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heavyhitterheaux · 4 months

Text

December 21st

First Lady of Private Garden Fic

Synopsis: You and Jack, your fiancé of two weeks, make it official. Forever.

Pairing: Baby!Jack Harlow x Baby!Reader

Please Do Not Repost My Content Anywhere

It was one in the morning, cold as shit outside since it was the middle of December, but you wanted to look at the stars and Jack could never tell you no. You were currently laying on his chest as a blanket was wrapped around both of you when you just knew this white boy had lost his fucking mind.

“We should get married.”

“Jackman, are you high?”

“No, but even if I was, my answer wouldn’t change. Ever since I saw your cute little self with those braids in your hair when you first moved here, I didn’t want anyone else.”

“Wait... you’re fucking serious? Jack, our parents will kill us.”

“Can’t kill us if they don’t know.”

“I hope you don’t expect me to give you an answer with that horrible ass proposal you just did.”

“Y/N Y/M/N Y/L/N will you do me the honor of becoming Mrs. Jackman Thomas Harlow. Can’t live without you stink.”

“Well, since you’re practically begging me to, yes. Now where’s my ring?”

“About that…”

“Jack, you literally proposed to me without a ring?”

“The thought just popped in my head just now! I didn’t really think this through.”

“Jackman!”

“When I make my first million, I’m buying you the most beautiful ring that’s pear shaped since I know you love it so much. But I'll get you something else in the meantime.”

You simply shrugged.

“I would’ve said yes to you even if you proposed with one of those rings from the bubble gum machines at the grocery store.”

“Damn, mamas. I got more money than that.”

“Jack, we have had to eat at my parents house and your parents house all week because we were tired of eating ramen at our apartment.”

“Touché.”

It was around nine in the morning when you had called Dani to see what she was up to and wanted to see if she wanted to spend the day with you.

Jack had just proposed to you the night before and you were itching to tell someone. But the two of you agreed to not tell your parents fearing that they may tell the two of you to wait.

But you didn't want to wait. You knew for a fact that this was the person that you were supposed to be with it, so why not just go for it now?

You knew Dani wouldn't let it slip and figured that she could also serve as your witness.

The most important question on your mind was what you were going to wear.

You thought that you obviously weren't going to go all out, but still wanted to look pretty for a day as special as this one was going to be.

Jack had gone out with Urban and the two of you decided to tell PG later that day when all of you met up to play laser tag as a way to celebrate your birthday that had taken place about a week before.

It was around 2 in the morning when the two of you had decided to finally head back to your apartment and both of you couldn't help but to be all smiles.

As Jack was driving, the radio was on a low volume as you were staring out the window. You were broken out of your trance once Jack had grabbed your hand and placed a kiss on the back of it.

“Why are you so quiet, princess? What are you thinking about over there?” He asked as he got off the highway and was heading to the parking garage of your apartment building.

“Just taking it all in. Really happy and excited for this.”

“Even if you don't have a ring?”

“I have you, so what do I need the ring for? That's more important than anything.” You said while turning to look at him.

“But you deserve one, babe. It was just a spare of the moment thing and I just blurted it out.”

“But you knew that whenever you did it that I wasn't going to say no. Like I said, I have you and the material things can come later.”

“I already have an idea in mind of how it's going to look too.”

“And I can't wait to see it.”

Dani had picked up on the third ring and you couldn’t help but to blurt it out.

“Hii baby girl!”

“DANI, JACK PROPOSED TO ME LAST NIGHT!” You basically yelled and it was quiet for a few seconds as you were waiting for her response.

“I… wait… seriously?”

“YES!”

“And what did you say?”

“I said yes obviously!”

“Lil Bit….” Dani started to say and your heart sank feeling like she didn't approve.

“You think I should have said no, don't you?”

“No! That isn't it at all! The two of you are just so young. You literally just turned 19 the other day.”

“But if you know that's the person that you want to be with, then why hold back? I love him very much and anyone can see that.”

“I know you do. We can all tell. I just…. Don't want you to regret this. I… not that I think you will.”

“Why am I going to regret marrying my best friend and favorite person in the world? I thought you would be happy for me.” You answered and you could feel your eyes brimming with tears.

“I am! Just…”

“Whatever. Bye.”

Without another word, you hung up your phone and threw it on the bed behind you as you angrily wiped the tears from your face that had fallen.

Next thing you knew, you heard your phone ringing and peeked to see that it was Dani calling you back and all you did was roll your eyes and watched it until it stopped.

When your phone rang again, it was a facetime call from Jack and you quickly answered, but immediately knew that he was going to be able to tell that something was wrong.

“Yes, babe?” You said and all he did was eye you.

“You're upset. And you've been crying. What happened?” He asked, concerned but you just shook your head.

“It's not important.”

“If something made my girl cry, it damn sure is important.”

“I'll just tell you later. I don't want to talk about it right now.”

“Fine, but don't think for one second that you're going to get out of it.”

“Okay.”

“I called to see if you wanted something from Morris Deli. Me and Urb are about to be there in a few minutes.”

You sighed before answering.

“I'll just take my usual with my mango lemonade Calypso.”

“Of course, baby. You want anything else?”

You quickly shook your head as you wiped away a stray tear that had fallen.

“You look like you could use a blueberry muffin so I'll definitely bring you some.”

That made you crack a small smile and you quickly nodded agreeing with him.

“Be back soon, okay? I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Once Jack had gotten back, he found you in your shared bedroom flipping through channels to find something to watch when he came up to you and leaned down to place a kiss on your forehead before setting your food in front of you.

You mumbled a quiet thank you before he slid in beside you on the bed and promptly took the remote from you.

“Are you going to tell me what's wrong now? Don’t think that I forgot.”

You simply sighed before answering.

“I called Dani to tell her about what happened and it seemed as if she thought we were making a mistake and should wait. She didn't flat out say that, but I could tell that she had her hesitations.”

“But my question to you is, why do we care what people think? We know this is real and we're getting married to each other, so should their opinion really matter?” Jack asked while looking at you before pushing his glasses back up onto his face.

“I guess not.”

“You love me, I love you, and that's all that matters. Point blank period. Who gives a fuck if people don't like it?”

“It shouldn't bother me, but it does.”

“Once we say our vows, they'll have no choice but to accept it and accept us. I want forever with you and I know we're making the right decision.”

“If that's how she reacted, how do you think PG will?” You asked, hoping that they would be supportive of you.

“They'll probably ask what took us so long to do it.”

“Hmm, I can see that.”

“But for now, I want you to not dwell on what she said, or what she didn’t say for that matter. We have bigger things to worry about and focus on.”

“True.” You quietly said before reaching for a blueberry muffin that you proceeded to break in half and hand it to Jack who quickly accepted it.

It was quiet for a few seconds before you spoke up again.

“Now, the most important part is what am I going to wear?”

As thoughts were running through your mind about what your outfit choice will be, Jack quietly muttered to himself.

“The most important part for me is getting a ring for you.”

“What was that, babe?” You asked as you handed your drink to him so that he could open it for you.

“Nothing you need to worry your pretty little self about.” Jack answered as he handed you back your drink and leaned over to kiss your cheek which immediately made you smile.

—-

Later that night after you, Jack, and PG met up and went to laser tag, all of you were now sitting around the table in one of your favorite burger spots and it was around 10 at night when Urban quickly took notice of something.

“What is up with you two?” He asked while looking over at you and Jack who was currently feeding you cheese fries.

“What do you mean?” Jack asked as you also looked at Urban curiously.

“Something’s different and I don’t know how I know and I don’t know what it is, but something is different.”

“How is anything different? They are literally sucking each other’s faces off every three minutes and making me sick as usual.” 2fo quickly piped up and all you did was roll your eyes and throw a fry at him which he quickly caught and ate.

“Hmm, no. Something is different. So spill it.” Urban said and both you and Jack exchanged looks.

“Should we tell them?” He asked while looking at you for confirmation.

“Tell us what?!” Shloob asked and now all eyes were on the two of you.

“I guess we can. I mean we might as well.” You responded while shrugging.

“Okay what we’re about to tell you CANNOT leave this table.” Jack started to say, but Quiiso quickly screamed.

“Oh shit, you got her pregnant didn’t you?!”

“What?! NO! Shut up for a second and listen!”

“Not going to lie, I thought that was where we were going for a second too.” Urban quickly agreed before looking back over at the two of you for an explanation.

“Jack asked me to marry him.” You quickly blurted out and the table went dead silent as everyone’s mouth was hanging wide open in disbelief.

“I… come again? Like walk down the aisle married? Like till death do yall part married? Like…..”

“Yes, Ace.”

“And are we absolutely positive that you’re not pregnant?” 2fo asked again while looking at you.

“NO!”

“Wait a minute, well what did you say?! Don’t leave us in suspense!”

“Come on now, Urb. We know she said yes!”

“How do you know I said yes?!”

All of them simply looked at you before rolling their eyes which made Jack stifle a laugh and you lightly hit him on his shoulder.

“Okay fine, I said yes. But yall can’t tell anyone. We’re not even telling our parents.”

“Oh good lord so you mean to tell me Mama Ivy and Mama Maggie are not only about to beat yall asses when they find out, but ours too?”

“And that’s why none of you are saying anything about it, correct?” Jack asked as he eyed them and everyone quickly nodded.

“Well, where’s your ring?!”

“Um, working on that part. She’ll have it by the time we say our vows.”

“What the? Not Jack proposing to our girl without a ring….”

“It was a spare of the moment thing and I just blurted it out!”

“Hmm, typical.”

“Now you know she loves your ass if you proposed to her without a ring and she still said yes.” Urban said while taking a sip of his soda.

“And, we’re absolutely positive you aren’t carrying baby Harlow?”

“FOR THE LAST TIME, NO 2FO!”

He immediately held his hands up in defense as he looked over at the two of you.

“Okay, okay! Just making sure!”

By the time you, Jack, and Urban got back to your apartment it was past midnight and you were ready to catch up on some much needed sleep. Before you did, you decided that you were going to take a shower in order for you to be able to sleep better. Being able to sleep next to Jack was simply a plus.

While you were in the shower, Jack was trying to come up with a plan in order to get you a ring and was asking Urban for his help.

“I can’t exactly get her everything she wants right now and I know she understands that, but I still want to get her something.”

“Maybe a pawn shop? You might be able to find something there. But I have a question and don’t take this the wrong way.”

“What is it?”

“When you do get signed because we know it’s bound to happen, I don’t think that they’re going to want to push the narrative that you’re married. They might even try to convince you to break up with her.”

“Like that’s ever going to happen and where was the question in that?” Jack responded as he rolled his eyes.

“Jack, I’m being serious. I get that you told us to not say anything, but….”

“And that’s why the only people who are going to know are the ones that need to. I’m not going to let anything come between me and her.”

“But, are you sure that this is the right move to make? And to do it now?”

“I thought you would be happy for us about this.” Jack said quickly getting defensive.

“That isn’t it at all. I just….. We’ve heard stories about the industry and how ruthless and cut-throat people can be. Look, all I’m saying is that you better not forget that she was with you when you didn’t have a damn thing to your name. Don’t switch up on your girl because I will beat your ass if you do.”

Over the course of the next week, Dani still hadn’t gotten an answer from you despite how many times that she tried to call you in order to be able to explain herself. As a last resort, she sent a text to Jack hoping that what she was about to suggest would make up for it.

Dani- Jack, would you have happened to have gotten her ring yet?

Jack- Nope and the last thing I want is for her to be disappointed, but between her birthday just passing and Christmas coming, I have no idea how I’m going to do it

Dani- I know someone and I can help you pay for it. It's the least that I can do since I know she's mad at me right now with how I reacted when she told me.

Jack- That's nice of you, but I have no idea when I would be able to pay you back for it.

Dani- All I ask for in return is you taking care of my little sister and being the best possible husband to her. Don't worry about paying me back. Meet me at 11 near Carmichael's so we can go and get it. Do you have an idea of what she wants?

Jack- Definitely princess cut or pear shaped

Dani- She's going to be so surprised when you show it to her

Jack was now holding onto your ring back at your shared apartment and he was simply staring at it in awe hoping that you loved it as much as he did.

He had it in the back of his mind that he had to remember to do something really nice for Dani when he got the opportunity to do so for doing this for him.

Because he knew she definitely didn't have to.

Even though he knew that you were still upset with her, he did tell her where you were because he figured that you would have wanted help when it came to picking out something to wear. He knew that you just wanted something simple, but also knew deep down that out of all people you would want your sister to help you make a final decision.

While you were going to look for a dress, Jack was going to pick up Clay and spend the rest of the day with him and tell him that he asked for you to marry him.

They were both sitting across from each other at KFC since Jack had treated him when Jack had just blurted it out and Clay was mid-bite when he stopped chewing and looked up at his older brother in disbelief.

“Want to run that one by me again?”

“I asked Y/N to marry me.”

“You do realize mom and dad are going to kill you.”

“Can't kill me if they don’t know.”

“WAIT! So you're not even going to tell them!?”

“I’m an adult, what do I need to tell them for?”

“Uh, because? It's not like this is life changing or anything.” Clay shot back being sarcastic.

“We've been together since we were 15, they had to have seen this coming.”

“But…”

“Look Clay, I want you to be there. But, you can't tell mom and dad. We're going to tell them, we just aren't doing it right now.”

“You got her pregnant didn’t you?”

“NO! She's not pregnant! Why does everyone keep asking me that!?”

“Because what two nineteen year olds just wake up and decide to get married?”

“We do.”

“I… I won't say anything. I see how happy the two of you make each other so it was bound to happen, I guess.”

“She means the world to me and I figured if I found my person, why should I wait to marry her?”

You were currently at the mall looking through racks of different dresses when you were caught off guard by your big sister staring at you when you looked up.

All you did was sigh and immediately rolled your eyes as she made her way closer.

“Lil Bit…”

“What do you want? I have a dress to shop for.”

“I know and that’s why I’m here. Jack sent me.” She softly said and you rolled your eyes again.

“Got damn it. I forgot we always have each other’s location on. I’m going to kick his ass.”

“No, don’t. He did it because he knew that deep down you would want for me to help you and that’s all I’m here to do. Help you look pretty on your big day even though you don’t need much help to begin with.” She said while pinching your cheek and you immediately swatted her hand away.

When you were quiet as you were looking at dresses, she piped up once again.

“Will it help you forgive me if I tell you that I’m going to buy your dress and not to worry about the price? And if you haven’t gotten Jack’s ring, I’ll pay for that too.”

Your eyes went wide and immediately left the sales rack to go over to the regularly priced items and all she did was laugh as she followed behind you.

“Then I take that as a yes.”

“But I’m still mad at you.”

“What I said was never meant to hurt you. I said it out of concern. I know that Jack is going to take care of you. There is literally no doubt in my mind about that. But wait, are you pregnant? Because…”

“WHY DOES EVERYONE THINK THAT?! NO I’M NOT.”

“Okay, okay! I was just asking!” She said while holding her hands up in defense as you were now holding up a white tulle dress and you were in awe. You had the perfect set of combat boots to go with it since you didn't want to wear heels.

“That would look gorgeous on you. Go and try it on.” She excitedly said as she pushed you towards the dressing room.

Once back at your apartment, you had to do your best to hide your dress from Jack and decided that putting it in Urban’s closet was the best idea that you could possibly come up with. What you didn’t expect was for Jack to be at the door as soon as you opened it ready to greet you.

“Hi baby, did you find a dress?” He asked as he leaned down to kiss you.

“Yes, and no you can’t see it.”

“What the? Why not?!”

“It’s bad luck, Jackman Thomas! I want this marriage to last forever and not 24 hours!”

“We are not going to break up in 24 hours if I see your dress! How am I supposed to coordinate your outfit with mine?!”

“It’s white. Do what you will with that information.”

“WHAT?! Baby! You can’t be serious! That’s all you’re going to tell me?!”

“Yes smush, now move. And I’m putting it in Urban’s room and you better not peek. You'll see it once I'm ready.” You said while giving him the evil eye, but all he did in response was roll his eyes at you.

You then made your way down the hallway to see Urban’s room door open and all he did was stare at you as you made a beeline for his closet. Once you opened it, you quickly put your dress in the far left corner before closing it.

“Urby, you are on dress duty. If Jackman tries to sneak a peek at it or even you for that matter, I will mop the floor with both of you and steal your weed.”

“I… is all that really necessary?”

“NO PEEKING!”

You went back out into the living room to find Jack flipping through channels on the television and you quickly went and sat down in his lap.

“Babe, we have to decide when we want to do this.” You heard him say as you turned your body so that you were sitting sideways and leaned your head down on his shoulder.

“I want to do it as soon as possible.”

“Wait… as in how soon?”

“I want to do it before Christmas.”

“Princess…. You are aware that Christmas is in six days, correct?”

“Mmm hmm.”

“The only day that we would be able to do it is the 21st.”

“Then the 21st it is.” You responded as you kissed his cheek before going to lay back down on his shoulder.

“You know Dani asked me if I was pregnant when she saw me.”

“Why is that everyone’s first thought?! We can't just get married because we want to?”

“Apparently not. And I should kick your ass for telling her where I was.”

“But I know my girl and I know you wanted her opinion on what you should wear. Am I right?”

“Don't push it, Jackman.”

“And obviously it went well since you definitely came back here with a dress.”

“Not the point.”

“Love you stink.”

“I don't know if I love you right now. Talk to me in fifteen minutes.”

“I….really?”

“Quit talking or I'll make it 20.”

It was the morning of the 21st and you woke up wrapped in Jack’s arms and simply smiled to yourself. This was about to be the first day of forever with him officially and reality was slowly starting to set it. Even though you didn’t let him see your dress, you still stayed in the apartment with him last night wanting for you both to be on time to the courthouse, because knowing you, you would be about an hour late and could only imagine the look on Jack’s face when you did show up.

Knowing how dramatic he was, he would probably think that you ditched him.

You turned to your left so that you were now facing Jack and placed a soft kiss on his cheek and he responded by hugging you tighter.

“Good morning my beautiful bride and future wife.”

“And good morning to you my handsome groom and future husband. What time do we have to be there?”

“Hmm in about three hours so we have plenty of time. Everyone knows what time to meet us there.”

“And… you're absolutely positive about not telling our parents about this?” You asked while sighing.

“So they can convince us to back out of it? We'll tell them when the time is right.”

“Okay, I guess that's fair.”

“And babe, don't be surprised that you don't have a lot of gifts under the tree this year. I had to pay…” Jack was immediately cut off by you shaking your head.

“Stop. And stop right now. The biggest gift that I get to have this year is marrying you. And how many times do I have to tell you that the material things are a plus? They can come later. I have you and that's what's important.”

“Damn, you really love me huh?” Jack asked you while smirking.

“Don't you think it's a little late to be asking me that seeing as I'm supposed to get married to you in less than three hours?”

Jack simply shrugged.

“Reassurance never hurt anyone. But just wait until I hit my first million. I'm buying you anything and everything you want.”

“No you're not because we need to save some too. You have to be smart about this. You're not going to be one of those rappers that spend all their money and go broke.”

“But if I do, will you still love me?”

“Smush, we're broke right now so obviously the answer is yes.”

“We are not broke!”

“Hmm, keep telling yourself that baby. Now in the meantime, I'm going to start getting ready if we want to be there on time.”

“Please do because knowing you, it'll be damn near midnight before we get there.”

“I'm ignoring you, so unhand me.”

Just then you heard your door bust wide open and looked to see Urban looking at the two of you and eating a bag of hot cheetos.

“Good, yall have clothes on because I never know anymore. HAPPY WEDDING DAY! Okay, now when are we leaving?”

“Around 10:45 and Urb, don't forget the ring.”

“Wait, you bought me a ring?” You asked, startled and taken aback while Jack just looked at you.

“Baby, did you honestly think that I was going to marry you without one?”

“Well you proposed to me without one…”

“I…”

“Welp, she got you there. Lil Bit got a ring for you too.” Urban piped up and now it was Jack’s turn to look surprised.

“You did!?”

“Baby, did you honestly think that I was going to marry you without one?” You said in Jack’s voice mocking him.

“Hey! I don't sound like that!”

But all you and Urban did was stare at him.

“Love you, now I'm going to get ready.”

You and Jack were now sitting in his car that was parked on the side of the building when he noticed that you were now starting to stare off into space.

“Babe?” Jack said before waving his hand in front of your face breaking you out of it.

“Oh, we're here already?”

“Princess, we've been here for almost fifteen minutes. Just waiting for everyone else to get here. You’re not having second thoughts are you? We can always….”

“No. We’re doing this and we’re doing it today. I never have second thoughts when it comes to you.”

Next thing you knew, Urban was flying into the parking lot with 2fo, Clay, and Shloob while Quiiso and Ace were coming in behind them.

“Good lord. And you're worried about my driving? Look at Urban.”

“I… Well…. The only thing that you’ve driven are go karts and that still didn’t go over well.”

“Now, we know that’s a lie. I bet that I’m going to get my license on the first try”

“Hmm, I’ll believe it when I see it.”

That was when both of you decided to get out of the car and Jack was helping you fix your dress when you looked over at Urban who was walking towards the two of you with everyone else and he was looking a little dazed.

“You cannot be fucking serious. Jackman…. is your best man HIGH right now!?” You said through gritted teeth.

“Come onnnn you two, we have a wedding to get to!” You heard Dani say from behind you and Jack didn't even have a chance to respond.

“Jack, just know if you mess up and she ends up divorcing you, I'm ready to slide in and replace you.” Clay said as he came up next to the two of you but all Jack did was roll his eyes.

“Clay, you can't marry her. You aren't old enough.”

“For now big brother. For now.”

“And Y/N, first, that dress looks amazing on you and second, give me a few more years.”

“Why thank you little baby.” You responded while pinching his cheek while Jack hit him in the back of his head.

“OW!”

“Urby…” You started to say as he was messing with his shirt.

“Urby….”

Silence.

“URBAN HENRY!”

“Oh, hmm? We ready to go inside?”

“I am never riding with this man ever again.” You heard 2fo muttered as he pulled out a cookie and stuffed it in his mouth.

“Yall can go in front of us, just give us a minute.”

Jack waited until everyone was out of earshot before he turned back to you and it looked like he was about to throw up at any minute.

“Uh? Babe? Are you okay?” You asked concerned and all he did was nod his head towards you.

“Sooo, we’re really doing this, aren’t we?”

“Yes, we’re really doing it. You love me enough to give me your last name?”

“From the first minute I saw that girl across the street with those pretty braids in her hair.”

All you could do was smile as you hugged him.

“You ready to get married? You ready for forever with me princess?”

“Damn right, I am.”

—

5 Years Later (This takes place after Two Halves of a Whole Idiot Instagram AU)

“Shit.”

“Fuck!”

The both of you looked at each other as you had both seen the comment that Urban had left under your instagram post and sighed.

There was no turning back now and it was officially out there for the entire world to see.

“URBAN!” Both you and Jack yelled before he peeked his head around the corner looking guilty.

“Uhh so I can delete my comment. I totally forgot.”

“HOW DID YOU FORGET THAT WE’RE MARRIED AND DIDN’T TELL ANYONE YET?!” Jack exclaimed while running a hand through his curls.

“Look, babe he was high when we did it and he’s probably high now, so are we really surprised?” You piped up and Jack stifled a laugh.

“I WAS NOT HIGH AND I’M NOT HIGH RIGHT NOW!”

“Our moms are going to kill us.” You quietly said while ignoring Urban’s last comment as you noticed your phone started ringing in your hand.

“Oh no.” You quietly said as you threw your head back in disbelief.

“Baby, who is that?”

“My mom and she’s not going to stop until I answer and I know that for a fact. So I’m turning my phone off. Jack, keep yours on.”

“WHAT? SO I CAN GET YELLED AT?”

“Better you than me. Maggie is going to mop the FLOOR with you. She loves me so I know she won’t be mad at me.”

“I… seriously?”

“Yes. Maybe if you tell her our first born will be named after her she’ll be less mad.”

“I thought the first born is going to be named after me?”

“Not now, Urban! We’re having a crisis here and it’s YOUR FAULT.”

“But is this really a bad thing? I mean…. People already know that the two of you are together.”

“Well it really doesn’t matter if it’s a bad thing or not. It’s out for the world to see so… nothing we can do about it now.”

Just then Jack’s phone rang and sure enough it was Maggie. He let it ring and proceeded to get a text from her soon after.

Mom- Either you answer my call or I’m getting on a plane with Ivy and we’ll be there by tonight. Your choice.

You were peeking over Jack’s shoulder and had seen what she said so you quickly hit her picture icon to call her back as Jack started yelling.

“BABY, WHY DID YOU DO THAT?”

“DID YOU NOT READ HER TEXT? EITHER YOU CALL HER BACK OR SHE’S GOING TO BE ON OUR DOORSTEP IN LIKE A MATTER OF HOURS.”

“Okay, I’m going to see myself out now.” Urban said before walking out of the room.

A few seconds later, Maggie answered and she did not look pleased.

“Shit, I didn’t know you facetimed her.” Jack whispered in your ear as you were sitting on his lap and smiling in the camera.

“Hiiiii Mama Maggie!” You said and all she did was look at the two of you.

“I thought you said she was going to be less mad at you, she looks like she’s pissed at both of us.”

Then without warning from behind her, you saw your mom pop into the frame.

“Oh shit, they work fast. What the? Are you two at the AIRPORT?”

“You two have A LOT of explaining to do.” Was all Maggie said as she was shaking her head.

“I… Jack made me do it.”

“EXCUSE ME? YOU SAID YES SO DON’T YOU DARE PUT ALL OF THIS ON ME. IT TAKES TWO PEOPLE TO EXCHANGE VOWS.”

“Who else knew?” Was all your mom asked as you now saw that they were at their gate.

“Umm….”

“Jackman and Y/N, you better start talking and you better start now. We’re still on our way to Atlanta, but this is your chance to state your case.”

Jack started firing off names and you couldn’t help but laugh because he was doing it as if he was trying to get a shorter jail sentence.

“Clay, Dani, Urban, 2fo, Shloob, Quiiso, Ace.”

“CLAY?!” Was all Maggie exclaimed with a look of disbelief on her face.

“And how long?”

“Umm, this year would make it five years.” You quietly said.

“FIVE YEARS? THE TWO OF YOU GOT MARRIED AT NINETEEN?!”

“Uh? Does it make it any better that we were going to tell you this year and have a destination wedding?” Jack asked and both of them shook their heads no.

