watching as her brother Viserys (Harry Lloyd) is killed by Khal Drogo in Season 1 or perhaps prematurely burning alive the father and brother of Samwell Tarly (John Bradley) in Season 7.

But whereas, lately, the show tells us what to think, the books present Dany’s inner monologue. Readers can see how she fights to shake her violent family history as not only her actions but her wide-ranging relationships with siblings, friends and lovers are described.

From “A Storm of Swords”:

“I was alone for a long time, Jorah. All alone but for my brother. I was such a small scared thing. Viserys should have protected me, but instead he hurt me and scared me worse. He shouldn’t have done that. He wasn’t just my brother, he was my king. Why do the gods make kings and queens, if not to protect the ones who can’t protect themselves?”

“Some kings make themselves. Robert did.”

“He was no true king,” Dany said scornfully. “He did no justice. Justice ... that’s what kings are for.”

Ser Jorah had no answer. He only smiled, and touched her hair, so lightly. It was enough.

Although “Game of Thrones” used to give us more context around characters and their decision-making, once it passed the books’ timeline in Season 6, the series faltered a bit in terms of depth. It didn’t show us the intricacies of Dany’s small council, her romance with Jon or her friendship with Missandei, who is only a young girl in Martin’s novels. Perhaps if we saw the show’s version of Dany and Missandei have a meaningful conversation about fear or loneliness ― versus men and sex ― we would have understood Dany’s underlying fragility and why Missandei’s murder triggered a rage within her. Instead, we saw the one woman of color become a plot device to turn Dany, as well as her own lover Grey Worm (Jacob Anderson), to the dark side.

That’s all to say that the recent rushed storylines have prevented us from getting that nuance we previously used to connect the dots.

The same flaw also hurts other women on “Game of Thrones,” including Cersei, Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie) and Arya Stark (Maisie Williams).

Brienne is one of the strongest warriors in Westeros. She killed Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane) and took down the 6-foot-6 Hound (Rory McCann) ― with a few solid punches, might we add. Yet she turned into a puddle of mush when Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) left her for Cersei ― something she would’ve never done three seasons ago. In one sense, it’s wonderful to see a vulnerable woman on screen. But Brienne ― who is rarely shown out of armor ― sobbing in a nightgown came out of left field. (Love makes us do crazy things?)

And Cersei was so shocked and afraid to meet her rubbly end during Episode 5, Season 8, that it’s easy to forget she once told Ned Stark (Sean Bean): “In the game of thrones, you win or you die.” The ruthless Cersei we’ve studied over eight seasons, the most cunning of the cunning, would’ve known to flee the city when she saw dragon fire (especially if she wanted to protect her unborn child). Or she would’ve at least had another plan in case those scorpion artillery weapons didn’t work out.

We’re not watching the most adventurous show in the world for uninventive writing. Yet here we are.

During the most recent episode, The Hound easily convinces Arya to go home and forget about killing Cersei. She hugs him goodbye, gives up on Cersei and tries to make it safely out of King’s Landing.

Eh, what? We’ve watched Arya train for years to become an assassin. She just destroyed the Night King with a stab of a dagger! She doesn’t fear death! She just traveled weeks to get to the capital for one sole purpose: to murder the woman who betrayed her family.

Too-fast, terribly thought-out writing has reduced “Game of Thrones” to a soap opera. We miss the scenes where Dany argues the advice of Ser Barristan Selmy (Ian McElhinney). Or when Arya secretly soaks up intel from Tywin Lannister (Charles Dance). Or how about when Sansa Stark feeds her abusive husband Ramsay (Iwan Rheon) to his own hounds?

Now we see a half-baked “Mad Queen” and a woman like Sansa crediting sexual violence, not her own strength, for making her a power player in Westeros.

THE HOUND: None of it would’ve happened if you left King’s Landing with me. No Littlefinger. No Ramsay. None of it.

SANSA: Without Littlefinger and Ramsay, and the rest, I would’ve stayed a little bird all my life.

It’s that bad.

Riddle me this: Why does a show featuring four leading ladies have barely any female writers? (Bonus: Michelle MacLaren was the only female director brought on to helm episodes, the last of which aired in 2014.) Although Gursimran Sandhu is credited as a staff writer for Season 8 on IMDb, only two other women, Jane Espenson and Vanessa Taylor, wrote for the series, with both of their runs ending by 2013. That, my little birds, is the root of a very big, now unfixable problem.

Espenson helped craft scenes like the aforementioned death of Viserys, and Taylor had a say in that memorable lunch between Sansa, Margaery (Natalie Dormer) and Olenna (Diana Rigg) as well as Arya and The Hound’s Brotherhood Without Banners meetup. Those back-and-forths soar in comparison to Season 8’s Sansa-Dany stares or Cersei’s unexplained cowardice.

Clearly, Sandhu couldn’t have singlehandedly saved the final season, but other women’s voices in the writers’ room might have provided more perspective into these characters’ closing motivations.

Still, Martin created these women, and Benioff and Weiss have shown they can write strong dialogue for them on this show. It just feels like the latter two’s desire to be in a galaxy far, far away perhaps trumped their desire to give these ladies what they deserve: earned arcs.

RELATED COVERAGE

‘Game Of Thrones’ Fans Had A Lot Of Feelings About Daenerys’ Fiery Choice

The ‘Game Of Thrones’ Season 8 Premiere Was Good. But Why Wasn’t It Great?

Why That Daenerys Twist On ‘Game Of Thrones’ Burns So Badly

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/game-of-thrones-women-daenerys-cersei-arya-sansa_n_5cd98811e4b0796a95dfd968

#Game Of Thrones #final season

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appreciatedanhowell · 7 years

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It's So Meta Even This Acronym

"What, you expect us to say something in summary? You haven't even written the damn story yet," Dan said, scowling.

"Come on, play along," Phil urged, "There's no reason to get on their bad side."

"I'm not helping them peddle this stupid thing."

"I think you just did."

Chapter one

Word Count: 2.3k

Warnings: strong language

Read on ao3

Excerpt: Dan poured himself cereal and headed to the lounge, where he flopped onto the couch. He couldn't watch anything new—Phil wasn't up, and probably wouldn't be for a few hours. He settled for an old episode of Steven Universe and started on his cereal.