“We’re about to board and the two of you better be at your house when we get there.”

Without another word Maggie hung up and the two of you were sitting in silence for a few minutes before anyone said anything.

“Uh babe?” You asked while turning around to look at him and he simply sighed.

“Hmm?”

“What percentage do you think we have of surviving the conversation that is bound to happen later?”

“Negative ninety-nine.”

Jack’s phone went off again and it was Clay who had sent him a text.

Clay- I told you so. Have fun getting yelled at.

Jack- But keep in mind little brother, you knew we were married and I just told mom that you did.

Clay- I.. SO I’M IN TROUBLE TOO?

Jack- Love you!

Jack was caught off guard with you suddenly kissing him on the cheek and starting to play with his beard.

“What’s wrong, babe?”

“Nothing. I just know that five years ago I made the best decision of my life. I wouldn’t want to be doing this with anyone else and I look forward to spending forever with you.”

All Jack did was smile and gave you several kisses before tightly hugging you.

“Can’t even put into words how much I love you. Almost five years in and a lifetime to go.”

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#jack harlow #jack harlow fic #jack harlow fanfic #jack harlow x reader #jack harlow x black reader #jack harlow fluff #jack harlow imagine #jack harlow concepts #jack harlow x you #first lady of pg

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canirove · 1 month

Text

In The Name of Love | Chapter 32

Auhor's note: Two things. 1: Only three chapters (two + epilogue) left! 😱 And 2... I'm sorry 🫣

Previous chapter | Next chapter

Masterlist

"I don't know who has eaten more candy, me or the kids" Emma says.

"I think it's a draw" I chuckle.

"You could have also eaten some, you know? Some sugar will do you good, cheer you up."

"I'm fine, Emma."

"No, you aren't. You don't need any make up to look dead, you've been leaving in a constant Halloween for the past weeks."

"Wow, thank you" I laugh.

"Val, I'm sorry if it sounds mean, but I'm worried about you. Are you sure you are ok?"

"I'm fine" I repeat. But I'm not.

Since the game against Manchester United, things haven't improved. At the stadium no one has bothered me again, probably because Dani did talk with someone. And at the school people don't gossip about me anymore. But online…

Online the mole has kept sharing photos and things about me, the haters loving it, their mean comments getting worse and worse. And nothing seems to be stopping them, not even Pedri giving an interview and calling them out for their behaviour.

"You are such a bad liar, Val…" Emma says. "And that's why you are having lunch with me and my family today."

"What?"

"Yep. You need to have a proper meal, and if there is someone who can give you that, that's my mum. So c'mon" she says, linking her arm with mine and starting to walk.

"Emma, I don't want to bother your family."

"You won't be bothering anyone. They haven't seen you in ages, they are looking forward to it."

"Shouldn't we get rid of this make up, first? I don't know how they will feel if we show up looking like skeletons."

"Stop inventing excuses and let's go" she says, dragging me outside the school.

"Bye, Miss Valeria! Happy Halloween!"

"Happy Halloween" I smile to some of the kids waiting for their parents. And when we cross the main gate…

"Cougar bitch!" someone yells.

"What the… Val!" Emma says. "Oh my God, Val. Are you ok?"

"I… I…" I mumble. I'm covered on something sticky. Something sticky that stinks and…

"Val, hey. Val!"

"I… I…"

"What the fuck are you doing, people?" I hear Emma say. "Stop taking photos! Show some respect!"

"Emma…" I whisper.

"It's ok, come" she says, putting an arm around my shoulders and making me walk.

"Girls! What happened?" Luis says, running towards us.

"Some teenagers threw eggs and god knows what else at Val when we were leaving."

"What?"

"Emma… Emma, I don't feel ok" I manage to say.

"Don't worry, Val. You are safe now" Luis says, helping me walk. "We'll go inside and help you get cleaned."

"I… I can't… I can't breathe."

"Val… Val, hey… Val!" Emma says, her voice being the last thing I hear before everything turns black.

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

"Hello, beautiful."

"Pedri?" I say, slowly opening my eyes. "What… Where am I?"

"The hospital."

"What?"

"Woah, careful" he says when I try to get up from the bed. "You can't do that."

"Why? What… what happened?" I ask, my eyes still trying to adjust to how bright the light in the room is.

"You fainted at the school. Don't you remember?"

"I… I think…" The teenagers. Whatever they threw at me. Luis and Emma. "Fuck."

"I'll take that as you remembering" he chuckles.

"How did I end here, tho?"

"After you fainted you weren't waking up, Emma got scared and called an ambulance. They ran some tests and turns out that everything in you is low. Your iron levels, the vitamins, other things I have no idea what they are… They were lucky they caught you when they did, you know? This could have been serious."

"I… I…"

"You haven't been taken care of yourself, Val. And I…" Pedri says, running his hands through his hair. "I knew there was something going on. I could see it. But I'm stupid and…"

"Pedri, hey. Hey" I say, taking one of his hands on mine. "It isn't your fault."

"Isn't it?" he laughs. Though it is a sad laugh, one that makes my heart sink. "I knew you were struggling and I did nothing to stop it. To help you."

"Because I didn't let you. You, or Emma, or Silvia. You know how stubborn I am, it is all my fault."

"No, Val. This is…"

"Valeria!" my mother says, storming into the room. "Oh, Valeria, my poor child."

"Mum?"

"How are you, Val? When they told me they had taken you to the hospital I feared the worst."

"I… I'm fine" I say, trying to process this outburst of motherly love. "I just haven't been eating well and resting and…"

"And it is all his fault!" she says, looking at Pedri.

"Mum…"

"It is! He is the one to blame, the one who has pushed you to this, to almost dying!"

"Mum, that's not true."

"Have you seen yourself, Val? You are too thin, and the bags under your eyes reach the floor. And do you know why? Because of him. It is all because of him!" she says, pointing at Pedri. "Love should not have you looking like this!"

"She's right, Val" he says, his eyes focused on his hands.

"Of course I am!" my mum says, raising her voice more and more. "Get out of here!"

"What? No!" I complian.

"Get out of here, Pedro! I don't want to see you near my daughter ever again!"

"Mum, stop!"

"I said get out!"

"I… I'm sorry" he says, getting up from his chair and starting to walk away.

"No! Pedri, don't go!"

"Out!" my mum roars again.

"No! Pedri!" I say, trying to get up from the bed but only managing to get tangled with the sheets.

"He has to go, Val. This is all his fault."

"No! No, no, no. Pedri!" I yell, trying to free myself from my mum's grip.

"Is everything ok?" a nurse says, walking into the room. "Why is she screaming?"

"She needs to calm down. Can you give her something?"

"I don't want to calm down, mum! I want him! Pedri!" I yell again.

"I'm gonna call a doctor" the nurse says before leaving.

"I want him, mum" I cry. "I love him."

"I know you do, Val" she says while hugging me. "I know you do. But this is for the best, I promise you."

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

"Val" Silvia says after knocking on my room's door. "He's here. Do I ask him to come in?"

"Yes, please" I reply, quickly opening my phone's camera to check myself. I've been resting in bed since I came back from the hospital, and I definitely look like shit.

"You look beautiful, Val."

"Bloody hell, Pedri" I say, my phone slipping from my hands and hitting the floor. When I look up he is leaning against the door's frame as he always does, that smirk I love so much in his face. "Do you do it on purpose?"

"Do what? Scare you?"

"No. That" I say, gesturing towards him. "Do you stand like that because you know I love it?"

"I didn't know you loved it" he shrugs.

"Yeah, sure."

"I'm serious" he says, walking towards me and picking up my phone.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome" he smiles, sitting on my bed. Though that smile isn't one I love. It is a sad one. "How are you?"

"Good. But I've missed you" I say, reaching for his hand.

"Val…" Pedri says, avoiding my touch. "We need to talk."

"About what?"

"You know about what."

"No, I don't."

"Val…" he sighs. "We need to talk about what happened at the school. About you ending at the hospital, about what your mum said."

"My mum just said nonsense" I say, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Did she? Because I think she was right."

"What?" I laugh.

"Love should not make you feel like this. Anxious, scared, angry, sad… It should not make you feel so on edge that you end up at the hospital."

"I'm not feeling like that."

"C'mon, Val. Can't you see it? Being with me is hurting you. And I… I can't keep seeing you suffer like this because of me. I… we… we should…"

"We should what? Break up?"

"I'm sorry, Val. But it is for the best."

"The best?" I cry. "How is breaking up for the best? I love you!"

"And I love you too."

"Then why are you breaking up with me?"

"Because we are hurting each other, Val" he says, raising his voice. "Because I keep hurting you!"

"You aren't hurting me, Pedri. People are!"

"But they are hurting you because of me, because you are with me. It's the same!"

"It's… urgh!" I yell, throwing one of my pillows against the wall. The pillow with his photo on it to be precise.

"I'm sorry, Val, but your mum was right. It's best if I stay away."

"My mum knows nothing, Pedri. Nothing! She just said that because she's never liked you for whatever the reason!"

"It isn't for whatever the reason. She's never liked me because she was able to see that us being together was bound to end up with me hurting you."

"What?" I laugh and cry all at the same time.

"Goodbye, Val."

"What? No! Pedri, where are you going?" I say, getting up from my bed at the same time he does, having to hold to him to not fall.

"Look at you, Val. Look at you. This is all my fault" he says while hugging me.

"It's not your fault. It isn't" I insist, my body trembling between his arms. "It's them, not you."

"I'm sorry, Val."

"No" I cry when he takes a step away. "Pedri, please, no."

"I love you, Val. I will always love you" he whispers, kissing my forehead and leaving the room.

"Pedri. Pedri, please… Pedri!" I yell. But he doesn't come back. He isn't coming back.

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

"Beth, Luis. What are you doing here?" I say when I open the door of my apartment.

"We've come to check on you" she smiles.

"And to bring you this" he says, giving me a bouquet of flowers.

"Oh, that's so kind of you" I reply while trying really hard not to cry, the memories of all the bouquets Pedri got me over the years coming back. "Please come in."

"Thank you" they say.

"So, how are you?" Beth says, taking my hand on hers.

"Been better, not gonna lie" I chuckle. "But my doctor said that physically I'm almost recovered."

"Good, that's good. Because we have something that may help you with everything else" Beth says.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"We all know break ups aren't easy. Especially when two people love each other as much as you and Pe… him love each other. But there is something that I know always helps, and that's keeping yourself busy with something."

"I don't think I'm ready to go back to the school just yet…"

"We were thinking about something like that but different" Luis says, showing me a piece of paper he had in his pocket. "Have you ever heard about this program? It's like an Erasmus but for teachers."

"An Erasmus?" I ask.

"Yeah. Instead of spending a year abroad studying, you do it teaching."

"We have a few friends who have tried it and they all have loved it. The other day we had dinner with some of them and they mentioned that there were some free spots that start in January and last just six months instead of the whole year" Beth explains.

"And we thought that a change of scenery would do you good" Luis continues. "New country, new kids and parents, new language, culture, people…"

"Though not really” Beth says. “Because one of the free spots is in Manchester, and you have a friend there, don't you?"

"I do, yes. Ferran."

"Are things ok between you two?" she asks.

"They are, yes. He's been checking up on me daily since I was in the hospital" I say.

"Well, now he could do it in person and maybe help you with everything else so you don't feel so alone."

"And who knows, he may even help you fix things with your boy and get back together."

"Luis!" Beth scolds him.

"What? You said it yourself!"

"I didn't, Val. I just… I…"

"It's ok" I smile. "And you are right. If there is someone who can help, that's Ferran."

"Then will you think about our offer?"

"I will, Beth. Thank you very much."

"Anything for you, Val" she says before hugging me. "Anything for you."

#pedri #pedri gonzalez #pedri fanfic #pedri gonzalez fanfic #pedri imagine #pedri gonzalez imagine #football fanfic #football imagine

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fatedwithmbc · 7 months

Text

It’s the night before the Unite for Her 5k. I’m “sleeping” at my best friends’ house because it’s close to the race location. The one dog, Dani, was so much calmer with me this time, which was helpful. I was a little nervous how the dog would react to me after our last encounter. The pup is sweet as pie with Elora, but protective and a rescue which is understandable. It just made me a little more nervous than I would have been around just her little old man, Reentu. He’s a cute pup. He even had on a little bow tie- so stinking cute!

Her mom was a total sweetheart and made us a pasta dinner, salad and even sugar cookies for dessert. She’s such a kind woman, and I was thankful of her to take the time to do that for those of us who stayed here this evening. After dinner, we played a meme game and watched Mike and Dave Need A Wedding Date. I think that’s what it was called. It was hilarious. Aubrey Plaza, Anna Kendrick, Zack Efron and the other guy, who’s also in Workaholics and a million other things were all in it. It was a raunchier version of Wedding Crashers, in my opinion. Not something I would have picked on my own, but I enjoyed it.

To my dismay, it’s supposed to rain all day tomorrow. I feel like what was supposed to be a celebration of my wins this past year is going to be a sad and sorry, soggy affair. Thank you, hurricane season and Hurricane Ophelia. Adam Joseph said inland should be spotty. Fingers crossed!

We were able to pick up shirts and bibs today, so that helped. I also got the extra hoodie I purchased. It’s definitely large on me and I was expecting it to be tight fitting. We stopped at Wawa too. Random insight: I was looking for a Candy Kittens alternative and I think that’s Twizzler’s, NOT Sour Patch Kids Strawberry despite Candy Kittens being Strawberry. Random insight over. I’m not used to having lost weight from when I was on my first line of treatment. But I’ve also regained some weight from being on Abilify since my 10 day hospitalization back in June.

I see my oncologist on Monday. I’ve got notions of traveling to Europe and I’m planning on asking him if I can even think of planning so far ahead in my condition. We’ll see what he says. I always said if I went back to Europe, I’d be going to Poland. Although, there was a trip to Italy that caught my sights as well; but that’s all putting the cart before the horse until I talk to the doctor. And obviously, I’d need travel insurance in case something happens/ed that would prevent me from going.

Back to my thoughts on tomorrow, I’m so appreciative of every donor who helped me reach my top number of $2,000 for fundraising. Additionally, I’m so appreciative of my best friends for braving the weather for me tomorrow to show support and solidarity of my situation. Not many people would do what they are. Why walk in the rain for 3.1 miles for nothing (other than me)?? I’m touched already and we haven’t even done it yet. I’m hoping since we’re more inland, the rain will be more sporadic and spotty and not a complete deluge as the shore is anticipated to get. I did think ahead a bit and ordered us ponchos, but I’m not sure of their quality and how dry they will actually keep us.

I need to sleep, but my mind is racing about tomorrow and I also have a hard time when I’m not at home. I’m still watching (more like listening) to On Patrol Live which is a comfort show. They say if you put on a comfort show it can help you fall asleep. Which I did for about 2 hours before I woke up very warm. I shed a layer and laid down again, but the thoughts keep churning.

I was able to talk my Mom-Mom through the process of getting to Apple TV so she could watch Friday Nighy Baseball (Phillies and Mets). I’m glad she didn’t have to miss the game because I wasn’t around. The Phillies won, thankfully. And the magic number is now 4 for our playoff berth or wildcard spot for the playoff berth. The post season of baseball confuses me. I’m anxious and excited for MNF. The Eagles are playing.

I think I’ve gotten most everything I can off my mind, so I’ll wrap this up. I might even be feeling some effects of sleepiness!

El Fin.

#fated with mbc #confessions of a cancer patient #stage iv deserves more #metastatic breast cancer #stage iv metastatic breast cancer #breast cancer #unite for her

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thewanderer-000 · 2 years

Text

The Random Adventures of Daniella "Danie" Spadina

(Note: this'll be random fanfic series with miscellaneous themes, many media themes, other thing and a touch of nonsense)

The neon sign illuminated the back wall of the bar Daniella inhabited, her new friend Sharky invited her to an after party at his cousins Hurk Jr.'s house. What could it hurt, Sharky said the magic word moonshine, a 'shine called Eden's Bliss, made specifically from a cults special tonic- narcotic, or something. But she was curious, what could go wrong, Danie already jumped time-lines already. What could a drink of another cultist beverage hurt? Plus Mayor Hancock gave her addictal stuff that makes addiction less addicting, like.

___________________

"Thanks for driving us Pratt, you're not as much of a dick everyone says you are. Maybe you'd like to try this 'shine me and Hurk made, I haven't tried it yet, but considering you're not on duty maybe you could take a load off" Sharky said as Officer Pratt drove us to Hurk Jr's dads. He kept looking at me as Sharky ramble on, obviously knew I wouldn't from around here, though I could understand the suspicion. Odd characters out there tonight, me, them three brothers that dropped me off at the edge of town were suspicious. Cute but suspicious. Big red asked a lot of questions, felt like a survey so I fired back questions as well. Except the marriage question, people never answered truthfully about that. They're attached to one person, or many, you never know.

"Hey, so you rode with the Seeds?" Pratt asked as we got there, Sharky went to go find Hurk Jr., I was startled since I zoned out reflecting on them three handsome brothers.

"Uh, yeah. Odd bunch, attractive but odd. All of them named with "J" initial, John, Joseph, and Jacob. If they have another brother I'll bet his name is James. The older brother asked a lot of questions, I answered but I asked questions too, it seemed like I passed their survey" Pratt chuckled at my jib, but he looked haunted after a moment which made me feel uneasy. Was that bad? Did I want to ask what it was about, probably best not to, not tonight I wanted to try this 'shine. Couldn't be worse than that brotherhood of steel cultist radioactive juice on Far Harbor.

"Hey! Hurk already started and Nick and Kim and some others are here. Senior is drunk out of his mind, the moonshine is a hit" Sharky said happily, I look and see the truck the three brothers were riding as I get out of Pratts car. I wave just to be friendly since they drove me through mountains and the country side to the edge of town, probably didn't see me but maybe they did.

Lovely people the Reyes, they left early since Nick had to be ready for a couple flight lessons in the morning. They didn't try the moonshine but it was understanding. Hurk senior was put to bed by his son and nephew, that was a shock to them since the old man can handle his drink, I didn't think much of it. But how could I when I kept seeing a few of the Seed brothers here and there when I blink. I drink more and more to see what would happen, Pratt/John/Joseph/Jacob take the bottle from me as I stagger to a lawn chair. And as he goes inside to grab me some water, minutes pass then a big wolf goes running, red lines was set on the head, I go to check on the creature. Grabbing the bottle of moonshine to help the big animal since it wasn't going to help me, except to get drunk.

"Hey, come here boy-, girl? You poor creature come on- back here, you're hurt. Come on, puppy, puppy. Come on- baby" I say chasing this behemoth of a wolf around the Drubman fishing hole, the beast out runs me. I still head in the direction of where I can hear distant foot steps ahead of me once we-, I cross the main road. I chase till I reach a cabin, and it's suspicious and it oddly stinks of the moonshine.

"Oh shit, where'd you go. I can't hear you, baby. Come on, you're hurt-, oh God, I'm outta shape and hella drunk" I looked down and realized that I took off without my boots, that explains why I could feel everything as I ran. I sit on the cabins stoop since I couldn't catch up. Taking a drink as I accept that I couldn't help the big beast.

"Oh, now that packs a punch. I wonder what the survey thing was, I wonder if big red was attached to anyone-" a howl made me jump as I take another long and unfortunate big gulp, I hiccup and burp feeling like I am either very lucky or unlucky for that.

"Hck, shit. Oh- mm" I lay back on the floor feeling weirder than usual and hot, the smell of the green barrels fueling my disorientation.

"Are you ok?" A cool voice said, I look over my form drunkenly and it's big red, I feel a warm tingle after, warm tingle all over. I try to not think about that and suppress it or that warmth would be running down my leg. Not the first time I pissed myself in front of people though this would be the first I wasn't on a toilet. And giving a sample for a bunch of lab coats.

"Why'd you- hck-, look so good?" I say not suppressing the warm tingle, and carefully laying my head back. I close my eyes then that was it as I fell asleep, I had the craziest dreams of mountains and this floating feeling, like I was being carried by the warmest clouds. I go through a door to an office like setting, very familiar like a lobby or activity room. I could only focus on how felt sticky the clouds feel but I enjoyed them since they didn't smell like the green barrels.

___________________

I woke up in a room that I didn't remember entering, I roll out of the bed I was sleeping in and wonder why my pants weren't on. I remember seeing the one balcony door open and someone telling me to "go to sleep", then I think I turned to the voice and obnoxiously cuddled on to them. I don't know what happened after, most likely fell asleep.

I walk over to the balcony door and opened it to see everyone out there moving around and then I heard him, the voice from last night, far off yelling orders and encouragement to people. It was the handsome older brother, I get out and lean on the balcony to see where he was. We made eye contact once I found him, I wave and smile before going back inside to look for my pants and my boots. And that bottle of moonshine, but I might have drank it all.

"Where the hell did I leave my pants and boots? What happened to my socks, they're all dirty?" I say picking them up, at least I think these are mine, I rethink that they were mine. Just then a knock at the door startled me, I drop the random socks and stand as inconspicuous and alluring as possible.

"Come in" I answered quickly. "Jacob" entered, his stare made me realize that I forgot my pants, and the fact his face went a few shades red hinted at it. He immediately looked up so as not to stare at my cute panties, it made me blush because of course I'd forget.

"Well ain't you doing all the good?" Jacob remarked as he went to leave but I cross the room and pulled him back, man is tall and heavy. No easy feat pulling him back but I did it, I had questions and needed answers for what, how and why.

"Hold up, I have questions, nevermind my half dressed bawdy?" I say the last bit jokingly to lighten this awkward situation, though I felt a bit dizzy like the moonshine was still in effect. He made eye contact for the sake of not looking down than needed, I wasn't very tall.

"OK, shoot honey. I ain't got all day" I'm slightly caught off guard with his little southern twang, then I focus because I felt a cool breeze through the open balcony door.

"Where's my pants and boots, where am I and how'd I get here?" I asked hands on my hips, Jacob looked down then up and away.

"Look here. I don't care and besides didn't we sleep together-." I think and grow red as Jacob begins to pinken.

"Uh-, nevermind. You know what I meant-. I'm hungover and just waking up, my way with words has left me" I say just going and grabbing a drawer and grabbing the first pair of pants and slipping them on, my slutty mouth has to say the worst sentence at the moment. Could I make this more awkward, I had to leave before I said more gonk things, I suppose Johnny was right. My talking when awkward or intoxicated is too much, I swear he was the best and worst. How the hell was it cute though, fuck that guy and his Silverhand, it grabbed too hard during sexy times. Well not all the time but sometime. Jacob stood there as I quickly grabbed things that weren't mine, probably confused by the fact that I was grabbing stuff and heading out the door.

"Uh- did you want to? It can be arranged, Danie, if you wish?" Jacob said, I dropped the jacket and looked at him intrigued, not declining but interested. He's got a good physic, from what I could remember, granted I was just using part of him like a pillow. But who knows how long I'll be here, did it matter I'd have to leave this universe too eventually. And he oddly felt familiar but I couldn't place what it was that made me feel a degree of comfort about him.. This wouldn't be the first time I unintentionally joined a cult, hopefully they wouldn't deny. The amount of cults I came across they'd deny it.

"Ummkay, I could stay for a while, then look for my pants later" I picked up the jacket and put it back on the desk and dropped trou-, more like wiggle and boom I was pants less once more. But he quickly pulled them back up and came very close pushing me towards the double doors leading to the hall.

"Come on, I know a place" he said in my ear before laying a kiss below my neck, I immediately suspected this would be a good outdoor trip.

_______________________________

"What the hell!?" I whisper as I couldn't be more wrong as the tent we fell asleep in, after sexy time activities were done. A bunch of wolves surrounded us, well, me. Jacob must have went out for a bit, I could hear the wolves play fighting with an animal limb or something they hunted, I just seen their shadow. I wasn't ready for that, I was looking for my clothes but unfortunately I can't find them. This is probably what I get for making fun of that TV show about the naked people in the woods in that one dimension. I sift through the sleeping bags and blankets and find Jacob's shirt, I put it on then hear the distant sound of a vehicle. The wolves weren't forgotten just because it got quiet out, till I heard a rustling at the opening of the tent, a wolfy snout pushed its way in.

"Shit, this is where and how I end, or just get mauled a bit more. Jacob Seed, you were great in sleeping bag, and by camp fire" I whisper as the tent zipper gave way with a whole wolf pushing in to the tent as the vehicle got closer and closer. But the wolf made way and clumsily got in sniffling and snuffling, I was expecting hungry, vicious animal. The wolf seemed to be looking for something or someone as the large thing started to paw at sleeping bags and blankets. Then found me as the scent it was tracking was on me or me?

"Oh fuck" I murmur as the large beast snuffle Jacob's shirt, the size of the wolf was humongous, this looked larger than any wolf I saw before. I waited for it to bite and rip me out of the tent but nothing. Plop, she rested in my lap just cozy, I go to pat but she sees and naws on my hand.

"Oh! I'm sorry" I panic for a moment but realized that this wasn't a mad bite but something else. I wonder if they knew Jacob, maybe they followed us and watched us last night. I wouldn't remember or hadn't noticed since I was immensely preoccupied.

"Hm? You are pretty nice, like domesticated and very cute but still dangerous" I say as cautious as ever while the wolf licked and softly naw on my hand as my other hand pet her. The vehicle finally made it, after a moment the engine cut and a door opened and closed.

"Danie?" Jacob called, probably suspected that the wolves scared me off, but this isn't the oddest thing to happen, I've seen odd and experienced it quite a bit.

"Yeah, I'm being weighed down by a large soft girl with the cutest ears" I hear a sigh of relief as Jacob walked over to the tent.

"I brought you some clothes since I didn't know where the wolves took yours. We'll let you change" a sentence I had never heard from anyone, yet, I liked it. Because, well, wolves. Jacob handed me the bag and whistle to the wolf to follow him as he closed the tent.

"Thank you, oddly this isn't new, I lose clothes here and there, and judging by the shirt and jacket they took your stuff too" he chuckled lightly as his shadow displayed him giving affection to his wolves.

"They did, underwear, and jacket. If you're not careful they'll take your important shit, if not them the raven's will take stuff too. And now I have questions as to how, why and where you've lost clothing, sounds like interesting stories and adventures" I ponder on that, as I pull on the donated clothes, which smells like campfire and Jacob's fancy smell good spray. I found it in one of the drawers, I don't remember putting it back in my search for pants. I absent-mindedly left it out to smell later, though once Jacob came into his room it was instantly forgotten.

"I'm aware, wolves, raven's and corvids. All in cahoots, kinda cute. Though. I think I may have too many stories, it's all usually shoes, jackets, hats, though maybe few times I lost full outfits. That's not including the ruined clothes" I step out of the tent while doing a quick braid, I think on my adventures and remember.

"Once, I fooled around with a musician/former military guy. I went to a bar where this after party was, the guy was drunk, flirty and hella forward too. I avoided him at first but then when I was at the bar getting a few drinks for me and the group I befriended, yeah. He shot, his shot, my drunk self said something flirty and insulting an hour later we were getting busy in a restroom stall at the bar. Then I went to his place where it continued on the way to then against his apartment door. So clothes have been shed, sexy times have been had, I wake up clean myself up and as I'm about to look for my clothes I hear him talking to an irate woman on the phone" I stand trying to remember what happened next, being young, drunk and trying to hide from a one night stands significant others is stupidity I gradually learned not be in, in the past. I've been kinda better just had time-line jumping added to my messy mix.

"And shit, she was mad, and for good reason, her friends saw him a couple days before taking a woman to his place. I only grab what I can see, which are my bag and phone, he rushes in and says 'I don't have time for this' wrapped me in his bedsheet and told me to wait on the fire escape. I don't, I go down, duck in the nearest unlocked window grab some random shoes that fit while I hear him and the woman argue. I hear his window open and luckily I'm in some random apartment, I laugh out of regret because I've been in that same situation before. Their fight is louder, I change into some random woman's clothes, because Johnny and his woman are still arguing, even as I'm clothed and leaving out the front door of some apartment. I return the bedsheet, the fight isn't as loud she still sounds suspicious but he's putting on a good enough act to sway her. I just leave the bedsheet on the floor next to his door, and shake my head then leave, I had stuff to do and was so ashamed. I didn't want to add to the number of women she said he cheated with, three other women, ugh. I didn't see him for weeks but she broke up with him then we fooled around some more, I was cross with him but damn was he charming. His band mates seemed unphased, but they were nice like, I only was around for-, I think roughly half a year. Then work took me elsewhere, that was long ago, definitely a time to remember" who could forget a world with robotic like limbs and Night City, what a trip. Jacob gave me a look I wasn't quite ready for, did he know I wasn't from this time-line. I look away thinking of another memory where I lost clothing and nothing too out of the ordinary but that was difficult since I myself wasn't ordinary or from this time line.

"You're not from here, huh?" Jacob said inquisitive tone level as his eyes looked for evidence of my birth home. I see his eyes, searching me for answers, like he could recognize the truth through all my false efforts.

"Hehe, uh. What are you on about, like I'm not from Montana but-" he moved close caressing my cheek in a very familiar way, and like that I remember it. We met before, a long, long time ago, I knew those eyes, we found each other.

"You're Jake, Jake from Juvie" I say softly, remembering how I got picked up by police because the portal dropped me on a cop car. Luckily, they were patrolling kinda slow but the drop still hurt, I think I was 16. 16, no id card, my bag of belongings didn't help me, I was thrown in a juvenile detention facility for putting up a fight with the police. The lady who was my case worker fudged some documents for me, I knew enough but they took my time travel stuff. Plus, I had to wait for it to charge, this universe beat the earth that had human size bugs on it. Or I think it was earth. And there he stood, a husky tall redhead, big, bruised and bloody knuckles. I wasn't sure about this, I had a weakness for boys like him and I was right. We insulted each other but I knew, I knew it would only inspire more down the line.

"Hey, jailbait" I fumed at that Insult, why did guys use that and on me. Johnny Silverhand, Eddie, that Ted boys dad, and my professors snarky assistant.

"And good bye" I turn to leave only for Jacob Seed to laugh then close the space and wrapped me up in his arms. I thought I'd never feel this again or see him or this universe again.

"Don't be like that. You know, I never thought I'd see you again, I actually hoped that I would again. And for awhile I pushed the idea you ever happened away, for a long time, I looked all over for you once I was well. But the information given was false and the case worker had passed on, I only knew you by Danie. But any trace of you was gone like that light" I hold on to his hands, it's been too long since we been close. Too long, I seen his one coat had been from the army and I wonder what life he lived once I left.

"I hoped to see you again too, I never thought I would, sadly. I just had to keep moving, well, more like I had to buck up. Moving wasn't my choice, I wished it could be my choice" Jacob let me go to turn me to him, I did and look into his eyes and I felt like the teenager I met before was back in front of me. Then realization hit me, we were both 16 in juvie, Jacob looked older, I wasn't 40. Shit, shit, shit.

"So what's it like time traveling?" Jacob asked, I felt like my soul left my body, he wasn't going to beat around the bush. At least I won't have make up a long ass lie, besides I don't think I could make up a lie to cover the fact I am very much in my twenties. Late twenties but still, I smile at him not being freaked out, though he probably was freaking out before he returned to this here campsite.

"Ah, yeah. It feels confusing and I don't know how I got back to "this", this time-line. And the fact that we met in our teens. And it's given me more questions but I'll figure it out, and if I find my professor I'll have to talk about this and a hypothesis on why my device brought me back. The bonds maybe tied to this, we bonded while in juvie before I jumped-." I say giving it plenty of thought on it.

"Huh? Well, we did more than bond from what I remember back then" I blush, male ego. But can't deny he was my first relationship, amongst other things. I could choke him, or smother him in kisses, I try to think of something, anything else but how could I? I was fixing to take him with me, we'd have been jumping through time. Almost to adulthood but shy off 2 years, instead of a car I had a time traveling device that could take me to any point. All that stuff is the past now. We had some catching up to do till the particles magnetize and put me somewhere else. And who knew when, I had a reader for it but sometimes it moved faster than I could keep up at times.

"I'm almost surprised that we didn't get caught sneaking out or were caught going at it. You were always so loud, still are actually" Jacob rolled his eyes but smiled wickedly. I knew what that meant, I stepped back only to be lifted as Jacob roughly snuffled me while rubbing his beard into me. I scream and laugh, he stops to steal a few kisses.

"You're not going to make me say uncle? Are you, I kinda don't mind this as opposed to that stubble you had back then" he grimace at me then laugh.

"I think I'll shave now, thank you" I gasp, knowing I should have just enjoyed it and not said anything, I'll be sporting beard burn now.

"So rude, you're lucky you are handsome" Jacob stuck his tongue out.

"And you're beautiful, even when covered in beard burn and hickies" I couldn't help but blush at the prospect of doing that again, we could have some fun before I have to leave this universe/ time-line.

#alternate universe #Time line jumper #Jacob Seed #Far Cry 5 #The Random Adventures of Daniella 'Danie' Spadina #Daniella Spadina #old fallout 3 character #didn't get a last name till recently #mentions #Fallout 4 #Cyberpunk 2077 #writing

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leesielex · 3 years

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Magic Awakens - CH 5

Time for another update! I will be posting to AO3 sometime today so I will post the link once that is done. Thank you to @moondancer71 for the moodboard, for help with bouncing ideas, suggesting edits and always encouraging me to take the next step. Thank you to @libradoodle1 For the amazing pic edits and for stepping up to Beta the next chapters! It became a much bigger undertaking than what anyone knew! Lol. And thank you to @jilliebaby for betaing the first several chapters, including this one. You all truly helped this story happen at all. I would still be reading other's fics and wishing I could write my own, instead of putting it into action if it weren't for all of you!

Chapter 5: Viserys Targaryen (The Exiled Prince)

Today was the last day of the fortnight Larra had granted them. Viserys had left Dany in the room each day to try to find a place for them to go next. He spoke with merchants and sailors alike, offering to work for room and board. So far no one had wanted his help.

Even those that feigned interest mocked him; “He is too scrawny. What work could you do? My grandma has more muscles than you.” Worse was the one he heard the most: “You look like a pretty Lysene bedslave, prettier than most of the whores. I would pay good coin to fuck you from behind and pretend you were a pretty Valyrian maid.”

How many insults and disrespect could one be expected to take? If only they knew who I was. I’m the Rightful King of the Seven Kingdoms. When I get my throne I will burn them to ash, he thought to himself as he reached the tavern entrance. The stink of stale ale and body odor hit him in the face and left him gagging.

Viserys ran upstairs and then froze. “Now what do I do?” he thought. “How do I take care of Dany? What should I tell her?” He leaned against the door, gathering the courage to enter. In the morning they would be on the streets. He did not trust Quaithe and thought she was probably planning to sell them to the Usurper, but at least they had a roof over their head and food in their bellies. At the sound of his sister's voice, he turned towards the door and put his ear up to it.

He heard Dany giggle. “Quaithe. You’re here! I’m not asleep but I can see you!”

“Yes and no, Princess. Magic is awakening in the world. Dark things stir north of the Wall. And the glass candles burn once again beneath the shadow. You know what I say is true, as magic awakens in you as well.”

Shivers shot down Viserys’ spine as he heard Quaithe speak. She found them. And now he would have no choice but to let her take them to the Usurper.

“How- How did you know? I haven’t told anyone. Not even Vis,” Dany whispered.

Shock marred his features at the admission that his sister was hiding something from him.

Quaithe responded in another one of her riddles, as always. “I know many things Princess. We must pass beneath the shadow. I will find you soon and we can continue on our journey. First, you and your brother will have a great test. Beware the perfumed seneschal.”

Why couldn’t she just say what the fuck she meant for once. How was he to trust her when she couldn’t trust them and just speak her meaning plainly?

With that, Viserys jerked the door open. He could have sworn he saw sparks fly from Dany’s fingers as she jumped and fell to the bed; she sat upon her hands looking as if she’d been caught stealing dessert from the kitchens.

“What?” Viserys was trying to get the words out, but the shock was stifling his thoughts. Mind blank and mouth gaping, no words would escape. He began pacing the room. Was he hallucinating? Was the stress and anxiety causing him to go mad? He couldn’t rule any of it out. But the guilt clear on his sister’s face told him he was not. He had heard Quaithe in this very room.

“Where did Quaithe go? How did she find us? Are we in danger? We need to leave now!” He began to gather their bags.

“Vis! Vis! Calm down! We can’t leave, we have nowhere to go. I will explain.”

Dany’s big violet eyes looked up at him with such desperation he could not refuse his sweet sister, and she was right, they had nowhere else to go. So he sat down next to her and encouraged her to speak. He pulled her into his lap, as he always did when he had something important to share with her, or was telling her a story.

“I told you, Quaithe comes to me in my dreams. I KNOW you don’t believe me, but today I could see her while I was awake. She told me we were in danger. That we would be tested. And that we must pass beneath the shadow. She said to beware the perfumed senuh, seneh… senechal?” Dany stuttered the long word she didn’t yet know. “What is a perfumed seneschal, Vis?”

“A seneschal is a noble of a great house. That could mean so many people.” At her nod of understanding, he voiced his concern. “Why can’t Quaithe just give us a name instead of a riddle? If she knows so much then tell us, in a fortnight avoid Lord No Name. She pretends to be helpful, but she is telling us nothing, keeping us guessing.

“There is some game she is using us for, sweet sister. Remember that. Everyone wants something. And they will use whoever they can to get it.” He stroked her arm at this vehement declaration. He wasn’t sure if it was to comfort her or himself.

“Vis, there is something else I have kept from you. I was scared and did not know what was happening,” she said meekly, as she slid off his lap onto the floor.

Dany walked over to the candle on the small table and blew it out. The room turned dark, with just a sliver of evening sunlight shining through the linen they kept over their small window for privacy. Dany reached for the candle, sucking on the bottom of her puffy lips, her brow furrowing in concentration. A spark flew from her fingertips to the candle wick, a tiny flame coming to life. She didn’t retract her fingers and Viserys grabbed her hand, lest she burn herself.

“Careful Dany!” he yelled. Turning her hand over, he looked at each of her fingers, but no burns appeared on her perfect porcelain skin. All he could do was stare in awe. “How did you…?” He trailed off, lost in thought.

He was confused. He knew his sister liked her baths scalding hot. And while he also liked steaming hot baths, he often had to wait for her water to cool to help her wash. Otherwise it would turn his skin pink and splotchy. He took a deep breath, still holding her hand.

It was a while before he spoke again. Viserys moved to sit on the bed. And like he used to at the house with the red door, he motioned for her to sit on his lap. He took her face in both hands, stroking the stray hairs away that had fallen in her eyes.

“I do not understand what is happening. Or what to do. I feel lost. We have nowhere to go. I have had no luck in acquiring more coin or a place to stay. I do not know what will happen once we leave here. But you are my sister, the last family I have. We stick together. I need you to be a big girl and to be brave.”

He kisses her brow as he finishes. She sadly agrees, she will do what he asks and be brave. A knock at the door has them both jump.

“It’s Larra, I have brought your dinner.”

Viserys opens the door for her, ushers her inside and closes it. Larra was beautiful, with curvy hips, a big bosom, and a tiny little waist, just a couple inches taller than him. Could have easily passed for a Targaryen, she had about twice as many namedays as him.

He was tongue-tied every time she was close. He was not quite a man grown but near enough to know what the stiffening in his pants meant and what the more entertaining ways to relieve that problem were.

As she entered the room the smell of cinnamon and something else he couldn’t quite place, something that was uniquely her, wafted in and enveloped him. Larra gave him a sly smirk that suggested she knew exactly what she did to him.

“I know it is your last night in our humble establishment, so I thought maybe I could have dinner here with you, then maybe have a moment alone with you after. Is that alright with you, Viserys?” she asked as she emphasized the S’s in his name, not needing an answer to her question as she was already sitting.

He tried to quickly hide his embarrassing erection by sitting to eat, stomach right up against the table. “Of course, my Lady,” he responded as his voice cracked. She laughed and he jerked his head, his cheeks turning red.

“Oh, well aren’t you a cutie? Calling me a Lady and all. We both know I am but a whore. No need to bother with false titles and pleasantries. But it does make me wonder...”

His blood turned cold as he realized his mistake.

“You are not from Lys are you? I often hear you speak the common tongue, and you speak High Valyrian as well as Bastard Valryian,” she said, with a knowing look as she sipped her ale. Viserys could not help the feeling of dread that filled him.

Larra smiled that disarming smile again and spoke. “It is of no matter, your secrets may remain your own. Come, let us speak alone.”

She led him out the door and into the chambers next door. As soon as the door closed, Larra locked it behind him then walked close. Viserys' throat dried up and he couldn’t swallow. Larra’s lips were so plump and full. He could do nothing but stand there. She could have any man, but was with him, just a boy with no coin to offer her.

She whispered in his ear, “I can tell you want this, if it is to be your last night, let us enjoy it.” Then suddenly he felt nothing but pain. A searing pain at the back of his head. He could feel hot blood beginning to dribble out, as he dropped to the floor.

“Apologies, Prince Viserys. You truly are an adorable boy. But, coin is what I need, and now, coin is what I shall have.”

He gathered the strength to push himself back up, to go find Dany, but not only was his head throbbing, his body weak and unsteady, Larra held him down. Then a blood curdling scream filled the air. He immediately knew his sister was in trouble. He had been such a fool to trust a pretty woman twice his age.

With a new motivation and anger coursing through him, he threw Larra off of him and she flew hard onto the floor. He pushed himself up, clawing at the door for assistance as he swayed, unsteady on his feet. He twisted the lock and threw the door open, before storming into the hallway.

He could just see Dany being dragged out, like a sack of flour over some man's shoulders. The poor little thing was not making it easy on him, though, as she was kicking and hitting him, flailing about and screaming.

“Dany!” Vis yelled. Her head popped up and she yelled back, “Vis! Help me!”

He ran as fast as he could, chasing them through the tavern and out the door. The folks who frequented the establishment glaring at the disruption or purposely turning a blind eye. He followed them to the alley, gaining ground on them. Just as he was close he saw sparks fly from Dany’s hands, setting her captor’s breeches aflame.

“What the fuck! You little bitch,” the man shouted as he threw her and a rucksack to the ground. Dany grabbed the sack and lugged it towards Viserys. He moved to meet her halfway, scooped her up with the bag and ran. The man dropped to the ground to put the small fire out, shrieking, rolling, and frantically patting at his clothing.

“Run Vis!” Dany shrieked.

Suddenly dread and panic set in. All their belongings, their mother’s ring and crown, still were back in the room. Dany saw the distress in his face and his legs slowing down.

“Vis, he put the crown and ring in the bag. Go! Please don’t stop!”

He dodged and ran until he couldn’t go any longer. As they stopped to hold their breath a shadow appeared.

“Quaithe!” Dany exclaimed. She said nothing but quirked a finger, beckoning them to follow. A few more turns through alleyways, and into a building, up two flights of stairs, to a room, obviously abandoned long ago. And then Quaithe was gone.

Viserys dropped to the floor with Dany and the sack of their valuables still in his arms. She began to sob uncontrollably. The weight of what almost occurred threatened to crush them both. “I’m sorry Dany. I am so sorry. This is all my fault. I was so stupid. But I promise you, when I get back my birthright that was stolen from us, I will bring them all to their knees. They will pay, with Fire and Blood!”

He helped dry her tears, then assessed his sister for injuries before tending to his own as best he could. She helped to clean and wrap his head wound. Then he looked around at their surroundings. The building was in poor condition but looked to be stable. There was waste and some rat droppings in a few spots. Just the bones were left, no furnishings or decor.

He did his best to make them a comfortable sleeping spot on the bare floor. As Dany finally closed her eyes, Viserys was unable to sleep yet. He could only think of how he would bring the world to its knees and get back what he was owed, no matter the cost.

#viserys targaryen #jonerys #daenerys deserved better #daenerys targaryen #jon snow #game of thrones #asoiaf #a song of ice and fire #fanfic #magic

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a-bang-for-your-bucky · 3 years

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Playin' With Fire: Into The Flames

Summary: Santiago has some shit he needs to figure out. THE MISSION. Dani has some shit she needs to figure out. Will is an angel. Catfish just wants to get home to his baby. Benny's just along for the ride.

WARNINGS: SMUT(18+), EXPLICIT LANGUAGE, Movie typical violence, people get shot, Tom is an asshole, like straight up, mention of pregnancy, because again Tom is an ASSHOLE.

Word Count: 7,453

At the bar, Santiago was outside waiting for Frankie and Dani. He didn’t know why it bothered him so much, They needed to talk, especially if they were going to work this mission together. But a part of him didn’t want them to. He remembered how close they were. He knew he was being selfish. He had her to himself for three years.

He heard Frankie’s chevy long before it pulled into the parking lot. He parked it right next to Will’s. It took everything he had not to run to her. She and Frankie walked up to the entrance, his arm slung over her shoulder. Santi’s heart all but crumbled. Why did this bother him?

“Hey, Santi.” Dani smiled, removing herself from Frankie’s hold. Frankie opened the door for her but didn’t follow.

“I gotta talk to Pope real quick. Go on ahead. Ben’s probably thinking you left the country again.” Frankie told her. She gave him the stink eye, sticking out her tongue. Dani went on inside though because Frankie was right.

Once she was in the building and the door was shut, Frankie turned to his friend. “You’re an idiot.” He blurted out. Santi tossed him a confused look.

“Wh-what?” Santi was surprised at Frankie’s blunt words. Frankie kicked a rock in front of him, frustrated that his friend is being so dumb.

“You fuckin’ idiot. You had her, man.” Exasperated with Santiago, Frankie threw a finger in his face, accusingly. “You fuckin’ had her.”

Santiago scoffed, shaking his head side to side, “You don’t know what you’re fucking talking about, hermano.” Santi shoved his hands into the pocket of his jeans, turning away from the man in front of him.

Frankie’s fingers tightened into a fist. He wasn’t gonna hit him, at least not yet. “I know she’s heartbroken. I spent the last twenty minutes talking about it.” He scoffed. Santiago was not a stupid man, quite the opposite, so it blew Frankie’s mind that he was acting like this.

“Yeah? Did she tell you that it was her idea? That she didn’t want a relationship because of you?!” Venom dripped off of Santiago’s words. He wasn’t trying to hurt his friend, but Frankie had no idea what the fuck had transpired in the last 36 months.

“She did, actually.” Frankie informed his friend. “Pope, man. What is wrong with you?” Frankie removed his ‘standard oil’ cap, running his fingers through his hair. Santiago huffed a breath.

“If you would have just stayed away from Vanessa, you two would be together; She’d be Ellie’s mom. You’re the reason she ran to Colombia with me in the first place!” Santiago’s voice echoed through the empty parking lot. Without a second thought, Frankie's fist collided with Santiago's jaw.

“Oh. I didn’t realize it was my fault you can’t keep your fucking dick in your pants!” Frankie shot back at him, struggling to hold back the anger bubbling inside him. “I know I fucked things up with her, but I got Elena out of it. She’s worth more to me than anything. Don't ever think for a second that anyone matters more, including Dani.” Frankie relaxed his fists, thinking about his daughter. “What do you have, cabrón?”

Santiago let Frankie’s words sink in. He was right. What did he have? Santiago took a seat on the sidewalk of the bar, running a hand down his face, hissing when he rubbed the tender spot on his lip. “Fuck, Fish.” Santiago sighed, looking up at his friend, eyes pleading for help. “I don’t know how to fix it.”

Frankie joined Santiago on the ground. “You tell her, hermano.”

“Tell her what? ‘Sorry for sleeping around on you, even though I’m pretty sure I’m madly in love with you. I just wanted to give you what I thought you wanted.’ I mean she’d go for that right?” Santiago rambled.

“Pope, you’ve lived with her, slept with her, and have cared for her for three years. Get your fucking shit together and talk to her." With that, Frankie walked inside to join the rest of the group. He left Santiago sitting there, mind churning over the words they had shared.

"FISH!" Benny yelled as he saw Frankie filter through the small crowd to their table. "Where's Pope?" He asked, and Frankie turned around to see Pope was nowhere in sight. Dani instantly noticed Frankie's red knuckles from where he had hit Santiago.

Dani looked up at Frankie with concerned eyes, "Where is he, Frankie?" She whispered. Frankie pointed toward the door. She shot up from the table, weaving through the crowd and out the door. She found Santiago standing by Will's truck.

"Santi?" She called out to him, causing him to lift his head. She could barely see the blooming bruise on his lip, but she knew it was there. She reached him in just a few short steps, wrapping her arms around him. He returned the gesture, holding her tightly. "Are you okay?" She whispered into his hold.

He didn't answer right away, he just pulled her closer. He nuzzled into her hair, breathing in the lavender scent. "I'm okay, beautiful. Don't you worry. Frankie was just knocking some sense into me." He mumbled against her. He was okay, as long as she was in his arms. The two of them stood there for a while, not wanting to let each other go. No other words were spoken, they only held onto the comfort that they had become accustomed to. Dani didn’t even realize she was crying until she pulled away from him, and wet stains were left in her wake.

“I’m sorry.” She apologized, wiping her eyes. “Come on,” She grabbed his hand, “They’re probably missing us.” She told him as she pulled him back toward the bar. He let her lead him, enjoying her hand in his. He had to tell her. He halted in his steps, jerking her back into his arms.

“Wha-” She started, but was cut off by his lips on hers. Sighing, she melted into his hold. Their lips moving in sync. There was no rush, but Santiago kissed her with urgency, wanting her to feel the emotion flowing through him. When they parted, she sucked in a breath, her lungs burning for oxygen. She went to speak, but before she could he placed another soft peck to her lips.

“You don’t have to say anything. Just know that we need to talk before we leave. Promise me, we will talk.” Santiago still held her hand, looking into her eyes as he spoke, “Promise me.” He said again. She nodded, telling him that she promised. With her confirmation, they walk back into the bar with the rest of their friends.

Back at the Miller house, they all stumbled through the door, laughing like children. Dani thought it was nice for them to feel so care free before the mission. She left the guys behind, wanting to shower before bed. Santiago watched as she walked away. He wanted nothing more than to follow her down the hall, strip her down, and make love to her like he should. Instead, he plopped himself down on the couch with a groan.

Will sat himself beside him. “So, Fish clocked you, huh?” He asked. No one had brought up the fact that Santi had a busted lip and Fish had a busted knuckle. Santiago nodded. “Can’t say you didn’t deserve it.” Will shrugged, crossing his arms.

“Thanks, man.” Santiago scoffed, “I know I fucked up, okay. All I want is to make it right. But I can’t.” Santi wiped his face. “She deserves so much better than me.” Will shook his head.

“Let her make that choice. You opened that door when you asked her to go to Colombia with you.” Will advised him, “I’m sure Frankie told you this already, but talk to her.” Will slapped him on the knee before heading off to bed. Santiago followed suit, walking down the hall to Dani’s room.

He was wringing his hands as he stood outside of her door. It had already been decided that they would stay with Ben and Will until they left. He knew he was welcome inside, he just couldn’t find the courage to open the damn door. With Frankie and Will’s words prominent on his mind, he raised his hand, landing three small knocks to the wood.

She opened the door, clad in a towel, blonde hair still dripping from the shower. “Santi? Why did you knock?” She asked, moving back into the room to let him in. He walked inside, closing the door behind him.

“Oh, um. I didn’t know. I mean, I thought maybe you’d want privacy, since we weren’t in Colombia.” He fumbled through the sentence. Santiago wasn’t a nervous person. He could shut down, manipulate, whatever he needed to do to complete his mission. When it came to expressing his feelings though, he was a wreck. Dani noticed his change in demeanor.

She sat on the bed, the same bed where they first slept together. “I told you, while we’re here, this is your room, too.” She wanted him to feel comfortable. He just nodded in response, still standing by the closed door. “Okay, what is going on with you, Garcia?” She asked, the words coming out a little harsher than she wanted.

“Can we talk now?” His voice was low, his head even lower as he looked at the floor. She stood up, which caught his attention. His eyes roamed over her bare legs, up to where the towel rested right below the apex of her thighs. He felt his cock stir in the confines of his jeans. No, not now, he thought to himself.

“Yeah, let me just get dressed.” She disappeared into the en suite bathroom. Santiago took the moment to adjust himself in his pants. He needed to tell her with words how he felt, not his dick. She emerged from the bathroom in his Metallica shirt, the same shirt she wore the last time they had sex. She was not making this easy for him. “What’s up, Santi?” She hopped onto the bed, crossing her legs under her, exposing her deep maroon panties to him.