A couple of episodes had played when he realized he was staring at the screen without seeing anything. His bowl was empty, sitting on the coffee table. Again, he shook his head, trying to clear his mind. What had gotten into him? He felt strange the past few days, but it just kept getting worse. Every moment was worse than the last: fuzziness, confusion, disorientation. Maybe he was getting sick.

Dan sat in his sofa crease, scrolling through tumblr. He had a word document in another window, so he could claim he was writing a script for a video. He scowled as he came across another “rip Dani Snot On Fire” joke. He was really beginning to regret the rebranding. It had seemed so necessary, but it turned out to be so much work. Changing all his social media, changing the links in all his video descriptions, contacting everyone he'd ever done a collab with to ask them to change his information. Maybe he should keep the placentas in the trash but give up on Daniel Howell. It would be months before anyone really knew him as that name…if they ever did. That stupid teenage screen name might stick with him for life, no matter how hard he tried.

He sighed loudly, hoping for sympathy from the man on the other side of the couch. But Phil was absorbed in something on his own laptop and didn't seem to hear. He was still in Star Wars pajamas and Dan had to recheck the time. It was three in the afternoon. They'd been slipping into the habit of slobbing around, sometimes not even changing into real clothes.

Dan realized he'd thought the word “pajamas” instead of “pyjamas”. He shook his head slightly; he'd been spending too much time on the American-dominated internet. He found himself using ‘miles’ and ‘dollars’, too. There was no escaping the Americanisms. Maybe he'd do a video about that. He was certain someone had made a compilation video of every time he used an Imperial measurement or American word. He opened his document of video ideas and jotted it down. He frowned. It was thin, but maybe he could at least shitpost about it.

He stood up and walked to the kitchen, grabbing two glasses of Ribena. He frowned as he walked back to the living room. Wasn't he supposed to be decoupling himself from Ribena? He couldn't—

Wait. He'd said living room. Had he ever said that before in his life? It was the lounge.

He sat the two glasses down on the coffee table. It caught Phil's attention and he mumbled a thanks before grabbing it and drinking. He was actually writing a script for a video. Dan took another drink then stared blankly at his screen.

The day stretched on. Dan started looking for games for their next video. Phil tapped away at his script. There was evening, and there was morning. Tuesday.

Wednesday saw Dan wake up unusually early. He pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes and groaned. Why was he up at—he checked his phone—seven in the morning? There was no reason for this stupid consciousness.

He gave up with a sigh and threw off his greyscale bedcovers. There was no use sitting in bed trying to sleep when he clearly wasn't tired. He shivered as he sat shirtless. It was unseasonably cool for…fall? He frowned. It had taken him several seconds to remember what season it was. What was going on with him lately?

He got dressed—okay, so it was only a t-shirt and sweatpants. But it was better than pajamas. He ran his fingers through his hair and brushed his teeth. Staring into the mirror, he frowned at himself. It had been a weird couple weeks and his face was showing it. Purplish bags sat under his eyes and he looked paler than he should. He splashed water on his face and some color returned to his cheeks. But his complexion was definitely less olive and more pink than usual—he looked like Phil.

Shaking his head, he flipped the light off and shuffled to the kitchen. He poured himself cereal and headed to the lounge, where he flipped on the television. He couldn't watch anything new—Phil wasn't up, and probably wouldn't be for a few hours. He settled for an old episode of Steven Universe and started on his cereal.

He opened his laptop and pulled up his email, intending to respond to business emails. He had gotten through exactly two when he decided he was fed up with them. There were a few too many pointed “Daniel Howell”s to be entirely professional. Why wouldn't people leave him alone about it?

He logged into his Internet Support Group email for shits and giggles. There were hundreds of thousands of unread messages. But these ones weren't overwhelming. He was under no obligation to answer any of them.

He tried to pick earnest ones to read. The funny ones were best read and reacted to on camera. But he probably wasn't doing another ISG for months anyway, and he liked he use relatively fresh ones when he did, so what did it matter? Whatever. He clicked on another with the subject “Should I go to grad school?”

It explained that this student had just finished her degree and was planning on going to a four-year graduate school. But she was feeling burned out. But there were literally no jobs available in her field with only a bachelor's degree. After a lengthy explanation, she said she had been listening to everyone's advice. Her sister told her to stay in school, but a close friend told her to take a break. And somebody once told me—

Dan broke out laughing. He couldn't stop himself—they'd caught him completely off guard. He wiped the corners of his eyes and starred the email to show Phil.

As if on cue, soft thuds echoed down the hall. Phil was tired, he'd seen that Dan was awake, and so he didn't care that he was all but stomping. He fixed himself a cup of coffee and a bowl of cereal and made his way blearily into the lounge.

“Couldn't sleep,” he mumbled by way of explanation. He looked it. His glasses were askew, his hair rumpled, and his mouth set stiffly, as though he'd been grinding his teeth.

“Sorry,” Dan said, moving the television remote to beside Phil's bowl. “Anything you want to watch?”

“This’s fine,” he nodded at the screen and pressed a button to resume the episode that Dan had paused.

Dan considered showing him the ISG email he'd read, but figured that he'd wait until Phil woke up a little. He wasn't known for his early-morning sense of humor. No, even on the tour, his raven-haired friend—

Dan actually snorted out loud.

“Hmm?” Phil said, not bothering with a full question. Dan shrugged off the feeling of déjà vu.

“Have you ever noticed the fandom leaking into your real life?” Dan asked him. Phil looked blankly at him, so he continued. “Like when you see something on tumblr or read something in fanfiction enough times that you start to incorporate it into the way you think?”

“I don't think so,” Phil said, frowning a little in thought. His voice was still gravelly with sleep. “What happened?”

“I just referred to you as my ‘raven-haired friend’ in my internal monologue,” Dan said, halfway between amused and embarrassed.

“What the heck,” Phil said, laughing. “Stop reading so much fanfic.”

“I know, I know,” Dan said, “Besides, that would require us being friends.” Phil stuck his tongue out at Dan, who just laughed.

“You know, maybe I get it,” Phil said after a moment of thought, “I've seen you portrayed so many times that sometimes I catch myself thinking you're a nice person.”

“What a crock of shit, you never think that.”