He groaned and turned away from her. “Querida, please. I’m trying here.” His voice was strained. He was fighting the urge to take her right there. He heard shuffling, and she told him to turn around. She had covered herself with the blanket. He mumbled a thank you before sitting on the bed beside her. It was all so familiar. This was where everything had started between them. Santiago couldn’t help but think it was fitting for this to be where it ended.

Dani watched as Santiago seemed to search for words to say. “Dani,” He started. He almost never called her by her name. This wasn’t good. She swallowed harshly, trying to ease the constricted feeling in her throat. “You are, fuck, you are phenominal.” Santiago said, taking her hand in his. “You deserve everything that is good in this world. And I’m sorry I kept you from that.” Tears pricked his eyes. Dani’s breath caught in her chest.

“Santi, I don’t. I don’t understand.” Her voice broke. She didn’t know where he was going with this.

Santiago squeezed her hand. “I was selfish with you. I was so fucking selfish. And I hurt you in return. There aren’t enough apologies that will fix that.” Santiago didn’t cry, but a single tear rolled down his face. “I have to let you go.” He sounded conflicted, and he was. He wanted to keep being selfish, but letting her go, getting her away from him, was the right thing to do.

Dani shook her head, “No. You don’t get to make that decision for me.” She cried, “How do you know what I deserve?” The sadness in her voice tugged at his heart. She moved to sit up on her knees, still holding his hand. “Santi, these last three years with you have been amazing. You are amazing. Why would you ever think anything less?”

Santiago met her eyes. They shimmered in the low light of the bedside lamp. “I’m not capable of being who you want me to be.” He swallowed hard.

“How do you know what I want, Pope?! You haven’t asked me!” She raised her voice, the alcohol in her system affected her volume control. Santiago was sure the whole house heard her. She pulled him closer, grabbing his other hand. “I don’t know why, but I love you, you dope, I would walk through hell and back for you.” She confessed.

Her blue eyes met his brown ones. “You shouldn’t love a man like me, princess.” Santiago protested, releasing her hands to caress her face. Her skin was soft, but wet from the tears. She shook her head side to side, moving her face closer to his.

“Too late,” She whispered before pressing her lips to his. He pulled her closer if it were possible. His lips parted, tongue prying hers open. She instantly gave him access. His hands found their way down her back, to her ass. He gripped the tight muscle, pulling her into his lap. He moved them up the bed with skill as they fought for dominance. The kiss got more aggressive. He was the one who broke the kiss, only to find his way to that spot on her collarbone.

“Santi,” She moaned. He continued his way up her neck, nibbling on her ear, before returning his lips for a quick kiss. His hands hooked her panties, dragging them down her legs, as he moved off the bed. He unbutton his jeans, removing them and his underwear in one go. Once his pants were out of the way, he took his place back between her thighs. She could feel him hard against her thigh. They both knew there would be no foreplay, that this was something else. He couldn’t say the three words that were floating in the air, he didn’t know if he was capable.

Her hands were buried in his salt and pepper curls, leaving love bites on his neck. “Fuck, hermosa. I need you.” He groaned, rocking himself through her wet folds.

“Then take me, Santi.” That was all he needed to sheath himself to the hilt in one swift thrust.

The ride into the jungle of South America was bumpy to say the least. Dani had made herself comfortable in the back with Frankie, almost falling asleep a few times. Santi backed the SUV into the jungle thick, expertly hiding it from the view of the road. Santi gave Dani the bag of comms. “Pass those out.” He instructed her as he gave out weapons. Dani didn’t like the feel of a gun in her hand, she was a healer, not a killer. They separated as they stalked through the jungle up to Lorea’s house.

Dani wasn’t sure why she let herself get caught up in this as she laid between Santi and Tom on the forest ground. The boys were clogging up the comms with witty banter and stupid jokes. She was barely paying attention until she heard Frankie’s voice.

“Pope. Pope, I have kids over here. Does he have kids living with him? Cause that’s gonna make things a whole lot more complicated and is not what I signed up for.” The worry was thick in his voice. Dani only assumed it was because he was now a father himself. Thankfully, she had planned for this.

“The family’s not the problem, Frankie. They’re the answer.” She replied instantly, and Tom gave her a weird look.

Frankie asked why and Pope had a simple answer. Church. “Lorea is very devout. Every Sunday morning, He sends three guards to the 6am service. When they get back, he sends the rest of the team, along with the family.”

“That leaves him and three guards in that house with the money. That’s our window.” Dani finished for him.

“Well aren’t you guys fucking cute, finishing each other’s sentences and shit.” Tom snickered into the comm. Dani wanted to punch him.

Will stalked through some brush, making his way to his check point, “Why would he do that?”

“He’s worried about someone taking his kids, and he never leaves his money. Also, I don’t think he believes anyone would have the balls to rob him.” Santiago answered him, chuckling a little at the end.

“That’s probably because it’s a stupid idea.” Dani could hear Will roll his eyes.

Benny broke the silence, “Pope, I got your girlfriend coming up right now. Holy shit, she is beautiful.” Dani clenched her jaw. She told Santiago that she loved him, and he never said the words back. The night of Benny’s fight, she was sure they made love. It was a completely different feeling. They still weren’t officially a couple, she didn’t know if they ever would be.

“I fucking knew it.” Tom groaned, looking over Dani to Pope.

“Fuck off.” Santi growled, not missing the look he received from Dani. Santi knew that he messed things up with Dani. He loved her and instead of telling her, he had sex with her. It was different that time, though. It was more passionate, more meaningful. He knew what he was getting himself into when he started sleeping with Yovanna, but that didn’t stop him from doing it. He just hoped that one day, Dani would forgive him.

“God damn.” Will whispered, “I got an execution about to go down over here.”

“Are you at the tennis court? That’s his spot of choice.” Dani responded, knowing that’s where Lorea liked to do business. The gunshots made Dani jump and Tom sighed.

“We can’t babysit you. If you can’t handle some gunshots, maybe you shouldn’t be out here.” He growls at her. She moves to get up, but Santi grabs her arm. She looked over at him, waiting for him to say something, but he didn't.

“Shit, we got ground sensors here.” Benny’s muttered voice crackled through the comm, breaking up the tension, looking down at his feet.

“Did you hit one?” Santi asked, quickly.

“I’m not sure.” Benny replied frozen in his place. “That stock boy job at wal-mart is starting to look pretty good right now boys.” He huffs out as two guards on motorcycles approach his location, but swiftly turn around. It was a close call; Too fucking close.

“Let’s get the fuck outta here.” Will huffed, once it was confirmed that the informant made it out.

The bar was quiet, minus Benny telling some dumb story about how he almost pissed himself. Santiago tossed back his shot and Dani sat quietly, enjoying their company, nursing her tequila on ice. Will asked what the plan was and how Santiago was going to present to the agency.

Santi told the guys the real plan. He wanted to pull the job with just them. He didn’t want to involve the local government. He knew that with his team, they could get it done and take the money for themselves. The guys were pissed.

“Who paid our fees?” Will asked him, and Frankie pointed to Will indicating that he had the same question. They all had the same question.

“It’s complicated.” Santiago told them.

Tom scoffed, “How fucking complicated can it be? It’s a hundred thou-” Frankie stopped him as a group of men walked in. Dani told the guys she was getting the bill. Frankie sarcastically thanked her as she walked away.

“Well fellas,” Benny started, “This turned out to be some full on cowboy shit.” He finished before down the rest of his beer.

The guys moved back to the car. Santi was mid speech when Dani rejoined them. “You may not believe it, but I have spent the last three years of my life trying to make a difference. But it’s a fucking mess.”

“Santi’s right.” Dani spoke and the five guys turned to her. “Lorea has people everywhere. You have no idea what it’s been like for us.”

“Come on, guys.” Santi started, and pointed at Tom. “This man is a goddamn hero and can’t even afford to put his kids through college.” He turned to Fish, “You are the most talented pilot I know and you’re grounded on some bullshit coke rap.” He finally looked at Will. “How many times can your brother get the shit knocked out of-” Benny cut him off.

“I didn’t get the shit beat out of me. I won that fight.”

“Sorry, Benny.” Santi apologized.

“How many more pep talks can you possibly give, man? I’m done. Both knees are shot. That neck surgery I got last year made everything worse.” Dani had never heard Santi sound so hopeless.

“What about her?” Tom asked, pointing to Dani.

“What about me, Tom? You got a fucking problem with me being involved?” She questioned him, wanting to know what his deal was.

“I just don’t see why your involvement is necessary.” He spat at her, crossing his arms.

“This was my fucking plan. I helped with every part of this recce.” Dani growled at him, hands clenching by her side. Santi noticed and stepped between the two.

“Come on, man. I’ve trained her. She helped prep all of this. She’s in or no one is in.” Santi defended her. Tom shut up real quick. “I guess the question is, do we finally get to use our skills to our own benefit and actually change something?”

On the drive back from the bar, Tom had come up with a fool proof plan, “Sunday Soft Hit” he called it. Dani sat in the back with Benny and let the guys talk it out. Tom made it very clear that this was their area of expertise, she was just along for the ride. She watched as rain drops rolled down the window. She really hated the rain.

The next day, Pope had left to meet up with his informant. Dani tried not to let them see how much it bothered her that he went alone. That he didn’t want her to go. She tried to let Benny distract her with his silly jokes, but still in the back of her mind, all she could think about was Santiago.

They met him at a shipping container yard. He had a key to one, pulling open the doors. Santi was prepared for this moment. Every fucking gun, bullet, toothpick was sourced in-country, he was ready to pin this on a local rival gang. Santiago’s informant had come through with the recording of inside the house and promised to get an extra van into the compound.

They had everything they needed; The bird, the extra van, and Lorea confirmed inside the house with the money. Tom was conflicted about the whole situation, and that made Dani uncomfortable. She kept her thoughts to herself, not wanting to start another fight with the captain. Tom gave a speech about how they could get out now if they wanted. Dani honestly thought it was touching, but none of them were turning back; The six of them were really going to do this.

“It’s a good thing these guys are so devout.” Benny started, looking up at the sky as the rain poured down, “Our dad used to say ‘when it’s raining, it means God didn’t need us in church today’.” Dani smiled at the comment. She really missed Mister Miller.

They watched intently as the guards piled the family in the vehicle to leave. None of them caught sight of Lorea. The family had left for church, and the informant showed up with the extra van. “Damn, Pope. This lady is a keeper. Punctual, smart, and brave as shit.” Benny spoke into the comms. Dani rolled her eyes, jealousy did not become her, but she didn’t care.

She entered the house behind Santiago. Two of the three guards were subdued easily by the former Delta members, but Frankie shot the third in the knee when he walked up on him and Will. “Eyes out for Lorea. He sure as fuck heard us now.” Santiago groaned, helping Frankie bound and gag the guard. Dani quickly went to work setting off the charges in the security room.

The five men searched the house, but Lorea was nowhere to be found. They were almost frantic looking around the property. “Everyone to the office right now.” Tom growled into their ear pieces.

“What’s going on?” Dani harshly whispered into the comm but didn’t get an answer. Before she could ask again, Santi grabbed her, pulling her upstairs with him. Santiago walked into the office to see his former teammates. They were pissed.

“What the fuck?” Benny was the first to speak, tossing an empty money bag to the floor. Dani looked around the room. Something wasn’t right.

“Lorea?” Tom asked, and Santi shook his head.

“He’s gone with the money.” Will scoffed, dropping into a chair.

“Your girl gave us up, Pope.” Frankie sighed, leaning back against the desk. “We gotta get the fuck outta here.” Dani hated hearing the regret in his voice. What the fuck did she do?

Santi ripped off his hat, “No, no, no, no.” He repeated as he removed his pack. How did this happen? He looked around, distraught written on his face, before taking a deep breath. “What’s that smell like to you?”

Frankie looked up at his friend, “Like a serious fuck up.” Will chuckled at Frankie’s sarcasm.

“No,” Santi shook his head, pointing to the painting equipment by the desk. “Paint.” He scrambled to the nearest wall, running his hand down it, before drawing back and punching hard. Dani watched curiously, wondering if Santi had finally lost his mind. He punched again, breaking through the drywall.

He ripped the debris out of his way, reaching a hand into the wall, pulling out a wad of cash. “La casa es la caja fuerte.” She mumbled, “The house is the fucking safe.” She laughed, picking up on what Santiago had just figured out.

The six of them started tearing down the wall and stacks of money fell out. They quickly packed it into bags and carried them down stairs. Santiago was still concerned about finding Lorea as they pulled out more and more stacks, packing them away. The more money they dug out though, the less confident Dani felt in the situation. Tom was getting carried away, determined that they had time for “A couple more loads”. Benny assured her that Tom never missed a hard out, and here he was, making up some bullshit about a fifteen minute cushion.

“Fuck this. Time’s up, we gotta go.” Will growled, glaring at Tom. Dani finished packing her bag, handing it off to Benny.

“I want one more sweep for Lorea, alright! Then we burn it all down.” Santi all but demanded. “Tequila, stay with someone.” She nodded, and walked into the bedroom with Will and Santiago, gun raised. She opened the wardrobe door and there was nothing but clothes inside.

Suddenly, the whole thing moved, and Lorea shot at her. She returned a single shot, straight to where his femoral artery would be and the man fell to the ground. Santi walked up and fired one, two, three, more shots at him to ensure he was dead. He stood over the dead body, reloading his pistol.

“Fuck, I’m hit.” Dani and Will groaned together, Will dropping to his knees. Will was bleeding from his left side and Dani had a through and through on her left shoulder. Santi whipped around to see Will and Dani both kneeling on the floor. Blood was soaking her shirt, as he charged over to her.

“You’re hit?” Will asked, eyeing her shoulder, and she nodded. “Fuck, Teq. You shoulda stayed home.” He groaned the last word as she put more pressure on the wound. “Get me the clot kit. I’ll be fine” He grumbled.

Santi dug through the bag on Dani’s back, handing her a kit, getting one out for her as well.

“What are we shooting at in here?” Frankie yells as he walks into the room. He immediately notices that Dani is bleeding. “Fuck, Dani.” Even though he wanted to, he didn’t move toward her, because Santi was already there, applying her clot kit.

“I told you this was a stupid idea.” Will spoke through clenched teeth, looking at both Dani and Santi.

“Yeah, you did Will. Here ya go.” Dani agreed, wrapping his abdomen with a bandage. She hissed as Santiago did the same to her shoulder. Things had shifted between them. Will had never seen Santiago so attentive during a mission.

“Sunday school’s over fellas. We gotta go. Oh, holy Shit.” Benny says as he sees the scene before him. His brother was bleeding from his abdomen, Dani from her shoulder. He told them that the first shift of guards were back and that they needed to go. The rest of it was a blur. Dani barely remembered getting down stairs, let alone into the van with Frankie. She looked back to the house and it was ablaze. It was over, they just needed to get home safely.

The drive up to the meeting point for the helo was a short one. At least, it seemed short. Dani had gone into shock. “Fish, I don’t feel so good. I don’t think the bleeding has stopped.” She whimpered with her head against the window, the hand holding pressure on her wound was bloody.

“Just hold on tight, hermosa.” She heard Frankie say before everything went dark.

She woke up with someone jostling her. It was Santiago, who was carrying her bridal style out of the van. “Hey, querida. You with me?” He asked, laying her on the ground, her head propped up on a bag.

“I’m here, Santi. I should have some bandages and extra kits in my bag. I brought them in case one of you idiots needed it. Turns out, I’m the idiot.” She laughed as he dug through her bag, holding up the tool once he found it.

“This is going to hurt, hermosa. You want to take a swig first?” He asked, showing her a bottle of tequila she packed just in case. She nodded, taking a generous swig, hissing at the burn of the liquor going down. “Alright, Teq. Ready?” She groaned as he redressed the wound. It would need stitches to ensure it heals decently, but they would have to wait.

“Thank you.” She whispered when he was done. “Let me go take care of Will.” She took the bottle of liquor over to Will. “This is going to hurt like a bitch. You might want to.” She offered him the bottle. He took a quick gulp, before gesturing to her. She shook her head no. She was able to stitch Will up while the other guys loaded the helo. She looked over and saw Fish yelling at Tom as she started working on the stitches.

“If we want to get to the ocean, we gotta fly over the fucking Andes, man!” Frankie yelled about the weight issue. Dani and Will leaned onto each other as they walked toward the helo. Tom groaned about leaving two hundred million dollars on the runway. “Fine! She’ll make it. Let’s go!” Frankie ordered.

Dani was seated in the back of the helo between Benny and Will. Benny was helping her stitch up her shoulder. Dani couldn’t help it but her eyes trailed over to Santi who was staring at Yovanna, the informant. Jealousy and bile rose in her throat. “I’m good, Ben. Thank you.” She looked up and saw Tom staring at her, his eyes dropping to her hand that was splayed over her abdomen, then back to her, with a knowing look on his face.

They dropped Yovanna and her brother across the Peruvian border. Tom escorted them off the helo. Santi joined him with a bag of money and an envelope with documents. Once Santiago was sure they were good to go, they were back in the air. “She’s lying.” Tom said and Santi disagreed. “There’s consequences to this shit. You know what we should have done?” He deadpanned.

Dani couldn’t believe him. He wanted to kill her? After everything she did to help? “That’s one you wouldn’t come back from.” Will attested. Tom just ripped the headset off before moving into the cockpit with Frankie. Santi didn’t spare Dani a second glance as he laid back against a duffle and shut his eyes. She sighed, leaning into Benny, closing her own.

Frankie was constantly watching the gauges on the dashboard. It seemed as if they were going to make it, even with the weight issue. Everything was going smooth until it wasn’t. “We’re red-lining, man.” Santi’s voice was on the headset as he peered over his friend’s shoulder. Frankie was adamant that they needed to lose some weight. Dani heard Tom complain about leaving fifty million dollars in the middle of the jungle. He is going to get us fucking killed, she thought. Frankie shot back, standing his ground, asking if he wanted to make it to the ocean. Tom conceded; Will opened the door so Santi and Benny could throw out some bags.

It seemed to work for a moment. Frankie tried raising the helo up over the lowest peak he could find. There was rapid beeping and the aircraft started jerking. One of the gearboxes blew and the helo started to drop. There was a reason Santi wanted Catfish. He really was the best. He immediately regained control of the craft, maneuvering it so that it didn’t go into a spin.

“I’m losing altitude. We should land. We should land now.” Frankie grunted, trying to come up with a landing plan.

“Crash land here and we all will die.” Tom snapped at him. Frankie gripped the cyclic tighter.

“I’m trying to get her back to flat. There was a farm, not too far back.” Frankie growled back at him, trying to make sure he gets the craft to ground as safely as possible.

“Prepare for a hard landing!” Tom called the warning over his shoulder toward the back of the helo. Dani had one hand gripped to the wall, the other was attached to Benny’s leg.

“I can’t land with this thing with that net under us. We lose the money, maybe we don't die.” Frankie tried to reason with him, but Tom didn’t want to budge.

“LOSE THE MONEY OR WE WILL ALL DIE!” Fish’s voice boomed through the headsets as he tried to keep the helo steady. “Pull the external load release on the wall!” Dani looked over her right shoulder to the lever. She looked back at Santi, like she wanted permission.

“Pull the lever, Tequila!” Santi yelled, giving her the okay. She pulled it down with a struggle.

Will opened the hatch. Dani took a spot next to him, looking at the net. “It didn’t work!” Dani was terrified.

“There should be a manual override on the cargo hook.” Frankie explained. Benny crawled out the hatch and kicked the handle. The net of money fell to the earth below them. The helo jerked before Benny could climb back in, knocking him further out. Luckily, Will was able to grab him, preventing him from dropping straight to the ground. It became obvious to the man dangling from the floor of the chopper that he would die if it crashed with him barely hanging on.

“I gotta jump!” Benny yelled, releasing the grip on his brother’s arm and tumbled to the ground, just in time for the helo to crash hard. He ran back to the smoking wreckage. “Tequila! Fish!” Benny bellowed as he dodged shrapnel from the crash.

Dani groaned as she moved from where she landed on top of Santi. “You okay, cariño?” He asked her, and she remembered that Benny fell out of the fucking helo. “Benny?!” She yelled into Santi’s face, scrambling to get up.

She stumbled up to the front, where Fish and Redfly were crawling through the busted windshield. “Benny?!” She called again. He kneeled down into view, reaching for her.

“I’m good, Tequila. I’m good. Come on, I gotcha.” He said as he helped her through the broken plexiglass. She crawled out, trying to make sure no one had any lethal injuries.

“Oh, Fish.” She whispered, looking at the nasty gash on his face. She pulled some gauze out of her vest pocket and tried to clean it, but he pulled away.

“I’m okay, Tequila. Tom, they’re getting into the fucking net.” Frankie yelled over her, pointing to the villagers.

Climbing out of the overturned helo, Santiago looked over at Dani who was next to Frankie. Pushing down the bubbling jealousy, Pope asked, “What’s the plan here?”

“Benny cover us from under that treeline there, to the right. Frankie, you and Tequila take the left, while Pope and I go look as peaceful as we can.” Tom paused, “That’s cocaine they’re growing, so they probably already have weapons trained on us.” Pope was apprehensive about Dani leaving his side, but he knew she’d be safe with Fish.

“Comms are dead, so we use hand signals.” Pope informed the group before he stepped between Dani and Frankie. He caressed her face before placing a kiss to her lips. He didn't know what had possessed him to do it. They were in the middle of a cocaine field, and they just survived a helicopter crash.

“Be safe.” She whispered where only he could hear. Tom called him away and Frankie grabbed her arm, pulling her in the opposite direction.

Frankie and Dani moved into position on the left hill. She raised her rifle, peering through the scope. “Hey, put the gun down.” Fish told her, “You don’t need to do this.”

She scoffed at his words. “If it comes down to you guys or these people, I will choose you guys, no questions asked.” She trained her eyes back to the field. This wasn’t the same girl Frankie met almost five years ago. She was different, harder. Like the time she spent here changed her. Pope had changed her.

They watched as Tom and Santiago tried to reason with the Farmers. Dani could see through her scope that Santi tried to keep his hands up, away from his weapon; Whereas, Tom’s flitted above the hand gun the whole time.”Frankie.” Dani whispered, “What is that?” She asked him, seeing that one of the farmers looked like they were going to draw a weapon. All she could think about was Santi.

He hated being so far away, even through the scope, Frankie couldn’t get a good look at what was going on down in the valley. “Pope, is that a weapon?” Frankie spoke into the dead comm. Dani moved his hand off the button and shook her head. “Fuck!” Fish yelled, as shots were fired by Tom. He let off one shot before they moved down to the rest of the group.

Dani all but ran down the hillside. “Santi!” She called out for him, seeing him just beyond the bodies. He turned when he heard her voice. “Santi!” She collided with him. “You fucking scared me.” Dani's voice cracked a little. He didn’t speak, he just lifted his eyes to her. She could see the regret, the pain. Santi didn’t shoot, that much she knew.

Was it an avoidable blood bath? Probably not. Who knows though. What they did know, was that Tom fucked up. Santiago sat down with the village leader and was able to pay the ‘debt’ owed and acquire some mules to help carry the bags. Dani knew though, all the money in the world couldn’t replace the men, the family, that those people lost. As they moved away from the small village, Dani took one last look back. Her eyes connected with a young man for a split second before turning around and walking on.

Trudging through the woods was what they wanted to steer clear of, for Will’s sake, but here they were. The six of them led the mules down a beaten path. All of them stuck in their own heads until Will addressed Tom. He asked about the payment for the damage they had caused. Once Tom answered, Will stopped, turning to the man. “Which one of you shot first?”

Tom looked at his former teammate. “I don’t know.” The lie slid off his tongue easily. Dani watched from behind Santiago. Will rolled his eyes, not buying Tom’s shit.

“We need to watch ourselves here.” Will told him, before turning around, leading his mule on. Santiago nodded his head, agreeing out loud with Will’s statement.

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Tom growled at Santi.

“Nothing. We just have to watch ourselves, that’s all.” Santiago responded, not wanting to stoke anymore fires. They had to get through the fucking forrest. And it t was fucking raining, again. They found a rock formation to hold up under to try and wait it out.

“How far have we gone?” Benny asked Santiago as he looked at their map.

“About twelve clicks. And it’s another day and a half to the boat.” Santi responded, putting the map away.

“How are you holding up, princess?” Tom asked, condescendingly. Dani had been quiet since the farm incident. The other guys shot Tom a look and he just shrugged.

“I’m fine, jackass.” She mumbled, turning away from him, wrapping her raincoat tighter around her.

“You shouldn’t have come out here.” Tom scoffed, shaking his head.

“I’m starting to see why Molly divorced your miserable ass.” She gritted through her chattering teeth.

“The fuck did you just say? You want to get personal?” Tom shot back, “Does Pope know you’re knocked up?” Dani stopped breathing, eyes going wide. She could feel Santi’s eyes burning into the back of her skull. “Oh, yeah. I figured that out in the helo. That’s why she looked like a sad puppy while your informant girl was around. Don’t worry, I’m sure it’s not yours. Could be Frankie’s.” He crossed his arms, and sat back against the rock. Clearly, he was proud of himself.

“You don’t know what the fuck you are talking about Tom. So, shut the fuck up, before I make you.” She stood up and whipped around to face him, ready to throw punches.

Frankie was the one that pulled her back. Tom laughed at this. “God, how is it that you leave the man when he needed you most, running off with his best friend nonetheless, and he is still wrapped around your goddamn finger.”

Dani shrugged out of Frankie’s hold and stormed away into the rain. Shit, she wasn’t pregnant. She had confirmed before they left for the recce. She never would have come out here if she thought she were. She didn’t know how long she stood in the rain before someone touched her shoulder. It was Frankie.

“Teq.” He started, but she cut him off. “Frankie, I’m not. I wouldn’t have-- I wouldn’t be here if I even thought for a second I could be. ” she sobbed. How could Tom just drop a bomb like that.

“está bien, cariño, está bien.” He whispered as he pulled her in for a hug, as her tears mixed with the rain drops on his shirt. “I think you need to talk to Santi.” He mumbled into her hair and she nodded. He walked her over to where Santiago was sitting alone. He looked up when he saw the two coming toward him. Frankie nudged Dani and she moved to sit next to him.

“Were you going to tell me?” He whispered, looking at the ground.

“If there was something to tell, yes. The test I took before we left was negative, I promise.” She tried to explain herself. Santi looked up at her.

“Why would you even come out here?” He mumbled, his eyes falling to her shoulder injury. “Fuck, you got shot, and you were in a helo crash.” Santiago caressed her face, moving his other hand down to her shoulder. “Lo siento, hermosa. I’m going to get you home safe.” He promised her, placing a soft kiss to her lips.

Frankie watched as Santi pulled Dani in for a hug, trying to push down the jealousy stirring in his gut. He had his daughter he needed to get back to, that’s what he needed to focus on. Dani lifted her head from Santi’s shoulder, her eyes meeting Frankie’s. What was she going to do?

Translations:

Hermano: Brother

cabrón: Bastard

Hermosa: Beautiful

está bien: It's okay

cariño: Sweetheart

Lo Siento: I'm sorry

Tags: @mylifeisactuallyamess @danniburgh @speakerforthedead0 @221bshrlocked

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rainhadaenerys · 3 years

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As typical, there's another Dany anti in the tags today, this time talking, amongst other things, about Dany killing Mirri. I'm not going to address everything this person said, but I am going to address a few things.

First, the person says that Rhaego being malformed and a stillborn might not have been Mirri's fault, since Rhaenyra also had a dragon-like malformed child. So this person says that Rhaego being born like that is because of Dany's "fucked up genetics". So Dany would have been wrong to have killed Mirri for that. While it might be true that the Targaryen magic blood might have something to do with the dragon features, this argument doesn't work, because Dany's child wasn't just born with dragon features. Rhaego was born "full of graveworms and the stink of corruption. He had been dead for years". People in the ASOIAF fandom are completely ignorant about genetics (seriously, every time you people talk about genetics and incest I want to climb up the walls in frustration), but people should at least know that no human genetics causes "graveworms", not even Targ genetics. For all we know, Targ genetics cause dragon features, not this. Worms are a completely different species, and the worms inside Rhaego were completely different individuals separated from Rhaego, they weren't caused by "Dany's fucked up genetics", it was Mirri's spell.

Then this person says that Daenerys is hypocritical for "forgiving Jorah for killing her baby but punishing Mirri":

Daenerys even recognizes that it was JORAH who killed her son by bringing her into the tent after Mirri warned them not to. [...] And yet, she shows no anger nor malice towards Jorah and instead punishes Mirri for what? Not feeling bad that her baby died after they disobeyed her? That he won’t grow up to be the same rapist savage like his father?

And that's another ridiculous argument. First, because while Dany does think that Jorah "killed her baby" by bringing her into the tent, she knows Jorah had no malicious intent to kill her baby and was just trying to help. Meanwhile, Mirri admits that her intention was to kill Rhaego (see here, here and here). And yes, it was Mirri's fault, it was Mirri's intention, it wasn't just because Jorah brought Dany into the tent. Dany starts going into labor at the exact moment Mirri starts her spell. It was Mirri who caused Dany's early labor (because she used Rhaego as the sacrifice for Drogo without telling this to Dany). Dany wasn't going into labor before that, and Mirri admits she wanted to kill Rhaego, so we can safely conclude that it was Mirri that caused Dany's labor to happen when it shouldn't have (which is what caused Jorah to take her to the tent).

So no, Daenerys is not "hypocritical". She forgave Jorah because despite his part in killing her son, this was never his intention, he was only trying to help. She didn't forgive Mirri because Mirri admitted her intention was to kill her son. This shouldn't be so hard to understand.

#daenerys defense squad #daenerys targaryen #my meta

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mythicaldemigoddess-of-deltarune · 2 years

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South Park: Young Love From The Past To Future

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Credit for South Park goes to Trey Parker & Matt Stone

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I want to point out, that some parts in South Park I am not really a big fan of....

I mean there can be some shows or movies that you like but at the same time there are some stuff in it that you might not like.

I haven’t really watched the full movie special that will have Cartman and Kyle’s future kids in, so I only know them by some clips I saw....but hopefully I can watch it and not just read up on it or watch short clips.

the Song called It's Not Like I Like You!! by Amree & Static-P from Youtube,

seems to fit Cartman’s Daughter and Kyle’s Son.....because looking at those two makes me think that song fits them.....I like the song.

even if they were born in two different future timelines, I can't help but see these two as my OTP Ship. Dillian Llewellyn Broflovski aka "Dellyn" isn't his canon name so it's more like Fanon/Fan-Named. it's okay that not everyone ships these two, we know their Dads wouldn't ship them.

the drawing on the top, is of Kenny and Cartman’s Sister who I am calling Dani.

I like the idea that Cartman's Sister from the Unaired Pilot, turned out to be his younger half-sister, like being a Year younger than him. and the original man that was suppose to be his Father who was in the unaired pilot as well, turned out to be his Step-Father. but at some point Cartman's Mom & Step-Dad got a Divorce, Liane got Eric and her ex-husband got Eric's Sister.

I like the idea of Eric Cartman's Sister being named Darren Daniella Cartman Jr., her first name Darren Jr. is because her Father (Cartman's Step-Dad) is named Darren.

Cartman's Pilot Sister and Pilot Father's Names would be "Fan-Named" because they didn't seem to have been given names.

the whole Dani being Cartman's Younger Half-Sister seem like a good idea,

as well as the idea that Darren Sr. and Liane getting a divorce before Cartman turned 2 years old.

Cartman might not remember his Step-Father or Half-Sister, because both he and Dani were very young when Darren and Liane got a divorce. when Dani and her Dad move back to South Park, Darren asked Liane to look after Dani while he finds a place and look for a job.

when Cartman first meets his little sister after so long, he was very rude and when his Mom told him who she was and how the two were still babies when her and Darren divorced...

Cartman freaked out and started breaking everything in the living room before he runs up to his room.

it would later be revealed that Dani's Father (Darren Sr.) wasn't really moving to South Park and was really abandoning his daughter, leaving Dani with her mother Liane.

as soon as Dani and Cartman get home from school, they see that Liane was on the phone with Darren who she was trying to get him to change his mind about abandoning Dani, but he hangs up on her.

Liane then sees the two just came home and she says in a sad voice "Dani, Sweetie....we have to talk."

after finding out that her father abandoned her, she breaks down and cries, and for the first time since meeting his younger half-sister, Cartman comforts her by giving her a hug and their mother hugs them both.

it might not be likely Cartman’s sister would be brought back, or be made to be his younger half-sister who is a year younger than him.

it be funny that whenever Cartman says a bad word, Dani will give him the stink eye or the evil eye...like a type of glare.

Dani could be a Tomboy and ends up befriending Wendy and a few other girls.

I guess it be interesting if Dani and Kyle fought as well,

but Dani doesn’t care if Kyle is Jewish or not.

maybe I will draw Cartman’s sister again sometime.

even if last year wasn’t the best, even if there were some good stuff that happen last year.....some stuff that happen in 2021, really sucked....

at least looking forward to new episodes of Disenchantment is good.

and waiting for Chapter 3 of Deltarune.

anyway I’m going to go back to watching Transformers Prime.

it’s okay that everyone agrees about the fan-naming of Cartman’s sister

and the idea of how she could be his younger half-sister.

well, see ya later and stay safe everyone.

#south park fanart #kenny mccormick #future kids #shipping

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askdani · 3 years

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Tales of Dani - Chapter 1 - Newtralized! (Part 4)

“Uh, guys,” Dani says, “we’ve got company.” The three warriors see that the Turtles have entered the building through the roof. Casey has a rough landing, but steadies himself and takes a stance. “Whoa,” Michelangelo says, ”it’s the Newtralizer! I totally named that guy!” “Actually I named him,” Donatello says, correcting his brother, only to get mocked. "Hit em’ hard and fast,” Leonardo instructs. “Except for you, Casey,” Raphael adds, looking at his friend. “You hold back.”

The Turtles dash forward and attack. Michelangelo and Leonardo attack Newtralizer, only for him to knock them down fast. Raphael tries to strike the Salamandrian down with his sais, but is thrown to the bottom floor. While the red masked turtle stands back up, Dani lands in front of him, sword at hand. “What part of ‘stay out of our way�� don’t you understand?” she asks, charging towards the turtle. Raphael blocks her sword, and with a smirk, he says, “Bet you think you’re good at making friends with two psychos, huh, princess?” She doesn’t answer back. Blades hit very hard, and Dani starts to fight him aggressively.

Donatello lands onto Slash’s shell as he tries to swing him off. He then punches him in the face and raises his mace, ready to strike him down. “Eager for another beatdown, Donatello?!” Slash snaps. Hockey pucks suddenly hit the tortoise right in the face. He turns and sees Casey skating his way toward him. “Leave him alone!” he shouts. But before he could hit him, Slash grabs Casey’s hockey stick and starts swinging him.

Raphael sees this and runs toward the mutant tortoise after he throws his friend to the side. Before he could do anything, Slash taps on his teleportation device and disappears. Raphael tries to see where he went, only to get hit from behind. Newtralizer throws a disc above the Turtles and Casey and laughs. Dani hears the disc beep and her eyes widen in shock. “Wait, what are you doing?!” she asks. “We gotta move!” Slash says. He, Dani, and Newtralizer then teleport away, leaving the warehouse.

The disc starts to beep faster. Donatello realizes that it was a bomb. “Holy mackerel!” he shouts. “Run!” The Turtles quickly run to the nearest window and jump out. Casey gets stuck momentarily, but before Raphael could run back to help him, he manages to get out, one second before the bomb explodes. Debris fell from the roof. Raphael tackles Casey out of the way before he could get hit.

“You guys alright?” Leonardo asks, walking over to his brother and the vigilante. Casey lifted his mask up and said, “Yeah, we’re cool.” “Cool?!” Raphael snaps. “You would’ve been flattened if it wasn’t for me!” Casey snaps back, “I’ve done the same for you, Raph!” “Oh, yeah? When was that?” he asks. Casey pauses to think for a second. “Like, dozens of times,” he said.

“If you didn’t slow us down, they would’ve never gotten away,” Raphael argues. Casey stared at him, angry. “Are you kidding me?!” he exclaimed. “Why?” Raphael asks. “You think this is a joke?” He and Casey then stare at each other, growling. Finally, Casey shoved past Raphael and stormed off. “You know what, Raph? Forget this! I’m out of here!” “Good. Just go,” he waves off. “Good! I’m going!”

“Casey, wait! Hold on!” Leonardo calls, only to watch him disappear out of sight. He, Donatello, and Michelangelo start to glare at their hot-headed brother. “What?” he asks. “If he’s gonna act like a baby, then I don’t want his help.” “Not cool, Raph!” Michelangelo states. “People have feelings, dude. Real squishy feelings.” “Well, I’m not people,” Raphael responds.

(Meanwhile)

Slash and Newtralizer were inside a garage looking at Kraang weapons while Dani stayed outside, watching for Kraang droids or the Turtles. He was unaware that one of Donatello’s spy roaches was on top of his shell. “The Kraang orb revealed a new weapon,” Newtralizer spoke. “They’re testing it on the docks at midnight. We can use it to wipe out the Kraang once and for all. We can destroy this whole stinking city.”

Slash immediately realizes what this also meant. “And every innocent human with it!” he concludes. “Are you crazy?! I’m here to take out Kraang, not people.” “Why should I care?” Newtralizer snaps. “I’m not people!” “What about Danielle?” Slash asks in concern. There was nothing but silence, until Newtralizer responds with his answer very coldly, “If it comes down to it, I won’t take any chances, brother.” Slash was about to argue further, but then he kept quiet. Nothing he could say would change the Salamandrian’s mind. Slash was starting to have second thoughts.

(On the rooftops)

Donatello switched off his T-Phone. That was all they needed to hear. “Okay, this just got real,” Leonardo comments. Raphael nods. “Let’s end this!” he says, pulling his sais out.

(Back at the garage)

Dani stood outside the garage and was in deep thought. It was nice to help the two fight the Kraang, but something didn’t feel right. Newtralizer blew up the warehouse while the Turtles and Casey were inside. Someone could’ve gotten hurt. He didn’t show any signs of regret when they left. It was something she did not like. She started to remember what Raphael said to her during the fight. Maybe she did team up with a psycho...

She then thought of Slash. He was concerned as she was when Newtralizer told them that he came for the orb. Ever since she met him, Dani could tell that there was good inside the tortoise. Maybe she could convince him to leave the newt somehow.

She suddenly hears the garage door open and instantly knew that only Slash stepped out. He almost looked... sad. “What did he say?” she asks. Slash didn’t say anything. Seeing the look on his face, Dani asked, “Slash, is everything okay?”

After what seemed like a moment, Slash finally responded. “The Kraang are testing a weapon at the docks,” he says. “He wants to use it to destroy the city.” “What?!” Dani asks, outraged to hear what was said. Slash continues, “I tried to talk him out of it, but-” “I came here to help fight the Kraang, not become some super-villain!” Dani interrupts, “I can’t believe that I was foolish enough to- ” She then remembered what she wanted to say to the tortoise. ‘Tell him before it’s too late!’ she thought. “Come with me,” Dani says softly. “What?” Slash asks. “Come with me, Slash,” she repeated. “It’s not too late to leave him. We can fight crime together. We don’t even have to worry about risking the safety of others. What do you say, brother?” she asks with a smile, reaching her hand towards him.

Slash was shocked. He didn’t know what to say. Before he could respond, Newtralizer came out to tell them that it was time to go.

(TO BE CONTINUED)

#tales of dani #dani #slash #newtralizer #leonardo #raphael #donatello #michelangelo #casey jones #tmnt fanfic #tmnt 2012 fanfic #tmnt 2k12 fanfic #tmnt oc #tmnt 2012 oc

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sxnyarostova · 3 years

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I’m Not Good Enough To Sit With The Bourgeoisie

You know how in the part before The Club, Vanessa says that “she’s not good enough to sit with the bourgeoisie”? Well, what if something happened before that? Here is my take on that, heh!

“Dani? C-can I take tomorrow off?”

Daniela looked up from filing her nails to see a slightly terrified Vanessa, who was clutching her broom and looking up at the older woman with wary eyes. Daniela had recently hired Vanessa part-time to help around the store. The girl had practically begged her to open up a position a month ago and worked from after school until closing time.

“Why, chica? Got a date?” Dani teased, a knowing smile making its way onto her face. Vanessa shook her head furiously, shooting Daniela the angriest glare that she had ever seen on the face of a 14-year-old. “Why the hell would you think that? Nina’s dad invited me to dinner tomorrow night, and Nina says that I can’t miss it for the world, so I gotta go,” Vanessa huffed. “So can I go, or not?”

Ah. Dani had no idea if 14-year-olds still got invited to dinner by their best friend’s parents, but gave Vanessa the go-ahead anyway, on one condition. “Tell me any juicy tidbits the Rosarios share over dinner, si?” Vanessa nodded eagerly, flashing Daniela a quick smile. “Sure! Thank you!” Vanessa went back to her hair-sweeping, and Dani went back to her nails, the interaction quickly forgotten.

The next day, Daniela kept glancing at the door as if she was expecting Vanessa to show up at any minute. “Where’s Vanessa?” she yelled, to no one in particular. “Dinner with the Rosarios, remember?” Carla shot back, trimming a customer’s hair. “Right,” Dani mused, sighing as she got up to get the broom. Vanessa had unexpectedly become a vital part of the salon; Dani would be lying if she said that she didn’t need her. The rest of the day went by slowly, Dani’s thoughts occasionally drifting; what was Vanessa doing right now? How was her dinner with the Rosarios? Did she have any interesting bochinche for her? What if-

“-to close up! Earth to Dani,” Carla exclaimed, waving her palm in front of Daniela’s face. “What’s up with you today, Dani? Are you sick?” Daniela swatted Carla’s manicured hand away, huffing. “I’m fine. Just...worried about Vanessa.”

Carla grinned. “You’re getting soft, Dani,” Carla teased, ducking out of the way before Daniela could smack her. “Just admit it.”

Well, what if she was getting soft? Wasn’t it normal as you got older? Daniela scowled and simply told Carla to “get on with closing the store,” stalking into the backroom to get her purse.

The two women were about to turn off the lights and pull down the grate when a figure burst into the salon, barreling into Daniela’s arms. “Mierda,” Daniela grunted, staggering backward due to the sudden impact. “What the- Vanessa?” Vanessa had dug her head into Dani’s middle, her body racking with silent sobs. “Carla, go close up. I’ll talk to her in the back.” Carla nodded, yanking the grate down with a force that Daniela wasn’t even sure that she had in her body. Vanessa flinched at the noise, Dani awkwardly carding her fingers through Vanessa’s hair. “Shh… let’s go to the back, yeah?” Vanessa made a noise that Dani interpreted as a “yes," so she pushed Vanessa in the direction of the back room.

Dani half-shoved Vanessa into the foldable chair they kept in the back, the girl pulling her knees to her chest. “Do you wanna talk about it?" Daniela asked awkwardly, setting her purse on one of the shelves. Vanessa sniffles, rubbing at her eyes with her knuckles. “N-no,” Vanessa sniffs. Carla peeks into the back room, a mug of Cadbury hot chocolate in her hands. She hands the mug to Vanessa, who takes it with a muffled “thanks.”

The three women sit (correction; Vanessa sits while Carla and Daniela lean against the wall awkwardly) in silence, the only noise coming from Vanessa in the form of quiet sobbing. Vanessa takes a sip of the chocolate, a tear sliding down her face and landing in the mug with a “plop.”

“I ain’t ever going back to Nina’s place,” Vanessa declared tearfully, setting the mug down on the floor. Carla and Dani exchange skeptical looks; Vanessa says this every time she and Nina have a falling-out. “Did you get into an argument with Nina?” Carla asks tentatively, knowing that Vanessa tends to lash out when she’s vulnerable like this. The younger girl was their resident prickly hedgehog.

“No,” Vanessa whispered, running a hand through her tangled locks. “It’s her dad that doesn’t like me no more.”

Daniela cursed under her breath, awkwardly pulling Vanessa into a hug. “Whatever he said, it’s not true. Kevin bullshits his way through a lot of stuff, chica. Don’t take any of it too seriously.”

Vanessa sniffles, her fingers clutching at the fabric of Dani’s shirt. “‘m I n-not good enough for Nina? Am I stopping her from going after college?” Daniela felt her teeth grinding; what right did Kevin have to say that to a 14-year-old girl?

“Vanessa, mija, listen to me. You are not stopping Nina from going to college. You are good enough for Nina. Do you hear me?”

Vanessa gave a teary nod, sniffling. “Yeah, I hear you.”

Dani held Vanessa for a while, running a hand through Vanessa’s hair. “Love you, Dani,” Vanessa murmured, feeling her eyelids close.

“Love you too, Nessa,” Dani murmured, hugging Vanessa close. Dani knew that she couldn’t protect her little Nessa from the cruel, harsh realities of the world, but hey, she could give Kevin the stink eye for a week and a shitty haircut the next time he “graced” the salon with his presence.

#in the heights #in the heights vanessa #in the heights daniela #in the heights carla #in the heights fic #vanessa deserved better #i want to give her a big hug #vanessa otilia garcia

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malyen0retsev · 5 years

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The thing is, right, in the books there is precedent for Daenerys going Mad Queen. The signs are there. This is literally how @geekychemist and I became friends on here, because we’d picked up on book signs and gone ‘HMMMM’. So if Mad Queen is GRRM’s endgame for Dany, he is sowing seeds for that to make categorical sense in the books (though in typical GRRM fashion, it’s very very subtle, and easy to miss. And therefore easy to be viewed as just ‘distracting the reader’).

BUT.

The show has not taken those seeds at all. The show has just taken the absolute best parts of Book!Dany (this isn’t an anti-Dany post btw, I love her, I’m just trying to break down how we ended up in this shitstorm), and portrayed her as a chain breaker, a redeemer, someone who never does anything if it can harm innocents, who will fight for everyone, who will break the wheel of oppression. WHICH IS DEFINITELY BOOK!DANY TOO. But they missed out the major ‘Mad Queen’ seeds from the books. They gave us hints of it in S5, then abandoned it.

S6-7 was when most of us who were initially upon the ‘Mad Queen Daenerys’ train hopped off, because Daenerys was not portrayed as mad or unjust even slightly. Not at all. She burnt the Tarlys, but that’s no different to Jon beheading people. She sacrificed everything to save Jon and co from beyond the wall. She sacrificed/put off her Iron Throne goal to help in the fight against the undead. She put Daario Naharis in charge of Meereen, renaming it the Bay of Dragons, ensuring slavery was gone. She was good, and kind, and level headed, and rational.

So the issue is that sure, this may be GRRM’s endgame. BUT THE SHOW HAS GIVEN NO PRECEDENT FOR IT TO HAPPEN. The show’s precedent has simply been ‘Every Targaryen dances close to madness’ which is not narratively compelling enough for the audience to actually believe this. Particularly given JON IS A TARGARYEN TOO. But he’s sane just because? No. We aren’t ten year olds. Narratively that isn’t compelling, again.

Because the show refused to ever show any negative sides of Dany, it made the viewer believe - and rightly bloody so - that she was good. She was like Rhaegar. She was nothing like her father or brother. D&D HAVE LITERALLY SAID THAT ENOUGH BLOODY TIMES THAT SHE ISN’T. So show narrative wise THIS CAME OUT OF LEFT FIELD. It is NOT in line with the Dany we know. It isn’t even in line with the Dany we know from S8. This flip happened ACROSS TWO DAMN EPISODES.

I don’t care if this is endgame in the books. If it’s endgame in the books, IT WILL NARRATIVELY MAKE SENSE AND WE’LL SEE IT COMING. But in the show, the build up has NOT been there, it’s shitty writing, it’s lazy, and it stinks of misogyny and fucking stupidity.

Thank you for listening to my TED Talk.

#daenerys targaryen #asoiaf #got #game of thrones #got s8 #meta

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aboveallarescuer · 4 years

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Daenerys Targaryen in A Storm of Swords vs Game of Thrones - Episode 3.1: Valar Dohaeris

In this series of posts, I intend to analyze precisely how the show writers downplayed or erased several key aspects of Daenerys Targaryen’s characterization, even when they had the books to help them write her as the compelling, intelligent, compassionate, frugal, open-minded and self-critical character that GRRM created.

I want to make it clear that these posts are not primarily meant to offer a better alternative to what the show writers gave us. I understand that they had many constraints (e.g. other storylines to handle, a limited amount of time to write the scripts, budget, actors who may have asked for a certain number of lines, etc) working against them. However, considering how disrespectful the show’s ending was to Daenerys Targaryen and how the book material that they left out makes it even more ludicrous to think that she will also become a villain in A Song of Ice and Fire, I believe that these reviews are more than warranted. They are meant to dissect everything about Dany’s characterization that was lost in translation, with a lot of book evidence to corroborate my statements.

Since these reviews will dissect scene by scene, I recommend taking a look at this post because I will use its sequence to order Dany’s scenes.

This post is relevant in case you want to know which chapters were adapted in which GoT episodes (however, I didn’t make the list myself, all the information comes from the GoT Wiki, so I can’t guarantee that it’s 100% reliable).

In general, I will call the Dany from the books “Dany” and the Dany from the TV series “show!Dany”.

Scene 1

Summary: show!Dany and show!Jorah are on a ship. The two discuss a) the dragons' growth, b) whether it's worth being complicit in the slave trade or not and c) the Dothraki's seasickness.

We begin the episode with this conversation about the dragons:

JORAH: They're growing fast.

DAENERYS: Not fast enough. I can't wait that long. I need an army.

Is it true that Dany needs the dragons to conquer Westeros and wishes they were bigger than they are at this point in the books? It is:

Another year, or perhaps two, and he may be large enough to ride. Then I shall have no need of ships to cross the great salt sea.

But that time was not yet come. Rhaegal and Viserion were the size of small dogs, Drogon only a little larger, and any dog would have outweighed them; they were all wings and neck and tail, lighter than they looked. And so Daenerys Targaryen must rely on wood and wind and canvas to bear her home. (ASOS Daenerys I)

However, that's not all there is to their relationship. Dany loves them as she would love her own human children:

They are my children, she told herself, and if the maegi spoke truly, they are the only children I am ever like to have. (ASOS Daenerys I)

Because she loves them like a mother would, she pays attention to how they grow and develop and act like a mother would:

Dragons always preferred to attack from above, Dany had learned. Should either get between the other and the sun, he would fold his wings and dive screaming, and they would tumble from the sky locked together in a tangled scaly ball, jaws snapping and tails lashing. The first time they had done it, she feared that they meant to kill each other, but it was only sport. No sooner would they splash into the sea than they would break apart and rise again, shrieking and hissing, the salt water steaming off them as their wings clawed at the air. (ASOS Daenerys I)

That level of care and attention (and her own cleverness in the choice of the word "dracarys") is what allows her to figure out how to order them to breathe fire on her own:

She took a chunk of salt pork out of the bowl in her lap and held it up for her dragons to see. All three of them eyed it hungrily. Rhaegal spread green wings and stirred the air, and Viserion’s neck swayed back and forth like a long pale snake’s as he followed the movement of her hand. “Drogon,” Dany said softly, “dracarys.” And she tossed the pork in the air.

Drogon moved quicker than a striking cobra. Flame roared from his mouth, orange and scarlet and black, searing the meat before it began to fall. As his sharp black teeth snapped shut around it, Rhaegal’s head darted close, as if to steal the prize from his brother’s jaws, but Drogon swallowed and screamed, and the smaller green dragon could only hiss in frustration.

“Stop that, Rhaegal,” Dany said in annoyance, giving his head a swat.

“You had the last one. I’ll have no greedy dragons.” She smiled at Ser Jorah. “I won’t need to char their meat over a brazier any longer.”

“So I see. Dracarys?”

All three dragons turned their heads at the sound of that word, and Viserion let loose with a blast of pale gold flame that made Ser Jorah take a hasty step backward. Dany giggled. “Be careful with that word, ser, or they’re like to singe your beard off. It means ‘dragonfire’ in High Valyrian. I wanted to choose a command that no one was like to utter by chance.” (ASOS Daenerys I)

She feels a lot of pride for them and knows how to distinguish each of them:

Every man of them, from captain to cook’s boy, loved to watch the three fly … though none so much as Dany.

[...] Viserion’s scales were the color of fresh cream, his horns, wing bones, and spinal crest a dark gold that flashed bright as metal in the sun. Rhaegal was made of the green of summer and the bronze of fall. They soared above the ships in wide circles, higher and higher, each trying to climb above the other.