“I did once.”

“Psh, when?”

“Do you think I would have wanted to meet you if I knew you were such a dick?”

Dan reached over and kicked Phil. Not hard enough to hurt, though. Maybe.

The more years that passed, the more they were comfortable teasing each other. They'd grown more secure in their partnership and they'd both become more confident; Dan from 2009 would have been devastated to hear his idol call him a dick.

Then again, Dan thought, 2009 Dan wouldn't have thought his idol would prank him with habanero gummy bears. Or put a banana peel down the back of his shirt on camera. He still hadn't gotten revenge on Phil for that. He'd have to come up with something fittingly awful, but still believable…

Dan spent a few seconds staring at Phil's profile as the latter scrolled away on his laptop. Phil looked tired too. His jaw was still tight. It looked like he'd had several bad nights in a row. Maybe the new house had a gas leak too, Dan thought bitterly. At least it would explain why he felt so strange.

“We should do something,” Dan said suddenly.

“Like what? Why?” Phil asked, surprised, as he looked up from his laptop.

“I don’t know,” Dan admitted, “Something. We’ve been cooped up for too long. It’s weird.”

“We just came back from Vidcon,” Phil reminded him, “Traveling halfway around the world and back isn’t exactly cooped up. And since when do you have a problem staying inside all day?”

“Since the tour,” Dan said, “It’s just one giant letdown since then. Relaxing was good for a while. Now it just feels like nothing.”

“Okay, then, what do you suggest we do?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well, let me know when you have an idea.”

“Come on, I know you’re just humoring me. Don’t you want to do something? I feel like I’m imploding.”

Phil sighed and closed his laptop. “Honestly, I’m not exactly sure what you’re on about. You’ve been happy to stay put for months now. Did something change?”

“I don’t know,” Dan admitted, rubbing his forehead, “I feel strange. Like something is different or there’s something in the air. I was kind of hoping you’d know what I mean.”

“Tell you what,” Phil said, “I have the next game picked out. We’ll shoot a gaming video then do something. Get out of the house. Whatever you’d like.”

“Can’t we do it now?"

“No. Work comes first.”

Dan groaned. “Yes, Dad.”

“Stop calling me that!”

“I’ll stop when you stop acting like a dad,” Dan said. He pulled himself off the sofa and started to walk to his room.

“I wouldn’t have to act like a dad if you acted like an adult,” Phil said to his back. Dan looked back and stuck his tongue out at Phil. “You’re proving me right!” Phil said, laughing. He, too, had to drag himself up and to his bedroom.

The gaming video went badly. Humorously badly, hopefully. They’d played GeoGuessr and probably offended a wide variety of viewers. They were both well-traveled; who’d have thought they would do so utterly horribly? Dan had bragged about doing geography at A level and then failed spectacularly. But it was a Dan vs Phil and Phil wouldn’t let his win go to waste, so they’d just have to hope that no one was legitimately offended.

Phil turned the camera off and plugged it in to let the footage upload to the computer.

“So, you wanted to go somewhere?” He asked Dan.

“What about the park?” Dan suggested.

“You hate the park,” Phil pointed out, frowning.

“I changed my mind. Just for a bit, okay? Then we’ll order in tonight.”

“Pizza. And you’re paying.”

“Fine,” Dan said, “But we’re leaving right now. So you can’t weasel out of this.” He walked out of the room to put his shoes on.

“What is with you?” Phil asked to his back, shaking his head.

He followed Dan and shoved his shoes on. The younger man waited at the door, bouncing slightly, impatient. When Phil was ready, they stepped out and began the walk. The wind bit at Dan’s face, but he’d left his jacket at home intentionally.

Maybe if he got cold enough, he’d remember how much he hated being outside. He’d want to go back in and hibernate with his laptop. He’d stop being so restless. Or maybe the fresh air would revive him. He wasn’t sure which he wanted more. Anything to stop this bizarre ambiance that apparently only he could feel.

#phanfiction #dan and phil #fanfiction #writing #daniel howell #amazingphil #phil lester #dan howell #chaptered #phandom #plz give me validation #this is the first i've written in a while #and the first writing i've ever posted on tumblr

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blankrslate07 · 7 years

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Alright, I was kind of hesitant about posting this but since it won’t get out of my mind, I thought I’d give it a shot! :D

History: They are a group genetically modified humans (They are more durable, have heightened senses, learn faster and age slower. One year for them is five human years). They group was made for the sole purpose of becoming demonic weapons (The group who made them had somehow managed to acquire demonic essences of the Seven Deadly Sins). Though the children, collectively known as “Sinners” don’t know about this and are raised as normal children for the first “Ten” years of their lives.

Their childhood was fine, they were closely bonded together, and their favorite TV show was “Danny Phantom. The reason why they were raised like this at first is because the essence seems to “reject” if their hosts was a living, soulless doll. The hosts that have personalities that seems to correspond to the Sin Essence lasts longer. Which sin they would get was determined by their personality:

Kid #1 tended to be Prideful of his little accomplishments and sometimes brags about it.

Kid #2 was sometimes Clingy of her siblings

Kid #3 had a big Appetite and might over do things

Kid #4 gets Jealous of her siblings when they accomplish something she could not

Kid #5 was a Sleeper, and liked to think of quicker ways to solve his problems

Kid #6 liked to keep things To Herself, and it wasn’t often that she’d share

And finally, Kid #7 who tended to Snap and get irritated easily.

After their Tenth birthday, the experiments, tests and torture began. It was horrible and traumatizing to them, the group of scientists did this so their personalities will correspond with the Sin Essence more and hopefully becomes permanent.

When the Sinners were “Fourteen” years old, the scientist finally decided that it was time for them to insert the Essence. They strapped the struggling children onto metal slabs and started to infuse the demonic liquid into them slowly, they of course screamed in pain as the needles did their work. They soon fainted after the needles were done.

The scientists were about to unstrap them until they suddenly woke up, but their eyes were no longer the same and now were a solid color. They broke off their restraints with no trouble; their bodies began to glow, change shape and color before going on a rampage, killing all those who have hurt them, which was pretty much everybody in the facility.