[...] Drogon was aloft as well, though not in sight; he would be miles ahead, or miles behind, hunting.

He was always hungry, her Drogon. (ASOS Daenerys I)

Now, does this scene prevent any of these aspects from being true for show!Dany as well? No. That being said, not only these aspects don't come across as strongly in this scene (aside from how proud she is of them), it's also important to notice the show's priorities: they would rather focus on how show!Dany is dissatisfied with their slow growth because of her need to wage war and take back the Iron Throne (which, as I said in this post, is only a means to an end rather than the end that Dany really wants). Benioff describes Dany as "fiercely ambitious" and says in this video that "what she wants, more than anything, is to return home and to reclaim her birthright". I can't agree with these descriptions, so I need to call out this scene's priorities.

Related to how Benioff feels about Dany, we also have show!Dany saying this:

DAENERYS: Not fast enough. I can't wait that long. I need an army.

At this point in the books, Dany isn't even thinking of that, she is thinking that she will go to Pentos and meet Illyrio.

“From Meereen I am sold to Qohor, and then to Pentos and the fat man with sweet stink in his hair. He it was who send Strong Belwas back across the sea, and old Whitebeard to serve him.”

The fat man with sweet stink in his hair ... “Illyrio?” she said. “You were sent by Magister Illyrio?”

“We were, Your Grace,” old Whitebeard replied. (ACOK Daenerys V)

(Now, it could be argued, like @rainhadaenerys did in this meta, that show!Dany has more agency than Dany when she realizes, on her own, that she needs an army. It's a valid perspective that can coexist with what I'm saying here.)

This change doesn't bode well with the fact that they are choosing to portray the Iron Throne as show!Dany's most important goal when, like I just said, this is not what primarily motivates Dany. They are making show!Dany more ambitious (which, again, is not a bad thing in and of itself) than in canon and will have her pay the price for that later on.

JORAH: We'll be in Astapor by nightfall. Some say the Unsullied are the greatest soldiers in the world.

DAENERYS: The greatest slave-soldiers in the world. The distinction means a good deal to some people.

If D&D were following Dany's characterization, she wouldn't be aware of how deplorable and unacceptable slavery is at this point:

“...In Astapor you can buy Unsullied.”

“The slaves in the spiked bronze hats?” Dany had seen Unsullied guards in the Free Cities, posted at the gates of magisters, archons, and dynasts. “Why should I want Unsullied? They don’t even ride horses, and most of them are fat.” (ASOS Daenerys I)

Some people could argue that show!Dany's awareness of these issues from the get-go is a good change. However, I think it detracts from Dany's character development quite a bit. As @khaleesirin says here:

Dany’s supposed arbitrariness and hypocrisy ranging from “why wasn’t she against slavery earlier?” to “why did she leave Astapor?” stem from the fact that her beliefs, her core principles, were “anti-foundational”; they didn’t come from some pre-existing knowledge she adapted as a priori truth. They were all a result of her actual experiences. (x)

With this change, show!Dany misses out on the chance to receive this sort of growth; it detracts from her arc being of someone who develops her political goals and moral values along the way and may actually later validate claims that Dany is too self-righteous (she never was). Now, to be fair to the show writers (and I know this can be hard), particularly to Weiss (who, at least back in 2013, seemed to be much more sympathetic towards Dany than Benioff), he knows that Dany was a slave herself and that that informs her feelings and eventual actions against the masters (And so does Emilia Clarke). Even so, I have to say: I don't think Dany would have gone to Astapor if she were fully aware of the implications of being complicit in the slave trade.

“Khaleesi,” he said, taken aback by her fury, “the Unsullied are chosen as boys, and trained—”

“I have heard all I care to of their training.” Dany could feel tears welling in her eyes, sudden and unwanted. Her hand flashed up and cracked Ser Jorah hard across the face. It was either that, or cry.

Mormont touched the cheek she’d slapped. “If I have displeased my queen—”

“You have. You’ve displeased me greatly, ser. If you were my true knight, you would never have brought me to this vile sty.” (ASOS Daenerys II)

“I want to sail now, not on the tide, I want to sail far and fast and never look back. But I can’t, can I? There are eight thousand brick eunuchs for sale, and I must find some way to buy them.” (ASOS Daenerys II)

In these passages, we find out that witnessing the Unsullied's training is so hard for Dany that it makes her cry. It makes her question Jorah's honor as a knight for having thought that it was okay to bring her there. It makes her want to leave Astapor and never look back. I would say that Dany is an accidental queen (in the sense that she only became one for very specific circumstances, namely that all the men around her died) and, similarly, an accidental revolutionary - not in the sense that her haters argue (i.e. she just wanted an army and it became convenient to free the slaves), but rather because she only ended up in Astapor for very specific reasons: a) she didn't know how wrong slavery was and thought that slaves were treated like normal servants and b) she needed an army (not because of her "ambition", but because she realized that she shouldn't depend entirely on Illyrio and remain a beggar queen).

Show!Dany, on the other hand, knows that slavery is unacceptable and still sails to Astapor. Some things remain like they are in the books despite that change: like Dany, show!Dany still feels empathy for the slaves and risks a dragon solely because she wanted to free them. However, on a superficial read, it gives a bit of weight to the notion that she is too ambitious or that freeing the slaves was only a secondary goal to that of getting an army. Even if show canon can still disprove these claims, it's frustrating because they would be even easier to debunk if the show writers had been more faithful to the books.

JORAH: Do those people have any better ideas about how to put you on the Iron Throne?

DAENERYS: It's too beautiful a day to argue.

One of Dany's core traits is that she is open-minded and accepting of feedback, both positive and negative.

“A queen must listen to all,” she reminded him. “The highborn and the low, the strong and the weak, the noble and the venal. One voice may speak you false, but in many there is always truth to be found.” (ASOS Daenerys I)

The old man had not wanted to sail to Astapor; nor did he favor buying this slave army. A queen should hear all sides before reaching a decision. That was why Dany had brought him with her to the Plaza of Pride, not to keep her safe. (ASOS Daenerys II)

“Your Grace, I did not mean to give offense.”

“Only lies offend me, never honest counsel.” (ASOS Daenerys II)

This characteristic, however, doesn't come across in this scene, in which show!Dany is brushing off any discussion and trying to retain her own opinion on the matter.

Now, this is not to say that there aren't moments in which we see show!Dany listening to her advisors and following their counsel (there are many) - heck, even now, she is following show!Jorah's advice since she is still going to Astapor despite her misgivings.

However, considering that:

a) the show is, in this episode, adapting parts of ACOK Daenerys V and ASOS Daenerys I and II (all of which contain explicit moments of Dany asking for advice and feedback and truth from her advisors, even if they disagree with her),

b) the show will later try to paint show!Dany as reckless or dangerous when she doesn't listen to her advisors and

c) there's a widespread misconception that Dany (especially the show version) is unable to consider other people's perspectives... I end up looking askance at this scene.

They could have written many others (such as any of the three examples from the books that I showed above) that would have left us with a different impression of Dany. Worse scenes will come, of course, but I'm taking note of every single thing that may have helped to mischaracterize Dany in the eyes of the general audience.

Also, unlike show!Dany (who isn't shown onscreen offering either counterarguments or "better ideas" than show!Jorah's advice to turn Astapor), Dany is shown onpage making lots of questions to Jorah's counsel before deciding to follow it:

“How am I to buy a thousand slave soldiers? All I have of value is the crown the Tourmaline Brotherhood gave me.” (ASOS Daenerys I)

“Those are Illyrio’s tiger skins,” she objected. “And Illyrio is a friend to House Targaryen.”  (ASOS Daenerys I)

“There will be dangers on such a long march ...” (ASOS Daenerys I)

“What if Captain Groleo refuses to change course, though? And Arstan, Strong Belwas, what will they do?” (ASOS Daenerys I)

While it could be argued that Dany is not offering "better ideas" here either, that's not my point: my point is that Dany is being shown here as an active player who takes part in discussions of which course of action to take, which is not what we tend to see in the show. Indeed, there are plenty of moments in which the series has show!Dany follow her advisors' counsel with no objections or complements of her own at all. That's why there are lots of different flavors of misconceptions about Dany: when it comes to whether she listens to people's advice or not, some argue that she can't think on her own and depends too much on them, some argue that she is too self-absorbed and never listens. In D&D's case, they have said that show!Dany has only relied on the men around her for the first two seasons, which is blatantly untrue in the books - see examples of Dany making her own decisions in both AGOT and ACOK here and here. Their misunderstanding of Dany is what makes me wary of this scene (for it is informed by said misunderstanding), so it's necessary to point out that what it intends to convey about show!Dany isn't what the books intend to convey about Dany.

Then, we have this:

DAENERYS: It's too beautiful a day to argue.

(Dothraki man vomiting)

JORAH: You're right. Another lovely day on the high seas.

DAENERYS: Don't mock them. They're the first Dothraki who have ever been on a ship. They followed me across the poison water. If they'll do it, others will. And with a true khalasar ...

JORAH: The Dothraki follow strength above all, khaleesi. You'll have a true khalasar when you prove yourself strong. And not before.

This exchange may be brief, but it is wrong and offensive on so many levels.

First, show!Dany seems to suggest that she is interested in expanding her khalasar when she says that "if they'll [follow her across the poison water], others will", which is something Dany never expressed any desire to do in the books.

Second, both show!Dany and show!Jorah think that the former doesn't really have "a true khalasar". Why doesn't she have a "true khalasar"? Is it because they are too few? Is it because show!Dany hasn't proven herself strong (as show!Jorah puts it)? In any case, both suggestions are bullshit. Dany does consider her "meager" group (as she puts it) a khalasar:

“We follow the comet,” Dany told her khalasar. (ACOK Daenerys I)

Yet even as her dragons prospered, her khalasar withered and died. (ACOK Daenerys I)

Aggo, Jhogo, and Rakharo were brave warriors, but they were young, and too valuable to risk. They kept her khalasar together, and were her best scouts too. (ASOS Daenerys V)

Also, while I've criticized the underdevelopment of Dany's khalasar before, each of them have different reactions to traveling at sea, so the show's portrayal manages to make their lack of characterization even worse:

Her brave young bloodriders had stared off at the dwindling coastline with huge white eyes, each of the three determined to show no fear before the other two, while her handmaids Irri and Jhiqui clutched the rail desperately and retched over the side at every little swell. The rest of Dany’s tiny khalasar remained below decks, preferring the company of their nervous horses to the terrifying landless world about the ships. When a sudden squall had enveloped them six days into the voyage, she heard them through the hatches; the horses kicking and screaming, the riders praying in thin quavery voices each time Balerion heaved or swayed. (ASOS Daenerys I)

Perhaps more importantly, unlike what show!Jorah says, Dany's khalasar is already devoted and faithful to Dany ever since she walked out of the pyre unscathed with three dragons. They already think that she is strong:

She was naked, covered with soot, her clothes turned to ash, her beautiful hair all crisped away ... yet she was unhurt.

[...] The men of her khas came up behind him. Jhogo was the first to lay his arakh at her feet. “Blood of my blood,” he murmured, pushing his face to the smoking earth. “Blood of my blood,” she heard Aggo echo. “Blood of my blood,” Rakharo shouted.

And after them came her handmaids, and then the others, all the Dothraki, men and women and children, and Dany had only to look at their eyes to know that they were hers now, today and tomorrow and forever, hers as they had never been Drogo’s. (AGOT Daenerys X)

“We follow the comet,” Dany told her khalasar. Once it was said, no word was raised against it. They had been Drogo’s people, but they were hers now. The Unburnt, they called her, and Mother of Dragons. Her word was their law. (ACOK Daenerys I)

Jhiqui had braided her hair Dothraki-fashion, and fastened a silver bell to the end of the braid. “I have won no victories,” she tried telling her handmaid when the bell tinkled softly.

Jhiqui disagreed. “You burned the maegi in their house of dust and sent their souls to hell.” (ACOK Daenerys V)

At this point, Dany doesn't have to prove herself as a leader to anyone because she has already done so. However, D&D seem to think that show!Dany still has to. What's even worse is that this plot point will be forgotten; show!Dany's khalasar will only make a brief appearance in season four and then disappear until she's captured and later unites all the khalasars to her cause. Then, when show!Dany crosses the narrow sea in season six, the Dothraki's fear of the "poison water" will no longer be an inconvenience (even though she is carrying thousands of them). It's lazy writing that, nonetheless, undermines Dany's character.

Finally, while at least they have show!Dany empathizing with the Dothraki the way Dany also does in the book, I wish the writers had made show!Dany empathize with the Dothraki based on her experiences like Dany does, because it highlights that Dany is humble and views herself as an equal to them:

The Dothraki distrusted the sea and all that moved upon it. Water that a horse could not drink was water they wanted no part of. They will learn, Dany resolved. I braved their sea with Khal Drogo. Now they can brave mine. (ACOK Daenerys V)

This scene may last for less than two minutes, but, as you can see, there's still a lot of wrong (or at least questionable) to dissect in it.

Scene 2

Summary: show!Dany is given a tour of the Unsullied barracks by Kraznys while show!Missandei translates his Valyrian into the Common Tongue. Show!Dany is outraged by their training, but show!Jorah still urges her to purchase them. On the way to the ship, show!Dany is distracted by a child who turns out to be an assassin sent to deliver a deadly manticore to kill her. Show!Barristan impales the manticore with his dagger and the child leaves. Then, show!Barristan introduces himself to show!Dany and offers her his service.

Considering how other aspects were poorly handled, I think Dany’s discomfort with the Unsullied’s training was translated relatively well from the books to the show. Even so, I wish they had added more of Dany's emotional reactions:

“What is he doing?” Dany demanded of the girl, as the blood ran down the man’s chest. (ASOS Daenerys II)

“How can that be?” she demanded through the scribe. (ASOS Daenerys II)

“No names?” Dany frowned at the little scribe. “Can that be what the Good Master said? They have no names?” (ASOS Daenerys II)

Dany’s mouth surely twisted at that. Did he see, or is he blind as well as cruel? She turned away quickly, trying to keep her face a mask until she heard the translation. Only then did she allow herself to say, “Whose infants do they slay?”

“To win his spiked cap, an Unsullied must go to the slave marts with a silver mark, find some wailing newborn, and kill it before its mother’s eyes. In this way, we make certain that there is no weakness left in them.”

She was feeling faint. The heat, she tried to tell herself. “You take a babe from its mother’s arms, kill it as she watches, and pay for her pain with a silver coin?”

When the translation was made for him, Kraznys mo Nakloz laughed aloud. “What a soft mewling fool this one is. Tell the whore of Westeros that the mark is for the child’s owner, not the mother. The Unsullied are not permitted to steal.” He tapped his whip against his leg. “Tell her that few ever fail that test. The dogs are harder for them, it must be said. We give each boy a puppy on the day that he is cut. At the end of the first year, he is required to strangle it. Any who cannot are killed, and fed to the surviving dogs. It makes for a good strong lesson, we find.”

Arstan Whitebeard tapped the end of his staff on the bricks as he listened to that. Tap tap tap. Slow and steady. Tap tap tap. Dany saw him turn his eyes away, as if he could not bear to look at Kraznys any longer. (ASOS Daenerys II)

Even the part where show!Dany is horrified by the discovery that the Unsullied are forced to kill a baby while its mother watches (which at least the show writers rightly focused on) doesn't convey a lot of emotion like in the books... It doesn't seem like show!Dany is struggling to hide her revulsion or that her blood pressure is lowering because of her anxiety in the moment. I understand, however, that the directors never allowed Emilia Clarke to express too many feelings in her portrayal of show!Dany, so I don't tend to blame her.

I also want to take note of what is in line with the Unsullied's training in the books:

The Unsullied are forced to stand for a day with no food or water to prove their discipline and strength.

The beginning of their training, the drilling from dawn to dusk and the mastering of the weapons.

The Unsullied not being considered men.

The Unsullied not moving even after their nipples are cut off.

The Unsullied needing to go to the slave marts to kill a baby before its mother’s eyes.

There are some things that were changed or omitted, however:

Even more Unsullied die during their training: only one boy in four survives rather than one boy in three. (Which makes it even more disgusting that they will try to frame "conciliation" with and "mercy" towards the slavers as the better path in the later seasons)

No mention of the “wine of courage”, which the Unsullied drink in the books to feel less pain and endure any torture.

No mention of the puppies that the Unsullied are given only to be forced to kill a year later (and, if they don’t, they are fed to the surviving dogs).

No mention that their names are changed every day so that they lose their sense of individuality. This will be included on episode 3.5, however.

Kraznys is not shown whipping Missandei and other slaves.

Overall, the show gave us enough reasons to understand why show!Dany's rebellion against the slave masters is righteous.

The biggest problem of the scene was replacing Barristan for Jorah as the advisor who is with Dany when she meets the Unsullied: it gives room to the perspective of a slaver, who attempts to normalize the masters' treatment of the Unsullied. This undermines how abhorrent and unjust their training is. Right off the bat, we have our first sign that the show will turn into slavery apologia (to the point of later comparing Dany to the Nazis and the Ghiscari slavers to the Jews via subtext).

In the books, there is a Doylist reason as to why Barristan is with Dany when she meets the Unsullied for the first time: his presence and opinions emphasize how wrong and unacceptable the training of the Unsullied is.

“I call that madness, not courage,” said Arstan Whitebeard, when the solemn little scribe was done. He tapped the end of his hardwood staff against the bricks, tap tap, as if to tell his displeasure. (ASOS Daenerys II)

“You have lived long in the world, Whitebeard. Now that you have seen them, what do you say?”

“I say no, Your Grace,” the old man answered at once.  (ASOS Daenerys II)

Arstan Whitebeard’s face was still, but his staff beat out his rage. Tap tap tap. (ASOS Daenerys II)

“Bricks and blood built Astapor,” Whitebeard murmured at her side, “and bricks and blood her people.”

“What is that?” Dany asked him, curious.

“An old rhyme a maester taught me, when I was a boy. I never knew how true it was. The bricks of Astapor are red with the blood of the slaves who make them.”

“I can well believe that,” said Dany.

“Then leave this place before your heart turns to brick as well. Sail this very night, on the evening tide.” (ASOS Daenerys II)

That's not to say, of course, that he was the one who motivated Dany to begin her abolitionist campaign (that's her decision and only hers), only that his appearance influences the framing of the scene (just like show!Jorah's appearance does). It also has negative implications for show!Dany's characterization, since, as @yendany said here, Dany may have unconsciously desired to have someone with an anti-slavery stance (like hers) by her side when she chose to have Barristan accompany her to meet the Unsullied.

Also, having show!Jorah be with show!Dany when she sees the training of the Unsullied means erasing the fact that, in the books, Dany left Jorah on the ship because he forced a kiss on her and she no longer trusted him enough to be alone with him. Erasing this event from the books means that Jorah's creepy and disrespectful behaviors toward Dany are, in the show writers' opinion, irrelevant in the grand scheme of things, which is horrible. I will talk more about this issue in the post discussing the things from the books that the show completely left out, but I still felt the need to briefly address this here.

Replacing Barristan for Jorah also led to one of Dany's best assertions to be cut:

“Better to come a beggar than a slaver,” Arstan said.

“There speaks one who has been neither.” Dany’s nostrils flared. “Do you know what it is like to be sold, squire? I do. My brother sold me to Khal Drogo for the promise of a golden crown. Well, Drogo crowned him in gold, though not as he had wished, and I ... my sun-and-stars made a queen of me, but if he had been a different man, it might have been much otherwise. Do you think I have forgotten how it felt to be afraid?” (ASOS Daenerys II)

In the books, this scene highlights a few things:

Dany is not looking for an army because she is "fiercely ambitious", but because she lived in poverty for years and saw her brother not getting the help he needed (something she also experienced in Qarth, despite having dragons). She knows it's not a good idea to rely entirely on others, which is why she went to Astapor. (besides her ignorance, which I already explained above and in this post)

Despite empathizing with the slaves' plight, Barristan did not go through what they went through (he is a well-intentioned ally, as you will). Dany, on the other hand, did. She was a sex slave once and does not need to be reminded that being complicit in the slave trade is morally wrong. She still remembers "how it felt to be afraid".

Show!Jorah would never say that it's "better to come a beggar than a slaver" because he is okay with slavery, making it harder for this assertion to be added. It wasn't impossible for the show writers to have added it, however - they could have simply had show!Dany be less confrontational and say, by her own initiative, that she knows what it is like to be sold and that she hasn't forgotten how it felt to be afraid. To be fair, as I already said, Weiss shows awareness that Dany's empathy is informed by the fact that she was a slave before, but there isn't any scene in the show explicitly making that point, which is quite a shame. Instead, most of the scenes seem to communicate Benioff's reading of the events:

Benioff: Idealism is wonderful, but it's not gonna happen if you're idealistic, you gotta be a realist. She feels like she has this almost divine mission and nothing is gonna prevent her from achieving it. (x)

Benioff: For Daenerys to win, ultimately, she's gonna have to be just as ruthless as the others, and maybe even moreso. (x)

This idea that show!Dany needs to be a "realist" makes it very likely that Benioff (and who knows which other writers) sides with show!Jorah on this discussion. This also explains why his perspective is being favored to the detriment of show!Dany's and show!Barristan's.

Also, I've already written an entire post about how Dany is not primarily driven by prophecies or destiny or, as Benioff puts it, a "divine mission".

Also, he misses out on the fact that Dany's idealism in the books (and even in the show) actually pays off. As I said here:

Like with Viserys and Drogo, Dany is influenced by both of their [Jorah's and Barristan's] recommendations and apply them in different ways while forging her own path: she will not help to maintain the oppression of the slaves like Barristan advised her, but she won’t play by the rules (because they view human beings as objects to be sold and invalidate her moral values, so they shouldn’t be acknowledged as such to begin with) like Jorah advised her: she will break the rules because of her moral duty (as she sees it) to free the slaves.

And yes, this act of rebellion will have negative (and unintended) consequences later in ASOS and ADWD, but it was still righteous and necessary for it to have happened for the reasons expressed in these links. To summarize them, ending the supremacy of the masters will always be a good thing, and this wouldn't have been possible if it weren't for Dany's idealism. The books validate her idealism instead of belittling it.

DAENERYS: How many do you have to sell?

MISSANDEI: She asks how many Unsullied are for sale. (Kraznys points eight fingers) 8,000.

KRAZNYS: Tell the Westerosi whore she has until tomorrow.

MISSANDEI: Master Kraznys asks that you please hurry. Many other buyers are interested.

I'm singling out this part of show!Dany's talk with Kraznys and show!Missandei because I don't think the show writers really understood why Dany asked "how many do you have to sell?" in the books. First, let's see the context in which she made that question:

“Tell her it is well she came to Astapor, then. Ask her how large an army she wishes to buy.”

“How many Unsullied do you have to sell?”

“Eight thousand fully trained and available at present.[”] (ASOS Daenerys II)

As I said in this post, Dany doesn’t ask how large an army she wants (though she admits she needs soldiers), but rather how many Unsullied he has to sell. This is one of the several hints that she wants to rescue them all (not her interest to buy an army), even she must go to extreme lengths to do so. See also this passage:

She doesn't have to find a way to buy eight thousand of them. Jorah himself had only advised her to buy a thousand. But then, again, it's because she wants to free them all.

In the show, this doesn't come across. Aside from her uneasiness about the training, the show cuts all of the other moments hinting that Dany will do against the slave trade rather than be complicit in it.

“The Good Master has said that these eunuchs cannot be tempted with coin or flesh,” Dany told the girl, “but if some enemy of mine should offer them freedom for betraying me …” (ASOS Daenerys II)

Dany knew she would take more than a hundred, if she took any at all. (ASOS Daenerys II)

It wouldn’t have been hard to have her say it out loud that she will take “more than a hundred, if any at all” or that she can’t leave the city now. It wouldn’t have been hard for her to ask Kraznys about what would happen if a hypothetical enemy offered freedom to the Unsullied.

To be fair, we also see show!Dany saying this to show!Jorah while they are going back to the ship:

DAENERYS: 8,000 dead babies.

Like the Dany of the books, show!Dany is also distressed at the systematic killings that allowed for the Unsullied to become who they are, so I can't say that they are only making her motivations be about the need to get an army (though, as I showed above, they overfocused on that need too). Anyway, this brings me to this part:

DAENERYS: 8,000 dead babies.

JORAH: The Unsullied are a means to an end.

DAENERYS: Once I own them, these men ...

JORAH: They're not men. Not anymore.

Unlike in the show, Dany is the one who reminds Jorah that the Unsullied are no longer men. However, the reason why she does so is completely different from show!Jorah's:

“How many men do they have for sale?”

“None.” Was it Mormont she was angry with, or this city with its sullen heat, its stinks and sweats and crumbling bricks? “They sell eunuchs, not men. Eunuchs made of brick, like the rest of Astapor. Shall I buy eight thousand brick eunuchs with dead eyes that never move, who kill suckling babes for the sake of a spiked hat and strangle their own dogs? They don’t even have names. So don’t call them men, ser.”

“Khaleesi,” he said, taken aback by her fury, “the Unsullied are chosen as boys, and trained—”

Mormont touched the cheek she’d slapped. “If I have displeased my queen—”

“You have. You’ve displeased me greatly, ser. If you were my true knight, you would never have brought me to this vile sty.” (ASOS Daenerys II)

I will quote myself on the significance of this scene:

Here, Dany recognizes that no human being should ever have to undergo the sort of systematic abuse and torture that the Unsullied were forced to experience in order to become as subservient as they are. Dany recognizes how dehumanizing and unacceptable that sort of treatment was for making them “like one man” meant for sale (or “not men” at all) - that’s why she tells Jorah to not call them men: she asks that he doesn’t erase their suffering and talk as if the way they were treated was, in any way, acceptable.

Jorah doesn’t understand any of this, though. While his advice for Dany to go to Astapor ultimately paid off because of Dany’s actions, we should remind ourselves that he did her no favor. I’ve already shown in another post how he still has no problem with slavery even after being exiled, and you can see that in the next passage below: he can’t understand why would Dany be angry at him for advising her to go to Astapor to buy them nor why would she be appalled by how they are treated, so he tries to normalize the situation by focusing on how effective as a force they can be (“the Unsullied are chosen as boys, and trained…”). That’s enough for Dany, who rightfully slaps him in the face.

She makes it clear here: if he were her true knight, he wouldn’t have brought her to Astapor. (And that he forced a kiss on her and looked at her breasts without her consent makes her anger even more pronounced, rightfully so.) Thankfully, Dany is a true queen, but not because of him.

Does any of this come across in the show? No. For one, as I said above, show!Dany is given less agency because she needs to be reminded that the Unsullied are no longer men and her righteous anger toward Jorah is erased. For two, show!Jorah's perspective is again prioritized and never called out as immoral like in the books. (Again, the show writers' bias in his favor is showing).

Their dialogue goes on like this:

DAENERYS: Once I own an army of slaves, what will I be?

JORAH: Do you think these slaves will have better lives serving Kraznys and men like him or serving you? You'll be fair to them. You won't mutilate them to make a point. You won't order them to murder babies. You'll see they're properly fed and sheltered. A great injustice has been done to them. Closing your eyes will not undo it.

While it's true that Jorah also gives arguments as to why Dany should buy the Unsullied, they are different ones:

“I saw King’s Landing after the Sack. Babes were butchered that day as well, and old men, and children at play. More women were raped than you can count. There is a savage beast in every man, and when you hand that man a sword or spear and send him forth to war, the beast stirs. The scent of blood is all it takes to wake him. Yet I have never heard of these Unsullied raping, nor putting a city to the sword, nor even plundering, save at the express command of those who lead them. Brick they may be, as you say, but if you buy them henceforth the only dogs they’ll kill are those you want dead. And you do have some dogs you want dead, as I recall.” (ASOS Daenerys II)

We'll see some of these arguments from ASOS Daenerys II being expressed in episode 3.3, but that's not my point: my point is that the show writers prioritized show!Jorah's point of view so much that they created new arguments for him to make show!Jorah seem, as Benioff puts it, "realist". In the books, for instance, Jorah never acknowledges that “a great injustice has been done to them” - he only focuses on how they'll be useful to Dany and how they'll cause less collateral damage (which is what Dany wants). So, again, we had foreshadowing for the show's turn into slavery apologia right from the beginning of show!Dany's storyline, especially when one compares it to the books (which are far from perfect; I've already criticized, for instance, the books' lack of attention to the freedmen's perspectives. Even then, however, I doubt they'll be justifying slavery any time soon).

Then we get to the scene in the docks. Honestly, I don't understand why they changed it so much. I’m not even referring to the fact that it takes place in Astapor rather than Qarth, but rather to other two major divergences.

First, in the books, Jorah notices that he and Dany are being followed:

As they made their way toward the next quay, Ser Jorah laid a hand against the small of her back. “Your Grace. You are being followed. No, do not turn.” (ACOK Daenerys V)

Dany makes plenty of questions and observations about the followers as she observes them:

Dany let her glance sweep over the strangers. The brown man was near as wide as he’d looked in the platter, with a gleaming bald head and the smooth cheeks of a eunuch. A long curving arakh was thrust through the sweat-stained yellow silk of his bellyband. Above the silk, he was naked but for an absurdly tiny iron-studded vest. Old scars crisscrossed his tree-trunk arms, huge chest, and massive belly, pale against his nut-brown skin.

The other man wore a traveler’s cloak of undyed wool, the hood thrown back. Long white hair fell to his shoulders, and a silky white beard covered the lower half of his face. He leaned his weight on a hardwood staff as tall as he was. Only fools would stare so openly if they meant me harm. All the same, it might be prudent to head back toward Jhogo and Aggo. “The old man does not wear a sword,” she said to Jorah in the Common Tongue as she drew him away. (ACOK Daenerys V)

She also has a very funny scene with a merchant; he wants to sell a platter for an expensive price and she keeps asking for it to go down, but she is actually only using the platter to pay attention to how the two men following her look like and what they will do. It’s a scene showcasing both her cleverness and her sense of humor:

“A most excellent brass, great lady,” the merchant exclaimed. “Bright as the sun! And for the Mother of Dragons, only thirty honors.”

The platter was worth no more than three. “Where are my guards?” Dany declared. “This man is trying to rob me!” For Jorah, she lowered her voice and spoke in the Common Tongue. “They may not mean me ill. Men have looked at women since time began, perhaps it is no more than that.”

The brass-seller ignored their whispers. “Thirty? Did I say thirty? Such a fool I am. The price is twenty honors.”

“All the brass in this booth is not worth twenty honors,” Dany told him as she studied the reflections. The old man had the look of Westeros about him, and the brown-skinned one must weigh twenty stone. The Usurper offered a lordship to the man who kills me, and these two are far from home. Or could they be creatures of the warlocks, meant to take me unawares? (ACOK Daenerys V)

Second, in the books, a Qartheen offers Dany a jewel box:

A Qartheen stepped into her path. “Mother of Dragons, for you.” He knelt and thrust a jewel box into her face.

Dany took it almost by reflex. The box was carved wood, its mother-of-pearl lid inlaid with jasper and chalcedony. “You are too generous.” She opened it. Within was a glittering green scarab carved from onyx and emerald. Beautiful, she thought. This will help pay for our passage. (ACOK Daenerys V)

It makes sense for Dany to fall into this person's trap because she was receiving gifts from the Qartheen and people from other regions all the time during her stay simply for being the Mother of Dragons. (Which is not to say that they ultimately helped her; they did not)

In the show, a random child somehow captures show!Dany’s attention enough so that show!Dany follows her for no reason and then gets fooled. It doesn’t make much sense and actually portrays show!Dany as someone who is easily distracted by things. The only detail that is salvageable is that show!Dany is able to guess that the assassin was sent by the warlocks, just like Dany applies the knowledge she had previously received of the Sorrowful Men to correctly identify the person who tried to kill her as one.

Finally, we get to show!Barristan's introduction.

DAENERYS: You know this man?

JORAH: I know him as one of the greatest fighters the Seven Kingdoms has ever seen and as the Lord Commander of Robert Baratheon's Kingsguard.

BARRISTAN: King Robert is dead. I have been searching for you, Daenerys Stormborn, to ask your forgiveness. I was sworn to protect your family. I failed them. I am Barristan Selmy, Kingsguard to your father. Allow me to join your Queensguard and I will not fail you again.

First, as I said above, the show erases most (if not all) the moments in which Jorah attempts to isolate Dany from other men and make her distrust them. This moment is one of those:

“You know him?” Dany asked the exile knight, lost.

“I saw him perhaps a dozen times ... from afar most often, standing with his brothers or riding in some tourney. But every man in the Seven Kingdoms knew Barristan the Bold.” He laid the point of his sword against the old man’s neck. “Khaleesi, before you kneels Ser Barristan Selmy, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, who betrayed your House to serve the Usurper Robert Baratheon.” (ASOS Daenerys V)

Jorah's description of Barristan in the books is much less flattering than the one from the show because Jorah is hellbent on isolating Dany from other men.

Second, I know most fans think that having Barristan reveal his identity right away was ultimately a good choice for practical reasons (i.e., it would be too easy for the fans to remember Barristan's actor and figure out his identity), but I think this change ultimately did far more harm than good.

How did show!Barristan track show!Dany? Why would he think she was going to Astapor? How could he have known if he didn't have Illyrio's (or anyone's) support?

How was he aware that the warlocks sent an assassin after Dany? In the books, he saves her on a rush, after the manticore left the jewel box. In the show, he drops the ball before the manticore leaves it. For some unknown reason, he already knew that it had the intent to kill her.

In the books, Barristan is supposed to serve as a positive contrast to Jorah's negative behaviors when they are both put on trial for betraying Dany's trust. Because show!Barristan reveals his identity early on, the contrast is lost.

Barristan is the one who tells Dany about Jorah's betrayal in the books. Since it wouldn't make sense for show!Barristan to only tell show!Dany about this later on, the show writers had the Lannisters randomly think that Dany is a threat, that Dany and Jorah are a good duo that must be separated and that sending a letter pardoning Jorah would necessarily do the deed. Not only that's stupid (Jorah received and sent letters without Dany's knowledge in both mediums), it also validates the idea that show!Jorah is good to show!Dany (something that the showrunners think is the case). These are all unfortunate consequences that arose from the early reveal of show!Barristan's identity.

By revealing himself earlier, show!Barristan loses his arc from the books, which was partly about finding a liege who was morally worthy of being served after he spent years in the service of bad kings. (He might say later in episode 3.5 that he's looking for the right person to follow, but his actions don't show it in any way.) That Barristan hid his identity and only pledged his sword to Dany because he realized that she was more than Rhaegar's sister, but also a queen in her own right, speaks volumes to his character development and to how we're supposed to see Dany in a sympathetic manner. Unfortunately, the show writers (especially Benioff) don't like Dany very much. As this review hopefully shows (and others will make it even clearer), they go out of their way to undermine her intelligence and empathy and humbleness and all of the other traits that make Dany who she is, while GRRM goes out of his way to portray Dany in a sympathetic light, with this chapter review from @turtle-paced showing a perfect example of how he does so.

Third, I don't understand why the show made the question of whether show!Dany would accept show!Barristan's service as the episode's cliffhanger. First, book readers would already know that she would. Second, show!Barristan won't be treated any differently in the next episodes than he would be if they had met earlier (aside from show!Jorah's distrustful remarks). Third, I don't like how leaving this scene as the episode's cliffhanger makes us wonder if show!Dany will be merciful or not. We can point to her later actions and realize that she will be, but this shouldn't have been a question in the first place. It helps to mischaracterize Dany in the eyes of the public audience and doesn't convey that some of Dany's core traits are being open-minded and forgiving.

In the books, Dany doesn't really feel angry with Barristan. It's more that he becomes collateral damage after she finds out that Jorah, the person she trusted the most at that point in time, was lying to her from the very beginning:

“...And since the day you wed Khal Drogo, there has been an informer by your side selling your secrets, trading whispers to the Spider for gold and promises.”

He cannot mean ... “You are mistaken.” Dany looked at Jorah Mormont. “Tell him he’s mistaken. There’s no informer. Ser Jorah, tell him. We crossed the Dothraki sea together, and the red waste ...” Her heart fluttered like a bird in a trap. “Tell him, Jorah. Tell him how he got it wrong.”

“The Others take you, Selmy.” Ser Jorah flung his longsword to the carpet. “Khaleesi, it was only at the start, before I came to know you ... before I came to love ...”

“Do not say that word!” She backed away from him. “How could you? What did the Usurper promise you? Gold, was it gold?” The Undying had said she would be betrayed twice more, once for gold and once for love. “Tell me what you were promised?”

“Varys said ... I might go home.” He bowed his head.

I was going to take you home! Her dragons sensed her fury. Viserion roared, and smoke rose grey from his snout. Drogon beat the air with black wings, and Rhaegal twisted his head back and belched flame. I should say the word and burn the two of them. Was there no one she could trust, no one to keep her safe? “Are all the knights of Westeros so false as you two? Get out, before my dragons roast you both. What does roast liar smell like? As foul as Brown Ben’s sewers? Go!”

Ser Barristan rose stiff and slow. For the first time, he looked his age. “Where shall we go, Your Grace?”

“To hell, to serve King Robert.” Dany felt hot tears on her cheeks. Drogon screamed, lashing his tail back and forth. “The Others can have you both.” Go, go away forever, both of you, the next time I see your faces I’ll have your traitors’ heads off. She could not say the words, though. They betrayed me. But they saved me. But they lied. “You go ...” My bear, my fierce strong bear, what will I do without him? And the old man, my brother’s friend. (ASOS Daenerys V)

Before she knew about Jorah's deception, Dany is more puzzled and surprised about Barristan's identity reveal than anything else:

She was more confused than angry. He has played me false, just as Jorah warned me, yet he saved my life just now.

Ser Jorah flushed red. “Mero shaved his beard, but you grew one, didn’t you? No wonder you looked so bloody familiar ...”

“You know him?” Dany asked the exile knight, lost.

“Why are you here?” Dany demanded of him. “If Robert sent you to kill me, why did you save my life?” He served the Usurper. He betrayed Rhaegar’s memory, and abandoned Viserys to live and die in exile. Yet if he wanted me dead, he need only have stood aside ... “I want the whole truth now, on your honor as a knight. Are you the Usurper’s man, or mine?”

“Quiet,” said Dany. “I’ll hear him out.”

In this sense, I think Emilia Clarke's expression manages to capture how the Dany of the books must have felt when Barristan's identity was revealed; perplexed, but also grateful that he saved her life.

Also, they have show!Dany ask show!Jorah if he knows show!Barristan without the proper context: in the books, she only makes that question because he made an unpleasant comment about Barristan. In the show, she asks if he knows who he is in a way that makes her seem more dependent on him than it would have been if they had been faithful to the books.

My comments on the Inside the Episode 3.1

Benioff: For a great leader who is doing something unpopular for a certain segment, whether it's the Warlocks or the slave masters or whatnot, she's creating a lot of enemies, and powerful enemies, and those people are going to try to stop her regardless of how powerful she becomes, and it's something she's actually, in a weird way, used to, because she grew up running from assassins with her brother, you know, from the time, from the earliest time she can remember, she was being spirited from one city to another one step ahead of Robert Baratheon and the assassins, because there were so many people who wanted to destroy the Targaryen family and make King Robert happy and now there are thousands out there for all sorts of different reasons because she's made even more enemies, but, I think in her mind this is just the price you pay for being Daenerys Targaryen, for being the last of the Targaryens, and it's not going to stop her.

Benioff is not entirely inaccurate when it comes to Dany feeling that she's always been on the run:

It was not by choice that she sought the waterfront. She was fleeing again. Her whole life had been one long flight, it seemed. She had begun running in her mother’s womb, and never once stopped. How often had she and Viserys stolen away in the black of night, a bare step ahead of the Usurper’s hired knives? But it was run or die. (ACOK Daenerys V)

ASOS Daenerys V is particularly heartbreaking in that sense when she decides to leave her tent and interact with her people only to almost be killed by Mero:

She had no enemies among her children.

“Your Grace.” Arstan knelt. “I am an old man, and shamed. He should never have gotten close enough to seize you. I was lax. I did not know him without his beard and hair.”

“No more than I did.” Dany took a deep breath to stop her shaking. Enemies everywhere.

However, Benioff forgets Dany's very first chapter:

They had wandered since then, from Braavos to Myr, from Myr to Tyrosh, and on to Qohor and Volantis and Lys, never staying long in any one place. Her brother would not allow it. The Usurper’s hired knives were close behind them, he insisted, though Dany had never seen one. (AGOT Daenerys I)

I've already written an entire meta on how Dany's PoV is not entirely reliable and this is one of the instances. I imagine her thoughts on the matter changed because of this:

“A letter to Viserys, from Magister Illyrio. Robert Baratheon offers lands and lordships for your death, or your brother’s.”

“My brother?” Her sob was half a laugh. “He does not know yet, does he? The Usurper owes Drogo a lordship.” This time her laugh was half a sob. She hugged herself protectively. “And me, you said. Only me?”

“You and the child,” Ser Jorah said, grim.

“No. He cannot have my son.” She would not weep, she decided. She would not shiver with fear. The Usurper has woken the dragon now, she told herself ... (AGOT Daenerys VI)

It seems that Dany unconsciously and retroactively changed history in her mind after Robert tried to have her and her child assassinated (something that I forgot to talk about in my meta), which is quite interesting. I guess it's a detail that is easy to miss, so that's forgivable.

What's less excusable is the way that Benioff talks about Dany's mindset.

Benioff: I think in her mind this is just the price you pay for being Daenerys Targaryen, for being the last of the Targaryens, and it's not going to stop her. (x)

It's true that Dany is aware that she is the last of her family:

With Viserys gone, Daenerys was the last, the very last. She was the seed of kings and conquerors, and so too the child inside her. She must not forget. (AGOT Daenerys VI)

However, I look askance at the possible interpretation behind this statement. One could switch "Daenerys" for "Viserys" and it would be just as fitting. It's left ambiguous on its own, but, considering how he overfocuses on how "ambitious" she is or how she wants "more than anything" to "reclaim her birthright" or how "the only threat she poses is her name" until she frees the slaves in Astapor... I have to assume that he wants us to think that show!Dany is both arrogant and entitled for being a Targaryen. All of these mischaracterizations have been exhaustively refuted by @rainhadaenerys in this meta.

My comments on Anatomy of a Scene: Daenerys Meets the Unsullied

Weiss: Dany spent the first two seasons of the show leaning on men - her brother, Drogo, Jorah Mormont, Xaro Xhoan Daxos. She came out of season two realizing that the only person that she can completely trust is herself.

Benioff: Dany has her lovable side, but she is also ruthless, and she is also fiercely ambitious. What she wants, more than anything, is to return home and to reclaim her birthright.

Clarke: She needs the manpower to go back and conquer the Iron Throne and to be able to right the wrongs that she sees going on around her.

Minahan: She's been brought to Astapor, where she's reluctantly going to meet with slave traders. Her quest in this is to build an army without taking slaves.

Comments from Charlie Somers (location manager) and Christina Moore (supervising art director) that don't have anything to do with the storyline.

Benioff: The Unsullied were kidnapped as babies from their home countries and brought to Astapor and trained in the ways of the spear and castrated.

Emmanuel: They won't do anything without the command to do so first.

Comment from Tommy Dunne (weapons master) that doesn't have anything to do with the storyline.

Clarke: She's being introduced to the Unsullied by Kraznys, the slave master in control of them.

Emmanuel: Kraznys is being quite insulting to Daenerys. And Missandei very cleverly smoothes out her translation, just her initiative doing that shows her intelligence.

Clarke: Dany sees a lot of herself in her and can kind of see that it's a young girl who's capable of much more than the position she's in. She's his No 1 slave. If you were in the UN, she would be the translator for everyone.

Weiss: Kraznys speaks a version of Valyrian that's been bastardized and mixed with other local languages.

Comment from Majella Hurley (dialect coach) that doesn't have anything to do with the storyline.

Clarke: She's struggling with the moral aspect of the way that these cities are run. And it's something she's been grappling with because they are an army of slaves, which she fundamentally has moral issues with due to the fact that she herself was a slave.

Weiss: The only way she can make the world a better place is to become the biggest slaveowner in the world.

Benioff: She's put into a difficult position, and she's got her advisors whispering in her ears.

Glen: Jorah encourages her to get over her moral scrupules, with taking an army that were duty-bound to follow whatever leader it was, and that could change in an instant.

Weiss: What she wants to do isn't just conquest for the sake of conquest, but it's really conquest for the sake of making the world a better place, and she's a revolutionary in that sense.

Benioff: For Daenerys to win, ultimately, she's gonna have to be just as ruthless as the others, and maybe even moreso.

My comments about their statements:

Clarke: She definitely understands Dany better than Benioff and maybe even Weiss. My only nitpick is that there's no No 1 slave for Kraznys ... In the books, he repeatedly whips Missandei and has no problem giving her away to Dany as a gift. Even in the show, he still constantly disrespects show!Missandei.

Weiss: I've already said this above and will repeat: Weiss is wrong when he says that "Dany spent the first two seasons of the show leaning on men". Or at least that's certainly not what the Dany of the books (i.e. the character show!Dany's should ideally be based on) does, as my posts here and here showcase how competent a leader she's becoming and how much agency GRRM gives her. His comment about how Dany wants to "become the biggest slaveowner in the world" to make it a better place is also distasteful (though I don't think he meant it as negatively as, say, Finn Jones), so here goes @rainhadaenerys's meta disproving the claim that Dany is a slaver. As for "conquest for the sake of making the world a better place", I kind of agree with this, but I've already showed above how it does a disservice to show!Dany's character development to paint it as if she's always been aware of these injustices, because the Dany of the books was not. In hindsight, that change makes me wary because I know they will later try to sell show!Dany as someone who is morally inflexible, which she never was in the books.

Benioff: I've already criticized his claims that Dany is "fiercely ambitious" and wants "more than anything" "to reclaim her birthright" in many moments of this meta. I also condemned his opinion that Dany needs to be a "realist" when I explained how the show overfocused on Jorah's point of view. As for his point that "she's gonna have to be just as ruthless as the others, and maybe even moreso" to win... Considering how they made her choose the more ruthless option in the end only to punish her in the most traumatizing manner for that very choice (which made no sense and was completely OOC, no less) ... Fuck him, seriously. It's clear how the show made it impossible for show!Dany to win based on contradictory standards that only viewed her unfavorably. If she is merciful, she is stupid. If she is ruthless, she is a danger that needs to be stopped to save humanity.

Show!Dany's clothes

This episode adapts events from three chapters (ACOK Daenerys V, ASOS Daenerys I, ASOS Daenerys II). The first is the only one with a detailed description of her clothes:

If the Milk Men thought her such a savage, she would dress the part for them. When she went to the stables, she wore faded sandsilk pants and woven grass sandals. Her small breasts moved freely beneath a painted Dothraki vest, and a curved dagger hung from her medallion belt. Jhiqui had braided her hair Dothraki-fashion, and fastened a silver bell to the end of the braid. (ACOK Daenerys V)

In ASOS Daenerys I, Dany is only described using a coverlet to hide her nudity when Jorah comes to talk to her.

In ASOS Daenerys II, we don't know how Dany dressed when she went to meet with Kraznys, only that her garment had a sleeve.

In the series, we see show!Dany wearing this blue dress:

It's meant to pay homage to the Dothraki, so it's at least spiritually faithful to how Dany looks in the scene on the docks ... Well, more or less. Not only blue isn't a special color for the Dothraki despite what Michele Clapton might say, look at how Barristan reacts to seeing Dany for the first time:

“I regret if we caused you alarm. If truth be told, we were not certain, we expected someone more ... more ...”

“Regal?” Dany laughed. She had no dragon with her, and her raiment was hardly queenly. (ACOK Daenerys V)

This little scene displays both Dany's frugalness and how she doesn't take herself that seriously, for she doesn't mind if her subjects see her looking less than regal. That doesn't come across at all in the show, to the point of some people thinking that show!Dany never allows herself to look anything but perfect, which is certainly not true of the character she is based on.

#daenerys targaryen #asoiaf meta #valyrianscrolls #a storm of swords #a clash of kings #asoiaf vs got #asos vs got #barristan selmy #jorah mormont #s3

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disaster-fruit · 4 years

Note

number 10 just screams brarg

10 - The in-laws

Drabble Challenge: Places

This got longer than I expected, and very silly, but i hope it’s fun. Human AU.

“You’re not nervous, are you?” Luciano teased with a friendly punch on Martin’s shoulder, then returned his hand to the steering wheel of his black pickup truck. “That's not like you.”

“I’m not.” Martin grinned, with his eyes on the unpaved road. Luciano had been driving for a while since the last signs of city life had disappeared behind them, and now all that was left as a rocky path surrounded by trees and nothing else. “I’ve met your dad. It can’t be worse than that.”

Luciano chuckled, and his lack of a reply brought Martin no comfort. He would never miss an opportunity to say something bad about his father like that.

Long minutes went by before Martin saw the first house in kilometers, at the top of a small hill, to which they were heading. Luciano parked the car next to the wood gates as there seemed to be no garage and they got out to meet the small lady standing by the front door.

Luciano smiled and his mother, greeting her in a language Martin couldn’t understand, but he did catch his own name being spoken, followed by Luciano’s hand on his shoulder.

Martin had seen pictures of Iracema before, but this was the first time he’d ever been near her in person. She was shorter than he expected, making even Luciano look tall next to her. It was weird, to say the least, to see someone who at the same time looked so much like him and nothing at all. They had the same dark brown in their hair, but where Luciano had it loose soft curls, hers was completely straight. He definitely got her round black eyes, but her small stern stare resembled in nothing Luciano’s big puppy look. It was… puzzling, especially when those small eyes were scanning him head to toe.

She mumbled something in their language, and then spoke in perfect Portuguese:

“I thought we’d never meet. He talks about you, sometimes.”

Martin wasn’t sure what that was supposed to mean. Still, it was Luciano’s mom, and he had to cause a good impression, even if she couldn’t be bothered doing the same, so he smiled.

She again made a comment Martin couldn’t understand and turned around to enter her house.

“What did she said?” Martin whispered to Luciano.

“She said ‘At least it’s not the other one’ Dani. She and his mom have history.”

“History?”

He shrugged.

“She never tells me.”

“It’s not a kid’s business.” She interrupted her voice firm and loud as to assert she had been hearing all that was said. “And I have nothing against her boy, life’s been cruel enough to him just by giving him that mother.” Then, to Luciano, more unintelligible words, and before Martin could ask for a translation, she turned to him. “My son has yet to learn that if I speak Tupi to him in front of people, it is wiser of him not to translate it.”

Martin swallowed and forced a smile. His first instinct was to pick a fight with the old lady, but he as her son’s boyfriend, was the weak link in the situation.

His mood improved a little when he smelled the scent of a homemade meal being prepared in a wood burner. Iracema's house was quite big and cozy, and the kitchen was especially inviting. All the windows were open, bathing the room in green coming from the forest and in the sound of hundreds of different birds.

Martin suddenly remembered the gift he brought her, as a little bribe in order to make her like him. He took from his backpack a bottle of his best wine and offered, hoping it would be enough to make up for that unpleasant start.

“I’m sure you will enjoy it.”

She took the bottle, examined it for a moment, and left it over the table.

“Thank you.” She didn’t smile. “You can leave your things in Luciano’s room. Lunch will still take a while to be ready.”

“I’ll take that.” Luciano offered referring to Martin’s backpack, then gave him a significant look, pointing to his mom with his eyebrows before disappearing in the hall with it.

Silence took over, as Iracema concentrated in preparing their food. Her lips twisted unpleasantly, like she was about to say something but didn’t, until finally she asked:

“Lu told me you’re from Argentina.” She stated, leaving to martin to find a way to turn that into a conversation.

“Yes…”

“I’ve never been there. Seems too cold.”

Martin chuckled, because he had heard Luciano complain about the weather in his country a little too much.

“It’s not that cold, for the most part. It’s nice. Very European.”

He realized, a second too late, that maybe that was the wrong thing to say. She stared at him with narrow eyes.

“So you don’t shower?”

Martin blinked in shock.

"What?"

"I asked," she repeated, but slower. "if you don't shower."

“I do shower! Every day!”

She scoffed at that.

“Luciano is spending too much time with Europeans, and now this. These days he told me two daily showers were enough, and I told him I would not tolerate this kind of filth in my house.”

“Mom!” Luciano cried from the hall and walked back to the kitchen.