Things cooled down for them, yet both of their minds and bodies were a mess. Their memories were slowly being blurred out. The Sinners stumbled around the bloody facility before accidentally coming into their old room, which was left untouched and forgotten.

They didn’t exactly know what they were doing until they found an old but working laptop and clicked on the first thing they saw: A folder containing some episodes of Danny Phantom.

Silently, they watched the whole series before blacking out, their old memories being sealed up and be replaced by new but fake memories. When they woke up, they now think they themselves are one of the characters from Danny Phantom. Kid #1 form shifted into becoming a younger version of Vlad, Kid #2 turned into Jazz, Kid #3 became Tucker, Kid #4 was turned into Dani, Kid #5 had become Danny, Kid #6 now looked like Sam and Kid #7 turned into a younger version of Dan.

Of course, they were mystified to see themselves in a dark room with nothing but some dusty beds and a drained laptop. They fought amongst each other for a bit before deciding to help each other out in getting out of the blood soaked place.

However, they encounter several of places where they were experimented and tortured that it sparks a few memories of the past that quickly blurs out as quick as it appeared. They soon get a feeling.....what if they aren’t who they think they are? Afterwards, they managed to recharge the laptop and find seven files under a desk with a plate named “Seven Sins”. They first searched through the laptop and see a picture of a drawing depicting some figures, the ones that looks clear enough was a white haired boy with green eyes, a blue ghost that looked like a vampire and an orange haired girl with blue eyes. This of course shocked "Danny" "Jazz" and "Vlad".

The group then decided to split up and try to find any more clues in the place. They manage to find more drawings (Most of which were very old, fragile and crumpled up) and soon, find a dusty book in one of the other rooms. While most of the pages were blank, there was one page that caught their attention. It tells them about a show and of how great it is. The name of the show wasn't told until the end. It was named "Danny Phantom." After reading this, it gives them another sense/feeling about how they aren't who they think they are. The group goes back to the room they were in and search the laptop again. It took them awhile until they finally managed to find that folder.

Upon watching the episodes, they were in disbelief until they opened the files and see who they once were.... They finally realized...they are not these characters, they were someone else before...yet why do they look like this? What has happened to them? While the files gives them little information yet it is enough to give them names for themselves: Kid #1, Pride. Kid #2, Lust. Kid #3, Gluttony. Kid #4, Envy. Kid #5, Sloth. Kid #6, Greed and Kid #7, Wrath.

After knowing this, they continue on to find more information about who they really were, the facility is very huge and hard to get out of though. At least all of the other residents are now dead. They have to keep dealing with the fake memories and the occasionally existential crises.

That’s all I’ve got now, here’s one extra note though:

. Their appearances change a bit after a year later in the facility. Their eyes become a solid color with slit pupils and the edges of their fingers and toes become the same color as well.

@doomkittypumpkin here they are! ^_^

#ocs #seven deadly sins #danny phantom #Somewhat #my art #my designs #My personal favorite is Envy ^.^ She just looks so adorable!~

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starringemiliaclarke · 7 years

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Recap: "Game of Thrones": 7.01 'Dragonstone'

‘Leave one wolf alive, and the sheep are never safe’

EW – The long wait is over. Game of Thrones returned Sunday night with a terrific season 7 opener that featured nearly every major character and set the stage for a brutal clash of queens and an epic end game in Westeros. There were maps, mass murder, surprise meetings, an unexpected callback, sibling tension, an improved Euron, and even more maps! We start with—

The Twins: Wait, when is this scene taking place? Is this a flashback to the Red Wedding? Is Walder Frey still alive somehow? As Frey gives his speech honoring the death of Robb Stark, it rather quickly becomes apparent something is amiss. At the Thrones premiere screening in Los Angeles last week, viewers were tittering almost immediately during this “cold open” (placed before the GoT credits quite deliberately to make viewers think it might be a flashback). How long were you fooled? Not very, I suspect. You’re all seasoned GoT pros at this point, right? “Leave one wolf alive and the sheep are never safe,” says “Walder” as his confused men barf blood. All it takes is serving one terrible feast, and your Yelp reviews never recover.

Arya triumphantly whips off her mask, like a psychotic Ethan Hunt, her seemingly impossible mission of killing all the Freys complete. We cheer, and lucky for Arya there wasn’t one soldier in the room who was like, “You know, I’m just going to pretend to drink this wine, I’m trying to cut back on drinking, been working on bettering myself.”

Thrones smash-cuts to the credits. There’s nothing like kicking off a new season with hundreds of people being killed by a teen girl who is, of course, our hero. If that isn’t GoT for you, not sure what is. Arya has leveled up her murderousness once again and we cheer. Yet also wonder: We learned from reading Harry Potter that murder tears the soul apart. Is this murder making Arya into somebody we might not love as much? Actress Maisie Williams wonders about this in our interview this week. It’s been on her mind the past few years — will Arya ever do something to really turn fans against her? Not today, at least.

This question is very subtly raised again in Arya’s other scene when she’s on the road and stumbles onto Ed Sheeran as a singing Lannister soldier (fun fact: This ballad was sung by a drunk Tyrion in the books). This is one of my favorite scenes in the episode despite Sheeran, who felt out of place. Musician cameos in previous seasons (like Sigur Rós and Will Champion) disappeared into the fabric of the show; you would never know they were significant unless you were super familiar with their faces, and even then you might not notice. Sheeran’s appearance is the closest the GoT has felt to having a contemporary Special Guest Star Cameo moment. Fans on Twitter were itching for Arya to kill him.

Still, Sheeran’s impact was brief. We’re quickly pulled back into this moment of Lannister soldiers behaving precisely how we do not expect — they’re sympathetic and friendly and relatable and bummed about their lack of r-mail access to keep in touch with their loved ones. I suspect the writers want us to feel for these soldiers who will presumably face Dany’s army at some point. For a moment, we even start to worry, not for Arya, but for them — what’s she going to do? Will she kill them like the Freys? Again, it raises the question of how far Arya will go.

In the end, she bluntly reveals her intentions: “I’m going to kill the queen,” which the men laugh off. This is a breaking news alert for us. Fans have assumed that Arya would go home to Winterfell, not King’s Landing, but with her newfound confidence at striking down tyrants she wants to take out the biggest level boss in Westeros. (Next: The Euron-peon Union)

King’s Landing: Speaking of which, Cersei is having her patio painted with a giant map of Westeros so she can visually keep track of everybody who hates her — and she doesn’t even know about Arya yet! She literally strides across the Seven Kingdoms like she owns the world, stepping on the little people at her feet. Jaime looks disturbed at her new James Bond villain decor as she lists her enemies. Can you imagine if Cersei had dragons instead of Dany? She’d just roast everybody so nobody would be left alive to threaten her. Jaime tries to temper Cersei’s Donald Trump-ian impulses, pointing out she can’t just piss off everybody; you need at least some allies to rule. Cersei has one in mind, but Jaime’s not going to like it.

Enter Euron Greyjoy 2.0, all black leather pants and low-cut pirate shirt, looking a bit like an R-rated Captain Hook from Once Upon a Time. (No, George R.R. Martin fans, Euron still doesn’t have an eye patch, which in the books the character wears just for the hell of it; I think that would be one pirate trope too far.) I’m very curious to hear the reactions to his physical and personality makeover. I’m a fan. Euron last season was like an angry ambitious warrior, something we’ve seen before on this show and others. As showrunner Dan Weiss points out in our interview with actor Pilou Asbæk about his return in this episode, “We haven’t had somebody with a rock star swagger who doesn’t give a s— before. Everybody in this world cares very deeply — whether they’re awful, wonderful, or, most of them, somewhere in between — they all care deeply about the politicking and give a lot of thought into everything they do. To have somebody traipse onto the stage with a swagger and the attitude that Euron has, it’s a lot of fun and lets a lot of air into the room.”

Euron wastes no time. He pitches himself to Cersei, not treating her like a queen worthy of respect, but like a woman in a tavern he’s hitting on while she sits right next to her boyfriend (in this case, Jaime). Euron has seemingly been reading pick-up artist forums and is peacocking and negging all over the place, trying to demonstrate his social proof. The man’s totally showing up next time in a fedora. He can’t help but test Cersei’s boundaries by advancing on her, watching The Mountain step protectively forward. He amusingly insults Jaime’s lack of hand and suggests Cersei kill her brother. Even his apparent praise of Jaime for his combat skills years ago is actually a subtle put-down — Jaime before his dismemberment was a very different man, and they all know it. Jaime may have privately engaged in some delightful Seven Kingdoms trash talk with Cersei, putting down the Iron Born to Cersei as “bitter, angry little people.” But he recognizes the desperation of their situation and, despite his misgivings, knows that they have to accept any help they can get.

Euron declares he’s willing to do some work on speculation, saying he’ll bring Cersei a gift. The Lannisters are cool with this. They have nothing to lose. What will this gift be, we wonder? (Next: Sansa, you’re spoiling it, you’re spoiling everything! )

Winterfell: In the Great Hall, Jon Snow deals with a matter before the Northern lords — what to do with House Umber and Karstark after they betrayed the Starks to side with Ramsay Bolton. Jon declares they will be forgiven since the traitors who made the decision are dead and now they all need to band together to fight the army of the dead. But here comes Sansa, objecting to his judgment like a lawyer for the prosecution, wanting to throw those adorable teen lord-lings out of their castles and into the freezing winter for their relatives’ betrayal. She presses the issue, making Jon look weak. “So there’s no punishment for treason and no reward for loyalty” is a devastating line. But she’s breaking The Godfather’s famous rule for governing siblings: “Don’t ever take sides with anyone against the family.” Remember what happened to Fredo.

Jon looks tormented. Well, moreso. And GoT fans who went from vehemently anti-Sansa to totally pro-Sansa over the last couple seasons prepare to sharpen their tweets — How dare she humiliate the King in the North! Jon stands firm and lets the young Karstark and Umber kids remain. I wonder if Lyanna Mormont will have playdates with them.

Littlefinger watches a fuming Sansa during this. He’s lurking in the shadows like an ex-pimp Emperor Palpatine: Yes, let the anger flow through you Sansa! Join me and we’ll rule Westeros as husband and his inappropriately aged wife!

Jon mopes up to Sansa and they have a very natural-feeling chat about his verdict. His leadership is both progressive and traditional. Arming women and sending Wildlings to man The Wall is revolutionary thinking for this country. Yet his handling of the traitors feels like classic Ned Stark. Sansa’s objection is understandable — her hatred of Ramsay still burns so bright that anybody who helped him is automatically her enemy. More logically, she’s learned a bit from Cersei (and presumably from Ramsay too, even if she’d never admit it — he said he’d always be with her, remember?). Both Ramsay and Cersei annihilate any perceived enemies. Sansa’s correct that Jon needs to avoid the naive mistakes of Ned and Robb, but in this I side with him anyway — he needs a united North, and his decision in the Great Hall is the type of move that makes people love their leader. Still, Jon could have avoided all this if he spoke to Sansa about his decision in advance.

Later, in the courtyard, Tormund leers at Brienne as he prepares to leave for Eastwatch, because that’s what he does. Meanwhile, Baelish sidles up to Sansa, trying to play on her fears and aspirations. “Why aren’t you happy?” he whispers. She’s totally onto him and doesn’t want to hear it. I love her line as she dismisses him: “No need to seize the last word; I’ll assume it was something clever.”

Castle Black: Briefly at the gate, Bran meets Dolorous Edd and gives him a quick Sherlock-esque mind-freak cold reading. He doesn’t say anything to prove he’s a Stark, like Edd asked, but does prove he creepily knows a bunch of things he shouldn’t, so they decide to bring him in. (Next: MasterChef)

The Citadel: Hope you didn’t have soup for dinner! Too late? Samwell Tarley has finally arrived in the Land of Books and Decorative Chains to read to his introvert heart’s content, and mean ol’ Archmaester Ebrose (played by Jim Broadbent, slipping seamlessly into this world … unlike some people) has put him on latrine and kitchen duty like an Old Town episode of Dirty Jobs. It all opens with a unique sequence for Thrones. Normally the show’s editing style is classical and formal, but here director Jeremy Podeswa uses rapid cutting of Sam’s gross-out jobs for a comedic effect we haven’t seen before.