“You know the rules, boy. I can’t allow this neglecting to good hygiene. Your little friends might tell you it’s cool, but it’s not. Soon you'll be just like your father, that stinky excuse of a man who can’t even remember the last time he washed his own ass.”

Martin could stop himself from laughing loudly. Luciano looked ready to bury his own head in the ground. Iracema, seeing her son’s reaction, started laughing too, even if more discreetly.

“Don’t worry, I can guarantee you I’m not like that.” Martin said once his laughter receded. He was of course lying, by her absurd standards of god knows how many daily showers, but Luciano had never complained of him stinking, so that should count for something.

“You better not be.” She warned, but embarrassing Luciano did seem to warm her up a bit, and there was almost a hint of a smile on her face.

“And I promise I won’t let him become like his dad. Especially since Afonso doesn’t like me very much. It’s mutual.”

“Well, that’s a good sign.” She nodded and said something to Luciano in Tupi. It didn’t sound like an insult, so Martin took it as a victory. “Now you two go wash your hands and come help me in the kitchen. Lu told me you’re a good cook.”

#my fics #brarg #aph brazil #aph argentina #aph pindorama

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turtle-paced · 5 years

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GoT Re-Watch: Fine-Toothed Comb Edition

This post is also on my wordpress.

Well, this is it. The final push. The worst season of Game of Thrones.

Let’s get started.

8.01 – Winterfell

In one respect, this series has defeated me. No counting. I just want this done. God knows the problems got worse than nudity.

(0:09) It has to be said, the new opening credits are one of the best things about this season. Possibly the best thing about the season. However, we may all have been tipped off by how this was going to go in that we never see ice advance on King’s Landing, and the end of the credits focuses on the Iron Throne.

(2:26) So we start the season with a pretty good idea – a direct callback to the opening of season one when Robert Baratheon arrived at Winterfell, and watching this procession of relevant characters through Arya’s eyes again. I’m not entirely sold on the music cue, however, which is out and out the Baratheon leitmotif.

(3:08) Likewise, this landscape shot is also a good idea. Does some good showing. One, the snowy landscape. These are our conditions for the duration. Two, we see the amount of assistance Dany’s providing, as well as the discipline of the Unsullied.

(3:41) This is the first time Arya’s seen Jon in years and it’s a damn good thing the directors decided to let her show an emotion for it. Everyone suffers from the directors’ persistent idea that power = stoicism.

(4:17) Showing Arya’s got a reaction to Sandor and Gendry’s arrival in Winterfell gives us more than “these people are here now”. Which is why characters should be allowed to emote.

(4:32) First line of dialogue in s8 is a eunuch joke! Not even exposition. Eunuch joke. Like we’ve never heard one of them before.

(4:40) It’s not any funnier for Varys calling Tyrion out on this only to get another eunuch joke in reply.

(4:47) The juxtaposition of Missandei and Gray Worm here shows us another unpleasant thing that’s going to run throughout the season: the racism. This racism, here shown in the North being hostile to people of colour, contextualises the entire concept of Northern independence. This sort of juxtaposition undermines the argument that Northern independence is all about not being ruled from King’s Landing, and brings in a nasty undertone that the Northerners don’t want to be ruled by anyone who – gasp – includes people of colour in their cause. While I think it’s valid to depict the North as pretty well xenophobic, xenophobia and racism are not exactly appealing character traits.

Frankly, I don’t think the writers added it up when plotting out the ending. The North don’t look like they’ve been put upon by bad and unjust administration, they look like racist fuckheads complaining about rescues they don’t like. And yes, this impacts how Dany comes across – she’s the one with people of colour in her advisory team, and she never even mentions removing them to help the Northerners feel at ease. It’s hard not to see the implicit position as being “the North should get over this point.”

(5:12) “I warned you. Northerners don’t much trust outsiders.” In hindsight, this looks to me as the first set up for the idea that ‘Dany wants everyone to cheer her and is very sad then very insane when she does not receive the love to which she feels she’s entitled.’ See above re: complaining about rescues they don’t like. Is Dany so out of line for expecting a little gratitude?

(6:13) Speaking of no emotion. Oh boy. Poor Bran. This is the first time he’s seen his brother for years, and he gets to show mild curiosity. This is the character whose rule we’re supposed to leave off on, feeling good about the future of Westeros. But if he doesn’t care, why should we?

(7:35) Bran drops the bombshell that they’ll be dealing with a zombie dragon, that the Wall has fallen, and the dead are marching south. So there’s our context. Apocalyptic, imminent trouble. Everyone enjoy your episode of people not liking Daenerys against a backdrop of people preparing for apocalyptic, imminent trouble. I think these things probably should have been reversed.

(8:34) More preparing for a final showdown at Winterfell. Again, something else we should have take as a poor sign for the season’s structural integrity, as there was clearly no way they could drag out the build-up for four episodes.

(9:05) “It’s not important.” Ah yes, a great recommendation for this character’s political skills. Let’s just keep that in mind for the people who immediately think ‘oh yes Jon would be way better than Dany as ruler’.

(9:26) “When I left Winterfell I told you we need allies or we will die.” There is that. This is one thing we can get behind show!Jon for seeing better than the rest of the Northern cast. Jon will be proved correct on this count.

Though again, really, there is neither explanation nor excuse for the lack of discussion about a political marriage between Jon and Daenerys as a means of bringing the North into her realm in a position of greater strength and dignity. That’s just a gaping plothole, left unaddressed because otherwise the plot doesn’t work.

The plot didn’t even work anyway.

(9:32) Sansa stink-eye is most obvious here. Barely concealed hostillity to the people here to save you really is a good idea, isn’t it? Great politics.

(9:57) Tyrion gets up here to make a speech. While not being able to keep your mouth shut is endemic to the Lannister family as a whole and a valid character flaw, it’s not come out very intentionally in the last few seasons. Poor Tyrion has been pretty consistently inept from s6 onwards, and it doesn’t change here. Reading the room’s hostility to Jon’s bending the knee, he doesn’t let Jon and Dany speak for themselves, but stands up to speak. Him, a Lannister, i.e. a member of the family that were a huge part of why the North rebelled in the first place. An optics misread as bad as “It’s not important.”

(10:15) Possibly also the wrong way to bring up the fact that the Lannisters are expected.

(10:34) Back to the primary way the writers have to show that Sansa is smart. She’s the only one thinking about logistics. Which is a thing people need to think about – in a series that gives half a damn about this sort of thing.

However, Sansa is also bringing this up as part of the dialogue about whether Daenerys should be here, in the North, helping defend it. She is bringing this up in public (rather than taking strips off Jon in private for not thinking the supply chain through). It is clear from her tone and word choice that she is hostile to Daenerys’ forces being there. This is an open political statement as much as it is a logistical question. And they still have to fight off the ice zombies. This character is allowed to have political preferences, it’s better if she has political preferences, but she’s also supposed to be smart! And one of the things she was supposed to have learned in the first half the series was how to play nice in public and pick her moments!

On top of this, continuing to undermine the depiction of Sansa as intelligent, the logistical matters do not impact the story one little bit. Sansa’s objections are lip service to the idea that the army needs to be supplied.

(10:42) Sansa got enough supplies for Winterfell, but didn’t account for additional allies…when she knew her brother was heading out to get allies. Apparently didn’t even think to send over a raven asking whether Dany was getting the Unsullied to pack a bag lunch.

This is not entirely on Sansa. These are deeper communications problems which, to be fair, have been extremely well established. Whether it’s Jon and the army of the Vale, or Arya and the question of a coup, these problems just seem to feature Sansa disproportionately.

(11:04) Another establishing shot that, if linked to something more concretely, would have been an excellent idea – though having seen that Dany’s come with literal wagonloads of dragonglass, we’re also supposed to believe she brought no food?

(12:06) Sansa’s hostility to Daenerys is one of her overwhelming character traits in this episode. Her concern for the supply situation is expressed in hostility to Daenerys. The context for her confrontation with Tyrion is expressed in hostility to Daenerys. Sansa’s mistrust is not contextualised by any sort of historical reference to Rhaegar and Lyanna, nor Aerys’ murder of Rickard and Brandon, as you might expect if that was the actual motivation of the animus. On the contrary, we’ve got dialogue telling us that the mistrust is cultural and respect must be earned, and a chunk of showing us that Northerners are racist, establishing that this is Northern isolationism at work.

Whereas our establishing moment for Dany this episode was meant to show us how eager she was to make a good impression and to be on good terms with the Northerners.

(12:17) The ‘fixing’ of book!Sansa continues, as show!Sansa says that Joffrey’s wedding had its moments. One of the many, many ways the show is lesser than the books is because the books let characters actually differ. Everyone in this series has the exact same emotional reaction to revenge.

(13:09) Sansa gets to some of the wonky plotting behind season seven. Show!Cersei is not trustworthy! There’s no basis for a peace there. Tyrion, of all people, should have known this. Yet he bought it hook, line and sinker. He had to, because otherwise the plot the writers wanted didn’t work. And yet, Sansa calling it out doesn’t make the issue go away. It doesn’t reconcile anything. It just highlights that massive gap between how people talk about Tyrion, and what Tyrion’s actually shown to have achieved. And the plot hole.

(13:34) Here, have a shot of Bran sitting in the courtyard, watching people.

(14:02) A reference to Jon’s resurrection! Which…actually didn’t matter! So basically we’re bringing this up just to bring it up!

(14:10) Damn it’s so much better to see Arya and Jon both emoting!

(15:01) Similarly, as they compare their swords, it’s a nice little moment where we can see these two starting to negotiate a more adult relationship based on common interests and shared knowledge.

(15:17) “She’s the smartest person I’ve ever met.” Ow. That hurt. Sansa’s got the same problem as Tyrion, in many ways. We’re told she’s smart and shown that…actually, no, not really. To be fair, nobody in this show is smart anymore, but there are only a few characters where the other characters outright say that they’re smart. The writing’s got to back that up, and it doesn’t.

(15:26) Toot toot, all aboard the Daenerys hate train. Arya hasn’t even interacted with Dany, and yet Arya’s framing her backing up of Sansa and Sansa’s overt hostility to Daenerys as “defending our family.” Again without reference to Aerys or Rhaegar, and with the episode showing lots of Northerners glaring at all the people who came with Daenerys to fight the White Walkers.

How on earth did the writers think this would scan? One party’s shown up with her armies and her dragons ready to put herself and her ambitions on the line for the other, and the party getting its fat hauled out of the fire is going ‘ugh, fine, we’ll put up with you if we have to’. Dany’s not just going “I am Targaryen, bow to me,” here. This is a bit of a change from her father. She demonstrates that just by showing up.

(15:41) Capped off with a seriously nasty exchange. “I’m [Sansa’s] family too.” “Don’t forget that.” Just – gross. What the fuck. Ups the framing as Jon’s love for Daenerys as something inherently anti-Stark. It’s so mean-spirited. Isntead of “you look happy, Jon” or “do you love her, Jon?” it’s “remember we come first, Jon.”

(16:33) Here we see the Golden Company. Not that they’re going to be playing a part in events. They’re just there to make up the numbers. Literally.

(16:38) Scene with Euron and Yara starts here. We establish that Yara is still alive.

(16:56) A second eunuch joke! Every bit as charming as the first.

(17:36) If Euron’s side loses, he’ll sail somewhere else. New information! Not in the realms of mind-bendingly plot twistingly important information, but at least it tells us a bit about Euron’s character.

(18:00) And end scene with Euron and Yara. Nothing was accomplished there that could not have been accomplished with an establishing shot of Yara tied up on one of Euron’s ships. The writers continue to use their screentime well.

(18:40) The number of troops Cersei hired, the number of horses they came with, and the lack of elephants would mean more if the show paid attention to detail. And, when Dany has dragons, it’s this sort of detail that might actually help build tension and give uncertainty as to the outcome in a conflict between the two. As things stand, this scene could just be “did you bring soldiers?” “Yes, many soldiers!” for exactly the same plot effect.

We’re long past the days where the show discussed the drawbacks of armour, and past the days where Robert analysed the strengths of the Dothraki in the field. We occasionally still get some great showing of the Dothraki, and for all it totally didn’t belong in the setting and required significant dumbassery on the protagonists’ part, the shield wall Ramsay used in the Battle of the Bastards got the effectiveness of the tactic across. This is just…making up the numbers.

(19:03) You know, one of the most devastating scenes in Cersei’s AFFC plot is where she has sex with Osney Kettleblack, not because she wants to (on the contrary, he reminds her of Robert), but because she feels it’s the only way she can keep him as a political tool. It’s tawdry and risky and emphasises how Cersei’s political method of operating actually reduces her agency.

This scene has some of that feeling to it, but without the book-long context examining what she can and can’t do, and how Cersei’s character and deep internalised misogyny affect her capacity to govern. Here, this scene of Euron pressuring Cersei into sex was preceded by a scene showing his feelings on the situation – a feeling remarkably reminiscent of Robert’s “making the eight” back in season one – rather than something like what we got in AFFC, which is about Cersei’sattitude to this sex she doesn’t want. It doesn’t provoke as much thought, and leaves me at least with just a thoroughgoing feeling of ick.

If there is any saving grace here, it’s Lena Headey, who actually has some acting to do.

(20:50) Oh joy, it’s Bronn. Who’s here for the fanservice. More than one sort of fanservice.

(21:14) Not keen on this, either. Here these characters mention how Ed Sheeran’s cameo character came back with his face burned off. It’s like a more throwaway version of how the Sand Snakes died gruesome deaths last season – this character irritated you? Enjoy their horrible demise! We meant to do it!

(22:45) Now we get down to the meat of the scene. Cersei sends Bronn to assassinate Jaime and Tyrion. Now that we’ve seen the season, we know that this is absolutely pointless. Bronn does not assassinate Jaime or Tyrion. He doesn’t affect their behaviour in the slightest. Tyrion offers Bronn a good bribe, Bronn accepts despite having been screwed over by the Lannisters before, and everyone goes on their merry way. This character has nothing to do. He does not illustrate any aspect of the world this story takes place in. He does not undergo any sort of internal journey. He has no reason to be in this story. He’s just here for the fanservice.

(24:32) One thing I do like about the scripting of the scene, combined with Lena Headey’s acting, is that it is crystal clear that Cersei did not enjoy the sex. Euron is obviously fishing for compliments and outright asking for favourable comparisons to Cersei’s previous lovers, and Cersei phrases things so that Euron can read in favourable comparisons if he likes – but she doesn’t have to say it.

If only this was linked to some sort of ongoing thread about how a female political figure’s use of sex can be counterproductive politically and extremely emotionally damaging.

(24:48) “I’m going to put a prince in your belly.” It’s a double whammy for “the show has no sense of timeline.” One, please don’t draw attention to the fact that Cersei discovered she was pregnant who knows how long ago, and is somehow not showing. Two, Cersei should be 42 or 43! No, it’s not impossible that she’d still be able to have a child, but it’s said so freaking casually, like a woman of 42 or 43 in this medieval-like setting with pretty rudimentary medical care having a baby is no big deal. It’s not treated as unlikely, much less like a potentially serious risk to Cersei’s health and wellbeing. Not to mention the fact that Cersei had three children, and all three are dead – what’s her emotional reaction to a comment like that? That seems like it might strike a nerve, if the showrunners were thinking carefully about what Cersei experienced over the course of the series.

(25:07) Shot of Euron’s ship starts here.

(26:21) And the Greyjoy siblings are free and clear within ninety seconds. At least the writers didn’t waste much of our time, though on the whole this subplot has involved a lot of kicking Theon around the plot like a hackey sack, and a lot of putting Yara in storyline time out.

(27:02) Theon’s kicked over to a new plot once more, for old time’s sake.

(27:42) Another establishing shot of activity around Winterfell I like a lot.

(28:02) In the same vein of the writers forgetting that Cersei is expecting a fourth child late in life, having seen three children make it past the infant mortality stage only to die violently, the writers continue to forget that Tyrion gave the order that resulted in the death of Davos’ only son. We know Davos knows this, but giving Davos an emotional reaction would be too much like work. Plus it might impair the quipping.

(28:29) “You want their loyalty? You have to earn it.” We’re back to the characterisation of the Northerners as loyal, now that it’s convenient. And as we’ll see later, no, Dany cannot earn the loyalty of the Northerners no matter what she does.

(28:46) Finally! Someone brings it up! Dany isn’t spoken for, Jon isn’t spoken for, they can actually stand each other and work together, the match would take the edge off that ‘bend the knee’ thing and turn it into something closer to ‘partnership’, if they have children there’s the benefits of a ruler whose father was from the North – the advantages to Dany’s cause and Jon’s current political position are pretty obvious in this feudal society where marriage is an important tool in creating and maintaining political relationships!

(29:06) aaaaaaand it’s brushed off immediately because apparently Jon and Dany don’t want to listen to lonely old men? What? That is a bad reason for not approaching them and saying ‘hey guys, we’ve had this idea, we think it’s a good one.’

Not that anything’s stopping Jon and Dany themselves from thinking of it.

(29:28) Or is the real reason that Varys thinks that “nothing lasts”? That’s also a rubbish reason. His cyncism is poison, here, because it’s stopping him from making a move to strengthen Dany’s political standing. But never mind that, let’s just take that as a (thus far unfounded) indication that this is going to be a tragic romance.

(30:01) Dany points out that Sansa’s lack of respect is a genuine political issue.

(30:17) The fact that the dragons ate eighteen goats and eleven sheep, and Dany considers that to be barely eating does get across the fact that the dragons consume a lot in the way of resources. Unfortunately, lack of resources is never going to become a material issue.

(30:32) I like that we see the dragons have melted the snow cover.

(30:58) This is…not the best green screen work. Try to ignore it.

(31:02) “Go on.” Dany invites Jon up on one of her dragons. Just like that. This entire sequence is so anti-climactic. There’s no joy in Dany finding new family here, no thrill as Jon explores a new identity of his own. This is not any sort of culmination. This is a man riding on a dragon because that is a cool thing, without much thought as to why in-story dragons and dragonriders are special. It’s got all the narrative weight of Dany offering Jon a ride in her Ferrari – special, yes, but not in any way transcendent or emotionally significant.

(31:17) Especially as Jon’s hesitance to hop aboard is played as a joke.

(31:53) What this scene does have that I was asking for all last season was Jon and Daenerys enjoying each other’s company. They’re smiling, there’s some banter.

(33:54) “We could stay a thousand years.” This call-back to Jon’s romance with Ygritte would be a lot more meaningful if Jon didn’t kill Dany at the end of the season. Oh no, how tragic, how star crossed, their romance ended with Jon murdering her.

(34:41) Simiarly, the significant looks between Drogon and Jon just make me queasy after the finale. I have not rewatched earlier seasons after the finale. There was a time not all that long ago when I loved Game of Thrones, especially those earlier seasons. But this is the last time I’m going to be watching this show. And Lindsay Ellis was absolutely right that knowledge of a story’s ending shouldn’t ruin the experience of the story when you come back to it.

(35:07) Again, decent showing of preparations for the fight.

(35:17) “You know who makes weapons for the wildlings? Cripples and cocksuckers. Which one are you?” What a burn on Gendry. The Hound is likeable because he’s sassy, and he’s sassy because his jokes involve ableism and homophobia.

There is a difference between writing ableist and homophobic characters as part of an ableist and homophobic setting, and writing ableist and homophobic jokes as a reason we should feel good about characters.

(36:04) Man, Arya suffers almost as much as Bran and earlier-season Dany for being instructed to be emotionless. Think about it. If we were seeing this without the context of season two and three, would we be shipping it? Or would we be staring at our screens in befuddlement at the lack of chemistry? On Maisie Williams’ part, which has nothing to do with her acting ability (because as we have ample evidence in this show, she can act) and everything to do with the horrible, horrible idea percolating through this show that for the characters to show that they have toughened up and become strong people, they must be stoic.

(36:33) There we go! Arya cracks a smile, and instantly the interactions between these characters actually feel more natural.

(37:35) Now we’re back to showing the Northerners as disloyal.

(37:50) Here’s the setting for Jon and Sansa to actually have it out. In private. Where she can speak freely, as she does, about not cluing her in. Note, however, that this is the third instance this episode where Sansa’s going ‘ugh, Daenerys, I don’t like her’ either implicitly or explicitly.

Not helped in the least by the extra-textual comments that Sansa’s jealous of how pretty Dany is.

(38:15) But when it comes right down to it, Jon is right – everyone here needs Dany, her armies and her dragons both, and securing her assistance was not an optional perk. Sansa’s right that Jon went about it in a suboptimal way, both because show!Jon is written not that bright and because plot contrivance, but she’s real short on viable options to defeat the White Walkers.

(38:48) I have faith in you, Sansa says…then turns around and suggests that Jon only likes Dany because she’s pretty. Show!Sansa has not been treated well by the script at any point. In earlier seasons she was considerably less savvy than her book counterpart, and now she’s become ruthless and manipulative and often plain mean. (We were also supposed to believe she was undermining Jon in season seven, but that plot didn’t actually show that.)

(38:59) “Did you bend the knee to save the North, or because you love her?” And cut. I’ll get back to this issue next episode, because it’s a lot more prominent next episode with much more significant effects on the storytelling, but yeah, get used to the show posing questions to its characters and not bothering to answer them.

(39:37) Ah, a reminder of last season’s greyscale subplot. Criticise the maesters for not listening to pleas for help from the north, sure, but regarding greyscale…yeah, damn those maesters for forbidding a dangerous medical procedure that might save one patient, but only at great risk to the doctor (and any assistants, presumably) and thereby continue the spread of the disease. Those cowards.

(40:15) The Valyrian steel sword that’s been in Sam’s family for generations would have been his anyway, eventually. I see, I see. The writers kinda forgot about the Night’s Watch and their vows. Also, gross, I do hate this anti-Sam who’s so proud of having taken Heartsbane from his father.

(40:39) Bailed out by John Bradley’s acting. Bradley’s been great when it comes to depicting Sam’s mixed feelings about his abusive father. Get some lights in this scene so we can see John Bradley’s acting better!

(41:57) More wonderful shots of Bran waiting in the courtyard. Not showing any sort of emotion though.

(42:19) “It’s time to tell Jon the truth,” Bran says. No emotion there, either. Bran’s got nothing at the prospect of revealing one of the most explosive political secrets in Westerosi history, nothing at upending his brother’s sense of identity, and nothing over the complete reevaluation of Ned Stark that this information calls for. Nothing.

And again, we know this isn’t a problem with Isaac Hempstead-Wright’s acting, because of evidence provided to us earlier in the series.

(42:26) “I’m not his brother,” Bran says, completely without emotion. What is wrong with this direction? What is wrong with the writing for this character?

(42:45) I nevertheless like that the Starks head down to the crypts to pay their respects on a regular basis. That does show their love for Ned. What I wouldn’t have given to see the Stark siblings discussing Robb or Catelyn.

(43:32) More good writing, which I will take where I can get in season eight – Jon notices immediately that Sam’s upset and asks about Sam’s girlfriend and their son. Not only does this show that Jon knows the things that might be upsetting Sam, it lets the writers just briefly clue us in that Gilly and baby Sam are present and okay, just offscreen.

(43:55) Back to bad writing. Sam is understandably preoccupied with the fact that Dany exected his father and brother. What I don’t get is why Sam treats Dany’s failure to tell Jon as significant. Dany apparently has no idea that Jon and Sam are friends. From the way she greeted Sam in that previous scene, it looks like she only knows of Sam through Jorah. If Dany concealed her actions from Jon out of shame, that’s contradicted by the fact she told Sam the truth. (Nor is it consistent with various other actions she’s taken.) If Dany just didn’t give a thorough account of her actions on the field to Jon, and the Tarlys should have been included as significant casualties, that failing is shared by a whole bunch of people who could have told Jon, and isn’t any sort of personal insult.

(44:29) It’s time! The R+L=J reveal we’ve been waiting for! It’s been a rocky journey, between the lack of early foreshadowing, the really obvious foreshadowing later, that misstep where people thought E+L=J, Lannister style, and HBO had to correct people, and most recently the very obvious setup for Sam to tell Jon this news in the worst way possible, for the worst reasons possible (not a bad idea, just shakier execution). But who cares, we’re here. This is going to have some impact.

(45:15) Okay, well, impact kind of blunted by the fact I can’t actually see much in this scene. Some lights, please?

(45:46) Finally! Someone reacts to what this meant! Yes, this is some drama, this is going to take some time and some fraught conversations to work through.

(46:24) And straight away we focus on what this means for the current fights over the Iron Throne. Blast. Jon bypasses denial, anger, bargaining and depression and gets straight to acceptance and dealing with the consequences of the reveal. There’s no “that can’t be true,” there’s no “why did you tell me this.” Luke Skywalker had the fucking Force confirming the parentage reveal and even then he didn’t accept it as easily as Jon does now.

(46:35) “You gave up your crown to save your people. Would she do the same?” Except that’s not the question that the reveal of Jon’s parentage poses. Jon gave up his crown in trade for an alliance against a pressing military threat. What would Dany be saving people from, in abdicating in favour of Jon? Someone’s got to actually start a civil war over this for her to save people from that threat.

(46:42) In case you can’t see the scene, it involves Tormund and Beric investigating a castle that’s clearly been attacked.

(48:41) Just shy of two minutes before something was said, and even then it was screaming. That was a long time to squint at people walking through a scene so dark it’s hard to tell what they were reacting to. I need something to either listen to or watch, here.

(48:43) And Beric lights the scene as he and Tormund ambush some Night’s Watch refugees led by Dolorous Edd.

(49:30) So that’s Lord Umber dead. Which means presumably that we’re in Last Hearth right now. Establishing that Tormund, Beric and Edd will be coming back to Winterfell, blah blah, not sure that was worth two minutes of screentime when they could have just shown up and said “we passed Last Hearth and everyone was dead,” given the other plot points we could spend screentime on.

(49:49) It’s a good jump scare though.

(50:40) A mysterious hooded figure rides into Winterfell amongst a crowd of people also riding into Winterfell.

(51:09!) It’s Jaime! He looks around Winterfell’s courtyard.

(51:26) And spots Bran watching him. End episode on the held gaze. While Bran sitting in the courtyard waiting for Jaime is actually really funny, I do think this pretty much worked, setting up the idea that Jaime’s going to have to confront the attempted child murder from episode 1. It’s also a reminder of the conflict that’s involved with working with the Lannisters on that more personal level.

Next time – possibly the season’s best episode, and boy is that depressing.

#anti got #fine toothed comb edition #season eight

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