Co-executive producer Bryan Cogman has pointed out that Sam has found himself in an “anti-Harry Potter” story line: “Sam shows up to this amazing place where he thinks he’s going to get all the answers and all his talents are going to be put to good use. But this ain’t Hogwarts, and the maester is not Dumbledore.” There’s even a Hogwarts-esque restricted section of the library where books are hidden away for advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts. Sam steals a key and begins his studies. If only he had an invisibility cloak and a Marauders Map, this would be a cinch.

Samwell quickly discovers that there’s a lot of White Walker-killing dragonglass at Dragonstone castle (appropriately enough) and plans to send a message to Jon. When you think about where the other characters are, this move has all sorts of intriguing potential outcomes.

We get a jolt (the premiere audience literally yelped) when Ser Jorah, of all people, grabs Sam from a cell where he’s apparently being kept. Jorah wants to know if Daenerys has arrived in Westeros yet. He’s also probably wondering who she’s dating. It’s not clear if Dany’s arrival will trigger something for him or if he’s just trying to keep up on current events. It’s also not clear why Jorah is there. Yes, of course, been seeking treatment for his greyscale. And on this week’s EW podcast breaking down the GoT premiere, Darren Franich and I theorized that Jorah is presumably being contained in this room like a medieval leper due to his contagious condition — he’s being kept separate from the population and given basic humane care as he waits to die and/or gets treatment.

Later, Broadbent’s maester explains the perspective of his organization on world events. They apparently keep themselves removed from world affairs, which is pretty monastic for quasi-scientists. Westeros is facing their bizarro universe version of global warming and its top minds are content to sit on the sidelines. You would think they’d want to be useful. Then again, given how many people in Westeros are murderous thugs who use their swords instead of their minds, all these Citadel nerds probably see that winter is coming and think: Screw ‘em, bring on The Purge!

The maester notes that through the ages, no matter many times doomsayers thought the world was going to end, The Wall has held back the forces of evil each winter. That sounds like potential foreshadowing, with echoes of Potter once again. Remember that line in Sorcerer’s Stone? “As long as Dumbledore is around, Harry, you’re safe.” (Next: Dragon’s Den)

Riverlands: Speaking of letting people starve, here we come to a wholly unexpected and hauntingly filmed sequence with The Hound that’s probably my favorite part in the premiere. Who predicted the Game of Thrones season 7 opener would have a major callback to the poor farmer from season 4? Exactly nobody. We don’t know what happened to Gendry but we totally get closure on that guy! A refresher: The Hound and Arya were once helped by a kind man and his daughter, and The Hound repaid this generosity by striking him and stealing his money, declaring that the farmer is weak and winter is coming and that they would just starve anyway. Arya really hated The Hound for this.

So when The Hound finishes bald-shaming Thoros and they come upon this familiar farmhouse, his first instinct is to bolt, noting the occupants don’t want their company. But the farmer and his daughter are long dead, having killed themselves to avoid starving. Is their fate the Hound’s fault? He sure didn’t help. It’s impossible to know if this outcome would have happened anyway.

This leads to an intriguing debate with six-time resurrection champ Beric Dondarrion, who in addition to wearing Euron’s eye patch has totally out-messiah’d Jon Snow. The Hound is angered by the fact of Beric because he’s seemingly walking proof that a higher power exists. But if that’s true, as the timeless and impossible question goes, why does he/she allow such horrible things happen to good people? The Hound wants to know why Beric has been saved (and, I suspect, why he’s been spared so far as well). The Hound has come a long way from the man we met in season 4. The Brotherhood reassured him last season that it’s not too late for him to do more good than the harm he’s caused. He sees those bodies in the corner and wonders if that could possibly be true.

Suddenly I want a scene between The Hound and Jaime Lannister — two men who are nothing alike but have been on a rather similar moral journey over the course of this show. Also: By raising the question of Beric’s purpose so pointedly, the scene strongly suggests that this minor character — whose importance in the series has never been clear — has something crucial to do before the show is over.

Dragonstone: One of the cool elements of this episode is how many different scene tones we get. There’s the mass murder surprise of the cold open. Strategy sessions. One-on-one intimate chats. And here is something entirely different: an almost wordless visual feast. Back in season 2 when Stannis Baratheon resided in Dragonstone, the setting was mainly staged with a distant exterior shot CG-shot and the carved wood table map room. Here we see GoT’s season 7 budget on full display, with a gorgeous sequence of Daenerys landing her landing party on the shore and ascending the stone stairs to repo her birthright.

The lingering of this sequence drives home, without dialogue, how momentous this is for her character. From the very first time we met Dany, she’s wanted to return home. (Also, what other drama would have its top-billed star, Peter Dinklage, spend the premiere just silently observing?) I do wonder why nobody has taken up residence here after Stannis left. This is some high-class beach-front property when most Westeros residents live in shacks; one would think somebody would at least rent it out on Airbnb (Airdnd?).

We also get a preview of Dany’s rad new throne room full of dark dragon-scale detail. She peers at the Westeros table map, just like Cersei looking her her floor map earlier, and lowers the boom: “Shall we begin?”

Oh, we so shall! Already this season we have significant characters meeting on screen for the first time (Euron and Cersei; Bran and Dolorous Edd; Jorah and Sam). There were a few absences, too, but they’ll be around next week (like Theon and Yara Greyjoy, along with Ellaria Sand). We promised before that season 7 has a faster pace than previous years. We didn’t feel that so much in this episode, but strap yourselves in for the weeks to come.

Recap: “Game of Thrones”: 7.01 ‘Dragonstone’ was originally published on Enchanting Emilia Clarke

#emilia clarke #game of thrones #game of thrones cast #GOT cast #daenerys targaryen #me before you #terminator

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comicsxaminer · 5 years

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DC AND BEST-SELLING AUTHOR JOE HILL PRESENT HILL HOUSE COMICS,

A NEW POP-UP LINE DEDICATED TO BONE-CHILLING HORROR

Hill Selects Mike Carey, Carmen Maria Machado and Laura Marks to Pen New Series

Burbank, CA (June 26, 2019)—This October, DC will team up with best-selling author Joe Hill (NOS4A2, Locke & Key) to present Hill House Comics, a new pop-up line of horror comic books. DC’s long-standing tradition of publishing thought-provoking and riveting horror from HOUSE OF MYSTERY to classic SANDMAN will continue with this new line featuring five original limited series meant to chill the bones and summon nightmares with smart, subversive narratives and haunting, heart-stopping visuals. And it all begins this fall, in time for a very haunting Halloween.

“Anyone who’s paying attention knows we’re in the middle of a new golden age of horror: films like Get Out, Hereditary, It Follows and plain old It have raised the bar higher and higher,” says Hill. “Meanwhile, ongoing shows like AMC’s The Terror and Netflix’s Stranger Things have shattered preconceived notions about what’s possible in episodic terror TV. There’s great stuff happening in comics, of course—in a field of unbounded creativity and wacko visionaries, there’s always great stuff happening—but greedy me wants more.

“At Hill House Comics we aim to shock the senses and soak the page in red, with new, hooky horror from seasoned old hands and young masters of the field, all set free to share their most disturbing nightmares…for your pleasure! The books are backed by DC’s second-to-none comic book craftsmanship, and we’re working with the very best editors on parole from Arkham Asylum to craft unputdownable tales of menace and madness. I can’t wait to share some fresh scares with comic book readers everywhere. It’s going to be fun.”

The first of these new monthly comics will debut on October 30 with BASKETFUL OF HEADS, written by Joe Hill with art by Leomacs, followed by four other series in subsequent months, including:

THE DOLLHOUSE FAMILY from Mike Carey (LUCIFER, HELLBLAZER, The Girl with All the Gifts) and Peter Gross (LUCIFER, THE BOOKS OF MAGIC, THE UNWRITTEN)

THE LOW, LOW WOODS by Carmen Maria Machado (Her Body and Other Parties) and Dani (2000 AD, Coffin Bound,Deep Roots)

DAPHNE BYRNE by Laura Marks (TV writer and producer, playwright of Bethany) and Kelley Jones (SWAMP THING, DEADMAN, THE SANDMAN)

PLUNGE by Hill and artist TBD

In addition, a backup story titled “Sea Dogs,” written by Hill and featuring lycanthropes terrorizing a crew of sailors at sea, will run in the back of every issue from the line.

“Bringing horror to the forefront of our publishing plan has been a huge initiative for DC and a passion project of mine, but it was always about finding the right time and voice to mastermind it—and there is no one better than Joe Hill,” says DC executive editor Mark Doyle. “Joe is a modern master; his ability to blend visceral, high-concept horror with heartfelt characters is what has grabbed the attention (and throats!) of millions of readers. His vision and taste are unparalleled; you can see it in the incredible talent he’s assembled here, and the stories they’re crafting are bringing the next generation of horror to DC.”

“Joe Hill’s vision for this new line is incredibly exciting,” says DC Editor-in-Chief Bob Harras. “Bringing in new and well-known creative voices with different backgrounds to tell their thrilling and terrifying tales, mixed with the energy around the horror genre at large—it all makes it a great time to be a fan of DC.”

“We’re so happy to welcome Joe Hill to DC, and to partner with him on this new specialty line of creator-owned horror books,” says DC Publisher Dan DiDio. “Horror has been such an integral part of DC’s history and it’s a tradition we want to see revitalized. As a lifetime fan of horror, I know fans are going to be so excited when these books hit shelves. I can’t wait.”

Hill House Comics will get its first spotlight at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, with a panel hosted by Hill and Doyle, with other special guests. The panel will be held Friday, July 19, at 4:15 p.m. in room 6DE.

Hill House Comics will be released under DC Black Label, as they are intended for mature audiences. For more information on Hill House Comics, follow dccomics.com.

About the series:

BASKETFUL OF HEADS

Written by: Joe Hill

Art by: Leomacs

Covers by: Reiko Murakami

The rain lashes the grassy dunes of Brody Island, and seagulls scream above the bay. A slender figure in a raincoat carries a large wicker basket, which looks like it might be full of melons…covered by a bloodstained scrap of the American flag.

This is the story of June Branch, a young woman trapped with four cunning criminals who have snatched her boyfriend for deranged reasons of their own. Now she must fight for her life with the help of an impossible 8th-century Viking axe that can pass through a man’s neck in a single swipe—and leave the severed head still conscious and capable of supernatural speech.

Each disembodied head has a malevolent story of its own to tell, and it isn’t long before June finds herself in a desperate struggle to hack through their lies and manipulations…racing to save the man she loves before time runs out.

THE LOW, LOW WOODS

Written by: Carmen Maria Machado

Art by: Dani

Cover by: J.A.W. Cooper

A mysterious plague is afflicting the small mining town of Shudder to Think, Pennsylvania. It strikes seemingly at random, eating away at the memories of those suffering from it. From tales of rabbits with human eyes, to deer women who come to the windows of hungry girls at night, this town is one of those places where strange things are always happening. But no one ever seems to question why…

THE LOW, LOW WOODS is a gruesome coming-of-age body-horror mystery series about two teenage women trying to uncover the truth about the mysterious memory-devouring illness affecting them and the people of the small mining town they call home—and the more they discover, the more disturbing the truth becomes.

THE DOLLHOUSE FAMILY

Written by: Mike Carey

Art by: Peter Gross

Covers by: Jessica Dalva

On Alice’s sixth birthday, her dying great-aunt sends her the birthday gift she didn’t know she always wanted: a big, beautiful 19th-century dollhouse, complete with a family of antique dolls. In hardly any time at all, the dollhouse isn’t just Alice’s favorite toy…it’s her whole world.

Soon young Alice learns she can enter the house, to visit a new group of friends, straight out of a heartwarming children’s novel: the Dollhouse family. As the years pass, Alice finds herself visiting their world more frequently, slowly losing track of where reality ends and make-believe begins. What starts as play concludes in an eruption of madness and violence.

Childhood ends—but that little house casts a long shadow over Alice’s adult life. When the world becomes too much for her to bear, Alice finds herself returning to the dollhouse and the little folk within. The house can offer her a shelter from all her sorrows…but only if she gives it what it wants, and god help her if she tries to walk away again…

DAPHNE BYRNE

Written by: Laura Marks

Art by: Kelley Jones

Covers by: Piotr Jabłoński

In the gaslit splendor of late 19th-century New York, rage builds inside 14-year-old Daphne. The sudden death of her father has left her alone with her irresponsible, grief-stricken mother—who becomes easy prey for a group of occultists promising to contact her dead husband.

While fighting to disentangle her mother from these charlatans, Daphne begins to sense a strange, insidious presence in her own body…an entity with unspeakable appetites. And as she learns to wield this brutal, terrifying power, she wages a revenge-fueled crusade against the secret underworld that destroyed her life.

PLUNGE

Written by: Joe Hill

Art by: TBD

Covers by: Jeremy Wilson

In 1983 the Derleth disappeared, wiped out in a storm on the edge of the Arctic circle—the world’s most advanced research vessel in the hunt for oil, lost in the aftermath of a tsunami.

Almost 40 years later, the Derleth begins to transmit its distress signal once again, calling in to Alaska’s remote Attu Station from the most forlorn place on earth, a desolate ring island in the icy faraway. A US salvage team made up of experts, scientists, and mercenaries helicopter in just ahead of a storm—and the Russian competition—to find the abandoned wreck hung up on the island shores of the atoll. As a wintry blizzard clamps down, anomalies begin to surface: first the samples of an oil with unlikely properties, and then the sonar readings of a sunken prehistoric civilization just offshore. Still, nothing could prepare the salvage team for the reappearance of the Derleth’s crew from the island cave, no older than they were four decades ago, every one of them struck blind by an inexplicable infection…and yet capable of seeing in new ways, possessed of extraordinary powers and stripped of all but their last vestiges of humanity…

SEA DOGS (backup story)

Written by: Joe Hill

Art by: TBD

The Revolution is screwed.

In 1779 the pathetic American navy is a pile of smoldering wrecks choking the Penobscot River. Imperial Britain has amassed the mightiest fleet the world has ever known, led by the HMS Havoc, a 90-gun second rate that has sunk a forest of French, Spanish and American frigates, sketching a trail of devastation that stretches all the way from St. Kitts to Machias, Maine. The faltering Continental Congress can’t hope to match England’s sea power, and they’re just desperate enough to make a deal with the devil…or even three.

Spymaster Benjamin Tallmadge proposes allowing three lycanthropes to be pressed into British service aboard the Havoc. Three patriotic werewolves might be all it takes to butcher the ship from the inside out and paint the decks red. It’s true, their powers are infernal, their minds are mad and their loyalty can in no way be trusted. And yet what else can a desperate nation do…but let slip the dogs of war?

#gallery-0-5 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-5 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-0-5 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-5 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

DC AND BEST-SELLING AUTHOR JOE HILL PRESENT HILL HOUSE COMICS, A NEW POP-UP LINE DEDICATED TO BONE-CHILLING HORROR DC AND BEST-SELLING AUTHOR JOE HILL PRESENT HILL HOUSE COMICS, A NEW POP-UP LINE DEDICATED TO BONE-CHILLING HORROR…

#dc comics #joe hill

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siphen0 · 5 years

Text

This October, DC will team up with best-selling author Joe Hill (NOS4A2, Locke & Key) to present Hill House Comics, a new pop-up line of horror comic books. DC’s long-standing tradition of publishing thought-provoking and riveting horror from HOUSE OF MYSTERY to classic SANDMAN will continue with this new line featuring five original limited series meant to chill the bones and summon nightmares with smart, subversive narratives and haunting, heart-stopping visuals. And it all begins this fall, in time for a very haunting Halloween.

The first of these new monthly comics will debut on October 30 with BASKETFUL OF HEADS, written by Joe Hill with art by Leomacs, followed by four other series in subsequent months, including:

THE DOLLHOUSE FAMILY from Mike Carey (LUCIFER, HELLBLAZER, The Girl with All the Gifts) and Peter Gross (LUCIFER, THE BOOKS OF MAGIC, THE UNWRITTEN)

THE LOW, LOW WOODS by Carmen Maria Machado (Her Body and Other Parties) and Dani (2000 AD, Coffin Bound, Deep Roots)

DAPHNE BYRNE by Laura Marks (TV writer and producer, playwright of Bethany) and Kelley Jones (SWAMP THING, DEADMAN, THE SANDMAN)

PLUNGE by Hill and artist TBD

In addition, a backup story titled “Sea Dogs,” written by Hill and featuring lycanthropes terrorizing a crew of sailors at sea, will run in the back of every issue from the line.

Hill House Comics will be released under DC Black Label, as they are intended for mature audiences. For more information on Hill House Comics, follow dccomics.com.

About the series:

BASKETFUL OF HEADS

Written by: Joe Hill

Art by: Leomacs

Covers by: Reiko Murakami

THE LOW, LOW WOODS

Written by: Carmen Maria Machado

Art by: Dani

Cover by: J.A.W. Cooper

THE DOLLHOUSE FAMILY

Written by: Mike Carey

Art by: Peter Gross

Covers by: Jessica Dalva

DAPHNE BYRNE

Written by: Laura Marks

Art by: Kelley Jones

Covers by: Piotr Jabłoński

PLUNGE

Written by: Joe Hill

Art by: TBD

Covers by: Jeremy Wilson

In 1983 the Derleth disappeared, wiped out in a storm on the edge of the Arctic circle—the world’s most advanced research vessel in the hunt for oil, lost in the aftermath of a tsunami.

SEA DOGS (backup story)

Written by: Joe Hill

Art by: TBD

The Revolution is screwed.

#gallery-0-4 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-4 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-0-4 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-4 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

DC and Joe Hill Present Hill House Comics, a New Pop-Up Line Dedicated to Bone-Chilling Horror This October, DC will team up with best-selling author Joe Hill (NOS4A2, Locke & Key) to present Hill House Comics, a new pop-up line of horror comic books.

#Comic News #Comic Preview #Comics #DC Comics #Hill House Comics #Joe Hill

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gloriousgwendolinechristie · 7 years

Text

Recap: "Game of Thrones": 7.01 'Dragonstone'

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Recap: “Game of Thrones”: 7.01 ‘Dragonstone’ was originally published on Glorious Gwendoline

#gwendoline christie #game of thrones #got cast #Brienne of Tarth #star wars #Captain Phasma #The Force Awakens #Mockingjay 2 #Commander Lyme #THG #The Hunger Game

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